This week’s Torah portion, called Terumah, enumerates in great detail (almost agonizingly so) all the aspects of the building of the Tabernacle. Why so much attention to detail? Almost the entire final third of Exodus is devoted to this one topic. What is even more strange is the fact that the Tabernacle was only a TEMPORARY […]
You are not far from the kingdom of God. – Matthew 19:16 Once we understand that the focus of Hanukkah is a re-dedicating ourselves to God, we can begin to go deeper and get a better picture of how to re-center our lives on Messiah. Let’s explore the Hebrew letters on the four sides of […]
There are three places I feel God has hidden his divine light. The first place was the Torah, and the second place was in the Messiah. It should be of no surprise but important to note that Jewish tradition clearly makes this connection. It is written, “And God saw the light that it is good.” […]
I’m so excited to share that the book I’ve been working on with Kathie Lee Gifford has finally been announced! Kathie Lee shared her story on TODAY of how ‘The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi’ came to be. Here’s the description of the book: As a lifetime student of scripture, Kathie Lee Gifford has […]
One of the greatest conflicts in the world today is the one that exists between Jews and Arabs. If the Gospel is truly “the power of God unto salvation” then it must contain the divine wisdom and empowerment necessary to transform this seemingly hopeless situation. I personally experienced this power several years ago in Detroit. […]
When Balaam set out to curse the Israelites, he had no idea what was in store. Not only did he encounter a talking donkey (say what?)–He came up against the incredible faithfulness of God to the Jews. How did all this happen? And what does this story have to teach us? Balak, the king of […]
Have you ever felt like you’re too far gone, that you’ve reached a point that lies beyond God’s grace and mercy? Your brothers and sisters in Israel felt the same way when they were encamped in the desert after being freed from Egypt. In this week’s Torah Portion, God’s people experience God’s goodness afresh when […]
How many Levites did it take to carry God’s Presence? 8,580, according to the census in this week’s Torah Portion in Numbers 4:21-7:89. When the Israelites journeyed through the Sinai desert on their way to the Promised Land, God housed His Presence in a temporary Sanctuary called the Tabernacle, allotting Levite men between the ages […]
“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.” – Leviticus 26:3-4 What does it mean to be a whole and […]
Think of the best book you’ve ever read. Why did you enjoy it so much? Likely because the authors used tools to draw you in with a strong plot so you could learn a significant lesson from the story. In the world of literature, many writers use a tool called foreshadowing to strengthen and add […]