The End of the Year?

It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. (Deuteronomy 11:12)

It’s that time of the year: people are celebrating the holidays. Families seemingly come together to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. It’s New Years Eve. This means a lot to a lot of different people. What does New Year mean for believers of the one true God, Yahweh? How should we act during these festivities? What is our place?

If you’ve read some of our previous articles, such as God’s Time Part I and God’s Time Part II, then you have a certain amount of knowledge as to how Yahweh sees time. His conception of time is different from our own (2 Peter 3:8; Psalms 90:4). But what is very important to understand is that the calendar year was conceived differently by the Lord. In fact, the Lord litters the Bible with clues as to how He counts the stars and times. 

The books of the Torah are known for recounting the story of the exodus of the people of Israel, but it is also notable for explaining certain concepts. One of them being the calendar of the Lord. Yahweh says in the book of Exodus, while talking about Passover that "this month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year” (Exodus 12:2). He further elaborates this by saying that in Deuteronomy that His children are to “observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night” (Deuteronomy 16:1). 

“But I am not of Israel, this does not apply to me.”

For those who claim that they are not of Israel and are therefore not affected by what the Lord tells them to do, there’s a contradiction. Ephesians 1:5 says “he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”. Yet, the first child of the Lord has always been Israel, as proven in Jeremiah 31:20, Psalms 82:6 and very importantly when he says:

“You are the sons of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead.

Deuteronomy 14:1

Therefore, if it is given to one child, the rules do not change for the children who are adopted into the family. The adopted children have to learn from the other children how to act in the house and how to be. Believers shouldn’t pit themselves against Israel, but learn from them and stay attached to them as salvation comes from them (John 4:22). 

So why do we celebrate New Years on the date that is given, December 31st, and not at the end of Winter like the Lord wanted it? It’s because we are taught false doctrines that tell us that it is what we need. It is not what we read in the BIble, but preconceived ideas. When we detach ourselves from those notions, we are able to see the truth and the errors of our past ways. The Lord is waiting for you at the true New Year: will you be there?

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

Religion or Belief?

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

A pressing issue of our time is the concept of religion. The media and the general populace believe that it is one of the many things that divide us as human beings. Everyone has their own opinion on religion, faith and the spiritual world. It’s part of human nature to be different from one another. However, as believers of Yahweh, we are not of this world (John 15:19); our perspective must therefore be different from the world. Our beliefs should be centered around the one true God, Yahweh. What does religion mean for the believer of the modern age? 

To begin with answering that loaded question, one has to wonder what does religion even mean? The dictionary defines it as being “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God; a particular system of faith and worship.” If we are to take those very same lenses, then we are to believe and speculate on the fact that it is all a part of a system. This system should be guiding the way that we live, worship and practice our faith. That definition holds true to what the bible says about the faith in Deuteronomy 30, when the Lord says: 

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:15 - 16

Yahweh gives us His system in His Word; it is supposed to be our lifestyle. In this, like vegetarianism or someone who is a workaholic: it is a choice that you make because you love something. In this case, the Lord asks you to love Him. It’s exactly what Yeshua asks of you in Luke 10:27, when He says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” You follow this lifestyle because you love Him and want to worship Him in everything that you want to do. 

Yet, the pitfall of religion is something that was previously stated: we are all different from one another. Our human nature makes us see things in a plethora of different ways. It’s the reason why false doctrines can enter the faith. The fact that we interpret things, over time, can lead to us adding things that were never a part of Yahweh’s original plan. Yeshua talked about this in Matthew 23:4, saying about the Pharisees that “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden”. These demands come from man and not God, who says later on that “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). 

To conclude, Yeshua never came to earth to give us a religion for us to practice. He came to Earth so that we may believe and love. What the ancient Israelites and Jews lacked was a sincere love and devotion for God. It’s why the Lord says that “[He doesn’t] want your sacrifices— [He wants] your love; [He doesn’t] want your offerings—[He wants] you to know [Him]” (Hosea 6:6). We are meant to be worshippers and believers; people who follow Yahweh out of love, not because of a religious demand.

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

Light in the Darkness

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. (Genesis 1:3 - 5)

Many believers relegate the story of creation as being something that is recounted once every often and mainly to the younger ones. Made to hook them into the faith and show them how great Yahweh is. However, the story of creation, that spans all of Genesis 1, is important in the foundation of the faith. There are specific biblical verses that bring light to truths that are often relegated to the backburner to the common believer. 

The first reality is the one that is always espoused in churches: Yahweh is capable of all things. In Genesis 1:3, the Lord says :“Let there be light”. It is the first thing that the Lord says in regards to creation. While many have the misconception that it is when the sun was created, it isn’t: that happens later on, when the Lord says “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth” (Genesis 1:14 - 15). That happens on the fourth day. Therefore, what light was He referring to? He was generating the light Himself, hence creating night and day. 

There is a second reality that comes into play in the story of creation. That being how Yahweh counts days. It is said repeatedly in the story of creation that “evening passed and morning came, marking the day” (Genesis 1:5, 13, 19, 29). Yet, humans have changed it and made it so that the day changes at midnight. Who are we to follow, the God who created the heavens and the earth, or those that He created? We must remember that it is this very same God who was able to count days before there were elements in the sky to orient us, which, as stated previously, only appeared on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14 - 15). 

This revelation should change the way that you believe: your time should be synchronised to His time and your life should be following His light. Believers around the world must be careful to follow Yahweh, and not the enemy who masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Already in the fourth verse of the Bible, the Lord is showing you where you must go and where you must go: towards His light by following his commands and precepts, for in them there is life (Deuteronomy 30:15 - 20)

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

Spiritual Fatherhood

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. (Matthew 23:8 - 10)

One of the many things that divide believers across denominations are the small things that humanity created. Some of those practices become doctrine: a set of beliefs held by a church or institution. However, Yeshua never asked us to follow doctrine: He asked us to follow Him (Luke 5:27), as He is the Word of God and the Truth personified (John 1:1 & 14; Revelations 19:13). That means that us believers need to spend time within the Word (John 5:39) and be willing to  denounce what is false doctrine and false teachers. 

One of the many questions being posed is that of spiritual fatherhood. 

Some believers would say that it is alright to call someone father. Others would say that it is wrong and unbiblical in nature. This debate goes hand-in-hand with calling someone “master”. If we are to follow the Bible, than we must say that calling any other person father or master is wrong. 

The reasoning behind what Yeshua said is important. When he commanded people to stop calling others ‘rabbi’ and ‘father’, it was to stop them from committing idolatry (Exodus 20:1 - 4). See that the word rabbi can be roughly translated to ‘master’ or ‘great one’. It is putting that person above you in status and power, however Yahweh should be the only person who is truly above you. It’s to keep the natural order that the Lord created in the garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26). 

That presentation of reality should be clear and simple to understand, but others would contest and take it too far. Some would attest that is therefore unbiblical to call someone a teacher, but that is wrong. Yeshua was referring to the Pharisees who took places of honor in the lives of the jewish people, notably in the Temple and at the Festivals. This was wrong. To call someone a teacher if they are teaching you something isn’t wrong. Yet, it is wrong to elevate that person, when they are but a person just like you. 

What does this mean in daily application? This means that us believers shouldn’t be calling anyone father that isn’t our biological father or Yahweh. In turn, that means that we should be free and not have any masters, for Yahwheh is the Master and Sovereign (Psalms 73:28). For some believers, that means also dispelling the idea that someone is their ‘spiritual father’ for having introduced them to the faith. It is a false doctrine and should be condemned and rectified. 

In conclusion, spiritual paternity and fatherhood is one of the most important and decisive conversations in Christianity today. Many people hold differing ideas and interpretations. But we should all observe the bible and read diligently so that we do not fall into false doctrines and false teachings (2 Timothy 4:34). Our salvation depends on following the Word of God, Yeshua, for He is the light and the way. 

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

The Family in Christ

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

John Wooden, a famous american basketball coach, once said “there is nothing more important than family and love”. As believers, we should be able to understand what he meant with enough clarity: Yahweh is love and therefore we should be able to talk about Him and His goods around the Earth, spreading that love. But family? It’s one of the most touched upon topics in the faith, but rarely to the full extent that we want it to go. If we are to follow Christ, the Word of God everyday, we need to know the circumstances of this. We need to know what is the Family in Christ?

To understand what the family in Christ is like, we need to go back to the beginning. In fact, the book of Genesis shows us the first family being created, with Adam and Eve. When Adam says “At last! This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh!” in Genesis 2:23 and the following verse, we see the first marriage and the first family being formed.

However, after that, there aren’t many great examples of families in the Bible. Many families are broken apart by sin and transgressions. The previous example of Adam and Eve starts this after the first sin, when Adam blames Eve for the fall (Genesis 3:12). Similarly destroyed by sin, their sons, Cain and Abel, will fall to this when Cain will kill Abel because of jealousy (Genesis 4:1 - 16). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David are but a few heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11) who would have tumultuous family lives. This could be attributed to each of them either sinning in some way  or entering a situation in which sin had already made its mark.

Yet, the Bible presents what the family in Christ is like on so many different occasions. The biblical family unit, the way that Yahweh established it, is a man and woman coming together (Ephesians 5:31). As a couple, whether they decide to have children or not, they should follow the Word of God to know how to direct their relationship with one another. It is then that Colossians 3:18 - 19 comes into play, which says “18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.” This verse carries extra weight if the couple decides to have children. 

In that situation, they are no longer just a couple: they are parents. They are meant to bring this child up in righteousness, and their relationship will set the precedent for that child's life,for the child can only reproduce what they were shown by the father (John 5:19). The relationship of the parents must be rooted in faith and righteousness, so that the children can live their lives in that same manner. As parents, they are to rear their children to Yahweh. Deuteronomy 6, says it well

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deutteronomy 6:6-7

In conclusion, the family in Christ is the family that follows the Word of God consistently. They speak about the goodness of the Lord and keep His Word in their hearts. They are a family which sings the praise of the God that they know,  the one who saved Israel and who created all of the Earth. It’s that family that the Lord is looking for.

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

Eating Away from Sin

Yeshua answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Mathew 4:4)

There are many theological debates that have been held since Christ came to earth over two thousand years ago. Every one of them deserves attention and comprehension that only comes from Yahweh to understand. One of those many debates is being contested three times a day for believers around the world: what are we allowed to eat? The first five books of the Bible present a series of regulations as to what the Israelites could and could not eat. All the while, there are verses that seem to present the contrary, saying that all people can eat all things. Where does Yahweh stand on this? 

Presenting what can and cannot be eaten is primordial in this debate. To make a brief summary of it, Leviticus 11 bans the eating of the following animals: 

• Those that chew cud or have a split hoof but not both (ex: camels, rabbits, pigs)

• Sea creatures that do not have fins and scales (ex: crustaceans) 

• Birds that eat flesh or carrion (ex: crows, raptors and sea gulls)

• Most winged insects except those that swarm and jump

Earlier on, God also tells Noah not to drink any blood of any animal (Genesis 9:4). There are also verses that prohibit the eating of any meat that has been strangled (Acts 15:20) and of eating a kid goat in its mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26). Essentially, there are a few restrictions, many of which don’t affect a lot of the general population in Western Civilisation. To not eat these things meant that you were sanctified and holy, for as the common expression says: you are what you eat. 

On the other side, there are arguments that say that Yahweh allows for the eating of such things. Two popular examples are that of Noah and Peter. For Noah, He tells him that “every moving that lives shall be food for you” (Genesis 9:3). Any biblical scholar can be quick to dismiss the verse, due to the fact that this is in the period where the flood had just happened and food was scarce. All of this could explain why God told him specifically that this was permissible.

The second example would be the example of Peter. In Acts 10:9 - 16, Yahweh presents a vision to Peter, presenting him animals to eat. Peter replies that he has never eaten unclean animals, for God to respond later on by saying “Rise, Peter; kill and eat [...] do not call unclean what I have called clean.” The vision was directly correlated to what He had intended for Peter to do: to proselytize to other nations (Acts 9:17 - 48). These lost children of Israel needed to be spoken to, even though they were deemed unclean by the Jews who were living in Israel. 

The debate is an ongoing one, based on one's personal belief. What you decide to do should be driven by your faith and by extensive prayer. One does not want to fall to the traps of the enemy because they did not pray. Salvation is something that one works for by themselves (Philippians 2:12-13), forcing each of us to dig deep and find what does Yahweh have planned for us and what He wants us to do.

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!

The Feast of Tabernacle (Part I)

39 “Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. (Leviticus 23:39)

The last of the seven feasts of the Lord is that of the Festival of Tabernacles. The term shelters is oftentimes changed for terms such as booths or shelters. This is a joyous celebration of the greatness that is Yahweh: a time to recollect and rejoice in His holy name. To understand the joy and the elements that come with this final feast - which will be separated in two parts with Thinking Twice - there must be an understanding of the history behind this feast. Where does this feast come from? Why does it need to be celebrated? What are the spiritual implications of this feast?

The origins of this feast begin in the books of the Torah. While Genesis and Numbers have no mention of it, the other three books all speak about the feast. Exodus speaks of this feast as being one that is agricultural in nature “[...] celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season” (Exodus 34:22). This falls perfectly in line with the fact that even as a semitic culture, the ancient Isrealites needed to know when to harvest. The book of Leviticus expands on this concept, adding the length of the feast and how to celebrate it (Leviticus 23:33 - 36, 39 - 43). The book of Deuteronomy tells us all to rejoice in this feast and in the Lord who made it possible (Deuteronomy 16:13 - 15). The Bible is filled with elements that present where it comes from, but it also presents why it should be celebrated as well. 

The ancient Isrealites celebrated the feast of the Tabernacle for many reasons. As it was a part of the Law that was given to them by Yahweh, it was only natural for them to celebrate it. However, the Lord is explicit in His reasoning as to why they should celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, saying: This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:43). Through the lens of the modern follower of Christ, the following of the Feasts of the Lord is narrowed down to simple concepts, the first of which being that they must be lived in perpetuity (Leviticus 23:4). Secondly, Paul said that we should be like Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), who celebrated the feasts, this one specifically in John 7:2. Whether you be an ancient Israelite, a modern Israelite/Jew or a follower of Christ, Yahweh is open with His reasoning as to why we should all celebrate with Him. 

The spiritual implications of the Feast of Tabernacle are so vast. While one could stick to the simple explanation that you are walking within God’s Time, it’s deeper than that. By celebrating with Him at His appointed time, you are taking hold of the blessing that He has in store for you. God works in seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22), and in the season of joy that He has proclaimed, why not take advantage of it to be in His presence? It is time to harvest the blessings that you sowed throughout the year. 

There is power in the Feast of Tabernacle: it is a period of joy and understanding. Time to think back and thank the Lord for all of the good things that He has done for you throughout the year. The Feast of Tabernacle is the end of the feasts for the year, but it is not the end of your blessings. 

THANK YOU FOR READING BIBLE 101! MAY OUR LORD YESHUA BLESS YOU! FEEL FREE TO LIKE THE ARTICLE, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES, SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY CAN ALSO RECEIVE THIS BLESSING!