John Gomez Interview

John Gomez was raised in a non Jewish home. Although raised Catholic, he later became involved in a Baptist church. Sometime during the pandemic, he discovered Messianic music and was very moved when he heard the words to Marty Goetz’s song  He is My Defense.

John became very interested in the Messianic movement. He went through a difficult time when his father passed away, but God strengthened him.  

John also had the opportunity to go to Israel with Sharshalom Israel (Jeff and Barry Seif.). He was there for 10 days and it completely changed his life.

Today he serves at Victory First Church of God of TexasCity.

Dolly Ziegler Interview

Dolly grew up in a secular home and later learned of her Jewish heritage.  At the age of 17, during the Jesus Revolution, she was introduced to Yeshua at a youth meeting.  Dolly has been a licensed Pastor and currently is studying to be a Certified Mental Health Counselor.  She and her husband of 40 years have served as Childrens Pastors, Shabbat School Coordinators and Youth Teachers and Leaders.  She is currently Women's Leader at Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue in Tampa where she and Don have attended for 25 years.  Her passion is to point and exhort others to a deeper more intimate walk with Yeshua and to be a bridge of understanding between the church and the Messianic Community. 

Tsiporah and Michael

Today I welcomed Tsiporah and Michael David back to Bagels and Blessings.

Michael-David and his wife Zsiporah are a Messianic couple who have travelled around the world ministering in music and teaching over the decades with a distinct Hebraic emphasis. As they minister, Michael-David brings the heavenly sound of the harp in worship and prayer. Along with their original music and the Songs of Zion, they bring an inspired Song of the Lord that releases a powerful sense of God’s presence.

They have appeared on national television and in Israel at the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles before thousands of international visitors and delegates. Their weekly “Shabbat Shalom” LIVE Internet broadcast has reached a world-wide audience over a period of six years.

Michael-David, is a composer, producer and Psalmist who leads worship and holds harp schools internationally. He has a calling to help restore the harp as a prominent instrument for worship and prayer. His schools have been held in Israel, North America and around the world and on Zoom. He is also establishing his School of Worship in Kansas City, Missouri as his American base. 

Zsiporah is a speaker, singer and award-wining screen writer. Together, they have produced original musicals including: the Messianic Musical – The Feast of the Ages (available on DVD – or download) and A Camelot Christmas Tale that has been broadcast on TV networks across North America. They are also credited as Executive Producers for a number of feature-length films in conjunction with CubeCity Entertainment.

Michael-David’s book, “The Frequency of the Supernatural”, is published by Destiny Image. With a lifelong passion for technology, astronomy and quantum physics, he merges these fields with a love of music and God. He has invented a patented electronic harp called the Harpella. https://www.harptronics.com/

They were the founders and directors of the KingsBridge School, a classical Christian academic, and school of the arts and were the directors of the KingsBridge Arts Round Table, a non-profit Christian Arts organization.

Here is a link to a PDF of their Ministry Bio Page https://michael-david.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ministry-Bio-Page.pdf

Michael-David and his wife Zsiporah are a Messianic couple who have travelled around the world ministering in music and teaching over the decades with a distinct Hebraic emphasis. As they minister, Michael-David brings the heavenly sound of the harp in worship and prayer. Along with their original music and the Songs of Zion, they bring an inspired Song of the Lord that releases a powerful sense of God’s presence.

They have appeared on national television and in Israel at the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles before thousands of international visitors and delegates. Their weekly “Shabbat Shalom” LIVE Internet broadcast has reached a world-wide audience over a period of six years.

Michael-David, is a composer, producer and Psalmist who leads worship and holds harp schools internationally. He has a calling to help restore the harp as a prominent instrument for worship and prayer. His schools have been held in Israel, North America and around the world and on Zoom. He is also establishing his School of Worship in Kansas City, Missouri as his American base. 

Zsiporah is a speaker, singer and award-wining screen writer. Together, they have produced original musicals including: the Messianic Musical – The Feast of the Ages (available on DVD – or download) and A Camelot Christmas Tale that has been broadcast on TV networks across North America. They are also credited as Executive Producers for a number of feature-length films in conjunction with CubeCity Entertainment.

Michael-David’s book, “The Frequency of the Supernatural”, is published by Destiny Image. With a lifelong passion for technology, astronomy and quantum physics, he merges these fields with a love of music and God. He has invented a patented electronic harp called the Harpella. https://www.harptronics.com/

They were the founders and directors of the KingsBridge School, a classical Christian academic, and school of the arts and were the directors of the KingsBridge Arts Round Table, a non-profit Christian Arts organization.

Here is a link to a PDF of their Ministry Bio Page https://michael-david.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ministry-Bio-Page.pdf

 

Greg Lahtimaki Interview

Rabbi Greg is the United Messianic Jewish Assembly(UMJA) Vice President.

He was born in Germany and was raised in a religious family in various US states.  At seventeen he joined the military and served alongside the IDF and in the US Army.  He has a B.S. in Business and Human Resource Management (Summa Cum Laude) and a M.S. in Executive Leadership (honors).  He became a believer in Yeshua in 2010 and embraced the Messianic Faith. After retirement from the military and the DOD, he began his ministry and founded Beit HaShaar in Columbus, Georgia. 

 

Rabbi Greg received his s'micha (ordination) as a Ro'eh from the UMJA in 2015 and s'micha as a Rabbi from Y'Sharim USA/International in 2016. He is honored to be a member of the Beit Din of the UMJA.  Rabbi Lehtimaki has been happily married to his b'shert (soulmate) Lois for 43 years. They have 2 children and 12 grandchildren.  They live a Torah observant life to the glory of God and pray that their ministry will build up HaShem's kingdom to accomplish His will and purposes.

Jonathan-Mystery Guest

Jonathan is a second-generation Messianic Jew and works for Chosen People Ministries.  He holds a B.A. in History and earned his Master of Theological Studies degree in 2021 with a focus on the New Testament. His research examines the connection between Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) miracles, especially the resurrection, and his messianic identity. His article, “The Resurrection of Jesus: Another Jewish Perspective” is published in Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism. He is a contributor to the forthcoming Messianic Study Bible published by Zondervan. His heart is to help people understand who Yeshua is, to build up the Messianic Jewish community, and to guide people into the freedom found in Yeshua. He enjoys cooking for others, cultivating his plants, and martial arts.

Nathan Lewis

The son of a Jewish father, Nathan Lewis is a husband, father, and pastor with more than two decades of experience shaped by serving the Lord in Scotland and the USA. 

Moving to Edinburgh, Scotland, at 20 years old to study at the University of Edinburgh, Nathan helped start an Every Nation church in the center of the beautiful and secular city. What started as a short-term study program became a life-shaping calling. While completing a master of Arts in Divinity, he answered God’s call to full-time service and, upon graduation, became a pastor. 

As a missionary, Nathan was immersed in apologetics, youth and campus ministry, and cross-cultural mission work. In 2011, he was ordained and installed as the senior pastor of the church, leading it through seasons of growth and outreach, and eventually a transition to indigenous leadership. Nathan’s faith, leadership, and practical ecclesiology developed greatly in this secular, educated environment. Before leaving Scotland, he also earned a postgraduate certificate in Missions in an Urbanizing World from the University of Aberdeen. 

In 2017, Nathan moved to NYC, where he now lives and leads alongside his wife, Ailsa, and three children, Alexander (11), Eden (10), and Ester (4). 

He now serves as a senior pastor at Every Nation NYC, overseeing culture and vision as part of a collaborative preaching and leading team in the undisputed “greatest city in the world.” Nahtan is passionate about seeing the lost found, leaders developed, and new churches started, and has helped support and strengthen church-planting efforts across the Northeastern USA. 

Yosef Koelner Interview

Yosef was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, then at fourteen years old he was placed in the Foster Care system when his parents passed away. Yosef attended Illinois State University.  He remembers hearing the rock song “Jesus Christ Superstar” and it made an impression on him. A representative of Campus Crusade for Christ came to his dormitory and seeds were sewn.  There came a time when God spoke to him and told him about Yeshua.   He was challenged to read the New Testament.  The next morning there was a box of free books near the mailbox.  He began reading “Good News for Modern Man”  and it all started to make sense.   He met a Methodist minister and began going to his church. Then at 20 years old he became the youth director there.  Yosef still didn’t know that there were other Jewish believers.  He obtained a Masters degree from Messiah Biblical Institute in Washington, DC and another from Gratz College in Philadelphia.  He lived in Israel for a while and teaches Yeshiva courses online.