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SO WHAT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH
The idea of the "birth" of the church on the day of Pentecost is a product of the vain imaginations of rebellious, arrogant men. These blind leaders of the blind, did not want to join the family that G-d established but instead wanted to create a vehicle through which to promote their own agendas. Let me explain how I can make such a statement.
In acts chapter two we find 120 Jewish followers waiting, as they had been instructed by their Master, for the promise of the Spirit. Devout Jews from all nations are there in Jerusalem because it is the feast of Shavout / Pentecost. This is the celebration of the giving of Torah by HaShem through Moshe. Suddenly events occur that parallel the events at Sinai. Study these two accounts and you will find a remarkable similarity (even tongues).
Then Peter stands up and declares that what is happening was foretold by Joel. What did Joel say?
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith G-d, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the L-rd come: And it shall come to pass , that whoseoever shall call on the name of the L-rd shall be saved". Acts 2:17-21
Take a look at that passage again. Not one word is spoken concerning a "new family of G-d" being created. Not one word.
Joel spoke of the last days and an outpouring of the Spirit of prophecy before the Day of the L-rd. Peter quotes him. Then 3000 Jews accept their Messiah. This is not a birth of a new entity to replace the family of HaShem but rather an awakening for those with an ear to hear.
Yes, but what about the New Covenant? Yes, indeed.
THE NEW COVENANT
Look at these verses that describe the New Covenant.
" Behold, the days come, saith the L-rd, that I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers.... But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the L-rd, I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEARTS; and I will be their G-d, and they shall be my people". Jer 31:31-33
"And a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them". Ezk 36:26-27
According to the Word of G-d, the New Covenant is when G-d's laws are written in the heart of the believer and he walks in them out of love. HaShem's very own Spirit will dwell within the heart of the New Covenant believer thereby causing a faith based obedience to Torah. I did not make this up. Look at it again.
"I will put MY LAWS INTO THEIR MIND, AND WRITE THEM IN THEIR HEARTS".
That is the trademark of the New Covenant. Not a destruction or rejection of the law, but a love response observance of the law.
In fact, the Hebrew for New Covenant is B'rit Hadasha. Accurately translated this means "refreshed covenant". Not new in the sense that it had never happened before, but the established unchanging covenant refreshed in the beleiver’s heart.
Isn't it amazing, tht we have been taught for years that the New Covenant was a destruction of the law at the cross, when in fact the scriptures teach that it is a higher walk IN the law because of the cross.
CLARIFY THROUGH TRANSLATION
A proper look at the word "church" will also help us to rightfully divide the Word of Truth.
The word "church" as it appears in our King James Bibles is a perverted translation of the Greek word ekklessia. Why did I say it is perverted? Well, ekklesia literally means "the called out ones" and was used to translate the Hebrew "Kehillit" or assembly. However, the origin of the word "church" comes from the Celtic "kirch", which was the name of their pagan temples of worship.
Approximately 150 years prior to Yeshua's ministry, 70 leading rabbis translated the Hebrew Tanak (Old Testament) from it's original language (Hebrew) into the universal language of the day which was Greek. This work was called the Septuagint. Every time one of these rabbis translated the Hebrew word "Kehillit", they used the Greek word "ekklesia". This was done all through the Old Testament to refer to Israel. It never referred to any other group than the 12 tribes. So the Greek word ekklesia was translated for the community of faith known as Israel.
Later pagan men who laid claim to the authority of the faith through the self imposed rulership in Rome, later promoted the selling of this "pagan / pseudo biblical" religion through the mistranslation of "ekklessia" into "church".
A study of the "church" in the 2nd and 3rd century will show you that this is when the break was made from the Hebraic roots of the Olive Tree, to a refurbished pagan identity. This occurred as more and more pagans joined the community of faith without true repentance. A small remnant remained true to the faith once delivered unto the saints, while the growing body of pagans built the "church". It is their customs, festivals and day of rest that dominate this entity.
Today, through years of distortion, this word "church" represents G-d's single covenant people who replaced Israel. Folks, from a linguistic standpoint alone, the word ekklessia could not mean a new group of people but would have to refer to the group it was originally referring to... the Israelites of the Tanak.
Still need further proof? All right.
"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the L-rd your G-d raise up unto you of your own brethren, like unto me; Him shall you hear. This is he, that was IN THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina ...." Acts 7:37-38
Stephen the first Israelite martyr, is speaking of Moshe. He says that Moshe was in the wilderness with the church. Now either "church" means the 12 tribes or Stephen is delusional. This man of faith is talking about the church being in existence thousands of years BEFORE the 120 on the day of Pentecost!
The Truth is , that there is no scriptural foundation for the creating of a replacement for G-d's designated family. Long ago HaShem called forth His assembly. He named it "Israel". She is His eternal bride. Those who would seek to know the One True G-d, will accept their Messiah Yeshua, repent of their ways and become a part of her. G-d will restore her, He will bring her to Jerusalem and she will walk by the Spirit in His ways. G-d has not cast aside the Jews; He has not replaced the Israel with a new bride called the "church". All believing in Messiah are bond together in the Spirit of unity as ONE OLIVE TREE. And the Torah is for the entire tree.
A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING
Do not misunderstand what I am saying. Salvation is not a prize to be bought through a checklist of accomplished laws.
“Therefore by works of law no flesh shall be declared right before Him, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20
Salvation is ours through faith in the redemptive work of Messiah. However, as a believer "faith without works is dead".
A believer is called to holiness. The Torah is G-d's teaching and instruction for holiness. It is the foundation from which Yeshua ministered. The notion that a gentile grafted into the household of faith was not suppose to walk in this Divine instruction is absurd. this view of the law being abolished at the cross is the result of preaches manipulating favorite verses while ignoring others.
INSTRUCTION TO THE BELIEVERS
In Acts 15:20 we find these instructions given for the gentiles coming into the faith.
"abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and blood".
James made this decision while dealing with the issue of circumcision for the gentiles as a pre-requisite for acceptance into the faith. At the time there were Jews who that felt that this was a must in order for the gentiles to be seen as a member of G-d's family. Here James declares that it is not a requirement. He urges for the gentile believers, who become a member of the family by faith alone, to be given four directives as they join HaShem's community.
But wait just a minute. James is not finished. Look at the next verse.
"For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the SYNAGOGUES every SABBATH day". Acts 15:21
With wisdom, James instructs the leaders of the faith to give their gentile brothers only four commands. These commands, if you study them, would keep them from false gods. In the mean time, they would be joining their Jewish brothers on SABBATH in the SYNAGOGUE learning about the way they were to live in Messiah. They would hear Torah being taught from week to week, thereby growing in in their new found faith. Holiness is a process. James realizes that if these "once pagan" believers were embraced in love by their Jewish brethren, they would learn the ways of their G-d and progress to maturity.
PROPER PERSPECTIVE
By sticking to G-d's Word, ONLY, we would clear up a lot the mess that has developed over the years. HaShem has a plan. It would be wise of us to realize IT IS HIS PLAN and stop trying to conform His Word to OUR PLAN.
"You are to have one right-ruling, for the stranger and for the native, for I am Adonai your Elohim." Lev 24:22
G-d's plan is RIGHT, for the natural branches and the wild branches grafted in. This plan requires a healing among the branches, a restoration of His household.
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root." Rom 11:17
"And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." Rom 11:23
"Afer all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!" Rom 11:24
For Israel to have been rejected and replaced with a man made pagan system would be to change the unchangeable word of HaShem. Such a thing is impossible, for G-d does not change.
Forgive me if I have upset you or angered you with these articles. That was not my goal when I sat down to write. My desire is to see many come out of idolatry and cling to the L-rd their G-d with all their heart. Please, study the scriptures. Please, examine the historical evidence. Please, find out what the true roots and teaching of the faith are. You will discover a treasure, I promise you that.
"And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he learns to fear Adonai his Elohim and guard all the Words of this teaching and these laws, to do them, so that his heart is not lifted up above his brothers, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongs his days in his reign, he and his children, in the midst of Israel". Deut 17:19-20
May you walk in the fear of HaShem and guard His words in your heart.
