Thursday is known in Hebrew as “Yom HaChamishi,” meaning “the fifth day.” Every day has a “Psalm of the Day” and the one for Thursday is Psalm 81. Psalm 81 has 17 verses. Let’s not rush when we take opportunities to read through them. Psalm 81 starts with a series of five sudden commands to…
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Our congregation’s current policy is to ordain only men to the office of shamash (Hebrew for deacon). It is based upon biblical evidence and longstanding tradition within much of the Body of Messiah. Our elders eventually began to think however, about ordaining shammashot (Hebrew for deaconess). This discussion became one that included the opinion of…
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Last month, with the first part of this articles I began discussing our calling according to the Torah and New Covenant Scriptures to love YHVH with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Luke 10:27) and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31). From this foundation as a biblical definition of love and…
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In the first part of this article, we focused on Yeshua as the Shepherd, and the relationship the sheep must have with the Good Shepherd as we are joined with Him as the Bridegroom. It is from this place that we discover that Yeshua is also our Great Intercessor, and we as the Body are…
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At eight years old, my family and I relocated from Detroit, Michigan, to sunny Jacksonville, Florida. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, not really. While moving away from the ice and snow would be most people’s best-case scenario, for me, it meant leaving grandparents, uncles, aunts, and all of our family. No, for…
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FRESH PURSUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Suddenly! Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room changed. A divine energy infiltrated the quiet, causing skin to tingle, hair to stand erect, and the surprising sound of wind to whip through the room. The description of “tongues of fire” alighting upon the heads of the waiting disciples speaks to…
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Before we had Messianic Judaism in our lives, Patti and I — from about 1970-1971 — were on a quest asking, “What really is the nature of the Church?” This question came in the midst of a context where secular writers were ringing alarm bells left and right on the social trends within America. There…
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There are many tedious and mundane activities of life that never end — laundry, dishes, commuting to and from work, cleaning up after the pets. You get the idea. Drudgery. Drudgery is defined in Merriam-Webster as dull, irksome, and fatiguing work: uninspiring labor. It is the grind and travail of life. These activities are necessary…
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The moment I saw her I was in love with her … She was standing at my kitchen counter cutting up vegetables. Our rock band lived in a big house together. Yes, I was the drummer; and it was 1968. Though I had no reason to expect that something was there, mutual friends had described…
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Now, more than ever, we need to rediscover the depths of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. It will be worth it, leading to a deeper intimacy with God and the transformation of our lives. Such intimacy produces more of Yeshua’s kingdom ministry within our midst, and healthier and more fruitful relational congregations that…
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