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Have you found eternal salvation through the lovely name of our Lord Jesus Christ?  Have you found true deliverance from your old sinful past, the world and it's pleasures, in this most precious name?  What about the reality of the peace of God, and the assurance nothing can separate us from the love of God?  Have you seen lives changed, miracles wrought, families restored, and others responding towards God, at the preaching of this Name above every other name?

What if someone came along and said this Name you have been saved and set free by, is not the correct name at all but a misnomer?  What if someone came along and said the wonderful name of your Saviour was a corrupt Greek name, derived from a false god called Zeus?  How would you react?  What would you response be?

This is exactly what is happening in some spheres of Christendom today, through sources of the Hebrew Roots teaching, as it validates itself into the Body of Christ.

This following article is written in response to this tragedy, along with the many people who have e-mailed me in recent months, trying to persuade myself over to the Hebrew Roots Camp.  Generally I have found these people to be varied in their opinions in regards to doctrine; some moderate (scripturally still believing in the Trinity) and others into complete heresy omitting the name Jesus Christ from their faith.

The sincere majority of these people have used the gentle diplomatic approach in their argument to win us across, where a few others have been aggressive, and down-right rude and even abusive, when we wouldn't skip to their tune.  On all occasions have I found them very persistent, rabbinic centred, and usually attacking the sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ one way or another.

An in-depth study will prove the teachers who are fanatically entrenched into this movement are deliberately discrediting, tainting, and replacing the precious name of our Saviour, and attempting to lead bible believing Christians out of Christianity.

However, we need to make it quite clear from the start this does not mean we lump into one all advocates of the HR Movement  as deliberately being into, or promoting the occult.  What we are doing is exposing the teaching links to these sources which are deliberately leading believers away from our true root...  Christ Jesus our Lord.

Unlike it's Gentile counterpart the Alexandrian School of Thought, which throws doubt on finding the right source of the Greek, giving it's Scholars the final authority in interpretation, the H.R. Movement has been successful in discrediting the Greek New Testament and replacing it with the so-called Hebrew / Aramaic "originals".  This places the final authority in regards to interpreting scripture in the hands of it's rabbinic teachers.  Once achieved, then the sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ comes under scrutiny.

Pure language for a pure name:

During the last hours of these last days (when English would be the universal language of the world) the Lord in His manifold wisdom has chosen this language to represent His Word, to be written as the plain, simple, uncloistered and easily comprehended words of His gospel to the world at all levels of class and culture.  God foresaw this language would be the 'world language' in the closing hours, presenting His pure, preserved and inerrant autograph with the message ...  whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

God is not a God of confusion; He makes Himself known by one name through His revealed word, namely the Holy Bible.  As He has placed His word above all His name, then the one who would be audacious enough to replace or change His word would be the one who would be audacious as to replace or change His name.  This is presently occurring in Christendom, as the Great Falling Away (from His word) process intensifies, and mankind is conditioned to receive another name ...  the name of the False Christ of the New Age:

I (Jesus) am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

The most subtle attack of this process is coming through the Hebrew Roots Movement.  The New Age goddess, namely Gaia, is too obvious for the fundamental Christian to be deceived.  If (for argument sake) the Holy Bible is only a rehash of the originals (as the "hath God said school" declares), and not an inspired translation from the preserved Greek 'Received Text' (where the Authorized Bible derived from), then whoever is instigating the notion of "getting back  to the Hebrew roots", and can impart this notion to others, creates a ready- made audience to present the "originals" in his own light, therefore making himself the Higher Critic ...

"the Greek is a perversion of the originals ..."   "better and more reliable manuscripts say ..."   "better knowledge has come to light ..."   "according to extra biblical commentary ..."   "the Hebrew root word for this passage is ..."   "more truth is now attainable ..."   And thus and so ... 

It starts off very innocently, as the gospel is presented in it's true context to be of relevance to the Jewish people (as it is for all people) and win them to Christ; the following verse fitting a sincere motive:

1 Cor.  9:20. 
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law.

So the Greek title translated to English) JESUS, translates back to the Hebrew title 'Yashua' and is presented to relate to the Hebrew speaking people.  Christ becomes the Messiah they are hoping for as 'Ha Mashiach' in Hebrew.  For this we can rejoice and praise God for, as many Jewish people have found, or are finding Messiah Jesus as Saviour through this revelation, as many other nationalities are finding Him through the Bible being translated into their language.

However, any truth taken to extreme ends in error ...  as Hebrew in many circles has been promoted as the favoured language above the language of the complete 1611 inspired translation, and given supreme importance as justified through the Old Testament (as well as the New in their case) being originally written in Hebrew, and the Jewish people being the original chosen people of God.  Therefore, everything Jewish is being seen as being of God, and importance is placed on the Torah (the Jewish book of laws, or whatever content is recommended by the sages) on a par with the New Testament, as Gentile believers find themselves fallen prey to this type of reasoning as the Galatians were at the beginning of  the New Testament era.

Paul (a Jewish believer from the strictive of the Jewish sects) made it clear ...  you can't have one and the other, as the new has cancelled out the old:

Heb. 8:13. 
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Gal. 1:6-7. 
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Paul clarified it was the Jewish religion he was saved from, that was responsible for this falling away in his day, and was warning the Gentile Galatian Believers not to be entangled with it:

Gal. 1: 13-14
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:  And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Read Acts 15:5-24 and you will see the church made a distinction between the old and the new with this final conclusion:

Acts 15:24. 
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.
Therefore,  the Name Jesus (derived from Joshua - Jehovah saves) as Christ, the English name taken from the Greek (as the New Testament was written in Greek, the universal language of its day) is the  name of God coming in the flesh.  The same Name exalted as the Name above every other name, the only name whereby man can be saved, as the true and relevant name today ...  that whosoever shall call upon this Name, shall find salvation and favour with his Maker.

Whose name do we call out to when we want to be saved?   In whose name are we sent?  In whose name do we pray, preach, teach, and exercise divine authority?

Is it ...  Jeshua, Yeshua, Yeshuah, Yehshua, Yehshuah, YESHUA, YESHUAH, YEHSHUA, YEHSHUAH, Yeshouah,  Y'shua, Y'shuah, Jeshu, Yeshu, Yehoshua, Yehoshuah, YHVHShua, YHVHShuah, Yhvhshua, Yhwhshua, YHWHShua, YHWHShuah, Yhvhshuah, Yhwhshuah, Yahvehshua, Yahwehshua, Yahvehshuah, Yahwehshuah, Jahshua, Jahshuah, Jashua, Jashuah, Jahoshua, Jahoshuah, Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Yashua, Yashuah, Yahshua, Yahshuah, YAHSHUA, YAHSHUAH, YASHUA, YASHUAH, Yahushua, Yahushuah, Yahoshua, Yahoshuah, Yaohushua, YAOHUSHUA, Yaohushuah,  Iahoshua, Iahoshuah, Iahushua, or Iahushuah??

Matt. 28: 18-19
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ...

Still not convinced!?
...   Then tell me why the name presented and exalted in the Authorized 1611 English bible is the most attacked name in society.  Why is it the most degraded and spat upon name around the world, uttered as a malignant byword by millions, over and over again, every single day?  Why don't you hear the name of another god being continually down graded?  Why is not the name Yah being cursed, consciously or unconsciously, by the worlds masses?

Because Jesus' name is the most precious name in heaven and earth, and should be treasured above all names, as the only name behind the Person who rendered Satan powerless and broke the chains of sin and death.  It is the only name where life and death hang in the balances between whether we deny Him or confess Him.  It is the only name where freedom or bondage is in the power of praising His Name or cursing it.

Matt. 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jehovah becomes Yahweh.  Jesus becomes Yashua.  Hence, God is now G-d being referred to as Yah or Jah which broadens the name and isolates God from Jesus Christ who came in the flesh.  This suits the mystics, the secret societies, the covens, along with the ecumenicals (who like rallying names) and trendy new agers.

Discerning the right Root:

Rom. 11:16-18
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.   And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

One of the main reasons for the HRM to have had so much sway in Christendom has been due to the misconception of Romans chapter eleven.  This has been because of a misinterpretation of the olive tree in relation to Abraham's seed, along with a wrong interpretation of the tree's roots.

Abraham is our father according to faith not the flesh.  He is our father according to the promise not circumcision, tithing, sabbath keeping, or any other law observance.  The olive tree we are grafted into is not natural Israel of the flesh (the present political / geographical regime) but the spiritual tree.

The Jewish people have been cut off for rejecting their Messiah, and the Gentile believers have been grafted in.  However, this is not an excuse for Gentle believers to be cocky as Jews are being grafted in again as they too find Jesus as Messiah.  This way we can all enjoy the benefits and nourishment of the tree together, as one new man.

Now for the crunch! ...  the root of the tree is not Jewishness at all, but Jesus:

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David (the line going back to Abraham), hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Rev. 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

The false teachings of the HRM say we need to get back to the Jewish root/s to literally understand the N.T. scripture.  Not so ...
 ...if the root be holy, so are the branches.
The root/s can't be Jewishness because the root/s are holy and no one is holy save Christ.  If we (Jew or Gentile ) be connected to Him (Jesus) then we become holy branches enjoying the benefits of the promise.  If interpretation of scripture relies on Jewishness and not God's Holy Spirit, this would put the Jewish teachers in a place of monopolizing scripture, placing them on the same hierarchical plane as the Orthodox Clergy and Roman Catholic Institution who place the Church, not individual revelation, in charge of interpretation.

As the late Keith Green (a Jewish Brother in Jesus) said in his song:

"We are de branches and He is de vine!"

Private interpretation or individual revelation:

Scripture speaks for itself ...  it teaches against claiming private interpretation (no group monopolizing the truth):

2 Peter 1:20-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, no one group, race, organization, or fraternity, can claim authority or the position of being a guide, or interpreter.  The New Covenant presents the priesthood of all believers under Jesus our High Priest.  It presents revelation to the individual direct from the Throne Room of God:

Rom. 16:25-26.  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began,  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.

From the risen glorified Christ in Heaven, to our hearts by the Holy Spirit

Gal. 1:12
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The fact that God choose the Jewish nation had nothing to do with them being a superior or better people, but because it was part of God's over all plan.  Therefore, the Jewish people were a privileged people.  They spoke Hebrew therefore the O.T. books (God's word) where written in Hebrew.  The N.T. obviously wasn't written in Hebrew because this would give the Jewish people claim over the new faith, lording it over the Gentiles as the Jewish Concision did with the Galatians.  The N.T. was written in the common language of the day Koine Greek, breaking down the partition which divided the two peoples (Jews and Gentile) giving them both equal status as heavenly citizens in the new Commonwealth of Israel

Just as the Lord choose a Gentile (universal) language for His word at the opening of the church age will He choose a Gentile (universal) language at the closing of the church age.  This of course would be English (and as I'm not English, I'm not being biased).  This is nothing to do with race superiority but to do with God being a sovereign God Who calls the shots.  He could not choose the present form of English as a base because it has lost its purity (virtue) of moral absolutes, unlike when it was at it's purest in 1611.  Again, this was nothing to do with English being a superior or perfect language, but because God foreseen it would be the secular (non-religious) language that would transcend cultural and political barriers in this age of Globalism, bringing his word as a light to all the nations.

The end result:

Granted, there are different degrees in being ensnared by the Hebraic Roots / Sacred Name Movement, just as there is with any spiritual deception.  The HRM at it's best (if we can use this scenario) is luring believers back under the law, whereas at it's worse, is occultism sneaked in through Cabalistic teaching, as revealed in Part Two. (not included in this article -ed)

However, in order to deal with this 'falling away' we first need to go beyond nipping it in the bud, before it takes root, and deal with the root

Luke 3:9
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

We need to deal with it now (as with all deception) that Christ would be the right tree in our lives bearing  the right fruit at the end of the age.  Going back under the law with it's obsolete observances doesn't produce fruit, but brings about striving in the flesh, sowing seeds of discord among the Body of Christ, division and confusion.  It also produces a complex belief system (religion) with a complicated false (dual) gospel.

Heb 9: 9-12
Which was a figure (the Old Covenant) for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Mark 2:21
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

When the Old Covenant was brought to an end, it was completely and absolutely once and for all replaced by the New.  The New wasn't simply a purification of the Old one.   Nor was it a rehash.  When scripture says new, it means brand spanking new.  Being in Christ means we have a new heart, a new start, a new life, a new hope, as ...  all things become new.  Even the geography becomes new ...  a new house, a new sanctuary, a new city, a new country.  This world (with its various races, nations, beliefs, politics and cultures) is not our home ...  we're only passing through!  Why put importance on the present!  Jesus, our root, our rock; is coming back very soon ...

 ...  for those who are rooted and grounded in Him!!

To contact the author: radicalpilgrim@xtra.co.nz

OH LORD, OUR LORD, HOW EXCELLENT IS THY NAME

"For there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

What's in a name? Does your name have a meaning? Or did your parents simply like the sound of it.
DAVID: did you know that your name means "loving?"
MICHAEL: your name means "who is like God."
RACHAEL, or RACHEL, or RAQUEL: you are a "ewe." SARAH: you are a "princess."

These are some of the most common HEBREW names found in the English-speaking world today, DIRECTLY TRANSLITERATED from the original language. Would these names be given to children of an English-speaking person if they were translated?
"How are you today, LOVING?"
"Nice weather, isn't it, WHO IS LIKE GOD?"
"Did you have a nice trip, EWE?"

ONE NAME under Heaven . . . whereby we must be saved.

WHAT DOES JEEZUS MEAN?
Nothing! It is an adulteration of a transliteration of a transliteration. It comes to us from the Old English or Saxon, from the Greek, from the Hebrew. The "j," centuries ago was pronounced as our "y" today. It retains this sound in at least one common word:
HALLELUJAH.
The "y" is transliterated from the Greek letter "iota," which in turn was translated from the Hebrew letter "yod." This, then, brings us backward to Yesus (YAY-sus). The first "s" in the Greek replaces the "sh" sound from the Hebrew letter "shin," since the Greeks had no "sh" sound. The final "s" in the Greek was simply an appendage supplied by a common Greek practice of ending masculine names with an "s." This leaves us with Jeshu (YAY-shoo), after the Greek dropped the final "ah" sound of the ONE NAME under Heaven . . . whereby we must by saved: YESHUA.

"Yeshua" is a transliteration into English of the Hebrew letters "yod," "shin," "vav," "ayin." Since Hebrew has no vowels (all twenty-two letters of the aleph-bet are consonants), this can lead to many variations of the spelling in English: Yashua, Yoshua, Y'shua, Y'shuah, etc., etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum. The BEST way for you to decide for yourself the correct spelling of an English transliteration is to study the Hebrew YOURSELF. The present spelling is that used most commonly by Messianic Jewish congregations today.

WHAT DOES YESHUA MEAN?
SALVATION! Behold, God is my YESHUA!

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my YESHUA: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. Ex. 15:2

Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day His YESHUA. ---1 Chron. 16:23

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy YESHUA. ---Ps. 13:5

Oh that the YESHUA of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and ISRAEL SHALL BE GLAD. ---Ps. 14:7

We will rejoice in thy YESHUA, and in the NAME of our GOD we will set up our banners; the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. ---Ps. 20:4

The LORD is my light and my YESHUA; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ---Ps. 27:1

Isaiah 12:2-3: "Behold, God is my YESHUA; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD YHVH is my strength and my song; He also is become my YESHUA. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of YESHUA."
This is the scripture that the Lord was hinting at when speaking to the Samaritan woman:
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee LIVING WATER."

MISLEADING DOCTRINE

Some would have us believe that the "church" is the "New Israel." This is not provable by scripture!

Some say that English is the new language to bring the Gospel to all the world. God doesn't depend on ONE language! There are hundreds of millions of people around the world who will NEVER speak English.

QUO VADIS

What is truth? Where can you find truth? Yeshua said, "I am . . . the truth...! Songs have been written about "searching" for God. If that's a logical idea, why did Yeshua say, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."? We don't have to search for Him. He's waiting for us!

But to find the truth of His word may take a little searching. How are we to know what His word says? Do you trust translators completely, implicitly, unquestioningly? I don't! The Spirit reveals Himself when we search for Him, and we know when we have found Him. Translators are human! Sometimes a word is translated one way, when an equally, or even more, accurate word should be used. For instance, Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." According to the Hebrew, an equally acceptable (and I believe preferable) translation of the last part is, "we will rejoice and be glad in HIM."

Does God speak English? Certainly. Was the Bible written in English originally? Be serious! Some people think that if the King James Version was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it's good enough for us.

Can you read Hebrew or Greek? How can you tell what the translation SHOULD be? Do you accept blindly what someone else's interpretation is? Or do you accept without blinking the word of your minister, or a preacher on the radio or television, or someone whose writings you find on the internet? Don't even take MY word! Search for yourself. STUDY to show yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, because you know how to rightly interpret the word of truth!!

Is the Old Testament done away? Paul had a few things to say about this. ASIDE from the fact that he quoted it extensively, he wrote to Timothy that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (3:16-17)

What "scripture" was he referring to? His OWN writings? The Gospels, which were probably written ten to forty years after he wrote? NO! He was referring to the "Law" of Moses, the prophets, and the other writings in the "Old Testament. "Should we disregard the teachings of the "Old Testament," then? Not if THEY are "all scripture!"

"THE JEWS' RELIGION"

Is Judaism outmoded? Is it to be disregarded in favor of a NEW religion, "Christianity?" Do Jesus' words mean nothing if they come from the "Old Testament," as MANY did?

Jesus--Yeshua--WAS a JEW! He was a rabbi's Rabbi! He used rabbinic methods of teaching. He quoted scripture. JEWISH scripture! HE TAUGHT NOTHING THAT WAS NOT JEWISH!!!

Does this mean that we must become Jews? NO, of course not! But if we do not understand things Jewish, then we do not understand where our ROOTS (uh-oh, there's that word) are.

MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

If we deny our Jewish roots, then we deny EVERYTHING in the Bible. The entire Bible, all sixty-six books, were written by JEWS. (Some claim that Luke was not a Jew, but there is scholarship which believes that he was converted to Judaism.)

If we deny Judaism its just place in our background, then we deny the sacrifice of the PASSOVER LAMB, OUR Passover Lamb, for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. (Heb. 9:22)

Mainstream Christianity has already denied and changed Passover, replacing it with the Babylonian goddess, Ishtar (Easter).

Most of mainstream Christianity doesn't even KNOW that the Holy Spirit was given on a JEWISH Holy Day, Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks.

If we deny Judaism, we deny the faith of Abraham, our spiritual father, and the BLESSING which came through his seed. (Acts 3:25)

Anti-semitism raises its ugly head in clandestine ways sometimes. Any time we deny the Chosen People of God, any time we denigrate Jewishness, any time we espouse the "New Israel" theory, we risk being cursed of God. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. (Gen. 12:3)

Through all this, please don't misinterpret. I am NOT saying that to be a part of the Kingdom of God you must become Jewish. What I am saying is that, to properly understand a Jewish Book, you must have some idea of what Jews believe about that Book. Discrediting those who are seeking truth through study of their Jewish roots does injustice to all Christendom.

For a deeper understanding, please seek out the book, Our Father Abraham, by Christian author Dr. Marvin Wilson.

To contact the author: johnwebb2272@yahoo.com