
Search Results
Поиск по этому сайту
Найдено 98 результатов с пустым поисковым запросом
- New Page | Answers 4 Saints
Our Mission At My Site, we are dedicated to exploring innovative solutions. Our team is passionate about checking things out and providing exceptional service to meet your needs. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left." Option 1: Direct & Natural (Engaging Study Guide) Scripture Reference: Hebrews 10:26 "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left." What is "Willful Sin"? In this setting, willful sin means knowingly and permanently turning your back on Yeshua. It warns those who fully understand the truth yet consciously choose to walk away and reject Him. Why "No Sacrifice Remains": Yeshua is the Father's ultimate, complete, and final offering for human sin. Once an individual rejects Yeshua, there is no second savior, no Levitical altar to run back to, and no alternate plan of Option 3: Side-by-Side Clarification (Common Misconceptions vs. Biblical Meaning) What It Does Not Mean What the Scripture Actually Teaches It does not mean someone loses their standing because they stumble into ordinary human failure or daily struggles. It specifically warns against apostasy—a settled, deliberate decision to abandon faith in Yeshua entirely. It does not mean the Father refuses repentance from a contrite heart seeking forgiveness. It addresses those who knowingly treat Yeshua’s blood as unholy, leaving themselves with no other sacrifice to cover their sins. Proponents emphasize that Yehovah (יְהֹוָה) is not a 16th-century Christian invention. It is documented with full pointing in over 1,000 Hebrew Bible manuscripts, including prominent early texts like the Leningrad Codex and the Aleppo Codex. They argue Masoretic scribes who guarded letter-by-letter accuracy would not have recorded "mistaken" vowels across centurie The Consonants (יהוה / YHWH): Appear 6,828 times in the Hebrew Masoretic Text. In the Dead Sea Scrolls (dating 2,000+ years ago), scribes often wrote these four consonants in archaic Paleo-Hebrew script to set the sacred Name apart from the surrounding square Aramaic-Hebrew script. 1,000 times across other medieval manuscripts), while the shortened two-vowel form served as the standard scribal reminder (qere perpetuum) to pronounce "Adonai".
- Heaven | answers4saints.com Truth beyond an reasonal doubt
Are you looking for scriptural truth about who is going to Heaven and who isn't answers4saints.com has answers. All Christ taught about obedience, grace, and righteousness, the Christian church does the opposite. Christ kept the Sabbath, the food laws, God's feast days, God's laws, and statutes. Gods 613 commandments New Testment Commandments Deuteronomy 13 TEST God's Ten Commandments Definitions with consequences Bible Verses by Topic Complete JewishBible CJB
- Passover | Answers 4 Saints
Is Easter pagan? The great Easter fraud Passover Passover (Pesach) is one of the most God mandated Jewish holidays, with several core observances explicitly required by God in the Torah (primarily in Exodus 12–13, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, and Deuteronomy 16). These are considered divine commandments (mitzvot) rather than later rabbinic customs. Here are the main ones that are directly commanded in the Torah: Remove all leaven (chametz) from your home — On the first day (and for the full seven days), you must eliminate yeast/leavened products entirely. Eating leavened bread during the seven days is forbidden, with severe penalties mentioned (e.g., being "cut off" from the people). (Exodus 12:15–20; 13:7) Eat unleavened bread (matzah) — For seven days, eat only matzah. Specifically, there is a positive commandment to eat matzah on the first night of Passover. (Exodus 12:15, 18, 20; Deuteronomy 16:3, 8) Observe the festival for seven days — The first and seventh days (in the Diaspora, first, second, seventh, and eighth) are holy convocations with no work allowed (except food preparation). (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:6–8) Tell the story of the Exodus — You must recount the events of the deliverance from Egypt to your children on that night. This is the basis for the Haggadah's storytelling. (Exodus 12:26–27; 13:8, 14; Deuteronomy 6:20–25) Eat bitter herbs (maror) — In the original biblical command, this was part of the Passover meal with the sacrificial lamb. (Exodus 12:8) The Passover sacrifice (Korban Pesach) — In Temple times, a lamb or goat was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan at twilight, eaten roasted that night with matzah and bitter herbs, with strict rules (no bones broken, not taken outside the house, etc.). This is central in Exodus 12 but cannot be performed today without the Temple. (Exodus 12:3–11, 21–27; Numbers 9:1–14) Other elements like the four cups of wine, the Seder plate's full setup (karpas, charoset, etc.), reclining, or specific Haggadah readings are important Jewish customs (minhagim) developed over centuries in rabbinic tradition to fulfill or enhance the biblical commands—but they are not explicitly required in the Torah itself. The holiday commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, the "passing over" of Israelite homes during the tenth plague, and freedom from slavery. Observance is an eternal statute commanded by God (Exodus 12:14, 17, 24). In modern practice (without the Temple), the focus is on matzah, maror, removing chametz, the Seder retelling, and resting on the holy days. Many Jews today emphasize these biblical requirements while incorporating rich traditional customs. Must watch Monti Judah Passover The Passover Seder Passover (Pesach) is one of the most biblically mandated Jewish holidays, with several core observances explicitly required by God in the Torah (primarily in Exodus 12–13, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, and Deuteronomy 16). These are considered divine commandments (mitzvot) rather than later rabbinic customs. Here are the main ones that are directly commanded in the Torah: 1. Remove all leaven (chametz) from your home —On the first day (and for the full seven days), you must eliminate yeast/leavened products entirely. Eating leavened bread during the seven days is forbidden, with severe penalties mentioned (e.g., being "cut off" from the people). (Exodus 12:15–20; 13:7) 2.Eat unleavened bread (matzah) — For seven days, eat only matzah. Specifically, there is a positive commandment to eat matzah on the first night of Passover. (Exodus 12:15, 18, 20; Deuteronomy 16:3, 8) 3.Observe the festival for seven days — The first and seventh days (in the Diaspora, first, second, seventh, and eighth) are holy convocations with no work allowed (except food preparation). (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:6–8) 4.Tell the story of the Exodus — You must recount the events of the deliverance from Egypt to your children on that night. This is the basis for the Haggadah's storytelling. (Exodus 12:26–27; 13:8, 14; Deuteronomy 6:20–25) 5. Eat bitter herbs (maror) — In the original biblical command, this was part of the Passover meal with the sacrificial lamb. (Exodus 12:8) 6.The Passover sacrifice (Korban Pesach) — In Temple times, a lamb or goat was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan at twilight, eaten roasted that night with matzah and bitter herbs, with strict rules (no bones broken, not taken outside the house, etc.). This is central in Exodus 12 but cannot be performed today without the Temple. (Exodus 12:3–11, 21–27; Numbers 9:1–14) Other elements like the four cups of wine, the Seder plate's full setup (karpas, charoset, etc.), reclining, or specific Haggadah readings are important Jewish customs (minhagim) developed over centuries in rabbinic tradition to fulfill or enhance the biblical commands —but they are not explicitly required in the Torah itself. The holiday commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, the "passing over" of Israelite homes during the tenth plague, and freedom from slavery. Observance is an eternal statute commanded by God (Exodus 12:14, 17, 24). In modern practice (without the Temple), the focus is on matzah, maror, removing chametz, the Seder retelling, and resting on the holy days. Many Jews today emphasize these biblical requirements while incorporating rich traditional customs. סֵדֶר, meaning "order" in Hebrew) is the central ritual of Passover (Pesach). It's a festive, interactive family meal held on the first night (or first two nights outside Israel) of the holiday. The purpose is to fulfill the biblical commandment to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to your children and household (Exodus 13:8), reliving the journey from slavery to freedom as if we ourselves were liberated. The Seder follows a structured order laid out in the Haggadah ( the special book used for the evening), which includes prayers, blessings, songs, symbolic foods, discussions, and the retelling of the Exodus story. It typically lasts 2–4 hours (or longer in some homes), blending serious reflection, joy, food, wine, and family participation. Key Elements on the Table Before diving into the steps, here's what you usually see: Seder plate (with symbolic items): Maror (bitter herbs, like horseradish) → bitterness of slavery Chazeret (another bitter vegetable, often romaine lettuce) Zeroa (shank bone or roasted chicken neck) → Passover sacrifice Beitzah (roasted egg) → mourning for the Temple / new life Karpas (green vegetable, like parsley or celery) → spring/renewal Charoset (sweet mixture of apples, nuts, wine) → mortar used by slaves Matzah (three or more unleavened breads, often in a cover) Salt water (for dipping karpas, symbolizing tears of slavery) Four cups of wine (or grape juice) → represent four expressions of redemption Exodus 21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin , and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn 29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” The Exodus 33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. 40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. Institution of the Passover 43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44 but every slave b that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. 46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” 50 All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
- Worship On Sunday? | Answers4saints.com
Romans 14 Is talking about fasting whether you eat or not eat. They are talking about which day should they fast. The word Sabbath is not found in the book of Romans. The Sabbath is the seventh day on the calendar that day is Saturday
- Gate &Path | Answers 4 Saints
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.
- Answers4Saints | Answers 4 Saints
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
- 38 | Answers4saints.com
Good Friday at 3pm to Easter Sunday while it was still dark. Humm the math says drumm role 3pm Monday . Christ said He would be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights, Good Friday Easter Sunday Is Easter Pagan? 3 days and 3 days nights 72 hours Jonah Cast Into the Sea and Swallowed …16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him. 17 Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. How Can Celebrate Easter Anger God? Now that we have just gone through the roots of easter the question remains, “How does celebrating easter anger God?” There is no doubt that the holiday has pagan roots which the LORD detests. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the LORD’s reaction to Israel’s constant falling away into idol worship and pagan practices. We are not much different than the Israelites. Why should we expect a different reaction from Abba? The Word says that God is a jealous God who does not tolerate idolatry. And even if you celebrate Easter with Jesus in mind, God does not receive this! Why? Because it’s a strange fire! Following a holiday with pagan roots , symbols, and meanings and then claiming it in honor of God is an abomination! Here is the clean, definitive Simple Test for identifying whether your home, calendar, and physical habits are in alignment with the Torah of Yehovah, or if you are active in the sin of syncretism—mixing the holy commands of God with the profane traditions of the world. ⚖️ The Simple Test: Sinning Against God (Syncretism Check) Instructions: Answer these 10 direct, binary (Yes/No) questions honestly before the Creator. Question 1: The Origin of the Winter Tree The Scriptural Law: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles... for one cuts a tree from the forest... They decorate it with silver and gold...” (Jeremiah 10:2-4). The Question: When the winter season arrives, do you bring a decorated evergreen tree into your property, or do you banish this custom because it imitates the historic winter-solstice practices of the nations? [ ] YES (I obey God): You refuse to bring a winter tree into your home, treating the custom as a futile practice rooted in ancient solar idolatry. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You continue to set up, decorate, or participate around the tree, claiming "it represents Jesus to me." Question 2: The Sunrise Worship Timing The Scriptural Law: “...with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.” (Ezekiel 8:16). The Question: Do you participate in traditional "Sunrise Services" on the spring equinox calendar, a practice historically dedicated to the dawn and spring deities of the nations? [ ] YES (I obey God): You reject the custom, recognizing that the Father explicitly calls solar-aligned worship timing an abomination. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You attend or defend these services because mainstream church culture has assigned a biblical meaning to them. Question 3: The Vocabulary of the Tongue The Scriptural Law: “And make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.” (Exodus 23:13). The Question: Do you actively scrub the terminology of the nations from your lips when discussing holy things—such as refusing to call the celebration of the Master's resurrection by the name of a Germanic spring goddess (Easter)? [ ] YES (I obey God): You call His days what the Scriptures call them: Pesach (Passover) and Yom HaBikkurim (Firstfruits). [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You continue to use pagan-rooted names for holy realities because it is easier and more socially acceptable. Question 4: The Altar of Your Appetite The Scriptural Law: “Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together,’ says the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:17). The Question: When you select what to put into your body, does the written Law of Leviticus 11 hold total veto power over your appetite, your cravings, and your social comfort? [ ] YES (I obey God): You strictly observe the dietary boundaries, treating your body as a clean, set-apart living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You consume pork, shellfish, or other unclean things, rationalizing it through modern theology, social convenience, or personal taste. Question 5: The Master of Your Time The Scriptural Law: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yehovah your God.” (Exodus 20:8-10). The Question: Do you physically cease from your worldly labor, commerce, and buying/selling on the Seventh-Day Sabbath (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday), or do you follow the Sunday tradition of Rome? [ ] YES (I obey God): You guard the Seventh-Day Sabbath as an eternal covenant sign between you and the Father. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You treat the Seventh Day like any other day for work, shopping, or entertainment, preferring man's shifting calendar. Question 6: The Direct Instruction Rule The Scriptural Law: “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:32). The Question: When looking for a way to worship the King, do you stick strictly to the Appointed Times (Moedim) He wrote down, or do you believe human beings have the authority to invent new religious holidays and rituals? [ ] YES (I obey God): You believe the Torah is sufficient and complete; you add no human holidays to His sacred calendar. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You participate in holidays invented by the state of Rome or modern culture, assuming God accepts whatever we offer. Question 7: Purging Sacred Objects from the Home The Scriptural Law: “You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire... nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to Yehovah your God.” (Deuteronomy 7:25). The Question: Do you systematically inspect your home, decorations, and properties to ensure you are not harboring symbols historically tied to ancient fertility cults, solar wheels, or the occult? [ ] YES (I obey God): You purge your household of any physical item that carries a heritage of false worship or worldly customs. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You keep these items around as "art," "decorations," or "antiques," ignoring the spiritual snare attached to them. Question 8: The Hearing of the Ear The Scriptural Law: “He that turned away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9). The Question: When the hard, straightforward truth of the Torah cuts across your comfort, your wallet, or your family traditions, how does your ear respond? [ ] YES (I obey God): You humble yourself, undergo the continuous baptism of repentance, and adjust your life immediately to match the Spoken Word. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You look for loop-holes, modern grace excuses, or point to "good intentions," matching the exact description of the nation that refuses to be taught (Jeremiah 7:27). Question 9: The Pressure of the Feast Table The Scriptural Law: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21). The Question: If a close family member invites you to a major traditional holiday dinner (like Christmas or Easter) where unclean food is served and pagan-rooted traditions are practiced, do you have the courage to politely decline the invitation to keep your garments clean? [ ] YES (I obey God): You value covenant fidelity above family harmony, refusing to sit at a table that honors a mixed, profane tradition. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You attend anyway to "keep the peace," validating their compromise with your presence. Question 10: The Definition of Faith The Scriptural Law: “But don't just listen to Yehovah’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22). The Question: Is your faith a concrete action of physical submission, consisting of Believing, Committing, and Doing, or is it an intellectual concept wrapped in emotional sentiment? [ ] YES (I obey God): Your faith drives you to physically walk out His commands regarding His Sabbaths, His boundaries, and His instructions. [ ] NO (I follow tradition): You claim to have "faith in your heart" while your hands, your diet, and your lifestyle continue to practice the lawless habits of the world around you. 🎯 The Final Scorecard Every YES choice means you are standing with the Remnant who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24). Every NO choice means the flesh is still ruling in that area, and you are active in syncretism—bringing "strange fire" before the altar of the King. “Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods...” — Deuteronomy 12:31 The Satanic Ritual of Sacrificing Children Every year, the priests of Ishtar would impregnate young virgins on an altar dedicated to herself and her husband*. The children were born on Christmas December 25, and the next year they were sacrificed in the Easter's Sunday at the sunrise service. The priests would take Ishtar's eggs and dye them in the blood of the sacrificed children. Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou 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: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:30-31) God is not happy with the way we have mixed pagan practices with His true worship. Celebrating Easter does not honor or please God even if we do it with the right intention. It was never established by God, so why are we so attached to it? Why do we go to great lengths to defend a holiday that angers Abba? Pride perhaps? Or our unbudging stubbornness in tradition? In the words of Paul to the Romans: “But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.” (Romans 11:5) And still, to this day, there is a remnant of followers of The Way who have made the decision not to be contaminated by the world. Who have proposed to follow God no matter the cost, no matter the fire, no matter the cold shoulder. Because being Christian is not easy and less even when you follow the entire truth- the truth that no one wants to acknowledge. Truth is never popular, not even in the church. But be brave brethren. Be humble. At the end of the day, we want God’s approval, not man’s. Will you be part of the remnant? Exodus 12:3-14 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[a ] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs, and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. Passover Meal The Last Supper Matthew 17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 1 9 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The Last Supper Mark 12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” The Last Supper Luke 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
- Body and Soul | Answers 4 Saints
Thus said the Lord GOD to these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews on you and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD Body Soul and Spirit Narriw Path Worship Spirit and Truth Soul, Spirit & Body God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.” He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. I believe scripture is telling us that when we die, Yehovah takes back His spirit the breath of life, our souls sleep and our body decays until we are resurrected either to life or to the second death. If we are resurrected to life, we will be given a new body as indicated in the next verses. Believers Who Have Died 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who has no hope? 14 For we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Yeshua those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord Forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words . Assurance of the Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee . 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust is well known in your conscience s. Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs Revelations 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed? And the spirit will return to God Ecclesiastes 12:5 For man will go to his home that lasts forever, while people filled with sorrow go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver rope of life is broken and the gold dish is crushed. Remember Him before the pot by the well is broken and the wheel by the waterhole is crushed. 7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was. And the spirit will return to God Who gave it Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person. Job 27:3 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; Job 33:4 4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Ecclesiastes 12:7 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God know no man, but the Spirit of God. Ezekiel 37:5-6 Thus said the Lord GOD to these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews on you and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD. Who has ascended to heaven? There are four occasions in the bible where it appears that individuals have gone to Heaven; Elijah, Lazarus, and Thief on the cross and absent from the body present with Yehovah. 2 Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 2 Chronicles 21:12 Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, Rich Man and Lazarus ● Luke 16:19-23 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torment in Hades, he lifted his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:29 Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” 30 And he said, “No, Father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’”31 But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” Thief on the cross Luke 23: 39-42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today,,,,, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Keep this in mind Hebrew writings did not have commas. It says “paradise”, not heaven. The thief said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” John 20:17 Yeshua said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them,” I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to My God and your God.” For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man Will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. absent from the body present with Yehovah.
- Sacrifrice will resumes | Answers 4 Saints
SAcrifice will resume WILL HUMANITY SURVIVE? We are living in humanity’s grand experiment in governing itself without God. Can the 193 United Nations member states ever find the way to world peace? History should make the answer plain! The twentieth century brought two world wars responsible for the deaths of tens of millions and violent tyrannies that killed millions of innocent civilians. It brought humanity to the brink of nuclear self-annihilation. Even today, biological, chemical, nuclear, and other threats keep our planet on the brink of disaster and destruction. So, will planet Earth survive at all? Is there any hope for world peace? Many do not know that the Bible predicts specific events leading up to the end of this age. We read, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22 ). But who will shorten those days to save us? Your Bible reveals that Christ will return to this earth to prevent total cosmocide. Danger is ahead, but Scripture also shares the awesome good news of a coming world government under the King of kings. Until He comes, what should we do? Many try to “live for today” and enjoy all they can, avoiding the sobering reality of what is to come. But Christ wants us to be different. He admonishes us to “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34–36 ). This article will examine seven trends or signs for which we should be watching. As we watch, we will know that we are approaching that wonderful day when Jesus Christ will return and the seventh trumpet will sound. “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15 ). Will you be ready to meet Him when He comes? You will, if you follow His commands as you prepare. So, look for these seven signs! 1. GROWING DANGER OF NUCLEAR WAR Despite many treaties meant to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, experts are worried. One agency reports that, since 2016, “there has been significant backsliding on the standards related to arms control and risk reduction” (“Assessing Progress on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament,” Arms Control Association, July 2019, p. v). In addition to the known nuclear nations—Russia, the United States, France, China, the United Kingdom, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea—the report looked at Iran and Syria, where biological and other forms of deadly weaponry are also being researched, and found “evidence that Iran, North Korea, and Syria all engaged in illicit trafficking of dual-use [weapon and non-weapon] materials and technologies” (p. vi). Will Russia detonate one of its estimated 6,850 nuclear weapons in a coming war? Will the United States detonate one of its 6,550? We should remember that mankind’s pattern is not to let technology sit unused. Last January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reminded us of this danger: “The current situation—in which intersecting nuclear, climate, and information warfare threats all go insufficiently recognized and addressed, when they are not simply ignored or denied—is unsustainable. The longer world leaders and citizens carelessly inhabit this new and abnormal reality, the more likely the world is to experience a catastrophe of historic proportions.” The Bulletin called our present situation “a new abnormal” (“A new abnormal: It is still 2 minutes to midnight,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2019). Sadly, your Bible confirms that humanity is not finished with war. Scripture foretells World War III, when a huge army will move west across the Euphrates River. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths (Revelation 9:16–18 ). As shocking as it may seem, one-third of all human beings will die in a future world war! Watch for the development of nuclear capabilities on the world scene. 2. EARTHQUAKES AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS As we saw above, floods and fires continue to ravage our planet and seem to be increasing. Consider the following comments by this magazine’s Editor in Chief, Evangelist Gerald E. Weston, in his eye-opening booklet Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters? : Hawaii is a very popular tourist destination, as are the islands of the South Pacific. These beautiful volcanic islands are the stuff of songs and musicals. But as we know, volcanoes can be very dangerous to anyone living too close to them. Thousands of people perished in Pompeii and the surrounding area when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Fifty-seven people died when Mount St. Helens erupted May 18, 1980…. There were warning signs of a catastrophe in the making, just as there had been before Mt. Vesuvius erupted. The north side of St. Helens bulged some 300 feet and was growing five to six feet a day. Warnings to evacuate the area were given, but as is often the case, people do not heed such warnings: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 27:12 ). As we saw earlier, natural disasters cause both human and financial devastation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported in late 2019 that since 1980, the U.S. had suffered over $1.7 trillion in financial losses as a result of 254 major weather events that each cost the nation more than $1 billion. Last year was the fifth consecutive year in which the U.S. suffered ten or more separate billion-dollar disaster events (“Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Overview,” NCDC.NOAA.gov, October 8, 2019). Altogether, natural disasters conservatively cost the United States $91 billion in 2018, according to the NOAA, while several insurance companies such as Munich Re present even higher estimates. And these figures are just for U.S. losses. One single event in 2011—the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that damaged Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant—has been tied to more than 20,000 deaths and $360 billion in economic damage. This compares to “just” $250 billion in damage and additional economic impact in the U.S. from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We could go on listing these events and lamenting the suffering they cause, yet your Bible reveals that today’s worst disasters pale in comparison to what will happen before Christ returns at the end of this age. The book of Revelation explains: “And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth” (16:18). Scripture reveals that terrible times are ahead, before Christ’s return . “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7–8 ). Of course, preparing for the occasional emergency or natural disaster is prudent. But while “doomsday preppers” stockpile vast amounts of food, water, and resources, the only preparation that will ultimately protect you from what is coming on the whole world is to stay close to your Savior and do what He tells you to do! 3. A UNITED EUROPE SEEKS GLOBAL PRIMACY The European Union has experienced the challenge of “Brexit”—the controversy surrounding British voters’ choice to leave the European Union and the consequences of that vote. The EU is also struggling with problems caused by massive flows of refugees and other immigrants, some of whom bring to their new countries the very different values of the countries they left behind. Smaller and weaker EU nations chafe as Germany strives to exert a leadership role proportionate to its economic strength, while all are left unnerved by the uncertain nature of the United States’ commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Many perceive that only a strong and charismatic power can bring unity to the struggling EU. In fact, your Bible prophesies that such a leader is coming, symbolized as a beast with seven heads and ten horns. God reveals the meaning of this symbol: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:12–13 ). Ten kings or kingdoms will support this charismatic leader, producing a powerful, unified force. Currently, the European Union is not so unified, but watch for international events that will spur a future combination of nations in Europe to fulfill a final revival of the historic Roman Empire, which will dominate the world politically and militarily. Notice the description of its power: “And all the world marveled and followed the beast… and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:3–4 ). The world power structure will change dramatically over the coming years. Watch developments in Europe as an ascendant European Union seeks and ultimately achieves global primacy. 4. A POWERFUL LEADER UNITES BILLIONS IN A RELIGIOUS REVIVAL We’ve seen the prophecy that a great superpower will ascend on the world scene, but notice that there’s another world figure also described as a beast. This symbolic beast has two horns like a lamb. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived (Revelation 13:11–14 ). Jesus Christ is called the Lamb of God. By contrast, this religious imposter will appear Christian while speaking like a dragon. You need to watch for an internationally respected religious figure who will influence a European political and military superpower. You must not let him deceive you, though his miracle-working deceptions will cause billions to follow him and his false religion. Notice: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9 ). One of the false prophet’s lying wonders will be to call down fire from heaven, as we saw in Revelation 13:13 . The Apostle Paul emphasizes that this false prophet will be a servant of Satan, not of God, and will be judged at the coming of the King of kings, Jesus Christ: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 ). Watch religious trends in Europe, where a great religious revival will draw billions to a false and lawless religion. 5. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION Jesus gave us a vital warning sign: “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains’” (Matthew 24:15–16 ). If you’ve read the books of Daniel and Matthew in your Bible, you may have been puzzled by the mysterious “abomination of desolation.” What is it, and what does it mean in end-time prophecy? Clearly, this is an important sign to understand. It signals when God’s people are to flee and escape the final three-and-a-half-year sequence of end-time prophetic devastations. Historically, the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes issued a decree in 167 BC that prohibited the Jews from making temple sacrifices. We read, “And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation” (Daniel 11:31 ). Antiochus not only stopped the daily sacrifices, but also erected in the temple a statue of Jupiter Olympus and directed everyone to worship it. This event, also described in Daniel 8, prefigured a prophesied end-time milestone. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11 ). Yes, 1,290 days before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, animal sacrifices will again be stopped! Jesus warns Christians to be alert to an end-time abomination of desolation! Just as Antiochus Epiphanes profaned the Temple and cut off the sacrifices in 167 BC, so will a profane authority cut off Jewish sacrifices in the future! You need to watch for developments in Israel that will lead to the restoration of animal sacrifices by religious Jews, and for developments leading to an international treaty allowing these sacrifices. 6. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS Jesus gave this sign signifying the end of man’s failed attempts to produce world peace: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 ). You’ve been reading that Gospel in this magazine, which proclaims tomorrow’s world and the Kingdom of God on Earth. Yes, the world-ruling Kingdom of God will bring peace and prosperity to all nations of the earth. It will be ruled by the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus came preaching that Gospel or good news: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15 ). The prophet Isaiah reveals an inspiring promise of the Messiah’s world-ruling kingdom of peace: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6–7 ). Today’s world of conflicts, oppression, and wars will be replaced by the Kingdom of God—the government of God. “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15 ). 7. HEAVENLY SIGNS AND THE DAY OF THE LORD Many who watch world news and study Bible prophecy know that a cosmic disturbance in the heavens will shock everyone on earth. Some Bibles include a header above Revelation 6:12 , calling attention to this disturbance: “Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances”—but what does that refer to? Does it mean the recent “blood moon” lunar eclipses that captured so much attention? We read the following: I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (vv. 12–17). So-called “blood moon” eclipses certainly remind us of this prophesied event, but the real thing will be far, far more impressive—even terrifying—and will not be explainable by the positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. These prophesied cosmic disturbances will herald the Day of the Lord, the “great day of His [Christ’s] wrath.” Through Scripture, God warns us in advance of future judgments. The Moon will be turned to the color of blood and the Sun will become dark. Thousands of meteors will light up the sky. Yes, judgment is coming on all nations of planet Earth. How can you escape the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Our Savior admonishes us to “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34–36 ). WATCH AND PREPARE FOR CHRIST’S RETURN! Some preachers misleadingly teach that we cannot understand prophecy and that Jesus Christ may return at any moment. On the contrary, as we have seen from the Bible, and as you can know from other Tomorrow’s World publications, there is a specific prophetic framework in which you can have confidence. But what about you, personally? You may die at any time and wake up to the resurrection of the saints, or to a resurrection of judgment. You cannot afford to delay in responding to your Savior! We look forward to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to rule all nations and establish the Kingdom of God on Earth for a thousand years. What is your greatest goal? Your Bible gives us the most important and vital goal we could ever set: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 ). Watch for these seven signs of Christ’s return, prepare, and pray, “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10 ). For more on this subject, order our free booklet, “Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.”
- 53 | Answers4saints.com
We are to gather our tithes, first fruits, and free-will offerings and bring them to Jerusalem; we are to rejoice before YHVH using specific plant species; we are to take part of our tithes and feast on food &strong drink for seven days; we are to build a sukkah, and we are to have nothing but joy. Feasts of the LORD for the crossover people from death to life call Hebrews 1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘These are My appointed feasts, the feasts of the LORD that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 3For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a day of sacred assembly. You must not do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.… God's feast days commandment not optional The Biblcai calander how do I start following it The Biblical Holy Days, Part 1 The Biblical Holy Days, Part 2 The Biblical Holy Days, Part 3 What is Shauvot and why is it so important? 7 Feast of the Lord Feast of the Lord Passover more information please click here Feast of unleaven bread Feast of First Fruits Pentecost Feast of Trumpets Feast of Tabernacles Sukkot Day of Atoinment The Biblical Feast Days
- 29 | Answers4saints.com
Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. 13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. We all will be judged ! The Heart-Hardening and Spiritual Idolater This diagnostic test is designed to expose the subtle, progressive stages of a hardening heart. In scripture, a hardened heart doesn't happen overnight—it begins with minor excuses, moves to casual neglect, and ends in open defiance of God’s commandments. 📋 The Heart-Hardening Diagnostic Test Instructions: Answer these 10 direct questions honestly to evaluate whether your heart is remaining soft and responsive to the Holy Spirit, or if it is actively calcifying into a state of disobedience. Question 1: The Reaction to New Truth When you are reading scripture or listening to the Word, and you discover a clear commandment of Yehovah that you have never kept before (such as His Seventh-Day Sabbath or His dietary boundaries): A) Your heart breaks in immediate repentance. You say, "I didn't know, but now I will change my life to obey." B) Your mind instantly goes on the defensive, looking for loop-holes, modern theological excuses, or reasons why that specific law "doesn't apply to you." Question 2: The Shift from Conviction to Comfort Think back to the first time you realized you were violating one of God’s explicit instructions. How has that feeling changed over time? A) The conviction remains sharp, heavy, and uncomfortable until you physically repent and align your actions with the Word. B) You used to feel bad about it, but now you can violate that commandment routinely without feeling any internal grief or checking your conscience. Question 3: The Seduction of the Crowd When faced with a choice between a direct command of God and a long-standing human tradition or family holiday that violates His Word: A) You stand firmly with the sword of truth, choosing to please God even if it causes painful division or awkwardness with your loved ones (Matthew 10:34). B) You choose to please the crowd, rationalizing that "God knows my heart" or "it’s just a harmless tradition," prioritizing human harmony over covenant fidelity. Question 4: The Handling of Reproof and Correction When a brother, sister, or scriptural passage directly confronts a specific sin or compromise in your daily walk: A) You humble yourself like David, examine the evidence against the infallible standard of the Word, and actively correct your path. B) You become irritated, dismiss the person as "legalistic" or "judgmental," and completely shut your ears to the correction. Question 5: Intellectual Understanding vs. Physical Application How do you measure your spiritual maturity and standing before the King? A) By your wholehearted application of the Word—ensuring that what you hear and understand translates into physical fruits of obedience (Matthew 12:33). B) By your intellectual knowledge. You pride yourself on knowing the Bible, studying theology, or debating scripture, while your actual lifestyle, diet, and calendar look just like the rest of the world. Question 6: The Standard of Grace When you think about the blood of Christ and the grace of the New Covenant, how does it affect your relationship with the Torah? A) You view grace as a clean slate that gives you the power to finally walk in total obedience, writing His law directly onto your responsive heart (Jeremiah 31:33). B) You view grace as a permanent safety net or a license, assuming that His mercy acts as a cover so you can disregard His statutes and judgments without consequences. Question 7: The Blindness to Ezekiel’s Wolves When you sit under a pastor or teacher who actively smooths over the Torah, ignores the Sabbaths, or tells you that God's laws are an obsolete burden: A) You recognize them as a blind guide doing violence to the Law (Ezekiel 22:26), and you run away from their lawless influence. B) You find comfort in their sermons because they tell your itching ears exactly what they want to hear, allowing you to stay securely asleep on the broad road. Question 8: The Desolate Places vs. Modern Comfort How much of your daily effort, energy, and financial focus is dedicated to building your own comfort within the modern system versus preparing for His Kingdom? A) You treat your life as a strict training ground, learning the agricultural, moral, and covenant laws of the King today so you are ready to be a true citizen of His restored land. B) You are fully invested in securing your own ease in Babylon, giving almost zero thought to the physical, literal restoration of Israel or the laws of His royal court. Question 9: Present-Tense Defiance Knowing that James 4:17 states, "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin," what is your current posture toward a truth you know you are ignoring? A) You are actively working to eliminate the compromise, bringing your home, your family routines, and your hands into subjection to the Master. B) You are currently and actively engaged in a calculated delay, deciding that the economic, social, or emotional cost of obeying right now is simply too high. Question 10: The Ultimate Warning of Amos's Sieve When you read about the sifting of the nations and the upcoming Great White Throne Judgment where the books of record will be opened: A) You tremble with holy reverence, daily begging the Father to search your hidden motives and purify you from the inside out (Hebrews 12:14). B) You read the warnings with a detached, cold perspective, presuming that your past verbal profession completely exempts you from the sifting process and the standard of the Spoken Word. The Heart Condition Verdict: Look squarely at your answers. If the choices consistently land on B, the scriptural diagnosis is flashing a severe warning: your heart is progressively hardening. Pharaoh didn't wake up with a heart of stone; he reached it by repeatedly hearing the command of Yehovah and choosing to delay, excuse, and defy it. How you live your life is the only real evidence of what you believe internally. If you are currently hiding behind excuses to avoid physical obedience, you are actively calcifying your heart against the Holy Spirit. Drop the defenses, turn your face back to the Torah, and yield your walk to the King while your heart can still feel the weight of His voice. 📋 Heart-Hardening Diagnostic Test: Part 2 Instructions: Continue evaluating your patterns, thoughts, and automatic reactions against the standard of the Spoken Word. Question 11: The "What About..." Diversion Technique When a clear commandment from the Torah is brought to your attention, what is your immediate mental reaction? A) You look directly at your own life and ask, "Am I doing this?" B) You immediately try to distract from your own disobedience by bringing up hypothetical scenarios or pointing fingers at others ("Well, what about people who live on a desert island?" or "What about that hyper-legalistic person who keeps the Sabbath but has no love?"). Question 12: The Language of the Tongue How do you speak about the structural laws, feast days, and statutes that Yehovah explicitly set up for His people? A) You view them with deep affection, agreeing with King David that His law is "sweeter than honey" (Psalm 19:10) and light to your path. B) You casually use words like "old," "obsolete," "bondage," "legalistic," or "done away with" when describing the very instructions the Father called holy, just, and good. Question 13: Compartmentalizing Your Walk How much of your life is actually subject to the authority of the Word of God? A) Every single department—your budget, your calendar, what you put into your mouth, how you dress, how you run your business, and how you speak to your family. B) You have boxed God into a "spiritual compartment" (prayer, church attendance, and reading devotionals), while leaving your physical habits, your business ethics, and your entertainment choices to be guided by the standards of the world. Question 14: Casual Exposure to Abominations When choosing what to watch, listen to, or tolerate in your home as entertainment: A) You protect your eyes and ears, refusing to look at things that celebrate lawlessness, witchcraft, sexual immorality, or mockery of the Creator. B) You can sit through movies or shows that openly flaunt what God calls an abomination, laughing at them or tuning them out, claiming "it’s just entertainment" or "it doesn't affect me." Question 15: The Definition of "Love" How do you define what it means to love God and love your neighbor? A) You define it exactly how the Bible does: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). B) You define love as a warm emotional feeling, a vibe of general tolerance, or being "nice," believing that as long as you feel love in your heart, you don't actually have to execute the specific, physical laws of behavior God laid down. Question 16: The Fear of Man vs. The Fear of Yehovah When an opportunity arises where keeping a commandment (like leaving work early for the Sabbath or refusing unclean food at a social event) will make you look "weird" or radical to your peers: A) You welcome the reproach of the Messiah, choosing to be a set-apart peculiar treasure rather than blend into Egypt. B) You compromise or hide your beliefs to avoid an awkward conversation, choosing the temporary praise and comfort of men over the approval of the Master. Question 17: Memory Trimming and Selective Amnesia When you read through the historical accounts of Israel in the wilderness, how do you process their failures? A) You take them as a terrifying personal warning, knowing that God destroyed an entire generation of believers because they refused to physically obey His voice (1 Corinthians 10:5-11). B) You skim past those parts or view them as distant history that has no bearing on you, assuming that your modern religious labels give you a pass from the same standard of accountability. Question 18: The Response to Personal Suffering or Hardship When trials, financial tightness, or unexpected health struggles hit your life, how does it impact your obedience? A) You draw closer to the Covenant, searching your life for any hidden compromise and anchoring yourself tighter to His commands. B) You become bitter, loosen your grip on His standards, or say, "I’ve been trying to follow God and look what happened—what’s the point?" using your pain as an excuse to break His laws. Question 19: Sneaking Around Your Conscience Do you ever find yourself playing technical games with God's instructions? A) You seek the full, heavy weight of the spirit of the Law, wanting to fulfill it to the absolute maximum of your ability. B) You look for ways to technically slide by on a technicality—doing just enough to "look" religious to others while your heart finds ways to indulge your flesh right up to the border of transgression. Question 20: The Grief over Lawlessness in the Land When you look at the collapsing morality, the broken families, and the general rebellion against God's natural order in modern culture: A) Your soul is vexed like righteous Lot, and you weep over the lawlessness, recognizing that the root cause is that humanity has forsaken the Torah of Yehovah. B) You have become completely numb to it. You complain about politics or the economy, but you don't connect the dots to see that the root of all human misery is the rejection of the Father’s explicit instructions. The Deep Diagnostic: A heart turns to stone one degree at a time. It happens when we value our reputation more than His righteousness, when we mistake an emotional vibe for true covenant love, and when we think our knowledge can substitute for our obedience. If these questions hit a nerve, don't ignore it. That stinging sensation is proof that the heart is still alive—repent, change direction, and walk out the truth today. Spiritual Idolater When you look at the concept of a spiritual idolater, it goes much deeper than the old-school picture of someone bowing down to a physical statue of wood, stone, or gold. In a biblical sense —especially looking at the teachings of the prophets, Yeshua, and Paul—idolatry is fundamentally a matter of the heart. It happens the exact moment anything inside our lives takes the seat of priority, trust, or devotion that belongs solely to God. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:5, “...and covetousness, which is idolatry.” He ties a condition of the heart (greed, wanting what isn't yours, or looking to material things for fulfillment) directly to worshiping a false god. The Core Traits of a Spiritual Idolater A spiritual idolater might look completely religious or upright on the outside, but their internal alignment is shifted. Here are the three main ways this plays out: 1. Misplaced Trust (The Security Idol) This is looking to anything other than God for ultimate security, safety, and future stability. What it looks like: Placing absolute, unwavering faith in a bank account, a political leader, a career, or a human institution to save or protect us. When those things become the source of our peace instead of the Creator, they have become functional idols. 2. Seeking Human Approval (The Pride Idol) This ties directly back to what we looked at in Romans 2:29—seeking the praise of people rather than the praise of God. What it looks like: Doing religious deeds, posting on social media, or adjusting our morals just to be seen, validated, and applauded by the culture or our peers. If the driving force of our life is "What do people think of me?" rather than "Where is my heart with the Father?", we are serving the idol of self and reputation. 3. Religious Legalism (The System Idol) Irony of ironies, you can actually turn the letter of the law or religious traditions into an idol. What it looks like: When a person falls in love with their own righteousness, their specific denomination, or their rigid checklist of rules rather than loving God and their neighbor. They trust in their ability to perform the rules perfectly to save themselves, completely bypassing a true, Spirit-led change of heart. The Heart as an "Idol Factory" The human heart is incredibly deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9). It has a natural habit of taking good things—like family, hard work, financial stability, or theological knowledge—and turning them into ultimate things. A good thing becomes an idol the second you decide you cannot live, feel secure, or be happy without it. The remedy for spiritual idolatry is always the same throughout scripture: a circumcised heart. It’s daily pulling down those internal altars to self-reliance or public approval, and anchoring our identity entirely on the root of the Olive Tree—seeking praise from God alone, where no human eye can see. The Core Traits of a Spiritual Idolater 1. Christmas The Original Date: December 25th was the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus (The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun) and the climax of Saturnalia (a wild winter festival honoring the god of agriculture). The Evergreens: Bringing pine trees, holly, and mistletoe indoors comes from ancient European winter customs used to ward off winter spirits and honor fertility. The Truth: Yeshua was likely born in the autumn during the Feast of Tabernacles, not in the dead of winter. 2. Easter The Name: "Easter" is derived directly from ancient fertility goddesses of the dawn and spring, such as Eostre (Anglo-Saxon) and Ishtar (Babylonian Queen of Heaven). The Rabbits & Eggs: Pure symbols of extreme fertility and the rebirth of nature used in ancient spring equinox celebrations. They have no connection to a Hebrew resurrection. The Truth: The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) intentionally severed the resurrection celebration from its true biblical anchor—Passover. 3. Halloween The Origin: Stemmed from Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred. The Costumes: People wore masks and disguises to confuse or ward off wandering evil spirits. The Change: The Church later renamed it "All Hallows' Eve" to transition pagans into the church system. 4. Valentine's Day The Origin: Stemmed from Lupercalia, a wild, sexually charged Roman fertility festival held in mid-February. The Change: Pope Gelasius replaced the festival in the 5th century by dedicating February 14th to St. Valentine, turning an old fertility custom into a romantic holiday. 5. New Year's Day (January 1st) The Origin: Established by Julius Caesar in 46 BC to honor Janus, the two-faced Roman god of doors, gates, beginnings, and transitions. The Custom: The month of "January" is named after Janus (who looks forward into the new year and backward into the old). Romans celebrated by offering sacrifices to him, partying, and exchanging gifts. The Truth: According to the biblical calendar in Exodus 12:2, God establishes the first month of the year in the spring (Nisan/Abib), matching the rebirth of agricultural life rather than the dead of winter. 6. The Title "Pope" & "Pontiff" The Origin: Derived directly from the Roman imperial title Pontifex Maximus (meaning "Supreme Bridge-Builder"), which was the title held by the high priest of the pagan Roman College of Pontiffs. The Mix: Roman Emperors like Augustus and Constantine wore this title as the head of the pagan state religion. When the Roman Church gained political dominance, the Bishop of Rome adopted the title and the hierarchical supreme authority that went with it. The Truth: Yeshua explicitly commanded His followers not to seek lofty, hierarchical titles or call any religious leader on earth "Father" in a supreme spiritual sense (Matthew 23:9). 7. Sun-Day vs. The Sabbath The Origin: In ancient Babylon, Persia, and Rome, the first day of the week was dedicated to the worship of the Sun god (Mithra / Sol Invictus). The Change: In 321 AD, Emperor Constantine issued a strict imperial decree: "On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed." This officially shifted the official day of rest from the biblical Sabbath to Sunday to unify pagans and Christians under his rule. The Truth: God established the Seventh-day Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) at Creation as a perpetual sign of His covenant (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 31:16-17). 8. The Single "Senior Pastor" System The Origin: Derived from the "Monarchical Episcopate" of the late Roman Empire, where a single bishop ruled over a city just like a Roman governor. The Mix: Mainstream churches replaced the biblical model of a local team of co-equal elders (Zakenim) with a single, corporate CEO/Senior Pastor style of top-down leadership. The Truth: In the original first-century assemblies, leadership was always a shared plurality of local elders who kept each other accountable. No single man ruled the flock. 9. "The Pulpit" and Professional Oratory The Origin: Derived from the Roman Rostrum and Greek theater stages, where professional orators (Sophists) were paid to give slick, polished, one-way rhetorical speeches to a passive audience. The Mix: The church adopted the physical layout of an elevated platform (pulpit) facing rows of silent spectators, turning fellowship into a performance. The Truth: First-century gatherings were interactive, conversational, and participative (1 Corinthians 14:26). 10. The "Clergy vs. Laity" Split The Origin: Rooted in ancient pagan religious systems and formalized by Roman imperial law, which created a rigid class divide between holy, paid priests (Clergy) and ordinary common people (Laity). The Mix: Mainstream church culture conditioned believers to think that "the Pastor" or "the Ministry Staff" are the only ones qualified to do God's work, baptize, or teach. The Truth: Scripture teaches the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). There is no spiritual hierarchy. 11. Cathedral Architecture & Holy Buildings The Origin: Modeled directly after the Roman Basilica—the grand, imperial public buildings used for Roman courts, politics, and pagan temple worship. The Mix: When Constantine legalized Christianity, the church moved out of houses and began building massive, ornate shrines, treating the physical building as "the House of God." The Truth: The New Testament explicitly states that God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24). The people are the temple. Most people have never heard of this verse… Matthew 24:12 Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. 13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.… James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Yehovah defines love as keeping His commandments, all of them. He sent His Son to teach them to us and to live them as an example for us. Modern Christians are under the false assumption that the commandments are just for the Jews to follow. They seem to forget that their Jesus (Yeshua) is Jewish. Acts: 17:30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. There seems to be an assumption that Yehovah will overlook all our indiscretions because “He knows my heart”, the problem is that He knows our heart and He calls them deceitful and sick. There are 12 verses about the wicked hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? The next verses confirm no one can snatch us away from Yeshua’s hands, however we can turn our backs on Him and walk away. We demonstrate this when we stop keeping Yehovah’s commandments. 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 10: 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan plead for the widow. 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson; they will be like wool. 19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; That the Race Is Not to The Swift or Strong but To Those Who Endure to The End There are about 90 verses on persevering to the end. Scripture is very clear, we must have an obedient heart and endure until the end to ensure salvation. All the remaining verses confirm we must endure, remain steadfast, fight the good fight until we can't fight anymore in order to be saved. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Mark 13:13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Yeshua. Revelation 3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Revelation 3:21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Romans 2:7 To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; Revelation 2:25-28 Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning stars. Revelation 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Hebrews 12:5-7 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? What is sin? video
- 39 | Answers 4 Saints Grace
or the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. …18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works so that no one can boast. 🏛️ What Does "Under the Law" Actually Mean? To understand why Paul said we are not "under the law," you have to look at the phrase scripturally, not culturally. In the Greek text, being "under the law" (upo nomon) carries a specific legal meaning: being under the condemnation and penalty of the law because you are a lawbreaker. Think of it like a modern traffic law: If you drive the speed limit, you are not "under" the authority of the flashing lights and the ticket book. You are walking in freedom. The law isn't chasing you. The exact second you choose to break the speed limit, you put yourself "under the law." You are now a criminal caught in the system, waiting for the penalty. Before you came into covenant through the Messiah Yeshua, you were a lawbreaker. You were trapped in protective custody under the law of sin and death (Galatians 3:23). You owed a blood debt you could not pay. When Yeshua died for you, His grace paid your penalty and pulled you out of that prison. He didn't delete the speed limit; He paid your ticket and set you free from the executioner! “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” — Romans 3:31 (NKJV) According to the clear blueprint of Scripture, receiving the true, empowering grace of God is not a passive event or a quick mental agreement. It is a profound, life-altering legal and spiritual transaction. True grace is an unearned gift, but it is exclusively given to a specific heart posture. The Scriptures lay down a direct, unbreakable sequence for how a person physically enters into this covenant and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. This phrase likely references the famous biblical proverb, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." This theme of humility runs throughout scripture as a reminder of the peace that comes from recognizing our dependence on God rather than relying entirely on our own strength. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Where it is found: You can read this exact sentiment in the New Testament books of James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 , which both quote the Old Testament passage from Proverbs 3:34 . [1 ] What it means : Pride pushes people to rely entirely on themselves and act as their own ultimate authority. Because of this, scripture notes that God opposes or resists the proud. [1 ] The reward for humility: Those who are humble acknowledge their limitations and seek God. In return, they are met with His unearned favor, or "grace," which helps them overcome daily struggles and find spiritual rest. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] 🛠️ The Scriptural Sequence to Receive Grace 1.Confront the Standard of the Word:The Diagnosis. You must look into the perfect mirror of God's Torah (His Law) to understand your true spiritual condition. Scripture states that "sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). You must believe that you have broken His commandments, sinned against His holiness, and that you rightfully deserve the sentence of the law of sin and death (Romans 6:23). 2.Experience Godly Sorrow:The Broken Heart. Instead of making excuses, minimizing your actions, or defending your traditions, you allow the truth to smash your pride. You experience a deep, internal grief because you realize your lawlessness has offended the Creator and brought shame to His Name. This is Godly sorrow, which produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). As the Psalmist records: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). 3.Repent (Teshuvah):The Physical Turn. You must execute a radical, 180-degree physical turn. Repentance (Teshuvah) means you stop walking down the broad road of worldly customs, pagan traditions, and self-pleasing appetites, and you turn your face directly back toward the ancient paths of the Father's commandments. You actively cast the abominations out of your life, your home, your diet, and your calendar. 4.Surrender to the Messiah through Baptism:The Covenant Seal. You cast your entire life upon the unmerited mercy, favor, and blood of the Sovereign King, Yeshua. You acknowledge that His death paid the blood-debt you owed for your past lawlessness. You seal this commitment by being immersed in water (baptism) in the name of Yeshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). This is where you physically "put on Christ," burying your old, rebellious nature and rising as a brand-new creation (Galatians 3:27). 5.Receive the Holy Spirit to Walk in Truth:The Empowered Life . Once you have repented and entered the covenant, the Father gives you the ultimate gift of grace: the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Spirit is not to give you goosebumps or make you feel emotional; the purpose of the Spirit is to write the Torah directly onto your heart and mind (Hebrews 10:16), giving you the supernatural power, desire, and strength to physically do what the Word says and establish His Law in your daily walk (Romans 3:31). ⚖️ The Gatekeeper: Humility vs. Pride There is one supreme, universal spiritual law that dictates exactly who receives this gift and who is locked out. Scripture repeats this warning multiple times across both testaments: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6 / 1 Peter 5:5 / Proverbs 3:34 The Proud Man defends his lifestyle, makes excuses for eating abominations, clings tightly to the annual pagan traditions of his ancestors, and argues with the plain text of Scripture. Because his neck is stiff, the Creator actively resists him, and he can never access true grace. The Humble Man hears the straight, uncompromised shout of the Word, falls on his face, confesses his lawlessness, and asks the King for instructions. Because his heart is soft, the Father pours out boundless grace upon him, lifting him out of the muddy pit of the world and placing his feet firmly on the path of stable, joyful obedience. Grace is entirely free, but it will cost you your pride, your worldly reputation, and your attachment to human traditions. If you want the true, life-saving favor of Yehovah today, humble yourself before the text, submit to the King, and start doing what His Word commands! God’s grace and His Spirit are deeply connected in scripture. The Holy Spirit is considered the very presence of God within a believer , and it is through this Spirit that we receive, understand, and apply God's unearned grace to our daily lives. [1 , 2 ] How Grace and the Spirit Work Together The Source of Grace: Grace is God's undeserved favor and love. It is a free gift given to us through faith in Christ. [ 1 ] The Spirit's Role: The Holy Spirit illuminates these truths, helping us grasp what God has freely given us. The Spirit is often called the "deposit" or guarantee of our salvation. [1 , 2 ] Evidence of the Spirit: When a person has the Spirit of God, their life is transformed. T his transformation produces what the Bible calls the "fruit of the spirit": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. [1 , 2 ] By this connection, we know that God dwells within us and works through us. You can explore more about how the Spirit empowers believers on Desiring God . [1 , 2 ] Here is the final, binary (Yes/No) Grace Test to prove whether you are operating under true biblical grace or a lawless counterfeit. 1. Theological & Spiritual Meaning Divine Favor : In religious contexts grace is unearned, unconditional love and forgiveness. It is the free gift of salvation and spiritual strength. Mealtime Prayer: A short, spoken prayer of thanksgiving offered before or after eating is widely referred to as "saying grace". [1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] 2. Behavioral & Interpersonal Poise and Elegance: The physical attribute of moving smoothly, naturally, and with dignified balance (e.g., a dancer's grace). Compassion: Interacting with others by showing patience, kindness, and extending forgiveness, especially during difficult situations. [1 , 2 , 3 ] 3. Practical & Legal Contexts Grace Period: A designated length of time past a due date (like a bill or insurance premium) where a late penalty or cancellation will not be applied. Privilege: In law, a concession, pardon, or temporary exemption granted as an act of mercy rather than a strict legal right. [1 , 2 ] ⚖️ The True Grace vs. Counterfeit Grace Test Instructions: Answer these final 3 diagnostic questions honestly to see how the word "grace" is being applied in your life. Question 1: The Function of Grace The Scriptural Law: “ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...” (Titus 2:11-12). The Question: What is grace actually teaching you to do on a daily basis? [ ] YES (True Grace): Grace acts as your trainer, giving you the power to say "No" to the desires of the flesh and the traditions of the world, driving you to live an upright lifestyle aligned with the Torah. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You use the concept of grace to excuse or tolerate known compromises in your home, calendar, or diet, treating it as a safety net for ongoing disobedience. Question 2: The Relationship to the Law The Scriptural Law: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it ?” (Romans 6:1-2) / “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:31). The Question: Now that you have received salvation by grace through faith, what happens to your obligation to obey God’s written commandments? [ ] YES (True Grace): You recognize that grace delivers you from the condemnation of the law (the law of sin and death), which frees you to gladly establish, honor, and physically do the commandments in Spirit and Truth. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You believe that being "under grace" means the Old Testament laws, dietary boundaries, and Sabbaths are "done away with," effectively using grace to render God's Spoken Word void. Question 3: The Threat of Turncoats The Scriptural Law: “For certain individuals... have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 1:4). The Question: When you are confronted with a hard, uncompromised command from the Scriptures (like purging pagan holiday traditions or unclean foods), what is your immediate defense? [ ] YES (True Grace): You tremble at the Word, humble your heart, and seek the Spirit's help to align your lifestyle with the command immediately. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): Your mind immediately jumps to the defense of "I'm saved by grace, not works," which is the exact mechanism Jude warns against—turning the favor of God into a shield to protect your own lawlessness. 🎯 The Conclusion of the Matter True grace is an empowering gift. It does not lower the Father's standard of holiness; it raises your ability to meet it. If your grace results in a clean home, a guarded Sabbath, a scriptural diet, and the keeping of His Appointed Times, you are walking in the true, unmerited favor of the Most High. If your grace allows you to comfortably keep the traditions of Rome, eat abominations, and ignore the Torah, you are caught in a delusion that scripture defines as a dead faith. The tests are finished, the standard is clear, and the witness of the text is absolute. May the true grace of our Master Yeshua give you the strength to stand with the obedient remnant until the day of His appearing! Here are 5 more direct, binary (Yes/No) questions to expand the Grace and Accountability Test. These focus specifically on the ultimate purpose of grace: moving a believer from a state of lawless rebellion to a life of physical, covenant-keeping action. 📋 The Simple Test: Part 4 (The Mechanics of Grace ) Question 4: The Power to Perform The Scriptural Law: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). The Question: Do you view grace as a passive legal status that merely keeps you out of hell, or do you view it as the active fuel that enables you to perform the "good works" explicitly outlined in the Father's Law? [ ] YES (True Grace): You recognize that grace was given so that your hands and feet could physically walk out the ancient paths and commandments God prepared from the beginning. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You treat grace as an end in itself, believing that as long as you have the right theology, actual physical compliance with God's laws is optional or secondary. Question 5: The "Sin is the Transgression of the Law" Rule The Scriptural Law: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4). The Question: When you talk about needing "grace for your sins," do you define sin strictly the way the Bible does (breaking the written Torah), or do you use a human, emotional definition of just "being a bad person"? [ ] YES (True Grace) : You use the scriptural definition. You know exactly what commands you broke (e.g., breaking Sabbath, eating unclean), which makes your repentance specific, urgent, and physical. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You keep your understanding of sin vague and generalized, which allows you to feel "covered by grace" without ever having to stop specific lawless habits. Question 6: The Trampling of the Son The Scriptural Law: “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?” (Hebrews 10:29). The Question: If you willfully continue in a practice after the written Word has clearly shown you it is an abomination (like eating swine's flesh or celebrating pagan-rooted dates), what are you doing with the blood of Christ? [ ] YES (True Grace): You tremble at this warning. You immediately drop the behavior because you refuse to insult the Spirit of grace by using the Messiah’s death as a license to keep breaking His Father's laws. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You continue the behavior anyway, assuming the blood of the covenant automatically covers willful, ongoing rebellion because "no one is perfect." Question 7: The Fruit Inspection The Scriptural Law: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:19-20). The Question : If grace is truly living inside you through the Holy Spirit, it must produce visible, physical fruit that looks like the Messiah's lifestyle. Does your daily lifestyle look like the Torah-observant walk of Yeshua? [ ] YES (True Grace): The fruit is evident. Your calendar, your kitchen, your speech, and your behavior have been structurally altered to match the Master's walk. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): Your fruit matches the culture around you. You look, eat, and celebrate just like the world, using the word "grace" to explain away the lack of biblical fruit. Question 8: The "Not Everyone Who Says to Me" Standard The Scriptural Law: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name...’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). The Question: When you stand before the judgment seat, on what basis do you expect to enter the Kingdom? [ ] YES (True Grace): You trust completely in the grace of the Messiah, which successfully led you to stop practicing lawlessness and instead do the explicit will of the Father. [ ] NO (Counterfeit): You rely on your verbal professions ("Lord, Lord"), your religious activities, or your church attendance, while continuing to live a lifestyle that ignores the written commandments. 🏁 The Ultimate Division True grace is not a tool used to bypass t he Torah; it is the supernatural power that brings you into subjection to it. Every YES is a declaration that the King's authority is absolute over your flesh. Every NO is a warning light that a counterfeit, lawless grace is still comforting you on the road to the harvest of fire. Turn the wheel completely while the gate is still open! 🐐 1. Stumbling in Weakness (Where Grace Abounds) The Father understands that we are dust, and that unlearning the lawless habits of the world takes time. If a person has a sincere heart to obey the Torah, but they slip up due to weakness, ignorance, or an accidental oversight, grace does not leave them. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yeshua Messiah the righteous.” — 1 John 2:1 (NKJV) In this case, grace is actively working. The Holy Spirit convicts the person’s heart, they experience Godly sorrow, they confess the specific sin, and they physically correct their behavior. Grace remains good because the person is submissive to the discipline of the house. 🐂 2. Walking in Rebellion (Where Grace is Cut Off) The line is crossed when a person receives the knowledge of the truth, looks directly at what the written Word says, and chooses to keep sinning anyway because it is popular, comfortable, or culturally normal. Scripture defines this as presumptuous sin—sinning with a high hand. When a person does this, God does not just passively watch; a precise spiritual hardening takes place. The author of Hebrews lays down the terrifying legal reality of what happens when a believer chooses ongoing, willful lawlessness: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment...” — Hebrews 10:26–27 (NKJV) If there is no longer a sacrifice covering you, it means grace has been removed. You have chosen to walk out from under the Messiah’s blood and back into the prison of the law of sin and death. ⚠️ The Three Steps to the Total Removal of Grace When a believer starts sliding backward into the traditions of the world or the appetites of the flesh, the Father typically follows a clear, merciful, yet severe process before grace is completely extinguished: Step 1: Holy Vexation and Conviction The Holy Spirit stirs up trouble in your conscience. Your prayers feel blocked, your peace disappears, and the written Word starts to bite whenever you read it. This is God’s grace trying to pull you back. If you harden your neck here, you move to Step 2. Step 2: Severe Divine Discipline The Father begins to physically shake your life to wake you up. He may allow financial distress, family friction, or the loss of worldly comforts to show you that Egypt has nothing for you. As Hebrews states: "For whom the Lord loves He chastens..." (Hebrews 12:6). This discipline is a severe form of grace designed to smash your pride. Step 3: Giving Over to a Reprobate Mind If a person fights through the conviction, ignores the discipline, and insists on keeping their pagan traditions, their unclean foods, or their worldly compromises, the Father will eventually lift His hand completely. He stops correcting them, stops disciplining them, and hands them over to their own delusions. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” — Romans 1:28 (NKJV) When God "gives someone over," it is the ultimate removal of grace. They can now sin comfortably without feeling any guilt, thinking they are perfectly fine, completely unaware that they are tracking straight toward the harvest of fire detailed in Isaiah 66. Question 13: What Happens When You Twist the Wheel? The Setup: David prayed a critical prayer in Psalm 19:13: “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.” The Question: When the light of the Torah exposes a specific sin or worldly tradition currently sitting in your home, what is your immediate, physical reaction? [ ] YES (Under Active Grace): Your heart breaks, you take immediate accountability, and you physically cast the compromise out of your gates, proving that the Spirit of grace is alive and ruling your flesh. [ ] NO (Risking the Removal of Grace): You pacify your mind with excuses, delay the physical cleaning of your house, or assume that "God understands my situation," stepping directly onto the dangerous path of willful defiance. 🏁 The Summary Line God does not remove grace because you are imperfect; He removes grace when you become unteachable. If you can look at a command and refuse to change your lifestyle to match it, you are insulting the Spirit of grace. Turn the wheel completely while you still feel the sharp bite of conviction—because the only thing worse than the discipline of the Father is His silence.
.jpeg)

















