Every true believer wants God’s choice blessings for her life. But when we take the Father for granted and serve Him not on His terms but ours, we forfeit the spiritual riches promised to us in this life. Salvation is free for the asking, but the blood of Jesus doesn’t come cheap. We must imitate the life of Christ and surrender wholeheartedly to the Holy Spirit. Watch the videos below.
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While flying to Israel for the first time last year, I wondered what the country was really like. My daily dose of cable and network news made me think I was about to encounter some unfriendly people. But nothing could have been further from the truth. What the church needs to know about Israel can’t be found in a nightly newscast; it can be found in the Words of the Person who created it. Let’s open our Bibles and get to reading. Watch the video below.
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Advocates for traditional marriage in the District of Columbia are appealing a ruling last week that denies voters a referendum on marriage.
In the 23-page ruling, D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith N. Macaluso upheld a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision that the Marriage Initiative of 2009 would “authorize discrimination” against homosexuals and thus violates the city’s Human Rights Act. She also ruled that previous court decisions banning gay marriage in the district are no longer valid.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF)—which in November filed a lawsuit against the elections board on behalf of members of the Stand4Marriage DC Coalition—is appealing the decision. They say the anti-discrimination laws in question were written in the 1970s, long before same-sex marriage was being debated nationally, and should not be used to prevent a referendum.
“The people of D.C. have a right to vote on the definition of marriage, and the D.C. Charter guarantees that right,” said ADF attorney Timothy J. Tracey.
The court’s decision came as no surprise to Bishop Harry Jackson, chairman of the Stand4Marriage DC Coalition. He said his organization would continue to fight for the rights of residents in the district.
“We have always anticipated that our quest for voting rights on the issue of marriage would end up in our higher appeals court and today’s ruling confirms that is where the issue is headed,” Jackson said in a statement released Thursday.
Jackson said citizens have a legal right to vote on legislation that would have “such a dramatic impact on their lives.”
Tracey said the ruling reduced the D.C. Charter to “just another law.”
“Outside the U.S. Constitution, the charter is the supreme law of the district, providing the people a broad right of initiative,” Tracey said. “This is unfortunate, but gives us the legal case to appeal the decision to the D.C. Court of Appeals.”
The District of Columbia City Council legalized gay marriage in December. The measure has been signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty and is currently awaiting a 30-day congressional review. If Congress does not repeal the decision, the city could begin issuing gay marriage licenses in March.
In the early 1970s, a significant number of Jews committed their lives to Yeshua and came to the conviction that they should call themselves Messianic Jews rather than Christians. There were several reasons for this. One was the history of institutional Christianity and its impact on the Jewish people.
From a Jewish perspective, Christianity was a movement of semi-paganism, oppression and anti-Semitism. We wanted to project ourselves in such a way that the Jewish people would take another look at Yeshua without the barriers of their pre-formed perceptions of Christianity.
In addition, we really wanted to promote the truth that Jews who come to faith in Yeshua are still called to identify and live as part of the Jewish people. Romans 11:29 states that the Jewish people are the subjects of an irrevocable election and calling from God. Romans 11:1, 5 identifies Jewish believers in Yeshua as the saved remnant of Israel.
“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! … Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
We wanted our people to see that embracing Yeshua does not mean betraying and abandoning our Jewish heritage. If we do not live as part of our people, we are not showing ourselves as the saved remnant that sanctifies the whole (Romans 11:16).
Planting Messianic Jewish congregations was considered a central part of the vision. We also saw Jewish believers in Yeshua living and identifying as Jews as a key to ushering in the last days and the catalyst toward all Israel being saved.
Some of us also understood how important it was at the same time to live out the truth that we are one with the body of believers as a whole. This was somewhat controversial since we were the only movement that professed oneness with the body of the Messiah that did not use the word Christian as our self-designation.
The history of the last 35 years has been one of great gains in the Messianic Jewish movement; hundreds of congregations have been planted in the United States, hundreds more in Europe, Russia, and Ukraine and about a hundred in Israel along with scattered congregations in South America, Africa, and Australia. All these grew from a mere handful of congregations before 1975.
The Present Situation
Today we still find that the great majority of Jewish believers in Yeshua are in Christian churches and identify themselves as Christians. I
n addition, this great majority is not living a Jewish life and is often strongly resistant to the Messianic Jewish call. They and their children are assimilating into the Gentile world and do not strengthen the saved remnant of Israel. They are, instead, weakening the numbers of the Jewish people. It is likely that later generations may not identify as Jewish in any way.
On one occasion I spoke to a Jewish missions leader who recommended church membership to Jewish Yeshua-believers. He was totally blind to the diminishing of Israel/Jewry that was taking place. Assimilation was not a problem for him. I pointed out to him that if it were not for assimilation, there would be hundreds of millions of Jews today.
Wars and pogroms alone where many were killed cannot explain the demographics. We are a small number of only 13 million according to mainstream Jewish statistics. Messianic Jews who count children of Jewish fathers add many millions to these figures, but it is still a small number in world population terms.
Are we willing to lose what may amount to hundreds of thousands of Jews in churches who are assimilating? (There are of course exceptions, and there are some examples of Jews in churches committed to Jewish life.) Is there a mission to them, something that can be done to recover them and their children to be part of our people?
Some are Threatened by the Message of Jewish Calling
The message of the Jewish calling proclaimed by Messianic Jews is a threat to assimilating Jewish Christians who perceive it as a message that rejects their experience and commitment to the Christian churches.
Pastors are also threatened; they think that if their Jewish members accept this message, they will lose them. Many of these Jewish Christians have had a positive experience in the churches. They enjoy and appreciate the Christian heritage, much of which is worthy to be appreciated! In addition, many were won to Yeshua through the powerful witness of Christian friends. Modern Jews have many more contacts with Christians than with Messianic Jews. If these Christians display the reality of Yeshua in their lives, it is natural that these Jews follow them to their churches.
A very few Messianic Jews have been so greatly pained by this process that they want to exhort Christians not to win Jews to Yeshua. They say that only Messianic Jews should do this so that the new believers stay within the Jewish world. This is not biblically defensible. Christians are called in Romans 11 to make Jewish people jealous.
The Answer: A Mega-Shift in Church Leadership
I am convinced that the answer is a shift in the pastoral leadership of the churches. Church leaders must adopt a doctrinal foundation that insists that their Jewish members identify and live as Jews. This was anticipated in R. Kendall Soulen’s book, The God of Israel and Christian Theology.
In this monumental study, Soulen approvingly quotes Jewish Orthodox theologian Michael Wyschogrod, who argues that we will not see full repentance for anti-Semitism in churches until the pastors of the churches teach their baptized Jewish members that they are called to live Jewish lives based in the Torah (I would add, obviously as interpreted by the New Testament). Without church leaders teaching the reality of the Jewish calling, Jewish Christians in the church will not take that call seriously.
I have recently been in contact with four Jewish pastors of large Christian churches who have come to the conviction that this is true. They have embraced their own Jewish identity and are now seeking to engage their Jewish Christian members to join them in creating space for Jewish identity, Jewish life patterns and celebrations while at the same time embracing the culture of Christianity for the majority of the members.
One has actually planted a Messianic Jewish congregation affiliated with his church. I have been a secondary influence, but I have to give primary credit to Coach Bill McCartney and Raleigh Washington of Promise Keepers and Road to Jerusalem. As an African-American Christian leader, Raleigh has been especially effective. He first points to his own identity as an African- American and its importance to him. Then he notes that Jewish identity in Yeshua is more important because it is mandated in Scripture for historic purposes.
It is far too early to judge this, but what might happen if it became a trend? Let us dream! What if, from such an orientation, there were more and more Jews in churches who identified as Messianic Jews and who joined together in Messianic Jewish fellowship groups connected to the churches and also connected to the Messianic Jewish synagogues?
Could we even see their children returning to their Jewish calling, and some making aliyah (becoming Israeli citizens and residents)? Could some even train to be leaders in Messianic Jewish congregations? Such a change could strengthen the whole movement.
Let Us Not Abandon the Assimilating Jewish Christians!
I for one am not willing to abandon the assimilating Jewish Christians in the churches and see them lost to the Jewish people! Many are mature Christians. I am not willing to abandon the hope that there can be a shift in church leaders’ understanding. Such efforts as Toward Jerusalem Council II, our effort to see churches officially align with the Messianic Jewish movement, and Road to Jerusalem that has similar goals (led by Coach McCartney and Raleigh Washington), could be instruments in facilitating this “mega” shift.
At any rate, a great change is needed. If so, and some of these would come to Israel, we would be much closer to that 144,000 in the land of Israel described in the Book of Revelation chapter 7. That would be a great step toward “All Israel being saved,” and “Life from the dead.” (Romans 11:25 -28, 15).
Daniel Juster is director of Tikkun Ministries International.
Who better to tell others how to turn their pain into purpose than a divorced woman and single mom who has learned to trust God no matter the situation? Award-winning gospel artist Yolanda Adams says we don’t have to succumb to sadness, bitterness and other joy killers when we experience difficulties in life. She says the Holy Spirit wants to reveal the Father’s grace and power to us. Let Adams show you how to get back your joy—and keep it! Listen to podcast below.
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He would have been 81 years old today had he not been gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. But Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence, justice and love will never die. It can be heard from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, to the mountaintops in Israel. King said, “Bigotry in any form is an affront to us all.” Continue to live the dream. Watch video below.
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When someone tells us “thus saith the Lord,” many of us hold on to every prophetic word, waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. But we must not wait passively; God wants to reveal Himself to us now in a fresh way. We want results, but He wants relationship. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to infuse us with a passion to know the Father intimately, no matter how He brings about His will. Watch the video below.
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Chené Tucker is Spirit-filled and a licensed therapist who says there is a place for therapy in the body of Christ. For decades, Chené, a full-time associate professor of clinical social work at Oral Roberts University, has helped Christians and unbelievers alike find freedom from emotional struggles and other problems. She knows the tension that exists between deliverance ministry and therapy but says God is not limited in His ability to make people whole. To learn more, listen to podcast below.
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We may never know with certainty which of the four sites associated with “Emmaus” is the true location. Which one is the actual location where Jesus appeared to His disciples following His resurrection?
The story in Luke 24 recounts how two of Jesus’ disciples met Him while traveling. They were heading west from Jerusalem, to Emmaus. They spoke with the “stranger” for a while and only later, when they ate together, was Jesus’ true identity revealed. Later, the two disciples headed back to Jerusalem.
The name Emmaus is a mispronunciation of the Hebrew word Hammat, meaning hot springs, so the site must be near a natural spring.
The distance is also crucial in identifying Emmaus. The disciples traveled in a single day from Jerusalem, to Emmaus, and back. Therefore, the biblical site of Emmaus needs to be within round-trip distance from Jerusalem.
The distance in the Gospels is measured as “three-score furlongs” (Luke 24: 13), which is most commonly translated as approximately 60 “stadia,” (an ancient Greek unit of length). However, there are discrepancies within the text; some translations state that the distance was 160 stadia. Depending on the translation, Emmaus can be anywhere from seven to 18 miles away.
Going on an “Emmaus” tour leads us to some fascinating sites for the Christian traveler.
We start with the most famous and most widely accepted of the four sites—Emmaus Nicopolis, or its Arab name, Imwas, located on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road. It was the earliest site to be identified with the biblical Emmaus – in the 4th century AD—and this early identification strengthens the argument that this is the true site.
Likewise, when Arabs settle in a village, they traditionally keep its original name, and the similarities between “Imwas” and “Emmaus” further bolster the claim. However, it is far from Jerusalem—a distance of 16 miles, making quite a tiring round trip journey for the disciples.
Emmaus is located in the famous Ayalon Valley, where the Israelite ruler Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still. Today, there is a monastery located at the site, in Latrun. Originally built as an inn for travelers on their way to Jerusalem, it is now inhabited by Trappist Monks, who sell the monastery’s famous wine and honey.
Visitors can also see a 12th century Crusader fortress. In nearby Park Canada—a nature lover’s dream—tourists can visit the ruins of the ancient city of Emmaus, including a Roman-Byzantine bathhouse and an amphitheater.
The next possible Emmaus is in Abu Ghosh, a Christian-Arab village located between Nicopolis and Jerusalem. This was one of the locations favored by the Crusaders as the resurrection site. Abu Ghosh is also identified as the ancient Kiryat Ye’arim, where the Ark of the Covenant rested for 20 years until King David brought it to Jerusalem.
Today, one of the best-preserved Crusader churches is in Abu Ghosh. Called the Church of the Resurrection, it was built atop Roman ruins and is now a Benedictine Monastery, which can be visited. The Church of Notre Dame de L’Arche de L’Alliance (Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant) was built in the 1920s on the site of an ancient Byzantine church. A statue on the roof depicts the Virgin Mary carrying baby Jesus. On the Jewish holidays of Shavuot and Sukkoth, both churches hold spectacular music festivals. Abu Ghosh is also famous for its Middle Eastern cuisine, specifically hummus, and restaurants abound specializing in authentic regional delicacies.
We move on to Moza, likely the “Motza” mentioned in the time of Joshua and again in the Jerusalem Talmud. This is the closest of the four sites to Jerusalem, and there are Roman ruins visible. However, Moza’s relationship to the resurrection is ambiguous; many conjecture that it was chosen as a possibility merely due to its close proximity to Jerusalem.
The final “Emmaus” is in El-Kubeibeh, an Arab village, located west of Nebi Samwil. The Crusaders were the first to identify this as the Biblical site, after finding a nearby fort named Castellum Emmaus.They reasoned the name could mean only one thing—this was the site of the biblical Emmaus.
In addition, the village lies approximately eight miles from Jerusalem – perfect day-trip distance. The Crusaders declared it “Emmaus” and built a church on top of the site; later, the Franciscan order, at the beginning of the 20th century, built a church atop those remains. The Franciscan church is still standing and can be visited today.
Archaeologists unearthed further remains dating from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras. Some scholars, possibly from Byzantine or Roman time, identify one of those remains, as the house of Cleopas, one of the two disciples. However, although the distance and archaeological remains seem to verify El-Kubeibeh as the correct site, the lateness of the identification (12th century AD) casts aspersions on its veracity; many conjecture that the Crusaders identified this as “Emmaus” in order to have a convenient stopping point for pilgrims to the Holy Land.
So which one of these is it?
We don’t know for certain. But as so often happens, while the results of the journey may be inconclusive, hopefully the journey itself brings meaning and fulfillment.
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Prayer is one of the most valuable weapons of spiritual warfare. When we slip to our knees to communicate with God, He spiritually transforms our hearts and we send out prayers that can effect change in Israel and other hot spots around the world. The Bible says we “ought to always pray” and never let up (Luke 18:1). Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you with a passion for prayer and watch Him bless you, Zion and the nations in 2010. To pray with us, click here.
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Sharyn Culp is the founder of His Majesty Ministries and Worldwide Prayer Sanctuary based in Fort Worth, Texas. She offers a message of salvation, hope, healing and more from the heart of His Majesty. To contact her ministry or receive prayer from intercessors around the world, click here.