Q. I am trying to keep kosher but can I take medications that have a source in unclean animals?

A. Many people have come to the conclusion that their diet consisting of pork, catfish, shrimp, lobster and the like is not biblical and want to follow the food laws found in Leviticus 11. They were on one extreme and are now trying to walk in a biblical lifestyle as described in the Torah. The problem is some go from one extreme to another. In their excitement they become over scrupulous and they actually “add to” the Torah which is just as bad as “detracting from” it (Deut 4.2). This can be a trap if we are not careful. Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees for adding things to their observance and teaching others to do the same. I will give you an opinion on this that I hope will help. In Matthew 23.24 Yeshua says that the Pharisees strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel. He was commenting on the fact that they used to strain their wine for gnats so that they would not accidently swallow one and using that practice to illustrate a spiritual principle. This implies that if something was smaller than a gnat they were allowed to drink it. This is the prevailing rule in Orthodox Judaism today , and they are really serious about not eating unclean things. They realize that kosher food may contain a small insect or rodent hair because it is impossible to prevent it from happening. Even the U.S. Government health standards for processed food allows for some of it. It just can’t be stopped. Anybody who thinks their food does not contain these things is wrong. In Israel there have been times when certain crops had tiny bugs in them and the rabbis told the people not to worry about it. You have to be pragmatic about things. What about enzymes and other ingredients derived from unclean sources? Some will say they are not allowed, but are they? We should avoid certain additives if it is a health issue or something, but does the Scriptures actually forbid it? I wouldn’t throw a piece of pork into something for flavoring but if a substance has changed through processing so that you could not tell what it is through a microscope, that is another issue. An example of this is gelatin. It can come from pork or beef but the rabbis consider Jell-O kosher because gelatin is not meat. When a substance goes through processing it actually changes and is called “davar chadash” or a new thing. The same thing happens in a garden. Unclean animals, bugs, worms die in the soil and decomposes and becomes part of the soil. We used to take dead carp and put it into gardens to decompose. Everyone has heard of a compost pile. The squash seed you plant transforms the soil as it is absorbed into a squash. When you eat the squash you aren’t eating decomposed animals, insects and worms. It has changed substances, or “davar chadash.” You have heard of the commandment to not eat blood. Does that mean you can’t have one molecule of blood? No matter what you do you will always have blood in a piece of meat. Kosher slaughtering does not remove it either. You can drain, salt, split, soak a piece of liver all you want and it still will have blood in it. If you kept the letter of the Law then you could not eat any meat or vegetables grown in soil. The spirit of the Law requires that we do not drink blood or use it in soups and so on like some do today. We should be diligent in following what the Lord has commanded concerning food but not over scrupulous about it, thus adding to the Torah. We get so concerned about tracing down the source of everything that has been molecularly changed anyway we miss the whole point of the dietary laws. We get concerned about things that aren’t even an issue with the Lord and we lose our peace. So, the basic rule I follow is that if something is smaller than a gnat I’m not going to worry about it. With that as a back-round, it is my opinion and the prevailing opinion of those who should know that it is allowable to take medications that may have been derived from an unclean animal, especially if it is a matter of health.

Q. Is the Book of Mormon Scripture?

A. The simple answer is no and for two reasons, although there are more. First, the Scriptures were entrusted to the Jewish people (Rom 3.1-2) and the writer of the Book of Mormon was not Jewish. Secondly, even if he was you were not to add to or detract from what the Lord had already given Deut 4.1-2). These two facts alone just about eliminates every book out there that claims to be from God except one.

Q. What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage.

A. The Scriptures allow for divorce and remarriage but only under certain circumstances and because the Lord knows that human hearts are hard, but it was not intended to be that way from the beginning. God allows things in this world like war, slavery, divorce and the taking of human life for a capital crime but that is only as a last resort and after all else has failed. Exodus 21.10-11 gives some reasons for a divorce such as non-support in areas like food, clothing and conjugal rights. Deut 24.1-4 gives more insight and says that one can divorce for some indecency. The Hebrew word is “ervah” and it means indecent, shameful or improper but it does not mean adultery because that sin is found in Leviticus 18 and is punishable by death. In Matt 5 31-32 the English word adultery is used in but the word in Greek in “porneia” and means something that makes life together unbearable anymore, which can mean sexual-type sins. It does not mean adultery there because you stoned adulterers so you wouldn’t need to have a divorcce. The Greek word for adultery is “moichao” so something other than adultery is being commented on, and this agrees with Deut 24.1. Other reasons for a divorce can be that the marriage was not legal or one married an idolater. Yeshua’s comments on divorce in Matthew 5 and 19 were centered around the fact that rabbinical interpretation had clouded the true essence of what God had truly intended. He was freeing Deut 24 from all the false interpretations of the Pharisee’s. If someone had a legal divorce they were free to remarry someone who was appropriate. You could not divorce someone in order to marry someone else either. That was considered adulterous. That issue got the attention of Herod Antipas who had married his brother’s wife Herodias, as John the Baptist so aptly pointed out. So it’s not a complicated issue but man-made traditions have overshadowed what the Lord’s original instruction was. Each case of marriage should be examined beforehand to avoid any unnecessary problems down the road

Q. Why are there so many religions?

A. In truth there is only one religion and that is the one God gave on Mt. Sinai. The Scriptures testify to that fact through its historical accuracy and prophetic utterances. You were not to add to this word like some religions have nor were you to do away with that word as other belief systems. There is but one faith delivered to the true believers in God and His Messiah (Jude3) and that is found in the first five books of Moses. Everything else is false, it just that simple. So, instead of focusing on all the counterfeit religions start studying the Torah and let God lead you.

Q. The dinosaur age was prior to Adam and Eve. Was the world inhabited prior to humans? This would be more than the 7000 years you speak about.

A. The dinosaurs did live prior to Adam and Eve but not for as long as you think because the premise for your question is flawed. They were created on day five and six (Gen 1.20-25) and at the most some of them existed one day prior to when man was created (the Flintstone cartoons were right!). The belief that they preexisted man by millions of years is based on the theory of evolution that presupposes that God did not create the universe according to the book of Genesis. The only difference between the theory of evolution and the children’s fairy tale about the frog that turned into a prince is time, so the “god” and the power of the evolutionist is time. Eventually religious men began to believe that evolution was right because they didn’t believe Moses so they had to assimilate evolutionary thought into the biblical record in order to justify their beliefs so they came up with what is called “ theistic evolution” which means that God “created” the universe through evolution. God said Himself He created the universe and all that was in it in six days (“He spoke and it was done” Psa 33.9), and rested on the seventh, but His word isn’t good enough for religious men, it never is. So, they went back to Genesis and began to look for a scripture to justify what they already believed instead of framing their belief on what was already said by God. This produced what is called “The Gap Theory” because they said there was a gap between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. This isn’t true but it is still being taught. Here’s the problem with this theory. It’s unscientific because any attempt to justify evolution when it is just a theory isn’t science and evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics. Secondly it isn’t biblical because it would mean that Adam was already walking around on top of giant, fossilized animal graveyards. Paul in Romans 5.12 and 8.20-22 states that sin brought about death, even of animals. Gen 1.24 tells us that God created all the land animals on the sixth day. The gap theory isn’t even needed because a plain interpretation of Genesis reveals what God did, supported by what He has said about creation in other books like Exodus, Job and Psalms where he said He said he “spoke and it was done” and other verses. Those that support this theory will say that in Genesis 1.2 it says “without form and void” means judgment and will cite Jeremiah 4.23 . However, in other passages it simply means “space” (Job 26.7,Dt 32.10, Job 6.18,12.24, Psalm 107.40). They will also say that “was” in Gen 1.2 should be “became” but the Hebrew word “hayetha” is found 264 times and 258 times it simply means “was.” The Hebrew verb for “became” is “haphek”. A third argument will be when they say that there is a difference between “bara” (created) in Genesis 1.1 and “asah” (made) in Genesis 1.7. But, these words are used synonymously and basically mean the same thing. For example God created (bara) in Genesis 1.21 and God made (asah) in 1.25. In Genesis 1.26 it says “let us make (asah) man” and “God created (bara) man” in 1.27. Proponents of the theistic evolution/gap theory will say that “darkness” in Gen 1.2 means judgment but in this case it means the absence of light and is sometimes spoken of as good (Psalms 104.20-24). Lastly they will say that “replenish” in Gen 1.28 indicates that the world was once filled but the Hebrew word “male” almost always means “to fill” (Exodus 40.34,1K18.33,Psa 107.9). You may wonder “what happened to the dinosaurs?” The land animals died in the flood of Noah and the ones in the water of course stayed alive, and many of them exist today and have been found by fishermen. So, in short Genesis 1.1 is a summary statement of the creation and the remaining verses tell us how He did it.

Q. I have been raised in a Baptist home and church,and I am new at the concept of keeping all the Torah ordinances that apply to me and have told many

-of my friends. They accuse me of being "legalistic." Please
explain the difference between being legalistic and
keeping the Torah.
A. When someone says that to me I ask them why they
object to just the so-called "Jewish" commandments.
They can sit and talk about how we should love and be
faithful to our spouses, how we shouldn't worship
idols, lie, cheat or steal. They will agree and praise
God that they don't do those things anymore. They talk
about tithing and quote Leviticus, Deuteronomy and
Malachi. I have heard them tell people that they need
to repent from sin (like not tithing) and then when
they "believe" they tell them they are not "under the
Law" anymore (except for tithing and the giving
parts!). So, the Law applies before they believed but
not after. A very curious theology. But as soon as you
bring up the Sabbath, the biblical festivals and
eating biblically kosher their whole countenance will
change. They get this strained look on their face and
talk about "bondage." They just got done telling
someone about God's commandments and how we should
keep them but when you talk about the Sabbath things
change. It's always the Jewish commandments that get
them. It's obedience if you follow the commandments
they like, but bondage if you follow the Jewish
sounding ones. The truth is, there are no Jewish
commandments, they are all God's commandments. The
fact is, Israel disobeyed them and tried to change
them too. The Sabbath (Saturday) is the Lord's Day,
not Israel's. The food laws are God's laws, the
festivals are God's festivals. There is no difference
between any of them. They are seen as a whole. So,
when someone accuses me of being "legalistic", I tell
them God calls it OBEDIENCE and I leave it at that. I
hope this helps.

Q. I have an acquaintance that lives in far North Dallas. He is looking for a Torah teacher. How do you suggest he go about locating one and do you-

-have any cautions for him.
A. One of the first instructions in the Scriptures is
to "find yourself a teacher." It is also in the
Mishnah in "Avot" or sayings of "the Fathers". It is
very important to find the right teacher because we
all have seen the damage done by false teachers. So,
here are some basic guidelines.First, you must have a
basic knowledge of the Torah yourself. You must have a
working knowledge of the Temple, geography, history,
the festivals, prophecy, the Messiah and the
redemption to get started. He must study these things
on his own and master them. He must study the
Scriptures verse by for himself and know that he is a
believer.How can he detect false teachings unless he
knows some things himself. This is the foundation that
he must lay for himself. A Torah teacher can only
build on the basics. If he doesn't have a solid
foundation then all else will fall. He then prays
about finding a teacher who can guide him to deeper
revelation. A teacher can only give what the Lord has
shown him so he needs to find someone who can impart
knowledge. He then searches for someone who can help
him, without neglecting his own study. Most people I
have had experience with want to be told what to
believe because they are too lazy to study for
themselves. Others think they know it all and want to
argue or teach you concerning their own agenda so
there are some pitfalls to watch out for. Don't empty
your mind and be told what to believe, but be
teachable. God will put someone in his path but he
needs to have the wisdom to know who it is. He may not
be close to home. The people of Jerusalem had to walk
many miles out into the wilderness to hear John. I'm
sure people complained about that and never went. Here
are some cautions. First, make sure the teacher is a
believer in Yeshua and keeps the commandments. Make
sure he doesn't believe they have been "done away
with" like most so-called teachers today. The number
one thing on my checklist is does that person follow
the Torah and believe it is for today. If not, don't
waste your time with that person, he is a false
teacher. Secondly don't wait for the perfect
person/teacher to come along. No teacher is going to
be perfect. God doesn't use perfect people because
there aren't any (except one). Third, don't resent the
teacher because he knows more than you. That is what
he is there for. God has given him that gift and has
imparted knowledge to him so learn what you can.
Fourth, check out everything you are taught using
outside sources, and by asking questions. This will
help him to develop trust in that teacher. In my
experience, it wasn't what I taught that people took
issue with it was the preconceived expectations of the
listener that got in the way. They had no problems as
I went along confirming what they believed. But, when
I taught some things they did not agree with they did
not trust me anymore and failed to go back and check
things out for themselves. This builds resentment and
they begin to attack me rather than disprove what is
said. These people are usually very hard to teach
because they already know everything. I get more upset
when people attack the Lord and His Word than I do
about what people say about me. So, tell him not to
make that mistake.So, in short, tell him to pray for a
teacher, make sure he teaches the commandments are
valid for today, he studies for himself, he checks
things out and most of all listens with an attitude of
learning.

Q. 2 Pet 3.1o says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief with the heavens disappearing with a roar and the elements of the earth being -

-destroyed. Then in the next verse it says since the everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought we to be. What is going on?
A. These verses are giving a basic description of the Birth-pains of the Messiah, also known as the Tribulation and the events at the end of the Messianic Kingdom, or the last 1000 years spoken about all through Scripture. So, let me explain a couple of things first. Biblical time should be thought about in cyclical terms, not linear. We are going forward to the past. God is “returning us back to the Garden”. There are 2 rivers that still remain from the Garden of Eden today and that is why immersion is so important once a person believes. It’s a desire to get back to the garden, but that is another concept for another time. There is a biblical concept of the 7000 years of man and then the Olam Haba, or the world to come or “eighth day” if you will, a new beginning. The seventh millennium is called the Day of the Lord, or Lord’s Day, the Sabbath of God (Heb 4) and has many other names. Peter is describing changes in the world that are coming (v12) called a new heavens and a new earth. We are currently living in the third of an eventual five new heavens and a new earth. We have the original Creation, man fell causing another change up to the flood of Noah and another change after the flood that we are currently living in. The heavens and earth will change again in the Millennium, which Peter refers to and then the final change will come when everything will be restored (1Cor 15; Rev 22). So, in short, the creation was perfect, was diminished and will be restored back to perfection again. With that as a back-round, let’s look at the verses in context. 2 Pet 3.10 gives us a time frame for this and it’s the Day of the Lord, or seventh day or the last seven thousand years, or Messianic Kingdom. It will come like a thief, meaning many will not expect it, but there are those who will (1 Thes 5.2). That is who Peter is talking to. So, this tells us what new heavens and new earth he is talking about, and that has to do with the Birth-pains or Tribulation period. Peter goes on in v10 to describe changes in the heavens and earth (the fourth one in human history) and uses figurative language to describe it. Examples of this figurative language in use are Exodus 15.15 where it says the inhabitants of Canaan have ”melted away”, similar to Zech 14.12, Psalm 75.3. I Jn 2.17 says that earth is “passing away” and is describing the same thing Peter does. Isaiah 24.1-23 also uses figurative language to describe these changes. Now, in 2 Peter 3.10 he says the earth will be destroyed but that is understood as being “dissolved” as we know it. It obviously does not literally mean destroyed because Yeshua will reign here and the Bible has never taught that the heavens and earth are to be destroyed, only changed. Later in the verse it says that “the works” will be burned up and that is talking about the vain, useless works of man like cities, governments, traditions, customs and “earthly, elemental things” (Gal 4.3). In 2 Pet 3.11 he says that since we know that all things are to be changed or dissolved, why put your affections on the things of this world. We need to concentrate on the things that are eternal and not lay up treasures on earth. Basically he is exhorting believers to continue walking in the Torah. This book combats the heresy that the Torah commandments are no longer valid. He warns us that men will promise “liberty” saying that they are free from the Law and “turn from the Holy Commandment” ( read 2 Pet 2.18-22). He goes on in Chapter 3 and warns us of false prophets and mockers who will disregard the Torah, prophecy and the coming of the Lord and tells us that the Lord is not slack in His coming. He is saying that these things will surely come to pass so we need to have faith and keep the commandments found in the Torah and not to listen to the false prophets who deny the Lord and His Torah, but to wait patiently, serving Him with all our hearts. He also says Paul taught the same things he did, but there some things Paul writes about that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort , as they do the rest of Scripture, to their own destruction. This sounds just like today. False prophets are on every street corner, on the television and radio distorting Paul’s writings saying that he taught that the Law was “done away with” and we are “free from the Law” and so on. This book expressly warns us not to believe these people and to be obedient to His word because the Day of the Lord is coming with some big changes and surprises. Read the whole book to get the context and you will see words, phrases and concepts used in all the other books to bring home the idea that God is restoring His creation.