Posts tagged: YaHoVaH

This week (Sept 9) on Shabbat Night Live, Luke and Kayte Abaffy’s interview with Michael Rood for their groundbreaking documentary, The Way, brought the story of countless believers around the world who have traded Easter ham for Passover lamb and Sunday church for Saturday Sabbath.

Behind The Scenes with Michael Rood presents, for the first time, the raw footage of that interview — if you appreciate Michael Rood’s amazing teachings, you’ll love this candid and endearing series!

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section, and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 17:00) How has our present-day mass media been a mixed blessing for contemporary believers who seek to evangelize to the greatest possible extent? What is the most effective spiritual strategy for grappling with the outpouring of hatred that is often directed at religious broadcasters by atheist organizations and individuals who utilize and exploit the same types of media?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 21:00) How does the pervasive ignorance of many Gentile believers of the history and diversity of modern Judaism serve to impede their own understanding of Yeshua’s teaching regarding spiritual authority? How have many otherwise curious and searching members of the faithful been misled by an ill-informed approach to salvation based upon a superficial reliance upon expressions from the New Testament which lack proper historical context?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 25:00) Similarly, why do many professed Christians casually shift their denominational loyalties in the course of their faith lives yet shun any awareness or deference toward the Jewish Feasts as part of their ethos as believers? How might this be viewed as contempt for the past as well as an example of Western culture’s persistent skepticism toward perceived superstition?
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 29:00) As with the distinction that is maintained by most evangelical Christians between the Old and New Testaments, how is their common failure to recognize the demarcation of the Torah as the Five Books of Moses a serious impediment to the practice of their faith? Can this syndrome be tenably viewed as one of willful ignorance, or of remnant antisemitism?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 33:00) Similarly, how have many professed believers failed to take seriously the imperative of Jeremiah 1:10 to “root out and to pull down” corruption in Judeo-Christian culture?  Has this been a function of cynical and mercenary figures within the clergy who fear losing illicit profits, or of the lingering stereotype of this eloquent prophet as histrionic and melodramatic?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 39:00) Why has the maintenance of faith life continued to be difficult for believers who are confronted with accusations of being “legalistic” or “judgemental” in the mere practice of their worship, despite our constitutional right of religious freedom? How has the notion of obedience become so politicized over recent decades as to give rise to an organization such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 43:00) Similarly, how has the principle of altruism – a fundamental tenet of all designations of Christianity – also become finessed and even redefined in such a way to benefit those with self-interest? How does such a reductive and materialistic approach tend to distract the faithful from true empathy toward those who are less fortunate in such matters as health or persecution?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 47:00) How can the possibility of growing within one’s faith be viewed as arguably the greatest challenge posed by YeHoVaH to his creation? How does our free will, combined with our vulnerability toward sin, offer us the opportunity to worship and practice our faith, but also the bounden duty to exemplify that faith in our actions to such an extent that we achieve genuine spiritual formation rather than merely paying lip service to a poorly-understood creed?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 51:00) Apart from historical accuracy, why is it appropriate that Michael Rood should adopt the vestments of Mordecai in his teachings from Israel? How is this figure from the Book of Esther, who is largely unfamiliar to many evangelical Christians, uniquely poised to serve as an example of vindication of the Hebrews and of YeHoVaH’s providence for those who have yet to learn the significance of the Feast of Purim?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 53:00) Despite the politicization of public discourse regarding genocide – whether historically verified or feverishly imagined by members of the radical fringe – what are the plausible reasons for the upsurge in anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade? Are the Jews and their nation yet again in genuine danger of becoming the Western world’s scapegoats, or are we witnessing a decadent antisemitism that will soon lose expression?

This week (Sept 2) on Shabbat Night Live, we go behind the scenes! Several years ago, Luke and Kayte Abaffy interviewed Michael Rood for their groundbreaking documentary, The Way, a story of countless believers around the world who have traded Easter ham for Passover lamb and Sunday church for Saturday Sabbath.

Behind The Scenes with Michael Rood presents, for the first time, the raw footage of that interview — a special, two-episode series that gives you a real-life glimpse of the man behind the ministry!

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 18:00) Why is the dedication of one’s life to serving YeHoVaH in some capacity, whether personal or professional, such a challenge for many believers? How does the simplicity of prayer underscore the complexity of defining, developing, and maintaining a private apostolate when there is no guarantee of its effectuality in a hostile and sinful world?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 21:00) Why has the enduring popularity of Fiddler on the Roof as musical and film, along with the source stories of Sholem Aleichem, nevertheless made little impact upon the spirituality of many professed Christians? Has this been a function of residual antisemitism, which is still prevalent, or evidence of an unwillingness to explore the genuine Hebrew ethos of scripture?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 25:00) Controversies continue regarding the politicization of our nation’s military, particularly regarding its growing egalitarianism toward gender and the practice of Islam within its ranks. How might the deterioration of hierarchy and discipline here be attributed to an absence of Judeo-Christian spirituality in training and in recognition of Just War Theory in military ethics?
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 29:00) How do Yeshua’s words against the Phariseeism of his own times tend to resonate in today’s heavily materialistic and agnostic world? How can his demarcations of arbitrary and man-made legalism be viewed as precursors of the growing power and personality cults of present-day leaders, such as political figures, captains of industry, and presumptive medical experts?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 33:00) Alternatively, how do Paul’s admonitions to his readers assume greater contemporary significance when situated within the contexts of Temple worship and maintenance of the Feasts, as designated by the Torah? What is the most potentially damaging aspect of disseminating these texts as mere aphorisms without this framework for believers who attempt to evangelize?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 38:00) How do ongoing debates regarding the validity of the modern-day Jewish calendar serve to dramatize the challenge facing all believers who attempt to fulfill their duties as priests, prophets, and kings? Why is a crucial factor like the ancient reckoning of time so often ignored or treated in an arbitrary manner by many Christian denominations?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 42:00) Similarly, how have examples of biblical miracles such as the raising from death of Lazarus (John 11) and the daughter of the synagogue leader (Luke 8) been trivialized or dismissed as mere folklore or even propaganda by both believers and agnostics? How can the faithful strive most effectively to reconcile belief in divine power and the empiricism of science when faced with the Simon Magus figures of our own age?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 44:00) What could be the likely cultural impact of a revisionist view of Yeshua as a truly masculine and provocative public figure, one who challenged hypocritical authority and advocated a recognition of the Laws of Moses and a return to principles of obedient worship? Could such a conception inspire greater unity among today’s denominational Christians, or instead serve as an example of the “sword of division” (Matthew 10:34)?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 49:00) What is the unforeseen danger of the popular academic trend toward graduate degrees in divinity studies? How might otherwise devout or curious lay professionals develop skeptical or ill-defined conceptions of doctrinal elements within scripture, which could ironically weaken rather than enhance their secular apostolates within the working world?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE – 55:00) In light of Israel’s perseverance as a major player on the geopolitical stage, along with the ongoing relevance of its centrality in biblical archaeology, how might its prominence lead to a reconciliation of the divisions within modern Judaism? Would such a development most likely be initiated through political diplomacy and international trade, or through evangelical efforts among gentiles?