This week, Ross covers two Torah readings (Nitzavim and Vayelech). The message centers around the return to the covenant. This is an incredible section of the Bible and contains some of the greatest lessons in all of Scripture. Ross begins by digging into the texts that describe the presentation of the covenant. He points out that this is a call to all – past, present and future. He shares his understanding of the meaning of covenant, and then reveals that Israel forsook YHVH and His covenant and that what is required is a “return” to the covenant. “Return to me and I will return to you” declares YHVH to his people. The return of YHVH will only happen after we return to him. Ross works through 9 texts in Deuteronomy that define what that return looks like. Panu derek haAm! Prepare the way of the people. You will not want to miss this teaching.

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The Gates – With Joseph Good
Wednesdays on ARBA4

The Gates Program #213 – Keys to Understanding the Gospels 26

Born Again

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In this week’s class on Torah Reading Ki Tavo, Ross focuses on being a light. He uses texts from the Torah Reading as well as the prophets to remind God’s people of our task to be a light unto the nations. What manner of people should we be? How then should we live before others? You will not want to miss this teaching.

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In this week’s teaching Ross focuses on the subject of War. The Torah reading this week is called Ki Tetze, which means “when you go forth”. The context is war. The Torah reading begins and ends with the subject of war and so Ross first shows that an eternal struggle has been going on from “a generation to a generation” between the “sons of light” and the “sons of darkness”. He seeks to show that the enemies of Yehovah have waged a war against the very throne of Yah. Working through several texts from the Hebrew Bible, he points out the source of this attack as well as the vision of a world where there is no war. What will it take to transform our world to a place where the implements of battle are beaten into farming tools? Could it be that the transformation is up to each of us fulfilling our roles and doing what God has commanded us to do? Listen to this class and share it with others.

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The Gates – With Joseph Good
Wednesdays on ARBA4

The Gates Program #212 – Keys to Understanding the Gospels 25

Yeshua and the Money Changers.

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As a result of the long holiday weekend I have spent a good deal of time thinking of organizational matters.

The truth is, I feel certain that more people will be attracted to our efforts and one must be prepared for “growth”. We are seeing more people joining in every Sabbath. I am also aware that some of you are not at all involved with what we are doing. I would like to think that all of you are joining us every Sabbath or at least downloading the classes and listening later, but i know that this is not the case. I want to enlist many of you to assist me, since I know that within our small group we have much talent that is waiting to be engaged in something worthwhile.

Since forming Roots of Faith I have had great clarity around what the vision is. What is needed is a “fleshing out” of some of the details.

Here are some things that are foundational to what I see as our “mission” and to our path forward.

The Torah and the prophets must be taught to the world. One of the greatest lies of our age, especially among Christians is that the Torah has been abolished, superseded, etc. I believe that every week, we should be reading aloud the Torah and the prophets. I believe that in doing so, the faith of those who hear will be increased and lives will be changed. I think that this needs to be expanded over what we are currently doing. We need more of the same.

We need to find more ways to share the message of the Hebrew Bible. I would like to figure out a way to share more of the Bible’s message. I think that my weekly teaching is unique and I have much more to share than I am currently doing in my one hour lesson every Saturday. I want to do more teaching since in the cycle of Torah readings I rarely have time to branch out into other very important teachings. I have more to say than 1 class every Saturday allows me to say.

Hebrew studies need to continue. Anne and Stephen McLeod as well as my own teacher Johnny have much to offer in this and many of their students are well beyond basic studies at this point. I would love to see the Hebrew Torah Reading Team become more integrated into what we are doing. I have some ideas here. Perhaps we could put together some nice learning tools. I have already written a vocabulary guide for the top 1,000 words. I would like to see this cleaned up and published for distribution to anyone who wants to learn. I would also like to see this material in the form of flash cards, etc. My goals go beyond what I am writing here, but sharing too much at this point might seem a bit overwhelming and so we will leave it here for now.

Charity and giving to those in need is something that is near and dear to my heart. I have always believed that our generosity and help should flow outwards and not inwards to some coffers or to a leadership that wears nice suits and drives fancy cars. I would like to see the development of a special “committee” that would help us establish a fund of sorts that would be used to provide for those less fortunate within our own community. Quite often various religious groups raise funds for far away places and people within their own gates are in need. I am not sure what this will look like, but I think it is essential. There have been examples where I have been approached by members who have asked me to privately pass along help to another while asking me to withhold from the receiver where the help came from. This is an indication to me that (a) this can work, and (b) that maybe my teaching is getting through to people.

Written publications are needed. We have been blessed with many wonderful truths. I see us with many handsome publications on essentials teachings, from charts of the holy days, to calendars (with holy days, and Torah readings), tracts for lack of a better word on subjects such as the Sabbath, the festivals, the dietary laws, etc. Jeff and Teri Peacock have introduced an idea to me of a monthly magazine published on the web (an E-zine). The content would be in line with our overall mission and would be able to be downloaded and printed by anyone with an internet connection and a printer, or read on line. There would be no publication costs per se and the readership potential would be limited only so far as access to the internet is.

I want to correct misinformation. Rather than engage in picking apart what is wrong I want our materials to focus on teaching what is good and right. I am convinced that our mission is to teach the truth and that in doing so we will provide correction, instruction and direction to those who have been led astray. It is far more effective in my mind than spending our time refuting false teaching. This can be a distraction and the teachings will be less clear.

I want to expand our outreach via the web / Internet. I want to use every opportunity provided by our technological advances to spread truth. This includes a better management of SWW, the social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc). I want us to be at the front edge of this field. Churches are using this media to their advantage. We need to do the same. I have not even begun to use YouTube, but see this as a great opportunity. I am thinking that we should begin to do cyber conferences where people can log in and learn without the expense of travel. I, like many of you enjoy seeing others in the flesh, but there are many that can’t afford to make the trip. We have been able to webcast some of our conferences in the past and so this would be an expansion of that.

Musical talent is something that we are blessed with. We have musicians, singers, and songwriters. We need more music that is biblical and doctrinally acceptable. I would love to see albums from our group on iTunes.

As always I want people to be able to learn without money or expense. So far, we have never had to beg for money. If it ever got to that I would close the doors and accept that Yehovah was not with us.

I plan on working on this some more tonight and tomorrow. I would appreciate some help. Does anything that I have said here ring true to any of you?

Within this group is a whole army of talent. Are you doing what you have been gifted to do? Do you have skills and talents that should be used to advance the Kingdom?

I look forward to your responses. Use the contact page or email me.

Shalom, Ross

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In this week’s Torah teaching, Ross teaches on the subject of righteousness and Justice as the foundation of God’s Kingdom. The parsha covers the administration of a government designed by God. Ross teaches on judges, kings and prophets, but then shows that the foundation of all of this is to be built upon two Hebrew words; tzedek and mishpat. He shows how these words are often used together in Scripture. You will not want to miss this class.

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