Thank you Maria,
I love to read Paul when he says that before we become a Christian we are under the law and after we are saved we are under grace. But, God forbid, we do not on purpose commit sins because we know that God loves us but, because we love God, we are conscientious and try not to commit sins, even though we might be tempted, since we are still human. God helps us to overcome temptation. I love to visit web sites like Bible. com and put in the word "VISITATION". Christ will come again but all through even the Old Testament, God visited different people with a very wide array of results, and consequences.


Some people might be surprised when they find that God does not just observe our behaviors and wait to dispense judgement or chastisement at a later date.


Here are some instances of VISITATION that occurred throughout the whole Bible. We should live our lives as if God will visit any and every day. Some people had calamity and others, like Job, were refreshed.


Job 10:12
Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.



Isaiah 10:3
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?


Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.



Jeremiah 11:23
And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.



Jeremiah 23:12
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.



Jeremiah 46:21
Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.



Jeremiah 51:18
They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.



Luke 19:44
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.



1 Peter 2:12
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.


Of course, some people will interpret this as being at some future date, but I do not believe so and God, being omnipotent, can visit you anytime he chooses. That is the very meaning of God, all powerful, and permeating all things.


Much Love and Peace, your friend.
Cliff
 

LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS:

Matthew 5:

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.


HAVE HEAVEN AND EARTH PASSED AWAY YET? NO!

Yeshua says here that he came to fulfil the the law? Was this accomplished?

Yes this was however this was accomplished for those who take up their cross and follow him. If you are not bornagain you are still under the law of sin and death, But if you die to yourself and accept him then you are no longer a jew or a gentile you are a new creation in Christ.


Galations says

Gal 2:15 "We, being Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners,
Gal 2:16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through the faith of Yeshua the Messiah, even we believed in Messiah Yeshua, that we might be justified by faith in Messiah, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

Gal 2:17 But if, while we sought to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Messiah a servant of sin? Certainly not!
Gal 2:18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

Gal 2:19 For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I that live, but Messiah living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Gal 2:21 I don't make void the grace of God.
For if righteousness is through the law, then Messiah died for nothing!"


Those who teach us to BREAK one of God’s least commandments even keeping SABBATH, PASSOVER or any of God’s commandments shall be called LEAST!

I have never heard of anyone teaching this in our day, I know consantine made it illegal but mostly what I have seen is that many churches are actually promoting these things , not as a rule though but as a blessing.



20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.


I am glad as a bornagain believer I don’t have to depend on my righteousness to get into the kingdom of heaven. I am a sinner saved by grace and am totally dependant on the his righteousness not mine.This doesn’t mean I am lawless it does mean that I am not led by the law I am led by the Spirit. And the commandment is love.


Rom 8:3 For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
Rom 8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

Abbershay, you wrote:

Yes this was however this was accomplished for those who take up their cross and follow him. If you are not bornagain you are still under the law of sin and death, But if you die to yourself and accept him then you are no longer a jew or a gentile you are a new creation in Christ.

My response:

Here is where a lot of Christians get mixed up. And I used to confuse Paul's writings at one time as well because I was reading it from a Greco-Roman mindset instead of a Hebraic understanding.

You will notice that Paul says in Romans 5 that we have been set free from what? THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH----not GOD'S LAW!

Paul describes several types of law in Romans:

1.) The Law of the Spirit of Life
2.) The Law of Sin and Death
3.) The Law of Moses

So what is he saying? He is saying that the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE (that is the Holy Spirit enabling us to keep the law) has now freed us from a DIFFERENT KIND OF LAW called THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH!

So there is the law in STONE that has been TRANSFERRED to FLESHY TABLES OF THE HEART, by the HOLY SPIRIT, and this is what is known as THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.

2 Corinthians 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

It is not that the law is done away with, but the law has been CHANGED to a different form, from STONE TO FLESH:

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.

WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT MEANS THAT WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE KEEPING THE LAW, BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT WRITES IT IN OUR HEART AND MIND!

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

THERE IS A LAW AT WORK IN US CALLED 'SIN & DEATH' THAT IS AGAINST GOD'S LAW. BUT THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE (the Holy Spirit transferring God's law in our hearts) has now freed us from the inablility to keep God's law!

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

The law in STONE was incompatible with our human nature because we are weak. But because Yeshua condemned sin in the flesh, now the law (which is him) has become flesh and he transferred that law to our hearts and minds. Jesus in your heart means TORAH IN YOUR HEART!

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW OF GOD IS NOW FULFILLED IN US WHO WALK IN THE SPIRIT, because we are now able to KEEP IT BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT LIVES IN US!

The law lives in us now in spiritual form, not in stone. But it is the same law and the same requirements. The only thing that changed was the form in which the law comes to us now.

It is like changing currency. If the price of a gallon of milk is $4.00 at the store, the requirment is still the same whether you pay for it in 4-one dollar bills, a check, 16 quarters, credit card etc.

But if the store won't accept checks or credit cards, then you must use the currency that the store will accept.

Likewise our flesh is like that store that has limitations to which form of currency it will accept. So if I have only Canadian money, I cannot buy the milk, because that store will only accept American money. I have to go to the bank and exchange the Canadian money for American money so that the store will accept my currency. Did the price of the milk change? No, it did not. It stayed the same. Was the Canadian money defective or inferior? No, it is valid currency for Canada, but since the store I went to would only accept American money, that is why the money had to be changed.

God's law has not changed neither the requirments of the law. But God knowing that we are weak changed the law from stone to fleshy tables of the heart so that he is able to make the transaction of imparting the law to us, so that it is a very part of our being.

You wrote:

I am glad as a bornagain believer I don’t have to depend on my righteousness to get into the kingdom of heaven. I am a sinner saved by grace and am totally dependant on the his righteousness not mine.This doesn’t mean I am lawless it does mean that I am not led by the law I am led by the Spirit. And the commandment is love.

My Response:

You are absolutely correct, brother! We are saved by Grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast! None of us are righteous. Even our own righteousness is like filthy rags.

What most believers are confusing is JUSTIFICATION (which is by grace through faith) with SANCTIFICATION (which is the Holy Spirit teaching us to keep God's law).

We are not made righteous by doing works of the law, but FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD:

James 2:

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY!

But what kind of works is he speaking of? Is he speaking of works of the law? No, he is speaking about works motivated by faith.

I keep the law out of faith and love, not out of fear. If I keep the law in order to be made righteous, then my motives are wrong. If I keep the law because I already am righteous by faith, then I keep the law because THAT IS WHO I AM!

Back when I was ignorant of God's Holy Feast days, and I was still celebrating the pagan holidays, I was still righteous by my faith in Yeshua. Now that I know better, I cannot go backwards and celebrate pagan holidays because I would not be doing it in faith. I would be condemning my own conscience.

Romans 14:23 for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
 

Then we agree,

Back when I was ignorant of God's Holy Feast days, and I was still celebrating the pagan holidays, I was still righteous by my faith in Yeshua. Now that I know better, I cannot go backwards and celebrate pagan holidays because I would not be doing it in faith. I would be condemning my own conscience.


Romans 14:23 for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.


I am not asking you to go back to them. I do have some things that i want to talk to you about them though which i will do at a later time.

 

I want to also comment on what you wrote here Abbershay:

Yeshua says here that he came to fulfil the the law? Was this accomplished?

Yes this was however this was accomplished for those who take up their cross and follow him. If you are not bornagain you are still under the law of sin and death, But if you die to yourself and accept him then you are no longer a jew or a gentile you are a new creation in Christ.

My answer:

You are partially correct, but let me explain. Yeshua fulfilled the law, yes, but that does not mean that it is all accomplished as you think. There are still more things in the law to "accomplish" or to "fulfill."

1.) Feast of Trumpets: Resurrection of Believers and 7 day marriage
2.) Day of Atonement: Day of Wrath when Yeshua returns with his bride on white horses
3.) Feast of Tabernacles: The 1,000 years of Sabbath rest with a new body, hence rest for the body.

For now we only have rest (sabbath) for the soul, as Yeshua said "come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest (sabbath) for my yoke is easy and my burden is light, and you shall find rest for your SOULS."

Notice that he said we have "rest for the soul" but not for the body yet. Why? Because we have only recieved the FIRST FRUITS of our REDEMPTION until the REDEMPTION OF THE BODY:

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The Final Redemption will be on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur when we recieve our ressurected body and then SABBATH WILL BE FULFILLED for 1,000 years!

UNTIL THEN SABBATH IS NOT ALL THE WAY FULFILLED!

When Paul said that there is no longer "Jew or Gentile" he meant that at the foot of the cross our inheritance is the same regardless of being Jewish or Gentile.

However Jesus has made all believers Jewish! Don't believe me?

Romans 2:

28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Judah = Jews.

The word Judah in Hebrew is Yehudah. The word Yehudim means Jewish in Hebrew.

When all 12 tribes are grafted into one tribe under Yeshua, we become a part of his tribe and we submit to Judah!

One Tribe, One New Man, One Stick (Ezekiel 37:16-17)

Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Judah holds the sceptre of authority to teach the law until Yeshua's peaceful kingdom (Shiloh).

All other tribes submit to Judah as the lawgivers:

Yeshua said to the woman at the well:

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

In other words the Jews know what they worship because God gave Judah (Jews) the sceptre to be lawgivers in the earth!

Once we are born again by the Holy Spirit we are grafted into Israel and we are all ONE TRIBE under Judah!
 

I dont believe that the feast of first fruits is completed yet. The first part is right now but only the head is glorified, the rest of the body will be glorified to complete it. Yeshua is our the prophetic picture the church livng and dead will be here 40 days just as he was in the glorified body do what Yeshua did and even more. this will provoke the jews to jealousy and show they world that they were wrong. Yet still giving them a chance to be saved unless they have totally hardened their hearts then they will believe the lie that will come .

 

You said
Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.


Judah holds the sceptre of authority to teach the law until Yeshua's peaceful kingdom (Shiloh).


This happened already when Yeshua came. The peaceful kingdom is here and it is inside you.


He came as a lamb he is coming again as a lion.



When Paul said that there is no longer "Jew or Gentile" he meant that at the foot of the cross our inheritance is the same regardless of being Jewish or Gentile.




As for Jews

Judah means praise the Lord

Gen 29:35 She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "This time will I praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Yehudah. Then she stopped bearing.


And Jew means one who praises the Lord.


We can however look at the context of how it is being used to see which is a jew and which is just a term of a group.


For there are many who claim to be Jews yet are not and that doesn’t nessarily have anything to do with their ethic back ground. Again note the context .



Gal 2:11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him in public, because he was clearly wrong.

Gal 2:12 Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there, Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers. But after these men arrived, he drew back and would not eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them.

Gal 2:13 The other Jewish believers also started acting like cowards along with Peter; and even Barnabas was swept along by their cowardly action.

Gal 2:14 When I saw that they were not walking a straight path in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile, not like a Jew.
How, then, can you try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?"
Gal 2:15 Indeed, we are Jews by birth and not "Gentile sinners," as they are called.

Gal 2:16 Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires.

Gal 2:17 If, then, as we try to be put right with God by our union with Christ, we are found to be sinners, as much as the Gentiles are---does this mean that Christ is serving the cause of sin? By no means!
Gal 2:18 If I start to rebuild the system of Law that I tore down, then I show myself to be someone who breaks the Law.

Gal 2:19 So far as the Law is concerned, however, I am dead---killed by the Law itself---in order that I might live for God.
I have been put to death with Christ on his cross,
Gal 2:20 so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

Gal 2:21 I refuse to reject the grace of God.
But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing!


also the feast of first fruits is still not completed since only the head has been glorified and we have yet to follow his pattern of doining everything he did and more.

 

Dear Brother,

You are confusing the literal peaceful kingdom with the one that exists in the spiritual realm. True, he established a peaceful kingdom from WITHIN THE BELIEVER, hence INNER PEACE---"Peace for the Soul."

But God always does things first in the spirit and then the outworking of it in the physical.

The Peaceful Kingdom has not arrived yet in the PHYSICAL WORLD:

Luke 22:18
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Tell me brother, as we embark on WORLD WAR III and as all nations gather against ISRAEL, do you really mean to tell me that this has already taken place?

Isaiah 2:4
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.


Micah 4:3
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

What did Yeshua say?

Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Yeshua is a prophetic "type" of Captain Jehu and Jehu declared:

2 Kings 9:22
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

WHAT PEACE IS THERE WHEN MOTHER HARLOT CHURCH QUEEN JEZEBEL FORGES HER IDOLATRIES AND BAAL WORSHIP IN ISRAEL?

THERE IS NO PEACE ON EARTH UNTIL YESHUA RETURNS AS CAPTAIN JEHU WITH VENGEANCE TO DESTROY JEZEBEL'S FALSE RELIGION AND TRAMPLES HER DOWN IN HIS WRATH ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (Revelation 19).

The Hebrew Strong's Concordance says that Judah means: CELEBRATED

3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw' from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory:--Judah.

Judah (Jews) are the tribe that shall be PRAISED by all of the other tribes (church) in Israel:

Genesis 49:8
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

So, yes Judah means "Praise" and it means CELEBRATED. But it means that the Jews shall be celebrated by all other tribes including the Christian Church.

In the last days, Zechariah said that 10 Gentiles will grab ahold of ONE JEW and say "TEACH US" or WE WILL GO WITH YOU, FOR GOD IS WITH YOU;

Zechariah 8:23
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

You said:

For there are many who claim to be Jews yet are not and that doesn’t nessarily have anything to do with their ethic back ground. Again note the context .

The Apostle Paul told us what makes a true Jew. It means having your heart circumcised by Yeshua so that he is able to impart the Law into your heart and mind by his spirit.

Why did Paul say this?

Gal 2:14 When I saw that they were not walking a straight path in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile, not like a Jew. How, then, can you try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?"

What did it mean to be a Jew in those days? It meant that you were a part of the religious establishment of the corrupted Sanhedrin of that day who abandoned the LAW/TORAH, and they were instead obeying MAN-MADE CUSTOMS OF THE TALMUD.

Paul was telling Peter that he was not living like the religious establishment of the Jews of that time, following their man made customs. His rebuke to Peter was about the fact that he was being hypocritical, expecting the Gentiles to first be circumcised outwardly before they could be accepted into the fold. But it was never about outward circumcision even under the law of Moses:

Leviticus 26:41
And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

You quoted the following verses here, but rather than quoting one of the corrupted New Age Versions, I will use KJV:

Galatians 2:

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Look at how the corrupted version changes what it says from the KJV:

Gal 2:18 If I start to rebuild the system of Law that I tore down, then I show myself to be someone who breaks the Law.

Paul is saying that if while we are justified by Messiah, we still find ourselves to be sinners. So is Messiah a minister of sin? God Forbid! Paul is saying that just because we are not JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW, it does not mean that we are now allowed to BREAK THE LAW, for then Messiah would be called a MINISTER OF SIN, and to that he says GOD FORBID!

"For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor."

What does Paul mean by this? He is saying, "if I build again a religion based on human effort, I am still found to be a sinner."

The Law was NOT INVENTED BY MAN! The Law was WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF YESHUA HIMSELF!

Paul is saying that it is not the DOING of the Law that JUSTIFIES us because then we can BOAST in our own human effort.

But when the LAW becomes a part of us by the Holy Spirit, there is no HUMAN EFFORT involved!

It is not the LAW itself that was done away with. Paul is putting to rest the false notion that we can EARN OUR SALVATION THROUGH HUMAN EFFORT. He is in no way saying that the LAW is no longer valid. It is just not the DOING of the LAW that makes us RIGHTEOUS. We are made RIGHTEOUS by FAITH and then the Holy Spirit is the ONE WHO IS DOING THE WORKS OF THE LAW IN US:

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

It is HIM THAT DOES THE WORK, not us!

It was ALWAYS ABOUT GRACE EVEN UNDER THE OLD COVENANT:

Moses found GRACE in the sight of the Lord, and he acted as a type of Messiah by extending that Grace to the children of Israel:

Exodus 33:12
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

Exodus 33:17
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

The KJV says in Galatians 2:19-21:

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Once again, the LETTER KILLS but the SPIRIT GIVES LIFE.

What is the difference between the Law presented to us in STONE, and the LAW written in our hearts by the HOLY SPIRIT?

The first one involves HUMAN EFFORT. The second one involves the Holy Spirit doing the effort so that WE ARE ABLE TO FULFILL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW!

You wrote:

also the feast of first fruits is still not completed since only the head has been glorified and we have yet to follow his pattern of doining everything he did and more.

In Israel, the FIRST FRUITS is in the FORMER RAIN at the beginning of the harvest season which is already fulfilled all the way with the 3 SPRING FEASTS.

Now at Yeshua's return, he will bring in the LATTER RAIN HARVEST not the FIRST FRUITS.

The first fruits is completely fulfilled:

1 Corinthians 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

If it is not fulfilled then Messiah did not raise from the dead!

1 Corinthians 15:23
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

He is the first fruits of the harvest, and then we get resurrected during the FALL FEASTS AT THE LATTER RAIN, not during the FIRST FRUITS SEASON.

We already have the FIRST FRUITS DOWNPAYMENT OF OUR REDEPTION WITH THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Romans 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
 

Who are the priests under?
 

It depends which priesthood you are speaking of. Yeshua is after the order of Melkisedek and every born again believer is under him as he is a HIGH PRIEST. We are all PRIESTS, KINGS AND PROPHETS UNDER MELKISEDEK:

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Revelation 1:6
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

I don't really know what the relevance of your question is, but when you say "who are the priests under?" Which ones do you mean? Levites or Zadok?
 

It depends which priesthood you are speaking of. Yeshua is after the order of Melkisedek and every born again believer is under him as he is a HIGH PRIEST.
We are all PRIESTS, KINGS AND PROPHETS UNDER MELKISEDEK:

not under Judah
 

Priesthood and Tribes are 2 different things. When speaking of the Tribes in Ezekiel 37:16-17, he was shown that there are 2 Tribes (Ephraim) who represent the tribes of the Gentile Churches who are grafted in with Israel. And then there is Judah (Jews).

These two tribes shall be made ONE STICK, or ONE TRIBE in the hand of YHVH.

All Tribes of Israel who enter into covenant with Yeshua join his tribe which is Judah.

Under the Old Covenant, only the Tribe of Levi were the priests. But under the Zadok priesthood of Melchisidek (tzedek means righteous), all tribes, and every follower of Yeshua is a "priest."
 

you say that since everyone is under the tribe of judah that they need to follow the law and that they need to observe all the feasts just as the tribes did?

Is this correct?
 

No, I do not say that EVERYONE is under the tribe of Judah. When we enter into covenant relationship with Yeshua, we are all ONE TRIBE, ONE STICK, ONE NEW MAN.

See Ephesians 2:15, Ezekiel 37:16-17. Yeshua is the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH is he not?

Are you in his tribe or not?

When you are born again, you are no longer a Gentile or a Stranger, you are in covenant with the 12 Tribes of Israel. You are part of Israel:

Ephesians 2:

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

*** TO MAKE OF THE TWO ONE NEW MAN!

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Do you see? We are no longer strangers or "Gentiles" but we are ISRAEL!

Now, do I say that we need to observe all the feasts? No----But I know someone who does:

Leviticus 23:

41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

IT SHALL BE A STATUTE FOREVER IN YOUR GENERATIONS.

Leviticus 23:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Whose feasts are they? Mine? They are Yehovah's Feasts. He says THESE ARE MY FEASTS.

Yeshua kept them all. Read about it in the book of John. If we want to be like him, we should live as he lived and do as he does.

Must we do them in order GET saved? No.

But if you are saved, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL TEACH YOU TO OBSERVE THEM and you will EARNESTLY DESIRE TO DO THEM.
 

I just came to MySpace to put out a new blog on...Legalism! It's amazing how this topic is finally being confronted and dealt with. It's time the traditions and customs that have usurped God's Torah are shed off, on both Jew and Gentile, so we can come together in biblicval truth. If we ever get past trying to figure out whose right and whose wrong, and past everyones fears, we might just become that One New Man we are supposed to be. I think finally, the steps are being taken by those who really want to see this happen, to pray this in and believe we will be who we are called to be...one in Yeshua. Enjoyed reading this.
Lisa
 

People who follow easter and christmas are very liberal not legalistic at all for the most part.

I think a better definition of the word legalistic would be someone who thinks they have all the answers and wants to take the place of Holy Spirit.

I was just talking to a friend the other day about this , i think every person who really is trying to get closer to the Lord goes through a legalistic period and it is hard and there is no love or joy in it.


I have learned if i will let go and praise , seek, ask and acknowledge God he will direct my paths even when i dont think he is there i look back and see it was him working in me and through me.


When you are being led by the Spirit you will have many legalists come against you because they are so rigid.


One thing i have found that has bothered me about christmas , everyone has a spirit of brotherly love and they are praising Jesus even on the secualr radio stations , and here i sit condeming them because it is associating it with some junk most people have never even heard of before.


That doesnt fit really well with my joy , Its like what am i supposed to stop praising my Yeshua just because some day is associated with paganism? No i praise him everyday.


Yeshua is sovern over everyday of the year.

 

Legalism is trying to adhere to the "Letter" of the law without knowing the heart of God behind the law. The law is there as a "schoolmaster" to point us to Messiah. Now once we know the very heart of "Messiah" we don't have to live this rigid life of trying to keep rules. It is more about relationship and knowing that his heart is never going to contradict his own laws which he himself wrote.

You wrote:

One thing i have found that has bothered me about christmas , everyone has a spirit of brotherly love and they are praising Jesus even on the secualr radio stations , and here i sit condeming them because it is associating it with some junk most people have never even heard of before.

That doesnt fit really well with my joy , Its like what am i supposed to stop praising my Yeshua just because some day is associated with paganism? No i praise him everyday.

Yeshua is sovern over everyday of the year.

My Response:

"Brotherly Love" means that we are all washed in the blood of Messiah and that is what makes us "brothers." People in the world have a false unity or "brotherly love" based on "let's party and have fun." It is not the genuine "brotherly love" of the overcoming church called Philadelphia in Revelation 3. That kind of love is the kind of love that is willing to lay down one's life for his friends. In the world it is all phony and based on a big fat lie. Funny how only on December 25th people are loving, and what about the rest of the year?

Why is December 25th a magical day for everyone in the world? Why does Satan delight to make everyone think Yeshua was born on that day?

Because in Paganism December 25th is the sign of the "goat" Satan himself. In gnosticism, it is taught that Jesus & Lucifer are one! They say that Jesus is a reincarnation of Lucifer and all of the reincarnated false Messiah's always born on December 25th.

But Yeshua was born in September under the constellation of Virgo, the virgin and she was giving birth to "Ariel" the Lion on that day September 11th 3 B.C. This constellation was seen at no other time in history:

Revelation 12:

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

Did I praise Yeshua on December 25th? Absolutely!! Did I call it "Christ Massacre" like the invention of the Catholic Church did in the 5th Century? NO!

I do not think it is MERRY to rehearse the sacrifice of the Catholic Massacre of Messiah at every MASS where it is believed that the sun god is being reincarnated on December 25th in a sun shaped round wafter and then we all EAT HIM, and he manifests in us, and we all become little reincarnations of "Christ" according to the secret teachings of the Illuminati (Jesuits in Rome).

Yeshua died for sin only once, not DAILY as the Catholic Church falsely teaches:

Romans 6:10
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

When we say MERRY CHRISTMASS, we are agreeing with the Catholic Church that Messiah should be crucified daily as the priest has the power to pull him down from his heavenly throne. The RCC says that "Christ performs the function of the victim anew at every mass."

Can I still praise Yeshua without saying "Let's be merry about sacrificing our Yeshua again and again at the Mass"? Of course.

What did I do on December 25th? I fasted and prayed and read my Bible. I did not exchange gifts under a tree (a custom started in ancient Babylon doing orgies under trees for the pagan sun god)

I did not errect a tree for Nimrod or Baal and decorate it with little balls to commemorate Nimrod's testicles that were cut off by Noah's son Shem.

I did not lie and tell every one that it is his birth when it is the birth of Nimrod, Tammuz, Apollo, Bacchus, Krishna, Mithra, etc etc. I am not going to lump him in with all of those false pagan Messiah's always reincarnated every December 25th.

I celebrated his birth last year in September on the Feast of Taberncles.

Sure, we praise Yeshua every day, and we also remember the days he asks us to keep in memory of him. How hard can that be?
 

you said

Legalism is trying to adhere to the "Letter" of the law without knowing the heart of God behind the law. The law is there as a "schoolmaster" to point us to Messiah. Now once we know the very heart of "Messiah" we don't have to live this rigid life of trying to keep rules. It is more about relationship and knowing that his heart is never going to contradict his own laws which he himself wrote.


we dont need a school master once we recieve the Holy Spirit. The law is for those who dont have that. Thats just what i said legalism wants to take the place of the Holy spirit.




Brotherly Love" means that we are all washed in the blood of Messiah and that is what makes us "brothers." People in the world have a false unity or "brotherly love" based on "let's party and have fun." It is not the genuine "brotherly love" of the overcoming church called Philadelphia in Revelation 3. That kind of love is the kind of love that is willing to lay down one's life for his friends. In the world it is all phony and based on a big fat lie.
Funny how only on December 25th people are loving, and what about the rest of the year?

I agree with you to a degree
However i think you are wrong about the worldly people many of them i have found to have more love than practically all the religious legalisic folks i have ever met.


I found it most interesting when i was having a job experience this past summer , i recieved more love and help from drug addicts than people i really thought i could depend on.



As for the party , why do you suppose it says dont be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit?

It says it because when people get drunk with wine many times they are all lovey dovey and their inhibitions and legalisms are out the window they are loose and hug and tell people that they love them they are generous .


THis is how we are supposed to be without getting drunk with wine.


i would rather be a drinker and loving God than someone who walked around looking for ways to condem people because i thought i was so good because in my eyes i did everything right.


I believe that God loves people far more than he wants to condem them.



you said

Yeshua died for sin only once, not DAILY as the Catholic Church falsely teaches:


Can you actually find one catholic that believes this?
 

Abbershay, you wrote:

we dont need a school master once we recieve the Holy Spirit. The law is for those who dont have that. Thats just what i said legalism wants to take the place of the Holy spirit.

My Response:

What do you call the Holy Spirit being a teacher?

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Spirit is our TEACHER/SCHOOLMASTER----SAME THING!

The Holy Spirit is the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE who frees us from THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. He is the one who WRITES GOD'S LAW IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS.

You wrote:

I agree with you to a degree. However i think you are wrong about the worldly people many of them i have found to have more love than practically all the religious legalisic folks i have ever met.

My Response:

What you have sajd makes no sense. Loving God is demonstrated by keeping his commandments. How can people who are disobeying God's commandments be showing him love?

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 15:10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1 John 2:3
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 2:4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

We demonstrate our LOVE FOR GOD by keeping his commandments

2nd Corinthians 6:

16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

You will notice that God does not recieve us until we COME OUT OF THE TEMPLE OF IDOLS!

You wrote:

i would rather be a drinker and loving God than someone who walked around looking for ways to condem people because i thought i was so good because in my eyes i did everything right.

My Response:

Once again, this makes no sense. If you are a "drinker" or a "drunkard" you cannot love God:

1 Corinthians 6:10
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

We demonstrate that we love God by KEEPING HIS COMMANDENTS.

You wrote:

I believe that God loves people far more than he wants to condem them.

My Response:

Absolutely! God loves people enough to not want to share them with other false pagan gods. That is why he said that he is a JEALOUS God. That is why he divorced Israel in Jeremiah 3:8 for whoring after false pagan gods.

He loves us enough to discipline us when we need it. Love is not "SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE."

Hebrews 12:

5.....My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Yeshua said that he did not come to "condemn" the world but to save the world. But does this mean that he does not judge us or discipline us?

Hebrews 10:

30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

If you were married and your wife consistently cheated on you, would you continue to put up with her no matter how much you loved her?

So why do you think God will not judge us for whoring after other gods? He loves us enough to judge us now instead of waiting until judgment day for then it will be too late for us to repent.

You wrote:

Can you actually find one catholic that believes this?

My Response:

Yes! My own parents for starters!
 

Dear Ariel

I don’t know where you get the idea that I am against observing the feasts , as I said they are blessing . Granted I haven’t went out and sacrificed any lambs as Yeshua completed this task . However if I was going to keep the feast like you say I would be required to sacrifice a lamb.


And I haven’t built a hut in the back yard popped a whole in the roof and stayed out there for 8 days either but it may be fun I wouldn’t mind trying it.


I watch the days of teshuva and try to make sure that I have repented of anything before the days of awe. I have also prayed for the Jews before the days of Purim.



You said

No, I do not say that EVERYONE is under the tribe of Judah. When we enter into covenant relationship with Yeshua, we are all ONE TRIBE, ONE STICK, ONE NEW MAN.


See Ephesians 2:15, Ezekiel 37:16-17. Yeshua is the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH is he not? If they were then it would say that it was added to Judah but you added that they would be called Judah it didn’t say that.


We are not the sticks at all ! we are Israel yes! Note though I am not into replacement theology.


Jews can be part of Israel but being Jewish doesn’t make them part of Israel.


The bones are the army of the Lord this is the redeemed . How do I know this the answer is because there is no blood . Just flesh and bone. When the dead are raised and we are changed we will no longer have blood.


Eze 37:9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

Eze 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Eze 37:11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Eze 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
Eze 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.








Also where you used this it was talking about the circumcision covenant how the 2 men one of the circumcision and one uncurcumcision have became one new man. Since the enmity which was the circumcision was done away with.



Also You said

But Yeshua was born in September under the constellation of Virgo, the virgin and she was giving birth to "Ariel" the Lion on that day September 11th 3 B.C.
This constellation was seen at no other time in history: ( I don’t disagree with you )

Revelation 12:

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.


This also happened at the end of December or early January in the year 2000 I remember because it was big news to endtime watchers.

 

You wrote:

I don’t know where you get the idea that I am against observing the feasts , as I said they are blessing . Granted I haven’t went out and sacrificed any lambs as Yeshua completed this task . However if I was going to keep the feast like you say I would be required to sacrifice a lamb.

My Answer:

I never said that you were against them at all. But by your false accusation of me being "legalistic" you are implying that it is "optional" even though God made it clear he wants us to keep them.

As for sacrificing a lamb, don't you know that God considers it an abomination to make a sacrifice outside of the temple in Jerusalem? And since that temple has been destroyed there can not be any animal sacrifices. What makes you think you have to sacrifice a lamb in order to keep the feasts when we have the lamb of God, Yeshua as our sacrifice? We keep the feast with him in mind now. They all point to him!

You wrote:

And I haven’t built a hut in the back yard popped a whole in the roof and stayed out there for 8 days either but it may be fun I wouldn’t mind trying it.

I watch the days of teshuva and try to make sure that I have repented of anything before the days of awe. I have also prayed for the Jews before the days of Purim.

My Answer:

This is great! I am not making any ruling as to HOW we celebrate the feasts. I am merely saying that we should acknowledge them. That means we can simply have a Bible study at our house on that day and study about it, acknowledge it and keep it the best we know how. I never said it had to be done in any rabbinical ritualistic way.

You wrote:

If they were then it would say that it was added to Judah but you added that they would be called Judah it didn’t say that. We are not the sticks at all ! we are Israel yes! Note though I am not into replacement theology.

My Answer:

DON'T CONFUSE REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY WITH ANOTHER HERESY IN THE CHURCH CALLED DISPENSATIONALISM!

Dispensationalism teaches that the Church is a completely different entity from Israel---wrong!

Replacement Theology teaches that the Church has REPLACED Israel---wrong!

But extremes are totally wrong! The church has not REPLACED Israel, we are GRAFTED IN WITH ISRAEL!

You are totally wrong about believes not being the STICKS AT ALL!

Ephraim is a "type" of the Gentile Christian Church. Read about this in Genesis 48. He was a son of Joseph born to an Egyptian (Gentile) mother. Joseph is a "type" of Messiah, and his Egyptian wife is a "type" of the Heathen Gentile nations whom Yeshua marries. Their child Ephraim is a "type" of the Christian Church born from that marriage.

Ephraim thought he was Egyptian because he was born in an Egyptian (Gentile) culture.

Then when his grandfather (Israel) came and gave him the blessing, he suddenly realizes, "Hey I am not a Gentile, my inheritance is with Israel. "

This is a prophetic picture of the Church thinking that they are a separate entity from Israel but then they suddenly realize one day "hey our inheritance is with Israel. "

Ephraim Judah becoming ONE STICK in Ezekiel 37:16-17 is a prophecy about Gentile Christians (Ephraim) and Jewish Believers in Yeshua (Judah) becoming ONE STICK IN THE HAND OF THE LORD! But whose tribe will we be in? Figure it out! Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah?

So are you trying to tell me that Yeshua and the Jews have to join the tribe of Ephraim now? No! Yeshua is from the Tribe of Judah and we all become ONE STICK, ONE NEW MAN in him under the sceptre of Judah! He holds the sceptre (authority) to teach the law.

You wrote:

Jews can be part of Israel but being Jewish doesn’t make them part of Israel.

The bones are the army of the Lord this is the redeemed . How do I know this the answer is because there is no blood . Just flesh and bone. When the dead are raised and we are changed we will no longer have blood.

My Answer:

Physical descendants of Abraham are just as much "Israel" as the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Believers are joint heirs to the promises of Abraham through the blood of Messiah.

What you are saying now is exactly what REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY TEACHES! Replacement Theology says that the physical descendants of Abraham are no longer part of Israel. But God promises to bring them back into covenant relationship by opening up their eyes to Yeshua.

There are the physical descendants of Abraham and then there are the spiritual descendants of Abraham through the blood of Messiah. Both groups must come by faith in Yeshua and by the blod. The physical descendants will be saved in time. That is a promise. They will see Yeshua as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).

Now if you are refering to those practicing Judaism but they are not necessarily physical descendants of Abraham and Sarah, then you are correct. Practicing Judaism does not guarantee us a place with the Tribe of Judah. Practicing any human effort cannot "earn" our salvation. It must come by faith in Yeshua's work on the cross.

But there is a HUGE difference between RABBINIC JUDAISIM (with the oral law and traditions of men added in)and BIBLICAL JUDAISM (which is what Yeshua followed).

You are getting these two confused.

As for Ezekiel 37 and the dry bones prophecy that is pretty obvious that it is the resurrection of all believers at once, Jew Gentiles. There is only ONE RESURRECTION for all believers Jew Gentile IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION (see Daniel 12), every one gets raptured at once, Jew Gentile.

You wrote:

Also where you used this it was talking about the circumcision covenant how the 2 men one of the circumcision and one uncurcumcision have became one new man. Since the enmity which was the circumcision was done away with.

My answer:

The "enmity" was not the circumcision. The enmity is THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. That is to say that fallen nature within us all that makes us want to sin and disobey God's law.

It is not necessary for people to be physically circumcised in order to enter into covenant. But it is not a sin either for us to circumcise our baby boys now. We should still circucmcise our baby boys for cleanliness sake on the 8th day. But it does not bring one into covenant relationship. What brings us into covenant relationship is having our heart circumcised.
 

you said

What do you call the Holy Spirit being a teacher?

yes thats right but you said that it was the law.


My Response:

What you have sajd makes no sense. Loving God is demonstrated by keeping his commandments.
How can people who are disobeying God's commandments be showing him love?

you dont get it , i am saying that the legalistic religious is no different .If a person is doing these things they are doing things worse than being a drunkard . Its a wonder if they are even saved. Love is the key.
And Love covers a multitude of sins


you say that your parents think they are crucifing christ at every mass? and why do they say they do this?
 

you said

Yes thats right but you said that it was the law.

My Response:

The LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE (Romans 8) is the HOLY SPIRIT bringing to life the LAW OF GOD!

Most Christians think (as I once used to) that the Holy Spirit REPLACED God's law. But this is totally false! The Holy Spirit brings the Law of God to life within us!

YESHUA IS THE LIVING WORD, THE LIVING TORAH (LAW), right?

Okay so the LIVING LAW was crucified, therefore he crucified the LAW IN STONE on the cross. Now that same LIVING LAW resurrected and so now we have the LIVING LAW IN US!

You wrote:

you dont get it , i am saying that the legalistic religious is no different .

My Response:

Brother I don't think you "get it." This entire blog is dedicated to showing us that Yeshua NEVER rebuked the religious leaders of his day for keeping God's laws! No, he rebuked them for MAKING UP THEIR OWN LAWS!

That is what LEGALISM IS! Making up our own laws instead of keeping God's laws! The Catholic Church MADE UP Christmas & Easter in the 5th Century and made it a ROMAN LAW!

CHRIST MASS & EASTER ARE LEGALISM!

You wrote:

Love is the key.And Love covers a multitude of sins.

My Response:

Love does cover a multitude of sins which is why Yeshua died for us to cover our multitude of sins! But that does not mean he will continue to cover us if we willfully go on sinnning:

Hebrews 10:

26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Notice that God says that under the New Covenant if we go on sinning after recieving the truth, THERE REMAINS NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS! In other words the NEW COVENANT IS MORE STRICT THAN THE OLD COVENANT!

Why? Because we now have all of the resources we need to live holy as Yeshua lived. We have his blood sacrifice, we have his covenant, we have the Holy Spirit in us now who WRITES GODS LAW IN OUR HEARTS!

No more excuses! We have everything we need to live exactly like Yeshua!

You wrote:

you say that your parents think they are crucifing christ at every mass? and why do they say they do this?

My Response:

Don't ask me, they simply agree with the Catholic Catechism as it is written. You want me to figure out why they believe in this blasphemy?
 

you said

That is what LEGALISM IS! Making up our own laws instead of keeping God's laws! The Catholic Church MADE UP Christmas & Easter in the 5th Century and made it a ROMAN LAW.


I agree with you in part legalism is far far more than this. It is enforcing your own man made interpretation of laws on others .
But even that isnt the whole of the legalist,

i have a friend of mine who calls me a legalist because i take the word so litterally. I personally find that to be a good thing.


legalism the way i see it is very ruling with and outward appearance of love but inside they want to stab you in the back the first chance they get.

 

Matthew 5:17
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


Again:

Matthew 5:17
Nomizo me hoti erchomai kataluo nomos e prophetes: Erchomai ou erchomai Kataluo alla pleroo.


A more accurate translation:

Matthew 5:17
Don't suppose that I have come here to dissolve the law, or the prophets: I come not [I have not come] to dissolve, rather to obey.


An interesting word within this verse is the word "pleroo" which is commonly translated "fulfil", but in actuality is a present tense word that means "to constantly do", "to complete on a daily basis" "to fulfil daily".


Shalom!
 

Is this the Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew or the Aramiac Peshitta that you are quoting from?
 

I am impressed by the knowledge that all of you have shown here and I thank you all for blessing my life this day with your teaching. Moreover, I am thankful and encouraged by the respect and patience that you show for one another while debating these beliefs. I have seen such dicsussions before, turn ugly and become a ridiculous religious argument and fruitless. I am not nearly as knowledgeable as any of you here, but the Lord does reveal the truth to me through the spirit. I have always loved the simplicity of the Grace of God, his love for us and of my own salvation. I usually avoid such debates, as I am not so knowledgeable and would fear that I might confuse others and perhaps even lead them astray.


I do know however, that the law is now written in each one of us (spirit filled believers) and it is through the conviction of the holy spirit that abides within us, that we keep God's commandments. I believe that, as we are MORE filled with the spirit, we we are LESS likely to fall into temptation and sin. The more spirit filled we become, the more we can put off the old man. I believe that the cleansing or renewing of our minds and spirit is a daily or continual process. It is part of our daily communion or walk with Yeshua. It is for me anyway.


As for our "traditional holidays" that we celebrate in The U.S. (and elsewhere), of course they are riddled with pagan ritual. That is obvious. I believe, historically speaking, that came about during the creation of the Roman Catholic Church and it's union with the Roman Empire. That union, no doubt, was one of Satan's greatest accomplishments and multitudes have been led astray because of it. As for myself, I have not been led by the spirit to necessarily shun the clebration of those traditions, but rather to teach the truth about them as I know it to be.
I do however, look forward to learning more about this!

In regard to the sabbath, I believe that is another thing that has been distorted by the Catholic "church" in another attempt though the years to exert their supposed authority and deception. I do believe however, that as born again, spirit filled believers, that every moment of every day is a day for worship and praise. As for a day of rest, I really don't know what to say about that. I feel that the time is short and there is much work to be done, spiritually speaking.
I feel I dare not rest!

I ask that you forgive my ignorance, if I have blatantly dispayed it here to you.
I just felt moved to throw in my part here and I pray that it is of some value! I am honored to be a part of your company and to be your brother in Yeshua! May God bless you and guide your paths! I look forward to meeting each of you one day! (That is an amazing thought in itself!)

Your fellow servant, brother in Yeshua and God's warrior,

Richard
 

"I do believe however, that as born again, spirit filled believers, that every moment of every day is a day for worship and praise.
"

I have to respond to Unknown's response here, Maria. This is such a distortion, that many Believers use to negate the Sabbath. I was one, so I understand. This is not what God says, this is what man says. The Sabbath is a joy, it is not burdensome!! Once I understood it, I look at my weekends differently. The Sabbath is about rest and being in God's presence. He ordained it. Why not do that? Now, I understand the blessing that is in the Sabbath. I'm not "legalistic" about it, and I still have a long way to go. I am a RN (hospice), and I work nights and weekends, including Friday night, from 5pm-8am. I know that I am in the healing business, but also, I have the absolute luxury of working from home, as a triage nurse. I CAN spend all night with the Lord, in worship, in-between giving nursing advice. I rest when I get off work, and keep my mind on Him for the time that I'm awake. How cool is that? Now, I look forward to the day of being released entirely, from my job.


I am growing in my understanding of what being grafted in, really means. I celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles for the first time, last year. My life has been amazing, full of blessings, every since, more than ever. I have a passion for the peace of Jerusalem, and I am pursuing a Master's degree in Messianic Jewish Studies, so that I can learn more. This is not taught in my church, and I still go to church on Sunday, for now (after I get off of work at 8am). I want to minister the gospel of Yeshua to the Jews, and this is so exciting to me! I wonder, what have we been fighting? We have kicked against the prick, and picked over God's word, abusing His grace, for far too long. I have no desire to celebrate pagan holidays, anymore. Its a joy to celebrate the feasts, the Passover, and anything that the Lord says to celebrate. Its always a party!! His yoke is so easy.


Thank you soooo much, for this amazing blog, my sister!! I am learning more and more.


Patricia
 

Hello Patricia, I have read your responses on many blogs and I appreciate your encouragement and faithfullness to our brothers and sisters in Yeshua. I just wanted to clarify here, that I was not trying to distort anything nor make excuses to not observe the sabbath. I was only stating that I do not know and more importantly, that I would like to know the truth about this matter.


I'll tell you now, I see the Holy Spirit moving amongst us in a great way and I truly believe now that we are being gathered together. God is revealing many things that many of us have been previously blind to and I believe it all is in preparation for the fulfillment of prophecy and the return of Messiah. I believe we are living in the days of the lukewarm and the false prophets. I believe that now is the time of the separation of the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats. Is there any more accurate description of our current culture and society than "a generation of vipers?" I think that the fact that God is our strength and our salvation is about to take on a much more vivid meaning to all of us.
We must all be prepared and the time is short!

Regarding Maria's writing here, I find no fault nor anything that would make me believe that it is not truth. In as much as God has given me understanding, it is my belief that she is a blessed messenger and that the message she is bringing to us is crucial, not only in how we should worship, but in how we should encourage and teach one another in kindness and in love as Yehua taught and demonstrated to us.


By the way, my name is Richard. The "unknown" was taken frm a piece of poetry that I wrote and which is posted on my page.


May God bless you and guide your way,

Richard
 

Thank you, Richard! Your comments are very valuable in the kingdom! Thanks for sharing your honest and humble heart :)

Shalom in Yeshua!

Maria

PS Looking forward to meeting you in the kingdom someday as well!
 

Ditto! And I might add an amen.

 

I was about to add my "tow cents" then I read Richards comments; I found them more suitable.

I must say that I have spent most of my holiday (the 4th) reading your blogs and the following discussions or comments and have learned a lot and had a lot of what I have already known confirmed.
A most enjoyable day!!
 

Hello Maria,

I believe now, that God has led me here and that through the holy spirit, is teaching me truths that I had not previously been aware of. He has given me a thirst to know the truth and to get to the heart of the matter in all things. That being the case, I would like to thank you for your boldness in your teaching. Your writing here had been very encouraging and has opened my eyes and my thinking to much that I had not previously known or understood.


So, I ask you now, what is one to do with this knowledge? Myself, I am moving and will seek out a place to worship. I am in prayer regarding God's will for my life and I want to live my life according to his commandments and to do what he would have me do. Honestly, I have never been comfortable with religion and have always felt that there is a great difference between religion and spirituality. On the other hand, I am drawn to worship through the spirit and need that communion with my brothers and sisters.


I suppose, to be more direct, my question is this; where and how does a born again believer in Yeshua worship and gather together with other believers in a manner that is according to scripture? Do you or anyone else have any suggestions regarding this? I believe that what you are teaching is truth, but I am not sure what to do about it! I will be in prayer about it, but I want to know if there is a course of action that someone might suggest, now that we have this understanding regarding the sabbath and the truth about these pagan celebrations that are so imbedded in our christian traditions.
What does one do to worship in spirit and in truth according to this teaching?
 

My dear Maria,

Have you been in prayer for me regarding my questions? I suspect that you have.
If so, I'll tell you that you are blessed and the prayers of the righteous are powerful!

I believe that the Lord revealed to me this evening the answer that I have been searching for. I grew up around baptist churches and around a lot of people who were religious, but who were definitely not spirit filled. I speak in general of course, because there were those who were. I've had difficulties with the watered down christianity and the fire and brimstone, hell, scrutinity and condemnation, do as I say, not as I do folks as well. When I found Christ (when he called to me more accurately) and became a believer and received the holy spirit, I saw things differently and often times was disappointed in what I heard being taught and preached. I would think to myself..."that doesn't sound right to me" and "would Jesus agree with this teaching?" Over the years I fell away and can only blame myself and my own weakness. Had I a better foundation I might have weathered the storm, but my house was built of sand and I fell to every temptation.


Not long ago, He brought me back to him, very much in a spiritual way as the first time when I came to know him. I am so undeserving and it brings tears to my eyes whenever I think of the incredible gift that is our salvation and the love that he shows toward us.


Ok, to get to the point, I am back from a long journey it seems and that journey has not all been useless. He has taught me much over the years. So now I seek the truth and want to be close to my Lord Yeshua. I want to serve him, as I know now, that this is the purpose of my being. I don't want diluted religion, but I want to worship in spirit and I want it real. I want to worship him in the way that he meant us to worship him and I want to live my life and truly be in his image. I want to know other believers that want that as well. I know that they exist, but they're so hard to find it seems. Maybe I just haven't been ready before this time. So, this is what I found...

http://www. bethyeshuaftw. org

Do you think they would welcome my presence there and let me worship with them? I have a lot to learn and I really feel that this is where I am being led to. The answer was actually right in front of my eyes...I guess I'm a little slow sometimes.


You don't have to post this if you don't want to. It was actually just a message to let you know, so you might share in this blessing. I just want to sincerly thank you. Your teaching has been a great help to me.
You have my eternal respect and gratitude! Thank you so much!

May our Lord and saviour Yeshua bless you and be close to you all the days of your life!

Richard
 

Great job!
 

I read this with interest, and feel I have some comments that I need to make. I will admit that I represent a different viewpoint, and I had one "brother" delete me from his friends because I felt he was off base and tried to reason why. But I still need to share this.


First, you stated Christmas and Easter are legalism. This is true if and only one says a person who does not celebrate those days are out of fellowship with God. Jesus condemns traditions that replace or legitimize disobedience to God's commands, but Paul tells his readers to keep the traditions they have taught. If a tradition is for the purpose of keeping God's commandments, it is not wrong. If it neither promotes or prevents the keeping of God's commandments, I feel it is harmless.
And can a person celebrate Christ's birth and resurrection in addition to the Jewish feasts?

I've also learned there is no such thing as a legalist. There are only two different types of non-legalists. The first are those who define legalism as saying we are saved by works as opposed to by grace through faith, saying those who question a person's relationship with God based on using a translation other than the KJV or by the music they listen to, etc are legalists.


The second non-legalist, which I'll call non-legalist B, would fit the description non-legalist A would give of legalism. BUT what these non-legalists are promoting are not man's traditions but God's commands, so they aren't guilty of legalism -- rather they are doing what Jesus said. However, non-legalist B 1 and non-legalist B 2 disagree about what are God's commands, and 1 considers 2 to be teaching traditions of man and vice versa, and they condemn each other and probably non-legalist A for that matter.


I find non-legalism A more refreshing.


One verse I rarely hear mentioned is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says if someone is in Christ, he is a new creation and that the old has passed away and all has become new. Doesn't this include one's wants? In other words, a Christian can do whatever he wants and be saved because what he wants is to please God and forsake sin. Carefully observing the end of Romans 7 shows the same thing: Paul's want is to do what's right, but he gives in to what he doesn't want to do (which is to sin).


You are right, Maria, as far as your list of seven things people do. But let me give a different perspective. As Peter said in Acts 15, no one was able to bear the burden of the law, and God Himself in the Old and New Testament boils the Law down from 619 (I know that number is close) in the Torah to a handful in Ps. 15 to four in Ps. 24 to three in Hosea 12:6 and Micah 6:8 (the same three in both cases) to two by Jesus (love God and love your neighbor) to one by Paul in Rom. 13:8-10 and Gal. 5:14, stating that loving our neighbor fulfills the whole law, which compares to 1 John 4 where it says that we can't love God without loving our brother.


In other words, what is in our heart is the most important thing, and it will work out. But it is not reading the right translation or listening to the right music or even our diet or the day we congregate (after all, the Sabbath was given as a day of rest, not as the day for corporate worship) that saves us -- to believe so is legalism. It is what is in the believer's heart, showing up as the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5:22-23.


Thanks for letting me say my piece. It will be interesting to see if this gets posted. As I said, I wrote another comment to a blog I had problems with, trying to show a godly attitude in my disagreement. Not only was that comment not posted, but he deleted me as a friend. Hope this is not the case here.


Jeff
 

Jeff, you are correct in saying that there is no such word as "legalism" in the scriptures. But the concept of legalism which was defined by Yeshua himself, is in the fact that the Pharisees REPLACED God commandments with their own TRADITIONS.

When the Apostle Paul uses the word "tradition" he is referring not to the "the traditions of men" (as Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees for). But he is referring to the traditions of keeping Gods's word:

2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

In every other passage of scripture where the word "tradition" is used, it is used in a negative connotation regarding the TRADITIONS OF MEN:

Matthew 15:3
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Matthew 15:6
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mark 7:8
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Mark 7:13
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

1 Peter 1:18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

Notice that there is a huge difference between the TRADITIONS OF MEN versus the TRADITIONS handed down to us by God himself.

Christmas & Easter cannot be classified as Traditions of God because they point to false Messiah. These pagan sun god worship festivals lump Jesus in with the pagan sun gods that were always reincarnated every December 25th such as Bacchus, Apollo, Nimrod, Tammuz, etc.

Yeshua is "set apart" he is shown as the genuine Messiah by the fact that he was born on an important FEAST OF THE LORD, called the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) which fell this year on October 15th, but the year he was born it fell on September 26th (because of the moons).

To insinuate that he was born on the Catholic Massacre Day (Christ Massacre) suggests that the Catholic Mass is biblical, and that we must crucify him afresh at every MASS. I am not merry about crucifying my Saviour over and over again at the Catholic Mass. That is why I will not say "Merry Christ Massacre." Furthermore to have him born on the winter solstice on December 25th when Tammuz the pagan sun god was reincarnated from Nimrod at the Tower of Babel, only suggest that Jesus is nothing more than a reincarnation of one of the gnostic pagan sun gods. That is what the Roman Emporer Constantine believed. He believed that Jesus was a reincarnation of Mithra the sun god, reincarnated on December 25th when they used to offer up babies on the altar to Molech and burn them alive!

God hated this TRADITION very much because he warned us in Ezekiel 8 not to do these abominations. He also warned us in Jeremiah 10 not to do what the heathens do by cutting down a tree and decorating it with silver and gold. This TRADITION was to commemorate Nimrod who was "cut down" like a tree, and the silver and gold balls were supposed to be his testicles.

We cannot slap the name of Jesus on it now, and somehow we think that sanctifies it. God is a Holy God, and he will not have fellowship with the table of demons. We cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. We cannot MIX pagan sun god festivals with the HOLY FEAST DAYS OF THE LORD that he commands us to keep FOREVER, THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS. These commandments were for all Israel (including grafted in Gentiles).

When the Papacy instituted Christ Massacre & Easter to replace the commandments of God, they made the word of God of NONE EFFECT in the church, and the Protestants have gone along with it. Why? Because they worship the Beast!

You decide. Should we keep God's commandments? Or shall we keep the traditions of men?

When I decided not to keep the traditions of men any longer, (Christmas and Easter) but rather the commandments of God instead. Many people that I went to church with began treating me as if I was losing my salvation. If you don't call that LEGALISM, then you need to see that is exactly what the Pharisees did! They used their own man made traditions to heap on men's shoulders.

There are 613 laws in the Torah.

6 + 1 + 3 = 10

1 + 0 = 1

All of the Law is summed up in ONE COMMANDMENT because if we truly love God who is himself ONE GOD (not three), then the fruit of that will be born out in the fact that we will desire to keep all of his commandments.

Some have rationalized that Homosexuality is now lawful because we are "not under the law" but rather under grace. I know people who rationalize "I may be gay, but I love my neighbor, therefore I am keeping the whole law."

Or how about rationlizing that it's okay to have sex with animals (beastiality) so long as we love our neighbor? Do you see what this rationale leads to?

I am sure that you would not agree with this rationale. But do we "pick and choose" which of the commandments we want to apply for today and which ones we want to toss out?

Do you see how problematic this becomes? That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 "until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all be fulfilled."

Do you see that we must see all of the Torah as relevant for today or none of it? Yes of course that we are not able to keep the Torah in our flesh. We know this. But the Holy Spirit has now written the Torah (instructions) in our hearts and minds. So now that it has been deposited within us, we desire to keep all of it. Not just One commanment, not just 2 commandments, not just 10 commandments. We desire to keep all 613 of them summed up in one commandment.

The temple ordinances are not able to be kept without a temple since it was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. All of the temple ordinances were meant to point to the "lamb slain since the foundation of the world" and they were always meant to point to him. Nobody ever thought under the Old Covenant that the blood of bulls and goats took away sin. They knew that it was merely a prophetic picture of the Messiah's future atonement.

We are under a higher priesthood called Melchisidek now. That higher order supercedes the Levitical priesthood. Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit.

We now can appropriate the law under the order of Melchisidek with the blood of the lamb as our atonement. This means that we are now able to keep the law (through the Holy Spirit's power in us) and that we have a blood sacrifice that covers us incase we slip and fall. We have an advocate with the Father. If we confess our sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

The law is within us now under the New Covenant, making it even more possible to live the way Jesus lived, as he kept the Torah 100% of the time. He has given us every resource to live like he did. He has given us his blood to cover our sins, and he has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the lawlessness that lives in our mortal members. Through crucifying our mortal members, we can live out the Torah when we walk in the spirit.

The Holy Spirit will never lead us to keep pagan sun god festivals. The Holy Spirit will always lead us to keep God's Holy Days.

We only keep pagan sun god festivals when we are following the doctrines and commandments of men.

So what is legalism? Keeping the DOCTRINES AND COMMANDMENTS OF MEN instead of the commandments of God!