What a beautiful response to the last writer! Thank you.

My wife and I, too, are whole-hearted Bible believers and we constantly encourage everyone, everywhere we go, to know God’s voice as He instructs in 2 Timothy 2:15 and John 10:27.

I ask people how they think they will hear the voice of Jesus when He calls us home at the end of time if we don’t recognize His voice, now. Most people at the baptism of Jesus thought they heard thunder but those who had ears to hear heard God say, “This is my Son…”

Your last paragraph was exceptional. Start wherever you are to follow God in whatever He says and let that lead where it will. That’s a true follower of the WORD.

Tim C

I never made any agreement with Moshe. Moshe was just a man. I’m sure he will tell you the same.
I’m not afraid of Yahweh’s voice like some. I seek His face; I don’t run from it!

“Concerning you my heart has said, “Seek to find My face, you people.” Your face, O Yahweh, I shall seek to find.”
(Psalms 27:8)

Yahshua wrote Leviticus and Genesis. In Genesis there’s no list of foods to eat. Why not?

Noah was told to take clean and unclean animals. Does this mean food or anything to do with food?

Obviously since there’s no written account that Noah was given a list of clean foods like in Leviticus, and on top of that Yahweh told Noah,

“EVERY moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.”
(Genesis 9:3)

“Every moving thing” includes what you consider as unclean moving things or animals.

If you look at the animal kingdom there are animals that look clean and animals that look dirty or unclean. That’s exactly what unclean means, dirty. Noah was instructed to bring even unclean dirty animals. There are animals that literally roll around in mud and dirt, and then there are animals that don’t. Then there are animals that really smell unclean or dirty, and those that don’t smell so bad.
Noah wasn’t just to take exotic beautiful clean animals, but also the undesirable unclean dirty smelly animals as well.

Now to Kepha. In Acts 10:10 it says, “But he became very hungry and wanted to eat.”

Does this have anything to do with food, Kepha being hungry?
Yes.

In the vision he saw animals not gentile men. He was instructed to rise slaughter and eat. Does this have anything to do with food,
slaughtering and eating? Yes.

When Kepha saw the men sent by Cornelius he knew that gentiles were to be accepted even though they ate animals that the Hebrews didn’t. Cornelius and any Gentile would be rejected off top by the Hebrews because of what they ate even though they desired to keep Yahweh’s ten commandments and to put faith in Yahshua.

Nothing today has changed. If I told someone that I ate a pork chop who strictly followed not eating pork, they will think that their better/cleaner in some way because they don’t eat pork, and that I would be unclean.
That’s why Kepha said, “I shall not call any man common or unclean” because he was shown it’s not about food.

I’ve read some folks saying that the clean food laws are a benefit to those that don’t eat foods like pork because pork is unhealthy and by eating the foods listed in Leviticus will prolong your days.
Oh really?
I know for a fact that this isn’t true.

“Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?”
(Mattityahu 6:27)

I wonder which is more healthy to eat, a big mac or a grilled pork chop?

I see people all these fat over weight people in America. Most of them eat fast food and junk food. Which is alright according to Leviticus. I’d rather eat Canadian bacon than a beef patty because it’s more healthy. Just look at the nutrition facts. I hear all these clean diet people saying that beef is better for your health. I went and looked at the nutrition facts on beef and pork hotdogs. Guess what? A Oscar Mayer Frankfurter pork hotdog has less fat and saturated fat than a beef Frankfurter, and has more protein. I was surprised to find that.
Lamb has more fat and saturated fat than a grilled pork chop.
A 1 pound lobster tail has almost no fat at all or saturated fat, and is very high in protein.
Oh yeah, lobsters are scavengers of the sea so their unclean.
But wait a minute. Is it okay to eat mushrooms? Mushroom is a fungus that grows from dead matter. They’re garbage disposers as well.

I hear clean food people say that you can get worms and other problems from eating a pig.
Well you can get intestinal disorders from under cooked beef as well. E.COLI, TAPEWORMS, SALMONELLA, CAMPYLOBACTER, etc..

What about things that come out of the unclean dirt? People use fertilizer/dead organic matter plant or animal to grow things from the dirt and then eat it.

I would love to see you go to some remote village to bring the message of the Kingdom of Yahweh. The locals being poor might prepare a meal for you, and you sit down with them but refuse to eat their food and tell them that they’re unclean. I’m sure you would say I wouldn’t come at them like that, but in your heart you feel it’s unclean.

You sure didn’t say anything about the Pharisees keeping clean food laws, but they didn’t keep the ten commandments.

A couple of comments for you to consider…First of all I am not a member of SDA. I am not sure they believe in keeping all of the Appointed Times of God…I do. Sabbath is but one. (Leviticus 23) I am just a Bible believing follower of Yeshua (Jesus the Christ). I believe as His disciple I should be imitating Him…He kept the 7th day Sabbath…if He did not we are in trouble as sin is defined Biblically as transgression of the Torah. (1John 3:4) While i know that I fail in many ways to live as Messiah does, He is my example to follow. Paul tells us that Messiah is the Goal of Torah for believers. (Romans 10:4)

Second I do not abide in judging people who worship God on Sunday. What about Monday? What about wednesday night bible study? I was born again while in a Sunday worshiping church who loved the Lord and tried to teach the Word of God as they understood it. So I agree with you that is not right or good to condemn. While it is sad this occurs within the so called Messianic movement is does not define every group of people clinging to their faith in Messiah and the Word of God. Also, it does not hold that every group of Messianic believers are judgmental and legalistic in their approach to faith. While it may be the case in some instances…it is also true that some mainline protestant churches exhibit the same traits. Many a church has split over what kind of praise music they should have! Also, you might consider me to be quite messed up on my interpretation of Revelation! I don’t understand it all. All congregations are composed of flawed men and women. All congregations are faced with choices in how to walk out this walk we have been called to. Some may do a better job than others. But I will not get caught up in judging the love that someone has for the Lord based on a day of worship. I will however continue to point out that the Bible seems clear that we are to obey the 4th Commandment along with all of God’s instructions.

That brings me to my final point in response to your comment. It does not matter what everyone else does. Do you believe that you should obey God when it comes to resting on and honoring the Seventh Day? Start there…Pray and ask God to lead you. Tell Him of your desire to be obedient and then act on that desire the best you can. See what happens. Let me know what happens. I pray right now that God would direct you in how you should proceed. Maybe this means staying where you are and showing others in love what you are seeing. Maybe this means starting a study on Sabbath and seeing what it turns into. May God Bless you as you follow Him. Contact me any time.

In Messiah, Tim

Concerning the Ten Commandments….If I understand you correctly you think we need only concern ourselves with the Ten. Please read Exodus 20:18-19. We made an agreement with Moses to do all that God spoke thru him as we could not stand to hear the voice of the Almighty. It was not just the Ten that we were to obey. We should never forget the warning from Yeshua in Matthew 5. I would also encourage you to read the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If we do not agree on this we have little to discuss.

You said that Yeshua never spoke against eating swine etc….Who do you think wrote Leviticus 11? (John 1:1)

Concerning Peter’s vision…I do not think you even read my teaching above as I reference this passage of Scripture clearly. Peter tells us in plain spoken words what God was telling him….and it had nothing to do with food….check it out. I have no pretext…I look to the context of Scripture:

“As Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant”… While you think you already know what God is saying Peter is not so quick to rush to judgement.

You ask the question “What’s the purpose of telling Kepha this?

Let Peter tell you in his own words:

“But God has shown me that I should not call any MAN common or unclean.”…

As you have been so fond of saying…”Its not about food!

Gotta run…May God continue to teach us both.

Look. There are a lot of people that eat clean foods. How many keep the commandments of Yahweh? He gave the ten commandments. Yahshua is the High Priest now not the Levi. How come so many are willing to keep clean food laws but not the ten commandments of Yahweh? In these days many practice clean food laws, how could that make one set apart when many do it? Torah says Yahweh wrote His commandments on stone tablets. I don’t teach His commandments are void, they are forever. You know what He wrote on these tablets. It doesn’t mention physical food. “And Yahweh said unto Moshe, “Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a LAW, and COMMANDMENTS which I have written; that thou may teach them.”(Exodus 24:12) “And He gave unto Moshe, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of Yahweh.”
(Exodus 31:18) “And Yahweh said unto Moshe, “Write thou these words: for in accordance with THESE WORDS I have made a covenant with thee and with Yisrael.” And he was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water (It’s not about physical food). And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments (his food was the word of Yahweh).” (Exodus 34:27-28) Torah makes it very clear what Yahweh wrote on tablets of stone, His ten commandments. “For as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of the Messiah ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the ruach of the living Almighty One; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.”(2Corinthians 3:3)
Saul is referencing the “tables of stone”, the ten commandments.
Yahweh will write this on fleshly tables, the hearts of His servants. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Yisrael after those days, says Yahweh; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.”(Hebrews 8:10) When Yahshua said why do you transgress the commandment of Yahweh because of your tradition, he’s referencing the ten commandments. The Pharisees kept the clean food laws, but they didn’t keep the ten commandments. “This people honors me with their lips (mouths/eating), yet their HEART is far from me.” Right after this Yahshua says it’s not the physical food that defiles a man. No wonder Yahweh allowed Noah to eat any meat. It’s not about physical food! Yahweh didn’t give Noah any food laws about clean animals. He said not to eat of the blood. Don’t add to what is said. Noah could’ve ate a pig if he desired. “EVERY MOVING THING THAT LIVES SHALL BE MEAT UNTO YOU.” No pretext needed, Yahweh says what He says!
The real filthy animals destroyed by the flood were the ones that didn’t survive. This is true. “And Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and BEAST, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.”(Genesis 8:7) Yahweh cleansed the earth of all defilement by means of a flood, including filthy animals. I don’t have my own definition of food. I don’t eat bat wings. Food is any nutritious substance that people eat or drink, in order to maintain life and growth. “Yahshua said unto them, “I have meat/food to eat that you know not of. My meat/food is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.”(Yochanan 4:32,34) Can’t you see? It has NOTHING to do with physical food! “Labor not for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you.”(Yochanan 6:27) “For the kingdom of Yahweh is not food and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and things where with one may edify another.”(Romans 14:17) “Blessed are they that do His commandments. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”(Revelation 22:14-15) No mention of animal eaters. Referencing the ten commandments of Yahweh. Yahshua is your example, good. I’ll ask you. How many times does Yahshua teach about eating clean animals? I can’t think of or find any. “Now you are clean through the word I have spoken unto you.”(Yochanan 15:3) The disciples kept the clean food laws, but this doesn’t make one clean. “NOW YOU ARE CLEAN” he says; they’re clean through the word/ruach that he gave them, and not from physical food laws.
“My son, keep My words, and lay up My commandments with thee. Keep My commandments, and live; and My law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.”(Proverbs 7:1-3) Why would Yahweh say bind His commandments and His law upon your fingers? Simple, He created man with ten fingers!
“Here is the patience of the set apart ones: those that keep the commandments of Yahweh, and the faith of Yahshua.”(Revelation 14:12)

Wilder said 4 hours ago:
Also,

“The next day as they were pursuing their journey and were approaching the city, Kepha went up into the housetop about the six hour to pray. But he became very ra’eb and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he fell into a trance and beheld shamayim opened and some sort of vessel descending like like a great linen sheet being let down by its four extremities upon ha erets; and in it were all sorts of four footed creatures and creeping things ha erets and the birds ha shamayim. And a voice came to him: “Rise, Kepha, and eat!” But Kepha said, “Not at all, Master, because never have I eaten anything tame’ and unclean.” And the voice spoke again to him, the second time, “You stop calling tame’ things Yahweh has taher.” This occurred a third time, and immediately the vessel was taken up into shamayim. Now while Kepha was in great perplexity inwardly what the vision he had seen might mean, look! The men dispatched by Cornelius had made inquiries for Simon’s house and stood there at the gate.”(Acts10:9-17)

I’ve read this before, but forgot all about it. Forgive me, never again! I found this as I was doing more research trying to prove myself wrong about clean foods. What is written is obvious.

Who do you think is speaking to Kepha in the above scriptures telling him to eat these animals?

Who is telling Kepha to STOP calling animals defiled?

What’s the purpose of telling Kepha this? The answer to this question is standing at the gate as it is written.

Most know what is written in the book of Leviticus. The Pharisees knew what was written in the book of Leviticus, but they didn’t eat bread that came down from ha shamayim. In fact, they resented the bread that came down from ha shamayim, just as their forefathers in the wilderness had done. They didn’t listen to the voice and representative of Yahweh, Yahshua ha Mashiyach.

I wonder if you have a pretext to explain away what ruach ha kodesh revealed unto Kepha?

Who said he will send ruach ha emeth to teach you all things?

“The next day as they were pursuing their journey and were approaching the city, Kepha went up into the housetop about the six hour to pray. But he became very ra’eb and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he fell into a trance and beheld shamayim opened and some sort of vessel descending like like a great linen sheet being let down by its four extremities upon ha erets; and in it were all sorts of four footed creatures and creeping things ha erets and the birds ha shamayim. And a voice came to him: “Rise, Kepha, and eat!” But Kepha said, “Not at all, Master, because never have I eaten anything tame’ and unclean.” And the voice spoke again to him, the second time, “You stop calling tame’ things Yahweh has taher.” This occurred a third time, and immediately the vessel was taken up into shamayim. Now while Kepha was in great perplexity inwardly what the vision he had seen might mean, look! The men dispatched by Cornelius had made inquiries for Simon’s house and stood there at the gate.”(Acts10:9-17)

I’ve read this before, but forgot all about it. Forgive me, never again! I found this as I was doing more research trying to prove myself wrong about clean foods. What is written is obvious.

Who do you think is speaking to Kepha in the above scriptures telling him to eat these animals?

Who is telling Kepha to STOP calling animals defiled?

What’s the purpose of telling Kepha this? The answer to this question is standing at the gate as it is written.

Most know what is written in the book of Leviticus. The Pharisees knew what was written in the book of Leviticus, but they didn’t eat bread that came down from ha shamayim. In fact, they resented the bread that came down from ha shamayim, just as their forefathers in the wilderness had done. They didn’t listen to the voice and representative of Yahweh, Yahshua ha Mashiyach.

I wonder if you have a pretext to explain away what ruach ha kodesh revealed unto Kepha?

Who said he will send ruach ha emeth to teach you all things?

You and I agree that the context of Matthew 15 or Mark 7 that I referenced is not about food. So why then would you attempt to use it in your effort to teach that the Commandments of God as given in Leviticus 11 are null and void? The very passage of Scripture you cite begins with Yeshua asking the question “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” Yeshua made it clear in Matthew 5 that not one jot nor tittle of the the Law would be done away with. And He warns us not to break or teach others to break even the least commandment.

Concerning Genesis chapter 9. The covenant God made in verse 11 concerns the promise to never destroy the world again with water…it does not refer to verse 3 as you try to convey. Read it and see. Also, please consider that Noah already knew about clean and unclean animals as per his directions concerning the animals to be taken on the ark. Also, I am not sure how you use this to negate the instructions of our Lord God in Leviticus 11 given at a later time when He chose Israel to be a light to the nations. You and I are part of Israel right?

Also, you seem to think God used the flood to destroy what you call “real filthy animals” whatever that means. This is simply not true. Why do you think He had Noah build the ark to begin with? “And of every living thing of ALL flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of EVERY creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two EVERY kind will come to you to KEEP THEM ALIVE.” Genesis 7:19-20

I agree that Yeshua is the Bread of Life…but again I see no connection between this fact and your belief that we can come up with our own definition of food. God made it clear that we are to consider certain things to be an abomination for us. (Leviticus 11:11,12,13,20,41) God finishes up Leviticus 11 saying “Be holy, for I am holy”. (Lev 11:45)

I agree with your ending assertion that Yeshua was saying that it does not matter what food we put in our mouths…I would however disagree with your definition of food. Bat wings are not food. And Yeshua was without sin meaning He never transgressed the Torah of God meaning he would never eat the abominable nor teach others to. He is my example.

Tim

“Then answered Kepha and said unto him, “Declare unto us this parable.”

And Yahshua said, “Are you also yet without understanding? Do not you yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
(Mattityahu 15:10-20)

Yahshua was referencing the commandments written with the finger of Yahweh, the ten commandments. The Pharisees couldn’t follow the ten commandments, but they could follow the food laws. Muslims can do this with no problem. Even vegetarian Atheists eat clean foods, animals as well. Are righteousness must proceed that of the Pharisees.

The food that Yahshua warned about is the leaven of the Pharisees.

“Then Yahshua said unto them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisess and of the Sadducees.”
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread?”

It’s not about physical bread/food, and it never was!

When Yahshua perceived, he said unto them, “O you of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you have brought no bread? How is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?”
(Mattityahu 16:6-12)

The clean bread/food has been provided by Yahweh, and that would be Yahshua.

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.”
(Yochanan 6:51)

When the Hebrews left Egypt they didn’t have this bread.

Is Yahweh really concerned about clean animals? Let’s see.

“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”
And Yahweh spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.”
(Genesis 9:3,11)

Yahweh just got done cleaning the eretz of all the real filthy animals by means of a flood.

Food is very powerful. Animals will turn to canniBAALism if starving, even demonic men. They don’t turn to Yahweh nor could they. That’s why Yahweh forbid certain foods to Yisrael. They rather have the food/bread of Egypt, and wanted to return to satisfy the god/dog of the belly. When one enters into a foreign culture, the first thing most try out is the food. They want you to eat what they eat to be accepted, to be like them. Yahweh didn’t want Yisrael mixing with the goyim. We need to totally rely on Him, and not the surrounding nations for any foreign aid.

It’s not what you put in your mouth (food) that defiles you, it’s the lies/adultery that come out of it that defiles you. That’s what Yahshua ha Mashiach says!

Following is a short Biblical definition of love for God and love for people taken from the very book you quote.

1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Thanks so much for commenting and for reminding all that it is only by God’s grace that we can be saved. Please remember however that Jesus told us that if we loved Him…keep His commandments…Newcolors

Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Jeroboam does several things by his own will/choice. He:
1) substituted golden calves (as Aaron did when leaving Egypt) as objects of worship (v. 28)
2) changed the place of worship from Jerusalem to Bethel and Dan (vv. 27-30)
3) appointed profane priests, not from the tribe of Levi (v. 31)
4) changed the time of the feast of tabernacles from the 7th month, 15th day to the 8th month, 15th day (v. 32).

Why? Fear of man (Prov 29:25) Fear of loss of power / control (1 Kings 12:26-27) “And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

Jeroboam changed WHO was being worshipped by corrupting HOW people worshipped, just as the anti-Christ changes who is actually being worshipped by changing how we are to honor Jesus by keeping His Word.

According to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, the anti-Christ sits in “the temple” (believers are the temple of God) dictating how they are to honor Jesus contrary to God’s Word, thereby leading many to sin.

I am reminded that the Jews kept the law and rejected faith in Jesus whereas the church says they have faith in Jesus but reject the law. Revelation 12:17, 14:12 and 22:14 says that believers have both (faith and obedience).

My wife blessed me by saying that the Bible is a two-edged sword (TWO testaments). The Old Testament (which most people think of as keeping the law) says that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and the New Testamant (which most people equate only with faith) says that faith is dead without works. Abraham believed, therefore obeyed, and was justified (James 2).

So I believe we have to obey the Bible in order for our faith in Jesus to be real, saving faith.

I hope this answers your question.

Tim C