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Let me start off by saying that anyone who says what my title says, i.e. “What (something) means” is telling you what they think it means. That doesn’t make it true, but it isn’t automatically wrong, either. It is incumbent on you, the one receiving the message, to verify that what is being said is true and valid. And if that is too much work for you, then you are a fool and will probably end up being one of the first ones on the line to take the mark.

That’s a pretty rough start to my message, isn’t it? Well, sometimes people need to be reminded that it isn’t what they hear that matters as much as what they accept, and acceptance should only be based on good information, taken from the Bible and verified by yourself, asking God to show you what it means, for you.

So, now we can talk about Romans 14. This chapter is about judging based on what people eat or which days they celebrate. Shaul (Paul) says, and this is a very condensed version of his explanation, that so long as what people do is to honor the Lord, then no one should judge them. This is stated most clearly in Romans 14: 6-8, so let’s take a look at that (this is from the Complete Jewish Bible):

He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; likewise the abstainer abstains to honor the Lord, and he too gives thanks to God. For none of us lives only in relation to himself, and none of us dies only in relation to himself; for if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord —

The rest of the chapter goes into a little more detail, further teaching us that when we judge someone based on what they believe they are doing to honor the Lord, God, but is different from what we believe honors God, then we are placing a stumbling block in their path to becoming holier.

He says the kingdom of God is not of food but of righteousness (Romans 14:17) so we shouldn’t be telling someone, regarding food or worship days, that what they do is bad when they believe it to be good, meaning that in their minds and hearts they are doing it to honor the Lord.

The real-life examples of people judging others wrongly are too often seen in postings on these discussion groups regarding what I consider to be the Big Three Issues:

1. Which calendar is correct?;
2. What is God’s name and how to use it?; and
3. What days are to be celebrated?

I have seen people accuse others, others who are truly trying to worship God correctly, to be praying to the devil or celebrating a pagan holiday, or that when calling upon Jesus they are praying to a horse (yes, that has been there a few times.) They say doing these things dishonors God.

I have seen so many different people declare that only their calendar is correct, insinuating that if someone else uses a different calendar then they are sinning because they aren’t celebrating a Holy Day or the Shabbat correctly.

Really? How can anyone believe that God will reject someone celebrating, oh, let’s say, Yom Kippur, on the evening their Jewish calendar says it starts, because it may be a day or two off from the absolutely correct date measured from the very first Yom Kippur?

Is God really that anal-retentive? Is he more worried about us doing something on the absolutely correct date, or using the one and only absolutely correct pronunciation of his name? Or he is more concerned with the attitude of our heart? If I eat ham but try to love others, forgive and treat people the way that the Torah says I should, will God tell me to go to hell when I come before him because even though I tried my whole life to be as he says I should be, I ate ham?

I don’t think so. Maybe I will not be as honored in heaven as someone who did everything I did and never ate ham, but I will still be there.

How do I know this? Because Yeshua said so: in Matthew 5:17 Yeshua says that he did not come to abolish the Torah but to fulfill it (which means to interpret it correctly), and after saying that he adds in Matthew 5:19:

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.

So, nu! There you have it! Yeshua, himself, indicates that we may sin, and even teach others to do so, but we can still end up in the Kingdom of Heaven. Maybe, just maybe, do you think this is what Shaul is talking about here in Romans?

Here’s a hypothetical: if I eat ham because I have been taught (as many, many Christians have been for thousands of years) that the laws of Kashrut (Kosher) are not necessary for Gentile Believers to obey, I am in violation of the Torah. But, it is not my intention to sin: I am, in my heart and mind, a grateful believer in God and Messiah and in many other ways I try to be as God wants me to be. But I was taught Kosher isn’t required for Gentiles. And that was most likely taught to me by someone who also thought they were not doing anything against God.

Here we have people sinning and teaching others to sin, but not on purpose and not in their minds or hearts. These are the ones who will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

What Shaul is saying in Romans is that when someone does what they do to honor the Lord, then neither you nor I nor anyone should tell them they are wrong or try to stop them. If someone uses the title “God” or “Adonai”, but you believe people should always use the Holy Name for God and pronounce it as “Yahweh”, that’s fine for you and you have no right- in fact, you would be wrong- to correct them.

If you are biblically Kosher (as I am) and see someone pray before eating their dinner, which has an appetizer of Bang Bang Shrimp and the main course is lobster, instead of chiding them in your mind for violating God’s commandments, just eat your food and mind your own business.

We will all come before the Lord (this is also something Shaul points out) and have to give an account of ourselves, and it is up to the Lord, God Almighty to judge us.

Here’s a news flash, people: you ain’t HIM! So don’t judge ’cause you yourself will be judged the way you judge (Matthew 7:2); in other words, we should only worry about ourselves because that is more than enough for any of us to have to do.

Don’t miss the important difference between those who sin because they reject God or who say they worship God and sin just because they want to, from those who worship God but sin from ignorance or misguided teaching. The former will certainly be in hot water when they come before God, and the latter will be in heaven, but not as esteemed as those who have obeyed more faithfully to do as God told us to do in the Torah.

One last thing: you may be thinking that this isn’t fair! Maybe you would say to God, “I really tried hard to be a “good” Christian but I was taught that Kosher isn’t important and Christmas and Easter are fine. They said I didn’t have to celebrate any of those “Jewish” holidays, so why am I being treated as less than others in heaven? After all, it isn’t my fault- I did what my religious leaders told me to do.”

Well, sorry to say, it is your fault because you did what you were told without checking if it was right or wrong. God gave us the Torah, and that is the only place in the Bible where God tells us how to worship him and how to treat others- the rest of the Bible, from Joshua through Revelations, is essentially not much more than commentary. Even what Yeshua taught was what God had already said, but Yeshua taught the deeper, spiritual meaning of those commandments. The Letter to the Romans Shaul wrote, as well as his other letters, are designed to help Gentiles that didn’t know God, the Bible or the Jewish lifestyle to adapt to it.

So if you want to obey Shaul then treat others as you would want them to treat you (Leviticus 19:18) and stop judging others who are trying to honor God in the way they know or have been taught. Of course, it is OK to try to steer them in the right direction: after all, that is what this ministry is all about, but you will never hear me tell someone they must worship or pronounce or celebrate the way I believe they should. I will tell them what God says in the Torah and leave it up to them to decide whether they will listen to God or religion.

I’ll end with this: as I said, as Shaul said, as God has said, we will all have to come before his throne of judgment, and when we do if you try saying something like, “But that’s what they told me I should do.” I believe God will answer with something like this:

“I understand, my child, that is what they told you to do, but it’s what I say that counts!”

Thank you for being here and please subscribe here and on my YouTube channel, share these messages with everyone you know, and if you like what you hear consider buying my books because you will like them, too.

And remember- I always welcome your comments.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

I had planned on talking about something totally different, but given the events of yesterday in the United States, I cannot ignore speaking to it. This is not a political ministry, it is a teaching ministry, so let’s analyze what happened from a historical and spiritual viewpoint.

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

For those who might not be aware, there was a large gathering of Americans at our nation’s Capitol building yesterday, which was called to support President Trump and require a decision regarding allegations of election fraud. At some point, violence broke out and a handful of people broke windows and stormed into the Capitol building. The police were called in, they shot and killed at least one woman, and other deaths have been reported; eventually, the crowds were told to disperse and they did. There were tens of thousands of people there. No other damages to buildings or looting were done except for the broken windows to the Capitol building.

This country began as a refuge for those who wanted to worship God as they chose. When we felt unfairly controlled by the Crown in England, we rebelled, but at first, it wasn’t to be independent- we only wanted things to go back to how they were. The Boston Tea Party and the rebellion against the Stamp Act- all the people wanted was for those laws to be repealed. It wasn’t until the Declaration of Independence was drafted did anyone really think about breaking from England, altogether.

And after the new country of America had been under the Articles of Confederation for 11 years and was dying, economically as well as socially, the Continental Congress was called to revise the Articles. They closed and locked the doors and in secret, illegally revised the Articles of Confederation by deep-sixing them and creating the one thing the first Continental Congress did NOT want: a strong, central government.

And thank God they did! And because this country and its leaders at that time were God-fearing men, they were able to come up with the U.S. Constitution.

And because our government, courts, and society were faithfully adherent to the way God said we should live and treat each other, he blessed this nation with financial and societal strength, making it a place where everyone else in the world wanted to go to live for the opportunities it provided.

In the last couple of decades, we have decided that God has no place in our system of government, or in our courts, schools, or even society. And the leaders of this country, who at the beginning made sure that everything they did was based on what God said, have done a complete “180”: God says there are two genders, today the government says people can be any gender they want to be, even going as far as to support the idea that children who haven’t even gone through puberty yet can decide which gender they want to be.

The murder of children, which is no different than child sacrifice to the pagan gods of the Semitic tribes of ancient days, is now financially supported and guaranteed by the government. It’s called abortion.

Our government leaders, especially the ones who are now coming into nearly complete power, have decided that Israel is not to be allowed to exist. They support verbally and financially the Palestinian people (who never really existed until Yasser Arafat created them as a propaganda campaign), a people who only want to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews they can. They teach their children, as early as kindergarten, that it is a good thing to kill Jews and the more Jews they kill the more reward they will receive in heaven!

Who would have ever thought that America would not just condone, but support both verbally and financially, any country that teaches its children it is a good thing to kill other people?

The Democrats have denounced the violence at the Capital but didn’t say one word about all the BLM and ANTIFA rioting and destruction of property (not to mention the murder of police) in the past except for the fact that these were, in truth, peaceful protests. C’mon, people…really? Yet, there are many people who believed that… and why? Because their hatred is stronger than their love, stronger than their common sense, and stronger than their judgment.

In Matthew 7:2 Yeshua teaches us all about judging others:

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

So all who hate will be treated the same way they treat the ones they hate. And when you ask people why they hate, so often all I hear is “because he or she is (a certain type of person).”

Is this a country or a high school? Are our elected officials, especially the President, qualified by how nice a person they are, or by what plans they have for improving the country and their ability to accomplish those plans? Is the President supposed to be friendly to everyone and smiling all the time, never offending anyone (which means the same as not having any moral compass) or is he supposed to a leader with a specific set of standards?

People, this country is not the America I was willing to fight and die for when I was in the Marine Corps. It is most certainly not the America my father fought for in WWII or my uncle, who was a MASH doctor, risked his life for during the Korean War.

And it is no longer blessed by God because we have rejected him. We have replaced him with sexual perversity, sports figures, fast cars, technology, and financial gain. We don’t have time to pray because we are too busy on Facebook or Twitter, reading and spreading gossip, believing what we are told on the Internet or from the corrupted media.

And when we reject God, God will give us time to repent and come back to him, despite how sinful we may have become. But eventually, even God will have to accept that repentance is not coming, and as such, the only thing left is judgment.

God told Jeremiah not to pray for Judea (Jeremiah 7:16) because the time for judgment had come- it was too late to turn away the fierce anger and just punishment that God now had to deal out on them. And, my brothers and sisters, I am telling you here and now that we in America are in the same spot.

God used the Assyrians to punish Shomron, and he used the Babylonians to punish Judea. Now, he is using our own leaders to destroy us from inside.

Pray if you want to, but don’t pray for these people or this country because our time for repentance has come and gone. Pray for quick relief, pray that you will be able to financially survive the punishment, and pray that God will lift up, in the midst of this tsouris we will be undergoing, a leader who will bring God back into our society and courts, and that this country will rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the destroying fire we have brought down on ourselves, and return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Our God, Father, Lord, Creator, and King, please be merciful in this, your righteous indignation with our country and leaders, and speed an end to the punishment we and our fathers deserve. We have sinned against thee, and have committed grievous abominations, all the while ignoring your good instructions. Forgive our stupidity, pride, and selfishness; remove the stain of our sexual perversity and spiritual misguidance of the people, and bring us back into communion with you through your Messiah, Yeshua.

We await your just punishment and ask, in Yeshua’s name, that you mercifully protect those who still honor and worship you, and when the sword strikes, please get it over with quickly.

Amen.

David wrote this heartfelt prayer in Psalm 51 (CJB):

Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit. Don’t thrust me away from your presence, don’t take your Ruach Kodesh away from me. Restore my joy in your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me.

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

I confess that I pray this on a regular basis, for myself, and not because it is a beautiful passage (which it is) and not because it tells of my love for God (which it does), but because I have become inured to having received the Grace of God and the indwelling of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).

I have been “saved” for nearly a quarter of a century, and didn’t come to know my Messiah until I was in my 40’s; when I decided to accept Yeshua, I still had to wait nearly three months before I received the gift of the Ruach.

And looking back, I remember the many times I would be in prayer or singing to the Lord and felt his touch, you know- that tingling sensation you get all over-and I knew it wasn’t just a chill or something earthly: I knew it was God.

I can’t remember the last time I felt that. And I know it isn’t because God has abandoned me, or withdrawn his Ruach because of all the wonderful blessings I receive from him and also because of these messages I am given, so to speak, to share with you. I can tell you right now that when I do something that is edifying, which I am happy to say I receive confirmation from people regularly that this is what I am doing, then I know that it is from God ’cause it ain’t from me, I can tell you that right now!

Trust me on this: if something good comes from me, it ain’t me. So when I get a positive reply to a Facebook posting or from one of these messages on my ministry, I accept that as confirmation that the Ruach is still at work in me.

But still, I miss that touch. I know it is my fault I don’t feel it; it is not that I have rejected God, but I have become too used to my salvation. I have worked within it for so long that I don’t really appreciate it as much as I first did. I know that is wrong, but I also know it is part of human nature to become adjusted to almost any condition we are in, once we have been there long enough (I wouldn’t want to use the word “bored”, but that is almost what it is like.)

Now don’t get me wrong: I am not saying I am bored with God- heaven forbid! I appreciate everything he does for me and my wife, and I thank him every day. I read his word daily and pray to him always, but it is that peace of mind, that wonder, that overwhelming sense of joy that I recall when I was first saved that I miss. That zealousness, that strong desire to do absolutely everything in the Torah perfectly…where did it go? Am I the victim of that old adage, “Familiarity breeds contempt?”

Again, not that I hate God- heaven forbid! (I sound like Shaul writing to the Romans, don’t I?) But there is something too familiar with my relationship with the Spirit and to God and Messiah Yeshua. It is like a life-long friendship where two people have formed such a close relationship that they don’t feel it as much consciously, but subconsciously they know they are as one.

So, nu? What do I do about this?

You know what? I don’t know. Maybe someone out there has an answer, maybe someone out there feels they are in the same boat as I am, and maybe the answer will come to me when God is ready to slap me upside my head and say, “Get back with the program!”

I trust that God is still with me, I know that he is waiting for me to come closer, his hand out there, in anticipation that sooner or later I will figure it out. It is undoubtedly some level of pridefulness on my part that is acting as a wedge between me and God, keeping me from getting closer to him.

I don’t know: I just…don’t…know.

So what I will do is continue to study his word, continue to pray, continue to do my best to live more in accordance with the instructions God gave us, and continue to trust that God will, one way or another, in his perfect timing show me what I need to do in order to come closer to him.

And, now that I think about it, that sounds like a good plan for anyone.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe and share these messages to help this ministry grow. I never ask for money because this is a teaching ministry and not a money-grabbing business (although it wouldn’t hurt if you bought some of my books.) I will never tell anyone what they must believe, only what I believe God is saying to us. All I want to do is give people what they need in order to make an informed decision about where they will spend eternity.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

PS: I was making the video for this and as I was reviewing the video, I felt God’s touch! So it seems the answer is as David said elsewhere- a broken heart and a contrite spirit, God will not turn away.

Praise God, now and always, for his love endures forever!

How many times have you heard someone ask, “How could God allow this to happen?” It’s a good question, considering that God can do anything, is everywhere all the time, knows everything, and hears everyone’s prayers.

Well, the answer is pretty simple: being able to do everything doesn’t mean God will do anything.

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

God has a plan for the human species; he has told us what that plan is, and how it will come about, and even what to expect. The only thing we haven’t been told is when it will happen.

This plan, however, doesn’t rely on what we want or when we want it. Asking God to help you, to help someone else, or to help the country is fine, and often God will intervene if it fits within his plan. But if what we ask doesn’t fit in his plan, or isn’t going to make any difference, he may decide that it isn’t going to happen. Or, in some cases, what we would never want to happen will be allowed to happen.

Terrible things people do to other people, such as war, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Hunts, the Holocaust, the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, school shootings… are all acts of violence that are sinful and destructive. If God is really a loving and compassionate God, who is in charge, then how could he have allowed these things to occur? And what about all that is happening now?

Again, the answer is that he doesn’t micromanage the world. As horrible and significant as these events seem to us when they happen, in the long run, in the scheme of things over the millennia during which humankind will exist, they are just a momentary hiccup; a blip on the screen; a fart in the wind that stinks for a second, then is gone.

Our lives are nothing more than a mist (James 4:14) and what is our lifetime? Maybe 70 or 80 years? (Psalm 90:10) Even as long as Methuselah lived, when compared to eternity, his life passed quicker than the blink of an eye.

God may decide, in his perfect wisdom, to intervene for you when you pray to him. He may make something that is, even to us, relatively unimportant happen for you. For instance, many years ago I was a Salesman and was in a real slump. I prayed earnestly for God to help me get out of the slump, and asked that he show me I am doing right by helping me to make a sale. And the very next pitch resulted in a sale. Now, you may say that was a coincidence, but it wasn’t just the next pitch, it was the next three pitches. From no sales for a while to three in a row was enough for me to believe this was an answer, and I thanked God for his intervention. My need was so minor, so small a request, so insignificant in the stream of eternity, yet God did do that for me.

That isn’t micromanaging, though, because when God does intervene, it isn’t all the time. Anyone who has been a manager, a GOOD manager, knows that part of the job is to teach your people how to be managers, as well, and to help them develop their skills. Since most people do not learn by listening, you have to allow them to make their own mistakes, even when you see it coming a mile away, so that they can learn the hard way, which is (I believe) the best way. Very few people learn when told how to stay out of trouble, but when they get in trouble and suffer from it, they remember that. Oh, yeah…they remember that absolutely!

Micromanagers don’t allow that- they will never let someone make a mistake because they have to be in on everything. That’s why micromanaging denies people the opportunity to learn how to be better, and it makes them feel insignificant, unimportant, untrusted, and often results in losing good people instead of keeping them. In the long run, micromanaging is self-defeating.

I don’t want this message to go off on a tangent into management theory, but if you agree with my dislike for micromanagement, then you can also see why God will allow many things to occur, things which as a human being we can’t fathom the reason for allowing it.

We see things on a linear plane: we identify the world based on our personal experience and interpret events based on a finite understanding of the universe. We are in the flesh, stuck in here with a very limited ability to comprehend anything. God, on the other hand, is spiritual and infinite; he doesn’t work on a linear timeline. He sees the world, in fact, the entire universe, on an eternal level. We see the past and the present but God sees the past, present, and future. He knows what will happen and he will intervene as is necessary in order for his eternal plan for humanity to be fulfilled.

Being able to do everything doesn’t mean you will do anything, and God’s choice to allow us to manage ourselves is how he runs his business. As the ultimate manager, God has given us his Employees Handbook, which we call the Torah, and when we act in accordance with the corporate culture and lifestyle, we will receive bonuses (they are called blessings) and have a long and prosperous career, resulting in the best retirement plan that could ever exist, anywhere.

Oh, one other really great thing about how God manages humanity: you get to choose who you will work for! There are two Supervisors God has running the show: one is Yeshua (Jesus) and the other is Satan. We get to choose who we will work for.

Yeshua has rules and regulations that you are supposed to follow (the Torah) and he will help you overcome your failings to be a better human being. He will give you rewards on earth as you improve, but you get nominal pay and sometimes the job is very difficult, requiring great sacrifice. His retirement plan is for you to live in peace and joy, basking in the glory of God, for all eternity.

Satan, on the other hand, will allow you to do whatever you want to do. He will give you worldly power and rewards that you probably wouldn’t get working for Yeshua. However, his retirement plan places you outside the presence of God and you will suffer burning torture in hell throughout eternity.

So, nu! God has provided two different career paths for you, and although he is managing everything, he will not micromanage your life or your choices. It’s all up to you, but don’t ever forget this caveat: your choice is not set in stone until after you stop working (die), so when you choose your Boss try to remember that your retirement is going to last much longer than the job.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe (both to this website and my YouTube channel), share these messages with everyone you know to help this ministry reach more people, and I always welcome your comments.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

I am waiting for my new webcam to come and also will be busy baking dessert for this afternoon’s feast, so I am going to make this quick and easy.

With respect to everyone’s personal opinion about man-made holidays, for those who will be giving thanks to God for all he has done for you and for others, my wife and I wish you a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving Day.

It is NEVER wrong to give thanks to God.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

That’s a good question, isn’t it? I mean, if we are to be separated from sin, and not take part in sinful activities, how can we ever reach the sinners?

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Yeshua ate and drank with sinners- all four Gospels write about that, and how it was used as an attack against him. Yet, he said it best when he replied that he came to call the sinner, not the righteous.

We are also commanded to be holy, as God is holy, but how can we be holy, which means separated, if we are in the midst of sinners?

It seems to be a complicated situation, but the answer is really quite simple: the separation we need to maintain is not a physical one, but a spiritual one, which we demonstrate in the real world through our speech, actions, and lifestyle.

In Mark 7, Yeshua said that what makes us unclean is what comes from our hearts. Now, in that case, he was talking of ceremonial uncleanliness with relation to traditionally washing the hands before eating, but I think we can safely take that teaching one step further.

Being in the company of sinners doesn’t make you a sinner, nor does it make you unclean, so long as you, yourself, maintain separation from what is in the hearts of those sinners, and by doing so, you become a symbol and example to them of righteousness.

We need to be separate but not separated- what good is a lamp if it is placed under a bowl, right? We need to let our light shine, but not in the sunlight- that is useless. We aren’t told to preach to the choir, we are told to be a light in the darkest of places.

In other words, we are to work in a fish market for hours at a time, and come out still smelling like a rose. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But, as Yeshua said, with God, all things are possible.

When we are told to be holy as God is holy, that is a spiritual condition. We are humans, born into and with iniquity and to think that we could ever be really holy, inside and out, is a pipe dream. God told Cain that sin is crouching at his door, and that means we cannot ignore the existence of sin within us. That is what the Enemy wants us to think because that is how he can sneak sin into our lives.

When we are always aware of the potential to sin, we will always be on the alert. There are a number of biblical parables Yeshua gave about always being prepared, and I believe that also means to always recognize the sin within ourselves, which is how we can be in the midst of sinners and stay separated from their sin.

If you want to fulfill the commandment to find new disciples, you will have to go where angels dare not go. You will have to go into the lion’s den, into the fiery furnace, and do so willingly. That doesn’t make you unclean- remember those three guys came out of the furnace without even smelling like smoke, so you, too, can be amongst sinners without getting your clothes stained.

Be the light in the darkness, and always be aware of your own weakness- that, and being guided by the Ruach HaKodesh, is how you can be surrounded by sinners and still be separated from them.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe; share these messages with everyone you know, check out my website and consider buying my books. If you like what you get here, you will like my books.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!