Here is a short sermonette on The Second Great Commandment by Hayden Rothwell presented at our fellowship on 07-22-23. Enjoy!

Shalom everyone. Been a minute since I got something up on the blog here. I did a short study on how to keep Shabbat set-apart. This is not an exhaustive list of everything to do or not do, but the big picture concepts from scripture. Enjoy. 

​Shalom everyone, I've updated the scriptural reading plan for the 2022 to 2023 Torah cycle. It follows the Torah portions and reads thru the Bible in a year. It only works on iPhones for now.

Download the app "ReadingPlan" from the app store, go to settings (three lines top left) and select "Reading Plan". Click "View Available Plans" and scroll down to find "Hebrew Roots Torah Study", it should be near the top, and download it. Set your start date to October 20, 2022 and adjust the other settings to your liking. Make sure you link to a Bible app so you can easily click on the readings to go straight to them under "Bible Link". Scroll down in settings and push "Mark Read to Today" and you're all set.
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Feed yourself daily with Elohim’s word. Yah bless.

Shalom everyone, we are in a new year and Passover is upon us. I've updated our Passover Haggadah from last year for your use out there wherever and whenever you are celebrating. I pray that you will be blessed by this work and that we can all grow closer to the Father this Holy Day season. All praise to the Most High Elohim who works His miracles in this world!

Our group just recently wrapped up a book study of "If You Bite & Devour One Another" by Alexander Strauch. With its title based on Galatians 5:15 it was a great book that showed how our attitudes and motivations for disputes among believers was more important than the disputes themselves. Unfortunately in this fallen world not everyone in our congregations are going to be in perfect unity of doctrine. We will disagree amongst ourselves, but how do we handle these situations? With love and caring and longsuffering for our Brothers and Sisters? Or do we get angry and attack one another, forming factions and divisions and misrepresent our fellow believers as evil for not seeing things exactly the way we see them. 

We could be technically right in our argument and our Brother or Sister could be the one mistaken, but if we use this as an occasion to attack and destroy them we are in sin and our attitude shows what spirit we are under. The scriptures abound with encouragements to deal peacefully with each other, to build each other up, to love one another. We cannot tear each other down with scripture, we would be breaking our Masters instructions with the intent to uphold them.

It was a very good book and I recommended it to anyone. It did have some standard Christian doctrines that as a believer in finding the Hebrew Roots of the faith I don't necessarily agree with, but in the spirit of the book, I felt that the positives far outweighed the negatives and I have no qualms recommending it. Shalom.

As a group we attended this conference put on by Without Spot or Wrinkle Ministries International and Reverend Benjamin and Dr. Patricia Venegas. This was a much needed conference with our group showing us that we truly "do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavens." (Eph 6:12) Please check out their website and visit them if you are by ​La Verne or attend an upcoming conference. They were able to demonstrate how demonic forces can influence our lives and the need for them to be cast out. More than that, that we as successors to the apostles and as the Messiah's body we have the authority to cast them out. Much care is needed to do so, including cleaning our own vessel through our own deliverance, removing legal grounds for the demons to be there, fasting, and prayer. 

https://www.wosow.org/

Shalom everyone. Since we just celebrated Shavuot (Pentecost) ​I thought I would post a short study I did on the omer counting and the yovel (jubilee) counting. Leading up to Shavuot this just popped into my head and I had to get it down on paper. I haven't dipped my toe in the "what year is the sh'mita year" controversy, but this just came to me. My typical response is that depending on who you ask, every year can be the sh'mita year, but I had a bit of a revelation and this is what came of it. Take it with a grain of salt.

The Shavuot and yovel cycles are both cycles of 49+1 and they should also match up in how they are counted. For Shavuot we start the counting after the Shabbat during the feast of unleavened bread. We count 6 days and then the first of 7 Sabbaths comes. Continuing the counting we complete 7 Sabbath cycles of 7 days each to come to 49 days (7x7=49) and on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath we celebrate the feast of Shavuot on the 50th day. This is all in Leviticus chapter 23. This 50th day happens to be the 1st day of a new counting of 7 for the following week. So that there are only 5 working days that particular week until the next Shabbat. 

The yovel year and sh'mita cycle should be counted exactly the same. Counting 6 years and then the first of 7 land Sabbaths (sh'mita years) comes. Continuing the counting we complete 7 sh'mita cycles of 7 years each to come to 49 years (7x7=49) and on the year after the 7th sh'mita year we celebrate the yovel on the 50th year. Just like the Shavuot cycle, this 50th year happens to be the 1st year of a new counting of 7 for the following sh'mita cycle. So that there are only 5 years to work the land that particular sh'mita cycle until the next sh'mita year.  See the chart labeled "Shavuot / Yovel Cycle (days and years)" below. ​

​So the revelation was that the 50th year and the 1st year are the same. That would mean that the yovel cycle would be every 49 years and not every 50 years as I previously believed. In the country of Israel they began the counting of the sh'mita years in 1945. Some interesting things happened that year, particularly important to this discussion is the defeat of Germany and the end of WW2. If that is not a year to celebrate a jubilee I don't know what is. So I am making some big assumptions here, but for arguments sake, let's assume that the new beginning of the sh'mita cycle after almost 2,000 years is in fact the yovel year. That would make 1994 and 2043 yovel years as well. It is interesting to note that the sh'mita cycle in Israel is an unending cycle of sevens and they have not intercalated a 50th year as the yovel year.  They do not believe they can fulfill the yovel until all of Israel is under their control. ​

The thing that intrigued me the most was: does this line up with a certain historical data point I am aware of? The 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 CE and the Talmud records that the destruction of the Temple was in the going out of the sh'mita year, meaning the year after a sh'mita year. Using the table below labeled "Yovel Years" we can see that if my above assumptions are correct, 83 CE was a yovel year meaning 82 CE was a sh'mita year. Counting back 14 years or 2 cycles of sh'mita years we can see that 68 CE was a sh'mita year. Traditionally sh'mita years start in the fall at Yom Teruah. So this means that fall 68 CE to fall 69 CE was a sh'mita year and that fall 69 CE to fall of 70 CE was the year after the sh'mita. The Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av in 70 CE, this matches up perfectly. ​

So like I said, take it with a grain of salt. There are a lot of assumptions there including with the way Shavuot is calculated, when the yovel year count starts, and what year the Temple was destroyed. But it just kind of hit me and I had to write it down and when I did the math it all worked out.  Fun with math, something to think about. Shalom. ​

Happy Pesaḥ everyone! Praise Yah for bringing us to this season. Here we are again; a fresh year, a new beginning, a time to renew our commitment to Elohim and to relive the miracles of Yah. Below is our Passover Haggadah that we are using this year. I couldn't find one I really liked so I made my own, hopefully if you are in need of one this year this will be a blessing to your household. Click on the link below to download the PDF. Be blessed!

Shalom everyone, here is my short study on everything you need to know about tithing. While we can't truly fulfill this command today without the Levitical Priesthood set up, we can honor this arrangement and give to the poor and needy as well as those doing Yah's work. I hope this information blesses you like it has me. 

Before the Levites

• Avram gave Malkitsedeq a tenth of all the spoil. (Ge 14:20; Heb 7:1-10)
• Ya'aqov made a vow saying: “of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” (Ge 28:20-22)

 
General Principles

• Tithe the produce of the field: seeds, fruit, grain, new wine, oil, dough, and honey. (Lv 27:30; Dt 12:27; Dt 14:22; 2 Ch 31:4-12; Ne 10:37)
• Tithe of cattle pass under a rod and the tenth one is holy, don’t inspect it, don’t exchange it. (Lv 27:32-33)
• Traditionally only applies only to produce grown in the land of Israel.
• Not tithing was robbing Elohim. (Mal 3:8-9; Ne 13:5-12)
• Elohim promises to “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” and provide insect control for your crops if you tithe. (Mal 3:10-12)
• If you redeem your tithe (take it back for a common use), replace it with an additional 20%. (Lv 27:31)
• No tithing in sh'mita or yovel years [every seventh year and every fiftieth year]. (Lv 25:1-22)
• Traditionally tithe years start on Yom Teruah [the first day of the seventh month].
• Giving to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or prisoners is like giving to Yeshua. (Mt 25:31-46)
• Do the weightier matters of the Torah, as well as tithing. (Mt 23:23; Lk 11:42; Lk 18:9-14)

 
First Tithe (Ma'aser Rishon)

• Eaten by the Levites. (Lv 27:30; Nu 18:21; Nu 18:23-24; Ne 12:44)
• Levites give 10% of the tithes they receive to Aharonic priests. (Terumat Ma'aser) (Nu 18:25-29; Ne 10:38)
• Levites may eat this anywhere. (Nu 18:30-32)
• Do not forsake the Levites. (Dt 12:19; Dt 14:27)

 
Second Tithe (Ma'aser Sheni)

• Eaten by the individual and their family. (Dt 12:5-7, Dt 12:12, Dt 12:18)
• Must rejoice when eaten! (Dt 12:12; Dt 12:7)
• Eaten where YHVH chooses, not to be eaten within your gates. (Dt 12:5; Dt 12:11; Dt 12:17-18; Dt 14:23)
• If the journey to the place YHVH chooses is very far, then you may exchange your tithe for money. (Dt 14:24-25)
• You can spend this money on whatever you want [food, alcohol, etc.]. (Dt 14:26)

 
Poor Tithe (Ma'sar Oni)

• Every third year in a seven year cycle, the second tithe is stored up within your gates for the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widows. (Dt 14:28-29)
• At the end of the third and sixth years remove all tithes from your house. (Dt 14:28)
• After you do this, you say the Vidui Ma'aser [Confession of Tithing]. Traditionally said the last day of Pesaḥ in the 4th and 7th years in the afternoon as the last prayer. (Dt 26:12-15)

Heave Offering/Great Offering (Terumah Gedolah)

• Given to the Aharonic priesthood. (Nu 18:8)
• Eaten by the Priest and his family in a clean state. (Nu 18:11)
• The best of the oil, wine, grain, dough, and the fleece of your sheep. (Nu 18:12; Dt 18:4)
• The first thing you separate, before first tithe is separated. (Nu 18:12; Dt 18:4)
• Also done with the first of your dough. A cake as a gift. (Nu 15:18-21)
• The amount of the offering is not specified. Traditionally to be about 2%.  

Shalom everyone, I've updated the scriptural reading plan I put together the other month. It follows the Torah portions and reads thru the Bible in a year. It only works on iPhones for now, but I'm hopeful an Android version will come soon.

Download the app "ReadingPlan" from the app store, go to settings (three lines top left) and select "Reading Plan". Click "View Available Plans" and scroll down to find "Hebrew Roots Torah Study", it should be near the top, and download it. Set your start date to October 11, 2020 and adjust the other settings to your liking. Make sure you link to a Bible app so you can easily click on the readings to go straight to them under "Bible Link". Scroll down in settings and push "Mark Read to Today" and you're all set.
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I hope this blesses you in your walk. All praise to the Most High. 

Shalom everyone,  this is a excerpt from a book called "Truth Verses Man's Religious Systems" by our friend and Brother Terry W. McHenry. Enjoy!

1. Be a giver, not a taker.
2. Think community first, others next, and yourself last.
3. Be a part of community building, not a part of community destruction (i.e., be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem).
4. Recognize we are each a work in progress, at different stages. We each receive, and wrestle with, the revelation of our Hebraic roots at different times, and in different ways.
5. Be humble, and not right for right's sake. No one has all the answers.
6. Value your brother or sister in Messiah for what you can mutually learn together, and then practice hand in hand, to become more Messiah like. We need each other to mature in our walk. Realize differing perspectives can actually be healthy in a learning environment. They nurture growth–so long as they are dealt with correctly. 
7. A healthy community is a training ground, not simply a social gathering, not a forum to impress others.
8. Be committed and sincere in your walk, not simply partially engaged. 
9. Be prideless in what you know, not prideful of what you know. Remember: understanding and wisdom are required for life application of Elohim's instructions. 
10. Knowledge without understanding is at best dangerous, at worst it can become a cancer within a community setting.
11. Seek understanding for wisdom, not knowledge for power.
12. Be respectful of others, and considerate, merciful, compassionate, edifying, forgiving, caring, and humble.
13. Be loving toward others, not lording over others (Remember 1 Cor. 13).
14. Be aware at times we all make mistakes, or miss-speak, or miss-judge, or offend others. Be prepared and open for the Holy Spirit to correct you, and to repent and do teshuva.
15. Be aware that wounded, damaged, or hurting people often tend to wound, damage, or hurt other people. Satan often uses the wounded as vessels for his deceptions and evil intentions. We must be sensitive, loving, and compassionate but cautious that we don't get pulled down, either individually or corporately. 
16. Remember that the enemy (Satan) hates biblical community, and will do anything or use anyone to destroy it. 
17. Don't engage in L'shon Harah (the evil tongue), and be conscious of anyone who attempts to engage you in it.
18. Look around and be sensitive to what needs to be done to work together as community. Pitch in and help, for example, with setup and cleanup. 
19. Realize we can only change ourselves. Whereas, the Holy Spirit can change us all, but it will be in His timing and manner, and done with infinitely more wisdom than we possess.
20. Informed study of the Scriptures is a wonderful and fulfilling pursuit for gaining deeper truths Elohim desires for us to see in his Word. However, there is an inherent danger in the wonderment and enthusiasm of learning these deeper truths–Pride. And pride of course is a sin, as Scripture clearly informs us.

In Conclusion
Prayerfully ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you desire to be a part of a healthy community, grounded in Elohim's Word?
2. Are you willing to commit to this community by contributing your part in building a healthy community? 
3. Are you aware that from time-to-time we will be tested as a community; will we pass the testing? 

Shalom, I put together a scriptural reading plan that follows the Torah portions and reads thru the Bible in a year. It only works on iPhones for now but I'm hopeful an Android version will come soon. Download the app "ReadingPlan" from the app store, go to settings (three lines top left) and select "Reading Plan". Click "View Available Plans" and scroll down to find "Hebrew Roots Torah Study", it should be near the top, and download it. Set your start date to October 22, 2019 and adjust the other settings to your liking. Make sure you link to a Bible app so you can easily click on the readings to go straight to them under "Bible Link". Scroll down in settings and push "Mark Read to Today" and you're all set.

I hope this blesses you in your walk. All praise to the Most High. 

Shalom everyone, I haven't posted anything in a while and wanted to get something up on the site.

There is always confusion as to when the new moon is and where we can find the information about new moon sightings. One of the best sites to find this information is Renewed Moon. They compile new moon reports from various websites and groups. They also have a separate column for global new moon sightings and Israel based new moon sightings. We are partial to the Israel new moon sighting over here, but it is nice to have both available. 

If you want to get a nice fancy calendar, you can go to A Rood Awakening and buy one. I used to painstakingly spend hours making my own calendars in excel spreadsheets, who knew there were ones available for $19.95 plus shipping? Doesn't get any easier than that. 

​Be blessed and walk with Yah!

Here is a list of crimes punishable by death in the scriptures. These are the things Elohim said were so bad you shouldn't live any longer if you do them. It is not an exhaustive list, I'm sure there are some I missed, but this has a lot in here that you might not know. Let's all resolve in our hearts to never do any of the wicked acts; but if you have, repent and pray to the Father for forgiveness and resolve in your heart to turn away from this evil. Let us put all filth and wickedness aside in our walk with Yah.

-Worshiping other gods (Du 13:5, Du 17:2-7, Nu 25:1-5, Ezekiel 18:12)
-Sacrificing to other gods (Ex 22:20)
-Child sacrifice [Abortion] (Lv 20:1-5, Lv 18:21)
-False prophecy (Du 18:20-22)
-Consulting with wizards or familiar spirits (Lv 20:27)
-Witchcraft (Lv 22:18)
-Blasphemy (Lv 24:10-16)
-Unauthorized access to the Tabernacle/Temple of Elohim (Nu 3:10, 3:38)
-Offering strange fire (Lv 10:1-2)
-Breaking Shabbat [Sabbath] (Ex 31:14-15, 35:2, Nu 15:32-36)
-Adultery (Du 22:22, Lv 20:10)
-Rape of engaged women (Du 22:25)
-Consensual sex with a engaged women [both people killed] (Du 22:23-24)
-Loss of virginity by a women prior to marriage while falsely claiming to be a virgin (Du 22:13-21)
-Marrying a wife and her mother (Lv 20:14)
-Incest with your father's wife or your daughter in law (Lv 20:11-12)
-Daughter of a priest playing the whore (Lv 21:9)
-Homosexuality (Lv 20:13, Ro 1:32)
-Bestiality (Ex 22:19, Lv 20:15-16)
-Murder (Ge 9:6, Ex 21:12-14, Lv 24:17, Nu 35:9-34)
-Hitting a parent (Ex 21:15)
-Cursing a parent (Ex 21:17, Lv 20:9)
-Persistent disobedience to parents (Du 21:18-21)
-Kidnapping (Ex 21:16, Du 24:7)
-Negligent property liability resulting in death (Ex 21:28-32)
-Contempt of court (Du 17:8-13)
-False witness to a capital crime (Du 19:15-21)
-Oppressing a widow or fatherless child and they cry out to Elohim (Ex 22:21-24)
-Charging interest to poor people (Eze 18:13)
-Oppressing the poor (Eze 18:12)

Thank you to everyone who was able to come together for Hanukkah. We had a great time eating and reading Maccabees. Praise Yah!

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to the North County Vista location for our joint Shabbat meeting. It was a wonderful study and great fellowship. All praise to the most high over all the Earth. 

Renewed moon last night at Double Peak Park in San Marcos. It is truly a blessing for brethren to dwell together in unity. 

Shalom everyone, here are some pictures from a few of our groups celebrating the day of shouting! We are now in the days of awe leading up to Yom HaKippurim and Sukkot is right around the corner. Praise Yah!

       Bitterness is characterized in the Scriptures as a root—a deep growing reality, difficult to see or dig out, but always bringing forth its destructive fruit. The writer to the Messianic Jews says it this way:

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the LORD.
15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness spring-
ing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or Godless
person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even
afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place
for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Heb 12:14)

In our Torah section for this Shabbat we have very similar words:

Moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and
gold, which they had with them); lest there shall be among you a man or woman, or fam-
ily or tribe, whose heart turns away today from Adonai our God, to go and serve the gods
of those nations; lest there shall be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and worm-
wood. (Deut 29:17–18)

In both texts the idea of a “root” is found, and the “bitterness” specified by the Apostolic writer is no doubt a reference
to the “poisonous fruit and wormwood” used as a metaphor by Moses. A sure “litmus test” for poisonous fruit is that it is bitter, and worm wood is, apparently, a leaf or seed (pod) that tastes very bitter

Continue Reading Here.

by Ken Rank

The Hebrew Roots Movement might very well stand as one of the greatest examples to date of how man can take something intended as a blessing from God and turn it into a destructive force.

The Bible offers many contrasts through which God is able to declare His will for His people. This dichotomy is one way that God can give cause for man to turn from his fleshly desires toward living a more righteous life that is pleasing to his Creator. One of the more obvious examples is found in Deuteronomy 30:19 which states: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” (NKJV) Polar opposites placed before us from which we are able to choose between a path that leads to God’s blessing, or a path that leads away from it.
​
Christianity as an entity has been quite dichotomous throughout its history. I remember during one of the very first sermons I attended before my adult baptism that the pastor seemed concerned about those Christians who “were saints on Sunday and lived liked hell the rest of the week.” But traits like hypocrisy are easy enough to spot and hypocrisy is certainly not confined to Christianity. Throughout the gospels we read Yeshua’s rebukes toward certain Pharisees who honored God with their lips but denied Him with their actions. Or even others who told the laypeople to do one thing while they themselves went and did another. As one who studies people and how they interact with their surroundings, I sadly conclude that hypocrisy is a trait that all of humanity, for one reason or another, is constantly in battle with. Consider Yeshua’s words in Matthew 7:5, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” I don’t know of one saint who hasn’t, at some point, forgotten to remove a plank from their own eye before trying to correct another.

Continue reading here.

Shalom people of the most high Elohim. Today is the first day of the 6th biblical month Elul. It is traditional to spend this entire month reflecting on our lives and the habits that are holding us back from the kingdom and true repentance.

In the interest of "spreading the love" so to speak I thought I would share an article from eliyah.com about loving our brothers in Messiah. With the cares of this life and Hasatan's world constantly batting for our attention, we need to focus on the important issues: love for the Father and his Son and love for our brothers and sisters of faith. It is easy to love our heavenly Father, he always does what is right and never lets us down, he is perfect in all his ways. What about our fellow believers? Unfortunately we are not perfect, we stumble, make wrong choices, say the wrong things, and generally show off the weakness of the flesh. But we are called to love none-the-less.

​Let us put this calling at the forefront of our minds and examine ourselves as to how we can better love one another and truly serve in the kingdom of YHVH.

Article here. 

All praise and glory to the most high Elohim and his son Yeshua the Messiah. We had a wonderful day of fellowship and teachings. We read through the Torah portion Korah and has a couple of talks on loving the brethren. Yah graciously provided us with spiritual healing and we are grateful for that. Thank you for everyone who was able to make it out and for everyone who couldn't make it but was with us in their thoughts and prayers. Have a blessed day!

Praise to the most high for the fellowship of his people. We had a wonderful time this past Shabbat and I want to thank everyone who came. May the Father bless this meeting and grow it. Amen. 

We are meeting at 1523 E Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92019 starting at 10:30am on 5/19/2018.

​*One thing that is VERY important to keep in mind is that this facility serves the needs of many people in the program in the center to the north of the building. Most of the people in the program were addicts and that being the case we ask that for the blessing of the bread and the wine we bring grape juice and not alcohol. We do not wish to stumble the children.