Faithwalk: Messianic believer in Yeshua. Torah observant.
Status: Married to Suzanne
Heritage: Jewish (reform and conservative) through both parents
Children: A daughter and grandkids in Seattle, Washington and  Kalispell, Montana
Residence: Western Australia (Southwest Australia), about 3 hour's drive southwest of Perth
Professional Background: On-air radio and television production, news, and broadcast journalism since 1973.
Current Profession: Educator and author on biblical and New Testament Hebraic concepts. Licensed Israeli Ministry of Tourism tour guide since 2011.
Education: Simpson College - 3 years  (San Francisco). Los Angeles City College - 1 year (LACC, Los Angeles). Machon Lander College - 3 years (Jerusalem). 
Spiritual Character: Always under construction through everyday on-the-job training. 

     Shalom. I am Avi ben Mordechai. You can refer to me as Avi or Avinoam, whichever you prefer. I am not a Rabbi, a Pastor, or even a Bible Teacher in the modern sense of the word. Yes, I am Jewish but frankly, this is not what I am all about. I am an Israeli State-Licensed tour guide. I am also a writer, researcher, and lecturer on the theology of the Bible but always in its Hebraic context. This means I am in search of Biblical Truth, which I believe will always lead one to focus above, on the Messianic reality of our faith, rather than on the shadows and images of the Land of Israel -- below. 

 

     At the age of 49 years, I made Aliyah (moved to Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel). I made the move because I was not satisfied with where I was going with my life in America. I began searching for an open door into my history and heritage, desiring a true tangible experience in a place called “home.” Strangely, after living and working many years in the Land of Israel, I did not find a place that I could call "home." So, I searched for a home through the expression of my Jewishness; that is, within the religious culture and observances of Judaism. I also searched for that place called "home" within the context of a Jewish family, in a Jewish community, and in the endless studies of Talmudic Judaism. Still, I did not find a “home,” even though many of my experiences were positive, interesting, and in many cases, life-changing. 

 

     I had a son, Jonathan, who served in the IDF tzanchanim (paratroopers) unit 101.  He served his country Israel in the 2005 Gaza disengagement and again, in the 2006 Israeli war in Lebanon. He and I sometimes talked about “home,” life, and Judaism but our conversations ceased after he later died in September of 2009, due primarily to cPTSD from his position as a commander of his platoon in the wars of Israel.

 

     Over the years, I can say with sincerity that I've been through a lot of what I might call, the “washing machine-agitating cycles of life.” And for good measure, I’ve had my share of some “spin-dry” cycles,  all in the endless pursuit of looking for that elusive place that is about belonging to Jewish culture, religion, and yes, even a land. 

 

     During my writing, lecturing, and teaching Sabbatical of 2016, I found a home in the most unlikely of places. I found the home that I was looking for through the Spirit of Messiah Yeshua in me, the Hope of Glory. I can say that I found the changes that I needed to make because the Almighty Eternal One touched my mind and heart in some very deep ways. You see, I had never really understood much about the Messianic redemption story. Now, however, after so many decades of learning about this very issue,  I can tell you this: HOME is not a place or even a thing on Earth. It is in what Hebrew scripture calls the WORD. He is a person, not a "thing" or "concept." This website COMING HOME reflects many of the ongoing changes that I have experienced over the years.

 

     My beloved wife is Suzanne. She is an Israelite in the strongest sense of the word, grafted into the spiritual nation of all Israel as the Almighty Eternal One defines the term. Suzanne also had to “come home” in her search for the place of true meaning and purpose in Messiah. She too, like me, had to learn to let go of her earthly pursuits to find a home in the Messianic redemption. Together, we share an understanding, meaning, and purpose about who we are in the Passover redeemer Yeshua. 

 

     When we say that the All Eternal One loves us, I know it is not because we are so awesome and great, as if to think that we can trade for his love. You know the concept – if we are good enough and do things right, he will love us. But what happens when we do things wrong and make terrible choices? Does he still love us? He loves us because this is his nature. His love teaches us through the Bible that we cannot define love based on feelings because feelings come and go. True love is always based on our choosing to love.  

 

     These days, I relate differently to the biblical narratives; that is, to the concepts of Law and Grace as they are taught in the Torah. Also, the challenge continues with marriage, relationships, and to everyday life. I am always learning to freely receive divine love rather than think that I should have to trade for it. If you want to become one with our Creator, ask and you shall receive because the Word of Heaven and Earth will reach out to you. The Word was and is in Yeshua; the real Yeshua, not necessarily through the image of Jesus as he is portrayed in the Christian Church. 

 

     If you are wandering and searching for that elusive place called “home” in your life, I hope through this site, you will find one or more teachings that might help. This is why the Bible begins with the word B’resheet or “In the Beginning.” It is because the first letter of the word B’resheet is Beyt – ב, which is an ancient drawing of a house or a home, in paleo (pictographic) Hebrew.  When we go back to the beginning, back to Genesis, we are Coming Home to the Word, to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is called Shalem (see Genesis 14:18), the Garden of Light, and so much more. And when we open the door and respond to his knocking on that door, we will inevitably walk into the loving arms of the all-eternal divine power of Heaven and Earth. His Name is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. He is the TREE of LIFE. 

 

     Enter into this site at your leisure. Here, you will learn about my journey and my views on understanding the principles of the biblical narratives in their biblical and ancient Hebraic context. This is a context that is calling all of us to go forward and not look back. It is our Creator's challenge to each of us to COME HOME, as it says in Psalm 122:2, "Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem." In other words, first, we are called to stand within the gates of Jerusalem -- above. That is the reality. The shadows can guide us. 

 

     For a bit more about my spiritual journey from Orthodox Judaism to where I am at now, click here. 

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Shalom

Avi ben Mordechai