This Sabbath was extra special in that we got to experience both a Bar Mitzvah and a Bat Mitzvah. It was wonderful for our children to be able to experience this.

Well, tonight starts the conference, and I look forward to everything that will be shared. I’ll try to post every now and again about what’s going on.Similar Posts:

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May 23 • 2:30pm • Conway, AR

Learn the words of Jesus from a Messianic Jewish perspective. “A Jewish Sermon on the Mount: Exploring the Core Teachings of Jesus from a Hebraic Perspective” introduces the Hebrew idioms, Jewish contexts, and rabbinic methods at work in Jesus’ most famous sermon. Jewish Sermon on the Mount provides a brief introduction to Matthew 5–7 using a new, Hebrew-based translation of the New Testament that allows English readers to see the Hebraisms of the Master’s teaching and the richness of the Hebrew words.

Enjoy a challenging and inspiring look at Jesus’ teachings and the transformative message of the Sermon on the Mount.

• See Jewish parallels to Gospel texts and find out why Bible scholars believe the parallels are important for greater understanding.
• Discover Hebrew words that are impossible to translate into English and how translators deal with these difficult words. See the words—understand the concepts they represent and expand your understanding of the Bible.
• Hear the compelling story and see the New Testament translation of Franz Delitzsch, a nineteenth century Christian Bible-translator considered one the greatest lights of Messiah to the Jewish people.

Learn and see what was so distinctive to Jesus’ teaching in this passage that produced such a response, “the crowd was amazed at his teaching, for he was teaching them as a man of authority, and not like the soferim” (Matthew 7:28–29).

The Hebrew/English Sermon on the Mount

There will be three teachings in a course of 2.5 hours. There will be breaks and time for questions. Everyone attending will receive an extract of Matthew 5–7 from the new Hebrew/English Gospel edition scheduled for release in the fall of 2010. Attendance is free—there will be a donation box on a table for all those that desire to help with the related expense.

CONTACT:
Jeff Croswell or Darren Huckey

HOST:
Simchat Torah

LOCATION:
Faulkner County Library

ADDRESS:
1900 Tyler Street
Conway, AR 72032

PHONE:
501-242-3687 (Jeff)
501-339-8151 (Darren)

E-MAIL:
info@simchattorahar.com

Download the PDF to distribute or post on your site.Similar Posts:

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From the FFOZ blog, they state:

This presentation is sub-titled “…from a critical perspective” as the introductory content places heavy emphasis on the role of Christian theology in the formation of the cultural climate that allowed for the Holocaust to happen.

I encourage anyone who can to join this event and promote it on your blog, Facebook, etc. Let’s get to word out and “stand in the gap” for the people of God. Here is some brief info regarding the seminar invitation and speakers, directly from the FFOZ announcement:

Webinar Invitation

Join us for this informative free webinar. Invite your friends, pastors, and/or host an evening for people to view this powerful presentation together. Professionally presented information with over 250 PowerPoint slides containing images (some graphic), stats, charts, maps, etc. You will be greatly informed and educated in this critical historical event. Once registered an e-mail notice will be sent giving you the login and call in information.

Webinar Presenters

Instructor: Daniel Hennessy

Special Guest: Dr. Michael Schiffman of Chevra

Host: First Fruits of Zion

Daniel Hennessy

Hennessy is a Holocaust educator trained at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and was awarded the Meyer A. Nathan Scholarship for teaching the Holocaust by the national office of the Anti-Defamation League. He’s also been trained by visiting staff from the Yad Vashem Int’l School of Holocaust Studies located in Jerusalem, Israel.

Chevra (Dr. Michael Schiffman)

Chevra has been operating since the fall of the USSR. Elderly Jews, mostly holocaust survivors, are living below the poverty level and do not know if they will have food for the next day. Chevra provides food parcels, and soup kitchens, and funds for medicine to them. Chevra also operates throughout Israel providing for the hurting and needy. With the aging population of holocaust survivors, this may be the last opportunity we have to help them. People who endured such horrible things should not finish their lives in starvation and poverty. (There will be an opportunity for you to give into this important work).

Webinar Invitation

Join us for this informative free webinar. Invite your friends, pastors, and/or host an evening for people to view this powerful presentation together. Professionally presented information with over 250 PowerPoint slides containing images (some graphic), stats, charts, maps, etc. You will be greatly informed and educated in this critical historical event. Once registered an e-mail notice will be sent giving you the login and call in information.Webinar PresentersInstructor: Daniel HennessySpecial Guest: Dr. Michael Schiffman of ChevraHost: First Fruits of ZionDaniel HennessyHennessy is a Holocaust educator trained at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and was awarded the Meyer A. Nathan Scholarship for teaching the Holocaust by the national office of the Anti-Defamation League. He’s also been trained by visiting staff from the Yad Vashem Int’l School of Holocaust Studies located in Jerusalem, Israel.Chevra (Dr. Michael Schiffman)Chevra has been operating since the fall of the USSR. Elderly Jews, mostly holocaust survivors, are living below the poverty level and do not know if they will have food for the next day. Chevra provides food parcels, and soup kitchens, and funds for medicine to them. Chevra also operates throughout Israel providing for the hurting and needy. With the aging population of holocaust survivors, this may be the last opportunity we have to help them. People who endured such horrible things should not finish their lives in starvation and poverty. (There will be an opportunity for you to give into this important work).

Sorry – I forgot to include a link to the registration for the event! Here it is:

http://ffoz.org/blogs/2010/03/holocaust_webinar_registration.htmlSimilar Posts:

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I received an email from the Temple Institute with the following message:

“This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year.” (Exodus 12:2)

It was on this day, Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the month of Nisan that the creator of the world, the G-d of Israel, conferred upon His children the ability and the responsibility to make change in the world, to perfect His creation. And it was on this day, one year later, that the Tabernacle was dedicated in the desert. The Holy Temple is the very jewel in the crown of G-d’s creation, yet today the Temple Mount is desolate. The Holy Temple lies in ruins, and the Moslem Wakf has commandeered the Temple Mount, forbidding all but Moslems to approach the Mount freely and to raise their voices in prayer to G-d.

The Temple Institute has, along with other organizations, declared today, March 16, 2010, the first day of the month of Nisan, the month of our redemption from Egypt and the month of our future redemption, to be THE FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY. We have called upon all who wish to ascend the Mount, Jews and Gentiles, in accordance to Jewish law, to gather at the foot of the Mount this morning. The Israeli police have declared the Mount off limits on this day to all but Moslems, citing Arab threats to commit violence as a response to our desire to ascend the Mount to mark this holy day. The police are thereby by preventing us from fulfilling our commitment to G-d and Torah, and from exercising our inalienable rights as citizens of a democratic society.

Once again, following a decades-old pattern, the police have abandoned the task which has been entrusted to them to uphold, and rather than punish the inciters to violence, they have punished the intended victims of the calls to violence.

Nevertheless, the police cannot prevent us from performing the most important and essential task of petitioning the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and demanding immediate change: Jews and Gentiles must be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. Today is the day that together we can make our voice heard. Below are the telephone, fax and email contacts for the Prime Minister’s office:

Telephone number: 011-972-02-6705555

Fax number: 011-972-02-5664838

email address: bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il

additional email address: PMO.HEB@it.pmo.gov.il

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Temple Mount. As you know, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people, yet the Muslim authorities, aided by Israel Police, systematically deny the right of religious expression on the Mount to all non-Moslems. On numerous occasions the High Court of Justice has upheld the Jewish people’s right to pray at the site, yet the police continue to prevent this. Furthermore, Jewish visitors are harassed and degraded. This discrimination is a grave trampling of civil rights. Israeli law is not recognized by the Wakf authorities; illegal digging has destroyed priceless historical remnants of Jerusalem’s Jewish history.
Please, end this travesty and allow Jewish freedom of expression at the Temple Mount. I urge you to include the Temple Mount in your “Heritage Plan” of sites significant to the Jewish people.
Sincerely,

Whether you copy and paste this message, or write your own message, please keep your words courteous, respectful and focused on one thing only:

GRANTING FREEDOM OF ACCESS AND FREEDOM OF WORSHIP ON THE MOUNT.

The Prime Minister’s office will receive and be strengthened and encouraged by our thousands of messages. We are taking a stand for our futures and our children’s futures and making a difference. Together we will perform the task which G-d bequeathed us when we left the Egyptian house of bondage and became free men and women forever.

What does this have to do with believers in Messiah? Why should we have any concern over the Temple Mount or the Temple? The short answer is that it was (and will be again) the House of God. It was (and will be again) the House of Prayer for All Nations. It was (and will be again) the place Yeshua loved, spent countless days in and called it “my Father’s House.” If nothing else, Yeshua’s love for his Father’s House should spark a love within us as well.

However, if these answers are not satisfying, then please allow the Scriptures to have a voice in the matter. Search out the prophets such as Zechariah and Ezekiel to find where Hashem will re-institute the Temple in the olam hazeh (this present age) as a means of serving Him properly. If you need still further study to help understand these passages, I highly recommend the audio series by Daniel Lancaster of First Fruits of Zion called “What About the Sacrifices?” You may order them here. Until then, may we pray:

May it be Your will, O LORD, our God and the God of our fathers, that the Holy Temple will be rebuilt quickly and in our days, and give us our portion in Your Torah, and may we server You there in fear, as it was in days long ago and in ancient times. And may the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be sweet to the LORD, as it was in days long ago and in ancient times.

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Simchat Torah of Arkansas

Community-wide Shabbat Service

Our weekend will begin Shabbat, August 23 at 9:30 am with a community-wide Shabbat service, hosted by Simchat Torah of Arkansas. Our Shabbat schedule will be as follows:

• 9:30 am – Shacharit (liturgical prayers, reading of Torah, Haftarah & Apostolic Writings)
• 12:00 pm – Potluck lunch (see www.joyoftorah.com/food for food guidelines)
• 1:00 pm – Music & Singing
• 1:30 pm – Drash (Teaching) by Boaz Michael and B’nei Torah Class (for children)

The Commandment to Bless seminar

The Commandment to Bless seminar will be held the following day, Sunday, August 24 at 3:00 pm. There will be three sessions lasting approximately 45 minutes each, with breaks between the sessions. We will close out the day with finger foods and fellowship after the seminar during which time we invite you to participate in the experience of blessing according to the commandment, as well as getting to know other fellow believers. Please spread the word to friends and family so we can make this event a success!

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The theme of conference this year was “Shabbat Shalom.” And although there were lectures on the topic of Shabbat, from my point of view it could have just as easily been called the “Pray In The Spirit Extended Remix” conference. It seemed the primary focus of the conference was prayer and the introduction of the highly anticipated siddur project. And for all those who are anxiously awaiting the new siddur, here’s the scoop:

We were hoping to bring back the Shabbat siddur, but it is still incomplete. In defense of First Fruits, the main reason this has not been completed is because of their deep understanding of their responsibility of creating a resource such as this with excellence. (They compared it to trying to edit Shakespeare without it being obvious – a great analogy. I will explain more about this later.) We were, however, able to experience the first fruits of their labor in draft form in our day to day services during the conference. I plan on sharing more on this later, but need to cover my bases as to what is “shareable” or not. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on this in the next few days…Similar Posts:

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Just as I stated, the message of the seminar was timely, applicable and powerful. Please don’t misunderstand—they were exactly what we have been needing as a body of believers. The couldn’t have come at a better time. But from my perspective, it wasn’t the message of the words that Boaz shared that were the most challenging. It was the message of that which was unspoken that I heard the loudest. The silent words of which Boaz spoke during this past weekend were deafening. They are still ringing in my ears, almost to the point of nausea. It is these words which have been the double-edged sword of both frustration and anticipation that I expressed in my recent post on Self-Discipline. It is from this soil that all the weeds and flowers in my mind have sprung in the past few days. To put it in a nutshell, the phrase “actions speak louder than words” is more true than we will ever fully realize. Just seeing how Boaz and his family live out their faith day-by-day and hour-by-hour has caused serious pause within me.

I have thought for a long time that I was living out my faith through my actions, and that I was pretty much par for the course. Now I realize that I’ve got to switch my minature-golf putter for a nine-iron, and look beyond the tee. I’ve said for a long time that I thought Boaz had a lot of wisdom, and now I truly know what I mean by that statement—Again, please don’t misunderstand. This isn’t about putting Boaz on a pedestal. It’s about waking up and smelling the coffee (did someone say ‘coffee’???). Boaz just happens to be the catalyst for the metamorphosis (L-rd willing)—Here’s what I mean by wisdom. There are a lot of people out there that have a lot of knowledge. While knowledge is great, I would rather have an ounce of wisdom than a pound of knowledge. Knowledge is impressive, but wisdom is applicable and sustaining. Anyone can amass knowledge, few, however, cling to wisdom.

But what is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? We can get into a huge discussion of the differences, going back to the original Hebrew, etc. but this is not my point. My point is practical and observable. To me, the core difference between knowledge and wisdom is application. Let me briefly elaborate. Was not Solomon the wisest man in all the earth? But was his decision to marry pagan women wise? The answer is obvious. This leads us to a profound question. Why did the wisest man on earth make such an unwise decision? Answer: Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Foolishness is the refusal to apply knowledge. And this is where the unspoken words of Boaz grew in volume. Though he had a message of a disciplined prayer life, seeing his application of his knowledge of a disciplined prayer life this weekend spoke much louder than his words.

There’s an old saying that “those who can’t do, teach.” This was not the case this weekend. This was clearly a “lead-by-example” teaching method that is a standard of FFOZ that I appreciate immensely. I’m going to do everything within my means to rise to the challenge, and become a man of prayer and lead my family by example. Thanks for the challenge, Boaz.

As far as the specifics of the seminar, I’ll be teaching on the topic of prayer this Shabbat again, implementing some things I learned from this past weekend, so I’ll post more on the topic in the near future. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this:

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7, NIV)

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Well, now that I’ve had some fun, be sure to check out Boaz’s blog, especially his newest post on holiness which came with incredible timing in relationship to my last post on Parashat Emor.Similar Posts:

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Event Description

A fascinating teaching seminar that explores the Scriptures, reexamining them from an historical and biblical perspective, for a fresh understanding of prayer. Prayer is often misunderstood. Too often we have simply assumed that the ordinary model of prayer we hear around us is biblically normal. We are excited to share with you some of the ancient rhythms of prayer we have rediscovered—a rich biblical understanding with practical application that will transform your prayer life and help you to connect with God daily in a significant and transforming way.

Everyone will leave educated, encouraged and challenged to rise to a new life of fervent prayer.

• Learn practical ways to fulfill Paul’s injunction to,“pray without ceasing” and to “pray with understanding”

• Discover how you can participate in the daily moed—an appointed time of prayer
• Understand prayer as a “Service of the Heart”
• See how prayer assists in the process of renewing one’s mind
• Be in one accord, “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” (Acts 1:14)

Date and Time

Sunday, May 21st, 2006
6:00pm – 9:00pm.

Location

We will be meeting at the Burns Park Hospitality House in North Little Rock. Take I-40 to North Little Rock, Exit 150. Follow the map (download the map here) through the park on Military Road to Joe K. Poch Drive. Turn left on Joe K. Poch Drive; the Hospitality House driveway is the next right.

Please download a flier in PDF format (Acrobat Reader) and help spread the word throughout Central Arkansas.Similar Posts:

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We are securing a meeting location now, and will post the details as soon as they are available (and if anyone has a suggestion as to a location, please contact me). I want to encourage everyone to spread the word and round up as many people as we can for this rare opportunity. It will be a free event, and I believe it will be a continuation of the FFOZ speaking tour “Trembling at the Word.”Similar Posts:

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