2006 Televised LIVE

• If you have a broadband connection but can't watch the broadcast live, we will be putting all the speakers presentations on line. You will be able to see the list on this page below in a couple of days. The files won't be there until they are uploaded by us. Note: Only the main hall presentations will be televised live and will contain video and audio. All the other presentations will be just audio only. Fell free to contact the speaker and request the PowerPoint slides so you can see exactly what we did.

• If you would like to purchase any of the presentations on DVD or CD, please email the Webmaster stating what you would like. We will post a price list later.

Speakers for Sukkot 2006 include:

• Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries
• Joseph Good of Hatikva Ministries
• Tim Kelley of the Ami Yisrael Torah Study
• Ron McKown of the Fellowship Church of God
• Lee Miller of House of David School of Biblical Studies
• Daniel Payton of Beit Tefila Home Fellowship
• Charles Stalsworth of Bet Ami
• Dean Wheelock -publisher of Hebrew Roots Magazine

Speaking Schedule  

B01 = Main Hall Stage (Lake) End                BO2 = Main Hall West End               BO3 = Yurt Room

Speaker's Background and Topics

 Larry and Judy Brown

Larry Brown is an ordained minister.  Married to wife Judy for 51 years, they have four children.  Larry spent 29 years in the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Search and Rescue and retired as a Master Chief (E-9) and was a Command Master Chief for last 10 years of service.  Larry has traveled the world extensively in both in Coast Guard and particularly in his ministry, Elishama Ministries and Ephraim’s Brigade, which he founded with his wife Judy.  Elishama Ministries’ focus is researching Biblical roots of the Faith and looking for the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel .

Judy F. Brown is a retired Certified Financial Planner.  She has a Business Finance Degree from University of Central Oklahoma where she graduated #1 in her class. Among her life’s accomplishments, she is President and Founder of LJB & Associates, Regional VP for Money Concepts International, a global Financial Planning Network and a researcher in The Biblical Roots of the Faith and The Hebrew Language. Presently she serves as a board member and partner in Elishama Ministries and Ephraim’ Brigade.

War on the Mountains - A scenario as fresh as today’s headlines.  A war that’s looming on the horizon - coming straight out of the Book of Ezekiel.    A prophetic end-time look at the re-gathering and returning of “The 10 Lost Tribes” to the Mountains of Israel and the tumultuous conflict the ensues.  We will put Scripture back into context and rethink the War of Gog and Magog.  We will see how present world events are leading up to this cataclysmic event.  And, you may be involved!

Uncle Larry’s Utterly Amazing and Dazzling Dash Through History - What in the world is going on?  Ever wonder how Secular History effects Biblical History?  Ever try to put the Books of the Bible in Chronological order, then try to fit them into world history?  Knowing who did what, when, and why, and in what order, makes the characters of the Bible come alive.  You thought Daniel was a hero?  Wait till you see how he fits into History.  Daniel is a Super Hero!  Ever see how Esther changed the course of history?  And, what is Zechariah babbling about anyway?  In one fun session we will dash through history and put it all together.

Yuds and Tittles with Yudeit – an Introduction to the Hebrew Language - Hebrew, the language of Heaven.  Have you been intimidated by those who throw Hebrew words around?  Feel like it’s all going over your head”  Never fear, the Hebrew Language is really not that hard to understand.  You will be introduced to the Hebrew Alef-Beit and the wonderful hidden meanings of each Hebrew Letter.  You will see the beauty and symmetry of the Original Biblical Writings.  Yes, it’s much easier to learn than English.  This will give you a “jump start” to further studies of the Hebrew Language.  

 Jenna Campau (Children’s Classes)

 Jenna grew up in Seattle area and began keeping the appointed times with her family at age 7.  After graduating from Ambassador College with an associates degree in theology, she has found the Heavenly Father to be the best teacher, all by Himself.  Jenna has dabbled in many jobs including administrative assistant, data entry for a French publication and CAD work for several civil engineers and land surveyors.  She enjoys reading, music (piano and singing), cycling and just being with family.  She is currently concentrating on her duties as a child of the King disguised as a wife to Daniel, her husband of almost 17 years and home school mom to Cyan (14), Brina (12), and Joel (10), her favorite kids on the planet.

  Tim and Shannon Campau

 Timothy and Shannon Campau have been married for 7 happy years.  Timothy is a computer programmer, very logical, a great beach volleyball partner and a wonderful husband (in the opinion of Shannon ).  Shannon is a Jack of all trades, an artist who is mostly really organized, a Master Gardener and an athlete who loves to sing and dance.  They live in Holland , Michigan with their two large canines, Rooper and Ubu and a beta fish named Fish. 

Shannon has always been interested in dance. Timothy has supported her and enjoyed flag worship.  They have attended several workshops and regularly dance on Sabbath as part of worship.  Shannon has led dance worship for the past 3 years and has choreographed many dance specials.  YHVH desires us to worship him in body and spirit. We hope to encourage worship, through flags, song and dance, to praise YHVH, for He is worthy.

 Flag and Banner Dance - This seminar will be a hands-on demonstration of flag dance for worship.  We will show you the biblical basis of the use of flags, banners and the act of dancing before YHVH.  YHVH asks us to worship Him with our whole heart, mind, soul and body.  Dance and the use of flags as props is one way we can add physical depth to our worship.  

In our session we will discuss that flags are symbols and explore our responses to them, explain the meaning of flag colors, and show different types of flags.  The use and care of flags will be shared as well as tips on how to make them.  Body movement and the way one moves to convey a meaning will be demonstrated and discussed.  Also, we will describe the difference between performance dance and worship.

As with all talents given by YHVH, there is responsibility that is attached.  We will explain about personal space, how one is to treat their neighbor, their flags and how to use their body.  Modesty and the condition of the heart will be addressed as well as suggestions on clothing, comfort and style.

Included in this session we will take time to have individuals “try out” some flags that I will have available and learn a few flag and dance moves/steps that I learned in high school color guard.  If you have flags, please bring them with you to the class.

Also during the talent show at the end of the week we would like to have a flag dance performed by everyone who would like to join that can get their hands on flags, streamers, handkerchiefs or scarves.  I would encourage you to attend this seminar if you do wish to be included in this dance.

 Hal Geiger

 35 of his 54 years have been served in speaking & teaching within the Churches of God.  He & his wife, Scarlet, met at Ambassador College in Texas, married in '76 and have 2 sons: Gabriel, age 25
& Jordan, age 24 and a daughter, Amarah, age 11.  They reside in southern Wisconsin where Hal has been employed in technical education for over 2 decades until recently becoming self employed.  For the last 3 years, Hal & Scarlet have enjoyed hosting an "open house church" and the fall & spring Feasts at their farm.

Lessons from the Sukkah - A primitive shelter was selected as the center piece for this Holy season.  Does this symbol only look back to ancient Israel ?  Does it have any relevance today or a connection with the future?  We'll look carefully at the deep running lessons contained within the scriptures and structure of the Sukkah to answer those questions.

Hear Oh Israel - When God repeatedly spoke the words, "Hear oh Israel ", they were His invitations to draw close to Him because He had profound truths & encouragement to share.  We'll see, as we survey these scriptures, that our Lord not only reveals aspects about Himself but also His plans for mankind and assurance of how He will faithfully stand beside us through the journey.

  Joseph Good

 Joseph Good comes from southeast Texas where he continues to live. His Biblical research centers on finding the full intent of scripture, specifically regarding scriptural interpretation and Temple research. Hatikva Ministries was founded by Joseph Good who continues to preside over its administration and teaching materials in accordance with: 1) Teaching the good news of the Messiah and the coming redemption, 2) Revealing the Jewish roots of the faith, and 3) Standing against anti-Semitism. Joseph has studied for years, exploring the original intent of scripture. He has written several books including, "Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come," which brought him international exposure, "Prophecies in the Book of Esther," "The Non-Jew's Guide." Along with his wife, Debbie, he wrote "The Concise Guide to the Mishnah and the Tosefta."

 The Torah, the Oral Torah, and the Sanhedrin –  In this session we will se how the Oral Torah interacts with the Torah and the role of the Sanhedrin in determining how the commandments are to be performed.  Joe will refer to Rabbi Richmond to see how the new Sanhedrin will deal with issues such as the calendar, status of non-Jews, location of the Temple , and judgment on techilet.  He will also discuss what the current Sanhedrin is doing to validate its authority within the Jewish community.

The Preparations for the Coming of the Temple – The rabbis at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem are real close to determining a floor plan for the Temple .  Joe will talk about his upcoming trip to Israel to discuss this with the rabbis who are very close to making a decision on the actual floor plan and the working drawings by which the proposed Temple will be rebuilt. He will also discuss some of the other preparations for the Temple as well as the relevance of the coming Temple to Jews, non-jews and the children of Israel .

Prophecy and the Recent War in Lebanon - For most people Israel ’s war with Hesbollah leaves many unanswered questions.  How does this war play into prophecy? What will happen next?

 Jan Gordon (“Low-impact” Praise & Worship Dance Leader)

I was born a coal-miner’s daughter in the mountains of Virginia .  We moved to Detroit , Michigan when I was a teenager.  I was the first person to graduate from High School in my family lineage. My grandparents traveled from Virginia to witness my graduation from the High School of Commerce .

Shortly after graduation, I began working at Michigan Bell Telephone Company and there I met the man I would marry, Ken Gordon.  We married as teenagers and will celebrate our 50^th wedding anniversary October 27^th. We moved to Florida twenty one years ago to assist my mom in her elder years ... who is now 91 !

It was not a smooth 50 years; we could have ended the journey many times but I had told him before we married that it was a life-time commitment.

Shortly after our children were born, I was called to a knowledge of the Sabbath and Holy Days and the origins of the holidays we had been observing.   He had a major problem when I began my “peculiar spiritual walk”. He even suggested a divorce saying “the whole world can’t be wrong about the Sabbath!!”  I challenged him to prove me wrong.  He spent months in the library after work until finally one day he came home and said “You were right; the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday !! and the worldly holidays have pagan origins!”    We then began the walk together; it was 40 years in 2005 !

We are here at this Festival by the grace of the Almighty because on October 1, 2005 we were involved in a head-on auto crash that was not our fault while we were on our way to Sabbath services.  It destroyed both cars and we all went to the hospital by ambulance. The young people in the other car were not injured.  My husband, Ken, had to have back surgery and has just recently been told he can return to normal activities.  I am still having therapy for my injuries which were caused by seat-belt trauma but without the seatbelt, I would not be here. We have wanted to come to this Festival for years and we both are so happy to be alive and with you at this Festival 2006 !        Halleluyah !

 Jason and Christle Kelley (Teen Coordinators)

Jason and Christle are originally from Hawkins , Texas .  They currently live in Fort Worth , Texas were they attend independent congregations on the Sabbath.  Jason has an engineering degree and works as a Flight Test Engineer for Lockheed Martin.  Christle is a Registered Nurse and Medical Transcriptionist.  They are expecting their first child in early September. 

 Tim & Angie Kelley (Dance Coordinator)

Tim and Angie are the congregational leaders of a small hebraic fellowship group, Ami Yisrael Torah Study, in East Texas .   In 1995, they became very interested in the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith and have co-sponsored numerous seminars designed to teach others in the Christian community about their Hebrew roots and the joy that comes from living a Torah-based lifestyle.   Today they believe their main focus is to teach others who are turning to God (Yahweh) and His Torah that they most likely have ties to Israel , the land, and the people.  Tim and Angie own a small custom cabinet business near their home.   Their two children, Jason (along with his wife, Christle) and Jeremy (along with his wife, Crystal and their daughter, Jaycee) attend Torah pursuant congregations where they reside.

Immersion – the Bride Prepares – As we grow in our understanding of the Jewishness of our Messiah and the scriptures that were written about Him,  we find that immersion (baptism) is not a New Testament concept. We find immersion all the way back to Moses and before! In this study, we’ll discover the relationship between immersion and the Hebrew wedding, then we’ll see how all this applies to us today. At the conclusion of the session, those who would like can come to the Pavilion and participate in a ritual immersion ceremony.

Clouds of Blessing  – It’s a blessing to be called by God and given knowledge of His way of life, including these special Holy Days, the moedim – God’s appointments with us.  But when God blesses us, do we in turn ‘pass the blessings along’?  How do we use the blessings we’ve received to do the most good during the festival season?  We’ll investigate ways we can be a blessing to others as we observe the Feast of Tabernacles in the Lake Murray area.

The Day After Time – Since the Garden of Eden, man has been trying to solve the world’s problems man’s way. Finally, the Messiah returns and restores all things. We’ve been rehearsing the 1000 years of the Messianic Kingdom this past week.  But what’s ahead.  What happens when the 1000 years comes to a close? Do all things come to an end? After 7000 years, what’s next?  The scriptures give us a glimpse of the future – the day after time ends.

Dance Presentations and Workshops – Praising God thru dance is an avenue God commands His people to take part in during His Pilgrimage Festival seasons.  Scripture shows us that the singers, instruments players AND those who “took up their tambourine” were placed in front of Israel ’s army and the enemies scattered.  It is the delight of my heart to share with you the joy in the dance.  Come to the evening Congregational Dances where we’ll be teaching the same songs that will be played in the next morning’s worship services.

 Derek Kyle

 Twenty years ago, I was attending Chuck Missler’s Monday night Bible studies in Costa Mesa . For the first time, I was exposed to an intelligent and well-researched student of the Scripture and have since been the beneficiary of that influential approach in my relationship with Y’shua. In 2000 there began a change in the focus of my studies. My interest shifted from applying the Scripture as a basis for my moral compass, to a legal document. I had been researching secular law for the past 15 years. When I began to explore the Torah as a universal law that prescriptively dictates the events of history, I then started to look for historical evidences to support my presupposition. My involvement with Temple Research Group Lubbock Texas was timely as it related to the Tochecha data then being discovered.

The Temple Research Group Lubbock Texas was the brainchild of engineer Ray Vaughn. Several friends came together privately in an attempt to research the architecture of the Temple and document the origins of the source data. In addition, Ray had been researching Sir Isaac Newton’s mathematical algorithm based upon the blessings and curses of Vayikra Bechukotai [Lev. 26] and Devarim Ki Tavo [Deu. 28] called in Hebrew: Tochecha. Newton stated that this algorithm was a predictor of prophecy for the nation of Israel . Two members of this group, Shoshonah Klein and myself have continued independently working on our research projects. Shoshonah published a summary of Ray Vaughn’s findings on the Tochecha in 2005 entitled, And I Will Walk Among You: How Divine Covenants with Israel Shaped the History of the World; and I have continued working on my Parshah Study Collection, a research tool for the serious student of Torah.

Obedience and Authority: in an Age of Deception. "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Y'shua answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you." In this time, where many agree we have entered into the last days, not only is our obedience critical, but also our understanding of legitimate and lawful authority. Come and discover what the Scriptures and history outline as legitimate authority and how the ever-so-subtle art of deception operates to slowly draw us away from our Father who loves us.

Kosher and the New Testament: a Comparison of Modern Doctrine and the Recorded Statements of the Apostles. The Modern Doctrine of the Church claims that Y'shua's life fulfilled the requirements of the Law. In His fulfillment, the ekklesia is now no longer required to keep the Biblical Kosher commandments. The principle passages used to promote this doctrine will be critically examined to see if the recorded statements of the Apostles actually support this modern doctrine. You will be surprised and challenged by the manuscript evidence. This will be a great primer on Messianic apologetics.

 Mark Mathews

Mark Matthews is a firefighter of 22 years and has also worked as a Sheriff's Deputy (Aux) for 5 years. He is a licensed amateur radio operator, a certified private pilot, and holds a number of certifications related to public safety & firearms instruction. He attended the SPIKE series of preparedness training. Mark co-founded the (VA) Peninsula 's Y2K preparedness Network during the Y2K issues of the latter 90's, holding monthly public meetings & several media interviews. Mark has studied preparedness issues since the late 80's. At the Season of Our Joy feast Mark is Lee Miller's first assistant, and plays the drums during the music events. He has been married to the PowerPoint queen, Susan, for 9 years and has 3 children.

Practical Preparedness - We are currently living in turbulent times. This nation and world is full of deception and corruption. Weather trends are changing. Jobs are being outsourced at an astronomical rate. Our borders are porous & inviting to
terrorist desiring to strike here, not to mention the economic crisis illegal aliens are causing. What can you do to get ready for the negative outcomes of these & other events? Stop relying on the government and
Wal-mart for all your needs! Learn how to take care of your family in bad times by starting with the basics.

This session will briefly discuss national & world history, current events, future trends, and how it plays into end time issues. The remainder of the class will go over the very basics of self reliance, covering food, water, shelter, clothing, sanitation, medical, alternative energy, transportation, communication, protection & security, and more. Due to time constraints, we will cover only the basics and show you how to learn more on your own.

 Michael Mastropaolo

Spiritual Baggage -  Is the "baggage" that you brought with you after your "conversion" slowing you down in your quest for Truth? Growth in grace and knowledge requires that suitcases full of error be left behind. How do we recognize error or behaviors that inhibit our walk on the path that leads to eternal life? If we want to be profitable servants of the Messiah, which baggage from our past can cause us to fail at our job, or cause us to be told our service was mediocre?

What is needed is a practical, useful guide for self-examination, or, if you don't want to examine yourself just yet, you can use the guide I will provide to examine your friends and neighbors, which is probably more fun, but not as productive.

You will learn of four categories of "stuff" coming from the world that you may or may not want to keep on your trip to the "promised land." There are six types of baggage that derive from at least eight possible sources in our past. Learning how to apply this method of analysis to our own lives in a prayerful manner can clear the way for great spiritual growth, making us of more use to our Creator, and making it possible to earn greater rewards down the road in this life and for all eternity.

If you attend this break-out session, you will leave with tools for self-improvement and hopefully, a healthy ability to have some cherished, long-held beliefs challenged, not by me, but by the Torah and your "new self."

 Ron and Donna McKown

  Ronel along with his 1^st. Wife Donna, of 37yrs, have a ministry in prison.  They have been 8yrs. In one prison and 4 yrs. In another.  They due a service once a month in both.  They have been singing in a local nursing home (with help from friends) for about 12 yrs.  Ron writes to about 5 or 6 different TDCJ units in Texas and two other states, offering materials, answering questions and offering encouragement as the men learn to walk in the truth of YHVH.

Ron and Donna are involved with a small Torah Study Group in the Waco area.  We meet with as often as we can.  Ron and Donna feel honored and very blessed to be able to help co-host the fall Feast site, Season of our joy. Most yrs. We are able to help out with Yom Teruah and Channach.

They have raised 14 children.  They have 13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchild.  Donna says she always knew she was great, now she has grandchildren to prove it.

Ronel earns his daily bread in the same trade his forefather did.  He is a masonry contractor(bricklayer), specializing in landscape projects such as brick or rock sidewalks, patios, flowerbeds, waterfalls, and a special type of fireplace.

Donna takes care of 10 acres with cows, chickens, cats, dog, garden.  She works for H&R Block during tax season(Jan-April).  She sells eggs and a little fire wood.  Right now she has a full time job taking care of two of the grandchildren, ages 2 and 4 yrs..  It’s not good pay but the benefits are great.  She even finds a little time to take care of Ronel.

Come “Hear O’Israel”, the Sounds of the Shofar - Ps. 89:16- Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound of the shofar, they shall walk, O Yah in the light of Thy countenance.    

Come hear what the different sounds mean and why should it be important for all of Israel

to know what they are.  The command is to hear the sound of the shofar.  The sounding of the shofar reminds us of the imminent return of the Messiah.  Bring your shofar or us one of mine, and lets learn how to worship and rejoice together.

 Lee and Jackie Miller

 Lee Miller, a native of Virginia, started piano lessons at the age of 5 when his parents couldn’t keep him off of the church’s instrument. At the age of 12, he was awarded a lifetime scholarship to the Conservatory of Music in St. Louis .

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies. Upon graduating from college, he was employed by Rock Church in Virginia Beach as music director. His responsibilities included: lead keyboard player, conductor, arranger, and accompanist for their many guest singers. He was also head of the audio department. Becoming an accomplished audio engineer, he produced 2 gospel albums.

He also toured with different groups, ministering to many churches around the country. He played on the 700 Club for artists such as: Russ Tuft, Phil Driscoll, and the 1973 Miss America , Terry Lee Meeuwsen.

As Music Director for Rock Church , he arranged for and directed the orchestra. In 1980 in D.C., he was lead keyboard player and orchestra arranger for Washington for Jesus, with 500,000 Christians in attendance.

His mission is teaching others how to study and exposing accusations against the faith that lack merit. He is now in the process of developing the House of David School of Biblical Studies, a web site that addresses these things.

He and his wife, Jackie, reside in Virginia . They enjoy 3 wonderful daughters, 3 beautiful grandchildren, and two great cats.

Jackie Miller, a native of Queens New York, was introduced to American Sign Language (ASL) as a child. Later, she attended free sign language classes at the Commack Rehabilitation Center . As an adult, she attended Suffolk Community College , Stoney Brook University , and the Cleary School for the Deaf, each contributing to her understanding in the field of ASL.

After moving to Virginia , she attended JSR Community College , still learning more about this unique language. In each of these, she became more comfortable with sign language as a means of creative expression that transcended words.

While attending the Christian church Solid Rock Worship Center , she took over the responsibility of the Sign Team. While leading them on Sunday worship services, she added 10 people to the team and started classes for members of the congregation.

Today it is a natural outflow of expression in her Worship.

 Praise, Worship, and Alternate Realities - When the time comes to enter into communication with our Heavenly Father using pre-agreed upon words (and a musical melody), what do the Scriptures instruct us to know and what is the mental position concerning the reality that can only be reached by faith?

Daniel’s Prophecies, Calendars, the Exodus, and the Error of Rabbinic Dating - Attacks against the Word of our Heavenly Father, the Scriptures, are not new. One of the favorites seems to be Old Testament calendar issues and prophecy.  We’re going to examine some of these and determine if they have merit.  We will see that the adversary, being very clever, doesn’t attack the Scriptures out right. Instead, the attack comes from back door approaches.

Examples of these types of attacks using ‘Biblical’ scholars include:

1. Archeology and the Scriptures do not line up.
2. There’s no evidence from Egypt that the Exodus ever took place.
3. The Kingdom of David never existed
4. Calendar dates that relate to the Old Testament do not line up with the academic understanding of history.
5. The Scriptures that were translated into Greek by the generation raised up after Ezra are unreliable.
6. The book of Daniel was written during the middle of the second century BC instead of the 5th century BC.

Also considered is the issue of the rabbinic calendar. Since it states that the current year is 5767, Yeshua, in their perspective, is thereby disqualified from being the Messiah.

In addition, we will look at the prophecies of Daniel including their relationship to the creation of the Scriptures that would be used to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah as well as the prophecy of when the Messiah would come for the first time.  We will also discuss the 336 day calendar that was found in the Dead Sea Scroll caves and see how the Old Testament Scriptures used that same encoding system for some of the dates of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

These deceptions are nothing more than attempts to undermine our faith so that the reliability of the Scriptures is brought into question.

Body Language in Worship and Prayer - As a tool that can be used to enter into the throne room of God, sign language is something to be considered.  Jackie will teach the song Awesome God so that those who take the class can sign during the waving of the Lulavim. If time allows, she will also offer techniques for choreographing songs on your own.

 Daniel Payton

42 year old male; married 20 years to junior high school sweetheart, Mary; BBA at University of Oklahoma and JD at the University of Tulsa College of Law; currently practicing law in Lawton, Oklahoma.  Theology has modified over the years from trying to follow the church pastors, to trying to follow the rabbis, to trying to follow the Torah, to trying to find his place in relationship with other believers.  Daniel is still learning and does not claim to have all the answers.  However, this speaker desires to share certain insights into the Word of YHWH that has changed his life and sincerely hopes and prays that you will be blessed by these teachings.

 You Are No Longer Gentiles - How many of you have explored WHO you are and WHERE you fit in to our Maker’s great master plan for mankind?  The Church tells you that you are Gentiles and that you should live as good members of the Church of Jesus Christ.  The rabbis tell you (at best) that you are “godfearers” and that you should live as good Noachides (like Cornelius).  This teaching will encourage you to reconsider WHO you are and to reconsider whether we should accept man made paths, traditions and patterns for our lives.  We will search the scripture to determine who we are not, who we are, who we were made to be and how our Maker would have us behave.

Our Contract with God - The speaker is an attorney that sees the Word of God as a big legal contract.  God offered this contract to us and our ancestors accepted this contract on our behalf.  Are we in breach of this contract?  What are the terms of this contract?  What are our rights, duties, powers and remedies under this contract?  Has God delivered the goods as promised?  What is a conditional promise?  Are there powers in this contract that we are failing to exercise?  Are we doing our part?  Come join us as we look at these issues.

The Basics of the Two Houses of Israel (Restoration of All Israel 101) - God made certain promises to a people.  We will explore scriptural history to track these promises and this people.  We will see this people broken into two large groups of people (House of Judah and House of Israel).  We will explore various prophecies declaring that God will restore these splintered groups of people unto Himself unto His Word and unto His Land.  A basic understanding of these truths will open your insight into understanding scripture and greatly enhance your understanding of your identity in the kingdom of God .

 Mark Roth (Children’s Coordinator)

Mark & Linda both grew up in Wisconsin . Mark has been keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days since he was a young boy.  Linda began when she was 12. They married in December 1975 and made their home in Soldotna , Alaska . Mark has done many things in his life: raised and milked goats while he was a teenager, roofing barns, construction work, commercial salmon and halibut fisherman, built boats, traveled to many countries, owned and operated a salvage yard and used car dealership. Linda loved school and crafts, and left Wisconsin with her knight in shining armor to make a home in the last frontier. She has been at Mark’s side doing and helping with many of the things he has embarked on, including being the bookkeeper. They had 5 children, all born at home. Mark began his salmon fishing business in June of 1977, and has been doing that every summer since, except for 1997. For ten summers they lived in a fish camp in the Alaskan bush where their third child was born in the early morning by kerosene lantern light. Now their children are grown, 3 are married, no grandchildren yet. 3 of their sons own their own salmon fishing boats. Mark & Linda now reside in Homer, Alaska . They spend Sabbaths with a few other believers in small home meetings. This is their fourth festival of Sukkot here in Ardmore .

 Brad Scott

Brad Scott has been teaching the Hebrew language and culture since 1983. As a pastor he was educated in the Greek language and culture until the public release of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1980's. Since then he has been teaching the dynamics and insights of this beautiful language in it's original pictographic form. You will find that Brad teaches in a shotgun method in which a thousand facts fly out at a 150 miles per hour. He combines balanced down to earth teaching of the treasures found in this language with more than enough humor to keep your head from nodding. The Wildbranch Ministry itself began in 1993. Wildbranch not only focuses on the language in which the scriptures were originally written, but is the home of the 'principle of the seed'. Brad reveals biblical words and theology embedded in God's creation from the beginning. He dramatically demonstrates that the mother tongue and all Bible theology is found planted in the opening chapters of Genesis and is revealed to every generation in the natural things of creation. Brad is 53 years old,  married and has six grown children and has his 9th grand child on the way. Brad's wife Carol is every bit a part of the ministry and is, in his words, the brains behind it all.

The Principle of the Seed - One of the fundamental teachings of the Wildbranch Ministry. Brad begins by demonstrating that all biblical words spring forth from the opening chapters of B'reshiyt. All biblical words are found embedded in the natural things of creation. The Creator begins with 'seed' in the opening verses and maintains this beautiful natural picture till the end. The Messiah identifies Himself as the 'seed of the woman'. This important principle identifies who the 'sons of God' are from the very beginning. Brad will paint this picture in the Hebrew language in it's pictographic and etymological form as it was given to us in the beginning, where Isaiah tells us the end is found.

Prophecy and Ancient Biblical Hebrew - As we continue to watch the events in the Middles East unfold, we are now being faced with the final stages of an ancient war between two seeds, two men. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has always been challenged by the god of Cain, Ishmael, and Esau. Brad will discuss unfolding events in light of prophecy embedded in the opening chapters of Genesis. Part I will begin with a teaching of the fundamental differences between Hebrew thought and Greek thought. Brad will demonstrate the slow merging of the Greek religious thought system with the teachings of evolution and how this affects our western thinking process. Part II will focus on the beast, the adversary, Esau, Cain and Islam through the design and revelation of the Hebrew language itself, or should we say Himself.

 Charles and Miriam Stalsworth

We have been a Congregational leaders for about  24 years.  I first started out in 1982 with Grace Community Chapel which was a little non-denominational Church in the projects of OKC.  Miriam and I eventually started a Hebrew roots movement on Friday nights which, over time, eclipsed the focus of our previous direction.  We continued as a dual congregation until 1989 when we formally incorporated under the name of "Bet Ami Congregation" and Grace Community Chapel ceased to be.

I met Miriam  in 1979 and we were married in 1980.  She was born and raised in Chicago , and with her Jewish heritage, together we have fallen more in love with each other, our creator and our  destiny in the Hebrew Roots Movement.    Miriam, like her namesake, loves to dance in praise and worship. She has attended numerous Israeli Dance workshops across the United States , and loves to teach and see the joy of seeing others praise Yah in the dance for the last twenty-five years.  Learning from her Jewish relatives, as she was growing up,teaching others holiday cooking and certain customs for the feast days has come naturally to Miriam. She loves to make challah and decorate a beautiful table with fantastic eye-appealing foods. Miriam is a professional in that she is a facilitator for the public school system in Oklahoma . She teaches the teachers how to gain the maximum of effectiveness out of their teaching in the classroom.  In her spare time, she plays with her newest love, 6 month old granddaughter, Reese and helping every new person who enters Bet Ami to becoming their full potential in the body of Messiah.

I was born in 1940 to Raymond and Virginia Stalsworth on their first anniversary and my sister Lynn followed 3 years later.  I had an uneventful childhood and after high-school, I entered apprenticeship with the local electrical union here in the City.  I became an electrical contractor one year after my graduation and continued on in that occupation which supported my family for quite some time.

I personally had very little to do with organized religion, but in about 1978, I started inquiring about all things "Spiritual."  Quite accidentally, I was introduced to the New Testament through the Hebrew perspective and I was hooked.  What had never made sense to me before started to come together in fresh and unexpected way.  I purchased thousands of dollars worth of books and began my journey by teaching weekly Bible Studies.   The full impart of the Hebrew perspective took sometime to settle into to my mind but the greatest gain was made when someone paid for me to attend a seminar with Dr Roy Blizzard in Austin Texas.

Little did I know how much that fascination with the Jewishness of the Gospels was going to change my life.  Dr. Blizzard literally overturned almost everything that I had come to hold as sacred. Since that time, I have devoted much of my time in self study delving into the secrets of Torah and developing a useful curriculum for those new to Hebrew roots.  Miriam and I see ourselves as a team.  The focus of our ministry is practical application and encouraging others to be all that they can be.

We enjoy our Creator, each other, our six children, ten grandchildren, our jobs, Amateur Radio, song writing, pen and ink drawing, oil painting, worshipful dance and our peaceful home to do it all in.

The Law, What's Not to Like? -     From time to time, I hear preachers that have misunderstood Paul talk about the burden of the law.  Although they are well meaning and the text does appear to say that, they have led their members on a wild goose chase.  In Christianity today, there is the tendency of the congregation to take what the preacher says at face value without ever verifying for themselves wether or not what he is saying is true or not.   Unfortunately the Torah does not list the various laws in a numbered system.   They must be searched out by reading the first five books of the Bible.  This takes time and effort and most people are not up to it.  Beyond that, there is the tendency to avoid the Old Testament because they have been told for so long that it is an old covenant that has become obsolete.

"Your Belief System" and the "Johari Window" are two short slide shows that allows a person to inventory their personal belief system.   When talking to people, it is often difficult to get past the vast amount of inherited disinformation that prevails in everyones belief system.  I have known for quite sometime that I have some truth and some errors. The problem is, how do I get rid of the error and keep the truth when I am not sure of which is which. Romans 3:4 says " Let God be true and every man a liar."  Even verifying the truth sometimes can be hard, because so much of what is believed today is in error but it has been in the loop so long, that it is generally accepted by the many.  "Your belief system" slide show attempts to present questions that challenge the mind of the viewer to being open to some logical probing.

"Belief system" begins by laying out a simple concept that most people ever think of.   You are born a blank sheet of paper as far as your belief system goes.  Then we take a look at how we got to where 
we are today and then we begin to really take a look at our belief system by taking it to the Johari Window.  In the Johari window you can see for yourself how things come and go in our lives. You can 
then become mentally open to having the Johari window always at the ready so that you can test the things that you believe for yourself. If you are really open the Johari window can become a useful tool for 
you own purposes.

 David Swaim

David and Carla Swaim of Lafayette take part in the Central Indiana Messianic Believers Fellowship based in Indianapolis .  They have embraced both Messiah and Torah for the past 35 years and have had experience with several organizations that share those fundamental beliefs.  Sixteen months ago, they had their first opportunity to visit Israel .  Their primary avocation has been composing and recording songs of praise to Yahweh, with David singing baritone and Carla accompanying on keyboard or flute.  Dave has a continuing interest in the plants of the Bible and how the Hebraic scriptures could guide agriculture and ecosystem management.  He also has an interest in the history of religion and the development of modern orthodoxy in both Christianity and Judaism.

Dave and Carla are both graduates of Purdue University .  After marriage, he completed graduate school at the University of California at Davis , and went on to both study and teach at Ambassador College , Big Sandy , Texas .  They now have two married sons and two pre-school granddaughters. David is a professional crop production consultant and has served as an extension specialist working with small family farm enterprises and has served extensively in the USDA sustainable agriculture research and education program. He also has an interest in food production in developing countries.  He is responsible for his family farm adjacent to Turkey Run State Park .  Carla assists him as business manager for their consulting firm and operates a medicinal herb encapsulating enterprise.

The Seven Species of the Promised Land - Lessons from the Crops of the Field - Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.  Though grains and fruits have taken their turns being vilified by various modern dieticians, Yahweh uses these to colorfully illustrate many pivotal teachings.  As you will see, the agricultural seasons, the abundant harvests, the appearance and even the taste of this promised land produce tells a tale worth remembering.   The creation itself is used as regenerative evidence of the Plan, the Blessings and Promises.

The Positive Side of the Ten Commandments - Members of our Judeao-Christian culture today tend think of the Ten Commandments as a simplistic and negative list of “Thou shalt nots.”  They fail to realize that the TEN is just the starting point; and on it hang all the Law and the Prophets.  As we look at the Ten Commandments in context, they were the first instructions given to a people who had just come out of slavery.  In one sense, they were babes in the truth.  When instructing very young children, the fewer words used, the more effective.  When a toddler starts running toward the street, the alarmed parent yells “stop!”  As the child grows and develops, the instructions will become more complex and will focus more on what they are TO DO, as much or more than what they are NOT TO DO. 

It can be helpful on occasion to look at the Ten Commandments as a table of contents for a very valuable and positive set of instructions.  A major purpose of the coming of the Messiah was to “magnify” the Torah so we could see the detail of His Father’s instruction.  Focusing on the good things our Father wants us to be doing is our best defense against temptation to do wrong—or break a commandment.  This presentation encapsulates the positive side of each of those original Ten Commandments and should inspire us as we draw near to our heavenly Father.

 Sarah Uhing

Sarah has been married for 23 years, has 2 daughters, one Son-in-law and one grandson.  Her parents came into the truth of the Sabbath and Holy Days just before she was born, so she has been walking this walk her whole life.  She was introduced to the Messianic movement and Hebrew roots at last year’s festival celebration here at Lake Murray .   She believes in preaching the gospel on a personal basis through actions and attitudes; that taking personal responsibility for fulfilling the two great commandments of love toward God and love toward neighbor will bring everyone to the kind of personal relationship our God wants to have with His people.    

 Dean Wheelock

 Dean Wheelock along with his wife Susan are co-founders of Hebrew Roots, a ministry dedicated to exploring the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith. Together they write and publish the Hebrew Roots journal and conduct a tape ministry from their home in the north woods of Wisconsin .

The Faith Once Delivered - Jude, the half-brother of Y'shua, wrote a very short letter to the Messianic Believers of his day in which he exhorted them to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."  (Jude 1:3)

It is just as important for 21st century Messianic Believers to contend for the original faith as it was for 1st century Believers, the problem today being that there is sometimes little agreement on what constituted that original "Faith."

In this session we will be discussing eight important aspects of the Faith Once Delivered in an effort to better equip today's saints when they are called upon to answer inquiries about our Faith.

Biblical Music - How would you like to hear what the music sung by the Levitical Choir at the Temple sounded like?  Impossible, you say!  Maybe not!

A French composer and musicologist, Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, spent years deciphering the cantillation marks found in the Hebrew Scriptures.  She claims to have discovered the key which unlocks those mysterious marks and makes the music of the Hebrew Scriptures come alive.

Join us as we explore these musical notation symbols and hear recordings of what some of the Hebrew Scriptures might have sounded like during the time when Y'shua attended Temple service.

Living Waters - The Last Great Day, or Hoshanna Rabbah, is celebrated on the last or seventh day of Sukkot.  It was on this very day when, during Temple times, the great Water Pouring Ceremony occurred.  It was also on this very day when Y'shua stood up at the Temple and declared:

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  (John 7:37-38)

As Messianic Believers, each one of us needs to have this same Living Water flowing out of our innermost being so that we might emulate our Messiah Y'shua in every was possible.