Sunday, October 26, 2003 Greetings Brethren, The seventh month came and passed quickly. Yahweh willing we will see the new moon that marks the beginning of the eighth month tonight. The new moon should be visible considering that it is more than 12 degrees from the sun and thirty-four hours old from the conjunction at sunset tonight here in central Missouri. Please send you reports and pictures to New Moon. All new moon reports are available through the "What's New" section on the Paleo Times website. 
Feast of TabernaclesI pray that you had a blessed Feast of Tabernacles. As mentioned previously Laura, the kids, and I kept the Feast of Tabernacles with Yahweh's Assembly in Messiah. It was an awesome feast, one of the biggest that I have been to in my life, almost 300 brethren. Each day was spent with brethren and much of the night time was spent together around campfires. There were so many campfires I don't think I made it to half of them. It is easy to see why in the past kings of Israel would extend the feasts. The thousands of brethren that must have gathered in Jerusalem would have made it nearly impossible to meet everyone. Praise Yahweh for each year that we have. One of the effects of the feast can be found in Psalms 133. Brethren with differences in doctrine came together as brethren in Messiah. Some would say this is a compromise. Discussion of faith is fundamental to our faith brethren and one who follows Yahweh's spirit will have the spirit of discernment to weed these things out. From these discussions came a focus on the perfection of the Saints which doctrinally we all are striving towards. It is a blessing to have so many brethren together. I pray that if you were unable to attend with brethren this year that Yahweh gives you the means to do it next year. Prayer RequestsPlease keep the following brethren in your prayers. They ask that their afflictions be removed by almighty Yahweh and that life changes are found through the love of Messiah. Yahshua has healed many brethren and continues to restore those who are lacking anything. Prayers are answered and promises are kept by our heavenly Father Yahweh. Prayer Requests New additions this month are: Brenda Swafford - husband, Ben, was healed of eye problems through Yahweh Rapha and surgery., James and Trish Bane, Grant Bierman - in search of work., Shannell - is the lost daughter of a Sister., Delisa Boone - sister searching for Yahweh's guidance in her life., Brother Bill - searching for work., Kingsley Ndubuisi OkerekeSister Janice Coffey wrote, "I am healed! My additional mammogram returned okay! Praise Yahweh! Thank you Yahoshua! Glory Halleluyah! I am free!" Praise Yahweh that sister Janice was healed of her affliction. Over the years I have heard from many brethren of their healing through Messiah Yahshua. Our heavenly father delivers us from our afflictions making no burden more than we can bare. Bible RequestsThe Zikarown Say'fer is available through Borders bookstores under ISBN 1-4116-0224-2. You can also order it directly through the publisher at http://www.lulu.com/paleotimes. Here is a short blurb that is used to introduce this version of the scriptures: Zikarown Say'fer, memorial book as in Exodus 17:14, is a version of the Scriptures meant to bring out the ancient language intricacies that have been lost in modern translations. Zikarown is the transliteration of the Hebrew word for memorial or rehearsal. The Scriptures are meant to be rehearsed as instruction for the path to eternal life. Yahweh and Yahshua's names are restored to the text through the Bora Paleo Hebrew font. For more information please refer to http://www.wordofyah.org/scriptures. (709 pages)
One of the most common question refers to the Bora Paleo Hebrew for the Sacred Name rather than an English transliteration. After much consideration before Yahweh the answer presented itself to me through the request of a brother. The problem is that there is much discussion over the pronunciation of the Sacred Name. Rather than demanding that the reader understand the scriptures from my point of view I leave it up the Yahweh's Spirit of discernment to reader. This I believe is what the authors of many ancient scrolls decided. The modern Hebrew block letters were not user either because of the discussion over their origin after the Babylonian exile. I pray that the Zikarown Say'fer is a blessing and that you return the blessing by sending input to Paleo Times about what you have read and researched. Yahweh willing a new version will be available in the spring of 2004 based on the Revised Standard Version. Advanced beta copies of it can be found on http://www.wordofyah.org/scriptures. Articles NeededI have been so busy with the scriptures that I haven't had much time to put together articles lately. Please consider writing for the family of Yah. All of the encouragement you can offer for the brethren in doctrine and morality is a blessing to all who share in it. Send your articles to Newsletter. Pagan HalloweenUsually around this time of the year I start to receive letters from those concerned that I have not given Halloween a fair report. In fact today I received one of these letters from I nice lady expressing that it is the parents' fault that children act up and that they act up seven days a week. Considering all this she didn't understand why I would teach against such an innocent holiday. Let me jump straight to the point; there is nothing innocent about anything that glorifies evil. So in response to this upcoming Halloween tradition attached is an article in discussion of this topic. The history in this article is from secular (easy to obtain) material like encyclopedias and dictionaries. That is not to say that the Celtic origin is the oldest, as Solomon would say, there is nothing new under the sun. Consider sharing this article with others still interested in this holiday. HalloweenCeltic in origin, Halloween celebrates the mid point for the Celts between the autumnal equinox and the beginning of the winter and the New Year celebrated on November 1 st. The Celtic tradition held that demonic possession was most likely on this day so the people that believed this myth dressed in costumes to make themselves look like demons and witches. It was believed that by wearing these costumes the wearer of the costume would be protected against the demonic possession. During this time sweets were offered around bon fires as the participant believed this brought protection.Eventually during the ninth century of the Common Era the Catholic Church proclaimed that November 1 st was "All Saints' Day". In the west "All Saints' Day" is still kept on November 1st as it was instituted by Pope Gregory IV in 837 CE.Considering that Halloween is a festival not found in the scriptures it would be hard to imagine that those who believe in the Heavenly Father participate in such an observance. The fact is that a majority of the Christian world observes Halloween and is resistant to giving it up. Many of the proponents to Halloween defend it as a tradition and not a religious observance. For those proponents I ask if it is just a tradition then why are the original pagan Celtic practices still found in today's observance. Just the costumes alone should be a clue that the origin of dressing as a witch or other satanic figure goes back to the time of when this was done to scare off evil spirits. Unfortunately to the benefit of the proponents of the pagan holiday common sense is not a part of Halloween at all. Adults celebrate Halloween today with parties while their young adults destroy the neighborhood. Needless to say no aspect of Halloween is reflective of the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5 reads, "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law." One example of how Halloween goes against the fruit of the spirit is kindness and goodness; if a trick-or-teater doesn't get the kind of candy they want it is not uncommon for the child to vandalize the person's property. Halloween is contradictory to Galatians 5:22-23. A better match for Halloween would be Galatians 5:19-21 which reads, "19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Yahweh." Halloween resembles exactly the practices that will lead to a person not inheriting the kingdom of Yahweh. Proponents of Halloween rely on their own understanding and have led much of the world astray. Perhaps if the Catholic Church would have never incorporated "All Saints' Day" into their worship we wouldn't hear of Halloween today. With the allure for both adults and children it is doubtful that this Celtic custom would have ever been any different than it is today. For many Christians the acceptance of Halloween by the Catholic Church is like a stamp of approval. You have made a vow that you believe in Yahshua the Messiah and you will follow Him through out your life. It is time to give up on the religion of the world which is sin the result of which is death. Halloween holds no lesson for the believer in truth. 2 John 1:4 I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.
Yahweh Bless, James A. Meyer |
