When ‘Elyon gave each nation its heritage, when he divided the human race, he assigned the boundaries of peoples according to Isra’el’s population; but Adonai’s share was his own people, Ya‘akov his allotted heritage. – Deut 32:8-9 God made all the families of the earth. Out of all of them, He chose Israel to be […]
Same God, Same Commandment, But?
This week I attended a bible study where the discussion centered on loving as God loved. One of the participants said it wasn’t possible to love as God loves. Another piped up that it is possible, because Jesus told us to do it. She kept insisting that it was simply a matter of obedience to […]
God is Seriously Serious
As I read the Torah portion today, it struck home that God is seriously serious about His commandments and rulings. The good news is that if we obey them, He pours down blessing upon us. It’s all there in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. The bad news is…really bad. As I was reading the curses that come with […]
The Beauty of Discipline
In the morning, I usually read the Bible on my tablet. You see, I have small sources of light around the house, giving off a soft glow that I love. Turning on a harsh light would smash that peaceful, warm feeling. The early morning is the time of day that I seek my Father. It’s […]
The Father’s Choice – Are We Presumptuous?
Last weekend, on the drive to Jacksonville to see my son and his family, I listened to FFOZ’s teaching on the Torah portion ‘Korah’. (I’m a little behind.) In it, D. Thomas Lancaster spoke about how Korah and his cohorts rebelled against God by rebelling against His chosen. They rejected Moses and Aaron, presuming that […]
Tales from Pete Rambo’s bus
There has been a conversation going on between several Messianic bloggers lately about whether or not Gentiles should follow God’s Torah. It’s a conversation as old as the Apostolic scriptures. My friend, Pete Rambo, had an experience this week that perfectly explains how those of us who want to follow God’s Torah look to our […]
Why Do Jewish People Reject Jesus?
Have you ever wondered why Jewish people reject Jesus? Seriously, have you stopped to truly examine the situation? Would you be surprised to learn that it’s our fault? (And by ‘our’ I mean Gentile Believers.) Well it is. You see, Jewish people who reject Jesus as Messiah and say He is a false prophet are […]
What Is the Gospel Message?
I recently read a blog trying to explain the Gospel message. In it, the author stated that the gospel message isn’t about us doing anything, but all about what Jesus did so we could go to heaven. But is that true? In the gospel of Matthew and Mark I hear Jesus saying, “Repent for the […]
When Diversity Dishonors God
Last week I was involved in a conversation on Pete Rambo’s blog that brought up several interesting points from both sides of the table regarding One Law. For those not familiar, and in simplest terms possible (because I tend to be long winded), One Law is the belief that Torah is valid for Jew and […]
God’s Definitive Punctuation Mark
Last night a group of us from several churches and synagogues gathered to celebrate Rosh Chodesh at my home. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer, celebration, and Torah talk. The conversation extended into the wee hours of the morning and at times was quite…lively. Then this morning I caught up with email and […]