For brother
Hank: TORAH INSTITUTE would like to address the
following comments to you, and post your reply to them on
this web page at your earliest convenience.
RE: Jesus.org
Question of the Day;
Should Christians Attend Church?
your essay
/ answer 1-27-2012 – by
Hank Hanegraaff (the Bible Answer Man)
“Indeed,
I cannot conceive of a true Christian not wanting to gather
together regularly with fellow believers to worship the Lord
through the sacraments and
receive His Word through preaching.”
CRI states that
it strives to “defend historic
Christianity against theological heresy”;
so with that concept in mind, please consider the following
feedback on your answer cited above.
We don’t ever
worship Yahuah through “sacraments”,
but we worship Him through our obedience to His
instructions, His will, which He has written in our hearts.
You know this very well. One might also ponder the word,
Church (Circe, Circus) and
perhaps lean more toward “congregation” attendance. As a
community of obedient followers of Yahusha, we love one
another’s company at all times, however our gathering
together is for our education and encouragement to prepare
us for our work among the unbelievers, the primary purpose
we serve, and Yahusha’s main work in us as we toil in the
vineyard of Yahuah. Mankind needs good teachers, and we must
refine away all guile from our lips.
In the whole,
the doctrines you teach are very sound and founded in the
Word of Yahuah. We all need correction, I’m certainly filled
with flaws and strive each day to be cleansed and filled
with the mind of our Mashiach, Yahusha.
The statement
above contains the additional ideas of men, since “sacraments”
is not an idea or teaching from Yahuah’s Word, but rather
was adopted from Pagan sun worshippers. The logical question
that would follow might be, “how many sacraments are
there?”, but we both know that the Natsarim (Acts 24:5,
a sect that were identified as the first followers of
Yahusha) have no “sacraments”.
We would also
like to note that “the Lord” and the distinction often made
with the “device” LORD (in all capital
letters) can be very troubling for those who view the
removal of the true Name, Yahuah, to be according to the
working of ha shatan (the adversary) because it allows him
to usurp for himself the IDENTITY of the Creator. "BAAL”
in Hebrew is translated directly as “LORD”
in our common English, which stands as proof of this agenda.
The sovereign of
esteem is Yahuah, not “the LORD”, and He will not stand by
silently and allow another to claim it:
Isa 42:8:
“I am יהוה, that is My Name, and My
esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.”
Psa 44:20, 21: “If we
have
forgotten the
Name
of our Alahim,
Or spread
forth our hands to a strange mighty one;
Will not Alahim search this out?
For he knows
the secrets of the heart.”
Psa 24:10: “Who is
this Sovereign of esteem? says Yahuah of armies, He is the
Sovereign of esteem! Selah.”
This is simply a
friendly hello, and not a condemnation or any attempt to
malign you. We all must be ready to encourage, love, and
gently guide one another into a more correct way of teaching
the pure and clean Truth. We see this occurred with Apollos
in the book of Acts:
Act 18:26: “And he
began to speak boldly in the congregation. And when Aqulas
and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained
to him the way of Alahim more exactly.”
Pro 18:13: “He who
answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame
to him.”
Being the “Answer
Man” you know everything I’ve stated is the Truth;
now you must decide whether or not to practice, and teach,
the undefiled Truth.
May Yahuah guide
you always,
with love in
your heart for the lost.
POB 436044, Louisville, KY 40253
