7 Festivals Book: Feast of First Fruits

From: Eddie Chumney
To:      heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Hebraic roots in Long Island / Brooklyn, NY


                    A MESSAGE FROM THE HEART

    Dear Mishpochah (family):

        I would like to share with you a GREAT blessing and
opportunity that the LORD has given me to teach the Hebraic roots of
Christianity to CHURCHES in the Long Island / Brooklyn, NY area as
well as my journey that the Lord has taken me in learning and
discovering about my rich Hebraic heritage in Messiah.

        I have been studying the Hebraic roots of Christianity since
1989. I was first introduced to the subject when I heard somebody
explain that Messiah died on Passover. He was in the ground the next day
on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was resurrected on First Fruits
and the Holy Spirit was outpoured 50 days later on the day of
Pentecost. This was the first time in my life that I began to realize
that the critical events in the 1st coming of Messiah --- his death,
burial, resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened
on Biblical Feast days. Little did I realize when I heard this for
the first time in 1989 that this would begin to change my life in a
MAJOR way.

         My first desire was to just study and learn as much as I
could about the Biblical Festivals and my rich Hebraic heritage in
Messiah. I was HUNGRY to study, learn and understand so I wanted a
seven course meal the NEXT DAY. This was my HEART's desire but it
took about 2-3 more YEARS of studying to get a real deep
understanding of the subject. At the time, my only desire was to
study and learn as much as I could for myself and my own spiritual
enrichment and edification.

         It was during this time when I was hearing a sermon on Acts
1 that Messiah's followers would be empowered to preach Him and the
restoration of the Kingdom to Israel from Jerusalem, Judea / Samaria
and to the ends of the earth that God spoke to my HEART about my own
life and His Will for my life. When He did, He told me that there
would be three main places of ministry in my life in serving the
Lord. First would be my local area. Second, would be NY. Third would
be Israel. When God spoke this to my heart, I had NO IDEA what it
meant or HOW God was going to do it. My only concern was to live
each day loving God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and
let God take care of His promise to me.

          After I studied about the Festivals and other aspects of
understanding the scriptures from a Hebraic perspective from 1989 -
1991, God spoke to my heart to put on the computer all the things
which I had learned over those 2-3 years. It took me from January
1992 - September 1992 to complete this task. When I was done with the
task, the Lord told me to write a book from my study notes that I put
on the computer. I was OVERWHELMED with the thought and had no idea
how to go about doing it so I made an attempt to understand and find
out how. In January 1993, I began to write what would become my first
book, "The Seven Festivals of the Messiah". This book was first
printed in October 1994. Today, you can read the entire book at the
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l website and this book has blessed
thousands of people since it was first printed. Before the book was
printed, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that it was very
important to write the Festivals book because His purpose for my life
was connected to me writing this book. I had NO IDEA what this
purpose was but I wanted to be obedient to what God wanted me to do
so that I could find out.

        Today, I know what God meant. The writing of that book
ultimately in the full course of time led the LORD into birthing Hebraic
Heritage Ministries Int'l, myself doing speaking seminar's around the
country, having a website and sending out the Hebraic Heritage
newsgroup e-mail to now more than 5,000 members all over the world.
It is difficult for me to grasp the magnitude of the LORD'S blessing
upon my life and how He has used me to teach others about the Hebraic
roots of Christianity from such small and humble beginnings.

        God began to fulfill the first place of ministry that He
spoke to me about beginning in 1993. From 1993 - 1996, I taught three
home fellowship Bible studies. The first was on Monday night. There
was about 5-8 people who attended. The second was on Wednesday night.
There was about 8-10 people who attended. The third was on Sunday
night. There was about 10-15 people who attended. These Bible studies
were on three different cities. I had to travel about 45 minutes to 1
hour to teach at each one of them.

        Through mainly the Bible study on Wednesday nights, the Lord
birthed my second book, "Who is the Bride of Christ?". This book was
printed in May, 1997. In the spring of 1994, the Pastor at the
Wednesday night Bible study asked me to teach these things to His
church and co-pastor with Him. I accepted the invitation and I have
been teaching the Hebraic roots of Christianity at this
non-denomination church of this Pastor from April 1994 - May 2000.

        In 1995 / 1996, the Lord began speaking to my heart about
forming a ministry to teach the Hebraic roots of Christianity. At the
time, God wanted me to name it (........ International). Like Sarah,
I laughed when God told me this because I was at that time teaching
three Bible studies to a total of about 25-30 people and He wanted me
to have a ministry which would be International?

       Little did I realize when God was speaking to my heart about
these things that something called the Internet would become
prominent in the world around this time. When I first learned of such
a thing, God spoke to my heart to put together a webpage to help
others in their studies of the Hebraic roots of Christianity.
Initially, it took me from January 1996 - August 1996 to put together
the webpage. At that time, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me to
put out a questionnaire / guestbook where I could link with others
around the world to help them in their studies. The website was
birthed in August, 1996. I was AMAZED when I got the first people who
came to the website and filled out the questionnaire / guestbook and
desired to link with others around the world who wanted to study
together the Hebraic roots of Christianity.

          From this, the Hebraic Heritage newsgroup was birthed in
November 1996. Since August 1996 to the present, Hebraic Heritaege
Ministries Int't now has over 5100 members. A large majority of these
members receive the Hebraic Heritage newsgroup articles on a weekly
basis.

         When the newsgroup first started, I used to send out
teaching articles 3-4 times a week. However, because I also wrote my
latest two books, "Who is the Bride of Christ?" and "Restoring the
Two Houses of Israel" since August 1996, it was simply impossible for
me to work my full-time job, write two books and send out newsgroup
articles 3-4 times a week. In order to write the books, I needed to
find some hours in the week when I wasn't working my full-time job.
Therefore, I needed to cut the newsgroup back to sending out
newsgroup articles once a week. It has been this way since November
1998.

          While it is very demanding on my time and energy to work a
full-time job and run a ministry, write books, process orders and
send out newsgroup e-mail once a week and read HUNDREDS of e-mail
each week, it is VERY REWARDING knowing that you are doing a work for
the LORD'S Kingdom and doing HIS Will in your life. It is also VERY
REWARDING to receive testimonies from people telling you how much
they have been blessed to read the books and recieve the newgroup
articles and teachings. For me, this makes it ALL worthwhile even
when things are very demanding on my time and energy.

            So, this is a BRIEF testimony of how things have gotten
to the present situation in ministry and how by not "despising the
day of small beginnings" (Zechariah 4:10) the LORD has blessed my
life and Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l.

            As you can see, the Lord was FAITHFUL in fulfilling His
promises to me. From 1993 to the present, I have been sharing the
Hebraic roots of Christianity in my local community just as the Lord
spoke to my heart about 10 years ago.

            Furthermore, in January 1995, I got a "Word from the
Lord" when I was attending a conference that I would be teaching the
Hebraic roots of Christianity outside Ohio at a future time. This
came to pass as I have been teaching "For the Love of Zion" seminars
the past 2-3 years from invitations that I have received to do so
mainly from the contacts that I have made on the Internet through the
Hebraic Heritage newsgroup.

           I kept in contact with the person who gave me the "Word of
the Lord" that I would be teaching the Hebraic roots of Christianity
outside of the state of Ohio. This person was from NY. I knew that
somehow the Lord was going to use him in my next step in ministry
that the Lord had for me in NY. I did not know when and I did not
know how. After five years, that day has finally come to pass.
Through my friend in NY, I made contact with a Pastor in Long Island.
He is the Pastor of this "mother" church and this mother church
oversees about 12 other churches. Seven of these churches are in NY.
Two of the seven are in Brooklyn, NY. Two are in Massachusetts, one
is in New Jersey and the other two are in Africa and the West Indies.

           Furthermore, this Pastor and this "mother" church is in
partership with other Pastors and other churches in the USA, Canada,
Africa and the Carribean.

           I met this Pastor for the first time in March 2000. The
Lord blessed me with an opportunity to share my testimony just like
what I am doing here in this newsgroup e-mail. After I did, the
Pastor told me that the Lord spoke to His heart and spoke to His
church TWO YEARS ago that the Lord wanted to take the church in a new
direction. At the time, the Pastor didn't know what the Lord meant.
Today, he does. Today, the Pastor understands that the Lord wants his
mother church and the other affiliated churches to study and embrace
the Hebraic roots of Christianity, love the Jewish people and the
land of Israel. When I met the Pastor, it was an APPOINTED TIME
(mo'ed) of the LORD. The Pastor asked me if I would be willing to
come to the Long Island / Brooklyn, NY area to teach the Hebraic
roots of Christianity to his churches and to get the HEART of God and
seek HIS FACE as to how to implement embracing the Hebraic roots of
Christianity into his churches. Because the Lord told me about 10
years ago that He had a work for me in NY to do, I KNEW that THIS was
the Lord's Will for my life. I only needed to work out the details.

             After I returned from fellowshipping with the Pastor in
NY, I told the situation to my employer. My employer has agreed to
let me work a flex-time working schedule so that I can fly to NY on
the weekends from Ohio each and every week to accomplish this task
that the Lord has for me. This is NOT just doing a weekend teaching
seminar. This is a COMMITMENT to go to NY virtually EVERY weekend to
develop RELATIONSHIP with this Pastor and other Pastors in the area,
the teach the Hebraic roots of Christianity and seek the face of God
of how to implement these things in these churches.

           This COMMITMENT of TIME and ENERGY requires a new schedule
in my life. For the foreseeable future, virtually each and every
week, I will be working my full-time job flex-time during the week
and flying to NY on the weekends. So, my proposed weekly schedule
would look like this:

            Monday   --- Work 10 hours, go home, eat and sleep
            Tuesday --- Work 10 hours, go home, eat and sleep
             Wed       ---- Work 10 hours, go home, eat and sleep
           Thurs      ----- Work 10 hours, go home, eat and sleep

             Friday morning .. fly to NY and do the Lord's work in NY
on Friday through Sunday. Fly home on Sunday night or Monday morning
and do the same thing over again every week.

                     PARTNERSHIP IN MINISTRY

            In the Torah, there were times when Moses needed his
hands held up to accomplish leading the children of Israel out of
Egypt (Exodus 17:8-15). With the help of the people who gave
WILLINGLY, the tabernacle in the wilderness was ultimately built
(Exodus 25-40).

             I NEED your help in PARTNERSHIP to help me and to
support me to teach the Hebraic roots of Christianity in the Long
Island / Brooklyn, NY area and whatever path the Lord will cause this
path to branch out into.

             It has been my JOY to serve our members and to send out
the Hebraic Heritage teaching articles since August, 1996. Now, you
have an opportunity to support this BIG BLESSING and BIG OPEN DOOR
that the Lord has given me and Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l in
NY. As you know, I have not used the newsgroup to send out ministry
appeal letters to support the ministry. On the contrary, since August
1996, I have been YOUR SERVANT.

               Because Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l does not
have a building or any paid employees, the expenses to run the
ministry since 1996 has been small. Roughly about $100 a month.
Through the faithfulness of several newsgroup members and those who have
blessed the ministry when I have conducted the weekend "For the Love
of Zion" seminars, the LORD has been faithful to meet the expenses of
the ministry. With the commitment to go to NY on a weekly basis, the
expenses of the ministry will drastically increase on a monthly
basis.

               All the ministry expenses including the cost of
airfare to fly to NY each week will be about $1000 a month. I pray
that the Lord will lay it upon the hearts of our newsgroup members to
support the ministry on a REGULAR MONTHLY basis to meet the new
expenses of the ministry. Since we have nearly 4,000 people who are
receiving the newsgroup e-mail, I know that God is able to meet the
need through His people who share HIS HEART and HIS VISION for the
Christian churches to EMBRACE the Hebraic roots of Christianity and
implement these teachings and these observances in their churches.

               How many of you have a desire in your heart to see
your CHURCHES embrace the Hebraic roots of Christianity? Well, this
is an OPPORTUNITY for you to sow into a ministry who God is using to
do exactly this. The REWARD is ETERNAL.

                Because I will be spending the weekends in NY, it
will be a NECESSITY to have a NOTEBOOK computer so that I can still
send out the Hebraic Heritage newsgroup e-mail on a weekly basis as I
travel each week. It will cost about $2000 to buy a respectable
notebook computer. I pray that the Lord will lay it upon the heart of
our newsgroup members to donote to the ministry to purchase this
notebook computer so that the Hebraic Heritage newsgroup e-mail can
continue to be sent and bless THOUSANDS around the WORLD on a weekly
basis.

        HOW CAN THEY PREACH UNLESS THEY ARE SENT?

        In Romans 10:15 it is written:

"And how shall they preach (the Hebraic roots of Christianity) except
they be sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel (the Hebraic roots of Christianity) of peace
and bring glad tidings of good things!'

           GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

        In II Corinthians 9:6-7, 10-11 it is written:

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and
he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man
according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not
grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a CHEERFUL GIVER .. Now he
that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food
and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of yoru
righteousness. Being enriched in every thing in all boutifulness
which causeth through us thanksgiving to God"

        In I Corinthians 9:7 it is written:

"Who goes a warfare any time at his own charges? Who plants a
vineyard and eats not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock
and eats not of the milk of the flock?

                PARTNERSHIP IN MINSTRY

     It is the Will, plan of purpose of God to those who preach the
Gospel to have partners in ministry even as the Apostle Paul. In
Philippians 4:15, 17 it is written:

"Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel,
when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as
concerning giving and receiving but ye only ... not because I desire
a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account"

              WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN

        Friends, I have taken the time to write this note from my
heart. I have done my best to write and share with you the vision
that God has for my life and Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l as it
pertains to teaching the Hebraic roots of Christianity to churches in
the Long Island / Brooklyn, NY area. I believe that this mission has
a DIVINE PURPOSE and plan. In Habakkuk 2:2 it is written:

"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision and make it
plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it'

            Therefore, I have taken the time in this note to share
with you my heart. I have taken the time to write the vision (the
Lord's Will, purpose and calling for Hebraic Heritage Ministries
Int'l to teach the Hebraic roots of Christianity to the churches in
the Long Island / Brooklyn, NY area) before your eyes. Will you
catch the vision? Will you support this work on a REGULAR and MONTHLY
basis? For all who support the work on a regular and MONTHLY basis,
I will keep you updated on the progress of events on a regular
basis. I will NOT be doing so to the general newsgroup. I want for
whatever the LORD accomplishes in NY that HE will receive ALL the
glory!

            I pray that this is just the FIRST STEP of the Lord to
propel me into full-time ministry. It IS POSSIBLE with the support of
faithful newsgroup members for me to one day be in full-time ministry
teaching the Hebraic roots of Christianity to people all over the
world.

                      WHOSE JOB IS IT ANYWAY?

         There is a story about four people named Everybody,
Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important task to be done
and Everybody was asked to do it. Anybody could have done it but
Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was
Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody
realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody
blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

       What's the moral of the story? ALOT can be accomplished when
EVERYBODY works together to accomplish a common goal but little can
get accomplished if the entire body doesn't work together in unison
as a body each doing what they can do to help the body to accomplish
it's task.

       At this point in time, I need to know the following two
things:

#1) How many newsgroup members are willing to support the work in NY
on a regular and monthly basis and donate money to purchase a
notebook computer so that I can still send the newsgroup e-mail out
on a weekly basis

#2) Is there enough support from the newsgroup members for me to go
into full-time ministry teaching the Hebraic roots of Christianity to
people all over the world

          In order to help me to know how many newsgroup members is
willing to support this work in NY and would be willing to support me
in full-time ministry, I would like to know how many newsgroup members
would like to be PARTNERS in ministry with Hebraic Heritage
Ministries Int'l. Therefore, I would like for all interested people
to fill out the special survey that I have created for this purpose.
It is located at:

         http://www.hebroots.org/survey.html

         I will make my first visit to NY on June 16. I will be going
to NY virtually EVERY WEEK for as long as it takes to accomplish this
God-given task even if it takes several YEARS.

         For those who would like to donate to the ministry, please
indicate that you want to support the work in NY and encourage Eddie
to go into full-time ministry by writing your check out to (Hebraic
Heritage Ministries Int'l) and send to:

         Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
         PO Box 81
         Strasburg, Ohio, USA 44680

         Your servant in the Lord for the glory of HIS kingdom,

          Eddie Chumney
          Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l

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