I’m Back!

Posted on 07/08/2020 by Messyanic

After several years of silence on here, I’ve decided to re-enter the blogosphere to share what I’ve come to learn to date.

So many times I’ve thought to come back on here to share my studies with you, but I found it to be very daunting. Where do I even begin?

I have so much to say, but the teacher & editor in me wanted to lay it out in an orderly fashion, line upon line, precept upon precept, and then present a polished product for you, as I have tried to do in the past. But I just don’t have the time to do that anymore.

Study the Bible Yourself and Own It

My primary desire is to encourage you to study the Bible yourselves. Learn firsthand what it says, not only for your own understanding, but also so that you can better discern when others speak or teach on anything Bible-related. You will be able to hold others accountable and even share what you have learned through your own personal journey — reproducing after like kind.

A few years ago, I created a Bible Study workbook entitled Genesis 101: The Week of Creation, covering Genesis 1:1-2:3. The intent was to demonstrate how I study the Bible, using the best place I believe is to start: In the Beginning.

While hosting a preliminary class online over the course of many weeks and going through the workbook as a student myself, I sought & heeded feedback from my fellow Bible students and made improvements to the workbook each week.

By the time the class was over, the last week’s lessons had morphed so much from the first week’s that I felt the need to re-vamp the whole thing. This was an overwhelming task, given my tendency to want to polish everything every step of the way.

Needless to say, I did not complete all that I wanted in that project, but I managed to break down the Week of Creation into two parts and completed the revision of the first part. I’m presently hosting an in-person class of this first part with a whole new set of students.

This initial part consists of In the Beginning to the Third Day (Genesis 1:1-13), and I believe it achieves my mission of both demonstrating how I study the Bible and laying out a strong foundation for the rest of the Bible, which for many is shaky.

This Bible Study Workbook is freely available online in weekly segments as a downloadable .pdf. I hope you’ll take advantage of it, if you haven’t already.

While I may offer the second part, Day Four to the Seventh Day Sabbath, sometime in the future, it is not high on my priority list at this point. However, anyone who goes through the first workbook will understand my method and be equipped to carry forward the same study techniques on their own with the rest of the Bible, should they desire to do so.

Aside from this, I have had some things clarified for me over the past two years that had been rather fuzzy to me before, particularly the subject of The Kingdom of God.

What I’ve Found on the Kingdom of God

There are many who speak on the Kingdom of God, but not through my current paradigm.

Given all that has been transpiring in our world the past four months, and more specifically here in America, I have felt compelled to get my understanding on this subject out in some form or fashion, and here is where I’m going to do it.

A New Format

It’s going to look a bit different around here, but the articles I’ve written in the past will remain in the archives if you’d like to see some of what led me to where I’m at today.

The main difference is likely going to be my style of writing and the lengths of my posts. (Hopefully, I will be able to do some audio and video as well, but we’ll see about that.) Time is of the essence, and if the editor in me will just be quiet and let me share what’s on my mind each day, you will hear more from me on a regular basis.

It may not be pretty, with pictures to go along with each post, but it will be real and substantial.

I will do my best to include Scriptures to help you see where I’m getting my ideas from, but I can’t promise that I will have the time to do it every time. (You all have Bibles and plenty of Bible tools at your disposal online — I trust if you are reading this blog you are a student of the Bible yourself and know how to dig into it.)

I remain open to feedback as I still consider myself a student in this life, ever seeking to align myself with the Truth, obtaining knowledge & understanding, and growing in wisdom. Please, share your thoughts & questions with me– they are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Your input helps me more than you may ever know. 😉

Talk to you soon!

Posted in 1-Day and Night, 2-Heaven, 3-Grass, Seed-Yielding Herbs, Fruit Trees, 3-Land and Seas, Bible Academy, Creation, Kingdom of God, Walking in the Ways of the Creator | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101-7 Seed-bearing Herbs & Fruit Trees Reproducing After Like Kind

Posted on 08/17/2018 by Messyanic

And God said, Let the earth [land] bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth [land]:
and it was so.
And the earth [land] brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were
[And there was evening and there was morning] – the third day.
(Genesis 1:11-13 KJV [revisions mine])

From Session 7 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • DASHA’ (H1876) – verb. to sprout shoot, grow green
  • DESHE’ (H1877) – noun. grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young
  • ‘ESEB (H6212) – noun. herb, herbage, grass, green plants
  • ZARA’ (H2232) – verb. to sow, scatter seed
  • ZERA’ (H2233) – noun. seed, sowing, offspring
  • PERIY (H6529) – noun. fruit
  • ‘ETS (H6086) – noun. tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
  • MIYN (H4327) – noun. kind, sometimes a species (usually of animals)
  • YATSA’ (H3318) – verb. to go out, come out, exit, go forth
  • SHELIYSHIY (H7992) – adjective. third, one third, third part, third time

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 7 featuring Genesis 1:11-13 – Seed-bearing Herbs and Fruit Trees, Reproducing After Like Kind.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in 3-Grass, Seed-Yielding Herbs, Fruit Trees, Bible Academy, Creation | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101-6 The Dry Land & Gathering of Water Called Earth and Seas

Posted on 08/10/2018 by Messyanic

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,
and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth [Land];
and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas:
and God saw that it was good.
(Genesis 1:9-10 KJV [revision mine])

From Session 6 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • QAVAH (H6960) – verb. 1) to wait, look for, hope, expect; 2) to collect, bind together
  • L’E/EL (H413) – preposition. to, toward, unto (of motion)
  • MAQOM/MEQOMAH (H4725) – noun. standing place, place
  • YABBASAH (H3004) – noun. dry land, dry ground
  • MIQVEH (H4723) – noun. 1) hope; 2) collection, collected mass
  • YAM (H3220) – noun. sea

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 6 featuring Genesis 1:9-10 – The Dry Land and Gathering of Water Called Earth & Seas.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in 3-Land and Seas, Bible Academy, Creation | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101-5 The Firmament Called Heaven

Posted on 08/03/2018 by Messyanic

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven.
And the evening and the morning were
[And there was evening and there was morning] – the second day.
(Genesis 1:6-8 KJV [revision mine])

From Session 5 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • RAQIYA’ (H7549) – noun. extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament
  • TAVEK (H8432) – noun. midst, middle
  • ‘ASAH (H6213) – verb. 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make, 2) (Piel) to press, squeeze
  • ‘ASHER (H834) – 1) (relative participle) 1a) which, who 1b) that which; 2) (conjunction) 2a) that (in object clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if
  • MIN/MINNIY/MINNEY (H4480) – from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than (preposition); 2) that (conjunction)
  • KEN (H3651) – 1) so, therefore, thus (adverb); 2) right, just, honest, true, veritable (adjective)
  • SHENIY (H8145) – noun, adjective. second

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the Study workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 5 featuring Genesis 1:6-8 – The Firmament Called Heaven.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in 2-Heaven, Bible Academy, Creation | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101-4 The Light and the Darkness Called Day and Night

Posted on 07/27/2018 by Messyanic

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were
[And there was evening and there was morning] – the first day.
(Genesis 1:3-5 KJV [revision mine])

From Session 4 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • AMAR (H559) – verb. to say, speak, utter
  • OR (H216) – noun. light
  • RA’AH (H7200) – verb. to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
  • KIY (H3588) – conjunction. that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
  • TOB (H2896) – 1) good, pleasant, agreeable (adjective); 2) a good thing, benefit, welfare (noun masculine)
  • BADAL (H914) – verb. to divide, separate
  • BEYN (H996) – preposition. between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
  • QARA (H7121) – verb. to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim
  • YOM (H3117) – noun. day, time, year
  • LAYIL/LEYL/LAYELAH (H3915) – noun. night
  • ‘EREB (H6153) – noun. evening, night, sunset
  • BOQER (H1242) – noun. morning, break of day
  • ‘ECHAD (H259) – adjective. one (number)

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 4 featuring Genesis 1:3-5 – The Light and the Darkness Called Day and Night.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in 1-Day and Night, Bible Academy, Creation | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101-3 Earth, Without Form and Void & the Spirit of God

Posted on 07/11/2018 by Messyanic

And the earth [land] was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(Genesis 1:2 KJV [revision mine])

From Session 3 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • HAYAH (H1961) – verb. to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
  • TOHU (H8414) – noun. formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness
  • BOHU (H922) – noun. emptiness, void, waste
  • CHOSHEK (H2822) – noun. darkness, obscurity
  • AL (H5921) – 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against (preposition); 2) because that, because, notwithstanding, although (conjunction)
  • PANIYM (H6440) – noun. face
  • TEHOM (H8415) – noun. deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea
    • HUM (H1949) – verb. to distract, ring again, make a (great) noise, murmur, roar, discomfit, be moved
  • RUACH (H7307) – noun. wind, breath, mind, spirit
  • RACHAPH (H7363) – verb. 1) (Qal) to grow soft, relax; 2) (Piel) to hover
  • MAYIM (H4325) – noun. water, waters

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 3 featuring Genesis 1:2 – Earth, Without Form and Void & the Spirit of God.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in 3-Land and Seas, Bible Academy, Creation, Holy Spirit | 2 Comments

GENESIS 101-2 God, Creator of the Heaven and the Earth

Posted on 07/11/2018 by Messyanic

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth [land].
(Genesis 1:1 KJV [revision mine])

From Session 2 of the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook.

Hebrew Vocabulary Words*

  • RE’SHIYTH (H7225) – noun. first, beginning, best, chief
  • ELOHIYM (H430) – noun. 1) (plural) rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, gods; 2) (plural intensive – singular meaning) god, goddess, godlike one, works or special possessions of God, the (true) God, God
    • EL (H410) – noun. god, god-like one, mighty one
  • BARA (H1254) – verb. 1) to create, shape, form; 2) to be fat
  • SHAMAYIM (H8064) – noun. heaven, heavens, sky
  • ERETS (H776) – noun. land, earth

*Definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.

Suggested Discussion Starters

For those going through the workbook, let’s hear from you.

  1. Share an Aha! moment (something new you learned) from this session.
  2. Share something you’d like to explore further that was sparked through this session.

Feel free to share any other thoughts you might have below regarding Session 2 featuring Genesis 1:1 – God, Creator of the Heaven and the Earth.

See all the session overviews for GENESIS 101.

Posted in Bible Academy, Creation, YHVH Elohim/God | Leave a comment

GENESIS 101 Bible Study Exercises

Posted on 07/11/2018 by Messyanic

The following outlines the exercises used in the GENESIS 101 Bible Study workbook giving their purpose for each:

  • Text Analysis [TA]
    • Hebrew-English Comparison [HEC] – To identify discrepancies between the source text and the English KJV translation.
    • Translation Comparison [TC] – To consider alternate perspectives of the same passage derived from two different source texts. (Masoretic Text [MT] & Septuagint [LXX])
  • Define the Terms [DT]
    • Hebrew Vocabulary Table [HVT] – To see how each word in the source text is defined and to better understand its meaning through consideration of related words.
    • Personal Literal Translation [PLT] – To consider an alternate literal translation.
  • Hebrew Word Usage [HWU]
    • Individual Word Studies [IWS] – To see how each Hebrew word is used elsewhere in the Bible and gain further understanding of its meaning through the context of its usage.
  • Reinforcement Activities [RA]
    • Question & Answer [QA] – To quiz your knowledge of what has been studied in the session.
    • Find & Replace [FR] – To think outside the box and possibly see an alternate perspective.
    • Hebrew Vocabulary Matching [HVM] – To quiz your knowledge of the Hebrew vocabulary words and definitions being studied.
    • Copywork [C] – To help memorize the English text word for word.
  • Personal Takeaway [PT] – To communicate your understanding of the studied text.

For those going through the GENESIS 101 Study Workbook, please tell me:

  1. What was your favorite exercise and why?
  2. What was your least favorite and why?

Thanks!

Posted in Bible Academy, Creation | Leave a comment

Seven Bible Study Tips

Posted on 07/07/2018 by Messyanic

In developing the GENESIS 101 Bible Study Workbook, I shared seven study tips I’ve found over the years that have aided in my personal Biblical studies. Here they are:

  • TIP #1: Suspend your beliefs so as to examine the text objectively.
  • TIP #2: Assume you know nothing about the matter being studied in order to maximize your learning potential.
  • TIP #3: Understand the difference between translated words and defined words.
  • TIP #4: There is no capitalization or punctuation in the Hebrew and Greek texts.
  • TIP #5: Both translations and Bible definitions can be biased, so be wary of this. Remain flexible in your understandings.
  • TIP #6: Words can change their meanings over time. Be careful not to read modern understandings of English words into translated text from centuries ago.
  • TIP #7: Realize words in the source language can sometimes be hidden behind English translations. Don’t assume, investigate.

Got any Bible study tips of your own? Please share them below.

Posted in Bible Academy, Bible Study Sessions | 4 Comments

Misfits Bible Study Session: Hebrews 7:1-11

Posted on 06/20/2018 by Messyanic

This week’s discussion was on Hebrews 7:1-11…

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? (Hebrews 7:1-11)

Visit the Messyanic Zoom Recordings YouTube channel to catch up on previous sessions in this study, and subscribe to be notified directly with each week’s session recording.

To join the study group live for these sessions, find the connection details on our Weekly Bible Study page. We’d love to hear your input.

Posted in Bible Study Sessions, Melchisedec, Video | Leave a comment