Shalom from Kevin and Maureen Hayslett, long time supporters of Yavo and Bible Scholars. We hope this note finds you and yours in good health and spirits.
We have some questions and if we may, some suggestions for your website, but first we want to tell you how much your teachings have meant to us. Your newsletters, tapes (video and audio), CDs, and the website have been a source inspiration and comfort to our family through twenty-three years of military service; made even more difficult by raising an autistic child.
This last year we have listened (over and over) to a number of your instructional CDs (Foundations for Study, Beginnings in Biblical Study, Science and the Bible, and The Blood Covenant) and they have left us with many eureka moments and some questions. We found the Jewish construct of Ha Satan/ the devil/ the adversary being the “yetzer hara” or evil inclination in man to be extremely liberating considering the charismatic/fundamentalist models (evil empire of devil and his minions possessing and controlling lost souls; demons under every rock) in which we were raised. When we share this concept with our Christian friends and family we encounter considerable “push-back” hence we would like to know your thoughts on the following passages:
- Mark 5:2-13 Specifically: Is the ‘Legion” in this text a cluster of demonic beings or a plethora of mental maladies?
-1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" Is the devil here an entity or the individual’s yetzer hara?
-2 Corinthians 10:4, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" Is the stronghold here a demonic principality of Satan’s kingdom or an evil concept/idea formed by the aggregation of many yetzer hara?
-2 Timothy 2:26, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Again is this an evil entity or the yetzer hara?
Regarding your website have you considered moving some of your instructional material into “new media” such as podcasts? (We used to receive you’re your monthly tapes from Yavo and thought they were great.) If you would convert some of your audio and video material into free podcasts distributed through iTunes, we believe you would drive a considerable amount of traffic to you website.
Thanks for all you do!
May the LORD bless all of your comings and goings,
V/R
Kevin and Maureen Hayslett
p.s.
During our visit with you in Austin (July 1998) we asked you where to fish in the local area. You told us to put the boat in Lake Travis and to fish the floating docks. Well, you were right! We caught a mess of bass (largest was 6 lbs) that day right under the docks!
p.s.s
We are going on our first tour of Israel next March! We are going with Olive Branch Tours (run by my mother, Dianne Hayslett and Mary Ann Everill). - posted: October 21 2008 |
