As we are closing out the Festival of Weeks in our march toward Shavuot (Pentecost), I feel compelled to finish discussing the important symbolism of the food in the Seder meal. This is something we should do, because without explaining what the food means, we really haven’t participated in a worship service. Without the explanation, […]
Eve in the Seder
The Passover Seder begins with the lighting of candles by the woman of the house. So how does this make Eve part of the Seder? When we look at God’s definition of when a day starts, when the Seder takes place and on what kind of day, we understand the importance of Eve’s role in […]
Yogurt for Christians
Walking with the Lord without knowledge of Jewish understanding is like eating yogurt with fruit on the bottom and never mixing it up. The unflavored yogurt on top is good for you, but we sometimes have a hard time eating it without wondering what anyone sees in it. Over time we develop a taste for […]
Am I a Pharisaical Legalist?
The other day I responded to a post someone placed on Facebook. It claimed that the Hebrew Roots Movement was legalism and modern day Pharisees. Now I have a lot of disagreements with the Hebrew Roots Movement, but following Torah is not one of them. After my response, I was told, “You are not Jewish […]
Dilemma: No Man to Lead
The first time I hosted a Passover Seder, I was engaged to be married. We invited several friends and ended up with a dinner for twenty-four. It was a wonderful evening. Several ladies came early to help cook. It was a great time of fellowship and didn’t feel at all like work. At dinner, everyone […]
Preparing to Celebrate
For the last seven years I’ve hosted a Passover Seder. The guest list has grown from about 20 people to over 60. Now if you are not familiar with a Seder, it is a magnificent feast. It takes a lot of work. And sometimes – especially at the end of the night – I wonder […]
Was Paul a Gnostic?
The other day I was searching for information about the Millennial Temple. I came across a YouTube video, but got more than what I bargained for. The teacher insisted that Paul was a gnostic. He said that sin cannot live in the presence of God because He is Holy. Since Paul taught that the Holy […]
Is Everything Now Clean?
We typically hear that God did away with the laws of clean and unclean in Peter’s vision. But is that true? Is that really what He did? Let’s go to Peter’s own explanation to find out. In Acts 11:4 Luke tells us, “Peter began explaining in detail what happened.” Then in verse 9 Peter says, […]
What’s Wine Got to do With It?
Here’s something that always puzzled me: why, at His last Seder, did Jesus say that He wouldn’t drink wine again? (Matthew 26:26) It always seemed significant. After all, He did say it and it was important enough to be remembered and recorded. But what it meant was beyond my grasp. So I did what most […]
New Moon, New View
Have you ever spent time just looking up at the stars? When I homeschooled, we spent a season in astronomy. Lying on a blanket in the yard and gazing up at the marvelous works of the Lord was truly amazing. Yet it’s strange how I never connected the beauty of His handiwork with times and […]