Staff Testimonies
FFOZ, dedicated to proclaiming the Torah and its way of life, fully centered on Messiah, to today's people of God.
Toby Janicki
Toby is a teacher, writer and speaker for FFOZ. An engaging seminar teacher, he is also a writer for messiah magazine and the author of the Restoration Workbook and a new book on the Mezuzah.
In the winter of 1975, I was born into a second–generation, German-American family on the tony East Coast. In a town where most people cared more about their plaid pants and golf bags than about anything religious, my parents were different. They were very instrumental in my spiritual journey right from the start. In our pursuit for the truth, we journeyed to a variety of denominations: from Presbyterian to Lutheran to Episcopalian to Charismatic non-denominational. When I was about five years old, I attended a Sunday school class where my mother taught on the atoning work of Yeshua and how accepting Him into our lives brings eternal salvation. I asked my mother to pray with me after the class, and she did. It was then that I asked Messiah to be Lord of my life. As a young boy I was on fire for God and tried my best to serve Him with all my heart.
Like many, however, I fell away and turned to the ways of the world. No longer was I interested in the Church, and studying the Bible was not exciting. My parents occasionally dragged me to a Passover Seder, which I insisted had nothing to do with me. Still, inside I felt a draw to Israel, its people and their language. My interest in Hebrew became apparent during my junior year in high school at (of all places) a Phish concert. In the middle of a long jam session they sang Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (“Jerusalem of Gold”). Although I had no idea what their Hebrew singing meant, I was so excited and felt an immediate draw. God was speaking to me, but it would be a few years before I would actually listen to Him.
Meanwhile, in an effort to find myself, I put off college for a year to take a missionary trip to Africa. Interacting with the Third World changed my perspective on life, and it became apparent that God was calling me to serve Him in some higher capacity. But how? I didn’t know, but I decided the best place to start was Bible college. I attended my first semester at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas in the fall of 1995.
In the summer of 1996, I took a trip to Israel that would forever change my life. Despite spending five life-changing months in the Third World, I still found myself in a spiritual rut, feeling like I had no direction in life. What did God want from me? So before I went on the trip to Israel, in Jacob-style fashion I made a deal with God. I said, “If I get up every morning and have a quiet time before I start my day, I need you to change my life.” And He did.
A sense of peace came over me as the plane touched down in Tel Aviv, yet I was overwhelmed with the spiritual intensity of Israel. The people, the land, the sites—it was as if I was finally where I belonged. The moment of truth came one morning on the Sea of Galilee in Capernaum. Our Israeli tour guide made a statement that I would never forget. He said, “Jesus’ arguments with the Pharisees were not about whether or not the Law was valid but rather how should it be lived out.” He added, “He would have thrown back any unclean fish.” It made so much sense to me that my simple philosophy was born: if Yeshua kept the Torah and He is my Master, so should I. In Israel my relationship with God was being restored daily, and I felt His hand stronger on my life once again.
On a side note, an equally important thing was also happening in Israel: My future wife, Shannon, was on the trip with me. This is where we really got to see one another’s hearts and fell in love. We were married a year and a half later. Without her love, encouragement and wisdom, I would not be who I am today.
Upon returning to the United States, I began devouring books on Hebrew roots and reading the Bible with a new passion. The stories were much more real to me when placed in their proper Hebraic setting. I began to see how much of the Torah’s guidance could practically be applied to my life through commandments like keeping Shabbat and the biblical festivals. The dietary laws not only had physical health implications, they also caused me to scrutinize what I was ingesting in the theaters and on television. My new Torah walk was helping shape my life in a more Godly way, and I felt closer to Him than ever. God had become real to me again as He had been in my youth.
Coincidentally, that summer as I came home to Colorado, there was an Israel-themed conference at my church. Boaz Michael had a small table towards the back with some FFOZ materials. I was excited to meet someone else who felt the same way about the importance of Torah. This was the beginning of our friendship that would eventually lead to working full time with FFOZ.
Although totally convinced in my heart that Torah was for today, I could not always explain the hard Scriptures or deal with the difficult arguments. An issue that plagues the movement even to this day is that of the equality of Jews and Gentiles. In fact, for years it was difficult to find any organization or group that saw Jews and Gentiles as true equals in the messianic community. I struggled for a long time about my place and identity within Israel. Was I a Jew? Was I of lesser status? After many years of struggling through this and much research, HaShem led me to the conclusion that adoption brings Gentiles into Israel through the atoning work of Messiah. I have equal participation with my Jewish brothers in Torah. It was refreshing to read D. Thomas Lancaster’s The Mystery of the Gospel and discover that FFOZ shared this view.
This journey has taken me from teaching Torah studies to eventually leading a congregation for several years. Emulating the ways of the Master has always been the centerpiece of my family’s walk. Our heart is to see more unity among those in the messianic movement. We are a scattered people who have been bruised and wounded. Sadly, this wounding has not come mainly from the outside but rather mostly from within. My hope is that by being part of FFOZ, I will be able to help share Yeshua and His Torah way of life with the Body of Messiah and help further the unity that He prayed for in John 17:11:
“I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.”
Toby and Shannon Janicki live in Strafford, MO with their children Aharon, Hannah, Isaac and Abigail.
