Holy Spirit, ‘fake news’ and the heart of Ruth The Feast of Shavuot/Weeks is upon us (Deuteronomy 16:10). Fifty days have now passed between Pesach/Passover and Shavuot (Leviticus 23:16 – the counting of the Omer, a peck measurement and first-fruits prophetic promise of a coming full harvest). The crest of those calculations has been reached, and now the wave of fulfillment crashes down onto this fourth celebration of God’s seven …Read More
Crossing the line
The U.N. Security Council has just voted Resolution 2334 into law, declaring Israel’s restoration to Jerusalem to be illegal by a vote of 14 to zero. The US represented by Samantha Power abstained on this vote. In 2011 the US vetoed a similar resolution. What does this vote mean politically, spiritually and biblically? Here are three developing ramifications of this Resolution. From ‘illegitimate’ to ‘illegal’ A U.N. Security Council (SC) …Read More
Light shines in the darkness
God’s first words in the Bible are “Let there be light!” (Genesis 1:3). And there was light, and the light was good. The sun, moon and stars – those heavenly bodies which shine and reflect light – burst forth in praise to their Creator: “Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all stars of light!” (Psalm 148:3). Our days, weeks, months and years, our holidays and feasts – our whole …Read More
The writing’s on the wall
The kingdom of Babylon had seen better days. Up to quite recently it had been feared and respected by all the nations of the world. Isaiah the son of Amoz declared, “Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride” (Isaiah 13:1, 19). Jeremiah the prophet waxed eloquent, “Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of YHVH, intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine” (Jeremiah …Read More
Chanukah and Santa Claus – restoring truth to the Festival of Lights
Holiday preparations are in full swing. Christmas lights are strung up and blinking, sleighs and reindeer magically appear on suburban lawns; even the occasional Chanukah menorah (or chanukiya in Hebrew) glows brightly in Jewish homes for eight nights. Today very few adults believe in Santa Claus, though a significant amount do believe in the virgin birth of Israel’s Messiah Yeshua. At this holiday season childhood legends of men in red …Read More
Bringing greater balance in understanding the sabbatical year
In recent years among some Christians there has been a revived interest in the Hebrew calendar, which Moses described in his Five Books as also being God’s calendar: “YHVH spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “YHVH’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations/gatherings – these are My appointed times” (Leviticus 23:1-2). As believers around the world are rediscovering the Jewish roots of …Read More