Christian Witch Claims Christ Followers Can Practice Witchcraft, Despite Biblical Warnings
Despite biblical warnings against the practice of witchcraft, the Rev. Valerie Love, who describes herself as a practicing Christian witch and an ordained minister of spiritual consciousness, is insisting that there is nothing wrong with Christians being witches and has recently launched a school to help Christians tap into magic.
“Stop thinking you can tell people how to worship. Stop thinking you can tell people how to connect with the divine. I could tell you how many people have told me, ‘You can’t be a Christian witch’ but here I am. See, you can’t tell me how to worship. You cannot tell me how to connect with the divine. That’s between me and God. You cannot tell me how to pray,” a defiant Love declared in a recent rant on Facebook.
She explained that she was “born a witch” but was forced to stifle her identity as a Jehovah’s Witness from age 4 to 30 when she finally left the “cult.”
“Where do we get off believing that we can actually dictate to other people how they worship. … It’s not our lane,” Love said. “I was born a witch and I love it. I’m so thankful. People are afraid of the word [witch] because of fear and ignorance and I am here as a minister of the living God to dispel fear and ignorance.”
At her Christian Witches website, Love also shares her story and offers a number of resources to help Christian witches including her recently launched Covenant of Christian Witches Mystery School which recently launched in Salem, Massachusetts. The school, according Love’s website, was launched to “inspire, teach, share wisdom, and support magickal beings in owning and embracing magick, practicing magick and utilizing magick as a path to SELF-REALIZATION.”
“My job as a minister of the living God, as an ordained minister of spiritual consciousness is freedom, to set us free. … People are in religious bondage because religion told you what to think, what to do. I’m not here to tell you what to think. I’m here to support you in how to think,” she said in her recent video.
On her personal website that focuses on personal enlightenment, love also offers coaching programs for an investment of $5,000 to $50,000.
Jennifer LeClaire, founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries and director at the Awakening House of Prayer in Florida who has been tracking the Christian witches movement for several years, has warned that the mixing of witchcraft and Christianity is “dangerous” and said the movement is growing.
“In this season, I’ve seen a rise of Christians practicing witchcraft. Or maybe they aren’t Christians at all. I won’t judge someone’s salvation, but when people in church release word curses, pray against you, and conduct unholy fasts to destroy you, the fruit of the Spirit is clearly lacking,” she wrote last fall. “Galatians 6 lists both the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh. Witchcraft is among them. But there is a higher level of witchcraft that some so-called Christians are tapping into and it’s dangerous.”
Christian experts at Got Questions Ministries also warned that “God takes witchcraft very seriously.”
“The penalty for practicing witchcraft under the Mosaic Law was death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27). First Chronicles 10:13 tells us that ‘Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the Word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,” the ministry noted.
“At the heart of witchcraft is the desire to know the future and control events that are not ours to control. Those abilities belong only to the Lord. This desire has its roots in Satan’s first temptation to Eve: ‘You can be like God’ (Genesis 3:5),” the ministry explained.
“Since the Garden of Eden, Satan’s major focus has been to divert human hearts away from worship of the true God (Genesis 3:1). He entices humans with the suggestions of power, self-realization, and spiritual enlightenment apart from submission to the Lord God. Witchcraft is merely another branch of that enticement. To become involved in witchcraft in any way is to enter Satan’s realm,” the experts added.
REVEALED: Ministers, pastors, deacons, volunteers and Sunday school teachers are among 250 Southern Baptist Church leaders and volunteers charged with sex abuse over the past 20 years, with victims as young as three
Around 380 church leaders and volunteers faced allegations of sexual abuse
The abuse believed to involve 700 victims, including children as young as three
President of Southern Baptist Convention said he was ‘broken’ over the report
More than 200 Southern Baptist Church officials and volunteers have been found guilty of sex abuse over the past two decades, a report said.
Ministers, pastors, deacons, volunteers and Sunday school teachers were among those named by the Houston Chronicle in an expansive investigation of abuse in the church.
Around 250 church leaders and volunteers have been charged – but roughly 380 have faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998.
Ministers, pastors, deacons, volunteers and Sunday school teachers were among those named in an expansive investigation of abuse in the Southern Baptist Church
There are believed to be as many as 700 victims, with some of them as young as three years old, a year-long investigation found.
‘Many of the victims were adolescents who were molested, sent explicit photos or texts, exposed to pornography, photographed nude, or repeatedly raped by youth pastors,’ the report said.
‘Some victims as young as three were molested or raped inside pastors’ studies and Sunday school classrooms.’
But while the majority of those convicted of sex crimes are now registered offenders, the report also discovered that 35 pastors, employees and volunteers suspected of predatory behavior still found work at churches.
Church leaders had also failed to alert authorities about complaints or allegations of misconduct in some cases, the report said.
JD Greear, the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said he was ‘broken’ over Sunday’s report.
He wrote: ‘I am broken over what was revealed today. The abuses described in this Houston Chronicle article are pure evil.
J D Greear, the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said he was ‘broken’ over Sunday’s report
‘I join with countless others who are currently “weeping with those who weep.”
‘The voices in this article should be heard as a warning sent from God, calling the church to repent.
‘As Christians, we are called to expose everything sinful to the light. The survivors in this article have done that—at a personal cost few of us can fathom.
‘We must admit that our failures, as churches, put these survivors in a position where they were forced to stand alone and speak, when we should have been fighting for them.
‘Their courage is exemplary and prophetic. But I grieve that their courage was necessary.’
Pastor Wade Burleson, 57, proposed the creation of a sexual predator database for the second time in June last year.
There are believed to be as many as 700 victims, with some of them as young as three years old, a year-long investigation found
The Southern Baptist Convention, a fellowship of more than 47,000 Baptist churches, then passed a resolution condemning predators in support of the victims, NBCNews reported.
It said: ‘We call on all persons perpetrating and enabling abuse to repent and confess their sin to Jesus Christ and to church authorities and to confess their crimes to civil authorities.’
Speaking of the new report, Burleson said: ‘The thing that makes me saddest is that we didn’t do it ourselves.
(Natural News) A prominent member of the Roman Catholic Church has come forward with some scathing words for Pope Francis, the man whom the Jesuits believe is a representative of Christ on earth, and who thus far refuses to address or even acknowledge the recent revelations about rampant pedophilia among priests in the state of Pennsylvania.
John Nolte, who writes for Breitbart, The Daily Wire, and various other news outlets is disgusted that Francis can’t be bothered to take time away from his busy schedule preaching about global warming and climate change to even make mention of the hundreds of Catholic clergy who have now been outed for molesting, raping, and even ritualistically abusing thousands of young boys and girls over the past 70 years.
“Where is the compassionate, accessible Wheelchair Pope, the Energizer Bunny Pope, the Cynicism-Busting Pope who has always been so eager to comment on every hot button issue, from Global Warming to immigration to homosexuality?” asks Nolte in a recent editorial piece for Breitbart.
“I know where Francis is not. He is not where he should be, in Pennsylvania overseeing a revolutionary and historic house cleaning of a satanic cancer that infects his Church, a 70-year-old cancer of priests and bishops and cardinals who are guilty of either engaging in an organized cabal to rape little boys and girls, or in covering up those unspeakable crimes.”
Pope Francis complicit in covering up rampant pedophilia and sex abuse crimes by Catholic clergy
Following the recent release of what Nolte describes as an “utterly damning” grand jury report about the matter, Francis was petitioned for a statement – to which his only response was, “no comment.”
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Keep in mind that even the grand jury admitted that it’s never seen anything “on this scale” before, and that “it happened everywhere.” It’s the biggest revelation to date concerning the dark and evil underbelly of the Catholic Church and its rampant pedophilia problem. But Francis apparently couldn’t care less, as he’s chosen instead to remain silent about it all.
In a best-case scenario, Francis is simply more concerned with hammering the doctrine of globalism into the minds of his followers than he is with addressing child rape and the abuse of mostly young boys at the hands of wicked impostors pretending to serve the cause of Almighty God. At worst, Francis is actually complicit in these heinous crimes, or at the very least complicit in covering them up to save face and protect the clergy that occupy positions of power beneath him.
Nolte points out that the “mother ship” of the Catholic Church, the Vatican, has been knowingly “enabling” this pedophilia ring for many decades. As the head of the beastly thing, Pope Francis had to have been at least aware of what was going on, if not directly involved in making sure that it was kept under wraps.
Whatever the case may be, Francis is now outing himself as an accessory, at the very least. He’s shown nothing but disregard for the case, and has shown not even a shred of support for getting at the root of the issue and nipping it in the bud. So what is he, then, other than another perpetrator of evil trying to disguise himself as a man of the cloth?
“You want to know what should chill every Catholic to the marrow? If this is happening here in America, a country with a legitimate criminal justice system and free press, what horrors are being unleashed in third world countries? In corrupt countries?” asks Nolte.
Be sure to read Nolte’s full article at Breitbart.com.
It is one thing to say, I was a terrible sinner before I knew the Lord, but God still loved me even in my sin and had His hand on my life. It is another thing entirely to say, All the years that I was living in blatant, open sin, I was actually a born-again Christian. Really?
In a poorly reasoned article about same-sex marriage in the ultra-liberal Huffington Post, Daphne Daly shares with real candor the horrible lifestyle she lived before she got right with the Lord. It included prostitution, adult entertainment, a lesbian relationship and even advocating for legalized brothels.
She explains, Jesus still loved me throughout my entire life of sin. He held my hand the entire time, guiding me through until I found my place in His kingdom, not in this world.
Yes, Gods mercy is amazing, and many of us can relate to how incredibly patient He was with us before we were saved, intervening in our lives even when we were rejecting Him.
But thats not all Daphne has to say. She writes, It may surprise many Christians to hear me say that I was a born-again Christian the entirety of my 20 year career as a prostitute and adult entertainer. I was a born-again Christian the entire time I was advocating for legalized brothels.
What? A born-again Christian prostitute? A born-again stripper? A born-again advocate for legalized brothels?
We’re not talking about a momentary slip-up or even a series of falls. And we’re not talking about someone being sold into sex slavery. We’re talking about a chosen lifestyle over a period of more than two decades after professing faith in Jesus as a child. Yet she claims she was born-again the whole time?
I am really glad to hear that Daphne has found her way back to the Lord and that she’s even in ministry school (even if it’s premature). And I hope that her bad theology is the result of her being young in the Lord. After all, she doesn’t’t exactly claim to be the holiest person on earth, writing, I curse like a sailor. I can admit it. That is something I am working on.
The problem is that she is functioning as a public spokesperson for the gospel, wanting to correct the church for standing against same-sex marriage (although she recognizes that homosexual relationships are sinful) and wanting to tell us what God does and doesn’t’t require.
Daphne explains, My potty mouth—cursing like a sailor, as she put it—doesn’t’t make me any less of a Christian. But doesn’t it make her less Christlike? And isn’t Christlikeness part of the very essence of being a Christian?
Yet profanity is hardly the major issue here. Paul warns repeatedly against the very deception Daphne espouses, namely that you can be born again while living in blatant, ongoing, unrepentant, habitual sin.
For you may be sure of this, Paul writes, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (Eph. 5:5-6, ESV; see also 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-6). Paul could not have made himself any more clear.
Daphne writes, The Bible clearly states that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for our sin. He asks for very little in return. He has asked us to be born again. Once we have become born again, we are covered by the blood, as it states. We are washed clean in His eyes. It is pretty cut and dry without religion to jumble it up.
What is cut and dry is that being born again means living a brand-new life (2 Cor. 5:17), and Paul taught plainly that Jesus died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Cor. 5:15, NIV).
We are saved to serve the Lord, and while Daphne claims that Jesus asks for very little in return, He actually asks for everything in return, telling us that we have to renounce everything we have to be His disciples (Luke 14:33).
But this is not a legalistic requirement. It is the Bridegroom calling His bride to be His, to love Him with an undivided heart, and He empowers us by His grace to live out His radical call.
When it comes to homosexuality, it is no surprise that Daphne makes some very weak points about same-sex marriage, but rather than condemn her, let’s take this as an opportunity to pray for her to come to a place in the Lord that she has never known before, examining our own lives as we do.
And let’s remember the wise words of Charles Spurgeon, who said, I cannot conceive it possible for anyone truly to receive Christ as Savior and yet not to receive Him as Lord. A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding it as a burden, he gladly surrenders himself—body, soul, and spirit—to the Lord who has redeemed him, reckoning this to be his reasonable service.
Put another way, there is no such thing as an unrepentant, born-again Christian prostitute.
Michael Brown is the author of The Real Kosher Jesus and the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. Follow him at AskDrBrown on Facebook or @drmichaellbrown on Twitter.
Catholic Church Vows to Protect Pedophile Priests from the Law
Vatican claims it’s their ‘right’ to continue protecting child abusing clerics
At this month’s semi-annual U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, the church announced plans to “stay the course” on their stance on women’s rights, views on LGBTQ persons, and their “right” to protect clerics who sexually abuse children from the law.
The gathering began with a Mass “held in response to a call from Pope Francis for all episcopal conferences across the world to have a Day of Prayer and Penance for victims of sexual abuse within the Church.
“Despite this clear acknowledgment of the epidemic of pedophilia within the Catholic Church, their position on the handling of child sex crimes remained that it was their “religious liberty” to protect sexual abusers from regular legal proceedings.Although a shocking number of complaints are made against priests, the meeting between bishops concluded that Archdiocese had a duty to defend priests’ “religious freedom” and vowed to continue shielding them from the law and safeguarding their identities.
Daily Kos reports: In an excellent work of investigative journalism, Nicole Sotelo researched the location of 33 Chicago Archdiocese former priests accused of child sex abuse who are still alive.
She was able to locate the whereabouts of 29. “At least 16 – approximately half – of the abusive former priests currently reside or have recently resided within close proximity of a school or child services facility, ranging from less than 500 feet to under 1,500 feet….Two are currently in state or federal mental health facilities. [O]nly one former priest is part of a sex offender registry.”
None are being monitored by the archdiocese.”Church officials covered up crimes for so long that in many cases the statute of limitations for criminal charges expired. [I]t is a sobering reminder that if Church officials had not shielded these men from the law or fought to keep the statute of limitations, some of these men would be registered sex offenders and, thus, identifiable to concerned parents and teachers,”
Sotelo noted. Shortly before their meeting, the bishops released their 2016 Annual Report on clerical sex abuse in the U.S. For the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 combined, 1333 victims made “new credible allegations” against 799 clerics.
Even a conservative extrapolation from Sotelo’s findings would be horrific.In their report, the bishops do not give us the names of the credibly alleged predators, nor which ones are free men and where are they located, nor which ones – if any – they reported to the police. They do not act because Pope Francis protects sexual predators and so, will never hold them accountable for following his lead.
During the Mass, Archbishop Wilton Gregory said the U.S. bishops “can never say that we are sorry enough for the share that we have had in this tragedy of broken fidelity and trust – the clergy sex abuse crisis.” But he failed to commit to the above measures nor did he pledge that the bishops would stop obstructing statute of limitations reform for all American victims of sex abuse.
As Marci Hamilton, a distinguished scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote on June 15, New York’s Child Victims Act amending the statute of limitations “would have been law long ago but for the bishops’ lobbying against it … Indeed, they invest millions and concoct arguments to scare lawmakers away from doing what is right for the unjustifiably exiled victims …
The diocesan bankruptcy filings to date have generally been a way of reorganizing to protect assets, to keep victim compensation low, and to cut off future claims for past victims.”Republicans are primarily responsible “for blocking simple legislative change that would identify the hidden predators and provide justice to victims” killed the New York legislation on June 21.
Religious Liberty “The phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance,”
Martin R. Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, stated. The bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of making their Committee for Religious Liberty permanent. While maintaining the prohibition against endorsing candidates by name, it was clear who the bishops were rooting for during the 2016 presidential election campaign. The USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty’s “New video on #The Little Sisters of the Poor & what Catholic Church teaches on religious freedom!” showed a clip of Hillary Clinton while a voice-over intoned that “the government is stopping us from practicing our faith.”
Naming the Little Sisters of the Poor refers to their Supreme Court case against the contraception coverage provided by Obamacare and is “the focus of the video.”
Pope Francis met with the Little Sisters of the Poor while in the U.S. in support of their lawsuit. The year before, the pope granted a private audience to Hobby Lobby’s Green family, asking them “how their Supreme Court fight against President Obama’s contraception mandate was progressing.”At a White House ceremony on May 4, Trump decried the “attacks against the Little Sisters of the Poor” before signing his executive order on “religious freedom.” He invited the sisters present to stand beside him and shook the hands of two of them.
Trump congratulated them and told the sisters that they “sort of just won a lawsuit.”
He added, “I want you to know, your long ordeal will soon be over.”A statement by the Vatican said that during their May 24 “cordial meeting,” Pope Francis and Trump spoke of their “joint commitment in favor of life, religious liberty and freedom of conscience.”
The statement expressed the hope for a “serene cooperation between the State and the Catholic Church in the United States [which is] engaged in service to people in the fields of health care, education and assistance to immigrants,” meaning continued tax-payer funding for Catholic schools and other agencies.During the USCCB meeting, Archbishop William Lori, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, “expressed the rationale for making the committee a permanent fixture.”
Referring to Trump’s order to federal officials to draft a rule to eliminate the Obamacare mandate that birth control is included under all employer insurance plans, Lori warned, “The end may be in sight, but victory is not assured.
We have to stay the course to ensure that this heavy burden to our ministries is lifted…even if the new regulations are enacted, they may be only a temporary reprieve.”(The Catholic bishops were silent when Romneycare included coverage for abortion.)”And other threats to religious freedom persist, Lori said, like the legalization of same-sex marriage, which could pose problems for religious institutions that uphold the Church’s teaching on marriage.”
Not only could Catholic agencies lose their funding for discriminating against LGBTQ persons in hiring, adoptions and other official dealings under a Democratic administration, Lori frightened his audience by reminding them “that there could be an issue with the tax-exempt status of religious universities teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman.”Freedom of Conscience”Bishop Frank Dewane focused on the underlying principles by which the bishops approach health care.
No law should ‘compel us or others to pay for the destruction of human life,’ he said, explaining respect for life, the first of the four ‘key principles.’ The other principles he enumerated were true access for all, true affordability, comprehensive and high-quality coverage, and no repeal of the Affordable Care Act without an adequate replacement.
He also mentioned the importance of conscience protections,” discussed by Trump and Pope Francis during their meeting. In announcing their new “Fortnight of Freedom” Campaign on June 21, the USCCB declared “Without religious freedom, the freedom of conscience, all other freedoms are without foundation.” They also released a new video again focused on the Little Sisters of the Poor and Obamacare’s contraception coverage.During the press conference aboard Pope Francis’ flight back to Rome from the U.S., “Terry Moran, ABC News, asked: Holy Father, you visited the Little Sisters of the Poor and we were told that you wanted to show your support for them and their case in the courts. And, Holy Father, do you also support those individuals, including government officials, who say they cannot in good conscience, their own personal conscience, abide by some laws or discharge their duties as government officials, for example in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples?”
The pope responded that government officials have the human right to conscientious objection. In a December 2016 interview, Pope Francis repeated that government officials have the human right to conscientious objection. Since then, “conscientious objection” or “freedom of conscience,” have joined the lexicon of phrases like “ideological colonization” and “gender theory” that Pope Francis has popularized for the Religious Right around the world (e.g. also here, here and here) to justify denying gay and transgender persons’ human rights.
Having already been invited to attend Pope Francis’ 2014 anti-LGBTQ conference, Alan Sears will receive The Order of St. Gregory the Great on June 29. “Papal knighthood has long been a way for popes to acknowledge significant contributions by the lay faithful to the life of the Church.” Sears, founder of “the terrifying and homophobic group”
Alliance Defending Freedom, stated “Pope Francis repeatedly has spoken strongly about religious liberty, marriage and family, and the sanctity of life, so it is a distinct honor to be recognized by him for our work in those areas.”
Number of Mainline Protestant pastors supporting same-sex marriage on the rise
A majority of Protestant pastors in the United States still disapprove of same-sex relationships, but the overall approval has grown largely due to mainline pastors, a new study by LifeWay Research reveals.
Only about 8 percent of self-identified evangelical Protestant pastors say they have no issues with same-sex marriage, and their percentage has remained the same since 2010, according to a new survey by the Nashville-based research group.
However, support among self-identified mainline Protestant pastors for same-sex marriage has jumped from a third (32 percent) in 2010 to almost half (47 percent) in 2020.
The study suggests that Presbyterian or Reformed (49 percent), Methodist (47 percent), Lutheran (35 percent) and Christian/Church of Christ pastors (20 percent) are more likely to see nothing wrong with same-sex marriage than Baptist (3 percent) or Pentecostal pastors (1 percent).
Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, says the data should be interpreted cautiously. “The stability in the views of evangelical pastors means either there has been no growth in acceptance of same-sex marriage among them or the pastors that no longer have moral reservations about it no longer identify as evangelical.”
Last week, the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan consecrated its first openly lesbian bishop, the Rev. Bonnie A. Perry. Anna Stania, director of Communications for the diocese, told The Christian Post that Perry’s candidacy received no opposition because of her sexual orientation. “We have experienced an overwhelming outpouring of joy, grace and excitement since her election and consecration.”
The study also indicates that white pastors (27 percent) are more likely to see nothing wrong with same-sex marriage than African American pastors (15 percent) or pastors of other ethnicities (6 percent).
It further suggests that those with a doctorate (27 percent) or a master’s degree (32 percent) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than pastors with a bachelor’s degree (9 percent) or no college degree (6 percent).
The survey results also show that pastors of churches with fewer than 50 in attendance (33 percent) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than those at churches with 100 or more in attendance (19 percent).
“The movement we see among pastors’ views of same-sex marriage has less to do with their denominational tradition than their view of the Bible,” McConnell explains. “An evangelical distinctive is the ultimate authority the Bible has over one’s beliefs despite changing cultural perspectives. It is not surprising then that evangelical pastors across different denominations continue to view same-sex marriage as wrong through this lens.”
Last month, United Methodist Church leaders proposed a plan that would formally split the denomination after years of division over non-celibate LGBT clergy and same-sex marriage, with the formation of a new denomination for Methodists who hold to a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality.
Overall, 24 percent of pastors say they see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married — up from 20 percent in 2018 and 15 percent in 2010, according to LifeWay. And 72 percent of pastors disagree and 67 percent strongly disagree.
“More than four years after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states, most Protestant pastors still see a moral problem with it,” said McConnell. “More pastors are protective of marriage itself, but legal civil unions also are seen as wrong by most pastors.”
Episcopal Diocese of Michigan consecrates its first lesbian bishop
The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan has consecrated its first openly lesbian bishop, in a move that the liberal mainline regional body is confident will not lead to further large-scale departures from the denomination.
The Rev. Bonnie A. Perry was consecrated as the eleventh bishop of the diocese at a ceremony held Saturday at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn.
Perry had been elected bishop in June of last year on the fifth ballot of the Special Electing Convention held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit. She got the votes of 64 clergy and 118 laity, which surpassed the minimum requirement of 55 clergy and 94 laity, according to Anna Stania, director of Communications for the diocese.
Stania also told The Christian Post that Perry did not experience any opposition to her candidacy because of her sexual orientation or that she is married to someone of the same-sex.
“We have experienced an overwhelming outpouring of joy, grace and excitement since her election and consecration,” explained Stania.
“We have been an open and affirming diocese for many years. Bishop Perry brings many incredible talents and abilities to our diocese, including her talent for growing congregations and serving and engaging deeply within communities. These talents are something that all of our congregations are eager to utilize and to learn from.”
In 2003, The Episcopal Church garnered controversy when it consecrated the Rev. Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop in the denomination’s history.
Robinson’s consecration as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire led to large numbers of Episcopalians leaving the denomination in protest.
Jeff Walton, Anglican program director with the theologically conservative Institute on Religion & Democracy, told CP that for many years after Robinson, few openly gay bishops had been elected.
“Following the much publicized election and consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003, the only openly partnered gay clergy elected was Mary Glasspool as a Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of Los Angeles in 2009,” said Walton.
“The consecration of Thomas James Brown as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine in 2019 was the first partnered gay clergy consecrated as a bishop in about a decade.”
Walton also explained to CP that over the past 20 years, the Michigan Diocese has seen “a significant exodus” of members.
“In general, Episcopal dioceses in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions have shed a larger percentage of their parishioners than the Episcopal Church as a whole,” he explained.
“Perry’s election is one more item among many that push theological conservatives out of the church.”
To fully understand what Blasphemy against the Ruach ha Qodesh is, we first must know who the Ruach Ha Qodesh is and then read the whole passage before and after to understand what YAHUSHA was saying and who he was referring too, Wouldn’t you agree that for a person to blaspheme the Ruach Ha Qodesh, he or she would have to understand exactly who or what the Ruach Ha Qodesh is? In other words, how can anyone say he or she has blasphemed the Ruach Ha Qodesh, when his or her understanding of the Ruach Ha Qodesh’s identity is unclear?
John 14:16-17,26 16 and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, 17 the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU… 26 But the helper, the Ruach Ha Qodesh, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU.
What Blasphemy of The RUACH (Spirit) Is NOT
Many if not most Christians have a completely wrong concept regarding blasphemy of the Ruach Ha Qodesh.
Some people think it means to curse or use YAHUAH’s name in a vain or mention the name of YAHUSHA in a repulsive manner. Others think it means to curse YAHUAH’s Ruach Ha Qodesh in a fit of anger or rage. Whatever a person’s belief, most everyone agrees that to blaspheme the Ruach Ha Qodesh is an unpardonable sin.
To “blaspheme” the Ruach Ha Qodesh means much more than cursing Elohim (G-d), or using His name in vain (Bringing his Name to nothingness, Blot his Name out). In fact, there are only a few places the Greek word blasfeemía is transliterated as “blaspheme” in the New Testament. The Greek word blasfeemía is a generic word used in ancient times to describe behavior and speech that vilifies another. The Jews accused YAHUSHA of blaspheming when he claimed to be the Son of YAHUAH. YAHUSHA uses the Greek word blasfeemía in context with the unpardonable transgression, but in a very LIMITED sense.
What Exactly Is Blasphemy?
According to Strong’s Concordance the following are definitions for every occurrence in the King James Version of your Bible for every variation “to Blaspheme:”
Blaspheme:
(Hebrew) #5006, “Na’ats,”to cause scorn to flourish,” Of course scorn means contempt or disdain.
(Hebrew) #1288, “Barak,” (by implication) to sarcastically “Bless YAHUAH.”
(Greek) #987, “Blasphemeo,” to vilify, speak impiously, defame, revile or speak evil of. (from #989)
Blasphemed:
(Hebrew) #5344, “Nagab,” (to figuratively) “shoot down,” “pierce with holes” or “to curse.” (Hebrew) #2778, “Charaph,” (to figuratively) defame as if by exposure.
(Hebrew) #1442, “Gadaph,” (to figuratively) hack or cut with words. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (Strong’s #989 “Blasphemo,” to vilify, speak impiously, defame, revile or speak evil of) will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Ruach Ha Qodesh will not be forgiven men. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man (YAHUSHA), it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Ruach Ha Qodesh (Power and Character of the “Mind of YAHUAH”), it will not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. Matthew 12:31-32
It is more than the words of “Blasphemy” that separate one from YAHUAH; it is the mental “Unrighteous Attitude” behind the words of the “Blasphemer” that separates one from YAHUAH. An unrighteous mental “Attitude” of “Blasphemy” is not a Mental Attitude” of “Love” expressed as willful obedience toward YAHUAH, and is therefore a mental attitude of disdain towards YAHUAH and His Ruach Ha Qodesh.
The New Testament was originally written in the Hebrew then Greek language, and then translated in English and other languages. The term “blasphemy” translation from Greek to English. A transliteration is using a word in English that sounds similar to the original Greek word. Therefore, “blasphemy,” is a transliteration of the Greek word, blasphemeo.
In relation to blasphemy of the spirit blasphemeo (or its various word cognates, such as blasfeemía) can be found in the gospel accounts in Luke 12:10 and Matthew 12: 30-32, and Mark 3:28-29. Later I will harmonize all three gospel accounts, blending them into one continuous narrative to present a composite picture.
The word blasphemy is derived from the Greek blasphemeo (NT: 987); it is defined as meaning, “To revile or speak impiously (of divine things) or reproachfully (of human things).” When directed at a person, blasphemeo means, “to hurt someone’s reputation by smiting them with evil or slanderous reports or words.” It implies more than just cursing at another or other verbal abuse stemming from angry impulse; the word blasphemeo is the use of words and/or speech to deliberately slander another, particularly with self-serving motives.
The word blasphemeo is from a compound word blásphemos (NT: 989) and blasphemous means, “to BE abusive and revile another’s good name.” The word blásphemos is a compound of two root words, “blapto,” (NT: 984) and “pheme,” (NT: 5345).
Blapto is a primary verb meaning, to hinder, i.e. to injure Pheme (pronounced “fame”) is from a root word “phemi,” (NT: 5346) and means, “a saying, i.e. rumor,” and phemi originates from phos (NT: 5457) and “phaino” (NT:5316), which means, “to reveal or make one’s thoughts known thru speech.”
Combining all of the literal meanings of all the words that make up the Greek blasphemeo, a precise definition of the word translated as “blasphemy” in the NT is as follows:
BLASPHEMY – The use of slander to make one’s thoughts publicly known in an attempt to ruin the good name and reputation of someone else in order to hinder them.
According to the definitions above, to blaspheme the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH is to make one’s thoughts known in a calculated and deliberately evil way. To blaspheme the RUACH (Spirit), an evil person sets out with a plan devised to publicly vilify YAHUAH with the aim of destroying His reputation and His credibility. This is done by contemptuously hindering the operation of YAHUAH’s RUACH (Spirit) and slandering His authority.
You can see this is more involved than angrily cursing YAHUAH, or using YAHUAH’s name in a profane or corrupt manner.
Besorah (Gospel) Accounts of Blasphemy
The Jewish leaders blasphemed Elohim when they spread a rumor that YAHUSHA’ disciples had stolen his dead body after the resurrection. The only way to determine what blasphemy of the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH is, and the only way to discern who is or is not guilty of this unpardonable sin, you must acquaint yourself with the three gospel accounts that mention blasphemy of the Spirit or Ruach Ha Qodesh.
· Matthew 12:22-45
· Luke 11:14-36; 12:10
· Mark 3:20-29
To understand blasphemy of the Ruach Ha Qodesh you have to compile an accurate chronology of events occurring at the time YAHUSHA taught about blasphemy:
1. YAHUSHA heals the blind and mute man, and casts out the evil spirit making the man mute Matthew 12:22; Luke 11:14
2. The people witness this miracle and are amazed at the healing power; they begin to ask one another if YAHUSHA might be the, “son of David”(or Messiah), because the blind and mute man is healed Matthew 12:23; Luke 11:14
3. The scribes who came down from Jerusalem saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” Mark 12:22.
What they did was a form of blasphemy to discredit the miracle of Elohim wrought thru YAHUSHA’ hands. They intentionally came down from Jerusalem to discredit YAHUSHA and to hinder the gospel message from the people, who were beginning to believe YAHUSHA was the Messiah.
4. The Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24; Luke 11:15
5. And others (probably other Jewish leaders, maybe even the Sadducees or Sanhedrin), to test Him, were demanding of YAHUSHA a, “sign from heaven” Luke 11:16.
This was a form of blasphemy because the evidence of a miracle was already there. They demanded a sign to try and embarrass YAHUSHA and discredit him.
6. YAHUSHA teaches about a kingdom divided, and proves that Satan cannot cast out Satan without dividing his kingdom Matthew 12:25-26; Mark 3:23-26; Luke 11:17-19.
He also proves that he is doing miracles and casting out demons thru YAHUAH’s power, and then turns the tables on the Jewish leaders, and questions the source of their authority and questions what kingdom they act on behalf of (meaning they operate under the devil’s power because they try to hinder YAHUAH’s work).
7. YAHUSHA says if he casts the demon out of the mute man by the finger of YAHUAH then that means the kingdom of YAHUAH has come upon them Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:20.
In other words, now these hypocritical Jewish leaders are very accountable to YAHUAH because they have seen Him working thru His son YAHUSHA.
8. YAHUSHA teaches about the strong man being bound & cast out first Matthew 12:29, Luke 11:21-22, Mark 3:27.
9. YAHUSHA says if they are not for him they are against him; not with him you scatter
Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23
10. Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the RUACH HA QODESH (Set-Apart Spirit) will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Ruach Ha Qodesh it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29.
The account in Mark 3:29 makes it clear the reason for YAHUSHA’s warning about blasphemy and it was because they say he has an unclean spirit, which is tantamount to saying the miracle wrought was done thru Satan.
11. YAHUSHA teaches about trees that bear good and bad fruit. He then summarizes by telling these wicked men to make the tree good or bad; he tells them a tree is known by its fruit and says that by your words you are justified or condemned Matthew 12:33-37.
12. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” Matthew 12:38
13. YAHUSHA responds and tells the Jewish leaders that the sign of Jonah is the only sign they will be given Matthew 12:39-42, Luke 11:29-32.
The sign of Jonah will end up as the last miraculous sign these Jewish leaders will ever see while still having opportunity to repent. Once they witness the sign of Jonah, which is the resurrection, and refuse to repent, they will be so given over to Satan that they will not find room for repentance, and thus you have the fulfillment of blasphemy against the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH.
Lastly, YAHUSHA warns the Jewish leaders of HOW the unpardonable sin is going to be committed. YAHUSHA does this by teaching them that when an evil spirit leaves a man and later returns to find the house empty, the evil spirit returns with seven more spirits and 7 times stronger than the first. He warns these wicked scribes and Pharisees that the last state (spiritual condition) they will find themselves in will be worse than the first state, meaning the condition they are presently in, which was really bad. Matthew 12:43-45, Luke 11:24-27
In other words, if they continue and persist in hindering the kingdom of YAHUAH, after YAHUSHA is gone, these wicked Jewish leaders will become so possessed of the devil they will be unable to repent in their gall of wickedness.
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Ruach Ha Qodesh will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32
The reason YAHUSHA accused the Jewish Pharisees of blasphemy was because of what they were doing, not just because of what they, ‘spoke.’ These wicked religious zealots were in reality, working ‘against YAHUAH Almighty by their plots against YAHUAH’s son YAHUSHA.
Matthew 12:32 is an extension of verse 31, The words, “speaks against the Ruach Ha Qodesh,” in Greek are rendered, “eípee katá toú Pneúmatos toú Hagíou.” As in verse 31, Pneúmatos is a variation of pneúma, adding the ‘tos’ to show the operation or working of the spirit. The definite article toú precedes pneúmatos, specifying “THE” operation of and/or activity of the spirit, as opposed to the spirit itself. The blasphemy against the activity of the spirit means to slander by hindering the work and the activity of the spirit. However, verse 32 adds another component following toú pneúmatos, which is the words, “toú Hagíou.”
In Matthew 12:32, (and elsewhere in the New Testament), most Scripture versions mistranslate the Greek, “toú pneúmatos toú Hagíou,” as, “the Holy Spirit.” This error is easily noticed, because the words ‘Pneúmatos’ and ‘Hagíou’ are both Nouns.
The term, “holy spirit,” uses ‘Holy’ as an adjective to describe the noun, ‘Spirit.’ Since Hagíou is a noun, it cannot be used as an adjective (‘Holy’) to describe the Greek noun Pneúmatos (‘Spirit’).
The reason every single Bible version sold in Christian bookstores today mistranslates, “toú pneúmatos toú Hagíou,” as, “the Holy Spirit,” has more to do with doctrinal influences than good translation. Below are the correct rendering possibilities for these Greek words, including the definite articles toú.
1. toú = the, this, that
2. pneúmatos = activity of the spirit
3. Hagíou = morally blameless, sanctified and/or undefiled one
6. toú pneúmatos toú Hagíou = The spiritual activity of the undefiled one, The spiritual activity of morally blameless one, The spiritual activity of the sanctified one Item 6 in the list above provides three possible translations for Matthew 12:32; no matter which one is used, all refer to speaking against the activity of the glorified YAHUSHA in his spiritual form, which takes place after his ascension and onward.
This shows the true meaning of, “blasphemy against the Ruach Ha Qodesh,” which is blasphemy against YAHUAH, as He works thru YAHUSHA, as Messiah works thru his body of believers, the chosen.
On the other hand, Matthew 12:31 refers to blasphemy against the, RUACH “Spirit,” of YAHUAH, committed by the Jewish spiritual leaders known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees blasphemed against, “the RUACH (Spirit),” of ELOHIM, (YAHUAH) as He healed the sick by performing miracles thru His son, YAHUSHA the Messiah.
Matthew 12:1-45 12:1-8 At that time YAHUSHA went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of YAHUAH, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread — which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Adonai of the Sabbath.” Notice it is the Pharisees that accuse YAHUSHA’s disciples of breaking the Sabbath; this begs a question: What were the Pharisees doing out in the fields following YAHUSHA and his disciples on the Sabbath? The Pharisees’ role as Jewish spiritual leaders on the Sabbath was typically to read portions of the Law or discourse about the Torah; they were always in the synagogue, but here in Matthew chapter 12, they followed YAHUSHA for one reason alone… to ACCUSE and condemn him. Remember, this is part of what YAHUSHA later identifies in the context as speaking, “against,” the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH.
12:9-14 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse YAHUSHA, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill YAHUSHA.
Instead of trying to avoid the Jewish Pharisees, YAHUSHA leaves the fields and goes directly into their synagogue!
Talk about courage! This would be no different from some legalistic group of Christian ministers or pastors hassling a true evangelist on the streets, and thereafter, having the same evangelist follow the ministers or pastors back into their own church building on Sunday morning!
The true motive for blasphemy against the ruach (spirit) of YAHUSHA is revealed in the words, “Looking for a reason to accuse YAHUSHA…” To blaspheme the Ruach Ha Qodesh a person must be actively looking for reasons to accuse YAHUAH’s people.
It is not enough to merely say, “I spoke those words against the Ruach Ha Qodesh.” This does not qualify him for the unpardonable sin; in order to blaspheme in a way than is unforgivable, his frame of mind cannot waver from the evil purpose in his heart. His entire lifestyle and purpose would be to control others thru the use of religious positions of power.
Notice also, the Pharisees were looking for reasons to accuse YAHUSHA before he even healed the man with the withered hand. This shows a calculated plan of evil was unfolding; nevertheless, the true ‘blasphemy’ is revealed after YAHUSHA heals the man in their synagogue. Instead of rejoicing, the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill YAHUSHA.
12:15-21 Aware of this, YAHUSHA withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Yesha’yahu (Isaiah): “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my RUACH (Spirit) on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
12:22-24 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and YAHUSHA healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
The Pharisees said the healing of the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was done thru the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. In other words, they were publicly defaming with slanderous lies YAHUAH Almighty Himself! They witnessed His miraculous power of such awesome magnitude that a demon-possessed man that was blind and could not speak a word instantaneously healed at the command of the words spoken by the man of YAHUAH, YAHUSHA (the Messiah). The Pharisees KNEW it was YAHUAH’s power, yet they blasphemed against Him by saying it was done by Satan’s power.
12:25-30 YAHUSHA knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
But if I drive out demons by the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH, then the kingdom of YAHUAH has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”
First, and perhaps most important, is what is said in Matthew 12:25, “YAHUSHA knew their thoughts and said to them.” The novice reader does not understand how vital these pronoun keys are in the interpreting of any scripture text. In Matthew 12, YAHUSHA’s instruction about blasphemy is spoken directly, “to them,” (i.e. meaning ‘to’ the Pharisees). Every single pronoun that follows in Matthew 12:25 refers back to the object, which is the Pharisees.
These pronouns are worded as, “your people, your judges, upon you,” and lastly, “He who (male pronoun = Pharisees; females are not allowed to be Jewish leaders) is not with me (YAHUSHA) is against me (YAHUSHA), and he who (male pronoun = Pharisees) does not gather with me (YAHUSHA) scatters.”
This specific use of male pronouns alone should convince any reasonable person reading the text that the blasphemy of the RUACH (Spirit) described refers to the Pharisee’s thoughts and the Pharisee’s actions.
Therefore, the Pharisee’s thoughts and actions must be the criteria for committing the unpardonable sin.
One other consideration commonly overlooked are words that include the possessive pronoun, “me,” which are used 3 times in Matthew 12:30, “who is not with me is against me not gather with me scatters.” In these phrases, Yahusha uses, “me,” to illustrate that the Pharisees that worked, “against,” him are the same ones ‘who’ blaspheme the Ruach Ha Qodesh in verse 32. This is another proof text that the term, “Ruach Ha Qodesh,” in the New Testament refers to the glorified YAHUSHA, because when the Pharisees work against the activity of YAHUAH’s RUACH (Spirit), they do so by working against Elohim’s mediator, the man Messiah YAHUSHA.
Blasphemy in any form is slandering another person with defamatory words in order to discredit them in the eyes of others, with the motive being to further one’s own evil agenda, whatever that may be. Blasphemy of the, ruch “spirit,” is defined slightly different from blasphemy of the Ruach Ha Qodesh, which I will explain later. When YAHUSHA healed demon possessed man who was blind and mute, so that he could both talk and see, all the people were in awe as they witnessed this astonishing miracle. Immediately they began to ask each other if YAHUSHA might indeed be, “the son of David.”
When the Jewish people used the term, ‘the son of David,’ this designation was a common expression referring to the Messiah. The term ‘Messiah’ is the Old Testament Hebrew transliteration and the New Testament equivalent of the Greek term ‘Christ,’ or Christós, meaning, “the Anointed one.”
When a king, a prince, a Magistrate or a Ruler was initiated into his official capacity, in days of old, he would be ‘anointed’ with costly, perfumed oil or salve. The ceremonial anointing might be likened to when the President of the United States of America is sworn into office to begin his term of Presidency.
In the Old Testament YAHUAH made a promise to King David that from his descendants a ruler would be born to deliver the nation of Yisrael from its oppressors and then rule in justice and righteousness forever. Therefore, in anticipation of the time when Messiah would appear, the Jewish people spoke freely of ‘the son of David.’ Seeing YAHUSHA perform this amazing miracle in the sight of all the people would certainly stir their enthusiasm about the Messiah.
Making sure his words of exhortation left no margin of error, YAHUSHA supplements his teaching about blasphemy of the Spirit by saying, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” To qualify as a true blasphemer against the RUACH HA QODESH (Set-Apart Spirit), the wicked person must be engaged in the active promotion of his evil scheme by working against YAHUAH and against His Messiah.
Because Matthew 12:32 extends blasphemy of the Ruach Ha Qodesh into the, “age to come,” the same kind of defamatory slander includes anyone today. For example, if a man or woman knowingly works against the spiritual activity of YAHUSHA, by scattering those who seek the Way, actively plotting the demise of the members of the ‘body of YAHUSHA’, it is considered blasphemy of the Ruach Ha Qodesh.
“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the RUACH (Spirit) will not be forgiven.” Matthew 12:31
The words, “And so,” prove the narrative in Matthew 12:31 is a continuation of YAHUSHA’ rebuke to the Pharisees, and is not a generalized mandate applicable to all human blasphemy. Matthew 12:31 provides three key explanations in this regard.
1. It lays the foundation by teaching what blasphemy, “of the RUACH (Spirit),” is, versus what it is not. In other words, every sin and Blasphemy, including the type of blasphemy that is verbalized, can be forgiven. The only type of blasphemy that cannot be forgiven is, “the blasphemy against the RUACH (Spirit).”
2. The term, “The blasphemy,” is distinguished from, “every blasphemy,” in verse 31. In Greek, the definite article (i.e. “the”) does more than specify the noun, as in English; in Greek, the definite article specifies and emphasizes identity. This sounds funny to us, but in Greek, it helps by individualizing the noun, and isolating its identity as unique. Thus, “The blasphemy of the RUACH (Spirit),” is a unique and individual blasphemy, and one must meet all of the specific criteria in YAHUSHA’ teaching to be guilty of committing such damnable transgression. The reason for such specific criteria is obvious; the consequence for this unique form of blasphemy, being unforgivable, has devastating implications for those involved.
3. Matthew 12:31 is necessary; in the Greek text, the phrase, “the blasphemy against the Spirit,” reads as, “toú Pneúmatos blasfeemía.[1]” The typical Greek word for, “spirit,” is pneúma, not pneúmatos; pneúmatos is a variation of pneúma, adding the letters, ‘tos’ to this noun Pneúma, (as Pneúma-tos). This is commonly done to show the operation and working of the spirit.
The operation or working of the spirit is better translated in Matthew 12:31 as, “the activity of the spirit,” and is distinguished from the personal identity of the Spirit itself. Therefore, to blaspheme against, “the activity of the spirit,” means to work against the activity of YAHUAH’s RUACH (Spirit) by means of slander or other defamatory language, intent on discrediting the legitimacy of YAHUAH’s activity.
To blaspheme against, “the activity of the spirit,” does not mean to speak in an ugly or disgusting way to YAHUAH Himself. If they repent for this type of cursing, YAHUAH always forgives thru YAHUSHA the Messiah. This is a different sin than continual efforts to thwart YAHUAH’s activity thru His human servants on earth.
In Matthew 12:37, YAHUSHA offers the choice of either pardon (acquittal) or condemnation, to anyone that has blasphemed in his words, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
BLASPHEMY
BLASPHEMY, in the broadest (and least precise) sense any act contrary to the will of YAHUAH or derogatory to His power.
Blasphemy is the term employed to translate the Hebrew verbs ḥeref, giddef, and ni’eẓ (e.g., Isa. 37:6, gdf, where the servants of the king of Assyria denied the Master’s power to save Yisrael; and Ezek. 20:27, where it refers to Israel’s sacrifices on the High Places). In the narrower and more precise sense, the word is used to mean speaking contemptuously of the Deity. The classic instance in the Scriptures is Leviticus 24:10–23, where the pronouncement (nakav, naqav) of the name of YAHUAH appears in conjunction with the verb killel (qillel).
YAHUAH (Elohim) also appears as the object of the verb qillel in Exodus 22:27 (see also I Kings 21:10, 13, where qillel is euphemistically displaced by its antonym berekh, “to bless” or “to renounce”; see*Euphemism and Dysphemism). The rabbinic interpretation of Leviticus 24:10–23 and Exodus 22:27 as wishing (i.e., wishing harm, Sanh. 7:5) establishes a definition of blasphemy such as to render the actual perpetration (and the application of the penalty, capital punishment) out of the realm of probability. The verb qallel rarely means “to curse.” Rather it subsumes a wide range of abuse, often nonverbal in nature. “To curse” the Deity meant to repudiate Him, to violate His norms; blasphemy on the part of an Yisraelite, in the narrow sense, is a concept alien to Scriptural thought.
[Herbert Chanan Brichto]
Besides the sacrilege of YAHUAH, vituperation against the king, YSHUAH’s anointed servant, was also considered blasphemy (cf. Ex. 22:27 and I Kings 21:10). Gentiles, too, are obliged to refrain from blasphemy since this is one of the Seven *Noachide Laws (Sanh. 56a, 60a). Maimonides also classified as blasphemy the erasure of YAHUAH’s name written on paper or engraved on stone, etc., which was to be punished by flogging (Yad, Yesodei ha-Torah 6:1–6).
After Jewish courts were deprived of jurisdiction in those cases where capital punishment was applied, excommunication (see *ḥerem) was the usual sanction against a blasphemer (J. Mueller (ed.), Teshuvot Ge’onei Mizraḥ u-Ma’arav(1898), 27a, responsum no. 103 by Amram Gaon).
The quality of an occasion and the success of it is often determined by the amount of preparation that goes into it.
In the Scripture, the day before the onset of Shabbat is called “Preparation Day”
And now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Shabbath,
MARQUS (MARK) 15:42
And that day was the preparation, and the Shabbath drew on.
LUQAS (LUKE) 23:54
The Yahudiym therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Shabbath, (for that Shabbath was a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
YAHUCHANON (JOHN) 19:31
To be able to keep the Sabbath properly, adequate preparation is necessary which means planning ahead. Preparation to avoid working on the day and have it free from work-related activities, needs to be done on the Friday.
All provisions, stores of goods to last over till the next time available to purchase them, needs to be undertaken beforehand. As business activities are prohibited, foresight may be needed to care for events or payments due on the day to avoid such transactions that involve handling money.
YAHUSHA set us an example of keeping Shabbat according to the spirit of the Law and not the letter. He rebuked the legalistic traditions of His day with all their prohibitions in keeping the Sabbath which made it a burden on the people.
It is not right to make a lawful issue of keeping the day and making the Sabbath a heavy burden on those who do not wish to observe it, and/or who would begin to go through some ritual form of observation to avoid the disapproval of what they perceive to be an angry deity who is demanding something burdensome of them. This type of observance always becomes a form of religiosity which cannot please YAHUAH.
It is not legalism to teach that observing the seventh day Sabbath is profitable for all Believers, but it becomes legalism when we try to force observance in some particular manner, or to observe it without it being a thing which comes from the heart. It is legalism when we impose and enforce rules about observing the Sabbath.
The real issue is balancing a sense of awe and deep respect for YAHUAH’s word with a proper understanding of our liberty in Messiah.
The Epistles to the Galatians, Colossians, and Romans teach us that following man’s dogma, or human interpretation of the practical details of the observance of rituals, are not conditions for our acceptance by YAHUAH.
Our specific ways of dealing with the practical matters of application must apply the spirit and intention behind the principle of His Word to our society and culture.
The commandments concerning the Sabbath are few, and they are simple, and amazingly, they are purposefully vague.
They leave much for us to work out for ourselves – Remember the Sabbath Day. Keep it Holy. Don’t work on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is given for our benefit.
Through history, the practical application of these commandments has varied. We know that there was no such thing as a Synagogue before the return from the Babylonian Captivity. Hence, there was no Synagogue service.
We see little indication in either the Torah or Jewish literature that any sort of public worship was a part of Sabbath observance before the return from captivity.
People stayed at home and read the Torah. They rested. They centered their attention on YAHUAH. No Scripture specifically defines “remembering the Sabbath day” and keeping it holy as gathering together on that day for public worship.
Participating in a public gathering for worship is not the only way which we may remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy!
We should not argue, or destroy one another over the issue of how we are to observe the day.
YAHUSHA summarized the commandments with:
YAHUSHA said unto him, You shall love את eth YAHUAH ELOHAYKA with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Torah and the prophets.
MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 22:37-40
For all believers, Shabbat is a picture of how YAHUAH has blessed us; it should be a joy and delight for us.
We need to be on guard that our fleshly desires toward worldly interests and other people influences us to put aside the Sabbath.
We are called to a faith walk that includes trusting YAHUAH that six days of labor each week is sufficient to accomplish what needs to be done and meet all our needs if we honour Him as the Master of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week and is to be a day of rest (BERE’SHIYTH/GENESIS 2:1-3).
The Sabbath is a sanctified (Set Apart made Holy day) unto YAHUAH (BERE’SHIYTH/GENESIS 2:3). The Sabbath is the day of YAHUAH (YESHA’YAHU/ISAIAH 58:13-14). The Sabbath is a festival (appointed time) of YAHUAH which is to be kept on a weekly basis (VAYIQRA/LEVITICUS 23:1-3).
Spiritually, we experience Sabbath rest when we obey YAHUAH, keep His commandments, and believe the promises made by YAHUAH to His people in His Word (VAYIQRA/LEVITICUS 26:1-12, TEHILLIYM/PSALMS 95:6-11, IVRIYM/HEBREWS 3:7-19, 4:1-12).
The Sabbath is an eternal covenant between YAHUAH and His people and is to be kept forever as an everlasting ordinance (SHEMOTH/EXODUS 31:16-17)
The Sabbath is a spiritual picture given to us by YAHUAH that is a shadow of Messiah YAHUSHA (QOLASIYM/COLOSSIANS 2:16-17; IVRIYM/HEBREWS 4: 9-10).
YAHUSHA is the spiritual rest of the believers.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 11:28-30
The Sabbath is personified as a bride whose bridegroom is YAHUSHA HA’MASHIACH/The Messiah and is a spiritual blueprint of the Hebraic Age.
The Sabbath will be kept in the new heavens and earth and for all eternity (YESHA’YAHU/ISAIAH 66:22-23, CHIZAYON/REVELATION 21:1-3).
How we keep Shabbat is a reflection of our commitment to YAHUAH ELOHIYM and a sign of our faithfulness to The Covenant.
Surely, Parents Do Not Sacrifice Their Children To Pagan gods Today—Or Do They?
St. Valentine’s Day is just one of many tools the “elohiym/god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4) uses to get parents to sacrifice the innocence of their children.
And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Kena`an: and the land was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Therefore was the wrath of YAHUAH kindled against his people, so much so that he abhorred his own inheritance.
And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 106:36-43
Surely, parents do not sacrifice their children to pagan gods today—or do they?
Do not be so certain. Perhaps their lives are not being sacrificed—but what about their innocence?
Parents today expect their little ones to “fall in love” and have boyfriends and girlfriends. They think it is “cute” when little boys and girls hold hands and act like a couple, sneaking a kiss or two when no one is watching. Some parents get worried when their kids do not show romantic interest in the opposite sex. They constantly ask them, “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” or “Who’s your girlfriend?”
Yet these same parents are surprised when their teen-aged “little girl” gets pregnant. Or catches a sexually transmitted disease. Or gets an abortion behind their back.
St. Valentine’s Day is just one of many tools the “elohiym/god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4) uses to get parents to sacrifice the innocence of their children.
When little boys and girls draw each other’s names in a lottery and send Valentine cards and gifts to each other, declaring their “love,” they are learning the first stages of intimate relations that the Creator YAHUAH designed specifically for emotionally mature adults. Instead of embracing the carefree innocence of youth, growing up without the headaches and heartaches of adulthood (finding a job, paying bills, marriage, raising a family, etc.), children today are taught to lust after each other. They are caught up in a daily drama of “If-you-loved-me-you’d-sleep-with-me; I’m-pregnant; It’s-not-mine, she-had-an-abortion.” By the time they reach adulthood, virtually every shred of innocence, sincerity and moral decency has been stripped from them. Emotionally drained, they have world-weary, “been there, done that” attitudes. And their lives are just beginning.
This is why we live in a world where a teen-aged virgin is a rare find. Where what used to be called “shacking up” and “living in sin” is now simply “living together.” Where sex is nothing more than meaningless physical recreation—no emotional attachments, no cares, no concerns. Where people change sex partners as conveniently as they change clothes. Where unmarried twenty- or thirty-somethings have had at least five sexual partners—and that is considered a low number, especially in the United States. Where men are not referred to as “my husband,” or “my fiancé,” but as “my second baby’s father.”
How pathetic!
Satan has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9) in multiple ways—especially when it comes to intimate relationships.
St. Valentine’s Day is just one of his tools for deception.
Truthers Journal 