Search the scriptures

 Number 105                          Newsletter (Web version)                                  May-Jun. 2010

 

  “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, FOR ...THEY ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME,” JOHN 5:39

 

Letter from The Editor

G

reetings, everyone: Our Fourth Sabbath meeting in Harrison, AR, on March 6, was attended by families and individuals from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri, about 50 in all.

Here is a note from Barrie Wittrock, YVR Director:

Meeting of Prison Ministries in Harrison AR

We would like to thank everyone who attended, for helping to make the day a success. Thank you for the many miles you drove. Thank you for the testimonies that you gave. It is inspiring to all involved to see ex –prisoners whose lives have been transformed by the power of Yahweh. That gives hope to all of mankind. Thank you to those who came to worship with us. Thanks to those who came to listen, and to learn, and to offer assistance. That gives hope to those whom Yahweh has called to work this difficult job. Thanks to all those who spoke. Thanks for caring enough to share your thoughts, feelings, and time, with us. Thanks to the Assembly in Harrison who allowed us to invade their town, and their meeting hall, and who helped to make the day possible. Thanks to everyone for all of the great food. Several days later I am still full. Golden Corral has nothing on you guys! Thanks for the wonderful, inspiring music, that sometimes brought tears to my eyes. Thank you very much to the people who cleaned up the mess afterwards. Just think of all the possibilities when we can come together and work together. We would like to thank everyone most of all for a wonderful memory. Heart moving memories make life good and worthwhile. Thank you all for coming together as a family.

Thank you Yahweh for giving me such a wonderful family, just as you told me you would, way back there while I was still a prisoner. Thank you for calling me out and for counting me worthy to work for you. Thank you for holding me safe in your Mighty hand, and thank you for inspiring me to write these things. HALLELUYAH! ~   (Note: To read YVR’s newsletter, go to www.yahwehsvineyard.org)

Barrie Wittrock was ordained to the office of Elder in the Assembly of Yahweh at this meeting. Congratulations, Barrie! (See more details under “Announcements.”)

See a few pictures of the meeting inside this issue.                                                  

On another note, if you read the last issue of the STS newsletter (the March-April edition), you no doubt noticed a strange series of mistakes on page 5. Here is what happened. I use Microsoft Word for all correspondence and the newsletter. It has a “find and replace” feature that allows us to find the false titles used in most Scriptures, and change them to the correct name automatically, without us having to search for them. I told it to find “god” and change it to “Yahweh.” But some things that should have been left “god” got changed. For example, in a reference to Ishtar (Easter or Astarte), being a false “goddess,” it was changed to “Yahwehdess.”  In the rush to get the newsletter out before the March 6 meeting at Harrison, AR, it was not proof-read very carefully before printing, and was not noticed until it was called to my attention by several readers. I promise to do a better job of proof-reading from now on J.

The 13th and First (Abib) moon will have been seen before you get this. We hope you had a wonderful Passover/UB Feast and are looking forward to Pentecost (Shavuot) on June 20.

In conjunction with this Festival, study the giving of the Covenant, including the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. Yahweh’s “marriage Covenant” with Israel begins with Exodus 19:1 and goes to 24:8. This took place on the Day of Pentecost in the third moon, seven weeks after they left Egypt. The people said “I do,” in verse 8, and again in 24:3. Then, of course, they didn’t do. So what’s new? Not much. We as a nation of stiff-necked Israelites and “strangers among us,” are doing the very same things today that they were doing back then. The nations have a form of religion, but it is not of Yahweh. It is man’s traditions.

Next, study the Evangels (gospels) and Acts 1-2-3-4 with emphasis on chapter 2, where the disciples/Apostles were gathered together in the Temple on the Day of Shavuot (Pentecost). This day the Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) was given on the very same day that the Law was given in Exodus 19:1 – 24:8, and was given so that we can keep the Law with a Spiritual intent. This is the “writing the Law in our hearts” that we read about in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and confirmed in Hebrews 10:16.

 

Read this whole chapter and see also Romans 2:15. This shows us that no more sacrifice (lamb killing) is necessary. Yahshua died once for all. Anything beyond that could be seen as denying Yahshua’s sacrifice for us, as if His blood was not quite enough.

This issue is going out late. Due to the increased number of requests for literature and answering letters with Scriptural questions, we find ourselves strapped to be timely. Some have inquired if we still publish a newsletter. Yes, we do, so please bear with us. We hope to get back on schedule by the time the next issue is due.

One more thing – How should the tetragrammaton (the four letters, YHWH) be pronounced? In Hebrew they are hwhy, reading from right to left. This is the Father’s Name, and appears 6,823 times in the original Hebrew Scriptures. Man has removed it and inserted pagan names or titles in its place.

Lately certain ones have rejected Hebrew grammar to come up with their own ideas, and are leading many astray. I hope this brief explanation will encourage those who have been deceived to do some further study. The most common mispronunciation lately is Ya-HOO-a. They have replaced the “W” with a “U”, emphasized the HOO, and added an “A.” There is no “U” in the Hebrew alphabet. The four letters are “Yod,” “Hay,” “Waw,” “Hay,” and are commonly pronounced “Yahweh.” The “hay” (H) is silent, as in “HalleluJAH,” Ahh,” or “Bah.” And there is certainly no “A” sound at the end.

If you have become convinced that all the linguistic experts and Hebrew scholars are in error and one man is correct in his assertions, please be open-minded enough to take another look.

For a more complete explanation, please write for a 4-page article by Elder Don Esposito. In it, he gives references to many authoritative works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc., that show it is almost a certainty that “YAHWEH” is the correct pronunciation. May Yah bless! (Psalm 68:4). Thanks.

Shalom, Frank Brown  ~  

Weekly Meeting Schedule

(All Arkansas meetings are at 10:30 AM except 4th Sabbath, which is at 11:00 AM) (Shared meal after each meeting)

First Sabbath of Each Month: Senior Activity Center in Harrison, AR. On Hwy. 62-65, near intersection with Hwy. 7 South, and across from Edwards Grocery. More info, Frank Brown, 1-479-754-2553, or Clayton Shaeffer, 1-870-448-5542

Second Sabbath of each month, Community Building in downtown Hartman, AR. Call Frank Brown, 479-754-2553 for more information.

Third Sabbath of  each month, McCord Community Bldg, east of Fayetteville on Hwy 16, two miles east of Elkins, at County Rd. 40. Going east, it is on the right. Shared meal afterward. Call Loy Bragg at 870-446-2256 for more info.

Fourth Sabbath of each month, Community Room of the Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith, AR. Call Mike Mastropaolo at 479-928-5005 or me at 479-754-2553 for more information.  

Hendersonville, NC Assembly, weekly Sabbath meetings at Family Christian Center, 520 So. Allen Rd., Flat Rock, NC. It is in a new strip mall, and very nice. It seats over 200 people, has an eating area, a nursery and private rooms for counseling, etc. Time 2:00 pm. Meal afterward. For more info, Elder Woodrow Pryor, 1-864-457-2912.

Expected New Moons in 2010:

 (Visible after sundown on the dates listed; New Moon Day is the day after the sighting).

Jan. 16; Feb. 15; Mar. 16; Apr. 15; May 14; Jun. 13; Jul. 12; Aug. 11; Sep. 9; Oct. 9; Nov. 7; Dec.6.

Solstices and Equinoxes, 2010:

Spring Equinox (spring begins)  March 20, 12:32 PM, CDT;

Summer Solstice (summer begins) June 21, 6:28 AM;

Fall Equinox (autumn begins) September 22, 10:09 PM;

Winter Solstice (winter begins) December 21, 5:38 PM

Tentative Schedule of 2010 Feast Days:

(Based on expected visual sighting of the New Moons

and subject to correction)

Passover April 29; Unleavened Bread first High Day April 30; last High Day May 6. Pentecost June 20; Feast of Trumpets October 10; Day of Atonement Oct. 19; Feast of Tabernacles Oct. 24-30 and Last Great Day Oct 31.
For an explanation of these days, write for my booklet, “Yahweh’s Holy Days vs. Man’s Holidays” It explains Yahweh’s Plan of Salvation which is based on the agricultural harvest seasons in the land of Israel, and shows that all the holidays and festivals celebrated by the world, and Christians in general, are not based on Scripture but have pagan roots. This and other booklets are free for the asking. Write for our newly revised list of available literature~

Resources

[Please Note: Opinions expressed in this newsletter by others may or may not reflect the views of the Editor or of this Assembly. Also, we do not endorse all the doctrines and/or practices of the resources listed below]

Correspondence courses, etc.  Since I am frequently asked, here is a list of a few assemblies that I know of who offer DVD or CD sermons, correspondence courses, newsletters, literature and/or magazines:

Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry, PO Box 463, Holts Summit, MO 65043-0463; Correspondence Course & Newsletter; also on-line Sabbath services.

Assemblies of Yahweh, PO Drawer C, Bethel, PA 19507; Correspondence Course & The Sacred Name Broadcaster Magazine; “The Sacred Scriptures” $25 + $5 shipping = $30.

Yahweh’s Evangelistic Assembly, PO Box 31, Atlanta, TX 75551-0031. Yahweh’s Witness Magazine; YEA newsletter; Correspondence Course.

Yahweh’s Assembly in Messiah, 401 N. Roby Farm Rd. Rocheport, MO 65279; Correspondence Course & The Master Key Magazine, and DVDs of our Sabbath services.

Yahweh's Assembly in Yahshua, 2963 County Road 233, Kingdom City, MO 65262. DVDs, CDs, Newsletter & Magazine; Correspondence Course.

Search the Scriptures Ministry, PO Box 32, Clarksville, AR 72830-0032. Newsletter, Literature, Booklets and Articles. Inquire about Sacred Name Bibles and Concordances. “The Scriptures,” Sacred Name Bible is available from STS for (soft back) $25 postpaid, (hard backs in print again) $30 ppd.

The Word of Yahweh, 2nd Edition (Sacred Name Bible) is available from Assembly of Yahweh, 1017 N. Gunnell Rd., Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 USA. Bonded Leather $40; Hard Cover $25 each or $200 for case of 10; Soft Cover $20 each or $180 for case of 12. S&H $5 each via priority mail or $30 per case priority mail, or $20 per case via media mail in USA. Canada $10 each, priority intl.; $50 per case (10 or 12), priority mail international. Other foreign please write for rates. The Faith Magazine is available, too.

New Fellowship Finder:

http://www.intergate.com/~jcordaro/  Assembly meets at homes in Lillington, North Carolina (John Cordaro)

Pagan religious customs found in Christianity and other religions. Order the book, “Fossilized Customs, NEW expanded 8th edition,” and ”End of Days – In the Twinkling of an Eye,” also his latest, Torah Zone from Lew White, Torahzone.net, 2303 Watterson Trail, Louisville, KY 40299. One “Fossilized Customs,” 8th Edition, for $12.95, 4 for $20, 10 or more, $4.00 each. One “Twinkling” or Torah Zone for $7.95, 5 for $20, 10 or more, $3 each. All are plus Shipping & Handling.

Machine embroidery using the Sacred Names (in Paleo or Modern Hebrew.)  T-shirts $17, state size and color, other shirts must be purchased by you and sent to me.  Most embroidery $10.  Pick a short verse, part of a verse or phrase to have embroidered.

Example:   hwhy is my shepherd 
                   Psalm 23

“Contact me with questions or requests.” Polly Lewis, rplewis352@hotmail.com. (Ed. Note: If you have no email service, write to me and I will contact her for you.).

Three Books, word-for-word translations of Mattityahu, Daniel-Esther-Ruth (3-in-1bk), Revelation. Each of these three books is 8-1/2 x 11, 80 pages. $12 each.
Two Song Books. Seven Beautiful Messianic Songs  (bk 1); Six more (bk 2). Fully notated with chords. 8-1/2 x 11, 62 pages ea. $22 each or both for $38. S & H $9. Make checks payable to “Todd” and mail to “Word for Word,” PO Box 362, Copperas Cove, TX 76522-0362.

"If in the area of Vancouver BC Canada, Join Peter Skinder and his group to worship together each Sabbath. Contact email is peterandelise@shaw.ca"

Ordination

Barrie Wittrock, Director of Yahweh’s Vineyard of Refuge, was ordained to the office of Elder in the Assembly of Yahweh, at the fellowship meeting on March 6 in Harrison, AR. Participating in the ordination were Elders Jerry Healan, Howard Parsons, Darrell Whitfield, and Frank Brown. Congratulations, Elder Barrie!

Obituaries

Elder Voy Wilks, 89, of Cisco, Texas, a long-time leader in the Sacred Name movement, passed away on March 14, 2010, after a short illness. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Myrtle, and is survived by his wife, Sue, two sons, Dan (Staci) Wilks and Farris (Jo Ann) Wilks; three daughters, Ruth (Joe) York, Tovayah (Kerry) Nelms, and Beth Maynard, plus many grandchildren and great-grand-children; a loving congregation, The Assembly of Yahweh 7th Day at Romney, Texas, and many Spiritual brothers and sisters throughout the US and the world.

Burial was at the Romney Cemetery on March 15, 2010 with a memorial service on Wednesday, March 17, 2010. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. A wise man once said “when an old person dies, it’s like a library burning down.” This is especially true in Brother Voy’s case. He had a treasure trove of Scriptural knowledge which he shared with all who would hear for many, many years.

Elder Jacob O. Meyer, of Bethel, PA, another long-time leader in the Sacred Name assemblies, died on April 9, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. He began his work in the mid-60’s and had his own short wave radio station and the “Sacred Name Broadcaster” magazine. That group, the “Assemblies of Yahweh,” published a Sacred Name Bible in 1981, based on the American Standard with the Names of Yahweh and Yahshua inserted where translators had removed them and replaced with titles or names of pagan deities. His organization published many other doctrinal books and articles.

My list of his survivors is incomplete, but includes two sons, Jonathan and Jake, a sister, Millie Deck, nephew James Meyer, niece, Margie Mansager. He was in his mid-70’s. ~~

Births

“So happy to report that my first little great-granddaughter Eden Marie arrived around 10 p.m. last night. Weighed in at 8 lbs. 3.5 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. Amanda and Keith Wilson are the proud parents & she has two happy brothers, Noah & Abraham.” (From Flo Saforek 5-12-10)

====================

Ladies Fellowship Meeting – Our second meeting was held on March 17, at the Harrison Senior Center, and

our third meeting was on April 21st at the Hartman Community Center, Hartman, AR. The third meeting was held on May 19 at the home of Loice Green, Mountain View, AR. All ladies are invited and encouraged to attend these meetings. For more information, call Sue Shaeffer, at 870-448-5542 .

The “Good News” of Yahshua and
the Torah Work Together
By Terry G. Nash

S

ome may ask why we teach new Believers to obey the Torah (Law or Instructions), and its commandments. And, why not just teach the Messiah instead of the Torah? Isn’t that old Jewish Law done away?

In the first place, we teach Believers to obey Yahweh’s Commandments because the Good News of Yahshua ha Mashiach itself enforces obedience to the Commandments. Second of all, what defines sin is the commandments. And thirdly, we cannot teach the Good News without teaching obedience to Yahweh’s Torah.

~The Purpose for Yahshua’s Coming ~

Now let’s consider the Scriptural proof to my statements above. Shaul (Paul) states, “…Messiah Yahshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief,” (1 Tim. 1:15). An angel of Yahweh proclaims, “He shall save His people from their sins,” (Matt. 1:21). Again Shaul states, “Messiah died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:1-3), and “…that He by the grace of Yahweh should taste of death for every man (Heb.2:9). The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Yahchanan (John) says this about sin “…sin is the transgression of the Law (Torah)” (1 Yochanan 3:4).

Note that it says that sin is the transgression of the Law, which is the breaking of Yahweh’s Torah Com-mandments. This is the Scripturarl definition of sin.

The Scriptures plainly tell us why Yahshua ha Mashiach came to earth. He came to be the sacrificial offering for our sins. And we know that sin is the breaking of Yahweh’s Torah commands. Therefore, the Good News is that Yahshua died for our acts of breaking the Torah commands. This is a Scriptural fact. The Commandments of the Torah, both before, and at the time of Yahshua’s death, is what defines sin. All students of the Scriptures must admit to this fact. It is the same today (Malachi 3:6 and Heb. 13:8).

      ~Obedience to What Was Once Broken~

Mattithyahu 1:21 tells us that Yahshua came to save His people from their sins. We must conclude that in saving us from our acts of breaking the Commandments, Yahweh would require obedience to the Torah commands that we had been breaking. He did not come to take away the Commandments that defines sin, but to take away our sins (1 Yochanan 3:5). In other words, Yahshua came to take away our transgressions OF the Law, but not the LAW itself, that defines our sins.

Sin, transgressions, disobedience to Yahweh’s Torah commands, brought death into the world (Rom. 5:12). In the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant), we are told that the wages, or our payment, for our sins has not changed. It is still death! (Romans 6:23). Presently, Yahshua is our Savior FROM our sins, not IN our sins. Through faith in Him and obedience to the terms of the Brit Chadashah, we are gorgiven of our sins, and at that moment, we are made free from sin, and dead to it. Then we become servants of righteousness (Rom. 6:1-2, 6, 17-18).When we are made free from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha Kodesh) dwelling within our minds and hearts, the righteousness of Yahweh’s Law is fulfilled in us. Shaul states, “That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit,”(Romans 8:4).

~The Knowledge of Sin~

Shaul tells us, What shall we say, then?Is the Law sin? Yah forbid! Nay, I had not known sin but by the Law; for I had not known lust, except the Law had said, ‘Thou shall not covet’” (Rom. 7:7). Shaul then states, “…for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom. 3:20). Put these two statements together, and we see that Shaul is definitely teaching that by the Torah Commandments is the knowledge of sin for us today (and every day). He stated that he would not have known sin but by the Law, then explains further, “For without the Law, sin is dead,” (Rom. 7:8), and “… for where no law is, there is no transgression,” (Rom. 4:15).

In other words, Shaul is saying that without the Law there is no sin. Sin, we know, is the breaking of the Law, Yahweh’s Holy Law. And so, if Yahweh’s Law is abolished, as some teach that it is, then there would be no sin, and if there be no sin, we would have no need for a Savior.

~Attributes of the Law~

Shaul writes, “Wherefore the Law is holy, and the Commandment holy and just and good,” (Rom. 7:12). If the Law and the Commandments were holy, just and good in Shaul’s time, then they must still be today. So why aren’t they taught today in mainstream Christianity? It’s no wonder the majority of Christians are confused. They do not know the Scriptural definition of what sin is.

~The Law is Spiritual~

Shaul tells us, “For we know that the Law is Spiritual,” (Rom. 7:14). Yahweh’s Torah commands are spiritual, and only those who are spiritual, who are led by the Ruach ha Kodesh can fulfill its requirements (Rom. 8:4). If we have been cleansed and made free from sin through Yahshua’s shed blood, and have His Spirit within us, then the righteousness of Yahweh’s Holy, Just and Good Law, will be fulfilled in us, Amein!

Perhaps you can see by now why we must teach Yahweh’s Torah when we preach the Good News of Yahshua ha Maschiah and His Kingdom. The Good News calls for us to repent, to turn away from our sins, and to accept Yahshua as Master and Savior to save us from our sins, not to save us in our sins How can people repent of their sins when they have no idea what sin is? By the Torah is the knowledge of sin, so then to know what sin is, we must study and teach Torah (Law).

~Obedience to Torah~

Yahshua preached the Good News, the same Good News that we are commanded to preach (Mark 1:14-15, 16:15-16, and Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20).

The Sermon on the Mount is part of the Good News that Yahshua preached. He taught full obedience to the Commandments of Yahweh’s Torah. He commanded us to do, and to teach, all of them (Mat. 5:19).Yahshua did not teach a substitute law, but magnified Yahweh’s Torah (Isaiah 42:21).

In Mat. 5:21-22, Yahshua magnifies the sixth Commandment to include hatred. 1 Yochanan (John) 3:15 states, “He who hates his brother is a murderer.” We must obey from the heart. If we are holding on to hatred of any kind toward anyone, we are guilty of murder, thus breaking the sixth Commandment.

In Mat. 5:27-28, Yahshua magnifies the seventh Commandment. He tells us that lust in the heart breaks the command that forbids adultery.

Yahshua ha Mashiach came to save us from our sins, and Yahweh’s Torah is to be written upon our hearts by the power of the Ruach he Kodesh (Mat. 1:21; 2 Cor. 3:2,3; Heb. 8:10).

Our hearts are cleansed by faith, and the love of Yahweh is shed abroad in our hearts by His indwelling Spirit. Lust and hatred are removed, and Yahweh’s love compels us to total obedience to the Torah commands. This is how the Good News of Yahshua ha Mashiach and the Torah work together. ~ Terry G. Nash.

 

Ordaining Barrie Wittrock and other pictures of meeting, 3-6-10

                 

Elders Jerry Healan, Barrie                       Howard Parsons, Barrie, Frank

Wittrock,  Frank Brown                        Brown

               

Elders Howard Parsons,                               Elder Barrie – closing talk.

Jerry Healan, Barrie Wittrock

with his Wife, Melissa

 

(1 Pet 5:1-3 KJV)  "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Messiah, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: {2} Feed the flock of Yahweh which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; {3} Neither as being lords over Yah's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."

 

                

            Some of the 50 participants who were present

   

  Chris Avalos Family provided

  the worship music and songs

 

Feast report from South Bay, FL: Greetings, Elder Frank, Patricia and all who share your message at Search the Scriptures Ministry.

Passover is a remembrance of the passing over of the destroying angel in Mitsrayim (Egypt) and also of the Messiah’s death. The Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes the putting off of all sin and false doctrine from our lives and feeding on the pure unleavened bread of the Word. Paul mentions the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 1 Cor. 5:6-8. He instructs us to purge out the old leaven (old way of living) so that we may be a new lump (v. 7). Paul tells us all to keep the Feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. HalleluYAH!

We celebrated Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread here. Thankfully the Chaplaincy Dep’t., Senior Chaplain Ojukwo and Assistant Chaplain Rabbi Lieberman provided the room space, and facilitated the way for us to receive the needed supplies for us to properly observe the Passover and Feast. We are truly blessed to be at this facility under the leadership of Warden S. Hobart and AFA Warden of Programs, Mr. Ibizm an dAFA Warden of Security Mr. Floyd, who approved the holy event.

The Facility’s food service department headed by Mrs. McGregor supplied unleavened meals throughout the week of Unleavened. We are thankful for their assistance and the hard work from their staffs.

Our senior Elder Ramon Elston gave a teaching and reading of Shemoth, chapters 12 through 15,  teaching us the importance and the significance of this holy celebration –festival as an everlasting Law (Shemoth 12:14 – 24).

Elder Agustin gave a teaching on 1 Cor. 5:6-8, how Paul instructs us to purge out the old leaven and keep the Feast with the unleavened of Sincerity and Truth. I asked, “Did the Messiah Yahshua keep the Feast?” Answer, “Yes, He did – as a boy (Luke 2:41-42) and as a man (Luke 22:14-16)”.(* See footnote at end of his letter. Ed.)

Then I asked another question: “Should the Renewed Covenant People (Believers) keep the Feasts nowadays?” Answer: “Yes. In 1 Cor. 11:1, Paul said he followed Yahshua’s example, and we should follow him. Peter said in 1 Pet. 2:21 that Yahshua left us an example that we should walk in His ways (follow His steps).”

Before the Month of Abib began, Elders Ramon Elston and I (Agustin Rodriguez), baptized four members in the holy Names of Yahweh and His Son our Messiah Yahshua. They are Brian Emmert, Jose Cruz, Tomas Vasquez, and Richard McIntyre. We want to congratulate them and ask you to keep them in your prayers. Thanks to you, Bro. Frank for your support. May Yah bless you! Shalom, Agustin J. Rodriguez. ~

* Please note that, although Yahshua DID indeed keep all His Father’s instructions faithfully, He could not have both EATEN the Passover and BEEN our Passover in the year that He died. The supper of Luke 22 occurred at least one day and possibly two days before the Passover when He was slain on the stake. For Scriptural proof write for my article, “Study on Passover, Unleavened Bread and Yahshua’s Memorial Supper.”

Thank you, Bro. Agustin and all the men at South Bay. I wish all chaplaincy departments and wardens were as accommodating toward our faith as yours are. ~fb~

Here is one more report, this time from a Texas prison:

Dear Elder Brown: We wanted to give you and your readers an update on a major blessing that our community experienced during this year’s Feast of Unleavened Bread. For the first time ever, the Messianic community of the William G. McConnell Unit was allowed to properly observe the “Feast days” in a more Scriptural manner.ch day of the Feast  we were allowed to have three (3) set apart meals, leaven free, of course, in an isolated environment (chow hall), in which all aspects of our meals were performed by men of our own congregation! HalleluYAH!

We were allowed to prepare our own menus, select and separate our ingredients, cook/prepare and then serve our own meals with no one outside our own members involved in any way. Every meal.. breakfast, lunch and dinner.. was served after the rest of the unit had been fed and the chow hall had been cleaned of all leaven and our utensils had been thoroughly washed and ‘set aside’ for our use.

Our community/congregation has existed for more than a decade now, but this is the first time that we have been allowed to congregate together for meals during F.U.B., much less three times every day! HalleluYAH!

To our incarcerated brethren, keep the Faith, brothers! Never compromise and never give up! Yahweh blesses those who “endure to the end!” Shalom, Dale Whitworth.

(Ed’s note: I received this additional information from Dale Whitworth concerning their Assembly at Beeville. He says: “Another hot Texas summer has begun as I begin sweating my way through it. Things have been going well with our congregation here. We are now averaging 125 at our PM service on the 2nd Sabbath of the month, and 50 – 75 at the PM service on the 3rd Sabbath each month.

I am happy to report that during the month of May 2010 we baptized 13 new brethren into the family! HalleluYAH! There is a great “awakening” happening her on the McConnell Unit, and I praise Yahweh for it!”

 

The following short article came to me via email through a third party. It is calendar-related and I am printing it because of the calendar “confusion” that comes up about 7 times in a 19-year time cycle – the time when Yahweh’s calendar requires a 13th month be intercalated to keep His Holy Days within their proper seasons of Spring and Fall.

Probably most of you either know, know of, or have heard of, Herb Solinsky. He has made extensive studies of calendars, and particularly Yahweh’s calendar as it relates to His High annual Sabbaths, over a period of many years.

This year is one of those leap-years when it is necessary to add a 13th month (called VeAdar, which means Adar II, Adar being the 12th month). The myth practiced by most of the Assemblies of today about searching for “Abib barley” is just that – a man-made myth that has no Scriptural basis. When the year is begun with the next new moon after the vernal equinox, that is the month of Abib (things greening out) and there will always be ripe barley for the Wave Sheaf offering that is made on the day after the weekly Sabbath that falls during the days of unleavened bread.

This is confirmed by Yahshua’s example. He died on the afternoon of Abib 14 (which was Wednesday that year), same time the Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple. The sign of His being the Messiah was to be in the ‘heart of the earth” for three days and three nights, just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights. (Mat 12:40).

He was buried very near sunset, just before the start of Abib 15, the first High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread. Then after three full days and three full nights, He was resurrected late on the weekly Sabbath afternoon, just before sunset. When the women came to the tomb early the next morning (first day of the week), He had already been raised. When Miriam recognized Him she wanted to hold onto Him, but He told her not to touch him, as He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17). But later that same day, He did allow Himself to be held (Mat. 28:9). He WAS the True Wave Sheaf offering and He did it, NOT on the day after the first High Day, as Judaism teaches, but on the first day of the week (Sunday) that came just after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread. He was dead and buried on the 15th,16th, and 17th of Abib. Now for Herb’s short article:

Equinox and Solstice is in the Bible

by Herb Solinsky

 The Hebrew word TKUFAH, Strong's number 8622, occurs four times in the Bible, Ex 34:22; I Sam 1:20; II Chr 24:23; Ps 19:7. In 1907 when the well-known lexicon by Brown, Driver, and Briggs was published (see page 880 for TKUFAH), the Dead Sea Scrolls were not yet discovered and clarifying insightful meanings into some ancient Hebrew words were not yet available. The Dead Sea Scrolls use the Hebrew word TKUFAH in contexts before the time of Christ, and this is now discussed.

 In The Jewish Quarterly Review, volume 58, 1967-1968, pages 309-316 there is a paper published by Sidney B. Hoenig titled, "Textual Readings and Meanings in Hodayot (I QH)." This is from the Dead Sea Scrolls. On pages 312-313 he discusses two expressions found there: one is "TKUFAH of the day" and the other is "at the appointed time of the night at TKUFAH". Hoenig explains that the former means "zenith of the day" meaning "noon" and the latter means "at the appointed time of the night at zenith" meaning "midnight". It is particularly interesting that in the expression "at the appointed time of the night at TKUFAH" the Hebrew word for "appointed time" is MOED, the same word used for the holy days in Lev 23 and for seasons in Gen 1:14. Thus it is not foreign to ancient Hebrew to use or associate TKUFAH with MOED. This use of TKUFAH shows two heavenly bodies, the earth and sun, interacting on a daily basis so that at astronomically distinctive points in time TKUFAH refers to those points in time.

 In The Madrid Qumran Congress, volume 2, edited by Julio Trebolle Barrera and Luis Vegas Montaner (Leiden: Brill, 1992), there is a chapter by Johann Maier titled "Shire Olat hash-Shabbat. Some Observations on their Calendric Implications and on their Style". On page 146 Maier writes, "The Songs themselves are attached to the thirteen sabbaths of one quarter or season (tqufah) of a year, according to the editor the first quarter (the Nisan season) only." Here we see the Hebrew word TKUFAH used for the season of spring, which begins with the vernal equinox and ends with the summer solstice. Here also astronomically distinctive points in time involving the earth and sun define a time period called TKUFAH.

 The intertestamental apocryphal Book of Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus) contains the Hebrew word TKUFAH. This book was written in Hebrew about 190 BCE, but today only incomplete sections of it have survived, having been discovered with thousands of other Hebrew texts in the attic of a synagogue in Cairo, Egypt toward the end of the nineteenth century. The treasure of texts in that attic which survived for many hundreds of years is known as the Cairo Geniza. There are many copies of Sirach in Greek translation, and most of the Hebrew words in Sirach 43:7 are preserved, one of them being TKUFAH. The Greek translation for TKUFAH is SUNTELIA (Strong's Greek number 4930) which means completion, fulfillment, or destruction. These words indicate a point in time at which some event occurred. In harmony with this idea, the Jerusalem Bible translates Sirach 43:7, "the moon it is that signals the feasts, a luminary that wanes after her full". Here "her full" refers to the full moon and is translated from TKUFAH or SUNTELIA. Here TKUFAH refers to a natural distinctive time of the moon in its movement about the earth.

 These contexts from the Dead Sea Scrolls and from Sirach from before the time of Christ show the Hebrew word TKUFAH used to refer to natural distinctive points or time intervals associated with the heavenly bodies of the earth, sun, and moon.

 In A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by William L. Holladay (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), on page 394 the word TKUFAH is defined. The parentheses and square brackets are part of the text of that book by Holladay where he writes about TKUFAH "turning (of sun at solstice) Ps 19:7; (of the year, i.e. end of year, at autumnal equinox) Ex 34:22; (of the days [i.e. of the year] = end of year I Sam 1:20".

In Ex 34:22 Moses was told, in literal translation, "And you shall celebrate ... the Feast of Ingathering TKUFAH the year". There is no Hebrew preposition attached to TKUFAH here. In harmony with the astronomical uses shown above, this refers to the autumnal equinox. Certainly Moses was aware of the equinoxes from the knowledge he gained in his upbringing in Egypt (Acts 7:22), and the fact that the greatest pyramids had one wall aligned exactly east-west. Only on the days of the equinoxes does the shadow of a vertical object fall exactly east-west all day long. The ancients were easily able to determine an east-west line. Therefore the equinoxes are visible signs of the sun in relation to the earth and do fall within the purview of signs in Gen 1:14 "lights in the expanse of the heavens ... for signs and for festivals and for days and years". Note also that these, the lights in the sky, are for years. It would take some specific other Scripture, not some vague implication, to overturn the signs of the lights in the heavens for determining the festivals.

 I refrained from using references in the Talmud for TKUFAH to mean an equinox or solstice, although they have this meaning in the Talmud many times, because I do not accept the Talmud as a proper way to establish meanings of biblical Hebrew words. ~HS (end of article)

 

Bro. Darrell and Sister Monica Whitfield’s report:

Greetings in the name of our Master Yahu'shua the Messiah from The Assembly of Yahweh Called Out Ones of the Messiah, ministering to those in the Arkansas Department of Correction. Monica and I have been busy every sabbath. We go to Brickey’s Unit twice on Friday evenings each month, once on Friday evening to Tucker Maximum unit, and then on sabbath mornings every other sabbath 1st and third to North Central Unit, Calico Rock and then 2nd, 4th, and 5th sabbath at the Cummins Unit .

We have baptized 3 brothers in the precious name of "Yahu'ah-Yahshua the Messiah" Brother Davidson at Brickey's Unit, Brother Bedford at the Tucker Max Unit, and Brother Easter, at the Calico Rock Unit. We currently have three requests for baptism in process at the Tucker Max unit, and three at the Cummins Unit hopefully fulfilled on May 29th when we serve second Passover to these men. We got into Brickeys, Calico Rock, and Tucker Max Unit for first Passover and encouraged the men to walk in the faith. The Calico Rock Unit has a dear Seventh Day Adventist brother, Jerry Cooper who attended our commemoration of the Master's death at the North Central Unit in Calico Rock Arkansas. He has given the men booklets from a man that is a Seventh Day Adventist who keeps the feast, and the name of Yahweh, from California.  

 

I want to thank all of you who help us and Brother Frank with expenses and prayers. I would like to encourage all of you that read this report to remember those in bonds. We all have committed sins that are worthy according to Scripture of death for "the wages of sin is death," Romans 6:23, "but the gift of Yahweh is everlasting life though Yahu'shua the Messiah our Saviour." Luke 4:16, "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,4:18 The Spirit of YHWH is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,4:19 To preach the acceptable year of YHWH." He came to release those from the bondage they are in.

The word translated “prison” is mentioned about 80 times throughout the Scriptures. Yeshayahu/Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Master YHWH is upon me; because YHWH hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all that mourn;" (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of YHWH, that he might be glorified." Part of the ministry of Yahu’shua was “the opening of the prison to them that are bound” or as Luke is translated “to set at liberty them that are bruised“. 

We are also admonished strongly by Yahu’shua to visit those in prisons. Please read Mattithyahu 25:33-46. This is a pretty plain admonishment to us to be about our Fathers business seeing that when we do it unto the least of these we do it to His Son, Yahu’shua.  I would ask you as my brothers and sisters to seriously consider taking up this privilege to visit those in prisons or to help send others with your tithes and offerings helping set the captive free!

Thanks! Darrell and Monica Whitfield,

P. O. Box 17122,North Little Rock, AR,72117.             

 

Search the Scriptures Newsletter

Issue #105, May-June, 2010

P. O. Box 32,

Clarksville, AR 72830-0032 USA

Phone: 1-479-754-2553

Email: efbrown@search-the-scriptures.org . or

servingyah@gmail.com

Phone: 1-479-754-2553