Why where they so upset???

John 10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

The people that Y’shua was speaking to may not have initially understood everything that He was saying but I have a feeling they probably had that stabbing feeling in the pits of their stomachs telling them that Y’shua was rebuking them. This was only to be confirmed by the explanation that was to follow…

7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”

Why were the people so disturbed? Where they really just upset at the notion that Jesus had just proclaimed himself to be God or where they offended at this rebuke? What Y’shua spoke of here was NOT a new thought. The learned men of the Word knew of prophecy spoken hundreds of years before. I believe that this previously spoken prophecy caused these words of Jesus to sink in like a finely sharpened arrow. Not only was he calling these people and their generations of misguided beliefs on the carpet but He was also human commitment to the one true God. The words He spoke disrupt the plans of a religious monarchy that has taken years to build up.

Under the surface, is it possible that THIS is what the people he was talking to where hearing?

Ezekiel 34:1 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

Here Y’shua is. He’s here to claim His sheep. He proclaims the HE is the Shepherd. If that wasn’t plain enough for you Jesus lets us know that He and the Father are ONE.

John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long [b]will You keep us in suspense? If You are [c]the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 [d]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are [e]one.”

Ezekiel34:11 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered [l]sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord GOD. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment…25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be [v]victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord GOD. 31 “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord GOD.

Isn’t it wonderful to be a sheep of the Good Shepherd?

To celebrate or not to celebrate Easter....

(addressing specific concerns a friend had about my potential legalism in the matter)

Legalism vs obedience and love

The question begs, what exactly is legalism, specifically as it deals with our faith in Jesus the Messiah? According to the free dictionary online legalism is defined as: “the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works”. So, in order for one to assume that the person who is obedient to word of God, or specifically the “Old Testament” word of the law, is legalistic, would be to assume that that person also believes that his obedience will bring him salvation. Contrary to legalism is the idea that obedience is an evidence of faith and love for his Lord and Messiah. In John 14:15 Jesus said, “15"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:21 also says, ”He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 1 John 5:3 states, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” Similar sentiments’ are expressed in John 15:10, and 2 John 1:6. I’m sure that other similar verses are available beyond what is listed here.

Easter addressed in scripture

How does God specifically address Easter scripture? First lets begin with a brief history lesson. The goddess of Easter is also known by the names of Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Simiramis, and Astarte (among others, I will refer to her as Ashtoreth in order to avoid too much confusion) and is known as the goddess of the moon and fertility. Ashtoreth was said to have been hatched from an egg that fell from heaven into the Euphrates River. Ashtoreth (also known as the wife of Baal and the ‘queen of heaven’) was said to have given birth to a son named Tammuz via a virgin birth and Tammuz was said to be Nimrod reincarnate. Nimrod is known as the “father of heaven”, “the god of the sun”, and the deceased husband of Ashtoreth. (Don’t ask me where they get the virgin birth bit when Ms Ashtoreth was obviously no virgin) Anyways, Tammuz, Ashtoreth’s beloved son was killed one day by a wild boar and sent into the underworld. This sent his mother into great sorrow. It was said that through his mothers weeping he was revived each spring (weeping for Tammuz, also known as or adopted as Lent).

Ashtoreth is mentioned in 1 Kings 11 as “goddess of the Sidonians” and further explained in 1 Kings 11:13 “The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled.” She is also mentioned in 2 Kings 23. Despite what the wisdom that Solomon thought he had it is quite apparent that this specific goddess is mentioned in scripture as being displeasing to the Lord.

If at this point your saying to yourself, “I don’t worship Ashtoreth” or “Easter is all about Jesus to me so what I do is different” let me show you one more scripture that deals specifically with the nonsense surrounding this goddess worship that the Lord specifically addresses in Ezekiel 8-9. In Ezekiel 8, the Lord takes Ezekiel in a vision into the places of worship in Jerusalem. As He leads Ezekiel on in the vision the Lord takes him into rooms where He shows him greater and greater abominations. He shows him the “idol of jealousy” (also referred to in Jeremiah 7:30 "For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight," declares the LORD, "they have set their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.” With further research this could easily be identified as the “mother of heaven” Ashtoreth or “the virgin Mary” of the Catholic Church). Next in the vision the Lord shows Ezekiel elders of the house of Israel in front of carved images of animals, in dark rooms waving incense as they hide themselves from the Lord, an exercise eerily similar to the practices of lent! Next He shows him the women weeping for Tammuz. Remember that the weeping for Tammuz is Ashtoreth’s weeping for her son in order to bring him back from the underworld. Ever heard of Ash Wednesday and Lent? These are directly related. Next the Lord shows Ezekiel the elders of Israel as they are prostrating themselves toward the sun in worship of the sun. Ever wondered where the tradition of the sunrise service originated? Eventually “The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst."(Ezekiel 9:4) I would guess that it would be easy to identify those who mourned in this vision, as they would NOT have an ashen cross of Tammuz on their forehead on that day. Instructions are then given for every man, woman, child and baby who does not bear this mark to be slain, sparing none.

I’m sure at this point you may be saying to yourself, “I don’t worship Ashtoreth, Tammuz, the sun or idols.” No matter what these “holidays mean to you” one cannot deny that at their roots they are detestable to God.

Can we worship as we please?

I guess the next question to address is: Does the fact that Jesus conquered sin and death leave us open to worship God as we please? It certainly wasn’t ok for the Israelites. In Deuteronomy 12: 31 the Lord said "You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods” (as a side note, part of the worship of Ashtoreth includes, or included, raping virgins and then one year later sacrificing the babies that were a fruit of the rape on alters and dying eggs with the blood). “But this is the “Old” Testament”, you say, “now we live under grace. All that has been done away with.” Is not the Lord the same yesterday, today and forever? (We as humans certainly haven’t changed much.) Hebrews 13: 8 ^“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” If the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever was His grace any different for the Israelites? Is not God outside of time? Was the grace, mercy and forgiveness offered by Jesus non applicable to the Israelites. If God is outside of time is it possible that what He said and meant then, He also says and means now? Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus as… “The Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Based on what the Lord instructed the Israelites concerning worshiping Him in the ways that others worshiped their gods, does it really matter what Easter means to us? God didn’t bring the Israelites out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt to worship Him as THEY pleased as was well demonstrated when the Israelites attempted worship HIM with the golden calf. Even if we are under grace now, how much do we dare take advantage of it?

How then do we celebrate the Lord?

Many people love the traditional “American holidays”. Generations of customs surrounding family and church make them very pleasing to our hearts. We have been taught that these are the ways in which we are to celebrate our Lord and that there is no other way. Scriptures would suggest otherwise. In scripture the Lord instructs the Israelites to remember Him in specific times and ways. In Hebrew these times are referred to as His Appointed Times, in “American” these are referred to as “Jewish Holidays”.

Celebrating Jesus birth

Concerning the celebration of His birth. When the Israelites left Egypt the Lord commanded them to remember Him with Sukkot, The Feast of Tabernacles. He commanded them to build temporary dwelling places and to dwell in them during the week of the feast. This feast was meant to remind them of their redemption from slavery and the sustainment that God provided for them in the wilderness as they dwelt in temporary dwelling places, just as we have been redeemed from our sins and God sustains us in our temporary dwelling places. It is also a reminder that Jesus would come for a time to “tabernacle” with us and then again to “tabernacle” with us for eternity. Much evidence suggests that it was during this time that Jesus was born. When we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles we are not just celebrating Gods sustainment of the Israelites as He led them out of bondage, our temporary condition on this earth, and the birth of Jesus (as it is very likely that He was born during this season) but we are also celebrating what is to come. Ezekiel 37:27-28 states, “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever." Referring to Jesus’ eventual eternal reign and that He will ‘tabernacle’ with us for eternity (Revelation 7:15).

Celebration of the Death and Resurrection

Concerning the celebration of the death and RESURECTION of our Lord Jesus (yay!). On Pesach (Feast of Passover) I can celebrate the exact same feast that Jesus celebrated as he broke the bread and drank the final cup, knowing the blood He would sweat and the pain that he would feel as He became THE perfect Passover lamb. I am reminded of the fact that He was pierced for my transgressions and crushed for my iniquity and that He was raised again three days later, through the retelling of the Exodus and the elements of the Passover Seder. All this being experienced, knowing that Jesus went through this same retelling and experienced the same elements just before He was to become the fulfillment of it all!

Pesach and Sukkot are not the only appointed times that God set forth for the Israelites to remember Him by. As fellow heirs with Israel (Romans 11 we are grafted in as believers) we to can celebrate and remember Him through His appointed times and customs. How cool is it that we get the opportunity to understand the fulfillment of prophecy and scripture and we get to celebrate and understand what was and is to come simply by doing the things that God set forth for us to do. With the privilege of this opportunity to do things the way God Himself laid out, why then is there a need to try and honor Him with the traditions laid out by the imposter?

Colossians 2

In regards to Paul’s letter to the Colossians, I believe that it is first important to understand who exactly Paul was addressing in order to fully understand what it was that he was addressing. First, the Colossians where a people who where deeply steeped in Oriental mysticism. In Colossians 2:15 Paul makes a public spectacle of the rulers and authorities because of their principles of this world not because of the principles of following Gods commandments. Verse 8 explains, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” The believers of Colossae were still heavily steeped in the ways of their culture. Coming to a belief and relationship with their Messiah Jesus didn’t automatically delete their pasts and how they had lived for generations. Paul’s letter to them is an attempt to encourage and set straight the believers in Colossae so that they could walk blamelessly before the Lord. As the new believers of Colossae embarked on the journey of knowing the true Lord, they undoubtedly were also learning to keep God appointed times and commandments as they are described in the Torah. (There is no reason to believe that Paul, with an understanding of the fulfillment of the Torah, wouldn’t have kept the Lords Feasts and commandments) As the believers of Colossae became more set apart they were undoubtedly taunted and judged for not keeping their old ways. Paul reminds them that they are firmly rooted and established in their new faith. He reminds them of the circumcision of their hearts and that their transgressions had in fact been nailed to the cross. There is no need for them to allow these people, whom Paul has just made a spectacle of (or anyone else for that matter), to judge them for following Gods commandments and ways. For they are a shadow of things to come and since Jesus has yet to return again they are still a shadow of things to come (please note that in verse 17 the word mere does not appear in the Greek. This word downplays the significance of the meaning the food, drink, festivals, new moons and Sabbath days that the new believers where undoubtedly learning to keep). The substance of these things (food, drink, festivals, new moons and Sabbath days) belongs to Christ because He is the fulfillment, not abolishment, of them. Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. We do these things to honor Jesus.

Verse 18-19
“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.” What is the prize that Paul is talking about? Philippians 3:14 suggest that the prize is Christ Jesus, who is salvation. Paul obviously feels that it’s important for the believers of Colossae to understand the importance of the salvation of Jesus which is unlike the “salvation” those of their culture seek after by punishing themselves, worshiping angels, depending on visions made of utmost importance by those who followed these others gods, and not holding fast to Jesus who is the head of the Body. I would challenge anyone who believes that Paul is referring to Old Testament commandments here. Where in Gods word, front, back of middle, does God ever ask of His people self-abasement or to worship angels? He doesn’t, in fact God has always warned against such things. Why would God discount or disqualify visions that He has given? These things Paul speaks of are not now nor where they ever the things of God. These are the ways and ideas of men that he speaks against. Could one consider Easter to be the ways of men?

Verse 20-23
“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
21"Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"
22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

In verse 20 what are the elementary principles of the world? I certainly would challenge anyone who would suggest that the laws set forth by the Lord in the Old Testament where “of this world”. The mere suggestion, to me, would be to de-deitize God and place ourselves as equals or better than Him. I would suggest that the “elementary principles of the world” that Paul is eluding to are the principles set forth by the world and the ways of the mysticism that they were enveloped in. This would explain why he refers to these decrees as being the commandments and teachings of MEN and containing “the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion”. How could one claim that abiding by the commandments set forth by God are the ways of men? Are they not from the beginning the wisdom of God? Sure men have added to Gods ways but God speaks strictly against that too. To conclude the chapter… these “are of no value against fleshly indulgence” only faith in Christ is of value (which includes obedience to Him). Only through the saving blood of Jesus can we conquer sin and the ways of the world and cleave to that which is good and brings forth life.

Joshua 1

Matthew 7:13 (New American Standard Bible)

¹³"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

Joshua 1

In Joshua 1 G-d gave leadership of the Israelites to Joshua. Moses has passed away and Joshua has taken his place before Adonai and before the Israelites to lead them into the promised land. As the L-rd is assigning Joshua this great task he tells Joshua,

⁷"Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

⁸"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

⁹"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (NASB)

Although the Adonai is speaking directly and specifically to Joshua in this passage I believe that we can take into account the principles and specifics that G-d speaks for our own lives.

vs 7 & 8- This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. In the David H. Stern's Complete Jewish Bible the word "law" is translated Torah. "Keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night". This verse points out that it is important to speak of and study G-d's Torah or G-d's laws so that we can KEEP them. Why keep G-d's Torah? Many would consider it a burden and an unobtainable goal but when the L-rd told Joshua to keep his laws so that he would be prosperous and have success. If Joshua can stay on the straight and narrow path neither turning to the right or the left, Adonai promises to give Joshua success where ever he goes.

Psalm 119:97 (New International Version, ©2011)

מ Mem

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

John 14:21 (New International Version, ©2011)

²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

vs 9- G-d promises Joshua that if he puts his faith in Him and His ways that He will be with Joshua where ever he goes. G-d actually commands Joshua NOT to be afraid.

Amazingly G-d's commands to Joshua in this chapter paint a picture of G-d's character and His desire to take care of us. He let's Joshua know of the blessing of knowing and keeping His Torah is that he will make him prosperous, give him success and be with him where ever he goes.

G-d desires so much to take care of and bless us that if we rest in Him and His promises he will give us rest and fight our battles for us. But we must be obedient to Him and trust him.

¹³"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God gives you rest and will give you this land.'

Finally in Joshua 1, our need for a redeemer is once again demonstrated.

⁸"Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous."

Romans 6:23 (New American Standard Bible)

²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.