When I was younger, I used to ask curious questions. As I got older, I learned how to ask questions that provoke people to speak the truth.
The subject of matter is, are we basing truth on facts or reality or both? Regardless of how you present the truth, we must always ask ourselves these questions:
- Is this what I truly believe?
- Why is this subject important to me?
- How will this benefit me and others if I share this information?
- When I share this information, is this going to hurt me or them? Will I be killed for sharing this information?
- Who am I actually helping when I present this information?
When I have begun to be aware of my surroundings, I was thinking of all the possible things I could do. I wanted to know how everything works. Topics referring from how life began to what makes a spaceship stay in space.
All I ever wanted in life was to have a creative space where I can explore my surroundings that pique my curiosity. I want to be free to explore without imposing myself on other's personal space. Since the day I was able to speak, I was always prevented from doing whatever I wanted to do to explore. Granted, I wasn't an evil child. I am for discipline. If you allow a child to run amok, you're just asking for trouble.
Unfortunately, there are some parents who have used their authority in an abusive and oppressive manner. Two things could happen. The child may choose to react negatively or positively. I am not an expert on human behavior; however, I have learned that there are certain people that do not deal with stress very well.
I'm not going to set precedence to your experiences and feelings to my story. I am not good at managing stress very well. I am - however, grateful that I have a group of people I can lean upon for support. They have helped me manage my stress. There's no shame in surrounding yourself with strong, inspiring, adaptable, and compassionate people to help you when you're stuck in a rut.
However I present this information, please understand that I am writing this to sort out my thoughts. If you have a different perspective, please feel free to share. Hear me out: even though I speak fluently in English, I still struggle to comprehend the context of the message relayed to me. When I was younger, an older kid at church said, "I'm going to take you out for lunch." I ran to my mom crying. She asked what the matter was. I told her that there was an older kid who wanted to eat me for lunch. My mother smiled and patted my head. She explained what the older kid meant. I felt embarrassed. Ha!
Before I can speak plainly, let me ask, "How curious are you?" I am asking if you are willing to make a choice to seek truth or to stay in your beliefs. I assure you that I will not be offended if you chose the latter. I will however, say a prayer for you.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
May you begin to awaken to the really good blessings that is inside of you
May you have the courage to share it for your own soul's sake and the sake of the world
You can't change hard truths. Even if you try to bend it to your will, life with smack you in the face with it - hard. The truth hurts. Nevertheless, no matter where I am or who I am with, I will always seek the truth.
Before life began on Earth, scientists have theorized that energy and matter expanded to what we now know as the universe. The universe is still continuing to expand. I know for some of you, Science sounds radical or far-fetched. The wonders of Science is that the information can be updated whenever a new discovery develops.
Before religion became a social cultural system, everything was one with the universe. The stars radiated light within its core. They illuminated the vast darkness that overshadows the waters in the universe. Life began to teem within the Interstellar space.
The origin of life and evolution on Earth was recorded around or before 1391 and 1271 BCE. Early writings were found in Mesopotamia that has similar records found in Egypt. Whether Moses was a legendary figure or not, the Egyptians have records in their pyramid about Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing. Moses' Egyptian name was Thutmose. Go figure.
The preliminary form of worship began with Nimrod. He influenced his clan, the Cushites, to worship the fire and offer sacrifices to his idols; while they build his palace of wonder, the tower of Babel (a pyramid). When his next of kin and other relatives complained about his selfishness of power, he granted them rank to also be worshipped as gods. While Nimrod was establishing his kingdom in Babylon, Assyria and Sumer, Abram (7th generation grandson), received a calling from the Lord. He left his family's business of idol making into a place he was promised. The promise was that Abram will have many descendants as much as the stars in the sky. Abram trusted the Lord's promise and followed his instructions to the new place in Canaan. Throughout his journey, Abram was tested (Genesis 12 - 22).
He had to pray when he started doubting or became afraid. Communication with God does not require a certain physical position. God began communicating with Abram in visions and via messengers instead of in-person (Genesis 12 - 14; 17 - 18). The Lord was faithful to his promise when Abraham took Ishmael, Hagar's son, and his household to be circumcised. Isaac was born from Sarah after Ishmael turned 14. Isaac was circumcised on his 8th day. Sarah got upset when Ishmael was picking on Isaac. Hagar was sent away with Ishmael into the desert. The Lord reminded Abraham that he should not worry since Ishmael was also his son, whom he would make a great nation along with Isaac's seeds. What a great nation Ishmael's descendants became. Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah (15th generation grandson), became the great prophet for the Islamic Nations of the Middle East and Asia Minor.
Many Jewish communities have struggled with the purpose of the brit milah ritual. In essence of what was written in the Scriptures, God made a covenant with Abraham that all his seeds and the seeds of his generations will be made nations and kings. Since all male living things are vessels of seeds, the induction of all female living things to produce nourishment of the embryo falls into place. God told Abraham that through his covenant, Sarah will be blessed as the mother of nations and kings. Therefore women in God's covenant are as important as the men.
Isaac could have been 5 or 10 at the time when the Lord asked Abraham to offer up Isaac at Mount Moriah. It took 3 days for Abraham to respect the Lord's request. Poor Abraham.
All God wanted Abraham to do was dedicate Isaac into worship. Abraham was to teach Isaac how to offer burnt offerings to God as a form of worship just as Adam and Eve's family used to do before the flood. The angel of God described Abraham as a "God-fearing" man. If he was, why did Abraham doubt Isaac would be born or let alone inherit the land of Canaan?
Isaac's trust in his father was duly noted and was rewarded by being spared and replaced by a ram for sacrifice. The left horn was made into a shofar.
The reason for the covenant with Abraham is to redeem the seed that was lost in the Garden of Eden. The ground in which the seed may grow is "cursed" and "unholy." God ask that Abraham be of perfect mind, soul and heart. Abraham willingly obeyed what was asked of him and taught his household to do the same. Sarah, his wife followed suit. Therefore, she was blessed. Isaac's children, Esau and Jacob were parallel to Eve's twins, Cain and Abel. In the Jewish commentaries, Esau was a rebellious son. Both Esau and Jacob were 15 when Abraham passed away. The lentils Jacob was cooking were meant for his father Isaac, because lentils are the traditional mourner's meal for Jews. On that day before returning, in a rage over the death of Abraham, Esau committed five sins; he raped a betrothed young woman, he committed murder of his niece's 4th generation great grandfather (Nimrod), he denied God, he denied the resurrection of the dead, and he spurned his birthright.
Even though their reconciliation was short-lived, the twin brothers' descendants continued to struggle for peace and forgiveness. Esau was the paternal ancestor of the Edomites, Amalekites, and Kennizites. According to the Torah, the Jewish congregation could not receive descendants of a marriage between an Israelite and an Edomite until the fourth generation. The commandment to kill Amalekites is not practiced by contemporary Jews, based on the argument that Sennacherib deported and mixed the nations, so it is no longer possible to determine who is an Amalekite.
In addition, many rabbinic authorities ruled that the commandment only applies to a Jewish king or an organized community, and cannot be performed by an individual. The Amalekites, as a physical nation, have been completely obliterated by the time of Hezekiah's reign, according to the Tanakh.
Although the Idumaeans controlled the lands to the east and south of the Dead Sea, their peoples were held in contempt by the Israelites. There is a Jewish tradition stemming from the Talmud, that the descendants of Esau would eventually become the Romans, and to a larger extent, all Europeans. This is in line with Mark's account that Herod (Idumaean heritage) married a Jewish woman (tribe of Ephraim/Manasseh/Benjamin). Regardless of the tension between the tribes of Israel, their hope is that their Messiah will restore the nation of Israel.
The Jews believe that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the Messiah. The Messiah will come in a time when he is most needed or in a time he is most desired. The Messiah is believed to be a righteous king who will be sent by God to unite people all over the world regardless of race, culture or religion. Jews believe that when the Messiah comes, he will do the following: rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He will be anointed with holy anointing oil and rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age.
In a generalized sense, messiah has "the connotation of a savior or redeemer who would appear at the end of days and usher in the kingdom of God, the restoration of Israel, or whatever dispensation was considered to be the ideal state of the world."
Maimonides has written: "Anyone who does not believe in him, or who does not wait for his arrival, has not merely denied the other prophets, but has also denied the Torah and Moses, our Rabbi."
According to one count, only 369 can be kept, meaning that 40% of mitzvot are not possible to perform. The Messiah will enable all 613 to be fulfilled by building the Temple in Jerusalem and bringing the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.
Israel became a culture of sin and death, which the God of life would not abide. The concept of original sin was first alluded to in the 2nd century by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon in his controversy with certain dualist Gnostics.
Sin is the absence of morality. We all make mistakes. It is in our nature to forgive, love and respect each other. For some, when their freedom has been constrained, it's much easier to sin than it is to work hard to do better for the sake of humanity.
"What was the first sin?" you asked. Envy. Eve was envious that she did not have a close relationship like what Adam had with God. If she could be just like God, Adam would worship her too.
The early rabbinic literature contains the traditions which portray Eve's creation as a resolution to Adam's loneliness. According to Rabbi Joshua, "God deliberated from what member He would create woman, and He reasoned with Himself thus: I must not create her from Adam's head, for she would be a proud person, and hold her head high. If I create her from the eye, then she will wish to pry into all things; if from the ear, she will wish to hear all things; if from the mouth, she will talk much; if from the heart, she will envy people; if from the hand, she will desire to take all things; if from the feet, she will be a gadabout. Therefore I will create her from the member which is hid, that is the rib, which is not even seen when man is naked." Since Eve was created from one of Adam's ribs, Eve felt inferior to Adam and was never satisfied with anything.
Yeshuah ben Yosef fulfilled the promise God set for Israel. Whether the Jews realize it or not, Saul of Tarsus made it possible for the rest of the world to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The Sanhedrin refused to believe Yeshuah as the Messiah because he was the son of a carpenter from Galilee. The meaning of "a king will arise from the House of David וְאִם יַעֲמֹד מֶלֶךְ מִבֵּית דָּוִד" is that the Messiah must be born Jewish, and of direct patrilineal descent from King David (through King Solomon. However, the Messiah is not immediately required to have the Halachic status of King. The reason why Matthew and Luke gave Jesus' lineage of both Joseph and Mary's ancestry, so that the children of Israel can see for themselves that He - is the promised Messiah.
Zacharias priestly duties fell on the 23rd day of Ziv/Iyar and Bul/Heshvan. If he worked on Heshvan, John the Baptist was conceived on November 12 6 BCE. Mary would have visited Elizabeth on her 27th week which would fall on May 1. That would mean Jesus was born on January 16, 4 BCE and circumcised on January 24th. The Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn alongside the birth of a nova appeared in the sky. February 16 would be his 31st day to partake in Pidyon Haben but because he was in Egypt, it was not performed until after Herod the Great's death. Herod the great died on March 13, 4 BCE. Herod Archelaus took over Judea around April 12. Joseph stayed in Galilee instead of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem to purify her tumat yoledet (Luke 2:24). Simeon the Just and Anna were in the Temple performing Yom Kippur. Since it was a fasting day, they had to perform the purification and Pidyon Haben the day before which falls on September 30, 4 BCE. Jesus was 12 when they were celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles October 22, 9 AD. If Zacharias worked on Iyar, John the Baptist would have been conceived on May 19, 6 BCE. Mary would have visited on November 3. That would mean Jesus was born on July 21, 5 BCE. Which means Jesus was about a year old when his family fled in Egypt. They may have stayed there for almost a year or so. This would actually fall perfectly in line with the astronomical event of the comet in the sky on the day he was born; and the meeting with Simeon on Yom Kippur. In this timeline, Jesus was 12 when they were celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles on October 4, 8 AD. Nevertheless, the teachers of the law (Rabbis) were amazed at his knowledge of the Torah.
The Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:23) states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry. The Scribes taught the Jewish people to regard Jehovah as the righteous judge; but occasionally referred Him as the Father of Israel. Since Herod was made King of the Jews by the Roman Senate, the Scribes had to make other ways to comfort their life than the well-being of Israel's children. The Pharisees were discontented because Herod disregarded many of their demands with respect to the Temple's construction. The Sadducees, who were closely associated with priestly responsibilities in the Temple, opposed Herod because he replaced their high priests with outsiders from Babylonia and Alexandria, in an effort to gain support from the Jewish Diaspora. However, Herod's Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.
Jesus spoke often of the Passover because it is in fulfillment of the commandment for every Jew to remember God's salvation and redemption from their slavery in the land of Egypt. Jesus told his disciples that God's new covenant of the Passover is to remember the messiah's sacrifice who has paid the price of korban hattat קָרְבַּן חַטָּאת, for the world. The disciples were commanded to teach the Good News of the Gospel. When a disciple is ready, they are to baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit just as God has done to the children of Israel during the Exodus.
Jesus came to fulfill the law and to free Israel from hypocrisy and sin, which the Pharisees and Saducees have demonstrated over the years during Herod the Great's reign over Judea. Jesus and his gospel were a fulfilment, a development of Judaism. Jesus emphatically corrects the misunderstanding of The Law (Mitzvot), stating that his coming and ministry is not to abolish anything in the Scripture. Jesus was crucified on April 12, 33 AD. He was only 36 years old.
Apostle Peter and other disciples declared to make new disciples of all the nations 10 days after Jesus' death (April 22, 30 AD). Paul began his missionary journeys, with Barnabas in 46 AD. Rome has persecuted many Jewish disciples of Christ by edict of the Roman Emperor from 70 AD - 100 AD. Peter was crucified on 13 October 64 AD (That would make Jesus 65 years old). Linus (2 Timothy 4:21) was the First Roman pope in 67 AD. The last apostle to die was John (100 AD).
A born-again Christian (coined by Rome) is someone who has willingly made a commitment to accept Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name - Joshua in English) as their personal Lord and Savior as well as living in Faith by following God's Commandment that was given first to the Jews and now unto the world. A good example of a Christian is someone like Ananais. The obedience of Ananias when he was called by the Lord, to restore the sight of Saul of Tarsus; was not only difficult for him to accept, but he acknowledged the burden set before him as he understood what must be done for the sake of God's kingdom.
Persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire continued from 154 - 313 AD. Latin translations (the Vetus Latina) from the Greek texts of the Scriptures were circulated among non-Greek-speaking Christian communities in 150 AD. Rome became a Christian Empire in 313 AD (1,708 year ago). In 323 AD, Pope Sylvester I in his calendar listed Sunday (rather than the Jewish Saturday) as the first day of the week, and henceforth, named it "the Lord's day", and commanded church members to keep it as a holy day. On November 18, 326 AD, Pope Sylvester I consecrates the Basilica of St. Peter built by Constantine the Great, over the tomb of the Apostle Simon Peter.
Pope Julius I officially sets the date of December 25 for the celebration of the Nativity or Christmas in 345 AD. Even though the Jewish Calendar reveals the birth of Christ on October 13, 2 BCE. In February, 380 AD, Emperor Theodosius I issued an edict, De Fide Catolica, in Thessalonica, published in Constantinople, declaring Catholic Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire. The Council of Rome under Pope Damasus I sets the Canon of the Bible, listing the accepted books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. No others are to be considered scripture in 382 AD. These are the pages we read today.
Only the Torah stayed unchanged; unwavering and living throughout those who seek it. These are God's words, transcribed by Moses and Joshua's hands after the 1st set of tablets were destroyed.
James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Forgiveness is a duty, or a mitzvah in Judaism and is mentioned in the Torah. Jewish tradition does not expect us to be perfect, although we are always responsible for our actions. Jewish practices provide ways of transforming our lives for the good. We understand the imperfections of our biblical ancestors as powerful reminders that, despite our flaws, we can be good people, even if we sometimes act in ways that conflict with kindness and justice. Our characters are shaped by how we respond to our failures more than by our failures themselves. The Bible expanded the concept of repentance and atonement with the institution of the ancient Temple’s sacrificial system, which held that atonement could be achieved through expiation rites. In Deuteronomy, the Torah imagines God saying, “I put before you the blessing and the curse, life and death; therefore, choose life, that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Humanity is God’s partner in the betterment of the world, a process that must begin with each individual. This is where Christ, Jesus comes in. He became the sacrifice; in which, God expects from us when we come to Him for forgiveness. We come to Christ in our time of suffering and shame just as He encouraged us to do so in Matthew 11:28 - 30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." It is our duty to share the Good News of the Gospel to our brethren in Jerusalem and of Hebrew descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob). Since Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Indeed, people's involvement both in conscience and deed is a sine qua non for securing divine forgiveness. It is not enough to hope and pray for pardon: man must humble himself, acknowledge his wrong, and resolve to depart from sin (e.g., David, Sam. 12 ; Ahab, in 1 Kings 21:27–29.
The psalms provide ample evidence that penitence and confession are integral components of all prayers for forgiveness (Ps. 32:5; 38:19; 41:5; Lam. 3:40). The many synonyms for contrition testify to its primacy in the human effort to restore the desired relationship with God, e.g., seek the Lord (II Sam. 12:16 21:1), search for Him (Amos 5:4, humble oneself before Him (Lev. 26:41, direct the heart to Him (I Sam. 7:3), and lay to heart (II Kings 22:19).
The rituals of penitence, such as weeping, fasting, rending clothes, and donning sackcloth and ashes (II Sam. 12:16; Joel 1:13; Ezra 9:3; 10:1, 6), are unqualifiedly condemned by the prophets if they do not correspond with, and give expression to the involvement of the heart. (Isa 1:10; 29:13; Hos. 7:14 Joel 2:13).
Forgiveness is hard when you let the burdens of your past pile up one after another. This confidence resides in a number of assumptions concerning the nature of God, as presumed by the unique relationship between God and Israel, the bond of the *covenant. God's covenant to Adam and Eve was the promised dominion over the earth to mankind and life everlasting in return for obedience. God forgave them by covering their nakedness with coats of skin. God's covenant to Noah was: "Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." In Ezekiel 16:48–50
God admonishes Jerusalem for being like Sodom. God's covenant to Abraham was to make Abraham the father of a great people and said that Abraham and his descendants must obey God. In return God would guide them and protect them and give them the land of Israel. So when Abraham heard that God was going to destroy Sodom, he inquired God to review the innocent citizens. Abraham was referring to Lot. Unfortunately, Abraham did not know that Lot became a haughty human being. His wife refused to help a neighbour who ran out of salt (thus her fate as a pillar of salt to this day). God forgave the Moabites through Ruth, who became David's maternal descendant. God's covenant with Isaac was “Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you” (Gen. 28:15-16). Jacob made a covenant with God when God came to him in a dream that he shall inherit Isaac's covenant in order to have Jacob be keeper of the covenant. The altar in which Jacob built still stands today. God's covenant to Joseph was the grace of wisdom. Joseph was only 14 years old. Solomon was only 12 when he prayed to God to give him wisdom. On Mount Sinai, God made a covenant with Moses and the Jewish people that renewed the one he had made with Abraham. At the same time, God gave the Jews the Ten Commandments - a set of rules by which they should live and to remember the Passover (Their Salvation from Egypt). The royal covenant was made with David (2 Sam 7). It promised to establish his dynasty forever while acknowledging that its original royal-covenant promises had been given to the ancestor of the whole nation, Abraham. Jesus gave his disciples a new covenant, in which all believers may hold steadfast to: Every Passover, remember Jesus' sacrifice so that they may have life in the kingdom of God that shall come.
Before the Church fully opened the door to the Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council, the vast majority of its communicants were Jews; therefore, there was no question as to whether Christians should observe Passover. Its celebration was a significant part of the biblical heritage upon which the early Jewish leaders of the Church had founded a faith and polity that recognized Yeshua (Jesus) as the fulfillment of the Messianic expectations of His people and as the Savior of the world.
As Gentiles came to prominence in the Church, they were influenced by traditions which they had brought with them and by pressures from Rome to disassociate themselves from the Jews and things “Jewish.” At the same time a controversy raged in the Church over whether complete obedience to the Law of Moses was essential to salvation in addition to faith in Jesus (Lutheranism). Of particular concern was the practice of circumcision, whether it should be physically enforced on new converts to this Judeo-Christianity or whether the circumcision of the heart that God had described to Moses, Jeremiah, and Apostle Paul was sufficient without the physical procedure. Having been ripped from its moorings, Christianity drifted on the tide of human tradition, often swirling in the maelstrom of a pagan-based world view that allowed violent conduct toward the Jewish people.
On March 31, 1521, Baptism of the first Catholics in the Philippines, the first Christian nation in Southeast Asia. This event is commemorated with the feast of the Sto. Niño. Most Christian objection to Passover observance is based on ecclesiastical anti-Judaism that developed after the Church’s first century.
Many of the Philippine traditions have been influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. These traditions have been incorporated with idol worship. The symbolism of the Liturgical Vessels for the Eucharist have lost its meaning. I have observed during my time in the Philippine provinces that the Catholics there only practice this "ritual" to be forgiven at their convenience rather than show full repentance of their sin. When I asked one of the church member about their behavior, they became very defensive. I assured them that I was only curious. It didn't make sense to me to continue to sin if they have asked for forgiveness during the mass.
A friend once told me that most of these religious ritualist don't always use their logical processes when they perform their religious duties. Regardless of their reason, it still doesn't make sense to ask for forgiveness only to repeat the same immoral act later.
Let's take a misdemeanor as an example. You just had your first car. You ran a traffic light because you knew you could considering the opportune circumstance. It was your first offense. The police officer gives you a warning. You feel pretty good about yourself for getting a free pass. You start boasting about it. The next time you ran the light, you had a reason. You are in need of a home emergency to take care of. You get frustrated by getting pulled over. You get impatient with the police officer. You get your first ticket. You ignore the fine. After 3 weeks, you find that your car is no longer in your garage. Not only do you have to pay a fine for ignoring a legal traffic violation, you have to pay a higher premium for your car insurance and a fee to retrieve your car from impoundment. You now feel vilified for the injustice you received. Whether you win your case in court, you have suffered more than a bruised ego. Since, you're out of a car, your attendance at work degrades, your bills for legal fees increases and your partner is threatening to leave you.
Rather than ask for forgiveness, you decide to take it out on the world. You end up in jail. What is left for you to do? Nothing. Be still and know that God has seen your pain and suffering. The laws are in place so that you do not harm yourself or anyone else. After serving your time, you begin a new life. You become mindful of others. You start taking the public transportation. You see someone being harassed. They thank you. The next time you see them, they start sitting next to you. You begin to connect. They laugh at your jokes, and they make you feel more of yourself. Next thing you know, you begin to worry about what they might think about your past. They notice your concern. They begin to share their past with you. You now feel a deeper connection and express your feelings for them.
Your life takes a better turn. You have a steady job. You find yourself in a new car. Would you do the same behavior again or would you consider becoming a responsible driver?
We are all given choices in our lives. All God wants you to choose is life - not death. This spiritual journey is between you and God. Nobody can walk it for you. If this is not truth, than what is?
