Why Did the Officers Go Backward & Fall to the Ground?

Posted on 06/05/2021 by Messyanic

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus saith unto them, I am he.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye?
And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
John 18:1-9

There is a prominent understanding in mainstream circles that Jesus/Yeshua is declaring himself to be the great I AM (also known as YHVH, who appeared to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus) in this passage.

However, I disagree, because he doesn’t say, “I am the I AM.” He simply identifies himself as being the “Jesus of Nazareth” whom they sought, twice.

But some in defense of this notion ask, why, then, did the officers back up and fall to the ground?

In their mind (because they have been indoctrinated with this idea), they see what these men had done as being an act of reverence upon hearing that they were in the presence of the great “I AM”.

However, I have a different take on the situation.

Not An Act of Reverence, But A Tactical Movement

Given that these officers were there with lanterns, torches & weapons, it seems most likely that their going backward and falling to the ground in response to their identification of him was a tactical movement to seize him — to prevent him and anyone else in his party from escaping.

Jesus responded after having just identified himself as the man these officers were seeking by asking them again who they sought.

Again, they responded, “Jesus of Nazareth”. Then, Jesus said that he had already told them he was that man, but then called upon them to let the people go that were in his company.

Notice the author of John then says “that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, ‘Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.'”

Evidently, given this commentary, the author sought to portray this scenario as men coming to seize Jesus with intentions of seizing his whole party, but Jesus made himself freely available to them and called for the release of his companions.

There is no mysterious revelation here. It’s rather plain to see, I think — when you take off the lens that has been handed down to you through the doctrines of man.

Posted in Jesus / Yeshua, YHVH Elohim/God | 3 Comments

Coming out of Egypt

Posted on 04/29/2021 by Messyanic

I’ve been wanting to do a post on this for a while, and even a video, but I just don’t have the time right now. This will have to do… (I think he did a better job than I would have done.)

Posted in Advice, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover - Pesach, Video | 1 Comment

Finally Answering the Call

Posted on 04/22/2021 by Messyanic

Okay, maybe I’m a little late, but I’ve been debating back and forth with myself over the past year as to how to best carry out my calling at this moment in time.

It seems the phone has been ringing for a while now, and I feel a sense of urgency welling up within me to answer it already.

I believe those who have wakened in the last year either to the wicked agenda of the powers-that-be, or to the realization that the powers-that-be shouldn’t even be, are likely going to need a bit of direction going forward.

And, I believe, there are those who may have already been awake to these things who need a bit of a nudge either to get up off it and do something with their knowledge & understanding, or to move in a particular direction.

While I don’t have all the answers, I do have some, and what I have, I want to share with those who are interested.

Messyanic.com and WiggleCulture.com are the primary channels I have control over these days to connect with the world, and I am going to use them while I can.

In addition to what I have learned through my efforts in coming out of the System & living off the land through our personal version of homesteading, I have also learned a lot when it comes to what the Bible says — things most people don’t like to talk about.

Given these two factors, my perspective is very unique, and I believe it could benefit a whole lot of people.

I have known for a while now that my calling in this life is: (a) to publicly speak [and/or write] and (b) to teach.

And specifically, I feel called to speak on what I have learned in my passionate pursuit of truth & liberty in this land of ours, and to teach those interested in learning about that from me.

I’m in the process of compiling all the work I have published on Messyanic.com into topical publications with revisions & additions, and I plan to offer them to anyone interested in reading and/or sharing my take on those things.

I will likely not be adding any more studies to this website, since I don’t believe it is the best use of my time right now. (However, I do continue to study and learn new things, thereby refining what I currently understand. I’m just not going to be sharing all of it through this venue.)

I’ve decided to go ahead and start doing videos on a regular basis.

I’m not exactly sure what the flavor of those videos will be just yet, but I recognize the hour is late, and I need to get what I know out where people can hear it, quickly.

I’ve also decided to do some seminars & single session workshops in 2021, specifically addressing How I Study the Bible, Distinguishing Day from Night, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Dismantling the Virgin Birth Doctrine, and The Birth of Jesus Christ.

When and where these events will occur is still yet to be determined.

Those who want to stay informed on what I am doing & have to say these days, and/or when & where I’ll be conducting the above mentioned events, please subscribe to my snail-mail & email mailing lists, and I will send you my monthly newsletter: The Road I’m On.

Please send an email to carrie -at- messyanic.com, giving your name, mailing address (& phone # if you like), preferred email address, and what in particular you are interested in, and I will add you to my list.

My ultimate aim is to return to living offline in the natural world 24/7, communicating with my fellow man entirely through old school means.

However, given that nearly everyone else is online these days and the public square has become increasingly restricted, I find the need to linger here a little longer to at least make the initial connection. (But there is no telling how long that will last.)

I currently have a Facebook page and a YouTube channel, and I will likely utilize them both on a limited basis.

However, my objective is to primarily take the seed I’ve sown at Messyanic.com and disseminate & cultivate it in the fertile hearts and minds of men.

If you would like to help me in that endeavor, that would be greatly appreciated. Get an overview of the road I’ve been on over the past dozen years, and what my husband and I’ve got planned for the future, and if you like what you see, please share these two websites with those whom you think would appreciate my journey & what we have to offer.

In the meantime, stay informed of The Road I’m On now — contact carrie-at-messyanic.com to subscribe.

Posted in Appointed Times of YHVH, Bible Study Sessions, Kingdom of God, Virgin Birth Doctrine, Walking in the Ways of the Creator | Leave a comment

How Can Jesus Be Perfect If He’s Begotten of Joseph?

Posted on 03/20/2021 by Messyanic

In a recent post on the Facebook Group, Intense Biblical Discussions, someone asked in response to those, like myself, who claim Joseph to be the biological father of Jesus, How do 2 imperfect people produce perfect offspring?

To which I responded, What is considered perfect offspring?

The poster’s initial response was, without sin..1 peter 2: 22.

My reply:

Consider the context…
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Peter said Christ left an example that others should follow in his footsteps, and then immediately starts with “who did no sin”, with the expectation that others could follow in his footsteps by likewise doing no sin.

Peter is not claiming that Christ never sinned a day in his life — he couldn’t possibly have known that. However, during the time of Jesus’ public ministry as a grown man after his water baptism for the remission of sins, while Peter followed him, Peter could have seen that Jesus did no sin. As we all should do, upon our decision to be washed clean of our sins — to do no sin, going forward.

His response:

hebrews 4: 15..1 john 3: 5.. 2 corinthians 5: 21..if he was born in sin , when did he become perfect, as the posted scriptures claim…?

Let’s look at these passages.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 KJV

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 John 3:4-5 KJV

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

Now, I would love to address each of these passages in their proper context, and may do so in the future, but for now, to stay on point, my reply to the exchange at hand was this:

Who wrote the letter to the Hebrews, the enumerated letters of John & the letters to the Corinthians, and did these authors know all the choices Jesus ever made in his lifetime? Do they know what he was like during his adolescence & early twenties — each and every choice he ever made? I daresay not.

They likely only knew of him from the time he became publicly known, sometime after his water baptism, which was for “the remission of sins”. (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1)

When did Jesus become “perfect”, you ask, within the context of sin? It appears to have been when he decided to become washed clean of all wrongdoings (aka sin), and proceeded to walk in righteousness, according to the Spirit of God.

This is something we all can do, despite who our parents are. We all can be made perfect — we can be perfected when we choose to do that which is right and reject that which is wrong.

An Example from Old

If it were impossible for imperfect people to produce a perfect offspring, then why would God have told Abram so long ago, himself, to be perfect?

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:1 KJV

And this was said after a lifetime of 99 years.

Many generations later, Moses proclaimed to the next generation of the mixed multitude that came out of Egypt, who were considered to be a corporate son of God, at the end of their 40-year journey in the wilderness, having been schooled in the ways of their Creator God…

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 KJV

The expectation was that people could be made perfect in the midst of their life. They didn’t need to be physically born perfect. Rather, it was a personal choice to be perfect.

And in this second example, the choice came following a rescue mission from a place of bondage, and on the cusp of being ushered into a land of promise.

Further Examples

Later in the history of the children of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, King David said to his physical son, who was thought to be the spiritual Son of God…

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
1 Chronicles 28:9 KJV

And Solomon passed the following words, particularly relating to being perfect, on to the congregation of Israel at the dedication of the house, which he built for YHVH’s name, God, his Father:

And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
1 Kings 8:54-61

Solomon knew what was needed to be perfect with God — to walk in God’s statutes & to keep God’s commandments. And although in his latter years, Solomon personally strayed from God’s instruction, the expectation remained in the hearts & minds of men, that those who chose to be made perfect, could be.

Then, in the first century of the common era, Jesus/Yeshua, another physical son of David and proclaimed spiritual Son of God, spoke the following words to his disciples when he gave his sermon on the mount…

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 KJV

Jesus/Yeshua demonstrated what it was like to be perfect — to know no sin — from the time he was washed clean for the remission of sins until his physical dying day. He set before us an example as to how it can be done, despite our physical parentage.

We all, sons & daughters of men, can be perfect as well, when we choose to sin no more & walk in the ways of our heavenly Father, the Creator God.

Posted in Jesus / Yeshua, Virgin Birth Doctrine | 2 Comments

Who is the God of the Bible?

Posted on 03/10/2021 by Messyanic

God is typically painted in a religious light, meaning He is usually defined by those who worship & serve Him.

For example, the “God” of Israel, or more specifically, the God “of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”, is defined for us primarily by the Old Testament or the Tanakh, written by men who worshipped & sought to serve Him.

But then, the God “of the Jews” is further defined by the traditions of the elders and rabbinical teachings, in the religion called “Judaism”.

And in the view “of the believers of Jesus Christ”, God is defined further still through the writings of the New Testament, coupled with the traditions & teachings of the Church, in the religion called “Christianity”.

For the past decade (& then some), I spent a huge part of my life trying to understand who the God of the Bible was, apart from all the traditions & teachings of man, be they either Jewish or Christian in nature by studying the Bible more intently.

I found my greatest insight to who that God was, when I turned my attention to the early chapters of Genesis, before Abraham ever came on the scene, and coupled this course of textual study with my personal observations of the natural world.

This is where I draw my understanding of who God is.

In the beginning God ~~created~~ shaped the ~~heaven~~ loft and the ~~earth~~ land.
Genesis 1:1 [revision mine]

God is the Maker of the natural world and the Source of all life. His handiwork is all around us for all to see, and His established Natural Law & Order is universal for all to experience its justice.

This is the God I worship and serve.

Posted in Creation, Walking in the Ways of the Creator, YHVH Elohim/God | Leave a comment

Matthew 1, Isaiah 7 and Emmanuel

Posted on 03/01/2021 by Messyanic

Immediately preceding the quote of Isaiah 7:14 in the first chapter of Matthew, the author relays the words of the messenger to Joseph saying,

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21

Most understand the author’s mention of “she shall bring forth a son” and the fact that the child shall be called a name as being the spark that ignites the reference to the words in Isaiah 7:14.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 1:23

I agree, but I don’t believe the author’s intent was to highlight the sexual behavioral status of the “she” in his story or to suggest the son that was being brought forth was going to be God in the flesh.

Rather, I believe, the author’s reference to Isaiah 7:14 was meant to be more about God’s doing in that modern age than about any single person living at that time, be it the mom who was pregnant, or the son being formed in her womb, in this snippet of storytelling.

Why do I believe this? Consider the focus of Matthew’s quote of Isaiah 7:14.

Many hone in on the word “virgin” in the passage quoted by Matthew, however is that where the author wanted his reader to focus?

The author never uses that word to describe Mary, although she likely was a virgin, having been espoused to Joseph, before they came together. Given the lack of its usage, that description appears to be irrelevant to the message at hand.

What is the message at hand? This half of the chapter starts out:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:…
Matthew 1:18a

However, when we read the verses that follow this introduction through to the end of the chapter, there is no physical birth story told. We’re just told in the last verse that it happened. What we are told is a story surrounding the naming of that child.

Before I go further, let me review the beginning of the chapter.

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1

In the first half of this chapter, the author lays out a physical genealogy tying Jesus, who is called Christ (verse 16) back to Abraham, by way of David the King (verse 6), and he does so through Joseph. That is the foundation for the second half of the chapter.

Furthermore, the author highlights three specific points in the course of those generations, with a clear recap in Matthew 1:17. I believe this is foundational to the second half of the chapter as well.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:17

Now, when the author quotes from Isaiah in Matthew 1:23, he hones in on the word “Emmanuel“, by explaining to his reader its interpretation: “God with us“.

It seems that this is the most relevant portion of Isaiah’s words to the overall message of the entire chapter being conveyed by the author to his audience.

God with us.

The question is, Who is “us” and how is He “with” them?

To answer this, one needs to be familiar with the historical events found in the Old Testament. But not only that, he/she also needs to be familiar with the promises made by God to His people, and more specifically to men, regarding their physical seed.

To answer the who is “us” portion, one need simply look to see to whom the sign in Isaiah 7 was given.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:13-14

With that, and the fact that this story in Matthew pertains to Joseph, who was of the house of David, I think that connection is pretty clear.

To answer the how is He “with” them takes a bit more explanation for those who might not be familiar with the Old Testament.

Here’s a brief overview (although I encourage one and all to read & study the entire Old Testament for themselves to glean all that they can).

God Makes a Promise to Abraham

Abraham was promised by God that kings would come from his loins.

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
Genesis 17:4-6

Jacob Speaks a Word over his son, Judah

It was foretold that Judah would be a savior of some kind and his father’s brothers would bow down to him.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49:8-10

God’s Promise to Abraham is Kept

David, the son of Jesse, was anointed by Samuel to become king while Saul was still on the throne.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
1 Samuel 16:1

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 16:13a

Later, after Saul died, David became king, and he was used to save God’s people from their enemies.

Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
2 Samuel 3:18

God Makes a Promise to David

When David had it in his mind to build God a house of cedar, God had it in his mind to build David a house, and his physical seed would have a kingdom, with his throne established forever.

Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2 Samuel 7:8-16

And there was a successions of sons of David who reigned as king on his throne. Although, his immediate son, Solomon, did not follow in his father’s footsteps — he departed from the ways of God.

And as a result the kingdom of Israel was rent in two. The larger portion (the northern kingdom of Israel) was handed over to a servant of Solomon, Jeroboam, to rule in the next generation, while Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, continued the royal succession of his father David.

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
1 Kings 11:11-13

God Reassures His Promise to David will be Kept

During the time surrounding the carrying away to Babylon (which remember, Matthew references earlier in his 1st chapter), David ceased to have a son sitting on his throne. But a prophecy was made concerning David’s lineage by Jeremiah:

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 23:5-6

This is one of the reasons why the house of Judah in the first century were anticipating a Messiah figure (“horn of salvation”) to come out of the house of David, and save them from their enemies, which they knew had come against them due to their sins.

FLASHBACK: Evidence that God is a Keeper of Promises

Now, flashback to the time when Isaiah’s words quoted by Matthew were spoken, prior to the carrying away to Babylon — it was during the reign of King Ahaz (the generation mentioned in Matthew 1:9), when David still had a son on the throne.

There was a conspiracy between the northern kingdom of Israel and Syria against the kingdom of Judah, where it was feared that the king seated on David’s throne would be overthrown, breaking the promise God made with David concerning the perpetual reign of his seed.

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
Isaiah 7:1-7

But God said that which the house of David (King Ahaz) feared would not come to pass, rather something else would happen — the shattering of the northern kingdom (Ephraim).

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
Isaiah 7:8

God followed up those words by giving a sign to them at that point, which would be called “Emmanuel”, and then he explained in greater detail what would come to pass — essentially, the Assyrian invasion of the north, and David’s throne would remain intact.

And history tells us that is what happened.

FASTFORWARD to Joseph’s Day

Matthew knew all of this, and his intended audience knew all this.

So, when Matthew referred to the words of Isaiah, particularly drawing attention to the name of the sign, Emmanuel, on the heels of relaying the explanation for the name of the child Joseph’s wife would bear to him, and the fact that God was raising up a righteous branch to David at that time, one who would save his people from their sins, I believe the author saw this action to be a further demonstration that God was still with the house of David.

Therefore, the bottom line is this…

God Keeps His Promises

The author demonstrated that God was still with the house of David (and the greater house of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob), by communicating to his audience in this chapter that:

Mary and Joseph evidently came together (Joseph physically sowed his physical seed in her), and the author states that she was found with child of holy spirit (demonstrating she physically conceived).

(I know Virgin Birth doctrinal advocates will argue this point until they’re blue in the face, claiming the Holy Spirit made her pregnant, not Joseph. But, the Natural Order established by the Creator God makes it that women can only get pregnant after having been inseminated with the seed of a man & with the help of God imparting a living spirit. Besides, the author already said in verse 16 that Jesus was physically begotten of Joseph & Mary.)

Furthermore, God sowed a word (a kind of seed) into the heart/mind of Joseph concerning his physical son that was soon to be born. Joseph laid hold of that seed when he believed the word that was told him (a kind of conception), and he brought it forth (a kind of birth) when Joseph did what was told of him.

The author of Matthew said from the beginning this son was called “Christ” (which interpreted is, the Anointed). And then, he relayed the message of the messenger to Joseph, saying this son would save his people (first the house of Judah, then the whole house of Israel/Jacob) from their sins, therefore Joseph was to call this son’s name “Jesus” (or Ye’shua). (This name interpreted is YHVH is Salvation.)

Joseph named the child as he was told after Mary physically brought him forth. Thus, the birth of Jesus Christ (in more ways than one).

Posted in David the King, Jesus / Yeshua, Virgin Birth Doctrine, YHVH Elohim/God | Leave a comment

Joseph is the Star of Matthew 1

Posted on 03/01/2021 by Messyanic

Modern Christianity makes Mary, who they identify as the Virgin Mary, the star of Matthew 1.

However, while Mary may have been a leading lady of all the other females mentioned in that chapter, she is only a supporting figure to the star of that chapter, which to any objective viewer is Joseph.

Mary is simply described to the reader.

However, it is Joseph’s genealogy that is being laid out in verses 2-16, not Mary’s.

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Matthew 1:16

And it is a scene from Joseph’s life that is being highlighted — his thoughts expressed, his visitation from the angel revealed, and his actions taken when he wakes up.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: [For] his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of holy spirit.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of holy spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:18-21

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Matthew 1:24-25

Matthew 1 is not about a mystical “virgin” conception/birth. It’s an explanation of how God keeps His promises to His people — promises made to men concerning their physical seed, all pointing toward the “Anointed” of God, called “Jesus/Ye’shua”.

This Anointed, Jesus/Yeshua, is the star of the whole book of Matthew (emulating the source of all Light, our Creator God). Mary (as a character in this book) is simply the vessel through whom the Anointed came.

Mary certainly matters in the part she played in life, but in the story this author conveys in chapter one (& even chapter two), Joseph gets the higher billing, since it is he the author chose to highlight revealing all the messages conveyed & actions taken through him.

Joseph is the link to the promises made to men & kept by God, that the Enemy of God sought to remove when he sowed the seed of deception of the Virgin Birth Doctrine. But the Truth is there for all who have eyes to see.

There is no virgin birth in the New Testament.

Posted in David the King, Jesus / Yeshua, Virgin Birth Doctrine | 4 Comments

Obedience & the Authority of Men

Posted on 12/13/2020 by Messyanic

The idea that obedience to all authority is automatically deemed righteous is disturbing to me because it relinquishes the responsibility for each person from having to discern right from wrong and choosing to do that which is right — instead, he/she just simply obeys and passes the buck of responsibility for discernment to someone else.

When it’s a matter of obeying God, the Maker of us all, who knows & understands all, being supreme in all wisdom and established the order by which righteousness is determined, then by all means we are to obey Him.

But when it comes to obeying men, who are not always righteous in their behavior, and who do not know & understand all and thereby do not always reflect sound judgment, that is a whole different ballgame.

History demonstrates for us what happens when people blindly obey orders from those in authority. It does not go well when those in authority are wicked.

Our moral duty is to do what is right if mankind expects to live long on the land, and that standard is set by the Creator who established the Natural Law & Order of this world, which He made for us all to inhabit.

It is a falsehood from the Enemy of our souls to equate blind obedience towards man with righteousness. It leads to having men, who may otherwise behave rightly, be used as a tool for wickedness in the hands of wicked men.

Please do not blindly obey any authority of man. Discern right from wrong. Do that which is right. Reject that which is wrong.

Posted in Encouragement / Advice | 1 Comment

Homesteading: Living in the Kingdom of God

Posted on 11/28/2020 by Messyanic

For several years the Kingdom of God has been heavy on my mind, and I have struggled with how to present my thoughts on what that entails in the here and now at this website.

But the bottom line is I believe the Kingdom of God is the Heaven and the Land. And mankind has been designated to live on the land.

Lately, homesteading has primarily been on my mind. Especially, given all that is happening in the man-made world, which I commonly refer to as the System, these days.

I’ve found myself retreating even further from the System, having recently paid off our home mortgage, and embracing more fully our homesteading life.

The last bit of fall color for the season.

I think the world needs more homesteaders — not farmers or simply gardeners, but full-fledged homesteaders. I believe this is what we were made to be, operating in the world made by our Creator.

Homesteaders are people who utilize the beasts of the field, birds of the air, and that which creeps along the ground, in conjunction with all the freely available natural resources to them, to help provide for and sustain themselves on the land they inhabit.

Their purpose is not to yield a profit, although they may have some sort of cottage industry to help obtain things they do not produce for themselves. Their purpose is to simply live — and live well.

Our cows “mow our lawns” for us and bring fertility to the soil everywhere they roam.

Our goats help clear the brush for us, making the property enjoyable to walk through.

Our ducks & chickens (not pictured here) help manage the unwanted pests, aerate the meadow muffins (aka cow pies) bringing their own fertility to the soil and provide wonderful entertainment for onlookers.

Learning how to homestead, and doing it well, offers a kind of satisfaction no other occupation can provide.

Along with the natural cycle of day & night, there are seasons of sowing & reaping and kidding & culling throughout the year that all need to be managed properly in order to sustain life throughout the year. (I’m still in the early stages of learning how to manage it all.)

Homesteading is hard work for sure, but it is immensely rewarding, because you are able to exercise your free will every moment of the day, collaborating with the Creator all throughout it, seeking to understand His world and how best to operate within it.

And at the end of each day in which we continually enjoy the fruits of our labor, we have so much to be grateful for, knowing who our Source is, the Creator God.

To God be the glory for all that He has given us.

And when we lay our heads down at night, we can enjoy peaceful rest having served the purpose for which we are intended.

Heaven on earth: A view of the heavens reflected in our pond.

I particularly enjoy the fall season with all its blaze of color and crisp, cool nights, but every season carries its own splendor and points of pleasure.

Looking back over the spring & summer of 2020, when the world as most have known it has gone completely haywire, I’m eternally grateful for the life my husband and I’ve been given, the blessings of fertility and dominion we enjoy, and the opportunity to live in this age of the Kingdom of God.

Posted in Walking in the Ways of the Creator | Tagged homesteading, kingdom of god | Leave a comment

Keeping the Feasts of the LORD (YHVH)

Posted on 10/05/2020 by Messyanic

Are we supposed to keep the feasts today?

There are many who have turned their attention back to Torah in the past decade, who seem to think we, as God’s people, are supposed to be keeping the feasts as outlined in Leviticus 23 in the modern age (post 70 AD).

I was one who turned my attention toward them over a decade ago, and even participated in a cross-country journey with my family to a Northwest Sukkot celebration in 2010. but as I continued to study Torah, I realized these appointed times were given within a particular context and needed to be kept in that context.

The “holy convocations” or “sacred assemblies” referenced in Leviticus 23 are nestled within instructions specifically given concerning service related to the tabernacle.

Yes, the appointed times outlined in Leviticus 23 are identified as YHVH’s feasts, and repeatedly the text states that these are forever statutes in their generations. However, “forever” (“olam”) doesn’t mean until the end of all time; it means for a long time where the end is not in sight.

In the first century of the common era, Yeshua, son of Joseph, of David, came on the scene — he was identified as the “Son” of God and the “Anointed” (Messiah) of God; He was understood to be the “Prophet like unto Moses” by his disciples, and the people were expected to heed his words as demonstrated in Deuteronomy 18.

Yeshua did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but rather to fill them up. He used what was written in the Law & the Prophets to teach life lessons that were there all along, but somehow concealed to the masses. He “opened their eyes”, so to speak, to that which was being taught throughout the children of Israel’s history, to include what was established in Torah.

Yeshua taught on the Kingdom of God, as he began to build a house for YHVH’s name, and he taught the people to do the will of his heavenly Father.

This “house” he began, however, was not a physical structure (temple) as was in the heart of David to build for YHVH, which Solomon eventually did build. It was a spiritual house made up of people, and Yeshua was the chief cornerstone.

And the house was intended to be a “house of prayer” with the fruit of one’s lips being offered up, lives being set apart & entirely spent in service to the Most High God, where right-rulings were being made as burdens were being carried for one another.

It was never intended to be a slaughterhouse flowing with the blood of bulls & goats or a place of judgment &/or condemnation with heavy burdens being laid upon the people.

The physical house of God (temple) was utterly destroyed as foretold by Yeshua would come to pass, when he said not one stone would be left upon another. And it seems that the intent was for it to never be rebuilt.

With that destruction came the end to the Levitical priesthood and their order of service, along with all the statutes established pertaining to that physical structure. No more physical offerings were to be made on physical altars — whether they be burning incense or slaughtering flesh. No more priestly garments or festival gatherings with their accompanying burnt offerings.

That age is past: the temple era, and a new one was ushered in with the Messiah. In the days of Abraham, Moses & even David & Daniel, the Messianic age was far off — beyond what those at that time could see in the natural, but there was an expectation of it in their spirit.

What does this mean regarding the Old Testament — regarding the Law and the Prophets? Are these writings antiquated, deserving to be put on a shelf and forgotten? Are the customs meant to be swept under the rug and never attended to going forward?

Or are these things to be used as a teaching tool — to help us understand the true nature and intent of God’s kingdom in the light of Messiah’s teachings?

Ten years ago I came to the realization that I grew up in a religious system that had become corrupted over time. There were taboo questions, which left unanswered & controversial subjects, which could not be reasonably explained by those in positions of authority.

I realized I had a foundation established for me in Christendom, which for me was void of a clear understanding of the Old Testament. This compelled me to study out the Old Testament for myself. But I realized I needed to consider it without the baggage of the doctrines of man, so I ceased listening to all religious teachings and participating in all religious traditions &/or ceremonies.

My objective was to learn — to seek knowledge & understanding, and thereby, to hopefully grow in wisdom.

Over the course of time I found myself revisiting the New Testament writings and consulting a few non-canonical writings from the first century or earlier in order to gain contextual insight. I am still in this stage of learning, and I’m beginning to see things more clearly than ever before.

Regarding “the feasts“, I believe they are significant in helping bring a foundation for understanding the teachings of Yeshua, but they need to be understood properly.

I don’t believe they can be “kept” as prescribed in Torah because Torah prescribed elements that are no longer in play in this age, but I do believe they ought to be taught.

The feasts, along with the whole sacrificial system, to include the priestly order, and its accompanying statutes, ought to be taught in such a way that a proper understanding of our Maker’s intent for mankind can be obtained: both for His set apart people and for those of the nations that surround them.

So, do we “keep” the feasts? I say, guard what Torah teaches concerning them, and with the light of Yeshua’s teachings, we can live the lessons gleaned from them. And in this way, we can be pleasing in the sight of YHVH.

Posted in Appointed Times of YHVH | 2 Comments

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