Words wield immense power. We’ve been taught they can’t hurt, but that’s a dangerous myth. This post explores the biblical truth about the destructive potential of the tongue, challenging the popular saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Discover how words can shape lives, cultures, and even history.
The name of our Lord in the Greek language is “Iésous” (Ἰησοῦς), and his Greek name has absolutely nothing to do with the name of the pagan god Zeus. These two names may sound similar, but they are entirely different. It’s like the English words ‘to, two, and too,’ or ‘there, their, and they’re’—sets of three words that all sound the same, but they are spelled differently and mean entirely different things.
Solomon did not ask for money, or power, or health. Instead, he asked for a ‘discerning heart to govern [God’s] people and to distinguish between right and wrong’ (1 Kings 3:9). YeHoVaH was pleased with Solomon’s request. ‘God said to him, ‘Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be’” (1 Kings 3:11-12).
Jesus condemns the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, detailing their failure to lead God’s people. True shepherds should be devoted to their flock, unlike these self-serving religious leaders.
Paul’s writings are often misunderstood, leading many astray. While his epistles are valuable, they should be studied after a solid foundation in the Torah and the words of Jesus. Approaching Paul’s letters with wisdom and discernment is crucial to avoid misinterpretation and its harmful consequences.
Pride, the original sin, leads to destruction. From the Garden of Eden to historical figures like Nebuchadnezzar, pride’s consequences are severe. God opposes pride but favors humility. Choose life by choosing humility and obedience to God, rather than the destructive path of pride.
This Memorial Day, we honor the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes. Similarly, we must remember the importance of honoring God’s name. Just as we cherish the memory of fallen soldiers, we must also cherish the eternal memorial of God, His name Yehovah. In doing so, we join a long line of believers who have fought to preserve God’s glory throughout history.
It would take naivety and innocence to affirm that political leaders will somehow find answers to all this chaos.
Likewise, just as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Luke 17:28-30
On several occasions, Yeshua declared that prior to His return, the situation would be similar to the days preceding the Flood and the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. And what were those conditions? Nothing more and nothing less than the ones we are witnessing. Let’s see:
Faced with all of the above, you don’t need to be a scientist or a prophet to identify the current conditions. Just open your eyes and look around. Of course, we haven’t mentioned all the other situations that are also already present: frequent earthquakes, diseases due to people’s blind trust in official health systems, pollution of our planet, complete imbalance in the delicate system created by YeHoVaH… etc.
So, ask yourself if you truly believe that this will improve through a political party or a human leader. If your answer is negative, ask yourself this other question: how long will this situation last? It would take naivety and innocence to affirm that political leaders will somehow find answers to all this chaos. No. The situation will worsen because it’s foreseen to.
Yeshua warned us in advance that this would happen; moreover, He encouraged us to lift our faces because when this is being fulfilled, it means our liberation is near. It is planned that these things will happen before His return to establish a real kingdom of justice and peace.
There’s no room for fear because we have hope in the promises of our Eternal Father YeHoVaH, who will intervene in due time to rescue His faithful remnant who have separated themselves from the contaminated system and placed their trust in Him. It’s time to align your daily life with His commandments. If you haven’t done so yet, what are you waiting for?
In these erratic times in which we live, where we spend most of our time working to acquire material possessions, separating the Sabbath day from the rest of the days is a true sign (Exodus 31:17) that reminds us of whom we truly serve.
When a person begins to delve into the study of the Bible and leaves behind religious conditioning, they realize that there are numerous commandments contained within the pages of the Torah. Not coincidentally, the word Torah is translated as “law,” despite the more appropriate translation being “instruction.”
These instructions were not created by the Almighty to overwhelm us or confine our existence to religious confinement, but rather to learn how to navigate this world and guide our families and communities.
According to rabbinic accounts, there are 613 commandments contained in the first five books of the Bible. It is important to note that not all of these apply to everyone. Many of these commandments are exclusively related to the service of the Temple and the priesthood, while others are specific to judges, women, men, and so on.
Most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments, which represent the statements that the Creator Himself spoke from Mount Sinai and dictated to Moses:
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:27-28
Among these Ten Commandments, which even most Christians pride themselves on observing, is the Sabbath, the fourth commandment:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11
Although this verse speaks of “remembering” the Sabbath, in the recounting of the commandments in Deuteronomy 5, it speaks of “keeping” it.
When the commandment of the Sabbath was first declared by the Creator in Exodus 20, it appears in the fourth position. So why do I say that the Sabbath is the first commandment?
Simple, when we follow the chronology of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, on their way to Mount Sinai, in the second month, they complained and received manna from heaven. A few days after the manna started to fall, Moses told them:
“Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.” Exodus 16:23
This is how we can see that the Sabbath was introduced weeks before the Israelites reached Mount Sinai and had implications regarding the collection and preparation of food.
The Sabbath is defined in the creation week at the beginning of the book of Genesis. Thousands of years before the Torah was given and even before Abraham was chosen, the Creator established this model and pattern of seven days. When we study different elements of Creation, we realize that the number 7 is extremely relevant and cannot be altered, whether it’s the 7 musical notes (do re mi fa sol la si), the 7 colors of the rainbow, or the 7 days of the week. Throughout the Biblical narrative, we encounter this number time and time again.
Being the first commandment that appears after the Israelites’ liberation from slavery, we see that it holds special importance. It is no coincidence that most believers interested in the Hebrew roots of Christianity begin with this very commandment.
In these erratic times in which we live, where we spend most of our time working to acquire material possessions, separating the Sabbath day from the rest of the days is a true sign (Exodus 31:17) that reminds us of whom we truly serve.
For more information about the Sabbath day, click here.
Modern lifestyle has disconnected us from nature – Yehovah’s Creation – and has connected us to an artificial life that prevents us from understanding the way God acts.
We were created to interact with Creation at all its levels. The original mandate was: “fill the earth and govern it.” Instead of that, we have grouped ourselves to live in paved cities, full of skyscrapers, highly polluted, and we have lost sight of the Garden in which we were originally placed.
Modern lifestyle has disconnected us from nature – Yehovah’s Creation – and has connected us to an artificial life that prevents us from understanding the way God acts.
In this condition, we do not know or understand the Festivals that were given to us, as they are linked to nature and the cycles of food cultivation.
Not only have we lost the opportunity to recognize the hand of our Father in nature, but we also ignore the meaning of the Appointed Times gave by Him. Yehovah our Father determined multiple celebrations throughout the year:
For the Spring season:
For the Fall season:
We then have Four Celebrations and Three Festivals each year. But we also have at the beginning of each month, the celebration of Yom Kodesh or the beginning of the lunar month (see topic: Yehovah’s Calendar), and every week, we have the Shabbat, a gift from our Father so that we can suspend the routines that sometimes overwhelm us and take a break in His presence (see topic: Shabbath, the First Commandment).
In general, we can affirm that these Celebrations and Festivals have several purposes:
Setting aside time to be with Him, knowing Him, and thanking Him for His constant provision.
Keeping us alert to the development of His perfect Eternal Plan.
Identifying ourselves as His people by honoring Him.
Recreating and rejoicing in the proper and non-harmful manner.
When we practice these Celebrations and Festivals, we are acknowledging that Yehovah is the center of our existence, so we orbit around Him throughout the year, and in that way, we testify that He is the most important person in our lives. Additionally, these are opportunities to develop our interpersonal relationships and take time to rest and enjoy the things He provides for us.
Decide to participate in Yehovah’s Festivals because you will gain an understanding of His Word that is not possible to achieve otherwise.
