Weekly Bracha #2

This week in Messianic, Jewish, and Christian blogs.

• Ruach Renewal in Jewish Space – UMJC head Russ Resnik writes candidly about his long-held desire for a renewed presence of God’s spirit in the Messianic movement.
  
  
• A Wilderness Tryst – A deep dive into the biblical book of Hosea, the prophetic return of both houses of Israel, and it’s implications today.
  
  
• Palestinians to unilaterally declare a Palestinian State on 1967 borders – Aussie Dave covers the story, as PA leadership plan to bring the issue to a vote before the UN.
  
  
• Chanting the New Testament in Hebrew – Judeoxian highlights the news that a Hebrew New Testament with cantillation marks for traditional Hebrew chanting has been posted to Vine of David. This obscure work was originally published in 1866 by the London Jews Society.
  
  
• Hidden Person of the Heart – Boaz Michael laments the modern culture’s immodesty and lack of discretion, and encourages Messiah’s followers to heed the words of Proverbs, Peter, and Isaiah.
  
  
• Introduction to Acts, Part II podcast – Messianic apologist John McKee continues his series on the apostle’s ruling in Acts 15 on gentiles, Torah observance, and salvation.
  
  
• It is incumbent to await the coming of Moshiach every single day – Sean Emslie shows how we can center on Yeshua and his return and while still building a mature Messianic Judaism.
  
  
• Israelites from India and China return to Israel – A group of Chinese Israelites from a 1000+ year old Kaifeng community who have retained their identity as Israelites return home to Israel. Additionally, a group from the B’nei Menashe community of India, believed to be descendants of the biblical tribe of Manasseh, also return to live in Israel after centuries of dispersion. CBN News has the video:
  
  



• Anti-missionary groups are panicking – the Rosh Pina blog highlights a strategic legal victory for Israeli Messianics – the approved kosher status of a bakery cannot be overturned because its owner is a Messianic Jew. The anti-missionary response is one of damage control, as they scramble to influence Knesset members to reverse this ruling.
  
  
• Be cautious who you listen to video blog – John McKee warns against taking in just any old teaching, as many Messianics are too uncritical, unquestioning when it comes to teachings in the Messianic movement. He gives Scriptural support for this critical nature, and rebukes the notion that you can simply “go to these Messianic conferences, load up your plate at the smorgasbord, eat the meat and spit out the bones”.
  
  
• Why we didn’t talk to Channel 4 – HonestReporting responds to Britain’s Channel 4 documentary that demonizes the pro-Israeli influence in the British government. “A few readers are asking why we chose not to grant Channel 4's request to interview HR's managing editor, Simon Plosker. It's a fair question … The aggressive nature of the initial email Plosker received from C4 was a big factor. So was the premise of the documentary, which already seemed to take for granted the existence of an "Israel lobby" in the UK. The email, which basically wanted Plosker to justify HonestReporting's work, reeked of hatchet job.”
  
  
• Come Back! – Messianic Jewish psalmist and pianist Marty Goetz calls for a comeback – for the United States, for Israel, for Messiah. “Our nation needs a comeback, doesn't it? The economy, the national mood, the 'salt of the earth' American people, desperately need to come back from some serious doldrums. I've been around many years; things are as bad as I've seen them in many years. There is a 'come back' of which we all can be certain; the coming back to earth of Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel and Lord of all. The low murmur of a lone survivor won't bring him back. Rather it will be the cry of His kinsmen, Israel: ‘Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai---Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ He promised...and it will be. Look it up, and look up!”
  
  
• Bible Codes, the good and the bad – United Israel looks at some proofs for – and against – the idea that there exists hidden statements and prophecies encoded in the Hebrew Torah.
  
  
• Messianic Judaism: corruption or crowning achievement? – The Judeoxian blog asks why both sides in Jewish-Christian relations often look down on Messianic Judaism, and shows how Messianic Judaism is really a crowning achievement of Jewish-Christian relations.

Shabbat shalom, fine blog readers!