Jeremiah, chapter 31, verses 31, 34 in the Christian Standard Bible.
Speaker ALook, the days are coming.
Speaker AThis is the Lord's declaration when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
Speaker AThis one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt.
Speaker AMy covenant that they broke, even though I am their master.
Speaker AThe Lord's declaration instead.
Speaker AThis is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days.
Speaker AThe Lord's declaration.
Speaker AI will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts.
Speaker AI will be their God and they will be my people.
Speaker ANo longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them.
Speaker AThis is the Lord's declaration for I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.
Speaker AIn this section of the book of Jeremiah, the author has described the judgment that Israel will face and has faced at this point.
Speaker AHe then begins discussing how the Lord will bring salvation and restoration to his people.
Speaker AAnd in this plan of restoration, the section of scripture we just read serves as an introduction to the new start in Israel's relationship with God and under what's called a new covenant.
Speaker AElder Parker, how might this passage about the new covenant help modern day believers see God in our own times?
Speaker BYeah, this is a beautiful passage.
Speaker BWhat it is.
Speaker BIt's almost reminiscent to when Moses was on the mountain.
Speaker BThe first covenant was broken when the tablets of stone.
Speaker BBut when he went on the mount the second time, he asked God if it's okay if I could see you, let me see your glory.
Speaker BAnd God told him that my glory is too enormous.
Speaker BI can't show you all my glory.
Speaker BBut what he did come and he proclaimed the name of Yahweh to him, and in doing so, proclaiming that his face lit up.
Speaker BAnd then he wrote down the commandments again and gave them to him.
Speaker BAnd in the same way now the commandments are written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker BHebrews speaks of that.
Speaker BRomans also speaks of that.
Speaker BPaul speaks of that even when he says, the Gentiles show the new covenant show by the Holy Spirit when they do things in the law that are that without them having the law, it shows signs of the new covenant.
Speaker BSo the words of the covenant were written with the finger of God.
Speaker BAnd it also shows that it is written through the Holy Spirit.
Speaker BAnd instead now of it being written on tablets of stone, it's actually written in our hearts.
Speaker BThat's why David said, thy word have I hand in thy heart that I might not sin against thee.
Speaker BAnd even Corinthians believe.
Speaker BSecond Corinthians says that oftentimes we read Moses with the veil, but the veil is done away with in the Messiah.
Speaker BIf we look to the Messiah, all things will be clear and all things could be made new.
Speaker BEven Hebrews says he take away the first that he may establish the second.
Speaker AYeah, yeah.
Speaker AIt's good stuff.
Speaker AGood stuff.
Speaker AHey, everybody.
Speaker AWelcome back to the whole Church podcast.
Speaker AWe're doing stuff a little bit out of, out of order for those of you listening watching.
Speaker AIn the time that things get released.
Speaker AThis might not be the first episode after all of the series that we just did with the whole church up here, but this is the first one I get to record afterwards.
Speaker ASo I'm excited to be back to our normal format.
Speaker AThat normal intro music's kind of fun.
Speaker AI miss it.
Speaker ASo we're gonna have a really good one.
Speaker AAnd part of why I'm so excited is, you guys know we used to, like, early on in the show, we did a lot more interviewing people of different traditions who are like pastors of different churches that we weren't familiar with to.
Speaker ATo talk about, like, church unity, diversity in our faith and stuff.
Speaker AWe haven't done that in a while, but thanks to a friend at work, shout Out Courtney, I learned that she was part of a Messianic Jewish community in the Charlotte area.
Speaker AAnd I was like, I want to know more about that.
Speaker AAnd she connected me with her godfather, who is our guest today, Pastor Andre Parker.
Speaker AReally excited to talk to you about Messianic Judaism and its place in the church, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker ASo welcome to the show, man.
Speaker BThanks so much.
Speaker BThank you for having me.
Speaker AYeah, I am.
Speaker ANo, it's my honor.
Speaker AIt's great.
Speaker ASo Elder Lonnie Parker or Pastor Andre?
Speaker AAndre.
Speaker AHe pastors the Faith Temple of Hope.
Speaker AAnd that is in Charlotte, North Carolina, correct?
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AOkay, awesome.
Speaker ASo we're gonna have fun getting into that.
Speaker AYou guys might notice I am without the co host with the most DJ Tabri Someone Blackwell.
Speaker AMaybe it's because you can't have too much coolness in one podcast.
Speaker AAnd he was like, man, Pastor Parker just looks.
Speaker AHe's just too awesome.
Speaker AHe had a bow out for this one.
Speaker ABut he'll be back next week, so I'm going to attempt to do his part.
Speaker ASo you guys know that I struggle with this stuff, but if you will, for tj, do it for tj, check out the Onazole podcast network website.
Speaker AWe have some of the other shows that we're affiliated with over there on there Be Living Water is the name of my other show that used to be dummy for theology.
Speaker ASo if you want to hear more from me, you can go over there.
Speaker ATJ and I are both part of systematic ecology.
Speaker AWe have a new book readers, one that's coming up soon on the networks and maybe a comedy one too.
Speaker ABe checking it out.
Speaker AWe got some new shows that are going to be part of the network soon.
Speaker AAnd if you guys are on the website, you'll be the first ones to know about it and it's going to be cool.
Speaker AAlso, what else do I want to say?
Speaker ARate and review our show on podchaser or Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Speaker AJust something rate, review, comment so that TJ feels happy.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker ANow that out of the way, I have a favorite form of unity.
Speaker AAnd it's a long, strong, important tradition of silliness on our show.
Speaker AWe like to start our show off with a silly question.
Speaker AAnd I made this one kind of a, I guess, kind of an easier one because we got some big topics to talk about today.
Speaker ASo we're gonna start.
Speaker AThe silly question is just real simple and I'll let you decide if you want to answer first.
Speaker AIf you want me to answer first.
Speaker ABut the question is just what's better, a frog or a toad?
Speaker AAnd why?
Speaker BCorrect me if I'm wrong.
Speaker BI think a frog is more closer to water.
Speaker BI hope I have that correct.
Speaker AI think that's right.
Speaker AI'm not 100% sure.
Speaker BAnd I believe their legs are stronger.
Speaker BSo because they're close to the water and their legs are stronger, I would rather be a frog.
Speaker BThat seems more resourceful and they have a better way to get around.
Speaker BSo I think I'd rather be a frog than a toad.
Speaker AYeah, I feel that.
Speaker ASee, the funny thing is like, TJ studied biology in college, so he probably would actually be able to tell us way more about this question.
Speaker BYeah, for me, I'm going sected a frog in school one time.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYears ago.
Speaker AYeah, I don't.
Speaker AI don't know if I ever did a frog.
Speaker AWe did a bunch of fish.
Speaker ABecause I thought I was gonna be a marine biologist.
Speaker BReally?
Speaker ALike my first year in college, I was like, let me take this class.
Speaker AAnd then I went to the lab and I was like, this is not for me.
Speaker BI think one of the coolest trips I've ever been to was the aquarium in Atlanta.
Speaker BYou ever been to the aquarium in Atlanta?
Speaker AI think so.
Speaker BIt is amazing.
Speaker AYeah, man, I know.
Speaker AThere's a few.
Speaker AFew aquariums I really like.
Speaker AOne of my favorites, really weirdly is like the North Carolina Aquarium that's like close to the Wilmington is like off the coast there.
Speaker AOver there.
Speaker AJust because they have an albino gator and it's so cool looking.
Speaker BWhere is that?
Speaker AAh, man, it's near, like, Wilmington.
Speaker AAnd man, why can't I think of it Outer Banks kind of area, I guess.
Speaker BYeah, I would assume so.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AReally cool.
Speaker BI might have to check that out.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AAlbino gators are great.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker ABut I think as far as this.
Speaker BQuestion goes, go up on them in the world.
Speaker AOh, yeah.
Speaker BIf they're not.
Speaker BWhen you can't.
Speaker AWhen they can't get to you on vibes alone, though.
Speaker ABecause I.
Speaker AI just don't know enough to give you like a strong.
Speaker AI think of toad.
Speaker AI'm thinking like the, like, the more earthy ones I see in, like, my front yard and stuff.
Speaker BLike.
Speaker AYeah, they're cool.
Speaker BMore dry.
Speaker AThey give me warts, but I still like them.
Speaker ALike, I like.
Speaker AI just don't want to touch them because I'm like, warts, you know?
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd what's funny is I'm gonna say frogs, but I also don't want to touch frogs.
Speaker ACause the first frogs I think of are like the ones in the zoo where you have like the little poison dart frogs.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ALike from the rainforest because they're so colorful.
Speaker AI'm like, that looks awesome.
Speaker BFrogs have a chance to become princess with the kiss.
Speaker BSo my daughter's.
Speaker BOne of our favorite movies was Princess and the Frog.
Speaker BSo you got to go with frogs.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker APrincess and the Frog is also a good reason.
Speaker AYeah, man.
Speaker AAlthough, let me see, there was a.
Speaker AThere was a book I remember reading that I really liked, but I can't remember.
Speaker ABut it was.
Speaker AIt was about, like, toads and roadkill.
Speaker AAnd it was really funny when I was in middle school.
Speaker AI loved this one.
Speaker ABut anyway, this is not your favorite Anthony being podcast.
Speaker AThis is your favorite church unity podcast.
Speaker AMove on a little bit.
Speaker AOne thing we have seen that really helps with church unity is for people to hear one another's story.
Speaker AYou know, sometimes we have a little hesitation about different people stuff and we hear stories like, oh, that kind of sounds like my story.
Speaker AWe need a little bit of connection there.
Speaker ASo would you mind sharing with us just kind of about your faith journey and how you got to where you are now?
Speaker BSure.
Speaker BSo I grew up as a Pentecostal Church, Apostolic Pentecostal Church, till I would say about 1718.
Speaker BMy aunt, she and my uncle, they had started, began to studying.
Speaker BAnd my uncle saw a passage in Matthew 24 where Christ said, pray that your journey is not in the wind and all in the Sabbath.
Speaker BAnd when he saw that, he inquired about the Sabbath, why would he say the Sabbath and all he always was told it was irrelevant, it was done away with.
Speaker BAnd that made him study more and he got into it more and he decided that he would start keeping the Sabbath.
Speaker BAnd in doing so he broke off, he was same way called Pentecostal Paw.
Speaker BAnd he kind of broke off a little bit and got into that study.
Speaker BAnd so when me and my, we were pretty close.
Speaker BSo she was In Buffalo, New York, I was in Yonkers, New York.
Speaker BAnd that's pretty much about a 600 mile journey.
Speaker B400, about 420 miles, six hours or so.
Speaker BI grew up right outside of New York City in the Bronx.
Speaker BRight outside of New York City, the Bronx, primarily in Yonkers, which is their part.
Speaker BYou can cross the street in Yonkers and go into the Bronx, the next street.
Speaker BAnd so that's where I grew up in.
Speaker BI just would ask my what made you change?
Speaker BWhy do you go to church this day and not that day?
Speaker BHe just said, we believe the Ten Commandments.
Speaker BAnd it made so much sense to me.
Speaker BAnd then in doing that, I would call my uncle, ask him number of questions about the Bible, about his faith and.
Speaker BAnd then simultaneously I was in my own world trying to get out there in the streets, make money, you know, try to have like a philosopher rap career, you know, do a bunch of things like that.
Speaker BAnd at the same time trying to get money, not in the most honest way.
Speaker BSo lo and behold, got about 19, had a bad car accident and I ended up.
Speaker BThat kind of woke me up.
Speaker BMy grandmother, who was so afraid that I would either get killed or arrested, begged and asked my aunt would she take me.
Speaker BBecause that's the only time she ever saw me really being dedicated into the Bible and praying is when I was inquiring about that faith.
Speaker BAnd so she gave me a ticket, sent me up to Buffalo, New York with my aunt and uncle.
Speaker BAnd there I studied under him for well over 20 years, was married, had two wonderful children, beautiful wife.
Speaker BAnd from there we moved to Charlotte and started our own work here.
Speaker BThe city of Charlotte.
Speaker BYeah, it was actually my aunt that actually encouraged me to begin to work start.
Speaker BI won't work here.
Speaker BSo she passed away a Few years back.
Speaker BBut that's what more like, got me into the faith where I'm in now.
Speaker AThat's awesome.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AI'm not sure if Courtney told you, but I have a really bad accident back in 2016.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker AYeah, 2016.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AThat was kind of part of my own story, but almost like the flip side of that, where I was actually.
Speaker AI was really involved in ministry at the time that it happened.
Speaker AUm, and for me, I think the wake up call was really more of a, yeah, I can't do this on my own.
Speaker AThis isn't a me ministry.
Speaker AYou know, it's God ministry.
Speaker BSo it's kind of a.
Speaker AIt's interesting how stuff like that can really.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AReshape your whole course.
Speaker AYeah, my.
Speaker BBecause I was drifting away.
Speaker BMy grandmother, she actually said she was praying one Friday night, I went out with a bunch of friends and she was on her knees praying.
Speaker BShe asked God to shake me up.
Speaker BAnd, you know.
Speaker BCause like I said, I was kind of drifting away a little bit.
Speaker BAnd that's what I got in my accident.
Speaker BSo it was like, who we loves, he chased type thing.
Speaker AYeah, man.
Speaker BThose accidents can really.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AYou carry some of that with you.
Speaker BYeah, without question.
Speaker BWithout question.
Speaker ASo for those who.
Speaker AYou know, I don't know a ton about it myself, but if someone had never heard of Messianic Judaism, how would you describe what it is as far as the tradition?
Speaker BSo Messianic Judaism, primarily a tradition is.
Speaker BOr the belief is that we don't really celebrate Christmas or Easter, any of the days in Leviticus 23, Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, first, last day, the Feast of Shavuot, which is known primarily as Pentecost, but it's Shavuot, meaning it's the first day of this way sheaf.
Speaker BAnd then it's seven weeks you celebrate.
Speaker BAnd then 50 days later, you have another big holy day.
Speaker BEven in Acts where it says the day of Pentecost was fully come.
Speaker BPentecost is just Greek for 50th.
Speaker BAnd so in Leviticus 23, it's called the Feast of Weeks.
Speaker BAnd it's the Day of the first Fruits.
Speaker BSo we celebrate that.
Speaker BWe celebrate the Feast of Trumpets.
Speaker BWe celebrate the feast, the Day of Atonement, not the Feast of Atonement, the Day of Atonement.
Speaker BAnd of course, the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles.
Speaker BAll of those festivals we celebrate in anticipation of the Messiah.
Speaker BAnd we anticipate the return of his kingdom to bring peace of shalom to all mankind.
Speaker BSo that's the tradition.
Speaker BOf course we keep the Sabbath.
Speaker BThere are some variances there.
Speaker BWe, our particular assembly through our faith, we call the name of.
Speaker BWell, we use the name of the Savior that we believe was given to Mary, which is Yeshua, which means Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh's salvation.
Speaker BBecause Matthew 21 says, Thou shall call his name Yahshua, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Speaker BSo that's what the name Yeshua means.
Speaker BSo that's the only name we use.
Speaker BIn any time you look in the Old Testament and you see capital L, O R D, that is, it's substituted for the name Yahweh.
Speaker BVarious forms of translations, whether the first or second.
Speaker BSeptuagint.
Speaker BSeptuagint, they used either they use the name Kurios or they wrote the Tetragrammaton in gold letters or in particular letters.
Speaker BBut eventually they felt that the name was so holy that it shouldn't be written down.
Speaker BSo they use the word curiosity or Lord.
Speaker BThat's why you have Lord in the standard Bible, Old Testament, you read Lord.
Speaker BOr if they quote the Old Testament or if they quote the New Testament, they're quoting the Old Testament.
Speaker BIn the New Testament, you'll see Lord or God.
Speaker BBut we use the name Yahweh whenever we are addressing the Father.
Speaker BThen there are various forms of messianic community, but primarily Messianic Judaism is where we believe that the one known as Christ or Yeshua, he is the Messiah.
Speaker BHe is the Messiah that is prophesied in the Old Covenant.
Speaker BZechariah, Isaiah, Joel, various Old Testament writings, the one that gave his life on the tree and sacrifice himself for us, he is the Messiah.
Speaker BAs opposed to, I would say, Orthodox Judaism, where the belief is that the Messiah has to come and restore Israel, which he will do.
Speaker BWe believe he will do that.
Speaker BBut we, most Orthodox Jews do not believe that the one that was sacrificed is the Messiah.
Speaker BAnd so that's the difference between Messianic Judaism and just generally Judaism.
Speaker BI think it is.
Speaker BSome people say all, in essence, all Jews are Messianic.
Speaker BIt's just a matter of who you think the Messiah is.
Speaker AYeah, yeah.
Speaker ASo you say Yeshua for those, just for our listener's sake.
Speaker AMost, I think, people who are grown up Christian would think of Jesus.
Speaker AJesus's name was actually Yeshua.
Speaker BRight, right.
Speaker AIf you read the Bible in like original language.
Speaker BExactly, yes.
Speaker AJust so they know exactly what we're talking about.
Speaker AOne of the more beautiful things too, when you're talking about, like, the names of God that I've read from Jewish thinkers that I really love.
Speaker AIs that name you talk about, Yahweh, that's translated as Lord.
Speaker AYes, it's written.
Speaker AThe transliteration is like Y H, W H or something.
Speaker ABut, like a lot of old Hebrew teachings will say, it's.
Speaker AIt's.
Speaker AThe name of God is almost like a breath, because, you know, there's no verbs.
Speaker AAnd I'm like, I just love like.
Speaker ALike a breath.
Speaker ALike, that's just.
Speaker BYeah, yeah, it is.
Speaker AThere's a lot of beauty in it.
Speaker BThere's a lot of beauty in it.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BThere's a scripture in Psalms that says he will cause his name to be remembered.
Speaker BAnd whenever you say Hallelujah, you are.
Speaker BYou are saying the first part of his name, Yah.
Speaker BPsalm 68.
Speaker B4 says, Extol him by his name Yah.
Speaker BSo I know you remember in a lot of our holiness churches, we say it's the highest praise.
Speaker BAnd this is why I said that, because it gives praise to the name Yah.
Speaker BSo when we say Hallelujah, it's all praises to Yah.
Speaker BSo, yeah, that is something.
Speaker BIt is a beautiful name.
Speaker BWhen we do say it, we also are very particular.
Speaker BNot that we don't think as many that his name was too holy to say.
Speaker BAnd that's another thing we don't.
Speaker BI know a lot of them from second to Judaism or some of the branches of Judaism often use the name Hashem because they believe that it's too holy to say.
Speaker BSo when they say Hashem, that means the name primarily Hebrew.
Speaker BBut again, we use the name Yahweh.
Speaker BAnd not all Messianic Jews do that.
Speaker BSome Messianic Jews still use the name Hashem, but we in particular use the name Yahweh.
Speaker BAnd we use.
Speaker BAnd we call the name again that was given from Mount Sinai, and we call the name of the Savior that was given from the angel to Mary, Yeshua, before any of the writings or any of the things that caused it to be translated to Jesus.
Speaker BSo one that many people know is Jesus as the Savior.
Speaker BWe call him by the name.
Speaker BWe use the name Yeshua because that's the name that Mary was given from the angel.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AYeah, I like that, too.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker ASo one of the things, like, in our culture at large, we hear the word Christianity, and, you know, most people, maybe even some of our listeners don't hear Judaism.
Speaker ALike, certain assumptions, misconceptions, that kind of stuff kind of get thrown around.
Speaker AA lot of people you know, hear Christian, think, oh, you must be conservative Republican, and you hate these people.
Speaker AOr, you know, a lot of times, just anytime someone hears Jewish, a lot of times they immediately are just thinking of the Zionist Jews.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker AWhat misconceptions do you think you face the most often?
Speaker AAnd how do you address stuff like that?
Speaker BOh, wow.
Speaker BIt is probably when you say you are Jewish, they automatically assume that you don't believe in the Messiah also.
Speaker BThat's one.
Speaker BAlso, if you say you are Jewish, they often look at you.
Speaker BYou know, they look at your ethnicity as well.
Speaker BYou know, you black, Are you Jewish?
Speaker BOr if you are Jewish and black, you're often associated with as.
Speaker BAs a Hebrew Israelite and which is a different faith primarily from ours.
Speaker BI don't know if they consider themselves as, well, Messianic Jews.
Speaker BSo we don't consider ourselves as in that term or from that light.
Speaker BThey have various camps.
Speaker BAnd so Messianic Judaism is not quite that.
Speaker BBut in our line of faith, we primarily believe.
Speaker BThat's probably three of the most misconceptions that we have.
Speaker BOne of those three.
Speaker BYou know, you could pick one of those three, and we hear those three primarily.
Speaker AYeah, yeah.
Speaker AAnd I mean, I found it's interesting even.
Speaker AJust like, even without incorporating Judaism into the title, a lot of Lutherans have misconceptions about Pentecostals.
Speaker AWe have misconceptions about Catholics, misconceptions about.
Speaker AIt's so interesting.
Speaker AEven everyone who believes in Yeshua, we still have all kinds of stuff.
Speaker ALike, we don't even know each other that well.
Speaker AAnd then I'm over here talking about church unity, and I'm like, half of us don't even know anything.
Speaker BRight, right, right.
Speaker B100%.
Speaker B100%.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BI don't have you.
Speaker BDo you feel like you.
Speaker BYou have deconstructed at all at any time?
Speaker AI would say yes from like.
Speaker ALike how you would typically define that.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker ABut also, I'm really careful to use that term, depending on who I'm talking to, because some people think, like, using that means, like, you don't believe anymore.
Speaker AI'm like, no, it means, like, I just kind of reevaluated my blood.
Speaker ASome of the stuff I was like, hey, yeah, this stuff is really solid.
Speaker AAnd some stuff I was like, yes.
Speaker AI'm not sure about that one.
Speaker B100%.
Speaker B100%.
Speaker BThat's where we use it.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BOh, yeah.
Speaker BWithout question, I've deconstructed probably more.
Speaker BProbably more than once.
Speaker BI mean, there's a scripture, I think Paul says, examine yourselves that you may be in the faith, and if not, you might be reprobate.
Speaker BAnd I think everyone owes it to themselves to examine themselves that they are the faith.
Speaker BAnd so I've done that on a number of occasions.
Speaker BAnd that's why in doing that, you get insight from various faiths, get their point of view, and also you look at various things from a historical perspective as well, so that you can understand.
Speaker BYou can understand everyone's point of view.
Speaker BAnd whether it's systematic theology, whether it's understanding, you know what we could.
Speaker BWhat just various forms.
Speaker BI don't want to go too on the deep end.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AYeah, no, that's.
Speaker AIt's interesting for me, a lot of it comes down just kind of like, humility, I guess, because I'm like, if I like just example.
Speaker ALike, if I am like, oh, I totally agree with everything CS Lewis says.
Speaker AIn order to do that, I'm saying JRR Tolkien is wrong about some stuff.
Speaker AI'm like, ooh, I don't know if I like that or like, if I'm going to say I totally agree with Augustine, I'm suddenly saying Orijen and Jarrah and Jerome.
Speaker BExactly.
Speaker AGot some stuff wrong.
Speaker BExactly.
Speaker AI don't like that either.
Speaker ALike, I'm not so, like, I don't know.
Speaker AI don't think I'm so smart to say any of these people were wrong.
Speaker ASo, like, I have to take it all with a little bit of humility.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd then what's.
Speaker AIt's the lion, Paul says, where he's like, I die to myself daily.
Speaker AFor a long time, I just thought I was like, oh, that means humility.
Speaker ANow I'm like, maybe it means like, humility in a sense of like, I actually am willing to observe the stuff that I say I believe every day.
Speaker BIt takes a lot of studying.
Speaker BI would say the main thing to do is to learn the Scripture.
Speaker BAnd if you can learn.
Speaker BIf you can learn it or understand or read the Bible, read the scripture, try to understand as much as possible.
Speaker BAnd then when you have that foundation, then you can kind of make sense of things.
Speaker BIn various past week is that many of the apostolic or the early.
Speaker BThose considered to be the early church Fathers, they didn't agree on a lot of things.
Speaker BAnd we also often use Polycarp and Clement of Rome as the main example.
Speaker BThey argued over Easter and Passover, so they didn't agree.
Speaker BSo you have to prove all things, as the scripture says, and hold fast to that, which is good.
Speaker AOh, yeah.
Speaker AAnd just.
Speaker AYeah, humility.
Speaker AIt's a big thing.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker ASometimes we pass over a little too easily, I think.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker ASo you mentioned earlier a little bit of some of the holidays, some of how you observe the Sabbath, stuff like that.
Speaker AJust kind of.
Speaker AI don't know.
Speaker ASomething I'm curious about when it comes to stuff like the church sacraments, because from what I hear, for the most part, it sounds like one of the big differences is there's the church calendar that people, a lot of people, you have church, Easter, Pentecost, Epiphany Day, stuff like that.
Speaker AAnd then the Hebrew calendar, I guess, would be the correct term of the feast that you mentioned.
Speaker AThe Feast of the Sevens, the Tabernacle, Yom Kippur, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker ASo you guys kind of follow more with the Hebrew calendar, but as far as stuff like the sacraments of baptism, communion, that kind of stuff, or just how services are run, what does that look like?
Speaker AI see you use the term elder.
Speaker ASo I'm like, yeah, okay.
Speaker AWhat does that look like?
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BSo in terms of.
Speaker BSo baptism, we are baptism, we understand.
Speaker BWhat we try to do is.
Speaker BWhat we do is we look at foundation.
Speaker BWhere does it stem from primarily baptism or immersion or mikveh.
Speaker BIt comes from the term mikveh.
Speaker BWhen the priests were ordained.
Speaker BMoses literally watched the priests in front of the people.
Speaker BRead how the.
Speaker BOne of the things that the priests.
Speaker BThat was done for the priests, when they were, for lack of a better term, being ordained and they were being presented to the people, they were washed.
Speaker BSo that's a type of mikveh.
Speaker BIt's a type of traditional Washington.
Speaker BAnd then when you go throughout history, there was always a traditional wash of traditional mikveh.
Speaker BJeremiah mentions that when the scripture says, you have forgotten me, the fountain of living waters.
Speaker BI don't know if you remember reading where Elijah, I believe, told the general, go and wash yourself in the pool, and then when you do, your leprosy will be healed.
Speaker BThat was a type of mikveh.
Speaker BIt's a traditional washing that a lot of our fathers did in Israel.
Speaker BAnd so that is the understanding where John had.
Speaker BWhen John was brought up in the Qumran community, and that was a community with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the recent discoveries of Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran community.
Speaker BWhat they were doing is they incorporated the mikveh tradition as well, because they considered themselves the priests or the original sons of Aaron.
Speaker BAnd they continued that mikveh ritual.
Speaker BThey separated themselves from the temple in Jerusalem, and they wanted to make sure that they were cleansed and purged for the return of the Messiah.
Speaker BThey were anticipating the return of the Messiah.
Speaker BZechariah was part of that community.
Speaker BThat's why he was sacrificing at the time where he was sacrificing.
Speaker BBut he was out in the wilderness.
Speaker BHe wasn't in the temple when Gabriel came to him.
Speaker BHe was part of that community.
Speaker BAnd so John or Yohan and the immersion, he began to have all Israel repent.
Speaker BThat's what he said.
Speaker BThe kingdom of God is at hand.
Speaker BAnd he wanted people to begin to purify themselves, wash themselves as a way to rededicate or purify themselves for the return of the Messiah.
Speaker BIt's a cleansing ritual.
Speaker BAnd so most.
Speaker BI think it's been adopted as a ritual to repent or like a burial.
Speaker BBut the foundation of it was a cleansing ritual.
Speaker BAnd I think Paul.
Speaker BThere's a scripture in Corinthians where Paul says, hey, why baptize the dead if there be no resurrection?
Speaker BBecause there was a tradition that once someone dies, you would cleanse them so that they can.
Speaker BThey would be cleansed in their death in anticipation of the age which is to come, or the resurrection.
Speaker BSo Paul said, hey, why do you mikvah?
Speaker BWhy do you wash or cleanse the dead if there be no resurrection?
Speaker BSo it's a cleansing ritual.
Speaker BSo we look at that.
Speaker BSo we still have the baptism.
Speaker BWe can do a traditional baptism where I, you know, I, you know, as a.
Speaker BAs a priest or a leader or pastor, I can baptize for the remission of sins the way the apostles did.
Speaker BOr we can address it as a cleansing ritual, as a mikveh, as one wants to cleanse themselves from the past or cleanse themselves from.
Speaker BAnd we make sure that we do it the way that the scriptures to do it, in living waters.
Speaker BMeaning that it can't be like a dead, you know, sea or like a pool.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BIt has to be.
Speaker BOr if it is a pool, it has to have a fountain going in and out.
Speaker BYou know, it can't be the same water or like a river or a lake or stream.
Speaker BThat's how the scriptures consider it.
Speaker BLiving water just can't be with things come there.
Speaker BJust still.
Speaker AThat's a really cool, like, physical element to it.
Speaker AI like that.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AWhat about communion?
Speaker AI know a lot of churches, like, that's like the big two for them is like baptism communion.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BSo our communion is the Passover.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AYeah, that makes sense.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BWe don't do it every week.
Speaker BGrowing up In a traditional Pentecostal setting, we would do it once a month.
Speaker BOf course, you did it pretty much, especially around Easter time.
Speaker BI know that in the Catholic churches, it's done pretty much every time you go.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BNow, mega churches, I don't know if you've ever been a megachurch, they hand out the little pieces of crackers and a little bottle.
Speaker BI don't know if it's wine or grape juice.
Speaker AThey shipped it out during COVID Yeah, exactly.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BBut our.
Speaker BWe do it the way it was always done in from Exodus, when the Passover was kept.
Speaker BBut what Yeshua did, it was always celebrated in Yisrael, as it was somewhat like a thanksgiving where it's.
Speaker BYour liberty is celebrated.
Speaker BIt's celebrated.
Speaker BWe celebrate.
Speaker BWhen we left Egypt, we were no longer slaves or bond men or bond women.
Speaker BBut when Yeshua kept it, he broke the normal tradition.
Speaker BAnd when he broke the bread, he said, this is my body now, which was broken for you.
Speaker BAnd he also mentioned, this is the new covenant.
Speaker BHe said, I'm giving to you the new covenant.
Speaker BAnd then he also said that this is my blood, which was shed for you.
Speaker BAnd in John, he made a statement that, hey, if any man eat my flesh and drink my blood, if you don't do that, you'll have no part of me.
Speaker BAnd a lot of his disciples backed away.
Speaker BPeter was the only one saying, hey, we're not going to back away.
Speaker BBut that was a very strange saying.
Speaker BMany people thought that he was getting into cannibalism, but he was actually showing he was the lamb that was slain.
Speaker BAnd so he kind of took the tradition from just in every.
Speaker BNot every day but the annual Passover, where a lamb was eating to celebrate the firstborn dying in Egypt.
Speaker BNow he was telling his apostles, this is for this is now me.
Speaker BSo now whenever you keep Passover, you keep Passover in remembrance of me and not in remembrance of leaving Egypt.
Speaker BAnd so that's part of that new covenant.
Speaker BHe said, this is the new covenant which.
Speaker BAnd this is the blood of the covenant.
Speaker BAnd then in Corinthians, Paul says, hey, that which I received from the Messiah, I'm giving the same to you.
Speaker BThe night that he was betrayed, he took bread and said, this is my body which was given unto you.
Speaker BAnd this is also, in the same way, he took wine and gave thanks over the cup.
Speaker BAnd Christ said, as often as you do.
Speaker BIt didn't say, do it often.
Speaker BSo what we do in that sense is once a year when we take the Passover, that's our Way to show our dedication.
Speaker BThat's our way of showing that we are taking part of the death of Christ, that we may take part in his resurrection.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI've always wanted to participate in a Passover meal, so at some point, I'm gonna go hang out with you guys.
Speaker AYeah, man.
Speaker ASo, okay, this is a little bit of a sidebar, just because I'm curious, because you mentioned some different church fathers and stuff as far as creeds, like the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed.
Speaker ADo you guys ever cite that, or do you recognize those or.
Speaker BYeah, well, I myself don't reason why I don't recognize that, but not the creed stuff like, verbatim.
Speaker BBecause everything we do is we try to do it from the scripture.
Speaker BNot that the creed isn't from the scripture, but if it lines up a scripture.
Speaker BSo I would.
Speaker BWhat we do is we quote the Sheema and the Commandments every week.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BSo hero, Israel, Yahweh, our God is one, and we quote that and then we quote the Ten Commandments.
Speaker BThat's something we do every week.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BBut the creed itself, verbatim, we don't quote that.
Speaker BEverything we do is we.
Speaker BNot.
Speaker BAgain, not that the creed is aligned in the Scripture, but the creed is something that was developed by some of the church fathers also was.
Speaker BCorrect me if I'm wrong.
Speaker BIt was pretty much established in Nicene.
Speaker BAnd too often people credit Constantine and Nicene with the development of the Christian faith.
Speaker BThey even think that he developed the Bible and the Scriptures, but the Scriptures and the Codex, that all was developed hundreds of years, way before Constantine.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker BYeah, interesting.
Speaker BSo we do believe in the apostles themselves.
Speaker BYou know, some people don't believe in the apostles itself, but we believe the apostles is the foundation of the church primarily.
Speaker BI think Christ said that when I return, you'll be with me on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AOkay, cool.
Speaker AWell, I had, man, just a couple more theology stuff.
Speaker AAnd I could probably talk forever, just asking questions, trying to learn.
Speaker AMy brain's like.
Speaker AI'm so curious when it comes to, like, church unity stuff.
Speaker AThere's a couple stuff that I thought you might be able to offer a unique perspective on and just kind of interesting to me a lot of times, especially in more conservative Christian spaces.
Speaker AI'll say one of the areas of debates is kind of over this, like, dispensationalism or covenant theology.
Speaker AI don't know if you've ever heard any of this.
Speaker AThe Church is now the people of God instead of Israel or replaced with the covenant or like the covenant has changed, so now it doesn't just include Israel.
Speaker AOr sometimes people say Israel does still have a special place.
Speaker AThere's all kind of different views on this.
Speaker AHow do you speak into this?
Speaker BI primarily just look to scripture to see what the scripture says.
Speaker BPaul's writing.
Speaker BI don't know if you ever read in Second Peter where it mentions Paul's writings sometimes can be hard to be understood.
Speaker BTwo things that we try to focus on, what we offer teachers, is context and content and the difference between the two.
Speaker BAnd so that's what we try to understand when we look at dispensationalism.
Speaker BI know what is taught and I know what is taught in terms of the doctrine of it, the doctrine of dispensation, the dispensation of grace.
Speaker BBut what I do is separate myself from the teaching of it.
Speaker BAnd look, what does the Scripture say about it and what does it mean?
Speaker BHow is grace dispensed?
Speaker BHow is grace administered?
Speaker BAnd there's a scripture in Hebrews that says that in Sundry times, Hebrews 1 In diverse manners, God spoke to us through the prophets.
Speaker BBut now in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son.
Speaker BAnd so when you read there's a scripture where Paul says the dispensation of grace, how is grace now dispensed?
Speaker BHow is it administered?
Speaker BIt's like the New Covenant.
Speaker BHow was the New Covenant administered?
Speaker BDifferent than the first Covenant.
Speaker BThe difference is it is not written on Tabitha Stone.
Speaker BIt's written on your heart.
Speaker BIt doesn't change from scripture standpoint.
Speaker BIt doesn't change what is written.
Speaker BIt is just administered a different way.
Speaker BAnd so we look at it from the context of scripture and try to separate it from what people have taught and what does the scripture say about it?
Speaker BAnd let's try not to.
Speaker BLet's not look at what has been taught or indoctrinated.
Speaker BLet's find out what the scripture says and let's hold the doctrine of the Scripture and not.
Speaker BLet's make the.
Speaker BLet's make the doctrine.
Speaker BLet's make the scripture the doctrine and not make the doctrine script fit scripture, I guess, for lack of a better term.
Speaker ASo, yeah, just keeping it as close to the Scriptures themselves.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker AThe other one I was curious about, and this is what I just thought of today, really.
Speaker ABut because, you know, I have a friend who's a Southern Baptist and he does this thing and I was like, oh, actually, this is interesting.
Speaker ASo a lot of people, especially, you know, your evangelical Christians, who especially the Ones who believe in like sola scriptura or biblical inerrancy.
Speaker AThat kind of stuff.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker AIn order, from, from my perspective, it feels like in order to justify ignoring some stuff.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker AWhen it comes to like Torah law, they, they divide it up into like there's tradition law, priestly law, and moral laws, and we only have to follow the moral laws.
Speaker AIt's kind of like the idea.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker AAnd I'm probably straw manning this and making it a terrible argument.
Speaker ALike that's just, this is how I perceive what they're saying.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AHow do you respond to stuff like that where they like dividing it up and trying to decide which ones we still follow.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BSo what I often do is when I'm having those conversations is I say, hey, let's go to the scripture and let's try to understand what you're saying.
Speaker BAnd very few people can go to the scripture and really say, okay, this is moral law, this is law you don't have to keep, and this is law you have to keep.
Speaker BThere's a scripture in Romans, New Testament, Paul says, by faith we establish the law.
Speaker BAnd so I often have those conversations, but I don't like to have those conversations outside of scripture.
Speaker BAnd like when we mentioned replacement theology is that the church is now taking the place of Israel.
Speaker BAnd Paul says in Rome was that God has not cast away his people, which he foreknews.
Speaker BMatter of fact, he said, God forbid.
Speaker BAnd there are scriptures in Psalms that said, if I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my left hand or my right hand forget its cunningness.
Speaker BSo Paul says on a number of occasions, God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew.
Speaker BIf anything, he is promoting them to jealousy.
Speaker BAnd I think what happens is we don't know or we don't, we're not taught the purpose of the church.
Speaker BFirst, what is the church number one and what is the purpose of it?
Speaker BWhat is the ministry of reconciliation?
Speaker BWhat does it mean to reconcile the world or the age?
Speaker BWhat does it mean to reconcile the age back to God?
Speaker BWhat does it mean when Revelation says, hey, I saw thrones and those that were beheaded were given to.
Speaker BTo them?
Speaker BOr if, if Israel was replaced?
Speaker BWhy did Christ tell the apostles, hey, you are going to be with me on 12 Thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Speaker BWhat does that mean?
Speaker BNow I do understand.
Speaker BI know a lot of people quote the scripture that the kingdom of God has been taken from you and given to a nation that bear more fruits.
Speaker BBut what does that mean?
Speaker BBecause Peter said, you are a holy People, a peculiar people, a holy nation.
Speaker BSo what does that mean?
Speaker BAnd that letter was written to the 12 tribes scattered.
Speaker BSo what is the purpose of the church?
Speaker BIs it to replace Israel or is it to help save Israel?
Speaker BAnd that's some of the questions that we have to ask that we have to go to Scripture for.
Speaker BAnd we can't use time and place or recency bias to determine those things.
Speaker BSo many years we have weaponized the Bible, and we're still doing it.
Speaker BWe weaponized the Bible to suit our own agenda, and that has been going on for centuries.
Speaker AYeah, yeah, well, so with that freaking brain a little bit, and we'll start moving.
Speaker BNo, take your time.
Speaker AActs 15.
Speaker AI think they're trying to figure out, these new Christians, should they do circumcision, what laws do they need to follow?
Speaker AAnd they're like, okay, we're going to come up with these three.
Speaker AAnd it's like abstain from sexual immorality, food offered to idols, I think, and the blood, something like that.
Speaker AA lot of people interpret that as like, these are the only things we need to follow now.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker AHow do you.
Speaker AHow do you deal with that?
Speaker BIf anyone is familiar with understanding Judaism, they have what's called the Noahide laws.
Speaker BThe Noahide laws are what laws that were given to Noah when he came off the ark.
Speaker BAnd there's a rabbinical teaching that says, hey, every man and every woman are to follow the Noahide laws.
Speaker BThe rabbinical teaching states that the law and the Torah was given to the Jews.
Speaker BHowever, the Noah laws were given to all mankind to follow.
Speaker BAnd if anyone was a proselyte, even Christ speaks of proselytes.
Speaker BHow a lot of the Pharisees would go and they would attempt to convert someone to Judaism, which was normal.
Speaker BIt was more common than what people believe.
Speaker BEven in Esther, there was a mass group of people that came over to the Jewish faith after the deliverance of Haman and of Esther.
Speaker BSo there was a mixed multitude that came out.
Speaker BThe rabbinical traditions called it the Edav rev, or the mixed multitude that came out with Yisrael.
Speaker BSo there was something called the Noahite laws.
Speaker BAnd the rabbis, the rabbinical tradition, the Mishnah, still teaches it today.
Speaker BWhat are the Noah high laws?
Speaker BWhat are the things that we give for anyone that wants to come over?
Speaker BIf a Gentile wants to come over and take part in the promise of Abraham, what should they do?
Speaker BDo we have to circumcise them?
Speaker BAnd those were some of the Noahite laws.
Speaker BAnd so what the apostles did, understanding that tradition, they Told them, hey, let them follow the Noahide laws.
Speaker BBut it did not absolve them in the Sabbath.
Speaker BIt did not absolve them in any of the holy days or the festivals.
Speaker BAnd so all that scripture is in Acts 15 was it was mimicking the Noahite laws that the rabbinical tradition of the rabbis did when the proselytes were converted.
Speaker BSo, yeah, it wasn't anything new.
Speaker BJust like, again, Pentecost, most people think that, hey, when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were just hanging out for 50 days, but they were actually keeping the feast of weeks for 49 days.
Speaker BThis is something that Leviticus tells us to do.
Speaker BSeven Sabbaths shall you number.
Speaker BAnd when seven Sabbaths are complete, you shall have a.
Speaker BA holy day.
Speaker BAnd that 50th day.
Speaker BIt's like the year Jubilee.
Speaker BThere's a part in Romans where Paul says, hey, if the root is holy, then the lump is holy.
Speaker BAnd when he says the root is holy, then the lump is holy.
Speaker BWhen he says the root, that are the two wave loaves that the priest brought out on the 50th day, and those were the first fruits.
Speaker BAnd so Paul says, hey, if the root is holy, meaning if that those two loaves of bread which represented something that was holy or presented, or was presented toward the priests, then what it came from was holy.
Speaker BAnd it just means that if the church is considered holy, you have to consider Israel holy, and the church has to come from Israel, or would it be considered holy if it comes from Israel?
Speaker BEven when it says, how can they hear without a preacher?
Speaker BAnd how can they hear here unless he be sent?
Speaker BIf you follow that chapter in its entire context and not just take that part out, it's asking, how can anyone hear unless someone come from Yisrael because the covenant was given to them.
Speaker BI think Paul said that what is the advantage that a Jew has?
Speaker BAnd, well, because they were given the Scriptures.
Speaker BSo that's the advantage.
Speaker BAnd if we are not given the Scriptures, even if a Jew, if Jew does not operate under the Scriptures, there's no difference in them than any other nation.
Speaker BSo I guess that's a lot.
Speaker BI don't.
Speaker BActs 15, primarily, that's those Noah laws based on the Right.
Speaker BIt's the Noahide laws from the Rabbinic tradition.
Speaker BIt wasn't anything new.
Speaker BThey just said, hey, what do we do?
Speaker BBecause they have the Holy Spirit, we heard them speaking our language, and so what do we do going forward?
Speaker BAnd if you read further, they say that Moses is read every week and meaning every Sabbath.
Speaker BSo they were already going to synagogue.
Speaker BThey were already going to worship already, I think.
Speaker BWho was it?
Speaker BThe centurion, which Christ healed.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BThey said, hey, man, he gives to our people, and he gives to our temple.
Speaker BHe's a righteous man.
Speaker BAnd even the first Gentiles that came to Peter and he had the dream.
Speaker BSo oftentimes people go to that scripture, but it lacks context.
Speaker BAnd that's why something that we always try to focus on is content and context.
Speaker BWhat is the content?
Speaker BWhat is it saying?
Speaker BBut what's the context behind it?
Speaker BWhat is the setting of it?
Speaker BAnd that gives us clarity and understanding.
Speaker AYeah, no, that's real interesting.
Speaker AIt's.
Speaker AI have to do more of a study later.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker BYeah, definitely.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AYeah, you're good.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker ASo sorry, just before a little bit, I know you're.
Speaker AYou're getting your light.
Speaker AThere we go.
Speaker ABut.
Speaker AOh, you're good.
Speaker ASo, you know, our show primarily focuses on what we call Christian unity or church unity.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AI'm curious as far as, like, how do you see your faith community here in Charlotte in light of, like, the whole of everyone who's trying to follow after God, you know, especially, you know.
Speaker AYou know, some churches, obviously are going to quote the Creed instead of the Shema.
Speaker AAnd then, you know, you have churches who are going to Jesus or Yeshua or dispensational, you know, all these ideas.
Speaker AAnd yet what Jesus prayed about his followers, he asked God that they be one as he and Father are one.
Speaker ASo it's kind of like, what?
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker ASo how would you say you view your community in light of, like, the whole of the faith?
Speaker BI guess when you say the whole faith, you mean in terms of.
Speaker AI'm trying to be those who are attempting to follow Jagan, because I know that's going to follow especially for yourself, both Jews and Christians.
Speaker AI'm particularly interested in those who follow Yeshua as God.
Speaker ABut.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker BSo there's a scripture in Acts where Paul mentioned that when he met with some of the Jews in Rome when he was in prison, and they said, hey, we want to hear what you have to say.
Speaker BBecause concerning this sex, everybody speaks bad of it.
Speaker BHe was spoken of all the time.
Speaker BAnd so in terms of unity, that was something that Paul always endeavored for.
Speaker BHe said, endeavor to keep the unity of the faith.
Speaker BThat was something that you mentioned in Acts 15.
Speaker BWhere did that come from?
Speaker BOftentimes people think that Paul had his own theology.
Speaker BAnd Paul was clueless because the Jews came to him and said, hey, these guys got to be circumcised.
Speaker BAnd Paul didn't have an answer.
Speaker BHe had no answer.
Speaker BHe didn't develop this doctrine even in Galatians.
Speaker BHe said, hey, when I first heard, I had to go to James and I went to Peter to confirm what I believe.
Speaker BHey, am I preaching right?
Speaker BI don't want my preaching to be in vain.
Speaker BSo in Acts, Acts 15, or I think Acts 14, when they came to him, they said, hey, they have to be circumcised.
Speaker BPaul and Barnabas said, we don't know.
Speaker BAnd they went to Jerusalem and that's when they had the council together between the apostles and the brother James was there.
Speaker BJames was actually, he was the head of the community in Jerusalem.
Speaker BAnd also James is actually credited to be the new head of the Qumran community after Yeshua was resurrected.
Speaker BYeah, so he had a pretty big role there.
Speaker BAnd so he asked them, what do we do?
Speaker BAnd that's when Peter came and said, hey, let me tell you my experience.
Speaker BAnd then once Paul received that doctrine from the 12, and the scripture goes on to say, they gave him the right hand of fellowship, meaning they pretty much gave what's called Shemikah, which means the laying on of the hands, what many people call apostolic succession.
Speaker BThat started from Moses.
Speaker BWhen Moses had the Sanhedrin and he would pray for, he laid hands on them.
Speaker BThat's why Timothy has told stir up the gift that was in you, which was laid on by your mother and by her grandmother before then.
Speaker BBut they really gave Paul, they anointed him, they allowed him to preach to the Gentiles, preach their message, don't preach your own doctrine, don't preach, you know what you want, you know, preach what you have heard here, those things.
Speaker BAnd he even told Timothy, you know, give these to sound men, you know, that can understand the faith.
Speaker BAnd so in understanding the faith, so unity was always something that was strived for.
Speaker BWhat I often say is that we don't have unfortunately the apostles here, we don't have Moses here.
Speaker BAll we have is what was left on record.
Speaker BAnd people paid a great deal.
Speaker BWhen you study how, whether it's the Codex or Codex Sinaiticus or when you study all of the ancient writings, whether it be the Masoretic text or whether it be the scroll of Qumran, whether it just be the manuscripts that so many people wrote copied so that we can have our scriptures today, the enormous price that was paid, that's really the only thing that we have to know.
Speaker BAnd so unity begins with the scriptures.
Speaker BUnity begins with the Word.
Speaker BAnd I think if we all can agree not to use, you know, that that term was solo scriptos.
Speaker BYou know, solo scriptoris.
Speaker BLet the word be the authority.
Speaker BAnd when I say the Word, that's the canon of scripture that we have.
Speaker BNot just the old, not just the new, but also the old.
Speaker BBecause Peter said that the men of old who had the Holy Spirit, they prophesied of the grace that should come to you.
Speaker BWe are built on the foundation of the apostles.
Speaker BExcuse me, Apostles were built on the foundation of the prophets and Christ Yeshua being the cornerstone.
Speaker BSo unity begins with that understanding and that commitment to Scripture.
Speaker BThat's why in that same prayer, when Christ asks for un, he also said, sanctify them by thy word, and thy word is truth.
Speaker BIt was when he said, father, let them be one as we are one.
Speaker BAnd he mentioned that, hey, sanctify them by thy word.
Speaker BThy word is true.
Speaker BAnd that is primarily the determining factor in unity.
Speaker BThere has to be.
Speaker AYeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker ABack to, I guess you say back to the basics.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AYeah, the foundation there.
Speaker AOkay, cool.
Speaker AWell, so before moving on, is there anything that maybe you wish we would have asked that I hadn't got to, or that you just think maybe people would be interested to know about you or your church?
Speaker BNo, no, I think, you know, I think what we try to do, our one thing that we say as a mission statement is that we want to develop a community or develop a culture where someone can come to learn and develop character for the age which is to come.
Speaker BThere is, you know, I think eschatology is.
Speaker BWhat do you say about it?
Speaker BYou know, it's such a broad subject and it's so controversial in so many different ways.
Speaker BVarious people have very different eschatological doctrines and theories, but primarily we want to exercise.
Speaker BWe want to have an environment to create an environment based on the scripture that one can develop character for that age which is to come.
Speaker BYou know, Peter said, the age wherein dwells righteousness.
Speaker AGood stuff, good stuff like that.
Speaker AI like that.
Speaker ASo now we're gonna.
Speaker AWe're gonna get to kind of back to the basics of the show, I guess.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AWe always like to ask everybody before we do our wrap up stuff, if you had to provide just a single tangible action, something practical, that would help better engender unity amongst our faiths.
Speaker AWhat is one practical thing listeners could go do right this second?
Speaker BThis would be tough.
Speaker BBut in Jeremiah 17, Yahweh had told Yisrael, he said, hey, do this for me.
Speaker BTry keeping my Sabbath.
Speaker BHe said, yeah, dedicate yourself to that.
Speaker BHe said, just give me one day a week.
Speaker BDedicate yourself to that.
Speaker BAnd if you could do that, you'll have kings come here.
Speaker BYou won't go away to bondage.
Speaker BYour temple will remain.
Speaker BJust give me that.
Speaker BGive me that dedication.
Speaker BAnd what I would ask if listeners to do and, you know, let every man be persuaded in his own mind.
Speaker BAnd I don't want to convert or indoctrinate someone or put a mandate on it, but if a listener could commit to keeping the Sabbath, what is that about?
Speaker BWhat does it mean?
Speaker BAnd the reason why I say that is because in Scripture, the Sabbath is not buying, it's not selling, it's taking one day, that last day of the week.
Speaker BYou work six days, in the seventh day, you commit to God and you cast all your cares from.
Speaker BNot that you can live any kind of way any other day.
Speaker BYou know, it doesn't mean you can go out, kill still and rob.
Speaker BYeah, you know, six days a week, hopefully.
Speaker BObviously.
Speaker BYeah, right.
Speaker BBut I think if someone can say, hey, I'm going to try this, I'm going to absolve myself from any of my worldly activities.
Speaker BAnd I'm going to come together, whether it be, if you have a group come together, let's study.
Speaker BLet's take this time from sun up to sundown.
Speaker BAnd I want to take this period, and I'm going to give this time totally to God, and I want to study His Word and see if you could gain insight, separate yourself from any worldly commitments and make a commitment to Him.
Speaker BThat would be my plea to.
Speaker BTo any man or woman to do that.
Speaker BThat would be my wish.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker ASo what do you think would happen?
Speaker ALike, what would be the repercussions in the world around us if everyone did that, Just started taking the Sabbath.
Speaker BWell, I know that it would gender a deep respect for the Creator also it would allow you to remember him, because six days he created heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and ceased from all his work.
Speaker BAnd I think he rules four, says that we cease from our works even the way he did from his.
Speaker BAnd so in the keeping of the Sabbath, Scripture says, verily truly, my Sabbath you shall keep.
Speaker BIt's a sign.
Speaker BIt doesn't mean it's like a billboard.
Speaker BIt's a miracle because he that was neither tired nor weary rested and he was refreshed.
Speaker BAnd what it is, it is a spiritual refreshing.
Speaker BIt's not a man's rest.
Speaker BIt's not.
Speaker BGod needed you to get your Rest.
Speaker BIt is a spiritual refreshing.
Speaker BIt's a spiritual restoration.
Speaker BAnd so committing to that, it refreshes your inner man.
Speaker BIt renews your inner man.
Speaker BBecause what you are saying is that I need you, God.
Speaker BI cannot make it on my own.
Speaker BI can't make it on my own.
Speaker BI have.
Speaker BI don't have the means to do it.
Speaker BAll my righteousness is, is filthy rags.
Speaker BAnd what that does.
Speaker BAnd it does what the scripture says.
Speaker BHe will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth.
Speaker BIt doesn't mean that, you know, you'll be rich or, or, you know, but you will be able to rise above any situation that you face because you are committing to God.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AOne might say hallelujah.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker AAwesome.
Speaker AWell, the final thing we do before we wrap up and finish our show, just our God moment segment.
Speaker AWould you like to ask everybody to share a moment they saw God in recently?
Speaker AWhether it's blessing, challenge, whatever.
Speaker AGJ likes to make me go first so that everyone has time to think.
Speaker ASo I guess I'll keep that.
Speaker AI mean, it's been a wild few weeks.
Speaker AIt's hard to really pick one, but I'm gonna do a work related one.
Speaker ANot my direct boss, but like, whoa.
Speaker AI say higher ups, kind of higher up in the company.
Speaker AI had to come by the store that I work at, had to pick up some stuff, and it was interesting.
Speaker AIt was that he doesn't usually work kind of like the Sabbath, but he, he was kind of venting to me because you had to pick stuff up, you had to go work another story to do this stuff.
Speaker AAnd it's just one of those.
Speaker AWere like so often when, when I see this individual, I'm like, we got to work hard.
Speaker AWe got everything in place, you know, because you kind of treat him a little bit different, like, like, oh, he's, he's important.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd then like he's been in me and I'm like, oh, wait, that's right.
Speaker AWe're.
Speaker AWe're all kind of just human.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAt the end of the day, we, I guess we all need a Sabbath.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AMaybe a challenge thing.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BScripture says the Sabbath was made for man, you know, not man for the Sabbath.
Speaker AWhat about you?
Speaker AYou have a moment you've seen God in recently?
Speaker AI'm sorry, do you have a moment that you'd like to share that you've seen God in recently?
Speaker BOh, wow.
Speaker BI wish I could pinpoint a sickle.
Speaker BSomething recent.
Speaker AOr just whenever, whatever feels right.
Speaker BYou know, so not to beat a dead horse.
Speaker BIt's really gonna sound like beating a dead horse.
Speaker BEvery Sabbath.
Speaker BI see him so clear.
Speaker BYeah, because you abide.
Speaker BYou abide in his will.
Speaker BAnd you know you are keeping his word.
Speaker BYou're doing what is written not just in old, but in new.
Speaker BIn Hebrews 4, there remaineth a rest for the people of God.
Speaker BAnd when you look at that Greek word, that word, it doesn't.
Speaker BIt means the.
Speaker BIt means the keeping of the Sabbath.
Speaker BThere's a Rabbi Byers, he says that every Sabbath is.
Speaker BYou are walking into Eternity for 24 hours.
Speaker BSo it is like every week I'm able to.
Speaker BTo see him, see God in him, because we cease from all our works.
Speaker BI think Hebrews 11 says, by faith, Moses kept the Passover he endured by seeing him, who is invisible and unlike.
Speaker BAnd I think that's to highlight what we said initially is that the difference between Messianic Judaism and a Messianic believer is that when we see the Passover and when we see unleavened bread, and when we see the feast of weeks, and when we see the feast of Trumpets, we see God in all of them, and we see his will.
Speaker BHe was sacrificed for us in Passover.
Speaker BHe was the lamb that was slain in his resurrection.
Speaker BHe was.
Speaker BThe Scripture says he died for our sins, but he was raised for our justification.
Speaker BHis resurrection makes us right and complete.
Speaker BHis Holy Spirit empowers us, that we can develop character, that we can.
Speaker BAnd the Holy Spirit is the down payment.
Speaker BI think Paul calls it the earnest of the inheritance, the down payment of eternal life.
Speaker BAnd then the Feast of Trumpets, it is the.
Speaker BIt alerts us and it makes us aware that his kingdom is coming.
Speaker BAnd his kingdom shall have no end.
Speaker BAnd then you have the Yom Kippur, the Day of atonement.
Speaker BIt shows that his kingdom will come and that he is again the lame that was slain and that we have an audience into the most holy place.
Speaker BHebrews says a new and more perfect way.
Speaker BLet us go into the holiness of all having a new and more perfect way, which is his veil, that is his flesh.
Speaker BNow having access.
Speaker BWe have not a high priest.
Speaker BPaul's Hebrew says some people debate whether it's Paul or not, But Hebrews says we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
Speaker BBut in all points he was tempted, as we are, but yet without sin.
Speaker BTherefore, let us go boldly into the throne of grace, that we may find help and.
Speaker BAnd grace in the time of need.
Speaker BThat's Yom Kippur.
Speaker BThat's the day of Atonement.
Speaker BIn the feast of Tabernacle, we see his kingdom which is to come where there is no end.
Speaker BSo, and of course, every Sabbath, those are holy days.
Speaker BSo that's what we see him in.
Speaker BAll also every week we have that opportunity not just to have the church service which we have and we love and we have the singing and the preaching and the ministry, but the community itself.
Speaker BBut we all have ceased from our works and we come together because we have all have made that commitment.
Speaker BWe're ceasing from our work and we are letting God be our provider, Yahweh himself.
Speaker BYeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker ABeautiful stuff, beautiful stuff.
Speaker AI love it.
Speaker AI love it, man.
Speaker AWell, listeners, thank you guys so much for tuning in.
Speaker AThank you, Elder Parker, for your time with us.
Speaker BIt's an honor.
Speaker BI really appreciate, appreciate you having me.
Speaker BThank you so much.
Speaker ANo, I appreciate you for, for joining us.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AAnd again, listeners, consider sharing with friend, enemy, cousin, any of those things that TJ wants you to do, do them.
Speaker AIf you're listening to our show on Spotify, you can go ahead and you can actually leave a one time tip on the player or on the website there.
Speaker ASo if you want to support us, but you're not really into like the subscriptions, that kind of stuff or like Patreon, you just leave a one time tip there if you wanted to.
Speaker AAgain, I mentioned some of the other shows on podcast network.
Speaker AI'll mention again.
Speaker AWell, actually let me mention the homily that's my pastor's sermons.
Speaker AIf you want to hear some of Pastor Will preaching, you do that there.
Speaker AWe also have my seminary Life on there with Brandon Knight talking about stuff that he should have learned in seminary Christian.
Speaker AAshley does let nothing move you.
Speaker ASo if you like all the scripture talk, that's his whole gig.
Speaker ASo check that show out too.
Speaker AWe hope you enjoyed this show.
Speaker ANext week we're gonna be talking with Kendall Vanderslice about her book Bake and the church's history with bread and some recipes that we tried from her book.
Speaker ASo it's gonna be a lot of fun.
Speaker AAfter that, we're gonna have Brandon Robertson on to discuss his work as a progressive Christian author, pastor and Bible scholar.
Speaker AThen after that, we will have on Dr.
Speaker ABruce Epperly to discuss charismatic movements and the need for church to both believe in the power of the spirit and also the accepting love of God.
Speaker AFinally, at the end of season one, Francis Chan will be on maybe, perhaps if someone tells him or invites him or, or something because we won't yeah.
Speaker ATill next time.