Guest Blogger!!! "Why I'm Glad I Didn't Become a Pastor" By: Steve Sherer



Steve and his wife Kelsea:)



My good friend Steve Sherer is good at three things: running, making cute babies, and writing! Author of "Spiked Up: Ready to Run", Steve ran his way to the Olympic Trial Finals and became the 2nd fastest runner in Michigan History. Here is his essay:

"Why I'm Glad I Didn't Become a Pastor"

Most people hear 10 Commandments and immediately think of Charlton Heston and his famous Hollywood movie.  But do people today really understand them?  I didn’t understand a lot of them until recently, and I have been raised in the ‘church’.  Recently, I discovered a very scary one that has been misrepresented for years!  The third commandment says:

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Exodus 20:7

Which I and maybe you took as, don't just throw around the name in common talk.  Luckily, most people do not know the correct, original Name of the Messiah and the Creator!  So it’s difficult to actually break this law in the way we translate it today.  But here's a different translation of the verse based on the Hebrew words:

nasa'  (do not take up) shem ( the name)  Yĕhovah (the LORD)  elohiym (God) shav' (emptiness in speech: Lying, vanity, falsehood) for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that nasa'  (take up) his name in shav' (emptiness in speech: Lying, vanity, falsehood)

So to put it together it may be more accurately represented as, " Do not take up the name of Yĕhovah Elohim to spread lies; for Yĕhovah will not hold him guiltless that uses HIS name to spread lies."

This verse becomes scary to me to think back all the times I or others I know might have used, “Well God said….”  Or “God doesn’t care if…” or anything like that referring to what the scriptures say!  I truly repent of that action and encourage others to do likewise. 

It’s also scary for teachers of the scriptures.  If you are teaching others how to walk with Yahovah, you’d BETTER know what HE is telling HIS people.  The Scriptures are closed for interpretation; they should be deciphered.  This is probably a common problem for speakers that can talk an hour about one or two verses.  Is it really possible to NOT move from the original meaning if you talk about all the different ways a single verse or two can apply to us?  Instead of interpretations, teachers should strive for deciphering EXACTLY what the scriptures/Yah’s Word says in the original intent.  This could entail all of the following:

• Who was it spoken to? And why was he saying it them?
• In the original Language, what did it say?
• How does the one verse match with the WHOLE LETTER!  They didn’t write these books in chapters and verses, it was one big letter.  To get the meaning of a single verse; one must put it in context of the entire chapter or could be in error.
• Is the verse a quote from the only scriptures they had at the time?  If so, you then need to go back and find out what point was being made in the book the quoted verse was taken from.
• Perhaps the biggest mistake people make today is found in 2 Peter 3:15-16 – “…and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”  Does this mean we have to have a post graduate degree to understand the scriptures? Of course not! He was a fisherman, so I doubt he was talking IQ smack; he is clearly talking about people being unlearned and unstable in the Scriptures here (no offense to fishermen, I am a big time fisher, but it’s more skill than head knowledge).  And again, the only Scriptures he could have been talking about here was the first 39, the last 27 were not out yet.  Most people hove no foundation in the Tanakh (first 39) so they twist the scriptures to their own destruction. Peter also says, We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:19-20)

We do not have a strong base in the Tanakh, but yet we dive into a books and letters about them.  This is like having a map, without any idea of where you are going or where you are to begin with.  What is the VERY first word the Messiah said to everybody once HE returned from the Desert?  REPENT or Shüv in Hebrew. Repent means literally to turn back, to return, and to restore.  When the Israelites heard this, they would have no question as to what it meant: turn back to The Creator’s ways, stop adding to it or taking away from it, and GO BACK to the Torah/Covenant.   The religious leaders of the day had added so much to the Word that some probably just gave up trying.  (I’m guessing they chose one law and had long talks about them in all different ways it could mean to them)  The Messiah had some choice words for them…

Today, does anybody have any idea how many denominations of Christianity there are currently around the world?  1000?  3000?  5000??  Not even close.  Ten years ago we had 33,820 denominations in Christianity alone; not including ones with less followers than a hundred.  We probably have many more by now.  This statistic should scare ANY Christian to wonder, “HOW?! WHY?!”  I think Peter said it best that “the unlearned people twist Paul’s difficult writings to their own destruction” when they break the 3rd commandment. 

So that being said, I admire the courage pastors have taking on this responsibility.  I strongly considered becoming a pastor a while back in College.  But am very glad I do not have to consider losing my lively hood if I do not speak biblical truth to itching ears.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing [dabar.(word, speech)]: but the honor of kings to search out[chaqar(examine thouroughly)] a matter [dabar.(word, speech)] Pr 25:2

                                                                                                  

Sunburn-Part Two-The Rise of Anti-Semitism

"Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards."

-Soren Kierkegaard

I would say there are two superstars most revered by the modern day Christian. Jesus, of course, and in my opinion, Paul. Paul, the author of most of the New Testament, was pretty cool for several reasons, but that is not the topic of today's post. Today, we're going to talk about replacement theology, or rather, how much of the church today is the way it is as a result of the titanic influence tradition has had upon it. Paul has something to do with it however. 

The most famous of Socrates' students was Plato who, after Socrates died, opened his own school where Aristotle would become its most famous pupil. Obviously, all three of these guys were extremely influential and I think they still are. Nevertheless, fast forward to the time of Christ: Gentile believers at the time were heavily influenced by this Greek philosophy. 

Now, Paul was going to preach to the Greeks who were obviously worshipping other gods...like ZUES? We are all familiar with at least some greek gods, I think, thanks to movies like HERCULES! Anyhow, in 1 Corinthians, Paul says, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to men, that I might by all means save some."

Now, what Paul is saying here is that in order to convert some of the Greeks, he was going to use Greek philosophy. Obviously, this wasn't the best idea he ever had, and luckily Paul did change his mind about it later. However, at the time, Paul thought this would work.

So there Paul was, in Athens, where everyone was worshipping a bunch of different gods and discussing philosophy. Paul hung out in the synagogue and the marketplace everyday trying to tell anyone who would listen about Yeshua (Jesus). One day, a couple of Stoic and Epicurean philosophers bumped into him there. Naturally, they thought he was a bum. "What does this babbler want to say?" They said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods!" 

[Note: Epicureans were a lot like buddhists in that they believed the best way to be happy is to not want anything. Wanting things leads to pain. This group had a large influence on Christianity. Think of priests/nuns not marrying? Monasteries? Stoics, on the other hand, believed there was no universal criterion of truth. They said truth was based, not on reason, but feeling and the best way to live was in moderation.]

It's safe to assume that Paul read all of these different kinds of philosophy. When he was preaching, he often used some of it! Check it out: 

In Acts 17:22-28 Paul says ..."for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'"

Here, Paul is QUOTING Aratus from Cicilia (300 BC)! From his poem the "Phaenomena." 

"Everywhere everyone is indebted to Zues. For we are indeed his offspring..."

Interesting! Paul is a wee bit of a plagiarist! Here's another example:

Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Here, Paul was quoting Epimenides of Knossos who, when writing about Zues, said "They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one. The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!"

(The 'lie' of the Cretans was that Zeus was mortal.)

Here's another:

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be decieved: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'" 

There, Paul is quoting the playwright Menander! 

Oh Paul. YHWH is SO not the same as Zeus! He had good intentions, though. He wanted to be all things to all people, but it's kind of like quoting the Qur'an to teach about the Torah. Allah is SO not the same as YHWH either. But I digress.

Paul comes to his senses later when he says, "My mission from Christ was not to baptize, but to tell the good news; not, however, in the language of philosophy lest the cross of Christ should be robbed of its meaning..." 

The mistake Paul made is an example of what this post is going to discuss: replacement theology. 

Let me elaborate. 

When the Roman Catholic church originated, it was the end of the persecution of Christians and the beginning of discrimination and persecution of the Jews which continued throughout history. Tertullian said that God had rejected the Jews in favor of the Christians. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, declared, "Jews are disinherited from the grace of God." 

This is just the BEGINNING. 

In the 4th century, Eusebius wrote that the promises of the 'Hebrew' Scriptures (the Torah) were for Christians, not the Jews, and the curses were for the Jews. He said the church was the Old Testament continued and that superseded Judaism. 

Remember the Council of Nicea? They wrote, "In rejecting [Jewish] custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter; we ought not therefore have anything in common with the Jew, for the savior has shown us another way."

Uh, really? When was THAT? 

They continue, "Our worship following a more legitimate and convenient course...to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jew. For it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast...For to celebrate passover twice in one year, is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communication with such wicked people." 

Remember Martin Luther? He wrote a book called, "The Jews and their Lies." Here's a bit of it:

"I shall give you my sincere advice: First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn....Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. For they pursue in them the same aims as in their synagogues..." This goes on and on! Look it up. 

In 1492, Jews were kicked out of Spain. If they converted to Christianity, they could stay but they could not keep a Torah scroll or keep the sabbath. If a Jew was caught keeping a sabbath or with a Torah scroll, they would take the ENTIRE TOWN, (including women and children) lock them in a synagogue and burn them alive!  All the while singing Christian worship songs! 

The problem with all of this, besides the OBVIOUS violence and despicable ignorance, is that the church rejected the Torah, writing off its commandments as 'Jewish' customs that were beneath the new Christian ones, in the name of Christ no less! Replacement theology. 

God's greatest commandment is IN the Torah! "...you shall love the LORD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart." (Deut. 6:4-8)

Remember when Christ said in John, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE."? 

Check this out:

Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the WAY, who walk in the LAW (TORAH) of the Lord."

Psalm 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy LAW(TORAH) is the TRUTH.

Prov. 13:14 The LAW(TORAH) of the wise is a fountain of LIFE, to depart from the snares of death. 

The Torah is the way, the truth, and the life. Yeshua (Jesus) was the Torah in the FLESH. He taught it, Paul taught it, and the early church rejected it associating it with the Jews! Henceforth, the church today is more Roman Catholic than anything else! We keep pagan holidays over the feasts of the Lord because we think the feasts are Jewish, when YHWH commanded us to keep these feasts before Judaism even existed.

Now the interesting thing is, most of us have a copy of the Torah. It's in the bible! We just don't really pay attention to a lot of it. Sure, we like the stories, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark...but we have no idea that we are still supposed to be DOING what it SAYS. We think that the ten commandments are the only instructions in the Torah and as a result we miss out on a LOT. 

I would even go so far as to say that the separation of the "Judaism" in the bible from Christianity is why Christianity doesn't make any sense to the believer who decides to dig a little deeper beyond what they learned in Sunday school. We learned it wrong, we teach it wrong, and as a result, no one believes in it anymore. You simply can't understand the New Testament without the Old. 

I'm just laying the GROUNDWORK! 

Keep reading! I'm going to go in depth about modern church customs, where they originated and a lot more! 

Ashley