Author Archives: prodigal101

‘Kosher for Passover’ . . .

‘Kosher for Passover’ is a phrase ‘used and abused’ this time of year and is the center of a question we have been asked several times this season as we prepare for Passover. Allow us to apologize for not addressing  this concept sooner but, perhaps, it will be helpful  for next season.

First, let’s address the word and concept of ‘Kosher’. The word ‘kosher’, or ‘kasher’ in Hebrew (כָשֵׁר) is defined as ‘proper or fitting’, and it is a word having as many ‘uses’ as there are groups that use it. What is ‘kosher’ to one group is not ‘kosher enough’ for another and so on and so forth. It is like throwing the phrase ‘eternal security’ on the table in a meeting of evangelicals or throwing a bone in a kennel full of canines. It can get exciting quickly.

So what does The Word say concerning Kosher ? Well, for starters, you might find it interesting that the word ‘kasher’ is NOT in Torah, Torah being the first five books of the Bible. Yes, the concept of that which is ‘proper and fitting’ is most certainly in Torah, but the word ‘kosher’ is not there. In fact, the first place the word ‘kasher’ appears in Scripture has absolutely nothing to do with food. Instead, it is associated with ‘proper protocol’ in relation to coming into the presence of The King and is found in the book of Esther, chapter 8,verse 5. “Then she (Esther) said, “If it please (tov- good) the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper (kasher) to the king . . .”

Primarily, in our time, the word ‘kosher’ is used in reference to food – whether or not it is ‘kosher’. The problem appears with the interpretation and application of what an individual or group considers kosher to mean. Some groups are very meticulous with not only cleanliness standards but also each and every ingredient that goes into a product, as well as what those ingredients and finished product may come into contact with during the process. Other groups are much less stringent and much more relaxed in these areas. So which is correct ? Which is ‘kosher’, if you will, from a Biblical standard? Well, What’s The Word say?

As a general rule, The Scripture has two distinctions – clean vs. unclean, or the holy vs. the profane or common. So how does ‘kosher’ fit into this picture ?  According to Scripture, if something (a creature, an item, an act, etc) is ‘kosher’ it is ‘proper and fitting’ to the situation or circumstance at hand, being used or applied as intended by it’s original design. There is also an underlying picture that this determination of being ‘proper’ is made by The King, or the One who has the authority to make that determination. Paul reminds us in his first letter to Timothy that “everything created by God (and God created everything) is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; ⁵ for it is sanctified (set-part) by the Word of God and prayer.” (1Timothy 4:4-5). He did NOT say everything created was ‘clean’ but that everything created was ‘good-tov’( Genesis 1:4,10,12 18,21,25,31), which includes both the clean and the unclean, since God created both.

So, now, here’s the kicker . . .according Scripture . . . a pig, which is a ‘good’ creation of our Heavenly Father, created unclean for an unclean purpose, can be both unclean AND kosher (according to definition) if used for and according to it’s original design and purpose . . . which, by the way, was and is not ‘food’ for us. Say what ? That’s right . . . if the Biblical definition of ‘kosher’ is ‘proper and fitting’ and IF I use a pig or snail or a shrimp for the purpose for which it was created . . . although these creatures are unclean by their created nature, they are, by definition, both ‘kosher’ and ‘unclean’ .

OK . . . now that we have either given you’all a brain cramp or made you mad enough to be yelling at your computer screens . . . what does all this have to do with Matza being ‘Kosher for Passover’ ?  All matza, as a result of  it’s ingredients and the nature of those ingredients , is both clean and ‘kosher’ for Passover. According to Scripture, for bread to be ‘proper and fitting’ for Passover, it must be unleavened, which is literally the definition of matza. It is made from oil, grain, perhaps a little water and salt, all of which would be considered ‘clean’ ingredients. So, by it’s design and ingredients it IS ‘kosher for Passover’.

OK then, so why does one box of matza say ‘Kosher for Passover’ and another box says ‘NOT Kosher for Passover’ ?  Tradition . . .  Rabbinic (for lack of a better word) Tradition teaches for matza to be considered ‘kosher for Passover’, the matza can take no longer than 18 minutes from the time the preparation process begins until it goes into the oven. Any longer than 18 minutes allows for the possibility of ‘rising’ to begin naturally due to the reaction of the ingredients and possibly any wild yeast in the air. Now that all sounds Ok, but it’s NOT in the Word and yet we accept this tradition as if it has Scripture-level validity. So, are we saying it is wrong to buy matza marked ‘Kosher for Passover’ ? No, absolutely not. What we ARE saying is ‘words mean things’ and we need to understand, from a biblical perspective, the words and terms we use and the difference between tradition and What The Word Says so as to make ‘proper and fitting’ (kosher) decisions.

Shabbat Shalom And Chag Sameach from us to you – J&R

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with him. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey and a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)
6 The disciples went and did as Yeshua had instructed them.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Yeshua sat on them.
8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Baruch haba b’Shem YHVH- Blessed is he who comes in the name of YHVH!” “Hosanna in the highest!”” (Mat 21:1-9)
As we approach the time of Messiah Yeshua’s final entrance into His Holy City before His crucifixion as our Shelem, we prepare to ‘remember His death until He comes again’ as well as look forward to His triumphal return. May YHVH bless you and yours with His Shalom and Presence on this His Sabbath Day. Shabbat Shalom

In this week’s program, as we inch closer to Passover and Chag HaMatzot – The Feast of Unleavened Bread – we take a look at   ‘The Crown of Thorns’  from a little different perspective. We also discuss just a little concerning the age-old debate of “Law versus Grace’.

Blessings & Shalom – J&R

http://hebrewnationonline.com/blog/whats-the-word-say-32615/

Some why’s and how’s of Passover basics for the upcoming Feast.  Shalom –

http://hebrewnationonline.com/blog/whats-the-word-say-31915/

There are two words in the Hebrew pronounced ‘barak’, one being the word for ‘lightning’ and one the word for ‘blessing’. The one spelled with the equivalent ‘k’ hebrew letter is ‘blessing’ and the one with the equivalent ‘q’ hebrew letter is ‘lightning’. The word in Luke 10:18 would correspond to the Hebrew word for ‘lightning’ spelled with the equivalent ‘q’ sounding letter. Obama spells his name with a ‘K’. The equivalent to that in Hebrew would be the word ‘barak’ or ‘blessing’. Literally, Barak Obama’s name means he has the ‘blessing of the high place’.  If you remember, Obama showed the icons he carries in his pocket he received from differing religious groups around the world when they ‘prayed’ for him to be elected. They are idols from pagan ‘high places’ around the globe and he carries them . . . must be a coincidence . . . he’s not the anti-christ, but he is helping to lay the groundwork . . . AND Obama IS God’s ‘man for the hour’ . . . so what does that say concerning the ‘hour’ in which we find ourselves ?

In Revelation there are seven trumpets. In the pattern of the Feasts of the Lord there are ‘seven trumpets’, one trumpet being blown at the beginning of each of the seven months within that calendar of feasts. The seventh, or last trumpet if you will, is also the Feast of Trumpets and that which sounds the alarm and announces a great event. On the 10^th day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. The Scripture describes a ‘great slaughter in Bozrah’ and a time when Messiah tramples the grapes outside the city. It speaks of His arrival on the Mount of Olives and requiring all the nations to come up for Sukkot – The Feast of Tabernacles – and He rules with a rod of iron from Jerusalem. The season of the return of Messiah Yeshua is the season of the fall feasts of our heavenly Father. To understand the times and events that surround us and those that are to come we must have a working understanding of the Torah, the commandments, the Sabbath and the Feasts of YHWH. This is one of the reasons Rhonda and I teach what we teach. Without the foundational understanding of these principles of our Father – an understanding that comes through obedience, observance and adherence – we cannot fully understand and recognize what is happening and what is coming. It’s like having a roadmap. Without an understanding of the legend and all the symbols on the map we cannot use to in the way it was intended. Without the foundational knowledge of the legend on the map, we cannot read the signs along the way and perhaps not even know what road we are on. In these days and times, to be walking through life without the ability to truly read the signs and understand them can put God’s people literally in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is a reason God admonishes us through His prophet Malachi to ‘remember the Torah of My servant Moses.’ And please remember, that passage is ‘endtime’ , the time in which we find ourselves.

A REMINDER – Our Passover Gathering 2015 will be held friday April 3rd, 6:30 pm at the Junction City First Baptist Church building. Doors will open at 6:00 pm and the Seder will begin promptly at 6:30. The meal will be ‘Potluck’, just as we have done in the past. We ask everyone to bring a salad or side-dish and dessert, enough for your family and extra to share since we will have visitors. The meat will be provided. Please remember the food must be ‘leaven-free’ and Biblically clean. If you’re unsure as to what that entails, please feel free to contact us. We MUST have an RSVP no later than Friday March 20th. There is a cost for the use of the building and a box will be available to receive donations to help with expenses. Or, if you prefer, you may send your contribution in advance to ‘Prodigal Ministries International POBox 332 Danville KY. 40423. Remember – ‘Messiah is our Passover, therefore keep the Feast’ . . . ‘For the keeping is the sign between ME and you,’ says Our LORD. Shalom

I know we are not the only ones to pick up on this, but felt it was worth posting. This afternoon Rhonda and I had the privilege to be on the air with Daniel Holdings and Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries. Bro. Mark mentioned about the timing of PM Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and something clicked that had not come to mind until that point. Not only was the PM here speaking to the US Congress on the eve of Purim, he was also here seeking and garnering support for Israel against Iran – modern-day Persia – the same enemy Mordechai and Esther sought protection against when she went before King. Yes, Xerxes was the king of Persia, but an evil element within Persia sought the destruction of God’s people. Once again we see how obedience can make all the difference in the outcome for the people of YHWH. Haman was an agagite – a descendant of Agag,king of the amalakites. God declared there would be war against the amalakites to the end. Israel was supposed to wipe them out. King Saul did not, and due to his disobedience, descendants of Agag the amalakite survived. That spirit and seed of the serpent was alive and well in Haman the agagite. Disobedience DOES make a difference.

CORRECTED LIST . . .THERE WAS A TYPO . . .

Projected Feast and significant date schedule for 2015

Full Solar Eclipse – March 20th, 2015 (Aviv 1)

Our Passover Gathering 2015 will be held friday April 3rd, 6:30 pm at the Junction City First Baptist Church building. Doors will open at 6:00 pm and the Seder will begin promptly at 6:30. The meal will be ‘Potluck’, just as we have done in the past. We ask everyone to bring a salad or side-dish and dessert, enough for your family and extra to share. The meat will be provided. Please remember the food must be ‘leaven-free’ and Biblically clean. If you’re unsure as to what that entails, please feel free to contact us. There is a cost for the use of the building and a box will be available to receive donations. Or, if you prefer, you may send your contribution in advance to ‘Prodigal Ministries International POBox 332 Danville KY. 40423. ‘Messiah is our Passover, therefore keep the Feast’ . . . ‘For the keeping is the sign between ME and you,’ says Our LORD. Shalom