Shows / Messiah in Life
Messiah in Life
Messiah in Life is hosted by Justin D. Elwell, Bishop of Restoration Fellowship International and Messiah Congregation in New Hartford, New York. Rooted in biblical theology, discipleship, and practical faith, the podcast draws from Jewish, Messianic Jewish, and Christian sources to help listeners apply the full counsel of God’s Word to everyday life through faith in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
Each episode is designed to equip believers to think biblically, live faithfully, and walk in the ways of…
Episodes
- Messiah in Life
Baha’alotcha: Torah 36
Why is Aaron told to "kindle the lights" of the Menorah between the princely dedicatory offering and the dedication of the Levites? Is there a lesson that we…
- Messiah in Life
Nasso: Torah 35
What are some of the many ways the Lord "raises us" up in service to Him? The portion of Nasso, meaning count or lift up, identifies several ways that the Lord…
- Messiah in Life
Bamidbar: Torah 34
The Lord commands Aaron and Moses to count the children of Israel in the wilderness in a beautiful and profound way. What does this mean for us today? How does…
- Messiah in Life
Bechukotai: Torah 33
In this last portion of the Book of Leviticus, we closely consider the blessing of rain. If it is the first of blessings listed for obedience, why does rain…
- Messiah in Life
Behar: Torah 32
Before speaking of the Year of Release (Shemittah) and the Year of Jubilee, the Torah records that the Lord spoke these words to him upon Mt. Sinai, why? Is…
- Messiah in Life
Emor: Torah 31
"Make every day count!" "I'm counting the days...!" We are all familiar with expressions like these, but why does the Lord command us to count the days? What…
- Messiah in Life
Acharei Mot/Kedoshim: Torah 29/30
In a combined Torah study, we consider the call to living holiness in the Lord. How can we love our neighbor as ourselves, not abuse the blind and the deaf…
- Messiah in Life
The Lure of the Cave
When David fled to the cave of Adullam, what did the Lord do? David had a messy life at this point. He was anointed the king of Israel, but a king without…
- Messiah in Life
Ma Nishtana: Why? This Story
As the Passover Seder begins the seminal question of the evening is asked by a child: Why? "Why is this night different from all other nights?" References…
- Messiah in Life
Metzora: Torah 28
We continue to consider the meaning of spiritual leprosy, and how we may find evidence of that today. What is the opposite of the "evil tongue"? Are we…
- Messiah in Life
Tazria: Torah 27
How you ever gossiped about someone? How did that gossip make you feel after the other person found out? Or, when your gossip continued to spread, but not…
- Messiah in Life
Sh'mini: Torah 26
The 8th day! How do we find holy meaning in everyday life? Can there be importance in the most basic aspects of human life? Absolutely. There is a beautiful…
- Messiah in Life
Tzav: Torah 25
What's wrong with leftovers? I like leftovers. Do you? Well, there is an issue with leftovers concerning certain sacrifices. What lesson do we learn from the…
- Messiah in Life
Vayikra: Torah 24
This week we begin the Book of Leviticus. Often, people find Leviticus a difficult book to study. With the subject of sacrifice, ritual purity and impurity…
- Messiah in Life
Pekudei: Torah 23
The certificate of occupancy of a home, the assurance that the structure has been built to specifications. We, in faith, have an even greater assurance of our…
- Messiah in Life
Vayakhel: Torah 22
When the Lord gives us sacred work, does the immediacy of the new sacred work set aside His call for us to rest? The children of Israel were deep into the…
- Messiah in Life
Ki Tisa: Torah 21
This week we take a look at a lesson from the sin of the golden calf. What lesson in faith do we learn from this? What does Moses mean when he asks to behold…
- Messiah in Life
Faithful Witnesses: Caleb and Joshua
There are times when our personal history distorts how we see and experience the promises of God. In those times we need the Caleb's and the Joshua's to speak…
- Messiah in Life
Tetzaveh: Torah 20
Is there a theology regarding garments in the Bible? What would a garment theology reveal? The garments of the Levitical high priest are described to be for…
- Messiah in Life
Terumah: Torah 19
There is a strange shift in the Torah narrative, from the legal matter of Mishpatim (Judgments), to the constructive narrative of the Tabernacle. What is the…
- Messiah in Life
Mishpatim: Torah 18
In this week's Torah portion, the Lord seems to be making a radical departure from a more personal narrative, to one that seems to focus on the legal matters…
- Messiah in Life
Yitro: Torah 17
As the children of Israel make their way physically and spiritually to Mt. Sinai, how does the Lord ensure that, following the war with Amalek, that His people…
- Messiah in Life
Beshalach: Torah 16
How does the Lord heal a nation of freed slaves? In the wonders shown to Israel during the exodus, was there, perhaps, a secondary purpose to them, beyond the…
- Messiah in Life
Bo: Torah 15
As Egypt experiences the judgment of God through the plagues, the children of Israel are given a yearly and daily reminder of their time as slaves in Egypt…
- Messiah in Life
Va'era: Torah 14
The "sign miracle" of Aaron's staff being turned into a serpent. What is the meaning behind it? Why, when the Egyptian magicians so easily replicated it, did…
- Messiah in Life
Shemot: Torah 13
As we open the Book of Exodus, we find the Lord beginning to "attend to" His people as they face dire circumstances. Often, what appears to be an end is a…
- Messiah in Life
Vayechi: Torah 12
We conclude the opening book of the Torah, Genesis. This portion focuses on the life of Jacob in Egypt with his beloved son Joseph. Yet, in a touch moment of…
- Messiah in Life
Vayigash: Torah 11
Have you ever been a bridge for someone? Or did someone ever bridge a gap for you? We see some beautiful examples of bridges in this portion as we look at a…
- Messiah in Life
Miketz: Torah 10
"At the end" of what? After years of false imprisonment, and two years after the cupbearer is released, Joseph is brought before the Pharaoh of Egypt. Why? Is…
- Messiah in Life
Vayeshev: Torah 9
In this episode of Messiah in Life we consider the journey of two brothers: Joseph and Judah. From the loss of sons, to the loss of everything, the journey is…
- Messiah in Life
Vayishlach: Torah 8
Jacob sends messengers. He receives back troubling news. How does Jacob respond? How does the Torah want us to understand Jacob's Mincha gift to Esau? Is there…
- Messiah in Life
Vayeitzei: Torah 7
Of Jacob's dream, stones, and not allowing life experiences to cause decay in your spirit. How are all these subjects connected? What do we learn from them?…
- Messiah in Life
Toldot: Torah 6
The "limp" of Isaac. What was it? Where did it come from? And what does it teach us? Isaac faced many trails and tribulations from outside and inside his own…
- Messiah in Life
Chayei Sarah: Torah 5
The life of Sarah seems to come to an abrupt halt, why? In this portion, we will consider how the Lord restores, draws to Himself, and meets the orphaned and…
- Messiah in Life
Vayeira: Torah 4
As the life of Abraham continues to unfold, he and Sarah celebrate the announcement, the birth, and ultimately the dedication of Isaac. Additionally, they must…
- Messiah in Life
In the Water and the Bread
Pharaoh stands upon the Nile in his dream, but a young Hebrew will rescue Egypt. What do we learn from the life of Pharaoh and Joseph in Messianic faith?…
- Messiah in Life
Lech Lecha: Torah 3
The portion of Lech Lecha is packed with insight into a covenant life of a faith when called by God. It includes Abraham's victories and failures. We begin…
- Messiah in Life
Noach: Torah 2
How does the tower generation reveal the Gospel, and the fulfillment of the promises of God? References: Genesis 6:9; 1:28; 9:1; 11:1-9.
- Messiah in Life
Bereshit: Torah 1
Can a wanderer settle? As we open our study of the weekly Torah portions, we first look at the life and meaning of Cain. What do we learn from his life, and…
- Messiah in Life
Under the Fig Tree
Under the fig tree, God sees me. References: John 1:43-51; Micah 4:3-4.
- Messiah in Life
Not Every Limp ...
Not every limp is an injury, sometimes it's the touch of God. References: Genesis 32:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 8:37.
- Messiah in Life
The Wisdom of Many Worries
The wisdom of many worries. An old Yiddish proverb that sounds strange, but there is wisdom here. References: Psalm 118:24; Matthew 6:34
- Messiah in Life
And Peter
When you feel like you may have messed up so badly as to be excluded from what God is doing, remember two words: "and Peter." Reference: Mark 16:7
- Messiah in Life
Come to Me Part 4: The Seal of the Holy Spirit
Over the past several weeks we have considered the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives: Who sent Him? His Working in us. His washing of us. And now, His…
- Messiah in Life
A Song in Captivity
How can we sing a song of praise while in captivity, during a season of trail or correction? The answer we find in Psalm 137 and 138. Give a listen.
- Messiah in Life
Come to Me Part 3: The Washing of the Spirit
What is the Work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of messianic disciples? As we prepare for the fall feasts during the month of Elul, we need to be aware of the…
- Messiah in Life
Come to Me Part 2: The Work of the Spirit
What is the Work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of messianic disciples? As we prepare for the fall feasts during the month of Elul, we need to be aware of the…
- Messiah in Life
Come to Me Part 1: The Source of the Spirit
As we approach the Fall Feasts of the Lord, we enter a month of preparation. During the next four podcast episodes we will consider a series called: Come to…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 15
The Parable of the Maidens, addresses the actions of the wise and foolish maidens. What do we learn from this parable? How does the message of this parable…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 14
Four kinds of hearers, with four different results. What is the message of the Parable of the Sower, or another way, the Parable of the Hearers? What is the…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 13
A shrewd steward seemingly applauded by the Messiah? What is Yeshua/Jesus communicating to us through this unusual parable? The Parable of the Shrewd Steward…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 12
Having considered the urgency and the value of the Kingdom of God, Yeshua/Jesus now asks us to consider the costs of following Him. Join me as we consider two…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 11
The Find: What is the Kingdom of Heaven worth to us? What is the cost of discipleship? We consider these questions and so much more in this episode of Messiah…
- Messiah in Life
Trust in His Name
Knowing the name of God, and the specific attributes attached to His name can aid us in prayer. How so? Give a listen. Reference: Isaiah 50:10; Psalm 23:4; 2…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 10
The Lost. Have you ever experienced the joy of finding what had been lost? Maybe your keys, wallet, or even those glasses you were wearing? Then you can relate…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 9
The parable of the Urgent Invitation. With each parable, Messiah is urging us to a response. What is the urgent response needed here? And what does it speak to…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 8
The Parable of the Two Debtors. Messiah uses this parable to answer a silent question asked by Simon the Pharisee. What do we learn from this parable, and what…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 7
The Parable of the Prodigal Son, what is the meaning of this parable? Which son was the prodigal? Who wasted what? What did the original listeners hear that…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 6
The Merciful Lord and the Unforgiving Servant Forgiveness is a vital, and central practice of the messianic faith. How great a debt have we been forgiven? What…
- Messiah in Life
Messiah and the Parable 5
"Then who is my neighbor?" The heart of the question leading to the Parable of the Good Samaritan is: who am I responsible for? Messiah answers in the most…