Inspiring articles and informative material covering Messianic Judaism, Israel, lifestyle, theology, resource reviews, and much more…
Ryan Lambert served as the Director of Outreach for First Fruits of Zion. He labored with us for several years and represented First Fruits of Zion to the broader body of Messiah.
Our hope is that Messiah Podcast will be a regular source of spiritual and educational nourishment for a broad range of disciples. Every episode will affirm the importance of Jesus’ Jewishness and how that impacts everything!
Read ThisA common viewpoint repeatedly stated by Christian leaders speaking to the church is that “God does not see color. He does not see black, white, or any other racial distinction. When God looks at His people, He only sees Jesus.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. But can that statement be substantiated by Scripture?
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When Paul says, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing,” he communicates that both Jews and Gentiles can be justified in Christ as either Jews or Gentiles. Both Jewish and Gentile identities mattered greatly to Paul.
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The Shalom Tour is your opportunity to meet First Fruits of Zion leadership staff, connect with other Torah Club Leaders and FFOZ Friends, get inspired and encouraged to continue your mission of spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, and break bread with new friends.
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Many commentators and teachers interpret Paul from a supersessionist viewpoint whereby the Holy Spirit’s role supersedes that of the Torah/Law. In all fairness, Romans 7 is famously complex. However, it does not need to be understood in a supersessionist manner. The text can also be interpreted with an understanding of Paul’s affirmation of the Torah.
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As the days and months go by, I witness the layers of replacement theology peeling back in numerous corners of God’s kingdom. Here are a few promising developments.
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Our mission objective with the Shalom Tour is to encourage and strengthen our FFOZ Friends and Torah Club network throughout the United States.
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Clearly, “moments of truth” are important as we think about the Bible, history, and the unfolding of God’s kingdom agenda. Moments of truth also prove to be decisive in our individual stories. However, they are not always easy to navigate.
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My perspective and imagination were expanded by meeting Jewish disciples who were Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, and from Orthodox Christian traditions. There was significant theological diversity in the room. However, the common bonds were a commitment to Jewish identity as disciples of Yeshua.
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This Thanksgiving, my hope is that we can buck the status quo and look at the positive things that are happening in the world and give thanks to HaShem for the goodness around us.
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According to Paul’s Judaism, Gentile Christ-followers had an equal standing with the people of God within Jewish space. Paul’s Judaism was a radical threat to the status quo of his day. Reintroducing Paul’s Judaism, not only as an idea but also as something with practical and modern ramifications for both Judaism and Christianity, is a radical threat to the status quo of ours.
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Times of crisis almost always include new opportunities. This season of challenge is no different. We can exercise creativity in new ways to not only maintain our spiritual health but also to grow it.
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The real, historical Jesus was a Jewish man who practiced Judaism and lived in the land of Israel. Attempts to understand Jesus’ universal message that do not emphasize his specifically Jewish context can obscure who Jesus was and is.
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When one hears the phrase “Jewish background of the New Testament,” it does not necessarily indicate a viewpoint that is moving Jesus’ kingdom vision forward. It is sad to say, but what this phrase often means is that Judaism and Torah have been relegated to the background of the Yeshua story. That was not the apostolic vision.
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The great value of Sanders’ and Dunn’s work was to show that a long line of Pauline interpreters misread Paul because they misread the Judaism(s) of Paul’s day as legalistic. In a sense, we could more aptly describe the New Perspective on Paul as a “New Perspective on Late Second Temple-era Judaism.”
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For both Yeshua and Paul, the kingdom could be had at any moment, but it required a certain response from the Jewish people. Sadly, the ministries of neither Yeshua nor Paul, in their time, brought about the response that could have ushered in the redemption.
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For two thousand years, New Testament Bible teaching and Jewish history have developed an instinctive reaction to confidently categorize Judaism and Judaizing as things that Paul opposed. Are these instincts and reflexes consistent with Paul and his apostolic vision?
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To say the least, I was super impressed with how many of our leaders went about doing Passover. Many folks hosted Seders. Some were large, and some were small. However, the pictures and stories that I heard indicated that the seders held by our Torah Club Leaders were a profound blessing to those who attended.
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Those of us who are supportive of a Messianic Jewish viewpoint could respond to Pastor Andy Stanley’s book by dismissing it as irrelevant to our world. But I don’t think we can do that. Watch Ryan Lambert, Toby Janicki, and Damian Eisner discuss and review the book and implications of his supersessionist viewpoint.
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Friends, we are just getting started, and God is already using Torah Club in great ways to impact real people for his kingdom. Can you imagine the impact that Torah Club is going to have for the kingdom as believers continue to study and gather weekly to learn and discuss God’s Word?
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Messianic Judaism is our mission field. Our mission is to bring Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews, and that includes Messianic Jews. Many people at the conference expressed a desire to go deeper into the Bible, and they could see that the Torah Club could help them do that.
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The real Paul was no doubt a man who preached a message of love and grace. But he was a man who did that as a Jew who loved and lived out the Torah within Judaism. I could let my final word on this movie be “satisfied” and move on. But, there is a problem.
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This new society will fill an important function. As stated on the website, “The Society for Post-Supersessionist Theology exists to promote research and discussion that advances post-supersessionist thought.” This is an important mission.
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The idea is to get people participating instead of just being led and told the answers. We also incorporate food and snacks into the meetings. We encourage a discussion format, not a leader telling students something. Being willing to open yourself to new ideas without questioning your faith is important here.
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Neither Paul nor the apostles had any conception that following Jesus meant that Jews or Gentiles would operate outside of Judaism and Jewish space. That’s a very controversial issue, I know. It was certainly a controversial idea in the Apostolic Era—at least the part about Gentiles coming into Jewish space without having to become Jewish.
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The conversation was short but meaningful, and I am praying that it had an impact on this young man. An additional result of this conversation was that it reminded me to continue to grow in my sense of trust in Yeshua as the Messiah and my ability to communicate why I have such trust.
7-min
At Yavneh, we began the process of figuring out how to survive as a distinct, sustainable, Torah-keeping community in the midst of a long and harsh exile. If Torah still represents our marching orders, then generally speaking Messianic Jews need to honor and adhere to the way that the Jewish community has navigated that path—even after Yavneh.
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The favorable attention and traffic that First Fruits of Zion received at the Southern Baptist Convention is another indication that God is doing some fantastic things in the Body of Messiah. Little by little, foundations are being restored. Many Christians are coming to see Judaism, Torah, and the gospel in a new and positive way.
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At a recent pastor’s conference involving thousands of church leaders, I listened to one of the most well-known and influential pastors in the world introduce a concept that pitted the morality of the Old Testament against the morality of the New Testament. His objective was to get church leaders to move away from Old Testament morality.
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Placing Jesus and the apostolic faith outside of Judaism leads to the same result that the idea of the church replacing Israel leads. Both of these layers of replacement theology, if universally embraced, would lead to the end of the Jewish people.
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Here is the cold, hard, bottom-line reality: The Jewish community will never, ever accept a message as “good news” that involves a Jesus that they think took us away from the covenant handed to us at Mount Sinai.
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Recently, I presented a paper at the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE) conference in Denver. My topic was “Paul within Judaism: The Implications for Jewish Evangelism.” Going into the presentation, I knew that this subject would generate a strong reaction. I was not wrong.
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We sowed and sowed…and there was no reaping for a long time. But now, the due season has arrived and we are reaping. Chuck is now dribbling, shooting, and is on his way to being able to participate in a special needs basketball league. This makes me smile.
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A major turning point in my Jewish journey came when I met my first ever Messianic Jew named David. David was a Christian, but he still did a lot of Jewish stuff. I saw that being a disciple of Yeshua was intended by God to be a means of strengthening my observance to the Torah, not abolishing it.
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The Christian leaders I encountered expressed a common need that they have a deep love for the land and people of Israel, but they lack solid teaching and resources that instill that vision deeply into the culture of their various congregations and ministries—a huge void that First Fruits of Zion seeks to fill.
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As we stay committed to the vision of seeing a mature Messianic Judaism move forward, I believe we will give people more reasons to hold onto the ball and keep running toward the goal—that joyful time when the King and His kingdom fill the earth.
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Did Paul encourage and personally practice deception for the sake of the gospel? I don’t think so. I think he strived for the highest levels of integrity in all that he did as an ambassador for Yeshua.
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The idea I put forth presented a framework for understanding Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament that most of the students had not considered. I found them to be very engaged and respectful, even if not entirely embracing what I was saying.
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There are many Christian leaders out there that are looking to connect with a solid source for Messianic Jewish teaching. But we can’t wait for them to find us. We have to go find them. This makes it all the more important for First Fruits of Zion to be at venues like Catalyst.
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Deuteronomy 30 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. On a personal level, this chapter has had a huge impact upon my life and development as a Messianic Jew. It gave me anxiety and theological paranoia because it created an ongoing problem in my theology.
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I haven’t had much time to reflect on this, but the death of this young athlete has hit me harder than I would have expected. I am going to miss this charismatic athlete in the years to come. There will be many of us who, for some time, will wonder what could have been.
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Without directly referencing God, Yeshua, the Bible, Judaism, or Elul, Don Henley’s song gets to the heart of some matters that are very important for us to consider as we approach the high holidays.
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We never know how HaShem is at work. When Boaz handed me that DHE five or six hours earlier, it seemed insignificant. But I believe that HaShem had me carry that DHE for a special purpose. It is a joy to see how he weaves the details of our lives together.
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We are very encouraged to hear testimonies like this. It motivates us to continue to present vision, teaching, and resources that help people to know and follow Jesus better by seeing him through Jewish eyes.
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We are thankful that God has given us the ability to produce vision and teaching that is helping to shape and cultivate the development of Messianic Judaism in so many places. It was a fruitful time of strengthening existing relationships and establishing new ones.
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I had a conversation with a young man who reminded me that we still have a lot of work to do in Messianic Judaism. God is doing great things in our times. Restoring the Jewish Jesus back to both Judaism and Christianity is an exciting work to be a part of. He is even accomplishing that in lines at Chinese restaurants!
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I’d like to encourage you to think about boundaries in your life. Think about your boundaries and maybe where you’ve crossed them with God. If you have crossed the line, turn around before it hurts you any worse. Boundaries are his kind way of marking out “safe places” for us to stay within.
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Our core principles as a ministry involve restoring the Jewish Messiah, restoring the Torah, restoring the gospel, and restoring Israel. It is our conviction that as these fundamental areas are restored to their biblical context, efforts to reach the Jewish people with the good news of Yeshua will be strengthened.
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He knew no other world than that of Orthodox Judaism—then his world was rocked as he met Yeshua his Messiah, engaged in discipleship, and then one day he disappeared. Where is Michael today? Did our community serve him well, or did we drop the ball?
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Recently, as I was thinking about my mom (which happens more frequently this time of year, though I think about her all the time), I paused to consider what was behind my thinking there. What is the quintessential Jewish mama? I feel that in my gut, but what does that mean?
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Last week, I had the opportunity to represent FFOZ at the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) national conference in Atlanta. I am grateful for the progress that we can observe, but there is still much work to be done in expanding the presence and visibility of both Messianic Judaism and the work of FFOZ.
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The saying, “As the leaders go, so go the people” is usually true. Most of us have had experiences with both good and bad leaders. The picture that Micah presented reminded me of a contrast in leadership that I experienced as a baseball player in college
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All of us can experience seasons in life where we are in a deep pit. And it may seem so ominous, and so devastating, and so dark, that there seems to be no way out. But the truth is, with God, there is always a path toward the light. Even at the last minute, God welcomes our return.
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There are thousands of pastors and Christians who want more of the Jewish Jesus. As those who embrace Messianic Judaism, it’s our privilege to reach out and share the importance of this movement in God’s kingdom plans. I want to encourage you wherever you are to be an advocate for this mission.
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