I Still love Israel! Grateful for USA!

I Love Israel, and Jerusalem, the City of God!

I wrote this way back in 2013, but I still love Israel after having spent the summer there this year.

“Typed in the word, Jerusalem in On-line Bible today. Phew, sure received a download from heaven, as I read the almost 800 verses with the word Jerusalem in it. God is going to honor His covenant with Jerusalem, it’s His hometown…
1Ki_11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
1Ki_11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
1Ki_15:4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
1Ch_23:25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:

Ezr_7:19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
Ezr_7:27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:
Psa_135:21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
Isa_62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
Isa_62:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Jer_3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
Jer_17:25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.
Eze_5:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.
Mic_4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Mat_5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Joe_3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Mic_4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Psa_122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Well, last night, I fell in love with Israel all over again, with the cry of my heart singing: ‘next year in Jerusalem!’ I have not yet been there, and I long to walk the land, where Jesus walked, and have fallen in love with the Jewish people, all over again. Yes, our church hosts, ‘A Night to Honor Israel’ only once a year, in conjunction with the Jewish community here in Tulsa, but my love for the land of Israel, its people, and more importantly, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, grows more passionate each year, as I learn of Him through His Word. If someone out there wants to bless my house, send me to Israel!

Well, now I have been there! Spent almost 4 weeks there this summer. I still love Israel, but after seeing the face of Hamas and radical Islam, we literally knelt down in Chicago at the airport, and thanked God for the United States of America, and the freedom we enjoy here.

Let’s pray:
‘Father, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and Your blessing on Israel, again, today, as I do every day. I am grateful that You love me as I love Your people and the land, and that You bless me according to Your Word, that I prosper, simply because I bless Israel, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Thank you Lord Jesus for this privilege, Amen!”

Pastor, Come to Israel!

Hi Pastor,

This is a note I wrote to my friends from Israel:

Greetings from Jerusalem,

Last night, I had the privilege of attending synagogue at the invitation of rabbi Moshe Rothchild for Shabbat, and then Shabbat meal with his family.

Rabbi Moshe is an orthodox Jew, and is involved with Christians United For Israel, and serves as a tour guide to show Christians the real Israel.

For those who have been here in the land, you must come. The Bible will come alive here in a way that I did not know was possible.

We came in following the voice of the Lord, and it has been very difficult, as we did not know our way around, and things here are VERY expensive.

What Rabbi is offering to do for 15 people, who are senior pastors and spouses, is to host you here, for free: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzQlBDmWY2SqLWF1c2o5eS02eVk/view?usp=sharing

All you need to do is get here.
Rabbi went to Washington CUFI. He spoke at Victory in Feb, and is doing a beautiful work in building relationships between the Jewish and Christian communities.

I have learned there are many ways to navigate airfare, with frequent flyer miles, or with people that have accumulated free tickets from working for airlines. Pray, and ask God for a way, and He will do it.

This is an incredible opportunity in November.

Rabbi is scheduled to speak here in Tulsa Sept 12 or 13th, if you would like to meet him.

I would strongly encourage you to come!

Keep Smiling!

Jesus is Lord!

Chris Walsh
Here is rabbi’s emails:
rabbirothchild@gmail.com
Mosherothechild@gmail.com

Pastor Trip Nov 2017 Itinerary.pdf

drive.google.com

Summer 2017 Newsletter – AOMMinistries – Israel!

Hello everyone,

Thank you for making this trip possible!

Garden of Gethesmane, Mount of Olives, Israel!

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Wow! Where to start? After an incredibly action packed year in seminary at Oral Roberts University, God made a way for us to come to Israel! While it did not happen the way I thought it should, we are here, in the land, a dream of 20 years, unfolding. From the flight through Amsterdam, to our first sight of the nation, it has been an incredible walk of faith, as we literally explore the places where the Bible has been written! Our faith turns to sight….

We had fun in the several hour layover in Amsterdan. Check out this pic behind me. There is this guy inside this clock, who literally paints the minutes on as they tick by, then erases them, and paints the next minute and hour hand on the clock. Phew! What a day!

Finally, we had our first glimpse of the land!

We landed in Tel Aviv, to discover we had no place to stay! We took a taxi to the hostel we had booked, and no one ever would answer reception to check us in! So the taxi driver took us to another place, that graciously gave us a room for the night:

This place is close to the beach, and despite the jelly fish stinging us multiple times, we braved the ocean, and had a blast.

Yet, we quickly learned not everyone in Israel are living holy lives. The next night was some kind of a city wide pub crawl, where the streets filled up with partyers, so we hopped the bus to Jerusalem, and arrived there at 10PM with no money left, and no place to stay.

Yet, thank God for Facebook, and the IDF! My Jewish landlord in Tulsa had told me that if I was ever in trouble in Israel, to find a soldier, and we did.

This warrior, had a cool app on his phone that booked us into a hostel, and showed us how to get our luggage from the bus to a cab, while people donated on-line, and made the whole thing possible.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in Old Jerusalem, at 10 at night, on still crowded streets, in the Muslim section of town, and we had no idea how to find the hostel. Clackety, clackety, clack sounded the wheels of our suitcases on the cobblestone alleyways, and we were not comfortable!

Yet, God has people, and these two Jewish men who spoke English, escorted us more than a mile to Hebron hostel, owned by a Palestinian family.

From here, the adventure began!
Each day, we had to fervently pray, for money to pay the next night, and buy food for the day. For those of us used to Oklahoma prices, Jerusalem is ‘sticker shock’. Expensive!

Hostels from $150/night, hotels $250, simple groceries for a meal, $60-70, and we had no money! Each day, God would provide, and the hostel did serve supper!

Really neat environment of international travellers and students, all in Jerusalem searching for something. Had some very animated discussions about the differences between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, where I was able to clear share the gospel of Jesus, and why I believed in Him.
That Friday we attended Shabbat at Western Wall!

Shabbat Western Wall

We explored Jerusalem, and saw many things:

The Garden Tomb was a powerful experience!

Then there was the day we climbed the mount of Olives, where Jesus literally ascended from the earth with 500 eyewitnesses (Acts 1:

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come backin the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city.

This is the very spot where Jesus ascended into heaven after rising from the dead, and where He will come again, to walk through the Eastern gate of Jerusalem! It is here that He prayed in Gethesemane, and at the base where Stephen was martyred. From here, He gave the disciples the Lord’s prayer, and from here that He wept over Jerusalem. (Luke 19:⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it)

Here at Stephens death place, I found myself weeping as Holy Spirit still bears witness to his death!

This is where I spent Canada Day, July 1st, praying for Canada.

Before we left, we had gone to see Wonder Woman, and learned that the actress is a former IDF soldier.

While we have been here, we have met many, many warrior women, real life wonder women of the IDF!

Here are a few pics of Jerusalem:

They were doing a ‘Festival of Lights’ last week and we had fun toddling around at night:

Got to attend a great church Sunday, King of Kings in the New part of the City. Amazingly, three guys I’d shared Jesus with at the hostel, met us there at service!

One night, we ran out of money completly and were evicted from the hostel, with no place to go.

Scary, with no one to call, a long way from home:

At 2AM, someone Paypaled us $200, and these two Hebrew youth got on their cell phones and demanded a hotel take us in! I asked them why they would do this, and the boy said, ‘You have white hair! It is impossible that a man with white hair spend the night on the streets of Jerusalem!’

The manager gave us 2 nights at a greatly reduced rate, if I would give him a good review! Easy! Great hotel, wonderful people, little kitchen so we could cook pancakes for breakfast!

I’m out of time for today, but here are a couple pics:

Atul from King of Kings Church helping us navigate insanity!

This is the Holy Seplucher where historians say Jesus actually was crucified.

Will post more tomorrow! Thank you for making this trip of a lifetime possible! Tonight, we are invited to Bethany, to a rabbi’s house for Shabbat dinner with his family.

Please continue to pray for us, we still have to survive until the 21st, and it is a radical walk of faith!

 

 

Why Do Jews often prosper more than Christians?

A Paper

Presented to

Dr. Brad Young

Graduate School of Theology and Ministry

Oral Roberts University

 

 

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

GBIB 688 – Jewish Background of the Gospels

 

 

 

By

Chris Walsh

April 4th, 2017

 

 

Why do Jewish business people appear to prosper more financially than Christians?

This semester, (Spring 2017) I had the privilege of hearing Rabbi Pesach Wolicki from Jerusalem.

He spoke on many things, but the thing that he was invited to speak on was some of the things that affect Christians and Jews from an Orthodox Jewish perspective. I sat enthralled as I listened to him and his incredible consecration to the word of God.

I saw some things in Jewish faith practices, which I believe could help us as Christians.

As many of you know I’ve traveled across North America for many years and I’ve been intrigued with the Christian spiritual practices of many Native Americans.  I have developed relationships with many Native American leaders on purpose, and I found that they hold often deep revelation of truth from the scriptures that I had never heard taught elsewhere.

(https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/reading-the-bible-with-red-mans-eyes/

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/prayer-as-incense/

https://wordpress.com/post/chrisaomministries.com/13091)

I have also held a weekly Bible study for business leaders on and off for over nine years now.

The obvious question for Christian business leaders is how do we prosper financially God’s way?

Deuteronomy 8:18 (AKJV)

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Clearly, we see prosperity promised in the Scripture but the question is: how do we actually achieve it and implement it in our lives, families and businesses?

I’ve read many, many books on Christian leadership and business ethics seeking the answer to this question (I believe the answer lies in Christian Leadership, and am working on a great book on that topic entitled: Leadership in the River, that I will publish when I’m done).

One little book that was given to me some years ago by the author named Craig Hill entitled: “Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know[1]”.  It had a very interesting story in at that stuck with me. In the story a minister was interviewing a Christian accountant whose clientele was primarily either Christian or Jewish businessman.

I quote from Craig Hill’s book:

“Another friend of mine, Earl Pitts, told me of an interesting conversation he had with his Jewish accountant many years ago.  After discussing his taxes, Earl queried if he might ask the man a personal question.  The accountant was happy to oblige him.

Earl then asked, “I assume that you have both Jewish and Christian clients.  Am I right?”

“Of course,” answered the accountant.

“Tell me honestly, continued Earl, “Who is more prosperous?  Who has larger financial statements; your Jewish clients, or your Christian clients?”

As one might suspect, the accountant chuckled and responded, “My Jewish clients, of course, probably about ten to one in magnitude.”

Earl then asked, “One more question.  Being Jewish yourself what is your personal opinion as to why that is?

The accountant mused for a moment, then picked up Earl’s Christian Bible, which he had with him and said something like the following:  “You Christians tend to live out of the back of this book, while we Jews tend to live out of the front of the book.  Unfortunately for Christians, most of the financial principles are in the front of the book.  So we Jews believe in and abide by these principles, while you Christians seem to ignore them and discount them because they are “Old Testament.”  However, I believe that the adherence to these principles is what causes people to prosper financially.”

Since I first heard this from my friend Earl, I have heard several times from Jewish friends explanations similar to the following:  “I don’t really fully understand your Christian beliefs, but from what I understand, it seems that most Christians have the idea that they can violate the basic principles described in the Bible, and then because of the grace of God extended by the sacrifice of Christ, they are forgiven, and everything will be alright.  Thus it seems to me that most Christians feel that they don’t have to pay any attention to the financial principles explained in Proverbs, or the rest of the ‘Old Testament’ because these are a part of ‘the Law.’ Since Christians are ‘in Christ,’ and no longer ‘under the Law,’ they feel no need to abide by these Old Testament financial principles.  On the contrary, we Jews believe that we actually have to practice and abide by these principles in the Law.  So, in my opinion and experience, abiding by the biblical financial principles produces much greater financial prosperity than ignoring and discounting them.”[2]

 

This story stuck with me for many years as we have sought the Lord for prosperity and wisdom, reading our Proverbs of the day, and doing what we needed to do to see steady financial increase in our day to day business operations, as we did what we felt we had to do in order to survive in the business world during the years that I’ve owned and operated several companies.

Clearly this story is relevant here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Just to name a few Jewish families here: The Kaisers, The Zarrow family, the Siegfried’s and the Schusterman’s, clearly these families have not only become wealthy, but have contributed, and continue to contribute philanthropically to the ongoing development of the city wonderfully! Perhaps there are Christians here as wealthy, but I have not yet been made aware of them.

But like a jigsaw puzzle, God began to put the pieces together on why this truth was working for the Jewish people and didn’t appear to be working as well for Christians.

I’ve been studying faith for many years, and I truly believe that faith will move the hand of God in our lives. (https://wordpress.com/post/chrisaomministries.com/13661)

As I studied faith and confession for over 25 years now, I have been looking for creative ways to see how our personal faith can change the world that we live in.

I had the privilege of hearing Navajo elder Elson Bennett speak at Dr. Negiel Bigpond’s church March 31^st of 2016.

He spoke on Joshua chapter one, but was I found it very interesting what he saw in those verses.

Lets look at them:

God’s Charge to Joshua

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ ^[a]servant, saying,² “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. ³ Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. ⁵ No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.[3]

 

Pastor Ellson explained that in this initial charge given to Joshua, we see the God side of the covenant. [4] God Almighty, the Holy One who inhabits eternity, has spoken, and He cannot lie.

 

Now let’s look at the next couple of verses:

⁷ Only be strong and very courageous; ^[b]be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may ^[c]have success wherever you go. ⁸ This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may ^[d]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will ^[e]have success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The man side of the covenant

Notice the ‘man-side’ of these promises here. The promises of God are not automatic, but require an obedient, disciplined life from the person to whom they are given. Joshua was commanded:

1. To do all the Law of Moses (no small task in and of itself!)
2. Do not compromise, fully obey. (Do not turn to the left or the right)
3. Constantly speak the promises (Do not let them depart from your mouth)  2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” [a] we also believe and therefore speak.  “In other words, what you believe, you will speak.  If you believe the Word, you will speak it.  If you speak it, you will eventually believe it, and if you believe it you will be bold to speak it.”[5]  “Jesus said that whosoever shall say, believe, doubt not, in his heart, but believe what he says will come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says.” (Mark 11:22-24)[6]

I have taught on this extensively over the years: https://wordpress.com/post/chrisaomministries.com/9174

4. Constantly think and meditate upon them (meditate day and night)
5. Do what the law commands (Don’t just think and talk about it)

Without going any deeper into the Word of God, these five things acted upon, will give any person something to do all day long. Clearly it is in DOING these things, will cause God to act in our lives, making our way prosperous, and granting us success. Knowing God is with us, gives us courage, and we overcome our fears.[7]

Pastor Bennett went on to say that this was the problem that many Christians face.

While many of us are very disciplined as we read our Bible and pray every morning, seeking God for His direction and blessing for the day.

Yet, he explained, as the day unfolds, in the business of the day the things that we had actually prayed and believed God for in the morning, we were negating later in the day. Why? Because we became tired, and our words and actions later in the work day were no longer in line with the word of God that we had read, prayed, and confessed that morning.

We were no longer meditating upon the Word of God, and keeping it in our mouths, rather, we were meditating upon our problems, challenges, and responding to the pressures and responsibilities of the moment.

How well I personally understand that principal running a construction company!

I would seek God in the morning and read my Bible carefully journaling my thoughts that came to me in prayer, and I would be peaceful and blessed entering into the workplace.

Suddenly, it was like the law of the jungle would kick in as soon as I set foot on my jobsites and went to work!

Men, equipment and building materials moved rapidly, and problems arose, and had to be solved immediately, if projects were to be completed on time, on schedule.

Thoughts of my prayer and confession of God’s word succumbed to the duty of the moment and the very real responsibilities that need to be fulfilled in order to make sure there was money in the bank for payroll each week and invoices due that week.

Back to the teaching from Rabbi Wolicki: remember I was looking for ways from the word of God that appeared to be causing God to prosper Jewish businessman more than Christians.

Rabbi explained that what was pivotal in the practice of the Jewish faith was the Exodus account where God delivered the Jewish people who had been slaves and bondmen in Egypt from the hand of Pharaoh. And that they remembered this account throughout the day. He said they probably recited it in their various daily prayers and liturgies, at least fifteen times a day!

They did this so often, that they actually saw themselves personally in the Word of God, living out the Exodus story every day.

He explained that orthodox Jews so deeply saw themselves in the account that it wasn’t just a history lesson to them but they saw them self as a people currently that had been delivered practically for the hand of Pharaoh of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 6:12 then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

They saw themselves in the word of God. This is exactly what we seek to do as Christians!

Read with me:

James 1:21 KJV

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Even as the Word became flesh in Jesus, this verse in James shows that the word becomes flesh in us, as we receive the engrafted word.

That as we pray and meditate upon the Word of God over the years, we take on the character of Jesus, as we see ourselves in and through the promises of God.

There is a process in this, as our very thinking processes change that the Bible calls the transformation or renewal of our mind, as Holy Spirit writes His laws deep within us upon the fleshly tablets of our hearts.

I believe this process can be accelerated as we deliberately meditate upon and confess the Word of God, even if we are not yet acting upon the very word we are confessing.

God, who is Holy, hears His Word muttered from our lips in our prayer and meditation, and sees our desire to want to do right, and in His mercy and grace, He first changes us, then in His great love, brings the provision of His promise into our lives, and in gratefulness, we thank Him and give Him glory.

Many of you remember how I’ve taught about the confession of faith versus the confession onto faith, and how Holy Spirit works with His Word in our lives as we confess things that are not currently happening in our life. He takes the truths that are eternally written in heaven and then writes them on the fleshly tablets of our heart and we become changed from faith to faith, strength to strength and glory to glory becoming more like Jesus in character, thought and action, day by day.

Rabbi spoke about the daily practices of a strict Orthodox Jew and he explained the frontlets they wore on their head when they prayed, and upon their right arm. He described the four portions of Scripture inside of these, and how they were made of leather, so well crafted, they appear to be molded plastic. This cause me to research and read of this practice, as one seeking to understand the world Jesus lived in His earthly ministry, as a Jew amongst Gods covenant people. [8]

As rabbi spoke of the liturgical prayers prayed daily by devout Jews, he introduced me to ‘The Amidah Prayer’[9], or as it is sometimes called, ‘The Eighteen’. [10]

As I have continued my research, I came upon this quote by Dr. David Bivin, in his interview on CBN:
“Every Jew was obligated to pray the Eighteen Benedictions daily; however, in times of emergency, one was permitted to pray a shortened form of the Eighteen, such as the Lord’s Prayer.

Rabbi Eliezer, a younger contemporary of Jesus, taught this abbreviation of the Eighteen: “May your will be done in heaven above, grant peace of mind to those who fear you [on earth] below, and do what seems best to you. Blessed are you, O LORD, who answers prayer.” Note the phrases “your will be done” and “in heaven above … [on earth] below” as in the Lord’s Prayer. Also note the parallel between “grant peace of mind” in the prayer Eliezer taught and “deliver us from evil” in the prayer Jesus taught.”[11]

As I read Dr. Young’s precious book on the topic of the Disciples, or “The Lord’s Prayer”, I find this interesting entry in his notes: “The early Christians were instructed to pray the prayer three times daily (Didache 8:2-3)”[12] I find this interesting, as rabbi told us, that devout Jews pray ‘The Amidah’ three times each day, although changes are made, depending upon the calendar of the various feasts and festivals.

Professor Biven succinctly summarizes the prayer into 19 covenant blessings that I would encourage students to study, exactly as rabbi explained to us in lecture here at Oral Roberts University.

 

The Offering Prayer

He said this prayer was called “the offering prayer” because it was to be prayed in the afternoon somewhere between two and four in the afternoon and that the time taken to pray these 19 blessings took about 15 or 20 minutes out of a busy workday. In the business world if one is a lawyer or accountant or executive, time is money: time taken out of the most productive part of one’s afternoon was considered and understood in the Jewish tradition to literally be an offering on to God.

Suddenly answers I sought in the two pieces of jigsaw puzzle of Gods truth, fit together perfectly.

I saw how we as Christians were seeking first the kingdom of God and his way of doing things in the morning but in the business of the day, even though we endeavor to be led by the Holy Spirit we are missing it.

We get weary in well doing throughout the day, so that the things that we had prayed and actively believed God’s direction for in the morning were not coming to pass, because we were just responding to the responsibilities in the pressures of the day.

The orthodox Jews that deliberately, intentionally, on purpose discipline himself and schedule themselves to take time from the busyness of their day to invoke God into their workplace: His presence, His promises, His mercy, His wisdom, His plan, His miracles, His prosperity, His knowledge and understanding, in their business, each and every day, are being radically blessed by God, on a magnitude of ten times more than us Christians!

They do this deliberately and intentionally every single business day!

Sadly I see how we boast in our personal relationship with Jesus and our spirit led lifestyles but truthfully I don’t believe we are as spirit led as we’d like to believe we are.

God and his word are one: He will never break his promises, so in the business of the day as one is beginning to wind down in an attempt to finish each day strong, I wonder what would happen if we deliberately scheduled an appointment with the King just like we would any other business appointment and then took fifteen or twenty minutes between two and three in the afternoon and prayed on purpose the promises of God and the blessings of God or even in faith the Amidah prayer, with all of the eighteen or nineteen covenant blessings that God promised to the Jewish people?

Have we not been grafted into the same covenant? [13]

As I read the Amidah, and learn how the devout would often spend an hour preparing their heart before they would begin to talk to God, I see a radical devotion as dedicated and passionate as my own, and perhaps more disciplined and obedient than I.

Romans 11:17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

Romans 11:18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead, has forgiven us, adopted us, and grafted us into His covenant with the Jewish people, as branches, not roots. The church in Gods eyes, will never replace Israel and the word of God, rather we clearly are to lovingly respect each other, and clearly it brings Him great pleasure when this occurs. We see in the book of Revelation, twenty-four elders around the throne, could these be twelve elders of Israel, and twelve apostles from the church?[14]

For the purposes of this paper, I have simply included a copy of ‘The Amidah’ to be used for our own personal devotional times.

Since, historically, ‘replacement theology’ has brought historic horrors upon the Jewish people from ‘Christians’ I have not changed it from the way Dr. Young has recorded it in his book.

As a Christian, as I have prayed these prayers before God, I see only one key difference between what they believe, and what we believe. They are praying for Messiah to come, we believe Jesus is the Messiah that He has already come, and will come again to judge both the living and the dead.

Yet, He will come to Jerusalem! The City of God, capital of the whole earth!

I know so little about the ways and worship of the Jewish people, but I began to look for examples in the New Testament of afternoon prayer. I found two:

Acts 3:1 [Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar] Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service

Acts 10:3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

Acts 10:30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.

Seems both this miracle, and this angelic visitation both occurred at the time of afternoon prayer.

Conclusion:

So, being as I am, a man of practical faith, I’ve decided what I am going to do with this particular study. It has been said that it only takes 30 days to form a new habit. What I will do, over the next couple of weeks is teach this topic at my weekly breakfast meeting with business leaders, creating a 30 day challenge. Asking the people who attend to set an appointment with God every afternoon at 3PM (It will be 3:30 for me, as  I am in Dr. Young’s lecture Tuesday and Thursdays), and deliberately record what God does in lives this month. Should be exciting!

Let’s pray: Father God I’ve given you my life and Lord Jesus I’ve submitted to your Kingship your Lordship and your Sovereignty. Lead me, guide me. How well I know that I need you. I asked that you would give me the courage to deliberately schedule time with you in the middle of my workday to set an appointment and keep it each and every workday. How well I know I need Your grace to accomplish this.

According to George Robinson, a Jew need not invent his own prayers to God [although there is space within their liturgy to do so at points in the Amidah][15]

They deliberately Maimonides referring to the two most important prayers in the Jewish liturgy, Maimonides writes, “The first thing you must do is turn our thoughts away from everything else when you recite the Shema or Amidah…When you are engaged in the performance of religious duties, have your mind concentrated entirely on what you are doing.” (Guide for the Perplexed, 3.t1).  [16]  In fact, because the Amidah was considered the equivalent of a sacrificial offering for many years [until roughly the 9^th century c.e.].

THE AMIDAH PRAYER

The prayer is as follows:

 

Acknowledging God’s Character

 

 The God of Creation and Giver of Love

Blessed are You, O Lord our God and God of our ancestors, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty, and revered God, the most high God, who graciously gives loving-kindness.  You create all things; You remember the pious actions of the patriarchs and in love will bring a redeemer for their children’s children for Your Name’s sake.  O King, Helper, Savior and Shield.  Blessed are You, O Lord, the Protector of Abraham.

 

 The God Who Works Miracles.  You are Lord, all-powerful forever, You resurrect                       the dead; You are mighty to save.  You sustain the living with loving-kindness, resurrect the dead with great mercy, support the falling, heal the sick, release the prisoners, and uphold Your faithfulness to them that sleep in the dust.  Who is like You, Lord of mighty acts and who resembles You, O King, who orders death and restores life, and causes salvation to come forth? And You are faithful to resurrect the dead.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who resurrects the dead.

 

 “Holiness” and the Name of God.  We will sanctify Your Name in the world even as they sanctify it in the Heavens, as it is written by the hand of Your prophet:  And they called one unto the other and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts:  the whole earth is full of His glory.  Those over against them say, Blessed—Blessed by the glory of the Lord from His Place.  And in Your Holy Words it is written, saying, The Lord reigns forever, you God, O Zion, unto all generations.  Praise you the Lord.  Unto all generations, we will proclaim Your greatness, and to all eternity we will tell of Your holiness.  Your praise, O our God, shall not cease from Your mouth forever, for You are a great and holy God and King.  Blessed are You O Lord the holy God.  You are holy, and Your Name is holy and the holy ones praise You every day.  Blessed are You, O Lord, the holy God.

 

 

 

 

 

Seeking Spiritual Insight and Awakening

Request for Understanding.  You favor people with knowledge and teach human beings understanding.  O favor us with knowledge, understanding, and applied wisdom from You.  Blessed are You, O Lord Gracious Giver of knowledge.

Returning to God for Repentance.  Make us return, O or Father, unto Your Torah.  Draw us near; our King, back into Your service, and bring us again in perfect repentance into Your presence.  Blessed are you, O Lord, who delights in repentance.

Request for forgiveness.  Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned.  Pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed, because You do pardon and forgive.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who is gracious and forgives a multitude of wrongs.

Requesting Divine Help for Personal Needs

Request for Freedom from Affliction.  Look upon our affliction and fight for our cause.  Redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake because You are a mighty Redeemer.  Blessed are You, O Lord, the Redeemer of Israel.

Request for Healing.   Heal us, O lord, and we shall be healed.  Save us and we shall be saved.  You are our praise.  Provide a perfect healing for all our wounds; because You, almighty Kings, are a faithful and merciful physician.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who heals the sick of Your people Israel.

Request for Financial Prosperity.  Bless this year for us O Lord our God, together with every kind of the produce there is from it, for our wellbeing.  Provide a blessing upon the face of the earth.  Satisfy us with Your goodness, and bless our year like other good years.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who blesses the years.

Seeking divine help for the Jewish People, Society, and Community Needs

Request to Gather the Exiles of Israel to Their homeland.  Blow the great shofar horn of our freedom.  Raise the standard to gather our exiles, and bring us together from the four corners of the earth.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who gathers the dispersed of Your people Israel.

Prayer Seeking the Establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Restore our judges as at the beginning, and our counselors as in former times.  Remove from us sorrow and sighing.  Reign over us, O Lord, You alone, in loving-kindness and tender mercy and justify us in judgment.  Blessed are You O Lord, the King who loves righteousness and justice.

Request for Protection from Enemies.  Let there be no hope for slanders and let all wickedness perish as in a moment.  Let all Your enemies be speedily cut off.  May You root out, break off, bring down, and cause the ruin of the reign of evil speedily in our days.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who breaks the enemies and humbles the arrogant.

Request for Mercy upon God’s People.

 

Seeking Deliverance and Restoration for the Divine Plan and Future Hope

1. Request for the Rebuilding of Jerusalem. With tender mercies return to Jerusalem, Your city, Your presence will abide in her midst as You have promised.  Rebuild her soon in our days as an everlasting building and speedily establish in her the throne of David.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who builds Jerusalem.
2. Prayer for the Branch of David. Speedily cause the Branch of David, Your servant, to spring forth.  With your saving power, raise up the horn of his strength because we wait for Your salvation all the day.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who causes the horn of salvation to spring forth.
3. Request for Prayers to Be Answered. Answer our voice, O Lord our God.  Free us and have mercy upon us, and accept our prayer in compassion and favor because You are God who answers prayers and supplications from Your presence, O our King, turn us not empty away, because You hear with mercy the prayer of Your people Israel.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who answers prayer.
4. Request to Restore Temple Service. Accept with divine favor, O Lord our God, Your people Israel and their prayer.  Restore the worship to the inner sanctuary of Your house.  With compassion receive in favor both the offerings of Israel and their prayer, and may the worship of Your people Israel be ever acceptable to You.  Let our eyes witness Your return with compassion to Zion.  Blessed are You, O Lord, who restores His divine presence to Zion.
5. Giving of Thanks to God for His Mercy. We give thanks to You, for You are the Lord our God and the God of our ancestors forever and ever.  You are the Rock of our lives, the Shield of our salvation throughout every generation, we will give thanks to You and proclaim Your praise for our lives, which are committed into Your care, and for our souls, which are under Your charge and for Your miracles which are daily with us, and for Your wondrous acts and your benefits, which are worked at all times, evening, morning and noon.  O You who are all-good, whose mercies do not fail; You who are all merciful, whose loving-kindnesses never cease, we have hope in You.  Because of all this, let Your name, O our King be blessed and be highly exalted continually, forever and ever.  All living beings will give thanks to You, Selah, and they will praise Your name in truth, the God of our Salvation and of our help, Selah!  Blessed are You, O Lord, the Good One is Your name, and so to You it is fitting to give praise.
6. Request for Peace. Give peace, well-being, blessing, grace, loving-kindness and mercy to us and to all of Israel, Your people.  Bless us, O our Father, even all of us together, with the light of Your countenance because by the light of Your countenance You have given us, O Lord our God the Torah of life, the love of mercy and righteousness, blessing, loving-kindness life and peace.  May it be good in Your sight to bless Your people Israel at all times and in every hour with Your peace.  Blessed are You O Lord, who blesses Your people Israel with peace.[17]

 

Bibliography

 

Foundation, The Lockman. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible – Nasb 1977 (Includes Translators’ Notes). publication place: The Lockman Foundation, 2013.

Young, Brad. 2007. Meet the rabbis: rabbinic thought and the teachings of Jesus. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers.

Young, Brad. 1984. The Jewish background to the Lord’s Prayer. Austin, Tex: Center for Judaic-Christian Studies

 

Hill, Craig S. Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know. Littleton, Colorado: Family Foundations International, 2012.

Capps, Charles. 1987. Dynamics of Faith and Confession. Tulsa, Okla.: Harrison House.

Faley, Roland J. 2011. Joshua ; Judges. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press.

Robinson, George. 2000. Essential Judaism: a complete guide to beliefs, customs, and rituals. New York: Pocket Books.

Maimonides, Moses. 1961. The guide for the perplexed. New York: Dover Publications.

Comfort, Philip Wesley. 2005. Cornerstone biblical commentary. Carol Stream, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers.

DUNN, J. D. G., & ROGERSON, J. W. (2003). Eerdmans commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI, W.B. Eerdmans.

 

Other Sources:

Bivin, David, Jerusalem Perspective, http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/3643

Henshke, David. 2016. “BETWEEN BLESSINGS AND PRAYER: ON THE HISTORY OF THE AMIDAH PRAYER.” Tarbiz 84, no. 3: 7. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File, EBSCOhost (accessed April 22, 2017).

 

 

[1]Craig S. Hill, Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know (Littleton, Colorado: Family Foundations International, 2012),

[2]Craig S. Hill, Five Wealth Secrets 96% of Us Don’t Know (Littleton, Colorado: Family Foundations International, 2012), p4-6

[3] The Lockman Foundation, Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible – Nasb 1977 (Includes Translators’ Notes) (publication place: The Lockman Foundation, 2013), 1

      [4] “In the beginning of chapter 1, God’s charge to Joshua introduces most of the themes of the book.  God’s sovereignty and God’s initiative are highlighted…The beginning of the charge to Joshua gives three promises (1)all the land would be theirs.  (2) No enemy would withstand them.  (3) God would be with them and never forsake them.”

[4]Comfort, Philip Wesley. 2005. Cornerstone biblical commentary. Carol Stream, Ill: Tyndale   House Publishers.

[5]Charles Capps(1987). Dynamics of faith and confession. Tulsa, Okla, Harrison House. p. 46

[6] Ibid, p. 127

           [7] First, the law (Torah) plays a normative role in the book.  This can be seen from the very outset.  Joshua’s (and Israel’s) relationship to Yahweh is based on the law and is crucial for Israel’s success.  Obedience or disobedience to the law determines success or failure.

DUNN, J. D. G., & ROGERSON, J. W. (2003). Eerdmans commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI, W.B. Eerdmans.

 

[8] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/tefillin

[9]“Thus, the daily Amidah originally consisted of eighteen benedictions (although there appear to be nineteen) – for the blessing for peace was not part of the original Amidah. However, when the blessing of peace came to be considered an integral part of the Amidah, the blessings for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Davidic dynasty were combined into one benediction in the land o f Israel in order to retain the original number o f eighteen, whereas in Babylonia the blessing against heretics was explained as a later addition.” Henshke, David. 2016. “BETWEEN BLESSINGS AND PRAYER: ON THE HISTORY OF THE AMIDAH PRAYER.” Tarbiz 84, no. 3: 7. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File, EBSCOhost (accessed April 22, 2017).

[10] I had to learn about this, so immediately read: Brad Young. Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007.p145-155

 

[11][11] http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/the-amidah-prayer

[12] Young, Brad. 1984. The Jewish background to the Lord’s Prayer. Austin, Tex: Center for Judaic-Christian Studies

[13] Ibid NASB

[14] Revelation chapters 4,5,19

[15]George Robinson. 2000. Essential Judaism: a complete guide to beliefs, customs, and rituals. New York: Pocket Books.17

[16]Moses Maimonides. 1961. The guide for the perplexed. New York: Dover Publications.

 

[17] Young, Brad. 2007. Meet the rabbis: rabbinic thought and the teachings of Jesus. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers.

 

Why Jerusalem? Why Israel?

Why Jerusalem? Why Israel?

Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and 

the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

These are the last days. This is a prophetic word, given by God to the prophet Micah, for these times.

We are the nations, and we are to go, to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, to the city of the great King, Jerusalem, capital of the whole earth, city of our God. Jesus is Jewish, and this is His country, His home, His land! If we claim to love Him, we must love His homeland, His family, His people…

Our Christian conviction is that Christ is also the messiah of Israel. Certainly it is in the hands of God how and when the unification of Jews and Christians into the people of God will take place.

Pope Benedict XVI

The Word of the Lord shall be decreed from Jerusalem, and we will walk in His paths, Jesus the way and the waymaker, and Holy Spirit will teach, instruct, guide, and write the law of God on the fleshly tables of our hearts.

God has given eternal covenant to the Jewish people. Jesus, Yeshua, Son of God, is divine in that God, Creator of the Universe has given all people, all nations, and therefore is the Father of all who would believe, yet Mary, the one God chose to give birth to Messiah, is of the lineage of the House of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, from the house of David, making Yeshua, fulfillment of the covenant to the house of Israel, Messiah, Savior to all who would believe…

Do you have it in your heart to return to Israel? This is heaven tugging at your heartstrings, for these words, written thousands of years ago, must come to pass, for God is Holy. He cannot lie. When He has spoken, it must come to pass!

Let’s pray:

‘Father, next year in Jerusalem! Jesus, make a way for me, my family, my church to celebrate You in praise, adoration, and thanksgiving, in the land you call home. Amen!’

As I read my Bible I read:

Jesus? Are you the Messiah to the Jewish people?

John 10: 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

Interesting conversation here: Modern day paraphrase. “Jesus, are you really the awaited Messiah? Tell us straight up!”

“Yes, I am, I have already told you that I am the Messiah, but you refuse to believe what I have told you. If you will not believe what I am telling you, everywhere I go, my Father uses me to do mighty miracles to bear witness of who I am. If you will not believe what I say, believe the miracles!”

Bottom line: Jesus, God the Son, is the Messiah! We who were not born Jewish, have the incredible privilege of coming into relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, only because of the great mercy of Jesus. This should humble us, and make us wonderfully grateful today. I am so grateful to know God, personally, intimately, today! Thank you Jesus!

 

Ephesians 2:15

having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;

 

Party! Our Father is throwing a party!

Party! Our Father is throwing a party!

Ah, the age old story of ‘the prodical son’, told by Jesus Himself recorded for us in Lukes gospel, chapter 15. As I read this story again, these words leap off the page at me:

Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself…

We see there are moments in life, when a person ‘comes to themselves’, and see’s themselves from God’s perspective. At that moment, they get right with God, and the people they have been hurting…

2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Ps 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

As we read through the Bible, we again read the story of the prodigal. The wayward son, who believed a lie, and in his passion, pride and deception, thought that he knew more than his father. He demanded his inheritance, and off he went, out into the world, to let off steam, and party. Been there done that…UGH!

While I was in the bar scene, out from my parents authority, I had a man (who later brought me to an AA meeting) who said: ‘Son, the elevator in your life, is going down, but you can get off at whatever floor you want!’

One morning, after a 40 hour week on the end of a shovel working underground in a nickle mine, I awoke with a wicked hangover, and thought about those words. Where were my friends now? Where was my paycheck from the day before? Spent mostly in the bar the night before, and I was hurting…

Seems the best we can do sometimes is speak a word of love and truth into a person’s life that is going away from God, honor, and who they were created to be.

I repeat my version of repentance. RE means: ‘to return to’. PENT actually means five, but for the sake of the illustration (its my sermon!), it makes me think of a penthouse. In elite condominiums, the penthouse is normally the most expensive lavish unit in the complex, in a motel it is often the executive or honeymoon suite, the best room in the place.

We are children of the most high God, King of the Universe. Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: We are not worms groveling before a Holy God, but adopted sons and daughters called to come boldly before the throne of His grace, in joy!

Repent! Come back to the High place of privilege, promise, purpose and passion!

Notice in this story of the prodigal, the father came running out to meet the son, ordered the best robe, ring, and shoes for him, and threw a party for him.

We, who come to our heavenly Father, find Him running towards us in love, covering our shame with the robe of righteousness, placing upon our finger again, the family ring of covenant and love, and covering the filthiness of our dirty feet with new shoes, the gospel of peace! As if this was not enough, He then throws a party for us!

Well, one day, when I was driving home from a dry legalistic church service, as a ministry student, I saw a carload of college students in front of me, drunk, with the windows down, hanging out of the windows, singing! Suddenly, Holy Spirit spoke to me: ‘Do you miss it?’

I was suddenly reminded of the incredible pressure of engineering school, where on a Friday night we would work as hard as we could on our computer assignment, determined to get it complete by midnight, so we could literally run across campus, run into the pub, grab a pitcher of beer, chug as much beer as possible in 5 mins to get enough courage, to run over to the table with the prettiest girls at it, and grab one, and drag her laughing unto the dance floor, where we would dance like idiots, getting the whole bar in hysterics!

I used to say, ‘You can’t make a man go through several hours of brutal swim practices, then schedule every minute of every week with classes, homework assignments, and lab reports, without it coming out somewhere. Yep, when we entered the college pub, the crowded pub would yell: “Hurray, the engineers are here!”

Well, back to my conversation with God in the car, watching the party animals in front of me. There I was, having just come out of a Bible study, in my suit and tie, and truth be told, I did miss the scene. Church was strict, dry and boring. College dances, were alive, fun, but probably very excessive.

So, I knew God knew my heart anyway, so I said: ‘Yes, Father, I do miss it, but not enough to go to hell over.”

I felt Him smile.

I thought He would change my heart, purify me, and make me no longer desire the passion of the party, but I did not yet know my Father.

Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

C.S. Lewis.

Instead of making me a dry, dead, leader, He threw me into the river of His love, being poured out in what became known as ‘The Toronto Blessing’. There I learned that when someone comes home to Him, there is a party thrown in heaven, with the best of everything supplied.

Learned to dance, shout, get insanely drunk in the Holy Spirit (He slammed me so hard one night, that me and a friend not only couldn’t walk, but the ushers had to carry us to the door. When we discovered that we still couldn’t walk, we laughed too hard, that we literally crawled a ¼ mile up the street to where our car was parked, and had to have a friend drive us back to the hotel.

Quite frankly, I miss that!

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

George Bernard Shaw quoted in: Jon Johnston, Courage – You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, SP Publications, 1990, p. 171.

Lu 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

I want to be around the joyful, drunk in the Holy Ghost, partying, harvesting, saints of God.

To join God’s party, we need to be around where prodigals are coming home. Hey, even the guests get to drink the best wine, enjoy the best steak (they killed the fatted calf), and there is such good will flowing, you might find yourself with a couple of new sets of clothes, shoes, jewelry. Can’t count the times we would go to check out of the motel, to discover that some other holy drunk, had picked up our tab, and paid our rooms. Fathers will, is Father’s bill!

Our Father is throwing extravagant parties all over the world, serving the best wine during these last days. Places of crazy, stupid drunken Holy Ghost joy, and extravagant grace, where free favors from heaven abound.

Last year I attended #AzuzaNow, hosted by Lou Engles in Los Angeles. 3 days drive each way, for a couple days of poured out weeping, dancing, shouting, drunken laughter in the Holy Spirit, crying out that God have mercy and spare the United States again…Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Watching my daughter dancing before the Lord I see her joy: the kingdom of God is a party, if you are getting your job done, seeing the prodigals coming home!

May you get drunk today! Crazy, stupid, falling down, insanely laughing drunk in the Holy Ghost, today!

Tomorrow night, I get to attend ‘Night to Honor Israel’ here at Victory Christian Center here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Got to thinking about the Old Testament passage:

Deuteronomy 14:²⁶ Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice

Get a harvest mindset, and it will happen. Share the gospel with someone, pray with a stranger, hand out a tract, and watch how quickly joy begins to well up again in your heart. Giving is the nature of Jesus, for God so loved the world that He gave…

Jesus will sing and dance with us in it!

Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

“Father, throw me into the river of your love, your harvest, your joy, the river of life, abundance, refreshing, and extravagant grace! Teach me how to dance, sing, shout, and rejoice before you, as the prodigals come home, and the lost get saved. Come on Jesus, let’s dance!”

 

And God spoke to Cyrus…

God is ruler of the nations!

As I read these passages, thoughts flood my mind:

2 Chron 36:21 To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept the sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

22 ¶ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

Notice here, that Cyrus, was not an Israelite, nor in covenant with God, yet God spoke to Him, and Cyrus knew His voice.

Ac 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:

This is clear, God will pour out His Spirit on all people, not just Christians, and Jews. Two things will result:

1. People will recognize His voice, and will either accept or reject Jesus, 1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

When people do this, they will be given eternal life. For those who reject this, they will be eternally damned:

Mt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

2. He will move the nations into His fulfillment of end time prophecy, speaking to leaders either blessing or cursing of their nation. Many of these leaders are not in covenant with Him, but He will speak to them anyway because He is Lord of Heaven and Earth.

Mt 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

I originally wrote this in 2012, and stumbled across it today, as I thought about the background of our President, Donald Trump. Could he be the Cyrus God has raised up, for such a time as this, to bring this nation into order, and to see Jerusalem established before the nations of the earth, as the city of God, the capital of the whole earth?

Let’s Pray:

‘Father God, speak to me today. May I be found pleasing in your sight, in both thought and deed. May I use all my influence, prayer, and work, to cause this nation, to be a sheep nation in your sight, that we may be blessed with your hand, both in this life and in eternity. Amen’

Jesus – The Jewish Theologian

Jesus the Jewish Theologian – a book critique

Bibliography:

Young, Brad. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2011, ©1995

 

Author Background:

Bradford Humes Young, also known as Brad Young, is a professor of Biblical Literature in Judeo Christian Studies at the Graduate Department of Oral Roberts University (ORU). He is also founder and president of the Gospel Research Foundation, Inc.

After receiving his B.A. from ORU, Young departed Tulsa for Israel. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he pursued graduate studies in early Christianity and ancient Judaism. During that time he lectured at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies, served as Research Assistant to Prof. David Flusser, and earned two degrees, an M.A. and Ph.D. from the Hebrew University. He is one of the founding scholars of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Studies, working closely on Gospel research with Flusser and Dr. Robert L. Lindsey. He has contributed to scholarly journals and has spoken at many academic, church, interfaith, and civic gatherings.

Content Summary:

In this book the author introduces Jesus, the Jew, as a theologian, with more depth and insight into the things of God, than even the apostle Paul. His premise, is that the Western view of the gospel in many cases has strayed from its clearly Jewish roots, that Jesus taught the principals of His Kingdom, uncluttered with traditions such as Christmas, Easter, or other traditional Christian events. Jesus was raised in Torah, as a traditional Jew during the second temple period.

“Jesus must be understood as a Jewish theologian. His theology is Jewish to the core. The tragic history of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, makes it extremely to hear his forceful voice. The attacks of the church against the synagogue have stripped Jesus of his religious heritage. As Christians we have been taught wrong prejudices about Jews and Judaism. Hatred for the Jewish people has erected a barrier separating Jesus from His theology. Ethnically he may be considered a Jew, but religiously he remains a Christian who failed to reform the corrupt religious system of the Jews. Such an approach fails: Jesus is Jewish both in his ethnic background and in his religious thought and practice.”(xxxiv)
This critique will look at the authors success in fulfilling this premise, and more importantly for this author, the impact of this research on the Christian theology practiced, in light of the truth the historic, actual Jesus taught. In the mind of this reader then, it is a search for the deeper things of God, a search for truth, whatever the consequences of these truths might produce both personally, and in future ministerial endeavors.

The book is delineated into five main subdivisions, each of which bring historic light and truth to many areas of standard Christian understanding and practice.

These divisions are:

1. The Messianic Drama of Jesus Life Events – The author brings the reader into several arena’s of Jewish thought – they were expecting a Messiah, and by His very literal fulfillment of Messianic prophecy and action, Jesus life became a fulfillment of what Messiah had to be.

2. The Jewish Roots of Jesus Kingdom Theology – Chapters 5-11- In the Jewish Shema, any orthodox Jew submits to the Lordship, or kingship of God in their life. In this section the author shows the kingdom of God alive and active in the earthly ministry and theology of Jesus, violently breaking forth through John the Baptist, illustrated through his parables, through the Jewish understanding of rabbis being peacemakers, both between men and God, and amongst themselves. He then shows us the beautiful simplicity of the kingdom revealed through simple childlike faith, in their sense of awe and wonder. He then uses the Sabbath, as an entry point to discuss the difference between the letter and the spirit or intent of the law – Jesus did not break the Sabbath, He fulfilled it, for the Sabbath was given for man, not man for the Sabbath. The author touches on the heart of Jewish understanding of the difficult topic of divorce and adultery, and Jesus instruction, or intention here, and completes this discussion of the kingdom among us, with the giving of thanks, as a way of life.
3. The Jewish Theology in Jesus Parables – Here the author presents some animated thought in the grace seen through Jewish culture and tradition in the teaching of Jesus parables, a very beautiful look at the parable we call the prodigal son, the ‘old wine’ of Torah, friends and enemies seen in parables, and Chutzpah! This speaks boldly to this reader – that which I call ‘the spirit of faith’. (https://chrisaomministries.com/2017/02/18/the-spirit-of-faith-5/)
4. The Jewish Messiah and the Politics of Rome – In this section, we are introduced to the foundations of the kingdom – the introduction to the deeper discussion provoked by Jesus simple two questions posed to Peter in Matt 16:18 – ‘Who do men say I am?’ and more importantly for Peter, and you and I, ‘Who do you say I am?’. The author then looks at the mystery of the transfiguration, challenging the thought that the appearance of Moses and Elijah there was not Jesus literally fulfilling the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah), as I have always taught, rather that they appear to fulfill their commissions as two prophets, the prophets of salvation (208). We then dig into the investigation of the Son or the Vineyard in what is commonly called the parable of the Vineyard, to refute common anti-Semitic teaching from the main-line Christian church. In the final chapter in this section, the author addresses the question: ‘Who really killed Jesus?’, Rome, or the Jews? He argues persuasively that since Rome held the power to execute, and aggressively stomped any leader that might rally the Jews and rebel against Roman rule, that Pilate was far more guilty of Jesus death, than the traditional Christian teaching of blaming the Jews solely.
5. The Future Messiah – Son of Man? Is Jesus human or divine? The focus here is as Jesus, as Messiah, revealed as the son of man.

Evaluation

The first four chapters of the text discuss the Messianic nature of Jesus life and ministry. The author speaks of how Jewish scholars might view the song of the angels sung at Jesus birth. He argues that a distinction must be made here between ‘men of goodwill’ and ‘goodwill to all men’ and that the latter is the correct translation. God’s will is the highest and best for not only the Jew, but for all humanity, for God is good, kind and merciful.

What is find very interesting in this chapter is thoughts of how this threefold declaration given to us in Luke 2:14, immediately draws my thoughts to the Trinity, and the parallel made to Is 6, even more so.

One – The Birth of the Messiah and the Song of the Angels
In researching Luke 2:14, the author clearly shows how the distinction of translation must be made from ‘goodwill towards (all) men’ vs ‘to men of goodwill’, arguing that the birth of the Messiah is good news to all of humanity, not merely to those attempting to do right before God. We see this angelic song then, in three parts: 1. “Glory to God in the Highest” 2. “On earth peace”  3. “Goodwill towards men” (7)

The author documents this song of the angels at the birth of Jesus, as being similar to the text of Is 6:3, when the angels before the throne of God cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is filled with his glory.” . He notes how Flusser has compared the threefold song in Luke 2:14, with insight from the Aramaic Targum describing the ancient Jewish understanding of Isaiah’s text that remarkably parallels Luke 2:14.

Again a three part structure is seen: 1. “Holy is the highest heaven, the house of his presence.”

2. “Holy upon the earth, the work of His might”
3. “Holy for endless ages, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of the brightness of his glory.” (8)Could this three-fold interpretation again refer to the Trinity?

Like the often taught interpretation of  Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

“When used of the true God, “Elohim” denotes what is called by linguists a plural of majesty, honor, or fullness. That is, he is GOD in the fullest sense of the word. He is “GOD of gods” or literally, “ELOHIM of elohim” (Deut 10:17; Ps 136:2)”[1]

 

God the Father revealed in the first ‘Holy’, in the highest heaven, in the house of His presence. Holy Spirit, Emmanuel, upon the earth, revealing His might and Jesus as captain of the Lord’s host, the whole earth revealing the brightness of His glory.

Some years ago, this author participated in a large worship service, with a well known minister. As we sung the familiar chorus of ‘Hallelujah’ repeatedly, the minister read Is 6, and claimed to actually see these angels forever circling the actual throne of God in worship. That as they worshipped, they sang their first ‘Holy’ to God the Father, their second ‘Holy’ to God the Son, and their third ‘Holy’ to God the Holy Spirit, and as they again sang: God, who is infinite, gave to them yet another facet of His beauty, greatness and majesty that they had never seen before, causing them to fall again at His feet, and cry “Holy, Holy, Holy”. This bore witness to me as I have groped for understanding of the Trinity over the years, and has stuck with me (perhaps subjectively) from the depth of the presence of God clearly present in that particular service.[2]

I agree with the author’s conclusive research here: God is good, and through Jesus, His goodwill is expressed to all men.

Chapter Two – the Baptism of Messiah – The presentation of Jesus and discussion of the Dove

In Western thought, we often use the text in Luke 3:21-22 as a proof text of the doctrine of the Trinity. In this book however, the author takes us into ancient Jewish thought, comparing this event with Ps 2:7, explaining the Jewish concept of ‘the presentation of the Messiah’.  While the doctrine of the Trinity is not in question, we are studying the historical Jesus here, Jewish Jesus, Messiah, the fulfillment of Torah. Clearly, then, this is a better translation of the thought intended in the spirit of the text: Messiah has come! During baptism, he is presented, announced by heaven! To the Jew, longingly awaiting the coming of Messiah, this must have been a tremendous experience as God’s anointed was confirmed by heaven, publically!

The author then begins a discourse on the dove, in Jewish thought, and clearly shows that mention of the dove does not always refer to the Holy Spirit as traditional Western thought declares. Sometimes it refers to the nation of Israel (20, note 14, Ex 14:9-14)

The Jewish thought of ‘bat kol’, the echo, or daughter voice of God, was likened to the sound of chirping or cooing of a dove. (19, note 12)

This Jewish thought adds much depth and beautiful thought to the voice of God echoing from heaven at the baptism of Jesus, with the presence of the dove.

Though the author does not mention it, one cannot help but think about the dove of Genesis 8:11

‘The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth.’

Here we see this verse depicted often, of God’s everlasting covenant towards men, through Noah, His goodness and mercy expressed to all humanity, through the beautiful picture of a dove with a fresh picked olive leaf in her beak. Could it be right to infer from this verse, and the reference of the author to Israel being the dove, or perhaps even the olive branch, that through Israel and the Jewish people, God offers peace and mercy towards all the earth and the people who live upon it?

Genesis 18:18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?

Chapter Three – The Temptation of Jesus  –

In this chapter the author brings the Jewish perspective of Jesus temptation, reminding us of Deut 8:2-3, where the children of Israel were tested by God in the desert. Clearly, the testing of Jesus was real, and in his humanity, He passed! (29)
Chapter 4 – Miracles, Proclamation, and Healing Faith – Clearly Jewish people believe in miracles, and divine healing. The Scriptures are full of the accounts of Moses, Elijah, Elisha performing healing miracles and demonstrating the power of God over weather. The Jewish scholar speaks of ‘Charismatic Judaism’ and we are give the beautiful account of Abba Chilkiah, the grandson of Choni the circle drawer, as also being given the gift of answered prayer for rain. He is a humble man, and to avoid drawing attention to himself, claims it was his wife’s prayers that were answered miraculously, not his own.( 36,37)

In the Scripture, we see rain as a blessing from God in many cases. [3]

Deut 11:14 “I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.”

Is 45:8″Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it

Hebrews 6:7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

Job 5:10 “He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields.

Jer 14:22 Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O LORD our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things. Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O LORD our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things.

As we have travelled to Native American lands, we have seen supernatural rain occur many times as a direct answer to prayer, with rainbows often appearing over revival tent meetings, that we interpreted as God Himself smiling upon our events.

More recently, during the inauguration of President Trump, a gentle rain began to fall. Franklin Graham rightly interpreted this as God’s blessing on this particular land, we call the United States of America.
Is it any wonder then, that almost every Native American tribe has fallen in love with Israel, and that yesterday, with President Trump meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and pledging US support for Israel, that we experienced a gentle rain, watering the earth?

The chapter in the book, outlining marriage and adultery from both the Jewish background, and in Jesus further teaching on the topic is wonderful as far as it goes, yet as I have attempted to understand the various Christian denominational positions on the difficult topic of Biblical divorce and remarriage, it would seem that a deeper study of this important topic would be critical for my own understanding. Clearly, the Jewish culture has some clear process for this event that might provide a firm pillar as the other positions denominationally taught are more fully researched.
Chapter 20 introduces a challenge to traditional Christian interpretation of Jesus parable of the wicked husbandman (215). It appears the author has written another book on the parables of Jesus, that just got bumped on to my ‘required reading’ list, as a topic for further research, for this simple reason: I love Israel and the Jewish people. I have been to Rwanda, and have visited the genocide memorial there, and seen artifacts and film footage of the Holocaust, and the anti-Semitic cries of the Nazi murderers, calling the Jewish people ‘Christ Killers!’. The heartbreak is, this is not unlike the damnable heresy called, ‘apartheid’ that caused untold suffering in South Africa, or the teaching of ‘manifest destiny’ taught here in America that caused the genocide of the large majority of native Americans living here at the time. These atrocities were performed in the name of the Christian religion, and were taught first to people by supposed Christian ministers! This is far from the heart of Jesus the Jew.

In conclusion, I believe the author did an excellent job in presenting the true historical Jesus, fully Jewish, and introducing to us the need to more fully understand the theology of Jesus from a Jewish standpoint.

[1] http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/monotheism/context-elohim.html

[2] Benny Hinn miracle crusade.

[3] http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/LivingWater/BlessingOfRain.html

https://chrisaomministries.com/2016/08/06/the-purpose-of-this-blog/

Not one jot or Tittle

Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

I snapped a picture of the hand-out sheet given us in seminary, by Dr. Brad Young. Incredible insight in it, as you look at the Hebrew language of the text.

http://www.gospelresearch.org/founder.html

I have not yet had his Hebrew class yet, and do not speak Hebrew, but I have no reason to doubt his presentation of this passage.

Under the law, Torah reads:

Deut 17:17-18(NASB)

¹⁷ He shall not multiply wives for himself, ^[a]or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

¹⁸ “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll ^[b]in the presence of the Levitical priests.

In Hebrew (Stepping into the unknown here)

¹⁷ וְלֹ֤א יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ֙ נָשִׁ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָס֖וּר לְבָב֑וֹ וְכֶ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֹ֥א יַרְבֶּה־לּ֖וֹ מְאֹֽד׃

¹⁸ וְהָיָ֣ה כְשִׁבְתּ֔וֹ עַ֖ל כִּסֵּ֣א מַמְלַכְתּ֑וֹ וְכָ֨תַב ל֜וֹ אֶת־מִשְׁנֵ֨ה הַתּוֹרָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ עַל־סֵ֔פֶר מִלִּפְנֵ֥י הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים הַלְוִיִּֽם׃

The Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

He showed us on the whiteboard, the Hebrew, and explained how by removing the yod, the verse took on a completely different meaning, that instead of expressly forbidding the king from multiplying horses and wives to himself, Solomon apparently said it was okay for him to have horses and wives multiplied to himself.

This sin brought destruction to Israel, hence the impassioned cry of prayer from this account of a Hebrew scholar, sage, and clearly one concerned with God’s truth and holiness.

This gives much deeper meaning and understanding to the words of Jesus

Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The law is holy.

While the letter of the law kills, the spirit of the law is love, truth, and holiness – the hunger of every human heart.

His account of the man of God crying out to God on behalf of Israel, and reminds me of the article I wrote for the leadership breakfast some time ago, specifically the thought that perhaps a Jewish leader, seeing the church being birthed in power, could have cried out in a similar way, on behalf of God’s holiness: https://chrisaomministries.com/2017/02/05/when-god-does-business/

In any case, on this blog, we all seek Jesus, and He is Jewish, and He is truth. He fulfilled the law, so that we can be forgiven, adopted, and can actually pursue a life of love and true holiness, not merely the letter of the law, but as the law is written upon our hearts, changing our very thoughts and motives.

I am so grateful for what I am learning….

Let’s pray:

‘Father, may I become holy. Not merely position-ally, but practically as you renew my mind, and challenge my thoughts and intents of heart, that I might, by Your grace, change, and become more like Jesus. That I might continue in Your Word, and know truth, that that truth I know, would make me free. I ask, knowing I am heard, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus.Amen’

https://chrisaomministries.com/2016/08/06/the-purpose-of-this-blog/

The Supernatural Blessing of Rain..

As most of you know, we have spent many years walking among native americans, learning much about the movings and workings of God in North America, from a people close to Him and nature.

Many times, in times of drought, we would witness prayer for rain, and it would rain, watering the earth, and causing life to again come forth.

We know how God caused a drought to come upon Israel and then Elijah prayed and rain came, in abundance.

Rain in Scripture, generally symbolizes God’s blessing upon the earth:

Deuteronomy 28:12

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

Psalm 147:8

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

There are many instances of God sending rain, throughout Jewish history. Here is an account given in my seminary reading from Dr. Young’s ‘Jesus the Jewish Theologian’, that I find edifying and comforting, the story of the Jewish rabbi known to be heard by God, and answered in rain: He is known as Choni the Circle Maker. Here is his story, from the Jewish legend:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/448345/jewish/Choni-the-Circle-Maker.htm

Is it any wonder then, that many native american tribes identify strongly with Israel, recognizing clearly that the Jesus we worship as Christians is Jewish, that His homeland is Israel, the land that He loves.

Yesterday, as Franklin Graham opened in prayer at President Donald Trumps inauguration, as President Trump took the platform, a gentle rain began to fall:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8CHxAoIcl4

I believe God has had mercy on the nation of America again, that as we again bless Israel, stop abortion and corruption, and do what is right before God, He will again bless this country.

God has had mercy upon America again!

Now, we must recognize this great love towards us, and respond to heaven…

The change begins with me and you.

What can I do to make America great again?

What can you do?

What are areas of corruption that I have allowing in my life, my family?

What, today, will I do to eliminate these, to rise up to be the person of honor God has created me to be?