“Therefore cast away ALL filthiness and all the multitude of evil things, and receive with meekness the implanted Davar [Jewish synonym for “Torah”; Ya’akov/James was a Jew, wait for it], which is able to save your souls. But be doers of HaDavar [Torah, Gen-Deut], and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any is a hearer of HaDavar and not a DOER, he is like a man who sees his face in a mirror; for he sees himself and goes his way and forgets how HE looked. But whoever looks into the TORAH [the word “Torah” is actually in the text, even in the GREEK] of complete liberty and ABIDES IN IT is not merely a hearer of it, which can be forgotten, but a DOER OF THE WORK, and this man shall be blessed in his labor.”

Do you read The Word with the PRECONCEPTION that the Torah is inapplicable? If so, how do you reconcile yourself with THIS passage [and many others], in the NT, that CLEARLY and PLAINLY shows us the relevance of Torah.

Have you thrown it away without knowing the beauty of it, and what is actually in it?

Have you forgotten/never learned that EVERY SCRIPTURE in the ‘NT’ is based on Torah, and expounding Torah, and does NOT stand independently of it?

More importantly, if you are looking for a TRANSFORMATION of CHARACTER, AFTER Yeshua, the Son of G-d, put His Ru’akh [Breath of Life] inside of you, why are you turning AWAY from the source of His Power: THE WORD [HaDavar]? He has given us each a whole MEAL, why eat only the dessert [NT].

“But strong meat belongs to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised, having LEARNED to make a distinction between good and evil.”

Not doing His Word is evil. [Shabbat being a pivotal proof, just as it was for Israel in Ex 16].

Mixing faith in G-d with pagan rite is evil.

Talking like the world talks is evil.

Thinking in vain philosophies rooted in ‘humanity’ is evil.

Lusting after this world, the things of it, the flesh of it, is evil.

Treating people contemptibly is evil.

Justifying sins that G-d says are sins is evil.

Making the G-d of the Bible out to be something other than who He is is evil.

Denying that Yeshua is the Son of G-d, and that ONLY HIS BLOOD can cleanse us and make us righteous is EVIL.

Denying that there is a WAY in which Yeshua expects us to walk is evil.

All of these things are taught in Torah, EVEN that Yeshua is His Son and our Savior. But you cannot ‘see’ it, because you have preconceptions taught you by evil men whose motives are perverse. [Money, fame, notoriety, continuation of tradition for tradition’s sake].

“Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and I will receive you.”

Your religion is not ‘right’ just because you inherited it. Yeshua did not save you to leave you just as you were, or to make you like everyone else, but to compel YOU to look into HIS WORD and be transformed by it. His WHOLE word.

“Let G-d be true, and every man a liar.”

This world, its people, will all lie to you, and deceive you, and make you ‘think’ you’re ‘happy’, and that you have ‘made it’. A whole congregation thought so back in the 1st century:

“You say, ‘I am rich, and my wealth has increased, and I need nothing;’ and you do not know that you are miserable, and helpless, and poor, and blind, and naked. I advise you to buy of me gold refined in the fire [Torah, Ps 19], that you may become rich; and white raiment [Torah, Hit 12], that you may be clothed, so that the shame of your nakedness may not be seen; and anoint your eyes with salve, that you may see. I rebuke and chasten all those whom I love; be zealous, therefore, and REPENT. [He is speaking to a BELIEVING CONGREGATION] Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with Avi [My Father] on His throne. He who has ears, let him hear what HaRu’akh [Spirit, Breath of Life] says to the congregations.”

Those words were spoken to believers…

About half of our worship liturgy at Pesakh was a product of the Congregation… this is the latest, by Tamarah Yard….

It was fitting to open the Seder with this exaltation…..

We have enough ‘home-grown’ music for two albums! Just gotta get time and funds to produce!

Pardon the layout, just close your eyes and enjoy…

Trying to get other videos as well, will post here when/if I can….

So many folks misunderstand why I do certain things in my life, and the things I do, they are so benign, so inoffensive, so harmless! In fact, they are positive, helpful to me in my walk, beneficial to those around me, and joyous! Further, they do not understand why I do not do certain things I used to do. Some of them get very belligerent, even hateful in their logic as to why I should not be being changed. Some allow Antisemitism to spew, simply because some of what I do looks “Jewish.” I am a Jew inwardly, more than I am “outwardly” by genetics. I am a Jew by “circumcision of the heart,” as commanded in the Torah: Deut 10:16, 30:6. The circumcised heart in Romans 2:29 is an echo of the past, not a new doctrine. What is a circumcised heart? One that no longer fights against the commandments of God. [see previous references]

First, I do not do what I do to appear more righteous than others. I do not do what I do because I think my “deeds” will save me. I do what I do simply because He said to do those things. The things I now refrain from, I refrain from because He said to, including all the Torah infractions listed in Galatians 5:19-21. I am delivered from the guilt of my sin by one thing alone, just as the Shlikhim [Apostles] declared when they told the world the “Good News”:

“This very Yeshua, Elohim has raised up, and we are all His witnesses.  It is He who is exalted by the right hand of Elohim, and has received from HaAv the promise of The Ru’akh HaKodesh, and has poured out this gift which you now see and hear.  For David did not ascend into the heavens, because he himself said, ‘ יהוה  said to My Adon, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your foes your footstool.’  Therefore let all Beit Yisra’el know assuredly that Elohim has made this very Yeshua, whom you have executed, both  יהוה  and Mashi’akh.”  When they heard these things, their hearts were sorrowful, and they said to Shimon and the rest of the Shlikhim, “Our brethren, what shall we do?”  Then Shimon said to them, “Repent and be immersed, every one of you, in the Name of  יהוה  Yeshua, for the remission of sins, so that you may receive the gift of The Ru’akh HaKodesh.  For the promise was made to you and to your children, and for all of those who are far off, even as many as the very Elohim shall call.”  And he testified to them with many other words and besought them, saying, “Save yourselves from this sinful generation.”

To “repent”, in the minds of these 3500 Jews of Yisra’el 2000 years ago, meant to turn back to the Torah, the “Instructions” of God. And that is exactly what they did.

Sin is defined in the Brit Khadasha [New Testament] as breaking Torah commandments:

“Everyone who sins breaks Torah; indeed, sin IS breaking Torah.” I John 3:4

Love for God is defined by Yeshua as keeping His Commandments. It is also defined by Yokhanan [John], my favorite Shaliakh [Apostle, “sent one”].

“For this is the love of God, that we keep HIS mitzvot [commandments, instructions of the Torah]: and His mitzvot are NOT grievous.” I John 5:3

So, I do NOT try to save myself by keeping commandments. I obey Him, because I love Him.

Ya’akov [Jacob, Yeshua’s brother, known as James] tells us that our keeping His Commandments proves that we belong to Him:

“Trust without righteous deeds is death. Show me your trust without righteous deeds, and I [Ya’akov] will show you my trust BY MY righteous deeds.”

So, the things I do that make me seem “strange” [ I Peter 4:4 ] I do out of sheer love for Messiah. No other reason. I wear tzit-tziyot [Num 15], I eat biblical food [Lev 11], I observe the 7th Day, HIS Sabbath, and Passover, First Omer, Bikkurim, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, [Lev 23] and not s-nday church, Easter [Pagan Ishtar], Halloween [night of the dead], Christmas [birth of 1/3 of the trinity “Mithras”]. I refrain from eating meats He said are not food. I refrain from all manner of sexual impurity. I refrain from mixing His ways with the ways of this world. And for that, I am “weird”. Count me in that number, I’m nuts for Mashi’akh!

“He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk His Halakha [walk as He walked.].” I John 2:6

Yeshua is Jewish, and so I do the same things He did, and that He still does! And this does make me look a bit Jewish.  But, I am simply emulating Him, the King of the Jews. “Halakha” is a Jewish term that Yokhanan used in that verse to tell us that Yeshua is our Rabbi, the one who teaches us how to keep the Torah properly. Halakha means “how one interprets Torah”, literally, how one ‘walks’ out the Torah.  There were teachers in the 1st century who all had different “halakha”, and the Brit Khadasha mentions some of them, and alludes to others: Hillel, Shammai, and Gamliel. Each of these men is quoted in the 2nd century document called “Mishnah”, and their “halakha” is taught in that book. Yeshua’s “halakha” is revealed in the gospels, and taught through correction and ‘halakhic commentary’ in Romans-Jude. And it does not violate the Torah of His Father. [Matt 5:17-19]

I understand it is strange in this western society so long overshadowed by papacy and religion. But, I also know that HIS instructions are eternal and sure, and beneficial to my life on every level. To find a way around them is being “stiffnecked”, EVEN IF one thinks they are relying on grace! Circumcision of the heart is agreement with His Word. Without adding to it, OR taking away from it. [Deut 4:2, Rev 22:19, speaking of the same books!]

It is the enemy of God that wants to deter His people from keeping His Commandments, NOT GOD:

“And the dragon [the adversary] was wroth with the woman [Yisra’el, the Kahal/Congregation], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, AND  have the testimony of Yeshua HaMashiakh.” Rev 6 !!

Trust/faith without righteous deeds is death. I have found LIFE in trusting Him, and OBEYING Him. Call me weird. Deride my character. Say I’m in bondage. Those who do could not be further from the truth! Neither have they ever known the JOY of simple obedience!  They do not know the Word of our Master, but follow deceieved men.

It’s the MOST IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENT EVER!!

We need to check ourselves, and our teachers, as did the Bereans.

Yeshua hung on the tree.

But don’t take MY word for it: take G-d’s Word for it!

Acts 5:30, 10:39, 13:29,

1 Peter 2:24

Also see Gal 3:13, quoting D’varim [Deut].

There is NO SUCH WORD as ‘cross’ in the Greek NT texts, and certainly not in Aramaic.

But, The ‘Tree of Life‘ is mentioned first in Genesis.

The Tree of Life is an allusion to Messiah Yeshua as our source of LIFE.

LIFE in Hebrew is “Khai”.  The letter Khet is the first letter in “Khai.”  A “khet” looks like this: ח

Just like the blood in this image of a door at Pesakh.

Yeshua is the “Door of Life” and is also known as the TREE of Life.

Now, since Yeshua was executed on a tree, and this is established as a hard, historical FACT by four witnesses in the NT scriptures [above], let’s look at something together:

The catholic idea is that it was three roman ‘crosses’ on a hill, but again, remember, the word cross in Greek, being ‘tau’, is NOT in scripture.

The catholic idea of the ‘way of the cross’ is that he carried a full cross up a hill.  This gives Yeshua, a man, superhuman strength, a man who was literally torn open and lost tons of blood BEFORE beginning the ascent; even though He yet is known to have received help, nonetheless, it is beyond reason to think that he could have managed more than double the weight of what The Word actually says he carried.  The FACT of the matter is that both Greek and Aramaic say that he carried a ‘stake’ or a ‘beam’;  a straight implement of execution.  In greek the word is ‘stauros,’ and in Aramaic it is ‘zakif’, the equivalent Hebrew word being ‘ztelav’.  He was nailed to that stake, which was fastened to a tree over a hook.  And then his feet were nailed to the tree.

WHAT if the catholic notion is wrong?  What if the chai-rho of Constantine really was a pagan symbol? [He was still a pagan when he had his famous ‘vision.’]

Think about this.  The passage in Yokhanan [John] that describes the centurions breaking the legs of the two thieves hanged with Yeshua has the soldiers passing up Yeshua, who supposedly was in the MIDDLE of two thieves.  Understand this: Yokhanan’s account is an EYE-WITNESS account, whereas the other three gospels had to hear it told to them by either Yokhanan and/or the few women who were actually there.  His eye-witness account gives us the most detail of what actually happened at the base of the tree [19:31]:

“So they besought Pilatos to have the legs of those who were executed broken, and to have the bodies lowered down.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other [thief] who was executed with Him.  But [easily also ‘then’] when they came to Yeshua, they saw that He was dead already, so they did not break His legs.  But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who saw it testified [Yokhanan/John], and his testimony is true; and he knows well that what he said is true, that you also may believe.”

Please understand the fault in the prevailing “opinion”.  The passage says that they go to one thief first, and then go directly TO THE NEXT THIEF~!  WHY?

WHY, dear reader, would the centurions go PAST Yeshua first, to get to the SECOND thief and break his legs next, if Yeshua were directly between two ‘crosses’ in the traditional configuration?   ┼   ┼   ┼

The soldiers had to be IN FRONT of the three ‘crosses’ to break the first guy’s legs…. would they really have went BEHIND Yeshua, weaving in and out of the three ‘crosses’ [that are not in the bible]?  Likely not.  And HOW did they not see Yeshua was already dead when they WALKED IN FRONT OF HIM to get to the NEXT thief?

The answer is, HE WAS HANGING ON A TREE…. THEY ALL WERE…. ON THE SAME OLIVE TREE.

The texts are very plain, and the actual layout makes more sense.  The centurions went AROUND THE TREE to the next guy.  We cannot assume Yeshua was the focal point of the centurions; that is us imposing our view in our minds on the scene.  That’s called ‘eisegesis’, or writing our opinion into the Bible. They were just doing a job. Their direction may have been simply due to one being right or left handed!  But, on a tree configuration, where all three were hanging on the same tree, they would have simply walked around the TREE.  And then it would make sense as to why they came to Yeshua LAST, which the text CLEARLY says they did.

So, consider this.

An Olive tree is a short, very thick tree.  Having been to Yisra’el and seen these trees, one could easily see three men hanging on one.  In fact, on our last trip, I kinda demonstrated it in Gat Shmini, and everyone easily ‘saw’.  This also explains how Yeshua could speak to people, while suffocating, and have them hear Him.  Whereas, if hanging on a tall ‘cross’, it would have been less likely.

More importantly, the Olive Tree is the source of oil in ancient Israel, and hence, “light.”  As such, it has long been biblically associated with the Menorah.  The Menorah is indeed the ‘Tree of life’ in the Temple.  It is the only Biblical symbol of belief in the Messiah.

Consider further; if three men were hanging on it, there would be six ‘arms’ on the tree. The trunk itself would represent the seventh light.

The Menorah is symbolic of the Ru’akh HaKodesh [The consecrated Breath/Spirit of G-d].  As such, it is the ‘sevenfold spirit’ of Revelation 3-5, burning as a lamp before the Throne of G-d.  The sevenfold spirit is seen in Yesha-Yahu [Isaiah] 11:2, as seven distinct manifestations of power.  Those seven manifestations are:

Ru’akh of  יהוה

Ru’akh  of Wisdom

Ru’akh of Understanding

Ru’akh of Counsel

Ru’akh of Knowledge

Ru’akh of Might

Rua’kh of the Fear of  יהוה

This is a Menorah!

And in the middle, which would be the STAND/TREE of the Menorah, is “Counsel”

עֵצָה

Above is the Hebrew word, “Etzah”, for “Counsel”, which is the power and source of all prophecy and biblical interpretation.  The root of that word is עֵץ ‘ETZ’, and it means TREE!!

The MIDDLE LETTER of the word is a RIGHTEOUS MAN… and this word “Etz” is the MIDDLE of or the stand, the ‘tree’ of the Menorah, in regard to the powers listed in Is 11:2.  That is not a coincidence.

So, Yeshua was hanging on the TREE… with a REDEEMED thief on his right hand, and an unredeemed thief on His left hand.  On the right, the thief feared יהוה , and the other did not.  There were hence six arms/branches coming off of the TREE.   This was the Menorah, the TREE OF LIFE predicted in B’reshit.

I wish I had time to draw an image of this.  I wish a good artist would take to represent this in a painting.  I have zero doubt that this is the GREATEST SYMBOL OF LIFE, and that the most LEGITIMATE symbol of any true congregation of Messiah is the MENORAH.  After all, when Yeshua addressed SEVEN very personal letters to congregations, He told Yokhanan that He was the one who walks among the MENORAHS, NOT crosses, and warned them that He would take their Menorah from them if they did not REPENT and OBEY Him.  He did take their Menorah, and each of those cities is now a Muslim city, and has been for over 1,000 years.  It’s interesting to me that it is in those cities that all the bad doctrine of western Christianity was formed. [homoousios, theotokos, etc.]

The Menorah is the symbol of the TREE of LIFE.  Yeshua died on a tree, and GAVE US LIFE.  Sha’ul did not glory in the roman symbol, he gloried in the EXECUTION of Messiah, the voluntary death of Yeshua for all mankind.  Life does not come from a symbol; but, if we want a symbol, lets’ use the best one, the one G-d gave in Gan Eden, and the symbol Yeshua gave to the congregations….

“And I came that you might have KHAYIM, and have it abundantly”.  “For I did not come to call the Tzadikim, but for sinners.”