Category Archives: Judaism

May 19, 2014 · 11:44 AM

Special Report from Kiev

Shalom dear friend in the Messiah,

I recently returned from a trip to Kiev, where I participated in the European section meeting of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism. This group has existed for thirty years, and was initiated by Jewish mission leaders involved with the Lausanne Consultation on World Evangelism. The meetings for the European group were held in Kiev April, 28 – May 2, 2014.

There were many reasons for the event to be held in Kiev, not the least of which is because there has been a growing, authentic and indigenous Messianic Jewish movement in Ukraine – centered in Kiev – which began in 1989 at the beginning of Perestroika. The conference statement is well worth reading, and reflects the sentiments of the attendees.

The history of the Jewish people of Ukraine is significant. Ukraine was part of the Pale of Settlement, where Jews were allowed to live, and included land that is now part of Russia, Poland, Romania, Belarus as well as today’s Ukraine. The borders were quite fluid for many years, and so many Jewish people’s “country of origin” frequently changed. However, the borders stabilized after 1945 and the formation of the Soviet Union. The area has always been important to Jewish evangelism, as more than ten million Jewish people lived in the region before World War II.

Fifty-plus years later, the Soviet Union would become the Former Soviet Union and countries that were once part of it would again assert their independence and individuality. This is most assuredly what is taking place now as the Ukrainians, especially in the Western and more European part of Ukraine, seek continued independence from Russia. The conflict between various parts of Ukraine and Russia is at the heart of current conflict. Although the conflict appears to be purely political and nationalistic, there is a spiritual aspect to the situation as well.

The Ukrainian Christians – Baptists, Pentecostals and those who identify with the mainline churches – have been deeply involved in the political struggle, hoping as well that an independent Ukraine would be best for the spiritual atmosphere of the country’s people. This is understandable, as the Russian Orthodox Church has been a very controlling presence in Russia and throughout the Former Soviet Union for many years.

The Christians in the Ukraine believe they now have greater freedoms than others in the Former Soviet Union, and part of their political struggle stems from a desire to maintain this freedom of religion. The fierce and early fighting took place in what is known as Maidan Square, the very heart both symbolically and physically of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.  Many born-again believers found extraordinary opportunities to minister in the midst of the conflict.  As a result of the fighting many Ukranians came to the Lord.

Many Jewish people believe that Ukraine is an anti-Semitic country. Certainly this is true historically; however, after meeting some of the believers in Kiev, I can honestly say that these believers have renounced this history of anti-Semitism and assured me that they love the Jewish people, affirm the state of Israel and work hard to make the Gospel known among their Jewish friends and loved ones. This was deeply encouraging to me.

Our Israel Director, Michael Zinn, who grew up in the Western Ukrainian city of Lvov gives us an overview of the events and interviews Yuri, one of the key leaders of the prayer tent movement in Maidan:

Michael Zinn: An Overview of Recent Events in the Ukraine

Michael and Yuri: God’s Work Through the Prayer Tent Ministries

It was eye-opening to visit Maidan Square last week and see for myself some of what transpired. I know a picture is worth at least a thousand words and so you can see for yourself the pictures of the barricades, tents, tires, para-military groups, nationalist allies and more!

My hope is that you will pray for Ukraine and especially for our brothers and sisters who have been so involved in helping, praying, serving food and leading many to Jesus in the midst of the conflict. Messianic Jews from Ukraine were in the trenches as well, sharing the love of Jesus with their fellow Ukrainian citizens.

Chosen People Ministries has had a ministry in the Ukraine for many years. It started in the midst of what I call the “Russian Jewish Jesus Movement,” which I date from the fall of the Soviet Union until today. Tens of thousands of Russian, Ukrainians and other Jews living in the Former Soviet Union have come to faith in the Messiah Jesus. In fact, at our LCJE European gathering, about a third of the participants or more spoke Russian or Ukrainian as their first languages. This is miraculous when you consider that the citizens of the Former Soviet Union were once forced to renounce all religious faith, and Jews especially were not allowed to worship in communities.

It is incredible to see what God has done. In fact, twenty-five years ago, Chosen People Ministries may have had a missionary or two that spoke Russian… but today we have 25-30 Russian speakers on our staff, serving around the globe from Russia and Ukraine to Israel, Australia, the United States and Germany!

Vladimir Pikman, who became a believer through our early ministries among the Jewish people in Kiev, tells the story of the founding of our work in front of the building in Maidan where our ministries began (now damaged by fire):

Vladimir Pikman: My Testimony and the Birth of Chosen People Ministries in Kiev

I was also able to speak briefly about the work of those dedicated disciples who are the fruit of God’s work through Chosen People Ministries in Kiev. There are a number of fine Messianic Jewish congregations in Kiev and Ukraine and quite a few mission agencies that are laboring in various cities throughout Ukraine, bringing the Good News of Messiah Jesus to Jewish Ukrainians and to Gentiles as well.

Mitch Glaser: Appeal for Prayer for Ukrainian Jewish Evangelism

Remember to pray for Ukraine, as we all have many brothers and sisters there who are enduring hardship and trying to being the Gospel to their people in trying times. There are still hundreds of thousands of Jewish people in Ukraine, and we are asking God to help us increase our ministry to win our kinsmen to the Savior.

We do have one Messianic congregation in Harkov, led by Sasha Sareda, a Ukrainian Baptist pastor called to serve among the Jewish people. We support Sasha and would appreciate your prayers.

As time goes by it becomes clearer and clearer that we will need to expand our work in Kiev. If you have interest in working in Ukraine with Chosen People Ministries or supporting this ministry, please take a moment to e-mail me so that we can talk about your involvement personally.

I hope you will enjoy the videos – and please pray about supporting our efforts among Russian-speaking Jewish people today!

Make an online donation now!

Please type Ministry to Russian and Ukrainian Jews
in the Special Designation box

Your brother in the Messiah,

Mitch

 

Remnant and Renewal: The New Russian Messianic Movement

Who are the Jewish people of the former Soviet Union and what is their relationship to the Gospel?

Remnant and Renewal: The New Russian Messianic Movement tells the story of the Russian-speaking Jewish people, and the sometimes heartbreaking, often heroic tales of those who have sought to bring the Gospel to them throughout their troubled history.

Remnant and Renewal: $13.95

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April 18, 2014 · 2:33 PM

Because of the Blood of the Lamb

A Passover Devotional:

            Lessons on the Lamb of God Part 2

            Rev. Dennis Keating, Pastor,  Emmanuel Faith Community Church, Escondido, California

Today is Good Friday and I thought you might enjoy these thoughts on the Lamb of God from my friend Dennis Keating. Have a joy-filled end of Passover, Good Friday and Resurrection Day!

I hope these six outcomes will encourage you to give praise to the Lord today and prepare your heart for the celebrations that are coming next weekend.

Because of the blood of God’s Lamb we are:

            1. Released from sin’s penalty

            Remember what John the Baptist said when he was preaching in the wilderness and Jesus first appeared on the scene? John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John said, “There He is. God’s Passover ‘Lamb’ who [airo] ‘takes away’ (or literally) ‘lifts and carries away’ the penalty of the world’s sin.”

2. Redeemed from sin’s slavery

Not only has the penalty of sin been lifted from us, but its addictive power that binds us in slavery to sin has also been broken. That’s what the biblical term “redemption” is all about. Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 1:18-19,  “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.”

The original word (lutroo) translated “redeemed” means to purchase release by paying a price. The Greeks used it as a technical term for the spending of money to buy back a prisoner of war.

In the yearly, historic Passover celebration, the innocent lamb’s blood reminded us of the price paid to purchase and free the lives of Israel’s firstborn sons.

That was a divinely ordained illustration of what the blood of Yeshua would do for you and me at the moment of our salvation. It “redeems” us from the sinful “futilities” of life that paralyze us in our unregenerate state.

3. Rescued from God’s wrath

            According to the biblical account of the original Passover, God was offended by Pharaoh’s idolatry. The result was that the Lord poured out His righteous and justified anger against Pharaoh through the plagues. God experienced the same anger against our my/your/our sin as well, as according to Ephesians 2:3, in our unregenerate state, we were all “children of wrath even as the rest.”

But the shedding of Jesus’ blood on Calvary as our “Passover Lamb” rescued us for that well-deserved wrath. Paul said it this way in Romans 5:9, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

4. Revel in heavenly worship

            According to the book of Revelation, the Apostle John saw an uncountable number of angels and people around God’s throne in heaven. Do you know what they were all exclaiming in worship? Revelation 5:11 tells us they were saying…“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

5. Relieved of Satan’s accusations

            It may come as a surprise to you that, according to Revelation 12, the devil spends much of his time up in heaven “accusing” you before God the Father of being “unworthy” of salvation. See how he’s described in Revelation 12:10-11. The devil is…“he who accuses them before our God day and night. (11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb…”

Beloved, the devil can accuse a believer all he wants, but is powerless to bring a condemning judgment against any of us! Why? Because the fundamental basis for our spiritual victory over sin is “the blood of the Lamb.” It’s what allows us to victoriously overcome all accusations.

It’s why Paul asked in Romans 8:33, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?”

6. Restored Under a New Covenant

            If you read through your Hebrew Scriptures you will see that the agreement God made with mankind to forgive their sins by the shedding of innocent animal blood was an intentionally designed, imperfect system in that the blood sacrifices had to be repeated over and over again each year. Animal blood only provided a temporary covering.

Well, according to the New Testament, when Yeshua’s blood was shed, a “new covenant” or agreement was established by God with humankind because it was based upon the sacrifice of His Son’s perfect blood that cleanses the sinner permanently. That changed everything. Now the cleansing occurs within and not just without. It’s not based upon “law” but upon “love.” The “heart of stone” is replaced with a “heart of “flesh.” This is why at our communion services we read from 1 Corinthians 11:25, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood…”

The Lamb’s provision must be accepted BY FAITH. That was certainly true for the Hebrew people when the Passover ceremony was first revealed. Every Hebrew household had to decide, “Do we believe what God has said or don’t we?” It was even true of Moses. This is why the author of Hebrews wrote, “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.” (Hebrews 11:28)

Beloved, that is true for believers and unbelievers alike. As a believer, I/you/we must accept these biblical truths as our own or their impact will be diminished. When doubts enter in, when faith is weak, our experience with these six realities will be muted. But when we study them, we are assured that our “Passover Lamb” has paid for our sin in full. To prove it true, after He died, He was buried; and after He was buried, He arose and is alive today.

If you have not yet responded to Him, you should, and by doing so you will experience His grace and overflowing goodness…and have life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

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April 14, 2014 · 5:33 PM

The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World!

A Passover Devotional:

Lessons on the Lamb of God Part 1

The Hebrew Scriptures conclude with two prophecies in the Book of Malachi describing a Messenger (also the meaning of the prophets name!) who would prepare the way for the Lord.  The first of these prophecies is found in Malachi 3:1,

Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

This Messenger would purify the priests so they might once again offer sacrifices on behalf of the Jewish people.  As the prophet writes, Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.(Malachi 3:3)

The Jewish people would be judged because of disobedience, but also left with hope. In fact the very last words recorded in the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5-6), predict that this messenger identified as the prophet Elijah would call the Jewish people to back to God and reconcile both fathers and sons.

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.

This call to repentance was God’s way of preparing the Jewish people for the One whom Elijah would introduce to the Jewish people. Jesus believed that John the Baptist fulfilled these prophecies and that He was the Elijah like messenger who came to turn the Jewish people back to the Lord.  Jesus affirms this in the Gospel of Matthew,

As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send MY messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ (Mt. 11:7-10)

John repeatedly denies that he is the Messiah and tells those gathered that the One they have really been waiting for is coming and it is simply his job to introduce Him.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them saying, “ I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. (John 1:24-27)

The earth shattering moment comes when John’s introduces this One place at Bethany beyond the Jordan. (John 1:28). He was immersing Jewish people in water as a symbol of their desire to be cleansed from sin. But now he declares that the One who was to come – had come! John describes Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  The Jewish people on the banks of the Jordan would have understood this to be a reference to the Passover lamb in Exodus 12 with additional information provided by Isaiah in chapter 53.

John declares,

The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘ After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me (John 1:29-30)

John mentions this again a moment later to two future disciples when he said,

Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:35-37)

This theme of Jesus as the Lamb of God would become a major teaching theme by the writers of the New Testament. Peter, also establishes this link, as he was the brother of Andrew, one of the two disciples who heard John’s statement about Yeshua.

Peter writes,

…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.(1 Peter 1:18-19)

This link between Yeshua and the Lamb had already made by Luke in the Book of Acts in reference to the encounter between Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Luke records,

Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: HE was led as A sheep to slaughter; And as A lamb before its shearer is silent, SO HE does not open His mouth. (Acts 8:32), which is our first indication that Jesus was not only compared to the lamb in the Book of Exodus, but the Lamb as well in Isaiah 53.

Rabbi Saul, the Apostle Paul takes this link one step further and declares,

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Cor. 5:6-8)

The links between Jesus and the Passover Lamb are overwhelming. In describing the crucifixion of Yeshua John adds,

For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “ Not A bone of Him shall be broken.”(John 19:36), looking back to Exodus when Moses tells the Israelites how the lamb was to be sacrificed,

It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. (Exodus 12:46)

The Lamb in Exodus 12 is a prophetic portrait of the One who would come and shed His blood for the sins of the world.

The Lamb of Isaiah 53

The prophet Isaiah develops the significance of the lamb as an atoning sacrifice.

There are two key passages in Isaiah 53 which conjoin the idea of the Messiah with the Passover lamb…

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)

Admittedly, this can be a reference to the lambs that were regularly sacrifice at the temple and especially on some of the holidays. Yet, when you look at the entire passage it does seem that the prophet had the Passover lamb specifically in mind.

And additionally in Isaiah 53:1,

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

The key link in this passage is that the term for arm is zeroah,which refers to the arm or forearm, but is more often used in passages which refer to God’s saving power and intervention in human history.  This idea easily brought the mind of an Israelite back to the deliverance from Egypt as a picture of God’s redemptive work on behalf of His people.

Exodus chapter 6, quoted in the Hagaddah teaches this very clearly,

Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. (Ex. 6:6)

Jesus is the saving zeroah of God who intervened in Egypt and into this world to deliver Israel and the nations from spiritual bondage.  And when a man or woman, Jew or Gentile, boy or girl, by faith “smear” the doorposts of their hearts with His shed blood with blood of the Lamb that the wrath of God passes over us and pass from death into life.

This is the way to begin the Passover season and Holy Week – knowing that God’s promises are true and that He has provided the Lamb of God to be the Savior for us all.

Happy Passover.

 

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April 5, 2014 · 6:30 PM

Focusing on what Unites Jews and Evangelicals

A few nights ago, a dialogue between best-selling evangelical author Joel C. Rosenberg and Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Riskin took place in an Orthodox Synagogue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

I attended the dialogue and am convinced that it was a significant event! I have been a believer for forty-two years, I come from a traditional Jewish background, and I never thought I would hear a clear testimony for Jesus in a modern Orthodox synagogue (the type of synagogue in which I was raised!)

Joel did a wonderful job of explaining the Gospel and was winsome and generous in his approach. Rabbi Riskin is an Orthodox Jew who has a better-than-average understanding of evangelical Christians; he started an organization, based in Israel, which engages Evangelicals, Catholics, Orthodox and others in dialogue. I am sure he understands that believers, like Joel, will not shy away from making the Gospel message clear when dialoguing.

One of our long-term staff members, Olivier Melnick, who watched the event online wrote a commentary that I wanted to pass along to you as I believe he really captures the heart of the dialogue and the issues that are on the table between born-again believers – both Jewish and Gentile – and the Jewish community.

Olivier’s comments primarily reflect the positive side of this dialogue, and next week I will try to point out some of the problems I see ahead of us as the discussions continue.

Enjoy Olivier’s comments!

Focusing on what Unites Jews and Evangelicals

For as long as Jews and Christians have existed, there has been an obvious tension between both groups too often resulting in the ostracizing, force conversions, expulsions and deaths. Both sides have become very good at itemizing what divides them and dwelling on the differences.  Over the years, finger pointing and blame shifting has almost become an art form in Judeo/Christian relations.

To be perfectly honest, I regularly find myself on the forefront of a constant battle to defend Israel and the Jewish people, and I do my own share of finger pointing. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that there is much to be learned about Christian anti-Semitism through the ages, and even today if we want to successfully defeat the beast. But I often wish that we could focus on what unites evangelicals and Jews more that what divides us.

On April 1st (no joke here!) a dialogue between Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone and Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author, took place at an orthodox Jewish synagogue in New York. The theme for the evening was “Are We Still Alone?” and was based on Rosenberg’s new novel The Auschwitz Escape.

I resonate with Rosenberg who after visiting Auschwitz in 2011 and reading a book on the few who escaped the death camp, wanted to write a book about those who helped the Jews. That process led him to discover the incredible story of the small French village of Le Chambon sur/Lignon and how all the villagers went out of their ways to save Jewish people from the Nazi furnace. They risked their own lives and many even lost their lives as they were also taken to the camps with Jewish people. But to the villagers, saving the Jews was “the most natural thing to do!” like this elderly woman says in the book by Philip Hallié about le Chambon titled “Lest Innocent Blood be Shed”.

I haven’t yet read The Auschwitz Escape but I can tell you that we can learn a few things from the dialogue that just took place in New York. While I tend to side with Joel Rosenberg theologically, I am also very aware that as a Jew I am a constant target for many different people today. Yet, some of them have never met a Jew in person.

The fear expressed by Rosenberg and Rabbi Riskin, is that a second Holocaust would take place today, especially if or when Iran finishes building the bomb. It is a real fear because Iran wants the eradication of Israel more than anything. Even though President Rouhani sugarcoats his anti-Semitism to the West, his goal is the total annihilation of Israel. Disagree with him all you want (and I do), but at least Ahmadinejad was very clear about his desire to destroy Israel. So the question remains: Will there be Christians to stand for Israel?

Rosenberg made an excellent point when he defined who was an evangelical Christian based on what the Bible has to say. It can be very easy to succumb to some sort of corporate character assassination and put all Christians who didn’t help Jews in the same shameful category. I can even justify it by quoting passages like Psalm 83.

If a Christian is defined by a commitment to follow Yeshua’s teaching based on the Bible, then the boundaries are clear. Christians are forgiven not perfected (at least not yet). Christians can and will make mistakes, wrong judgments and even biased decisions. Yet, in Leviticus 19:18 we read: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord”. It is then repeated by Yeshua in Matthew 5:43-44 and even taken one step further: “You have heard that it was said, ‘ You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.

Have Christians fallen short over the centuries? Yes! Are some giving a bad rep to the rest of the Christian community? Yes! Should we then paint with broad strokes? NO!

On one hand, Rosenberg claimed that while some Christians might have made mistakes about the Jews and even some that lead to the death of some, this cannot disqualify them as born-again Evangelicals, and as much as I dislike the divide and its tragic results, I must agree.

On the other hand, I also agree with Rosenberg who stated that if you are characterized by a chronic hatred leading to a constant desire to destroy the Jews or any other human being for that matter, you are not a genuine Bible believing follower of the Jewish Messiah.

One of the most important aspects of true Christianity is the ability to love unconditionally. Christians who love Jews–and they still exist–ought to love them regardless of their ability or willingness to embrace Yeshua (Jesus) and His teaching. Anything short of that kind of love falls short of what Christian love is. Period!

Rabbi Riskin obviously didn’t share Rosenberg’s belief in Yeshua of Nazareth being the Messiah but recognized the common obligation of biblical Jews and Christians. Followers of the one true God must be driven not only by their convictions but also by a constant desire for human decency and justice.

Rabbi Riskin and Joel Rosenberg see the need for Jews and Christian Zionist (a disappearing breed) to unite, and I join them in their honorable effort. Christians failed the test of unconditional love in the 1930’s and 40s. The day might be coming when there will be a retake. Will they fail again? I pray that they don’t.

Christians and Jews are UNITED by the Jewish Scriptures!

Christians and Jews should be UNITED by their love for Israel!

Christians and Jews can be UNITED by Yeshua the Jewish Messiah!

Olivier Melnick is the Northwest Regional Director of Chosen People Ministries. He and his wife Ellen serve in Seattle, Washington.

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February 17, 2014 · 4:59 PM

A Response to Pastor Dan Delzell’s Article in the Christian Post

Pastor Dan Delzell’s thoughtful article has so much in it to commend that I almost hesitate to attempt to add to it. He strikes the right chords, particularly regarding the necessity of saving faith in Jesus the Messiah.

I especially commend him for stressing Jesus’ Jewish identity because, as a Jewish believer in Jesus and the president of Chosen People Ministries, a worldwide evangelistic mission to Jewish people, I live with these issues day in and day out.

I would like to make a couple of comments. Pastor Dan’s “Three Level” model of the unfolding will of God in creation could easily be misinterpreted to mean that because we’ve reached “Level 2” – the New Covenant, the Gospel and Christianity – that somehow the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish people represented by “Level 1” are now in God’s rear-view mirror.

While of course I would agree with Pastor Dan that the New Covenant brings believing Jews and Gentiles together in a new relationship with God as a body that acknowledges Jesus as Head, I would like to add that this new relationship does not by any means mean the clear break from “Level 1” that Pastor Dan’s article may be taken to mean.

I prefer to think that the New Covenant fulfills, but does not replace, what has come before it, any more that the Davidic Covenant somehow replaces the covenant God made with Abraham.

In a related vein, Pastor Dan’s reference to Paul’s words in Romans 2:28-29, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God” must be carefully read in the entire context of Romans, particularly Romans 9-11.

Does Paul really mean in this passage that the only true Jews are Gentiles or Jewish people who believe in Jesus? If so, then why does Paul preserve the distinction, “To the Jew first and to the Gentile” in Romans 1:16? Who – if not the children of Israel – are the “beloved kinsmen” that Paul is willing to barter his own salvation for (Romans 10:1-5)? Who, if not the Jews, are those for whose sake salvation has come to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11) and whose final restoration in Christ must occur (Romans 11:27-27) to usher in Pastor Dan’s “Level 3?”

Both Pastor Dan and I certainly believe in the centrality of Yeshua – but I simply want to suggest that far from having become an irrelevant presence in the plan of God, the Jewish people have a key role to play even now in the events that will bring about the glorious moment of Messiah’s return.

Moreover, I am sure Paul would agree that the non-Jewish Christians of our day are a key element in bringing Paul’s beloved kinsmen the Good News that secures both Jews and non-Jews a place in God’s kingdom. (Romans 11:11)

May I add one final word as to why the continuation of God’s covenant with the Jewish people is so critical for Jewish evangelism? As Jewish believers, we know that the major roadblocks to faith in Yeshua are not theological, but historical – and even sociological.

Jewish people have generally not been treated well by the “Church,” and have therefore come to the reasonable conclusion that if one believes in Jesus – that person is no longer Jewish. This is not the teaching of the New Testament.

This message of God’s continuing plan for the Jewish people needs to be proclaimed in order to help Jewish people understand that receiving Yeshua is not the end of their Jewish identity or of the Jewish people, but a new beginning.

This does not take away from the message that personal salvation for Jew or Gentile is only found through the death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah; I am simply reminding Pastor Dan and others that God still has a plan and purpose for the nation of Israel.

In closing – one more word from Rabbi Saul,

From the standpoint of the Gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:28-29)

Visit www.chosenpeople.com for resources that will help you in sharing the Gospel with your Jewish friends!

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December 26, 2013 · 11:35 AM

Should Christian Schools Allow Jesus to Teach? After all – He is an Israeli

December 26, 2013

 

On December 4, 2013, the American Studies Association, a small but well-regarded and influential force on many university campuses voted to boycott Israeli universities. [1] The Washington Post described their actions as follows,

THE AMERICAN STUDIES Association, a group of about 5,000 scholars devoted to the interdisciplinary study of U.S. culture and history, has called for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions…as a way to protest Israeli “state policies that violate human rights” of Palestinians, including academic freedom for scholars and students. The resolution drew support of two-thirds of the 1,252 association members who voted. The boycott is largely symbolic; it’s also terribly misguided.[2]

The measure, recommended by the Association’s Board of Directors, approved the action and the full group of scholars voted to affirm the Board’s decision.

Their decision has now been condemned by a number of schools and both Brandeis and The University of Pennsylvania have dropped their membership in the association.

According to a report in Tablet magazine,

Harvard and Yale, along with a host of other universities, public officials, and journalistic outlets, have condemned and rejected the American Studies Association’s academic boycott of Israel.[3]

 

Further, the report claims,

In total, 26 schools have thus far rejected the ASA boycott in the days following its passage.[4]

This latest measure against Israel may be viewed as “flowing in the same stream” as the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement which responded to the Israel/Palestinian crisis by advocating an array of economic and political actions designed to arouse the sympathies of the global community for the Palestinian cause by tarring Israel with the same brush as the now defunct Apartheid regime of South Africa.[5]

This is just another effort among many by those who are anti-Israel and pro- Palestinian, but it comes this time from a group that does not usually take a position on political and social issues in other countries.

Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers said on the Charlie Rose show,

My hope would be that responsible university leaders will become very reluctant to see their universities’ funds used to finance faculty membership and faculty travel to an association that is showing itself not to be a scholarly association but really more of a political tool. [6]

As a Messianic Jew and an Evangelical, I am deeply concerned as well about the actions of the ASA.

The boycott is politically driven and naïve as the abuses of human rights and restriction of academic freedom in other countries are far more heinous.  In fact, Israel’s state of academic freedom was noted as “great” by the ASA’s.[7]

As the Washington Post writes,

Have the scholars overlooked the cries for help from Cuban dissidents bravely standing up to the Castro brothers, demanding freedoms — and suffering beatings and arrest almost every week? Do they condone the decision of a judge in Saudi Arabia who has just sentenced a political activist to 300 lashes and four years in prison for calling for a constitutional monarchy?[8]

Perhaps the following statement from the ASA resolution will make it clear that they are playing partisan politics and not seeking the academic good of the institutions they serve.

It is resolved that the American Studies Association (ASA) endorses and will honor the call of Palestinian civil society for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.  It is also resolved that the ASA supports the protected rights of students and scholars everywhere to engage in research and public speaking about Israel-Palestine and in support of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.[9]

This is intensified in the following statements, which the ASA wrote to the leaders of their member academic institutions regarding the resolution:

The resolution understands the boycott as limited to a refusal on the part of the ASA in its official capacities to enter into formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions, or with scholars who are expressly serving as representatives or ambassadors of those institutions (such as deans, rectors, presidents and others), or on behalf of the Israeli government, until Israel ceases to violate human rights and international law.

The proposed resolution expressly DOES NOT endorse a boycott of Israeli scholars engaged in individual-level contacts and ordinary forms of academic exchange, including presentations at conferences, public lectures at campuses, and collaboration on research and publication. U.S. scholars are not discouraged under the terms of the boycott from traveling to Israel for academic purposes, provided they are not engaged in a formal partnership with or sponsorship by Israeli academic institutions. The academic boycott of Israeli institutions is not designed to curtail dialogue. Rather, it emerges from the recognition that these forms of ordinary academic exchange are often impossible for Palestinian academics due to Israeli policies.[10]

After reading the above, it is evident that the ASA has taken it upon itself to act as both judge and jury. They have overstepped their mandate and used their academic organization as a political weapon rather than as an instrument designed for the greater pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

This is further revealed in a quick review of their statement of purpose found in the by laws of the ASA.

ARTICLE I: Name and Object

Sec. 1. The name of this society shall be the American Studies Association

Sec. 2. The object of the association shall be the promotion of the study of American culture through the encouragement of research, teaching, publication, the strengthening of relations among persons and institutions in this country and abroad devoted to such studies, and the broadening of knowledge among the general public about American culture in all its diversity and complexity.[11]

Again, the ASA has stepped beyond their stated mission to advance American Studies.  Perhaps the question to ask of the ASA is why?  To what end?  And whose agenda is really driving the actions of the ASA?

It is my hope that our Evangelical Christian community will take a public stand against these measures by the ASA. Evangelical Christian schools have participated in conferences and programs organized by the ASA and should follow suit with those secular academic institutions by protesting this resolution and taking a stand for academic freedom, authentic justice, and fair play.

I like the statement by the editorial board of the Washington Post and I believe this is the type of attitude we should foster, especially as Jesus’ peacemakers:

The American Studies Association would have more impact by finding a way to engage deeply with Israelis and Palestinians, perhaps with scholarly conferences and exchanges, rather than by punishing Israel with a boycott.[12]

I am hoping that our Evangelical Christian schools will follow suit and join with the growing number of US schools that believe the ASA has crossed a line and that it’s actions will lead to an increase in conflict rather than peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

[4] IBID

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November 27, 2013 · 5:34 PM

A Hanukkahgiving Thought

There is good evidence that the pilgrims believed they were the new Israel and that America was the new promised land. They celebrated the feast of Tabernacle’s according to tradition which is a holiday that praises God for his goodness and provision. It is actually the last of the seven great festivals of the Jewish cycle of holidays found in Leviticus chapter 23 and commemorates the conclusion of the annual harvest season. i
 
During the festival of Hanukkah Jewish people thank God for the victory of the Maccabean family over the Syrian Greeks in 165 BC. The Syrian Greeks were trying to destroy the Jewish people through assimilation forcing them to speak the Greek language, embrace Greek culture and worship Greek gods. The Jewish people resisted and a small band of Maccabean guerrillas fought the Syrian Greeks between 168 and 165 BCE and won. When they arrived at the Temple in Jerusalem, according to tradition, there were two problems; the Syrian Greeks had offered a pig on the altar and so they had to dismantle the altar because it was beyond cleansing. But secondly, the eternal light only had enough oil to last for one day and it would take eight days to cure enough oil to keep the light shining without interruption.
 
Over the years this tradition of the eight day miracle became a vital part of Jewish life and so on Hanukkah we like eight candles over the eight day period. We also give gifts and foods like potato pancakes and in Israel we enjoy a special type of jelly doughnut. The reason we eat the pancakes and the jelly donut this because they’re made with lots of oil and once again it reminds us of God’s provision – the oil did not run out over the eight days.
 
The link between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah which probably will not happen again for thousands of years,  if ever – is actually quite poignant. The Jewish people are thankful to God for his provision and the pilgrims had that right and that’s why they celebrated Tabernacles at the first Thanksgiving (admittedly another tradition!) to God for his provision of the new promised land.  The Jewish people are also very grateful for God’s preserving them as a people and that’s why we celebrate Hanukkah.
 
The real link between Hanukkah and Thanksgiving and even with the Pilgrims version of Tabernacles is one of thankfulness to God. This is the great theme of both holidays. And since there is no a tradition of giving gifts on Thanksgiving – just eating well and celebrating (and watching college football) – the juxtaposition of both holidays takes nothing away from Hanukkah from a Jewish child’s perspective!  They lose very little – Hanuakkah dinner might be a little unusual as we eat potato pancakes and not turkey – but the combination for most Jewish people sounds good!
 
As Messianic Jews and followers of Jesus the Messiah – the theme of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah focuses on our gratitude to God. As Jews, we pray a special prayer at Hanukkah called the Shehechiyanu….it reads as follows; Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.
 
We are happy to have reached this Thanksgiving and Hanukkah season and praise the Holy One of Israel for His mercy, grace, provision and love.
 
 
 

 

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Filed under Holidays & Festivals, Judaism, Messianic Jewish, Thanksgiving

October 23, 2013 · 11:00 PM

A Response To – Iran, Assimilation and the Threat to Israel and Jewish Survival: Will Jews Exist?

Blog:

Iran, Assimilation and the Threat to Israel and Jewish Survival: Will Jews Exist?

Part 1:  A Very Jewish Dialogue

I attended the above event held a couple of evenings ago on the campus of Yeshiva University in Manhattan and felt I needed to respond.  It is a little long so feel free to read part one and then part two.

The subject matter was broad, ranging from Israeli national security, the threat of Iran, to the results of the recent survey of the United States Jewish community. The topics were of great interest to the hundreds of attendees who, like me, only heard about the event a few days before. The dialogue lived up to the intensity of the title! The panelists discussed potential threats to Israel – which impact all Jews everywhere – and also some deep concerns brought to the surface by the recent Portrait of American Jews, a survey by the Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project.[1]

The speakers were well chosen by the director of This World: The Values Network, Shmuley Boteach,[2] and included Sheldon Adelson,[3] Chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, who is a Jewish philanthropist and major benefactor of the Birthright Israel program.

Additionally, recent Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Bret Stephens,[4] was on the panel, as was Dr. Richard Joel,[5] the current president of Yeshiva University. Joel is a well-known and respected Jewish leader who formally led the Hillel organization – a part of the B’nai B’rith, which focuses on college campuses.

One of the critical political questions asked of the panelists was whether or not current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would “go it alone” if he felt the Iranian nuclear threat needed to be handled militarily in the immediate future.

Bret Stephens suggested that Netanyahu would not act without the blessing of the United States and chided him for being overly concerned with what other nations, including the United States, would think about such action.

Sheldon Adelson, who knows the Israeli Prime Minister well, believed he would act and take military action with or without the support of other countries – including the United States.

The discussion was fascinating but the views of the four panelists were not all that different, as each one believed that a secure and safe Israel was critical for the Jewish people, as well as for the United States and the West. Each one agreed with Netanyahu in his recent speech before the United Nations, believing that the current president of Iran would continue the same policies as his predecessor and maintain the same attitude towards the West and Israel.

The most vehement critic of Iran was the more secular Jew, Bret Stephens, who suggested that the real problem is not the current president, Hassan Rouhani but rather the supreme commander of Iran, Ali Khamenei.

Adelson concurred with those who believed that Rouhani was a believer in a form of Muslim eschatology held by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the military leadership of Iran. He specifically mentioned their belief in the Twelfth Imam, who is expected to come and save Islam and establish the Islamic view of a perpetual Islamic kingdom. In order for this to Imam to come – who is currently allegedly hidden – there must be chaos in the world. This viewpoint is well described by popular author Joel Rosenberg in a recent series of fiction books.[6]

Adelson thinks that Rouhani believes the use of nuclear weapons by Iran would create that chaos. In light of this, he believes that nothing but force will stop the Iranian nuclear threat, as it is theologically driven. He called upon Israel and the United States to take military action (even nuclear) to force Iran to back down from their nuclear program, but believed they should be able to utilize non-weapons grade plutonium for the creation of energy.

Part 2 of the Very Jewish Dialogue

This first part of the program was quite engaging, but the second part was even more interesting and evoked greater differences between the panelists during the discussion over the Pew survey results.

Boteach posed the possibility that within a short time all Jewish people – aside from those who are Orthodox – would disappear. Stephens suggested that the only way for the Jewish people to survive is to hitch their star to Israel. He added that though he was a totally secular Jew he was also glad that some Jews practice the Jewish religion in a more traditional way, as knowing that more religious Jews exist brings him a certain level of peace and security.

Boteach suggested that reaching out to Jewish young adults on university campuses who for the first time are faced with various lifestyle choices would be the best way to help so many Jewish young people feel part of the greater Jewish community. The Pew research demonstrated that the numbers of disenfranchised Jewish people was growing at a significant rate.

Fully 93% of Jews in the aging Greatest Generation identify as Jewish on the basis of religion (called “Jews by religion” in this report); just 7% describe themselves as having no religion (“Jews of no religion”). By contrast, among Jews in the youngest generation of U.S. adults – the Millennials – 68% identify as Jews by religion, while 32% describe themselves as having no religion and identify as Jewish on the basis of ancestry, ethnicity or culture.[7]

Adelson affirmed Boteach’s suggestion and said that this is why they are committed to funding Birthright Israel to bring young Jewish people to Israel. The program has strengthened the Jewish identity of literally thousands of young Jews. Adelson also raised the flag for his new site entitled Rethink Israel which is going to be the focus of your effort to help young people think that Israel is “cool”.[8]

Dr. Joel took issue with Boteach’s suggestion that the key to strengthening the identity of a new generation of Jews could and should happen on the college campus. He said that while all of this is important, the most important part of helping new generations of Jewish people grow in their Jewish identity is through reshaping and strengthening the Jewish home.

Boteach seemed to be the one most concerned with the Pew study about the declining numbers of Jewish people having involvement in Jewish life. The other three seemed concerned, but not as shaken as Boteach by the results.

I tend to agree with Boteach and believe that the Pew study is going to have a significant impact on the Jewish community in the United States. It is going to take some time before the results of the survey are assimilated, but I believe the Jewish community will start developing various programs to strengthen what the survey pointed out as problematic.

I am sorry that Boteach, who is usually a very fair and reasonable person, mentioned the Pew finding that more than 34% of the Jewish community felt that a Jew can believe in Jesus with evident disdain and as evidence of how far the American Jewish community is drifting from the true faith.

According to the Pew report and commentating on their own survey,

The only clear no-no, though, is believing Jesus was the Messiah, which clear majorities of most subgroups say is incompatible with being Jewish; even so, about a third (34%) of Jews say a person can be Jewish even if he or she believes Jesus was the Messiah. (Our researchers didn’t include so-called “Messianic Jews,” as part of the main survey population; they were considered people of Jewish background or Jewish affinity.)[9]

The above is terribly unscientific and shows both a flaw in the study and reflects the prejudice within the Jewish community against Jewish believers in Yeshua – especially those who maintain a Jewish lifestyle. Most Messianic Jews, like myself (I was raised as a nominal member of the Young Israel movement), have strong ties to the Jewish community and Israel and share many of the same values of those who believe God spoke to humanity at Sinai. Perhaps it is precisely this religious bigotry when expressed in other areas that is turning many of our young people off to a more traditional expression of Judaism?

This continued prejudice against Messianic Jews, who have a Jewish identity, love Israel and consider themselves as part of the Jewish community, has got to stop.

The mainstream Jewish community cannot continue to heap thousands of years of reaction to religious persecution by alleged “Christians” at the feet of Messianic Jews whose ancestors experienced this same persecution.

Perhaps the most distressing part of the mainstream Jewish community recent behavior towards Messianic Jews has been the unfortunate way Messianic Jewish young adults have been barred from participation in Birthright Israel and goes against everything Birthright is trying to accomplish. Messianic Jewish young adults who have either been asked to leave a Birthright trip or were barred at the last moment from participation have been alienated from mainstream Judaism.

These prejudices against Messianic Jews need to be reconsidered; and rather than distancing Messianic Jewish young adults from the Jewish community, they should be embraced.

I was happy to find out that a third of the Jewish community is changing in their attitudes towards Messianic Jews, which gives me some hope for the future.

This Part is Really Important!

In general it was a great evening, but I felt the question Boteach asked near the end of the program was both profound and worth pondering.

Boteach, asked, Can you have a Jewish future without the Jewish religion?

My answer would be NO… but in order to survive and thrive, the Jewish religion must reshape and recast itself for a new day. Sometimes I think Moses would never recognize the “religion” revealed at Mt. Sinai!

May I offer a few suggestions, based upon the survey results that express what many Jewish people today are looking for in Judaism?  I hope that Jewish leaders will begin promoting something slightly different than a very traditional religious faith and go beyond the religion to show the relevance of the God of Israel to the people of Israel.

1.  Many Jewish people and young Jews in particular are looking for a personal relationship with God and not an institutional religion – no matter how old and beautiful it is. Sometimes the beauty of Jewish tradition (and it can be very beautiful) eclipses our ability to develop a deeper and more personal relationship with God!

2.  I also think that Judaism needs to tone down the emphasis on the Hebrew language. Who wants to follow a faith we literally cannot understand – and why should we learn a new language in order to speak to God? It is a real turn-off to so many and yet there is little serious, non-guilt-producing discussion on this important issue.

The survey reported,

Half of Jews (52%), including 60% of Jews by religion and 24% of Jews of no religion, say they know the Hebrew alphabet. But far fewer (13% of Jews overall, including 16% of Jews by religion and 4% of Jews of no religion) say they understand most or all of the words when they read Hebrew.[10]

The Reform movement had it right in thinking that Jews should be able to pray in the vernacular, but sometimes veered from a more traditional and Scripturally-founded understanding of the One to whom we prayed.  We need to find a balance between prayer in our native tongue, salted with the Hebrew language of our forefathers and brothers and sisters in Israel, and spontaneity of conversation that is expected between those who love one another.

3. We have made far too much of institutional religions. For many, community is more important than the performance of religious ritual. What so many love about being Jewish is what Richard Joel referred to as “telling our story.” And in this he refers to our Jewish story – which goes far beyond religion.

Our relationship to God, to our community and to our Land will be forever intertwined. Some emphasize one over the other. After all, there would be no modern state of Israel if Theodor Herzl had sought religious solutions to Jewish survival. I am convinced that far less emphasis on formal religion and more focus on understanding our Jewish story as a community with a history, culture and a land, would bring many young Jews back to the Jewish people as a whole. We cannot allow the Jewish religion to become the only gateway to the Jewish community, or the words of the Pew survey will become prophetic.

May I suggest that connecting to the God of Israel is really the mortar or cement that Adelson talked about, which has the power to build an intergenerational Jewish community? It is God Himself who gives Jewish identity meaning that transcends both formal religious expression and secularism. This is what will give Judaism the dynamism to survive and give the Jewish people a future.

We are a theocentric community, whether we know it or not, and the relationship of the Jewish people to the God of Israel rises above the mundane and lifts the heart and soul to new heights of values, ethics, hope and faith…and commitment to the Jewish people.  Our young people need a way to know Him.

Yeshua the Messiah was my gateway back to the community, and I am convinced that the deep and rich relationship I now have with the God of my Fathers through the Messiah has made me a better Jew.

Thanks for the dialogue, Shmuley – it was thought provoking and fruitful!

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