In The Garden with Bryan and Karla Barnes - WLAH Episode 14

In 2022, during the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread) at Safe Haven Farm in Orosi, CA, I sat down with Rico Cortes of Wisdom In Torah Ministries and asked him one compelling question: Why should a modern-day follower of Yeshua (Jesus) bother with a study of the Temple? 

Here is his answer.

This is episode 40, the kickoff to Season 4, and I’m doing something a little different this season. There are some great topics and interviews on deck, I can’t wait! I WILL still be sitting down with people and collecting their stories of how they got from there - wherever that was - to here: Walking out faith like a true crossed-over Hebrew, following in the actual footsteps of our Messiah. But it’s high time I started carrying out one of the original purposes of this podcast, something I’ve meant to be doing from the start. I want to talk about HOW to Walk like a Hebrew. HOW do we go about living this set-apart life? What’s different about this walk from the places we used to worship? Where do we even start?

So I went to a ladies’ retreat this past winter on the Mendocino coast of Northern California, and I sat down with a group of amazing, faith and Spirit-filled women and we had a discussion about the Sabbath. We talked about why we keep it, when it is, HOW we keep it in our different households, and much more. Please let me know if you find this episode valuable! I would love your feedback: are you interested in this new format? 

In this discussion we will hear from Michelle Hawkins, Anna Kaufmann, Tamara Anderson, Lori Jeleti, Karen Bixby, Pam Custer, and of course, me!

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There are a couple of really big things in this interview that I’m happy to be able to talk about. First, Mindy is Jewish and grew up in a Jewish household, and she tells the story of how she actually came to faith in Jesus as a young wife. Understanding how Jewish people are taught from birth to reject Yeshua as Messiah makes it that much more exciting when a Jewish person realizes they’ve been taught in error. It’s like those of us who grew up in mainstream Christian homes are taught that God’s Law is no longer applicable to our lives. It looks like we are seeing in our times a great meeting between the two religions, a shaking off of the untruths and a putting on of the truths of Yahweh. 

The second big thing in this interview with Mindy is talking about dancing. It’s a form of worship that can be… off-putting to those of us who grew up in some of the stricter denominations of Christianity (you know, don’t dance, don’t drink, don’t chew…and don’t associate with those who do…that was the stance of the denomination I grew up in). IS worship dancing ok? Why would we do it? What’s the difference between singing and whole-body dance when it comes to praising Yahweh, our wonderful Creator? 

Mindy talks about learning to worship God, how the Covid crisis affected the ministry, and much much more. Be sure to check out her ministry website Messianic Dance Camps International at messianicdancecamps.com or mdci.info. 

Oh, and SIDE NOTE: We did this interview in a busy hotel lobby, so please ignore the elevator and people noises in the background!   

In John 14:15 we read, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” What does it mean to be obedient to God? How do we decide if we even SHOULD obey, especially in the face of the idea that we cannot earn our salvation, and that obedience is equivalent to attempting to earn our salvation? How would we decide which actions are considered acceptable obedience, and which actions are an attempt to earn salvation? And if you DO decide to obey God, are you in rebellion? 

My guests in Episode 38 are John and Karen Kubes of Monterey, California. They asked themselves this exact question after years of praying for God to guide them in their walk, and His leading opened up some pretty radical doors. Listen as they share their journey of discovery from both ends of the religious spectrum, to a time of separation they call “church rehab”, and then to the discovery of a way of life they had longed for, for so long.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

119 Ministries

The Way Documentary

Safe Haven Farms

Brad Scott

Tom Bradford, Torah Class

Patriot Nurse

Zac Bauer, New2Torah

Jacob’s Tent

Steve Moutria, Torah Family

Truth Unedited

Assembly of Called-Out Believers

Episode 37 is a little different from the usual format. During Sukkot this year, at Safe Haven Farm in Orosi, CA, I was introduced to two delightful couples who sat down to share with me as a group. So we’ll hear from retired NBA player Jamal Sampson and his talented wife Angela, along with former mega-church youth leader Austin Sanford and his beautiful bride Susy. Just a heads up though, we recorded this interview in the middle of the camp with kids and families everywhere and a worship session in the background.

We talk about Angela’s initial resistance to change, how digging into the Scriptures together strengthened Angela and Jamal’s courtship, why Jamal really retired from the NBA, and how the Minister of Defense Reggie White sparked a life change of epic proportions. Susy Sanford talks about how her deep love for God led her to her marriage to Austin and how her skepticism of this faith walk keeps her searching the Scriptures. Then Austin regales us with stories of how he got into ministry to prove he was a better Christian than his father, how once he found the truth he banked EVERYTHING on his faith in Yahweh, and how actually doing what the Bible teaches has changed their lives. 

Arthur Bailey

Michael Rood

Jim Staley

Brad Scott

The Kids Bible Show

Divine Prospect

119 Ministries

Yah's Manna

Pharmaceuticals - pharmakeia - sorcery - Herbs of the Torah - and the {V} word. 

Angela talks about how veterans need to find balance between love and ferocity

James and Angela talk about veterans' preoccupation with Valhalla and why it became a trend.

James and Angela discuss the importance of putting culture back in to the context of the Bible

Angela and Jodi discuss the stereotypical "Biblical woman" fashion, and how tattoos affect her ministry