By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 05:13 PM


Is 1 Corinthians 11:27-37 Referring To The Holy Communion?

Shalom, thank you for your question it’s so good to hear from you. Yes 1 Corinthians 11:27-37 are referring to the holy communion. Taking communion is a serious thing. If someonedoes it with an unworthy heart or by not taking what they are doing seriously, they aremocking the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua. So yes, consequences could be, amongother things, sickness and death. So then: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of theLord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:00 PM


I Read About Sinning Against The Holy Spirit. Which Sins Are This That Can't Be Forgiven?

Thank you for your question. I guess you are referring to:Matthew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, butanyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the ageto come.”The Pharisees were saying that Yeshua had an unclean spirit. In other words, they wereattributing His miracles to Satan instead of God. The words, “…will not be forgiven, either inthis age or in the age to come.” By “this age” Yeshua is referring to the time (the age) He wason earth. Which means the unpardonable sin could only be committed by those who actuallysaw the miraculous work of Messiah Yeshua and publicly attributed it to the work of Satan.In saying the “age to come” Yeshua is referring to His second coming to the earth when onceagain He will be performing miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who see Hismiracles then and attribute them to Satan will also be committing the unpardonable sin.Therefore, the unpardonable sin cannot be committed today because Yeshua is not physicallyon earth; so no one can hypocritically attribute, to His face, that His miracles are attributed toSatan.Matthew 23 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom ofheaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter togo in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land tomake a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much achild of hell as yourselves.”Yeshua made it clear that their sin was unique. He said, “All sins will be forgiven the childrenof man… but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness.” (Mark3:28) Yeshua understood that the Holy Spirit was working through Him in a unique way andas a result the scribes were blaspheming in a unique way because they were attributing Hiswork to Satan. The account of Yeshua and the scribes should help us see that people livingtoday do not need to be afraid of committing an unforgivable sin. Yeshua said, “All sins willbe forgiven the children of man.” That refers to the worst thoughts and actions that can beimagined. The power of the cross is greater than our sin.Messiah Yeshua’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead proved that He wasable to conquer our sin. Instead of living in fear that we have committed an unforgivable sin,we can have certainty knowing that our sin has been forgiven.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:00 PM


Acts 22:16 And Now Why Are You Waiting? Arise And Be Baptized, And Wash Away Your Sins, Calling On The Name Of The Lord.'

Shalom, I presume you were referring to this scripture passage when you asked me about havingto be baptized to wash away sin.In reading this I can understand that a person can be misled into thinking that you must bebaptized so as to wash away your sin, but that is not what Luke means here.I draw your attention to the last part of the verse; “calling on the name of the Lord.” So, it is notthe baptism that washes away sin but it’s the calling on the name of the Lord. The invocation ofthe name of the Lord in baptism, signifies an exercise of faith in Yeshua, a profession of Him,and obedience to Him which is what washes away sin. The ordinance of baptism is a means ofleading the faith of God's children to the Blood of Messiah which cleanses from all sin. This iswhat is meant in the above scripture passage.We are paying for you trip and time in Australia.Blessings in Messiah Yeshua“…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior,Messiah Yeshua.” (Titus 2:13)

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:11 PM


Shalom Thank You For Your Question. Many People Have Asked Me About These Passages And I Can Understand Why.

In verse 7 where Yeshua says “Woe to the world because of offenses,” He’s not talking aboutsin, He’s talking about temptations to sin which the world heaps upon Believers that maycause them to stumble and fall and draw them away from the truth. In the next sentencewhere He says; “For there must be offenses,” He’s talking about the incessant, and unyieldingeffort of Satan to cause Believers to sin. “But woe to the person by whom the offensescome.” Satan uses people, even friends and family to achieve his evil intentions and thesepeople, Yeshua is pronouncing a woe against, saying that they will be judged for theirwickedness.In verses 8 and 9 Yeshua is not advocating self-mutilation. We can compare these verses withwhat Yeshua said in Matthew 5:29-30. Our eyes and our feet are often the instruments thatensnare us to sin and are often used to lead Believers astray, so when Yeshua says to pluckout our eye or cut off our foot, we should not take it literally. The sense is that we shouldmake a covenant with our eyes as Job did:Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.As well as we should make a covenant with our feet to reject and avoid all opportunities andoccasions of sinning that they might lead us unto. In saying we should cut these parts of ourbody off, He means that we should cut off all carnal, immoral connection these parts have inour lives so that we can focus totally on the things of the Spirit so that our whole selves;body, soul and spirit will not go to everlasting destruction.In teaching us this Yeshua is accentuating the seriousness of sin that could send a person tospend eternity in hell.Trust this answers your question satisfactorily. Blessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:13 PM


HOW MANY YEARS DID ISRAEL SPEND IN EGYPT?

The 400 yearsThe 400 years are mentioned in Genesis 15. Abram wondered how much longer he would have toremain a stranger in the Land of Promise, and if he would ever see the fulfillment of God’s promises.The Lord therefore revealed the answer to him saying: “Know certainly that your descendants will bestrangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundredyears” (Genesis 15:13).There are two questions that need to be answered here: Are the 400 years the time of affliction orthe time of sojourning, or both? Are the 400 years related to the 430 years of Exodus 12:40, 41 andGalatians 3:16, 17?When did the 430 years start?In Exodus 12:40, “the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred andthirty years,” suggests that the Israelites did spend four hundred and thirty years there, from Jacob’sentry to the Exodus. That this cannot be the meaning is clear from Galatians 3:16, 17, where it is saidthat the law was made public at Sinai 430 years after the covenant between God and Abram.If Paul refers to the first promise made to Abram in Haran (Genesis 12:1–3), the 430 years beganwhen Abram was 75 years old (Genesis 12:4). The 400 years of affliction would then begin 30 yearslater, when Abram was 105 years old and his son Isaac 5 years old (Genesis 21:5). This would beabout the time Ishmael, who “was born after the flesh persecuted him [Isaac] that was born afterthe Spirit” (Galatians 4:29; Genesis 21:9–11).The precise time from the call of Abram to Jacob’s entrance into Egypt was 215 years (Genesis 21:5;25:26; 47:9), which would leave 215 years of the 430 as the real time the Hebrews spent there.Therefore, the 430 years of Exodus 12:40 must encompass the sojourn in Canaan as well as that inEgypt, from Abram’s call to the Exodus.The LXX (the Septuagint) show Exodus 12:40 thus: “And the sojourning of the children of Israel, whilethey sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan, was four hundred and thirty years.” Asshown before, the land of Canaan relied greatly upon Egypt during the patriarchal era that theEgyptian kings regarded it as theirs. During the Eighteenth Dynasty, whose kings ruled both Palestineand Syria, Moses could accurately encompass Canaan in the term Egypt as used in Exodus 12:40.Four generationsGenesis 15:16 says, “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of theAmorites is not yet complete.” Bible Commentators, who apply the 400 years of Genesis 15:13 tothe actual time the Hebrews lived in Egypt, face a problem. They must suppose that the fourgenerations averaged exactly 100 years each. But this is opposing to available proof. However, sincethe 400 years of v. 13 must refer to the time from Abram to the Exodus (v. 13), and the actual timeof Israel’s remaining in Egypt was only 215 years, no inconsistency exists between this prophecy andits fulfillment.Caleb was part of the fourth generation from Judah (1 Chronicles 2:3–5, 18), and Moses, from Levi(Exodus 6:16–20). Efforts to determine the length of a “generation” based on Genesis 15:13, 16 areunreasonable, and the outcomes are deceptive. One “generation,” went into Egypt, two lived there,and the fourth left.SEE CHART BELOW:Table 1: Timeline showing dates from God’s promise to Abraham to the exodus from Egypt.Patriarch: Age Event Passage Years from Promise Years to ExodusAbraham: 75 God makes the promise to Abrahamand he leaves Haran. Genesis 12:1–4 0 430Abraham:75-85 God tells Abraham his descendants“will be sojourners in a land that is nottheirs and will be servants there and theywill be afflicted for 400 years.”Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6 0–10 420–430Abraham: 85 Abraham has lived in Canaan for 10 yearsand takes Hagar as his wife and sheconceives Ishmael. Genesis 16:3–4 10 420Abraham: 86 Ishmael is born. Genesis 16:15–16 11 419Abraham: 100Ishmael: 14 Isaac is born. Genesis 21:5 25 405Abraham: 105Isaac: 5Ishmael: 19 Isaac is weaned and Ishmael mocks/persecutes Isaac. Genesis 21:8–9;Galatians 4:29 30 400Abraham: 140Isaac: 40 Isaac marries Rebekah. Genesis 24:1–67;25:20 65 365Abraham: 160Isaac: 60 Esau and Jacob are born. Genesis 25:26 85 345Abraham: 175Isaac: 75Jacob: 15 Abraham dies. Genesis 25:7 100 330Isaac: 151Jacob: 91 Joseph is born. 176 254Isaac: 168Jacob: 108Joseph: 17 Joseph is sold by his brothers and takento Egypt. Genesis 37 193 237Isaac: 180Jacob: 120Joseph: 29 Isaac dies. Genesis 35: 28–29 205 225Jacob: 121Joseph: 30 Joseph is made second in command byPharaoh. Genesis 41:46 206 224Jacob: 130Joseph: 39 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers twoyears into the famine with five years left.Jacob meets Pharaoh. Genesis 45:4–6Genesis 47:9 215 215Jacob: 147Joseph: 56 Jacob dies. Genesis 47:28–49:33 232 198Joseph: 110 Joseph dies. Genesis 50:26 286 144Only 64 years pass from the time Joseph dies to when Moses is born.. Exodus 6:16–20Moses: 3 months Moses is placed in a basket and adoptedby Pharaoh’s daughter. Exodus 2 350 80Moses: 80 Moses and Aaron speak to Pharaoh beginningthe exodus from Egypt. Exodus 7:7;Exodus 12:40–41; Galatians 3:16–17 430 0

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:15 PM


QUESTION: Esther Asked: I Read About Sinning Against The Holy Spirit. Which Sins Are This That Can’t Be Forgiven.

ANSWER:Thank you, Esther, for your question. I guess you are referring to:Matthew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, butanyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age tocome.”The Pharisees were saying they Yeshua had an unclean spirit. In other words, they wereattributing His miracles to Satan instead of God. The words, “…will not be forgiven, either inthis age or in the age to come.” By “this age” Yeshua is referring to the time (the age) He was onearth. Which means the unpardonable sin could only be done by those who saw the miraculouswork of Messiah Yeshua and publicly attributed it to the work of the Satan. In saying the “age tocome” Yeshua is referring to His second coming to the earth when once again He will beperforming miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who see His miracles then andattribute then to Satan will also be committing the unpardonable sin. Therefore, the unpardonablesin cannot be committed today because Yeshua is not physically on earth so no one canhypocritically attribute, to His face, that His miracles are attributed to Satan.Matthew 23 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut thekingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those whowould enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across seaand land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice asmuch a child of hell as yourselves.”Yeshua made it clear that their sin was unique. He said, “All sins will be forgiven thechildren of man… but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness.”(Mark 3:28) Yeshua understood that the Holy Spirit was working through Him in a unique wayand as a result the scribes were blaspheming in a unique way because they were attributing Hiswork to Satan. The account of Yeshua and the scribes should help us see that people living todaydo not need to be afraid of committing an unforgivable sin. Yeshua said, “All sins will beforgiven the children of man.” That refers to the worst thoughts and actions that can be imagined.The power of the cross is greater than our sin.Messiah Yeshua’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead proved that Hewas able to conquer our sin. Instead of living in fear that we have committed an unforgivable sin,we can have certainty knowing that our sin has been forgiven.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:16 PM


Rabbi Or Pastor?

Shalom, thank you for your comment. If you look at the designation “Rabbi” in its religiousJewish context, then yes anyone who calls themselves Rabbi would need to be born Jewishor properly converted to Judaism and have received a qualified religious rabbinicalordination so as to use this title. However, if we look at the designation “Rabbi” in its biblicalcontext it simply means “teacher.” I also think that you need to take into consideration thatin Messiah Yeshua there is neither Jew nor Greek, we are all one in Him. Within the area ofthe congregation your elder is serving, he can call himself anything he wants. However,should he seek ordination by the Messianic umbrella organization IAMCS, of which TAK is amember, because he was not born Jewish, his ordination designation would be MessianicPastor. Blessings in Messiah Yeshua.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:18 PM


Shalom Rabbi, Can You Pls Clarify For Me Matthew 27:51-54. Today’s Daily Reading. We Can See There Were People Who Resurrected And They Were Seen By Other People. Did They Resurrect With This Earthly Body Or Spiritual Body?

Shalom, thank you for your questions. Matthew 27:51-54 describes what took place at themoment of Yeshua’s death on the cross. The anger of the Father was aroused against Israelsuch that He sent a substantial earthquake, one that was powerful enough to split rocks andtear the curtain in the Temple from top to bottom. The curtain dividing the Holy place fromthe Holy of Holies was said to be 10 cm thick and made of woven, twisted fabric, impossibleto tear. Therefore, to have it torn from top to bottom would certainly have to be an act ofGod. It is also an indication that God removed the exclusiveness of the Levites fromministering before Him and now through Yeshua’s death, the way into the Holy of Holies isopen to anyone who accepts His Son as their Lord and Savior.As for a number of graves being opened and the dead coming out of them alive, is similar towhat Yeshua did with Lazarus.John 11:24-25 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the lastday.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in mewill live, even though they die;It was God confirming that by His death, Yeshua is the resurrection. That is why these peopleafter they resurrected went as witnesses into the city (Jerusalem). Ultimately, like Lazarusthey later died, but this time for good!Trust this answers your question.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:19 PM


Hi. What Should I Pray Before Going To Bed?

Shalom and thank you for your question. This is the prayer we pray every night before going tobed. I suggest you pray it:“Lord, thank You for all that you accomplished for me today. Thank You for watching over andprotecting me and my family. I release my life to you tonight and I ask that You encamp Yourlink angels around my home and round about my room, that nothing formed against me will beable to enter. I ask that You curse Satan and all his demons, armies, principalities and fallenangles and cast them far away from me into dry and dark places. I ask that You shut the mouthsof Satan and his demons so they will not be able to speak to me or influence me in any wayduring the night. The only voice I want to hear is the voice of Your Holy Spirit; speak to me Lordyour servant is listening. The Lord rebuke you Satan! I plead the Blood of Yeshua over myself,my room and our entire home. The Blood covers me and protects us. I ask Lord that you give mea peaceful, restful night’s sleep so I will awaken in the morning refreshed, alert and empoweredfor the day. Thank You Lord for healing me from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I askthat You command every cell and every organ in my body to come into alignment with Your willand function exactly the way You created them to function. In Yeshua’s Name I pray.”

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:19 PM


When Do We Receive The Holy Spirit?

Shalom, thank you for your questions. We receive the Holy Spirit upon salvation. At that momentthe Spirit of God enters us and starts transforming us from the inside out. You know you have theHoly Spirit when you start manifesting the fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-Control. Now remember that these are fruits and fruit need to growand ripen into maturity, so does the Spirit in us.There is also the Baptism of the Spirit. These are His special gifts given after salvation at thediscretion of the Holy Spirit. They are special abilities given by the grace and power of the Holy Spiritto be used by the Believer for the glory of God. Everyone is given a special gift and the gifts arepoured out by the Spirit as needed. So one might have one gift one year and another gift anotheryear. They are, Power to speak Words of Wisdom, ability to receive Words of Knowledge;Supernatural Faith, ability to Heal; Ability to work Wonders; Discernment of Spirits, various kinds ofTongues, the ability to Interpret Tongues and the ability to Prophecy.Trust this answers your question.Shabbat ShalomBlessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 07:20 PM


Shalom I Was Asking About The Word Jesus . Should We Use It To Refer To Yeshua Despite The Proof That It Means Horse?

Thank you for your question. The name Jesua doesn’t mean horse. Where did you find this? Iuse the name Jesus when we encounter people who do not know Him as Yeshua, that waythey can understand who we’re talking about when we share the Gospel.Some people claim that our Lord should not be referred to as “Jesus,” instead, we should onlyuse the name His mother gave Him “Yeshua.” Some even go so far as to say that calling Him“Jesus” is blasphemous. Others go into great detail about how the name “Jesus” is unbiblicalbecause the letter J is a modern invention and there was no J sound in Greek or Hebrew.Yeshua is the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is “Joshua.” Iesous is the Greektransliteration of the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is “Jesus.” Thus, the names“Joshua” and “Jesus” are essentially the same; both are English pronunciations of the Hebrewand Greek names for our Lord. (For examples of how the two names are interchangeable, seeActs 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in the KJV. In both cases, the word Jesus refers to the OldTestament character Joshua.)Changing the language of a word does not affect the meaning of the word. We call a boundand covered set of pages a “book.” In German, it’s a “buch”, in Spanish, it’s a “libro, inFrench, a “livre”. The language changes, but the object itself does not. As Shakespeare said,“That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo and Juliet,II:i). In the same way, we can refer to Jesus as “Jesus,” “Yeshua,” or “YehSou” (Cantonese),without changing His nature. In any language, His Name refers to Him as the Son of God.The only exception to all the other languages is that the Hebrew Name Yeshua means “TheLord Is Salvation.” The other Names Yeshua is called to not have a translated meaning.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 08:56 PM


Can We Take Non-kosher Meds

Shalom Rabbi,My family and I live some distance from a synagogue, so we listen to your service everyShabbat.  We very much enjoy Shabbat School.  Your teaching has helped us keep our headsup in times of trouble.  Thank you. I have just read that our U.S. government "FDA" hasapproved getting some kind of medicine from a gene altered goat.  I find this kind of thinghappening all the time now here in the States.  It is quite disturbing.  This got me toquestioning the sources of medicines and I have learned that many of the meds done here inthe States come from non-Kosher animals.  If God tells us not to partake of these things whatabout medicines that are made from them?Y.M.Shalom Y.M.Thank you for being part of our internet ministry. It's such a blessing for us to hear that youare listening on line. I had a struggle with the exact same question you are asking. Whoknows what's inside the medication we are taking. However, after careful study andconsideration I arrived at the conclusion that the Bible teaches that saving a life supersedesthe Torah. An example of that is Yeshua healing the man with the withered hand on theShabbat. Medication would definitely fit into the category of saving lives. So, in my humbleopinion there would be no problem in taking medication from non-kosher sources.Blessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:09 PM


Dear Rabbi Yaakov, One Of Our Readers Ask If There Are Still The 12 Tribes Having The Genealogy. Your Kind Comment Will Be Appreciated. Elijah

Shalom Elijah;Yes there are still 12 tribes even though we do not know who belongs to which tribe. Thereare some who claim that they are descendants from the tribe of Levi and these people havetaken up the more significant duties in local synagogues. However, their claims may not betrue. In biblical times Israel was scattered around the world and the knowledge of whobelongs to which tribe was lost over the centuries, and this knowledge is still lost. But like Isaid the 12 tribes do still exist and in the last days God will reveal who is who.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:10 PM


I Am Not Sure What To Do About My Tithe

I do have a dilemma and am not sure what to do; therefore, I seek advice. I have heard RabbiYa’acov state during the tithe where we’re being fed spiritually. My problem is that I get fedfrom a variety of online ministries by listening to audio teachings on their websites. As to mychurch, I have a problem tithing to a church that does not support Israel in any of theirmissions. Neither do they believe in the validity of Torah for today. I am not sure what to doabout my tithe. Whenever Rabbi Ya’acov is online teaching, I try to make an effort to listen.There are times when I do learn something from my pastor's sermons -- but other times myskin crawls because of misinterpretation based on a Greek mindset and not a Hebrewmindset.I truly desire to honor HaShem with my money.In His Service,JoeShalom Joe;Thank you for your e-mail. You have quite the dilemma, I must say. However, as I see it youare going to have to make a decision. You need to put yourself under an authority. I havefound that floaters (people who float around from one teaching to the other) tend, in the end,to get deceived and therefore put their salvation in jeopardy. The pastor of your church,according to Scripture, is more than just a teacher and preacher he is the shepherd of yoursoul. If you continue to go there, even for fellowship, there is where you should be tithing.But if you do not agree with their theology then you will have to decide if you need to breakaway completely. However, you can not leave yourself without an authority, you must putyourself under someone. We have a few of our internet listeners who have put themselvesunder our authority and communicate with us on a regular basis by e-mail as well as byphone. They are tithing here. But they also have committed themselves here. Everything wedo here is broadcast live over the internet, from our regular services to all special services toBible Studies. If you feel you can not commit to this congregation then you must find a placethat you can commit to and tithe there. The rest of us you should be offering to, if even only atoken amount. You can not be a floater and expect to survive. There is too much falseteaching out there that sounds so good and so right, but it's not. If you're saying to yourselfnow that you won't be deceived then

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:12 PM


Is It Permitted To Have Sex On Shabbat?

Shalom Rabbi Farber. I wanted to ask one question, According to Messianic Judaism, doeshusband and wife (a couple) permitted to have sex on a Shabbat? Let’s say Friday night whilethey are relaxing at home before going to the Synagogue on Saturday morning or may be theservice was finalised by 3pm so they went home early, are they still permitted to have sexbefore performing the Havdalah later on at sunset?Your answer will be highly appreciated.SandeShalom Sande;Great hearing from you. I believe (this is me speaking and not the Lord), based on thefollowing Scriptures that a husband should keep from having sex with his wife on the daysthey go to synagogue. However, as I said this is my opinion only!Exodus 19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at yourwives.1 Samuel) 21:4 And the priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand,but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women."Blessings in YeshuaRabbi Jack

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:14 PM


Is BRIT-MILAH (circumcision) Necessary In The New Testament Time

Shalom, I am from India I would like to know more about BRIT-MILAH (circumcision) is itnecessary in the New Testament time? If you have any literature on this subject please sendme.ChandraShalom Chandra;Thank you for your e-mail. Brit Milah (circumcision), is not a required for salvation.Salvation is a free gift from God, no requirements attached. However, once saved the Torahteaches us how a saved person is supposed to live, act and look. Growing into Torah is calledsanctification. Part of this growing process is Brit Milah. So, the answer to your question is,yes and no. Yes, Brit Milah was given to the people of God as a sign of their identificationwith the covenant of God. No, because Brit Milah is not a requirement for salvation. We aresaved by grace not by works so Brit Milah can be associated with sanctification. One who isnot circumcised at salvation, in my opinion, should only be Brit Milah if lead to by the HolySpirit.Blessing in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:15 PM


Once Saved, Always Saved, Two Different Concepts Entirely. How To Rightly Apply Them?

Two different concepts entirely. How to rightly apply them?One teacher says: even if a believer sins, he will NEVER lose his salvation.He will simply be 'spanked' by G-d, may have to be taken home early (die) but he is heavenbound no matter what!Another teacher says, Yeshua said depart from me, I never knew you, you who work iniquity!This teacher reminds us the road is Narrow!How then, do you see the two questions I raised of the two Teachers?Once saved, always saved? Or I never knew you?This is important doctrine. Thank you very much.DavidaThank you Davida;With the "Depart from Me" I believe here Yeshua is referring to the tares which grow upamong the wheat. They claimed to be believers but produce no fruit as evidence of salvationtherefore, they were not saved.Salvation is a free gift! We do not do anything to earn it other then have faith, that is, Godsaid it I believe it! Therefore, if you no longer believe that God said it, you no longer havefaith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."Blessings in Yeshua.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:17 PM


Women Cannot Use Clothes Man

Dear Rabbino Ya'acov FarberIf you don't understand Portuguese sorry my poor English.I would like to know which the interpretation of the torah in relationship on the text of theParasha, Parashat HaShavua Ki Teitzei / When You Leave; Devarim / Deuteronômio 21:10-25:19, that we studied on this week. On the following, according to the Torah, which is theinterpretation on the text that says that the man had neither dressed woman's clothes nor thewoman man clothes. Women cannot use clothes man nor the men use clothes woman; theeternal, our God, abhors people who are doing it. Det. 22.5Shalom Brother Reinaldo;You are correct I do not speak Portuguese however my computer does and it is able totranslate for me.What this Scripture means relates to homosexuality and cross dressing. So, what it means isthat women are not to dress themselves to look like a man. It does not mean that women cannot wear pants; they can, so long as they are not doing it for the purpose of looking like aman. In the same way men are not to dress themselves to look like women. We allow womento wear pants in the congregation. The ideal would be for women to always wear skirts butthat would be very difficult to enforce in society today.

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:18 PM


Shalom. Can You Please Explain Why "renewed Covenant" And Not "new Covenant"? Blessings John

Shalom John;The Hebrew word for new “Chadash” does not necessary mean “New” as we understandnew. Our understanding of new is something that is completely different from the original.However, the Hebrew understanding of Chadash can mean “Renewed”. For instance: InHebrew we refer to a new month as Rosh Chodesh (from the root Chadash). As you know,the Hebrew months are based on the moon and a new month begins with a new moon.However, the moon is not new, that is, different from the original moon; it is new rather in thesense that it has been renewed to start a new month. When you understand that the NewCovenant contains nothing in it that is totally new or completely different from the OldCovenant, then you can understand that it is actually a Renewed Covenant not a NewCovenant. Like the new moon is not new but only represents a new month, so too the BritChadasha is not new but only represents progressive revelation of the Tanach (HebrewScriptures).Blessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:19 PM


Should We Be Required To Convert

Shalom Rabbi JackI was wondering if you could possibly give me your comments on a situation that has arisenin the Messianic community that myself and my husband have been a part of for over twelveyears. The original vision was to teach those coming into this movement how to live amessianic lifestyle, how to see Yeshua as central in all the Festivals, High Holy days, andShabbats etc. We were made up of Jews and non-Jews who believed in the Jewish MessiahYeshua. Over the last few months, we have been told by those in leadership that everyonemust convert (under their conversion programme) to become a Jew if they want to be part ofthis. (Including circumcision for the men). This was never part of the original vision, even forthe leadership who are now introducing this. Myself and my husband who have felt theoriginal vision was the L-rd’s end time work to restore true Biblical teaching and worship, arenow devastated by this new idea brought in. We are on the point of leaving. The scriptures wehave read about this seem to say this is wrong. Could you possibly give me your opinion onthis, do you feel this is the correct way forward?  As we need to hear from others outside ofour particular organization. I know you must be very busy but we would appreciate hearingfrom you on this matter. Should a non Jewish believer who loves Yeshua the Messiah haveto become Jewish through conversion (incl. circumcision for men) in order, (not to be saved)but to be complete.Thank you in advance for this.Shalom;I'm truly saddened to hear this news. It appears that deception as entered into the hearts of theleadership of your congregation. Conversion is a Jewish (religious) thing not a biblical thing.As a non-Jew you were converted the day you received Yeshua as your Messiah and affiliatedyourself with a Torah centred congregation. Conversion is of the heart and not of man (Spiritnot flesh). As for circumcision, it is a part of the sanctification process. Circumcision is a signand not a requirement of salvation. I believe that circumcision should come from the heartand not as a requirement for membership in a congregation. As part of the sanctificationprocess, God should be the one convicting a man to be circumcised not man. Sadly, I know ofother congregations are now requiring what your congregation is requiring. It is not biblicaland I do not agree with it! I will be praying for you and your leadership (no need to let meknow who they are, God knows).Blessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:21 PM


Hi Rabbi Jack Last Shabbat A Visitor Asked Me A Question About Wearing Kippahs (skullcaps), In A Messianic Synagogue And Why We Do. I Searched Online For Answers But Only Got Messages Of People Who Argue About It. Elijah

Shalom Elijah;The wearing of the kippah is more traditional than biblical. The biblical part is that the priestsof Temple times always had their heads covered. We too are priests, as we know Scriptureteaches, therefore, wearing of kippot is appropriate. The traditional part is that orthodox Jewshave always worn kippot as a symbol of their devotion and separateness. We wear kippot as awitness to un-saved Jewish people who we are sharing the gospel with and to associateourselves with the Jewish community. Kippot are not obligatory in our congregation.Hope this answers your question.Blessings in Yeshua

            By: Etz Chaim Kenya        

November 10, 2024 09:22 PM


Yeshua Said Turn The Other Cheek. Please Explain

Thank you for these commentaries. It is very inspiring. I would like to ask a question. Weread in the Torah an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Yeshua said turn the other cheek.Please explain how this fits in with the Torah.Thank you.CharlesShalom Charles thank you for the question.The contexts of these two passages are totally different. In teaching us to walk the extra mile,to turn the other cheek etc., Yeshua was teaching us not to take revenge. If someone hits us donot take revenge and hit him back. This however, does not conflict with us defendingourselves against an aggressor. The Bible does provide for self defence. Vengeance however,is of the Lord. The Torah teaching, on the other hand, refers and deals with punishment for acrime. There is no conflict in the teachings.