Light In Torah

Good morning! Tonight is a big day and a big night. It's not only the 47th day, the 7th week of counting the omer, but it's also a special anniversary celebration for Pastor Dave at Grace Church and it's also the last three days before Pentecost; which sets the last three days of preparation in 'washing our garments' and focus on spiritual intimacy (Ex. 19:14,15). As we approach the anniversary date of the marriage between Israel and God (Jer. 31:31-34; Ex. 19:5-8; 24:3,7) I'm reminded that Pentecost, the 50th day is a continuation of Passover, where we drank the four cups; culminating in the fourth cup of "I will bring you to myself and be your God and you will be my people (Ex. 6:6,7; 19:4). 3 is a significant number in scripture! Significantly, it's the number of resurrection and fruit bearing. Prior to resurrection, however, is the need to die. Hence, the preparation before the wedding, anniversary celebration, remembrance and renewal (Acts 2). The ...

Good morning! Can you see the finish line in sight? We're on day 46, the 7th week and 4th day of counting the omer. I've been in prayer for the past 6 days for unity and obedience in God's family in order to lead to victory and freedom. On Friday night's zoom call, day 48, I will share with you the military strategy that God had the Israelites use to scatter their enemies. When we, as 21st century believers employ this strategy, the enemy will flee (Jam. 4:7; Deut. 28:7). Without it and just the opposite happens (Lev. 26:17, 36,37; Deut. 28:25; 32:30). A few months ago, I spent some time with  a group of individuals and I gave them a promise from God and the challenge to unify under God's banner to scatter the enemy; personally and collectively (Lev. 26:7,8). "You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred (5 groups of 20) will put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the ...

Good morning! In last night's zoom call , we connected many dots in the opening verses of the book of Numbers/bamidbar, in the wilderness (Num. 1:1-3; Ex. 30:11-16; Matt. 17:24-27), how to function as an army of the Lord, in unity, and the necessity to depend on one another by lifting one another's heads/nasa and individually taking full responsibility for our own actions/paqad; which ties into the theme of the 50 days of counting the omer. Welcome to day 45, the 7th week and 3rd day of counting the omer. 5 days left. I feel like the ' Heinz Ketchup commercial ' In yesterday's study I introduced some thoughts to challenge our traditional thinking, spurred on by the two sermons I heard on Sunday from two unrelated pastors, in two different parts of the country. This morning, I want to do the same as we examine another traditional mindset that often causes us to cast blame, rather than take full responsibility. How do we do that? By meditating on His precepts/piqudim ...

Good morning! Yeshua made a statement in Matthew 12:6, where He said,  “I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here.” (Matt. 12:6) If I was going to ask you, "off the top of your head who is the one that's greater than the Temple? Immediately, our response would be obvious... If we look a couple of verses later, we see that the 'Son of man' is Lord of the Sabbath. If I was to ask you, "off the top of your head, who is the 'son of man' that is Lord of the Sabbath"? Immediately, our response would be obvious... Before we take the 'obvious mindset' are you open to consider something more textual? Something more obvious, that's not heretical :-)? If we look closely at Matthew 12:6, the one who is greater, which is a singular neuter word, removes the focus of a singular masculine Yeshua, and points it directly towards the mercy in verse 7. "And, if you would have known what this means, I desire mercy/loving kindness (singular neu...

  Good morning Welcome to the 40th day, the sixth week and fifth day of counting the omer. Here in Michigan, we have a 60% chance of rain and 100% chance that we will get some more Mount Sinai/Acts 2/Pentecost thoughts regarding marriage. If you’re like me, you often find yourself searching for the right person in life to help you find meaning. Sometimes that search leads us to look within ourselves and wonder what is the meaning of life. I know what the Sunday school answers are, but I’m talking about real nuts and bolts… I think you know what I mean. What is a meaningful life? Answers will vary, but foundationally, it means a life in line with the meaningful purpose for which we were created. Have you ever noticed that so many of us (speaking of me, myself and I) are searching endlessly on ways to make life more meaningful? Why? Could it be that life isn’t any more meaningful? Maybe, like the 'AI' world, we’re just evolving, so we should just sit back in our 'spiritual la...

Good morning! It’s the 39th day, the sixth week and fourth day of counting the omer. This week we have focused completely on marriage since that is the central theme behind Pentecost (Ex. 19-24; Acts 2). Why did God’s marriage with Israel end in divorce (Jer. 3:8; 2 Kgs. 17:6-12; Eze. 23:9; all of Hosea; Isa. 50:1; etc.)? Why do so many marriages and relationships end in divorce? The answer is quite simple. People have forgotten how to grow together in marriage and make a marriage last. The first question we should ask is, "what makes a marriage"? We think of love. We are told love, more love, lots of love, and with unconditional love that will give your marriage permanent stability and meaning. Is that true? But something much more than love is needed for a fruitful and long, lasting marriage: it’s respect. Here’s the problem: getting married means you’re going to become very familiar with each other. You’re going to share everything. You may have heard the old adage that ...

Good morning! The world we are passing through is like a wedding. Huh? Welcome to the 38th day, the 5th week and the 3rd day of counting the omer. Will this day be like the limiting experience of a wedding? Ahh, yes. As Ricky would say to Lucy, on the "I Love Lucy Show" decades ago, "let me splain" :-). A wedding may seem like a limited and costly experience, yet it is precisely this limitation that allows you to reach your deepest potential, and what is more, lifts you on the wings that draws you closer to the Creator (Ex. 19:3,4; Deut. 4:9, 33-36; 32:11,12; Isa. 63:9; Rev. 12:14). The same is true, if we really think about it, concerning the world we pass through. Our journeys in this world may seem so restrictive and stressful, filled with agony, hardships, and pain. In paradise, there is no trauma; on earth, who can escape some form of abandonment? Even the most blessed life, as we discussed yesterday, is filled with the anxiety of the...

Good morning! With Pentecost, the establishment of the church/kahal/ekklesia (Ex. 19-24) and the renewing of the church/kahal/ekklesia (Acts 2) just 13 days away, the theme of proximity, intimacy and renewal come to the foreground. Today is the 37th day, the 5th week and 2nd day of counting the omer and this morning I want to encourage you to consider marriage to yourself; a paradox that constitutes the very essence of life. Huh? Exactly! Our marriage to our spouse is essentially our second marriage. Double huh? All of us experience a first marriage at the moment of birth, when our souls "marry" our bodies and they "move in" together for life. The soul and the body are, at the beginning of their marriage, two opposites: one is physical and focused on physical survival (my body); the other is infinite consciousness, a wave of Divine infinity and oneness; formed by the breath of God (Gen. 2:7). One (at least initially) defines bliss as material pleasures (my body); th...

 Good morning! Welcome to the 34rd day, the fourth week and fifth day counting the omer. It's one day past Lag B'omer (33rd day); which I didn't highlight for you, but it truly is a significant day with a marital them to live each day by...now, as I think about it, maybe will touch on that next week as we move closer to Shavuot/Pentecost; the anniversary of God's wedding to Israel (Ex. 19-24). For now, let’s come back to Yeshua's last moments on earth; the disciples staring up into the sky, most likely in stunned silence, and then two angels appear beside them and say something that split history... "This same Yeshua, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way." (Acts 1:11) He’s coming back. This isn’t just a farewell. It’s a promise. The ascension wasn’t the last glimpse of Yeshua. It was the preview of the next return. The clouds that hid him one day, will be the same clouds that manifest His return where every eye will see hi...

Good morning! Welcome to the 33rd day, the 4th week and the 5th day of counting the omer. One of the fundamental reasons why we count the omer is to help one another. Lifting each other up. Working together to accomplish a unified goal. We are one body, working in one Spirit, under one Master, with one message (Eph. 4). All different, but functioning as one (1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12). Years ago there was a Disney production meant to tear the hearts and minds out of our young people called "Tomorrow Land". Currently there is a movement of God on college campuses where revival is spreading in the opposite direction of Disney's perversion...praise God! There are a lot of good actions taking place in the lives of people that are driving back the darkness. What will be the next momentum booster that will manifest in 17 days? Only time will tell...keep counting, while you wait with anticipation. Whether we are made aware of cult prostitution in its most alluring form, as in "Tom...

Good morning! How did you overcome the spirit of the wicked frogs yesterday? Hopefully you were deaf to the discouraging croaking noise of those frogs and leaped out from the pit of despair to a new life separate from the crowd (Rev. 18:4). And with the same hope, as we learned a couple of days ago, the fight we are in is not a superficial fight, it is spiritual warfare. Individuals who choose not to listen to the evil spirited frogs (Rev. 16:13) are not persecuted because of their personality, they are hated because of the power that would be upon them and how they apply it (Rev. 12:17). "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Yeshua." (Rev. 12:17) The spirit doesn’t just give gifts for the sake of gifts, He gives boldness (Acts 1:8) "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses/martys..." (Acts 1:8) Yeshu...

This morning I want to tell you a story with a hidden message to watch out for the frogs (Ex. 8:1-13; Psa. 78:45; 105:30; Rev. 16:13). And, on the flipside of that subliminal message I want to encourage you and challenge you to learn all you can about becoming what God is calling you to become (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; 1 Pet. 2:5-9; Dan. 7:18,27) Last night's zoom call: The Lord is tenderly speaking/emor to me about living who I am in His calling (Lev. 21-23) . Good morning! Welcome to the 31st day, the fourth week and third day of counting the armor. 19 days to go until Shavuot/Pentecost. Keep going, you can do it! A group of frogs were hopping and ribeting happily through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. Strangely and ironically, all of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their friends. They assessed the situation: saw how deep the pit was, no stairs, no ladder, and a pit that had no water. It ...

Good morning! Welcome to the 30th day, the 4th week and the 2nd day of counting the omer. Have you ever asked yourself the question, 'why does he break down the omer count into days and weeks? "And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you bring the sheaf of the wave offering: seven sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. (Lev. 23:15,16) We might ask, "well, which do you want me to count"? 7 complete weeks or 50 days? Doesn't that seem a little redundant to emphasize the count in two different ways? Enquiring minds want to know :-) The seemingly simple instructions do create a little 'conflict' in perspective.  On one hand, what if someone misses a day of counting? Then according to counting the 7 full weeks of Sabbaths, they can't fulfill the commandment.  You’ve missed a day you’re out if a day is missed, that...

Good morning! Welcome to the 27th day, the 3rd week and 6th day of counting the omer; as well as happy preparation day :-) After Yeshua was risen, He made Himself known for 40 days. Those 40 sacred days, hopefully and personally, still speak today. And with those final teachings on the kingdom still echoing in their hearts, the disciples must have felt ready, eager, and supercharged with the great commission that was just given to them. Without a doubt, breathing in the authority of the risen King, watching him walk among them with scars that would erase every doubt; how could they not want to go! But then Yeshua said something unexpected,  "And behold I am sending the promise of my father upon you but stay in the city of Jerusalem until your clothed with power from on high"  (Lk. 24:49) Huh? WAIT? Yes, wait for the gift My Father promised. In a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Wait! Ugh. After all this. After witnessing His resurrection. After receiving t...