After reading this blog post by a well know Christian author Campaign For A Sin-Free Me which can be found at her site www.julieferwerda.com. I was amazed to see the understanding she has achieved. It always touches my heart when a Christian can see the truth and not even know what it all means. All the puzzle pieces are mixed up and she just couldn’t seem to put them all together. In this message I will try to shed light on how the pieces really fit together. This was the comment she finished her blog message with.
I think in fact, the "real me" has been totally locked away in bondage to self all my life, and when I finally shed the hard cocoon of my self-protective, self-centered exterior, I will morph into quite a character full of more amazing personality, energy, unique gifts and freedom to be the real me than I ever imagined..
This statement alone tells me that she is in many ways ready to move forward in her journey here this time. All the things she spoke of in her post were of self WILL. The piece of our life’s that we try to control around us.
Look at the Jewish people leaving Egypt? How did they get there in the first place? God placed Joseph there to protect them from death. God brought them out of the land he placed them in, and how did they repay him for all he had done? They created the Golden Calf. There punishment for that was a plague. They continued to only concern themselves with there own desires. A desire to control there lives. In reading Numbers Chapter 13 & 14 they failed to have faith in his words and miracles. In so doing he gave them what they desired, they would travel throughout the desert for 40 years until the next generation that sprang forth knew nothing but faith and trust in him, and would do as they were instructed.
In these instructions are the keys to the kingdom. As my friend and writing partner Rick explains it to me, most Christians have no clue as to what the symbols of Jewish Culture are, or what they even meant to Jesus.
Look at the Tallis, God tells the Jewish people to place fringes on the corners of their garments. The reference is found in Number 15: 38-40. Yes they do make them stand out as different, but that is not the most important reason they were to wear them. It is to remind them all the time to do God’s commandments and to seek his WILL, so to understand this better the four fringes on the Tallis spell out the name of God and are tied in a way to count the Ten Commandments and the 638 laws of Torah.
Although the Kabbalah can teach us how to use the tools of the Kingdom, in the time of Jesus it was widely taught and understood. When Jesus was traveling around Israel these are the things he was teaching. The main lessons of Kabbalah teach to always seek God’s WILL for your life and to always help others. For as Jesus has spoken, whatever you have done to the least of my brother you have done unto me.
God has been trying to teach the Jewish people these lessons for many generations, and will be doing so for many more. The true Keys to understanding the Kingdom of Jesus lies in the knowledge of what he taught.
A good example of this would be Rick Warrens book A Purpose Driven Life. It was gifted to me by a friend I argued with for many years over how his money was not his but the Lord had gifted it to him and should be used in that manner. When my friend got several chapters into the book he called me to tell me that I was right about the money. The thing that interested me so much was that after reading several chapters of this book it was like being back in Sunday school, he was teaching Christians more about Jewish culture and lessons of how Jesus lived his life as a Jew. To me this is a very important part of my life.
See what I learned is part of my duties as a Levite are to teach. Teach Christians that everything that Jesus taught is based on the Jewish culture and the Jewish Torah. There roots are surrounded by symbols they need to understand.
I will morph into quite a character full of more amazing personality, energy, unique gifts and freedom to be the real me than I ever imagined.
Know back to were I started, see God has already begun to morph her into this Character at least on an outwardly way. Now is the time for her to turn that focus on an inwardly path. The point I wanted to make here is in what she has stated that Christians are lead to believe is that we can only be free from our sins in the next world. This is not what Jesus was teaching about. In order to become part of his kingdom one needs to change how we live our lives in this world. In changing ourselves and repenting of our sins here today, we are able to change this world and making it a better place for all.
Maybe a good place to start, for those who are seeking, is by reading all the 638 Laws given to the Jews by Moses, Look at them and see which ones you apply in your daily life. This is truly how Jesus lived and taught. Study these laws make them an everyday part of your life. In doing so, you will find new blessings that will enter into your life. Although all of us fall short and do not hit the mark and therefore need the salvation of the Christ, it does not mean that we can simply stop shooting at the targert. So set your targerts high and aim well, and if we miss we can thank God for our salvation in Christ.
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily prayer life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Do you know what Jesus was arguing with the Pharisees about?
So far I have addressed the Tallis and the Tafflin, there symbolism and what generated the requirements for there use. I wish to address in this piece exactly what Jesus’ argument with the Pharisees was really about.
Jesus’ was arguing about Talmudic Law and not the Law of the Torah. The Talmud is Oral Law generated in rabbinical councils and there interpretation of the Torah much like our Supreme Court makes interpretations of the Law generated in the Legislative branch of government. A good example of this is the law to keep Kosher. In the Torah it states not to boil a kid (baby goat) in its mothers milk. Since this is stated three times it has been interrupted to mean that you are to separate Meat from Dairy. The only true dietary law in Torah can be found in Deuteronomy Chapter 14. This entire Chapter explains what is a clean animal to eat and what is not.
The next argument the Pharisees tried to use against Jesus was the washing of the hands before a meal. The requirement for the washing is found in Leviticus Chapter 8:6 where Moshe took Aaron and his son’s and washed them before clothing them to enter into the Tabernacle to perform the sacrifice. The Talmudic interpretation of this requirement is to wash your hands before eating a meal. There is absolutely no requirement or Mitzvah in Torah to wash ones hands before eating a meal.
The next topic of argument I wanted to cover is that of doing work on the Sabbath.
We find the commandment in Exodus chapter 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
In Numbers Chapter 15:34-36 we find this example of what the Lord considers work.
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
In this example from Numbers we see that the Lord was giving the directions over what he considers work. Take a good look at the reason why this man would have been collecting wood. He would have needed the wood for his fire for cooking and heat. It is apparent that he did not collect enough wood in advance to provide for the 24 hour period of the Sabbath. This is the basis for the Rabbinical council who interrupted and considers healing as a means of work. Even though this same group did not consider doing a circumcision on the Sabbath as be performing work.
Knowing about the ceremony of circumcision I as well fail to see how it is not work. However the requirement for circumcision is that it be performed on the 8th day of after the birth. It doesn’t state but not if the 8th day falls on Sabbath. This is a situation where we see conflicting statutes where one takes precedence over the other, after all the child will never have another 8th day. My belief in the example set forth through Numbers is first God new this mans heart. He new that this man had failed to prepare for his family’s during the Sabbath. Work to me in this example is anything that we do in order to meet our needs. Orthodox Jews even in today’s society they walk to synagogue they prepare there meals for the Sabbath prior to Friday evening. They will not drive a car or even turn on a light. These things are all considered to be performing work.
The point I believe Jesus to be making here was that healing is not work. Sabbath is all about prayer and thanking God for what he has given us during the week. It is about listening to his word being spoken so that we follow his commandments. He also was showing the world in his own way that it was not him healing it was the Lord doing the healing through his hands. The Sabbath to Jesus meant a time when God was close at hand. What is it that we seek in our prayer, we ask him for healing for us or others, we ask for forgiveness of our sins for the week and just in general we seek closeness with the Lord.
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily prayer life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
Jesus’ was arguing about Talmudic Law and not the Law of the Torah. The Talmud is Oral Law generated in rabbinical councils and there interpretation of the Torah much like our Supreme Court makes interpretations of the Law generated in the Legislative branch of government. A good example of this is the law to keep Kosher. In the Torah it states not to boil a kid (baby goat) in its mothers milk. Since this is stated three times it has been interrupted to mean that you are to separate Meat from Dairy. The only true dietary law in Torah can be found in Deuteronomy Chapter 14. This entire Chapter explains what is a clean animal to eat and what is not.
The next argument the Pharisees tried to use against Jesus was the washing of the hands before a meal. The requirement for the washing is found in Leviticus Chapter 8:6 where Moshe took Aaron and his son’s and washed them before clothing them to enter into the Tabernacle to perform the sacrifice. The Talmudic interpretation of this requirement is to wash your hands before eating a meal. There is absolutely no requirement or Mitzvah in Torah to wash ones hands before eating a meal.
The next topic of argument I wanted to cover is that of doing work on the Sabbath.
We find the commandment in Exodus chapter 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
In Numbers Chapter 15:34-36 we find this example of what the Lord considers work.
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
In this example from Numbers we see that the Lord was giving the directions over what he considers work. Take a good look at the reason why this man would have been collecting wood. He would have needed the wood for his fire for cooking and heat. It is apparent that he did not collect enough wood in advance to provide for the 24 hour period of the Sabbath. This is the basis for the Rabbinical council who interrupted and considers healing as a means of work. Even though this same group did not consider doing a circumcision on the Sabbath as be performing work.
Knowing about the ceremony of circumcision I as well fail to see how it is not work. However the requirement for circumcision is that it be performed on the 8th day of after the birth. It doesn’t state but not if the 8th day falls on Sabbath. This is a situation where we see conflicting statutes where one takes precedence over the other, after all the child will never have another 8th day. My belief in the example set forth through Numbers is first God new this mans heart. He new that this man had failed to prepare for his family’s during the Sabbath. Work to me in this example is anything that we do in order to meet our needs. Orthodox Jews even in today’s society they walk to synagogue they prepare there meals for the Sabbath prior to Friday evening. They will not drive a car or even turn on a light. These things are all considered to be performing work.
The point I believe Jesus to be making here was that healing is not work. Sabbath is all about prayer and thanking God for what he has given us during the week. It is about listening to his word being spoken so that we follow his commandments. He also was showing the world in his own way that it was not him healing it was the Lord doing the healing through his hands. The Sabbath to Jesus meant a time when God was close at hand. What is it that we seek in our prayer, we ask him for healing for us or others, we ask for forgiveness of our sins for the week and just in general we seek closeness with the Lord.
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily prayer life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Why Jesus wore Tefflin (phylacteries)
When Jesus was being questioned by the Pharisees he was asked what the greatest commandment was and his response was the Shema. The Shema consists of several different portions of scripture from Deuteronomy and Numbers. It starts with the portion or Deuteronomy 6:4-9.“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God the Lord is One. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart. Thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shall bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shalt be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house and upon thy gates.The second paragraph of the Shema covers Deuteronomy 11:13-21 which tells the people to follow Gods commandments and he will provide and rain his blessings on them it also warns them what will happen if they turn away from his commandments, and again it expresses the importance of wearing Tafflin as a sign of your out ward appearance to show that you are following God’s commandments both to others and yourself. The third paragraph of the Shema comes from the book of Numbers 15:37-41. In this section it covers the Tallis and the requirements for fringes on the corners of your garment.In the tafflin are four passages of scripture 1) Kadesh (Exodus 13:1-10)2) VeHayah Ki Yeviacha (Exodus 13:11-16)3) The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)4) VeHayah Im Shamoa (Deuteronomy 11:13-21)In the Tafflin worn on the arm these scriptures are written on one scroll, in the tafflin worn on the head they are placed on 4 separate scrolls. This is why Jesus would have worn Tafflin when he prayed. I still am trying to understand why Christians don’t see the need to bind them for a sign upon their hands and for frontlets between thine eyes. It has been brought to my attention by a pastor friend that we are under a new contract. Ok so maybe that is true, that as Christians we don’t have to follow the same laws as the Jews who they were given to. My response is if you accept Jesus as your savior then how can you separate yourself from the Torah and its requirements of God’s commandments? If you are committed to Jesus and following him why not do as he did and follow his lead. So as Jesus told the Pharisees that the greatest of the Torah commandments is the Shema. My pastor friend also tried to tell me that these laws only apply to the Jews and not the Gentiles. Jews are still required to follow this entire covenant even if they accept Jesus as there Messiah. He also tried to explain it to me as when in Rome do as the Romans. When he goes to a Temple he wears a Tallis, when he is in a church he does not. To me this makes no sense, if you follow it in one then are you not refusing to follow it in the other by not showing the outwardly signs required in the Shema.The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily prayer life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Jesus wore a Tallis, why don’t we?
When you are a Messianic Jew most Christians look at you differently when you wear your Tallis (Prayer Shaw). The funny thing to me is that they sit in their Church every week while many Pastors wear a Shaw whose roots came from the Tallis.
I wish to help Christians to understand where the requirement for the Tallis comes from and why Pastors will wear similar Shaw’s but the congregation does not. To do this we need to look at Number 15: 38-40.
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 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:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
Here we see the requirement God placed on the Jewish people to place fringes on the corners of their Garments. The Hebrew word for fringe is (Tzitzit), which can also mean tassel, or lock.
The Tzitzit are tied in many different ways, but the meaning is always the same. They symbolize to the Jew first the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:5, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is One”. “And thou shall Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might.” The second the Ten Commandments, and third covers the rest of the 613 Mitzvoth (Commandments) of God as set forth in Torah.
Now to Jesus, he wore Tzitzit on the corners of his Garment every day of his life. He taught that the Greatest of God Commandments was the Shema. Yet most Christians are not taught the meaning or the necessity to wear them.
Most Christians do not even realize that the women with the Blood issue as told in Matthew 9:20-22 was seeking to touch his Tzitzit, and by touching the Tzitzit would receive the true healing of God.
So I talked about the why, I like to address the why not. I have had people behind my back tell others that in my wearing my Tallis I do so to just show off. To me it just shows there ignorance to the Mitzvoth of God and to how Jesus lived his life. Keep in mind that we are not talking about Doctrine or Talmud we are talking about commandments in every published Bible in the world. In the misunderstanding of Jesus’ words Christians have been taught and lead to believe that through his death on the cross all these commandments were complete.
The misunderstanding is that Jesus was not arguing the Law, with the Pharisees, but the Talmud the Oral Law, their rabbinical interruptions of the Law and is applications to everyday Jewish life. This in part can also be attributed to Paul who continued to follow Law of Torah in his own prayer life yet, in all of his writings to the many Churches he has founded he always tells them to beware of the circumcised (Peter and Company). It’s also important to note that Paul himself was one of the circumcised.
The most important point I wished to make here is for Christians who wish to live a more Christ liked life maybe they need to understand how he lived and how he really prayed in his everyday life.
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
I wish to help Christians to understand where the requirement for the Tallis comes from and why Pastors will wear similar Shaw’s but the congregation does not. To do this we need to look at Number 15: 38-40.
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 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:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
Here we see the requirement God placed on the Jewish people to place fringes on the corners of their Garments. The Hebrew word for fringe is (Tzitzit), which can also mean tassel, or lock.
The Tzitzit are tied in many different ways, but the meaning is always the same. They symbolize to the Jew first the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:5, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is One”. “And thou shall Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might.” The second the Ten Commandments, and third covers the rest of the 613 Mitzvoth (Commandments) of God as set forth in Torah.
Now to Jesus, he wore Tzitzit on the corners of his Garment every day of his life. He taught that the Greatest of God Commandments was the Shema. Yet most Christians are not taught the meaning or the necessity to wear them.
Most Christians do not even realize that the women with the Blood issue as told in Matthew 9:20-22 was seeking to touch his Tzitzit, and by touching the Tzitzit would receive the true healing of God.
So I talked about the why, I like to address the why not. I have had people behind my back tell others that in my wearing my Tallis I do so to just show off. To me it just shows there ignorance to the Mitzvoth of God and to how Jesus lived his life. Keep in mind that we are not talking about Doctrine or Talmud we are talking about commandments in every published Bible in the world. In the misunderstanding of Jesus’ words Christians have been taught and lead to believe that through his death on the cross all these commandments were complete.
The misunderstanding is that Jesus was not arguing the Law, with the Pharisees, but the Talmud the Oral Law, their rabbinical interruptions of the Law and is applications to everyday Jewish life. This in part can also be attributed to Paul who continued to follow Law of Torah in his own prayer life yet, in all of his writings to the many Churches he has founded he always tells them to beware of the circumcised (Peter and Company). It’s also important to note that Paul himself was one of the circumcised.
The most important point I wished to make here is for Christians who wish to live a more Christ liked life maybe they need to understand how he lived and how he really prayed in his everyday life.
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. We are a Teaching Ministry whose goals are to teach Christians about the Daily life of Jesus. If you are interested in our ministry you can contact Brian Brody at 903-436-1876 or bbrody1306@aol.com.
About this Ministry
Our goal is “to educate Christians seeking to gain a more thorough understanding of what Christ said, based upon His Judaic background. This is quite different from what doctrine has taught most of us. It is an attempt to shake off the shackles of doctrine.
Jesus was a Jew. In fact he was the only perfect Jew who ever lived. Jesus was the only person to fit the criteria of messianic prophecies. We need to understand Jesus life as a Jew and not mold him into our ideas of what Christian should be.
I have heard too many times that the Jews killed Jesus. To accept this as a basis for our beliefs we must look into the eyes of the Messiah and call him a liar. ‘No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father’ John 10:18
Through this type of thinking the chosen people of GOD have been cast in a negative light since the crucifixion. One would then rhetorically ask why did the Jews not accept him. The answer is painted throughout the scriptures of the Messianic Prophecies; for do they not state he would be rejected by his own people? If they had not rejected him, he would not have been the Messiah. For as Jesus knew the Cross before the Crucifixion so also did the prophets know that these things had to come to pass for the salvation of the world to accrue?
We start by asking several questions of you as the reader, not to question your faith, but to help you understand the truth in what is to lie ahead.
(1) Is Jesus still alive today? (Yes or No)
(2) Is Jesus Unchangeable? (Yes or No)
(3) What religion did Jesus Practice? “JUDAISM”
(4) So why are we not looking or taught Christianity through Judaism?
Jesus was a Jew. In fact he was the only perfect Jew who ever lived. Jesus was the only person to fit the criteria of messianic prophecies. We need to understand Jesus life as a Jew and not mold him into our ideas of what Christian should be.
I have heard too many times that the Jews killed Jesus. To accept this as a basis for our beliefs we must look into the eyes of the Messiah and call him a liar. ‘No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father’ John 10:18
Through this type of thinking the chosen people of GOD have been cast in a negative light since the crucifixion. One would then rhetorically ask why did the Jews not accept him. The answer is painted throughout the scriptures of the Messianic Prophecies; for do they not state he would be rejected by his own people? If they had not rejected him, he would not have been the Messiah. For as Jesus knew the Cross before the Crucifixion so also did the prophets know that these things had to come to pass for the salvation of the world to accrue?
We start by asking several questions of you as the reader, not to question your faith, but to help you understand the truth in what is to lie ahead.
(1) Is Jesus still alive today? (Yes or No)
(2) Is Jesus Unchangeable? (Yes or No)
(3) What religion did Jesus Practice? “JUDAISM”
(4) So why are we not looking or taught Christianity through Judaism?
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