After seeing families being thrown into crisis by the Hebrew Roots movement and consequently 119 Ministries, I began doing some research on my own. I have approached this with much prayer and constantly ask for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to discern the truth from the lies.
119 Ministries uses a lot of sophisticated language, throwing around Greek and especially Hebrew as if it is commonly understood today by most people. They use emotional videos which engage the senses to sensationalize their message, granted that is the point of most audio/visual media; however when dealing with teaching people, emotionalism is underhanded in my book, on par with TV commercials.
The flavor of 119 is elitist and attempts to, at the very least, demean those who oppose them and quite possible damning the same. It smells human and not at all of the same scent of Jesus in the gospels.
My hope in writing this blog is to give accurate rebuttals to both the actual articles published by 119 Ministries and also to accurately stand up to their false assumptions and ideas. My hope is that other families who are struggling to sort out their faith avoid shipwreck, keep the faith and stay hidden in Jesus Christ!
Please feel free to comment on anything and ask questions. I too am a fellow runner in this race and have struggles and weaknesses like you. But together we can search the Scriptures, focusing on what they actually say and understanding the simplicity that they contain, avoiding pitfalls and incorrect doctrine given by men. Together we can strengthen one another in love and so help build and protect the bride of Christ, His church.
Grace & Peace!
A Rebuttal of 119 Ministries 
Glad you’re doing this. I’ve noticed the same thing and have blogged on it. A lot of Christians are taking the bait due to their interest in prophecy and Mark Biltz’s blood moon theories.
I have started listening to some of their teachings and find them very humble in their presentation . I have heard them many times inform me to study it for myself .
Thank you Erik for stopping by & taking the time to comment. I guess we just differ in our opinions about 119 Ministries attitude. I have found their words inviting when they say “test everything”. But they are seem to harbor anger toward people who believe deeply in grace and that the Law is not required as a believer. On their Facebook page, they publish photos or paintings that have messages on them and most of them are devoid of love and have a sarcastic edge to them. Again, perhaps we just view them differently. I truly hope you test biblically what they claim. It is my belief that they are presenting a different gospel.
“(3) But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (4) For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”
-2 Corinthians 11:3-4
Grace & peace to you!
Leah, I came across this post during a search. I have to disagree with you as well. The invite to test everything is inviting because that is what it is meant to be. Test Everything. I have personally discussed issues with these men and I disagree with some things and others they are right on point scripturally, historically, and otherwise. As I interpret their mission, it is to dispel myths that have crept into the body under the guise of “Christianity” and are now taught as gospel when in fact they are traditions of men. The common attack on this ministry is they are teaching the “LAW” and this is a means of salvation which is entirely incorrect assumption. They do in fact teach that the commandments are to be followed as prescribed by YHVH not to just Israel but to all man. this is a common misunderstanding. If we were to sit down I am sure (you being a follower of Jesus) would agree that these “Laws” God has shared with all of mankind are in fact written in your heart Just as 119 Ministries proclaim. They merely include the 1 you no doubt exclude. The fact that you would proclaim all these to be true and box them all up nice and neat and call them the moral laws of God and leave it at that is what people like 119 ministries is trying to point out. It is not a different Gospel that what Jesus brought. Love your neighbor and in doing so you fulfill all the law! The point and this is the cutting point, most Christians today live a Sunday to Sunday life and cannot even follow the 10 commandments and then make excuse under the claim of grace for their lawlessness. Jesus made example of this when reciting the beatitudes. I’ll Paraphrase: “the Law says xyz but I say to you XYZ and then the heart of the matter…” I find these gentlemen to be truly seeking all truth in the scriptures and not shying away from tough questions. They are challenging the status quo of todays Christianity and false doctrines that are in place due to the traditions of men. But to call them Heretics as other do, and to lay claim to teaching another Gospel is strong accusations. Do they teach Jesus is not the Messiah?, do they teach that Salvation is not through Jesus the Messiah? Do they teach that Salvation comes solely by the adherence to the Mosaic Law? All of these answers are NO. What they do teach is something that you simply do not want to hear. That God has dealt with all men the same way. That he expects us to live accordingly to his Teachings. This has been true since Adam. This Teaching has not changed through the ages, God requires us to live a certain way and to seek after his righteousness. Now in this new Covenant he has made available This same Law (Torah) he has written in our hearts. That we would adhere to the Teachings that are now written in our hearts. The Covenant is new, Salvation Through Jesus (Death Burial Resurrection) and identifying with Jesus by the renewing of our spirit (Water Baptism, Infilling of the Holy Spirit). This Covenant is based on the same Law of God that has been passed down since Adam. what I hear and see most Christians act on or quote is that somehow this was a special thing only revealed to the Israelites, and therefore mistakenly conclude that somehow this “LAW” is now abolished. I submit if it is abolished then what rule to we measure against? What was written in our hearts? a new Law ?, a new law that somehow appears to be just like the “old” law with a few things changed? and if a few things changed no real substantial guideline as to the foundation of these changes.
I will end with my statement:
I believe there is one way to Salvation and that is through Christ Jesus. You cannot earn salvation by the adherence to Gods eternal law. I do believe that it is a misunderstanding of the Apostle Paul that Gods Eternal Law is abolished. Gods laws/teachings/precepts/ordinances, are what is written on our hearts and as we diligently seek him and accept his ways, we will do them as he has shown them through his holy prophets (not for salvation, rather as our obedience to him). We have been commanded to follow after him and his ways and Jesus was the example in how to live. I believe this to be literal and not just figurative in every way he lived. Be careful of judging those who follow the commandments of God out of obedience (whether you agree or not) and exclude them as a brothers in Christ. If you believe you have liberty of these things then so be it, don’t obey. In the same note do not judge those that find liberty in obedience to the Laws of God (as they do them unto God). In this Judgment you will be likewise be judged.
With all love and humility, may Yehova shine his light upon you and give you grace.
I have been reading several articles on your site and I must say, I will pray for you. I have found that whenever something ‘new’ comes to a Christian, they immediately tear it apart with their preconceived notions. After 29 years of being a Christian, and reading the Bible with these preconceived notions taught by the Christian Church, namely, that the Law has been done away with since the resurrection, the Holy Spirit took the veil off my eyes one day during private study. I can tell you, what he revealed to me rocked me to my core! What he showed me was the fact that this teaching by the Christian Church is false! I had never heard of any such thing as a Hebrew Roots movement at the time. I was so strongly convicted I knew for sure that this was from the Holy Spirit, as I couldn’t open my Bible until I had repented and prayed for 3 days! What he showed me was that we should be keeping his 7th day Sabbath and HIS Feasts. These are the ONLY things he showed me that day. I now read His Word in the light of the Holy Spirit and not with the teachings of the Christian Church and I have been absolutely amazed at how he has brought understanding and confirmation to things I never really understood before. What most Christians don’t understand is the fact that most of the ‘laws’ in the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) are for the Levite priests! Since we no longer have a temple or a formal priesthood, these aren’t valid. Some laws are for men, some are for women, some are for all. Cultures have changed, therefore such laws as slavery don’t apply as we don’t have slaves! We need to use some common sense!! What people don’t realize is the fact that his Torah/law was given so we would know what sin is! Without it, how can we know what sin is? It is a blueprint for moral living! All Christians are actually Catholics without even knowing it. It was the Roman Catholic Church that changed His 7th day Sabbath and did away with His Feast days! If you will read Leviticus 23:1 you will see that these days are HIS, and not the Jews Feast Days, they belong to Him! The Jews today, are the only ones who obey and keep them! These commanded Feasts were given to ALL of Israel (the Jews were only ONE tribe, there were 12 at the time) and to ALL foreigners with them! So in other words, they were given FOREVER to ALL who believe in the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians need to really read what Christ tells us, “Do not think I have come to ABOLISH the Law or the Prophets; I have NOT come to abolish them but to FULFILL them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17,18 Why do Christians fail to hear Him? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? Not that I can see! Have all been fulfilled yet? NO, as He still has to come back! We are told to FOLLOW HIM! He kept the 7th day Sabbath, and the Feasts. And so are we! If we weren’t He would have told us!!! He walked the earth for 40 days after his resurrection and never taught that the Law was done away with! His disciples, including Paul never taught this either! If you think Paul did, then you are highly mistaken and misinterpreting his letters! The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to Paul as well, where I no longer feel he contradicts our Savior. Do we follow the law in order to be saved? NO!! Following His law is the fruit of our salvation as it is obedience to HIM! Christians don’t really study or read the Old Testament so they have no clue that not only Israel came out of Egypt that day, but a MIXED MULTITUDE! Therefore, the Law given on Mt. Sinai was for EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES and that hasn’t changed! By learning about His Feasts I have learned something that Christians have no clue about. His Feast days are a prophetic picture of the redemption of mankind!! Christ has only fulfilled the first 4. He still needs to come back to fulfill the last 3. He fulfilled Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the feast of First Fruits, and Pentecost to the letter!! Have you not wondered why you as a Christian still celebrate this Feast of Pentecost? Why when you claim that the Law was done away with? Who was the first covenant given to? And who was the ‘new’ covenant given to? If the first covenant was given to Jews, then how can the new covenant (actually renewed covenant) be given to Christians when it was never given to Christians in the first place? Who is Israel? ALL who believe in the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! That includes ALL Jews as well as anyone else! That hasn’t changed! If you aren’t a Jew, then you were considered a Gentile. As Paul teaches, Gentiles who believe are now PART of Israel, and now no longer Gentiles. Jews have ALWAYS been part of Israel! Christians forget that the Jews eyes were blinded for a reason, and will be UNTIL THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GENTILES COME IN!! Christians forget that in the book of Acts they were JEWS who were believers in the Messiah that received the Holy Spirit, not Christians! Believers of the Messiah were actually a sect of Judaism!! The Catholic Church changed His laws and His statutes. Christians really need to read how HE reacted to the very same thing in the book of 1 Kings. He actually divorced the 10 tribes who disobeyed by doing this very same thing! And as he states in Malachi, He HATES divorce! Since the Messiah died, now he can reconcile these brothers of his and they can return to Him. The prodigal son! Think of all the people Abraham was told would be his descendants, they are not all Jews! There are way too many to be, they are you and me, Israel!! HE DOES NOT CHANGE!!! What he said and did in the ancient times, he is the same now! Christians need to read the Old Testament (how many I wonder actually know that the Bible was split in two testaments by the Catholic Church? The New Testament is just a continuation of the Old!!) If they do, they will learn just how important his law especially His 7th day Sabbath is. If you read prophecy, you will see the feasts as well as the 7th day Sabbath will be kept in the Millennium. If that is the case, does it make sense to say he did away with the Law? Christians need to wake up as they have no clue because they are following the twisted view of the Catholic Church therefore, not following the Messiah they claim to love and follow. Remember what he tells us, If you love me you will follow my commandments. “And he said to them, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS DEPEND ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.” In other words ALL of the Law encompasses these two. So I ask again, why oh why would he do away with the law if by following His Law you are fulfilling these two most important commands?! Christians may be following the second one, but you can’t possibly follow the first and most important by saying and believing that His law was done away with, for you are not following His 7th day Sabbath or His Feast Days!! Christians better wake up before its too late as they are going to be considered the least in the Kingdom!! Wake up and read the Word with the TRUE discernment of the Holy Spirit!! I only found 119 ministries about a year or so AFTER the Holy Spirit lifted the veil off my eyes and they are RIGHT ON!!!!
Well said Leah. I too have discerned this “anger” – it is written all over Jim Staley’s face
Well said Leah. I too have discerned this “anger” – it is written all over Jim Staley’s face
119 is not a cult
Hi there, hope you are well….we thank God for your blog so that we can all embark on it and share ideas… Are you suggesting that your disbelief in 119 ministries is based on the fact that Grace offers believers not to keep the commandments of God
Have you ever heard Jon Sherman’s personal testimony as to how and why he came to faith in Messiah and started 119 Test Everything Ministries? It is very humbling.
Also have you heard of the documentary called, “The Way” which has many people like Jon Sherman, Steve Moutria, Zachary Bauer, Arthur Bailey, and others in it?
Are you aware of the Biblical definitions of “Sin” “Truth” and “Torah”?
I believe most of the conclusions they come to are easily tested and proven true with a little effort and studying done on the viewer’s end.
They have frequently made it clear that salvation is a free gift offered through YHWH’s grace and that following the Torah, the Law, is the natural response of a believer who has been saved by grace. I have never heard them say you must follow the Law to be saved. Just the opposite, they have demonstrated time and again, through the scriptures, that following the Law is simply the response after being saved by grace.
Again, I have watched dozens of their videos and I never seem them preach anything that can’t be proven by scripture, other than teachings they give based on their own opinions (such as their series on Time), which they clearly tell the viewer at the start of the series that it is a teaching they are still studying and proving, and that their opinions may change as their study goes on.
I think most of the issue people have with them is that they are challenging you to walk away from the spoon fed teachings your pastor gives you, and to break out a concordance to do some digging and studying on your own. Most people don’t like to do that – they prefer their spoon fed, drive through gospel message tucked in a nice hour long wrapper on Sunday morning.
I really don’t have time to get involved in the larger debate, and I’m sure that, instead of showing me from the Bible you would only refer me to videos produced by 119 Ministries anyhow…
9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, quarrels and fights about the *TORAH;* because they are worthless and futile.
10 Warn a divisive person once, then a second time; and after that, have nothing more to do with him.
11 You may be sure that such a person has been perverted and is sinning: he stands self-condemned.
–Titus 3:9-11, Complete Jewish Bible (emphasis added)
I agree
I agree with Jesse. Nuf said
I’m curious as to your name and this book you talk about, I’d really like to read more of your thoughts! Also, I’d be very interested in collaborating with you on some other debasings of 119 ministries. It’s about time someone put them in their place by truly testing everything! I’d also like to use some of your material here in a student chapel I’m doing at my school (a very nice Christian school, might I add) and was wondering if I have your permission. There’s one student there who’s been a part of the Hebraic Roots movement for as long as I’ve known him and maybe longer. I have a feeling that your material will be sure to get through to him!
Thanks for stopping by. You’re welcome to use any of this material to help your friend. My name is Leah & I was being figurative when I talked about “my book”…sorry for the confusion! 🙂 Grace & Peace to you!
Thanks. I’d also like to use your teachings as a reference on this counter to 119 Ministries that I’m working on.
Also, you should totally write a book, this is some really Spirit-inspired stuff!
Haha…
I took your comment to be a misrepresentation of how you really felt. We’re you being sincere, or sarcastic?
Why is it whenever someone decides to reject the Christian traditions of men such as celebrating pagan holidays, Sunday worship, which is not and never has been the Sabbath, they are attacked and maligned by the traditional church. If my study of history is correct it is the dominate church who has been the persecutor of anyone who has come to a new understanding. The Catholic Church martyred those who disagreed with their doctrine. Then the Prostatant church persecuted the anabaptists, etc. and so on. Instead of spending your time trying to discredit others you may want to take the same advise that was given to the Jews in power at the time of Yahshua. If this is not a move of YHWH it will die out and come to naught but if it is of YHWH you will find yourself fighting against the one who you claim to worship. Spend your time studying to find truth and when you find truth that disagrees with your preconceived ideas or the traditions you have been taught learn humility for Yahshua himself said those in the end times will be given a strong delusion because they loved NOT the truth.
True
Dear Leah, I am a Pastor and have been almost 30 years and I have a couple of friends who have gotten involved in Sabbath worship and this movement of 119 ministries. From all i read and hear from them it is borderline cult at the least heretical teaching. Do you know any more about the leaders and this movement that I can be a good Barean in defending of the true word of God.
Dear Frank,
Thanks for your post. As far as the 119 leadership, I do not know any of them personally. I did contact them through their website testeverything.net and received a reply. There is something called the Hebrew Roots movement which is where their basic tenets come from, but the Hebrew Roots people condemn rigid adherence in favor of love (in say a husband-wife relationship where one believe in Hebrew Roots movement & the believes in more mainline Christianity…they say, let the beliefs/practices take a back seat to the relationship.) I am not positive, but I believe 119 Ministries falls more along the lines of when Jesus said, “I came not to bring peace but a sword” in Matt. 10:34, and one friend of mine feels this way regarding his strained relationship saying he must follow the commands if YHWH even at his family’s expense. I do personally feel it is a cult. It lacks the love Jesus presents as foundational in the Gospels. There just is no room for love in the 119 teachings. In my opinion. I’m thankful you are seeking to understand where your friends are walking & I will pray for God to give you wisdom in discerning the truth.
Leah, You really do not understand that which you label and criticize. You would do well to truly study these things rather than speak about your opinions. Where does it say in the scriptures you should disobey YHWY to please your family. You have disregarded the teachings of the Messiah who said you must love him more than all others including family. He also said if you love me keep my commandments. He also said the student is not greater than the teacher. You must follow the example the teacher gave to you. He kept all the commandments, observed the appointed feasts of YHWH, he did not come to do away with the Torah but show us how to live it to the full. That is what fulfilling it means. Please re read your New Testament with new eyes and and open, seeking heart. You might be surprised what you see when you read to seek truth.
LIes Lies Lies ….. ITS Not a CULT people want to live love and be more like Yeshua whats wrong with that…. I bet you believe the laws are not for us either??? If so pastor why do you ask for tithing when in fact it is the law of the old testament….. Explain!!!!!!!!!
Amein to that Sharon.. I listen to 119 ministries, they are very humble servants of Yah, they teach the truth that churches never taught us,..
I go to the refinersfire.org to they are good too.
Have a Blessed day sister…
Amen. I just looked at 2 videos.
YIKES!
1 Cor. 9 is very clear that Paul himself said ” to a Jew I become a Jew; to those under the Torah I become as if under Torah, though I myself am not under Torah.
The biggest issue is that Christ came to earth to inagurate a New Covenant in His blood, thus fulfilling the Torah.
He alone is Gods Word and Truth.
@John Campbell.. ALSO FROM 1 Cor. 9….
“To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”
“To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.”
1 Corinthians 9:20-21
You need both parts to understand what law he’s referring to when. In context, in vs. 20 he’s talking about the mosaic law. In vs. 21 he’s talking about the law of Christ. Different altogether.
Why is it when people start observing the original Sabbath and the Feasts of God that are so intricately tied to prophecy about Jesus’s first and second coming (nowhere is it stated in the Bible they’re just for Jews)… those people get labelled as being in a cult? Nobody is forcing them to do these things. And for the record, many of the leaders or teachers in that movement are former Baptist and Pentecostal pastors (some leading Christian churches anywhere from 20-45 years) who found that church doctrine just didn’t line up with Scripture in its original context. These are brothers and sisters in CHRIST who call Messiah by his true Hebrew name. They try to walk as HE walked not as how people twist Paul’s writings. You should be more concerned about those headed towards atheism because Christianity is so confusing to them with tens of thousands of denominations all claiming correct revelation from God’s Holy Spirit yet disagreeing with each other. YHWH’S Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word of God whether that’s the written version or the Living Word. And if Jesus lied in Matthew 5:17-19 then that disqualifies him as Messiah. The qualifications for Messiah are found in the first Testament btw. Jesus did not lie. HE died for me… not Paul. So I’ll trust Jesus’s straightforward words above what people who don’t understand Paul claim Paul says and then build doctrines around Paul’s words that contradict Jesus himself. Pauline Christianity comes from Rome. Had enough of those false teachings the first 25 years of my life. And btw… even the Catholic church claims THEY changed the Sabbath and that the Protestants give homage to them by keeping Sunday. My former priest showed me. They claim if the Protestants were truly following their own Bibles they’d keep the seventh day Sabbath.
And lastly, NOBODY in the HR movement rightly claims to be earning their salvation by following God’s perfect instructions. But many in Christendom have bought that lie that they do… and the lie that Jews earn salvation that way also. They do not. Jews live by trusting faith in the wisdom of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They demonstrate their love and trusting faith of God by striving to be obedient. Guess what they do when they fail? Same as us… repent and start fresh the next time. GRACE has existed since the Garden of Eden and is taught in Judaism. David being just one example of God’s grace. Jesus was the highest demonstration of God’s grace, not the first appearance of it.
Ever wonder why so many Christians are becoming more like the world? Why they’re becoming atheists or agnostic? Why churches that preach positive psychology rather than The Word are the ones that are growing? That’s where the concern should be not about people who want to live in obedience to YHWH out of love and appreciation for His gift of Jesus/Yehoshua.
🙂
Follow Leah, don’t follow THE Creator
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Dear Leah, Thanks for your reply! After more study and looking into the 1119 ministries and the Hebrew Root movement, I also believe them to be a cult.. It is spreading like wildfire in the North Georgia and Atlanta area. I and some other pastors are working on a apologetic ministry type reprove and seeking any and every bit of information we can to answer to this false doctrine and heretical teaching as we can. So many carnal and weak Christians and non believers are being suck into this daily. Servant of the Lord, Frank
Do you even know what a cult is?? … 119 is nowhere near that.
We might say we are all members of a Cult if we follow God and Jesus
I have been many times I was in a cult… Good for me 🙂
Do you see the synonyms? Depending on who you ask which cult do you profess?
cult/noun noun: cult; plural noun: cults
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a “particular figure” or object.
“the cult of St. Olaf”
•a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.
“a network of Satan-worshiping cults”
synonyms: sect, denomination, group, movement, church, persuasion, body, faction
“a religious cult”
•a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.
119 ministries teaching tell of Jesus (Yeshua) and the love he has for us… This Hebrew roots movement is to assure that we as Christians do not lead astray the Jew in our teaching for they are bound by a different rule than us…they are teaching us that there are certain things meant for the Jewish people that is not for gentiles !!! It saddens me that so many people read into a good ministry that is spreading truth and wisdom from the whole Bible and call it a cult… Just so it makes them feel better about their salvation… I test every word and have found it true and as far as the calendars we should be going by Gods calendar and not our own… The great falling away is the falling away from the truth and the laws … The 10 Commandments are still Gods law which most say we are not supposed to follow them!!! LOOK AROUND AT OUR NATION we are NOT following them and see whats happening before our very eyes …. Come on folks do not be deceived by what other deem a cult when they just want to hear what their itching ears want to hear.. rather than the TRUTH…..
Look up Dr Michael Brown.. fire school of ministry and ask Dr. Brown he has great teachings too and will debate you in a second….. Truth is truth and deception is the name of the game and i will be praying
for you all who disbelieve the ministries that are out there doing the will of the Lord and not the will of man……. Salom
The simple reality of the matter is: can you absolutely affirm which denomination is the correct denomination? Can you without any doubt, prove that Christianity with one head pastor today reflects the “original Way” of the Apostles as commanded in the Scriptures–which Paul himself fully observed and was well tested and fully substantiated by the Bereans? The only Scriptures possible at that time was the Tanakh (OT) as the NT was not even in existence yet. All 119 is trying to do is truly, unbiasedly challenge believers in Yeshua to test and prove what they believe. Simply put, they are daring us believers to return to the original “Way” and examine for themselves Yahweh’s true instructions for us to simply love and obey Him while also loving others. So, what is wrong with seeking the unpolluted Scriptures to return to Yahweh’s original magnificent Word and testing if Pork and Sabbath/Feasts still apply? 119 never claims to be right–they simply invite consideration and our own meticulous testing. Testing everything is what the Church should be espousing, after all. Alas, they are too wrapped up in tickling ears and keeping traditions and arguing over which denomination got it right and trying to keep the masses happy. We have found returning to the “Way” nothing short of freeing and could only wish more believers would dare to try and love Yahweh according to the WAY He commands us–nothing more and nothing less. Do you not think there is a reason for each and every Word Yahweh uttered in the Scriptures? It is simply astounding how the OT fully supports the NT and the NT expounds upon the OT instructions–it is like perfect harmony! If “Christianity” is the way, why are over 2/3 of believers walking away from God and why is divorce higher in Church than the world? Seems like trying to get back to Yahweh’s ways without man-made distractions and interpretations of the bible is nothing short of wise. The bible explains itself if and when one is willing to test it hard enough. If we think we can do it better than Yahweh originally articulated rules for life, then we are foolish at best. What is so wrong with going back to the beginning to search out and work out our salvation through Yeshua the Christ and Holy Spirit-empowered Scriptural insight with much fear and trembling? We believers should want nothing more than to love Yahweh and our brethren according to His desires.
After some lengthy and fiery debates recently on Youtube, with some who are claiming that the Apostle Paul is a liar and a false prophet, yet would have us “obey the Commandments” (just as I thought!)
The following came to me:
WOW! I’ve GOT IT! Praise and glory to our Heavenly Father!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ – please consider this.
This whole discussion plus all the “supporting arguments” and followers of the likes of “trustinJC” are nothing more that another part of the HUGE end times deception.
This deception is shared with many other groups such as “The Hebrew Roots Movement” (who DENY the New Covenant in Jesus’ Blood completely) and countless small and large scale “evangelists throughout the world and internetland.
The PURPOSE of which, is to DRAW those who have been set free by the Blood of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ) BACK UNDER THE LAW, which we know indicates a FALLING FROM GRACE!
THEY ARE TRYING TO DRAG US DOWN TO FALL FROM GRACE.
Jesus tells us: “As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days when the Lord returns”
In the Days of Noah, the NEPHILIM(giants) wreaked havoc and were “destroyed” by the flood.
The Word also tells us that there will be a great FALLING AWAY (APOSTASY) in the end times.
The Word “Nephilim” = “to fall, lie, be cast down, fail
(Qal)
to fall
to fall (of violent death)
to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before
to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to , go away to, fall into the hand of
to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result
to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to
to lie, lie prostrate
(Hiphil)
to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate
to overthrow
to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot
to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)
to cause to fall
(Hithpael)
to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon
to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself
(Pilel) to fall
The MAIN thrust of nearly EVERY religious and non-religious group these days, is to “be nice to the Jews” aka Zionism, (or COPY the Jews) labelling anyone who will NOT come to the “party” – ANTI-SEMITIC. This is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to the “atrocities” inflicted by Hitler. (Hasn’t anyone every wondered why there were so many OTHER groups such as the disabled, gypsies etc who were ALSO murdered at Hitler’s hand, yet get no “sympathy” or mention whatsoever?)
The JEWS however, (and I am NOT anti-Semitic in any sense) DID and still DO follow Kabbalah, Hassidism and many other distorted teachings.
These ENEMIES of ours are trying to “transform themselves” into JEWS ie: “wannabee Jews” and because they do not have the Spirit of Adoption, are unable to discern ANY of this spiritually, but carry on in the NATURAL.
BUT, what does the Word say on this?
“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” (Revelation 3:9)
We ARE Spiritual Israel, grafted into the Olive Tree and TOGETHER are the Body of Christ. “Members of His body of His flesh and of His bones.”
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
But, “Spiritual things are foolishness to the natural man because they are spiritually discerned”
And what is the PURPOSE of all of this?
Let’s see…
“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14)
THEN, they will all think “what good little girls and boys we are because we “love the Jews” who were so badly treated…
It is NOTHING MORE than a WORLD-PEACE stunt!
AND, they will so piously, (due to being CARNAL and not spiritual) expect Jesus to “let them in” because He says, “Whenever you did/did not do it for the least one of My followers, you did/did not do it to Me”.
BUT they will KILL us (the REAL Israel) at the drop of a hat and smugly snuggle up together under the One World Banner, together committing adultery with the harlot of Revelation!
…
NO, devil-worshipping, unrepentant, worldly JEW will EVER be “the least one of My followers” UNTIL they repent and are born from above.
THEN, they BECOME one of the “little ones”, just like you and me dear Brethren, who are SO little, so unheard, so mocked, so despised, so unimportant, so uninfluential, that NO ONE could possibly take us seriously….
hmmm.
Thank You Jesus. I am HAPPY to be a little one and not a “MEGA Preacher”
IMPORTANT: Lot ESCAPED to a place called, “Zoar” which means: ‘INSIGNIFICANT’
Wow, I knew I heard this type of response before. This is nothing short of anti semitism at its ugly form of “Christianity” think twice of your hate filled speech, hitler did all he could in the name of Christianity, the catholic church caused great division amongst the true brethren in the name of Christianity.
What did Jesus say? If you love me you will keep my commandments, he also said I bring no new commandment, and only say what my father has already said. Your confusion on keeping his commandments with Talmudic practices is the division of the body and doing what naturally would follow them that believe. If you have the word written in your heart you would by your new nature follow his commandments.
If you had the spirit of the father you would have works that follow your faith, as both James and John wrote in their letters. If you hate any man you have not the love of the father and therefore have not the love of the messiah. Jesus was a Jew from the tribe of Judah, we are grafted into Israel, made common wealth citizens to Israel through adoption. Israel was the lost sheep the messiah came for, then he extended this to sheep we did not know of. Please read the word, understand before you spread confusion and bitterness.
salvation is the grace part of the gospel, obedience to his word is the relation part of the gospel. They (grace and his “law” A.K.A teaching/Torah) go hand in hand not two things in opposition of each other.
Who ever teaches men to go against his ways, will be considered the least in the kingdom.
This message of anti semitism, name calling of people that choose to follow Gods commandments as cult members is childish at best. I have never heard anyone say they keep To Gods teachings as a way to earn salvation, but that is all I hear others accuse them of doing or saying. I have heard however Christians say you are not saved if you do not dress a certain way, or guilt people into keeping a levitical commandment of tithe paying so they can keep their country club lifestyle (by the way something Paul taught against ) read Hebrews sometime…
Also I might add, any Christian admittedly says that you must obey the 10 “commandments” and further says they are written on your hearts when you are saved. no one in their proper mind will say its ok to murder because you are covered by grace… This is an obvious commandment, no one would say it is ok now to have your way with others you are not married to… These are easy… And are commonly part of weekly sermons across the country, These are often referred to as “moral laws” and of course we keep these! We just dont keep all the “ceremonial laws…” Well except for tithing, this is a “principle” of God that doesn’t change…. Oh and those dietary things… Ya we don’t have to do that well because, this was only for the Jews… Oh and Israel, oh and the Nations that follow after one true God.. But they are not for us because we have grace (as if no one ever received Gods grace before Calvary ).
If you follow after the commandments of God, does that make you a Judaiser? A Jew? saved? No !! the only thing it makes you is someone who Loves Yehovah our Father and desires to walk after his path of righteousness. to be Holy because He is Holy, To be righteous because He is righteous.
I thank God the Most High, our Father for becoming flesh sending his only begotten Son, so I can take part of his grace and mercy, whom without there is no salvation! praise be to the most High.
sincerely yours,
Reformed Baptist, Sanctified Pentecoatal, Redeemed Hebrew, Born again believer in the liberating power of the name of Jesus, Fearer or the Almighty one true God.
Sean
Wow Anna, feeling the “Love”. ….
Yes, for sure Anna, so distinctly on par with your Understanding! *SCRIPTURALLY BASED* …end time delusions. I found many all thru scriptures, God’s speech very Descriptive!
The tossing of natural debased people of Pentecostal delusions are a Prevelant movement into hebrew roots movement. Persuaded to have more heavy weights of constant talks/ excess precious time taken for hebrew & greek, rambling rhetoric that had no profit that SHOULD BE * to build & edify the body, fitly joined, for every good work- *equipped as good shepherd specifically spoke- get leaven out. Pentecostal Pastors, & people *just move* to another sleepy, apathetic low to ground system, No fruit, still under the natural man curses.
I have tried to see if HR Will stand and Act on the Very Instruction of Savior- master- King Jesus. No, They are morbid NO Love abounding. Just empty words.
Leah is right analysis, They destroy, Not build, like Jesus said Several scriptures what the Kingdom ‘ is like’.
No likeness = no fruit. II Peter chpt. 1 stated…if you do do have these, you cannot see far off, are blind and barren.
I showed them many scriptures. They ARE LIMITED in eyesalve/ so are blind and barren
Matthew 25: 27-46…and these shall go into everlasting punishment.( for no fruit to help the cause of our good shepherd)
They refuse to Act on the words/ instructions of shepherd Jesus. To do proper counsel, to get remedies, to *restore*some that was devestated MANY YEARS.
.What is G-D’s calender? Tammuz is a Babylonian mighty one.. How can the so called Hebrew calender then be the correct one if it uses Babylonian deities as its months?
To assert a claim that the Hebrew Calander may not be correct because the Babylonian deity names are contained in the calendar only is like saying you worship the sun god because you assemble on Sunday as a group to worship. Because the names of the months also have Babylonian names quotes not mean the Moedim are incorrect. A quick study will promptly show the Hebrew names for months are also intact example: Nissan/Aviv. The month of Aviv is the time Pesach begins this is due to the Aviv (spreading of the barely or ripening) This is a Moed because it has everything to do with God since he is the one who sets the time for the fruit to ripen. It is all aboutYehova. I hope this helps to clarify your question on Yehovas calendar that is improperly called a Hebrew calendar… Same as the Feasts of Yehova improperly dubbed Jewish feats. If it doesn’t answer it for you maybe it will lead to studying.
To clarify Brother Sean, I am not saying that the calender used by the post Babylon exiles. ( prior to The Hebrew months did not have names) is or isn’t the incorrect one only that I have my doubts. contrary to what you may think I have studied this subject extensively.. In the end its like many things a matter of faith. And while your comparison of Sunday worship and “Mithraism” is very good it detracts from my main point. The same can be said about saturday worship (saturn). If you must know my “opinion”(I do not claim absolutism in speaking for IEUE(YHWH)) i believe that the Essenes who left the corrupt Pharasitical temple some time shortly before the Hasmonean dynasty put Johnathan Maccabee on Moshe’s seat. Took with them the true Zoddok priest line. (easily proven by googling a list of second temple era priests after Johnathan.) This group had a calender with 364 1/2 days with an inter Callery count very similair to the modern Gregorian-Julian leap year. I believe that YHWH doesn’t make mistakes and there is absolutely no flaw in the modern method. I have FAITH that Ego Eimi (I AM) is completely in control!!! Btw, I observe the weekly Sabbath (friday-Saturday){when i am not descrating it to save a life) reserving Sunday only as the 8 th day of completion, the day of Yeh-Hoshe (Ιησούς) resurrection and as a day for tithing and other forms of money changing.. As for the NEW MOONS (an older tradition perhaps) {possible lunar Sabbath observents?} I have honestly not kept them. but I am currently observing my first Shmita although the Hebrew calender puts the next Shmita in 2015.. because of a personal 7 year obligation I am observing it now) Btw Ιησο is Greek for YeHo “I have come in my father’s name” Ιησούς (google translate and compare strongs 3058) Did you know Greek was derived from the proto-Phoenocian Alef-Bet. It like Tiberian Hebrew are forms of this ancient language family with vowel pointing. They are branches of the same tree! Also did you know the proto-hebrew and aramaic is more similiar to english than modern Hebrew in appearance and infact it looks like the letters were just turned sideways. (4 vowels IEUE that is modern hebrew Transliterates into YHWH or YHVH. Google Translation, Transliteration and Transcription for clarity.) Father YAH laws are perfect and I try to obey them out of love but NOT out of demand. Every ministry has its flaws, 119 included. Some are Very subtle, but still present. And some smack you in the face. We are all called to study and test these things. I am a myself am Messianic though labels are create schism so lets just say Im a Believer. I believe salvation is by GRACE and FAITH alone! I am unworthy of it., i Fall short, i fail often and miserably ect.. I will keep studing my brother as you have requested and i have been doing for awhile. I ask only that you do the very same thing. Truly Question-Test everything! Shalom in the love of JESUS {YEHOSHUA}! These Christians are your brothers and sisters!!!
I must have misunderstood your initial point in your post. I interpreted that as debunking the validity of the Hebrew Calendar. We must also be clear as to which calendar or sets of calendars you are speaking of. I think if I understand your position of trust you mean to say the Jewish Calendar that predetermines the Moedim and new moons etc? other than going by the method in which was prescribed by Yehova at the begining? If so I would agree that we certainly couldnt settle an argument that could not be resolved by believers for 2000 years. I have tried to at the least be aware of the Holy Days and when the new moon is etc… I find it for the most part accurate to the Jewish Calendars of today. I would like to go on record that this is a new study for me ( I am into the study about 1 and a half years) and I still have much to learn. I did not mean to presume anything from your writings. Thank you for your clarification. I did know the origins of the proto phonecian and the lineage of Hebrew cousin Aramaic/Arabic. Also the Greek borrowing the Alef-Bet and core structures in root etymology. I am also glad to hear of more brother/sisters are seeking understanding the nature of Yah and his teachings of days including the one he blessed during creation (Sabbath). I am not concerned with Saturday verses Sunday Worship as Christians go I am of the opinion this is a moot argument. This argument has nothing really to do with (Shamar) keeping the Sabbath. I believe one could and should worship everyday and nothing shows Sabbath was meant to serve as the “western church” day of worship. I know I am sidelining…, I do also understand every ministry has its flaws. My stepping to defend 119 comes from my personal experience in bringing issues with certain teachings and they have gracefully and humbly changed position even publicly. So sideways comments and sarcasm or accusations I believe serve no good in these matters. Again I am not addressing anything you have stated as being sarcastic towards 119. I find the approach they take to be honest and truth seeking. I do not find anything they say or teach as being sarcastic. I also detest comments like “their teaching rips families apart” I am quick to point out that the teaching they publish is of the word of God and at the heart of the matter is to be in alignment with the teachings of God. I too believe in holding dear and guarding the commandments of Yehova. I also believe these teachings are there to provide us a way to know him even more and is the rule in which we gauge our living and is guided by the Holy Spirit. This is the Law written on our hearts and without action is dead. Faith without works is dead. I study Hebrew (all stages of the Hebrew Language) as well as Koine Greek. I do believe all believers in Yeshua to be my brothers and sisters in the body. I also understand we all are at different points of understand and studying. We are also under different influences in our walks and pursuit of truth for our Father. I appreciate your response and I accept your encouragement in diligently studying the word.
I look forward to hearing from you as we all can learn and be edified by each other in the right spirit.
Sean
I think when one makes blanket statements and ignores scripture it can be problematic. The one thing I see with any ministry is to see if what they teach is in accordance with scripture and not taken out of context.
As for claiming someone does not teach in love is a matter of perception. I have looked over 119 and their teachings are presented in a logical order, use lots of scripture, they explain the definitions for a reasonable person and understand it, and who is to say they don’t do it out of love? We see in scripture that emotion or perception can often be misleading. With that said we are commanded to be like a Berean to search the scriptures, test the spirits, messages & prophesies AGAINST the in context word of God.
I think what most people don’t understand is there is a difference between salvation (saved by grace through faith) and HOW we are to live our lives AFTER we become believers.
As for claiming that the use of sophisticated stuff like Greek & Hebrew definitions & implying its wrong is astounding – if we do not know what the original definitions are we see an increase in how many people are taken in by false teachers & false prophets because they change the definitions. Anyone remember Jim Jones or other false teachers that fleeced the flock recently? Nuff said.
We also need to be careful when we make sweeping statements implying that all people involved are wrong. The author makes a case that if you observe anything Hebrew like the sabbath, which scripture does NOT say, then you are making a false claim. For example, Jim Jones was a false teacher that came from a protestant denomination, thus all protestants are false… I don’t think so. I can name numerous false teachers who are catholic, protestant, hebrew, etc from all denominations, so does that mean everyone is wrong? No. Hence we need to “test everything” against scripture.
What I find interesting is that nowhere do I find in scripture where the context is obedience after one becomes a believer is observing the feasts of the Lord or the Lord’s Sabbath been done away with or considered a sin (BTW scripture NEVER states the sabbath is just for the Jews, its for all mankind – but you have to study & look at the definitions; something I think the author discourages. Now the law/torah has been changed because of the Messiah’s sacrifice on the cross; we no longer use animals to cover our sin/transgression because our sin is forgiven by HIM & His death & resurrection! Amen!. The question is are we going to continue in sin when we become a believer?
I have seen many people who call themselves believers and live like the world; they are not set apart by any means and they continue in sin = they trample on the grace of God for occasions of the flesh over & over again. Basically they claim to live in the spirit & have feel good heart feelings but nothing in their life reflects such a life that is separate from the world. At best some think going to church is the way but their hearts are far from God. Others at worst ignore the scriptures and claim the instructions God gave have been done away with but then they complain because they are plagued by secret sins. If the law has been done away with then its easy to be trapped in sin. Thus the frustration of NOT living a life that is pleasing to God or full of Life!
Its like they are obeying without any rules.
Usually when the topic turns from general feel good Christianity today to the specifics found in God’s word, like observing the Sabbath of the Lord & the Feasts of The Lord, you will most likely get the usual “the OT law has been done away with” and “we are not under the law but grace” but many also follow this up with “besides its impossible to obey the law”, “no one can obey it!”
Now this has been taught for many decades but does scripture actually teach this or is this a doctrine of men?
Turn in your bible to Genesis 26:4-5 and note that God is speaking in this passage…
“And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
So the first thing we see is that Abraham didn’t just obey the voice of God but also His charge which is strong’s H4929 mishmereth meaning to guard, watch, keep & preserve His word,
His commandments which is strong’s H6680 mitsvah meaning the instruction of how we love God & man,
His statutes which is strong’s H2706 chuqqah meaning something prescribed, an ordinance such as passover, an everlasting law,
and His laws which is strong’s H3384 torah meaning God’s direction and instructions that men follow.
What is interesting is that we see these same words used when God gave His instructions to the Israelites and foreigners and throughout the rest of scripture.
So God’s law, His torah in the Hebrew, was given prior to Moses at mount Sinai. This causes conflicts with a lot of denominational doctrines that is being taught today. Now we have to ask when/where did Abraham get these commandments? When we search the scriptures we see evidence of God’s law prior to mount Sinai – for example the offering to God by Cain & Able (Able gave a lamb – the Passover lamb), the sin of adultery, etc. How can God be mad at the world’s wickedness (which is the transgression of God’s law) if there was no law given? Does not scripture state where there is no law the is no sin?
Yes, turn in your bible to Romans 4:15…
“because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.”
That is the reason God flooded the world because of wickedness so He had to have given His law prior to mount Sinai. We can safely assume & see where God taught Adam & Eve and it was passed down thru the family, to those who followed God to Abraham and beyond. In other cases we see where God personally instructed individuals with His own voice. So there are many more examples but you get the point that God’s law/torah/instruction has been present from the beginning to the end of time & continues into eternity.
Since this is the case then perhaps this changes how we understand other scriptures and we should test the doctrines we were taught – after all scripture does say to test everything. Consider that Moses was righteous in the eyes of Elohim. Was it just because Or did Moses have a relationship AND obeyed the Creator? When we look at the OT we see this IS the case.
Look at those who were declared righteous in the OT and ask what, where, when & why. The two things we keep finding is faith & righteousness I.e. Keeping the commandments. This is found the OT, the NT and in the age to come.
Consider revelation 14:12…
“Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
If you claim the law/torah/God’s instructions have been done away with then you must throw out the book of revelation and many other passages that make up the NT.
Remember that this is in reference to believers during the upcoming end times tribulation. Believers are to have faith AND obey God’s commandments, which includes observing His sabbaths (BTW the sabbath is not just about going to church on Saturday) and His feasts which are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Atonement, Tabernacles, etc.
The problem today many rightly claim that Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross, dying for our sins, makes us righteous but they ignore the scriptures that tell us to not continue in sin (transgress God’s commandments), to obey His commandments and that we are to walk as He walked as we see here…
1 John 2:6-7…
“He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.”
We are not to walk in wickedness, which is breaking God’s commandments but in obedience which is our righteousness, otherwise we can throw out the majority of the New Testament, do whatever you want and still get your get out of hell free card – but we know that is not the case.
Turn in your bible to 1 John 2:29…
“If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of him.”
Here we see that after salvation that we are to DO righteousness which is obeying the commandments of God. It’s an active life of obeying not a static state of being. Perhaps that is why Paul said to run the race to win? Yes I’m sure it is. Now one scripture is not enough so do we see any others that promote an active life of obedience?
Let’s start with John 14:24…
Yeshua states “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
Now turn to James 1:21-25 to see another clear passage on not continuing in sin AND obeying…
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Now many confuse the scriptures saying our righteousness is as of filthy rags and that we are made righteous by Him, so we are under no obligation to obey the sabbath, feasts, etc. however the context is in reference to unbelievers.
Once we are made new creatures in the Messiah are we to continue in sin? To make void the law/commandments because of the grace God gave us?
Let’s read Romans 3:31…
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Another thing many forget is that God always tells His prophets what is to happen.
Turn in your bible to Amos 3:7…
“Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
If you study the scriptures we never see where His sabbaths or the feasts will ever come to an end. Matter of fact we see the opposite where God states His sabbaths & feasts are to be done forever as perpetual and everlasting commandments &/or covenants.
Let’s look at Exodus 31:16…
“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.”
*note the word “perpetual” is ‘owlam’ in the Hebrew.
And the same word owlam is used for the feasts as we see in
Exodus 12:14…
“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance FOR EVER.”
*note the word “for ever” is the Hebrew word ‘owlam’
If we look at the Hebrew word for this phrase “for ever” and the word “perpetual” its the same word; its strong’s H5769 which is owlam which means with no beginning or end, everlasting, continuous existence, perpetual, IOW for eternity.
Now that we know what scripture actually says, answer these questions.
Does God’s…
mercy endures “for ever” ref. Psalm 136:26 ? yes of course.
His strength is “for ever” ref. Isaiah 26:4? YES!
His love is “for ever” ref. Jeremiah 31:3? YES!
His word endures “for ever” ref. Isaiah 40:8 = YES!
All using the same world ‘owlam’. However when it comes to observing His Sabbaths & Feasts as He commanded for both Israelites AND the foreigners who followed God ref. Lev 24:22, and now ‘For ever/owlam’ suddenly changed in definition and God doesn’t really mean it any more?
So now you have to claim that God who knows all didn’t really mean what He said in scripture? Hmmm…
Yea, so many problems start when you do that.
So the problem is not with 119 or another ministry per se, but rather are we obeying God and His word?
If you claim that the sabbath & His feasts are not forever and take scriptures out of context to support a ‘the law (God’s instructions) have been done away with”, you have to take away so much out of the bible; remember we are warned in both the OT & NT to NOT take away or add to His word. A good way to see what the New Covenant entails, please read Jeremiah 31 where God states His law is NOT done away with but to be written on our hearts & minds.
So in closing we are saved by grace, thru faith to obey His commandments in the Holy Spirit and it all equals life!
I used to follow the same beliefs as the author but then I started reading the scriptures and testing what it said against the denominational teachings, and sadly there are many problems. So my advice is stick to God and His word. Because no ministry or blog author will be standing with you on judgment day.
The one problem I have with the blog author besides what I highlighted here, is that for the author to prove their point, you MUST take scripture out of context, you must add to or take away from scripture. Hence the problem of proving your point using that method. I scanned thru the blog and I have found the author has a pick & choose belief system that holds dear to some scriptures and totally ignores many others = that is not the way to do things as God shows in His word.
With that said, be careful and study to show yourself approved. BTW do NOT blindly follow any ministry – you must test everything. I have found things with 119 that I do find in scripture but I have found this with most ministries. So stick the book and live life the way HE wants you to.
BTW if you thing the feasts have been done away with then why in Zach do we see where ALL mankind in the New Millennium are to observe the Feast of Tabernacles? How come we see in the prophets where they speak about the new millennium and how there will still be daily sacrifices (BTW the sin sacrifice was completed by the Messiah but the others remain). How come we see the Sabbath still being observed? Could it be that we are grafted into Israel as Romans 11 states?
Hmmm….
Shalom
Choose this day whom you shall serve.
Not one mention of Jesus Christ with so many words…. Christianity is profoundly about Jesus Christ……!!!!!
He has ALREADY bought us a better hope with better promises due to His New Covenant blood offered in heaven for our eternal redemption! The NC fulfills the promise to Abraham, “father of many nations.” The NC fulfills the promise to David, ” you shall never lack a man to sit in the throne” through the bloodline of Judah! The NC fulfills the promise to Moses and the priesthood for ” a perpetual priesthood” through the spiritual line of the greater Mrelchizedik Priesthood!
Forgiveness of sin is totally due to the none party New Covenant in Jesus blood.
The ” old wine” is NOT good enough for sin redrmption and Gods life flowing thru us to others; thru Christ in us!!
Jesus Himself holds the keys to death and hades….Read Isa. 55 and 61——new covenant.
God richly bless you!!!!
Oh BTW I’m not defending 119 or any other ministry, teacher, prophet or blogger as we are to make sure that was is taught conforms to the whole counsel of God.
With that said I have run into both extremes. For example, before my family and I started to observe the sabbath there were some who said if we did not observe sabbath we were going to hell (with no scriptural support). Well then we searched the scriptures, OT, NT and the prophets that spoke what God told them, we see the sabbath & His feasts throughout all times – imagine that. God is the same yesterday, today & forever. At any rate we decided to observe the sabbath, feasts, etc because WE get to, not because we have to (IOW its not a salvation issue). It was a personal conviction by God and His word. Its a joy to observe the sabbath & feasts, to spend time with God, disciple the family, learning how to be the spiritual head of the house, & so many other things. Well we did this and ran into protestants who said we were going to hell because we were going back under the law. So damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
The problem is neither side could provide in context scriptures to support their claims. Both had to add to or take away from scripture & we know that is not good. There is no scripture stating the sabbath & the feasts have been done away with but many pastors teach this very same thing.
Do what is right for you and your family.
When the Ruach came upon me. I started keeping the Shabbat on Fri sundown to Sat sundown. No church Pastor or priest ever taught me that, only our Father in heaven did..
Oh btw I never read the Bible, or knew of 119 yet, but we are all in agreement..
Have a Blessed day Yisrael.. (Steve)
Leah, thank you for your posts. I am a pastor who is attempting to reach a man in my congregation who has been completely deceived by 119ministries. I was so good to come across your blog. Sometimes when I talk to him, I feel like I’m banging my head up against a wall; so it was so great to know that I’m not alone.
The simple reality of the matter is: can you absolutely affirm which denomination/church/Christianity is the correct path to follow? Can you without any doubt, prove that “Christianity” with all its incorporated man-made traditions and rules with one head pastor today reflects the “original Way” of the Apostles after Pentecost as commanded in the Scriptures? Even more critical, it is so clear throughout the NT that Paul himself fully observed feasts in Torah which he also testified was scrutinized and fully substantiated by the Bereans–and charged us believers to perpetually do the same. The only Scriptures possible at that time was the Tanakh (OT) as the NT was not even in existence yet. How then did the commands of Yahweh just vanish? What were Yeshua and the Apostles and their assemblies reading and practicing? The OT Scriptures in all their glory! All 119 is trying to do is truly, unbiasedly challenge believers in Yeshua to test and prove with OT and NT agreement what they believe. Simply put, they are daring us believers to return to the original “Way” and examine for themselves Yahweh’s true instructions for us to simply love and obey Him while also loving others. So, what is wrong with seeking the unpolluted Scriptures to return to Yahweh’s original magnificent Word and testing if Pork and Sabbath/Feasts/etc. still apply? 119 never claims to be right–they simply invite consideration and our own meticulous complete Scripture testing. Testing everything is what the Church should be espousing, after all. Alas, they are too wrapped up in tickling ears and keeping traditions and arguing over which denomination or belief patterns got it right and trying to keep the masses happy. We have found returning to the “Way” nothing short of freeing and could only wish more believers would dare to try and love Yahweh according to the WAY He commands us–nothing more and nothing less. Do you not think there is a reason for each and every Word Yahweh uttered in the Scriptures? It is simply astounding how the OT fully supports the NT and the NT expounds upon the OT instructions–it is like perfect harmony! If “Christianity” is the way, why are over 2/3 of believers walking away from God and why is divorce and disease in Church on par with the world? If Christians are set apart, they sure are not convincing the masses. In fact, our atheist friends were once Christians but rejected the church because they have nothing different to offer. They see NOTHING different with church and the world at large. Thus, it seems like trying to get back to Yahweh’s original ways of loving and obeying Him without man-made distractions and interpretations of the bible is nothing short of wise–it clearly sets His people apart when they simply obey in faith through grace in Y’shua. The bible indeed explains itself if and when one is willing to test it hard enough. If we think we can do it better than Yahweh originally articulated the rules for righteous life, then we are foolish at best. What is so wrong with going back to the “beginning” to search out and work out our salvation through Yeshua the Christ and Holy Spirit-empowered Scriptural insight with much fear and trembling? We believers should want nothing more than to love Yahweh and our brethren according to His desires, nothing more and nothing less. Yahweh is who He has always been and He loves obedience and hates when we deviate from loving and obeying Him according to His commands.
Amein!!
The only thing “wrong” is when someone says “You MUST!” Where Jesus says, “You’re free!” As free as I am to eat pork, you are free not to. And it’s not a matter of what feels good, as in, I get to do what *I* like. Not a chance. It’s solely based on the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s opening the Scripture to us. For example, I loved watching Seinfeld. It was funny to me & I like to laugh. My aunt was visiting me one weekend & we were watching it. Afterward we were laughing about it and commenting how we just loved it. Then I said to her while still laughing, “It’s bad, but I just love it!” I heard my own words in my ears & the Holy Spirit pricked my conscience right then, as if saying, what business do you having loving anything you yourself understand is “bad”. I was saddened, because I really liked Seinfeld. But I was obedient, because I knew that God meant for me to purify that out of my life, and really my heart. SOOOO, now, is it wrong across the board for any believer to watch Seinfeld? Clearly, God set that down in front of me….This is where freedom in Christ is the most gorgeous thing in the new covenant (not really; Jesus himself is, but I digress). It’s wrong, SIN, for me to willingly participate in watching it. It is not necessarily sin for other believers. It’s something the Holy Spirit can discern & instruct per believer. There are probably plenty of believers who are so different from me that watching Seinfeld will not ever be sinful for them. There are some for whom it probably will be. It’s not in the Torah; it’s not addressed by the Scriptures. But the Holy Spirit can instruct *my heart* & others’ in the moment, at a heart level Torah cannot ever reach, because Jesus came to make this part of how the new covenant works. What’s wrong with keeping feasts, keeping the individual tenants of Torah? Not one little thing but this: the same thing that would be wrong if I said, “It’s sin for *any* believer to watch Seinfeld.”
I pray for your flock pastor and for you. i have a degree in Biblical studies from a conservative Baptist college and i find 119 ministries teaching much more in line with the Bible than anything being taught in today’s churches. I Have prayed about and read the Bible and find much Biblical support for what they are teaching. You can not deny that Sunday worship is an institution of man, for God calls the seventh day of the week the Sabbath, all you need to do is look at your calendar, mine says that is Saturday! Paul tells us to be imitators of Christ, did not Christ keep the Saturday Sabbath along with the rest of the Law? Matt 5:17-20
I understand what you are saying Leah, however, your perception and what you call free could be interpreted as doing what is right in your eyes. If I may, no scripture is of private interpretation. so we take into consideration what Paul speaks in Rom 14; I will paraphrase – if there are those weak in faith do not quarrel with them. one man esteems a day higher than another day and another man does not. One man abstains from eating meat (only eating vegetables) and another eats meat. If the weaker man in faith (the one who thinks meat is bad) is offended because you eat meat, then in his presence don’t eat meat.
The same would be said for a day that a man esteems is higher than another day. This is not allowing all things to all people. this does not change what is right and proper in the Word of God. It is laying out a proper way to interact and not create senseless arguments since it is teaching, discipleship, love and the Holy Spirit that will guide so long as a person wants to continue growing in her relationship with the Father. What he says still stands. These things (Pork, Festivals) are not to be points of contention that become stumbling blocks for people to accept and live in Christ. I will restate the facts that they have been given as a way to properly live and walk in the ways that the Father gave.
The issue people make of the writings of Paul is it becomes loosely interpreted as any kind of flesh you choose to eat. Do I judge you if you decide to eat pork? no, in no way do I or will I. you are a sister in Yehoshua (Jesus). Now if you were in my realm of influence and you took notice that I did not and others around me did not eat Pork or that we did not partake of the Pagan Festivals, I would simply educate you on what the scriptures fully say on the matters. There would be no judgement or pressing that you must do this or do that. I would trust the Holy Spirit would show you the same if you were searching to know.
I would say to some of the people writing here like the pastor trying to “fix” a person for following the way the Father has laid out i.e. walking as Jesus walked… that is judgement and doing the opposite of what he in no doubt preaches from the Pulpit. We have to be careful that we are not simply trying to make people see things our way. I have been guilty of this in my zeal after I have been lead to walk in the steps of our Master. To do what he taught that he said were the ways of his Father. To do the commandments of the Father.
This is what I heard when my eyes were opened while studying. Who am I to pick and choose what applies to me? Who am I to go around placing yokes on the people of God (of any kind)? We have the Law and the Prophets that tell us what is expected. Jesus came to walk that out, PERFECTLY. He said he teaches what the Father taught. Jesus said his words are not his but they are the Father. Jesus said if you love me then DO the what the Father has showed us to DO. Do his commandments.
I do not doubt there are those that teach you MUST do the commandments in order to be saved. Let’s face it in all forms of modern Christianity there are those that want to control others in one way or the other. After all I am right and if say you are Christian and are not like me you MUST be WRONG… maybe we are all wrong. In fact I believe that. We have been separated for approximately 2000 years from the full influence of Jesus (Yehoshua) and his first Apostles. We keep trying to interpret and end up twisting what they have said (written) to mean what we have told it means. If left strictly to others we do what men want us to do. If left strictly to ourselves we do what we want to do. Therefore study to show yourself approved by God. Prayerfully study and be willing to change (accept the truth when it is starring you down). You may find that the Holy Spirit was showing you a way to go and you were letting your own way be a stumbling block or the teachings of men.
With the Love of Christ
Sean
If believers in Yeshua would only ask the Holy Spirit to open their eyes so that they could indeed see that the Bible is one huge, perfectly synchronized and combined story of redemption for all who choose to believe and obey Yahweh the way He asked us to. Beginning in Genesis and culminating in Revelation, why do so many believers fail to see Yeshua is literally woven into every word of Scripture and that the Law and Prophets is the only Scripture Yeshua and the Apostles taught, preached, and practiced? Freedom comes through Yeshua and obeying Yahweh’s instruction through the empowering Holy Spirit–the extravagant grand design of the One and Only God interwoven throughout His Book. The plan is literally revealed on every page; every word has intricate purpose and meaning. Every word equates to His plan for freedom for all who choose Him.
As a case in point, my family’s freedom story can be summed up like this: we were raised in charismatic denominations and were christians (one PK, BC) for 25+ years, left church 5 years ago (always hated it); about 6 months ago, the wife asked why we follow some commands and reject others (OT); then we Googled christian doctrines, etc and stumbled upon several pagan-christianity documentaries (some secular, some christian) and we literally went from absolutely loving christmas and easter to abhorring them practically overnight. It was like we all could not believe how offensive we had been to our Father and we just wanted to flee from man-made religion and seek the Father, purely, according to His WORD. All we wanted to do was find the TRUTH. Right after ditching man-made sacred traditions, we started doing our own focused testing of Scripture and lo and behold, it always speaks truth to itself. Then we started asking why would God change rules so often? Why so much confusion in Scripture? Why did Yahweh give commands? Why did Yahweh do anything the way He did? Simply, why?
Eating clean followed shortly after when the family fully woke up and decided to simply love Him and obey Him they way He asked us to. It was a matter of us, Yahweh and the Scripture collaborating to reveal the truth–can you think of a better setting? Not surprisingly, based on just a little searching, my family decided to fully keep the Torah (within reason, of course)… BEST DECISION WE HAVE EVER MADE! Never have we been so close, so happy, so at peace–Torah reading, Shabbat and the Feasts are absolute blasts! Can’t wait for Passover now. Yahweh made it simple, fun, holy, and restful for a reason: it is all that and more! The blessings are real; they are nothing less than awesome. Again, what could be better than family, feasting, fun, Yahweh, Scripture, peace, rest, worship, fellowship–all wrapped up in knowing we are loving our Father and our neighbor the way He commanded us, not men’s traditions!? (As a sidebar, we were moved next to a truly wonderful atheist which definitely spurred our need for deeper Biblical insight!)
But Torah keeping jubilee, atheist neighbor aside, just to be clear, true salvation only came through our faith in Yeshua and our faithful obedience to Yahweh was enabled through the empowering of the Holy Spirit to look past man’s rules and straight into our Scriptures with no pastor. I know it is absolutely horrifying to have your family’s core Faith beliefs shaken off your foundation, I was there not 6 months ago. However, once you see the very truth that can set you free, absolutely choose it–only hold on, because you are in for the ride of a lifetime, literally! All it takes is testing what the Word says to the Word without man’s convoluted opinions to dilute your study. Again, BEST DECISION WE HAVE EVER MADE. We only wish more believers would join the ride; it’s lonely but if that’s the way it is for now, so be it. Yahweh’s Torah is life.
Shalom.
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” – Gal 3:2-5
In this passage, Paul is saying there is Law and there is faith: of which are you? You cannot be of both. In other words, you have been saved (begun) by the Spirit, how can you think your sanctification will happen by the flesh (i.e. the tenant given to buffet our flesh until the Seed came)?
“Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Gal 3:19-28
Here we see it clearly detailed the whole reason the Law was given. It kept us under custody…under control if you will, UNTIL…until what? Until the Seed would come. And now that the Seed has come, we are no longer under the custody or the tutor. Verse 25 says it in a way it cannot be misunderstood or interpreted weirdly…It says NO LONGER (implying that at one time it was, but from here forward, no more); under a tutor (tutor was defined in v. 24 as the Law). We are no longer under the Law now that Jesus has come.
The coolest thing though is this:
“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.” – Gal. 3:16-18
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” -Gal. 3:29
We were made to belong to Christ at the point of Abraham & the promise, not at the point of Moses & the Law. The Law came 430 years AFTER the promise to Abraham; meaning there was NO LAW at the time of Abraham and it is at that position that we as believers in Christ are grafted in…NOT “based on law…but by means of a promise.”
We are NOT under the LAW. It’s a new wine skin validated by a new covenant brought about by the death & resurrection of the perfect and final Messiah-Lamb. It’s not the same old Laws; it’s something NEW.
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh…” – Heb. 10:19
A NEW way of living; not a way to live the Law. That would be the OLD way of living.
Unfortunately we simply cannot read Genesis through Revelation and then decided to leave these parts out. It’s so simple to understand, so uncomplicated, so easy to grasp. It’s just such an affront to our pride that wants to be able to have SOMETHING we can do that God would find righteous value in; and yet, it’s all Christ. ALL.
So by how you’re understanding Paul’s words then that also implies basically Jesus lied in Matthew 5:17-19. Paul didn’t die for you. Jesus did! Go study all of Jesus’s teachings then ask yourself, WHY do the majority of his teachings come directly from the Torah? Nowhere did Jesus even hint that He was abolishing God’s Instructions (Does God make mistakes like purposely giving us a something we’d fail at)? Hmmm… maybe the purpose of YHWH’s Holy Spirit is to HELP us follow God’s Instructions. Because … after all we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us – right? Or do you think that “do all things through Christ” means we’re allowed to live the way the pagans did and eat how the pagans ate, etc… because Christ freed us from his tyrant father’s miserable laws???
I will follow the Words and example of my Messiah who died for me and HE said to trust Moses. He never spoke of a future apostle who would say to neglect what God, Moses, Jesus and His disciples taught.
Maybe Paul’s words are being twisted like Peter warned… or maybe hesa false teacher added into Scripture by Rome. I choose to believe his words are twisted by people taking snippets of passages out of context and without considering the audience to whom Paul was writing. I think it’s time to stop ignoring all the passages that prove Paul never taught that any believers in Jesus should stop following God’s perfect laws and instructions on how to live a holy life unlike the rest of the world in thought and deed.
We are not ‘under’ the ‘Law”…….what do you think that means…..? That we can break any of the Ten? No?………well just what do you think it means to not be “under the law”? If you continue in the letter to the Galatians…..in that 3rd chapter you quoted above….
verse 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
what we are no longer “under” is THE CURSE OF THE LAW!!!
romans 8:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
—we don’t have the condemnation of death hanging over us…..
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
—-with God’s spirit in us now, written in our hearts, we are FREE from the law “of sin and death”!!!! WE ARE THUS REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE THE LAW BROUGHT!!
But we cannot not now have idols, or murder, or take our neighbors wife, or any of the other Ten,…..CAN we?
So we still FOLLOW God’s laws…..we just are not condemned for breaking them now….we had a substitute for that curse of death, someone who led a perfect life —free of sin….showing it IS possible…..who is now our HIGH PRIEST….and we can approach God’s throne DIRECTLY now because of His – Jesus’ – unblemished sacrifice for us….before, under the ‘old and done away with ‘ covenant…. high priest give sacrifices for their sins CONTINUOUSLY…year after year….Yahshua/Jesus did it ONCE AND FOR ALL….HALLELUJAH.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Here is an excellent site which helped me in my understanding of this conflict…..
http://www.logosapostolic.org/bible_study/RP208-1PaulObservedSabbathDay.htm#b1.33
It has the Greek and Hebrew word references with each explanation of scriptural topics…..
May God BLESS you with understanding..
The confusion comes with lack of understanding in WHICH LAW was done away with.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall have no dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death: the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ hath made me free from the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH
Many take Romans 6:14 out of context and think that Christ’s death freed us from the Law of God. Which further down in Romans explains clearly that He freed us from the law of sin and death….not from the Law of God. There are different “laws” mentioned throughout scripture and taken out of context in many verses.
The Law of God is for all and remains forever.
Yes Brother, “Freedom in Christ” means we are free from the law of sin and death through Christ, not the Law of Moses, which through Christ we are still commanded to try and keep. Keeping The Law of Moses has nothing to do with salvation, but sanctification.
Praise these wonderful men for helping me get back to my plum line on my short narrow path. You can not ignore scripture to live comfortable in your sin. The bible warns about misusing grace. Yashua himself said he did not come to abolish his fathers laws and commands which have been with you from the very beggining, but to teach them. Paul before his death even plainly over and over said no, the laws are not done away with, the same ones you are blaming me on trial for. Men’s hearts are wicked, Yahweh would never put it on us to figure out what is right and wrong. Make every decision with the guidance of Yah and try walk like Yashua. Who was the spotless lamb. You can’t take a few verses here and there to phase out others. We must be found spotless when Yashua and Yahweh return for our marriage.
You’re comment about being found spotless when Yashua returns is true. There is some error though in your methods. Obeying the law simply can’t make you spotless or righteous.
“yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
AND
“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
-Galatians 2:16, 21
AND
“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
-Galatians 3:2-3
And neither are we left to figure out right and wrong by ourselves. Jesus left us the Helper. It is the Holy Spirit who guides us, not ourselves. Him we obey, not a list of rules.
Our only righteousness comes from being hid in Christ. This is how we will be acceptable to Him when He returns:
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
-Colossians 3:3-4
The Law has nothing whatsoever to do with us now. We’re dead to it and alive to a Person, Jesus our Messiah.
Dear Sister, Jesus tells us to keep His commands, what do you think that means? what are his commands but the Law of Moses. when Paul tells us we are no longer under the law, he is talking about the law of sin and death, which Christ fulfilled with His blood sacrifice. The Law of Moses, we are still supposed to try to keep, through Christ, but if we fail we are free from judgement through Christ, that is what is meant by “freedom in Christ” . we try to keep the Law of Moses to show our faith and love of the Father, and to sanctify us as we grow in our Christian walk. i was trained at a conservative Baptist college and understand that you have been misinformed as i, and most Christians today, yes, i now believe that Peters vision was not about food at all, but about the gentiles, so i am now trying hard not to eat any pork or shellfish, or catfish, darn it!!!!! it is easy to attack what we don’t understand!
Hi, Leah
I think there is some confusion here. No one is asking you to keep the Lord’s commandments and laws without the blood of the lamb. Simply put, we can not keep God’s commandments and laws without the sacrifice of Christ. WITH his precious blood and with the help of the advocate (which you should have received after your baptism) we can and should keep his commandments because it is the father’s will for his law to be fulfilled on earth by his children.
Remember what God said in Jeremiah 31:33?
This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,”declares the Lord. (((I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.))) I will be their God and they will be my people.
There was a purpose for the new covenant because many people before were attempting to keep the law without the spirit. God wants us to desire(WANT) to keep his commandments and laws because this is his will. When Jesus died those who believed, were saved and in return received the desire to get baptized. That desire in your heart and spirit should be there. If you do not have the holy spirit you will NOT desire to keep God’s law or commandments. Just a thought.
119 Ministries and there teachings have to be tested, either their teachings are from the Word of the Living God or they are not. As a Christian and through experience, Christians denominations are divided as they add or take away from the word of the living God. Deuteronomy 12:32, Matthew 5:18. God has no intention of deceiving his creation only Satan and his minion deceive and will deceived men into thinking they are doing the work of God until Satan is bound for a 1000 yrs. Revelation 20:7-8 There are 15 times in the New Testament alone with the word “deceive” in the scripture, look them up yourself, it is a good study. Jesus Christ (Yashua, his Hebrew Name) and Yahweh are looking for a people, his elect, his saints, his bride to be that will Love him through keeping his commandments, statutes and charge. Simply put, John 14:15.
The Holy Spirit given on Pentecost, the comforter which will teach you all things, we love God because he first loved us, we want to be obedient to his instructions (torah) because that shows God we want to do things HIS way not ours.
Here is a question to the Authors of this page: What are you defending? The word of God needs no defending. So Who are you defending? John 14:17, spoken from Jesus Christ.
If you come across something in scripture that you do not believe or it bothers you ask the question “WHY”. Could it be fear? Could it be again your belief system that you were raised with?
“Life is either Fear or Love” Then, You need to Test and Study all Things” 2 Timothy 2:15.
John 14:15 says this: ““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
Jesus is talking to his disciples here and has been talking before this verse…in fact here’s what he just said in the same discourse beginning in Ch. 13…
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” -John 13:34-35
Strange he didn’t pick this moment to say: Keep all the commandments that Moses gave you. They are the ones I’m giving your now.
But he didn’t say that, he said a NEW commandment I give you. Hmmm. Something new.
And in the whole discourse of John 14 where Jesus is talking about He & the Father being one, Jesus never once mentions obeying Torah. He mentions this: “The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (vs 10). He doesn’t at all say the words he’s saying are from the words given long ago by the Father.
We are indwelled by the Spirit in order to follow God.
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” – Gal 3:2-5
In this passage, Paul is saying there is Law and there is faith: of which are you? You cannot be of both. In other words, you have been saved (begun) by the Spirit, how can you think your sanctification will happen by the flesh (i.e. the tenant given to buffet our flesh until the Seed came)?
It was for freedom Christ set us free. (Gal. 5:1)
Leah – Matthew 23:1-3. The scribes and Pharisees were reading from the Torah while in Moses’ seat. So the Messiah was telling his disciples to follow the law. And therefore the Great Commission also says to follow the Torah.
Leah, with respect to the word “new” used in that “a new commandment I give you” portion – in the Greek it is “kainos” which means renewed (like the “new moon” each month isn’t really a new different moon.) If it were truly “new” as we understand in modern English, it would have been “neos” in Greek. I don’t know why the translators used “new” in so many places without making the distinction but this is a key to proper interpretation of things related to commandment (as seen here), and to covenant and priesthood.
Now – if you go back to the “Torah” (instructions) from God – YHWH Himself did tell people to love him and to love each other so wouldn’t that seem odd that Jesus would suggest that loving one another was something brand new and different?
These command are not brand-new: “You shall love the Lord your God” (Deut 6:4) along with “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Jesus didn’t teach anything different than what God already implement other than showing and living that God’s ways were ENOUGH and that the extra laws added by certain rabbinical leaders (one group of Pharisees) were a burden to the people – their vain traditions Jesus chastised them for.
Loving God and loving our neighbour are the two that all the others hang from (implied attachment there not separation) – and those are the two overriding factors in our living out God’s instructions on a) how He wants to be shown love, and b) how He wants us to show love to our neighbour.) The stuff in the Torah just lays out examples of what to do in different situations. And not all of it applies to everyone anyways. 😉 (And many Christians are already doing much of it! 🙂 )
Okay, this time I really have to go for the evening.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” -John 13:34-35
Strange he didn’t pick this moment to say: Keep all the commandments that Moses gave you. They are the ones I’m giving your now.”
Leah this commandment isn’t new. In fact it’s in Leviticus 19:18
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Keep my decrees.”
Jesus just refreshed this commandment because he had an audience of heartened hearts and when your heart is heartened you will be blinded and you will not understand God’s words.
“And in the whole discourse of John 14 where Jesus is talking about He & the Father being one, Jesus never once mentions obeying Torah. He mentions this: “The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (vs 10). He doesn’t at all say the words he’s saying are from the words given long ago by the Father”
Throughout Christ’s ministry he spoke nothing but the Torah, Leah. Countless references and even rebuked a synagogue from the book of Isaiah and rebuked the pharisees and Sadducees while referencing Exodus and Leviticus. He doesn’t have to tell a group of Jewish men that his words are words given to him long ago by the father when they already know the Torah. Jesus came to teach the Torah the right way. Not the “man” way.
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” – Gal 3:2-5
In this passage, Paul is saying there is Law and there is faith: of which are you? You cannot be of both. In other words, you have been saved (begun) by the Spirit, how can you think your sanctification will happen by the flesh (i.e. the tenant given to buffet our flesh until the Seed came)?
It was for freedom Christ set us free. (Gal. 5:1)
Paul is simply talking about keeping God’s laws and commandments without faith and the holy spirit. This is not the will of the father and he wants his people to desire to keep his word and commandments not feel as if they have to or because it makes you look good and holy. Without faith and the holy spirit than you’ll be like the Israelites in Isaiah 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
Chris set us free from the law of sin and death. If you love the father you will desire to fulfill his will everyday.
What am I defending? The truth as presented by the whole word of God, Genesis-Revelation, the fallacy of needing to follow the law under the new covenant, and illogical hugeness of God’s grace.
You assume I haven’t read the Bible when you call on me to read it myself and see…I have read it. From childhood I have repeatedly read it cover to cover, daily, on my own, studying.
The Holy Spirit puts that background to good work and makes it easy Him to help me quickly spot the incorrectness and deception in the false teachings woven into 119’s teachings. Their teachings are extremely dangerous because they are truth interwoven with fallacy and the hope of man to please God by works more than the love of God and exaltation of all He is.
Biblically, defending the truth is quite a good thing, when done in love. Here’s some Scriptures that demonstrate this principle:
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
-1 Peter 3:15-16
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
-2 Timothy 4:1-5
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
-2 Timothy 2:24-25
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
-Jude 1:3
If you would like more Scriptures of defending the truth I’d be happy to add more to this list.
My Mom has been sucked in by this group. Help!
We are all defending what we believe to be truth *as we understand it* and to suggest that any one person or entity has it 110% correct is fallacy. But some are clearly closer than others. And some quote scripture out of context and cherry-pick verses to fit a preconceived doctrine. There’s no denying that with over 30,000 Christian denominations. It is sad to see sites or blogs dedicated to tearing down fellow Believers in Jesus just because they understand doctrinal things differentally. The adversary is doing well at the “divide and conquer” tactic especially with all those denominations and it is grievous.
I can say from personal experience since 2007/2008 that it is absolute JOY to celebrate the Feasts of YHWH (which God never said anywhere in the Bible that they were just for the Jews but He did say they were “everlasting” in the literal sense in the Hebrew language.) They were taught to me and my family by a Pentecostal pastor who studied in Israel from the very places that Jesus taught. They are wonderful to celebrate because Jesus is in the details of those feasts. Incredible detail! The kind of detail that no atheist can claim is coincidental and also can’t claim was stolen from the pagan traditions like Christmas and Easter. They are God-ordained -so why would it be wrong to celebrate Jesus in remembrance of the spring feasts HE fulfilled and celebrate Jesus in the fall feasts which has will fulfill at His second coming? And how is it wrong to keep the Sabbath that God told us to keep (not Rome) especially when the Apostle are noted in 8 different places in the Epistles of KEEPING the 7th day Sabbath.
Quote from my own Baptist pastor: “Just because someone is a pastor doesn’t mean they understand Scriptural meanings in the original languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic), it means they know the basics, mostly NT and are well studied in denominational doctrine.” Surprised? I was. Then I came across a Pentecostal one who admitted the same thing… but he went TO Israel to study for himself and now teaches about the feast days of God and how Jesus is in the details. 🙂
PLEASE, get out your Bible(s), a good concordance and Greek and Hebrew lexicons and you will see for yourself that the doctrines of man / traditions of men (the very thing Jesus chastised the one sect of Pharisees for doing in Mark 7 … yes, there was more than one sect) – the traditions are not Biblical teachings and yet so many participate in THOSE but then rail against the very teachings of Jesus Himself to keep God’s commands – and that if you love him you’ll keep his commands (Jesus was God incarnate was he not? Thus God’s commands.)
Just LOOK at what JESUS says in Matthew 5:17-18:
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH DISAPPEAR,NOT THE SMALLEST LETTER NOR THE LEAST STROKE OF A PEN WILL BY ANY MEANS PASS FROM THE LAW until everything is accomplished.
Notice he did not say “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have come to abolish them” However, that is essentially what most of “the church” teaches.
So what does that mean? It means Jesus FULFILLED the Law just like a husband and wife go about FULFILLING their marriage vows after they’ve made their Covenant with each other. Do the married couple ditch their promises after their marriage has taken place? I should hope not. Should we ditch the instructions of God because we are in Covenant with him through Jesus? No – but just like the married couple, we do our best to fulfill our “vows” to God even though we may falter – and guess what, God made a way in the OT for when people failed and He made a way in the NT for when we fail – that would be Christ. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. We want to please our Father/Bridegroom-to-be don’t we? OUT OF LOVE, not out of earning salvation >>>please stop suggesting that’s what people are doing in trying to keep God’s instructions.
ALSO – the PROPHECY of the New Covenant was made for Israel and Judah (no gentiles mentioned) according to the Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 31:31-33 (NIV) {emphasis added with capital letters]
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to[a] them,[b]” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. ‘I WILL PUT MY LAW in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Clearly this has not happened yet as people who believe in Christ are living according most of God’s instructions/law AND combining them with man-made doctrines/traditions (laws) made from incorrect interpretation of Scripture. Perhaps a study of what happened to the northern kingdom of Israel is in order to understand how profound this mixing is… (hint: God divorced them for their spiritual adultery.) But the point needs to be made that parts of Christianty are indeed keeping much of God’s “law” – I mean, why tithe if you’re not supposed to keep THAT law?
But the good news is that we are GRAFTED IN to Israel according to Apostle Paul in Romans 11.
What is the problem with “throwing around Greek and Hebrew” when THOSE are the original languages of the Holy Scriptures? Let’s not forget the Aramaic as well. All languages have IDIOMS and it should be simple enough to understand that things like the passage of it being
… “easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man getting into Heaven is an IDIOM…. (another incorrect interpretation there in most Bibles with kamêlos (camel) being a MISPRINT of kamilos, meaning “rope” or “cable”. )
This sort of thing happens when people who may know what individual words in another language mean BUT do not know or understand the idiomatic expressions of the culture they are translatingn words about… and instead they ended up using word-for-word text translation instead of translating the MEANING of the idiomatic expression. That would get pretty scary with all the North American idioms we have being translated literally into other languages/cultures. Especially with today’s rap-related slang.
I am requesting that people STOP doing three things:
1) Please stop throwing around the word “CULT” for anything that is not traditional Christianity. That is an outright lie at worst and a misrepresentation at best. A cult is “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” There is usually a self-appointed “prophet” or “apostle” that **CANNOT BE QUESTIONED OR CHALLENGED** on their authority of their religious belief. Sounds more like the Pope and the Catholic church to me (having been there half my life before studying Scripture.)
2) Please stop misrepresenting the Hebrew Roots movement and Messianic Jewish people with one broad brushstroke. There are many facets to that realm (but certainly not over 30,000 denominations like Christendom has… each doing right in their own eyes.) There are a number of Baptist and Pentecostal assemblies across North America who have made the transition on their own by inspiration of Holy Spirit to their Ministers / Pastors and pockets of people in the congregation that got things started. They have connected in places like Facebook and other online discussion groups.
Those that condemn “Hebrew Roots” – are y’all as concerned about the “Emergent church” that is incorporating pagan and occultic practices… (labyrinths, etc) into their worship of God (who said to never use pagan ways to worship Him) as you are about people trying to please God by sticking to Scripture only?
3) Please stop the great misrepresentation of claiming that those who try to follow JESUS by living as he lived are doing this TO BE SAVED. Wrong again. We do it out of love and appreciation for what He did for us and because of that salvation we choose to do what honors Him “(if you love me keep my commands, said Jesus. And since Jesus = YWHW… Jesus’ commands are God’s commands and vice versa) Well – saying we are doing it to earn salvation- that’s putting the cart before the horse (North American idiom there… I wonder how that would be translated back into Greek or Hebrew by someone who didn’t know it was an idiomatic expression?) 😉 We are all saved by grace through faith in Jesus – i.e., God incarnate. Then by following God’s commands we follow the instructions of Christ and by following the commands of Jesus we are following God’s commands which He never ever said to stop doing. If you want to start quoting (or misquoting Paul) then I have to ask -are you following Christ or following what you THINK Paul meant?
Are people just SKIMMING NT Scripture or really reading it? I ask because in the books of Acts, Paul was found NOT guilty of breaking or teaching against any of God’s laws SIX different times. And, in the Epistles – the apostles are shown as KEEPING the Sabbath of YHWH (not the one the Catholic church ADMITS to changing and they proclaim that Bible-believing Christians should be keeping the 7th day Sabbath, otherwise they are following and thereby accepting the authority of Rome. Think about that.)
There was no NEW Covenant mentioned in Hebrews 7 >> the word “Covenant” was ADDED to the text and the original wording was about a new PRIESTHOOD. So there goes that. And again, the other evidence that the New Covenant is not FULLY in effect yet is this… Do ALL Believers have God’s laws written on their hearts (another idiom, meaning to have it memorized – like we say we “know something by heart”) when there are over 30,000 Christian denominations with many differing views of what “God’s law” really says? Are we there yet? I don’t think so.
You know, all this that I’ve written my husband and I discovered through Scripture study on our own 6-7 years ago WITHOUT the help of any group like 119 Ministries.
The fact is, thanks to Jesus, those who trust in Him for their salvation are grafted INTO the Commonwealth of Israel (again, see Paul’s explanation in Romans 11) and as Israel, we should be following what God outlined FOR Israel. We are to be preparing ourselves to be the Bride of Christ, right? Well look at what God did to the 10 tribes (northern kingdom of Israel) who didn’t keep His instructions and fell the way of doing what was right in their own eyes – God DIVORCED them. So why would God be accepting of a people who profess Jesus with their lips and then deny Him (Jesus/God) by how they live?
As for ACTS 10 – Peter himself clarifies what his vision was about in verse 34. It is not a revelation about food and that Peter and everyone else could now eat the very things that God Himself said were not to be food for His people (because HE knows best) – as Peter himself states:
Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Notice that Peter did NOT say “I now realize how true it is that God has now abolished his own laws for his people and we may now eat the flesh of any animal, including the pig that the pagans regularly offer to their false gods.”
To think such a thing is reading INTO the text that which is not there. His vision from God was a metaphor about the man-made tradition the Jews had of not being allowed to have fellowship with gentiles. That, I could understand just from plain English. And that is just one of many examples of how so many of us Christians have been misled by preachers who didn’t really know Scripture but continued to just pass on doctrine ABOUT Scripture. And I can say that since my former neighbor went to Seminary and became a pastor himself. He told me that any time he challenged his professors with these truths he was given failing grades on term papers because he wasn’t “towing the line of his denominational doctrine.” THAT fits more with the definition of a cult than where people are free to question doctrine and prove their point with the very Scriptures the doctrine-pushers are ignoring.
As for me and my house, we will serve the God of Israel, as we ARE Israel, thanks to the blessed GIft of Messiah Jesus… because the New Covenant was for Israel and Judah, not gentiles (notice there’s no Gentile gate into the Kingdom either…. so we have to be ingrafted to Israel.)
Another research project for you if you are not afraid…. go look at the Septuagint in the Greek and you will see that where Israel is mentioned it is the SAME word used there in Greek in the Septuagint as was used in the Greek NT and MIStranslated into “church”. There is no entity called “the church” that has replaced Israel. Those who’ve accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation ARE Israel… ingrafted through Jesus (from the Israeli tribe of Judah) due to OUR acceptance of Him as our Messiah for our salvation.
One more treat: Jesus’ real name in Hebrew was Yehoshua. THAT name means “YHWH is salvation”. Hmmmm….. YHWH is salvation / Messiah is salvation / YHWH=salvation=Jesus… therefore Messiah’s “commands” are God’s commands and vice versa.
Yep, lots to consider here. Go ahead and test everything but please be HONEST with the Concordances and Greek and Hebrew Lexicons and leave the doctrine behind. Just look at PURE Scripture.
And for those who think nobody can keep God’s instructions perfectly – nowhere does it say we are required to for salvation. So please stop perpetuating that falsehood. However, according to Philippians 4:13 > I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ALL THINGS including following God’s instructions for “our best life now” (not for tripping us up) – He’s the original author of that idea. Stop the carnal focus on the things of the world you want to partake of and let Holy Spirit fill you with the desire to please the Gift Giver out of love, adoration and appreciation for His tremendous gift. JUST like you would your ‘Bride/Bridegroom’ you were so in love with, after becoming engaged and making your marriage vows. I think too many have forgotten what it means TO love. It’s a doing not a feeling. And God is clear in many places how HE wants to be shown love from us. Don’t believe me? Show me the scripture where he says we can show him love any way we want including the way the pagans worship their false gods. Show me. 😉
If you choose to follow YHWH in your way, so be it, but do not chastise and attempt break down others or call the *entire* Hebrew Roots realm for following the true Messiah (Jesus) in a way that is NOT dishonoring the God of Israel. I would be far more concerned with the “Emergent Church” and their blending of pagan mystical ways in their worship … and those who think all their future sins are already forgiven so forget repentance and go ahead and live in immodesty, materialism, sexual perversion, etc.
Really, what are those against HR afraid of? Is it a deep-down fear of being perceived as “Jewish” because a person keeps the Holy Days that God ordained rather than the ones Rome ordained? Is that the bottom line fear? When I stand before God I can say I chose not to partake of anything that might remotely offend Him. He is after all the Creator of the Universe who deserves the utmost reverence. I’m almost a senior. I’ve seen so many changes in the last 3 decades in Christendom. And there is very little true reverence (or healthy fear) towards God nowadays.
Pray diligently to understand that Paul did not speak of the law of God as being bad to be under but that it was the “law of sin and death” (again, context is key). Could you really stand before God today and say His perfect law of liberty, as James saw it (liberty from sin) was bad or off-putting in any sense?
We really need a Charles Spurgeon nowadays, not ear-ticklers. Thank you for your time.
Wow! Thank you for YOUR time. I appreciate your thoughts and lack of name calling as is the habit of some who stop by this site.
One huge thing I might note is that I believe 119 Ministries is a cult because it tears so many families apart. Husbands who used to worship beside their wives and set an example for their children are now obsessed with the law so much that they are crippling their children & absolutely destroying their wives. It’s awful. And they are hostile toward Christians who call Jesus their Savior but attend traditional church. Angry-hostile. And I have watched these same people go from belief to belief. Some say it’s lawful to do ABC and some say it’s not a law, but a tradition. Then other times they change their mind and say, oh we think it’s not like we thought it was at first; now, after searching more, we believe it’s like this. There faith is all in their minds; no room for the Spirit to teach them. It’s only what they logically deduce from Scripture. One man even goes so far as to say the more I can logically prove, the less I have to take by faith. This is such an opposition to the nature of God.
You make so many points well, logically. But I must say, I read Scripture and it doesn’t say what you say it says. The Holy Spirit brings so many checks in my spirit & brings quickly to mind Scriptures that expound the points clearly that it just ends up looking like a desire to be Jewish by keeping the nostalgic ways.
You mentioned Rom. 11. I’d encourage you to read that simultaneously with Gal. 3. Gal. 3 explains the timing of how Gentiles are brought in. It’s quite interesting that we’re brought in pre-law, by a promise. Gal. 3 expounds upon the idea that we’re not brought into Israel and made Jews of a sort; we’re brought into Jesus and made into a whole new people group where our identities are lost, save for being identified as “in Christ”. And further couple those chapters with Eph. 2:
“13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,”
Ephesians 2:13-15
Here it says he brings both groups together into one NEW man. Via his blood which He himself announced as the blood of the NEW covenant.
As far as calling me out as saying it’s wrong to keep the feasts…I don’t even think that. I think it’s wrong to say all believers MUST keep the feasts. There is simply freedom in Christ which has been bought by blood. You’re right, no one is 110% correct as humans trying to discern God’s exact meaning for everything. Which is again a huge example of the importance of freedom in Christ. His grace can cover where we get it wrong. But to go around, as 119 & HR does saying, “if you love God, you will keep his feasts and obey the Torah” is simply putting on all believers something that is simply not there. The Holy Spirit is the one who gets to teach us from Scripture personally what we are to do and not do; not the externally prescribed Torah which could never address the position of a mans heart toward God. Only the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit can do that.
As for food stuffs…I entirely disagree with your the on the scriptures. But if Jesus is your Messiah, I would never in a million years ask you to eat pork. Because of freedom in Christ. (Read my articles on food if you’re interested in how I read the scriptures (yes, for myself, not what I’ve heard preached)).
Again, thank you for your thoughtful & kind reply.
Yes, I’ve read Galatians – years ago in a home Bible study we looked at it, and a couple years ago from knowing who exactly the Galatians were and looking at the context of the Galatians in its entirety and found it says much the opposite because we are Israel through Christ and the in-grafting. But I won’t argue that now.
At this time I’d just like to address the cult thing again…..the issue of calling those people a cult because of the division you see occurring. Well I can tell you of all my years in sales and establishing relationships with hundreds of people over the decades – you would have seen the same thing where a Catholic turned Baptist (me), where a Presbyterian went Jehovah Witness, where Mennonites turned to Assemblies of God, etc. It was very divisive in their families and some broke off family relationships permanently.
Any Catholic in my age group will probably tell you how controlling the man of the house was. In many cases our shared stories were about going to church and then our Dad would sit us down at home afterwards and he’d say “this is what the priest really meant” and it was always about the dad/husband being right and in control. There was a whole faring community of just under 1000 people who lived that reality. So… same brushstroke just for HR people? Every JW woman I ever met in my years of sale had a similar story.
“Freedom in Christ” is not freedom to live as we choose. What is the context of that again? 😉 Our freedom in Christ is that we no longer are punished by death for our sins because He took that upon Himself on our behalf. We have eternal life with/through Him. Amen! Praise God for that awesome gift!
As for the anger towards Christians – it is misplaced but it’s part of a grieving process. Now think about that for a bit. When you lose or change something that significant in your life, we all go through a grieving process. I did it when I left the RCC to become born again at a Baptist assembly. I was disowned by most of my family when that happened. They, like many still IN Christianity or those who left Christianity completely are angry at being lied to in various ways (notice I didn’t say all ways) for most of their lives. Former Catholics angry that they actually did not have to do the sacraments to be “saved” completely. Former JW’s who were taught that Jesus was not God… Former Jews who were taught about a Messiah they couldn’t even recognize as Messiah because of how Rome twisted who “Jesus” really was and yet Jesus was fully Jewish, fully a Rabbi and never once broke God’s laws (the Sabbath one was about breaking the Pharisees extra laws not God’s laws) so these Jewish people never knew their very own Messiah until their life was almost over – so they were angry ALSO (not just HR people) but they will ALL have to have their time to **grieve** their loss of their former life and AS they let Holy Spirit work in them it will pass. Telling them they’re in a cult is NOT going to help by the way – that’s just stirring the pot. You know the old saying you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar? 😉
The angry ones are usually the newbies still realizing they were told lies in various forms. Now don’t go saying they’re getting lies now because even the leading theologian/apologist Daniel Lane Craig can explain how there’s no pre-trib rapture in the Bible (I used to be a pre-tribber but no longer since the tares are taken **before** the wheat, etc.) – but that’s one of those teachings that creates conflict and separates people instead of just loving each other despite the differences.
Now – that goes for many Christian denominations that taught one thing and then a person goes to another denomination that teaches something completely different so you CAN’T single out 119 ministries for that. Again, with over 30, 000 registered denominations in Christianity people leave assemblies over difference in opinion about pre-trib or post-trib, Holy Spirit being a “person” versus a spirit by which God does thins, Jesus being God versus Jesus only being the Son OR even only being “Messiah” but not divine, etc, etc, etc,… and all that.
For the record, I have met, in the last 5-6 years, many lovely HR people who you’d likely mistake for the wonderfully emotional joyous evangelicals praising Messiah and the work of the Holy Spirit in their life, or similar to the glorious African-American Baptists ready to sing praises about “Yeshua” at every opportunity while still keeping whatever part of God’s law that applies to them.
There’s another misconception. We aren’t required to keep 613 laws. Jesus couldn’t even do that… you know…. cuz he wasn’t a single or married woman, or a farmer, etc. Get the picture?
And as for sacrifices, we are told in the NT that WE are the Temple of God and in Romans 12:1 to offer OURSELVES as a living sacrifice. So there ya go. Another point debunked. 😉
Anyhoo… I’ve met enough crazy RC’s in my lifetime that live one way during the week but get “saved” every Sunday at “Confession” to say they just don’t compare to ALL the HR people. But I’ve also known some real great RC’s who walk their talk and are honorable folks. Is the RCC right about all doctrinal issues? Was Peter really the first pope? Obviously not but nobody’s attacking them anymore. They are more incorrect than the HR people and the whole reason Christianity thinks they can behave like pagans and still be saved. Look in Revelation and you’ll see it’s only the people who keep the commandments of YHWH and the testimony of Jesus that the dragon is after not those who just keep the commandments of YHWH OR just those who have the testimony of Jesus. Pray about that one.
Are political parties CULTS in your view? I’ve also seen families break apart when people who’ve been hard-line democrats switch to being republicans (and vice versa) because there’s such a long history of it in their families they are treated like traitors when they change because they got a mind of their own. So, please reconsider your stance on “cult” for all the reasons I’ve noted.
A cult is a real specific thing with its own definition in the dictionary and encyclopedias – not just based in one’s emotional response to someone they care about changing their beliefs – just ask the de-programmers who rescue people from real cults… you know, like Scientology, Christian Science, Branch Davidian, !sl@m, etc. God forbid the men you referenced enter into Islam instead of HR. That would be waaaay more scary.
It would be lovely to have you come take part in the Feast of Trumpets (relates to when Jesus returns at the “last trump”), Day of Atonement (the scapegoat story ties in there with Jesus and Barabas) and the Feast of Tabernacles >> you could see how it is a physical representation of the spiritual realm of Jesus’ tabernacling on the earth with us at the actual time frame of his birth (autumn – like that Christian documentary Star of Bethlehem points out), as well how it relates to when he returns for his Bride. 🙂 The Bible is really beautifully interwoven between the OT and NT and so many miss out on these incredible details the no atheist could poke holes in… by sticking with only the last 1/5 of The Word of God. It’s not two stories for two sets of people. It is one incredible LOVE STORY of Redemption by a Bridegroom, the very Creator of the Universe. ❤
God bless.
Jesus was, indeed, Jewish. So were Paul and Peter. Peter decided that the church would not impose the Jewish law upon gentile believers, but that the church would treat the sacrament of Baptism as initiation into the faith with no further requirements. The eucharist (communion) was practiced with regularity as the sacramental meal which made present the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice and His life within the faithful as they received him in the elements of bread and wine. Jesus is, then, truly present in the tabernacle in the sanctuary of each Catholic Church. We bow to Him and kneel in His presence. We live in relationship with God and seek to become like Jesus. This means we obey. How can we progress towards Heaven if we do not progress in holiness born from love of Jesus Christ? As you say, to those who walk in freedom from sin, sin is undesirable. I think that many people misunderstand the way grace takes hold in our lives to transform us.
I would say that every one of you is involved in a cult. Every one of you is part of the schismatic Protestant movement! Does any of you truly have room to judge when you are all adhering to beliefs that began not with Jesus and His Apostles, but 1500 years later by people who removed books from the Bible, dispensed with the sacraments Jesus established, and taught things that had never been allowed in the Church from New Testament times forward. Were there sometimes people within the Church who did not practice what they preached? Yes. Does that change the truth about the gospel and the Church? No. In spite of there at times being sinful and selfish leadership within The Church, the magisterium (core teachings) have remained unchanged since the first century. If you are truly willing to test what you believe, try reading the scriptures without applying a particular bias. Read the early church fathers, read the didache. I used to be a Protestant, but when I stopped reading the scriptures with my fundamentalist blinders on, I began to see that the spiritual is more real than the temporal. When I left protestantism to join The Church, I found that my protestant friends could not understand where I was coming from. Their mindset had become so temporal that the spiritual reality of the sacraments and of the Church Triumphant in Heaven was too much for them to grasp. I hold no bad feelings toward them nor toward any other protestant, but I think it bad enough for christians to be fighting each other in the protestant/Catholic debate, but now protestants have fractured into more than 10,000 denominations with most of them fighting each other as well. For shame! Each one of you needs to begin by reading the Sermon on the Mount and trying to live according to what Jesus commanded there. Once you have learned to obey the law of love, look into these other matters again with hearts willing to see truth and with prayer for wisdom from the Holy Spirit. First, though, begin walking in the grace you have been offered. Repent and confess your sins, then go and sin no more!
Leah…I am a believer and just want to know an answer to a question I have: The NT references OT scripture all the time…when it states that it is God breathed, His word, were the writers referring to the OT scripture or NT (merely just the letters written at that time)?
It is hard for me not to begin exploring when I see that the only scripture NT writers had to reference was the OT. Wouldn’t all of the NT verses that talk about Gods word be referring to the OT. Just would like to see how you think. Thanks 🙂
Yes, you’re correct. That’s the only set of Scriptures Jesus and his disciples taught from or about. What Jesus chastised the Pharisees about doing was ADDING man made traditions that were elevated to be on par with God’s Instructions. THOSE were the burdensome laws that were noted, not God’s found in the OT Torah. I can’t believe anyone could truly have the nerve to say God made a mistake or that ANYTHING He gives His people is a burden. Could they say that to His face on judgement day, I wonder?
Amen. I just looked at 2 videos.
YIKES!
1 Cor. 9 is very clear that Paul himself said ” to a Jew I become a Jew; to those under the Torah I become as if under Torah, though I myself am not under Torah.
The biggest issue is that Christ came to earth to inagurate a New Covenant in His blood, thus fulfilling the Torah.
He alone is Gods Word and Truth.
Yes He came to establish a new Covenant, but with whom? Check Jeremiah for that answer. Gentiles are not mentioned. So that’s why Paul explains why gentile are grafted into Israel in Romans 11. Therefore what was meant for Israel is then meant for gentiles leaving their pagan ways after accepting Jesus as saviour. Jesus says himself he was only sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Read all of Jeremiah. Very enlightening as to prophecy about Jesus and that New Covenant. He has to return for his bride before the marriage covenant is fully in effect. He even told his disciples at the last supper that he would not drink that last cup with them until he returned. But you’d need to understand how ancient Jewish / ancient near eastern covenants work to know the significance of cups of wine re covenants, I guess. Jesus did everything perfectly in a way those disciples understood.
Evelyn, out of Jesus’ own mouth, he said he died for everyone & that ANYONE who believes will be saved. (John 3:16 paraphrase).
The passage you quoted about Jesus only coming for the lost sheep of Israel is out of context. He was not at all declaring that to the world. It was stated in a conversation with a desperate Canaanite (non-Jew) woman who begged of Jesus the healing of her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus is pushing her away with these words, seeing if she will be put off by them. The woman begs him again & he responds saying it is WRONG to take the bread of the children & give it to the dogs. And she desperately responds yes, but even the dogs get the crumbs that fall. At this point, Jesus is completely turned in his heart to heal this woman’s daughter because of her great faith. So he DOES give her the food from the children (the healing she begged for) and he DOES demonstrate he is on earth for all humanity, not just Jews. He used those words to test the quality and strength of this woman’s faith. If you disagree, then you will need to conclude that Jesus also did what he just said was WRONG. Also by Jesus saying He came for the lost sheep, he’s fulfilling the messianic prophecy you spoke of from Jeremiah. So he’s clearly delineating Israel is his first target; the world isn’t far behind.
Further, also in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples what will happen: “and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.”
-Matthew 10:18
Here we see Jesus call out the Gentiles by name.
And the famous scripture in John 10:
“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
-John 10:16
You don’t have to agree that the other sheep are Gentiles, but if he’s talking about Israel as his sheep, it is at the very least reasonable to conclude his other sheep are non-Israel.
Lastly, the book of Acts (written most likely by Luke, of the Gospel of Luke) declares from Jesus’ lips:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
-Acts 1:8
In these verse, Jesus starts with Jews in Jerusalem & Judea; then he moves to half-Jews, Samaria; then he extends his declaration to every soul: to the ends of the earth.
This is just a very cursory glimpse of just how much Jesus came for the whole human race, Jews for sure and Gentiles also for sure.
The one party New Covenant was established by Jesus blood. ( Luke 22:20)
Jesus NC blood was offered in heavens Temple for all sin ever committed. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the NC as Jesus did indeed fulfill the Torah.
The NC was realized by humans when the first Gentiles received Christ, praised God in tongues and were water baptized on the same day.
In 2 Cor 3 Paul uses the same language as Jeremiah and Ezekiel in describing the NC in real time.
Hebrews is also clear the New Covenant was already established with numerous references.
The New Covenant began when Jesus offered His perfect precious blood in the heavenly Tabernackle for OUR eternal redemption!!!!!
It is very unwise too denigrate the New Covenant blood of Christ….
Jeremiah teaches that under this new covenant God puts a fear of Him in our heart…
The NC Law is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus; or the Law of Christ which is the Law of love. This IS the New Covenant in Christs blood!
Bless you in Him.
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Your last sentence agrees with Paul’s understanding of the New Covenant in 2 Cor. 3. ” not on tablets of stone, not with ink, not of the letter.”
2 Cor. 3:6 ” God has made US servants of the new covenant.”
“.. for until this very day at the READING of the old obsolete covenant the same veil remains unlifted as it is removed in Christ…. But to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their heart;”
Hebrews 10:29 is also written by a very close disciple of Christ…..who understood very very well who Jesus is and what He has accomplished on our behalf!!!
Earlier you referenced Peter 3:14-18 in regards to Paul.
Peter was warning against what your perception of the new covenant is. Peter summarizes Paul with his last recorded words: …. But GROW (discipleship into Jesus) in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
NOT ” grow in old covenant obedience…..”
As in the rest of the entire New Testament, there is NO direct teaching of old covenant keeping here…. The old is obsolete, weak and useless in regards to sin snd life in Christ.. Jesus FULFILLED the Torah and HE alone is our New Covenant Torah. Isaiah testify’s that Christ IS our new covenant!!
” You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these which bear witness to me; and you are unwilling to come to Jesus that YOU might have life.” ( John 5:39-40)
Bless you.
Jeremiah 31:31-33 (capital letters for emphasis, not shouting)
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant
with the house of ISRAEL and with the house of JUDAH. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
33 “THIS IS THE COVENANT I WILL MAKE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put MY LAW in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Notice how the reference is to God being a husband to them? Notice also that in the Apostolic Scriptures the relationship between Jesus and His followers is a bridegroom : bride-to-be metaphor as well? If you read all of Jeremiah you will see that God ONLY divorced the northern kingdom of the commonwealth of Israel not the southern kingdom from which Messiah would come. That means there needed to be a way to redeem that portion…. and God did so through manifesting Himself in Jesus. God made it possible for that northern kingdom to be restored to their original betrothal covenant. Now, like most people with a western mindset you likely don’t know that in Hebrew terminology, a betrothal is as good as a marriage in terms of vows. In fact, the “ketubah” or contract is made at the time of betrothal not at the marriage ceremony. This is what happened at Sinai. (Ask Dr. Michael Rydelnik of Moody Bible Institute). So you have a portion of the original bride being divorced by God according to Jeremiah 3. How could God divorce them if they were only betrothed? Because the practice for millenia (before the “modern day” and still in some parts of the middle east) was that the contractual commitment was made at the betrothal stage and only formalized by wedding banquet; a writ of divorce was needed to break a betrothal, not just after a marriage was consummated.)
Anyways, this is one more thing God accomplished through Jesus – restoration of the original bride-to-be – I can detail that in another post if you choose.
Along with that – note that it is very clear with whom the NEW COVENANT will be made: The house of Israel and the house of Judah (aka northern kingdom and southern kingdom respectively.) Also, as noted, addresses the issue of gentiles in Romans 11 that gentiles are grafted INTO Israel – they are not a separate entity known as “the church” (and for the record, the same word is used in the Septuagint, that represents ISRAEL in the OT as was used and translated to “church” in the NT, therefore “the church” is still the commonwealth of Israel INTO WHICH GENTILES ARE WELCOME just as the mixed multitude were at Sinai along with the Hebrew people. Nowhere did I say gentiles were not included. My point was that the New Covenant was not specifically for them > that they had to become part of Israel to BE a part of the New Covenant / Bride of Christ. Again > Romans 11 explains that.
**THE BOOK OF HEBREWS needs to be read very carefully along with a few different concordances. The word “COVENANT” does not exist in the original Greek or Aramaic manuscripts and so people mistakenly claim this proves the New Covenant supersedes the “Old” (if you examine every single Covenant in Scripture that God has made you will see that when a new covenant is made it never negates the one that came before it.) There are also verb-tense errors in some of the English Bible translations.
HEBREWS is talking about the **PRIESTHOOD** not a Covenant. The Mechilzedek priesthood being superior to the Aaronic, to be clear.
In Hebrews 8:13 and Hebrews 9:1 the word “COVENANT” was ADDED to the text.
The context of Heb 8:13 is Jeremiah 31:31-34, and what is “near to disappearing” (FUTURE TENSE in the Greek and Aramaic) is the sinful nature of **man** that breaks God’s Torah (which is how sin is defined in 1 John 3:4), not the standard of Torah itself. Remember that WE broke God’s laws and instructions / WE are the sinners, not YHWH. Thus, YHWH did not dismiss the standard of Torah because Israel chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write HIS Torah upon the heart of each of us through the work of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus. (“Renewed” because the Greek is kainos not neos.)
The fact of the matter is that in Jesus, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified His Word / instructions for His people (even Jesus said that to lust after another is committing adultery in one’s heart; see also Isaiah 42:21.)
Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on OUR part, not YHWH’s part of the Covenant. This verse in its twisted form, became one of the “crown jewels” of a lawless version of Christianity which incorrectly teaches that it is the Torah itself that is decaying and is near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth. See 2 Peter 3:16.
So back to the Priesthood: the author of Hebrews has already described the exalted position of Jesus as a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7), and thus as superior to the Aaronic priesthood in terms of obtaining eternal redemption. While the Aaronic priesthood was able to mediate on behalf of Israel in terms of the earthly sanctuary, they were unable to affect an infinite and eternal redemption, since that was not their task. If the heart of the sinner was to be cleansed, something that would be required for the establishment of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:34), then One greater than Aaron would be needed (9:9, 14). This One is, of course, the Messiah, Jesus.
Once again, the author pf Hebrews contrasts the holy and appointed tasks of the Aaronic priest with that of Jesus, a priest after the manner of Melchizedek. In 9:1, he writes, “Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.” Note well that the word “covenant” is not in this verse (which is why some translations put it in italics). It was added by the translators, as it was in 8:13. In fact, the author’s point in this text is not to contrast the covenants, but to compare priesthoods: The earthly priests and their service with Jesus as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. So we should understand the opening words of this chapter this way: “Now even the former priesthood had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.” His point is that if we study the priestly regulations and duties given to the Aaronic priesthood, we will discover God’s paradigm of redemption itself which would ultimately be fulfilled in the work of Jesus as the greater High Priest.
As others have noted – it is much easier to grasp the writings of the Apostolic Scriptures when one has fuller, deeper knowledge of the Scriptures Jesus Himself taught from and quoted, paraphrased and referred to (as did Paul in his cryptic Shakespearean style.) But what much (not all) of Christianity has done is to superimpose Greco-Roman thinking and western ideas that would be foreign to a first century follower of Jesus. Thank Rome for that. I don’t think Protestants are willing to accept just how much Rome tampered with Scripture and its original context in placing the teachings of Paul over those of Christ Himself. Very dangerous grounds… and to think that what they claim Paul’s letters to the Galatians mean supersedes the Words of Jesus Himself? WHO died for you? Jesus or Paul? The fallback should ALWAYS be to trust the words of Jesus above ANY disciple’s writings. And if the disciples’ writings contradict Jesus then WHO is to be trusted?? The one who died for you and me, that’s Who.
There’s no getting around Jesus’s words here:
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [a]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
WHEN has fulfilled ever been a synonym for abolished? (Never.) We’re talking about our Bridegroom who will return for us one day. So consider that after a bride and groom make their vows to each other they then go about FULFILLING those vows. Being formally married does not negate or abolish the vows.
I’ve run out of time and so am unable to address other points made. I hope what I wrote was coherent as there was much to address and I’m running on little sleep. Will return tomorrow or the next day. Please let us ALL remember we are united through trusting faith in Messiah Jesus (thanks be to YHWH for that Gift) – and unity to me does not require uniformity. Nobody has it 100% right yet. I just believe there is so much MORE to learn about our Creator and Messiah well before the Apostolic Scriptures, and that nobody is denying Messiah’s work at the cross by trying to trust God’s wisdom in dietary and holy days. Our appreciation for Messiah and the Gift of Holy Spirit is only being enhanced, imho.
Shalom to all! 🙂
Kainos means New in quality as in a better Covenant with Better promises, Better Law and Better Priesthood. Entire book of Hebrews. ( Heb.7:12, Rev.1:6-8, Rev. 5:12)
Neos refers to new in timeline; which along with intent of author and specific and General context of all Scripture, will provide Hermeunitical tools to use to come to proper Biblical exegesis..
Jesus New Covenant blood is the blood of our Salvation dear Sister…………..It’s Better, New and not like the covenant our Father made with Moses as Jesus blood cleanes all sin! The blood of goats and calves was a symbolic picture of the blood bought, prophesied and glorious New Covenant of grace we are born again into!!!!!
This revelation is crucial for a relationship with our Messiah, good and great Chief Shepard. Without Christ one is lost without God……..
To those who oppose 119 ministries, just let the word of God judges you
2 Timothy 4:3-4New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Matthew 7:21-23New King James Version (NKJV)
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS!’
The Bible teaches that there is only 1 Word of God and He was in the beginning, became flesh and whose robe is dipped in New Covenant blood.
Those whose faith is in Jesus New Covenant blood for eternal redemption are in Christ.
” How much more severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he WAS SANCTIFIED, and has insulted the Holy Spirit of grace?” ( Hebrews 10:29)
The spirit of antiChrist walks DIRECTLY AGAINST the New Covenant blood of Christ…… Read 2 Cor. 3 and the entire book of Hebrews a few times for further clarification.
I have studied the book of Hebrews from the Greek and the Aramaic with supporting concordances, etc. It is about the change in Priesthood not a change in covenant. The term “Covenant” was added in certain places where it does not exist in the Greek and Aramaic – which has led to incorrect doctrine. The other problem is that in some Bible versions over the last several decades, verb tenses have been changed (possibly to avoid copyright issues or to support predetermined doctrines) – and what’s passing away is still **future tense** in the original manuscripts. Not that it has already passed away.
I addressed this more fully in my other reply above. 🙂
The last comment by Jenkins is so typical of 119 ministries…
Great blog Leah!! Stay strong!
Thank you for your encouragement!
Leah, stay strong!
If you’re not familiar with this website, check out http://www.hebrew4christians.com and you’ll be blessed. I have struggled to properly portray the fundamental false teaching of 119 Ministries. This website absolutely “tests everything” against scripture and exposes the truth.
I am not of Jewish heritage or seminary trained. I merely strive to love God and love my neighbors. It breaks my heart to find so many deceived. May you be blessed!
Thank you for your encouragement! I’ll take a look at the site. I appreciate your comment.
What?!?!?!?! OMG, this discussion has blown my mind. I can’t honestly have a headache, but I did want to give my common since and common knowledge opinion. My name is Antonio. I am not a pastor, nor a scholar, nor did I study at some fancy college about history or religion. I am simply a God fearing man with a family who strives to love the Lord with all of my heat. I went to church and bible study frequently as a child and a young adult. Into my adult years I’ve read, and studied a lot of different religions and beliefs. After 30 years of my life, I’ve seen and heard from Catholics, Baptist, Lutherans, Muslims, Agnostics, Buddhist, Jehovah Witnesses, and countless others. After all of that this is what I’ve found to be true (that I believe)…..There is only 1 God. All “religions” are man made. Everything in the bible is true.
Now this whole topic revolves around “Are the teaching of 119 ministers true to God’s word or not?” I will start my debate by stating, I believed every teaching of 119 ministers to are accurate and meant for the purpose of bringing true followers of Jesus closer in their relationship with God. Leah, you seem to disagree with 119’s teaching primarily for 2 reasons (from what I tell by your responses, correct me if I’m wrong): 1.) because their teachings come across as harsh, judgmental, and unloving. 2.) because they teach followers to obey God’s laws, but you believe we don’t have to anymore because we are under grace. I apologize Leah, if that’s not your stance on the topic. That’s just what I interpreted from your post.
As for 119 being harsh, judgmental, or unloving; I disagree with you. I felt like every video that I’ve watched came from a loving spirit. Now do they sometimes come off as being sarcastic, yes, but that doesn’t mean their message or teachings are false. The speakers are just men. Normal human beings with likenesses and faults. Whether people like or dislike their demeanor is honestly irrelevant. What’s important is their message, which is simply test everything to the word of God. They repeatedly claim that they do not have all of the answers, but they simply want everyone to test their faith to make sure it lines up with proper scripture. This is by means a deception, nor harsh. It is a fact that the bible was originally written in Hebrew and since then been translated by many different tongues. It is only natural to get a clear understanding of things to resort back to it’s original text.
Then they teach followers of Jesus (Yeshua) to obey ALL of the laws of God. You, Leah, however believe that we do not have to follow ALL of God’s laws because he gave us freedom. This the part that blows my mind….I am parent. I have 2 children. I love my children unconditionally (by grace). I have certain rules (laws) that I want my children to obey. My children know that whether they follow my rules or not I will still always love them, but that does not give them freedom to disobey them. I could physically make my children follow my rules, but instead I would rather that follow my rules because they respect and love me. One my children obeys my rules far more than the other. Naturally me and that child have a closer relationship because they show their love by showing their obedience. How is God’s love for us any different? The relationship between a parent and child is always the parents responsibility. The quality of that relationship is always the child’s responsibility. God showed his love for us by dying on the cross. Now it is our responsibility to show our love for him by keeping ALL of his commandments. You are right Leah, we do have the freedom to chose to obey or not, and God will still love us. But so did Adam and Eve. As a result to their disobedience their relationship with God was tarnished. Not their love from God, not their salvation from God. Simply their relationship.
119 ministries do not teach that following the law of God will grant you salvation. They simply teach the truth which is sadly not being taught in traditional churches. They teach people how to be seen as great in the kingdom of heaven. I know you are familiar with the word, as many are. The problem that we all face is the translation. Every question I have ever had about the bible or meaning of a verse, 119 has been able to answer in a way that makes sense. So Leah, I’ll leave you with this question. What does this verse mean?…..
Matthew 5:17-19 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn’t come to destroy them, but to fulfill them, because I tell all of you with certainty that until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished. So whoever sets aside one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom from heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom from heaven.
May God bless us all and give us guidance and strength.
You got it right Antonio 🙂 thank you.
The point really of 119 ministries is Test Everything. That’s it Test Everything. I know we have different theology and perhaps different perception of the truth but LET US ALL GIVE IT a chance and TEST IT with the word of God. Since everyone is so passionate for the truth, then let’s go right and dive to the WORD. If we believe that the bible is infallible then we will test (our own theology) to that which is infallible.
I am not saying that 119 ministries do not have mistakes. Sometimes, they do even correct their previous videos the moment they found that they have taught something wrong. Simply Test Everything – even test yourself.
Antonio, can I copy what you said and report it on another site. I’ll just note repost from Antonio: Is that alright?
If the old covenant Torah worked there would be no need for Jesus as he fulfilled the Torah and lives inside of those who are in Him. Timline, context and intent are key to understanding scriptures. The sermon on the mount occurred in the very beginning of His ministry. He was attempting to get Gods first chosen people to THINK about their need for a Savior….The Torah was fulfilled when Jesus presented His new covenant blood in the heavenly sanctuary for eternal redemption…
Matt. 5:20 ” unless your righteousness surpasses the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” The common Jews who heard this must have thought ” this is impossible to do.” Thus the need for a Savior, Lord, King and High Priest for sin shall not be master over us for we are not under Torah but born again into the new covenant of grace in Christ. It is all about Jesus living His life through us, as we trust and obey Him.
Further on in the timeline of Matt. Jesus further defines the Torah and the prophets. ( Matt.7:12, Matt. 11:13 –” For ALL the Prophets AND TORAH prophesied UNTIL JOHN.”
Matt. 22:36-40—-Here Jesus affirms the Great Commandment or Royal Law of love which carries over from the old to the new covenant in Christ’s blood….These two are NOT a part of the ten commandments……
Jesus Himself IS our new covenant Torah as we walk in His Holy Spirit of grace!!! Praise God and may He richly bless you with an astounding revelation of Jesus Christ; alive, right here, right now!!!
As Dale Carnegie said “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
If only more seminary schools and Bible colleges would invest in having scholars well studied in “Torah and the Prophets” (like Dr. Michael Rydelnik at MBI is just one example) to teach the students accurately as to how to properly interpret the prophecies about Jesus and the actual intention and timing of the New Covenant – there would not be such confusion as to what it was Jesus actually came to do (it’s MORE than what Christianity typically teaches.) Every action and teaching Jesus made/gave is rooted in the first testament not replacements of. But if you don’t fully understand the “OT” properly, of course you claim what you do.
What Christendom typically does, it has adopted from Rome – taking poetic text literally and literal text being taken allegorically so they can make it mean what they want it to mean. Most understanding and teaching about Jesus’s parables are without proper historical and cultural and *idiomatic* context. Simplest example being the parable of the mustard seed had NOTHING to do with size but rather the character of it being able to survive and grow through the worst of (soil) conditions because mustard seed is an invasive weed in Israel. Typical example.
This post is my last commentary on the matter > one cannot FULLY understand the Jewish Messiah and His Jewish disciples / apostles without first understanding the original Hebrew Bible / Jewish Scriptures **properly**. Without that, the traditional and largely Catholic and anti-semitic interpretation of the NT falls short in accuracy. Sadly, this is the very thing that is hard to comprehend by those who’ve not yet experienced just HOW much deeper, fuller and more accurately they might understand the NT WHEN they finally grasp the OT properly.
At the very least, thank God you have Matthew 5:19 in Jesus’ own words even AFTER He states that the law or the prophets will NOT be abolished until heaven and earth pass away:
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
>>>19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.<<< At least they'll still see heaven.
I pray that YHWH would silence all the voices of the deceiving spirits in league with the Adversary of God that try to counterfeit the voice of YHWH's Holy Spirit while promoting things contrary to the teachings of Jesus Himself.)
Perhaps that ^^ is the very prayer any Believer should say before asking for guidance re Scripture.
I’m not sure why you believe that a proper understanding can only come through knowledge of Hebrew & Jewish tradition. That eliminates most of the world Jesus said he came to save. Rabbi’s & scholars missed who Jesus was the first time around. Remote tribes in countries where the people groups are simple do not need to be taught Hebrew to understand the gospel: they need to be introduced to the living God who will lead them into all truth.
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.
-Matthew 11:25
And it’s companion verse in Luke…
21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
-Luke 10:21
And regarding the “at least they will still see heaven”… No they won’t. Because right after that, in the very next verse, Jesus says, 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
-Matthew 5:20
So, no, they will not unless they are surpassing the righteousness of the most law abiding of them all: The Pharisees; not only that, but Jesus then said they had to go beyond what was written in the Mosaic law…love your enemy, anger toward your brother=murder, a look with lust=adultery, etc. and he concludes that whole talk with 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
-Matthew 5:48
And that is the final blow to ever entering the kingdom of heaven…there is none righteous, no not one.
Jesus wasn’t at all proclaiming a coming kingdom of law; he was proclaiming the dire need for a Savior for those less righteous than the Pharisees. He was announcing just how great He is. It’s not Jesus + the Law that makes God great. It’s Jesus. He outshines anything that ever was. And if we make it anything other than about him and his righteousness, we are not found in him.
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
-Philippians 3:9
3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
-Romans 10:3-13
Antonio, I think you sum it up very well.
I became a Christian about 35 years ago. Since coming to the faith, I was primarily brought up in the Assemblies of God. Through those years, there were many questions I have had regarding the faith to which no one could give an answer that seemed to make any sense.
About 5 years ago, I began to travel down a road in search of the truth. I had to know for myself why I believed what I believed and not because that was what I was taught by the pastors and teachers in my life. It seemed to me that everything I was taught was biased.
Ministries like Passion for Truth and 119 Ministries are Christ-Like in the humble approach and is evident and can be seen in the fruit they bare. When they present the truth as they see it in scripture, they follow in Jesus’ steps in presenting it in a very humble way. Unlike other ministers of the Gospel that almost appear to be like ravenous wolves. These other ministers of the Gospel are very quick to show their true nature in the way they present themselves just like a wolf venomously biting and ripping into the flesh of other believers.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26
Leah, I believe my sister and mother have been hooked in by 119. Furthermore, I think the churches in this area would be unaware and unprepared in answering the errors. Where do and how should I start in responding to them.
The best thing I have found is study the Scripture all while asking the Holy Spirit to teach you truth by it. The more you know what’s actually in Scripture the better you can spot the errors. I’ve tried to highlight & pinpoint many of 119’s errors in the things I’ve written out. But it’s only going to help someone who is wanting to see what Scripture itself says. If someone only wants to defend their position, it will fall on deaf ears. And the things I’ve written are detailed, because it’s the details that 119 keeps twisting. So my articles aren’t all that easy to read. And I am human, too. So truly, the best defense we have is the Scripture itself and praying for your sister & mother. I have several friends entangled in it & they just want to keep believing. So I have had to resort to mostly praying. And when others around them get confused by them, I try to show them Scripture and pray that God will protect their minds & hearts from what is false. It’s a battle for sure.
Galatians is a great place to start, by the way. Chapter 3 is golden.
Thought my time was up (re other post where I thought I’d run out of time) but I did get a few minutes more………..
Galatians was my go-to place of revelation and helping others see the light for a few decades. And then someone challenged me. (As a RC, I was challenged at college by JW’s, Muslims, Jews, etc. so I did a lot of study to be able to defend my faith at the time… only to find the RCC was responsible for a lot of changes to Scriptural doctrine and understanding.) And another challenged me, and another and so I decided to prove them wrong. Well, I learned a thing or two.
Leah, if you would please take the time, I respectfully request that you look at the following study of Galatians – chapters 2,3 and 4… with a few Bible versions (KJV, NASB, etc), concordances, lexicons, etc. in detail. In fact – if elsewhere on your blog you want to challenge every point made by the researcher I’m about to post a link to – I and others who believe following God’s instructions found in the Scriptures Jesus taught from, is still valid today for followers of Christ – then I guess we’d welcome the eye-opening experience.
I’m hoping you won’t be like others I’ve encouraged to read it who’ve ignored it or dismissed it, or claimed they haven’t the time or interest because they’re certain of what they know to be true. Please, I implore you to read the whole study.
Granted, you may be put off by the comment there of “In reality, there is not a single verse in the book of Galatians or anywhere in the scripture that would tell us that the law has been abolished. Rather, much to the contrary!” But please don’t let that deter you! 🙂
Here it is:
http://www.eliyah.com/galatianskjv.html
Whew. Evelyn, I will certainly try. I’m very much working through 119 articles/essays right now and in some cases going line by line in refuting them with Scripture. Another commenter yesterday respectfully asked me to read a certain book and refute it if I could. I cannot say when I will get to your suggested read on Galations, but I’ll work that way. This blog is not my job, just one thing I can try to do when I have time. But I will give it a read when I can. I am enjoying your comments & thoughts. I’m currently composing another article in response to your earlier question about did Jesus lie in Matthew 5:17-19. I can say I greatly appreciate your non-arrogant comments and your willingness to discuss differences in love. Thank you! 😊
One more thing, if you read comments on here that I’ve been able to reply to, that might give you some extra places where 119 believers typically get hung up and often I’ve given Scriptures on those topics.
Respond in humility not thinking you are right and they are wrong… Maybe listen and actually read the scriptures and possibly you will hear the voice of God. What is actually wrong with walking in the path of righteousness? If you truly believed what you think Paul says is the true interpretation then you would leave them alone and not place your uneducated judgment upon them…, if they do this unto God then it is unto God according to popular Christian dogma. What authority do you have over them in this matter? What would the “Churches” in your area need to correct? If of course you follow (understood) Pauline doctrine.
The truth of the matter is you really don’t even follow what is taught by your Protestant evangelical fathers…, because they never followed their own teachings either. You choose to punish anyone that does not swallow the rhetoric and not be just like you or your congregational system.
You make subjective viewpoints new law and forego long standing objective ways of God. You want to except this “new way” of living in Gods ways disregarding what is written. Jesus said it best… You have a fine way of setting aside the commandments of God for the traditions of men.
Sean, please be very careful in assuming that every Christian does, believes, and lives as you described in your comment. Some of us do read our Bibles & clearly hear God. And some of us listen to God. And love God. And obey His voice.
Do you want logical, scriptural truth?
I challenge you to read “Let’s Get Biblical ” by Tovia Singer.
It will remove the veil from your eyes and forever change your world.
I believe that’s the role of the Holy Spirit as I read actual Scripture.
Just a heads up for you Leah… Tovia Singer is an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi (Outreach Judaism.)
Hi Leah,
The book is full of actual Scripture.
It’s a very thorough examination of Scripture, context and translation.
Every statement he makes is proven by Scriptural evidence, so you can verify it all for yourself.
I understand your reluctance to read a book about Scripture written by a mere man, but I think God gave us wonderful minds to think and discern the truth and I can’t find any errors in his logic. Maybe you can.
Thanks for listening Leah!
Looking forward to your take on the book.
Jim
“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Luke 10:21)
“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:26-27)
“And they shall not teach, each one his neighborand each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” (Hebrews 8:11)
I am not opposed to reading it. I just can’t find a better instructor that the Author. I’ve probably read 5 or less articles, not books, in looking to argue the truth in the things I’ve written on this site. I finally decided, to stop looking outside of Scripture for answers & just ask God what He means. Because the vast majority is quite clear. It’s the details that 119 continues to twist. So it’s tedious to go through their writings & pull out the errors. But I am. Slowly & as I have time. I start by praying for protection and then ask for wisdom and for the truth to be clear. And I ask as I read their stuff for God to open my eyes to where the errors are and show me the Scriptures that correct them. So far, He’s doing that. There are a few Scriptures I’m still asking Him to explain to me. I’ve asked for a while & will continue. But if He doesn’t, I won’t pretend He did and write what I think anyway. After I finish going through all their teachings, I’ll hopefully get to tackle the book you’ve challenged me to read. I’ll be sure to let you know when I do. Thanks!
Thanks Leah and have a great night!
Jim
You too!
Is there a way that the link in the email could go directly to the comment that was posted to instead of scrolling through all of them?
I will check the settings, but I’m not sure that’s something I can set on my end. On my phone’s email it does take me directly to the new comment. I haven’t been on my computer yet all day so I’m not sure if it is different.
I didn’t see anything that gave me control over how the email would link you to the comment. Sorry I couldn’t make that more user-friendly.
God Himself declares the timing and intention of the new covenant. ” This cup which is poured out for you IS the new covenant IN MY BLOOD.” ( Luke 22:20) Hebrews and 2 Cor. 3 teaches the NC in present tense…
The entire OT bears witness to Jesus Christ whose testimony IS the spirit of prophecy. ” You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of me.”?( John 5:39) The testimony of Jesus IS THE spirit of prophecy.” ( Rev. 19:10)
“How much more severer punishment he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant he WAS SANCTIFIED, and has insulted the Holy Spirit of grace?” ( Hebrews 10:29)
” …. the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believe Moses you would believe Me;—Luke 22:20—for He wrote of Me.” ( John 5:44-45)
Those who are deceived with a different spirit and different Jesus are the last to know. Turn to the Bread of life Himself and He will fill you with His Holy Soirit of grace!!!!
Bless you in Christ Jesus!!!
After reading literally every single comment on this blog, I must say it has been very informative and each side of the “debate” is very spirited. I was raised, as many are, to believe that we are given grace by the blood of Jesus which is the atonement of sin and by this grace we are free from the “bondage of the law.” But then I was stirred in my spirit and there was a yearning for something deeper which would not let me be. I tried to deny it several times. I thought to myself, “Why would our Creator allow for us to keep all the other commands, but do away with one?” “Why appoint times for special feasts to be held that were meant to be “everlasting” only to do away with them later?” “Why do people feel that the commands of God are considered burdensome or to be in bondage?” “If we were given Ten Commandments and are taught about them from early on, why do we teach later that we still have Ten Commandments, but only live by nine? Why not re-name them The Nine Commandments if we have such authority?” “Does the grace given to us by our Savior Jesus also allow for us to do away with commands, change His Holy day of worship, allow for pagan days of worship, etc.” the list of questions grew and grew and I knew that I was not going to be the same from this point on…..
I know that I am given the free gift of grace by the blood of Jesus in atonement for my sin. This gift was given as payment for a system which used to require me to be put to death if I should sin! His death was what now allows me to live. Praise God! And thank Him for sending his Son to give me that precious gift of grace that I might not sin again! When you uphold the commandments of our most High God, you are not by any means nullifying the grace given to you at the Cross! In fact, in Revelation 12, the dragon comes for the Saints who have kept the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ! It is my honor and a joy to want to be a humble servant of my God as well as accept His grace for my sin so that I should not have death. This does not mean one is to go out and willfully sin because they have grace!
Love one another, love Jesus. Fear God. Keep the Word. Many blessings to you all.
John Campbell, I have read your postings and I only come up with questions… What do you mean when you say Jesus “Fulfilled” Torah? Do you no know he is the TORAH! he is the living, breathing, walking among us TORAH!
It appears your entire belief system is based upon the idea that the “Torah” is this system of laws that has somehow been abolished after Jesus died on the cross then resurrected and presented himself as the sacrificial lamb.
After stating this I ask you a simple question if the Torah “did not work” (according to what you think that means) are followers of God “Pre Cross” “saved”? Why? or why not ?
Leah and Everyone…
The reason why there is so much discussion and disagreement on this blog is because Jesus is not the Messiah and the New Testament is not the inerrant word of God.
I was in a Southern Baptist church for 20 years until friends shared some
books with me – Todd Bennett, Lew White, Norman Willis, Brad Scott and several others. I watched dozens of videos on 119. I stopped celebrating Christmas and Easter. I pulled my family out of the church. I’m currently reading Tovia Singer and other Jewish authors. The Jews are correct in their rejection of Jesus and I challenge anyone to read Let’s Get Biblical by Rabbi Singer and show me how his scripturally based reasoning is flawed. There are many books on this subject but his is the best I’ve found.
Are you interested in the truth or are you content with the lies we inherited from our fathers?
There is a Mosaic old covenant Torah which contains 613 laws from Exodus ending in Dueteronomy.
Jesus Christ IS our new covenant Law who lives inside me. This is ” the mystery of the gospel.” Christ in those who know Him!
Bless you
Human beings love religion but they loathe relationship. It appears you never knew Christ Jesus and He never knew you.
Jesus lives inside me and His Holy Spirit of grace talks with me everyday!!!
Jesus delivered me from a 12 year crack addiction when no program or 12 step could!!!!! Praise God!
He also provided me with a beautiful wife who loves Him too! I was her first boyfriend and boy am I a chief of sinners……
Yes, the New Testament is a valid and reliable document. This is common knowledge but you are free to believe however you want bro….
And I experience Gods presence everyday! Just yesterday I was on the train ministering unto the Lord as a new covenant priest in my inner room or inner court. This ” stranger” came up to me and she explained that she could feel Gods presence all over me…… It was beautiful as we spontaneously entered into a fabulous fellowship!
I am very street smart and God uses this to give me ” words” of edification, exhortation and encouragement to complete strangers as God leads and they ask me questions and stand in amazement not knowing how I could “know” certain things in their lives or have just the exact word they need at that time. I pray with people quite often in the public square. ALL TO GODS GLORY!!!!
I simply cooperate, trust,obey and desire to ” keep in step” with Holy Spirit! The fruit taste delicious….!!!
I don’t work I just talk about Jesus to strangers on the street……
It behooves you to give THIS JESUS your heart sou and mind. It’s an AMAZING life. Strangers first response is sometimes ” are you a mind reader?” I say I am a lover of God in Christ! I give my testimony and God does very creative and powerful things….
Bless you
Ps – depending on the particular situation, Christ thru me expels or can take control of demons inside others either in public or private. The manifestations scare others but ” they” listen to me and always submit!
You should take a walk with me sometime. You never know what’s gonna happen! It’s an exiting life being in. Christ and walking in His resurrection power to give life to others!?!!
Well, Jesus, actually fulfilled many many many Biblical prophecies. Look in the book of Isaiah, of being born of a virgin. Isaiah 53! It paints a clear picture of what Christ did. He never sinned, and He was crucified for following and teaching God’s commandments better than anyone else! You may reject Him, but what kind of danger does that put you under? You’re following the interpretations of a man, instead of following the Scriptures.
Do you know about the Bar Khokhba revolt? The Jews believed that Simon Bar Khokhba was the Messiah. He slaughtered so many people. And yet, they were wrong.
What about Mehenam, son of Hezekiah? He didn’t fulfill even a quarter of the messianic prophecies.
Yeshua is the only to have ever fulfilled most messianic prophecies, and there are some that will be fulfilled on His second coming.
Get back to scripture man. Don’t follow the words of a man. Follow the words of God
I have Read Tovia Singer and follow him and his current opinions…, It is too bad you reject Yeshua and Tovia as well. I Accept Yeshua is the Messiah and he never spoke against Torah because he would be speaking against himself. Tovia is incorrect in his beliefs of the Messiah and you have been misled. Tovia believes strongly in his beliefs and interpretations of the Tanakh and I believe he will be one of them that are broken when Yeshua returns and repent. I do not think anything bad of Tovia and I actually think he is correct on a lot of his teachings.
Can you tell one of his teachings you disagree with and show me how it’s scripturally inaccurate?
If you are sincerely curious about the revelation of Jesus Christ granted this chief of sinners empowered to the good works of following the Great Commandment and great commission; it is due to The Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus which IS stronger than both the Law of sin and death as well as the old covenant Torah! ( Romans 8:1-3)
Yes, Amen, Jesus Christ IS our New Covenant Torah who took me out of living on the streets and shelters for 8 months; ( I was kicked out of the shelter) and now own property and live in the same town as Mitt Romney. ( it’s very nice!!!) and I don’t really care about material things…….
The new covenant living Torah gave me an entirely new life due to HIM making and transforming me into a New Creation.
The old covenant Torah which Christ perfectly fulfilled came thru Mosrs BUT GRACE and TRUTH…. Are in Jesus Christ Himself, for of HIS FULNESS I have received; GRACE UPON GRACE!!!
Read Hebrews, chapters 1-3 to procure an undrstanding of the difference between Moses and Jesus the Christ whom Moses testified if when he struck the ROCK and WATER flowed forth!!!
In fact the entire book of Hebrews is Gods love to encourage Messsnic believers going thru persecution just prior to the destruction of the second Temple …………………..and Jerusalem! Read it 10 times and God will grant you true Biblical revelation.
Jesus LOVES you VERY VERY much for God so loved the world …..
Come and walk around the east coast city I live in with me and you will SEE how an experiential walk with the living new covenant Torah is like.
Experience based on contextual understanding of scripture is a powerful antidote to doubt and COMPLETLY TRUMPS anything you think you know in your mind…….. It’s true………
Gods power is manifested in beautiful ways as I take up my ” cross” and follow Him in the power of The Holy Spirit.
I am glad to provoke questions about Jesus!
This is what i do as God empowers me by the new covenant Law of the Spirit of LIFE in Jesus!
Bless you bro!
Hi John, I’m glad you’re no longer on crack, that you have a good wife that loves you and that you’re off the street, but does this mean you should praise Jesus? Followers of every religion make similar claims of amazing positive changes in their lives. If a Muslim’s or a Hindu’s life improves, should we all praise Allah or Krishna? Of course not. Good things happen to people of all beliefs. What does scripture say about this phenomenon? Deut 13:1-2 says “if a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them. You must not listen to that prophet or dreamer of dreams.”
If you (or anyone else reading this) would like me to give you specific scriptural evidence of why Jesus is not God and why the New Testament is a false teaching, let me know, but I would prefer that you pick up a copy of Let’s Get Biblical by Rabbi Tovia Singer because typing on my iPad takes a lot of time.
You obviously do not understand.
I am not talking about religion, which I made explicitly clear in my response to you……; yet you refer to the ministry of death and condemnation ( 2 Cor.3) like it has any input into my personal relationship with God…. in your attempt to fit me into a nice box in your mind. For real. I pray Gods blessings over you.
I am talking about the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob who is the Creator of the universe and much more.
Do you understand?.
So you found one dude you follow and who recommended to me.
Nice, thanks.
I like antichrist perspectives so I am more informed on what the enemy is up to . I will check your boy out in the future.
With 2 Masters degrees, I have read much in my 56 years and appreciate being informed
I was attempting to communicate that Isaiah 11:10 is true. ” Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jessie, who will stand as a signal for the people’s; And HIS resting place will be glorious.”
Our New and Everlasting Covenant is found in Isaiah 42:6—–“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, And I will appoint YOU as a COVENANT to the people, And a light to the nations, TO OPEN BLIND EYES……”
The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; whose new covenant blood was offered in heavens Holy of holies for our eternal redemption, is very active, presently.
Are you Jewish?
How has God changed your life so you can love Him and others in a pure spirit and concrete manner?
Feel very free to discuss your relationship with God based on the written witness of scripture as you understand.
Why don’t you answer any of my questions?
I
One answer to a simple question will clarify many arguments depending on how it is answered; What is the Law? A generic answer indicates little knowledge. However, it can be summed up in a couple words. But what is the Law and where specifically is it found. Once found, why do away with it?
The Law was given to reveal sin. Once the sin was revealed by the Law, it shows/proves our need for a Savior. Yeshua HaMashiac Jesus Christ. Whether I call him Jesus, or His Hebrew name, He is the same, the Son of God. And God (YHWY), knows the hearts of all men. In Christ Alone, by Faith Alone
LOVE; God& others!
YHWH is the one true GOD, and He has not, will not change. He is calling His people, Jew and Gentile, to Himself though Yeshua, and by His Spirit. The TORAH is His standard for living and He has established His Feast and Shabbats forever. It’s really that simple!
Given the large number of Christian denominations with their conflicting doctrines it is evident to me that it is next to impossible for anyone to really understand what the truth is. Blogs such as this just support my conclusion. Some denominations actually believe they and only they have the truth and everyone else is damned if they don’t become members with them. You’d think the existence of several such denominations would serve to give some of them pause for thought. Frankly, I find Christianity totally confusing.
Dear Richard,
This is exactly why everyone has to read the Holy Bible on their own and honestly pray to God, pray to Jesus Christ for wisdom and discernment. God will abundantly give to us all and the Holy Spirit in us will produce it’s fruits. We must understand that the enemy doesn’t stop in doing evil and that’s why he causes such discord among denominations. The enemy doesn’t confront directly but subtly. When we know the truth (according to the Word of God, not according to men), we will realize that there is nothing complicated, there is nothing confusing. The truth will set us free…
God bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ ❤
To all who are anti GOD’s Law and Word as his law is his word. I am always amazed at the arrogance of those who proclaim they love the LORD….there are many who believe that the LORD turn his back on the Jews for disobedience and now the CHURCH is his chosen. I find this funny because the disobedience of the JEWS is exactly what the christian world practices. So my question is this if he the LORD walked away from the Jews for not obeying his words what makes you THINK he has a different standard for everyone else. He said there is one law for all! Wake up world! By saying he changed his mind is saying he is a liar! He is UNCHANGING HIS WORD IS FOREVER NEVER CHANGING! The LORD I believe is separating the wheat from the tares…which side are you on? I pray everyday the LORD will wake all his children to come back to his ancient ways. What is happening today has been prophesied in his word. We are living in biblical times…we are seeing prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. The LORD is patience he doest not want to loose one soul….but there will come a time the door will shut..I say to all pray ,pray,pray for the knowledge of truth….it is right there in the scriptures….you can’t miss it. The real question is do you want the truth or do you just want what you know because it is easier…
I pray for all may he open your eyes and your heart….
Shalom,
Donna
119 Ministries is a gift from God, don’t allow your flesh which does not want to accept the truth. To find bias where none exists. Search your spirit, you know they are right.
Sean, please check out http://www.hebrew4christians.com. Then you will truly receive a gift from God. Afterwards, let us know what you think of 119 Ministries.
What was this supposed to do for me Randall? I am familiar with this site. I think some things are correct where I think others not so much. I have still yet to see anyone prove 119 has false teachings.do I agree with everything presented? No I don’t, but I do not think that constitutes false teachers. To be frank I think you and Leah are more false teachers than 119 by your implied definition of what a false teacher is. Until someone provides an example of their actual false teaching and not merely a disagreement of conclusions then I will side with 119 approach to testing everything. You have given nothing to show they are not testing everything…, and yet you stand with accusations they are intentionally not testing the scriptures.
Give me something to actually think on…
Sean, if you want something to think about, check out “Let’s Get Biblical” by Tovia Singer. I’m ex Metodist, ex Southern Baptist, have read 20+ books on Hebrew Roots, listened to most 119 teachings and led my family out of the church.
I would be very interested in your (or anyone else’s) logical, page by page rebuttal of Rabbi Singer’s book.
Again very familiar with Tovia Singer and his anti Yeshua apologetics. the only rebuttal you need is Dr Michael Browns continuous rebuttals to Tovia who refuses to debate Dr Brown since the last open debate. Tovia will debate with anyone, any Christian pastor except Dr Brown. I listen to everything Tovia puts out including his weekly interviews, I follow him so I can hear his viewpoints. Somethings he offers an insight that challenges my Hebrew language skills and other times he is so far off base even his kinsmen roll their eyes so it is very typical of any religion to line up their champions…
Sean, thank you. I will check out Dr Michael Brown.
Sean,
You asked for “something to actually think on,” so I’ll try to provide such. However, let me preface my observations with the following comments.
First, Satan is the great deceiver who loves to take God’s Word and slightly warp it to create his lies. (examples: deception of Eve, attempted deception of Messiah)
Second, Satan loves to ask questions which cause doubt and hopefully cause quick departure from the truth. Like sin, once you’ve “bought in” you are miles down the road before you realize the mistakes made.
Third, any competent false teacher will lead one down the road of false logic or present a limited set of inaccurate options. (“Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” Sorry to use a non-biblical quote … )
The arguments presented by 119 Ministries are subtle deviations cloaked in clouds of side issues. I appreciate that 119 Ministries provides transcripts. Unless you read the transcripts along with the video, it is sometimes difficult to catch the deception. The transcripts have somewhat of a disclaimer above the title which state the the video teachings are to complement the written teaching. OK …
Please think on this:
1) Refer to 119 Ministries’ teaching entitled “Pleroo the Law.”
The following is stated on page 1 of the transcript, “The word “fulfilled” and Matthew 5:17 are either interpreted as being fulfilled in the sense of fully preaching or teaching the law of God, or fulfilling in the sense of no longer making the law of God applicable. Those are our choices.”
NO … those are not our choices. They are only two of our choices. A third choice is to interpret Pleroo in the sense of accomplishing, completing, filling, making full, FULFILLING. In fact, the Greek word Pleroo (or a derivative of its root word “pleres” – full; to be full) is found over 80 times in the New Testament. Pleroo is almost always translated using one of these “third choice” English words. It is NEVER used “in the sense of no longer making the law of God applicable.” And it is a real stretch in translation to use pleroo “in the sense of fully preaching or teaching.”
Messiah lived in complete obedience to the Law of Moses. He accomplished the “torah” under the Mosaic covenant. Only then could Messiah be the unblemished lamb whose sacrifice fully and completely washed away the sin of those who follow Him. I choose the third option of translation.
Once the Mosaic covenant was fulfilled, completed, or accomplished by Messiah, His resurrection and ascension introduced the New Covenant.
At this point, you may say, “Well that’s your opinion!” and merely claim that this is a “disagreement of conclusions.” But I say, “Yes, this is my opinion. And 119 Ministries is presenting false choices which limit one’s path to the truth.” That defines a false teacher.
2) Refer to 119 Ministries’ teaching entitled “Don’t Be Under the Law!”
This is perhaps one of the more brilliant deceptions written by 119 Ministries. The title says “Don’t Be Under the Law”, but their concluding statement says,
“So it is true that we are not to be under the law, as long as that is not understood to
mean that we are not to be under the law of God.”
Once you get past the double negatives and indirect language, the concluding statement contradicts itself, contradicts statements earlier in the text, and contradicts the title. The concluding statement basically says we are under the law of God. But 119 Ministries doesn’t directly say that …WHY? Because it would be quickly discerned to be a blatant lie!
One must trudge through the entire teaching to see several points of deception.
First, the teaching creates doubt regarding the words of the Apostle Paul by asking, “Does it really mean what many think it means?” (Pg 1)
Next the teaching warps scripture. In an unbelievable twist, the teaching conveniently re-defines “law” (Greek word nomos) through meandering logic to mean the law of sin and death. If you blink, you’ll miss the slight of hand.
119 Ministries teaches that we are under grace and under the law of God. Really … under the law? No matter how they try to “spin” their teaching, it is false teaching!
3) Refer to 119 Ministries’ teaching entitled “What is New about the New Covenant?”
Unfortunately, 119 Ministries uses the same techniques of deceit. Quickly on the first page, 119 Ministries re-defines the meaning of torah and restricts the reader to two illegitimate choices to follow throughout the remainder of the teaching. 119 Ministries teaches on page 1:
The prophets, in effect, taught:
“New covenant, same law.”
The false teaching continues on page 4:
The works of Abraham was not only circumcision, but in fact, the whole Torah. … Although
the Torah was given at Sinai, it was given so it could be written down. Prior to Moses, the
Torah was passed on orally. Obviously the oral system was not a sustainable solution,
and it being written down would serve all of us better.
The point is that the Word of God, which includes the Torah, is unchanging from the
beginning.
I trust we all agree that the Hebrew word “torah” is not exclusively defined as the “unchanging” written law of Moses previously passed orally from generation to generation. If you disagree, please read Matthew 5:21-28 and Matthew 19:7-9 before responding.
When a teacher uses improper definitions and deceitful arguments, they define themselves as false teachers. They don’t need my help!
Respectfully, I ask you to think on this.
Randall,
I will respond in kind, for now i will preface my response with a short rebuttal. Your accusations are full of fallacies of logic. You are leading to false conclusions and use continual ad hominem attacks. It is ok to believe someone to be entirely incorrect but as soon as you attack credibility by saying someone is using the word just as Satan did you make a leap in ad hominem attacks instead of simply refuting with your interpretations of facts.
This is poor apologetics. Furthermore your analogy of tge greek pleroo’ is incorrect and you present half of the facts. Pleroo’ is most certainly used in the context to “fill up”, to “fully preach” and the logic 119 uses is sound as a test. In the context it cannot mean i have not come to bring and end to the law, i have come to bring the law to an end i.e. complete to the bring to an end, abolish, end… this is just not acceptable reasoning.
I am willing to discuss these things, even correspond outside this forum. I will not argue, name call etc… i have the same conclusions in many of the same issues 119 presents. I have corrected some things they have posted and have seen them change their position on certain things presented. I find them honest followers of Jesus doing their best to live Holy and acceptable lives.
I believe myself to be led by the Holy Spirit and believe Jesus to be the only way to Salvation and to know the father. So if I believe the same things they believe by your position i too must be a deceiver and twisting the scriptures like Satan. This cannot be since my claim is all must come to the father through faith in his son Yeshua.
If we are on polar opposite position one is right and one is wrong, or we both are wrong. It is possible we are correct on some things and incorrect on others. We both cannot be led by the same spirit and come to polar opposite conclusions on the same topic.
In that spirit i remain open to be incorrect, however, obviously I do not think i am, but am willing to discuss these matters.
Sean
Sean,
Thank you for your comments. I try wholeheartedly to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. May God’s Holy Spirit, which lives in me, give me discernment about the truth of God’s Word and the teaching of others. I pray the same for you.
I was trying to give you “something to think on.” Just as importantly, I was trying to point out fundamental errors (as I am prayerfully led to understand) in 119 Ministries’ teaching.
Three issues were presented for you “to think on,” yet you responded to only one. The bulk of your reply was an ad hominem attack on me. If that is your desire, so be it! However, I am not interested in personal attacks. My only aim is to discern truth in the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and avoid false teaching.
So let’s get back to “something to think on.”
FIRST, 119 Ministries presents only two options related to the translation of the Greek word “pleroo.” Again, here is what they teach:
“The word “fulfilled” and Matthew 5:17 are either interpreted as being fulfilled in the sense of fully preaching or teaching the law of God, or fulfilling in the sense of no longer making the law of God applicable. Those are our choices.”
My analogy of pleroo is NOT incorrect as you claim, because I made no analogy. I simply used the definitions for pleroo that are provided by Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words. Feel free to argue with Strong as you wish.
The two choices presented by 119 Ministries are absolutely misleading. “Fully preaching or teaching” is perhaps acceptable as a translation, but it is woefully shallow if one thinks about Christ’s purpose. However, “no longer making the law of God applicable” is an absurd translation. Why does 119 Ministries present only two choices?
I personally believe that Jesus Christ said (and meant) that He came to “fulfill” (pleroo) the law and the prophets when He spoke in Matthew 5:17. “Fulfill” is the English word used for translation by a super-majority of biblical translations.
Again, I ask … Why does 119 Ministries present only two choices? Because 119 Ministries wants to emphasize that Jesus Christ taught the Torah (law of Moses = law of God) and then tie that into the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20). From there, they conclude that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to obey the law of Moses. If I am wrong, then show me.
Sean, what do you think? Are there only two choices? Or does “fulfill” offer a 3rd and more appropriate translation? Are the two choices purposely misleading?
SECOND, What do you think 119 Ministries is teaching regarding the law? Do you defend 119 Ministries’ teaching entitled “Don’t be Under the Law” to be truth?
THIRD, What do you think about 119 Ministries’ teaching entitled “What is New about the New Covenant?
Again, let me remind you what they teach directly from their transcript as shown below.
119 Ministries teaches on page 1:
The prophets, in effect, taught: “New covenant, same law.”
119 Ministries teaches on page 4:
The works of Abraham was not only circumcision, but in fact, the whole Torah. …
Although the Torah was given at Sinai, it was given so it could be written down. Prior to Moses, the
Torah was passed on orally. Obviously the oral system was not a sustainable solution, and it being written down would serve all of us better.
The point is that the Word of God, which includes the Torah, is unchanging from the
beginning.
Sean, what do you think of this teaching? True or False? Or do you believe this is an acceptable interpretation of the Word of God?
May God bless you and your deliberation on this.
Randall
Thank you Randall for engaging with openness to at least hear where I am coming from. This is all we should ask of others when we differ in understanding. I was not attacking you personally with no facts on the arguments ( ad hominem). I only offered a brief position on one part because I didn’t have the time to pleroo’ (fully convey) my position. I still do not have the time,however, I wish to keep this dialogue open, so I must briefly attempt to answer your questions. Yes I believe there are more possible translations for pleroo’ than the two that 119 gives. So why do I believe 119 only gives the two choices in presenting their belief? I believe they do this because the most common use of this verse is to offer proof text that Jesus words say he came to bring an end to the Law. This is easy to prove that this is a common position simply from experience. 119 gives these two examples because the first is the accusation the 2nd is defense. There does not, need to be multiple choices in order to defend their position of defense, even if there are others. This also does not remove the possibility that the two choices are the only possible translations or proper contextual interpretations. There does however remain there can be only one interpretation.
I believe Jesus did in fact come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, now it is upon us to be diligent in understanding what this is. I do believe that it is possible to be a third option or a 4th I just haven’t seen any presented that fit the immediate context of that passage or the greater context of the surrounding context. I believe the use of Pleroo here is to fully teach or rightly teach because this is exactly what Jesus continually did, and we have countless examples of him doing this. In the immediate context this is the very subject matter. He is prefacing the people with an important message “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets” so let’s consider the following option of Pleroo “but to properly teach you” or let me put it this way (me speaking) “to fill up the holes in your understanding” i.e. PLEROO. Then Jesus goes into a diatribe of exposing the surface understanding of the Torah (instructions in righteousness). For example Jesus says you have heard it said it is against the Law of God to commit adultery, but I say if you even look at a women with lust you have ALREADY committed the act. Jesus shows the common understanding which is in fact true, but this understanding alone lacks the full intention of the Torah. Jesus was not issuing a new commandment he was fully teaching the already existing teaching that was always the intention, it’s just the people were/are missing the full Spirit/Heart of the Law. I believe Paul and all the Apostles continue to teach this in their writings. I believe this interpretation to be correct and supported by the very subject of the scripture in question.
2. Let me answer to what I believe about “under the law” that I hope answers your question. I believe “under the law” means under condemnation that the law demands in breaking the commandments of God. This is why we are not under the law when we are in Christ. When we are in Jesus our debt to breaking the law of God has been paid and we are no longer condemned of our transgressions. This is why we need to know what his commands are so we can continue to walk in them and not transgress them again, and if we do fall short (sin, transgress his commands) we have an advocate with the Father whose Laws condemn us if we continue in lawlessness (sin, transgressing against Gods instructions in righteousness). I know this is highly condensed but I think sufficient and concise.
3. I have not gone back and re read this teaching, from what I remember and what you show I agree to their premises presented, but slightly differ. There most definitely are new things in the New Covenant as there have been new things added in previous covenants made with the House of Israel. Look at the covenant at Sinai (Horeb) and the Covenant at Moab. This was the two covenants made with Israel one when they entered the Wilderness and one when they entered the promise (The Land) these two Covenants were based on the same instructions yet there were modifications. When Moses gave this New Covenant Deut 29/30 he prophesied this would happen again (another New Covenant) made with Israel after they will be broken into two Houses (House of Judah and House of Israel). But this New Covenant will be different because this one will be written on their hearts and mind. He then goes on to say that this New Covenant will be based on the very commandments he is giving that very day. Jeremiah made the same prophecy we see in Jer 31 and referenced in Hebrews. So yes. One Law different Covenants. Abraham certainly obeyed the “Oral Torah” we see this in Gen 26:5 as he obeyed all of Gods laws, ordinances, judgments,Torah…
I hope I at least give some things to consider, I know this is brief and I entire position is not in the spirit of I am right you are wrong. I hope it is received of this is why I believe I am correct. I keep the right to change my position if I am shown convincing scripture along with prompting by His Spirit which I pray I allow to lead me and you to all truth.
Respectfully,
Sean
Sean,
Well said, my brother in Christ. It seems you and I agree on many issues as we discuss the core of our belief in the saving works of Jesus Christ. It is a blessing and joy to encounter God’s Word with deeper thought and earnest deliberation.
Jesus taught God’s law as intended. Our earthly Messiah only spoke the words given Him by His heavenly Father. Jesus taught matters of the heart as reflected in the Sermon on the Mount; i.e., anger in one’s heart (vs. murder), adultery in the heart (vs. physical act), vows of the heart (vs. oral pledges), praying for enemies (vs. extracting eyes and teeth), etc.
God’s overarching law is love, first for our God and creator, then to His created man. As Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” And as the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “… the greatest of these is love.”
I could stop here, but I won’t … because the subject of 119 Ministries initiated our online discussion.
Your succinct comments in “2.” above are well stated and true, as I understand and believe. I am in agreement. Psalm 19:7-14 speaks to the joy found in following the law of the Lord, His statutes, precepts, commands, and ordinances. They penetrate the heart to motivate righteous behavior. However, the teaching of 119 Ministries seems to veer off course on this subject.
When teaching about God’s law, 119 Ministries weaves the thread of “obeying the Torah (Law of God)” throughout their teaching. In fact, it is their second of five Core Values (Foundational) as taken directly off their website: “We believe that we are to teach all nations to obey the Torah (Law of God).” In other teaching, 119 Ministries states the law of God = the law of Moses. The thread being weaved throughout their teaching is that we are to teach all nations to obey the law of Moses. This is the point at which I must raise my hand to object and seek clarification.
119 Ministries has many teachings about the law of Moses. It is described as the one and only “Torah” which is unchanging and applicable to believers today. (A case in point is 119 Ministries’ teaching on dietary laws.) I do not believe the torah which Abraham obeyed and kept in Genesis 26:5 is the same unchanging torah written finally written for Moses. Certainly, Abraham followed certain laws / instructions given by his fathers. (Whether it was written (as some believe) or oral, I do not know from scripture.) Certainly, Abraham followed God’s instruction per His covenant to circumcise all males. Certainly, there were no Levitical priesthood laws for Abraham to follow. I believe the torah which Abraham obeyed was God’s unchanging moral instruction based on God’s unchanging character and specifically related to God’s Abrahamic covenant.
The law of Moses was given to the people of Israel by God after freeing them from Egyptian slavery. Yes, it is the law of God inextricably given in great detail (613 commandments) to the people of Israel for their guidance as they were being prepared to enter the promised land and live as a holy nation unto God. There are many commandments related to sacrifices and the Levitical priesthood. Understanding God’s law requires understanding God’s covenant under which His law was given.
Teaching strict obedience to the law of Moses according to the New Covenant of Jesus Christ is where my inner spirit becomes troubled!
I do not question that God intended His entire Word (biblical scripture) to be understood and obeyed. Studying the law of Moses is edifying in understanding God’s law and His will for His people / church. As clarified by many true scholars, the moral law of God (greatest two commandments) does not change, yet the law of Moses has been clarified by Christ and even corrected in Matthew 19:8 relating to a certificate of divorce. There are numerous other teachings of Christ related to the law of Moses versus God’s law (Sabbath, being born of the spirit, etc.) Again, there is joy found in following the law of the Lord, His statutes, precepts, commands, and ordinances.
To properly discuss the “Torah” as the law of God, one must first define which “Torah” (instruction) and which covenant are being discussed. On this point, I appreciate the teaching of http://www.hebrew4christians.com in their article entitled “Under the Law”, particularly in their Conclusion. This “Torah” topic is precisely why I originally asked you to visit their site.
So now that I have a “like-minded” brother in Christ, I am truly interested to know how you reconcile the teachings of 119 Ministries (as I understand them presented above) to your stated beliefs in your earlier reply. Please understand that I am not seeking “right or wrong” between the two of us. I truly seek to discern the truth in the teachings of 119 Ministries. Admittedly, from the start, I sensed misleading (false?) teaching from 119 Ministries, but I want to test everything by the Word of God.
In Christ, I await your comments.
I have a friend who has gotten wrapped up in this and very concerned of the teachings.She fully believes what these people and the ones in her home group are teaching her.How do I get through to her?
Pray! From all I can tell there is just a deception that falls over someone & they accept things they never would normally. And if you choose to talk in depth with her, pray for protection for yourself. Ask the Lord to reveal the lies so you aren’t swayed. Pray for wisdom and study the scriptures asking God to keep you grounded in the truth. Keep presenting her with truth where you discern errors in the false teaching. But, really, prayer has been what has helped me the most in trying to reach people who are headed down that path.
You sound arrogant and demeaning all at the same time in your above speech and I take issue with it. We are all on a journey and name-calling has no place here on your “ministry” page. Notice I did not call you a name, I said you “sound”…..
Hi Cem,
I’m sorry that I sound arrogant & demeaning. I don’t see where I’ve called names in my “speech” but if you would let me know that would be helpful. I stand opposed to 119 Ministries and can’t laud them with praises, but certainly don’t want to be calling names & want to correct that if it’s there. Thanks for helping me out.
Wow! If you do not agree with the teachings of 119 Ministries that is fine. To call them a cult (do you even know what the definition is)? Let me tell you my story on the short…. I was a Catholic for 15 years…. (what does Satan, I mean Santa have to do with anything, except NOTHING, or Easter, one of the many names of Mithraism and the eggs dipped in the blood of your sacrificed infant to YOUR god, Molech) Its Sun-god worship. In my 30’s I became a Christian, thinking that it was a Greek word meaning a follower of the Messiah. How the church lies. Well, in the winter of 2007 I was visited at 2AM by the Spirit of YHVH. I stayed away from all churches and decided to read scripture for what is was… The WORD of the Living God. I saw patterns, I learned Hebrew culture, I understood the concepts of the Tanach. Its not a westernized book that you read like any other. I learned that the trinity is nothing but paganism. Look up the word Ruach in Hebrew, its breath… not the 3rd person… I don’t worship Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz.
I studied and later on I came across 119 ministries. I never once thought of them as a cult. They are not perfect in all their teachings, but they tell you to TEST EVERYTHING. They even have remastered some of their teachings when believers present them with scripture and show them where they errored.
Now, as for the name HEBREW ROOTS MOVEMENT, another neat little package that we here in the west have assigned a name to. Everything has to have a label… I don’t follow no Hebrew movement. I follow Yahusha. (others have different spellings and pronunciations for his name, same as for the Father, Yahuah). Its NOT JESUS H. CHRIST…. He is a Jewish man not a pagan diety. My name is Lisa and I would not like to be called anything else but the name I was given at birth. (Look up what that name really means.. hint. Not Greek)!
As I was learning TRUTHS let me tell you, I was at first sick to my stomach (waste basket beside me). Truth is not easy, especially when it goes against everything you ever thought to be truth. My husband came to the truth on his own the same week. We decided to do everything scripture told us to do and when something changed, THEN and only then would we…. Well, we follow the patterns, dietary laws, 7 feasts, Sabbaths, and everything else YHVH has commanded us all to do. The scripture is given to all alike. 1 law (Torah/instruction). There is no separate one for Jew and Christian…. That is a religion, Torah is a way of life. Huge difference.
I despise seeing people bicker over what they think is the truth. Here is my take: There are 3 sides to a story, yours, mine and the Truth (Torah). Why can’t we research what someone else is thinking? Afraid your ego will get in the way? Pride? Its not easy, but I feel blessed whenever the truth is brought before my eyes. You realize that Yahusha said he didn’t come to abolish the Torah right? Not until all is fulfilled? The Fall feasts and the other prophesies have not happened yet. It was not nailed to the cross, the law of sin and death was. Ahhh, see that.. read further down when your reading your bible.
The red flags are when your pastor asks for money and calls it tithing. LOL Remember the scripture where Yah says people steal from HIM? Tithes were for the Levitie priests who were at the temple. It supported them, along with some of the sacrifices that were made. There is no more temple… Did you know Shaul (Paul) spent his own money when travelling? He was a tent maker. Money he collected was not for him but the collection was for those in need! WHAT???? He tells you straight out he paid his own way. He wasn’t a welfare case looking for a free handout. (Even people on welfare worked backed then, they gleened the fields) .
Stop wasting your time with your opinions, especially negative and read and GOOGLE things, look for other believers (That one is tough atleast where I live). You will actually see the Torah come alive. You will actually see Shaul’s letters become what they were always meant to be…. A witness to Yahusha. He backed Him up.. Peter ever stated that the letters of Paul were hard to understand and that many unlearned will twist it to their own destruction. (paraphrased). That was an eye opener for us. Paul hard to understand? I thought the law was done away with and all food was clean and the law was nailed to the cross and blah, blah, blah! When you truly seek the truth you will get what I call the Holy Goose bumps! LOL Sabbath is the 7th day. (oh, oh, I must be a 7th day Adventist!… NO, I am a humble servant and Sister to Yahusha, the daughter of Yahuah. I do not follow the dangerous teachings of Judaism either or the blasphemous teachings of the Talmud. I use the KJV along with any other bibles I can come across. (download the e-sword and mysword programs, free, BTW). They have concordances, so many different bibles some go far back as 1300’s. Strong’s numbering is great. Its a journey to be shared…. Many are called, few are chosen.
I pray there will be no more bickering over opinions here. You don’t like a particular teacher or website, move on….. Lets bounce things off each other, build each other up….
In case someone did notice, yes I am judging you.. I can judge my brothers and sisters with Torah. Its commanded… LOL I can hear a voice now screaming… judge not lest ye be judged…. This is what I am talking about…. Learn the Torah, then the B’rit HaDesha will be fully understood in the context in which it was written.
Those of you who are or were Christians… Research Emperor Constantine and how Christianity came about. Also look up what the Catholic church actually states about itself and how they changed the Sabbath. (they admit its truly the 7th day).
May the hand of YHVH keep us safe, in the name of Yahusha
Lisa,
May the hand of YHVH keep us safe! I am sorry about your experience with the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther felt the same way and started the Protestant Reformation. There is considerable deceit in this world, yet we are forewarned consistently by God’s Word. We should always go to God’s Word to find truth. May the hand of YHVH keep us safe!
I found it interesting to read your recent post. I agreed with some of your comments, but I was confused by many others.
As an example, you said, “I learned that the trinity is nothing but paganism.” Yet you later say, “I follow Yahusha.” (a.k.a. Yehoshua, Iesous, Jesus, Christos, Messiah, Christ) Who is this Yahusha you follow? Do you believe Yahusha to be God? I pray you do! I, too, follow Yehoshua, and He is my Lord and Savior. As Peter said in Acts 2:36, “… God has made him (Jesus) both Lord and Christ …” If you do not believe Yahusha to be God, then why do you follow him?
Additionally, I am confused about your belief regarding the Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) introduced in Genesis 1:2. Remember, the Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) moved upon the face of the waters (KJV). Why does God’s word say “Ruach Elohim” rather than simply “Elohim?” You seemingly dismiss the Hebrew word ruach (Strong’s Hebrew #7307) as only meaning “breath.” Yes, it is translated breath about 27 times in the word of God. But Strong’s Dictionary tells us it is translated as “wind” 92 times and “spirit” 232 times. Do you believe in the Spirit of God? What does YHVH mean in Joel 2:28, “… I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh … “? I personally believe God meant more than “breath”, don’t you? Messiah sent us the Holy Spirit. As a servant of Jesus Christ, I am filled with the Holy Spirit!
Strangely enough, Satan wants us to believe the trinity is pagan. Yet Satan tried to replicate his own version of the trinity, as seen in the book of Revelation, through the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. Fears of satanic influence drive errant behavior! Avoiding Satan is NOT the same as following Messiah. I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit). This trinity is NOT pagan, and I don’t fall for his lies.
Fortunately, Emperor Constantine did NOT create Christianity. Christians were first introduced by God in Acts 11:26. They were disciples of Christ who were taught by Barnabas and Paul. It is sad that people credit Constantine with giving Christians a bad name (Which he did!), when God himself intended us to use the term Christian in a good way. As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord as Christians!
When you say the truth is Torah, what do you mean? Certainly, all of God’s word is truth! But, the Hebrew word torah simply means “instruction” or “teaching.” In the Tanakh, “Torah” refers to the first five books written by Moses. When you say, “Torah is a way of life.” What do you mean? Are you choosing to follow the law given to Moses by God for the Israelites to follow as they entered the Promised Land and became a sovereign nation unto the Lord? Certainly you are not following all the Mosaic Law (613) because the temple no longer exists nor do the Levite priests. (Sorry, I’m sure you know this profoundly.) Perhaps you follow only some of them. If you are following the “patterns” of the Mosaic Law, then are you are building your own set of laws much like the Pharisees did? I recommend you read an article written by John Parsons entitled “Olam HaTorah” on the website http://www.hebrew4christians.com.
God gave the Mosaic Law as the torah (instructions) associated with the specific covenant He had with the people of Israel. The people of Israel broke that covenant which is why God sent Jesus Christ to fulfill the Law of Moses and to establish a “new” covenant, a covenant of salvation by grace through faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. This new covenant has a torah as instructed by Messiah himself. When you study the teaching of Jesus Christ, you find that Jesus not only fulfilled the Mosaic Law, but He taught a much deeper understanding of God’s moral law. Jesus simplified things and cut to the heart of the matter. He taught from the heart about man’s heart. A deeper torah came from Messiah taking us from head knowledge to heart actions. In Matthew 15:7-9, Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” I choose to follow Messiah’s instructions as recorded in scripture and not what others assume Messiah taught.
Below are a few more examples of what Jesus Christ taught.
Jesus taught the people (and Pharisees) in Matthew 15:11, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Not only does Messiah correct the Pharisees about hand washing, but he teaches what makes a man clean versus unclean. (Unfortunately, 119 Ministries teaching about Peter’s vision in Acts 10 is intricate yet woefully errant.)
In His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3 – 7:27), Jesus taught the people that 1) being angry with one’s brother was subject to judgment just like murder, 2) anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has committed adultery in his heart, and 3) divorce, except in cases of marital unfaithfulness, causes adultery. All these teachings take us deeper into the fundamental moral law of YHVH.
Jesus Christ gave us a new covenant based on YHVH’s grace, and he gave new instructions (torah). As an example, He taught in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus Christ commanded us in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) to: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Quite simply, He is saying to go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them. In John 15:10-12, Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you …”
Jesus said much more to his disciples. Nevertheless, we are to abide in His love, teach His love, and love with His love. Once we are aligned with Jesus’ commandments, the test of good fruit seems to be 1) obedience to His commandments, 2) abiding in His love, 3) making disciples & baptizing them, and 4) teaching them. We must be careful about what we teach.
It saddens me to see earnest people being deceived. People criticize Christians for worshipping on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), yet they honestly believe that worshipping on Saturday is honoring the original Sabbath (Shabbat)! Saturday on our current Gregorian calendar was created by Pope Gregory based on our solar cycle. Anyone worshiping on Saturday should realize the day is named by a pope (papal) using the name of a Roman god Saturn (pagan). Those that condemn Christians for gathering on Sunday (Sun-day) are hypocrites! Furthermore, today’s Gregorian Saturday does not coincide with the original Shabbat created by YHVH according to the Hebrew lunar calendar. Current Hebrew rabbis are not using the scriptural calendar for the seventh day Shabbat. Early rabbis created “rules of postponement” to manage the conflict caused by the mixed, lunar vs. solar calendars. Bottom-line, the current Saturday / Sunday days of the week do NOT coincide with the 7th day or 1st day of the original Hebrew calendar week. Nevertheless, I am comforted that God enjoys His ecclesia recognizing a weekly time of rest and worship. After all, Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), and YHVH knows my heart!
Did you know that every time the resurrected Messiah appeared to His disciples, it was on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day? If it’s proper for the resurrected Messiah to meet with His disciples on the first day of the week, it’s proper for me!
When I was a young man, another man owed me money and said he was ready to pay. He confidently told me the money was in the bank, and I should “call the bank” to verify if I wanted. I did call, and the money wasn’t there! When I was first exposed to 119 Ministries, they said to TEST EVERYTHING. I did, and I found their teaching woefully errant. Nevertheless, each of us test everything for ourselves.
I trust you will accept my comments with the same love in which they are being given. May the hand of YHVH keep us safe!
This is without a doubt the best comment response to this troubling movement and theology (119/hebrewroots/torahbabies, etc) that I have read. What a powerful and thorough rebuttal and summary. Thank you, Randall.
As I have read your comments, I’m very confused about your responses.
Are you saying that the Levitical priests and system of sacrifice is no longer applicable? If so, then have you read Ezekiel 40-48? It details the return of the temple, the Levitical priesthood, and the return of sin offerings and the like.
Are you also saying that the certain aspects of the Torah only applied to Israel at the time? That doesn’t make sense, because we are Israel. Who was the New Covenant made with? Israel. So why does it only apply to Israel in ancient days, and not now?
Have you ever translated Saturday into Hebrew? It literally comes out as Shin-Beit-Tav. Shabbat. And not only that, if we were to believe that Christmas rose on the first day of the week, (not Monday, but Sunday) then that ultimately proves that Saturday is the Sabbath. The people wouldn’t visit his body because it was the Sabbath. Mary came on Sunday morning because the Sabbath had ended. You say it’s hypocritical for believers to condemn Christians for worshipping on Sunday. Yet, it’s also hypocritical for you to condemn people who worship on Saturday.
However I do not condemn them for worshipping on Sunday. I condemn them for spending money, working, and making other people work on a supposed “Sabbath”. If that’s what they hold to be truly the Sabbath, then they break it every weak.
Also something to consider, the Roman Catholic Church has openly stated that they changed the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday. Is that in their power to do? Not really.
I don’t follow the lunar calendar. I just count seven days from each Sabbath. It’s pretty easy. I don’t have to freak out about the moon, and when I’ll turn into a werewolf. 😉
Shalom.
Hello Randall,
I was never expecting a reply. I know exactly what you are saying, I was taught that too in the Christian churches. I will only add this, please study the Laws, prophets and the writings which is the TaNaK. Also, over time and careful study, you will start to see that the Greek is based and there are many additions added to the B’rit by the Catholics, that’s just a fact. Scholars have proven this. The NIV has done one great thing, they have great footnotes. I study biblical Hebrew and am learning their culture. Without these fundamentals you will never, ever know the Word. I could go on and on, but their is no need for me to do that, you have access to scripture…..
PS: Yahusha is NOT Yahuah in the flesh. He is the WORD… (He is the epitome of the image of His Father, just like we are to be) The Greeks used HE, The ruach hakodesh is the spirit of Yahuah, not a person.
Jerry the Messianic Jew
I am a Messianic Jew. Like Priscilla and Aquila, my Messianic Jewish wife and I minister from a home church in Italy, on the front lines in the battle against the sin of idolatry, right in the Vatican’s backyard. When I had my first contact with born again believers, I once bought into the false doctrine that still teaches that much of the Torah is no longer valid. Ironically, many Christians would be quite surprised to find out that Yeshua’s half brother, Ya’akov (James in English), continued to observe the Torah even after our Lord’s resurrection. In fact, all of Yeshua’s Jewish disciples continued to observe what the Vatican calls the “Old Testament” 30 years after Yeshua’s resurrection and ascension into heaven, to sit at the right hand of the Father. Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul to the non-Jewish converts of his day and modern-day Christians) even told Timothy in his second letter (2 Tim 3:16-17) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.” Please note that at the time Rav Sha’ul wrote this statement, the Tanakh (Old Testament) were the only written Scriptures available, either in Hebrew or Koine Greek. The B’rit Hadashah (New Covenant or New Testament Scriptures) hadn’t even been codified until long after the apostle’s death. By the way, if you read the Book of Acts and his letter to the Galatians, you will clearly see that he never stopped being Jewish. And just like Sha’ual, I too am of the tribe of Binyamin (Benjamin in English), not to mention several others. He also never once said that he had stopped being a Pharisee or Rabbi, hence the title “Rav” in front of his name.
Rav Kefa (Apostle Peter) even warned believers in his second letter (2 Peter 3:16-18) that Rav Sha’ul’s letters were often difficult to understand by saying: ” Indeed, he speaks about these things in all his letters. They contain some things that are hard to understand, things which the uninstructed and unstable distort, to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 But you, dear friends, since you know this in advance, guard yourselves; so that you will not be led away by the errors of the wicked and fall from your own secure position. 18 And keep growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory, both now and forever! Amen
Oh well, so much for the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved” and the so-called license to sin because God is much to loving to punish us for willfully continuing in sin and lawlessness. Well, Hebrews 10:26-31 seems to tell a different story:
26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies.[f]
28 Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.[g] 29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant[h] which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God’s grace!
30 For the One we know is the One who said,
“Vengeance is my responsibility;
I will repay,”
and then said,
“ADONAI will judge his people.”[i]
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
And then you wonder why so many Christians fall prey to the Gospel of prosperity and the false promises of material riches beyond belief.
Also, please note that Rav Kefa (Peter) was referring to the Tanakh (OT) when he mentioned the other Scriptures. Thanks to the Vatican and its doctrine of Replacement Theology, many modern-day Christians have become anti-Semitic/anti-Jewish without even realizing it. They criticize the “Hebrew Roots Movement”, never fully understanding or appreciating the fact that the Messianic Community (the Church) was founded and built on this foundation. And Christians wonder why many of my people, who have not yet accepted our Messiah, continue to not only reject him, but believe that by accepting the Lord Yeshua from Nazareth, they are somehow giving Adolph Hitler a posthumous victory, especially since Pope Pius XII called “der Führer ” the defender of the Christian faith.
In fact, while various Jewish denominations are limited to a handful, there are over 40,000 Christian denominations in the world today. If that’s not division, then I don’t know what is. Many Protestants continue to believe that Martin Luther wanted to completely break away from the Roman Catholic Church, when in reality; he only wanted to reform it, hence the term “Reformation”. In later life, Luther even condemned my people, which later gave rise to the horrendous actions that preceded the Shoah and the current conflict in the Middle East:
Luther’s attitude toward the Jews changed over the course of his life. In the early phase of his career—until around 1536—he expressed concern for their plight in Europe and was enthusiastic at the prospect of converting them to Christianity through his religious reforms. Being unsuccessful in that, in his later career, Luther denounced the Jewish people and urged for their harsh persecution and destruction. In a paragraph from his On the Jews and Their Lies he deplores Christendom’s failure to expel them.[1] Moreover, he proposed “What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews”:[1]
• “First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools … This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians …”
• “Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed.”
• “Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them.”
• “Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb …”
• “Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the countryside …”
• “Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them …”
• “Seventh, I recommend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow … But if we are afraid that they might harm us or our wives, children, servants, cattle, etc., … then let us emulate the common sense of other nations such as France, Spain, Bohemia, etc., … then eject them forever from the country …”
As a Messianic Jew, I do not accept everything in the Talmudic writings as being inspired by God. In fact, the Lord Yeshua warned his disciples in Matthew and Mark not to place the Traditions of the Elders (modern-day Talmud writings) above the written Scriptures, accusing the religious leaders of his day of nullifying the word of God in favor the commandments of men.
You hypocrites! Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) was right when he prophesied about you,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 9 Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’”[c]
In reality, the Hebrew Roots Movement, in and of itself, was prophesied by many of the Old and New Testament prophets and apostles. It is a return to the true word of God, exactly what Yeshua preached throughout the Nation of Israel. He was never against what was written in the Torah or the Prophets or the Writings, especially since he is the living Tanakh. To teach against the Hebrew Scriptures would have not only amounted to self-abasement, but would have also categorically disqualified him from being the sacrificial lamb that was necessary for his atoning and redemptive work on the cross.
Regrettably, many Christians, by their anti-Hebrew Roots Movement stance are guilty of much of the same as was Martin Luther. Many Christians just don’t seem to get it. Following the Hebrew/Jewish Messiah means following what are written in the Scriptures, the very same Scriptures that Apostle Paul (Rav Sha’ul) claimed to be inspired by God himself.
Several years ago, Pastor Brad Scott, of the Wild Branch Ministries, caught my attention with his refreshing take on this ever brewing controversy. He commented that most Christians drink their water downstream, where all the animals and people have polluted the water so badly that it’s no longer drinkable. Whereas those who see the Scriptures the way the Sovereign God of Israel meant them to be seen (through ancient Hebrew eyes) are drinking pristine water from a mountain spring, uncontaminated by the false doctrines of men:
I also think that many modern-day Christians would be surprised by the fact that Gentile Christians in the 1st century attended worship services in their local synagogues, especially if the rabbis read from the Greek translation of the Tanakh (Septuagint). How ironic that today’s followers of MY MESSIAH (first to the Jew and then to the Greek/Gentile) make such a big deal out of doing something that was perfectly natural for 1st century believers. For the Christians of the 1st century, there was only one way to interpret the Scriptures, the Hebrew way. Hebrew Roots was all they knew until the Emperor Constantine and his mother started playing havoc with the Messianic Community in order to save what was left of his crumbling empire.
Apparently, many Christians, who tend to skip over what is written in Romans 9, 10 and 11, have come down with a slight case of selective amnesia. I distinctly remember Rav Sha’ul telling Gentile believers the following in chapter 11:
“In that case, I say, isn’t it that God has repudiated his people?” Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Isra’el, from the seed of Avraham,[a] of the tribe of Binyamin. 2 God has not repudiated his people,[b] whom he chose in advance. Or don’t you know what the Tanakh says about Eliyahu (Elijah)? He pleads with God against Isra’el,3 “ADONAI, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I’m the only one left, and now they want to kill me too!”[c] 4 But what is God’s answer to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt down to Ba‘al.”[d] 5 It’s the same way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
My wife and I, and the members of our Messianic congregation are a part of the remnant, chosen by grace. Grace, in reality, is God’s love. The love that he had for the world when he sent his only and unique Son to Planet Earth:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.
Regrettably, many Christians have failed to heed the wisdom that Rav Sha’ul received from the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew) when he wrote the following:
3 However, to those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work 14 in the hope that somehow I may provoke some of my own people to jealousy and save some of them! 15 For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!
16 Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. 19 So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you! 22 So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you — provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off! 23 Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. 24 For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!
25 For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says,
“Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov (Jacob) 27 and this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”[h]
28 With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, 29 for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. 30 Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience; 31 so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy. 32 For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.
Making reference to himself Yeshua said that God’s word is truth. Therefore, whatever promises he made to my people are still valid even today. The Hebrew Roots Movement is nothing more than God’s way of preparing my people to shed their own misgivings about the Good News of Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord, our Savior, our Savior and part of the Godhead.
Just out of curiosity, when the members of my people finally decide to accept OUR MESSIAH, which of the over 40,000 Christian denominations best reflects the Messianic Community of the 1st century?
New Flash: the Messianic Community of the 1st century was the original Hebrew Roots Movement. So remember the words of Rav Gamli’el, a teacher of the Torah highly respected by all the people, as he stood before the Sanhedrin and addressed the court:
“Men of Isra’el, take care what you do to these people. 36 Some time ago, there was a rebellion under Todah, who claimed to be somebody special; and a number of men, maybe four hundred, rallied behind him. But upon his being put to death, his whole following was broken up and came to nothing. 37 After this, Y’hudah HaG’lili led another uprising, back at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax; and he got some people to defect to him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.38 So in the present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these people, but to leave them alone. For if this idea or this movement has a human origin, it will collapse. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you might even find yourselves fighting God!”,
I, as a born again believing Jew, say to Christians everywhere, the exact same thing. If the Hebrew Roots Movement has a human origin, then it will collapse. However, if the Hebrew Roots Movement is truly from God, neither you nor anyone else will be able to stop it. In fact, if you’re not careful — just like the Sanhedrin in the Book of Acts — you might very well find yourselves fighting God!
Personally, I don’t envy anyone who finds themselves fighting against the very God that they claim to love and worship.
I am very jealous of my Messiah. After all, he did come to the House of Israel first. And if you carefully read and study the Book of Acts you will see that thousands of my fellow Jews accepted Yeshua from Nazareth without any qualms whatsoever.
Rav Sha’ul said that his tireless work as an emissary/apostle to the Gentiles was also designed to provoke my people to jealousy. So my question is: jealous of what? Jealous of violating the Torah command in Deuteronomy that says we are to reject anyone who speaks against the Torah as a false prophet? Jealous because many Christians read the Holy Scriptures with a Greco-Roman mindset and want us Jews to do the same? Jealous because you accuse people like me of Judaizing the body of the Messiah for stating the exact same thing that Yeshua himself stated in Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete (pleroo in Koine Greek). 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud (jot) or a stroke (tittle) will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (commandments) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers (scribes) and P’rushim (Pharisees), you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Despite the fact he only said it once, doesn’t make it any less valid. And if you look up the word “pleroo” in Strong’s Concordance, you will find the following:
Old & New Testament Greek
Entry for Strong’s #4137 – πληρόω
1. to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
1. to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally
1. I abound, I am liberally supplied
2. to render full, i.e. to complete
1. to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
2. to consummate: a number
1. to make complete in every particular, to render perfect
2. to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)
3. to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise
1. of matters of duty: to perform, execute
2. of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
3. to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment
Nowhere in this definition do I find the words abrogate, do away with, eliminate, replace, etc.
Folks, wake up, this is Roman Catholic doctrine! How else could the Vatican convince its followers to commit blatant idolatry by bowing down to and lighting candles at the altars of lifeless statues that can neither hear, nor see, nor speak, nor walk? (see the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah regarding idolatry) Think about all the crimes committed against my people in the name of a false Messiah who orders his followers to ignore what is written in Deuteronomy 13:
13 (12:32) “Everything I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or subtract from it.
2 (1) “If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder, 3 (2) and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’ 4 (3) you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. For ADONAI your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love ADONAI your God with all your heart and being. 5 (4) You are to follow ADONAI your God, fear him, obey his mitzvot (commandment), listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him; 6 (5) and that prophet or dreamer is to be put to death; because he urged rebellion against ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from a life of slavery; in order to seduce you away from the path ADONAI your God ordered you to follow. This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.
7 (6) “If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, which you haven’t known, neither you nor your ancestors —8 (7) gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near or far away from you, anywhere in the world — 9 (8) you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you may not conceal him. 10 (9) Rather, you must kill him! Your own hand must be the first one on him in putting him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. 11 (10) You are to stone him to death; because he has tried to draw you away from ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery. 12 (11) Then all Isra’el will hear about it and be afraid, so that they will stop doing such wickedness as this among themselves.
Apparently, many Christians have not completely comprehended the gravity of violating the Torah commandments that can still be followed, even in the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem and the Sanhedrin (the one truly led by the Holy Spirit). In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why many of my people categorically reject Yeshua as our Messiah. Centuries of anti-Semitic/anti-Jewish false doctrines, doing everything in their power to keep my people as far away as possible from accepting the truth of Yeshua as being the living Torah, in flesh and blood.
In the Gospel of John (Yochanan in Hebrew), chapter one states:
1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing made had being.
4 In him was life,
and the life was the light of mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not suppressed it.
It then goes on to say:
12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God.
14 The Word became a human being and lived with us,
and we saw his Sh’khinah,
the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
Remember, the Sh’khinah is the only glory that exclusively belongs to God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
News Flash, the Greeks and the Romans worshiped false gods (Satan, his fallen angels, and demons). Their vocabularies didn’t contain a word that could even come close to Torah (instructions, commandments, laws, ordinances, rulings). I’m sorry, but with all due respect, there is no comparison whatsoever between the Hebrew word “Torah” and the Greek word “nomos”.
So when the Emperor Constantine and his mother grabbed hold of the part of the Messianic Community that was already headed towards apostasy, it was like child’s play for the two of them to turn their fellow apostates away from the truth and gradually introduce idolatry into a false Church. It’s no coincidence that Yeshua said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” belongs to him, or will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And as we see the proponents of the New World Order doing everything in their power to destroy our religious liberties and shut our mouths, fighting among ourselves serves only to give ha-Satan the victory.
Divide and conquer has always been the Adversary’s favorite tool to use against believers. Why do you think the apostles had to write so many letters? And in Rav Sha’ul’s spirit-filled efforts to effectively deal with the various issues that plagued the Messianic Community, Protestant Christians mistakenly see this as a sign that the Tanakh (Old Testament) is no longer valid.
Well, the New Testament without the Tanakh is like a roof without a house underneath it, while the Tanakh without the B’rit Hadashah (NT) is like a house without a roof. I don’t know about you, but I don’t relish the idea of living in a house with no roof, especially when it’s raining or snowing outside. And I certainly don’t want to live under a traditional roof (not attic) with no walls, no foundation, and no nothing.
And while this may seem trivial to many people, let’s not forget that Replacement Theology has done more to skew the true meaning of Scripture than any other modern-day philosophy that I can think of. Whenever I hear Christians talking about the B’rit Hadashah (New Testament), it almost sounds like their describing another religion, when Yeshua the Messiah clearly stated in the Gospel of Matthew that he did not come to start a new religion, when there was clearly nothing wrong with the religion that God had created from the very beginning, in the Book of Genesis.
My Messianic Jewish wife and I both agree that many Christians have never truly understood the sacrificial death and the glorious resurrection our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, or the glaring fact that he is the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings, in flesh and blood, which is now a glorified body. Following the Jewish Messiah means that we should live according to the Torah and the rest of the Hebrew Bible. Walking in the Spirit means following the Torah. Apostle Paul even wrote that the Torah is spirit. Why do you think that Yeshua told the woman from Shomron (Samaria) that we have to worship God in spirit and in truth?
No matter what anyone says, I am convinced that most of the 1st century believers would be utterly abhorred by the blatant lawlessness practiced by modern-day believers. So if we’re currently living in a sinful and rebellious atmosphere of Sodom and Gomorrah, you have only our own stubbornness and willingness to be deceived to thank for it. Apostle Paul never spoke against the Torah. He spoke against the law of sin and he spoke against the law of sin and death, but never against God’s Torah, who in reality is Yeshua the Messiah.
If, like many Christians believe, Rav Sha’ual had written against the Torah or any other part of the Holy Scriptures, then that would have made him a pathological liar and a false prophet. And Rav Kefa never would have supported Sha’ul as a fellow member of the Messianic Community if that had been the case.
No doubt, many of you who read this will attack me as a Judaizer, not even know what the word actually means. Well, in all honesty, I couldn’t care less what you think of me. Like my Lord and Savior, I’m not interested in pleasing people, I’m interested in pleasing the one true and living God. By the way, a Judaizer is someone who convinces people to follow man-made doctrines above the Torah, the Prophets and the Holy Writings (from Psalms to 2 Chronicles according to the Hebrew order, the one recognized by Yeshua and his disciples). In fact, a true Judaizer is more interested in my observance of the Talmud writings than in my observance of the written Tanakh (OT): see Matthew chapter 15 and Mark chapter 7.
For the record, I am saved by the precious blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And I DO NOT observe the Tanakh in order to be saved, but because I am saved and I want to show the God of Israel how much I love him through my obedience. Lip service is worthless if I’m not willing to back it up by being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer of the Word.
It’s easy to say you believe in God. You do well, but even the demons believe and tremble. What distinguishes us from the demons and the fallen angels is our willingness to obey the Torah of the Messiah. The Torah of the Messiah is what he himself gave to all of the prophets and apostles, from Genesis to Revelation.
In closing, the God of my ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, told the Prophet Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) in chapter 31, verses 31 through 34 the following:
31 “Here, the days are coming,” says ADONAI, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra’el and with the house of Y’hudah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them,” says ADONAI.
33 “For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says ADONAI: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, ‘Know ADONAI ‘; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.”
As a matter of fact, Yeshua recognized that the religious leaders of the day sat in Moshe’s (Moses in English) seat in the synagogue and said the following:
23 Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmidim (disciples): 2 “The Torah-teachers (scribes) and the P’rushim (Pharisees),” he said, “sit in the seat of Moshe. 3 So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act! 4 They tie heavy loads onto people’s shoulders but won’t lift a finger to help carry them. 5 Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t’fillin (phylacteries) broad and their tzitziyot (fringes) long, 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and they love being greeted deferentially in the marketplaces and being called ‘Rabbi.’
As a Jew, his words are crystal clear to me. When the scribes and/or the Pharisees read from the Torah, while sitting in the seat of Moshe (Moses), I am to do what they tell me to do, because they are reading from God’s holy word. Unfortunately, upon leaving the premises of the local synagogue, they refused to act on what they had just preached. The heavy loads on the people’s shoulders represented much of what you will find in the Talmud writings that were, at the time, in oral form.
Many Christians, who are utterly ignorant about my people or my culture, seem to enjoy jumping to unfounded or unsupported conclusions regarding the contents of the New Testament. As previously stated, the Greco-Roman mindset is not the correct way to interpret the Scriptures It’s either ancient Hebrew or nothing at all.
By the way, unlike the Gentiles, I didn’t need to be converted, since I’ve always believed in the God of Israel. All I needed to do was to receive the Lord Yeshua into my heart and recognize his atoning death and resurrection in order to be saved, making him the Lord of my life.
Living in Italy for nearly 30 years has taught me many hard lessons about trying to understand Italian behavior, my wife’s included, through Anglo-Saxon eyes. It’s utterly impossible, a complete waste of time and energy. In fact, I tell most of the Italian students in the English class I teach that the God of Israel did a superb job of confusing the languages earth’s inhabitants. Language is not only vocabulary and grammar rules, it’s also the culture, the traditions, and the mindset of the people who speak it. When I speak Italian, I do my best never to think in English, Spanish or German. When I pray in Hebrew, I do my best never to think in English, Italian, Spanish or German. It’s simply an exercise in futility.
Therefore, the words that Yeshua, pre-incarnate (the Word of God, the Angel of God, etc.), said to Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) completely sums up the TRUE NEW COVENANT/NEW TESTAMENT that the Bible speaks of and NOT any of the doctrines based on the anti-Semitic/anti-Jewish church fathers who even felt embarrassed by the fact that Yeshua is Jewish (he is biologically from the tribe of Y’hudah, and he will return to earth as a circumcised, Torah observant Jew, whether humanity likes it or not).
So if any of you are inclined to believe otherwise, then you and I are definitely serving a different god. I, like the Bible prophets of old, am serving the God of Israel, the God of my Hebrew ancestors, while many of you run the risk of being deceived into serving the god of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church; a political organization which claims to have the power to add to and subtract from the Holy Scriptures, much like the scribes and the Pharisees of Yeshua’s day with their Traditions of the Elders.
Do yourselves a favor and stop being lazy believers, wanting everything handed to you on a silver platter. I’m afraid that you’ll have to wait for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb for that silver or gold platter that you’ve been waiting for to materialize.
P.S.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t hate anyone. It’s not worth it. For if I hate my brother who I have seen, then how can I love God, whom I haven’t seen?
I am, however, sick and tired of watching the majority of Christians being manipulated by the Adversary, who takes enormous pleasure in using many of you to hurt my people and keep us as far away as possible from the truth about our Messiah. I’m also angry with those who continue to perpetuate the Identity Theft that has been perpetrated against Yeshua the Messiah, transforming him into something that he is not and never will be, “a Palestinian Freedom Fighter” and a political revolutionary who wantonly violates the Torah and the rest of the Scriptures that he himself gave to my people, rightfully presenting himself as the Word of the one true and living God.
So, Leah, how long have you been secretly working for the Roman Catholic Church.
As a former member of the U.S. military and several of its intelligence services, I can recognize their footprint a mile away.
You can deny it all you want. All I have to do is make contact with some of my former supervisors (lieutenant colonels and above) and find out everything I need to know about you.
Love does not mean being duped by a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Having an open mind doesn’t mean having a hole in my head so that my brain can leak out.
When Yeshua the Messiah went into the Temple courtyard to overturn the tables of the money changers, he made himself a whip, with the traditional knots. Read the Gospel of John, second chapter.
The Vatican hates the Torah because it stands in the way of the Roman Catholic clergy’s blatant attempts to infiltrate the true Body of the Messiah Yeshua and do grave damage.
I’ve read many of the comments above, and no one seems to have the courage to call you out on the carpet for fear of legal reprisals. Well, Rav Kefa (Peter) and Rav Yochanan (John) didn’t seem to care about those things in the Book of Acts when they got arrested for preaching in Yeshua’s name. In fact, Kefa told the Sanhedrin, flat out, that is better to obey God than man.
As for being offended goes, I haven’t even come close to offending you the way Kefa offended that wicked man who wanted to purchase the power to baptize people with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) or what he said to the deceitful couple in Acts chapter 5 who lied to the Ruach HaKodesh, and then paid the ultimate price.
Time is running out, Leah. I don’t have time for the pleasantries of political correctness or Cultural Marxism. If you don’t wake up and smell smoke while there’s still time, you truly run the risk of hearing the Lord Yeshua say to you on the final Day of Judgment, “Go away from me you worker of lawlessness, I don’t recognize you.”
Remember, Leah, not everyone who calls him Lord will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
News Flash, Leah, the Greeks and the Romans worshiped false gods (Satan, his fallen angels, and demons). Their vocabularies didn’t contain a word that could even come close to the “Torah” (instructions, commandments, laws, ordinances, rulings). I’m sorry, but with all due respect, there is no comparison whatsoever between the Hebrew word “Torah” and the Greek word “nomos”.
As a Messianic Jew, I can tell you that the word “unclean” used to denote animals that are not fit to eat means TOXIC. According to your faulty logic, Yeshua the Messiah went through all of that agony on the cross so that you would have the freedom to poison yourself.
Well, since Yeshua often quoted from the Book of Isaiah, here’s another quote for you.
Isaiah 65:2-4 Complete Jewish Bible
2 I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who live in a way that is not good, who follow their own inclinations; 3 a people who provoke me to my face all the time, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks. 4 They sit among the graves and spend the night in caverns; they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things. 5 They say, ‘Keep your distance, don’t come near me, because I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day! 6 See, it is written before me; I will not be silent until I repay them; I will repay them to the full, 7 your own crimes and those of your ancestors together,” says ADONAI. ”
It’s pretty plain to see, Leah, that you, like most Roman Catholics I know here in Italy, see the B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) as a license to sin and rebel against God’s holy word. Apparently, the God you serve is very similar to the Muslim god Allah. Allah is the only deity I know of who changes his mind so frequently.
I guess that when Yeshua said in the Gospel of John chapter 17, “Father, you word is truth,” he must have been lying. Either God’s word is true or it isn’t. Either God is perfect or he isn’t. Perfection doesn’t need to be changed, Leah, otherwise it is not perfection.
If we were in Jerusalem, right now, during the birth of the 1st century Messianic Community, I would drag you before the apostles and ask them to hear my charges against you. And you know what, Kefa and Yochanan, and the Lord Yeshua’s half brother Ya’akov (James) would not be so lenient with you as I am right now.
Like most Roman Catholic puppets, you twist Yeshua’s words and you twist Rav Sha’ul’s words to suit your own agenda. And just like the LGBT coalition who tries to justify their own position by misquoting the Scriptures, you are treading on dangerous territory.
Rav Kefa even warned believers in his second letter (2 Peter 3:16-18) that Rav Sha’ul’s letters were often difficult to understand by saying: ” Indeed, he speaks about these things in all his letters. They contain some things that are hard to understand, things which the uninstructed and unstable distort, to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 But you, dear friends, since you know this in advance, guard yourselves; so that you will not be led away by the errors of the wicked and fall from your own secure position. 18 And keep growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory, both now and forever! Amen
Using the ancient Hebrew mindset of my ancestors, Leah, it is clear as a bell that Kefa is talking about people who have no real knowledge of the Scriptures, or their unstable minds distort what they’ve read to their own destruction.
And don’t forget that Yeshua the Messiah also said this:
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete (pleroo in Koine Greek). 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud (jot) or a stroke (tittle) will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (commandments) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers (scribes) and P’rushim (Pharisees), you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Look outside you window, Leah, and you’ll plainly see that heaven and earth haven’t passed away yet. And if you consider yourself a being someone who knows the word of God like the back of your hand, then consider this:
26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies.[f]
28 Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.[g] 29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant[h] which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God’s grace!
30 For the One we know is the One who said,
“Vengeance is my responsibility;
I will repay,”
and then said,
“ADONAI will judge his people.”[i]
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
The Law (nomos) of the Messiah is the Tanakh (Old Testament). It has to be, otherwise we have all been deceived and Psalm 119 was not inspired by the Holy Spirit.
So, Leah, you have two choices. You can either put aside your wounded pride and hurt feelings and remember that God can use his servants to chastise those whom he loves. Or, you can just start tearing pages out of your Bible, regarding everything you disagree with or don’t particularly like, until there is nothing left. Because once you start ripping out these pages, you will continually find things that cramp your personal lifestyle.
And before you say that the Torah or the Prophets have no value in your life read this:
Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul to the non-Jewish converts of his day and modern-day Christians) even told Timothy in his second letter (2 Tim 3:16-17) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.” Please note that at the time Rav Sha’ul wrote this statement, the Tanakh (Old Testament) were the only written Scriptures available, either in Hebrew or Koine Greek. The B’rit Hadashah (New Covenant or New Testament Scriptures) hadn’t even been codified until long after the apostle’s death.
Was Paul lying to Timothy when he wrote those words?
And what about Peter? Was he lying when he wrote the following?
20 First of all, understand this: no prophecy of Scripture is to be interpreted by an individual on his own; 21 for never has a prophecy come as a result of human willing – on the contrary, people moved by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) spoke a message from God.
It’s all about context, Leah. And as long as you keep studying the Scriptures with a Greco-Roman mindset, you will always miss the mark and you will always misunderstand what those of 119 Ministries are saying regarding the very biblical phrase: test everything.
Maybe, just maybe, if more so-called Christians had tested everything, 12 of my Jewish relatives never would have been murdered during the Shoah.
Replacement Theology, Antisemitism and the blatant misinterpretation of the Scriptures are pushing the Protestant Church further and further into apostasy, which means that Yeshua the Messiah will return to earth a lot sooner than most people are expecting.
Maranatha!
I will pray for you, Leah, that the God of my ancestors removes the scales from your eyes allowing you to see the truth.
Hopefully, in the end, the death of my 12 relatives in the Nazi concentration camps will not have been utterly in vain due to Christian rebellion and disobedience to Torah commands. For if my people had not been seen as an enemy to Christianity, some of those murdered 6 million Jews might have had the opportunity to recognize Yeshua as our Messiah and praise his holy name and live an abundant life doing the will of our Heavenly Father.
Jerry the Messianic Jew.
Recently made aware of 911 Ministries. How enlightening, Most Informative. Real breath of fresh air.
In response to David Dixon from Jerry the Messianic Jew
Todàh rabàh (Thank you very much), David, it is truly a blessing to see others like you who understand what 119 Ministries is all about. Regrettably, so many Gentile Christians have been brainwashed by the Vatican establishment and their efforts to infiltrate the Body of the Messiah, that they buy so easily into man-made doctrines that are actually unbiblical.
I also wholeheartedly agree with what you wrote when you said:
“They have frequently made it clear that salvation is a free gift offered through YHWH’s grace and that following the Torah, the Law, is the natural response of a believer who has been saved by grace. I have never heard them say you must follow the Law to be saved. Just the opposite, they have demonstrated time and again, through the scriptures, that following the Law is simply the response after being saved by grace.”
Like you, I have watched dozens of their videos and I myself have never hear Jon or Steve or Jared preach anything that can’t be proven by Scripture, other than teachings they give based on their own opinions (such as their series on Time), in which they do clearly tell their viewers at the beginning of each segment of the series that it is a teaching they are still studying and working out all the kinks, and that their opinions may change as their study continues.
That’s not to say that I always agree with every single thing they teach.
For example, I do not entirely agree with their teaching regarding head-coverings. My wife and I are pastors of a Messianic congregation and I wear my kippah and she wears her head scarf during our meetings. I blow the shofar and we have our portable mini-menorah so that we can hold meetings in people’s homes if they are unable to come visit us during Shabbat.
For many centuries, Christians have been wrongly taught, thanks primarily to Replacement Theology, that in order for my people to accept our Messiah, we had to become Gentiles by adopting their ways, which usually went completely contrary to what the Torah teaches.
Well, that’s simply not true, as can be seen in the Acts of the Apostles, especially since all of them were clearly aware of the Torah command that forbids us from worshiping our Creator in the exact same manner as the pagans worshiped their false gods. And while I applaud 119 Ministries for their teachings, I think that we should all continue to follow their wise advice and test everything they say against the backdrop of Scripture, just as the Bereans did when they listed to Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom in the towns that he and Luke visited.
I also agree with Bill Carmichael who stated that 119 (and not 911) Ministries is Real breath of fresh air.
Maranatha!
Shalom aleikhem!
Jerry the Messianic Jew
P.S..
I guess for a lot of people, like Bill, and especially those who lost loved ones during the attacks, 9/11 is still an indelible sore spot, and rightly so. My prayer is that the God of my ancestors (Avraham, Yitz’akh and Ya’akov) will heal those emotional wounds so that you don’t have to continually suffer from such a terrible tragedy.
I been following 119 ministries for a 7 + month now first i was skeptical on the explanation of the thora but it makes sense and testing everything according to the bible.
Not everything is clear this why we have to test everything the openly say and test everything preach.
No agreed with what they said make them wrong maybe you disagree with some teaching this why you don’t agree with them an you comments of they wrong or you wrong we will find out when our father in heaven send our Lord yashua….ww will know who’s is the true.
Blessings
Hello Leah,
I want to thank you for your bravery on addressing this strange movement and their strange, and potentially dangerous ideas, that I personally find to be devoid of Christianity (think Flannery O’Connor’s idea of the “Church of God without Christ”). Not only do they reduce the idea of love and grace essential to Christian theology, they actually deny the idea the newness of the revelation of God in Christ. Frankly, in this view, there is nothing *new* that comes with Jesus (who simply affirms Torah-keeping and becomes the sacrifice for those who break Torah).
I have heard even further disturbing material that I think characterises the “heart” of this movement and people (yes, a cult). Let me share this story I heard from a good friend of mine in town about an interaction between *his friend* and a follower of 119 ministries. Let’s call the friend of my good friend “David” and the 119 follower he interacted with “Brandon.” My friend told me that David met with Brandon in order to discuss issues of theology and because of Brandon’s zeal about the “new” truths he was learning from 119 ministries (i.e. in order to convert him). The question came to the question of capital punishment in the Law. Brandon stressed that the sin of blasphemy carried (in our day) the seriousness of the death penalty. David asked if he should be stoned if he has taken the Lord’s name in vain. Brandon assured him that stoning as commanded by the Law can only take place under the existence of the Temple and corresponding judicial system. David pressed him on this: did Brandon feel he would/should/could stone him for blasphemy, under these conditions? Brandon replied that, indeed, under the existence of the Temple and the judicial system, he would stone David for blasphemy.
So sad to have their mind so turned around. Thanks for sharing! I have found that depending on who you talk to, different people make alliances for not keeping every aspect of Torah so excuses are made. In other words they say, “Torah must be followed completely,” but then follow that up with, “But these we don’t follow because xyz….” That hugely invalidates their claims. It shows how heavily it is a man-made religion. Keep praying for your friends!
I guess you need to research more you are appearing as a false prophet.
Hello! How are you? I just came across a video of 119 ministries. It’s about the rapture theories. And first of all I want to say this. Over the years I have spent huge amounts of time talking with the Lord and studying the scriptures! And that is only because God by his grace put that desire in my heart!!!! And to start with with languages? It is impossible to translate from one language to another language 100% identically? Because each language has different grammatical principles individual to that language. So when we know that the original language of the old testament is Hebrew. And the new testament is Greek and a bit Aramaic. Then if a person claims to be a student of the word of God (the scriptures)? Which should be all of the body of Christ (christians)? Then in my opinion? A person can’t call their self a disciple of Jesus without looking at the original languages of the scriptures? Because if they don’t? Then they don’t always have a full understanding of what the scriptures say? And in turn it can seriously hinder their biblical beliefs? And that is a big reason why there is so many people who I’m sorry to say? Believe things that are not truly in line with the scriptures? And therefore not in line with God’s will? And I’m also referring to a large percentage of church and ministry leaders? And concerning 119 ministries? I haven’t looked at any of their doctrines? Or other teachings besides the one I mentioned above? But I can say that that teaching on the rapture is truly in line with the full context of scripture! And I’m not here to argue this point? All I can say is that if you disagree? Then contact 119 ministries. Because the guy himself said that he is open minded. But if you do? Make sure that you truly know exactly what your saying? Make sure it is backed by the fullness of scripture? And not with what other people say? Because the point is? That no matter what a person teaches or says? If it isn’t fully supported by the full context of the scriptures? Then to me? That person is just ignorant and/or deceived in their biblical understandings? And I’m not trying to be rude or disrespectful to anyone at all? But well that’s the way it is. Thanks! God bless you!
Please pray for my husband that Holy Spirit will reveal His truth as he has been watching 119 ministries and I am concerned !
Thank you !
I will pray for your husband. I’ll pray that the Lord will open his eyes and that he will not be deceived. Remember to stay in the Word yourself so you can stay strong.
Deceived? How is it deception? Disagreement of biblical opinion does not constitute false teaching. There are actually many articles you posted that I disagree with, and there are many you have posted that are flat out false.
The difference is between using my own logic to disagree vs. using Scripture to show your faults in your biblical understanding.
Before we jump to pointing fingers and calling certain people “deceivers”, we must examine the teaching and heart extensively. I’ve posted several rebuttals to your own rebuttals. In this respect, 119 Ministries still has a leg to stand on while you’re kicking them in the shin.
The Christian mindset is all about love, and less action. They talk about sin, but don’t know what it is. They talk about salvation, yet they don’t know what they need saving from.
Sin, being defined as lawlessness, (literally meaning, sin is breaking God’s law/Torah) shows us that we need to be saved from breaking the Law. I’m not saying that by keeping the Law we are saved. But rather, by our faith in Christ, we are saved, and that should result in obedience, because we have been saved from breaking the Law.
Like my analogy of a criminal given a clean slate. Just because the criminals record is wiped clean, does not mean he can now go break the law all he wants. He’s still obligated to keep the law, but now he has no record. He can do things he couldn’t do before, he can go places he couldn’t go to before. However, this does not release him from the law.
So when looking at matters of Torah, we should look at the laws, not as textual dispensations, but as a literal lawbook. If God is going to judge us based on our sins, what kind of law book is He going to go by? Well, Torah obviously.
So why then, would 119 Ministries be deceiving people, if they’re trying to help people follow the Bible better? Is it deception by that point? Would the devil try to deceive you into following Scripture? I doubt it.
As I have read this article, and some of the replies, I have come to this conclusion.
You may have seen some of my comments on some articles, which some completely throw some of the rebuttals out of the water because of Scriptures clarity.
I must again post similar comments here.
The Hebrew Roots movement and even 119 Ministries are not cults. One of the few things that make a cult, a cult, is recruitment. Cults have ways that they recruit people into their philosophy/ideology, making them members of such groups. If this is the case, then Christianity is a cult, a major one at that.
I tried looking up the definition of cult in the 1828 Websters dictionary, (to dispel political correct definitions) and I find no result. Webster, was a very religious man. Though what I find most interesting is his definition of religion. Here’s what it says:
“religion in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man’s obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man’s accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion”
Very interesting indeed.
So 119 Ministries is following the commandments, as do other branches within the Hebrew Roots movement. As always, you have your crazy people in these movements, as there are some in all sects of some sort of religion.
One of the most misunderstood ideas about the Hebrew Roots movement is the lack of love. This is false beyond belief. Many Hebrew Roots/Torah observant people actually do things in love. The passion for truth comes across as anger and hostility. Trust me, I get that way. But we need to understand what it means to love.
Loving God: 1 John 5:3 defines loving God as keeping His commandments. If the Law is done away, we have no commandments. Even the “new” commandments given by Christ are found in the Old Testament/Torah. So loving God iss by keeping the Torah.
Loving your neighbor: Also done by keeping the Torah. Would you steal from your neighbor? Lust after his wife? Defraud your neighbor? Bear a false testimony against your neighbor? These are all things found in Torah that show us how to practically love our neighbor.
With this in mind, we now have to examine how other people are doing this. Are you?
Do you know why Yahusha spoke in parables? Because it was only meant for HIS followers. The WORD of Yahuah is not meant for everybody, that is why you don’t understand the truth of the scriptures. Many are called, few are chosen. (2Pe 3:14) So then, beloved ones, looking forward to this, do your utmost to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
(2Pe 3:15) and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Sha’ul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him,
(2Pe 3:16) as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand,c which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. Footnote: cSee 2Co_11:6.
(2Pe 3:17) You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless,
(2Pe 3:18) but grow in the favour and knowledge of our Master and Saviour ????? Messiah. To Him be the esteem both now and to a day that abides. Amen.
(2Co 11:6) But even if I am unskilled in word,b yet not in knowledge; but, in every way we have been manifested among you in all matters. Footnote: b Or speech.
This is from The B’rit Hadesha, incorrectly called the N.T.
What right does any religious group or person to tell the Nation of Yisra’el what their Torah means and that its done away with? Your calling the son of Yahuah, Yahusha a liar! He clearly sated He did not come to abolish the law (torah)….
Read the scriptures without the lies from your pastors… study alone if need be, you will start to see the truth of the words being typed in this blog. In the end HaSatan will roam around the earth to see who he can devour. (paraphrased)
Don’t shoot the messengers. Now I know how the prophets of Yah were treated…. They were killed for teaching the truth of yah who sent them!
Spiritual pride is the hardest thing to detect . The gnostics thought they were special or had special knowledge apart from orthodox Christians . I understand the frustration of truth seekers with what constitutes modern Christianity and their desire to “return” to our roots . I will say this , Paul in his letter to the galatians knew very well where the attempt of reaching perfection through the keeping of the mosaic law would lead …to the killing of the spirit ..to the keeping of the outward at the cost of the inward …I have seen it written by a founder of the movement ( Hebrew Roots) that sacrifices are not done because there is no temple in Jerusalem and no priest …and this because of man’s disobedience ..this is not true. God destroyed the temple because He does not dwell in a temple made with hands and the prefect sacrifice sits on His right hand and in recognition we are to offer ourselves a living sacrifice . He dwells in us . The rebuilding of the temple will lead to an abomination beyond all abominations..particularly if an animal sacrifice is offered …that is counting God’s sacrifice insufficient …making His blood an unholy thing …this is a sacrilege beyond all sacrileges.
There is a way that seems right unto man and that way leads to death . How do you know if you may be caught up in error ? By thinking that God only understands Hebrew ..by trying to call Him/ YWHW by name . Jesus/Yeshua Himself called God, Our Father ..do you call your dad by his name ? It is one of the same basic mistakes of Jehovah witness ‘ ….”we are saying His name right and everyone else is wrong ” ..His name actually means His authority
..It is great to understand the meaning of hebrew words , etc. but be careful of the knowledge which puffs up …our enemy is fine with knowledge , particularly if it makes you think you are “special ” ..Christ is special …we are redeemed . We are found . We are His workmanship . Be careful of spiritual pride . Which day is the sabbath ? Which ever day belongs to Christ ..I think they all belong to Him but you may observe only one day ..Our brother Paul allows for that ..
I feel this is not right. My husband is someone completely different. Emotionless through this 119 teaching. He needs truth. There is something wrong with this ministry
I’ll pray for him! And you. Stay in the Word and pray.
The Word says “he that turns his ear away from HEARING THE LAW, his prayer will be an abomination. Proverbs 28:9
I need help i an christian i have questions ben 7708735414
I have found Jon Sherman to be a committed man of God; one who boldly speaks the truth of God’s Word. Many will be offended as there was in the days Jesus was on earth in the flesh. Truth has always been in opposition to manmade doctrines, opinions, and mainly pride. Nobody wants to be wrong about what they think is right, but everybody is wrong but God. People’s pride refuses to submit because God will not give the grace to a prideful person, only a humbled, repented one.
I am so thankful for 119 Ministries. Truth is very important to them, as it should be to all believers.
We either take His name in truth, or we take it in vain. We cannot honor God and dishonor His Word, The Word is Jesus! John 1:14
People need to humble themselves and repent while they still can.
Amen!!
119 is right on target. If they have encouraged anyone to search the scriptures, then they have been successful. Thanks to Steve, and Jon starting this as well as and those that are now heading it up. Knowledge puffs up and when learning takes a path of that flat out condems others, then it vain… point is missed… need to back up and rethink life and everything. Shalom!
David ..the danger from 119 and HR is the same that paul faced down in Galatia … Paul saw the danger of a group placing too much emphasis on the outer …spiritual pride . …I can not afford a $450 shofar or a tzitzit …It is a shame that the first century christians who worked in the salt mines or were slaves with no money were lost ..a few might have been able to afford to be a 119 minisitres christian but they used their money unwisely by feeding the hungry . This is the people to whom Paul wrote. If only they had been wealthy Americans . Oh foolish Galatians . Who has deceived you? Self- righteousness only affects the zealous and sincere . ” I thank thee Lord that I am not like the deceived Christians that do not follow your law . ” I wear hebrew clothes , blow horns and observe Jewish customs and festivals . ” I speak Hebrew words which lifts me up in pride through my knowledge . Be careful of this spirit .
Seeker, your remarks are inflammatory. You present a view of the letter to the Galatian “church” that is polar opposite to what the majority of people believe they are trying to walk out. You have successfully completed the cycle of reacting and not listening that is core to the systemic attitude towards anyone that mentions Torah, commandments, law etc… The truth is Christianity as a whole does in fact adhere to the Instructions in Righteousness aka Torah. The issue is; “where does one draw the lines?” I have yet to meet anyone to date that believes “they are saved” by keeping any commandment. This seems to be the main issue I continually hit with when dealing with these accusations. Please stop reacting and listen. Paul dealt with a certain party of Jews that were forcing other believers to fully proselytize in order to be counted as partaking of the covenant. This is a far different issue that is being confused with walking out a faith in Apostolic Judaism as close to the early Church as possible. You cannot remove Judaism from a way of life from the first early church and truly be walking an Apostolic life. To take a view that somehow the Church Fathers were teaching to remove all things Jewish from a way of life would be a serious error and leads to a path of replacement theology. Your pejorative idea that speaking Hebrew words is a prideful thing of knowledge and warning of it being a spirit one take by exercising “Jewish” things. Please be reminded that every thing Jesus said and did was based in Hebrew ideas and culture. Everything Paul expounds on is a very very Jewish Rabbinical thing. There are so many things Paul writes in answer to issues the people were experiencing in different places is also found in the Mishnah/Talmud. There are several Rabbis that were Rabbinical trained in the same house as Paul (House of Hillel) that have come to the same conclusions recorded in the Talmud. In fact if you were to read these you would think you are reading quotes from Paul recorded in these epistles to the different Churches. What Paul was doing in these letter is called Halacha or a Halachic Ruling. The Epistles themselves are a proof of the “Judaism” of the Church. The issue only arises when a Christian attempts to isolate and remove all things Jewish from the faith and teachings of Jesus and ALL his disciples. All of the festivals (8 Moedim) are appointments of our Father contained within Jewish culture, to say otherwise would be an out right lie. Then there are celebrations that are 100% completely Jewish in origin and have nothing to do with appointments of God, however, this does not mean we cannot find God in them. I speak of Chanukah and Purim (there are others). Every Christian uses Hebrew words mixed with their native language… does this mean they are puffed up and should be careful of a spirit? the next time you same Amen, or Hallelujah in the middle of speaking English you are guilty of your own accusation. Hallelujah is not even a word… it is compounded by two Hebrew words Hallel and Yah. There are other words even found in the Greek manuscripts that could not be translated and only the Hebrew is given. These are simply mean spirited accusation meant to discredit instead actually having a dialogue about why someone is doing something different than what you think they should do…
Sean ….I realize I am going to give an account for my every word . It is of course not fair, nor true to make blanket statements and it may not be edifying but you will never ever hear an opposing view from your own demographic . I remember when I was attending a protestant church many years ago and there was a “revival service ” … Each night , we looked at different “cults” .and what they believed …..Jehovah’s’ Witness one night …Mormon’s another night , etc. Then I realized our error and it was very subtle …..We never looked at where WE might be in error . Paul said , you who compare yourselves among yourselves are not wise …Why ? Because it will lead to ” This is where THEY are wrong. . What I said was true and the truth does not care what I think about it . Many english words have their origin in latin , greek and of course hebrew …I say Amen out of tradition but I also say ” Let it be so ” Sean …I am not against understanding some Hebrew for the meanings of the words are obviously important just as in english. But again , if I am a missionary in the Aleutian islands , how much time should I spend teaching them Hebrew before proclaiming the Good News of God’s salvation ? At what point do I share what God has done ? Guilty of my own accusation ? Yes …I often have to repent for speaking spanish to people I am around who speak english though they be of hispanic decent …How wicked and deceitful our heart can be ..praise God for His Holy Spirit ..even the spirit of truth who reveals all things . . Sean …try to find someone who loves you enough to share these things with you …I think it will be difficult to find them in your own group however..You will have to go outside the camp …. The biggest snare to the body of Jesus Christ is that we have been influenced by the world.and maybe no more so than in America ….putting our money out to interest …divorcing and remarrying and over all demonstrating an amazing lack of love and faith by our actions …. Jeremiah was also concerned that the Jews placed too much emphasis on the outward but did not have a circumcised heart . I am sure my words were inflammatory but again …they were true.. Sean …there is nothing new under the sun . Peter was such a dear saint ..he had humility when Paul called him out. Sean ..where I live ..people are perishing for a lack of the real gospel ..the words of Jesus as recorded in the sermon on the Mount are not even heeded ( Woe unto you who are rich for you have received your reward , etc. ) I am too busy nor do I have the money for expensive shofar ‘s and no time for festivals …people here are dead eternally and overseas people are hungry both spiritually and physically. I think 119 ministries is good for wealthy americans but so is every other denomination. . Do not get deceived by the outward ..it is easier than you think. Grace and Peace in His authority . . . .
Unfortunately your words are opinions and not truth. I am not comparing anything or anyone. The festivals you do not have time for are not Jewish festivals they are our fathers appointed times, they alone contain everything that is the gospel you speak of. Remember your dear Peter said Moses preached the gospel in the wilderness, I urge you to ask yourself how did he do that, what exactly was that. In answering your pointed question of lost people in other parts of the world “how much time should I spend teaching them Hebrew?” I would say zero…, you should teach them about the one true God and how he loves them and how we transgress his ways. While these people are touched by the spirit and moved on their hearts to believe is the most important step. See Seeker, I preach the gospel unto salvation first and foremost then I disciple. Do not be fooled, these other issues when coupled with faith are essential to our growth with the father. You along with others seem to make this a salvific argument time and time again. When those of the same mindset as I are moved beyond the salvation and concerned with our works only when coupled with faith. Without the obedience of faith it is all meaningless… it not about buying any artifact, it is not about follow the command to be reminded from a tassel about his righteousness. These are consecration issues, matters of the heart. They are binding to those that consecrate themselves to the Most High, you don’t have to approve, you don’t have to partake, but to say it is not of God would be a grave error. These are things of God I will not chastise you for not partaking. The truth is they are His ways I just walk in them.
Yes Sean ..I do not know ..I believe . If any man thinks he knows anything , he knows nothing as he ought yet . 1st Corinthians 8:2 And belief is different than faith for many people believe many things but faith, like love has a cost . Opinions do not cost …theology does not cost .
I do not know nor can I know what it has cost you to follow the Lamb of God but it has cost me more than you could know . We are instructed not to bite and devour one another so if I have done that I ask forgiveness . The Good News in the Wilderness that Moses preached but not believed ? Faith in God of course but we have a better covenant for He has given us a new heart and it has come from Him …He did it . Our God . He is a jew who is one inwardly , Who’s praise is of God and not of man ..who’s circumcision is of the heart and not of the flesh . It hurts to have your heart circumcised ..one’s pride must be crushed so that God gets all of the glory . The fiery trials that we go through are not theological debates . It is absolutely about salvation for I am afraid where this will lead ..support of secular Israel and the rebuilding of the temple and animal sacrifices …rebuilding what was destroyed and replaced ..forsaking the substance for the shadow and calling it sanctification . We are saved by grace and God gives grace to the humble . Not of works , lest any man should boast . So again , yes it is about salvation …
well, we will have to disagree here. But first yes of course I forgive you. Yes definitely he is a “jew” that is one inwardly. The point Paul made here was to the person binding themselves to God and doing so by the heart follows the laws of God even when not having the laws of God. This meant they are in step with the Father in spirit while not knowing the commandments. While the ones that have the law (Jews) keep the law but not in faith. It is not a scripture to pull out and say “see, we don’t have to follow the commands already given” the illustration is to do both but rather works are to be coupled with faith. Are you saying works are pointless? because James (Jacob) says otherwise. Also remember it is those that have the testimony of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. Faith with out works is dead. Can one really be called circumcised of the heart and push off the commandments? If you love me keep my commandments… “And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.”
So what is love? “that we walk according to his commandments”. Whose commandments? God the Father of all. When were these commandments given? from the beginning…
Are you saying Moses did not believe the Gospel that he preached in the wilderness?
Yes I agree that the New Covenant is a better covenant since it was built upon a higher mediator. not the mediator that was vanishing away (the priesthood as in the mortal High Priest). Remember the Covenant given at Mt Sinai? what exactly was that Covenant? think about it because this is Key to the quote you gave… The Covenant that was entered into was a renegotiation… first the offer was to be written on the hearts of men, they refused that offer and counter offered… “give us a man… a mediator… and what ever you say to him that we will do”… The covenant was to be judged and condemned by a mediator of Gods law. this was the Covenant of Sinai. Then there is another Covenant issued by Moses on behalf of the Father. This was done at the crossing over to the promise land. A covenant besides the Sinai Covenant. This had even more stipulations regarding the Land but included what was previously given. Two different Covenants with Israel running in parallel. Now we have a third Covenant that is based upon the Eternal High Priest, that cannot be taken away because that High Priest cannot die. This is why it is better promises. My point here is the commandments stay but the methodology changes. Remember Jeremiah said the New Covenant was to be with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. What Moses preached in the wilderness was the good news that God would cause Israel to be scattered and Judah would then be scattered but her would provide a way to reconcile his people, not replace them. Anyone not in one of the houses would also have a place in the house by binding themselves to HIM, in this way they become a sojourner.
How do you become bound to HIM through Jesus the only way to be circumcised of the heart (promised by Jeremiah). Therefore you are either of the house of Judah, the house of Israel, or a sojourner. All one new man under one house, One Father through One Baptism. But yes Moses believed in the Gospel preached in the wilderness.
You are going to have to define grace so I know what you mean when you use the word.
This is enough for now.
Sean …Thank you for your forbearance . I take the works that Paul discussed were much like what happened in Catholicism ..the outward ordinances performed by a carnal man in order to find favor with God . I would suppose that those of the HR understanding would say that because of the love of God , we demonstrate that love by the keeping of the law .(Torah) His commandments are Not grievous as He says ..My yoke is easy , my burden is light . I take that to mean that we are yoked to eternity ..to life . We are yoked to forgiveness ( even of our enemies …maybe especially to our enemies) for where sin abounds , grace abounds that much more . In other words ..our enemies are in dire need of grace …and only those who know grace and love ..those who have been born again , can demonstrate it . Who better than someone who had a just death sentence discovered to them and the sentence was …” Go and sin no more . ” That is not fair but neither is grace . God is not fair ..He is merciful . Only those who know Love and have love can give it ..only those who have been forgiven can forgive . Regarding reconciling of the jews ..Yes , in my opinion ..those called christians just before the time of constantine got it in their head that God hated His own people ..despite Paul’s warning that of God spared not the natural branch ..fear lest He spare not thee ….those Jews who did not know Christ were to provoked to jealousy by the demonstration of our love …that was blown a long time ago …now many from a christian understanding support secular Israel in order to make up for the atrocities committed by “Christendom ” ..I put that in parenthesis on purpose for there is not such thing as christendom ….we are individually a part of a body with Christ Jesus as our head . One reason I despise nationalism ..including secular Israel for it separates . I am not by any means an ecumenicismist but I also am wary of any group . I believe in order but I have seen an organism of love turn into an organism ….
Regarding Grace …The grace which brings salvation has appeared unto all men TEACHING us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust , we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world …so grace for me anyway ..teaches me …what is godly ? Sacrifice..giving up your life for those who despise you . That is also a synonym of love ..For God so loved He GAVE . Thus Jesus’ admonition ..He that seeks to save his life , will lose his life .
That also ties in with james ..faith with out works is dead . ( works of love …demonstrations of love ..Jesus said he did not come of His own volition but God sent him ..God took action ..He did something because He cared but oh did it have a cost ! Faith without works is sterile ..it can not reproduce . We can get a following like many of the popular televangelist but when is the last time you heard disciples warned to count the cost of love .
One other thing: I can follow the rebuttals… The difference between the blue and the black text is indistinguishable. I suggest using bold for the rebuttals…
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll edit that.
I appreciate this page, as I have debated these guys for years. A couple of long time friends have gotten into this, including one who told me that my witness to him, even though it was years earlier, was a factor in his decision to follow Christ. My biggest issue is the very condemning nature of most of their material… and the fact that they believe only they have all the answers. It sounds very cultic to me. Starting with condemning Christmas and Easter (yes, I know there are very many practices around these events that are of questionable origin… that doesn’t mean it means the same thing today with current believers… God looks at the heart, last time I checked) because they aren’t “Feasts of the Lord”, meanwhile practicing Hanukkah and Purim, which are not “Feasts of the Lord” either. I am okay with practicing Hanukkah and Purim, but they can’t have it both ways…
I now attend a Messianic Jewish congregation. Can’t get much more Hebrew Roots than that. While we don’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, neither do we condemn Christians who do… In fact, at Christmas, we sang a few Christmas songs. What they fail to realize is that we didn’t create the separation between Israelites and gentiles (goyim, in Hebrew). We didn’t create it between Jews and gentiles. God did. He did it for His reasons. Ephesians 2:14-18 makes it clear that He doesn’t intend for us, as gentiles, to become Jews. Actual Messianic Jews believe that. It was preached from the pulpit a few weeks ago…
I encourage everyone to dive into our Jewish roots. I encourage everyone to find a Messianic Jewish congregation and celebrate the Feasts of the Lord with them, to understand the Jewishness of the gospels. But, unless you are called by God to do so, don’t give up being a goyim. That is not the intent of the Gospel. He called you. Be you.
Hi Herb ..never been to a messianic Jewish assembly but familiar with someone who has . They also have been a bit taken with HR / 119 ministries …all of the feast ..making booths , etc. I am I believe a pretty orthodox believer ..not protestant , nor catholic per se. I appreciate our roots and try to understand the history and the reason on some of these festivals , etc. I do not personally celebrate Christmas or Easter although I have in the past . Maybe a better way of putting it is ..I believe Christ was born so no need to keep going over that each year ( and the world spent over 1 trillion dollars on Christmas last year ..the godless and the godly . ) I believe Christ is risen from the dead and on the right hand of the Father so again no need to keep learning that year after year . ( And the world hit the 1 billion dollar mark on Easter this year . ) Not to sound like Judas but couldn’t truly that money have gone to the poor ? Some will make the analogy that we are “pouring out an ointment to Jesus” but if I do the truth ..Jesus did not need a new easter dress nor an easter basket , etc. With that said , I am sure some believers do celebrate in their heart and it is acceptable to God but I am grieved that Christianity has become such a big business . 119 ministries sells stuff too so it seems hardly anyone is free from it …it seems we just buy and sell . How about Messianic Jews ? Are they into high paying careers …college loans to pay back some how ..large houses with Thank You Jesus signs in the yard . Do Messianic Jews support the secular state of Israel and the United States as their “Godly ally ” ?
In a world with over 33,000 Christian denominations arguments over doctrine, as seen here, are common. Many Churches teach that only their members will inherit eternity (Mormons, JWs, and many others as evidenced here). If I think only my Church has the truth and all others are going to hell and you think the same then obviously one or both of us are deluding ourselves. If I’m rational I then have to ask if that one is me. Is Christ divided? It seems so, or maybe he’s in none of these 33,000 denominations. Maybe when he returns he’ll say he never knew you, like he warned you he would.
Well, we have this … the gate is narrow, not wide! So what Christ said will be true, many who profess to love Christ will be rejected by him. So, many of these 33,000 Christian denominations are WRONG! So, it’s a good time to really study the bible. There is NO divorce and remarriage if you have a living previous spouse. There is NO running to doctors when you profess faith that God will heal. There is no place in civil court for God’s people. If you believe that you can live in this world and keep a foot in God’s kingdom, you’re so wrong.
The real travesty is not being open to the Spirit’s direction regarding the Word and claiming a superior understanding of Scripture without properly or sufficiently citing scripture, Hebrew and Greek definitions, proper context, etc. This so-called “Hebrew roots” movement has been around since the beginning bc it is all Hebrew, not Roman/Greek. It’s only when the Roman/Greek perspective takes over that heresy becomes the norm. Jesus, the disciples, and Saul (aka Paul) were all Hebrew. It wasn’t until the last apostle John died that all these hereitical doctrines became mainstream. The domination of the Romans and Greeks took over and their antisemitic views hijacked “Christianity.”
Words mean things and failure of proper terminology and understanding original cultruew leads to all kinds of nonsense. Little has changed over the centuries, except that there have always been faithful who sought to keep Torah, including the Sabbath (rest), the appointed times of YHVH,, eating only clean animals aka food, etc., as well as lawless ones who persecuted them.
We cannot understand the end of the book until we properly understand the beginning. This is preccisely why Saul (aka Paul) is misunderstood, ignorance of Torah, and blind acceptance of thee regurgitated doctrines of the Roman-controlled “church.” While there were many key elements that allowed me to escape Roman-based “Christianity,” one really important one is the proper understanding of sin, which is simply stated in 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
I pray for the author and the confusion created here. Anyone can take the worst examples of a group to mislead others about them. This is why Christianity in general has so many critics bc there are so many who have non-Biblical opinions. The biggest flaw in attacking 119 is that they demonstrate consistent humility in their teachings. All one has to do is genuinely watch an entire teaching or series,then engage in reasonable, couteous discussion via comments. What I note is few defenders of Roman-based doctrines can do this, preferring instead to attack, demean, and fail to cite Scripture, or provide validly sourced definitions of original language, and reurgitate the same old errant doctrines.
I pray the Spirit soften your heart (and readers’) and show you Truth inspite of the majority’s error.
I think the problem we have here is that 119 fails to understand “Fulfillment” vs “Abolishment”. I mean, it’s easy to kick around a lot of Hebrew words and say “this is what it meant” but if we look at one verse in particular, in this case Matthew 5:17, we find 119 Ministries and the Hebrews roots movement making the case that the Hebrew word for fulfill means uphold. But it wasn’t translated from Hebrew, it was translated from Greek. It’s like building a building. If the Architect is also the owner of the building, there are 3 stages. First is the blueprints. The blueprints show what the final product is to be. Then there is the construction of the building. In order for this to take place, certain rules and requirements must be met. Once the building is complete, the blueprints and construction rules don’t be come obsolete, but they give way to a new set of rules that govern the operating of the building. In the case of 119 and the Hebrew Roots however, they are the ones that enter the building still wearing construction gear and hard hats because all of the regulations still apply. We are free from the hard hats and construction gear because all of that pointed to the building in which the owner took on to maintain and manage. Because we are covered by the owner’s sacrifice in maintaining the now complete building, we don’t have to adhere to the ordinances that were in place during the constructing of the building.
Horrible analogy. The “rules” that built the infrastructure absolutely still apply in fact it is what is holding everything together, provide for shelter and protection. The “rules” are what constitute blessing or cursing that the habitants get to reap. If a storm comes it’s the rules that keep the storm at bay. If you change the established rules, say, remove a load bearing wall because well it’s your house now and you are free to change what you want the house comes crashing down in a storm or snow load or just sitting there… in short change the rules reap the curses… have fun with that I will choose to live by the way the builder built the house….
I think 119 ministries is arguably one of the best ministries out there. Why? Because they test everything to scripture, not manmade doctrine and traditions. If you dont agree with 119 ministries, it more than likely means you DO NOT agree with scripture. 119 ministries is correct, the law of Torah 100% needs to be followed by believers today. Not for salvation, but for true worship. Obedience is the truest form of worship. YHWY commanded us to obey. If your seriously having issues wanting to obey YHWY, I doubt your problems are with 119 ministries. Your problems are with your disobedience and unwillingness to listen to God. I dont agree with 119 ministries sabbath teachings. Psalms 104:19 clearly tells us the seasons/moedim are to be obeyed according to the moon. The 7th day sabbath is the VERY FIRST moedim listed by YHWY in Leviticus 23. That means, unarguably, that the moon determines the weekly sabbath, not a manmade Roman calendar invented AFTER the life, death and resurrection of Yahushua.
I know nothing of 119 ministries and I have no idea if it is necessary to observe the 7th day Sabbath today but I do know that when Christ returns he will enforce the keeping of the Jewish holy days by everyone (Zechariah 14:18).
sounds straight forward, at least when he returns. If I may add I think most people that oppose the observance of such things from a NT vs OT or Law vs Grace presuppositions are looking at it from a limited perspective. IF you can separate yourself from a denominational dogma long enough to realize this is about A person separating THEMSELF (holiness) for a purpose. This has nothing to do with salvation and nothing to do what Jesus accomplished in death burial and resurrection. It is and always has been an act of holiness at whatever level of holiness someone is partaking.
The tragic part is, 119 HAS scriptural truth… but their TONE often creates a very negative feeling and makes people defensive. It’s needlessly HOSTILE.
Yes, the LAW IS IMPORTANT. It IS the foundation of the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34, cited in Hebrews 8 – the Torah is placed ON THE HEART of the believer). Romans 10:5-9 makes it CLEAR Jesus IS THE TORAH in the flesh. To have HIM in your heart REQUIRES having Torah in your heart… “Sin is violation OF THE LAW” (1 John).
BUT as Paul says in Romans 2, and as Acts 15 says… those that DON’T KNOW IT, and follow the Spirit will “become a law unto themselves” – Paul is saying being SPIRIT-LED will lead you to live by principles that will cause you to KEEP THE LAW even if you don’t know the Torah. Acts 15 says “do these FOUR things, to be in fellowship… and you will hear Torah read every Shabbat in the Synagogues”- they INTENDED people to learn and grow, not stop at “these four, no more”.
BUT 119, like many others, are NEEDLESSLY hostile, most even WORSE than they are. They HAVE truth, but NEED to learn to share it IN LOVE, not hostility.
Naturally everyone is entitled to their opinion. I believe 119 ministries to teach using accurate breakdown/interpretation of scripture. If one wants to refute them or anyone else’s teachings, the only way to do so is with using accurate scripture themselves.
they devalue the Holy Spirit and I am trying to save this man who became a follower for the past two years now. How do I enlighten him on who the Holy Ghost is and that its not a false God but part of the triune God we love so dearly?
First the definition of cult is this… A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
The followers of 119 ministries don’t live in unconventional manners, they don’t live with an authoritarian leader. A cult tends to not let followers have their own opinions where 119 tells you to test everything. And I have seen them change videos when they have been proven wrong and admit to changing them and why.
It seems to me that the groups most opposed to this ministry are the ones that remind me of the Pharisees, afraid of losing control, placing a lot of man made rules and the tradition of elders on people. Heavy Burdens.
My family is in this move I need to set them free
I pray they can find the truth
My husband after marriage 30 yrs, last year he fell back into this website and today he seems to get more into it and I can’t do anything about it.
Take the journey with him then.
You will be amazed the lenses removed as you remove Roman syncretism of the Hebrew faith when you approach it from the Hebraic perspective it is. “Christians” overlook the scriptures and do not actually read what it is written. Mark 7 is a perfect example with Acts 10 of what happened in those two examples on food. Christianity wants to ignore the context.
James is right. Put them to the test- i did and what a journey. !!
My wife and i have 33 years together. We both challenged the church (Baptist, UPC, AoG) and we learned the false teaching that has engulfed these doctrines. 119 has key teachings that started making since after several yeas of study.
Im unsure of your rebuttal and smells issue. I started my own journey of the scriptures and apologetics and landed about a yr into it with more amplification from what 119ministries provides. If you could provide some of your few largest disconnects, Id love to hear them. I think you are misunderstanding 119ministries as well as what the Hebrew angle is.
I don’t understand what your complaint is exactly. 119 teaches what the New Testament teaches. That we are to follow Jesus. Just as Paul and the apostles did. They all followed torah until the day they died.
Let me ask you this question. Who in the Bible to you imitate? Because they all observed the feasts , dietary laws, sabbath, and the whole torah.
Have you. It realized that the Christian life you live does not imitate the faith of anyone in scripture ?
Be careful. Jesus would not attend most church meetings and may not be welcome at many Bible believing fellowships. You could not tell Him to disregard the God-given Sabbath. He will not sin by transgressing God’s law. You could not invite Him to a table where pork is served. He would refuse it based on God’s Word which specifies which animals are given for food.