Did Jesus invent a new religion? The simple answer is that Jesus was a rabbi – a teacher of Judaism. During the time of Jesus, Judaism took on a variety of forms, most of which are not comparable to today’s expressions.
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A few months ago, the sun was setting on a beautiful spring evening, and I was sitting outside in a gardening class sponsored by the local community center in Jerusalem. In the midst of a lecture on soil and crop rotation, a loud blitzkrieg-esque siren suddenly wailed overhead.
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Stories from our shop…
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One of the reasons we have to be careful about imagery is highlighted in the 10 Commandments. God says not to make imagery so that we bow down to them and serve them. In other words, having a photo of an elephant is ok, but making it into an idol is not ok. Having a sculpture of an angel is ok, but bowing to it is not. Sensible.
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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.
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If you’re Jewish, maybe you’ve heard that some Christians believe your covenant with God is no longer valid.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?
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Yom 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?
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Everyone 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.
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The 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.
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One 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.
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As 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.
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God 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.
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I 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.
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Tisha 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.
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Yes, some Orthodox Jews do believe in Jesus. Their struggle is real and they need lots of prayer support.
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There are many misconceptions about Messianic Jews and what they believe. This article addresses the strong Jewish history of Messianic Jews and explains their faith.
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I 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.
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God created humanity and called Israel for a vision of wholistic and lasting flourishing.
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Hearing 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?
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Two 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.
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