Category: The Bible

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Passover is not a Jewish holiday

About 3,500 years ago, Egypt ruled over Jacob’s children (The Hebrews, Yahweh’s elect). Pharaoh lorded over Jacob’s children, and forced them to build his kingdom. The only recompense that Jacob’s children received was pain, misery and death.

Jacob’s children had been in bondage for 400 years. These Hebrews knew that Yahweh had promised to prosper them and make them into a great nation, but they doubted His promises, and turned their backs on Him to worship the gods of Egypt.

Then, suddenly, Moses appeared with a message of salvation. Salvation did not come in the form they anticipated, however. Moses said that Yahweh had condemned every first born person and animal, in the land of Egypt, to death. In Egypt, the first born inherited a double portion and became the family priest. So the first born represented all the people of Egypt, their relationship with God, and their future.

This was not good news for the Egyptians, or the Hebrews. Afterwards, Moses told the Hebrews that if they would take the blood of a lamb and put it on their doors, Yahweh would spare their first born. In other words, Yahweh would restore His realtionship with them and give them a future they could look forward to–He would fulfill His promises to Abraham by prospering them and making them into a nation.

When the death angel passed through Egypt, Yahweh covered the doors that were marked with blood so that he could not kill the first born in those homes. The Hebrews who placed their faith in the blood of the Passover lamb were saved. Then, the Hebrews followed Moses through the Red Sea and were baptized into a new life.

After that, Yah took the Hebrews, who He had already redeemed by grace through faith, to Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai. Yahweh instructed His people and told them what sin was, and what righteousness looked like. Yah also gave His people away that they could be restored when they missed the mark of righteousness (when they sinned).

This was nice, if you were a Hebrew, but what about the non-Hebrews in Egypt? Were the non-Hebrews (the Gentiles), in Egypt, just out of luck and condemned to die? Were they condemned and separated from Yah without a hope or a future?

No! The gentiles, who put their faith in the blood of a Passover lamb, received the exact same grace as the Hebrews did. This is why the Scriptures say that a mixed multitude came out of Egypt with Moses. This multitude of Hebrews and Gentiles passed through the Red Sea with Moses, and were baptized into a new life. This multitude of Hebrews and Gentiles stood at the foot of Mt. Sina and received Yahweh’s instructions and the legal code that came with them. This legal code defined sin and made it consequential, and provided a way for the mixed multitude to be cleansed of their sins so that they could enjoy their relationship with Yahweh.

In Exodus 12:48-49, Yahweh says, “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”

Notice that Yahweh said that a stranger (someone who was not born in Israel as a child of Abraham, that is, a person who was born in another nation as a child of someone other than Abraham, a gentile) wanted to enter into a relationship with Him and eat the meal of fellowship with Him, they had to be circumcised. After this gentile was circumcised, Yahweh treated him like he had been born in Israel as a child of Abraham. Yahweh said that His instructions and law applied to this gentile.

Therefore, Israel was not an ethnic group (a group of Hebrews); Israel was a Hebrew core with people from many other nations attached to it; Israel was Yahweh’s people.

Passover was a point of entry into Israel for the people of the nations (the gentiles). Gentiles put their faith in Yah’s promises and demonstrated their faith by submitting to circumcision, so they could fellowship with Him and partake of His many blessings.

Yahweh commanded His people, the children of Israel (a Hebrew core with people from every nation attached to it), to keep the Passover every year, forever.

The New Testament says that Yahweh has condemned everyone in the world. However, we can mark our hearts with the blood of the Passover Lamb to escape this condemnation. Yeshua is Yahweh’s Passover Lamb. When we put our faith in Yah’s promises and bow our knee to Yeshua, His Spirit comes to live in our heart to circumcise it. Then, we can eat the Passover. The communion meal is a short version of the Passover meal, where we examine ourselves to remove all the leaven from our hearts, and eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Passover Lamb, by faith.

Today, just as in times past, gentiles enter the Israel of Yahweh through Passover. When Gentiles partake of the Passover Lamb, that is, when they bow their knee to Yeshua, they become children of Abraham and fellow citizens with the Hebrews in the Commonwealth of Israel. Yahweh’s instructions to Israel apply to us.

Yahweh’s instructions to the children of Israel (to His people, Hebrews and Gentiles) is to remember His death until He returns. How should we remember Yeshua’s death until He returns to the earth to rule over the nations for 1,000 years?

Well, Yeshua celebrated Passover. Paul celebrated Passover. Paul told us to keep Passover. Paul told us to follow him as he followed Yeshua. John said that if we are Yeshua’s disciples, then we should walk as He walked. Christians kept Passover up until the 4th Century, when the Catholic Church replaced Passover with Easter.

My wife and I have celebrated Passover for the last 7 years. Each year, at the appointed time, we assemble with our gentile and Hebrew brothers and sisters to remember Yeshua’s death on the stake. We look forward to it all year. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Passover with a meal and worship service, and you can too.

Why keep a short 5 miniute version of Passover, when you can enjoy a feast and really celebrate your deliverance from Egypt (the world) and Pharaoh (Satan)? Do you remember when Pharaoh held you in slavery through sin and forced you to build his kingdom and paid you the wages of pain, misery and death? Do you remember when your partook of the Passover Lamb and got free to serve Yahweh? Celebrate your deliverance by keeping the Passover with your gentile and Hebrew brothers.

Embrace the One New Man (the Hebrew/Gentile Body of Messiah) by keeping the Passover. It will make your deliverance more real and transform your life.

Passover is not a Jewish holiday; Passover is a holy day for Yahweh’s people.

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The Centrality of the Resurrection

A little over two thousand years ago, a Jewish man named Yeshua died a horrible death on a wooden execution stake. Christians believe that this Yeshua was the Promised Seed, who would restore all things, and give them eternal life.

Why should Christians put their faith in a Jewish man, who was a convicted criminal? What makes the death of this Jewish man so special? From a human perspective, nothing makes his death special. After all, the Romans executed thousands of Jewish men on execution stakes. In the end, this man died the same way all men die.

Christians say that when this Jewish man died, the veil of the Temple was ripped into. They say that when this Jewish man died, darkness covered the earth for three hours. They say that when the Roman soldier pierced this Jewish man’s side, blood and water poured out. Christians say these supernatural signs testify that the death of this Jewish man was special, and confirm his identity as the Promised Seed. Are these signs the evidence that proves that this Jewish man was the Promised Seed?

No, these signs do not prove that Yeshua was the Promised Seed. People can explain away these “supernatural” signs, as natural events. A person could say that the beams holding the veil broke and ripped it into. A person could say that a rare astrological event occurred and plunged the earth into darkness for three hours. A person could say that Yeshua had a physical defect that mixed water with his blood.

Here is the bottom line: The death of this Jewish man does not prove that he was the Promised Seed. So why do we believe that this Jewish man named Yeshua was the Promised Seed, and put our faith in him to restore all things and give us eternal life?

In Romans 1:4, Paul said that this Jewish man named Yeshua was determined to be the Son of Yahweh (the Promised Seed) because the Spirit of Holiness (the Holy Spirit) resurrected his body from the grave. Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 15:17, Paul said that if the Holy Spirit really did not raise Yeshua from the grave, our faith is in vain. Thus, our belief that the Jewish man called Yeshua was, and is, the Promised Seed, who will restore all things and give us eternal life, rests on the resurrection!

The resurrection of the Jewish man called Yeshua is very, very important, because it establishes His identity as the Promised Seed, and it testifies to the fact that He has overcome death, and it gives us the hope that “in Him” we can overcome death too.

So since the resurrection of Yeshua is central to our faith, we should celebrate it. The only question is how we should celebrate it, and when should we celebrate it.

Yahweh told us how to worship Him, so obviously, we should worship Him how He wants to be worshiped, and worship Him when He says to worship Him. Yahweh knows all things and sees all things. Yahweh’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. What seems logical and right to us, may not be logical and right to Yahweh. Thus, Scripture must guide our logic and establish what is right and acceptable with Yah.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper. Paul reminds us that Yeshua hosted a Passover meal with His disciples where He gave them unleavened bread and wine. Yeshua told His disciples that the bread represented His Body, which was broken for them, and the wine represented His blood, which was shed to establish the New Covenant with them.

Paul said that as often as we eat the Lord’s Supper, we announce Yeshua’s death until He returns to the earth. In essence, Paul says that whenever we assemble together to eat the Lord’s Supper, which was a Passover meal, we remember and celebrate His death until He returns to the earth to rule and reign as its King.

Notice that Paul says that we are to remember and celebrate Yeshua’s death, not His resurrection. Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 5:8, Paul says that we should keep the feast of Passover with sincerity and truth, and says nothing about the resurrection.

Yahweh told Israel (His people) to celebrate Passover. Yeshua (Yahweh in human flesh) celebrated Passover. Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) celebrated Passover. The early Church celebrated Passover.

During Spring, the sun resurrects and renews the vegetation on the earth and brings the animals out of hibernation. To the natural mind, it would seem logical and right to focus on Yeshua’s resurrection at the same time the sun is resurrecting the plants and bringing the animals out of hibernation. So why did Yahweh tell His people to celebrate a festival of death (Passover), during Spring?

Long ago, at the Tower of Babel, man started worshiping the gods, who controlled the seasons. The fertility gods were the most worshiped because they gave life to the earth and enabled mankind to live another year. Since then, every culture on earth has celebrated the return of Spring by honoring the gods of fertility. Even today, people all around the world celebrate the return of Spring by honoring their gods.

In some cultures, people believe the fertility god dies in the Winter and comes back to life in the Spring. And when the fertility god comes back to life, he or she brings the earth back to life. The focus of these demonic religions is on resurrection.

Yahweh is Holy and He does not want to be associated with these fertility gods. This is why Yah told His people to celebrate Passover, which is when the lambs died on behalf of the first born in Egypt to redeem them from death. The day after Passover, the feast of Unleavened Bread began and Yah told His people to eat unleavened bread for seven days. The first day of Unleavened Bread was a Sabbath in which His people were not to work. Then, on the day after this Sabbath, the feast of First Fruits began. This is when the first of the harvest was offered to Yah, so He could bless the rest of it and guarantee that it would be gathered into the storehouse.

What does all this mean for us today?

We are to put our faith in Yeshua, who is the the Passover Lamb and then eat His flesh and drink His blood, i,e, we are to keep the Passover so that Yahweh will redeem us from eternal death. Then, we are to cease from our attempts to earn righteousness and accept it by faith and rest in it (enter the Sabbath), and until the day that Yahweh glorifies our body to make us perfect (the number 7 indicates perfection), put off the old man who loved sin and put on the new man who was created in Yeshua Messiah for good works. Then, take comfort in the fact that the Holy Spirit resurrected Yeshua from the grave and glorified His body, so that He could go to the Temple in Heaven to offer Himself to His Father (Yahweh) as the First Fruit of the resurrection, and His Father accepted Him, which means that the Father accepts us also and guarantees our eternal life!

The Torah and its law required Yahweh’s people to meet at a certain place and time and go through appointed authorities to keep Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. Yeshua fulfilled the Torah and its law, and His Spirit lives in us. Consequently, Yah does not require us to meet at a certain place, during a certain time, and go through appointed authorities to keep Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. We can keep these feasts where ever, whenever and without a human mediator.

Yeshua fulfilled the Old Testament shadows so that we could worship Him in Spirit and Truth. But does this mean that the old shadows are now useless? No, the old shadows are powerful physical illustrations of spiritual truths. When we assemble together to keep the Passover, our spirit grows and our faith is strengthened.

So, do we have to keep the Passover at Yahweh’s appointed time to be saved? Certainly not. Should we keep the Passover at Yahweh’s appointed time? Absolutely!

Why did the Church set Passover aside and start celebrating Easter?

Ishtar was a female fertility god that a lot of people in the Roman Empire worshiped. The Roman Church integrated the worship of Ishtar in with the worship of a Jesus, who did not require repentance from such activities. This is where the feast of Ishtar (Easter) originated. Easter is a Roman Catholic holy day, and it is not biblical. Remember, our focus should be on Yeshua’s death, not on His resurrection.

Does this mean that the people who celebrate Easter are not born-again? No! Does this mean that they are worshiping the Devil? No! It simply means that they have been deceived into following the ways of the world, and that they have lost their distinctiveness. Paradoxically, we have to be different from the world in order to attract Yahweh’s lost sheep into His fold. During this season, we cannot be like the world and focus on resurrection, we must focus on death.

During this season, we should not waver on the centrality of Yeshua’s resurrection, but our focus should be on His death. Yeshua’s death establishes His covenant with us, and His resurrection transforms us into His image and guarantees our eternal life.

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Soul Prosperity

In our day, it is common for preachers to tell people that if they bow their knee to Yeshua (Jesus), He will make them wealthy. These preachers have turned The Gospel of the Kingdom into a worldly prosperity gospel.

Often, these preachers use 3 John 1:2 as the foundational verse in their worldly gospel. In this verse, John says to Gaius, who was a Pastor of an assembly that John had established, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

In essence, the preachers say something like this, “The Apostle John said that his primary concern for us was that we would prosper materially and be healthy….and he said that we would prosper and be in health, in accordance to how our soul was prospering. So, bow your knee to Yeshua and He will cause your soul to prosper….and then you will be healthy and wealthy.

Is this what John had in mind when he wrote to Gaius? Well, let’s see.

When our mother gave birth to us, we entered into Satan’s kingdom. Then, Satan and his crew began to shape and mold us for their purposes. As slaves in Satan’s kingdom, our task was to think and act in ways that advanced the kingdom. Satan and his crew used the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes and the pride of life, to control us, and we were powerless to resist.

Yahweh (The Father) allowed Satan to lord over us. As we followed our lord, Satan, we broke Yahweh’s commandments and went against His will. Since, Yahweh created the universe, and He knows how we should interact with it, when we go against His instructions, we suffer unpleasant consequences.

The unpleasant consequences help us see that we are headed in the wrong direction, and that we need to make a course correction. We sense a terrible leanness in our soul, and we know that there has to be more to life. When we reach this point, and are looking for a way out, the Holy Spirit calls us.

The Holy Spirit arranges for us to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom. As we hear the Gospel of the Kingdom, and learn of King Yeshua, the Holy Spirit offers us the gift of repentance, and He gives us the grace to accept this gift. If we make a choice to accept the gift, and bow our knee to the new King, King Yeshua, then we leave our old kingdom, and enter into a new one.

Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, King Yeshua, comes to live in our heart. Since the King has set up His throne in our heart, our body, soul and spirit become His dwelling place. In other words, the King establishes His Kingdom in us, and consequently; we enter into His Kingdom.

As we reject our old king (king Satan), and stop advancing his kingdom by thinking and acting like him, and we worship our new King (King Yeshua), and advance His Kingdom by thinking and acting like Him, we find what was missing. We find peace, wholeness, success and contentment.

In other words, our soul prospers.

We have to fight to keep this peace, wholeness, success and contentment. We fight because, physically, we live on the earth, and Yahweh has allowed Satan to rule over the earth for now. However, spiritually, we are seated in Christ, at the right hand of the Father, in Heaven. The world pulls on us one way, and Heaven pulls on us the other. The soul is caught in the middle! Siding with the world brings leanness to our soul: Siding with Heaven prospers it.

This is what John was saying to Gaius. “Gaius I know that you are shunning the ways of the world system, and that you are seeking to do the Father’s will by fulfilling your calling as a Pastor; therefore, the Lord is prospering your soul. I pray that the Lord would also prosper your life, and keep you healthy so that you can fulfill your calling.” In other words, I pray that the Lord would prosper you and keep you healthy so you can succeed as a Pastor.

The Lord knew us before He laid the foundations of the earth. The Lord laid out a path for us to walk down, and He preordained the good works that we should accomplish. The Lord called us according to His plan and purpose.

Our soul prospers when we know Yeshua. Our life prospers when we find the path that Yeshua has preordained us to walk, and we walk it with Him. It’s all about Yeshua and His path for our life, that is, it’s all about Yeshua and His calling on our life. When we walk our path with Yeshua, He will supply everything that we need to fulfill our calling. So do not seek prosperity, seek Yeshua and to fulfill your calling, and prosperity will be added unto you!

Yahweh loves to prosper His people. However, Yahweh is more concerned about our character, than He is about our comfort. Character is forever; comfort is temporary.

In Proverbs 1, Yahweh says, “The prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” Consequently, Yahweh is limited in how much He can give us materially. We set the limits on our material prosperity when we refuse to mature spiritually and obey Yahweh’s commands. So when we mature spiritually and obey Yahweh, we open the door so that He can bless us with more material things.

So is there a relationship between our soul prospering and our material prosperity? Absolutely! Does this mean that if we mature and obey Yahweh, He is obligated to bless us with material prosperity? No! Remember, Yahweh calls us according to His plan and purpose and He will supply all our need.

We all have different callings. Hence, we all need different things to fulfill our calling. Yahweh calls some people to be major givers and so He builds their character to ensure that they can support the weight of wealth. Then, Yahweh gives these people the gift of giving. These people support the work of Yahweh’s Kingdom and make it possible for others to fulfill their callings.

Yahweh blesses us with material prosperity according to His will, not ours.

So do we have a part to play in material prosperity? Absolutely! Yahweh promises to bless the work of our hands, which means that we must work. Yah has told us to plant seeds in His Kingdom so His Kingdom will release a harvest into our lives. Yah wants us to trust in Him to supply all of our need. Most importantly, Yahweh wants us to mature spiritually and obey Him.

So will everyone who gets born-again get wealthy? No!

Well, what about our health?

In Proverbs 18:14, Yah says that a strong spirit will sustain a man in his sickness. When we walk out path with Yeshua, our spirit prospers. When we have a strong prosperous spirit, our spirit will minister life to our flesh. When our flesh gets ill, our spirit will help our flesh recover. Since Yeshua came to prosper our spirit, He said that by His stripes, we were healed.

So is there a relationship between the prosperity of our soul and our health? Absolutely! Does this mean that if we bow our knee to Yeshua, He is, then obligated to heal our body? No! Remember, Yeshua is the Lord, and He calls us to fulfill His purpose, and He is more concerned with our character, than He is with our comfort. He heals us according to His plan and purpose.

So do we have a part to play in healing? Yes! We must eat right and exercise. We must forgive others. When we sin, we must confess our sins to one another to open the door for healing. We must look to the Body of Christ for healing because that is where the gifts operate. We must seek Yahweh’s gifts and believe that He has healed us. Most importantly, we must find our path and walk in it with Yeshua. Remember, Satan tried to kill John, but he could not because he had not fulfilled his calling. Likewise, if we have found our path, and are walking it, Satan can not kill us until we fulfill our calling.

So will everyone who gets born-again be healed? No!

Do I believe in healing? Absolutely! Yah healed me. Do I believe in material prosperity? Absolutely! I have everything I need to fulfill my calling, and more. Do I believe that all we have to do is get born-again and send a check to a preacher, and Yah will prosper us materially? Absolutely not!

What does all of this have to do with recovery? Well, I am glad you asked, because soul prosperity is just another name for recovery.

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