The Real Yeshua

Take a moment and think about your answer to this question. For many, the above question is “the most important question of all.” Why? Because being saved from “an eternity burning in the fires of Hell” is something they definitely do not want to experience! So, what must one do to be saved from an eternity in Hell? Christians do not agree on the answer. Click here to continue reading the article -- http://www.biblicalheritage.org/salvation.html

For Yeshua and his Jewish followers, prayer served very different purposes from those of Christians today. The following will help you understand some of those differences – and probably change the way you pray!
● You and God are partners in prayer.
● Prayer does not always work in the way you want it to or think that it will. God is concerned with the lives of all of His creatures, not just yours.
● Prayer is not speaking magic words that force God to make something happen.
● Prayer is not bribing or forcing God to obey you.
Read the complete article at -- http://www.biblicalheritage.org/how-to-pray.html

Paul formed a community around his ideas and beliefs. In his community he was the only apostle, he preached a different gospel, and “righteousness had nothing to do with doing acts of tzedaqah.” The Epistle to the Romans clearly describes his new reality.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
In Paul’s exclusive gospel, righteousness is not something people do – it is mysteriously revealed by faith to those who believe what Paul taught.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22)
In Paul’s gospel, even though “works” and “righteousness” are unrelated. However, someth…

Doing acts of tzedaqah are so much greater than just giving food, drink, clothes, etc. They were all done by one person for another person.
● Each act was a face-to-face experience – a personal expression of one’s concern for the shalom of the other. The giver “cared for” the receiver and the receiver felt “cared about” by the giver. The feelings of “being cared about” and “being able to care for someoneelse” are very valuable and powerful experiences.
● Each act was an act of acceptance – the giver “showed his or her acceptance of the receiver” and the receiver “felt the feeling of belonging.”
● Each act was an act of one community member for another community member – it was a demonstration of the values of their community. The receiver knew he or she was entitled to receive what was given and the giver knew it was his or her responsibility to give. The receiver knew he or she was not obligated to the giver in any way, but the receiver knew he or she was obligated to give what anothe…

Jesus or Paul? Making People’s Lives Right or Making People’s Beliefs Right? Part 3

The Breaking of Shalom
Making the “right to live” a reality requires “loyalty to the community” by God and people. Leaders and members of the community are responsible for creating and maintaining that environment. We see this in the second definition above. The entire community is charged with the responsibility of “the elimination of anything breaking the shalom.” This is the cornerstone of human justice.
The primary mission of every follower of Jesus is the elimination of anything breaking the shalom!
In the teachings of Jesus, tzedaqah is linked to shalom. Isaiah 32:17 helps us see that link through the eyes of members of the Jewish culture:
The deed of tzedaqah shall be shalom and the labor of tzedaqah shall be tranquility and safety forever.

“Shalom results from the deed of tzedaqah.” Now we must clearly understand what “shalom” meant to Jesus. In Hebrew: The Eternal Language by William Chomsky (p. 4) we …

Jesus or Paul? Making People’s Lives Right or Making People’s Beliefs Right? Part 2
The Hebrew Meaning of צדקה‎ (tzedaqah)
Jumping from back and forth from one language to another can be a little confusing. But, simply using the traditional translation of the Hebrew word above “righteousness,” may be more confusing. The word “righteousness” is code word – a religious word lots of people are familiar with but rarely, if ever, use in their daily conversations with friends or in commercial transactions. When was the last time you used it?
I will be using the transliteration of the Hebrew word above – tzedaqah – in this article. I am going to build its meaning from scratch for you so you can attach them to the Hebrew word. When you read an English translation of Jesus’s teachings and see the word “righteousness,” just remind yourself to think “tzedaqah” and what it means.
Our source for the meanings for tzedaqah comes from the Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament Volume 3 (p. 1006…