Newsletter: 2010-02 1st New Moon – Happy “Hebrew” New Year

Happy New Year Greetings
from HomeWorship 101™

Pictured, over the North Pole, the lunar crescent,
the first crescent moon after the totally dark new moon.

“HE appointed the moon for seasons;…”
(seasons - literal Hebrew means “set times”)
-Psalm 104:19

Rosh Hodesh ve-Rosh Hashanah Sameach!
(Happy New Moon and Happy New Year!)
Happy 'Rosh Ha Shannah'

You're probably wondering: Huh? Rosh Ha Shannah?!?!
Now? In the spring?!?!

That's correct, Happy New Year!
The Bible is right - man is wrong.
Coming up in the next day or two,
is our CREATOR’S commanded New Year’s Day.

The world recognizes the Roman New Year (Dec.31), the Chinese new year, the Jewish new year in September (Rosh Ha Shannah), the Eastern Orthodox new year, and every other imaginable new year (check the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year), but YHWH’s new year, the “Hebrew” New Year, is not even mentioned and goes largely ignored, because it one of those inconvenient truths which would embarrass the liturgy of man’s Christian/Jewish religions. Is it any wonder that Christ warns, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you!" Matthew 21:31.

In this year’s newsletters I will continue to define the true meaning of “Hebrew,” which means “to cross over,” as in crossing over from the darkness of this world to light of YHWH’s World. When one makes the decision to accept our CREATOR-YHWH and have faith in HIM, then one begins their walk with HIM on HIS Ancient Path “crossing over” to HIS Kingdom. The faithful travel on YHWH’s ancient spiritual path when we choose to cross over into His Kingdom because that is where HE shows us HIS power, teaches us about HIS Kingdom and HIS plans for humanity. Here at the start of YHWH’s “Hebrew” New Year is a good place to get on the “Hebrew” Path and begin ones journey of “crossing over.”

“Do not go beyond that which is written,…”
- 1Corinthian 4:6

The above quote is blatantly ignored when it comes to our CREATOR’s new year, and you will not hear it broadcast anywhere else so here are the basics. YHWH’s “Hebrew” New Year is based on the lunar cycle, with 354 days, beginning in the spring. Every three years, an extra month called Veadar or 2^ndAdar, was added between 12^th and 1^st month. When first green shoots of barley, called the “Aviv Barley” are seen near Jerusalem, the next new – crescent/fingernail – moon begins YHWH’s New Year. This year the Aviv Barley has been spotted on March 12^th in the Jordan Valley, and the upcoming visible 2-4% new moon is estimated for the night of March 16 (making New Year’s day dated Mar.17). Some do not believe in sighting the new moon and would say Passover begins after the spring vernal equinox. To tell you the truth I cannot find anything in my Bible referring to the “vernal equinox” for setting Holy Day dates. YHWH made HIS Holy Days and seasons easy enough for a Sheppard boy to see the signs and set the dates without telescopes and complicated mathematics. Our CREATOR controls the timetable, the crops and seasons, one has to go out and search for physical evidence of the ripening crops and watch for the crescent new moon – it our spiritual connection to HIS timetable.

For more info log on to my Biblical timekeeping web page: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_timekeeping&calendar.htm

YHWH's “Hebrew” New Year is anxiously awaited because it means the beginning of the spring season of HIS “Hebrew” Holy Days is near (Lev.ch.23). YHWH's annual Holy Days play out what I call YHWH's Spiritual Opera, which teaches us multifaceted Kingdom lessons of humankind’s spiritual evolution from chaos to eternity. The “set times” that the New Moon shows us are the “set times (days)” for the Holy Days of the spring season. Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost, are all figured from the 1st New Moon Day. We observe them not out of legal religious obligation or salvation, but we look forward to learning from them, to seek to understand their higher Divine lessons, and to celebrate them. Mans preprinted calendars may be off by a day to several days, so we have to look to the signs in the heavens or we might miss YHWH’s “appointed time.” To learn more log on to: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_intro.htm

Aren't the Jews lucky? They have three New Year celebrations: the secular Rosh Ha Shannah in September, the western New Year on December 31, and one that gets hardly any mention at all is this Torah / Pentateuch / Bible / YHWH commanded New Year. Recorded in 1Samuel 8:11-18, man rejected YHWH and decided to do it his way, but make-no-mistake, the spiritual events of our CREATOR, which will bring this world from chaos to eternity, will unfold on HIS timetable, and on HIS Holy Days, not on a human designed system. The sad thing is, most Bible owners haven't got a clue - Satan has been busy corrupting knowledge (2Cor.4:4).

~ So now what? ~

Over the years I have been receiving comments from a Sunday keeping Christian lady who has been reading my work with a bit of skepticism. In the beginning she was thinking that I was becoming Jewish, with a great deal of delicate diplomacy I have been trying to explain the difference. Last year she read my newsletter Judaizers of the Faith and she couldn’t argue with my logic, she finally understood my point of view; and she had only one comment, “so now what?” No matter if you are a Sunday keeping Christian, out of church Christian, Messianic Jew, or otherwise. Here at the beginning of YHWH’s New Year is a great place to start learning about our CREATOR’s Kingdom. On this first day, go home and in private light two candles and pray for understanding. YHWH will hear your prayer and show you HIS Ancient Spiritual “Hebrew” Path. If we have the courage to walk YHWH’s Ancient Path the spiritual sojourner will begin to “cross over” into HIS World, where HE will reveal HIS mysteries to us, where HE will teach us and lead us to HIS Heavenly Gates. All YHWH asks of us is that we should have the humble eagerness to learn and the faith and honor to live in HIS eternal Divine ways (Heb.ch.11).

The new moon information I post on my website comes from Torah observant Jews in Jerusalem (see my links page). Some say having the new moon sightings announced from Jerusalem is immaterial because based on John 4:21-24, we do not have to look to Jerusalem for the signs. If you do not have access to outside information then looking to your local skies is the next best thing. Maybe in centuries past there was no news from Jerusalem, and one could look out in their local skies for the new moon, but I feel since the “Dry Bones” prophecies (Ezk.37:11-14) are currently being fulfilled with the rebirth of Israel, out of respect for the prophecy, we should again begin to watch Israel and Jerusalem. Besides, with today’s Internet, information follows freely and in real time, so looking towards Jerusalem is a habit we should be getting into, because that is where the Bride of the Messiah will be setting up residence, and HIS wise Bride would be watching for the signs of her betroth (Mat.25:1-13).

Watch for the new moon, in the western sky near the setting sun shortly after sundown. Technically called the lunar crescent, it is first visible as a very thin crescent shape, with its two points facing up and left, also called the waxing crescent moon, or the fingernail moon. It does not hang around all night; it comes up quick and then disappears after a short while. This year’s 1^st New Moon's sighting is estimated for the evening of March 16^th, and the 1st new moon day would be dated March 17, then count 14 days to Passover, the start of the Holy Day season (March 30, beginning the night before on the 29^th). (New Year Exo.12:2; New moon Col.2:16; Sunset to sunset day Lev.23:32; Spring Season Holy Days Lev.23:4-22; "Observe the Month of the Abib..." Deu.16:1). For the current Holy Day dates log onto my calendar web page: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_calendar.htm

For the do-it-yourselfer, with 2 clicks from my website, one can check the new moon sighting from anywhere in the Internet universe.

1) - On the bottom of my web pages in the Bible Study Tools section, click the solar phase link, or http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth/action?opt=-p, to see when the evening shadow falls over Jerusalem.

2) - When it does, click the moon phase link, or http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth/action?opt=-m&img=Moon.evif, to see the phase of the moon. It takes a 2-4% moon to be seen by the faithful from the ground and that determines the first day of the lunar month.

REMEMBER:
These are NOT Jewish 'holidays.'
These are 'Holy Days,'
the "appointed times" of YHWH.

“Keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.”
- 1 Corinthian 11:2

Some folks always tell me that’s all just for the Jews. The trouble is that the Jews do not observe this Torah commanded New Year, so how can it be just a Jewish thing? Besides Christ and the Apostles observed this day and the above quote clearly states we should follow their example. Need more proof? Think about it, how do you prove a Spiritual truth from YHWH? See how many people either hate it (the Messiah for example) or ignore it. Read the Bible, it is easy to understand that the New Year begins in the spring, now watch for how many people talk about it. Do you hear about it in the news? Do you hear about it in the synagogues? Do you hear about it in the churches? Do you hear about in the Bible study classes? No! Ask around about it, see how many people ignore it or try to double talk around it. Watch for it, you see the crescent new moon in the sky, stop for a moment and look around you, see all the people going to and fro, and have no idea what is in the sky above them. (We are truly blessed to understand the signs, now take a moment to say a quick prayer of thanks to YHWH for opening up your mind.) What the world ignores is the real truth of YHWH, and this YHWH commanded New Year is a shining example – the silence of the “religious & secular” world is deafening.

“Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,'
and do not do the things which I say?”
- Luke 6:46

It's a no-brainer, regarding the spirit; you gotta get behind something that endures forever! The "appointed times" listed in Leviticus chapter 23, are Holy because they are the Holy “Hebrew” Convocations ordained by our CREATOR for a-l-l humanity. Four times the chapter states these Holy Days will endure forever! Furthermore, the head of the New Covenant faith, Yahshua-Jesus, observed these Holy Days and so did His Apostles, and so should His followers!

"Learn not the way of the heathen…"
- Jeremiah 10:2 (NKJ)

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The theme of YHWH'S first Holy season is: Start Your New Year Off Right!!! That means one is encouraged to do some spiritual housekeeping. We all stumble on the Path sometimes, and now is the time to do a little spiritual spring-cleaning - clean out the bad doctrines of men and embrace YHWH’s Divine wisdom. We will cover that in the next newsletter coming out in a few days.

I often jokingly say, just because I gave up on the Pope's holidays, doesn't necessarily mean I jump in bed with the Jews, so to speak, they have their “religious’' problems too. As I said, I refer to these Holy Days as YHWH'S Grand Spiritual Opera bringing a-l-l humanity from chaos to eternity, for those who can see, these Holy Days are a treasure trove of spiritual lessons that armors our faith. Many people miss the fact that these Holy Days prove that YHWH is in charge of the Universe, and that there is hope for a-l-l our futures.

In the spirit of Daniel 12:4, "...knowledge shall increase in the end times."
In the past and present, learning or teaching the higher truths of our CREATOR, have caused wars and family conflicts. Stay the course; no mere mortal can suppress the truth of our CREATOR and…

Enjoy the journey of learning.
>Timekeeping: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_timekeeping&calendar.htm
>Holy Days Intro: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_intro.htm

Please remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for all those who stand with Israel (Ps.122).

Take care. Peace and blessings, Errol.
**********************************************
Errol Mueller, chronicler extraordinaire
e-mail: errol@homeworship101.com
website: www.homeworship101.com
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WSC Newsletter 2010-02, posted 03/14/10.

Copyright © 2010 Errol Mueller. All rights reserved. Short quotations, page copying, or redistribution for personal or non-commercial group study is permitted and encouraged, provided they are copied in total with no alterations or deletions. Author’s name, website address, and copyright notice must be included. If any other use is desired, written permission is required.

For information, email or call (334) 678-0913. White Stone Communications (Rev.2:17), Dothan, AL.

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Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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1st New Moon - Happy "Hebrew" New Year