Our RELIGIOUS HERITAGE Part 2 (Ref.50) - 16 January 2018 (From the pen of Celia Joy Martins)

 

In the times after Yahshua walked the face of the earth, the believers in Him were called "MESSIANISTS" or MESSIANIC BELIEVERS. They were TRUE in FOLLOWING MESSIAH'S TEACHINGS - KEEPING HIS COMMANDS - GATHERING in their HOUSES for HOLY COMMUNION (BREAKING BREAD) and PRAYER. It was when they were GATHERED in a HOUSE - in ONE PLACE - WAITING for the PROMISE YAHSHUA had TALKED ABOUT - at the prescribed time of Yahweh - the HOLY SPIRIT  CAME ON THEM (The day of Pentecost). "And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a MIGHTY RUSHING WIND, and IT FILLED the ENTIRE HOUSE where they were sitting." [Acts 2:2 ]. "And day by day, attending the temple together and BREAKING BREAD IN THEIR HOMES ... " [Acts. 2:46].

 

All the company of believers was of ONE HEART AND SOUL and with GREAT STRENGTH AND ABILITY AND POWER the APOSTLES DELIVERED their TESTIMONY to the RESURRECTION of the MASTER YAHSHUA MESSIAH, and GREAT GRACE (loving-kindness, and favor and goodwill) RESTED UPON THEM ALL. (Acts. 4:32-34).

 

The apostles  - special messengers - did numerous and startling wonders and signs among the people - gathering at the temple (the COVERED PORCH [WALK] called SOLOMON'S) while none of those who were NOT OF THEIR NUMBER DARED TO JOIN and ASSOCIATE WITH THEM, but HELD THEM IN HIGH REGARD [Acts 5:12-13]. MORE and MORE  people started to ACKNOWLEDGE YAHSHUA as their SAVIOR and DEVOUT THEMSELVES and JOINED and GATHERED with the APOSTLES and BELIEVERS. They were being ADDED to the kingdom of HEAVEN - CROWDS OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. They even kept on CARRYING out the SICK INTO the streets and PLACING THEM on COUCHES and SLEEPING PADS in the HOPE that as PETER PASSED by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. From all over the towns and villages or settlements around Jerusalem, the people brought the SICK and THOSE TROUBLED with FOUL SPIRITS, AND THEY WERE ALL CURED.[Acts. 5:14-16].

 

But the HIGH PRIEST and his supporters - the Sadducees ROSE UP FILLED WITH JEALOUSY and fury and rage - had the apostles arrested and put into jail.  During the NIGHT - an ANGEL of YAH OPENED the PRISON DOORS - LED them OUT and said to them to "GO, TAKE YOUR STAND in the TEMPLE COURTS AND DECLARE to the PEOPLE THE WHOLE TRUTH CONCERNING THIS LIFE - the ETERNAL LIFE which MESSIAH YAHSHUA REVEALED." So they went into the temple and at daybreak they began to preach. [Acts. 5:17-21].  

 

We MUST OBEY YAH RATHER THAN MEN:

When it was reported to the high priest and the Sadducees that the men who were put in prison were gone out of prison, preaching to the people in the temple courts, the military brought the 'prisoners' to the Sanhedrin (the council) - where the high priest interrogated them by questioning [Acts. 5:25-26] saying "... we DEFNITELY COMMANDED AND RESTRICTED  CHARGED you NOT TO TEACH IN OR ABOUT THIS "NAME"; yet HERE YOU HAVE FLOODED JERUSALEM with your teaching  and you INTEND TO BRING THIS MAN'S BLOOD upon us. Then Peter and the apostles replied, WE MUST OBEY YAH (God) RATHER THAN MEN. Yah (God), the Elohim (God of all gods) of our fathers RAISED UP YAHSHUA whom you laid hands on, HANGING Him on a tree. :32 HIM, a Prince and a Savior, Yah has EXALTED to His right hand, to GIVE REPENTANCE to ISRAEL and FORGIVENESS OF SINS. And WE ARE His WITNESSES to these matters, and so also is the SET-APART SPIRIT Whom Yah has given to THOSE WHO OBEY Him" (Jewish Scriptures - own emphasis added). [ Acts. 5:28-32].

 

YAHWEH STEPPED IN:

A Pharisee in the council  - named Gamaliel - who was a teacher of the Law - highly esteemed by all the people - stood up ordering the disciples to be taken outside for a little while [Acts. 5:34] then addressed the council by saying to them that in the present case  they must STAND OFF - WITHDREW from these men AND LET them BE LEFT ALONE. For if this TEACHINGS or PURPOSE or UNDERTAKING or MOVEMENT is of HUMAN ORIGIN, IT WILL FAIL and be OVERTHROWN and COME to NOTHING. But, IF IT IS OF YAHWEH, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP OR OVERTHROW OR DESTROY THEM; YOU MIGHT EVEN BE FOUND FIGHTING AGAINST YAHWEH God Himself.  The high priest and the council (Sanhedrin) took his advice, but had the apostles FLOGGED - FORBIDDING them to SPEAK in or ABOUT the NAME of YAHSHUA and with that - they LET THEM GO. Regardless of this, they NEVER CEASED for a single day. They kept on preaching, telling the GOOD NEWS of SALVATION through YAHSHUA the MESSIAH - both in the temple area and at home [Acts. 5:38-42].

 

SEVEN MEN CHOSEN by the MESSIANIC ASSEMBLY (Acts 6):

At about this time, the apostles decided to in order to delegate their work-load, let the assembly select  SEVEN men of good and approved and good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to tend to the people's needs while they (the apostles) would continue to devote themselves STEADFASTLY to PRAYER AND the MINISTRY of the WORD. They CHOSE:

STEPHEN - a man FULL OF FAITH - a STRONG AND WELCOME BELIEF THAT YAHSHUA is the MESSIAH, and FULL OF AND CONTROLLED by the HOLY SPIRIT and:

PHILIP and PROCHORUS, and NICANOR, and TIMON, and PARMENAS, and NICOLAUS a new convert to the Messianic faith - from Antioch. These men were presented to the apostles who LAID THEIR HANDS ON THEM AND PRAYED OVER THEM. [Acts. 6:1-7]

 

The SATANIC AGENDA again - a COMPLOT:

STEPHEN - FULL OF GRACE - that is DIVINE BLESSING AND FAVOR - WORKED GREAT MIRACLES AND WONDERS in YAHSHUA MESSIAH'S NAME among the people [Acts. 6:8]. However, some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the FREEDMEN (freed Jewish slaves) as it was called, and [of the synagogue] of the CYRENIANS and of the ALEXANDRIANS and of those from CILICIA and [the PROVINCE of] ASIA, AROSE and undertook to DEBATE AND DISPUTE with Stephen. These men had Stephen arrested, that ultimately led to him being stoned to death.

 

The CYRENIANS:

Cyrene was a Greek settlement in the province of Cyrenaica - located in northern Africa (eastern LIBYA) and had a Jewish community. 100,000 Jews of the kingdom of Judah (Judean Jews) had been forced to settle during the reign of Ptolemy Soter (323-283/2 BC).

 

Ptolomy I Soter - who was known as "Ptolomy the Savior" was a MACEDONIAN GREEK and a GENERAL under ALEXANDER the GREAT. PTOLOMY BECAME the RULER of EGYPT 323-283/2 BC. He founded a DYNASTY which ruled it for the next three centuries turning EGYPT INTO A CENTER OF GREEK CULTURE, however, assuming the traditional TITLE of PHARAOH in 305 BC.

 

STILL THE SAME OLD DEMOMIC DECEPTION:

Like ALL MACEDONIAN NOBLES, Ptolemy I Soter CLAIMED his (Nephilim) DESCENT to be from the Greek (Nephilim)-god HERACLES (in Greek) HERCULES to the ROMANS - the son of ZEUS [and ALCMENE].

 

The same old STORY:

For the Greeks, Hercules (the same old Nephilim descent-story - originally after the flood started with Nimrod) was the god of strength - the god of heroes - the god of sports - the god of athletes - of health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and "divine" protector of mankind. Hercules was the "greatest" of the Greek 'heroes' (men of renown - the 'gods' of old of Nephilim descent) a 'shining example' of MANHOOD and MASCULINITY and the ancestor of the "ROYAL CLAN" of the OLYMPIAN ORDER (the twelve OLYMPIANS - the major deities of the Greek (Nephilim) gods - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes and Dionysus or Hestia who LIVED on MOUNT OLYMPUS - the HIGHEST MOUNTAIN in GREECE between Thessaly and Macedonia - about 80 km. southwest from Thessaloniki.

 

Cyrene supposedly also was the destination of many "Sicari" (dagger men - a splinter group of Jewish Zealots) who fled the Roman legions at the time of the Jewish Revolt around 70 CE. They carried small daggers hidden in their cloaks - attacking Romans and Hebrew Roman sympathizers alike at public gatherings. They blended into the crowd after the deed in an attempt to escape detection. The Sicari movement was likely to be one of the earliest forms of an organized assassination unit of "CLOAK AND DAGGERS" predating the Islamic Hashishin and Japanese ninjas.

 

The ALEXANDRIANS:

Alexandria is an ancient metropolis of Lower Egypt CALLED AFTER ITS FOUNDER "ALEXANDER the GREAT" (+/- 333 BC). It was for a long time the greatest city that existed as Babylon had been destroyed and Rome had not risen to greatness yet.

 

Alexandria was the residence of the KINGS OF EGYPT for 200 years, only mentioned in the New Testament incidentally. Apollos (powerful and expressive) mentioned in Acts 18:24,  was a native city of Alexandria. The Alexandrian Jews had a synagogue in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9) at the time of the martyrdom. Up to 10,000 Jews resided in Alexandria where they had a famous library of 700,000 volumes. These were burned by the Saracens (642 AD). It is said to be in this library that the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek - called the Septuagint. Septuagint comes from the tradition that seventy men were engaged in the translation. The translation began 280 BC and was finished around 150-200 BC.

 

Those from CILICIA:

Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor. Extending INLAND from the coast (southeastern coast) of modern-day Turkey - Cilicia is due north and northeast of the island of CYPRUS corresponding to the modern region of Cukurova in Turkey. It existed as an independent governmental 'body' from  Hitt-ite times in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (refugees fleeing the Seljuq invasion of Armenia) during the late Byzantine Empire - also known as the Eastern Roman Empire with its capital city Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). The Byzantine Empire was a powerful economic and cultural and millitary force in EUROPE and it FELL in 1453 to the (OTTOMAN) TURKS.

 

Some of the men of the synagogue in Jerusalem - the Cyrenians - the Alexandrians  and from Cilicia had Stephen arrested bringing false accusations against him. They incited the people as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came upon Stephen arrested him and took him to the council that is the Sanhedrin.

 

Those from ASIA (a ROMAN PROVINCE)

The Roman PROVINCE of ASIA in BYZANTINE TIMES was called PHRYGIA - an ADMINSTRATIVE UNIT of the Roman Empire.

 

Antiochus III (the GREAT) had to give up ASIA when the ROMAN ARMY CRUSHED his army at the BATTLE OF MAGNESIA - 190 BC. The entire territory was SURRENDERED to ROME and was placed under the control of a "client king" (under the management of another 'partner' king or confederate, partner or supporter) at Pergamum supposedly Attalus III of Pergamum that was a close ally to Rome.

 

Originally Asia consisted of Lydia, Mysia, the Troad, Aeolis, Caria and Ionia, and the land corridor through Pisidia to Pamphylia. Aegean islands except CRETE were part of theirs. The southeast region of Asia province was later reassigned to the province of CILICIA and during the empire Asia (province) was bounded by Bithynia to the north, Lycia to the south and Galatia to the east.)

 

Stephen's face LIKE that OF AN ANGEL:

Scripture tells us that while  accusing Stephen, they all gazed intently at Stephen, and SAW that HIS FACE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF THE FACE OF AN ANGEL. Stephen then began right at the beginning telling them everything from Abraham till Yahshua (Acts. 7:1-47). Then he told them in verse 47 that Solomon built the temple, but the Most High does not DWELL IN HOUSES and TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS, as the prophet says (Isaiah 66:1.2) "Heaven is My THRONE and earth the FOOTSTOOL for My feet." Stephen then quoted Scripture:

"You STUBBORN and STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, still HEATHEN AND UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND EARS, YOU ARE ALWAYS ACTIVELY RESISTING THE HOLY SPIRIT.

AS YOUR FOREFATHERS [WERE] SO YOU [ARE AND SO YOU DO]!

WHICH OF THE PROPHETS DID YOUR FOREFATHERS NOT PROSECUTE?

And they SLEW THOSE WHO PROCLAIMED the COMING of the RIGHTEOUS ONE, Whom YOU have now BETRAYED AND MURDERED -

YOU WHO RECEIVED the LAW as it was ORDAINED AND SET IN ORDER AND DELIVERED by ANGELS and [yet] YOU DID NOT OBEY IT!. "(Acts. 7:49-53).

 

"Upon hearing these things, they [the JEWS] WERE CUT to the HEART AND INFURIATED, and they GROUND THEIR TEETH AGAINST Stephen." (Acts. 7:54)

 

"But Stephen, full of the HOLY SPIRIT and CONTROLLED BY HIM, GAZED INTO HEAVEN and SAW THE GLORY (the SPLENDOR and MAJESTY) of YAHWEH God, and YAHSHUA STANDING AT YAH'S RIGHT HAND;  And he said, LOOK! I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED, and the SON OF MAN STANDING AT YAH'S RIGHT HAND!.(Acts. 7:55-56)

 

But they raised a GREAT SHOUT and PUT THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR EARS AND RUSHED TOGETHER UPON him. And they DRAGGED HIM OUT of the CITY AND BEGAN TO STONE him, and the WITNESSES PLACED THEIR GARMENTS AT the FEET OF A YOUNG MAN NAMED SAUL. [Acts 22:20].

 

And WHILE THEY WERE STONING Stephen, he PRAYED, MESSIAH YAHSHUA, RECEIVE AND ACCEPT AND WELCOME my SPIRIT. And FALLING ON HIS KNEES, he CRIED OUT LOUDLY, ELOHIM YAHWEH, FIX NOT THIS SIN UPON THEM [LAY IT NOT TO THEIR CHARGE]! And WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE FELL ASLEEP [IN DEATH]. (Acts. 7:57-60)

 

ABBA, Thank You for being our ROCK our HIDING PLACE our HIGH TOWER - our ELOHIM YAHWEH - our CREATOR AND our LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER. O ABBA, the world we live in - is a CRAZY WORLD FULL OF DECEPTION. Help us Father to fix our eyes on You - to RECOGNIZE YOUR CALL - to DO YOUR WILL - to BE OBEDIENT to YOUR COMMANDS. Help us to BE LIKE STEPHEN - FACING DANGER BUT FEAR NOT - FOR OUR GAZE ARE ON YOU - in ALL AND EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE - NO MATTER WHAT. In Yahshua's NAME. Amen.