My House Ministries

Holy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2023October 31, 2023 by My House Ministries in Uncategorized

Should believers in the Word of God celebrate, honor or acknowledge any form of Halloween?

Typically, we shy away from what some might see as “controversial” topics, leaning towards focusing on what is holy, righteous and good! We have found in our experience over the last ten years, that you catch more flies with honey, or so the old saying goes. Likewise, the Word of God is like honey to our lips, and when we focus on His Goodness, it often goes further than when we dwell on the enemy and his ways. We hope to approach the topic of Halloween in a similar manner.

This blog post is in no way trying to judge or condemn, because like many reading this, we have been there! We celebrated this day. We looked at it as innocent fun. Instead of reading in condemnation, try to view this as slight nudge from a friend, one that is trying to highlight what the Word of God has to say.

For us, like many in the Christian Faith, we at one time believed that it was our duty to “Christianize” all things, bringing Christ to the center and meaning of any day or event, regardless of the origins, meaning or who else was doing it! While this may sound good on the surface, is it truly what we are called to do? The approach we should take? Is it even biblical?

Over the last 10 or so years, our family has attempted to read the Word of God for ourselves, without bias, without preconceived notions, but simply taking it at face value. In doing so, we have been greatly convicted about what the Word of God has to say regarding this subject.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20

"Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them." - Ephesians 5:11

"Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

"This is what the LORD says: 'Do not learn the ways of the nations.'" - Jeremiah 10:2

"For the Scriptures say, "You must be set-apart because I am set-apart." - 1 Peter 1:16

"Who can bring clean out of unclean? No one!" - Job 14:4

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

A simple Google search will show that this day has nothing to do with the God of the Bible or the ways in which He calls His people to act. In fact, it stands in direct opposition to all that is holy, righteous and good. Sadly, participating in these traditions teach our children as well as the outside world observing us, as believers, that it is alright to compromise!

Alright to compromise on the Word of God.

Alright to compromise on abstaining from evil.

Alright to compromise, as long as it doesn’t appear wrong.

Alright to compromise if it is “just for fun”.

Alright to compromise on our convictions.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." - Romans 12:2

As believers, we do not have to look like the world, in order to witness to the world about the God we serve! Instead, when we stand apart, separate, and holy, we will be most effective in being a light and showing יהוה the LORD and His Son Jesus יהושע to the nations!

As for me and My House, we will serve ‎יהוה the LORD! 🏡

The Azazel Goat, End Times & Atonement of All Things

Posted on September 29, 2023 by My House Ministries in Biblical Feasts

In Leviticus 16, we see the outline from יהוה [the LORD] to the priesthood for the Day of Atonement. Throughout the preparation of this day and the cleansing that takes place, we see a peculiar instruction.

“Then he shall take the two goats and set them before יהוה [the LORD] at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for יהוה and the other lot for Azazel.”

“And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for יהוה and use it as a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before יהוה to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.” – {Leviticus‬ ‭16:7-10}

Who or what is Azazel? The Hebrew is obscure, but many have tried to give their scholarly opinion over the years. The HCSB Study Bible says the following,

“Three different interpretations have been proposed for the meaning azazel, a word that occurs only in chapter 16. The LXX translates it as ‘the one carrying away evil’ from which we get the term ‘scapegoat’. The second view was developed later by rabbis who suggested that azazel means ‘a rough and difficult place’ and that it represented the goats destination. The third view suggests that the word is the name of a demon that inhabited the desert.”

Is it possible that all three interpretations are correct?

In the non-canonical book of Enoch, which is amongst the most fragments found in the Qumran Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we get some more insight into what or better yet, who Azazel is.

You have seen what Aza’zel has done, how he has taught every species of iniquity upon earth, and has disclosed to the world all the secret things which are done in the heavens. – {Enoch 9:5}

Here we see that the fallen angel Azazel taught the human race all sin. Interesting, but Enoch details more.

“Again יהוה [the LORD] said to Rapha’el, Bind Aza’zel hand and foot; cast him into darkness; and opening the 👉desert👈 which is in Duda’el, cast him in there. Throw upon him hurled and 👉pointed stones👈, covering him with darkness; There shall he remain forever; cover his face, that he may not see the light. And in the great day of judgment let him be cast into the fire.” – {10:6-9}

Amazingly, Enoch describes two of the three interpretations of this word in one passage. 1.) A rough and difficult place is where Azazel, the fallen angel, is cast out into, where he is covered with pointed stones. 2.) Azazel, a demonic being due to his fallen state, is sentenced to the desert.

Two of three is close, but what about the first interpretation of carrying away sin, the scapegoat? Enoch continues;

“All the earth has been corrupted by the effects of the teaching of Aza’zel. To him therefore ascribe all sin.” – {Enoch 10:12}

All sin is ascribed to Azazel as he is cast out into the desert. Enoch describes exactly what takes place on the Day of Atonement, how prophetic.

If you’ve been studying the biblical holy days, you’ve come to realize they are all about Jesus, his Hebrew name being יהושע. So, how does this fit in with him?

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.” – {Revelation‬ ‭20:1-3‬}

“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” – {Revelation‬ ‭20:7-10‬}

Could it be, the reason the goat cast for Azazel is not sacrificed because it is prophetic of what we see in revelation? If nothing is new under the sun, is it possible that on a future atonement, our King and High Priest יהושע will ascribe all sin to the ultimate scapegoat as he is sent out into the wilderness, the lake of fire, to be permanently cutoff from the perfect creation?

What do you think? Leave your comments below! 👇👇👇

Tassels, Commandment Stones, & the Throne of God

Posted on February 16, 2020February 16, 2020 by My House Ministries in Uncategorized

Is it possible for all of these seemingly different items to be intimately connected?

Let’s take a look together…

Continue reading “Tassels, Commandment Stones, & the Throne of God” →

Baal-Peor and the Sexual Sin of Balaam

Posted on July 21, 2019July 21, 2019 by My House Ministries in Weekly Scripture Reading

The Scriptures speak very STRONGLY of sexual sin and the defilement of the body.

“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – {1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:18-20‬}

In reading the Weekly Scripture Reading this week, the portion concludes with some of the Israelite men defiling themselves by yoking with Moabite women and their gods.

“While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab.” ‭- {Numbers‬ ‭25:1‬-2}

This specific event and the sexual immorality associated with it, was so severe that a plague broke out among the Israelites, killing 23,000 {Numbers 25:9}, which is how the portion ends.

It was also an event that remained in the memory of God’s people, as it was spoken of time and time again, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, throughout the Scriptures.

“Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor.” -{Deuteronomy‬ ‭4:3‬}

“Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD.” – {Joshua‬ ‭22:17‬}

“Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.” – {Hosea‬ ‭9:10‬}

“Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;” – {Psalms‬ ‭106:28‬}

And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. – {1 Corinthians 10:8}

As with all sin, there is always an origin. For the Moabite lineage, it surrounds that of sexual sin, literally having been conceived in the midst of it.

“One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites.” – {Genesis‬ ‭19:31-32, 36-37‬}

While there is a prohibition against marrying a Moabite, found in Deuteronomy 33:3, the second chapter of Revelation seems to imply a deeper sin taking place.

“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” – {Revelation‬ ‭2:14-16‬}

So what was so vile about the Moabites and their worship of Baal-Peor that Balaam taught and caused John and many other biblical authors to write of it?

⚠️ the following may not be suitable for all due to the nature of the topic ⚠️

Historically, this god was worshipped and associated with disregarding any and all sexual restraints, extreme sexual practices and orgies. Baal-Peor, like many, was worshipped in the form of a phallus.

To go one step further, the Hebrew word peor [פְעוֹר] comes from the root word pa’ar [פָּעַר] meaning open, gap, wide, or hole.

Scholars have suggested that Baal of Peor, could then be translated as lord of the openings, lord of the gap or lord of the holes.

This translational meaning and root association leads to a traditional understanding and very possibly the source of Talmudic traditions associating Baal of Peor with exposure and excrement.

(the Talmudic texts cited here are used ONLY for historical references)

The tractate Sanhedrin 64a, through Rabbi Judah, tells the story of a sick gentile woman who promised to worship every idol in the known world if she became well enough to follow through. Upon recovering from this illness, she journeyed to make well of this promise. Upon reaching Peor, she could not bring herself to follow through on her vow, as the worship was absolutely disgusting: as they were eating beets, drinking strong drink, and then uncovering oneself in front of the idol.

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi, comments on Numbers 25:3 stating that because the people would uncover before it, the end of the rectum, and bring forth excrement; this is its worship – therefore the place was called Peor.

These disgusting acts were then associated with and used in sexual practices.

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To bring this idea and topic full circle, the Septuagint translation renders Baal of Peor, Beel-phegor, which is a known demon and one of the seven princes of hell in demonology.

In the Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions, the photograph associated with this post is found for Belphegot, [Beel-phegor], seating this demon god on a toilet.

Coincidence? You be the judge, testing ALL things to the Word of God.

If true, this shows us the serious depravity of the people that the Israelite nations encountered and the severity of yoking with them and following the despicable ways of worship that revolves around their gods.