B"H

OK, here's part one. A sort of continuation of my interchange with John over issues of unity between Jewish and non-Jewish believers. Let me say this one thing right up front. My dear brother John, I love you, although we have not yet met IRL. As I've said before, I appreciate you and the questions you have raised, but I disagree with some of the key points. Please don't take my assault on your ideas in a personal way. I'd like to think that we can agree to disagree, if need be, but still walk in 'the unity of the Spirit.'

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A COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING

Also, if Peter was a Jew, and if the unclean things that he saw in his vision (Acts 10: 9-14) were now to be clean to him, and that God said to not call them unclean anymore, then why would the kosher diet and other cultural practices enacted by the Torah be binding on any Jew?

B"H

Well, another whole week has gone by and no new entries. Not good. I surely have some news to write, I just need to focus and get busy. I have two things in particular that I need to post. First I have a few further comments to make regarding John's questions and responses. Secondly I still want to share about the Gospel of Moses. Hopefully, later tonight, this will actually happen. Stay tuned.

Shlomo

B"H

Last Friday we had a wonderful seder with friends of ours in Chicago. We used a Messianic haggadah (book that contains the order of events for the evening with various readings, prayers and songs) that was written by friends of mine from New Covenant Community in New York. There was nine of us altogether. Mark and Michele were our hosts. They have a warm and friendly home and Michele set such a lovely table. Penninah cooked most of the food and what a great job she did!! How blessed am I that I get to go home with the chef??

Later I'll tell y'all about the theme of The Gospel of Moses. I have found this teaching to be very rich.

Have a wonderful day my cyberfriends. BTW, today is our daughter Miriam's b-day. She is now 16. PRAISE GOD!

Shlomo

B"H

(Oh how I wish this was a message board.)

"One thing that I am not completely clear about is why the Jewish believers must continue to follow the culture established by the Torah, if all believers are now one in Christ.  I can see why that would be so for those Jews that do not believe that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb and Messiah, but why would that be still binding if they accept Jesus as their Messiah? - if it is binding upon them, why not upon the Gentiles that become saved into this completely Jewish religion?

Also, if Peter was a Jew, and if the unclean things that he saw in his vision (Romans 10: 9-14) were now to be clean to him, and that God said to not call them unclean anymore, then why would the kosher diet and other cultural practices enacted by the Torah be binding on any Jew?

I know that I am not explaining my questions well, so please be patient....I am only trying to be correct.  I really want to know the Truth.  I want to include these New Testament Scripture passages to help explain where I am coming from.

Again, thank you for your patience.  I don't intend to be badgering you in any way, it's just that I have been hoping to find a Messianic Jewish believer who can explain these things to me.

John

RO 2:25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

RO 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

RO 3:1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God."

Hey John,

You are not badgering me in any way. I love these type of discussions and am only too delighted to share my thoughts and reflections with you and others. I don't think I can handle all the issues you raised in your last response here right now, but I will attempt to address some of them.

CONCERNING THE JEWISH WITNESS

Not only has the Gentile church lost the sense of the Jewishness of Jesus, but the Hebrew, or Jewish, Roots of the faith have also been neglected and misunderstood. Accordingly, the purpose of Israel and the Jewish people in general, has been a sore spot for non-Jewish believers. Although I don't fit this description completely, in basic terms I am a restorationist. What this means is, I believe that certain truths and experiences, which were once a vital part of the heritage of the believing community, were somehow lost and then later, were and even now are being  restored. A few examples of this would be; the Bible and its divine message, the doctrine of justification by faith, the experience of divine healing, and of course the Hebrew Roots of the faith. There are many other items I could have added to that list, but I think these are enough to make the point. When the Bible was lost as a possession of the common people, tradition and superstition took its place. Is it any wonder why the period of human history prior to the renaissance is called the Dark Ages. Through the work of Hus, Wycliff, Tyndale and others the Bible was restored to the common populace in their vernacular languages. Through the Reformation, many vital teachings of the early Church were restored to the people of GOD.

At present, through the agencies of archeologists, Bible translators, theologians and other scholars, the Jewishness of Jesus and the Hebrew Roots of the faith are being restored. Not all of the laborers in these fields are godly men/women of faith, but even so, I believe that GOD is using them for His purposes. In terms of academics, the field of Hebrew roots is ripe for the picking. These days there are many fine books which one can read and study on the subject. One excellent source for such books and materials is www.MessianicJewish.net There plenty of others that I know of and a simple search on Google will yield great results too. If any one wants help with such resources, just ask me.

Now back to our topic, The Jewish Witness.

vs 5 "Behold, I have taught you statues and judgments, even as the LORD my GOD commanded me, that you should do so in the land which you are going to possess. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who has GOD so near to them, as the LORD our GOD is in all things that we call on Him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that has statues and judgments so righteous as all this law (Torah), which I set before you this day?"

Deuteronomy 4: 5-8

 

20 "Thus says the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. 22 Indeed, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall they take hold of the skirt of one who is Jewish saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that GOD is with you."

Zechariah 8: 20-23

I think it is quite fair to conclude from these passages that GOD's original intent for Israel, and the Jewish people in general, was to provoke the other nations to jealousy. Certainly there would be miraculous signs and wonders, but a necessary part of Israel's witness was her distinctiveness. Israel was called to be separate from the other nations culturally by means of the specific commandments of GOD.

1 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your GOD. 3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein you dwelt, you shall not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances. 4 You shall do My judgments, and keep My ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your GOD. 5 You shall therefore keep My statues, and My judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD."

Leviticus 18: 1-5

Israel and the Jewish people have not yet fully obeyed the LORD in this matter, but I believe that this is yet to happen. Those who pray for Israel and GOD's purposes should surely include a petition that Jewish people remain faithful to GOD and His calling upon the nation. Israel was purposed to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6) The Jewish distinctiveness and thus the very calling of GOD is lost if Jewish people succumb and assimilate into the culture of those nations around them. This has been the fault and pressure of the Gentile church since the middle of the 2nd century.

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This post has become much too long I fear. I will add more thoughts later or possibly tomorrow. Tonight we are having a seder (Passover meal) with some good friends of ours in Chicago. Although we are starting early, approx. 4:30 PM, there's no telling when we will be done  .

I bid GOD's blessings on you all,

Shlomo

B"H

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR !!!

"And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."

Exodus 12:1-2

I send greetings to all my dear friends and fellow travelers on this journey of faith. I pray that GOD Himself will bless you and keep you according to His purposes.

Dear Heavenly Father, watch over and protect each and every one of my friends here in cyberspace. Draw us all, those who are near and those who are far away, and cause us to love and serve You with sincere hearts and a clear conscience. O LORD, You know our frame, how that we are all but as the dust of the earth to You, yet You have loved us each and every one. Receive our humble offerings, even our very lives, and allow us to work with You to establish peace and blessings for Your praise and glory. Ahmayn and Amen.

Shlomo

B"H

"Thanks for covering this subject.

Interestingly, for the "non-Law" Christians, Jesus said that he came "not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it."  Also, Paul intimated that if we accept God's grace through faith in Jesus, then we would gladly change our lives and live in agreement with God's statutes, although many things are now permissable because of the Gentiles being included - "unclean" foods, etc...  So, those that say that we are free from the Law are not quite correct, I think.  It might be better to say that we are free to fulfill God's instruction, not bound by it, legalistically.

Is this a correct view, in your estimation?

John"

 Thanks for joining in this conversation John, I really appreciate it. I only have a few moments here now, but I really wanted to say something.

Hi John,

Hmmm, first let me thank you for your kind and thoughtful response. There is so much to say on this topic I hardly know where to start. I like your perspective although I don't agree with it completely. For sure it's true that most Gentile believers don't understand the concept of being "grafted into the Vine." The Jewishness of Jesus is seen as merely being a historical occurrence and not as a starting point for the context of true worship and discipleship. The faith into which the Gentiles are grafted is the heritage of the community of Jacob. Our GOD is the GOD of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. The particulars of the Torah and the culture it establishes are not binding upon Gentiles as they are upon Jews (Acts 15) , but they were not abolished either (Matt 5:17 - 19) as you so nicely quoted. Unclean foods are still unclean, and Jews are required to abide by the dictates of the Torah, but not for the reasons that most Christians think. In simple terms I would describe it as a matter of obedience or faithfulness to the Jewish Witness (I shall be your GOD and you shall be My witnesses - therefore you shall do ... etc & etc).

Gentiles are free to observe various aspects of Torah lifestyle, but one must always remember this: the Torah was never intended to be a means of righteousness. Righteousness comes from GOD and trusting Him to produce in us, Jew or Gentile, the fruits, or the evidence, of His presence. Most arguments against Torah observance assume the position of works for righteousness. A lot of energy and thought is put into effort, but from a Jewish standpoint it's almost comical. I might listen to a whole presentation against earning salvation through doing good works and then say, "That's a nice argument you have there, but who are you talking about?" To assume that Judaism or believing Jews hold this position is false. It's what is often called a strawman.

Anyway, I have to go now, but there shall be more to follow shortly. Here's a thought that I'll leave for you and others to consider. Wouldn't it nice if there were a place where believing Jews and Gentiles could worship and work together in the name of the LORD for His glory???

Shlomo

B"H

Shlomo, please do post on this.  Post on both - the attitude of the non-Jew regarding Israel and the relationship of Gentile believers to Jewish believers!! 

OK, let's try this again. The attitude of the non-Jew to Israel and the Jewish people is one that concerns me a lot. Historically the record of the Church bears a dark stain in this area and I fear that not enough has yet been done to correct the problem. Let me explain a bit and then give you an example of what I mean.

Antisemitism and AntiJudaism

Antisemitism is well known as the hatred and despising of the Jewish people. All professing Christians that I know of would strongly argue that this attitude is sinful and thus displeasing to GOD. AntiJudaism is not so well known, but yet it is equally offensive to Jewish people as it is the despising and denigration of the Jewish religion. In this mindset Judaism, which is usually equated with the religion of the Old Testament, has been triumphed over or superceded by the religion of Jesus. Judaism is regarded as a dead ritualistic religion which focused on pleasing GOD by means of doing the works of the LAW,  whereas Christianity is contrasted as being a religion of grace, free from the LAW. This view presupposes a negative attitude towards any type of observance of the LAW. Most, not all, Christian churches teach that any present observance of the LAW is indicative of a fall from grace.

Flowing from this negative attitude towards the LAW, the Christian church has historically said to the Jewish people, you are not allowed to live among us as Jews. This statement is exceedingly important in modern Jewish/non-Jewish relations. As I mentioned in a previous post, the point of contention between Jewish and non-Jewish believers is over the issue of the place of the LAW in the life of the disciples. From a Jewish point of view, the LAW is a very bad translation of a word which pertains to the particulars of the covenant which GOD established at Mt. Sinai. A better word would be Instruction. In Hebrew the word in question is Torah. The Torah is regarded as a gift from GOD. It teaches this newly formed covenant community how to live as the People of GOD. After 430 years of brutal slavery under the Egyptians, much work was needed to not only bring physical freedom to the people, but also to rebuild their sense of individual and collective self esteem.

For Jews, the Torah is a blessing. It is regarded as a tree of life. For Christians, the LAW is an accursed thing which was nailed to the cross with Jesus. This being the case, much work has to be done to establish unity between these two poles.

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More later, I promise.

Shlomo

B"H

One thing after the next.

Yesterday it was discovered that our daughter has head lice. What a special treat for her and her parents! I guess I should remember the old saying, "No matter how bad things get, take heart. They could always be worse."

I think I'm back from the valley I fell into last week. I haven't been doing much writing and yet the season is ripe for all sorts of theological reflections. I also still have to post my responses to John's questions. This week I am only working 3 days as Wednesday is the start of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I had hoped to send out New Year's cards this past weekend, but I can't find them and I didn't want to buy new ones when I have several unopened boxes from previous years.

Here's a preview of a teaching soon to come.

PASSOVER - The Season of Our Freedom

1. The Three Pilgrimage Festivals (see Leviticus 23)


2. Passover - Redemption


3. Shavuot (Pentecost) - Sanctification & Empowerment for Service


4. Sukkot (Tabernacles) - Consumation/Glorification


5. Salvation in three tenses - Past, Present and Future.

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Here's a slight parody of a song that was stuck in my head all weekend. It sums up my depression and possibly explains why I didn't follow through with my promised posts.

Missing Him (based on the song Alone Again by Gilbert OSullivan)

Joe Boxer is my son,

The one and only one.

I remember times when we sat and played

Just to waste the time away.

There was ping pong and there was chess.

But I didn't always do my best,

Although I tried to provide 

What I thought he'd need I fear I didn't quite succeed.

Last Monday when he left,

My heart was truly broken,

As we stood for a while on the sidewalk there few words

were only spoken.

So when he moved away, I cried and cried all day,

I'm missing him - terribly.

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Not a very good parody IMO, but it captured my feelings pretty well. Thanks to all of you who prayed and shared expressions of kindness and support. I really appreciate it.

Shlomo

B"H

For obvious reasons I didn't write any further info on the issue raised by John and the Israel Mandate Conference we attended over the weekend. Not to worry though, I will address this topic shortly.

Shlomo

B"H

A SAD DEVELOPMENT

Earlier today, actually it was yesterday at this point, Joe Boxer left home.  I was asleep, nearing the end of my mid-day nap when suddenly I was awakened by my wife. At that very moment, as she was speaking to me, he was taking his bags and a few boxes out to the curb and loading them into the car of a waiting friend.  

I tried to wake up and sort out the details of this event as quickly as I could. Things in our home have not been going well for quite a while now. (Some of you know more of the details than others.) The short version of it goes like this. At the end of last July Joe Boxer came back to stay with us, after living for nearly a year in New York with his GOD-parents. Ever since he returned there has been trouble and turmoil over his current and future plans. It was stated that he was welcomed to stay with us for as long as he wanted, but he would be expected to participate in the regular household chores as well as to pay a set amount of rent. For various reasons he was unable to find regular work and so paying any type of rent was a major problem. In the eight months that he was recently with us, he has paid us several hundred dollars, but not in a regular or consistent manner and also, not in quite a while. Lately he was working in a local restaurant on the weekends, but he never gave us anything from that job. As it turns out, he has been saving the little money he has been making and planning the event that unfolded yesterday for several weeks.

So, now he is gone.  I got up, got dressed and met him and his mother on the sidewalk. We talked for only a few minutes and then he left. The issues behind the pain; the name calling, the yelling, the angry words and various threats all remain fresh in my memory, but Joe Boxer himself is gone. Several times since then I have had to stop whatever I was doing and just breakdown and cry. Whoever is right and whoever is wrong still remains, but I miss him terribly and it hurts, a lot.

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There will be more to say about this I'm sure. If anything significant occurs I'll post it, otherwise just pray for us.

Shlomo