Sometimes the debates among followers of Yeshua on the political civil sphere produce a lot of smoke and little light.  I often sense that people do not really engage with the other. Maybe social media is a terrible place for serious dialogue.  I love such dialogue and have never feared to enter dialogue with people who are… Read more »

It has become common for Christians seeking to recover the Jewish roots of their faith to claim that the Church celebrations are on the wrong dates and therefore these Church dates are of pagan origin. Christians holding to this view seek a return to “God’s appointed feasts” (Leviticus 23). I have generally found that Messianic… Read more »

I recently finished reading a book by Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity, How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement became the Dominant Religious Force in a Few Centuries.  There are important sections with useful information for us all. I first became acquainted with Rodney Stark in 1968 when I was taking the Sociology of Religion at Wheaton…. Read more »

I am at a stage in life where I am motivated to read books that have been in my bookcases for years but have not yet been read.  One of those books is by Michael Polanyi, one of the greatest scientists in the last generation (physical chemistry) who branched off into philosophy and art.  His 1958 book, Personal… Read more »

Sometimes we try to convince people of the way of the Gospel by showing them that those who live according to the Bible live the most fulfilling lives.  I think this is true.  I believe that sociological studies that would follow people over a long period of time would find this to be definitely true.  However, the standard… Read more »

The way this question is phrased already assumes the answer ‘no’ – that we should not – because indoctrination is a negative word today.  One young adult objected to teaching our children biblical perspectives because this was indoctrination.  Rather we should ask, should we disciple our children?  And of course, my answer is certainly, for… Read more »

Some years ago, I came into contact with some people that are connected to a very famous European church. One of these folks expressed distress that many of the young adults were living together out of wedlock, and others were having sexual relations without the commitment of marriage. Because they had attended my leadership seminar,… Read more »

Some of my Facebook friends have made it clear that they believe that there was massive voter fraud in the last election and but for that fraud, President Trump would have won.  Others of my friends, even those who voted for Trump, think that the whole voter fraud claim is foolish and will get nowhere. … Read more »

Controversy over Rabbinic Tradition Some years ago an intense controversy was ignited in the Messianic Jewish community here in Israel. An Israeli leader in the Messianic community who is supportive of Rabbinic Judaism, sent an invitation to fellow leaders to come together to discuss our relationship to Jewish rabbinic traditions. Another leader replied to all… Read more »

The leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is seeking to mobilize the members of his churches to vote for the Democrat candidates for the Senate in Georgia.   Meanwhile, the other Evangelicals in Georgia are mobilizing to support the Republicans.  Two seats are up for grabs and will determine whether the Senate is Republican… Read more »