Messianic Biblical Society Sharing the Word with the World January 2013 Issue

Shalom Aleichem! G-d uses the Bible! In the very

same manner that you would use

the Bible to learn something new

or explain what you believe, so

too G-d uses the Bible. Take

notice how he uses it: ―G-d uses

the Scripture to prepare and equip

His people to do every good

work‖ (2 Timothy 3:17, NLT).

As opposed to using the

Bible to tear down our faith, G-d

uses His Word so that we can

benefit from its wise counsel. He

uses the Bible so that we can be

prepared for whatever it is that‘s

coming up ahead of us. He also

uses the Bible so that we may

have the necessary tools to

overcome those very difficult

challenges.

So, the next time someone

confronts you and tries to use the

Bible to tear you down, know that

G-d uses it to build you up.

Rapture Ready?

Many Evangelical Christians

believe in the Rapture. As

opposed to the Rapture, many

Messianic Jews are embracing

The Ingathering. We analyze

the similarities and differences.

Take Up Your Cross???

Now, how Jewish is that!

Kehilla Beth HaDerech© from

Toronto, Canada, explains just

exactly what Yeshua meant

when he called for you to come.

This Is My Life

A Messianic Believer explains

his personal life experience as

to how he came to practice

Messianic Judaism.

An Orthodox Jew Speaks

Read the exclusive interview

that Hillel Ben Yochanan asks

Menashe Walsh, an Orthodox

Jew residing in Israel. Menashe

Walsh expresses the

importance of his

ethnocentricity along with why

exclusive belief in Yeshua is

difficult for him to grasp.

Solomon’s Treasures Larry Lewallen, Bible Commentator, shares his personal insights in what it means to seek the L-rd.

A Little Lost Lamb Avimelech, Isabelle Moreno, share their personal testimonies on what life is like as a Messianic Jew.

This Is My Life

A Messianic Believer explains

his personal life experience as

to how he came to practice

Messianic Judaism.

Messianic Music Trends Judah G. Himango, from Chavah©, comments on the rising trends he has been observing within the Messianic Movement as far as music is concerned.

The Dangers of Gossip

Nehr HaOlam© shares biblical

insights on the very serious

nature of the spiritual arson

known as gossip. It explains

why the Bible disapproves such

an ill-willed deed along with

sound biblical guidance in

dealing with such a person.

“I think about what He’s going to do for the people of Israel,” says Torah Dude.

Torah Dude: Rapture Ready? – LOL! Rapture Theology is a set of belief structures that will pretty much make any one person that practices Judaism nod their head no. In fact, the concept of Rapture is as foreign to the Tanach (Jewish Scriptures) as the Chinese

language is to most English speaking peoples. ―Why?‖ you may ask me. I reason that the Rapture Theology is foreign to me because of what the Bible says, ―With weeping they (i.e., Israel) shall come and with their prayers I bring them. I shall make them walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they do not stumble. For I shall be a Father to Israel and Ephraim- he is My first-born‖ (Jeremiah 31:9).

To me, the words They are coming with weeping and walking by rivers does not sound like the rapture at all! If anything, it sounds to me as if though The Heavenly Father intends on bringing the children of Israel back to our homeland in the same fashion he brought my ancestors out of the land of Egypt. You see, as opposed to entertaining the idea of what Yahweh is going to do for the church, I think about what He‘s going to do for the people of Israel, and much of what Rapture Theology consists of has absolutely nothing to do with what the original authors of the Bible either believed or wrote about.

Before each and every descendant returns to the land, the Bible says, ―I am sending you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh‖ (Malachi 4:5). Read on and see for yourself that it is not only Eliyahu (Elijah) that Yahweh is sending, but that he is coming basically to restore the family unit as a whole. Verses such as these do not sound like He is going to send Messiah to take people to heaven and poof, they all disappear with a bunch of magic fairy dust settling to the ground. It sounds like Messiah

will gather us back to the land just like Moses brought the children of Israel back to land.

Why is Israel‘s return to the land so important to me? To me, Deuteronomy 30 is an in-depth blue-print of what happens when Israel commits idolatry. Yes, my ancestors may have committed idolatry, but provisions were made in the event that there was a true return to the commandments of Torah: we are expelled from the Land if we commit idolatry just as much as we are brought back to the Land when we repent, or return to the ways of Torah. So, to me, living a biblical lifestyle means that Yahweh will fulfill His promises and return me to the land of my inheritance.

On a national level, the children of Israel returns to the Land Yahweh promised to Abraham. When I read the Bible, there‘s no mention whatsoever of some gentile ―church‖ being swept away into heaven. Will gentiles return to the land of Israel without having a true association with Israel? I don‘t think so. At least, that‘s not what the in-depth blue-print reveal. Gentiles who identify with Israel may, I don‘t know.

If you want to be in covenant with Yahweh; then, rely on the Bible; if you just want fluffy religion that is taking you nowhere but social status-ville, then stick with what you have. I say, ―Study the Bible, and let Yah‘s Spirit guide you into ALL truth.‖ SO, I urge you to read the Scriptures, and don‘t rely on some invented 19th Century Theology that biblical authors were unfamiliar with. In fact, don‘t even rely on your pastor‘s words! Some rely their belief on Tim LaHeye, fictional author to an unbiblical pop-culture. Others distort Paul when it comes to living a very unbiblical lifestyle. As for me, the Bible is more than enough to guide me.

“I think about what He’s going to do for Believers,” says Bible Dude.

Bible Dude: In Evangelical Christian Eschatology, Rapture is a term that refers to the expected events hoped to transpire when believers in Christ from all backgrounds are brought up to heaven to meet the

Lord. As per the exact time of when the expected hope of the Rapture will occur, it is unknown regardless of the fact that the Rapture has been the subject of great debate by many theologians for several centuries now. As a member of the Christian Evangelical Movement, I can say that knowing when the Rapture will take place is irrelevant. If anything, we should simply consider what the Scriptures say. Allow me to present three key passages that help explain the firm foundations of this expected hope, biblical verses that suggests the Rapture will happen along with a brief explanation. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-7, ESV According to these biblical verses, we

read of two significant events that are expected to transpire simultaneously. We first read in verse sixteen that Christ will come for those who are in their current resting places, such as the grave or sea; these individuals who have believed in Christ, in his death and resurrection, but are not alive are expected to precede the living to be with him upon his return. The following verse, seventeen, suggests that those

who are alive will be caught up together with both Christ and the risen believers. It is in this context of being caught up Rapture is implied.

Even though we do not know the exact day or the hour that the Rapture is expected to happen, we do say that the Rapture will take place during the end times because of what Jesus said to his disciples, another instance that many consider as a Rapture reference. 29Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24: 29-31, ESV In verse thirty-one, we read something

similar to what Paul wrote. This verse shows that when the Lord returns, there will be a time when he calls for those who believed in him, people who are identified in this instance as ―the elect,‖ so that they, both those who are current resting and those who are alive, may be with Christ Jesus in heaven.

To conclude, I would like to share one final

reference that helps support this expected hope that many Christian Evangelicals, such as myself, identify as Rapture.

51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52, ESV Though it is unknown when such an

expected hope will take place, the Scriptures suggest that in the final days, when the Lord returns, those who believe in Christ‘s death and resurrection, whether dead or alive, will be taken up to heaven that many Christian Evangelicals call Rapture.

Two separate ordinary Bible believing

people, one Jewish and the other a

Gentile, submitted an article that best

expresses what they believe concerning

Messiah‘s Return.

It‘s quite possible that you may

favor one article over the other. It‘s also

quite possible that you do not favor any

one of these two articles but simply

wonder, ―What‘s the difference? Both

believe that Messiah or Christ will come,

why the fuss?‖

First, review the similarities

between the two, and then understand

the differences.

Both believe that Messiah will

come. Both believe that the dead will

rise from the grave. Both believe that all

will be gathered unto him, just as much

as both wait for Messiah to make a final

judgment call of what will take place for

those who stand before him.

As similar as these two hopes

may seem, it really boils down to the

point that both believers are speaking

two very distinct languages and hopes,

the small nuances that starts endless

debates of who‘s right or wrong

between Jewish Believers in Messiah

and Evangelical Christians.

Though Bible Dude maintains

that Jesus Christ will return, he reasons

that all who believe in Jesus Christ will

go to heaven. A Jewish Believer will

most likely take quick notice of the

literal context provided in biblical verses

passages say while the Gentile Believer

disregard the literal context and simply

focus on the spiritual aspects contained

within the verses. To the Jewish

Believer, he will argue that Messiah will

descend from heaven, and then gather

his elect (i.e., chosen people of Israel)

unto himself unto the land of Israel.

Now, understand the major

difference between the two.

Torah Dude reasons that the land

of Israel IS the promised eternal

inheritance that the Heavenly Father has

made for him as a descendent of Israel.

Without realizing it, the Gentile Believer

is endorsing into the Jewish Believer‘s

thought patterns that the Jewish

Believer will NOT inherit the Kingdom

of Elohim. To the Gentile Believer, the

idea of going to heaven and being with

Christ for all eternity is extremely

important; yet, if the Jewish Believer

was to maintain that the Gentile

Believer will not go to heaven, then the

Gentile Believer will feel threatened

thinking that the Jewish Believer is

condemning the Gentile Believer to the

fiery pits of hell for all eternity.

If anything, both Jews and

Gentiles need to accept the fact that

they‘re not speaking the same language.

By focusing on the commonalities each

share, both can mature spiritually as

they look forward to Messiah‘s Return.

PROVERBS 1 The Beginning of

Knowledge 1The proverbs of

Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to

the youth— 5Let the wise hear and increase in

learning, and the one who understands

obtain guidance, 6to understand a proverb and a

saying, the words of the wise and their

riddles. 7The fear of the L-RD is the

beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and

instruction. To seek the L-RD, it implies a

willingness to look beyond the

trappings of daily life, pull back the veil

and truly seek Hashem (i.e., The

Heavenly Father) in daily life. ―Seeking

the L-RD‖ is more than just showing up

for Shabbat, doing the grip and grin,

and then hurrying home after service; it

(that is, seeking the L-RD)

implies a singular focus to

meet Hashem from where

you are today in life, at this

very moment and instance

from where you stand.

For some, when

they go searching for the L-

RD, they see themselves as

the Shepard as opposed to

seeing themselves as

sheep. Strange as it may

seem, some do mistaken their identity

as the Creator and not as being part of

His creation, a common fallacy that

happens to so many of us when we get

entangled in the toils of everyday life.

They want to guide when they

themselves need some guidance from

their own personal entrapments.

―The fear of the L-RD is the

beginning of Wisdom,‖ King Solomon

said (Proverbs 1:7, KJV). To seek Him,

you need to realize that you don‘t bring

anything into the relationship with G-d

except yourself, a most humbling

experience that many of us fail to

understand.

All of my concerns, pains, want,

and desires seem to melt away when I

take my place in His Creation, bow on

my knees in utter silence, and wait on

the L-RD.

Bible Commentary from Larry Lewallen

“In FRANCE,” by Isabelle

Moreno. As far as I knew, there

are several Messianic Jewish

Centers here in France. I also

know the distance between

those centers to my house: Paris

(500km), Strasbourg (1000kms),

Nantes (200km) and Marseille

(800kms). Unfortunately, all of

these Messianic Jewish Centers

are too far for me to travel to in

my old ’96 306 Peugeot on a

weekly basis.

There is an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue

near here, but it’s privately reserved for the

Orthodox Jewish Community; it’s not very

heart-warming for someone who feels like an

outsider, like me. It’s not like I can walk in and

say, “Hi! I’m Jewish, and I believe in Yeshua!”

It's more like being isolated.

Here, everybody doesn’t log-on to

Facebook. It's more like not knowing whether

or not there’s another Messianic Jew or

Messianic Believer who may live near me. One

day, I asked on my Facebook status if anyone

knew anything about the Messianic Jewish

Movement near where I live, but no response. I

didn’t get a response. So, being a Messianic Jew

in France is like not having a place to go to and

recharge spiritually. Yes, we (i.e., my family and

I) can pray, practice our faith and bless our

home, but I think that it would be great to have

a place of worship where others hold a common

sense of spirituality as well as share both advice

and support throughout the course of the

many, many challenges that we all face as

believers in Messiah Yeshua.

So to me, it feels like not being in

contact with the local community with whom

we, my family and I, could share on the holy

convocations of Elohim, special

events, friendly advice, and having

an amicable environment to go to.

I have a lot of trouble

taking my teenaged children on

this spiritual journey with me, this

condition of being without the true

biblical culture and entourage.

Unfortunately, our current position

does not allow for our teens to be

fully immersed, teens who have

never known religious practice. I

want to share with them! Please, don’t get me

wrong. It’s just hard being a Messianic Jew with

limited resources.

The now recent contacts that I have

online provides me with some comfort, friendly

support and a virtual environment to connect to

with a home-based Messianic Jewish

community brings me comfort, support and

many friends in a virtual environment, but I

continue to pray only if this could be close to

my home, this sense of community would be

much stronger. I am a very spiritual person and,

in a way, there are no borders. Boundaries do

not exist. I think that’s a good thing, because

the spirit doesn't have any boundaries. I think

that matters of the heart along with the human

contact are still needed in order to complete

any relationship.

As far as I know, Nehr HaOlam is the

only way to be part of the Messianic Jewish

Movement with Facebook in addition to (a

separate account that I created) and of course

the scriptures that I decided to read

continuously, about 1 hour per day. With this, I

say to you all, “Shalom alechem beShem El

Shaddai, Yeshua Hu HaMashiach, v’todah

l’Ruach HaKodesh!

By Isabelle Moreno

―Take up YOUR cross and follow me […]‖ (Ref. Matthew 16:24)? Revised Article by Kehilla Beth HaDerech; Toronto, Canada

Now, ―How Jewish is that?‖ you may wonder. ―Is this even Jewish? Does this statement even have a Jewish connotation?‖

For most people, a vivid image of a cross carrying Pope may come to mind. An entourage of masses huddling around him while he parades, dressed in his colorful arrays, down the streets of Vatican City on the Pope Mobile in front of thousands upon thousands of spectators may even discredit the idea of the judeocentricity that such a statement bears. If anything, a Jew in his right mind would say that this statement is nothing more than idolatrous and has absolutely NOTHING to do with Judaism. Similarly, Jewish followers of Messiah Yeshua may be confronted with the notion that their faith is nothing more than idolatrous.

Believe it or not, I reason that this biblical passage has been gravely misunderstood by a countless number of people; as opposed to following a cross carrying Pope seated in the front seat of all the spectacle, I reason that this passage is all about taking the mantle of leadership and not about subjecting yourself to martyrdom or even wearing

a cross. Quoting Maran Yeshua Rabeinu, he said:

23If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself1 and take up his cross2 daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Luke 9:23-25

Most believers may reason, teach, and even argue

that this quote implies that people should be willing to mortify their flesh (i.e., self-flagellation) and die for Yeshua; however, a closer look into this passage documented in Luke 9:23 along with some sound Semitic insights will shed some light into the matter.

Self-flagellation, or severely whipping oneself until bleeding, is still practiced on Good Friday by many Christians in Southeast Asia.

Firstly, notice what the idiom says, ―[…] deny himself […]‖ as referenced in Luke 9:23. In the Jewish mindset, this simple idiom means ―to set aside any personal self-interest or selfish ambition,‖ a concept that Paul uses frequently (2 Corinthians 5:9, Philemon 1:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:11, James 3:14 and 16); in other words, ―lose one‘s own self.‖ A variant of this idiom appears elsewhere as ―[…] whoever loses his life for […]‖ the sake of a better reason (Ref. Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35 and Luke 9:24). It‘s rather interesting that Yeshua uses this same phrase twice, once to mean deny the self and the other to mean forfeit the soul.

Contrary to Yeshua’s own statement, various Greek versions of this very same passage lose this subtlety while the Aramaic, a Semitic language much closer to Hebrew, maintains it.

In the extant Greek versions, all say of verse twenty-four: apolesê tên psuchên (i.e., [whoever] might lose his soul). In verse 25, they all say: eauton de apolesas – "himself, yet, losing." This shift from using the Greek noun psuche (i.e., self) to the pronoun eauton (i.e., himself) does two things. One, it undermines the wordplay here, and two it indicates that the intended meaning of psuche is indeed "self."

Unlike the Greek versions, The Aramaic Peshitta says in verse twenty-four, D’NaOB’eD N’PShH "(i.e., he is losing [his] self). As opposed to shifting word usages as the Greek versions do, verse twenty-five maintains, N‘PShH DYN NaOB‘eD (i.e., [his] soul he loses). Unlike the Greek versions which change word usage, The Aramaic Peshitta maintains the exact same words but transfer them in a different arrangement. By doing so, the speaker is emphasizing the importance of his prior statement, which native Semites enjoyed hearing in his day.

Alternatively, Yeshua believed and taught that the way to shalom (i.e., harmony) is through service to others and to G-d, denying or losing the personal inner self. Here, Yeshua is referring to the idea of gnoti sauton when He uses the clever wordplay of psuche (i.e., self) to refer to both the ―self‖ as maintained in Greek philosophy as well as his use of nefesh (i.e., the soul) in Jewish philosophy.

So, let’s now review the use of the term translated as cross and understand this Semitic Idiom.

As opposed to causing physical harm to your body, Messiah desires for you to deny your own personal “selfish” ambitions and take your place with him in providing service both to Hashem and fellow members within the body of Messiah Yeshua.

In Greek, the word translated into the English as cross is actually stauros (i.e., a stake or post) from the Greek word histemi (i.e., to stand). Stauros does not necessarily mean a cross as in a crucifix per se. It actually means ―a standing beam‖ that many men used to walk with, such as a cane.

In Biblical times, a rod was oftentimes used to travel Israel’s rugged terrain features. Many biblical figures used rods in order have a stable balance when they traveled from place to place. The rod even served as a sign of The Heavenly Father’s great calling and guidance towards Israel.

The Aramaic word for ―to stand‖ is z’kaf. In The Aramaic Peshitta, take notice the words used for ―take up his cross,‖ oon’sh’qool z’kifa. Oon’sh’qool (and he takes up (as with his bare hands) Z’kifa – (n. cudgel, club or rod, variants of the Aramaic verb Z‘KAF ―to stand‖). In addition to meaning ―to stand,‖ it

also means ―to lift up‖ or ―to take up (into one‘s hand),‖ which came to mean ―rod‖ because of Z‘KAF.

You may not know this, but either a cudgel or a rod was one of the primary tools commonly used by shepherds. More specifically, the rod could be used to either guide a flock of sheep towards a desired direction or as a weapon to defend the flock it guided. Idiomatically, to ―take up the rod‖ meant to pursue the work of The Shepherd and defend his flock. Thus, it‘s sound to reason that Messiah Yeshua wants us to take a stand, follow his teachings, and defend Israel‘s best interests.

Now, how often does Torah say ―take up the rod?‖ Actually, several times!

A picture of a Yemenite Shepherd from the Middle East was taken during 1950's.

And thou shalt take this rod in

thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs (Exodus 4:17).

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of G-d in his hand (Exodus 4:20).

And Moses and Aaron did so, as G-d commanded; and he (i.e., Moses) lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that [were] in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that [were] in the river were turned to blood (Ex 7:20).

And G-d said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go (Exodus 17:5).

And Moses brought out all the

rods from before the L-RD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod (Numbers 17:9).

And Moses lifted up his hand,

and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also] (Numbers 20:11).

So, as opposed to entertaining the idea that Messiah Yeshua wants you to take up the cross, understand what another one of his other biographers stated: ―And commanded his disciples that they should take nothing for [their] journey save a rod (i.e., rhabdos) only;

no scrip, no bread, and no money in [their] purse‖ (Mark 6:8). He wasn‘t instituting something new; he was simply re-iterating something that he already knew, commandments already provided in Torah.

To conclude, understand that to take up the rod means for you to do the work that G-d has placed in your hands. By you doing so, it demonstrates an immediate willingness and action to provide service both to G-d and towards others. Instead of being willing to inflict any harm to your body or even submit yourself to martyrdom, be willing to live for Yeshua and have a fair share in spreading the Good News.

I propose that Yeshua instructed us with the following:

If anyone would follow me, he

must set aside his own self-interest and demonstrate willingness to work every day and accompany me. For whoever wants to be selfish will lose his soul, but whoever loses his self-interest for me will preserve [his soul]. For, what good is it for a man to gain [even as much as] the entire universe, and yet lose his soul? Thus forth, I am ever mindful that with a

lowly shepherd‘s staff, the Heavenly Father

instructed Moses to go into Egypt, deliver

an enslaved nation, perform great signs and

wonders, and lead Israel into freedom. In

my selfless mind, I reason that Messiah

recognized that within me when he told me

to take my staff and follow him, a very

Jewish thing to do.

This Is My Story, By Avimelech Davidson

Hyattsville, Maryland, that‘s where I‘m

from. If you were to ever come by my

neck of the woods, you‘d know it‘s not

the best place life has to offer. In fact,

the area I grew up has a very high crime

rate. It was where every unimaginable

thing that could happen happened, to

include drug deals occurring even

within the school. So, it wasn‘t the safest

place to be, either for me or anyone that

I knew.

As for me, I was born into a

broken home. Early in life, I was

introduced to drugs; so, throughout

most of my high school years, I was

either high or getting high with my so-

called friends. In fact, I became addicted

to drugs.

At first, it was all fun, but it all

got old really quick. I was always broke

trying to hustle that money just so that I

could only as broke or in debt. At one

point, I was emotionally drained.

Mentally, I was overwhelmed.

Physically, I was doing everything

possible just get that next fix until one

day, I just hit rock bottom. The rock just

couldn‘t get any lower into the bottom

of the sea.

One day, I heard about how

Yeshua willingly laid his life down for

me. Though I was a foul mouthed

wretched person and a wicked sinner,

he was still willing to lay his life down

for me! So, I came to believe in the

teachings of Messiah Yeshua two

months after arriving to Virginia.

Jewish? I didn‘t know anything

about it. At first, I simply went to

Catholicism because some of my family

members from my mother‘s side

practiced it. To be honest, Catholicism

was the only form of Christianity that I

really knew anything about. Yeah, my

mom, aunt and grandparents would

occasionally take me to Mass when I

was younger. At the time, I believed

At first, my broken home was part of my broken life, and my wild ventures got me into more trouble.

A P

erso

nal T

estim

on

y

that the Roman Catholic Church was the

true church of Messiah. In the Catholic

tradition, it‘s what you‘re brought up to

believe. Other religions were foreign to

me; in fact, I always thought the other

forms of Christianity were just crazy.

I was fully devoted to

Catholicism. Overtime, the Lord helped

me quit smoking. Then, I started

deviating from Catholicism when I

started reading the Bible. I realized that

a lot of the Catholic rites were just not

biblical, like the praying to saints, the

veneration of Mary as Queen of heaven,

and transubstantiation (i.e., the belief

that the wafer literally became the body

and the wine literally became the blood

of Christ). From what I could read in the

Bible, these practices were a total

contradiction to Scriptures, especially

when you look at it in context. One of

my big problems was the issue of how

sin was dealt with, penance instead of

repentance. So, I stopped attending.

I was without a congregation for

over a year. During this time, I‘ve done

a lot of my own personal research and

started digging into the Jewish roots of

the biblical faith. Then, I started

watching a lot of Messianic Jewish

programs on TV, programs like Jewish

Voice, Discovering The Jewish Jesus,

and Sid Roth‘s ―It‘s Supernatural.‖

That‘s when I‘ve started praying that

the Lord would bring me to Messianic

Jews to fellowship with. At the time, I

started going to my cousin‘s non-

denominational congregation for a

couple of months. It was then that I

finally came across Messianic Judaism

from a former friend months later. Since

then, it‘s been two years that the

Messianic congregation I attend has

been my home.

Imagine coming home from a long day's work. You pull up the street and your house is on fire. Neither the police nor the fire trucks arrived. Your neighbors walk up to inform you that your mom, who came to visit you for the holidays, is at the hospital with your five years old child. In a quick desperation, you call your spouse only to be reminded the house insurance wasn’t paid because the money was used to pay for your mother’s ticket to fly in. Would you forgive the arson who caused such a devastating destruction, or would you want the arson to pay for his crimes?

Along with this very same photo,

the same scenario was presented to an

approximate three hundred Bible

believing people from different ethnic

backgrounds and religious affiliations.

Those who dared to respond just

couldn‘t understand why an arson

would have so much hate that he would

bring this much devastation into

another person‘s life. ―Am I that bad of

a person that you would have to hate

me so much?‖ wondered a frantic

believer. ―I would forgive, but I know

that he would have to be held

accountable of his actions,‖ said

another. Most agreed unanimously that

the arson should be held responsible.

If you were to search The

Scriptures, you‘d soon take notice that

the Bible compares gossip to a blazing

Th

e D

an

ge

rs of G

ossip

fire that goes completely out of control.

(Ref. Proverbs 26:20) Yet, when someone

is observed being caught in the act of

gossip, it appears as if though our moral

compass goes berserk, and the person

who‘s truly the victim of an

unwarranted circumstance is expected

to suffer unjust consequences as

opposed to the purpose aggravating the

assault. It comparison to the situation

provided in the photo, it just would be

the correct thing to say to someone

who‘s house is on fire.

Consider a forest fire.

In a matter of seconds, a small

spark can easily spread and cause

thousands of dollars‘ worth of

irreparable damages. Added to the

damages that a blazing fire can bring, so

too lives are jeopardized as an attempt

is made to control the fire, contain it and

put out the flames. Just as well, those

who fall victim of such a devastating

destruction suffer unexpected losses

that may take time to recuperate from.

In comparison to a single spark

that can cause a forest fire, the Bible

says,

5In the same way, the tongue is a

small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest

on fire. 6And the tongue is a flame of

fire. It is a whole world of wickedness,

corrupting your entire body. It can set

your whole life on fire, for it is set on

fire by hell itself (James 3:5-7, NLT).

What, then can be said about

those who indulge in gossip? Like a

forest fire that causes such irreparable

damages, individuals that indulge in

gossip can suffer irreparable damages to

both their own personal reputation as

well as the reputation of those who they

speak of. The irreparable loss is so

devastating that the Bible says that if

―Others may accuse you of gossip, and

you will never regain your good

reputation‖ (Proverbs 25:10, NLT).

As oppose to focusing on the

congregational needs to where the attention

is truly merited, almost everyone within the

community will now focus their attention to

the arson who initiated the gossip as well as

the congregational leader!

Many will become interested in

learning how the gossiper will be

handled, how the misappropriated

information will be contained, as well as

the actions that will be placed upon the

individual. Congregational members

may become interested in learning how

the congregational leader will react in

order to prevent the further spread of

any possible false reports and other

rumors. As difficult as it may be to the

congregational leader, he will have to

present the perpetrator with possible

two options- either submit to

disciplinary actions for initiating such a

horrendous act within the community

or ask the initiator to leave the

community.

Unfortunately, it will be most

likely that the congregants would expect

for the slanderer to get away with such

a spiritual arson as the Bible portrays! It

is more likely that many may reason

that dismissing such an individual from

any future participation within the

community may be too harsh or radical.

The idea of dismissing a congregant

from the community may be considered

too severe and unforgiving if the

congregation opts to ignore the rest of

James‘ statement that follows as a true

source of wisdom. (Ref. James 3:7-10)

Even if the individual who

initiated the gossip chose to remain, it

would take time for his credibility to be

re-established before anyone could ever

trust him with such a confidence he now

lost.

What, then, does the Bible

counsel about such a circumstance? It

says, ―Fire goes out without wood, and

quarrels disappear when gossip stops‖

(Proverbs 26:20, NLT). From this verse,

we‘re provided two possible

resolutions: either let the blazing fire do

its destructive damage until all the

wood is burnt to a cinder or limit the

amount of wood that the fire consumes.

I‘ve witnessed the destructive

damages that a gossiper can bring. I‘ve

also seen how the gossiper was able to

ravish the community that I was in

charge of. Thus, as a congregational

leader, I prefer the second of the two

options available and limit the amount

of wood that the fire can consume. As

loving and kind as I wanted to be

towards this person, I first spoke with

him and admonished him:

―The tongue can bring death or

life; those who love to talk will reap the

consequences‖ (Proverbs 18:21, NLT),‖

the Bible says. You should neither fool

yourself into thinking other than what

the Bible says nor test other people‘s

boundaries, ―[…] a gossiping tongue

causes anger!‖ (Proverbs 25:23, NLT) If

you really wish to be an integral part of

this community, I advise that you ―Then

keep your tongue from speaking evil

and your lips from telling lies!‖ (Psalm

34:13, NLT) ―Watch your tongue and

keep your mouth shut, and you will

stay out of trouble‖ (Proverbs 21:23,

NLT). Maybe, perhaps, in due time, you

can recover from the calamity you have

brought among our community.

At least, this was the advice I was

able to give him at the time, a difficult

construct that took time and prayer for

me to discover.

Did you know that the term

gossip does NOT appear once King

James Version of the Bible? Sure, it

appears in other versions of the Bible,

but the word gossip itself doesn‘t

appear once in the King James Version

of the Bible! Use a Concordance of the

Bible and look it up for yourself. You

will discover that this word doesn‘t

even appear once. Mari Garcia, a

Messianic Jewish Rabbitzen from

Baruch Hashem Messianic Synagogue in

San Antonio, Texas, said on December 1,

2012, ―GOOD! Because I hate gossip,

and Hashem hates it too.‖

For a number of years that I‘ve

been studying the Bible, when I did a

topical study on gossip, I just couldn‘t

understand how Pastors, Preachers and

Rabbis could all teach that gossip was a

sin when the term didn‘t even appear

once in the Bible! At least, I did not see

in the King James Version of the Bible

all the times that I‘ve read all these

years. I would spend hours on end

reading the King James and couldn‘t

even figure it out. I would pray and

read, pray and read, and I just didn‘t

find it.

Rabbitzen Mari Garcia, from Baruch Hashem Messianic Congregation in San Antonio, Texas, says,

“I HATE gossip, And G-d HATES IT too!"

G-d spoke things into existence; if we truly wish to imitate His ways, then we should be careful with what we speak into our lives.

Believe or not, Rabbitzen Garcia‘s

statement, as simple as it was, shed

some light. I thought to myself, ―Is it

possible that The Heavenly Father hates

gossip so much, that He didn‘t even

allow the KJV Bible translators to even

use the term once? Is it possible that IF

the Heavenly Father was to make

mention of it directly, He would have

caused gossip to come into existence in

the very same fashion that everything

else in the universe came into existence,

by His word?‖ Yes, we can find

synonymous terms for gossip in the

KJV, but not the term gossip itself.

Get this: as oppose to saying,

―Thou shalt not gossip,‖ Torah

mandates the following:

―You shall not go about as a

slanderer among your people, and you

are not to act against the life of your

neighbor; I am the L-RD‖ (Leviticus

19:6, NASB).

Torah also says,

1You must not pass along false

reports. You must not cooperate with evil

people by lying on the witness stand. 2You must not follow the crowd in

doing wrong. When you are called to

testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by

the crowd to twist justice. 3And do not

slant your testimony in favor of a

person just because that person is poor.

(Exodus 23:1-3, NLT)

I noticed that there isn‘t an

association between gossip and the

Creator. In fact, Torah‘s mandate

written in Leviticus 19:6 reveal that

when we heed and obey this mitzvah

(i.e., commandment) of not going about

as a slanderer, our obedience to this

mitzvah reveals that the Heavenly

Father is our Sovereign Elohim.

However, when someone purposely

violates this mitzvah, that person

reveals to those around him that the

Heavenly Father is NOT their Sovereign

Elohim. When he purposely violates this

mitzvah, he disassociates himself from

the Creator.

You don‘t need to know the exact

details of what the slander did! The

Bible already said it!

The Bible says that ―They (i.e.,

the one that goes about as slanderers)

visit me as if they were my friends, but

all the while they gathering gossip (i.e.,

the kindling wood to start the fire), and

when they leave, they spread it (arson)

everywhere‖ (Psalm 41:6, NLT), just like

a fire spreads easily throughout a forest.

In fact, if you didn‘t know, ―A gossip

goes around telling secrets […]‖

(Proverbs 11:3, NLT). He speaks of the

things that you tell him in great

confidence.

You know the person. He‘s the

one that comes to visit you, eats your

food from your table, have his fair share

of drinks, and asks you to buy him

things. He‘s the one that spread things

about you after he has enjoyed his fill

from you! He purposely intertwines

some of the facts that you provided him

with his opinionated trifling thinking

that has nothing to do with the person

who‘s listening. As oppose to showing

some appreciation and being there for

you defense, he makes you seem like the

enemy, someone who‘s against

amicability.

Now, you would

think that the slanderer

would stop himself dead

on his tracks, right?

Wrong. ―Wrongdoers

eagerly listen to gossip;

liars pay close attention to

slander,‖ says the Bible

(Proverbs 17:4, NLT).

Why do these

slanderers gossip?

According to Scriptures, slanderers get

caught up in gossip, because ―[…] G-d

(has) abandoned them (i.e., these

slanderers) to their shameful desires.

[…]‖ (Romans 1:28a, NLT); ―[…] he (i.e.

G-d) has abandoned the slanderer to their

foolish thinking and let the slanderer do

things that should never be done‖

(Romans 1:29b, NLT).

When does G-d abandon such an

individual? He doesn‘t abandon them

the instant they leave the sacred

assembly; He abandons them prior to

them leaving your house from that little

visit, after they had done ate your food,

drank your drink, wore your clothes,

and enjoyed the things you gave him. In

fact, the Bible reveals that the slanderer

began his reckoning immediately after

he had thought it foolish to

acknowledge G-d as Torah mandates

(Compare Leviticus 19:6 with Romans

1:28), and as a result of their way of

thinking towards the Heavenly Father,

the Bible continues on saying,

29Their lives

became full of every

kind of wickedness,

sin, greed, hate, envy,

murder, quarreling,

deception, malicious

behavior, and gossip. 30They are

backstabbers, haters of

G-d, insolent, proud,

and boastful. They

invent new ways of

sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31They refuse to understand, break their

promises, are heartless, and have no

mercy. 32They know G-d's justice

requires that those who do these things

deserve to die, yet they do them

anyway. Worse yet, they encourage

others to do them, too.

Romans 1:28-32, NLT

There‘s so much that can be said

about this topic, but I‘d like to conclude

with the following words.

STOP the slanderer, or you’ll partake in his sins and abandon your relationship with G-d.

The Scriptures reveal that the

ultimate goal of the slanderer is to

produce a company of wicked friends

and liars, because ―The wicked enjoy

fellowship with others who are wicked;

liars enjoy liars‖ (Proverbs 17:4, NLT)

King David counseled, ―Don‘t be

impatient for Hashem to act! Keep

traveling steadily along His pathway (i.e.,

Torah) and in due season[,] Hashem will

honor you with every blessing, and you

will see the wicked destroyed‖ (Psalms

37:34, NLT). Contrary to the ways of the

slanderer, ―The path of the godly leads

away from evil; he who follows that

path is safe‖ (Proverbs 16:17, NLT).

So, why does the Bible advise its

readers not to envy wicked people? It

reasons: ―1Don‘t envy godless men;

don‘t enjoy their company. 2For they

spend their days plotting violence and

cheating‖ (Proverbs 24:1-2, NLT). In

fact, a sense of safeguarded security is

ever present in the life of those who

follow after the ways of Hashem.

(Compare Proverbs 4:4 with Proverbs

23:17).

So, as opposed to applauding the

efforts of a spiritual arsonist as defined

in the Scriptures and defending his

interests, side with Elohim, choose to do

the right thing, and expose the slanderer

for what he is, abandoned by Yah. Put

him out of the community and do not

give him the kindling wood he needs to

engulf you in his flames.

You will be accepted if you do

what is right. But if you refuse to

do what is right, then watch out!

Sin is crouching at the door, eager

to control you. But you must

subdue sin and be its master.

Genesis 4:7, NLT

By Judah G. Himango, from Chavah©. It was nearly 40 years ago when G-d's spirit moved here in the United States, folks.

It stirred thousands to turn to God in what became known as The Jesus Movement of the 1970s. It saw a great number of Jews and Gentiles turning to Messiah, a return and repentance unprecedented in the modern era. Perhaps its greatest birth of The Jesus Movement was that of The Messianic Movement: for the first time in nearly 2 millennia, Jews could follow Jesus without assimilating into Gentile Christianity. One early pioneer said of this movement,

―Before that time, we could maybe say the Sh‘ma in our services, but little else. But to follow the Messiah in a Jewish context rather than a Gentile Christian one, was something bold yet very right.‖

This new Jewish context to Yeshua faith manifested itself through Messianic Jewish Music.

Stuart Dauermann, Joel Chernoff, Bruce Cohen, Paul Wilbur, Marc Chopinsky, and other pioneers penned songs of worship, prophecy, and praise to the God of Israel that remain with us to this day, friends. Classics like "Let Us Exalt His Name Together", "The Sacrifice Lamb", ―Trees of the Field‖ and more – these exaltations of God set to music, my friends, resound in our Messianic services, encourage Yeshua‘s disciples, and build up Yeshua‘s flock

with strength and words of encouragement. They are a legacy left to our generation by the pioneers of the last.

Today, however, I think some Messianic folks don‘t know what to do with Messianic Music, seeing as how Judaism‘s religious services have little or no place for music. Some ask, ―Is Messianic music just a holdover from Christian Pentecostalism?‖

One Messianic Jew recently told me his disdain for Messianic music. He

In America, The Jesus Movement of the 1970s gave rise to The Messianic Jewish Movement.

In the 1970s, Jewish followers of Messiah took a stance, defined their identity, and reclaimed their rightful position always denied of them by mainstream Christianity.

Me

ssian

ic Mu

sic Tre

nd

s from

Ch

av

ah

said,

―Relabeling Evangelism into Messianism and signing it in a minor key doesn‘t create anything either distinct or Jewish. Much of the stuff that Messianic Jews did in the 20th Century was still solidly in the Christian Evangelical and Charismatic camps. It‘s time for Messianic Jews to move on to the next level, towards Judaism.‖

Though very few hold such a view, virtually all Messianic Congregations in the world utilizes Messianic Music, this idea that Messianic Judaism should mature away from Messianic Music is a potential fork in the road for The Messianic Movement. Does maturing our movement mean jettisoning music? Or more potently, will The Messianic Movement choose to emulate the

Psalmist and the Scriptures in praising God through music passed down to us from the pioneers, or will we deem emulation of Judaism more important?

Messianic Music has its roots in God‘s own work, friends, a work that saw thousands of Jews and Gentiles turn to Messiah and Torah. The very fruit of this Messianic Movement I have witnessed more than most of you will. A recurring example that occurs every Erev Shabbat (i.e., Sabbath Evening Service) is that our Messianic flock, the disciples of Yeshua today, comes to me after leading worship service at my congregation telling me how they are renewed and filled up through worshiping God to Messianic Music.

Weekly, literally weekly, people I‘ve never spoken to before, from thousands of listening audience to MessianicRadio.com, thank me for that work for Messianic Music. They tell me that they stream Messianic Music throughout their house and in their cars, singing these songs with their children which results in peace of Israel, the very shalom, found in songs sung from the

Though originally undefined, The Messianic Jewish Movement began taking a bold new look into the Jewish cultural elements of the Bible as they shifted away from the prevalent Greco-Roman culture. This resulted in redeveloping that personal relationship with the Biblical Messiah, Yeshua.

Despite much adversity, The Messianic Jewish Movement is growing stronger. Both Jews and Gentiles continue to worship in Messiah together as one.

Scriptures over themselves and their families. That‘s good fruit, friends. We‘re in a time where there‘s a lot of bad fruit, much upheaval, but little good fruit. When I see good fruit like that which results from Messianic Music, it strengthens me and tells me that there‘s something very right about Messianic Music.

Others claim that Messianic Music is merely Christian Pop music, with ―Yeshua‖ replacing ―Jesus,‖ and a few Hebrew lyrics sprinkled in. Is there any truth to it? What‘s the difference between the US Billboard Top 10 Christian Pop hits and Messianic Music?

The difference goes much deeper than Hebrew names and lyrics. Messianic Music mirrors the Scripture‘s own focus on the centrality of Israel and the bedrock of the Torah. While Christian Pop tends to be uplifting, and indeed there is much edification in Christian Music, much of today‘s popular Christian Music is entertainment. There have been a number of times when I‘ve listened to a Christian Radio Broadcast and become very confused as to whether or not the female entertainer is singing about Jesus or her boyfriend.

I find that Christian Music omits the Scripture‘s own focus on Israel. One recent example of this is a new Christian Pop hit that mimics one of the Psalms, repeating the Psalmist‘s encouragement to lift our eyes to the hills to find our help: God, the maker of Heaven and Earth. But when the Christian Pop song came to the next line of that Psalm, a line that speaks of God watching over Israel and neither slumbering nor sleeping when caring for Zion, the Christian Pop song omitted that line.

One Christian Pop hit goes, ―I love the way you hold me‖, but the Messianic song belts out, ―How blessed is the man who delights in the Torah of the Lord.‖ While Christian Radio sings along to Big Daddy Weave, Messianic Tunes return to the Psalmist‘s chant: Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel! Messianic Song is comfortable in delighting in shabbat, but the Christian entertainer must avoid Psalm 119 and its extolling God‘s Torah.

Folks, I believe Messianic Music is God-breathed good fruit born of both Jewish and Gentile laborers for Messiah. It‘s not a vestige of old, but a renewal for today. It‘s not an emulation of Christian Pop, but a return to the Scripture‘s own focus on Zion, the King of Zion, and the King‘s commandments to Israel. The Scriptures‘ focus on Israel and the Torah is reflected.

Today‘s Messianic Music continues through the children of the early pioneers, like Sharon Wilbur, as well as new faces like Micha‘el Ben Eliyahu Ben David, Roman &

Alaina, Mishkanim, Zemer Levav, Hillel Ben Yochanan, and many more. I believe it is an enactment of the Psalmist’s benediction from generations ago,

My mouth will proclaim the praise of Adonai;

all people will bless his holy name forever and ever.

How good it is to sing praises to our God!

How sweet, how fitting to praise him! Glorify Adonai, Yerushalayim!

Praise your God, Tziyon! Halleluyah!

I’m frequently asked, “Which direction is Messianic Music

going? Is it heading towards contemporary Christian Pop?”

Instead of gearing itself to the popular culture, Messianic Music is heading towards the Book of Psalms and singing King David’s lyrics, thus the difference.

Mr. Walsh, a practicing Orthodox Jew

who resides in the land of Israel, has

years of experience mastering biblical

Hebrew, studying the writings of the

great sages, and dedicating his most

valuable time in prayer in synagogues

throughout the world to include the

Kotel (i.e., The Wailing Wall in

Jerusalem). He is a family man with

great moral values, Mr. Walsh loves G-d

so much to the point that he spends his

time studying biblical precepts as well

as learning how to apply these

principles he finds in the Hebrew Bible

both in his personal life and in the lives

of those he encounters.

As a Jew, I can tell you that when

countless of people see the yarmulke

and tzitzis that I wear, they walk up to

me and ask me the very same questions

that Mr. Walsh answers, questions like,

―Do you believe in G-d? Do you believe

in the Bible? Do you believe in the

coming of the Messiah?‖ Both, Mr.

Walsh and I, would say, ―Yes‖ to all

these questions. Then, said persons try

An

Orth

od

ox

Jew

Sp

ea

ks Menashe Walsh, philanthropist and Bible commentator, stands firm on the ideals

that he has gathered through decades of arduous Biblical study.

To read more on Menashe‘s thoughts, go to his online blogs!

to understand the differences that they

hold compared to that of the Jews.

So, what makes Menashe Walsh

different? Though Mr. Walsh believes in

the coming of the Messiah, he does not

believe that Yeshua is the Messiah.

Neither for that matter does he believe

in a Messiah as one believes in G-d. The

point of a Messiah and a subsequent

Messianic age is to help people draw

closer to G-d. The Messianic age being a

period of time of further correction and

connection with G-d only after which a

world to come (Holam HaBah)

according to the Sages, ushers in a more

spiritual ‗eternal‘ or ‗immortal‘ existence

for individuals. A feature of the world

to come is that no messiah is needed

because people finally have all that is

necessary to be connected with G-d and

each other. To be connected with G-d

and each other forever is what it is all

about is it not?

Now, you would imagine that

Mr. Walsh and I would be at each

other‘s throats, but the truth is that

we‘re not. Mr. Walsh is very well-aware

that I believe in Yeshua as Israel‘s

promised Messiah, a concept that he

respects since we first met several years

ago. It‘s just simply difficult for Mr.

Walsh to comprehend why I believe

Yeshua is the Messiah and maintain true

to my Jewish practices because of all the

attendant added theological baggage of

near to two thousand years of

Christianity. I‘m also well-aware that

Mr. Walsh does not believe in Yeshua,

but we still have the most interesting

conversations of how each of us

perceives the Scriptures. More

importantly, we maintain mutual

respect for each other.

If there is one thing that I can say

about Menashe Walsh, it is this: Mr.

Walsh holds a very fascinating insight

into a deep, cultural heritage that he

fully embraces wholeheartedly. You

may easily be tempted to want to go toe

to toe with him and argue whether or

not Yeshua is the Messiah in hopes that

he‘ll make it to heaven. The truth is that

he holds a plethora of information of

what it is to live a very biblical lifestyle,

something that most of us can respect.

Much of his biblical studies are believed

to be handed down from one generation

to the next; as a result, he perceives

himself as a guardian to the rich cultural

heritage that he admires dearly.

So, I asked him four basic

questions that I thought were important

for you to understand. Some would call

him an anti-missionary out of spite, and

he may not object. I call him my friend

because he keeps the commandments of

Hashem.

1. Have you ever read the New

Testament in its entirety?

Yes, I have.

2. As a Jew, sometimes labeled as an

anti-missionary in a negative sense,

what is the main objective you wish to

accomplish?

To help missionaries and their

supporters understand that the Jewish

people are a nation and not a ―religion.‖

In the Torah, I cannot find any

place where G-d told Avraham Avinu

that he (i.e., Abraham) would become

the father of a great religion; instead, we

read that the promise G-d made to

Avraham was always that of a position of

nationhood and not that of a religious

order based on performance, where the

level of performance says one is to be

‗saved‘ or ‗lost‘, which I find to be very

premature indeed.

Four-hundred and thirty years

after that promise was made to the great

patriarch, his descendants stood at Mt

Sinai, and Hashem (i.e., G-d) told the

people of Israel that they would become

a nation of priests. [The people of] Israel

is unique in this way from among the

nations of the earth, a distinctive by

virtue of the historical fact that Israelites

are the only nation that was ever created

by G-d. This is a very marvelous thing!

This idea of nationhood is so elementary

and so basic that it can be seen in even

the worst English translations of the

Tanach (i.e., The Hebrew Bible or Old

Testament).

To say that someone is a Jew

should be understood in the exact same

context as saying that someone is an

American, Japanese, or any other

nationality. In fact, when a person

converts1 (another unfortunate term) to

1 Convert: Among Christians, to change one’s religious faith or other belief by accepting Jesus Christ. Among Jews, this word means to change citizenship and become a national member of the Israeli people with Torah as Israel’s constitution. If a foreigner was to ask a Jew to convert, the Jew

Judaism2, a foreigner from among the

nations of the earth becomes a

naturalized citizen of a very great and

ancient commonwealth that is still

thriving today, Israel. The repatriated

person (i.e., convert) is subject to all the

laws that governs said commonwealth.

Just as children born to naturalized

citizens (i.e., immigrants to a nation) are

automatically considered citizens to

their parent‘s newly adopted nation, so

too children born to converts (i.e.,

repatriated people) are considered

Jewish, an ethnic group of people.

Similar to the statutes stipulated

within The American Constitution, it is

quite obvious that there are certain

things that either a convert (i.e.,

would understand request to mean ―Leave your country, your people, your language and heritage; forsake your G-d and become a gentile.‖ In essence, Jews feel like you‘re asking them to abandon G-d, discredit the Bible for what it‘s worth, and seek some sort of selfish ambition, something that Torah commands Israel NOT to do. 2 Judaism: Among Christians, the religious practices of the Jews. Among Jews, the conditions by which the tribes of Judah, the Levites, and the tribe of Benjamin may continue to exist as a people with Torah as their Constitution.

repatriated person to Israel) or their

children cannot do. For example, a

naturalized American citizen (i.e., an

immigrant who voluntarily becomes an

American citizen) cannot hold certain

public offices (e.g., President or serve as

a Federal Justice within the Supreme

Court). Torah, as the Israeli Constitution

of the Jewish People, stipulates similar

conditions towards repatriated

individuals who take their place and

identity among the people of Israel. A

very good example of Torah‘s statutes is

that of a repatriated person who may

not serve in respect to the function of

the Cohanim (i.e., Levitical Priesthood)

and minister to the people of Israel at

the Temple Mount.

Like any ordinary citizen from

any given nation, a Jew can make the

exact same claim. We have a set of laws

that covers every aspect of daily life. We

also have a land in which to practice

those laws that governs us as a people.

We have a culture, a language, and a

rich heritage that is uniquely our own,

just like any other nation. We even have

our own writing system called the Alef-

Bet.

However, there is an amazingly

different elegance about our laws that

governs us as a people. I can follow any

given law. Take, for example, obeying a

traffic sign. Those specific rules serve

only one purpose, maintain order in

traffic. When a Jew keeps a law that is

stipulated within Torah, even one that

might be perceived as the simplest and

the smallest of a mitzvah (i.e.,

commandment), that Jew brings down

holiness (from the Most High G-d) into

this world!

Being Jewish has very little to do

with skin color. Yes, there is a

leadership position firmly established

by G-d within the Twelve Tribes of

Israel, but as a society, our rights are

guaranteed under Torah, Israel‘s

Ancient Constitution. Though there is

an ethnic group of people that belong to

each of the different tribes, there are also

a myriad of flesh tones and bloodlines

that became a part of the social order in

this holy nation we called Israel.

Clearly, there must come a day

when the modern State of Israel will

have to grasp this true biblical concept

of Jewish nationhood. It may happen

when every Jewish family in the galuth

(i.e., dispersed among the nations)

books a ticket and boards a plane for the

land that the Creator gave them, Eretz

Israel (i.e., The Land of Israel). Most

importantly, a genuine Jewish nation

will only emerge when the Jews living

in Eretz Israel demand a Torah-centered

government.

In the meantime, the debate

might take a more instructive turn if the

Christian who argues for the merits of

becoming a Christian as opposed to

being a Jew. If I am to be asked to

become something else, ―I‘m sorry, but

you‘re asking me to betray my nation,

my people. I belong to the nation of

Israel, and what you‘re asking of me to

do is something called treason!‖

3. If a Jew chooses out of their free will

to believe in Yeshua as Israel’s

promised Messiah, what is your take

on that person? Do you think they will

spend eternity in hell?

The answer to this is twofold.

The notion of spending eternity

in hell is a Christian Concept, not a

Jewish one. The notion of spending

eternity in heaven after a second coming

is also a Christian Concept, not a Jewish

one. The notion that Yeshua (i.e., Jesus),

or any given messiah for that matter, as

an exclusive divine being for which

belief in is essential if that person is to

obtain eternal life is also a Christian

Concept, not a Jewish one.

If a Jewish person was to believe

that Yeshua (i.e., Jesus) is NOT a divine

figure but merely a human being, then

all the pagan3 projections placed upon

3 Pagan: ―a member of a religious movement that seeks to incorporate beliefs or foreign practices into mainstream Judaism, especially

said messiah are easily dispelled4 (i.e.,

understanding Yeshua and his purpose

in order to understand his position as

Israel‘s promised Messiah would not be

as confusing as the Gentiles present). It

is then, and only then, that it becomes

harder to conclude that a Jew is cut off

from the world to come for believing in

a ‗de-paganized‘ Yeshua or Jesus. A

question would be how far one would

go in this respect of de-paganizing

Yeshua or Jesus; reject the letters of

Paul, take out questionable sayings of

Jesus?….the list goes on and on. Pagan

projections onto a messiah figure may

typically include the idea of vicarious

substitutionary atonement, a trinity, and

a composite or plural godhead which

includes a ‗divine son‘ whose mission is

to make people accept an evangelical

paradigm (see Mark 16:16)5.

The Evangelical Paradigm of

―spiritual Israel‖ is that salvation is now

much narrower, because salvation is

limited only to those who accept Yeshua

as their own personal savior.

practices involved in the worship of the creation as opposed to the Creator.‖ 4 Dispel: ―make (a doubt, feeling, or belief) disappear‖ (Oxford English Dictionary 2012). 5 Paradigm: ―a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model‖ (OED 2012). Mark 16:16 is believed by most NT scholars to be a portion of Mark 16 which was added much later. Other examples include the later addition of the ‗trinity‘ later added to the first epistle of John (see 1 John 5:7 KJV version).

According to the paradigm,

Yeshua‘s coming may have caused

myriads of formerly saved (cf with

answer to question 4 below with respect

to savior Moshi‘a (משיע) Jews and

gentile God-fearers to slip into

perdition, or at least into an eternal

jeopardy, because the basis of salvation

has changed from a previous condition

to a much narrowed condition where it

is solely dependent upon belief in

Yeshua‘s incarnation, crucifixion,

resurrection, and ascension. The year

prior to Yeshua‘s death and

resurrection, faithful Jews and God-

fearers needed only to seek and live

faithfully to G-d by trusting in His

faithfulness towards Israel and in the

provisions He may have made through

the Temple sacrifices, a modified Jewish

Concept by the proponents of the

evangelical paradigm that is

questionable to say the least. Under

such an arrangement, certainly there

must have been tens of thousands,

hundreds of thousands, or even millions

of Jews whose status with G-d was

assured prior to Yeshua coming into the

picture, at least for their lives as they

lived it then unto the next.

If salvation NOW, after Yeshua

came into the picture, depends solely

upon believing in Yeshua, then that

would mean that millions of souls, who

feared G-d and followed after His

commandments prior to Yeshua‘s death

and resurrection, are simply doomed for

all eternity. Such a paradigm presented

to a Jew by a missionary does present to

the Jew the idea that only a select few

biblical figures from among the

Hebrews would be saved as opposed to

millions who feared G-d. The select few

biblical figures are of course are not

‗blind‘ to the gospel unlike most Jews!

Jews are blind to the gospel because

they follow the old covenant of Moses

and fail to see that the old covenant is

coming to an end and passing away ‗in

Christ‘ according to the New Testament

(see 2 Corinthians 3:13-18). If The

Evangelical Paradigm is correct, then

that would simply mean to me that all

of the Jews AND non-Jews who didn‘t

believe in Yeshua prior to his death and

resurrection are fundamentally lost,

unless they (the millions that died prior

to his resurrection) accepted Yeshua or

until they do accept him as their

personal Savior within their very

graves! As a result, I see an

irreconcilable difference.

The Evangelical Paradigm still

requires Jews AND non-Jews to accept

Yeshua as their personal Savior, or else

they‘re doomed. As a result, I cannot

accept the idea that our ancestors are

eternally damned just because they

weren‘t afforded such an opportunity to

believe in Yeshua. To me, I understand

that The Evangelical Paradigm means

that human substitutionary atonement

now becomes the sole basis by which a

whole new religion, or faith, which may

contribute to the creation for a new

―spiritual Israel‖ to exist, which is

another concept I cannot accept.

4. Among many Jews and Gentiles,

Yeshua serves as an important feature

to salvation. What is your

understanding of salvation and eternal

life?

I think that this mere thought or

idea is a misleading principle of the

New Testament. If anything, there is a

big confusion between Mashiach (משיח),

meaning ‗an anointed‘; King, Priest or

vessel as found in the Hebrew

Scriptures, with savior Moshi‘a (משיע);

so, the thought that a savior is needed

so that someone could be saved from his

own personal sins is a deceptive one to

say the least. At least, not in accordance

to how the Bible presents salvation and

its relationship to Messiah.

When I look up of the word משיע

(savior) within the Jewish scriptures,

this term shows up over two hundred

and fifty times. This term carries quite

consistently the same notion of an

individual and/ or nation being saved

or rescued from enemies. In each one of

these two hundred and fifty instances,

not one verse indicates that the person is

saved from his own personal sins. So, I

don‘t see how Messiah could be

synonymous with Savior in the sense of

a person being delivered from their own

personal sins.

As far as sin is concerned, G-d

has given us mastery over it (Ref.

Genesis 4:6-7). When someone needs

forgiveness, G-d has provided

repentance by which the person, if they

have truly repented, is compelled to

partake in certain actions which confirm

his forgiveness. The certain actions

mandated by the Torah may include

giving a sacrifice (if the Temple is in

existence/ operation), paying monetary

damages to person(s) affected or

seeking forgiveness. Repentance

however, does not exclude the

possibility of punishment under Torah

law because every individual is

individually responsible; nobody else

can ‘take it for you’. So, what you do does

count, especially when it comes to

repentance. I get this from what The

Bible says:

12Therefore you, O son of man,

say to the children of your people: ‗The

righteousness of the righteous man shall

not deliver him in the day of his

transgression; as for the wickedness of

the wicked, he shall not fall because of it

in the day that he turns from his

wickedness; nor shall the righteous be

able to live because of his righteousness

in the day that he sins.‘ 13When I say to

the righteous that he shall surely live,

but he trusts in his own righteousness

and commits iniquity, none of his

righteous works shall be remembered;

but because of the iniquity that he has

committed, he shall die. 14Again, when I

say to the wicked, ‗You shall surely die,‘

if he turns from his sin and does what is

lawful and right, 15if the wicked restores

the pledge, gives back what he has

stolen, and walks in the statutes of life

without committing iniquity, he shall

surely live; he shall not die. 16None of

his sins which he has committed shall be

remembered against him; he has done

what is lawful and right; he shall surely

live.

Ezekiel 33:12-6

To embrace Christianity, that

means, not only to embrace Yeshua as

the promised King who will rule at in

the Messianic Age (as the Jewish

Scriptures describe The Messiah), to

accept Yeshua as your personal Lord

and Savior, the second and equal

member of the Trinity who lived on

earth and needed to die on the cross for

your sins. To embrace Christianity is to

embrace the belief that without Yeshua,

your repentance has no value in front of

G-d as (according to the Greek

Scriptures); human repentance has no

efficacy in front of G-d (contrary to open

teachings of the Jewish Scriptures i.e

Ezekiel 33:10-16).

To me, this is not a matter of

selecting your preferred candidate for

president; it‘s about redefining whom

you worship as G-d and what G-d

requires from you. I‘m pleading, with

all my heart and soul, please take the

time to make sure that you fully

understand what you are being asked to

do, to reject and to embrace prior to

making any life altering decisions.

May the G-d of Abraham, Isaac,

and Jacob lead you to His Truth as you

continue to seek Him wholeheartedly.

The L-RD is near to all who call

upon Him, to all who call upon Him in

truth (Psalm 145:18).

End Remarks by Hillel Ben Yochanan

It‘s really not about religion; it‘s

about the right to exist as a nation with

our own personal ideals and principles

in accordance to Scriptures. While many

are concerned about making their way

into heaven while simultaneously

avoiding the flames of eternal

condemnation, the people of Israel are

concerned about the here and the now,

―What does G-d command me to do?

How can I live a more biblically correct

lifestyle?‖

As a Jew who follows the

teachings of Messiah Yeshua, I will say

that being a Jew is not about trying to

make it into heaven by our own merits

in keeping the commandments. We

don‘t keep a ―to-do‖ list and determine

who‘s going to make it into heaven or

hell. We simply keep the

commandments of Hashem because it‘s

how we can demonstrate to Him that

we‘re passionate of all the great things

that He has provided for us. On the

same note, we try to encourage others to

live to the best of their abilities.

Now, I know that a couple of

people have submitted some articles,

which I am more than happy to publish

in the near future; however, I was really

pressed for time editing and presenting

something a bit more concise and

beneficial. The main concept of this

publication, if you haven‘t noticed, is

―Sheep, and how the Heavenly Father

wants us to take an active role in this

present time.‖ You can either read it

article section by section or as a whole

from beginning to end.

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