Light In Torah

Good morning! So much to say and so little time to say it! This morning I woke up at my usual time to find myself consumed with Sarah and Halloween (two complete opposites). Many people understand and  know all the Torah portions from 'Lech lecha', 'Vayera',  'and 'Sarai' all deal with Abraham as the main character...but what about the woman who made it all possible? She often goes unnoticed in the narrative. More on her tonight on the zoom call tonight, My sister and My Wife. What do you think of when you think of Sarah? What most know of her is that she was barren (Gen. 11:30); used as a shield for Abram's protection with the title 'sister' (Gen. 12:13; 20:2); a desperate woman to aid her husband (Gen. 16:1-4); jealous of Hagar's pregnancy (Gen. 16:5) and removing her from her tent, twice (Gen. 16:6-8; 21:9-14); her mocking laugh at the news of her pregnancy (Gen. 18:12), the mixed feelings at Isaac's birth (Gen. 21:6); and eventually h...

Good morning! Abraham was declared by God as His friend (Isa. 41:8). For those in Christ, which is more than just believing in Jesus, they are Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29). If we are Abraham's seed, we should do as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39). And if we do as He did, we will follow His voice, His commandments, His Torah (Gen. 26:5). For just as Yeshua, the seed of Abraham, said, "...I call you fiends/philo if you do whatever I command you (Jn. 15:16,17). In our study yesterday, I introduced wishing to be friends with the world and how it makes us an enemy of God (Jam. 4:4)...that's a sobering thought. Writing to fellow believers, James says, within the context of the internal wars we experience with the flesh and the Spirit (Jam. 4:1-3)... Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (Jam. 4:4) The question enquiring minds are asking is: Who is a friend/p...

Good morning! To the best of my 6h grade knowledge, Abraham is the only individual, in Scripture, who is called the friend of God (Isa. 41:8). “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend/ohav (Isa. 41:8) Yeshua told His disciples, "you are my friends if you do whatever I command you"? (Jn. 15:14). Would it stand to reason that if I'm in Christ, Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29) that I should do as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39)? But what if my life in Christ testifies of the opposite (Jam. 4:4)? Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wishes/boulomai to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jam. 4:4) From the 3rd day of the creation story, where fruit bearing trees and herb bearing seeds were made to reproduce after their kind, an immutable law of nature was established.  Here in Michigan and around the world the farmers know this to be tr...

Good morning! Within God's culture of His people, and the Middle East for that matter, reproducing was essential and a sign of healthy relationships. At the beginning of this week's Torah portion, lech lecha/go to yourself, we are told that Sarai is barren; like a field that can't produce any fruit (Gen. 11:30). At this point in the story, Abram/exalted father doesn't know this reality. However, for our purposes we get to have a glimpse into what only God knows. The land where Abram and his family lived, the Ur of Chaldees was much like modern day America; a land of wealth, prosperity, everything you want and idolatry on every corner. Our "lech lecha' story has Abram receiving a command from God to leave behind his country, kindred and family (Gen. 12:1). Why would He command Abram to do that? And as those who are the seed of Abraham, would He command you to do the same? And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.m ...

Good morning! As many of us know, DNA is the building blocks of life. It’s the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and function of every organism. Every living organism depends on this foundational element. It’s not just a storage place of genetic information, needed for an organism to develop and function, but also to reproduce. But what happens if the DNA is damaged? What if it mutates? How does that affect the subsequent generations of that organism? Will the offspring resemble the parent? What if the DNA is continually corrupted in every generation? In this week's Torah portion Lekh Lekha/go to yourself, we begin that quest of understanding. At the beginning of our Torah portion, we find a man by the name of Abram Being called out from a polluted world. But while he was still called Abram, the Creator of the universe summoned him out from among his people and into God's service. He immediately left a city and headed toward the land of Canaan, the l...

Good morning! As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of Man...(Lk. 17:26,28). Oftentimes this statement of Yeshua is focused on the negative condition of the world. And, as true as that is, there's a flipside to that coin...Noah's obedience to build an ark for the saving of his house (Heb. 11:7; Gen. 7:1-5). By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (HEB. 11:7) As the ole expression goes, anything worth building takes time and effort! Noah and his sons built an ark/teivah without all the modern day equipment over a lengthy time period until the job was finished. Shem/name Ham/hot Jepheth/to be open and let's not forget the other part of his genealogy/toldot These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a  righteous/tzadik man and perfect//tamimin his generations, and Noah wa...

Good morning! Shabbat shalom! When I was growing up, back when the dinosaurs roamed  the Earth, a little more than 29 years ago (lol), There was a TV show titled "My three sons." Within the same era, there was another program called "The Brady Bunch," blending two families of three boys and three girls. In this week's torah portion, Noah/Comfort, The genealogy of Noah’s family is given with his three sons. However, there is something very strange that addresses his genealogy. Let me share the verse with you and ask you, the inquiring mind question, what is different about this genealogy? The majority of people, who read the Bible, know Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. 5:32). But the Torah hints that he had three other offspring, ones you won’t find on this family tree. Huh? These are the generations/toldot of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. (Gen. 6:9) In this passage, the Hebrew "generation...

Good morning! Have you ever asked the question: "What did Noah accomplish? Obviously, Mr. Obvious, He saved all mankind (Heb. 11:7). Without him, humanity would have become extinct soon after it began. Single-handedly he ensured the continuity of life on earth. He is the man who builds an ark, rescues all living organisms, and ensures our world would survive. Now that's a man's man! An achievement indeed, if there was ever one. Was he really a bag of chips and a whole lot more? Who was this righteous man who became a man of the earth and planted a vineyard (Gen. 9:20)? We don't know a whole lot about him. The only two stories we have are about him building an ark and planting a vineyard. One story he is a rejected hero and the other a man who experiences a drunken tragedy within his family. Was he a once righteous man who became a man filled with flaws, doubts, and struggles? We do like to judge a book by its cover, don't we? In a society dripping with greed and te...

Good morning! Have you seen the movie  from Angel studios titled "Truth and Treason"? Would you die for a cause?  Would you warn people with the truth no matter the cost? Would you be an individual who, though you didn't initiate the movement of truth telling that you'd join the cause regardless of the outcome. Would I be like Esther who said, "If I perish, I perish"...but I gotta do what needs to be done (Est. 4:16)? Would you be like David who put his life into his hand to slay the giant ((1 Sam. 19:5)? Would you be like Paul who said, "it doesn't matter, I just want to finish my race victoriously" (Acts 20:24)? For me, I guess, it depends on the cause! Is the truth worth dying for (Lk. 9:24)?   For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Lk. 9:24) But what if you believe you will die either way?  If you choose to stand up for the cause, you die.  If you choose to not ...

Good morning! The story of the Genesis flood is such a negative story and the residue of it lingers to this day. Isn't that just how the stench of the past is in most people's lives? More on the positive tomorrow :-) But today, I want to ask you a private question: "do you have skeletons in the closet"? It's the strategy of the enemy to remind you of your past. It's the merciful presence of God that moves us beyond (Gen. 9:14,15)! And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. (Gen. 9:14,15) All throughout the Scriptures we have stories of an evil influence into the lives of mankind to bring us down spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally and financially. Whether it's the serpent in the Garden, Nimrod the tower builder, the...

Good morning! We are living in a time when rationally minded people have become fearful to stand up for traditional and/or godly values. We are in a battle for humanity imploding. As a society we are in danger. A serious question we should all ask ourselves is, 'Do I want to be a part of rescuing humanity'? Or should we put our head in the sand and hide? I want to suggest to you, as Yeshua commanded us, that we MUST engage the culture (Matt. 28:18-20). As awful as society has become, you must go! Our job is to elevate the world; to influence it rather than allowing it to contaminate us with its perverse ideologies (Matt. 5:13-16; Jn. 1:5; 3:19,20; Job 24:13-17). If not through you, how will the world hear (Rom. 10:14,15)? The sooner we learn our task on how to engage the culture, the faster our salty life will shed light on the path to lighten this world. We need to do it! NOW! As it was in the days of Noah the world is corrupt (Matt. 24:37; Lk. 17:26), but now we are experienc...

Good morning This past Sabbath day we started our journey, once again in the book of Genesis/Bereshit. Knowing that the book of Genesis, the entire Torah, and the entire Bible, as far as that is concerned, was not written to us directly, doesn't mean we should ignore its content? Huh? That’s correct. None of it was written to you and me. The Torah was written to the second generation of individuals that went into the promised land. Paul's  letter to the church at Ephesus was written to the Ephesians. First Peter was written to the 12 tribes scattered abroad and so on. However, before any of us cry out "heresy" all of the books were written for our benefit and will benefit us if we learn and heed the instructions with action. In God's first act of revealed creation (because water, darkness, and the earth were already present, Gen. 1:2)... And God said, let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the...

Good morning! This past week we began the Torah afresh unveiling the first 1,600 years of the bible's history. It's filled with enrapturing tales that encapsulate the most profound mysteries and challenges of the human condition, including the most wonderfully challenging topic in the world: marriage. A long time ago, in a land far away...God said,  It's not good for a man to be alone. I will make him a helper against him/ezer kenegdo  (Gen. 2:18) You might say to yourself, isn't the wife supposed to be the helper, not against him? Simply put, and a lesson most of us guys don't learn until it's too late: As his mirror (bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, Gen. 2:23) the woman becomes a "helper" for her husband by sometimes being against him. For the husband, in order for him to become the man God designed Him to be, he must have the courage to welcome the ideas and feelings of his spouse which may be "against" his own. Some men, which in ti...

Good morning! What a crazy week! Shabbat shalom!! I'm not sure about you (actually, I am sure), life can be chaotic and confusing. Darkness permeates the air so heavy you can actually feel it! What do I do when that is your reality? For me, personally, I went back to Genesis 1:2, 3 and reminded myself of the Spirit of God hovering/rachaphet and God speaking/vayomer. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved /rachaphet upon the face of the waters.  And God said/vayomer, Let there be light: and there was light. (Gen. 1:2,3) What is the difference between when God spirit is hovering not directly interacting and not yet filling in the chaos direct light? Enquiring minds want to know :-)  Hovering/rachaphet means he’s encompassing, surrounding and the only other place that the Torah attack uses the word hovering is when we talk about a mother bird that hovers over its Young in Deuteronomy 32:11, which is connec...

Good morning! Over the past 9 days we have worked diligently to prove or disprove that Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah that Scripture speaks of. We have covered a lot of territory from Him as King, to Lord, to Shepherd, to the One Who gathers the dispersed, to the suffering servant, Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David, the Prophet like unto Moses and the One greater than Moses who died, rose again and will, like Joshua lead us into the Promised Land during the Greater Exodus (Last night's zoom call) Within our study we saw that Joshua/Yehoshua, as well as all of the Prophets, could possibly have been the one who was like Moses (Deut. 18:15), but his, and their qualities, though similar, were not complete. But what we do find in Joshua that is very much like Moses and true of Yeshua is that neither allows the law/torah of God to depart from their mouths, but they meditate/hagah on it day and night (Josh. 1:8; Psa. 1:1-3). With the Feast of Tabernacles in the rearview mirror and the...

Good morning! Throughout Sukkot 2025 we have focused on building an 'airtight' case that Yeshua is the Messiah; first as Messiah Ben Joseph and ultimately Messiah Ben David. We know that Yeshua, like Joshua and many of the other Prophets,  is the Prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22-24), but, unlike the other Prophets, He is greater than Moses (Heb. 3:3; Zech. 6:12,13). In last night's study we showed the cross in the Moses story; the battle of Amalek (Ex. 17) the brazen serpent (Num. 21; Jn. 3) and the Abraham-Isaac story in Genesis 22. Yet, Yeshua, the suffering servant, the Lamb of Isaiah 53:7 literally gave up His life. Hence, Yeshua > Moses. Listen to the Study here . Wherever you are in your feast celebration, here in Stanton, Michigan, we wish you the happiest and most joyful season! Yeshua is the greatest and He's coming again to deliver us out of this chaotic enslavement! Chag Sameach! Shalom, Alan

Good morning! As we prepare to start our studies in Genesis this week, it would be mindful of us to remember that the 'fiery law' was not invented at Mt. Sinai; since it reflects the character of God, it was woven into the fabric of the universe at Creation. And, contrary to modern day teachings, it is not just for the Jewish people. “At His right hand was a fiery law unto them” (Deut. 33:2). Why would His Torah/instructions be described as fiery, when God spoke to them from heaven (Ex. 20:22). Then the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. (Ex. 20:22) During the Feast of Tabernacles and during this time in general, people love to be near a nice cozy fire. Fire is essential to life; whether it's on a microscopic level of catalytic reactions in nature or on a macroscopic level with a burning forest...fire is an essential to life. Even as fire is life for the world, so the words of Torah are ...

Good morning! During Sukkot 2025, we have focused on building an airtight case that Yeshua is the Messiah. We have identified Him as the King, my Lord, the Shepherd who gathers, our Salvation, the suffering servant, and using Scripture from both the TaNaKh and the Gospels identifying Yeshua as Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David. Shabbat morning's zoom call: Psalm 90. Do my prayers really have a profound impact on God's destiny for me? In our study yesterday, I challenged you to live the life of the suffering servant knowing that suffering precedes glory (Rom. 8:16,17, 36; Lk. 24:25,26; etc.) Enduring hardships, suffering is not my favorite topic! But without it, no one, and I mean literally no one can be conformed to the image of His Dear Son  and ultimately rule and reign with Him(Rom. 8:29; 1 Pet. 5:10). After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establi...

Good morning! During Sukkot 2025, here in Stanton, MI, we focused on identifying and clarifying who is the Messiah. So that, when the 'Yuckity yuck' hits the fan, we're not caught up in the deception. Over the past couple days we've identified Yeshua as the Messiah who bears the iniquities of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Isa. 53:11) and we've identified Him as the Messiah ben Yoseph and Messiah ben David. Messianic believers read this entire passage as a prophecy about Yeshua.   Last night's zoom call: Conditioner and Shampoo all in one; One Messiah, Two Roles (Suffering servant, Exalted King). Intellectually, this is great! But, is there anything practical with this for us? Enquiring minds want to know. Isaiah 41-52 identifies "Israel" as "My servant". In chapter 52:13-53 the role changes to an individual. But, is there a lesson in it for us? Could it be the description of the role of God’s elect?  Is suffering a prerequisite to r...

Good morning! During our Feast of Tabernacles, here in Stanton, Michigan, we are focusing on discovering the real Yeshua by presenting evidence from both the TaNaKh (aka ,erroneously, as the Old Testament or Old Covenant). Up to this point we have identified Him as King (Deut. 33:5), David's Lord (Psa. 110; Psa. 2), and the suffering servantL (Isa. 41-53; Jer. 11:18-23). Last night's zoom call: Our Messiah as the suffering servant for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Isa. 52:13-53:9; Jer. 11:18-23) Climactically, at the end of the celebration, we will validate Yeshua's death on the cross in relation to the korbanot/offerings in Leviticus by revealing how and why the offering's and the priesthood will be reestablished during the Messianic era without diminishing the work of Messiah on the cross. Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, ...