Forgive the delay. Here is First Fruits Ministries' sermon for 10/5/2024, called "Listen for the Eternal Way": https://firstfruits.cc/blog/20....24/10/07/listen-for-
Someone who wishes to remain anonymous shared this commentary on Jude with me and gave me permission to publish it. I'd like your opinion.
https://soilfromstone.blogspot.....com/2024/10/an-expe
Shalom Chaverym;
This week's parasha is: Lek-L'ka – לך לך – “Get thee out”
Torah reading: B'reishyth 12:1-17:27
Haftarah reading: Yeshayahu 40:27-41:16
Ketuvym Hatalmidym reading: Ma'asei 7:1-8
Shalom aleykhem, achym, b’shem YHWH Avinu, u’v’shem Yehoshua b’no ~ Peace to you, my brothers, in the name of YHWH our Father, and in the name of Yehoshua, His Son.
V’he’enin b’YHWH vayach’sheveha lu tzedekah ~ “And he had faith in YHWH, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”
This verse sums up the entirety of the Scriptures, and the desire of YHWH for His people — that they have faith in Him.
The Hebrew word for faith is emunah. It is described in the Scriptures as “the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” It is probably best defined as trusting-belief. Avraham is our father and the primary example of that faith which YHWH desires from us. YHWH called Avraham his friend, and there is no greater honor than that. Friendship and sonship with YHWH should be the goals toward which we all aspire.
The righteousness that YHWH ascribed to Avraham for his faith is tzedekah — right-standing before YHWH on account of performance of a duty or command. When YHWH said, “Go,” Avraham went. When YHWH said, “Do,” Avraham did. He did not question YHWH or second-guess Him. He simply obeyed YHWH in complete trusting-belief. In faith. And he persisted in acting in faith throughout his lifetime, even though he never realized the reward for it — only seeing it “afar off,” as the hazy vision of a distant future. Such absolute faith YHWH considers to be righteousness.
Most people think righteousness comes only from the perfect keeping of the law and is therefore unattainable by sinful man. Others think righteousness comes from just raising the hands and proclaiming, “I believe!” without any works at all. Neither of these is correct. The keeping of the law is only the physical evidence of righteousness and can mostly be done without any real conviction of the heart. Saying, “I believe,” is only mental assent and cheap words, if not accompanied by actions. True righteousness is something that exists deep within a person. It is the product of complete and utter faith in YHWH. It manifests itself in acts of charity and works of the law, and in anything else YHWH desires of us — things that we do willingly and without question because we truly believe in Him; because we love Him as He has loved us, even to the point of giving His only begotten son in our place because of our unfaithfulness and our unrighteousness.
May He increase your faith, and may you, too, be found righteous in His eyes.
B’shalom, Ovadyah
Sabbath Keepers Fellowship Weekly Torah Study
Join us on Zoom for prayer, fellowship and discussion of the weekly Torah portion, the Haftarah, the Writings of the Disciples, and the Min Hazaqen Torah Commentary.
Our small, friendly group welcomes beginners and those who are learned in the scriptures, and we always take time for questions and answers.
We begin at 7pm Central Time on the 5th day of each week. Here is the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4731209848
Join Us!
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so Adonai YHWH will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:11
Rosh Chodesh
The new crescent moon was sighted from Israel on the evening of 10/4/2024, making the first day of the 8th scriptural month 10/5/2024.
The Rosh Chodesh was sighted from the Zevulun Valley at 6:42pm by Yoel Halevi and his wife, and by two other people also in northern Israel.
For those of you who are celebrating this new moon as the 7th scriptural month according to the mainstream Rabbinical calendar, which has “Rosh Hashanah” on 10/2/2024 as the first day of the month, you may want to hold your horses and maybe celebrate a couple more days. The Torah says in no uncertain terms that this festival must be on the first day of the month – the new moon. There was no way, anywhere on earth, that a new moon was sighted on 10/2/2024. In fact, no new moon could have even been sighted in Israel on 10/3/2024. It is not possible.
Three criteria which absolutely establish whether the moon can be seen are:
1. Fraction of illumination – the disc of the moon must be illuminated by at least 1%
2. Lag Time – the distance between sunset and moonset must be at least 27 minutes
3. Geocentric Elongation – the subtended angle between sun, moon, and earth must be at least 10%
It takes roughly 29.5 days for a complete lunation, meaning no new moon can be seen prior to day 29. On 10/2/2024 it was only the 28thday since the last new moon. On the evening of 10/3/2024, the following criteria were established:
1. Fraction of illumination – 0.7%
2. Lag Time – 17 minutes
3. Geocentric Elongation – 9.3%
A failure to meet any one of the above absolute established minimums will result in a new moon not being seen. As you can see, even on 10/3/2024, not one of those were met. Those who celebrated their festival on either of those days, celebrated them in the wrong month. No new moon was sighted until 10/4/2024.
Keep the faith when you suffer. God's purpose isn't to destroy you, but to refine you.
https://www.americantorah.com/....2017/07/13/god-is-fa
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