JEWISH VOICE BLOG

May 17, 2020

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Our God is the God of hope! As Paul draws his treatise to the Roman community of faith in Jesus to a close, he invokes the LORD as the God of hope. Inside of His own existence, there is hope. Though He is the God of all things, Paul is highlighting that he is the God of hope specifically. That should be an encouragement to us! Let us consider this t...

May 16, 2020

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 If we are struggling to live from hope, take a look at Paul’s encouragement to the Romans was to look to the Scriptures to find it. The record of testimony to the LORD’s faithfulness to the people of Israel strengthens our hope today. In the Scriptures, Paul tells us we can find patience. In the Scriptures, Paul exhorts us that we can...

May 15, 2020

…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…” Romans 12:12 In his sermon recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:12, Solomon states “though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Solomon is writing in the context of the value of camaraderie and relationships. I think we can apply Solomon’s principle of multiplication of strength as individual strengths are added together to this passage in Romans chapter 12....

May 14, 2020

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) As I am writing this, Israel should finally have a new government – putting an end to 16 months of political turmoil wrought by three inconclusive elections. You can read more about this significant event in the news articles below, but let’s just say for we who care so deeply about Israel and her people, this is an answer to ma...

May 14, 2020

…hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:24-25 I want to encourage you to take a moment and read the verse above a couple more times. Paul is using logic here to point out to the Roman community of Jesus followers that if we see with our eyes what we hope for, then there is no longer a need for hope. If our hope comes to pass, there is left no reason to hope. Only ...

May 13, 2020

We have experienced such joy ministering in Zimbabwe over the years. We’ve especially loved encountering and partnering with the Lemba Jewish people who live there. Aware that their DNA traces to the “kohenim” or priestly line of Israel, we have prayed for their prophetic destiny to be released as they come to know Yeshua (Jesus) as Savior and take their place in the Body of Messiah. One of the things that we’ve noted about the people of Zimbabwe is their resilience. However, over the past ...

May 13, 2020

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5 As we continue to discover Paul’s exhortation to hope in his writing to the Romans, let us consider his thoughts in verse 5 of the fifth chapter. And I want to look at it in reverse order. “…the Holy Spirit has been given to us…” I wonder, do we take this incredible truth for granted as followers of Jesus the Messiah? The essence of the LORD’s glo...

May 12, 2020

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 Paul is explaining to the Romans that the development of hope in our lives is a process. There are four elements: tribulation, perseverance, character and hope. They work together in three steps: Tribulation produces perseverance Perseverance produces character Character produces hope Hope is developed in us by a ...

May 11, 2020

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all… who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Romans 4:16, 18 Sometimes our hope as those who are of the God of Abraham is “contrary to hope.” Our hope is again...

May 10, 2020

A celebrated tradition in Messianic Jewish culture is gathering around the table and breaking bread with family, friends and even strangers. This weekly rhythm of Shabbat dinner provides both structure and comfort to stop all customary work, take a deep breath and enter into the LORD’s rest. Shabbat is an inheritance to remember the LORD’s creation and receive His peace. Every week Believers have an open invitation to come, sit at the table and feast on the Good News of Messiah that compels us t...