Probably the most important question we can ask ourselves in terms of our faith in the way we conduct our lives. Is this very question, Are we putting Yahweh first? A Very Very important question in fact an Salvational question.

As to whether are we really putting Yahweh first and that means every decision, everything that we do, how we conduct our lives, the way we think, the way we make decisions. There’s probably no greater question that would cut right through the gobbledegook of religion and the excuses of men then this question, Are we putting Yahweh first in our lives ?

And a lot of people say, ?Oh sure I’m putting Yahweh first
He’s important to me?, but are we? There are some pit-falls we need to be aware of. In the Ten Commandments the very first commandment has to do with…

Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before Me.

That means nothing else…that you would deem to be worthy of devotion, nothing else that you seem to be attracted to is to come before Yahweh.

Now at first glance you might wonder well is he acknowledging other mighty ones out there? As if there are other mighty ones or other Elohim or other deities out there that people would follow, certainly scriptures say…

1Corinthians 8:5 – For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),

6 – yet for us [there is] one Elohim, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we for Him; and one Master Yahushua Messiah, through whom [are] all things, and through whom we [live].

So yes there are things out there that are regarded to be Elohim and masters over people and so on, but for us there’s just one. Yahweh is the one true mighty one, the one true Elohim. There is no one who is to come before him,
there’s nothing to come before him, No one.

You know one of the hardest adjustments for a new believer particularly if there just coming into this faith, maybe in their forties fifties and sixties and so on.

They’ve been living their entire lives as unbelievers up
until this point pretty much directing themselves, directing their own lives. It can be a challenging adjustment to put themselves in an secondary position, because they use the leading their own lives.

There used to looking at life in such a way they make the best decisions for themselves without really consulting Yahweh.

But walking in the spirit involves putting Yahweh first in every decision
that’s made, any major decision. Now the question has to be asked, What does Yahweh one from me in this situation?

Instead of, What would work out best for me in this situation?? instead of that, What would Yahweh want me to do in this situation? what would be the most spiritually beneficial answer?, What would be the thing to best cause me to be a disciple of Yahushua?

To the best disciple for your Yahushua that I can be. We now acknowledge that
Yahweh’s will is actually what’s best for us and we seek to know what he wants us to do in every major decision of life and even some of the minor ones. Because the biggest idol and that people follow today is a man whether
it’s self or another man. Scriptures says,

John 10:34 – Yahushua answered them, Is it not written in your law,
‘I said, You are gods’?

Psalms 82:6 – I said, You [are] gods, And all of you [are] children of the Most High.

It’s true we are power we have strength, and we are mighty ones and lots of people put themselves or some other man in a position of Elohim and make him or self the one they follow. And for unbelievers thats for the most part what happens. Now, if we are Elohim we are mighty ones then we are in danger of making idols of ourselves.

We put our own desires and head of what we know what Yahweh’s will use for us, or we don’t bother to consult Yahweh what’s best for us in our lives.

One of the first things we have to realize as new believers if your person just coming into faith, you have not sought to follow Yahweh’s will at any time in your life until now. You have to put yourself second, because whether you realize it or not you’re not first, you’re not.

Even if you’re a nonbeliever you’re still not first, Yahweh’s first. And since Yahweh’s always first we have to live our lives in such a way that we acknowledge that, that we give him that position in our hearts. He has to be raining as king on our hearts just as he already king of the universe.

We are living our lives now in recognition that he is the king that he knows actually what is best.

And so how do we ensure that this is the case? How are we certain that Yahweh is leading or not leading us in a particular decision? Because we want to live our lives in such a way that, actually every major decision is sort of mark with an testimony of some kind.

You know when I first get my life to Yahweh I had a testimony of how he led us to Florida. I lived there for four years; I learned a lot.

I have a testimony of how he let us back to my home state of Ohio, and then to Missouri in 1999. Oh I have a testimony of how he led us to purchase the house and farm we lived in since 2002.

I mean amazing testimonies of his hand working in our lives, I sought that, I wanted that. I have testimonies of how he let us to adopt two precious little girls, and how Yahweh worked in establishing the ministry that I now do.

I also have testimonies of when I didn’t listen to him and I messed everything up, but my point is when we listen to him there is a blessing. There is a testimony of how he led us to observe the feast of tabernacles in Steelville Missouri last year.

I mean most of the major decisions in my life had been marked with testimony, just things that he’s confirmed or led undeniably to make certain decisions and I hope that your life is also marked with testimonies of his leading in the decisions that you make and his grace because you sought him first.

And because you sought Yahweh first, he led you to make decisions that you made and you can clearly see his leading. And especially when those desires are righteous desires.

I wanted to able to work at home, I wanted to be at home with my family I prayed and within a year Yahweh allowed me to work the kind of job where I had the opportunity to live and work at home.

I’ve done that since 1999, and so, no it’s not all been ministry only the last three years have been ministry. I had two online businesses that fed our family and fed other families as well.

So my point is that when your desires are righteous desires and you seek Yahweh to fulfill those desires and you see seek for his leading he will lead you, that’s called putting Yahweh first in our daily decisions it’s called walking in the spirit.

And that’s what we want to do, and I’ve known when I didn’t consult Yahweh on something, just jump into it and never worked out like I hoped, it never worked out as I anticipated.

When I try to take things in my own hand and try to control things and do things myself and just go buy the site of my eyes, the hearing of my own ears, or whenever, and when I didn’t consult Yahweh first it just never works out the way it should and that’s what it says,

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in YAHWEH with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

6 – In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

7 – Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear YAHWEH and depart from evil.

And so it’s very important that we seek Yahweh’s leading in all our major decisions of our lives that’s very important.

Now there’s one thing I want to caution you about when it comes to putting Yahweh first and seeking his leading in your life, before we can really be sure that something is really Yahweh’s leading. The very first thing we need to do is error check.

What I mean by error check is consult with Yahweh’s word see whether or not what we’re planning to do is within the parameters of what kind of things Yahweh allows in the scriptures.

For instance King David, King David he wanted to bring the Arc to Jerusalem he wanted so badly to bring the Arc home and so he did.

1Chronicles 13:1 – Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, [and] with every leader.

2 – And David said to all the assembly of Israel, If [it seems] good to you, and if it is of YAHWEH our Elohim, let us send out to our brethren everywhere [who are] left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites [who are] in their cities [and] their common-lands, that they may gather together to us;

3 – and let us bring the ark of our Elohim back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.

1Chronicles 13:4 – Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

5 – So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of Elohim from Kirjath Jearim.

6 – And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of Elohim YAHWEH, who dwells [between] the cherubim, where [His] name is proclaimed.

1Chronicles 13:7 – So they carried the ark of Elohim on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

8 – Then David and all Israel played [music] before Elohim with all [their] might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.

9 – And when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

I think we know the story right?

1Chronicles 10:12 – all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1Chronicles 13:14 – The ark of Elohim remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And YAHWEH blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

Now you would think would that it would have been something Yahweh’s is pleased with, I mean he’s looking at the crowds rejoicing and singing and playing music with all their might and they love Yahweh, and their harps the instruments are playing and everything he came along and crashed the party.

Why? Why did he crash the party? He killed a man, talk about crashing the party. The guy was just trying to keep the arc from falling over.

We would think that Uz’s motives are in the right place and he’s only trying to protect the arc from falling over and

well the problem was they done this entire event without doing an error check, they did not inquire of Yahweh’s word it became a problem and because someone lost their life the rejoicing was turned into weeping. What were they doing wrong? Well David later said this,

1Chronicles 11:13 – He was with David at Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. And the people fled from the Philistines.

1Chronicles 14:15 – And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for Elohim has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.

They were just tugging it along on a cart, the arc was designed to be carried by polls the little rings on the arc a polls slide in and the Levites were supposed to carry it on their shoulders, but Israel was doing it in such a way that was contrary to Yahweh’s word.

And because they did not consult Yahweh regarding how to do things they just rushed in and decided they were just gonna do it and didn’t really think about how Yahweh would have them do it.

They had a situation where there rejoicing was turned into mourning. And I can say I’ve had a few of those situations myself,

I thought for sure Yahweh was leading this, he was there wasn’t done correctly and my rejoicing was turned in the morning. So we have to be aware and we need to seek Yahweh in every step even in what he leads us to do even in what we might think he’s telling us to do there might be a way we need to do it that we need to check with the word of Yahweh to see.

Now I see this happening today with the observance called Easter. People want to rejoice that the messiah has risen hey nothing wrong with that how could you speak a word against that.

The problem is that doing it in such a way that the pagans did they’re doing it like the heathen do, and they got the Easter bunnies and the eggs and all these thing going on that have nothing to do with the messiah and their intermixing all these pagan ways into a celebration of his resurrection.

Now Yahweh has already given us the day of first fruits in the scriptures because that’s the old Jewish stuff most people go, Oh that’s Jewish stuff we don’t do that we’re gentiles.

All right and you pick up gentile practices and you end up doing something not the way Yahweh prescribes and that’s actually what happened with David. Take a look, where they get the idea of putting the arc on a cart anyway?

1Samuel 6:7 – Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them.

8 – Then take the ark of YAHWEH and set it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him [as] a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go.

9 – And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, [then] He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that [it is] not His hand [that] struck us — it happened to us by chance.

1Samuel 6:10 – Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.

11 – And they set the ark of YAHWEH on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors.

12 – Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, [and] went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

So this whole idea of putting the arc on a cart came from the pagans and so they were doing this whole event in a pagan manner in a way that Yahweh never prescribed as the way that the heathen were doing it.

And so they were transporting arc in a pagan way the way the philistines had done. I think the principle here is that that Yahweh wants us to do things according to his word and not the way of the heathen.

and that’s why I don’t celebrate Easter, actually the very word Easter comes from the word Ishtar which is actually the name of a female goddess. So that’s what Yahweh tells us do not even learn the way the gentile,

Jeremiah 10:2 – Thus says YAHWEH: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

3 – For the customs of the peoples [are] futile; For [one] cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

4 – They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.

what’s he describing here? Obviously I mean looks like a Christmas tree to me, the whole idea of picking a tree out of a forest and decorating with silver and gold regardless whether they are creating an Idol or decking a tree with silver or whenever they’re doing it’s a pagan practice.

He says don’t even learn it let alone practice it and try to incorporate it into honoring Yahweh with that,

Deuteronomy 12:29 – When YAHWEH your Elohim cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,

30 – take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying,
‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’

Deuteronomy 12:31 – You shall not worship YAHWEH your Elohim in that way; for every abomination to YAHWEH which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 – Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

There’s one thing organized religion violates the most, I mean I once read this article by an atheist, he read the bible and he looked at Judaism and he looked at Christianity and he said boy if there’s any verse that both of those religions aren’t doing it is this one, they’re not doing this verse right here refusing to add or take away.

Deuteronomy 12:32 – Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

And so look at what happened with Uza, it’s important we don’t worship Yahweh the way the pagans worship its for that reason he cannot endure the practices of Christmas and Easter we might think it’s OK but like David everyone seems to be having a good time,…

just because everyone even leaders and pastors and Elders and everybody seems to be having a great time that doesn’t automatically mean Yahweh is enjoying it.

We can’t judge matters based on how people are responding. We have to consult the word Yahweh and make sure that we’re doing things in accordance with his word. So in our own lives we have to consult the scriptures and before making a decision to do anything we need to be sure there isn’t anything in scriptures that would prohibit us from doing it.

I don’tknow how many people I’ve spoken with in my 21 years of ministry that told me things like this,

Well you know this job that I’m about ready to take does require me to work on the Sabbath, but maybe I can work there while until I find something else that will enable me to have the Sabbath off or actually there’s opportunity for advancement as a laborer yes I do have to work on Sabbath but when I get into management then I won’t have to.

Listen if they require you to work on the Sabbath that job can’t be Yahweh’s will.

I mean if you believe like I do you need to keep the fourth commandment which is to remember the seventh day and keep it holy.

It’s right there three commandments away from the first commandment, have no other Elohim before me then no that can’t be Yahweh’s will for you. To take a job like that would be violating two of the 10 commandments, the fourth commandment and the first commandment.

that is not an act of putting Yahweh first, scriptures says

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

You don’t have to worry about the financial part or provision, you seek Yahweh’s kingdom first he’ll take care of you. So the rule is this if you’re seeking Yahweh will in your decision, it cannot be Yahweh’s will if your decision violates any of Yahweh’s commandments.

No matter how minor the commandment may seem to you or how insignificant it may seem to you we are serving the same Elohim who judged man over a detail of how his arc was transported to the point of killing a man.

You may think it doesn’t matter, his opinion always matters. His opinion of whether are matters or not is already written in his word. If it didn’t matter it wouldn’t be written there.

But there are so many times and so many circumstances where I’ll be talking to someone and that people will say, ?Do think it’s OK if I do this?, I know the scripture tells me this but I it just seems like everything is pointing me in this direction just to go ahead and go with it.

All the signs and wonders and confirmations everything seems to be pointing at one way and I know the word says this over here but these things keep happening these signs that pointing me in the other direction.

I say if it’s against the scriptures it can’t be Yahweh it can’t be signs from Yahweh. If it’s something telling you to disobey Yahweh it can’t be Yahweh.

I don’t care if a lightning bolt came down out of the sky and this beautiful Angelic looking spirit said, Go do this, if they don’t speak according to Yahweh’s word that can’t be from Yahweh. Even Satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light.

2Corinthians 11:14 – And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

And it’s not Yahweh at all, and if any man was to tell you to do something contrary to what the word of Yahweh tells you what to do, and you do it you not putting Yahweh first. And it can’t be Yahweh’s leading in your life.

Deuteronomy 13:1 – If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

2 – and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying,
‘Let us go after other gods’ — which you have not known — ‘and let us serve them,’

3 – you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for YAHWEH your Elohim is testing you to know whether you love YAHWEH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.

He wants every bit of it and he will allow people to come in your life who will do these things and they’ll make it sound very convincing that their correct signs and wonders accompanying and it’s not Yahweh’s will. If it’s against what Yahweh had commanded before it cannot be from Yahweh it can’t be.

Deuteronomy 13:4 – You shall walk after YAHWEH your Elohim and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

That’s who we listen to not man, no matter how convincing they sound. He says he’s is testing us to know whether we will truly love him with all our heart and soul he wants us to overcome this test and keep his commandments and obey his voice and serve him and hold fast to him.

And no matter what the sign or wonder might be if its not not according to Yahweh’s commandments his voice and his ways it cannot be something Yahweh telling you to do.

Except that he’s allowing you to be tested to see whether you’re going to obey him and Cleve to his voice, the bottom line is this.

Isaiah 8:20 – To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.

No how brite they seem and so when I hear people and they tell me testimonies, signs and wonders evidences of divine power in the testimony involves some kind of decision to do something…

contrary to what Yahweh has said in the scriptures doesn’t shake my faith one bit doesn’t cause me to question whether Yahweh word should be followed or whether he means what he says I know it’s a test.

Yahweh says we will face that test in fact every human being who seeks Yahweh and wants to serve Yahweh will face that very test. And we can put confidence in that at all, we can’t.

The fact that this signs and wonders if it’s not according to the law and testimony there’s no true and genuine light in that decision or to anyone who’s following that decision.

I’m convinced that there’s a lot of people following the signs and wonders and thinks its Yahweh and may think it’s Yahweh leading them but listen we know the devil can masquerade as an angel of light.

2Thessalonians 2:9 – The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

10 – and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 – And for this reason Elohim will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

2Thessalonians 2:12 – that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

strong words here real strong words scary words I might suggest. Even those following the enemy may be following signs and wonders that’s because they’re being sent a strong delusion that all predicted Dueteronomy 13 said so Yahushua said,

Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Master, Master,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 – Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 – And then I will declare to them,
‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

you’re not obedient, you’re not doing the will of our father in heaven, you thought those signs and wonders were to be followed rather than my word.

So every sign and wonder and testimony that we may have that an indication of Yahweh’s leading, if our decision involves doing something differently than what Yahweh told us to, if it involves disobedience to his word in any area you cannot be Yahweh’s leading.

It might just be a test, the test that we ultimately all face.

And that is what whether we will obey Elohim or men.

Acts 5:29 – But Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said: We ought to obey Elohim rather than men.

Now looking back at the context of,…

2Thessalonians 2:7 – For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains [will do so] until He is taken out of the way.

8 – And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Master will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

this word translated ?lawless one? is an interesting word,

2Thessalonians 2:9 – The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

10 – and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 – And for this reason Elohim will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

and that’s why they get the strong delusion

2Thessalonians 2:12 – that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now that word translated lawless is ?anomos? it means 1) destitute of the Mosaic law of the gentiles, 2) departing from the law, a violator of the law.

Isn’t this exactly what we read in Deuteronomy 13? They send you a sign and wonder, and they tell you not to do my law don’t believe it. It’s a test, so anyone who tells you sign and wonder or not to obey Yahweh. You don’t listen to them.

and this word here depart from me you who practice lawlessness instead you’re chasing signs and wonders, the word translated (lawlessness) means anomia the condition without law, because ignorant of it, because of violating it, contemp in violation of law.

Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Master, Master,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 – Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 – And then I will declare to them,
‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

If its departure from a Torah, if it’s contrary to the Torah, what do the scriptures say, the law and the testimony if they speak not according to this word there’s no light in them.

It cannot be Yahweh’s leading. And that’s what were often up against people who follow signs and wonders rather than Yahweh it’s a strong delusion or people who are following men and instead of Elohim, and man’s often his own worst enemy. Look at this story here, a very good example of someone who got this very test of Deuteronomy 13.

1Kings 13:1 – And behold, a man of Elohim went from Judah to Bethel by the word of YAHWEH, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

2 – Then he cried out against the altar by the word of YAHWEH, and said, O altar, altar! Thus says YAHWEH:
‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’

1Kings 13:3 – And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This [is] the sign which YAHWEH has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.

4 – So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of Elohim, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, Arrest him! Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.

1Kings 13:5 – The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of Elohim had given by the word of YAHWEH.

6 – Then the king answered and said to the man of Elohim, Please entreat the favor of YAHWEH your Elohim, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. So the man of Elohim entreated YAHWEH, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before.

Jeroboam has some serious problems with stubbornness because he still didn’t serve Yahweh.

1Kings 13:7 – Then the king said to the man of Elohim, Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.

8 – But the man of Elohim said to the king, If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

1Kings 13:11 – Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of Elohim had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.

12 – And their father said to them, Which way did he go? For his sons had seen which way the man of Elohim went who came from Judah.

1Kings 13:13 – Then he said to his sons, Saddle the donkey for me. So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,

14 – and went after the man of Elohim, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, [Are] you the man of Elohim who came from Judah? And he said, I [am].

1Kings 13:18 – He said to him, I too [am] a prophet as you [are], and an angel spoke to me by the word of YAHWEH, saying,
‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ (He was lying to him.)

19 – So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

1Kings 13:20 – Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of YAHWEH came to the prophet who had brought him back;

21 – and he cried out to the man of Elohim who came from Judah, saying, Thus says YAHWEH:
‘Because you have disobeyed the word of YAHWEH, and have not kept the commandment which YAHWEH your Elohim commanded you,

1Kings 13:22 – ‘but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which [YAHWEH] said to you, Eat no bread and drink no water, your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’

23 – So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.

So the very prophet who had condemned Jeroboam for following man and setting up his own commandments, in his own ordinances, his own priests, his own deal. He got tempted by the exact same thing that Jeroboam tempted got tested by.

That’s often true of those who are in a position of teaching and instructing others they get tempted in this way. But we see the prophet chose to trust man’s words rather than cleaving to Yahweh words.

He got deceived into thinking that what Yahweh had commanded he changed his mind. Does that sound a little familiar? Yahweh gave the Torah then he changes his mind, he gave the law and changed his mind later on. Oh we don’t have to do that now, is that a little bit familiar?

It is important that we realize Yahweh doesn’t change his mind he commands it we do it he doesn’t change he’s not different yesterday then he is today and different tomorrow then he is today he’s the same yesterday today and forever and that’s one reason why I believe. The law of Yahweh has not been abolished, changed, replaced any way shape or form.

And that anyone who says it has their misunderstanding something from Paul’s letters or their listening to man. So we see here that this prophet chose to trust man’s words rather than cleaving to Yahweh words. So scriptures said,

Jeremiah 17:5 – Thus says YAHWEH: Cursed [is] the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from YAHWEH.

6 – For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, [In] a salt land [which is] not inhabited.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed [is] the man who trusts in YAHWEH, And whose hope is YAHWEH.

8 – For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

And Yahweh is going to find out where our trust and our hope really is.

Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

10 – I, YAHWEH, search the heart, [I] test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

Who is really first that’s the question? Yahweh commands something to be done a certain way man comes along and decides to do it a little differently and that’s what we really need to be careful about. Even what we think are the minor things, even if other people tell us it’s OK. It’s OK to do something different than what Yahweh originally inspired.

Deuteronomy 13:1 – If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

2 – and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying,
‘Let us go after other gods’ — which you have not known — ‘and let us serve them,’

no if there arises a prophet or dreamer dreams even with a sign and wonder and the signer wonder actually happens and he says whenever it is fill in the blank disobey Yahweh some way shape or form.

Deuteronomy 13:3 – you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for YAHWEH your Elohim is testing you to know whether you love YAHWEH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 – You shall walk after YAHWEH your Elohim and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

and we are warned the test will come and it does he comes to you it comes to me it comes to all of us. Who will we obey? And that’s the danger really of tradition. The apostles face test the Sanhedrin couldn’t believe they were actually disobeying the command of the Sanhedrin they can hardly believe it. It said,

Acts 5:28 – saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!

29 – But Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said: We ought to obey Elohim rather than men.

They had a test but they past it, they were not willing to obey the Sanhedrin, when the Sanhedrin told them to do something that was against the word of Elohim. That was against his messiah now I see the same test happening even among people of our walk who have embraced the blessing of keeping Yahweh Torah his laws.

There have been several people I’ve been in fellowship with over the years who keep the feast days but according to a calendar that everyone knows is not correct. The Jewish calendar is by their own admission the admission of the Jewish people is not the calendar that Yahweh established in the scriptures.

Now I know there are different opinions out there today regarding the calendar and how to understand which days are the Holydays and when you’re supposed to observe the feasts.

And for that reason some people you know they get discouraged. I really don’t get discouraged it doesn’t bother me that bad I mean I like to see unity in terms of these areas but I think I also see what’s happening in the spiritual realm.

Because we have pointed a finger at those who are in Christianity and said,
‘Well which day is the Sabbath’? And we point out the seventh day of the week and they’re keeping the wrong day intentionally sometimes they have no basis in scripture for departing from the Sabbath day except tradition.

And yet just as the prophet that pointed a finger at jeroboam and said you’re departing from Yahweh and his commands.

We might also be getting tested here because some people they throw their hands up and say, Well I’m just going to go with the Jewish calendar,…

but if you know it’s not correct that doesn’t compute to me it’s like a completely different mindset from a foreign planet somewhere. I mean where’s Yahweh in this?

You might say, Well Yahweh is in the unity and the love, and that’s what Christians tell me as well, just’ well you know I don’t want to leave the church and start keeping the Sabbath day just cause then I won’t be in unity in anymore with Brothers and sisters I’m close to my family and you know’.

I know a person you might find a crowd of people following the Jewish calendar and maybe that’s OK and these are fine people in that way you know in terms of that yeah maybe you can find some people follow-ship at the feast

and there is a huge feast going on in Missouri the follow the Jewish calendar but since when do we follow a crowd to do something we know is not in the scriptures? Scriptures says,

Exodus 23:2 – You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert [justice].

now you might not think following the Jewish calendar is all that evil, but he made a decision you or Yahweh? What did he say to do?

Since when is truth determined by poll numbers or by how many warm
fuzzies of unity we get when we get together with people? Never, It just doesn’t compute in my head maybe I hope it’s not a delusion.

I hope it’s not people being judged certainly a reflection of willingness to do something different than what Yahweh prescribes in his word willfully, knowingly, intentionally.

Now if you believe the scriptures are telling you to follow the Jewish calendar okay. I don’t see how you could; the Jews themselves admit their not following the Biblical calendar, they in fact a recent article about how the Sanhedrin and Jerusalem for the first time in 2000 years they took in some new Moon reports according to the crescent sighting.

Which is what we’re doing and a professor Hillel Weiss who was spokesman and secretary for the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem he explains the significance.

He said this is just one of many mitzvot we neglect merely because we haven’t done them for so long. They neglect it, why? It’s because you haven’t done in a long time, that’s why. There’s no other reason not to do this and raise Judaism for 2000 years we practice Judaism a certain way.

Even though we are in Israel, the Torah and mitzvot are still in galut
(Diaspora)?. They changed it based on where they lived,. There are many practical things we could do and in truth should do to make Judaism richer and more like it was in the times of the Temple?.

They know it, they know they should but they don’t, well starting to actually, there just starting to.

There acknowledging they have not been doing it right way. And the modern Jewish calendar was actually established by Hillel 2 in the third the third century. It wasn’t an established by anything in scripture and here’s one of the things this Hillel 2 calendar will do.

They’ll say, ?If Rosh Hashana would fall on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, that it is postponed to the next day, if it has already been postponed to Sunday, Wednesday or Friday by rule one,

it is thus postponed for two days. The reason for this rule is that if Rosh Hashana fell on a Wednesday or Friday, than Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which is on the 10th of Tishri,it would be a Friday or Sunday.

Since both Yom Kippur and the Sabbath, which occurs every Saturday, are days when virtually all work is forbidden, would be very inconvenient to have them on consecutive days?.

Now wait a minute since when do you get to change the calendar based on convenience? Who gave you that authority? The scripture says this you’re like well, ?It’s not very convenient I think I will change it over here, moved this over here and mix and match?.

I mean if you’re willing to fiddle with Yahweh’s days and move them around for convenience sake how is that any different what traditional Christianity has done with the Sabbath? What’s the difference?

No there is no difference. I mean they’re both holy days, the feast day holy days in the seventh day is a holy day and what Yahweh says is a holy day is a holy day. You don’t get to change and say other day is a holy day we’ll rest on that day.

That’s why I’m thinking is there a delusion happening here? Is there like this wool over people’s eyes? I mean maybe they’ve been harsh and judgmental against those in traditional Christianity and now are being tested the same way? I don’t know it all comes down to individuals I’m not trying to judge anyone’s heart, I see and I go,

Leviticus 19:3 – ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I [am] YAHWEH your Elohim.

Ezekiel 23:38 – Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths.

we don’t want to be guilty of profaning his Sabbath’s, he doesn’t like it much. He wants us to keep them; he wants us to keep them that’s what he wants.

So all of Yahweh’s holy days are holy days not just the seventh day of the week the other days are holy days as well the seven yearly holy days are also holy days. We don’t have the authority to mix and match and move things around based on our own conveniences.

Or based on our desires for unity. So what do we do, how do we resolve all the disunity of the calendar how can we as believers come together on this?

There’s different thoughts out there some ministries teach the calendar months start with the conjunction, others say crescent, some start the year with equinox,

some start with the barley even within the barley I don’t believe those reports from those believers over there I’m going to believe the report by an unbeliever and his team and disregard the other people whom I don’t know very well.

There’s all this mass whatever. Well I think first of all we have to recognize it’s a mistake to follow any man.

I don’t care who they are into what we personally know is an error.

If I can figure out how to pronounce the messiahs name for instance to sufficient exactness I’m not going to throw my hands up and say well I’ll just call him Jesus I know that’s an error.

When I need to do is a need to seek the truth a need to follow what I believe is the closest thing to the truth. If I’m not sure when to observe the holy days it’s my responsibility to seek it out and observe what I believe is the closest thing to Yahweh’s word. And if you come to a different conclusion than me it’s all right I’ll have a problem with that.

Don’t make a decision based on what anybody else does. You and I have a responsibility to put Yahweh first and unity in error is not even really true unity. What we all need to do, this is an solution, we all need to seek unity with Yahweh and if we’re all willing to do that and put him first in every decision we make.

I believe the unity with each other will eventually come will if your when you were taking, but if we’re willing to compromise and do what we know what Yahweh said not to do.

I fear for ones soul who does that I hope they they get chastised rather than judged and condemned. It’s a serious matter to put Yahweh on the back burner and put man ahead of Yahweh.

I don’t care who you I don’t care if you are following traditional Christianity or if you call yourself a messianic or a Torah observant person if Yahweh is in a number two position that’s a scary place to be in any decision and so among us know the calendar issue has been historically divisive but following the Jews is not going to solve the problem.

It just adds another calendar for people to get confused over.

But I truly believe that if we’re willing to respect Yahweh by respecting what he says to us in his word and follow it to the best of our understanding, but at the same time treat the other person who sees something different than you do with respect, with love, with a spirit of kindness.

I really believe that, that is the path for unity. If we can respect Yahweh and his word and respect those who although they are seeking Yahweh’s word and trying to put Yahweh first in every decision they come to a different conclusion

if we can still respect them and love them and care about them and don’t treat them any differently than you would with someone you are in agreement with.

That’s the pathway to unity because the problem isn’t that we have differences I don’t know if there’s any two people who believe exactly the same way on everything it’s all on how we treat those who are different that matters and if we’re willing to do that not just with a calendar but on every issue. If someone putting Yahweh first I can respect that.

honestly if they’re not putting Yahweh first and they willingly put him in second place. I don’t respect that, I’ll love them care about them treat them the same as anybody else but I really respect it that much.

I once had a conversation with a Baptist pastor and I said to him,
“The 10 commandments, you believe in keeping the 10 commandments?” He said, “Yes.”

And I said, “Well the fourth commandment says that the Sabbath is on the seventh day of the week you believe that?” He said,
“Oh yes the Sabbath is actually on Saturday.”

I said, “Well, then why don’t you keep it on the day?” He said,
“Well we just do and Sunday.” I said, “But the bible says that we’re supposed to keep it on the seventh day of the week.
“He said, “Yes it does.”

I said, “You do it on the first day of the week.”
He said “Yes that’s what we do, Messiah rose on that day we do it then.” And I said,
“And there’s no scripture telling you to do it on the first day of the week?” He said,
“Right, there isn’t.”

I said, “So the bible tells you day number seven you’re going to do day number one, Right?” I said,
“So basically what you’re telling me is you don’t follow the bible?.”

And there was this long silence, and he goes.
“I guess you could say it that way, yup probably”. At that point what is there to say? Nothing, I hung up and that was it, just I haven’t talked to him since.

Then he got sick after that and had to step down but I don’t know if there’s a connection there, but if we know Yahweh’s word says one thing and we go, ?Well I’m going to do it my way?.

That’s not a good sign, he believed that the unity with his church members was more important than following the bible. I guess, I mean where else are you going to get it? So if we’re willing to put Yahweh first no matter what if we all see something different okay.

But at least Yahweh’s first, you know and maybe if we’re willing to do that may be some divine revelation will come to us.

Something will happen, Yahweh will reveal to us this is the right way and we’ll all go,
‘Oh okay’, and we will all be in unity then at that point. /msg ‘Watchman But we have to respect Yahweh’s word as the final authority and respect each other in spite of our differences, and if in the end look, in the and I’m found to be an error I messed up on the calendar I was totally off.

At least I will be able to say,’ Well Yahweh I researched your word I wanted to follow the calendar I believed you wanted me to follow and I appreciate you correcting me,

I’m sorry I taught people the wrong thing all these years. But if I just follow man rather than following a calendar I know his word instructed to me personally or use gave up trying to figure it out.

What am I going to say then? Well I followed men instead of you, well what you gonna say? I thought you want me to follow man instead of you? That can’t be he says not to so,

if the holy days are different than what’s in scripture you can’t be from Yahweh. His holy days and not determined by the Jews in Jerusalem anymore than they are determined by the gentiles in Rome.

Its Yahweh and his word, following Yahweh’s word sometimes involves being different. Yahushua didn’t come to bring peace but a sword. This sword it happens to be Yahweh’s word telling me to do something different than what’s popular I don’t put away my sword.

I have to put his word at a higher place than any desire for unity, that’s fundamental. To what makes us different than the world to begin with,

I love unity and camaraderie every bit as much as the next person. I wanna see physical
Judah unite with us and the messiah and us all be together, one big happy family.

But don’t unify in error, please, please don’t do that that’s not really unity. That’s just as just another denomination, that’s what they’re doing already there unified all right but not unified in the truth.

It’s our great respect for the Torah that will provoke
Judah to jealousy and compel them to more faithfully follow the document they hold dear. Not our willingness to join them in error, the truth is we can have unity even if we have differences of opinion in the calendar.

You know why? We can have unity even though we have differences of opinion on anything, how to pronounce the father and son’s name or all these other peripheral issues.

We can have unity, how do we have unity? Our unity can be this, were all trying to put Yahweh first in every decision we make, in every desire of our heart, we want to love and obey Yahweh with all of our heart all of our soul and if the end differences in opinion are there hey I can still respect you,

I respect anyone trying to put Yahweh first. So that’s the difference on any area of doctrine we vary on.

I can respect and fellowship with those even those in traditional Christianity as long as there sincerely held beliefs not just trying to go with what’s popular and just content with the herd mentality I can fellowship with them and consider them my brother and sister.

Those who put Yahweh first are my brothers and my sisters and that’s who I’m looking to fellowship with.

Whatever the doctrines are not very important really as much as who’s first, who’s first and if you really believe Yahweh himself has some scripture to tell you go follow man and his calendar I’d sure like to see it /msg
‘Watchman because it seems really fundamental that Yahweh’s word must come first because when the hammers and nails of denominations and organizations that are being built are heard no more and the sounds of debates over doctrines

and arguments about which race is more saved than the other one and they’ve all quieted down. The house of academia and everything that’s going on with that’s no more and there’s no more presidents no more wars no more arguments

The house of academia and everything that’s going on with that’s no more and there’s no more presidents no more wars no more arguments over calendars or pronunciations this to this or that and all these things are gone and the noise and confusion and madness is over. It’s going to be you and him, no man going to be sitting there with a loophole in the law going,

‘Well you got to let him off because you know, no attorney’s going to be there. Just you and him and what man says or what he thinks isn’t going to count. And there won’t be no one there but Yahushua your advocate who wants to know.

Was he the King? Every penny you value today won’t be there, their thoughts won’t account for anything. Was the Messiah King or was the Man King? Or are you allowing yourself to be king? Was Yahweh Yahweh Elohim? Did you put other Elohim ahead of him?

Was he really first or was it just some kind of religion you’re following? Was it really all about Yahweh Or was it investing in something man is trying to create? Those are some really heart probing questions if everybody kept the feasts of Yahweh Rather than Christmas and Easter.

Who would still keep Christmas and Easter? If Everyone called the Messiah
“Yahushua” who would insist on calling him Jesus? Everyone kept the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week Who would ignore it and keep it on Sunday?

If everyone kept the feasts, I don’t care what day it is, But you found in the word something differently. What will you do? Everyone else is doing whatever, that doesn’t have anything to do with what the truth is and these questions cut out all the noise and simply ask heart probing question.

Who are you really following? And if I’m convinced whatever it is. It’s my true and genuine belief out of love for our Father in heaven Is different than yours And if you’re doing the same thing I love you.

I love you very much, that’s my brother’s right there, that’s who I’m looking for And I’m convinced of this too. If we are in the habit of putting Yahweh first In our lives regardless of the cost This will be the best preparation for the Great Tribulation.

I really believe it will ultimately come down That one question Where do we stand on that question? Are we willing to put Yahweh first? Now if you’re one of those who missed the Passover
Observance this week,

You know you does permit you to observe it the following month, read ninth the ninth chapter in the book of numbers. So in certain contexts You’re permitted to do so, and so don’t feel bad,

If you really believe this is the right month but you’re just going along with the group for somebody else, He gives you a little bit of leeway to do it the following month In some cases but read the ninth chapter of numbers If you really believe you
Yahweh’s word is teaching you to observe it next month,

I don’t judge you ,I don’t look down upon you I don’t think anything less of you But please, Please, Please in Everything you do put Yahweh first it is so important That we still love and respect those who see it differently

And not condemn those Who are in a different place than we are But this we must have Yahweh number one He must be our Elohim our deity our mighty one, not
man, not the concept of unity, not the denomination we follow, not the group of people we happen to meet with. no one nothing but what, Yahweh first. he has shown you.

not the concept of unity, not the denomination we
follow, not the group of people we happen to meet with. no one nothing but what, Yahweh first. he has shown you.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what [is] good; And what does YAHWEH require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your Elohim?

got to walk with him, You got to be humble about it And we have to be merciful to the ones who don’t. What we have to do justly. Are we willing to do justly? Walk in righteousness and Truth?

But with mercy and humility? Are we walking with Yahweh Or are we tend to walk contrary to his word? If it happens to be more convenient to us. He’s showing us what’s good let’s do what’s good in his sight and with humility and mercy and grace toward others who are putting Yahweh first this is the walk.

This is the way Let’s be sure you’re always on the throne of our
heart, Not man, Not any object nothing in this world Yahweh and Yahweh alone.

‘Cause that was the difference between Saul and
David, Between the Pharisees and the disciples, Between one who serves Yahweh and one who’s following the same old tired plastic religion.

Oh father please forgive us forgive your people for any of our
stubbornness hard heartedness any way that we are putting man ahead of you and your word and keep us father, keep us, preserve us.

In the tribulation days ahead whatever is ahead of us, help us to be in that
habit of putting you first even to our own hurt even when it does’nt seem
convenient. Have mercy on your people and show them father Yahweh this narrow, narrow path. Let they be among the few that find it and walk
therein.

Truly your ways are superior, your ways are the pathways to eternal life and father we want to live the way Yahushua did, who very much so headed your word even to his own hurt.

For truly yours is the Kingdom and the powerand the glory and the majesty and all praise worship and
honor belongs to you, Yahweh Elohenu , Yahweh our mighty one forever, and ever in Yahushua’s name. Amein