Inspiring articles and informative material covering Messianic Judaism, Israel, lifestyle, theology, resource reviews, and much more…
According to the teaching about Psalm 82, if the people of Israel had not sinned, they would have retained the status of “gods” and “sons of God.” How much more so should the one without sin deserve to assume those same titles?
Read ThisMedical expertise, Jewish identity, and halachic knowledge finds expression in exactly one active Messianic Jewish mohel: Dr. Worthington-Kirsch. We sat down with Dr. Worthington-Kirsch to ask how he ended up as a mohel, what barriers to entry might exist for other Messianic prospects, and what it might look like to train more.
8-min
The sages of Judaism understood that the beauty of Torah should be accessible and understandable to all. God desires that Torah study be available for the people of all nations. The Torah Club team is currently working with several leaders and translators to see Torah Club materials translated into other languages.
4-min
The Great Replacement Theory is gaining traction. The conspiracy theories are just the latest rendition of the centuries-long tradition of European anti-Semitism. It’s been distilled and repackaged in a new form, but the substance is the same: a hatred of Jews and Judaism born of the darkest impulses in the human heart.
10-min
After coming to believe in Yeshua, Dr. David Stern was convinced that his Jewish identity was still meaningful. When the Sterns arrived in Israel, Jewish believers in Yeshua were few and far between. Drawn to build the next generation of Messianic Judaism, Dr. Stern’s most well-known contribution his Complete Jewish Bible translation.
14-min
Torah Club is not for everyone. Some people love it; some people don’t. That’s because Torah Club is a theological revolution. It’s a return to first principles. It reveals the Bible in its original context: a revelation from God to the Jewish people and, through them, to the nations.
9-min
The seven days of the week provide us with a prophetic timeline of God’s universe. Just as one must prepare during the week—especially on the sixth day—for Shabbat, we must also prepare in this era for the coming kingdom of heaven. We do so by faith, repentance, and good deeds.
13-min
Torah Club is a unique opportunity to study the Bible from a Jewish perspective in a tight-knit community of disciples. In San Antonio, Texas, Rayla-Jeanne and her students are doing just that—learning who God is and who Yeshua is—together.
5-min
For the learner who wants to make judicious use of his or her commute or who needs some inspiration on the go, First Fruits of Zion launched Messiah Podcast, “Where Jesus is Jewish, and that changes everything.” Accessible yet provocative, each episode is raising difficult questions and offering challenging answers.
5-min
We’ve been talking about humility—the middah, or “character trait,” on which all other character traits are built. But how do we get there? Our first steps toward humility are surprisingly practical and eminently doable.
5-min
Competing secular voices and ideologies clamor for the right to dictate the culture’s direction while the church has lost its moral authority. Disembark from the ship of fools. Join Torah Club as we launch a year-long quest for wisdom, a meaningful life, the presence of God, and spiritual growth.
7-min
The phenomenon of near-death experiences is quite common. In addition to a few interesting samples from the Talmud, countless other testimonies have been recorded from religious Jews. Here, we present and compare some fascinating accounts from those who have passed from this world into the World of Truth and back again.
12-min
The chronology of the resurrection and the end times can be confusing, as we must piece together many small hints and allusions. Fortunately, by learning the basic Jewish framework of life after death, we can make sense of the redemption era and the afterlife.
13-min
"At that moment I noticed a light shining over my shoulder. The light emanated from a man. I turned to look, and he drew up next to me. I recognized him immediately. I knew exactly who he was. There was no doubt in my mind or uncertainty in my heart."
14-min
When the same specific miraculous phenomenon occurs for only the second time in history on the same holy day, it’s time to sit up and pay attention. In fact, Acts 2:41 records that thousands of devout Jews did exactly that.
8-min
Once a year, observant Jews gather in a service that resembles a wedding ceremony. This day is Shavu’ot. It looks like a wedding because it’s the anniversary of the day when God “married” Israel, taking her to be his bride, irrevocably tying their fates together for eternity – the day God appeared on Mount Sinai.
4-min
Disciples of Yeshua have a vast inheritance waiting for us in the future. We cannot have it all just yet. In the Messianic Era, we will come into the full inheritance. In this current age, we have only a pledge, a guarantee that the rest is yet to come.
11-min
Fifty days after the resurrection of the Master, God poured the Holy Spirit onto his disciples. Many believe this was the day the church was born. But assuming Pentecost was new misses a valuable chance to see just how important this day already was to the followers of Yeshua before they ever gathered in Jerusalem.
5-min
Joshua’s music has been an entry point to the Messianic world for many believers in Yeshua who have sought a deeper understanding of the Jewish roots of their faith. He is also leading a Torah Club with young, active Messianic Jews who all live near the Sea of Galilee.
4-min
Ruth was not only willing to take on external observances, but she also let the Torah transform her very essence and dictate her every action and decision. Likewise, our Master calls us to conform our hearts to the will of God, transcending our outward obligations and identities as Jews or Gentiles.
6-min
What happens after you die? Many people alive today claim to have endured death and returned to life. The reports of the experience come from all over the world, but they are all remarkably similar. The state of the dead until the resurrection seems a little murky. Is this for real?
8-min
We owe much to the legacy of Rabbi Daniel Zion—forerunner, luminary, and hero of Messianic Judaism. Unappreciated in his time, we recognize him today for his bravery in confronting the Nazi collaborators in Bulgaria, his conviction that Yeshua was the Messiah, and his unwavering commitment to traditional Judaism.
11-min
Self-loathing or self-debasement might look like humility on the surface, but it misses the mark just as much as pride does. Musar literature teaches that the antidote to self-loathing is not an altered focus on ourselves but a shifting of focus to HaShem’s desires and how we can be of service to others.
7-min
When Messianic Rabbi Michael Schiffman began making trips to Ukraine in the 1990s, the elderly and poor Holocaust survivors captured his heart. He created the ministry of Chevra, a humanitarian outreach organization. The Russian invasion now poses new obstacles for ministry work in this land where modern Messianic Judaism was pioneered.
9-min
It was the resurrection, not the crucifixion, that truly inaugurated the kingdom and guaranteed our destiny. There can be no kingdom without the resurrection, for there would be no king. The hope of the World to Come hinges on Jesus’ resurrection.
8-min
The main accusation leveled against Carly when she celebrated Passover was that she was guilty of “cultural appropriation.” The millions of Christians who try to “live out” Master Yeshua’s teachings about remembering him through Passover have no intention of denigrating Jews or Judaism. They’re not appropriating Jewish culture; they’re rediscovering their own.
4-min
Why are pews empty and churches closing their doors? Disengagement has led to discouraged, disconnected, and discontented disciples who are tuning out. Disciples of Jesus are desperate for a deeper knowledge of the Word of God. If you’re one of those searching for something that’s missing, Torah Club can help you find it.
9-min
Many assume Yeshua (Jesus) was the first to introduce the concepts of baptism and being born again along with a new religion called Christianity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ritual immersion was prevalent in Jewish life and had a well-established connection to the term "born again."
8-min
Regardless of what brand of baptism you might prefer, all of them have one thing in common: they all began as a simple Jewish purification ritual. We recover some of the lost meaning and significance of baptism by looking at the ritual as it functioned in early Judaism and in the New Testament era.
9-min
Maybe we’re a little too familiar with the idea of going underwater in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit. For many of us, baptism is simply a rite of passage. For many others, however, going under the water to leave the old self behind is like signing your own death warrant
6-min
Creator and director of The Chosen television series Dallas Jenkins, along with his team, makes a serious effort to depict Jesus and his disciples as Jews within a Jewish context. Spreading the biblical story globally, the production features well-developed characters with a love of Jewishness and the Torah.
7-min
Are we all born condemned because of the sin of one man? What happens to unbaptized children who die before they understand what sin is? Communities of faith have worked to reconcile the doctrine of original sin with God’s perfect justice and righteousness. Yet Judaism takes a different approach.
13-min
In the Messianic Era, there will be no more scarcity. There will be incredible abundance, prosperity, production, and fertility. The incredible accessibility to necessities and luxuries we have today is a hint that redemption is breaking through. Until then, we keep studying and talking about the kingdom.
12-min
Regardless of what brand of baptism you might prefer, all of them have one thing in common: they all began as a simple Jewish purification ritual. We recover some of the lost meaning and significance of baptism by looking at the ritual as it functioned in early Judaism and in the New Testament era.
12-min
The attitude of humility is the foundation for all other character growth, opening our hearts to the possibility and necessity of growth and change. Musar literature leads us to a better understanding of the middah of humility and how to put it into serious practice.
5-min
The plan of salvation set forth in the Bible is not merely to qualify participants to gain entry to heaven while the earth sinks deeper and deeper into chaos. God wants to redeem the world—to restore it. And he’s ready to partner with us to do the work.
11-min
Unless you have visited Israel, you may not be aware of the nation’s vastly diverse landscape. Israel is a land of beauty, full of mountains, hills, valleys, deserts, canyons, rocks, trees, plants, and foliage of all kinds. The earliest Zionist pioneers in the 1800’s participated in preparing Israel for her future children.
14-min
When Kim met her husband-to-be, country music superstar Glen Campbell, he was suffering from broken relationships and addiction to alcohol and cocaine, and he was searching for God. Kim Campbell shares their family’s journey of rededication to God, discovering Messianic faith, and finding joy in the heartbreak of Glen’s Alzheimer’s disease.
10-min
In the midst of denim, long hair, and rock and roll, a remnant of young Jews came to faith in Jesus, becoming the unlikely movement of Jews for Jesus. From there, a Messianic Jewish music and drama team called the Liberated Wailing Wall emerged, beginning a new genre of Jewish gospel music.
12-min
In response to anti-missionary criticism against the Bram Center in Jerusalem, Dr. Michael Brown asks the question “What’s wrong with Messianic Jews living openly and unashamedly as observant Jews?” Dr. Brown points out the double standard in demanding that Jewish followers of Jesus be neither deceptive nor open about their beliefs.
7-min
It’s commonly assumed that the biblical worldview is incompatible with the existence of intelligent alien life. The US government now reluctantly confirms a history of “unidentified aerial phenomena,” but is out of its league when it comes to answering hard questions about what this means for us. What does Judaism have to say?
10-min
Our speech has tremendous potential for good or for evil. The power of life and death resides in our tongues, reflecting the disposition of our hearts and orienting the direction of our lives. Yeshua gives a chilling warning: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
7-min
This year Israel was simultaneously exposed to endless rocket barrages, Arab-Jewish violence in its mixed cities, and delegitimization campaigns from abroad. The kind of violence that happened inside Israel has not been witnessed since the early years of the Jewish state. An insider gives his eyewitness account of the consequences of this complex conflict.
7-min
Torah Club’s last year in Season 1 of Jesus, My Rabbi concludes with a plot twist and a cliff-hanger on the Mount of Transfiguration. The epic story of Yeshua of Nazareth picks back up where it left off in Season 2, finishing the story from the transfiguration to the ascension.
9-min
Finding out that we didn’t understand Yeshua as well as we thought can make us wonder what it means to be a disciple or what exactly we are supposed to be doing. Generations of rabbis have left us Musar literature—practical methods on how to build our character in order to build the kingdom.
5-min
The deepest desire of a disciple of Yeshua is to see Yeshua’s kingdom come. This desire transcends contemporary politics. We are not called to be Democrats or Republicans or socialists or communists; part of our identity as followers of Yeshua is that we are theistic monarchists. Our allegiance is to King Yeshua.
7-min
The eight-day festival of Hanukkah is celebrated in Jewish homes each year. The eight-branched candelabra (called a chanukkiah or Hanukkah menorah) is lit. Friends and family gather for festive meals of delicious potato pancakes and pastries. There are entertaining games for children, storytelling, songs, and prayers. Most of all, there is gladness, joy, and light.
9-min
The author of Luke and Acts has traditionally been identified as a Gentile physician named Luke. However, the latest Messiah Podcast asks Rabbi Dr. Mark Kinzer whether the author of Luke and Acts may in fact have been a first-century Jew.
3-min
Don’t miss this issue of Messiah Magazine, featuring a submission from Kim Campbell on her journey to Torah with her late husband, Glen, a recounting of the formation of the early Messianic Jewish band The Liberated Wailing Wall, and a firsthand account of the shocking rocket attacks in Israel this year.
3-min
An understanding of Jesus’ Jewishness and the Jewish context in which he lived has the potential to help resolve that conflict and illuminate the Gospels and Epistles so that their meaning can finally be understood.
8-min
There seems to be no end to the evil we see, and it just keeps growing. We begin to feel as if this evil is just the natural order of mankind and that we will always have wickedness in our world. “That’s just the way people are” is an idea we’ve all given in to.
6-min
Have you ever wondered what the Feast of Dedication is? Have you ever just assumed that it was merely some archaic festival in ancient Judaea that has been antiquated and is no longer celebrated? Have you ever noticed the verse in John and its subtle reference to this unknown Jewish winter feast?
5-min
Another new issue of Messiah Magazine has just rolled off our presses. Did you know that you can get Messiah Magazine free wherever you are? This flagship publication is produced in print and digital formats, and you can get at least one of these editions free.
4-min
Israel’s War for Independence had concluded with a ceasefire that had left Jerusalem divided in two. For nearly two decades afterward, Jews were not allowed to enter Jerusalem’s walls or pray inside the city. All that changed in June 1967, when God unleashed a miracle of biblical proportions in the form of the Six-Day War.
8-min
I watched in awe as this young woman who had complained so bitterly stated with tears that leaving the army was one of the hardest things that she had ever had do to. We knew beyond any doubt that this army experience had been a life-changing event—and a metaphor for us all.
5-min
Under the moonlit sky of May 30, 1948, three soldiers of the new Jewish state scouted the wadis and imposing slopes that climb up into the Judean hills southwest of Latrun. Following a footpath worn by centuries of shepherds, their jeep barely crawled up the steep side of a ravine; they had to get out and push it up the last few yards.
5-min
As they circled the settlement, she dropped a special parcel to the men who once served under her husband. The parcel contained her late husband’s Bible. The men of Ramot Naftali retrieved the parcel, opened it up, and recognized the Bible. It was the same Bible they had seen their late commander so often consult before leading them into battle.
7-min
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