~ RubenBarrett.net ~

What the Church can learn from a beer commercial

2011-12-05T18:20:00.000-06:00

if you visited a church that looked like this, would you stay or leave?

Giving Thanks

2011-11-21T21:31:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is upon us! The holiday, that is. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and encourage everyone to remember in your prayers all our servicemen & women overseas as well as any missionaries you may know. If you’d like to know more about the history of this holiday, click HERE. I’ve included just some of the many scripture verses relating to the subject of giving thanks. May God bless you with a thankful heart this holiday season. --rb

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9)
“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
“I will give thanks to him in song.” (Psalm 28:7)
“These things I remember as I pour out my soul how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” (Psalm 42:4)
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:30)
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:2)
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good…” (Psalm 107:1)
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4)
“Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18)
“I urge you then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for all kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Truthseekers Bible Study–October

2011-11-03T10:50:00.000-05:00

Our ministry to the Malayalam-speaking Indians continues, and this past week we studied Matthew chapter 3.

We took a look at the very interesting John the Baptizer and his likely connection to the Essene community, the nature and forms of baptism and its roots in the Jewish rite of miqveh, and the meaning of repentance, which was his basic message.

We also spent time discussing the Kingdom of Heaven, and what that means in its Jewish context, and why that’s vitally important to us as Christians. Also, I shared about who the Pharisees and Sadducees were, and how we’re not that different (doctrinally) from Pharisaism.

Here are our study questions for your consideration:

1. Locate Desert of Judea, Galilee, Jerusalem, and the Jordan River on a map.

2. Terms to define: kingdom of heaven, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, baptize.

3. When did John the Baptist preach? What does “in those days” mean?

4. What was John the Baptist’s message, and what does it teach us about the kingdom? Why does he say kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God?

5. Why would Matthew specifically mention the type of clothing that John wore and the food that he ate?

6. What did the people do when they got baptized?

7. John’s message to the Pharisees and Sadducees was a stunning rebuke. Why would he say such things? Is it ever appropriate to speak to someone like that today?

8. Who was John referring to as the “one who who is more powerful than I?”

9. How does the image of Messiah (the One) of verse 11-12 fit with your image of Jesus?

10. Why would Jesus need to be baptized? Did he need to repent of anything? What does it mean “to fulfill all righteousness?”

11. Compare verse 17 with its parallel passages at Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1. Are there any differences or insights you notice? Does it matter?

Truthseekers is the name of the Bible study group we lead for Malayalam-speaking Indians from various church backgrounds.

Halloween Already?

2011-10-30T10:25:00.001-05:00

Time sure flies when you’re having fun, or as a friend used to say, “Unless you’re a frog, then time is fun when you’re having flies.” The calendar just keeps moving on, with or without our approval, and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us then Christmas and 2012.

Since Halloween is coming up this Monday night, I thought I’d share an article I wrote that has received a lot of comments in the past and has been published in various places.

Where did Halloween come from? Should I participate? How can I use this holiday for God’s Kingdom? These are just some of the many questions people ask this time of year. Click here or below to learn more.

http://rubenbarrett.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween.html

Pastor Steps Down Over Discipleship Failure

2011-10-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

This one will have you scratching your head.

Shaun King, notable Christian leader in Atlanta, GA, has stepped down from his church which he pioneered just two years ago. Why?

Discipleship, the most important thing that Jesus commanded, simply wasn’t happening with the type of structure and methodology that they were using. The solution? Try to change the structure and methodology, of course. However, the people just wouldn’t have it. In a church only two years old, the people were firmly planted in their tradition.

Wow, this really tells us how important tradition is. The trajectory you start with is very difficult to change. This is why we are trying to be very careful about the pattern we’re establishing with our church plant.

Here’s an excerpt from the Lk10 Revolution blog:

Called "Courageous Church", it was, in Shaun's words, a "super cool Sunday worship-service-centered church with 700 people". A mixed race congregation, it was seen as one of the cutting edge churches in the city. Highly "successful"! Leonard Sweet, scholar and author, called Shaun, "One of the most dynamic, entrepreneurial, creative and passionate leaders on the American scene today." How could this guy possibly fail? What would cause him to throw up his hands and give up?

Shaun stepped down not because of any scandal but because he was disillusioned and burned out. He had followed the advice of church planting experts on how to develop an exciting, growing church by focusing on a dynamic Sunday morning "experience". He writes, "I sold my soul for church attendance in our first week and I could never quite get it back."

Over time Shaun came to understand that "the overwhelming percentage of our time, energy, skills, budget and creativity were spent preparing for Sunday morning services, getting people to our Sunday services and getting them to volunteer for our Sunday morning services." Then, Shaun made a big "mistake". He tried to change all of this. He tried to create a discipleship oriented church where the "time, energy, skills, budget and creativity" went primarily into caring for people and meeting needs in the city. And, since he was the senior leader, he could make this work. Right?
Shaun planned to move the whole congregation into small missional groups with one large meeting each month. He worked with his leaders to develop the new structure.

He preached a whole sermon series on the new vision. http://www.shauninthecity.com/2011/03/its-true-preaching-my-last-sermon-series-courageous-church.html (Preaching changes people. Right?) He reports that, as long as he was preaching about it, the people loved it.

But, once the "shift" took place, in his words, "all hell broke loose". Three months later, 85% of the congregation wanted to go back to the "super cool worship-service-centered church". Four months later, Shaun stepped down as the lead pastor. Here's his evaluation...

"What I am saying is that church attendance, Sunday morning services, sermon-listening (or even sermon preaching), song-singing, hand-clapping, amen-saying and all the other things that "Christ-ians" have lifted up so high look so little like Christ himself that I am utterly convinced that we are completely off base with what discipleship means. Considering all of this, I think I have given up on church as I knew it. Big buildings. Hugh crowds. Few disciples. I'm not with it. It's inefficient and just doesn't feel right with my soul. This is not a rejection of big buildings or huge crowds, but an indictment on how few disciples are being made in the process of it all. A better way has to exist."

Well, Shaun, welcome to the growing number of traditional church leaders (perhaps 1500 a month by some estimates) who are coming to the same conclusion. That is, that the building-centered, Sunday big worship-service-centered "experience" (one mega church here in Denver calls this "the big magic") is a great way to entertain people but an inefficient way to make disciples. Not only that, but it takes a terrible toll on the pastors and on their families.

I for one have mixed feelings about this. I’m not convinced that the right structure will magicly make discipleship happen. I’ve seen what his church was doing and it all seemed pretty awesome. What I can do, however, is sympathize with what he felt as a pastor, and the hunger he has for something more.

What do you think?

Welcome Back, Mr. Kot-taaare…!

2011-08-11T14:12:00.001-05:00

After a long summer hiatus, I have officially returned. Summer is winding up (or is it down?), and school is getting ready to start. Change is in the air…

So here’s a few updates in lieu of a summer newsletter:

(1) I took a new job working security for the summer that looks like it will be long-term, and it will allow me to continue with the teaching, church ministry, and community involvement that I have been committed to.

(2) The www.HaDavar.net website has been stripped of most of its content and transferred to the new domain www.RubenBarrett.net. This change is in preparation for the coming publication of some of my many projects. The HaDavar site will be remodeled into an outreach and apologetics site focused around the themes of Bible answers to various issues. Be sure to check out the all-new blogsite at www.RubenBarrett.net.

(3) The house church continues to meet regularly. We currently are studying the Minor Prophets, and just finished going through Jude, 1st and 2nd Peter. The kids are studying the parables of Christ and are making skits/videos of their adventures. We are looking forward to some missionaries to Cambodia coming to speak to us this month.

(4) I’ve been asked to teach a Bible study group of Malayalam-speaking Indians which should start this month hopefully. Please pray that the scheduling can be worked out to involve as many of them as possible. We’ll be studying the book of Matthew.

(5) I’m continuing my involvement once a month with the Civil Air Patrol, training for search and rescue operations, and have also spent the last 6 months teaching an aerospace education class to cadets. Currently I’m also in the process of enlisting in the Tennessee State Guard, which is the reserve force for the TN National Guard but can’t be called up outside of the state. Both groups are tied in with the military, FEMA and the American Red Cross and are part of my goal of getting Disaster Relief training.

(6.) The kids are tired of summertime and can’t wait to start back to school.
NOT !

(7) Brenda and I will continue teaching part-time with VCS, where she’ll teach math and I’ll teach Latin and Greek. For the kids we’re exploring all the extra-curriculars as well: Ballet, piano, soccer or other sports, etc.

Well, that’s a wrap for now. I encourage you to take a look at the new website and let me know what you think. Feel free to pass this on to anybody who may be interested. For those new to the mailing list, thanks for joining!

God’s Peace,

Ruben & family

The Body of Christ

2011-07-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

INTRO

In the early to mid 1980’s, I was probably a typical suburban teenage boy. My hair was fairly long. I liked heavy metal music. Posters of Bruce Lee and others were on my wall. I longed for an identity, a purpose, and the meaning of life. Through my fascination and involvement with the martial arts, I began reading and believing in the writings of Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and ultimately the Occult. However, I was also heavily involved in the Boy Scouts, which promoted morality, ethics, character, and faith. As my exposure to darkness increased, I became more and more aware of a struggle within me, as if I had to make a life choice about which direction to go. I still remember the day I saw this Gregory Hines movie in which his character said to Chevy Chase, “I’m getting out of the [black market] business. I’ve decided to give my life to Jesus Christ.” Then it hit me. I understood then that complete surrender was what was important. My days of dabbling were over. I sought out a church and within that community committed my life to Christ. I put behind me the sin of self-styled religion, and joined myself to a local Body of Believers. I learned there that we are all on a journey, yet none of us were called to walk alone.

Today I'd like to speak to you about THE BODY OF CHRIST.

DEFINITION

To begin, I first ask, “What is the Body of Christ?” Loosely interpreted, we use this phrase to mean Christ’s representatives. Anyone who has submitted to and committed himself to Jesus Christ is part of His body. In a sense, you as an individual are His body, as would be your household. In fact, we can even say that Christians everywhere around the world are the universal Body of Christ. But most often we use this term to describe the local body of believers in what is called the church.
But let us consider these two terms a little further.

BODY: The body is a fusion of muscles, bones, blood and various organs. Every one of us has a body, which houses our spirit, but we are different from one another, especially in the face. In the same way, every local church may look a little different, yet all are still a local body, filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

CHRIST: The Christ, or Messiah, was the Anointed One. That means the Old Testament prophets foresaw one who was to come who was set apart, or anointed, for a particular purpose as part of God’s plan of redemption. In the same way, every individual Christian and every local body of believers has a purpose to fulfill.

PURPOSE OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Now, let us consider the purpose of the Christ, for in doing so, we will understand the purpose of the Church. There were three major offices in ancient Israel: The prophet, the priest, and the King. Within the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah, we find this imagery. So the Messiah would be an anointed prophet (like Moses), priest (like Malchizedech), and king (like David). A fourth prophetic image is that He would be an anointed Servant (like Joseph). Let us consider these four images:

1. The Prophet: The prophet was to speak to men on behalf of God. Jesus did this, and this is one of our purposes too. We have been entrusted with the Words of Life [hold up Bible], and we are called to encourage one another with these words, proclaim these words to the world, and teach these words diligently to our children. In a world of darkness, we as Christ’s representatives, are the Light. We need not dress in camel hair and eat locusts like John the Baptizer, but each of us has a prophetic responsibility to speak the Truth in a world of lies. How about yourself? How are you doing in this area?

2. The Priest: The priest’s job was to speak to God on behalf of men. Jesus did this, and this too is one of our purposes as His Body. He pleaded with the Father that the Church would be in unity, and He is descried by the apostle John as our advocate before the Father even now. Likewise we are called and anointed to intercede, to pray, for the needs of people everywhere, even our enemies. We may not wear special clothes, or have special titles like the priests of old, yet the New Covenant makes every believer a priest. As such, we each have a priestly duty as the Body of Christ should be a house of prayer. How about you? When was the last time you prayed for someone else’s need? Do you pray for your enemies? How about those you don’t get along with?

3. The King: The Kings of Israel reigned as God’s representative ruler, as did the Judges before them. Jesus reigns as the King of Kings, and as His disciples, the New Testament says that the Body of Christ will one day reign and rule with Him. One New Testament writer asks, “Do you not know that one day we will judge angels?” In other words, the Body of Christ is called to social action, to stand against injustice in the world, and to promote righteousness in society to the best of our ability. We should remember though that our purpose is to be a just people in the present age, not to conquer. How about yourself? Do you take advantage of our liberties and vote? Do you shirk opportunities to help people reconcile, or do you just leave it alone, since its “their problem”? Sometimes, their problem is our opportunity to see God work in our midst. Let’s not leave our culture and society to itself, but represent Christ as we are salt and light in this world.

4. The Servant: Bad things happened to Joseph, yet God used those things bring about good. Jesus suffered for us, and He told us that if we follow Him we would suffer too. Still we are called to serve with the heart of Jesus and his ancestor Joseph. The Body of Christ is not a warehouse for the saints, but a training institute for servants. The goal of going to a worship “service” is to learn how to serve. How about yourself? Have you seen a need and ignored it? A lifelong list of opportunities is out there of endless needs you yourself can meet. As Jesus is the Suffering Servant, the Body of Christ is also called to serve.

PARTICIPATION IN THE BODY OF CHRIST

Each of us has a part to play in putting into action the purpose of our calling. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul,

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have all the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.(Romans 12:4-5)

Paul then goes on to describe potential gifts that you may be entrusted with: Exhorting or prophesying, teaching, serving, giving, leading, and showing mercy. This is not a complete list of everything physically possible that you can do. For example, in my 20+ years as a Christian I have served in numerous ways in churches, but each role I was in was never independent from the rest of God’s people. I’ve been involved in churches as few as 6 and as large as 2000, but regardless of size, there are always opportunities for your participation. You too can find somewhere to serve. Even when it is not your area of giftedness, it will still produce fruit if done unto the Lord. Rather than being a cynic, endeavor to be a servant in your local church and in your community. Together we can make a difference for the cause of Christ.

CONCLUSION

As the old saying goes, “No man is an island unto himself”. Self-styled religion, Lone Ranger Christianity, and rejection of organized religion are all pitfalls to experiencing the benefits of being part of a local body of people committed to Jesus Christ. Sending your money off to the guy on TV may be a nice thing to do, but don’t expect a visit from him while you’re in the hospital. I mentioned that I had served in various ways over the years within the church, but what I didn’t mention is how many times I myself have been served by the Body of Christ. Let me close with just one of many stories I could tell.

In 2003 I began to experience strange neurological problems: My left side going numb, inability to speak or stuttering, falling down uncontrollably, and extreme fatigue. I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that was related to migraines. The end result was that I was unable to work, lost my job, ended up in bankruptcy, was useless around the house, fell into deep depression, and felt worthless as a man. Most of all, I was frustrated with God. In the Spring of 2004 I was invited to go on the Walk to Emmaus by dear friends. I had begun to experience improvement but was still unable to work. I wondered what I was doing there, but at one point it all became clear. I realized that I was mad at God for what He had put me through. I was focused on DOING the work of God, but had taken my eyes off BEING His handiwork.

I repented from my anger as I experienced an outpouring of love and support from the Body of Christ, both in my local congregation and in the Emmaus community. Through this process I eventually regained my health enough that I was able to soon return to full-time work. I could have not made it through the fire alone, for it was the Body of Christ, in action, that held me up and walked through the fire with me. Through this and numerous other ways, it was the Body of Christ that made all the difference. I pray that you too will experience His hands and Feet as well. God bless you !

The Samsonite Challenge

2011-07-05T13:05:00.003-05:00

Intro

In my family there is a luggage set passed down from my Great Uncle. Probably was expensive in its day. It has the name Samsonite on it. Today this luggage is not very stylish; in fact it’s kinda ugly. It’s a brownish color. Very bulky, but very strong. In fact, it’s just as strong today as it was over 50 years ago. Good quality. Poor choice of name. They likely figured that naming their luggage after the strongest man in the Bible was a good idea. It seems to have worked, but if they knew just how weak this Samson figure was, they might have chosen another name.

Overview of Samson’s Life

1. Miracle birth (ch. 13)

2. Marriage to a Philistine

3. Incident with lion, honey, and riddle

4. Wife nags him into answering the riddle

5. He attacks 30 Philistines

6. Philistines burn his wife and father-in-law

7. He burns their crops with 300 foxes

8. He is betrayed by 3000 Judahites

9. He escapes, attacks and slays 1000 Philistines

10. He visits a prostitute and escapes capture

11. He falls for Delilah and loses his hair

12. He is captured and his eyes are gouged out

13. He kills himself and 3000 Philistines in their temple

ISRAEL’S IMPERFECT JUDGE (Samson the Nazirite)

I. Samson’s ANNOINTING

Keyword: STRENGTH

Samson’s anointing was one of strength. He was entrusted by God with superhuman strength for the purpose of delivering the Israelite people from the Philistines. God raised him up from among his people as a leader, a judge, and a deliverer. This anointing was directly related to his Nazirite vow, which he systematically rejected. His hair was his crown, the most visible sign of his authority. A king may not act like a king, but as long as he still wears the crown, he is the king, the one with authority. Samson’s hair was the crown of his authority, the only remaining symbol of his separated life.

II. Samson’s ATTITUDE

Keyword: SELF-CENTEREDNESS

He lacked REMORSE: We never hear a confession of regret or sorrow over his disobedience.

He lacked REPENTANCE: Even at his death he is still trying to get revenge.

He lacked REFLECTION: There was no self-introspection, reminding himself of his past or his calling, his responsibilities or why he was there.

He was RECKLESS: His decisions were based on personal insult, pride, and self-promotion instead of God’s will or justice. Lacked regard for how his behavior affected others.

III. Samson’s ACTIONS

Keyword: SENSUALITY (Senses, emotions,etc)

A. He Preferred Sin

1. Anger – First he burned, then the crops, then his wife.

The stakes kept rising until it cost him his life.

2. Pride – Insult led to violence, made into a spectacle

3. Lust – 3 women in his life, eyes gouged out

B. He Played Games

1. With His Commitment to God

Broke his Nazirite vow: Nothing from fruit of vine

Not touching the dead

Not cutting his hair

2. With Marriage and Women in General

3. With the Enemy

Instead of leading the Israelites and motivating them to rally against the Philistines under him, he was much less successful trying to do it all himself. He was a “could have been.”

ISRAEL’S PERFECT JUDGE (Yeshua/Jesus the Nazarene)

Samson and Jesus have much in common:

1. They both had miraculous births

2. Both had angels visit their parents

3. Prophetic words were spoken about their ministries

4. They were both made a spectacle before their accusers

5. Each of them gave his life for Israel

But where Samson failed, Jesus was faithful:

1. He honored his father and mother

2. In his anger he did not sin

3. When insulted, he did not respond hatefully

4. His riddles (parables) were intended to teach truth, not confuse or lord his knowledge over others

5. He was respectful towards women

6. At his death he prayed for his enemies rather than exacting revenge

7. Death was the enemy. He did not cheat death. He conquered it!

Conclusion

Samson is not only a symbol of strength but weakness as well, and is no more a role model than Balaam. But he did ultimately fulfill his calling, not because of his own faithfulness, but because of God’s. Samson serves as a reminder that God’s anointing upon us is not indicative of His approval of our behavior.

Just because we’re being used of God in some great way doesn’t justify our personal disobedience. But we can’t give Samson a bad rap either. Hebrews 11 includes him in the Hall of Faith. What good can we say of him? At least he did something with his gifts.

God gives gifts to each of us. Samson’s was physical strength. Do you know what yours is? The ability to sing, teach, play an instrument, practice a certain skill, perform a task, encourage people, give money, give time, administrate, heal others, pray for others, etc. Are you using your gifts wisely? Or at all?

Each of us has an anointing upon us (1 Jn 2:20). The anointing is God’s Spirit within you strengthening you to utilize your gifts and abilities for God’s purposes. It’s where supernatural meets natural. If God’s Spirit lives within you, you then have an anointing. The question is not whether or not you have an anointing, but “are you excelling in your anointing?”

Don’t let this be a “Summer of Sam-son” in which you lose sight of your goals, play with the Enemy, flirt with the Adversary, or grow weak in your devotion to the One who will ultimately judge us.

If you were luggage, who would you want to be like, Samson the unfaithful Nazarite, or Jesus the faithful Nazarene? Choose Jesus today, and live a life of strength that is out of this world.

Why Support Israel?

2011-05-05T13:32:00.002-05:00

The events of September 11 and the war on terrorism have given Americans a new consciousness of the Middle East. As a result, this has often led to the questioning of U.S. support for Israel. Also, despite many Christians' support, some Christians are asking,"Why should we support this tiny coutntry?" Here's just a few short reasons:

Israel has a prophetic role. Israel still has a place in God’s timetable, and He is fulfilling His promise to Israel by bringing Jewish immigrants back to “the Land.” There is in the formation of the Israeli state a seed planted that will soon become a spiritual harvest. The message of Messiah was first proclaimed in Israel, and has spread throughout the world. One day the circle will be complete and we will once again see Israel as the "light unto the nations."

Israel is a friend and ally. As a democratic republic, Israel is the sole representative of free society in a region that does not cherish individual liberty. For this, they deserve our support. Despite historical oppression, the Jewish people have had a significant positive influence on western civilization, especially the United States. This has been in our legal systems, financial systems, the fine arts, science, medicine, civil rights, entertainment, and political leadership. For all practical purposes, due to our shared values, Israel is family.

Israel is misunderstood. The media often misinterprets conflicts and events in Israel. Often portrayed as land-hungry oppressors, the Israelis actually do much out of self-defense. Many don’t realize that, in 1948, it was the United Nations that allowed for an Israeli state. The Palestinians, who have rejected multiple offers of land, refused to form their own state alongside Israel, and instead chose war. Five Arab nations invaded Israel in its infancy, and were defeated. Consequently, Israel then seized land that was used strategically against them. The rest is, in fact, history.

Israel and America are both hated. At the root of this conflict is anti-semitism and hatred for western culture. The hatred of the Jewish people goes back to Biblical times, and the hatred of the west may be traced back nearly 1000 years when the Crusades took place. Bin-Laden himself used Crusader language in describing American forces, and Arab newspaper columns and cartoons frequently show the west as under the puppet-string control of the Jews. Israel sits in the center of the Islamic world as a symbol of those two great enemies (Judaism and western civilization), and she is therefore hated by many of her own neighbors. America knows now, like Israel, what it is like to be hated.

Being pro-Israel does not mean that you have to agree with every decision made by the Israeli government. It just means that you defend their right to exist, including defending themselves against the perpetual onsluaght of their many enemies. As Christians, regardless of how we feel about Israel politically, we are called to love the people of Israel. In addition, due to the many believers there, Paul says...

For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
(Romans 15:27 NIV)

James the Just: A Messianic Jewish Role Model

2011-05-05T12:45:00.001-05:00

Maybe you’ve heard of him: St. James the Just, first Bishop of Jerusalem and brother of Jesus Christ. Sounds like a very non-Jewish kind of guy, right? You’d probably expect a guy like this to wear fancy robes, a miter hat, wear crosses around his neck, and speak Latin, right? The all too common presumption is that anybody dubbed a Christian saint could not also be an Orthodox Jewish Tzaddik (scrupulously faithful to the Torah and Jewish life). But that’s exactly what we find in the person of Ya’akov Ha Tzaddik, James the Just. He loved the Torah, the Jewish people, the God of Israel and His Messiah Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth).

Unfortunately, many people forget that primitive Christianity was originally a sect of Judaism in the first century. Jesus (whose original Aramaic name is Yeshua) was Jewish as were all the apostles. He did not come to abolish the Law of Moses, turn against the Jewish people, or start a new religion. He came to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven (Malchut haShamayim) and make salvation available to all the nations, beginning with Israel. So it is no wonder that His first followers were all Jewish. In fact, it was some years before Gentiles began accepting this message. As their numbers increased, a decision had to be made on what was to be expected of Gentiles who followed Yeshua.

It was at this decision-making meeting that a man named James spoke up and gave the final word:

"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath" (Acts 15:19-21).

For the Gentiles receiving this letter, the message was clear: You don’t have to become Jewish to be a follower of Yeshua, but there are basic standards, rooted in Torah, which every believer should follow. The further implication is that the Gentiles should seek to learn from Moses and the Jewish people, and grow in their faith beyond these minimal requirements, for “Moses…is read…every Sabbath.”

But who was this James to give such a summary ruling? By all rights we would expect Peter to have been the leader. But something obviously changed in the leadership structure of the early believers by Acts 15. Somehow this James/Ya’akov character was now the Overseer of the Jerusalem-based Messianic Jewish community (Jews who accepted the message and messiahship of Yeshua). How did this occur? The answer isn’t clear, but there’s some things we do know.

Though the exact relationship between Ya’akov and Yeshua has been debated, the most common translation is “the Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1:19). He was likely the oldest of the brothers listed in Mark 6:3. Several accounts give us clues that his family was very Torah-observant. His parents kept the laws of brit milah (circumcision), pidyon ha ben (redemption of the firstborn son), and Pesach (Passover) [see Luke 2:21,23,41]. They also kept Shabbat (Sabbath), regularly attending synagogue (Luke 4:16). Ya’akov was a descendent of King David, and his uncle Zechariah was a priest in the Temple. His cousin Yochanan (John) was a prominent prophet who called the people to repentance and public mikveh (immersion in water) [see Matthew 3, Luke 3]. This Yochanan was also obedient to Torah, and ultimately was executed by the government when he rebuked King Herod Antipas for violating Leviticus 18:16. Where did Yochanan learn such devotion to Torah? Luke 1:6 tells us that his parents were “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” Without a doubt, Yochanan, Yeshua and Ya’akov (John, Jesus, and James) all were raised in homes that were faithful to Torah and took Jewish life & practice very seriously. So we should not be surprised to find Ya’akov later in life being called the Tzaddik (just or righteous one). King Solomon himself said, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

In his early adulthood, Ya’akov was not counted among the followers of Yeshua, but at some point came to believe. He also was one of the many who encountered Yeshua personally after He was raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 1:14). Some twenty years later, in Acts 15, we see him as the preeminent leader of the Yeshua movement in Jerusalem. In Acts 21 he is noted as having encouraged the Apostle Paul to demonstrate his allegiance to Torah by endorsing the Nazarite vow and being purified in the Temple.

When he writes his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (James 1:1) who are “believers in our glorious Lord Yeshua” (2:1) this indicates his leadership among the believing Jewish communities abroad, not just at Jerusalem. Unlike other letters by the apostles which deal with Jewish-Gentile relations within the churches, Ya’akov’s letter doesn't, which may indicate that his original recipients were not a mixed audience. Instead he speaks about practical righteousness: the way we treat one another, how we use our tongue, how we care for the needy, and how to persevere under difficult situations. Much of the letter is a drash (exposition) on how to “love your neighbor as yourself,” a Torah command from Leviticus 19:18. The letter reflects his Hebraic framework, as he draws lessons from the lives of Abraham, Job, and Elijah, and refers to Torah in positive terms. His use of the Greek term συναγωγη (synagogue) in 2:2 may imply that Jewish followers of Yeshua had their own synagogues, distinct from those who didn’t believe.

According to some of the accounts* outside of Scripture, James was called the Tzaddik (the Just or Righteous one) because of his strict devotion to God and intercession for the people. He was known as a man of prayer who wore only linen, lived by the Nazarite code, and was a vegetarian. He was highly regarded by all for his deep piety and wisdom, and advocated ritual purity and fidelity to Jewish law. He was martyred around 62 C.E. during Passover, and was heard praying for his attackers as he died.

Ya’akov Ha Tzaddik represents an era of Jewish & Christian history that currently is being re-examined by scholars. He seems to have been the figurehead of the early Nazarene movement, a curious sect of Judaism that believed Yeshua was the Messiah. As Church and Synagogue went their separate ways, those who followed in the steps of Ya’akov’s Messianic/Christian Judaism over the next few centuries barely made it in the history books. Ultimately rejected by both historic Judaism and the emerging Gentile Christianity, the Nazarenes did leave a legacy though worth emulating. What little we know about their movement may greatly affect future Jewish/Christian relations for the good as a new generation of modern Nazarenes emerges. The modern Messianic Jewish movement so closely identifies with this ancient group, and if the Nazarenes are a role model for the contemporary Messianic Jews, then so is Ya’akov.

*Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 20.9.1(c. 90 C.E.) and
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, ii. 23 (c. 325 C.E.)

Remembering the Holocaust

2011-05-01T18:22:00.001-05:00

Today, Jewish communities around the world stand with Israel in remembering the Shoah, or Holocaust. Ted Pearce has written a wonderful song of not only remembrance, but also a call to action. It has been a while since I posted this, but I encourage you to listen & watch the video and share it with others.

Farewell, Bro. David Wilkerson

2011-04-28T10:25:00.001-05:00

Within the long list of mentors and individuals who have influenced my life is the name David Wilkerson. So it was with great shock that I learned this week that he was tragically killed in an automobile accident Wednesday in east Texas. He was 79.

Wilkerson was the founder of the very successful program Teen Challenge, a story that was recorded in the book The Cross and the Switchblade, then later made into a movie with Pat Boone and Eric Estrada. He wrote several books, established a ministry called World Challenge, and founded Times Square Church in New York City.

I have been out of touch with Wilkerson’s ministry for a number of years, but he had a profound influence on my early Christian life.

For one, his book The Cross and the Switchblade played a part in my own conversion story. On July 19, 1985 I discovered the book while perusing the Occult section of a bookstore. Someone had placed it in the wrong section! I took the book home and started reading it, and two days later accepted Christ! If you’re not familiar with the story, it is an amazing testimony of his ministry among the gangs of New York. In an often-told line from the book, gang leader Nicky Cruz (played by Eric Estrada in the film version) threatened Wilkerson with a knife, and Wilkerson replied, “Nicky, you can cut me into a thousand little pieces, but every single one of them are still gonna love you.” The new film, Thousand Pieces, is in development and expected to be released next year and will re-tell the story to a new generation.

I later went to David Wilkerson’s alma mater for college, then went to Los Angles and did some urban ministry around Compton, Southgate, and Lynnwood, working with the Teen Challenge program there. During that time I was able to communicate Christ’s love among some gang members and engage people on the streets with the Gospel message.

Later I interned in Detroit doing similar inner-city ministry. During that time I lived in a Teen Challenge center, spoke in their chapel services, and got to know the program better. I helped get some people into the program as well. On some occasions, I took their overflow of donated bread products down to the Cass Corridor area, sharing the Bread of Life as we passed out free food.

Revival Tabernacle, the Detroit church in which I did my first ministry internship, had close ties with Times Square Church and World Challenge. Through that connection I got to meet people from TSC. One such man was Wilkerson’s associate pastor, Bob Philips, who gave me wise marital counsel that influenced my decision to propose to my wife just a few weeks later.

My short story is only one among millions who have been touched in some way through David Wilkerson’s bold commitment to Christ. I wholeheartedly recommend you read The Cross and the Switchblade if you haven’t already. The book recounts how his ministry really took off when he decided to turn off the television and seek the Lord in prayer. I’m not against entertainment at all. But I wonder what amazing things God might do with us if we did the same. For some of us, its not the tv, but something else. What might God do through us if we truly gave Him everything?

May God bless the Wilkerson family in this difficult time and continue to bear fruit from their ministry.

Latest Newsletter

2011-04-18T22:08:00.001-05:00

Here’s a link to our latest newsletter. Please note that it’s a large file so be patient. God bless!

http://www.hadavar.net/Newsletter2011a.pdf

Foolish Holiday

2011-04-01T20:59:00.001-05:00

Here’s just a few random thoughts this “April Fool’s Day.”

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
--missionary Jim Elliot, martyred in Ecuador in 1956

“The fool says in his heart there is no God.”
--Psalm 14:1 / Psalm 53:1

And one of my favorite songs from Michael Card about the mystery of Christ,
“God’s Own Fool.”

God’s Own Fool by Michael Card

Remembering a Life Lived Well

2011-03-04T13:22:00.001-06:00

This past week, we said goodbye to a man who meant a lot to me during my college years: Forest Arnold. Though I only had him for a couple of classes, he also was my academic mentor, a faculty role in which he helped me plan my classes and discuss my spiritual life, struggles, and goals. Honestly, if you could somehow take love and package it, Bro. Arnold is what you would get. He was an incredible man who still inspires me many years after we said our goodbyes.

Arnold was a 3-time All-American basketball player for the University of Memphis, and some of his records are still unbeaten. They retired his jersey years ago, and it hung in the Memphis Pyramid before being moved to its current position in the Fed Ex Forum. In a special ceremony last week, they held a moment of silence there in his memory. Local news carried the story of his passing and spoke very well of him.

Bro. Arnold turned down a professional basketball career to preach the Gospel, and the next 40+ years he devoted his life to mentorship, preaching, Christian education, missions, marriage-enrichment, and inspiring young people to be all they can for the Lord.

In the beginning, I wasn’t too sure what to think of him. He wasn’t the typical college professor, and wasn’t known for being uber-intellectual. And believe me, he knew the oddity of his position. He was known for comparing himself to a turtle on a fence post. “When you see a turtle on a fence post, you know someone put it there.” In the same way, it was clear and obvious to all that God put him where he was at. One of the things that made him special was that he never tried to be someone that he wasn’t. He was such a real, genuine man that he brought inspiration to us all to be the same. He had his compass bearing so securely fixed that when he said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” you knew that you could trust him.

Here’s a link to a well-made montage of his life, well worth the time: http://vimeo.com/20385779

Catching Up

2011-02-11T09:14:00.001-06:00

Hey folks,

Recently we came home to find that the house had been broken into and robbed. They kicked in a door and stole a bunch of stuff (including my computer). Fortunately nobody was home at the time of the robbery, and we praise God that it wasn’t worse than it could have been. We’ve also seen the Lord’s provision and hand at work through this incident.

I was already behind on things and this only made it worse. At this point I’ve replaced my computer, but have lost a lot of data including email addresses, writing projects, photos, and correspondence.

I just wanted to touch base since I’ve been out of touch more the last few weeks. Please keep our family in prayer. Thank you!

PASSOVER: More Than a Meal

2011-02-05T11:56:00.002-06:00

Passover is an annual holy day in the biblical calendar. Commanded by God in the scriptures (Ex. 12,Lev. 23) it is the celebration of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery. Every year people set aside this time to remember the hardships of life and the faithfulness of God to his people. This is done by clearing your home of anything that contains yeast (which represents sin) and having a special meal in your home in which you retell the Exodus story while eating symbolic foods. It has great significance historically for its role in mankind’s redemption, and it is full of symbolism that makes it easy to share your faith.

BACKGROUND

God had revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then he used Joseph to preserve Jacob’s descendants while famine struck Canaan. The Hebrews over time went from being honored guests to slaves of the state. God raised up Moses, and Egypt’s king was commanded to free the Israelites. God sent multiple plagues upon Egypt, but it was the final one that is most significant. God was to send the Angel of Death, and whoever’s home did not have lamb’s blood over its doorposts would lose their oldest son. This lamb was to be a substitution for the Hebrew firstborn. The Hebrew phrase in Exodus 12:22 paints a very descriptive picture. Foreshadowing the future Lamb of God, this lamb’s blood was to be applied in a cross-like pattern to their door (from “basin” to “lintel” then the two sides).

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The prophet John identified the lamb well when referring to Jesus. He said, “Behold! The Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:29). Understanding this role, Messiah said plainly, “I lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn 10:15). Furthermore, he took the after-dinner bread (which, in Jewish tradition, represents the lamb) and identified himself with it: “take and eat; this is my body” (Matt. 26:26). In his “last supper” with the disciples before his death, Jesus celebrated the remembrance of Israel’s deliverance while he himself prepared to become “like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa 53:7).

PASSOVER TODAY
The Passover meal is actually a time of story-telling. A special plate contains ceremonial foods such as bitter herbs, parsley, unleavened bread and the shankbone of a lamb. Each item is then used as an illustration in the telling of the Exodus tale. This becomes a great family tradition which is not only meaningful, but is also an easy way to pass on your faith to your children, neighbors, or whomever you choose to invite.

Modern Passover’s customs date back nearly to the time of the apostles, and it was celebrated by Christians as well as Jews for three centuries before its suppression by the Council of Nicea (AD 325). In spite of its oversight for so long, many Christians are finding great meaning in this biblical memorial meal. This year, why not celebrate this element of ancient faith and, as Messiah said, “do this in remembrance of me” ?

Don’t Rest on Your Laurels

2011-01-04T22:49:00.001-06:00

Have you ever accomplished something great, only to wonder next, “Now, what?” Or maybe you’ve never asked that question. Rather, you’ve just continued to be proud of that moment or accomplishment but have never moved beyond it.

I had such a case a few years ago. I took a backpacking trip with some guys only to be terribly embarrassed at how slow I was. Still proud of my extensive backpacking experience from my teen years, I had failed to realize the effects of being out of shape and out of practice. Trust me. Twenty years and a hundred pounds do make a difference!

In a recent interview with Catalyst Leadership magazine, Coach Tony Dungy remarked about why he doesn’t wear his Super Bowl rings:

“I got my first ring in Pittsburgh in 1978. When the boxes with the rings came in, our coach said, ‘Wear them for a week. Show your family, all your friends, everybody that wants to see a Super Bowl ring. Then put it back in the box. We’ve got to go to work on the next one.’ That was the team’s mentality. Some of the guys on the Steelers had four rings and didn’t wear them. When we finally won ours in Indianapolis, I told the team the same thing.”

In ancient times, the Greeks would present a wreath made of laurel branches to winners of games, battles, etc. This custom was later adopted in the educational system in some places and even today we still use the term “Bachelor” in reference to a university degree (from the Latin baccalaureus, “berry laurel”). Even in the modern age the laurel wreath still represents victory or great achievements.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating great deeds whether that means wearing the ring, displaying that certificate, or otherwise showing off your pride over a great accomplishment. But we should be careful not to base our identity on such a thing.

To paraphrase Coach Dungy, “Don’t rest on your laurels. Put those awards in your collection and let’s get back to work focusing on the next great task that lies before you!”

Merry Christmas !

2010-12-24T17:26:00.001-06:00

I’d like to take this opportunity to say Merry Christmas to all our friends, family, blog readers, newsletter subscribers, et al.
Did you know?

The term Christmas is short for Christ’s Mass, since the observance was originally centered around the annual mass in honor of His birth. Although the exact date of Christ’s birth is uncertain, Christmas is annually celebrated by most of the world on December 25, with some older Christian sects observing January 6. Although it may have been celebrated prior to the 4th century, Christmas was officially recognized by the Roman Church in AD 354.
--excerpted from my article
“Christmas: Celebration of the Birth of Christ”

May God bless you with a wonderful holiday!

Just a little humor

2010-12-16T10:36:00.001-06:00

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room. He decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, he sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from family and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor passed out. He looked at the computer which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I’ve Arrived
Date: March 2, 2009

I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I’ve seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!!!!

Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is hot down here!!!!

THANKSGIVING

2010-11-23T20:29:00.001-06:00

(A brief history of the American Thanksgiving with discussion questions for small groups/Sunday school classes, etc.)

Date Observed: 4th Thursday in November (U.S.A.)
Origin: 1621, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Thanksgiving Day as a legal national holiday in America only dates back to the mid-twentieth century, but its roots go back much further than that. In December 1621 Governor William Bradford proclaimed the first American day of thanksgiving. It was a great feast celebrated jointly with about 90 natives, and took place outside on long tables. An early account of the incident, written by colonist Edward Winslow, appears below:

“Our harvest gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

The next year they did not have a thanksgiving day. However, the following year there was a day of thanksgiving celebrated for rain that came during a severe drought. In 1676 Charleston, MA had a day of thanksgiving (June 29), and during the Revolutionary War there were some days set aside for the same purpose. George Washington planned for a national day of thanksgiving in 1789, but it was opposed by Thomas Jefferson and never caught on too much. But in the 1800s many Americans, seeking to preserve the stories of our history, drew much attention to the pilgrim feast and national interest brought it to the attention of the White House. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln brought it from a regional celebration to a national holiday:

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due Him for such singular deliverances and blessing, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to this tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyments of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”

For about 75 years each U.S. president would annually proclaim that the last Thursday in November would be a national day of thanksgiving. But it did not become a legal holiday until Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the 4th Thursday of November in 1939. This was done to allow more time for the Christmas shopping season, which would increase revenue. Two years later it was approved that way by Congress, and remains the same to this day.

Now you know the history of Thanksgiving Day, but what do the Scriptures have to say about the principle of giving thanks?

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9)
“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
“I will give thanks to him in song.” (Psalm 28:7)
“These things I remember as I pour out my soul how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” (Psalm 42:4)
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:30)
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:2)
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good…” (Psalm 107:1)
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4)
“Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18)
“I urge you then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for all kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
--------------------------------------------------------------

Discussion Questions:

How are President Lincoln’s ideas of Thanksgiving Day similar or different from current attitudes?
What can you do to promote an attitude of appreciation in your home?
What can you do for others who are more needy than yourself? Not just at the holidays but also year round?
Is Thanksgiving Day a religious holiday? Civic? If religious, then whose religion is it and under what authority is it established? If civic, then how should the religious community respond to it?
What are some of your own Thanksgiving celebrations?

Discipline: The Christian Calling

2010-11-14T20:39:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I like to go back and read my old journal entries or listen to old sermons and remind myself of what God has taught me in the past. Here’s one, totally applicable to me as I’m trying to shed some weight and take better care of my body:

“You have to master your body while you can. One day it will master you and you will be captive to its disabilities, brokenness, dysfunction, and ultimately death. Seize the day, redeem the time, discipline your body daily as a first principle of Kingdom responsibility. God says, ‘those whom I love I discipline.’

If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must learn to love ourselves! Part of loving the self is personal discipline: Our body, time, diet, money, interests, hobbies, mental abilities, and emotional health. Self-improvement is the Christian calling. Not that God isn’t the one doing the improvement, we must do more than treat Him like an antibiotic, popping a God pill and letting Him do His work. We must do our part.

Jesus said we must deny ourselves and carry our crosses. God redeemed us for a reason. We aren’t just saved from hell, but saved unto righteousness. Its not enough to escape. We must learn new things. A release from prison is not the same thing as freedom. Let us not simply break out of the chains of whatever holds us back. Let us break into new life, new habits, new attitudes. If we believe in the Good News of Isaiah 61, then let us embrace God’s favor by being responsible with the freedom He’s given us.”

What Would You Do ?

2010-11-09T00:26:00.001-06:00

“If you were guilty, would you admit it?” To view the video from your inbox, click on the above title.

A lottery ticket worth $128 million was sold this weekend in Highland Park, MI, right next to Revival Tabernacle Assembly. Twenty years ago I was on the church planting team that helped take this XXX movie theatre and start a church there. The congregation continues to thrive and has made tremendous inroads into the community there, which is a small city literally inside Detroit.

The famous intersection of Woodward & 6 Mile is long known for its adult-oriented businesses and prostitution. At one point, the church even had shared a secure parking lot with this bookstore. On one occasion I had to go in there because I got back late and my car was locked behind the gate. I’ve got plenty of crazy stories from my 6 months that I lived there.

A lot of folks working downtown, including many businessmen, drive right by this spot everyday. It’s a rough area, and I suppose guys feel anonymous stopping by there. But what was the guy thinking? I’m betting that he figured if he won anything it wouldn’t be that big.

Wow, what a position to be in! Do you claim the money but ruin your reputation? Or do you keep your image and lose the money? Of course it might be someone who isn’t embarassed about it at all. Then again, it could always be someone from the church too!

What would you do?

Order or Chaos?

2010-11-07T19:12:00.001-06:00

Take a couple of minutes out of your day and check out the video below (if receiving this by email click the title above to view it online). Is there order in the universe?

Punk rock professor: No order in the universe?

If I’ve heard the guy correctly, there is no order in the universe. Wow, I never noticed!

Here are some things I have noticed, though, that seem to be pretty orderly:

the entire solar system moves in a systematic way, much like a clock. Genesis 1 says that God made the sun, moon, and stars for that purpose.
reproduction. I’ve never met a pregnant man, and last I checked there was only one way for a woman to get in that condition.
healing. The human body has a self-healing feature built in for minor to serious injuries. I’ve never seen a rock piece itself back together.
life-cycle. People shed tears of joy when you’re born and tears of sorrow at your death.
taxes. I don’t care what planet you’re on.
gravity. Man has always wished he could fly.

The Bible says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that the “skies declare the glory of God.” Even if someone could prove the Bible to be unreliable and irrelevant, its axiom would still hold true, [only] “the fool says in his heart” [or on national tv] “there is no God.”

It takes neither a scientist nor a theologian to figure it out, but even a simple child with common sense can look at the wonders of creation and reason that somebody made all this.

10 Commandments: Southern Style

2010-11-02T20:26:00.001-05:00

According to Jewish tradition, when God spoke the 10 Commandments from Mt. Sinai they were heard also in the languages of all the other nations, so that no nation is without excuse from knowing the truth about the one true God.

For those of us from the South, what if we had been there? It might have sounded like this:

(1) Just one God
   (2) Put nothin' before God
   (3) Watch yer mouth
   (4) Git yourself to Sundy meetin'
   (5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
   (6) No killin'
   (7) No foolin' around with another fella's gal.
   (8) Don't take what ain't yers
   (9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

Supposedly this is brought to us by a middle Tennessee church that apparently doesn’t exist. I still think its cute, though I’m pretty sure that God never commanded “Sundy meetin’s.”

With as many Bible versions that are out there, some of them bordering on the weird, I’m surprised I’ve never seen a Redneck Bible. It would be a fun project, though….hmm…$$$$$$$.

First Sunday service

2010-11-01T12:24:00.001-05:00

Had a great time yesterday with all the folk who came out for our first Sunday gathering. Thank you to everyone who was there (I think about 17). We had a wonderful time of fellowship, sharing a great meal, singing, teaching and good conversation.

We plan to do this once a month. For anyone else reading this who wants to experience a more organic expression of church, feel free to contact us or learn more at www.midsouthchurch.org.

Way to Pray

2010-11-01T12:03:00.001-05:00

Ever sat down to pray and drew a blank? “Ok, God, I’m here. What now?” I know I have. And in times like that it can be helpful to have a list. A list? Yep. Just like that grocery store thing. You know, the one you spend all that time making but then forget it as you head off to the store?! Anyway, I digress.

Here’s a great little list of things to pray for at any given time, courtesy of our friends in the Dove network (www.dcfi.org). Pray for:

1. A cleansing of your heart (Ps. 51)
2. Personal conviction of sin (Hosea 10:12)
3. Revival (Ps. 85:6)
4. Intimacy with Christ (Jn. 17:3)
5. Souls to be saved and laborers for the harvest
(1 Pet. 3:9; Matt. 9:37-38)
6. Spiritual mothers and fathers to be released
(1 Cor. 4:15-17; Matt. 28:19-20)
7. Release of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 2:4)
8. All those is authority (1 Tim. 2:1-4)
9. Unity, reconciliation, and restoration (Jn. 17:20-23)
10. Wisdom, vision, and clear direction (Prov. 3:5-15)

And as always, pray for us, and let us know how we can be praying for you!

Church in the House: Wild vs. Organic

2010-10-25T23:40:00.001-05:00

I’ve been pondering this question for several days now. When we speak of “Organic Church”, i.e., the Body of Christ as a living organism rather than an organization, how au naturale should it be?

Just as there is an eternal debate on God’s sovereignty vs Man’s free will, there is a similar debate on freedom vs. uniformity in the Church. We Simple-Church advocates are often too quick to point out the perils of organized religion while failing to raise red flags over dis-organized religion.

If the Church is treated like seed scattered on the side of the road, that requires no initiative or intentionality, then we diminish it by failing to follow the Garden Mandate given to Adam. If we turn the Church into a machine or a bureaucracy, then we become guilty in another way.

Sometimes we can become so afraid of getting in God’s way that we choose to do little or nothing.

What’s my point? That even in an organic garden there is mission, intentionality, and action. The same can be said of God assembly. Let’s not be too afraid of having an agenda, as long as we know who is welcome to disrupt it. Let’s not be afraid of making plans, as long as we still value flexibility. Let’s not be afraid of instilling order as long as it is fitting and prevents chaos. Let’s not even be afraid of creating new traditions or following old ones as long as they don’t violate Scripture and we keep the right attitude towards them.

NBC NEWS Reports on House Church Movement

2010-10-23T07:48:00.001-05:00

(Reposted in part from www.StoriesfromtheRevolution.blogspot.com)

More and more the media is catching on to the house church movement. This week (10/21/10), Brian Williams on NBC's Nightly News reported that, at a time when the Crystal Cathedral in California is filing for bankruptcy, 9% of American Protestants now attend only house church. This is an estimated 6-12 million people. (See the video below.)

Although not reported on the program, this represents growth at an unprecedented rate. Even 10 years ago, house churches were almost unheard of in this country. The percentage of Protestants attending only house church was certainly under 1%.

And, no one (no human, at least) is behind this major shift in the American spiritual landscape. It wasn't launched by Rick Warren or Bill Hybels. It wasn't planned by the Southern Baptists or by Campus Crusade. It is simply a spontaneous move of the Holy Spirit to return the church to the way church was practiced in the New Testament.

This is the journey our family has been on for several years now. Learn more about it www.midsouthchurch.org.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

With nearly 10% of Protestants following this path, it’s great to see a mainstream media outlet giving some good attention to what we do—Ruben

Mid-Week Bible Study

2010-10-13T23:26:00.001-05:00

Tonight’s Bible study went really well, with 14 people (4 families) present. God has really enlarged our tents overnight, and we’re rejoicing. If you would like to join us, please contact me by email for directions. We’re alternating between Memphis and Millington on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30.

Halloween

2010-10-05T12:25:00.002-05:00

(A brief history of the holiday with discussions for small groups, Sunday School classes, etc.)

HALLOWEEN, a holiday celebrated in various countries, can initially be traced back to the 9th century when Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day from May 13th to November 1st. All Saints Day, or Hallow's Day, was to commemorate all saints who did not have their own day of remembrance. This was done in part because for about a thousand years that day had been celebrated by the Celts and British islanders as a feast of their own, and the Pope wanted to stamp out remaining pagan influence among that group of people. The term Hallowe'en is a gloss form of Hallow Even, short for Hallow Evening, because it preceeds Hallow Day.

Before the Church tried to convert this pagan holiday it was known as Sahmain (pronounced SahWEEN or SAHwin), a word meaning "end of Summer." When the Romans conquered the British Isles in the first century the Celts had already been celebrating Sahmain for several hundred years. The Romans did not object to it because it coincided with a similar feast of their own called Pamona, named for the goddess of fruits and gardens. In certain areas the Romans and Celts lived among each other and Sahmain may have been merged with or at least influenced by the Roman holiday.

The Celts were ruled by a mysterious order of people called Druids, who controlled both civil and religious life. An agrarian society, the Celts celebrated four distinct fire festivals: Ormelc, Beltane, Lughnasad, and Samhain, which commemorated the final harvest and functioned as a New Year celebration. Each festival corresponded with one of the four seasons, and the Druids believed that each seasonal change thinned the veil between the spiritual and material worlds. Like many cultures in that day, the Celts followed a lunar calendar. Like the Jewish tradition, the Celtic day began at sunset. Thus October 31st evening was actually part of November 1st. Since Samhain represented the end of the harvest and seasonal death of their crops,etc., it was also a time to acknowledge, remember, and possibly consult with the spirits of the dead as well.

This was the time of year when departed and/or troubled spirits, faeries, goblins and ghosts could most easily cross over into the material world. People dressed up as these beings and went from house to house asking for food so that they might be appeased. Others wore scary masks in order to ward off them off. The festivities were marked by animal sacrifices, offerings to the dead, and bonfires in their honor.

By the time of Pope Gregory III the Celts were no longer a physical threat to the Empire, and the Druids had long since disappeared. Only the traditions remained. With the conversion of Sahmain into All Saints Day, old traditions took on new meanings, yet little actually changed. Instead of appeasing ghosts and faeries, trick-or-treaters gathered food in honor of the saints. The more food that was given assured more prayers to be said at mass the next day. One interesting tradition involved the carving of potatoes or turnips with scary faces, and inserting candles inside to serve as lanterns. These Jack-o-lanterns commemorated a fellow named Jack, who supposedly was unable to enter Heaven or Hell and was stuck wandering about with his lantern until Judgement Day.

This day was further immortalized when on Hallow's Day 1517 the parishioners of All Saints (Castle) Church in Wittenberg, Germany came to the Hallow Mass surprised to find nailed to their church door a tract contesting some of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, and specifically the Pope himself. They were placed there by a priest who sought reform within the Church, even if that meant breaking with the culture he lived in. His name was Martin Luther. This paper, called the 95 Theses, sparked the eventual Protestant Reformation and significally affected society.

Only two decades before this was the New World discovered by Columbus, and when people flocked to America years later they looked down upon Halloween as well as other holidays. In early America people did however celebrate the Fall harvest in what were called Autumn play parties. People assembled for feasting, offering thanksgiving for their food, dancing, plays, raising of barns, etc. The late 1800's brought a boom in immigration from Europe, many being from Ireland. These Irish immigrants (predominatly Catholic) brought their long held tradition of Halloween with them. They found pumpkins more plentiful than turnips, and turned them into Jack-o-lanterns.

Those who celebrated Halloween pushed for it to be a recognized holiday, and when it finally showed up on the calendars it took off in popularity. In 1921 the first all-city Halloween celebration took place in Anoka, MN with New York and Los Angeles shortly following suite. By the mid-part of the twentieth century advertising marketers had caught on to the craze, and Halloween became a major money maker. The demand for costumes, candy, decorations, greeting cards and pumpkins gave it a niche in the business world to be taken advantage of. To this day Halloween is celebrated voluntarily. The U.S. Government does not recognize it. There is no national observance. It is not a paid holiday. It is kept alive through retail marketing, local school districts, city governments, and houses of worship. People just do it.

Since the 1960's there has been a tremendous revival in the occult, satanism, witchcraft, New-Age groups and neo-paganism, and many within these groups hold Halloween night in high regards. Satanic ritual abuse, animal sacrifices, arsons, poisoned candy, cruel tricks, graffiti, etc. all get attention around Halloween due to their increase. So then, how should the Believer respond? Traditionally there are three options:

(1.) ACCEPTANCE - Do nothing differently than an unbeliever would. Decorating the house with images of the occult, witches, skeletons, etc. and dressing your children in costumes does not negatively affect your faith. You pass out candy to visitors, wish others a happy holiday, and enjoy the spookiness of the occasion. Even if you don't care to celebrate it, you enjoy seeing children having fun. The images or history of the day mean nothing to you and you don't believe there's anything wrong with observing it.

(2.) ABSTINENCE - Total rejection of anything associated with Halloween. Do nothing differently than on any other night. You find Halloween to be satanic or at least offensive. You believe it is spiritually wrong to celebrate it, and want others to know about its dark history. You see it as a poor Christian witness to be associated with such darkness.

(3.) COMPLIANCE - You are uncomfortable with Halloween's dark history, but question how something as simple and innocent as giving out or taking candy could be wrong. You recognize the difficulties of raising your children against the holiday while having to face public school carnivals or at the very least, any retail store. You accept Halloween as just a day, and make what you want of it. You avoid scary costumes, treat it as a fall festival, offer thanks to God for the year's crops, and maybe even use it as an opportunity to share your faith.

GROUP DISCUSSION ISSUES
1. Which one are you?
2. If you don't celebrate Halloween, why not?
----a. pagan origin
----b. current association with occult images
----c. both
----d. other
3. If you do celebrate Halloween, why?
----a. societal pressure
----b. it's fun
----c. it's important to have family activities
----d. other
4. Do you celebrate anything else in replacement of or addition to Halloween?
----a. All Saint's Day
----b. Reformation Day
----c. Harvest Party
----d. other Halloween alternative
5. Is it ok for the Church to embrace non-biblical holidays (ones not prescribed in scripture?)
6. If so, what could be done to disassociate October 31st with its pagan roots?
7. If not, how would you deal with Christmas, Easter, etc.?

SCRIPTURES TO CONSIDER

Romans 14:5ff
1 Cor 8:4ff
1 Cor 10:23ff
Colossians 2:16ff

Sources:
Christian Research Institute Fact Sheet DH-010
Encyclopedia Brittainica Online
Microsoft Encarta95
World Book Encyclopedia

*Revised 8-8-06

Summer Newsletter

2010-08-05T21:45:00.001-05:00

Here’s a link to our most recent newsletter just published. Click to view the latest family news and ministry updates:

http://www.hadavar.net/Verbum10b.pdf

The Fall Feasts in Scripture

2010-08-05T12:16:00.004-05:00

In Leviticus 23 God commanded Israel to observe three fall festivals: The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are not feasts in the sense of food-consumption, but "appointed times" in which God's people were taught about holiness, forgiveness, and fellowship with the Creator. Not only did they have spiritual value to an ancient people, but they also have prophetic significance as well for us today.

In the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) the central theme is repentance and preparation for the coming Day of Atonement. This is marked by the blowing of a special trumpet called a shofar, which is usually made from a ram's horn (and reminds us of Isaac's ram in the thicket). The sound of the shofar has many voices. It can be a call to war, a warning sign, a cry of celebration, or a call to repentance. It is also understood to herald the coming of King Messiah at the Messianic Age. Its hollow, haunting sound is unique, and it pierces the open soul who beckons its call. It is likely this shofar that is in mind in New Testament references to trumpet blasts at Messiah's return (Matt 24:31; 1 Thess 4:16,17; Rev 11:15).

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) comes ten days later and is the holiest day of the biblical calendar. On this day the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the Temple, and it was a national day of spiritual cleansing. Its theme is the removal of sin before God, and it is a day of fasting and prayer. The Apostle Paul fasted on this day (Acts 27:9), and the writer of Hebrews (who repeatedly compares Messiah with the role of the High Priest, e.g. Heb 8:6) says that Messiah Himself provides atonement (Heb 1:3; 10:12). The days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the "days of awe" and are a time for repentance and personal introspection.

During the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) the Israelites were commanded to dwell in booths/tents for seven days. This was to commemorate their wandering in the desert and the movable tabernacle. It is also a joyful rest following the intensity of the two previous "High Holy Days." This tabernacle image conveys the idea that (1) we are strangers in this world and that our true home and citizenship is in heaven, and (2) that God desires to be "in the midst" of His people, just as the ancient tabernacle was in the midst of the camps of Israel. This is best realized in the Savior who came and "tabernacled among us" (Jn 1:14). Many believe that it was during this festival that Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) was born.

As Mitch Glaser has said, "the Feast of Trumpets teaches repentance; the Day of Atonement, redemption; and the Feast of Tabernacles, rejoicing." May this year's fall feasts bring you closer to the One who appointed them.

Can you say, “Hallelujah” ?

2010-05-25T23:41:00.001-05:00

It was during a college mission trip that our bus got a flat tire. Unlike a regular vehicle, there’s apparently more involved in changing a tire on a big school bus. Stranded on the side of the country road, we had to wait. It was apparent that we would probably miss our flight out of Kansas City, and the moment it went flat we all knew we were doomed. Except one guy.

As soon as we all felt the tire go and we pulled over, I sensed fear immediately grip the group. Suddenly, an overly zealous student shouted out in his Norwegian accent, “Flat Tire! Hallelujah!”

It didn’t set well with my inner Archie Bunker. I’m a genuine skeptic at times, and I’ve been guilty at times of having a too-critical spirit. But the lesson I learned from this guy have stayed with me for over 20 years.

A critic sees obstacles, faults, and reasons for failure. A leader sees opportunities, options, and reasons to succeed.

Yes, we missed our flight. But a nearby church let us hang out there while things got figured out. While there, we helped them out with some projects and were a blessing to them. Different churches took us in for the night and fed us, and amazingly we were able to get the whole team on another plane the next morning. Would you believe that they had the exact number of seats we needed? For a KC to LA flight?

Long story short, our Norwegian friend saw an opportunity to praise God, and everything worked out fine. The unplanned delay built the team’s unity, allowed us to see God’s provision in the midst of difficulty, and gave us all a lasting testimony of God’s sovereignty.

It’s easy to shout hallelujah in church. But it’s not easy to praise God when the pipes break, the car breaks down, your job is lost, etc. Lately I’ve been facing my own storms, and God reminded me of this fellow’s courage to praise Him as soon as an obstacle arose. I’m encouraged by that guy’s words. Are you?

“[insert your problem here]. Hallelujah!”

Now you try it!

Family First

2010-05-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

One of my first observations about the Lord’s Prayer is that God first and foremost relates to us as Family. He could have used corporate language, which is not uncommon in scripture (e.g., Lord, or Master) or government/headship terms (like King). Nor did He direct us to address God as merely Creator. What’s so special about the term Father?

The Hebrew term Av (father) and its Aramaic cousin Abba (daddy or ‘dear father’) convey the notion of one who is willing, desires, or decides. It carries the idea of intentionally choosing. This says a lot about our spiritual adoption as God’s children. Indeed He chose us before we ever accepted Him, just as a child is adopted into a new family.

Fortunately for us, he is not a mere Creator, as the deists have claimed. He didn’t just drop us off here and leave. His intentionality is constant as He pursues us throughout our lives. Thus He “never leaves us nor forsakes us.”

How strange it must seem to God when a church acts more like a business and an institution than a family. May heaven help us to reflect this truth in our church life!

Our Father…

2010-05-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

So begins the prayer that Christ taught us as a model for how to talk with God. But what does it mean? Are all people God’s children? Did Jesus teach a new concept? Why did He give us this model?

I hope to explore these and other questions over the coming months as we meditate and dialogue about the Lord’s prayer together. Feel free to email me with your own questions and insights, or post your comments on this page.

What’s New…

2010-04-27T22:25:00.001-05:00

First of all, thanks to everyone who signed up for the new mailing list. I lost some people in the changeover who didn’t renew, so thank you to all who took the time to do so. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to add me to your whitelist or safe sender list so you don’t miss any of these emails. Thanks.

If you visit www.hadavar.net you’ll notice some changes in the design that I hope you’ll enjoy. I’m always looking for ways to improve on communications.

If you are local, you are welcome to join us during our weekly Bible study. Please contact me for meeting times and locations.

In the coming weeks I’ll be posting some thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer, which is something I’ve been studying lately. Look for those postings in your inbox in the coming weeks.

As always, we invite you to share your prayer requests with us. Let us know how we can be of service to you.

As this is a new format for emailing, please note that you can always view present and previous posts on my blogsite at www.rubenbarrett.blogspot.com.

Blessings and Grace…

Muslim Hamas member embraces Christ

2010-04-04T12:44:00.001-05:00

On this Easter Day, here’s a great testimony of one who experienced his own resurrection and rebirth. Not many can relate to the difficulties this man has been facing.

The following is an interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402483,00.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a4:g4:r1:c0.000000:b0:z5

Good Friday

2010-04-02T23:52:00.001-05:00

While much of the world recounts the story of the trial and passion of Christ today, many others go about their day as if nothing has happened.

Sad, but true. The greatest event in human history is being remembered, yet so many still don’t see its relevance to their lives. What a shame.

For our family, we observe the Passover for several reasons: Remembering Christ’s suffering, solidarity with the Jewish people, passing on our faith to our children, and more.

However and whenever you choose to remember Messiah’s atoning work on the cross, may you be blessed and strengthened during this season.

Maundy Thursday

2010-04-01T16:31:00.001-05:00

Today is traditionally (at least in countries where the Roman Catholic calendar is followed) as Maundy Thursday. Supposedly, tonight was the night that Jesus and his disciples enjoyed their Last Supper.

I say supposedly, not because I question whether or not the story is true (I believe it is!), but because how you measure time will determine whether or not today is the same date.

Let’s say I was born on Thursday, March 25, 1971 (which is true), and that it was the 4th Thursday of that month (which it was). When should I celebrate my birthday? On the 25th, or the 4th Thursday in March? If I observe the 25th, then my birthday falls on a different day each year. Observing the other way would be an attempt to celebrate that exact moment in time that I was born.

Though it might be silly, this is exactly what has happened with the Christian calendar. The Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Orthodox Church, have tried to memorialize the exact time of the passion story, as opposed to the conventional date of the Hebrew calendar. Then most of us Protestants just follow suit.

Is there anything wrong with celebrating your birthday or the passion of Christ in this way? I don’t believe so (that it is inherently wrong). But why divorce this very meaningful event from its established Jewish roots?

Understanding that (a) Christ’s passion is connected to the Jewish passover story, that (b) Sabbath rest is at the center of his redemptive work, and that (c) his resurrection is connected with the Jewish Firstfruits offering is essential in understanding the significance of the gospel.

Sound like a crazy claim? Stay tuned for the rest of the story…

Are you WALKing?

2010-03-01T20:31:00.002-06:00

Got an email from our friends at the UMJC (Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations) with a good challenge to their constituents. It’s a good word, and I thought I’d reproduce it for you here :
W Working
Are you working ...on your character traits? Are those around you affected positively by your example of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)?
A Alive
Are you alive ... living a spiritually healthy and vibrant Messianic Jewish life? Are Scripture, tradition, and prayer through the Spirit of Messiah empowering and renewing you daily?
L Learning
Are you learning ... committed to your personal spiritual growth as a diligent student of Scripture? Are you becoming the knowledgeable teacher Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) needs to help build his Messianic Community?
K Kiruv (kiruv means outreach)
Are you doing kiruv ... reaching out within your Jewish community with the Good News of Messiah Yeshua? Do you both publicly and privately share about God's truth and faithfulness in Messiah?
As Paul said, “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5).

Huh? ? ? ? ? ? ?

2010-02-28T22:35:00.000-06:00

I need to confess something. Yes, I have fallen prey to the enticing drama of the Google Search (gasp!). How do you…? Why is…? What is…? They’re all legitimate questions. But what I’ve been surprised to learn, though, is how many goofy questions people submit on search engines. Just type the word why in Google and you’ll see what I mean. It got me thinking how we sure do ask a lot of questions. Ever wondered why?

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they sought the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Have you ever thought about it, that we’ve been asking questions ever since? As Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, “Of the making of many books there is no end.” When we finally get answers or start to understand some amazing thing, we then pat ourselves on the back as if we’ve really accomplished something. Our thirst for knowledge is unending.

But I would be wrong to suggest that asking questions is somehow wrong. In fact, I think it is a sacred duty to study and pursue answers, but we should always temper knowledge with wisdom and quality relationships. Just as Jacob wrestled with the angel, we too must wrestle with Truth to apprehend it, even if we never fully comprehend it.

I think we should always be careful what we ask of God. Sometimes it ends up meaning that He asks something of us. Just like when I pray, “Lord, please help that person.” Some still small voice says, “Why don’t you?” It is very easy to pray that God meet our desires, which is why we were instructed to pray, “your will be done…”

We should also be careful what we ask of people. I could revise Kennedy’s famous quote like this: “Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for others.” Yet when it comes to some things, there is a time and place even to ask of others. For example, some missionary friends recently wrote, “Never be afraid to ask God’s people to use God’s money to do God’s work.” Now that’s a question I hate to ask!

I wonder what our record would look like if we wrote down every question or request to God or man made in a week’s time. I’m willing to bet that it would be alot. Just considering how many “Answer” websites have popped up we can see that man is looking for answers.

Over the years I’ve received lots of Bible-related questions via email from all over. I’ve begun putting them in article form and there is now a Bible Q&A in the articles section of my website. So, if you’re itching to know something about Scripture that’s been bothering you, feel free to ask away. Even if I don’t know the answer, I love to investigate, and your question might end up as one of those articles.

Stepping Out

2010-02-28T03:11:00.000-06:00

Faith is a bit like standing in front of an automated door. I can talk about how great the door is. I can talk about how great it is on the other side. But until I take a step forward and engage the sensor so that the door opens, this knowledge does me no good.
Nobody can drive a parked car. Faith has to be put into action to see results. Without works, our faith is dead.
As Dr. Opal Reddin used to say, “Faith is not a leap in the dark. It’s a step in the Light.”

Winter Newsletter

2010-02-23T23:02:00.000-06:00

Hey folks, you can click on the following link to read our latest newsletter:

http://www.hadavar.net/Verbum10a.pdf

Looking for the answer to your prayers

2010-02-12T12:21:00.001-06:00

Late last year I joined an online group called the Luke 10 Community (http://www.lk10.com/), which is an online group of church planters implementing Simple Church values. Part of our commitment is to regularly pray Luke 10:2b, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." This is one of those prayers that, quite honestly, I've ignored over the years. After all, isn't it kinda like praying, "God, please fix everything"? Real generic.

But I made this decision to join, probably in a naive manner, not realizing just how important this prayer is. First of all, praying for God to send workers makes you very harvest minded. Second, it leads you to start looking for these workers. It changes your perspective, and increases the burden of responsibility you feel for finding these workers.

That's where the man of peace comes in. When you enter a town, that's who you seek out after praying for workers. This person of peace then becomes your point man for connecting into the town through his/her circle of influence. After realizing that praying for progress isn't enough, that we should put feet to those prayers by actively seeking out such people, I now find myself in a new position of seeker. We as church leaders are typically trained to think of ourselves as providers and the laity as seekers. Yet Jesus would have us all be seekers for every vehicle of kingdom expansion we may find.

Resolution #5: More Music

2010-01-15T10:37:00.001-06:00

This may sound like a strange one for those who know me. Music was once a major part of my life, but slowly ebbed away with the responsibilities of life. Seems like nowadays if the radio is on, someone is talking. I hope to pick back up that old love called the guitar, or maybe that sax. I was trained in music theory, have written peotry and music, and even had a prophetic word spoken over me by a stranger that God would use my music for His glory. We'll see.

Sometimes it's the simple things like music that are missing in our lives. Sometimes we get away from the city and just listen to nature and realize, "Oh, that's what we've been missing." Music is a gift from heaven that I wish to redicover this year. I'm looking forward to making time for that.

Resolution #4: Read More Books

2010-01-14T10:24:00.001-06:00

I've always been a reader. Even as a kid I had bookshelves full of books. I have to weed out my books every so often just to make room for more of them. But in the last year or so I've read less than I used to. Numerous books that I long to read sit on my shelf waiting for my time.

"Brethren, this ought not be," my old college president would often sternly say.

This year I plan to read more frequently outside of my normal Bible reading. Perhaps a book a month? I've got more than 12 waiting on me, but I think at least 12 is a good goal. When learning stops, progress follows. To adequately teach, I must be continually learning. This is one of my goals for the coming year.

What about yourself? Do you have a book to recommend? As I am reading, I'll be sure to share what I pick up. Currently I'm reading "the Year of Living Biblically." You can check out my reading hobby on my Facebook page along with my reviews of various books.

Resolution #3: Better Time Management

2010-01-13T10:04:00.000-06:00

In high school I bought a self help book on time management, and after taking the quiz in the back of that book I learned that I was a "full blown chronic procrastinator." After becoming convinced that it was dishonoring to God to be irresponsible with time just as it would be with finances, I took significant steps to improve in that area, and genuinely made progress. But over the years, I've continued to struggle with the issue of time management.

It's not that I'm as bad as I once was. I just always need improvement. A good time management system, like the Franklin Covey method, is an invaluable tool. This is what I have used for about 15 years, and it has helped me immensely. Discovering your values, planning how to implement them, then acting on those plans is the 3-part methodology they employ.

Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Dost though love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."

Resolution #2: Better Health

2010-01-12T09:48:00.001-06:00

As I get closer to the big Four O, I've realized just how out of shape I am. Twenty years ago I could do the splits both ways, loved backpacking and high adventure, and (though always on the heavy side) was fairly fit. In the last 7 years I've faced various minor to major health problems that have given me a serious wake up call to the need to take better care of this body that God gave me. I did lose nearly 100 pounds about 10 years ago, but gained about half of it back. I need to seriously lose and keep off at least 50 pounds this year, and I need to also take care of some other health related issues as well.

How? Well, actually I've already started. Between the fitness center I recently joined and the karate that I'm studying, I hope that January 2011 will see a new me.

Resolution #1: Finish Reading My Bible

2010-01-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

OK, it's confession time. Yes, I have a degree in Bible, and I spent 7 years in college and seminary studying the ins and outs of Scripture. Yes, I've been preaching for over 20 years, done all types of ministry and have read my Bible extensively over the years. Yes, I've even paid for Bibles to be smuggled into countries so others could have the Word. But no, I have never read the Bible completely, as in all of every single book.

What? Yes, I know. I'm embarrased. I've read most of the Bible. But there are some books that, how shall I say, are more difficult to finish. Say, like, Leviticus or Job, or how about all 150 Psalms? Major prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel. It's not that I've ignored them or never read from them. On the contrary! But sitting down from beginning to end? No.

So this is my first resolution for the new year. Fortunately, I've read most of the Bible, so my list is short of those I've never finished. I just feel that I need to be intentional about it and make sure to finish them.

What about yourself? Are you in a similar boat? Remember, you can always download a free Bible reading guide from my website and read the whole thing in a year. Let me know if you decide to do so, and good luck!

A Week of Resolutions

2010-01-10T21:06:00.001-06:00

I'm going to do something different this week by posting some of my New Year's resolutions. I think I'll take the top 5 personal goals and post them one each day over the coming week. This resolution thing usually invokes a rolling of the eyes when we hear someone say they made some. But I do believe that it's important to set goals. The key is to (1) Be realistic, and (2) Be accountable.

It's also important to distinguish among those various categories of goals like personal, business, household, family life, financial, community, ministry, etc. In God's Kingdom, the first domain of His rule is over our person. Thus those personal goals should reflect those areas of improvement we need to help us be more of the person that God intends for us to be.

So over the next 5 days look for some realistic personal goals to be posted, and feel free to check in with me later in the year to see how I'm doing.

New Church Website

2010-01-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

These last several months we have been gearing up for the beginnings of a new church here in Memphis. With the New Year we are picking up our efforts and one of those things is a new website that is specifically for the new church plant.

The HaDavar site will continue to host my Blog and other miscellaneous ministry-related articles and such. The new site will relate only to the church, and gives more detail about our vision and goals.

Please take some time and look over the new site and let us know what you think. We would love to hear back from you. The new site is http://www.midsouthchurch.org/.

New Year's Resolution: Reading the Bible

2010-01-01T16:02:00.001-06:00

If you're like so many people, one of your New Year resolutions is to read the Bible more. If that's the case, I've got the perfect plan for you. Simply download my 5-5 Bible Reading Guide, which allows you to read the Bible in a year by reading 5 chapters a day 5 days a week.

If that's too intense for you, don't worry. This plan allows 8-11 days per month with no reading, so there is plenty of catch-up time. You can customize the plan to fit your schedule and still complete the entire Bible in a year.

This plan is unique because of the arrangement of the books. You'll read one of the four gospels each quarter along with other NT books associated with that author. You'll also read a little bit of wisdom literature each day. The rest of the OT books are read in traditional order beginning with the Torah which is foundational for all later biblical learning. I hope you enjoy it!

To download and print out the guide, click HERE.

The Christmas Cloud?

2009-12-24T22:59:00.002-06:00

Here's a little something you might never have thought of:

Just how DID the incarnation occur? I mean, was it a bright light that shone on Mary? Was she conscious? Did she fly up to heaven, or was she alone in the dark? We may never know this side of eternity, but here's an interesting possibility to consider.

The Bible says that the Most High would "overshadow" her. But what does that mean? An English concordance reveals that word is associated with both the Ark of the Covenant as well as the Glory Cloud. You remember the Glory Cloud don't you? Also called the Shekinah, it's the cloud of God's presence that dwelt in the Garden of Eden, sat atop Mt. Sinai when Moses got the 10 Commandments, led the Israelites through the desert, and rested over the Tabernacle. The Greek word used there in Lk. 1:35 is also used of the cloud atop the Mount of Transfiguration when God's glory was manifest before the disciples.

Could it be that glory cloud that came down upon Mary, enveloping her with God's presence to conceive our infant Savior? If so, like the ancient Ark of the Covenant (which housed the 10 commandments, Aaron's rod, and the Manna) Mary carried our Living Word, Bread of Life, and Great High Priest within her.

Something to think about this Christmas...

God and Dog Video

2009-12-03T12:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a great little video someone sent me about the connection between God and dogs. I once wrote an article on a similar theme, but this one is put to music and animation. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving !

2009-11-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

I'd like to wish everybody a safe and happy Thanksgiving today. We have so much to be thankful for: Our family, friends, our freedom, and our faith, just to name a few. Have you ever wondered where Thanksgiving came from? Why do we celebrate it? Here's a link to an article I wrote about ole "Turkey Day" (a name that I'm not fond of, by the way). Enjoy!

http://www.hadavar.net/hp_joomla_15/index.php/articles/48-holdays/64-thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now, about that circumcision thing...

2009-10-30T19:04:00.001-05:00

Yeah, that's right. It's a little uncomfortable, but, hey, it's a biblical topic! Why in the world would God ask Abraham and all subsequent Israelites to do that? I mean, couldn't he have just skipped to the New Testament's covenant sign of baptism? What was God thinking? Couldn't He have just made all the Jews wear colored sashes or something?

As it turns out, circumcision, though not uncommon in the ancient world (the Egyptians even did it), was a very suitable symbol of their covenant with God. The English word means "to cut around", while the Hebrew word means, "to cut off." As Gen. 17:11 says, "You are to cut off the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you." So among the reasons for this rite is that it is a symbol or sign of being in Abraham's (and God's) family.

Abraham's following was likely growing following his war victory and rescue of Lot. He certainly was wealthy, and even had his own army. God then gave this covenant sign as a requirement to be part of Abraham's people. No sloppy agape here. If you were in, it was off; you had to deny yourself, and wear the sacrificial mark on your body. Talk about a stumbling block for conversion.

It is ironic that one who is circumcised is "cut off" from the world, while one who refuses to be circumcised gets "cut off" from God's people (Gen. 17:14).  Abraham's faith and works went hand-in-hand. Circumcision of the flesh is a work to be followed by faith. While circumcision of the heart is a faith to be demonstrated by works.

The New Testament would later explain that while Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation, he is also the father of many nations. Those of us who demonstrate faith follow as children of Abraham, not necessarily circumcised in the flesh, but still circumcised in the heart.  Moses would later instruct the Israelites in this manner, saying, "Circumcise your hearts" (Deut. 10:16). Just as Israel is to be separate from the nations, the New Covenant calls us to be separate from the world, grafted into Israel, circumcised in our hearts, and demonstrating our faith through works.

This is why the apostle John would say, "Do not love the world or anything in the world" (1 Jn. 2:15).  We love what we are passionate about. Our heart is the instrument of which we speak when discussing one kind of passion. It figuratively needs to be cut off from the world. But likewise is circumcision related to another intrument of passion. In that sense, circumcision is the perfect picture that all of our desires must be yielded to God's glory.

The Crown of My Collection

2009-10-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

In my collection of old Bibles and religious books is a very rare piece. While I'm proud of such items as my 1850 Josephus, 1815 KJV NT, 1865 German NT, 1892 Hebrew Prayerbook, and 1804 Church history book, there's one very rare piece that I've learned is much older than I would have thought.

About a year ago a friend was cleaning out his house and gave me what I thought was a page from an old King James Bible. I have several 19th century pieces and assumed that it was about the same age. As I inspected the type and the text, I noticed that it used the f instead of s, and I instead of J. Then I realized that the translation didn't match the King James Version. After a while of searching other translations, I discovered that it matched the Geneva Bible, also called the Breeches Bible (16th century). Again, I assumed that it was a 19th century reproduction, until I discovered that until recently the last year it was printed was 1644. In fact, it was only produced from 1560 to 1644. After a call to a dealer in rare Bibles, it was confirmed that I had an original page from a Geneva Bible.

This is a great piece due to its historical significance. The Geneva Bible was the first English study Bible, first to have numbered verses, first Bible brought to America, favorite Bible of the Pilgrims and Puritans, the Bible used by William Shakeseare, and the Bible of the Protestant Reformation. It was the product of the Reformer community living in Geneva, as they had fled England due to persecution by Queen "Bloody" Mary. The Geneva community was led by such men as John Calvin, John Knox, Myles Coverdale, and John Foxe.  It was a historic time and they produced a historic Bible. Although it was a major effort, they kept about 90% of William Tyndale's version. Tyndale fought for years to translate the Bible into English, and after doing so he was rewarded by being burned at the stake.  Tyndale's dying words in 1536 were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." Three years later, King Henry VIII finally allowed the Bible to be translated into English.

So by 1560, the reformers did not just try to publish a Bible for people to read. They wanted a Bible that a person could study. This Bible introduced numbered verses, reference notes and commentary in the side margin. It was printed in both Latin and Gothic font.  After a thousand years of only having the Bible read in Latin, this was truly a breath of fresh air to the English readers of that day.

I don't know how many were printed, but the dealer I spoke to said he had complete Geneva Bibles that looked like they just came off the printing press. In comparison, my 400 year old page isn't that hot. So how much do you think this rare piece of history is worth? Would you guess thousands of dollars? Hundreds? No. when I asked the dealer, he told me that it was only worth about $25.00. But to me, when I think of the history of the item, what it took to get to that point in history, and the mystery of whose hands it had been in over its 400 year journey, I consider it priceless.

Fall Newsletter

2009-10-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

The latest newsletter is now available online with updates on our ministry. Simply click on the following link to view this quarterly update. If you wish to receive this in regular mail, simply let me know. God bless!

http://www.hadavar.net/Verbum09c.pdf

Going Through the Motions

2009-10-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

There's a song on the radio that has meant alot to me lately, once I took the time to crank up the radio and listen to the words. Here's something to think about:

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna last one more day
Without your all-consuming
Passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the motions.

My early years of following Christ were started with a bang in which three men discipled me. I felt the call to revolutionary living and saw these men regularly living that way. Through them I learned to pray, read my Bible, discuss and debate Scripture, worship passionately, share Jesus openly, serve people who can't return the favor, and much more. Eventually they moved away but a great youth pastor came into my life. During these times I was new to church and new to serving Christ. Sometimes it seemed like I stood out among my peers as a bit more radical in my faith than even the other kids in church. Eventually though, like everyone else, I learned how to "play church" and go through the motions too.

I wish I could say that I grew out of that, but the truth is, once you learn how to go through the motions (like riding a bike) you don't forget. Whereas we usually think of playing church as consciously pretending to be something we know we are not, I think the more common drama is deceiving ourselves into believing that we're genuine when we are in reality just a shadow of what we were called to be.

With apologies to Shakespeare [bracketed text mine], we could say it this way

[Church] life is but a walking shadow that struts and frets it's hour upon the stage.

I for one don't want to be a "religious functionary" as my friend Asher calls it. I want substance instead of shadow, reality instead of reflection. I know how to strut and fret and to make the "sound and fury" of ecclesiastical performance, but what I really want is to know Jesus passionately and to give everything to Him.

Returning to a simplistic Christian church model is one step in our journey. Another is rediscovering the power of basic spiritual disciplines. Awakening to the idea that the church is intended to be a living organism, an organic movement, not a business or a social club, is another vital step.

There are, however, motions that we should go through, which I will discuss another time...

FREE Torah Reading Plan Available for Download

2009-10-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

This coming Sunday night, synagogues around the world will be celebrating the post-biblical holiday of Simchat Torah (joy of the law). The Torah (also known as the Pentateuch, the Law, the books of Moses) is the first five books of the Bible and is divided into weekly portions that are read publicly. On Simchat Torah the last portion is read and the scroll is rolled back to Genesis to begin again. It is a festive time of celebrating God's gift of Scripture to Man.

I've produced a reading guide for the Torah which can be downloaded for free (CLICK HERE). This is a great way to focus your reading this year on a section of Scripture that you might have otherwise failed to read through.

Idolatry of the Mouth?

2009-10-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

As the old saying goes, "there are sins of commission, and sins of ommission." Oftentimes we do wrong intentionally, or become tempted and fall, but perhaps more often we err in what we do not do. Would you agree?

In teaching high school English grammar I came upon an interesting observation. I always thought that an expletive was the same as profanity. While profanity (or "cussin" as we call it in the South) is typically an expletive, not all expletives are profane. For example,

There are twelve men on the council = twelve men are on the council

The word there is a filler word, simply there to introduce the sentence. The sentence already has all the necessary ingredients grammatically to make sense. But we add it to "fill out" the sentence. That is exactly what the Latin meaning of "expletive" is.

Though I don't think this is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of "empty words" (Eph. 5:6), I think perhaps it can stimulate us to ask another question.

How much of our daily speaking is just a waste of time, bearing little or no fruit? In a country that values free speech and has a large talk radio following, the idea of controlling our tongue may seem ridiculous. Yet Scripture says that "the power of life and death are in the tongue" (Pr. 18:21), and to "let your words be few" (Eccl. 5:2).

With that note, I'll shut up for now...

Happy Birthday, World!

2009-09-18T23:55:00.000-05:00

According to Jewish tradition, on this day 5,770 years ago God created the earth. He created time as we know it and began it with this date of Tishrei 1st. The Torah would call this holy day Yom Teruah, literally the "Day of Blowing," which is most commonly translated as "Feast of Trumpets." But the day would eventually become called Rosh HaShanah (lit. "head of the year"). Today it is commonly known as the Jewish New Year.

It is a sacred duty to remember & reflect on God's wonderous act of creation. Though God knows no beginning or end (He is the "first and the last"), He gave us a beginning. And our parents Adam & Eve pretty much messed that up, didn't they? Yet what did God do? He gave them a new beginning through atonement by the shedding of innocent blood to make them coverings for their body. The biblical Day of Atonement comes just 10 days after Rosh HaShanah, so as we ponder our need for new beginnings, we have an opportunity to prepare ourselves for one.

Here's to New Beginnings!

Hillel for Dummies

2009-09-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

Hillel the Great had 7 rules for how to understand the Bible. These rules basicly help us to know how to read it by pointing out the literary techniques used by the authors. In short, minus their Hebrew titles, they are:

Light & Heavy: Some verses give a light statement followed by a heavy one.
"If A is true, how much more so is B!"
Similar Sayings: One passage illuminates another through a common phrase.
"A and B must be related!"
One Foundation: A conclusion can be reached based on one supporting verse.
"B is true because it follows A"
Two Foundations: A conclusion can be reached based on two supporting verses.
"C is true because it follows A&B"
Wide & Narrow: A general statement gets clarified with a specific one.
"B makes A more clear"
The Equalizer: A third verse explains/resolves two conflicting ones.
"C makes A=B"
Context: The surrounding verses affect the meaning of the one in question.
"Don't take A out of the alphabet"

Our first question in reading the Scriptures should never be, "what does this mean to me?" The first thing we should ask is, "What did this mean to the original audience?" Hillel's rules help us to do just that.

"Princess and the Kiss" Rite of Passage

2009-09-14T18:27:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Aug. 22nd, I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies for the Princess and the Kiss graduation at Ellendale Baptist Church. But more than just a graduation, this rite of passage for young girls was a purity ceremony in which they pledged to keep themselves pure for marriage. I had done this once before for a class of girls at Bellevue Baptist. In both ceremonies I spoke about the

Hebraic concepts of headship and covering as well as the ancient Hebrew wedding customs as it would relate to their pledge of purity. It was an emotional time with both parents and tweens sharing hugs and tears, everyone recognizing that their little girls were growing up. These types of ceremonies are becoming more prevalent within the Body of Christ. On a similar note, our oldest daughter Sarah (who just turned 12) began confirmation studies with me. This will continue for the next year when she will have a confirmation ceremony. But more about that later :) !

My Muddy Weekend

2009-09-13T21:17:00.000-05:00

I feel just like the hyper-Calvinist who (after accidently falling down a flight of stairs) said, "Whew! I'm sure glad I got that over with!"

If you're not chuckling, just know that hyper-Calvinists believe that everything is pre-ordained, even your stupid mistakes. Ha ha.

After a long neglect, for which I feel pretty stupid, I finally dug down in my yard and repaired a broken water pipe that had flooded my front yard turning part of it into one big muddy mess.

Do you think that God can use our mistakes and muddy messes to teach us? Click the following link to read my brief story.

Discipleship Conference October 16-17

2009-09-12T23:59:00.003-05:00

2009 Men's Summit Promo from Downline Ministries on Vimeo.

Here's a video about the Downline Summit, a men's discipleship conference here in Memphis next month. I'm planning to attend, as the subject is right up the alley of where we feel God is taking us. Hope to see you there! One of my favorite authors is one of the guest speakers.

Ministry Commissioning

2009-09-11T12:11:00.001-05:00

Sunday, June 28, 2009 was a special day for our family this summer. We officially received a commission as home missionaries with Ripe for Harvest World Outreach of Mesa, Arizona. This missions agency has ministries all over the world who have a wide range of specialties. Some are traditional missionaries, while some serve in education, technology, or other areas.

My family's purpose will be outreach, education, and discipleship with the overall aim to raise up a new church here in the Mid-South. Utilizing small home groups, we hope to develop a network of house churches throughout this region. Sounds like a huge goal? It is! We are looking for people to partner with us in this vision, so if you are interested please let us know. I also will be posting more information through the blogsite soon. So check back often!

Sects of Judaism

2009-08-05T12:33:00.001-05:00

Many Christians are completely unaware of the various sects and movements of modern Judaism, and so I offer here a compiled listing of the major movements of Judaism. This listing of links is for educational purposes only and is not an endorsement of any particular group. You'll note that these different movements sometimes differ significantly from one another. Still, I believe that there are many great resources available from these various sites.

Movements of Judaism

Orthodox

The Orthodox Movement
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations

Reform

The Reform Movement
Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Conservative

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Karaite

The Karaite Jews of America
World Karaite Movement (R.A.)

Reconstructionist

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Messianic

Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America

The Anti-Missionary Movement

2007-07-07T13:53:00.001-05:00

DEFINITION

The Anti-Missionary Movement is a growing Jewish movement with the purpose of countering the claims of Christianity and it’s effort to evangelize the Jewish people. While many of these groups are small and less influential, some are heavily financed, well staffed, and have international influence.

THEIR TACTICS

The strategy of the anti-missionary is to vilify Christians and Messianic Jews [1] , discourage Jewish people from hearing the Gospel, discredit the New Testament (as well as Christian translations of the Hebrew Bible) and (in some cases) use intimidation tactics. Here’s just one of the claims made by The Messiah Truth Project:

“They [Christian missionaries and Messianic Jews] prey on such vulnerable individuals as the lonely, the elderly, the poor, the emotionally unstable, the naive, or those who are just untutored in Scripture. These unfortunates are lured into accepting missionary doctrines out of emotional need, not intellectual conviction.[2]

Because the anti-missionaries’ primary goal is to prevent Jewish people from accepting the Gospel, scare-tactics like this paint a false picture to the Jewish audience that Christians are deceptive hunters trying to steal their souls through manipulation. Rabbi Tovia Singer, Director of Outreach Judaism, has even instructed Jewish teens not to ever read the New Testament or to listen to Christians’ claims about Jesus. [3] When this deterrent doesn’t work, there are endless accusations against the Christian Bible of tampering with the text, for example:

“every verse of ‘prophecy’ they claim to cite from the Tanach [OT] is either mistranslated or misrepresented, taken out of context, or just made up! [4]

But preventing Jews from “conversion” is not the only goal of these organizations. Bringing them back to mainstream Judaism is a priority as well. Despite these attempts, an estimated 5000 Jewish young people per year have “bought the Christian message.” [5] When a Jewish person does accept Jesus as Messiah, concerned family can turn to these organizations for help in “rescuing” their loved one from Christianity. Anti-missionaries can present an overwhelming amount of “proof” that the new believer has been duped. This often has a smothering effect on one’s newly found faith. The sheer volume of these accusations is intimidating, and it often requires special training to combat. The average Christian, let alone a new believer, is usually ill equipped to handle such material. Since anti-missionaries deal with the original languages of Scripture, and Christian training in Hebrew and Aramaic is less common [6] , the number of Christian apologists who can effectively deal with their claims is lacking. With hopes of “rescuing” people from Messianic/Christian faith, anti-missionaries will sometimes come to Messianic conferences or special events planned for Jewish outreach. In Israel, groups like Yad L’achim have been known for extremist methods of intimidating new believers and publicly disrupting attempts to share the Gospel.

REACTION TO MY WEBSITE

Occasionally my work gets noticed by the anti-missionaries. I have been blacklisted twice by the organization Jewish Watch Dog, which says that I “masquerade as a Jewish site” that is “definitely something to worry about.” [7] One of the more influential anti-missionary groups on the Internet, The Messiah Truth Project, has written to me with accusations of "scholarly fraud" and "preaching a falsehood to the masses." [8]

MY RESPONSE

Every faith should be free to defend itself against its opponents (I do it myself), though I believe that these groups go further than just being another voice in the free market of ideas. Rather than merely promoting Judaism and defending it, these organizations fuel the fires of division between Jews and Christians. It is without a doubt that they are reacting in light of such issues as centuries of church anti-semitism and forced conversions, as well as a near-zero Jewish population growth. For that I am sympathetic. But much has changed in the last few decades. Christians are denouncing the errors of the past, and many are seeking to improve Jewish/Christian relations. Painting Messianic Judaism as a mask for Christian missions and sincere Christians as if they were headhunters is an unproductive tactic. I am not interested in division. One of my desires is to unite Jews and Christians in our common beliefs and values. I am firmly committed to the belief that Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures. Though I believe that the Gospel is for everyone (including the Jew), I also believe that Christians have much to learn from the Jewish people. With that in mind, HaDavar Ministries exists not only to spread the Good News of Messiah, but also to educate Christians about the wonderful Hebraic heritage preserved in Judaism.

[1] Though there is debate about the technicalities of defining Messianic Judaism, the consensus is that a Messianic Jew is one who is born Jewish but has become a follower of Jesus and does not abandon his/her heritage. Messianic Jewish congregations affirm the theology of evangelical Christianity (deity of Jesus, the need for personal salvation, the trinity, salvation by faith, authority and inerrancy of Scripture, etc.) but model their congregations largely after the synagogue pattern of organization and worship.

[2] http://messiahtruth.com (Bracketed text mine).

[3] In a presentation of Outreach Judaism’s Missionary Role Play Program, Memphis, TN on January 5, 2003.

[4] Rick Halpern, Choose Life: A Counter-Missionary Study Guide (Atlanta: Torah Atlanta, 2002), 14.

[5] This statistic, as well as the following quotes, are stated in the brochure for Outreach Judaism’s Missionary Role Play Program. Again, consider the rhetoric used in describing Christians: They “capture Jews for conversion…alter Jewish texts to manipulate the minds of Jews targeted for conversion…take advantage of youthful vulnerability.”

[6] “Biblical Hebrew is an endangered field in Christian theological education” says C.L. Seow in the preface to his book A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1987), vii.

[7] http://jwd-jewishwatchdog.home.comcast.net/alerts/jwd_04-c-a-missionaryl.html#hadavar and http://jwd-jewishwatchdog.home.comcast.net/alerts/jwd_05-messianic.html#messianic_links (Bracketed text mine). Despite JWD’s claim, I am not Jewish nor do I claim to be. I am an evangelical Christian who has chosen to be committed to the Jewish people and Israel. My site at the time stated clearly that I was Messianic and Evangelical, so it’s inappropriate to say that I was “masquerading as a Jewish site.” Though I have been involved in Messianic Judaism, and in many ways live a Jewish life, that does not make me Jewish. I adhere to a Remnant Theology idea that God has preserved within the Jewish people a people with a special calling to be a witness for the Messiah (Rom. 11:5). I support the idea that Jewish people who accept Yeshua as Messiah should remain as Jews, supporting Jewish causes, honoring tradition and culture as long as it does not violate Scripture.

[8] In emails from Messiah Truth Project (1/31/04 and 2/3/04) one of their anti-missionaries made various accusations against me of dishonesty and spreading deception.

A Window to Our Lives

2007-01-02T11:28:00.001-06:00

Some time ago I had the opportunity to visit the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, which was erected to remember all those affected by the April 1995 terrorist attack there. It was an incredibly moving experience that I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't been there yet. But there was one room in the museum that I shall never forget.

In this room were small memorials set up for each of those who lost their life. I believe there were 168 of them: small glass cubes filled with a picture and various articles of interest that typified each person. In a sense, each cube, approximately 10 inches on every side, was a small window into that person's life.

For a child there were favorite toys or stuffed animals (a number of children died in the explosion). I imagine that the museum & memorial worked with the families to create these special memory boxes, for each one was different. In a sense, every one of them spoke of what was most important to them. It was as if when you looked through the glass, you saw a brief summary of each person's life, and it was truly moving.

For some people, it was obvious that family was important while for some it was obviously their faith. Still some focused on the person's career while others celebrated the hobbies of life. Photographs, awards, Bibles, work ID badges, and a variety of trinkets were all used to give us a window into each person's life. One could not help but reflect on this experience, which raises several questions:

What about me? What about you? What do we value, and what will we be remembered for? If we were given a glass cube to fill, what would we put in it? More importantly, what would those we leave behind put in there?

Now life wasn't meant to be lived constantly thinking only about our eternal destiny, our legacy, or what people think about us. However, it is foolish to ignore such things. That's why its important to take times for reflection, and the OKC Memorial & Museum helps do just that. We can all benefit from this visual parable of the window, especially when we realize that God Himself is the most important spectator looking through the glass. It is His opinion of our lives that matters most.

A Question of Value

2005-12-03T00:03:00.001-06:00

OK, I just have to share my thoughts on this one. So I open up my web browser, which opens to a home page that has a "top news stories" section. The number 2 headline reads, "Bomb kills 10 marines in Iraq, wounds 11." Terrible news! I grieve inwardly as I think about the ten families who will now have to cope without their loved one, especially right before the holidays. I think of the sacrifice each one of these soldiers has paid, and I feel sympathy for their spouses. I think of the children who lost a parent and the parents who lost a child as a result of this bomb. And I realize that, of course, this bomb was not an innocent bystander, minding its own business until the evil U.S. military came and intruded on its territory. It was put there on purpose, to do what it did, and to do it to our troops in particular, all at the hands of our enemies. I'm reminded that there are those who hate us. And I resolve that some things are just worth fighting for.

But I don't arrive at this conclusion so quickly, for this news heading was not the first one that caught my eye. The top news story of the hour was not the heroic men and women who lay down their lives for our country. It was the one that said, "Brad Pitt wants to adopt Angelina Jolie's children."

Why is this the top story? Is this more important than what happened to our troops? Is it supposed to somehow make me feel better? It doesn't. It only angers me, and makes me distrust the news. How these headings get chosen I haven't a clue. Whether or not it's placement is justified, the effect is the same. It sends a message that the top news story is more important than the second. And this is certainly poor judgment. In fact, I think its really a question of value. Perhaps the media mistakenly believe that readers find that story more valuable, or (even more scary) maybe they're right. On this point, I hope they are wrong. The implications are down-right frightening.

The Once and Future King: Jesus and King Arthur

2005-06-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

I recently had an opportunity to see the newest Arthurian motion picture entitled King Arthur. As you may know, the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable is from Sir Thomas Mallory's classic work Le Morte de Arthur. In recent years, many have worked to validate the claim that Mallory's classic is based on actual historical events. I don't pretend to be a scholar on the subject, but I have enjoyed several books that entertain the subject with academic integrity. I've seen enough to believe that the Arthurian legend is at least based on a real figure. That is the premise for this new King Arthur movie.

While the Arthur legend we know today conjures images of the Middle Ages, shiny knights and chivalry, the historical Arthur likely lived much earlier, even during the Roman occupation of Brittain. Though we are left little to imagine with, we can be fairly sure that the historical Arthur did not know the chivalrous code and shiny armor of the fairy tale handed down to us.

While I enjoyed their version of what the historical Arthur might have been like, I couldn't help but wonder about the common misconceptions people have about another king, Jesus of Nazareth: that he came to do away with the Law of Moses and nation of Israel, that he came to start a new religion, etc. These are the misconceptions too-commonly embraced by modern Christendom. This fairy tale version of Israel's Messiah may be sufficient for salvation for the nations, but it robs Him of His rightful role as Israel's king, thus dividing the Church and Israel when they were intended to be yoked together. Unlike its Arthurian counterpart, the baseless legends/misconceptions about Christ have done untold damage.

There is, however, a historical Jesus of Nazareth who is everything the New Testament says Him to be, including being faithful to Torah and Jewish life. I've seen many people's versions of what they think Jesus looked like. Yet the picture of Jesus that I'm still waiting to see is the one that is burned into my mind: In this picture, Jesus is wrapped in the traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), davening while wearing tefillin (phylacteries). Though that's just the beginning of who I believe this Jesus of Nazareth is, it is hard for many to accept. For many people, they prefer the fantasy over reality.

Whether or not there was this mysterious king of the Brits, we may never know. But there was indeed one born King of the Jews. And if we strip Him of that role, we must strip Him of everything else He claimed to be.

Today we are fortunate that many scholars are discovering and promoting the Jewishness of Jesus. With the advent of books, articles, conferences and inter-faith dialogue over the subject, we now live in the beginning of a new era for understanding the historical Jewish Jesus. And I would say that this is an excellent step in the right direction.

On God and Dogs

2005-04-08T00:12:00.001-05:00

Years ago I read a quote by Billy Graham which has stuck with me. He said something like “If men were more like dogs the world would be a whole lot better place to live.” I’ve often thought about that statement. I’m sure that Dr. Graham understands that dogs can be very selfish creatures so his statement would not be true in all cases but I think he made a really good point. Most dogs that we interact with are domesticated and tame. They love people. They are a “man’s best friend.” They will fight to defend us, search for us when we are lost, and love us even when we ignore them and mistreat them. Dogs do not easily hold grudges or enact revenge. They love to serve. They love to simply be around us. Yes, if we were more like dogs in these ways then the world would be much better off.

How interesting it is that these noble characteristics of the canine are also so beautifully demonstrated by our Father in Heaven. What a strange irony it is that we are oftentimes more moved by the sight of a stray dog than we are of a homeless man. One is made in the image of God and the other is not. People often adopt dogs and other pets and consider them as family. I have two dogs myself and understand this perfectly. I love those dogs. The emotional bond between man and beast can be quite strong.

Some time ago I was in the checkout lane of a grocery store. The cashier was an older man. You could tell he had seen action. He was hardened and tough looking. His lips were tight as he passed my items over the scanner. I began to notice the tattoos on his arms and one stood out to me. It was a beautiful black German Shepherd. Hoping to break the ice and maybe lighten his day I jokingly said to him “Well, I’ve known guys to have their woman’s name tattooed on their arm but you must have sure loved your dog!” He suddenly stopped scanning looked straight at me as tears welled up in his eyes and said with his voice cracking, “You have no idea.” He then began to tell me how he had been a soldier during the Vietnam War and how his K-9 partner had taken a bullet for him. “I’d be dead if it weren’t for that dog. He saved my life!” And so as a lasting tribute he had the dog’s image permanently placed on his arm.

Not only does God embody those noble traits of man’s best friend: loyalty, faithfulness, servitude, etc., but perhaps He has given us such friends to remind us of what we should aspire to. Rather than being like the wild dog, scavenging for food, hardened by the elements and trusting nobody, we would do well to mimic the tamed and disciplined friend who relies on his Master for his daily provision and who loves to make his Master happy. I was caught off guard by this man’s love for his dog and his response, and for a few moments there was an awkward pause. Then suddenly the words came to me and I spoke them as I picked up my bags and left, “Well, you know, Billy Graham once said that if the world were more like dogs the world would be a lot better off.”

Mission Trip to Cuba

2005-01-01T13:39:00.001-06:00

In late November and early December 2004 I had the privilege of traveling to Havana, Cuba. In this short-term mission, I helped bring medical supplies and medicines and brought toys and games that were taken to needy children. I was able to visit locals in their homes and share the Good News of Jesus the Messiah as well as pray for these people and their various needs. I visited two synagogues, and attended Erev Shabbat service at one of them. I also spoke in a men’s gathering and a church leadership conference as well. All together, over 60 people made dedications to follow Jesus, with another 12 who re-dedicated their lives to the Lord. At the conclusion of the trip a number of these people were baptized in the ocean as a sign of their new lives as followers of Christ.

I marveled at the living conditions of the people, who mostly live in Soviet-built 5-6 story apartment buildings with no elevators. One family I met had 4 generations in a tiny apartment. Water is rationed (and not drinkable), toilets work on a limited basis, and toilet paper is scarce. The public transportation system unfortunately leaves many people waiting hours for a ride. People’s diets consist largely of beans and rice, and the average income is less than ten dollars a month. Medical care is limited due to the lack of medicine and supplies. Doctors and nurses, while well-trained, are only able to do so much with what they have. I heard stories of hospitals having to re-use basic items such as IV’s and catheters, and only having enough aspirin for one person per day. Yet in spite of the various challenges they face, the people I met were very content with their lives, and were extremely hospitable. The country of Cuba is a fascinating place, with incredibly beautiful beaches, lush forests, and wonderful people. It has an interesting five-hundred year history, and its future will be no less exciting. The Good News of our Messiah is spreading on this island and people are coming to faith. As time goes on, anticipation for the future charges the atmosphere. If or when the political situation changes between the U.S. and Cuba, Americans will find a fascinating and beautiful country ready for them. Yet the Holy Spirit can not be chained by human governments. He is already at work there. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have visited such a fascinating country and for being given the chance to speak to the believers there to teach and encourage them. Yet I myself was so encouraged and enriched to see God’s people being true to the Gospel in spite of difficult circumstances. I went expecting to find a fledgling church that I could help along. I arrived to find an energetic and faithful flock that is growing. Please pray for God’s Kingdom to grow and strengthen in the land of Cuba. Pray especially for the leaders of the Cuban churches, that they be grounded in their knowledge of God’s Word and empowered with God’s Spirit to raise up many disciples.