Best First Fruits of Zion Podcasts (2025)

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The Hummingbird Debate (Part 1) 1:15:26

17h ago1:15:26

1:15:26

Send us a text Professor R. L. Solberg participated in a livestreamed debate with Torah teacher Melissa Schilling Smith (aka God's Little Hummingbird) on How the Sinai Law Applies to Followers of Jesus. The discussion was moderated by Melissa's friend, Scott Harwell, who also hosted the debate on his YouTube channel. Both agree that salvation is by…

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Testing God's Little Hummingbird: A Biblical Response 32:14

17d ago32:14

32:14

Send us a text In this episode, we respond to the bold claims made by Melissa Schilling Smith—aka “God’s Little Hummingbird”—about mainstream Christianity and biblical theology. Melissa accuses respected teachers of being false prophets and insists that Torah observance is required for Christians today. But is this view biblically accurate? We take…

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78 – Did Jesus Believe in the Rapture? | D. Thomas Lancaster 51:52

18d ago51:52

51:52

From 88 Reasons for 1988 to the Thief in the Night films and the Left Behind franchise, the sudden disappearance of the church immediately before a seven-year tribulation has been a popular belief among Evangelicals. But is this idea truly biblical? Will the church be raptured? If so, will it happen pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib? Who exactly wil…

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The Full Assurance of Faith: Hebrews 10:19-39 (Part 15) 47:01

24d ago47:01

47:01

Send us a text The last half of Hebrews 10 contains a bold and timely message: because of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, believers now have full, confident access to God! This is a major turning point in the letter. After 9.5 chapters of deep theological teaching, the author of Hebrews pivots from doctrine to application. The message is bold and …

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Exposing the New Thought Movement: An Interview With Melissa Dougherty 1:24:25

1M ago1:24:25

1:24:25

Send us a text Meet Melissa Dougherty. Join us as she discusses her journey from New Thought beliefs to a deeper understanding of Biblical Christianity. She explores the differences between New Thought and New Age, the identity of Jesus, and the implications of these beliefs on modern Christianity. The discussion highlights the importance of critic…

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77 – What Everyone Gets Wrong About Revelation | D. Thomas Lancaster 1:04:50

1M ago1:04:50

1:04:50

Revelation, the Apocalypse of John, is the last book in the Bible, and for many, it’s the most difficult. Through the ages, followers of Yeshua have taken the Revelation football and run with it in just about every conceivable direction. This second part of our series on the end times, features D. Thomas Lancaster, author of the forthcoming End of …

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Biblical Law: What Applies to Christians Today? 44:32

1M ago44:32

44:32

Send us a text Are Christians still under the Law of Moses? Should followers of Jesus today keep Torah commandments like the Sabbath, dietary restrictions, or temple sacrifices? In this episode, we take a clear and careful look at what the Bible teaches about the Mosaic Law, its purpose, and its fulfillment in Christ. We’ll explore how the Old Cove…

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Testing First Fruits of Zion: Are they safe for your church? 1:20:38

2M ago1:20:38

1:20:38

Send us a text Are the teachings of the First Fruits of Zion ministry safe for your church? We speak with David Harris, Ph.D, a Jewish believer in Jesus, and pastor Randy Powell, an expert on FFOZ, on this question. Prof. Solberg gets their reaction to 5 video clips from FFOZ founder, Boaz Michael. The panel addresses the controversial claim of an …

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76 – Mythbusting Revelation | D. Thomas Lancaster 1:13:53

2M ago1:13:53

1:13:53

For decades, eagle-eyed prophecy aficionados have scoured the headlines and the Scriptures hoping to find clues as to where we’re at on God’s prophetic timeline and how much longer we’ll have to wait before the glorious return of our Master, Yeshua. But does the Bible really predict Apache helicopters, Patriot missiles, the Chernobyl disaster, and …

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75 – Breaking Barriers Through Music and Faith | Israeli Musician Shai Sol 56:00

2M ago56:00

56:00

Messianic Jewish musicians utilize their craft to express their faith in Yeshua in distinctly Jewish ways. Shai Sol is one such musician who brings a distinctive Israeli sound to the Messianic Jewish music world. Her musical journey began early, sparked by a childhood introduction to the darbukha. This path eventually led her to compete on the Isra…

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Earning Our Salvation: Is it "Works + Grace"? 46:53

2M ago46:53

46:53

Send us a text In this episode, we test the teaching of a Hebrew Roots rabbi named Steve Berkson who teaches at Messianic Torah Observant Israel near Chattanooga, TN. Rabbi Berkson teaches, "It’s not works versus grace, it's works and grace." And he defines "grace" as merited favor, saying, "It's the opposite of what you were taught. How shocking i…

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Exposing a False Teaching: Truthunedited’s “Christianity Test” 42:34

3M ago42:34

42:34

Send us a text In this episode, we take a serious look at the popular YouTube channel @Truthunedited and its controversial “Testing Christianity” series by Ron Charles. With over 100 million views, his teachings are spreading confusion about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We examine his five-question "test" of Christianity and compare it directly to t…

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74 – I Am Israel: A Filmmaker's Journey to Zion | Filmmaker David Kiern 1:09:07

3M ago1:09:07

1:09:07

The biblical kings and prophets envisioned the Temple as a house of prayer for all nations. Right now, it’s only a house of prayer for Muslims—Jews and Christians are forbidden from praying where Jesus did. Our guest today, David Kiern, is a filmmaker whose passion is to see disciples of Jesus kindle a love for Israel and a passion for the Temple M…

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Scripture Through Middle Eastern Eyes 35:16

3M ago35:16

35:16

Send us a text Let's look at 6 specific differences between our modern Western culture and the culture in which the Bible was written. Why? Because knowing these differences gives us a heightened awareness of the culture in which our Bible was written, which helps us better understand what the biblical authors wanted to communicate to us. Then, usi…

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73 – Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology | Dr. Richard Harvey 1:04:54

3M ago1:04:54

1:04:54

The American Messianic Jewish congregational movement as we know it today blossomed in the 1960s and ‘70s. These young congregations borrowed theological ideas from Judaism and from Christianity, but comparatively little work has been done to synthesize a truly original, authentic, relevant, and beautiful Messianic Jewish theology. Our guest today,…

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Law, Identity, Grace: A Conversation with FLAME 1:09:18

3M ago1:09:18

1:09:18

Send us a text In this episode, we’re joined by Christian thinker, artist, and apologist FLAME, who spent nearly two decades in the Reformed Baptist tradition before embracing a deeper understanding of grace. Together, we explore how the biblical teaching on law, identity, and grace shapes not just theology, but how we engage culture, alternate bel…

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The Shadow vs. the Substance: Hebrews 10:1–18 (Part 14) 50:42

4M ago50:42

50:42

Send us a text Why don’t Christians offer animal sacrifices anymore? What makes Jesus’ sacrifice so unique—and final? What did it accomplish? In this episode, we dive into the first half of Hebrews 10, where the author brings his powerful argument to a climax: Jesus is the true form that the entire old covenant system only foreshadowed. If you've e…

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72 – Christian Scholars Defend the Torah Observant Jesus | Dr. Paul Sloan & Dr. Logan Williams 1:12:58

4M ago1:12:58

1:12:58

For centuries, supersessionist assumptions in higher education led generations of academics to assume that Jesus came to abolish the Mosaic Law. Today, a new generation of professors and researchers is producing rigorous, meticulously cited work arguing for a different perspective—that Jesus kept the Torah, valued the Torah, and instructed his disc…

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Passover, the Last Supper, and Easter: Seeing the Hidden Connections 32:35

4M ago32:35

32:35

Send us a text Why do Christians celebrate Easter instead of Passover—especially when Jesus was crucified during Passover week? In this video, we unpack the powerful connections between Passover, the Last Supper, and the resurrection of Jesus. Discover seven ways the ancient feast of Passover foreshadowed the redemptive work of Christ and how the L…

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The Power of the Blood of Christ: Hebrews 9:11-28 (Part 13) 50:52

4M ago50:52

50:52

Send us a text Why did Jesus have to die? How does His blood redeem us from our sins? We look at how redemption is made possible through Christ's powerful and perfect blood in this episode of our Hebrews Bible study. Even if you haven’t heard the previous episodes in this series, you’ll get a lot out of this discussion! Links mentioned in this epis…

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Examining Easter: Separating Myth from History 42:02

4M ago42:02

42:02

Send us a text There are a ton of questions out there about Easter and whether Christians should celebrate it. And here’s the thing. While there are a lot of internet myths and conspiracy theories about Easter’s pagan and historical origins (which we address in this episode), there are also some legitimate concerns we need to look at. And we don’t …

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71 – Life at the End of the World: The Imminent Eschatology of Paul | Dr. Matthew Novenson 1:16:11

4M ago1:16:11

1:16:11

Paul's relationship with Jewish law is notoriously difficult to grasp. In this episode, Dr. Matthew Novenson joins the podcast and proposes a new interpretive framework to make sense of the prolific apostle—Paul saw himself as a Jew, not at the end of Judaism, but at the end of history. Dr. Novenson is a Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theo…

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Is Jesus God? 30:46

5M ago30:46

30:46

Send us a text Some modern believers question the deity of Christ. They challenge—and some even flat out deny—that Jesus is God. Yet, the belief that Jesus is divine goes all the way back to the earliest years of the Christian faith, and it comes straight out of the mouth of Jesus Himself , and the biblical text. So that particular doctrine of the …

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God’s Holy, Limited Tabernacle Hebrews 9:1-10 (Part 12) 33:17

5M ago33:17

33:17

Send us a text Hebrews 9 is the only place in the entire New Testament that discusses the significance of the Old Testament tabernacle and what it means for believers today. The author shifts his focus to Jesus as our high priest in a superior sanctuary. We get into a lot of detail about the significance and beauty of the Old Covenant Tabernacle, w…

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70 – From Russia With Love: A Messianic Jew from the Soviet Union | Rabbi Pinchas Shir 56:08

5M ago56:08

56:08

The Soviet Union suppressed Judaism and Jewish identity for decades. Atheism was enforced by the state. But our guest today, Pinchas Shir, knew there was more to life than the material world. In the era of perestroika, he fled to the United States, and today, he’s a Messianic Jewish rabbi. Join us as Rabbi Shir unpacks his academic work on Jewish l…

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The New Has Come, The Old Is Gone: Hebrews 8 (Part 11) 1:00:17

5M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

Send us a text Hebrews Chapter 8 contains the deepest discussion in all of the NT about the new covenant, and the longest OT quote (from Jeremiah 31:31-34). And this is also where the author of Hebrews makes a pivotal turn in the argument he is developing. One of the reasons Hebrew 8 is so significant is because it’s the only place in the entire Ne…

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Jesus Our New High Priest: Hebrews 7 (Part 10) 58:38

5M ago58:38

58:38

Send us a text This chapter contains what is really the dominant theme of the entire book of Hebrews. The author reveals the superiority of Jesus over the old covenant Levitical priesthood and draws out the significant implications that follow. There are many deep connections and comparisons in this chapter between Jesus and the old covenant law an…

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69 – Sojourners and Exiles | Filmmaker Reed Smith 1:08:59

5M ago1:08:59

1:08:59

Followers of Yeshua are called to take up their cross—to become martyrs. This mandate inspired one filmmaker, Reed Smith, to explore the lives of those disciples who are risking everything to follow Yeshua. In the process, he found that the gospel message was inextricably tied to the exile and redemption of Israel. In this episode, filmmaker Reed S…

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A Response to Rabbi Singer, Wesley Huff, & Joe Rogan 1:14:57

6M ago1:14:57

1:14:57

Send us a text Rabbi Tovia Singer recently put out a video where he tried to refute some of the claims made by Wesley Huff on the Joe Rogan podcast. In this episode, we get deep into it and test and dismantle the 6 big arguments that Rabbi Singer made. He challenged: 1. The authorship of the Gospels 2. What day was Jesus crucified 3. How long Jesus…

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68 – The Telepathy Tapes and Jewish Spirituality 1:49:34

6M ago1:49:34

1:49:34

The Telepathy Tapes has become one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Severely autistic non-verbal children and adults have apparently always been able to read minds, and they’re receiving revelations from God that validate a Messianic Jewish perspective. Our guests today, First Fruits of Zion’s Director of Education, D. Thomas Lancaster, a…

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The Certainty of God’s Promise: Hebrews 6:9–20 (Part 9) 37:55

6M ago37:55

37:55

Send us a text In part 9, we look at a more positive and encouraging passage. We’re in the big middle section where the author is teaching the superiority of Christ over the entire Mosaic system of worship given under the Old Covenant law with its priesthood, temple, rituals, and sacrifices. He’s encouraging his readers to hold fast to their faith …

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Straight Outta Seventh Day Adventism (SDA) 1:41:32

6M ago1:41:32

1:41:32

Send us a text Myles Christian was raised Seventh Day Adventist but came to discover how unbiblical their teachings are. After a period of rebellion and personal struggle, he left the religion. Myles is now a mainstream Christian who runs an outreach ministry to SDAs called Answering Adventism. In this episode, he shares his journey out of SDA, off…

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67 – Autism, Telepathy, and Faith | Katie Asher 1:47:38

6M ago1:47:38

1:47:38

For almost two decades, the doctors told her that her son was a lost cause—he would never speak, would never understand, would never function in society. Then, a miracle happened. Our guest today is Katie Asher from The Telepathy Tapes podcast, and her son Houston can read her thoughts. But that’s just the beginning of the story. She’s here today t…

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A Warning Against Apostasy: Hebrews 5:11–6:8 (Part 8) 48:01

6M ago48:01

48:01

Send us a text In this episode, we examine what has, historically speaking, been one of the most challenging passages in the New Testament for believers and for the Church as a whole. So we’re going to get into some deep water today and try to do it some justice. (Or at least give us some things to think about.) This passage is going to bring us di…

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Jesus Our High Priest: Hebrews 4:14–5:10 (Part 7) 48:22

7M ago48:22

48:22

Send us a text In part 7, the author begins to look at the high priesthood of the Messiah, Jesus, and show how He is a better high priest than any that came before Him. (In fact, he will use the priesthood of Jesus over the coming chapters to show His superiority over the entire Old Covenant system of rituals and worship that the priests were in ch…

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66 – Reaching Muslims with the Gospel of the Kingdom | Devon Phillips 51:42

7M ago51:42

51:42

The Middle East is in turmoil and anti-Muslim sentiment in the West has rarely been higher. Many are preparing for an apocalyptic battle in which Muslims are the enemy. Nevertheless, a chosen few have crossed oceans and borders to undertake missionary work in Muslim communities. Our guest today, Devon Phillips, spent years with Frontier Alliance In…

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Testing False Teachers: Is "Christian" Really in the Bible? 59:58

7M ago59:58

59:58

Send us a text In his video series "Testing Christianity," Mr. Ron Charles of @Truthunedited makes a number of claims about Christianity and the word "Christian." He says Christianity is against the Bible, that the apostle Peter never wrote the word "Christian" in 1 Peter 4:16, and that Christianity is a corrupted, pagan-influenced "religion of tar…

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A Sabbath Rest Remains: Hebrews 4:1–13 (Part 6) 56:04

7M ago56:04

56:04

Send us a text In this episode, we discover a whole lot of dots to connect in Hebrews Chapter 3 and many applications for modern believers. The author shows how Jesus is superior to Moses and draws on the Torah to teach on topics like holding fast to our faith. He also brings up the idea of salvation and “once saved, always saved.” Lots of theologi…

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65 – Battling Nazi Demons | Pastor Werner Oder 52:30

7M ago52:30

52:30

The Nazis lost World War II. But their legacy of anti-Semitism lives on, powered by demonic forces that have infiltrated even the church. So says Pastor Werner Oder, whose father was an SS officer, but whose life was completely transformed through Yeshua the Messiah. Pastor Oder is here to tell his story, talk about the rising tide of Jew hatred, a…

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Once Saved Always Saved? Hebrews 3:1–19 (Part 5) 52:31

8M ago52:31

52:31

Send us a text In this episode, we discover a whole lot of dots to connect in Hebrews Chapter 3 and many applications for modern believers. The author shows how Jesus is superior to Moses and draws on the Torah to teach on topics like holding fast to our faith. He also brings up the idea of salvation and “once saved, always saved.” Lots of theologi…

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64 – Apocalyptic Accountability | Marc Tuzzolino 51:45

8M ago51:45

51:45

The evangelical church is in the midst of a scandal epidemic. But the deeper issue is a misunderstanding of the gospel. Without repentance, the gospel loses its power, and so-called Christians persist in willful sin. Our guest today, Marc Tuzzolino, is on a mission to restore a first-century Jewish apocalyptic understanding of the gospel in the con…

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Testing Claims Against Christmas 50:29

8M ago50:29

50:29

Send us a text Every time we get to the Christmas season, I'm surprised there are still people spreading unsubstantiated claims about the pagan roots of Christmas and how it’s unbiblical. Sadly, people are still falling for this foolishness. This video offers a thorough, fair, and biblical breakdown of the specific claims made by Ron Charles of Tru…

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63 – Exposing Scandal, Standing for Zion | Joel Richardson 1:06:20

8M ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Within a year of the October 7 terror attacks, three outspokenly Zionist ministries were rocked by major scandals. The International House of Prayer, Frontier Alliance International, and Gateway Church in Texas. Has this been an attack by Satan from the outside or an awakening to a systemic problem from within? Our guest today, Joel Richardson, is …

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Should Christians celebrate Christmas? (Live Q&A) 1:32:32

8M ago1:32:32

1:32:32

Send us a text Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Does it have pagan roots? What about Santa? Enjoy our livestream recorded Sunday, Dec. 8th, 2024, for a fun and insightful discussion about Christmas. Defending the Biblical Roots of Christianity Our website Our YouTube Channel Prof. Solberg's Blog Support our Ministry (Thank you!) Chapters 00:0…

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Once Saved Always Saved? Hebrews 3:1–19 (Part 5) 52:30

8M ago52:30

52:30

Send us a text In this episode, we discover there are a whole lot of dots to connect in Hebrews Chapter 3 and so many applications for modern believers. The author shows how Jesus is superior to Moses and draws on the Torah to teach on topics like holding fast to our faith. He also brings up the idea of salvation and “once saved, always saved.” Lot…

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The Law Fulfilled: A Study of Matthew 5:17-20 59:57

9M ago59:57

59:57

Send us a text We interrupt our ongoing Bible study of Hebrews to bring you this study on Matthew 5:17–20, which begins, “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them." This the most common proof text used by our “Torah-keeping” (aka Hebrew Roots) friends to bolster their belief that Christians are required to keep the ol…

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62 – Replicate: Making Disciples in the 21st Century | Pastor Dr. Robby Gallaty 56:19

9M ago56:19

56:19

When Yeshua called people to discipleship, he was using a first-century Jewish model of passing down faith in and faithfulness to the God of Israel from generation to generation. But for decades, the American Evangelical church has focused almost exclusively on evangelism. Our guest today, Dr. Robby Gallaty, is here to talk about how discipling peo…

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The Founder of Salvation: Hebrews 2:5–18 (Part 4) 42:10

9M ago42:10

42:10

Send us a text In this episode, we finish up chapter 2, closing the author's discussion of how Jesus is greater than the angels. He covers a lot of ground here, including multiple quotes from the Old Testament and the Septuagint, the incarnation of Jesus coming to Earth as a man, and the "world to come" (aka Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, olam …

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Shema, Lest We Drift Away: Hebrews 2:1–4 (Part 3) 31:34

9M ago31:34

31:34

Send us a text In this episode, we learn that if we don’t pay closer attention and "shema" (hear, listen to, obey) the gospel of Jesus, we’re going to drift away from it. And if the old message of the law, delivered by the angels, was so important to God that those who disobeyed it were justly punished, how much more trouble will we be in if we neg…

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61 – A Call for Radical Discipleship | Bill Scofield 50:11

9M ago50:11

50:11

Yeshua called his followers to radical discipleship—a life lived entirely for the coming kingdom. His teachings equip us for the suffering and hardship we are destined to experience as we await that kingdom. For those from relatively affluent societies, this first-century Jewish model might seem archaic, but Yeshua’s apocalyptic worldview is still …

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