Tis the Season 2

Shalom family.

In my last post, I spoke of celebrating the Feast of Dedication. It is a true Jewish feast but one that I believe should not be ignored on the basis that it is recorded in the Scriptures. Let me make one thing very clear: the Hanukkah celebration is not a replacement for the extremely popular holiday, Christmas. I count my self fortunate for being allowed to teach on this pagan celebration to our congregation a few weeks before the 25Th. Many people who now attend our congregation every Sabbath never heard anyone talk against this holiday and truly had no idea what it truly stood for. It was an honor to stand before family and friends to discuss this and it has been more honorable that the teaching has become one of the most requested teachings that people want just so they can pass it to their friends, family, co workers, etc. I did not go into everything I could have because what information was given was a lot to take in, especially for those who just did not know. I'm going to share some of the information that I learned while researching Christmas and I will share some of the testimonies that I have heard afterward.

Jeremiah Chapter 10

Idols are compared with God

1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Let's begin with this scripture in Jeremiah 10. The very first scripture let's us know that number one, shema - hear, do, and obey the voice of the Lord and do not learn the way of the heathen! Not just hear as in listen with one's ear, but diligently discern but perceive it, publish it, and then proclaim it! I was in a meeting some years back and the teacher told us that this scripture was not a Christmas tree because Christ had not been born yet. I found that argument to be ignorant. The truth was the young gentleman did not have the desire to stop this celebration no matter what the scriptures say. Historicaly, this celebration was called the winter solstace. The celebration of the invincible sun, mithra. The people were afraid that the sun would not return so they held a celebration filled with rape and violence in order to grab the attention of the "gods".
Warning: the information being posted is rated True!!

The tree that is decorated and garnished is a representation of mithra's uncircumcised penis. The garland that is strewn about the tree represents his sperm. The lights put arond the tree stands for the sun which was also used to ward away evil spirits. When a woman stood under the miseltoe, she was a candidate to be raped, for the fertility gods chose her as a vessel. During this celebration, the government was no longer in control. All manner of violence and incest was considered the norm for 8 days. The wreath with the red berries stood for the vagina of Astheroth and the berries stood for her menstrual blood which was considered to be the fountain of youth.
In one book, the encyclopedia of witchcraft, it was said that "the new sun god was born to the mother goddess and the gifts were also his sperm comming out of the phallus". When the people would bow down to the tree to recieve the gifts, they are paying homage to the tree (mithra).

In Exodus 32, while Moses was on Mt. Sinai, meeting face to face with the Lord, the people grew impatient and had Aaron make a golden calf, not to replace the Father, but as Aaron declared, "tomorrow will be a feast unto the LORD (YHVH)." This is the same thing that we have done with Christmas. We have said that we are not doing this for Mithra, but we are doing this for the Lord. We have taken this pagan practice that we have learned from the heathen and have tried to give it to YHVH when He told us not to. I'm sure there are many that mean well, like my own mother who cried when I first told her this same information 5 years ago, but the God of our bible said don't do this. Period! I am very fortunate to have been able to teach this information (there is a lot more that goes along with it but for the sake of time I only gave some critical parts) and this last time I taught this, I was sure that someone was going to throw a shoe at me. LOL Some got out of their seats and left, but the majority stayed and listened. Those who stayed and had heard this for the very first time went home, packed up there decorations, and threw them out. And then began to spread the Word to others and one dear sister who took the information to her job, withnessed to a coworker and they followed suit.

Of course there have been plenty of persecution this year. People accused of splitting up the family, we have become heritics, foolish Galations, the list goes on and on. I am thankfull that the people who sat during this teaching actually heard it and acted upon it. I am truly thankfull for an elder in our congregation who is still attending his Sunday congregation (because of his ministerial duties which he is in the process of relinquishing) and took the information to that congregation and the pastor actually heard it and wants the elder to teach it. And he said so accross the pulpit. And for the first time this year, that church has not put up any decorations. As small a victory a as it was, it is still a victory. I also have to note that in my city of Cleveland, Ohio, there is a Luthern church that happily boasts how it was their pastor who was the first pastor who set up a the first Christmas tree in a church in America. No wonder my city is going through many issues. (Not saying that it is the only reason but that didn't help)
I thank all of those who are standing up for the gospel of truth. You are vitally important and appreciated, and loved.

May you be blessed in Hashem Moshiach Yeshua.

Tis the Season

Shabbat Shalom friends and family!

It has been a long time since I last posted so please forgive me for waiting so long to write a new post. I bless Yahweh because as we are coming toward the end of this civil year, I reflect on all the changes that have happened in the life of my family (natural and spiritual). Our congregation, Sar Shalom Ministries began nearly 5 years ago now, meeting in our pastor's basement, then meeting in an office building, and 5 months ago, we began renting a church building. Our congregation has grown and we are seeing more and more of HIS Word. I do not view success by the size of our congregation or by the size of the offerings. Our success comes by the testimonies of the people who have the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments.

We have been doing a teaching series called the 2 trees; one is a mixed tree filled with the fruit of today's holiday celebrations such as Christmas, Halloween, New Years Day, and Valentine's Day. I have been amazed at the testimonies that have come out these teachings. People who have celebrated Christmas for years have thrown away their trees and lights, disgusted by the pagan roots and have been sharing the information with others. The hurtful thing is that our brothers and sisters in church are the one's persecuting us. Even that is a testimony. Despite the persecution, we still stand strong. And thankfully, there has always been one person who hears the "voice crying in the desert...".

We have also been observing the Feast of Dedication also known in Hebrew as Hanukkah. I do realize and understand that this is a Jewish feast, meaning it is not a feast that Yahweh commanded us to observe. However, I cannot ignore the fact that Yeshua in John 10:22 went into the temple during this time. I also cannot ignore the fact that Yah did a great miracle during this time when the feast was instituted by the Maccabees. The story goes as follows:

In the 2Nd century BCE, the land of Israel lay between Egypt and the Seleucid empire. Both Egypt and the Seleucid empire were states descended from the break up of Alexander the Great’s Greek empire. Since the rule of Alexander in 336–323 BCE, a process of Hellenization had spread through the near East. When Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 215–164 BCE), became ruler of the Seleucid Empire in 175 BCE, Hellenizing Jews had been long-established in Israel. They had built a gymnasium, competed internationally in Greek games, "removed their marks of circumcision and repudiated the holy covenant" (1 Maccabees, i, 15.)

Conflict over the appointment of the High Priest and corruption contributed to the causes of the Maccabean Revolt. The High Priest in Jerusalem was Onias III. His brother Jason, who favoured the Seleucids, bribed Antiochus to make him High Priest instead. Antiochus was insensitive to the views of religious Jews and treated the High Priest as a political appointee and one from whom money could be made.

Menelaus (who was not even a member of the Levite priestly family) then bribed Antiochus and was appointed High Priest in place of Jason. Menelaus had Onias assassinated. His brother Lysimachus took holy vessels from the Temple, causing riots and the thief's death at the hands of the rioters. Menelaus was arrested and arraigned before Antiochus, but he bribed his way out of trouble. Jason subsequently drove out Menelaus and became High Priest again. Antiochus sacked the Temple and re-installed Menelaus.

From this point onwards, Antiochus pursued a Hellenizing policy with zeal. This effectively meant banning traditional Jewish religious practice. In 167 BCE Jewish sacrifice was forbidden, Sabbaths and feasts were banned and circumcision was outlawed. Altars to Greek gods were set up and animals prohibited to Jews were sacrificed on them. The Olympian Zeus was placed on the altar of the Temple. Possession of Jewish scriptures was made a capital offence. The king's motives are unclear. He may have been incensed at the overthrow of his appointee, Menelaus, he may have been responding to a Jewish revolt that had drawn on the Temple and the Torah for its strength, or he may have been encouraged by a group of radical Hellenizers among the Jews.

After Antiochus issued his decrees forbidding Jewish religious practice, a rural Jewish priest from Modiin, Mattathias the Hasmonean sparked the revolt against the Seleucid Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods. Mattathias killed a Hellenistic Jew who stepped forward to offer a sacrifice to an idol in Mattathias' place. He and his five sons fled to the wilderness of Judah. After Mattathias' death about one year later in 166 BCE, his son Judah Maccabee led an army of Jewish dissidents to victory over the Seleucid dynasty in guerrilla warfare, which at first was directed against Jewish collaborators, of whom there were many. The Maccabees destroyed pagan altars in the villages, circumcised children and forced Jews into outlawry. The term Maccabees as used to describe the Jewish army is taken from its actual use as Judah's surname.

The revolt itself involved many individual battles, in which the Maccabean forces gained infamy among the Syrian army for their use of guerrilla tactics. After the victory, the Maccabees entered Jerusalem in triumph and ritually cleansed the Temple, reestablishing traditional Jewish worship there and installing Jonathan Maccabee as high priest. A large Syrian army was sent to quash the revolt, but returned to Syria on the death of Antiochus IV. Its commander Lysias, preoccupied with internal Syrian affairs, agreed to a political compromise that restored religious freedom.

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple following Judah Maccabees's victory over the Seleucids.

One of the awesome things that our Father did during this time was during the re dedication of the temple, there was only one cruz of oil that was considered kosher. It was enough for 1 day. That one cruz of oil was enough to keep the lamps burning for 8 days. This may seem small and insignificant to some but this was a mighty deed. These people who fought not to become like the Greeks, who upheld Torah even in the face of death, received a miracle that only Yah could do. Just as He did in 1Kings 17 when the widow had just enough oil and meal for herself and her son, the vial of oil did not run out.

If our Jewish brothers had not stood up for Torah during that time, many of the things we read in our bibles would not have taken place. So I urge you to remember that this feast of dedication is not about presents (although some of our "westernized" brothers have been exchanging gifts), it is about us re-dedicating the temple of our bodies to our Father who live within us. We are supposed to be the light of the world. People should see the light of Yeshua in us. So on this final day of Dedication, take time out to dedicate your all to the Lord. Indeed, tis the season, not for the pagan observance of the winter solstice, but tis the season of re-dedication.

Be blessed in the mighty name of Yeshua.