Chanukkah and Christmas collide!
Channukkah and XMAS collide
1st night of chanukkah 12/25. The contrast is stark. But with the real history of Chanukkah from the Apocryphal book of 1 Mac.
I encourage you to read the first four chapters of 1 Mac. To get that, look at the Brenton translation of the Old Testament.
Matthew 24:15-20 is a direct reference to the Maccabean revolt and Channukkah.
The abomination of desolation had already been set up once by the Greeks. Their flight was indeed in winter. And they refused to fight the first Sabbath of the revolt due to their obedience to Torah and they lost.
The crux of this was compromise and mixing. The first time the Greeks came to Judea, they were welcomed. Many of the Israelites mixed Greek customs with Torah and compromised themselves. The Greeks came back after a battle with Egypt and compromise was no longer an option. They forced Israel to forsake the commandments. No more Sabbath, no more circumcision, no more festival days, temple defiled, and they had to eat pork. Or die. And they had to adopt the Greek holidays and culture wholesale, including the sacrificing of pigs and the eating of the same.
This was very bad. Judas Maccabeus couldn’t take it and started a revolt, ultimately pushing the Greeks out and restoring Torah to judea.
How does this align with Christmas? XMAS is a non-biblical observation where people partake in rituals derived from pagan religions and dine on pork. But they do it in the name of God. This is impossible if we understand Matthew 24 to be warning us against these abominations.
I’ll be talking about Chanukka on Friday night, December 20, on a friend’s study group if you want to learn the details about this commemoration. However, don’t lose the irony that the Greeks forced believers into pagan customs while modern Christianity voluntarily partakes. Hopefully more folks will read their bibles and history and come to the realization that the worship of Yahweh is easy if we just relent and to it the way His Son showed us. Have a blessed week!

Messianic Torah Portion Vayetzei means “and he left”. This portion chronicles Jacob’s departure from the land of Canaan into the land of Haran to find a wife. Jacob made a deal with God when he left and had many lessons to learn in his 21 year away. When he returns, he is a changed man who properly credits Yahweh for his deliverance and wealth. Along the way, we have a lesson on idolatry. Jacob was not raised to be an idolator but he had to live in the land of false gods for 21 years. At the end of the journey, he rightly credits the God of Abraham for his blessings and rejects idolatry. The sages associate this passage to the rejection of idolatry and we connect this to Paul’s work in Ephesus, teaching that gods made with hands are no gods at all. The lesson for us with Messianic Torah Portion Vayetzei is that we also must reject idolatry despite being immersed in a culture of false worship.

Messianic Torah Portion Toldot
This is a discussion on the Torah Portion called Toldot from a New Testament perspective. Topics covered:
• How covenants are often inaugurated with meals and how that ties into the New Covenant.
• How incredibly evil circumstances can be used by God to bring about His ultimate plans.
• Why we need to embrace predestination and understand it is not at odds with free will.

The Torah is the Foundation
The book of Revelation quotes or alludes to the Old Testament no less than 505 times. The book of Revelation only has 404 total verses. Did you know this? Did you know that to understand what the future holds we must study the bible from Genesis 1 all the way through?
This path we are on is a fundamental re-orientation of our thought process with respect to Christianity. Almost all of us learn the NT first then think the OT is like a glossary of terms or just a place to look to bolster the information in the New Testament. This is backwards. The Torah is the foundation that informs the NT. Learning the bible in the order in which things happened, i.e., starting in Genesis and really learning the Tanakh, then learning the New Testament, is what the first century Christians did. The Messiah did not come to start a new religion but to build on existing faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.
As we discussed in last week’s Torah portion, the order Paul refers to in Romans 13 was established through the Torah. When Paul wrote that people must be subject to governing authorities, we see that begin when Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek. Abraham was a known leader who had just won a military battle and still gave proper respect to one whose rank was higher than his. Abraham also made the deal for Sarah’s tomb in a public setting, insisting on paying full price with witnesses, so there would be no doubt of his ownership of that land.
When Paul went on to talk about honoring authorities for the sake of conscience, that also harkens back to Abraham’s servant who was trusted to bring back a bride for Isaac. Abraham could not do this work himself, so he made his servant swear to do it. His servant could have gone rogue, kept the camels and gold, and never came back. Or came back and lied. But that’s not what happened. Abraham’s servant did what was right in the sight of YHVH and Abraham even when nobody would have known he did wrong.
You see that honoring authorities is a virtue established in the earliest parts of the Old Testament. Paul was not issuing some new edict but rather re-iterating an existing biblical truth. Those of us who study the Torah while believing in Yeshua the Messiah have put the truth back in the proper order. The Torah informs the rest of the Old Testament, the Old Testament in total informs the New, and we look for the return of the Messiah who will establish peace by ushering in an orderly kingdom based on the truths we hold dear that are established from Genesis to Revelation.
Our challenge, though, is re-orienting our minds. Most of Christianity has been taught the New Testament is the foundation and the rest of the bible is just handy to have when it bolsters a point of doctrine or makes a point we want to make. It’s incredibly difficult to rebuild a foundation, especially one that is this ingrained into us. It’s akin to learning a second language. For many years, everything you learn of the foreign language will be compared to your native tongue. In fact, you may never get to the point where you can completely break from using your native tongue as the foundation.
Remember how I said that the book of Revelation quotes or alludes to the Old Testament at least 505 times? This is not unique to the book of Revelation. The Gospels refer to the OT almost constantly, too. So do the letters and epistles. If you want to understand the New Testament, you must first understand the Old. This is a tall task, but as the Messiah said, believing in Him is founded on Moses…. Because Moses wrote of Him! Shalom and have a blessed week!

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/