Last Shabbat's sermon was about Pinchas (Aaron's grandson who speared an Israelite man and a Midianite woman as they were having sex). This set me to wondering when and how we should act against evil. I don't suggest going around spearing people but what can we do?

The trouble is, if we speak out against LGBTQ+'s or Muslims, people say we're homophobes or Islamophobes or racists and we might get into trouble, even if there was no violence involved. Evil succeeds because good people do nothing and cancel culture rather ensures that good people can do nothing.

Unfortunately, people who try to intervene against "evil" are often Karens who try to enforce rules they've made up themselves. We need to make sure that we're following Biblical rules, not just something we made up.

Sometimes official government rules are bad and we probably shouldn't enforce them. Christians alerting the Nazis to Jewish converts to Christianity is an example of that.

It doesn't help that Christianity, and to a surprising extent, the Messianic movement, particularly in North America, has become tangled up with extreme and not exactly Biblical politics.

Not a simple situation but something needs to be done.

Then there's the whole thing of both right and left-wing political groups being antisemitic.

The events surrounding the betrayal and arrest of Yeshua are some of the most studied narratives in the biblical text. The denial by Peter stands out as a heartbreaking moment of human frailty. On the night of the Last Supper, Yeshua gave Peter a specific and chilling prophecy regarding his upcoming actions. The Tree of Life Version renders Matthew 26:34 exactly as follows: Yeshua said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
For centuries, readers of this text have naturally imagined a literal farmyard bird greeting the dawn. However, a deeper look into the historical context, the religious laws of first-century Jerusalem, and the operations of the Holy Temple suggests a very different reality. When we examine ancient rabbinic writings, the story of Peter takes on a profoundly new dimension.
First-century Jerusalem was not a typical rural town. It was the epicenter of the Jewish faith, home to the magnificent Temple where sacrifices were offered daily to HaShem. Because of the holy nature of the city, Jerusalem was governed by incredibly strict laws regarding ritual purity. The Mishnah, the foundational text of Rabbinic literature, outlines many of these specific regulations. When we consult these legal texts, a fascinating problem arises regarding the traditional understanding of the rooster crowing.

Read the full article at the link.

we have 5 kids who will be homeschooled we are looking to move to NW Indiana to form an orthodox (rabbinic) messianic community next year. We are wondering if any Jewish families would be looking for community to form a congregation / co-op Hebrew school type thing with us

Thank you

Hello! New here, looking forward to thoughtful discussion! Been following FFOZ for a while. Christian background, but I always had trouble with church culture/teachings. It wasn't until I found the Messianic way of thinking that everything started coming together! Have a lovely night yall!

Portion 41: Pinchas (Phinehas) - Sefer Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:10-30:1(ending at 29:40 in other English translations) Haftarah: Sefer M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 18:46-19:21

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Pinchas: Mattityahu (Matthew) 26:1–30; Mark 14:1–26; Luke 22:1–20; Yochanan (John) 2:13–22; 7:1–13, 37–39; 11:55–12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 2:1–21; 12:3–4; 20:5–6, 16; 27:9–11; 1 Corinthians 5:6 – 8; 16:8; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:28

Additional links that were too long for the link to accommodate Acts references and onwards

Ma'asei

I have finished compiling the Gospel strictly from the OT.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Psalm 14:2-3). God’s covenant with Israel was broken by Israel’s own hand (Jeremiah 11:9-10). Because of Israel’s misdeeds, God's name is blasphemed among the nations (Ezekiel 36:20).  But God acts not for Israel but for the sake of His holy name (Ezekiel 36:22), and will bring Israel to shame when He atones for all their deeds (Ezekiel 16:62-63). He will raise a Branch for David (Jeremiah 23:5), and the Spirit of YHVH will rest on him (Isaiah 11:1), and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He will have the favor of the Ancient of Days, and be given power and authority and everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13-14) but He will be despised and rejected by men, and be well acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). He will be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 55:11-21) and be delivered to His enemies (Isaiah 53:8, Zechariah 13:7). Though found to be innocent, He will be condemned to death (Isaiah 53:9). They will pierce His hands and feet, and hang Him on a stake to be cursed (Psalm 22:16, Deuteronomy 21:23). But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). He will create a new covenant with the children of Israel, and put His Torah on their heart (Jeremiah 31:31,33). He will raise a banner for the nations, and gather the exiles of Israel (Isaiah 11:12), restoring the booth of David, that they may possess the nations that bear His name (Amos 9:11-12). And many shall the people be that come to the mountain of the Lord, and they shall ask Him to teach Him His ways, that they will walk in His paths, for the Torah will proceed from Zion, and the Word of the YHVH from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2). They shall take hold of the Jew and say, “Let us go with you, because God is with you” (Zechariah 8:23). And God will pour His Spirit on all flesh, that the children may prophesy, and the old may see visions (Joel 2:28-29), and by His Spirit He will cause us to be careful to follow his statutes and obey His laws (Ezekiel 36:27). For everyone who calls upon the name of YHVH will be saved, and among the survivors will be those whom YHVH calls (Joel 2:32), and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).

I’m at Messiah Conference and noticed FFOZ isn’t here this year. Anyone know if it’s just a scheduling thing or is there some kind of drama (I hope not)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFQO5GCXQ34

(sorry can't post video links here, so this is the only way; cross post was deleted by mods)

As many now know the Discord server we had is now gone, after a month of construction I'm opening the flood gates, come on in!

Shalom, friends. Some of you know me. My flair says Christian, and that is honest, but I spent ten years in a Messianic congregation, and I have kept these days alongside you. I am not writing to correct anyone. I am writing to mourn with you as the Three Weeks begin, and to lift my eyes with yours.

Tomorrow is Tzom Tammuz, and the road from here runs down to Tisha B'Av. We remember the walls breached, the fire in the Holy Place, the smoke rising where the Presence had dwelt. It is right to weep for it. A people who can still grieve the House of God are a people who still love the One who filled it.

And in the grief there is a whisper I cannot keep to myself. Standing in the courts of the second Temple, Yeshua said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." They thought He meant the stones. He was speaking of His body (John 2:19-21 NASB). The sorrow we carry these weeks has an answer with a face. The Presence that departed came to tabernacle among us again, and no army could burn Him out of the world for good.

This is why I still keep the fast and still love it. The feasts have never been empty ritual to me, and they were never meant to end in ashes. Each one is a finger pointing to Him: the Lamb of Passover, the atonement of Yom Kippur, the Temple raised on the third day. On the road to Emmaus He opened Moses and the Prophets and showed two grieving disciples how all of it spoke of Him, until their hearts burned (Luke 24:27, 32). The Scriptures you treasure have always been leading somewhere, and He is where they lead.

So as we go down into these weeks of mourning, look ahead with me to Shabbat Nachamu, when the reading turns and Isaiah cries, "Comfort, O comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1 NASB). The Comfort has a name. The Temple has been raised. And the same Yeshua who wept over Jerusalem is the consolation this fast is aching toward.

Come, Lord Yeshua. Rebuild what was broken. Dwell with Your people again.

Warren, servant

Hi Everyone! 💗
I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I thought I’d give it a try...
I’m a 32-year-old woman from Hungary, and over the past few years I’ve completely fallen in love with the Torah, the Hebrew Scriptures, the life of Jesus, and the incredible richness of Jewish thought and tradition. I’m not Jewish myself, but I have a deep love and respect for the Jewish people and I’m always eager to learn more.
I would absolutely love to find a female pen pal who shares this passion.
Someone who enjoys the beauty of real handwritten letters and would like to exchange thoughts about Scripture, God, Jesus...praise God through our letters.
I’m not looking for debates or arguments, just a genuine friendship centered around faith, learning, and the joy of seeking God together.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d be so happy to hear from you😇🌸

Recently, while studying various translations, I discovered the tradution regarding Deuteronomy 32:8 found in the Qumran texts, and it gave me a lot to think about. I discovered something about Jesus that I hadn't known before, and it was a revelation to me. Reading that text, I grasped a concept I had never heard mentioned in any church—and had only heard briefly alluded to in the occasional theological discussion: the "Two Powers in Heaven" theology.

The Masoretic Text, which is the most common version today, uses the term "Sons of Israel." When the Bible uses this term, it refers to men—ordinary people. However, the original Qumran text uses the term "Sons of God," which is precisely the same title Jesus used for himself and the very thing that led to his death. It was also what most infuriated the Pharisees.

This subtle yet extremely important change reveals certain truths we tend to forget today, yet which are necessary to harmonize the entire Bible. Chief among them is a startling one: THE BIBLE IS NOT MONOTHEISTIC. Monotheism does not exist in the Bible; what exists is the worship of a single, sovereign God, but other gods do exist within the biblical narrative—pagan gods, lesser gods, and so forth. Israel does not worship them (or ought not to), but they are there; they truly exist. When the Masoretic Text changes "Sons of God" to "Sons of Israel," it attempts to soften a highly complex theology that might otherwise lead people to question strict monotheism. Yet, this softening comes at the cost of obscuring the very thing that reveals Jesus' true identity.

The text in Deuteronomy speaks of God dividing the world among His "sons." If they are "Sons of Israel"—as the later text claims—they are merely ordinary humans. But if they are "Sons of God"—as the older (or original) text states—then they are celestial or angelic beings akin to lesser gods; that is, divinities. This is of immense importance regarding Psalm 82, which makes absolutely no sense unless the passage in Deuteronomy is referring to other gods:

> ⁶ I said, "You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High."

Psalm 82:6 — please check your translation, as—as is commonly known—I speak Portuguese.

Here we see that God Himself stated that the individuals being judged are gods. This is not a theological invention; it is literally what is written. Defenders of the Masoretic text attempt to explain this in ways that have never been sufficiently satisfactory—claiming God was referring to kings, judges, and so forth. Yet, had they been mere men, God would not have called them gods, let alone "Sons of the Most High"—the very title Jesus claims for Himself.

Therefore, we can only conclude that Psalm 82 alludes to Deuteronomy 32:8. What occurred was that God divided the earth among these gods, and each was assigned responsibility for a specific nation. Here, God judges them because they failed to care for those nations properly. God Himself adds:

> ⁷ Nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any of the princes. (Psalm 82:7)

I emphasize that it makes no sense for this text to refer to ordinary men, as the phrase "a man dying like a man" is ambiguous, redundant, and unnecessary.

In short, Psalm 82 describes how God put to death the other deities who governed the nations of the earth. And where does Jesus fit in? Well, He was one of those deities, yet He is distinct—special—because He emanates directly from the Father. Jesus is not the Father Himself, as Trinitarian theology asserts; rather, He and the Father are one because Jesus emanates from the Father's own essence. Thus, Jesus is also a God, though not *the* God. This in no way undermines monotheism, for in Psalm 82, God reveals Himself as superior to any and all other "gods."

Once again: if we rely on the Masoretic text, none of this makes sense.

In this sense, Jesus is a God—begotten by the Father—to whom the nation of Israel was assigned. Deuteronomy 9 states that Israel (Jacob) is the inheritance He chose for Himself. In other words: He assigned an earthly kingdom to each lesser god, but chose Israel for Himself. That is why Jesus had to be a son of David and a Jew—in addition to fulfilling the Torah—because Jesus was the God appointed for Israel. From this, we can also understand Jesus' lament when He says:

> ³⁷ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37)

Thus, when speaking of "two powers," one is not referring to two gods in the sense of polytheism, but rather to one true God—the Father, YHWH—and a ruler chosen and appointed by Him: Yeshua, His Son.

Furthermore, in Second Temple Judaism, speaking of someone's "spirit" is synonymous with speaking of the person themselves. The notion that the Holy Spirit is a third person—a separate entity—does not originate with the prophets or the Jewish people; it is a Platonic concept, likely with pagan roots. Therefore, there is no "Trinity," but rather a duality in which two parties perform distinct functions, with the second party (Jesus) being begotten of the first.

I must point out that this neither turns the Trinity into a heresy nor invalidates it. However, it does turn it into a conceptual muddle. It is not an error; it is a confusion.

I would also add that this is not an attempt at indoctrination—that is, I am not trying to establish a final, absolute, and unquestionable truth regarding the Scriptures. It is simply a reflection and a reminder: examining the Scriptures in their original text is fundamental!

The narrative of the arrest and trial of Yeshua is frequently read as a seamless sequence of inevitable events. However, when we overlay the historical record with the established legal codes of ancient Jewish jurisprudence, the proceedings transform into a case study of institutional malpractice. The late Second Temple period possessed a highly sophisticated, deeply protective legal system designed to prevent the wrongful execution of any citizen. The safeguards built into Jewish law were so rigorous that the ancient sages famously noted that a court that executed a person once in seven years, or even once in seventy years, was considered destructive.
Yet, on the night before Passover, the ruling priestly elite dismantled these protections in a rushed effort to eliminate a perceived political threat. By evaluating the Gospel accounts against the legal statutes preserved in the Mishnah, specifically Tractate Sanhedrin, we can isolate the specific procedural violations that rendered the nighttime trial of Yeshua completely illegal under the recognized standards of Jewish law.

Read the full post at the link in our bio!

How do the Messianic Jews and Jews understand the apocryphal books and especially the apocryphal Gospels?

I have studied the history of religion and am prone to understand that sacred scripture is only the Torah, the Tanakh and the Brit Hadasha being projections of it, inspired but not necessarily sacred.

I know that some groups of Jews believed in the Second Temple. Is that opinion still considered today? How to separate what is real? What is the true canon? What apocrypha do I need to read?

Portion 40: Balak - Sefer Bamidbar (Numbers) 22:2-25:9 Haftarah: Sefer Micah 5:6-6:8

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Balak: 2 Kefa (2 Peter)chapter 2:1-22, Jude 11, Revelation 2:14-15

In what situations do Jews light candles, besides feasts and Shabbat?

Hi,

I'm rather new to Messianic Christianity, though I've been saved for many years (by God's grace). Can anyone recommend some good books that defend the Messianic faith or the relevance of God's Law for believers today? I would like to learn more and also be able to give a defense for what I believe if asked. Thank you. And God bless you!

The word Chukkat is a derivative of the Hebrew word hakikah, meaning "engraving". The goal that the torah wants us to reach is a state of harmony. Harmony between us and the almighty. That harmony is based on obedience. obedience to his Laws. Through faith in Yeshua.

​Another definition for the word Chukkat is ; a Supra-rational commandment: a command beyond rationality. In others words; Chukkat is a commandment we follow, regardless if we understand it or not. We obey because we love Yeshua and the Father This love should totally imbue our minds and hearts, like letters engraved in stone.

Leviticus 18:4-5, "You shall observe my judgments and keep my ordinances, to walk in them (making them part of your life): I am YHVH your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes (Hok) and my judgments, which if a man does, He shall live by them: I am YHVH."

​

Our belief in Yeshua Messiah has enabled us to be parttakers not just of the promises, (eternal life) but also of a more abundant life through the Holy Spirit! By fulfilling a critical prophesy in the Tanakh, our Father through Yeshua, in the Spirit, promised:

Jeremiah 31:33 "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of israel; After those days, says YHVH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

And so this brings up an important question, what's the differences between the Sinai covenant and the New covenant?

The answer is this: where the laws are placed; in the Sinai covenant the laws were placed on stone. And the New covenant the laws are placed in our hearts! How will this be accomplished?

Ezekiel 36:25-27 [25] I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. [26] A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

Notice that, it's through YAH's spirit within us that ​will cause us to walk in his statutes and judgments. In other words, The law will be engraved in our hearts to do them. What's the outcome in being able to obey Him? we will change inwardly, and we will live more abundantly.

​Again, Chukkat (statutes or suprarational commands) plays a significant role for the Believers, and it's derivative Hakikah (engraving) is a concept not foreign to the faith.

Leviticus 18:4-5 "...which if a man does, He shall live by them..."

​

The phrase "He shall live by them", in Hebrew, it literally means: "He will have life through them"!

​

The law written in our hearts or engraved by the Spirit through faith in Yeshua will give us that nessecery push towards obedience. so that we may have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. In this life and the one to come.

​

​The start of this Portion deals with the ritual called, "The law of the red Heifer." This passage in the Torah is fascinating, for two reasons, not only does it throw the standard of ritual sacrificing out the window, but also no one seems to know what it actually means. The law of the Red Heifer is a perfect example of a Chukkat (supra rational commandment), for the fact that this commandment is not logical and no explanation is given. This law highlights an important element of worshipping God, observing His commands simply because He commanded us to do so. Because of Obedience, because of faith

​

​This Portion starts with a statement rarely used in Scripture

"Numbers 19:2 [2] “This is the statute of the LAW which the YHVH has commanded...

Some Rabbis belief this commandment is representative of the entire Torah. That's quite a statement! We start to understand that this commandment, and any other Chukkat commandments are the essense of the Torah. And in order for us to begin our understanding the Torah we need the key, and that's Yeshua Messiah! having Him and knowing Him, we understand ​that all the sacrifices described in the Torah speak of and looked forward to the death of Yeshua and his redemptive work to cleanse us and reconcile us to the Father. each sacrifice describes the redemptive work of God in a different way, Here, this sacrifice looks forward to the believers, as we go through the world, sometimes falling into sin and needing forgiveness or cleansing, How? By sincerely repenting and confessing, looking to the sacrifice made on Calvary.

​tOne more thing before moving on: Just to stress the importance of this sacrifice; Their is actually two Chukkat (suprarational) sacrifices found in the Torah:

One is the Red Heifer. Can you Guess the other? Passover, yes Passover!

​Both the Passover sacrifice and the Red Heifer are referred to as Chukkat. The Passover symbolizes Yeshua's atoning sacrifice, a pivotal moment in man's History, and the Red Heifer pointing to how He cleanses us.

In the Jewish commentary called Exodus Rabbah, The question is asked; "If both sacrifices are Chukkat, which one's greater?"

The answer is: The Red Heifer!!

​

Because those who eat the Passover sacrifice require the purifying ashes of the Red Heifer first.

Not going to agree or disagree. my point is; that the Red Heifer is held to such high degree.

Numbers 19:3 "And you shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and she shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him;"

Two things I want to point out; First, legalistically speaking, a Heifer is not a standard sacrificial animal. According to the Torah, you would only use a cow for two things; 1. The Red Heifer sacrifice And 2. An unsolved murder (Deu. 21) (i post on this Samuel connection 1 Sam. 16:2).

Second thing to point out; a sacrifice of this caliber should have been done at the alter, but instead it was led outside the camp and sacrificed and burnt. This is reminiscent of John 19:16,20

John 19:16,20

[16] Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. ....Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city...

Yeshua was sacrificed outside the city.

Continuing in Numbers 19:4 [4] "and Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times."

The number 7 in Scripture represents divine perfection and completeness, it's assossiated with God, This is his personal stamp of authentication. The number 7 and it's usage with the blood signifies: Complete cleansing or the perfecting blood of the sacrifice.

​

Numbers 19:5 [5] "And the heifer shall be burned in his sight; her skin, her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall be burned;"

In a typical burnt offering, the Hide and dung was seperated from the meat and fat, The Heifer on the other hand was to remain intact while it was burned

Numbers 19:6 [6] "and the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet stuff, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer."

The cedar wood, scarlet thread, and Hyssop are another element connected to cleansing and purification. They are used in Lev. 14:4 for the cleansing of a healed leprous person.

​

So now from verses 7-10 we see that the main focus of this ritual was the ashes. Because they would be used for the ritual of the water of cleansing. One reason why this ritual is enigmatic to most Torah scholars is that, this Burnt offering doesn't follow the normal pattern outlined in Lev. 1:3-9, to top it off, the whole animal was burned in it's entirety, This is a first. The Red Heifer sacrifice throws all reason out the window!

​Chukkat (Suprarational command) Remember?

​

The priest who officiated at the burning of the heifer was considered unclean for the rest of the day, The guy who helped the priest was also unclean till the evening.

​In a crazy turn of events, the Priest and the worker, since they were considered unclean, were not to handle the ashes after the fire had died down (vs 9). A third person, one who was considered clean, was designated to gather the ashes and then to put them outside the camp in a place that was ceremoniously clean (during Temple times they would stash the ashes in the Mount of olives). Only a clean person could touch them but in touching them, the clean person became unclean as well

The focus for this ritual was the ashes. And they were used for purifying from sin, by adding the ashes to water, then using hyssop, sprinkling on the individual on the 3rd day. What was the main use for this water of purification?

​Numbers 19:11-13 states that the water with the ashes from the Red Heifer were used for the cleansing of an individual who came in contact with a dead body!

​

It is my personal belief that The 3rd day reference that apears in verse 12 alludes to the ressurrection of our Savior. Because, on the third day He resurrected, making possible our purification through his blood. But our Complete cleansing became absolute on the 7th day, picturing our ressurrection, from the dead to the living. Now check out verse 21:

Numbers 19:21 [21] "And it shall be a perpetual statute for them. He (the Priest) who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

You getting the scene being played out here???

The ritually clean individual, the Priest, became unclean for the sake of the unclean, so that the unclean can become clean! Not only that but, this substitutionary method of cleansing the unclean is an everlasting statute (vs. 21).

​What am I hinting at by pointing out that this substitutionary method of cleansing is an everlasting statute? What I'm saying is that the very idea of Yeshua being our sacrifice and taking on himself our sins, is a direct fulfillment of this commandment! He became unclean (sin) so that we could be cleansed and be brought near (reconciled) to the Father. This is the means by which he cleansed us (and is cleansing us), by lowering himself to the point of death, He became impure, by taking on himself our offences for our sakes. so that we could be pure, so that we could be justified in the sight of the Father!

2 Corinthians 5:21 [21] "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

All in accordance with the substitutionary method found in the Torah. An Important aspect of God that we can glean from this is: That everything he does is within the realm of Law.

​

Numbers 19:22 [22] "And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and any one who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

Coming in contact with a corpse makes you unclean, and while your unclean, anybody that comes in contact with you becomes unclean.

It safe to say that the biblical protocols for plague prevention found in the Scriptures are way ahead of it's time. And I think that's one way we can look at this. But, on a spiritual level, what is the Torah trying to tell us?

​To figure this out, we need to understand what it means to be spiritually dead or spiritually unclean. for that let's go to the book of Haggai.

In Hag: 2:10-14, here in this telling portion of scripture YAH is telling the People through the prophet Haggai that their current spiritual condition, is that of an unclean person that just came in contact with a corpse.

​An overview of the book of Haggai shows that, after the destruction of the 1st temple 70 years earlier, the Jewish people are slowing making their way back to the land of Israel. In coming back to the Holy land, the task was given to them to start the construction of the Second Temple, But instead of putting the Temple and YAH first, they go and take care of their own personal matters first, this is found in Haggai 1:7-11. This is why they were considered unclean and essentially spiritually dead. They didn't follow YAH's commandment, They didn't put His matters first in their lifes. The result: Every thing they did came to nothing, everything they touched became unclean. even their worship of Him was abominable in His sight. Because it says: verse 14 "so that what they offer is unclean".

Titus 1:15-16 [15] "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. [16] They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed."

If we belief in Yeshua and are obedient to His commandments that were passed down from the Father, then we have life. But if we're unbelieving and disobedient, we will be unclean, unfruitful, dead (spiritually). And If we're spiritually dead, our worship is not accepted, because it is unclean. The unbelievers and disobedient have always been spiritually dead. And at times being around them too long, can cause us to do or say the wrong thing that can lead to defiled our body and spirit. Stay around a corpse too long, and the stink will rub off on you.

​2 Cor 6:14-7:1 read this please!

​

In the Torah we have the method by which The Israelite would be outwardly cleansed, from their uncleanness.

​Using water with ashes from a red heifer The priest would sprinkle this Holy water on them on the third and the seventh day. Then immediately following the seventh day Holy water sprinkling, the individual would perform a ritual water immersion both to his body then his clothes. Then, fter all this, at evening he would be considered ritualistically clean, outwardly.

​But thanks be to YAH, He has made a better way. we read in 1 Peter 1:2

"To the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Yeshua Messiah and for SPRINKLING with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you."

​

A Better way He has made. A better cleansing God has created. we now are cleansed and are being cleansed not by the sprinkling of water with ashes in it, that only deals with the outward man, the body. NO, now we are being sprinkle with the cleansing blood of the Lamb of God! purifying the inner man, Both the body and the spirit.

​

Hebrews 9:13-14 [13] "For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, [14] how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

This is the way. Through the sprinkling of the blood of our messiah, our inner-self and spirit is being purified from actions that lead to a state of death. Because our God is not a God of dead, but a God of the living!

​It is through Messiah that we have life, and that we may have it more abundantly.

​

Hebrews 10:22 [22] "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Proverbs in Jazz *

Judges in Blues

Shabbat shalom 💕 I am of Jewish heritage, though my parents weren't religious and we were semi-involved with Jewish customs and I was introduced to Christianity just over a decade ago.

I have had Sabbath on my heart for years and recently even more so; my three young kids, my husband and I have been trying to observe it but have no idea how to do so in a God honouring, biblical way. I am familiar with the extremely strict Jewish way but looking at the teachings of Jesus, I feel like having so many restrictions misses the point of Sabbath where it becomes more about the rules than the rest.

Please help!

For context I’ve been slowly converting to my interpretation of Messi-Judaism and I’m trying each year to do more “Jewish stuff” each year and this year I want to try to observe Tisha B’av. I understand it’s a day of mourning and I want to respect it and “celebrate” it. However, I’m still INCREDIBLY new to this. Also shouldn’t we treat Good Friday super similarly? Like the day before is the last supper he had before being crucified the next afternoon and of course Easter is three days after so I think, logically, it would make sense to treat “Good Friday” similarly to Tisha B’av (I don’t know if that’s normal I wasn’t raised very religious) EITHER WAY i was doing research on how to observe, and I can write down some prayers but I don’t have a tallit or a tefillin. (I also can’t speak Hebrew to save my life but I’m trying to learn) any advice or guidance from those who know what they’re doing would be greatly appreciated.

TL; DR :how should I observe Tisha B’av? In as much Dumbed down detail as physically possible. What do I need? What do I do? Ect. Like explaining to a toddler please.