Hanukkah may seem like a minor holiday, but if you take a closer look you’ll realize it’s a major holy-day! There are 8 profound lessons we can learn from this holiday that Yeshua/Jesus himself celebrated. As we draw closer to the return of our Savior, these lessons just may become vital to our continued faithfulness to the Lord. In the meantime, they are an encouragement to act on our faith.
(Matthew 19:16-22) This is a familiar account of Jesus speaking with a rich and young ruler. The young man obviously wants to make sure he has eternal life covered. Well, Jesus/Yeshua gets to the heart of the matter - the man’s heart. And this is what the Lord wants from all of us. Take a listen and see if you can relate to this guy.
It’s amazing how so many prominent people are being attacked with allegations of sexual harassment, abuse, impropriety, mishandling of funds, etc. What’s especially astounding is that little proof has been presented, but the allegation is enough to destroy peoples’ careers. How should a Christian deal with this Allegation 3-Ring Circus? Biblically, of course. Take a listen!
Did you know that entering God’s kingdom is so simple a child could do it? It only requires one simple thing. Listen to find out…
Yeshua’s opponents try to trap Him in a Bible quandry - the question of divorce. This is a question many people struggle with today, especially Christians. Just what was Yeshua’s stand on divorce? Is it the Unforgiveable Sin? Are there genuine grounds for divorce. Take a listen for an insightful look into the Jewish background and understanding of the divorce question.
Not only should we be humble, but we must realize that it takes humility just to get into heaven in the first place. Next, we need to be humble with others so we don’t cause them to sin. Now we need to pursue those who sin against us in order to draw them back into the fold, i.e. pursuing straying sheep. The whole goal is rescue and restore!
Humility is important, especially for us! How we humbly treat others affects our walk with the Lord, even our eternal future. Ever hear of millstones, cutting off one’s hand, or taking out one’s eye to avoid sin? Yup, humility is that important!
Pastor Jay returns to the Gospelk of Matthew with a fascinating look at the whole chapter as a Talk on Humility/Humbleness. The scene starts with the disciples arguing who will be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus’ talk begins a significant teaching that so few in the Church seem to take seriously - the need to be humble. Check it out!
God loves to get toe the heart of the matter. And when it comes to forgiving and cleansing sin, it’s the heart that plays the key role. Yes, the Day of Atonement is about sacrifice and clearly shows the need for Yeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf. But the heart is what sets the whole process in motion.
God not only makes new things, but He is making all things new. Sin wrecked God’s creation, but God - the All-Powerful God - is remaking everything…and He starts with us. Check out this fascinating word study Pastor Jay gave during the Feast of Trumpets!
Interesting! A tax question suddenly turns into a statement revealing Yeshua’s true nature - the One and Only Son of God.
Life is full of dark and unknown times. Sometimes we never see them coming. Sometimes, if we’re listening or sensitive to the Holy Spirit, Yeshua tips us off to what’s approaching. In Matthew 17:22-23, this short section has some powerful lessons and encouragements for such times when the Lord “tips us off” to oncoming difficulties.
The Bible is a wonderful, God-inspired book. However, it was still written down by people moved by the Holy Spirit and they wrote it with their cultural mindset and language peculiarities. In order to understand the Bible more fully, it’s very important to understand Hebrew idioms. Take a listen as Pastor Jay unlocks additional meaning by explaing what Hebrew idioms are and how they are used.
The wise learn from the experiences of others. In this account from Matthew 17, Yeshua returns from the Transfiguration event on Mount Hermon to face a tumultuous situation - a father with a demon-possessed boy and His disciples arguing with religious leaders. Does Yeshua ever get frustrated with us? What can we learn from His disciples’ lack of faith. Take a listen for lots of interesting lessons!
“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” There is no doubt there are amazing signs in the heavens. And there is no doubt that God put the heavenly objects in the heavens to communicate to humanity. So what are signs from a biblical point of view? Are they all significant or only some? Are unique celestial events amazing, but not signs at all? How can we tell and what are the criteria? So many questions!! Listen and be amazed!
Yeshua’s transfiguration is one of the Gospel’s most amazing and confounding events in Yeshua’s life. It has a number of unique elements - most of which are lost on us if we don’t know the Jewish context of His day. Ready to be amazed?
What does it mean to “take up your cross and follow Me?” This is a HUGE challenge to us, but Yeshua wouldn’t ask us to do something we are unable to do. So take a listen and see what this means.
In this episode in Matthew, Yeshua/Jesus and his disciples stand at Ceasarea Philippi at the base of Mount Hermon. As Yeshua teaches a remarkable declaration erupts from Peter…and it surprises Yeshua! It also bring a blessing and amazing statement from Yeshua about His future community of believers. Is the Pope the foundation of the Church or is it someone or something else? Check it out!
When we read through Matthew 16, we read Yeshua’s warning, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees.” What does this mean? Since it’s a warning from Yeshua, shouldn’t we take it to heart? How can we avoid it if we don’t know what it is? Since the Pharisees aren’t around today (OR ARE THEY?) does this apply to us? Take a listen…and be prepared for the answer!
The problem of unanswered prayer is a vexing one. What does it mean when our Heavenly Father is silent? Doesn’t He care? Won’t He help? For you who are struggling, take a listen and find comfort.