STAR 12–Understanding the Bible Part 2 (Why Should Believers Read Their Bibles)

by | Apr 27, 2015 | Podcasts

Understanding the Bible Part 2–Why Should Believers Read the Bible?

Opening Scripture Passage: Hos 4:1-6 KJV

 
Featured Guests:
Psalmstress Elisha
Rico Cortes–Founder Wisdom in Torah Ministries
Brad Scott–Wildbranch Ministry
Rob Skiba–Author & Speaker
Arthur Bailey with David Salinas–Overseer House of Israel, author, speaker
Naturalist Paul Nison
Zachary Bauer
Hebrew Roots Band Teshuva
Ralph and Mindy Seta–Messianic Dance Camps International
Psalmster Mason Clover
Monte Judah–Lion and Lamb Ministries

This past Monday evening, April 20th, over the land of Israel, the renewed moon was sighted. Therefore, at sundown in the West this past Monday marked the beginning of the 2nd Biblical Month in the year 6015 FC. At the time of this recording, according to the Creator’s Calendar as published by Michael Rood:

  • we are in the 14th day of the Counting of the Omer
  • we are at the 5th day of the 2nd Biblical Month (aka Iyyar)
  • Shavuot (aka Pentecost) is projected to occur sundown Sabbath, May 30th. Thus Shavuot will occur on May 31st

Understanding the Bible Part 2

(Why Should Believers Read Their Bibles)

Frustration & Disappointment 1
 

Is understanding of the Bible still relevant to Believers of the 21st Century?

  • It is importance of understanding “good and evil” in order to avoid becoming prey to the evil in the world. Knowing what is sin is acquired through knowledge of the Word
  1. Deu 1:39
  2. Rom 3:20
  3. I Cor 15:34
  • When we reject the Bible, we are in effect telling Yehovah to depart from us; we are electing not to know His ways
  1. Job 21:14, 22; 22:17
  2. Pro 1:29
  • Failure to read and understand our Bibles may result in us living with a reprobate mind that is devoid of knowledge of the things of Yehovah. We are in effect choosing to focus our attention on the things of this world over the things of Yehovah
  1. Rom 1:28
  • One can not expect to have a true relationship with the Most High unless he/she is knowledgeable of His ways. The Creator’s ways and expectations for mankind are contained only in the Bible
  1. Jer 4:22
  • The desire of the true child of Yehovah is to learn the ways of Yehovah. We see this demonstrated in the life of David and Solomon
  1. Psa 119:66
  2. Pro 22:17
  • Knowledge of Yehovah and His ways is a very precious thing that must never be taken for granted by the child of the Most High. It is a thing of value beyond measure
  1. Psa 139:6
  2. Pro 8:10-12
  3. Rom 11:33
  • A true believer of Yehovah begins his or her journey/walk in Messiah with an understanding of the existence and identity of Yehovah. It is this understanding that prompts the believer to seek wisdom and instruction in the ways of Yehovah through a continuous reading and study of the Word of God. We do this, not just for purposes of knowing right from wrong, learning the ways of Yehovah for their lives, but also to please the Father and to avoid offended Him
  1. Pro 1:7; 9:10
  • One who despises the Bible and the gaining of knowledge about the Creator is deemed a fool, for knowledge of Yehovah is found only in His Word and through revelation of His Rauch Kodesh.
  1. Pro 1:22
  • Ignorance of the ways of Yehovah breeds improper behavior and living on the part of men. Such living is contrary to the ways of Yah. There comes a time when calamity may strike men, especially those who have rejected the Bible. Out of fear these will call upon Yehovah, but there is no deliverance to be had
  1. Pro 1:28
  2. Isa 5:13
  3. Hos 4:6
  • Those who diligently seek understanding through consistent and daily reading of the Word of God will realize rewards–maybe not money or riches or fame–but rewards of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. These have no equal in terms of value in this life
  1. Pro 2:1-10; 14:18
  2. 2 Pet 1:2-8
  • There is coming a day when the knowledge of Yehovah will fill the entire earth. That being the case, Yehovah is clearly saying to us that knowledge of His Word is essential to the existence of mankind. If we know that Yehovah is going to make His Word known throughout the entire earth in His coming Kingdom, why would we resist gaining that knowledge today?
  1. Hab 2:14
  • Yehovah will not leave us to fend for ourselves regarding the acquisition of knowledge from His Word. He will provide individuals to augment our acquisition of knowledge
  1. Jer 3:15
  2. Luk 1:67-77
  • Yeohovah desires mercy/goodness/kindness and knowledge of Him over any sacrifices or burndt offerings we may make. He prefers obedience over any sacrifice. Now we don’t offer sacrifices or burnt offerings today, but we still do things we feel honors the Most High such as attending church on Sundays, giving offerings and donations to various charities, etc. Although nice, Yehovah would much prefer that we go about doing good and gaining knowledge of Him through His Word–which should leave naturally to obedience
  1. Hos 6:6
  2. I Sam 15:22
  • Yehovah desires that all men know Him and this is achieved only through His Word
  1. I Tim 2:3, 4

Tanakh

So we can clearly see from the very instrument that men resist reading on a consistent basis (even believers) that Yehovah requires that we gain an full understanding of Him. Yehovah, in His infinite wisdom, has elected to reveal Himself through His Word. He revealed Himself to the world via other means throughout time. However, for us today, the only true means of understanding the Father is through the Word of the Most High.
  • Part 2: How bad is the Bible illiteracy problem?
    1. Let’s examine just a few examples from a Google Search on the internet regarding Biblical Illiteracy. I conducted this search last week and was not surprised at what I found
      1. “Poll: Americans Love the Bible but don’t Read it Much”–Caleb K. Bell–4/4/2013. This poll was conducted by the American Bible Society
      2. “80% of Churchgoers Don’t Read Bible Dailey, LifeWay Survey Suggests”–Jeremy Weber–9/7/12
      3. “The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem”–Albert Mohler
        1. Include readers’ comments

 

STAR 11–Understanding the Bible or Is the Church Suffering from Biblical Illiteracy?

by | Apr 19, 2015 | Podcasts

Understanding the Bible Part 1–Is the Church Suffering from Biblical Illiteracy?

What is the bible? Some would contend the bible to be the “unadulterated Word of God.” Others would similarly contend that the bible is NOT the word of God per se, but rather it contains the Word of God. Others would say that it is an instruction manual for mankind, containing instructions on how mankind is suppose to live in the sight of both God and one’s neighbor. Or how about this: the bible is a “love letter” from God to man that reveals God’s love for mankind through the work of Jesus Christ. Some would conservatively say that the bible is a compilation of thoughts, some good and some bad, and that it is a piece of work that is useful in dealing with the various and many issues facing mankind throughout the ages. Still others will contend that the bible is a book of fables and wise sayings geared to appeal to the vanities and insecurities of the human race.

Tanakh

Regardless how one sees the bible, the Bible holds a prominent place in the lives of millions of people in the world. Of those millions, countless hundreds of thousands revere the bible as more than just a book of wise sayings with questionable historical documentation. These individuals see the bible as some form of medium that connects them to the Creator.

In this episode of a multi-episode series on Understanding the Bible, I explore the problems that are inherent to reading, studying and understanding the bible. Furthermore, I explore the remedies associated with these inherent problems. This is not for the spiritually faint of hearts deary—for I am going to challenge the status quo that is traditional and fundamental Christianity and even the Hebraic and Messianic communities as it relates to the viability of the Bible in the 21st century as well as how we view and approach the reading and study of the bible as so-called believers in Yeshua Messiah.

Sabbath Thoughts & Reflections 10–The Day of Firstfruits or the Wave Sheaf Offering

by | Apr 11, 2015 | Podcasts

  9 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
  10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and areap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
  11 ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
  12 ‘Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD.
  13 ‘Its agrain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its libation, a fourth of a 1hin of wine.
  14 ‘Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, ayou shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (Lev 23:9-14 NAS)
 
This is Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections–Episode 10–The Day of Firstfruits
A Sheaf of Barley
 
We are wrapping up the Spring Feasts of Yehovah–2015. We’ve just celebrated Passover Day or Pesach and as I’m recording and posting this episode of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections, we are observing the last day of Unleavened Bread–this being a High Holy Day. The only remaining feast of the Passover season is Yom HaBikkurim or Day of Firstfruits and this is the primary topic of discussion for this episode.
 
Yom Bikkurim or the Day of Firstfruits
This Feast of Firstfruits in Hebrew is referred to as Yom HaBikkurim (meaning the Day of the First ripe fruits of a crop) or the Day of the Wave Sheaf. On this day, the cohen (aka priests) would wave a sheaf of the first fruits of the barley harvest before Yehovah. According to Batya Wootten in her book “Israel’s Feasts and their Fullness,” this would be the “first offering of the year.” Prior to entering the land of Canaan, the Children of Promise could not observe this day as they had no crops in which to harvest and Yehovah was providing them manna for food.
priest waving sheaves
 
NAS  Exodus 12:1 ¶ Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of 1Egypt, 2 a“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. (Exo 12:1-2 NAS) This passage does not indicate which month it was. But a subsequent passages in the same book does provide the month in question:  4 “On this day in the amonth of Abib, you are about to go forth. (Exo 13:4 NAS)  15 “You shall observe athe Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the bmonth Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And 1cnone shall appear before Me empty-handed. (Exo 23:15 NAS)  18 ¶ “You shall observe athe Feast of Unleavened Bread. For bseven days you are to eat unleavened bread, 1as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the cmonth of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt. (Exo 34:18 NAS)
 
The Day of the Wave Sheaf–Yom HaBikkurim
 
The following are specifics related to the Day of Firstfruits or Yom Bikkurim:
  • this was to begin once the children of promise entered into the land and began to reap a harvest
  • the first of their firstfruits the children of promise were to bring into the house of Yehovah (Exo 23:19; 34:26)
  • the children of promise were told not to delay to offer the first of their firstfruits, including their firstborn of their sons (Exo 22:29)
  • the children of promise were commanded to observe firstfruits (Exo 34:22)
  • when the first of the firstfruits was presented to the priest (the sons of Aaron) in the temple/tent of meeting, the sheaf of wheat/barley was to be waved before Yehovah to “be accepted for you”–that is “ratson” which means in Hebrew to be a pleasure, favor, delight (Exo 29:24; Lev 23:11)
  • Firstfruits was to take place on day after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:11)
  • Yehovah deemed the firstfruit to be holy (Rom 11:16)
  • In addition to providing a sheaf of the firstfruits to the cohen to wave before Yehovah on behalf the family offering the firstfruit, the family was to bring a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering (Lev 23:12)
Yom HaBikkurim–A Shadow Picture of Redemption and Salvation
 
NAS  Matthew 12:40 for just as aJonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall bthe Son of Man be cthree days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  (Mat 12:40 NAS)
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 
Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
So What do we do with Yom HaBikkurim?
 
Thus Yom HaBikkurim celebrates Yeshua’s ascension to heaven where He presented Himself before Yehovah as the first of many who would become true sons and daughters of Yehovah for all eternity-
–NAS  Hebrews 2:10 ¶ For ait was fitting for Him, bfor whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to cperfect the 1dauthor of their salvation through sufferings. (Heb 2:10 NAS) How wonderful is it to celebrate such an amazing day with its tremendous symbolism. We are truly blessed.

STAR 8–Preparing for Passover Mentally, Physically and Spiritually

by | Apr 1, 2015 | Podcasts


aviv barley

 Preparing for Passover Mentally, Physically and Spiritually

Preparation is a key factor in getting the fullest possible spiritual, cognitive and physical benefit from the Feasts. Failure to adequately prepare in every aspect of our being could lead to a less-than optimal experience. That old adage: you only get what you put into a thing certainly applies to the Feasts. You only get what you put into the Feasts and that includes preparation–preparation in advance of the actual Feast day and celebration.
It’s like the parable and analogy of sowing seeds and reaping a harvest. The more we sow into our preparation of and then participation in the Feasts–be it hosting a gathering such as a Passover Seder or attending a gathering such as a service–the more we stand to reap a great spiritual harvest. That great harvest will not only be realized and enjoyed by us as individuals, but also those with whom we share the Feasts; these too will be blessed abundantly. The harvest? Spiritual growth and physical blessings.
Preparations for the Feasts don’t have to be all that elaborate. Simply reading relevant portions of Scripture that pertain to the Feasts is a good start. One thing I’ve learned is that if you’ve read the same passages several times in the past, a new reading may reveal nuggets and spiritual riches that eluded you in past readings of that same passage of Scripture. As we grow from participating in the Feasts year after year, the Ruach Kodesh will provide new insight and revelation–but only when we are ready to receive the new stuff.
Allow me to expound upon the areas that I believe are important in preparing ourselves for the Feasts–especially the Spring Feasts of Yehovah or Passover. I’ve broken these areas into 3-main elements: the mental or cognitive; the physical; and the spiritual.
Matzah

passover lamb

Episode 6–Hilary Thomas on the Hebraic Roots of the Faith

by | Mar 15, 2015 | Podcasts

  • Calendar–March 14, 2015–23rd Day of the 12th Biblical Month 6014 (aka: Adar 5775)
  • Upcoming Feasts and Messianic Celebrations
    • Biblical Rosh HaShanah or Head of the Biblical Year–Est. 03/22/2015 or 1st Day of 1st Biblical Month of the Aviv 6015
    • Passover–Est. 04/04/2015 or 14th Day of the 1st Biblical Month
  • Messianic Happenings
    • A Rood Awakening–Michael Rood
      • Michael is now in recovery and preparing for Passover Celebration
      • Shabbat  Night Live each Friday at 8 P.M. Est–continued teaching on Passover Preparation
      • 4/3-5/15-Rood Awakening Passover celebration in Charlotte North Carolina
      • 4/19-5/1/15-Rood Tour of Israel
    • Arthur Bailey Ministries and House of Israel
      • Sabbath Services HOI (every Sabbath morning at 11 A.M. EST)
        • Successful evangelical trip to Israel
        • Purpose was to teach people to hear the Word and to witness a demonstration of the power of Ruach HaKodesh
        • Numerous stories of healings, deliverances, conversions and even challenges to the Gospel message
      • Discipleship Training 101
    • WildBranch Ministry–Brad Scott
      • Abilene, TX (March 19, 2015)
      • Midland, TX (March 20-22, 2015)
      • Georgetown, TX (March 27, 2015)
      • Jerrell, TX (March 28, 2015)
      • League City, TX (March 29, 2015)
      • Hebraic Roots Network–each Friday 7-8 P.M. (CST)
    • Founded in Truth–Matthew Vander Els
      • New DVD teachings include “The Church’s Curse,” “Holy War,” “Being the Image of God,” “Way of the King”
      • Sabbath Services each Sabbath at Fort Mill Church of the Nazarene in Fort Mill S.C.
    • Bulldozer Faith–Kenny Russell
      • Planting Seeds of Light Tour still ongoing
      • Interviewed Brad Scott in Utah
        • Brad regals his transition into the Hebrew Roots of the Christian Faith after coming from fundamental churchianity
        • Emphasis on having a deep-seeded relationship with Yehovah
        • Discussed the common misconception received from 2 Corinthians 3 that addresses the letter of the law kills versus the spirit of Torah
          • Simply adhering to the black letters of the Torah scroll is the letter of the Law
          • If we have a relationship with Yah, it then becomes the Spirit of Torah as we keep Torah because of our relationship with the Father
          • Fundamental churchianity teaches that the letter of the law is Torah, but the spirit of the law is found in the grace of Jesus Christ. If we flip this around and actually look at this from a Hebrew perspective: the letter is Faith without a relationship, while the spirit of the law is the existence of a relationship in the midst of keeping the Father’s rules
        • Discussed the need for Teshuva (repentance) which actually means to stop going in the direction one is current going, and go back in the direction in which one originally came
          • Yeshua and Yochanan the Immerser spoke to this regarding the Prushim (aka: Pharisees) where the intent was to communicate that they needed to stop the foolishness of Judaism and go back to Torah
          • As it relates to Gentile believers out of Shaul’s assemblies, they were commanded to return to the original Faith that was once delivered to them
        • Young people today are not simply willing to accept the Faith of their parents and they are asking questions and challenging the old guard which is Christianity
        • Seeing what’s ahead for Hebraic Roots–manifestation of the Spirit always followed the receiving of the Word. We’ve received the Word. Now comes the manifestation of the Ruach Kodesh
    • Biblical Foundations Academy International–Keith Johnson
      • Inspiring people around the world to build a biblical foundation for their faith.
Hilary Thomas on the Hebraic Roots of the Faith
Agent pic
  • I am happy, excited and thrilled to introduce to you my lovely wife of 30-years; my life partner and love of my life–Hilary Thomas
  • Allow me to give you a brief snap-shot of the life of this amazing woman of Yehovah
  • Mother to our 3 wonderful children (all adults now and all  doing quite well as they are going about working their own careers), Realtor, powerful and dynamic orator, Bible teacher, soon to be author and powerful witness of Yeshua Messiah
  • Coming from a Conservative Christian and Charismatic background, Hilary came into the Hebraic Roots of the Faith with unique gifts which she has and continues to use in a powerful way
  • Hilary contends that believers must absolutely have the full package: obedience to Torah, a deep rich relationship with the Father and must operate each day in the power and might of Ruach HaKodesh
  • Hilary is a mighty prayer warrior who is not afraid to gear up and go into spiritual warfare when there is a need
  • Founder and CEO of Qumran Family Foundation, a non-profit organization with an expressed goal of helping “Emancipated Foster-Care Youths” in our society who have come out of the foster and local systems get a fair shot in life through an intense life and career training program