Q. I am writing a paper for school on the Talmud. What is it, and what do halakah, hagadah, midrash mean because I am coming across these terms and it is confusing?
A. I am going to explain these things in the simplest terms I can. The Talmud means ‘Teaching” and also can mean “learning”. The term “disciple” is “talmid” which means a student and both words are related. The Talmud is the overall collection of Jewish thought, based on how the Pharisees saw things. In the 1st century, there was no such thing as Judaism, there was “Judaisms”.
You had Pharisees, Sadducees, Asia-Minor Jews, Hellenistic Jews, Zealots, Sicaari, Essenes and the Nazarenes to name a few and they all had different ways of doing some things. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. the Pharisees, who were friends with the Romans, got permission to set up an academy in Yavneh where the Pharisaical sages reformulated their form of Judaism, and” Rabbinical Judaism” was formed which we see today. They put together Jewish thought and eventually things were formulated into a “talmud”. There is the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud because these were the Jewish centers of learning for hundreds of years.
The Talmud has all sorts of information collected in it, like a big encyclopedia. There are some good things and some bad things in it. It is not, as some say, the Jewish Bible and all Jews believe everything in it no more than all Christians believe in David Koresh’s writings or Benny Hinn’s. A Christian ‘talmud” would’ve included what they had to say if one was put together. The Talmud comments on three basic areas called the midrash, halakah and hagadah. Hagadah means “the telling, storytelling” like parables. Yeshua was a haggadic rabbi because he taught in parables. Halakah is “how to walk” in the commandments. Midrash means “an interpretation” of the scripture at least. So the Talmud is a collection of rabbinical thought by stories, how to walk in commandments and interpretations of things found in the word.
Some are pretty wild but that is not to be taken literally, it is to drive home a point, and so on. The Mishnah is a commentary on how to walk, and the Gemara (to learn) is a commentary on the Mishnah. Both together make the Talmud. All of this was not put together overnight, it took about 500 years but it does contain some useful insight into Jewish thought in the first century. Paul, Jude and the gospel writers all quote from things eventually found in Talmud. Now, as a believer in Yeshua it does not have the same authority as the Scripture, as some believe.
There is no such thing as an “Oral Torah” that G-d gave Moses on Mt. Sinai that carries the same weight as the written word. All that G-d gave to Moses was written down, there is nothing oral even hinted at. But, the Talmud can be a useful source for information and if you want more information on this subject, go to www.jewishencyclopedia.com. I hope this helps.
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upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)
Friday, February 24, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The Law of Liberty
Q. What does “the law of liberty” mean in James 2.12?
A. First of all, let’s define what the law of liberty is. Simply, it is the Torah; the commandments found in the Scriptures of what is call the “old” testament. That was the only Scripture James could have been referring to in the first century. Torah means “instruction, teaching” and is translated ‘law” in English. But it should be understood in the sense of teaching.
Now, what does liberty mean? The Torah and its commands have always been seen by believers as liberty. In Exodus 32.16 it says that God “engraved” the tablets given to Moses with His own hand. The Hebrew word for engraved is “charut” but it has the same root in Hebrew as the word for freedom “cherut”. In Psalm 119.45 it says that “I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts”. Psalm 119 is written in a poetical style that has 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight verses that begin with that letter. For instance, the first section begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet “aleph”. Then each verse of that section begins with aleph. This goes from aleph to tav (last letter) which symbolizes the word of God.
Every verse of the Psalm 119 (176) mentions the commandments. So, there is no doubt what the writer had in mind when he wrote precepts. So, what James had in mind was the Torah when he wrote 2.12. He said that in everything we say and everything we do we are to keep in mind that it will be judged according to the word of G0d, the Torah. It has not been done away with and replaced as some teach. Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Lords Day, we cannot eat pork and lobster,cannot hate our neighbor or commit adultery and so on. I see people in my hometown picketing a local restaurant because someone found a roach in their food. People are outraged and want monetary compensation, and yet these very same people will go out and pay 10.00 a pound for lobster to eat. Both creatures are arthapods and perform the same basic function in the earth. The lobster has been called “the roach of the sea” by some. The point is, if one followed the Torah, you wouldn’t eat either one, and that truth sets us free.
You see, civil law to a criminal is an enemy because it restricts him. He cannot carry out his criminal behavior without problems if he gets caught. But, to the law-abiding citizen that same law is an assurance of peace and safety and it ensures freedom. It’s the same thing with the spiritual law. The spiritually “criminal mind” wants to throw off the Torah and Gods law because he wants to carry out what he wants to do. He wants to work Saturdays and make money, he wants to eat pork and lobster and unclean creatures because he likes them. He gets even with his neighbor, curses his rulers, celebrates pagan festivals and has idols because he is law unto himself. But, with one who believes in the commandments, he can walk at liberty because he is free from spiritual anarchy.
He loves the commandments because he is free to serve the Lord. When people tell the story of the Exodus they always quote Moses as telling Pharaoh “Let my people go” but they forget the rest of what he told him. He said “Let my people go (actually it means “send my people out”) that they may serve Me.” Their freedom was given to them so they could go to Mt. Sinai and receive the commandments and serve the Lord. It’s the same today. We are set free by the blood of the Lamb and we go to Mt. Sinai to receive instruction (Torah) on how we are to serve the Lord. Most so-called believers want to go around Mt. Sinai right to the promises, but it doesn’t work that way. How the Torah sets me free can be described like this. I don’t have to wonder about many doctrines out their.
When someone tells me Sunday is the Lords Day, I know that wrong because His word says otherwise so I’m set free from wondering about who is right. When someone tells me I can eat whatever I want, I go to the word and see that isn’t true, again free. When I am confronted with the paganism and idolatry of what many call festivals and worship, I can go to the Torah and check it out…free! I have myself a lot of time, money and heartache by filtering the teachings of many through the Torah, again I’m free. I have by no means reached where I should be, but I’ve stopped at Mt. Sinai, received my instruction (Torah, teaching) and am traveling through this wilderness on my way to the Promised Land, free to serve the Lord. So, the law of liberty in James 2.12 is the Torah, the commandments.
A. First of all, let’s define what the law of liberty is. Simply, it is the Torah; the commandments found in the Scriptures of what is call the “old” testament. That was the only Scripture James could have been referring to in the first century. Torah means “instruction, teaching” and is translated ‘law” in English. But it should be understood in the sense of teaching.
Now, what does liberty mean? The Torah and its commands have always been seen by believers as liberty. In Exodus 32.16 it says that God “engraved” the tablets given to Moses with His own hand. The Hebrew word for engraved is “charut” but it has the same root in Hebrew as the word for freedom “cherut”. In Psalm 119.45 it says that “I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts”. Psalm 119 is written in a poetical style that has 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight verses that begin with that letter. For instance, the first section begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet “aleph”. Then each verse of that section begins with aleph. This goes from aleph to tav (last letter) which symbolizes the word of God.
Every verse of the Psalm 119 (176) mentions the commandments. So, there is no doubt what the writer had in mind when he wrote precepts. So, what James had in mind was the Torah when he wrote 2.12. He said that in everything we say and everything we do we are to keep in mind that it will be judged according to the word of G0d, the Torah. It has not been done away with and replaced as some teach. Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Lords Day, we cannot eat pork and lobster,cannot hate our neighbor or commit adultery and so on. I see people in my hometown picketing a local restaurant because someone found a roach in their food. People are outraged and want monetary compensation, and yet these very same people will go out and pay 10.00 a pound for lobster to eat. Both creatures are arthapods and perform the same basic function in the earth. The lobster has been called “the roach of the sea” by some. The point is, if one followed the Torah, you wouldn’t eat either one, and that truth sets us free.
You see, civil law to a criminal is an enemy because it restricts him. He cannot carry out his criminal behavior without problems if he gets caught. But, to the law-abiding citizen that same law is an assurance of peace and safety and it ensures freedom. It’s the same thing with the spiritual law. The spiritually “criminal mind” wants to throw off the Torah and Gods law because he wants to carry out what he wants to do. He wants to work Saturdays and make money, he wants to eat pork and lobster and unclean creatures because he likes them. He gets even with his neighbor, curses his rulers, celebrates pagan festivals and has idols because he is law unto himself. But, with one who believes in the commandments, he can walk at liberty because he is free from spiritual anarchy.
He loves the commandments because he is free to serve the Lord. When people tell the story of the Exodus they always quote Moses as telling Pharaoh “Let my people go” but they forget the rest of what he told him. He said “Let my people go (actually it means “send my people out”) that they may serve Me.” Their freedom was given to them so they could go to Mt. Sinai and receive the commandments and serve the Lord. It’s the same today. We are set free by the blood of the Lamb and we go to Mt. Sinai to receive instruction (Torah) on how we are to serve the Lord. Most so-called believers want to go around Mt. Sinai right to the promises, but it doesn’t work that way. How the Torah sets me free can be described like this. I don’t have to wonder about many doctrines out their.
When someone tells me Sunday is the Lords Day, I know that wrong because His word says otherwise so I’m set free from wondering about who is right. When someone tells me I can eat whatever I want, I go to the word and see that isn’t true, again free. When I am confronted with the paganism and idolatry of what many call festivals and worship, I can go to the Torah and check it out…free! I have myself a lot of time, money and heartache by filtering the teachings of many through the Torah, again I’m free. I have by no means reached where I should be, but I’ve stopped at Mt. Sinai, received my instruction (Torah, teaching) and am traveling through this wilderness on my way to the Promised Land, free to serve the Lord. So, the law of liberty in James 2.12 is the Torah, the commandments.
Sunday, February 5, 2006
The Treshold Covenant
Q. What is the Threshold Covenant?
A. There are many covenants in the Scriptures. Many are well known like the Edenic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic
And so on. There are others that are less known like the Salt Covenant (Lev 2.13) and the Threshold Covenant. Again, this is not the place to go into massive detail on this but we can go over some of the concepts of the Threshold Covenant and how it applies to the redemption and the Messiah. It is not named that per se in the Scriptures, but the concepts are there. The term “threshold” in Hebrew is “miphtan” and it has a Hebraic root meaning to “twist” and “serpent.” This is very informative because this will specifically relate to Eden and Passover.
The threshold was seen as a marked spot and it had a special sanctity. There were specific things that were not to be done there (1Sam 5.4, Zeph 1.9, 1Sam 2.22). There were special “keepers” (2 k 22.4, 1Chr 9.22, 2Chr 23.4, Jer 35.4.). Now, the threshold was seen as the boundry of the “allotment” G-d has given to each person. The man was seen as the head of the household and ideally the L-rd should be the “household deity” of that house, but most times He isn’t. The unbelievers and pagan societies had their own gods, but that is not the concern with a believer. Anyone entering had to submit to the authority of the head of the house. You did not disrespect that house or the “threshold” because that invited the wrath of the household deity, and in our case, the L-rd.(Heb 10.28-29). Israel was made up of 12 tribes, so the “tribal G-d” is the L-rd, and He will protect the tribes (Gen 12.1-3). Abraham was called away from his father’s house and deities, to form a new “household” with the L-rd as the “household G-d” and along with that His blessing and protection.
So let’s look at the Scriptures now and apply some of these concepts. In Exodus 12 we have the story of the Passover. The word for Passover in Hebrew is “pesach” and it means to “leap over”. What is implied is the threshold after the blood of the lamb has been applied to it. The destroyer had no right to desecrate the sanctity of that house and enter there because the” household deity” was the L-rd, marked by the blood of the covenant. The threshold of Dagon, the god of the Philistines was held sacred, and G-d sent a message by having the idol prostrate and broken before the ark of the covenant ”over the threshold” in 1Sam 5.5. In 1 K 18.20-21
Elijah says to the people “How long will you hesitate between two opinions” during his confrontation with the priests of Baal. The word “hesitate” is “pawsach” in Hebrew and has the same root as pesach (Passover). How long will they” leap over” the threshold covenant G-d has made with them. There are Scriptures referring to the threshold as sacred (Lev 17 1-9). The priests were consecrated there The Kivod (glory) came there and departed the Temple from there in Ezek 10.18.Yeshua does not violate the threshold of our ‘house’ (Rev 3.20). He will not “force his way in” but let’s the “head of the house (person)” decide. That’s why some never get saved.
Remember, you don’t tread upon the threshold of another’s house. Also, there are many “doors” in this life and not all of them are of G-d (Mt 7.13). So, the threshold covenant marks the boundry and limits of our access to the L-rd. The blood on the threshold line is the visible line G-d has established. This “way” was once guarded by the Cherubim in the Garden of Eden because a “korban (to draw near) was needed. That’s why in the Tabernacle, the altar was at the door. We must pass through the blood-line of Yeshua, and Yeshua is the threshold (door) and the only way into the presence, protection and salvation of the L-rd which is the Threshold Covenant. For more information you can contact us at otwaxahachie.net.
A. There are many covenants in the Scriptures. Many are well known like the Edenic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic
And so on. There are others that are less known like the Salt Covenant (Lev 2.13) and the Threshold Covenant. Again, this is not the place to go into massive detail on this but we can go over some of the concepts of the Threshold Covenant and how it applies to the redemption and the Messiah. It is not named that per se in the Scriptures, but the concepts are there. The term “threshold” in Hebrew is “miphtan” and it has a Hebraic root meaning to “twist” and “serpent.” This is very informative because this will specifically relate to Eden and Passover.
The threshold was seen as a marked spot and it had a special sanctity. There were specific things that were not to be done there (1Sam 5.4, Zeph 1.9, 1Sam 2.22). There were special “keepers” (2 k 22.4, 1Chr 9.22, 2Chr 23.4, Jer 35.4.). Now, the threshold was seen as the boundry of the “allotment” G-d has given to each person. The man was seen as the head of the household and ideally the L-rd should be the “household deity” of that house, but most times He isn’t. The unbelievers and pagan societies had their own gods, but that is not the concern with a believer. Anyone entering had to submit to the authority of the head of the house. You did not disrespect that house or the “threshold” because that invited the wrath of the household deity, and in our case, the L-rd.(Heb 10.28-29). Israel was made up of 12 tribes, so the “tribal G-d” is the L-rd, and He will protect the tribes (Gen 12.1-3). Abraham was called away from his father’s house and deities, to form a new “household” with the L-rd as the “household G-d” and along with that His blessing and protection.
So let’s look at the Scriptures now and apply some of these concepts. In Exodus 12 we have the story of the Passover. The word for Passover in Hebrew is “pesach” and it means to “leap over”. What is implied is the threshold after the blood of the lamb has been applied to it. The destroyer had no right to desecrate the sanctity of that house and enter there because the” household deity” was the L-rd, marked by the blood of the covenant. The threshold of Dagon, the god of the Philistines was held sacred, and G-d sent a message by having the idol prostrate and broken before the ark of the covenant ”over the threshold” in 1Sam 5.5. In 1 K 18.20-21
Elijah says to the people “How long will you hesitate between two opinions” during his confrontation with the priests of Baal. The word “hesitate” is “pawsach” in Hebrew and has the same root as pesach (Passover). How long will they” leap over” the threshold covenant G-d has made with them. There are Scriptures referring to the threshold as sacred (Lev 17 1-9). The priests were consecrated there The Kivod (glory) came there and departed the Temple from there in Ezek 10.18.Yeshua does not violate the threshold of our ‘house’ (Rev 3.20). He will not “force his way in” but let’s the “head of the house (person)” decide. That’s why some never get saved.
Remember, you don’t tread upon the threshold of another’s house. Also, there are many “doors” in this life and not all of them are of G-d (Mt 7.13). So, the threshold covenant marks the boundry and limits of our access to the L-rd. The blood on the threshold line is the visible line G-d has established. This “way” was once guarded by the Cherubim in the Garden of Eden because a “korban (to draw near) was needed. That’s why in the Tabernacle, the altar was at the door. We must pass through the blood-line of Yeshua, and Yeshua is the threshold (door) and the only way into the presence, protection and salvation of the L-rd which is the Threshold Covenant. For more information you can contact us at otwaxahachie.net.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
FAQ: What Would Jesus REALLY Do?
(WWJRD?) What Would Jesus REALLY Do?
Source: Olive Tree Ministries
JEWS AND GENTILES
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Jews and Gentiles?
A: In Genesis 12:3 and Numbers 15:14-16, we see that with God there is no difference once a Gentile (stranger) has joined himself to Israel.In Acts 9:15, Acts 10:45-48; Acts 11:17-18; Acts 13:47; Acts 15:7-9; Acts 26:17-18; I Corinthians 1:23-24; I Corinthians 7:19; Ephesians 2:11-13; Ephesians 21:9-20; and Ephesians 3:5-6, the Bible clearly shows that there should be no distinction between Jews and Gentiles once they have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) and follow what the Bible REALLY teaches.
SABBATH
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Sabbath?
A: Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-10 tell us exactly which day to observe as the Sabbath. Refer to Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Luke 6:6; Luke 13:10; Acts 13:13-14; Acts 13:42-43; Acts 15:21; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4; and Collossians 2:16-17. The Bible clearly shows that Yeshua and His followers kept and continued to keep the SEVENTH DAY as the SABBATH (which begins at sunset on Friday).
LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Laws and Commandments?s
A: The first five books of the Bible clearly gives the Laws and the Commandments of God. So, what did Yeshua REALLY do? Refer to Matthew 5:17-19; John 14:15; John 14:21; John 15:10; Acts 21:20-24; I Corinthians 7:19; Timothy 1:8-10; Hebrews 8:10; Hebrews 10:16; I John 2:3-4; I John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12 and Revelation 22:14. The Bible clearly states that Yeshua and His followers kept all of the laws of God.
FEASTS AND FESTIVALS
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Feasts and Festivals
A: Leviticus 23 lists the festivals given by God. So, what did Jesus REALLY do? Refer to Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 2:41; John 2:13; John 5:1; John 10:22-23; John 11:55-56; John 12:12; Acts 2:1; Acts 18:21; Acts 20:16; Acts 27:9; I Corinthians 5:8 and I Corinthians 16:8. The Bible clearly shows that Yeshua and His followers kept all of the feasts and festivals of God at the appointed times.
Material is encouraged to be copied and distributed
Source: Olive Tree Ministries
JEWS AND GENTILES
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Jews and Gentiles?
A: In Genesis 12:3 and Numbers 15:14-16, we see that with God there is no difference once a Gentile (stranger) has joined himself to Israel.In Acts 9:15, Acts 10:45-48; Acts 11:17-18; Acts 13:47; Acts 15:7-9; Acts 26:17-18; I Corinthians 1:23-24; I Corinthians 7:19; Ephesians 2:11-13; Ephesians 21:9-20; and Ephesians 3:5-6, the Bible clearly shows that there should be no distinction between Jews and Gentiles once they have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) and follow what the Bible REALLY teaches.
SABBATH
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Sabbath?
A: Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-10 tell us exactly which day to observe as the Sabbath. Refer to Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Luke 6:6; Luke 13:10; Acts 13:13-14; Acts 13:42-43; Acts 15:21; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4; and Collossians 2:16-17. The Bible clearly shows that Yeshua and His followers kept and continued to keep the SEVENTH DAY as the SABBATH (which begins at sunset on Friday).
LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Laws and Commandments?s
A: The first five books of the Bible clearly gives the Laws and the Commandments of God. So, what did Yeshua REALLY do? Refer to Matthew 5:17-19; John 14:15; John 14:21; John 15:10; Acts 21:20-24; I Corinthians 7:19; Timothy 1:8-10; Hebrews 8:10; Hebrews 10:16; I John 2:3-4; I John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12 and Revelation 22:14. The Bible clearly states that Yeshua and His followers kept all of the laws of God.
FEASTS AND FESTIVALS
Q: What did Jesus REALLY do concerning the Feasts and Festivals
A: Leviticus 23 lists the festivals given by God. So, what did Jesus REALLY do? Refer to Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 2:41; John 2:13; John 5:1; John 10:22-23; John 11:55-56; John 12:12; Acts 2:1; Acts 18:21; Acts 20:16; Acts 27:9; I Corinthians 5:8 and I Corinthians 16:8. The Bible clearly shows that Yeshua and His followers kept all of the feasts and festivals of God at the appointed times.
Material is encouraged to be copied and distributed
FAQ: What do Olive Tree members believe?
Olive Tree Ministries, a Messianic congregation based in Waxahachie, Texas, believes:
The Bible, composed of the Torah, prophets, and including the writings of the first century believers in Yeshua, is the only infallible and authoritative word of God (II Tim 3:16). The only means of being cleansed (forgiven) from sin is by grace through faith in the shed sacrificial blood of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) and that regeneration by the Spirit of God is absolutely essential for personal salvation (Lev. 7:11; Eph. 2:8). The faith community of Israel, made of Jews and Gentiles who trust in Yeshua and His Torah. The scriptures show the necessity of Torah as a part of one's faith in Yeshua in order to enter the Kingdom of God (Eph. 2:11-22).
The middle wall of partition, built from man-made laws and traditions, which separated Jews from Gentiles, has been broken down. The enmity between us eradicated by the Messiah Yeshua (Eph. 2:12-14).
We believe that:
***Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) pre-existed with the Father and possesses all the attributes of the Father
***The only begotten Son of God who is the Seed of the Woman as God promised (Gen. 3:15), that His virgin birth was to be a sign to Israel of His Messiahship (Isa. 7:14)
***He was sent as the agent of the Father, and that He came to earth as a man, to accomplish the redemptive work of God (Phil. 2:5-11), being empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in order to perform this work
***He was resurrected from the dead through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) as the second Adam (I Cor. 15:45-49)
***He will reign on the earth during the Messianic Kingdom until its end when all things return back to the Father (I Cor 15:20-28)
***He is the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; John 14:9)
***He intercedes to the Father for us and is the only mediator between God and man
***He is acting as High Priest in the Heavenly Temple
We also believe that: The celebration of the Festivals of the Lord as stated in Leviticus 23 should be observed by all believers in Yeshua. These festivals are a blueprint of the plan of God and teach us about the Messiah. Immersions is commanded by the Scriptures signifying a change in status in line with the purposes of God. It is a recurring practice in its context, in the life of a believer.
The Sabbath, as described in the Scriptures, is the seventh day of the week. Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Saturday, when no servile work may be done (Exodus 20:8-11).
The dietary laws are given to make a distinction between the animal, the bird and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, the clean and the unclean, and between the edible creature and the creature that is not to be eaten (Lev. 11:46-47).
Source: www.otwaxahachie.net
Material is encouraged to be copied and distributed
The Bible, composed of the Torah, prophets, and including the writings of the first century believers in Yeshua, is the only infallible and authoritative word of God (II Tim 3:16). The only means of being cleansed (forgiven) from sin is by grace through faith in the shed sacrificial blood of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) and that regeneration by the Spirit of God is absolutely essential for personal salvation (Lev. 7:11; Eph. 2:8). The faith community of Israel, made of Jews and Gentiles who trust in Yeshua and His Torah. The scriptures show the necessity of Torah as a part of one's faith in Yeshua in order to enter the Kingdom of God (Eph. 2:11-22).
The middle wall of partition, built from man-made laws and traditions, which separated Jews from Gentiles, has been broken down. The enmity between us eradicated by the Messiah Yeshua (Eph. 2:12-14).
We believe that:
***Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) pre-existed with the Father and possesses all the attributes of the Father
***The only begotten Son of God who is the Seed of the Woman as God promised (Gen. 3:15), that His virgin birth was to be a sign to Israel of His Messiahship (Isa. 7:14)
***He was sent as the agent of the Father, and that He came to earth as a man, to accomplish the redemptive work of God (Phil. 2:5-11), being empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in order to perform this work
***He was resurrected from the dead through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) as the second Adam (I Cor. 15:45-49)
***He will reign on the earth during the Messianic Kingdom until its end when all things return back to the Father (I Cor 15:20-28)
***He is the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; John 14:9)
***He intercedes to the Father for us and is the only mediator between God and man
***He is acting as High Priest in the Heavenly Temple
We also believe that: The celebration of the Festivals of the Lord as stated in Leviticus 23 should be observed by all believers in Yeshua. These festivals are a blueprint of the plan of God and teach us about the Messiah. Immersions is commanded by the Scriptures signifying a change in status in line with the purposes of God. It is a recurring practice in its context, in the life of a believer.
The Sabbath, as described in the Scriptures, is the seventh day of the week. Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Saturday, when no servile work may be done (Exodus 20:8-11).
The dietary laws are given to make a distinction between the animal, the bird and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, the clean and the unclean, and between the edible creature and the creature that is not to be eaten (Lev. 11:46-47).
Source: www.otwaxahachie.net
Material is encouraged to be copied and distributed
Mohammed vs. Jesus Christ
Mohammed vs. Jesus Christ
Excerpts from George Zeller's WithChrist.org
Mohammed was the prophet of war; Messiah Yeshua is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Mohammed's disciples killed for the faith; Messiah Yeshua's disciples were killed for their faith (Acts 12:2, 2 Timothy 4:7)
Mohammed promoted persecution against the infidels; Messiah Yeshua forgave and converted the chief persecutor (1 Tim 1:13-15)
Mohammed was the taker of life; Messiah Yeshua is the giver of life (John 10:27-28)
Mohammed and his fellow warriors murdered thousands; Messiah Yeshua murdered none but saved many (compare John 12:48)
Mohammed's method was COMPULSION; Messiah Yeshua's aim was voluntary CONVERSION (Acts 3:19)
Mohammed practiced FORCE; Messiah Yeshua preached FAITH (John 6:29, 35)
Mohammed was a WARRIOR; Messiah Yeshua is a DELIVERER (Col. 1:13, 1 Thes 1:10)
Mohammed conquered his enemies with the sword; Messiah Yeshua conquered his enemies with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12, Acts 2:37)
Mohammed said to the masses, "Convert or die!"; Messiah Yeshua said "Believe and Live!" (John 6:47; 11:25-26)
Mohammed was swift to shed blood (Romans 3:15-17); Messiah Yeshua shed His own blood for the salvation of many (Eph. 1:7)
Mohammed preached "Death to the infidels!"; Messiah Yeshua prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:24)
Modern terrorists derive their inspiration from Mohammed and carry out atrocities in the name of his god Allah; Believers in Messiah derive their inspiration from the One who said: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9)
Many Muslims are peaceful and peace-loving because they do not strictly follow the teachings of their founder; many believers in Yeshua are peaceful and peace-loving because they do strictly follow the teachings of their Founder (Rom. 12:17-21)
The Koran says, "Fight in the case of Allah" (Qu'ran 2:244); the Bible says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood" and "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal" (Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 10:4)
Mohammed considered Messiah Yeshua a good prophet; Messiah Yeshua pronounced Mohammed to be a false prophet (John 10:10; Matthew 24:11)
Mohammed claimed that there was but one God, Allah; Messiah Yeshua claimed that He Himself was God (John 10:30-31; John 8:58-59; John 5:18; John 14:9)
Mohammed's tomb: OCCUPIED!
Mesiah Yeshua's tomb: EMPTY!
Source: George Zeller; WithChrist.org
Excerpts from George Zeller's WithChrist.org
Mohammed was the prophet of war; Messiah Yeshua is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Mohammed's disciples killed for the faith; Messiah Yeshua's disciples were killed for their faith (Acts 12:2, 2 Timothy 4:7)
Mohammed promoted persecution against the infidels; Messiah Yeshua forgave and converted the chief persecutor (1 Tim 1:13-15)
Mohammed was the taker of life; Messiah Yeshua is the giver of life (John 10:27-28)
Mohammed and his fellow warriors murdered thousands; Messiah Yeshua murdered none but saved many (compare John 12:48)
Mohammed's method was COMPULSION; Messiah Yeshua's aim was voluntary CONVERSION (Acts 3:19)
Mohammed practiced FORCE; Messiah Yeshua preached FAITH (John 6:29, 35)
Mohammed was a WARRIOR; Messiah Yeshua is a DELIVERER (Col. 1:13, 1 Thes 1:10)
Mohammed conquered his enemies with the sword; Messiah Yeshua conquered his enemies with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12, Acts 2:37)
Mohammed said to the masses, "Convert or die!"; Messiah Yeshua said "Believe and Live!" (John 6:47; 11:25-26)
Mohammed was swift to shed blood (Romans 3:15-17); Messiah Yeshua shed His own blood for the salvation of many (Eph. 1:7)
Mohammed preached "Death to the infidels!"; Messiah Yeshua prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:24)
Modern terrorists derive their inspiration from Mohammed and carry out atrocities in the name of his god Allah; Believers in Messiah derive their inspiration from the One who said: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9)
Many Muslims are peaceful and peace-loving because they do not strictly follow the teachings of their founder; many believers in Yeshua are peaceful and peace-loving because they do strictly follow the teachings of their Founder (Rom. 12:17-21)
The Koran says, "Fight in the case of Allah" (Qu'ran 2:244); the Bible says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood" and "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal" (Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 10:4)
Mohammed considered Messiah Yeshua a good prophet; Messiah Yeshua pronounced Mohammed to be a false prophet (John 10:10; Matthew 24:11)
Mohammed claimed that there was but one God, Allah; Messiah Yeshua claimed that He Himself was God (John 10:30-31; John 8:58-59; John 5:18; John 14:9)
Mohammed's tomb: OCCUPIED!
Mesiah Yeshua's tomb: EMPTY!
Source: George Zeller; WithChrist.org
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