Just what is “legalism?”

You often hear the term “legalist” applied to someone who believes in obeying Yahweh's
Commandments as written in the Torah. It is basically defined as “ any doctrine which states salvation comes strictly from adherence to the law.” (Wikipedia)

Let's define a few terms before we continue.

The word translated “law” in the New Testament scriptures comes from the Greek word “nomos”.

Strong's Concordance defines it for us as follows:
G3551

nomos
nom'-os

From a primary word νεμω nemo (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law specifically (of Moses (through the idea of prescriptive usage), generally (regulation), [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle): - law.

We can verify this is true by looking at a direct “New Testament” quote of an “Old Testament” verse.

Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith YHWH; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them Elohim, and they shall be to me a people:

A quick check of Strong's Concordance will show that the word above translated “law” is indeed the Greek word “nomos”. Now compare it to the corresponding verse from the “Old Testament”:

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith YHWH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.

The word translated “law” in the above verse is the Hebrew word “Torah”.

Again referring to Strong's Concordance:

H8451

תרה תורה
torah torah
to-raw', to-raw'

From H3384; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch: - law.

Therefore, we can conclude that the Greek word “nomos” translated as “law” in the “New Testament” is equivalent to the word “Torah” in the “Old Testament”.

We are told in 1 John 3:4 that sin is defined as the breaking of the law (Torah).

1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law .

Again, we can refer to our Strong's Concordance to verify that the word translated “law” above is the Greek word “nomos”.

The same Greek word “nomos” prefixed by the letter “A” (anomos) means “lawless”. A similar word “anomia” therefore means “lawlessness”. We find several examples of this word translated in the New Testament.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, My master, my master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, My master, my master, have we not prophesied in thyname? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Once again referring to Strong's Concordance, we find the word translated “iniquity” above is the Greek word “anomia” which we defined above as “lawlessness”. Since we have also seen that the law that is being referred to is the Torah, then we see that the real meaning of “iniquity” is the breaking of the Torah. So a worker of “iniquity” would be one who is “Torahless”.

The Mystery of Iniquity of 2 Thess 2:7 would therefore refer to the “Mystery of Torahlessness”.

If obedience to Torah is legalism, then Yahshua was the greatest legalist of all time. He never broke even one of Yahweh's Commandments. He never condemned anyone for keeping Yahweh's Commandments, but he did condemn those who had substituted mans laws for Yahweh's laws. The Pharisees had elevated their oral traditions above Yahweh's laws. The Pharisees were very legalistic in their beliefs that a person had to keep the Jewish oral traditions they themselves had written in order to be saved.

Another often heard expression that is akin to “Legalism” is the phrase “to be under the law”. This is an often misunderstood statement which has been interpreted as “the act of keeping the law” (Torah). But, actually the term means that one is relying upon the keeping of the Torah for his personal salvation. There has only been one person who was ever able to do it, our Messiah Yahshua. But, when one rejects the free gift of Yahshua, the Messiah, they automatically return to once again being “under the law” to try to earn salvation by their own efforts. However, salvation has always been by the grace of Yahweh and not by any works we have done. Still, that still does not negate the need to keep Yahweh's Commandments. We are told numerous times in scripture to keep the commandments of Yahweh. Failure to do so was the reason Israel was scattered into the nations. It was one of the last things we were told to do in the last chapter of the Old Testament book of Malachi.

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea,
and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
YHWH of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith YHWH of hosts.
Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you EliYah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YHWH:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. 

I listed all 6 verses for context. Verse 1 is referring to the Day of Yahweh which is still future. In verse 4 we are told to remember the law (Torah) of Moses. One of the first things Yahshua taught in his sermon on the mount, was to think not that he had come to destroy the Torah or the prophets.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Yahshua had a reason for referring to the passing of heaven and earth here. He was reminding them that Moses had invoked “heaven and earth” as witness against Israel what would happen to them if they forsook the Torah. They would be scattered into the nations. This can be found in Deut 4, 30 and 31. So as long as heaven and earth stood as a witness, the Torah would remain in effect.

We are told to follow Yahshua and keep his commandments. His commandments are the same as His Father's. Paul told us to follow him as he followed Messiah. We are to live our lives as Yahshua lived his. Yahshua kept the Torah and all of the Commandments which included the keeping of the Sabbath and using the true name of His Father. He manifested Yahwehs name, not some title, to his disciples. How can we follow Yahshua and do not the things he said? He said in John:

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.


and in 1 John:

1Jo 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jo 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of YHWH perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jo 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Now, it may be a little easier to understand what Paul meant when he said:

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before YHWH.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Those who are “under the law” are relying upon the keeping of the law for salvation. By the works of the law (their own efforts), there shall be no flesh justified. A person cannot rely upon keeping the law for salvation. And the last verse confirms 1 John 3:4 that the law tells us what sin is and that by breaking it, we commit sin.

Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

This is because the very definition of sin is the breaking of the law or Torah. If there is no Torah to break, we cannot have sin imputed to us. However, we know that we do sin. So this means that the Torah is still in effect and Yahshua came because it was. He came to forgive us of our Torah breaking. If the Torah was done away with Yahshua, then why did he die? No Torah breaking, no sin! The answer is obvious. He came because he is the embodiment of the Torah and it remains in effect forever.

There are a couple more verses I'd like to look at here. Notice that the Saints do two things here.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of YHWH, AND have the testimony of Yahushua the Messiah.

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of YHWH, AND the faith of Yahushua.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Do you think it is possible that the false accusation of being legalistic, a word that is not found in scripture, might keep many who say they love Yahshua from the kingdom because they have been duped into thinking obedience to the word wasn't necessary? This means they continued to sin and did not repent of their Torah breaking. Repentance of our sins is necessary for forgiveness. We have to know we sinned. If we don't realize that the breaking of the Torah is sin, we don't think there is anything to repent of.

Obedience to Yahweh's Commandments is absolutely essential for salvation even though it is the free gift of Elohim. We can't earn our salvation, but we can throw it away by refusing to do what Yahweh has commanded us to do in His word. The fear of being labeled “legalistic” will keep many out of Yahweh's kingdom because they will be called workers of “iniquity” by Yahshua.

There are many more scriptures I could have used from both the Old and New Testaments. But I tried to keep this as short as possible and to focus on the New Testament to prove that Torah keeping is as valid for us today as it was when Moses wrote it down.

I do not keep Torah to rely on it for my salvation. I realize that my salvation comes as a free gift bought and paid for by the blood of Yahshua, our Messiah. I keep Torah because He said if I love Him, to keep His commandments. No one will go to hell for being “legalistic” and keeping the Commandments of Yahweh. Just make sure that you are keeping them out of love rather than as a mechanical requirement for salvation. That would be legalism.

Mini Ice Age beginning?

I don't normally post these kinds of things on my blog, but I think this is important. If it is a false alarm, there is no harm done. But if this is true, you need to take action now and store up several months supply of food quickly as it will become scarce very soon. The Gulf Stream Thermo Hyaline conveyor, which brings warm ocean currents to Scotland, the British Isles and Northern Europe, has apparently stopped.

This means that the winters in that part of the world will be severe and may even interfere with crop planting in the spring. No one knows at this time how long it will take for the Gulf Stream conveyor to recover, but it may take years. There are hundreds of feet of oil under the surface in the gulf of Mexico due to the Oil spill disaster and the use of dispersants which only hide it. This has apparently stopped the Gulf loop of the thermo hyaline conveyor which brings warm waters to northern Europe and makes the winters mild.



Satellite data shows that the conveyor current has stopped in the middle of the Atlantic well before it gets to the British Isles. This will mean  a severe winter for that part of the world. If I am wrong about food production being in short supply, one can always eat their stores. But if I am right.... food will be hard to come by.

Happy Hanukkah

I want to wish all of our Jewish brothers and sisters a Happy Hanukkah.

Does Israel Have the Right to Exist?

This short video does a very good job of answering that question. The Arabs say no, but what do you say?

Islamic Antichrist?

Most of us have always been taught that the Anitchrist would come out of a revived Roman empire, but is this view correct? Joel Richardson and others like Walid Shoebat have a different understanding of the scriptures that speak of the Antichrist. I tend to agree with them. Watch these short videos and see if you think they might be right.



Part 2



Part 3

When Was Yahshua Born?

Today, most of the Christian world and even non-believers observe December 25th as the birthday of Yahshua.  This date is highly unlikely and can be proven to be untrue.

Scripture tells us that Yahshua was born during the reigns of King Herod and the Roman Emperor Augustus.

Luk 2:1  And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

Luk 2:2  (This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

Luk 2:3  And all went to be registered, each to his own city.

History tells us tht Caius Octavius Caepias was born in 63 BC.  He had the honorary title of Augustus conferred upon him after the battle of Actium in 27 BC.  He reigned 57 years from 44 BC to 14 AD.  So we know Yahshua was born sometime within this interval.  This taxing was made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, but there is dispute over when this was, so we will look to other evidence.

Luk 2:4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David).

Luk 2:5  And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child.

Luk 2:6  And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled.

We also know that Yahshua was born during the time that the evil King Herod reigned.

Mat 2:1  Now when Yahshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem,

Mat 2:2  saying, Where is He who is born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

According to the Jewish Historian Josephus, we are told that "Antony also feasted Herod the first day of his reign.  And thus did this man receive the kingdom, having obtained it on the hundred and eighty-fourth Olympiad, when Caius Domitius Calvinus was consul the second time, and Caius Asinius Pollio (the first time.)" - Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews - Book XIV, Chapter XIV, Para. V.

The 184th Olympiad occurred from 44-40 BC.  The two consuls mentioned above were in office in 40 BC.  Herod was made king of Judea in 40 BC and according to Josephus, was camped outside Jerusalem 3 years later in 37 BC with his army and took Jerusalem at that time.  Josephus also confirms to us that Herod died 37 years after being made king and 34 years before he had Antigonus killed in 3 BC.  His first act of his reign was the extermination of the Hasmonean house to which Antigonus, the son of king Aristobulus II of Judea, belonged.

History records that Herod died of a terrible disease in Jericho on about Jan. 26, 1 BC.  So this would place the birth of Yahshua prior to 1 BC.

Also, Herod was likely mad just before he died as he slaughtered the innocent male children 2 years old or younger.

Mat 2:16  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was greatly enraged. And he sent and killed all the boys in Bethlehem, and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully inquired of the wise men.

We are also told that in the fall of 4 BC, Augustus called for all the inhabitants of Judea to be taxed (See Luke 2:1 above).  They knew that the most opportune time to tax the Jews was when they were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Mary had not yet given birth to Yahshua.  The city was full of those coming from other parts of Judea and the world for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Bethlehem was about 4 miles south of Jerusalem and was considered to be in the area of the Feast.  There was no room at the inn because of the vast number of people in the city for the Feast.  So they found a place to stay in a stable with a feeding trough for animals and there he was born.

So we know he was born sometime around the Feast of Tabernacles.  Is there more proof?  Yes.  We are also told that he was born when the shepherds were in the fields with their flocks.  Shepherds took their flocks into the fields in March and brought them in by November.  This was the time between the former and latter rains, April through October.  There is often snow in that area during November and December.  They would never be in the fields during that time.

The Conception and Birth of John the Baptist

The father of John the Baptist was a priest of the order of Abiyah (Abijah).  There were 24 courses of priests that officiated in the temple.  King David had divided the duties into 24 courses (ICh 24:3) in which they served a week at a time.  But upon return from the Babylonian captivity, only 4 of these courses returned.  They were Jedaiah, Immer, Pashur and Harim.  To restore the original number, each of these 4 familes was directed to draw 5 lots each for those who had not returned, so as to form once more 24 courses.

So Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist, was not really of the family of Abiyah, but was one of the 4 orders that returned from Babylon.  However, he officiated in the 8th order which was that of Abiyah.  This cycle of priests ministered int he temple up until it's destruction in 70 AD.

The first day of Nisan on 5 BC was a Sabbath and since the priestly courses changed every Sabbath, the first course of Jehoiarib served the first week of the New Year.  All orders served together during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Sukkot.  The normal rotation would resume after each of these 3 Feasts.  So, since the Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs on the 15-21 of Nisan (Abiv), all courses of priests would minister in the temple.  The 8th course of Abiyah would therefore minister until just before Pentecost from the 27th of Iyyar to the 5th of Sivan (June 1-8).  However, Pentecost began the following day on Sivan 6.  So there was no chance for Zechariah to return home as all 24 courses of priests served in the temple on the week of Pentecost.  So the earliest Zechariah could have made it home was probably a couple of days later.  The conception of John the Baptist would likely have occurred sometime during the 15th - 21st of Sivan (June 18-24).

Luk 1:5  In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luk 1:6  And they were both righteous before Elohim, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of YHWH.

Luk 1:7  And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days.

Luk 1:8  And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before Elohim,

Luk 1:9  according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of YHWH.

Luk 1:10  And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.

Luk 1:11  And an angel of YHWH appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense.

Luk 1:12  And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him.

Luk 1:13  But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

After Zacharias finished his service he returned to his house.  It is likely that Elisabeth conceived toward the end of the 3rd month of Sivan (June 18-24).  The gestation period for humans is 280 days which is just over 9 months.  Since Elisabeth would have conceived around Sivan 19-23 (18th to June 24th), John would have been born around Passover of 4 BC.

The Jews always set a place at the Passover table for Elijah.  Yahshua identified John as coming in the spirit of Elijah.

Mat 17:10  And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

Mat 17:11  And answering Yahshua said to them, Elijah truly shall come first and restore all things.

Mat 17:12  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but have done to him whatever they desired. Likewise also the Son of Man shall suffer from them.

Mat 17:13  Then His disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.

The angel that appeared to Zacharias and announced that he was to have a son added:

Luk 1:16  And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to YHWH their Elohim.

Luk 1:17  And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for YHWH.

So since the Passover occurs on Nisan 14, it is likely that John was born on that date.

We are also told that John was 6 months older than Yahshua (Luk 1:36).  So this would make the conception of Yahshua to be around the time of Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights.  Yahshua is called the light of the world in John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46.

Luk 2:1  And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

This taxation occurred at the end of the civil year after the harvests were reaped.  Although Judea was a Roman protectorate and the Romans did not collect taxes directly from the inhabitants of Judea, they were receiving tribute from Herod and therefore allowed him to collect taxes from the people.  Conveniently, this taxing was done to coincide with when the people were required by Torah to go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).

Luk 2:4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David).

Luk 2:5  And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child.

If it were for the purpose of coming to Bethlehem to pay taxes, only Joseph would have been required to go.  But since it was also the time of the fall Feasts and he was required to go up to Jerusalem for Sukkot, he took her with him also.  Some have speculated that because of the circumstances of her pregnancy and her spending the first 3 months of it with Elisabeth, she was able to hide the fact that she was pregnant from the community at Nazareth.  But to remain there and give birth after only being espoused to Joseph for 6 months, would surely cause them problems.  So, if she could go with Joseph and give birth somewhere else where she wasn't known, and then return much later with the child, many unsavory comments might be avoided as no one would know exactly when the child was born.

Jerusalem at that time had a population of about 120,000 and during the 3 Feasts, of which every Hebrew male was required to present himself, the numbers of those attending the Feast could exceed 2 million people.  Since the number of pilgrims exceeded the capacity of the city to provide guest chambers for them, they spread out into the close neighboring towns.  Bethlehem was 4 miles south of Jerusalem and was considered to be in the festival area of Jerusalem.

Luk 2:6  And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled.

Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her son, the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger-- because there was no room for them in the inn.

This explains why there was no room at the inn for them.  It was during the time of the fall harvest Feast of Sukkot.  His birth in Bethlehem was a fulfillment of Micah 5:2.

What other indications are there that the birth of Yahshua took place in the fall instead of the winter as celebrated by much of the world?

Luk 2:8  And in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

In Jerusalem, winter comes around the end of October.  The winters are very harsh with cold rains, icy winds and occasionally sleet and snow.  So the shepherds removed their flocks from the fields where they had pastured from the springtime until autumn and housed them in shelters.  No shepherds would have been in the field with their sheep in the winter.  Even today, sheep there are housed during the winter months.

If Yahshua had been born in December, Joseph would not have departed for Egypt 40 days later after Mary's purification and sin offering.  Night time temperatures would be near freezing at that time.

Luk 2:9  And lo, the angel of YHWH came on them, and the glory of YHWH shone around them. And they were grievously afraid.

Luk 2:10  And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luk 2:11  For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is YHWH the Messiah.

The Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is called the "season of our joy" and "the feast of the nations".  This is the only Feast in which YHWH said for us to rejoice (Lev 23:40).

The evidence is overwhelming that Yahshua was born on the first day of the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in 4 BC.  He was circumcised on the 8th on the last great day of the Feast.  The Feast of Sukkot along with the last great day is an 8 day observance.

Joh 1:14  And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.

Yahshua's ministry began in 27 AD right about his 30th birthday.  He was crucified in 30 AD in which year the conjunction and vernal equinox occurred on the same day to begin the New Year.  This is the only way to reach a Wednesday crucifixion date and a resurrection at the end of the Sabbath.  Remember Yahshua was in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights or he wasn't the Messiah.  The closest the "sighted sliver" of the moon that can produce a Wednesday crucifixion date is 34 AD and that is provided the crescent can be sighted 10 hours after the conjunction which is nearly impossible.

Conclusion:

Yahshua was born during the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in 4 BC, began his ministry in 27 AD and was crucified in 30 AD.  It would have been impossible for him to be born on December 25th, which date is the supposed birth day of practically all sun gods, especially Mithras worshiped by the Romans at the time of Yahshua.

Sir James Frazer in his study on ancient religions writes "Among the gods of eastern origin who in the decline of the ancient world competed against each other for the allegiance of the West was the old Persian deity Mithra.  The immense popularity of his worship is attested by the monuments illustrative of it which have been found scattered in profusion all over the Roman Empire.  In respect both of doctrines and of rites the cult of Mithra appears to have presented many points of resemblance not only to the religion of the Mother of the Gods but also to Christianity.  The similarity struck the Christian doctors themselves and was explained by them as a work of the devil, who sought to seduce the souls of men from the true faith by a false and insidious imitation of it.  So to the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru many of the native heathen rites appeared to be diabolical counterfeits of the Christian sacraments.  With more probability the modern student of comparative religion traces such resemblances to the similar and independent workings of the mind of man in his sincere, if crude, attempts to fathom the secret of the universe, and to adjust his little life to its awful mysteries.  However that may be, there can be no doubt that the Mithraic religion proved a formidable rival to Christianity, combining as it did a solemn ritual with aspirations after moral purity and a hope of immortality.  Indeed the issue of the conflict between the two faiths appears for a time to have hung in the balance.  An instructive relic of the long struggle is preserved in our festival of Christmas, which the Church seems to have borrowed directly from its heathen rival.  In the Julian calendar the twenty-fifth of December was reckoned the winter solstice, and it was regarded as the Nativity of the Sun, because the day begins to lengthen and the power of the sun to increase from that turning-point of the year.  The ritual of the nativity, as it appears to have been celebrated in Syria and Egypt, was remarkable.  The celebrants retired into certain inner shrines, from which at midnight they issued with a loud cry, "The Virgin has brought forth!  The light is waxing!"  The Egyptians even represented the new-born sun by the image of an infant which on his birthday, the winter solstice, they brought forth and exhibited to his worshipers.  No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fifth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or simply the Heavenly Goddess; in Semitic lands she was a form of Astarte.  Now Mithra was regularly identified by his worshipers with the Sun, the Unconquered Sun, as they called him; hence his nativity also fell on the twenty-fifth of December....Excerpt from Sir James George Frazer (1854-1941).  The Golden Bough.  1922. XXXVII.  Oriental Religions in the West.

The Catholic Church under Constantine felt it was easier to incorporate heathen beliefs and practices into Christianity to attract the heathen masses rather than try to convert them with truth.  This compromise has led us to realize that our fathers have indeed inherited lies.

Jer 16:19  O YHWH, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations shall come to You from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and there is no profit in them.

Isn't it time to rid ourselves of these false feasts and other pagan vestiges syncretized into our faith to which many cling so tenaciously?

Our Nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles

 I've been preparing for Sukkot for the past few weeks plus a vacation to Utah, so have not had time to update this blog. However, below is a link that I think anyone who loves this country will enjoy. This nation was founded upon righteous principles with a belief in the Almighty YHWH and His Son Yahshua. Take a moment to view this short but good video. It is well worth the time.