Shalom Macon: Messianic Jewish Teachings

From a surface reading of the story of Jacob and Esau, it really seems Esau got the short end of the stick by being cheated out of the double-portion entitled to the firstborn. But we never read about Jacob receiving this either. What he receives is given by God and it's far greater than material blessings. Join us as we unravel this complex story of brothers and birthrights.

In the Torah portion of Chayei Sarah, Abraham purchased a field and a burial curve for his beloved wife, Sarah. But in reality it was so much more. Abraham, the father of many, had an incredible eye for the future and for the generational mission he had been given. Shalom Macon is taking a lesson from Abraham in this. Learn all about it here.

Abraham is affectionately called Avraham Avinu, "Our Father Abraham." Paul says he is the father of "all who believe." Is this just a title or are there expectations that come along with being children of Abraham? Our Torah portion reveals a lot to help us answer this question.

Noah’s success in the mission of survival was a great success. But there was a second mission, revival. How did he do? Was Noah the hero that God was looking for? The Torah uses small clues to point to the answer.

It’s at the top of the list of favorite Bible stories — Noah’s Ark. It’s obvious that righteous Noah had a big job to do, a mission from God to build this boat and survive the flood. He was faithful to the task. But Noah had multiple missions and the Torah makes them pretty clear if we look carefully. This teaching explores the multiple missions of Noah and how well he succeeded in accomplishing them.

As the Torah cycle starts with Genesis, we once again marvel at the mystery and majesty of creation. One mystery is particularly unique. The text says, "Let us create man in our image." This teaching explores interpretations of this curious text, introduces a challenging new interpretation and reveals a profound shadow of the messiah.

After the High Holidays, we made some decisions and commitments to take action to become our better self. There’s always one challenge that rears its head as we move forward in this direction. The sages of Israel use the valuable illustration of the horse and rider to teach about it. In this message, Rabbi Eisner brings that idea home as the conclusion to this series.

You have an illness. Actually more than one illness. It's not just sin, but a host of other maladies that keep you from living up to the potential that God intended for you when He created you. What's the remedy? The Great Physician has it waiting on you if you'll be honest about your symptoms.

When it comes to making resolutions to change, sometimes it feels like a losing battle, a hopeless cause. We look back at the list we made the year before and think, "What's changed?" But if haven't given up, but continued the struggle, we'll eventually see something on our list that has changed. It may be small, but it's progress. And a little progress over time can go a long way to changing your habits and ultimately your identity.

Is all of humanity damned by default because of original sin? This is what traditional Christianity teaches. But what does Judaism teach and where should Messianic Judaism land on the topic? This controversial message addresses this subject going all the way back to the very definition of sin.

Too often we try to break bad habits or change patterns of behavior but fail. Why is this? Maybe it's because we haven't dealt with the root of it all: our identity.

It’s the season for making improvement. It’s important to have a realistic expectation of what we can accomplish in the process. Perfection is always a goal, but progress is a valuable step along the way.

The Hebrew month of Elul is upon us. The High Holy Days are approaching. We are supposed to be preparing for judgment. That means forgiving and forgetting, right? Wrong. How so? Come join us as we explore this sensitive topic together.

Today we continue the the story of Shalom Macon, transitioning from the divine "No" to the "Yes" we were waiting for. Come join us on the journey as we continue to transition from who we were to who we are as a Messianic community.

Shabbat Nachamu is a special Sabbath that marks the beginning of seven special Haftarah readings, the Seven Consolations after Tisha B'Av leading up to the High Holy Days. Shabbat Nachamu is very special to Shalom Macon for a specific purpose. Join us to find out why.

Is it ever okay to be zealous for God's Torah? Didn't God deliver Paul from that by showing him that grace has superseded law? Or are we missing something very important here? How does Yeshua's command to love co-exist with zeal for God's Torah? It's critical we understand this important message.

Moses demonstrates zeal by a striking a rock and is punished. Pinchas zealously spears two people and is rewarded. Seems like a contradiction right? This week we’ll learn about zeal from a still, small voice with a lot to teach.

After the incident with Korach and the budding of Aaron’s staff, we have hope that the people have had their last complaining session. But then, they’re thirsty again and Moses and Aaron are faced with another uprising which results in one of the sadder moments in all of the Torah. Moses ends up striking the rock rather than speaking to it as he was instructed. It’s the culmination of Moses’ trouble, filled with lessons we must all learn. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n8hKP3U_xFU

The laws of purity and impurity, and especially the strange rituals of the Red Heifer can be completely foreign to most people in our day and age. But we should learn about them because of this little known fact: unknowingly, every disciple of Yeshua has a Red Heifer in our pocket. Want to know more? Join us for this thought-provoking teaching on the Torah portion of Chukat.

To this point in the book of Numbers Moses has had plenty of trouble leading the people. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve discussed his responses and the toll it took on him as a leader. This week he faces his greatest personal trouble as he deals with Korach and the rebels. As always, he has much to teach us.

Last week we discussed Moses' problem with the grumblers and complainers. This week things go from bad to worse as Moses deals with the "spies" who come back with a slanderous report about the Land God had promised to give Israel. What can we learn from this?

The book of Numbers starts off pretty well. This week we read about the nation setting out from Sinai for the Promised Land. But pretty quickly things head south, and not in a navigational sense. Moses does find himself navigating, but it’s both national and personal crises that have grave consequences in the end.

Descending The Mountain by Shalom Macon - Messianic Jewish Teaching

A Shavuot Message - Part 2 by Shalom Macon - Messianic Jewish Teaching

Are We At Odds With The Church? - Part 2 by Shalom Macon - Messianic Jewish Teaching

Is Messianic Judaism at odds with the Church? In particular, is Shalom Macon at odds with Christianity? How should Messianic followers of Yeshua view Christianity? Join Rabbi Damian as he addresses this touchy subject in order to bring unity among the disciples of Yeshua.

What is an omer? Why does counting it matter? Why should we pay attention to something that was done during the Temple days? What does this have to do with Yeshua? Let’s find out!

What is an omer? Why does counting it matter? Why should we pay attention to something that was done during the Temple days? What does this have to do with Yeshua? Let’s find out!

The New Testament is called inerrant, i.e, incapable of being wrong. However, there is at least one problem with that statement and critics are quick to point it out: there are conflicting reports of the timeline of the Messiah’s crucifixion. The Synoptic Gospels tell a seemingly different story than the Gospel of John. If we hope to defend the word “inerrant,” we should understand what the differences are, why they’re problematic, and how we might reconcile. them. Join us as we work to find a resolution in Part 2 of The Crucifixion Contradiction.

The New Testament is called inerrant, i.e, incapable of being wrong. However, there is at least one problem with that statement and critics are quick to point it out: there are conflicting reports of the timeline of the Messiah’s crucifixion. The Synoptic Gospels tell a seemingly different story than the Gospel of John. If we hope to defend the word “inerrant,” we should understand what the differences are, why they’re problematic, and how we might reconcile. them. That’s what we’ll do.

Passover is a season of joy, a celebration of the redemption of the people of Israel. Yet the Mishnah says we should begin telling the story with the “disgrace“ of it. This seems odd. But there’s actually a powerful reason for it, especially applicable to disciples of Yeshua. Join us for this discussion.

Jesus declared all foods clean. Seems pretty straightforward. Hence the fact that at Easter in North America, the number one meat consumed is ham. It’s an ironic twist. But if Jesus truly did change everything around, what's the problem? No condemnation here but we should definitely have a talk. :)

Like it or not, you are an animal. It’s a jarring consideration, no doubt. It’s not all you are, but that animal instinct does make up a part of you. The first step to overcoming it is to acknowledge it. In Part Two of Lessons In Leviticus, we’ll discuss how the Torah's sacrificial system leads us toward taming that animal inside us and living a life for God and our fellow human.