Bigger, Better, Newer

What is the most common sin among church goers in America?

During the late 1990s there was a tremendous demand for programmers due to the Y2K problem.  The Y2K problem was that dates were stored with only two digits for the year so that when the year 2000 rolled over computers all over the world would treat year "00" as 1900 instead of 2000.  This was a serious problem because in tests where the date was rolled forward to see what exactly would happen all kinds of things went wrong.  What are some examples of things that seriously went wrong in these tests?

The engines of semis would not start because the computers that ensured they had mandatory maintenance would show that the last maintenance had been done 99 years earlier if the maintenance had been done in 1999.  In some cases, the engines of commercial aircraft would shutdown while running for the same reason.  The air traffic control systems in like manner would shut down as well.  Every large corporation and government organization ran tests, looked at the results and came to the same conclusion - if the Y2K problem was not fixed when the year 2000 (Y2K) began then everything in the world that was relied on computers was going to shutdown. Why did companies and governments insist on using two digit years if it would eventually cause such problems?

The first computer had been invented in America by Herman Hollerith in 1889.  He found a company in New York that would later be known as IBM.  From that time until late 1990s computer storage was very expensive.  In fact, when I got ram in the early 1990s at $25 per megabyte (MB) people were impressed with my negotiating skills.  This is why dates kept being stored with two digit years.  Yet everyone who worked in IT (Information Technology) knew that this was a ticking time bomb that would have to be defused before the year 2000.  So why did companies wait until two years before 2000 to start defusing this time bomb?

Even though their own tests and studies showed that the longer companies waited to fix the Y2K problem the harder it would be to fix and the more it would cost, for the most part they just put it off year after year in the 1990s so it would not impact their earnings for that year.  Then suddenly every company started desperately trying to fix it at the same time.  This drove up the wages of those of us with the right skills to unheard of levels.  I was stopped in the middle of my interview and asked when I could start because I had those skills.  I was offered more money per hour than any other time in my life and I could work all the hours that I could stand. The company that was interviewing me was desperate and wanted to be sure that they got my services before someone else did.  Suddenly, like most companies, this problem that they had been warned about for years but had ignored was now being treated as a matter of life and death for the company.

What caused all of these companies to suddenly treat Y2K as a life threatening crisis?  Was it the fact that airplanes full of passengers could fall out of the sky?  Was it the prospect of rolling blackouts that would shutdown the power grid in the northeast corridor of the US that serviced 60 million people in the dead of winter?  Was it the certainty that the semis which carried food to cities across the US would come to a grinding halt and possibly cause food shortages?  Was it the prospect of people dying in hospitals due to medical equipment ceasing to operate?

No, it was due what happened to a power company in western Oregon that also serviced part of northwest California and southwest Washington.  This company had a complete shutdown in 1997 due to a Y2K problem from its predictive systems showing that certain vital equipment was 97 years old and overdue for replacement.  The power company was sued by all three states for their neglect in causing so many people to be without power.  This lawsuit not only went against the company but also against all of the officers from the CEO all the way down to the director level.  The company lost and all of the officers suffered severe financial punishment as a result. 

A legal magazine picked up the story and stated that the legal industry stood to make one trillion dollars off of the Y2K problem because it was not being fixed.  When those in charge of other corporations realized that they could personally be sued then it was suddenly a matter of life and death.   They were suddenly willing drain the coffers of their companies to protect their own personal assets.  Nothing was as important to them as protecting their endless pursuit of getting bigger, better, newer things.

I must be quick to point out that the officers of these companies really did not act any different than most Americans.  Most Americans are on a hamster wheel of pursing bigger, better, newer things instead of taking care of other people.  America has a long history of putting the acquisition of bigger, better, newer things in front of pretty much everything else most of the time.  After all, the word "America" comes from two Spanish words that mean "lover of riches".

This is why America tends to ignore the judgment of the Father of Truth (Yahoveh aka Yahweh aka God aka The Lord) for its sins when those judgments come in the form of natural disasters like hurricanes, huge wars like WWI and plagues like the flu outbreak of 1918-1919 that killed close to a million Americans.  It was only when He stopped their acquisition of bigger, better, newer things with the stock market crash of 1929 that Americans took notice and began to repent of their sins in the 1930s.

This is not to say that Americans have a monopoly on greed.  Among the many inventions of the Americans, like the computer, greed cannot be included. People were placing the pursuit of bigger, better, newer things over the welfare of other people long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

There has never been a country that did not have part of its population infected with greed.  There have always been people that place the pursuit of bigger, better, newer things over the welfare of other people.

Most Americans, like many people who live in other countries, are in constant pursuit of bigger, better, newer things that they do not really need.  This endless pursuit of bigger, better, newer things is driven by the desire to have things at just because their neighbors have them.  Americans refer to it as "keeping up with the Jones".

This desire of people to have things at just because their neighbors have them has several motives.  One motive is the desire to have what belongs to their neighbor.

The Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) commands people to not desire (covet) anything that belongs to their neighbor (Exodus 20:17).  In fact, this is the last of the Ten Commandments that The Father of Truth personally spoke to the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 5:21-22).  The Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament) also calls this desire to have things that belong to your neighbor  a sin (Romans 7:7).  This should be no surprise because the Renewed Covenant defines sin as transgressing the Law of Truth (1 John 3:4).

So the most commonly broken commandment in the Ten Commandments in America is probably the least understood of all of the commandments by the average church goer in America.  Many American church goers might be wondering what is so wrong with endlessly desiring bigger, better, newer stuff?

Well, for one thing people are tempted to look for ways to gain more money unjustly so they can continue to acquire bigger, better, newer things.  Unjust gain is any financial gain that comes from breaking any commandment of the Law of Truth because those commandments are holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12).  Those that love other people do not break those commandments in order to get bigger, better, newer things (Galatians 5:14).

These commandments include things like charging each other fair prices for goods and services (Leviticus 25:14).  The Renewed Covenant says the same things.  People are to charge no more than the true value of their services (Luke 3:12-13).  They are not use violence or say anything false to gain wealth but are to be content with the wages they agreed to work for (Luke 3:14).

The Law of Truth says many other things that are not just to gain from.  It says that it is not just to gain by working seven days a week (Exodus 20:9-10).  It says that it is not just to gain by neglecting to take care of your parents (Exodus 20:12).  It says that it is not just to gain by stealing (Exodus 20:15).  It says that it is not just to gain by lying about other people (Exodus 20:16).  It says that it is not just to gain by holding on to every last thing that is produced through your efforts for yourself (Leviticus 19:9-10).  It says that it is not just to gain by dealing or swearing falsely (Leviticus 19:11-12).  It says that it is not just to gain by taking advantage of the foreigner that works for you in any manner including pay (Leviticus 19:33-34).  It says that it is not just to gain by not measuring what is sold fairly and accurately (Leviticus 19:35-36).  It says that it is not just to gain by not paying tithes to take care of His ministers (Numbers 18:26-28).  It says that it is not just to gain by taking the means of production from someone else (Deuteronomy 24:6).

In short, unjust gain comes from breaking the royal law of the Book of Truth - loving your neighbor as yourself (James 2:8).

Greed, coveting and unjust gain are so intertwined that the same Hebrew root word is usually used for all three of these words.  In fact, often where it is translated as some form of covet or greed it would be more clear if it had been translated as unjust gain.  Greed and coveting are the motivations that cause people to pursue unjust gain.
 
Those that acquire unjust gain find that their endless pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff is draining the very life out of them (Proverbs 1:19).  They seem clueless that this pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff is destroying their home life (Proverbs 15:27).  They look to casinos and lotteries as a replacement for hard work and ingenuity to get bigger, better, newer stuff instead of providing honest work to obtain wealth so they can take care of others (Proverbs 21:25-26).  They cannot see the poverty that their get-rich-quick schemes will bring (Proverbs 28:22).  They do not foresee the loneliness that their pursuit will bring (Ecclesiastes 4:8).  They can never have enough stuff to satisfy the emptiness in their souls (Ecclesiastes 5:10).  Their pursuit of bigger, better, newer things leaves them no time to actually enjoy what they already own (Ecclesiastes 5:11).  They are robbed of sleep from concern over keeping up in the race to obtain bigger, better, newer stuff (Ecclesiastes 5:12).   They do not understand that they can never be satisfied with bigger, better, newer stuff for good times do not last forever (Isaiah 56:10-12).  The endless desire for bigger, better, newer stuff causes them to oppress others with violence (Jeremiah 22:17).  They do not understand that the pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff will destroy them because the love of money is the root cause of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) says that coveting comes from an evil heart (Mark 7:21-23).  This evil heart that covets comes from ignoring the Father of Truth when making decisions (Romans 1:28-29).   Those with this evil heart that desires bigger, better, newer stuff just because their neighbors have it do not know the His ways (Ephesians 4:17-19).

Those with this evil heart persecute the poor to get bigger, better, newer stuff because they do not consider the Father of Truth when they make their decisions (Psalm 10:2-4).  They commit every kind of evil to get bigger, better, newer stuff because they have forgotten the Father of Truth (Ezekiel 22:12).  

Those with this evil heart do not consider that the Father of Truth will smite those that pursue bigger, better, newer stuff instead of love (Isaiah 57:17).  They consider not that no one will escape the judgment of the Father of Truth against those that do such things (Micah 2:1-3).  They have deluded themselves into believing that all of this bigger, better, newer stuff will save them from His wrath (Habakkuk 2:9).  They act like the Father of Truth will not judge them for oppressing the foreign worker or those in dire circumstances by paying them less than the regular wage for their work (Malachi 3:5).   They do not understand that all who want bigger, better, newer stuff just because their neighbors have it will not inherit His Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

How can so many church goers in America be so trapped in the pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff?

They are trapped because so many of them attend congregations where the religious professionals are Ministers of Lies. 

The Ministers of Lies do not warn their congregations to not spend their lives in pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff because they are doing the same thing (Jeremiah 6:13).  They do not heed what the warning in the Book of Truth (the Bible) of judgment for pursuing bigger, better, newer stuff instead of love but will instead tell their congregations the lie that the Father of Truth will not judge anyone (Jeremiah 8:9-11).  The Ministers of Lies lead their congregations in hearing His Word and singing His praises while also leading them to not do what He says because they earnestly desire bigger, better, newer stuff just because their neighbors have it (Ezekiel 33:30-32).  They mock the Ministers of Truth who tell people, that they cannot serve the desire for bigger, better, newer stuff, and the desires of the Father of Truth, at the same time (Luke 16:13-15).  These Ministers of Lies do not warn others that those who desire bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it, will not have an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Man of Truth and His Father, because they are engaged in idolatry (Ephesians 5:5).  Since they will not submit to the Man of Truth in every area of their lives, then they reject the truth, and instead teach that the blessing of the Father of Truth can be measured in the accumulation of bigger, better, newer stuff (1 Timothy 6:3-5).  They earnestly desire bigger, better, newer stuff, and they are just putting on a religious show, while denying that the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) demonstrates power in the congregations of the Children of Truth (those that obey the Father of Truth because they love Him) today (2 Timothy 3:2-5).  They teach lies, instead of the truth, in order to obtain unjust gain (Titus 1:10-11).  These Teachers of Lies will speak against the Children of Truth, and lie to their congregations, because they want to sell merchandise to their congregations, to feed their own desire for bigger, better, newer stuff (2 Peter 2:1-3).  They have drank their own kool-aid, and do not understand, that they too will perish under the judgment of the Father of Truth for pursuing bigger, better, newer stuff, instead of love (2 Peter 2:12-14).  They will meet the same end as previous rebels against the Father of Truth (Jude 1:10-12).

However, the Children of Truth have a different heart, that loves people more than bigger, better, newer stuff.

The heart that loves people fulfills the Law of Truth (Romans 13:8).  Those who love others as themselves, do not covet what their neighbor has (Romans 13:9).  Constantly wanting bigger, better, newer stuff, just because your neighbor has it, creates ill will towards your neighbor, instead of fulfilling the Law of Truth by loving them (Romans 13:10).

That is because they know, that those that hate unjust gain, are who the Father of Truth desires to rule in His Kingdom (Exodus 18:21).  They delight in the eternal Word of Truth ,instead of  being lured away by bigger, better, newer stuff, that will eventually end up in the junk heap (Psalm 119:35-37).  They would rather have less stuff, in order to have more peace (Proverbs 17:1).   They understand that it is better to be a poor man than a liar (Proverbs 19:22).  They know that refraining from desiring bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbor has it, will improve their health and prolong their days on the Earth (Proverbs 28:16). 

The Children of Truth know, that having the same type of character as the Father of Truth, is real wealth, because none of that bigger, better, newer stuff is going to follow them into eternity (1 Timothy 6:6-7). The Children of Truth are content with whatever the Father of Truth has provided them, because He is their helper (Hebrews 13:5-6). 

The only thing that the Children of Truth are to earnestly desire, is for the Spirit of Truth to demonstrate supernatural power through them, so that they can help more in the work of saving the human race (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).  Since they know, that everything commanded in the Book of Truth, is from the Father of Truth, then they earnestly desire for the Spirit of Truth to speak through them for the good of the congregation, and do not forbid others from speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:38-40).  In other words, the Children of Truth are supposed to long to hear The Sound of Power.

Why do the Children of Truth earnestly desire the long term good of other people instead of getting bigger, better, newer stuff just because their neighbors have it?

The Ministers of Truth do not desire bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it, but instead demonstrate how to live like the Man of Truth lived (Acts 20:33-35).  The Ministers of Truth do not tell people lies that they want to hear, as covering for their own desire to have bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).  These pastors are not given to greed nor desiring bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it (1 Timothy 3:2-4).  Those who help with administrating their congregations are not given to greed, because they have faith in the Man of Truth (1 Timothy 3:8-9).  These pastors do not desire unjust gain, because they love the Father of Truth, people, and the Word of Truth (Titus 1:7-9).  The elders that assist them, do so because they love the Children of Truth, instead of seeking unjust gain (1 Peter 5:1-3).

Since life is not made better by owning bigger, better, newer stuff, the Man of Truth commands the Children of Truth to avoid desiring bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it (Luke 12:15).  They are not to even eat with anyone, who calls themselves a Child of Truth, but desires bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbor has it (1 Corinthians 5:11).  The Children of Truth are to no more go around desiring bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it, than they are to go around committing sexual sins (Ephesians 5:3).  The Children of Truth are not to pursue bigger, better, newer stuff, just because their neighbors have it, but instead are to pursue of the will of the Father of Truth, because they know that He will judge the Children of Lies for this idolatry (Colossians 3:5-7).

It is important to note, that the Father of Truth is not against people getting bigger, better, newer stuff, through just gain, to fulfill His purposes for their lives.  The Father of Truth gives His Children the ability to gain wealth, so that His purposes can be accomplished in the Earth (Deuteronomy 8:18).  He wants the Children of Truth to be diligent in their work, so that they can prosper through just gain (Proverbs 10:4).   They are supposed to sell what they produce, so others can benefit from their labor (Proverbs 11:26).  He wants them to be diligent in their work, so He can raise them up to influence the government (Proverbs 22:29).   He wants them to be diligent in obtaining just gain, because wealth does not last forever on its own (Proverbs 27:23-27).  He says that the ideal wife is engaged in business, to take care of her family and the poor (Proverbs 31:16-24).  His Children are engaged in business, to use their just gain to take care of the Ministers of Truth (Acts 16:13-15).  The Father of Truth just does not want the pursuit of bigger, better, newer stuff to be the focus of the Children of Truth, like it is for the Children of Lies (James 4:2-4).  The Father of Truth is not against just just gain, as long as His Children recognize, that He is the source of that just gain (James 4:13-15).

The Father of Truth is not against any of the Children of Truth being rich, but it is up to Him, who He wants to make rich for His own purposes.

Some of the greatest among the Children of Truth were made very rich by Him.  Abraham (aka Abram) was very rich (Genesis 13:2).  Israel (Ya'acov aka Jacob) became very rich (Genesis 36:6-8).   Joseph became very rich (Genesis 41:39-42).  Job was very rich (Job 1:1-3).  Daniel became very rich (Daniel 2:48).  Mordecai became very rich (Esther 8:15).

Yet many others, that were the greatest among the Children of Truth, were not rich on this Earth, because riches were not needed to fulfill the purposes of the Father of Truth for their lives.

The Man of Truth sometimes did not even have a place to spend the night (Matthew 8:20).  Many of the prophets were likewise often destitute (Hebrews 11:36-38).

The Children of Truth are to serve His purposes, with whatever they have.  The blessing of the Father of Truth cannot be measured in the accumulation of bigger, better, newer stuff.

The Children of Truth are to learn to be content, whether they have a lot of stuff, or practically nothing (Philippians 4:11-12). They can do this, because the Man of Truth who lives in them, gives them the ability to do so (Philippians 4:13).  They do not have to worry about accumulating of bigger, better, newer stuff, because the Father of Truth has promised to give the Children of Truth everything, that they need to accomplish His will for their lives (Philippians 4:19-20).   The Children of Truth are to be content, if they have food to eat and clothes to wear (1 Timothy 6:8).  He will give them anything else that they need to accomplish His will, if they will ask Him (1 John 5:14-15). 

All that really matters is the Children of Truth doing their part to fulfill the plan of the Father of Truth to save the human race, whatever that part requires.

Perhaps you want to stop endlessly pursuing bigger, better, newer stuff, just because your neighbors have it.  Perhaps you are ready to get off the hamster wheel.

You see it really does you no good to be playing church, while get bigger, better, newer stuff through unjust gain (Job 27:8).  It does not matter how much bigger, better, newer stuff you get, if you lose your soul in eternity, because you do not love people more than things (Matthew 16:26).

You need to come into the House of Truth, so you can store up things that will you will be able to enjoy forever (Matthew 6:19-21).  The Father of Truth wants to give you something that is bigger, better, and newer than anything on Earth, if you will come into the House of Truth (Luke 12:32-34).  So instead of pointlessly wearing yourself out laboring for things, that you will one day either lose or leave behind, you need to come into the House of Truth (John 6:27).  None of the bigger, better, newer stuff, that you may give up to come into the House of Truth, can compare to what you will gain (Romans 8:18).  You come into the House of Truth, when you make the Man of Truth your king in every area of life, because you believe that His Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:8-10). 

Come into the House of Truth.

The Raising Of The Firstfruits

What does the barley harvest have to do with Resurrection Sunday?

The barley harvest is all about Resurrection Sunday.  In order to understand why we have to start with the calendar that the Father of Truth (Yahoveh aka Yahweh aka God aka The Lord) gave so we could understand His plan to save the human race.  Each month in the His calendar goes from one new moon to the next (Isaiah 66:23).  Each month lasts for an average of about 29.5 days which gives 354 days for twelve months.  So if a year was always twelve months then His Feasts would occur in different seasons over time like Ramadan does on the Muslim calendar due to a year on a lunar calendar being about 11.25 days short of a solar year.  So a leap month is added every so often (generally about eight times over a nineteen year cycle) to prevent this from happening since His Feasts are tied to the seasons.  So when the twelfth month has ended, how do you know rather or not a leap month needs to be added?

That is where the barley comes in.  The barley is checked to see if it is has reached the abib state of maturity.  The abib state means that it will be ready to be eaten by two weeks later, if not sooner.  Barley has reached the abib state when an individual grain taken off of the standing stalk of barley can be squeezed between the thumb and forefinger without any moisture coming out.  It will be ripe enough to be parched and eaten even if it will not be fully ripened.  We will see later why that matters.  So if the barley has not reached the abib state on the first day of the month then that month is a leap month.  The first month of the year on His calendar is when the lamb was killed to bring deliverance (Exodus 12:2-6).  It is the month when the barley had reached the abib state by the first day of the month when deliverance from bondage came and is appropriately named "Abib" (Exodus 13:3-4).

So while His calendar is often referred to as a lunar-solar calendar it would be more accurate to refer to it as a lunar-barley calendar.  This is important because a calculated calendar using the Metonic cycle to determine when to add a leap month sometimes disagrees with the barley that is on the ground in Israel. (The Metonic cycle is a nineteen year cycle developed by the Greeks that has a leap month added in years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 19.)  So you might be wondering why does it matter whether or not the barley can be harvested or not?

The barley must be harvest ready or at least edible so that it can be raised up as the Firstfruits offering to the Father of Truth (Leviticus 23:10).  No one can eat partake of the barley, even when it is first edible by parching, until the Firstfruits are raised up and then the barley can be eaten (Leviticus 23:14).

This feast is called Firstfruits and it is the third act in The Greatest Play Ever.  It follows the first act called Passover when The Death of The Lamb occurs.  It comes after the start of the second act called the Feast of Unleavened Bread when Removing the Leaven is finished.

Unlike the first and second acts, the date of this act is tied to a day of the week (like Thanksgiving) instead of a day of the month (like Independence Day).  This third act called First Fruits always occurs on the day (Sunday) after the first weekly Sabbath (Saturday) after the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-11).  You can be sure that this is the regular weekly Sabbath (Saturday), and not one of the High Sabbaths that occurs on the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it is used to begin counting the fifty days to the fourth act, the Feast of Weeks (Shabuot aka Pentecost), that also always falls on the day (Sunday) after the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) (Leviticus 23:14-16).

It is important to recognize that the firstfruits of the barley harvest was not the only firstfruits that were to be given to the Father of Truth.  The firstfruits of the wheat was also to be offered at the Feast of Weeks that came fifty days later before it was to eaten or harvested (Exodus 34:22).  The firstfruits of every fruit was also to be offered before it was to eaten or harvested (Deuteronomy 26:1-3).  The firstfruits of every crop was to be offered before it was to eaten or harvested (Nehemiah 10:35).  The barley is the first crop to be ready to be eaten or harvested on His calendar so it is the first of the firstfruits to be raised up (Exodus 34:25-26).

You see that the raising of the firstfruits of the barley harvest tells of the resurrection of the Man of Truth.  The death of the Lamb was the reason for removing the leaven of sin.  As long as the body of the Lamb remained dead he was no powerless to do anything as even Pilate knew (Mark 15:43-45).   The Lamb had to die so he would not remain the only Child of Truth but it could not end there (John 12:24).

So on Firstfruits, the day (Sunday) after the regular Sabbath (Saturday) that followed the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the women found that the Man of Truth was resurrected from the dead (Matthew 28:1-7)!  The Lamb that was slain on Passover was no longer in the tomb on Firstfruits (Mark 16:1-6)!  There was no use looking for him among the dead on Firstfruits because he had rose again after three days as he said he would (Luke 24:1-7)!  His tomb was empty on that Firstfruits (John 20:1-7)!  On that Firstfruits he became the Firstfruits of those that are resurrected from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-21)!

So that Sunday when the Man of Truth was resurrected was the Feast of Firstfruits when the barley harvest begins.  That is what harvesting barley has to do with Resurrection Sunday.  The resurrection of the Man of Truth was the raising of the Firstfruits!

The raising of the Firstfruits assures the resurrection of the nation of Israel as the firstfruits of the nations.  Israel is the firstborn of the nations that the Father of Truth promise to deliver from bondage (Exodus 4:21-23).  Israel is the firstfruits of the nations that the Father of Truth promises to cause to live holy lives (Jeremiah 2:2-4).  Those who have the same ancestry as Paul the Jew are still the firstfruits of the nations (Romans 11:13-16).  Israel is still the first nation that will completely turn to the Man of Truth and be completely saved (Romans 11:25-27).  The Father of Truth has not repented of His purposes for Israel (Romans 11:28-29)!

Better than that the raising of the Firstfruits assures the salvation of the Children of Truth from all nations.  It assures them that the Man of Truth is the Son of the Father of Truth (Romans 1:3-5).  He was raised again for their justification (Romans 4:23-25).  The Children of Truth have died to sin with him and been raised again to live a new kind of life (Romans 6:2-4).  The Children of Truth have been also been resurrected from being dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). 

The raising of the Firstfruits made it possible for the Children of Truth to partake of the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost).  The Spirit of Truth could not be given until the raising of the Firstfruits was completed (John 7:39).  The Man of Truth first gave the Spirit of Truth after his resurrection (John 20:19-22).  The firstfruits of the Spirit of Truth have been given to them because of the raising of the Firstfruits (Romans 8:23).

The raising of the Firstfruits was not just to save the nation of Israel but to save people from all nations. The Father of Truth has not just been given the first of the firstfruits from Israel but also been given the firstfruits from other nations in their season (1 Corinthians 16:15).   The Children of Truth are the firstfruits of all nations that will one day completely turn to the Man of Truth and be completely saved (James 1:18)!

Best of all the raising of the Firstfruits assures that death is not the end for the Children of Truth.  Those that have been given the firstfruits of the Spirit of Truth will have their bodies resurrected by the same Spirit that raised the Man of Truth from the dead (Romans 8:11)!  The Man of Truth is the Firstfruits from the dead but the Children of Truth are the rest of the harvest from the dead that will come with him when he returns to the Earth (1 Corinthians 15:22-24)!  They will rise from the grave with an immortal body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)!  Just as they inherited a natural body from Adam so also will they inherit a supernatural body from the Man of Truth (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)!  They will be resurrected with a new body that is made to live forever in the Kingdom of His Father (1 Corinthians 15:48-50)!  Death will be completely swallowed up in victory because of the raising of the Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)!

The raising of the Firstfruits will not help you unless you first come into the House of Truth.  You come into the House of Truth by giving control of every area of your life to the Lamb that was slain because you believe in the raising of Firstfruits by His Father (Romans 10:9).  It is only by coming into the House of Truth that you will benefit from the raising of the Firstfruits and avoid the second death (Revelation 20:6).  Those that die the second death because they did not come into the House of Truth will suffer forever in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15).

Come into the House of Truth.

Removing The Leaven

What does Spring Break have to do with eating Matzah?

Every Spring thousands of college students head to the beaches to debauch themselves for a week called Spring Break.  However, that is not what Spring Break was originally made for.   Spring Break was originally made so that people could accomplish their week long cleaning called Spring Cleaning.

Spring Cleaning is a custom in many parts of America of spending a week in the Spring cleaning the entire house from top to bottom.  Spring Cleaning was introduced to America by Jewish emigrants perhaps as early as the 1600's.  Their neighbors then adopted it due to the health benefits that the Jews received from Spring Cleaning.

The Spring Cleaning of these Jewish emigrants was extreme.  They cleaned the ceiling and all of the walls from top to bottom.  The chimney was swept and the fireplace was made spotless.  They moved every single item of furniture in the house to ensure that they cleaned every possible nook and cranny.  They also made sure that they carefully swept the floor.  Every rug was taken out and beaten thoroughly.   They got down on their hands and knees to scrub every square inch of the floor.

Every cupboard was opened and all of the food removed so it could be completely cleaned.  Every dish and piece of cookware was also removed from its normal location, thoroughly cleaned and not returned until the cupboard was thoroughly cleaned.  Every item was removed from every closet so it could be completely cleaned.  Every article of clothing, whether it had been worn or not, since last time it was cleaned was again cleaned with its pockets turned inside out.  Every drawer was emptied, removed, taken outside and shaken to be sure that nothing remained in it.  Every piece of furniture was cleaned even to the point of being turned on its side to remove anything that might be on the bottom of it like a spider web.  Every item in the house anywhere else in the house was thoroughly cleaned and inspected by someone else to ensure it that nothing was missed.

They then would go outside and do the same thing even making sure that the roof was cleaned along with the walls and the foundation all the way down to the ground.  Not a window, window sill, door frame, baseboard, molding or step was missed from being gone over.  They even cleaned the attic and basement in the same way.  They were simply taking no chances of missing a single crumb anywhere in or on the house.

During each step of cleaning they would shine a bright light to be sure that not one speck had been missed anywhere inside or outside of the house.  This process of cleaning and inspecting continued for sixteen hours a day, only taking a break on the Sabbath, for the entire week.

On the evening of the last day, they would then conduct a final inspection using a candle and a feather to remove any remaining crumbs that they could find.  Anything that was found was carefully gathered and quickly burned.  They were adamant that not one speck could remain in the house when Spring Cleaning was finished.

Why did these Jewish emigrants go through such lengths for Spring Cleaning?

This extreme cleaning was to ensure that not one crumb was left anywhere because they were removing the leaven from their home.  This is what the Father of Truth (Yahoveh aka Yahweh aka God aka The Lord) commanded in the Law of Truth (Exodus 12:15-17).  This was commanded of both the circumcised children of Israel and the uncircumcised Gentiles that had joined themselves to the children of Israel (Exodus 12:18-20).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a memorial of how the death of the lamb had brought about freedom from slavery in Egypt for both the circumcised children of Israel and the uncircumcised Gentiles that had joined themselves to Israel (Exodus 13:6-8).   Eating unleavened bread was to be a yearly reminder to keep the Law of Truth  (Exodus 13:9-10).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is not a Jewish holiday - it belongs to the Father of Truth (Leviticus 23:2-6).  It is the second act in The Greatest Play Ever.  It comes immediately after The Death Of The Lamb.

Removing the leaven was finished with a final inspection on the night that Passover, the day of preparation, began.  Removing the leaven was preparation for the Seder (Passover meal) because the lamb was to be consumed without leaven. When the Seder was eaten then the lamb that was slain became part of those that participated in the Seder.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread always began with consuming the lamb without leaven.  It was having the lamb without leaven on the inside that started life without leaven for a week.  After the death of the lamb all that was left to be done was to be on guard that no more leaven came into the home for the rest of the week.  Removing the leaven completely was so important because the wages of eating leaven was death (Exodus 12:19).

That being the case it is important to understand exactly what is meant by leaven and what is meant by unleavened bread.

What is leaven?

Leaven (Chametz) is anything that causes bread to rise, not just yeast.  It includes baking powder, baking soda (when a catalyst with a low PH like vinegar (or certain salts) is present so it is safer to treat it as leaven unless you are a chemist), sourdough and a number of carbonates like ammonium carbonate, potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate.  Beverages such as beer and soda pop also contain leaven so they are also not allowed in the home during the week of unleavened bread.  It takes practice, understanding and careful examination to ensure that all of the leaven has really been removed.  It is best to have someone else to assist in the examination to ensure that nothing containing leaven was missed.

What is unleavened bread?

The Hebrew word translated as "unleavened bread" is "matzah" and comes from a word that means "something sweet".  Matzah in the US is often large square crackers that contain no leaven.  Some people have all kinds of rules about what qualifies as matzah including it must not contain things like onion powder.  The Father of Truth (Yahoveh aka Yahweh aka God aka The Lord) has created the definition of matzah and no one can change it by adding additional rules or taking away from the ones that He gave with any kind of exception (Deuteronomy 4:2).  The only thing that the Law of Truth requires is that it does not contain leaven (Deuteronomy 16:3-4).  So any kind of food that is made from grains and eaten like bread that does not contain leaven would meet the definition of "matzah" including things like corn chips, rice cakes, or even brownies (if they contain no leaven).  The Children of Truth (those that obey Him because they love Him) do not find His commandments to be hard to understand or keep (1 John 5:3).

So it could be said that Spring Break comes from eating matzah.  This is ironic because the debauchery that many commit during Spring Break is the very opposite of the purpose of removing the leaven.

Removing the leaven and the Feast of Unleavened bread were only a foreshadowing of what the Man of Truth (Yah'shua aka Yeshua aka Jesus aka Mashiach aka Messiah aka Christ) would do.

He went through extreme measures to remove sin from people just like the Jews went through extreme measures to remove leaven from their homes.  He was mocked by those he came to save (Psalm 22:6-8).   The religious professionals of Israel, who loved to resort themselves in Bashan, surrounded him to mock him (Psalm 22:12-13).  He life was poured out like water on that cross where his bones were all out of joint while he suffered extreme pain and dehydration that lead to death (Psalm 22:14-15).  His hands and feet were pierced by the Gentile dogs, the Romans, so that he bled like one pinned by a lion while they casts lots for his tallit as he was removing the leaven (Psalm 22:16-18).

The Man of Truth suffered all of this because of we were all leavened with sin (Isaiah 53:4-6).  He died like an innocent lamb for our sins (Isaiah 53:7-9).  His death brought about freedom from slavery in sin (Isaiah 53:10-12).  His death was necessary for removing the leaven.

The Man of Truth is the Lamb that the Father of Truth gave to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  Slaying the Lamb was always His plan for the removing of the leaven (Revelation 13:8).

So the children of Truth need to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread to remember that we were delivered from the slavery of sin by the death of the Lamb.  This is what the Man of Truth commanded (Luke 22:19).  This is what Paul the Jew did with the almost exclusively Gentile church in Philippi (Acts 20:6). After all, Paul the Jew never taught people to do anything contrary to the Law of Truth and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was for uncircumcised Gentiles who joined themselves to the children of Israel (Acts 21:18-24).

This is appropriate since the uncircumcised Gentiles that have come into the House of Truth have joined themselves to those of the children of Israel who never left there (Romans 11:13-24).  The uncircumcised Gentiles that come into the House of Truth are no longer living outside of the common wealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13).  They have became part of Israel that is belongs to the Father of Truth (Galatians 6:15-16).  They will be part of the holy nation of kings and priests that He promised as the destiny of Israel (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Of course, removing all the leaven from your house and keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread is pointless unless you keep the leaven of sin out of your life.  Since the Lamb has died to remove the leaven of sin then we must remove any hint of sin that we find in our lives so that it does not spread (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).  The way to really keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to not let sin be in our lives (1 Corinthians 5:8).

How shall those that have had the leaven of sin removed by the death of the Lamb allow that leaven back into their lives (Romans 6:1-3)? The Children of Truth are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread by no longer living in sin because they remember that they were freed from the slavery in sin by the death of the Lamb (1 Corinthians 6:11).  The Children of Truth are not to allow any sin in their lives because there is no sin in the Lamb (1 John 1:5-7).

The Children of Truth need to hide the Word of Truth in their heart so that there can identify any leaven that is left in their lives (Psalm 119:10-12).  They need to have their lives inspected by another, the Father of Truth, to be sure that there is no leaven was missed (Psalm 139:23-24). The Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) will shine a bright light on any leaven that is left in their lives (John 16:13).  If the Children of Truth do find that some leaven in their lives then they need to tell the Lamb about it so that he can help them remove it (1 John 1:8-10).

For you see the wages of sin is still death (Romans 6:23). Those that allow sin to return and remain in their lives after the leaven of sin has been removed will perish (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).  Sin is like leaven in that even a little will effect your entire world (Galatians 5:9).

Both the circumcised Jews and the uncircumcised Gentiles have had the leaven of sin in their lives (Romans 3:9-12).  The Father of Truth has made away for both to come into the House of Truth thru faith in the Lamb so that the Law of Truth may be established (Romans 3:29-31).  Both can come into the House of Truth by surrendering their lives to the Lamb because they believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead after he surrendered his life to remove the leaven of sin (Romans 10:8-10).  All that come into the House of Truth will have their leaven removed by the death of the Lamb (Romans 10:11-13).

Come into the House of Truth.

The Death of The Lamb

What does Passover have to do with the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ)?

Every year Jewish families all over the world celebrate Pesach (Passover).  Some go on vacation while others attend special services at the synagogue.  Over the centuries, Jews who were scattered to throughout the world have developed a number of traditions in observing Passover.  Some feature roasted lamb while others only have a shank bone from a lamb on the Seder plate.  To the Jews there can be no celebration of Passover without the death of the lamb.

In similar manner when I lived in Greece the Greeks would roast a lamb whole when they celebrated the death of the Man of Truth as part of Greek Easter, which they literally called "Passover".  I asked my landlords why the Greeks did this and they told me that the Apostles of Truth had told them to do this every year at the same time.  To the Greeks there can be no celebration of the resurrection without the death of the lamb.

Could have the Apostles of Truth really told the Greeks to roast a lamb whole every year on the same day as Passover to commemorate the death of the Man of Truth?

Many of the Apostles of Truth went to Greece - especially Corinth that was the capital of Achaia (southern Greece) at the time.  Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul) went to Corinth (Acts 18:1). Peter the Jew (Cephas) went to Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12).  The physical brothers of the Man of Truth, who were all Jews, and some of the other Apostles of Truth, who were also all Jews, went to Corinth along with their wives (1 Corinthians 9:5).  John the Jew (Yochanon) was the famous Apostle that went to Corinth (2 Corinthians 8:18).

Why would they tell the Greeks to roast a lamb whole every year on the same day as Passover?

The first question that must be answered is: What is Passover?

The Father of Truth made known His plan to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt (Exodus 11:1).  The Father of Truth announced death upon every household in Egypt (Exodus 11:4-6).  However, there was a plan for the salvation of the children of Israel that was hidden from the king of Egypt (Exodus 11:7-9).

A lamb was to dwell among the children of Israel for a little over three days (Exodus 12:3-5). Then on the fourteenth day of the first month, the day of preparation, the children of Israel were to assemble together to bring about the death of the lamb (Exodus 12:6).

The blood of the lamb stained the wooden posts of their doors upon its death (Exodus 12:7).  After the lamb was dead it was to be roasted with fire and consumed completely until none remained (Exodus 12:8-10).  The children of Israel were saved from wrath due the blood that came from the death of the lamb (Exodus 12:13).

How are the Children of Israel to remember the death of the lamb?

The children of Israel were to do this every year at the same time to remember their deliverance (Exodus 12:14).  Only those who had been circumcised in the flesh were to eat at the feast of the lamb (Exodus 12:43-45).  Those that were circumcised were to remain in the house with the lamb who had not one bone that was broken (Exodus 12:46).  All that were circumcised in the flesh were to eat at the feast of the lamb (Exodus 12:47).  Those that were uncircumcised in the flesh had to become circumcised in the flesh in order to come into the house and join in the feast of the lamb (Exodus 12:48-49).  It was only those that were circumcised that could come into the house because of the death of the lamb.

What does Passover have to do with the Man of Truth?

Passover is the first act of The Greatest Play Ever. The Man of Truth is the Lamb that took away the sins of the world (John 1:29)!  To the Children of Truth there can be no celebrating Passover without the death of the Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The Father of Truth has made known His plan to deliver the Children of Truth from the bondage of the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan aka The Devil) in sin (Hebrews 2:14-15).   The Father of Truth has announced death for everyone that is in sin (Romans 5:12).  However, there was a plan of salvation for the Children of Truth that was hidden from the rulers of this world (1 Corinthians 2:6-8).

The Lamb came and dwelt among the children of Israel for a little over three decades (Luke 3:21-23). Then on the fourteenth day of the first month, the day of preparation, the children of Israel assembled together to bring about the death of the Lamb (John 19:30-31).

The blood of the Lamb stained the wooden posts of his cross upon his death (Colossians 1:20).  After the Lamb died he was consumed in the fires of Hell (Acts 2:26-28).  The Children of Truth are saved from wrath due the blood that came from the death of the Lamb (Romans 5:8-9).

How do the Children of Truth remember the death of the Lamb?

The Children of Truth are to commemorate it at the same time every year to remember their deliverance (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  Only those who have been circumcised in the heart can eat at the feast of the Lamb (Colossians 2:10-12).  Those that are circumcised in the heart are to remain in the house of Truth with the Lamb who had not one bone that was broken (John 19:33-36).  All that are circumcised in the heart will eat at the feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).  Those that were uncircumcised in the heart have to become circumcised in the heart in order to come into the House of Truth and join in the feast of the lamb (Romans 2:25-29).  It is only those that are circumcised in the heart that can come into the House of Truth because of the death of the Lamb.

The Father of Truth will circumcise the heart of anyone that will come into the House of Truth (Deuteronomy 30:6).  Anyone that will surrender control of their life to the Lamb because they believe that His Father raised him from the dead will come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:8-10).  You do not need to be circumcised in the flesh to come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:11-13).  To come into the House of Truth you have to be redeemed by the death of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-20).

Come into the House of Truth.