Behold the Lamb!

Behold the Lamb Messianic Passover HaggadahI grew up keeping Passover as one of the few holidays that my family observed. Every Spring, out came the fancy china, the matzah ball soup, the brisket, the gefilte fish, the charoset, the afikomen, the bar mitzvah yarmulkes, Elijah’s chair, the seder plate and its elements, and, of course, the Haggadah. My grandparents and aunt and uncle from across town would be there, and usually my other grandparents, great aunt, and aunt from Brooklyn would drive in as well. I remember that during these family get-togethers our home was always very loud with activity, which carried over into the seder. My dad would lead the seder, anxious to get to the bo-re p’riy hagafen, and my little sister would read the four questions—an honor coveted by her big brother. Of course, the “telling” was punctuated with my mother silently, but noticeably excusing herself to check on the progress of the food. This would begin a small exodus from the table consisting of my Aunt Mady and Grandma Berger.

Since the days of my youth, I have attended many different seders, both in homes and large groups. Some time after I became a believer in Yeshua, I learned of the Messianic Passover Haggadah from Lederer Publications, and Passover finally began to have meaning for me. My heritage as a Jew became reinforced in a way that had not happened during my youth. Needless to say, I greatly appreciated the Messianic Passover Haggadah, and rejoice in the many others that Messianic Jews all over the world continue to develop to this day. Read more

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For Let This Attitude Be In You…

Adonai has blessed me and Esther with three amazing, young disciples—our sons Isaac, Josiah and Hosea. Like all human beings, our boys regularly have to contend with their flesh (their parents have to contend with it regularly as well!), but they are nevertheless remarkable, admirable children, and their desire to please their Abba and Imma and serve Adonai with their lives is self-evident. Yet despite the positive affirmations of others and our most objective assessment of their progress, as parents, we still wonder from time to time (like, every day!) if we’re getting through… if we’re teaching them the right way… if they’re going to be okay. Read more

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Beware the "Religion Swap"

Q: Shalom Kevin. I have been raised as a Gentile Christian my whole life, but within the last year or so, I have been experiencing an ever-increasing draw towards the Messianic Jewish community. The Gentile Churches make me want to vomit and mourn; as they are straying farther and farther from Yeshua. My whole family is beginning to look at me strangely as my heart wants to forsake this thing called “Christianity,” and I long to embrace and understand the culture and ways of God from the Hebrew- and Jewish-Roots. I am very attracted to the Messianic Community, though I have not yet visited a congregation. I am a Christian who is crying out for help, and I want to disconnect from my paganistic Christian upbringing and come until full maturity in Moshiac by embracing our Jewish roots. Any guidance, info, or words of wisdom would be appreciated. Read more

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Can DNA Testing Tell Me If I’m Jewish?

This article was originally posted as a response to a comment on the post “Am I Really a Gentile?”

The tricky thing about DNA testing is that, like any kind of medical testing, interpretation of the results is not an exact science. Have you ever had a medical diagnostic procedure performed, then read the pathologist’s report? They often look something like this: “Well, it looks like Mr. Cohen could have such-and-such disease, but it could also be this other disease, or it may be nothing at all.” In other words, the doctors are taking their best guess as to what might be wrong with you, based on the conditions other people with similar test results have had in the past. Sometimes the doctors are right—sometimes they’re wrong. Sometimes you need more testing, and sometimes the tests never help your doctor devise a treatment. Way to go, science! Read more

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Oh, Stop! It’s Simply Shabbat…

The seventh-day Shabbat (Sabbath) is not only central to Israel’s calendar, it is at the heart of Jewish identity. Exodus 31:13 reports Adonai commanding Moshe to “speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Surely, My Shabbats you must guard, for it is a sign between Me and you, to your generations, to know that I, Adonai, am sanctifying you….’” Yet the observance of Shabbat has historically been shrouded in rules and customs that can separate us from the very Shabbat we are supposed to be protecting. Beautiful, elegant—some-times strict—and infused with spiritual symbolism, the Shabbat traditions of Judaism nevertheless (and unnecessarily) complicate what may arguably be the simplest thing in Scripture.

While the practical out-working of Shabbat in the modern Diaspora does take some amount of forethought, the principles set forth in the Scriptures are easy to understand and apply—if we will only hear them. Indeed, wedged in our thinking is the belief that Jewish religion and culture supercede Scripture, and that centuries of practice amount to expertise. Not necessarily.

“How do I ‘do’ Shabbat?” is the question that kills Shabbat even before it begins. Candle-lighting, Shabbat dinner and special prayers are nice, but not what this holy day is all about. To “do” Shabbat, first consider the Scriptures (see image, above), and start by simply stopping. Don’t worry about going wrong with the way you “do” Shabbat… as long as you’re not going at all…

What do you think? Post a comment below.

This “Fast Foundations” article was originally published in Messianic Jewish Issues.

(Other extra-Torah or land-dependent Shabbat prohibitions include carrying a load out of one’s house or in through the gates of Jerusalem (Jer. 17:21-22), and buying from non-Israelites who are trying to do business in Jerusalem (Neh. 10:31, cf. 13:16). There are also explicit commands for Shabbat sacrifices. As for assembling for the purpose of worship, the Shabbat itself is a sacred assembly (Lev. 23:3), but what constitutes assembly, where, and of whom is not stated. Assembly of at least some members of Israel at the Tabernacle/Temple may be implied by Numbers 10:2&10.)

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Reaching God Without Religion

As Messianics on a quest for self-definition and the recharacterization of our faith, perhaps the most fundamental, core issue we face is that we too quickly and easily revert to religion, mistaking it for a tangible relationship with God. As such, when we demonstrate the fortitude to reject a given religion (i.e. Christianity, Judaism, etc.) in pursuit of a “true faith,” we find ourselves believing that whatever road we feel led to travel next (i.e. “Messianic Judaism,” Hebraic roots, et al) must therefore be the way to get to Him. This might be true, except for the fact that many of us have issues with shedding our religious tendencies, and more often than not, end up simply exchanging one brand of religion for another. Read more

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"Should I Convert?"

Q: Dear Kevin, my identity is in Yeshua, and this identity connects me to Israel. I am not Jewish by birth, but I am an heir to the seed of Avraham. So, as a Messianic Believer, should I convert?? Personally, I feel I should, but am seeking guidance on the matter. Shalom Read more

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Identifying with an Invisible God

“So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.’” Acts 17:22-23 (NAS)

Most religions have their fair share of religious objects, icons and artifacts—and Judaism is no exception. Though some may consider the tabernacle elements such as the ark, the menorah, and the altar to be sacred symbols to all Israel, the ceremonial use of these articles was restricted to the priesthood, which more than likely limited their emblematic stature among the populace. Rather, it is the religious objects of later Judaism—both Scripture-based and contrived—that have become standardized icons to the Jewish people: the star of David, kippah, tallit, chanukiyah (the Chanukah “menorah”), torah scrolls, phylacteries and fringes. Read more

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The Miraculous Story You Never Knew

When I was a boy, one of the only Jewish holidays my family celebrated was Chanukah (the other was Passover), but if you had told me that one day I would write an entire book about the Festival of Lights, I would have said you were a couple of candles short of a menorah! Now all these years later, I’m delighted about the newly released “Real Story of Chanukah,” because it truly puts the modern holiday in perspective by placing it against the backdrop of its factual history.

But what really excites me about the new book is that its message is so Messianic… not because it shows you Yeshua in the chanukiyyah, but because the real story of Chanukah is about being completely sold-out, zealous, crazy-on-fire—dedicated—to Adonai. I love this kind of message!

In The Real Story of Chanukah (which quotes at length from the apocryphal, yet historically reliable books of 1&2 Maccabees), we get to witness the struggles of a handful of average, everyday Jewish people during the intertestamental period. Against the overwhelming anti-Semitic and assimilating forces of their day, we see these valiant, devout few as they fight for the God and the Torah they love, in order to restore Israel to faithful fellowship with God. The story is just incredible—it’s vivid, moving, and, at times, almost beyond belief. And it’s within this context that I was able to unpack the Messianic message, illustrating how, according to the Scriptures, we too can and must be completely dedicated to the cause of Yeshua.

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Kevin’s Got "Issues"

The following is adapted from the introduction to the inaugural edition of Messianic Jewish Issues.

Let’s face it: we all have issues—some of us more than others—and the sooner we admit it, the better! Of course, I am poking fun at the title of our new publication, Messianic Jewish Issues, which was deliberately named for its double meaning. Indeed, we all trip and stumble in our walk with Yeshua, primarily because of our own issues. But we also have legitimate questions about living the Messianic Life, and we need clarity and direction if we are to be effective people of God. Messianic Jewish Issues exists, then, for this very purpose: to begin to deal with the issues that affect us as disciples of Messiah in and around the enigma that is the Messianic Jewish Movement… and to do it with the same Scriptural integrity and honest exhortation that Perfect Word has always endeavored to employ. Read more

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