Digging with Darren

Gemara Thoughts by Jeremiah Michael

Darren — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:24:58 +0000

I just wanted to officially welcome Jeremiah Michael (FFOZ staff & son of Boaz Michael) to the Messianic blogosphere. He’s got his own blog now, called Gemara Thoughts. He’s got some great thoughts going, especially by way of defending traditional Jewish understanding of the Scriptures and comparing that the teachings of Yeshua and the Apostles. Be sure to stop in and say hi when you can.Similar Posts:

Follow Your Heart…?

Darren — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:19:41 +0000

I have the privilege of being a part of the editing team for the Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels translation from Vine of David. Every time I go through Aaron Eby’s translation I learn something about either Hebrew or our Master, or both.

Today, I was finishing up reviewing chapters 9-16 of Luke and came across a phrase which Aaron has translated: “He returned to his heart.” It was in the context of Yeshua’s parable of the prodigal son, and his making the decision to return home after his time of rebellion. This reminds me of the phrase we hear so often, “Follow your heart.” However, most of the time we hear that phrase, “Follow your heart,” it generally means: “Go for it!” “Dream big!” “Live the American Dream!” It is usually in the context of self-indulgence, where we are supposed to find that “inner-voice” that is telling us what we need to be doing with our lives to get the fullest experience of life…to “drink in life” with passion. It’s really the opposite of the Hebrew meaning of this phrase (which I will explain further momentarily).

It reminds me of this new movie Eat, Pray, Love, based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert (which could be subtitled, “Hinduism has allowed me to cast off restraint”). Sadly many Christians are looking to this as a spiritual expression for believers. They are searching for something “more.” They want adventure & romance, and if their current situation can’t provide it they search it out. I’ve seen countless Christian marriages fail in the last 3-4 years because of this. And the answer is usually the same, “I’m following my heart” or “God is leading me in a new direction.” But would God really wreck a marriage, the most primal institution of the world, in order to make “me” happy? Is it really all about me? According to the philosophy of “Follow your heart” it is. However, Scripture actually warns us about the deceptions of the heart:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

How many people are being told this? How many people have bought into the lie already, and it’s too late to recognize this? This is where being a diligent student of the Word will allow it to drive our lives, rather than allowing our hearts to drive them. In the context of the passage to which I referenced, the Hebrew literally says the same thing. It is וַיָּשֶׁב אֶל־לִבּוֹ. “And he returned to his heart.” But what does that mean? Does it mean that he finally found his “purpose” in life through reading The Purpose Driven Life? Does it mean he finally got up enough courage to hike the Himalayas? Does it mean he gave up his family, went off to a foreign country and lived it up? Wait… that’s what he did before he “returned to his heart.” So you see, “returning to one’s heart” in the Hebrew sense is not about all of these things, but about “coming to your senses.” It’s about following your head, not your heart. It’s about doing what’s right, rather than what feels good. Why? Because the right path and the difficult path are often the same, and when we choose the right over the wrong, the blessing will be in the journey. The joy will come from within, rather than from anything external. And the fruits will be eternal, rather than momentary.

Have you returned to your heart?Similar Posts:

Know Jesus Better

Darren — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:21:19 +0000

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Monkey see…Monkey Do.

Darren — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:50:01 +0000

It’s really sad that many Christians genuinely love Hashem, yet in their parroting of their church doctrine or theology, they say and do things that are contrary to biblical truth. Since we are no longer students of the Word, nor disciples of the Master, but merely “converts,” we have forgotten to check our theologies and our practices against the authority of the Word. But people can’t be faulted too much. We have been lulled to believe this from the pulpit and the television for at least a few generations. We have been trained that the work of evangelism is up to the pastors and the “evangelists.” We have been trained that the work of discipleship is up to pastors & youth pastors. We’ve been trained that our denominational theology was given at Sinai. We’ve been trained that it really doesn’t matter what we do between Monday & Saturday, as long as we are baptized into our church, pay our tithes, show up on a semi-regular basis & assent to a theological confession. It’s a monkey see…monkey do mentality.

Hashem has called me to challenge this in the people around me. He has called me to be a voice in the wilderness (& sometimes a thorn in the flesh). I’m going to speak this message as gracefully as possible, but I’m not going to be silent, and I’m not going to be another monkey. This monkey’s getting off of my back. I’ve got a boat load of bananas for him, and I’ve sent him packing. Do you have any monkeys to send on the boat, too?Similar Posts:

Franz Delitzsch & Tisha B’Av

Darren — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:45:12 +0000

Here is an incredible article on a blog called “On The Mainline” that I read from time to time. However, this was brought to my attention by Aaron Eby.

If you want to know how to live out your faith among Jewish people who do not believe in Yeshua as Messiah, Franz Delitzsch is a wonderful example in this true story of how he respected Tisha B’Av and actually provoked his Jewish brothers to sincere repentance.

You can read about it here.Similar Posts:

God Hates Shrimp (But approves of homosexuality)

Darren — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Did that get your attention? A friend of mine just sent me a link to a site which uses the argument “God hates shrimp” to show that Christians are hypocritical in their attack on homosexuality—an Old Testament prohibition—while continuing to indulge in other OT abominations (aka “eating shellfish”). While I totally disagree with the conclusions of this website (that homosexual behavior is completely acceptable for Christians), I think this is a great site to prove my point in my Justified By Love article. No Torah, no truth. Know Torah, know Truth. Check it out:

http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/Similar Posts:

Hatikva Ministries In Desperate Need of Help

Darren — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:58:00 +0000

A few days ago I received the following letter from Joseph Good of Hatikva Ministries. They are in serious financial need, to the point of losing everything. I have met Mr. Good on a few occasions and recently met his wife and daughter. I have grown from his teachings. I have seen his heart. Please read this letter and consider doing what you can by way of tzeddikah to help fellow believers and a wonderful ministry survive. Hashem’s hands can only be seen through ours in situations like these.

For those who may not be familiar with Hatikva, you can visit their site here:

http://hatikva.org/

And you can enjoy free video teachings from both Joseph Good and his wife Debbie from this link:

http://arba4.com/category/hatikva

Here is the letter. May Hashem bless you for your generosity:

Shalom everyone,

This is one of the saddest letters I have ever had to write. Even in the midst of a very dark day there is some good news and I would rather start with that. The Ministry has lately seen some dreams come true!  The latest word from The Naked Archaeologist  is that the episode they filmed of our research on the Temple should air sometime around September. They still have not given me a date, but they assure me it is forthcoming. Secondly, the ministry has finally succeeded in paying off our expensive copier, printer, and scanner that provides so much of the ministry’s paper work. We still have a maintenance fee to pay but that is minimal. We have just achieved live video streaming for Chavurah and are very pleased with how that is going. In addition, our attendance is up in those who come to our office for Chavurah. For the first time in years we have almost as many children present as we have adults. Debbie has been planning and is looking forward to immediately starting children’s classes that take place in another part of the building. I just received a confirmation for the flights leaving JFK Airport on March 6th, 2011 on El Al Airlines for our next trip to Israel. Finally, I have a new book on prophecy (described below) that I began a few days ago and for the first time, the writing is literally pouring out of me. This is highly unusual for me as I struggle to write anything. At the rate that it is going the first volume of this proposed several volume work will be ready for printing in a few weeks. Boaz Michael (First Fruits of Zion) who presented to our Chavurah last week is putting me in touch with the printers they use who Print on Demand. All of this is good news.

Now to the bad news. The ministry has been struggling for some time. We pay $1.300.00 dollars a month in rent. There is more space here than what we need but we still require a considerable amount of room for filming, Chavurah, a Temple model, office equipment, and a large, very large library. We have tried to find something to lease or buy. The option to buy is no longer viable as we have been informed that it is virtually impossible to get financing from any institution if you are a 501 C 3 organization. In other words, non-profit.  Debbie and I have spent days looking at various rental properties. We have looked under every bush that we can find (there are no rocks in our area) and everything is either so small it isn’t even feasible or more than what we are presently paying for much less building. I spoke to our landlords about the possibility of renting half of what we have now. The building is in two sections. He informed me they would probably have to go up to $1,100.00 or more to do that. Nothing gained and our rent might go up here anyway. We looked at portable buildings to lease with the hope we could put them at our home or lease some property to place them on. We found that pre-built buildings are not an option as there is no way to get them into our backyard. We have not been able to find property that we could afford to lease to place buildings on. Either the zoining will not allow it or the property is too expensive to gain anything. We are considering framing in our carport and moving the office to our house. How we could manage there I do not know, but that seems to be the most likely option. Another factor in here is Debbie’s mother. Last week she turned ninety years old and just days before her birthday took a fall. She was hospitalized for several days and seems to be recovering but Debbie is having to spend much of her time with her. We will probably have to remodel her mother’s garage (which is in bad shape) as a mail-order office for Debbie so that she can take care of her mother and work.

Now for the real bad news.  The monies that come into the office have been deteriorating steadily and drastically over the past year. So many of our supporters have lost their jobs, had cuts in salary, and had to face sky rocketing expenses. Our sales of all materials are down to very little and our donations are only a trifle compared to what they were. We have three full time and one part time employees. There is Debbie and I and a young man who does our video and editing. We pay him a minimum salary. We have been able to make his pay as well as pay our part time employee. We are current with our rent and have been able to pay the utilities. Supplies for the office are bought on demand. I have six florescent bulbs in my office. Only one bulb works. The same is true for Debbie’s office and in the video editing room. What has not been paid are the salaries for Debbie or me. Day after tomorrow we expect the bank to foreclose on our home and for both of our cars to be picked up shortly. We have cut all spending to an as absolutely needed basis. We have a nice garden and that has kept food on the table. Both Debbie and I are seeking other jobs. In the past we have had a little reserve to draw upon. In addition, there have been several individuals who have stepped forward and sent rescue money which kept us afloat before. We do appreciate what they have done in the past but do not believe we should nor intend to go to these people again. It just is not right for us to do that. We love all of you and do thank you for all that each of you have done to sustain this ministry. If the house is lost I do not know where the ministry will relocate,  but I do know that we will keep going somehow. While the ministry will survive, It is likely that Debbie and I will be causalities of the battle to keep the ministry afloat.

We have been hopeful that when the Naked Archaeologist program comes out that the financial situation will improve. We also are hoping that this new book might turn things around, but neither of those are here now as we are facing this crisis. We are trying to take steps that will ensure that we stay out of the hole if we somehow emerge from this pit.

The bottom line is that we need within the next few days a minimum of $5,000.00 dollars to barely get by.  That would allow the ministry to catch up on some of the salaries (mine and Debbie’s) for the months of March, April, and May. Our hopes are that somehow many of you who have the means and have not supported us will do so. If a few could give large donations and many others could give small ones, it might all work out. We do not want anyone to send anything unless you believe that that is what you are supposed to do. We are not wanting those individuals who have helped so nobly in the past to do this. If it’s the will of Hashem for us to fall, then so be it. Regardless of the outcome, we remain your faithful servants.

Thank you and again Shalom,

Joseph Good

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Teaching Opportunity

Darren — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 04:05:25 +0000

Today I had an opportunity to teach at an event in a public park, hosted by a friend of mine, Justin McDade. The event started with a group of young girls involved in an expressive worship dance group. Next, I sang a few songs and then spoke. And rounding it out was my friend Justin who spoke and sang as well. I feel we need to create medals for the poor souls who sat through the entire event in an outdoor amphitheater with absolutely no shade in 90º+ temperatures without melting into the concrete.

I spoke on Becoming a Disciple of Yeshua. It seemed to go over well, and was possibly an entry point for people to look into the Jewishness of our Messiah and our faith. Ultimately, I hope the end-goal was that people become more passionate about studying Scripture and more devoted as a disciple of the Master.Similar Posts:

Justified By Love?

Darren — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:28:28 +0000

I recently read an interview with Christian artist, singer, songwriter Jennifer Knapp in which she not only announced her comeback to her music career after a seven year hiatus, but that she’s “come out of the closet” as a lesbian who has been in a same-sex relationship for the last eight years. This may come as a shock to Christian music fans, but this news is actually a few months old and is all over the internet.

I am not writing this post to condemn Knapp or spread lashon hara or to gay bash. The reason for this post is to show how traditional Christian interpretation of the Bible can be used to justify any sin, behavior or lifestyle. The traditional Christian perspective on the Bible and its focus on grace being opposed to the Law has provided the ammunition for tens of thousands of people around the globe to justify sinful lifestyles (not in the least bit limited to homosexuality).

Over the last decade I’ve heard of many Christian musicians “coming out of the closet,” (many of which hit you out of nowhere), many scandalous lifestyles, many countless adulterous relationships, divorce, drug addictions, etc. Why should one more be newsworthy? The reason Knapp’s confession makes the top of my news is because she was honest. What do I mean by that? Let’s listen to her own words.

Have you ever felt like you had to choose between your faith or your gay feelings?

Knapp: Yes. Absolutely.

Because you felt they were incompatible?

Knapp: Well, everyone around me made it absolutely clear that this is not an option for me, to invest in this other person—and for me to choose to do so would be a denial of my faith.

What about what Scripture says on the topic?

Knapp: The Bible has literally saved my life. I find myself between a rock and a hard place—between the conservative evangelical who uses what most people refer to as the “clobber verses” to refer to this loving relationship as an abomination, while they’re eating shellfish and wearing clothes of five different fabrics, and various other Scriptures we could argue about. I’m not capable of getting into the theological argument as to whether or not we should or shouldn’t allow homosexuals within our church. There’s a spirit that overrides that for me, and what I’ve been gravitating to in Christ and why I became a Christian in the first place.[1.This interview with Jennifer knapp can be found on the Christianity Today website: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html]

Notice her reference to Torah (the Law given to Moses):

“I find myself between a rock and a hard place—between the conservative evangelical who uses what most people refer to as the “clobber verses” to refer to this loving relationship as an abomination, while they’re eating shellfish and wearing clothes of five different fabrics.”

This is where she’s completely honest. If I were to put it in more plain terms, she’s saying, “If you can pick and choose what you want to obey in the Bible, so can I.” There it is. Hypocrisy in full swing. Unfortunately, the Evangelical Church has so much demonized the Hebrew Scriptures and their application to the Believer, that we no longer have a moral compass by which we are directed. We have reverted back to the days of the Judges in which “every man did right in his own eyes.”

What Jennifer Knapp is saying here is the truth of the matter. If we can justify living lives contrary to the directives of Hebrew Scriptures, saying that they are no longer authoritative, why should the New Testament Scriptures be any different? The Hebrew Scriptures were valid for the world for around two thousand years until Christianity decided they were no longer valid. Now the Christian Scriptures have had their fair shake for the last two thousand. Why should they be relevant any longer either? If God can abrogate his Word once, why can’t He do it again?

What makes a Christian any different from a “moral pagan” these days other than a creed? This is why Torah is invaluable, and the missing component in our walk of faith. If we want to stop justifying our sins, and truly become the people of God by which the Scriptures speak, we need to wake up and smell the coffee and allow the whole of Scripture to inform our life of faith.

Thoughts?Similar Posts:

J-BOM Review for “The Lost” forthcoming

Darren — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:01:01 +0000

Yes – I know I’m behind. But it’s been a crazy month, and The Lost: A Search for Six in Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn is a hefty book, both in size and in depth. This reminds me of Tevia (Fiddler on the Roof), as Derek was saying that I was behind on my reviews, I was shouting out “I von’t be late!” Well… I’m late. :-)

I wish I could devote all of my time to academics & such, but it just doesn’t happen when you run your own business and have 4 small children. So, I’ve come to the resolve to just “being late” from time to time, as much as I hate it. I’ve already started my review, but it probably won’t be finished for a few more days. Thanks for bearing with me. Shalom!Similar Posts:

Guest blogging for CityView

Darren — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:01:11 +0000

As I had stated previously, I had an opportunity to be a guest blogger for a local church. This church is a new church in the greater Little Rock area, and has been spearheaded by a friend of mine, Ryan Byrd. The church is called Eikon, and is passionate about reaching out to people in this area with the message of Christ. They recently started a blog experiment called CityView in which they have picked 10 people from various religious backgrounds be guest bloggers on their website and blog uncensored on any topic of their choosing. I was blessed to be one of these ten. Here is a link to my contribution. I would love to hear some feedback on this.

http://www.eikonthechurch.com/2010/05/21/cityview-darren-huckey/Similar Posts:

Goodbye Hudson

Darren — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:57:39 +0000

We left Hudson, Wisconsin yesterday morning after a wonderful week at the Shavuot conference hosted by Beth Immanuel. We are so thankful for all of the many blessings we experienced during this week. We were blessed by the teaching, by the hospitality, by seeing all of the friends we have made over the last few years, and by making new friends. We left feeling inspired and challenged to take the message of the Good News to our world.

One of the blessings of this conference we didn’t anticipate was that there was an organization which had just just set up a full scale replica of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) in Wisconsin just 10 minutes from Beth Immanuel. Not only did we get to tour it and experience it in a tangible way, but we were privileged to be on the tour with Joseph Good, who is one of the foremost Temple authorities in the world. He was able to elucidate many aspects of the placement of the furnishings of the Tabernacle, as well as answering many questions as to the methods by which they functioned. We couldn’t have paid for a better tour guide!

This year was different than the last few, but it was also very special. We are thankful to you, Beth Immanuel for all of the hard work you put into the conference. It was a blessing, and a time we will not quickly forget.Similar Posts:

Daniel’s Messianic Midrash on Numbers 4:21-23

Darren — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:59:39 +0000

We had our Monday morning Torah service today, and the first reading was the following:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses and by their clans. From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. (Numbers 4:21-23)

Daniel Lancaster made an excellent midrash on this passage. He discussed the problem with the seeming contradiction between this passage and Numbers 8:24, where the age for the beginning age of the Levites is not 30, but 25. He stated the answer given by the sages, that the 25 year olds were being taught by the retired 50 year olds until they can actually take part in the duties of the Tabernacle at the age of 30.

He then applied this midrashically to the Messianic movement. He said that the reason Messianic organizations, particularly FFOZ, has had so many major shifts from the left to the right and vice versa is that we have a lot of 25 year olds, but very few (if any) 50 year olds. The 25 year olds have been zealous, but haven’t listened to the 50 year olds. We need more 50 year olds and their wisdom in the movement, but they will only be developed over time.

I thought this was a great analogy that really made sense.Similar Posts:

Evangelism from a Torah Perspective

Darren — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:37:36 +0000

This is the topic of Beth Immanuel’s Shavuot conference this year. As you can guess, it’s going to be more than the “Roman Road to Salvation” or the “Four Spiritual Laws.” Evangelizing from a Torah perspective is more than a close-your-eyes-and-duck-your-head-and-raise-your-hand-for-instant-salvation-and-eternal-fire-insurance moment. But what exactly is it, and how does it look?

I would like to hear YOUR perspective on this topic. How do you approach evangelism from a Torah perspective? How do you think it should be done? Where do you start? How much info do you give them? How do you get them to understand some simple concepts without taking them through 5 years of Torah Club? ;-)

I would like to hear from each of you on this topic. I think it’s a really important topic, and one worth discussing. Please post your comments and let’s talk about this.Similar Posts:

Shavuot Conference at Beth Immanuel

Darren — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:40:44 +0000

Today begins this year’s Shavuot conference at Beth Immanuel in Hudson, WI. Outside of Passover, this has been the highlight of our year for the last three years. This year is no exception. We arrived Friday afternoon and were able to enjoy Shabbat with the Beth Immanuel community and some of the people who came early for the conference as well. It’s been great to see familiar faces and experience the unique dynamic of Beth Immanuel, and be challenged by Daniel Lancaster in person.

This Sabbath was extra special in that we got to experience both a Bar Mitzvah and a Bat Mitzvah. It was wonderful for our children to be able to experience this.

Well, tonight starts the conference, and I look forward to everything that will be shared. I’ll try to post every now and again about what’s going on.Similar Posts: