This year we sent our Massah team to Guatemala for the first time ever! With all its breathtaking natural beauty, Guatemala (like India) draws Israeli backpackers to come and decompress after their military service. Guatemala was especially full of Israeli travelers this year because India was sadly closed due to COVID. Some cafés even cater specifically to Israelis.
Read MoreIf you’re Jewish, maybe you’ve heard that some Christians believe your covenant with God is no longer valid. Where did these claims come from?
Read MoreYom Kippur can be somewhat of a conundrum to Jewish believers in Yeshua. Do we fast and confess our sins like the rest of the Jewish community or do we rejoice in the knowledge that we’re forgiven in Messiah?
Read MoreEveryone seems to have a different idea of what sin means, but the Bible gives us a singular understanding that applies to all times and cultures.
Read MoreThe church and the Jewish people have history together has caused Jesus to be misrepresented to his own people for a long time. This causes many Jewish people today to believe that being Christian means being anti-Semitic. But Jewish faith in Jesus is not a stripping of our identity; rather, it is a affirmation of it.
Read MoreOne of the popular myths about Judaism is that there is no place in Jewish thought for the idea that someone can die for the sins of another person—but there are several instances in the Tanakh that illustrate this.
Read MoreAs depression and anxiety increase across the world in the wake of COVID-19, spiritual communities need to be challenged to look at the stigma they've established around the subject of mental health.
Read MoreGod comforts the depressed. How does he do that? By the “coming of Titus” and also “by the comfort with which he was comforted in you.” The reality of depression can be overcome by the stronger reality of God’s personal comfort in the visit of Titus and by the fellowship he brought in reporting what God was doing among the people of Corinth.
Read MoreI wonder if the way dating looks for my generation is setting us up to fail. Without relying on trusted family and community as part of the process, we are left to navigate one of life’s most complex choices in a never ending sea of options, alone.
Read MoreTisha B’Av is a fast day to mourn five tragedies in Jewish history. It is synonymous with mourning and tragedy. This article describes the origin of Tisha B’Av, how it is observed, and its traditional customs. It also discusses the New Testament meaning and spiritual application of the day for believers.
Read MoreYes, some Orthodox Jews do believe in Jesus. Their struggle is real and they need lots of prayer support.
Read MoreThere are many misconceptions about Messianic Jews and what they believe. This article addresses the strong Jewish history of Messianic Jews and explains their faith.
Read MoreI don’t always know what to acknowledge first – my Palestinian identity or my Jewish identity. Sometimes, the answer changes depending on who’s asking. The truth is, I cannot choose just one, and God does not ask me to.
Read MoreGod created humanity and called Israel for a vision of wholistic and lasting flourishing.
Read MoreHearing the truth can hurt. We admit it jestingly, but the old axiom has more meaning than most people want to know. When the truth hurts, one must choose either to endure pain or avoid truth—a distressing choice. What does this mean when we apply it to a spiritual reality?
Read MoreTwo new moons had passed since we crossed the Red Sea. We’d been on an arduous trek through the desert, but we finally approached the intimidating slopes of Sinai, not sure of what to expect. Suddenly, the mountain was wrapped in a thick curtain of smoke that descended upon the precipice of the towering peak. We trembled as we prepared to meet the God who had rescued us from Egypt only weeks before. As He spoke, the immortal words of Torah cascaded down the mountain and rumbled through our camp.
Read MoreThe Book of Ruth is often read as a charming tale of pastoral romance that somehow snuck its way into the Bible. But when we read it that way, we overlook the difficult reality of the world that the characters inhabit and the powerful message that the story has for us.
Read MoreWhen I think about Shavuot, I’m ready to bring on the blintzes ... but studying Torah all night? Not so much. While I don’t observe much of rabbinic tradition, I am a person of faith. So, this year I challenged myself to think deeply about what it could mean for someone like me who is not Torah observant to celebrate the giving of the Law. Here are some of the reasons why I believe non-observant Jews can still celebrate the Torah.
Read MoreHowever one chooses to fit Jesus into the mosaic of first-century Judaism, faith in Jesus is Jewish at its root. We say “faith in Jesus” because while followers of Jesus were called “Christians” in the first few centuries of their belief, it is incorrect to call the faith “Christianity” -- a label that did not emerge until later.
Read MoreOftentimes, Jews who come to believe in Jesus are told by their unbelieving families, "If you'd only known more about Judaism, if you'd only studied your own religion, you never would have come to believe this way."
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