Jude's quotation from the Book of Enoch

In his epistle general, Jude used some very strong words against certain "church members" in the assembly. He called them ungodly, dreamers, and brute beasts.

Jude also described them"spots in your love feasts", "clouds without water", "late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots" and "raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame" etc.

If Jude had done this in any discussion group on the Internet today, he would have certainly been kicked out and blocked.

Who were these people , and why was Jude so harsh against them?
---------------------------
Jude 14-15 KJV
"Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

Jude 14 - 15 NKJV
"Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

Jude 14-15 is a quotation from two separate parts of the book of Enoch

Enoch II - 1.
"Behold, he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him"

(Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/bep/bep02.htm#an_II Accessed: 31-Dec13)

Enoch XXVI - 2.
" Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who were with me, replied, This valley is the accursed of the accursed for ever. Here shall be collected all who utter with their mouths unbecoming language against God, and speak harsh things of His glory. Here shall they be collected. Here shall be their territory."

(Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/bep/bep03.htm#an_XXVI Accessed: 31Dec13)

Why did Jude quote this scripture? (I shall call it scripture here although it is not among the Canonical Books, not even among the Apocrypha).

Jude quoted it as part of his warning to the disciples against "certain men" (v.4) who have crept in unnoticed among their assembly. The apostle Jude called these people "ungodly" (v.4), "dreamers" (v.8), "like brute beasts" (v.10). In particular, Jude describes them in v.12 and 13 as follows:

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Further on in v.16, Jude calls them "grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage". And in v.18, they are called "mockers" who walk in their own ungodly lusts.

Yes, according to the prophecy recorded in the ancient book of Enoch, God will be coming with tens of thousands of his angels to execute judgment on such ungodly people.

Brothers and sisters, let us heed the words of these ancient prophets and apostles. Let us repent.

The Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Wilderness.

First posted on 2013.12.31
UPDATED on Thu 2021.07.08

I drew these sketches while reading the book of Numbers 2:1-34, 3:14-39, and 10:1-28 last year, on Sunday 27May2012.

(1) The position of each tribe at camp, with the four clans of Levi around the Tabernacle of the LORD, including the number of males in each tribe.

On the EAST side, The Camp of Judah: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. These are the sons of Leah, the first wife of Jacob.

On the SOUTH side, The Camp of Reuben: Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. Reuben and Simeon are sons of Leah, while Gad is the eldest son of Leah's maidservant Zilpah.

In the middle, surrounding the Tabernacle: the tribe of Levi who bear the parts of the Tabernacle. Levi is also a son of Leah.

On the WEST side, The Camp of Ephraim: Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. Ephraim and Manasseh are sons of Joseph who together with his younger brother Benjamin are sons of Rachel, the second wife of Jacob.

And on the NORTH side, The Camp of Dan: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. Dan and Naphtali are sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah, while Asher is the youngest son of Leah's maidservant Zilpah.

(2) The Order of Movement for each tribe when breaking camp, until they set camp at their destination. The roman numerals reference key are as shown in the previous photo. (Numbers 2:9, 16,17,24,31; Num 10:1 - 28)

First to set forth: The Camp of Judah: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, EAST (Num 2:9)

Second to set forth: The Camp of Reuben: Reuben, Simeon, Gad SOUTH (Num 2:16)

Next to set forth,in the middle: the Levites who bear the parts of the Tabernacle (Num 2:17)

Third to set forth: The Camp of Ephraim: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin WEST (Num 2:24)

Last to set forth: The Camp of Dan: Dan, Asher, Naphtali NORTH (Num 2: 31)

However a slight variation in the order of breaking camp is given in the account in Numbers chapter 10, where the Levites did not set forth together as one group after the tribes on the EAST and SOUTH have moved.

Instead, only the sons of Gershon and Merari (bearing the equipment from the west and the north of the Tabernacle) set forth after the EAST tribesof Judah, Issachar and Zebulun have moved. (Num 10:17)

It was only after the SOUTH tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad have moved that the sons of Kohath would set forth, bearing the Sanctuary. (Num 10:21)

Finally, it was only after the tribes on the WEST and the NORTH have moved that the families of Moses, and presumably those of Aaron and his sons, would set forth last. (Num 10: 29)

A Lesson from the Wrong Chapter

These notes were written in my shorthand notepad more than a year ago, but it's only tonight that I have found time to post it here in my blog.

Sunday, 03Jun2012, at Ipoh Airport.

I thought I'd read a passage from the book of Proverbs while waiting for a family member to board a Firefly flight to Singapore. The TEV (GNT) Bible's Outline of contents show that the Proverbs of Solomon are recorded in the section from Proverbs 10:1 to 29:27.

So I turned to chapter 10 and began reading.

What I thought was Proverbs 10 turned out to be Ecclesiastes 10, the book after Proverbs! I realised it only after almost reaching the end of chapter 11 where it says in 11:8 that we should be grateful for every year of our lives because no matter how long we live, our days of death will be much longer than our days of life.

Wow, that's astounding.

Well, since nothing happens without the good purpose of our Creator, I think the Lord YHWH our God has allowed me to read from the wrong chapter for his own purpose: that I might learn something from Him this morning.

Here are some observations from Ecclesiastes chapter 10:

• A little stupidity is like a little fly - it makes an entire bottle of perfume smelly.
• By nature (or instinct?), the wise does right while the foolish does wrong.
• An injustice is caused by rulers when stupid people are given high positions, where slaves ride on horseback while noblemen have to go on foot.
• If you dig a pit, you fall in. If you break through a wall, a snake bites you.
• A wise man's words bring him honour. A foolish man's words bring him destruction.
• He who starts silly talk ends up mad. A fool talks on and on.
• A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long.

And last, but not least, 

Ecclesiastes 11: 1 is rendered by the TEV in modern day equivalent terms as

Invest your money in foreign trade and one of these days you will make a profit.

Shall we go on sinning because we are under the grace of God?

Romans 6:14 NIV
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14 appears to be a conclusive assertion in answer to a pointed question that was posed in 6:1,

"Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?"

The long chain of reasoning in the first fourteen verses of Romans 6 can be listed and paraphrased as follows:

- we have died to sin, we cannot live in sin anymore,
- we were baptized into the death of the Messiah Yeshua (Iesous), being buried with the Messiah in death so that we may live a new life just as the Messiah was raised from death by the glory of God the Father.
- if we have been united with the Messiah in a death like his death, we will certainly (one day) be united with Him in a resurrection like his resurrection.
- our old self was crucified with Him so that our sinful body might be done away with, so that we should be slaves to sin no more.
- anyone who has died (with the Messiah) has been freed from sin
- if we have died with the Messiah, we will also live with him, since the Messiah was raised by God, he cannot die again.
- the Messiah died to sin once for all. The life he now lives, he lives to God.
- in the same way, we should COUNT OURSELVES dead to sin, alive to God in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
- As such, we shall not allow sin to reign in our body, making us obey its evil desire.
- We shall not offer any of our members to sin, as instruments of wickedness. Instead, we shall offer ourselves to God, as instrument of righteousness, as people who have been raised from death to life.

Conclusion in Rom 6:14-
Sin shall no longer be our master, because we are not under the law (by every written letter of code), but under grace (by the spirit of God).

This assertion is reiterated in Rom. 7:6 NIV
"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit (kainoteti pneumatos), and not in the old way of the written code (palaioteti grammatos)".

Early warnings from Hebrews 12

A survey of Hebrews chapter 12: showing an example of how the early disciples cited and quoted Scripture as the basis for their instruction, warnings and teachings.

(1) Proverbs 3:11, 12 NIV

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 3:11, 12 LXX (Brenton)

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes,
and scourges every son whom he receives.

Hebrews 12: 5, 6 NIV

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son

This scripture is used in Hebrews 12: 3-11 to teach that:
- Discipline is hardship. It is painful, not pleasant.
- Discipline is needed in our struggle against sin.
- It is for our own good. God treats us as children when He disciplines us.
- Let us submit to discipline by the Father of our spirits and live.

(2) Proverbs 4:26 NIV

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.

Proverbs 4:26 LXX Brenton

Make straight paths for thy feet,
and order thy ways aright.

Hebrews 12:13 NIV

“Make level paths for your feet,”
so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

This scripture is used in Hebrews 12: 12,13, to remind the disciples to strengthen their weary arms and weak knees, so that the lame may be healed and not become disabled.

(3) "Esau sold his inheritance for a single meal" (from  Exodus 25: 29-34)

This account of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob is cited in Hebrews 12:14-17 to warn the disciples not to miss the grace of God by being immoral or godless in their behaviour. It points out that Esau could not recover from his sin although he sought to regain the birthright that he had despised earlier, with tears!

(4) Exodus 19:12, 13 NIV

Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

Exodus 19:12, 13 LXX Brenton

And thou shalt separate the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mountain, nor touch any part of it: every one that touches the mountain shall surely die. 13 A hand shall not touch it, for every one that touches shall be stoned with stones or shot through with a dart, whether beast or whether man, it shall not live: when the voices and trumpets and cloud depart from off the mountain, they shall come up on the mountain.

Hebrews 12: 20 NIV

“If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”

Deuteronomy 9:19 NIV

I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord,
for he was angry enough with you to destroy you.
But again the Lord listened to me.

Deuteronomy 9:19 LXX Brenton

And I was greatly terrified because of the wrath and anger,
because the Lord was provoked with you utterly to destroy you;
yet the Lord hearkened to me at this time also.

Hebrews 12: 21 NIV

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

These scripture passages are used in Hebrews 12: 18-24 to teach Israel the following:
- You have not come to a tangible, fearsome and intimidating mountain,
- where even an animal which touches it will be stoned to death,
- where Moses trembled with fear
- Instead, you have come to Mount Zion,
- you have come to the heavenly Jerusalem,
- the city of the living God,
- you have come to the joyful assembly of hosts of angels,
- you have come to the ecclesia of the firstborn,
- whose names are written in heaven,
- You have come:
==> to God, the Judge of all men,
==> to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,

==> to Yeshua, the mediator

==> to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (an allusion of the blood of Abel, slain by his brother Cain, which "cried out " to God from the ground).

(5) Haggai 2:6,7 NIV

“This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens
and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come,
and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Aggaeus 2:7,8 LXX Brenton

For thus saith the Lord Almighty;
Yet once I will shake the heaven, and the earth,
and the sea, and the dry land;
8 and I will shake all nations, and the choice portions of all the nations shall come:
and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord Almighty.

Hebrews 12:26 NIV

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised,
“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

This scripture passage is used in Hebrews 12: 25-27 to teach the disciples that while, at Mt Sinai, God's voice shook the earth, there will come a day when He will shake both heavens and earth. The words, "Yet once more" in this passage means the removal of all things that can be shaken. Only that which cannot be shaken will remain. Do not turn away from Him who warns us from heaven!

(6) Deuteronomy 4:24 NIV

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:24 LXX Brenton

For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Hebrews 12:29 NIV

for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Finally, this one short verse is used in Hebrews 12: 28,29 to teach us that we must worship God alone, with reverence and awe.

Conclusion: We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Israel's Three "Not Because Of"

Read passages from Deuteronomy chapters 7, 8 and 9, last Sunday 8.12.13: TEV

In these chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the people of Israel three "non-reasons" why the Lord YHWH chose them, prospered them and promised to give a good land to them.

(1) Not because of your numbers

Deuteronomy 7:7
YHWH did not love you and choose you because you outnumbered other peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth. (see also verse 8, which says it was because YHWH loved Israel and wanted to keep the promise that He had made to their ancestors.)

(2) Not because of your power

Deuteronomy 8:17
So then, you must never think that you have made yourselves wealthy by your own power and strength. (see earlier verses 11 to 16 where Moses reminded Israel of the providence of YHWH throughout their wandering in the wilderness, protecting them from venomous serpents and scorpions, giving them water out of solid rock and manna which they had never eaten before. Also verse 18 which says it was YHWH their God who gives Israel the power to prosper, because He remains faithful to the covenant He made with their ancestors.)

(3) Not because of your goodness

Deuteronomy 9:5a
It is not because you are good and do what is right that YHWH is letting you take their land.

Deuteronomy 9:6b
No, you are a stubborn people.

Son of the Most High and Prophet of the Most High.

Son of the Most High

-------------------------

The words of the angel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Master Yeshua the Messiah, recorded in

Luke 1: 32, tells us that:

(1) Yeshua will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God (El Elyon). 

This title reminds of the account in Genesis 14: 18-20 where Melchizedek, called Priest of the Most High God, blessed Abram in the Name of the Most High God. This mysterious Priest is described in Hebrews 7: 3 as "without father, without mother, without geneology, neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.". The book of Hebrews explains in 7: 17 that Yeshua has come in fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 110: 4, that he is the promised everlasting priest, not of the Levitical order, but is instead of the order of Melchizedek,

Psalm 110: 4 NKJV

“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

(2) Yeshua will be made a King, like his ancestor David, by YHWH Elohim.

Luke 1: 32 goes on to tell us that he will be King over the descendants of Jacob. However, he will be no ordinary king. Instead he will be king forever. His kingdom will never end!

Prophet of the Most High

----------------------------

The words of Zechariah concerning his son, John the Baptist, in Luke 1: 67 - 69 GNT.

(3)  verses 68-75 tells us that the ancient promise of Most High God is being fulfilled starting that day.

The Kingdom of God - epitomized.

Devotion on Thursday, 10Oct13

Acts 10: 36-38
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The Message of the Kingdom of God
- its essence can be found in Peter's words to the household of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10.
- the message about the Kingdom of God is called "the Word" by Peter. It was the Word which God sent to the children. (see Acts 10: 36)

In Acts 10:42 Peter's message about the Kingdom of God is simply this,
" And He (Yeshua of Nazareth) commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead."

In the next verse, Peter explains the way into the Kingdom. This explanation is part of the "Word".

Acts 10: 43
To Him (Yeshua), all the prophets witness that, through His name (Yeshua), whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

It was while these very words were spoken that the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard The Word.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us preach the same Word - the message about the Kingdom of God.

Gentiles who bear the Name of YHWH

Devotion, after lunch on Monday, 05Aug13, 2.45 pm.

Acts 15:17, quoting Amos 9:11,12, tells us that all Gentiles who bear the Name of YHWH will seek YHWH.

This is a new covenant, whereby Gentiles can bear the Name of YHWH. Notice the significance of the word, "Gentiles". Yes, it says Gentiles. It refers to those peoples whose males are uncircumcised, who have traditionally been disqualified from God's nation of Israel.

The time has come, when these Gentiles can bear the Name of YHWH. These are the Gentiles who seek YHWH.

Acts 15: 1, 5 records that some of the Pharisee sect have insisted that the believing Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia must be converted and become Jews according the Mosaic tradition.

Acts 15:1
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Acts 15: 5
But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

After much dispute, finally Peter rose up to address the disciples in Acts 15: 7-11, using his first-hand experience at Cornelius' household at Caesarea to explain why there is no need for these Gentiles to become Jews by undergoing circumcision and to obey all the Torah of Moses.

“Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

Yes, today, the Spirit of God is given by baptism in the Name of the Master Yeshua the Anointed One of God. Through the kindness of the Master Yeshua, we are saved, in the same manner as those Gentiles in the household of Cornelius.

Our hearts are purified by faith.

The Last Words of David

Devotion on Thursday, 25Jul13

2 Samuel 23:5
Although my house is not so with God,
Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things,
and secure.

Compare with 1 Chronicles 17:4,9, 10 (The word of YHWH came to the prophet Nathan)

4 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.

9 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; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 10 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that YHWH will build you a house.

From these verses, today we can learn that the covenant of YHWH with David is an everlasting covenant. Yes, YHWH will build David a house.

Judah - the tribe chosen by YHWH

Devotion on 24Jul13

Reading Psalm 78: 67-72

Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.

And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.

He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;

From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

In the New Testament, the book of Hebrews chapter 7 teaches us that the promised Messiah comes from the tribe of Judah to establish an eternal priesthood that replaces the existing Levitical priesthood.

Hebrews 7: 11-17 NKJV
11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:

“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.” (From Psalm 110:4)

Men, not God. Flesh, not Spirit

Devotion on Wed 24Jul13

Reading Isaiah 31:3 NKJV

Now the Egyptians are men
and not God,

And their horses are flesh
and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out His hand,

Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;

They all will perish together.

The contrast between the flesh and the spirit is explained by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. For example,

Galatians 5:16-25 NKJV
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Whose God do you trust?

Lunch-time devotion: Monday, 01Jul13

Reading Psalm 146 from my little Gideons New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs, Revised Berkeley Version.

verses 3,4
Do not put your trust in princes,
nor in a son of man,
- in whom there is no help.

His spirit departs,
he returns to his earth,
- in that very day his plans perish.

In contrast, verses 5 - 9 tells us:

verse 5
Happy is he who puts his trust in the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in YHWH his God.

This God, YHWH is the God of Jacob,
- who made heavens and earth
- who keeps truth forever
- who executes justice for the oppressed
- who feeds the hungry and
- who frees the prisoners.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us be careful, not to put our trust in earthly princes, in sons of mere man, as powerful and influential as they may seem, for in the very day they die, their plans perish with them.

Instead, let us put our trust in YHWH, the God of Jacob. Let us put our hope in Him alone.

What does "under the Law" mean?

I asked this brief question on Thursday, 27Jun13 during devotion.

Galatians 4: 4,5 NIV
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

The verses above states that our Master Yeshua the Messiah was born under the Law to redeem those who are under the Law -  that we may receive adoption as sons.

What does being under the Law actually mean? Does "sonship" mean we are no more "under the Law"? Does it mean we are no longer under obligation to keep the commandments of the Torah (Law)?

Further on, in Galatians 4:7, the Apostle states that, after receiving the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, we are no longer a slave, but instead have become a son.

Young's Literal Translation puts it across very effectively, using the original sentence structure:

Galatians 4: 4-7 YLT
4 and when the fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law,
5 that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive;
6 and because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, `Abba, Father!'
7 so that thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

Towards the latter part of chapter 4, beginning from verse 21, the Apostle appeals to those desire to be "under the Law" to consider the typological meaning of Ishmael, born of the maid servant (slave), in contrast to Isaace, born of the free woman, Sarah, born by the promise of God, concluding in verse 31:

"then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's"

The Jews, the Jews

Friday 23Oct13, at KL Sentral, waiting to board the 10.30 pm overnight train to Singapore to visit an old classmate over the coming weekend.

Reading John chapter 5.

The Jews, the Jews.
-----------------------
John 5:1, at the Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem.
" . . . there was a feast of the Jews"

Also in John 6:4, at a mountain across the Galilee Sea.
" . . . the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near."

Who were "the Jews" in the Gospel according to John? Was John writing to a Gentile audience?

Similarly, in John 7:2, in Galilee, we read,
" Now the Jew's feast of Tabernacles was at hand . . ."

The Jews, the Jews. Who exactly were the Jews? Why did John have to mention explicitly that those were Jewish feasts?

Perhaps, a clue can be gleaned from other similar verses in the Gospel account:

John 7:13 tells us that no one spoke openly of Yeshua the Messiah for fear of the Jews.

In John 5:10, we are told the Jews taught that it was against the Torah to carry one's bed on Shabbat.

John 5:16, 18 records for us that the Jews sought to kill Yeshua, while John 6:41 tells us the Jews complained against the Messiah for claiming to be the bread from heaven.

From the above references, we get a picture that those Jews were fearsome people who complained against the Messiah and even sought to kill Him,

Was John referring to ALL Jews? Was he describing the Jewish race in general?

No, he couldn't be.

John first mentioned the Jews in John 1:19, where he referred to them as "the Jews of Jerusalem", and not any Jew in general.

Also, John actually recorded the words of our Messiah in John 4:22, telling the Samaritan woman at the well that the Jews are the people who knew the true God whom they worshipped, and that salvation actually came from the Jews!

John 4: 22
"You Samaritans worship what you do not know, we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews."

Notice from the verse above that our Master Yeshua identified himself with the Jewish race when he asserted, "we worship what we do know".

I conclude that "the Jews" in John's Gospel does not refer to all Jewish people in general, but instead to a particular of Jews in Jerusalem, most probably the powerful and influential Jewish religious leaders who held positions of authority in society at that time.

So I knew . . .

From today's lectionary at Wesley Methodist Kampar: Jeremiah 32 :1-15

Jeremiah 32:8b
"Then, just as YHWH had said, Hanamel came to me there in the courtyard and asked me to buy the field. So I knew that YHWH had really spoken to me. "

Jeremiah was a prophet. He was led by the Spirit of YHWH. And he had just received a word from YHWH. In 32:1, we read that YHWH spoke to Jeremiah. In 32:6, Jeremiah wrote "YHWH told me . . ."

However, it was only when he saw the fulfillment of those words before his very eyes that Jeremiah was able to say with absolute certainty that YHWH had REALLY spoken to him. Other English translations render verse 8b as "Then, I knew . . ."

Verses 6 - 7 records the prophecy given by YHWH of the arrival of Jeremiah's cousin, Hanamel, to ask Jeremiah to buy over Hanamel's field at Anatoth. Verse 8 then tells us that the eventual arrival of Hanamel was a significant confirmation that the words Jeremiah heard earlier in his vision in verse 6 were really authentic, that they came from the mouth of YHWH Himself.

"Then, just as YHWH had said . . .
 So I knew that YHWH had spoken . . ."

That confirmation was essential because it was only by the fulfillment of the word of YHWH that the prophet Jeremiah could know for sure that YHWH had indeed spoken.

Even prophets need confirmation!

Today, like Jeremiah, children of YHWH who are part of the body of Messiah are to be led by the the Spirit of YHWH. The Epistle to the Galatians, in chapter 5:16 - 25, tells us to allow the Spirit of God to direct our lives and not to give in to the desires of the flesh.

Also, like Jeremiah, today we need an outward, tangible confirmation that YHWH has given us His Word - the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, brought about by the Atonement throught Yeshua the Messiah, the Appointed Eternal High Priest.

What outward, tangible confirmation do we have among us today? That confirmation is by the outward, visible sign of the fullness of the Spirit of YHWH in us, by making us cry out, : "Father! My Father!" (or Abba! Father!) (Galatians 4:6), confirming that we are the children of God.

The same explanation can be found in Romans 8:15 where we read that we are given the power to cry out to God, "Abba! Father!" when the Spirit of YHWH joins itself to our spirits to declare that we are children of God.

A further outward tangible confirmation from our Heavenly Father is the sign of the baptism of the Spirit, several instances of which are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. In Acts 10:46-47, for example, when Peter and the believers from Joppa heard the household of Cornelius at Caesarea speaking in unknown languages, praising the greatness of God, they realised to their amazement that God had poured out the gift of His Spirit even on the gentile people!

Acts 10:47 GNT
These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?

Like Jeremiah, the apostle Peter saw the confirmation, and he could also then say,

"So I knew . . ."

Brothers and sisters in Yeshua the Messiah, do you have such outward confirmation of the Spirit of Elohim in you?

The reward of the innocent man

Psalm 18:20 - 24
YHWH rewards me because I do what is right.

 - - - He blesses me because  I am innocent.
I have obeyed the Torah of YHWH
 - - - I have not turned away from my God.
I have observed all His Torah,
 - - - I have not disobeyed His commands.
He knows that I am faultless,
 - - - that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
And so he rewards me because I do what is right,
 - - - because he know that I am innocent.


The Psalmist begins this part of the psalm recognising that YHWH blesses him because he is innocent. He ends the portion with the same thought, that YHWH rewards him because he is innocent.

What are the characteristics of this innocent man?

He obeys the commands of YHWH and does not turn away from his God. In this way, he has kept himself from doing wrong and has thereby remained faultless.

Likewise, today YHWH our Father in Heaven has chosen us to be such innocent and faultless people. In the epistle to the Ephesians, we are reminded that our Father has chosen us even before the foundation of the world to be a people who are holy and blameless in love before him (Ephesians 1:4). Towards the end of the same epistle, we read that Yeshua our Messiah wants to present the assembly (ekklesia) to himself with spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish.

Brothers and sisters in the Messiah, let us strive to be holy and blameless. Like the psalmist, let us keep ourselves from wrongdoing and remain faultless in our walk.

Let us be like this innocent man.

The Messiah called His Father, Adonai.

Matthew 11:25, 26
At that time Yeshua said,
"Father, Lord of heaven and earth!
 I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned
 what you have hidden from the wise and learned."

"Yes, Father, this was how you wanted it to happen."

I have never notice this before, that our Master Yeshua addressed Elohim, our Father in Heaven as the Adonai (Lord) of Heaven and Earth. Most of us are familiar with Yeshua calling God his Father. This is probably the only instance recorded in the NT where the Messiah addresses Elohim by His Title Adonai.

David's enemies, who were they?

I came across this verse while browsing through the book of Psalms one morning,

Psalm 18:41
They cry for help,
 - - - but no one saves them;
They call to YHWH
 - - - but He does not answer"

In this verse, David was describing the fate of his enemies, against whom David had been "armed with strength for battle" by YHWH  and over whom David triumphed. (see 18:39-42 GNT), below:

39 You give me strength for the battle
    and victory over my enemies.
40 You make my enemies run from me;
    I destroy those who hate me.
41 They cry for help, but no one saves them;
    they call to YHWH, but he does not answer.
42 I crush them, so that they become like dust
    which the wind blows away.
I trample on them like mud in the streets.

The verse left me wondering who those enemies were. What kind of enemy did David have back then who would call on the Name of YHWH?

I am still trying to ascertain this.

One parable, two lessons

Luke 16: 1-14, Good News Translation (Today's English Version)

The parable of the dishonest steward, sometimes called the shrewd manager, recorded in the passage above reminds us of the universal admiration of business people everywhere for those who are shrewd, who succeed by cunning schemes and who can think "out of the box", so to say. Today, two thousand years after the parable was recorded, it does not take long for us to think of examples of such cunning people, some of whom may even be among our circle of friends and relatives.

This story tells of a manager was about to be fired by his master for wasting his master's money. In what appears to be a last ditch attempt to save himself from financial ruin, the shrewd manager secretly gave "favours" away to his master's debtors by fraudulently reducing their outstanding debit amounts in the master's ledgers. Naturally, the debtors were most likely aware and would have been very glad that this shrewd manager was doing them a big favour by cheating his own master.

Luke 16:1 - 12 GNB

1Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money, 2so he called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Hand in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3The servant said to himself, ‘My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.’

5“So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6‘100 barrels of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘sit down and write fifty.’ 7Then he asked another one, ‘And you — how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand sacks of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘write 800.’

8“As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light.”

9And Jesus went on to say, “And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. 10Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones. 11If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?

Note that the manager did not do anything new or unusual. Verses 1 and 2 of this passage tell us that he had already been wasting his employer's money. By working in cahoots with those (equally dishonest) debtors to cheat his master, he was merely continuing to do what he had most probably been doing all along, that is, to waste his master's financial resources.

This was the reason that got him fired in the first place.

Now, many who read this passage might be puzzled by verse 8, which seems to tell us that the master who had suffered financial losses at the hands of this dishonest manager, nevertheless, is full of praise for him. A closer look at verse 8 will tell us that the master's praise was not for everything that the manager had done all along, certainly not for how he wasted his employer's money, but instead it was for this outgoing manager's shrewdness in preparing for unemployment.

That is, the dishonest manager is praised for the cunning way by which he cheated his employer one last time to secure new business friendships just before he had to leave his employment for good. Those "happy debtors" whom he had secretly helped would become his much needed friends who may in turn be able to help him find his next job. As such, the master's praise is not the usual praise we hear from bosses about good employees, but rather it is more of a salute, a recognition, some kind of admiration for the awesome way in which this shrewd, cunning, "out of the box" individual who knew how to survive in a cut throat business world.

(Looks like things didn't change much after two thousand years, did they?)

To readers who speak Cantonese Chinese dialect, it is similar to the Hong Kong Cantonese expression, that the manager is "Hoh geng" or "Sye Ley" or "Ley hoy", or the Malaysian slang, "he is so terror man", all of which roughly means this manager is so cunningly awesome.

So what was the Messiah trying to teach here? What lesson was our Lord bringing to his audience that day? What can we learn from this rather puzzling parable?

While each of the other parables generally carry only one lesson, this parable appears to convey TWO lessons for its readers.

The First Lesson

The first lesson is found in verse 9, where the Lord Iesus tells us to "make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home". Note that this statement by no means teaches us to cheat. Instead, it tells us to make friends who will welcome us in our eternal home.

And it teaches us to do so by making good use of our earthly wealth. This earthly wealth does not belong to us (for we can't take it with us after we die), just as the master's wealth in this parable did not belong to the dishonest manager. This earthly wealth will one day fail. It will "give out", verse 9 says, just as the dishonest manager's means of living failed when he got fired by his master.

Brothers and sisters who obey Iesus the Messiah, let us ponder over our earthly wealth which we can't take with us to our eternal homes. Let us take a good look at all the money we have, money which will eventually fail us. Let us consider how we can make better use of our earthly riches to make heavenly friends.

Perhaps we can start by donating our money to the poor. Perhaps we can win more orphans and widows to heavenly friendship by sharing our earthly wealth with them. Or perhaps, we can win eternal friends by giving away our temporal riches to the homeless, the refugees and the destitute in the Name of our Lord Iesus the Messiah.

Like the shrewd manager, let us use money which we can't take with us to win friends who can abide with us, friends who will "receive" us in our eternal home after we this temporary wealth fails us. This is the first lesson from this parable.

The Second Lesson

There is a second lesson conveyed by this parable of our Messiah. It is found in verse 10, "Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones."

This second lesson seems to contrast greatly with the first lesson, in that, whilst the first lesson in verse 9 teaches us to adopt the plan of the shrewd manager in making "eternal" friends, this second lesson in verse 10 teaches us to avoid the practice of the same manager in being unfaithful to his master in the course of running the day-to-day business, of doing "small things", as it were.

Verse 10 tells us to be faithful managers. It warns us against being unfaithful towards our Lord, as this dishonest manager had been towards his master. And it reminds us to start being faithful with the "small things" in our present sojourn here in this world.

According to verses 11 and 12, these small things comprise the money, wealth and possessions we have in this earthly that does not actually belong to us in the first place, but instead "belongs to someone else", that is, to our Creator, our Father in Heaven.

Luke 16: 11, 12 GNT
If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?

Brothers and sisters, let us prove ourselves in the sight of God our Father, as people who are faithful in the "small things" of this world, so that He will give to us the glorious wealth that really belongs to us in our eternal home eventually.

May the Grace of our Lord Iesus the Anointed One, who made the once for all Atonement for the sin of the whole world, who was raised from the dead by Yehovah God Almighty, and was seated by the right hand of God, be with us from today onwards, helping us to become faithful stewards of earthly money which  does not belong to us, to win many heavenly friends who will abide with us in our eternal home. Amen and Amen.

God was making all mankind His friends

Apostolic teachings: The Good News of the New Testament as seen in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

Here are some thoughts I gathered from 2 Cor. 5 during a devotion sometime last month. Quotations are taken from the Good News Translation (formerly called Today's English Version).

(1) One died for all, All live for One (2 Cor. 5: 14,15)

We recognize that one man, the Messiah, died for everyone,
==>Therefore all (who are baptized in His Name) share in His death.
He died for all,
==> so that all those who live should no longer live for themselves.
Instead, all should live only for Him
==> who died and who was raised to lif - for their sake.

(2) All completely changed (2 Cor. 5: 17-18)

Anyone who is joined to the Messiah is a new being.
This change is performed by God,
==> through the Messiah, who changed us from being His enemies to become His friends.

(3) This is our Message (2 Cor. 5: 19)

God was making all mankind become His friends,
==> through the Anointed One (Messiah).
God did not keep account of their sins,
And God has given us this message,
==> "How He makes them His friends".

(4) Shared sins, Shared Righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)

The Anointed One was without sin,
God made Him share our sin,
==> so that through the Anointed we may share the righteousness of God.

Brothers and Sisters, this is the Good News that we bring to the world.

Isaiah 7:14 Virgin or young woman?

Isaiah 7:14 Virgin or Young woman?

Written on 20130611

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Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

In the Great Isaiah Scroll from the DSS, the word translated as "virgin" is "ha'almah" which actually means a young woman rather than an unmarried maiden.

It is often argued that the word "ha'almah" in Isaiah 7:14 should have been translated as "young woman" instead of "virgin". This because the Hebrew word for virgin is "betulah" and not "ha'almah"

People who question the validity of rendering ha'almah as "virgin", and the use of this verse as a Messianic prophecy (see Matthew 1:22-23), point out the fact that in Isaiah chapter 7, Isaiah was prophesying about the birth of a child by the young woman was a sign to King Ahaz that his enemies King Pekah and King Rezin would be defeated at the hands of God. Thus it should not be construed as a miraculous virgin birth.

Why then is this verse referred to as a prophecy of the unmarried Mary, a maiden being chosen to bear the Son of God, in Matthew chapter 1?

Matthew 1:22,23
"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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."

Why did the Greek text use the word παρθένος (parthenos=virgin) in quoting Isaiah 7:14?

A better understanding of the rationale for the use of the term "virgin" here can be obtained by looking at two other instances where ha'almah occurs in the TaNaKh, as follows:

Genesis 24:43 KJV Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin (ha'almah) cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink

Although some English translations like the NIV and NET renders this word as "young woman" rather than "virgin", the context of this account seems to tell us that those were unmarried young women who came to draw water.

Likewise,

Exodus 2:8 KJV
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid (ha'almah) went and called the child's mother.

This account is even more obvious than the one in Genesis 24:43 in using ha'almah to depict a girl or a maiden, in this case the little girl is the sister of baby Moses.

One must also note that the Septuagint also renders ha'almah as "virgin" (parthenos) in Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah 7:14 LXX
διὰ τοῦτο δώσει κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εμμανουηλ (Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.)

To me, Matthew 1:23,24 is not a mistranslation or misinterpretation of Isaiah 7:14. It is an event that happened "according to the Scriptures"

Praying to Adonai our God in the Name of His Anointed

Hebrews 4: 14-16 KJV
"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."

Probably the earliest account of the disciples praying to the Father in the name of Jesus is recorded in Acts chapter 4, after Peter and John were threatened and warned not to teach in Jesus' Name by the High Priest, rulers, elders and scribes:

Acts 4: 29-31 KJV
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Notice how the disciples, praying with one accord (4:24), addressed God as "Lord" (= "LORD" or Adonai in Hebrew, the title for YHWH) in verse 24 and 29.

Acts 4:24 KJV
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

It is also noteworthy that the disciples referred to Jesus in their prayer as "thy holy child whom thou hast anointed" in verse 27, and "thy holy child Jesus" in verse 30.

Brothers and Sisters, let us pray to Adonai YHWH our God, in the Name of His Holy Child, whom He has Anointed.

The New Way of the Spirit

Dear brothers and sisters, here are some observations that I have made during my devotions about a year ago.

The Good News of the New Testament
- the new way of the Spirit vs the old way of the written Instructions.
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The apostle Paul writes in his epistle to the Romans that those who have believed in the Lord Jesus the Messiah have three distinct characteristics in the new covenant with God.

Before I go on however, I'd like to point out that the epistles referenced in this article were written by Paul in typical Jewish midrashic style. Midrash is a Jewish approach to exegesis, which mainly focuses on deep meanings and comparative investigation of Biblical texts. (A brief commentary on interpretation of Old Testament scripture in the early NT times can be found at the end of this article)*

Here are three characteristics:

(I) Believers in the Messiah are Freed from Condemnation of the Law.

Rom. 7:6 GNT
"Now, however, we are free from the Law
because we died to that which once held us prisoners.
No longer do we serve in the OLD WAY of the written Law (or Instructions)
but in the NEW WAY of the Spirit."

This verse tells us that the written Instructions once held us captives, that they constitute an old way of serving God and that they are replaced by a new way, simply described as the way of the Spirit.

We must note, however, that this assertion by no means imply that Believers are to abandon or to disregard the teachings of the Law of Moses. It does not, for example, gives us license to kill, to steal or to commit adultery. Being free from the Law certainly does not mean being free to bear false witness or to covet our neighbours' possessions. Paul wrote in Romans 3:31, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (NASB)

Likewise, whist we are free from the condemnation of the Law, we are nonetheless reminded to use the Law, along with the Writings and the Prophets (all Scriptures), to instruct, to reprove, to correct and to train ourselves in righteousness, so that we are properly equipped to perform good works.  Paul wrote to Timothy in his 2nd epistle,

2 Tim 3:15,17 GNT
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful[a] for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, 17 so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

Yes, we Believers serve our Heavenly Father in the new way of His Spirit working within us, no longer by the old way of the written Instructions outside of us. And, no, we do not transgress the Instructions. Instead we uphold it.

(II) Believers in the Messiah are Enabled by the Power of God.

This assertion is further explained in Paul's 2nd epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter 3 for example, which tells us that believers in the Lord Jesus are enabled by God Himself to serve the new covenant, doing the work of God. It tells us that this new covenant does not consist of a written Law (Instructions) but instead consists of the Spirit of God

2 Cor 3:5b,6 GNT
"The capacity we have comes from God; 6 it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life."

Paul goes on to explain how this comes about.

He points out that the written Instructions were carved in stone (2 Cor 3:7). They came with the powerful manifestations of God's glory, a glory so bright, shining from Moses' face, that the Israelites could not look at it. In alluding to the account of Moses in Exodus chapter 34, Paul asserts that this glory was to subsequently bring death and condemnation to the people of Israel (2 Cor 3: 7b, 8), and that this glory was transient (2 Cor 3:11).

In contrast to the fearsome but transient glory that shone on Moses' face, the Spirit of God which is poured out on His people in the new covenant (Acts 2:33) gives life (2 Cor 3:6b). It comes with a far greater glory (2 Cor 3:8). It brings salvation instead of condemnation (2 Cor 3:9). And it lasts forever (2 Cor 3:11)

2 Cor 3: 7-11 GNT
"7 The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory, 8 how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit! 9 The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation! 10 We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone. 11 For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts forever!"

And finally,

(III) Believers in the Messiah are Full of the Glory of the LORD (YHWH).

The Apostle calls on the believers at Corinth to behave as a people who show the glory of God with "uncovered faces", unlike Moses who had to cover his face with a veil to conceal the glory of God (Ex 34:34, 2 Cor 3:13, 18).

2 Cor 3:18 GNT
"All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory."

This glory that Believers reflect is the same glory as that which shone from Moses' face. It comes from the LORD (YHWH), who is Spirit (see John 4:24). The Spirit of God in us transforms us in a ever increasing degree of glory, i.e. "from glory to glory".

Brothers and Sisters, let us reflect the Glory of YHWH our God by His Spirit in us.
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Midrash - interpretation of Jewish Scriptures in NT times:
http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2006/11/01/interpreting-the-jewish-scriptures-in-pauls-time-nt-29/

The Prayer for the Ephesians

Friday 2013.06.07

Ephesians 3:14-21, a prayer for the Ephesians.

This is a good prayer for all of us to exemplify, especially because, like all prayers in the NT, this is essentially a prayer to our Heavenly Father. If we want to pray like Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21, we should do the following:

(Scripture quoted from Young's Literal Translation)

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Bow to our Heavenly Father, who is also the Father of our Master Jesus the Messiah.

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," 3:14

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Acknowledge that every being in heavens and earth receives its true name from our Father in heaven. He is our creator God.

"of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named"3:15

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Ask our Heavenly Father to give us strength in our inner being, through His Spirit according to the wealth of His glory. Yes, this we must ask for such wealthy, glorious strength from our Father.

"that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man" 3:16

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Along with the inner strength, ask the Father to make our Messiah (the Anointed One) to dwell in our hearts through our trust in Him.

"that the Christ may dwell through the faith in your hearts" 3:17a

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Also ask that the Father will make us established in His love:

" in love having been rooted and founded," 3:17b

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Ask the Father that we may also, together with all other saints, have the power to understand the full dimensions (of His love)

"that ye may be in strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" 3:18

***
Ask our Father that we may also know the love of the Messiah, a love which is beyond our normal knowledge / ability to understand,

"to know also the love of the Christ that is exceeding the knowledge" 3:19a

***
So that we may be full of the nature of God our Father
"that ye may be filled -- to all the fulness of God;" 3:19b

***
Finally, let us sing our doxology to God our Father, who works in us by His power: to HIM (God our Father) be the glory in the assembly (ekklesia) by Jesus our Messiah.

"and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us, to Him [is] the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen" 3:20,21

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Brothers and Sisters, let us pray to God, He is our Father in Heaven.

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My thoughts on the Prayer for the Ephesians:

• That we may know God — our Father (May2010)

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The Unpardonable Sin - revisited

Matthew 12: 23,24 NKJV
And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

Why did the Master Yeshua say in Matthew 12: 31, 32 that all sins and blasphemies, including speaking against the Son of Man himself, can be forgiven but "whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.".

For many years as a Trinitarian believer, this verse used to puzzle me. If the Messiah is God-the-Son and if the Holy Spirit is God-the-Spirit, why would speaking against one "person" of the Triune Godhead be forgiveable while doing so against another person in the very same Godhead be unpardonable? Is it possible that God-the-Spirit is somehow more "unblasphemable" than God-the-Son?

Little did I know how wrong I was to believe that our Only True God was a "Triune Godhead".

Last week, four years after I had awakened to the truth that God our Father is the one and only true God,
I revisited this account in Matthew 12: 22-32, along with parallel passages in Mark 3:22-30 and that of a similar account giving the background to the accusation involving Beelzebub in Luke 11: 14-15.

The Master Yeshua had cast out a demon from a mute but was accused by both scribes and Pharisees that he had done this by the power of the King of Demons.

Why was this accusation tantamount to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? The answer is found in Matthew's account:

Matthew 12: 27,28 NKJV
And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

I am reminded that the Master Yeshua, after his baptism by John the Baptist, he saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon him. Yes, he was FILLED with the Holy Spirit. On that day the voice of God was heard, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased" (Matt.3: 16,17)

From that day, our Master became, "a Man ATTESTED by God . . . by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst" the Apostle Peter later declared to his audience in Jerusalem in Acts chapter 2. Likewise, Peter also declared to the household of Cornelius at Caesarea in Acts 10:38 about "how God ANOINTED Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

Yes, our Master Yeshua of Nazareth is the Anointed One - the Son of Man who was filled with the Holy Spirit. When he healed the demon possessed mute person in Luke 11:14, it was the Holy Spirit of God within him that performed the wonderful work. Indeed, by such miracles, signs and wonders God had attested that Yeshua was His beloved Son.

In other words, God was with him.

As such, when the scribes from Jerusalem (Mark 3:22) and the Pharisees (Matt 12:24) accused the Master of using Beelzebub to cast out demons, it was tantamount to blaspheming against the very presence of God Himself. It was a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:30 puts it in a nutshell,

because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”.

Set your mind on things that are above

Matthew 16: 23 NKJV
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

The words of our Master Yeshua in this well-known verse struck me during one of my morning devotions a few days ago. I have never before noticed the reason why our Master rebuked the Apostle Peter with in such harsh terms.

"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me",

the King James Version says.

Why is Peter called "Satan" by the Master in this account? In what way is he an offence to Yeshua the Anointed One? It was just a while ago that he was called "Blessed" by the Master Yeshua for identifying correctly that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. It was also a while ago that the Master had told him in verses 18 and 19,

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

How then did Peter suddenly become an offence to the Anointed One?

The answer lies in the second part of verse 23, "you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men", the Master Yeshua says.

Peter couldn't accept the sudden revelation from the Master Yeshua that He must soon suffer at the hands of His enemies and be killed by them in Jerusalem and then to be raised by God on the third day. The thought of seeing his Master captured, ill-treated and killed by His Master's adversaries, also the adversaries of all the disciples, is unimaginable.

Such an eventuality dashes the hope of Peter seeing His Master lead his disciples, along with many more of his fellow countrymen, to victory over the enemies and to become their new ruler. Peter was concerned with an earthly mission, an earthly accomplishment and an earthly success. He instinctively, perhaps even impulsively, pulled his Master aside and started to rebuke his Master in verse 22,

“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

Perhaps Peter wasn't paying enough attention to His Master's words. He had apparently not noticed the last statement of the Master Yeshua, that He would be raised from death on the third day. Well, after all, this had never happened to anyone before. It didn't make sense to Peter.

It was this very last statement of the Master Yeshua that made the difference between being mindful of the things of God versus the things of men. Had Peter been mindful of the eternal Kingdom of God, then he would have welcomed the revelation of this marvellous plan of God: that His Anointed One, the Messiah who is to be the everlasting King over Israel, would first have to die and then to BE RAISED on the third day - to rule eternally over all nations.

Today, I am reminded of the words in Colossians 3:2, "Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.".  Have we also fallen into the same error like Peter did in Matthew 16:23?

The things of God. That, is what Peter should have been mindful of.

Repent and be baptized . . .

One of the Apostolic teachings that have impressed me very much recently is that of Repentance and Baptism in the Name of Yeshua (Iesous) the Anointed One.

Acts 2:38
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

The Apostles had always taught repentance and baptism.

The call to repent and to be washed in the waters of baptism is an ancient Jewish practice called respectively "teshuva and mikveh" in Hebrew. I'm persuaded that when Peter told the crowd in Jerusalem to "Repent and be baptized" that Pentecost (Shavuot) day, his audience was not surprised by anything new. It was just a call to "teshuva and mikveh".

In Jewish teaching, baptism is effective only if one sets his heart on becoming pure. It is highly likely that Peter's call to repentance and baptism was made in the same context too. The only big difference was the mikveh was to be performed by calling upon the Name of the Messiah - Yeshua.

The following is an excerpt from "The Dynamics of Teshuva" in the book "Deep Calling Unto Deep" published by Kehot Publication Society, 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213, authored by Dr. J. Immanuel Schochet, Professor of Philosophy at Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

"Just as sin is rooted in man's will and mind, so must teshuvah be rooted in man's will and mind. . . .He who sets his heart on becoming purified (from ritual defilement) becomes pure as soon as he has immersed himself (in the waters of a mikveh), though nothing new has befallen his body. So, too, it is with one who sets his heart on cleansing himself from the impurities that beset man's soul - namely, wrongful thoughts and false convictions: as soon as he consents in his heart to withdraw from those counsels and brings his soul into the waters of reason, he is pure."

The Dynamics of Teshuva

The Promise that is for you, for your children and for all afar

I read Acts chapter 2 this morning before starting work, and noticed the significance of the "promise of the Holy Spirit", as explained by the Apostle Peter:

(1) Our Lord Jesus the Messiah has received this promised Spirit from God the Father, and has poured out this Spirit on that Pentecost day:

Acts 2:33 ESV
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

(2) This promise is also for everyone who Repents and is Baptized in the Name of Jesus the Messiah, to their children and to all who are far away:

Acts 2: 38, 39
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

I am also reminded of the words of our Master in Luke 11:13

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Let us ask our Father in Heaven for this gift.

Is YHWH our God a "He" or a "They"?

Here's a typical explanation of the doctrine of Trinity, which I had believed in and upheld steadfastly for more than thirty years of my life:

"What then does it mean that God exists as the Trinity? It is a basic principle of our biblical faith that there is only one God. “Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The unity of the Godhead cannot be questioned. God does not consist of parts. He is one. But Scripture reveals that there are, in that one divine essence, three eternal distinctions. Those distinctions seem best described as Persons, known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three have identical attributes, however, and therefore they are one—not merely one in mind and purpose, but one in substance. To possess all the same attributes is to be one in essential nature. The three Persons of the Godhead possess identical attributes. They are one in substance and one in essence, and therefore they are one God."

Is YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, really made up of three persons?
Is our Abba in Heaven merely one of those three persons, and not YHWH himself?

Can we find "they" are one God in the Torah of Moses?
or in the Prophets?
or in the Writings?
or any where in the Gospel accounts,
the Acts of Apostles,
the Epistles
or even in the Book of Revelations?

Is YHWH our God, a He or a They?

YHWH Elohim is One. Throughout the Torah, the Neviim and the Khetuvim, the entire scriptures refer to our God with one and only one singular pronoun: "He".

Likewise throughout the Gospel accounts, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, right through the end of the book of Revelations, our God is always referred to as "He", never once as "They".

Over the past three years, after I turned away from the man-made traditional doctrine of the trinity to worship our Father in Heaven, the Only True God, through the name of Yshua our Messiah, I have been called a cultist, a heretic, accused of falling away and of having lost my salvation. I have also been accused of twisting the scripture.

Please let me tell you who is twisting the scripture.

(1) Those who twist God into a "Godhead"

(2) Those who twist the One and Only True God into a trinity of three persons.

(3) Those who twist the worship of one God in spirit and in truth, into the worship of three little gods, sometimes praying to the father, sometimes to the son and sometimes even praying to the holy spirit.

(4) And those who twist the praise and thanks and giving of glory to our Father, the One True God, into a cult of praising Jesus, thanking Jesus, glorifying Jesus, blessing Jesus, . . . Jesus, Jesus and just only Jesus.

These people forget that over and over again, the apostles teach us to glorify the Father, give thanks to the Father, praise the Father and bless YHWH, the Name of our Father, God Almighty, creator of heavens and earth.

Ephesians 1:3 NIV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

1 Peter 1:3 NIV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

These people also forget that our Father is not only our God, that He is also the God of our Master Yeshua the Messiah (Iesou Christos).

Revelations 3: 11 - 13 NIV
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Do the Miracles prove that Messiah is God?

This morning I came across a post in a discussion group, that contained a list of some miracles performed by Jesus Christ, with a remark that, "It is these miracles that attest to who Jesus is because His remarkable deeds confirm His incredible claim to be God in flesh, the only way to salvation."

"Jesus was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:25).
Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:6-10).
Jesus caused the disciples to catch a large load of fish (Luke 5:4-6).
Jesus cast out demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 15:22-28).
Jesus healed lepers (Matt. 8:3; Luke 17:14).
Jesus healed diseases (Matt. 4:23,24; Luke 6:17-19)
Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:3-12).
Jesus raised the dead (Matt. 9:25; John 11:43-44).
Jesus restored sight to the blind (Matt. 9:27-30; John 9:1-7).
Jesus cured deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
Jesus fed the multitude (Matt. 14:15-21; Matt. 15:32-38).
Jesus walked on water (Matt. 14:25-27).
Jesus healed the sick (Matt. 8:5-13; 9:22).
Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5).
Jesus calmed a storm with a command (Matt. 8:22-27; Mark 4:39).
Jesus was transfigured (Matt. 17:1-8).
Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39; John 20:27).
Jesus appeared to disciples after resurrection (John 20:19).
Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9).

What is so important here is that Jesus claimed to be God (John 5:18; 8:24; 8:58 -- see Exodus 3:14)"

The above conclusion contradicts the preaching of the Apostle Peter in the Book of Acts:

(1) Peter's message on Pentecost Day, in Jerusalem

Acts 2:22-24, Note especially 2:36

- Jesus is a man: accredited by God,

- handed over to the Jews by God's foreknowledge,

- raised from death by God and

- made Master and Messiah by God.

(2) Peter's message to the Israelites in Solomon's Portico

Acts 3:11-26

-Yeshua is a Servant of God. 

-The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, HAS GIVEN divine glory to His Servant Yeshua. (3:13)

- Yeshua is holy and good, but the Israelites rejected him (3:14),

- They killed the one who leads to life, but God RAISED him from death (3:15)

- If the Israelites would repent and turn to God, their sins would be forgiven and God will SEND Yeshua (3:19,20)

- Yeshua is the Anointed One CHOSEN by God for Israel (3:20)

- Yeshua the Anointed One must remain in heaven until the time comes for all things to be made new. (3:21)

(3) Peter's message to the household of Cornelius in Caesarea

- God anointed Yeshua of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power (10: 38).

- God was with Him (10: 38b).

- After he was killed, God raised him up on the third day (10:39).

It is undeniably clear, brothers and sisters, the Apostle did NOT come to any conclusion at all that the our Messiah Yeshua (Iesous Christos) is "God". Instead, again and again, he explained to people everywhere that our Messiah was chosen by God, anointed with the Spirit of God and given power by God. After he was killed, he was RAISED by God.

Yes, without doubt, the Miracles show that God was with the our Master, the Messiah.

And, No, the Miracles do not show that Messiah is God.

How shall we honour the Son?

John 5:22-23 NKJV
22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Some people point out from John chapter 5 that we are to honour the Son as God, just as we honour the Father as God. The emphasis is placed on one single word: "JUST".

Is that so?

No. No where in the New Testament are we taught to honour the Son as God, not even in John 5:23. That would be tantamount to idolatry. Instead we are to honour the Son as the One Anointed by God (Messiah, Christos) just as we honour the Father as our one and only true God.

Let us remember, from Philippians 2:9-11, that when we bow our knees, and when we confess with our tongues "Yeshua the Messiah is Master (Iesous Christos is Lord)", it is TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.

Let us also remember the reason why the Son of God is worthy of such great honour. It is because God has exalted him and has given him a name above all other names. (Phil 2:9).

Indeed, in the very same chapter of the verse quoted above, in John 5:26,27 it is written:
"26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. "

No, we shall not honour the Son as God. Instead let us honour him as Son of Man, to the glory of God who exalted him and gave authority to execute judge.

Let us honour the Son, because he is Son of Man.

Let us stop hiding in the back room

Many Christians dwell in some dark corners of little back rooms instead of coming out into the large spacious and well-lit living room to enjoy the refreshing view.

Those dark and narrow back rooms comprise a sprinkling of scattered, isolated bible verses usually having more than one way of translating or interpretation. These back room bible verses are typically arguable and many translators are uncertain over how they should be rendered in the English translations.

Today I would like to comment on three of these popular "back room" verses which are often quoted by Trinitarian Christians in defence of their belief in the doctrine of the Triniy. At the end of my commentary, I shall contrast such verses with the occurence of an abundance of verses from all over the New Testament verses that explicitly and undeniably tell us of our One and Only True God. I liken the abundant occurence of such verses to our well-lit and refreshing living room.

[All quotations in this post are taken from the Good News Translation, formerly know as Today's English Version.]

Back Room verses quoted by Trinitarian Christians:

(1)
Hebrews 1:8 (Quotation of Psalm 45:6,7)
Your kingdom, O God, will last forever and ever . . .

The footnote of my Bible states that this verse can also be translated as,
"God is your kingdom forever . . ."

It tells us that bible translators are divided over how Hebrews 1:8 should be exactly translated. Is this prophetic Messianic verse addressing the Messiah as "O God" or is it instead saying, "Messiah, God is your kingdom . . ."? We can answer this question if we read on to verse 9:

Hebrews 1:9

You love what is right and hate what is wrong.
That is why God, your God, has chosen you
    and has given you the joy of an honor far greater
    than he gave to your companions.

It is succinctly clear from verse 9 above that God is the God of the Messiah. "Your God has chosen you", this prophetic verse says. If so, then the alternative, "footnote" version of  Hebrews 1:8 would be more consistent with the context of Hebrews chapter1 and therefore a better choice.

(2)
Titus 2:13
" . . .  as we wait for the blessed day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ will appear."

Like Hebrews 1:8, this verse can also be translated in another way, i.e.

" . . . when the glory of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ will appear."

Again, when we look at this second way of translating Titus 2:13, we realize that it is actually very consistent with the rest of the New Testament, with statements made by both our Master the Messiah as well as by his apostles.

That is, we have One God, and One mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

(3)
1 John 5:20
". . . We live in union with the true God - in union with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this is eternal life"

Please note the significance of the phrase, "the true God" and contrast it with "His Son". It is clear that our True God has given us His Son. Our God is the true God. And the True God is our God. We are to be one with our God and one with the Son of God in our new life. The meaning of 1 John 5:20 comes alive to us when we recall the very words of the Son of God in his prayer in John 17:11 and 17:21,

John 17:11
Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me,[a] so that they may be one just as you and I are one.

John 17:21
 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.

THIS, then is what 1 John 5:20 really means when it says "When we are in Him who is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ". The GNT/TEV renders it more succinctly by, "We live in union with the true God - in union with his Son Jesus Christ."

So who then is the true God? It is Him who is true. It is not the Son, who is Christos, the Messiah, the One Anointed by the True God.


Leaving the above verses with their alternative translations and non-explicit interpretation  in their little back rooms, let us move out to the spacious, bright and refreshingly airy living room:

Living Room verses, often ignored by Trinitarian Christians:

Anyone who goes through the New Testament, even with a casual reading, cannot help but notice an abundance of passages and verses, from Matthew all the way to Revelations, that tell of our One True God.

Every single reference to God in the New Testament refers to the Father in Heaven, often addressed as God our Father, or the Father, or God the Father, and very often simply as "God". In other words, every single reference to the Father refers to God, and nobody else.

While the phrase, "God the Father" or "God our Father" is found all over the New Testament, you can never find one single mention of "God the Son" or "God the Spirit:" anywhere in any book or chapter.

Most distinctly is the repeated use by the apostles of the expression, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" or "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ", telling us that our Master the Messiah has a God, his God and our God.
For a list of examples, too long to include in this post, please view the following:

(a) Thanksgiving, Prayer and Praise in the Epistles

(b) Reasons why you should not believe in the Trinity

(c) Implicit allusions vs Explicit assertions

(d) How can you deny the deity of Yeshua

Dear Christian brothers and sisters, there is no trinity in this brightly lit and well ventilated living room of the New Testament. It is as clear as daylight. The fictitious concept of God-the-Father, God-the-Son and God-the-Holy Spirit, a 3-in-1 trinitarian God-head is nowhere to be found in this large and spacious living.

I urge all who are still dwell in dark corners of their crammed little back rooms, holding on tightly to their questionable interpretations of arguable translations of isolated bible verses, trying to prove the existence of a Trinity, to come out for some fresh air and a clear view of the truth of the One True God.

Let's go to the living room.