Volume 47 | Number 5
JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE
Judaism/ Christianity: A Perspective September/October 2013 | Elul/Tishrei/Cheshvan 5773 | !wfx/ydft/lwla
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SHALOM Dear Partners and Friends,
Yeshua (Jesus) stated numerous times during His earthly ministry that He had come to minister to His own—the People of Israel—and although many did follow Him, it is true that most did not receive Him as their Messiah (see John 1:10-11).
Yet we know as Believers that Yeshua was and is the expression of God’s will in human form. The first Believers were Jews and were responsible for taking the Gospel throughout the known world. It is important to remember that though Judaism and Christianity have become distinctly separate religious institutions, Yeshua laid down His life for us all as the Lamb of God who took away the sins of mankind—Jewish and Gentile. This said, we must continue to work together toward mutual understanding. True, we don’t necessarily share all the same religious beliefs, but we do share the same God. Let’s focus on what we have in common; the Scriptures, our Judeo-Christian ethics, and faith in the one, true God of Israel, and build from there. This special issue of Jewish Voice Today features terrific writers who can knowledgeably speak on this crucial topic, including leaders in the Messianic Movement, Rabbis Barney Kasdan and K. A. Schneider, JVMI’s own Jack Zimmerman, and our close friends, Shira Sorko-Ram, Kevin Geoffrey, and Elliot Klayman. Washington Correspondent William Koenig along with our Israel Correspondent Carrie Hart report the up-to-the-minute news from their unique perspectives, and my article, “How Did Jewish Yeshua Become Gentile Jesus?” explains how early Christianity was born in Judaism. Thank you for the very important part you play in helping Jewish Voice reach the Jew first and also the Nations with the saving message of Yeshua HaMashiach. You are a blessing!
Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO Jewish Voice Ministries International
Jewish Voice Today
3
CONTENTS
6
14
18
On Topic 6 Up Front How Did Jewish Yeshua Become Gentile Jesus? By Jonathan Bernis
10 Perspective To the Jew First By Robert Morris
12 Perspective A Primer for Sharing Yeshua By Rabbi K. A. Schneider
14 Perspective Judaism & Christianity: How We Can Learn to Appreciate What Makes Us Unique By Rabbi Barney Kasdan
18 Perspective A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pastor's Luncheon By Jack Zimmerman
24 Jewish Holiday & Observance 26 Jewish holiday Temporary Dwellings By Kevin Geoffrey
20 Perspective Christians & Jews: Why We Are Both Important to God By Shira Sorko-Ram
Regulars 3 Shalom
22 washington update If the Church Had Been Unified
By Jonathan Bernis
5 noteworthy
By William Koenig
24 ISRAEL UPDATE Distraction and Deception: Iran's Threat to Israel and the World By Carrie Hart
16 Perspective My Journey to Messianic Faith By Elliot Klayman
4 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
28 resources
Where to Watch! 30 Broadcast guide
Join us monthly for our 60-minute live, interactive webcast. Please visit www.jewishvoice.org/webcast for the latest information.
NOTEworthy Would you know how to explain the similarities and differences between Christianity and Judaism to your friends, your family, or even someone curious about spiritual matters in a way that would bring about understanding, instead of division? Do you know what unifies these two important religions and what distinctions can—if we are willing—bring richness to our individual faiths? So often, we can have an "us versus them" attitude about faith. Christians do it when they believe wrongly that the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus and are now unworthy of a second chance or when they accept the erroneous view that all Jews have rejected Jesus so why bother to share their faith. Jews do it when they wrongly identify those that persecuted them over the last 1500 years in the name of Christ and Christianity as true Christians. So how can we as true Believers narrow the gap? How can we reverse this 2,000-year schism? What are those of us who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) supposed to do? How can we narrow the gap between the two religious poles? To help answer these questions, we have enlisted a terrific
Todah Rabah, thank you, to: Publisher
Executive Editor Jonathan Bernis Director of Publications Mary Ellen Breitwiser
About This Issue team to bring a sense of balance to this edition of Jewish Voice Today. Among our experts are several Messianic leaders including Rabbi Barney Kasdan, Rabbi K.A. Schneider, Jewish Voice’s Jack Zimmerman, Shira SorkoRam, Kevin Geoffrey, and our close friend Elliot Klayman. Of course, our dynamic news correspondents William Koenig and Carrie Hart report the up-to-the-minute news from both Washington (William) and Israel (Carrie). And we know you will love Jonathan’s article, “How Did Jewish Yeshua Become Gentile Jesus?” We truly believe this magazine will bless you so much, you will want to share it with your loved ones. — The JVMI Publications Team
About The Cover We combined a photo of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City with the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary, the fifth largest synagogue in the world, to show the commonalities and differences between Christianity and Judaism. Our hope is to bring a spirit of unity among our differing faiths.
Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-97l-850l 800-299-YESHUA (937482) www.jewishvoice.org Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 855-7-YESHUA (937482) www.jewishvoice.ca
Associate Editor Laura Peck
Jewish Voice Ministries UK Admail 4224 London W2 4UN 855-9-YESHUA (937482) www.jvmi.co.uk
Art Director Evie Kriegbaum
Magazine questions or comments: magazine@jewishvoice.org
Senior Editor Kevin Geoffrey
Graphic Designers Evie Kriegbaum Jennifer Nelson
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New International Version.
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5
up f r o n t | J o n at h a n b e r n is
How Did
Jewish Yeshua Become S
Gentile Jesus?
adly, Judaism and Christianity are today distinctly separate religious institutions with very little in common. Considerable animosity remains in the wake of an almost 2,000-year legacy of hatred and persecution against Jews in the Name of Christ and Christianity. At the root, historic Christianity blames the Jewish People for killing their Savior, Jesus Christ. Jews reject this notion, placing blame on the Romans. For true Bible Believers, we know that neither the Jews nor the Romans were at fault. Jesus laid down His life for us as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of mankind.
How is it possible that a message so grounded in the Torah, the prophets, and Jewish history has become so distorted? After all, Jesus was a Jew. His given name was a Hebrew name—Yeshua, which means “salvation.” All of His first followers were Jews who faithfully retained their Jewish identity and continued to observe their biblical practices such as worshiping in the Temple on Shabbat. How did the 6 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
Messiah of Israel become a blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryan figure—someone Jews do not recognize because He looks so much like a Gentile? We first need to understand that it was always God’s plan to bring the Gentiles into His Kingdom. John 3:16 NKJV reveals that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That said, Yeshua’s earthly ministry was directed solely to the Jewish People (see Matthew 15:24). And for the first thirty years of what later came to be known as Christianity, the community of faith was limited to Jews and proselytes to Judaism. Even though it had been prophesied, these Jewish Believers had no idea that the Gospel would ever include the Gentiles. All this changes in Acts 10 when Peter had his vision in Jaffa. He is shown something like a sheet full of animals being let down from heaven that included reptiles and
Jewish Voice Today
7
other creatures that no law-abiding Jew would eat. As he saw this vision, Peter heard a voice tell him to eat this food and not to call anything impure that God has made clean. The vision repeated itself three times, and the Spirit told him to go and greet three men who were looking for him. “Go with them,” God said, “for I have sent them” (Acts 10:20). He is led to Caesarea to the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and comes to recognize that the message of salvation is now opening to him and his family. With full understanding of the true meaning of the vision in Jaffa, Peter then proclaimed, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35). After Peter shares the Good News of Yeshua, the Holy Spirit is poured out on them and Cornelius and his family become the first Gentile followers of Yeshua in history. Back in Jerusalem, the news of this event stirred considerable controversy. Acts 11:2-3 says, So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised Believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But after Peter explained what had happened, They had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). It was further determined in the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 that Gentiles who embraced Israel’s Messiah did not need to convert to Judaism to be in fellowship with Jewish Believers, but simply follow some basic biblically based requirements: It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything
For the first thirty years of what later came to be known as C hristianity, the community of faith was limited to Jews and proselytes to Judaism. Even though it had been prophesied, these Jewish Believers had no idea that the Gospel would ever include the Gentiles.
8 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things (Acts 15:28-29). After this decision, the Gospel spread quickly through the Gentile World through the ministry of Paul, Barnabas, and others. At the same time, the relationship between Jews who accepted Yeshua as Messiah and those who rejected Him continued to decline and persecution intensified. In fact, one reason for this was that Jewish Believers now welcomed Gentiles into their ranks, treating them as equals. This was not something a religious Jew of those times could easily tolerate. The final break within the Jewish Community occurred early in the second century, when a famous Rabbi named Akiba declared that Simon Bar Kochba, the leader of the Jewish forces fighting against Rome, was the Messiah. Until this time, Jewish Believers in Jesus fought side by side with their non-believing countrymen. Now, in light of this declaration, the Jewish Believers could no longer support the war and departed, leading to the complete defeat of the Jewish resistance and dispersion of the Jewish People. By the mid-second century A.D., the Emperor Hadrian banned circumcision. Over the next century, Gentiles dominated the Believing Community and treated unbelieving Jews as enemies of their Lord. The relationship between these early Gentile Christians and the Jewish People continued to deteriorate and by the year A.D. 306, the Council of Elvira in Spain banned the intermarriage of Christians and Jews.
Nineteen years later, after Constantine the Great converted to Christianity, the Council of Nicea convened to seek unity within the Church. No Jewish Believers were invited. That was not a surprise, for the attendees issued an edict separating Easter from Passover. “We desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews,” they wrote. “How then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded?”1 In the years that followed, other Jewish practices such as Shabbat were banned and declared heretical. The unwritten doctrine some now call “Replacement Theology,” gained momentum, teaching that because the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah and were responsible for His death, the Church or “The New Israel” had taken their place as God’s Chosen People. This erroneous theory set the stage for centuries of adversity and atrocities against the Jewish People such as the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Holocaust.
name. Sadly, most Jews have come to equate Jesus with the actions of those who claim to be His followers. Jesus repeatedly stated that His ministry was to His own People—the People of Israel. He came for His own, and although many did follow Him, it is true that most of His own did not (see John 1:10-11). Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He loved His Land and His People. He will not return until they recognize who He truly is and embrace Him as Messiah and Lord (see Matthew 23:37-39). And that day is coming soon! 1. Henry R. Percival, ed., “Constantine I: On the Keeping of Easter,” Internet Medieval Sourcebook, March 23, 1997, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/nicea1.txt.
Clearly, these divisions had nothing to do with what Yeshua actually taught. Rather, they are the result of gross misinterpretations of the New Testament. At its root, it is a demonic strategy to twist the truth and keep the Gospel from reaching those for whom it was originally intended, the Jewish People. I am certain that Yeshua is grieved over the terrible things that have been done to them in His
A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth
Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case—with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself—for Jesus as Messiah. Then he provides Christians with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively share Yeshua with their Jewish family and friends in a loving and sensitive way. 240 pages, hardcover.
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P E R S P E C T I V E | r o b ert m o rris
To the
JEW First
W
hen I think about the impact of the Church’s ministry around the world—how Believers are joining arms to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ with others—I’m thankful that the call on the Church is so much greater than the challenge. Our God-given commission to help the nations can often feel daunting and sometimes even overwhelming. That’s because we’re trying to reach people with the message of God’s love while they’re hungry, hurt and oppressed. It’s not enough to simply talk to them. In many countries, people are just trying to survive without the basic necessities of life. Our challenge is to be a father to the
fatherless, a husband to the widow and a beacon of hope where the reality of pain and struggle has overcome the spirit of people. God’s heart is for world evangelism. He wants to see the whole world saved. And, at Gateway, the way we take the gospel to the world is by taking it to the Jew first. Even in our first year as a church, we began sowing very heavily into Jewish evangelism. And because of that, we have been able to, by God’s grace, take the gospel all over the world. It’s incredible to hear about, look at pictures of and go to all of the nations where we’re ministering. It’s happened because we’re doing evangelism God’s
10 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
way; we’re following God’s order. Our Messianic Service is the first service we have every month—even before we have our weekend services. We do this for a very specific reason. It’s kind of like tithing. When you give the first portion of your income to God, the rest is blessed. God has an order, and it’s very, very clear. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, emphasis added). This is a principle that Gateway Church is built on. Even Jesus made it a priority to take
the gospel to the Jew first. He said, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep— the people of Israel” (Matthew 15:24 NLT). And everywhere Paul traveled, he always took the gospel to the Jew first. In Acts 13, the apostles were
God wants the whole world saved, and He has a specific way to do it . . . by taking the gospel to the Jew first. sent by the Holy Spirit, and when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down (Acts 13:14 NKJV). When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Antioch, the first place they went to preach the gospel was to the Jews. Later, in Acts 19, Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8 NKJV). All throughout the book of Acts, we see that Paul never stopped going to the Jews. He knew that this was God’s order. God wants the whole world saved, and He has a specific way to do it . . . by taking the gospel to the Jew first. I’m not saying that Jewish People are more important to God, but they
certainly have a plan in history that affects us today, and it’s important for us to understand that. One day, I was having my quiet time with God, and I asked Him, “Lord, why are we as a church so blessed?” And instead of giving me a direct answer, the Lord began to tell me a story. He said: There once was an orphanage with 1,000 kids. Sadly, the head of the orphanage was a harsh, mean man. However, there was a very wealthy, loving father living nearby who wanted to adopt all of the kids in the orphanage. But the head of the orphanage didn’t want him to. So the father made an agreement with the orphanage head to adopt ten of the kids. He planned to bless those ten and be so wonderful to them that the other 990 would want to be adopted also. And so he took those ten orphans, made them a part of his family and began to bless them. When the other 990 orphans saw how the father was blessing those ten, some of them wanted to be adopted too. But when the father went back to adopt the other 990 orphans, the orphanage head still didn’t budge. He didn’t want to give up any of them. And so the very wealthy, loving father made a deal with the head of the orphanage. He offered to give up his own biological son as a payment for the other 990 orphans. The head of the orphanage agreed to the deal and then killed the son. But now, all 990 were paid for, paid in full. All they had to do was just walk out of the orphanage at any time and go to the father’s house. So some of them started walking out and going to the father’s house. But a very sad thing happened when these orphans started going to the father’s house … the original ten grew jealous and left. And then, something even worse happened. Some of the orphans who came to the father’s house started persecuting the original ten who had left. They started throwing rocks at them and calling them names.
But then, Robert, you came to Me one day with tears in your eyes and you said, “Dad, I have a burden for Your original ten kids who left. If it’s alright with You, I want to go try to get them to come back home.” And when you did that, I reached in My pocket and I pulled out My wallet, and I said, “How much do you need?” We’re taking the gospel to the whole world, and we’re doing it by going to “the first ten.” That is God’s order for world evangelism. He wants the whole world saved, and He’s calling us to help Him accomplish that by first reaching out to the Jews. Reprinted with permission from Ministry Today (www.ministrytodaymag.com), Winter 2011. Copyright Charisma Media, USA. All rights reserved.
Robert Morris is the Founding Senior Pastor of Gateway Church, a multi-campus, evangelistic, Spirit-empowered church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Since it began in 2000, the church has grown to more than 26,000 active members. He is featured on the weekly television program, The Blessed Life, broadcast to approximately 90 million homes in the United States and more than 200 countries around the world. Robert holds a Doctorate of Literature and serves as Chairman of the Board of The King’s University. He is the bestselling author of eleven books including The Blessed Life, From Dream to Destiny, The God I Never Knew and The Blessed Church.
The blessed life With humor, passion, and clarity, Robert Morris presents the secrets of living a blessed life both financially and spiritually.
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P E R S P E C T I V E | r a b b i k . a . sc h n ei d er
A Primer for
Sharing Yeshua No need to be afraid to share your faith in Yeshua. Here is a primer of ten keys to remember when you talk about the Messiah with an unbelieving Jew that will give you the confidence you need to have that very important conversation.
1.
A
s Believers, it is imperative to come into agreement with Yeshua’s heart regarding the salvation of Israel. Many times anger and rejection occur when witnessing to Jewish People. Obedience is necessary in the midst of rejection. Even though Jewish People may become angry, it is the first step in their coming to faith. If you’re going to
12 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
be an effective witness, you must be more concerned about loving and obeying God than you are with having people like and accept you. It is a blessing, privilege, and honor to suffer because of our witness for Messiah.
2.
The LORD chose the Jewish People to bring forth His plan of salvation for all people. It is critical
for you to understand that modern-day Judaism, without its fulfillment in Yeshua, is insufficient to save. Even though the Jewish People are God’s Chosen Ones, they must receive Yeshua as their Messiah, or they will die in their sins. Yeshua told the Jewish People that the only way they could have a true relationship with God was through Him.
3.
When witnessing to Jewish People, be aware of anti-Semitism they personally may have faced. You may even be led to apologize to them for the persecution done to the Jewish People in Yeshua’s name. Explain that Yeshua is a Jew, who came for the Jews, and help them to understand His love for them.
4.
Even though many Jewish People are secular and unfamiliar with Messianic prophecies, it will impact them when you show them in their own Hebrew Bible how Yeshua has fulfilled these prophecies. You must realize, though, that you may need to build a Jewish Person’s faith in the Scriptures for them to be impressed by the Messianic prophecies. It will be imperative for you to share with them how they can trust the authenticity of the Bible through the intelligence within creation, biblical archaeology, and Israel’s miraculous existence today.
Encourage your Jewish friend to read the Bible. If they don’t have one, lend them one of yours, and tell them you need it back in a couple of weeks. By lending them your Bible, rather than giving them one or buying them one, you create a sense of urgency for them to read it. Encourage them
5.
to read about God’s love for Israel in Romans. Check back on them, in a week or so, to make sure they’ve understood what they’ve read. Avoid using words such as “trinity,” “redeemed,” or “washed by the blood of the Lamb.” These terms could isolate the Jewish Person and decrease their reception of your witness. If you do happen to use a term they don’t understand, be sure to explain it.
6.
By sharing your personal experiences of what Yeshua has done in your life, you will help others realize how real He is and make it difficult for them to dispute it. Explain how He has answered your prayers. Share how you have a love relationship with Him and how, through Him, you have intimacy with God.
7.
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s inner witness in your heart, trusting in His anointing to lead you when witnessing. Allow Him to be your guide in knowing what to say and what not to say. Pay attention as to whether you feel His peace to continue witnessing, or whether He’s giving you a check to stop. Sometimes, once you’ve spoken, silence can be the Holy Spirit’s most effective way of making impact.
8.
If you run into a Jewish Person who may treat you condescendingly, the bottom line is that you cannot allow the way they perceive you to intimidate you or affect the way you see yourself. Don’t allow others to cause you to see yourself through their eyes. Instead, maintain your boldness. Yeshua HaMashiach is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and you have been
commanded to be His witness. The Jews are God’s Chosen People in the sense that revelation came to the world through them, but you are God’s chosen ambassador to proclaim to them that Yeshua is their Messiah! In closing, meet people where they are. Yeshua took on flesh and blood and became one of us in order to reach us. Do your best to share with them in a way they can identify with. By doing this, you will be in a stronger position to bring them to an understanding of the message of Yeshua Messiah. One way you could do this is by helping a Jewish Person understand how Yeshua fulfills their holidays given to them in the Torah. You can use the New Testament as a bridge to reach Jewish People by showing them how the very first verse, Matthew 1:1, connects Yeshua to the Torah in the Hebrew Bible.
10.
Rabbi Schneider imparts revelation of the Jewish Jesus and the significance of His Judeo roots upon the church (i.e., the called-out followers of Jesus/Yeshua). He serves as rabbi of Adat Adonai World Outreach Center and is the host of the international television broadcast "Discovering The Jewish Jesus," which is an End-Times ministry that equips the church to be readied brides for ushering in the return of The Bridegroom, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah). Learn more by visiting www.discoveringthejewishjesus.com and www.adatadonai.com.
9.
awakening to messiah In Awakening to Messiah, Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider takes you on a personal journey, revealing how the Lord has appeared and has spoken to him over the past 30 years.
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PERSPEC TIVE | rabbi barney kasdan
m & s i a : d Y Ju TIANIT
E T A I C E R E P U P A NIQ O T U S N R U A KES E L A N A M C E WHAT W HOW
S I R H C F
rom the Liberty Bell inscribed with a verse from the Torah (Leviticus 25:10) to the structure of the Western law system with its checks and balances, one can clearly see that the foundation of the United States is our Judeo-Christian values. Granted, there have been some dark chapters of history between these two great religions. However, many Jews and Christians of various denominations are now pointing out the positive shared connections. A trip to a local Christian bookstore reveals new books on “Jewish Roots” or “Our
Father Abraham,” while the Jewish community has “Kosher Jesus” and even a “Jewish Annotated New Testament.”
So what are these things we have in common? What are the things that make us different? More importantly, how can Christians and Jews appreciate our differing viewpoints while still demonstrating the love of God to one another?
FINDING COMMON GROUND The Hebrew Scriptures Many are rediscovering the fact that
14 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
we both share the same Scriptures found in the Tanakh (Torah/ Prophets/Writings). Okay, so Christians tend to call it the “Old Testament.” Nonetheless, most people realize that it is the exact same Hebrew text that is the source of these holy writings. Even though Christians (and Messianic Jews)
include the New Testament, it cannot be overlooked that both Christians and Jews have a huge amount of common scriptural heritage.
The God of Israel
This is obviously a direct result of
&
belief in the Hebrew Scriptures. Since the revelation to Moses and the forefathers, Jews have held to the description of the oneness of God and His uniqueness as the only God, Creator of all things.
teachings of Scripture.
To the Jewish imperative to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to love others (Leviticus 19:18), Christians should give a hearty “amen!” (Even the word “amen” is Hebrew!) In fact, Jews affirm the most foundational a Rabbi (Shaul/Paul) who wrote declaration in the Tanakh three times much of the New Testament put daily: “Shema Yisrael! The Lord our it this way: Love does no harm to a God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment 6:4)! There has certainly been of the law [Torah](Romans 13:10). considerable debate between Jews and Yes, there have been moral failings. Christians as to what But it is not coincidental We need not this means. Sometimes that many times it has compromise our been both Jews and it has sounded almost as if there might be Christians standing up own beliefs in three gods. Whatever for social justice, building order to have one’s interpretation of hospitals, and helping a constructive the Shema, it should the downtrodden. When dialogue with be noted that Yeshua, properly understood, in the New Testament, those who differ it has been another clearly agreed and even one of our common from us. called this the greatest connections. commandment for both Jews and Christians (Mark 12:28-34). So, clearly there are many good connections between Judaism and Other religions of the world may have Christianity. Likewise, there are some some good things to say, but they obvious distinctives to each religion. vary on the self-revelation of God. Jews and Christians, while dialoguing APPRECIATING OUR about the meaning of this, should be in unity about our common belief in DIFFERENCES the only God.
The Mitzvah of Love
The Scriptures teach that you can tell a person by the fruit they bear in their lives. For the bulk of the godless world, the fruit is pretty obvious. Just check out the evening news if you want confirmation of this depressing truth! Many times this holds true even for religious groups, especially to the radicals among them. Some religions and philosophies just seem to have a bad root. Judaism and Christianity are not without their historical controversies. But these tragic actions were not a direct result of the root of the tree but of people actually straying from the clear
Differing Cultures
To see some of the differences, just follow a Jewish friend for a week. Then follow a Christian friend. One
be a Christmas tree or a Chanukah menorah (or both, in the case of inter-marrieds)? Will it be matzah at a Seder or a ham dinner at Easter? Will you be mowing the lawn on Saturday or Sunday? Of course, these are generalizations, but the distinctive cultures hold true for the bulk of society. While some people get upset with the differences, many are coming to appreciate a positive point even here. After all, God has created so many diverse tribes and tongues. Maybe we should appreciate the diversity while holding to our own convictions. Jews and Christians have so much to learn from each other if we will just look a little beyond our own worldview. We need not compromise our own beliefs in order to have a constructive dialogue
with those who differ from us.
The Messiah Issue
It is not surprising that most Christians and Jews agree on one other foundational issue: that we disagree on
(Continued on page 31)
has to keep a healthy sense of humor when it comes to the “holiday season.” Will it Jewish Voice Today
15
P E R S P E C T I V E | e l l i ot k l ay m a n
My Journey to Messianic
Faith M
y grandparents, from Lithuania on one side and Belarus on the other, were observant Jews. They spoke Yiddish first and not very good English second. Though I was very close to my maternal grandparents, I was more like my parents, who were orthodox by affiliation, but who had modernized and departed from the strict Mosaic lifestyle that defined their parents’ walk. From an early age I believed in a God Who created the universe and learned bits about the history of the Jewish People through storytelling in the Hebrew Bible.
16 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
Preparing for My Bar Mitzvah
For me the bar mitzvah was a given, not an option. My schedule required me to attend two Hebrew Schools, for a total of four times a week, but I was usually able to hide from the after-school bus at least one of those days. Mr. Goldfarb was a tough old Hebrew teacher of the traditional school. He would hit you hard on the hand if you repeated mistakes. It did not endear me to his mode of learning, and I have rejected this style in my own approach to teaching.
The Big Day
Textually, and liturgically, I was ready, but I was not prepared for the cracking of the voice exacerbated by nervousness, the chatter of others during my portions, and
the precise expected movement throughout the service. I was expecting a big spiritual experience. But the “big bang” did not happen. I did continue in Sunday school, driven by lox and bagels and jelly omelet breakfasts for a few years after my bar mitzvah. I continued to attend the Jewish Center teen social gatherings on Tuesday evenings where I honed my table tennis skills, along with dancing and swimming, and joined with Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), a Jewish social fraternity. I had no understanding through my early post-bar mitzvah years of what God required of me as a Jew. Yes, I learned the prayers and Jewish culture, but I did not grasp the meaning or the responsibility of being Jewish. At age 15 I traded my fairly narrow world of Jewry for the broader path the world had to offer. I was not to return for ten years.
The ‘Medieval Period’
Through business college and two law degrees from the University of Cincinnati, and Harvard Law School, I came into contact with the secular side of life. Then there was the Vietnam protest movement, and I identified with the peacenik wing of it eagerly. On Harvard Square, there was a smorgasbord of spiritual opportunities, from Hare Krishna to Satanism and hell-fire-and-damnation Christianity, none of which attracted me. But the more pacific religions of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Alan Watts-ism touched me. Upon my completion of law school at Harvard, I was off on a quest to Europe to find the meaning of life. So, with one pair of blue jeans, a backpack, and $300 in my
pocket, I boarded a plane to London, and then proceeded throughout Western Europe on $6.00 a day. I wound up in Helsinki, Finland, where I met some high school students who invited me to their parents’ A-frame house at the foot of the woods.
Alone With God
I entered the Finnish woods a troubled young man, with a hope for a bright future in law. I was needy, not having answered the big question of the meaning of life and “where is God in it?” On that summer day in July 1970, physically lost, and spiritually searching, I called out to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He revealed Himself to me by
(Continued on page 31) Jewish Voice Today
17
P E R S P E C T I V E | j a c k z i m m er m a n
Funny
A Thing Happened on the Way to the Pastor s Luncheon ’
O
kay, here are your clues: Fruit cup, chicken and string beans, round dinner rolls, and a piece of cake.
So, where are you?
2
Answer: a luncheon in a hotel ballroom, fresh from walking through an exhibit room filled with happy exhibitioners displaying their materials for this exciting … exhibition! And as I’m sitting at my 60’ round table smiling at others (that would be me smiling, not the table), I glance through
1
the plethora of materials and brochures I’ve picked up along the way. One flier in particular catches my eye, and since that luncheon nearly four months ago, I haven’t been able to stop looking at it. This was a pastor’s luncheon and the flier was from a prominent Christian denomination. It explains the biblical responsibility we as Believers have to bless Israel and the Jewish People, and listed what it said were the three most important ways to do so: 1. Support Israel because God says He will bless those who bless Israel 2. Pray for Israel because God says to pray for the peace of Jerusalem 3. Encourage public officials to promote Israel’s God-given right to its Land
18 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
Now, there’s no doubt these are things we should be doing, and certainly, they are all scriptural. Despite that, I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing on that flier. The thought was gnawing at me for the better part of 10 minutes, and then it finally hit me—how is it that the Bible clearly teaches that the most important thing we can do for all people is to share the Good News of Yeshua, yet according to that flier, when it comes to the most important things we pastors at that luncheon should do for the Jewish People, that concept didn’t even make the top three? In fact, it didn’t make the top … anything, because nowhere on that flier did it make even the slightest reference to sharing the Jewish Messiah with His own Jewish People! Why is that? I think I have a pretty good idea. If you’re even a casual reader of this magazine, you’ve heard us talk about the errors of both Replacement Theology (the idea that Israel has been replaced by the Church) and Dual Covenant Theology (the idea that Jews can get to Heaven sans Yeshua). But I think there may be a third factor at work here, and it’s one that a number of churches and denominations today don’t like to admit: They don’t know how to share the Good News of Yeshua with Jewish People. There, I’ve said it. So, should it come as a surprise that the Church should seek to avoid what they don’t know, and therefore Jewish Evangelism isn’t even on their radar? That has to change. Not because I say so, but because the Bible does. In Romans 11:25-26, it’s made clear that the return of Yeshua is directly linked to the salvation of “All Israel,” a mass tidal wave of Jewish People; the undercurrents of which we’re seeing now. But it’s also made clear that this salvation of All Israel is directly linked to the Church
coming into its fullness, by actively and intentionally sharing the Good News of Yeshua with the very Jewish People it seems to marginalize in that regard. I would be thrilled if even one pastor would answer the following question for me: If we agree that the Bible is the same yesterday (about 2,000 years ago, to be exact), today, and always, and Paul stressed that the need for the Good News to be shared with Jewish People was so important that he’d give up his own eternity if that’s what it took, why can’t a church denomination give up two inches on a flier to declare the same need to do so today? I’ll take a statement like that over a fruit cup and cake any day of the week. Jack Zimmerman is Staff Evangelist at Jewish Voice and an ordained Messianic Jewish Rabbi. To invite Rabbi Jack to speak at your church, congregation, or event, please visit www.jewishvoice.org/speakers.
I couldnt help feeling that something was missing on that flIER. ’
3 Jewish Voice Today
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PERSPEC TIVE | SHIRA SORKO-RAM
Christians & Jews: Why We Are Both Important to God
G
od created Israel to be a blessing to the world, but most of the nations today would completely disagree with that view. Indeed, Israel is often compared with the most despotic of countries such as Iran and North Korea. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC)—in fact the entire U.N. apparatus—is consumed with censuring Israel at every turn, delegitimizing and demonizing her very existence. And the Church, which has received the greatest benefit of all from the Jewish Nation, has been her oldest and most persistent enemy. What went wrong?
The issue is simple: jealousy. Everyone wants to be God’s favorite; James and John wanted the best seats in Heaven, while the Jewish chief religious leaders were ready to kill Shaul (Paul) when he mentioned his call to bring salvation to the Gentiles. After all, wasn’t Judaism an exclusive religion just for God’s favorites, the nation He chose out of all the peoples of the earth to be His “treasured possession”? (Deuteronomy 14:2) If any nation had a reason to be arrogant, it was Israel. However, the Jewish People missed the purpose for which God had chosen her—to be a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to all the peoples of the earth (Isaiah 49:6). An important point must be made here: Gentile in Hebrew means “nation” (or a person of the nations). It does not mean a second-class citizen, but usually refers to a nation other than Israel.
20 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. The Gentiles [nations] shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1,3 NKJV). It is tragic that many Jews rejected God’s call, but multiplied thousands of Jewish holy men and women did serve the One True God during Bible times—including the Jewish followers commissioned by Yeshua to spread the Gospel to the known world. But as the Gentiles received this great gift of salvation, they in turn became arrogant toward the Jews—convinced that they, the Christians, were now the sole favorites of God. In order to preach that heresy, they had to decree that God had rejected the Jews. Paul saw it coming, so he reminded
his new Gentile converts that Jews were singularly blessed. Out of all the nations and ethnic peoples, God chose the Jewish People to publish the Bible, the one and only textbook for the road to Heaven (Romans 3:2), and through their descendants the Son of God was born. That is why we have Shaul’s symbolic explanation of the olive tree. The root, which is holy, symbolizes the fathers of the Jewish race and the Jewish faith, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The branches are the Jewish People. Shaul acknowledges that many Jews were cut off, while multitudes from the nations who were discipled by the Jewish followers of Yeshua were grafted into the original olive tree. Yet Shaul gives a strong warning: “Remember,” Shaul said, “you [Gentiles] do not support the root, but the root supports you.” It behooves Gentile Christians, says Shaul, to humbly remember this. (Jews must also remember that only the humble will inherit the Kingdom.) Shaul further reminds those true followers from the nations that if they, who came from a “wild olive tree,” could be grafted into the Jewish olive
We who love the God of Israel and His Messiah—from Israel and the nations—must remember that God's lap is big enough for all His children, and in Heaven there will not be a housing shortage.
tree, how much more will these [Jews] be grafted into their own olive tree (Romans 11:24, emphasis added). So what is the difference between Christianity and Messianic Judaism? Since there is only one God, there cannot be a God for the Jews and a different God for the Gentiles. And since God sent His Only Son to redeem the world, there cannot be one Messiah for the Jews and one for the Christians. The difference is that the Jews were specifically called to be the original nation that brought Truth and Eternal Life to the whole world—the front line, if you will (which draws the most withering and lethal fire from the enemy). And that call is without repentance. This is true Judaism, the true faith of the Jews.
day all Israel, which will exist for as long as there are the sun, moon, and stars, shall be saved (Jeremiah 31:3536, Romans 11:26). For this purpose God has preserved the nation of Israel in spite of it being threatened and hated by almost every nation in the world. We who love the God of Israel and His Messiah—from Israel and the nations—must remember that God's lap is big enough for all His children, and in Heaven there will not be a housing shortage. Most of all, our Heavenly Father's greatest desire is that none should perish. Based in Israel, Shira and her husband, Ari, direct Maoz Israel Ministries. In September 2002, they established www.istandwithisrael.com, a benevolence fund for the poor and needy among Messianic Jewish Believers in Israel and victims of terrorism.
In fulfillment to God’s Last Day promises, this task has now been taken up by the Messianic Jews, whose numbers are multiplying in Israel and throughout the world. This call carries a special protective promise: The nations that bless Israel will be blessed. And one
Israel's Call If you want to reach out to Jewish People, but don't know how, this book is for you. See the Bible through Jewish eyes and learn how to reach your Jewish relatives, friends, and neighbors with the Good News. Written by Shira Sorko-Ram.
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washi n g to n u p d ate | w i l l iam koe n i g
If the Church Had Been Unified 22 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
It’s time for the church to unify on Israel’s biblical rights to the Promised Land to improve Jewish relations
T
he Vatican, the World Council of Churches, and the National Council of Churches, which represent one billion members worldwide, have stood with the global political community and called on Israel to leave the "occupied land" for the past 20-plus years. They stood with the United States, the U.N., the EU, and Russia rather than standing with Bible-believing evangelical leaders and members who understand that the God of Israel has an everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants—a covenant pertaining to the Land of Israel that no earthly leader has the right to divide. Moreover, the horribly flawed peace process would never have begun if the church had been unified on God's Word and told the international community to back off. God’s irrefutable Word explains that this contested geography has always belonged to Israel and should always remain in their possession. Genesis 15:18 says, In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi [river] of Egypt unto the great river, the Euphrates.” And again, according to Genesis 17:7, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” The Bible is also clear about the consequences for those who choose to violate God’s law about the Land. The book of Joel notes, “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land” (3:2) Yet, church leaders who support Replacement Theology have stated that
Had the true Church done its job, Israel would be living in safe and secure borders, and its enemies would not have become so dangerously empowered by the flawed peace process. the Jewish People have no right to lay biblical claims to Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem, while calling for those areas to be part of an Arab state. While Christians are being slaughtered for their faith throughout the Middle East, Replacement Theology churches are obsessed with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Isn't it ironic that the leaders from Replacement Theology organizations call those who support Israel's right to the Land "the Armageddon Lobby"—when, in fact, they are the "Armageddon Lobby" whose support of the land-for-peace process is leading Israel and its neighbors rapidly toward Armageddon, the final battle for Jerusalem? Had the true Church done its job,
Israel would be living in safe and secure borders, and its enemies would not have become so dangerously empowered by the flawed peace process.
A Look at the ‘Peace Process’
Israel faces major dangers inside the country and on the borders: • Syria and Egypt are collapsing. • The Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt speak of one million martyrs marching to Jerusalem. • The Emir of Qatar has pledged $400 million to Hamas in Gaza and called for an Arab investment of $1 billion in East Jerusalem. • Jordan faces an uncertain future with 400,000 Syrian refugees and the Muslim Brotherhood is poised to take over the country. • Iranian-backed Hezbollah is in control in Lebanon. • Iran is close to completing its nuclear weapon—with a history of threatening to use it on Israel. The cost of defending the Land is high: • Israel spends billions of dollars each year to defend the country—money that could have been spent on other more productive investments such as education, infrastructure, social needs, and the like. • Israel has received $106 billion in U.S. aid since 1949, a large part of that military aid over the past 40 years. • The United States contributes $3 billion a year in military aid. (A lot of that is spent in the United States, prior to delivering military equipment and planes to Israel.)
The Palestinian agenda is hurting Israel’s position: • The Palestinians and many Arab countries don't acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state or Israel's right to exist. • Israel is being told to participate in the “land for peace” process or face further isolation by the international community. • There are world leaders who believe an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal could lead to Middle East peace and even world peace. • Palestinian Liberation Theology events such as the Sabeel Forum and Christ at the Checkpoint are an attempt to blame Israel for the Palestinian plight while calling on Israel to leave occupied [Arab] land. • There is seldom a mention of the corrupt Palestinian leaders, who have stolen tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid from the U.S., EU, Japan, and other countries. Conclusion: To improve Christian-Jewish relations, it is time for the major church organizations to repent for their positions that are in direct opposition to the Bible and stand for Israel’s right to the Land God gave Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants in an everlasting covenant. William Koenig is the director of “Koenig International News” (http://watch.org), an Internet news service with readers and e-mail subscribers in 50 states and 105 countries, and has been a White House correspondent since January 2001. Koenig publishes an online weekly news report called “Koenig’s Eye View from the White House” that focuses on biblically relevant world news and White House news from a Christian perspective. He has authored Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel, which is in its 14th printing, and published the book in Hebrew. Jewish Voice Today
23
israe l u p d ate | carrie hart
and Iran’s Threat to Israel and the World
I
n the midst of global uncertainty and continued Middle East instability, Israeli leaders have voiced their primary concern to the international community: the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. That threat looms larger than the presence of Al-Qaeda on the Israeli-Syrian border, the use of chemical weapons by Bashar Assad’s regime against Syrian citizens, and the renewed launching of missiles into southern Israel by Gaza militants. The IDF’s major focus is to prepare for a military assault against Iran if it crosses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s red line. Israel will not allow Iran to become a nuclear superpower. Additionally, Israel is looking for those nations that will stop Iran’s quest for hegemony through terrorism. Iran has put Israel on a short list of countries its mullah’s want eliminated. The call for Israel’s destruction, while thousands of centrifuges are working toward enriching enough uranium to build several nuclear bombs, has kept
24 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
Jerusalem leaders awake at night fearing the worst-case scenario. Despite the bloodbath in Syria, and the spread of Shiite and Sunni sectarian violence into Lebanon, nothing is comparable to what Israel foresees as Iran’s quest for nuclear capability. If Iran succeeds, Israel claims it will cause Arab leaders to submit their foreign policy decisions to Iran’s Supreme Council, because of the threat of nuclear war. While Iran builds nuclear plants above and under the ground, refusing to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors into sites, the international community is focused elsewhere. Terror attacks by Iran’s proxies have distracted world leaders, and the extended Syrian conflict has kept them pre-occupied. Iranian overtures for more discussions with Western leaders wastes time, while the centrifuges keep spinning. Sanctions haven’t worked, and Iran is expanding its nuclear program at a feverish pace. Yuval Steinitz, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, says the
sanctions are not sufficient. “Despite the significant impact on the Iranian economy, the current Iranian mindset of the leadership is very clear. The Iranians are telling themselves, ‘We are paying something; we are sacrificing something; in order to gain something else.’” Steinitz believes Iran could have nuclear weapons within a year. Iran elected a new political leader in June 2013, President Hassan Fereidoun Rowhani, who is being touted as a reformer and a moderate. While diplomats spin out a positive story about Rowhani, some analysts say he can bring change. Iran’s new tactics will now consist of masking its foreign policy to hide its true intentions in regard to its nuclear military ambitions. Israeli leaders know the truth, but so far their words are falling on deaf ears.
Rowhani proclaimed in a 2004 Tehran speech, that while he was negotiating with Western powers, Iran was completing its nuclear agenda. Gold stated, “I don’t see him as a dove. I see him more as a fox. Hopefully, the world will be aware of his contribution not just to diplomacy, but also to the Iranian nuclear program.” Rowhani’s expertise as a former security official in Iran’s intelligence services, his acceptability to technocrats and elites, and his years as a successful nuclear negotiator contribute to his influence. While Rowhani will not diminish the power of Khamenei, he’s expected to help Iran achieve its goals by extending a hand in deceptive diplomacy.
In 2012 Iran and its proxies In Netanyahu’s speech at the planned and attempted terror Looking into southern Lebanon from Israel. You can see the Lebanese flag, and barely see a picture of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the head of 2013 President’s Conference attacks in India, Georgia, Kenya, the terrorist group, Hezbollah. Hezbollah, an enemy of Israel, and Iran's in Jerusalem, he indicated that Thailand, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan; proxy, is entrenched in southern Lebanon. Photo by Carrie Hart. Rowhani wants Iran’s rights and bombed an Israeli tour bus to be guaranteed, a veiled threat that Iran will continue in Bulgaria. Iran provides weapons, training, and funding to toward nuclear capability. “This is what the regime is about. Hamas and Gaza terrorists; Hezbollah; the Taliban; Iraqi So, we may be seeing a change in style, but not a change Shi’a militants; Assad’s Syrian regime; Shiite Houthi tribes in substance.” Netanyahu added that Rowhani takes in Yemen; and Al-Qaeda. The main assistance to terrorists great pride in negotiating while moving forward toward comes from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who oversee obtaining a nuclear bomb. “He criticizes the past president nuclear expansion and terror operations. for not engaging in this tactic to achieve the unchanging and As Iran increases its nuclear fixed strategy of arming Iran with capability, and continues to nuclear weapons. We cannot terrorize nations through its allow the Iranian regime to play Shiite proxies, Israel will not stop that game.” Netanyahu called on voicing its concerns. It will look the international community to for international friends who will pressure Iran to stop enrichment at align with Israel against an evil all levels, remove nuclear material empire set on destroying Western that’s already been enriched, and civilization. shut down illicit nuclear facilities. Netanyahu at President's Conference 2013. Photo by Carrie Hart. He sees this as fundamental for Steinitz says time is running international security. out. “In the next few months the Western world should decide how Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Dore Gold, says to prevent a nuclear Iran; otherwise, it will be too late. The the real decision-making on nuclear issues is in the hands of only chance to do it is to come up with a credible military Supreme Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, but Rowhani threat.” has some influence. At the President’s Conference, Gold Carrie Hart is an accredited Jerusalem-based news analyst, correspondent, and still explained that Rowhani is a master in the “doctrine of photographer. She reports for Jewish Voice on current topics affecting Israel and the deception,” which Khamanei told the Shiites to use as much nations. Carrie has worked in broadcast and print media since 1981. She has resided as possible. “And deception means saying one thing and in Israel for nearly two decades interviewing top Israeli and global leaders, cultivating a doing something else.” perspective on political, diplomatic, and military issues in the Middle East. Jewish Voice Today
25
j e w ish ho l i d ay | kevi n g eo f f re y
Temporary
Dwellings The
Fall Feasts
Rosh Hashanah Sundown September 4, 2013 Yom Kippur Sundown September 13, 2013 Sukkot Sundown September 18, 2013
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the one and only of a father, full of grace and truth.� !nxAy Yochanan (John) 1:14
The Sukkah A sukkah is a temporary hut topped with leafy tree overgrowth or palm fronds that is constructed especially for the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. During this holy week, Jewish families are to live in these small dwellings and remember God's promises to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens.
26 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
O
n an ordinary day, our dwellings—our homes—are little more than the backdrop of our lives. When we wake up in the morning, it’s no surprise that we’re in our bedrooms, just a few steps away from the amenities and conveniences to which we have grown so accustomed. We go about our days, hardly noticing the four walls that keep us separated and protected from the elements just outside our doors.
But life in the sukah… Ah! There’s nothing ordinary about
that! You rise each morning with the break of dawn, pleasantly shocked by the sensation and aroma of the morning air. Awakened by the sun’s first rays, you hear the birds begin to sing as the earth seemingly springs to life. Yet it is the sukah itself that makes the biggest impression, as you realize just how truly vulnerable you’ve been. The moment you open your eyes, you are immediately aware that this structure hardly provides any reasonable protection or peace of mind.
see or imagine. Yeshua “dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory”—an amazing truth which we vividly see as we dwell in His presence … in the pleasing shade of our temporary dwellings.
Father, I am helpless.
Whether I’m living in my house or sitting in my sukah, there is nothing that can truly protect me from the dangers of this world—nothing, that is, but You. Abba, my life is completely in Your hands, and I know that there is nothing temporary about how You dwell in me. I praise and rejoice in You, ADONAI, for it is by the glory of Your Son that I am able to receive Your everlasting provision….
Reprinted from Messianic Mo’adiym Devotional by Kevin Geoffrey. Scripture verses are modified from the Young's Literal Translation and have been updated for the modern Messianic reader.
Kevin Geoffrey is the principal laborer of Perfect Word Ministries, a Messianic Jewish equipping ministry. Visit Perfect Word online at www.PerfectWordMinistries.org.
Biblical Feasts Tent Cards Celebrate the Feasts of Israel just as Yeshua did with these beautiful, information-packed cards. • Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) • Sabbath (Shabbat) • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) • Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim) • Passover (Pesach) & Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) • Feast of Tabernacles (Chag HaSukot) • Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah)
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that’s when you begin to comprehend the “grace and truth” of our God. By And
sending Yeshua to “[dwell] among us,” He has given us provision and protection far beyond that of any fortress a man could ever build. In the fragility of the flesh, the Master lived and died for us—all so that He could live again in strength and power, caring for us in ways that brick and mortar never could. Like the sukah, the flesh is delicate, weak and temporary. It was in this form that the Word came, showing us that even though we live in this vulnerable and helpless state, there is One who is protecting and providing for us in ways that we could never
Messianic Mo'adiym Devotional Israel’s feasts, fasts, and appointed times—the Mo’adiym—remind us of Adonai’s dramatic history with His Chosen People. But embedded in the annual cycle is also the story of our lives in Messiah. Let Israel’s appointed times come alive as author Kevin Geoffrey encourages you to develop the daily discipline of devotion.
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RESOURCES A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth
Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case—with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself—for Jesus as Messiah. Then he provides Christians with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively share Yeshua with their Jewish family and friends in a loving and sensitive way. 240 pages, hardcover.
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Kevin Geoffrey's brand-new book is a rallying cry to all Messiah's disciples. Bearing the Standard exhorts us to raise the banner of Scripture as the only sufficient and supreme standard for our lives.
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How to share Yeshua
When you read this book, you will discover the steps you can take to witness the joy of Jesus (Yeshua) and His gift of grace with the people of His birth. You too can be prepared to give a reason for your faith to the Jewish People in your life.
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Israel's Call
If you want to reach out to Jewish People, but don't know how, this book is for you. See the Bible through Jewish eyes and learn how to reach your Jewish relatives, friends, and neighbors with the Good News. Written by Shira Sorko-Ram.
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Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah
If you have ever wanted to get to know Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the Good News of Matthew is the best place to start. Yet, few commentaries are able to truly present Yeshua in His Jewish context. Most don't understand His background, His family, or even His religion, and thus miss the full picture of who He really is.
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The afterlife has become a hot topic in recent years, partly because spiritual activity is increasing exponentially before the Messiah’s return. That’s why you need to learn how to rightly discern spiritual truth. In his new book, Jonathan Bernis provides solid Messianic biblical teaching on Heaven and Hell … this book is different from anything else out there because it goes into the ancient rabbinic views on Heaven and Hell. It examines what the Bible says and it includes eyewitness accounts from those who have actually travelled beyond the veil. BOOK | ORDER #9125| $40.00 GIFT Jewish Voice Today
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Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9 National NRB Network Cleveland, OH WGGN-TV 52 National TCC-Church Channel National Angel One Phoenix, AZ KPAZ-TV 21 National GEB National Daystar National Cornerstone Orlando, FL WTGL National NRB Network El Paso, TX KSCE-TV 38 National Angel One National Cornerstone National WHT Orlando, FL WTGL National Daystar
TIME PERIOD
Mon 12:00am (EST) Mon 3:30am (CST) Mon 3:30am (EST) Mon 6:00am (EST) Mon 7:00am (EST) Mon 7:30am (PST) Mon 7:30am (EST) Mon 10:30am (PST) Mon 1:30pm (EST) Mon 7:30pm (EST) Mon 9:00pm (PST) Tue 1:30am (EST) Tue 8:30am (EST) Tue 10:00am (CST) Tue 7:00am (CST) Tue 7:30am (CST) Tue 8:30am (CST) Tue 9:00pm (EST) Tue 7:30pm (EST) Wed 5:30pm (CST) Tue 7:00pm (CST) Tue 10:30pm (EST) Wed 4:30am (PST) Wed 6:30am (CST) Wed 8:30am (EST) Wed 5:30pm (CST) Wed 2:30pm (CST) Wed 7:00pm (EST) Thu 7:30am (EST) Thu 7:30am (CST) Thu 8:00am (EST) Thu 8:30am (PST) Thu 8:30am (EST) Thu 9:30am Arizona Thu 11:00am (CST) Thu 12:30pm (CST) Thu 5:30pm (EST) Thu 9:00pm (EST) Fri 3:00am (CST) Fri 8:30am (CST) Fri 9:00am (EST) Fri 11:30am (EST) Fri 2:30pm (EST) Fri 12:30pm (EST) Fri 6:00pm (CST)
30 JewishVoiceToday.org | September/October 2013
NATIONAL
Orlando, FL National National Philadelphia, PA National National Orlando, FL El Paso, TX National National National Cleveland, OH
TV STATION
WTGL Angel One CTN WFMZ Cornerstone TCC-Church Channel WACX-TV 9 KSCE-TV 38 WHT NRB Network Angel One WGGN-TV 52
TIME PERIOD
Sun 7:00am (EST) Sun 10:00am (EST) Sun 11:00am (EST) Sun 9:30am (EST) Sun 12:00pm (EST) Sun 3:00pm (PST) Sun 4:30pm (EST) Sun 5:00pm (CST) Sun 12:00pm (EST) Sun 6:00pm (CST) Sun 8:30pm (EST) Sun 9:30pm (EST)
INTERNATIONAL TV STATION
Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) Canada Miracle (CJIL) UK KICC TV UK KICC TV UK REVTV UK REVTV
TIME PERIOD
Mon 2:00am (MST) Mon 10:00pm (MST) Tue 9:00pm (MST) Tue 10:30am (MST) Fri 5:00am (MST) Sat 8:00am (MST) Sun 2:00am (MST) Sun 2:30pm (MST) Sun 9:00pm (MST)
Thu 12:30pm (UTC) Fri 10:30pm (UTC) Mon 7:30am (UTC) Wed 10:00am (UTC)
International God TV (US) Global God TV Global International God TV (US) Global God TV Global India/Asia/Israel Miracle Net (MNET) Russia CNL Russia Russia LIFE TV Russia Russia LIFE TV Russia Russia LIFE TV Russia Sub Saharan Africa El Shaddai
Tue 12:00pm Tue 12:00pm Thu 12:00pm Thu 12:00pm Wed 7:30am India Sun 11:55am Tue 8:00pm Wed 12:00pm Wed 3:00am Various
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(Continued from page 17)
the identity of Yeshua of Nazareth. Who was this One who came from Galilee? Was He just a zealous Jewish reformer or was He more? Was He a great rabbi, or was He (as He claimed) the Mashiach, sent from the God of Israel?
identifying His Son. Now, I had to work out what had happened to me as I struggled to find solid ground upon which to walk out my newfound life in Jesus. I was surprised to find out that Jesus was Jewish, too.
Both historic Judaism and Christianity believe in the concept of a coming Messiah to establish God’s order on earth. In fact, the Christians got that belief directly from the Jews! So, despite some rather apparent cultural differences, the watershed difference is about the identity of the true Messiah. Is it Yeshua, or do we keep looking for someone else?
Finding Messianic Fellowship
It is here that we Messianic Jews can be helpful. Most of our Jewish People are not interested in converting to a different religion or a different culture. In fact, most are vehemently opposed to such ideas. But what if there is a Jewish way to follow Yeshua? What if we can believe on Him within our Jewish heritage? What if we can even have houses of worship called “Messianic synagogues” where we (and our children) can continue in our God-given tradition? It is true that there are some important differences between Judaism and Christianity. But there are also many strong connections that cannot be broken. Maybe all of us can be a bridge of greater understanding and appreciation between these two groups, even as we prepare for the return of the Mashiach. Barney Kasdan is Rabbi of Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue in San Diego, California. He is the author of the popular books God’s Appointed Times and God’s Appointed Customs as well as his latest book about the Jewish Yeshua, Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah (all by Messianic Jewish Publishers). He is the current Vice President of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) and also serves as a Chaplain for the San Diego Police Department. Rabbi Kasdan and his wife, Liz, have four grown children and live in San Diego.
Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah If you have ever wanted to get to know Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the Good News of Matthew is the best place to start. Yet, few commentaries are able to truly present Yeshua in His Jewish context. Most don't understand His background, His family, or even His religion, and thus miss the full picture of who He really is.
Looking back, I was fortunate to have been located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Martin Chernoff, a pioneer in the proto-modern Messianic Jewish movement, led a HebrewChristian fellowship that morphed into one of the early modern Messianic Jewish congregations. It was vibrant and exciting, with young Jewish People like me growing in faith in Messiah, while recognizing that we had not departed from our Jewish heritage. My journey with God continued when I was called to lead a small Messianic fellowship in Columbus, Ohio, in 1977, and had the opportunity to model a full service congregation connected to the Jewish holidays, liturgy, and events, while seeking to find the perfect balance of Yeshua and tradition.
Yeshua and Tradition
My journey continues with the search for the right balance and fusion of Yeshua with Jewish tradition. It is this tradition that has kept my people together for some 3,500 years. It not only speaks of the past and joins us to the Covenant People of God, but also points us to the trajectory of a shared destiny. God gave me my heart’s desire to be a voice for the poor and enfranchise the needy, albeit through my walk in law and grace in Yeshua. And I am thankful that along the way God brought Joyce into my life, who has her own journey, and two children who decided to travel this way, and four grandchildren who are joining us in this walk—all of whom add to the dimension of my joy. Elliot Klayman, a Messianic Jew, is a lawyer and a retired teacher of law at The Ohio State University. He sits on Jewish Voice's Board of Trustees. He is Executive Director of Messianic Jewish Outreach, and Directs Messianic Jewish Theological Institute's School of Jewish Studies, where he also teaches. He currently resides with his wife, Joyce, of 39 years in San Diego, California.
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