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Sacred Names Movement – Pluses and Minus

By Dan baxley

 First The Warning

For any that want to get on high and make proclamations on behalf of the Living God please read the words of the Messiah, not my word, but His, and then ask yourself, ‘Is He possibly speaking of me?’ -- This is a question you must ask and ask it in all humbleness and meekness of spirit. 

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ “ (Matthew 7:22) NIV

His words, not mine, His statement, not mine, not yours, “Many will say to me on that day”.  Pleas notice it is the many, not the few, and that it is on “that day”, the context showing it is the day of His presence here on Earth – His return.  Of course we should not read the rest of the quote:

“Then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:23) NIV 

And again -- I know most are familiar with these words but considering the claims of some Sacred Name leaders they should be studied.

To me this is not only a warning but a prophetic statement as He, YaHshua, is “clearly” speaking of the future.  For this prophetic statement to be true there must be “many” that have knowledge of His true name, not only from the first century AD but also just prior to His return and , mistakenly, assume they have the Key to entering the Kingdom.  Imagine the jaws dropping as they attempt to proclaim, even to Him, the things they have done in His name. 

Some Background -- a New Look, Perhaps -- or, Putting Things in Prospective

My friends, having knowledge of His birth name  (A name given to Mariam and Joseph from the Father) is not the Key to Salvation this day or yesterday, our salvation is in the person of the Messiah and His name is certainly an important part of that “personality”, and it is most definitely this name only, “found among men by which we MUST be saved” (Acts 4:12), but, it is not the name that saves.  His name has been used and abused, twisted, cut-up and rejected for another name, a fabricated name.  The assault upon His “given” name boarders on demonic, as history proves, ultimately being replaced by a substitute name not His.  Under this substitute (false) name the blood of millions has been split.  Millions of innocent people have perished under the false name “Jesus”, or Iesus, by the Latin Church.  Yes, the name “Jesus” comes to us via Rome, not Greece, as so many assume and passed on by the King of England in a government approved book known as the King James Authorized Version.  To the Christians, however, this should not be some strange thing as nearly all of the religious holy-days (holidays?) accepted by the Christian Churches originate from Pagan Rome – Rome adopted pagan celebrations injecting them into the newly formed Catholic Christian Church, the Church of of Rome. By simply renaming most of these popular pagan festivals celebrations with Christian sounding names and associations.  But I’m getting off track here --

Let us look at another saying of the Messiah that applies specifically to those claiming knowledge of something they only think they understand.  A funny thing about understanding “secrets” is that one always assumes such knowledge puts them head and shoulders above others.  Oh, how many times has our Savior tried to correct us, why don’t we listen?  The event of the Messiah and His coming in the flesh and His crucifixion and resurrection were not done in secret.  Thousands in that period of history witnessed what had happened, millions knew of the events surrounding this man, YaHshua, from the town of Nazareth, the tales and testimony spread far and wide and thousands were baptized into His Name on the day of Pentecost a mere fifty days after His resurrection. Who can lay claim to a mass conversion of a single people in one day numbering three thousand?  No, the events of that time -- YaHshua's resurrections -- was not a secret event.  Not only that, there were others brought up, whole, from the grave, and were seen by many.  Imagine what must have been taking place.  Uncle Joe, back from the grave, taking his usual place at the table? 

(Mat 27:52-53) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

My Note: Take care to read this carefully.  The context of previous verses seem to suggest the raising of the Saints happened when the fleshly YaHshua gave up His Spirit and died on the cross and then, right at the tome of the earthquake, the graves were opened, but his is not what it says.  Due to the misplacement of well meaning translators of the KJV, the account of His death should end there and then a new event is recorded of a later happening, the raising of the Saints "...after His resurrection..." and this can be determined as after "three days and three nights".  YaHshua dies on Wednesday, the middle of the week, raised Saturday evening, equaling three days and three nights, so my guess it the graves of many saints opened on Sunday, or maybe Monday.  It does not say, only that it was not before the resurrection of our Savior.

Nothing secret here, these events had to be the talk of the town, and when the Apostles, on the day of Pentecost, stood up and explained what had happened may thousands were converted, coming to believe YaHshua as Messiah.  Fill in the blanks, there were probably many of the "Risen Saints" among the crowd.  Don't you think the religious leaders of that day would have been questioning the "risen", not to mention relatives of these people brought back from the grave.  No, this was not done in secret.  We have recorded in the book of Acts how diligent the Jewish, religious, leadership were at destroying evidence of these events and sending armed delegates out to punish those supporting and believing the events of the time -- the Apostle Paul was once such enforcer.  Right form the start they bought off the guards of the tomb where YaHshua had been laid.  Evil men, indeed, their power threatened and their crime laid at their feet they were willing to do anything to destroy the evidence.  So, don't look to the records for proof, other than what the Scripture says.

It would have been so easy to prove Peter's preaching the resurrection as untrue and to bring ridicule on the heads of the disciples preach as they proclaimed the gospel in everyone’s own tongue (language) but, at that time and moment, there were too many eye witnesses to the events of that Passover, the sky turning to night, the earthquake, and the tearing of the curtain at the doorway of the Holy of Holies in the Temple.  Every attempt by the religious authorities to squash this movement were in vain, up to this point.  Too many people knew too much and try as they might the replay of the Messiah’s death and resurrection kept circulating and thousands latched onto this truth. The authorities destroying as much proof as possible, they could not stop the tongue of the Believers and the Witnesses.  All done in the Name of YaHshua, not the bogus name of the pagan Christians, Jesus. 

What stopped it, what happened to preaching Yahshua?  The answer to this would be -- the total destruction of Jerusalem beginning 68AD with a final ending in 138-40AD.  This dispersed not only the Jews of Judah but the disciples as well.  They seemed to get lost in history with John being exiled and the last to be heard from.  By 140AD Jerusalem, after a Jewish revolt under a false Messiah (ironic?), the Romans came back and completely leveled the city.  This final act by the Romans is the reason no one seems to know just where the actual Temple of Jerusalem once stood. Today’s Jerusalem stands up to seventy feet, in places, above the level our Messiah and his disciples walked.  The building and the rebuilding of the city on top of itself has effectively left everyone guessing as to the actual locations of holy sites and has led to the worship of locations no where near the actual events, the records have being so suppressed and destroyed right along with the Jewish people.  It is a miracle we even have the Holy bible today by comparison to all else being put to the torch or the grinder.  Yes, grinder, the Romans were so through in their task at the "Final Solution" the literally ground the building stones to dust.

The persecution of the Jews went hand in hand with the persecution of the followers of the Messiah, a majority of them, at that time, being Jews themselves.  Under the Roman government religious patience and tolerance had come to an end, the record of atrocities being applauded by a population that hated both Jew and Christian.  After all, the Christian religions, to most, was a Jewish religion, the pagans saw them both as a threat to their way of life.  This, as we all know, was about to change under Constantine.  This Roman general, soon to be Emperor of the Empire claimed to have received a heavenly sign, a glowing cross in the heavens,  and was, as he tells it, commanded to do battle under this sign.  The truth of this is questioned by some, but the fact remains, Constantine declared Christianity as the “one” religion of the Empire, then he went about making things fit in with this new awakening.  Under his authority the Papacy was established in Rome, and the beginnings of the Eastern Orthodox (Greek) Church.  Constantine moved the religious center to Constantinople and eventually the religious order there developed its own authority being at odds with the authority in Rome.  Again, we see a government authorized religion nothing like the first century Church.  The original Apostolic Church of the Gospel seems to have simply disappeared -- maybe into the wilderness?

From the ashes of persecution a new style of Christianity began sucking paganism into its heart becoming worshipers of the dead.  Yes, that is correct, this new religion of Rome worships the god of death, praying to the dead (they call saints), and over relics of dead men’s bone.  The Vatican ,itself, built over a pagan burial site, as are many of the Basilicas.  Out of this religion, this new style of Christianity, the Protestant Churches have their foundation, worshiping the dead Christ over the Living One and celebrating the traditions of men by holding fast to the pagan holy days of ancient Rome and Greece.  This restructuring of church authority and pagan traditions, many based on doctrines of demons, changing the names to suit its purposes, to make a tradition of men to appear holy and have the blessing of the written word while it did not.  Like the Sepulchers of old, white on the outside but full of rotting dead men’s bones on the inside, this we see in the architecture of the Roman Church.  Do names matter, of course they do, and it can be easily demonstrated that by names alone a thing, a detestable thing, can be covered up, hidden, even made to appear holy.  It is not difficult to prove this -- look in virtually any encyclopedia and look up these words, Christmas, and Easter, the two big ones. 

What This has To do With The sacred Names's Movement

We, as believers and worshipers of the Living Messiah, having known of His sacrifice for us, being purchased by His blood, must move on, leaving the torture stake behind us.  I know Paul speaks of taking up the "cross" of Christ but in the context it is easy to see he is speaking of suffering and hardship and in this sense it should be plain to us, as it was to him, that if our Savior suffered who are we to think we will not -- being a true follower of the Word and not of men can and does lead to trouble, be prepared to stand on His Word.  His expression, "...taking up your cross" is the same as one saying, "put you shoulder into it", or, "lower your head pushing forward" -- it is by much effort and many times, discomfort, we come to the truth.  Please, I am not taking away from the “act” of the crucifixion and what it means to us but sooner or later the follower must duck down and grab hold of the word no matter what is in our way.  We are not to keep crucifying the Messiah -- He is alive and well, a living First Fruits, no longer dead or dying.  Still, some that have uncovered the knowledge of the Messiah’s true identity continue worshiping a dead messiah.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.  (Luke 20:38) KJV  

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.  (Hebrews 6:6)  KJV

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2) KJV  

We are not to continue as “babes”, drinking milk only, which is the first teaching, the teaching that helps us understand our calling but we are not to stop there – it is His life we should now focus on not His death, that is for those yet called and for those that do not understand -- we see this as foolishness.  I take the following quote very seriously – it applies to all.

Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;  And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.  (Romans 2:17 ) KJV 

“Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in MY NAME, claiming, ‘I am the Christ (Messiah)’, and will deceive many. (Matthew 25:4) NIV

If it only stopped there but it doesn’t, not at all, the warning goes deeper, especially for those having found the treasure in His true identity.   Who is your god? Can you tell me?  If it is the dead Jesus, then say so but if it is the living YaHshua then declare it but in reverence and a respectful fear, for He is alive and has the Power of all things given to Him by the Father.  He has the power to call things into being that did not exist before, and that, my friends, is powerful. 

"...the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. (Romans 4:17) NIV

 "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible (Hebrews 11:4)

    I would say most of those in the Sacred Names Movement are sincere, loving people.  They have a zeal for the Creator no doubt but a time must come when the New Covenant speaks to them.  They are attempting to establish the Old covenant and much of the understanding stops coming form the Scripture in total and becomes the understanding or lack of understanding of a particular man, leader, founder, or self proclaimed prophet.  Some have even claimed to be the Elijah, and others the Two Witnesses.  There is even one leader claiming ownership of the Two Witnesses title with his dead brother.  Please, bothers and sister of the faith, get away from these people as soon as possible.  It is better to live a single lonely life than to live among such false teachers.  Live for the Word and its truth, not what some man says.  I know, as a young fledgling in the word and seeing this wonderful truth and Key to understanding you bible as never before, it is difficult to cut away from the source of that truth in you life.  Just because a group or individual know and teaches this truth, this vital Key, is not proof they are right in everything else and you study of the bible will prove this.  Evaluate your situation and those around you.  Do you think it possible to remain friends with people in you congregation if you were to begin questioning their loyalty to the Old Covenant, as opposed to the New Covenant?  Would you be allowed to question the authority of you leadership based on the pure word, or do they claim "absolute" authority over you and your life, your kids, your wife, your husband? 

    I'm sure there are some small groups gathering in the Name of YaHshua that are truly in the bod of the Messiah.  I personally have not found them but they must be there.  I do knows the body of YaHshua, on this Earth is scattered and few in number in this day and age and becoming ever smaller.  By comparison to the world religions those in the Body of YaHshua is but a small drop in the bucket.  Certainly there is an uncountable number to come into the resurrection but that is a number counted form the beginning, not in todays flesh.    Hold fast to what you have and pray you may be able to stand in that day, the day the Earth will shake and reel, mountains move out of place, Islands moved, then know, His return is near.  See this link -- Great Quake

Peace to you all on His Name, YaHshua and your servant, Dan

email: servant@yahshuaservant.com 

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