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I was asked recently about the sacrificial system and whether believers in the New Testament had any responsibility to those commandments today. In other words, if the Temple was standing today and the priesthood was functioning, would those who believe in Yeshua participate in that system? My answer was yes and based upon the example that we have in the New Testament itself, where we find all of…
Nearly every person who has ever mocked, bashed, belittled, or accused people of being legalists or Judaizers for trying to pursue observance of the Torah has pointed at Paul and said, "Paul said this. Paul said that. Paul contradicted himself. Paul rejected the Torah. Paul blah, blah, blah..." Paul has become both the favorite scapegoat and punching bag of those who say they believe in Yeshua but…
Many years ago, a friend of mine shared a unique way that they read the Scriptures each morning. Their goal wasn't to read through the entire Bible in a certain amount of time, nor was it even to read through an entire book or chapter each day. Instead, their goal was to read at least one verse each day. They would read that verse over and over again, emphasizing a different word each time to see…
There have been trillions and trillions of events that we don't read about in the Bible because the writers weren't inspired by G-D to include them. That should cause us to realize that if something was included in the Scriptures, it was included for a purpose. That purpose is to teach us something about G-D or about ourselves. So, when I read through the pages of Scripture, I first read them as a…
The photo associated with this week's blog is a picture of Mount Nebo in Jordan. It is the view that Moses would have seen when he walked up the mountain and looked at the land that G-D had given to Israel, as we read in Numbers 27:12: Then Adonai said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and look at the land that I have given to Bnei-Yisrael." Every time I think about this verse and…
Every now and then I see a meme or a post on social media that presents a concept in such a simple way that I wish I had been the one who thought of it first. Most of the time, however, I end up using hundreds of words and many anecdotes to share whatever notion I am trying to convey. One example is an image I saw on social media showing two men standing on opposite sides of a number painted on…
Yes, the headline above could be considered by some to be clickbait or simply a tool to get the attention of a potential reader. Others might read that headline immediately thinking about the horrible, cannibalistic way those who claim to believe the Bible often treat each other. This can resemble the feeding frenzy of sharks, especially after a very public failure or a simple statement of belief…
In the last few years, I believe that G-D has been spiritually refocusing my heart. I am just as committed to Yeshua and to serving in G-D’s Kingdom as I have ever been. I have not changed my core beliefs in Yeshua being the Messiah or in the absoluteness of G-D’s Word. But as the world seems to spiral into greater moral chaos, and as more and more people twist G-D’s Word to fit their heart's…
In Exodus 20:3, we read these words as G-D speaks to all Israel from Mount Sinai: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” When we read, think about, teach, or discuss these words we often understand them as if G-D is saying, “Don’t have any gods instead of Me,” or “Don’t replace Me with another god.” But that isn’t what the verse actually says. G-D is speaking to the Israelites who had just…
Recently, I was part of a conversation with a Jewish man who is not a Messianic Jew. To clarify that statement, I understand that almost all Jews have some type of belief in a Messiah and/or a Messianic Age, which would, by definition, make them “Messianic” in some sense. However, for the sake of this writing, I am defining Messianic Jews as those who believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah.…
