Jesus In Your Home Bytesize

Byte139.Healthy Home Fellowship Indicators

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:36:42 -0700

This is the last installment in our Bytesize series. We share facets that you should be looking for if your home fellowship is healthy from our Father's point of view. After all, we're here to do His will and bring Him all the glory, aren't we?

Byte138.Live For Jesus: Fight The Good Fight (Part 3)

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:26:12 -0700

A home that remains repentant is a spiritually powerful home. God promises to answer the prayers of the repentant, and this makes your family very effective in extending His Kingdom in you neighborhood, workplace, and school.

Byte137.Live For Jesus: Fight The Good Fight (Part 2)

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:29:15 -0700

It's important that your own life and that of your fellowship family be led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one you must turn to in order to both know the will of God and the power to obey it. The noticeable working of the Holy Spirit in each of you is your guarantee that you truly belong to Jesus.

Byte136.Live For Jesus: Fight The Good Fight (Part 1)

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:06:40 -0700

Our goal as followers of Jesus is to bless all people by the way we live, and to bring as many who will come to heaven with us.

Byte135.Be God's Blessing (Part 2)

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:01:17 -0700

Our God despises selfishness. Everything we have is to be held with open hands. Hospitality is one of those resources we can give easily, and having others into your home is one of the best ways to affirm them.

Byte134.Be God's Blessing (Part 1)

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:22:55 -0700

To be God's blessing to others we must have a humble heart, that's focused on serving others, with the intent of bringing glory to our Father.

Byte133.Communally Raising Godly Generations

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:07:30 -0700

The responsibility of any generation is to prepare succeeding generations to prosper in the faith — to live a life pleasing to our Lord. Unlike today, where parents are singularly responsible for their children, our Lord requires this task to be accomplished by extended spiritual family.

Byte132.Value the Children in Your Fellowship

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:13:20 -0700

The Bible tells us not to despise children. Children are not second class citizens in the Kingdom of God. In fact, their angels see the face of God. And, we're told that if we don't become like children we can never see the Kingdom. It's important, especially for men, that they let the children be role models of the trusting character that our Lord requires of us.

Byte131.Suggestions For Your Home Fellowship (Part 3)

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:57:56 -0700

No one in God's Kingdom is to be pre-eminent above others. Those that lead are to be the servants of the flock God has entrusted to them. Whenever you allow anyone to control your fellowship, you'll only quench and grieve the Holy Spirit.

Byte130.Suggestions For Your Home Fellowship (Part 2)

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:31:10 -0700

Your weekly gathering is a gathering of spiritual family who are committed to each other. It is not a time for a garbage dump of people' problems, nor is it a group therapy session. The nature of the fellowship means frequent contact during the week to help each other as the problem arises.

Byte129.Suggestions For Your Home Fellowship (Part 1)

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:34:12 -0700

No two fellowships are alike. Depending on the spiritual gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit, each fellowship serves a different purpose in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus. Gathering are the meeting together of spiritual family, not a religious service. "When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the called out ones" (1 Corinthians 14:26).

Byte128.The Role of Older Women

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:37:37 -0700

The older women today can help the younger ones study and apply Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3, Proverbs 31 and
all the other passages that deal with women. With this kind of scriptural guidance shared in relational love, each woman can incorporate the specific areas of application that God is prompting in her spirit.

Byte127.God's Shepherds Must Know How to Cull

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:18:45 -0700

a shepherd who has the Father’s heart must be: • persevering enough to keep on searching. • loving enough to sacrifice comfort and energy to rescue his sheep. • merciful enough to bind up their wounds and nurture them to recovery. • discerning enough to know which ones to cull for the good of the rest. • just enough to impartially care for them all.

Byte126.Upholding Righteousness: Spiritual Triage

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:51:12 -0700

In order to uphold God’s Holiness, a spiritual leader must e x e rcise spiritual triage. Triage sorts people into one of three categories. 1. Spiritually Healthy; 2. Spiritually Wo u n d e d; 3. Spiritually Dead. The first two groups are worthy of his time. The spiritually dead will only sap his time and energy.

Byte125.A Shepherd Must Be A Gatekeeper

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:07:15 -0700

A shepherd of a fellowship of families is a gatekeeper. He's responsible to keep out wolves in sheep’s clothing and anything else that might destroy your fellowship or hinder your prayers.

Byte124.Constant Vigilance: Guard The Sheep

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:10:45 -0700

A biblical shepherd is a man who knows the Lord, who is sure of the truth, and who is courageous enough to stand firm in the face of ungodly opposition.

Byte123.Flying In Formation (Part 2)

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:23:54 -0700

All who would follow Jesus must develop the important character quality of deference. Deference gives the honor due someone. Deference is an attitude of heart that keeps you from offending those who have authority over you. Heart deference stirs in you a joyful willingness to fulfill your responsibilities to those to whom deference is due.

Byte122.Flying In Formation (Part 1)

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:23:28 -0700

The earliest Church was patriarchal. Members were accustomed to seeking counsel and direction from the elders. Their faith communities operated like formations of military aircraft, led by elders who were affiliated with each other through relationships.

Byte121.Shepherds Guide Their Flock To The Father (Part 2)

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:51:39 -0700

The role of a wise shepherd is analogous to a radar operator who guides an aircraft to a safe landing. The shepherd's knowledge of our heavenly Father (the airfield), and that of the people in his care (the aircraft) is what enables him to help them grow closer in their relationship with the Father.

Byte120.Shepherds Guide Their Flock To The Father (Part 1)

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:56:52 -0700

A shepherd helps guard the flock from drifting off either side of the path through the Narrow Gate. On one side is legalistic perversion, an inner motive to gain God’s love through obedience, or to feel justified by obedience. The other side off the path is “greasy grace,” perceiving God’s grace as a license to sin: “They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord ” (Jude 4).

Byte119. Elders Have Our Father's Larger View

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:33:20 -0700

Like a father with his children, spiritual shepherds see beyond the immediate needs to the larger purpose God has for their faith communities. Training up the flock in to care for each other is vital for growth in maturity, for reaching the lost for the Kingdom, and for developing new gatherings.

Byte118.An Elder Role Models The Character of Jesus

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:30:01 -0700

A elder’s sacrificial attitude of seeking God’s will displays a depth of humility, love and dependence that reveals the character of Jesus in him. It is from the character of Christ in him that a man who shepherds others can help them become more like their Lord.

Byte117.Shepherding: Importance of Proximity & Accessibility

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:02:54 -0700

A home fellowship that gathers on a neighborhood basis provides the proximity needed for relational responsibility through more frequent spontaneous contact. Sociologists define a neighborhood in the U.S. as the distance covered in a five-minute walk from your house, or the radius of a quarter mile. Contact with each other should ideally be relatively convenient rather than a strain.

Byte116.Sheperding Requires A Father's Heart

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:10:29 -0700

A leader who has a shepherd’s heart, which is really akin to our Father’s heart, can readily discern the training and preparation his flock needs to succeed him. Human beings require that same loving concern by mature men who represent the Father’s heart. Without diligent care, people are bent on their own destruction.

Byte115.Qualifications For The Father's Shepherds

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:46:39 -0700

A man addressed as a zaken or Sage is a gray-headed, older, wise man or elder or shepherd, revered for his judgments and sought for guidance and understanding. Proven leadership was key for the men of Israel who wished to be elders. The Hebrew word for elder, zaken (zah’-ken), connoted men who had proven themselves worth following. Over the course of their lives these men exhibited servant-like character qualities that took into consideration the welfare of others.

Byte114.No Clergy In Your Home Fellowship

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:54:54 -0700

There was no “clergy class” in the earliest Church. There were only the zakens, the older men shepherded the faith communities. The theologians of the Reformation were aware of this that God’s way of governing His people was the restoration of biblical elders in a collegial form of service. Yet, they obstinately continued the pattern of clergy hierarchy which had been adopted from the pagan Greeks.

Byte113.Our Father's Shepherds

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:41:53 -0700

The shepherd (pastor) is an older man who has truly tasted our Father’s mercy through forgiveness. And this understanding is what enables him to represent our Father in caring for His children with compassion. God’s goal for spiritual shepherds:
• unity of faith in the Body of Christ
• development of mature believers
• becoming like Jesus.

Byte112.Authority And Leadership In A Home Fellowship

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:20:02 -0600

Proven wisdom and leadership were key for the men of Israel who aspired to be elders. The Hebrew word for elder, zaken (zah-KEN), connoted men who had evidenced they were worth following. Over the course of their lives these men learned to exhibit servant-like character qualities that took into consideration the welfare of others within their family, clan and tribe.

Byte110.The Lasting Fruit of the People Movement Approach

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:33 -0600

“The People Movement Approach” recognizes that God created man with avery specific need for relational connectedness. Our Lord made very clear how extended relational connectedness could be used to bring the Good News of His salvation covenant to all the nations of the world. The “People Movement Approach” in missions over the centuries has demonstrated that people become genuine followers of Jesus when a Christ-ward movement takes place within their extended relationships.

Byte111.Respect Relational Connectedness

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:54:54 -0600

Everything about our God is relational, beginning with our Covenant union with Him to our fellowship with each other. This principle of interconnection carries forth in our outreach to an unbelieving world. Relational and extended relational connectedness is the primary way we can fulfill our Lord’s command, “going and making disciples.”

Byte109.Kingdom Living: Living Purposefully For The King

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:04:54 -0600

Jesus spent the vast majority of His earthly time with the “sinners” of His day! Following in His steps means sharing life-giving truth with sinners by coming alongside them. The first followers of Christ understood their Kingdom responsibility as a passionate involvement in love-motivated service to Him and to humanity. In this light, how are you purposefully and lovingly advancing the Kingdom of God? Would our Lord perceive in you a blatant disobedience in your disregard for advancing His Kingdom?

Byte108.Kingdom Living: What Would Jesus Do?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:39:28 -0600

James exhorts each of us to “show [your] faith by what [you] do” (2:18). This outworking of a loving faith takes time, the commodity people seem to treasure most and have at their discretion the least. The choices to be made in the use of your daily twenty-four hours can seem staggering unless you ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”—then abide by the answer the His Spirit reveals.

Byte107.Kingdom Living: Requires A Humble Heart

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:01:39 -0600

Are You Humble? Our Lord presents us with a remarkable character quality to emulate, given that He is the King of the universe: “TakeMy yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Can we be peacefully yoked with Jesus as Lord of our lives if we aren’t gentle and humble in heart ourselves? NO!!!

Byte106.Kingdom Living: Nurtured In Your Home

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:48:27 -0600

KINGDOM living has all to do with your attitudes, your motives, and your decisions. Simply put, The KINGDOM is the reign of Jesus in your heart, and that of your family. As a parent you must help your family develop the character and motivation of Jesus Himself, ensuring it becomes your way of life.

Byte105.Doing The Will of God Is NOT Optional

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:28:53 -0600

Our Lord Jesus defines His family, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother” (see Mark 3:31-35). His true family are those who will be welcomed into heaven. Think about it! As a follower of Jesus, it’s vital that you understand that the goals of the world are COMPLETELY OPPOSITE His.

Byte104.A Kingdom Person Is "Born Again"

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:04:00 -0600

Would you describe yourself as “Kingdom person”, or a “churched person”? To be born again in spirit as a Kingdom person is a shift from institutionalized religion and its obligatory practices to a life journey of personal intimacy with our Father in the Lordship of King Jesus.

Byte103.Being The Blessing Of Abraham

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:43:05 -0600

Many Christians today regard the Holy Spirit’s awesome anointing of the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2) as the inauguration of the Church. Our Father, however, intended this event to be the bridge to connect the blessing of all peoples which He gave to Abraham with the obedient and loving service of Gentiles who, by their trust in His Son Jesus, would become His blessing.

Byte102.Load-bearing Relationships (Part 2)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:03:36 -0600

Load-bearing provides Christ-like support for others as you trust Jesus together and rely on Him to transform the character of each of you. The one you’re coming alongside feels cared for, and his dignity as our Father’s child is upheld as you serve him in His love.
You first learn to bear the load within your own home. Then you learn to bear the load of others as a natural part of your way of life in Christ. No one is born with a motive to serve others by bearing their load. This is an ongoing process all throughout your life, nurtured and deepened by those who role-model loving service within your faith family.

Byte101.Load-bearing Relationships (Part 1)

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:17:54 -0600

When you uphold communal righteousness within your home and family, you’re bearing the load of your extended spiritual family in the most loving way you can. You are purposing that you and your household will walk as our Lord wants you to, and will repent when you stumble so that nothing will hinder our Father from answering your extended family’s prayers.

Byte100.Influence of the Righteous Breeds Courage

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:19:06 -0600

The true line of demarcation in Christendom is between the repentant and unrepentant. The line of Kingdom relationship is between the righteous and the unrighteous. God’s Word teaches: Righteous relationships spur believers on to greater love, courage and service for our Lord.

Byte99.Confront Sin In Your Fellowship

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:26:16 -0600

Our Father has called His children to collectively and cooperatively to do battle on the front line of spiritual warfare. Those who tolerate sin because they fear the repercussion a confrontation might bring are choosing unrighteousness rather than obedient trust.
Because of the influence the fearful have on others, sin will continue to be overlooked. For the sake of everyone in your family of faith, both the fearful as well as the person continuing in sin need to be confronted and brought to repentance, or removed.
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Byte98. Communal Righteousness (Part 2)

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:16:19 -0600

As an extension of your home, your home fellowship is your relational support to help you uphold personal and communal righteousness in your own home. Remember, the goal of your pilgrimage with Jesus is to personally and communally reflect the character of Jesus, and to bear lasting fruit in Him. True ministry within a home fellowship finds load-bearing believers encouraging each other as they wholeheartedly trust God together. Authentic spiritual family is one Christ-follower helping another to lovingly trust the Lord in all circumstances, and to fulfill the purposes He has prepared (Ephesians 2:10).

Byte97. Communal Righteousness (Part 1)

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:56:10 -0600

As an extension of your home, your home fellowship is your relational support to help you uphold personal and communal righteousness in your own home. Families and individuals who upheld communal righteousness by living righteously and repenting when they sinned would gather together to share fellowship with those who were also committed to walking uprightly in their devotion to Jesus. When you uphold communal righteousness within your home and family, you’re bearing the load of your extended spiritual family in the most loving way you can.

Byte96. Extended Spiritual Family Living Righteously

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:45:55 -0600

All of the faith practices seen in the Newer Testament were already part of the faith enactment of our Hebraic forefathers. Those who walked in love-grounded obedient trust in our Lord fulfilled four primary purposes as they gathered in homes as extended spiritual family:
1. To uphold communal righteousness.
2. To provide support in load-bearing relationships.
3. To prepare succeeding generations to follow Jesus.
4. To multiply through actively sharing the Gospel by word and deed.

Byte95.To Live In The Kingdom, You Must Leave Sodom

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:51:24 -0600

Much of western Christendom today with over 38,000 varied expressions is a result of the Sodom Factor. Religious
forms and practices produce a self-satisfied complacency that resists or resents change. By contrast, intimate Covenant union with God is characterized by ongoing repentance and loving, obedient trust that yearns to be transformed into Christ’s likeness, and serve His purposes.
Religious programs and rituals can mask over tolerated sin and are well able to function outside a Covenant relationship. That this is evident is testified to by the presence of anyone, no matter what their spiritual condition, occupying a pew on any given Sunday. Since no criteria for righteousness before a holy God are either established or respected, the Sodom Factor that caters to the flesh through soulish “worship” predominates.

Byte94.Being God's Blessing To Others (Part 2)

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:13:46 -0600

For the followers of Jesus our world revolves around our Lord: loving and serving Him, trusting and pleasing Him, keeping His commands, and bringing our Father glory. Our focus on Him and His purposes and on our love for others draws us outside ourselves. In fact, being centered on our relationship with God and looking to the interests of others indicates that we are true followers of Jesus.

Byte93.Being God's Blessing To Others (Part 1)

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:48:43 -0600

A key expression of load-bearing is when you actively seek, plan and execute ways to bless others in your home and your home fellowship family. Looking to creatively bless those around you, particularly your spiritual family whom you personally know so well, demonstrates that your heart is filled with gratefulness for all that God has done for you and in you and through you.
It’s within the fertile soil of loving relationships that you can truly discern needs that you can fill in accordance with our Lord’s will.

Byte92.Biblical Backdrop To Hebraic Home Fellowships

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:02:04 -0600

The earliest followers of Jesus who walked in love-grounded obedient trust in our Lord fulfilled four primary purposes as they gathered in homes as extended spiritual family:
1. To uphold communal righteousness.
2. To provide support in load-bearing relationships.
3. To prepare succeeding generations to follow Jesus.
4. To multiply through actively sharing the Gospel by word and deed.

Within these four broad purposes were several factors that distinguished a Hebraic home fellowship. Here are a few:
• They were primarily concerned with living a way of life that glorified our Father and reflected the work of the Spirit of Christ within.
• They earnestly trusted God for answered prayers, the kind that yielded powerful testimonies.
• They put into practice biblical authority through wise elders.
• They experienced intergenerational connectedness as followers of all ages gathered together.
• Their gathering times, corporate as well as among a few, were both scheduled and spontaneous.
• They shared God’s heart to bring the Good News of a New Covenant in Jesus to those yet to follow Him.

Byte91.Introducing Hebraic Home Fellowships (Part 2)

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:42:18 -0600

The terms “home church”, “fellowship in homes”, “home groups”, and “cells churches” may have an entirely different meaning for you than what our Hebraic forefathers understood. It’s important that you have clarity of understanding in the terms we’ll be using. From the Hebraic perspective, understanding means more than fact acquisition. It’s a determination to apply to your life that which has penetrated your heart and mind.
Those within the Hebraic home fellowship family share a relational responsibility both to God and to one another that is far deeper than the casual approach of most home gatherings today. You’ll be learning to reprioritize your relationships and to realign your purposes for fellowship according to the biblical pattern.

Byte90.Introducing Hebraic Home Fellowships (Part 1)

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:14:53 -0600

Those in a Hebraic home fellowship share a relational responsibility both to God and to one another that is far deeper than the casual approach of most home gatherings today. You’ll be learning to reprioritize your relationships and to realign your purposes for fellowship according to the biblical pattern.
As you’ll see: The Hebraic home fellowship supports both the individual and the family as extended spiritual family. For the vast majority of you, this one facet alone of relational responsibility will require significant change in your priorities!

Byte89.Recapping What We've Shared For Your Home

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:22:49 -0600

As our Father’s stipulations are engrained in your children as a way of life, they will increasingly understand the ongoing relational union He desires with them. Then they’ll be able to discern the outcome-based perspective of false gospels: “getting saved” with no commitment to a lifelong journey of love-grounded, obedient trust in Jesus.
You’re responsible to role model for your children our Lord’s process of being set apart for holiness. They need to both know and be prepared for the life changes that embracing the Covenant entail. This isn’t a season to be casual!

Emphasize for them the life-long transformation process of sanctification. Engraft into their hearts that embracing the true Gospel that is offered by our Father starts them on a pilgrimage that will transform them into increasing Christ-likeness. At journey’s end, they’ll then find themselves welcomed at the Judgment Throne with their parents if they endure in trust (2 Timothy 2:12).

Byte88.Be Parents Who Understand The Times

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:53:35 -0700

You need to be parents who understand the times we are living in. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is
that you recognize the particular times in which you’re raising your family.
Scripture informs us that certain men of Issachar’s tribe “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). You too need spiritual discernment because we’re living in
times in which people are being encouraged to give way to their sin nature. God’s Word demonstrates that when a nation gets to such a state of darkness, He WILL take action.

Byte87.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 7)

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:53:20 -0700

The Bible warns about motivations that serve only your own interests. Ambition is an earnest desire for some type of achievement that’s accompanied by the willingness to strive to attain it. Ambition in itself is not wrong, but the focus of your ambition may be. Selfish ambition cares only about yourself and your own interests. You’re blinded to the concerns or needs of others. You’re convinced that your particular future goal will be worth whatever else you have to set aside in the present to reach it.

Byte86.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 6)

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:06:33 -0600

True learning in which your child takes ownership of a certain value requires discussion and guided trial and error. You must allow your children to make mistakes—to err within limits—so that they may discover and take ownership of their own values.

Byte85.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 5)

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:39:31 -0600

If parents provide no sturdy stake of guidance according to the way that child should be prepared for his life’s work, then he’ll fill that void with his own response to the world’s enticement. That which appeals to his sin nature or to the values of his peers will lead him toward ambitions that have painful consequences.
The Hebrew word for work and worship is the same: avodah [ah-voe-DAH]. A person who finds satisfaction in his or her work is much more likely to be grateful to God than one who grumbles in dissatisfaction.

Byte84.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 4)

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:37:34 -0600

“Train a child in the way he should go [the way his personality and ambitions are bent], and when he is old he will not
turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Our Hebraic forefathers recognized this proverb called for them to know each of their children thoroughly. Then they could effectively guide him or her to fulfill godly ambitions according to the way God designed that child.

Byte83.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 3)

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:32:28 -0600

The honor given to a parent required of a child comes from a heart of deference that purposes to follow through in obedience. You’ll know that the character trait of deference is growing in your children when they:
• Avoid choices and decisions that would offend or disappoint you.
• Fulfill their responsibilities with a willing heart rather than as a burden of obligation.
• Humbly honor and esteem those who have a right to it.
Deference must be instilled through your instruction and correction. As deference grows in a child’s heart, the influence of their sin nature diminishes.

Byte81.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 1)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:13:09 -0600

The Bible tells us to “Train a child in the way he should go [the way his personality and ambitions are bent], and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). One of the most important things you can instill in your child is "The Gospel of the Coveannt is the Pilgrimage to Salvation", so that he or she may embrace a life pleasing to God.

Byte82.Guide Your Child's Ambition (Part 2)

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:41:49 -0600

Help your children understand how paramount it is for them to have forgiving hearts. Bitterness and unforgiveness bait the most widespread trap of Satan, and so many who claim to be “Christian” but are fruitless in their walk are ensnared.
Jesus warned soberly against the evil of unforgiveness and the barrier it raises against being forgiven by our Father. Your children need to know that:
• To hold on to unforgiveness is to place yourself on par with God by refusing to submit to His command.
• To refuse to forgive discredits God’s sovereignty over the events in your life and the people who hurt you.
• Unforgiveness creates spiritual blindness that evidences distrust in Jesus as Lord.
• Clinging to unforgiveness keeps you from receiving our Father’s Cove-nant of forgiveness in His Son’s blood.

Byte80.How To Descend The Funnel (Part 3)

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:17:08 -0600

Through role modeling and testimony, let your children appreciate the power of answered prayer when a person has been cleansed of all unrighteousness:
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops (James 5:16,18).

Byte79.How To Descend The Funnel (Part 2)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:54:14 -0600

One of the important goals of early believers was to have their prayers answered. Why? Because answered prayer resulted in wonderful testimonies to our Father’s faithfulness! Their answered prayers got their trust in Jesus noticed by those who had yet to believe. This is a crucial faith component for your children to see in your own home—answered prayer.

Byte78.How To Descend The Funnel (Part 1)

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:11:57 -0600

As early as they can grasp it, children need to be taught to identify the intimate connection between repentance and confession. When they confess a sin, whether it’s through attitude or action, they’re acknowledging from their heart that you’ve violated God’s righteous commands. Help them clearly understand that when they confess, they’re agreeing with God’s perspective that they’ve sinned and need to turn from it to restore fellowship.
They need to be reminded of the painful consequence if they hold onto their sin and refuse to repent:
Their Father in heaven will not hear their prayers.

Byte77.Children, Destined For Eternity (Part 2)

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:47:32 -0600

Children are not inherently “good”, nor will they seek out God on their own if He’s of no real importance to you on a day to day loving-dependence basis. At your child’s birth you’re given the privilege and the responsibility to guide your child down one of two eternal destinations. Godly parenting uses whatever correction is necessary to assist a child to resist his sin nature and develop Christ-like character.

Byte76.Children, Destined For Eternity (Part 1)

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:08:07 -0600

At conception something far greater occurs than just a sperm uniting with an egg. A pilgrimage to eternity is set in motion. That developing embryo who is your child receives:
1. A spirit from God that will ultimately spend eternity either with Him in heaven or apart from Him in hell.
2. A soul from you (his parents) that encompasses his mind, will and emotions as well as his sin nature.
3. A body with the genetic traits of you, his parents.
This is how our Lord sees every child who is conceived, and this is how parents need to understand conception.

Byte75.Developing Successors: An Intergenerational Responsibility

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:26:37 -0600

Two key factors in particular stand out in raising godly generations: the intergenerational context of responsibility, and the due diligence needed to impress God’s commands on the succeeding generations. The crown of any generation is the grandchildren they produce. The true reflection of any generation’s influence is their grandchildren. This is why grandparents need to be involved the spiritual and moral development of their families in order to offer their grandchildren the advantage of their wisdom.

Byte74.Success Without Successors Is Failure

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:59:43 -0600

Abraham was specifically chosen by God because He could entrust to him a vital responsibility: to raise successors in his faith walk (Genesis 18:19). God knew that Abraham would role model for and instruct his children and all who dwelled with him in the way of the Lord. God wants His people to be diligent about the spiritual inheritance we leave to succeeding generations. He desires that each generation “bring up [their children] in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Byte73.Godly Generations Are Produced By Godly Parents

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:21:48 -0600

One of God’s vital goals for marriage: raising godly generations. To do this we need to go back to our father in the faith, Abraham. God specifically selected Abraham because “he [would] direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD” (Genesis 18:19). The way of the Lord connotes a life journey of obedient trust that aligns itself with the commands of God.

Byte72.Are You An Ezer?

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:10:13 -0600

After God created Adam He realized that it wasn’t good for him to be without an appropriate life partner, an ezer. The Hebrew word for a suitable helper means that a wife completes her husband in those areas that are weaker. A wife's role in “completing” her husband is to determine from our Father what he needs so that she can fulfill this and please both him and my Lord by working toward a harmonious relationship!

Byte71.Call Him "Lord??"

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:09:03 -0600

“Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Peter 3:6,NAS). The same Greek word that describes our relationship with Jesus as Lord is the word Peter uses in regard to a husband being called “lord” by his wife. It connotes “wielding authority for the good of others.” Doesn’t that show you just how serious our Father is about His design of headship for our husbands?

Byte70.Dont' Give Way To Fear

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:27:52 -0600

Fearful of change, a resistant wife digs in her heels like a toddler and refuses to move into uncharted territory with her husband. Like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19), when a man takes a courageous step of obedience forward, where is his wife, his life partner?
Too often she’s looking back at what might change to disrupt the carefully orchestrated schedules and activities she thinks are holding her family together. Without realizing it, many women turn into immovable “pillars of salt.”
Each of us was born into a fallen state thanks to the disobedience of our first parents. But don’t let that propensity to step off our Lord’s path keep you looking back over your shoulder in doubt and fear! Your husband is an imperfect person. But so are you and I!
Don’t think that by holding onto a catalogue of his past failures you’ll be blessed for resisting our Father’s strategy of your husband’s headship. Only your repentance and God’s grace will help you let go of that record of his wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). And, that’s the call of the Spirit’s love!
If you’re fearful to trust the work Jesus is doing between you and your husband, you’re telling Him that His redemptive power to cleanse and to heal is ineffectual as far as your marriage is concerned. Is THAT what you really believe about Jesus?

Byte69.Wives, Don't Step In Unwisely

Fri, 29 May 2009 06:48:57 -0600

A wife needs to be wise and know when God is calling her to rest quietly in Him so that He can bring corrective pressure to bear on her husband. A woman who take matters into their own hands bring down unintended consequences upon their homes.

Byte68.Parents Can Be A Hindrance

Mon, 25 May 2009 05:32:19 -0600

When problems arise in your marriage as you learn to walk as one in step with the Spirit, your parents can be an obstacle if they take sides or meddle. There is a loving and responsible role of wisdom that parents can play in their children’s marriage. But if they step in too soon to make themselves the third leg of the marriage stool, they’re hindering the mutual dependence a couple needs to develop when ripples disturb their domestic pond.
Unwise intervention of parents can take the shape of listening to only one side of a situation and forming conclusions without first listening to both parties. Perhaps the rash of divorce in the Christian community has been prompted in part by meddling mothers in particular who have urged their unhappy daughters to flee their marriages.

Byte67.Counsel For The Ezer—Introduction

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:46:57 -0600

The role of a wife, an ezer [EH-zer] or companion/helper suitable for him, is more encompassing than that of her husband. In a sense a marriage is much like a tree. Jesus is the root, a husband is the tree trunk, and a wife is the many branches.
• A trunk without branches is a telephone pole, sturdy but fruitless.
• Branches without a trunk are a bush vulnerable to predators.
• And a tree without roots is dead.
We’ve often seen something wonderful happen if your husband is either wise or a peti, a teachable man: If he sees the negative effect his wrong life choices have on you, his love will compel him to do anything he can to change.
If your husband is a hardened, mocking, or God-denying fool, he’ll resist change. You’ll need to fast and cry out to God on his behalf.

Byte66.Know Your Spiritual Gifts And Use Them

Mon, 18 May 2009 05:40:00 -0600

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good... All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines” (1 Corinthians 12:7,11).
Often tensions in a marriage can be brought about by failure to understand the different spiritual gifts of each spouse. We wrote our book, God’s Instruments For War: Discovering and Coordinating Spiritual Gifts as Weapons of Warfare, with that issue in mind: to help people walk day by day in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Byte65.Let Your Love Evidence Your Faith

Thu, 14 May 2009 05:19:49 -0600

Agape love doesn’t mean that you give the one you love whatever they desire. Rather, because of the depth of your concern for your beloved’s ultimate well-being, you meet their true need. This is the kind of love our heavenly Father proved to mankind when He sent His only Son to pay the penalty for our depraved sinfulness (see John 3:16).
The ultimate test of agape love comes when we face persecution or mistreatment. Our natural tendency would be to defend ourselves or even retaliate. But the way of Jesus’ love is strikingly different: “Love [agape] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
There is no way we can conjure up this kind of love on our own. We must humble ourselves to receive His agape as we repent and turn to Him through Jesus in trust, for only God has such unselfish love. Only our Lord and our King can fill us with the grace to fulfill His command to love.

Byte64.Choose Orthopraxy; Avoid Orthodoxy

Mon, 11 May 2009 07:25:04 -0600

To truly follow Jesus, we need to focus on the biblical importance of “orthopraxy.” Orthopraxy may be defined as the way our love for Jesus is expressed in the enactment of our lives. Orthopraxy causes us to regard life and people more and more from the perspective of God’s loving kindness and moves us to act
in accordance with His love.

Byte63.Cherish Correction

Fri, 08 May 2009 03:38:52 -0600

The degree to which you embrace the position of authority your parents had in your character development is the degree to which you’ll either accept or fear correction all throughout your life.
Those who don’t see God using their parents in their character development will hold ill feelings or begrudging bitterness against them. Afterwards, any form of correction from anyone will always be perceived as rejection.

Byte62.Confront Sources Of Apprehension

Tue, 05 May 2009 05:10:39 -0600

Confrontation is not synonymous with conflict. Biblical confrontation enables a detrimental situation to be changed for the better, and offers a gamut of approaches from discussion to correction or admonition.
Biblical confrontation is God’s way to remove apprehension.
The goals and processes involved in confrontation are redemptive. In other words, you confront whatever is hindering you from experiencing the type of relationship our Father desires. The aim is to remove the hindrance, not attack the other person or prove you’re right.
Conflict, on the other hand, is related to discord and hostility. Conflict entails a “win-lose” element in which one person must be the victor while the other goes down in defeat.

Byte61.Godly Submission Is A Matter Of Choice

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:36:35 -0600

A significant influence in your character change into Christ's likeness is directly related to:
• Your response to the authorities over you, both past and present.
• The completeness of these authorities to instill godly character in you.
Our Father knows what you lack. Your solution? Yield in cooperation with His Spirit as He uses authorities and other means to help you be more like Jesus.

Byte60.God's Way To Produce Biblical Character

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:23:40 -0600

Someone once described character as who you are when no one is looking. The Greek word for character means “minting a coin”. An image is impressed on the coin, an image that anyone can recognize.
Character flows out of your motive. It’s not the behavior—your outward actions —but your motive for doing them that defines good character. Why you do what you do reveals your character.

Byte59.Deference To Authority Produces Trust

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:18:07 -0600

The most critical aspects of authority for a follower of Jesus is the relationship of authority to deference, character and trust in God. Heart deference stirs in you a joyful willingness to fulfill your responsibilities to those to whom deference is due.
• Deference is shown when you avoid choices and decisions that would offend those in authority over you.
• Deference causes you to fulfill your responsibilities with a willing heart rather than as a burden of obligation.
• Deference is linked with humility, imparting honor and esteem to those who have a right to them.

Byte58.Maintaining Peace: Making Wise Decisions

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:03:07 -0600

Our Lord planned that wives and husbands discuss in their home the issues that involve making wise decisions that will affect the family. Coming up with sound input that she’s gleaned through prayer and research is a vital element of a wife’s role as a beneficial helper and companion to her husband. Within his jurisdictional boundaries a man is expected to consider all available counsel, especially his wife’s, and ultimately develop wise decisions.
A truly wise person seeks the wisdom from others who have experience in a particular situation: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22; see also Proverbs 11:14, 24:6). As it pertains to family matters a wise husband will seek the counsel of his wife and sometimes everyone else his decision might effect.
This is a cardinal rule of a wise leader:
Before making a decision,
solicit the input of everyone your decision will affect. This practice
contributes both to a wise solution and to the morale of those involved.

You aren’t looking for everyone to vote on the matter. Rather, you are seeking wise input.

Byte57.Bad-mouthing Undermines Authority

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:56:41 -0600

If you follow Jesus, deference to authority and trust in God are inseparable. Rebellion surfaces more in response to authority figures than toward anyone else. Bad-mouthing those in authority over you is rebellious and insubordinate because God has placed them there.

Byte56.Authority Has Jurisdictional Limits

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:37:16 -0600

To our Hebraic forefathers, to cross a jurisdictional line made you a meddler.
Poking your nose where it doesn’t belong has worse consequences than you may think: “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own” (Proverbs 26:17). Peter also warns, “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler” (1 Peter 4:15).
Many Christians readily meddle in affairs God has forbidden them in His Word. This is a result of failing to understand the biblical nature of jurisdiction.
The proper function of authority embodies a jurisdictional limit or boun-dary. Within his jurisdiction the person in authority has specific responsibilities and a defined framework in which to operate.
For instance, the authority of a parent is limited to his or her household, not to others in the neighborhood. A policeman in Colorado can’t arrest someone in New Mexico. The President of the United States has no authority in France. This seems obvious, doesn’t it?

Byte55.Authority: Give No Excuses, Blame No One

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:03:49 -0600

The blame game initiated by Adam and Eve has detrimentally impacted mankind far more deeply than most are aware of. On the surface the pattern seems simple: The man blames his wife in order to avoid the sure consequences, and she follows his lead and blames the serpent.
But consider what our first parents didn’t do. They didn’t take responsibility for their actions, proving that their relationship with their loving yet holy Creator had been undermined. Through Adam’s irresponsible refusal to admit guilt, death came into being for all mankind. And from that day onward men have been plagued with a sinful propensity to excuse themselves and blame others.

Byte54.Authorities Delegate Responsibility

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:57:16 -0600

Authority and leadership are not synonymous. Authority in the home as well as the faith community is limited to men.
Yet, both men and women can be leaders. Delegated responsibility refers to the limited leadership a person in authority entrusts to an assistant, whether on a team or in the workplace or even in the home. The level of responsibility that’s delegated is commensurate with the task the helper needs to accomplish in cooperation with others.
A wife is given a significant degree of delegated responsibility in her role of raising her children. But the final autho-rity within the home rests with the father, who must render account to God to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Byte53.Authority: God's Means For Maintaining Peace

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:51:15 -0600

Godly authority produces peace. And where peace exists, love blossoms. Biblical authority can be defined as the privilege and responsibility to: • include those people or things that contribute to peace and harmony in the home, or exclude those people or things that rob the home of peace and harmony; • to commend those actions and attitudes that contribute to the peace and harmony of the home, or to correct those actions and attitudes that rob the peace and harmony of the home.
Authority is our Father’s means to maintain peace among His children, to effect Christ-like changes, and to instill loving obedience to Him in succeeding generations.

Byte52.Biblical Authority Is Given To Men (Part 2)

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:17:54 -0600

Authority, that is, “covering”, has always been part of our Lord’s plan. As a woman, acceptance of that call helps you to find the confidence, rest and trusting peace of Sarah, Mary and Hannah. Our Lord intended that first your father, and then your husband, be your covering to protect you and provide for you. Yet, the reality is that all fathers and husbands are imperfect. That’s one reason God raised you up to help them through your submissive spirit, affectionate support and earnest prayer.

Byte51.Biblical Authority Is Given To Men (Part 1)

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:16:06 -0600

The foundation for a man’s authority comes from God Himself. A man’s wife and family didn’t give him his authority, God did. This is a critical understanding: God is behind a husband’s authority as servant-leader in the home. The husband is accountable to God for how he walks in that authority leadership. And, those in his household are called upon to submit because God is the Source of that authority role. Our Lord has established a chain of authority within a family. There’s a vital reason for this: God is looking for one person who is responsible to render account to Him.

Byte50.What Is Authority?

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:51:02 -0600

We all use the word “authority”, but do you know what it means? As it pertains to a man and his home, biblical authority can be defined as the privilege and responsibility to:
• include those people or things that contribute to peace and harmony in the home, or exclude those people or things that rob the home of peace and harmony;
• to commend those actions and attitudes that contribute to the peace and harmony of the home, or to correct those actions and attitudes that rob the peace and harmony of the home.

Byte49.Men In The Gap (Part 3)

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:35:59 -0600

To lay our lives down for others is the the true nature of anyone our Lord calls to lead. Jesus’ conclusion for every man who would follow Him is still death to self: “No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Your wife can be of great help in assisting you to die to yourself. Make sure you see her in this light. You must die to yourself if you’re going to be an effective servant-leader.

Byte48.Men In The Gap (Part 2)

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:40:57 -0600

The Hebraic Restoration encompasses the necessary elements for men to stand in the gap for our Lord and to produce godly successors in the faith. No matter in what stage of life you find yourself, realize that our Father’s goal for you is to ultimately be His zaken, an elder who is prepared to represent Him in the compassionate care of His children.
Our Father’s goal for a man's sanctification:
• To be a true wise elder representing fatherly concern for God’s children. Any lesser goal will only impede the process of your sanctification.
• For your character to grow in Christ-likeness so that you will be Jesus-in-the-flesh to all you meet.
• For your wife to experience the love of Jesus through you. Your home life is our Father’s means to teach you the humility, love and servanthood you need to lead others (1 Timothy 3:4,5).

Byte47.Men In The Gap (Part 1)

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:42:06 -0700

All through out the Hebrew Scriptures in particular, our Lord emphasized His pattern of truth transmission: from the older generation to those that follow. Fathers were to pass along God’s will and His ways to not only their sons but to their grandsons. That way each generation would not only hear the truth at least twice from an older man, but have double the opportunity to keep sharing it themselves!

Byte46.Your Home, A Sanctuary of Holiness

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:47:23 -0700

Both the will and the desire for husbands and wives to fulfill our Lord’s requirements and responsibilities are essential for the serenity of their home as a refuge and sanctuary. Remember, God’s design is for you to experience His presence and loving power within your home first before you occupy yourself with His work for you in the lives of others!
Our forefathers in the faith learned from His word to them as well as from experience that God loves to be among His people. That is, He loves to actively live in union with them. And, He delights to come into our homes through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Byte45.What Our Father Taught Us (Part 3)

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:55:51 -0700

God’s people are not called to wallow in regret; worldly sorrow leads to death. Regret leaves you with a sting every time you reflect. Rather, you need to go “vertical”, straight to Him!
The vertical Godly sorrow teaches us to cry out to our Lord in trust and receive His forgiveness and renewal. That forgiveness brings His healing to us and removes the sting of the painful memory. Then we’re able to learn from our past and help others who are now facing similar circumstances with the wisdom and hope He’s given us.
Isn’t this the purpose for the comfort we derive from our Father’s faithfulness, “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)?

Byte44.What Our Father Taught Us (Part 2)

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:50:44 -0700

Holding onto grudges is devastating to your marriage! It’s as though you keep a knife in your mind’s pocket to twist when your husband makes a mistake or says something that reminds you of past battle scars. Let go! If you truly want to live as a couple whose marriage reflects Jesus’s presence, then release your rationalized distrust and guarded emotions against your husband.
Withholding affection is one of those killer weapons that wives often use. It’s not as though you’ve overtly sinned so that others can point out your transgression. Rather, your coolness mirrors the control you’re exercising to retaliate or to manipulate your own way.

Byte43.What Our Father Taught Us

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:41:31 -0700

Regret about the things you've done wrong in your past leaves you with a sting every time you reflect. Rather, you need to go “vertical”, straight to Him! The vertical Godly sorrow teaches us to cry out to our Lord in trust and receive His forgiveness and renewal. That forgiveness brings His healing to us and removes the sting of the painful memory. Then we’re able to learn from our past and help others who are now facing similar circumstances with the wisdom and hope He’s given us.
Isn’t this the purpose for the comfort we derive from our Father’s faithfulness, “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)?

Byte42.What We Women Inherit From Our Mothers?

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:25:33 -0700

The curse given to Eve and subsequently to all women is found in Genesis 3:16:
"To the woman [God] said, ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’"
What does this mean? All women would be cursed with the desire to usurp their husband’s authority. Isn’t this where Eve went wrong in the first place, ignoring the warning God had given to Adam about the forbidden tree (see Genesis 2:17)?
For woman, marriage would be an ongoing battle for control, manipulating where necessary to achieve her desired outcome—just as Eve tempted her husband with fruit from her own hand.
And when our husbands give in to us, as spineless King Ahab did with his evil wife, Jezebel, it only makes matters worse for our families. A leading cause for men to fall into a homosexual life-style is dominating mothers and weak, passive (or absent) fathers. Think about this!
Please remember an important point: The curse we women inherit doesn’t originate from Eve’s relationship with Adam. It stems from her desire to live above all accountability.

Byte41.Sue's Pilgrimage To The Hebraic Foundations

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:36:10 -0700

These Hebraic relational priorities are what made the earliest Church so spiritually powerful and intimate. It wasn’t sufficient in our Father’s sight that Mike and I research the early Church. He called for us to personally put into practice the covenant understanding He’d intended for marriage in particular.
Before we could share with others, our own marriage needed to be overhauled in order that we might be the physical representation of our covenant relationship with our Father in Jesus. HE had to be the core relationship that tunneled through every other relationship as a conduit. Whatever entered us through His Spirit could then be funneled out to the other relational areas of family, loadbearing friends and those He put in our path to encounter Him through us.

Byte40.Growing Wise And Remaining Teachable

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:47:09 -0700

From the Hebraic perspective the goal for every follower of Jesus is to grow in wisdom and understanding to walk in His ways. Hebraic thought revolved around discerning that which was pleasing to God (wisdom) and that which was abhorrent (foolishness).

Byte39.Stages of Male Development

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:35:40 -0700

Six distinct Hebrew words denoting “man” appear in the Old Testament. God
addresses the individual to whom He is speaking using a very particular Hebrew word
for man. These terms as six stages in a man’s life journey. The first
stage, the Creational Male (adam), connotes mankind in general, both male and female.
The Phallic Male (zakar) stage recognizes the innate sexual drive of maleness that
impels and motivates a man toward an intimate relationship.
When the term gibbor is used in the Hebrew Scriptures, it refers to the Warrior Male
who seeks to excel and conquer. He is known by what he does.
Eventually the man becomes a Wounded Male (enosh) whose wounds are received
as he passes through the Warrior stage. Only through wounding can a man begin to
understand the needs of those around him.
The Hebrew term ish defines the Mature Male and reflects a man who has passed
through his wounded period to become a person of dignity and integrity. At this stage of
his life, a man is known by his character, by who he is.
A man addressed as a zaken or Sage is a gray-headed wise man or mentor revered
for his judgments and sought for guidance and understanding. Jewish sages passed
along wisdom in the practical realm, not the theoretical. They provided skillful advice for
solving the current problems facing the community.

Byte38.Rites of Passage

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:14:52 -0700

During our decade at the retreat center I’d often ask men when their father started to treat them as a man. The responses were often painful. Many men, especially those who hadn’t done time in the military, never felt as though their fathers treated them as men. Some of these men were in their 50’s!
Something needs to change, particularly within the family of Jesus. A boy is not a man, but when and under what conditions should he be accepted as one?
Christendom has done a poor job in dealing with this issue. There are too many “adult boys” whom no one prepared to be men. To the emotional pain of many women, these overgrown adolescents have married but have never learned to be responsible nor to sacrifice self for the sake of others.

Byte37.Men Don't Pass The Buck!

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:37:54 -0700

When a man walks in the authority God has given him, he’s saying in his heart, “The buck stops with me.” It is our Father Who places men in authority roles in their homes and faith communities, and He refuses to accept excuses when they fail in their responsibilities.
Nor will He allow those in authority to blame the people in their care when they themselves have failed. If you’re serving our Lord in a position of authority, it’s critical that you SHUT YOUR MOUTH. Don’t ever blame others or give excuses when you fall short. As you’ll see, dire consequences await those who walk unrighteously in their authority.

Byte36.Mike's Pilgrimage To The Hebraic Foundations

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:05:44 -0700

My seminary training had dutifully prepared me to place ministry above my marriage and family. Most of the clergy I counseled for over 10 years kept that same priority. My counsel was sufficient to get them back into the fray, much like a trainer works to get his boxer back in the ring for the next round. Yet, we all had it wrong!
Before Sue and I went to Israel I’d let ministry become my idol. As I reflect back, I can see that I worshiped what I was doing for God. As with any idol, our Lord lets you be brought down by whatever you worship or put your trust in besides Him.

Byte35. Why We Need Fathers—Avoid Raising Momma's Boys

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:47:01 -0700

The Momma’s boy epidemic in this country is the fruit of effeminized public education. In its feminist goal to minimize the influence of fathers in the lives of their children, families have been devastated.
So much of a young boy’s life is now surrounded by women, particularly during the energetic years in which the mandate to “sit quietly and obediently absorb” is a biological challenge to these kids. The National Education Association has just about succeeded in its humanism-based agenda: a godless, amoral society in which the biblical family as God designed it is destroyed.
How do you recognize a “Momma’s boy”? He is always looking for recognition in everything he does. That motivation may be camouflaged, but it’s there all the same: “Momma, Momma, look at me!”—and “Momma” might be his wife, his boss, even his buddies.

Byte34. Why We Need Fathers (age 4 to adulthood)

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:14:12 -0700

With regrettable impact on the Christian community, the absence of fathers produces men who enjoy an inordinate need for recognition. These are the willing “warm bodies” that seeker-friendly churches attract to keep their religious system growing.
Emotionally needy, they participate for their own benefit or recognition. Many of these individuals are prey to the “Judas syndrome”: On the surface they’re relationally close to you as long as they benefit by it. But, when increased accountability or difficult circumstances arise, they‘ll let you down or even turn on you.

Byte33. Why We Need Fathers (birth to age 4)

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:13:00 -0700

A significant season of father influence occurs very early in a child’s life. Legitimate studies of children over the past 50 years have shown consistently the crucial influence that involved fathers have on the lives of their children. Critically, between birth and the age of 4 the presence of a father enables children, both boys and girls, to develop appropriate sex-role identification.
Don’t think that just because a child has particular sex organs, he or she will respond appropriately to their gender. A father’s presence and interaction is crucial to a child’s identifying with the role enactment of his or her gender.

Byte32. Your God-given Ten Unchangeable Characteristics

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:07:31 -0700

A number of God-given unchangeable characteristics comprise the person you are. Only He could explain to you His reasons for endowing you with these particular elements in the way He has:
1. Your physical features.
2. Your mental capabilities.
3. Your parents.
4. Your gender.
5. Your birth order.
6. Your brothers and sisters.
7. Your nationality.
8. Your race.
9. Your time in history.
10. Your aging and life span.
[from the Institute in Basic Life Principles Seminar]

You may be among the many who have struggled for years to come to grips with one or more of these unchangeable characteristics that help to identify you. Your refusal to accept any of these from your Father’s hand creates a heart atmosphere of distrust in God, a condition which plays right into Satan’s schemes.
Over time, distrust in our Lord breeds a host of other problems in your pilgrimage to salvation. And once again, the most frequent trap Satan sets for those who rail against the way they’re made is bitterness and resentment.

Byte31. Applying God's Word: Bible-based Resistance

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:07:45 -0700

A follower of Jesus must develop Bible-based applications in order to overcome the attitudinal sins of presumption and false expectation. Suspect presumption or false expectation if you:
• Take God or others for granted.
• Take on responsibilities not given to you or required of you.
• Take liberties with God’s freedoms or with the kindness of others.
• Live in fantasy and delusion rather than obedience to God’s Word.

Byte30. Confronting Presumption and False Expectation

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:52:35 -0700

How does one keep themselves from giving in to their sin nature through presumption and false expectation? It is done by applying God’s Word to their lives. Do you see, lives marked by presumption or false expectation need to be biblically confronted in order to stop the damaging effects of the sin nature. By developing a biblical application, a halakhah, the Spirit of God will train your mind to recognize Satan’s ploys. Remember: He loves to use your own sin nature against you.

Byte29.The Root of Presumption & False Expectation

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:57:57 -0700

Because the devil is aware of the freedoms our Father has showered on you in His Word as well as the boundaries established there, Satan is eager to entice you to become dissatisfied with your freedoms and overstep your boundaries. As he did with Adam and Eve, the devil will strive to deceive you through presumption or false expectation.
The Bible is our Father’s protection for us. It is the revelation of both His freedom and boundaries for us as well as His plans and purposes for each of us. Through the enlightenment and power of the Holy Spirit, the Bible guides and equips us for His service. Never lose sight of the fact that Satan is not concerned if you know the Bible. He knows that knowledge is not the same as obedience. Obedience requires applying the Bible to your life and demands your willingness to change both your attitude and your actions.
Bible knowledge that has neither found application in your life nor brought you to a greater likeness of Jesus will deceive you into presuming that you are pleasing to God.

Byte28.Do You Forgive Others?

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:55:04 -0700

Not many like to think of our Father “torturing” those who refuse to forgive. Yet Jesus already warned us, “If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15).
To our Hebraic forefathers pride and unforgiveness bring similar consequences. As the Apostle warns us, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Whatever shape opposition from God takes, it’s not good!
During our years of ministry we’ve found bitterness to be the most common sin among people who call themselves “Christian”. Because it’s often covered by a veil of deceit, most fail to see the seething resentment they entertain. But this is where we need to help each other work out our salvation. Why would you want your spouse or someone else close to you in the faith to have to endure torture?

Byte27. Are You Hebraic or Nicolaitan?

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:09:35 -0700

Hebraic: Do you demonstrate a 24/7 lifestyle of obedient trust which represents Jesus? Is fulfilling His purposes your prime concern? Do you maintain personal and communal righteousness in your fellowship with others?
Nicolaitan: Is your spiritual life seen in religious practice that occur at a particular designated building? Is sin rarely addressed, and righteousness is not considered vital to fellowship?

Byte26. Are You More Like Jesus or Judas?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:02:00 -0700

The “Judas identity” didn’t die with the man. That motivation is still betraying Jesus and those who wholeheartedly desire to follow in His steps. Until Jesus returns, there will always be people in Christendom like Judas, whose self-seeking, egocentric motive propels them to care for themselves rather than the interests of God.
Similar to Judas, they embrace the concept of the Christ, but they’re definitely driven by self-interest. An inner voice continually evaluates their relationships and circumstances by “What’s in it for me?” That focus makes them worldly, not Godly; self-concerned, not God-concerned.

Byte25. Honey, We Aren't The Same

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:48:33 -0700

You don’t have to be naked with your spouse to realize the two of you were created differently. Studies show that men and women have far more differences than similarities in all dimensions. Even the government recognizes that innate gender differences exist! As the percentage of women in the military was increasing during the Vietnam era, the leadership needed to understand the differences in men and women so they could make proper adjustments in training and assignment. These studies showed men and women to be 97% different. Brain utilization, hormones and a variety of other influences make men and women two very unique representations of humanity.
Any number of these differences can be points of frustration or misinterpretation between husbands and wives. What better place to discuss these differences than in the home, where they’re likeliest to be manifested in conflicting ways?

Byte24. So Your Marriage Had A Bad Start

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:57:48 -0700

Many marriages today didn’t come into existence with the quality of motive our Lord calls for. Sometimes motive has been contaminated by excessive dating, a corrupt practice with absolutely no biblical foundation.
Most people don’t realize how emotionally calloused they become as each relationship breaks up. And with each dissolution a person decreases the potential for lasting emotional commitment to the one with whom they enter into the covenant of marriage.
What if you entered marriage missing some of God’s key criteria? This is where sanctification can correct a shaky start. You need to be confident that there is nothing outside our sovereign God’s ability to miraculously change hearts. Jesus, our heart Circumciser, is LORD of everything. What’s impossible for everyone else isn’t for Him. You’d marvel at what He can do with a repentant and contrite heart!
Sanctification is God’s means of correcting bad situations. Our Lord Jesus doesn’t correct your marriage problem, He aligns your inner character and motives with His. Each spouse must earnestly seek the heart circumcision that our Lord can accomplish.

Byte23. Long-suffering Love Binds Relationships

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:29:02 -0700

Long-suffering forgiveness require circumcision of your heart and total yieldedness to God’s sovereignty through the Holy Spirit.
Remember the interconnection of God’s stipulations for embracing His Covenant and the marriage covenant. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross our Father commands His people to be both repentant and forgiving toward each other.
Willingness to forgive from the heart and forsake sinful heart attitudes is especially needful in the marriage relationship. Jesus did allow for divorce to break a marriage covenant if it was due to unfaithfulness, and the offended party could not forgive (see Matthew 5:32, below). Yet how much more reflective of our Lord would forgiveness be!

Byte22. You Must Help Each Other Become Sanctified

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:08:03 -0700

Whatever sanctification in either person was lacking prior to the marriage must be worked out together afterwards in union with the Spirit. The core sin nature of man to blame and give excuses will hurt his wife throughout the marriage if he’s not sanctified in these areas. The core sin nature of woman with the desire to rule and exercise independence will hurt her husband throughout the marriage if she’s not sanctified in these areas.
This is the process of marriage as God sees it. In order for a couple to grow in loving union, the combined sanctification of each is crucial. This is made easier if each person can cooperate with and mutually support the other in whatever still needs to be circumcised in their hearts.

Sanctification is our Lord’s means of helping us become more like Him, in both character and heart motive. Our Lord Jesus doesn’t correct your marriage problem, He aligns each spouse's inner character and motives with His.

Byte21. God's Purpose For Marriage

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:35:20 -0700

God’s purpose for the marriage covenant is to physically represent the spiritual Covenant we have with our Father. If you’re married, the quality of love relationship you claim to have with your Lord is seen in the quality of love you share with your spouse.
The marriages of followers of Jesus are on display for all mankind to see what the New Covenant looks like. For the married, these two covenants are inseparably linked. Embracing the Covenant our Father offers and uniting in a marriage covenant are the two most important relationships people will ever share. No other person or activity should ever compete with either.

Please, if you're married, about to get married, or re-married make sure you understand and cooperate completely with our Lord's purpose for your marriage. Anything less will result in needless emotional hurt.

Byte20. Help In Combating Your Sin Nature

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:50:35 -0700

Your Home and Extended Spiritual Family Help Combat Your Sin Nature
Let’s sum up God’s purpose for your home:

• No one can resist their sin nature by themselves. The earliest followers of Jesus understood this clearly, and saw themselves as a collective body.

• Although your home is the primary place for combating the sin nature, the Hebraic stream of Judaism also fellowshipped in each other’s homes as added support in righteous living.

People need help in combating the unseen sin nature within them. Jesus understands the struggle each of His followers faces in breaking free from their propensity to sin. That’s why He offers this command to restore those who do yield to sin.

"And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed" (Matthew 18:15,16).

On their pilgrimage to salvation together, a married couple is the primary resource for helping each other resist their sin nature and live according to the Spirit. That’s why it’s so important that we not get upset over the darkness we see in each other. Remember, Jesus died for sinners.
And if He died for your spouse, shouldn’t you be willing to cooperate with our Lord’s goal to see your partner walk in righteousness?
This is also the essence of godly parenting — training your children to resist their sin nature through loving instruction and consistent biblical correction. This is why you teach and role model for your children the freedom and boundaries of God’s Word.
This pattern of helping each other resist our sin nature is foundational to all true fellowship. But it must begin in your home with your marriage and family, and be supported by your extended spiritual family.

Byte19. Don't Outsource Your Responsibilities

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:07:25 -0600

Outsourcing: Skipping Out On God-given Responsibility

The impact each generation has on those to follow is a recurrent theme in God's Word. So how YOU walk according to His will and His ways in your own life will impact the lives of those in your own family as well as in your fellowship family. Relational responsibilities are inherent with the privilege of being in a family, whether biological or spiritual.
For example, the patriarch Abraham was chosen by God because He knew that Abraham wouldn’t “outsource” his children: “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him” (Genesis 18:19).

Passing along the "way of the Lord" through just and right living has become increasingly difficult in today's anything-goes culture. Parents have allowed themselves to become so overwhelmed with both real and perceived obligations that training up their children to love and serve Lord Jesus in obedient trust has for the most part been relegated to "professionals". Many husbands in particular ‘outsource’ their wives to clergy for whatever "washing with water and the Word" (Ephesians 5:26) they might receive. Their children are ‘outsourced’ to Sunday school classes for the spiritual training that our Father intended should take place within the home.

Byte18. Coordination Of The World, Sin Nature, Devil

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:52:29 -0600

The world, our sin nature and the devil work together against our desire and ability to be wholehearted in following Lord Jesus. While this is no surprise, are you aware that this spiritual warfare is a well-coordinated effort in the unseen realm around you? God's Word as spoken by our Lord Jesus leaves no room for doubt: Satan is at work in the world today. The devil and his demonic cohorts are on an insidious mission to steal, kill and destroy what they can on earth, and to try to tempt and intimidate followers of Jesus into sin and/or ineffectual lives. "The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him" (Revelation 12:9). His enraged, destructive focus is especially on us who follow Jesus: "He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation" (Revelation 13:7).

Byte17. Our Father's Primary Place For Combating Your Sin Nature

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:01:21 -0600

Your Home Is A Spiritual Battleground Two evil forces at work go mostly unconfronted in Christian families and fellowships today: iniquity and sin. Many think these two biblical terms are synonymous, but they aren’t! Three times in Psalm 51 these words are addressed separately: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (v.2). “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (v.5). “Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (v.9). Iniquity is a weakness, a predisposition toward something contrary to God that is passed along from generation-to-generation in a family. Sin is a personal attitude or action in direct rebellion against God’s Word. Only the iniquities of our forefathers, that is, their predisposition to a particular weakness, are passed along to us — not their sins. The iniquity of our forefathers is often passed down via generational strongholds that are neither confronted nor renounced and cast down. As you were growing up, how you viewed and interacted with the world around you was continually influenced or controlled by the strongholds in your soul — the weaknesses within your family.

Byte16. What Is Family Today?

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:23:04 -0600

Three family types predominate in the life-cycle of any culture: Patriarchal, Domestic, and Atomistic. The least stable, the Atomistic Family, most accurately describes the family structure of this nation, and depicts the feeble impact of western Christendom on families as well: “Each person perceives himself as a distinct unit, disconnected from identity as a contributing family member. Individual rights are emphasized, while family responsibilities are neglected. Whereas self-sacrifice was the norm under the Trustee and Domestic families, complete and unabashed selfishness characterizes the Atomistic family. At this stage, childless liaisons and increased divorce rates are typical. Because the majority are unwilling to sacrifice for the future, fewer children are born to those who have the means to raise them. Religious and moral standards have little effect on upholding the family. Marriage is no longer regarded as a stable, committed institution between one man and one woman. The permanence of marriage as a covenant is lost. Public disrespect for parents, parenthood, and authority in general rises. Parenthood becomes more difficult for those still trying to rear children with biblical values.” Those who are struggling to train up their children according to God's Word are more and more being branded "intolerant" and "bigoted". But our Father has sent forth the Hebraic foundations of relational priorities and love-grounded obedient trust in the Lordship of Jesus to counter the worldliness of atomistic influence. Our God is restoring the pattern of interconnected, extended spiritual family on which the early Church was built. You're not alone!

Byte15. Introduction To The Home

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:35:15 -0600

1: Introduction to The Home

Byte14. The Indwelling Holy Spirit (Part 3)

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:27:31 -0600

You’ve probably wondered at some point why SUFFERING is so necessary for your spiritual development. Wasn’t the suffering of JESUS enough? One of the tools the Holy Spirit uses in the process of our CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION is SUFFERING. From our carnal point of view none of us enjoys suffering. But when we accept our Father’s Covenant in Jesus, suffering WILL follow. That’s part of His REFINING PLAN in our journey of sanctification — to become MORE LIKE CHRIST.

Byte13. The Indwelling Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:53:10 -0600

Have you ever observed STREAMS? There’s something beautifully pleasant about each one, yet no two streams are ever alike. Streams are on a PILGRIMAGE themselves, with a starting point and an ending point. Many join with OTHER streams to become rivers before they reach the ocean. We who follow Jesus are STREAMS, too. When we’re joined together through COVENANT UNION with our Father through our trust in Jesus, WE can become mighty rivers. The SPIRIT'S INDWELLING each of us brings this about. As fellow “streams”, we want to share what the EMPOWERMENT AND WORK of the Holy Spirit might mean to YOU. When the Spirit indwells the people with whom our Father CONSUMMATES His Covenant, they become the Spirit’s TEMPLE. If someone asks you where God is, can YOU answer, “He’s in me!”?

Byte12. The Indwelling Holy Spirit (Part 1)

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:02:34 -0600

Whenever ANY covenant is RATIFIED, it also must be CONSUMMATED. When our Father consummates His covenant with you, He SEALS you with His Holy Spirit. You become a TEMPLE in which the Spirit abides. The INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT works to SEPARATE YOU from everything you once were when you were a slave to your sinful nature. Paul promises, “The man who LOVES God is KNOWN by God.” • The Spirit’s presence enables you to be KNOWN by God. • The Spirit’s presence in you is our Father’s guarantee of HIS part of the covenant. • The Spirit's presence in you EMPOWERS you as a source for the streams of living water our Lord Jesus promised in John 7:38,39. Discover if the Holy Spirit is working in YOU to separate you from sin and empower you in holy living for the glory of our Father!

Byte11. The Gospel Of The Covenant (Part 2)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:02:32 -0600

Answering the call of our Father to TRUST WHOLEHEARTEDLY in Jesus demands a vigorous response from which no earthly power can hold you back! This isn’t just agreeing with some verses, then going on your way unchanged. The OLDER TESTAMENT bore witness that our God looked for hearts that were DETERMINED in their relationship with Him. Understanding the importance of DETERMINATION, Jesus proclaimed that following Him is a HEART ISSUE. This upholds and reinforces the Hebrew Scriptures: “Up to the time of John there were the TORAH AND THE PROPHETS. Since then the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is FORCING HIS WAY INTO IT” (Luke 16:15,16). Discover how to discern if YOU are as determined to live for Jesus as they were!

Byte10. The Gospel Of The Covenant (Part 1)

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:56:09 -0600

The GOSPEL the earliest church embraced is far different from what's popular today in church circles. The first followers of Jesus understood through the New Covenant that they were being offered NEW STIPULATIONS for relating to God — NOT more animal sacrifices and NOT another set of regulations like those which the Pharisees had added on to God’s commands. And since it was a new COVENANT, it would contain BLESSING as they embraced the new covenant stipulations, and RESPONSIBILITIES to walk in love-grounded obedient trust. The followers of Jesus who first embraced the New Covenant understood salvation to be a PILGRIMAGE JOURNEY. A pilgrimage takes place over time as you pursue a desired end. The New Covenant offered by our Lord promised salvation at the COMPLETION of the pilgrimage when you stand in front of Him at the Judgment Throne and He PROCLAIMS YOUR NAME from His Book of Life. Our GOAL as followers who love Jesus is to ultimately be FOUND FAITHFUL as we walk in our Father's will and purposes, and to hear our names proclaimed to the hosts of heaven. Never lose sight of this wonderful eternal goal!

Byte9. Pattern Of Acceptable Sacrifice

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:22:22 -0600

In order to grasp the SIGNIFICANCE of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have to explore the OLDER TESTAMENT foundations and practices. The BLOOD of all those animal sacrifices foreshadowed so many truths concerning the crucifixion of our Lord. Discover WHY Jesus had to die in the manner He did, and what that sacrifice means to YOU!

Byte8. Why Jesus Died

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:19:37 -0600

When you hear the words, "JESUS DIED FOR MY SINS", what comes to mind? That phrase permeates Christian circles, but how many people stop to weigh the DEEPER ESSENCE behind that statement? In order to grasp the SIGNIFICANCE of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have to explore the OLDER TESTAMENT foundations and practices. The BLOOD of all those animal sacrifices foreshadowed so many truths concerning the crucifixion of our Lord. Discover WHY Jesus had to die in the manner He did, and what that sacrifice means to YOU!

Byte7. Biblical Covenants. (Part 2 )

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:40:57 -0600

The prevailing ignorance of GOD'S COVENANTS has opened the door for the host of COUNTERFEIT gospels that have arisen over the centuries — leading many who think they're "Christian" on a path to hell.The Bible makes clear the significance and background of the COVENANT that’s made possible through the SHED BLOOD OF JESUS — an understanding that's vital if you're going to walk with Him!COVENANTS are the deepest form of INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP between God and His creation. One definition of the word “covenant” is “to live IN UNION with”, particularly in regard to a relationship with our Lord. Discover the RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES that are part of this wonderful promise!

Byte6. Biblical Covenants. (Part 1)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:20:02 -0600

Byte5.The Fear Of God

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:27:17 -0600

Are You More Like Jesus or Judas? Until Jesus returns, there will always be people in Christendom like Judas. Their self-seeking, egocentric motive propels them to care for themselves rather than the interests of God. Like Judas, they embrace the concept of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, but they’re definitely driven by self-interest.
An inner voice continually evaluates their relationships and circumstances, asking “What’s in it for me?”
That focus makes them worldly, not Godly; self-concerned, not God-concerned.
The “Judases” of each generation betray the true followers of Jesus.
And their attack is more pointed and hurtful than that of unbelievers who make no claims to be “Christian” at all!

Byte4.Jesus Gives Us Halakhic Authority

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:54:23 -0600

What are the keys of the kingdom? Under the Newer Covenant that Jesus came to inaugurate, He gave His followers halakhic authority. We see this in Matthew 16:19 where our Lord Jesus confers to His followers halakhic authority to apply His Word to all areas of their lives: “I will give you the keys of the KINGDOM of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Jesus is addressing ALL “called-out ones” as He affirms their right and responsibility to apply the Bible to all areas of their lives. Whatever applications those who trusted Jesus enacted in their lives would be respected in heaven.

Byte3. Apperceiving God's Word

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:39:24 -0600

Have you ever heard of apperceiving God's Word? To apperceive is to return to the original framework of
understanding that God gave the scripture author as he wrote. Only by apperceiving can you fully grasp the background and intent of particular verses and passages.
Consider this example of apperception:
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
The Bereans were commended for studying the Scriptures by apperceiving Paul’s new teachings in light of Hebraic scriptural truths. Revisionism, which now dominates Christendom produces creedal division. Apperception, however, restores what our Father intended for His Church.

Byte2. Relational Priorities of the Early Church

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:13:23 -0600

The whole Hebraic Restoration is RELATIONAL, built on the PRIORITIES that fill Scripture: your relationship with our FATHER AND JESUS through His SPIRIT; your relationship with your SPOUSE and your FAMILY; your relationship with your EXTENDED SPIRITUAL FAMILY — those who "one-another" with you and walk righteously with each other as prayers are answered and testimonies shared. Out of these relationships flow your impact on your neighborhood, workplace, city, nation and world. The concept of RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION infiltrated church practice within 300 years of our Lord's resurrection. ELABORATE "HOLY BUILDINGS" and PRIESTLY INTERMEDIARIES took the place of HOME-BASED families and individuals who walked TOGETHER in abiding trust with their Lord and celebrated Him together. A vibrant DAILY RELATIONSHIP between God and His child was replaced by SUNDAY MORNING RITUAL in which spiritual topics were spoon-fed to placid listeners by educated clergy. The Hebraic Restoration focuses on DEEPENING your love-based relationship with our Lord, and on ways in which this GROWING OBEDIENT TRUST can impact all your other relationships with spiritual intimacy and power.

Byte1. Various Relationships

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:25:24 -0600

This byte discusses the three types of relationships people have:
1. Positional-based Relationships—These are relationships you were "plopped" into, like family. You didn't choose the other people.
2. Activity-based Relationships—These form because of common activities pervade western Christendom. Church services, Bible studies and Sunday schools that focus on content dissemination rather than developing strong relationships to help each other walk out that truth are all activity-based. The activity, not the relational fellowship, is the primary reason for gathering.
3.Value-based Relationships—These relationships in Christ are the strongest and most enduring. Your positive emotions are generally attached proportionally to those people you value the most. Embracing Covenant with your heavenly Father, and entering a marriage covenant are two of the highest Value-based relationships.