Undoubtedly part of the reason for moral failure within the church comes from deceptive theology and the doctrine called "antinomianism," that is, the idea that faith in Yeshua implies that we are no longer "under the law" and therefore we are free to live apart from what the Torah (and by extension, the New Testament) plainly says and teaches...  This is clearly a mistake -- a serious confusion between the terms of the former covenant at Sinai with the timeless truth of God's eternal Torah, or moral will... After all, the New Covenant (ברית חדשׁה) of Yeshua is the one in which the Torah of the LORD would be written upon our hearts (see Jer. 31:31-34).  Genuine followers of Yeshua therefore will love the Torah of the LORD, since God does not lie or change His mind, and Yeshua our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Num. 23:19; Psalm 33:1; Heb. 13:8).  As it is also written: “Blessed is the person who delights in the law of the LORD (תורת יהוה) and meditates upon its truth day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).  Amen, for the life of the follower of Yeshua "we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth" (2 Cor. 13:8). 

It is frighteningly tragic that many so-called Christian ministers -- many of them perhaps well-meaning enough -- simply do not have the fear of the LORD within their hearts, as evidenced by their double-mindedness regarding sin and their ambivalence about the truth of God's law.  We tremble at these words of the Savior who died upon the cross for our deliverance: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matt. 7:21:23).  

Simply put, those who truly know the Lord Yeshua understand that He is none other than the very Lawgiver and King of Israel, and it was He who spoke to Moses at Sinai regarding the moral will of God.  Yes, he is also our Savior who graciously died for us to be pardoned from the verdict of the law, but he did NOT die so that we should continue to sin but rather to be delivered from sin's power in our lives.... We are never perfected in this life, and each of us will struggle with sin, but we should never allow sin to become a regular practice, and we should never live a secret and double life of hypocrisy... If we struggle, fair enough -- we need to be honest, confess the truth, and get help, but we should never hide the truth about who we really are, since that leads to sickness of the heart and self-destructive despair.  May God have mercy and help us all be on guard from the deceptions of the enemy of our souls.

In this podcast I reflect on Psalm 119:97 and review some of the reasons why the Torah of the LORD is vital for followers of Yeshua the Messiah.  I hope you will find it helpful.

John Parsons
https://hebrew4christians.com

Dangers of Lawlessness...

The Dangers of Lawlessness...

Shalom friends. Our Torah reading this week honors Aaron’s grandson Pinchas ("Phinehas"), who, during the tragic rebellion at Baal Peor, zealously removed evil from Israel by driving a spear through a tribal prince who was brazenly cavorting with a Midianite princess in defiance of God’s law. On account of Pinchas’ zeal for the truth of Torah, God stopped the plague and Israel was delivered from destruction... As we will see, Pinchas reveals great truths about Yeshua the Messiah and how he became the mediator of the New Covenant of the LORD.

In addition to an overview of the Torah portion, I discuss the Three Weeks of Sorrow leading up to the somber holiday of Tishah B'Av as well as the significance of the Jewish holidays (mo'edim).

Hebrew for Christians

Shavuah Tov for parashat Pinchas

A quick exegesis and reading of Deuteronomy 4:39, from the great Torah portion Va'etchanan.  Click the image to see it larger while listening.

For more information see:
hebrew4christians.com

Daily Perushim

Daily Perush Deut. 4:39

Daily Perush: Deut. 4:39

The “tetragrammaton,” or the four-letter name YHVH (יהוה), is regarded as God’s “proper name” in the Scriptures, though it is better to understand it as a metaphorical term (paronomasia) that points to God’s ineffable and infinite essence (אין סוף).  This is clearly taught in Torah and reaffirmed in the New Testament Scriptures.  In this "Daily Dvar" audio broadcast I discuss the ineffable Name of the Lord.  I hope you will find it helpful. 

For more information visit:
https://hebrew4christians.com

Daily Dvar: Ineffable Name

Daily Dvar: The Ineffable Name

The way we choose to see is ultimately a spiritual decision.  In this "Daily Dvar broadcast, I discuss the "Torah of the Good Eye" and the spiritual need to seek goodness in everyday reality.  I hope you will find it helpful. 

For more information see:
https://hebrew4christians.com

Daily Dvar Torah of the Good Eye

Daily Dvar: Torah of the Good Eye

In this special "High Holiday" audio presentation, I discuss Yom Kippur and its themes, particularly in reference to the atonement given in the Messiah Yeshua, as well as parashat Ha'azinu, the Torah portion we always read between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  

Note that this audio is also relevant to the study of the Acharei Mot Torah portion. 

For more information about Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, parashat Ha'azinu, and/or parashat Acharei Mot, visit Hebrew for Christians:

https://hebrew4christians.com

Shavuah Tov for Yom Kippur (Ha'azinu, Acharei Mot)

A Hebrew reading lesson (with drash) on Proverbs 3:12, "For whom the LORD loves he reproves, like a father the son in whom he delights."  Click on the Hebrew verse to enlarge it on your screen while listening.  Shalom chaverim.

Hebrew Lesson: Arguing with God?

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/gen1-26a-lesson.pdf
­
“Then the LORD God formed the man from dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). We tend to think of dust in self-effacing terms; for example, repenting in “dust and ashes” expresses unworthiness and sinfulness. Yet the dust God used to form Adam was not worthless, but instead represented very fine particles of creation, a substance suspended midway between heaven and earth, almost a “spiritual matter.” This is suggested by the fact that God first intended man to be his image bearer and only then used dust as the material for that higher end. 

Click the graphic while you listen to this audio lesson on the Hebrew text of Genesis 1:26 and learn what is meant by the “image and likeness” of God.

Genesis 1:26 Hebrew

The Dust of God... (podcast)

Shalom chaverim. I just uploaded a brief update on how things are going for us over here, so take a listen if you are interested. This is not a professional podcast, just a general talk, though I hope you might find it interesting.

Personal Update (Nov, 2020)

This site lists some of the Hebrew for Christians podcasts from over the years.  It is updated according to the Jewish calendar and holiday cycle.

Shavuah Tov for parashat Pinchas

Hebrew for Christians

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