Some life giving scriptures to ponder!
Some life giving scriptures to ponder!
On honoring Yahweh with your abundance
On "Thus He declared all foods ritually clean" (Mark 7 19)
On the importance of being holy
On the importance of rejecting false teachers and the sinful
On the "Good News" - Exactly what is it?
On Torah and obedience to Torah
On adding or subtracting to the Word
On the difficulty understanding the teachings of Sha'ul (Paul)
Why we wear tzitzit?
Numbers 15: 37 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 38 "Speak to the people of Isra'el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. 39 It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of YAHWEH's mitzvot and obey them, so that you won't go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you to prostitute yourselves; 40 but it will help you remember and obey all my mitzvot and be holy for your God.
There are no scriptures to indicate that followers of the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob are NO LONGER to wear tzitzit, or that this, or any other "forever" command, "ended". Notice also the command is not just for "the Jews." The command is for the "people of Isra'el" which not only included ALL the Tribes, but anyone who follows Yahweh as their God!
His Name:
Exodus 3: 15 God said further to Moshe, "Say this to the people of Isra'el: 'Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [YAHWEH], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya'akov, has sent me to you. 'This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.
Makes one wonder why He is known only as "God" in most "religions"....
Shabbat:
Exodus 31: 12 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 13 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am YAHWEH, who sets you apart for me. 14 Therefore you are to keep my Shabbat, because it is set apart for you.
Exodus 31: 16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days YAHWEH made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'"
Isaiah 58: 13 "If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, YAHWEH's holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in YAHWEH - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of YAHWEH has spoken."
Luke 4: 16 Now when he [Yeshua] went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read...
Mark 2: 27 Then he [Yeshua] said to them, "Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat;
Yeshua observed and obeyed the Shabbat. Yeshua often taught against the additions to Torah (the man-made laws) which the Rabbis had added over the years.
On the Sunday Sabbath:
None. There no scriptures on Sunday becoming the Sabbath. Saturday is the 7th day; always has been, and Yahweh commanded a permanent observance of the 7th day as the Sabbath day. There are other "Shabbats" which are special Sabbaths, specified by Yahweh as permanent observances, and they are often not on Saturday, but they are in addition to, not instead of the Saturday Sabbath.)
On honoring Yahweh with your abundance:
Numbers 15: 15 For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before YAHWEH as yourselves. 16 The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.'" 17 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 18 "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'When you enter the land where I am bringing you 19 and eat bread produced in the land, you are to set aside a portion as a gift for YAHWEH.
On prayer after a meal:
Deuteronomy 8: 10 So you will eat and be satisfied, and you will bless YAHWEH your God for the good land he has given you.
On prayer before a meal:
Numbers 15: 17 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 18 "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'When you enter the land where I am bringing you 19 and eat bread produced in the land, you are to set aside a portion as a gift for YAHWEH. 20 Set aside from your first dough a cake as a gift; set it aside as you would set aside a portion of the grain from the threshing-floor. 21 From your first dough you will give YAHWEH a portion as a gift through all your generations.
Matthew 14: 19 After instructing the crowds to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, made a b'rakhah [blessing]. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the talmidim, who gave them to the crowds.
Mark 6: 41 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up toward heaven, made a b'rakhah. Next he broke up the loaves and began giving them to the talmidim to distribute. He also divided up the two fish among them all.
Luke 9: 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, made a b'rakhah, broke the loaves and began giving them to the talmidim to distribute to the crowd.
On "Thus He declared all foods ritually clean" (Mark 7 19):
Mark 7: 19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine." (Thus he declared all foods ritually clean.)
First, most Christians take this to mean they can eat anything they want. However, the phrase "(Thus he declared all foods ritually clean.)" does not appear in the oldest manuscripts. Second, in context, Yeshua is NOT talking about "you can eat anything"; rather, He is talking about foods eaten with unclean hands. Third, since Yeshua was a FULLY TORAH OBSERVANT, OBEDIENT ARM OF YAHWEH (Isaiah 53:1), when He says "food" He is ONLY referring to what Yahweh declared as food:
Mark 7: 1 The P'rushim and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Yerushalayim gathered together with Yeshua 2 and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, without doing n'tilat-yadayim. 3 (For the P'rushim, and indeed all the Judeans, holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing. 4 Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist; and they adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.) 5 The P'rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, "Why don't your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?" 6 Yeshua answered them, "Yesha`yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites -- as it is written, `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 7 Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.' 8 "You depart from God's command and hold onto human tradition. Indeed," 9 he said to them, "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moshe said, `Honor your father and your mother,' and `Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say, `If someone says to his father or mother, "I have promised as a korban" ' " (that is, as a gift to God) " ` "what I might have used to help you," ' 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus, with your tradition which you had handed down to you, you nullify the Word of God! And you do other things like this." 14 Then Yeshua called the people to him again and said, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this!
You should see clearly in these verses that the Prushim (Pharisees) were complaining to Yeshua that his talmadim (disciples) were eating without the ritual "cleaning of the hands." The implication was that the food being consumed was thus unclean because the man-made rule was not being followed! Plus, "food" in Yeshua's eyes would only be the items His Father declared edible, and pork and shellfish and the like were not "food" in Yeshua's eyes, nor of the talmidim!
Holiness is important to YHWH:
Leviticus 11: 44 For I am YAHWEH your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy;
Leviticus 11: 45 For I am YAHWEH, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 20: 8 Observe my regulations, and obey them; I am YAHWEH, who sets you apart to be holy.
Leviticus 20: 25 Therefore you are to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and between clean and unclean birds; do not make yourselves detestable with an animal, bird or reptile that I have set apart for you to regard as unclean. 26 Rather, you people are to be holy for me; because I, YAHWEH, am holy; and I have set you apart from the other peoples, so that you can belong to me.
Reject false teachers and the sinful:
Hebrews 12: 14 Follow after peace with every man; and after being Set Apart, without which a man will not see our Master (Y'shua). 15 And be careful or else any be found among you destitute of the grace of Elohim; or or else some root of bitterness shoot forth germs and trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: 16 or else anyone be found among you a fornicator or a reckless one like Esau who for one mess of food sold his birthright.
Wow! Please read and re-read these scriptures until you grasp the powerful teaching held within them. The author is Paul, the same Paul whom Christians often misquote and misinterpret as teaching that Torah was abolished. These same Christians espouse "tolerance" and "forgiveness", often citing Paul as their source, yet here, Paul is is CLEARLY teaching that we are to follow after the Ruach ("follow after peace"), and after being Set Apart, (becoming obedient to Torah), we are to reject those around us who are not! In fact he makes a special point of the fact that those who do not have Torah and are not Set Apart WILL NOT SEE Yeshua! Further, Paul is saying not to have among you those who are destitute (Torahless) and who are absent the grace of Elohim (lacking the Ruach, sinners, false teachers like Pastors Ted Haggard and Jim Swilley), as MANY are defiled by these people. Indeed, many are.
You see, it is not our place to "forgive" and "be tolerant". If people in our circle are sinning we are to rebuke them! (Leviticus 19:17). We are not judging them, Torah judges them. (Romans 7:7). There is only one judge, and it's not you! (James 4:12).
The "Good News" - Exactly what is it?
John 17: 2 just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him. 3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.
On being "chosen" vs being "called":
Romans 9: 9. For the Word of Promise was this: "At that time will I come, and Sarah will have a son." 10. Nor this only; but Rebecca also, when she had lived with one (man), our father Yitz'chak, 11. Before her children were born or had done good or evil, the choice of Elohim was proclaimed in advance; that it might stand, not through works, but through him who called the choice up.
i.e., Yahweh "chooses". He knows in advance what needs to happen to further His message.
Romans 9: 15 Behold, to Moshe also he said: 'I will have pity on whom I will have pity; and I will be merciful to whom I will be merciful.' 16. Therefore, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who runs, but of the merciful Elohim. 17. For in the Scripture, he said to Pharaoh: 'For this very thing have I raised you up; that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' 18. Wherefore, he has pity upon whom he pleases; and whom he pleases, he hardens.
i.e., Yahweh "chooses" whom He will.
1st Corinthians 1: 26 For look also at your calling, my Brothers; that not many among you are wise, according to the flesh; and not many among you are mighty, and not many among you are of high birth. 27 But Elohim has chosen the foolish ones of the world to shame the wise; and He has chosen the weak ones of the world to shame the mighty; 28 And He has chosen those of humble birth in the world, and the despised, and them who are nothing, to bring to nothing them who are something: 29 So that no flesh might glory before him. 30 And you, moreover, are of him in Y'shua Mashiyach; who has become to us wisdom from Elohim, and righteousness and separateness, and salvation: 31 According to that which is written: 'He that glorifies in himself, let him glory in our Master (Y'shua).'
i.e., One's "calling" must glorify YAHWEH. That last verse, 1st Corinthians 1:31 refers to Jeremiah 9:22-24: "Here is what ADONAI says: "The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; 24 instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he understands and knows me - that I am ADONAI, practicing grace, justice and righteousness in the land; for in these things I take pleasure," says ADONAI."
So no matter your "calling": be it wealth, power, wisdom, service, "the Church", etc., understand and teach that of YAHWEH, glorifying Him, not yourself. But only YAHWEH "chooses" whom He wishes. Our "calling" in life does not mean we are "chosen". YAHWEH does not choose the qualified, He qualifies the chosen. Read the parable of the wedding, Matthew 22.
Why Yeshua came:
Luke 4: 43 But he said to them, "I must announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns too -- this is why I was sent."
(See above for what the 'Good News' is.)
How do we "know Him"?
1 John 2: 3 The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. 4 Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar - the truth is not in him. 5 But if someone keeps doing what he says, then truly love for God has been brought to its goal in him. This is how we are sure that we are united with him. 6 A person who claims to be continuing in union with him ought to conduct his life the way he did.
On Torah and Obedience to Torah:
Deuteronomy 4: 40 Therefore, you are to keep his laws and mitzvot which I am giving you today, so that it will go well with you and with your children after you, and so that you will prolong your days in the land YAHWEH your God is giving you forever.
Deuteronomy 5: 33 You are to follow the entire way which YAHWEH your God has ordered you; so that you will live, things will go well with you, and you will live long in the land you are about to possess.
Deuteronomy 12: 28 Obey and pay attention to everything I am ordering you to do, so that things will go well with you and with your descendants after you forever, as you do what YAHWEH sees as good and right.
Deuteronomy 31: 12 Assemble the people-the men, the women, the little ones and the foreigners you have in your towns -so that they can hear, learn, fear YAHWEH your God and take care to obey all the words of this Torah.
Joshua 22: 5 Only take great care to obey the mitzvah and the Torah which Moshe the servant of YAHWEH gave you - to love YAHWEH your God, follow all his ways, observe his mitzvot, cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and being.
Joshua 1: 8 Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed.
The scriptures above are but a few of nearly 300 scriptures where Yahweh implores us to obey and observe His Torah. Yeshua taught nothing different:
Matthew 7: 13 "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.'
Now look at "The Good News" to see what "life" Yeshua is talking about:
Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'
Matthew 5: 17 "Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah -- not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot 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 and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Note: Matthew 5:17-20 are the words of the Messiah Yeshua himself telling us how important YAHWEH's Commandments are!!!!
Matthew 19: 17 "Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot."
Matthew 22: 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh'eilah to trap him: 36 "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?" 37 He told him, "`You are to love YAHWEH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot."
For instance, there are NOT just two mitzvot. Yeshua was answering the question of which were the greatest mitzot ' which he clearly caveated that they were not the "only" mitzvot, but ALL the Torah and the Prophets follow these.
Mark 1: 40 And a leper came to him and fell upon his feet and was beseeching him and said to him, 'If you desire, you are able to make me clean.' 41. And he, Y'shua, had compassion on him and stretched out his hand and said, 'I desire, be clean.' 42. And at that moment, his leprosy departed from him and he was made clean.8 43. And he rebuked him and he went out. 44. And he said to him, 'See to it that you tell no man, rather go show yourself to the priests and offer an offering for your purification as Moshe commanded for their testimony.' 45. But when he departed he began much preaching and made known the event so that Y'shua was not able to openly enter the city, but was outside in a deserted place. And they were coming to him from every place.
Wow! Much is to be learned from this event. 1) Not only was the man with tzara'at faithful that Yeshua could heal him (the first part of John 17:2-3), but 2) Yeshua then says this is not all. It was not enough for the man to have simply been healed; Yeshua tells the man to now go and be holy and be Torah observant ' that is ' be obedient to YAHWEH (the second part of John 17:2-3); AND 3) Further, Yeshua tells the man NOT to go brag about his healing, (i.e. to be humble about this); but instead, the man went and bragged such that Yeshua had to try to find a place away from the crush of desirous people.
James 1: 22 Don't deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! 23 For whoever hears the Word but doesn't do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, 24 who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does. 26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing.
Romans 3: 20 ...because what Torah really does is show people how sinful they are.
Proverbs 4: 2 for I am giving you good advice; don't forsake my Torah.
Aharonic Blessing:
Numbers 6: 22 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 23 "Speak to Aharon and his sons, and tell them that this is how you are to bless the people of Isra'el: you are to say to them, 24 'Y'varekh'kha YAHWEH v'yishmerekha. 25 Ya'er YAHWEH panav eleikha vichunekka. 26 Yissa YAHWEH panav eleikha v'yasem l'kha shalom. ' 27 "In this way they are to put my name on the people of Isra'el, so that I will bless them."
[May YAHWEH bless you and keep you.
May YAHWEH make his face shine on you and show you his favor.
May YAHWEH lift up his face toward you and give you peace.]
On Sin:
Numbers 15: 30 "'But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming YAHWEH. That person will be cut off from his people.
Hebrews 10: 26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
1 John 3: 9 No one who has God as his Father keeps on sinning, because the seed planted by God remains in him. That is, he cannot continue sinning, because he has God as his Father.
2 Peter 2: 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for a person is slave to whatever has defeated him. 20 Indeed, if they have once escaped the pollutions of the world through knowing our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah, and then have again become entangled and defeated by them, their latter condition has become worse than their former. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the Way of righteousness than, fully knowing, to turn from the holy command delivered to them.
Romans 3: 20 ...because what Torah really does is show people how sinful they are.
On adding or subtracting to the Word:
Deuteronomy 4: 2 In order to obey the mitzvot of YAHWEH your God which I am giving you, do not add to what I am saying, and do not subtract from it.
Deuteronomy 12: 32 "Everything I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or subtract from it.
Revelation 22: 18 I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.
On making an image of "Jesus":
Deuteronomy 4: 15 "Therefore, watch out for yourselves! Since you did not see a shape of any kind on the day YAHWEH spoke to you in Horev from the fire, 16 do not become corrupt and make yourselves a carved image having the shape of any figure - not a representation of a human being, male or female, 17 or a representation of any animal on earth, or a representation of any bird that flies in the air, 18 or a representation of anything that creeps along on the ground, or a representation of any fish in the water below the shoreline.
On who enters the Kingdom:
1 Corinthians 6: 9 Don't you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't delude yourselves - people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, 10 who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob - none of them will share in the Kingdom of God.
Revelation 12: 17 The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God's commands and bear witness to Yeshua.
Matthew 19: 17 "Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot."
Ephesians 5: 5 For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person - that is, every idol-worshipper - has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God's judgment is coming on those who disobey him.
On the judgment:
Revelation 22: 12 "Pay attention!" [says Yeshua,] "I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done.
On homosexuality:
Leviticus 18: 22 "'You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Romans 1: 26 This is why God has given them up to degrading passions; so that their women exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural; 27 and likewise the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men and receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate to their perversion. 28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things.
1 Corinthians 6: 9 Don't you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't delude yourselves - people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, 10 who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob - none of them will share in the Kingdom of God.
Revelation 22: 14 How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
On the sanctity of marriage:
Hebrews 13: 4 Marriage is honorable in every respect; and, in particular, sex within marriage is pure. But God will indeed punish fornicators and adulterers.
On love of money:
Hebrews 13: 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for God himself has said, "I will never fail you or abandon you."
On debt:
Proverbs 6: 1 My son, if you have put up security for your friend, if you committed yourself on behalf of another; 2 you have been snared by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your own mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and extricate yourself, since you put yourself in your friend's power: go, humble yourself, and pester your friend; 4 give your eyes no sleep, give your eyelids no rest; 5 break free, like a gazelle from the [hunter's] trap, like a bird from the grip of the fowler.
(In other words, you were a fool cosign! Go get it fixed as quickly as you can!)
Proverbs 22: 7 The rich rule the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Isaiah 24: 1 Look! Yahweh is stripping and destroying the land, turning it upside down and scattering its inhabitants 2 cohen and commoner, slave and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor. 3 The land will be completely stripped, completely plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word. 4 The land fades and withers, the world wilts and withers, the exalted of the land languish. 5 The land lies defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the teachings, changed the law and broken the everlasting covenant.
On charging interest:
Exodus 22: 25 If you loan money to one of my people who is poor, you are not to deal with him as would a creditor; and you are not to charge him interest.
Leviticus 25: 35 "'If a member of your people has become poor, so that he can't support himself among you, you are to assist him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident, so that he can continue living with you. 36 Do not charge him interest or otherwise profit from him, but fear your God, so that your brother can continue living with you. 37 Do not take interest when you loan him money or take a profit when you sell him food.
Deuteronomy 23: 19 "You are not to lend at interest to your brother, no matter whether the loan is of money, food or anything else that can earn interest. 20 To an outsider you may lend at interest, but to your brother you are not to lend at interest, so that Yahweh your God will prosper you in everything you set out to do in the land you are entering in order to take possession of it.
Notice that it is OK to charge interest when dealing with those who are outside faith with Yahweh, but to those within the faith ("your brother"), and to your brother who has become poor, you are not to charge interest. In fact, to those of the faith who are in need, you are not even to make a profit! WOW! What an amazing society we would have if we only obeyed this simple concept. And note, that for those who disobey and charge exorbitant interest, look what happens:
Proverbs 28: 8 He who increases his wealth by charging exorbitant interest amasses it for someone who will bestow it on the poor.
Think about it!
On the importance of the Word:
Hebrews 5: 13 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without experience in applying the Word about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 4: 12 See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword - it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.
On false teachers:
2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time is coming when people will not have patience for sound teaching, but will cater to their passions and gather around themselves teachers who say whatever their ears itch to hear. 4 Yes, they will stop listening to the truth, but will turn aside to follow myths.
On bad people:
2 Timothy 3: 1 Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-hayamim will come trying times. 2 People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, 4 traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, 5 as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power. Stay away from these people!
Ephesians 4: 17 ... do not live any longer as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking. 18 Their intelligence has been shrouded in darkness, and they are estranged from the life of God, because of the ignorance in them, which in turn comes from resisting God's will.
Ephesians 5: 3 Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God's holy people. 4 Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. 5 For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person - that is, every idol-worshipper - has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God's judgment is coming on those who disobey him. 7 So don't become partners with them!
1 Corinthians 6: 9 Don't you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't delude yourselves - people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, 10 who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob - none of them will share in the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 5: 11 No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn't even eat! 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn't it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves.
On Christians:
Isaiah 6: 9 ...'Yes, you hear, but you don't understand. You certainly see, but you don't get the point!'
Matthew 13: 13 Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. 14 That is, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha`yahu which says, `You will keep on hearing but never understand, and keep on seeing but never perceive, 15 because the heart of this people has become dull -- with their ears they barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, so as not to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and do t'shuvah, so that I could heal them.'
Matthew 13: 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah;
Daniel 7: 25 He will speak words against the Most High and try to exhaust the holy ones of the Most High. He will attempt to alter the seasons and the law; and [the holy ones] will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
Yeshua himself says He is the light (John 12:34-36): The crowd answered, "We have learned from the Torah that the Messiah remains forever. How is it that you say the Son of Man has to be `lifted up'? Who is this `Son of Man'?" 35 Yeshua said to them, "The light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, or the dark will overtake you; he who walks in the dark doesn't know where he's going. 36 While you have the light, put your trust in the light, so that you may become people of light." Torah is Light: (Proverbs 6:23): For the mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light, and reproofs that discipline are the way to life). So Yeshua is LIVING TORAH, yet Christians dismiss Torah, and hence: (John 3:19-21)"Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. 20 For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won't be exposed. 21 But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God."
Really, this could not be more clear!
On Christmas:
None. There are no scriptures on Christmas. Yeshua was not born in December. Think about it: In Luke 2:8, at the time of Yeshua's birth, the shepherds were in the field guarding their flocks. You don't guard your flocks in the field unless the animals are in the field, that is, it is not winter, the flocks are not in shelter. And the 3 wise men in Matthew 2:11, months after Yeshua's birth, gave gifts TO the baby Messiah, not to each other.
On Easter:
None. There no scriptures on Easter. (The mistranslated King James version which uses the word "Easter" one time in Acts 12:4 does not count. The correct observance was Pesach, not "Easter".)
On Foul Language:
Exodus 23: 13 "Moreover, it will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that YAHWEH's Torah may be on your lips; because with a strong hand YAHWEH brought you out of Egypt.
Joshua 1: 8 Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed.
Job 27: 4 my lips will not speak unrighteousness, or my tongue utter deceit.
Psalm 17: 3 You probed my heart, you visited me at night, and you assayed me without finding evil thoughts that should not pass my lips.
Psalm 34: 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk.
Psalm 59: 12 for the sins their mouths make with each word from their lips. Let them be trapped by their pride for the curses and falsehoods they utter.
Psalm 120: 2 Rescue me, YAHWEH, from lips that tell lies, from a tongue full of deceit.
Proverbs 4: 24 Keep crooked speech out of your mouth, banish deceit from your lips.
Proverbs 8: 7 My mouth says what is true, because my lips detest evil.
There are actually many more Proverbs about evil lips....
1 Peter 2: 22 "He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found on his lips." (Why should we be permitted to use our lips in a vile manner, when Yeshua did not?)
1 Peter 3: 10 or "Whoever wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,'
On the Appointed Times:
1. Shabbat. Leviticus 23: Shabbat is every 7th day. 3 "'Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for YAHWEH, even in your homes.
2. Pesach. 14 Nisan is Pesach. Leviticus 23: 5 "'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for YAHWEH. (1st of the 7 Feasts) 3. Matzah. Leviticus 23. Festival of Matzah, 7 days, Nisan 15-22. 1st day is a Shabbat, 7th day is a Shabbat. Do not eat any whole grains between sunset on Nisan 14 through sunset of Nisan 16. 6 On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. 7 On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don't do any kind of ordinary work. 8 Bring an offering made by fire to YAHWEH for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.'" (2nd of the 7 Feasts) 4. First Fruits. Leviticus 23: First Fruits ' Nissan 16 ' day after the first Shabbat of Matzah. 9 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 10 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before YAHWEH, so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat. 12 On the day that you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a male lamb without defect, in its first year, as a burnt offering for YAHWEH. (3rd of the 7 Feasts) [Note: The date of First Fruits is taken to be 16 Nisan, because the first day of the Festival of Matzah is a decreed Shabbat, and the first day of the festival of Matzah is specifically dated ' 15 Nisan. That means the Shabbat of the first day of Matzah can be, but is not always a Saturday. The scriptures say that First Fruits is "on the day after the Shabbat" ' but it is not really clear which Shabbat is indicated. Is it the 1st day of Matzah or the 7th day of Matzah, or the regular Saturday Shabbat that may fall between the 1st and last day of Matzah?] 5. Festival of Weeks/Shavuot. Leviticus 23. Counting the 7 weeks. 15 "'From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks, 16 until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; ... 21 On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work [Shavuot ' Sivan 6]; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. (4th of the 7 Feasts) 6. Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashanah. Leviticus 23. Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashanah. 1st day of the 7th month, 1 Tishri, the new year. 23 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 24 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. 25 Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to YAHWEH.'" (5th of the 7 Feasts) 7. Yom Kippur. Leviticus 23. Yom Kippur. 10th day of the 7th month, 10 Tishri. 26 YAHWEH said to Moshe, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to YAHWEH. 28 You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before YAHWEH your God. (6th of the 7 Feasts) 8. Sukkot. Leviticus 23: Sukkot ' 7 days beginning 15 Tishri. The 1st and th 8th day are Shabbats. 34 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to YAHWEH. 35 On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work. 36 For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to YAHWEH; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to YAHWEH ; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work. ...39 "'But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of YAHWEH seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate in the presence of YAHWEH your God for seven days. 41 You are to observe it as a feast to YAHWEH seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month. 42 You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra'el is to live in a sukkah, 43 so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra'el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am YAHWEH your God.'" (7th of the 7 Feasts) These above 8 items, Shabbat, and the 7 Feasts are the commanded observances by YAHWEH himself. Christians observe not a single one!
On Tongues:
Matthew 6: 7 "And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot.
1 Corinthians 12: 30 Not all have gifts of healing, not all speak in tongues, not all interpret, do they?
1 Corinthians 13: 8 Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass.
1 Corinthians 14: 5 I wish you would all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you would all prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless someone gives an interpretation, so that the congregation can be edified.
1 Corinthians 14: 27 If the gift of tongues is exercised, let it be by two or at most three, and each in turn; and let someone interpret.
1 Corinthians 14: 28 And if there is no one present who can interpret, let the people who speak in tongues keep silent when the congregation meets - they can speak to themselves and to God.
On the difficulty understanding the teachings of Sha'ul (Paul):
2 Peter 3: 15 And think of our Lord's patience as deliverance, just as our dear brother Sha'ul also wrote you, following the wisdom God gave him. 16 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.
The Bottom Line:
Ecclesiastes 12: 13 The sum of the matter, when all is said and done; Revere God and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind.