This issue of YAHSHUA'S WITNESS MAGAZINE
 was published for JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008

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Inside this issue:

 FROM THE EDITOR

Ye Are The Salt

For comments or inquiries please write to YEA, P. O. Box 31, Atlanta, TX 75551.

 FROM THE EDITOR

 A new children’s movie was released on December 7th entitled “The Golden Compass.” It is the brainchild of atheist Phillip Pullman. It is taken from his first book in a trilogy entitled “His Dark Materials.” The second book in the series is entitled “The Subtle Knife,” and the third is “The Amber Spyglass.” The movie, of course, is a watered down version of the book. The release was of perfect timing for children to be able to view the movie and then encourage parents to purchase the book for Christmas. If they purchase and read the first book, they will desire to purchase the other two in the series and this could be disastrous as Pullman has revealed that he wants to destroy “God” from the minds of children.

  “The Golden Compass” recounts the adventures of Lyra Belacqua, a 12-year-old streetwise girl in an alternate universe that resembles our own. With the assistance of several other characters, she sets out to overthrow the Authority. The novels depict “the Authority” as a weak, false god. An angel informs one of the main characters that "God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty" are really all just names the first angel gave himself in an attempt to set himself up as a divine being. Hmmm…., isn’t it interesting that an atheist, who doesn’t even believe in Elohim, utilizes angels and even a weak Elohim? Very hypocritical, don’t you think? But it gets even better.

  The Golden Compass is set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves in animal forms called daemons, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. These daemons are as close to the person as their own hearts. An eight year old boy wrote in asking, “Dear Mr. Pullman, My class is reading “The Golden Compass” and we were wondering how did you come up with the concept of daemons? What inspired you?” He answered, The idea of daemons came to me very suddenly and from nowhere that I can be sure of. I wrote the first chapter of “The Golden Compass” several times before I got it right, and at first it wasn’t going well at all. I didn’t know why until I realized that Lyra had to have a companion to speak to and share things with, and suddenly this daemon idea just came into my mind. It was an exciting moment, and it made the whole story come into focus for me. I’m still discovering new things to do with the idea, and I’m writing about them in a book that will be called “The Book of Dust.” But I’m a long way from finishing that yet.”

  Herein we have the crux of the matter. We have an atheist who denies that Elohim, and the spirit world exists, but with only the mind of man and without spiritual guidance, things just don’t go too well. It is obvious which spirit is influencing Mr. Pullman.

  Clearly, Pullman’s main objective is to bash believers and promote atheism. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that “My books are about killing God.” He has even stated that he wants to “kill God in the minds of children.” It has been said of Pullman that he is “the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed.” One of the story’s favorite characters is an ex-nun who declares that Christianity is a very powerful and convincing mistake. In the final book, characters representing Adam and Eve eventually kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH. Each book in the trilogy gets progressively worse regarding Pullman’s hatred of the Messiah. “In his worlds, the church is wicked, cruel and child-hating; priests are sinister, murderous or drunk," Hitchens wrote for the Daily Mail newspaper in January 2002. "Political correctness creeps in leadenly. There is a brave African king and a pair of apparently homosexual angels. The one religious character who turns out to be benevolent is that liberal favorite, an ex-nun who has renounced her vows and lost her faith.

  Yes, we admit that some of the most atrocious and abominable practices have been perpetrated in the name of God and religion. But even more atrocious and abominable practices have also been perpetrated by non-believing atheists. Take Lenin, Stalin, Mao and others, for example. They seem to get a pass, of course.

  Interestingly, “The Golden Compass” is an “alethiometer.” What does this mean? A quick look into the Greek text of Scripture reveals that the Greek word for “truth” is alethia! The alethiometer would simply be an instrument utilized to detect truth vs. lies.

  Let’s utilize our own “truth detector” or “alethiometer” concerning this man’s works. The name of the 12 year old girl is Lyra Belacqua. Belacqua is an interesting combination because we already know who Bel is, but what about “acqua” It’s a word for water (aqua), which is equivalent to spirit in Jn. 7:37-39. Thus Belacqua is nothing more than the “spirit of Bel” (Babylon’s chief deity). While Lyra is a name given to a heavenly constellation as well as the lyre, a musical instrument, in this instance, knowing the spirit from whom this inspiration came, let’s see if we can figure out the meaning of this name. Lyra can be rearranged into Lyar or Liar! (Substituting the “i” for “y” as the English language does from time to time.) We now discover the true spirit behind Mr. Pullman and his trilogy. (We already knew didn’t we.) It is revealed in Jn. 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

  Mr. Pullman is being influenced by the god of this world, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience to not only seek to destroy his Creator, but mankind in general. Things are getting more and more deadly in this evil world. Are you ready? Will you allow your family and children be influenced by these evils? JH

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HISTORY OF SALT

(Compiled from various on-line services)

     Most people probably think of salt as simply that white granular food seasoning found in a salt shaker on virtually every dining table. Salt was much more valuable in the past than it is now. Before refrigeration, salt was the main ingredient used to preserve food. The preserving action of salt is based on the fact that it draws water out of bacteria, causing it to shrivel and die. The vast majority of meat, and fish was salted as the final step in processing before being packed and shipped to its ultimate destination. Even butter was heavily salted. Our diet today is much lower in salt than it was in the 19th century, but still North American per capita salt consumption is high, since a considerable amount of convenience food contains a lot of sodium chloride (the chemical name for salt).

  "The word for 'salt' apparently originates from the name of the town Es-Salt, once the capital of the east bank of the Jordan, and probably older than Jericho itself, and close to the Dead Sea." Salt has become an inexpensive and readily available commodity that is taken for granted by most people. But in older times, wars were fought over salt, and huge taxes were also levied on it. In some places, salt was in such high demand that it was minted into coins that were as valuable as gold and functioned as the basic currency for ancient civilizations.

  Where salt was scarce it was traded ounce for ounce with gold–for as the Roman statesman Cassiodorus observed, "Some seek not gold, but there lives not a man who does not need salt." Salt was in general use long before history, as we know it, began to be recorded.

  Some 2,700 years B.C.-about 4,700 years ago-there was published in China the Peng-Tzao-Kan-Mu, probably the earliest known treatise on pharmacology. A major portion of this writing was devoted to a discussion of more than 40 kinds of salt, including descriptions of two methods of extracting salt and putting it in usable form that are amazingly similar to processes used today. Chinese folklore recounts the discovery of salt. Salt production has been important in China for two millennia or more. And the Chinese, like many other governments over time, realizing that everyone needed to consume salt, made salt taxes a major revenue source. Salt may have been a large factor in determining the success of various societies and even the amount of freedom its citizens had. Where salt was scarce, strong, controlling rule prevailed to ensure the availability of salt to all, but where salt was plentiful the need for strong government was not as great, and citizens had more freedom.

  Salt was of crucial importance economically. A far-flung trade in ancient Greece involving exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "not worth his salt." Special salt rations given early Roman soldiers were known as "salarium argentum," the forerunner of the English word "salary." Salt was an important trading commodity carried by explorers. Altogether it's believed there are more than 14,000 uses of salt, and our grandmothers were probably familiar with most of them. Many of these uses were for simple things around the home before the advent of modern chemicals and cleaners. However, many uses are still valid today and a lot cheaper than using more sophisticated products. As a chemical salt is used in making glass, pottery, textile dyes, and soap. Sodium chloride has literally thousands of uses! One of those uses is to serve as a source of chlorine for chemical manufacturing. Why, you may ask? Here's why: chlorine is known as a "workhorse chemical." It plays a key role in the manufacture of thousands of products we depend on every day, including volleyballs, computers, cars, pool chemicals, medicines and cosmetics.

  Salt has played a vital role in religious ritual in many cultures, symbolizing immutable, incorruptible purity. There are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible. And there are many other literary and religious references to salt, including use of salt on altars representing purity, and use of "holy salt" by the Unification Church.

  Medieval European records document salt making concessions. On the Continent, Venice rose to economic greatness through its salt monopoly. Salt also had military significance. For instance, it is recorded that thousands of Napoleon's troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal as a result of a lack of salt. In 1777, the British Lord Howe was jubilant when he succeeded in capturing General Washington's salt supply.

  Only 6% of the salt used in the U.S. is used in food; another 17% is used for de-icing streets and highways in the winter months.

  Pure salt consists of the elements sodium and chlorine. Its chemical name is sodium chloride and its formula is NaCl. Its mineral name is halite.

  Table salt is a chemically simple combination of two components, sodium and chlorine. The basic components of salt are, by themselves, potentially dangerous. Sodium will ignite immediately if it comes into contact with water, and chlorine is poisonous if ingested. In combination, though, the two elements form sodium chloride, commonly known as salt. Salt is essential for life. Each of us contain from four to eight ounces of salt. In the body, salt is as important to humans as water or air. It helps maintain the normal volume of blood in the body and also helps keep the correct balance of water in and around the cells and tissues. Salt plays an important part in the digestion of food and is essential in making the heart beat correctly. It is also necessary for the formation and proper function of nerve fibers, which carry impulses to and from the brain. Sodium, together with calcium, magnesium and potassium, helps regulate the body's metabolism. The sodium in salt is an essential nutrient. In combination with potassium, it regulates the acid-alkaline balance in our blood and is also necessary for proper muscle functioning. When we don't get enough sodium chloride, we experience muscle cramps, dizziness, exhaustion and, in extreme cases, convulsions and death. Salt is essential to our well being.

  For years, many researchers have claimed that salt threatens public health, mostly by contributing to high blood pressure. Recently, though, other researchers have begun to change salt's reputation. A recent review of salt studies conducted over the past two decades concluded that there's no reason for doctors to recommend reducing sodium intake for people with normal blood pressure. It may be that most of us are protected from excessive salt by our kidneys, which regulate the body's sodium level and eliminate any excess.

  Salt cures aren't new. In the early 19th Century, sick people traveled to rudimentary spas such as French Lick Springs in Indiana and Big Bone Lick, Kentucky, to soak in salt springs. Today's more luxurious spas offer salt baths, glows, rubs and polishes to exfoliate dead skin, stimulate circulation and relieve stress.

   VALUE OF SALT

    Even in today’s world, salt is an extremely valuable and necessary commodity. Due to its natural abundance and its ease in mining, it is not an expensive item. However, in times past, it was valued on a par with gold. Due to its necessity for life itself, if salt became scarce, its value would once again be pushed to the limits with gold.

  As we learned from its history, the slave trade in Greece brought about the term “not worth his salt.” We also discovered that the word “salary” comes from the Latin word “salarium argentum” or salt rations paid to Roman soldiers.

  Yahshua told His disciples, “Ye are the salt of the earth…,” Mat. 5:13, let’s do some comparisons with salt to see if we measure up to its importance.

  Since the word “salary” comes from the Latin word salarium, let’s take a look at its definition. The etymology of the word salary goes thusly, [ME. salarie < L. salarium, orig., money for salt (as part of a Roman soldier’s pay) < sal, SALT]. It is defined as, a fixed payment at regular intervals for services, esp. when clerical or professional – SYN. see WAGE.

  Now let’s look at the etymology and definition for “wage”, vt. [ME. wagen < ONormFr. wagier (OFr. gagier) < wage (OFr. gage), a stake, pledge < Frank. *wadi, akin to Goth. wadi, a pledge: for IE. base see WED] 1. to engage in or carry on (a war, struggle, campaign, etc.)  2. [Chiefly Brit. Dial.] to hire  3. (Obs.] to a) pledge b) to wager; bet c) to pay —vi. [Obs.] to struggle or contend —n. 1. [often pl.] money paid to an employee for work done, and usually figured on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis  2. [usually pl.] what is given in return; recompense; requital: formerly the plural form was often construed as singular [“The wages of sin is death”]  3. [pl.] Econ. The share of the total product of industry that goes to labor, as distinguished from the share taken by capital. (Webster’s New World Dictionary)

  We find that salary and wage are synonyms. Interestingly, under the noun portion of wage (-s), they utilized the Biblical verse from Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death…”

  This chapter of the book of Romans is extremely important for us to search out at this juncture. In Romans chapter five, Paul reveals that sin entered into the world and death by sin through one man, the first man, the father of all mankind, Adam. Not only did sin and death by sin enter through him, but we all follow in his footsteps of sin, earning the death penalty. We reap what we sow, therefore if we sow sin and death then that is what we will reap. Our wages, our payment is death.

  Paul reveals that while we can earn the wages of sin (death), there is no way that we can earn grace, pardon. That is a free gift that comes through the sacrifice of Yahshua the Messiah. Moreover, he reveals that the law contained in commandments (especially the Ten Commandments) entered making the offence and sentence of death to abound even more. He writes, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Yahshua the Messiah our Sovereign,” Ro. 5:21.

  Then he asks the question, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Yahweh forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Ro. 6:1-2.

  I have heard many powerful Christian sermons against sin. But I have never heard the ministers give the definition of sin. Few if any have ever gone to 1 Jn. 3:4 to define sin, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

  So when Paul asks the question, “Shall we continue in sin (transgression of the law), that grace may abound?” He answers his own question, “Yahweh forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

  NOT WORTH HIS SALT

    Paul continues in Romans chapter six, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahshua the Messiah were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as the Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin (the body that transgresses the law) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (transgression of the law). For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with the Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that the Messiah being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Elohim. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahweh through Yahshua the Messiah our Sovereign. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahweh, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahweh. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahweh forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But Yahweh be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Yahweh, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life,” vv. 3-22.

  Again, let’s let the Scriptures define what righteousness is, “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness,” Psa. 119:172.

  Do this; read Romans chapter six again and wherever the word “sin” appears, substitute “transgression of the law.” Also, wherever “righteousness” appears, substitute “the commandments.” This will give you an altogether new perspective concerning what Paul is saying.

  Now go to Romans 3:23, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Yahweh forbid: yea, we establish the law.” If we establish the law, then how can we say that it is done away?

  If after we have been baptized in Yahshua, we continue sinning (transgressing the law or commandments), then we are simply trampling upon the Son of Elohim. We are warned, “For if we sin (transgress the law) wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Elohim, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Heb. 10:26-29.

  The fact of the matter is that yes, we are under grace, but we must maintain His grace by no longer sinning (transgressing the commandments). We must, with Yahshua in us, establish the law!

  We are either the servants (slaves) to sin, or we are servants (slaves) to righteousness. If we sin, we earn the wages, the salary, the salt of death. Those who continue sinning, transgressing the law, are not worth the salt of the New Covenant; however, if we walk in newness of life, walking in the Spirit of grace, fulfilling righteousness, the commandments (something that we never did before); we can’t earn grace because it is a free gift; but we can earn the fruits of righteousness.

  Grace is pardon, forgiveness. If a person goes to prison for a certain crime, or crimes, and by changing his life, spirit and attitude, receives a reprieve, a pardon from the governor being released back into the general population, he is certainly expected to never commit that crime or those crimes again. If he returns back to his wicked, lawless ways, then he will be incarcerated again and the key will be thrown away.

  We must understand that we were conceived in sin and shaped in iniquity (Psa. 51:5). If we were conceived in sin, then we were born in sin and our actions reveal that we lived in sin. But when “GRACE” comes, which is simply pardon, reprieve, then we must live under that grace. We will always be living under grace, under pardon. But now, with the help of the Holy Spirit placed in us, we can learn to live by Yahweh’s righteous commands. His commandments are not grievous, they are good for us. The world has been tricked and deceived to think that His commandments are evil. Not so. They describe what sin, evil, wickedness is. They warn us so that we don’t walk contrary to them again.

  THE PRESERVATIVE

   Salt is a preservative. It has been utilized for millennia as a preservative to keep fish, meats, and other foods from spoilage. It was also utilized with religious sacrifices, especially the sacrificial system employed by the Israelites.

  Yahweh commanded Moses, Aaron and Israel, “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy Elohim to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt,” Lev. 2:13.

  Leviticus chapter two has to do with the grain and flour offerings. All were to be salted. None that had a portion to be burnt on the altar were allowed to have leaven among their ingredients. Leaven sours, putrefies, puffs up, and corrupts. Salt seasons and preserves. It is a symbol of incorruption. The covenant of Yahweh was to be preserved.

  When the moisture of oil or water is added to the flour, the salt dissolves and becomes a part of the cake or loaf. It blends in with the mixture so that it can never be removed, at least, not by man.

  Yahshua is our sacrifice, our Passover. But more than that, the grain/flour offerings were a type of Him in his capacity as the True Bread from Heaven. When the people told Yahshua that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness, saying, “…as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat,” Jn. 6:31. Yahshua responded, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of Elohim is He Which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world,” vv. 32-33.

  Yahshua is the meat, bread, grain, flour offering. We are the salt that is to be added to that offering as Paul wrote, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahshua the Messiah were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as the Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin,” Ro. 6:3-7.

  Paul wrote that he “…died daily…,” 1 Cor. 15:31. Again, he wrote, “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter,” Ro. 8:36. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Sovereign Yahshua, that the life also of Yahshua might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Yahshua's sake, that the life also of Yahshua might be made manifest in our mortal flesh,” 2 Cor. 4:8-11.

  How do we do this? “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live,” Ro. 8:13. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry,” Col. 3:5.

  The purpose is once again explained in Romans 6, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahweh, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahweh,” vv. 12-13.

  If we do these things, then we are the salt added to the sacrifice of Yahshua so that the covenant that Yahweh is making with us, the New Covenant in Yahshua is preserved.

 PURITY

   Yahshua told His disciples, “Ye are the salt of the earth,” Mt. 5:13.” But He followed this statement with a warning, “…but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

  The whiteness of salt is a symbol of its purity. The color white has to do with cleanness. The Hebrew word for cleanness and purity is qodesh. This Hebrew word qodesh is generally translated into the English language as “holy,” but it also is translated as hallow, sanctify, consecrate, and even saint, etc.

  The book of Luke presents the above statement a little differently, “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear,” 14:34-35.

  How can we lose our purity? We have already touched on these elements in the above headings. One way, of course, is just to turn back to the things of the flesh, leaving the wondrous things of Yahweh behind.

  The parable of the sower is an excellent example in this case. Yahshua spoke the parable about the sower who sowed seeds, some of which fell by the wayside, some in stony places, others in thorns and others on the good ground. The seeds are the word of truth, which is the Word of Yahweh, especially concerning how it relates to Yahshua.

  The seeds that fall by the wayside don’t even have a basic knowledge of the Scriptures or the way. Therefore, when they hear the word of truth, which has been sown in their heart or mind, they can’t understand it, nor do they care for it. They are taken up in the practices of wickedness. The wicked one comes and takes it from them so that they continue in their wicked ways.

  The ones that fall in stony places are also those who receive the word of truth with gladness at first, but when troubles, tribulation, differences, etc., come, they don’t have the depth of heart, or earth, to be able to receive the seed’s roots. These eventually wither and die or fall away from the truth.

  Then there are those who fall among thorns, which are likened to the cares of this world and this life. Because of the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, their attention becomes focused on things other than the Word of Truth and they fall away.

  We are warned to have our affections set primarily on Yahshua and the kingdom of heaven. Yahshua cautioned that He would be rejected by the generation that He came to and would suffer many things, “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it,” Lk. 17:25-33.

  In the days of Noah, the heart and spirit of man had become so hardened that it was only set on evil continually and violence was the order of the day. These things are coming upon our own generation, which is serving to embitter and harden the heart so that violence, wickedness, evil, sin, iniquity, etc. becomes more and more acceptable.

  Our world is also turning to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The iniquity of Sodom was pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness. She didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. They were haughty and committed abomination. (Ez. 16:49-50) We know that the abomination spoken of here is that of idolatry and especially homosexuality due to the account of Lot in Genesis 19.

  When they were being delivered from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were warned to not look back, but Lot’s wife did look back and she became a pillar of salt. The term “looked back” is translated from the Hebrew word nabat, which is defined as; look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care. In other words, she looked back longingly, desiring to return. Yahshua cautions us that we are not to return to recover our status and things of this world and life. If we do so, we are seeking to preserve our place and status in this world. There are too many things available to us in this world, which serve to take our attention off of the kingdom of heaven and to focus on this life.

  If we are to be the salt of the earth, then our hearts must be set upon the purity and promises of the kingdom of heaven. Salt also has to do with preservation. The salt that we need to be is that which preserves the purity of Yahshua and His kingdom. The salt of Lot’s wife is the salt of destruction that is to be cast out. There is the perpetual covenant of righteousness and life through Yahshua, or perpetual destruction because of unrighteousness and wickedness. Which perpetual covenant do we desire to be a part of?

 SEASONING  

   Salt is a seasoning. We put salt in and on our food in order to make it more palatable. We, as the salt of the earth should be the seasoning that makes the earth more palatable to Yahweh. When Yahweh revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham began to entreat Yahweh on behalf of the righteous, “And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto Yahweh, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not Yahweh be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto Yahweh: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not Yahweh be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place,” Gen. 18:23-33.

  If there had been only ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, Yahweh would not have destroyed them. But the angels of Yahweh only found one righteous man to deliver and that man was Lot. The question to ask is, How many righteous people will Yahshua find on the earth when He returns? Will He find enough salt of the earth to refrain from destroying it?

  The Apostle Paul writes, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” Col. 4:5-6.

  Notice the reference to wisdom. How do we get wisdom? “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased,” Prov. 9:10-11. We receive wisdom through the fear of Yahweh! We are supposed to tremble at His word, “Thus saith Yahweh, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith Yahweh: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word,” Isa. 66:2.

  By wisdom we can not only prolong our own lives, but we can utilize that wisdom for the good of others so that they also may be able to seek wisdom and prolong theirs. If we season our speech with the salt of the fear and wisdom of Yahweh, we will not only be blessed, but we will be a blessing to others.

  Don’t get me wrong concerning this. It isn’t our purpose to preserve this world in its evil, but it’s our purpose to utilize the wisdom of Yahweh, seasoning our speech with salt, to turn others to Yahweh, Yahshua, the word of truth, the kingdom, etc. Remember that salt preserves by removing the water from harmful bacteria, thus rendering the harmful bacteria powerless. Water is likened to spirit in the Scriptures. We, as salt, should be nullifying the works of the harmful spirits of the world.

 SCATTERING SALT

   The Hebrew for salt is melach (xlm). There are two other Hebrew words, which are quite similar to this Hebrew word for salt. While they may consist of at least one letter that is different, they also describe the status of Yahshua’s disciples both now and in the future. Those words are angel/messenger mal’ak  ($alm) and king melek (*%lm).

  Salt must be added to food in minute amounts in order to produce the right effects; too much salt renders food inedible; too little produces a rather bland taste in so many cases. Even though many foods include salt in their recipes, once prepared, many add salt to it. This is done by sprinkling or scattering the salt onto the food for further taste enhancement.

  Yahshua’s people are scattered over the earth. Just as too much salt in one place renders food inedible, even so, too many of Yahshua’s people in one place will not produce the desired effect. Yahshua commanded His disciples to proclaim His message to all nations, “And Yahshua came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” Mt. 28:18-20. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the evangel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,” Mk. 16:14-16. “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Yahshua began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of Elohim: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Master, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth,” Acts 1:1-8.

  His disciples and apostles were commanded to go throughout the earth, in effect being scattered far and wide with the good news of the coming kingdom of heaven. They, as the salt of the earth, were to be scattered far and wide with the good news of salvation, which would bring hope to the ends of the earth. This scattering was to accomplish several things. So much of mankind was, is and has been trapped in a fairly miserable existence. So much of the earth has been in bondage, slavery. The existence was and is extremely difficult. But the publishing of the good news of the coming kingdom was for the purpose of giving hope to the masses. A promise of a much better future based upon better promises. The message was of a freedom and life that has never truly been experienced. This gave hope, the hope of a kingdom and government of righteousness with happiness, joy and plenty for all.

  This message was and is for the purpose of not only bringing hope, liberty and freedom of the spirit for the earth’s inhabitants, but it was, is, and will be for the purpose of glorifying the Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son Yahshua the Messiah. Thus the apostles and disciples, as the salt of the earth, were to bring forth a savory taste and flavor for both Elohim and men. The apostles and disciples were to be salt (melach/xlm) and were to be messengers (mal’ak/$alm). Their reward, as well as the reward of Yahshua’s people in today’s world, was to be elevated as kings (melek/%lm) in the coming kingdom of Elohim, “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Yahshua said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life,” Mat. 19:27-29.

 THE SCIENCE OF SALT

   As stated above in the History of Salt, the chemical composition of salt is one atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine. Its chemical formula is NaCl. Both components, when by themselves, are potentially dangerous. Sodium, by itself, is volatile when it comes in contact with water; it ignites and burns. This would be a type of Yahweh, who is a consuming fire (Dt. 4:24, 9:3; Heb. 12:29), coming in contact with the waters of humanity, without the mediation of Yahshua between them. No man can look upon Yahweh’s face and live. Yahweh’s anger and wrath would break out upon them (us) to destruction.

   The chlorine, by itself, is poisonous. This is a type of mankind, the sons of Adam, in whose flesh is the law of sin and death (Ro. 7). In the analogy above, we spoke of mankind being a type of water. Water is primarily a type of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39). Water can also be utilized to typify the spirit in man. The waters of the Holy Spirit are pure, while the waters of the spirit in man are corrupt.

  The Spirit of Yahweh imparts the wisdom of Yahweh. The spirit of man imparts the wisdom of man. Paul writes, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of Yahweh knoweth no man, but the Spirit of Yahweh…But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of Yahweh: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned,” 1 Cor. 2:11, 14.

  Yahweh has made the wisdom of man to be foolishness, “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not Yahweh made foolish the wisdom of this world?” 1 Cor. 2:20. So there is the wisdom and spirit of man which is foolishness to Yahweh, and the wisdom and Spirit of Yahweh, which is foolishness to man.

  When Yahweh begins to call a person, and opens his minds to the truth, causing him to repent of his sins, which changes his life, then a process of enlightenment and renewal begins. Once the sinner repents and is baptized in Yahshua’s name, then he/she is given an earnest of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:10-14).

  In the chemical world of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) an amazing phenomenon occurs. The Sodium atom contains eleven electrons and the chlorine atom contains seventeen. Both sodium and chlorine have an equal number of ions. The ions of sodium are positively charged while the ions of chlorine are negatively charged. Remember that in the electrical world a positive charge (+) and negative charge (-) are attracted to each other. The sodium and chlorine are able to unite through the process of electrolysis. The sodium atom donates its extra electron to the chlorine atom and they are combined to form salt.

  In the spirit realm, Yahweh would have the positive charge while man is the negative. But man is deficient and dangerous much as is the chlorine. When Yahweh gives us the earnest of the Spirit through Yahshua the Messiah, then we become a new creature. (Eph. 1:1-14)

  In the chemical world, when sodium and chlorine unite to form salt, that which had been deadly and dangerous undergoes a miraculous change. Salt becomes as important and essential to life as water and air! A person, once converted, is essential to the life and preservation of others, believe it or not. Remember that sodium is volatile when it comes in contact with water. This is a type of Yahweh being unable to mix with, live with the waters of mankind. Chlorine is poisonous. But when the sodium is combined with the chlorine to form salt, then when added to the water, the sodium dissolves becoming a life preserving solution! Remember, however, that everything must be in moderation. Too much salt is not good either. That is why it must be sprinkled or scattered.

 LOOSING ONE’S SALTNESS

   Yahshua warned, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid,” Mt. 5:13-14. “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another,” Mk. 9:49-50. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear,” Lk. 14:33-35.

  From these three excerpts of Scripture, we learn that we can lose our saltness. How? In Matthew chapter 5, Yahshua says that we are to be a light. In other Scriptures He revealed that man has no light in himself, but that Yahshua is the light of the world. He said that as long as we follow Him, we will have light (Jn. 8:12). He said that if we believe in Him, we will not dwell in darkness (Jn. 12:46). If He is our light, then we must let His light shine forth to all mankind, not trusting in our own so-called light (righteousness) which is truly darkness. In other words, we must speak of Him and His righteousness, not trusting in our own righteousness as did the Pharisees.

  In Mark He reveals that we, as salt, must salt His sacrifice. We have already touched base with the salt of the sacrifices. But Yahshua’s sacrifice is also for a peace offering. How can we proclaim to be His disciples and hate one another and not have peace within and among ourselves? If we can have peace between ourselves, then we can see how to bring about peace between Yahweh and men in proclaiming Yahshua’s sacrifice and understanding it more readily. But if we continue to separate ourselves from one another, then we have no peace and we are in danger of losing our saltness.

  In Luke we learn that we must forsake all that we have. This not only has to do with our physical possessions, but also our own honor and integrity. If we trust in ourselves, then we have greatly deceived ourselves. Our trust is in Yahweh, Yahshua and their word of truth, their promises. They are faithful, man is not. Too many are seeking to exalt themselves above others. The disciples did this very thing and Yahshua instituted the ceremony of footwashing in order to set the example of humility. To exalt oneself above others is not the Spirit of Yahweh, but the spirit of the adversary.

  If we lose our saltness, our savor, our ability to season, then we aren’t even good enough for the dunghill. This is a stern warning to us that we had better make amends, or do what we can to make amends with others who may be our adversaries, not only without, but within the body of the Messiah.

  While we may have differences with others because of a different understanding, as long as the differences don’t corrupt the truth about Yahshua, Yahweh and their word, then we should be able to have peace among ourselves. We know that we have differences with the world, but it is our place to publish the truth, to let Yahshua’s light shine in hope that a ray of light will be able to penetrate the darkness, thereby many others will be able to see and have their lives preserved through the power of faith in Yahshua the Messiah, the Savior of the whole world!  

 CONCLUSION

   While there are volumes upon volumes that could be written concerning these things, there comes a time when enough has been said or written for one message or treatise.

  Yahshua said to His disciples, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” If we are His disciples, then we are that salt. Salt is so important and vital to life that it is on a level with water and air. Salt is so valuable that if it weren’t available in such vast quantities, its value would be on a par with gold, or even greater. We can’t eat gold, but salt is essential in our diet.

  The word “salary,” which is synonymous with “wages,” comes from the word salt. We earn the wages, the salary of death when we sin (Ro. 6:23). Yahweh gives us the gift of grace, but we must maintain the condition of grace for the rest of our lives, otherwise we won’t be worth our salt.

  Salt is a preservative. We as the salt of the earth are to preserve the covenant that Yahweh is making with us through Yahshua the Messiah.

  Salt is for purity. We must keep ourselves unspotted and unstained from the world, remaining in the purity that Yahweh has called us to.

  Salt is a seasoning. We, as salt, are to season an unpalatable world or it will result in complete destruction.

  Salt is sprinkled or scattered. We must remain in our scattered state, seeking to proclaim the good news of the coming kingdom of heaven to the various parts of the earth.

  Salt is a combination of two volatile and dangerous substances, which when combined, are changed to become necessary and essential for life itself.

  We must fear the possibility of losing our saltness, for then we stand in danger of being cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

  We must maintain our saltness by following Yahshua’s example, proclaiming His sacrifice and taking part in it, presenting our own bodies as a living sacrifice for the greater glory and honor of Yahweh’s glorious kingdom.

  May Yahweh bless you to be savory salt.

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Yahshua clearly taught his disciples that they should not take the title of Rabbi: Matt. 23:8 But do not you be called rabbi, for one is your master, the messiah, and you are all brothers.

Now we can understand why Judaism would not follow this command of Yahshua since they deny his messiahship, but why would messianic leaders today also deny Yahshua’s command and take the title of rabbi? The first thing you must understand is why Yahshua gave this command to his disciples, as it went much further than just forbidding his followers from taking a specific title.

It actually goes to the very heart of the problem with some believers today following the oral law of modern Rabbinic Judaism. In the oral law it states that every disciple must have a rabbi to teach him. Now this may not sound so devious by itself, but it goes much further than this. Once you give your allegiance to your rabbi, he in turn has become not only your spiritual mentor but literally your master.

The Jewish oral law called the Talmud and also a book called the Mishnah states that, “if the rabbi says right is left and left is right then so it is.” It also states “to break the torah is a small offence but to disagree with a rabbi is punishable by losing your eternal life.” Both of these statements are blasphemous and idolatrous according to the first commandment.

This is the reason that Yahshua said “Call no man rabbi, as you have one master the Messiah.” When you would give your allegiance to your rabbi, basically you gave him your undying loyalty to follow anything he tells you even if you know that it is wrong, or even sin.

There is one story in the Talmud (rosh hash 25a) that shows Rabbi Eleazar upset because he stated that the New Month had started and he knew that he was wrong and that in reality it did not start yet. Then another rabbi tells him not to worry because since anything a rabbi says is infallible, that the new month has started even though in reality it didn’t, simply because he said it did. This gave Eleazar comfort. Again this is blasphemous and sounds very much like Roman Catholicism and the pope.

In modern Judaism the rabbis cannot be wrong and you must have a personal rabbi to give your allegiance to. Also in modern Judaism the rabbis have no accountability to anyone, not even to Yahweh. The Talmud states that “Yahweh is only one of 70 rabbis and must submit to the authority of the other rabbis.”

Yahweh must submit to the rabbis? How perverted has modern Judaism gotten and who are these rabbis and where did their authority come from? Did you know that the word Rabbi is not found even once in the TaNaK (old testament)? So where did these rabbis come from?

RISE OF THE MACABEES

The answer goes back to the Hasmonian Dynasty and the times of the Macabees. The Macabees were a family of Jewish men who lived in the second century BCE. After Alexander the Great conquered the world in 334 BCE, he died mysteriously soon after that, at only 32 years old. His kingdom was divided by his four generals. The two predominant ones were the Ptolemy’s to the south who overtook Egypt, and the Seleucids to the north who oversaw Syria. These two kingdoms fought each other for control and whoever was in charge at the time controlled the land of Israel. In 167 BCE a leader from the Seleucids named Antiochus Epiphanes who hated the Jewish people, made laws to make it illegal for Jews to circumcise their children. He then went on to sacrifice a pig in the Temple (the abomination of desolation) and tried to convert all Jews to Greek Hellenization. (NOTE: He also glorified his Greek god Zeus by placing his statue in the Holy of holies in the temple, a far worse desecration than offering swine on the altar. JH)

At this time Mathias Macabees with his four sons rebelled to save the Jewish nation. His oldest son Judas was most famous for the story of Hanukah and the rededication of the temple to Yahweh. These Macabees were the beginning of the Hasmonian dynasty. After Judas died, his brother Simon took over for him, etc. But by the time of the late first century BCE, descendants of Simon such as Jason were made high priest and were not Levites but were from the tribe of Judah.

During the times of the Macabees the Jewish leaders made covenant pacts with Egypt and Rome and were looking for outside protection since they were not a very large military might in this time period. Then in 63 BCE Rome conquered the land of Israel and set up a very wealthy Edomite spice trader as governor of Judea named Herod the Great. Herod converted to Judaism to try to win the confidence of the Jewish people, but they saw right through his trickery.

At this time many non-Levites and even worse, non-Jews who were Edomite converts such as Herod were buying into the sacred priesthood. The Jewish court called the Sanhedrin set up in 196 BCE held most of the reigning power. They were made up of Sadducees and Pharisees. The Pharisees were not priests but common people, who were against scripture, performing certain Levitical duties, when scripture is very clear that only Levites should perform sacrifices.

AKIVA AND THE RABBIS

The party of the Pharisees were also called Rabbis. Again you do not even once see this term in the whole of Torah. Then in the second half of the first century CE after the destruction of the Temple, many Jewish people were seeing the fulfillment of Yahshua as the substitute of the sacrificial system and were questioning the authority of the false Rabbinic system that had been set up.

This is when a man called Akiva (or Akiba) came on the scene and set up what is today modern Rabbinic Judaism. In modern Judaism the oral writings of the rabbis are much more important than even the torah and most of these writings come from Akiva. The Talmud is filled with stories of how great Akiva was. There are stories of every great man of the bible praising Akiva, even such great men as Abraham and Moses and even Adam in the garden of Eden talked about how great Akiva was. Clearly these are fairy tales and made up by Akiva himself.

Akiva made the rabbis into gods and gave all authority not only in earth but heaven also to the rabbis. Akiva was also the one who wrote that Yahweh is merely one of 70 rabbis and must submit to the will of the rabbis.

Akiva was also the one who named Simon Bar Kochba as the Messiah in 132 CE. Akiva saw that many Jews were accepting Yahshua as the promised Messiah and knew he had to do something to stop the movement, so he named Bar Kochba as the messiah, well knowing that believers of Yahshua could not fight in a holy war for a false messiah. The punishment for not fighting against the Romans was imprisonment, confiscation of property and also death.

Akiva set up a 4-man tribunal against believers with himself at the head, and sentenced many of our Jewish brothers and sisters to death. This is why by the second half of the second century CE, there were very few Jewish believers left in society. Akiva also wrote evil lies about Yahshua and called him everything from a warlock to a bastard, to a liar. All this is written in the Talmud.

In modern Judaism, Akiva is acclaimed as the greatest rabbi of all time and is worshipped by his rabbinic followers. No wonder there is so much hatred for Yahshua among orthodox followers today. I am sorry to say that modern rabbinic Judaism is a false second century religion made up by an evil man named Akiva. There are many books such as Dan Gruber’s Rabbi Akiva’s Messiah that can easily confirm these facts as accurate, but the best source to verify these things is to go to the Talmud and the Mishnah themselves and see the evil lies that are said about our King Messiah Yahshua the Son of Yahweh.

DISCIPLESHIP

This article is not to attack rabbinic Judaism but to show that the origins of it are not scriptural. Certainly when you read the oral law a child can see that it does not go back to Moses but is filled with inaccuracies and fairy tales. In a time when many believers are coming out of paganized Christianity and are naively thinking that rabbinic Judaism is the ancient religion of the bible, the truth must come out.

Even worse, we know of some that are even converting to rabbinic Judaism to be able to stay in the land of Israel. The whole problem of why Yahshua had so many problems with the Pharisees was that of authority. Yahshua claimed full authority from heaven: “Mat. 28:18 And coming up Yahshua talked with them, saying, All authority in heaven and on earth was given to me.”

But the rabbis also claimed that all authority in heaven and earth was given to them. The Talmud says that Yahweh gave ultimate authority over heaven and earth to Moses and in turn Moses has handed this authority over to the rabbis and since Yahweh said they could have it, he can’t take it back no matter how evil they are.

So the believer in Yahshua must make a decision. Yahshua clearly stated in Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.

In order to be a disciple of Yahshua we must forsake all and give our total allegiance to him or else he states we are not worthy to be his disciple. The rabbis claim this same authority. When you are a convert to rabbinic Judaism you are required to give the allegiance that belongs to Yahshua alone to another rabbi. Clearly we can see why calling someone rabbi has a much deeper meaning than just another title; it has to do with who is our master and who we worship. As believers in Yahshua we should not recognize another rabbi or master than Yahshua and certainly leaders in the body of Messiah should not be taking the title of rabbi to themselves, as it is left for Yahshua alone.

Matt. 23:8 But do not you be called rabbi, for one is your master, the messiah, and you are all brothers

Names such as teacher and pastor are job descriptions and should not be used as titles. As this Scripture states, we are all BROTHERS. I may be an ordained Elder and pastor but that is my job not my title. To the brethren I am simply brother Don just as any other brother. When one takes titles to himself such as rabbi so and so or pastor so and so, this is simply a device to separate and lift himself up from the rest of the brethren, and this lifting up is against scripture.

Mat. 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Children don’t need titles).

 Matt. 20:27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant.

We are all equally important in the eyes of Yahweh and although we should give respect to elders and pastors who are working among us, we should not take any title to ourselves, as only the Eternal Creator Himself, Yahweh, deserves and has set apart titles for his own glory. Most of all neither should we call ourselves rabbi or neither should we give allegiance to rabbis that do not have that authority from scripture but from an unrighteous murderer named Akiva who is the father and founder of modern Judaism in the second century CE. Let us give our undying allegiance to Yahweh and His son, the King of Kings, Yahshua Ha Mashiach! ~ By Bro. Don Esposito. Contact him at his US address, Congregation of YHWH, PO Box 832, Carteret, NJ 07008.

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