Chavurat Derekh HaMashiach

The Difference Between Belief and Regeneration

February 12, 2026

For most of my life, I assumed salvation was simple: someone “gave their life to Christ,” prayed a prayer, or had an emotional moment, and that was the end of the story. I never questioned it. I never examined it. I never asked whether Scripture actually defined salvation that way. Then I heard Ray Comfort preach Hell’s Best Kept Secret and later True and False Conversion, and suddenly the pieces I had never connected before came together. What Ray was saying wasn’t new; it was the same warning Tozer, Schofield, Luther, and many others preached long before him. They all pointed back to the same biblical truth: the gospel produces repentance, and repentance produces transformation. Not perfection, but a new direction. Not sinlessness, but a changed relationship with sin.

That realization forced me to re‑examine what Scripture actually says about belief, cleansing, forgiveness, and regeneration. And the more I looked, the clearer it became that the Bible never treats “belief” as the full definition of salvation. James says plainly that even demons believe. They believe the facts about God, they acknowledge His power, they recognize Yeshua’s authority — but they are not redeemed. Their belief is intellectual, not transformational. That alone should make us pause before equating “belief” with “salvation.”

Scripture also uses the word cleansed in ways that don’t automatically mean “born again.” Yeshua cleansed lepers; that didn’t mean they were regenerated. He forgave the woman caught in adultery, but He still told her, “Go and sin no more,” because forgiveness is meant to lead to transformation. People were healed, touched, and helped by God without receiving a new heart. Mercy is not the same thing as regeneration.

That’s why Peter’s warning in 2 Peter is so important. He says a person can be “cleansed” and then become “blind” and “forget” what they were cleansed from. That’s not describing a healthy believer who simply lacks fruit. That’s a spiritual danger sign — someone who responded outwardly for a moment but never developed a root.

And that lines up perfectly with Yeshua’s own teaching. He never created a category of “saved but fruitless.” Instead, He spoke in contrasts: wheat and tares, sheep and goats, good seed and bad seed, seed with root and seed with no root, whitewashed tombs and true disciples. The seed on the rocks springs up quickly, looks alive for a moment, but because it has no root, it withers. That’s not a picture of a saved person losing fruit; it’s a picture of someone who never had a regenerated heart.

Every church has someone who shows up every Sunday, says “amen” louder than anyone, carries the biggest Bible, and knows all the right words — but their lifestyle tells a completely different story. Yeshua never called that person “a weak believer.” He called them a hypocrite. The issue isn’t attendance or vocabulary; the issue is the heart.

And that’s where regeneration comes in. The consistent message of the New Testament is that the Holy Spirit produces new desires, new habits, new direction, and a new relationship with sin. A believer may stumble into sin, but they don’t live in it by choice. A hypocrite dives into sin and stays there. That’s the entire point of 1 John 3 — the difference between practicing sin and struggling against it.

This is why the gospel is not “say this prayer and you’re in.” The gospel is “repent and believe, and God will give you a new heart.” A new heart produces new fruit. A new birth produces new life. A new creation produces new desires. Tozer said, “The proof of the new birth is the new life.” Luther said, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” Ray Comfort revived the same message: “The gospel produces repentance, and repentance produces transformation.” This isn’t legalism. This isn’t works‑based salvation. This is the miracle of regeneration — the work of God that changes a person from the inside out.

Belief alone is not redemption. Cleansing alone is not regeneration. Forgiveness alone is not transformation. Attendance alone is not discipleship. Emotion alone is not salvation. Regeneration is the mark of redemption — and regeneration always produces fruit.

Not perfection, but direction. Not sinlessness, but a changed relationship with sin. Not instant maturity, but undeniable transformation. This is the gospel Yeshua preached, the apostles preached, the Reformers preached, and the gospel I stand on today.

If you’re reading this, I’d encourage you to take a quiet moment and honestly evaluate your own life. Not with fear, but with humility. Look at your fruit, your desires, your habits, and your direction. Ask yourself whether your conversion has been merely a moment — or a miracle. And if you find areas where the fruit is missing or the root feels shallow, don’t hide it. Bring it before HaShem. Ask Him for the Spirit of repentance, renewal, and transformation. He delights in giving new hearts to those who ask.

And if you know someone who might benefit from this message — someone wrestling with what salvation truly means — feel free to pass this along. Sometimes a simple conversation can be the spark that leads to a transformed life.
Many Professing Believers Are Not Saved: A Biblical and Historical Warning

February 11, 2026

Have you ever heard somebody say, “I gave my heart to the Lord when I was young… then I fell away… lied, cheated, slept around, got hooked on drugs and alcohol… and when I turned forty‑two, I gave my heart back to the Lord”? And everybody nods like that’s normal. Like salvation is a jacket you can take off, lose for twenty years, and put back on when life gets rough. But Scripture never talks like that. Not once. The real issue isn’t whether someone lost salvation. The real issue is whether they ever had it in the first place.

Amen?

We’ve built a culture where praying a prayer is treated like being born again. Where walking an aisle is treated like receiving a new heart. Where saying “Lord, Lord” is treated like being known by Him. But Torah says HaShem Himself circumcises the heart so we will love Him and live. Ezekiel says He gives a new heart and puts His Spirit within us to cause us to walk in His ways.

A new heart doesn’t turn back into an old one. A Spirit‑filled life doesn’t drift back into darkness without conviction. If someone continues in sin because they want to, because they plan to, because they make provision for it, that’s not a fallen believer—that’s an unchanged heart.

Isaiah said there are people who honor God with their lips while their hearts are far away. Jeremiah said HaShem searches the heart and reveals what’s really inside. Israel had the Temple, the sacrifices, the festivals, the language of faith—and yet many were spiritually dead. The problem wasn’t the rituals. The problem was the heart behind them.

And Yeshua… Yeshua gave the most terrifying warning in all of Scripture. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom.” These weren’t atheists. These weren’t pagans. These were religious people—people who prophesied, cast out demons, performed miracles. And Yeshua says, “I never knew you.”

Not “I knew you once but you fell away.” Never. They were active. They were impressive. They were involved. But they were never His. He said the wheat and the tares grow together until the end. They look the same. They stand in the same field. But only one is alive.And the congregation says: Let me be wheat, not a tare.John says the one born of God does not practice sin. James says faith without works is dead—not lost, dead. Paul says make no provision for the flesh. And John says those who depart were never truly part of us. A saved person may stumble, but they don’t plan sin. A saved person may fall, but they don’t protect sin. A saved person may struggle, but they don’t love sin.And the congregation says: Transform me, Lord.This isn’t just Scripture talking. This is history talking. Spurgeon said there are many in every congregation who are not saved. Tozer said tens of thousands of professing Christians are not Christians at all. Ravenhill said he doubted more than five percent of professing believers in America were truly born again. Paul Washer said most people in the church are lost, and the greatest heresy in America is that you can be saved and not be changed. John Wesley preached about the “almost Christian”—religious, moral, active, yet unconverted.And the congregation says: Let me be the real thing.

So when someone says, “I was saved, then I fell away for twenty years, then I came back,” what they’re describing is not salvation lost and regained. It’s conviction delayed. It’s religion without regeneration. It’s a profession without transformation. Because a person who is truly saved may wander, but they cannot live in sin without the Spirit’s discipline. A person who is truly saved may fall, but they cannot remain in rebellion without conviction. A person who is truly saved may struggle, but they cannot love darkness more than light.

If someone continues in sin because they want to, because they plan to, because they make provision for it, Scripture doesn’t call that backsliding. It calls it evidence of an unchanged heart.

And yet—hear me—only HaShem knows the heart. We can see fruit. We can discern patterns. We can warn, teach, and encourage. But we cannot declare who is saved and who is not. HaShem sees the heart. We see the outside. Our job is not to pronounce verdicts. Our job is to proclaim truth. To call people to repentance. To urge believers to examine themselves in the light of Scripture.

Lord.Because the message is simple, but it is not easy: a salvation that does not transform is not salvation. A new heart does not return to an old life. A new creation does not revert to the old creation. A person who continues in sin by choice, intention, and design was never born again.And the congregation says: Make me new.And yet—HaShem delights in giving new hearts. He delights in transforming lives. He delights in saving the lost, whether they sit in a pew, a synagogue, a living room, or a van in a Florida parking lot.

So examine your life—not to fear losing salvation, but to confirm that the Spirit has truly transformed you. And pray for those who sit in congregations but have never experienced the new heart HaShem promised. Because the fields are full of wheat and tares. The difference is not always visible. But the fruit never lies.

Shalom, Shalom
“Goats, Milk, Mercy, and the Road”

February 11, 2026

Kenny’s Vanlife Torah Reflection

Shalom from the passenger seat, where the sun is warm on my fur and the hum of the road makes me feel like I’m riding on the breath of the Ruach. Dad and I have been rolling through another stretch of highway, the kind where the trees blur into green smudges and the world feels wide and open, like Torah itself. I love vanlife — the smells, the breezes, the endless parade of new places to pee — but what I love most is how the road becomes a classroom. Dad reads Scripture, and I listen, head on his knee, pretending I’m not secretly hoping for a cheeseburger later. No bun. No condiments. Just the sacred meat‑and‑cheese covenant reward for being a Very Good Boy.

Today Dad read the command that shows up three times in Torah: “Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” As soon as he said it, I tilted my head, because even a dog knows milk is for life, not for cooking babies. And as the van rolled on, the meaning of that command started to unfold in my mind like the long road ahead of us — one line of Torah stretching into compassion, holiness, and the way we’re supposed to live.

Out here on the road, you see things differently. You see how a mama goat protects her little one on a hillside. You see how milk is meant to nourish, not destroy. You see how creation has rhythms — life and death, light and dark, holy and ordinary — and how mixing them carelessly leads to confusion. Torah isn’t just a list of rules; it’s a way of tuning your heart so you don’t lose your sense of what’s good. Even the sages in the Talmud said that commandments like this train us toward mercy, and that mixing symbols of life and death dulls the spirit. They weren’t just talking about goats. They were talking about the human heart.

Dad says some ancient nations used to boil a kid in its mother’s milk as part of fertility rituals. That makes my tail droop. Why twist something meant for life into something used for superstition or cruelty. Torah calls Israel to be different — not to imitate the nations, not to blend worship with the world’s confusion. And as we drive past billboards, noise, and the constant pull of culture, I get it. Vanlife keeps things simple. Torah does too.

And then there’s Yeshua, the Good Shepherd. He never dismissed the compassion laws; He deepened them. He taught that mercy is weightier than sacrifice, that kindness fulfills Torah, that the vulnerable must be protected. This command fits right into His teaching: don’t twist what God gave for life into something that causes harm. And if Abraham served YHVH meat and milk together, then clearly the issue isn’t cheeseburgers — which is good, because Dad only gives me one after I survive the vet, and I consider that a holy moment.

As the miles pass, I think about how this command applies to vanlife. When you live on the road, you learn not to weaponize what’s meant for blessing. Water is precious. Space is limited. Words matter. If milk is meant to nourish, then so are the gifts God gives us — our time, our relationships, our calling. Don’t use them to harm. Don’t twist them into something they were never meant to be. And don’t crush the spiritually young either. New believers are like puppies — they need milk, not pressure or shame. They need gentleness, not boiling heat.

The B’rit Chadashah echoes this everywhere. Hebrews talks about milk as nourishment for growth. Romans warns not to conform to the world. Ephesians tells fathers not to provoke their children — a reminder to treat the vulnerable with care. James says pure religion cares for the helpless. Peter says to long for pure spiritual milk. All of it points back to the same heart: God is compassionate, and His people should be too.

As the van rolls on, I curl up and think about how Dad treats me. He doesn’t boil me in anything — thank goodness — but he also doesn’t crush my spirit. He leads gently. He corrects me without breaking me. He rewards me when I’m brave, especially after the vet, when I endure the indignities of thermometers and needles. And when I come out on the other side, Dad gives me a cheeseburger. No bun. No pickles. No weird human sauces. Just blessing. Just kindness. Just love.

And maybe that’s the whole point. If Torah says not to boil a goat in its mother’s milk, then surely it also means not to scorch your relationships, not to simmer in bitterness, not to cook your calling into something unrecognizable. It means to keep life and death distinct, to guard your heart, to imitate the Shepherd who leads with gentleness. It means to choose compassion on the road, in the van, in the quiet moments when the sun is setting and the world feels soft.

The road teaches you that life is fragile. Torah teaches you that life is sacred. And Dad teaches me that blessings come after obedience — especially cheeseburgers. So as we keep driving, I wag my tail and whisper a little dog‑prayer: may we all learn to treat God’s gifts with care, to protect the vulnerable, to keep our hearts soft, and to follow the Shepherd who never mixes life with death.

And may every good boy — human or canine — receive the blessings meant for him in the right season.
PARASHAH MISHPATIM — PART 1. Exodus 21:1–22:26

February 10, 2026

The Judgments That Shape a Holy People“Mishpatim” means “judgments” or “ordinances,” and this portion opens with a shift from the thunder of Sinai to the everyday realities of covenant life. God moves from revelation to application, showing Israel what holiness looks like when lived out in relationships, responsibilities, and the ordinary rhythms of community. These laws are not arbitrary; they are the blueprint for a society that reflects the character of the God who redeemed His people from slavery.

The early laws emphasize human dignity. Even in cases of servitude or conflict, the Torah places limits on power and protects the vulnerable. This was revolutionary in the ancient world. God is teaching Israel that holiness is not only expressed in worship but in how they treat the weak, the wounded, and the overlooked. Justice begins with compassion.

As the portion continues, the theme of restitution emerges. When harm is done—whether through theft, negligence, or accident—the goal is restoration. Mishpatim teaches that righteousness is relational: when something is broken, we repair it; when someone is harmed, we make it right. These laws reveal a God who values fairness, responsibility, and the healing of community.

The Haftarah (Jeremiah 34:8–22; 33:25–26) reinforces these themes. Jeremiah rebukes Judah for violating the very laws of Mishpatim by re‑enslaving those they had freed. God declares that covenant faithfulness is measured by justice, not ritual alone. Yet even in judgment, He promises restoration because His covenant endures. The prophets echo the Torah: justice is worship, and obedience is love.

For us today as Messianic believers, Mishpatim calls us to embody the heart of Yeshua’s teaching—justice rooted in mercy, compassion rooted in humility, and integrity rooted in love. These laws remind us that discipleship is not only about what we believe but how we live. When we defend the vulnerable, repair what we break, and treat others with dignity, we reveal the Kingdom Yeshua proclaimed. If this reflection encouraged you, take a moment to comment, share it with someone who loves the Word, and subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2 later this week.
When People Claim Paul Contradicted Jesus: A Closer Look

February 10, 2026

Every few months, a familiar claim resurfaces online: “Christianity is based on Paul, not Yeshua.” The argument usually comes packaged with a long list of supposed contradictions—Paul versus the Ten Commandments, Paul versus Moses, Paul versus the Twelve, Paul versus Yeshua Himself. It sounds bold, even convincing, until you slow down and read both Jesus and Paul the way they actually spoke: as first‑century Jews who understood Torah, covenant, blessing, curse, and the human heart.One of the loudest accusations is that Paul called obedience “a ministry of death.”

The reference is 2 Corinthians 3:7, where Paul mentions the commandments “carved in letters on stone.” The claim is that Paul mocks the Ten Commandments and contradicts Yeshua, who said, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” But this argument collapses the moment you remember what Moses himself said: “I set before you life and death, blessing and curse.” Torah brings life when obeyed and death when broken. Paul isn’t attacking the commandments—he’s describing the covenant consequences Moses already laid out. Yeshua and Paul are not contradicting each other; they’re describing two sides of the same covenant.Paul’s contrast between “letter” and “Spirit” is also misunderstood. He isn’t saying the commandments are bad. He’s saying the letter alone—commands written externally on stone—cannot change a hardened heart. That’s the entire point of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36: God would write His Torah on hearts and give His Spirit so His people could actually walk in His ways. Yeshua made the same critique when He said Israel honored God with lips while their hearts were far from Him. The problem was never Torah. The problem was the heart.

Another common accusation is that Paul “twisted” Deuteronomy 30 in Romans 10. But Paul quotes Moses exactly as Moses intended. Moses said the word is near, in your mouth and in your heart. Paul uses that same language to show continuity: the same God who placed His word in Israel’s heart is now placing faith in Messiah there as well. That’s not a contradiction—it’s covenant progression.

Romans 7 is also frequently misrepresented. Paul’s “I do what I don’t want to do” is not an excuse for sin; it’s a diagnosis of the human condition without the Spirit. Romans 8 immediately follows with the solution: the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit. That lines up perfectly with Yeshua’s ’teaching: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”Even the claim that Paul invented “calling on the name of the Lord” falls apart under scrutiny. Paul is quoting Joel 2:32. If Paul is wrong, then Joel is wrong. And the idea that the apostles didn’t trust Paul ignores the entire book of Acts. James, Peter, and John all affirmed his ministry. Paul took a Nazirite vow, brought offerings to the Temple, circumcised Timothy, and kept the feasts. That is not a man rejecting Torah.

The truth is simple: Yeshua and Paul preach the same message. Repent. Turn to God. Walk in His ways. Obey His commandments. Live by the Spirit. The difference is audience—Jesus spoke to Jews already inside the covenant; Paul spoke to Gentiles entering it. Same God, same Messiah, same Torah, different starting points.

The real tension isn’t between Yeshua and Paul. It’s between Yeshua and modern Christianity. Many churches today prefer a version of grace that demands nothing, costs nothing, and transforms nothing. But that’s not Paul’s gospel. Paul never taught cheap grace. He taught Spirit‑empowered obedience—the very thing Jesus called His disciples to live out.

So no, Paul didn’t contradict Yeshua. He didn’t replace Him. He didn’t soften Him. Paul explained why we need the Messiah and how the Spirit enables us to walk in the very commandments Yeshua upheld. When you read them together, not against each other, the harmony is unmistakable.

And in a world full of noise, harmony matters more than ever.
Parashah Yitro — Part 2

February 6, 2026

When Moses descends the mountain in Exodus 19:14, the people are standing at the edge of a moment that will define their identity for all generations. They wash their garments, set boundaries, and wait—because the Holy One is about to reveal Himself in a way no nation has ever experienced. The thunder, lightning, thick cloud, and the shofar blast that grows louder and louder are not theatrics; they are the trembling edges of heaven touching earth. The mountain shakes, the people shake, and Moses speaks while God answers in thunder. This is the same God Isaiah later sees in his vision—the One whose robe fills the Temple, whose presence shakes the thresholds, whose holiness overwhelms even the prophet who cries, “Woe to me, for I am undone.” Sinai and Isaiah’s vision echo each other: the same holiness, the same awe, the same call to transformation.

Into that trembling moment, God speaks the Ten Words. Not whispered. Not mediated. Spoken directly to the people. These Words—no other gods, no idols, honoring His Name, keeping Shabbat, honoring parents, protecting life, marriage, property, truth, and contentment—are not merely commandments; they are the DNA of covenant life. They reveal what it means to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They are the foundation Yeshua later affirms and deepens when He teaches from a mountain, calling His disciples to live out the heart of Torah with integrity, mercy, and wholehearted devotion. The B’rit Chadashah writers echo this again and again: James calls it the “royal law,

” Peter calls believers “a chosen people, a royal priesthood,” and the writer of Hebrews reminds us that the God who shook Sinai still shakes the earth—not to destroy, but to refine.

The people, overwhelmed by the sound and sight of God’s presence, step back and beg Moses to speak on their behalf. Moses reassures them that this fear is not meant to push them away but to anchor them in reverence. Isaiah felt the same trembling when the seraph touched his lips with a coal, cleansing him and commissioning him. Israel at Sinai and Isaiah in the Temple both encounter the God who reveals Himself not to terrify but to transform. And in the B’rit Chadashah, this same God writes His Torah on hearts, not stone, calling His people to walk in holiness with joy rather than dread.

As the chapter closes, God gives the first practical instructions for worship: no idols of silver or gold, no altars built to impress, no steps that elevate the worshiper above others. Worship must be simple, humble, and centered on Him alone. This humility is echoed in Isaiah’s message to a nation tempted by alliances and self-reliance, and in the prophetic promise of a child who will carry the government on His shoulders—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. The One promised in Isaiah is the same One who fulfills the covenant purpose of Sinai, calling His followers to embody the holiness and justice revealed in the Ten Words.

When we read Yitro today, we are not just remembering an ancient moment; we are being invited into the same covenant rhythm. In a world that celebrates autonomy,Sinai calls us back to identity. In a culture that blurs truth, the Ten Words anchor us. In a time when noise drowns out the sacred, the shofar blast at Sinai reminds us that God still speaks. And as children of HaShem, we are called to live these truths—not as burdens, but as the shape of a life that reflects His character. The awe of Sinai, the vision of Isaiah, and the teachings of Yeshua all converge into one invitation: to be a people who carry holiness into ordinary days, who let God’s voice shape our choices, and who walk as a kingdom of priests in a world desperate for light.

If this reflection strengthens your walk, consider sharing it with someone who might need encouragement today. And if you’d like to keep journeying through the Torah portions with these blended insights, subscribe to the blog so you never miss a teaching. May these words take root in your life as you live out your calling as a child of HaShem.
Parashah Yitro (Part 1): Preparing for the Mountain

February 5, 2026

Parashah Yitro opens with a surprising visitor—Yitro, Moses’ father‑in‑law, a Midianite priest who recognizes the greatness of Israel’s God before many Israelites fully do. His arrival is more than a family reunion; it’s a prophetic picture of the nations being drawn to the God of Israel. Yitro watches Moses exhaust himself judging every dispute and offers wisdom that reshapes Israel’s leadership structure. This moment echoes the Haftarah in Isaiah 6, where the prophet also encounters the holiness of God and receives a commission. Both passages remind us that before God reveals Himself in power, He often brings order, clarity, and shared responsibility to His people.

As Israel reaches the wilderness of Sinai, the tone shifts. The people camp “as one,” and God declares His intention: Israel is to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This identity isn’t about privilege—it’s about purpose. God invites them into covenant partnership, but preparation is required. Boundaries must be set. Hearts must be ready. The people must consecrate themselves because the next day, the God who delivered them from Egypt will descend on the mountain. Isaiah’s vision mirrors this awe: the seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy,” and Isaiah realizes that encountering God demands transformation. Holiness is not a concept; it’s a calling.Today, this portion speaks directly into our distracted, overextended world. Like Moses, many of us try to carry too much alone. Like Israel, we forget that identity comes before assignment. And like Isaiah, we need moments where God’s holiness reorients our perspective. Yitro challenges us to embrace wise structure, shared leadership, and intentional preparation. Sinai challenges us to slow down, consecrate our lives, and remember that:

God still calls His people to be distinct in a world that blurs every line. If this reflection stirred something in you, like, share, and subscribe so others can journey through the Torah portions with us. And don’t forget to check back this Shabbat for the conclusion—when Israel finally hears the voice of God at Sinai.
When home has a pulse.

February 4, 2026

A nomad learns early that “home” can’t be pinned to a street address or a mortgage. Home shifts, breathes, moves. It’s a fire that burns wherever you set it down for the night. But even that isn’t the deepest truth. A nomad discovers—sometimes slowly, sometimes painfully—that the only real home is people. Not the crowd, not the masses, but the handful of souls who walk with you, who know your story, who hold your name with care. A nomad’s life is light on possessions but heavy on relationships, because relationships are the only things you can carry across every border.

When you live on the road long enough, you start to see that geography is overrated. You can be surrounded by mountains and still feel homeless, or parked at a truck stop and feel completely held. Home is the friend who opens their driveway without hesitation. Home is the stranger who becomes family over a shared meal. Home is the community that remembers your dog’s name, your journey, your calling. A nomad’s heart settles not in a place, but in the presence of people who make the wandering meaningful.

And in the story of Scripture, this is exactly how God builds His people. Israel wasn’t defined by a land first—they were defined by a covenant, a shared identity, a traveling community bound together by faith and responsibility. Their home was each other long before it was a territory. Nomad Torah stands in that same lineage. It says: Home is not where you stop moving. Home is who you walk with. For the wanderer, the pilgrim, the vanlifer, the disciple on the road—people are the tent pegs that hold your life steady in the wind.
“Who We Are in Him”

February 4, 2026

Church family… Every generation of believers has a moment when God invites them to remember who they really are.

Not who the world says they are. Not who culture labels them. But who Messiah calls them.And sometimes, the truth is hiding in plain sight— in verses we’ve read for years but never slowed down long enough to let them define us.

Paul says, “If you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)Not symbolic heirs. Not honorary members. Not “spiritual Israel” in a poetic sense. He says you are Abraham’s seed. You are part of the covenant family. You are grafted into the same olive tree God planted in Genesis.Identity in Messiah is identity in Israel’s story.

And Yeshua Himself confirms the foundation of that story. In Matthew 23:1–3, He tells the crowds and His disciples:

“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So whatever they tell you to observe—observe and do. But do not do according to their works…”He wasn’t rejecting the Torah. He was rejecting hypocrisy. He wasn’t calling His followers away from God’s instructions. He was calling them back to the heart of them.Because if you are in Messiah, you are part of the people to whom those words were first spoken.Identity isn’t a side topic. It’s the whole story.

The apostles understood this. Peter calls believers a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Paul says we were once strangers to the covenants, but now we have been brought near (Ephesians 2:12–13).John says that those who receive Messiah are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12).This is the biblical definition of Israel: a people formed by faith in the God of Abraham and redeemed through the Messiah of Israel.

So today, I’m not here to pressure you. I’m not here to hand you a list of rules. I’m here to invite you into the identity Scripture already gave you.

If you belong to Messiah, you belong to His people. If you follow the Shepherd, you’re part of His flock. If you’re grafted into the tree, you share its roots.And if that’s true— then the Torah isn’t a relic. It’s part of your inheritance. Part of your story. Part of the way Yeshua Himself walked.Not as a burden. Not as a badge. But as a way of life that reveals the heart of the One we follow.

So if something in you stirs when you read the words of Moses… If something lights up when you see how Yeshua fulfilled them… If something whispers, “There’s more here for me,” then follow that whisper.Learn the Torah. Explore it. Let the Spirit show you what to embrace, what to practice, what to let shape your walk.

Not because you must. But because you belong. Because you’re part of the story. Because identity in Messiah is identity in Israel.

And when you know who you are, you walk differently. You love differently. You follow Him more deeply.

May the Lord open the Scriptures to you. May He root you in your identity. And may He lead you in His ways as you follow the One who said,

“Come, follow Me.”Shalom.
Tu BiShvat… as Kenny 🐾

February 2, 2026

🌳“Hi. It’s me. Kenny. Today is the Day of Trees. I didn’t know trees had a birthday, but apparently they do, and honestly… I respect that. If I had a birthday every year where people planted more sticks for me? I’d be thrilled.Brook says it’s called Tu BiShvat. That’s Hebrew for ‘the day when trees get older but don’t look it.’ I like that. Trees don’t worry about wrinkles. They just stand there being wise and shady. I try to do that too, but I get distracted by squirrels.Anyway, Brook told me this day is about remembering that trees give us fruit, shade, oxygen, and sometimes a good place to pee. I added that last one. Brook didn’t approve, but it’s still true.Some people eat dried fruit today. I don’t know why it’s dried. Maybe the fruit was tired. Maybe it wanted a nap. I support that.But mostly, Tu BiShvat is about thanking God for making the world full of growing things. And I like that. Because when I look at a tree, I think: ‘Wow. That’s a big stick. God must really love me.’Happy Tree Day, everyone. May your branches be strong, your roots be deep, and your snacks be plentiful.”

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