Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Pagan Gods, Where Did They Come From?


Pagan Gods, Where Did They Come From?
R. Yehudah ben Shomeyr

From the Romans and Greeks to the Norse gods there is a pantheon of gods within virtually every pagan culture, with a litany of activities and phenomenon that they are in control of.

After the Flood and prior to the Tower of Babel the world was one language and culture and the world knew about the One True G-d of Creation, though He was not yet known to mankind as YHWH (Ex. 6:3). But the innate desire to look to and worship something greater than ourselves, coupled with the fallen nature which feeds the evil of men’s hearts cause mankind to credit various Divine activities and natural created phenomenon to fabricated individual entities they called elohim (gods) in which demons stepped into, as on cue, the role of these gods created in the image of man. So these gods took on various names which were attributes of G-d.

Even with Abraham, G-d was not known as YHWH.

Exd 6:2-4 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD (YHWH): And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty (EL SHADDAI), but by my name YAHWEH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

In other words, G-d was known to Abraham by one of His Canaanite, generic pagan names, another common one was El Elyon (G-d Most High). El Shaddai was letting Abraham know that He was displeased with the Canaanites and He was planning on giving their land to him and his descendants.

It is no surprise G-d had “pagan” names like El Elyon and even sometimes Ba’al (Lord). These were more titles and descriptions than names.

The English word “God” is not a name but a title; to say that the English word “God” comes from the name of a pagan deity (Gawd) in another language just because it is phonetically similar is illogical, linguistically and grammatically deficient on so many levels. If this were true Jews today would not use or say such titles, they would be replaced with something else. What I am about to say may offend some, though this is not my intention. My intention is to make an extreme analogy so as to highlight the absurdity and flawed logic of those who dogmatically teach that “God” is a pagan name. It’s just as absurd as claiming that the Greek word, “pisto or pistis” meaning “faith” is where we get the English slang word for urine which is “piss” and that we shouldn’t say “piss” or “pissed off” because it is a crass or a “cuss” word, but because when we use it, we are renouncing or “casting off” our faith by equating our faith with bodily human waste. See how cultish and illogical such thinking can be!?

It may shock some, but recall what I said earlier, that before G-d revealed His true Name He was known by “pagan” names, such as El Shaddai, El Elyon, Ba’al, etc.

All pagan gods are is emanations, characteristics, actions and attributes of the One True G-d which fallen entities and demons took on the persona of in order to deceive and control mankind. Further delusion and influence of the demonic upon mankind’s fallen and egotistically selfish nature caused man to even claim to be such gods themselves in which Nimrod was the first (Gen. 10). As generations passed mankind became steeped in this delusion in which they and the fallen angelic have weaved and the One True G-d just became another god in the pantheon of gods scattered through out the various regions, people groups and religions.

So, what of epiphanies, miracles and personal spiritual encounters and experiences of other religions; are they valid or a delusion?

If valid, is G-d a deceiver, taking on whatever form in whatever religion?

G-d is infinite, boundless; we as finite creations can’t help but put G-d in a nice little box of our own design.

Do I believe in supernatural events and or manifestations in other religions are real?

Yes. They can only come from one of two sources; G-d or the fallen angelic legions, the Devil, Satan, the Evil One, whatever you want to call it. For in the instance of a healing, if the malady is supernatural in origin, all the demonic entity has to do is to remove its influence or “hand” off of the individual and V’wallah! Presto! It looks as if a miracle has occurred, someone has been healed. In which case it will either slowly return over time or another, possibly worse malady will replace it.

If it be from G-d, whether a healing or an epiphany or a revelation of spiritual truth; if it comes from G-d the healing will be permanent and medically recordable, though by all means not necessarily explainable by medicine. If it is a revelation, the truth will be universal regardless of what guise it takes.

When G-d reveals Himself or speaks to a pagan or one of another faith, G-d may look to them as indigenous to their religion. G-d will slowly, by degrees, reveal Himself like a light controlled by a dimmer switch so as to slowly reveal and acclimate one to the Truth and not to blind them with it by a sudden blast of full force light from a pitch black state. This would look so shocking and startling that the receiver of the revelation will automatically deem it a lie from the other side and disregard it.

The truth may be revealed so plainly, however, the pagan clothes it and filters it through their own religious world view and thus in the retelling it looks as if it came from his religion.

I’m not saying pagan religions are acceptable in G-d’s sight or fully legitimate expressions of worshiping the One and Only G-d, but I believe, since we were all one people at one point in time in history that they are traceable to the G-d of Abraham and the religion of His people.

For instance, all the Asian/Oriental/Near East religions such as Buddhism and its splinter groups like Taoism, Confucius-ism, and Jainism can be traced to Judaism through Kabbalah. For the main tenants and philosophies therein are virtually the same. We can even say this about Hinduism and its offshoots of Sikhism and the adherents to Hare Krishna, it too seem to have come from ancient Kabbalah. I realize for some this is a far stretch because they don’t see Kabbalah as being as old as Judaism, but according to Tradition and extra Canonical books like Enoch speaks of a mystic spiritual tradition that has been handed down from the beginning and has presently taken its form of expression to us in Kabbalah. And ironically scientist have turned to Kabbalah only to discover it speaks of things such as string theory and even medical facts; Kabbalah has at times beaten science to the punch (See: “Science and Kabbalah” by Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr). Although Hinduism is sometimes called polytheistic, this is not entirely correct. Hindus actually believe the various deities in their pantheon are manifestations or emanations of the same single G-d.

Krishna was before Christ but his exploits and teachings have some striking similarities. Author Kersey Graves (1813-1883), a Quaker from Indiana, compared Jesus Christ's and Krishna's life. He found what he believed were 346 elements in common within Christian and Hindu writings. Maybe this was a form of ancient prophecy about the Messiah being preserved in Pagan religions. http://www.religion-cults.com/Eastern/Hinduism/krishna.htm

Even Native American spirituality in ritual and philosophy at times mirrors Judaism uncannily and though archeological evidence it is believed by some that the Cherokee people and possible the Lakota have Hebrew blood or at least were influenced  by Hebrews who came to the America’s via Davidic and Solomonic trading ships (See: The Judaokee People” By Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr).

Even Egypt for a short time (18th dynasty) went back to a monotheistic religious state under Pharaoh Akhenaten to worship the one and only G-d he called Aten.

Zoroastrianism was the ancient Persian monotheistic religion which took many ideals and words from the Hebrew religion as it was then and thus looks and sounds like Judaism at times.

Thus out side of the Abrahamic religions and post Exilic times I believe traces of Hebraism and its faith from after the Assyrian captivity and dispersion of the 10 tribes can be found in pagan religions and cultures.

For example, I was watching a Viking movie and heard one of the Vikings say, “Odin help us!” And it struck me how similar Odin is to Adon, the Hebrew word for Lord and where we get the name, Adonai.

Odin, is the Norse (Anglo-Saxton) Father God , God of wisdom, wealth, inspiration, poetry, battle, hunting, magic, prophecy. Odin (Woden) – Adon – Adonai

Like with the Cherokee deity Yowah, looks and sounds a lot like the personal Name of G-d found in the Bible, Yahweh. Spelled: Yod-Hey-Vav (Waw)-Hey. In Hebrew there were no vowels and interestingly enough these names we are exploring have the same consonants but different vowels.

In the morphing of words through the ages, through various languages and cultures with the change in accent and inflection, usually the consonants remain the same and the vowels change and so it is easily to see how Yahweh can become Yowah and Adon can become Odin.

Coincidence? I am not a big believer in coincidences.

Before we go any further allow me to say that I am not promoting, endorsing or condoning British-Israeliteism, but there are rumors, legends and speculations that some of the Vikings could have come from one of the lost ten tribes, especially portions of Dan, Gad, Zebulon, Naphtali, and Benjamin.

So could the similarities between the name and character of Odin and Adon indicate that post Assyrian captivity or Babel link? 

Adonis, originally a Phoenician god (Phoenicia being modern day Lebanon), also known in Greek mythology as the god of rebirth and vegetation, worshipped in mystery religions for untold eons. Again, the Name is uncannily similar to the Hebrew Adon; Adonis – Adon – Adonai.

The new kid on the block is the Bahai faith which originally came from a Muslim, but sees all other religions and prophets and their messages an extension or facet of the same religion and thus loosely blends the traditions and teachings of all into a unified system.

The reason the various religions of the world became pagan is that after Babel is that the various people groups took the creation and flood story with them, including the Torah (Divine Laws of G-d) as it was known up to that time and through their culture formed it into a separate and distinct religion and so trace elements of “Hebrew” religion can be found.

“I read books such as “The Two Babylons” and see how Satan has perverted the truth in each culture in an attempt to drive them away from the truth, yet the grain of the truth lies within each culture; which lends to the possibility of a pagan culture to come to the truth. Indeed, it is an ingenious plan of the evil one to hide truth in plain sight, yet disguised in cultural paganism.” -- Where Did Paganism Come From? By Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr

This is like diluting something in water so you can barely taste what was the originally there. Yet to put it “sciency”… trace elements could e found if tests were run on it.

A great book that fleshes this out is “Eternity in Their Hearts” by Don Richardson. He makes comparisons of tribal religions and peoples he worked with, to things in Scripture. One of which is the concept of the city of refuge which the peoples he worked with had and thus was able to share with them the Word.

However, there is even debate in this area regarding timing. Did it come from Babel or from Sinai or both? I have already covered how it could have came from Babel, but from Sinai means that when YHWH gave the Torah He spoke and His voice, His Torah reverberated throughout the world and those truly seeking the One True G-d heard and obeyed and influenced their culture by it. Well, I must say I have to be as Forrest Gump on this issue as he was on free will and fate, “I think it’s a little of both.”

Then we have Christianity and Islam, direct cuts for the cloth, so to speak, for both religions traces their roots to Judaism via Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael respectively.

It is my belief that in reaching out to other peoples and religions one must find the inroad so as to guide one back to the original source; the G-d of Israel.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!


Thank you for all your support!

Missions Trip 2011: Nigeria

Three months to go and I will be in Nigeria and Ghana. One month to go and I will be out of a job, my contract at the Nursing Home will be over. I am over half way to reaching my goal of raising $3000 to finance the trip but I still need the financial assistance of others to help make this trip possible. If you wish to help me fund this trip, it would be much appreciated. You would be actively participating in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy in these last days in seeing a lost tribe of Israel come back into their own. Do not worry about the amount, every little bit helps!
 
If you cannot give due to illness or hardship please consider collecting and redeeming bottles and cans to help get me to Nigeria.
 
You can donate by finding the donation button on the home page of my website: www.adint-ministries.com
 
Or make checks or money orders payable to “Kris Shoemaker” and send it to:
 
PO BOX 763
Ft. Fairfield, ME. 04742
 
For all those who have given and even given again; for those who have given sacrificially till it hurt to help make this trip possible. THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

If just 100 people would give $30.00 I would have enough to cover my trip to Nigeria.

You can see photos of my trip to Nigeria, labeled “Nigeria 2010,” on my facebook profile:


In the service of the God of Israel,
Shalom,
Founder and CEO of RaYBaSH Ministries and A.D. International,
-- Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr (Kris Shoemaker)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Bearing Marks


Bearing Marks
R. Yehudah ben Shomeyr
Gal. 6:17 (KJV) From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus (Adon/Master Yeshua).

The word “trouble” is the Greek verbs “parechō” and “kopos” and Rav Sha’ul was saying he didn’t want anyone pitying him or to go to the trouble to console, comfort, serve or minister unto him. He didn’t want anyone making over him like royalty or putting themselves out to help him. He wanted no special treatment from others.  Kopos means to grieve or beat ones chest in sorrow. The Rav wanted no one to mourn or grieve over him due to his imprisonment, and ill treatment at the hands of Jews and Gentiles. He didn’t want anyone to worry over him. 

The Greek work “bear” is the verb “bastazō” meaning to willingly take, carry, sustain and or support a burden or load upon oneself. 

“In my body” can mean both, inside and out, internally, as in mentally and spiritually, as well as outwardly in the physical. 

“Marks” is the Greek word “stigma” and it is where we get the word used in religious circles, “stigmata” which refers to one mysteriously, without explanation taking on wound of Yeshua, bleeding from one’s head, hands, feet and side. The word “stigma” also means, “a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. To ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or the stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotee's who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods.” -- http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4742&t=KJV 

Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) was not saying he suffered from stigmata’s, we must look to the Torah to better understand what Rav Sha’ul meant by these words.

Exd 21:5-6 (KJV) And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free. Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.  

Rav Sha’ul was implying several things:
1.     Do not feel sorry for him because of all the hardships, unjust beatings and imprisonments he has suffered through the years at the hand of Jew and Gentile because he chose this path and likely knew such things would befall him; it comes with the territory as they say. Just as Messiah Himself was beaten and rejected so was he, just as Yeshua said believers would be.

Matt. 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Matt. 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

2.     That he is like that willing slave that is mentioned in the Torah (Exd. 21:5-6) to Yeshua the Messiah, and he will go and endure anything that is required of him.

The internal and external scars are badges of courage and honour and Rav Sha’ul wouldn’t have it any other way.

In this Torah Obedient Messianic/Natsari Movement it is easy to play the chameleon and blend in to whatever environment we find ourselves in. We can play both sides of the field if we wanted to. But do we love HaShem, Yeshua Ha Moshiach and The Torah enough to boldly, willingly, unashamedly, and even gladly endure rejection by Christendom and Judaism at large?  Do we love HaShem, Yeshua Ha Moshiach and The Torah enough to boldly, willingly, unashamedly, and even gladly endure threats and mistreatment by the hand of Christian or Jew? Do we love HaShem, Yeshua Ha Moshiach and The Torah enough to boldly, willingly, unashamedly, and even gladly endure being spat upon or even be pelted with stone as we are booted out of churches or synagogues? I am not saying have a sadistic martyr complex, but what I am saying is, do you unashamedly want to stand up for the Truth (Jude 1:3) despite what consequences may come, or do you just want to blend in and not rock the boat; tuck in your tzitzit around Christians and hide your Brit Chadasha (New Testament) around Jews?

Yeshua said in Matt. 10:33 “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Anti-Missionary Antics


Anti-Missionary Antics
R. Yehudah ben Shomeyr

My journey and that of many others have come to feel complete and at home in Natsari/Messianic Judaism, sadly, others when arrive, stay only a short time and walk on by and succumb to the sweet poison of the anti-missionaries and convert to Orthodox Judaism, just as a dog laps up a dish of sweet anti-freeze and dies. They unwittingly forfeit Messiah Yeshua, apostasies, only to replace it with (as far as over all history is concerned) the “Johnny-come-lately” Rabbinic Judaism with its reconstructionists and re-and-misinterpretations of Messianic prophecy that was adopted after the 1st century. The magnitude of this cover up is beyond the scale of UFO cover ups and governmental and New World Order conspiracies. Not just a nation, but a world of eternal souls hangs in the balance.

I have run into Messianic/Natsari Jews who wanted to go deep and know all there is to know and there is nothing wrong with that. But because of Christians have been so lax in keeping Torah, yes, even reject it, they foolishly think Mainstream Judaism knows more about the Messiah and they swallow hook line and sinker post-Yeshua reactionary doctrine that was devised to hide the fact that Yeshua is the Divine Messiah.

I have heard of many who went from Christian to Messianic/Natsarim to Orthodox Judaism. From Yeshua believing Torah deniers to Torah Observant Yeshua Believers to Yeshua denying Torah Observers. And I have personally witnessed this once first hand and am dealing with a few teetering on the edge. We need more knowledgeable believers who will stand against the anti-missionaries and the Tovia Singers of today and clearly and boldly with documented, undeniable proof that Yeshua is indeed the promised Divine Messiah. Like Michael Brown, who will “Answer Jewish Objections to Jesus” and does so very well, and Carmen Welker who heads up the apologetic site called “The Refiners Fire.” We need Torah Obedient Believers to boldly, unashamedly and yet tactfully proclaim and prove that Yeshua is the Divine Messiah.

One of the issues dealing with Messianic Prophecy is the lies in the post Yeshua reactionary, reconstructionistic doctrine after the time Yeshua Messiah walked the earth, which purposefully reinterprets, denies or “dresses down” messianic prophecy so as to attempt to:

1.     Deny Yeshua of Messiahship by failing to fulfill messianic prophecy in reference to their new interpretation of messianic prophecy.
2.     Deny Judaism ever believed in the coming of a Divine Messiah.
3.     By picking and choosing and only adhering to the Pashat level of interpretation to passages traditionally used by Christians to substantiate the claim that Yeshua is Israel’s Divine Messiah and suppression and denying the legitimate Sod level of interpretation of these passages in question. Attempting to make Nazarene Jews and Christians to perform Scriptural acrobatics to force a passage to fit Yeshua like a square peg to a round hole. To make them appear foolish in reading something that is not really there. They only use Jewish rules of interpretation (PaRDeS) when it fits their needs but denies the use of it to substantiate claims that Yeshua is Messiah or Divine.

This is an acronym for how we Jews interpret Scripture: PaRDeS, meaning “Paradise” in Hebrew.

P- Pashat= The simple, literal, plain meaning.
R- Remez= The homiletical meaning. Something hinted at.
D- Drash=  The allegorical meaning and or the teaching and application of a given passage.
S- Sod= The deep, hidden, secret, spiritual meaning of a given text.  The main Rule is the other interpretations NEVER take away from the Pashat level of interpretation. 

4.     To keep their adherents from accepting Yeshua as Messiah and joining the Natsari sect or converting to Christianity. Because at this time in history is reaching epidemic proportions in mainstream Judaism of Jews converting to Christianity.
5.     To gain converts and win over Natsari Jews and Messianics to Orthodox Judaism which in Natsari circles is becoming an epidemic as well. Like two set of people on either side of a boat and both rushing across the deck to switch places.
6.     Muttle and blur the plain truth of texts.
7.     Jump from topic to topic, subject to subject to confuse their victim. If they allowed logic to dictate and stay on subject the poor soul may find the Achilles Heel of their argument.
8.     They use poor Christian Translations of the Scriptures to back and prove their point without giving the truth that lies in the Hebrew of the text. In other words they lie and hedge their bets on their victims ignorance of Judaism and the Hebrew language.

They are the Jewish counterpart to the Catholic Jesuits. So desperate are their augments they have to stoop to this level of argumentation and debate.

The crux of this particular issue is: You don’t like the answer? Change the equation!

The same thing is happening today in America with the reinterpretation of the Constitution and we see America slowly turning into “Amerika” a socialistic regime. In both cases the key is that the change didn’t happen overnight but over a period of time so the transition goes virtually unnoticed.

When Anti-Missionaries give their evidence and reasons why Yeshua is not the Messiah, sure they back up their claims by Scripture and by the words of noted Rabbi’s and the Talmud, but what they do not do is give you the whole Scripture, Talmudic or Rabbinical passage in context. And when they quote Christian or Messianic Jewish arguments and then debunk it, they don’t show their entire reasoning or argument either. There evidence comes by lying by omission and taking bits and pieces out of their context. Sometimes they even use New Testament Scripture to substantiate their claims, but their so called evidence is based on a faulty or poor translation of the text.

This is like accusing Billy of being a drunk because someone wrote a statement stating, “I saw Billy drinking,” yet leaving out the rest of the written statement that said, “Orange Juice.”

Or saying Billy is a drunk because Billy left a note on the fridge saying that he was going to the bar; when if the matter was thoroughly examined one would discover Billy was in law school and was going to the bar exam. 


“The Sky is Green and the Grass is Blue.”

Sadly, it also boils down to a matter of ones free will. If someone believes with their whole heart that the sky is green and the grass is blue it doesn’t matter what undeniable proofs presented to them, they cannot be convinced otherwise.

Moles Among Us!!!

What Yeshua said is true:


Matt. 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.


Who says Orthodox Jews do not evangelize or have missionaries!? Evidence, as we speak is being mounted and uncovered regarding these anti-missionaries activities. It would be premature to divulge such evidence at this time; however, what I can say is that it is being discovered how they are infiltrating Torah Obedient Messianic and Natsari group and are creating online ministries and profiles under the guise of these labels; most of them for some reason are heavily infiltrating the Sacred Name branches of the movement and emphasizing the prefix “YAH” in their online ministries and profiles. Many are probably our “friends” on our online social networks and we don’t even know it. I have been able to ferret out a few and “un-friend” them from my online social networks, but I suspect many more still remain.

The following are but one way they are infiltrating. They come across and pawn themselves off as Orthodox Torah Observant Messianic/Natsari believers, sometimes claiming to coming out of Orthodox Judaism and once they befriend a individuals or a group they slowly begin to express concern and doubt in regards to the Messiahship and Divinity of Yeshua. The young Torah believers who come out of Christianity thinks, “They come from Orthodox Judaism, so they must know more than I do, they must know something I don’t.” and thus seeds of doubt regarding the Messiahship and Divinity of Yeshua is planted and take deep root.

They are deceitfully breaking Torah, for this is one thing HaSHem HATES!


Prov. 6:19   A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.


And Yeshua Messiah Himself said regarding these deceitful Anti-Missionaries:


Matt. 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.


There is no secret knowledge, only a cover up! All we need to know regarding Yeshua and His Messiah Ship and Divinity are contained in the Torah, Tanak and Brit Chadasha:


John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.


So beware and be forewarned!


I John 4:2-3 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.


The following are some apologetical sites challenging the falsehood of the anti-missionaries: