Right off the bat, let’s get one thing absolutely clear: I am all for learning as much from the Bible as one can.

However, what I am concerned with is when people spend so much effort on things that are not really that important, and end up obsessing over something that (I fear) will move their attention away from what is important.

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So, what am I talking about? Lets’ start with the name we use for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the name we use for his Messiah. The “Holy Namers”, as they are called, spend so much time arguing over pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, which no one can absolutely know how to pronounce it because we don’t know which vowels are used. And when this argument gets heated, godly people act in a worldly way, insulting and debasing each other over what? name? a pronunciation?

Hey, correct me if I am wrong, but we are saved by faith, not pronunciation!

And those really lost people who say praying to Jesus is praying to a horse, or that because Ba’al means “lord” we pray to him when we pray to the Lord. It only shows that they don’t know the difference between a definition and a homonym. Yes, Ba’al means “lord”, but so does Adonai and so does the actual word, “lord”- but when I am praying to Adonai, I am NOT praying to Ba’al!

How stupid does someone have to be to equate those two names!

And what about the fact that God knows our hearts and minds? Do you really think that he doesn’t know who you mean when you are using “Lord” or “Adonai” or “God”?

And don’t even get me started on Eschatology! First of all, Yeshua said that no one is to know when, and that even he doesn’t have Need to Know. Yet so many times I see people trying to guess when it will happen, and arguing over Pre- or Mid- or Post-tribulation! Hey, get real, people! What does it matter? Will knowing when it happens save you from anything? Is God going to say to his angels, “Hey, look- those people who know when they will be taken up get first choice of seating.” ?

I don’t think so!

Another thing that isn’t related to salvation at all is understanding the visions that are referenced in the Bible. Now, some are important to know-for example, in Acts 10 we need to realize that the vision had nothing at all to do with the laws of Kashrut (Kosher), but rather was to let Kefa (Peter) understand that salvation was for the Gentiles, as well.

But what about the measurements of the sanctuary given to Moses in Exodus? There is nothing wrong with knowing how it looked, but I have seen postings arguing that it was a round building, like a Yurt, and not a rectangular tent.

So what? First off, the description mentions corners, which I have never seen on a circle. But more important, what does this have to do with faith? Or understanding God’s instructions for righteous living? Will I be more “saved” if I know the Tent of Meeting was actually the Yurt of Meeting?

Okay, I have a few more examples, but I will leave it at this: You need to know the Bible very well so you will be able to recognize false teachings and not be led astray. My concern is when people want to know every little bit of minutia, which can only lead you away from keeping with the basics, which are:
1. There is only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and his Messiah is Yeshua. Whether we use God, Lord, HaShem, Adonai, Yehovah, Yehusha, or any other pronunciation for him, when we pray, no matter which name or title we use, he knows who we mean. And the same goes for Yeshua!

2. We are saved by faith: faithfully believing that God exists and is trustworthy to save (as well as punish), that Yeshua is the Messiah he promised to send and that Yeshua’s sacrifice is the only means by which we can be forgiven of our sins, which is the only way we can be allowed into God’s presence for eternity.

3. God gave everyone the instructions for how to worship him and how to treat each other, and (like it or not) they are in the Torah. What any religion says that goes against the Torah is a false teaching, and represents a rejection of God. And if you reject God, you reject his son, the Messiah, and that means you cannot be truly “saved”. So, for example, it’s okay to celebrate man-made holidays, but not at the exclusion of the Holy Days God commanded us to celebrate in Leviticus 23.

Look, I believe we all should learn as much as we can from the Bible, read and study it daily, but don’t get so involved in non-salvation issues that you can’t see the forest for the trees. My “Acid Test” question when any topic is discussed is this: “How does this affect my salvation?” If the answer is, “It doesn’t”, then it is just a nice-to-know thing, and not worth putting any real effort into learning.

Remember that Moses said what we need to know is simple, so keep to the KISS Rule- Keep It Simple, Schlemiel!

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers. Hey! After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

There are many religions in the world: some believe in Free Will and others in Predestination; the difference being you have a choice where to spend eternity, or you don’t.

It seems to me that if you don’t have a choice, then why try?

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The best-known Christian religions that teach predestination are Lutheranism and Calvinism. There are others, but let’s stick with Judeo-Christian religions, OK?

Judaism may show up as one of those who teach predestination, if you ask Google, but that isn’t so. A long time ago I heard how Judaism actually works with both predestination and free will.

In Judaism, we see God as the captain of a ship, heading towards eternal joy, and it makes stops along the way at different ports. At each port, anyone can come aboard or debark, and on the trip there may be detours, but one way or another, the ship WILL make it to its final destination. Those who stay on board will be expected to follow the rules, and those who don’t want to follow the rules will be put off.

The thing I don’t get with predestination is that if God is willing to forgive us, then how can there be no options? God gave us a system by which we can be forgiven, in the Torah, and when that system was no longer available (with the destruction of the temple), God still made forgiveness available through Yeshua, the Messiah.

If our eternal future is already decided, then why give us the Torah, which is God’s User Manual for Righteous Living? Why would we need any sort of instruction if our future is already written in stone?

But, on the other hand, if we have free will, i.e., the opportunity to choose where we will spend eternity, then having a set of rules (i.e., the Torah) to lead us to salvation makes sense.

Predestination means no matter what I do, I am either saved or damned. But God told us how to act towards him and towards each other, and how to be forgiven when we mess up.

Do you see my point? If I have no choice, then it doesn’t matter what I do- I am either doomed or saved. As such, I can do whatever the heck I want to, and it won’t make a difference. I can sin till the cows come home, or I can be as faithful as Abraham, but it won’t make any difference.

Given the innate sinfulness of humans, to preach predestination is like giving us a license to sin without any repercussions because, well…it’s already decided, and no matter what I do, or don’t do, it don’t make no never mind!

You know, predestination seems to me to be the antithesis of worship, simply because a religion has rules, but predestination implies the rules don’t matter because your eternal future is a done deal.

On the other hand, free will gives us the option to choose where we will spend eternity, and that is the main reason I started this ministry- it is my “calling” to teach people what they need to know in order to make an informed decision about where they will spend eternity.

So, if you have been raised being told that you have no options, I would ask you to consider why God gave us rules if it doesn’t make any difference?

Yes, there are verses in the Bible that indicate we don’t have a choice, such as when God told Jeremiah he was chosen when still in the womb, yet we are told how to be forgiven. If our future is set, what use is forgiveness?

In any event, already saved or already damned, in Deuteronomy 28 God promises blessings to those who obey him, so you have nothing to lose and blessings to gain by doing as God said to do in the Torah.

Look, it all boils down to this: doing what God says you should do will result in blessings here on earth, so whether you believe you have a choice or not, it just makes sense to obey God while you are alive.

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers, Hey, after all- you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

Have you ever asked yourself how Adonai could regret something he did? I mean, if he knows everything, including the future, then shouldn’t he have known what would happen, to begin with?

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One example of Adonai regretting doing something is right at the start, when he says in Genesis 6:6, that he regretted making mankind. And later, in 1 Samuel 15:11, he tells Sh’mu’el that he now regretted making Shaul the king.

This would seem to be a major issue; I mean, if God regrets doing something, doesn’t that mean he didn’t know how it would turn out? And if so, that means he doesn’t know the future!

Oy gevalt! Is the Bible wrong?

I considered this for a while, and finally I came to what I think is a viable answer.

Even though there are many verses in the Bible that indicate God knows the future, I think God knows what will happen because God has two things going for him:

1. He knows our hearts and minds, and as such, he can accurately predict what we will do; and
2. Because he is God, whatever he wants to happen will happen, one way or another.

There are several references in the Bible that tell us that he has plans for us, that he knows the beginning from the end, etc., all indicating that the future is known to God.

But isn’t it possible God knows what will happen simply because he can make it happen?

God gave each and every one of us Free Will, so we can decide what we are going to do, or not do. Take Jonah, for example: when God first told him to go to Nineveh, isn’t it possible that God expected him to go? Maybe God was a little surprised that he went in the opposite direction, or maybe God wasn’t the least bit surprised because he knew his heart! God knew that Jonah’s hatred for the Ninevites would cause him to refuse, and that is why God called him, in the first place- to give him the chance to show his obedience.

And when Jonah disobeyed, God sent the storm to give Jonah another chance to repent, which he did (good for him!). Maybe, just maybe, if Jonah had not repented, he would have died with all the men on board that vessel, and God would have sent someone else.

But let’s not go there- it is never a good idea to postulate.

I believe God is able to regret doing something because of Free Will, which adds a certain amount of uncertainty, and God will not override our decision. If he did, then we wouldn’t really have Free Will, would we?

However, God can influence our decisions, such as sending a terrific storm to prevent us from doing what we intended.

Maybe there has been an event in your life where you realized the conditions you were in were so terrible that you needed to change your decisions or lifestyle? Perhaps you realized, or maybe now are first realizing, that this was God regretting what you were doing and influencing your decisions for the better?

Now, the other side of that coin is how the Devil can do the same thing by causing events in your life that might influence you to turn away from God.

This is why it is so important to know the Bible, so we know what God wants us to do. We need to always weigh our decisions against the way God says to live, which is not found in a religion but in the Torah, and constantly ask God for discernment and insight so we are always doing what God would want us to do.

It sounds simple, but it isn’t- there are so many ungodly influences (and influencers!) in our life, many of whom are found in social media, as well as the news media, and especially in WOKE Hollywood!

My advice? If the world loves it, God probably hates it, so stay with God. You may lose friends, family, jobs, and in some places in the world, maybe your life! But you will gain eternity.

And when it comes down to it, this life lasts for a moment, and eternity is forever. I truly believe that when we are resurrected, if we do remember anything of this life, if won’t matter to us at all.

After all, when we are in God’s presence, fully joyful and forever at peace, who cares about this life?

Thank you, as always, for being here, and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers. After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

I recently saw a video of someone complaining that as they were preaching the word in a crowded subway car, no one was paying any attention. That made me think how Ecclesiastes has a lesson for us regarding street preaching.

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

Let me start out by stating that despite my expertise in Marketing and Sales, I am not suited well, at all, to missionary work, such as preaching on the street or in subway cars.

The reason is simple: the first person to spit on me would wake up in the hospital.

Now, that being established, you may be wondering how street preaching and Ecclesiastes (the Hebrew name for that book is Kohelet) are related, and the answer is that in Kohelet (I’m using that name because it is easier to type) we are told there is a time for everything. I think we can extrapolate on that idea and state there is also a place for everything, and that things work best when you are in the right place, at the right time.

Preaching in a subway car is certainly a right place, mainly because you have a trapped audience. But I believe doing so during rush hour is not the best time.

You may be thinking it is the absolute best time because the subway is at its most crowded, but I think, having been a commuter for a very, VERY long time, it is not a good time because people are concentrating on what they are going to do when they get to work, or (on the return trip) what they are going to do when they get home.

And that equates to this: they are not at all interested in hearing anything, from anyone.

Now, you may come back to me and say that any time we plant a seed we are doing good for the Kingdom, and I would not disagree. Yet… if I am throwing good seed on sandy desert ground or in a rocky crevasse, am I really doing any good?

And I can tell you from experience, which you may be able to relate to (especially if you’ve been a long-time commuter), when going to work I am concentrating on work; I am thinking exclusively on what I have to do when I get there, and I do not want to be bothered with anything else to think about.

And when going home, all I want to do is get home.

I think the best time to preach on a subway car is between rush hours, when the people are not concentrating so much on what they have to do when they get to wherever they are going.

As for preaching on the street, I think any time of the day is good because there are many people on the street who are not in a rush to get somewhere, and may be more open to spending some time to listen, and maybe even interact with you (hopefully, in a respectful and non-violent way).

I have no end of respect for you missionary types- like I said from the start, I could never do it. This ministry of mine is a strictly teaching ministry- my purpose is to let you know what you need to know in order to make an informed decision about where you will spend eternity. I say what I believe, and why, but never tell anyone else what they have to believe.

So, that all being said, if you do missionary work, God bless you! And please consider what I have said, in regard to choosing the best time and place to spread the seeds of salvation, because, if you ask me, they are too valuable to throw away, like pearls before swine.

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even if they aren’t a Believer. After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

(And, no, I am not contradicting today’s message by saying this- I am specifying to plant the seed in soil, not rocks or desert or sand.)

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

The Christians have Original Sin, and we Jews have the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination), both pretty much saying that we are all born as sinners.

But could what we consider to be a sinful nature simply be a survival instinct?

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

How do children show their “sinful” side? Isn’t it when they won’t share things they desire, such as food or toys? Later, when they grow older, they are cruel to each other, especially to those who are different from themselves by rejecting them from their circle of friends.

These character traits we usually identify as “sinful”; however, if we look at it from a survival viewpoint, it kinda makes sense.

The most basic instinct in all living creatures is to survive; Yeshua said so when he said the greatest act of love is to give one’s life for another. So, when we see something that we consider to be necessary for our survival, isn’t it normal that we would desire and protect that thing?

As we get older and more mature, we protect things that aren’t really lifesaving, such as our possessions, our finances, our jobs, and other important and necessary things for survival (like those box seat tickets). As adults, that survival instinct presents itself as selfishness, discompassionate nature, and being just plain nasty.

What happens is that as we age, our basic survival instinct mutates into sinfulness.

Coveting what someone else has, such as a new car, a beautiful spouse, or a better job is not much different, really, than living in the wild, being hungry, and seeing someone else with a fresh kill. Instinct will drive us to try to steal that kill, won’t it?

The hyena is considered to be a repugnant creature, whereas the American Bald Eagle is considered to be a noble creature, yet they are both scavengers! Both would rather steal the food from another than to hunt and catch their own food- that’s their survival instinct at work

Now, don’t get me wrong- I am not saying that you can be selfish and hedonistic and miserly without consequence or responsibility just because it is instinct.

Nope! It don’t work that way.

What I am suggesting, and I could be way off on this entire idea, is that when we are sinful, it isn’t because (as the comedian Flip Wilson used to say)…“The Devil made me do it!” It is part of our very psyche, from the very beginning of creation, and is (again) the basic instinct of all living beings- we want to survive.

Now comes the clincher: even though it is instinct, it is not acceptable.

God has made us in his image, meaning (at least, to me) that we have the ability to overcome our instincts, to take control of our emotions, and to be able to do what is right instead of what is wrong.

What is considered to be right and wrong can be different in different cultures; at times, they might be in exact opposition to each other. But with the society we live in, we all have the obligation to behave in accordance with what that society sees as right.

Those of us who are faithfully obedient to God, and try to live as best as we can to the instructions he gave us in the Torah, sometimes find that we are in opposition to the society we live in. Today, sadly, we also find that living in accordance to the Torah is too often in opposition to what many Christian religions say. And when that happens, we must make a decision. Instinctively, we may feel that we want to go along with society (or our religion) because being like everyone else, we will be accepted (there’s that survival instinct thing, again), but sometimes that means rejecting God’s ways.

That’s a tough call for most, but for the truly faithful, there’s no real option- it has got to be God’s way. That is sort of an advanced survival instinct, in that we aren’t concerned with our survival in this life, but with our survival in the afterlife.

So, I guess what I am saying is that evil may be nothing more, in some cases, than an extension of our basic instinct to survive, but that doesn’t mean we can allow it to control us. We must control our instincts, and do what is right- not just according to our societal rules, but overall, to what God says is right.

And when they clash, well…then the decision we must make is this: do we do what we have to do to survive in this life, or do we do what God says we should do in order to survive in the afterlife?

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even those who are not believers. Hey, after all- you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!