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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 15 — to circumcise new believers or not to circumcise, to hassle them on Torah or not to hassle

Acts 15 recounts a “watershed” moment among believers in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) — should believers among the nations be allowed into the assembly of Israel and how. These events didn’t happen in a vacuum. Events from Acts 1–14 — Peter’s encounter with Cornelius and Paul’s first tour of Asia Minor — led to this momentous ruling by the elders. The passage from Amos 9 of restoration of a tabernacle for all believers is important. The Yerushalayim council ruled that we mustn’t “trouble” new believers as they learn Torah.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 15 — Abram’s strange vision of animals cut in half & God as an oven & torch

An important part of the everlasting, single-side, faith-based contract God made with Abram involved this strange and graphic “vision” of animals cut in pieces, scavengers, darkness and God appearing as a smoking oven and a torch. Many scholars explain this away as a common form of ancient deal-making.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 12 — the first promise to Abram

In Genesis 12 we hear God’s great command to Abram “go forth from your country” to establish God’s ambassadorial nation, Israel. We also see the great man of faith, Abram, needed to mature in his faith, as we do.

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Atonement

Romans 6:14 Explained: What Does ‘Not Under Law But Under Grace’ Really Mean?

Question: What is the relationship between law and grace? Some say verse such as the following suggest grace abolishes the Law, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14).

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Appointments With God Tabernacles

Sukkot — a feast full of faith

Day 1 — The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is the third of the special appointments with God in His seventh month. With so much exactness on what is to be offered to God and when, it may surprise you how central faith is in the celebration.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Pentecost/Shavuot Unleavened Bread

From Self-Sufficiency to Spiritual Transformation: Lessons from Matthew 16

Yeast is commonly seen as a symbol for pride, something bad. Why does God command us to not eat leavened bread for seven days after Passover then at Shavuot (Pentecost) command that He be offered two loaves of leavened bread? How is the answer to this paradox found in Yeshua’s cryptic instruction to His disciples to beware of the “yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees”?