Literal means what you read is exactly what it is, such as “The man was at the precipice.”, and within context it meant a man was standing on the edge of a cliff.
Figurative is not an exact meaning, but rather uses words to express a thought, such as “The man was at the precipice.”, but within context it meant the man was about to make a life-changing decision.

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

The Bible is full of both literal and figurative statements, so (as is necessary any time you want to interpret the Bible) you need to always consider the passage within the complete context.

For example, in 1 Kings 3:28, we are told that all Israel heard the judgement of the king (Solomon), referring to the famous decision to cut the child in half in order to reveal the true mother. Now, let’s get real- obviously, all of Israel couldn’t have heard that judgement because they weren’t all there when he made it. Of course, after time, the event could have been spread throughout the land, but even so, it is almost impossible that every, single Israeli throughout the entire land heard of it. The statement meant that people learned of his judgement.

And there are other times when we are told all of Israel was there, such as when Moses came down from the mountain. Do you really believe that over one million people were able to gather at the foot of the mountain?

Or when, in 2 Kings, we read of how King Josiah read the Torah to all the people. C’mon, are we to believe that millions of people were there in Jerusalem, and that they all heard the Torah being read from that platform?

I don’t think so!

And when Yeshua (Jesus) talks about how he and the Father are one in John 10:30; many believe that Yeshua is claiming to be God, but in the context of his statements (before and after saying that), it is clear he is talking figuratively. He tells us he does and says only what the Father tells him to do and say, so when he says if we see him (Yeshua), we see the Father, he is speaking figuratively.

We often say that we are all one in the body of the Messiah, but does that mean we are all the Messiah? If we do as Yeshua said to do and act as Yeshua acted, does that mean we are him?

Of course not, he was speaking figuratively.

Now, when he calls the money-changers a “den of robbers”, he meant exactly that- they were, in fact, robbing the people. But, when he called the Pharisees “white-washed sepulchers”, I think everyone can agree he meant that figuratively.

So, here’s the point: when you read the Bible, you need to make sure you are taking things in the proper context, and using a little seykhl (Yiddish for common sense) to determine if what you are reading is to be taken literally or figuratively.

And try to ignore what you have been told things mean; instead, ask God to guide you to the understanding he wants you to have. Too often, we have been conditioned by our parents, our religious leaders, and friends to already know what the Bible says, and we don’t even bother to question it. I believe the real reason for not questioning the Bible is not because we are faithful, but because we are lazy and frightened to find out what we think we know is not the truth.

Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and that can mean total ignorance of what the Bible says, or knowing the Bible, but refusing to accept that something may be different from what you have already been told.

Look, we need to know what we read in the Bible truly means, and the more people you ask, the more “truths” you will be told. I give you what I believe to be true, and why I believe it, but you have to be sure, for yourself, because no matter what you are told, or by whom, God will hold you accountable for whatever you do, so PLEASE!!!… make sure that what you do is because of what YOU believe something means, and don’t just go along with what someone told you it means.

Always question, always be open to a new interpretation or meaning, and always read the Bible so that you know what the Bible says, to allow you to make an informed decision about what you will believe. The truth can stand up to anything, but lies will be found out, eventually.

The problem is finding out you were lied to when it is too late to do anything about it.

The purpose of this ministry is to tell you what you need to know so that you can make an informed decision about where you will spend eternity, but it is up to you to choose what you will believe.

And what you choose to believe will determine what you do throughout your life.

So, let me leave you with this one thought: When you come before God, as we all will, and say “I just did what they told me to do.”, I can’t speak for the Almighty, but I believe he might say something to this effect…

“I know you just did what they told you to do, but it’s what I say that counts.”

Thank you for being here, and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, including non-believers. After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

God expects us to share the blessings he provides for us with those who have less. And the good news is that God never runs out of blessings.

But can we reach a point where giving to someone or some group becomes less like helping and more like enabling?

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

Let me start off by saying that it is a mitzvah (good deed) to give to the poor. But, when you share your blessings with others, you also need to be aware of whether you are helping them, or being taken advantage of.

And when doing Tzedakah (charity) with people who live in third world countries, how can we tell if their needs are legitimate or not?

It’s a hard call.

For nearly 7 years, I have been involved with a Ugandan based messianic synagogue and a school for orphaned children, and one or two individuals who live in different parts of Africa. I have sent more than just a little amount of money to help them with building and school supplies, as well as to pay individual medical expenses and even send money just to help feed their families.

I was very careful to check, as best as I could, on whether or not they were legitimate; I checked web pages, required copies of paid receipts, pictures of the buildings and school students that I have supported, and asked for addresses where they live, which I verified using the Google Earth app.

And I believe my friends are all legitimate.

But this year I have pretty much cut them all off, except for one which is a school for orphans; I send them just $15 a month (in Kampala, Uganda, that goes a long way.)

But this isn’t about my tzedakah- it’s about yours.

Are you giving to foreign peoples or groups? If they are a charity, have you investigated the percentage of donations that is used to meet their mission statement? Ordinarily, if 75% or better from every dollar goes to meeting their mission statement, they are considered legitimate.

Now here’s the really important question: are your donations actually improving their life, or just helping them remain where they are? In other words, are you supporting their growth to independence, or just enabling their desire to have others give them what they need?

This is, again, a tough call. I had to use “tough love” more than once to tell people who were always starving or always sick or always in need of something that they will have to learn to depend on themselves.

I often think that I shouldn’t worry that I am retired on a fixed income, because God will always be able to send me more blessings. But then I think, if I give away all my money, expecting God to cover my tuchas, is that faith or testing? These blessings are a gift from God, and isn’t it incumbent on me to use these blessings wisely, and not just throw them away?

As I said, it’s a tough call, but I believe that if all I am doing is not really helping anyone get anywhere, just helping them today, maybe I need to share these blessings in a different place.

Yeshua said we will always have the poor among us (Matthew 26:11), and I believe that God wants it that way so we have the opportunity to share the blessings he gives us. But we can’t save the world, and we can’t save someone who lives in a country with a corrupt government, little or no opportunity for growth or work, and where disease is rampant and medical help is expensive. That’s no excuse for not helping, but when you are giving money and it goes as quickly as you give it, how much are you helping, really? Yes, you get them from today to tomorrow, and I know the prayer says, “Give us today our daily bread”, but I have to believe that at some point, it is better to stop feeding people fish because if they can’t or won’t learn how to fish for themselves, the fish you give can be more useful somewhere else.

So, I still help now and then, but I am not adopting someone or becoming their ATM whenever they need something, even it that need is legitimate. If I can give to a group of people instead of an individual, isn’t that a better use of my tzedakah?

Each one of us must decide how best to do tzedakah, and I am not saying not to help an individual or a group, even if all your money does is get them from today to tomorrow. What I am saying is that we should help the poor, but use discernment and be make the tough decisions. It always feels wonderful to give to those who are in need and who appreciate what we do, but at some point we need to decide if we are using the blessings God gives us in the best way possible.

Thank you for being here, and please share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers, After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

The other night I was sleeping soundly (which is unusual for me) and I woke up at exactly 12:12. For some reason, I thought that was important, as if God was telling me to give a message about 12:12.

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

So, I looked at every book in the Torah, for what was said at Chapter 12, verse 12, and you know what I found?

Nothing that seemed to be important enough on its own to be a message.

But I didn’t give up- I went to Psalms, Proverbs, and then started to go through the other books in the Tanakh, and in the New Covenant, as well.

Still, I wasn’t really finding anything that struck me.

Then I came to 2 Chronicles 12:12, and this is what I saw (CJB):

After he humbled himself, the anger of Adonai turned away from him, so that he did not altogether destroy him; moreover, some good things were found in Y’hudah.

I have often stated that taking one verse or sentence out of context is the best way to misinterpret something, so let’s understand what this statement is about: God was going to punish Rechav’am, the son of Shlomo (Solomon), for all the sins he committed. He sent the prophet Sh’may’ah to warn Rechav’am that he was going to have Pharoah Shishak attack Y’hudah. The King and the leaders of Y’hudah all humbled themselves, and God took this into account, not destroying everything, but still sending Shishak to attack. He took the valuables from the palace and the temple, including the gold shields that Shlomo had made. Rechav’am replaced them with bronze shields.

When I read this, I felt that it was important for everyone to know that when they humble themselves before God, even after living a life of sin, God will take that into account when he punishes you. The important part of this is that you WILL suffer for your sins, here on earth, because God is faithful to punish those who reject his instructions (in the Torah), but he is also merciful in that he doesn’t punish as seriously as our sins deserve. And it is also important to note that God still found good in Y’hudah; I am interpreting that as meaning despite how evil the society you live in has acted, deserving punishment, God still will see what goodness is there. Which I believe means that even if you are in the midst of evil, so long as you remain faithful to God, you might have to be collateral damage during the punishment that will take place, but God knows you are doing what is right.

Remember: God isn’t as concerned with what happens to you while you are alive as he is with where you will be in the afterlife.

Okay, okay, I know this message isn’t a great revelation, or some new interpretation that will bring thousands into obedience, but I believe it is just what someone out there, somewhere, needs to hear right now, and I trust that God will somehow get this message to them.

I suppose I am answering the question I posed in the title of this message- yes, God does still talk to us in our sleep. And sometimes just as we wake up, and if we trust that what feels important probably is (because the Ruach haKodesh- the Holy Spirit- that indwells is telling us this is important), then we should act on it.

No, I didn’t get up and write this message- I mean, c’mon? It was midnight and I was still tired. But what I did was to make a calendar entry on my phone, then and there, to remind me about 12:12.

And now I have completed doing what I believe God wanted me to do, which is to write a message about this single verse in the Bible; again, not because it is a powerful revelation, and not because it is anything new or has a meaning no one else ever got from it, but simply because it must be important to someone out there to hear it.

If you believe you are that someone, I would appreciate a quick comment to just confirm that. Not that I need any proof to justify or confirm my faith in God, but it is always nice to hear something I did helped someone.

And let me be clear about this, and please do not take it as false modesty, because I believe it with all my heart: whenever I do something really good, it is God working through me, and when I totally screw-up, then I can take full credit.

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers, because after all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!

I have (way too often) heard Christians tell me that Jesus did away with the law, and to be honest, I doubt if any of them really understand the implication of what they are saying.

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

Most Christians, if you ask them what the “law” is that Jesus did away with, will say it is the Torah. If you ask them what laws are in the Torah, you will most likely get a blank stare. Then, maybe they will say kosher laws.

Okay, what else?

Uh….

Right. Most every Christian I have talked to who goes along with the ridiculous idea that Jesus did away with the law have no freakin’ idea what they are saying; they are just parroting what they have been told.

What is “parroting?” Consider a parrot- it can be taught to repeat words and phrases, and if properly cued, it sounds as if the bird knows what it is saying, but it actually has no understanding of the meaning.

Let’s examine what it would mean if Jesus “did away with the Law”, which would be the entire Torah. And yes- it would have to be the entire Torah, not just a law here or there, this commandment but not that one.

Let’s start with Exodus 20, when God gave Moses the Big 10. If Jesus did away with the law, then God isn’t the only god, and we can worship whomever or whatever we please, in whichever order we want to. We don’t have to celebrate the Sabbath day (which Christianity has already done by changing it to Sunday), we can curse out our parents, we can covet, commit adultery, we can…well, you get the point, right?

And what about the many other laws in the Torah? There are laws regarding health care, interpersonal relationships (especially sexual ones), a penal code for different types of crimes, just to name a few.

So nu? None of that matters or is important now, right? After all, Jesus did away with the law.

What about what Yeshua’s bro, Jimmy, said in his letter, specifically James 2:10? He said,

For a person who keeps the whole Torah, yet stumbles at one point, has become guilty of breaking them all.

So, the excuse that I have heard from many Christians, which is that only the ceremonial laws are done away with, but the moral laws are still effective, clearly goes against the Bible because Jimmy says break one, you break them all!

And, for that matter, who says which laws are moral and which aren’t?

I’ll give you my answer to that question (and being Jewish, I’ll ask a question to answer a question): Do you believe that God is a moral being? If you say “yes” (and you had better say yes), then whatever he says must be moral, right?

Well, the Torah is composed of God saying how he wants us to worship him, and how he wants us to treat each other; therefore, since everything God says is moral, everything in the Torah is moral, even if some want to define parts of it as merely “ceremonial”.

It boils down to this, people… if Yeshua did away with the law, it would be tantamount to rejecting his father’s authority and rulership, which would be rebellion. The only being we know who always been in rebellion against God is Satan.

I don’t know about you, but I do not believe that Yeshua is Satan. In fact, as I recall, we are told that when Satan offered the world to Yeshua, he rejected it and told Satan to bugger off.

I often say, “I am sorry to burst your bubble“, but really- I’m not. Bursting bubbles is one of the things this ministry is devoted to doing. Jesus never did away with the law, never did away with any part of it, and lived 100% of his life in 100% obedience to the law. The only way- the ONLY way- to follow in Yeshua’s footsteps (which is what “good” Christians are supposed to do) is to be as Torah observant as you can.

And that means the entire Torah- celebrate as commanded in Leviticus 23, eat only what is allowed in Leviticus 11, and make sure you don’t do any of the sexually banned activities in Leviticus 18. That’s not all, but it is a good start. In fact, obeying the Torah a bit at a time as you convert to a Torah-observant lifestyle is exactly what Shaul (Paul) was teaching the (mostly) Gentile congregations he formed. Sadly, when the Jewish leadership of this new sect of Judaism died off, the Gentile leadership redirected it into the man-made religion we have today, which (as this message is all about) rejects God’s Torah.

Consider this- John said Yeshua was the living Torah, Yeshua said rejecting him is rejecting the one who sent him, so if we reject the Torah we are rejecting Yeshua, and that means we are rejecting God.

POP! (There goes your bubble.)

Thank you for being here, and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers. After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

Right off the bat, let’s get one thing absolutely clear: I am all for learning as much from the Bible as one can.

However, what I am concerned with is when people spend so much effort on things that are not really that important, and end up obsessing over something that (I fear) will move their attention away from what is important.

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

So, what am I talking about? Lets’ start with the name we use for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the name we use for his Messiah. The “Holy Namers”, as they are called, spend so much time arguing over pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, which no one can absolutely know how to pronounce it because we don’t know which vowels are used. And when this argument gets heated, godly people act in a worldly way, insulting and debasing each other over what? name? a pronunciation?

Hey, correct me if I am wrong, but we are saved by faith, not pronunciation!

And those really lost people who say praying to Jesus is praying to a horse, or that because Ba’al means “lord” we pray to him when we pray to the Lord. It only shows that they don’t know the difference between a definition and a homonym. Yes, Ba’al means “lord”, but so does Adonai and so does the actual word, “lord”- but when I am praying to Adonai, I am NOT praying to Ba’al!

How stupid does someone have to be to equate those two names!

And what about the fact that God knows our hearts and minds? Do you really think that he doesn’t know who you mean when you are using “Lord” or “Adonai” or “God”?

And don’t even get me started on Eschatology! First of all, Yeshua said that no one is to know when, and that even he doesn’t have Need to Know. Yet so many times I see people trying to guess when it will happen, and arguing over Pre- or Mid- or Post-tribulation! Hey, get real, people! What does it matter? Will knowing when it happens save you from anything? Is God going to say to his angels, “Hey, look- those people who know when they will be taken up get first choice of seating.” ?

I don’t think so!

Another thing that isn’t related to salvation at all is understanding the visions that are referenced in the Bible. Now, some are important to know-for example, in Acts 10 we need to realize that the vision had nothing at all to do with the laws of Kashrut (Kosher), but rather was to let Kefa (Peter) understand that salvation was for the Gentiles, as well.

But what about the measurements of the sanctuary given to Moses in Exodus? There is nothing wrong with knowing how it looked, but I have seen postings arguing that it was a round building, like a Yurt, and not a rectangular tent.

So what? First off, the description mentions corners, which I have never seen on a circle. But more important, what does this have to do with faith? Or understanding God’s instructions for righteous living? Will I be more “saved” if I know the Tent of Meeting was actually the Yurt of Meeting?

Okay, I have a few more examples, but I will leave it at this: You need to know the Bible very well so you will be able to recognize false teachings and not be led astray. My concern is when people want to know every little bit of minutia, which can only lead you away from keeping with the basics, which are:
1. There is only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and his Messiah is Yeshua. Whether we use God, Lord, HaShem, Adonai, Yehovah, Yehusha, or any other pronunciation for him, when we pray, no matter which name or title we use, he knows who we mean. And the same goes for Yeshua!

2. We are saved by faith: faithfully believing that God exists and is trustworthy to save (as well as punish), that Yeshua is the Messiah he promised to send and that Yeshua’s sacrifice is the only means by which we can be forgiven of our sins, which is the only way we can be allowed into God’s presence for eternity.

3. God gave everyone the instructions for how to worship him and how to treat each other, and (like it or not) they are in the Torah. What any religion says that goes against the Torah is a false teaching, and represents a rejection of God. And if you reject God, you reject his son, the Messiah, and that means you cannot be truly “saved”. So, for example, it’s okay to celebrate man-made holidays, but not at the exclusion of the Holy Days God commanded us to celebrate in Leviticus 23.

Look, I believe we all should learn as much as we can from the Bible, read and study it daily, but don’t get so involved in non-salvation issues that you can’t see the forest for the trees. My “Acid Test” question when any topic is discussed is this: “How does this affect my salvation?” If the answer is, “It doesn’t”, then it is just a nice-to-know thing, and not worth putting any real effort into learning.

Remember that Moses said what we need to know is simple, so keep to the KISS Rule- Keep It Simple, Schlemiel!

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers. Hey! After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!

There are many religions in the world: some believe in Free Will and others in Predestination; the difference being you have a choice where to spend eternity, or you don’t.

It seems to me that if you don’t have a choice, then why try?

If you prefer to watch a video, click on this link: Watch the video.

The best-known Christian religions that teach predestination are Lutheranism and Calvinism. There are others, but let’s stick with Judeo-Christian religions, OK?

Judaism may show up as one of those who teach predestination, if you ask Google, but that isn’t so. A long time ago I heard how Judaism actually works with both predestination and free will.

In Judaism, we see God as the captain of a ship, heading towards eternal joy, and it makes stops along the way at different ports. At each port, anyone can come aboard or debark, and on the trip there may be detours, but one way or another, the ship WILL make it to its final destination. Those who stay on board will be expected to follow the rules, and those who don’t want to follow the rules will be put off.

The thing I don’t get with predestination is that if God is willing to forgive us, then how can there be no options? God gave us a system by which we can be forgiven, in the Torah, and when that system was no longer available (with the destruction of the temple), God still made forgiveness available through Yeshua, the Messiah.

If our eternal future is already decided, then why give us the Torah, which is God’s User Manual for Righteous Living? Why would we need any sort of instruction if our future is already written in stone?

But, on the other hand, if we have free will, i.e., the opportunity to choose where we will spend eternity, then having a set of rules (i.e., the Torah) to lead us to salvation makes sense.

Predestination means no matter what I do, I am either saved or damned. But God told us how to act towards him and towards each other, and how to be forgiven when we mess up.

Do you see my point? If I have no choice, then it doesn’t matter what I do- I am either doomed or saved. As such, I can do whatever the heck I want to, and it won’t make a difference. I can sin till the cows come home, or I can be as faithful as Abraham, but it won’t make any difference.

Given the innate sinfulness of humans, to preach predestination is like giving us a license to sin without any repercussions because, well…it’s already decided, and no matter what I do, or don’t do, it don’t make no never mind!

You know, predestination seems to me to be the antithesis of worship, simply because a religion has rules, but predestination implies the rules don’t matter because your eternal future is a done deal.

On the other hand, free will gives us the option to choose where we will spend eternity, and that is the main reason I started this ministry- it is my “calling” to teach people what they need to know in order to make an informed decision about where they will spend eternity.

So, if you have been raised being told that you have no options, I would ask you to consider why God gave us rules if it doesn’t make any difference?

Yes, there are verses in the Bible that indicate we don’t have a choice, such as when God told Jeremiah he was chosen when still in the womb, yet we are told how to be forgiven. If our future is set, what use is forgiveness?

In any event, already saved or already damned, in Deuteronomy 28 God promises blessings to those who obey him, so you have nothing to lose and blessings to gain by doing as God said to do in the Torah.

Look, it all boils down to this: doing what God says you should do will result in blessings here on earth, so whether you believe you have a choice or not, it just makes sense to obey God while you are alive.

Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers, Hey, after all- you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!