Exodus 12:2,Month. It is the Hebrew word chodesh (Strong’s H2320/TWOT 613b) meaning “the new moon, month, monthly, the first day of the month, the lunar month.” It is found in the Tanakh (Old Testament) 276 times and is translated in the King James Version as “month” 254 times, “new moon” (20 times), and “monthly” (1 time). We see that from these definitions that the terms “month” and “new moon” are synonymous. It has been understood for millennia that ancient Israelites began their month with the new moon.
Why was it important for the Israelites to know when the new moon occurred and when the month began? The dates of the annual biblical festivals that YHVH gave to Israel and instructed them to observe were determined based on when the new moon occurred (Lev 23:5, 6, 24, 27, 34).
The next question to answer is this: when does the biblical month begin? As we noted above, for modern astronomers the term “new moon” means something different than it did to the ancients, including those who YHVH inspired to write the Bible. Ancient calendars were determined by the moon, while modern ones are not. Some biblical expositors teach that the new moon begins when the moon is in conjunction or in line with the earth and the sun and is in its dark phase. Others believe that the month begins just after the moon has moved out of its dark phase and begins to show a sliver of light, which is called the visible or crescent new moon. Who is right?
Some Bible teachers claim that there is no place in the Scriptures that specifically states that the new moon begins at the first visible sliver after being dark for several days. Therefore, they reason, it is an assumption to say that it does (even though, as we will see below, this was the understanding of the ancient Israelites), and therefore, the new moon Continue reading →
Luke 12:5, Killed…cast into hell [Gehenna]. There are two deaths: a physical and a spiritual death. All humans will die a physical death (Heb 9:27), but not everyone will die a second or spiritual death. This death is reserved for the unregenerate wicked and is called the lake of fire (Rev 20:12–15).
The Hinnom Valley (Gr. Gehenna) on the west side of Jerusalem was a Hebrew metaphor for the fate of the wicked. The Jews used this valley as a refuse dump, and it was there that the bodies of dead animals and criminals were burned.
Literally, at the white throne judgment after having judged the unregenerate wicked, YHVH will cast them into his spiritual garbage dump to be burned up (Rev 20:11–15).
In too many of our public educational institutions, anti-Christian and anti-Biblical speech along with expressing every perverse and ribald idea under the sun is permissible. At the same time, exercising one’s freedom of speech in favor of biblical truth and values is not.
What’s wrong with this picture? Simply this. The devil and his gang have never been fair, and they hate the truth of Elohim. They’re evil, hypocritical liars who are intent on killing, stealing and destroying. Though they loudly beat the drum of civil rights, they could care less about human rights such as freedom of speech.
Bottom line? They hate Elohim, his ways and his people, and will stop at nothing to trample on the rights of others to further their demonic agenda. To these devil-loving, atheistic secular humanists, the ends always justify the means. Period.
Yeshua said,
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Bravo for this Christian teacher for standing up for truth and for exercising her right of free speech. May YHVH deliver her from the hands of her enemies!
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Ps 94:16)
(SCREENSHOT: CBS2) Jeyne Viki Knox (left) and her husband Gene Knox (right)
A Christian teacher in New Jersey is now serving a three-year suspension of her teaching certificates all because she posted critical remarks about homosexuality on social media.
Jeyne Viki Knox, a 56-year-old long time special educator and faculty adviser to the Bible club at Union High School, has come to an agreement with the state’s Department of Education on a proposal to have her three teaching certificates revoked for a period of three years.
Knox, who is an ordained minister, has held certificates for elementary school, nursery school and handicapped teaching since 1990, according to the Associated Press.
Knox’s troubles began in October 2011 when she took to Facebook to criticize a display at the high school honoring LGBT history month.
According to NJ.com, Knox participated in a back-and-forth with other Facebook users in which she reportedly called homosexuality a “perverted spirit” that also “breeds like cancer.”
“Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us?” Knox was quoted as writing on Facebook. “I DO NOT HAVE TO TOLERATE ANYTHING OTHERS WISH TO DO. I DO HAVE TO LOVE AND SPEAK AND DO WHAT’S RIGHT!”
Knox was placed on administrative leave and about three months afterwards, the Union Township Board of Education filed a tenure case against her. Knox resigned from her position in 2012.
According to NJ.com, Knox’s agreement with the New Jersey Department of Education comes after she appealed the department’s decision to revoke her certificates to the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law. After filing an appeal against the department of education’s decision, Knox submitted the proposal to have her certificates suspended for only three years.
The agreement between the New Jersey Department of Education and Knox was officially approved by the New Jersey Board of Examiners on Dec. 8, NJ.com reported on Sunday.
Knox filed a lawsuit in 2013 against the Union Township Board of Education on grounds that her religious freedom rights and free speech were violated by the school board’s actions against her in response to her Facebook posts. Knox was seeking reinstatement and backpay.
A settlement was reached in the lawsuit in September, NJ.com notes. However, very few details about the settlement have been made publicly available.
Demetrios Stratis, an attorney representing Knox, said that the settlement includes a confidentiality agreement.
“These Facebook posts that she made were done on her time, at her home, after school hours, on her home computer, and it was addressing a matter that could arguably be of big societal concerns,” Stratis told NJ.com.
Although LGBT activists called on the school board to take action against Knox for her Facebook posts, even representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union defended Knox’s right to free speech.
“Although we do not agree with the sentiments expressed on Ms. Knox’s personal Facebook page, her comments are protected by the First Amendment,” Ed Barocas, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, told NJ.com in 2011. “The ACLU believes that the response to offensive speech is not the restriction of speech, but more speech.”
Knox is not the only teacher in New Jersey who has faced backlash for posting what others have deemed to be “anti-LGBT” comments online.
In 2015, Patricia Jannuzzi, a religion teacher at the Roman Catholic Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey, was suspended by the school in March 2015 after she posted about her opposition to same-sex marriage and ranted about the LGBT agenda.
However, Jannuzi was later reinstated in April 2015.
Luke 11:13, Good gifts…. Some people are concerned that when they received the baptism of the Spirit of Elohim (Set-Apart Spirit or Ruach haKadosh) in a their church, they may have received an evil counterfeit spirit instead. I asked myself this same question some 20 years ago when I first learned about the demonic Hindu kundalini spirit. YHVH was gracious enough to give me the answer to the question at that time, and I have been going strong and operating in the gifts of his Spirit ever since without fear.
Remember this. Satan has counterfeited nearly everything that is biblical in his demonic false religions including the gifts of the Set-Apart Spirit. Because of this, some people have walked away from the gifts of the Spirit and have taken what’s called a cessationist viewpoint in that they believe the gifts of the Spirit are no longer for us today. This is a reactionary view that is not supported scripturally. It’s a spiritual cop-out. I used to believe this until I got so hungry for more of Yeshua and so sick of dead religion that as I was crying out for him one night while worshipping and praising Yeshua, he baptized me in his Ruach about three decades ago. I was in my living room when this glorious experience happened and had never been in a Spirit-filled (Pentecostal or Charismatic) church in my lift up to that point.
Yeshua told us to judge with righteous judgment to determine if something is good or bad (John 7:24). How do we do this? By examining the fruits of something (Matt 7:15–20). Do they line up with the Word of Elohim? When operating in the gifts of the Spirit including the gift of speaking in tongues, what are the fruits? Are they the fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Gal 5:22–25 and not the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19–21)? Does it bring you closer to Yeshua? Does it result in praise, worship and the glorification of Elohim? Does it edify and build us up in our spirit man? Does it promote holiness and righteousness? If yes, then this it is a good thing. If not, then it’s from another source. Satan isn’t going to give us anything that expands the kingdom of Elohim at his expense and promotes our spiritual well-being before YHVH.
Twenty years ago YHVH told me that if I loved Yeshua by walking faithfully in his Torah commandments that this would keep me on the straight and narrow path and that I wouldn’t be deceived or led into some spiritual counterfeit. You see, Torah is both a fence and a guardrail. It’s a fence that protects us by keeping the spiritual predators out, but it’s also a guardrail that keep us on the road of life and prevents us from going off the edge and over the cliff spiritually.
I suspect that some in the church world have picked up a kundalini spirit not because they were seeking Yeshua with all their hearts, but because they were seeking an experience. This is idolatry. When we seek anything other than Yeshua, especially supernatural experiences, we’ll get it, for sure, but it won’t be from the Ruach! When, on the other hand, we’re seeking Yeshua with all our heart to love and serve him as it says in Luke 11:9-13, he won’t give us a serpent or a stone (i.e. demonic counterfeit), but will give us good gifts. You can trust YHVH on this!!!!
Exodus 10:2,Tell or recount, relate. YHVH commanded Moses to record the story of Egypt’s judgment and fall for the Israelite’s future posterity. The Israelites were to pass this story down orally and in written form to succeeding generations. The Passover seder is the fulfillment of this Torah command in that it re-enacts the exodus story. In other words, YHVH is commanding parents to pass the gospel message of redemption downward to each new generation. The Passover seder is literally a gospel tract involving a dramatic presentation where the participants act out the message of the gospel.
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 1/14/18 through 1/20/18.
The motivational gifts of Romans 12:6–8 are prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and mercy. The Creator has given at least one of these gifts to every human being to be used for the betterment of mankind. Knowing and functioning in your gift will help you to find your purpose and destiny in life, so that you can know the Creator’s perfect will and plan for your life, thus bringing you great joy, happiness and fulfillment as this video explains.
