Brother Ray

OTHER THAN THE WORD, WHO TO READ

by Ray LeRoux

Dear brothers and sisters-
Many apologies for not having sent a new teaching in some time. We are now in our 70s and time has taken its toll.

So far this year, we've had 9 skin cancer surgeries, an operation on my plumbing system, have a heart rate of 27 (50-80 is normal), some diabetes complications and an assortment of other health issues. But there is good news. The Lord has provided me tremendous opportunities to witness in hospitals, doctors offices and other new places. He is also keeping me around for His reasons, and one of those surely is to continue to seek out every opportunity to praise Him in whatever ways possible. In the past days, we were making a list of what teachings we have found of major importance in my personal attempts to walk in His Word. As we began our walk, we were personally discipled by a very wonderful man of God. He was a church planter. Before long, we thought we were a "dispensationalist," "pre-trib" and an assortment of other traditional viewpoints. Over the years, we have found ourselves stripping away most if not all of the teachings of men, i.e., tradition, and, as a "Berean" sticking with the Word itself, truth that needs no man made supplements. There are, however, men and sources we have found particularly valuable to us and perhaps might be to you. They include, in no particular order:
Jacob Prasch
Art Katz
Zola Levitt
David Hocking
Nehemia Gordon
Lance Lambert
Dr. Grady McMurtry
David Pawson
Chuck Missler
David Stern
Joel Richardson
Alfred Edersheim
Joel Rosenberg
You can find each of these wonderful men quite easily via the Internet and Google. Several – Zola Levitt, Art Katz, Alfred Edersheim - have already been "promoted to the home office" and are with the Lord. We've spent countless, literally thousands of hours, in the Word and with these men listed above. They have made my walk easier. We could make a much longer list of men we've studied and, over time, discarded. Those discarded have a strong tendency to be stuck in man made tradition(s). If you get into my list of favourites, and we hope you will,several things stick out: first, more than half of these men are from "the native branch" of God's vine - Hebrew believers. As a "grafted in" follower of Yeshua, we have found insights from our native brothers not found in "westernised" Christianity which so often is lacking in insights due to century after century of replacement theology and damned outright anti-Semitism. When we accept Yeshua as our personal lord and saviour,it dawns on us that we immediately are grafted into the true vine. The grafting process is not something that comes later, either in the millennium or in heaven or in eternity, but Now.

We studied Hebrew over 50 years ago. Oh, how we wish we had been more attentive then. We pray for the day when we will all speak in one language, and there's a very good chance our language will be God's holy tongue, the language He originally gave us His word.

Because we are often stuck with this or that "church" or "denomination" you do not find my personal list of favourite teachers on the front, or even the back, pages of most recommended men of God. They often don’t have television ministries or if so are not among the top 10 or even top 25 lists of people readily available. They came to me mostly by accident (or in God's way since there are NO accidents with the Lord). We found them and have been blessed. We hope some of you might take a hint from my walk and at least take a look at these sources.

One example. In Revelation, Yeshua tells us of the 12 tribes that each will send 12,000 missionaries in the end times. Without exception, most traditional commentators quickly find the list of the tribes is not consistent with earlier listing of the tribes. Almost all who go deeper suggest John may have made an error in the listings. It is our belief there are no errors in God's Word or in John's faithful recording of the Word. The tribal listings ARE different. But why? Is there a reason? Has God given us a message in the Word?, a message missed by commentators and teachers again and again? Most faithful Christians abandon any further search because nobody has stumbled upon the message before. But that is not a valid reason not to look. There are many messages in the Word still there for us to find.

As you know, we believe there are messages in the genealogies throughout the
Word,both in the Tannakh (the Old Testament) and the Brit Hadasshah (the New
Testament). Any time a listing of names or places is listed in the Word,there is
sufficient evidence to search what those words mean. We have long ago discarded the
common view that genealogies were given to us in long lists of unpronounceable names
to give us pause or a rest in our reading of the Word. They are given to us for
additional insights.

Under a separate heading on this website, you can find my previous searches of the
genealogies. I hope the Lord will allow me time to go on with these studies in my
time left with you brothers and sisters before He will call me home.

In he Revelation listing of the 12 tribes, the meaning of the names in today'
language yields the following message:

Praise God, there IS a SON. He will bring happiness and salvation. The is cause, a
reason, to forget the struggles (tribulation). Hear. Believe. Study the Word (Torah)
to exalt the lofty (heavenly) God. May Yahweh give an increase through the Son of My
right hand.

Is this the message the 144,000 will take throughout the Word in the end times? We
think the message is clear. We think it was given to us for "comforting"
and "strengthening".

Any other listing of the tribes, and there are several, would yield a different
message. We believe this listing was God given to say exactly what God wants us to
hear. No mistake. No accident. No error on John's part or God's.

We've not found any traditional source that deals with the meaning of genealogical
listings. Most stop there. But is that any reason not to study God's Word further? We
think not.

Back to our list of men. We do not agree with everything each has said or is saying.
They are sometimes not in agreement with each other. /fir exanoke David Pawson and
Chuck Missler have different views on "once saved, always saved". Each must
be read and studied carefully and as always (Acts 17:11) taken with reference to the
Word. That being said, each of these men have substantial value in your studies.

Jacob Prasch is a tough guy who says tough things, a modern Jeremiah. He is almost
never "politically correct". He is toughest on false prophets.

The late Art Katz went from a popular teacher to being considered a pariah because he
followed the Word rather than submitting his discenments to a popular vote. He simply
said often and loudly that "to the Jew first" meant exactly that and modern
Christianity is in error keeping the Word from our Jewish brothers and sisters until
later in God's economy.

The late Zola Levitt, as well as anybody, made our Jewish heritage understandable in
our modern world. If you start any place with Zola Levitt, begin with his two part tv
programs on the Passover.

Nehemiah Gordon is a Karaite Jew and yet not a believer. But do watch his video on
the Jewish Yeshua vs the Greek Jesus.

Lance Lambeert, another born again Hebrew believer, is now well into his 80s. He has
so many teachings available. They will make the Word come more alive for you.

David Pawson, perhaps the best teacher of all in the 20th century,is also now in his
80s. He is often against the grain of man made tradition. If you are wed to any man
made views, you might do, as we have often done, found tremendous value in checking
our man made views against Pawson's teachings. He more often than not gives you the
"rest of the story".

Dr.Grady McMurtry is probably the outstanding proponent of "creationism"
and the best opponent of that false religion "evolution".

Nobody does better using science and mathematics and other man made disciplines to
validate the Word than Chuck Missler.

David Stern, author of The Complete Jewish Bible, has a New Testament commentary well
worth buying to accompany his rendition of the Word, translated not from Latin or
German or English but from the original languages.

Joel Richardson may not be well known to most of you. His contribution to date focuses
on who are the 10 nations that will rise in the End Times and where the Anti-Christ
shall come from. He makes a compelling case that all the 10 nations are Islamic. He
discards he man made view of a revised Roman empire. Jeremiah, Isaiah and
Ezekiel,among others list the specific nations over and over. Read Ezekial 38 in this
light. It will change your thinking, separating what man has and is saying as opposed
to what the Word says.

The late Alfred Edersheim wrote three books on the Jewish background of the Old
Testament and Lord Yeshua. They are readily available for free.

David Hocking,also in his 80s, is a Jewish Christian. If you have 30 hours, start
with his 10 part series on the Word, then go on to his teachings on Joel. Then you
wont need to urged to keep going.

Our Father has been kind enough to visit me with various disabilities - to give me
the time to explore His Word. This has been an unwarranted, unearned and undeserved
gift to a sinner. This gift has not been given me to keep to myself. So we share
these discernments with you.

Perhaps you do not have the extra time the Master has gracefully given me. But to
each of us there is time. On Shabbat, our day of rest. Bad weather days. Mornings or
evenings you are restive and cant sleep. Days travelling.

When are we grafted in? At the very moment you accept Yeshua.
Scripture tells us we are immediately no longer gentiles or heathens or pagans.
There is evidence that we grafted in vines are appropriated to a particular tribe.
When does this take place? We believe when we are grafted in. Would it be helpful to
know which tribe we have been assigned to? Surely. Do we have to know? If we had to,
God would have given us more information. Is this a mystery that will be or could be
ascertained by further exploration of the Word? Perhaps. Will we know one day? Most
certainly. Each of the 12 tribes has a clearly designated area of the land where it
will reside in the Millennium. Would it be nice to know where our neighbourhood will
be? Yes. But the clear fact is we know who does know. Our master and king. Each of
the 12 tribes has a function. Each of us are given individual gifts through the
Spirit. Will there be a match between the tribal functions and our individual gifts.
You can bet on it.

One of the basic prayers given by the LORD is the shema (Deut 6:4-6). It
starts SHEMA Y'ISRAEL. Hear, O Israel. Israel means both native and grafted in
branches. In today's language it might read: Pay attention, My people. Love ME (and
no other) with ALL your heart, ALL your soul and ALL your powers. It is our prayer at
the beginning of each day and the end of each day. Has there ever been a day we have
done so? Not a single time. As long as we are in our earthly bodies, it is about as
impossible as anything on this earth. Is there a day I have truly given myself over
to the RUACH HAKODESH that dwells inside me? Not yet. But we know that there will
come a time when it will not only be possible but automatic. Will it be boring?
absolutely not. Perfection is not boring. God is not boring. True peace will not be
boring. The absence of sin will not be boring. It will be liberating. This is not
only our blessed hope, it is promised to us. Even so, amen, come Lord Yeshua.