Tag: law

Is Tithing Still A Commandment?

“If you don’t pay tithe, the Bible says you are robbing God and are under a curse. This curse cannot be removed by your good works or the fact you are born again. You can only reverse this curse if you start paying tithe. Tithe is the only key to prosperity and God’s blessing…Those who don’t pay tithe are robbing God because all income is from God.”

Prophet Owusu Ansa. (Ansa 2013)

The above statement is all too familiar to me, not because I heard Prophet Ansa speak it, but because I have sat through countless sermons in a half-dozen Baptist churches throughout my lifetime where this very verbiage and warning was expounded upon. I know I am not unique in hearing this, because probably the number one complaint I have heard from those who have left “the church” from a variety of denominations is that all the preacher did was ask for money, money, money. While I cannot honestly agree that money is all the preachers talk about, it is a perennial topic that gets multiple sermons devoted to it. IndependentBaptist.com echos this same charge:

“Tithing is not charitable giving. It is more understood to be a form of debt to God for giving you wealth. You can call tithe the interest or usury. You give to charities. You don’t give to the IRS or your school loan agency or your bill collectors, you owe the IRS, your school loans, and your bills. Nowhere in the Bible does the tithe ever been [sic] equated with charitable giving.”

IndependentBaptist.com, n.d.

Rather than continuing to quote men on this subject, let’s return to the source, the Word of Elohim. There are multiple references to the tithe in Scripture (thirty-two to be exact, in the KJV), and my goal is to unpack these verses in this study and see for the reader’s benefit what the Scripture says. The first verse we will look at is the most common one I’ve heard cited, and the very passage Prophet Ansa quoted in his article on tithing. 

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. – Malachi 3:7-10

Context is Everything

Honest and wise hermeneutics require the reader to study each verse and passage within the context of which it was written. Therefore, it is important to understand both who the aforementioned passage was written to and why it was written. From here, I would like to point the reader to Chapter 1, Verse 6. Here the Word of Yahweh Tsebaoth, through Malachi, addresses “O priests, that despise my name.” He then says, “And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.” (v. 6b-7) Chapter 2 begins with the address, “And now, O ye priests,” signifying He is speaking again to the priests. Yahweh never breaks from this focus throughout the rest of Malachi’s letter. When we get to Chapter 3, Verse 8, we see again the question, “Wherein have we?” followed by Yahweh’s answer. In all of these verses, Malachi records the priests’ questions and Yahweh’s answers to them. The indictment of the priests by Yahweh reminds me of the same corruptions committed by the sons of Aaron, and later, the sons of Eli. The priests have violated and desecrated the temple as well as their ministerial positions. Nehemiah, a contemporary of Malachi, wrote about this in Chapter 13:4-5 of his letter. “And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.” In this context, we understand the priests were robbing the storehouse of the tithes and giving them to the enemies of Judah, rather than using them in their proper manner: to maintain the house of Yahweh and to pay the wages of the laborers, musicians, and non-levitical priests. 

The fact that there was even a tithe at all does prove that the people were paying a tithe, otherwise the priests could not rob it. This tithe was commanded in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 27:30; Deut. 14:22) for the nation of Israel and they were to bring a tenth of all of their firstfruits of flock and field. This tithe was brought to the priests, who then filled the storehouses with it and were charged with disbursing it on an as-needed basis (Neh. 10:38). Nehemiah, in the thirteenth chapter of his letter, bears witness that the returned Israelites indeed were paying their tithes, although they were being embezzled and stolen by the priests. Since Nehemiah and Malachi were writing in the same period, to the same people, about the same topic – tithes – we can know that Malachi’s phrase for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation must mean something different than the common interpretation, that is, that the whole nation was robbing Yahweh of His tithes. Indeed, this is an example of the grammar in the king’s English in the KJV making things slightly confusing. Either the verbiage is saying the entire nation is collectively robbing Yahweh by not paying His due, or it means something akin to this: “you are cursed, even this whole nation is cursed, because you have robbed me.” This is not implausible because often a large group of people, even an entire nation, is cursed and suffers for the sin of others (re: Achan at Ai, David in numbering the people, etc.). Since I believe the former explanation seems to contradict Nehemiah’s account, I hold to the latter belief. However, I do accept the possibility that both could be true; the faithful were paying their tithes, but the priests were stealing it, all while the rest of the nation refused to pay theirs. This is entirely possible, and warrants further study on the topic, but I will not explore that further for this study.

References to Tithing in Scripture

Briefly, I would like to outline some of the occurrences of the word “tithe” contained in Scripture.

  • Genesis 14:20 “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
    • Melchizedek, the priest of El Elyon (the most-high God) blessed Abram, who in turn gave him tithes. This was a freely-given gift, and not a commandment
  • Leviticus 27:30 “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” (also see verses 31-32)
    • What land is Yahweh speaking of? The Promised Land, of course. The land of the Mosaic Covenant
  • Numbers 18:24 “But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit” (see also verses 26, 28)
    • Who was to give the tithes, and to whom? The Israelites to the Levites.
  • Deuteronomy 12:17-18a “Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose”
    • The Israelites were permitted to eat their tithes of their crops, not in their own homes, but in the place Yahweh chooses. This was the yearly tithe, and it was to be used in conjunction with worship, such as on feast days. (see also 14:23)
    • Chapter 14:24-26 says if the distance to the set-apart place was too far, they were permitted to sell their tithe for money and use to buy “whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,” including wine, strong drink, or meat, and to enjoy it with Yahweh’s blessing.
  • Deuteronomy 14:28 “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:”
    • Every third year, they were to lay up the tithe from that year and it would be collected by the priests from each city and each home. (see also 26:12)
  • Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
    • Jesus is warning the religious elite who boast in their tithing, but do not practice the more important functions of the law (see also Luke 11:42)
  • Luke 18:11-12 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”
    • Again, this Pharisee is boasting in his faithfulness to tithe, wrongly assuming it makes him acceptable
  • Hebrews 7:5-9
    • Not quoted here for space consideration, but this passage is comparing the priesthood of Jesus with that of Melchizedek, and addressing how even the Levites, who received tithes, tithed to a higher being through their head, Abram.

What is the tithe?

מַעֲשֵׂר maʻăsêr; a tenth; Strong’s H4643

Something that is interesting to note is that the tithes in the Old Testament are always edible, and never monetary. This is not due to the lack of a currency, or because the Israelites were an agrarian people, but because the tithe was to take care of the priests, Levites, and the poor, widows, and fatherless. Food, wine, and oil was over and above more important to someone struggling to survive, or with no inheritance, than gold or silver. The Levites would have the ability to sell some of the excess for coins, but this was not commonplace. The tithe was not a salary for the priests, nor was it for the improvement of the tabernacle/temple. It was strictly for the physical well-being of the intended recipients. When there was a “building project” or a need to be met for the edification of Yahweh’s people, they would give offerings voluntarily (Exodus 25:2-4; 2 Chronicles 24:8-11; Acts 4:32-37).

Is the Tithe Still Applicable?

The presentation made by Paul clearly establishes the point that the Old Covenant Law, the Mosaic Law, had authority over the believers. But now through the death of Christ this Mosaic Law has been canceled as the principle of authority over the saint.

(Sherlin)

Dispensational theologians worldwide would agree with Dr. Sherlin that the Mosaic Covenant is not binding to anyone who is a believer post-Pentecost. They will maintain there is one exception, and that being the “moral law,” which is an extra-biblical term for the parts of the Law which seem to be unchanging, natural law (such as the 10 Commandments, et al). If that be the case (and I say “if” because I am not sold on either Dispensational or its counterpart Covenant Theology), where does tithing fall? Is it a moral obligation? If so, why does a specific commandment to Israel, to tithe off the firstfruits of the land of Israel, apply to Gentile believers in the twenty-first century, while another specific commandment to Israel, to rest the land of Israel every 7 years, does not apply to the same Gentiles? Did not Yahweh judge and punish Israel for failing to rest the land as well as failing to honor the tithe? Why does one apply to us and not the other? We have to be careful to not arbitrarily dismiss some of the commandments and cherry pick others for our own theology and tradition.

Returning to Malachi 3, let’s look at verse twelve. “And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” Is this a promise for the United States? Or is it for Brazil, Ireland, or Zimbabwe? The text is quite clear that this is a promise for the nation of Judah, and specifically the remnant that returned from Babylonian exile with Ezra and Nehemiah. If one can understand that this part of the promise is for Judah only, how can we conclude that the curse as well as the preceding blessings are for us all? It does not make any sense to single out some for application and others for non application. 

So if the tithe was commanded for Israel, to tithe of the fruits of their land, to be given to the Levites in order to feed the priests, widows, fatherless, and poor, is it still a commandment for believers from the first century onward? Strictly speaking of commandments, I conclude that it is not. However, this does not mean that Yahweh cannot or does not give us some of the blessings associated with voluntary offerings, such as described in Malachi. He blesses whomever He chooses to, so He is not bound to only bless those He promised blessings to. If He wishes to “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it,” then He is sovereign to do so. But He is in no way obligated to extend to us the blessings He promised an elect few, in a land far away, in a time far gone. 

Many have said they have found Yahweh’s blessings in their faithfulness to tithe, and they can do more with the 90% they retain than they could if they kept 100% of their income. I do not deny them that claim, for I understand it quite possibly can be true. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 makes it obvious Yahweh is pleased when we give freely and cheerfully, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Notice the theme in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: bountifully, as he purposeth, cheerful. It is our giving from love that matters, not from obligation or fear of a curse. In fact, in another letter, this one to the believers in Galatia, Paul insists that we are free from the curse of the law. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13) Furthermore, nowhere in the entire New Testament does the text indicate that Yahweh curses believers. How can He curse someone who is freed from the curse of the Law and the curse of sin?

“All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,” (Matthew 23:3-5)

The Pharisees (and many modern religious preachers and teachers) place heavy burdens on the people, but Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

In American culture, we desire to have pastors who can be on call 24/7, preach three times a week (or more), provide counseling, weddings, funerals, and other ministerial functions pro bono. This is above the requirement in Scripture to have the ability to teach. If we demand a pastor that is available, we have to be willing to pay him appropriately so he can be set aside for the work of the assembly and also provide for his basic needs as well as that of his family. Our culture today demands so much financially that it usually works best if the church has a set salary and a steady offering that allows for this kind of financial stability, and that is something most pastors also desire. While this is not the model we see in Scripture, I would be presumptuous to say it is unbiblical. To take weekly offerings for the maintenance of the building, the pastor’s salary, benevolence, and other needs of the assembly is perfectly appropriate and necessary. Furthermore, we’ve already seen that Yahweh loves a cheerful giver, and is not afraid to bless one who gives from the heart. But we err in believing, and more seriously in teaching that the tithe is a commandment for the New Testament believer with a curse for one who “robs God” by withholding 10% of their income. 

Works Cited

Ansa, Owusu. “You are Cursed if You Don’t Pay Tithe.” GhanaWeb, 5 November 2013, https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/You-are-Cursed-if-You-Don-t-Pay-Tithe-291103. Accessed 3 October 2022.

IndependentBaptist.com. “Why Tithing Is Still For The New Testament Church.” IndependentBaptist.com, https://www.independentbaptist.com/tithing-still-new-testament-church/. Accessed 3 October 2022.

Sherlin, Keith A. “The Law of Moses or the Law of Christ?” Essential Christianity, http://www.essentialchristianity.com/20617. Accessed 4 October 2022.

Backpedal

For a long time, I’ve treated this blog (and Facebook) more as a journal than a social media platform. I’ve bared it all on more than one occasion and received a fair share of questions and criticism, as well as plenty of affirmation and attaboys also. This is not a good thing, because in doing so, I’ve made myself look stupid a few times. This, in turn, hurts my credibility and worse, sometimes the name of my Father. This is my recanting of something I’ve said. 

Over the past couple of years, I have begun to study the Scriptures in a way I never had before. I have grown weary and discouraged by “churchianity,” a term I use to describe following the crowd in serving tradition in the name of Christ. Mind this, it is different than a cult or false religion in that many Christians follow Christ in the only way they know how, and thus worship the Messiah, albeit in the framework of tradition. Churchianity values mode and method, pomp and program, and music and money over deep teaching of the Scriptures. I’m not indicting all churches, but most. And part of that I understand: tradition provides familiarity, continuity, and order to the service and that serves to prevent chaos. However, it also can prevent deeper understanding of Scriptures. Getting locked into a belief system because someone misinterpreted a passage 141 years ago, but it made sense to people who never dug deeper, and now it’s been regurgitated a million times until it is church creed or doctrine, who is going to question it?

I digress on that point, because this is about me. 

In my search to better understand the Scriptures and thus be more pleasing to my Adonai, I made an error. I found many passages in both “Old” and “New” Testaments that revealed shortcomings in churchianity. However, my desire to be consistent led me to also conclude that all of the Scripture was intended for all men in all eras. One example is the dietary commandments in Leviticus. To be clear, Elohim declared pork flesh to be an abomination, and He never clearly rescinded that statement. However, it appears that all of those who emphatically chided me were partially correct in that it was a restriction for the Hebrews only, of which company I am not. The argument can still be made that we are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, thus still subject to what he was, but this is one of the side issues that is dividing people and causing them to fall out of fellowship with other believers. So let me say this: through more learning and council, I have slightly changed my position in that I still don’t eat pork because it’s a disgusting animal that Elohim doesn’t want us to eat, but it is not a COMMANDMENT for anyone living post-70 CE. 

The Sabbath day is another position I have argued strongly for. Although I do believe Elohim, the Almighty creator and Adonai of the Earth desires us to rest and set aside time to worship Him, He is not concerned with the name or position of the day itself. I am reserving this space to say I very well may be wrong here. Keeping the Sabbath is echoed over and over and over throughout the entire canon so I don’t believe it’s a non-issue, but I know He is more concerned with the “thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). However, if this be true, Sunday is no more special than Saturday (Sabbath). It is simply the day we TRADITIONALLY set aside for worship. Note there is far more Scriptural precedent for Sabbath than Sunday.

I’ve said all this for one reason: I do not want to be, or perceived to be, a hypocrite. Worse, I don’t want to be inconsistent with Scripture. If I’ve said or done something in error, I hope to be able to always admit just as publicly as I did when I said or did it. 

As I continue to search and study as the Bereans (Acts 17:11), I do plan to post my studies, but not before I have fully researched them. And as always, I will be willing to stand corrected if I am found to be in error.

Grafted Into the Hebrew Root

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version unless stated otherwise.

When I first began my journey into becoming Torah pursuant, I had never heard the term, Hebrew Roots, or the growing movement that uses that name (and as a point of clarification, I do not identify or associate with the Hebrew Roots movement). However, as I’ve plodded along The Way in seeking the will of Adonai regarding this change of focus, I learned the term carries with it a host of mixed ideas and connotations, and they range widely from odd but sincere to weird and harmful. Interestingly enough, so do the mainstream Christian denominations and sects. I should know, as I’ve grown up amongst them for the past 30 years. But this is not about them, per se, so I digress.

I do not identify or associate with the Hebrew Roots movement

I have heard from many Christians who boast (although they would argue against that term) that we are not bound by the Torah or Covenants because those were Jewish things and Jesus did away with those because of their unbelief. Furthermore, “I ain’t Jewish; I’m [insert anything except Jewish] so I’m free to do and eat whatever I want!” These people are severely lacking in one key factor: all believers have Hebrew roots.

The purpose of this study is not to delve in the Hebrew Roots Movement, but into the doctrine of Hebrew roots (lowercase “r”). For this purpose, we will be chiefly in Romans 11. The key verse that triggered this discussion between the Holy Spirit and I was verse seventeen.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Hebrews 11:17

The process of grafting is quite fascinating. There are many methods, but for those unfamiliar, a person can cut off a branch of a tree, let’s say, an orange. At the severed end, a notch is cut in the wound. Then one takes a branch from another tree of a different variety and sharpens the end of the branch into a wedge. This end is then inserted into the notch of the first branch. The two joined branches are then bound tightly, usually with plastic wrap or some other tight seal and then left alone. Over time, nourished by the healthy root, the wound begins to heal and eventually the grafted-in branch becomes part of the main tree. If you chose a lemon branch, it will one day produce lemons although it’s host and nutrient supply is an orange tree. In reality, the lemon branch is just as much part of the orange tree as the orange branches. If the root dies, the branch dies with it. If it flourishes, so do the fruits. This is one of the ways man has learned to manipulate nature that is quite captivating to me. This interesting video shows this technique.

In Romans 11, Paul is using the method of grafting to describe what is taking place in his current time as well as in ours. He is writing to believers in Rome (c. 1, v. 7) and giving instruction and doctrine. Although some were Jews who believed (such as he was), many were Gentile believers. In fact, he explicitly states who he is writing to in our current chapter.

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Romans 11:13

To recap where we are; Romans is written to mostly Gentile believers living in Rome. This letter to them describes how they are considered to be grafted in as a wild olive branch into a cultivated olive tree. In short, Hebrews are pictured as the native, or cultivated olives and Gentiles (all non-Hebrews) are the wild, non-domesticated olives.

Going back to our opening verse, Adonai cut off the branches of the olive tree, but why? Why did he sever the limbs of the chosen domestic tree and graft in the wild ones?

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

V. 21-22

The branches – the Hebrew people – were broken off because of their unbelief. Their sin was not unbelief in Adonai, for they followed His Torah and knew who He is. Nay, their unbelief was in the Messiah. So in their place Adonai grafted in the wild olive, the wayward and feral nations who had before then never known the power and person of Yahweh.

Consider this: the only thing that separated the Hebrews from the Gentiles was the Torah. Torah (the law, the word of Elohim) existed before Moses, but was codified on Mt. Sinai and with it was a covenant promise. His promise and calling is without end (v. 29).

But the counsel of Adonai stands forever, his heart’s plans are for all generations.

Psalm 33:11, Complete Jewish Bible

We’ve already drawn the conclusion that every nation is pictured as an olive branch. The differentiation is between natural or wild. So we’re all olives. Ok. If Gentiles are wild, then the root of the wild tree could be deduced to non-adherence to Torah, since Torah is what set the Hebrews apart. Therefore, if the Hebrews are the branches of the natural olive tree, what is the root? You guessed it; Torah!

Some will argue that God, and not His law, is the root. That’s fine if one wants to argue that position. I insist that God and the Word of God are One. Isaiah made it clear that Messiah is the Branch, and John made it abundantly clear that Messiah is the Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:1, 14

But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai (Jesse), a shoot will grow from his roots. On that day the root of Yishai, which stands as a banner for the peoples – the Goyim (Gentiles) will seek him out, and the place where he rests will be glorious.

Isaiah 11:1, 10, CJB

The majority of Isaiah chapter eleven is a prophesy pertaining to the millennial reign of Jesus, but it’s very clear in the two passages above that it is a Messianic prophesy. Yeshua (Jesus) is the Word (John 1:1) and the Shoot (Branch) (Isaiah 11:1).

The Branch in Isaiah came out of the stem of Jesse. The stem came from the root. It is a picture of a lineal ancestry. We know that Jesus was a direct descendant of Jesse through his son, David. Jesse, like most Hebrews, was a descendant of Abraham. The Abrahamic Covenant, along with the Adamic, Noahic, and Mosaic Covenants, is part of the root of the natural olive. These were the foundations of the Hebrew people’s culture, identity, and religion. When Adonai gave Moses the Torah (instructions) on Mt. Sinai, He was giving the branches the instructions on how to fulfill the Will of the Root.

Furthermore, Jesus Himself said He was the true vine.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:1-2

Bringing it all back home to Romans 11, I remind the reader that the branches that were broken off were the Hebrews who did not believe that Yeshua was the Branch from Jesse. These are the ones who did not bear fruit because while they were rooted in Torah and the words of Adonai, they did not believe them from the roots up. The Jews did not recognize the true Vine, the one who bridged the gap between root and branch. So they rejected the vine.

The husbandman, The Father, did not pluck up the Hebrew root.

Any arborist, horticulturalist, and gardener knows if a branch of a plant is diseased or not producing, they must remove it in order to make room for the productive and healthy branches that will produce fruit. In the example of the olive trees in Romans 11, the branches that were dead or unproductive were removed to make room for a new strain of olive. The wild olive was cut away from its root and grafted into the natural olive’s root. It’s identity, sustenance, and growth now comes from drawing from its new, adopted root. The natural olive didn’t change at all, except to accept the grafted-in wild olive. Furthermore, the other olive branches have no say in the matter, for it is the husbandman, or gardener, who makes the cuts and modifications.

I don’t know if there could be any clearer picture of the adoption of Gentile into the Hebrew. The main root – the Covenants and Torah – has not changed. The husbandman, The Father, did not pluck up the Hebrew root. Nay, He simply pruned away the unfruitful, unbelieving Jews and left a remnant of those who believed. He then grafted, and continues to today, the Gentiles, who were the wild olives; sincere but pagan. These believing Gentiles then receive all the blessings of the Covenants, including salvation. Is their salvation in the root? No, not per se, for their salvation is in believing in the Vine, Jesus the Messiah. We Gentiles may not have a direct ancestry to Jesse (or Abraham), but we enjoy the blessings of the Vine because we are grafted into the Covenants through the grace of the Gardener.

How can we accept the Vine but reject the Root? Is that even possible? Paul has a warning for us Gentile branches that we would do well to pay attention to.

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Romans 11:18-21

We should not let pride cause us to boast against the ethnic Jews, for we are just as susceptible to being pruned away. We were plucked from our pagan, unbelieving cultures (albeit several thousand years removed, for some) and grafted into the cultivated Hebrew root, not because of our own merits or superiority, but because the Father, Adonai, will not let His Word return void (Isaiah 55:11). His root is eternal, and He desires that we enjoy the fruits of it alongside, and equal to, the original branches that also believe. Shalom!

For there is no difference between the Jew  and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Romans 10:12

What Is Sabbath, and When?

To listen to this podcast episode, click What Is Sabbath…And When?

What is “Sabbath?” Hebrew: shabbath שבת (intermission; from shabath שבת’ (to repose; desist from exertion; cause to cease; celebrate, suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), rest, etc.). The word itself has no definition or suggestion on what day of the week should be the Sabbath, so we look to the context and examples given by the One who instituted the Sabbath.

The first mention of the word “Sabbath” in the Bible is Exodus 16:23. 

“And he said unto them, This is that which Yehovah hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.”

Shabbath occurs 147 times in total, with about 1/3 of those in the Apostolic Writing (New Testament). Many mentions in the latter are in giving a reference point for an event (see if Yeshua healing on the Shabbath; a sabbath day’s journey; they reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath day, etc.). Although the word is not used until much later, the first Shabbath is found in Genesis 2:1-3 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day Elohiym ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohiym blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohiym created and made.

So we see here in the second verse of the second chapter of the Word of God that not only did He rest on the seventh day, but that He also blessed and sanctified it.    

Sanctify, Hebrew: qadash לקדש (clean (ceremoniously or morally): consecrate, dedicate, hallow, keep holy, purify, etc.). Greek: hagiazo (purify or consecrate; to venerate – hallow, be holy, etc.)

Blessed, Hebrew: barak מבורך (to adore)

The word qadash (sanctify) in Genesis and throughout Torah and the Prophets and the word hagiazo in the Apostolic Writings have the exact same meaning. In the same way Elohiym’s chosen people are sanctified through Yeshua Messiah, so is the Shabbath sanctified by Him from the beginning of time. We will explore more on this sanctification later.

Did Elohiym move Shabbath to Sunday? It may be surprising to you, but nowhere in Scripture does it explicitly say or even suggest that Sunday – the first day – replaces the seventh day as Shabbath. Messiah rose on the first day of the week, this is true. Could this be because even He would not violate Shabbath to perform His greatest miracle ever done? I suggest that this is the precise reason He rose on the first day. One reason I believe so is because He rose immediately after Shabbath ended. Matthew 28:1-2 

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” 

The two Marys proceeded to the tomb at the end of Shabbath, which is at sundown. They purchased and prepared spices before Shabbath, “and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56) and then “when the sabbath was past” (Mark 16:1) came “very early in the morning” (v. 2, Luke 24:1) on the first day in order to anoint Him. This timeline is important because they could not purchase the spices except before Shabbath, but they did so and then went to the tomb before first light after Shabbath (John 20:1) to anoint His body. By the time they arrived, He had already vacated the tomb. 

Aside from the day of the week in which Messiah rose from the tomb, there are only 3 other passages from the Apostolic Writings that give any credence to the Christian worship day of Sunday. The first one that is commonly used is John 20:19 

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

It is important to note here two things. The first is rather obvious, if one reads the entire passage rather than just this verse. Going back to verse 1, we know it was the day Messiah rose from the tomb. The ensuing verses tell of the aftermath; Mary going to tell Peter, Peter and John racing to the tomb, the angel telling Mary not to weep, Yeshua finding Mary in the Garden and telling her not to weep, and then Mary going to the disciples again and telling them Yeshua was alive rather than missing. And then verse 19 says, “then the same day at evening.” This is putting into context the timeline. We know the Messiah did not wait days to appear to His faithful disciples; He came to them the same day, at evening. The Jewish day, following the example of the Creation, considers a day from sundown to sundown rather than midnight to midnight as we do in modern times. Therefore, Yeshua appeared to his followers in the evening on the first day, likely mere minutes before the second day began.

The second interesting point was they were assembled out of fear. The disciples were assembled on the first day, not because it suddenly replaced the Shabbath as a holy day, but because it was still the same day in which they believed the body of Yeshua had been stolen. Although Mary had told them Yeshua was alive, they were assembled because they were scared that the Pharisees and Sadducees and Romans were coming for them next, either to accuse or frame them for stealing the body of an executed criminal or to subdue the religious followers of that slain fanatic. This is certainly not something that we need to be commemorating every Sunday, the assembling out of fear. Remember, the first Sunday was fear-day, not a fun-day.

The second passage that is oft-cited as being proof the Shabbath moved to Sunday is Acts 20:7 where it says

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight

All we know here is that the disciples in Troas (modern day Dalyan Village, Turkey) broke bread together and fellowshipped on the first day of the week, at least this one time that Paul was there visiting. There isn’t any evidence this was a weekly occurrence, although it certainly could have been. However, to say that this was a widespread practice among all believers in Messiah is pure conjecture. 

Finally, we come to the most popular passage regarding first-day Sabbath, 1 Corinthians 16:2. Let’s read it:

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Ok, so Paul tells the believers at Corinth to bring their offerings together on the first day of the week. Again, he did not tell them to worship on the first day, or to preach on the first day, or to rest and keep the first day holy; he simply told them to bring their offerings. Notice this wasn’t even tithes, but rather offerings out of their abundance, much like the offerings the believers in Jerusalem did early in Acts, when they sold their possessions and gave the money to help the poor. They gave out of their abundance, and Paul told them to bring them all on the first day of the week. There is no evidence that this coincided with a day of worship, although it certainly could be true. It seems much more evident that Paul is commanding this out of convenience for himself, or at the very least, to have a uniform time of offering. This could be compared to the IRS saying, “bring your taxes to the storehouse on the 15th day of April, so that all the money is there when we’re ready for it.” I know that’s a bad analogy, but I think the similarity is there. Paul is telling them, “hey, when I get there is not the time to scramble together an offering for the congregations in Jerusalem. Bring all of your love offerings on the first day of the week so that when I get there it’s all ready to go.” It’s really that simple.

While we’re in the Apostolic Writings, let’s look at some examples of the post-Resurrection believers observing Shabbath. 

But when they departed from Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law (Torah) and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.” Acts 13:14-16

I encourage you to read on in this passage to verses 42-44 where the whole city, Jew and Gentile alike, came together on the following Shabbath to hear the word of God from Paul and Barnabas. Not the first day, but the seventh. I might remind you these are the same believers who were the first ones to ever be called Christian (Acts 11:26). Yes, that’s right; those called Christians assembled on the Shabbath in the synagogue to hear Torah read. That’s a far cry from the Christians of today. And we say we follow the example of the early church. I beg to differ.

Moving on to Acts 16, we find Paul once again meeting Gentile believers on the Shabbath. Verses 13-15 tell us the story.

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Another Gentile city, more Gentile believers, and they met and were ministered to by Paul on the Shabbath. Finally, two more verses.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. Acts 17:2

And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Acts 18:4

There are many more verses we could read, but I think this suffices to make the point that Paul, who is often quoted as condoning the Christian belief that Torah is no longer of effect for believers, observed the Shabbath, as did the original apostles and believers in Jerusalem. One may argue that the Shabbath we see here in Acts is speaking of the “new sabbath,” i.e. Sunday, but why then is “the first day of the week” referred to as we previously read in other passages rather than simply being known as Shabbath. Paul, who considered himself a Pharisee, surely knew the distinction and as the author of the epistles would not interchange the terms unless it were true. Besides that, we know the Scriptures are given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and if anyone would know what day the Shabbath is, it would be He who created it.

Also consider the many times Yeshua performed miracles on Shabbath: the man with the withered hand; the cripple at the Pool of Bethesda; a blind man, healed with clay; and perhaps many others. The only miracle we know that did not occur on Shabbath is the one that healed Himself. This could be an example of pulling the ox out of the ditch versus working for your own benefit, an analogy that Yeshua Himself used to counter the Pharisees who sought to stone Him for healing on Shabbath. While He healed the sick and lame wherever He found them, He chose His own time to be healed, and he chose the day after Shabbath. Although I know this was a fulfilment of prophesy, the prophesy foretold what would happen, and not that He rose in order to fulfill prophesy. He chose to stay in the grave an extra day rather than heal Himself on Shabbath. Are we not to follow His example?

If you’re still not convinced that the seventh day is still the Shabbath, I will meet you at your chosen day. Consider that Sunday is the Sabbath, the Lord’s appointed day of worship. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” Elohiym tells us in Exodus 20:8. Remember that word “sanctify” from the beginning? It means to make holy. Elohiym made it holy, and He commands us to keep it holy by our actions and behaviors. What does it mean to keep it holy? Deuteronomy 5:14 says

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, no thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” 

Few of us today have servants or working animals, but we can still put this into context. In those days, the servants would have done much of the menial tasks for their masters; harvesting food, preparing meals, washing clothes, etc. In the absence of servants, each person must do these on their own. And if washing clothes and dishes and preparing meals is labor-intensive these days, imagine how much more so in those days. This is why the Hebrews, before Torah was ever given to Moses, were commanded to prepare enough food on the sixth day to carry them over until the end of the seventh day (Exodus 16:23, 25, 29). No person, master or servant alike, was to work. Period. If we disagree on the day of the week on which the Shabbath falls, can we at least agree that the commandment to rest still applies (as seen in Luke 23:56)? And if that be the case, why do you go out to eat on Sunday after church? Are you not causing your “servant” to work? What about momma preparing Sunday dinner? Going shopping, out to the movies after church, watching a football game (or the cheerleaders, whichever you do). Do you not think those things violate the commandment in Deuteronomy? Remember, this was serious enough that Elohiym gave the penalty for violation of this commandment to be death. 

Let’s take this a step further, shall we? Ezekiel 22:26 has harsh words for those violators of Shabbath, and by extension, Torah.

Her priests have violated my law (Torah), and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they shewed the difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 

And then verse 31

Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God

The most high God, El Elyon, is incensed and angered by the profaning of the holy committed by His own priests. Is not the Sabbath to be made, and kept, holy and sanctified? And we profane it every time we work, or cause others to work, or use it for carnal pleasures, or consume unholy foods. A rack of ribs and some golden fried catfish for Sabbath-day meal, prepared by a “servant” or someone within our household while we watch a football game rife with ungodly commercials and halftime shows and the dishwasher is running and we’re giving horseback rides to the kids. Any and all of that is profaning the holy Sabbath. Does this sound too hard to follow? 

I understand the pushback against this idea. “We’re freed from the bondage of the Law!” some of you say. You are sadly mistaken, if you think so. We are not freed from obeying the Law, but from the penalty that comes from breaking the Law. The Law does not cease to exist. If it has, we must be free to murder or commit adultery or bear false witness. Of course we all know that is not the case, but why do Christians consider the 4th Commandment to be the only one of no consequence today while adhering strictly (in theory) to the other 9? That takes some impressive mental gymnastic skills. 

Finally, I want to point you to Isaiah 56:1-2

Thus saith the Lord (Yehovah), Keep ye judgement, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from any evil.”

While He offers cursings and judgement for the violators of His Law, our Lord Yehovah promises blessings for us when we observe His holy commandments. Because I fear the Lord and His judgements and desire His blessings, I follow Him to the letter as much as I know to do. When He commands to “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy,” I must obey, as hard as it is, and as much as it requires adjusting from my traditions and culture. When Yeshua said we have to hate our father and mother in order to follow Him, this is what He spoke of; not hating their persons, but forsaking their traditions that have been passed on to us that we are expected to continue on to our children. I have no other family that keeps the Shabbath, even though I know they love the Lord God, but the traditions that have been passed down through the millennia is contrary to what the Father commanded, and I choose to make a stand here. 

Yeshua said in Mark 2:27-28

The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath: therefore the son of man is Lord also of the sabbath

The Shabbath is a gift of the Father, given to us alongside grace. These are the greatest gifts He could give, and He is the Lord of both. We cannot afford to reject either of these gifts because the consequences are too great. 

Shalom my brothers and sisters.

Why I Do Not Celebrate Halloween (or church-ified adaptations)

To listen to this podcast episode, click Why I Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Before I tell you why I oppose the celebration of Halloween, and yes, even the silly, cute, benign adaptations of it found in little community events and church functions, it is important to discover what Halloween is. Is the holiday just a day for children to dress up and get candy and have little innocent scares or is this a day of sacrifice to the evil one and the celebration of Death? The answer is yes. 

    The celebration of Samhain goes back well over 1,000 years to the Celtic pagans in the British Isles and France where they believed that on this day, in which they celebrated the harvest and anticipated the dark days of winter, the dead, underworldly spirits, and monsters were able to traverse the gap between this world and theirs. Once on this side of death, these spirits and creatures were free to roam and cause mayhem, even capturing and eating humans or imprisoning them in the underworld. It was for this reason the pagans placed sacrifices outside of their homes to ward off any prowling spirits, and they donned costumes of animals or monsters and went house to house singing songs to appease the dead and trick the evil spirits into thinking they were not human, and thus would not be molested. In return, the inhabitants of those homes would reward the singers with cakes (i.e. treats). 

    In the 9th Century, Pope Gregory moved All Saint’s Day, originally held in May for over a century, to November 1st to coincide with, and in an attempt to override, Samhain. As a result, Samhain was renamed All Hallow’s Eve, or, Halloween. In this, we see a continuing pattern throughout history of the Catholic Church stacking a “Christian” holiday on top of a pagan one in order to co-opt the latter and therefore Christianize the pagans. Unfortunately for the pagans, and the Catholics, this attempt did not achieve what it was intended to do. All that resulted was the pagans went along to get along and the Catholics lived and died believing they had brought Christ to the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

    In short, volumes have been written and the internet is full of articles on the origins of this festival. I do not want to belabor the subject with a concise history of Halloween, but rather, I will explain thoroughly why I do not, and believe no follower of Adonai should, participate in the rites and rituals (i.e. traditions) of this pagan holiday. 

  • Celebration of death
    • Now some will say that Halloween, and it’s sister holiday Dia de Muertos in Mexico, is not a worshipping of death as much as it is a celebration of those who have died in the previous year. This may be true, but both holidays are marked with depictions of skeletons, zombies, and other forms of dead and dying humans. While it is true we all must die (“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Hebrews 9:27), it is never approvable unto Adonai for us to celebrate the passage of one’s loved ones in a way that satirizes human corpses. Dead bodies, including bones, are unclean and must be handled swiftly and precisely, but never paraded about or glorified. 
  • We are not to make markings or cuttings upon our own flesh for the dead 
    • “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.“ Leviticus 19:28
      • This could, and probably does, speak directly of marring/scarring oneself, but almost certainly could include painting and dyeing skin to commemorate or appeal to the dead.
  • In several places in Torah, Adonai explicitly states that he who touches a dead body will be unclean for 7 days
    • “And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.” Numbers 19:6
    • This is not to say that one should never touch a dead body, because that would preclude any body from being buried or otherwise disposed of. However, the Father clearly considers death and dead corpses to be unclean, and we are not to glorify that which is unclean. 
    • “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-17
  • Monsters: It is common for people to say, “Oh, look at all the little cute ghouls and goblins and witches and Mickey Mouse and Spiderman and Cinderella!” as if they are all one-and-the-same in cuteness and innocence. Hmm…
    • Ghouls: A ghoul is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid that originated in pre-Islamic Arabic religion and folklore. It derives its name from the Arabic “ghul” which means to cast spells, scream, and wrath, among other similar features. It is associated with death and dying, and especially is known (according to lore) to live in graveyards and consume human flesh, either from decaying corpses or through fresh kills. What immediately came to my mind when reading descriptions of ghouls is a passage from the Apostolic Writings in the Book of Mark and Chapter 5:
      • “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
      • Notice this demoniac lived among the graves, howled and screamed, made cuttings in his flesh, and what did he eat? Most likely the flesh of the dead who were buried in the caves.
      • A ghoul is nothing less than a demon-possessed human being. If you are letting your kids dress up like that, the nicest thing I can say is, You are Stupid!!!
  • Goblins: Depictions of goblins vary in pop culture, but in their original depictions in European folklore, they derive their name from the Greek “kobalos” meaning “rogue” or “evil spirit.” They are usually depicted as being mischievous and malevolent, often committing acts of treachery, thievery, and murder for sport. Yeshua Messiah had words to say about unclean spirits in Matthew Chapter 12:43-45
    • “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
    • This sounds like a malevolent spirit to me, who goes and finds more spirits to return and cause more destruction and mischief than before. This is neither cute nor innocent.
  • Witches: perhaps one of the most common depictions of the Halloween season aside from carved pumpkins is that of a witch. Sometimes whimsical, other times frightening, but always ugly, the witch is depicted as quintessential Halloween. Our little girls dress up as them, and women dress in witch-like lingerie at adult costume parties, but witches abound everywhere during the month of October. Are they harmless caricatures held over from the Middle Ages from whence their hooked noses, pointed hats, and broom-riding personas arose, or is there a more sinister side to them? Let’s look at their history and what Elohim has to say about them.
    • Circe was a witch from Greek mythology who, in Homer’s Odyssey, turned men into pigs. Other witches, going by various names in folklore, cast all kinds of evil spells on unwitting enemies and ate babies, among other sinister and treacherous acts. While these practices were more likely than not “old wives’ tales,” and mythological, actual practitioners of witchcraft were more akin to necromancers and conjurers of spirits, using their spells and evil skills to speak to the dead and tell fortunes. 
    • Throughout history, women who were odd, practiced natural healing using herbs and potions, and were unmarried were often accused of witchcraft and ostracized or worse, tortured and executed. These women were often victims of an overzealous community that was either religious, superstitious, or (most often) both. These healers are most likely not actually witches, probably never ate babies or cast spells, almost certainly never rode a broom through the air. It is not this type of “witch” that is the problem, nor have I ever seen a trick-or-treater dressed as an herbalist (unless he was dressed as Willie Nelson or Snoop Dogg).
    • Adonai strictly forbad His Chosen people to mimic or participate in the customs of the heathen. Here is what He had to say in Deuteronomy 18:9-12:
      • When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
      • He said these practices were abominations and He would drive out these people because of them. In other words, the reason these heathens were being slaughtered and conquered without mercy was because of these satanic practices! And your children dress up like cute caricatures of these evil people so they can get some free candy. 
    • In Galations 5:19-21, Adonai through the Apostle Paul equates witchcraft to murder and other abominations:
      • 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
      • Furthermore, He succinctly commands in Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

    A common defense of the little kiddies enjoying trick-or-treating is that they can dress up as cute animals, princesses, superheroes, and movie characters and just enjoy a good time, soliciting candy and running around town. My response to this is found in Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. and 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

Just as the Catholic Church did over 1,500 years ago, modern churches of every denomination don’t even think twice before incorporating pagan practices into their sanctuaries and childrens’ ministries. So-called “Harvest Festivals” and “Trunk or Treats” abound in parking lots and gymnasiums while children dressed in all sorts of costumes come from the nooks and crannies of their community to enjoy Satan’s day at God’s house. I’ve heard the justification of “well kids are going to go out and do it, so at least we can make it safe for them and give them God’s word while we’re doing it!” Well, why don’t you go ahead and make a bronze calf (instead of the golden one) and bring it inside the church. At least it isn’t *exactly* like the pagan one, right? That logic won’t hold water, and Adonai will not hold us blameless. You know what He said, and if you ignore it because you love your traditions more than His Word, then that’s what you’ll have to answer for.

If it sounds like I’m being harsh, understand I just shared multiple Scriptures with you explaining my position, and the Father did not sugarcoat His rules regarding dabbling in darkness. I don’t say this to prove that I’m right, but I wish to see Adonai’s people follow Him in His righteousness and to forsake all semblances of darkness. Standby on future discussions regarding Easter and Christmas and American Patriot holidays.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8