Hallel Fellowship

Bible readings for fellowship meetings

Hallel Fellowship — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Get a jump on Hallel Fellowship discussions by reading the following Bible passages ahead of [...]

Purim — God loads the purim for His glory

Jeff — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:45:21 +0000

One common smear against God in recent times is that He is “an absentee landlord” or “a blind watchmaker” Who may have set everything in motion but now doesn’t care or doesn’t get involved. Many then blame Him for the evil and suffering that goes on in the world, particularly to those who it appears to us don’t deserve it, such as a dying family member or a starving child. A common slight against the book of Esther is that it doesn't directly mention the name of the LORD, as the other books of the Bible do. However, the clear totality of the account is that He is very much at work in making evil plans turn back upon themselves to bring the promise of a blessing for the whole world — Messiah — through Abraham's descendants. This would happen, even when the promise seemed to have been abandoned along with the people of Israel in [...]

Purim — an interactive condensed drama from the book of Esther

Hallel Fellowship — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:15:20 +0000

Haman tries to convince the king to honor him. (Tammy photo)

Hallel Fellowship celebrated Purim with a fun take on the deadly serious account of the thwarted genocide of the Yehudim (Jews) living in exile in Persia in the fifth century B.C.E.

To follow along with the recorded drama, download Tammy’s condensation of the book [...]

Exodus 6 — God reitereated His call of Moshe, Aharon; Levi, Reuben, Shimon noted as leaders of Israel

Richard — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:45:52 +0000

Try to put yourself into Moses shoes here. His first presentation with Pharaoh doesn’t go very well—just as Moses had told God it wouldn’t. His confidence is even lower now than it was before. Yet God does not change His mind about his call on Moses and [...]

1st Samuel 28-29 part 1 — Sha’ul sought knowledge from God, resorted to a medium when God stopped talking to him

Daniel — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:00:37 +0000

As Saul faced his end, he became so frustrated with God’s silence that he sought out counsel in a way he knew was wrong. David, on the other hand, considered coming back to Israel alongside the Philistine army but is rebuffed just as Saul was rebuffed by God — and [...]

Exodus 4-5 — Moshe returned to Mitsraim with Aharon; Tzipporah does emergency circumcision; Pharaoh rejects the first request for Yisrael to leave

Richard — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:45:47 +0000

Moshe (Moses) returned to Mitsraim (Egypt) and found Aharon (Aaron) was willing to help him accomplish the task God gave him to do. However, Moshe and his wife Tzipporah have a life-and-death confrontation with God first, and she saved them all by quickly circumcising a son. Once Aharon and Moshe set God’s plan into motion, [...]

Acts 21:1–16 — Paul travels from the isles of Asia toward Yerushalayim

Jeff — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:00:33 +0000

Paul is anxious to return to Yerushalayim for the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), but on his way he receives dire warnings of what would face him when he gets there. The events that occur in Yerushalayim start the process of Paul’s journey to [...]

Exodus 1–3 — Moses’ first 40 years

Richard — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:45:26 +0000

The first 80 years of Moses' life are summarized in Exodus 1-3. It starts with his birth in Egypt and the end of chapter 3 tells us about his call to return to Egypt. The rest of the book focuses on the last 40 years of his [...]

Acts 20 — Paul’s third journey continues: A death plot takes him to Asia for a resurrection, tearful farewell to Ephesus

Jeff — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:00:38 +0000

Paul’s third journey through Asia (modern Turkey), Macedonia and Greece continued. After being run out of Ephesus, Paul traveled to Greece through Macedonia. He planned to sail from Greece to Syria, but the discovery of plot on his life prompted a return tour through Macedonia and western Asia (modern Turkey). During the journey, Paul’s prolific preaching made Eutychus “fall asleep in the LORD” literally and euphemistically, but Paul resurrected him. In another city, Paul confided to the elders of Ephesus that he was “innocent of the blood of all men” by fearlessly proclaiming the good news about God’s mercy for Jew and non-Jew through Messiah Yeshua, yet the Spirit was telling him continually that part of completing his task involved “facing the music” in [...]

Genesis 15–28 recap — Vision vs. trance; sons of God, daughters of men, unequal yoking

Richard — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:45:26 +0000

This section of Genesis introduces us to Abraham and his family. We start to see how God communicates His revelation through Abraham’s family (not just the men, but the women as well). We also rediscover how God calls, trains and corrects those He longs to call His sons and [...]

Genesis 4–11 recap

Richard — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:45:01 +0000

This recap of Genesis 4–11 into what happened to mankind right after God had to throw Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and into the time of the flood and the post-flood period. We come to discover that unless we believe the Messiah’s own words that the book of Genesis is real history, we can lose our way. We also need to keep in mind what Messiah said about the book of Genesis (and the differences between people and angels) so we are not led astray by fanciful and even salacious interpretations of how mankind fell away so far that God had to destroy all of mankind (except for one righteous family). A Spirit-filled grounding in the Word of God will help us provide the right answers when those around us ask us about our confidence in God and His [...]

Genesis 1–4 recap

Richard — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:45:11 +0000

Because of a technical error, only part of the discussion was recorded.

1st Samuel 25 — Samuel dies, David marries Abigail

Daniel — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:00:30 +0000

Genesis 50 — Yosef does not take revenge after his father dies

Richard — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:45:53 +0000

Acts 18-19 — teaching Apollos in Ephesus, ‘baptism of Yokhanan’ vs. ‘baptism of the Spirit’

Jeff — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:00:35 +0000

Paul went from Corinth in Greece to Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. In Ephesus, Priscilla, Aquilla and he met Apollos of Alexander, a biblically strong speaker and debater. Apollos becomes a power preacher about the Messiah, and with the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" he and 11 other believers there become complete. In this story we explore the meanings of "baptism of Yokhanan" and "baptism of the [...]

Genesis 49:22–33 — Ya’akov blesses his 12 sons — Ben-Yamin and Yosef; Ya’akov dies

Richard — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:45:26 +0000

We read the prophesies of the last days given to Joseph and Benjamin by Israel, their father. He also gives the final instructions for his burial. He wanted to be buried with his father and [...]

1st Samuel 24 — Saul continues to hunt David; David cuts Saul’s robe

Daniel — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:00:25 +0000

Saul continues to pursue David into En Gedi, a mountainous region on the western shore of what is now called the Dead Sea. Saul thinks he has the upper hand but David is given the opportunity to turn the tables on Saul and deliver himself from Saul’s pursuit, yet David holds back and does not kill Saul. David’s actions fulfilled a prophesy and sent a message to Saul which Saul acknowledged for a [...]

Genesis 49:16–21 — blessings for Dan, Gad, Naphtali, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin

Richard — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:45:36 +0000

We finish this chapter discussing the prophesies related to Dan, Naphtali, Asher, Yosef (Joseph) and Ben-Yamin (Benjamin). If we look at these prophesies as only relevant to the sons of Ya'akov (Jacob), we are missing out on the messianic significance of every one of these [...]

Chanukah — the True Light brings freedom to a world in darkness

Jeff — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:00:19 +0000

Reading John 1:1-14 and chapters 9-10 shows a connection in Messiah Yeshua between the imagery of light and God dwelling among mankind and the festivals of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and Dedication (Chanukah, a.k.a. [...]

Genesis 49:13–21 — blessings for Yisrael’s sons — Reuben, Zebulun, Issachar

Richard — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:45:50 +0000

More than just a list of names, these blessings from Ya'akov/Yisrael are prophesies that will be fulfilled in the last days and give us insight into the mission of the Messiah. For Issachar, it’s a blessing rather than a [...]

Introduction to Chanukah — history and Messianic significance

Daniel — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:00:10 +0000

The story of Chanukah began before Judas Maccabee killed his first Greek, and the culmination didn’t end with him. The events were no surprise to God either. He told the prophet Haggai something spectacular would happen in His temple during the time we now call Chanukah. Today’s talk starts all the way to the days of Darius the Mede and touches us in the 21st [...]

Genesis 49:1-12 — blessings for Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah

Richard — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:45:57 +0000

Many people who read Genesis 49 believe that the prophesies Israel gave to his 12 sons were only about their or their immediate descendants. This is not the case. These prophesies encompass our prophetic future and those of our descendants all the way to the very end of time. Today’s talk focuses on the prophesies given to Israel’s first four sons, culminating with his fourth son, Yehudah (Judah). All 4 of these sons were sons of Leah, the daughter of Laban as well, which gives us an additional insight as [...]

Acts 18:1–22 — Did Paul kiss off the Jews?

Jeff — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:00:44 +0000

Many take Acts 18:6 to mean God gave up on the Jews. Is that what it says in context? If so, why did he take a Nazarite vow after his year and a half in [...]

Genesis 47–48 — Yosef presents his family to Pharaoh, receives double blessing via Ephraim and Manasseh

Richard — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:45:37 +0000

We read more about how the land of Egypt survived the seven-year famine thanks to God’s revelation to Yosef (Joseph) and his stewardship of Pharaoh’s land. Later, Ya'akov (Jacob) gives Yosef his double portion of the blessing vicariously through his two sons, Ephraim and [...]