This week I just wondered, why is it that the message of ABSTAINING from four things in the Church of Messiah , is not TAUGHT, nor PREACHED from the pulpit?

It would have been nice to make a survey, and ask believers in Messiah, what are the 4 things the Holy Spirit ordered to ABSTAIN from, and see how many believers know and understand them and how many will be able to say: “I obey and do them!”

Then I realized that NO ONE would be able to PREACH with authority - what HE HIMSELF does not OBSERVE!

THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT

I would like to ask a question:

Is there any connection between the flesh [BaSaR] - the body [Goof], and the soul [NeFeSH] - the spirit [Ruach]?

I found the connection in this verse:

• “For the life (soul) of the flesh , is in the blood ”. Lev 17:11      

It means the flesh is the BODY , and the blood is LIFE, SOUL or SPIRIT .

Sometimes ‘life' is also described as “the breath of the spirit of life” , as written in Gen 7:22:

• “All in whose nostrils was the breath of the SPIRIT of life [Ruach Haim], all that was on the dry land died.”

It is written:

• “And Y-H-V-H God [Elohim] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life , and man became a LIVING SOUL (NeFeSH Chayah)” Gen 2:7.

When Cain killed his brother, God told him:

• “What have you done? The voice of your brother's BLOOD cries out to Me from the ground.” Gen 4:10.

Abel was murdered by his brother. His flesh (his body) died , YET his blood cried out from the ground. For the life is in the blood!

Stephen before he died, called and said:

• “Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit .” Acts 7:59.
• “For as the body without breath [ NeSHaMaH ] (or spirit - Ruach ) is dead….” James 2:26.

So LIFE is the soul and the spirit , they are BOTH in the blood!

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

Therefore, if there is a connection between the FLESH and the SPIRIT , we
should pay closely attention to what we put in our MOUTH , which goes to our BODY, our flesh, which in turn goes to our BLOOD, and who knows what it does to our SPIRIT? May be it causes us to behave “as animals” since we eat the blood of those animals. For the life of those animals are in their BLOOD .

ABSTAIN

Let us look at those verses speaking of “ABSTAINING”, may be this time, in this light, we will at last see how important are those verses, and take it to heart:

“Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to ABSTAIN from:

• things polluted by idols,
• sexual immorality,
• things strangled,
• blood. ” Acts 15:19-20

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you ABSTAIN from:

• things offered to idols,
• blood,
• things strangled,
• sexual immorality.” Acts 15:28-29

“But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should keep themselves (ABSTAIN) from:

• things offered to idols,
• blood,
• things strangled,
• sexual immorality.” Acts 21:25

How many of us can say; “I am ABSTAINING OF ALL those things!”

Listen, children of God, you might not eat blood as the Black Pudding , yet if you eat any meat that has NOT been KILLED in the way it should be killed, DRAINED from its blood, PUT IN SALT to absorb all the blood left, YOU ARE STILL EATING BLOOD!

Why the Apostle Paul said not to eat “STRANGLED ” animals, because a strangled animal is a FULL ‘bag' of blood , since it has not been drained.

Now that this, is made clear, how many of us STILL can say: “I do not eat blood”?

WHAT MUST I DO?

The solution: What must I do to avoid eating blood?

The answer: Find a Kosher Butcher, or just avoid eating meat. It is NOT another law, it is HIS LAWS given to the Church.

There are special rabbis who study the skill of slaughtering Kosher animals.

· The rabbi chooses a Kosher [clean] animal , according to God's Law . [Lev 11]

· He chooses an animal without blemish or sickness.

· He sharpens his knife, then cuts the animal's throat on the right spot , it is done quickly, causing no pain to the animal.

· Then the animal is drained from its blood , hanged upside down .

When the cook buys the animal from the Kosher Butcher:

· He sprinkles thick salt on the meat, and leaves it for an hour to absorb the blood that is still left.

· Then he rinses the meat 7 times in clean, clear water

· If while cooking there is still foam in the pot, it's a sign that there is still blood left , and that should be removed from the pot .

Let us walk God's way, He knows best!

Bon appetite!

Article by: Apostle Marlene Malachi at Mishkan Ed, to go to her website www.mishkanedtestimony.multiply.com