The goal in raising children is to produce productive adults that can contribute to the betterment of mankind. Today, this is best achieved by breaking from the traditional education system in whole or in part. This is a testimonial about our experience with home schooling meant to encourage others who are looking for alternatives. Tips for how to home school or employ alternative paths while keeping your children in the government schools can be found at https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/homeschooling

Messianic Torah Portion Vayera is the foundation for John 3:16 that God gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life. This truth is founded upon Abraham’s willingness to slay Isaac, the son of the Promise and God substituting the ram for Isaac. In this discussion, we show how Abraham’s obedience foreshadowed the Messiah and the many direct parallels from this Torah portion to New Testament scripture.

This Torah portion should be called "The Promise" from a New Covenant perspective because it is about the promise made to Abraham to make him the father of many nations. We discussed this Torah Portion extensively against the fulfillment of The Promise as articulated in Galatians 3.

How the collision of the USS Fitzgerald gives insight on the end of days

Congregational discussion on the Torah portion called Noach November 2, 2024. Verses discussed:
Genesis 6:9-11:32
Isaiah 54:1-55:5
Luke 1: 5-11, 2Peter 3:9-13
The Messianic Torah Portion list is posted at https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/torah-portion along with instructions on how to join us!

Worshiping Satan for Free
Yes, Halloween is Satan’s holiday
I don’t talk about this one much because, well, anybody who has ever read a bible should know this day is evil. The entire observation is opposed to the faith of the Bible regardless of if you emphasize the entire book or even just the New Testament. Threatening to prank people if they don’t give you candy while dressing up like demons is not something that should require a pastor to tell a believer not to do. When this holiday is observed by the children of Christian parents, it’s telling those kids the parents’ faith is just a hobby – it doesn’t even mean anything and can be set aside, even for wicked practices, at a whim. Let’s take a look at the seriousness.
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Yeshua replied to him, “It is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” (Luk 4:5-8)
Halloween’s history is in an ancient Celtic religious practice called Samhain (not pronounced anything like it is spelled). It’s not some secular day that accidentally got melded with spirits, its origin is in the worship of the earth and evil spirits, which is almost always traced back to worshiping Satan and his demons. It was melded into Christianity over hundreds of years. Once Rome conquered the Celtic lands, two pagan Roman holidays were mixed with Samhain. Once Rome became “Christian” in air quotes, the Catholics actually did try to get rid of this one. They made up a holiday called All Saints Day to be in the beginning of November to try and blend this one in/replace it, too. They failed and ended up just having another made up observance right after this pagan one. An easy history of this day is available at History.com.
https://www.history.com/topics..../halloween/history-o
Yeshua replied to him, “It is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” (Luk 4:8)
“You shall fear only YHVH your Elohim; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” (Deu 6:13)
Yeshua’s response to Satan when He was being tempted is that worship is restricted Yahweh only. This is done in the manner and at the time he decides, not us. Societies have cultures that are rooted in what society holds holy. To be fair, some activities we do today have no religious significance whatsoever while looking like religious observances. The 4th of July is one of those. It’s a day when we all do similar activities to celebrate our independence from the British. Some sporting events are also similar to this. Halloween is not one of these exceptions. Halloween’s observances trace straight to pagan religious practices and nowhere else. This means this day and its observances are to be anathema to those who worship the God of Abraham. Our God is a jealous God who doesn’t tolerate blending. He has shown His disdain for that numerous times in history.
The quotation Yeshua used from Torah is just after the Shema, the most important commandment. Hear oh Israel, Yahweh is our Elohim, Yahweh is one. And you shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, soul, and strength. If you are doing this, just as the Son of God Himself did, then you will not find Halloween anything to be associated with.
When Satan tempted the Messiah, He promised wealth and kingdoms for that worship. Today, believers aren’t just worshiping Satan once a year, they’re doing it for free. Knock it off and take a stand for your faith.

The history of the Day of Atonement is almost as old as earth itself. This day is applicable to Christians today and incredibly important for understanding the end of days.
Written notes of this message, given on the Day of Atonement 2024, are available at https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/yom-kippur-20

Amendment 3 in Missouri would legalize abortion based solely on "fetal viability". The amendment defines this solely on the abortion doctor's discretion, which would technically and literally legalize abortion up to and perhaps even after birth. This video explores the text of the law and explains why this law needs to be opposed even by people who may not be pro-life.

Preparing for the Fast
Be aware. Last year, October 7 was both the Sabbath and a high day. Israel was attacked. This year, October 12 is the Sabbath and the fast. This is a dangerous time.
The ten days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, aka the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, are referred to as the Days of Awe. In Judaism, it is a time of repentance and soul searching ahead of the fast, which they consider to be the holiest day of the year. These are traditions so we take this info with a grain of salt understanding we can learn from traditions.
There’s also something to consider…. Christianity started as a sect of Judaism. The two were indistinguishable for decades after the ascension of the Messiah. Acts 15 was addressing what to do with Gentiles who accepted Yeshua, Jesus, as the Messiah and then showed up at synagogue. It’s more than reasonable to consider that our Messianic forefathers influenced Judaism before Messianics, aka Christians, were forced out of the synagogue. Jews associated the Day of Trumpets with having people be inscribed in the book of life and then, on the Day of Atonement, sealed in the book of life. These concepts have a New Testament eschatology flavor to them, don’t they?
We don’t know what the ten days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur signify. The bible doesn’t tell us. But they mirror the ten days between the first day of the first month of the year and the selection of the lamb for Passover. We know that Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, signifies the return of Yeshua. We also know the Day of Atonement is associated with Yeshua’s sacrifice. Sometimes this is hidden, like in the special linen garment He was buried in and the one piece tunic He was crucified in. Those are reminiscent of the special clothes the High Priest wore on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest came into the presence of Yahweh. We can see an easy parallel here. Sometimes the hints are not so subtle. In the book of Hebrews, it is written that Yom Kippur is a day for the forgiveness of sins committed in ignorance and the Messiah asked God to forgive His executioners because they did not know what they were doing. This would be a direct correlation. The Holy Days of Leviticus 23 are not just relevant to a New Covenant believer, they contain a lot of information about past and future events.
As you prepare for the fast, which starts at sunset October 11 through sunset October 12 this year, meditate on what the Messiah’s sacrifice has done for mankind. He has made a way for the forgiveness of sins committed in ignorance, to include His own executioners. This means He has made a way for the billions of people who have never known Him and His Father like we do. And praise Yahweh for sending His Son into the world for this purpose.

Messianic Commentary on the crucifixion and resurrection of the Messiah. For the entire series on this study of John, please go to https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/the-gospel-of

The Day of Trumpets, also called Yom Teruah, is an ancient Holy Day that prophecies the return of the Messiah. This knowledge has been lost since the first century.

The Father is the only true God and the mission of the Apostles.
For the entire series on the Gospel of John from a first century perspective, please go to https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/the-gospel-of

Amendment 3 in Missouri will make abortion more legal in Missouri than it is in France or Germany. This constitutional amendment needs to be opposed even if you are not opposed to abortion due to its macabre and dark nature. Text of the law is the second entry at https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImag....es/Elections/2024Gen Register to vote at https://www.sos.mo.gov/electio....ns/goVoteMissouri/re

The New Covenant is not a Renewed Covenant
Strange things creep in once we leave Babylonian Christianity. Face it, we are vulnerable. When we throw off the errors, it’s very easy to go too far. I’ve done it myself but on different subjects. This message is about the odd concept of a “renewed covenant”. This is language that some in the HRM started using about ten years ago. The problem they were trying to solve is real – the phrase New Covenant is very often misused by lawless Christians. The lawless ones have hitched their doctrines to the phrase “new covenant” to make it seem like Yeshua ended the law. Well, He didn’t do that. He changed the law and ushered in the New Covenant. The fact that the lawless ones misuse words and concepts doesn’t mean we need to compensate or surrender theological territory.
As an attempt to put distance between the proper faith, one of Torah plus Yeshua, some people made some convincing arguments that the New Covenant is really a “renewed Covenant”. This is ridiculous and there is no hint of this language in any of the New Testament. Unfortunately, people convinced themselves of this so much that this language may even show up in Sacred Name bibles, which is remarkably ironic. A movement that started by undoing age-old errors has come full circle, introducing their own new, Hebrew sounding errors.
Before proving this through word studies, we do need to take a Romans 1 approach – the helicopter view. This ministry is called First Century Christianity, after all. And that’s what we strive to reproduce – the pure faith of the first believers. Paul wrote in Romans 1 that Creation testifies so the people are without excuse. From a helicopter view do we see a new or a renewed covenant with the actions of the Apostles? Did the Apostles mandate circumcision and instruct all the converts in the diaspora to pilgrimage to the Temple? No. They did not do this. The Ruach ha Kodesh made converts of Gentiles and Jews throughout the Roman Empire and to the East who all stayed put. They did something different. They accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and either continued to attend synagogue or started to, depending on the convert, wherever they were. This is not how people converted under the Old Covenant. From a big picture, it’s obvious as the nose on our faces the covenant was not a continuation of the Old but something different. We don’t need word studies to know this one is false. But some will, so here we go.
Jeremiah 31 in e-sword. Read in NASB then switch to LXX. Show the Hebrew for new, then the Greek for new. Show the definitions. Then show the same word G2537 kainos is used at Luke 22:20.
End with Paul and show that the blood of Messiah had not been shed at Sinai. Therefore it is a New Covenant. His blood was not re-shed. 1 Cor 11:25.
Then to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 8:8 is a copy of the LXX of Jeremiah 31:31. Same word.
Hebrews 9:15-16 Yeshua became our Mediator after He died. The curtain tore. The mediation of Aaron is over. It is a New Covenant. Sin remains so Torah remains. We are still guilty and there are many things we don’t understand. But this faith that is a change in the law was put in place for 35 years so when the Temple came down, it would flourish.
The change is testified to through Peter’s sermon in Acts 2. Israel was set up to be an example to the nations. The pinnacle of the Old Testament was when Solomon presided over the inauguration of the temple and all the nations streamed into Israel. Those nations were supposed to learn Torah when they showed up. Instead, they influenced Solomon to sin and the cycle of failure continued.
The New Covenant is different. Instead of using Israel as a centralized nation, the Ruach Ha Kodesh was sent to the world. We are witness to this today, being called out of Babylon seemingly at random to come to Torah where we live.
The danger of the “renewed” covenant is that it starts a fissure. People begin to have dangerous thoughts like “well, there’s nothing new in the NT”. This is not true in the least, but that thought leads to the rejection of Paul. Then they reject the Messiah. Then they become pseudo-Jews. You probably know people who have done this. Now, who wants us to reject Yeshua, brothers and sisters? Where does doctrine that separates us from the salvation offered at the cross come from? I think you know.
We are studing the book of John on Shabbat and organically arrived at New Covenant language in chapters 15 and 16 last week. Please give that interactive study a listen for some solid teaching on the new covenant and how the Messiah amplified the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves to love our neighbors MORE than we love ourselves. Shalom.

The Gospel message includes loving your neighbor more than yourself which was the fabric of western civilization. Yeshua explains this in His last words before going to crucifixion.
For this entire series, please go to https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/the-gospel-of

Are you ready to accept and embrace government authorized Christianity?
https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Have you given any thought to living in a divine monarchy with a theocratic government?

The Last Supper was not Passover.

The purpose of Lazarus’ resurrection.
The distinction between Yahweh and Yeshua.
The purpose of the Gospel.
A new mixed multitude for a new covenant.
This is part of a Messianic series on the Gospel of John. The series is at https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/the-gospel-of

Please Stop Rejecting the Messiah
Calling Yeshua, aka Jesus, “God” or “Yahweh” rejects Him as the Messiah and is playing with fire.
There’s a fear that if people reject Yeshua as God, or see God and Jesus as two beings not one being, that they are likely to reject the New Testament. This is the opposite of my experience. People that I’ve seen reject Jesus have been the ones who think Yeshua and Yahweh are the same being. These often also call it the “renewed” covenant. This slippery slope often results in trying to recreate the wilderness experience and live like it’s the days of Moses. We do not live in the days of Moses, we live in the days of Yeshua and the New Covenant inaugurated in His blood.
The people who see Yeshua as just a man who was born of Mary but is still the Son of God call themselves Biblical Unitarians. These folks see a complete distinction between God and Jesus with Jesus have a starting point about 2K years ago. I’ve NEVER seen one of these folks reject the New Testament. In fact, they seem more attached to the New Testament than most.
To explain why believing Yeshua and Yahweh are the same being leads to rejection of the Messiah, we just have to look at John 3:16
Slide 2 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16 NAS95)
If you believe that Jesus is God, then this sentence makes no sense at all. It would be a different gospel entirely, that God came down here and pretended to be His own Son or something. Even Trinitarians, who we are the hardest on, understand there’s a separation. When you cross the divide to them not being “them” but just one being, then hundreds of verses no longer make any sense.
Slide 3 Jesus (Yeshua) said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" (Joh 20:17 NAS95)
This is just one of the starkest examples out of innumerable verses that is incomprehensible if Yahweh and Yeshua are the same being. Beyond this, there’s a handy proof text in the OT for us to know exactly who the Father is:
Slide 4 But now, O LORD (YHVH), You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. (Isa 64:8 NAS95)
My preferred bible puts YHVH as LORD in all caps. This clearly states who the Father is and it’s Yahweh.
Beyond the hundreds of verses in the NT where Jesus and God are different, we also need to have prophecy identifying the Messiah. This is how the bible works. God tells us what’s going to happen, sometimes cryptically sometimes not, then it happens. Most often when the prophecy happens nobody realizes it until after the fact, which was clearly the case with Yeshua. He had to explain who He was to them after His resurrection, hence my citing of John 20:17. The prophecies of Yeshua also have Him as not being YHVH. Psalm 2, Psalm 22, and Isaiah 53 all speak of someone other than YHVH being the Messiah. The one I want to focus on, though, is the one in Micah:
Slide 5 "Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD (YHVH), In the majesty of the name of the LORD (YHVH) His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. (Mic 5:1-4 NAS95)
This plainly says One will go forth from YHVH, One who existed from eternity, who will be a ruler in Israel. And He will come in the Name of YHVH, whom we know to be the Father. Brothers and sisters this IS the gospel, that God sent His Son into the world so that whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life. We know those who have the Son have life, those who do not have the Son do not have life. Any doctrine that teaches Yeshua is not the Son of Yahweh must be discarded, not even considered, otherwise you will have lost your Messiah, the Mediator between God and man.