The Decision

Yeshua, (Jesus) was a Jew. He believed in and practiced the religion of Abraham and Moses. The Jewish religion that he practiced is based on a covenant that YHVH made with Abraham. That covenant had terms and conditions. Those terms and conditions were made more complete and clear later when YHVH gave the Law and commandments to Moses. YHVH made certain promises to those that would trust in Him and obey His Law and commandments. A covenant is much like a contract. As an example let’s look at a person joining the military. A contract must be signed that states that the new recruit will uphold the constitution, defend the country from it’s enemies and obey all lawful orders. In return the recruit is promised training, pay and other benefits (such as veteran’s benefits upon discharge). YHVH’s covenant with his followers requires as a condition of being a party to His covenant that they obey His Law and commandments as revealed to Moses. In return for obedience He promises eternal life and blessings. 

John 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If someone else comes in his own name ( Paul, Joseph Smith or other self proclaimed prophets and apostles) you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, if you accept praise from one another and don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God?

45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?” What follows is a prophecy given to Moses concerning “The Prophet” and this is what Yeshua identifies as that with Moses wrote about me.

Deuteronomy 18:17-19, “And YHVH said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.  And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”  And we know this passage from Deuteronomy 18 is speaking about Jesus, because Acts 3:22, Acts 7:37, and Revelation 22:9 all confirm that these verses are referring to Jesus.  Moses, under the inspiration of God, wrote that YHVH would send A prophet Like Moses to the Israelite people and that anyone that didn’t obey his words YHVH would hold accountable. To disobey the words of the prophet is to disobey the words of YHVH God the creator of the universe!

Yeshua was “The Prophet”. The teachings of Yeshua were and are the teachings of the Law of YHVH as recorded in the Torah by Moses. They are the teachings of the God of Abraham and they are in effect until everything has been fulfilled and reached it’s conclusion.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

I fear that I am going to be accused of being repetitious. But this is so important that I feel I must keep pointing it out. When Yeshua was asked “ what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life” he did not tell the man to believe on his death burial and resurrection. He did not lead the man in a sinners prayer. He said nothing about his sacrifice on the cross. He said “Obey the commandments”.

Matthew 19:16 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” 17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

Odds are even if you have spent a lifetime in a Christian Church you were not taught that the way to obtain eternal life was to obey the commandments. Yet, that is exactly what Yeshua (Jesus) taught. I would be willing to bet that what you were taught in your church was not the words of Yeshua, but the words of Paul. It is unlikely that you were taught that YHVH’s sabbath is not Sunday but it is from Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset and that you are commanded to remember it, keep it holy and to rest and do no servile work. You see, the religion of Paul stands in stark contrast to the religion of Abraham, Moses and Yeshua. The religion of Paul (which he called “my gospel” Romans 2:16, Romans 16:25, and 2 Timothy 2:8) Has much in common with the Pagan mystery cults of his day. It has a god coming to earth in the guise of a man. He gives himself as a sacrifice to himself (as a god) to appease himself with his own blood and is then resurrected to life again. If one hears and believes this story of his death, burial and resurrection then they have met the requirements and nothing further is required of them. They have eternal life. 

That is not the religion of YHVH. It is not the teaching of Yeshua. YHVH simply requires one to repent of their sins, to make restitution to those that they have wronged and to obey His commandments. The first of the commandments is this. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. It is the most important of the commandments. The second and the second in importance is this. You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. 

YHVH requires us to show mercy, kindness and compassion. He requires us to be forgiving of each other. If we fail in this we will have failed to meet the requirements to obtain eternal life.

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’

If your church is cheering on those that are mistreating immigrants and taking away resources needed by the poor, the elderly and children in order to further enrich the already wealthy, then they are probably following Paul. If harsh treatment of people that they do not like pleases them, then they are certainly not following the commandments of YHVH or the teachings of Yeshua. If they hold men in high regard because of their wealth even though they prey on the poor and weak they do not serve the God of Abraham.

Matthew 6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Revelation 14:12, “Here is the endurance of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

So, you must decide who you will follow. Will you follow Paul and take the easy route where you only have to confess belief and can then live a life according to your own desires? Or, will you follow Yeshua and obey the commandments of YHVH? The choice is yours alone. The consequences are yours alone also. Even if you choose to not make a decision, choose some other path, or forgo religion altogether you will be held accountable for your decision.