Testimonies

Truth and grace...that’s what its about. Here in South Africa our Afrikaners would say "waarheid en genade." These words of advise from my earthly Dad stuck in my head after going to a difficult time in my life. He passed away in 2011. Since that time I came to learn the Hebrew emet vechesed and how much richer the meaning of these words are in the lashon hakodesh!

I have no special testimony but something touches my heart when I hear the language and see the letters. It just calls for further investigation. My subscription to Holy Language Institute, that gives me access to many other teachings & info, is something I treasure. On this quest, I got a fresh glimpse to the awesomeness of YHVH and the way He communicate to us through His written word. My journey will continue. Why drink downstream if the water at the top is sweet and pure? It's without hesitation that I will recommend studying Hebrew and thereby getting closer to truth... true Truth. This is the language of my Saviour, Yeshua HaMashiach.

The Hebrew Quest is an excellent tool to start learning as individual/group. It was actually surprising to see how easy it is to find like minded people to form a study group with. There is a stronger movement of people returning to the Hebrew roots of our faith than many realize; people who recognize lies in some churches and wrong traditions we followed.

Over the last couple of months we came together on a weekly basis to study Hebrew and issues of Torah. We covered the aleph-bet DVD's of the Hebrew quest. What an awesome journey. The depth of the Lashon Hakodesh, with treasures to be found even in the structure of the letters, is just amazing. Thanks, Izzy, for sharing some of this with us.

Ruth 1:16...your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Naturally that is why we love His language also. 

We all stand with Israel and the Jewish people.

 We thank YHVH for His Yeshua and the opportunity to study His Word of Truth.

I was born into a religious Catholic family. I was an altar boy, I did the sacraments; I was a certifiable Roman. I learned the catechism, so while I knew of Jesus, I didn't know Him. I knew that He died, but I didn't know why He had to die. You see, I was taught what to believe, but not why. We were neither encouraged or discouraged from reading the Bible; we just didn't talk about it except for tidbits on Sundays. However, we did know the holy days of obligation. We knew the Nicaen Creed. We knew the appropriate times to stand, to kneel, and the up-down-left-right pattern to make the sign of the cross. We kissed statues, we lit candles for the dead, we knelt before the blonde-haired white man on the crucifix.

I was definitely confused about God. I remember asking my Protestant friends "why did Jesus have to die?" but the answers they gave me didn't make any sense to me. "We put him on the cross", they said. "We did?" I replied. "Yes, because of our sins." "Couldn't he just forgive sins?" "No." "Why not?" "Well, because someone had to pay the penalty." "Why did Jesus have to pay the penalty?" "Well, because at the cross, God placed all of our sins on Him, so it's like He died in our place." As a Catholic teen, that sounded like Mongolian. I still didn't understand why Jesus had to die, nor why God would create a son to do things He could just do. I knew I didn't want to go to Hell, so I tricked my mind into believing in God and Jesus, even without understanding.

When I was 15 I had a dream I'll never forget. I was walking through a kitchen-esque corridor. Before me were older grey-haired people dressed in white; they were opening cupboards searching for something, but all the cupboards were empty and bare. I walked past them onto a balcony outside, and began looking at a hilly skyline on a cloudy day. But the clouds assembled together, then shifted apart slightly to reveal a golden staircase. There were multitudes of people assembling on either side of the staircase. They looked triumphant, and they were chattering amongst each other happily. I could see they were all from different cultures - they each wore a vibrant color. African women were bringing jars on their heads, and they were talking to European men who were tuning musical instruments.  And then, on top of the staircase, appeared a brilliant blue light which I still can't describe adequately. I knew who it was though, and cried out "Jesus!" and flew off the balcony toward that light with an indescribable joy before I awoke (You see I almost made it, which turned out to be an omen for my youth).

You can imagine my surprise reading the Bible for the first time ever 2 years later -at age 17, seeing something similar to my dream inside it! Even before discovering that, I realized that what I was reading wasn't remotely close to what I'd experienced so far in life. So at age 18, I searched for "the right denomination" and eventually settled at a Charismatic church because they had physical "signs" and feelings. "Surely this is it," I thought. "They have the Spirit, which must mean it's OK, right?" But I couldn't shake what I had learned studying the Bible - the feast days and the Sabbath never changed.  That's when I went to a Messianic synagogue for the first time, while still attending the charismatic church. So on the one hand, I knew Messianics kept the real Sabbath and feasts, but on the other hand, I knew a group who stressed power and relationship, but with a kind of animosity to the Law. Looking back, I used the hypocrisy of the charismatic church and how Messianics seemed to resist the Spirit in certain ways as a scapegoat for a life of sinful pleasures.

About 7 years later I was in a place when I couldn't stand myself. I had to answer that nagging voice that kept telling me "this isn't truth, you're living a lie." So finally, I surrendered. In a U.S. Army barracks room (separation of church and state, right?)  I fell to my knees and told the Lord that I wanted Him back. I made a pile of anything I thought would be offensive to the Lord and just stomped on them - pouring out my liquor in the sink and slapping on a nicotine patch. Despite my new commitment, I still felt a tremendous sense of guilt. What if He wouldn't accept me? Would I be re-crucifying Christ?

About a week later I was reading Exodus 15 (and how Moses led Israel from Egypt) and was about to skip to Joshua 1 - because that's what I had always done. But God challenged me and said, "There are no contradictions in this book." So I read onward, and fell in love with Torah, seeing Yeshua throughout. The first time I read Leviticus 19:18 "you will love your neighbor as yourself" God spoke to me again. This time He said, "Brad, you cannot love your neighbor as yourself, because you do not love yourself. You have to let Me forgive you son- you have to let Me take the pain away." That's the day that I understood the value of repentance, and His love and forgiveness in totality. Consequently, that was the first time I really understood why Yeshua had to die. He came to be THE NEIGHBOR, and demonstrated how to be "neighbors".  That's the real reason why " you shall love YHVH with all your heart" and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" are so similar - it's because Yeshua IS the original Neighbor! The Good Samaritan was parabled to the "neighbor" (in Luke 10:24-37) for a reason. The "neighbor" had compassion for the robbed, paid the wages for healing first, and then said "I will come again." That's because Yeshua is the Neighbor who paid for us once, and will come for us again.

When I knew I had His forgiveness, that's when I let YHVH write His law on my heart, and that's when my life took off. Since then, God blessed me with a wife and two lovely children. He again speaks to my wife and I through dreams, but more than anything He teaches me His word, and who Yeshua is.  I'm still a work in progress, but it's different every day. There isn't uncertainty or fear unlike before.

Part of that journey includes a hunger to know Him more and more. That's why I'm now studying Hebrew at Holy Language Institute. I have learned that the original languages contain prose and insights that are easily missed in English, but Hebrew is the key to completely seeing what the Lord promised me years ago - "there is no contradictions in this book." I will be the first to admit that there are apparent contradictions in modern English translations, but I will also be the first to admit that the original languages - especially Hebrew - clear up the dissonance. Hebrew also allows me to understand portions of Scripture that I never thought possible. For example, the Hebrew of "Not by might, nor by power, but My Spirit" underlines a military theme - certainly different when understood in context. Hebrew helps me to see the Word, so I may show myself approved in the day when God needs me to be a neighbor like Yeshua... which is every day!

I have loved Yahweh and had a hunger for more of Him since I can remember.  Even as a small child, the first time I wanted to give my life to Him, I was six years old.  Jews for Jesus came to my Church frequently as I was growing up and they imprinted my heart drastically.  I am truly blessed to have a pastor that understands and teaches us about Israel and the Jewish people in context with the Bible.  Our Church has a love for Israel and the Jews and is seeking Yahweh on how we can impact the country in this hour.

I’m going to share an experience with you that is very precious to me and I’m risking that some of you may not understand it and may reject me or criticize me but I believe that there are some out there that will accept it and want to hear it so I’m going to share it anyway as Izzy has encouraged me.  I hope that if you don’t understand it that you will just ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.  And not criticize such a precious gift that was given to me.  I would appreciate that very much. I do share this hesitantly because it is so close to my heart  but as I said Izzy has encouraged me to be open  with you so that’s what I’m going to do.

It happened at The Smithton Revival Network Conference at Lake of the Ozarks, MO, July 5, 1999.  My pastor, Steve Gray was preaching about Israel and Her importance in coming together with the Church in the last Great Move of God before Yeshua’s Return.  When the altar call was given, I moved to the sidelines to intercede – crying out to Yahweh to put His message of Destiny for the Church and the Jewish people into the people receiving prayer.  As I was praying, Yahweh’s Spirit of Intercession came upon me and it was so heavy, I went to my knees and eventually ended up on the floor and everything around me began to fade away.   My mind was on the Jewish people and interceding to bring revival (vigorous life to the half dead) into the earth that would make the Jews jealous (as the Scriptures say, the Glory of Yahweh in the Gentiles will make the Jewish people jealous and draw them to  Yeshua and back to Yahweh).   Then Yahweh will raise up true Jewish evangelists and the power of Yeshua will be released so that the Word of Yahweh will be preached into all the earth and usher in the return of Yeshua (Everything will have come full circle as it should have, salvation started with the Jews, went to the Gentiles and will return to the Jews).

I can’t explain the attitude of desperation that gripped my heart.  It was like Yahweh and I became one person, meshed together.  Then softly, my King and Lord began to expose His heart to me.  Never have I ever felt such a precious closeness and devotion as when I began to feel the feelings of love that my Father has towards His people!  He doesn’t get side-tracked or distracted from His purpose for the people, He is very single minded.  It was as if He didn’t notice at all what was going on around me – the bustle as people finished ministry and were talking and leaving.  All He focused on at that time with me was the Jewish people being restored and the world being able to receive Him through this fulfillment of prophecy.  It was like He had been working towards this goal for thousands of years - since Abraham first answered His call, and He created the Jewish people as a nation. He created the people to represent Him in the earth, people of priests set apart to accomplish His work and bring Him glory, but more than that – the Jews were a people created to be in the world with the person of God so that God could have a dwelling place here and an intimate connection with His people. This people belong to God. He deserves to have them, and His heart was so grieved for them!

Waves of the Spirit continued to come over me. I literally lost consciousness as God took me through phases of intercession. Each phase was like a different side of God’s heart. There was so much emotion! More than a human being could experience on their own apart from God. The intense love and kindness was very deep. It wasn’t as if God was telling me His feelings; it was more like God was sharing His feelings. I felt what He feels – He put me inside of Him and everything He is, consumed me – His goodness and especially His holiness. He was so holy, & I knew that I definitely had nothing righteous in myself that made me worthy to stand in His presence. But I wanted Him so badly, and He was so real and holy that I couldn’t speak or bring myself to move out of His presence.  (When God comes that close, you don’t want to move!). He is a King and whatever He wanted I was going to give Him. It wasn’t fear alone that motivated me; it was love and a holy, reverent desire to experience the sweetness and intense desperation of His love! I wanted to do whatever I had to do to give Him what He wanted. God is desperately in love and jealous, but not in an unjust negative way. It was a kind, firm love. The passion and the jealousy are only for God’s people that belong to Him to return to Him as his possession.

Next, I began to feel what the Jews must feel towards the people that were responsible for the Holocaust. To have those things done to your family, and sisters and nation? Imagine the hurt, bitterness, mistrust and pain this opens the door to and lets flood through you. This is just one thing among so many the Jewish people are forced to deal with now. When a person from the very group of people responsible for the Holocaust comes to minister to the Jews, the Jews have to face all of these walls, even if they are trying to receive ministry. What a hard thing! My heart was flooded with mercy as I cried out to God to help them, heal them, and tear down the walls that the enemy has created in their lives by taking advantage of their pain.

Next, I began to feel an urgent fear of what lies ahead for the nation of Israel. God’s Word tells us they will be completely surrounded with armies, and all the nations of the world will turn against them. Understand this was several years ago that I experienced this and at that time in their present condition, they would be annihilated. God’s love was screaming out for them to be grafted into the vine again and to prepare them for what’s coming. Without God, they don’t have a hope. I begged God to draw them to Him again as the true vine and turn their hearts to believe so they, as a nation, can become grafted into Him.

When it seemed God and I had prayed through that phase, His heart turned to Abraham and David and how they feel because of their descendants not receiving the very Son of God – a Father’s heart breaking for His children! Parents experience such an incredible unselfish love for their children. Without even a second thought, a true father will die to protect his children. I was allowed a glance; an emotional taste of Abraham and David’s heart as it was broken in desperation for their children to be restored to them. We, as Believers, fight and believe for our families to belong to God and to walk in the covenant of God. We expect that blessing to rest upon our children, their children and their children. Our hearts are crushed with unbearable grief when our descendants are smashed out of the hand of God, and an enemy defiles them and locks them in a prison of torment. This very thing happened to Abraham and David’s descendants. Their hearts are torn for their children to return to the fold. Destruction depresses the very people that were given the covenants of God and the kingdom of God. They are the ones that should be carrying the power and glory of God into the earth, to the world. Evangelism belongs to the Jews. The Jewish people deserve to experience the wonderful glory. In the Old Testament, when the Israelites got into trouble, they cried out to God and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He would come to the rescue. I wondered if He would do the same thing today – if we cried out on their behalf. I was going to try it – going to find out. If it worked for them then, it will work for us now.

Then, my heart was pierced through as God revealed one last thing. Because so few of the Jewish people know Jesus as our Messiah, and don’t belong to Him, death is in their lives they don’t belong to the kingdom of light. Death and darkness somehow intertwines their souls, bodies, minds, hearts, families, finances and more. When God fought for the Israelites back in Egypt, when they were slaves to the Egyptians, the Egyptians experienced the curses and plagues, not the Israelites! All through the Bible, the pagans had death, sickness, destruction and torment, but the people of God were protected by God. The Death Angel came to the Egyptians, not the Jews. But now, death - had made its way into Israel – where it does not belong. When that revelation came to me, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back and my heart broke for my Father. I yielded myself completely to the spirit of intercession. I thought, if this could somehow help my Father rescue His people, I’m willing. Yahweh wants life, hope, peace, joy, and prosperity for His people.  This is His divine purpose for them.

To describe what the sweet presence of God felt like through this time seems impossible. It is so difficult, and my best efforts in words fall so far short that I came very close to not even trying. My thought was just to leave off this part, because after I wrote it, it’s also very, very short of expressing the essence of the experience. Yet, for the purpose for which I entered into the experience cries out in me to go ahead and do the best I can and pray God smiles on my efforts.

I could feel waves of glory like the wind of kindness flowing over me and every time it would float over me, I would go back into unconsciousness. It wasn’t the kind of wind that blows over; it was more like it went through me, consuming every fiber of my being. Everything around me would fade and God’s brightness would increase. It was very bright with Him and clear. His thoughts were clear but not in words – more like waves of emotion, but not the kind of emotion that leaves you feeling torn and upset. It was emotion that saturated in love and peace that was somehow absorbed into me.

I felt very light and very happy at the same time. I felt like I was floating, but my body wouldn’t move; it was glued to the floor. The awe of God and His Holiness was so incredible that I was almost afraid to move. He is so holy and pure and I didn’t want to go back to a sin filled world. I knew that with Him was an answer. I knew He could rescue the Jewish people and I was so close to Him, I knew He heard me I didn’t want to leave because I didn’t want to quit praying until I got a breakthrough for Israel. I knew as long as I stayed with him, I would be safe. God is a person and to be with Him was more than strange feelings. It was to see His character. He is powerful, yet kind; loving, yet holy; pure goodness, without any trace of compromise or unrighteousness. I had never seen that kind of holiness and righteousness. He was so holy that I almost felt as if I shouldn’t talk or move because I might dishonor Him, and He would go away, & I didn’t want Him to leave. Everything else in my life completely faded into irrelevancy. He was all that mattered.

The experience itself left me with a new sensitivity in my heart to God and the Jews. It did something inside of me, like my Father left  a trace of Himself with me – as if I had been  branded with a new vision of urgency and soberness of the heart of God. There is inside of me a new merciful patience. I want to go back to that place in the spirit with God and be with Him again like that. Only this time I want to stay with Him longer to see what He will do.

My next experience was a dream. In the dream I was in Israel and an older lady was teaching me Hebrew and in exchange I was serving her as her assistant in all areas. It was an interesting dream as we were so closely united together. It was a Saturday night that I dreamed this dream. Sunday morning I went to church and my pastor Steve Gray  at World Revival Church preached a sermon about Ruth and Naomi. Naomi being an older lady who was a Jew and Ruth was a Gentile and Ruth did not know anything about the Jews but Ruth serves Naomi and takes care of Naomi and in exchange Naomi taught Ruth her Jewish ways. Pastor Steve taught that in the end days this was the way that Jews and Gentiles were to play out. The Gentiles were to bring the Jews back to you Yeshua and then the Jews would teach the Gentiles the Hebrew Way and bring us, the Gentiles back to the Hebrew roots. It would come full circle. It starts with the Jews and it ends with the Jews. And in the end days the Jews are the ones who will be the great evangelists again, the apostles again, the prophets again and they will bring the gospel to all nations and then Jesus can return. Ruth and Naomi where a picture of what is going to happen and what is supposed to happen between Jew and Gentile in the end days. What my pastor was preaching was the translation of my dream. The Gentile serving the Jews and then the Jew is teaching the Gentile the Hebrew ways. I believe this dream has several meanings but one of those meanings is happening now in the Holy Language Institute. I am a Gentile and I am serving as a volunteer and in exchange, you, the Holy Language Institute is teaching me the Hebrew ways. Years ago I had this dream and it was a picture of what is happening today in my life and a picture of what is to come.

So as you can see this is why I am here at the Holy Language Institute. This is the story of what brought me here. There’s much more to my life that I could tell you about my experiences but I wanted to focus on my experiences with you and Yeshua about the Hebrew Way that related to the Holy Language Institute. I hope they help you to know my heart and my love for Israel and for the Jewish people; for you.

I came to know Yeshua at two years old

Learning of His ways, now to His Word I hold.

At twelve I found Yeshua's "Hebrew Way"

 And that is what I study to this day.

 Hebrew understanding opened a new door

 It was no surprise I hungered for more.

 In 2013 I found a resource

 Pursuing Hebrew through an online course.

 Then the Holy Language Institute through online

 Magnified the Hebrew culture and nourished my soul and mind.

 I plan to attend a university in the Fall

 Majoring in communications and psychology, that's all.

 A vessel of Yeshua I aspire to be

Humble, doing justice, and loving mercy. 

To tell my Messianic story, I'll begin with some basic information. I’m 51 years old, Chinese, and living in Hong Kong. I have two grown up daughters studying in UK universities. I’ve worked in IT for 15 years before turning full time mom and part time freelance translator.

I grew up under the cross literally, because our window view was a 6 story high red-cross on the wall of a Catholic primary school across the street. Finally I was baptized at 40 together with my husband and 2 young daughters at a non-denominational church, which I stopped going to for some reasons. Then God immediately put me in to a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class in 2009. I was wandering in the wilderness for some years as a lukewarm Christian with little devotion or prayers and way too many questions about God and the Bible and the world, until God took me to some journeys on my own. After taking my daughters to settle down in their schools in the UK, I travelled around remote places in Scotland (Skye, Stornoway etc) a few times. In solitude and helpless situations I realized God was so close and personal, like in Psalm 139. And slowly I saw His greatness and my nothingness. He answers my questions one by one, so I have learned to listen for His quiet, small voice.

In 2013, under some weird circumstances (or in God's meticulous plan) I made a trip alone to Israel for 9 days, with air tickets bought for a tour that would not take me in. So I had to search online and paid fully half a year in advance for a local Israeli tour that fit the dates of my tickets. It was like a leap of faith for me (and my family) because everyone thought (and still thinks, especially these days) Israel was a dangerous place. I ended up wandering alone in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for 3 days and being guided around in a small Christian tour group (mostly Catholics) for 6 days. At the end of the journey I felt like I had stayed in Israel for a year. Here is a photo taken in Capernaum of Peter the Fisher and me (see the fish in front of Peter’s right foot and the key in his hand).

Coming home I started learning Hebrew and came across Messianic teachings on the web. I was shocked by many new findings and the depth of the meaning of Hebrew letters, verses and scriptures. HalleluYah! I was led to the Holy Language Institute soon after I started my "Hebrew quest", even though there were many other Hebrew related websites. I thank God for bringing me to learn His holy language. In tourist attractions in Israel I noticed that the Hebrew explanation was always the shortest in any display in multiple languages. I thought Hebrew must be so smart and concise. It is only when I started digging into the holy language that I realize how much I would lose if I only read God's Word in translations in this life.

Because there is no messianic congregation in Hong Kong that I know of, I am attending a traditional Baptist Church on Sunday for worship only. Fellowship is mainly through serving in BSF and online communities. I trust that Yeshua HaMashiach will lead me to where I belong, because "if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139: 9-10) Amen!

My name is Rhonda and I reside in Northern Virginia.  I have one adult daughter who lives close by.

I am a minister of the gospel in the United Methodist Church and my mentor is a Jewish Rabbi, he teaches me a lot about the scriptures according to the Aramaic and Hebrew language but I want to understand the alphabets more.  I know he would teach me these things if he had time, but he doesn’t.  I have been contemplating taking the language class somewhere in the area where I live.  I don’t believe in coincidence and your site came across my Facebook page which I’m rarely on, but I saw a reference to you in someone’s post and here I am.

Anyway, your online platform works for me cause I can go online when it’s convenient for me.

Thank you for your ministry and I look forward to studying with you.

I started loving the Jewish people over 50 years ago, coming to faith in Jesus at a time when hippies were getting saved and Jerusalem was once again reunited under Jewish control, around 1967.  The miracle of Israel was on front pages around the world and so it was part of my consciousness. As I grew as a believer, I came to find that the WHOLE BIBLE was significant to my faith and not just the New Testament alone. I longed to understand it not only contextually but as it was intended to be understood by Jews who spoke the language, not translations that gave preachers license to create misunderstood truths that would create a religious template contrary to the Father’s intent. 

I have done some study on my own of the Hebrew language and I avidly look up every highlighted word as I read my Bible to understand better the depth of its meaning. The picture these words create helps me understand more about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God I love. I long to know Him to the greatest depth that I can and share Him from that understanding. How can you have a relationship with Jesus (THE WORD) and not with the written Word?  I don’t know. It seems that important to me. It’s real truth and alive, just like Him. 

I’ve tried learning Hebrew at different times and picked up a few things, but short of being very successful.  Recently I was studying Psalm 119 and wanted to understand the first word. . . “Blessed”.  I knew that the portion I was reading in, that every line should begin with an aleph.  In my search I chanced upon holylanguage.com and decided to dive in. So glad to be here! Thank you so much for doing this! 

Shalom,

Liz

My name’s Claudia and I live in Ravenna, Italy. I’ve been a teacher of Italian to foreign students and of English to elementary and High School students, both face-to-face and online, for many years. In my free time I like reading, watching movies and…studying biblical Hebrew!

I came to God in 2009, when some colleagues of mine of different Christian groups invited me to read the Bible and some commentaries on Saturday mornings. I accepted mainly because I was interested in practising my English with native speakers but those meetings changed my life. I wanted to know more about my religion (I'm a Catholic), so I began to read more and I also attended some courses which made me a Cathechist for children aged 9 to 11. 

I started learning Hebrew five years ago after attending a seminar by Annick de Souzenelle near Assisi. It was a three-day-seminar about the Hebrew letters. It was really hard, to tell the truth, but with the consequence that I became curious about the language and I started learning grammar as a self-taught student. As I can read and speak French I’ve been able to read De Souzenelle’s Alliance de Feu I and II, whose subtitle is “a Christian reading of the Hebrew text of Genesis (chapters 1-2-3-4)”. It’s a word by word commentary starting from the Hebrew words. Very engaging at the beginning, but rich of wonderful ‘discoveries’.

In 2017 I attended a course at E-Teacher and obtained my  B-level-certificate. It was expensive, and it didn’t fulfill my expectations. It was almost entirely grammar centered. I wanted something deeper, as I was used to the readings of Annick De Souzenelle. That’s why, after finding Holy Language Institute and having  looked at its program, I decided to subscribe.

My favourite things about the site is that it fulfils my need of knowing more about Jesus in his Hebrew context and about the language of the Holy  Scriptures. I think that it will help me a lot in my spiritual growth.

At the time of my writing here, I have completed the first section of the Hebrew Quest (lessons 1-8). As I need to take notes, I found extremely useful the videos where the transcript has been checked by Holy Language,  so I would like to encourage that practice! I could also print the parts dealing with subjects completely new to me. 

Now, I’m looking forward to my next lesson!

This is part of my testimony of how the Lord brought me back home. The Lord has been guiding me all of my life. I have always felt and had a very close relationship with Him. My family has always been a people of prayer and we learned about prayer from our youth. I wasn't raised in the church either. It wasn't until I began reading the Bible for myself, without any preconceived notion, that I felt Abba was talking to me directly and telling me to observe Shabbat. So it was a no brainer, I told my family we would be observing Shabbat.

The thing is, I do remember in my youth that my great grandmother lived across the street from her church and we attended the Saturday service. Then while we were still young, we stopped going altogether. I remember my mom was kicked out of church for having children and not being married. But I did not know about Sunday church services until I was an adult and after I joined the military. I had always felt that something was missing in Sunday services. My husband and I constantly bounced from church to church and I would cry, asking Father what was wrong with me. It is also where I developed my insecurities about my salvation.

One day I began reading a Bible plan called 100 Day Discipline during Passover, and that is when Abba shared with me about Shabbat. We left the Sunday church we were going to and started observing Shabbat at home. I would just read the Bible to my husband and sons. Three Shabbos later, God led us to a Shabbat observing congregation, which was on Yom Teruah. I felt as if I had come home.

Learning more about my Lord and King has shifted my paradigm by teaching me how to truly worship Him in the Spirit of Torah. And now all of my dreams prior to this from my youth make sense. I am being gathered back to the land of my people and my God by returning to the Torah of my ancestors.

My Journey began on my second time in Vietnam during the war in 1971. Recently I had two amazing events. 

A friend from whom I removed shrapnel contacted me and requested that I write a letter concerning what had happened to him as he never received his purple heart. He came to visit from Ohio to where I live near Nashville and brought with him "a yearbook" from Vietnam. It had photos of us and was a trip seeing myself with a 32 inch waist, hair on my head, and teeth in my mouth (I am an old man now with none of those physical traits). He mentioned how everyone was shocked at how I transformed from a scary warrior to a loving Christian in what seemed like overnight after dropping to my knees, crying out to Jesus, and experiencing the phenomenon of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit of which I had never seen, heard, or read about prior to experiencing it in the little chapel at Camp Eagle near Hue/Phu Bai.

The other exciting thing was that I was baptized a few days later in the Ashau Valley under a bridge named BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS and surfing Youtube I came across a video that actually had the bridge and river around the time that I was baptized, you can see the bridge at 1 minute and 59 seconds of this video: https://youtu.be/a0TsHh5IaxU?t=114

I've shared my story before but I just wanted to share these two recent amazing events with you. ~Francis

Shalom! My name is Maciej. I was born in Poland on May 24, 1990, and I’ve been born again since 2012. I experienced God during my very first Bible reading—He washed my sins away that very moment.

I’ve been interested in the language the Bible was written in since then, because I noticed that even in my Polish translation there were Hebrew words like corban (gift) and “Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani.” Then I realized that Hebrew names all have meaning. In fact, every Hebrew name means something! For example, my name is Matityahu in Hebrew, which means “gift of God.”

I also learned that Hebrew letters have numbers attached to them. For example, the energy drink called Monster has three vavs, which equals three sixes—the number of the beast. Of course, it’s not the actual mark of the beast, but I believe God allows us to see signs of what’s coming, even hidden in things like letters or symbols.

I would like to learn Biblical Hebrew so I can understand the Bible and God better. I really enjoy your lessons—right now I’m watching the Hebrew Verses series starting from Genesis, and I’m so glad that I understand more and more. Sometimes you read something during those sessions, and I’m like, “Hey, I already know what that word means!” I’ve also started using Memrise, and it’s helping a lot. I hope to finish it all someday. Blessings!

My name is James. I have been a Christian for about fifty years. I am American and was raised in a French Catholic family. In comparison to the culture I grew up in, my family would have been considered very religious within a Catholic context.

While I am very happy to have moved out of Catholicism into a fundamentalist Christian way of believing in Christ, I am also very grateful for my Catholic roots, as they set me up to find Christ in a way that was both serious and intentional. Somewhere along the way, I read Babylon Mystery Religion by Ralph Woodrow, which provided a surprising set of revelations about the tenets of the Catholicism I was raised in.

That book also awakened a concern about the Sabbath that I let marinate for decades, until a few years ago when I felt prompted to take the leap and acknowledge it. This led to an interest in the various Hebrew feasts and then to learning Hebrew itself.

Recently, I discovered through DNA testing that eighteen percent of my genetic heritage is Ashkenazi. While that might not impress my Jewish friends, it made me wonder if that had something to do with why I was drawn to Yeshua in the first place—and with my relentless desire to align my Christian faith with Israel.

I was lost and now I’m found. I was a run away as a teenager, and became an “adult child”. I feel like a grown up now that I am 60 years old!!! I was protected from death by an angel of the Lord, but I have had near-death experiences that I cannot explain.

I knew that Christmas and Easter and Halloween were based on pagan traditions since my twenties, and I have searched  diligently for the truth.  Up until a while ago there were no Messianic Jews! There was a great chasm there.  The Christian churches I went to did not want to hear me telling them that they were celebrating man-made traditions. But I knew we were even following a man-made calendar.  Ever since I was about six or seven years old, I knew the year did not begin in the middle of winter.  From studying with the tribe -  I have learned that we actually have four (heads) to start to the year.  I’m sure these four sections mark our seasons. 

I am still alone in celebrating the festivals HaShem instructed us, but I have had great fellowship in celebrating them online with the Holy Language Tribe!  I’m planning on moving to North Eastern Arizona where there is a messianic church, in the ShowLow area of the White Mountians.

I am learning how to focus again. I have been in such pain that I didn’t know what to do with it. I was waking up crying every morning and not functioning as a person.  I couldn’t even brush my hair and  my teeth every day!  I have lived in a dark place without Peace for way too long. I have been crippled with arthritis in my hands and knees and back, due to a wounding I cannot forgive? 

I have had to set boundaries with my family yet learn how to forgive them. It was the toughest thing I ever did. I have been chewing my tongue for 4 years now. It’s my only indication of keeping quiet of my struggles and not complaining.  I am able to think in my right mind and sing in my own voice! And my tongue will suffer until I can overcome that bad habit I chose in order to quit grinding my teeth! I am a writer, an artist and a musician. I am a survivor and  I live to serve the Lord.

Hi & Shalom! My name is Monica. I'm a very new and grateful member about to begin my journey into learning to read the original Hebrew bible...or at least give it my very best! 

I've studied on my own for years but had an experience in 2013 that brought me into a much deeper relationship with Messiah Yeshua. I consider myself a Christian immersed in the Torah (honoring the complete Old and New Testament scriptures as source of the Father's Law and His Grace through Messiah)....also, my journey has brought me to discovering a Sephardic history in my paternal family, which is still revealing itself. 

I should say it was my experience in 2013 that drew me to delve more deeply into the Torah and into a desire to better know Yeshua through the scriptures. I'm so glad to be here with all of you. I've longed for spiritual community that I can grow in Messiah with...and share my love and passion for the Scriptures and for Yeshua. 

I recently asked a question of Izzy and was asked to share here too. On the night of Yom Kippur I fell asleep deep in prayer and seeking closeness with the Father and Messiah. I literally fell asleep telling him I loved him. I dreamt of Messiah (not the 1st time) and saw and heard repeatedly, as if I were stating over and over to myself the following....only it was the actual Hebrew letters. I was very aware of Messiahs presence as I heard and saw the letters in gold and as if they were moving, like passing in front of me over and over...

Aleph....Mem....Tav...אמת

I understand this is 'Truth' but feel I may be missing something from a language perspective. I look so forward to reading your responses and to fulfilling my commitment to study in this new blessed season. 

In Messiah...

Basically our journey with this began in 2005 when some good friends of ours began to celebrate some of the biblical festivals. We watched and learned and debated with them for four years before we finally made the decision to practice it ourselves.

In 2009 we started very gradually with eliminating working on the Sabbath and preparing our food ahead of time and celebrating as much as we were able to the biblical festivals. From that point we have just been continuing to learn and grow and we have developed a little bit of a relationship with a Chabad rabbi here in town. We usually celebrate festivals with a small group of other Christians and Messianic Jews, and sometimes we go to the Chabad place to celebrate with them or to go to a Sabbath meal.

We would probably say at this point we practice Messianic Judaism more than Christianity. We have a good relationship with First Fruits of Zion and will be leading a Torah Club this fall.

As far as learning Hebrew, we have made many small attempts over the years and have never moved past the alphabet, sadly, as other things seem to press in. We actually have never made it all the way through the alphabet.

So when Wendy shared how much she was enjoying learning through you, I went to the website to check it out to see if it might be something we could start to incorporate into our homeschool day. I liked what I saw, so here we are!

We got motivated to really make more of an attempt in learning Hebrew after my daughter attended camp this summer with the Chabad Rabbi. He spoke one day about the miracle of the Jewish people being dispersed all over the world and speaking different languages, but despite over a thousand years of exile their Torahs were exactly the same—not one word different or even a letter different, which was pretty miraculous.

My daughter and I talked after that teaching and decided we really need to know Hebrew so that we can study it in the original language without worrying about translations and to be able to pray in the original language. We are very excited to begin this journey!

Hi everyone! I’m pretty new to Holy Language Institute. My entire testimony is about the length of a book (and still growing) so let me just share with you where I am today. I hope you will be encouraged by it!

We all love the grand tales of victory where giants are slain, challenges overcome, sicknesses healed, and the prince shows up on his mighty steed to sweep the princess of her feet. And - best of all - we love the testimonies of people in impossible situations that are healed and restored by the Almighty and set upon their path of destiny.

This however, is the story of someone who is not quite there yet. This Joseph is still sitting in chains, this princess is still locked in the tower, this battle scarred soldier is not yet celebrating victory. I live in that in between space of not quite there yet, where the food is called faith and the water is called hope. Some of you may also be living in that same space, wondering if you’ll ever escape or be rescued. You may even wonder sometimes if God has forgotten about you. I know I do. But these days I wonder a lot less than I used to! You see this is the place where faith is tested and by testing it grows and develops.

I used to have a strong body, made fit by climbing walls and mountains. I could depend on my strength and do whatever I liked. These past years however there were many days when I could just about manage to shower and get food from the fridge before I had to lie down and rest. My hands that used to be so strong still struggle to open a can of pickles.

I used to have a large social network with all sorts of fun and fascinating people. But being ill for a long time with a disease that has no name made that network dwindle to a fraction of what it was. I used to drive all over the country and even fly all over the world to visit friends and make new ones. But my wings have been clipped by fear and fatigue. 

I used to be able to depend on my mind. I was happy and loved (still do!) a good challenge. I had my own business and though I was by no means rich, it felt good to be able to provide for myself. Now I know what it’s like to fight massive battles in my mind. The monsters of fear and worry hide under the bed and still come up the second I open my eyes in the morning. They used to win every day, before I knew this fight is not against (my own) flesh and blood. But the fight is still real every day.

So by the looks of it I lost a lot. My friends and even part of my family, my financial security, my occupation and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it and both my physical and mental health. I am alone and in pain a lot of the time. 

But don’t worry...this isn’t a sad story. For what the enemy intended for evil, God is using for something good! I’m not just saying that to sound holy. It’s actually what happened. In these past few years I have learned what it means to truly depend on God. I have learned not to look to my own strength but to Christ. He is the one that knows and loves me like no other. He is the one that provides strength and courage to face the day and defeat the giants. He is the precious pearl that is worth the highest price. And in Him my salvation and future are found. I trust Him completely with the timing of my deliverance. I trust that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. You know I actually belíeve that? I really really do. He is my joy, my righteousness. I trust Him with my finances too. It took Him about a year to slowly pry my stubborn fingers - one by one - off that feeling that I alone am responsible for my income. No longer do I lie awake at night wondering how I will pay my bills. And since the moment I surrendered He has provided.

I believe the biggest part of the struggle is now behind me. I smell freedom in the air and find little hints of what is to come on my path. Connecting to HLI tribe is one of those. A few years into this crazy journey God gave me a love for the Holy Land and it has been growing ever since. What role it will play in my future I do not know but God knows and that is enough. 

For you fighters out there, in the mud and trenches of life, I hope you’re letting yourself be inspired by the great ones in the bible. None of them came to victory without trials, periods of waiting and battles that probably felt endless at times. Make friends with Job and Moses, with Esther and Sarah. They would tell you it’s worth the wait. He is worth the wait. And very often He is found IN the waiting. And so, though we are still on the battlefield, we can fight with the certainty of victory. I can tell you it makes all the difference! 

Marieke

Hello, my name is Nora and I just joined Holy Language! I am so happy to finally find a place to learn Hebrew. 

A little bit about me…I live in Orlando FL, I am Jewish and I believe that Yeshua is the Mashiach. As a child I grew up in a very secular household. In my late 20's I found out about Jesus through some friends and spent the next 20 years in church—it was a wonderful experience.

Not quite sure how or why but I began to feel a strong pull back to Judaism. I always wondered why we didn’t like Jesus and felt that I really needed to investigate why the Jewish community did not believe he was the messiah.  So, I found a synagogue and a wonderful Rabbi and I became part of an orthodox Jewish community and loved every moment—I lived a very kosher, observant life for the next 17 years—the only down side for me was that Yeshua was nowhere to be found in the traditional synagogue environment.  Once again, I felt spiritually restless.

 I attended several messianic congregations and thought that this truly was the ideal. But after a while, I had a hard time with some of the teachings which did not align with what the rabbis taught me. The Messianic Jewish congregations were great socially, but I wanted more than just worship and dance, I wanted Torah. 

This was a very frustrating time for me—I still feel restless for a place where there is great balance and respect for both sides. I feel like I don 't belong anywhere. I'm too Jewish for the Christian community and too Christian for the Jewish community—what a conundrum!  Right now, I study at home and live a Jewish lifestyle. I follow the model that Father Abraham and Mother Sarah demonstrated in the scriptures. I invite friends (regardless of their faith) to my home for a nice Shabbat meal and I share my faith openly, share our beautiful traditions and teachings.  I work hard to create a very friendly, social and educational environment that is safe.  Discussion is encouraged but no one should feel that that they are less important than anyone else. 

Throughout my journey I have never learned Hebrew. I know prayers and words thanks to the magic of transliteration. I prayed and asked HaShem for an opportunity to learn Hebrew, to know Yeshua on a deeper more personal level and to understand what the Brit Chadasha means from a Jewish perspective. 

HaShem in his goodness answered my prayers in the course of 1 week.  While viewing an old You Tube video from Kosher Pastor- Pastor Matt McKeown mentioned Holy Language Institute and here I am! 

 I am 64 now and cannot afford to study with some of the wonderful groups that are out there (with the exception of FFOZ-they are quite affordable).

 I'm very grateful to be here. It's a wonderful opportunity not to just learn Hebrew, but to truly understand the entire bible with new eyes and a renewed heart. An opportunity to make friends and to continue on my path of faith through continued spiritual discovery and deeper understanding. I feel tremendously blessed to have found Holy Language Institute and I am grateful that everything is affordable. Thank you being so welcoming. And, of course deep gratitude to HaShem who is always so faithful to respond when we truly seek him.

My story started in part with a prayer. There's more to the beginning of the story, but for now, I will hold off on that part. All of my life, I have known that Jesus existed, but never really knew Him or that I needed to have a relationship of any kind with Him. So one day, I told God that I really didn't know Jesus. You say that He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but I don't really know who He is, so I felt that in order to get to know Him, I needed to know who He was yesterday. And since I can't step into the past, maybe God could teach me His ancient ways. I told Him that if He was willing to teach me, then I was willing to learn. I honestly can't tell you where that prayer came from; I can however, tell you that I believe that it was Spirit lead. I also didn't know at the time, that it is in the Bible about asking for His ancient paths and that those that walk in them, will find peace for their soul.

One day, when I was at work, I was listening to a song called El Shaddai by Amy Grant. Such a beautiful song! I knew that word had to be Hebrew so I looked up the meaning of the word: God Almighty. I guess I was so mesmerized by His name, that I had to tell Him several times, how beautiful His name is! About a week later, a friend of mine came up to me and started talking to me about a new church that she was going to called El Shaddai Ministries. I was only half listening; I thought she was talking about the song. She just looked at me funny and said no, she was talking about the church, and that I should come check them out. I checked it out and I never left. I knew that I was in the right place, when the first things that Pastor Mark said, was that they were a teaching church, and that His real name is Yeshua HaMashiach. I am currently learning some of His hidden love messages in His language! Well the rest is history and I just got back from Israel a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is WOW!

I grew up in a church-type family, so I wasn't clueless about the Word of God. As I got older, I chose to stray away from the Bible and started to live my own way. Growing up living as the world does, I brought upon myself all types of sin. I became a street criminal, committing crimes and hanging around in places I shouldn't be.

Because of my reckless lifestyle, I found myself always locked up in jail, only to grow older and find myself behind in life. No job, no car, no home, no family. I was living in a homeless shelter with nothing. I left ministry because of my weak faith in God ever changing me. My life was always a struggle, so I always thought maybe I'm supposed to be without and unhappy, always struggling with only a dream.

But here recently I have been working on my relationship with the Lord, digging in His Word and praying. I know there's more to learning God's Word. I plan on going to college for Biblical Studies. I also plan on doing my music for the Lord's glory and spreading His blessings that He gave to me to give to others.

I'm here to meet new people I could get to know as friends and family of God.

~Donald 

I don't know that words can express my love for HLI. Learning is not just "learning", it's so much fun!

I was very concerned that I would not be able to do this. I'd bought a program a few years ago to help me learn - but it was frustrating. I couldn't retain the information. My time is also limited, as work is often busy and my internet at home is less than acceptable most of the time. Still, I wanted to learn Hebrew with such a passion, that I thought I'd give HLI a try. I'd seen some of Izzy's teachings on youtube, and I like(d) his style - so here I am! :) I'm very excited to be part of this tribe. <3

I love the teachings on the letters (and the introduction to Hebrew). I knew that each letter had a numerical value and a meaning, and was amazed at how each letter came together with it's own meaning to make up each Hebrew Word. There is so much to each letter!! And then the words - WOW!! Each stroke of each letter in each word, infused with purpose... Just... WOW! Ya know?

It makes me consider that each believer has their unique story - gifts. Individually, we are special - but together - we are the body of Messiah - The Word. We are each a letter... (My mind takes little side roads...)

Would you believe that I'm remembering Hebrew words?! (I know... it came as a shock to me, too!) It's so exciting to jump on Memrise and remember the words/phrases that have been taught - even if I miss a day or two! I really like that there is audio for these words (is there not audio for learning the verbs?) - it helps tremendously.

My husband got tickled at me over the past weekend because I was going around the house saying "no-RAH ta-HE-lote" (sp). He asked me if I knew what I was saying - and surprisingly, I not only had the word stuck in my head - but that it meant "awesome in praise", as well! :)

I remember being in the 4th grade... My mother got called to school many times because I had decided that I didn't need to write my spelling words. I thought 20x each was too many times to write a word that I already knew how to spell... Kids! Ugh! Now, I look forward to the writing exercises. I find myself "doodling" letters - even words (not w/ vowel points, though).

I love being part of this tribe - and hope that everyone else is enjoying it, too. I'm grateful to those of you who volunteer your time to help. Thank you!!

<3 DeAnna