Sealed by the covenant of circumcision, the birth of Isaac marked the beginning of Abraham’s promised line, and the distinction of a set-apart people. Until this time, Abraham had proved himself most malleable—willing to appease the command of both God and wife alike. But now, with the coming of his son Isaac—the promised progenitor of his name—would Abraham continue to obey, even in the face of great personal loss? Read more
Because the descendants of Adam had become earth’s sinful citizens, God destroyed the world. Oath-bound and grief-stricken, the Creator washed away His creation, cleansing it in the waters of a purifying, violent Flood. Yet above that deluge, God lifted up Noah to save a remnant of life from off the earth. Through the narrow doorway to a lifeboat of grace, God had preserved humanity in one righteous soul. Adonai was initiating His redemption plan for the heart of sinful man, and with a covenant, He began to prepare the way by which anyone could be saved. Read more
Adam had brought sin into the world, soiling God’s pristine creation. The misstep of the one man caused death to reign for all—the result of disobedience and self-separation from the Creator. Forced to follow through on His covenantal obligation, God enacted His judgment and barred mankind from everlasting life by way of the garden tree. Through his own disobedience, the man was cast away from the presence and provision of God. Read more
The foundation of the Good News was laid when the God of creation made the heavens and the earth. He filled the world with life that sprawled across the land, sea and air—beautiful and pristine, it flourished. As His crowning achievement, God created a caretaker for His creation who would multiply, bless the earth and be blessed by it in return. God made man in His very own image and likeness to be the sentient recipient of His abundant goodness. For the moment, all things were in total harmony and peace. Read more
The opening words of Scripture, found in Genesis 1:1, speak precisely to the beginning of the message of the Good News. Before the very spreading out of the heavens and the foundation of the earth, there was God, and nothing but God. This fact cannot be glossed over or underestimated in its fundamental importance to sharing the Good News. It establishes the framework of God’s message, giving context and meaning to everything else that will follow. We cannot simply assume a communal awareness or agreement of how life on earth came to be, nor can we merely stipulate that life exists, and suffer all manner of theories and presumptions about its beginning. If we cannot openly attribute all life to God, then we have no basis for the Good News.
In a world where people’s lives are increasingly separated and isolated by technology, social media and overall self-involved busyness, the traditional means of sharing the Good News (“Gospel”) of Yeshua has become far more challenging. Ever since the advent of the World Wide Web in 1992, and the numerous technologies that have sprung forth from it, what has been successful in making the planet a much smaller place has also succeeded in pushing its inhabitants farther apart. Communication and attention spans have become dramatically abbreviated, especially in younger generations, and the definitions of cherished ideals such as “relationship” and “friend” have been stripped beyond much recognition.
In Jewish circles, there is a commonly-held and widely-taught belief that when a Jew believes in Jesus, he is no longer a Jew, but a Christian. Let’s explore this idea, considering where it came from and why it persists, and then discover from the Scriptures why it’s completely wrong.
A Messianic Israeli kindergartener set off sparks recently when she declared before the other children in her class that “Yeshua is the Messiah and He will deliver us.” As reported by Kehila News Israel (KNI, kehilanews.com), citing an interview with Israel’s Channel 7, the mother of one of the girl’s classmates immediately complained to the school for allowing such “hypocritical” and “brainwashing” speech and, upon two rabbis’ recommendations, withdrew her child from the institution. The mother of the Messianic kindergartner, on the other hand, maintained that the whole episode had been blown out of proportion, and all three of her children continue to be welcomed by the school and other parents.
For most people, the idea of a Jew following Jesus is self-contradictory. One is either a Jew, who follows the God of Israel; or he undergoes conversion to become a Christian, and follows the God of the Gentiles—Jesus. In other words, it is widely believed that a Jew who follows Jesus stops being a Jew—he has turned his back on his people and his faith—and becomes a Christian. One can’t be both Jewish and Christian… or so it is thought.
The modern Messianic Jewish movement as we know it has existed for more than half a century. And in that time, while there has come to be a certain level of tolerance toward Messianic Jews within the larger Jewish community, most non-Messianic Jews are hardened in their hearts toward Yeshua. This is due in large part to the unfounded beliefs about the Messiah that have been perpetuated in Jewish circles, making it critically important that we know the source of this misinformation.
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