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NickyLouse

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Everything posted by NickyLouse

  1. Praying for the peace of Jerusalem is a command (Psalm 122:6). However, the only way there will ever be true peace is when Yeshua Himself brings it with Him (Zechariah 8:3,12). So pray for His return. And pray that He opens the eyes of those who are blinded by the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4) - including sons of Ishmael (Matthew 5:44). Should we also pray for injustice to be made right everywhere in the world? Absolutely (Isaiah 1:17). We should also forgive those who wrong us (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:21-22).
  2. Commands prohibiting eating unclean animals are straight forward to me and I see no reversal to this. Therefore, animals such as camels and rabbits that do not have a divided hoof; pig that does not chew cud; shrimp and crab that do not have fins; catfish that does not have scales; listed birds such as eagles, vultures, owls, hawks, ravens, ostriches or storks; bats (for the obvious reason- gross); winged insects that walk on four legs unless they jump; rodents, certain lizards (I'll just say ALL lizards); swarming things; and many-legged things; are unclean and should not be eaten. I think this is simply to be set apart. For Leviticus 11:45 says to be holy as He is holy. I do not think it has to do with these animals eating decaying or rotten things as some people have suggested. Now, I realize that Pharisees who followed the rabbinic law (Talmud) had a habit of misunderstanding God. They taught that Goyim (people of other nations) were unclean and we should not associate with them either. Numbers 15:15 clearly states that there is no difference. The vision given Peter in Acts 10-11 also bears that out. Incidentally, in His vision, God shows Peter the difference between some thing that He calls unclean versus some one He never called unclean because of that person's heritage.
  3. Numbers 15:38-39 instructs us to make and wear tzitzi on the corners of our garments - to look at and remember all of His commands and to be set apart. The Pharisees of Yeshua's day sat in Moses' seat (teaching Torah) and one command would have been this one. Yeshua taught His disciples to do as the Pharisees said in regard to the teaching of Torah. However, the Pharisees were also well known for adding to Torah (in violation of Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32...) and Yeshua told the disciples not to do as the Pharisees did who did these things in vain (Matthew 23:3-5). They wore long tassels so that they would be noticed. Other than making sure that our hearts are not vain, I do not see any other retraction of this command.
  4. My opinion has shifted a bit about how certain commands given specifically to priests, although helpful to understand, are probably not required. The reasoning behind this has to do with the order of Melchidezek. I still believe that ordinances in Leviticus 2 and 3 are applicable to everyone even though they are not carried out by sons of Aaron. Perhaps the specific offerings (minchah) may not be precisely as dictated, but I think grain/peace offerings are still accepted by God through Yeshua who intercedes for us rather than through the sons of Aaron. I hope I am not leaning on my own understanding concerning this. I seek His wisdom in all that I do.
  5. I'm surprised that nobody even mentioned here that Colossions 2 was about those who followed the traditions of men who scrutinized the ones who were observing Elohim's moedim. Paul mentions "persuasive arguments" in verse 4 and "philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human traditions" (NASB) before going on to say in the oft-misinterpreted verse 16: "no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day" (NASB). The moedim are His appointments - not human tradition. Likewise, with regard to what we eat, Paul writes, [“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man? These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.] This also refers to what some false teachers were stating about things that are actually food, but were teaching that they were not. They were like the Pharisees who sought to drive people away from Yahweh by placing hedges around the actual word instead of teaching the exact meanings.
  6. Is there some other spiritual significance? Was that a common practice?
  7. As Passover is approaching, the first question I have is about the lamb. Yeshua is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Should we still roast lamb over fire? Or is this dishonoring Him? Ordinarily, we will eat some other meat at our Seder. Another question surrounding this time of year is the Last Supper. Was it held on the erev 14Aviv with the crucifixion at noon that following day (also 14Aviv)? Matthew 26:17-19 says the disciples found the upper room on the first day of Unleavened. That would have been 15Aviv (Leviticus 23:5-6) and the meal eaten on erev 16Aviv. So, I am a little confused about that.
  8. I have begun studying Torah commandments and I think I am going to have some questions that I would like to submit here. I'm hoping that there are mature individuals knowledgeable in Torah who can explain the questions I might have about what a commandment's purpose might be. For example: when Exodus 23:19 says not to cook a young goat in its mother's milk. What is the reason behind this command? It doesn't seem to have any moral significance, but maybe it does and I just don't see it. I will be going through Torah systematically. Please do not try to convince me that the Old Covenant commands are not for me. I know Yeshua and how He submitted Himself to the Father on my behalf so that I might be reconciled to Him. He is the only means by which that is possible. There is nothing else required on my behalf so that I am declared justified. This is my belief and not the purpose of this thread. If it gets hijacked, I will erase it.
  9. I love you, Brother, but let me tell you my background and thoughts. I did not grow up knowing anything about Jesus. The loudest voices I heard had to do with Christmas. While the birth of Jesus is important, that really shouldn't have had the loudest voice. What I knew about Easter was drowned out by the bunnies, eggs, candy and so on. I felt that the resurrection must not have been all that important to Christians. All the voices I heard made it very mystical. I did not believe that Christians had any greater truth than any other religion. I guess the most important thing that seemed to stick with me was the claim that Jesus was sinless. The life that Jesus led made it very hard for me to be interested. If I was honest with myself, I was envious of someone who could be so righteous. What did that have to do with my life. I knew I couldn't live that way. Nor did I want to. When God revealed the truth of Himself to me at the age of 40, I felt ashamed that I had not taken my life more serious. I studied the Scriptures diligently day after day. My bible was always with me. I would read at lunch. I read at dinner. All of my free time was spent either reading or communing with other believers. What did they believe? I mean, what was the WHOLE truth. The problem I first encountered had to do with Lent. I have a couple of siblings who are Catholic. What was this Lent and where in the Bible could I read more about it. Then, came the problem of Passover. I did not put Firstfruits together with it yet. But why was Passover sometimes at a much different time? Did it really have anything to do with Jesus? I read about Him being our Passover Lamb, but was that just conjecture? Was the Bible using euphemisms that were not entirely truthful? Could I even believe the simple claims of the Bible? In my second year of this new life, I was invited to a Christian Seder. I figured that all Christians believed the same thing and I wanted to join in with everyone. The Seder I attended was held by some very strange people called Messianic Jews. They dressed funny. They sang and danced. I wondered if they had all collectively lost their minds. However, what I found out was that they actually seemed to believe the Bible more than any other Christians I had been around. They were pointing out things from the Old Testament that made it very hard to ignore. When I asked other "normal" Christians about it, they gave a head nod, but explained that we were not bound by the rules of the Old Testament. So I dismissed it for a number of years as I was growing in the knowledge of God. Still, there was something that bothered me every year as Easter rolled around. I was fervent about wanting to know and follow Jesus. I kept seeing in the New Testament examples of the Apostles and even Jesus Himself celebrating these feasts. I started learning about what the meaning of the feasts were. I learned that the Passover that Israel celebrated being delivered from Egypt actually pointed to Jesus delivering us from sin. What did these other feasts mean. I was taught the meaning of Pentecost and accepted that as the giving of the Holy Spirit. Nobody ever discussed any of the other feasts with me. What was counting the omer? Nobody even mentioned Firstfruits. I guessed that it was just some mysterious ritual that God had Israel do for some unknown reason. And what about the Fall Feasts? Was there any significance to them at all? Then, I read Mark Biltz account of the meaning of the feasts. Wow! I was stunned. Was he just making that stuff up? Then, I started coming across others who believed similar things. The Spring Feasts were explained to be about His first coming and the Fall Feasts were about His return. It dawned on me that I might have been missing something very important. Moreover, I might have been celebrating things that ought not be celebrated. I couldn't see any harm in celebrating Christmas. But Easter really started bothering me - not because of the silliness of bunnies and whatnot, but because there had already been a celebration in the Bible that pointed this out, being Firstfruits. I was mad. Why would loving believers that had mentored me for so many years neglect this? As a follower of Jesus, I did not want to cause any dissension, but quietly I began learning about what I maybe should be doing. After 15 years of keeping these matters pretty much to myself, I have gotten to the point where I attend Seders every year, I celebrate Firstfruits by waving the first grains of barley, I count the omer, I wave two leavened loaves on Pentecost, I BLOW the shofar on the Day of Trumpets, I contemplate my salvation on the Day of Atonement, I construct a booth to live in for a week during the Feast of Tabernacles and I meditate on what our eternal lives will be like on the 8th Great Day. I have no doubt whatsoever that adhering to these appointments is good. I have no animosity towards others who do not do these things, but I feel so much more blessed doing them. Shalom, brother.
  10. Perhaps the kingdom is not inherited by all believers.
  11. Taking a pragmatic point of view, I am comforted in knowing that when I keep or guard His word by proclaiming it, I bear no credit nor blame in how or when it affects someone else. I saw a street preacher when asked if he felt his efforts were effective reply that it was 100% effective. Those who heard him speak heard the word of God. I am reminded of Isaiah 55 - a beautiful poem.
  12. I quit after getting the flu. I could not smoke while I was sick. I decided to quit after not having smoked for 3 days. I had been smoking about a pack a day. My father started smoking when he was 15. When he was 41, he was smoking 4.5 packs a day. He often lit a new one from the last one. He went to a company to help him quit. They had a proven method of helping. Ultimately, there came a day when he just had to decide to stop. I think it was only a few months after he started the program. He said he had nightmares for decades about smoking though. I know that he took up eating sunflower seeds when he quit because the habit was more than psychological and chemical. It was also physical. He had the habit of placing his hand to his mouth. I know that it is possible no matter how much or how long you have smoked. The doctor told him that he would not live to be 50 and he is 87 today.
  13. I guess you have probably heard this before. There is nothing new under the sun. But I have heard a teaching that He may have been born in a sukkah. A sukkah would have been semi-private for a delivery. Inns were akin to bunkhouses - not very private at all. During Sukkot the surrounding areas around Jerusalem including Bethlehem would have been overflowing with pilgrims. It is also interesting that the one who came to "dwell" among us would begin in a tabernacle. The timing of His birth would also have put it in September; given that Zechariah of the 8th priestly division served in June (or December) and going with June means that Mary conceived in December during Elizabeth's sixth month of gestation. It was also suggested and I have not confirmed this that the census was not demanded at a specific time of year and it would have been peculiar to choose winter. There was something else taught me about the word "winter" equated to being "after the fall harvest" that escapes me now. Additionally, Jesus was presumed to be 33 and a half years old when He was crucified at Passover.
  14. John Gill is wrong. Many people believe that Galatians is talking about the entirety of the OT. The reality is that there were certain Judaizers who had been teaching the Gentiles of Galatia that they must be circumcised before they can be justified. Paul refuted that notion and wrote to the Galatians. In English translations, the word saved is unfortunate because we lump all aspects of salvation into that term. As for 2Cor3, Jesus addressed the letter of the instructions by making it replete. For example, He said that you may not commit adultery in the flesh, but if you do so in your heart it is the same.
  15. Brother, you have a misunderstanding of the olah korban. Hebrews 10:4 states that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. The olah korban was/is/always will be by way of the faith of Yeshua. The olah korban is an ascent approach by way of the faith of Yeshua. Shalom
  16. You and I will never agree if you think that obedience to the law is what justified Israel of their sin. First of all, there was no word in Hebrew for obey. They were commanded to shema and shamar. Those words mean to listen intently and guard what they had heard. Secondly, the ascent approach was not an appeasement. The pagans brought "sacrifices" that would supposedly appease their gods. Israel was to be set apart from the pagans. They were to look forward to the day when He would sacrifice Himself for justification and reconciliation to Himself. It was in faith they would do as they were told, but the performance was not what justified them. It was faith. Now, I have yet to see clearly why you stated that the "entire law" given "only to Israel" was "removed". If you can't explain it, then you should probably refrain from saying it. I have concisely explained why I disagree with some of the other things you brought up in response to my initial question about the law being removed. You don't seem to disagree with any of that.
  17. I still am not picking up what you’re laying down when you said that the”entire law” given only to Israel is removed.
  18. Well, anyway, I think we are splitting hairs about whether it is faith alone or an act of faith that justifies. It does not seem to be addressing how the “entire law” has been replaced. I think it is still important that we shema and shamar the instructions today.
  19. I do not think I will be convinced by that argument. It is my understanding the olah korban is an ascent approach unto God. The ascent approach is not an appeasement that forgives sin. The faith that is merely exhibited in that ascent approach is what justified and provided forgiveness. The obedience of the priest was not what covered the sin. It was the priest’s faith in Yeshua to one day show that it takes the blood of Himself to cover sin. It is a subtle but imperative difference.
  20. Thank you for listing these for me. Since you have placed the onus upon me to research why you listed them, I will do my best. Are all of these verses not specifically condemning an idea that "obedience" would justify a person of sin? That is a universal principle for Israel (then and now) as well as everyone else today. There was a reminder of sin every year at Yom Kippurim. The holy convocations that pointed to the death of Yeshua did not justify them the people. However, the faith that they had as affirmed by the shema and shamar and performance of the actions was a faith that justified them. It was not the action, but the faith that justified them. Yom Kippurim was symbolically carried out at Pesach in the year of Yeshua's death. However, I think it is still important that we shema and shamar the instructions today. If the example of Yom Kippurim was only for Israel to shema and shamar, then is the Abrahamic covenant worth anything to anyone else? I don't want to go on and on, but another point that sticks with me is that the covenant quoted in Heb 10:16 does not seem to be fulfilled. For, if His law has indeed been written upon our minds and hearts, why is there any disagreement over His law among believers? One would have to conclude that anyone who disagrees is not justified and has not had them written upon their own minds/hearts. Again, please accept my sincerest thanks and be blessed.
  21. Concerning the slaughter of animals and sprinkling of blood for the kippurim of sin, the Hebrew terms differ than English. The olah korban is not a burnt offering. It was not the blood of bulls and goats that took away sins (Heb 10:4). It was Yeshua. He is our ascent approach. He is our only covering. He always has been and always will be. In faith, the Levites did as they were commanded by bringing animals for slaughter. It pointed to Yeshua. In faith, we rely upon the shed blood of Yeshua. Nonetheless, we continue to make our olah korban - our ascent approach.
  22. Drawing near is a significant aspect of shema - of intently listening. The thing that stands out to me most about Exodus 20 is that after the hearing of the 10 words, the people stood at a distance from God and said that they would listen to Moses rather than God Himself. He wants us all to korban - to draw near in order to hear Him clearly.
  23. This is a statement that if I can verify, I will have my mind put at ease. I think this is so much more important than matters such as perseverance of the saints, free will, rapture, etc. My opposing view of the statement would seem to put me in a camp outside of faith, which is disturbing to say the least.
  24. He also gave to Republicans. The main problem that this exposes is that there must be accountability of the government. Politicians see winning elections as the end game. Once they have made it, they secure future elections through illegal means and methods. It also exposes problems in the crypto-world.
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