The Narrow Path: Complete Entry & Endurance Body & Soul Worship God is Spirit&Truth Enter through the narrow gate. The Narrow Door …23“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ … That phrase—"solo trek of human effort"—is the greatest trap on the journey. A solo trek of human effort is the attempt to reach the Kingdom by relying entirely on your own willpower, intellect, and "goodness." It is the opposite of the Supernatural Partnership. The Narrow Path: Complete Entry & Endurance According to the scriptures, the Gate always comes first. You must pass through the entry point before you can begin the journey on the road. The Sequence of the Journey The Gate (The Entrance): This represents the moment of decision and transition— Repentance, Faith, and Baptism. It is "narrow" because it requires leaving behind the heavy "baggage" of self-rule and the broad way of the world. The Narrow Path (The Walk): Once you have passed through the Gate, you find yourself on the Path. This is the ongoing life of a disciple —using the Guardrails (Commandments) for safety and the Wind (The Spirit) for power. The Scriptural Order I n the Sermon on the Mount, the order is explicitly defined: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction... because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way [path] which leads to life." — Matthew 7:13-14 Gate vs. Door: The Distinction In the scriptures, these two terms highlight different aspects of the same reality: The Narrow Gate (Matthew 7): Focuses on the Entry to the Journey. It’s the choice to leave the broad highway and step onto the restricted mountain path. The Narrow Door (Luke 13): Focuses on Access to the House. It’s the struggle to enter the Master’s presence before the invitation expires. "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." — Luke 13:24 The Mechanical Integration The Struggle: The word "strive" in the original Greek is agonizomai (where we get "agonize"). It implies a total, concentrated effort to align oneself with the King's entry requirements. The Baggage: You cannot fit through the Narrow Door while carrying the "Lawless DNA" of the broad road. Repentance is the act of dropping that baggage so you can fit through. The Result: Once through the Door, you are no longer an outsider; you are a member of the household, positioned to begin the Ongoing Walk on the Narrow Path. The Secret of the Road The Door is narrow not because the King is stingy, but because the Guardrails of the Path are set to a specific width. If the Door were wide, people would try to bring "Broad Road" behaviors onto a "Narrow Road," leading to a wreckage. The Door ensures you are "sized" correctly for the journey ahead. Since we’ve looked at the Gate and the Path, does seeing the entry as a "Door" change how you view the urgency of the journey? Here is a clear Yes/No self-assessment to help determine if you are currently living “in the flesh” (carnal, sinful nature) according to the Bible (Romans 8:5-8, Galatians 5:16-21). “Am I in the Flesh?” Test Answer Yes or No honestly to each: Do I frequently give in to sinful desires even when I know they are wrong? Is my mind mostly occupied with worldly things (money, pleasure, status, lust, anger, revenge)? Do I often justify or excuse my sin instead of fighting it? Am I controlled more by my emotions, appetites, or impulses than by God’s Word? Do I have ongoing patterns of behavior like bitterness, jealousy, gossip, sexual sin, greed, or outbursts of anger? Is prayer and time in God’s Word inconsistent or mostly absent in my daily life? Do I prioritize my own comfort, desires, and will over obedience to God? Am I quick to argue, get offended, or hold grudges? Do I feel little conviction or grief when I sin? Is my life producing more of the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) than the “fruit of the Spirit” (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.)? Scoring & Interpretation: 8–10 Yes answers: Strong evidence you are currently living in the flesh (carnal mind). 5–7 Yes answers: You are struggling and partially in the flesh — mixed living. Scoring & Interpretation: 8–10 Yes answers: Strong evidence you are currently living in the flesh (carnal mind). 5–7 Yes answers: You are struggling and partially in the flesh — mixed living. 0–4 Yes answers: You are mostly walking in the Spirit, though no one is perfect. Key Bible Truth: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires… The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6) If many answers were “Yes,” that is not the end — genuine repentance and surrender to the Holy Spirit can change this immediately. Would you like me to create a similar test for walking in the Spirit, or adjust this one for a specific area of struggle? THE BLUEPRINT OF ETERNITY: A FINAL WARNING 1. THE ARCHITECT’S LAW (THE FOUNDATION) There is only one God, Yehovah. He built the universe with a specific blueprint called the Torah. This is not a "suggestion"—it is the structural code of reality. The Rule: You cannot add your own ideas or delete His rules. The Penalty: If you "edit" His law to fit your lifestyle, He will "edit" your name out of the Book of Life. You will be deleted from eternity. (Rev 22:18-19) 2. THE PRICE OF YOUR "FREEDOM" You act like a spoiled child, demanding everything while giving up nothing. You say, "No one tells me what to eat, when to worship, or that Christmas and Easter are Pagan God knows my heart. To pay for that arrogance, a blood-price was required: Yeshua, the Son of God, was betrayed and humiliated for your "small" sins. He was tortured, whipped, and nailed to a cross because you refused to follow the rules. The Father had to turn His back on His own Son because your carnal rot was so heavy. If you take His sacrifice but keep your carnal lifestyle, you are spitting on His blood. 3. THE TRAP OF THE "WIDE GATE" The "Wide Gate" is the path where you do whatever you want. It feels good because there are no "restrictions." The Deception: It is wide because it is a trash chute. It accepts everything—lies, fake holidays, and "self-made" worship. The Crash: It leads to Destruction (Matt 7:13). A soul that refuses to be "tempered" by the Law stays soft and hollow. When you hit the wall of eternity, a soft soul shatters like glass. 4. THE NARROW GATE (THE TEMPERING) A soul restricted to the Truth is the only soul that can walk into eternity without breaking. The Restriction: The Commandments (Keeping the Sabbath Holy, Leviticus food restrictions, Worship God in Spirit and Truth and Gods appointed times Passover unleavened bread ect. ) are the "mold" that holds you together. The Tempering: Just like steel must be heated and hammered to be strong, your soul must be restricted by the Torah to become unbreakable. The Fit: The door to Heaven is a specific shape. If you are shaped like a "lie" because you ignored the Law, you will hit that door and break. THE BOTTOM LINE: You are not "free"—you are unprotected. By refusing the Sabbath and the Commandments, you are removing the structural bolts from your own soul. You are building a life on sand, and the storm is coming. Judgment is not a conversation; it is a measurement. If you don't match the Blueprint, you don't get into the House. You will be left in the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. "If you say you know Him but don't keep His commandments, you are a LIAR." (1 John 2:4) CHANGE YOUR SHAPE NOW, OR BE BROKEN FOREVER.

Christ didn't come to bring peace but a sword The Real Jesus Not Peace, but a Sword 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Matthew 10:34-36 Watchman’s Message In the message in Hosea, Yehovah is saying my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. He is warning us that it is our responsibility to give them warning from Him, about the coming wrath that is coming on this earth. Our Father repeated these few verses, He wants us to understand that He is serious, and will hold us accountable if we don't warn them (“son of man" denotes mankind generally) Hebrew people, This passage from Ephesians 4:25 urges believers to reject falsehood, lies, and deceit in favor of speaking the truth to their neighbors. The core reasoning is that Christians are interconnected members of one body—the body of Christ—making lying to one another equivalent to harming oneself. Sheep among Wolves …20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.… Matthew 10:20-22 “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything right side up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:49 Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE WITH HIS NEIGHBOR , for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ]. New Life in Christ Ephesians 4:25 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. 26“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, BE ANGRY [at sin--at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. 27 And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]. 28 The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. 32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding] , forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [c] you. I Never Knew You 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 Narrow gate 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction , and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 Many are called but few are chosen

you must be grafted into Israel to be saved. If you have been baptized in Yeshua’s name, have repented, received the Holy Spirit and are living like your Savior lived, you are automatically grafted into Israel; you are a spiritual Jew. (did you know Jesus is a Jew) He answered, "I was sent only to Grafted into Israel All Israel Shall Be Saved I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27 And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”… In the context of Romans 11, where Paul uses the analogy of the olive tree, the cultivated olive tree primarily represents God's covenant people, Israel. Here's a breakdown of the symbolism: The Root: The root of the cultivated olive tree symbolizes the foundational promises and covenants God made with the patriarchs, particularly Abraham (Romans 11:18). It represents the rich spiritual heritage and the source of blessing from God. The Natural Branches: These represent the Jewish people, who are the natural descendants of Abraham and were the original recipients of God's covenant promises. The Wild Olive Branches (Gentiles): These represent the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) who, through faith in Christ, are grafted into this existing covenant relationship. The Nourishing Root: By being grafted in, the Gentiles share in the "nourishing root" of the cultivated olive tree, meaning they partake in the spiritual blessings, salvation, and relationship with God that flow from His covenant promises. Therefore, the olive tree in Romans 11 is not just any tree; it's a specific symbol of God's chosen people and the established covenant through which blessings flow. The grafting of the Gentiles into this tree illustrates how they become part of God's people and recipients of His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, despite not being natural descendants of Abraham. 1. The Equality of Faith (Romans 10:12) This is perhaps the most direct "no difference" statement in the Bible. "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him." 2. The Unity in Christ (Galatians 3:28) This verse is often cited as the definitive statement on Christian equality across all social and ethnic boundaries. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female , for you are all one in Christ Jesus." 3. The New Humanity (Colossians 3:11) Paul explains that in the "new self," traditional worldly divisions lose their significance. "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." 4. Equality in Sin and Grace (Romans 3:22–23) Paul uses the "no difference" argument to show that everyone starts on the same level playing field regarding the need for salvation. "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Twaalf stammen van Israël Deze volgende verzen zijn enkele die je misschien nog niet hebt gehoord, je moet geënt zijn op Israël om gered te worden. Als je gedoopt bent in Yeshua's naam, je hebt bekeerd, de Heilige Geest hebt ontvangen en leeft zoals je Heiland leefde, ben je automatisch geënt op Israël; je bent een spirituele jood. (wist je dat Jezus een Jood is) Hij antwoordde: "Ik ben alleen naar de verloren schapen van Israël gestuurd." Mattheüs 15:24 Er zijn 100 verzen over geënt worden in Israël. De naam "Israël" betekent "Hij die strijdt met God". Niet strijden met God in de zin van zich tegen God verzetten, maar veeleer in de zin van God dienen en helpen. Het was door de twaalf zonen van Israël dat de belofte die aan hem, zijn vader Isaac en grootvader Abraham was gegeven, wortel begon te schieten.De twaalf zonen van Israël zijn: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Zebulon, Issaschar, Dan, Gad, Aser, Naftali, Jozef en Benjamin . Deuteronomium 4:8 En welk volk is zo groot, dat wetten en verordeningen zo rechtvaardig heeft als deze hele wet, die ik u heden voorleg? Marcus 1;15 Toen zei Jezus tegen de vrouw: "Ik ben alleen gezonden om Gods verloren schapen - het volk van Israël - te helpen." Galaten 3:27 God zegt 27 Want u allen die in Christus gedoopt bent, hebt u met Christus bekleed. 28 29 And if you belong to Christ, then Jij zijn Abrahams zaad en erfgenamen volgens de belofte... Efeziërs 2:18-19 Want door hem hebben wij beiden toegang tot de Vader door één Geest. 19 U bent dus geen vreemdelingen en vreemdelingen meer, maar medeburgers van Gods volk en leden van Gods huisgezin; 1Pt 2:10 Eens was u geen volk, maar nu bent u het volk van God; eens had je geen genade ontvangen, maar nu heb je genade ontvangen. 1 Peter 2:9 Maar u bent een uitverkoren geslacht, een koninklijk priesterschap, een heilige natie, zijn eigen speciale volk, om de lof te verkondigen van Hem die u uit de duisternis heeft geroepen naar zijn wonderbaar licht; Efeziërs 2:11 Bedenk daarom dat vroeger u, die heidenen (christenen) naar het vlees bent en onbesneden wordt genoemd door de zogenaamde besnijdenis (die in het lichaam door mensenhanden wordt gedaan), 12 bedenk dat u toen gescheiden was van Christus, vervreemd van het gemenebest van Israël, en vreemd aan de verbonden van de belofte, zonder hoop en zonder God in de wereld. 13 Maar nu in Christus Yeshua bent u die eens ver weg was, dichtbij gebracht door het bloed van Christus... U bent een burger van Israël, verplicht om alle instructies en wetten van Jehovah te houden. Je bent een spirituele jood. Rom 11:23 En als zij niet volharden in hun ongeloof, zullen zij worden geënt, want God kan hen weer enten. Romeinen 2:28 Een man is geen Jood omdat hij het uiterlijk is, noch is besnijdenis alleen uiterlijk en lichamelijk. 29 Nee, een man is een Jood omdat hij dat innerlijk is, en besnijdenis is een zaak van het hart, door de Geest, niet door de geschreven wet. De lof van zo'n man komt niet van mensen, maar van God. Romeinen 11:25 Broeders, ik wil niet dat u onwetend bent over dit geheimenis, opdat u niet verwaand zult zijn: er is een gedeeltelijke verharding over Israël gekomen, totdat het volledige aantal heidenen is binnengegaan. Israël zal gered worden, zoals geschreven staat: “De Verlosser zal uit Sion komen; Hij zal de goddeloosheid van Jacob verwijderen. 27 En dit is mijn verbond met hen wanneer ik hun zonden wegneem. … Openbaring 21:12 De stad had een grote en hoge muur met twaalf poorten waarin de namen van de twaalf stammen van Israël waren gegraveerd, en twaalf engelen bij de poorten. Openbaring 21:21 De twaalf poorten waren gemaakt van paarlen: elk van een enkele parel: en de straat van de stad was van puur goud, alsof het doorzichtig glas was. Zoals je net hebt gelezen, zijn er maar 12 poorten naar de grote stad. De poortnamen zijn allemaal Hebreeuws, de 12 zonen van Israël. Je moet geënt zijn op Israël om binnen te komen. Lukas 4:43 Maar hij antwoordde: "Ik moet het goede nieuws van het koninkrijk van God ook in andere steden prediken, want daarvoor ben ik gezonden." Petrus 2:9 Maar zo bent u niet, want u bent een uitverkoren volk. Jullie zijn koninklijke priesters, een heilige natie, Gods eigendom. Daardoor kun je anderen de goedheid van God laten zien, want hij heeft je uit de duisternis geroepen naar zijn wonderbaarlijke licht. ● Deuteronomium 14:2 U bent apart gezet als heilig voor de HERE, uw Elohim, en hij heeft u uit alle naties van de aarde gekozen om zijn eigen speciale schat te zijn. ● Openbaring 18:4 Toen hoorde ik een andere stem uit de hemel zeggen: Ga uit van haar, mijn volk, zodat je niet zult delen in haar zonden, zodat je niets van haar zult ontvangen plagen. We moeten ons denken in overeenstemming brengen met dat van Christus Romeinen 12:2 Pas je niet aan aan het patroon van deze wereld, maar word getransformeerd door de vernieuwing van je denken. Dan zul je in staat zijn om te testen en goed te keuren wat Gods wil is. zijn goede, aangename en volmaakte wil. Kolossenzen 3:1-3 Aangezien u met Christus uit de dood bent opgewekt, richt u op wat in de hemel is, waar Christus zit aan de rechterhand van God. Denk alleen aan de dingen in de hemel, niet aan de dingen op aarde. Je oude, zondige zelf is gestorven en je nieuwe leven wordt bewaard met Christus in God . (Jehovah kijkt naar twee groepen mensen. Zijn uitverkoren volk noemt Hij Israël en alle anderen noemt Hij heidenen de naties) Leef niet voor waar mensen voor leven. 1 Johannes 2:15-16 Houd niet van de wereld of de dingen in de wereld. Als iemand de wereld liefheeft, is de liefde van de Vader niet in hem, want alles wat in de wereld is (de begeerte van het vlees en de begeerte van de ogen en de arrogantie voortgebracht door materiële bezittingen) is niet van de Vader maar is van de wereld. We zijn nieuw gemaakt door Christus. 2 Korintiërs 5:17 Daarom, als iemand in Christus is, is hij een nieuw schepsel: het oude is voorbijgegaan; zie, alle dingen zijn nieuw geworden. Galaten 2:20 Mijn oude zelf is met Christus gekruisigd. Niet meer ik leef, maar Christus leeft in mij. Dus leef ik in dit aardse lichaam door te vertrouwen op de Zoon van God, die mij liefhad en zichzelf voor mij gaf. Volg Christus na Efeziërs 5:1 Wees daarom navolgers van God, als geliefde kinderen. De wereld zal je haten. ● Johannes 15:18-19 Als de wereld u haat, bedenk dan dat zij mij eerst haatte. De wereld zou van je houden als een van haar als je erbij hoorde, maar je maakt geen deel meer uit van de wereld. Ik koos jou om uit de wereld te komen, dus het haat je. 1 Petrus 4:4 Natuurlijk zijn je vroegere vrienden verbaasd als je je niet langer stort in de vloedgolf van wilde en destructieve dingen die ze doen. Dus belasteren ze je. Mattheüs 5:14-16 U bent het licht van de wereld - als een stad op een heuveltop die niet verborgen kan worden. Niemand steekt een lamp aan en zet die dan onder een mand. In plaats daarvan wordt een lamp op een standaard geplaatst, waar hij iedereen in huis licht geeft. Laat op dezelfde manier je goede daden voor iedereen zichtbaar zijn, zodat iedereen je hemelse zal prijzen Vader. Jehova Heel Israël zal worden gered Ik wil niet dat u onwetend bent over dit mysterie, broeders, zodat u niet verwaand zult zijn: er is een gedeeltelijke verharding over Israël gekomen, totdat het volledige aantal heidenen is binnengekomen._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ En zo zal heel Israël worden gered, zoals geschreven staat: “De Verlosser zal komen uit Sion; Hij zal de goddeloosheid van Jacob verwijderen. 27 En dit is mijn verbond met hen wanneer ik hun zonden wegneem. Twaalf stammen van Israël Deze volgende verzen zijn enkele die je misschien nog niet hebt gehoord, je moet geënt zijn op Israël om gered te worden. Als je gedoopt bent in Yeshua's naam, je hebt bekeerd, de Heilige Geest hebt ontvangen en leeft zoals je Heiland leefde, ben je automatisch geënt op Israël; je bent een spirituele jood. (wist je dat Jezus een Jood is) Hij antwoordde: "Ik ben alleen naar de verloren schapen van Israël gestuurd." Mattheüs 15:24 Er zijn 100 verzen over geënt worden in Israël. De naam "Israël" betekent "Hij die strijdt met God". Niet strijden met God in de zin van zich tegen God verzetten, maar veeleer in de zin van God dienen en helpen. Het was door de twaalf zonen van Israël dat de belofte die aan hem, zijn vader Isaac en grootvader Abraham was gegeven, wortel begon te schieten.De twaalf zonen van Israël zijn: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Zebulon, Issaschar, Dan, Gad, Aser, Naftali, Jozef en Benjamin . Deuteronomium 4:8 En welk volk is zo groot, dat wetten en verordeningen zo rechtvaardig heeft als deze hele wet, die ik u heden voorleg? Marcus 1;15 Toen zei Jezus tegen de vrouw: "Ik ben alleen gezonden om Gods verloren schapen - het volk van Israël - te helpen." Galaten 3:27 God zegt 27 Want u allen die in Christus gedoopt bent, hebt u met Christus bekleed. 28 29 And if you belong to Christ, then Jij zijn Abrahams zaad en erfgenamen volgens de belofte... Efeziërs 2:18-19 Want door hem hebben wij beiden toegang tot de Vader door één Geest. 19 U bent dus geen vreemdelingen en vreemdelingen meer, maar medeburgers van Gods volk en leden van Gods huisgezin; 1Pt 2:10 Eens was u geen volk, maar nu bent u het volk van God; eens had je geen genade ontvangen, maar nu heb je genade ontvangen. 1 Peter 2:9 Maar u bent een uitverkoren geslacht, een koninklijk priesterschap, een heilige natie, zijn eigen speciale volk, om de lof te verkondigen van Hem die u uit de duisternis heeft geroepen naar zijn wonderbaar licht; Efeziërs 2:11 Bedenk daarom dat vroeger u, die heidenen (christenen) naar het vlees bent en onbesneden wordt genoemd door de zogenaamde besnijdenis (die in het lichaam door mensenhanden wordt gedaan), 12 bedenk dat u toen gescheiden was van Christus, vervreemd van het gemenebest van Israël, en vreemd aan de verbonden van de belofte, zonder hoop en zonder God in de wereld. 13 Maar nu in Christus Yeshua bent u die eens ver weg was, dichtbij gebracht door het bloed van Christus... U bent een burger van Israël, verplicht om alle instructies en wetten van Jehovah te houden. Je bent een spirituele jood. Rom 11:23 En als zij niet volharden in hun ongeloof, zullen zij worden geënt, want God kan hen weer enten. Romeinen 2:28 Een man is geen Jood omdat hij het uiterlijk is, noch is besnijdenis alleen uiterlijk en lichamelijk. 29 Nee, een man is een Jood omdat hij dat innerlijk is, en besnijdenis is een zaak van het hart, door de Geest, niet door de geschreven wet. De lof van zo'n man komt niet van mensen, maar van God. Romeinen 11:25 Broeders, ik wil niet dat u onwetend bent over dit geheimenis, opdat u niet verwaand zult zijn: er is een gedeeltelijke verharding over Israël gekomen, totdat het volledige aantal heidenen is binnengegaan. Israël zal gered worden, zoals geschreven staat: “De Verlosser zal uit Sion komen; Hij zal de goddeloosheid van Jacob verwijderen. 27 En dit is mijn verbond met hen wanneer ik hun zonden wegneem. … Openbaring 21:12 De stad had een grote en hoge muur met twaalf poorten waarin de namen van de twaalf stammen van Israël waren gegraveerd, en twaalf engelen bij de poorten. Openbaring 21:21 De twaalf poorten waren gemaakt van paarlen: elk van een enkele parel: en de straat van de stad was van puur goud, alsof het doorzichtig glas was. Zoals je net hebt gelezen, zijn er maar 12 poorten naar de grote stad. De poortnamen zijn allemaal Hebreeuws, de 12 zonen van Israël. Je moet geënt zijn op Israël om binnen te komen. Lukas 4:43 Maar hij antwoordde: "Ik moet het goede nieuws van het koninkrijk van God ook in andere steden prediken, want daarvoor ben ik gezonden." Petrus 2:9 Maar zo bent u niet, want u bent een uitverkoren volk. Jullie zijn koninklijke priesters, een heilige natie, Gods eigendom. Daardoor kun je anderen de goedheid van God laten zien, want hij heeft je uit de duisternis geroepen naar zijn wonderbaarlijke licht. ● Deuteronomium 14:2 U bent apart gezet als heilig voor de HERE, uw Elohim, en hij heeft u uit alle naties van de aarde gekozen om zijn eigen speciale schat te zijn. ● Openbaring 18:4 Toen hoorde ik een andere stem uit de hemel zeggen: Ga uit van haar, mijn volk, zodat je niet zult delen in haar zonden, zodat je niets van haar zult ontvangen plagen. We moeten ons denken in overeenstemming brengen met dat van Christus Romeinen 12:2 Pas je niet aan aan het patroon van deze wereld, maar word getransformeerd door de vernieuwing van je denken. Dan zul je in staat zijn om te testen en goed te keuren wat Gods wil is. zijn goede, aangename en volmaakte wil. Kolossenzen 3:1-3 Aangezien u met Christus uit de dood bent opgewekt, richt u op wat in de hemel is, waar Christus zit aan de rechterhand van God. Denk alleen aan de dingen in de hemel, niet aan de dingen op aarde. Je oude, zondige zelf is gestorven en je nieuwe leven wordt bewaard met Christus in God . (Jehovah kijkt naar twee groepen mensen. Zijn uitverkoren volk noemt Hij Israël en alle anderen noemt Hij heidenen de naties) Leef niet voor waar mensen voor leven. 1 Johannes 2:15-16 Houd niet van de wereld of de dingen in de wereld. Als iemand de wereld liefheeft, is de liefde van de Vader niet in hem, want alles wat in de wereld is (de begeerte van het vlees en de begeerte van de ogen en de arrogantie voortgebracht door materiële bezittingen) is niet van de Vader maar is van de wereld. We zijn nieuw gemaakt door Christus. 2 Korintiërs 5:17 Daarom, als iemand in Christus is, is hij een nieuw schepsel: het oude is voorbijgegaan; zie, alle dingen zijn nieuw geworden. Galaten 2:20 Mijn oude zelf is met Christus gekruisigd. Niet meer ik leef, maar Christus leeft in mij. Dus leef ik in dit aardse lichaam door te vertrouwen op de Zoon van God, die mij liefhad en zichzelf voor mij gaf. Volg Christus na Efeziërs 5:1 Wees daarom navolgers van God, als geliefde kinderen. De wereld zal je haten. ● Johannes 15:18-19 Als de wereld u haat, bedenk dan dat zij mij eerst haatte. De wereld zou van je houden als een van haar als je erbij hoorde, maar je maakt geen deel meer uit van de wereld. Ik koos jou om uit de wereld te komen, dus het haat je. 1 Petrus 4:4 Natuurlijk zijn je vroegere vrienden verbaasd als je je niet langer stort in de vloedgolf van wilde en destructieve dingen die ze doen. Dus belasteren ze je. Mattheüs 5:14-16 U bent het licht van de wereld - als een stad op een heuveltop die niet verborgen kan worden. Niemand steekt een lamp aan en zet die dan onder een mand. In plaats daarvan wordt een lamp op een standaard geplaatst, waar hij iedereen in huis licht geeft. Laat op dezelfde manier je goede daden voor iedereen zichtbaar zijn, zodat iedereen je hemelse zal prijzen Vader. Jehova Heel Israël zal worden gered Ik wil niet dat u onwetend bent over dit mysterie, broeders, zodat u niet verwaand zult zijn: er is een gedeeltelijke verharding over Israël gekomen, totdat het volledige aantal heidenen is binnengekomen._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ En zo zal heel Israël worden gered, zoals geschreven staat: “De Verlosser zal komen uit Sion; Hij zal de goddeloosheid van Jacob verwijderen. 27 En dit is mijn verbond met hen wanneer ik hun zonden wegneem.

Paul warned against using self-denial “Wherefore if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances, (touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Let no one judge you Houd in gedachten dat deze brief is geschreven aan Griekse bekeerlingen die in Kolossenzen wonen, Colasa ligt op meer dan 800 mijl van Jeruzalem. Er woonden in die tijd maar heel weinig Joden in dat gebied. De vrienden van de Griekse bekeerlingen maakten het hen moeilijk om hun nieuwe levensveranderingen te beoordelen. Gods geboden houden. Here is a simple Yes or No Test based on the statement "Let no one judge you" (Colossians 2:16): Let No One Judge You — Yes or No Test 1.Do you believe God's commandments are good and should be obeyed? ___ 2.Do you allow others to shame or condemn you for following what you believe Scripture teaches? ___ 3.Do you seek to please God rather than men? ___ 4.If you choose to observe a Sabbath, feast day, or dietary practice, do you do so to honor God? ___ 5.Do you judge another person's salvation solely because they observe or do observe certain days or foods? ___ 6.Are your beliefs based on Scripture rather than human traditions? ___ 7.When criticized for your faith, do you remain faithful to your convictions? ___ 8.Do you examine teachings carefully before accepting them? ___ 9.Do you strive to obey God from the heart rather than for the approval of others? ___ 10.Do you remember that your ultimate Judge is God? ___ Conclusion Mostly Yes: You are seeking to stand firm in your convictions before God rather than being controlled by the opinions of others. Mostly No: Consider whether fear of people, traditions, or outside pressure is influencing your walk with God more than Scripture and your conscience before Him. Paulus waarschuwde tegen het gebruik van zelfverloochening als middel om op je eigen wil te vertrouwen. Hij noemde het 'zal aanbidden'. "Daarom, als u met Christus dood bent van de eerste beginselen van de wereld, wel,alsof u in de wereld leeft, bent u onderworpen aan verordeningen (raak niet aan; proef niet; raak niet aan; die allemaal zullen vergaan met het gebruik;) naar de geboden en leerstellingen van mensen? Welke dingen inderdaad blijk geven van wijsheid in wilsaanbidding en nederigheid en veronachtzaming van het lichaam: niet in enige eer tot bevrediging van het vlees” (Kolossenzen 2:20-23). YEHOVAH's volk vernedert zichzelf door te vasten om dichter tot Hem te komen -- zodat ze kunnen leren denken en handelen zoals Hij -- zodat ze Zijn manier van leven in alle dingen kunnen naleven. Merk op wat de profeet Jeremia schreef:“Zo zegt de HEER: Laat de wijze man niet roemen laat de sterke zich niet beroemen op zijn macht, laat de rijke zich niet beroemen op zijn rijkdom, maar laat hij die roemt zich hierop beroemen, dat hij begrijpt en Mij kent, dat Ik de HEER ben die goedertierenheid beoefen , oordeel en gerechtigheid op aarde: want in deze dingen heb Ik lust, zegt de HERE” (9:23-24). Vasten (en bidden) helpt christenen om dichter bij YEHOVAH God te komen. Heidense gruwel gemaskeerd als christendom! YEHOVAH God is niet de auteur van verwarring (1 Korintiërs 14:33).Hij heeft nooit de vasten ingesteld, een heidense viering losbandigheid in verband brengen met de veronderstelde opstanding van een valse Messias. (Feest van Tammuz) YEHOVAH God gebiedt Zijn volk om Hem te volgen -- niet de tradities van mensen. YHWH's wegen zijn hoger, beter dan die van de mens (Jesaja 55:8-9).Mensen kunnen niet voor zichzelf bepalen wat goed of fout is of hoe ze YHOVAH God op de juiste manier moeten aanbidden. Waarom? Omdat 'het hart [verstand] bedrieglijker is dan alle dingen, en wanhopig slecht' (Jeremia 17:9), en 'de weg van de mens is niet in zichzelf; het is niet in de mens die wandelt om zijn eigen schreden te richten” (10:23). YEHOVAH God heeft ons ontworpen en ons leven gegeven. Hij weet hoe we Hem moeten aanbidden. Om een christen te zijn en YEHOVAH God op de juiste manier te dienen, moet u leven "bij elk woord dat uit de mond van God uitgaat" (Matteüs 4:4), in het besef dat Zijn heilige Schriften "niet gebroken kunnen worden" (Johannes 10:35). YEHOVAH God gebiedt Christenen om te vluchten van de heidense tradities en gewoonten van deze wereld (Openbaring 18:2-4), momenteel geleid en misleid door Satan de duivel (2 Korintiërs 4:4; Openbaring 12:9). De vasten lijkt misschien een oprechte, oprechte religieuze viering. Maar het is diep geworteld in heidense ideeën die het plan van YEHOVAH vervalsen. YEHOVAH God haat alle heidense vieringen (Jeremia 10:2-3; Leviticus 18:3, 30; Deuteronomium 7:1-5, 16). Ze kunnen niet door mensen worden "gekerstend" of rein gemaakt. Daar hoort ook de vasten bij. Als u een ware christen bent, zou u met David zeggen: "Door uw voorschriften krijg ik begrip: daarom haat ik elke verkeerde weg"! (Psalm 119:104). Leef met Christus (Efeziërs 2:1-10 ) 6 Daarom, net zoals u Christus Jezus als Heer hebt aangenomen, blijf in Hem wandelen,7 geworteld en opgebouwd in Hem, gevestigd in het geloof zoals u geleerd is, en overlopend van dankbaarheid. 8 Zorg ervoor dat niemand je gevangen neemt door filosofie en ijdel bedrog,die gebaseerd zijn op menselijke traditie en de spirituele krachtenvan de wereld in plaats van op Christus. 9 voor in Christus woont al de volheid van de Godheid in lichamelijke vorm.10 En je bent compleet gemaakt in Christus, die het hoofd is van elke heerser en autoriteit. 11 binnen Hem bent u ook besneden, in het afleggen van uw zondige natuur, met de besnijdenis door Christus verricht en niet door mensenhanden.12 En nadat u met Hem in de doop bent begraven, bent u met Hem opgewekt door uw geloof in de kracht van God, die Hem uit de dood heeft opgewekt. 13 Wanneer u was dood in uw overtredingen en in de onbesnedenheid van uw zondige natuur, God heeft u levend gemaakt met Christus. Hij vergaf ons al onze overtredingen,14 hebben heeft de schuld kwijtgescholden die aan ons is toegeschreven in de decreten die tegen ons waren. Hij nam het weg en spijkerde het aan het kruis!15 En nadat Hij de machten en autoriteiten had ontwapend, maakte Hij er een publiek spektakel van en zegevierde Hij over hen door het kruis. 16 Daarom laat niemand u beoordelen op wat u eet of drinkt, of met betrekking tot een feest, een nieuwe maan of een sabbat.17 deze zijn een schaduw van de dingen die komen gaan, maar het lichaam dat het werpt behoort aan Christus. C 18 doen laat niemand die behagen schept in valse nederigheid en de aanbidding van engelen je diskwalificeren met speculaties over wat hij heeft gezien. Zo iemand wordt zonder grond opgeblazen door zijn ongeestelijke geest.19 Hij heeft de verbinding met het hoofd verloren, van waaruit het hele lichaam, ondersteund en verbonden door zijn gewrichten en ligamenten, groeit zoals God het laat groeien. 20 Als u bent met Christus gestorven aan de geestelijke krachten van de wereld, waarom onderwerpt u zich, alsof u nog steeds tot de wereld behoort, aan haar regels: 21 "Niet aanraken, niet proeven, niet aanraken!"?22 Deze zullen allemaal vergaan door gebruik omdat ze gebaseerd zijn op menselijke bevelen en leringen.23 Zo beperkingen hebben inderdaad een schijn van wijsheid, met hun zelf voorgeschreven aanbidding, hun valse nederigheid en hun harde behandeling van het lichaam; maar ze zijn van geen waarde tegen de toegeeflijkheid van het vlees. 2 Ik wil dat u weet hoe hard ik strijd voor u en voor degenen in Laodicea, en voor allen die mij niet persoonlijk hebben ontmoet. 2 Mijn doel is dat ze van harte worden bemoedigd en verenigd in liefde, zodat ze de volle rijkdom van volledig begrip mogen hebben, zodat ze het mysterie van God mogen leren kennen, namelijk Christus, 3 in wie alle verborgen zijn schatten van wijsheid en kennis.4 Ik zeg je dit zodat niemand je kan misleiden met mooi klinkende argumenten. 5 Want hoewel ik lichamelijk niet bij je ben, ben ik in de geest bij je en verheug u om te zien hoe gedisciplineerd u bent en hoe vast uw geloof in Christus is. Geestelijke volheid in Christus 6 Dus dan, zoals u Christus Jezus als Heer hebt aangenomen,blijf je leven in hem leven , 7 geworteld en opgebouwd in hem, gesterkt in het geloof zoals u geleerd is, en overlopend van dankbaarheid. 8Zorg ervoor dat niemand je gevangen neemt door holle en bedrieglijke filosofie, die afhangt van menselijke traditie en de elementaire spirituele krachten.A ] van deze wereld in plaats van op Christus. 9 Want in Christus leeft heel de volheid van de Godheid in lichamelijke vorm, 10en in Christus ben je tot volheid gebracht . Hij is het hoofd van elke macht en autoriteit. 11 In hem bent u ook besneden met een besnijdenis die niet door mensenhanden is uitgevoerd. Je hele zelf geregeerd door het vlees[B ] werd uitgesteld toen je besneden werd door[C ] Christus,12 met hem begraven in de doop, waarin u ook met hem bent opgewekt door uw geloof in de werking van God, die hem uit de dood heeft opgewekt. 13 Toen u dood was in uw zonden en in de onbesnedenheid van uw vlees, heeft God u gemaaktD ] levend met Christus. Hij vergaf ons al onze zonden, 14de aanklacht van onze wettelijke schuld kwijtgescholden te hebben , die zich tegen ons verzette en ons veroordeelde; hij heeft het weggenomen en aan het kruis genageld. (De wet van zonde en dood Hde straf voor het zondigen) 1 5 En nadat hij de machten en autoriteiten had ontwapend, maakte hij een publiek spektakel van hen en zegevierde hij over hen door het kruis.e ] 1 6 Laat je daarom door niemand beoordelen op wat je eet of drinkt, of met betrekking tot een religieus feest, een viering van de nieuwe maan of een sabbatdag. 1 7 Dit zijn een schaduw van de dingen die zouden komen; de werkelijkheid wordt echter in Christus gevonden. 18Laat niemand die behagen schept in valse nederigheid en de aanbidding van engelen je diskwalificeren. Zo iemand gaat ook uitgebreid in op wat hij heeft gezien; ze zijn opgeblazen met ijdele ideeën door hun ongeestelijke geest. 19 Ze hebben de verbinding met het hoofd verloren, van waaruit het hele lichaam, ondersteund en bij elkaar gehouden door zijn ligamenten en pezen, groeit zoals God het laat groeien. 20 Aangezien u met Christus bent gestorven aan de elementaire geestelijke krachten van deze wereld, waarom onderwerpt u zich dan, alsof u nog steeds tot de wereld behoort, aan haar regels: 21 “Niet aanraken! Proef niet! Niet aanraken!"? 22 Deze regels, die te maken hebben met dingen die allemaal gedoemd zijn te vergaan door gebruik, zijn gebaseerd op louter menselijke bevelen en leringen. 23 Dergelijke voorschriften hebben weliswaar de schijn van wijsheid, met hun zelfopgelegde aanbidding, hun valse nederigheid en hun harde behandeling van het lichaam, maar ze missen enige waarde om sensuele uitspattingen in bedwang te houden.

"Do you want to believe what the Bible says or what you have been taught it says? I can prove it The Final Verdict "The cross was never meant to be a place where the Law died; it was the place where the Penalty was paid so that you could finally be empowered to obey. If you come to the cross but flee from the Commandments, you haven't been saved —you've just been comforted in your rebellion."You’re like a convict handed a full pardon who chooses to stay locked up just for the free meals." Stop turning back. The same Yeshua who bled for you is the same God who wrote the Commandments with His own finger. "You cannot have the King without His Commandments. Choose the whole Truth, or you have nothing at all." Betrayal of God Names matters 12 tribes of Israel Hé christen, je hebt een probleem, waar staat dat in de Schrift? Christus werd geboren op 25 december. Dat Hij op Goede Vrijdag stierf en op Paaszondag werd opgewekt? De sabbat werd veranderd in de opstandingsdag en het is goed om eraan te werken? De wet en Christus werd aan een boom genageld? Dat christenen genoemd worden in het nieuwe verbond? Dat je niet hoeft te leven zoals Christus deed? Mag je elk onrein vlees aanraken en eten? Is dat oké om Kerstmis, Pasen en Halloween te vieren? Dat je niet op Israël geënt hoeft te zijn om gered te worden? Wanneer sterven christenen, gaan ze naar de hemel? Eens opgeslagen altijd opgeslagen? Doop alleen symbolisch? De oude Testmate is voor de Joden? Christenen zullen worden opgenomen en de Joden zullen achterblijven? Niemand kan stoppen met het beoefenen van zonde. 9. The Legal Contradiction You claim the blood of Yeshua washed away your sins. But 1 John 233:4 says sin is the breaking of the Law. The Confrontation: "How can you celebrate being saved from your sins while simultaneously bragging that you don't have to keep the Law? If the Law is gone, then sin no longer exists, and you didn't even need a Savior. Read 1 John 3:4." The Verse: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." The Shock: "If you refuse to keep the Commandments, you are saying, 'I want to be forgiven for breaking the rules, but I reserve the right to keep breaking them.' That isn't faith; that is a legal insult to the Judge. You are asking for a pardon while holding the weapon you used to commit the crime." The "Love" Deception Most people say, "I don't need the Commandments; I just love God." The Confrontation: "You claim to love the Creator, but you refuse to listen to how He wants to be loved. The Bible doesn't let you define love your way. Read 1 John 5:3." The Verse: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." The Shock: "If you turn away when confronted by the Commandments, you are proving that you don't actually love God—you love the feeling of being forgiven. You love yourself, not the Creator." The "Narrow Gate" vs. The "Wide Cross" People want a "Wide Cross" that accepts everyone regardless of their rebellion. But Yeshua described a Narrow Gate. The Confrontation: "Modern religion has invented a broad path where you can confess Messiah with your lips but live like the rest of the world. But the real Yeshua didn't offer a frictionless road. Read Matthew 7:13-14." The Verse: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." The Shock: "The Gate is narrow because the Commandments are the boundary. If you turn around when you see the requirements of the Sabbath, the Dietary Laws, and the Appointed Times, you are choosing the Wide Road. You are essentially saying the price of following the real Yeshua is too high. You would rather have a comfortable lie than a difficult Truth." The "Great Disconnect" (The Hypocrisy of the Covenant) This is the "Great Disconnect" of modern Christianity. People treat the cross like a drive-through window for mercy, but they treat the Commandments like a wall they refuse to climb. The Confrontation: "You want the benefits of a King without honoring His jurisdiction. You claim the protection of the Blood of the Covenant, but you flatly reject the Terms of the Covenant. You cannot sign a legal contract, claim the inheritance, and then tear up the stipulations. Read Hebrews 10:29." The Verse: " Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" The Shock: "If you are delivering this as a 'Shock and Awe' message, you have to expose the hypocrisy of wanting the Blood of the Covenant while rejecting the Terms of the Covenant. To take His blood for your cleansing while calling His Sabbath or His dietary instructions 'done away with' is to treat His sacrifice as a cheap license for lawlessness. You aren't honoring the Savior; you are treating the ultimate cosmic execution as a get-out-of-jail-free card so you can keep running your own life." . The Cowardice of the Partial Convert "You are willing to walk to the cross because it feels like a gift, but you turn your back the moment you see the Commandments. You want a Savior, but you refuse a Lord." The Confrontation: "You have a selective faith that only accepts the parts of God that give you comfort while fleeing from the parts that demand your submission. You want the security of His sacrifice, but you are too terrified to let Him govern your schedule, your plate, or your lifestyle. Read Luke 6:46." The Verse: "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" The Shock: "A partial conversion is nothing more than spiritual cowardice. It is the mindset of a person who wants the crown but despises the crown's authority. True conversion requires a total surrender of your self-will. If you only obey God when it aligns with what you already wanted to do, you aren't serving the King—you are still serving yourself." The Proof of Love In John 14:15, Yeshua directly links love to action, removing all room for emotional sentimentality or lip service. The Confrontation: "You can weep at the altar, raise your hands during the worship songs, and tell anyone who will listen how much you love Jesus. But the Messiah Himself does not measure your love by your goosebumps or your tears. He measures it by your track record of obedience. Read John 14:15." The Verse: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." The Shock: "To claim you love Him while walking in open defiance of His Torah—ignoring His Sabbath, His Dietary Laws, and His Appointed Times—is a profound delusion. You are treating the King of Kings like a casual boyfriend whom you can sweet-talk while completely ignoring his boundaries and expectations. True love isn't an emotion you feel; it is a legal, actionable commitment to submit to His authority." Testing Your Profession In 1 John 2:4, the Scripture sets an absolute, uncompromising standard for anyone who claims to belong to the Almighty, emphasizing that lip service without a changed life is a falsehood. The Confrontation: "You tell people you have a personal relationship with the Creator. You check the box on your social media profile, wear the jewelry, and claim to 'know' Him. But the Bible has a brutal, single-sentence test to determine if you are telling the truth or telling a lie. Read 1 John 2:4." The Verse: "He that saith, 'I know him,' and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." The Shock: "This isn't a suggestion; it's a legal verdict from the Word of God. According to the Apostle John, if you boast about knowing the Savior but refuse to guard His Torah—His Sabbath, His Dietary Laws, and His Appointed Times—the Bible doesn't call you a 'growing Christian' or a 'believer under grace.' It calls you a liar. If your profession of faith doesn't alter your lifestyle, your calendar, and your obedience, your testimony is nothing but a fraudulent presentation to the world." The Distinction (Stumble vs. Betrayal) You have to know the difference between a servant who trips on the path and a rebel who walks off it. The Confrontation: "Many people excuse their lifelong disregard for God's instructions by saying, 'Nobody's perfect, we all stumble.' But there is a massive legal difference between a soldier who falls in the mud during battle and a deserter who runs to the enemy's camp. Read Proverbs 24:16." The Verse: "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall into calamity." The Shock: "A stumble is a mistake made while trying to stay on the narrow path, followed by immediate repentance (Teshuvah). Betrayal is the intentional decision to walk away from the path because you prefer your own way over His. Bottom Line: Betrayal is knowing the Master’s house rules and choosing to treat them as optional. When you know the Sabbath, the Dietary Laws, and the Appointed Times are His standard, yet you deliberately choose to treat them as suggestions, you aren't stumbling—you are walking in open revolt." The Reality of False Conversion: Just Getting Wet True salvation demands a total legal surrender: absolute repentance, a dedication to obedience, and the execution of baptism. If you go through these motions without a radical change of mind and direction, you are simply getting wet. The Confrontation: "People treat baptism like a magical ritual that automatically punches their ticket to heaven, regardless of how they live afterward. But water cannot wash away a rebellious heart. You walk out of the water just as lost as you went in, because an unrepented record of debt cannot be canceled. Read Acts 5:32." The Verse: " And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." The Shock: "To legally belong to the Creator, you must receive His Holy Spirit and actively walk in His Truth. But here is the hard line: God will never give His Holy Spirit to those who choose to live in disobedience. If your lifestyle still rejects the Sabbath, the Dietary Laws, and His Appointed Times, you are operating without the Spirit of Christ. You haven't been born again; you just went for a swim while holding onto your sins." The Execution of Spiritual Blindness Without the indwelling of the Spirit, a devastating spiritual sentence is carried out against you. The Confrontation: "You think you can reject the Master's instructions and still have spiritual clarity. But the moment you walk away from His Torah, a legal judgment takes place in your mind. You are stripped of your discernment, leaving you completely vulnerable. Read Isaiah 29:10." The Verse: "For the Lord has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, the seers." The Shock: "Without the indwelling of the Spirit, a devastating spiritual sentence is carried out against you: The Standard of True Alignment True alignment with the Almighty cannot be faked, bartered, or replaced by a pastoral ritual. It requires a two-part structural reality. The Confrontation: "Many believe that a regular church attendance record, a title, or a recommendation from a pastor gives them legal standing before the throne. But the Judge does not accept human credentials or forged paperwork. Read John 4:24." The Verse: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The Shock: "True alignment requires a two-part structural reality: An Internal Transformation executed strictly by the Holy Spirit. An Unwavering Commitment to worship Him in Spirit and in absolute, uncompromised Truth. Without both, you are standing in a courtroom trying to present a fraudulent contract to the Judge. You cannot bring the 'spirit' of emotional worship while throwing out the 'truth' of His Commandments, nor can you bring cold ritual without the Spirit. If you lack either one, the contract is null and void, and you are legally exposed before the Court." The Resurrection: The "True" Hope In the Hebrew mindset, the reward isn't "going to heaven" as a disembodied soul. The reward is the Resurrection of the Body at the end of the age. The Confrontation: "Modern religion has invented a sentimental, unbiblical fairy tale about floating off to heaven on a cloud the moment you die. This pagan view of a disembodied afterlife completely bypasses the central hope of the scriptures: the physical resurrection from the dead. Read John 3:13 and Acts 2:34." The Verses: * Yeshua’s Fact: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." (John 3:13) David’s Fact: "For David did not ascend into the heavens..." (Acts 2:34) The Shock: "The Biblical Timeline is clear: when a person dies, they return to the dust—entering a state of sleep in Sheol—where they remain until they are awakened by the Master at the 'Last Trumpet.' By replacing the Resurrection with an instant escape-to-heaven philosophy, you strip the return of Messiah of its ultimate power. You don't go to Him in the sky forever; He comes down here to awaken His saints from the dirt, conquer death, and establish His physical Kingdom on the earth." The "Thief on the Cross" Objection This is the verse most often used by the carnal mind to "prove" that people go to heaven immediately when they die, bypassing the resurrection. The Confrontation: "People point to the thief on the cross as a get-out-of-jail-free card for an instant escape to heaven. They use one sentence to wipe out the entire biblical timeline of the resurrection. But they are completely missing the grammatical and historical reality of the text. Read Luke 23:43." The Verses: * The Thief's Request: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Luke 23:42) Yeshua's Response: "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" (Luke 23:43) The Shock: " The original Greek text had no punctuation or commas. Where a translator places the comma completely changes the meaning: Interpretation A (Traditional): 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me...' Interpretation B (Hebrew Context): 'Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.' The absolute proof is that Yeshua Himself did not go to Paradise or heaven that afternoon. He went into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Three days later, He told Mary Magdalene in John 20:17, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.' If the Master Himself hadn't gone to heaven yet, the thief wasn't there either. Yeshua was giving a solemn promise on that specific day of crucifixion that the thief would ultimately have a place in the future, physical Kingdom at the resurrection." The "Truth Only" Summary According to the literal text, when a person dies, they "rest" or "sleep" in the grave (Sheol). They remain there, unconscious of the passage of time, until the Resurrection at the return of Yeshua. The Confrontation: " Stop looking for an escape hatch into a disembodied, spiritualized ether. The Almighty created man from the dirt of the ground, and His ultimate plan has always been a physical, earthly inheritance. The focus of the end times is not about us going up to live with Him—it is about Him coming down to live with us. Read Revelation 21:3." The Verse: " And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’" The Shock: "The 'True' destination for the righteous is not a distant heaven, but a restored Earth where the Master sets up His throne. You are not going to spend eternity floating away from the physical creation; you are going to be resurrected into an incorruptible body to rule and reign right here on the ground. To cling to the traditional 'heavenly reward' is to fundamentally misunderstand the destination of the Narrow Road." To address the "true rapture" using the Truth Only approach, we must distinguish between the popular modern "Left Behind" theory and what is actually written in the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. The Confrontation: " Modern church culture has fed you a comforting fairy tale of a secret, silent escape pod designed to snatch you away before things get difficult. You’ve been trained to look for a backdoor out of tribulation instead of preparing your house to endure it. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:17." The Verse: "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall always be with the Lord." The Shock: "The word 'Rapture' does not even appear in your English Bible. It comes from the Latin rapio, translating the Greek harpazo (to snatch or seize). But the modern church has completely twisted the mechanics, the timing, and the purpose of this event to fit a narrative that the ancient prophets and apostles never taught." 1. The Timeline: Pre-Tribulation vs. Post-Tribulation The most common modern teaching suggests that believers disappear before a time of trouble. However, if we look at the literal words of Yeshua, the sequence is completely reversed. The Verse (Matthew 24:29-31): "Immediately after the tribulation of those days... they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds..." The Shock: "In the literal words of the Messiah Himself, the 'gathering'—what you call the Rapture—happens after the tribulation, not before. The modern church is prepping people for an escape that isn't coming, leaving an entire generation completely unequipped to stand firm in the face of the enemy." 2. The "One Taken, One Left" Misconception Many people use Matthew 24:40 ("two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left") to describe a secret vanishing act of the righteous. But in a Hebrew context, being 'taken' is a death sentence. The Verse (Matthew 24:38-39): "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." The Shock: "Go back to the pattern of Noah's day. The ones 'taken' were not the righteous flying away to safety—the ones 'taken' were the wicked who were swept away by the judgment of the flood to their destruction! The ones 'left behind' were Noah and his family, the righteous who remained on the ground to inherit the cleansed earth. You are actively praying for the wrong outcome." 3. The Historical Origin of the Secret Escape If this secret, pre-tribulation flight plan isn't in the literal words of Scripture, where did it come from? The Fact: "This doctrine was virtually unknown for the first 1,800 years of Church history. It was popularized around 1830 AD by John Nelson Darby, who developed a system called 'Dispensationalism.' It became cement in the American mind when it was printed in the study footnotes of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. You are risking your spiritual survival on a 19th-century human invention that was cross-referenced into your margins." 4. The Hebrew Concept: The Royal Meeting In the ancient world, when a King or a Bridegroom approached a city, the citizens did not run out to meet him so they could escape with him back to his home. They went out to escort him into their territory. The Verse (Matthew 25:6): "And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’" The Shock: " In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the Greek word for 'meet' is apantesis. In ancient custom, and in every other New Testament usage (like the Parable of the Ten Virgins), apantesis means going out to greet an arriving dignitary and immediately turning around to escort him back to where he was heading. The 'Rapture' is not a flight away to heaven for seven years; it is a glorious, royal welcome in the air to meet the arriving King, Yeshua, as He descends to execute judgment and establish His permanent Kingdom right here on E arth."

Repentance is the key by which we can enter His Kingdom, the way by which we are cleansed to be like Him, and the way He heals a nation. Most of us feel pretty good about ourselves, we don't want anyone to point out anything that make us feel uncomfortable about anything, especially salvation. Video over berouw Bekering is de sleutel waardoor we zijn koninkrijk kunnen binnengaan, de manier waarop we gereinigd worden om zoals Hij te zijn, en de manier waarop Hij een natie geneest. De meesten van ons voelen zich redelijk goed over zichzelf, we willen niet dat iemand iets aanwijst waardoor we ons ongemakkelijk voelen over wat dan ook, vooral over redding. Als Petrus naar uw kerk zou komen en dezelfde boodschap zou geven die hij op Pinksteren gaf, zouden de meeste mensen hem beschuldigen van veroordelend en verdeeldheid zaaiend. Jehovah gebood ons om Zijn geboden en inzettingen te onderhouden. Waarom niet? Uw Pastor wil niet dat u zich schuldig voelt of uw gevoelens kwetst. Als je je hart nog nooit kritisch hebt onderzocht en op een gegeven moment hebt gevraagd wat ik moet doen voor redding, dan heb je je waarschijnlijk nooit echt bekeerd. _cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5c de-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d__cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_ Lezer let op 4 Want hoe kunnen degenen die hun geloof opgeven, worden teruggebracht tot berouw? Ze waren eens in Gods licht; ze proefden het geschenk van de hemel en ontvingen hun deel van de Heilige Geest; 5Ze wisten uit ervaring dat Gods woord goed is, en ze hadden de krachten van de komende tijd gevoeld. 6En toen lieten ze hun geloof varen! Het is onmogelijk om ze terug te brengen tot berouw, omdat ze opnieuw de Zoon van God kruisigen en hem blootstellen aan publieke schande. Hebreeën 6:4 Markus 3:29“maar hij die lastert (tegenwoordige tijd) tegen de Heilige Geest heeft nooit vergeving, maar is onderworpen aan eeuwige veroordeling “Er staat niet dat degene die de Geest “lasterde” (verleden tijd) nooit vergeving heeft._cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Ooit lasterden we allemaal de Geest omdat we allemaal het Woord van God haatten... totdat we tot geloof kwamen en begonnen te groeien om het Woord van God lief te hebben. Zie je het verschil? Het is degene die actief en momenteel bezig is met ongehoorzaamheid aan het Woord van God, uit gewoonte, zonder zorg of bezorgdheid, zonder liefde voor het Woord, die geen vergeving heeft. Dus als je het Woord van God liefhebt en het verlangen hebt om het Woord van God in praktijk te brengen, dan laster of veracht je de Geest van God niet... omdat het de Geest van God is die het verlangen in ons hart is om ga achter Zijn Thora aan. Er is een verschil tussen op dit moment onberouwvol zijn en het lasteren van de Geest of het haten van het Woord van God...die persoon heeft nooit vergeving... zoals onze Messias onderwees en beoefende...hij is het die vergeving heeft. 119 Ministeries Marcus 1:14 "De tijd is vervuld", zei Hij, "en het koninkrijk van God is nabij. Bekeer u en geloof in het evangelie!” Lukas 3:8 Breng vrucht voort die in overeenstemming is met bekering. En begin niet tegen jezelf te zeggen: 'Wij hebben Abraham als onze vader.' Want ik zeg u dat God uit deze stenen kinderen voor Abraham kan verwekken. Als Gods wetten zijn afgeschaft, hoe kunt u zich dan bekeren? Bekering waarvan? “Bekering is een eerste vereiste om te geloven. Wat is bekering? De basisbetekenis is 'veranderen' of 'omkeren'. Als iemand eenmaal het evangelie hoort en ervan overtuigd is dat zijn manier van leven verkeerd is, moet hij zijn of haar gedrag veranderen en terugkeren naar de Thora. Jehova noemt de Thora Zijn instructies voor Zijn kinderen. Mensen kunnen uw gehoorzaamheid in het volgen van de Thora identificeren als een bekering tot het judaïsme. Ze lijken te vergeten dat onze Heiland Joods is en wat hij zei over allen die in Christus zijn één zijn? Als zonde het overtreden van de Thora is. Gehoorzaamheid zou het houden van de Thora zijn. Rouwen; een wens om te veranderen; een hele verandering van denken. Verander je gedachten over zonde, een beslissing om de zonde te verzaken en God te gehoorzamen. (zonde is overtreding van de wet); Om om te draaien; een 180 doen; Als we ons bekeren, zien we dan deze drie stappen? We voelen ons schuldig aan onze zonde, die overtreding van de Thora is. We stoppen met het beoefenen van zonde. We keerden ons af van de zonde en begonnen met God te wandelen. Johannes 3:8 “Adddergebroed, wie waarschuwde u om te vluchten voor de komende toorn? Produceer vruchten die bekering waardig zijn. 1 Johannes 2:15-16 Houd niet van de wereld of de dingen in de wereld. Als iemand de wereld liefheeft, is de liefde van de Vader niet in hem, want alles wat in de wereld is (de begeerte van het vlees en de begeerte van de ogen en de arrogantie voortgebracht door materiële bezittingen) is niet van de Vader maar is van de wereld. Bekering is niet alleen maar spijt hebben of spijt hebben, maar zo diep in je hart zijn geraakt dat je de reiniging van de doop zoekt en begint te leven volgens Gods maatstaven - volgens Gods wet. Wroeging zonder overeenkomstige gedragsverandering is geen berouw! De vruchten van bekering zijn zichtbare acties - vaak "werken" genoemd - die laten zien dat een persoon inderdaad is veranderd. Toen Johannes de Doper bekering predikte om de weg voor Yeshua's bediening voor te bereiden, vroegen zijn toehoorders hem wat ze moesten doen om zich te bekeren. Hij antwoordt: Lukas 3:10-14 Kleed de naakte, geef de hongerige te eten, steel niet, gebruik je gezag niet om te onderdrukken, lieg niet en beschuldig niet vals, en wees tevreden met je loon. ● Markus 1:15 Yeshua zei, "kom in de vorm van een dringend bevel: "De tijd is vervuld en het koninkrijk van God is nabij. Bekeer u en geloof in het evangelie." Deze daden zijn het gehoorzamen aan Gods wetten en het tonen van liefde voor de naaste. ● Mattheüs 19:17 Yeshua zei: "Als je het eeuwige leven wilt binnengaan, onderhoud dan de geboden" Johannes 12:49-50 Want ik heb niet op eigen gezag gesproken, maar de Vader die mij gezonden heeft, heeft mij zelf een gebod gegeven: wat ik moet zeggen en wat ik moet zeggen. 50 En ik weet dat zijn gebod eeuwig leven is. Wat ik dus zeg, zeg ik zoals de Vader mij heeft verteld. Om Gods instructies te volgen, moet je naar de plaats gaan waar ze voor het eerst in de bijbel worden genoemd. Volg de schriftelijke instructie van de Thora, de eerste vijf boeken van uw bijbel, niet uw voorganger of iemand anders. Psalm 146:2 Ik zal de HERE loven terwijl ik leef; Ik zal lof zingen voor mijn God terwijl ik mijn wezen heb. 3 Vertrouw niet op prinsen, op sterfelijke mensen, in wie geen redding is. 4 Zijn geest vertrekt; hij keert terug naar de aarde; Op diezelfde dag vergaan zijn gedachten. Ezechiël 22:26 "Haar priesters (herders) hebben Mijn wet geweld aangedaan en Mijn heilige dingen ontheiligd; zij hebben geen onderscheid gemaakt tussen het heilige en het profane, en zij hebben het verschil tussen het onreine en het reine niet geleerd; en zij verbergen hun ogen voor Mijn sabbatten, en Ik ben onder hen ontheiligd. 27 "Haar vorsten in haar zijn als wolven die hun prooi verscheuren, door bloed te vergieten en levens te vernietigen om oneerlijke winst te behalen... Mattheüs 15:8 Deze mensen eren Mij met hun lippen, maar hun hart is ver van Mij verwijderd. Ze aanbidden Mij tevergeefs; zij onderwijzen als doctrine de voorschriften van mensen.'” Mattheüs 15:14 Laat ze met rust: het zijn blinde leiders van blinden. En als de blinde de blinde leidt, zullen beiden in de greppel vallen. 2 Korintiërs 13:15 Test en evalueer uzelf om te zien of u in het geloof bent en uw leven leidt als [toegewijde] gelovigen. Onderzoek jezelf [niet mij]! Of herken je dit niet over jezelf [door een voortdurende ervaring] dat Yeshua in jou is - tenzij je inderdaad niet slaagt voor de test en afgewezen wordt als namaak?

The mark of Yehovah God (777)The Mark of God is a sign of obedience between God and His faithful they keep His Sabbath and His commandments The fourth commandment is the only Commandment that contains The seal of God His name, His Title His Territory (666) The Mark of the Beast Is disobedience to God and His laws and they keep Sunday Gods excape plan for His children A sign of a true Christian is having the testimony of Yeshua and adhering to the commandments. 22 Signs You Are Marked by God Which mark will you recieve? Seven day Sabbath Seven Spirits of God Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath Seven trumpets Seven Angels With Seven Plagues Seven Spirits of God God's seal is not a physical mark The forehead represents the mind of those who make a consonance decision to obey God's requirements to receive His seal, which will protect us from the last seven plagues. The Mark of God is a sign of obedience between God and His faithful Thus the Sabbath is the sign of a relationship between God and His people, serving as "a test of their loyalty to Him" Yeshua is the LORD of the Sabbath, not Sunday and they get the Mark of God will escape the plages. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Is a characteristic of people who have surrendered their lives to God God's seal is in His laws. Bind up the testimonies and seal the law among my disciples. God's sign is His seal, the words sign and seal are interchangeable in the bible. The Sabbath is God's sign, The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath. There is not one scripture in the entire Bible changing the Sabbath to Sunday. Its a sign of God's authority He chose the day. Luke 11:13 God gives His Spirit only to those who have demonstrated in attitude and behavior that they have repented. Then they must be baptized and obey His commandments. No one who continues to live a lifestyle apart from God's law has received the Spirit of God or has the power of God working in him. 777 Thus the Sabbath is the sign of a relationship between God and His people, serving as "a test of their loyalty to Him" Yeshua is the LORD of the Sabbath These elements are found in the Sabbath commandment. Seventh day God created the heavens and earth and finished His work. Seventh-day, He rested Seventh-day, He sanctified it. Seventh-day, He made it Holy Those who receive God's seal upon their foreheads are "God's commandment-keeping people ." "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev 14:12; Testimonies, 6:15). Who will seal God's children? Revelation 14 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua. The mark of God is a sign of protection over God's people. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 1. Ex. 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between you and me throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctifies you. Deuteronomy 6:4-94 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates. Exodus 13: -10 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes , that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. And LORD YEHOVAH said to him: “Go through within the city, within Jerusalem, and make a mark on the forehead of the men who groan and are tormented because of all the abominations and the evils that are done within her” What is the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit? The seal of the Holy Spirit is God's means of protecting the believer. The Holy Spirit is God's seal of protection over the believer's life. Under this sacred seal, no man, demon, or any other thing can wrest the Christian from the secure position he has in Christ Yeshua. The seal represents the certainty that we receive from the Holy Spirit. Despite what our emotions tell us, despite what the lies of the enemy tell us, and despite what our own human reasoning tells us, we know that we belong to God because of the Holy Spirit, the seal of the promise of salvation. “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. he will guide you into all the truth, my life belongs to Him.” I must turn away from evil. Those who receive God's seal upon their foreheads are "God's commandment-keeping people." If you do the things God hates and refuse to keep His commandments and encourage others to do the same, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” NOT THE MARK OF GOD “YEHOVAH”

This marriage relationship was established by God because national Israel typified and foreshadowed the spiritual Israel of God which was to become the eternal bride of Christ. The Marriage supper of the Lamb When and where will the marriage supper of the Lamb take place? GODS HUWELIJK MET ISRAËL Deze huwelijksrelatie werd tot stand gebracht door God omdat het nationale Israël een type was van en een voorafschaduwing was van het geestelijke Israël van God dat de eeuwige bruid van Christus zou worden. Gods klacht opgetekend in Jeremia 3:14 betreffende de geestelijke ontucht bedreven door Zijn vrouw: (het gouden kalf) Bekeer u, o afvallige kinderen, zegt de Heer; want ik ben met jou getrouwd: ... Hij was niet als individu met hen getrouwd; als individuen waren ze geestelijk getrouwd met de wet van God. Hij was eerder met hen getrouwd als een rechtspersoon. Nooit in de nationale geschiedenis van Israël waren ze trouw. Herhaaldelijk begeerden ze andere goden. Wat moest God doen met Zijn overspelige vrouw? Volgens Gods eeuwige wet is de dood vereist voor de overspelige vrouw. Maar God kon Israël als natie niet volledig vernietigen, want het was uit het nationale Israël dat Christus zou komen. Bovendien was het Gods plan om het nationale Israël te gebruiken als een voorbeeld van Zijn geduld en barmhartigheid. Bedenk dat in de gelijkenis van Lukas 13 de vijgenboom die herhaaldelijk geen vrucht had gedragen, moest worden omgehakt. Maar dan moest het nog een kans krijgen. Als er dan nog geen fruit was, moest het worden gekapt._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ De gelijkenis van de tien maagden Mattheüs 25:1-13 1 “Dan zal het koninkrijk der hemelen zijn als tien maagden die hun lampen pakten en de bruidegom tegemoet gingen. 2 Vijf van hen waren dwaas en vijf waren wijs. 3 Want toen de dwazen hun lampen meenamen, namen ze geen olie mee, 4 maar de wijzen namen kruiken olie mee met hun lampen. 5 Toen de bruidegom op zich liet wachten, werden ze allemaal slaperig en sliepen. 6 Maar om middernacht klonk er een kreet: 'Hier is de bruidegom! Kom naar buiten om hem te ontmoeten.' 7 Toen stonden al die maagden op en maakten hun lampen in orde. 8 En de dwazen zeiden tegen de wijzen: 'Geef ons wat van uw olie, want onze lampen gaan uit.' wij en voor jou; ga in plaats daarvan naar de dealers en koop voor jezelf.' 10 En terwijl ze op weg waren om te kopen, kwam de bruidegom, en degenen die klaar waren, gingen met hem naar binnen naar het bruiloftsfeest, en de deur werd gesloten. 11 Daarna kwamen ook de andere maagden en zeiden: "Heer, Heer, doe ons open." 12 Maar hij antwoordde: 'Voorwaar, ik zeg u: ik ken u niet.' 13 Waak daarom, want u kent noch de dag noch het uur. In deze gelijkenis zijn er vijf kritische woorden die moeten worden gedefinieerd om ons in staat te stellen de volledige bedoelde betekenis eruit te halen... die vijf woorden zijn: (pagina 16) Wijs: De wijze is iemand die hoort en gehoorzaamt. Psalm 19:7 De wet van de HEERE is volmaakt, levendmakend voor de ziel; het getuigenis van Jehova is zeker, maakt de eenvoudigen wijs; _cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be_cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ als een wijs man die zijn huis op de rots bouwde. Dwaas: De dwazen zijn degenen die ongehoorzaam zijn. Dwazen hebben een hekel aan instructie; (Torah betekent 'instructie', aangezien het betrekking heeft op het Woord van God). Spreuken 1:7 De vreze des HEREN (JHWH) is het begin van kennis; dwazen verachten wijsheid en instructie. Spreuken 10:8 De wijze van hart zal geboden ontvangen, maar een brabbelende dwaas zal te gronde gaan. Mattheüs 7:26 En iedereen die deze woorden van mij hoort en ze niet doet, zal zijn als een dwaze man die zijn huis op het zand bouwde. Lamp: Dit is het gebod. Spreuken 6:23 Want het gebod is een lamp en de leer een licht, en de berispingen van discipline zijn de manier van leven, LICHT: HET LICHT IS DE WET, DE TORAH. Spreuken 6:23 Want het gebod is een lamp en de leer een licht, en de bestraffingen van tucht zijn de weg ten leven, Licht: Het licht is de wet, de Thora. Spreuken 6:23 Want het gebod is een lamp en de leer een licht, en de bestraffingen van tucht zijn de weg ten leven, Oil: Is het verlangen naar gehoorzaamheid. Onthoud voordat u dit gebod leest, dat de lamp "het gebod" is en het licht "de wet". Leviticus 24:2 “Beveel het volk van Israël om u zuivere olie van gestoten olijven voor de lamp te brengen, zodat er regelmatig een licht kan blijven branden. -3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Vergeet niet dat het eindresultaat bepaalt wie welkom is bij intimiteit met de bruidegom. Wie licht heeft, is welkom. Licht is de voorwaarde voor het juiste resultaat. Denk hierover na. Het doel was dat de dwazen geen LICHT hadden, we moeten dit in gedachten houden tijdens dit onderwijs. Laten we beginnen Bijbelse definitie van de termen: Openbaring 19:6-96 Toen hoorde ik wat leek op de stem van een grote menigte, als het gebulder van vele wateren en als het geluid van machtige donderslagen, uitroepend: “Halleluja! For Yehovah our Elohim the Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the heerlijkheid, voor de bruiloft van het Lam, is gekomen, en zijn bruid heeft zich gereedgemaakt; 8 het werd haar toegestaan zich te kleden met fijn linnen, stralend en puur”—want het fijne linnen zijn de rechtvaardige daden van de heiligen. 9 En de engel zei [a] tegen mij: "Schrijf dit op: Zalig zijn zij die zijn uitgenodigd voor het bruiloftsmaal van het Lam." En hij zei tegen mij: "Dit zijn de ware woorden van God." 25 Mannen, heb uw vrouw lief, net zoals Christus de kerk liefhad en Zichzelf voor haar overgaf (pagina 17) 14 Keer terug, VAN ontrouwe zonen,' verklaart de HERE; Want ik ben een meester voor je, en ik zal je een uit een stad en twee uit een familie halen, en ik zal je naar Sion brengen.' 15 "Dan zal Ik u herders naar Mijn hart geven, die u zullen voeden met kennis en begrip..."Want Ik ben jaloers op u met goddelijke jaloezie: want Ik heb u ondertrouwd (ondertrouwd) aan één man, opdat Ik u kan voorstellen als een kuise maagd voor Christus.” (2 Korintiërs 11:2) (Johannes 14:1-4) "Laat uw hart niet verontrust zijn: u gelooft in God, gelooft ook in mij. In het huis van mijn Vader zijn vele woningen: als dat niet zo was, zou ik zei ik je. Ik ga heen om een plaats voor je klaar te maken. En als ik heenga en een plaats voor je klaarmaak, zal ik terugkomen en je tot Mij nemen; opdat waar Ik ben, daar jij ook mag zijn. En waar Ik heen ga jij weet, en de manier waarop u weet. (Marcus 13:32-37) "Maar van die dag en dat uur weet niemand, ook niet de engelen in de hemel, noch de Zoon, maar de Vader. Pas op, waak en bid, want u weet niet wanneer de tijd Want de Zoon des Mensen is als een man die een verre reis maakt, die zijn huis verliet, en gezag gaf aan zijn dienaren, en aan een ieder zijn werk, en de portier gebood om te waken. wanneer de heer des huizes komt, 's avonds of middernacht, of bij het kraaien van de haan, of 's morgens: opdat hij u niet plotseling vindt slapend. En wat ik u zeg, zeg ik tot allen: Let op." -3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ "Terwijl de bruidegom het nieuwe huis bouwt, wacht de bruid en draagt een sluier en een hoofdband met de munten. Dit laat zien dat ze alleen van de bruidegom is; ze is niet langer beschikbaar. Ze bereidt zich voor op haar huwelijk door dekens maken, proberen de vrouw van Spreuken 31: 10-31 te worden. Ze toont ook dankbaarheid aan haar familie voor het opvoeden van haar, en ze herstelt gekwetste relaties. Wat er ook gebeurt, sh Hij moest klaarstaan, want hij zou 's nachts komen.”

The statement " God gives His Spirit to those who keep His commandments" is a core theological concept, emphasizing that obedience to God's commands is a sign of love and a means by which His Spirit empowers believers to live a life pleasing to Him. Acts 5:32 Romans 8:9, he writes: "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all". Self-Test The Examination of Faith: A Self-Test Scriptural Requirements for Salvation. "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.It asks: Is my faith a living, breathing part of who I am, or am I just going through the motions?Test yourselves..." — 2 Corinthians 13:5 He wants us to find out now, in the quiet of our own prayer lives, if we are operating in the flesh or the Spirit—rather than standing before Him on Judgement Day only to hear the words, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). The Line in the Sand Scriptural Assessment There is no gray area, no partial alignment, and no grading on a curve. In the economy of God's Kingdom, you are either a submissive subject or an active rebel. Your daily actions, your handling of His instructions, and the fruit of your lifestyle are the evidence that will either vindicate you or convict you. Use this 15-point diagnostic to weigh your walk under the light of the written Word. Test 1: The Benchmark of Gathering "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." — Matthew 12:30 The Question: Are your daily choices, your lifestyle, and the traditions you practice actively gathering people into covenant obedience to God's instructions, or are your actions scattering them away into compromise, lawlessness 1 John 3:4, and worldly customs? By saying "He who is not with Me is against Me," He eliminated any possibility of a "neutral ground." In a spiritual war, sitting on the fence is not an option. If you are not actively working for the Kingdom of Light, your existence naturally serves the Kingdom of Darkness. Are your daily choices, your lifestyle, and the traditions you practice actively gathering people into covenant obedience to God's instructions, or are your actions scattering them away into compromise, lawlessness, and worldly customs? Your Answer: [ ] YES, I am gathering / [ ] NO, I am scattering Test 2: The Benchmark of the Spirit "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." — Acts 5:32 The Question: Does the spirit inside you cause you to humbly submit to and keep the Father's commandments (Ezekiel 36:27), or does it make excuses, calling obedience "legalism" while clinging to man-made traditions? (God only gives His true Spirit to those who obey Him). Your Answer: [ ] YES, it leads to obedience / [ ] NO, it rejects His law Test 3: The Benchmark of Truth "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." — 1 John 2:4 The Question: When confronted with the plain instructions of Scripture, do you lay your life down flat to align with them, or do you pretend to know God through a mere "feeling" or traditional heritage while ignoring His laws? Your Answer: [ ] YES, the truth is in me / [ ] NO, I am deceiving myself Test 4: The Benchmark of Love "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." — John 13:35 The Question: Is your life marked by genuine, sacrificial love and service toward the brethren who walk in the truth, or is it hindered by pride, malice, or division? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 5: The Benchmark of Fruit "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... Therefore by their fruits you will know them." — Matthew 7:17, 20 The Question: Does the daily output of your life consistently produce the supernatural fruit of the Spirit—patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control—or do you still bear the bitter fruit of the flesh? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 6: The Benchmark of the Tongue "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless." — James 1:26 The Question: Is your speech ruled by scriptural self-control, or is your tongue unbridled—frequently given over to anger, gossip, profane language, or tearing others down? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 7: The Benchmark of Separation "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." — 1 John 2:15 The Question: Have you consciously set yourself apart from worldly entertainment, fleshly standards, and pagan-rooted traditions because you love the Father more than the culture? Jeremiah 10:43 For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 8: The Benchmark of Action "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." — James 1:22 The Question: When you discover a direct command or truth written in the Scriptures, do you immediately adjust your life to execute it, or do you simply listen to it and remain unchanged? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 9: The Benchmark of Sovereignty "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other... You cannot serve God and mammon (money)." — Matthew 6:24 The Question: Does the Almighty possess total authority over how you acquire, manage, and distribute your financial resources, or does the pursuit of wealth, security, and personal comfort govern your choices? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 10: The Benchmark of Mercy "He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy." — Proverbs 14:31 The Question: Do you actively demonstrate compassion, care, and tangible help to the poor, weak, or distressed when it is within your power to do so? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 11: The Benchmark of Correction "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser..." — Proverbs 9:8-9 The Question: When another believer brings scriptural correction to expose an error or a sin in your walk, do you receive it with humility and appreciation, or do you respond with anger, pride, and self-defense? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 12: The Benchmark of Humility "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." — James 4:6, 10 The Question: Are you genuinely willing to take the lowest seat, serve without recognition, and prioritize God's reputation above your own ego and the desire to be right? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 13: The Benchmark of Endurance "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." — Matthew 24:13 The Question: Do you remain steadfast in obeying God's truth when trials, persecution, or family rejection come against you, or do you compromise your walk to escape friction or pressure? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 14: The Benchmark of Pure Worship "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." — John 4:24 The Question: Do you worship God strictly according to the clean parameters defined in His Word, or do you try to honor Him using methods, calendars, and celebrations adopted from pagan cultures? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO Test 15: The Benchmark of Fear of Man "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever treats the Lord shall be safe." — Proverbs 29:25 The Question: Is your ultimate goal to please the Master regardless of public opinion, or do you alter your speech, actions, and scriptural standards to seek the approval and validation of human beings? Your Answer: [ ] YES / [ ] NO ⚖️ Evaluating the Results If you answered YES to all 15: You are With God. Your eyes and ears have been opened by a soft heart, and the true Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) is operating inside you, giving you the supernatural power and desire to walk in His covenant statutes (Ezekiel 36:27). If you answered NO to any of them: You are Against God. This is the definition of spiritual blindness. By rejecting the light of His instructions in favor of your own comfort or man-made religious traditions, you have closed your own eyes. If you persist in this state, God will eventually confirm you in that darkness, making it so you can no longer hear or see the truth. "Choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15

Statics say 84% of Americans believe in the divinity of Christ and 74% profess commitment to him yet America continues downward spiritually to correction and morality why has Christianity not worked? Welcome, Fellow Truth Seekers: Start Your Journey Here Please keep in mind TEST EVERYTHING to scripture. If you have found your way to this page, it is highly likely that your spirit has begun to feel a quiet, persistent unsettling. Perhaps you have spent years—or even decades—sitting in mainstream church pews, loving God with all of your heart, yet sensing an invisible disconnect between the raw, unfiltered pages of your Bible and the traditions taught from the pulpit. You are not alone. Across the globe, the Father is whispering a call to return to His ancient paths, and your presence here is not an accident. This website is a sanctuary for those who are ready to lay down human dogmas, step out of traditional conditioning, and align their spiritual mirrors with the eternal, beautiful instructions of the Father—the $Torah$. Here is a map of what you will find on this platform and how to navigate your journey back to pure, uncompromised biblical truth. Step 1: Take the Self-Diagnostic Before you read a single article, we invite you to bypass the traditional defenses of your mind and take an honest, private look into the scriptural mirror. Take The Lawlessness (Anomia) Test App Our interactive, 10-question diagnostic tool is designed to evaluate your everyday theological beliefs and lifestyles against the objective standard of God's written Law. It is completely anonymous and acts as a powerful diagnostic tool to see if your spiritual "hardware" is tuned to the frequency of obedience or the frequency of traditional lawlessness ($anomia$). Step 2: Explore the Deep-Dive Studies Once you have taken the test, your heart may feel a bit unsettled by the gap between traditional church practices and the written Word. This is completely normal. To help you understand the mechanics of what you are experiencing, we have compiled a step-by-step library of theological and psychological resources: The Mirroring Principle of Idolatry: Understand the cosmic law of spiritual gravity: what you revere, you will resemble. Learn how choosing man-made systems over the Father's voice leads to a spiritual sensory shutdown (eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear). The Alignment of the Mirror: Discover why physical commandments like the Seventh-day Sabbath ($Shabbat$), biblical dietary boundaries ($Kashrut$), and even physical tassels ($Tzitzit$) are actually divine optical tools designed to keep your mirror pointed at the Creator. The Pauline Filter: Learn how to dismantle the highly selective, traditional lens used to twist the letters of the Apostle Paul into a shield against keeping the Father's commandments. The Mechanics of Conditioning : Are churchgoers "brainwashed"? Read a compassionate, psychological and sociological breakdown of why our loved ones experience intense cognitive dissonance and defensive reactions when confronted with the truth of the $Torah$. The Spirit of the Lawless One : Peer behind the physical world to understand the spiritual warfare of $anomia$, exploring how systematically bypassing the Creator's Law mirrors the original rebellion of the adversary. Step 3: Find a Soft Landing & Restoration Waking up to the reality of traditional conditioning can feel isolating and overwhelming. The social and emotional costs of walking differently than your family, friends, and church community can trigger immense fear. Read "A Loving Warning to a Churchgoer" If you are looking for a gentle, pastoral explanation of what is happening to your heart—or if you need a letter to share with a loved one that explains this spiritual transition without triggering immediate anger—this resource acts as a healing balm. It explains the mechanics of self-diagnosis, shows you the beautiful path of repentance, and lists clear scriptural proofs to help you take your next steps with confidence. A Note of Encouragement for the Road Beloved truth seeker, turning your mirror back toward the Creator's written instructions is a path of restoration, not bondage. Keeping the Father's commandments is how we physically express our love for Him (1 John 5:3). Take your time. Study the scriptures. Question the traditions you inherited. Ask the Father to remove the veil, polish your spiritual mirror, and restore your eyes to see and your ears to hear the glorious light of His eternal truth. Where to begin? We highly recommend taking The Lawlessness Test first, and letting the scriptures speak directly to you. A Loving Warning to a Churchgoer My friend, Scripture warns that the adversary’s primary goal is not to turn you into an atheist, but to subtly steer you onto his own path of anomia—the spirit of lawlessness that teaches God's instructions no longer have authority over your life (1 John 3:4). You can prove this spiritual blindness is operating in your own heart by looking at a simple, physical instruction like the Fourth Commandment: “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work...” ($Exodus$ $20:10$). The Creator's written Word plainly designates Saturday as His holy day forever, yet when you look at this text, your eyes read "Saturday" while your traditional training forces you to see "Sunday" or to believe the commandment is abolished. This inability to simply accept and obey what is plainly written—substituting it instead with human church traditions—is the exact "sensory shutdown" warned about in the scriptures; it proves that while you may sincerely love God, you are unknowingly walking the path of the original rebel by treating His eternal $Torah$ as optional. This blindness is not an accident; it is the operation of a profound spiritual law: we spiritually conform to the nature of whatever we worship. When you place your ultimate trust and reverence in a church denomination, a human pastor, or a comfortable system of theology that explains away God's Torah, your soul begins to act as a mirror to that system. You inherit the exact sensory shutdown of the man-made traditions you revere—possessing a Bible you cannot see and a Creator's voice you cannot hear. By taking an honest look at your own daily practices versus the written Word, you are holding up a mirror to your soul and performing a vital self-diagnosis. Your own physical actions are proving that your spiritual hardware has been tuned to copy and reflect a lawless human system rather than the glorious, eternal image of the living God. Proof in the Scriptures: Look Up and Study These Verses If your heart is open to the raw, unfiltered truth of the written Word, please take a moment to look up these scriptures in your own Bible: Is the Sabbath truly done away with? $Exodus$ $31:16-17$: “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever...” Question to ponder: If God declared the Sabbath an eternal sign and a perpetual covenant, by whose authority was it changed or abolished? Does God accept worship that is mixed with human traditions? Mark 7:7-9 (Yeshua's Warning): “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men... Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Question to ponder: Are you honoring Sunday, Christmas, or Easter because the Bible commands them, or because church traditions tell you to? What does God think of prayers from those who reject His Law? Proverbs 28:9: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law ($Torah$), even his prayer shall be abomination.” Question to ponder: If we ignore His written instructions, can we truly say we are in deep communion with Him? How does the New Testament define our love for God? 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” Question to ponder: If loving God means keeping His physical commandments, why does modern theology teach that those commandments are a "burden" or "bondage"? This test is specifically designed to expose the subtle, traditional rationalizations that people in the church use to reject God's law. It uses the words of the Messiah Himself from Matthew 7:21-23—where He warns that many well-meaning, miracle-working churchgoers will be turned away because they "work lawlessness" (anomia). The 10-Question Diagnostic Review the statements below. Answer honestly based on your current personal beliefs, teachings, and church practices. 1. The Validity of the Law Do you believe or teach that the Law of Moses ($Torah$) has been "abolished," "nailed to the cross," or "done away with" for New Testament believers? [ ] YES [ ] NO 2. The Definition of Holiness Do you believe that under the New Covenant of "grace," physical obedience to the Creator's Old Testament commandments is completely optional or unnecessary? [ ] YES [ ] NO 3. The Sabbath Day Do you treat Sunday as the Sabbath, or believe the Seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) was changed or abolished, despite God designating it as a "perpetual, everlasting covenant"? [ ] YES [ ] NO 4. Dietary Separation Do you believe that God's dietary boundaries (Leviticus 11) no longer apply, and that you are free to eat pig, shellfish, or other unclean things because "Jesus made all foods clean"? [ ] YES [ ] NO 5. Adopting Pagan Customs Do you celebrate holidays of pagan origin (like Christmas on December 25th or Easter Sunday) under the belief that "it's about the heart" and "God knows what it means to me"? [ ] YES [ ] NO 6. The Pauline Filter Do you use isolated, misunderstood verses from the Apostle Paul’s letters to argue against keeping the direct, physical commandments of the Father and the Messiah? [ ] YES [ ] NO 7. Labeling Obedience as "Legalism" Do you refer to, mock, or warn others against believers who strive to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath, eat clean, or wear $tzitzit$ (tassels) by calling them "legalists," "Pharisees," or "under bondage"? [ ] YES [ ] NO 8. Dismissing the Feast Days Do you believe that God’s annual Appointed Times ($Moedim$ in Leviticus 23) were "only for the Jews" and have no prophetic value or application for the Church today? [ ] YES [ ] NO 9. Cheap Grace Do you believe that as long as you "love God" and "love your neighbor," you are free to ignore the specific, physical instructions of how the Creator asked to be loved and worshiped? [ ] YES [ ] NO 10. Defensive Reaction to the Law Does hearing the term "Torah observance" or the suggestion that we must physically keep the commandments of God trigger immediate defensiveness, anger, or discomfort in your heart? [ ] YES [ ] NO Diagnosing the Results: What Does Your Score Mean? Count how many times you answered "YES" to the statements above. If You Answered "YES" 1 to 3 Times: Developing Contamination You have started to absorb some of the traditional, lawless dogmas of mainstream theology. While you may still revere the Old Testament, you are allowing human traditions to slowly blind your spiritual eyes to the plain instructions of the Creator. If You Answered "YES" 4 or More Times: The Spirit of Lawlessness ($Anomia$) A score of 4 or more "YES" answers indicates that your personal theology is operating directly under the spirit of $anomia$ (lawlessness). You are actively practicing a belief system that teaches that God's instructions have no authority over you. By defending these "YES" positions, you are using church traditions as a shield to bypass the written Word of God—which is the exact behavior the Messiah $Yeshua$ condemned in Matthew 7 and Mark 7. The Scriptural Reality Check If this test made you uncomfortable, look closely at what the Scriptures say about each "YES" answer: To Statement 1 & 2: $Yeshua$ said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets... whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19) To Statement 3: God said: “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath... throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.” (Exodus 31:16) To Statement 4: The Prophet Isaiah warns that those who consume swine's flesh and abominable things will be consumed together in end-times judgment. (Isaiah 66:17) To Statement 5: God said: “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared... and enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God.” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31) To Statement 6 & 7: The Apostle Peter explicitly warned that those who are "unlearned and unstable" twist Paul's letters to their own destruction because they are led away by the "error of the lawless." (2 Peter 3:15-17) To Statement 8: The Apostle Paul instructed New Testament believers to keep the biblical feasts: “Purge out therefore the old leaven... For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) To Statement 9 & 10 : The Apostle John wrote: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3) Conclusion Do not let traditional dogmas make the Word of God of "none effect" in your life. Repent of the spirit of lawlessness ($anomia$), point your spiritual mirror directly back to the Creator's written instructions, and let Him restore your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to obey! Spiritual Blindness and the Mirroring of Idolatry: Why the Church Cannot Comprehend the Torah A common question arises within the movement to return to God's commandments: Why is it that otherwise sincere, Bible-reading churchgoers cannot see, understand, or accept the perpetual validity of the Torah? Scripture reveals that this barrier is not merely intellectual; it is a profound, active spiritual state. When human traditions and man-made theology are elevated above the living instructions of the Creator , a specific spiritual mechanism is triggered: The Mirroring Principle of Idolatry. 1. The Powerless, Dead Idols Scripture is incredibly consistent in how it describes man-made idols. In the Psalms, we are given a vivid description of physical representations used in worship: "They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not..." — Psalm 115:5-6 "They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths." — Psalm 135:16-17 These idols are characterized by complete sensory shutdown. They possess the outward physical forms of sight, hearing, and speech, but they are utterly devoid of spiritual life, breath, and true perception. To bring this ancient biblical truth into the 21st century, we are going to use the example of a "Dummy" Display Smartphone. It looks perfect on the outside but lacks any internal life, illustrating exactly how a person can have all the outward tools of faith (Bibles, apps, church buildings) while remaining spiritually unresponsive to the actual commandments of God. Here is the updated article with this new modern analogy integrated as Section 3. 2. The Spiritual Mirror: Becoming What We Worship The crucial warning of these passages is not just about the statues themselves, but about the transformational impact they have on those who trust in them: "They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." — Psalm 115:8 / Psalm 135:18 This is a spiritual law of the universe: We spiritually conform to the nature of the object of our devotion. When we place our trust in man-made theological structures, physical icons, or ecclesiastical traditions that substitute God's commandments, we begin to match their spiritual state. We develop spiritual eyes that cannot see and spiritual ears that cannot hear. 3. The Diagnosis of Spiritual Stubbornness Throughout the scriptures, when God's people fell into unbelief and stubbornness—trusting in their own traditions and rejecting the Torah—the prophets used this exact "idol-mirroring" language to diagnose their spiritual condition: Jeremiah 5:21: "Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not..." Ezekiel 12:2: "Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house." Mark 8:18: Yeshua Himself confronts His disciples with this same warning when they fall into fear and unbelief: "Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?" 4. The Root Cause: Hardening of the Heart Through Unbelief This sensory shutdown is fundamentally caused by a hardening of the heart. When a believer repeatedly encounters the plain text of God's Word but chooses to bypass it to preserve a comfortable, traditional doctrine, a calloused layer forms over their spiritual heart. According to Hebrew thought, the heart is the seat of the mind, will, and understanding. Unbelief acts as a barrier. It refuses to take God at His word. This persistent unbelief leads to a hardened heart (a spiritual thickening/callous). The result is a total inability to process spiritual truth that contradicts human traditions. 5. The Modern Application: The Veil Over the Church This spiritual mirroring explains why many modern churchgoers struggle to understand or accept the Torah. When presented with clear scriptures regarding the seventh-day Sabbath ($Shabbat$), dietary instructions ($Kashrut$), or the Feast Days ($Moedim$), they are often completely unable to comprehend or accept them. Even though the words are right there on the pages of their own Bibles, they cannot perceive them. Just as the dead, traditional systems they trust in are deaf to the living voice of God's law, they too experience a spiritual dullness. Until they repent of human traditions and surrender to the authority of the Creator's written Word, the veil remains over their eyes, keeping them spiritually blind to the beauty, light, and perpetual life of the Torah. This statement echoes 1 John 3:8, which says, "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning" The Mirroring Principle of Idolatry: What You Revere, You Resemble One of the most profound, yet frequently overlooked, spiritual laws written across the pages of Scripture is what theologians call The Mirroring Principle of Idolatry. Simply put, the principle states: We spiritually conform to the nature of whatever we worship. In the words of biblical scholar G.K. Beale, "What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or for restoration." When we give our ultimate devotion, trust, and obedience to something, we begin to mirror its characteristics. If we worship a dead, mute, and blind idol—whether a physical statue or a man-made theological tradition—we spiritually inherit its sensory shutdown. Conversely, if we worship the living, speaking Creator, we are restored to reflect His image. 1. The Divine Design: Created to Mirror the Creator To understand why false worship has such a devastating, blinding effect on human beings, we have to look back at our original blueprint. In Genesis, humanity was created with a specific structural purpose: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." — Genesis 1:27 Humans were designed to be spiritual mirrors placed in the creation. Just as a physical mirror has no light of its own but is designed to perfectly reflect the sun, humanity was designed to face the Creator and reflect His character, holiness, light, and instruction ($Torah$) into the physical world. Worship is the act of pointing our "mirror" toward an object. Whatever sits at the center of our devotion is the exact image our souls will reflect. 2. The Golden Calf: The First Major Replication (Exodus 32) The mirroring principle is vividly demonstrated during Israel's infamous golden calf incident in the wilderness. When Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai, the people grew impatient and demanded a physical god they could see and control. They fashioned a golden calf out of their jewelry: "And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel. .." — Exodus 32:4 Immediately after they bowed down and sacrificed to this golden calf, God changed the vocabulary He used to describe Israel. He said to Moses: "Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves... I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people." — Exodus 32:7, 9 The Hebrew term for "stiff-necked" ($qasheh$ $oreph$) is agricultural vocabulary used to describe an obstinate, stubborn bull or heifer that refuses to bow its neck to the yoke of its master. By choosing to revere a young, stubborn bull (the calf) rather than the living God, Israel instantly began to resemble the physical characteristics of their idol. They became spiritually "stiff-necked"—unbending, stubborn, and completely unresponsive to the voice of their Master. 3. The Sensory Shutdown: Psalm 115 and 135 The Psalms lay down the explicit mechanical law of how this spiritual replication operates. They describe the physical nature of man-made idols: “They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.” — Psalm 115:5-7 Then comes the cosmic spiritual warning in verse 8: “They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” — Psalm 115:8 This is not poetry; it is a spiritual diagnosis. Trusting in a powerless, inanimate representation of godhood causes a complete sensory shutdown in the worshiper: Mouths that speak not: The worshiper loses the ability to speak pure, uncompromised biblical truth. Eyes that see not: The worshiper can look directly at a clear commandment in Scripture (like the Sabbath or dietary laws) and be utterly unable to see or register it. Ears that hear not: The worshiper can hear the voice of the Creator calling them back to His instructions, but they are spiritually deaf to the call. 4. The Prophets' Diagnosis of Israel When Israel later fell into rebellion and rejected the Torah, God did not diagnose them as merely "uneducated." He diagnosed them as idol-mirrors. They had successfully taken on the traits of the blind and deaf Canaanite gods they trusted in: Isaiah 6:9-10: God commissions Isaiah to speak to a people who have spiritually conformed to idols: “Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart...” Jeremiah 5:21: “Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not...” Ezekiel 12:2: “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” By turning away from the Torah, they lost the spiritual hardware required to process spiritual truth. 5. The New Testament Reality: Tradition Over Commandments This is not an exclusively Old Testament phenomenon. Yeshua Himself confrontationaly applies this exact "idol-mirroring" diagnosis to the religious leaders of His day. When the Pharisees challenged Yeshua because His disciples did not follow the "traditions of the elders" (man-made religious rules that bypassed God's written law), Yeshua responded: “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition...” — Mark 7:6-7, 13 Later, when His disciples failed to understand a basic spiritual concept, Yeshua turned to them and asked: “Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?” — Mark 8:18 The warning is clear: Any time we substitute God’s plain, written commandments with human dogmas, church traditions, or ecclesiastical systems, we trigger the Mirroring Principle. When we place our trust in a denomination, a popular pastor, or a comfortable system of theology that explains away God's law, we begin to resemble that dead system. We lose our ability to process the direct signal of the Scriptures. Our eyes read "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" but our theological programming translates it to mean Sunday, or worse, that the Sabbath is abolished. The spiritual data is there on the page, but the "mirror" is pointing at human tradition, rendering us blind to the light of the Torah. 6. The Remedy: Restoration to His Image The Mirroring Principle is a law of spiritual gravity, but it works both for ruin or for restoration. If looking at and trusting in dead idols makes us dead, blind, and deaf, then turning our gaze to the living Messiah Yeshua and His perfect instructions has the exact opposite effect: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 When we repent of man-made traditions, take the veil off our eyes, and submit directly to the written Word of the Creator, our spiritual senses are restored. We begin to reflect His character, His holiness, and His Torah. Our eyes see, our ears hear, and we are finally able to comprehend, accept, and walk in the beautiful light of His eternal truth. The Alignment of the Mirror: How the Commandments Counteract Idolatry When looking at the 20 specific practices in the Torah Observance Self-Assessment, it is easy for a modern reader to ask: “What does eating pork, wearing tassels, or keeping a Saturday Sabbath have to do with the heavy, spiritual reality of idolatry?” To the modern Western mind, "idolatry" is a mental or emotional state (putting your career or money before God), while the "Torah commandments" are seen as external, ritualistic rules. However, in Hebrew thought, the two are dynamically and structurally connected. Every single commandment ($mitzvah$) in the Torah acts as a physical alignment tool for your spiritual "mirror." When you reject these physical instructions in favor of human traditions, you actively turn your mirror away from the Creator, pointing it toward man-made systems. This triggers the Mirroring Principle of Idolatry—leading to the spiritual sensory shutdown described in the Psalms. Here is how specific commandments are directly connected to the mirroring of idolatry. 1. The Sabbath ($Shabbat$): Mirroring the Creator’s Rhythm vs. Human Authority To understand how the Sabbath connects to the mirror, look at the signature of the Creator. In the Fourth Commandment, God binds the Sabbath directly to His identity as the Maker of all things: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” — Exodus 20:11 The Connected Mirror: When you observe the seventh-day Sabbath, you physically conform your life, your time, and your weekly rhythm to the exact pattern of the Creator. You are pointing your mirror directly at His face, reflecting His rest, His sovereignty, and His creative authority into the physical world. The Idolatrous Substitution: When mainstream ecclesiastical systems shifted the day of worship to Sunday and claimed the authority to transfer the holiness of Shabbat, they created a man-made tradition. The Mirroring Result : By resting on Sunday based on human church dogmas rather than the written Word of the Creator, a believer's mirror is pointed at a human institution. Because they revere human authority over the Creator’s written Law, they begin to resemble that system—becoming deaf to the plain text of Scripture and blind to the literal Fourth Commandment. 2. Dietary Laws ($Kashrut$): Mirroring Divine Holiness vs. Pagan Syncretism In Leviticus 11, God outlines which animals are clean and unclean. At the very climax of these dietary instructions, He reveals why He gave them: “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy... For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” — Leviticus 11:44-45 The Connected Mirror: The word "holy" ($kadosh$) literally means set apart, separated, and distinct. God is distinct from the world. By putting a physical boundary on what enters our mouths, we mirror His holiness. We reflect His nature of distinction and order. Our daily eating habits become a physical mirror of His spiritual separation. The Idolatrous Substitution: Pagan idolatry is characterized by the breakdown of distinctions—mixing the holy with the profane, eating whatever the flesh desires, and absorbing the habits of the surrounding culture. The Mirroring Result: When the church teaches that "all things are clean to eat" (relying on misinterpretations of Mark 7 or Acts 10), they remove the boundary of distinction. By eating like the pagan nations, they begin to reflect the pagan worldview of spiritual mixture. They lose the ability to distinguish between what is clean and unclean in other areas of life, rendering them spiritually insensitive. 3. Tassels ($Tzitzit$): The Optical Shield Against Idolatry The commandment to wear fringes or tassels ($tzitzit$) on the corners of four-cornered garments is perhaps the most explicit "anti-idolatry mirror" in the entire Torah: “And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a-whoring [prostituting/worshipping idols]...” — Numbers 15:39 The Connected Mirror: The Torah acknowledges that the human eye is easily captivated by the physical world. Left to its own devices, the eye looks at the world, the heart desires what it sees, and the person conforms to that earthly image (idolatry). The $tzitzit$ serve as a physical, optical interruption. The Mirroring Result: Every time your eyes drift downward, they catch the sight of the blue thread in the tassels. This instantly redirects your focus back to the written commandments of God. It is a physical "guardrail" that forces your spiritual mirror to stay tilted upward toward the Creator rather than drifting down to copy the culture. 4. The Biblical Feasts ($Moedim$) vs. Christmas and Easter: Mirroring God’s Calendar vs. Pagan Cycles The annual Feasts (Leviticus 23) are designated as God's "appointed times." They are His prophetic schedule. Conversely, Deuteronomy 12:30-32 strictly warns: “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them... and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.” The Connected Mirror: When you keep the Passover ($Pesach$), the Feast of Weeks ($Shavuot$), or the Feast of Tabernacles ($Sukkot$), you are mirroring the literal, prophetic timeline of Yeshua's redemption plan. Your mirror is reflecting the true light of the Messiah's first and second comings. The Idolatrous Substitution: Celebrating Christmas (December 25th) or Easter (with a Friday-to-Sunday timeline) is the exact definition of syncretism—taking the customs, dates, and rituals of pagan sun-god worship and renaming them to honor the Creator. The Mirroring Result: Because pagan customs are dead and have no spiritual breath, those who participate in them eventually inherit the sensory shutdown of those original pagan systems. Even when they are shown the plain scriptural timeline of three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), or shown that Jeremiah 10 condemns decorated trees, they cannot see or comprehend it. Their theological mirror is reflecting the "dead light" of Christianized pagan traditions, leaving them blind to the brilliant light of God’s actual holy days. Summary: The Torah as the Blueprint of the Divine Image Human beings cannot avoid mirroring. We are created to be reflective surfaces. If we do not point our mirrors toward the written Torah—which is the perfect, physical expression of the Creator’s character—we will naturally point our mirrors toward: The Self (human desires and pride). The Culture (pagan traditions and holidays). Human Religious Systems (church doctrines that bypass God's Law). Every single commandment, from how we manage our finances (usury) to how we cut our hair or dress (mixed fabrics), is designed to shape our mirrors so that we perfectly conform to the image of the Messiah Yeshua. When we obey, our spiritual senses are restored. When we substitute His instructions with human traditions, our spiritual hardware shuts down, and we become just as deaf, dumb, and blind as the powerless idols of old. Identifying Modern-Day "Mirror Idolatry": Behavioral and Theological Signs If the Mirroring Principle of Idolatry is a spiritual reality, then the "sensory shutdown" described by the prophets (Psalms 115, Jeremiah 5, Mark 8) must be visible in the modern religious world. It cannot remain an abstract theological concept; it must manifest as recognizable behaviors and patterns of thought. How do you identify a modern-day believer whose spiritual "mirror" has been turned away from the Creator’s $Torah$ and pointed toward human tradition? The scriptures provide a clear diagnostic framework. When a person is reflecting a man-made religious system rather than the living Word, they exhibit specific, identifiable spiritual symptoms. 1. The "Translational Filter" (Eyes That See Not) The most prominent identifier of modern mirror idolatry is selective scriptural blindness. The Symptom: You can open a Bible, point directly to a plain, unambiguous commandment, and have them read it out loud. Yet, their mind is completely unable to process the plain meaning of the text. How to Identify It: You show them: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy... the seventh day is the sabbath...” (Exodus 20:8-10). Their "filter" instantly translates this to mean: “Go to church on Sunday.” You show them: “These are the beasts which ye shall eat... whatsoever parteth the hoof... and cheweth the cud...” (Leviticus 11:2-3). Their filter instantly translates this to mean: “We can eat whatever we want because Jesus made all things clean.” The Spiritual Reality: The hardware of their physical eyes is working, but their theological mirror is pointed at a denominational creed. The text of Scripture hits their eyes, but the data is scrambled by their programming before it can reach their heart. They cannot see what is plainly written. 2. The Echo Chamber of Human Tradition (Mouths That Speak Not) In Psalm 115, idols are described as having mouths that cannot speak truth. In modern times, this manifests as an inability to speak pure, uncompromised biblical truth, replacing it instead with human catchphrases. The Symptom: When challenged on a matter of scripture or lifestyle, the person does not defend their position using the direct context of the Word. Instead, they regurgitate the pre-programmed talking points of their religious institution. How to Identify It: They rely heavily on clichés, theological jargon, and ecclesiastical soundbites to bypass obedience, such as: “That’s legalism.” “We are under grace, not the law.” “That was just for the Jews.” “That's a secondary issue.” The Spiritual Reality: They have lost their biblical voice. Instead of speaking the words of the Creator, their mouth has become a speaker grille for the human authorities they revere. They can only echo the soundbites of the system they mirror. 3. The "But God Knows My Heart" Defense (Deafness to Warning) When an idol-mirror is confronted with the pagan origins of their religious practices, their spiritual hearing shuts down, and they retreat into emotional self-defense. The Symptom: When you show them scriptural and historical proof that holidays like Christmas or Easter are rooted in pagan worship (contrary to Deuteronomy 12:30-32), they do not hear the warning. Instead, they redirect the conversation to their own personal intentions. How to Identify It: They will respond with statements like: “But that’s not what it means to me.” “God knows my heart, and I am doing this for Him.” “As long as we are focusing on Jesus, the details don't matter.” The Spiritual Reality: They are spiritually deaf to the warnings of the Torah. By prioritizing their internal emotional state (what it means to "me") over the external written instruction of God, they prove that their mirror is pointed inward at The Self—the ultimate form of modern idolatry. 4. The Collapse of Distinctions (No Spiritual Senses) Holiness ($kedushah$) requires the ability to distinguish, separate, and put a difference between things. When a believer’s spiritual senses are shut down, they lose the ability to make biblical distinctions. The Symptom: They cannot perceive any difference between what God has designated as "Holy" ($kadosh$) versus what man has designated as "Common" ($chol$). How to Identify It: They see no difference between Shabbat (the day God sanctified) and Sunday (the day Constantine and the Roman Church set apart). They see no difference between Passover (God’s prophetic feast) and Easter (a tradition named after a pagan goddess). They believe that because "God created everything," all foods, lifestyles, and worship methods are equally acceptable if done with "love." The Spiritual Reality: Because they worship within a system that has mixed pagan habits with biblical language, they have inherited the system's numbness. They are spiritually colorblind—unable to distinguish the bright line of God’s separation from the gray smear of religious syncretism. 5. Hostility Toward the Hebrew Roots of Faith Just as light hurts eyes that have been in the dark for too long, the true light of the Hebrew roots of the faith often provokes a defensive, agitated reaction from those in mirror idolatry. The Symptom: The mere mention of the name $Yeshua$ instead of Jesus, or the suggestion that a believer should strive to keep the commandments out of love, triggers an immediate defensive posture. How to Identify It: They will accuse those returning to the Torah of "falling from grace," being "Judaizers," or belonging to a "cult." They display a visceral discomfort with the physical signs of obedience (like $tzitzit$ or Sabbath rest). The Spiritual Reality: The physical reality of the Torah acts as a polishing cloth on their mirror. It threatens the comfortable, dusty film of human tradition they have lived under. Because they are not ready to turn their mirror away from their ecclesiastical system, they lash out at the light that is trying to break through their sensory shutdown. Summary: A Checklist of the Modern Idol-Mirror The Prophetic Diagnosis The Modern Behavior "Eyes that see not" Reading a clear commandment on the page but being utterly unable to process its plain, literal meaning. "Ears that hear not" Hearing the warning against syncretism (pagan mixing) but dismissing it because "God knows my heart." "Mouths that speak not" Relying on theological clichés ("not under the law," "legalism") instead of quoting direct Scripture in context. "No breath/distinction" Believing that there is no difference between what is clean and unclean, or what is holy and The "Pauline Filter": How a Misaligned Mirror Distorts the Apostle’s Words If a modern believer's theological mirror has been pointed at human tradition, they must find a way to reconcile the clear, eternal commandments of the Creator with their refusal to obey them. To resolve this cognitive dissonance, they construct what can be called "The Pauline Filter." This is the practice of running the entire Bible—including the plain words of the Creator at Mount Sinai and the direct instructions of the Messiah $Yeshua$—through a highly selective, misunderstood reading of the Apostle Paul’s letters. By doing so, they use Paul as a shield to protect their traditions and justify their transgression of the $Torah$. The Apostle Peter explicitly warned that this exact phenomenon would occur: “...even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked [lawless], fall from your own stedfastness.” — 2 Peter 3:15-17 How do you identify a believer who is utilizing the "Pauline Filter" to maintain their spiritual sensory shutdown? Here are the behavioral and theological signs. 1. The "Paul Over Yeshua" Hierarchy The most glaring symptom of the Pauline Filter is an unconscious theological hierarchy where Paul's words carry more practical authority than the words of the Messiah Himself. The Symptom: When confronted with the direct, plain instructions of the Messiah, the person will immediately bypass them by quoting an isolated verse from Paul to argue that the Messiah's words no longer apply. How to Identify It: You show them where $Yeshua$ said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets... whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19). Rather than accepting this, their mind immediately filters it out. They respond with: “Yes, but Paul says Christ is the end of the law for righteousness...” (Romans 10:4), interpreting "end" (telos) as "termination" rather than "goal/climax." The Spiritual Reality: Their theological mirror is pointed at a denominational construct that pits the Messiah against His own Apostle. Because they cannot process the reality that Paul was a Torah-observant Pharisee who defended the Law (Acts 25:8), they must make Paul the "new lawgiver" to justify ignoring the words of the Master. 2. The "Grace vs. Law" Dichotomy (The Divided Mind) Holiness ($kedushah$) requires unity and alignment. The Pauline Filter causes a severe mental split, forcing the believer to treat God's Grace and God's Law as opposing enemies rather than perfect partners. The Symptom: They operate under the assumption that if you love God’s commandments and seek to walk in them out of obedience, you are actively rejecting His grace. How to Identify It: Whenever you talk about keeping the Sabbath or clean eating, they will defensively respond with: “We are saved by grace, not by works!” (Ephesians 2:8-9). They are completely unable to comprehend that keeping the commandments is the fruit of salvation, not the root of it. They cannot reconcile Ephesians 2:8-9 with Ephesians 2:10 (“created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”). The Spiritual Reality: They are spiritually colorblind to the purpose of the $Torah$. Because their ecclesiastical system teaches that the Law was a "burden" or a "curse" (misunderstanding Galatians 3:13), they view obedience as a threat to their faith. Their mirror reflects a cheapened grace that requires no physical surrender. 3. The "Colossians 2" Dismissal When confronted with the beautiful, prophetic reality of the Biblical Feasts ($Moedim$), those who use the Pauline Filter will instinctively retreat to a single, highly misunderstood passage in Colossians to shut down their hearing. The Symptom: They use Paul's warnings against pagan, ascetic philosophy in Colossae as a license to abandon God's designated Appointed Times. How to Identify It: You discuss the beauty of keeping Passover or Tabernacles ($Sukkot$). They will immediately quote Colossians 2:16: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days...” They stop reading there, believing Paul is saying these days are abolished. They are blind to the very next verse (Colossians 2:17), which states these days “are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (The Greek literally reads: "let no man judge you... but the body of Messiah," meaning only the local body of believers should judge their observance, not pagan outsiders). The Spiritual Reality: Their mirror is tilted toward a system of lawlessness. They use Paul to justify celebrating pagan-derived holidays (like Christmas) while simultaneously using Paul to condemn those who celebrate God's actual holy days. 4. Total Blindness to Paul’s Self-Defense Perhaps the most ironic sign of the Pauline Filter is a complete inability to see or register the multiple times Paul himself explicitly stated that he kept, loved, and taught the $Torah$. The Symptom: They believe and teach that Paul successfully did away with the Law, despite the overwhelming historical evidence in the book of Acts that Paul went out of his way to prove he kept the Law. How to Identify It: You point them to: Acts 21:24: Where the elders of Jerusalem had Paul perform a public vow to prove to everyone that he “walkest orderly, and keepest the law.” Acts 24:14: Where Paul states under oath: “...so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” Romans 7:12: Where Paul writes: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” When shown these plain verses, the user of the Pauline Filter will experience a temporary "system freeze." They will stare at the text, bypass it, and immediately jump back to an isolated verse in Galatians to restore their comfortable programming. The Spiritual Reality: This is the "translational filter" in active operation. The historical reality of a Torah-observant Paul is a direct threat to the theological foundation of the mainstream church. Therefore, the spiritual hardware of the believer must completely block these passages from reaching their heart, preserving the illusion of a law-abolishing Apostle. Summary: Restoring the Mirror of Paul The Misunderstood Paul The Restored, Torah-Observant Paul "Christ is the end of the law..." (Rom 10:4) "Christ is the goal/target of the law..." The Greek word telos means the ultimate aim or completion, not termination. "Not under the law..." (Rom 6:14) "Not under the condemnation/penalty of the law..." Because grace has paid the price, we are now free to obey it. "Let no man judge you..." (Col 2:16) "Do not let pagan outsiders judge your biblical walk..." Keep celebrating the feasts ($Moedim$) which point directly to the Messiah. "The law was our schoolmaster..." (Gal 3:24) "The Torah guarded and trained us..." Leading us to maturity so we can walk in the Spirit of obedience, not lawlessness. common. "Stiff-necked" Refusing to bend the neck to the literal, physical instructions ($mitzvot$) of the Creator. This statement directly references the biblical verse 1 John 3:8 , which states: "The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning." [1 ] Meaning of "Practicing" Sin In Christian theology, "practicing" sin does not mean committing an occasional mistake or lapse in judgment. interpret "practice" as a habitual, deliberate, and unrepentant lifestyle of wrongdoing. According to 1 John 3:4, sin is explicitly defined as the transgression of the Law (Torah). Within a strict Torah-observant framework, all 9 practices listed fail the test and are classified as scriptural transgressions. 1. The Hebrew Name: Acts 4:12, Matthew 1:21 — Replacing the native Hebrew name strips away its prophetic structural meaning: "Yahweh is Salvation." 2. Working on Sabbath: Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 — The Fourth Commandment explicitly forbids regular vocational labor. 3. Keeping Sabbath Holy: Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 31:16-17 — Set apart at Creation as a holy day and designated as a perpetual, everlasting covenant. 4. Commandments in General: Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 John 3:4, Revelation 14:12 — Scripture defines the whole duty of man as keeping the commandments. 5. Unclean Foods: Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14, Isaiah 66:17 — Dietary boundaries separating clean from unclean are never repealed in prophecy or Torah. 6. Appointed Days (Moedim): Leviticus 23 — God explicitly calls these "My Feasts." They serve as prophetic dress rehearsals for His redemption plan. 7. Christmas Traditions: Deuteronomy 12:30-32, Jeremiah 10:2-4 — God strictly commands His followers not to learn or adopt the customs of pagan nations to worship Him, regardless of intent. 8. Easter Timing: Matthew 12:40 — A Friday-to-Sunday timeline fails the structural proof of the "Sign of Jonah"—which requires exactly 3 days and 3 nights. 9. Passover: Exodus 12:14, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 — Commanded as an everlasting ordinance. Paul explicitly reinforces this to New Testament believers, writing: "Let us keep the feast." Title: Torah Observance vs. Church Tradition: A Biblical Study Guide & Self-Assessment Subject: Biblical Theology and Torah Law (Hebrew Roots Perspective) Topics: The Definition of Sin (The Transgression Test) The Seventh-Day Sabbath (Shabbat) vs. Sunday Tradition Dietary Instructions (Kashrut, Blood, and Fat) God's Appointed Times (Moedim & Passover) vs. Mainstream Holidays Sacred Names (Yeshua vs. Jesus) Daily Commandments (Tzitzit, Shaatnez, and Images) Grooming and Body Laws (Beards, Tattoos) Social and Financial Laws (Usury, Clothing) Summary: This study guide evaluates mainstream church traditions and modern dogmas against the perpetual commandments of the Torah. Drawing from both the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the Greek Scriptures (New Testament), it outlines how various modern ecclesiastical customs stand under the "Transgression Test." This test uses 1 John 3:4 to define sin strictly as the transgression of God's revealed law. Key Concepts: The Transgression Test: The process of using Biblical law as the objective measure of sin (1 John 3:4). The Perpetual Covenant of Shabbat: The seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) was established at Creation and remains a sign between God and His people. The Sign of Jonah: Yeshua’s Messiahship is authenticated by spending exactly three days and three nights in the earth (Matthew 12:40), contradicting a Friday-to-Sunday timeline. Syncretism Warning: Deuteronomy 12:30-32 forbids using the methods of pagan nations to worship the Creator. Holiness Distinctions: Commandment laws regarding fabrics ($Shaatnez$), tassels ($Tzitzit$), and diet ($Kashrut$) serve to separate God's people from the world. Vocabulary List: Torah: "Instruction" or "Law" (the first five books of the Bible). Mitzvot: The individual commandments given by God. Shabbat: The seventh-day Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset). Moedim: The Appointed Times/Holy Feasts (Leviticus 23). Yeshua: The Hebrew name of the Messiah ("Yahweh is Salvation"). Shaatnez: A fabric containing both wool and linen woven together. Tzitzit: Fringes/Tassels worn for remembrance (Numbers 15:38). Rosh Chodesh: The New Moon / Beginning of the Biblical month. The Spirit of the Lawless One: How Rejecting Torah Mirrors the Adversary's Rebellion When studying the Mirroring Principle of Idolatry and the profound spiritual sensory shutdown that affects the mainstream church, we must eventually confront the ultimate, sobering reality behind this blindness. Scripture does not treat "eyes that cannot see" and "ears that cannot hear" as mere intellectual deficits or passive, accidental misunderstandings. At its absolute root, persistent unbelief and systematic disobedience to the Creator’s $Torah$ are driven by an active, operational spiritual force. The Bible reveals a stark cosmic truth: those who belong to the adversary, or align with his systems of rebellion, carry and mirror his very spirit. 1. The Operational Spirit of Disobedience (Ephesians 2:2) The Apostle Paul explicitly identified the existence of an invisible, active spiritual current that influences those who walk in disobedience to God’s instructions: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience...” — Ephesians 2:2 Note Paul's precise vocabulary: "The spirit that now worketh..." The Greek word for "worketh" is energeo, meaning an active, operating energy. It is a spiritual frequency. "...in the children of disobedience." The Hebrew idiom "children of..." denotes a people who take on the exact characteristics, traits, and nature of their source. Just as the Holy Spirit ($Ruach$ $HaKodesh$) actively works inside believers to write the $Torah$ on their hearts and produce the fruit of obedience (Ezekiel 36:26-27) , the spirit of the adversary actively operates in those who reject God’s laws. They become spiritual receptors for the frequency of rebellion, mirroring the character of the "prince of the power of the air." 2. Defining the Adversary’s Character: Lawlessness ($Anomia$) To understand what it means to mirror the spirit of the devil, we must define his primary scriptural characteristics. From the beginning in the Garden of Eden, the adversary’s signature move was to challenge, twist, and undermine the literal commandments of God: “Yea, hath God said... ?” (Genesis 3:1). The Apostle John explains the spiritual lineage of those who make a practice of bypassing God’s written instructions: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law [anomia]. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin... He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” — 1 John 3:4, 8 In Greek, the word for "transgression of the law" is $anomia$, which literally means lawlessness—specifically, living as though the $Torah$ (the Law of Moses) does not exist or has no authority over you. John makes a direct, black-and-white distinction: Those who practice righteousness (aligning with God's $Torah$) mirror the Messiah $Yeshua$. Those who practice lawlessness ($anomia$) mirror the devil, who has been a rebel from the very beginning. When the church teaches that "the Law has been done away with" or that "we do not need to keep the physical commandments," they are unknowingly operating in the spirit of $anomia$. By adopting a theology of lawlessness, they point their spiritual mirrors directly at the original rebel, taking on his spiritual nature. 3. "Ye Are of Your Father the Devil" (John 8:44) The Messiah $Yeshua$ did not shy away from this reality. When confronting the religious leaders of His day—who claimed to worship the God of Abraham but actively rejected the living Word and substituted God’s commandments with human, traditional loop-holes—He diagnosed them with this exact spiritual replication: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” — John 8:44 How do we identify someone operating under this parental spiritual influence? They cannot abide in the truth: When shown the plain, unadulterated written Word of God, they experience immediate cognitive discomfort and seek to explain it away. They prefer traditional lies: They willingly defend man-made dogmas (like Sunday sacredness or pagan-derived holidays) over the literal commandments of the Creator. They harbor hostility toward obedience: Just as the devil hates those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of $Yeshua$ (Revelation 12:17), those carrying his spirit will exhibit anger, mockery, or defensive hostility toward Torah-observant believers. 4. The Prophetic Blueprint: Changing Times and Laws The spirit of the lawless one has a specific prophetic agenda. The prophet Daniel foresaw that a power would arise in the earth that would attempt to copy the adversary's ultimate desire—to completely sever humanity from the Creator’s covenant boundaries: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws...” — Daniel 7:25 The "times" here are the $Moedim$ (God's appointed calendar, Sabbaths, and feasts), and the "laws" are the $Torah$. When modern ecclesiastical systems changed the Sabbath to Sunday, replaced the Biblical Feasts with paganized holidays, and declared the food laws obsolete, they executed the exact agenda of the lawless one. Because churchgoers belong to and revere these traditional systems, they drink in the spirit that built them. They are not merely "uninformed"; they are influenced by a highly calculated, multi-generational spiritual current of $anomia$. This is why they cannot understand, comprehend, or accept the simple, beautiful instructions of the Father—their spiritual hardware is tuned to the frequency of the lawless one. Conclusion: A Battle of Spirits The scriptures leave us with no middle ground. We are spiritual mirrors, and we will inevitably reflect one of two spirits: The Spirit of God ($Ruach$ $HaKodesh$) The Spirit of the Lawless One ( $anomia$) Points the mirror toward the Creator. Points the mirror toward human systems & self. Writes the $Torah$ on the heart (Jer 31:33). Seeks to abolish or bypass the $Torah$. Leads to physical obedience and holiness. Leads to lawlessness disguised as "grace." Restores spiritual sight, hearing, and life. Triggers a complete sensory shutdown and blindness. If we want our family, friends, and churchgoers to escape this blindness, we must realize that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Only the raw, piercing truth of God’s Word—combined with the power of the Holy Spirit—can break the hold of the lawless spirit, shatter the mirror of idolatry, and restore their eyes to see and their ears to hear. The decrees of Yehovah are trustworthy , making wise the simple. The commandments of Yehovah are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of Yehovah are clear, giving insight into living. Reverence for Yehovah is pure, lasting forever. The laws of Yehovah are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. Psalm 19:7 The one who belongs listens and responds to Yehovah's words. If you don't listen and respond , it is because you don't belong to Yehovah." John 8:47 God's promises to those who obey him include: Being blessed Being saved Being watched over Being taken care of Being given what you ask for Being happy Living longer Lacking nothing good

Paul told us to test all things to see if they were from God. do they include His law? Deflections are the Greatest sin The shortest verse in the English Bible is "Jesus wept" found in John 11:35. It has only 10 letters and two words. In Luke, Jesus weeps (eklausen, meaning to sob aloud) as he enters Jerusalem. He grieves because the people rejected his offer of peace, refused to turn to God, and would soon face destruction as a consequence. In short, the devil's deflection on Matthew 5:18–19 works by convincing people that taking Yeshua’s exact words seriously is somehow a violation of his grace. It redirects the mind from humble obedience to theological technicalities that excuse setting aside the commands. Matthew 17-19 17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18 For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.… Prof the law was fulfilled by Yeshua: He was the only person in the entire Bible that never sinned, He showed us how to love Yehovah the creator ,He showed how to love our fellow man , He show us how to keep the Sabbath Holy, He never ate anything unclean, and He always kept all of Yehovah appointed . "It is easy to claim the name of Christ, but true discipleship is shown through obedience. Many claim to follow Him while actively living against everything He commanded." John 3:36 ("whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him") I have not come to abolish them , 1 John 3:8, which states that "whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil". Ecclesiastes 12:13 –– "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. Proverbs 28:9: " He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. 1 John 2:4, w hich says: "Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in that person." John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" Matthew 19:17 , "If you want to enter life, keep the commandments". Revelation 12:17. The text states that the dragon (identified as the devil and Satan) was angry with the woman and went to make war with the rest of her offspring—defined as those who keep God's commandments Revelation 13:7 , which states that the beast empowered by the dragon was allowed "to make war with the saints, and to overcome will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; Luke 7: 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. (Because no one on earth has been to heaven ) The Core Connection When people deflect Scripture, they usually do not burn the Bible; instead, they remove the commands they find uncomfortable by declaring them "least" or obsolete, or they add human loopholes to bypass God's true intent (as Yeshua rebuked in Mark 7:9–13). Matthew 5:18–19 makes clear that in God's eyes, even what humans consider "least" remains fully binding. Below are the primary biblical passages that explicitly prohibit adding to, taking away from, or modifying God's word and commandments: Here is the complete, unified breakdown bringing together every point—from altering words, names, and titles to adopting pagan holidays, eating unclean, rejecting God's appointments, and profaning the Sabbath—and the explicit judgments Scripture attaches to them. The Deflection: Weaponizing Grace The core deception pits Yeshua’s salvation against his instructions—tricking believers into viewing obedience as "legalism" rather than the natural fruit of love. 1. Redefining "Fulfill" (Matt. 5:17) The Trick: Treating "fulfill" as "terminate and throw away." The Reality: In first-century Hebrew idiom, to fulfill meant to correctly interpret and live out the Torah's full intent. Yeshua came to demonstrate how to keep it, not to dismiss it. 2. False Dichotomy: "Love vs. Rules" The Trick : Framing commands as rigid legalism and "love" as abstract freedom. The Reality: Yeshua defined love through action: "If you love me, keep my commands" (John 14:15). The commands define what love looks like in practice. 3. Perverting Grace The Trick : Rebranding grace as an excuse for apathy toward God's standards. The Reality: Grace is divine empowerment (Titus 2:11–12). It cleanses the past and transforms the heart so obedience becomes a joy. 4. Theological Loopholes The Trick: Using complex technicalities to bypass Matthew 5:18–19. The Reality: It creates a state where people cite treatises to excuse setting aside the very commands Yeshua warned never to relax. The Ultimate Irony: It turns distrust of Yeshua's direct words into a false badge of "spiritual maturity," making people feel enlightened precisely because they have explained away the Sermon on the Mount. The Deflection: Weaponizing Grace The core deception pits Yeshua’s salvation against his instructions—tricking believers into viewing obedience as "legalism" rather than the natural fruit of love. 1. Redefining "Fulfill" (Matt. 5:17) The Trick: Treating "fulfill" as "terminate and throw away." The Reality: In first-century Hebrew idiom, to fulfill meant to correctly interpret and live out the Torah's full intent. Yeshua came to demonstrate how to keep it, not to dismiss it. 2. False Dichotomy: "Love vs. Rules" The Trick: Framing commands as rigid legalism and "love" as abstract freedom. The Reality: Yeshua defined love through action: "If you love me, keep my commands" (John 14:15). The commands define what love looks like in practice. 3. Perverting Grace The Trick : Rebranding grace as an excuse for apathy toward God's standards. The Reality: Grace is divine empowerment (Titus 2:11–12). It cleanses the past and transforms the heart so obedience becomes a joy. 4. Theological Loopholes The Trick: Using complex technicalities to bypass Matthew 5:18–19. The Reality: It creates a state where people cite treatises to excuse setting aside the very commands Yeshua warned never to relax. The Ultimate Irony: It turns distrust of Yeshua's direct words into a false badge of "spiritual maturity," making people feel enlightened precisely because they have explained away the Sermon on the Mount. 1. Altering God's Word & Loss of Eternal Life Directly modifying, taking away from, or adding human commentary to the text forfeits access to eternal inheritance: Revelation 22:18–19 "If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll... God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City..." The Judgment: Direct assignment of written plagues and removal of one's name/share from the Tree of Life and the Heavenly City. 2. Deception, Changing Truth, and the Lake of Fire Creating false doctrines, fabricating traditions, or distorting scriptural facts places a person under the category of deception: Revelation 21:8 & Proverbs 30:6 "...and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur... Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." The Judgment: Divine rebuke, public exposure as a deceiver, and final condemnation in the Lake of Fire alongside those who reject God's authority. 3. Profaning and Substituting the Sacred Names Erasing, changing, or replacing the covenant name Yehovah (יְהוָה) or the redemptive name Yeshua (יֵשׁוُעַ) with human alternatives violates the core command regarding His identity: Exodus 20:7 & Jeremiah 23:26–27 "You shall not take the name of the Lord [Yehovah] your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless... who try to make My people forget My name..." The Judgment: Being held guilty before the heavenly court and suffering spiritual blindness for lowering His divine identity to human tradition. 4. Adopting Pagan Holidays & Mixing Worship Customs Importing pagan customs, celebrations, and cultural holidays into the worship of the Creator is explicitly condemned as adding to His word: Deuteronomy 12:30–32 "Be careful not to be ensnared... saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods? We will do likewise.' You must not worship the Lord your God in their way... do not add to it or take away from it." The Judgment: Falling into spiritual entrapment and practicing what God classifies as a detestable abomination. 5. Eating Unclean Things & Rejecting Purity Instructions Dismissing God's dietary laws in favor of personal appetite or cultural preference is identified as active rebellion against His sanctification: Isaiah 66:15–17 "For behold, the Lord will come with fire... Those who sanctify themselves... eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord." The Judgment: Facing direct destruction alongside the lawless at the return of the Lord. 6. Rejecting God's Appointed Times (Moedim) Substituting man-made religious calendars and holidays for the eternal appointed feasts listed in Leviticus 23 leads to divine abandonment: Leviticus 23:2, 14 & Hosea 2:11 "The appointed times of the Lord... shall be a statute forever... I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts." The Judgment: Withdrawal of true spiritual insight, leaving individuals in empty, powerless religious ritual. 7. Profaning the Seventh-Day Sabbath Setting aside, altering, or declaring God's holy Sabbath done away with is highlighted as a primary trigger for divine wrath: Ezekiel 22:26, 31 "Her priests have violated My law... they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them... Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath." The Judgment: Complete loss of God's presence, exposure to spiritual deception, and direct divine indignation. Here is the complete, unified breakdown bringing together every point—from altering words, names, and titles to adopting pagan holidays, eating unclean, rejecting God's appointments, and profaning the Sabbath—and the explicit judgments Scripture attaches to them. 1. Altering God's Word & Loss of Eternal Life Directly modifying, taking away from, or adding human commentary to the text forfeits access to eternal inheritance: Revelation 22:18–19 "If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll... God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City..." The Judgment: Direct assignment of written plagues and removal of one's name/share from the Tree of Life and the Heavenly City. 2. Deception, Changing Truth, and the Lake of Fire Creating false doctrines, fabricating traditions, or distorting scriptural facts places a person under the category of deception: Revelation 21:8 & Proverbs 30:6 "...and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur... Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." The Judgment: Divine rebuke, public exposure as a deceiver, and final condemnation in the Lake of Fire alongside those who reject God's authority. 3. Profaning and Substituting the Sacred Names Erasing, changing, or replacing the covenant name Yehovah (יְהוָה) or the redemptive name Yeshua (יֵשׁוُעַ) with human alternatives violates the core command regarding His identity: Exodus 20:7 & Jeremiah 23:26–27 "You shall not take the name of the Lord [Yehovah] your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless... who try to make My people forget My name..." The Judgment: Being held guilty before the heavenly court and suffering spiritual blindness for lowering His divine identity to human tradition. 4. Adopting Pagan Holidays & Mixing Worship Customs Importing pagan customs, celebrations, and cultural holidays into the worship of the Creator is explicitly condemned as adding to His word: Deuteronomy 12:30–32 "Be careful not to be ensnared... saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods? We will do likewise.' You must not worship the Lord your God in their way... do not add to it or take away from it." The Judgment: Falling into spiritual entrapment and practicing what God classifies as a detestable abomination. 5. Eating Unclean Things & Rejecting Purity Instructions Dismissing God's dietary laws in favor of personal appetite or cultural preference is identified as active rebellion against His sanctification: Isaiah 66:15–17 "For behold, the Lord will come with fire... Those who sanctify themselves... eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord." The Judgment: Facing direct destruction alongside the lawless at the return of the Lord. 6. Rejecting God's Appointed Times (Moedim) Substituting man-made religious calendars and holidays for the eternal appointed feasts listed in Leviticus 23 leads to divine abandonment: Leviticus 23:2, 14 & Hosea 2:11 "The appointed times of the Lord... shall be a statute forever... I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts." The Judgment: Withdrawal of true spiritual insight, leaving individuals in empty, powerless religious ritual. 7. Profaning the Seventh-Day Sabbath Setting aside, altering, or declaring God's holy Sabbath done away with is highlighted as a primary trigger for divine wrath: Ezekiel 22:26, 31 "Her priests have violated My law... they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them... Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath." The Judgment: Complete loss of God's presence, exposure to spiritual deception, and direct divine indignation. 1. Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV) "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." 2. Deuteronomy 12:32 (NKJV) "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." 3. Proverbs 30:5–6 (NKJV) 5 "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." 6 "Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." 4. Matthew 5:18–19 (NKJV, modified) 18 "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 till all is fulfilled." 19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." 5. Revelation 22:18–19 (NKJV) 18 "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;" 19 "and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Actions & Consequences Deuteronomy 4:2 & 12:32 Adding to or taking away from divine decrees Inability to truly keep the Lord’s commandments Proverbs 30:6 Adding human thoughts or rules to God's words Divine rebuke and being found a liar Matthew 5:19 Loosening or removing the "least" command Called least in the kingdom of heaven Revelation 22:18–19 Adding to or removing text from prophetic revelation Receiving the plagues written in the book; removal from the Book of Life Jeremiah 26:2: The Command to Declare the Whole Word Without Diminishing It In Jeremiah 26:2, God explicitly commands the prophet Jeremiah to speak His message in its entirety, warning him against holding back or softening a single word to accommodate human sensitivities. Jeremiah 26:2 (NKJV) "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, who come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.'" Key Insights from the Text "Do Not Diminish a Word": The Hebrew word used for "diminish" is gara, which means to subtract, withhold, trim down, or take away. God specifically instructs that not a single word can be removed or softened to make the message more comfortable or acceptable to the hearers. The Setting (The Temple Court): Jeremiah was sent to the very place where religious people gathered to worship. The warning was given directly to the religious leaders and worshippers who were inclined to selectively accept God's comfort while deflecting His warnings. The Purpose of Uncompromising Truth (Jeremiah 26:3): God explains why every word must be delivered without subtraction: "Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings." Trimming or diminishing God's warning deprives people of the chance to fully understand their standing and genuinely repent. Parallel Warnings Against Withholding God's Word PassageThe Command / PrincipleThe Severity Jeremiah 26:2"Do not diminish a word."Withholding truth prevents genuine repentance. Ezekiel 3:17–18The watchman must warn the wicked with God's exact words.If the watchman fails to warn them, their blood is required at his hand. Acts 20:26–27 Paul declares: "I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God."True faithfulness requires delivering the entire truth without omitting difficult doctrines. Scriptural Definitions of Misusing or Deflecting God's Word The Bible addresses several ways people reject, distort, or deflect Scripture rather than submitting to it: Wresting / Distortion (Strebloo): Taking Scripture out of its intended context to force a desired outcome or opinion. Substituting Human Tradition: Setting aside explicit commandments in favor of human traditions or personal rationalizations. Partial Obedience: Accepting passages that align with personal desires while ignoring or explaining away inconvenient commandments. Pharisaical Deflection: Using theological debates or legalistic technicalities to evade the underlying moral principles of God's law. Key Scriptures & Warnings Scripture Reference Concept / Action Theological Consequence / Punishment 2 Peter 3:16 Distortion ("untaught and unstable people twist [Scripture] to their own destruction")Spiritual ruin and destruction. Mark 7:8–13 Setting aside God's word for human tradition ("making the word of God of no effect")Hypocrisy; spiritual blindness and rejection by God. Revelation 22:18–19 Adding to or taking away from prophetic words Loss of share in the tree of life; receiving the plagues described. Galatians 1:8–9 Preaching a modified or perverted gospelCondemnation (Anathema / eternal separation). Matthew 7:21–23 Hearing or using Scripture without practicing obedience Rejection by Christ at final judgment ("I never knew you; depart from me"). Matthew 5:18–19 addresses the authority, permanence, and obligation of God's law, specifically warning against setting aside or misrepresenting even the smallest part of Scripture. Matthew 5:18–19 ( NKJV) 18 "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 till all is fulfilled. 19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Breakdown & Key Definitions Permanence of Scripture ("Jot" and "Tittle"): Jot (Yod ): The smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Tittle: The minute stroke or pen-mark that distinguishes similar Hebrew letters. Meaning: Jesus emphasizes that every minute detail of God's word is intentional, authoritative, and enduring. None of it can be discarded or treated as obsolete. The Act of Deflecting or Relaxing the Law: Verse 19 explicitly addresses those who "break" (Greek: luo, meaning to loosen, dissolve, set aside, or declare non-binding) the commandments and "teach men so" (leading others to minimize or deflect those instructions). The Consequences & Judgment Action / Stance Toward ScriptureDirect Consequence (Verse 19) Loosening, ignoring, or teaching others to minimize even the smallest commandment"Shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven" Practicing and teaching the fullness of God's commandments"Shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" The Biblical Prohibition Against Adding or Removing Scripture repeatedly warns that altering God's word —whether by addition, subtraction, or reclassifying what is "least" or "greatest"—is a severe offense against divine authority. Key Scriptures on Adding and Subtracting Deuteronomy 4:2 & 12:32: "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God..." Proverbs 30:5–6: "Every word of God is pure... Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." Revelation 22:18–19: "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life..." How "Adding and Removing" Relates to "Least and Greatest" In Matthew 5:18–19, Yeshua bridges these concepts by declaring that not even a single "jot or tittle" (the smallest strokes of text) can be removed. Passage Action Status / Consequence Matthew 5:19 Loosening / Removing the "Least": Breaking or setting aside small commandments and teaching others to treat them as irrelevant."Called least in the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:19 Upholding All: Keeping and teaching both major principles and minor commands faithful to God's intent."Called great in the kingdom of heaven" Proverbs 30:6 Adding Human Doctrines: Elevating human traditions or extra-biblical rules to the level of Scripture.Rebuked by God; found to be a liar Revelation 22:19Removing / Stripping Scripture: Erasing, deleting, or outright rejecting parts of God's revealed word.Loss of share in the tree of life and holy city The Core Connection When people deflect Scripture, they usually do not burn the Bible; instead, they remove the commands they find uncomfortable by declaring them "least" or obsolete, or they add human loopholes to bypass God's true intent (as Yeshua rebuked in Mark 7:9–13). Matthew 5:18–19 makes clear that in God's eyes, even what humans consider "least" remains fully binding. Jesus on Human Tradition vs. God's Commandments In Matthew 15:1–9 and Mark 7:1–13,Yeshua directly confronts religious leaders for using human tradition to bypass, void, or deflect explicit Scripture. The Primary Passages Matthew 15:3, 6, 8–9 (NKJV) 3 "He answered and said to them, 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?'... 6 'Then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition... 8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" How Deflection Works: The "Corban" Example (Mark 7:9–13) Yeshua singles out a specific practice of Deflecting to show how people legally manipulate language to void God's law: Summary of Consequences Method of Distortion Spiritual Outcome Scriptural Reference Substituting tradition for Scripture Worship becomes in vain (useless before God)Matthew 15:9 Using religious loopholes to avoid duty Transgressing God's direct commandments Matthew 15:3 Elevating human rules over divine intent Laying aside and nullifying God's wordMark 7:8, 13 The Authority and Integrity of Matthew 5:18 Matthew 5:18 stands as one of the strongest statements in Scripture regarding the absolute preservation, authority, and unchangeable nature of God's word. Matthew 5:18 (NKJV) "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 till all is fulfilled." Core Warnings Embedded in Matthew 5:18 Warning Against Erasing "Minor" Details: By pointing to the yod (smallest letter) and tittle (smallest stroke of a pen), Yeshua warns that no detail of God’s word is irrelevant, dispensable, or open to human erasure. Warning Against Human Expiration Dates: The phrase "till heaven and earth pass away" establishes that human cultures, opinions, or changing times do not have the authority to declare God's law expired or invalid. Warning Against Partial Fulfillment: The law remains fully authoritative until "all is fulfilled." Attempting to dismiss portions of Scripture before God’s complete redemption plan is realized is a direct violation of Christ’s standard. Cross-References: The Immutable Nature of Scripture Scripture Reference Parallel Concept Consequence / Warning Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. "Human systems perish; God's word remains permanently standing. Matthew 24:35 / Luke 21:33"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away ."Absolute guarantee that divine instruction outlasts the physical universe. Psalm 119:89 "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven."Scripture is fixed by divine decree, beyond human alteration or deflection. Luke 16:17 "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail."The total reliability of Scripture; not even the smallest mark can fail to perform its purpose. The Warning Applied: Deflection vs. Submission When Matthew 5:18 is paired with verse 19, the warning becomes personal: anyone who attempts to "relax," "loosen," or deflect even the smallest part of God's word—or who teaches others that minor commands do not matter—places themselves in direct opposition to Christ’s declaration of the law's permanence. In Matthew 5:17–18, Jesus clarifies His relationship to the Old Testament, ensuring His followers understand He came neither to abolish Scripture nor to permit people to ignore its commands. Matthew 5:17–18 (NKJV) 17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 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 till all is fulfilled." Four Ways Christ Fulfills the Law and the Prophets 1. Perfect Obedience (Moral & Righteous Fulfillment): Yeshua lived a sinless life, keeping every detail of the Law—down to every "jot and tittle"—without failure (1 Peter 2:22, Hebrews 4:15). Where human tradition bypassed God’s intent, Yeshua upheld its absolute moral purity. 2. Prophetic Completion (Messianic Fulfillment): Yeshua fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies, types, and shadows regarding the Messiah—from His birth and ministry to His sacrificial death and resurrection (Luke 24:44). 3. The Ultimate Sacrifice (Sacrificial & Ceremonial Fulfillment): The ceremonial laws, animal sacrifices, and priesthood were shadows pointing forward to Christ. By offering Himself as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1–10), He brought the penal demands of the ritual law to their intended completion. 4. Revealing Full Intent (Deeper Spiritual Meaning): In the rest of Matthew 5 (the "Sermon on the Mount"), Yeshua demonstrates what fulfilling the law looks like in practice. He goes beyond outward compliance to address the heart: showing that murder begins with hatred, adultery begins with lust, and partiality violates love (Matthew 5:21–48). Summary Matrix: Fulfill vs. Abolish False Assumption ("Destroy / Abolish")Biblical Realit y ("Fulfill")Scriptural Context Erasing the Old Testament commands Bringing them to their complete, intended goal Matthew 5:17 Declaring Scripture obsolete or unimportant Establishing its eternal authority and moral depth Romans 3:31 Setting aside the strict demands of God Satisfying those demands fully through Christ In Romans 10:4, Paul addresses the ultimate goal and resolution of God's law, resolving how Christ relates to the righteous demands of Scripture. Romans 10:4 (NKJV) "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Understanding "End" (Telos) The Greek word used here for "end" is telos. It does not mean "destruction," "abolition," or "termination," but rather: Goal or Target: The destination toward which the Law was always pointing (like the "end" of a journey). Fulfillment / Completion: The realization of the Law’s ultimate design and purpose. Consummation: The bringing of something to its intended final state. Three Key Theological Dimensions 1. Christ as the Target (The Goal of the Law): The Law was never designed to be an end in itself; it was a tutor or guardian intended to lead people to Christ by revealing God's absolute holiness and human inability to achieve perfection (Galatians 3:24). Christ is the target the Law aimed at all along. 2. Christ as Righteousness (Ending Self-Righteousness): Human beings often attempt to deflect or twist Scripture to construct their own system of merit. Romans 10:3–4 directly contrasts two ways of seeking righteousness: Human Effort / Self-Righteousness Divine Righteousness in Christ Attempting to keep the Law to earn salvation Receiving the righteousness of God as a gift through faith Lowering or distorting commands to fit human limits Relying on Christ’s total, perfect keeping of every "jot and tittle" Seeking righteousness by personal performance Receiving righteousness by believing in Christ (Romans 3:21–22) 3. Termination of the Law as a Means of Justification: While the moral truth of God's word remains eternal (Matthew 5:18), Christ ended the Law's role as a system for securing acceptance before God. Believers are no longer under the condemnation or curse of the Law (Romans 8:1, Galatians 3:13), because Christ satisfied its requirements on their behalf. The Law as "Guardrails" Against Sin The metaphor of the Law as a set of guardrails aligns closely with how Scripture describes God's commandments: they establish clear boundaries to expose danger, keep individuals from veering into sin, and protect them from destruction. The role of keeping Christ’s commandments True believers do keep His commandments. Yeshua said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). 1 John repeatedly links knowing God, abiding in Him, and obedience as evidence of genuine faith rather than its ground. The Spirit enables the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4). Obedience is the fruit and necessary evidence of new life, not the condition that activates or preserves freedom from the law’s curse and condemnation. Key Scriptures: The Protective Function of the Law Psalm 119:11: "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Guardrail Function: Internalizing Scripture acts as a direct barrier against temptation. Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Guardrail Function: Defines the safe path, preventing a person from blindly straying off a cliff into sin. Galatians 3:23 : "But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which should afterward be revealed." Guardrail Function: Paul explicitly uses military/custodial language (phroureo - to guard or hem in) to show how the Law contained and restrained human sinful nature until Christ arrived. 1 Timothy 1:8–10: " Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners..." Guardrail Function: Laws and boundaries exist precisely to restrain unruly behavior and prevent lawlessness from going unchecked. How the Guardrail Metaphor Completes the Biblical Picture Function of the Law Practical / Theological Meaning Scriptural Reference Exposing Sin (Mirror)Shows what sin is by defining absolute right and wrong Romans 3:20, 7:7 Leading to Christ (Tutor)Proves human inability to stay within boundaries, driving us to grace Galatians 3:24 Connecting Guardrails to Deflection When people deflect, remove, or relax parts of Scripture (as warned against in Matthew 5:18–19), they effectively tear down the guardrails God put in place for their protection. Removing the "least" commandment creates a gap in the fence, making it significantly easier to slide into major sin. Psalm 19 describes the warnings and rewards of God's law? Psalm 19: The Protective Value, Warnings, and Rewards of God's Law In Psalm 19:7–14, David transitions from God's revelation in creation (verses 1–6) to God's written word, providing a complete defense of Scripture's perfection and protective boundary. The Perfect Character of the Law (Verses 7–9) David uses six distinct titles and descriptions for God's word, showing how it acts as a total guide for human life: Term Used Description Practical Effect on the Soul The Law of the LORD Perfect Restores/converts the soul The Testimony of the LORD Sure Makes wise the simple The Statutes of the LORD Right Rejoices the heart The Commandment of the LORD Pure Enlightens the eyes The Fear of the LORD Clean, enduring forever Provides an unshakable foundation The Judgments of the LORD True and righteous altogether Imparts divine truth The Law as Warning and Guardrail (Verses 11–13) In verses 11–13, David explicitly describes how Scripture functions as a protective guardrail against different types of sin: 11 "Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward." 12 "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults." 13 "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me..." Warning Against "Secret Faults" (Unintentional Sin): Scripture shines light on blind spots—sins committed in ignorance or rationalized away through self-deception. Guardrails Against "Presumptuous Sins" (Willful Sin): Presumptuous sins are intentional, high-handed rebellions (such as deflecting or deliberately ignoring a known command). David prays that the boundary of God's law holds him back so those deliberate sins do not form a habit or gain "dominion" over his life. The Ultimate Goal: Divine Acceptance (Verse 14) David concludes by bringing every thought, word, and reaction under the standard of God's word, recognizing that keeping the guardrails intact leads to true righteousness: 14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."

Peter explains his vision “God has shown (Peter) me that I should not call any person common or unclean.” Acts 10 and 11 Peters visie Peter legt zijn visioen uit: "God heeft (Peter) mij laten zien dat ik niemand gemeen of onrein mag noemen." Handelingen 10 en 11 Alle voedingsmiddelen zijn schoon! Er bestaat niet zoiets als onrein voedsel! Torah Life Ministries 51.7K abonnees Abonneer 1.3K Peter en Cornelis 1 In Caesarea was er een man genaamd Cornelius, een centurion van wat bekend stond als de Italiaanse Cohort, 2 een vrome man die God vreesde met zijn hele gezin, royaal aalmoezen gaf aan de mensen en voortdurend tot God bad. 3 Omstreeks het negende uur van de dag zag hij duidelijk in een visioen dat een engel van God binnenkwam en tegen hem zei: "Cornelius."4 En hij staarde hem doodsbang aan en zei: "Wat is er, Heer?" En hij zei tegen hem: "Je gebeden en je aalmoezen zijn opgestegen als een gedenkteken voor God. 5 En stuur nu mannen naar Joppe en breng ene Simon die Peter heet. 6 Hij logeert bij ene Simon, een leerlooier, wiens huis aan zee ligt.” 7 Toen de engel die tot hem sprak was vertrokken, riep hij twee van zijn dienaren en een vrome soldaat uit degenen die hem vergezelden, 8 en alles aan hen verteld hebbende, zond hij ze naar Joppe. Peters visioen 9 De volgende dag, toen ze onderweg waren en de stad naderden, ging Petrus rond het zesde uur het dak opB om te bidden. 10 En hij kreeg honger en wilde iets eten, maar terwijl ze het aan het klaarmaken waren, raakte hij in trance 11 en zag de hemel opengaan en zoiets als een groot laken neerdalen, neergelaten aan de vier hoeken op de aarde. 12 Daarin waren allerlei dieren en reptielen en vogels uit de lucht. 13 En er kwam een stem tot hem: “Sta op, Peter; doden en eten.” 14 Maar Petrus zei: 'Geen sprake van, Heer; want ik heb nog nooit iets gegeten dat gewoon of onrein is.” 15 En de stem kwam voor de tweede keer tot hem: "Wat God rein heeft gemaakt, noem dat niet gemeen."16 Dit gebeurde drie keer en het ding werd in één keer opgenomen in de hemel. 17 Terwijl Petrus innerlijk perplex stond over de betekenis van het visioen dat hij had gezien, zie, de mannen die door Cornelius waren gestuurd, navraag te hebben gedaan naar het huis van Simon, stonden bij de poort 18 en riep om te vragen of Simon, die Peter heette, daar logeerde. 19 En terwijl Petrus het visioen overpeinsde, zei de Geest tegen hem: "Zie, drie mannen zoeken je. 20 Sta op en ga naar beneden en begeleid hen zonder aarzelen,C want ik heb ze gestuurd.” 21 En Peter ging naar beneden naar de mannen en zei: "Ik ben degene die je zoekt. Wat is de reden van uw komst?” 22 En ze zeiden: "Cornelius, een hoofdman over honderd, een oprechte en godvrezende man, over wie goed wordt gesproken door de hele Joodse natie, werd door een heilige engel opgedragen om u te laten komen om naar zijn huis te komen en te horen wat u hebt. om te zeggen.” 23 Dus nodigde hij hen uit om zijn gasten te zijn. De volgende dag stond hij op en ging met hen mee, en enkele broeders uit Joppe vergezelden hem. 24 En de volgende dag kwamen ze Caesarea binnen. Cornelius verwachtte hen en had zijn familieleden en goede vrienden bij elkaar geroepen. 25 Toen Petrus binnenkwam, ontmoette Cornelius hem, viel aan zijn voeten neer en aanbad hem. 26 Maar Petrus tilde hem op en zei: "Sta op; Ik ben ook een man.” 27 En terwijl hij met hem sprak, ging hij naar binnen en trof veel mensen aan. 28 En hij zei tegen hen:“ U weet zelf hoe onwettig het voor een Jood is om om te gaan met of iemand van een andere natie te bezoeken, bGod heeft me laten zien dat ik niemand gemeen of onrein mag noemen. 29 Dus toen ik werd geroepen, kwam ik zonder bezwaar. Ik vraag dan waarom je me hebt laten halen. 30 En Cornelius zei: "Vier dagen geleden, ongeveer dit uur, was ik om het negende uur in mijn huis aan het bidden,D en zie, een man stond voor me in fleurige kleding 31 en zei: 'Cornelius, je gebed is verhoord en je aalmoezen zijn voor God indachtig. 32 Stuur daarom naar Joppe en vraag naar Simon die Peter wordt genoemd. Hij logeert in het huis van Simon, een leerlooier, aan zee.' 33 Dus ik heb je meteen laten komen, en je bent zo vriendelijk geweest om te komen. Daarom zijn we nu allemaal hier in de tegenwoordigheid van God om alles te horen wat de Heer je heeft opgedragen.” Heidenen horen het goede nieuws 34 Dus Peter deed zijn mond open en zei: “Ik begrijp echt dat God geen partijdigheid toont, 35 maar in elk land is iedereen die hem vreest en doet wat juist is, aanvaardbaar voor hem. 36 Wat betreft het woord dat hij naar Israël zond om het goede nieuws van vrede door Jezus Christus te prediken (hij is de Heer van allen), 37 u weet zelf wat er gebeurde in heel Judea, te beginnen in Galilea na de doop die Johannes verkondigde: 38 hoe God Jezus van Nazareth zalfde met de Heilige Geest en met kracht. Hij ging rond om goed te doen en allen te genezen die door de duivel onderdrukt waren, want God was met hem. 39 En wij zijn getuigen van alles wat hij deed, zowel in het land van de Joden als in Jeruzalem. Ze brachten hem ter dood door hem aan een boom te hangen, 40 maar God wekte hem op de derde dag op en liet hem verschijnen, 41 niet aan het hele volk, maar aan ons die door God als getuigen waren gekozen, die met hem aten en dronken nadat hij uit de dood was opgestaan. 42 En hij beval ons om tot de mensen te prediken en te getuigen dat hij degene is die door God is aangesteld om de rechter te zijn van de levenden en de doden. 43 Van hem getuigen alle profeten dat iedereen die in hem gelooft, door zijn naam vergeving van zonden ontvangt.” De Heilige Geest valt op de heidenen 44 Terwijl Petrus deze dingen nog zei, viel de Heilige Geest op iedereen die het woord hoorde. 45 En de gelovigen uit de besnedenen die met Petrus waren meegekomen, stonden versteld omdat de gave van de Heilige Geest zelfs op de heidenen werd uitgestort. 46 Want ze hoorden hoe ze in tongen spraken en God prezen. Toen verklaarde Peter: 47 “Kan iemand water achterhouden voor het dopen van deze mensen, die net als wij de Heilige Geest hebben ontvangen?” 48 En hij gebood hen zich te laten dopen in de naam van Jezus Christus. Toen vroegen ze hem om een paar dagen te blijven. Handelingen 10: Peter's visie - 119 bedieningen Peter legt zijn acties uit 11 De apostelen en de gelovigen in heel Judea hoorden dat ook de heidenen het woord van God hadden aangenomen. 2 Toen Petrus naar Jeruzalem ging, bekritiseerden de besneden gelovigen hem 3 en zeiden: "Je bent het huis van onbesneden mannen binnengegaan en hebt met hen gegeten." 4 Vanaf het begin vertelde Petrus hun het hele verhaal: 5 "Ik was in de stad Joppe aan het bidden en in een trance zag ik een visioen. Ik zag iets dat leek op een groot laken dat aan de vier hoeken uit de hemel werd neergelaten en het kwam naar beneden waar ik was. 6 Ik keek erin en zag viervoetige dieren van de aarde, wilde dieren, reptielen en vogels. 7 Toen hoorde ik een stem tegen me zeggen: 'Sta op, Peter. Dood en eet.' 8 Ik antwoordde: 'Zeker niet, Heer! Er is nooit iets onreins of onreins in mijn mond gekomen.' 9 "De stem sprak voor de tweede keer uit de hemel: 'Noem niets onrein dat God rein heeft gemaakt.' 10 Dit gebeurde drie keer, en toen werd alles weer naar de hemel getrokken. 11 Op dat moment stopten drie mannen die uit Caesarea naar mij waren gestuurd, bij het huis waar ik logeerde. 12 De Geest zei me dat ik niet moest aarzelen om met hen mee te gaan. Deze zes broers gingen ook met mij mee en we gingen het huis van de man binnen. 13 Hij vertelde ons dat hij een engel in zijn huis had zien verschijnen die zei: 'Stuur Simon naar Joppe, die Petrus wordt genoemd. 14 Hij zal je een boodschap brengen waardoor jij en je hele huishouden gered zullen worden.' 15 “Toen ik begon te spreken, kwam de heilige Geest op hen zoals hij in het begin op ons was gekomen. 16 Toen herinnerde ik me wat de Heer had gezegd: 'Johannes doopte metA ] water, maar je wordt gedoopt met[B ] de Heilige Geest.' 17 Dus als God hun hetzelfde geschenk gaf als aan ons die in de Heer Jezus Christus geloven, wie was ik dan om te denken dat ik God in de weg zou kunnen staan? 18 Toen ze dit hoorden, hadden ze geen bezwaar meer en prezen God en zeiden: "Zo heeft God zelfs aan heidenen bekering gegeven die tot leven leidt." De kerk in Antiochië 19 Degenen die verstrooid waren door de vervolging die uitbrak toen Stefanus werd vermoord, reisden naar Fenicië, Cyprus en Antiochië en verkondigden het woord alleen onder de Joden. 20 Maar sommigen van hen, mannen uit Cyprus en Cyrene, gingen naar Antiochië en begonnen ook met Grieken te praten en hun het goede nieuws over de Heer Jezus te vertellen. 21 De hand van de Heer was met hen, en een groot aantal mensen geloofde en bekeerde zich tot de Heer. 22 Het nieuws hiervan bereikte de gemeente in Jeruzalem en zij stuurden Barnabas naar Antiochië. 23 Toen hij daar aankwam en zag wat de genade van God had gedaan, was hij blij en moedigde hij ze allemaal aan om met heel hun hart trouw te blijven aan de Heer. 24 Hij was een goed man, vol van de Heilige Geest en geloof, en een groot aantal mensen werd tot de Heer gebracht. 25 Toen ging Barnabas naar Tarsus om Saulus te zoeken, 26 en toen hij hem vond, bracht hij hem naar Antiochië. Dus een heel jaar lang ontmoetten Barnabas en Saulus de kerk en onderwezen grote aantallen mensen. De discipelen werden in Antiochië voor het eerst christenen genoemd. 27 In die tijd kwamen enkele profeten vanuit Jeruzalem naar Antiochië. 28 Een van hen, Agabus genaamd, stond op en voorspelde door de Geest dat er een zware hongersnood zou komen over de hele Romeinse wereld. (Dit gebeurde tijdens de regering van Claudius.) 29 De discipelen besloten, voor zover ieder van hen in staat was, hulp te bieden aan de broeders en zusters die in Judea woonden. 30 Dit deden zij door hun geschenk door Barnabas en Saulus naar de oudsten te sturen.