The Feast of Tu B'shvat is another new year, this time the new year of the trees. This is the day when we determine the final tithes on the crops that were grown. All crops grown and harvested prior to this day are in one year and those harvested after this day are in another year. In modern times, increasingly, this day has become a Jewish arbor day, a day to remember growing plants and even animals.
In the Middle Ages, Tu Bishvat was celebrated with a feast of fruits in keeping with the Mishnaic description of the holiday as a "New Year." In the 1600s, the kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed and his disciples instituted a Tu Bishvat seder in which the fruits and trees of the Land of Israel were given symbolic meaning. The main idea was that eating ten specific fruits and drinking four cups of wine in a specific order while reciting the appropriate blessings would bring human beings, and the world, closer to spiritual perfection. [6]
In Israel, the kabbalistic Tu Bishvat seder has been revived, and is now celebrated by many Jews, religious and secular. Special haggadot have been written for this purpose.
Nasoreans join in this honoring of nature and remembering the tithes on plants. This is a day upon which we should be careful to give to the poor a fair share of what we have grown. This is a day to remember living things and remember our stewardship over those living things. This is a day upon which a Nasorean Jew will become conscious for one more year of our need to conserve and recycle.
The feast for Nasoreans will be tomorrow. Join with us in this celebration.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Abortion and Scott Roeder
It took jurors 37 minutes on Friday to convict Scott Roeder, an abortion opponent, of first-degree murder in the death of George R. Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country to perform late-term abortions.
The Didache, our Constitution, and the oldest document of the original followers of Yeshua forbids abortion absolutely. Modern Jewish rulings tend to posit a somewhat lessened requirement which allows the mother to claim that the child is attacking her and that aborting the child will protect her life. The Nasoreans position on abortion is abortion should only be allowed when three doctors concur that the child's continued presence in the womb will cause death to the mother. One is not allowed to kill merely on the supposition that an event might occur. While self-defense against an attacker is allowed under the Torah law, the response must be no greater than the threat. Thus, abortion can only occur when the threat is certain death if the pregnancy is not ended.
George Tiller was a murderer of the worst sort. He murdered babies in the womb long after they became viable. He did it for the most base of reasons, money and the continued immorality of the woman. Scott Roeder made it clear that mass murder must be stopped. He took the only action that a brave man could take, one whose purpose was to protect life of the weakest in our society, and he did it only after careful thought. George Tiller was no normal abortionist. He was Mengele whose acts were impassionate and calculated. It is lawful for a person to kill when protecting others from death.
The fact that Scott Roeder chose to commit the act of self-defense in the setting of an apostate church speaks highly of his understanding of divine justice. The fact that apostate Kansas has a law allowing the murder of children in the womb makes no difference. Hitler's Germany allowed him to murder Jews, Polish, Russians, Gypsies, Masons, gays, and anyone else he hated. The execution of Hitler and his lieutenants was always allowed under scriptural law. Scott Roeder likewise is protected by G-d's law.
The 12 Jurors are damned and will go to hell for their acts. Further, their damnation will be remembered against their descendants unto the fourth generation.
Let us pray that the scourge of abortion which has threatened civilization for the past 2300 years will stop soon and let us hope that doctors will cease doing business with abortionists under any conditions. Let us pray for the life and continued blessing of Scott Roeder, who acts like a Prophet of G-d in taking his vengeance against an righteous monster.
The Didache, our Constitution, and the oldest document of the original followers of Yeshua forbids abortion absolutely. Modern Jewish rulings tend to posit a somewhat lessened requirement which allows the mother to claim that the child is attacking her and that aborting the child will protect her life. The Nasoreans position on abortion is abortion should only be allowed when three doctors concur that the child's continued presence in the womb will cause death to the mother. One is not allowed to kill merely on the supposition that an event might occur. While self-defense against an attacker is allowed under the Torah law, the response must be no greater than the threat. Thus, abortion can only occur when the threat is certain death if the pregnancy is not ended.
George Tiller was a murderer of the worst sort. He murdered babies in the womb long after they became viable. He did it for the most base of reasons, money and the continued immorality of the woman. Scott Roeder made it clear that mass murder must be stopped. He took the only action that a brave man could take, one whose purpose was to protect life of the weakest in our society, and he did it only after careful thought. George Tiller was no normal abortionist. He was Mengele whose acts were impassionate and calculated. It is lawful for a person to kill when protecting others from death.
The fact that Scott Roeder chose to commit the act of self-defense in the setting of an apostate church speaks highly of his understanding of divine justice. The fact that apostate Kansas has a law allowing the murder of children in the womb makes no difference. Hitler's Germany allowed him to murder Jews, Polish, Russians, Gypsies, Masons, gays, and anyone else he hated. The execution of Hitler and his lieutenants was always allowed under scriptural law. Scott Roeder likewise is protected by G-d's law.
The 12 Jurors are damned and will go to hell for their acts. Further, their damnation will be remembered against their descendants unto the fourth generation.
Let us pray that the scourge of abortion which has threatened civilization for the past 2300 years will stop soon and let us hope that doctors will cease doing business with abortionists under any conditions. Let us pray for the life and continued blessing of Scott Roeder, who acts like a Prophet of G-d in taking his vengeance against an righteous monster.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Freedom: Religious and Speech
This blog is called "Reflections From a High Mountain" because like Jesus standing on the high mountain, I hope to see the world in perspective. Having been to Mt. Tabor which is generally thought to have been the mount of transfiguration, I could see why it would have been thought to be a High Mountain. Well, I want to speak a bit about a trend that I see developing in Europe that greatly troubles me.
In Switzerland, the people by popular vote outlawed new minarets, the buildings from which muzzeins tell Muslims to come for prayer. Granted their loud calls might be distracting, but so are church bells. It is apparent that the real reason for outlawing the minarets was religious discrimination against Muslims, Muslims who in Switzerland are Bosnian and not Arabs. This detestable act is only one of a series of attacks on religious freedom that are occurring in this supposedly enlightened Europe which sees fit to talk about how every where else does things.
In the United Kingdom, the vegans are pushing to outlaw kosher killing which will have the effect of causing all meat purchased by Muslims and Jews to be purchased outside of Britain. Kosher killing is the most humane form of slaughter and is required by the Torah and the Koran. The real purpose is obviously anti-Semitic, discrimination against both Jews and Muslims.
In France and the United Kingdom, there are strong moves to outlaw burqas on women. This religious dress is required by many Muslim sects. Such acts are obviously anti-Muslim.
In all these countries, the law is built upon precedent and code. If the precedent starts out forbidding minarets, it will not be long before the government will decide if new mosques and synagogues should be built. If it is illegal to wear a burqa, it may soon be illegal to wear a yarmulke or even a cross. If it is illegal to kill animals in a humane way, it is not long before the state will outlaw kosher food and force swine down the throats of Muslims and Jews.
The growth of anti-Semitic activity throughout Europe is serious. Rabbis are attacked on the way to synagogue, imams are attacked for fostering dialogue, girls are dismissed from school for refusing to wear immodest dress, and the situation is getting worse.
If we do not stand up for Muslims now, it will be Nasorean Jews who are again rounded up and executed for our beliefs as we were in Torquemada's Spain and Roman Israel. How many people must die before we see that religious freedom is everyone's right.
In Switzerland, the people by popular vote outlawed new minarets, the buildings from which muzzeins tell Muslims to come for prayer. Granted their loud calls might be distracting, but so are church bells. It is apparent that the real reason for outlawing the minarets was religious discrimination against Muslims, Muslims who in Switzerland are Bosnian and not Arabs. This detestable act is only one of a series of attacks on religious freedom that are occurring in this supposedly enlightened Europe which sees fit to talk about how every where else does things.
In the United Kingdom, the vegans are pushing to outlaw kosher killing which will have the effect of causing all meat purchased by Muslims and Jews to be purchased outside of Britain. Kosher killing is the most humane form of slaughter and is required by the Torah and the Koran. The real purpose is obviously anti-Semitic, discrimination against both Jews and Muslims.
In France and the United Kingdom, there are strong moves to outlaw burqas on women. This religious dress is required by many Muslim sects. Such acts are obviously anti-Muslim.
In all these countries, the law is built upon precedent and code. If the precedent starts out forbidding minarets, it will not be long before the government will decide if new mosques and synagogues should be built. If it is illegal to wear a burqa, it may soon be illegal to wear a yarmulke or even a cross. If it is illegal to kill animals in a humane way, it is not long before the state will outlaw kosher food and force swine down the throats of Muslims and Jews.
The growth of anti-Semitic activity throughout Europe is serious. Rabbis are attacked on the way to synagogue, imams are attacked for fostering dialogue, girls are dismissed from school for refusing to wear immodest dress, and the situation is getting worse.
If we do not stand up for Muslims now, it will be Nasorean Jews who are again rounded up and executed for our beliefs as we were in Torquemada's Spain and Roman Israel. How many people must die before we see that religious freedom is everyone's right.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Voice of the Lord
The Voice of the Lord spoke to mankind throughout history. Scripture records at least 500 instances of the Voice speaking to man. Many people do not believe that the Voice still speaks. Many more believe that the Lord never spoke to regular people like you and me; they believe that the Voice only spoke to special people. In fact, my unscientific polling has indicated to me that 40% of all the people I have asked about hearing the Voice admit to hearing a Voice in their head. Yeshua said that many are called. I believe that the 40% of the people who hear the Voice of the Lord are those that are called.
Many of you will ask what I mean by hearing the Voice of the Lord. Let me start with the most normal event. Paul says that faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of G-d. The word he uses is rematos in Greek which means an inner word. Romans 10:17. The normal Voice is one that speaks within. It can be a single word, a concept, an idea, or a whole conversation. I saw something yesterday that described how that word helps us to do G-d's will. It allows us who follow obediently to do things we know nothing in advance about doing. It allows us to answer prayers of others when we act as messengers or angelou of G-d. Another way that the Voice speaks to us is through other people and random acts who will raise our conscience to do certain things or to understand what is happening around us. The third, and by far most rare hearing of the Voice is called in Hebrew Bath Kol. Literally, it means daughter of the Voice. I have heard it twice. One cannot resist it. The Voice speaks audibly to the person and because it is the Voice of G-d it sometimes is preceded by a shaking, a wind, or some other event. I became a believer because the Voice spoke to me and said I had no faith.
How does one get the Voice? What is really meant by that question is who is chosen. However, it is hard to think about the fact that only 40% of the people in the world are even called and a much smaller percentage is chosen. It is from this concept of only a few being chosen and there being no way to tell them that we get the concept in Judaism of the Israel of G-d and in Catholicism of the Mystical Body of Christ. While Deitrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor, tells us that if we do not hear the Voice we should go to a church and patiently wait until we hear it, I cannot concur. Many will never hear that Voice. For me, I received the Voice after praying that G-d would speak to me. I firmly believe that G-d inspired me to reverse the agreement that he made with the rest of Israel when they promised to listen to the prophets if G-d would not speak to them again. But for Gentiles, there never was a guarantee of being called and all of Jacob is called.
The Voice is a specific gift that when strong is called the gift of knowledge. That gift allows us to know things in advance of their occurrence, to do things that will save us from harm, to be able to help the Lord as messengers, and finally to have the consolation that comes with having a trusted friend who will tell us the truth.
The Gospel of John goes so far as to talk about our ultimate goal in relationship to the Voice: "But whoever enters through the Gate (Yeshua, John 1:51) is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper (Peter) opens it for him, and the sheep HEAR HIS VOICE, as he CALLS his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize HIS VOICE." 10:2-4. The Voice therefore is an extremely important part of the true believer's life. He comes to rely upon it rather than books and teachers alone. The Voice will certify which teachers to listen to for it says in John 10: "But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the VOICE of strangers." 10:5. When the Voice certifies a teacher, one must be willing to re-examine those teachings and accretions of trauma that make our lives rich and see what should be thrown out and what saved.
The Archangel told us that we should have no other G-ds before Him. Sometimes we make g-ds out of books. Only the mitzvoth in the Torah were written by the hand of G-d and everything else should be seen through a prism, the prism of faith that comes through hearing the rematos of G-d.
Many of you will ask what I mean by hearing the Voice of the Lord. Let me start with the most normal event. Paul says that faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of G-d. The word he uses is rematos in Greek which means an inner word. Romans 10:17. The normal Voice is one that speaks within. It can be a single word, a concept, an idea, or a whole conversation. I saw something yesterday that described how that word helps us to do G-d's will. It allows us who follow obediently to do things we know nothing in advance about doing. It allows us to answer prayers of others when we act as messengers or angelou of G-d. Another way that the Voice speaks to us is through other people and random acts who will raise our conscience to do certain things or to understand what is happening around us. The third, and by far most rare hearing of the Voice is called in Hebrew Bath Kol. Literally, it means daughter of the Voice. I have heard it twice. One cannot resist it. The Voice speaks audibly to the person and because it is the Voice of G-d it sometimes is preceded by a shaking, a wind, or some other event. I became a believer because the Voice spoke to me and said I had no faith.
How does one get the Voice? What is really meant by that question is who is chosen. However, it is hard to think about the fact that only 40% of the people in the world are even called and a much smaller percentage is chosen. It is from this concept of only a few being chosen and there being no way to tell them that we get the concept in Judaism of the Israel of G-d and in Catholicism of the Mystical Body of Christ. While Deitrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor, tells us that if we do not hear the Voice we should go to a church and patiently wait until we hear it, I cannot concur. Many will never hear that Voice. For me, I received the Voice after praying that G-d would speak to me. I firmly believe that G-d inspired me to reverse the agreement that he made with the rest of Israel when they promised to listen to the prophets if G-d would not speak to them again. But for Gentiles, there never was a guarantee of being called and all of Jacob is called.
The Voice is a specific gift that when strong is called the gift of knowledge. That gift allows us to know things in advance of their occurrence, to do things that will save us from harm, to be able to help the Lord as messengers, and finally to have the consolation that comes with having a trusted friend who will tell us the truth.
The Gospel of John goes so far as to talk about our ultimate goal in relationship to the Voice: "But whoever enters through the Gate (Yeshua, John 1:51) is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper (Peter) opens it for him, and the sheep HEAR HIS VOICE, as he CALLS his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize HIS VOICE." 10:2-4. The Voice therefore is an extremely important part of the true believer's life. He comes to rely upon it rather than books and teachers alone. The Voice will certify which teachers to listen to for it says in John 10: "But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the VOICE of strangers." 10:5. When the Voice certifies a teacher, one must be willing to re-examine those teachings and accretions of trauma that make our lives rich and see what should be thrown out and what saved.
The Archangel told us that we should have no other G-ds before Him. Sometimes we make g-ds out of books. Only the mitzvoth in the Torah were written by the hand of G-d and everything else should be seen through a prism, the prism of faith that comes through hearing the rematos of G-d.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Life After Life and Whose Side is G-d On?
The Nasoreans and the Pharisees believed in reincarnation. They do not believe that people could be reborn as people, because they believed that only the soul called Ruach could be reborn. An animal according to first century Jews had no Ruach or Spirit, only Breath of Life, Nephesh. These two sects, from which Christians and Jews descend, believed that all persons would be reborn six or seven times depending on which line they were in. The lines were the line of Metatron and the line of the Holy Spirit.
When one believes in reincarnation, the importance of life and of the body decrease because we are guaranteed another chance to perfect the Ruach. However, the persona that is you will never be reborn; it will be recorded in on the fourth soul and be remembered forever. With that understanding, the individual death of a human being is not important in the scheme of things. On the other hand, the force of karma, the accumulated negative effects and positive effects of our lives is manifested in the new life.
When 200,000 people die, we are sad. But the more important reality is that the divine balance of giving and taking is thrown into chaos. By taking these lives in an earthquake, the Archangel Ariel must compensate by doing some major event that is a blessing not only to the world but to a people. A giving is required; a giving is required that helps more than 200,000 people dramatically.
There are those that would claim G-d is against the Haitians or G-d is for someone else. In reality, G-d favors the balance of giving and taking and is not on anyone's side. Whether people kill themselves as suicide bombers in Kabul or do extraordinary acts of kindness in Port-au-Prince, the only concern that G-d has is the balance of giving and taking. He must give back hugely to right the balance with the huge taking that has been done in Haiti and the Indian Ocean. The very blood of the 420,000 people who have lost their lives demands that the Archangel Ariel balance the evil that he has done with an extraordinary good.
It is clear therefore that G-d is not on the side of either the forces against the Taliban and al-Qaeda or the forces of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. It does not favor death, whoever does it, for it is a taking of life and he opposes humans taking that which he has given. It is not on any side in this war, but he allows for great opportunities to show forth charity.
When one believes in reincarnation, the importance of life and of the body decrease because we are guaranteed another chance to perfect the Ruach. However, the persona that is you will never be reborn; it will be recorded in on the fourth soul and be remembered forever. With that understanding, the individual death of a human being is not important in the scheme of things. On the other hand, the force of karma, the accumulated negative effects and positive effects of our lives is manifested in the new life.
When 200,000 people die, we are sad. But the more important reality is that the divine balance of giving and taking is thrown into chaos. By taking these lives in an earthquake, the Archangel Ariel must compensate by doing some major event that is a blessing not only to the world but to a people. A giving is required; a giving is required that helps more than 200,000 people dramatically.
There are those that would claim G-d is against the Haitians or G-d is for someone else. In reality, G-d favors the balance of giving and taking and is not on anyone's side. Whether people kill themselves as suicide bombers in Kabul or do extraordinary acts of kindness in Port-au-Prince, the only concern that G-d has is the balance of giving and taking. He must give back hugely to right the balance with the huge taking that has been done in Haiti and the Indian Ocean. The very blood of the 420,000 people who have lost their lives demands that the Archangel Ariel balance the evil that he has done with an extraordinary good.
It is clear therefore that G-d is not on the side of either the forces against the Taliban and al-Qaeda or the forces of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. It does not favor death, whoever does it, for it is a taking of life and he opposes humans taking that which he has given. It is not on any side in this war, but he allows for great opportunities to show forth charity.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Scholars Wrong Again
Up until January, 2010, the august scholars all said that the Hebrew written language only went back to 600 BCE. It was therefore impossible, said they, for the Bible to have been written in the time of David, who might or might not exist. What was sure was that the little village of Salem was not the important capital of a kingdom in the area controlled by Egypt.
All that changed. Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa deciphered a shard brought to him from excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, near Israel's Elah Valley. It contained written words with clearly Hebrew themes and some words that only meant something in Hebrew rather than one of the other Semitic languages. The text proves that there was a Kingdom of Israel in the 10th Century before the Common Era. It proves that there was a consistent religious opinion about the treatment of slaves, widows, and orphans at this early time, almost certainly because of the people's previous acquaintance with slavery. It proves that the Torah could have been written in the time of David and Solomon. It also proves that Hebrew is oldest script that was not pictographic.
Why is this so important? Simply, Bible one, scholars zero. The Bible has proven correct once more.
There is a new religion, a powerful religion, with much state funding. It is called Science. What is conjectured, considered, hypothesized, becomes dogma and then truth. What is really Theory is elevated to fact. And how evil those who dare to say that there is insufficient information. I love science, but I am not a devotee of Science. I do not worship it nor do I bow down to it. I have faith in G-d, not Science.
All that changed. Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa deciphered a shard brought to him from excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, near Israel's Elah Valley. It contained written words with clearly Hebrew themes and some words that only meant something in Hebrew rather than one of the other Semitic languages. The text proves that there was a Kingdom of Israel in the 10th Century before the Common Era. It proves that there was a consistent religious opinion about the treatment of slaves, widows, and orphans at this early time, almost certainly because of the people's previous acquaintance with slavery. It proves that the Torah could have been written in the time of David and Solomon. It also proves that Hebrew is oldest script that was not pictographic.
Why is this so important? Simply, Bible one, scholars zero. The Bible has proven correct once more.
There is a new religion, a powerful religion, with much state funding. It is called Science. What is conjectured, considered, hypothesized, becomes dogma and then truth. What is really Theory is elevated to fact. And how evil those who dare to say that there is insufficient information. I love science, but I am not a devotee of Science. I do not worship it nor do I bow down to it. I have faith in G-d, not Science.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Who Wrote the Torah?
Often when we think of the Torah we mean the first five books of the Bible. However, there is a more restrictive meaning to the word. It means Teaching and the Teaching that it refers to are the Mitzvoth or Ordinances given to Moses on the Mountain. Scholarship makes it clear that there were four schools that wrote the Pentateuch, or first five books. They were the Yahwist, the Elohist, the Priestly source, and the Deuteronomist. The Yahwist source is said to have written first in the time of Solomon. The Elohist source wrote a hundred years later.
I would suggest to you that there is one other writer that is ignored. Exodus 20:1 says that Elohim spoke the Ten Commandments. But Exodus 24:12 says: "And YHVH said to Moses, Come up to Me to the Mountain and be there, And I will give you the tablets of stone and the Teaching (Torah) and the Ordinances which I have written, to teach them." By the time of Yeshua, the tradition had arisen that an Angel had spoken to Moses on the Mountain and delivered living words to deliver to us. Acts 7:38. All of these passages suggest that someone delivered to Moses on the Mountain utterances that were transmitted to the people. The scholars would argue that Exodus 20 was written by the Yahwists and Exodus 24 by the Elohists. There are two traditions that constantly are fighting for recognition in the first five books: the tradition of the Priests and the tradition of the HaAm haEretz, or common people. The tradition of the Priests is represented by the Yahwist and tries to conflate and explain the tradition of the Elohist, the common people in Exodus 6:2-3 where it says: "I am YHVH; I appeared to Avraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov as El Shaddai and my Name YHVH I did not reveal to them." This passage tells us that a portion of the Hebrew people believed in the pantheon of Canaan which called its true G-d, El, with epithets like Shaddai and Elyon. YHVH was one of the seventy Sons of El. El apportioned the leadership of Israel to YHVH in the view of the common people which was maintained well into the Deuteronomic period. In 4QDeut the word says: "When El Elyon divided the nations as the inheritance of the Sons of El, when He separated the sons of Adam; he set up the bounds of the peoples, according to the Sons of El and YHVH's portion is His People Yaakov who are his inheritance." The Septuagint called YHVH and the other sons of El, Angels. There we have it. YHVH is the Son of El, the True G-d, and he is an Angel.
With that said, we see that Exodus 20 and Exodus 24 say the same thing. YHVH, the Archangel of the Presence, spoke the Ten Commandments, and they appeared on two tablets of Stone. Thereafter, His Finger traced the 603 additional Ordinances on the Table. He gave them to Moses who took them down to the people.
The writer therefore of the most important portion of Pentateuch was YHVH, the Archangel of the Presence, who is "our god". "Hear O Yisrael, YHVH, our g-d, YHVH is one." Deut. 6:4. He wrote the Ten Commandments and the 603 Ordinances Himself. All the rest of the Scripture was mediated by men. The Holy Spirit would inspire but not dictate the words written. Only these 613 Laws were written by the command of G-d and the hand of YHVH.
So, what is significance of this discovery? We cannot take the Bible literally in any place except these 613 Laws and we must search to understand each of these laws so that we know YHVH's meaning. I am not denigrating the Holy Book. I am explaining that the Pentateuch, the Prophets, the Writings including the writings called the New Testament are inspired but not necessarily literally true. They must bend the knee to the 613 Laws for they were mediated by man whereas the Laws were given by G-d and His Representative in this Multiverse. If read that the Torah is no longer in effect, we have only to look at the Torah to see that it is. Paul never received anything from the Archangel in writing. Moses did. It is true that the Laws on Sinai were never meant for the Gentiles and therefore, the promises in the Scripture are not meant for them other. Gentiles can become Jews by conversion and become grafted into the Tree of Life, but without going through conversion, which requires among other things, circumcision, Gentiles are not heirs to any promise.
That being said, I urge those who use the book to prove things to stop. Spirituality is an individual relationship between the believer and the event. Religion declares how we relate properly to G-d who may not agree.
I would suggest to you that there is one other writer that is ignored. Exodus 20:1 says that Elohim spoke the Ten Commandments. But Exodus 24:12 says: "And YHVH said to Moses, Come up to Me to the Mountain and be there, And I will give you the tablets of stone and the Teaching (Torah) and the Ordinances which I have written, to teach them." By the time of Yeshua, the tradition had arisen that an Angel had spoken to Moses on the Mountain and delivered living words to deliver to us. Acts 7:38. All of these passages suggest that someone delivered to Moses on the Mountain utterances that were transmitted to the people. The scholars would argue that Exodus 20 was written by the Yahwists and Exodus 24 by the Elohists. There are two traditions that constantly are fighting for recognition in the first five books: the tradition of the Priests and the tradition of the HaAm haEretz, or common people. The tradition of the Priests is represented by the Yahwist and tries to conflate and explain the tradition of the Elohist, the common people in Exodus 6:2-3 where it says: "I am YHVH; I appeared to Avraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov as El Shaddai and my Name YHVH I did not reveal to them." This passage tells us that a portion of the Hebrew people believed in the pantheon of Canaan which called its true G-d, El, with epithets like Shaddai and Elyon. YHVH was one of the seventy Sons of El. El apportioned the leadership of Israel to YHVH in the view of the common people which was maintained well into the Deuteronomic period. In 4QDeut the word says: "When El Elyon divided the nations as the inheritance of the Sons of El, when He separated the sons of Adam; he set up the bounds of the peoples, according to the Sons of El and YHVH's portion is His People Yaakov who are his inheritance." The Septuagint called YHVH and the other sons of El, Angels. There we have it. YHVH is the Son of El, the True G-d, and he is an Angel.
With that said, we see that Exodus 20 and Exodus 24 say the same thing. YHVH, the Archangel of the Presence, spoke the Ten Commandments, and they appeared on two tablets of Stone. Thereafter, His Finger traced the 603 additional Ordinances on the Table. He gave them to Moses who took them down to the people.
The writer therefore of the most important portion of Pentateuch was YHVH, the Archangel of the Presence, who is "our god". "Hear O Yisrael, YHVH, our g-d, YHVH is one." Deut. 6:4. He wrote the Ten Commandments and the 603 Ordinances Himself. All the rest of the Scripture was mediated by men. The Holy Spirit would inspire but not dictate the words written. Only these 613 Laws were written by the command of G-d and the hand of YHVH.
So, what is significance of this discovery? We cannot take the Bible literally in any place except these 613 Laws and we must search to understand each of these laws so that we know YHVH's meaning. I am not denigrating the Holy Book. I am explaining that the Pentateuch, the Prophets, the Writings including the writings called the New Testament are inspired but not necessarily literally true. They must bend the knee to the 613 Laws for they were mediated by man whereas the Laws were given by G-d and His Representative in this Multiverse. If read that the Torah is no longer in effect, we have only to look at the Torah to see that it is. Paul never received anything from the Archangel in writing. Moses did. It is true that the Laws on Sinai were never meant for the Gentiles and therefore, the promises in the Scripture are not meant for them other. Gentiles can become Jews by conversion and become grafted into the Tree of Life, but without going through conversion, which requires among other things, circumcision, Gentiles are not heirs to any promise.
That being said, I urge those who use the book to prove things to stop. Spirituality is an individual relationship between the believer and the event. Religion declares how we relate properly to G-d who may not agree.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
News
Today I want to express my deepest sadness over the earthquake in Haiti. Certainly, there is no more spiritual nation in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, they are so syncretic that it is not clear what they believe.
I believe that they Archangel Ariel was angry at them for some set of acts they had done and punished them for their continuing sinfulness. To balance the taking of human life in Haiti, we will see some great blessing on another people. The balance must be maintained.
I consider Haiti an opportunity for all those right-minded to give to a people who really need to receive. Here is your opportunity to move ahead on the spiritual path. Give until it hurts.
To all those people in Kansas City who are ready this blog, I want to tell you that you can e-mail me at netseri@kc.rr.com and I will give you directions to the service on Friday evenings. As we provide oneg shabbat, it is necessary to rsvp before attending. Come and see what a Nasorean service looks like and join in our prayers for all those in need, especially Haiti.
I believe that they Archangel Ariel was angry at them for some set of acts they had done and punished them for their continuing sinfulness. To balance the taking of human life in Haiti, we will see some great blessing on another people. The balance must be maintained.
I consider Haiti an opportunity for all those right-minded to give to a people who really need to receive. Here is your opportunity to move ahead on the spiritual path. Give until it hurts.
To all those people in Kansas City who are ready this blog, I want to tell you that you can e-mail me at netseri@kc.rr.com and I will give you directions to the service on Friday evenings. As we provide oneg shabbat, it is necessary to rsvp before attending. Come and see what a Nasorean service looks like and join in our prayers for all those in need, especially Haiti.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy
Orthodoxy means right thinking. The Christian sects of this era are orthodoxic. Each and everyone has a particular religious point of view which it expects the adherents of its sect to believe and espouse. Any deviation from the norm of the sect is considered heresy and dealt with by expulsion from the sect.
Orthopraxy means right acting. Judaism and the early followers of Jesus were orthopractic. These groups did not care what one believed, but expected careful adherence to the actions required of members. Thus the variations in interpretation of how to do the Torah would result in excommunication.
The Essene/Nasorean sect called their members among other things, the Doers of the Torah, to emphasize that they were the right acting group. The followers of Jesus were a group within the sect of Nasoreans and Jesus was called a Nasorean, both in Matthew and by the Romans who wrote Yeshua the Nazorean, King of the Jews on the tablet put over his head on the cross. The Gospel of Matthew makes clear the position of Jesus on doing the Torah; he says,
“Because not everyone who says unto me, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but the one who DOES the will of my Father who is in Heaven will enter the Kingdom of Heaven….Again he said to them: Everyone who hears these words and DOES them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down against it and the winds beat it and it did not fall because its foundation was a rock. Everyone who hears these my words and DOES NOT DO them is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rains came down, the floods came and fell against it, and it fell with a great fall.” 7:21,24-26.
Jesus clearly said his position on the Torah: “Truly I say to you that until heaven and earth depart not one letter or dot shall be abolished from the Torah or the Prophets, because all will be fulfilled. He who shall transgress one word of these mitzvoth and shall teach others, shall be called a vain person in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever upholds and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” 5:18-19.
Christians are so busy trying to decide who Jesus is that they miss His message. His message is that you must become Tzaddikkim, righteous, and to become righteous one must keep the Torah. Matthew 5:20.
The minimum requirement for the seed of the House of Jacob is the entire Torah. The minimum requirement for the Gentiles is set forth in the Didache. What is more important, doing the good things from faith in the Torah or talking about the writers and interpreters of the Torah.
Orthopraxy means right acting. Judaism and the early followers of Jesus were orthopractic. These groups did not care what one believed, but expected careful adherence to the actions required of members. Thus the variations in interpretation of how to do the Torah would result in excommunication.
The Essene/Nasorean sect called their members among other things, the Doers of the Torah, to emphasize that they were the right acting group. The followers of Jesus were a group within the sect of Nasoreans and Jesus was called a Nasorean, both in Matthew and by the Romans who wrote Yeshua the Nazorean, King of the Jews on the tablet put over his head on the cross. The Gospel of Matthew makes clear the position of Jesus on doing the Torah; he says,
“Because not everyone who says unto me, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but the one who DOES the will of my Father who is in Heaven will enter the Kingdom of Heaven….Again he said to them: Everyone who hears these words and DOES them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down against it and the winds beat it and it did not fall because its foundation was a rock. Everyone who hears these my words and DOES NOT DO them is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rains came down, the floods came and fell against it, and it fell with a great fall.” 7:21,24-26.
Jesus clearly said his position on the Torah: “Truly I say to you that until heaven and earth depart not one letter or dot shall be abolished from the Torah or the Prophets, because all will be fulfilled. He who shall transgress one word of these mitzvoth and shall teach others, shall be called a vain person in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever upholds and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” 5:18-19.
Christians are so busy trying to decide who Jesus is that they miss His message. His message is that you must become Tzaddikkim, righteous, and to become righteous one must keep the Torah. Matthew 5:20.
The minimum requirement for the seed of the House of Jacob is the entire Torah. The minimum requirement for the Gentiles is set forth in the Didache. What is more important, doing the good things from faith in the Torah or talking about the writers and interpreters of the Torah.
Friday, January 8, 2010
The House of Jacob and the House of Israel
All of us know that Ya'akov was the younger son of Yitzak and grandson of Avraham. Most of us remember that when he returned with his wives from his sojourn with Laban, Ya'akov wrestled with the Archangel of the Presence, in the form of Enoch, and was injured. The Archangel gave him a new name after the fight, Israel. There is a house of Jacob, that is, there are descendants of Jacob who are not Jews today and who have chosen other religious persuasions. They are people who descend from the lost tribes and from those who have left Judaism over the centuries. The House of Jacob, we believe, numbers about 140,000,000 people. In addition, there are those like the Nasoreans, the Samaritans, the Karaites, and the Jews who are descendants of the House of Israel and believe that they are true Jews today. Their numbers are about 14,000,000. Thus the vast majority of the descendants of Jacob are not followers of the Torah.
The House of Jacob, however, carries on the bloodline of Jacob. It has been my observation that even a single drop of Jacobian blood makes the person more open to what the Torah says. Jesus told his disciples not to go to the Gentiles, but rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Matthew 10:6. The ministry of Paul to the Gentiles is now and always has been an error and a violation of the halakah of Yeshua (Jesus). But a ministry to the 140,000,000 lost sheep is not only valid but necessary. These people are open to hearing the truth about the Torah.
The Prophet Yirmayahu (Jeremiah) makes two cryptic statements about the House of Israel in his prophecies. One is at 16:14 in which he promises to bring the House of Israel from the lands of the North, literally, Russia, Europe, North America, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. The other passage is even more interesting for here it says at 23:8 that the Lord will bring the seed of the House of Israel from the lands of the North. There are literally millions of Jews from Russia in Israel today, but there are millions of persons who are the seed of the House of Israel, not only in Russia, but throughout the northern countries. All of them will be called home. That call will be internal and will be felt as a call to return to the Torah.
Yeshua (Jesus) was the prophet of the Return. He sent out his followers to find them and teach them the truth. His message has been waylaided by the false teachers who followed the liar Paul, but now their very blood is calling them back to the Torah. The Nasorean Sect of Judaism is the sect of Yeshua and the Apostles. Those misled people who try to become Messianic Jews seek to follow the lies of the Pharisees and are worse off than when they started. True Judaism does not believe in a Trinity of any Godhead. It believes that G-d is One, that his Archangel is One, and that the Holy Spirit is One. The True G-d is not YHVH. The True G-d is El Shaddai v'et Elyon. YHVH is the Archangel of the Presence and as Yeshua says, they are the same. This Archangel created the other Archangels and they together, the Elohim, created the Heavens and the Earth. O, House of Jacob, make Teshuvah to the Torah and the Nasorean faith.
The House of Jacob, however, carries on the bloodline of Jacob. It has been my observation that even a single drop of Jacobian blood makes the person more open to what the Torah says. Jesus told his disciples not to go to the Gentiles, but rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Matthew 10:6. The ministry of Paul to the Gentiles is now and always has been an error and a violation of the halakah of Yeshua (Jesus). But a ministry to the 140,000,000 lost sheep is not only valid but necessary. These people are open to hearing the truth about the Torah.
The Prophet Yirmayahu (Jeremiah) makes two cryptic statements about the House of Israel in his prophecies. One is at 16:14 in which he promises to bring the House of Israel from the lands of the North, literally, Russia, Europe, North America, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. The other passage is even more interesting for here it says at 23:8 that the Lord will bring the seed of the House of Israel from the lands of the North. There are literally millions of Jews from Russia in Israel today, but there are millions of persons who are the seed of the House of Israel, not only in Russia, but throughout the northern countries. All of them will be called home. That call will be internal and will be felt as a call to return to the Torah.
Yeshua (Jesus) was the prophet of the Return. He sent out his followers to find them and teach them the truth. His message has been waylaided by the false teachers who followed the liar Paul, but now their very blood is calling them back to the Torah. The Nasorean Sect of Judaism is the sect of Yeshua and the Apostles. Those misled people who try to become Messianic Jews seek to follow the lies of the Pharisees and are worse off than when they started. True Judaism does not believe in a Trinity of any Godhead. It believes that G-d is One, that his Archangel is One, and that the Holy Spirit is One. The True G-d is not YHVH. The True G-d is El Shaddai v'et Elyon. YHVH is the Archangel of the Presence and as Yeshua says, they are the same. This Archangel created the other Archangels and they together, the Elohim, created the Heavens and the Earth. O, House of Jacob, make Teshuvah to the Torah and the Nasorean faith.
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year Day?
The Scriptures establish three new year days, but one of them is not on the first of January. January 1 was celebrated by the Romans as the first day of the new year, so our celebration is merely a continuation of their peculiarity. However, the three days set forth by Scripture have a better claim to being the true beginning of the year.
The first of these days is Tu B'shvat. In the times of the Hebrew Monarchy, there had to be a day upon which to cut off the previous year from the coming year so that taxes could be collected on the crops and cattle traded, grown or born during the year. The scripture sets forth the 15th day of the month of Shevat as that day. It is known as the New Year of the Trees. In modern times, this day has become a combination Earth Day and Arbor Day.
The second of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Nisim. This is the month in which spring begins, a logical and reasonable time to begin the new year. The month of Nisim begins when the new moon appears around the spring equinox. This year it will begin on the 15th of March. This day was the secular new year in Davidic times and throughout the long history of the Jewish people which is now in its 5770th year. This date was the first day of the new year for most people other than the Romans in the ancient times.
The third and last of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri and is called Rosh Hashanah or Head of the Year, New Year Day. It is also called Yom Terumah or Day of the Trumpet because it is believed by the Jewish people that the world was created on this day 5770 years ago, more or less, give or take a few billion years, by the blowing of a divine trumpet. This day occurs on the new moon closest to the autumnal equinox. On this day, Jewish people blow trumpets, wish each other happy new year, make resolutions to do better, and try to be good for at least 10 days until G-d makes up his mind whether to punish us or not. Also on this day Jewish people eat lots of carrots because the word for carrot and the word for plenty are the same in Hebrew and hopefully if we eat lots of carrots G-d will think we are wanting lots of money.
It seems strange to me that the people of Earth except Israel have adopted this pagan New Year rather than the Scriptural New Year and date their era from a mythical birth in 1 A.D. even though no reputable scholar believes that Jesus was born in 1 A.D. The reason for this certainty is that Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E. and if he was killing all the boys under two before 4 B.C.E. it would mean that Jesus was probably born in 6 B.C.E. We are still following the mistakes of a seventh century monk.
On this new secular year, I resolve to remember that it is the 5770th year of the Jewish dispensation; that in 230 years the Messiah will appear; that we will have a 1000 year Sabbath rest; and that on Rosh Hashanah of 6,000 this 1000 years of peace will begin. I resolve to bring more light into the world through this blog. I resolve to be present for the Lord to work through me in re-establishing the Nasorean Orthodox Qahal to its former glory. I resolve to live a life in constant harmony with my Creator.
The first of these days is Tu B'shvat. In the times of the Hebrew Monarchy, there had to be a day upon which to cut off the previous year from the coming year so that taxes could be collected on the crops and cattle traded, grown or born during the year. The scripture sets forth the 15th day of the month of Shevat as that day. It is known as the New Year of the Trees. In modern times, this day has become a combination Earth Day and Arbor Day.
The second of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Nisim. This is the month in which spring begins, a logical and reasonable time to begin the new year. The month of Nisim begins when the new moon appears around the spring equinox. This year it will begin on the 15th of March. This day was the secular new year in Davidic times and throughout the long history of the Jewish people which is now in its 5770th year. This date was the first day of the new year for most people other than the Romans in the ancient times.
The third and last of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri and is called Rosh Hashanah or Head of the Year, New Year Day. It is also called Yom Terumah or Day of the Trumpet because it is believed by the Jewish people that the world was created on this day 5770 years ago, more or less, give or take a few billion years, by the blowing of a divine trumpet. This day occurs on the new moon closest to the autumnal equinox. On this day, Jewish people blow trumpets, wish each other happy new year, make resolutions to do better, and try to be good for at least 10 days until G-d makes up his mind whether to punish us or not. Also on this day Jewish people eat lots of carrots because the word for carrot and the word for plenty are the same in Hebrew and hopefully if we eat lots of carrots G-d will think we are wanting lots of money.
It seems strange to me that the people of Earth except Israel have adopted this pagan New Year rather than the Scriptural New Year and date their era from a mythical birth in 1 A.D. even though no reputable scholar believes that Jesus was born in 1 A.D. The reason for this certainty is that Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E. and if he was killing all the boys under two before 4 B.C.E. it would mean that Jesus was probably born in 6 B.C.E. We are still following the mistakes of a seventh century monk.
On this new secular year, I resolve to remember that it is the 5770th year of the Jewish dispensation; that in 230 years the Messiah will appear; that we will have a 1000 year Sabbath rest; and that on Rosh Hashanah of 6,000 this 1000 years of peace will begin. I resolve to bring more light into the world through this blog. I resolve to be present for the Lord to work through me in re-establishing the Nasorean Orthodox Qahal to its former glory. I resolve to live a life in constant harmony with my Creator.
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