November 21, 2012 · 11:33 AM

Today’s Bus Bombing in Tel Aviv

Shalom and Happy Thanksgiving!

In the midst of a season of great joy and family gatherings, our eyes are also glued to the news as we watch hostilities between Israel and Gaza escalate. Our hearts break for both sides; for Jewish and Palestinian families who perish as innocent victims.

The Psalmist urges us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to be blessed for doing so:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.” (Psalm 122:6-7)

Please remember to pray specifically for the protection of the Chosen People Ministries staff – almost all of whom are Israelis, and a few of whom have been called up to army service.

Please also pray for the leaders of both the Palestinian governments, Hamas and Fatah, and for the leaders of Israel, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These leaders will need wisdom that can only come from God Himself, and we need to pray that each turns to the One true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for counsel. Even more so, we pray that they will seek Him with such desperation that they might be open to the truth of He who is called the Prince of Peace and who is the only solution to bring peace to the Middle East (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Let me introduce you to Rachel, a staff member of Chosen People Ministries in Israel. She writes from the vantage point of a wife, mother and follower of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

Ten years ago during the Intifada, suicide bombers were blowing up public buses. The sound of a massive explosions sent people running. You never knew where or if it would be your bus next, and in Israel public transportation is crucial.

Today, this is all happening again. It feels like we have stepped back in time. For the past few days, rockets have landed in various neighborhoods of Tel Aviv. This is so frightening! You hear the sirens and have a minute to get yourself and your loved ones to a safe place. It is traumatizing… especially when you have a little child!

Now, every whirring motor makes me think the blast of a siren will come next. I cannot imagine what it is like for those living in southern Israel, who are dealing with hundreds of missiles being fired upon them each day. Normal life is over; you live between your home and the nearest bomb shelter.

What do we do? Do we cower and hide in fear; stop going to congregations and Bible studies… or visiting friends and having play dates? We simply cannot! We will trust the Lord and continue to live in His strength!

Robynne, another one of our other staff members who lived through similar events years ago in Israel, describes how she felt about the bus bombings:

Bus bombs flash me back to the 90s when I lived in Jerusalem. You’d hear or feel the boom, and then the panicked phone calls start, asking friends and family if they were ok… exhaling sighs of relief when they answered, or feeling sheer panic if you got their voice mail. I had to ride the bus from one side of the city to the other (Ramat Eshkol to Ein Kerem), and I’d look at small kids on the bus and think, “Get off… Don’t take the bus; it’s not safe.” On the bus I’d see kids, elderly people, university students, Jews and Arabs… I’d also think about the driver’s wife, knowing her husband was on a bus in Jerusalem 8 hours a day. A public bus… not carrying soldiers, but instead packed with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends. The intentional targeting of civilians… I just don’t have words for what we went through (and what you all are currently suffering).

Rachel adds,

Should we allow ourselves to be terrorized by the terrorists? Do we stay away from the parks, pull our kids out of school, walk home, cancel a party, stay at home, hide? No, I tell myself… I cannot. We Israelis are resilient. Our greatest defense is to live normally, yet being ever vigilant and aware. We cannot let the terrorists win.

But tell that to the 28 dear people who are being treated in the hospital after sustaining major wounds from the bus bomb blast. They do not feel like winners right now; they are scared and their lives devastated. Their only offence was that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

They need our prayers and heartfelt sympathy. They need to know that believers in Jesus the Messiah throughout the world are standing with them and that we believe terrorism is always wrong, evil and inhumane!

I agree with Rachel! Should we stop our evangelism? Should we postpone the meals we offer each week to needy and elderly Israelis? Should we cancel the services of our Israeli congregations? We cannot! If we do, then we are giving in to terrorism.

It is the very same reason I opened our offices on September 12th, 2001! Our most noble protest to the actions of those who despise human life and who are only concerned and consumed by their cause is to live as normally as possible!

You can send a note to our Chosen People Ministries Israel staff and tell our workers you are praying for them by clicking here.

Your continued prayers and support during this trying time are always appreciated!

In Yeshua, the Prince of Peace,

Mitch

P.S. Click here to read a statement about Chosen People Ministries’ position on the current Middle East crisis.

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October 1, 2012 · 6:48 AM

What is Truth… in the Middle East Nuclear Crisis?

Last week, both President Ahmadinejad of Iran and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel addressed the United Nations General Assembly – as did the President of United States.

One of the most critical issues under discussion was whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons, how soon they will be developed and ready for use, and when and how the world community – especially United States and Israel – might respond. The discussion focused on whether Israel would perform a “first strike” or wait for sanctions and other behind-the-scenes strategies countering the potential nuclear threat in Iran to have an effect.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his speech, used a picture of a bomb and drew a red line showing the point of no return regarding Iran’s progress in producing a nuclear bomb. He argued that once Iran passed this line, any military response from the Israel or any other Western power would be ineffective. Therefore, he argued, time is running out for a more decisive solution to the threat of a nuclear Iran. President Ahmadinejad, on the other hand, again assured the United Nations that their goal was not to develop nuclear weapons but to use nuclear energy in a peaceful way.

It really comes down to this – do you trust the president of Iran, and you believe he is telling the truth when he says Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons?

This seems to be the question everyone is asking, and of course, most of us do believe the Iranians have every intention of developing nuclear weapons. But even if Iran did not have nuclear technology, the threat it poses to Israel and the United States cannot be minimized!

Iran, under its current administration, is a threat to Israel, the West and to the church today. It will be an even greater threat, especially to Israel, when it develops the capacity to utilize nuclear weaponry.

I believe there are even more fundamental issues that need to be considered. What is the real attitude of Iran’s government towards Israel and towards United States and western nations? The Iranian president revealed his attitudes in his recent speech at the UN. He believes the West is corrupt, and that unless a nation faithfully lives an Islamic way of life – according to his view of Islam – then that nation is doomed for judgment. He has made this abundantly clear.

What are his attitudes towards Israel? Once again, he has made his position evident by calling for Israel’s destruction and the removal of the Jewish nation from the Middle East. He does not believe in the God of the Bible and therefore in God’s promises to the Jewish people. He also denies the Holocaust, and he has made all of these positions known through his speeches at the UN and in other public venues.

President Ahmadinejad has made his view of end-times doctrine very clear as well. He believes in a 12th Imam who will become the world’s greatest leader and will fulfill in the role that most Jews and Christians believe is reserved for the promised Messiah. He believes that chaos will rain until the coming of the 12th Imam, and that humankind can and should have a role in fueling this chaos so that the Imam will appear and take his rightful role as the “one world leader.”

For followers of Jesus the Messiah and those who believe the Bible, as I do, the parallels between the 12th Imam and the predicted Antichrist are all too striking. Scripture tells us that the coming Antichrist will hate God, the family of God, and the Jewish people.

One important question is whose voice do we listen to in order to understand what is at the heart of this ideology? Who really speaks for Iran? Is it President Ahmadinejad or someone else? Many do not realize that President Ahmadinejad is actually a spokesman for the true leader of Iran – and it is only when we hear what this leader has to say that we can fully appreciate the grave threat Iran represents to Israel and United States, and can understand why Israel feels so strongly compelled to act.

Ever since the revolution in Iran, the true leader of the country has been known as the Supreme Leader – currently Ayatollah Khamenei. The critical question for us – especially as believers and those who love the nation of Israel – is to try to understand what he really believes, and then decide whether or not we believe what he says.

This is the crucial question that we all should answer in order to know how to respond and even how to pray for the Middle East crisis!

Three following is a small portion from Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech in which he calls upon the United States to abandon Israel:

Now I would like to give a benevolent piece of advice to American politicians who always stood up to defend and support the Zionist regime. So far, this regime has created countless problems for you. It has presented a hateful image of you to the regional peoples, and it has made you look like an accomplice in the crimes of the usurping Zionists. The material and moral costs borne by the American government and people on account of this are staggering, and if this continues, the costs might become even heavier in the future. Think about the Islamic Republic’s proposal of a referendum and with a courageous decision, rescue yourselves from the current impossible situation. Undoubtedly, the people of the region and all free-thinkers across the world will welcome this measure.

It is a revealing speech that was made at the inauguration of the Summit of Non Aligned Powers meeting held in August 2012, and found on the website of the permanent Mission of Iran to the United Nations.[1]

I believe the threat posed by Iran towards Israel is very real and very dangerous. Not only because of their development of nuclear weapons, but because of their values. In fact, their values, as so clearly expressed in the speech of Ayatollah Khamenei, are the values of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Bath party in Syria and of so many of the nations surrounding Israel at this critical moment in history. Once we understand the depth of hatred that these leaders and their followers have towards Israel, United States and even Christianity, we better understand why it’s so important to support and pray for Israel and to preach the Gospel more intensively than ever in the Middle East.

This is what Chosen People Ministries is doing in Israel at this very moment. We are building staff, facilities and the capability to proclaim the Good News to a new generation of Israelis as well as speaking the Gospel in love to as many non-Jews in the Middle East as possible. We are also making preparations to care for many who might be affected by war in the event that hostilities intensify in Israel, as we are already feeding hundreds – if not thousands – of Israelis every month at our Centers in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Sderot, Netanya and other cities around Israel.

We believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and the ultimate answer to the crisis in the Middle East!

Israelis are more open to the message of Messiah than ever before, because they understand that the answers to life, hope, safety and a peaceful future are in God’s hands and not man’s. So we need to do more right now to bring the love of Jesus the Messiah to our Jewish people – especially in Israel!

What Can You Do Today?

1. Please take a stand for Israel and the Jewish people and let President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton know that followers of Jesus believe in a secure homeland for the Jewish people… that God promised the Land to the Jewish people and as a nation we want to experience God’s blessing (Genesis 12:1-3) by standing with Israel.

2. Send a gift immediately to Chosen People Ministries for the work of the Gospel in Israel – now is the time that Israelis are more open than ever before!

3. Pray intensely for the peace of Jerusalem – for the Prince of Peace to reign in the hearts of Jews and Arabs, including leaders like Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Ahmadinejad, and Ayatollah Khamenei. It is only when Jesus rules in the hearts of men and women that they know the truth, the truth sets them free, and living at peace with our enemies is possible.

Thank you for reading this note – and for taking a moment to post it on Facebook and to get the word out that followers of Jesus the Messiah must support Israel and intensify efforts to reach Jews and Arabs with the Gospel!

Yours for the peace of Jerusalem,

Mitch

Transcripts of the speeches at the U.N.:

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September 13, 2012 · 8:58 AM

Rosh Hashanah

We are about to observe the Jewish New Year, which is called Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning “the head of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is the first of the three Fall Feasts; it is followed by Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). It is celebrated on the first day of the month of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah is one of the seven great festivals appointed by God, all of which are listed in Leviticus chapter 23 and mentioned in a number of other passages in the Scriptures. There is also a vast amount of Rabbinic teaching describing the festivals and their observance.

Each of these holy days was established by God and revealed to the children of Israel through Moses, who received the calendar as part of the Sinai revelation. These holidays are supremely important to the Jewish people, and both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are observed each year by the majority of Jewish people, whether secular or religious. Rosh Hashanah is also an important family holiday, and many Jewish families around the world will have special dinners and spend time together, as well as attending Synagogue.

In the Bible, this festival is called Yom Teruah, which is Hebrew for “the day of the blowing of the trumpet.” In this sense, it functions as a call to attention for the Jewish people, preparing us for the Day of Atonement coming ten days later.

The blasts of the shofar (ram’s horn) sounded on Rosh Hashanah also remind us of the obedience of Abraham, who was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice in obedience to God, though God stopped Abraham before he went through with it! The shofar reminds us that God demands full and unquestioning obedience.

The great theme of Rosh Hashanah is repentance. In fact, the first day of Rosh Hashanah begins a season of ten days of repentance, which are often called the Ten Days of Awe by the Jewish people. The observance of the Day of Atonement concludes these ten days. Most Jewish people believe that repentance is the path that leads to the forgiveness of sin, which is secured in the closing moments of Yom Kippur.

Though it is difficult to explain the difference, forgiveness is stressed in the Jewish community far more than personal salvation, especially as understood by most Christians. Jewish people are not as apt to think about personal salvation, a secured future beyond the grave and the power of God infused into our everyday existence by the presence of the Holy Spirit. All too often, Christians read concepts that are commonly understood by born again believers into Judaism. However, Jewish people do think about forgiveness during this time of year and are usually eager to repent before God and reconcile with anyone they may have offended.

However, in this view, forgiveness is seen as temporal, needing annual renewal and received on the basis of both God’s grace and mercy as well as one’s repentance and willingness to obey His Law found in the five books of Moses – at least this is the traditional Jewish teaching on the subject.

So why is Rosh Hashanah important to me as a Jewish follower of Jesus the Messiah?

Allow me to give a few reasons why I personally observe Rosh Hashanah as well as what it means to me.

Observing Rosh Hashanah is a wonderful way of identifying with my Jewish people on a more spiritual level, rather than focusing on Israel or on social, cultural or political concerns that might be important to Jewish community life.

This festival causes me to reflect and take stock of my life and especially my relationship with God. Seasons of spiritual reflection are wonderfully enriching and necessary in the midst of our busyness – even if we are busy doing the Lord’s work. Rosh Hashanah reminds me of my own need to repent regularly of my sins and to be faithful and obedient to God’s Word.

It also provides a wonderful time with my family, as well as being a fruitful season of witness in which I am able to invite Jewish friends and neighbors to our services and Bible studies around the globe. It is one thing to tell a Jewish person they can be Jewish and believe in Jesus… and it’s quite another to sit next to them at a Messianic Jewish Rosh Hashanah service, listening to the blowing of the shofar and the chanting of familiar prayers, and hearing the message of Messiah. In some ways, this is much more powerful. As believers, we know and proclaim that repentance from sin is only one part of the path to forgiveness and personal salvation… as it is only when we receive Yeshua as our Messiah that we are able to enjoy eternal forgiveness, freedom from condemnation, and the power to live transformed lives!

The shofarreminds us of what lies ahead, as the blast of trumpets will announce Messiah’s return on the day when those who believe will be raised to new and everlasting life.

As Rabbi Saul – the Apostle Paul writes,

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17)

There is much more to say about this festival – so I highly recommend that you visit the Chosen People Ministries website for Rosh Hashanah resources!

I would be interested in knowing what Rosh Hashanah means to you, and in whether or not you find spiritual value in setting aside time for deeper reflection and for repentance.

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June 27, 2012 · 11:48 AM

Predicting the Future was God’s Idea!

Israel is the focal point of God’s plan for the Last Days, and I believe the Bible is clear about Israel’s future role. It is simply incredible to visit Israel and realize that the nation and Land that God promised to Abraham, and of which the prophets spoke, exists today. Modern Israel is a signpost of God’s faithfulness and a reminder that the Word of God is true—and that His coming is near!

But how close are we? According to the Hebrew prophet Zechariah, there are a number of puzzle pieces that need to be in place before the Lord’s second coming. God’s chosen people must be back in the Land, Jerusalem must be in Jewish hands, and her enemies must surround her. (Zechariah 12:9-10 ff)

These pieces are in place today in ways that have never been true before. We live at a unique moment in human history, as the table is set for the return of Messiah!

If we are closer to this glorious day than most people think (which I wholeheartedly believe), then how should our lives be different? We cannot live while ignoring the signs of His soon appearing. As Jesus said,

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (Matt. 24:42)

Of course, we should not set dates for His return; the Lord Himself warns us against doing this (Matthew 24:36). Throughout the ages there have been many attempts to predict the day and hour of His coming, and the results have often been disastrous and harmful for the proclamation of the Gospel. Because of these negative experiences, many say we should not allow ourselves to become fixated on the Second Coming.

I could not disagree more!

Sometimes I think we have internalized the idea that talking about the world as we know it coming to an end makes us naïve fanatics. But if Jesus is coming soon—and I am sure He is—then we should certainly live today in light of His coming, and encourage others to do the same. We need an army of “fanatics” who believe this and preach it

The entire Bible—particularly the prophets—warns non-believers of the judgment to come and comforts the hearts of believers with this great hope! Jesus does not want us to try to set dates, yet He does tell us to be prepared, because the hour is coming.

Understanding that we have little time left motivates me to preach the Good News with a greater sense of urgency! I do not want to sound critical, but it seems that many Christians believe in the second coming… yet the belief does not make a real difference in the way we LIVE and WITNESS.

There are a growing number of believers and churches who do not think that Israel has any role at all in the last days… and often it is these same churches that downplay the second coming. Practically and theologically speaking, there are fewer things to think about if the promises of God to the Jewish people about a future kingdom are simply fulfilled spiritually in the Church.

However, for my brothers and sisters who take this vantage point on the second coming, the return of Jesus is cloaked with vagaries and veiled in ambiguity. After all, how might a wolf lie down with a lamb at a Sunday morning service? Must we believe that the words of the prophets should be regarded as mere symbols of a future reality that has little connection to the words of Scripture?

What about the realignment of national loyalties predicted in Isaiah 19—how would this be spiritually fulfilled in today’s church? Passages like these simply beg for literal fulfillment, and if you do not have some sort of restored physical kingdom with Israel at the center, then how can these prophecies possibly make sense?

The urgency of Jewish evangelism in light of Jesus’ return is easily lost when the Old Testament is not taken literally and Israel becomes just one nation amongst all the others. In fact, reducing the more literal language of Scripture about the future of Israel and spiritualizing the inspired text ultimately causes Jewish evangelism to be downplayed. It requires the words of Paul commanding the church to bring the Gospel to the Jew first (Romans 1:16) to be viewed as having been completed in the first century, without any further prophetic purpose! There is a connection between believing in Israel’s importance in the End Times and believing in the importance of Jewish evangelism today.

The link between the second coming of Christ and the salvation of the Jewish people is unavoidable. Paul writes,

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written… (Rom. 11:25-26)

In the meantime, we will continue to pull out the stops in reaching Jewish people for Jesus, as the state of Israel and alignment of nations in the Middle East are indicators that we are getting closer to His coming. Reaching Jewish people for Jesus takes on a new and prophetic urgency in light of this day and hour.

Keep looking up!

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May 13, 2012 · 11:39 AM

Shalom from Germany!

I had a wonderful worship experience today in four languages: German, Russian, English, and Hebrew! I spoke at congregation Beit Sar Shalom, which is affiliated with Chosen People Ministries in Germany, led by Vladimir Pikman.

The congregation and ministry began as tens of thousands of Russian-speaking Jewish people were immigrating to Germany in the mid 1990s. Vladimir and his wife Inna left Kiev to live in Germany, following the Lord’s callto share the Good News with their Russian and Ukrainian Jewish friends, family and neighbors. This young couple was able to lead many Jewish people to Jesus. They started a congregation called Beit Sar Shalom, and over the last ten years have planted an additional half-dozen Messianic congregations – primarily for Russian Jews – all over Germany.

The congregation in Berlin meets at the Beit Sar Shalom Center, which the ministry purchased about seven years ago. I spoke on the Abrahamic Covenant and my message was translated into German and Russian.

I would like to share a clip of the congregation’s worship – it is a common Messianic song sung in German! You can visit the Beit Sar Shalom website to hear the message… and learn a few new languages all at the same time!

Blessings in Yeshua,

Mitch

P.S. I’m on my way to Israel for the next few weeks… stay tuned for more blogs and videos.

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April 17, 2012 · 9:33 AM

Letter to the editor of TIME Magazine: Response to “Heaven Can’t Wait”

I found the article “Heaven Can’t Wait” in the April 16, 2012 edition of TIME Magazine to be both enlightening and disturbing. I am a Messianic Jew (a Jew who believes Jesus is the Messiah) and a 60-year-old male who lives in New York City. I reflect both the Jewish and Christian communities’ views on Heaven, as well as those of my generation.

I also lead Chosen People Ministries, an organization founded in 1894, which has been reaching out to the Jewish and Christian communities with the message of a Jewish Gospel for more than a century. This gives me a unique perspective on heaven and hell, the nature of the Gospel, the balance between good works and good deeds, and the Christian and Jewish hope for the future kingdom.

I appreciated Jon Meacham’s insights (perhaps more for their cultural rather than theological value) but was shocked by his misunderstandings about the early Christians – all of whom were Jewish, up to a point.

He writes, “The story of Jesus as interpreted by Paul and as told in the Gospels created a unique understanding of salvation and life after death. No one in first-century Judaism had been looking for a human atoning sacrifice.” (p. 33). Unfortunately, Meacham makes a mountain out of this theological molehill and builds his misunderstanding of the Christian hope upon his under-researched and inaccurate idea.

Inter-Testamental literature and early Rabbinic writings indicate that a substantial group within first-century Judaism believed in the coming of a suffering and even atoning Messiah.

A key passage demonstrating this is Isaiah chapters 52 through 53, which is alluded to by Jesus, quoted in the book of Acts in the early sermons of Peter, and affirmed by Paul in his classic statement on the Gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, which Meacham quotes at the end of his article.

Isaiah chapter 53 describes a suffering individual, identified by the prophet as the Servant whose “mission” in life was to die in the place of sinful Israel and the Gentile nations (Isaiah 53:4-6). The prophet clearly describes the atoning death of this individual in verse 8, “He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due.”

The author of “Heaven Can’t Wait” appears to downplay the issue of personal salvation and presents a view of salvation focusing on “heaven coming to earth,” bringing a more corporate version of redemption focused on righting the wrongs and evils of our present day. This implies that the work of Christians today should focus on changing society as a means of preparing for the age to come.

The view of heaven Meacham espouses ignores the hope for a suffering Messiah that is the bedrock of faith for Messianic Jews and all types of Christians. He ignores tomes of scholarship, including the new book entitled The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 (available here), recently published by Kregel Publications and edited by myself and Dr. Darrell Bock, who teaches New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary – one of the world’s foremost evangelical seminaries. I also teach at the Talbot School of Theology, a part of Biola University, and Meacham quotes form Dr. Erik Thoennes of the same institution.

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 highlights the views of leading evangelical scholars who believe that Jesus, from His own words in the Gospels to those of other New Testament writers, is clearly understood as the fulfillment of Isaiah 53. Jesus is the Suffering Servant who died a substitutionary atoning death for our sins.

The Apostle Paul, also a Messianic Jew, summarizes the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, claiming that Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead, according to the Old Testament Scriptures. Unless one believes that the words of Paul and even the words of Jesus were penned centuries later (which is another discussion), then clearly many first-century Jews did believe that a human atoning sacrifice was expected… especially by those Jews who believed in Jesus and wrote the New Testament!

Meacham quotes the end of 1 Corinthians 15, but should consider that the hope of heaven and admonition to remain “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” would be impossible without the foundational truth of Messiah’s death and resurrection, providing personal salvation for both Jews and Gentiles and ultimately the redemption of a world cursed by sin.

I am glad the author and TIME Magazine tackled such an important topic. However, I believe that the article should have taken a much broader look at the variety of views on heaven. Meacham’s work reads far more like an editorial than a well-researched article, which is how it seems to have been presented.

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April 10, 2012 · 2:56 PM

Living Unleavened Lives: Eating Matzah as a Spiritual Discipline

Matzah

Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten during Passover

We are midway into the Passover week (actually eight days) and I find myself thinking about the many ways I am going to make matzah palatable today. Maybe I’ll make my father’s recipe for matzah brei. Here is my recipe, in case you want to try it!

Step 1: Carefully break a piece of matzah into small pieces and put into a bowl of hot water.

Step 2: Crack 3 medium eggs, stir, and begin making an omelet (use only egg whites to make it healthier!)

Step 3: Dry the soaking matzah in a paper towel, before it gets too mushy and still has a little bit of crunch to it, and add to the omelet.

Step 4: Matzah brei can be made either salty (adding salt, pepper, garlic and fried onions to the mix) or sweet (keeping the matzah omelet plain and simple and then applying large amounts of marmalade, strawberry jelly or leftover charoset from the previous night’s Seder).

Please try one of these versions of this traditional Jewish breakfast dish and let me know what you think!

Even before breakfast, I’ll need to think about lunch – perhaps a matzah sandwich with tuna fish or turkey, or maybe even some leftover brisket. I also have to decide what kind of matzah I’m going to eat with my sandwich; regular matzah, egg matzah, egg and onion matzah.

Passover menu planning does not stop there – there are also unleavened snacks! I’m glad I live in Brooklyn, where I can easily get most of my usual cakes, ice cream sandwiches and other types of desserts made without leaven.
I like bread, and during a normal week, I usually eat some bagels, rolls and a few slices of bread–but during Passover, I spend 8 days trying to figure out new ways to enjoy matzah!

Why do I do this? This is a question I ask myself with every crunchy bite of the striped, pierced and quite frankly tasteless (unless you’re eating chocolate matzah) “bread substitute.” Sometimes I think that the manna in the wilderness that came down from heaven to feed the children of Israel was made of matzah, which is why my ancestors cried out for a change of menu.

I do not eat matzah because I believe God will judge me for not doing so during Passover. I believe that keeping the Jewish holidays to be voluntary for followers of Jesus. Yet I do keep most of the festivals and try to be especially strict in avoiding leaven during Passover.

I observe the Jewish holidays because keeping them helps me identify with my Jewish people. I view myself as part of the Jewish community, though my faith is not often understood by the majority. I also believe that the holidays point to Jesus, and by understanding and observing them my relationship with Messiah is deepened. After all, He kept the festivals too!

But mostly, I munch on matzah for 8 days because of the spiritual value in doing so. I was reading a blog the other day by a pastor who was suggesting a variety of spiritual disciplines designed especially for holy week. He included fasting as one of these disciplines, as well as reading the passion narrative and a few other excellent ideas. However, I thought to myself, he is missing a wonderful spiritual discipline that predates so many of these other suggestions – one that is so very biblical (Exodus 12:15, 19,13:7, Leviticus 23:6) and would certainly make holy week more meaningful – eating matzah!

I believe that refraining from eating leavened bread products is a rigorous spiritual exercise that helps followers of Yeshua focus on purity and personal holiness, as well as the original intent and deeper values undergirding the holiday. And if you view the Feasts of Israel as prophetic (which I do) then the perfect fulfillment of the feast of unleavened bread is Jesus the Messiah.

In Jewish tradition, leaven symbolizes moral degeneration, and the more you avoid leaven, the more you are reminded of the purity of life that pleases God. Jesus mentions leaven in this way when He takes issue with the teaching of Jewish leaders that cause the purity of Torah to be compromised by additional teachings that could lead a person to misinterpret God’s original intent. (Matthew 16:6,11-12)

I am sure this is what Rabbi Saul – the Apostle Paul – meant when he wrote,

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep 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)

So why don’t you try it? There are still a few days left in Passover. If you get your whole family involved in eating matzah for the remainder of the week, it would provide a memorable family experience, and you could talk to your children about the importance of living an “unleavened” lifestyle – not just during Passover, but throughout the year. I think you would find this to be a valuable spiritual discipline both personally and as a family. We have!

Here are some further reading from some of our very religious Jewish friends with some interesting information about matzah to help make your “leaven avoidance” more meaningful.

Matzah is a symbol, but Jesus is our example – and by His Spirit He provides the power we need to live godly lives.  He is the epitome of sinless perfection!

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March 28, 2012 · 7:40 AM

Conference Summary: Israel, the Church and the Middle East Crisis

More than two thousand people, including hundreds of students, attended the “Israel, the Church and the Middle East Crisis” conference, showing the deep interest that believers in Jesus have in knowing more about the End Times and the role of Israel and her neighbors in the plan of God.

As you know, this conference was co-sponsored by Chosen People Ministries, Biola University, the Talbot School of Theology (part of Biola) and the ministries of Joel C. Rosenberg, the award-winning author and Middle East expert, who was also a main speaker at the event.

The event took place on the campus of Biola University in La Mirada, California on Friday evening March 23rd and continued all day Saturday before concluding with a celebration of Israel, the Jewish people and God’s plan of redemption for the world on Saturday evening.

The other main speakers included Dr. Walter Kaiser, our foremost Evangelical Old Testament scholar and Dr. Mitch Glaser, President of Chosen People Ministries, a 118- year-old mission to the Jewish people.  Musicians included Messianic minstrel Marty Goetz, as well as Steve Wiggins, who serves on the staff of Harvest Fellowship in Redlands, California.

The conference highlighted the testimonies of Michael Zinn, a Russian Jewish believer and leader of Chosen People Ministries’ work in Israel, as well as Hormoz Shariat, an Iranian evangelist and former Muslim.  A variety of workshops and panel discussions were held on the topic of the Middle East Crisis and the plan and purposes of God for the Jewish people.

Seminars were held on how to witness to both Jewish people and Muslims and difficult issues such as the impact of anti-Semitism on Jewish evangelism, the impact that the Middle East Crisis has had on relationships between Jewish and Arab believers in Israel, as well as how the conflict impacts the work of the Gospel in Israel in Israel today.

On Friday night at the beginning of the conference, I outlined the goals and unique viewpoint of the conference, detailing some of the reasons why I believe that understanding the Middle East crisis is important for everyone, but especially for those who believe the Bible to be the Word of God and that biblical prophecy must be taken seriously.

In my talk, I suggested the following:

  • The Middle East and Israel in particular is the focal point of biblical prophecy and will become the “nexus” for End Times events preceding the Second Coming of Jesus.
  • Prophecies of End Times events must be viewed through the lens of Scripture, so that believers today do not join those who have been enthusiastic about the Second Coming, but have wrongly made the Church look foolish by setting dates and identifying the last days key players and events. The serious study of End Times prophecy must be done with humility, care in interpretation and, above all, must be true to Scripture and not speculation.
  • Understanding the Middle East crisis through the lens of Scripture will enable believers to become a more relevant witness for the Lord as friends and neighbors today are confused and frightened by world events. Those seeking comfort and peace of soul will never find it in USA Today, CNN or Fox News.  Followers of Jesus should be ready to let help loved ones know what the Bible says about today and about tomorrow.
  • Understanding the Middle East crisis, through the lens of Scripture, will give us hope and help us to point others to the Prince of Peace, who is the one and only true hope for the world.
  • By understanding the Middle East crisis, believers will gain new biblical insights into End Times prophecy–and knowing the urgency of the hour, will become more fervent to proclaim the Good News to those who do not yet believe in Jesus the Messiah; both Jews and non-Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Buddhists and the mass of those who are unaffiliated.  Knowing more about the End Times will motivate us to fulfill the Great Commission; “to the Jew first and also to the Gentiles” (Romans 1:16).
  • Understanding the complexities of the current Middle East crisis and what the Bible says about His promised future for Israel and her neighbors will move us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem; more effectively, more intelligently and with greater passion.

The event was recorded and podcasts of the messages and testimonies will be available within a month!

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March 23, 2012 · 8:18 AM

Conference Blog: Israel, the Church, and the Middle East Crisis

We are just hours away from the start of Chosen People Ministries’ conference at Biola University entitled Israel, the Church, and the Middle East Crisis.

The main speakers are Joel Rosenberg, Dr. Walter Kaiser, myself, Hormoz Shariat (a former Muslim) and Michael Zinn (Director of Chosen People Ministries’ work in Israel).

The conference will focus on the current Middle East crisis, with special attention to what is happening in Iran, Syria, Egypt and Israel. I believe it is critical to understand contemporary events from the perspective of Scripture, as all too often we allow ourselves to be overly influenced by CNN, Fox News or even USA Today! We always need to balance our news sources with the truth of God’s Word.

I’d like to tell you why I believe this conference is unlike any other, and why this event is so critical for believers in Jesus.

Many Christians are struggling to figure out if they should support Israel or the Palestinian cause. A recent conference held at Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Israel, seems to have exacerbated this struggle in the hearts of many believers. I know of quite a few who came away from this conference feeling they have to choose between Israel or the Palestinian cause – yet I don’t think a choice needs to be made.

This is especially true when you focus on the spiritual needs of both Israelis and Palestinians. Christians need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem – including all who live within the environs of the nation of Israel, both Jews and Arabs. We need to pray that they come to know the Lord Jesus and have their lives and futures transformed by His grace. This would certainly begin the peace process within the hearts and souls of individuals, though it might not have immediately obvious political effect. However, it will certainly help in developing deeper relationships and true spiritual brotherhood in the Messiah. After all, if more citizens of the Middle East believe in Jesus, it would lead to greater opportunities for peace on all sides.

Let me list a few of the reasons why this conference is unique:

  • The speakers at the conference all believe that the Jewish people have a divine right to the land of Israel.
  • The speakers all believe that both Jewish people and Arabs need to believe in Jesus to be saved, and that faithfulness to their own historical religions will not suffice.
  • The speakers all believe that Christians need to separate the wheat from the chaff regarding the news we hear about events in the Middle East.
  • The speakers all believe that the true answer to peace is the Middle East will come from the Prince of Peace, Jesus, and that the lives of Jews, Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians need to be transformed one at a time.
  • This conference will offer workshops on reaching Jewish people for Jesus – both in Israel and in the United States – as well as seminars on how to reach Muslims around the globe.

Be sure to check both my blog and our Chosen People Ministries website as we will be posting tidbits from some of the terrific conference messages.

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March 14, 2012 · 7:02 PM

Kosher Jesus?

Mike Brown and Shmuley Boteach debated before an audience of more than 700 Jews and Gentiles, believers and non-believers, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan last night.The debate focused on Shmuley’s book, Kosher Jesus, and Dr. Brown’s forthcoming book in response, The Real Kosher Jesus.

Brown summarized Rabbi Boteach’s viewpoint as being completely opposed to any reasonable interpretation of the New Testament.  Brown suggested that Shmuley turned Jesus into a rebel against Rome, who taught nothing new and died because of his treason against Rome.

According to Shmuley, Paul was the person who reinvented Jesus and transformed him into a Divine Messiah who died for the sins of humanity.

In effect, according to Dr. Brown, Shmuley has stripped Jesus of the uniqueness ascribed to him in the New Testament scriptures.

Shmuley responded by painting a picture of Jesus as a Jewish freedom fighter who was both a sincere zealot for Jewish causes and a great rabbi who taught in a way similar to the rabbis of his day.

Mike said that the only way Shmuley could be correct would be to assume that the entire New Testament, from Matthew to Revelation, was edited and influenced by later Christians, inspired by Paul, who elevated Jesus to a status he never claimed for himself.  Mike noted that Shmuley gave very little historical or other type of evidence to justify such a radical reinterpretation of the New Testament.

The debate was successful in raising critical issues about Jesus. Clearly  both Mike and Shmuley agreed that Jesus was Jewish and spoke as a rabbi and a Jewish prophet   But that is where their agreement ended!

There has clearly been more interest in the Jewishness of Jesus within the Jewish community, from Kosher Jesus to a new Jewish Annotated New Testament edited by Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler.

Hopefully more and more Jewish people will study the New Testament and discover that indeed Jesus is Jewish, and more importantly, the Messiah and Savior of the world.For more information on why the New Testament should be taken more seriously as an historical  document, read the book, Isaiah 53 Explained. It is yours for free at www.isaiah53.com.

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