As numerous people worldwide are exploring the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith including an emphasis on Torah-obedience, the question is being asked, “Are Hebrew roots teachers preaching “another gospel”? Surprisingly, the answer is both yes and no. In this video, we’ll discuss what the apostles of Yeshua taught compared to what some Hebrew roots advocates are preaching and define what “another gospel” means.
Sandi and I will be on vacation until the week of May 22. Where were are going, there will little or no cell phone or wi-fi service, so I won’t be able to access my blog. I have, however, pre-programmed teachings to come out on this blog while I’m away. You can still make comments, but I won’t be able to respond to them until I return.
Leviticus 20 (entire chapter), The death penalty. In this chapter, YHVH lists the penalty for the sins that he considers to be the most abominable, grievous and ruinous to a society. He then prescribes the punishment for these sins—usually the death penalty.
As you read through this chapter, consider the penalties for these sins in our society. That’s right…there are none (with the exception of incest with one’s minor children)! Additionally, not only are most of these sins tolerated (bestiality, incest, adultery, sex during menstruation), but many of these abominable practices promoted and even celebrated (e.g., homosexuality, abortion, witchcraft, necromancy).
In our society, there is punishment for animal neglect, failing to pay taxes, or violating a building code,while there is no penalty for the sins of abortion, witchcraft, homosexuality, etc. What’s wrong here?
Notice that the punishments that YHVH prescribes for these crimes would, in most cases, in our society be considered uncivil, barbaric, or cruel and unusual (e.g., banishment, stoning, burning by fire).
The question must be asked, if we accept the Bible as the revealed truth of Elohim, then who knows best what punishment fits a crime—man or the Creator?
Interestingly, the U.S. has the highest criminal incarceration rate of any nation in the world (743 adults per 100,000 people). By year end 2010, the U.S. had 2,266,800 people incarcerated in its prisons and jails (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States). Yet ancient Israel had no Continue reading
With all this flat earth talk, consider these points:
Why are we getting sidetracked about the shape of the earth when the lost sheep of Israel need to be gathered in as Yeshua commanded us to do?
Why are people so passionate about the shape of the earth enough to bombard my blog and YouTube channel with all kinds of emotionalism, when we can hardly get anyone excited about Yeshua and the gospel message?
Of the hundreds of topics I have covered on my YouTube channel and on this blog, no subject has generated so much rancor. Why? What’s the deal?
Yeshua rebuked the church at Ephesus (Rev 2) for losing their first love (i.e. for Yeshua), although they were faithful in the works of Torah-obedience. Yeshua also rebuked the Laodiceans for being lukewarm. How is it that people can get so worked up over the shape of the earth, but can’t get excited about winning the lost, preaching the gospel, making disciples for Yeshua, and generally doing the great commission? What’s this all about? Something is wrong with this picture!
It’s this: People are passionate for the wrong things because of their lukewarmness and because they don’t really love Yeshua as they should. Their priorities are all wrong. When someone points out their sin, they shoot the messenger! Many have come under a strong delusion. They have turned from a passion for the Continue reading
Leviticus 19:27, You shall not shave around the sides of your beard. Some Torah scholars say that there is no place in the Torah, or anywhere else in the Scriptures, that explicitly commands men to wear beards. Others who are of the opinion that men should wear beards agree that while there may be no direct command to wear a beard, the Scriptures give an implied or indirect command to do so. In other words, it’s assumed that men will have a beard. I am of the latter opinion.
Some will point to Leviticus 19:27 and 21:5 in attempts to prove that men are to wear beards — that they are not to shave their beards. In reality, this command related specifically to shaving the beard in honor of the dead according to some ritual the ancient pagans practiced. In other words, YHVH is telling the Israelite men not to shave their beards as the pagans did in honor of the dead. What exactly that pagan practice was, we don’t know for sure.
Can these two verses be taken as a prohibition against a man shaving his beard? Those who say no will say that there is no direct command in the Bible to have a beard, but if you do have one, don’t shave it in honor of the dead as the pagans did. Those who say yes will say that these two verses imply a command for men to have a beard; that is, how can you cut something that you don’t already have? There are well-meaning people on both sides of this debate.
These things we know for sure. Aaron the high priest had a beard (Ps 133:2). Yeshua had a beard or else Isaiah 50:6 was a false prophecy. Ezekiel had a beard (Ezek 5:1), Ezra had a beard (Ezra 9:3); David had a beard (1 Sam 21:13); and many Israelite men wore beards (2 Sam 10:4-5; 1 Chr 19:5; Jer 41:5). It is also a religious Jewish tradition to this day for men to have beards, and we know that this tradition is rooted in antiquity.
Beyond this, what you do is your choice.
On the Hoshana Rabbah YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/HoshanaRabbah?feature=mhee), I have been getting a lot of comments (both pro and con) on my video entitled “Flat Earth Foolishness.” A few people are so caught up in this madness that they have even dropped their subscription to the HR channel. Personally, I could care less.
Here are some comments that I have posted on my channel pertaining to my flat earth video that you might find interesting:
First comment:
YHVH Elohim has called me to preach the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah and to connect it to the pro-Torah Hebrew roots of the faith. This is where the spiritual life and power of Elohim to transforms lives is to be found. This is the river of life, and it centers on the Written Torah-Word of Elohim and Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Torah-Word of Elohim. To me, anything else is a distracting (and sometimes a doctrine of demons) side issue. I have to be obedient to the instructions given to me from my Heavenly Commander and Chief. The only time I address side issues (like the flat earth debate) is not for the purpose of debating, but to bring people back to the centrality of the pro-Torah gospel message. This is what Yeshua and the apostles preached; this is what I preach. Period. The main purpose of this video was not to debate the pros and cons of the flat earth theory. You all know where I stand on this. I think its silliness—and I have looked into the evidence on both sides of the issue, so I’m not bigoted. My main point is that Hebrew roots teachers are to be following the example of Yeshua and the apostles and to be preaching the gospel. Flat earth vs. spherical earth IS NOT preaching the gospel. By in large, these kinds of topics distract people away from the gospel message. As Hebrew roots folks we’re to be preaching the commandments of Elohim and the testimony of Yeshua as per Rev 12:17 and 14:12. This is the mark of the true end time saints, bride of Yeshua. The gospel is what convicts of sin, redeems and saves and brings one to eternal life, and not these other side issues. Yet side issues like flat earth is what some teachers largely base their teaching ministries on. This is not following the command of Yeshua to preach the gospel or to make disciples. This is not following the examples of the apostles who did the same. I will go so far as to say that those Hebrew roots teachers whose ministries aren’t primarily gospel oriented are teaching another gospel—one that is foreign to that of Yeshua and the apostles. Unless you like to have your ears tickled with irrelevant nonsense, AVOID THESE TEACHERS LIKE THE PLAGUE. To the degree that they get caught up on these side issues, they are not doing the will of Yeshua. They are walking in disobedience and rebellion to Yeshua! That is the big point I am trying to make on this video. Those of you who don’t get this or who are so naive and ill-informed about the true message of the Scriptures that you think subjects like the flat earth are actually important, salvational and part of the trunk of the tree of biblical doctrine—sorry, but I don’t think I can help you. Nothing I say will make much difference to you.
Second comment:
I don’t care if you believe in a flat earth or not. Personally, I think it’s foolishness, but that’s your freewill choice. Whether you believe in a flat or spherical earth IS NOT a salvational issue. What I have a problem with is Bible teachers who make this a spiritual trunk of the tree issue when they should be preaching the message of the gospel and lifting up Yeshua as the path of salvation and the way to the Father and to eternal life. This is the gospel message the Yeshua and the apostles taught, and the Scriptures command us to imitate him in everything. There is no record in the Scriptures of Yeshua and the apostles DID NOT getting caught up in tangential side issues like the flat earth. They stuck to the main message of the gospel. So why do some so-called Hebrew roots teachers veer away from the truth of the Scriptures by failing to make the preaching of the gospel the main thing and get caught up in things like conspiracies, aliens, the Book of Enoch, the Illuminati and the flat earth? Is preaching the gospel message not sufficient in their eyes? Why? Do they really think that their method of winning the spiritually lost is better than that used by Yeshua and the apostles? If so, then the methodologies of these teachers need to be, at least, seriously questioned if not totally rejected as being unbiblical! Humans, sadly, are always wanting to hear something new and exciting. Sensationalism sells. It tickles the ears. Moreover, it often brings great financial profits and popularity to the promoters of it as well. The problem is that sensationalistic teachings like the flat earth can’t save you spiritually. It can’t help you to overcome sin and to walk more perfectly in the righteous ways of the Torah. It cannot deliver you from the guilt and shame of a sinful past. It cannot bring you into a right relationship with your heavenly Father. It cannot heal broken relationships and help you to overcome sinful addictions and bad moral behavior. It cannot carry you past the dark veil of death and into the glorious light of Yeshua’s immortal and eternal kingdom. ONLY YESHUA THROUGH THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE WITH THE HELP OF HIS SPIRIT CAN!! This is why the gospel message must remain the main focus of our attention. This is the apostolic message of the New Testament/Testimony of Yeshua. Those Hebrew roots teachers who don’t focus on this should be rejected as spiritual advisors, teachers, wise counselors and leaders. Period. This is my main point. I hope the reader can receive this.