Optimism is not hope.  Optimism is a mental positive attitude towards life in general.  Hope is more mysterious and more deep. Hope is like a tether anchored to the rock while your vessel is adrift in the sea of life.  You pull the tether until you reach the shore. It is there that you find…

“Israel is your home” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that at a time of rising anti-Semitism in Europe, Israel is the only place where Jews can truly feel safe. “This wave of attacks is expected to continue,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet. “Jews deserve security in every country, but we say to our Jewish…

(Lev. 23:34-43; Deut. 16:13-15; Num. 29:12-40) The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths, or Sukkot), begins at sunset.  It is the third major feast in which the men of Israel were required to go up to Jerusalem. Hallel Sukkot, is an eight-day festival recalling the wilderness wanderings in which Israel dwelt in temporary tents (Tabernacles, Booths). Today,…

Jewish Holy Days        The Jewish calendar is replete with celebration and reflection.  Following are a few highlights regarding some of the Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah: (September/October) Rosh Hashanah begins the celebration of the Jewish New Year and is also a celebration of the creation of the universe. The shofar (ram’s horn) is blown, special…

Q.  Based on your studies, what is your view on the timing of the Rapture? A.  First of all let’s look at the five main views on the Rapture. 1.     Partial Rapture Position: This view states that only believers who are faithfully watching and waiting for the Lord will be raptured at various times before…

Light plays an important role in some religious traditions. For example, in the tradition of Judaism lighting candles on Shabbat is to remind Jewish people of their Creator and to set apart this day from other days. Also, lighting the Hanukkah menorah is a memorial of the miracle of God’s intervention on Israel’s behalf in…

The Ancient MessageIn Exodus 19 we have the account of Moses’ encounter with God and the receiving of the Torah (Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible). It has been almost 2,000 years since God communicated with man in such a direct fashion. The first time was with Adam. Now Moses is chosen…

The Cry “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” cried Jesus on the cross. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). At that moment Heaven stood still in awe. A paradigm shift took place. Something changed. The angels had to marvel. The heavenly beings must have gasped. For the first time in eternity, God…

Shavuot, or the Feast of Pentecost, is one of the seven feasts described in Leviticus 23. Originally, Shavuot was an agricultural feast. Eventually, it became known as the day Moses received the Law from Mt. Sinai. Historically, the Jews would celebrate Shavuot by reading the Books of Exodus focusing on the record of Moses receiving…

“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2) A young Jewish carpenter stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth, stood up to read the Torah.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  He unrolled it and began to read from chapter 61, “The Spirit of the…