All abut me - my background, history and beliefs
I am a British author producing what I hope are engaging and accessible writings on many subjects. These include the Bible, the Jewish people the Church, Israel, having a Hebraic mindset, society, woke culture, the question of identity, the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the Hebraic roots of Christianity. I try to offer unique perspectives on these sometimes complex topics with a lightness of touch and sprinkle of humour that will appeal to a broad audience.
I am a believer in Jesus, originally from a non-practising Jewish family. Beyond writing, I have worked as a freelance web consultant, tour guide, systems analyst, project manager, and designer of software, websites, and computer games. I co-founded Saltshakers, an eclectic and ever changing community of friend and supporters, and was the organiser of Foundations conferences (currently on hiatus) which aimed to explore Hebraic understandings of the Christian faith. and the main themes of some of my books
Saltshakers
I started Saltshakers in the mid 1990's when it was one of the earliest Christian ministries to appear on the Web. Since then it has seen many changes but has stood its ground as a steady ever-present witness to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It was one of the first ministries in the world that boasted this perspective, with the ‘One New Man’ of Ephesians 2 as its driving force. Although it hasn’t lost this perspective, it has adapted it to become relevant to the wider Church. One way has been through its understanding and implementation of what has become known as ‘Hebrew Mindset’, particularly in some of the books that I have written.
Purpose
Saltshakers and I have one abiding ministry aim: to glorify God by introducing the wider Church to the Hebraic roots that have been lost to it for centuries and to address the reasons for this historical neglect. To do this we must be relevant and uncompromising to communicate effectively to an audience that is, by default, suspicious of our motives. This suspicion has two elements. The first is the historical situation best illustrated by the following sentiment – what gives us the authority to query the teachings and attitudes of our leaders and theologians, particularly those who came before us in the past? The second is a fear, sadly fed by some existing Hebrew Roots teaching, that embracing one’s Hebrew Roots is somehow locking us into a legalistic system, perhaps even sucking us into a form of Judaism.
The truth is that the Church has historically had an awful record of antagonism towards the Jews, resulting in a rejection of anything deemed Jewish and swapping the mindset of Jesus with a pagan one fed from Greek philosophy. Also, many Hebrew Roots teachers have failed to pick up on the liberating truths of restoring this mindset and have dwelt on the externalities of traditions and rituals. This has given a false picture of what God has intended for His Church, concerning the One New Man of Ephesians 2.
Saltshakers we are attempting to create a balance that we call Hebraic Church. It is a reclamation of the true Hebrew roots of the faith, as driven by the mindset of Jesus and the early believers. But it doesn’t reject Gentile elements to instruct the Church without antagonising it, illustrating restored truths without dwelling on wrong teachings and attitudes. It’s about presenting a fresh slate, quarried from a deep pool and trimming away some grime picked up on the way. For instance, we have no problems with the name of Jesus, though we would probably prefer the more authentic name, Yeshua. Also, we are aware of the pagan derivations of Easter and Christmas but would not condemn those who partake in these festivals with a pure heart. The purpose of marketing our booklets “The Christmas Telling” and “The Easter Telling” is to communicate simply to our target audience. This is similar to how Peter presented his message to the Jews (Acts 2:14-36) and the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-43).
It’s about connecting with your audience without diluting the truth. It is all about communication. If it is our mandate to instruct the Church to embrace its Hebraic roots then our attitude and use of terminology is important, particularly in our current age of information overload, where misunderstandings abound. We need to embrace our Christian brothers and sisters in love and help them away from the mistakes of the past and the confusions of the present and walk in the real blessings and liberating truths that come from the Hebraic foundations of their faith.
What is Hebraic Church?
I haves been engaged with this subject since 2008 when I started writing a book that examined the influences of Greek thinking on the Church. This book was published the following year and began a journey that has spanned eight further books and shows no sign of slowing down! It has been a life-changing journey, as God pulled me into the confusing but liberating world of the Hebrews, and my life has not been the same since.
Is it non-Biblical (at best) … or a cult (at worst)?
Certainly not! Neither does it involve trying to be Jewish, or imposing restrictions or legalism. Believe it or not … it is the opposite! It is about FREEDOM. Here’s an excerpt from a testimony by a delegate from our first conference that featured principles of Hebraic Church: “One of the greatest things about the conference was the FREEDOM. Freedom in worship; freedom to dance, freedom to preach, freedom to sing, freedom to pray, freedom to draw, freedom to be quiet, freedom to read, freedom to argue (yeshiva!), freedom to love, freedom to fellowship. And for me, the Lord has used this conference to spill this freedom over into my everyday walk with Him”.
Isn’t it all about becoming Jewish or favouring Judaism?
I had entered a minefield because what God was revealing to me was that being Hebraic was an internal condition of the mind, rather than the external trappings of Jewish culture. This has placed me at odds with mainstream Hebraic expressions, particularly those that have crossed the ocean from our American friends. I have become firmly convinced that the Hebraic element that surely must find its eventual expression in the One New Man of Ephesians 2:11-18, is a mindset rather than a set of practices, however Biblical they may be. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with keeping the Sabbath, the feasts and the Torah, but it should always be with Romans 14 in mind when considering the rest of God’s people. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. (Romans 14:10-13)
So, what is Hebraic Church?
Being Hebraic involves awareness that you are on a journey and not at a destination. It can be a tricky journey as history, culture and religion act against us, embedded as they are in the Greek mindset, a way of thinking born from men’s minds rather than the Heart of God. I am pleased to say that you can share this journey, you are not (necessarily) reading the ramblings of a sole, self-deluded lunatic. There is a growing band of other “lunatics” who are adding to this debate.
Being Hebraic is to accept that although there are non-negotiable absolutes, centred around the entry requirements for God’s Kingdom, much that exercises our minds is not as clear-cut as we may imagine it. Our task is to be able to live and accept others who may disagree with our interpretation. Being Hebraic, in line with Jesus and other rabbis, is to ask questions, to open up our minds, rather than arguing over doctrine, which is an important exercise in defining tenets of our faith but, sometimes, can serve to close up minds, when our arguments are fuelled by hot air and intransigence. It has been said that there is no such thing as theology (or any other ‘ologies’) in Judaism as God and His ways are taken as a given, rather than something to be dissected and analysed, but, on the other hand, it continues to fail to accept the Jewish messiah! This is not to say that being Hebraic is to know all the answers; it is more like the acknowledgement of the exact opposite. We don’t have all the answers, but that shouldn’t stop us from asking questions to find some answers.
Is there an Israel connection?
This question about Israel and the Jews is important. I am convinced it is a far more central issue than the Church realises (or accepts), involving the sacredness of God’s covenants with His people. It is not a fringe issue, as many believe, and that the Church lies helplessly strangled by the promises and threats of Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;” Those who consider themselves on a “Hebraic path” should treat this as a serious matter and, despite the baggage and ignorance of the mainstream Church on these matters, should seek to be positive agents of change. It is a better witness to the Church (and arguably to unsaved Jews too) to find ways to communicate Hebraic understandings sensitively and relevantly, rather than from the refuge of the congregational ghettos we have constructed for ourselves. Yes, I know they don’t get us, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to open their minds.
It’s all about God
Being Hebraic is to bring God back to the centre of His church. It is to accept Jesus in his culturally Jewish setting. It is to read the Bible as God’s gift of life to us, His primary means of communicating with us and not a conduit for our thoughts and ideas. It is to accept and seek to correct the past and present errors made by the Church about the Jewish people. It is to bring joy, life, hope and certainty back into the Church and to each member of its members. It is to value each believer and accept that God has a unique plan for all of us and that the main stumbling block for most of us discovering this purpose is the Greek structures that infest the Church itself. Being Hebraic is to seek God, rather than find out what others tell us about God. It is about doing stuff rather than learning about stuff. It’s about being a good witness, walking the walk rather than talking the talk. It’s about being real, about living in man’s kingdom as a fully paid-up member of God’s kingdom.
It’s nothing new
This is not a comfortable place because those old leaking wineskins are still embedded in our Christian landscape. This is not something new and trendy, it is the oldest. It is the mindset of those earliest Jewish believers as they met in houses and enjoyed unfettered freedoms, hope and joy. It is also the mindset of Adam before the Fall when he had full communion with God and wasn’t separated from Him by the need for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. To be Hebraic is to think like the first Century Jewish disciples, rather than acting like twenty-first Century Jews. It is the most exciting way to live out your faith. Honest!
Living it out
This short article was prompted by an email from a lady who had just returned from a Foundations conference. She wondered why we did not acknowledge the Sabbath as she expected us to. This was a good question, and my answer is tied to our ministry's aim to communicate Hebraic understandings to the wider Church and, IMPORTANTLY, cover all aspects of Christian doctrine and living.
For many, our Foundations conferences were their first tentative taste of the Hebraic and we aimed to introduce Hebraic thinking in the most sensitive and relevant way possible, bearing in mind the vast chasm that has resulted from the decision seventeen centuries ago to divorce the Church from its Hebraic roots. We aim to show the joy that can result in thinking and acting Hebraically, and we do so through Davidic dance, messianic worship, and a teaching programme that always includes material on Israel and the Jewish people. We also demonstrate the release into freedom they could experience by breaking free of Greek structures and starting to think and act with a Hebraic mindset. However, we do not adopt a ‘narrow’ view of our faith by only covering traditional ‘Hebraic’ issues. Conferences have covered Jesus, holiness, God, Word & Spirit, Culture and Christian living.
We sing ‘messianic’ songs, the old Wesley hymns and modern choruses, from Townend to Hillsong. The aim is to show Christians that being Hebraic is the normal Christian life and not a fringe add-on. It’s as the Church ought to have been if Constantine hadn’t kick-started the travesty known as Christendom all of those centuries ago.
It is for the above reasons that I wrote one of my books, Livin’ the Life. It’s aim was to give the wider Church a glimpse of what it has been missing all these years. The Church needs to wake up and the last thing it needs is for us to give it a bad night’s sleep. We are in a unique position at this moment in history. We can make a difference, so let’s do so and put a smile on the face of God!