Hearing many of the false prophets out there, as they declare the "Reformation is over," and then lead the church to return to its pagan roots and ways which Scripture declares wickedness(!) really irks me. They seek to realign us with the Vatican, and the Pope, against whom the Protest-ants initially cried out, and seperated from, to follow thte Scriptures by faith. One young priest, who said the Vatican believes "we are saved by grace, just as we do!" was totally deceptive. Yes, they believe a person is saved by grace, after keeping all the sacraments of the RC church. Mormons believe you are saved by grace, "after you have done all you can do" 2 Nephi 25:23.
It appears to me, that the Reformation, is indeed not over, but at it's most critical time! And indeed, the time has come for believers to be willing to stand up to the point of laying down their lives for the gospel, as did the original Reformers, not because through that we earn salvation (as Islam teaches), but because Truth is worth laying your life down for, and Yeshua, the Messiah, who is Truth, laid His life down, in order that all who believe in Him by faith might be saved.
But the initial Reformers spiritually were not in the place to Reform as far as they needed to go. Today, in the last hours, Yhwh is beginning to open Revelations and spiritual eyes to see and understand. In a letter to an older, more accomplished minister, I write in response to a conversation we had had concerning the diaspora of the Northern Tribes of Israelites, of which he politely but sternly brushed off without giving consideration to. And many will do this. They want to tow the Denominational line, and won't give heed to the massive evidence of scriptures.
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I know as a minister, when you speak God's word, you speak and teach it as truth. Yesterday, when I shared the scriptures with you, I was not trying to be argumentative, but I shared them with you as truth. I think the Church at large, even many Messianics, fail to distinguish between the different houses of Israel in the Tanakh, and therefore mis-interpret much of Yhwh's intended meaning in the scriptures. And I think in partiality, this is due to a spiritual blindness on the people, but God speaks of truths being unveiled in the last times, and I believe more and more people are waking up to these things.
4 But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the scrollj until the time of the end; many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.”
When Yeshua said "I will build my Church," he was speaking to a Jewish audience (no Ephraimites or Gentiles present), and for the first 10 years or so, there were no Gentiles within "the Church" that Messiah was building. They made little differentiation to the form of worship as they continued to attend Synagogue on Shabbat, and preach scriptures and share on Shabbat in the Synagogue. It was this way for the first 325 years of the Church, till things began to be altered at the Council of Nicea in 325 etc. Sure, some tensions were in place between Jew and Gentile I think leading up to that point, but the greatest reason for the changes we have was political expediency of an unbaptized, wicked pagan ruler, a worshiper of the sun-god (Nimrod, a type, and maybe fulfillment of the antichrist)!
The Apostle/Rav Paul tells us that we were grafted into the tree of Israel, that we are Jews by faith. We were grated into a "cultivated" olive tree, being a wild branch. By faith, believers are considered descendants of Abraham, for circumcision is of the heart (Rom. 4:16). It seems to me, that the Pre-Tribulational view of the rapture is not a Semitic-friendly view, but rather Anti-Semitic. Now I don't intend to make you mad. Please hear me out. Why would Yhwh rip out a branch (i.e. catch away) He has so graciously and carefully grafted into a cultivated olive tree (Rom. 11:24), then suddenly rip it out, and leave the cultivated tree to endure the worst storm in history?
It seems better, if, the branches realized that they were now part of the tree, and worked collectively for the betterment of the tree, that they were there to stay, as indeed Elohim grafted them in! It seems that the pre-trib rapture view is at its basis, anti-semitic, viewing still, that the Church has replaced Israel in God's plans (and heart), and God has more care/concern for the Church than he does His people Israel!
Rom. 11:18 do not boast against the branches. But if you boast against them, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in.” 20 Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid.
But that is not the picture God's word gives of His people, Ephraim:
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart is disturbedl within me;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
because I am God
and not a mortal,p
the Holy One in your midst;
and I will not come in wrath.
I have researched numerous eschatological positions rather thoroughly, in my search for understanding, and have held all viewpoints at various times, but Yhwh has been drawing me through all this. According to scriptures' commands: "What then, do we nullify the Torah by faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah!" (Rom. 3:31) and, "Therefore, he nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but He who keeps them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:19).
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