Light In Torah

God morning! Thanksgiving, the day has arrived. The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (Acts 1:1) Life can be complicated! Maybe I should say, life is complicated. Family can be even more complicated! In our previous studies we have noticed that the entire book of Genesis, the foundation of our faith, is about broken, dysfunctional families and the attempt to restore them over time. Most failed. Some kept it at bay. Other's made progress, all the way to Joseph. Challenged families...I don't think anyone is exempt from this reality. All of life is predicated in the first few years of our development and what philosophies have been imparted into our lives through the formative years; even without our choosing. The 'torah/instructions' that we were reared in, whether Scriptural or not, have formulated a lot of our current responses to challenges, stress, belief and partly to our destinies. With every passing week in our...

Good morning! This week's Torah portion, Vayetze/he went out is filled with dreams. We often think of Joseph, the master of the dreams (Gen. 37:19), but he got his dreaming from his father Jacob. The difference between Jacob's dreams and Joseph dreams is that Jacob's dreams are revelations of his current situation, not something that’s majorly prophetic. I'm not sure about you, but when I think of a ladder, my mind travels along a very diverse road...what do you think of? A biologist might think of the structure of DNA. A construction man, or a painter may think of an object that allows him to go up and down the side of a wall. A bible scholar may think of Jesus/Yeshua (Jn. 1:51) or Jacob's ladder (Gen. 28:10-15). A businessman may think of climbing the corporate ladder. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, I'd like for you to consider, what makes up a ladder Let me help you with the obvious and I'll leave the application to you :-) A ladder has...

Good morning! The Genesis Torah portions, each week, reveal to us real life drama through the lives of the Patriarchs and establish 'seed' patterns into the lives of their descendants (physically and spiritually). Fortunately, as we see in their lives, seasons do change and 'this' too will pass. Exiles end and freedom begins. Just as Jacob left his imprisoned life under Laban, many who were once content to be slaves awaken to their true identity, break free, and embark on the long journey ‘home’ and their life goes on. Pages turn. Familiar chapters conclude and fresh ones begin. Seasons of life really do come and go. Childhood turns to adolescents. Adolescents to adulthood. Adulthood to midlife then off to the golden years. Fall harvest leads to winter.  And across the landscape of this planet, winters will become beautiful spring times, followed by heat-filled summers, which will fade into beautiful fall colors. Sunshine yields to sunset, and nighttime yields to day br...

Good morning! Within the past week, I had a dear friend lose a loved one via a heart attack. Heart attacks are one of the leading causes of death in America. Fortunately, because of modern medicine, with the use of stents, bi-pass surgery and even heart replacement life can continue. The physical can teach us a lot about the spiritual (1 Cor. 15:46). Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Cor. 15:46) The biblical idea of a heart attack is slightly different, but in the end they both separate. One is a physical separation from this life and the other is a consciousness of separation from God.  Both come from being overwhelmed/ataph with life and feeling alone in the world (Psa. 61:2; 77:3; 102:1; 107:5; 142:3,4). From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psa. 61:2) Internally, when we feel overwhelmed/ataph it describes that ago...

Good morning! The story of Jacob and Esau is filled with questions. As Winston Churchill, my dad's favorite, once said, speaking of Russia, "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." That's my mindset on Jacob and Esau. The mission of Abraham's seed is to transform the physical and material world into a divine abode (Matt. 6:10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10) How is this done? We must enter into the real world and impact it. We must enter the open fields of society and live proudly as people in Christ, Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29; Jn. 8:39), to integrate heaven and earth. As I try to read Isaac and Rebekah's minds, they both knew that a partnership between the twins Esau and Jacob would guarantee an impactful people for generations/toldot to come. Jacob will grant the people its soul, spirit, conscience, and moral GPS, its Divine core, but Esau will be in charge of the "field," he will become th...

Good morning! With Thanksgiving, less than a week away, I'd like for you to consider the Passover Lamb (a Thanksgiving offering/korban todah) with the Peace Offering/Korban shelem in Leviticus 3 and Leviticus 7. Before we jump to that, let's prepare ourselves for time with friends and family by heeding Paul's word of instruction to walk in love, just as Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering/Korban and a sacrfice/zebach to God as a fragrant aroma (Eph. 5:2). And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering/korrban and a  sacrifice/zebach to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Eph. 5:2) At first, it seems like Paul is a little redundant with his wording, but he's not. He carefully chose two words that we often lump together and, for his reader, they were used to give them clarity when they approached the altar with what would be sacrificed. To keep things simplified for us, since we don't have an altar, a Tem...