Friday, May 31, 2019

Some Thoughts On "Reformation"

One of the questions commonly asked in these modern times is this: "Can Islam ever be reformed?"

I have my opinions but I will share them by first giving my view of the historical Protestant Reformation which effectively started in 1517 with Martin Luther. A good synopsis of the Protestant Reformation can be found here.

The Protestants, organized under differing sects and persuasions, never did leave the Roman Catholic Church, in my opinion.  Yes, they had specific disagreements with Rome and the link I gave you speaks of these.  It's a good read!

However, todays Protestants still celebrate Sunday, Christmas, and Easter, effectively keeping the Roman calendar and Constantinian precepts.  Todays Protestants range from being very conservative, biblically oriented denominations, to blasphemous far left Satanic denominations.  Essentially, ALL protestants are simply protesting Catholics!

Even the Seventh-Day Adventists are still joined at the hip with Rome.  They will say they are not, but SDA folk still celebrate the Roman Calendar and Constantinian precepts.  About the only difference between a Baptist and an SDA'er is the worship on Saturday rather than Sunday. Another difference would be their teaching of vegetarianism.  My wife and I attended an SDA church for over a year and would have joined except when a Pastor asked if we drank wine or beer and we answered, yes - we discovered that SDA is not really that biblical.  In short, they wanted nothing to do with us!  : )

So, lets talk about the REAL reformations that have occurred in history.

In pre-Christian times, let's say 200 B.C. or better, Judaism was very different than at the time of Christ.  By the time of Yeshua's ministry the Pharisees had very much seized control of "Judaism".  Judaism had been re-formed into a different mold.  The only constant that has remained in Judaism, I would argue, is Torah.  This doesn't mean, btw, that Torah has always been obediently observed throughout all of Jewish history; it simply means that "Judah has retained the Scepter and Torah" as Genesis 49:10 states.  Today, a myriad of Jewish sects are available; Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chabad-ic, Hasidic and even some esoteric denominations based in Cabbalism!  Judaism has been re-formed throughout history, for good or ill.

Christianity is similar but I believe it's reform has been more dramatic.  When we look at "Christianity" in it's original form it was Jewish in nature and practice.  It was NOT Pharisaical, but biblically "Jewish".  Torah was observed, Yehovah's celebrations were practiced, and the only Rabbi was Yeshua Himself!  In fact, I see early Christianity as a reformed/renewed Judaism.  Yeshua knew the Aaronic Priesthood would be suspended and the Melchizedekian Priesthood would rise again to prominence.  Unfortunately, most "Jews" ignored what was happening - just like today!

Then a horrendous reformation happened during the next 400 years or so.  This change was definitely for the worse.  Early Apostolic and Jewish Christianity became horrifically Roman, under the threat of death - Constantine being a true antichrist type if there ever was one!  For Christians this was the first REAL reformation.

Later on came the historical Protestant Reformation mentioned earlier which was not really a reformation in a true sense.

What about today?  It is my opinion that another REAL and true Reformation is occurring right before our eyes!  It is the re-forming/re-newing of the original Apostolic and Jewish centric assembly.  Some call it Hebrew or Hebraic Roots.  Others call it 1st Century Christianity.  But, no matter what label you wish to attach to it, it is a movement of the Ruach Kodesh (Holy Spirit) and NOT a man-made reform!  In fact, when men try to claim it as their own they are shunned.  A great example of this man-made reform is Messianic Judaism, which is simply another man-made religion and denomination of abomination.

Now, what does all this have to do with the original question concerning Islam?  Can Islam be "reformed"?  In short the answer is no because Islam is so restrained by men (just like the RCC) that it is immoveable from it's doctrinal pedestal.  Islam means "submission" and that submission is brought about by force and not by gentle and loving persuasion as Christianity and Judaism is intended to be.

Does this mean that all Muslims are doomed?  Of course not!  Our Father Yehovah/Yeshua does not work that way!  In fact, the numbers of Muslims coming to Christ is exponentially increasing as we inter-mix and share lives.

Does it mean Muslims will stop the carnage (Ramadan 2019)?  No, over 1,000 casualties in the first 3 weeks alone!  Remember, how many millions were killed by the Roman Catholic Church over history?

So now, we begin to see the results of bad reform vs. good!

… just a few thoughts ...

The Observer

P.S. - This year's deadly Ramadan!

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Life After Death - Part 12

Continuing from Part 11 of this study we see also in Numbers 21 the mention of Og of Bashan:

(ESV)

Num 21:31  Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
Num 21:32  And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
Num 21:33  Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
Num 21:34  But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon."
Num 21:35  So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Why would the Israelites fear Og, especially after defeating King Sihon of the Amorites?  It is because Og was a giant, a Nephilim, a man of re-known, as described in Genesis 6.  Og was half-human and half fallen "angel".  I placed "angel" in quotes because some scholars say the divine but fallen beings that mated with human women were Angels and some say fallen members of the Divine Council of Yehovah - beings of a different and higher order.

Either way, once Og was killed his human side died with no more sentient existence and what was left over, his supernatural "spirit", was left to roam the earth.  See how this plays into our study?  The leftover spiritual existence of the union of humans and fallen ones are what we call Demons and they influence man in terrible ways.  The Divine beings mentioned in Enoch 1 who descended to Mt. Hermon and mated with the women in the first place are in the Abyss, awaiting their judgement.  Their imprisonment is a holding place for their ultimate judgement.  These immortal beings will one day end up in the Lake of Fire.  Unfortunately, we have to deal with their spiritual demonic offspring!

Did you ever wonder why some people go nuts and kill innocent people, sometimes babies and even pregnant Mothers?  Are they being influenced by Demons?  Are Muslim terrorists, for example, possessed by Demons?  It makes one wonder, doesn't it?

This demonic influence can be seen in Ch. 25 of Numbers, as well.  The Israelites began to worship Baal.  The word "baal" simply means "master", but was the actual Baal a fallen one, a former member of  Yehovah's divine council?  Many people were killed at this point in the text but again, no mention of an afterlife.

The same kind of story continues in Ch. 31 with the Midianites.

An atheist once told me that the God of the Bible was a genocidal maniac for having the Israelites kill every man, woman, and child and even their animals as they made their way through the land they were to possess. I told the fellow about the influence of the fallen ones and the demonic activity before and after the Flood.  I told him how even the animals were abused and all sorts of demonic hybrids were formed.  I explained to him how all of this activity would have brought destruction to the whole of mankind again if God did not intervene.  He, of course, said you have to be a believer to accept all of that and I told him; "Exactly!  That is my point".  (the opposite being that one accepts the horrendous behavior as normal - just examine leftist politics and what they push as "normal")

Yehovah-Yeshua was actually doing these people a favor by ridding them of demonic influence.  How will the humans side of these folks be judged?  Well, that's up to Yeshua!

I can only speak for myself, but I would wish to be dead before being possessed by a demon and I pray to Yehovah-Yeshua for mine and my families continued protection!

The Observer

P.S. - Folks have always wondered how Nephilim were on the earth after the flood because the biblical record indicates all died except for a total of eight people, Noah and family, of course;  although the Bible does say they were present before and after the flood (Genesis 6:4).The biblical record is unclear concerning the "how" (at least to me) but I've heard speculations from others such as:

1. A second incursion of Fallen beings occurred.
or ...
2. The wives of Noah's sons had genetics which carried the Giantism forward.
or ...
3. Somehow the Demonic Spirits of the Fallen Nephilim of antediluvian times had something to do with it.

Anyway, we may never know the real answer until the Millennium but it's interesting to speculate.

Regards,
The Observer