You Have Heard it Said…

1.      The Law of Moses was for the "Jews"

2.      Jesus gave us a "new" commandment

3.      The "law" was nailed to the cross with Jesus

4.      The "law" is too hard, no one can obey it

But I ask you this: What does Scripture say? What does Jesus say? What do the apostles say?

Just what constitutes "the Law", how does it differ from the commands of men (often referred to as "oral law")? And is there any benefit or drawback from following the "Law"?

(And why do we equate “law” to a negative thing, in the first place? The word “Torah” simply refers to God’s instructions on what it looks like to go about living lives as set-apart people. How to function in society by loving and respecting others and their property. We sometimes call that “The Golden Rule”, and no one thinks twice about living by that.)

Christ Fulfills the Law

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Show you how it is properly accomplished.) 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

The beautiful art of Christine Miller can be appreciated on her website.

The Test of Knowing Him

1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

Sin and the Child of God

1 John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness (or “Torah-lessness”)

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him

1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ

Consider...

Around 1574 C.E., the Jewish scholar Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides or Rambam,) codified the Jewish law into the Mishneh Torah[1]. This has developed into the assumption that there are 613 "laws" (248 do's, and 365 don'ts) or commandments in the Torah. According to widely accepted Jewish opinion: "Of the 248 positive commands, only 126 are currently applicable (due to the temple being demolished, there being no priesthood or king, etc.) And of the 365 negative commands, only 243 are still applicable. So in total, nowadays, 369 mitzvot (commands) are still operative."[2]

Many people look at that number of 613 Commandments and assume that “no one can obey that many laws.” But think about this: If you live in the United States, according to Wikipedia, “more than 20,000 statutes have been enacted since 1789.”[3] In fact, according to another un-authoritative website, “no one knows how many laws are actually in effect.[4]

Rabbi Steve Berkson with Messianic Torah Observant Israel has done a thorough teaching of each of the 613 commandments. While some of his opinions are just that, his opinions, his insight into the underlying core principle of each “commandment” makes the 19-part series worth watching.[5]

The beautiful art of Christine Miller can be appreciated on her website.

To Obey - or Not to Obey, That is the Question

When considering following the guidelines of someone we claim to love and serve, someone we claim to represent, recall what scripture itself says about it:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 

Why would I choose a curse?

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[1] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/75991/jewish/Maimonides-His-Life-and-Works.htm

[2] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/541686/jewish/How-Many-of-the-Torahs-Commandments-Still-Apply.htm

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_United_States

[4] https://www.quora.com/How-many-federal-laws-are-there-in-the-US

[5] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf9HOA0P9oX9tX40OOXfnU2ImgJjqoNP4

Strange Developments

Last year during the weeks leading up to the Feasts, I conducted a small personal experiment of staying away from most of social media in order to fine tune my focus on things that mattered, and writing daily on lessons I had learned.

This year, I did not set out to fine tune anything, I have been too busy trying to keep my head above water to concentrate on anything more than putting one foot in front of the other. Summer is a busy time in the property management industry in a college town.

And then something happens that I have been day-dreaming about, but certainly wasn't expecting to happen any time soon - we are now gearing up to move. And not just any move, but a major "minimalizing-downsizing" move from a 2 bedroom, 850 square foot apartment to a travel trailer with less than 300 square feet. Oh, and did I mention we have been here for 14-1/2 years?

Yes, 14 years of accumulating more stuff than we could possibly need or use, which I now have the pleasure of sorting and sifting through to decide what can actually fit into 300 square feet, and what I can very well live without!

Toward that end, I have been making weekly treks to Salvation Army donation center with my backseat loaded with boxes of above-mentioned "stuff", and up and down my stepladder more times than I care to count, bringing down dusty, unused kitchen and bath supplies from every cupboard and closet.

Yesterday, I pulled down and dusted off 9 (count-em, NINE!) hat boxes. And mind you, several of those boxes contain more than just 1 hat!) I'm not talking sun hats (those are hanging on a hook by the door), no - I'm talking full-on fancy pants hats of the sort ladies would wear to church or a tea party. Neither of which I do much of these days. Some lucky lady is going to meander into the Cancer Society Thrift Store one of these days soon and score.

So, all these years I have been watching videos, reading books, and plotting my way to living a simpler life.  Am I prepared? Hardly!

The moral of this little tale?  Be careful what you wish for. Prayers are sometimes answered in the most interesting ways.

The Ever-Ascending Cycle

Anyone who has gone through the education system, whether it be public, private, or homeschool, has had some experience with the Bruner ascending cycle of learning. Sure, we've probably never heard of it by that name - and I'm pretty sure that Bruner stole the idea from YHVH who, not surprisingly, invented the concept in the first place.

The concept goes something like this: we are to be ever-ascending as we move through the cycles of life (some people call them seasons of life.)

On YHVH's calendar that involves His Sabbaths, festivals, the new moons - those are all integral to our cycles of life as they are "shadows" (prophetic pictures) of what is to come. As we go through these cycles of life, if we fail to gain elevation (learn our lessons), we end up digging ruts for ourselves. (On person aptly likened this concept to a scratch in a record... but not many are familiar with the analogy these days.) As we practice the Lord's calendar, if we fail to learn trust, obedience, discipline, and see the love and the future He has planned or us, we end up following a system of works for the sake of works.

We have all heard the adage:  "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The same principle applies.
This concept is one of the main reasons why some of us fail to embrace or fulfill our destinies: by failing to learn our lessons, or learn from our mistakes, we relegate ourselves to repeating the cycle over and over again. Think the movie Groundhog Day, and the whole premise of the plot.
It could very well be one of the reasons that the Israelites took 40 years circling the same path before entering the Promised Land.

Remembering our failures helps us to not forget, and thus have to relearn the hard way, the lessons that YHVH has for us to learn. Understanding our history helps us to understand how we got to where we are now, as well as what our future holds: it helps us to see who we are called to be, what our purpose on Earth is, and how dependent we are upon YHVH to fulfill that purpose.

M*A*?*A*

Unless you have your head buried in the sand, it is virtually impossible to avoid seeing political slogans everywhere you turn. We have another year+ of this, I'm afraid. Last week I saw an entire family (with about 6 kids in tow) proudly walking into our local Big Box Store, all wearing matching red MAGA hats and t-shirts. I admired their bravery for taking a bold stand in declaring their beliefs, knowing full well they could possibly be assaulted just for their statement alone.
That's the world we live in right now - sad but true.

Today I ran into Trader Joe's to grab a few things for salad-making tonight and was confronted with a slogan that was new to me: Make America Kind Again. Wouldn't that be nice?

As I was online Googling my salad recipe, curiosity got the better of me, and I also Googled "Make America Kind Again", wondering if it was also a movement or indicative of a particular political bent. (Seriously, I do not keep up with this stuff, so pardon my naïvete.) Yeah - it was probably too good to be true, to propose that people can just be kind without an agenda.

Of course, there is no shortage of people wanting to jump on any particular bandwagon these days, I even came across "Make America Straight Again", "Make America Godly Again", "Make America Juicy Again" (not kidding - apparently they think we don't drink enough beer.)

While I do think it would be lovely if we could achieve kindness, a possibly better (and even more improbable) goal might be:
Make America Humble Again.

Please Define "Legalism"

It turns out that somewhere along the way, I have apparently done something to deserve having the label LEGALIST slapped on me. Do I deserve this? You be the judge.

Our esteemed Mr. Webster defines "legalism" thusly:

strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code

Elsewhere, the website Christianity.com has this to say:

Legalism exists when people attempt to secure righteousness in God’s sight by good works. Legalists believe that they can earn or merit God’s approval by performing the requirements of the law,” Thomas R. Schreiner said. A legalist believes that their good works and obedience to God affects their salvation. Legalism focuses on God’s laws more than relationship with God. It keeps external laws without a truly submitted heart. And legalism adds human rules to divine laws and treats them as divine...

And here is where I believe common usage of the term has been changed and is being used to whack people over the head. If someone believes the Bible is true, and seeks to order their lives in accordance to their sincerely held beliefs, it doesn't matter that they do have a truly submitted heart. It doesn't matter that the "rules" they are trying to apply to their own lives are not, in fact, "man made" but found entirely in scripture. The very fact that they are following those laws at all somehow justifies being labeled as a legalist.

Are there followers of the Bible who are trying to earn or merit Gods approval? I'm sure there are. But who am I to be the judge, jury, and hangman in this case? And what, for goodness' sake, are they hurting by doing so? Nothing, as far as I can tell - UNLESS they impose their beliefs on others.

So, forget what labels people slap on me. Forget even what Webster or Christianity.com or your next door neighbor says. What did Jesus say? (WDJS?)

If you love Me, you shall guard My commands. - John 14:15

If you guard My commands, you shall stay in My love even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love. -John 15:10

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. - John 15:14

There are about a gazillion more references to keeping God's commands, but we don't have all day here.

It's not about "earning" anything, folks. It's about saying you love someone and acting like you mean it. 

Period.

Goals

Reading today in Romans. I don't know why it's taking me so long to get through Romans this time. Maybe it's because I'm stopping frequently to chew on what I've read. I've been in it for over a week and I am only on chapter 10. Having just read verses 1 through 4, my thoughts turned to the definition of goal.

Truly Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to Elohim for Israel is for deliverance. For I bear them witness that they have an ardour for Elohim, but not according to knowledge. For not knowing the righteousness of Elohim, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of (did not obey) Elohim. For Messiah is the goal of the Torah unto righteousness to everyone who believes.

So my question here is this: why do people who read this verse assume that it means that Jesus nailed the perfect instructions of God to the cross?

That is not what I'm reading here at all. I never played football in school, but I played plenty of scrimmages on the front lawn with my brother and neighbor kids. I know what a goal is - it is something that you are aiming for. It is the purpose of trying to get that ball, and it's what you run toward. Once you get the ball across the goal line, that does not end the game. So why do people use that analogy and equate that to the Torah being done away with?

That is what I'm chewing on today.

You Might Find This Offensive

I like to read, and I'm always on the lookout for a good book. Having a few relatives who are librarians comes in handy here.

With my bookshelves full and overflowing with books (not counting the boxes full of books in my storage unit), coupled with the fact that I am in the throes of downsizing in order to retire and move out of our not-so-spacious apartment and into an even-less-spacious travel trailer, well, let's just say I have taken to relying a lot more on our local library and e-books than ever before.
Now, instead of capping off each trip to Costco with the obligatory stroll through their book section with an eye to a new acquisition, instead I am looking for suggestions for my next book request from the library. (Sorry to all my family and friends who earn their living by working for Costco.)

I recently had the opportunity to talk about books with my librarian sister, who just happens to be serving her last term as reader on a statewide committee which determines "Book of the Year" in her state. In her capacity as a reader, she has the enviable task (or possibly unenviable, depending on your bent) of reading over 50 submissions for nominees any particular year. In so doing,  she will obviously be reading from numerous genres, including poetry, children's books, historical... all categories that she might not normally read.

So, when she shares the title of a particular book that has left a favorable impression, I take note. I also took note of the comment which accompanied her recommendation: "You might find it offensive." Honestly, I had to chuckle inwardly. I can't even recall exactly what she thought might offend me. I was too busy ruminating on the fact that anyone besides myself - even someone who has know me for 60+ years, would think they knew what might offend me. 

In the first place, I didn't realize I was easily offended.

In the second place, I was a little surprised that someone would think me so narrow-minded.

Do I have opinions and thoughts on a myriad of topics?  If you've wasted any time trolling through my comments throughout the years, you'll know the answer to that. Do I think I am always right? Mmm... not so much. That is why I do choose to read books, listen to podcasts, or even watch movies that might possibly contain controversial content. I have my opinions and thoughts... I am willing to entertain that I might not have the last word on a given topic... But my bottom line is that I weigh what I read or hear against one standard. What does the Bible say?

If that makes me narrow-minded, I guess I will just have to live with that.

Challenging Comfort Zones

Several things presented themselves to me as I began my journey of taking a deeper, closer look at the faith walk that I had been on for what seemed like my entire life.
I will form these thoughts as questions, because that is how they presented in my mind.
1) Did Jesus really come to start a new religion?
2) Did Paul start a new religion or teach something different from what Jesus had taught?
3) If neither of the two questions above could be answered as "No", then why did the religion I followed look and sound and feel so different from the "religion" I read about in the Bible?

Please note: I despise the term "religion" as used to describe a faith-based, personal experience with Who I believe to be a living Creator Who has made Himself known to His creation. The Webster's definition: "an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods" does not accurately define the relationship that I am describing as my own experience.

Another question:
4) If either question 1 or question 2 could be answered "Yes", then how did that fit with a belief system that claimed a God Who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever"?

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? -Numbers 23.19

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1.17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13.8

I have recently started reading a book written by a (surprise, surprise) Southern Baptist preacher, The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel which (thus far) has been describing much of my frustration and dilemma with having been raised in the church. I have been surrounded by, and have myself been what I would consider to be a "cultural Christian" for most of my life.

Hear me: I am in no way wanting to disparage the countless MANY wonderful, kind, good people who have influenced my life over the years. I am just waking up to the reality that there is so much more to having a relationship with a living God. Much as there is so much more to a marriage that a wedding ceremony.

Let that sink in if you will. Imagine a marriage that got no further than the wedding ceremony. Both parties kiss, exchange rings, walk back down the aisle and out the church door, going their separate ways - and then go on living their lives having little interaction except perhaps a weekly conjugal visit... if they weren't too busy going skiing, playing golf, watching the bowl game. Sure, you dress up nice for the occasional date and tell everyone you are husband a wife, but where is the relationship?

Have I just described the average "Christian" relationship with the Father of heavenly lights? The same one who so desired a restored relationship with his prodigal child that He sent his only son to die for us?

I'm sorry if that description offends you or puts you on the defensive. But I know exactly how you feel, because those are the same challenges I have been wading through for the past 13 years as I have tried to come up for air as I found myself drowning in a sea of religion.