Chag Shavuot Sameach! The Birth Of The Church.

Did you know that today is Shavuot, Pentecost, the 1988th anniversary of the birth of the church? It also marks the day of God giving the church, the Gift of His Holy Spirit, to dwell within us.

Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Weeks, commemorating the 1st wheat harvest time of the year and the day, that God gave the Torah, the Law, to Moses, on Mount Sinai. It is a Biblically ordained feast to be celebrated 50 days after Passover. It is also one the three pilgrimage feasts, requiring a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In addition, King David, was born and died on Shavuot.

Most interesting, it is speculated, as the future date of the Rapture of the Church, while most believe that the Rapture will occur on a future Feast of Trumpets.

Next Time Someone Accuses God, As Being A Fairy Tale, Remind Them Of The Facts.

Did you know that a new scientific study have calculated the odds of life appearing, on earth, by chance, as less than one in 10^{10^123}?

So, you might ask, as I did, where does it rate with other questions of our time.

Well, science has calculated the odds of there being an omnipotent being, God, as one in 10¹⁷. The odds of statistical improbability are one in 10³⁶. They also calculated the odds of statistical impossibility at one in 10⁵⁰. Statistical Impossibility is defined as,

“although not truly impossible, the probability is low enough so as to not bear mention in a rational, reasonable argument.”

So, like back in elementary, let’s put this on a number line.

So, the next time someone accuses God, as being a fairy tale, remind them of the facts.

... and that's what you'll find, When You Search For The Truth

Believe And Be Baptized Then You'll Be Saved????

Did you know that one of the main reasons, why there are so many denominations and fractures, within the church, is that people misread the Bible?

I know that's hard to believe. But seriously, there are countless issues that has caused division, within the church. Most of them arise out of misreading the scriptures. One of these is the self imposed requirement to be baptized, in order to be saved. This church fallacy comes from misinterpreting Mark 16:15-16

"Later, Yeshua appeared to the Eleven as they were eating, and he reproached them for their lack of trust and their spiritual insensitivity in not having believed those who had seen him after he had risen. Then he said to them, “As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation.  Whoever trusts in it, then immersed are saved. Whoever does not trust will be condemned."

and John 3:5.

"Yeshua answered, “Truly and Faithfully I affirm unto you, unless one is born out of water and Spirit, one will not enter the Kingdom of God."

First of all, let's look at Mark 16:15-16 again. Please notice that Y'shua was talking about their lack of trust. Also, Mark 16:15-16 ends in two separate statements. One states that those, who put their trust, in the previously mentioned Good News, and then immersed are saved. Notice, it doesn't say, 'will be saved'. That's a very important distinction.

All of Y'shua's teachings contain the 'If/Then structure. If you do this, then either this will happen or your will do this. When you trust, you follow. When you trust, you obey. When you trust, your first act of obedience is baptism. It drives the point home, in the last statement. 'Those, who do not trust, will be condemned.' Notice, it doesn't say anything about those, who do not get immersed. Immersion or Baptism is not required, but a result. Baptism is an act of obedience following putting your trust in the Lord.

Now, let's look at John 3:5, again. Y'shua could either be talking about Baptism or a well know Jewish idiom, 'The Daily Washing', at the Laver. Since Nicodemus appears to not understand, 'Born Again', Y'shua begins to approach it from a Torah, Old Testament angle. This is evident, when Yshua breaks into the example of the serpent, being lifted up in the desert.

So, what was Y'shua talking about? The Jewish idiom, 'Washing in the Laver', is describing our daily washing within the scriptures. He is saying that you won't understand being 'Born Again', unless you are born out of the scriptures, not literally water. You could say, 'Unless you are Baptized in the Word of God and his Spirit.', not Baptism in Water.

Don't take my word for it. Let's ask our Lord, Y'shua.

Remember, when Y'shua said to the woman, who wanted to be saved, in Matthew 9:22, "Your faith has saved you. And the woman was made whole from that hour." Amazing, no baptism.

Don't forget the theif, on the cross, when after giving his trust in Y'shua. Y'shua told him, 'Today, you will be with me in Paradise.' Again, no baptism.

Now let's stop right and pause a moment. There are some that will say that the women and the thief were under the old covenant. Ok, that's fine, but wasn't Nicodemus under the old covenant in John 3:5? If Y'shua was telling Nicodemus to be baptized, in order to be saved, wouldn't he have told the women and the theif to be baptized, since all three were "under the old covenant"? You can't have it both ways.

Finally, let's not forget, Ephesians 2:8-9.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Why do people want to add to what the Messiah did on the cross? He did it all. He doesn't need our help. However, he does want to act like you trust in him.

...and that's what you'll find, When You Search For The Truth.

Access To The Garden Of Eden?

Did you know that the Garden of Eden is still around?

Many Jews and Christians,  if asked, believe that it was an ancient garden, that existed in the Middle East, that has given way to the ravages of time. As a matter of fact, there has been many documentaries on TV, YouTube, etc., concerning the ancient location of the garden. Many try to locate it by using the geographical information found within the bible. However, no one has been successful, leading scholars to speculate that it is under water, within the Persian Gulf.

What most people don't know is that access, to the Garden, is still possible, by man. How do I know? Well, think about it. Would God waste resources, by having the most powerful angels guarding it, if it wasn't accessible? In Genesis 2:9 and Revelation 22, the Bible clearly shows that Eden and, at least, the Tree of Life, are still there, but are being block by Cherubim, with flaming swords.

So why hasn't someone found it? Quite simple. Within the Garden, the Tree of Life can be found. If we believe what the Bible tells us, anyone who eats from the Tree of Life, lives forever. The Bible tells us that sin cause death and blinds us to the truth. Does that mean that we can't see the entry to the Garden and the Tree of Life, because of our sin. I think the answer can be found in old Jewish teachings.

We are told that Adam and Eve and all creation, resembled God and reflected his Shekinah. Moses showed this phenomena, when God have him the Law on Mt. Sinai. Also, when Elisha prayed for God to reveal the spiritual army protecting them, to his servant and when God separated the light from the darkness. So, were Adam, Eve, Angels, etc., clothed in the light of his Glory? Was this clothing of light part of the dimensionality, man lost, when they sinned? You see, the ability to see or perceive the spirit dimension was lost. As time went on and man indulged further and further into his sinfulness, he lost his spiritual sight.

Now, with the sacrifice, of the Messiah, for mankind's sin, and the Remnant's desire to walk closely with God, can our spiritual eyes be opened, making access to the garden possible or at least catch a glimpse of it? I don't know. However, one thing I do know, when we do obtain our new bodies, bodies again clothed in light, after the resurrection, we will have full access to the Garden and the Tree of Life. We will have full access to it's twelve kinds of fruit, with it's root system straddling the river, which flows from the Throne of God. As for me, I think it will be pretty cool.

The Story Behind The Gospel Part Two. The Solution. The Good News.

Did you know that the 4000 years, between Adam and Y'shua, were an object lesson that points to a solution for mankind's predicament?

The Gospel Story

The Solution

For the 4000 years, between Adam and Y'shua, Jesus, God showed man, through his Law, that he required a perfect sacrifice, to pay for Adam and Eve's infraction. Those 4000 years were also an object lesson to show mankind that no matter what, they could not supply a sacrifice acceptable to God. This was due to God requiring a flawless blood sacrifice of the likes of the one who committed the infraction, otherwise a perfect human blood sacrifice.

The problem, with that, is there was not and never could be a perfect human, born of man, since disobedience now resided in the very nature of man. Since no man, born of a man/woman union, is perfect, God had to provide a solution. The solution was to provide a man through an undefiled woman impregnated by the Spirit of God. This resulted in the supernatural birth of Y’shua, Jesus.

The Good News

According to scriptures, The Tanakh, The Old Testament, where God revealed to us his salvation plan, Y’shua was borne with the Spirit of God and of a virgin woman. He lived a perfect life as a man and was crucified upon the alter of God, the Cross. During his crucifixion, the scriptures tells us that he was made sin for us all. On the cross or stake, God withdrew himself from the man Y’shua and left the perfect Y'shua, to die upon the cross, as the ultimate sin offering.

He was buried in a tomb, guarded by Roman soldiers.

As a side note,  the Jewish leadership feared that the followers of Y'shua would steal the body and claim resurrection. They asked Pontius Pilate to secure the tomb. Pontius Pilate was the Roman Prefect in Israel at this time and the one who condemned Y'shua to death. Pontius Pilate makes a great comment. He said, "Make it as sure as you can." That meant a minimum of four soldiers would guard the tomb for the length of Pesach, Passover.

However, three days later, in fulfillment to scripture, and before the Body would naturally see corruption, God rejoined the man and together resurrected Y’shua in a transformed body and left the tomb. This happened on the Feast of First Fruits, known as Resurrection Day.

Later, on Shavuott, Pentecost, Y'shua ascended to his rightful place, the right hand of his Father in Heaven, where he makes intercession for us on a daily basis. With his blood, he is now a sin covering for all of us who relies on that sacrfice for reconciliation with God.

The only thing God requires from any of us is to accept and believe that Y’shua was the perfect sacrifice.

After that, when we confess ours sins to him, he will be faithful and just to forgive us.

As part of the new relationship, a true believer will desire to get to know God on a more intimate basis through his Word and understanding how his creation reveals him to all. Usually, the first act of obedience of a true believer is to follow Y’shua and be baptized. Baptism is being immersed in water to publicly display your dedication to a life in the Messiah and a ever-growing close relationship with God.

It Was Not About The Tree Or The Fruit. The Gospel, Part One.

Did you know that most people don't know the true story behind man's fall from Grace?

The Gospel Story

The Reason

Some time after God created the time-space reality, in which we live, the first man was formed * by God, from the dust of the world, before the herbs of the field, on the third day of creation. The first man's name was Adam. He was placed in Eden, a garden paradise made especially for him.

On the sixth day, God created ** mankind, man and woman.

Adam, was joined little later by his mate, Eve, who was also formed, from the body of Adam.

After an unknown period of time, Adam and Eve, disobeyed the one rule that God gave them. He told them not to eat from one tree, in the garden. After being tempted, by Satan, Eve ate from the tree. However, it was not about the fruit or the tree. It was disobedience, that Satan taught Eve, that day.

Disobedience revealed a different perspective to Eve. Up to this point, it didn't even occur to her to do anything, other than obey God's simple rule. However, afterwards, it opened up a new line of reasoning, 'What If?'. It was 'What If?', that caused Adam to deliberately enter into sin.

When Eve ate of the fruit and then delivered the fruit to Adam. He was given something that he hadn't had up to then, a choice. He could have continued to follow God and let Eve perish or he could give himself up to disobedience, in an effort to save Eve.  Many people really come down hard on Adam for his choice, that day, for this disobedience created a fracture or separation between God's existence and ours.

However, if you think about it, Adam's choice not only opened him up to mankind's ridicule and condemnation, he also experience AGAPE, for the first time. AGAPE is a totally committed love, that only God possessed, up to that point in time. It was good for us, because AGAPE would be needed for mankind to be reconciled back to God, but unbeknownst to mankind, it would take almost 4000 years for reconciliation to happen.

Unfortunately, for Adam and Eve and the rest of mankind, God required a penalty/punishment for this disobedience. From this point on, man would experience both physical death and spiritual separation from God for the next 4000 years.

* The Hebrew word used in the Genesis 2 account is YATSAR, meaning 'to form from existing materials'.

** The Hebrew word used here, in this excerpt, from Genesis 1, is 'BARA' which means, 'to create out of nothing'.