You Shall Rejoice In Your Feast

"One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his good deed."
Proverbs 19:17, NAS

Our Torah Portion this week (Deut 16:13-22) begins with more details regarding the third and final Pilgrimage Festival, the Feast of Booths (aka—Sukkot). We are reminded that, like the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, during Sukkot the Children of Israel are commanded to rejoice. This feast takes place at the beginning of the Fall season; the time when fruits are harvested. The Text says that they are to celebrate after they have "gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vats" which is an indication that their rejoicing is out of gratitude to God for all that He has provided; namely a bountiful fruit harvest. The implication in Deut 16:15 is that they did, or will, have gathered in a large harvest because they are, or will be, blessed by God. This is where we find a connection between this week's portion and last week's (Deut 15:7-16:12).

In last week's passage we read about the poor in the land and how they are to be taken care of. The Children of Israel are commanded to give generously to their poor brother.

"You shall generously give to him [the poor brother], and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings."
- Deut 15:10, NAS

The context of this passage is the Shmita, the seventh or Sabbatical Year; also known as the Year of Release or Remission because during this year, all debts are forgiven. The command in Deut 15:9 is to give to the poor brother who is in need even though the Shmita is near; which means his debt will be forgiven and you will not be paid back. Moses instructs the people to give generously to their poor brother when he is in need and in doing so, God will bless them in all their work and in all their undertakings, i.e. their harvest. In this imagery we can see a cycle of giving and receiving; giving to the poor and receiving from God. Receiving blessings from God (in the form of a bountiful harvest) and then sharing these blessings with the needy.

Another point that we cannot overlook is the identity of the poor in the Land. The Text is clear in identifying who they are—"one of your brothers" (Deut 15:7) that is, a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner. More specifically, the poor are the Levite, the alien, the widow and the orphan (Deut 14:28-29). The Levite and the alien do not have an inheritance in the land, therefore they cannot provide for themselves. The widow does not have a husband to provide for her and the orphan, or fatherless, is without a father and therefore without provision. These four groups of people are legitimately poor; they have a valid need as opposed to the able-bodied young man who refuses to work. The Apostle Paul says of these individuals, "if [he] is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." (2 Thes 3:10)

In this week's passage we see that these four groups of poor people are commanded to rejoice at Sukkot along with another four groups of people:

"...you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns."
- Deut 16:14, NAS

The Levite, the alien, the widow and the orphan are contrasted against sons, daughters, male and female servants. The latter four groups are those who are part of a household within the Children of Israel. Their needs are provided for, they are taken care of. The former four groups are the poor and underprivileged, those who are in need. But the command doesn't seem to be given to them, it seems to be directed to the same individuals who were addressed in Deut 15—those who are NOT in need, those who DO have an inheritance, those who HAVE been blessed abundantly by God. The Midrash comments on this passage:

Hashem says:
"Your household includes four kinds of members: your sons, daughters, male and maid servants; and My household includes four: the levi'im, gairim, orphans, and widows. If you cheer My household members, I will then make yours and Mine happy."
- R. Moshe Weissman, "The Midrash Says, The Book of Devarim" (Brooklyn, NY: Bnay Yakov 2010) 200.

In other words, the poor are members of God's family too and during Sukkot (and all the Festivals for that matter) it is good to make sure that they are able to celebrate along with everyone else. Is this any different than today? Are we not also charged with this commandment to make sure that the needy in our communities are able to celebrate the Festivals with us? Yes we are. The Sages encourage those who are well-off to invite the poor into their homes on Yom Tov (festival) or to give them donations so that they can celebrate in their own homes. As Holy Spirit filled disciples of Yeshua, we should be quick to meet the needs of our poor brothers. In fact, on the Shavuot following Yeshua's death, resurrection and ascension, when the Ruach fell and three-thousand were saved; these born-again disciples, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, immediately began to sell their own property and possessions in order to give to those who were in need (Acts 2:41-47).

Let us strongly consider this commandment to help the poor in our community, especially during the three Pilgrimage Festivals when it is our responsibility to help them rejoice. Besides, the festivals are much more special when we can all enter in and celebrate as a community and a family. We need to understand that these principles in giving to the poor are for today because the "poor shall never cease" to be around us. (Deut 15:11) We need to, as families and individuals, determine how we can apply these principles to our own lives. We should be asking ourselves, "In what practical ways can I reach out to the poor in my community?" and "What has God blessed me with that I can share with them?" This should be a daily practice for us as followers of Yeshua; and when the world sees that we have genuine love for one another, they will know that we are truly his disciples (John 13:35).

"He who gives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses."
- Proverbs 28:27, NAS

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We are Children of God, let's live like it

Our little Seder grew to 54 people.
Despite the size, all of us still had a great time.

I feel clean, spiritually. After a week of studying Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, meditating on the Word, praying and worshipping with my MP3 player—I feel clean. In preparing a sermon for Pesach Shabbat, I began to look into the historical, typological and eschatological significance of Passover and their implication on our lives today. I imagined myself delivering a profound message on the typology and symbolism of the Seder; but, as I prayed, this was not the direction that I was led go. Throughout the week, a simple refrain kept coming to mind, “You're mine; live like it.”

The Passover Haggadah and the foods eaten during the Seder serve as a mnemonic devices which are designed to remind us of Who God is and what He did for the children of Israel. During the Seder, 4 Questions are asked by the youngest person present. These 4 Questions, which were developed by the sages as a response to Exodus 12:26-27, are the backbone of the Haggadah and the Passover story. The 'youngest person' who asks the 4 Questions represents the next generation who will take this ritual and pass it along to their children who will, likewise, pass it along to their offspring and so on. Once again we see the importance of a multigenerational faith in the preservation of the ways of God.

Because of the nature of the Moedim, no one festival can stand alone. They are all inextricably connected, in other words—they cannot be separated. Since Passover is the first festival in the cycle of the Moedim (Leviticus 23), it's significance and relevance to the other festivals cannot be easily overlooked. During the Passover Seder the story of the redemption of God's people is told as we follow the Haggadah. We are reminded of their freedom from Egypt where they were slaves to Pharaoh. We recount their deliverance through the signs, miracles and wonders of Yahweh. In their freedom, we can make a connection to the spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin that we experienced through the shed blood of the Lamb of God, Yeshua. Because of this, the Seder also serves to remind us of who we are—Children of God.

During the Seder dinner and throughout the seven days of Unleavened we are commanded to eat matzah, unleavened bread. During the season of Passover leaven is symbolic of 'sin'. Before the Passover Seder, we are commanded to rid our homes of leaven and likewise rid our hearts of spiritual leaven, or sin. This is an important principle to catch during this season because a sinful person cannot come into the presence of a holy God. At the Passover Seder we are reminded that God brought us out of Egypt, He delivered us, redeemed us and made us His people. During the seven days of Unleavened Bread we are reminded of the 'unleavened' life we are now called to lead as His chosen people. A life submitted to His Will. A life lived righteously based on the standards found in His Torah. We are His, we need to live like it.

As a symbol of rededicating our lives to Messiah during this season, we 'took a mikveh' on First Fruits. We immersed ourselves in the water and came out new 'clean' people. Like my son said, "we are being re-charged, like a battery" ready for another year and another cycle of the Moedim. During this Counting of the Omer season leading up to Shavuot, we purpose to continue to examine our lives and to continually rid our hearts of the 'leaven of malice and evil ' when we discover it. We want to be more like Messiah. We want to be vessels that the Ruach can dwell in. We understand that we are Children of God. We want to live like it.



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Choosing Greener Grass Over Community

The grass is always greener on the other side. But maybe
it's because the other side was fertilized with harmful
herbicides and pesticides. Be careful!

In our Torah passage last week we read about Reuben and Gad asking to stay in the wilderness instead of joining the rest of the tribes of Israel in crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land. The tribes fo Reuben and Gad had acquired an exceedingly large amount of livestock, presumably after the destruction of Midian. But on their way into the Promised Land they noticed that the land on the east side of the Jordan River was good for livestock—their livestock. So they petition Moses and request that they stay there, east of the Jordan, and forfeit their inheritance in the Promised Land.

Moses takes issue with this petition. He equates their appeal with the actions of the 10 spies, their forefathers, who lost faith in God and spread fear throughout the community. This sin is what kept them in the wilderness for 40 years to begin with and they are potentially going to take the people through the same thing. If they do, Moses lets them know that it will be on their heads. By desiring to stay in the wilderness they will cause the people to lose hope in their mission and faith in their God. This was not a light matter.

Moses knew that these unexpected, selfish actions would cause some to doubt the purpose of their hard work. It would cause them to second guess their mission and ultimately lead them down the path of disobedience and away from God. Imagine going through 40 years of wilderness-living with these folks—working toward the same goal, going through the same hardship experiences—and then once you arrive at your final destination, the goal of your 40 year trek, they bail on you. It would be incredibly discouraging.

The same can be said about churches today—when the going gets tough, the selfish get up and go. This is because in most churches today multigenerational faith is not preached. As a result, some families find themselves hopping from church to church in search for the ever-elusive 'perfect community.' Once they think they've found it, they settle down for a few months, maybe a year, until they find some imperfections with their new church family. When the opportunity comes, they decide that these imperfections are enough reason for them to leave. They feel that their departure is justified and they move on to next temporary commitment. The sad reality of this scenario is that the children have been carefully watching all along. The children of the families that stay in the church and, more importantly, the children of the family that leaves and moves from church to church. This experience will have a negative impact on their ability to commit to a community of faith when they are adults. It may even cause them to struggle with their relationship with God.

On the other hand, a multigenerational faith understands that, when committing to a community, the good times come with the bad. There are ebbs and there are flows. There are times of growth and times of drought. There are highs and lows. A multigenerational faith will model for their children a long term commitment to their community. Several years ago when we left our previous church that we had attended for nine years, it was tough on our children. They were devastated. It wasn't until after this event that I began to understand what it means to live multigenerationally. So now, we've committed to this community, Front Range, for life—God willing that is. I want my children to understand that long term commitments are good, like marriage.

The high divorce rate in our society is an indication that long term commitments are not valued. Marriage is no longer a commitment that lasts 'until death do us part' but 'until I get tired of being married to you.' We've become a selfish, self-centered society and when things don't go our way, we have no problem leaving. Many people today hop from job to job, house to house, school to school, church to church. etc... As a society we seem to be loosing the concept and value of long term commitments. Is it because they take work, sometimes hard work and even self sacrifice? It's much easier to leave when the going gets tough.

Although the grass may be greener on the other side, what else is on that other side? In Joshua 22 we read that Reuben and Gad realized that their children were going to pay the consequences for their decision to live outside the Promised Land. Their selfish decision took them outside of the safety of community and into the wilderness. Because they were self-centered, they put their own desires before the welfare of the children, before their commitment to their community and before their obedience to their God.

Remember, it's the children that suffer the consequences for our selfish decisions. So, when committing to a community of faith, consider trying extra-hard to stick it out during the bad times. Commit to a community for the long haul. It will only cause you to grow and it will benefit your children, God's next generation.

Related Passages:
Torah: Numbers 32:1-42
Haftarah: Joshua 22:7-9
Apostolic Scriptures: Hebrews 10:26-31



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There's only ONE Moses

Moses views the land from Mount Nebo.

One of the saddest pictures in the Torah is that of Moses coming to the border of Israel, at the edge of the wilderness, and then dying. Although he was specifically selected by God for the task of leading the people out of slavery in Egypt and into a land flowing with milk and honey, Moses was not allowed to complete his mission because of his sin. His forty year journey would end in the wilderness at Shittim, in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, just opposite Jericho.

In our parashah this week Adonai tells Moses to go up on a mountain and view the land. After he sees it, he would die. Before he ascends the mountain Moses is moved, once again, to intercede for the people. This time he prays that Adonai would not leave the people leaderless, or shepherd-less. Moses loved the flock in his care. Adonai then appoints Joshua, the son of Nun, as Moses' successor. It's not a surprise that Joshua replaced Moses; but, although he would now lead the people, Joshua's role would not be identical to Moses'.

The Torah tells us that Adonai only spoke with Moses face-to-face (Ex 33:11, Nu 12:6-8). Nobody else had this privilege. In fact, before the ordinances regarding the Kohen Gadol were in place, and possibly even afterward, Moses would enter into the Holy of Holies to speak with Adonai who would meet with him from above the mercy seat (Ex 25:22). Remember, only the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur, to atone for the sins of the nation. But Moses had special access to Adonai that nobody else did, not even his successor, Joshua. Regarding Joshua, the parashah says, "...he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD." (Nu 27:21) In other words, Joshua would hear from God through Eleazar, the High Priest. Joshua would be a mediator between the High Priest and the people. He would convey to the people the words from Adonai that were given through the High Priest. Although Joshua was called a prophet, he was not the Prophet (Du 18:15-18) that would come after Moses. While Joshua was a great leader, he was not equal to Moses. Joshua's main task was to see that the mission of Moses came to fruition. This is why he is exhorted to "be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded..." (Jos 1:6-9) Joshua did not add to the Torah, he followed it.

Last night as we read this passage as a family, my children already knew that Joshua was not like Moses. I was amazed at their understanding of this fact because this is not something that we've talked about before; not in our devotional time anyway. But they understood that only Moses spoke with Adonai face-to-face because only he had a special relationship with Him. Nobody had a relationship with Adonai like Moses did.

It is important to understand that Moses had a unique role in Israel's history. He was not given a specific title and/or responsibilities like Aaron, his brother the High Priest; nor was his job established as a perpetual postion. Aaron's job, on the other hand, was a position that was supposed to continue, from generation to generation, through his sons (Ex 40:12-15). Although Moses' role was not ongoing, his mission needed to be completed, hence the appointment of Joshua. Here's another important fact—since Moses and the High Priest were the only two men who could come into the presence of Almighty God in the Holy of Holies, both Moses and the position of the High Priest were types of the Messiah-to-come, Yeshua. Knowing this, it is safe for us to establish the following two points:

1. Moses, the prophet, is a type of the Prophet, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jn 6:14; Ac 3:22-23).
2. The role of the High Priest is a type of the High Priest, Yeshua HaMashiach (Heb 5:1-10).

Today, we do not have a leader like Moses and our High Priest is currently serving in the heavenly tabernacle (Heb 8:1-6). Nevertheless, it is the practice of some congregations to base their hierarchical structure of church government after the Levitical priesthood (Nu 18:1-7) or the shoftim, the judges of the cities in Israel (Du 16:18), with the Senior Pastor serving in the role of the High Priest or Moses. But remember, Moses and the High Priest were types of Yeshua, so equating the modern day position of the Senior Pastor with that of Moses and/or the High Priest would be a dangerous and potentially heretical and blasphemous stance. To equate the Senior Pastor to the shoftim is not as bad, it's just not accurate. The reason is that Torah is not the law of the land today, here in the US or in Israel; and Senior Pastor does not have the same authority in a persons life that a judge did in Biblical times. Be careful if they tell you that they do.

It has been my experience that churches that lean toward a Levitical priesthood or shoftim model of church government (also known as the Jethro model or Moses' ecclesiastical government) are authoritarian in nature and therefore, heavy-handed in their leadership style. This results in the abuse of authority over the laity, time and time again. This stance is not the position of Messianic scholars but rather the position of fringe Torah teachers.

The Biblical model for the government of Israel was for the nation in the land with a functioning Temple and priesthood. This model was never intended to be used in small church communities outside of Israel under foreign governments. Sure we may see some parallels between the Levitical priests and the church leadership and we may see some parallels between the common Israelite people and the church members; but these are only parallels; similarities. We may also find wisdom in Jethro's model of delegation for Moses because it makes sense; it's the inspired Word of God. But we need to remember, there's only one Moses and the Senior Pastor is not functioning in his role.

We are not in Israel with a functioning Temple and Levitical priesthood. We are in the Diaspora, without a Temple and without a Levitical priesthood. So how should we govern our churches? In some of Paul's epistles we can find his God-inspired, Torah-based instructions on church government that he gave to the churches in the Diaspora. If you already have a knowledge of Torah, this would be a good place to start. For a clear explanation of how to run and establish a Messianic congregation, I recommend the TorahResource course "I Will Build My Ekklesia" – An Introduction to Ecclesiology. In this important teaching, Tim Hegg explains the necessity of a plurality of leaders (elders) which was the foundation of the governmental structure in the early church.

Related Articles:

Elders, be an Example to the Flock
Set Your Heart, June 9, 2011

Who owns your Church?
Set Your Heart, July 8, 2010

"I Will Build My Ekklesia" – An Introduction to Ecclesiology
By Tim Hegg, TorahResource.com

Bet Din
By Jacqueline Shields, The Jewish Virtual Library

Synagogues, Shuls and Temples
Judaism 101



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Hurt People Hurt People

Comic Book and Movie Villains are nothing more than bullies.
In The Incredibles (2004), little Buddy Pine grows up to become
the malevolent villain, Syndrome.

As part of my son's Gracie Jiu-Jitsu training, the coach will put the students in imaginary but 'real world' confrontations and then teach them how to protect themselves and get out of the situation. The common scenario he puts them in is the schoolyard bully who is trying take their lunch money by force. It's an old cliché but it's an all too real situation that children still encounter today. In the news more and more stories of bullied children are being told. Some of these children have been bullied to the point of suicide. Because of these horrific instances, anti-bullying laws are now being pushed to protect the vulnerable.

But bullying isn't only found on the playground or in grade schools. Many child bullies grow up to become adult bullies; and adult bullies can be more intimidating and more threatening than their younger counterparts. Adult bullies can be found in the workplace, in social clubs, in the neighborhood and even in the church. So, why do bullies bully?

The cute little orphan, Goob, grows up to become the menacing
Bowler Hat Guy in Disney's Meet the Robinsons (2007)

After years of reading comic books and watching movies, it has become clear to me that villains are usually nothing more than big bullies. Some villains are thieves and some are monsters but usually, they're just bullies. Villains are usually out for revenge. They want to make the people who hurt them in the past, pay and pay dearly. Their broken past and the injustices they faced, usually as a child, are the catalysts that made them a villain. In fact, Tip #2 of the Seven Tips on Creating a Fantastic Fantasy Villain, found on the Fantasy Faction website, touches on this.

To create a Lovable Villain you need to make them characters with whom readers can relate. There are ways of doing this that will help our readers empathise with the most miserable antagonist. Villains can own their own set of injustices. If they feel they are ‘hard done by’, by society, life or circumstance, they not only have an understandable reason for maladjusted behaviour, but they will have enough logic for their actions to allow the reader to have some sympathy towards their plight. From a single human frailty, such as fear, jealousy, or loneliness your villain can still generate evil but they will also have at least one character trait for a reader to relate to. Child abuse, neglect, ridicule in their early life could well influence a villain’s lack of self esteem and arouse a sense of sympathy from the reader.

To make them seem 'real' to their audience, authors and screen writers will give their villains a history that is believable; something people can relate to. Two recent, animated villains with a troubling past come to mind, Syndrome (The Incredibles, 2004) and the Bowler Hat Guy (Meet the Robinsons, 2007). In the movie clip below, Syndrome reveals the childhood rejection that made him a bitter villain.

In the next clip, the Bowler Hat Guy goes back in time and runs into himself as a child. Jump ahead to 2:06 or just watch the whole video.

These are a couple of fun, fictitious examples of how villains are made, but I think there may be some truth to them. I'm no expert on this subject but I have noticed that some people who come from broken backgrounds do end up as bullies; not all, but some. I know because I've experienced a few of these people in my life. Although I grew up in a rough neighborhood, I had a pleasant childhood. I didn't have any traumatic experiences so I cannot relate to how a person like this may feel; but I know they must be hurting. Because they are hurting, they hurt others.

Now, I have to mention that in comic books and movies, the hero usually has a past too. The hero usually comes from a broken background too; but the difference is that the hero has turned his bad experiences into something good. He becomes a fighter for justice and not a menacing villain. So, maybe bullies are not just victims of their circumstances. Maybe they do have a choice to do the right thing but they choose not to.

"People who are bullies haven't dealt with their own insecurities of low self esteem and self-worth. By controlling and manipulating and coercing they hide their own insecurities."

(from Steve Hutto's blog post Bullies In The Church?)

So, what about us, the disciples of Yeshua? If we are born again and if we've put away the sinfulness of our past and we are trying to live a godly life, why are there bullies in the church? I like what Steve Hutto says in his blog post about bullies in the church -- "People who are bullies haven't dealt with their own insecurities of low self esteem and self-worth. By controlling and manipulating and coercing they hide their own insecurities." When we are born again, there is a change that happens within us but this change does not erase our past. In fact, after we have accepted Messiah, we may still be affected by our past sins and/or the past sins done against us. This is why we have to intentionally address them. We need to accept forgiveness from God for our sins and know in our hearts that He truly has forgiven us. This will remove the guilt. Then we need to truly forgive those who have sinned against us. We need to release them to God and in doing so the anger toward them and the need to get revenge is removed. Being forgiven and forgiving others will release us from the bondage of sin. Hutto goes on to say, "The problem is that a bully doesn't trust God in the areas of his/her insecurities. They look to their own 'strengths' instead [of] acknowledging their weaknesses. Thus the power of Christ is not free to move in and through them." A disciple of Yeshua who is a bully, who has not addressed their past, will not be able to move in the fullness of the Spirit. There will always be this, their past hurts, holding them back. They will not be as effective as they could be in their job of advancing the Kingdom.

Hurt people hurt people; but forgiven people forgive people.

Related Links:
The Serial Bully
www.BullyOnline.org

Bullies In The Church?
Steve Hutto's Blog

Big Bad Bully
Psychology Today

Healing Past Hurts
www.LordsLaw.com



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Jewish Apologetics, Dr. Brown Style

Dr. Michael Brown at Denver Seminary, 01/09/12

So I'm taking this class on Jewish Apologetics with one of my modern-day heros of the faith, Dr. Michael Brown; and I'm really enjoying it. Even though I've read the texts years ago (see list below), I don't mind going through them again. I like to sit in a classroom, watching and listening to a lecture, and interacting with the instructor. I think if I was a single guy without any responsibilities, I'd probably be a professional student. Anyway...

When most folks think of Apologetics a typical image that comes to mind is 'debating in order to win someone to Messiah', in other words 'getting them saved.' However, Apologetics is not necessarily a tool to bring people to faith. Leading someone to Messiah through Apologetics can and does happen, but these instances are not the norm. The goal of Apologetics is to equip the Believer. A study in Apologetics prepares Believers for potential questions and arguments about their faith. This class is on Jewish Apologetics or defending our faith when 'debating' a Jewish person, religious or not. Dr. Brown is an expert in this area. As a Messianic Jew, Dr. Brown has been speaking with and debating religious Jews since he was very young. His five volume book series Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus are based on these personal experiences.

Dr. Brown started the discussion last night by sharing two principles of Apologetics that he finds fundamental. These principles are:

1) Adequately understanding the actual objection. Before we can begin a debate, we need to clearly understand what our opponent's objection is. We need to be patient and spend some time seeking clarity. This could be in the form of repeating their objection back to them but in our own words.

2) Feel the weight of the objection. Once we clearly understand what the objection, it is important that we are sympathetic to their point of view. We should take the time to put ourselves in their shoes; see the world through their eyes. We need to step back and resist 'pulling the trigger' on our response, even if we know we are right.

From Dr. Brown's perspective, the current Christian methods of Jewish Apologetics are nothing more than giving "answers that make us feel good." When Christians respond to Jewish arguments they are not addressing the real issues, and not doing it sympathetically, but rather "getting a monkey off of their backs." In other words, their answers and reasoning sounds good to Christians but the Jews don't buy it and are usually insulted by the Christian response. The Christian answers to Jewish questions are spoken in Christian-ese and not in a way that Jewish people can understand and accept. Christians need to approach Jewish arguments from a Jewish perspective if they want to be effective.

This can be said about any opponent in an argument or debate. When trying to reach any people group, we need to communicate to them in a way that is familiar to them and with respect. I see this all the time when Messianics try to win their Christian friends to Torah by telling them about the pagan origins of their traditions. Is that being sympathetic to their point of view? Messianics will arrogantly ask "What DID Jesus Do?" as if Christians are going to say, "Okay! I will now drop all of my beliefs and traditions just because you asked that clever question." That's an insult; a slap in the face. I'm guilty of this as much as any zealous Messianic, but over the past few years I've taken a new approach; and this class is helping me shape my approach.

In the Messianic camp folks are big on prophecy and prophets. Everyone wants to be a prophet and blow someone out of the water with the word of God and exclaim, "I showed them!" I remember once inviting our Messianic community and our neighbors to a Sukkot party at our house. Two of our Messianic friends blasted an elderly Christian neighbor for worshipping God on Sunday. They later gloated about running this little old lady out of the party. How did that interaction glorify God? It sure didn't win her to Torah.

It would do Messianics some good to keep Dr. Brown's two fundamental principles in mind when answering questions and addressing arguments with Jews and Christians.

I'm looking forward to tonights class—continuing Historical Objections and then on to Theological Objections. Rock'n Roll!

Related Links:
Jewish Apologetics - Christianity's Ongoing and Unique Challenge
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: General and Historical Objections (Vol. 1)
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Theological Objections (Vol. 2)
Twenty-Six Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus



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Worship And Praise Are Not The Same Thing

I'm not a fan of the sermon series and, actually, I don't know of too many local pastors who can pull them off well. This past weekend, however, I heard the first sermon in a series on worship and praise and I know it's going to be a great series. I'm really excited about it and I've been thinking about it all day. The pastor started a great foundation for this teaching. I've heard this guy teach before and I know he is good at staying on topic and carefully covering everything he sets out to. That's why I know it's going to be good. Anyway, I wanted to put down some thoughts and visuals that came to mind when I heard this teaching...

Figure 1.1

People usually refer to the 'music and singing' part of a service as 'Praise and Worship.' However,  'Praise and Worship' are not the same thing. Anything you do to honor God as God is worship (Figure 1.1). Obedience is honoring to God. Praying to God is honoring to God. Putting your faith in God is honoring to God. Praising God is honoring to God.

So, praise is a form of worship.

Figure 1.2

Praise isn't just speaking words of admiration and homage. Praise is an emotional expression of delight in God. Praise can come in many forms, to name a few - musically, with singing, with dancing, and with words (Figure 1.2).

Finally, joy is the foundation of our praises to God.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, 

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth..."

- Luke 10:21, NIV

Where does the joy come from?



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Children Are Our Future

"The ultimate test of a moral society 
is the kind of world that it leaves to it's children."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)

I'm telling you, the Ruach is moving the hearts of fathers toward their children. Listen to this sermon delivered by Dr. Michael Brown at Fire Church in North Carolina earlier this month. The message takes on the theme of one of the focuses of their ministry, but the principle to consider the next generation is relevant to every parent and community.

What Are We Leaving The Next Generation?
by Dr. Michael Brown, September 7, 2011




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The D6 Conference

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

- Deuteronomy 6:4-9, (ESV)

"Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us three things: Love God, treasure His Word, and teach this to the next generation. The vision of the D6 Conference is to champion a movement of parents who disciple their own kids and teens in partnership with their local church. The D6 Conference is dedicated to helping churches, leaders, parents, and volunteers to develop a generational discipleship model based on Deuteronomy 6." Learn more about D6: d6conference.com

I sure do wish I could have made it to the D6 conference this week. It looks like it's going to be a good one. Below is a video from last year's D6 conference. The experience this pastor describes is very, very similar to my experience when I saw the light.

D6 Conference
September 21-23, 2011
Dallas, TX

Other relevant, upcoming conferences:

Reunited Conference
December 10-11, 2011
Wake Forest, NC

Teach Them Diligently Convention
March 15-17, 2012
Spartanburg, SC



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Restoring The Hearts Of The Fathers To Their Children

D6 Conference 2011 from D6 Conference on Vimeo.

I was speaking with an acquaintance this past week who said to me, "I would consider visiting your congregation but, you see, I don't like children." This was probably one of the saddest, most appalling statements that I've ever heard from a believer in Yeshua. Unfortunately, this is the reality of how many senior adults feel about children. They'd rather not be around germ-infested rug rats. They don't want to hear the disturbing cry of an infant or see a snot-nosed toddler throwing a fit. They will put a pro-life bumper sticker on their car, but they want nothing to do with children at all. They don't understand that these are the sites, the sounds, and yes, the smells of life! Children are our hope. Children are our future. If we don't have children, we will have no future.

As I considered the comment made by this person -- and believe me, all week long I have not been able to get these words out of my mind -- I came to the conclusion that this individual has not been educated correctly in the faith. We, as believers in Messiah Yeshua, are all called to a multigenerational faith. We, as a people, are commanded to pass His Torah along to the next generation. One generation to the next; one collective group to the next. Whether you have children or not, this is a command to the community. Seniors who don't have young children should be teaching the younger generations; helping the young parents, sharing experiences with the young adults. This is what Paul teaches us in Titus 2; older teach the younger, younger learn from the older.

I believe that today, there is a move of the Ruach in the body of Messiah; a move back to a multigenerational faith. It started with the homeschool movement. Now, homeschooling parents are beginning to wonder, "Why am I homeschooling my children all week long but when we go to church, I put them in an age-segregated school?" Parents are beginning to open their eyes, God is moving in their hearts. Could this be the beginning of what was prophesied by Malachi? Are the hearts of the fathers being restored to their children? I believe more and more church leaders are realizing this movement of God. Earlier this year, a prominent leader in the Messianic Community of the Metro Denver area told me, "What you are doing is the right thing to do. I can't change what we are doing with our children because we've been doing if for so long. It's already established; but if I could do it all over again, I would keep the children in the service with the adults."

Then children were brought to him
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
And he laid his hands on them and went away.

- Matthew 19:13-15 (ESV)

Related Links:

Some churches cancel Sunday school, put parents in charge
By Adelle M. Banks, September 14, 2011

D6 Conference
September 21-23, 2011
Dallas, TX

Restoration The Right Way

“If your brother sins against you, 

go and tell him his fault, 

between you and him alone.”

- Matthew 18:15a (ESV)

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar 

and there remember that your brother has something against you, 

leave your gift there before the altar and go. 

First be reconciled to your brother, 

and then come and offer your gift.” 

- Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)

Tonight at sundown we will officially begin the 2nd week of the month of Elul, The Month of Repentance. During this time as we all seek to restore relationships with our brothers and sisters in Messiah, please seek to do this in a Biblical manner. There are really only two scenarios for restoration: 1) when we have been offended, 2) when we have offended someone.

1. If you have been offended, if your brother or sister has sinned against you—first go to them alone and try to work it out with them. Begin with prayer and explain to them how you feel. It would be inappropriate to announce to everyone that you know what they've done to you and how it has made you feel.
2. If you have offended somebody and they come to tell you how they have been hurt by you—listen to them and own up to your fault. Begin with prayer and listen with an open mind and a heart ready for restoration. It would be inappropriate to deny someone the opportunity to clear the air about an offense. 

Within these two scenarios there are many variations of how the meeting will be played out. When confronted, some people will deny the actions that they are accused of and some will brush them off as a misunderstanding or a joke that was not meant to be taken seriously; but sometimes it really may have been a misunderstanding or a joke. Sometimes the offense may have taken place years ago and the person confronted does not remember. Whatever the situation, try to make restoration the right way. What if, when you confront someone, they do not take responsibility for their actions? What if, when you are confronted, you are accused of doing something that you don't think you should apologize for? The Apostle Paul says, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7b, NAS) In other words, the goal is to be restored, not to be right.



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Sinful Leftovers

There is an unwritten code of office refrigerator etiquette that says,
"if it ain't yours, don't touch it;" or is that the lazy mans motto?

So I'm at work looking in the fridge at this decomposing lump of something encased in styrofoam. It seems to resemble meat but I cannot tell what it is exactly. How long has this thing been in here and who does it belong to? This molding flesh in the styrofoam coffin reminded me of something I recently stumbled upon in the Scriptures. In the Torah, sometimes leftovers were sinful to eat. Really, this is a Biblical principle. It's an interesting concept that something that is 'lawful' to eat can become 'sinful' to eat. The permissible can become forbidden. Check it out:

1. Regarding the first Passover (Ex 12:8-10), whatever was left of the lamb was to burned with fire and not eaten.
2. Regarding the manna (Ex 16:16-19), nobody was to keep any of it until morning.
3. Regarding future Passovers in the Land (Ex 34:23-25), it was not to be left over until the evening.
4. Regarding Peace, Votive or Freewill Offerings (Lev 19:5-8, 7:15-18), leftovers could be eaten on the next day but on the third day, it was supposed to be burned with fire and not eaten because the meat would be tainted (Lev 7:18, ESV).

Most of the examples above involve flesh that was offered as a sacrifice to Adonai. We don't perform sacrifices today so this leftover principle isn't really relevant for us here in Denver. The other example, manna, was a very unusual situation. It was a miracle that, as far as I know, never happened again; it is not relevant for us either. But are their other instances relevant for us today where permissible meat becomes forbidden? I found two scenarios in the Torah that render kosher meat uneatable.

1. When the kosher animal is torn up by wild animals
2. When the kosher animal dies of natural causes

You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
- Ex 22:31 (NAS)

Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
- Lev 11:39-40 (NAS)

When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien (ger; foreigner), he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.
- Lev 17:15-16 (NAS)

You shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the alien (ger; foreigner) who is in your town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner (nokree; pagan), for you are a holy people to the LORD your God....
- Deut 14:21 (NAS)

He [the priest] shall not eat an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it; I am the LORD.
- Lev 22:8 (NAS)

Another instance in which food becomes uneatable is when a swarming animal (i.e., lizard), either dead or alive, comes into contact with the food (Lev 11:33-34). Yuk!

I hope that we can say like Ezekiel, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth." (Eze 4:14)



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I'll Take Mine Well Done, Please.

Beef, it's what's for dinner and lunch and breakfast.

My wife and I had breakfast at America's diner the other day; I had the Prime Rib Skillet. Juicy prime rib, scrambled eggs, hash browns, fire-roasted peppers and onions. Served with warm tortillas, freshly made pico de gallo and sour cream. It was delish. After getting my grub on real-good-like and as I was pushing myself away from the table picking my teeth with my pinky-nail, I thought to myself, "Who slaughtered this cow?" and "Did they follow the proper slaughtering requirements found in the Torah?" and "Why didn't I ask myself this before I ate this meal?" Such things I pondered that morning.

This subject was discussed during Shabbat service recently and some very interesting points were made. After the discussion I felt compelled to research this further. I briefly examined the passages in the Torah regarding the slaughtering of animals for the purpose of sacrifice to Hashem and/or for consumption, and I also noted the handling of the blood. Below are my observations.

Lev 17:2-11 In the wilderness, all domesticated, kosher animals were for sacrificial use only (or so it seems in this passage). However, the flesh could be consumed if the sacrifice was a fellowship or peace offering (see: Lev 3 and 7). It was forbidden to sacrifice the animal to idols and the blood was not to be eaten; if it was, then Hashem would set His face against that person and cut him off from the people.
Geographic Location:	In the wilderness at the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated Animals: Sacrificially Authorized Cattle, Goats, Sheep
Purpose For Slaughter:	Sacrifice
Proper Blood Handling:	Sprinkle it on the altar of Hashem at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
Prohibitions:	Do not offer it to idols (i.e., goat demons). Do not eat blood.
Consequences For Disobeying The Prohibitions:	Cut off from the people. If you eat blood, Hashem will set His Face against you and cut you off from the people.

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Lev 17:13-14 In the wilderness when foul and/or wild game (i.e., undomesticated animals or animals that are kosher to eat but not kosher for sacrifice), were hunted and caught, their blood was not to be eaten but poured out and covered (with dirt basically). The blood was not to be eaten but if it was, then that person would be cut off from the people.
Geographic Location:	In the wilderness while hunting (i.e., outside the camp).
What Kind Of Animal:	Undomesticated Animals: Not Sacrificially Authorized; but Authorized for Consumption Certain Birds, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out and cover it with earth (dust).
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Consequence For Eating Blood:	Cut off from the people.

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Deut 12:5-14 In Israel domesticated, kosher animals were to be sacrificed at ‘the place in which Hashem will choose for His Name to dwell’. We know this to be HaMikdash, the Temple. The animals were not to be sacrificed in ‘cultic’ places and the blood was not to be eaten. If the animals were sacrificed at the Temple, the person offering the sacrifice would eat before Hashem and rejoice with his household. In other words, they would be blessed. No consequences are mentioned in this passage.
Geographic Location:	In the Land (i.e., Israel) at the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell (i.e., HaMikdash - the Temple).
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep
Purpose For Slaughter:	Sacrifice
Proper Blood Handling:	Offer it to Hashem at the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell (i.e., HaMikdash).
Prohibitions:	Do not offer it up in cultic places Do not eat blood
Blessing For Properly Handling The Blood (Offerings And Sacrifices):	Eating before Hashem and rejoicing with household.

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Deut 12:15-19 Once in the Land, Hashem allows the people to the eat meat of domesticated, kosher animals without it being a sacrifice (see note above on Lev 17:2-11). The people are again instructed not to eat the blood of the animal but this time they are to ‘pour it on the ground like water.’ They are not instructed to bury the blood. Also, no consequences are mentioned in this passage however, Hashem warns the people not to ‘forsake the Levite’ as long as they are in the Land. This is because the Levites got their portion of ‘meat’ from the sacrifices that the people offered.
Geographic Location:	In the Land (i.e., Israel) within your gates.
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated and Undomesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out on the ground like water.
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Warning:	Don't forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

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Deut 12:20-25 Hashem promised to expand the borders of Israel when they were in the Land. Once the borders were expanded, some of the people would inevitably be too far away to bring a sacrifice. If they were too far, Hashem allowed them to eat the meat of domesticated, kosher animals without it being a sacrifice. They are again instructed not to eat the blood but to ‘pour it on the ground like water.’ Like the previous passage, burying the blood is not prescribed. Hashem does mention, however, that if they refrain from eating the blood, ‘it will be well with them and their sons after them.’
Geographic Location:	In the Land but far away from the place in which He will choose for His Name to dwell.
What Kind Of Animal:	Domesticated and Undomesticated Animals: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Roebuck, Gazelle, etc…
Purpose For Slaughter:	Consumption
Proper Blood Handling:	Pour it out on the ground like water.
Prohibition:	Do not eat blood.
Blessing For Not Eating Blood:	It will be well with you and your sons after you.

There are no clear commands or requirements regarding the method of slaughtering animals for a sacrifice and/or for consumption. The Chumash concurs:

“...we find no explicit teaching in the Torah regarding kosher slaughter...”

(Chumash, p.1004—Comment on Deut 12:21)

After examining the passages above I found that in each one there is an emphasized command (e.g., don’t eat the blood) with a related secondary command (e.g., pour out the blood). The emphasized commands have either a consequence or a blessing connected to them (the emphasis), but the secondary commands do not. One last thought that I had after this exercise was this: is pouring out the blood synonymous to not eating it? If it's poured out, it's not being eaten. If it's eaten, it's not being poured out.

I will continue to chow-down on the bovine flesh as long as it was not offered to an idol or strangled; and I will also abstain from eating blood.



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Don't Do What They Do.

You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt,
where you lived,
and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan,
to which I am bringing you.
You shall not walk in their statutes.

— Leviticus 18:3 (ESV)

Hashem pulled Israel out of a depraved society and put them smack-dab in the middle of a land surrounded by more depraved people. The life of a believer in Messiah is not a cakewalk. We are to be in the world but not of the world. We will always be surrounded by the morally corrupt. We will be tempted by their ways, but we cannot give in and participate with them. We are called to be set apart and by living set apart we, in turn, set apart His Name. How can we say we are His if we are living like the world, contrary to His instructions?

It is a constant uphill battle but with His help, through the power of the Ruach, we can make it.



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Sermonettes Make Disciplettes

Listening to our positive and encouraging radio station yesterday, I heard a news clip about an article from the Christian Post called Would You Go to Church if Services Were Shorter? The premise of the article is this—some church leaders believe that church services are too time consuming. People nowadays have short attention spans and church leaders need to cater to this modern phenomenon.

What? Adonai, the King of the Universe, sets up a weekly, all day appointment with His people on Saturday (Lev 23:3). His people shorten the appointment to a 2-3 hour meeting in the mid-morning on Sunday. Now, they want to reduce this time with Him to no more than 50 minutes because they cannot focus their attention to hearing His Word. This is utter foolishness!

Short attention spans are the result of the world we live in, especially here in the US. This idea to shorten church services is nothing more than an excuse to get out of God's meeting and back into the world in order to partake in more of it's indulgences.

If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
— Isaiah 58:13,14

I think this week I'm going to teach for 2 hours!

You can read the entire article here:
Would You Go to Church if Services Were Shorter?, By R. Leigh Coleman



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So He Can Attend A Baseball Tournament?

Eric Liddell refused to run on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath,
in the 100-metres race during the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

If you read the article which was the subject of my post about Mars Hill Church, you may have noticed an interesting detail to the story; a detail that caught my eye anyway. The article was about Westboro Baptist Church picketing Mars Hill Church and how Pastor Mark Driscoll led his church in responding with Christ-like love. It's really a great story. The detail that caught my eye was a brief statement toward the end of the article. The article states that on the particular Sunday that Westboro Baptist had planned to picket Mars Hill, Pastor Mark's sermon was prerecorded so he could attend a baseball tournament that his son was playing in. I understand this to mean that he missed Sunday services in order to go to this baseball tournament. The Pastor was not at Sunday services with his church?

Growing up in the Catholic Church, my parents and our priests instilled in me the value for attending Mass on Sundays. When I was in the Army, on my own and away from home, I attended Mass sporadically. In college I really didn't attend at all; but once our first child was born, Margaret and I began attending Mass again on a regular basis. If there was something happening on Sunday that prevented us from attending, we would go to Mass on Saturday evening which was permissible in the Catholic Church and 'counted' as Sunday Mass. There was some security knowing that the church was there and the priests were going to be there to perform the service. Never was service cancelled and the priests always showed up. I've heard of pastors broadcasting services across town to multiple church sites, but a pastor prerecording a sermon and not evening showing up?

I know that Sunday is not the Sabbath that we, Torah-Observant Messianics, observe; but Christians do believe that Sunday is the Sabbath or their Sabbath, as in the 4th Commandment. Whether Christians have the day wrong or not is not what I am concerned about here. The Biblical principle of Sabbath observance should be, theoretically, the same whether you worship on Saturday or on Sunday. I know some Messianics may get up in arms about this comment and may find it wrong and/or impossible for me to compare Christians with Messianics, Saturday with Sunday; and that Sabbath observance cannot be done on the wrong day. I've thought about all of this, just hear me out. My point is this: Adonai commanded us to rest and convocate on the Sabbath. My questions are this: 1) What does it mean for us to rest on the Sabbath? 2) What does it mean for us to convocate on the Sabbath? 3) Finally, is attending a baseball tournament (or a similar event) a valid, Biblical reason to break the commandment to convocate (and potentially the commandment to rest) and miss Sabbath Services?

I am finding it necessary to explore these questions and more regarding the 4th Commandment and Messianic Sabbath observance from an Hebraic perspective. I'm really not too concerned about Mars Hill and whether Mark Driscoll missed Sunday services or not; my concern is for our local community and the development of a Sabbath halacha for our congregation. I hope to delve into this subject over a series of posts. My goal is to begin a discussion for the leaders in our community regarding Sabbath observance for Messianics today.

Below are some passages worth looking into:

Genesis 2:1-3
Exodus 16:23-30
Exodus 20:8-11
Exodus 23:12
Exodus 31:13-17
Exodus 35:2,3
Leviticus 19:3
Leviticus 23:3
Leviticus 26:2
Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Nehemiah 13:16-19
Ezekiel 20:12

Matthew 12:1-13
Matthew 24:20
Mark 2:18-28
Mark 3:1-12
Mark 15:42-16:13
Luke 4:14-30
Luke 13:10-17
Luke 14:1-6
Luke 23:50-56
John 7:14-36
John 19:31-37

Acts 15:6-21

Colossians 2:16-23
Hebrews 4:1-10


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Christ-Like Love Demonstrated At Mars Hill

Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church

Remember the passage in Scripture where the apostle Paul organized a protest against a church that he thought was sinning? Him, Barnabas and Timothy held up big bright colored signs, picketing in front of the entrance, yelling at the people as they entered the church. Remember that? Oh yeah—it didn't happen. As soon as I began reading this book about Biblical conflict resolution I coincidentally stumble upon an article about a recent conflict between two churches. This past Sunday in Seattle, Washington, the Westboro Baptist Church picketed Mars Hill Church because they believe that Mars Hill teaches lies about God. Mars Hill is the church of popular pastor, speaker and author Mark Driscoll.

If you've never heard of the Westboro Baptist Church, just do an Internet search and you will quickly find out who they are. Although they call themselves Baptists, this group is not associated with or accepted by any of the many Baptist denominations here or abroad. They have a history of protesting events wielding signs that contain crude messages of condemnation. According to the article Fred Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, told CNN in 2006, "You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God." There is a lot that can be said about this statement and the actions and beliefs of the Westboro Church; but I'll just mention a few of my concerns about this statement. First, what exactly does God hate? We have to first identify in the Text what God hates and make sure we are not inserting our own pet peeves in this list. Secondly, did God call the church to focus solely on the things He hates? What is the purpose and the role of the pastor and the church? Are they supposed to be consumed and preoccupied with the sins of the heathen, rubbing transgressions in their faces? Finally, is this method of callous public ridicule displaying Christ-like love; a love that leads to repentance? How many people have actually repented and come to a saving faith in Messiah Yeshua as a result of these protests? This display of hatred is precisely what I see between denominations and churches today; of course not to the same degree of anger and ridiculousness, but it's still there.

If this happened at your church, how would you respond? If you had a few days notice, how would you prepare? Mark Driscoll was made aware of the planned protest through his facebook page. He had a few days to prepare and I applaud him for the way he reacted to the situation—he reached out with love. What a perfect opportunity for him to lead his community in demonstrating Christ-like love and character. He could have reacted in the same way that others have in the past by fighting-fire-with-fire, but instead, he applied a bit of spiritual-judo. This countercultural, Biblical, Christ-like response caught the attention of newspapers across the country. What a great testimony and example for the Body of Messiah.

Read the article here: Church welcomes Westboro protests, even though they deeply disagree



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Make Every Effort To Keep Unity

I am now starting yet another book on love. This one is called If You Bite And Devour One Another : Biblical Principles For Handling Conflict by Alexander Strauch. When I met with Alex back in April he told me the key to a healthy Church and healthy relationships is love, Christ-like love. Once we can grasp this concept and follow after the example of our Messiah, our communities and our families will thrive. He then gave me three of his books on love. This one is his latest book, which was released in May. He explained to me that years ago, when he was a young Christian, he saw conflict and anger, bitterness and fighting between mature Christians in his community. He could not understand how a believer in Yeshua Messiah could behave in such a manner. This experience is what sparked a desire in him to begin studying about Christ-like love. He's been studying and writing about love ever since.

If You Bite And Devour is about conflict resolution within the body. In the book Strauch explores God's way of handling conflict so congregations may experience peace and unity. The goal of the book is to provide a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about conflict and to help believers learn how to respond to conflict according to biblical principles. At this point I've only read the introduction during my lunch break; but I am eager to start digging into this book this evening. Another thought that Alex shared with me is that the more we study and teach Christ-like love, the more we will begin to love like Christ did.

"We must recognize that every conflict is an opportunity to display Christlike character, the wisdom from above, and the reality of the gospel in our lives. Every conflict is a test: Will we respond according to the Spirit, displaying its beautiful fruit, or will we react in the ugliness of the flesh? Every conflict reveals whether we practice what we preach, whether we are doers of the Word or hearers only. Every conflict indicates the genuineness of our faith."
-- Alexander Strauch from If You Bite And Devour 

Download sample chapters of this book here: Bite And Devour



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Have You Left Your First Love?

I just finished another short book about love called Love Or Die : Christ's Wake-Up Call To The Church by Alexander Strauch. The book is based on Revelation 2:4 and is an encouragement for churches to begin to study about, pray for, teach on, model, guard and practice love, Christ-like love. Stauch explains that today, we don't hear enough about love in the Ekklesia of Yeshua. This is true. We need more of it; not just taught but demonstrated. In order to understand what Christ-like love is, we have to first study it in the Scriptures. In the back of the book there is a study guide that digs deeper into the examples of Chirst-like love (here is the teachers guide). This is another book that I would recommend for leaders who desire to have their communities and families overflowing with Christ-like love.

Download sample chapters of this book here: Love or Die



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Elders, be an Example to the Flock

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

when brothers dwell in unity!

Pslam 133:1, ESV

My blog entry last Wednesday has got me thinking about the disunity within the Greater Body of Messiah. Why is unity lacking within the Body? This problem goes back centuries, so I don't think it will be solved anytime soon; but we can at least try to address it.

R.C. Chapman, the pastor, teacher, and evangelist known as the Apostle of Love, said that "Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division." In other words, the proud do not have much fellowship because of their pride; while the humble do not experience much division because of their humility. It is said that "humility makes the avenue to glory." This phrase is a reference to the path of humility that Messiah took for our sake. He humbled Himself for us and in His humility, Yeshua demonstrated His love for us (Phil 2:6-8).

The ability to maintain unity within the Greater Body of Messiah is an indication that love abounds; love for our fellow brother. We must have love in our personal relationships if we are going to maintain unity. We must have love in our marriages if we desire to maintain unity in this special, holy relationship. We must have love within our families, between parents and children, in order to have unity within our homes. Paul tells us that we, the members of the Body, are to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph 4:3) We must be eager to love our fellow brother in Messiah. So how can we achieve and maintain this unity within the Greater Body? I believe it needs to be taught and demonstrated by the leadership.

Teaching and demonstrating unity within the Greater Body of Messiah is the responsibility of the Elders in the Ekklesia, or the Local Body of Messiah (1 Peter 5:1-11).
Note: Because of the variations in titles used within the Messianic Community, I will simply say Elders when referring to the leaders of a Local Body and I will use the term Ekklesia to refer to a Local Body.

What is the Ekklesia?

The Ekklesia is the body of believers in Messiah Yeshua, Jewish and non-Jewish. In Biblical times each city had a local assembly of believers or an ekklesia also called a church (e.g., the churches in Ephesus, Galatia, Corinth, Colasse, etc...). Today in our modern society we have many, many churches or ekklesia in our cities comprised of many, many different Christian denominations. Most of these modern, local ekklesia do not associate with one another because of their differences in beliefs.

Who are the Elders?

The elders, like shepherds, protect their flock.

The Elders are the leaders and overseers of the local ekklesia sometimes called the under-shepherds (this is because Messiah Yeshua is the Chief Shepherd over the Greater Body of Messiah). Like a shepherd, the Elders guard, protect, care for, and feed their flock. Elders are men of integrity and spiritual maturity from within the local body. They are not imported or transplanted but homegrown. They are not given a test to take in order to qualify but rather their character makes it evident that they are worthy of this high calling. (For more on the qualifications of the Elders see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.)

The Focus of the Elders

The elders are called to focus on their own flock.

The Elders are called to shepherd the flock that is among them (1 Peter 5:1-5). In other words, their responsibility is for the flock or the local church whom Adonai has put under their care. Like a good shepherd, an Elder will focus on the sheep in his flock, pushing them toward Adonai and helping them to develop their gifts (Eph 4:11-16). It is their responsibility to help the people in their local church develop faith in Hashem. To put it plainly, the focus of the Elders is inward, toward their own communities. They are called to be examples (1 Peter 5:3) to the local ekklesia and the ekklesia are called to emulate their own Elders (Hebrews 13:7).

When Elders lose their Focus

When elders lose their focus, their flock is not being cared for.

Believe it or not, like it or not, the flock is watching and emulating their shepherd. Really, they do. I once attended a gathering of men from a community where the Elder/Pastor told off-color jokes; he was also present at this meeting. At one point the jokes from these men got so bad and inappropriate, the Elder/Pastor had to put a stop to it. I attributed this incident to the fact that these men would see their Elder/Pastor behave in this manner so they felt comfortable behaving this way in front of him. They were emulating their shepherd, their elder.

One problem that I've seen today in the Greater Body of Messiah is that some Elders are losing their focus on their own communities. Rather than having an internal focus on the spiritual growth of their flock, they focus on matters outside of their own communities. This can happen with syndicated Shabbat Services and online teaching ministries, but this becomes most harmful when the focus of the Elders, and therefore the community, becomes the problems and shortcomings of other churches and denominations. It would be more understandable to have a parachurch ministry with this kind of mission but this is not the call of the Elder and/or the Church. When Elders belittle and berate the beliefs of other denominations they breed dissension within the Greater Body of Messiah. The members of communities like this will in turn belittle and berate the beliefs of their extended families, their friends, their coworkers and their neighbors. They bash the Christians in their life with the Torah and then tell them that the Torah is a blessing.

The Messianic Community has come out of the Christian Church to embrace the Hebraic Roots of their faith. Many new Messianics feel duped by the Christian Church and have feelings of resentment, this is understandable; but Christians are not our enemies. They are our brothers and sisters in Messiah and we should approach them with love and humility if we are going to reach them with the truth of the Torah. This love and humility must to be demonstrated by the Elders so the individuals within their respective communities can and will emulate them.

I'll end with a few quotes by R.C. Chapman:

"Humility is the secret of fellowship,
and pride the secret of division."

"Pride nourishes the remembrance of injuries;
humility forgets as well as forgives them."

"When mutual intercession takes the place of mutual accusation,
then will the differences and difficulties of brethren be overcome."

~