Today, I might get myself in trouble. Oh, not with the law, but with friends on both sides of the religious aisle. You see, today, I am going to step on some toes. However, I am hoping that you love me enough to hear what I have to say. Back in April, my daughter and […]
Dreaming Toward Israel
Did you ever dream of going to Israel? Me too! For years I longed to go, thinking it would be an impossible dream. Then three years ago, my rabbi approached me about a tour that he was leading. Thanks to the generosity of many friends, I was able to take that tour. Last year he was […]
Spilled Salt and a Cell Phone
Have you ever learned a deep truth from simple, everyday objects? I have. Just last week I had the good fortune to learn two very simple but profound lessons. The source of these lessons? Spilled salt, a cell phone, and my granddaughter, Angelina. It all started on Sabbath (Friday) evening. As we were enjoying our Shabbat dinner, […]
What, Exactly, Did Jesus Do?
This morning I was thinking about the New Covenant. Because I’ve been involved for years in the Messianic movement, I wondering what the Christian understanding is of the New Covenant and its terms. So I went on a search. A covenant is a legally binding contract between two parties. Examples of covenants are husband and wife, business partners, […]
If You Are Going to Call Yourself a Jew
This weekend our Connections group met. At these meetings, we have a discussion question submitted by our group. This month the question was “Is there a difference between Messianic Judaism and Christianity? If so, what is it?” Some said there wasn’t a difference, others said there was. I was very surprised to hear among the […]
It’s Not About Atonement
Passover is not about atonement. I bet you are asking, “Really, Ro? Have you lost your mind?” Read on. My friend, Pete Rambo, was interviewed for an article in Breaking Israel News. The author reported on Christians celebrating Passover. Having just hosted a Seder for 54 guests, I was very interested in what this author […]
God Did WHAT?!
Did you know that God killed Aaron’s sons? No? Well, as hard as it might seem to believe (because God is love), He really did. In Leviticus 9 and 10, we read that God shot out fire and consumed them. We often wonder why. What exactly is it that they did that made God so […]
All Privilege, No Responsibility
Did you ever have God smack you upside the head, in order to get His message across? Maybe He doesn’t need to do that with you, but I tend to be a thick-headed Italian. So there are times He has to hammer His point home. For instance, yesterday a rabbi’s wife commented on one of […]
Who Gets the Credit?
When you receive a miracle, who gets your accolades? Is it God? Are you sure? For instance, you are sick and go to the doctor. He tells you that you have pneumonia. He prescribes penicillin and within days you feel much better. Who do you thank for your miracle? Wait, you don’t think that’s a […]
We Really Need to Think
Last week I was reading an article about a miraculous healing hug. It was big news. So big, in fact, that Life Magazine carried it. In 1995, twin girls were born 12 weeks premature. One of them was in distress, so the nurse placed her with her twin and immediately the distressed twin recovered. What a […]