Torah Today Ministries

Dr. Jeff Johnson is the founder and president of Israel Today Ministries , which began operations in 2002. Over the years, Jeff has made countless trips to Israel, providing tens of thousands of meals to Jewish children and Holocaust survivors, as well as Palestinians needing assistance. In 2010, my son Caleb and I spent time with Jeff and Louise in Israel, getting a firsthand experience of seeing...

DISCUSSION POINTS: How is God's name pronounced? (There is a way to pronounce it, but it takes practice!) Did God violate Pharaoh's free will by hardening his heart? What was so unique about the seventh plague? How did it include ALL the plagues? Pharaoh enslaved Israel by making them produce bricks. God wants us to work in stone instead. But what's the difference? When God brought...

The title of this portion - Va'eira - means "and I appeared." But why did God's appearances decrease over the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? And what does the seventh plague - hail & fire - have to do with Ezekiel's vision of God's chariot? Or the piles of dead frogs with Joseph's gathering of grain? Or the Egyptian magicians with Korach's reb...

This teaching was prepared on September 12, 2022 at the request of Katherine Lee, founder and president of the Pure Hope Foundation and author of Interrupted: The Joy and Mystery of a God-Directed Life . She requested a teaching that would delve into the deeper meanings of Genesis 3 to present to her online community of students and followers. So now, in January of 2023, I present it to you, as we...

DISCUSSION POINTS: The Hebrew name for the book of Exodus is Shemot , which means "names." What is the biblical significance of a name? How is Moses' life divided into three distinct periods? And how did each of these periods commence? What four excuses did Moses give God for his unwillingness to take up his assignment? Why is fear of God a liberating emotion? For more teachings by...

In this episode of Parshah Seasonings, we examine how God pulled Pharaoh's tooth as we also discover a possible strategy Pharaoh used to enslave the Jewish people. We also, look at how there was a serpent in Moses' staff. I know this all sounds a bit wild, but pay attention, and you will see wonders from God's Torah. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit...

DISCUSSION POINTS What is so unique about Ephraim and Manasseh? Why did Jacob adopt them as his own sons? Why do we bless our sons, wishing them to be like Ephraim & Manasseh? In what ways do Ephraim & Manasseh foreshadow Messianic believers? Who else prophecied over the 12 tribes of Israel before his death? Who became Jacob's firstborn? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print...

The poison of opiates and fentanyl has enslaved millions of people across the globe. It is a scourge that has taken the lives of many thousands of people. In this interview, Caleb Luton (Grant & Robin's youngest son) shares his 20-year struggle with opioids and how God graciously delivered him from the clutches of this horrible addiction. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print th...

Did you now that the Bible's endtime prophecies begin here in Genesis? And what is so special about Judah's name? And how does it make a picture of Messiah's mission? Jacob prophesied about the coming of Shiloh, but what/who is Shiloh ? We will also see where Yeshua's name first appears in this Torah portion and why He is called the Stone of stumbling For more teachings by Gran...

Welcome to one of the most profound and prophetic psalms in the Bible. This psalm, composed 1,000 years before Yeshua's birth, describes in detail both His crucifixion and glorious exaltation. Psalm 22 begins a special group of psalms that continue through Psalm 31. So, prepare to begin a journey into the mind of Messiah as He gives His life for our redemption. For more teachings by Grant Lut...

DISCUSSION POINTS How does the rescue of Israel through Joseph compare to the rescue of Israel through Moses? How had Judah changed over the years that he was separated from Joseph? What does the story of Joseph teach us about God’s salvation of the Gentiles? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMinistries.org And when you visit, be...

In this lesson, we learn an unusual Hebrew idiom for expressing anger and how the resurrection is addressed in the daily Hebrew prayers. There is also an odd letter shin in Israel's name in the Torah scroll that is worth discussing. We will also identify another dozen similarities between Joseph and Yeshua. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https:/...

R' Shammai said we should begin with eight candles and then remove one each night ... and he had a biblical reason to teach this! So, why do we add a candle to our menorahs each night of Hanukkah? And what does Hanukkah have to do with Sukkot, the dedication of Solomon's Temple, and the bitter month of Cheshvan?  Let's take a deep dive into these topics and discover some wonderful s...

DISCUSSION POINTS: What were Joseph's motives for his treatment of his brothers when they arrived in Egypt? How is Joseph's story similar to that of Daniel (and his three friends)? Why did they seem so unfazed by the gross paganism that surrounded them? How has the Church mirrored the attitude of Joseph's Egyptian servants? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes),...

Nearly every detail of Joseph's life reflects the life of Yeshua.  We begin this lesson be reviewing some of the many parallels between Joseph and Yeshua. Then we look at the strange word that was proclaimed in the streets as Joseph's chariot passed by. And what does the strange name mean that Pharaoh gave Joseph? And what was the event that inspired the first use of the phrase "son...

DISCUSSION POINTS: This portion contains two pairs of dreams. What was the significance of Joseph's two dreams? In how many ways does Joseph's life parallel that of Yeshua? Judah fathered twin sons. How do they portray Yeshua? What is pictured by the dreams of the cupbearer and baker? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMi...

We have all heard about Joseph and his coat of many colors, but who else in the Bible wore such a coat? And what connection did Joseph's coat have with the groups of people to whom he was sold? Finally, how do we know that the Pharaoh's cupbearer was a bad guy? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMinistries.org And when yo...

DISCUSSIONS POINTS: What does the story of Jacob & Esau have to do with the human heart? Who did Jacob actually wrestle with? Who did he think he was wrestling with? What does the prophet Hosea have to say about this cosmic wrestling match? And why did God have to change Jacob's name to 'Israel' a second time? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our...

What two "villains" in Jacob's life were named for colors? And what is the significance of Esau's 400 men who rode out to meet Jacob? We also learn a thing or two about deceptive kisses and look at the Torah's one unfinished sentence. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMinistries.org And when you visit, be...

Psalms 20 and 21 are closely related. Whereas Psalm 20 is a prayer for the king's victory as he marches into battle, Psalm 21 is a hymn of praise at his victorious return. In this short lesson, we make several comparisons between these two psalms and look at how the Hebrew teaches an important lesson about the danger of misplaced desire. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the not...

Discussion Points: What seems out of order with Jacob's dream of the ladder? And what does the ladder have to do with Messiah? What other important events occurred at this same site? How is Jacob's journey to Laban to find a wife both similar and different to Eleazar's? For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMinistries.o...

Did you know that a Torah scroll is divided into paragraphs? Two kinds of paragraphs, in fact. But this Torah portion is one long unbroken paragraph - an extremely rare thing in the Torah. And what does a kiss have to do with watering sheep? We will also explore some unique things about Joseph's name and a clever way Hebrew describes falsehood. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print...

Join Grant and Robin for an unrehearsed discussion of the Torah portion. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www. TorahTodayMinistries.org And when you visit, be sure to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, which will keep you up to date with news, photos, and upcoming events at Torah Today Ministries.

When Isaac blessed his son Jacob, how many words did he use? And why is this important? And Jacob's brother, Esau, is described as "ruddy". Only one other person in the Bible is so described. Do you know who it was, and why it is important? These and other questions are discussed. So join us for a tour of some of the amazing details found in the Hebrew of this portion. For more teac...

The book of Psalms is not just a collection of scattered poems and hymns. There are discernable groupings of psalms, and Psalms 20 and 21 form a bridge between two of these groups. What do Psalms 1-19 have in common? And what connects Psalms 22-31? Come discover a fascinating underlying order to the arrangments of the Bible's prayer book. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the no...