Q. Is it necessary when someone becomes a believer to immediately follow the Torah? If they don’t are they in sin?

A. The answer to your question is in the question. How can you become a believer without repentance, and then the question is repentance from what. A person must realize he is a sinner so he has to know what sin is. The Scriptures say that by the Torah comes the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3.20). In other words if a person doesn’t know the Torah how will he know what sin is. In 1 Jn. 3.4 it says that sin is the transgression of the Torah. Unless one realizes what sin is, he cannot truly repent. In many congregations a person believes that Yeshua is the Messiah but is taught that the Torah has been done away with. So, in reality he is not taught to turn away from sin (through the Torah comes the knowledge of sin), but to keep doing it. They are taught pagan concepts and festivals, they eat creatures forbidden by the Torah and not fit for human consumption and the list goes on and on. Now, you aren’t saved by observing the Torah and the Torah tells you that, nobody ever was and it is not a Bible doctrine. The Torah is our instruction manual from the Lord on how to live. It tells us how to love the Lord and our neighbor. How can you truly say you trust the Lord, then mistrust what He said. There is not one Scripture that says we are not to obey the commandments as given in the Torah, and as they apply to each of us. On the other hand, we are all familiar with the theology taught to most new believers that when you believe in Yeshua you don’t have to keep the commandments because they have been done away with. That never made much sense to me. Preachers will quote the Torah about sin and repentance, and then once they have you walking down the aisle, they tell you are free from the Law, then tell you the opposite again if you get out of line. They rebuke presidents for adultery, but don’t keep the Sabbath. Why is the Sabbath done away with for them, but adultery isn’t for presidents? If the Law has been done away with, how do you know what sin is. There is not one preacher who really believes that the Law has been done away with and they deceive many. Go commit adultery or steal and see what they say. What they really believe is “some of the Law” has been away with, and there is no Scripture to back that theology up so they are in error again. A new convert gets confused very quickly. He is told to read the scriptures, then is told don’t believe them, that “doesn’t apply anymore.” When you really examine this theology you will see the commandments that look too “Jewish” are the ones they tell you not to observe. In reality, there are no “Jewish” commandments, they are God’s. So, in answer to your question, how can a person really turn to God unless he hears the truth, and someone is sent to them with the truth. I believe Paul said the same thing in Rom 10.12-15. Much of the “gospel” preached today is not the gospel of Yeshua, Paul and the Apostles. But the Lord is not stopped by false teachers, that is why a new believer should find a place that believes that Yeshua is the Messiah and teaches the commandments (Rev. 12.17).

Q. What were the three things that Paul was instructed by the Jerusalem Council to tell the Gentiles?

A. If I understand your question I believe you are referring to Acts 15. The chapter deals with what to do with Gentile converts . Do they get circumcised and convert to Judaism (become Jewish) or not. A certain sect of the Pharisees (15.5) believed they should and other believers like Paul, Peter, Barnabas and others believed that they did not have to undergo ritual circumcision (become Jewish) to be saved. Paul and Peter gave evidence that God was saving Gentiles without it. After much heated debate it was determined by the elders that the Gentiles did not have to become Jewish (get circumcised) to be saved. However, they did not say they did not have to obey the Torah. They determined that the new Gentile converts had to begin to observe several things, not only because it was sinful, but to have fellowship with other believers, especially in the synagogues. They are listed several times in the chapter. They were instructed to abstain from idolatry, from eating carrion (things strangled), from eating blood and sexual immorality. These were minimal standards found in the Torah and given to them to start observing immediately. Then in 15.21 the council instructs them to go to the local synagogues and learn Moses (Torah) and begin to observe what applies to them. After this was decided, the elders of the Messianic community sent a letter by the hands of Paul to Antioch, Syria and Cilicia and the decision was read before the congregations and it was received with much joy.

Every so often I like to remind our assembly why we have a congregation in Waxahachie.

But it’s not limited to just those who attend but those in the community need to know so I’d like to explain it this week to those who read these articles. In the 1st century many gentiles were coming into the faith and there were basic instructions given in Acts 15. These 4 instructions were the basic requirements in order to have fellowship with other believers but it was not limited to that. In v 21 it says “for Moses (Torah) from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath”. The main reason we have a congregation in Waxahachie is because Moses was not being taught anywhere. In fact, he was being taught against and that bothered me. I am quite familiar with the “we are free from the Law” theology and I have spoken out against this for years. Believers in the 1st century went to synagogues to hear Moses and to learn how to walk in Messiah. This practice has never changed but there was no place to go in Waxahachie. So I began to ask the Lord about it and asked for a sign. This was June of 1996 and I was involved in a Bible study since the late 80’s. It was a typical hot Texas summer with little rain. My father had open heart surgery in Wisconsin and I couldn’t go right away so my wife, who is a nurse, flew up to help my mother and was gone for 3 weeks and had a lot of time to concentrate on this impulse in my heart. I had a compulsion to start an assembly for quite some time and even tried to get something going several times but it never lasted, but I couldn’t shake it. I needed to confirm this one way or another. I was attending some mandatory job training in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and during a break I looked outside and it was sunny and bright so I asked the Lord to make it rain for 15 minutes if He wanted a congregation that taught Moses to be started in Waxahachie. Now keep in mind this was a hot Texas summer. After several hours the training for that day was over around 5p.m. and I got into my car and drove down I-35 towards Waxahachie and I could see this little dark cloud going north right down I-35, coming right at me. From the time the rain hit my car to the time it stopped was 15 minutes! The Lord wanted Moses taught in Waxahachie! I didn’t say anything to anyone at first, I didn’t need to. But, we needed a place to meet so we could get out of private homes first and finally a building with a small meeting room opened up in April of 1997, 10 months after the Lord confirmed what he wanted and we moved in. The weekly Bible study began to meet there and I began to go on Saturday mornings alone, stayed alone, prepared for what was coming and left. When everything was ready and it was the Lord’s time a recovering drug addict and a homeless guy named Monty started coming. The people in the Bible study didn’t even come at first and there were some who tried to discourage me in one way or another, but I never listen to people like that and still don’t because I knew what the Lord had showed me. Slowly one would come, then another and people have been coming ever since. Some stay, some don’t but that has always been up to the Lord. Taking the example from the model of the 1st century synagogues that Paul and the Apostles set up we wanted a place where spiritual and physical needs could be met and people could serve the Lord in their particular gifts. This is not a “lifestyle” to us but our Life! It is not a place to “act holy”, we are holy, but not because of anything we do but because of what the Lord has already done. We are saved by God’s grace through the gift of faith. It begins with Him and ends with Him. There is nothing we have done to merit this salvation. The desire to obey the commandments is a sign we have the genuine gift of salvation. It is to be place where symbol is in line with the substance, balanced. We do not say “that was fulfilled so we don’t do it anymore” as many teach. Fulfilled does not mean “done away with” it means “to give meaning to, to confirm” and that is what we try to do. The Torah has many symbolic things and we try to give them substance by obeying them, the “word of God becoming flesh” if you will, finding out what the Lord was teaching through them. Nobody keeps the commandments to gain righteousness in our congregation.

We believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the Holy Spirit is not a “sideshow” who performs at our bidding. The manifestations of the Spirit are evident and often, but they are not for our entertainment but for edification and comfort. We want people who want to serve the Lord with their whole hearts. We are not interested in people who want to make “contributions” but commitments to love the Lord and our neighbors, to lay our lives down for each other which does not include petty bickering and complaining. We are not interested in personal agendas or someone peddling their own religious bigotries or doctrines. If Moses is taught consistently and correctly the wolves in sheep’s clothing are eventually identified and dealt with by the Lord Himself. We have very seldom had to lift a finger in our own defense, the Lord is a good shepherd and an olive tree needs to be trimmed every so often. Another reason for our assembly is we know that 10 righteous in a city can deliver that city from judgment and we’ll never know in this life what catastrophes, if any, have been avoided in this city. All of the Scriptures teach that every generation was to hear the voice of God that spoke from that mountain so long ago and that is what we try to do when Moses is read in our congregation. It was Yeshua’s custom, it was Paul’s custom and every Torah observant believer’s custom to go to a synagogue in the city they were in to hear the Scriptures in the 1st century. Is our assembly perfect? No, not by a long shot. As long as people are involved there will be mistakes, errors and problems of some sort or another but with the Lord’s help and humble, repentant and pure hearts you can know that there is a lamp-stand still burning and standing in Waxahachie and that is why there is a congregation in this city. Like the commercial says, “we’ll keep a light on for you”, Lord willing!

Q. Is the current struggle over the Temple Mount a sign of the end times?

A The answer to that would be “yes” and “no” so let me explain. The struggle over the Temple Mount is nothing new. It has been going on for thousands of years. Solomon predicted that if Israel ever turned away from the Lord and His Torah the Temple Mount would be a proverb among the peoples (2Chr 7.16,19-21). Battles over the area predated Moses going back to Abraham (Gen 14.1-18). Deut 12.10 says that when Israel finally has rest from their enemies a Temple would be built and they would worship Him there. King David fought over the Temple Mount and finally secured peace. I Kings 12 documents how Israel lost access to the Temple through rebellion and even set up another religious system to keep people from going south to Jerusalem to worship. Pharaoh Shishak plundered the Temple and it’s treasuries in 1 Kings 14. We have the episode in 2 Chr 22 with Baal worship in the Temple, Joash abandoning the Temple and serving idols in 2 Chr 24. Not to mention obvious battles with the Assyrian, Babylonian and Roman conquests spanning over 800 years. For nearly 1900 years Israel and Jerusalem were conquered by different nations. In our lifetime we have seen British control of Jerusalem then Israel becoming a nation in 1948 which leads us up to your question. So, you can see that struggling over that area is nothing new and it will even continue into the Birth-pains and Messianic Kingdom (Rev. 20.9). The next question would be “What can we expect in the near future?” I believe a possible scenario will look something like this and this is based on what has happened before. The High Holy Days will fit prominently into the timing of all this. Everything discussed from now on will be based on Scripture and/or history. Israel will very soon gain total control over the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock will be removed. They will feel secure enough to erect a Temple. Seven days prior to the korbanot (offerings) services beginning, the area, the Altar, the vessels, the priesthood , the worshippers will need to be cleansed with the ashes of the Parah Adamah (red heifer-Num 19). This will begin on the 24th of the month of Elul (Hag. 1.15). The korbanot will begin to be offered on Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation (Ezra 3.1-6) which will be the first significant Rosh Ha shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation but the foundation for the Temple will not be laid yet. You do not need a Temple building to offer the korbanot, all you need is the Temple Mount and the Altar. It is believed by some that the day the offerings begin on the Temple Mount Altar the believers will be caught up to Heaven in the Natzal (catching away) . True believers will see the acquisition of the Temple Mount, the red heifer and the cleansings according to the Torah before this event happens giving them ample warning to prepare and warn others of the impending events, mostly falling on deaf ears and scoffing.. When you see this start happening there will be at least seven days before the time for the Natzal and the Birth-pains begin. Unbelievers ,PETA and professing believers will go out of their minds when this happens. Many false teachers will condemn Israel for the” barbaric practice”. Theologians will go on religious and secular talk shows to discuss why the Temple services have been done away with and how this is such a tragic event. Israel will be hated among the nations and apostate Christianity will be at the forefront, as she always has been. The media will stir up the masses to try and pull political strings to stop this from happening with major opposition coming from America. But America’s days are numbered and the opposition here will be quickly silenced by God Himself. There is no escape or pardon for this nation. The United States will be destroyed by a Russian attack 8 to 9 days after these offerings begin. Our nation’s crimes before God are too numerous to mention. This sets up the scenario for the false messiah to rise to power in Europe because of the sudden power vacuum left by the destruction of America. He is given immediate power to defend Europe from an attack and he signs a defense treaty with Israel on Yom Kippur, beginning the 2,520 days of the Birth-pains or Tribulation period. Three years later the second significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur begins and Russia will invade Israel. Russia has tried to invade Israel before on a Yom Kippur in 1973 and will now return to finish the job but will be destroyed (Ezek 38-39), leaving the false messiah in power in the west. The powers of the east and south come against him for the remaining three and a half years culminating in his final defeat during the third significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation period. So as you can see the struggle over the Temple Mount is ancient, present and future. There is nothing new under the sun.

Q. In Luke 16.9 it says “make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails they may receive you into the etern

A. This verse is part of a parable that was addressed to the scribes and the Pharisee’s (v14). To get the basic idea let’s go through the verses. Yeshua starts out talking about a steward (scribes/Pharisees) who worked for a certain rich man (Lord). The rich man calls the steward to account for himself about why he was squandering his possessions. God repeatedly did this through the prophets, John and Yeshua. They had corrupted the Word, committed acts of theft and covetessness. The devoured widows houses (Matt. 23.14), tried to obtain land and worldly things and squandered God’s possessions. Fearing that his stewardship was going to be taken away (v3) he began to forgive some the debt owed to his master to try and secure their favor so that he had a place to go once he was relieved of his duties. Finally (v8) the master praised the steward for his shrewdness saying the sons of this world are more shrewd in securing a worldy place to live than the sons of light are about their heavenly home. They are wiser in temporal things than believers are in spiritual things is the point. So now we come to v 9 and the basic meaning is this. We should turn money to our “spiritual” advantage by showing mercy to the poor, helping the orphans and the widows, giving to those in need. Then, as a result, in life and death those that were relieved and helped will rise as a witness on your behalf at the Judgement on the Last Day. In other words, with the same wisdom, energy and creativeness we invest in earthly things, lay up our treasures in heaven which will have eternal benefits not just temporary ones. The scribes and the Pharisees were interested in securing a place of honor in this world and exploited the Word of God, the Temple and the land for personal gain using some in-genius interpretations and machinations to secure a place of honor in this world. Yeshua was saying that they should’ve used the same wisdom in securing a heavenly inheritance. He is clearly aiming this parable at them because in v14 it says that the Pharisees were lovers of money and were listening to this parable began to scoff at Yeshua. They knew he was talking about them, but the meaning carries over to today. The scribes and the Pharisees are alive and well today but this parable and it’s teaching has practical application to all of us.

Q. What does it mean in Revelation 4.1 when it says “a door was opened” in Heaven?

A. This is a Hebrew idiom that literally means that a door of opportunity to discern spiritual truth and prophecy is being opened to a particular individual. In this case Yeshua has appeared to John on the island of Patmos. He has told him that many things are going to be revealed to him, including prophecies about the end times. Many of the things in the book of Revelation has been mentioned in other parts of the Scripture but John is going to get some insight on these things. So, in Revelation 4.1 a door (of opportunity to discern) was opened (for insight) in Heaven (where God is). This is alluding to several practices in the Temple that John would have known. The Tamid service is done twice a day ( Num 28). When the lamb was to be sacrificed 3 trumpets sounded and the massive doors to the Temple were opened and people gained access to the courts. Also, on several festivals the curtains of the Sanctuary were opened. This curtain had the stars of Heaven on them (7 planets that were visible) and this was seen as “the Heavens opening” and people could see into the Holy Place. This was to illustrate the concept that when you came to the Temple, kept the Torah that the God would reveal from the heavens (an open door) deeper insight to His plan, the Scriptures, prophecy or whatever. This is what is going on in Rev. 4.1. There are some who believe that this is also referring to the Natzal, or the “snatching away” of the believers before the Tribulation and that certainly is a possibility also. But, in the literal (peshat) level of interpretation this is referring to deeper insight was going to be given to John and to whoever reads and studies this book (Rev. 22.6).

Q. A Jewish friend of mine said that Gentiles are under the Noahide Laws but not the Torah. Could you explain this?

A. The Noahide Laws is a rabbinic interpretation of some of the laws found in the Scripture. They are called the Noahide Laws because these laws were binding upon all people who descended from Noah, therefore universal and by their interpretation there are only 7 but in actuality there are 30 or more. They say these laws predated Mt. Sinai. Any law repeated at Sinai applied to Gentiles and Jews, and any law not repeated applied to only Jewish people. The seven basic laws are in regard to idolatry, not to blaspheme the name of the Lord, establishing courts of justice, murder, adultery, robbery and not to eat the flesh cut from a living animal. These laws required a lot of speculation on the part of the rabbis and leave out pre-Sinaitic laws like circumcision and the Sabbath to name a few. The current idea that your friend was talking about is that rabbinic Judaism today does not believe that a Gentile should obey the commandments given after Mt. Sinai. This interpretation is of course preposterous and does not even warrant serious consideration but there is a growing movement called “B’nai Noach”” or “sons of Noah” in the orthodox Jewish world that attracts many Gentiles into rabbinic indoctrination, which also includes the rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah. The mindset behind this is the exclusion of Gentiles into Jewish community life basically. If a Gentile followed just these seven laws he could not fellowship with orthodox Jews unless he converts to Judaism and that seems to be the idea behind it quite frankly. Messianic Jewish leaders are beginning to say the same thing in such movements like the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. They say that the Gentiles are not to follow the Torah because that is a “culturally distinctive” aspect of their walk with Yeshua as Jews and for a Gentile to follow Torah “confuses” the difference between Jews and Gentiles. Also, the major Messianic movements want to be accepted eventually as a part of mainstream Judaism and they can’t have Gentiles observing laws that would offend other Jews. So, in short there is no biblical evidence that there are only 7 Noahide Laws that Gentiles need to obey with the exclusion of other Torah commands. Jews and Gentiles are to obey the Scriptures as they apply to each person (1 Cor. 7. 17-24). This is a very basic explanation of this concept. For more information on this subject do a search on the Internet or go to “ Jewish Encyclopedia.com” and find out more.