A virgin will have a baby?
“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a child, and shall call His name Immanuel (meaning, God with us).” Isaiah 7:14
This is outrageous. Virgins don’t have babies. This phrase in the Bible book of Isaiah must be a misprint or a mistranslation. Of course, we are pondering this idea during Advent, the traditional time in the church calendar when we read this passage and think of that wonderful and frightful moment when the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Miriam and told her she would conceive a Son.
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Hanukkah: Light in the Midst of Darkness
Even in the times of greatest darkness imaginable, when it seems evil is triumphing over all that is good, we remember that after the Temple was rededicated to the Lord, that the lights of the Temple Menorah did not go out. God was always with those who were faithful to Him and who feared His name. Even in the middle of this great ‘period of silence’ the story of Hanukkah gives us a picture of God’s presence and faithfulness and grace to His people, even then.
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Explore the Festival of Lights: Hanukkah
“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon's porch.” John 10:22-3. That is the only biblical reference to a well-known winter holiday that Jesus celebrated, a holiday many will celebrate this month. You know it by another name, (hint: it's not Christmas!). No, my Jewish people will celebrate the Feast of Dedication, commonly known as Hanukkah.
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What Religion Was Jesus?
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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The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Truth the Media Misses
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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No Graven Image - Really?
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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You’re Breaking Ground for the Gospel in Guatemala!
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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Is Replacement Theology Biblical?
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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Yeshua, Yom Kippur And You
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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What is Sin?
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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Why Many Jewish People Think Christianity Is Anti-Semitic
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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Why Did Jesus Need to “Die for Our Sins?”
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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A Scriptural Approach to Mental Health
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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Down But Not Out
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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Why I Almost Got an Arranged Marriage
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: The 9th of Av
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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The struggle is real for Orthodox Jews who are drawn to Jesus
Yes, some Orthodox Jews do believe in Jesus. Their struggle is real and they need lots of prayer support.
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What Are Messianic Jews?
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’m Palestinian and Jewish: Here’s Why I Don’t Believe in Choosing Sides
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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