Bring Back The King

*Attention: This is not a post about Elvis, Michael Jackson, or even that goofy looking character from the Burger King commercials.*

This post is about a hope and a prayer, that I pray and hope will turn into a plea by Yeshua’s (Jesus’) brothers and sisters according to the flesh (i.e. The Jewish People) really soon in the coming days. Amen! These thoughts are primarily drawn out of the 16th Chapter entitled Life from the Dead in Michael Brown’s book Our Hands Are Stained With Blood.

For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:39 ESV)

Yeshua (Jesus) spoke these words in sadness to Jerusalem not too long before his death. These words come after a long litany of warnings to the oppressive and unbelieving leadership of the Jewish people in Yeshua’s day. Yeshua’s words as recorded here in Matthew are insightful and indeed prophetic. These words are magnificent and the implications are probably beyond our full scope of understanding until they become the reality that will usher in the Age to Come. And yet with clarity, there is an aspect and an event in view that all believer’s should understand right now in this present age - The Jewish People play an integral part in the 2nd Coming of Yeshua!

Ever since I can remember, in my lifetime, there has always been talk of the Lord’s return to this earth. This is popularly known as the 2nd Advent or 2nd Coming. This desire and speculation of Yeshua’s return has not just recently become the hot topic of believers, but it is true of my parent’s and grandparent’s generation as well. In fact, the imminent expectation of Yeshua’s return goes all the way back through every generation of the last two thousand years, even to the very generation(s) in which the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) were written. But, have we really had genuine reason to believe that He could return at anytime? I suppose that each and every generation could validate and give “evidence” for His return in some form or fashion. Some of the “evidences” of our modern times (most of which I agree with) are the formation of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish control of Jerusalem for the first time in almost 2,500 years in 1967, Tens of thousands of Jewish people coming to faith in Yeshua in the last 40-50 years, the increased frequency of natural disasters, the increased frequency of wars and rumors of wars, the explosion of knowledge and technology, etc, etc. Yeshua talked about many of these things being a “sign of the end”, but there is still a caveat, there is still something else that must happen before his return – Yeshua said so, very plainly, himself. As Brown makes note of  in his book “He will remain in heaven until Jerusalem welcomes Him back. That is how it must be!”.

So it is with this caveat in mind that I write this post; that Yeshua will not return until his own people, the Jews, welcome him back as Melech Mashiach (King Messiah).

Brown brings up a portion of Scripture from 2 Samuel, having to do with King David, in which he suggests is prophetic in light of Yeshua’s words in Matthew 23. At this point in David’s life, he had been on the run after his son Absalom had stolen his throne. David had previously left Jerusalem out of fear for his life, but now his son Absalom has been killed and David was ready to return and resume his kingship from the City of the King. After hearing of Absalom’s death, the Israelites argued amongst themselves saying;

“The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?” (2 Samuel 19:9-10 ESV)

King David took their sentiments a bit further and went right to the source of contention. He sent a message straight to the leadership in Israel at the time and said;

“Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ (2 Samuel 19:11-12 ESV)

“You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ These words could easily reflect the attitude of Yeshua to his brothers and sisters in the flesh. All the nations of the world are represented in wanting to bring back the King (including Messianic Jews), but until Jerusalem (represented by Israel and the Jewish People as a whole) receive and welcome Him back – He will not return!

So this is one of the great challenges and opportunities we face! Some might say Mission Impossible, it can’t be done or it won’t be done until Yeshua comes back, but wait, according to Yeshua’s own words it must happen before He returns – not after! Many Christians might be surprised to learn that religious Jew’s pray for their Messiah’s return daily, as well as it being a central tenet to their faith (though currently they reject Yeshua as this Messiah).

The 15th blessing of the Amidah (daily standing prayer) is called The Kingdom of David and it appeals to God to bring the Messianic King to sit on David’s throne:

May the seed of David thy servant flourish speedily and may You exalt in Your salvation. For in Your salvation do we hope all the day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who brings forth the horn of our salvation.

The 12th principle in Maimonides 13 principles of Jewish faith states; the belief in the coming of Messiah and the Messianic era.

How can we challenge and change the status quo of long-held assumptions about who the Messiah is? What part can you play in this Divine objective?

For starters, we can all join in prayer a la Psalm 122:6; Pray for the Peace and Salvation of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will not experience true and lasting peace and salvation without her true Messiah, Yeshua.

Second, we must understand Paul’s words in Romans 11 and keep them continually on our heart and in focus:

Christians (non-Jewish believers from among the nations) must understand that it is only in part to Israel’s stumbling that we are able to proclaim God’s amazing grace as grateful believers today.

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. (Romans 11:11 ESV)

To me, this is also one of the lost callings of the Church and Christianity in general. We have hardly provoked Israel to jealousy by showering them with the love of Christ, but instead, historically speaking, we have persecuted them in Jesus’ name as Christ killers! All believers everywhere must repent for ourselves and our ancestors in the faith. We must take a stand against and denounce all anti-Judaic and anti-Semitic behavior and theology. 

Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:12 ESV)

I believe that many Christians are eternally thankful to God for “calling them out of the darkness and into His marvelous light”. “For O’ the depths and heights” of God’s blessings that he has bestowed upon us and yet this is only a taste of the mutually universal blessing that will be showered upon all believer’s once Israel is brought back into the fold under her Messiah.

For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15 ESV)

This portion of Scripture penned by Paul through the Holy Spirit is astounding! Israel’s rejection enabled all the nations of the world, you and I, to be brought into a personal and corporate relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The I AM who spoke to Moses, the God of Israel, the Tetragrammaton – YHVH! Meditate upon this, all of this was done because of Israel’s (temporary) rejection! We should hardly be able to contain ourselves at the thought of Israel’s future acceptance and welcome message back to her King ”Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai”, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”! For this message is about one of our primary and eternal hopes – The Resurrection!

The Resurrection is a central tenet to the theology of Christianity and Judaism and is something in which we are all eternally hopeful. Again, from Maimonides 13 principles of Jewish faith; #13 – the belief in the resurrection of the dead.

Finally, I believe that it is to this end that the modern Messianic Jewish movement has arisen in these last days. I believe that Messianic Judaism will be the great bridge of reconciliation between Christianity and normative Judaism. I believe that it is the high calling of the Messianic Jewish movement to prepare the remnant of Israel with all believers from the nations alongside her in love and prayer to proclaim the message “Bring Back The King”!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

2011 In Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for my blog. I’m pretty sure you’ll want to read about it:-)!

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,600 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people. Ladies and Gentlemen, All Aboard – It’s time to jump on board the Messiah Connection Light Train and take a little trip!

Click here to see the complete report.

2011 is officially history now!

It happened as of about 10 hours ago as I sit writing this post! It’s a time to feel good about a new beginning, a clean slate, a fresh start, new opportunities and adventures. This feeling will last at least until about your 2nd day back to work or school and you realize that for now things are not that much different in reality than they were the last week. Time will tell and there’s always hope. Here’s to wishing you and yours the best in the year to come!

Welcome to 2012 and Happy New Year!

2012 is undoubtably the most hyped up year in the “apocalyptic/end of the world” sense that this world has known since the year 2000. The year(s) leading up to 2000 were hyped up by the fact that we were entering a new millennium, which is in fact a rarity, since it does only happen once every one thousand years. The year 2000 was also hyped up by the Y2K scare, which was basically a theory that the world’s computer systems would not know how to handle going from 12/31/99 to 1/1/00. And this “numerical glitch” would send our post modern world and technology back to the turn of the 20th century. This real life “back to the future” scenario would make our electrical grid non-existent, world financial markets would crash, airplanes and satellites would fall from the sky, food supplies would stop, the mark of the beast would be initiated, world-wide anarchy and chaos would ensue, and on top of all this, aliens would probably attack our poor state of existence. Looking back, this sounds ludicrous, but at the time I heard all of these theories from respectable, educated persons. I knew people at the time, who had been preparing ”hideouts” in the country, stockpiling canned food, water, and weaponry (yes, guns and lots of ammunition), for the mass hysteria that would be our existence at 12:01 am, January 1st, 2000. At the time, I worked for a mobile paging and phone company. The owners of the company were planning to “camp out” in the server rooms on New Year’s Eve 1999 in case there was any “technical difficulty”. I was also in a band at the time and we had a gig on NYE in a town about 30 minutes from our hometown. One of our band member’s parent’s was “extremely concerned” about us “traveling” 30 miles to play a Rock n’ Roll show on this most fateful of nights. On the way to the gig that evening, we spotted numerous bonfires and camping sites off the highway in the distance, safe from all of the world’s troubles (though these self-proclaimed hide-outs could hardly be verified as such since they were only 200 yards from the highway!). As a group of teenagers, we could feel the excitement in the air that evening and we all hoped ”something might happen”, and we all thought it would be “very cool” if it did. How awesome, we thought, would it have been to be on a stage, playing a rock n roll song, when the world stopped turning! That’s how a 19-year-old thinks, or at least that’s how I thought.

None of that happened of course. The New millennium and Year began just like all the rest before them and by the time September 11th, 2001 happened, the world had all but forgotten about the perceived threat of our existence with Y2K, as a new era of reality and fear in the name of Terrorism had begun.

2012 is another one of those types of years. It has been hyped as such for at least more than a decade. I remember seeing a tv show (I forget the channel) in 1998 about the end of the Mayan calendar  on December of 2012. Why didn’t they date past that date? What will happen then? Does it predict the end of mankind’s existence as we know it? Why? What? Why? How? When?

Here is what I do know; There will be shocking things happen in 2012. There will be unbelievable events happen in 2012. It will be the end of the world for millions of people in 2012. I can guarantee that. But, does that make me a prophet, a modern-day Nostradamus? Does it mean that 2012 will be all that it’s hyped up to be in the doom & gloom department? Probably not, at least not according to the popular view of it. I do believe that we are getting nearer to the Lord’s return (everyday in fact), and that leading up to this nearness, there will be birthpains before the birth of a new age. The Messiah said so in Matthew 24:3-8. The Biblical view of these things is vastly different from the popular view though. For in the Bible, the end of this age doesn’t signify the end of mankind and all death and despair. Though that is a reality in the Bible, what is in greater focus is the Age to Come, an age of increased peace and joy due to the Messiah’s rule and reign over this earth with Justice and Truth. The end of this present age will segue into the Age to Come when the Messiah returns and sets up His world government from Jerusalem.

I hope to publish a post about Yeshua’s (Jesus’) return and the peace of Jerusalem in the coming days. I hope that you would add these two things to your prayer requests/resolutions for 2012. Maranatha!

To end on a lighter note, I heard a joke a year or two ago about the Mayan Calendar that went something like this:

                      

Happy New Year everyone and many blessings to you in the Name of the Lord for 2012!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Messiah Yeshua!

Between Miracles

 ”Do you believe in miracles?”

- asks Matisyahu in the song Miracle. This will also be my over-arching question and theme for this post.

Last week I wrote about some of my views and shared a bit of my personal journey on whether or not you could have a Chanukah and a kosher Christmas celebration if you were either a Messianic Jew, a Messianic Gentile, or a Judaically informed Christian. I share my perspective as a Christian (The word Messianic is a synonymous term) who has been influenced and continues to be informed by Judaism and it’s philosophy and traditions. Since Hanukkah and Christmas intersect this year, I wanted to continue to explore a thematic parallel that is shared between the two holidays.

I originally sat down to write this post with a working title called Festivals of Light. I was going to look at how the Festivals of Light could describe both Chanukah and Christmas and how they relate to God and His Word, Messiah and His Disciples, plus customs and traditions associated with the Light of both festivals. But, like what happens so many times, inspiration strikes from out of nowhere (or somewhere) it seems and the next thing you know you’re being led into a direction that you hadn’t prepared for but amazingly ideas are flowing like a proverbial river. Ok, so I don’t know if this happens to everyone but it happens to myself enough for me to think it might be a common occurence that leads to creativity for everyone else.

Yesterday, my wife and I officially became members and a part of the mishpacha (family) at Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue. For the last 4 months we have been reading through 3 required books and attending a weekly class for membership. So, after a 4 month hiatus, this morning I picked up God In Search Of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel. I haven’t had the time to continue reading and studying through God In Search Of Man due to our membership class requirements with Baruch HaShem. I have posted multiple times in the past about this book and I started thinking again of what Heschel had to say about the mystery, wonder, awe, amazement and glory of God. One of the reasons that led me to Heschel and God In Search Of Man today, was a Facebook comment that a friend of mine posted last week about the death of one of his hero’s and fellow atheists Christopher Hitchens. In addition to that, I heard through song and movies a few references to miracles this past week. When I sat down to write this blog originally about the Festivals of Light, all these various thoughts from the last few days led me to start thinking about miracles and the shared miracle theme of Hanukkah and Christmas.

It is common to hear stories about miracles during Hanukkah and Christmas.

For Hanukkah, probably the most traditional and well-known story of a miracle has to do with the Miracle of the oil for the Temple Menorah. In the Talmud in tractate Shabbat 21, it is said that when the Maccabees defeated the evil Antiochus Epiphanies and his Greek army, they took back control of Jerusalem and the Temple. Upon doing this though, they found only enough oil to light the Temple Menorah (that should burn continually in representation of God’s presence) for one night and that it would take a total of 8 days to consecrate new oil that is fit to be burned in the Temple. Miraculously, the one night of oil lasted for 8 nights and hence God provided the miracle in order to create new oil and we have the 8 nights of Hanukkah. This is a great story and the primary event that the holiday commemorates. Perhaps though, a more historical and even more miraculous event to happen that led to Hanukkah being celebrated, is when the outnumbered and outsourced band of guerilla fighters led by Mattathias and Judah Maccabee overcame all odds and adversity to defeat the larger, better trained and more equipped Greek army. After the Jewish victory in about 165 BCE, on the 25th of Kislev, the Temple and Altar were cleansed and re-dedicated (this is what the word Hanukkah means) back to God. At this time, an 8 day festival was proclaimed with much feasting, song and sacrifice and is thought by many scholars and historians to be a belated festival of Sukkot (which last 8 days). This is also alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18. The Jews had been unable to properly celebrate the feasts during the years preceding the victory and Sukkot was the most recently missed holiday. I know of at least two other miracle stories which are interesting that relate to Hanukkah as well:

1. 2 Maccabees 1:18-36 also says that the reason that the 25 of Kislev was chosen for the day of Hanukkah (re-dedication) was that, that was the same day that God had miraculously caused the fire for the sacrifice of the Altar to be re-lit by those priests, who had preserved in the Persian exile, the elements of the former fire of the Temple Altar.
2. It is thought by some in the Messianic and Jewish Roots movement that Yeshua was born in the fall, perhaps during one of the fall feasts. If this was the case, then if we were to rewind the clock back 9 months, one would come to the approximate time of Hanukkah. This is all merely speculative, but it would be very interesting to suppose that the Light of the World could have been conceived during the Festival of Lights. That would be yet another miraculous event indeed!

For Christmas, it is often said (in the movies at least) that something that happens out of the ordinary or that cannot be explained easily at this time of year is a “Christmas miracle”. Many times this is probably thought of in the secular and general sense of the “spirit” of Christmas creating these “miracles”. I equate this type of “miracle” thinking to the kind of “miracle” of the mythical Santa Claus figure who can fly around (through flying deer who pull his sleigh) the world in a single night and drop gifts off at all the good little boys and girls homes. This is what I would call the fairy tale “miracle”. But for many who might proclaim witness to a “Christmas miracle” there is another source. A Source and Reality that is hidden and yet more real and evidenced than many would like to admit or contemplate. A miracle that has a deep-seated mystery about it and causes a wonder and amazement that is beyond belief, yet in some glorious way is believable. There is one such “Christmas miracle” that is proclaimed by many at this time that is one of the most miraculous events to ever happen in the history of the universe……a birth of a baby boy by a young women. What? What in the world is so miraculous about that? Absolutely nothing! That is, unless you believe, that the child (Yeshua) was born of a virgin (Miriam) who had been conceived by God (The Holy Spirit) and that the child who was born had been with God in the beginning before there was the concept of creation and time and that this child was in fact God Himself who had left His exalted position to take on flesh and literally became Immanuel (God is with us), the Author, Perfector, and Sustainer of our faith! That is the greatest miracle I have ever encountered!!!

What of these miracles of the past you might ask? What about the here and now? How do we really believe in miracles today?

In the book, God In Search Of Man, Heschel talks about the sense of wonder and miracles being the “source of prayer”. Heschel mentions that the religious Jew will pray 3 times a day: “We thank You……For Your miracles are with us daily, For Your continual marvels….”

As I sit typing this post about miracles, at this very minute I just received a text from a good friend of mine who lives in Georgia. My friend’s dad has been critically ill while waiting for a heart transplant and has spent the past few weeks in the ICU of the hospital. The last update I had from him was on Thanksgiving, Nov 24th. The text reads verbatim “Thanks everyone for all your support and prayers. There is a heart match and my dad goes into heart transplant surgery in an hour.” Praise God!!! I would ask that you keep this friend of mine and his dad in your prayers for a speedy and strong recovery. I would even ask for a miraculous recovery!

Heschel says that in all things, no matter how great or small, good or bad we perceive them to be we must remain aware of God’s wonder and miracles. We must seek and learn to invoke His great name and our awareness of Him continually.

“There is no worship, no music, no love, if we take for granted the blessings or defeats of living.”

Heschel says that one of the goals to the Jewish way of living is “to experience commonplace deeds as spiritual adventures, to feel the hidden love and wisdom in all things.”

According to Heschel, you might say that daily, we are constantly between miracles. Living life each day from one miracle to the next.

“Do you believe in Miracles?”

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

Chanukah and a kosher Christmas?

(My 4-year-old daughter approved the picture for this post because she thought it represented the title well….I couldn’t agree more, nice job mija!)

I’ve read many different blogs and articles in respect to these holidays over the past couple of weeks. Feelings run the gamut of excitement to loathing, from celebratory to critical. I’ve seen many Facebook posts and Twitter tweets with healthy doses of “hot” holiday opinions and “scholarly”comments. So, I thought to myself, self, since I have a computer with some online “space”, I might as well share IMHO as well.

Conventional wisdom (along with the majority of my family, friends and just about everyone else I know ) would say that these two holidays wouldn’t mix and match well, unless that is;

A. You’re a retailer who could benefit from the dual marketing schemes and crafty advertising to create a shopping frenzy that is even grossly above the one that we see today. This would skyrocket the revenue from tapping into the commercialism of both holidays or………

B. You’re a kid who gets not only one day to reap the proverbial harvest but an additional eight nights to flood your bedroom with things you will be tired of in three weeks, which will lead to your parents to constantly remind you to clean up your mess until they give up and just start to do it themselves or……….

C. You could combine both A & B, plus order in, or eat out Chinese food and go watch a movie on the big screen.

On the other hand, we could all save ourselves lots of money, headaches and arguments and just celebrate Festivus! No? What do you mean it was just made up for tv? Ok, ok, enough of my bad seasonal holiday humor. On with the subject at hand!

What about these two holidays from a traditional Christian and Jewish religious perspective? For the majority of Christians and Jews this is a non-issue. “Christmas is for Christians and Chanukah is for Jews.” A significant part of Christian history has rejected “all things” Jewish and in turn Judaism on a whole has rejected the Messianic claims of Yeshua (Jesus) espoused by Christianity. “The religions, less alone the holidays clearly don’t belong together!” this is an unfortunate, but common sentiment shared by followers of both. [As Morning Meditations blogger James states in the comments below; apart from the time of year, Chanukah and Christmas "really have nothing to do with each other". On some levels this is true. As James notes, Christmas is a major holiday for Christianity and Chanukah is a relatively minor holiday for Judaism. They are also not equivalent in the sense that you could interchange either one culturally and basically end up with the same holiday, i.e. Chanukah would not be the "Jewish Christmas". For additional response to these thoughts see the comments below.]

But for those of us involved with the Messianic movement in some form or fashion, it isn’t always so simple. I know some inter-married couples (where one spouse is Jewish and the other Christian) who struggle at this time a year with their extended family tugging on their coat-tails to focus on Chanukah and non-assimilation this or Christmas and Joy to the World that. I have non-Jewish friends and family who avoid “all things” Christmas and others who “redeem” all things Christmas. And still I know of others in the Messianic realm that won’t have anything to do with either holiday because it’s not a “biblical” holiday.

On this topic I could think of many questions that would be worthy of discussion:

• As a Messianic Jew, could you or should you for that matter, celebrate Christmas as a legitimate expression of your faith in Messiah?
• As a Christian informed by Judaism, what reasons or benefit could there be in celebrating Chanukah in respect to the Christ?
• What about celebrating Christmas in solidarity with Christendom?
• What about celebrating Chanukah in solidarity with Israel?
• What is their shared history, themes and theology?
• What about the pagan/secular influences of both?
• Does pagan mean it’s inherently evil and unable to be given the right theology?

I’m probably not going to directly answer any of these ?’s in this post and even if I did it would not likely please anyone on this topic. Instead, I primarily want to share some of my journey and where I am now in respect to these two winter celebrations.

***Disclaimer*** I’ll answer a question I usually get when talking about anything “Jewish” related; “Are you Jewish?” No, the simple answer is No. The main problem with this answer is that it doesn’t set the heart of the person asking the question at ease. If my answer was “Of course I’m Jewish”, then everything would make sense and all things in the world would be right (sigh). We could at the least move on to whatever else we wanted to discuss in peace. But when I say “No” to the “Are you Jewish?” question, confusion abounds and further explanation must be given in a way that communicates “Why in the world would you do that for if you’re not Jewish?”. I digress………..

Last year I wrote A Christmas Conversation, which was a brief look at my personal history and some thoughts as it relates to Christmas. I was brought up in what I would consider to be a typical “Christian” household in Small Town, USA. I had a loving family and for the most part everything was good. I have fond memories of Christmas growing up as a kid. Since I was a child there has always seemed to be something a bit magical and mysterious about Christmas and this season in general. As I mentioned in A Christmas Conversation, I was shocked when my parents came to me at 18 or 19 years old and said that we weren’t going to do Christmas anymore but we were going to celebrate Chanukah!

Chanukah O’ Chanukah?

As mentioned above, I’m not Jewish. I also didn’t have any friends as a child who were Jewish, I didn’t know any of my parents friends who were Jewish and I didn’t date anyone that I knew of who was Jewish either that would have influenced me. So how did I end up celebrating Chanukah?

It started somewhere around 1999 or 2000. My parents had been introduced to the Jewish roots of Christianity by a Bible teacher and I think my parents originally thought of Chanukah as a nice Jewish alternative to Christmas. It was a holiday that was celebrated around the same time of year, but without the Pagan influences of Christmas. It was also not nearly as commercialized and had less pomp and circumstance about it. I was 20 years old and I couldn’t even spell Chanukah (I came to find out later it could also be spelled Hanukkah) and the only thing I knew about Chanukah at the time were the things I had learned from the Adam Sandler song.

So for the next few years I was a bit confused to say the least when it came to this time of year. I couldn’t give up Christmas cold turkey after almost 20 years, it was all I had ever known and yet I didn’t have a problem including Chanukah, but early on I didn’t really have the slightest idea of how to truly make it meaningful. It was mostly this type of struggle for me until 2007. That year was a watershed year for my faith. I was young in my walk with God and Yeshua (Jesus) and I begin to study for the first time on my own accord the pagan influences of Christianity in general but Christmas and Easter in particular. At this same time I was also introduced to Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue and began to study the Jewish roots of Christianity. In the beginning of learning both the Jewish roots as well as the Paganism of Christianity I was shocked at first and then I became angry. It was like I went through the 5 stages of grief in relation to this:

1. Denial – This can’t be true! Say it ain’t so. Has this really happened.
2. Anger - I was angry at the Church for suppressing this info and angry towards others who didn’t understand my new-found knowledge.
3. Bargaining – I wanted to share with anyone who would listen and try to have them understand my position so I would feel understood and justified.
4. Depression – Nobody cares about this. Everyone is right in their on mind and theology. I’m one of the few who knows the truth and that is a lonely position.
5. Acceptance – I continued to research and ask ?’s year after year and begin to get a broader perspective and a greater understanding and depth of what is truth.

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t exactly the same, but I could relate to that model. Thankfully God in his rich grace, hasn’t left me to that same level of anger, confusion and pride that I had a few years ago in relation to this subject.

After a couple of years like that, in 2009 I begin to have a new perspective on both Chanukah and Christmas that continues to be reflective and thoughtful to this day. I don’t go into anything blindly accepting everything that has been told or shown to me and I don’t expect you to either. Below are some additional thoughts of mine and some links to blogs and articles that I found to be helpful on the Chanukah and Christmas quest for balance and truthfulness:

Chanukah for Christians? Here is a link to a blog I wrote last year called Consider Christ, Chanukah!

Also see, A Bissell of Hanukkah How-To’s and Inspiration, MJ Style by Rabbi Derek Leman.

A kosher Christmas? As far as my ghosts of recent Christmas past are concerned, they don’t haunt me the way they used to anymore. I think it was a blessing that I was able to learn the intricate history of Christmas and struggle for a few years with its implications. This is a healthy and necessary practice and process to keep integrity in our faith expressions. I should do more of this and so should you. Here are a few thoughts on what I’ve learned and where I am now:

• The birth of Yeshua (Jesus) by the virgin Miriam (Mary) is historical.
• The Bible gives details about the birth of Yeshua but doesn’t call it Christmas.
• Christmas is a man-made holiday by Christians for Yeshua.
• The Bible doesn’t prohibit celebrating Yeshua’s birth.
• The Bible emphasizes and makes much of Yeshua’s death.
• The Bible contains many God ordained festivals that reveal Yeshua.
• Most scholars put Yeshua’s birth in the Spring or Fall and not the Winter.
• Celebration of Yeshua’s birth most likely began in the late 2nd Century.
• His birth became wide-spread and official by the Church in the 4th Century.
• This was likely done to combat paganism, not to conform to it.
• Most Biblical Festivals have almost identical practices that predate them.
• The Winter solstice has been celebrated since before Yeshua was born.
• Many Christmas customs seem to have their origins in non-biblical religions.
• Some practices and customs can be redeemed, some can’t. Use discernment.
• All of creation is good and from God but mankind can form into idols.
• Trees in the Bible were used as decoration and symbolism by God’s people.
• Trees in the Bible were made into idols and used in false worship by pagans.
• God created light and He is the Light of the World. We are to be His reflection.
• Christmas music can be worshipful, uplifting, inspiring and theological.
• Peace, Joy and Goodwill for all men is a disciples goal and Messianic ideal.
• Giving gifts and helping others is a good, fun and Christ-like thing to do.
• Excessive consumerism is a sin.
• Santa Claus is not real and we shouldn’t lie to children about him being real.
• Santa Claus did start as a historical figure in the person of St. Nicholas.
• It’s good to see churches and believers emphasizing Advent vs commercialism.

Here is a link to a very interesting article that was written in 1910 by the early 20th Century Messianic Jew Chaim Yedidah Theophilis (Lucky) called “Hanukkah or Christmas?”.

For some additional Jewish background to the Biblical “Christmas” story go to Yeshua In Context and watch the three recent videos Bethlehem Shepherds, Bethlehem Star, and Magi’s Gifts.

I’m of the opinion that if you are a Christian who identifies with Judaism and gleans from its rich tradition or if you are a Messianic Jew and find depth and beauty in a Messiah centered Christian tradition, you can (gasp) definitely celebrate both Chanukah and a kosher Christmas. What does that look like? It will vary on the individual level and from family to family. For my family, we put the emphasis on Chanukah in our home. We make use of Chanukah’s light and miracle themes and relate them to God, Yeshua and His people. We tell the story of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil. We light the menorah on all eight nights, bless God, give gifts, play driedel and texas driedel (for the adults), and eat latkes and donuts. For Christmas in our home, you won’t find any of the traditional decorations that you might expect. One of the primary reasons we do this is that for us and our kids, in the culture of America, we have no shortage of exposure to Christmas in its many forms. When we walk out the door of our house, it’s all over our neighborhoods, shopping places, work, school, etc. Chanukah on the other hand is harder to find, it’s less exposed and that to us makes it even more special and intimate. It is primarily limited to our house, a few friends, family and our synagogue.

Chanukah begins on the evening of December 20th this year and as I write this post that is only 9 days away. I think we all know when Christmas is.

I pray that this year your heart is warmed by God’s mercy and provision in your lives and you carry that glow or spark into the new year and I hope that the embers of His Spirit would grow day upon day into a full-fledged wildfire for Him and His ways. May He lead all of us to do mighty works for His Name and Glory!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

The Bond Family 2011

Thankful For Thanksgiving

I find it a pretty easy task to celebrate the majority of our holidays in the good ol’ USA. I work for a bank, so I get the opportunity to partake in just about every holiday you can think of in this country. For me, it’s not a hard sell; you give me a day off and I can make the most of it, I’ll guarantee it! Celebration runs in my blood. It must! Out of all the American Holiday’s, I do have a favorite though, one that is a cut above the rest. This particular holiday is just a tad bit more filling and sweeter in my opinion than the others. It also probably has something to do with this holiday falling within my favorite season, Autumn. The Holiday that I’m most thankful for is Thanksgiving.

My memory of Thanksgiving runs back as far as I can remember to when I was a child and every year, my Mom, Dad, Brother and I would travel about 30 minutes down the country back roads of Northeast Texas to have Thanksgiving dinner with my Grandparents in a little community called Monkstown. The atmosphere was always so warm and inviting, I can still almost smell and taste all the goodness from that old house to this very day. We did this for about 15 years, until they moved to be closer to my parents and my brother and I moved to Big D to be a little further away from everyone:-). We had other family in Monkstown as well for many of those years, Great-Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc, that you would very rarely, if ever see if you didn’t see them at either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Example – It’s been 10 years now since we’ve had a Thanksgiving in Monkstown and I don’t think I have seen a single one of them in person since (save maybe a funeral). This is a bit sad I know, but the majority of the family that I’m aware of just aren’t the reuniting type. I share the blame at this as well, but maybe one day this will change.

In 2005, my soon to be wife and I decided to host our first Thanksgiving together with both sides of our family. We both wanted to have family gatherings similar to what we had growing up and since we didn’t want to trade-off every other year we thought “why not bring them over to our house”. My wife is from West Texas and I’m from Northeast Texas, so being in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area it made sense to us for everyone to “meet in the middle”. This inaugural gathering of our families worked out really well as we had a dozen or more family members who are rarely at the same place, at the same time, to get a chance to fellowship together with some who had never even met each other before.

Fast forward to 2012 and we are extremely blessed to be hosting our 7th annual Thanksgiving this year (for more on the significance of the #7 check out my friend Coley’s recent post 7 onto 8). We have always had a dozen or so join us every year and that doesn’t look like its changing this year either. My family has grown by two (3 if we count the dog) since 2005 and it seems we always have a new face or two join us each year to make up for someone else who couldn’t make it this time around. We cherish these few precious hours that we get to spend in this setting once a year.

Starting back in 2008 (minus last year due to a last-minute weather change) we have made the Capital One Bank/Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot a part of our Thanksgiving Day tradition. This is a fun way to “shotgun” start the day with 40,000 of our “friends” from our “community”. In addition to the Turkey Trot, we wanted to find a way to extend this holiday a bit more and have something unique to do with whoever would be free or in town early on the night before our big day. A couple of months ago, Elizabeth and I came up with the idea to have a “Pilgrim Party” the night before Thanksgiving - a throwback party 1621 style to usher in the holiday for us. I had originally sat down to write this post about what this Pilgrim Party might “look” like and then my thoughts were taken in the direction of everything else you’ve read up to this point. The basic idea of the Pilgrim Party is to have an “original” type Thanksgiving meal somewhat similar to what we now call that first Thanksgiving. This would include a brief look at the history, type of dress, menu selections (you might be surprised what they had and didn’t have to eat), games, etc. Lord willing I will get a post out about our Pilgrim Party experience at some point.

For now though, this holiday is upon us. Take the time to reflect in the midst of the prep and business (in a day or two its only going to get crazier for the next month). Collect your thoughts and count your blessings. Be joyful and grateful. Smile big and laugh hard. Have light conversations and deep ones. See to remember, listen well and breathe in deeply your surroundings. Be thankful for others and yourself. Be thankful for someone or many and make sure they know it. Be thankful on Thanksgiving, but not only on Thanksgiving. Be thankful daily. Be thankful to Him Who makes all things according to His will for His glory!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

Philo-Semitic Puritans

“No Christian community in history identified more with the People of the Book than did the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed their own lives to be a literal reenactment of the Biblical drama of the Hebrew nation.” Gabriel Sivan – The Bible and Civilization

“For the first time in history, Jewish ethical ideas were legally enshrined into the laws of a non-Jewish nation.”  Ken Spiro – Simple To Remember (Judaism Online)

As I wrote about in last week’s blog A Subject So Heavy, I have been reading Michael Brown’s book Our Hands Are Stained With Blood – The Tragic Story of the “Church” and the Jewish People. Chapter 3 is called A Blessed and Beautiful Stream. In this chapter, Brown highlights some of the various denominations of Christendom during the last few centuries that have had “mercy and compassion for the Lord’s brothers and sisters according to the flesh”. I wanted to focus on one group specifically during this Thanksgiving week that has had such a huge impact on our nation since its inception and continues to do so up to this very day. This religious group has impacted everything from our government and education systems, to our religious values and holidays; they are The Puritans.

The Puritans were part of a Protestant movement that became prominent in late 16th century and early 17th century England. Originally, they were called “Puritans” because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England from within, much like their early Protestant counterparts wanted to “reform” the Catholic Church from within (hence the name; reformers). Like with the Reformation though, there was a group of Puritans called “Separatists” who thought the moral guidance of the Church of England was so far off base that they would be better off forming their own brand of “true” Christianity. It is this group of Puritans who we know so well as “Pilgrims”, a name they gave themselves due to their wanderings in search of religious freedom. The majority of those who came over on the Mayflower and set up shop at Plymouth Colony in 1620 was from this group of Puritans. The next year, in the autumn of 1621 is when we have what many historians refer to today as the first “Thanksgiving”.

The rest they say is history! Well, yes and no. There are many different angles and topics to discuss around the Puritan movement and what it has meant to our nation on so many levels. For this post though, I wanted to share some of the quotes referenced by Brown in his book as it relates to the Puritans views on the Jewish People.

Consider the testimony of the Puritans. They sought to go back to the Word of God and to separate themselves from the dead traditions of men. They preached the need for individual salvation and holy living. They helped shape the American colonies. And many of them had a special love for Israel.

Consider these quotes by John Owen, who many consider to be the chief of the Puritan theologians:

“The Jews shall be gathered from all parts of the earth where they are scattered, and brought into their homeland.”

“…. of raising up a kingdom unto the Lord Jesus Christ in this world…it is either expressed, or clearly intimated, that the beginning of it must be with the Jews.”

The following is from Robert Leighton, who was another Puritan theologian and contemporary of Owen:

“Undoubtedly, that people of the Jews shall once more be commanded to arise and shine, and their return shall be the riches of the Gentiles, and that shall be a more glorious time than ever the Church of God did yet behold.”

Now we come Samuel Rutherford, who is the third and final Puritan theologian quoted by Brown. It is said of Rutherford, that he knew “the heartbeat of his Savior” intimately, and “in every way, wanted to bring joy to his Master”. Rutherford knew the Jews were still God’s Chosen People and that they “had a special place in the Kingdom of God.” None other than England’s greatest 19th century Preacher Charles Spurgeon had this to say about Samuel Rutherford:

When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford’s Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men.

In the quote below, Rutherford echos the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 9:3, in that he would be willing to be separated from the Master he loved so much if he could witness this;

“I could stay out of heaven many years to see that victorious triumphing Lord act that prophesied part of His soul conquering love, in taking into His kingdom the greater Sister, the Jews….Oh, what joy and what glory would I judge it, if my heaven should be suspended till I might have left to run on foot to be a witness of that marriage-glory, and see Christ put on the glory of His last-married bride, and His last marriage love on earth; when He shall enlarge His love-bed, and set it upon the top of the mountains, and take in the Elder Sister, the Jews, and the fulness of the Gentiles!”

Rutherford also had the following to say about Israel’s future restoration:

“O to see the sight, next to Christ’s coming in the clouds, the most joyful! Our elder brethren the Jews and Christ fall upon one another’s neck and kiss each other! They have been long asunder; they will be kind to one another when they meet. O Day! O longed for and lovely day dawn! O sweet Jesus, let me see that sight which will be as life from the dead, Thee and Thy ancient people in mutual embraces.”

What an amazing testimony from these men of the 17th century who came to the New World in search of religious liberty and freedom with a passion for Messiah, a zeal for the Word of God and a love for the Jewish People. They are some of the most influential forefathers that our nation has ever known! Undoubtedly, their love for God and His People merited His blessing and abundance showered upon this nation for centuries to come. May it be the same for us!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

A Subject So Heavy

“Hatred of the Jew has been humanity’s greatest hatred. While hatred of other groups has always existed, no hatred has been as universal, as deep, or as permanent as antisemitism.” 

Quote by Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin from the book Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism

Just recently I started reading Our Hands Are Stained With Blood by Dr. Michael L. Brown. This book is part of the required reading material in the membership class, as a prerequisite to membership, at Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue. For starters, this book is a hard read, very hard. Not in its style, but in its content and history. The subtitle is The Tragic Story of The “Church” and the Jewish People. I’m only a few chapters in and the detail of hate, persecution, and murder along with the graphic images that come to ones mind are almost inconceivable and unbearable to even imagine the horrors that have been prevalent for centuries upon centuries between the “Church” and the Jewish People. To be sure, Brown does relate many horrors perpetrated by the “Church” against the Jews, but also broadens the spectrum and discusses Anti-Semitism around the world, in various cultures, in the media, and even reviews the claim that the New Testament itself and even Jesus himself make anti-semitic remarks.

“The challenge for the modern-day Christian reader confronting such a history is not only to absorb and own that history, but also to examine current Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism.”  The Rev. Phil Windsor

“The vast majority of Christians, even well-educated, are all but totally ignorant of what happened to Jews in history….and the involvement of the Church.”  Edward Flannery – Catholic Scholar

Michael Brown states emphatically that “The Church must know!” It is long over due that the Church universal, from the top down must be made aware of its history and dealings with the Jewish people. Brown states “Whether Catholic or Protestant – there is blood on our fathers’ hands.” Every last ounce of anti-semitic thought, theology and action must be dealt with, rooted out and repented from in order to bring the reconciliation that is so desperately needed between the Church and the Jewish people. Brown states “It is the Church’s tears of repentance that will wash away the stain of blood.” Brown’s primary subject is the “Church”, which is mostly placed in quotation marks to make the reader aware that the true Church, the biblical Church, wouldn’t have anything to do with anti-Semitism, at least not for the most part, for we know that sometimes whats lurking in the depths of the sub-conscience can betray its counterpart.

Many people may not think that anti-Semitism is prevalent and a part of mainstream society in the world today, at least not in the west. We might have the tendency to relegate it to the pages of history books about Hitler and the Holocaust. Others know that anti-Semitism rages in the middle east with leaders such as Iran’s Ahmadinejad and the Palestinian conflict and yet those same people might still not think that anti-semitic thought is a problem in the west, other than the outer fringes of society which includes those such as the neo-nazis and other white-supremacist groups.

Think again. In the almost seven decades since WWII and the tragedy of the Holocaust, anti-semitism hasn’t just went away or faded into the pages of history books. As maybe most would like to think, our post modern society with all of its technological advances and increased knowledge is not above those of past millenia in morality or its mutual hatred of the Jews. It seems that the past 2,500 years worth of generations seem to have at least this in common – on some level they all blame the Jews for theirs and the world’s problems. As the two articles quoted below indicate, anti-semitism is as prevalent today as its ever been and in fact appears to be on the rise at this very moment.

In a blog post at The Podium from the Boston Globe on November 7, 2011: The Resurgence of Anti-Semitism  By Abraham H. Foxman

Anti-Semitism has been resurging around the world over the last decade. The combination of anxiety over terrorism, concerns about financial stability, campaigns against Israel, and the diminution of the long felt shame after Auschwitz about exhibiting anti-Semitism have led to this resurgence. In other words, anti-Semitism is not a history lesson, it is a current event.

In a post at Communities from The Washington Times on November 5, 2011: Wall Street protest: Is the problem greed, envy, or anti-Semitism?  by Bob Siegel

Communism isn’t the only birth child of revolutions spawned by bitter envy. Hitler also used class warfare to bring about a different form of socialism, not global (as Marx preferred), but national. It was called, National Socialism. That’s NAZI for short, kids. And who were the horrible, devil-horned rich people according to the National Socialists? Jews of course!

Yes, that was the past but it was only a matter of time before such villain casting caught up with America. Once the rich are effectively demonized, sooner or later somebody “connects the dots” equating the term rich with the term Jew.

In New York, the repetitious shout, “Jews control Wall Street” can now be heard. Not to be out done by yelling, protesters’ signs say creative things such as “Google: (1) Wall Street Jews; (2) Jewish Billionaires; (3) Jews & Fed Rsrv Bank,” and  “Gaza Supports The Occupation of Wall Street,” (FRONTPAGEMAG.COM, October 26, 2011).

These two posts are just a highlight and small sample of what you can read in the mainstream news everyday in regards to this subject that is so heavy or should be so heavy on the hearts and minds of all those who put thier trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel. I plan to devote more than a few posts to some of the various subject nature found in Brown’s Our Hands Are Stained With Blood. In the meantime and going forward from now on I pray that our hearts, especially those of believers and followers of the Jewish Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) may meditate upon these verses of Scripture:

 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3 ESV)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! (Psalm 122:6 ESV)

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (Romans 9:3 ESV)

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

In The Beginning

“The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them” Mark Twain

I’m about to make a sales pitch to you or maybe rather a plea. I have an offer that you really shouldn’t refuse. I will personally stand behind and guarantee this offer as it is backed by an extended lifetime warranty. Not to mention (though I’m about to), I have all the leverage in the world on my side. What I’m about to offer will make you smarter, give you discernment, make you wise unto salvation, correct your errors, equip you for life’s ups and downs, and make you better looking (ok, I added the last benefit-I can’t promise that one). What is this master-plan that I have to offer? Why am I so confident in its ability? How much could something like this cost? What’s the catch?

Let’s review the ?’s once more for clarity and I’ll give you the short answers:

What is the offer? I’m talking about The Word of God aka The Bible aka The Good Book aka Scripture aka The Sword (who doesn’t want to have and know how to use a sword?).

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Why are you so confident in its ability?  “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 ESV)

How much is it? It’s FREE!!! You probably even have a couple of different versions lying around the house. If not and you’re reading this just look it up on google or click on one of the links below.

What’s the catch? You. You’re the catch. It doesn’t have to cost you anything monetarily speaking but it will need your time, energy and effort to begin to unlock its teaching and mysteries.

Stay with me for a minute as I unpack some additional instructions below that have been helpful to me.

Yesterday, in synagogues across the world, the Torah scroll was rolled back to the beginning of B’resheet (Genesis). A new weekly reading cycle of the Torah has begun and will culminate by Rosh Hashannah 2012. The Jewish people have had a structured reading plan for the Torah (Five Books of Moses) dating back to at least the time of Ezra (Nehemiah 8:1) and possibly King Josiah (2 Kings 22:8-23:3). On each week, beginning with Sunday and ending on the Sabbath (Saturday), synagogues across the world are reading and studying from the same portion of Scripture. Judaism has a foundational Bible reading plan that has been established for 2,500 years. Look into it! From experience, there is a synergistic like feeling to know that when you’re following this ancient reading cycle of the Torah that there are millions of other people reading and studying the same words, at the same time as you are.

(In classic sales pitch voice) But wait there’s more! In addition to the weekly Torah readings, there is another weekly portion of Scripture that is taken from the Prophets called the Haftarah, which means completion. The weekly Haftarah portion relates to the weekly Torah portion. Now the Torah and Haftarah reading plan would be a great foundation for anyone who is looking to start a Bible reading plan from the beginner to the most serious students of Scripture.

Here’s an extra Bonus!!! For believers in Yeshua the Messiah or those who are searching out those claims it gets even better. In addition to the Hebrew Bible (Genesis-2 Chronicles), we also get the teachings of the Apostles (Matthew-Revelation), most commonly called the New Testament or B’rit Hadashah in Hebrew. The Messianic Jewish community has also included relevant sections from the Apostolic Writings that fit with the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings. There are also some others making it a focus to study the Gospel accounts of Yeshua along with the normal weekly synagogue readings. After all, the Torah and Gospels are the foundations of our faith!

Whether you adopt this style of reading/study plan, something similar or create your own, the most important thing is to be immersed and washed in the Word as frequently as possible. Also, make it a point to study with family and friends along with some good commentary. They will all open up worlds and dimensions in the Bible that you never even knew existed before. Very cool stuff awaits you my friend!

Now is a great time to start and there is not a better place to begin, than well, at the beginning!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 ESV)

Here are some ***FREE*** resources that would be helpful on your journey this year:

http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/ - This is an online version of Dr. David H. Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible. (This has been my top study Bible translation since 2008).

http://www.esvbible.org/ - Online version of the English Standard Version. Modern language and reading style.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/ - Online Bible resource site that has many different versions and commentaries.

http://ffoz.org/ - First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ) is a Messianic Jewish  educational ministry dedicated to proclaiming the Torah and its way of life,  fully centered on Messiah, to today’s people of God.

http://torahportions.org/ - Torah PORTIONS is a ministry resource of First Fruits of Zion intended to make the weekly Torah portion accessible for everyone.

http://yeshuaincontext.com/ - Derek Leman is a rabbi in Atlanta, Georgia. YeshuaInContext.com is about the life and message of Yeshua (Jesus) based on the books, eBooks, audiobooks, podcast and other resources by Derek Leman. Yeshua in Context is a place to find information and inspiration related to the aims and identity of Yeshua. It is a place for beginners as well as inquirers and ongoing learners. (You can also email Derek at yeshuaincontext@gmail.com to get subscribed to his Daily D’var – commentary on the Torah and Gospels).

http://www.flamefoundation.org/parashiot.html – FLAME Foundation is committed to the development of quality educational   materials for use in Messianic Jewish settings.

http://www.aish.com/tp/ - Aish’s educational philosophy is that Judaism is not all or nothing; it is a journey where every step counts, to be pursued according to one’s own pace and interest. Mitzvot (commandments) are not rituals, but opportunities for personal growth, to be studied and understood. We learn the Torah’s wisdom to enrich our own lives, and to share these ideas with all humanity.

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

Ashes and Fire

“Can you shelter the weak? Will you listen when the strangers speak?…I will shelter you with my love and forgiveness” Ryan Adams from the song Kindness

This post is not about the new Ryan Adams record of the same name, though I will comment on it below. This is my Sukkot Summary for 2011 and the title Ashes and Fire seemed like a good metaphor for the holiday burning up bright, warmly glowing, getting intense at times, and then fading into evidence that will drift away soon, but still leave its mark of where it was on our hearts and minds in the time to come. For my family and I, plus a friend or two along the way, the past few years Sukkot has become synonymous with camping (I’m talking tent camping here. None of that “we’re going camping but we’re staying in a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, full kitchen with a hot tub cabin”, though I have done that before and it is rather nice:-), fire pits, the proverbial “smoke in the eyes”, way too many roasted marshmallows, a grill full of hot dogs, burgers, steaks, fajita meat, kabobs or whatever you will (we take this feast business seriously), beer (especially all of the autumn seasonal varieties…recommendations below…mmm), lounging with a book, naps o’ heavenly naps, music with guitars, star-gazing, did I mention eating?, ok, etc.

Top 5 Sukkot Beer Recommendations (Alphabetical Order):

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale

Samuel Adams Bonfire

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Samuel Adams Pumpkin Ale

Shiner Oktoberfest

Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. (Luke 12:31 ESV)

For the past two years we have celebrated Sukkot at the Windermere Baptist camp at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. This year we were unable to make the trip to the Windermere so we turned our backyard into a celebratory campground. Now before you start thinking that tent camping in the backyard is a walk in the park (I used too), I now can experientialy disagree! It is exponentially harder to leave behind some of your earthly comforts for a week (i.e. warm and cozy bed) and not return to them in the middle of the night when you’ve woken up for the fifth time due to “some noise”, your back is aching, it’s 43 degrees outside and all of the comforts of your home sweet home are only 16 feet away. It may sound funny, but it takes faith. You have to really believe in what you’re doing not just to give in to your physical desires.

You shall rejoice in your feast…..For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God…so that you will be altogether joyful. (Deuteronomy 16:14-15 ESV)

With that being said, we had a heck of a time! Out of the eight days, we only had one rainy night and for 5 days daytime temps were in the mid 80s and the other 3 in the mid 70s with all of them being full of sunshine. I made the comment during the festival to some friends that apart from it being Sukkot, late September or October is a fabulous time to take a vacation in Texas because the weather is just so beautiful!

There wasn’t a single night during the festival when we didn’t have “ushpizin” which means “guests” in Hebrew. We had over a couple of neighbors and their families plus some friends and families from our congregation that live close by. The fellowship for this year’s Sukkot is what made it our best yet. At first we were a little bummed about not getting to go to MO again, but getting to celebrate with family, friends and neighbors more than made up for the idyllic scenery. We all enjoyed good food, great conversations, prayers and blessings, Scripture and liturgical readings, sing alongs, jokes, amature astronomy and many kids running wild and free (for our Erev Shabbat gathering we had close to a dozen kids here under the age of 13). We talked about Yeshua being a focal point for this festival and in our lives past, present and future. We talked primarily about his birth and the Tabernacle themes surrounding it and his return in judgment and praise during this Feast at a future time.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (John 7:37 ESV)

“As he stared past the fire, His hunger to leave well it gnawed his poor heart alive”

Now to the Ryan Adams record Ashes and Fire. I have been a Ryan Adams fan since about 2000 and yet hadn’t kept up with him recently since his “retirement” from music in 2009. So I was surprised when my brother and his wife stopped by for a bit on Erev Shabbat and handed me the “New Ryan Adams Record”. I couldn’t listen to it immediately but over the new few days I couldn’t stop listening to it! Upon the first listen I thought it was a little sleepy and monotone and yet by the fourth or fifth spin I was hooked and singing its praises to our guests. It ended up being the perfect soundtrack to our nights beside the campfire, as well as for my wife and I when we cleaned up the “camp” in the mornings. This record has a certain maturity about it, an introspective aching for the things that were and a renewal and hope for the things that will be. The music and production are sparse and not over-produced and the lyrics and vocals are intimate and heart-worn. This is not the most diverse record Adams has made or the most instantly gratifying. Still Ashes and Fire a very worthy “comeback” record that finds his songwriting, musical melody and vocals in fine form after weathering the storm that threatened to end his career in 2009 (Adams battled substance abuse, got diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, and lost a good friend who committed suicide and his grandma who had raised him, to cancer).  Stand-out tracks for me include: Dirty Rain, Come Home, Kindness, and I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say.

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!

 

Season of our Joy

“A holy person is a person of deep joy” Daniel Juster

For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. (Deuteronomy 16:15 ESV)

“Sukkot – Feast of Tabernacles is the culmination of all the appointed times. It is to the other festivals what the Sabbath is to the other six days of the week. It is a prophetic picture of the coming kingdom. It foreshadows the great celebration when the entire world will live in peace and brotherhood under the reign and rule of the righteous Messiah King. Sukkot is Camping Out with God.” Adapted from the FFOZ e-drash: Camping out with God

The Feast of Feast’s is upon us! I’m talking about the “Season of our Joy” Sukkot (Tabernacles) which begins this Wednesday evening, October 12th and lasts until the evening of the following Thursday, October 20th. Eight Days of rejoicing and “camping out with God”!!! Anyone who has never celebrated one of the Biblical Holidays is truly missing a blessing! Also, for those who think that the religious type are too uptight and short on having fun, the Bible commands the exact opposite;

……spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. (Deuteronomy 14:26 ESV)

Today is a day of transition. It’s the day after Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and five days remain until Sukkot (Tabernacles). What are we transitioning from during this time? Some of this transition involves us going from Fasting to Feasting, Denial to Delight, Repentance to Renewal, and Judgment to Joy!

I came across an interesting comment on a blog last week about the High Holiday’s and Jewish Tradition.

“There is a very peculiar theme through out all of Scripture that is one of combining joy and grief. I think this comes through more in the Jewish traditions than in Christendom…..[especially]in relation to the Jewish high holidays. You have the near year [Rosh HaShannah/Yom Teruah] which is mostly joyful….sort of….then you have Yom Kippur which is not joyful….sort of….and then you have Sukkot [back to joyful again]. Such an interesting tradition.” praesto12

If the High Holiday’s were a roller coaster, then the month of Elul would be that slow winding clicking going up to the first major high and plunge (Rosh HaShannah), then twisting and turning through the track (10 Days of Awe) leading to a great introspective and fearful (Yom Kippur) march up to the climatic finale (Sukkot) of exuberance. It’s probably a bad analogy but it’s what came into my head at the time of writing this, plus I had a cool picture to fit the theme:-).

Back to the subject at hand………………..

The Feast of Sukkot anticipates that fearful, though also joyful Day when Messiah returns and steps his feet down upon the Mount of Olives and draws all the nations unto Himself to celebrate the great ingathering of believers (See Exodus 23:16). This is spoken of in Zechariah where it says:

 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9 ESV)

 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths (Sukkot). (Zechariah 14:16 ESV)

So what part as Christians and Messianic Jews do we have to play in this drama of celebration today? In the present we have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the World to Come and a foretaste of a time in the future that will be Joy manifested to the fullest in a holiness procured by our Messiah. We will be in the presence of our great God and King Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) having the coolest party ever thrown in the history of the universe!

May grace and shalom be multiplied upon you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!