Are all things clean? Are all days alike? A Study on Romans 14

Recently a friend stated that Romans 14 confused her and made her wonder, so I wrote this up for her. I thought I would share it here.

Romans 14-

When reading anything written by Paul we have to remember that he was a Jew, a LAW abiding Jew. He obeyed the law and was blameless in it. In Acts we see that people were bringing charges against him, FALSE charges saying that he was teaching people to not obey the law of God. They were false accusations and given by false witnesses. So if the false accusations were that Paul taught to disobey the law of God, then wouldn't it be safe to say that the truth would be that he actually taught people to obey the law of God?

Paul was a student of Gamaliel and had the entire Torah committed to memorization. Deuteronomy 13 would have been THE test as to whether or not a prophet was from God or NOT from God. (Deut 13 is part of the reason why Jews do not accept Jesus as their Messiah, because the Christian church teaches that Jesus came to do away with the commandments of God). ~Deut 13: 4-5~ “…You shall follow YHVH your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against YHVH your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which YHVH your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.”

By this very verse we know that anyone who comes and tries to seduce us away from following the commandments of God is to be put to death and purged from among us, and is evil. It is a test from God himself to see whether or not we love Him with all our heart and all our soul. Paul would have known that, and because He was zealous for the law, he would have NEVER broken it intentionally or taught others to do the same. We NEED to keep this in mind when reading Paul’s writings.

Always remember 2 Peter 3:14-18~ “Therefore, beloved , since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

So, remember:

Paul was blameless in the law

he told us to establish the law

he was accused falsely of disobeying the law and teaching others to do the same

Peter said that those who were untaught would distort the writings of Paul

our MESSIAH told us that he did NOT come to do away with the law

and that not ONE jot or tittle would pass from the law

our MESSIAH told us that those who obeyed and who taught others to obey the commandments would be called greatest in the kingdom of God

We are told in 1 John- “By this we know that we have come to know Him (God the Father), if we keep HIS (God’s) commandments.”

We are also told in 1 John 3:4- “Everyone who practices sin also practices LAWLESSNESS; and sin IS lawlessness.” In the KJV it says that sin is the transgression of the LAW. Whose law? God’s law.

We are also told that anyone who tries to lead us away from obeying the commandments of God (Deut 13) is to be put to death, it is that serious. God told us that He would send people to test us to see whether or not we truly loved him.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For THIS is the love of God, that we KEEP His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

With that foundation being laid, we can then go into Paul’s writings and read them in a new light; a light that shines the truth of the word of God onto them and illuminates them in a way that does not contradict the law of God or any other scripture in the bible.

Reread Romans chapter 14 in this new light. See where Paul talks about FOOD? What is food according to the commandments of God? Is it ALL meat and ALL plants? It is not. So, since Paul would never teach against the commandments of God, he must be talking about something else. What about the days he is referring to, that one person regards one day above another? And that we should not judge those who regard one day differently than another? Is he talking about the Sabbath day that GOD made holy and set apart for us to honor?

Let’s break it down dealing with the food issue first: In verse 2 we see that “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only”…why would he eat vegetables only? If Paul were talking about all animals being clean, would he not say that “one person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only clean animals”? Further on in verse 14 Paul states that he knows and is “convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean…Do not destroy with your FOOD him for whom Christ died…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but RIGHTEOUSNESS” further on Paul states “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of FOOD. All things are indeed clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat MEAT or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles…Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves”

Ok…first of all we see that Paul is talking about some who will eat meat, and some who will only eat vegetables. We see this theme running throughout a lot of Paul’s letters to different churches. There must have been something going on that was causing people to abstain from eating meat, and since that meat was considered food, and Paul would not have considered all animals food, but only the ones God prescribed for us as food to be food, we can rule out that when he refers to meat that he is referring to ALL animals as meat. He is referring to clean meat only.

It is also important to understand the historical context of Paul’s writings. During this time, as we see in other letters Paul wrote, that people were sacrificing animals to idols and then selling them in the market place. There were some who would abstain from meat all together because they did not know for certain whether or not the meat they bought was indeed sacrificed to idols. Paul continually said, what is an idol? It is nothing. Have faith in God that the meat you eat is sanctified by the word of God and eat it with thanksgiving. It is sanctified, or set apart, called clean, holy etc., by the WORD of God, the law, the commandment that states that it is indeed clean and to be as food for you. We are not to go about sacrificing meat to idols, or to knowingly consume meat that has been sacrificed to idols, but when we don’t know, it then becomes a matter of conscience. (those are my paraphrases of MANY different verses)

Over and over again Paul is speaking of meat that is food and the only meat that was considered food by Paul, because he obeyed the commandments of God, was meat that came from animals that were on the “clean” list. It’s not even an argument. Paul would NOT have promoted the eating of ALL animals because he was blameless in the law and it was FALSE accusers that said he taught against the law. He is speaking of meat that was sacrificed to idols and that we should decide for ourselves, a matter of personal conviction, whether or not we should abstain from eating all meat, or just eat vegetables. BUT if we decided to just eat vegetables we should not condemn our brother whose faith was stronger, who decided that since he did not know for certain whether his meat was sacrificed to idols, that he would still eat it. Christ died for him as well as for us, and the kingdom is not about food it is about RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Which brings me to my next point; what is righteousness as defined by Scripture? Well, in the new testament in Luke 1:5-6 it states that Zacharias and Elizabeth “were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord”. In the Old Testament Deut 6:25- “It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.”

If the kingdom of God is righteousness and righteousness is observing the commandments of God, then how could it be righteousness to eat whatever we wanted to eat, regardless of what God commanded us to eat? It would not be. It would be contrary to the word of God.

So, just as with the food issue, the issue about one day being regarded above another, has to be something else other than what GOD has said about days. What has He said? To remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. He sanctified the seventh day and set it apart for us. It is holy because God said it is holy. There is nothing we can do about that. We do not have the power to sanctify anything. Only God has that power. So, since God never said, “I’ve done away with the seventh day Sabbath and now you can do what is right in your own eyes even though that leads to death”, we can pretty much assume that the seventh day Sabbath is still holy and we are still to remember it and to keep it holy.

So, what was Paul talking about? Again, historical context is important. People were setting apart a day or two a week- let’s say Wednesdays and Thursdays- in order to have a fast on those days. Well, other people wanted to fast on other days, but those self-righteous religious people who made up their own commandments and set them before God’s commandments, were all up in arms about people not honoring the fasting days that they had instituted. That’s all this is about. Some churches institute fasting days in which they dedicate a period of time, let’s say 3 days, to fast and pray about a certain issue within the body of Messiah. Well, maybe I have a family get-together for those three days and I have a HUGE spread I have to put out for all my family, so I choose to fast for the 3 days after my family leaves. The church cannot judge me for deciding to set apart different days for my fast. It is my own decision, and I do not feel bad about it. Paul is saying, don’t judge people because they choose to set apart different days and they regard Wednesday above Monday. What he is NOT saying is that we can decide for ourselves which day we decide to have our Sabbath on. God has already decided that for us. It is HE whom we are to obey. It is HE whom we are to love. It is HE whom we are to put above ourselves and our own fleshly desires. Once again, if it is righteousness for us to walk in His commands, and it is sin for us to walk in lawlessness, then we can never say that we can walk contrary to the law of God and still believe that we are inside God’s will for us.

Paul would never teach us to walk contrary to the commandments of God. He would never advocate disregarding God’s commandments and instead decide for ourselves what was right or what was wrong. It is when people decide what is right in their own eyes that we are lead astray.

2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 ~ “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the YHVH. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says YHVH Almighty.’ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

That’s Paul stating the law of God, and confirming for us that we are to not touch what is UNCLEAN and we are to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, which will perfect our HOLINESS. If he believed that was true, then why would he tell us to eat whatever we wanted, even if it was unclean to God? Why would he tell us to pick and choose whatever day we wanted to have for our Sabbath, even though God had already commanded a day for us to rest on? He wouldn’t have. It is we who are confused. It is we who do not know the scriptures and are untaught and unstable. Let us study to show ourselves approved. Let us walk in love and obedience to our Almighty Father, dying to self and living not for our flesh. Let us worship in spirit and in truth.

Psalm 119:142- Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. And your law is truth.

Psalm 119:151- You are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are truth.

Who are you?

If you are a believer in Jesus/Yahshua the Messiah, what do you call yourself? Who do you say you are? What does the bible say about you? What does the bible call you? Do you know?

You should.

This is the stepping off point. Once you grasp this fact, your life will never be the same. I promise you. Spend an hour watching the following video, PLEASE! If you call yourself a Christian, WATCH this.

You Shall Make for Yourselves Tassels

Tzitzit

Numbers 15:37-41 

 ³⁷ YHVH also spoke to Moses, saying,
 ³⁸"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
 ³⁹"It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of YHVH, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,
 ⁴⁰so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your Elohim.
 ⁴¹"I am YHVH your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your Elohim; I am YHVH your Elohim."

Deuteronomy 22:12

¹²"You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.




While walking this pathway of obedience to YHVH, some things have been easier to obey than others. Not eating pork was a no brainer...pig=ick=don't eat it. Sure, I can do that. The food laws were the first things we started obeying, but in the beginning it did test us. We would just pick the sausage off pizza, or push the pork aside in soup, etc. I wouldn't even think about doing those things now, but we did do it at one time. Next came Sabbath, but even that tested our obedience. It seemed like every Sabbath, something would come up. We would just "have" to go to the store. Or I would compromise on my "no electronics" rule. Eventually we came into a place where  honoring the Sabbath made us feel set apart. It effected so much of our spiritual lives. We can say we are set apart, but what is there that is different about us? How can you tell that we are the children of Israel? How can you tell that we belong to YHVH? Each Sabbath we feel it. We see it in each other. It is truly a sign between YHVH and us, that we are His people. But we had to come into a place of obedience in order to get the blessing from it.


Well, tzitzit have been a place of disobedience for me. In turn I have caused my husband and children to be disobedient as well. I've been asked to make tzitzit, asked to wear them by my husband, and my children have asked if they could wear them. I made my husband a set, since he was the one convicted about wearing them, but I would not wear them myself. Why? I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't understand the point. Maybe it was because I didn't want to look weird or have to give an account to others as to why I wore these strange looking fringes and what they meant and what it was I truly believed in. Maybe I am just rebellious and stiff necked. I think all of those things are true about why I find myself in a constant state of disobedience. Most of all, I am rebellious and I need an answer as to "why" I need to do what I'm being told to do, before I actually do it.


I tell my children a story about a boy and his father who were fishing down by the river. The father forgot something in the truck, and had to run back up the hill to fetch it. The father told the son to stay put, don't go near the river, and that he would be right back. The son waited patiently, moving slowly up the hill in anticipation of the father's return. When the father rounded the hill and started down the path, he froze, with a terrified look on his face. He told the son calmly to NOT move, not even an inch, and that he would be right back. The father left, and returned with his shot gun. The son was obedient and had not moved at all. He stayed put even when the father raised his gun and shot the poisonous snake that was poised behind the child, ready to strike the child. Had the child moved, he would have been bitten, and he would have died.


That child's immediate obedience was the key to his life being saved. Had he questioned the father's command to stop, don't move, and stay there, and actually looked around to see why the father was giving the command, he would have died. It was through his obedience that he was kept safe.


I am not like that boy, but oh how I wish I were. I question everything, which at times is a good thing, but not when it comes to our Heavenly Father's commandments. He knows what is best for us. He knows exactly what we need. Like a weekly sabbath in order to stay healthy, refreshed, and always focused on what is important. But do we need to know the reason behind a command before we obey it? We do not. Our immediate obedience is required. THAT is faith. Obeying the father even when we don't understand why.


So, last night I made my entire family tzitzits. Today I will wear them, and each day after. I understand that they are there so I do not forget to obey the commands of my Father, but I shouldn't need to know that in order to just do what He says.


 "Wear the tzitzit, Monica"..."Yes, Father".

How Long is Forever? A repost.

I am reposting this because it is so important and I don't want it to go unnoticed in the archives. :-)

Forever, always, everlasting, eternal...These are the words that I see when I read scripture referring to Yahweh's commandments and His ordinances, which used to confuse me when I believed that the law was done away with. However, I emptied my cup that was full of other people's doctrine and I then started delving into scripture and praying that God would reveal the truth to me. I had received the love of truth and God made good on His promises to give to those that asked. My eyes were opened and for the first time I saw the truth. I see the veil being lifted all over the world and things, that at one time caused confusion, are now beginning to make sense. I only hope that I can show some of that truth with this blog and that people take the time to seek the truth out for themselves. Not in another man's teachings, but in the Word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments ALWAYS. ~Deuteronomy 11:1

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is Yahweh, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS  with those who love Him and keep His commandments. ~Deuteronomy 7:9

Regarding the Feasts of God-

You shall eat neither parched bread no parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever thrioughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Firstfruits) ~ Leviticus 23:14

You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute FOREVER in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (Tabernacles) ~Leviticus 23:41

Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me and ALWAYS keep all of My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children FOREVER.~ Deuteronomy 5:29

Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children FOREVER, when you do what is good and right in the sight of Yahweh your Elohim.~Deuteronomy 12:28

The secret things belong to Yahweh our Elohim, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children FOREVER, that we may do all the words of this law. ~ Deuteronomy 29:29

It is an interesting fact, that the LAST verses in the LAST book of the Old Testament, before the blank page that separates the Old from the New, are this:

Malachi 4:4-6~

REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for ALL ISRAEL, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

This is right before the "new" covenant starts, in which the "law" has supposedly been done away with. Why would the last words of God's spokesman, Malachi, be "REMEMBER the law of Moses", if it was just going to be done away with on the very next page?

The new covenant is spoken about prophetically in Jeremiah 31:33- "But this is the covenant that I will make with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, says the Lord: I will put MY LAW in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people."

Ezekiel also points to this new covenant in 36:27- "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them"

So, God promises to give us His Spirit, and that Spirit will guide us into walking in His statutes and doing His commandments.

The Old Testament ends with God telling his people to REMEMBER HIS COMMANDMENTS.

Then Yahshua comes and does away with the law...NO!

"Do NOT think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, one jot or one tittle will by NO MEANS PASS FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL IS FULFILLED." Matthew 5:17-18

Have heaven and earth passed away? NO! Then ALL is not yet fulfilled, and the law remains.

If the word of God is true, and the word says the commandments are everlasting, and Yahshua says that the law has NOT been destroyed, and that it will remain until ALL is fulfilled, WHY do we insist upon saying it was done away with?

More from Yahshua: "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" ~Matthew 15:3

Yahshua quoting Isaiah: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" ~Matthew 15:8-9

Yahshua again answering a question about how to have eternal life: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. BUT if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." ~Matthew 19:17

And finally in Revelation, which is prophecy that has yet to come: "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Yahshua the Messiah."~Revelation 12:17

And again in Revelation 14:12~ "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yahshua."

In the end the dragon is going to make war with the people that keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Yahshua. If you have one without the other, he is not concerned with you.

This is yet to come! The commandments are eternal! God is pleased with those that keep them. So much so that He calls them saints in the end.

The Covenant terms for Israel have never changed. That's what God's word says. He says they are everlasting, forever, always, throughout all our generations. The prophesy about the new covenant says that the terms remain the same...you want to be my people? Walk in my ways. In the end times, those that keep the commandments are called saints.

Could the word be wrong? Is it not truth? Are we walking in truth?

He seeks those that worship in spirit and in truth and truth is an absolute. God is a God of absolutes. When everything else in this world relies on feelings, emotions, and subjective experiences, we can trust that the word is absolute. God is absolute. Love is absolute. Truth is absolute.

Thank you, Father for your absolute wisdom and your unfailing love. Have mercy where mercy is due, and give grace as well. Love us like you did ancient Israel, who were stiff-necked and stubborn, yet you did not destroy them. Teach us your ways and lead us into life everlasting. Open our eyes that we may see, and give us ears to hear. Teach us to love the way You intended us to; Love for our fellow humans and Love for You. Father, you are the same yesterday, today and forever. I thank you that you are the one constant I can always rely on. Thank you for your Spirit that will guide us into your ways and teach us all that we need to know. Keep us in your loving, forgiving, arms during trying times, and teach us to not forget you when times are easy. Father, may we bless you in our actions, words,and thoughts. May we be ever mindful of how we are blessing you, instead of always wanting to be blessed. Keep us humble enough to admit our sins when we first commit them, and humble enough to always return to you quickly, never lingering in condemnation. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that I may not slip. Thank you, Father.

The History of the Church: on the ROCK or on the rocks?

This is a great teaching from WildBranch Ministry. It's a free download and is an hour and 18 minutes long, but worth the time! If you are a believer in the Messiah Yahshua aka Jesus Christ, and don't know early church history, you NEED to listen to this. It will hopefully open your eyes and shed some light on some falsehoods that have been propagated by the man-made religious system that a lot of us have been in, come out of, or are now in.

Isaiah 51:4-8

Listen to Me, My people;
And give ear to Me, O My nation:
For law will proceed from Me,
And I will make My justice rest
As a light of the peoples.
My righteousness is near,
My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The coastlands will wait upon Me,
And on My arm they will trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
And look on the earth beneath.
For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,
The earth will grow old like a garment,
And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;
But My salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not be abolished.

Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
You people in whose heart is My law:
Do not fear the reproach of men,
Nor be afraid of their insults.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
And the worm will eat them like wool;
But My righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation from generation to generation.

Praise God for His word which is truth! I love having my eyes opened more and more every day to the truth of Torah.

Create in me a clean heart, Father. Break me and use me and cause me to seek You. Give me compassion, patience, gentleness and knowledge of love defined only by you. Help me speak your truth and help me to do it lovingly but without compromise. Father, forgive me for my disobedience and unbelief. Forgive my hardened heart. Forgive me for seeking my own ways. Father, may I bless you in this this walk and learn to walk just as your son walked.

How Long is Forever?

Forever, always, everlasting, eternal...These are the words that I see when I read scripture referring to Yahweh's commandments and His ordinances, which used to confuse me when I believed that the law was done away with. However, I emptied my cup that was full of other people's doctrine and I then started delving into scripture and praying that God would reveal the truth to me. I had received the love of truth and God made good on His promises to give to those that asked. My eyes were opened and for the first time I saw the truth. I see the veil being lifted all over the world and things, that at one time caused confusion, are now beginning to make sense. I only hope that I can show some of that truth with this blog and that people take the time to seek the truth out for themselves. Not in another man's teachings, but in the Word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments ALWAYS. ~Deuteronomy 11:1

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is Yahweh, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS with those who love Him and keep His commandments. ~Deuteronomy 7:9

Regarding the Feasts of God-

You shall eat neither parched bread no parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever thrioughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Firstfruits) ~ Leviticus 23:14

You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute FOREVER in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (Tabernacles) ~Leviticus 23:41

Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me and ALWAYS keep all of My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children FOREVER.~ Deuteronomy 5:29

Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children FOREVER, when you do what is good and right in the sight of Yahweh your Elohim.~Deuteronomy 12:28

The secret things belong to Yahweh our Elohim, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children FOREVER, that we may do all the words of this law. ~ Deuteronomy 29:29

It is an interesting fact, that the LAST verses in the LAST book of the Old Testament, before the blank page that separates the Old from the New, are this:

Malachi 4:4-6~

REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for ALL ISRAEL, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

This is right before the "new" covenant starts, in which the "law" has supposedly been done away with. Why would the last words of God's spokesman, Malachi, be "REMEMBER the law of Moses", if it was just going to be done away with on the very next page?

The new covenant is spoken about prophetically in Jeremiah 31:33- "But this is the covenant that I will make with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, says the Lord: I will put MY LAW in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people."

Ezekiel also points to this new covenant in 36:27- "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them"

So, God promises to give us His Spirit, and that Spirit will guide us into walking in His statutes and doing His commandments.

The Old Testament ends with God telling his people to REMEMBER HIS COMMANDMENTS.

Then Yahshua comes and does away with the law...NO!

"Do NOT think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, one jot or one tittle will by NO MEANS PASS FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL IS FULFILLED." Matthew 5:17-18

Have heaven and earth passed away? NO! Then ALL is not yet fulfilled, and the law remains.

If the word of God is true, and the word says the commandments are everlasting, and Yahshua says that the law has NOT been destroyed, and that it will remain until ALL is fulfilled, WHY do we insist upon saying it was done away with?

More from Yahshua: "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" ~Matthew 15:3

Yahshua quoting Isaiah: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" ~Matthew 15:8-9

Yahshua again answering a question about how to have eternal life: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. BUT if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." ~Matthew 19:17

And finally in Revelation, which is prophecy that has yet to come: "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Yahshua the Messiah."~Revelation 12:17

And again in Revelation 14:12~ "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yahshua."

In the end the dragon is going to make war with the people that keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Yahshua. If you have one without the other, he is not concerned with you.

This is yet to come! The commandments are eternal! God is pleased with those that keep them. So much so that He calls them saints in the end.

The Covenant terms for Israel have never changed. That's what God's word says. He says they are everlasting, forever, always, throughout all our generations. The prophesy about the new covenant says that the terms remain the same...you want to be my people? Walk in my ways. In the end times, those that keep the commandments are called saints.

Could the word be wrong? Is it not truth? Are we walking in truth?

He seeks those that worship in spirit and in truth and truth is an absolute. God is a God of absolutes. When everything else in this world relies on feelings, emotions, and subjective experiences, we can trust that the word is absolute. God is absolute. Love is absolute. Truth is absolute.

Thank you, Father for your absolute wisdom and your unfailing love. Have mercy where mercy is due, and give grace as well. Love us like you did ancient Israel, who were stiff-necked and stubborn, yet you did not destroy them. Teach us your ways and lead us into life everlasting. Open our eyes that we may see, and give us ears to hear. Teach us to love the way You intended us to; Love for our fellow humans and Love for You. Father, you are the same yesterday, today and forever. I thank you that you are the one constant I can always rely on. Thank you for your Spirit that will guide us into your ways and teach us all that we need to know. Keep us in your loving, forgiving, arms during trying times, and teach us to not forget you when times are easy. Father, may we bless you in our actions, words,and thoughts. May we be ever mindful of how we are blessing you, instead of always wanting to be blessed. Keep us humble enough to admit our sins when we first commit them, and humble enough to always return to you quickly, never lingering in condemnation. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that I may not slip. Thank you, Father.

The Way of the Righteous

The other night I began reading and my eyes were opened to so many things that I've never really seen before. The following is what I saw. I am going through Psalm 15-Psalm 19 but will not write out every Psalm, just the points that were highlighted during my study and my own comments will follow in red. This study was important to me because so often I hear people say "the Lord will fight for me" and I wonder why they think that, why I have thought that, even though I have refused to walk in God's ways and it is obvious to me that others are still walking in their own ways. These Psalms make it clear that it is not your wishy-washy, lukewarm "Christian" that God delivers, but those that walk upright and walk in HIS righteous ways that he delivers. We read the Psalms all the time, pray them, sing them, speak them over our friends and family, and we ignore all the ones about how perfect God's law is and the benefits of walking in it. Do we believe the word of God or not? If the word says the law is holy, perfect and just then why do we have such a difficult time embracing it?

Psalm 10:7~ For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

Psalm 15~
Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

(Those who follow God's commandments, Torah, will dwell in His tabernacle)

Psalm 16~

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You"

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forever more.

Either my goodness is nothing without God, or I can't even do good without God, either way, I need God to guide me in His ways, because it is His ways that are good, not my own.

God gives us counsel and He is the one who instructs our hearts, His ways are to be always before us. When He gave us His instructions (Torah) He said that in them was life, and without them was death. He will show us the path of life and it is not outside of His commandments.

Psalm 17~

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer that is not from deceitful lips. 2 Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. 3 You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

David is asking God to hear his JUST cause and to listen to his prayer, but David has purposed that he should not sin with his mouth. (This is huge for me, because my mouth is a missile launcher at times) He is asking God to intervene on his behalf, but David is without sin. He is walking upright. He trusts that because He is walking in God's righteous ways that God will stand firm on His promises that there are blessings for doing His commandments and it is indeed the path of life.

4 Concerning the works of men, BY the WORD of YOUR lips, I have kept myself from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Uphold my steps in YOUR paths, that my footsteps may not slip.

Again, David is being obedient to the Word of God and doing the works that God has commanded. By doing those works, he has kept himself from the path of destruction. (Torah is life, without it is death) He is asking God to keep him His path.

15 As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

WOW! Nothing else will satisfy David than to awake in God's likeness. David sees God's face in righteousness! I love this. We can see God while we walk in His righteous ways. We come to know Him more fully, more completely when we study His ways. The Torah has opened my eyes to God's character more than anything ever has. I see His mercy and grace and love in the very thing that people say was done away with! How sad that we think this way. Yahshua came and showed us how to fully WALK out those ways and He upheld the Torah in everything He did. The character of God was displayed right before our eyes, yet we deny Yahshua's very words..."Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law". Don't even think it...

Psalm 18~

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

19b- 24 He delivered me because he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have KEPT THE WAYS OF THE LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity, Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

David's cry was heard BECAUSE God delighted in him. Why did God delight in David? Because David kept the ways of God. David kept himself from his own sinful ways, which we all have, but by following Torah we are lead away from our sins. God answered him according to his (David's) righteousness. We can't depart from God's ways and expect Him to even hear us. "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination." --Psalm 28:9

Psalm 19~

7-11 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

Praise God! The law is perfect and it converts the soul...the very thing that is missing in today's "churchianity". Everyone is making a decision for salvation but souls are not being converted. People still follow after their own lusts, their own ways, in some instances their sins are occuring just as much as they were before their supposed conversion. But here we see that the law converts the soul. It makes sense then that modern Christians are in the state they're in because they teach and are taught that the law was done away with. The commandments are pure! By them we are warned; we know the boundary lines. If we keep them, we will be justly rewarded for it! NOT CONDEMNED BECAUSE WE ARE LEGALISTIC!

God will fight for us, but why should he fight for us if we reject the way of righteousness? If we don't know what is righteous and holy, then how are we supposed to be holy just as He is holy? We say we are no longer sinners but yet we have NO idea what sin even is according to the word of God. Sin is not what Obama says..."doing something that doesn't line up with my own values" which is what most people would define sin as. Sin is the transgression of the law, of God's commandments. 1 John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Lawlessness-without the law. Who's law? God's law.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep HIS commandments 1 John 5:2.

If we truly love God, then why do we reject what He created for our own good? If we reject it, will He reject us?

"Many will say to me in that day 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" ~Matthew 7:22-23