Mnc Fellowship

In this final lesson on altars and sacrifices I answer some of the questions I've received from brothers and sisters who've been listening to the teachings. Then I go into a very brief exegesis of Jeremiah 7:22-23 (an objection often given to animal sacrifice), and end with looking at the subject of meat-eating verses veganism in Scripture. Was mankind vegan before the flood, or did veganism at least exist pre-fall?

The strongest opposition to private sacrifices comes from Leviticus 17, but is the text actually opposition or are we missing a bigger picture? Listen to learn about opposing sides within ancient Judaism, the reason for the common in Leviticus 17, and how a goat demon plays a part in the big picture.

The examples of individuals building altars and offering sacrifices in Genesis are sufficient, but the evidence doesn't stop there. After entrance into the promised land, there are still approved examples where individuals offered some animal sacrifices apart from the Temple and the Levite Priesthood. This lesson will even cover one case where a non-Israelite seeks to offer a sacrifice in a foreign land, and receives the approval of an ordained prophet.

Those of us in the Torah Community, when wanting to show an even greater validity of obedience to the commandments of Yah, often go to Genesis to bolster our view... unless we are dealing with animal sacrifices. Why? Why do we think that what Abel or Noah did can't be done today?

Before I talk more about altars, and the worship and service performed at them by individual worshipers of Yahweh, I felt I needed to clarify what animal sacrifices are not for (and never were for). When people hear someone like me talk about sacrificing an animal in a religious sense, their mind automatically starts thinking I am trying to compete or add to what Yeshua did on the cross. This is a gross misunderstanding. Listen to learn about the great and the greater, the light and the heavy.

In this lesson I cover what exactly the Second Commandment (of the Ten) is referring to, focusing in on paralleling texts in Exodus (19-20) with Deuteronomy. I then move into the subject of altars and animal sacrifices, a topic that I'll continue to develop in probably two more sermons to soon follow.

In this lesson I cover the effects of Yahweh Himself coming down on Mount Sinai, how we should have a holy fear of the Creator, the importance of holy leadership and placing faith in that leadership, and how staying focused on Yahweh and who He really is leads to a disciplined life of less sin.

In this lesson we learn how the Servant, through his humiliation, took it all in stride. He didn't fight back even when forsaken. He wasn't even given the opportunity to plead his case, yet he remained faithful and stayed the course he had been appointed to.

This is a continued introduction of this series, centering in on the importance of taking heed to the law given through Moshe (Moses) on Mount Sinai. In this lesson I walk through the time period of Ezra and the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem, some 100 years after the death of King Josiah. I also look at the birth of Yeshua, and the necessity of him being born into a Torah Observant home.

When Moses the man of Elohim died, Yahweh put Joshua the son of Nun in his place. The first instructions given to Joshua was to be careful to follow the law that Moses (Yahweh's servant) commanded. How important is this instruction today, and does it only apply to Joshua? Listen in to learn how to prosper and be successful, and how this instruction kept being passed down from generation to generation, for those who wanted to commit their way to the Creator.

The servant is wounded, beat, and bruised, but it's not because of his own sins, it's because of someone else's. What do we make of this? This lesson also deals with the popular belief in the modern, Charismatic movement that physical healing is promised to believers based upon the stripes Yeshua received during his beating before crucifixion.

The servant, although being described as the very arm of Yahweh, was of humble beginnings and a lowly life. It makes no sense to some, but it makes all the sense in the world to others. For exaltation to come there must first be humility.

Why back up from Isaiah 53 and start talking about Isaiah 52? Listen to learn about Biblical chapter and verse divisions in history, and how these last few verses in "Isaiah 52" reveal an individual as the ultimate slave/servant of Yahweh. This lesson also centers in on how to translate a particular word from Hebrew to English.

In this lesson I look at the idea I was first show from the book of Tobit, that almsgiving atones for sin. How in the world could that be correct and canonical? Before immediately dismissing it, walk through the Scriptures with me and let's see if there's anything else in Scripture that speaks this sort of language.

This sermon is the first in series of lessons covering a detailed examination of Isaiah 53.

Many have heard the account of the Rich Young Ruler, but not everyone has taken in what I believe to be the key point of the passage - giving to the poor. Does giving to the poor really increase a person's treasure, and is the concept of meritorious almsgiving just mimicking the modern day Prosperity Gospel?

This lesson covers many of the Scriptures that speak of meritorious almsgiving - that giving to the poor brings about the blessing of Yahweh on a person's life, most specifically in the after-life (at the resurrection of the righteous). The Scriptures are plenty and clear on this subject, but systems of religion have kept us, nay scared us, away from believing that something we do earns a reward.

Prayer is a powerful tool, but we must learn to use it properly. The best prayer you could ever pray if for someone's spiritual betterment. 

When you hear someone read a Bible verse that says "Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor," you probably think of the story of the Rich Young Ruler. But... Yeshua didn't just say that to this young ruler. He said the same thing to thousands of people that listened to him teach. There is such a thing as meritorious almsgiving and even atoning almsgiving. If that shocks you, don't answer a matter before you hear it. Listen to this lesson and then examine the Scriptures to see if it be so.

There is only one offensive weapon in the armor we are called to adorn in our battle against the enemy - the sword. This is not a physical sword, but a spiritual one, whereby we skillfully cut away at the dark forces that try to steal, kill, and destroy. We have the very Words of Yahweh at our grasp. We must use them properly, and the only way to do that is to know them well.