Messianic Audio Teachings (Beth Immanuel)

Does the Bible sanction the Zionist claim to a Jewish homeland in the Holy Land? What should a Bible-believing follower of the Jesus think about the Jewish people forming the Modern State of Israel. Here's an argument from a biblical and Messianic Jewish perspective. 

What does Messianic outreach look like in a Postmissionary Messianic Jewish congregation? Episode 2 of Beth Immanuel's Am Yisrael podcast discusses some of the implications. 

In this episode, Yisroel Nachum, Ami Buckles, and Shalom Wilson discuss the difference between Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism while making the argument that an Orthodox expression of Messianic Judaism makes the most sense. This episode was recorded in June 2022, a few weeks before Yisroel Nachum Amic passed into the World of Truth. 

Episode 4 of Am Yisrael Podcast takes a deep dive into the history behind the differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardi tradition and considers how those differences play out in Messianic Judaism. Yisroel, Ami, and Shalom recorded this episode with special guest, Mattai, several weeks before Yisroel departed for the World of Truth.

In this episode, the guys discuss Shabbos observance in their own lives, at Beth Immanuel, and in the larger Messianic Jewish movement. 

What did Maimonides say about Yeshua of Nazareth? In the uncensored version of Mishneh Torah, the Rambam states that Yeshua of Nazareth cannot be "the one promised in the Torah," but he remains conspicuously silent about the messianic prophecies in the books of the Prophets, particularly the prophecies about a suffering Messiah. In this episode, Ami Buckles argues from the deafening silence that Rambam considered that Yeshua might qualify as Mashiach ben Yosef, the suffering Messiah. Listen in on Ami's conversation with D. T. Lancaster.   

Why does Beth Immanuel need nearly half a million dollars to build a mikvah? Ami and Daniel discuss why a mikvah is mission critical to Beth Immanuel and should be a central concern for all of Messianic Judaism.

Learn more in this teaching titled THE BIG MIKVAH PROJECT.

Donate to the Beth Immanuel Mikvah Fund here: DONATE NOW

The pilot episode of Am Yisrael, the new Beth Immanuel podcast, features a conversation between Yisroel Nachum Amic, Shalom Wilson, and Ami Buckles discussing the recent Beth Immanuel Shavuot conference and reflecting on their own personal experiences in synagogues and churches before finding their way to Beth Immanuel. 

Who is the Antichrist? A popular Jewish legend about Solomon and the prince of demons offers an uncanny insight into the nature and identity of Antichrist. 

A great deception is coming. Or perhaps it's already here. Listen to a quick introduction to the shadowy character and end-times arch-villain called Antichrist. This teaching presents the "Man of Lawlessness" and "World Deceiver" in light of the Torah's warnings about false prophets. 

What if you have been following the wrong Jesus? Do you think that the wrong Jesus can save you? This teaching discusses the problem with making correct theology a criteria for salvation. 

The authentic Gospel of Peter is not the aporcryphal gospel known by that title. Instead, it's already in your Bible. In this teaching from Tevet 9, December 22, 2012, we take a look at the story behind the composition of the Gospel of Mark.

Clement, the disciple of Peter, lays out the hierarchy of authority in the assembly of Messiah and lodges his complaint against those subverting that authority in Corinth. This fascinating time capsule takes a look at the inner workings of the early church and the apostolic tradition that undergirded its offices. Includes apostolic midrash on parashat Korach and a lost saying of Yeshua. Download the original handout from the 2013 class below.

Bartholomew did not change his clothes for 26 years. An old Christian tradition about the martyrdom of Bartholomew preserves a legend about the miraculous clothing worn by the apostles, pointing us to the hope of the resurrection from the dead. 

In this continuation of the Pitchei Olam series, we will discuss the meaning of "self-control." A battle rages within every person. Our enemy, the evil inclination, wants to strip us of the image of God and turn us into any other animal. Learn how to seize control of the battlefield within your own heart and achieve your purpose to establish God's kingdom on earth.

2 Peter 1:5 instructs us to add "virtue" or "excellence" to our faith. But what does that mean, exactly? Take a linguistic journey through the sources to find the Jewish heart at the core of this concept.

Yeshua says, "If you believed in Moses, you would believe in me." A closer look at this difficult saying of the Master unlocks John 5-6 with reference to the events of Exodus from Egypt: The Passover, the Seder Meal, the Crossing of the Sea, the Manna, and the Water from the Rock. 

A personal perspective on the Simchat Torah October 7 Massacre, the Gaza War, world events, and the coming day of wrath in light of parashat Noach. 

The spies sent to spy out the land of Canaan saw giants and warned the people not to enter the land. The Torah says that the giants in Canaan were Nephilim. Here's the story of how Caleb and Joshua not only saw the giants in Canaan, they defeated them too.

Biblical faith is a life of trust, belief, confidence, optimism, and certainty in God’s goodness. It accepts that the otherwise unseen and unknown things revealed by God’s prophets, by His Son, and by the apostles are all true and certain. 

To whom is the Epistle of 1 Peter addressed, Jews or Gentiles? The answer mgiht surprise you. It has to do with being "born again." This teaching explores the divide between Peter and Paul and their respective ideas about Gentile identity in the Messiah Yeshua. 

Class three of Isaiah in the New Testament tackles Isaiah 1 and the significant Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 10-11. Get ready for a solid hour of intertextual Bible study taking you from 722 BCE to the Apostolic Era and all the way to final redemption. Download the orginal handout as a PDF below.

The holiday we usually refer to as "Passover," the Torah refers to as "Chag Ha-Matzot," the Festival of Unleavened Bread. A holiday celebrating the exodus from Egypt makes sense, but how did flatbread end up stealing all the attention? Learn the deep symbolism of matzah and its leavened couterpart, chametz, as we prepare for the Passover holiday.

What did the liturgy and prayers of the early disciples of Yeshua sound like? Clement's epistle to the Corinthians concludes with a majestic prayer with strong parallels to Jewish liturgy. This lesson and the contents of the prayer include material pertinent to the modern political divide as Clement teaches us how to pray for government officials. Download the oriignal class handout in the PDF attachment below.

Do you feel like you have a special calling in life? The Apostle Paul says, “Consider your calling.” Today’s teaching takes some time for those considerations and ascertains the calling the apostles had in mind. 

What's the real meaning behind the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, and Communion? This teaching offers a Messianic Jewish perspective on the ritual that goes beyond the Passover Seder context to unlock the significance of the Master's words, "Do this in remembrance of me."  

Why do we pour a cup for Elijah at the Seder meal? It's not just a quaint tradtion, it's the most Messianic moment in Passover Seder meal. This teaching explores the history of the tradition and the pouring out of God's wrath upon the nations, revealing the coming of the Messiah and the Day of the LORD in the course of the Seder Meal. 

Explore the process of spiritual self-improvement as outlined in 2 Peter 1:5-7, in light of Jewish thought. Learn how Jewish sources provide step-by-step outlines for personal growth, and delve into the importance of the pursuit of holiness and entrance to what Peter calls "the Eternal Kingdom." 

Books mentioned:

• With Heart in Mind by Alan Morinis
• The Path of the Just by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto

An introduction to James, the brother of Yeshua and his epistle. This Green Room class on the Epistle of James was recorded on June 21, 2011.

Does the Epistle of James contradict Paul's teachings about Faith and Works of the Law? This Green Room class from James 2:14-2:26 clears up the confusion and reconciles the apostles. This class has implicatons for how we read and understand Galatians, Romans, and Paul's theology. Also includes an interesting discussion on Rahab of Jericho. Download the handout from the 2011 class below.

Lesson 2 from the summer of 2011 Green Room class on the Epistle of James covers James 1:2-18. 

What is the perfect Torah of Liberity? Unedited audio from the July 2011 Green Room Class on the Epistle of James covers James 1:19-27. 

Drawing directly on the teaching of Yeshua, James warns us against showing partiality and he enjoins us to show mercy that we might receive mercy. This important teaching from the Epistle of James was recorded in the Beth Immanuel Green Room in the summer of 2011. 

From where do we derive the idea that there are two Messiahs? The story of Jacob and Esau and the story of Rachel and Leah are the stories of Messiah son of Joseph and Messiah son of David. Part One of a Four Part Teaching. 

The Festival of Hanukkah is called "the festival of lights," but it's actually a festival commemorating a war. In this teaching, we consider the biblical perspective on war. Is there such a thing as a just or ethical war? 

The first of three admonitions for the three weeks "between the narrows" comes from the first chapter of Jeremiah. This teaching rehearses the story of King Josiah, Torah Rediscovered, and the world of the biblical prophets in the days of Jeremiah. 

An important story about Rosh Hashanah and the coming of the Messiah is hidden just beneath the surface of the story of David, Abigail, and Nabal. Here's the teaching for Rosh Hashanah 5784.

Jacob's vision of a ladder reaching to heaven upon which angels ascend and descend contains a hidden meaning about spiritual warfare, the exile of the Jewish people, and their inheritance in the land of Israel. This teaching connects the dots and reveals the mission of Yeshua to redeem the Jewish people from exile.  

Some practical advice for jumpstarting repentance during the forty days of teshuvah that culminate with Yom Kippur. 

Why is Sukkot called the Festival of Nations? It has something to do with Gog and Magog, Leviathan, Antichrist, and the End of Days. 

If life is a test, how do you pass the test? What's the right answer? The Epistle of First Peter gives us the cheat sheet for passing life's trials, but it requires knowing something about the Day of the LORD and the Jewish apocalyptic worldview.   

Are you ready to hear the Messiah read the Torah? This Sukkot is the festival after the seventh year during which we are to hear the king read the Torah. The mitzvah of Hakhel (Deuteronomy 31:10-13) says that during the festival of Sukkot, at the end of a Shemitah year, everyone is supposed to assemble in Jerusalem to hear the Torah read aloud to the whole assembly by the king of Israel.

Hanukkah is more than a holiday of oil and light—it’s a story of resilience, faith, and miracles that shaped Jewish history and identity. What does it mean to kindle light in the darkest time of year, and why is this holiday deeply connected to the Messianic hope? Discover how the courage of the Maccabees parallels the journey of modern Messianic Jews reclaiming their heritage. Explore prophetic allusions to Hanukkah hidden in the Torah and New Testament. Join us to uncover how this ancient celebration inspires renewed dedication in every generation.

Along the path on our journey to the Kingdom, we must acquire knowledge. In this lesson we learn about the Jewish concept of knowledge, what it means to know God, and the steps involved in gaining knowledge.

Where were all the Jewish believers in Yeshua between the first century and the 1970s? Listen in on a wide-ranging and epic-long conversation taking broad sweeps through church history and the strange, ever-morphing, relationship between the church and the Jewish believers as Ami Buckles and D. T. Lancaster fall down one rabbit hole after another. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

It's not about going to heaven when you die, its about leaving heaven to come back to life. 1 Peter 1:1-5 teaches us that disciples of Yeshua are being born again to an inperishable, undefiled, and unfading hope kept in heaven but made physical here on earth in the resurrection of the dead. 

Did God really want Isaiah to harden Israel's hearts, blind their eyes, and deafen their ears? This introduction to the book of Isaiah and study on Isaiah's vision in chapter 6 unlocks important ideas from the New Testament about the Jewish rejection of Yeshua's message. Join the Green Room class from February 2013 for the first lesson in the series "Isaiah in the New Testament." Download the original class handout as a PDF below.

Why is Yeshua appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions? This second teaching on the subject considers the history of missionary efforts to Muslims and the role that Messianic Judaism might have to play in bringing the gospel to the Muslim world. Listen to Part One: Revelation to Ishmael.

Yeshua How can our righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? Learn how the principle of chasidut enables one to enter the kingdom.

Is Yeshua of Nazareth the one who was to come, or should we expect another? This second teaching in the series titled THE TWO SISTERS reveals the origin of the concept of two Messiahs in the rivalry between Rachel and Leah and the tears of Rachel, weeping for her children. 

This class from Isaiah in the New Tetament takes you through Hezekiah's tunnel back to the days of Isaiah to discover the meaning behing the keys to the kingdom of heaven that Yeshua entrusts into the hands of his disciples. Download the PDF of the original handout below.

To love God with all your soul means being willing to relinquish your soul for the sake of His name. Here's a sober discussion about martyrdom as an expression of the commandment to sanctify God's name: "You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel.” (Leviticus 22:32) 

Why do we read the book of Ruth on Shavuot? This inquiry into the origin of the custom takes us on an Indiana Jones style adventure to find the authentic tomb of King David. 

What's the real relationship between King Solomon and false messiah? That's the question behind this teaching on the haftarah for Chayei Sarah.

Spiritual stature is measured in the inverse. Esau and Jacob reflect two opposite mindsets, and being “small” like Jacob is the key to personal and spiritual success.

Yeshua teaches in the Nazareth synagogue and proclaims "liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners" in reference to the Juibilee laws of Leviticus 25. This discussion on the mitzvah of redeeming captives considers the plight of "the infant taken captive and raised by strangers." 

Links:

Sudan Interior Mission

Christial Solidarity International

We have a commandment to love God and a commandment to love others. In his epistle to the Corinthians, Clement appeals to the authority of Yeshua's mandates about love to pose an argument against the ursurpers in Corinth. Listen in on this Green Room Class from 2013 on 1 Clement 47-52. Download a pdf of the original handout below. 

In this final installment of the Entrance to the Eternal Kingdom series, we look at the purpose of creation: love of God. Learn what it means to love God and how to cultivate this love.

The prophet Malachi sets us up for the religious conflicts that define the gospels in the New Tesament Era. This teaching provides an overview of the book of Malachi and it's place in the history of the Second Temple Era in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.

Why bother attending synagogue services? Take a look at the spiritual transactions taking place at Beth Immanuel. This discussion about the efficacy of prayer and attendance at a Messianic Jewish synagogue includes a discourse on the rock in the wilderness, the clouds of glory, and the manna as they relate to Miriam, Aaron, and Moses respectively and how these elements foreshadow the Messiah.

The prophets Zechariah and Haggai worked together at the time of the building of the Second Temple. This teaching begins with Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret in the Temple, unlocks the meaning of the mysterious visions Zechariah, reveals the name of the Messiah, discusses the war of Gog and Magog, and reaches toward the kingdom. 

What is reality? It's not what you think. Or maybe it is what you think--and that's the problem. Here's a discussion on the nature of prophecy and how it relates to getting in touch with Absolute Reality. 

The world has erupted with mass anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests. Open expressions of anti-Semitism not seen since the Nazi Reich are reported in Europe, America, and American college campuses. It does not bode well for Western Society or the disciples of Yeshua. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. This teaching reminds the disciples of Yeshua of who they are and how to prepare for the coming tribulation.  

The first commandment at Mount Sinai was "I am the LORD your God who took you out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). Why did God introduce himself this way instead of as the God "who Created of the Universe"? In this lecture we will explore the meaning of implications of faith (emunah) as the foundation of our life's journey to the Kingdom.

How should we be preparing for times of economic uncertainty? What does fincanical stewardship look like for disciple of Yeshua? A parable from Rabbi Bachya offers some perspective on Parahsaht Behar.

Continuing the Entrance to the Eternal Kingdom series, we learn the importance of perseverance for achieving the mission for which your soul was created.

A significant teaching about the meaning of the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah as the Messiah, and the true meaning of the prophecy of the virgin birth. Here's the real story behind some of the New Testament's best-known quotations of Isaiah. A real darama full of intrigue. Download the original class handout as a PDF below.

The Torah is God's revelation to the world, but that revelation has gone out to the world only an account of the name of Yeshua of Nazareth.

Some people have the custom of decorating their sukkah with a plaque with the words “Zeker  LeAnanei HaKivod”  -- “A Remembrance of the Clouds of Glory.” This teaching explores the relationship between the Sukkah, the clouds, and the coming of the Messiah. 

What's the underlying spiritual agenda in the world-wide war against Israel? The story of Jacob dividing his family into two camps in preparation to meet Esau provides a clue that connects to the prophecies of Obadiah and a prophecy against all nations.

Yeshua is appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions, a phenomenon reminiscent of the story in Lech Lecha where an angel appears to Hagar in the wilderness and bestows prophecy and blessing on her unborn son, Ishmael. This teaching is part one of a two-part discussion on the revelation of Yeshua to Muslims. Listen to Part Two of this teaching, Ishmael's Destiny.

Would it be so wrong if God were to make you wealthy? On Rosh Hashanah, your money for the coming year is determined. Here's a teaching about wealth, poverty, and wisdom based on Parashat Ekev and the words of King Solomon.  

A teaching from parashat Bereishit about the merit of the righteous, cleaving to the righteous, and the concept of "Tzaddik Yesod Olam, the Righteous is the Foundation of the World" (Proverbs 10:25).

Sometimes the sacrifice of peace is self-sacrifice. In 1 Clement 53-58, Clement urges the upstarts in Corinth to follow the examples of godly heroes of the past who did not hesitate to risk themselves and sacrifice their positions for the good of the community. 

God is invisible. Human beings are not. But the person of faith chooses the fear of the invisible over the fear of the visible. The story of the birth of Moses, the slaying of the Egyptian, and his flight from Pharaoh told from three perspectives: Exodus 2, Acts 7, Hebrews 11.

Some deep thoughts about the seven heavens derived from early Christian and Messianic Jewish sources including Irenaeus, Epistle of Barnabas, Ascension of Isaiah, Clementine Homilies, and Gospel of Thomas. 

It's not difficult to get back on the path. The hard thing is staying on the path. Here's some advice for making your resultions stick and winning the fight with yourself.

The Secular Progressive Left and Islamic Jihadists make for strange bedfellows. What's the real story behind their common cause in anti-Zionism and their hatred for the State of Israel?

Benjamin is stuck in the middle. The revelation of Joseph to his brothers teaches us about the revelation of Yeshua of Nazareth to the Jewish people, but who does the charcter of Benjamin represent? This teaching concludes the The Two Sisters teaching about the rivalry between Rachel and Leah and the distinction between Messiah son of David and Messiah son of Joseph. 

How does the death of Yeshua atone for sins? The New Testament assures us that it does without explaining how. This teaching, part one of a two-part discussion, presents the material from the article titled “The Suffering Tzadik: How Does the Death of the Messiah Bring Atonement?” in Messiah Journal 107 by D. T. Lancaster and Toby Janicki. 

If the wages of sin are death, that means that death pays for sins. But what if the person who dies is sinless? This teaching, part two of a two-part discussion, presents the material from the article titled “The Suffering Tzadik: How Does the Death of the Messiah Bring Atonement?” in Messiah Journal 107 by D. T. Lancaster and Toby Janicki. 

Was Yeshua of Nazareth a real person? Outside of the Bible, what evidence do we have for his existence? This teaching looks into the Testimony of the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and discusses a recently discovered "lost version" of Josephus' account about Yeshua. 

Clement dispatched three elders, a beit din from the community in Rome, to serve his epistle to the assembly of disciples in Corinth. Turns out we have met one of them before in Paul's epistles to Corinth. With a few closing remarks, a blessing, and two more doxologies, we conclude the epistle of 1 Clement and discuss its reception among the churches in the second and third centuries. Download the PDF below for the original handout.

What happened to the northern kingdom and the Messianic dynasty of the house of Joseph? This teaching explains how the deeds of the fathers are portents for the sons yet again when Jacob divides his family into "two camps" thinking, ""If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape" (Genesis 32:8). Part three of the series titled THE TWO SISTERS.

How does atonment work? This teaching for Shabbat Parah (The Sabbath of the Cow) and Shabbat Ki Tssa (story of the golden calf) upends most conventional ideas about how atonement was accomplished on the cross. 

Why does Yeshua identify faithfulness as one of the weighty matters of the Torah, and what does that really mean? Aaron Eby takes a look at the meaning of justice, mercy, and faithfulness by comparing a similar discussion in the Talmud where the sages boil the 613 commandments down to the principle of living by faith. This teaching from the 2022 Shavuot conference takes you through an easy-to-understand path toward understanding what it means to live by faith. 

Yeshua claims that he is the resurrection and the life. What does that mean, and do we really believe it? A teaching from the second day of Passover 2022 discusses the hope of the resurrection and the significance of Yeshua's claims. 

Yeshua identifies the weighty matters of the Torah as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. From where does he derive this triad? This teaching focuses in on Micah 6:8, offering context for the saying from the days of Isaiah and Hezekiah. Then we examine what it means "to walk humbly with your God" in light of Yeshua's teachings about the weighty matters of the Torah. 

Afraid to hope? Here's the antidote. Discover the secret to success and how to become a "water walker" in this live 2007 presentation on the story of the crossing of the Red Sea from Parashat Beshallach.

It is important for us to improve ourselves personally, but to reach the kingdom, we have to grow closer as a community. Learn about the character trait of brotherly love as a step on the path to redemption.

Yeshua says that the weighty matters of the Torah are "justice, mercy, and faithfulness." Does this mean that the details of Jewish law are irrelevant? This teaching, the first of a series of teachings for the Shavuot 2022 at Beth Immanuel, opens the discussion on the "weightier provisins of the Law." 

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24)

Gender identity has never been a more polarizing issue than it is today, but here's a Beth Immanuel teaching from back in 2011 about the difference between boys and girls and the stuff they are made of. Despite our differences, we share the same high calling of our Master, the call to discipleship.

What's going to happen in 2024 and the days to come? Here's a largely pessimistic assessment of the world as we stumble into the secular new year which makes the light of the hope of the coming kingdom shine all that much brighter for the darkness.  

Can Jews be "saved" even if they do not become Christians? In his famous Dialogue with Trypho, the second century apostolic father Justin Martyr reports a non-canonical saying of the Master which sheds significant light on the meaning of "salvation" in the New Testatment Era: "In whatsoever thngs I find you, "In whatsoever things I shall take you, in these I shall judge you." 

Why does Peter refer to the readers of his first epistle as "Strangers" and "Aliens"? Answering this question provides insight into the rift between Peter and Paul, the controversy over Acts 15, and the Gentile disciple's obligations to the commandments of the Torah. 

The apostle Paul says the whole Torah is contained in a single word: love your neighbor as yourself. Does that mean that we are exempt from the other 612 commandments? This teaching further explores the question, "Which commandments of the Torah apply to Gentile disciples of Yeshua?", and it continues the discussion from the teaching titled "When You're Strange." 

Why is Beth Immanuel the way that it is? Here's the mission and vision behind Beth Immanuel Messianic Synagogue to explain the Judaism part of Messianic Judaism. 

James the brother of Yeshua warns us about the demonic wisdom of this world. This audio teaching takes us into Parashat Shemot and the book of Exodus to reveal the common agenda behind anti-Semitism and the war against the unborn. This teaching is an excerpt from D. Thomas Lancaster's Torah Club Commentary: The Beginning of Wisdom, available from First Fruits of Zion.   

In the popular presentation of the gospel, the teachings of Yeshua are irrelevant to the core message of salvation. Whether salvation by sacraments or salvation by faith, the teaching of Yeshua does not figure into the equation. This teaching reexamines the gospel message and reconsiders the weight we apply to Yeshua's teachings.

The Cup of Elijah that we pour at the Seder Meal is the Cup of Wrath poured out on the nations in the Day of the LORD. This teaching from Shabbat Hagadol explains the concept of the Day of the LORD in the Seder, in the Hallel, in the New Testament, and in the story of human history.Also find part one of this teaching here: Elijah's Cup.