Volume 21, Number 2
Summer 2022
Triumphant Return to Israel (2Corinthians 2:14) What a fantastic start to the 50th Gospel outreach to Israel. about the Messiah. Leod was very open and appreciative of our August Rosado and I finally returned to Israel to carry out the sharing Yeshua with him. We were able to give him a Hebrew long awaited 50th Gospel outreach from March 14th to March Study Bible so that he can personally read and clearly see what 24th, 2022. The Holy Spirit led us to start sharing the Gospel the the Word of God says about Yeshua the Messiah from both moment we left Ben Gurion Airport on our arrival to the Holy Testaments of the Hebrew Scriptures (Luke 24:24:36)! Land. Pictured here with me is the young 21 year old Israeli Several day later after successful ministry outside Tel Aviv, man by the name of August and I were set to leave Netanya for the region of Leod. He was our Galilee. We did manage to stop in Nazareth and do Gospel driver who took us to ministry there. We ended up sharing the Gospel there and the car rental place gave out two Bibles and Arab Gospel tracts to two Arab once we arrived at ladies working at a shopping mall. But before we left Ben Gurion Airport. Netanya one of the hotel staff came to our room to assist us Immediately, the with our luggage and the large box of Hebrew Bibles. The Holy Spirit impressed young man’s name was Liad. August and I explained to him upon August and I why we distribute the complete Hebrew Bibles in Hebrew to bear witness to with both Testaments contained in one volume. The unity of him concerning the the two Testaments is established by the central Person of Messianic prophecies biblical revelation— of the Tenach (Old Jesus the Messiah. Testament) and the Liad expressed a indisputable fact they genuine curiosity and collectively point to told us he would like and were exclusively Todd and Leod to know more about fulfilled by Yeshua of Nazareth in the Brit Hadashah (New this. Praise God! Testament). Leod frankly told us that he does not believe Liam’s articulated the lies that were being slanderously spread about Yeshua wish allowed August in Israel—an indirect indictment and reference to the and myself to give unbelieving rabbis in the Land. August and I were blessed him one of our to know this young man thinks for himself. August and I impressive Hebrew shared the Gospel with Leod, and how Yeshua’s vicarious Study Bibles. We death on the tree of Golgotha provides the final atonement then were able to for our sins bringing God’s forgiveness and how that point out from the the Messiah’s resurrection from the dead is a wonderful very Scriptures he historical fact that brings eternal life and victory over death now received from to all who believe in Him (John 11:25-26). Leod replied by saying, matter- of- factly, he believed what we declared (continued on page 3) Todd and Liad
About the Author Dr.Todd Baker is president of B’rit Hadashah Ministries and Pastor of Shalom, Shalom Messianic Congregation in Dallas,Texas. He was a chaplain at Medical City Hospital for 16 years.Todd holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biblical studies, a Master of Theology Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Apologetics from Trinity Seminary under the auspices of Liverpool University at Liverpool, England, is a Fellow of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He is a theological consultant and writer for Zola Levitt Ministries and has appeared on Zola Levitt Presents. With his extensive experience in Jewish evangelism, he has led many Gospel outreaches to Israel. > Special thanks go out to Zola Levitt Ministries / To The Jew First Ministry for their ongoing funding contributions, helping to make these mission trips to Israel possible. Also special thanks to Rabbi Samuel of Sar El Tours for supplying us with Hebrew Bibles.
The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (Matthew 21:33-34) Part 5
“Hear another parable: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to husbandmen and went into a far country. Now when the time of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘they will reverence my son.’ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.’ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen? They said to Him, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and lease his vineyard to other husbandmen who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone shall be broken. But on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder”
“And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them likewise” (verses 35-36). The covetous husbandmen refused to relinquish the cherished grapes harvested and picked from the vineyard. They denied the householder’s right to receive the rent paid through the vintage the vineyard produced. They abused their delegated privileges and attempted to wrest ownership of the vineyard from the householder, even when it entailed brutally beating and killing his servants who were sent to collect the fruits for him. The terrible abuse they suffered included s t o n i n g , s c o u rg i n g , verbal abuse, banishment, beatings, threatenings, and ultimately murder! Verses 35 and 36 well recount the unending, bitter persecutions God’s prophetic messengers experienced under the secular and religious leaders of Israel down through the centuries. The prophets often times were used of God to expose the abuse and flagrant sins of the Jewish rulers. Rather than repenting and forsaking their cherished sins, the kings and statesmen of Israel refused to acknowledge the truthful charges made against them. So out of desperation to save face with the people and preserve their affluent standing with the nation, the prophets were put to death or severely persecuted in order to suppress them from any further exposure of the accumulated iniquities of the corrupt leaders.
The prophets did not refrain from boldly pronouncing God’s scathing rebuke and condemnation on the aristocratic and political classes of Israel who greedily prospered at the expense of vanquishing the poor of all means of sustenance and perverted justice to serve and exalt iniquity as the ruling standard. The tenants, like the political rulers of Judah and Israel, were sternly admonished by the righteous servants of the divine Householder. The prophets of Israel warned of the judgment to come if the princes and nobles of the nation refused to give the required fruits and persisted in making flagrant consumption of the subletted vineyard Israel. Hence, God
the harvested grapes from the vineyard. But, as Jesus strikingly indicates, they kept the fruits reserved for the householder alone, and horribly disposed of the first group of ambassadors he sent. They were systematically eliminated by murder and violence. Every kind of suitable benefaction was given by the Lord to sustain and bless Israel, and yet they openly rejected Him and went so far as to brutally slay the prophetic envoys sent to them. All that God required in return for His provisional blessings was simple trust and obedience from Israel. In return, for every honor and blessing, they look to themselves and to the blessings instead of the great God who bestowed these things upon them. By their malignant treatment of the householder’s servants, the husbandmen turned against the householder and had no intention of rendering the fruits of the vineyard to him. As a result of their unlawful gain, the husbandmen, like apostate Israel, repudiated God from His rightful place in their lives. The people intentionally removed the Lord from their memory as the nation founded, chosen, and blessed by Him. In their selfish departure, due in some degree to the abundant material blessings received, Israel attempted to prosper and exist without the all-sufficient care of God. “For the house of Israel, and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me, says the Lord. They have lied about the Lord,
All that God required in return for His provisional blessings was simple trust and obedience from Israel.
Summer 2022
responded through His servants the prophets of coming judgment on these wicked men. “The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and the princes thereof, for you have eaten up the vineyard” (Isaiah 3:14). The prophets came to advise and warn, when necessary, the rulers of the duties in taking proper care of God’s chosen inheritance, Israel. The civic caretakers of Israel were instructed by the Lord to “rule over men with justice, ruling in the fear of the Lord” (2Samuel 23:3). In this spirit of administrative obedience, it was then surely expected of the husbandmen to freely remit to the householder’s servants
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and said, “It is not He”. This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God, nor receives correction. Truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. According to their pasture, they were filled. They were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten Me” Jeremiah 5:11-12; 7:28; Hosea 13:6). The Chosen People sadly proved this truth time and time again in forsaking the Lord and spitefully rejecting the prophets who were sent to them on errands of mercy in the vain attempt to bring the apostate nation back to God. The prophets were not universally received, but were horribly rejected, terribly beaten and killed by the wicked leaders of Israel. “And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy” (2Chronicles 36:1516). Thus we find the sobering words of Moses true of rebellious Israel all throughout the historical period of the Old Testament leading up to the climatic appearing of the Messiah. “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:15). In the sublime teaching device of the parable of the wicked husbandmen, the Lord Jesus
reaffirms this prophecy as fulfilled fact in verses 35 and 36. It is of interesting significance that after the first group had been sent by the householder, and was rejected by the evil tenants, another group of servants were sent afterwards on the same mission to the same hateful group of people. One would assume that the householder should have immediately punished the husbandmen and removed them from the vineyard. But God was ever so merciful and long suffering toward disobedient Israel for centuries. He further pleaded with them by sending more prophets than the first who were sent. These two separate groups of servants accurately correspond with the two different periods of Israel’s history where God sent His prophets to the chosen nation. The first messengers sent to gather the fruits from the vineyard stand for all the prophets who were sent from the time of Moses until the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C., when Israel fell into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and were carried away into captivity for seventy years of exile. They were known as the pre-exilic prophets. The pre-exilic period, extending from the time of Moses to the time of the Babylonian captivity, lasted for almost 1,500 years. During this prolonged time period, God had repeatedly sent the prophets to exhort the nation to abide by the righteous rule of the Lord according to the written statutes of the divine law. The second group of messengers stands for all the prophets during and after the Babylonian captivity up until the last of the Old Testament prophets that were sent to
Israel. The last Old Testament prophet sent by God to Israel was John the Baptist. The second distinguished group of prophets is the post-exilic prophets. The post-exilic period lasted from the time of the Jews’ return to the Promised Land from Babylon to the first coming of Jesus the Messiah. The post-exilic period lasted for about 570 years. Thus the total number of years wherein both groups were continually sent adds up to 2,070 years. This is but a general reckoning based upon the estimated calculations of biblical chronology. Nevertheless, this sum of many, many years and centuries undoubtedly proves that God was tremendously longsuffering toward a persistently murderous, stiffnecked unrepentant and selfish people. Yet in all this abounding evil, God, the loving Householder, still had compassion on Israel. Truly, beloved, the long sufferance of God is far beyond human understanding. The Levites’ confession of Israel’s perpetual sinfulness in the book of Nehemiah in the light of God’s continued mercy describes well the entire Old Testament period wherein God mercifully spared disobedient Israel despite their cruel treatment of His prophets that were sent. “Yet many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are gracious and merciful” (Nehemiah 9:30-31).
Triumphant Return to Israel (continued from page 1)
us “those very things the prophets and Moses said would come-that the Messiah would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23). For example, we directed Liad to closely see how Isaiah 53 foretold the sufferings and atoning death of the Messiah for the salvation of Israel and the world; and that this was clearly and meticulously fulfilled in the sufferings and death of Yeshua. Liad looked at this prophecy with us and exclaimed that such a striking connection compelled him to want to read the very Scriptures we gave him the moment he got home from work that same day! Liad saw no problem with a Jew reading about the biblical claim for Jesus being the Messiah! Praise the God of Israel! We thank the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of truth working through us to reach out to Liad and whetting his spiritual appetite for the Word of God to behold the
crucified and risen Messiah come to redeem Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him through the reading of God’s written Word we proclaim to all of Israel. Once we arrived in the Galilee, we had one of our best days of Gospel ministry in Tiberias, Israel among the Chosen People. In one day, we ended up giving out five Hebrew Bibles with Messianic Gospel tracts. One in particular Gospel witness was with a Sweet Jewish Galilee lady by the name of Mary. We met her in a gift shop near the Sea of Galilee where the Lord Jesus performed almost half of His miracles recorded in the Gospels. August and I immediately sensed Mary’s openness to hear about Jesus the Messiah from us. She proved to be exactly that. Mary loved our unwavering support for Israel. August and I then told her that the reason for it was based on the fact God chose the Jewish people to give the Bible and Yeshua the Messiah to (continued on page 5)
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Summer 2022
What is the Meaning of Repentance?
The words “repent,” “repentance,” and “repented” are mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. Repentance is part and parcel of salvation. A person cannot be saved until he or she repents. Salvation cannot be given by God apart from the sinner’s repentance. The meaning of repentance is found in the Hebrew and Greek words for repent. The Hebrew Old Testament word for repent is shuvah or t’shuvah and literally means “turn, to turn, or return.” This involves making a U-turn on the road of life—a complete 180 degree turn towards God and away from one’s sinful self. The command to return or repent appears some 32 times in the OT (Deuteronomy 30:2; Jeremiah 15:19; Malachi 3:7). The New Testament Greek word mainly used for repentance is metanoia and means, “to change one’s mind and think differently about God, sin, and the need for Jesus Christ. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a changed lifestyle from sin to holiness, from unbelief to faith in Jesus Christ, from selfishness to a selfless service for God. Repentance includes the element of deep sorrow over sin against God.
Repentance means an admission of guilt and confession of sin to God that produces a complete change of direction in life by the Spirit of God that convicts and enables the repentant sinner to turn to God in faith toward Jesus Christ. Repentance is essential to saving faith. Thus, those who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation will repent; and those who truly repent of sin will trust in Christ. Repentance is an indispensable part of salvation in Scripture. This is why John the Baptist and Jesus urgently commanded people to repent in order to bring a real change of life in loving, serving, and obeying God. Repentance is mandated for entrance into God’s kingdom (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:14-15). Matthew 4:17 tells us that true repentance will bear the fruits of a changed life devoted to God (e.g., Zacchaeus in
Luke 19:1-10). To repent means to be acutely aware of your own guilt and sinfulness before God (Psalm 51:4-10; 109:21-22). Hence, to repent involves confession of sin to God and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the same time (Mark 1:15).
Real repentance will produce by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit a transformed life from living an ungodly life to living a godly life devoted to Jesus Christ (1Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:28). Repentance is a turning away from sin and disobedience to an abiding trust and obedience to God (1Thessalonians 1:4). Real repentance is a change of attitude and mind agreeing with God’s view on sin and the need for salvation in Jesus Christ. The attitude of the repentant sinner is truly expressed in the penitential plea of the publican in Luke 18:13—“God be merciful to me, a sinner.” The believer should live a life of daily repentance because in “many things we offend all” and fall short of God’s perfect standard (James 3:2). Christians can ask God directly to forgive them with the assurance from His Word the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross cleanses from all sin (1John 1:7-10). Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Jesus made repentance a part of preaching the Gospel to the nations in Luke 24:47. The need for repentance is seen throughout the book of Acts (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:17; 17:30; 26:20). Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. Repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. Repentance is given by God and made possible by His grace (Acts 5:31; 11:18). Repentance is God’s kindness given to sinners so that they may trust in Jesus to be saved (Romans 2:5). God commands all people should repent (Acts 17:30). Jesus said unless sinners repent they will all likewise perish (Luke 13:5)!So repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation so you will not perish!
ATTENTION READERS: I am on the faculty at Scofield Seminary. I would highly recommend attending and enrolling in these very informative courses for theological learning. The Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary has been organized around the need to provide sound doctrinally and hermeneutically pure teaching of the Word of God, our Bible. We seek to provide high quality teaching to both the lay community and to those who seek professional development in teaching the Word of God as a career. Look over our classes and contact us to further discuss your objectives and how we may assist you in meeting them through our classes. All of our instructors are well prepared and all have significant seminary training along with genuine realized practical church pastoral experience to enhance your learning experience. Our goal is to provide truth and wisdom, through a thorough understanding of the Word of God. There is no substitute for adequate preparation before sending one out to effectively serve our Lord Jesus in the world that needs His truth. We hold to the idea that the best equipped pastor should also be a theologian. Two passages of Scripture are particularly poignant to identify with the need to properly equip oneself for ministry work. At Scofield Institute, we teach the literal, grammatical, historical method of biblical interpretation, consistently applied from Genesis through Revelation. Here you will come to know the great God of the universe as He revealed Himself to mankind. Some of our programs are:
The Process Of Theology Creation Biblical Languages Biblical Interpretation Jewish Foundations of Christianity Church History The Second Temple Era Literature & Events Systematic Theology Major Bible Themes Philosophies Opposing the Bible Nature of the Church Inspiration and Transmission of The Biblical Text Prophetic Systems of Thought Apologetics
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Summer 2022
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Triumphant Return to Israel (continued from page 3)
to hear the case for the Messiah being none other than Jesus the Galilean revealed in both Testaments of the Hebrew Bible. Mary joyously accepted a beautiful Hebrew study Bible from us with Messianic Gospel tracts focusing on this crucial saving truth! More stories of open Israelis to the Gospel will now be forthcoming in future ministry newsletters. Dr. Rosado and I are headed back to Israel this year from June 19th to July 3rd! Needless to say, we need your financial help to bring back the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah to the people of Israel in these last days. Please consider making a donation via mail or on our secure ministry website. To donate online, you can go to the following secure link on our ministry web site: https://www.brit-hadashah.org/wp/donate/ You can also donate by mail to: August, Todd, and Mary
the world (Romans 9:1-5). I then shared with Mary my powerful testimony of how the risen Jesus saved me at eighteen years of age from militant atheism and drug addiction and gave me the free gift of salvation with a new life—and with that deposited in me an unquenchable love for His Chosen People. August and I declared to Mary that it was this same love that causes us to repeatedly visit Israel and give back this great Messiah to His people. Mary brimmed with excitement and jubilance once learning this. Mary was joyfully willing
H
Brit Hadashah Ministries P.O. Box 796127 Dallas, Texas 75379-6127 Brit Hadashah Ministries is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit ministry, so your donation is tax deductible in the United States. Now is the accepted time, today is the day and year for the Gospel of salvation to be preached in Israel (2Corinthians 6:2) Partner with us in this exciting End-Time effort. Your servant in Messiah Jesus,
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aving been to the Holy Land over 50 times, I can assure you that Israelis deeply hunger and thirst for the Word of God and appreciate the believers in America who support ministries devoted to bringing the Word of God to the Jews. We need your support to help us continue to take the Gospel to the land from whence it came. In light of the Last Days’ realities, we appeal to you. We ask for and appreciate any support you can give us during this critical time of need. We need your thoughts,
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your prayers, your words and your financial support as the Lord leads your heart. Please consider becoming a monthly partner. As you can read for yourself in the newsletter articles, these worthwhile donations are directly impacting individual lives in Israel. Thank you for supporting this Gospel ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Chosen People in the land of Israel. May He come quickly! Until then, we continue to labor for Him. We also accept: You can also make your donation online at: www.Brit-Hadashah.org
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Summer 2022
Summer 2022 Issue VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.Brit-Hadashah.org
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e-mail: toddbus@yahoo.com In This Issue Triumphant Return to Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen Part 5. . 2 What is the Meaning of Repentance. . . . . . . . . . . 3
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