Paleo Times January 2002 Newsletter

Greetings Brethren,

Are we worthy to inherit the kingdom of Yahweh? Talking to a brother today he brought up the point that we are a family of believers with many prejudices. We each have different standards by which we consider calling others like believers but we have to be careful in this judgement.

What is the line by which we are brethren? It often ends up that an individual makes this decision based on the beliefs that they hold as fundamental to what they believe. Many organizations publish documents stating the foundation or fundamentals of their beliefs. What does this mean then; if you don't agree with the fundamentals you are not a brother or sister? Also does this mean that all other issues are not "salvation issues"?

I doubt that any man or group of men can hope to achieve a statement that says if you agree with this then you will have salvation. Chiefly you will find many quality summaries but in the end you find that the points are usually just what the organization is focused on teaching. Yahshua stated that the foundation of the scriptures could be summarized into two principles.

Yahshua said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)

These two commandments or precepts are the basis for all other laws and teachings from the prophets. First, we are to love Yahweh with all our heart. If we love Yahweh then we keep all that he commands us. Second, we are to love our neighbor or our brother as our self. If we love our brethren then we will not sin against them. Are there really any issues that are not salvation issues? Some things that do not have anything to do with our keeping of written precepts point to our values. Does this mean that our brethren are all going to live up to these commands? The answer is really are we able to live up to these precepts?

When pointing fingers we miss the many problems that we have. We maybe able to justify our intentions in our minds well enough to be satisfied but will it satisfy Yahweh. Yahshua's example was that he was able to go to the sinner. Yahshua did as we are to do. He shared with the sinner what He observed. We are not perfect like Yahshua so we have to be willing to accept that this sharing really goes both ways. This is not a game it is salvation. If we love Yahweh and our brother then we will not keep our mouth shut when it comes to salvation. We all need each others help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

There is a certain point where an issue is so decisive that disfellowship is necessary but if the problem is not communicated properly disfellowship is really not effective. The whole goal of disfellowship is to force brethren into repentance because they will not listen to reason. But without really telling the person the problem we then become the problem. This is all incredibly difficult because it is not human nature to really go out of our box.

Let's return to the original question of worthiness to inherit the Kingdom of Yahweh. Our prejudices get in the way of many things. We must do all we can to keep them from interfering with our goal of salvation. Yahshua likened this to becoming as a child.

Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of Yahweh as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

I have children who when they were young would play with any child who wanted to play. As they get older they learn that not all the kids are cool so they segment into groups of children. Children learn there prejudices from their peers. Shouldn't we learn from our peer Yahshua the Messiah?

It may not be that simple to a mature adult or so it is understood but those who strive to serve Yahweh are our brethren. This means that we are held responsible for our actions towards others. Yahweh's calling isn't restricted to the type of people we associate with the easiest. So let's put Yahweh first in our worship and keep in mind that we are all of one mind it is the prejudices that have become divisional.

May we bless Yahweh every day in our actions and thoughts. Halleluyah!

Yahweh Bless,

James Meyer

Please keep the following brethren and sisters in your prayers: Carl and Cheryl Meyer, Tad Bennethum, Terri Krebs, Pam and Jim White, Ronald Ritz Family, Aida Parker - Aida is unable to keep any food down and is very frail, Hans Frederiksen Ayala, Daniel Neal, Cindy Nevling, Connie Fazzi - Connie is a new believer in unbelieving household. She needs protection to study and keep the commandments of Yah., Isaac Jr. Muankim Hnamte, Joan Hoffman, Howard Eisenhauer, Rhonda Harris, Larry Green, Inez Gholar - Inez has suffered from a head injury and has been having blackouts., Amanda Boyd, Roger Norman and Family - Suzy, Roger's wife, passed away January 1st at 8:30PM., Cindy Hogman, Ella Gadson and Family, Joseph Gray, Clementina and Julian Slabu, Pam and (Baby Elijah) Berthume, Roselia Ross, Caleb and Seth Thompson, Walter Hoffman, Thelma Howard, Carrie McCall - has fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and is also bi-polar manic-depressive and hasn't been able to work since last August., Vivienne Martin, Vin Sanders, Norma and Clem Daulton - Norma is living with RSDA in her hand, wrist, and shoulder which is extremely painful. Clem's lower back and the two nerves that were pinched still give him a great deal of trouble., Shirley Smith, Margie Weaver, Pat and Irene May - Irene has been suffering a series of heart attacks, and each time the doctors just change the medication which is not helping. Pat has been very dependant on his wife, because he is also a heart patient, and has lost a leg with thrombosis., George W. Parks, Kevin Kelsey, John Clements, Keith Simmons, Ron Larson, Glenda Bolinsky, Samuel and Tina Ndoumbe, Nyasha Kerurah Rasyth And Mykal Rasyth, Carol Sedney, Nina McCord, Tom (Mordecai) and JoAnne Mitchell and sons Ariel and Ethan, John and Adriana Dupus, Joe Marshall, Freda Petersen, Jeff and Tammi Wilson, Anita Garbes, and the many others striving to be better servants of Yahweh through Yahshua the Messiah.

The last New Moon was seen on January 14th by brethren across the US and in the Caribbean. The New Moon was not seen in Jerusalem on January 14th due to cloud cover. The next New Moon will most likely be seen February 13th. Please look for this up coming New Moon and send us your report. We will share them with brethren around the world through the Paleo Times weekly email update. You can email your report to newmoon@paleotimes.org or call 573-896-8090.

If you have not already requested a calendar or received one through the mail you have the option of printing it from the internet or requesting one to be sent to your mailing address. Online at http://www.paleotimes.org/2002BCInst.htm are instructions for printing the calendar on your printer. If you would like to have a calendar sent to your mailing address please send a note or email requesting one.

The following compositions are articles and short stories submitted by brethren and sisters to edify the Assembly. If you have written a composition that you would like included please submit it through email or postal mail.

Whenever your kids are out of control you can take comfort from the thought that even 'Yahweh's' omnipotence did not extend to His children.

After creating heaven and earth, Yahweh created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He said to them was:

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," Yahweh said.

"Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit?

Hey, Eve...we got forbidden fruit!"

"No way!"

"Yes, WAY!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said Yahweh.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your Father and I said so!" said Yahweh, wondering why He hadn't stopped after making the elephants. A few minutes later Yah saw the kids taking an apple break and was angry.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" the First Parent asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not!"

"DID so!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them Yahweh's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and has never changed. But there is reassurance in this story. If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give them wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be too hard on yourself. If Yahweh has trouble handling children what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

-taken from the internet Fun Pages-

the Name has been changed to promote the Truth

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

It is according to the measure of the power, which is at work within us that He does "exceedingly abundant above what we ask or think".

From our own observation and from the inference of this verse, it seems that not everyone experiences the " the exceeding abundant". Yahshua Himself experienced the fullest measure of the "exceeding abundant". The apostles (Yahshua's disciples) walking in His footsteps also demonstrated a fair measure. But there is a significant difference in the demonstration of that "power that worketh in us" compared to these Biblical examples. The power itself is the same, but the work done is not the same. It is like electricity in homes. All homes are supplied with the same potential power, but the electrical work done, varies from house to house. Some homes may not use their electricity at all, while others may only use 10-watt bulbs for lighting and can barely see. At the other end of spectrum however are those who use the maximum wattages of bulbs and have a well-lit house. Still on the subject of electricity, some may put the power to work in many electrical gadgets and appliances and get much work accomplished, while others may be content to use non-electric devices and get very little work done. Once again both types of people have the same power, yet each achieve a different level of production. The occupants of each house determine the use made of, or the work done by, the same electrical power. So too we can limit the output of spiritual power in our lives. Another illustration of the "power working in us" would be our nutritional (calorific) power. If it were possible to find a dozen persons with identical energy levels, we would still find a disparity in production levels from perhaps nil to excellent, depending on the extent to which their energy is channelled into productive avenues.

It is therefore apparent that it is not only the power we have that finally matters, but also the use made of it. This concept is repeated under many different guises throughout the Bible. In the parable of the talent the one who did not use what he had been given is cast into outer darkness. He thought he had done a good thing by merely preserving in a dormant state that which he had been given. But the master was angry that he had failed to put that power to work. The potential power in a seed will not be manifested unless it is planted (put to work). Yahshua put it another way when He said "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more". Luke 12:48

Why Does Yahweh Invest His Power in us?

Psalms 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them for His name's sake that He might make His mighty power to be known.

Yahweh wants His inherent Almighty power to shine and work wonders in the entire world, that many who are 'blind' may see. But first we must put that power to work. Power that lays dormant is as good as no power. James 2:26 tells us: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead". We often admire the power that was displayed in Bible heroes without understanding one thing, and it is this: if those warriors did not put their trust in Yahweh to work, they would not have won such admiration throughout the ages. David without the confrontation with Goliath would have been just another ordinary cowardly Israelite. The Hebrew boys without the fiery furnace would not have convinced Nebuchadnezzar that their Mighty One could deliver. It was because Daniel was prepared to put His trust in Yahweh to work, even in a den of lions, that he is recorded among the faith warriors of the Bible.

The question to us is: "What have we done with the talent of time, of energy, of money, of Yahweh's power, of salvation, of our qualifications and skills, of our job or profession, of our influence......? Whatever we have been given, has been given to us so that we can use it and multiply it. If as in the parable we bury it, it will be just as if we never had it. If on the other hand we put it to good use, it will be multiplied and the "exceeding abundant" will be evident in our lives. Everything that Yahweh has given us is a power-packed seed capable of multiplying into countless seeds that we and others will see and know Yahweh's Almighty power is the same as it has always been and will ever be! We have that power within us but it is through no fault of the power that it is not used. When we put faith to work we are increasing our capacity to receive more. The more we put to work, the more we receive. The more we receive and put to work, the more will be added to us. The unending spiral of the "exceeding abundant" would have begun, and Yahweh's name and power would have been glorified in us! But we must start to use what we have from where we are at. Don't try raising the dead, when you have never exercised your faith in trusting Yahweh to cure a common cold! "According to your faith, be it unto you".

by Buel Hallpike

Rabbis have argued about when to begin the count to the Feast of Weeks since ancient times. It was a major difference in interpretation of certain verses of scripture between the Sadducees and Pharisees during the Temple period. The interpretation which was used seems dependent upon whomever was in power. The surviving rabbinic oral traditions, which were formalized in the Third Century, seem principally those of the Pharisees.

While the oral traditions provide insight not available elsewhere, they can never be put on the same level as written scripture. Other ancient sources about counting to the Feast of Weeks such as Josephus (37 - 100 A.D.), only record temple practice current at the time.