Ephram Wilkoff Interview

I had the opportunity to interview Ephram Wilkoff, Worship Director at Edgewood Free Methodist Church in Rochester, NY.  Congregation Shema Yisrael has purchased the building on Edgewood Avenue, which is in a very Jewish neighborhood, and our two congregations have become very close.

Ephram grew up in a Jewish home.  His father became a believer first and Ephram grew up knowing Jesus as his Messiah.

As Worship Director, Ephram oversees anything creative that takes place on a Sunday morning. He has been in Rochester at EFMC since October 2014, and has a B.A. in worship arts leadership and broadcasting from Spring Arbor University. Ephram has been leading worship professionally since graduating in 2009. His personal mission statement is to incite passion for Jesus by creating environments that encourage the Holy Spirit to move and change peoples lives. He and his wife, Kay, are foster parents and God has truly blessed them!

Gloria Demchuk in the studio!

This was Gloria's second time on Bagels and Blessings.   What a joy to have her back in the studio!  Gloria has been a nurse for 25 years and had a lot to say about protecting the unborn.  She loves Yeshua, has a heart for Israel and desires to minister to hurting women.

We had a very frank discussion about abortion, options for women, and so much more.   It is a very heavy subject but one that is necesssary.

Pray for those who are pregnant, scared and don't know where to turn.

Enjoy wonderful music too, as always.

 

Eric Tokajer --- Again With Pleasure!

Back by popular demand --- it's a bird, it's a plane --- it's a Rabbi, Father, Husband, Friend and amazing author Eric Tokajer!!!

Rabbi Eric was raised in a traditional Jewish home. After his bar mitzvah, he began to study the Hebrew Scriptures more closely which brought many questions to his mind. Questions like if a sacrifice had to be made once a year on Yom Kippur to cover the sins of Israel from year to year how were those sins covered now. When he was unable to find answers from the different rabbis that he asked, he became an agnostic. 

While serving in the US Navy, Rabbi Eric was challenged by a believer in Yeshua to study the Scriptures until he found answers within them. While searching the Hebrew Scriptures, Rabbi Eric found belief in Yeshua as the promised Messiah of Israel which brought answers to all of the questions he had. It is now over 33 years ago. 

Since then Rabbi Eric studied to become an ordained Rabbi in the IAMCS (International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues). He has served as a Rabbi in Mobile, Alabama. He also helped to establish five synagogues across the Gulf Coast in Slidell, Louisiana; Bayou La Batre, Alabama; Spanish Fort, Alabama; Navarre, Florida, and Brit Ahm Messianic Synagogue in Pensacola, Florida, where he serves as Rabbi today. Rabbi Eric has been married for 36 years to his wife Pammy.

In addition to God Has No Plan B, Rabbi Eric has written; With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, #ManWisdom, OY! How Did I Get Here?,Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, and Jesus is to Christianity as Pasta is to Italians.

Enjoy the great music too!!!!

Gary Selman Testimony

I heard Gary Selman's testimony at the Messiah Conference back in 1997.   I was amazed, it was the most incredible testimony I ever heard.

You also will be amazed, entertained and inspired by this, guaranteed!!!   Here's a little background:

The vision for Beth Israel began with Gary Selman, a Messianic Jewish businessman with a heart for sharing the Gospel to Jew and Gentile alike and Pastor Charlie Rizzo of the Church of the Nazarene who gave early support to the new work. Meanwhile, a young Jewish believer named Jonathan Cahn had been leading a Bible Study in Rockland County New York and leading a ministry bringing food and the God’s love to the homeless of New York City.  Gary Selman asked Jonathan to help him start the new ministry.  Jonathan agreed to give whatever help was needed.  In 1988, Gary asked Jonathan to become the spiritual leader.  And after much prayer, Jonathan said ‘yes.’ 

Gary was a nice Jewish boy who wanted nothing to do with Yeshua.   But God got his attention with lightning bolts!!!

BTW Gary and Jonathan had a radio show called "Two Nice Jewish Boys" for many years and they were very helpful to me when Bagels and Blessings began.

Gary has gone on to glory and walks on streets of gold.   I pray his story will be a blessing to you!

Shoshanna Meyerson Interview

Here's a fun interview with Shoshanna Meyerson.  Shoshanna was raised Catholic and as a young woman, she went to an Evangelical service at a Presbyterian Church, and while there she met the Messiah. She was radically transformed and cleansed.  Later she married a Jewish man, Rabbi Andy, and discovered the Jewish roots of her faith. She has had many miraculous experiences. God is doing exciting things at their multiple congregations in the Carolinas today.

Enjoy wonderful music from Lamb, Israel's Hope, Rivka Whitten, Avner and Rachel Boskey, Karen Davis, and Liberated Wailing Wall.

More Music, Less Talk

Sometimes ya just gotta kick back and hear music -- lots and lots of music!!   Today's show featured music from Jonathan Settel, Joshua Aaron, Sally Klein O'Connor, Miqedem, Baht Rivka Whitten, Paul Wilbur, Avner & Rachel Boskey, Joel Chernoff, Ted Pearce, Craig Taubman and The Schleps --- but not necessarily in that order.

Enjoy dahling, enjoy!!

Jay Ledbetter Interview

Hear ye, hear ye!   Another FANTASTIC interview coming your way!   You will enjoy this great conversation with Jay Ledbetter as he shares how he came to faith.

And great music too!

Jay was ordained as an Orthodox Rabbi pursuant to the authority of the Beit Din of Philadelphia. He is a Vietnam-era veteran and served in infantry and special forces. He has authored a couple of books on Passover and conducts annual Messiah-in-the-Passover celebrations. He is has an active law practice in Denver, Colorado. Jay is also a voting, independent, volunteer board member of Zola Levit Ministries.

A little bit of Jay's testimony. In his own words:

I knew none of my family history as I grew up. I did know that my grandfather was circumcised, as I knew that my father was, too. I found out as a young man that I had been circumcised on the 8th day, but that meant nothing to me at the time. None of the family attended any church or synagogue of any kind. Nobody ate kosher. Nobody kept Sabbath. For an outward observer, the Ledbetter family was nothing more than just another immigrant family of no particular interest. The assimilation had been rather complete.

My father always told me we were a family from Germany. He used that to explain why he was beaten up frequently as a child. My mother insisted that we attend some sort of church on occasion, and so my father allowed it. We had no particular denomination in which I could identify with, but we worshipped G-d and understood Yeshua as Messiah, although to us, he was called “Jesus”. My mother insisted (on a frequent basis) that I have the highest regard for the Jewish people, and never say anything against that people. It was a recurring theme in her instruction, but I didn’t understand then why… 

Also, Jay has traveled to Zambia many times and assisted AlexYalgenga with the Zambia Messianic Fellowship.