The Bible and the food we eat

To eat kosher food or not, that is truly becoming a more and more debated question within the biblical conservative community.
I can tell you on forehand, that is not something I tell you you should commit to or not, this is between you and God.
Are you from Jewish descent and you grew up eating kosher, I would say do not change, keep eating healthy.
Yes indeed eating kosher is healthy, let me say way healthier then the way westerners normally eat.
For myself, I'm eating more and more kosher and truly feel better about it.
The following is my belief and explanation on what the Bible teaches about eating kosher.
There are many man made dietary Kashrut laws (Kashrut is the law on food that can or cannot be eaten).
Within Judaism there are so many more rules than those that the Bible gives us that it becomes truly difficult to understand what has been given by God and what not.
I believe that what is God given will not be changed by God.
There is one thing that God will never do, and this is to lie, because God is truth lying is the one thing that He is NOT ABLE to do.
After the destruction of the temple the law of Moses with the sacrificial offerings where more and more replaced by works and the rule of the Oral Torah.
A very serious charge against;

the idea of oral Torah is that the Talmudic revisionism of post-Temple Judaism transformed Moses from being God's direct meditator into "Moshe Rabbeinu" - Moses our Rabbi. The same "conversion" can be seen in the rabbinical reinvention of the prophets, King David, and even the Messiah into advocates of the Talmud and the rabbis. Indeed, even God Himself is sometimes seen as being subject to the authority of the rabbis! For example, in the Talmud Bavli, Baba Metzia 59b, we read the story of the "Oven of Akhnai." In this story R. Eliezer had argued a point of doctrine the truth of which was attested to by miracles. His rabbinical opponents, however, dismissed his various proofs. Finally we read:
In response, R. Eliezer said to the Sages, "If the Halakhah agrees with me, let it be proved from heaven." Sure enough, a divine voice cried out, "Why do you dispute with R. Eliezer, with whom the Halakhah always agrees?" R. Joshua stood up and protested: "The Torah is not in heaven!" (Deut. 30:12). We pay no attention to a divine voice because long ago at Mount Sinai You wrote in your Torah at Mount Sinai, `After the majority must one incline'. (Ex. 23:2)"
R. Nathan met [the prophet] Elijah and asked him, "What did the Holy One do at that moment?" Elijah said, "He laughed [with joy], saying, 'My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.'"
The revisionism of the Talmud ascribes sole authority to the rabbis in Jewish life. Rabbinical consensus and interpretation now trumps all.

Hebrew for Christians "the Oral Torah"

The Idea of mankind being in a higher authority is in my opinion preposterous and not in line with any scripture at all.
So is it then that we throw all of the Kashrut law overboard?
No we should not, there is now the man given and the God given law. The part where we might be in disagreement is where this line is, many of our Christian and Messianic friends have been influenced by Oral and also Written tradition which makes it necessary to define a number of parameters for this paper first.
Jesus said;

Richard Anthony on Biblical health principles

Because I believe that my Abba, the Heavenly Father knows best, the following is Kashrut law is what we know to not be man but God given.
Deuteronomy gives us very clear instructions on what Adonai (The Lord) says is good and what is not.

Complete devotion to the Lord

14 You are the Lord’s children. Don’t cut yourselves and don’t shave your foreheads for the dead, ² because you are a people holy to the Lord your God. You are the ones whom the Lord selected to be his own, to be a treasured people out of all other people on earth.

Dietary laws

³ Don’t eat any detestable thing. ⁴ Here’s a list of animals you are allowed to eat: ox, sheep, goat, ⁵ deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. ⁶ You are also allowed to eat any animal with a divided hoof—the hoof being divided into two parts—and that rechews food among the various kinds of animals. ⁷ However, here’s a list of animals that either rechew food or have hooves divided in two parts that you are not allowed to eat: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger—because these rechew food but don’t have divided hoofs, they are off-limits for you;⁸ and the pig—because it has a divided hoof but doesn’t rechew food, it’s off-limits for you.

⁹ Here’s a list of the water animals you are allowed to eat: you can eat anything that has fins and scales. ¹⁰ But you aren’t allowed to eat anything that lacks scales or fins. These are off-limits for you.

¹¹ You are allowed to eat any clean bird. ¹² Here’s a list of those you are not allowed to eat: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, ¹³ the red kite, the black kite, and any kind of bird of prey, ¹⁴ any kind of raven, ¹⁵ the ostrich, the nighthawk, the seagull, any kind of hawk, ¹⁶ the small owl and the large owl, the water hen, ¹⁷ the desert owl, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, ¹⁸ the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

¹⁹ Also, all winged insects are off-limits for you. They are not to be eaten. ²⁰ Any clean winged creature can be eaten, however.

²¹ You must not eat any decayed animal flesh because you are a people holy to the Lord your God. You can give decayed animal flesh to the immigrants who live in your cities, and they can eat it; or you can sell it to foreigners. Don’t cook a lamb in its own mother’s milk.

It seems like a very restricted and brought, therefore we see a repeat of this again in Leviticus 11 but it is there where we finding the absolute conclusion on this establishing the statement if the Kashrut regulation is outside of the scope of these texts it is man made and not of God.

For I am Adonai, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy. ⁴⁶ “‘Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground. ⁴⁷ Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.’”

• So then knowing all of this let me ask it again, why should I eat kosher?
  • To get to heaven ? NO !! we are saved by grace and not by works and definately not by what we eat.
• Ok, another queston then, what is the difference between the rules of the Atkins Diet and Kashrut?
  • Answer; God !!!! As a loving father God knows what is best for our bodies.
• So Pastor why do you then want to eat Kosher?
  • Because I love the Lord and I know that what He says is good for me is the truth!!

As Proverbs 19:23 CEB "says the fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by harm."

From the internet discussions and from many Christian resources you will hear this concerning eating according to God's plan for healthy living;
They will say with the words of Matthew 15:11 (Amp) "It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. "
However what is Jesus talking about at this moment and to whom.
If Jesus intended to abolish the kashrut laws here there would not have been any doubt about it and the listeners would surely not have missed this point.
If Jesus would have said, it is ok now, all foods are clean, you can eat whatever you want it would have created a great crisis and not the least a great controversy in His ministry.
There were Pharisees and scribes among the listeners, how would they have responded when Jesus would say, OK, it is good, you can eat pork from now on. There is however no account anywhere that they understood Jesus in this way, and it would have been a great issue in itself. Jesus speaking out against the Mosaic law that would have been a chargable offense.
The subjest however is not about what to eat, but on how to eat, it was about the washing of hands as we can read in verse 2 of Matthew 15:1-20
For clearity I've used red letters for the words of Yeshua, Jesus.

Rules from the elders

Then Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why are your disciples breaking the elders’ rules handed down to us? They don’t ritually purify their hands by washing before they eat.”

³ Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you? ⁴  For God said, Honor your father and your mother,  and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. ⁵  But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you I’m giving to God as a gift,” then you don’t have to honor your father.’ ⁶  So you do away with God’s Law for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you. ⁷  Hypocrites! Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you, ⁸ This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. ⁹ Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human rules.”

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, “Listen and understand. ¹¹  It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.”

¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you just said?”

¹³ Jesus replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be pulled up. ¹⁴  Leave the Pharisees alone. They are blind people who are guides to blind people. But if a blind person leads another blind person, they will both fall into a ditch.”

¹⁵ Then Peter spoke up, “Explain this riddle to us.”

¹⁶ Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? ¹⁷  Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸  But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight. ¹⁹  Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults. ²⁰  These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.”

This is as said before the scripture reading about eating without the ceremonial washing of the hands, the focus on this text is not about what to eat but about the washing of the hands before eating. The scribes taught that eating food without the ceremonial washing of the hands would defile the eater.
Jesus however said that the ceremonial handwashing was meaningless. As He listed in verse 19 several sin He concluded in verse 20 "These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight."
If we continue I would like to point you to the message notes of "The Significance of a Vision" in which we look at Acts 10.
Simon Peter received a vision of a talit coming down from heaven with all kinds of unclean un-kosher animals on it.
If Jesus would have said while He was with the disciples as in the scripture according to Matthew as we read previously that it is ok to eat that what previously was called unclean. Simon Peter would have indeed eaten with Him those things that were unclean, but, we read in Acts 10.

Acts 10:9-16 (AMP)

9 The next day as they were still on their way and were approaching the town, Peter went up to the roof of the house to pray, about the sixth hour (noon).
10 But he became very hungry, and wanted something to eat; and while the meal was being prepared a trance came over him,
11 And he saw the sky opened and something like a great sheet lowered by the four corners, descending to the earth.
12 It contained all kinds of quadrupeds and wild beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, saying, Rise up, Peter, kill and eat.
14 But Peter said, No, by no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean.
15 And the voice came to him again a second time, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding and calling common and unhallowed or unclean.
16 This occurred three times; then immediately the sheet was taken up to heaven.

By no means, is what we read by no means, Lord; for I have NEVER eaten anything that is common and unhollowed or unclean.
This vision occured after Jesus' crucifixion, His resurection, and the ascension to heaven. The disciples, including Simon Peter, knew and also had declared it that Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach was Lord, that He is God and while with them was Fully man and Fully God.
I cannot believe, under no circumstanse that when that Jesus would have said to throw overboard the God given Kashrut law that they would have been disobedient. Jesus has said, and that more then once, that the man made laws, like the law on handwashing was complete nonsense and not from God.

Another scripture that is frequently quoted but not completely in context is from the letter to the believers in Colosse

Colossians 2:14-16 (KJV)

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

But when we read in context and set it to the social economic background then we suddenly get a more complete understanding on what is going on.

Colossians 2:8-17 (CEB)

8 See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. 9 All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body. 10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised by him. This wasn’t performed by human hands—the whole body was removed through this circumcision by Christ. 12 You were buried with him through baptism and raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead because of the things you had done wrong and because your body wasn’t circumcised, God made you alive with Christ and forgave all the things you had done wrong. 14 He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross. 15 When he disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them to public disgrace by leading them in a triumphal parade.
16 So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. 17 These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ.

In Chapter one of this letter Paul has set the stage for his judgement on the conflict that has been going on in the Colossian church. The Jewish believers coming out of Judaism followed a strict ritual and judicial system as it was passed down through the generations and with that they wanted the non Jewish believers, the gentiles, or goyim to adhere to the laws of Judaism, concerning circumcision, ritual bathing and the kashrut laws.

This is the basis of the letter to the Colossian church, Col. 1:1-14 is the preparation of his remarks and in verse 15-29 Paul is explaining the cause, the need, the result and the concept of Christ's being.
In chapter two he continues as he has laid the groundwork for his confrontation with the emerging heresy in the Colossian church.
From talking about the incarnation to the receiving and understanding of Christian Doctrine and how it supports Christian life he moves to Atonement verse 8 to 15 which has nothing to do with the human traditions and philosophy anymore as Christ has atoned for our sin.
Then we see that Paul's conflict with the Colossian false teachers not only deals with doctrine, but carries over into the real of human behavior.
So don't let anyone or Therefore in the King James refers back to what has all been stated before and then leads to the conclusion: “don't let anyone” pass a sentence on you, judge you.
All other religions involve inferior and unavailing reconciling acts and practices about eating, drinking or in festival or sabbath observance.
In which are a shadow, or the body that cast the shadow points to the reality of Christ Jesus.
In the old testament only the shadow could be seen. In the New Testament the body, in greek the Soma, or substance which is Christ, is present.
Yet we still have those who would be “slave to the shadow” the types and forms of rituals for their salvation. The point is to direct to the sacrifice of Christ. (Deacons Bible Commentary)
Paul is in no manner saying here that what God has given to be not good to eat suddenly has become good. What Paul has pointed out within the two chapters and further on in this letter is that Salvation and acceptance in the body of Christ is not dependent on the shadow the observance of the Holy days and the Kashrut laws, but on Christ's atoning sacrifice.

The reason why I want to eat Kosher, I know that He knows what is good for me.
I pray that this paper helps you with your quest on Healthy living and Healthy eating.
 
 

Grace

The following on grace, eternal salvation, predestination, backsliding, apostasy, and holiness is derived from a message delivered on October 6, 2013, and is expanded herein for this paper. One of my cherished beliefs is that as Christians, we are collectively journeying on God's Highway towards the new Jerusalem in heaven.

Let us establish the premise on grace. As Christ's followers, we are sanctified, set apart to enter His Kingdom, Heaven. This sanctification designates us as the saints of God. However, our salvation is not predetermined; it hinges on our free will to choose or reject Christ. By grace alone are we saved when we choose to follow Christ. This salvation initiates a continual process of living according to God's will, striving for a holy and worthy life. This pursuit of holiness is not a solitary endeavor; Christ, through His Holy Spirit, aids us in this journey. Our salvation, conditionally tied to living a holy life, is a choice we must consciously make. Denying Christ, whether through sin, backsliding, or outright apostasy, raises the question: why would Christ want anyone in His Kingdom who does not wish to be there? Thus, we set the foundation of this message on grace.

Regarding theologies of salvation and grace, we consider the perspectives of theologians like John Calvin, Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley, and J. Rodman Williams, each held in high esteem, though I do not fully align with any one of them.

For this topic we will also refer to John Wesley and J. Rodham Williams
So let me introduce these revered gentlemen first.

John Calvin;

John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism.

• Born: July 10, 1509, Noyon, France
• Died: May 27, 1564, Geneva, Switzerland
• Full name: Jehan Cauvin

Jacobus Arminius

Jacobus Arminius, the Latinized name of the Dutch theologian Jakob Hermanszoon from the Protestant Reformation period, served from 1603 as professor in theology at the University of Leiden.

• Born: October 10, 1560, Oudewater, Netherlands
• Died: October 19, 1609, Leiden, Netherlands
• Full name: Jakobus Hermanszoon

John Wesley

John Wesley was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in the same way as other English preachers in his day.

• Born: June 17, 1703, Epworth, Lincolnshire, UK
• Died: March 2, 1791, London, UK

J. Rodman Williams

Dr. J. Rodman Williams, regarded as the father of modern Renewal Theology, was a charismatic theologian and Professor of Renewal Theology at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

• Born: August 12, 1918, Clyde, North Carolina USA
• Died:   2008

John Calvin, a central figure in the Protestant Reformation, is known for his doctrine of Calvinism, which emphasizes predestination and the sovereignty of God in the process of salvation. Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian, presented a contrasting view, emphasizing free will and human responsibility in the context of predestination. John Wesley, an Anglican cleric and theologian, founded Methodism and is known for his emphasis on open-air preaching and personal holiness. J. Rodman Williams, a prominent figure in charismatic theology, made significant contributions to modern Renewal Theology.

A crucial truth is that all who have sinned, are sinning, or will sin, cannot enter heaven on their own merit.

Romans 3:21-25 (CJB)

"21 But now, quite apart from Torah, God’s way of making people righteous in his sight has been made clear — although the Torah and the Prophets give their witness to it as well — 22 and it is a righteousness that comes from God, through the faithfulness of Yeshua the Messiah, to all who continue trusting. For it makes no difference whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, 23 since all have sinned and come short of earning God’s praise. 24 By God’s grace, without earning it, all are granted the status of being considered righteous before him, through the act redeeming us from our enslavement to sin that was accomplished by the Messiah Yeshua. 25 God put Yeshua forward as the kapparah (Ransom/Atonement CdR) for sin through his faithfulness in respect to his bloody sacrificial death. This vindicated God’s righteousness; because, in his forbearance, he had passed over [with neither punishment nor remission] the sins people had committed in the past; "

A fundamental truth in Christian doctrine is that all who have sinned, are sinning, or will sin, are incapable of entering heaven based solely on their merits. Romans 3:21-25 (CJB) clarifies that righteousness is attainable through faith in Yeshua the Messiah, a gift of God's grace, not a result of human efforts.

The Law, given during the time of Moses, set a standard for righteousness. However, in the current dispensation, righteousness is offered through grace in Jesus Christ, independent of the Law. This gift of grace, though freely given, necessitates acceptance and submission to the lordship of Christ.

Grace, as understood in church doctrine, is the unmerited favor of God, made available through the sacrifice of Christ.

Saint comes from the word Sanctification, made Holy, or a way better translation, set aside.
When saved by grace, we are set aside as a child of God, or as we call it so often we became a saint of God.

Holiness is not something that comes automatically, Holiness is something we need to work on.
John Wesley has a statement or doctrine called “entire sanctification”.
While it correctly states the goal of a total or, entire sanctification of the whole person, Body, Soul, and Spirit, it is way to much to state that because of this in Wesley's words “Sin ceases to be”

It was "the grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called Methodists, and for the sake of propagating this chiefly He appeared to have raised us up" [Works, Volume XIII, page 9].
John Wesley believed the doctrine of entire sanctification was Methodism's distinctive gift to Christianity.
He called it "the great promise of God" [IV. 138], Christian perfection, the holiness of heart, and life.
the United Methodist Book of Discipline (para. 62), includes the following statement:

“Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving one's neighbor as one's self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God. “

Wesley believed that Christ's death on the cross made it possible not only for sinners to be saved by grace, but, indeed, for them to be saved to the uttermost. Entire sanctification was restoration to the image of God, being made perfect in love toward God and neighbor.

“Entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, is neither more nor less than pure love; love expelling sin, and governing both the heart and life of a child of God. The Refiner's fire purges out all that is contrary to love, and that many times by a pleasing smart. Leave all this to Him that does all things well, and that loves you better than you do yourself. “

[Letters to Mr. Walter Churchey, of Brecon]
The Wesleyan Heritage Recovery Project
a ministry of the South Georgia Confessing Association

As stated just before the Wesleyen quotations; While it correctly states the goal of a total or, entire sanctification of the whole person, Body, Soul, and Spirit, it is way to much to state that because of this in Wesley's words “Sin ceases to be”

It is scripture in itself that reminds us;

1 John 1:8-9 (AMP)

"8 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts].
9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]."

This also brings us to some very difficult topics within theology, and this is pre-destination and unconditional election.
Let me do my best to make this very clear and especially very encouraging.
Calvin claimed that;

Total Inability or Total Depravity
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not — indeed he cannot — choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit’s assistance to bring a sinner to Christ — it takes  regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God’s gift of salvation— it is God’s gift to the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God.
Unconditional Election
God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before fore the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause God’s choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God’s choice of the sinner, not the sinner’s choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.

John Calvin

These are two points that are widely accepted within many churches, but I need to tell you I am not able to accept this as the truth of God, just on the verses we have read.
Because of this I also want to share with you the Arminian viewpoint;

Free Will or Human Ability
Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man’s freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man’s freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God’s Spirit and be regenerated or resist God’s grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit’s assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man’s act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner’s gift to God; it is man’s contribution to salvation.

Jacobus Arminius

You and me, and every other Christian have the ability to be stupid and the ability to make mistakes. When we make choices of sin, consciously or subconsciously we are what we call backsliding. Our goal is to strive to live our life in the way exactly according to God's will (Holiness) and not to be sinning or backsliding.

There are four very important actions to consider within the issue of a Christian that is backsliding. We need to consider, that when we give ourself to Christ, we ARE wanting to follow Him and His guidelines for our lives. Moving forward to a life that becomes more and more modeled after His and with that more and more in God's will. This is what I always call our pathway to Holiness, or traveling on the Highway of Holiness. Working on becoming more and more Holy. With the knowledge that total Holiness will be achieved when we are with the Meshiach in Heaven.

So then the four actions that are important when we did something that is not according to God's will. Something that you are able to label as a sin, and yes we all do it, “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.

• points of Action on our behalf;

1. Recognition and confession that we have sinned.
2. Repentance from this sin.

• points of Action by Christ.

1. Acceptance of a repentant heart.
2. Extended grace, the forgiveness that we do not deserve.

Indeed we all know that our Christian lives are filled with stumbling, but when we hold on to our Abba our Father.

Psalm 37:23-24 (CEB)

“A person’s steps are made secure by the Lord when they delight in his way. 24 Though they trip up, they won’t be thrown down, because the Lord holds their hand.”

With God's help through His Holy Spirit we can improve ourselves and move on on the highway of righteousness, the highway of Holiness.
J. Rodman Williams writes on this;

The necessity of sanctification is declared in words of the Old Testament: "I am the Lord your God...be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). God is a holy God; hence He will have His people be a holy people. In speaking to Israel He says, "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6).

The very important need for sanctification therefore roots in the nature of God. When God is understood in His holiness, there can be no question about His requirement upon man. For if God made man to have fellowship with Himself, man must be holy even as His Maker.

Occasionally one hears God described in familiar and indulgent ways-e.g., a nice kind of guy. Aside from the sacrilege involved, such talk leaves no room or need for sanctification. One can then properly be or do anything-and it's fine with God. The need for sanctification can root only in a true understanding of the nature of God as holy.
If the necessity of sanctification roots in the holiness of God, it grows in the realization of the unholiness of man. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are an ever increasing portrayal of man's deep-dyed lack of holiness. It is not only a matter of man's external actions wherein takes God's name in vain, commits adultery, kills, steals, lies, and so on; it is also an even more urgent matter of man's internal thoughts and feelings wherein he despises God, lusts, hates, envies, judges, condemns. Man is anything but holy; impurity and uncleanness mark his life all through.

Two things may be said about the method of sanctification: first, there must be a radical break or reorientation in man's nature that puts him on the road to holiness; second, there must be a continuing looking to the Lord for growth in righteousness thereafter.
First, the radical break is a dying to unholiness, a death to sin. For example, Romans 6 depicts this in terms of being baptized into the death of Christ (verse 3). Also in this same chapter the radical break is viewed as a deliverance from bondage, from slavery to sin (verse 6). This death to sin, this deliverance from bondage, is essential; for without such, all growth in holiness is impossible.
There is no point in discussing growth in something that is either not there to begin with, or, if there, is confined so tightly it cannot increase. A radical break with the past, a new beginning, is necessary.
The Scripture says flatly: no. Man does not now have it "in himself." Rather, man is spiritually "dead...through trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); he is "enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:6). So, try as hard as he may to grow in true character and holiness, man cannot do so initially because of his death and serfdom.

J. Rodman Williams

Then with this we come back to the point. That to be able to work on this Holiness, to be able to work on that process of Holiness in Sanctification, we first MUST have a complete break with our un-Holiness.

We must make the first step out of the life in Sin and Darkness into a life lived in the Light of Jesus Christ.
As we have heard so many times during our Sundayschool series on the 10 commandments.

Exodus 20:2-3 (KJV)

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

In the same way as the Israelites where set free from their life of bondage in Egypt the new believer is set free from a live of bondage in Sin and Darkness.

But now as made alive and free, grateful for God's redemption, they are to keep His commandments.
The point then is (as Paul so often stresses), the law cannot make alive or set free; only God can do that.
But once made alive and set free, it is possible to begin to do what never could have been done before.

Dr. Williams continues;

There can be no sanctification that does not begin with faith in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross as our own death; for to be baptized into that death (as Paul puts it) is death to sin, freedom from slavery to sin. There can be no other point of departure for Christian living, for growth in holiness, for sanctification. For in that death there is resurrection; in that liberation there is new life. For Christ not only died; He also rose again, and with Him as the living Lord there can now be real growth in sanctification.
Second, after the radical break, the dying to sin through Christ, comes the living to God in Christ. So writes Paul: "The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6: 10-11).
Sanctification, growth in holiness, becomes a matter of being "alive to God in Christ Jesus." We who were "slaves of sin...having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18).
This growth in holiness, however, is nothing automatic and inevitable. There is a radical break with the past through faith in Christ's death and baptism in His name, and there is a new life beginning; but this growth only occurs as we look to God in Christ Jesus and continue to offer ourselves for His cleansing and service.

J. Rodman Williams

When we need to grow in this holiness is it possible to reach complete Holiness as some churches proclaim. The biblical answer to these questions is that God's standard can be nothing less than perfection in holiness. There must be growth in holiness as we look to Jesus Christ. But perfection of our own character in this life?

The answer is a very clear and loud no!!!

The more you grow in holiness, the more you will realize that there are more sins to overcome.

It is the saints who are always most conscious of their sinfulness, because the closer they come to God in holiness the more they behold the sin that still remains in them.

The next thing that is so closely related to this topic of us traveling on this highway of Holiness, the stumbling, tripping, backsliding is something that is completely impossible in the mindset of the calvinist thinker, and that is apostasy.

Apostasy, Rejecting Christ

According to the dictionary apostasy is the abandonment of previous loyalty, or the renunciation of a previous held believe. The English word apostasy is a transliteration of the New Testament Greek word apostasia. Reference works note that it and its verbal form include these nuances:

• to take a stand apart from,
• to commit political defection or treason,
• to separate from,
• to be drawn off or away,
• to induce revolt,
• to withdraw, to depart,
• to fall away,
• to cease from having any interaction with, to desert, and to put away (as in divorce).

None of these phrases suggest a loss of covenant as the result of an accidental or temporary breech of established standards of holiness. Instead, they all imply forethought, intent, and a persistent state of rebellion against the mastery of Jesus over one’s life.

What is it that can lead to Apostasy?

• Believers, really through their unbelief, fail to take the truths of God, through exhortation, warnings, promises, and teachings of God’s Word with utmost seriousness.
• With all that has been going on this world, the realities of the world become greater than the realities of God s heavenly kingdom, believers gradually cease to draw near to God through Christ
• By seeing and hearing more and more sin, more frequently and more intense. The very deceitfulness of sin, people become increasingly tolerant of sin in their own lives. People are becoming more in love with their sinful live and they no longer pursue and love righteousness. They no longer hate evil wickedness.
• With all of this calluses are forming on peoples hearts and they do not hear the rebuke of the Holy Spirit anymore.

Hebrews 3:8, 13 (AMP)

“8 Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness, 13 But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].”

How can we expect the Holy Spirit to live and move in our lives when we are living in such a horrible way of denial, that all the things I previously mentioned are influential in our choices and we make that horrible choice to deny Jesus the Christ Yeshua Ha'Mashiach and deny, yes grief the Holy Spirit.
All these things help to quench the fire of Holy Spirit in our lives.
When we are working on Holiness, when we are celebrating our sanctification, when we are dancing in the light of the world, In the Meshiach then we are transforming our lives and our bodies to be a temple to the Holy Spirit.
When we are working on Holiness our true intends are revealed in the Holy Fire of God, that which we called the refiners fire.

1 Corinthians 3:13-17 (CEB)

“each one’s work will be clearly shown. The day will make it clear, because it will be revealed with fire—the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work survives, they’ll get a reward. 15 But if anyone’s work goes up in flames, they’ll lose it. However, they themselves will be saved as if they had gone through a fire. 16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.”

We are saved by Grace, but the hard work starts after this with the true decision if we want to follow Christ, or not.
Are we willing to build the temple of the Holy Spirit, or are we just letting it be.

The Tallit

The published bible study “power in his wings” has over 60 pages of text on this beautiful garment, so then here I will provide you with some highlights on the what and why.

The Good News (Brit Chadassa) (New Testament) tells us about a woman with a really strong faith. We do not know her name and neither do we know where she came from. What we do know is that she knew the prophets and that she understood the words of the prophet Malachi as written in Chapter 4 verse 2.

Malachi 4:2 (CEB)

“But the sun of righteousness will rise on those revering my name; healing will be in its wings so that you will go forth and jump about like calves in the stall. “

This woman was seriously ill and maybe even desperate. Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote about this woman of faith.

Matthew 9:20-22

“And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort;thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

The question for us is, what was it that this woman touched and what was it that she knew in faith that would heal her from her illness.
She had been bleeding for twelve years and none of the doctors could help her. What was it that she knew would make this prophet, this Jesus of Nazareth, different from any of the quacks she has been to?
She touched the border of His garment, but it was not just the border or hem of any garment; she touched was His tallit.
When we look at the text more closely, we realize that the woman touched the fringe of the tallit, the prayer-shawl, the corner fringes we call the TzitZit.

The Prayer Closet
One of the large translational errors to remove the Jewish identity from scripture is written in Matthew 6 : 6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (g5009) and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

The Greek word for closet is tamieion [tam-i'-on] a dispensary or magazine, i.e. a chamber on the ground-floor (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement):
--secret chamber, closet, storehouse. Enter into your tamieion: your chamber, your secret, quiet spot, your closet.
The Hebrew word is h2647 chuppah coming from chaphah h2645 meaning a canopy,chamber, closet, or defense.
From which again is derived the cloak or garment of the tallit: A square cover like the chuppah. Enter into your tallit, used in the old testament writings as the secret room, the Holy of Holies, enclose yourself and pray.

The Jews, which also means Jesus, understood the idea of a mobile tabernacle, outer court, inner court and an Holy of Holies. When the Jews were in the wilderness, they understood the meaning of the tabernacle. With so many of them, they took a little tent, Tallit, and covered themselves thus separating themselves from the world. So when you pray, wrap yourself in your closet, in your tallit and separate yourself from the world.
The disciples also had a solid understanding of this as well. Jesus said that we are taking this from the old covenant and into the new covenant. When you pray, wrap yourself into your prayer closet:your tallit.
Originally the word meant "gown" or "cloak." This was a rectangular mantle that looked like a blanket and was worn by men in ancient times. At the four corners of the tallit tassels were attached in fulfillment of the biblical commandment of tzitzit (Encyclopedia Judaica)
The importance and special meaning is all in the commandment of tzitzit in;

Numbers 15:37-41“

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (tzitziot) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.“

Why? "because I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.."

The tallit was usually made either of wool or of linen and probably resembled the abbayah ("blanket") still worn by Bedouin for protection against the weather.
The tallit made of finer quality was similar to the Roman pallium and was worn mostly by the wealthy and by distinguished rabbis and scholars.
The length of the mantle was to be a handbreadth shorter than that of the garment underneath it.
After the exile of the Jews from Erez Israel and their dispersion, they came to adopt the fashions of their gentile neighbors more readily.
The tallit was discarded as a daily habit and it became a religious garment for prayer; hence its later meaning of prayer shawl.
The tallit was usually white and made either of wool, cotton, or silk, although Maimonides and Alfasi objected to the use of the latter.
Strictly observant Jews preferred tallit made of coarse half-bleached lamb's wool.
In remembrance of the blue thread of the tzitzit, most talliot have several blue stripes woven into the white material.
Until recently, however, they only had black stripes.
No, it is not necessary at all to wear a tallit, and it is not making you any more religious either. It is, however, in the Bible.
God is teaching us through the natural Israel what it means to be in the Spirit of understanding for His Word.
It teaches us to love the Bible and the Jewish background of the Word so we will not be tempted to be anti-Semitic.
We will be ready for the End-time Plan and will be able to teach the Jewish people about their own Bible through the Spirit of Jesus.
It is a wonderful experience to know that you are under the wings of God almighty, holding on to the tzitzit, the name of God, the promise of Jesus, the commandments and promises of the Heavenly father.
Being covered by His love, under His firmament, inside of your own personal tabernacle, prayer closet, secret place, just you and God.

Abstract from "Power in His Wings"

The Yarmulka

In my Published study on the mezuzah titled Blood on the Door, I have included a supplementary chapter dedicated to the Yarmulka or kippa. This excerpt aims to clarify its significance and address a common query I encounter. Many have inquired, "Pastor, I notice you often don a head covering. Does this signify your Jewish identity, and where is this practice mentioned in the Holy Bible?"

To clarify, in Hebrew, this head covering is termed a Kipah or Yarmulka. My choice to wear it, particularly in the company of our Messianic brethren, stems from a deep-seated respect for God. The Holy Bible indeed references head coverings, predominantly in a metaphorical sense, emphasizing our hair rather than physical headgear.

The Yarmulka in Historical and Scriptural Context

The practice of wearing a head covering, such as the Yarmulka, finds its roots in a rich tapestry of historical and scriptural narratives. While the Bible does not explicitly mandate the wearing of a Yarmulka, the tradition is deeply ingrained in Jewish culture and has significant scriptural undertones. The concept of covering one's head, as seen in various biblical passages, symbolizes a gesture of humility and reverence before God. This notion aligns with the principle that God is the ultimate authority over all creation, a theme recurrent throughout the scriptures.

The Yarmulka as a Gesture of Reverence and Humility

In wearing the Yarmulka, we acknowledge our subservience and humility before the Almighty. It is a physical manifestation of the inner state of reverence that each believer is called to embody. The act of covering one's head, especially during prayer and worship, is a powerful expression of submission to God's sovereignty. It reminds us that we are in the presence of the Divine, a presence that transcends cultural and denominational boundaries.

Bridging Cultural and Denominational Divides

The adoption of the Yarmulka by Christians, particularly those exploring the Jewish roots of their faith, is a testament to the unifying power of shared religious symbols. It serves as a reminder that Christianity, in its essence, has deep roots in Jewish tradition. This shared heritage is a call for mutual respect and understanding between Jews and Christians. By embracing practices such as the wearing of the Yarmulka, we acknowledge and honor the Jewish foundation of our Christian faith.

The Yarmulka in Contemporary Christian Practice

In contemporary Christian circles, the Yarmulka is increasingly seen as a symbol of solidarity with our Jewish brethren and a reminder of our common Abrahamic heritage. It is a visual representation of the scriptural truth that in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:28). This adoption transcends mere tradition; it is a powerful statement of our unity in faith and our collective submission to the God we serve.

For instance, the scripture in

1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (CEB) “Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his head. 5 Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head. It is the same thing as having her head shaved. 6 If a woman doesn’t cover her head, then she should have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have short hair or to be shaved, then she should keep her head covered. 7 A man shouldn’t have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is man’s glory. 8 Man didn’t have his origin from woman, but woman from man; 9 and man wasn’t created for the sake of the woman, but the woman for the sake of the man. 10 Because of this a woman should have authority over her head, because of the angels. 11 However, woman isn’t independent from man, and man isn’t independent from woman in the Lord. 12 As woman came from man so also man comes from woman. But everything comes from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him; 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? This is because her long hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if someone wants to argue about this, we don’t have such a custom, nor do God’s churches. “

In Conclusion

The Yarmulka transcends the realm of mere headwear. It serves as a poignant reminder of God's omnipresent grace and blessings upon believers. This practice is not exclusive to the Jewish faith; it resonates with both Jew and Gentile. Historically, and even in contemporary times, women in certain Christian denominations have worn bonnets or hats as a sign of reverence in church. Similarly, our Jewish counterparts and an increasing number of Christians express this respect through the wearing of a head covering or Yarmulka.

My extensive studies into the roots of our faith and the Hebrew language have revealed a significant omission of Jewish traditions from Christianity, often in an attempt to distance the faith from its Jewish origins. The Talmud, though not recognized as a scriptural authority in Christianity, offers insights into the Yarmulka's purpose. It suggests that wearing a Yarmulka serves as a constant reminder of God's supreme authority over us. This external symbol fosters an internal awareness of God's ever-watchful presence.

The Yarmulka, therefore, is not merely a cultural artifact; it is a tool to cultivate and externalize one's inner reverence for God. Historically, it was commonplace for both men and women to wear head coverings in public. This practice, as reflected in the aforementioned scripture, was particularly observed in churches, a tradition still prevalent in many congregations today. The act of wearing a tangible symbol like the Yarmulka can be a powerful aid in maintaining a continuous consciousness of our duties and remembrance of the divine.

The Yarmulka is more than a traditional Jewish head covering; it is a universal symbol of respect and remembrance of God's constant presence and authority. It serves as a bridge connecting us to the rich heritage of our faith, reminding us of the deep roots that Christianity shares with Judaism.