FFOZ Blogs

Keep in touch with what is happening
behind the scenes at First Fruits of Zion.

 Founder’s Blog

The thoughts and pages of Boaz Michael, Founder and Director of FFOZ.

 

Contrasts? Traditional Judaism and Yeshua

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (12)
Posted on March 11, 2008

I feel so blessed to be able to live within contrasts. It makes life interesting. Life here in Missouri is such an amazing contrast to that of Israel. That should not be a surprise as Israel is unique when compared...
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HaYesod Field Report #10

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (3)
Posted on March 6, 2008

We have grown very fond of the sound of rap while here in Isreal. I mean wrap. Especially when David holds his finger up, spins it around and says, “That’s a wrap!” Today, we finished—we accomplished our goals and made...
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HaYesod Field Report #9

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on March 5, 2008

I am on the bed trying to conjure up the energy to start packing. We leave at five in the morning for a final day of shots; our goal is to do three in Caesarea and one in a seedy...
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HaYesod Field Update #8

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (13)
Posted on March 4, 2008

Fourteen to sixteen hour days are the norm for us here in Israel as we enter the final week of shooting our short teaching segments for the new HaYesod program. At times during this trip it looked impossible to get...
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HaYesod Field Update #7

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on February 28, 2008

3AM, Jerusalem—I am in the lobby of our hotel all by myself. Despite our incredible work load and the fatigue of the schedule, I am not sleeping well. As I glanced across the room, I see a picture on the...
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HaYesod Field Report #6

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on February 25, 2008

To capture five minutes of teaching it takes about 3 to 4 hours of on location work, and I am estimating another 8 hours on each segment in the editing studio. It is hard to believe that this is the...
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HaYesod Field Report #5

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (4)
Posted on February 24, 2008

Good foggy evening from Jerusalem. Things are going really well. We are still two lessons behind on our schedule—we hope to make those up on Wednesday of this week. In the morning we leave for two shots at Qumran. What...
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HaYesod Field Report #4

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (6)
Posted on February 21, 2008

Daniel, Toby and I are sharing a room--they are now asleep. In the room next to us houses David V., Joel P. and Jeremy S. I am sure they are sleeping as well. It was a long and hard day....
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HaYesod Field Report #3

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (2)
Posted on February 20, 2008

Today was beautiful in Israel. The skies were clear and the weather was perfect. Today we did a shot at Tel Dan about Christian holidays—some of you are going to love it, some of you will absolutely hate it. But...
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HaYesod Field Report #2

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on February 19, 2008

Today we had problems. Without going into a bunch of technical details it boiled down to an equipment breakdown. It was a real disappointment. We have spent a lot of time and effort making sure things like this did not...
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HaYesod Field Report #1

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on February 18, 2008

Monday February 16th Location: Tiberius Israel Shots Summary: HaYesod Scene 4.6, “Yeshua and Tzizit” We all arrived in Israel for the three week marathon of shooting short, on-location teaching segments throughout the land for inclusion in the new HaYesod program....
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Facing West in Prayer

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (7)
Posted on February 8, 2008

Shabbat shalom. We really need your prayers this next week as myself, Daniel L., Toby J., David V., Joel P., and Jeremiah S., leave for Israel to film 45, on location, teaching segments to be placed into the new and...
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Deep Impact with HaYesod

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on January 24, 2008

Today I had to authorize an unexpected expense that for us was a huge amount of money. It was for the upcoming HaYesod project as it relates to our video production in Israel. I am just stunned at the expense...
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A Joggling Act

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (6)
Posted on January 17, 2008

A joggler is an individual that jogs and juggles at the same time. Most remarkably a joggler usually runs marathons, which is distance of 26.2 miles of 42 kilometers. Imagine running for hours at a time and having the concentration...
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A Closed “Canon”

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (9)
Posted on January 8, 2008

I just finished afternoon mincha prayers with the guys here at the new FFOZ office in Missouri. Today, particularly for me, was a nice time of prayer. As we gathered we all were especially sobered with the weight of concern...
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Articulate in 2008

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on December 26, 2007

Moses believed that he was unable to speak to Pharaoh, the Egyptians or the Israelites. He felt unable to eloquently articulate God’s covenantal faithfulness to His people Israel. Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been...
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FFOZ 2007 Year in Review

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on December 9, 2007

In my initial assessment of 2007, it seemed that this was a year spent mostly on “behind the scenes” preparations that will lay a foundation for growth and, Lord willing, the future stability of this work. I know that taking...
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Happy Hanukkah from the Ozarks

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (3)
Posted on December 4, 2007

My family and I are getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah for the first time in our new home here in Missouri. Tonight we begin this celebration by lighting the first candle on the Hannukkiah and I can already smell those...
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Heavy Burdens pt.2

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (7)
Posted on November 1, 2007

The recent release of our new book, Mezuzah: You Shall Write them on the Doorpost of Your House and on Your Gates, re-launched the series of booklets by First Fruits of Zion intended to address the application of the various...
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It's Time for Sukkot!

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on September 26, 2007

Shalom and Sukkot Greetings, Tonight begins the festival of Sukkot. Is this not the time that we are working towards? On this night, every native born Israelite is commanded to build a sukkah and live it in for seven days....
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Erev Yom Kippur

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (3)
Posted on September 21, 2007

Tonight the holiest day of the year begins. Tonight is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the beginning of the day that the book of Acts simply calls, “The Fast.” The Day of Atonement is a day of prayer, confession...
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Spreading Simcha pt.3

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on September 19, 2007

This is the third in a three-part series of blogs on supporting the needy in Israel during the Festivals. Spreading Simcha pt.1 Spreading Simcha pt.2 As promised, I will make an appeal for donations to a specific charity in the...
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Serving the King!

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on September 12, 2007

With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. (Psalm 98:6) Happy Rosh Hashanah. I trust the fall holidays find you in peace and blessing. It seems hard to believe that another year has...
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Spreading Simcha pt.2

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on September 10, 2007

In the first of these three blogs (part 1), we explained the importance of joy on the festivals and how it is actually commanded in the Torah. We also examined how one of the most difficult hurdles in obtaining this...
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Spreading Simcha pt.1

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on September 9, 2007

Simcha means Joy--so let us spread some this season! And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the...
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Online Dictionary (Torah Club)

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (3)
Posted on August 9, 2007

I wanted to give everyone a sneak peek of just one of the many projects in progress behind the scenes at FFOZ. Over the past few months our staff has been developing a new online dictionary for Torah Club subscribers....
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MOre Needs!

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on August 3, 2007

Things are progressing here in MO (Missouri) for FFOZ. I just took some friends out the other day to see the FFOZ building, which is now under construction. And to my surprise, walls are up and the roof is being...
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FFOZ & Evangelism

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (5)
Posted on July 6, 2007

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of addressing several dozen messianic leaders from the greater Chicago, IL area. This gathering was unique in that the vast majority of the leaders where not necessarily on the same page as FFOZ...
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SPAM (The Meat Kind)

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (22)
Posted on June 25, 2007

Since 1937, people all around the world have enjoyed the taste of SPAM®. Recently I received—as a gift—a commemorative SPAM® t-shirt, and I am actually quite proud to wear it. In fact, I’m wearing it right now. According to the...
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“Yes Sir!”

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (3)
Posted on June 20, 2007

Our culture shapes us. I am now in Missouri establishing a home for my family and helping with the transition of the FFOZ offices before the next leg of the Shalom Tour begins this winter. I am learning quickly that...
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Increasing His Splendor!

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on April 19, 2007

Today is the first day of the Hebrew month Iyaar. The importance of Iyyar can be found in the meaning of its name. In the earliest times, it was simply called “the second month.” Knowing that Iyyar essentially means: splendor,...
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FFOZ & The US Pentagon

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (11)
Posted on March 2, 2007

Several months ago we received an order...actually it was more like a kind request from a Chaplin in the US pentagon for FFOZ materials. Of course we complied, and below is an account of what followed. I could go on...
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Self-Reflection

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on February 6, 2007

From time-to-time it is healthy to look into the mirror honestly and to carefully critique what we see. Internally, at FFOZ, I would say that we do this very often; I find that we are our biggest critics, in many...
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Annual Update and Support Request

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on December 14, 2006

As the fiscal year draws to a close, I am extremely encouraged. As I reflect back on 2006, and I look ahead to 2007, it's exciting to see Abba's hand guiding our ministry, opening doors and leading us in new and unexpected directions.
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Your Support Counts!

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on December 16, 2005

We are already several months into the new biblical year 5766, and the civil year 2005 is drawing to a close. I am writing to thank you for your past support and would like to share with you some of the exciting things we have planned for 2006.
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On the Front Lines

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on November 21, 2005

We are well into the Hebrew year of 5766 by now and close to the turn of the new Gregorian year 2006. Looking back at this last year, I spent an unprecedented amount of time on the road, seeing the Torah movement firsthand, spending hours in conversations with community leaders and Torah-practicing believers
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The Heart of a Shaliach

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on September 7, 2005

I knew what to expect. I saw it coming. The catastrophe in the gulf port region of the United States meant that I would soon be inundated with e-mails connecting this tragic event to prophecy, sin, and America's involvement in the pull-out of Jewish people from Gush Katif, etc, etc
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A Time of Recognizable Growth and Maturation

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on April 28, 2005

A Torah-based, Messiah-centered lifestyle is surely transforming! We are constantly introduced to new aspects of our faith and the revelation of what obedience practically looks like in our actions.
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Sowing in the Field

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on December 30, 2004

Shalom FFOZ reader! During the past several months, we have aggressively shared our Messiah-centered, Torah-based message to the greater Body of Messiah. Since August we have conducted over 30 seminars and have spoken to over 2,500 people. We have planted...
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Celebrate the Light

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on December 10, 2004

Hanukkah is the Festival of Light. The Master told His disciples, "I am the light of the world." On another occasion, He instructed them, "You are the light of the world; Let your light shine before men in such a...
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A Spark that Lights a Fire

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on October 25, 2004

During the summer months, my family and I had the opportunity to travel and to conduct seminars in various locations across the United States. These mini-conferences are a big part of the ministry of FFOZ. Over and over again we...
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Our Mission, Our Vision

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on August 10, 2004

Torah life is not a difficult life. To say that the Torah is a burden, or that it is simply impossible to do, diminishes the work of the Messiah1 and stands opposed to the assertion in Deuteronomy 30:11–14. In addition to the biblical declarations, there are literally tens of thousands of people throughout the world that are living lives submitted to the Torah and fully-centered on the Messiah.
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"Working Choices"

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (1)
Posted on June 1, 2004

"Why are you trying to put Christians under the Law"� a Messianic Rabbi recently asked me. He was genuinely concerned that First Fruits of Zion was teaching legalism. I responded, "I am not going to tell anyone what they should,...
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Spreading the Gospel

By Boaz Michael  | Comments (0)
Posted on February 4, 2004

Have you ever wondered what the Gospel really is? When we mention the Gospel, many think it is something that began with the Apostolic Scriptures. But the Gospel message did not appear for the first time in Matthew, nor even in the Apostolic Writings. God "preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham"
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