Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Sweeping Delusion Coming to America- So Get Ready

Today I am digressing from my intention to write the three-part series entitled "The Blood, the Covenant, and the Last Days", in order to say something that is heavy on my heart. I also published this on facebook.

It is New Years Eve this evening in the world. But I think it is a different time on God's time clock. This is not your average "New Years" well wishes. In fact, it is almost the opposite. Not for the faint of heart, but take heart. For in a little while, He shall come and His reward will be with Him! Read on fellow soldier....

There is a sweeping delusion that is coming to America. So repent of the delusions you ALREADY have.

The definition of delusion is, "an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary."

Many people are starting off the "New Year" of 2009 looking to make-over their bodies or their bank accounts or whatever. Might I suggest a makeover of your soul?

If you are an American (I am one too), you are undoubtedly under a delusion of some kind (I am too). In Jeremiah 16:19 it says "the nations will come to you [God] and say,'our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods'...".

The Bible clearly teaches that to follow Yeshua (Jesus), repentance is necessary. And that repentance doesn't stop at your altar call or "sinner's prayer"; no, it is required daily. The scriptures say to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling".

The doctrine of eternal security is not scriptural. The one who has the power to change your eternal destiny is you. So the idea does not exist in the Bible. For if it did, it would not be written "he who endures to the end shall be saved", or that men's names will be blotted out of the Lamb's book of Life. Unrepentant sin pushes us further and further from God and it will cause MANY to be open to going the way of perdition and making allegiance with the "Lawless One", the anti-christ. It clearly says in 1 Corinthians 6:9, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals..." Tough words. They're not mine. Nevertheless, IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE DECEIVED- EVEN FOR SO-CALLED CHRISTIANS.

As evangelist Steve Hill says, "You can go to hell with a choir robe on. You can go to hell with a Bible in your hand...".

We live in a time like no other. Wickedness (the twisting of the truth) is getting more wicked and righteousness is getting more righteous. Soon we will have to give an account. This coming year the spiritual climate of America will be changing. It will be tougher for those who identify with Jesus. And in many ways, the Hand of protection and blessing of God will be lifting from our nation. Don't blame Him, sin has its own reward. We are entering a time of trials and tribulations unlike we have seen ever. Just to wake up to THAT fact, the fact that it will not be business as usual, and turn from it, and you will be repenting of a delusion.

"Christians" are real good about being some of the best motivational speakers there exists. And also persecuting those who live righteously. It is not about living your best life. It is not about a purpose-driven life. All flowery ideas. All vanity. It is about knowing Him, having less of me, and making Him known. Cherishing His words and doing what He says. Jesus said many will come to Him saying "Lord, Lord", (those who have even cast out devils in His Name), and yet He will say "depart from me, you workers of iniquity (which literaly means YOU TRANSGRESSORS OF THE LAW), for I never knew you...." (amplification mine).

I want to encourage all my friends, that while you are going about your way, making merry, joking and encouraging one another, don't forget the Nazarene who died on the execution stake just so you could be given the opportunity to repent and have new life. Take advantage of that opportunity NOW, before the grand delusion infiltrates. Repent of church delusion. Repent of religious pride. Repent of selfish ambition, idolatry (we all have it to some degree or another), lawlessness, sexual immorality, sins of the tongue, hardness of heart, greed, jealousy, following the traditions of men rather than the Word of God. Repent of the sins of your church, your spiritual forefathers, your natural fathers.

If you think this is too heavy for a facebook entry, perhaps so. But "he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches".

Only eternity matters. Jesus said "he who gives up his life for my sake shall find it". Perhaps this should be a time of mourning, rather than feasting and mirth.

Shalom

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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Coming Soon....

We are living in the most unique period of time since the beginning of creation. Did you know the Bible has more to say about this time period than any other? Did you know that the blood of Jesus of Nazareth is real, tangible, and has never lost its power? How did the blood of Jesus fulfill God's plan for all of creation? How did it ratify the covenant God made with Moses and the people of Israel, as well as those from the nations who would follow Him? What will the antichrist look like and can we be on the lookout for him now?

To get the answers to these and other fascinating questions, don't forget to check back soon for my three part series entitled "The Blood, The Covenant, and the Last Days".

Saturday, December 27, 2008

A Prod and a Dream

In the body of Messiah (the Body of Christ, or the church), we have many different backgrounds and many lifestyles that vary from family to family and from person to person. I believe God wanted it that way. He loves variety. He does not want us all to be the same. That is why we have different qualities and features given our families and races. And at the same time, I believe He loves it when we come together in unity despite our various backgrounds. I have a friend in the Body of Messiah who grew up Muslim in Pakistan. She became a born again Christian and is now a Messianic follower of Jesus, Yeshua. She is precious to me- she taught me a lot of what it means to be a wife and a mother. I also have friends who are Jewish, friends who are gentiles (non Jews). It is so nice to gather together under the banner of and in the Name of Jesus.

That is not to say that we have agreed on everything or that we argue whenever we get together. In the New Testament the apostle warns against factions and divisions. I believe the apostle was talking here of petty arguements and resentments that have nothing to do with the kingdom of God, nothing to do with loving your neighbor as yourself. That is not to say that we cannot each be different, be the person God has called us to be. I have been accused in the past of causing division. I should disclaim here that it does not matter whether you stand for righteousness' sake or not, someone will inevitably disagree with you and your convictions. And some may even misunderstand my convictions as condemnation toward them. This is simply not true. Many times, people react to the plain unadulterated truth as if they were being ripped apart. I believe this is sometimes due to the nature of God's truth from His Word~ it is meant to divide. But not for the sake of petty factions. But for the conforming of the believer into the image of Christ. The Bible says about itself, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Literally, the Word of God, the scriptures of both Old and New Testaments, divide. That is one of their purposes. I think we need to discern the difference between conviction and diviciveness.

I personally do not condemn anybody for what they do or do not do as unto the Lord. I do share the things the Lord has shown me in His Word, so that others might repent and receive the refreshing that comes from turning from one's own ways toward God's. And I have been called to a very specific path in my walk with the Lord.

But many times my job in the Body of Christ is to poke and prod people toward the truth. I do not apologize for this- it is the way God made me. I need to make sure my conscience and heart are pure before the Lord in doing this. But just because I say something that may sting, convict, or prod, does not mean that I do not speak the truth.

My son is almost 18 months old. He has a specific destiny in the Lord which he was called to before the foundaiton fo the world. My job as a parent is to train him up in the way he should go, as the proverb states, so that when he is old, he will not depart from it. This includes the path of righteousness, living in relationship to God and following His word, but it also includes some specific things the Lord speaks to his father and myself about who our son is. For me, it is important that my son knows his heritage as a son of Israel, a Jew. My lifestyle has been molded and shaped by the Lord Himself to see to it that my son grows up learning to embrace his Jewishness and to identify with his people. This includes learning Torah. No one but my husband and myself will stand accountable for this task. And so I wholly embrace it with passion. I have been preparing for this longer than I prepared my wedding plans. So much so that it is part of who I am. I love God and I love His people. And I want to spark that love in other people as well.

When I relate to God, I relate to Him as a Jew. That is who Jesus is. When I understand who He is, I can better relate to Him and learn the things that please Him most.

I was debating on whether or not to share the following experience in this forum. I will venture to share some of it:

When I was pregnant with my son, I had a dream. This was no ordinary dream. In my dream, I saw Jesus. It was really Him...Himself. He appeared at some functions where my spiritual family had been gathering for fellowship. When we gather together, we often sing songs in Hebrew as well as English, such as the Bracha (blessing) over the bread and wine, sometimes known as communion, or kiddush. In this particular dream, when we started to sing the blessing in Hebrew, Jesus joined in. He did not lead it, He joined in. It is, after all, His native tongue. He seemed full of joy and right at home in the midst of us. In the dream, when we got together for a circle dancing a la Israeli-style, Jesus joined in with us and danced! I watched his every move and noticed he joined hands between two men in the circle, thereby being discreet and modest. Some time went by during the dream and again we assembled. I noticed that Jesus showed up during certain times where we were partaking in certain activities (such as the Hebrew and the dancing) and noticed He did not show up at other times. I will not go into all the details of those "other times", but I will say that even though He was not present bodily at those times, and although I painfully longed for Him to come back, I sensed His joy on the inside of me knowing that His Law, His Commandments, His teachings, the things that please Him, were written on my heart as it says in Deuteronomy 6:6, "These words which I command you this day are to be upon your heart...".

I knew that when we were doing things a certain way, when we were worshipping God a certain way, He showed up because He felt at home. I have not had a dream with Jesus in it since then. O how I long for one! And better yet, I long for Heaven, where my real home is, where we can dance for millenia and not get tired or have to leave or go home or part ways with Him. No experience on earth can compare. No drug measures up. You cannot find a bar or a party or a certain piece of music, or any person on the earth or under the earth that could possibly give you the peace and joy of knowing Him who died to make you free. And I want to make Him feel as comfortable as possible in my life. Do I make mistakes? Yeah. Am I often misunderstood? You betcha. Does it mean living my life counter-culture and often appear as a freak to other people? Oh yes. It sometimes means my decision to go a different way than those who are close to me- my family and loved ones. But what matters more to me than what other people think is the expression I want to see on the Lord's face when I approach the gates of pearl to enter eternity....I want to see a welcoming smile.


Happy Chanukah (Feast of Dedication John 10:22).

**

Monday, December 15, 2008

Part 2~ A Holy Controversy~changing the traditions of man

Vesteen hates to disappoint all her American Christian friends, but contrary to the activities people think we will being doing in the afterlife, we will not be celebrating Christmas in Heaven. Read your Bible. There is no such celebration that is sanctioned or even accepted. Similar practices in the Bible to today's cultural practices, such as cutting down a tree, adorning it with silver and gold, are actually condemned practices in the Bible (see Jeremiah 10). It is considered idolatry. (For more info on the roots of Christmas and what scripture has to say about it, please read Part 1 of Christmas- A Holy Controversy).

The God of the Bible (sorry- Allah and Buddah do not qualify)- is so very different from us. It says so in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways". We either want to get to know God for who He is, on His terms, or we do not. His ways are made plain in the holy scriptures. For all scripture is God-breathed and is good for reproof and instruction in righteousness... Many people who say they have a relationship with Jesus the Christ (Messiah), do not really know Him at all. They take the idea of a greasy grace God who has no standards, which their religious leaders have handed down to them, and do not learn to think or relate to God for themselves.



I hear a lot of people talk about Heaven and mention Chrsitmas in the same context. This is erroneous. For example, "I had a dream we were in Heaven and it was Christmas and the trees were decorated beautifully..." etc. There will not be a Christmas celebration in Heaven. If you want to celebrate something in Heaven, or better yet "On earth as it is in Heaven", then celebrate the feasts of the Lord as outlined in Leviticus 23. Those are actually celebrations and observances that were mandated by God Himself (no, they are not 'Jewish' feasts, as some call them- they did not originate with the Jewish people, but with God Himself). You might have the excuse that you are celebrating Jesus' birthday when you celebrate Christmas. However well-meaning this may be, it does not please Him. As my friend Stephanie VanderWal Zlab has pointed out in her article, "I Sat Not With Those Who Make Merry", to celebrate the birthday of a deity is a pagan practice. If it is pagan rooted, it will not be blessed by God. Where do we get the idea that whatever we do is ok with God? It is a lie. Jeremiah says the nations will come to the God of the universe and say, "Truly we have inherited lies from our fathers". Undoubtedly, this is talking about, at least in part, of idolatrous practices in violation of the first and second commandments.



Did you know that the modern day celebration of Christmas has only been celebrated in it's current recognizable form for around 100 years? The pilgrims did not celebrate it, in fact it was shunned as a practice to take off Dec 25 from work. They recognized it for what it is: idolatry- and they abhorred it. The practice of the Christmas tree was revived from an ancient practice honoring the god Tammuz and only became popular again when Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria introduced it to English society at the turn of the last century. The tree is supposed to commemorate the rebirth of the sun god Tammuz and it is a fertility symbol. And yet it is instilled as a nostaligic, warm, and happy tradition in our children...and without repentance and or God's intervention, will undoubtedly be passed on to their children's children.

When I first met my husband, I told him during one of the first phone conversations we had that I was going to raise my children to know who they are and to know who their God is. My children would be Jewish. And I would raise them to know the God of Israel. The Sabbath would be honored in my home. We would celebrate the feasts of the Lord, not pagan holidays. The scriptures would be upheld as the standard of truth in our home. That's how strong my convictions were regarding the matter. They are that strong today.

I, in a sense, left "Moab" when I made the transformation from being a gentile pagan Christian to a Messianic Jewish follower of Yeshua the Messiah. When I stood at the altar and took the vow of Ruth during my wedding ceremony...it was not for show. It was a vow to the God of all creation that I was leaving once and for all, my pagan roots and acknowledging that He had grafted me into the olive tree (Romans 11) that is the commonwealth of Israel. Like Ruth, I left behind all that I knew- all that I grew up with and that was familiar to me. I left, in a sense, my allegiances to my parents, (as one is supposed to do anyway when they marry), my grandparents, and my culture. Included in that, like the Ruth of the Bible, I was vowing to leave behind my pagan gods. But much like Ruth as well as the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, I was not merely coming out of something to just languish in a barren desert, but like them, I was coming into something...the promised Land of my faith in the Messiah. He always brings us out of something on order to bring us in. He brought me into the root that is Israel...a more intimate knowledge of God through the scriptures. A life of obedience to His Torah, His Word and His ways, rather than passivity, rebellion and chains, complacency and compromise which always leads to bondage~and never leads to freedom. I left the practices of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, severed roots with the Catholic church and anti-semitic forefathers' doctrines of demons and instead embraced the Feasts of Almighty God of the Bible. I even embraced some feasts which are considered "man made" all for the sake of identifying with my Messiah and His people, the Jews. I will explain what I mean further, for not all man-made traditions are abominations unto the Lord of Glory.



Many people say, "Well, Chanukah is a man made tradition and holiday". To this I say, true. But it does not go against God's word, His Torah. Furthermore, this particular holiday, also called the Feast of Dedication, which is to commemorate the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem after it was sacked by the Antiochus Epiphenes, an anti-christ figure, was actually observed by Jesus Himself! (John 10:22). Jesus took this opportunity to teach about the Kingdom of God, as well as to remember the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem, which, like all of the things the Lord commanded the Israelites to do, was a type and a shadow of things to be fulfilled by Yeshua. It was a re-dedication. And He showed true miracles during the backdrop of this holiday called Chankah, during which the Israelities remembered the famous miracle of one day's supply of holy oil lasting 8 nights, thus keeping the menorah lit in the temple, as was commanded by God. Now, I, like Yeshua, keep this feast. However, I readily acknowledge that this is one of the very minor feasts, not on par with those of Leviticus 23 such as Yom Kippur and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Great Feast). That is why most Jews to this day do not make a big hoopla out of Chanukah. But in the spirit of most of the feasts of Israel, we say, "They tried to kill us, we survived....Let's EAT!!"

My own personal transformation was gradual. However, there were certain milestones that I passed when I made a decision to repent. God blessed my repentance. The Bible says God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Pride puffs up in insistent persistence in the things that are anti-God. It is also written that His goodness leads us toward repentance. But repentance is necessary in our relationship with the Lord. In the book of Acts, the Jews asked Peter and the apostles what they must do in order to be saved. He responded with a very Hebrew concept: Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Jesus was the blood covering for all the sins. But it did not mean a life of repentance was no longer necessary!!- that line of thinking is not in keeping with Torah- God's Word! I myself could not even begin to repent if it weren't for God's goodness and lovingkindness (mercy) toward me. But a response was required of me. My response came in the form of an active love for Israel and was followed by subsequent revelation of His ways.



To my friends who try to understand my passion for the Hebrew roots of my faith (which is also the roots of their faith if they put their trust in Jesus), I say it is like being so in love with your spouse. Remember in the courtship phase?- You were so in love with your intended that you wanted to know everything about that person? Where they grew up? How they grew up? What they thought about just about everything under the sun? How they perceived the world? Who their friends were? What their values are? Well, it's the same for me. Believers in Jesus are actually engaged to Him. Collectively and individually. We are waiting for His return so that we can be with Him forever, married to Him for all eternity. Well, you don't take a practice that you know offends your beloved and flaunt it in front of His face! That would not be good. That would not be loving. And after too long, your fiance may just want to call off the nuptials.



So it is with God. And yet every year, Christians are offending the very One who died in their place! -who purchased eternity for them! But you may say, "I didn't know!!" Well, now you do. At least you are starting to know. And we are accountable for the things that we do know. We will have no excuse.



For me, the process by which I started coming "out of Babylon" began after seeking God on my face and Him revealing Himself to me, as a Jew. A son of Israel. With a passionate love for His people. I took one step at a time (that's all it takes!)- and He was gracious to surround me with people who also were endeavoring to enter into His ways- which includes the feasts. These feasts in God's Word were never meant to be celebrated alone, but rather in community...Kehillah Kadosh...holy community. It is more enjoyable that way, and after all, that is how He called us, to be One Body...many parts. The dividing wall broken down... not "Those Jewish holidays"...but OUR holidays (which in fact are 'Holy Days'). By the way, that dividing wall was broken down so we gentiles may enter into the nourishing sap which is the root of the commonwealth of Israel, not to abolish believers' Jewish identity, which is often taught in the gentile church.

On the contrary, we were meant to celebrate in unity that is based on His truth. After all, that is the funnest and most fulfilling way to celebrate!!!! L'Chaim! (To Life!)

For confirming info, please read: http://from-thewall.blogspot.com/

**

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Christmas- A Holy Controversy

What? You Don't Celebrate Christmas??!!

Many people ask me what traditions our household does around the holidays, especially if they know we are messianic Jews, or if I tell them we don't celebrate Christmas. Some are shocked to find out we do not decorate a tree, give expensive, elaborate gifts, go holiday shopping, stand under a mistletoe, or tell our son that Santa Claus is coming.

And the people that are the most shocked are my churched Christian friends. Many of them love the Lord. Many of them serve Him with everything that is within them. And yet, I find it that even when sincere, well-meaning people are given the truth about where their beloved Christmas holiday traditions really come from, they nod their head or look puzzled, or explain it away, and continue on business as usual. Although many people are sincere, as I have discovered, they can be sincerely wrong.

So I have decided to write a blog on the subject. I have recently gotten into contact with old friends from church and high school via Facebook and emails, and I would just like to mention the reasons I do not observe this celebration, namely because of the pagan roots of this so-called Christian holiday, the one believers are waging war over in the secular marketplace. I believe their efforts are ultimately in vain, for I do not believe "putting Christ back into Christmas" is a worthy cause. I will explain why.

Who Cares What I Think?

Of course, as the foundation for my arguement, I have to assume that everyone who wishes to seriously and honestly look at this issue must weigh with importance that what matters on the subject is not what you or I think about it. It does not matter that my family has been celebrating this holiday and has incorporated special traditions and memories around the festivities of December 25th for hundreds of years. It does not matter that this might be your favorite holiday of the year or that you get warm fuzzies everytime you hear a Chrsitmas song. What does matter, if you are a follower of the Messiah (Christ), whether you be a Jew or a gentile, is: what is God's opinion on the whole thing? It has been my experience that to find this out, one must be willing to be honest, willing to look at scripture, and of course PRAY. I encourage my friends at the outset, that if you are not sure and you honestly would like to know how God feels about the customs and traditions we keep, ask Him to make it plain to you how He feels about it. Ask Him to reveal truth to you. We have the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, which the Bible says will "lead you and guide you into all truth".

The Date

Most Bible scholars agree that while it is difficult to determine the exact time Yeshua (Jesus) was born, they know when it is NOT: It is not December 25th. For one thing, scripture reveals the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. The shepherds of Israel were attending their flocks in the fields. They would not be doing this during the winter months. So those who focus on the birth of Jesus on this date lose a little of their credibility because December 25 is not Jesus' birthday.

It is more plausible that Christ was born in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) (literally 'House of Bread') during the autumn or spring months. Again, although it is speculation, many who study these things believe Messiah more than likely was born during the autumn feast of "Sukkot" also called the "Feast of Tabernacles", the clue they take is from John chapter 1 "And the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us".

So Whose Birthday Is It??

In addition to December 25th being celebrated as the winter solstice by pagan cultures and the Feast of Saturnalia in Roman culture in particular, the birthday of December 25th belongs to another god....that of Tammuz....the re-born and "invincible" sun god. For more background on this figure from antiquity, I suggest going to Google or some other search engine. The information is vast and I do not have the time or desire to give him anything other than a quick mention.

But why is it such a crime to take a well-known and celebrated birthday of a foreign god and declare it a day as unto the Lord?

Well, for one: we have to look for precedence in scripture. What happened in the book of Exodus not long after Moses descended the mountain with the 10 commmandments? He found the Israelites engaging in pagan revelry and worshipping the golden calf (a pagan god they brought with them from Egypt). Many of them died at the hand of the Lord for doing this, not to mention Moses was very angry. But why was God so angry? Because they used the celebration of a false god in which to worship the Lord. God told them not to follow the ways of the pagans and use them to worship the one true God.

Again and again in scripture we find the Israelites engaging in idol worship and declaring it to be worship unto the Lord God of Israel. After much patience and grace, what was God's response? That's right...He did what He told them would happen if they would not repent....they reaped the consequence of being taken into captivity by their enemies. He tried repeatedly to warn them.

Moreover, concerning the very idol's birthday celebrated by pagans and Christians alike whether they realize it or not- Tammuz...we can know exactly how the Lord feels about this specific pagan god, for he is mentioned in scripture. In Ezekiel, the Lord told the prophet to enter a place in the holy temple in Jerusalem where an "abomination" was taking place. What did Ezekiel see?

Ezekiel 8:14 says:
Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

In verse 6, The Lord calls what they are doing "utterly detestable" and declares that this practice will drive His presence far from the temple. Then, it goes on to say in Ezekiel 8:13, that the Lord tells the prophet he will see EVEN more wicked and detestable things than this. Then Ezekiel goes to the entrance between the portico (porch) and the altar and sees 25 men with their backs toward the temple and their faces toward the east and they were "bowing down to the sun in the east."

Remember that the god Tammuz was the invincible sun god. All sun god worship comes out of Babylon where the people were congregating in unity building the Tower of Babel and rebelling against God who told them to spread out over the earth, to fill and subdue it (Genesis). So how did they respond? By building a tower, undoubtedly in this writer's mind, in the shape of a phallic symbol, as all pagan religious systems incorporate some form of fertility gods and goddesses. Some aspects of all the false religions of the world come out of the practices in Babylon. There is nothing new under the sun. (Pun intended). It is all rebellion. Even the concept of humanism comes out of Babylon, by the way, and the American educational system is built on the foundation of this idea.

We also have to remember who was behind all of this rebellion: Satan. Lucifer. The one who originally rebelled against God in Heaven and took 1/3 of the angels with him. And being that all pagan roots have their origin in Lucifer's rebellion, we can see his plan to disprove God and His Word and destroy God's precious creation- man- who is made in the likeness of God and after God's own image and is the object of God's very own affection. The Jews call him "The satan"- the opposer-they do not even give him the dignity of a name. I'll bet that the satan is sitting back every December 25th laughing his head off, thinking he has pulled the wool over the eyes of God's people yet again and is thus mocking our creator and savior. All because so many people are in agreement with him and his ways. In fact, I would venture to say that in modern American Christianity, and unless people repent and ask God's forgiveness for these heinous practices, the devil is gaining the victory.

What About Trees and other Customs? They're Harmless, Right?

Well, that depends on what you think of Jeremiah 10:3, which, concerning the ways of the idolatrous nations, says, "For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter". How much more specific can you get than that?! The Lord even describes how people make a stand for the tree! A practice still carried out today...to the letter. And I should also remind you that this custom pre-dates the birth of Christ by several hundreds of years. Therefore, it has nothing to do with His birth, and does not glorify Him at all.

Mistletoe was used by the pagans as a fertility rite. The story of Santa Claus is a fable and a fraud. What's more, many people every year lie to their children about this fraud, telling them Santa is real (it is just a nice, harmless fantasy, right?!), getting their children to adore this being who will give them gifts, then parents threaten them saying they will get nothing if they are not good and obedient all year long, but reward them with gifts in the end anyway, thus making the True giver of all good gifts out to be some pansy deity who does not punish unrighteousness.

There are many more startling facts about this so called "holiday" which is not a "holy day" at all, too many to get into in this entry. I can direct you to other resources if you have the desire to study these roots further.

But We Are Under Grace, Not Under Law...Right?

False teaching in the church has led many people to believe that we do not have to keep the Lord's commandments. That we do not have to do what He says. Or in the least, we only have to keep the 2 "new" ones Jesus gave. This is patently false. Number one: Jesus was summing up the heart of the entirety of His commandments by saying Love God with all your heart mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Secondly, God NEVER abolished His word (the commandments. Indeed the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Yeshua, the same yesterday, today and forever-Hebrews 13:8) and Yeshua also clarified, "Think not that I came to destroy the law and the prophets....I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (That word fulfill in the Greek means 'to uphold to its highest and fullest expression') The commandments Jesus gave were in fact, not new at all. The entire Torah (the five books of Moses) are an explanation and an expansion on how to keep God's commandments.

Doesn't it matter to us what Jesus actually said? Or would we rather follow our church's or man's tradition?

Indeed, Paul said he would have never known sin except for the Law (Torah). It is like looking into a mirror to see how inadequate we are and how we of ourselves cannot keep God's commandments, thus earning our way into Heaven. That is why we have Yeshua, Jesus, who fulfilled the entire Torah (indeed He IS Torah- think on that one for awhile- we serve an unfathomable God!) and became our atonement for violating God's law ('For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God'). But Yeshua did not die for us so that we could go on sinning. No, make no mistake, there will come a day when we will be held accountable to the God of the universe for what we did with the truth when we became aware of it. That day is coming sooner than you think. For Jesus says in the parable of separating the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25, "Depart from me you workers of iniquity", this means 'you transgressors of the law', "for I never knew you". And they will be thrown into outer darkness.

Many Christians mistakenly believe that when believers in the Body of Messiah start teaching about the Law, that we are trying to put people "back under the law". This is a misunderstanding. Jesus Himself said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" and "Those who keep my commandments and teach others to do the same, will be called greatest in the kingdom..." What are the commandments? THE LAW. The problem is not the law itself. The law is good. It is the trying to keep the law in our own flesh that is condemned in scripture. For when we sow to the flesh we reap of the flesh corruption. That is why we must be born again and have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to work through us to follow God's commandments (His teachings). Then His law is written on our hearts and the desire to sin (trangress the law) is abolished. We have the ability to be perfect- to keep God's Law. Since the Holy Spirit is Messiah dwelling in us, I think He has the ability to keep His own commandments! And those who persist in rebellion are actaully falling away from the faith.

In the first century church, there arose a controversy amongst pharisees who were also followers of Yeshua when it was evident that gentiles could become born again and followers of Jesus also (up to that point the whole church consisted of only Jews). These pharisees were saying that in order for non-Jews to become followers of Jesus, (there's a paradox for our times!), they had to FIRST CONVERT to Judaism, be circumcised, and THEN they could follow the Jewish Messiah. There was no precedent for this situation.

So the apostles met at the council of Jerusalem to settle the dispute prayerfully and responsibly. This is recorded in Acts 15. In the letter to the gentiles as recorded in Acts, it says in verse 28 "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality". (emphases mine)

If we look closely at what is required of gentile believers in the Messiah, we will see our issue addressed. The text says to "abstain from food sacrificed to idols". How much more, then, as children of God, are we to abstain from the actual practice (sin) of idolatry itself?!

Finally, for those believers who put emphasis on the close and personal relationship we have with the Lord above any kind of talk of the Law, and say it is all about knowing Him and walking with Him in His grace.....I say this: wouldn't it seem wise to take into consideration His feelings regarding the matter? For those who truly follow Jesus Christ, would not want to grieve His Spirit. From the Lord's reaction to the practices in Ezekiel chapter 8, I think we can safely assume that these pagan-rooted practices are grievous to Him.

For those Christians who are desperate to see a move of God in their lifetime unlike any they have ever seen before- from just the scriptures we have been looking at here it is apparent what types of things can actually block or hinder such a move of God. I hope we heed these warnings from God's Word.


So What NOW?

I will share more of my own personal testimony in my next blog entry. But by the time I asked myself this question "So what do I do now?", I had already begun celebrating the Lord's appointed feasts as outlined in Leviticus 23. Additionally, I began celebrating some of the festivals celebrated by Israel and the Jewish people, including Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Dedication, which some Christians are surprised to know that Jesus Himself celebrated (John 10:22), even though this particular feast was instituted by man and not by God. There is evidence enough in the Bible that ALL the nations will be required to celebrate the Lord's appointed feasts during Jesus' future reign on earth (I will deal more with that in the future), so my reasoning is this: why not start NOW? God is a wise and loving Father. He does not take away so that we will have nothing and be destitute and sad. For me, the Lord had given me a love for Israel and the Jews, including celebrating right along with them, long before He required me to totally come out of celebrating Christmas. For me, it was a process. It took time. What was required of me was a response to the truth. I had to remain determined and I had to walk in repentance. There was someone who was in the same process right along with me. The Lord was so good to give me a companion to walk this unfamiliar road. Turned out He was leading her in the same direction. My good friend Stephanie VanderWal Zlab. The Lord has used Stephanie and me as "two witnesses" to the Body of Messiah regarding these issues, much as the Lord used Paul and Barnabas sending them to the believers at Antioch with the letter containing the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The Lord has used Stephanie mightily as a teacher and prophet to the Body of Messiah. I encourage you to read her blog entries on the subject by going to:

http://from-thewall.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned for works in progress on her site as well.

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Monday, December 1, 2008

Secret Sister Revealed

Today our Moms Club had the "Secret Sister" reveal party. Boy was I surprised to find out who my secret sister was! (I had no clue~ I thought it was somebody else).

Here is how Secret Sister works: at the beginning of the 4 month period, you fill out a questionnaire about yourself and give it to the moderator. Then each person draws a name. You secretly gift that person every month for the duration (there is a spending limit, although I have to admit, I went slightly over a couple times!) Since we live in a small town, it is easy to secretly leave the gift on your sister's doorstep or you can get a cohort to help you. I tried to throw my person off my trail by actually delivering her gift to her face to face one time (today she confessed she questioned if it was me or not when I left..oh well!). Then we gave eachother the last gift today at the reveal party. It was so much fun.

My sister which I gifted told me she loved the gifts I gave her. She had tears in her eyes as she thanked me. She went through a very stressful season during this whole thing and she was very touched by the things I left for her and she said each one was very "timely". Oh goodie! I am so glad, because, as I told her this morning.....I prayed and asked God before I gave her each gift what would bless her the most at each time. And boy did He answer!!

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