Program 7: Truth or Error? The Weight of Evidence Rule

Practical advice on how to discern between truth and error.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

Main Program

Part 1

Miles Robey: Hello, hello! Welcome to WLC Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey.

Dave: And I’m Dave Wright. We’re glad you could join us today.

Miles: I’ve been looking forward to today’s topic because I find that the more time that passes, the more important it is to understand how to learn truth without being led astray by error.

In the fourth chapter of Ephesians, the apostle Paul explained that Yahuwah had given different work to different believers to help in perfecting the saints until, quote: “We all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yah.” Unquote. This was all for the purpose, he said, quote: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Unquote.

Today, Dave is going to be talking about just how to study out truth so that we aren’t “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”

Dave: Thank you, Miles. Yes, it’s very important we know this because with the increase of modern technology, it is now easier than ever to get confused. In the past, a person’s ability to learn truth was somewhat limited to the books and newspapers he could get his hands on. Now, with modern technology, especially the Internet, anyone with an opinion can get a website and promote their beliefs.

Miles: That’s really a good thing.

Dave: It absolutely is! But it also means that it is very easy to become confused because, truly, every wind of doctrine is blowing and with the easy accessibility of the Internet, can blow over anyone with gale-force winds, regardless of what they know or where they are living.

Miles: Sounds interesting. Before we get into that, though, I want to take a moment to explain for those who are joining us for the first time – you’ll notice that here on WLC Radio we prefer to use the personal names of God the Father, and the Son.

Dave: I just want to say here, Miles, generally when a word is transferred from one language to another, it is either translated—the meaning is translated; or, it is transliterated—the sound of the word is transferred.

The problem with the divine names is that, with but a handful of exceptions, this hasn’t been done at all.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Well, the transliteration of God’s personal name, as given in Scripture, is Yahuwah or Yah. Although the name is used throughout in the Hebrew, it was neither translated nor transliterated very often. In fact, I can think of only one text where the name was transliterated, and that is Psalm 68:4, which says: “Extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him.”

Miles: What about translated? Was the meaning of Yahuwah’s name at least translated?

Dave: Not very often, no. To be honest, off the top of my head, the only time I can think of that the divine name was actually translated was in Exodus 3.

At the burning bush, when Yah told Moses to return to Egypt and free his people, Moses asked: “Whom shall I say sent me?” And only there, in verse 14, we get an actual translation of the name, which is “I AM THAT I AM.” Basically, the Father’s name is a verb of being.

It’s really beautiful, actually. He IS: past, present, and future. He IS whatever we need Him to be!

Miles: Huh! And all that’s been lost because the Father’s name was neither translated nor transliterated.

Dave: It has. The beauty of the divine name has been totally covered up by substituting titles in its stead. Someday, I hope we can have a program on the divine name and all the various ways it is used in Scripture and the meaning it has. It’s a very deep, profoundly moving study.

Miles: So that’s for “God.” What about Jesus?

Dave: Well, “Jesus” is a bit different. His actual name is very similar to His Father’s. The Saviour’s real name is “Yahushua.” Can you hear the “Yah” name in there? Yahushua?

The problem was, when the New Testament was written, Greek did not contain a Y-sound. Therefore, in their attempt to transliterate the sound of the name, they came up with something that sounds very similar to one of their pagan gods: Iesus. They did as best they could, but when the gospels were translated from the Greek, each language tried to transliterate the Greek transliteration!

Yeah, you can see how far off we’ve gotten. So, when you hear us say Yahuwah, or Yah, know that we’re talking about the Father. If we say Yahushua, we’re talking about the Son.

Miles: Very good. Okay, I want to jump right in to today’s topic. I’m really interested in hearing what you’re going to share with us today because I think it’s very important. I’ve noticed, in the past, that when I try to share a new spiritual concept with someone, something weird happens. More often than not, they’ll flat out reject the idea, say it’s wrong, all without actually even investigating the evidence!

Dave: M-hm. I’ve experienced that, too.

Miles: It’s the strangest thing.

Dave: Well, not really. Not if you understand why they react that way. You see, each organized denomination has it’s own set of stated beliefs. It’s own creed, if you will. That set of individualized beliefs is its reason to exist apart from other denominations! It’s what allows them to tell their church members that they are the “elect,” they have the truth.

Miles: Yeah, I can see that. And it’s why at WLC we believe that while all churches have some truth, all churches likewise have some error—

Dave: –Or have rejected some advanced light, that’s right.

Many people reject new truth without even looking at it. They’re afraid that the devil will supernaturally beguile their mind. They are afraid that they’ll be in danger of being deceived if they even look at a concept that is outside their denomination’s stated creed. They certainly don’t want to open their mind to the possibility that it might be true, because they’ve been taught that to question opens the door to doubt.

Miles: Well, now that’s truly tragic. Can’t we trust the spirit of Yah to lead us into all truth, just as He promised?

Dave: Of course we can! But you can’t be led if you’re not willing to walk. So, the devil cuts them off at the pass. He frightens them into thinking that, by even looking at a new concept, they’re on enchanted ground and in danger of being deceived.

Miles: Well, what does the Bible have to say about this? Surely, on something so important, the Word of Yah is not going to remain silent!

Dave: You’re absolutely right! Scripture does give us two very important principles that go hand in hand and may be used by any truth seeker to safely investigate new truths while still being able to discern and lay aside error.

Turn over to Isaiah 28 and read verses 9 and 10, would you?

Miles: Sure! Okay. Isaiah 28, verses 9 and 10 say: “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

Dave: To put it in other words, what it is saying is, Those who cling to the basic truths they learned when they first became Christians, never advancing beyond that, are like babies who still need the milk of the word. However, if you want to move beyond the milk of the word, it is necessary to put “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little.”

In Hebrews, chapter five, the writer admonishes those who never advance beyond the milk of Yah’s word, saying: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of Yah; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

So, again, in order to move beyond the milk of the word, it is necessary to put precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line. This is essential if we’re going to dig into the meat of the Word.

Miles: All right. But what are you supposed to do if you come across two texts that contradict each other. Because, let’s face it, there are denominations that teach diametrically opposing concepts, and yet both quote from the Bible, and both claim that Scripture supports their position. It’s why each church insists that THEY are right and everyone else wrong!

Dave: You’re right. And that brings me to the next principle. Deuteronomy 19 established the principles by which a man could be accused under Israelite law. In order to protect someone from being falsely accused, no one person could bring a charge against another. It always required at least two witnesses.

Verse 15 says: “At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” This is such an important principle, that Paul quoted it in Second Corinthians 13.

Miles: That’s interesting. But I’m not sure how it applies.

Dave: Well, let me tell you a little story to illustrate. My cousin married an American. She and her family live in the United States. One evening about a year ago, they were driving to their home in the country. Now, it’s late, after dark.

Coming around a blind corner, the two-lane highway they’re driving on immediately funnels them right onto a bridge.

Apparently, a farmer’s cows had gotten out and were going for a late-night stroll across the bridge. Black night; black road; black cows. I’m sure you can see this did not end well.

Miles chuckles: Yeah, I kind of guessed that.

Dave: Well, they hit one of the cows. No one was hurt but the cow. Killed the cow, but it pretty much totaled their car. My cousin walked to one end of the bridge, her husband walked to the other, and they began flagging down other motorists, warning them to slow down.

One car, seeing my cousin, pulled over to the side, stopped, got out and tried to help. Another slowed way down and was able to pass on without mishap.

About this time, however, a third car came along, going rather fast. My cousin had her jacket off and was waving it at the driver. The other guy that had stopped was motioning with his hand trying to get the woman in the third car to slow down. She glanced over at them, but then turned back and continued on. Not only did she not slow down, but she actually sped up a little! A moment later: BANG! She kills another cow.

It’s a bad wreck. Not only is her car totaled but the woman was hurt as well.

Well, recently, my cousin got a phone call from an attorney representing the farmer whose cows got out a year ago. Apparently, the woman was trying to sue him. She was claiming that her neck had been so injured in the crash that she couldn’t work. She’d had to go on disability. Basically, she wanted him to support her for the rest of her life because she claimed it was his fault that she’d had the accident since she’d had no warning that the cows were out.

The attorney had read the police report and was asking my cousin if she would appear in court and testify on behalf of the farmer along with the other motorist who had also stopped.

So that’s what she did. She went to court. Her statement, and that of the other person who had stopped, both agreed that the woman in the car HAD seen them, but she had ignored them and disregarded every attempt they’d made to warn her. The judge ended up throwing the lawsuit out of court and didn’t even give the woman attorneys’ fees, because he said, under the circumstances, it was a frivolous lawsuit.

Afterward, the farmer came up to my cousin to express his gratitude. He said, “If it weren’t for your witness report, she would have ruined me. I would have had to sell my farm and we would have lost everything. Thank you so much for coming forward with the truth.”

Now, I don’t know American laws, but I’m guessing that if it had been my cousin alone appearing in court, it would have been a he said–she said situation: the claims of the driver contradicting my cousin’s eye witness account. But because another driver had stopped, they had two people, two eye witnesses, saying, “No, she knew. She looked over. She saw us signaling her to slow down, but she ignored us and barged ahead anyway.”

And that is the principle you need to apply to Bible study as well.

Miles: Okay, so how do you apply it?

Dave: Well, let’s face it: you can “prove” almost anything you want from the Bible. It may not be true; it may not be accurate, but you can “prove it.” And a lot of people do.

Miles: Oh, yeah! It happens all the time. You’ve got Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox teaching an ever-burning hell and quoting Scripture to back up their position. Than, you’ve got other churches saying, “No. There’s no such thing as an ever-burning hell. The true fate of the lost is total destruction and consumption in the lake of fire, after which, they’ll be dead forever.”

And the thing is, the churches who do NOT believe in hell fire “prove it” from the Scriptures as well!

Dave: Yeah, it’s a problem and it confuses many people.

Miles: Okay, well, hold that thought. I want to hear what we can do about it, because, yeah, it really can cause confusion.

We’re going to take a quick break and when we come back, Dave’s going to tell us what to do when one passage of Scripture contradicts another.

Be right back!

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Part 2:

Miles: Welcome back! This is Miles Robey. Today we’ve been talking about what to do when you want to learn more truth, but you don’t want to get led astray. Too often people refuse to look at new truths because they’re afraid their mind will be beguiled by the devil. But that’s not consistent with anything Yahuwah would allow is it, Dave?

Dave: It really isn’t, Miles. Shortly before Yahushua’s death, He was comforting the disciples that He would not leave them alone even after returning to Heaven. John 16 records His words. He said, quote: “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

Now, to be convicted, or convinced of something, you have to mentally grasp it. You have to intellectually understand it. How are you going to be convinced of some area in which you need to change if you always refuse to look at the evidence?

Miles: You can’t! You really can’t. And yet, over and over, that’s what happens when you try and present new concepts, new truth to people. They won’t even consider it. They just insist it’s wrong because it’s different. Or, they’ll rush to their priest or pastor and say, “Tell me: is this true?” And then they’ll take their pastor’s word for it without studying it out for themselves!

Dave: It’s really sad, but you’re right. I see this happen all the time. And granted, it’s a confusing time to be alive.

Knowledge has increased in the area of technology. But it has increased in every area. The problem is, with the increase of truth, there has also been an increase of error.

Satan sees that Yahuwah is pouring out truth, so he takes some of that truth, twists it up and entwines it with error, and then presents this braiding together of truth and error as new light. The result is, people are very confused. They don’t know what to believe. And as much good as the Internet does, it also contributes to the proliferation of error.

Miles: You’re right. Now, granted, sometimes people claim confusion simply because they’re indifferent. They don’t want to be bothered with learning more truth, because truth always carries with it the cross of obedience.

Dave: You’re right, of course. If new light requires something that they find too inconvenient, too difficult to obey, claiming confusion is a tried and true way to get around the convictions of conscience.

The Holy Spirit of Yah has been given to us in order to enlighten our minds and settle us into the truth, whatever that may be. We don’t need to be afraid of being somehow “led astray” as we study. We can trust Yahuwah to keep us safe.

Miles: So, with every wind of doctrine blowing, with so many confusing and conflicting ideas floating around, can you share with us some tips on what we can actually do to arrive at truth?

Dave: Absolutely! First, of course, you pray. Claim the merits of Yahushua’s blood to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Than, claim those same merits as to why your prayer should be answered. It’s important to pray very specifically. Put into words what you need. Then, claim the promise found in the first chapter of James that says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Yah, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from Yahuwah; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Miles: Sooo . . . Ask. Believe. Claim.

Dave: Exactly. Come as a little child. Lay aside all your preconceived ideas and study with an open mind.

Miles: You’ve said that before. How do you define “Studying with an open mind”? What do you mean by that?

Dave: To study with an open mind means to be willing to accept the new light, willing to obey, IF the Holy Spirit convicts your heart that it is true.

So many people take their preconceived ideas of what is truth to their study of the Bible and those preconceived ideas then shape their interpretations.

You can’t do that. You have to lay all that aside. Ask Yahuwah for help if you need to, but lay it all aside and study, considering the possibility that it might be true.

Listen, there’s no excuse for any of us to assume that all the light has been revealed and there is nothing more for us to learn! Simply because certain doctrines have been believed for a long time is not proof that they are without error.

Miles: That’s true. I read a quote once that was so good, I memorized it. Didn’t memorize who wrote it, but I still remember the quote. It said: “Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.”

Dave: That’s right. Truth can bear the weight of investigation. Error can’t. So don’t be afraid to consider new concepts with a mind willing to accept them IF the Holy Spirit settles them home as truth.

When we study the Bible, we are to lay aside all of our preconceived opinions as well as our hereditary and cultivated ideas. We all grow up being taught certain concepts are true. To arrive at the real truth, we need to lay everything aside and come, willing to be taught.

If we go to the Bible with no other purpose but to prove to ourselves what we already believe, guess what? We can do that! But that doesn’t mean we’re correct. We need to search Scripture independent of our creed and with a mind free from prejudice.

If, as we read, we are convicted and we see that our cherished opinions and prior beliefs actually contradict Scripture, then we need to lay aside our cherished opinions and previous beliefs.

Miles: Absolutely. We need to make our beliefs fit Scripture; not twist Scripture to fit our beliefs!

Dave: Right! We can’t allow what we have believed or practiced in the past to control our understanding.

Okay, then, the next step is to gather together every passage of Scripture pertaining to the topic under discussion. Look up every single verse.

Miles: What if some of the verses contradict other verses?

Dave: I’m glad you asked that. The reality is: truth will never contradict itself. That’s important.

Miles: Truth will never contradict itself.

Dave: No. It won’t. If it appears to do so, notice: I say appears. If one verse appears to contradict another verse, it is a red flag that this is an area in which we need to dig a little deeper. Sometimes a lot deeper! Either we’re making some assumptions and we’re not even aware that we are, or we don’t have all the truth yet. Because I’ll tell you: truth is harmonious! Truth will never contradict itself!

Miles: All right. So if, in studying every passage pertaining to a particular subject, what do we do if we come across a couple of verses that seem to contradict? How do you resolve that?

Dave: Well, you used a key word. You said, “Every passage.” We can’t just look at individual verses. We have to always read them in context. This is crucial. Cults will quote Scripture. In fact, they can ensnare very sincere people precisely because they quote the Bible. But if you go back and look up those verses in context, you will find that they have usually taken a single verse out of context, twisted it to apply to an entirely different situation, and claimed it is a divine requirement when, in actuality, if you go back and read it in context, you’ll find that it is nothing of the sort!

That’s called proof-texting, and proof-texting is wrong. Any verse used to establish doctrine must take into account the verses surrounding it. And a correct application must be made.

Miles: Sounds good. That makes sense. Anything else?

Dave: Yes. When looking at the context of any verse, it is important to determine whether the passage is intended to be taken literally, or figuratively.

This is where a lot of people get off. A passage which Yahuwah meant to be taken literally will be twisted to be applied symbolically. Other passages that are meant to be applied symbolically are given a literal interpretation. As you can imagine, a lot of confusion results from this misapplication!

Miles: I’m sure! But how can you tell the difference? How can you know whether a passage is to be taken literally or figuratively?

Dave: That’s a good question. First, ask yourself: what is the obvious meaning? If the obvious meaning is literal, take it literally!

Second, what do other passages of Scripture indicate? What is said elsewhere in the Bible? You need to gather information on both sides of the equation. Gather it all together. Read every verse—in context—

Miles: –In context!

Dave: Then, after looking at it all, go with the weight of evidence. What does the weight of evidence indicate?

And, another thing to keep in mind, the correct interpretation of any doctrine will always be repeated at least one other time in the Bible.

Miles: “Out of the mouths of two or three witnesses shall a thing be established.”

Dave: Precisely. And that itself is a Biblical principle! You’ll recall when Joseph was called in before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, Pharaoh told him of two different, but similar dreams.

After hearing the dreams recounted, Joseph said: “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; Yah has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of corn are seven years; the dreams are one. Yah has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.”

So then Joseph interprets the dreams and then he added: “And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by Yahuwah, and Yah will shortly bring it to pass.”

So there you have it. If something is repeated in Scripture, you better sit up and take notice. Yahuwah doesn’t waste words.

Miles: If it’s repeated, it’s important. That’s a good “rule of thumb” to remember.

Dave: Well, it is. We need to know these guidelines for establishing what is truth and what is error.

For the last 100 years—or more!—if the government, or science, has found something with which they disagree, they bury it. Cover it up. Deny it exists.

Churches have learned to do the same. Anything that contradicts their stated creed, anything that even hints that a doctrine they hold might be in error, must be rejected.

Miles: Denominational creeds and differences are important because they are the very reason THAT denomination exists as it’s own separate organization.

Dave: You got it. It’s in their best interests to tell their tithe-paying congregants that everyone else is wrong.

It’s also a means by which they can exert control.

Miles: What do you mean? How does that work?

Dave: Let’s take an extreme example just for the sake of illustration. Cults, in their quest to attract more members, try to find some new concept, some new “doctrine.” They’ll take what has worked before and twist and pervert it into some new idea. They then preach it with energy and get people convinced that this is necessary for salvation.

What makes it even more deceptive is when they toss in Scripture.

Miles: Oh, I totally understand. I remember reading a spiritual book for my morning devotions a number of years ago. Scripture was quoted the whole way through. It sounded like everything presented there was Biblical. But when I started sharing it with my wife, she had some concerns. She didn’t think some of the points the author had made were actually consistent with Scripture.

I thought it was just because she hadn’t read the book, cover-to-cover, as I had. But we began studying it out together, looking it up in the Bible for ourselves and, surprise! Surprise! The Bible texts used as “proof” in the book were taken completely out of context and meant something entirely different when the whole chapter was read! It was really eye-opening to me. It was a wake up call that simply because someone quotes Scripture does not mean that the teaching they are promoting is in agreement with Scripture.

Dave: Yes. I could not agree more. In fact, I’m going to repeat what you just said. Everyone needs to know this. Listen up, folks. What Miles said is key: Just because a Bible text can be quoted to support a particular belief, does not mean that the belief itself is Biblical.

Miles: You have to look at the entire weight of evidence.

Dave: Exactly. If you don’t, you’re going to get off.

So, I know our time is running out. I just want to quickly summarize the points we’ve covered. Truth is being poured out. It requires diligence and careful study to separate what is true from what is just a lie. But if you will carefully go through these steps, you will be safe and led into all truth.

Number one – Come to Yah as a little child, with a mind open and willing to be taught.

Number two – Gather all the information you can. Look at every single passage—

Miles interrupts: –in context!–

Dave: In context. See what it all says and analyze what is the logical meaning of each passage.

Once you’ve done that, number three—ask yourself what the weight of evidence presents. Remember, make sure you have at least two “witnesses” from the Bible that teach the same thing.

Step four – Lay it all before Yahuwah. In faith, ask Him to grant you wisdom and impress on your heart what is truth.

Finally, listen and watch for Yah’s guidance. He will confirm what is truth.

Miles: You know, Dave, this brings to mind a promise in Psalm 32.

Dave: Which?

Miles: Verse 8 says: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.”

Dave: Amen! And He will! We don’t need to be afraid of investigating new truths. He can’t lead us if we’re firmly planted on our rears, refusing to take one step forward. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: “Lead” is an action verb. In order to BE led, we need to be willing to take a step forward. The Father has promised to lead and guide us. He’s not going to allow Satan to deceive as we separate truth from error.

Miles: And truth and error are so closely entwined!

Dave: They really are. Error is weak and can never stand alone. The only way it can deceive anyone is by entwining itself with truth. It is the strength in the TRUTH that draws people in. That’s why we take what is good and lay aside the rest.

Miles: The Father has promised to lead us into all truth and we can TRUST He’ll keep His word.

Dave: Amen.

Miles: Don’t go away folks. We’ll be right back with some questions from our Daily Mailbag.

Daily Mailbag

Miles: Welcome back! Time now for our Daily Mailbag where we read questions from listeners around the world.

Dave: What’s our first question today, Miles?

Miles: Our first question today is being asked by Shelly in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. She says, “My sister and brother-in-law have recently gotten very involved with a Messianic Jewish congregation. They’re keeping all the Jewish feasts and say that anyone who really loves Yeshua Ha-Meshiach (as they call the Saviour) will be Messianic Jews, too. Often, they use so many Hebrew words, I can’t even figure out what they’re talking about! What are your thoughts on Messianic Judaism? Is there something there? I’m feeling pretty turned off, but I don’t know if it’s just because they’re being so pushy.”

Dave: Hmm. Yes, family dynamics can be tricky when beliefs differ. First of all, I want to say that I can understand why you would feel turned off, Shelly, if you are feeling pressured. True religious liberty means giving other people the freedom to worship as they are convicted, and not treating them poorly if their convictions differ from our own.

Miles: That’s a good point, Dave. Too often people get so pushy! They don’t give each other the religious liberty to follow their own conscience, when the other person’s convictions are different from their own.

Dave: And it gets even trickier when the people disagreeing are close family members.

Miles: That’s right. It does.

Dave: Well, Shelly, I’m afraid I cannot give you a blanket-statement, one way or the other. As you know from listening to WLC Radio, we also believe it is a privilege to know and be able to use the actual names of the Father and the Son, rather than the titles of “God” or “Lord” or the incorrect, “Jesus”.

Miles: And don’t forget, we also believe that the feasts are lasting anniversaries of important events in salvation history.

Dave: Yes. said, we do not promote Messianic Judaism nor do we suggest that people should join Messianic Jewish congregations.

Here’s the thing: Messianic Jews are people who have discovered the Jewish aspects of the New Testament. They have come to accept the perpetuity of the divine law. They are very sincere in their beliefs and in wanting to restore truths that traditional Christianity has neglected.

Miles: And that’s a good thing!

Dave: It is. And we should respect their sincerity and their desire to restore lost truths.

Sometimes they are Jews who have accepted Yahushua as the Messiah but don’t want to give up their Jewish customs. Frequently, they are Christians who have come to find beauty and significance in the Jewish traditions.

Basically, though, the Messianic movement is frequently a vehicle of Evangelical Christianity for spreading their faith among Jews by presenting it in a way that will feel more palatable to Jews. There’s nothing wrong with Evangelical Christians wanting to spread the gospel to Jews. The problem, however, arises with the fact that most such Messianic Jewish congregations typically preserve most or all of the beliefs of Evangelical Christianity.

For example, they will often still cling to a belief in a triune-godhead, the unconditional immortality of the soul, and the rapture, to name just a few. The problem is, a careful study of the Bible reveals that none of these beliefs can actually be supported by Scripture! Messianic Jewish congregations generally differ from Protestant Evangelicalism only in the varying amounts of Jewish customs they have added in.

Another problem is that many of these Jewish customs are based on the “tradition of the elders” or, the traditions of the Pharisees, and not on Scripture itself at all! Modern Judaism IS pharisaism!

Miles: What?! Seriously? Where do you get that from?

Dave: Actually, I get it from the writings of the Jews themselves. Louis Finklestein was a well respected rabbi, a renowned Talmudic scholar, and an expert in Jewish law. He wrote a book entitled The Pharisees that was published by the Jewish Publication Society of America in 1946. He was as Jewish as you can get and yet, listen to what he had to say about modern Judaism. He wrote that after the destruction of Jerusalim in AD 70, quote:

“Pharasaism became Talmudism … But the spirit of the ancient Pharisee survives unaltered. When the Jew … studies the Talmud, he is actually repeating the arguments used in the Palestinian academies. . . . The spirit of the Pharisees' doctrine has remained quick and vital. . . . From Palestine to Babylonia; from Babylonia to North Africa, Italy, Spain, France and Germany; from these to Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe generally, ancient Pharasaism has wandered.”

Miles: Wow. And that’s a Jewish scholar himself admitting that.

Dave: That’s right. I have a whole list of quotes from Jewish scholars I could throw at you that all say the same thing: modern Judaism IS pharisaism.

Miles: Wow. I didn’t know that.

Dave: And being nothing more than pharisaism, Messianic Judaism has unknowingly adopted many of the errors of pharisaical, rabbinical Judaism. For example, modern Jews use the Biblical calendar for calculating the annual feasts, but they use the papal Gregorian calendar for calculating the weekly Sabbath.

Miles: Hmmm. Inconsistent much?

Dave: Oh, totally. So what Christians embracing Messianic Judaism don’t realize is that often what they are embracing is more rabbinical traditions, rather than actual Biblical requirements. Yes, the Bible teaches the perpetuity of the divine law but as with mainline Protestantism itself, Messianic Judaism entwines truth with error: in their sincere desire to embrace truth, they accept rabbinical traditions as well. At the same time, they cling to other errors or reject more advanced truths that have also been rejected by the organized denominations.

So, our response to Messianic Judaism would be the same as our response to Evangelical Christianity, for that’s often all that it really is. We would encourage them to understand the signs of the times, the closeness of Yahushua's literal and visible return to put an end to this sinful world, and to act on that knowledge to prepare themselves for the crisis ahead.

Miles: Good answer.

Okay, our next question is from Augusto in . . . Somewhere in Ecuador! I can’t pronounce that city name. Augusto, this question’s from you wherever you are in Ecuador. He says: “I was reading on your website and, if I am understanding correctly, it said that believers should not involve themselves with politics. Does that mean we shouldn’t vote? Ecuadorian citizens are required by law to vote. What do you suggest that I do? I don’t want to dishonor Yahuwah, but at the same time, I’m not understanding what is meant by not involving ourselves in politics.”

Dave: Thank you for writing, Augusto. Steering clear of politics does not necessarily mean one should not vote. Certainly, if the local laws where you live actually require voting, it does not break Yahuwah’s law for you to vote, so you should do so.

As to how involved one should get in politics, there are three principles to keep in mind. First, believers should always vote on the side of temperance and virtue. While we are to not judge others and not seek to take away their freedoms, we are to support truth and righteousness—always.

Secondly, voting is a personal decision. Basically, keep your voting to yourself. It is not your duty to urge everyone else to do as you do.

Finally, we are to keep away from political strife and corruption. With those three principles in mind, each individual should decide for themselves what level of involvement is in keeping with their conscience.

Miles: Good points as always. Thank you, Dave.

And if any of you have questions or comments, please write to us. We always enjoy hearing from you. And it’s very easy. Just go to our website at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. Due to volume, we may not be able to answer on air, but we’ll do our best to address it in the Q&As on our website.

Daily Promise

This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Ina Ogden was a devout Christian who loved Yahuwah with all her heart. She was very well-educated for a woman in the 19^th century, having the opportunity to attend college. She was also very musical. Early in life, she dreamed of becoming a traveling evangelist.

This dream was set aside, however, when her father suffered a paralytic stroke and needed constant care. Ina laid aside her dreams of working for Yahuwah in a broader field and instead focused on caring for her father and brightening the lives of those around her. It is during this time she wrote a poem that was later set to music, becoming a well-known gospel hymn: “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.”

In all, Ina wrote over 3,000 poems and hymns that were translated into at least 8 different languages. Ina loved Yahuwah. Rather than fretting that her dreams to be an evangelist had to be forsaken, she trusted in Yahuwah and looked for ways to be a blessing in her own sphere of influence.

Listen. Life never turns out the way you think it will when you’re young. Spouses, even children, die. Car accidents cripple and maim. Businesses fail. Divorces happen. But through it all, you can TRUST your Heavenly Father. In Jeremiah 29, Yahuwah declares: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahuwah, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The phrase, “expected end” can also be translated as the future you hope for, or the thing you long for.

Life … can throw you curve balls. Some of them we duck; some of them we hit; and some of them hit us … squarely on the chin.

If you are feeling ambushed by life, trust your heavenly Father. He has plans for you, glorious plans. And HE will bring you through.

Regardless of your feelings, trust in Yahuwah. He’ll never let you down, so rest in Him.

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

Ending Points

Miles: Welcome back! You know, in thinking about the winds of doctrine blowing every which way, the mass confusion—

Dave: And it is confusing! When so many voices are saying so many different things, it is very confusing.

Miles: And dangerous, too. None of us want to be deceived. That’s why Yah’s promises are so precious.

Dave: Psalm 34:15 contains a wonderful promise that I’d encourage everyone to claim. It says: “The eyes of Yahuwah are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.” He’s not going to let you be led astray against your will. He’s not going to let you be deceived or duped unknowingly.

So long as we pray and ask for His blessing, we are perfectly safe studying out new concepts. He has promised to send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and He keeps His promises!

Miles: It’s something we all need to remember. I want to thank you for going over these points. They’re really helpful. With such an explosion of knowledge, we need to know how to discern between truth and error.

Dave: We do. You’re right. BUT! The beautiful thing is, we can go to Yahuwah for ourselves and ask to be gifted spiritual discernment so that we can know and perceive what is truth and what is error.

Miles: That’s beautiful. Truly, everything we need, He has provided for us. Well, once again it looks like our time is up. Please tune in again tomorrow and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

You have been listening to WLC Radio.

This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.