Why I Choose To Eat Clean

 

Why I choose to eat clean.

 

Matt 28:19-20

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

Mark 16:15-18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 

Luke 14:23

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

What you are reading are corner stones of the great commission that Yeshua, Jesus gave His disciples and all other followers of Jesus. It is for us to study and discover what Jesus and the disciples were bringing to all of the world. What gospel? To compel us to come into what house? What all did He command the disciples to do? The answers to these questions are not complex. However, over time, mankind has complicated the answers by introducing and instituting concepts that were never supposed to be part of the gospel Jesus is referring to. This is nothing new. Twisting the word of God occurred before the days of Jesus, during His time and after, still to this day.

Now we already know that Jesus is the word from the beginning. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Alpha and Omega. He taught us this directly and by inspiration in,

 Hebrews 13:7-8

7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

John 1:1-5,14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

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

Revelation 1:5,8

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Matthew 24:35-37

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 We also know by the scriptures that a house divided cannot stand. So many today want to convince you that Jesus somehow brought a new gospel, a new set of rules and a different rendition of the Creator than we see in Old Testament teachings. They try to sell you on this, citing that God somehow decided that His rules were too difficult for mankind to follow so he changed Himself to accommodate the sinfulness of man by the shed blood of Jesus the Christ child of Nazareth. Sounds good right? But it is totally wrong. This is one of those teachings that has been introduced and instituted by man. To begin with, there were a multitude of saints that walked the earth. They were good and did good in the sight of the lord. Also, as you know, as the word from the beginning, Jesus will not go against himself. As God, Jesus will not go against His own rules. This would divide the house and it would surely fail. If Jesus contradicted God, the house would surely fall. Think on the following,

 Genesis 17:1-4

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

 Genesis 26:4-6

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

 You see God asked Abraham to be perfect and if so, he would be rewarded. Abraham did as God asked so the blessing of the covenant was bestowed upon Isaac, and so on.

 Job 1:1

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

 Even God proclaimed Job to be perfect and upright. We see this also in Job 1 verse 8 when God tells Satan that Job is, “a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil”.

 At the moment Jesus died on the cross the scriptures tell us that the saints came out of the grave and made their way into Jerusalem. The scriptures instruct us to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. The scriptures tell us that there are saints in the throne room with God and Paul teaches that the saints will judge the angels, as the scriptures compel us to become saints. The scriptures are full of Kings and kingdoms that did good in the sight of God. Consider the prophets, and apostles. Consider people like Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. All of them were saints of God, and there were so many more. One cannot be a saint of God if ones words and works are not becoming of sainthood. One cannot be a saint of God if one rejects the teachings of the saints. So, to preach that Jesus brought a new set of rules because people could not abide by the laws of God is a lie. It is blasphemous. It is an incantation used to divide mankind from the house of God.

In Mark 2:16-17 we find this exchange between Jesus, His disciples, the scribes, and Pharisees.

16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

 Here we see plainly, Jesus acknowledging that there were righteous people in His day. He would not have said it if it were not true. The biblical definition of righteous is as follows,

“A person or conduct morally right or justifiable; virtuous. Very good; excellent”.

By the holy scriptures we know that there were righteous people before Christ, during His time and from the day of His ascension until the day of His return. The issue is that there are and will be few. Meditate on the following.

 Luke 13:23-24

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

And,

Matthew 7:13-14

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

And,

Matthew 13:37-43

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

So, again, to say people were not able to abide in the laws of God and do good in His sight is simply untrue. Such a teaching is contrary to the word of God and the teachings of Jesus, Yeshua the Christ child of Nazareth. It is no stretch to claim such teachings as antichrist.

Jesus commanded His disciples to compel mankind to come into His house. What house is that? It is the house of His fellowship, the house occupied by the congregation of God. The primary congregants are the children of Israel. His chosen people. Many walked with God prior to Israel but Israel was chosen for a purpose. The purpose was to lead the rest of the world to God by being a living example of His presence, goodness, discipline, laws and blessings. They were also chosen to lead the world to God through evangelizing His word. By teaching the world about God. The almighty God of Israel.

There were many other people groups on the earth, who worshiped many other gods. However, it was Israel that the almighty God, our creator, chose to give the written law to and the task to live by it and teach it. They are to be the light upon the hill. They are to show good works before all men for the purposes of glorifying the Father in heaven, so too are we if we decide to sojourn with them.

According to scripture, there is a separation that exists between the children of Israel and the rest of the people of the world. This is made clear. Consider this,

Matthew 10:5-7

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And,

Matthew 15:22-29

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

 Look closely, see that Jesus was making it clear that there was a distinction between the children of the house of Israel and gentiles. He even refers to the Canaanites as dogs. However, when pressed and revered through the expression of faith displayed by the Canaanite woman, He acknowledged her, and upon her declaration of Him being her master, Jesus received her. This is the very same process that led to the salvation of Ruth, the Moabite who was banned from the congregation of God. As soon as Ruth’s heart received the Israelites as her people and her lips proclaimed their God as her God, she was received into the congregation of God. This is important to know, especially when it comes to understanding the process of being grafted in and sojourning within the house of God.

In the very moment she, the Canaanite woman, showed complete faith and belief in Jesus, He received her and healed her daughter. Read on.

 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

So, we know the house and we know the gospel. It is the full gospel, the word from the beginning. But what is the purpose? We find the purpose in the following.

 Luke 24:45-48

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

 Here is the task of the chosen, to preach and teach the full gospel of God so that repentance and remission of sin would be made manifest by mankind. The purpose is to turn the hearts of man away from sin and back to God. But what is sin actually? We find the simple definition throughout the scriptures but it is best summed up in the following.

 1John 3:1-6

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

 The scripture makes it clear that there is no different set of rules for the children of Israel and for those who are not yet choose to follow their God.

 Exodus 12:49

49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

 Numbers 15:29-30

29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

 Sin is the transgression of the Law. What law? The law of God. The children of Israel were given the law of God to follow, to guide them and help to keep them from sinning. You see, obviously to be received into the congregation of God we have to abide by the same rules as the children of God. Scripturally, if we are not seeking to purify ourselves and abide in the laws of God we really do not know Jesus. Further if we decide not to follow the laws of God, we will be cut off from among His people. Scripture tells us that the children of God do not sin.

1John 3:8-10

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

 And contrary to popular belief Jesus did nothing to change this. Consider this.

 Matthew 5:16-20

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 It is important to understand that Jesus did not tout grace for permission to sin. Grace is not a vehicle to carry one safely through a life of knowingly violating the commandments of God without consequences. Grace is the vehicle whereby one can be transported from the condition of being a sinner to an elevation of sainthood. Many preach that Jesus did away with the law and they work to twist scripture to try to convince you of this but it is just not true. Neither Jesus, nor the prophets nor the disciples spoke against the Law of God. They did, however, come against the laws of the Pharisees. Think on this,

 Matthew 23:1-4

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

 There are differences between the written Torah, the laws of God as recorded by and ministered by Moses, and the oral Torah, the laws of the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, as developed by, and ministered by man passed down through tradition. The propagation of these teachings as well as other factors was contributing to the house of Israel being lost. For example, it is well understood that the Sadducees were a wealthy aristocratic Jewish sect that dominated the temple for nearly one hundred and thirty years. They were a cult that taught the Torah but refused to believe in and promote the resurrection, afterlife, spirits and angels. They denied these principles. They were in fact a religious cult who used their money, power and relationship with the Roman empire to dominate the temple, from which they believed they received their power. Historically, accounts of them seem to disappear after the temple was destroyed. But did their teachings?

 Now, with all this being said, what does the law of God say about eating clean. Let’s read

 Leviticus 11: 1-47

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

13 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

14 And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;

15 Every raven after his kind;

16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

25 And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29 These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

31 These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

34 Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you.

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

37 And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

38 But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

40 And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

45 For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

And,

Deuteronomy 14:1-21

1 Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

2 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.

9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

14 And every raven after his kind,

15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

 Again, there are many who claim that the commandments of God are just too difficult to obey. It’s too much of a burden. This is saying that the laws of God are grievous. However, the word of God says this,

 1John 5:1-5

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 To say that the commandments of God are too difficult to follow is contrary to the word of God. It is, in essence, blasphemous. So many people today claim to be Christian. They claim to be followers of Yeshua Jesus the Christ child of Nazareth. Jesus as well as many others kept the commandments of God. We are encouraged to overcome the world by walking in Him. The bible teaches us this, “If you say he abides in you, you ought to walk as He walked”. Be that as it may, still many find the commandments too hard to follow and twist scripture to create imaginary nuances that they portend allows them to be Christian outside the following of the Christ. Here are some examples of what I am saying.

 Acts 10:9-16

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

 Many say that this story is God changing the dietary laws, because he is compelling Peter to kill and eat unclean or common animals, which before were prohibited. This is untrue. To begin with, we who have been working with prophetic dreams and visions realize that they usually contain symbolisms and require translation. This vision was never actually about eating meats but about receiving gentiles who God was sending to Him. Remember you learned earlier about Jesus referring to the Canaanites as dogs? It was uncommon, even severely frowned upon for the children of God to fellowship with gentiles. If you read the entire story, you find that the men were sent by Cornellius an Italian Roman Centurian who God received. God was proclaiming to Peter that the men being sent to fetch him, although gentiles, were approved by God. Even Peter was unsure of the meaning behind the vision but God explained it to him to teach him. The sheet was raised and lowered three times because there were three men sent.

 Acts 10:17-20

17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,

18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

 We know that the scriptures teach us that God will tempt no man to do evil. He will not work to convince you to violate His commandments. Further He did not bless the animals displayed on the sheet for actual consumption. Translation is key. Arise Kill and eat. Peter was being told, rise up set aside your understandings and receive who I am sending to you.

Years ago, a woman came to me distraught about her life and the decisions she had made based upon a dream she had had. The woman was on a worship team in a church. She loves God and Jesus and claimed to have an extensive prayer life, however, her husband did not share her enthusiasm for God, nor did he share her beliefs. According to her she prayed for him continuously. One night she had a dream, essentially, she dreamt that her husband was sick and dying. She went to a minister to receive counsel from him about the situation. In her dream her and the minister were married and the dying husband began to get better. In the natural, she believed she was actually supposed to marry a minister and by doing so her husband would get better. She became convinced that she was supposed to marry a certain minister in her church so she worked to convince him that God said they were supposed to be together. She seduced this man into having an affair with her and in the natural her husband became very ill and was not recovering.

In dream translation there is usually a positive or negative aspect attributed to characters and events within your dreams and visions. Knowing the positive or negative nature of an event, object or person becomes critical when translating a dream. To discern what God is saying, the use scripture becomes your best guide. According to scripture not all dreams are of God, some are false. Also, translating dreams is a gift not given to everyone.  This woman translated her own dream without testing her understandings and holding her understandings in accordance with scripture.

 Exodus 20:14

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

 James 1:13-14

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

1Corinthians 7:13-14

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Matthew 25:10

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

 The husband’s illness was not physical but spiritual. She petitioned God for guidance and he spoke to her. What God was trying to convey to this woman was that if she truly made covenant with Jesus, the minister of our souls. If she fully committed to become a bride of the bridegroom, by her faith, belief and obedience her prayers would work to sanctify him and his deliverance would commence. However, there was obviously a hidden lust there that caused her to fail to consider the fundamental word of God while translating the dream. God would never compel her to violate His commandments. This lustful failure ultimately caused her to do just that, violate His commandments, and thus caused great destruction in her life.

So many mistranslate the vision Peter had, they twist understandings led by their own lusts. They too set aside the fundamental commandments of God in the translation and are led to destruction. Just as Peter warned in 2^nd Peter chapter 3, as we will soon see.

1Timothy 4:3-5

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

 This scripture is used to convince many, like we see in Acts chapter ten, that God has lifted the dietary laws and that now Christians can eat what was previously considered unclean. Again, this is a false teaching. To begin with the knowledge of what was deemed by God to be forbidden or unclean for consumption, was in those days so well ingrained in the culture of the children of Israel that they were not even considered food meat by any means. What he deemed unclean and abominable was never sanctified nor blessed for human consumption. Further, by common sense, we know that there are literally hundreds of types of plants and animals that exist on the earth today, even less than existed then, that are so toxic that no matter how much you pray over them and thank God for them, if you eat them, you most assuredly will become sick. In some cases, you will die.

 Matthew 15:16-20

16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

 Here too people errantly use this scripture to justify not following the commandments of God as they pertain to eating clean. In all of these accounts I encourage you to read the full context of what is being discussed in totality to get a better understanding of the complete meanings found within the lines and precepts.

In all of these we see the warning of Peter in the following.

2Peter 3:14-18

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We cannot wrest, or twist scripture to fit our fleshly desires it will lead to our destruction.  In Matthew fifteen, Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for criticizing the disciples for not washing their hands. Again, Jesus did not come against the law of God, He is the law of God. He was talking about dirty hands, not the animals he had long before declared unclean and unfit for consumption by the people of God. These things were not a consideration when it came to talking about food and meat and eating. Matthew fifteen in no way allows for the consumption of unclean food. But what it does definitely address is what comes out of your mouth from your heart just may defile you, so I will caution you in this. If it is your heart to speak against the commandments of God, and teach others that followers of Jesus do not have to abide in His commandments, then as you see in Matthew chapter 15: verses 18 and 19, you have defiled yourself.

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

 It is blasphemous to teach and preach contrary to scripture and to lead others away from the principles of God. To be transparent it took me quite some time to allow my understanding to be opened to refuting the errant teachings I had lived by and instead, receiving the truth regarding this issue. One promise of God is this, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”.

By prayer and enquiry, God led me to understand that men who bite the unclean thing and say to others, “see this isn’t bad”, lose sight of how destructive iniquity and disobedience to God can be, let alone the magnitude of wicked deviousness that is committed by convincing others to do the same. This is a beguiling, just as the serpent beguiled Eve to disobey God and Eve Adam. It led to their fall and loss of a life in the security, care and comfort of Eden to a life of danger and strife with continual toil for their sustenance which existed outside the garden.

Over time God continued to reveal to me the perils of eating unclean. It was as if He were magnifying them in the natural as well as the spiritual. In the natural I began to see more and more evidences and situations that led me to develop a distaste for certain meats. Whether it was an increased occurrence of live worms in fully cooked pork, or increased reports of illnesses caused by parasites like trichinosis, intestinal worms and others not commonly found in meats like chicken, lamb or beef.

I like a medium rare steak but I have never known anyone who would say the same thing about a pork loin. Everyone knows pork should be fully cooked or you risk a parasite infection. But now, for me, fully cooked or not I will not eat it. Spiritually I began to see the powerlessness stemming from hypocrisy.   How can we claim to be Christ like when we refuse to be Christ like? Fundamentally I have come to know that no one can righteously claim to be a follower of Jesus without really seeking to follow Jesus in all aspects.

 Matthew 5:19

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 “Ye are the children of the Lord your God:  Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing”. You are called to walk as Jesus walked. How can we claim He abides in us if we refuse to do this? Do you think Jesus ate unclean things? Scripture tells us that we should be conformed to the image of Jesus thus making Him the first born of many brethren. Jesus proclaimed that His brethren are “whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven”, and “whosoever shall do the will of God”.

 In 1 Peter Chapter two, Peter teaches us about Jesus being a living stone. He was precious and chosen by God but rejected indeed by man. He is the chief cornerstone of the foundation upon which his house is to be built on. By Him, we too are called to be living stones built into a holy priesthood.

 1Peter 2:2-6

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

We cannot walk in this calling If we reject Him on any level. Be holy, be perfect, be ye separated from the world, do not conform to it. The concepts contained in this writing reveal consistencies within the old and New Testament scriptures. There is no new almighty God that appears subsequent to the crucifixion of Christ. However, there is the emergence of a new god that appears about five hundred and seventy years after the ascension of Christ Jesus. This god has been given the name allah. Do not be deceived. Yehovah and allah are not one and the same. Paul warned of angels coming to teach a different gospel than what he and the other disciples did. Islam is a product of exactly what Paul warned us about in 2 Corinthians chapter eleven and Galatians 1: 6–10 which says,

 “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.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ”.

The fallen brought another gospel and Islam was born. Islam is not the gospel of our creator. Islam does not recognize Jesus as a resurrected savior, the son of God, the word from the beginning nor God Himself. Islam is a religion born out of rebellion to the kingdom of heaven. Disguised as the religion of peace, true Islam is actually a religion of idolatry, conflict, deception, war, sexual promiscuity and conquest with a promise of peace, but only subsequent to the surrender to complete domination of its practitioners. With true Islam there is no freedom to choose and live. This is a concept every follower of Christ needs to grasp now. In part, here is why.

Acts 15:25-29

25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Daniel 1:5-8

5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel and the others would not eat the pagan king of Babylon’s meat because they knew that it would defile him. This is most likely because it was unclean according to the precepts of God.

 Side note: We know through earlier teachings that swine was revered in Mesopotamia, for it was a wild boar that killed an earlier ruler of Babylon. This was Tammuz, the son of Semiramis. Semiramis who claimed to be Ishtar of the Ishtar egg. This is the same Tammuz mentioned in Ezekiel chapter eight where the Lord condemned the Israelites for celebrating Tammuz by weeping for him in the house of the Lord. The practice was an abomination because it was a pagan ceremony to celebrate the death of a pagan god that took place during the spring equinox. As part of the celebration a boar was killed and the people consumed it. This was the celebration of Ishtar and the origin of the traditional Ishtar or Easter ham.

In Acts chapter 15 above, we see that the followers of Christ are to abstain from eating meats sacrificed unto Idols. Further, we know what God has plainly commanded His people regarding what to include and/or not include in their diet. All this being said, I will caution you to a growing trend happening in America today. The trend I speak of is the appearance of halal foods in the grocery stores. This trend is on the rise. Most people believe that halal simply means clean, or processed humanely. But the deeper meaning in the process certifying an item as halal is that at the time of harvesting, or slaughter, the harvested is offered up as a sacrifice to allah.

Now, I am well aware of Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and to this I say, the common understanding as is preached, by in large, is not what Paul was trying to convey. Remember, Paul did not speak against the laws of God nor did he come against the teachings of Jesus. So, whenever it may appear he did, whether it be by errant translations, or errant teachings, one must look closer at the scriptures regarding the specific subject in question. One must also weigh said teachings by a preponderance of the weight of the majority of scriptural instructions overall.

Followers of Christ are compelled to abstain from appearances of evil. This does not mean we are allowed to commit evil in secret as long as nobody sees it. What it means is that followers are to set a good example of Godliness. All believers know nothing can be hidden. Maybe from man things can be hidden, for a time, but God sees all. What Paul was essentially saying to the Corinthians was this. Just because you who are more knowledgeable in the things of the Lord know that idols are powerless does not mean you should eat things sacrificed to them. In so doing, you set a bad example for those who are less knowledgeable. You have been liberated by this knowledge but take heed that your liberty does not become a stumblingblock for new believers. In this way, your sin becomes a sin against the brethren and you cause them to sin against Christ Jesus. Consider this,

1Corinthians 8:9-13

9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

 Paul was telling the Corinthian church, regarding this matter to abstain from evil, not eat things sacrificed to idols and set a good example for those who have less knowledge than them. Jesus himself had the last word on this matter and we see it in the following scriptures,

Revelation 2:12-17

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

The god of Islam, allah, is not understood to be a mere idol, but by many, a god and not just another god, but the almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This we know is simply not the truth.

If I as a man of Yehovah, the almighty God of Israel, promote the consumption of meats sacrificed unto allah, I am not only causing one who is weaker to fall prey to a powerless idol but I would be encouraging those with less knowledge of the truth to receive allah as Yehovah by another name. I would be placing a stumblingblock before someone and leading them to sin. This would be a sin against the brethren and a sin against Christ Jesus. This I simply will not do. The dietary laws of allah are in direct conflict and violation to those established by our Father in heaven. If people come to suspect that they are one and the same, human nature historically reveals mankind will accept upon his lusts to walk along the avenue that is contrary to God’s laws. Mankind, influenced by the lusts of the world, will seek justification to violate the commandments of God while simultaneously believing themselves to be saved by grace. This is delusional. It is written, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the lord thy God”. And, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils”. And, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins”. This is a blatant rejection of Jesus, Yeshua the Christ child of Nazareth.

 1John 2:1-5

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

 Romans 2:12-13

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

 Justifications to defy the commandments of God are created. Wrong though they may be, man will use them in solace, to his destruction. But for me? I will have no part in putting a stumblingblock before the children seeking after the God of Israel. For the children of the almighty God of Israel, halal is unclean. For me I always consider the following.

 Isaiah 57:13-14

13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

 Ezekiel 3:17-21

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

 Think on these things,

 2Corinthians 6:15-18

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

 Jerimiah 30:22-23

22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

23 Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

 Revelation 21:3

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Every time a seeker of the kingdom of heaven voluntarily allows themselves to make a concept that is unacceptable by Gods standards acceptable in their lives, asserts an action that removes them further from the kingdom of heaven and the source of all love and goodness where God abides. Sin is transgression of the law. Every unrepented transgression becomes a mark of the antichrist upon the life of the seeker. This is an obstacle preventing the seeker from becoming a doer of the word of God. Ask yourself. How many marks of the antichrist do you think you are going to freely receive upon your life before you are thoroughly conditioned to receive the mark of the beast?

So many want to hide behind the cross, the one tree in the midst, with errant teachings proclaiming that Jesus did away with the dietary laws and that His shed blood on the cross allows us to live safely outside of the commandments of God. This is so untrue. When it comes to this issue, Isaiah prophesied mankind would adopt this principle.

 Isaiah 66:15-18

15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.

18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

 In conclusion, for me, God is the ultimate planner and strategist. He made many beautiful things that have a purpose. Some animals and plants He made for food. Some he made to be cleaners. I myself choose not to hide behind the one tree eating swine’s flesh with abominations and suffer his whirlwind of rebuke through flames of fire and fury.

My salvation is not worth experiencing nonexistent gratification from rebellion and disobedience to God and I will not risk eternity in heaven over a lobster tail or a pork chop from another poo eater.