Zealous8:2 - Food For Thought

Seeking God (Part 4 of 4)

2011-05-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

Why Should We Seek God?

Remember Hebrews 11:6? “…He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” What are those rewards? In Psalm 63, David says “So I have looked for You…to see Your power and Your glory.” (v. 2) and “because Your lovingkindness is better than life…” (v. 3). Hosea says, “…break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (10:12). Amos encourages us to “seek the LORD and live…” (5:6). For a believer, our life depends on it.

Satisfaction—In Psalm 63:5, David summed it all up by saying, “My soul shall be satisfied…” The shepherd-king said the same thing in Psalm 23, “…I shall not want.” Rev. Chappell shares a story to illustrate what it’s like to be satisfied with God:

“That was a rather queer and ugly creature that a mother hen hatched along with her brood of normal and respectable chicks. The egg from which it came had been found on the side of a rugged mountain. He seemingly did his best to satisfy himself with the tame, unexciting life of the barnyard. But somehow it did not work. His crooked beak was out of place there, and his great wings seemed utterly useless. So the poor, awkward thing looked on his drab world with lackluster eyes. He did not fit in and was very evidently not at home.

“But one day he heard a wild scream above him. He looked up, and his eyes kindled. He saw a great bird like himself, an eagle. Then he realized what he had been thirsting for all the while. Therefore he spread his burnished brown wings and was away to the freedom of his larger world. He was made for the cloudland and for the crags of the mountains. Therefore he could not be satisfied in the barn yard. No more can we be satisfied with less than God. This is true whether we ever recognize it or not.”

We were
made for the
cloudland
and for the
crags of the
mountains.

Everything We Need—In Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount, He told us, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:31, 33). As Christians, we tend to get our seeking priorities out of order. We put our careers and material needs first, thinking we are responsible for them, and then, if we have time, we seek God. Yeshua is saying if we seek Him first, He will provide all we need. He wants us to seek Him for which career we should choose, where He wants us to live, or where He wants us to go to school. If we do, He is sure to take care of all our needs.

How Much of God Do We Want?

Rebecca Brown challenges readers with some hard questions: “How much of God do you want? Do you want just enough to be sure that you will get to heaven when you die, but not enough to inconvenience you or make you uncomfortable?...just how much are you willing for your relationship with God to interfere with your personal private life, goals and dreams? Are you willing for God to do things in your life that you do not want?”

Desiring more of God has a cost. Are we thirsty enough to pay the price? Sadly, Rebecca Brown remarks that “it is the fear of this cost that stops many from progressing.” As Christians, we must be willing to say, as Yeshua did in the Scriptures, “…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30b).

God Seeks Us

A relationship like the one that David sought begins with God. It is God who invites us: “…Seek My face…” (Ps. 27:8a). The Scriptures teach us that God is a diligent seeker. Like a loving shepherd, He is not concerned with numbers but will leave the flock to find the one lost and desperate sheep. As it says in the book of Ezekiel: “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick…” (34:16a).

If our hearts lack David’s passion or if we lack the discipline it takes to “progress,” all we have to do is ask God for mercy to help us. His desire is for us. He wants a deeper relationship with us more than we do. This is the same promise that God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah: “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (29:13).

By Charleeda Sprinkle

Assistant Editor

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

© 2010
Note our new policy:

Bridges for Peace holds the copyright on this material. We encourage pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people to use these articles for preaching and teaching, and we hereby grant permission for a limited number of copies for such educational purposes. However, any other reproduction or transmittal of this material in any form—including reprinting, republishing, recording or use with any information storage and retrieval system—requires written permission from BFP International.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided
__________________________________________________

Bibliography
Brown, Rebecca, and Daniel Yoder. Standing on the Rock: The Powers of God’s Covenants. Clinton, AR: Harvest Warriors
Publishing, 2002.
Chappell, Clovis G. Sermons from the Psalms, 1931. http://www.abcog.org/psa042.htm.
Kolatch, Alfred. The Jewish Book of Why. NYC: Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., 1995.
Murray, Andrew. The Believer’s New Covenant. Bethany House Publishers, 1984.
Steinberg, Milton. Basic Judaism. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co, 1975.

Seeking God (Part 3 of 4)

2011-01-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

When Should We Seek God?

Of course, we have access to God anytime of the day, but hear what the psalms say: “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD…” (Ps. 5:3). “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud…” (Ps. 55:17a). “…Early will I seek You…” (Ps. 63:1). Many Christians struggle to keep a regular prayer time, but observant Jewish people have practiced daily prayer times since Moses’s day.

During the second century AD, after the Second Temple was destroyed, there was a debate between two rabbis as to whether the Jewish people should pray two times a day or three. Traditionally, it was believed that Abraham introduced morning prayer, Isaac afternoon prayer, and Jacob evening prayer. (Some Scriptures that might give clues to this are Genesis 19:27, 24:63, and 32:1–13.) However, synagogue prayer was based on the morning and “evening” (late afternoon) sacrifices (Exod. 29:38–39). Considering the Psalm 55 passage above and the fact that Daniel 6:10 tells us that he prayed three times a day, it was decided that they would pray three times a day.

Paul’s admonition is for Christians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), always being in an attitude of prayer. However, based on these Old Testament Scriptures and especially on the fact that―during tabernacle and Temple times―God designed regular, daily worship, we could conclude that His desire is that we seek Him regularly, more than once a day. That takes discipline, but if we desire His company, it should not be a duty, but a joy.

Where Do We Seek God?

The desert—We can seek God anywhere, but where did David especially find him? Psalm 63:1 says, “…my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Why is it that so many accounts in the Bible happen in the desert or wilderness?

It was in the desert, where Hagar met God (Gen.16:7); where God trained Moses to be a shepherd for 40 years, and Moses first met God in a burning bush (Exod. 3:1–2); where God made Himself known to Israel over and over for 40 years; where He trained David to be king; where Elijah hid from King Ahab and was fed by the ravens (1 Kings 17), where he fled from Jezebel and God met him on the same mountain as Moses (1 Kings 19); where John the Baptist lived and ministered (Matt.3:1); where Yeshua (Jesus) was tested before He began His ministry (Matt. 4:1); and where God most likely revealed an understanding of the New Covenant to Paul (Gal.1:17).

Do you want to be a great man or woman of God? Then, don’t resist the desert seasons in your life. Unfortunately, it often takes a drought in our lives before we get serious about seeking God. Hosea tells us, “…In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me” (5:15b).

The sanctuary―“So I have looked for You in the sanctuary…” (Ps. 63:2a). “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me…” (Ps. 27:4–5). Moses and Joshua sought Him there too. David’s desire was not just to meet with God twice a day during the times of sacrifice, but to dwell there. As believers in Yeshua, that is possible; this is what He meant when He encouraged us to abide in Him (John 14:1–11).

Though I have experienced many great worship times with just the Lord and myself in the privacy of my home, or even in my car on a drive home, we are admonished to not forsake ”…the assembling of ourselves together…” (Heb.10:25a). Yeshua said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt.18:20).

David loved the place where God dwelt, and we know the tabernacle and Temple were just earthly replicas of God’s throne room in heaven (Heb. 8:5). The worship we will experience in heaven will be so much more than anything we can experience on earth, but in heaven, it won’t be private worship, but corporate. We will be a part of “…a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” (Rev. 7:9).

God desires that we seek Him as a people, not just as an individual. I think the Jewish people are much better at this than we are. When they confess their sins on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), their prescribed prayers use “we.” They confess and pray as a nation often. This is, no doubt, because God set them aside as a nation. They are following the examples of intercessors like Nehemiah (1:7). In Basic Judaism, Milton Steinberg explains, “Man is not himself only, he is a participant in his community. Hence it is not enough that he shall address God in his solitariness; he must turn to Him in his other aspect as well.” God wants us to seek Him in community and as a community, together, as a body.

By Charleeda Sprinkle

Assistant Editor

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Seeking God (Part 2 of 4)

2010-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

How Should We Seek God?

Thirstily—“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Ps. 42:1–2a). He thirsts so much that he says, “My tears have been my food day and night…” (v. 3a). This is the language of a desperate man. We know David lived in the wilderness while he was trying to escape King Saul’s pursuit (1 Sam 23). The “dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1) is a good description of the Judean wilderness just south of Jerusalem. But David found a hideaway there at Ein Gedi (1 Sam 23:29), where, in the deep recesses of the desert, opposite the Dead Sea, there was an abundance of water for him and his men. In the desert? Yes, in the desert!

Here at Ein Gedi,
in the deep recesses of the desert,
opposite the Dead Sea, there is
an abundance of water.

Today, Ein Gedi is one of Israel’s tourist attractions. When my daughter came to visit me, we hiked two trails…in the hottest part of the summer, during the hottest part of the day! I wore a swimsuit with a sleeveless shirt and shorts over it, and my little pack mule (my daughter) carried our water. However, if it had not been for the cool springs, pools, and waterfalls, I would not have made it. Every 10 minutes or so, I would stop and dip my shirt and bandana into the water and put them back on dripping wet. Within minutes, they would be dry again. Another survival tactic was taking the low road through the thickets, where a shallow stream flowed, with our tennis shoes still on. What refreshment to hot, tired feet! And, what an amazing sight to see the contrast between the barren desert terrain above and the tree-lined stream below! At the beginning of the trail, no one would guess water was anywhere around. What an oasis for a discouraged David and his thirsty men!

The water of God’s Word and His refreshing presence is always near, but sometimes we have to be really thirsty before we seek it. And, there are a lot of people who don’t even know where to go to quench their thirst. In his book Sermons from the Psalms, pastor Clovis G. Chappell relates a story that illustrates this:

“There is an old story of a derelict ship whose crew was starving for water. At last another ship came into sight. This distressed crew signaled, ‘Water, water; we are starving for water.’ ‘Let down your buckets where you are,’ came back the surprising answer. But such an answer seemed to these starving men nothing less than bitter mockery. So they signaled again, ‘Water, water; we are starving for water.’ Again there came back the same answer, ‘Let down your buckets where you are.’ At last they complied, not at all sure that anything would come of it, but with a dim hope that possibly they were not being mocked. And something did come of it. They found a supply of fresh water that to them was measureless. For, unknown to themselves, they had been driven into the wide mouth of the Amazon, whose waters freshen the sea for many miles from the shore.”

Longingly—In Psalm 63:1, David describes his thirst a little differently: “My flesh longs for You…” Other translations use yearns for, faints for, or languishes for. This is the only time the Hebrew word, kamach, is used in the Bible. It describes one who has “become pale,” possibly close to death. Again, it describes a severe desperation. There have been a few times in my life when I longed for God so much that I actually experienced a physical ache. It’s sad that I can only say it was a few times. How severe is our longing for God?

Joyfully―There is another contemporary worship song that calls worshippers to “dance like David danced.” Some churches invite worshippers to do just that, while others have a hard time with it. Yet, David danced before the Lord when the ark was brought into Jerusalem. The story in 2 Samuel 6, tells us he even “leaped.” There is a dance team in Colorado, where I live when I’m home in America, who dances like that in worship. It is thrilling to watch their joyful abandonment. But there are other ways of showing joy: shouting, clapping, raising your hands, singing, or playing instruments—and all of them are scriptural. In these ways, we are expressing our love for God passionately.

God is a rewarder
of those who
diligently
seek Him.

Can we “seek” God with joy? Yes, in fact, the fastest way to get into God’s presence is with praise. However, it doesn’t always start with a feeling of joy. We may be down in the dumps, feeling very heavy of heart, but if we discipline ourselves to think differently (Col. 3:2; Phil. 4:8) and begin to praise Him and thank Him, our spirit begins to lift. The book of Psalms helps us do that. When you can’t do anything else, read a psalm!

Diligently—Although this word doesn’t come from one of David’s psalms, it needs to be included here. The writer of Hebrews says that God “…is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6b). Definitions of the Greek word for “diligent” include: to investigate, scrutinize, beg, or crave. In Standing on the Rock, author Rebecca Brown comments, “Diligently means work. We must work to get to know God.” As a writer, I relate it to the work required to write a term paper or doctoral thesis. This is not just about a desire that makes you tingle on the inside; it’s about discipline.

By Charleeda Sprinkle

Assistant Editor

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Seeking God (Part 1 of 4)

2010-11-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

David was one of the great seekers of God. I would like to say that he sought the Lord more than all others, but no one can judge a man’s heart, so we don’t know. However, of all writers of the Scriptures, he may have expressed a seeker’s heart better than all others. He was a passionate pursuer of God, and His words vividly illustrate that, painting pictures that help us understand a hunger for God that many believers may not even know is possible to experience.

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship Thee
You alone are my strength my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship Thee
You’re my friend and
You are my brother,
Even though You are a king.
I love You more thank any other,
So much more than anything.
I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy Giver,
And the apple of my eye.

One of the most popular contemporary worship songs of recent years is “As the Deer,” written by Martin Nystrom in 1984. It’s based on Psalm 42:1–2. Whose heart doesn’t get drawn toward God when singing that song? In a masterful way, the songwriter helps us sense the emotion, I believe, David felt when he wrote the psalm. However, it is not the only time David expressed his longing for God. Anyone who has ever been in love knows it takes more than one letter to express what the depth of that love means. I want us to examine several of David’s “love letters,” in the hope that they will help generate the same passion for God in us.

But before we do, let’s look at some Scriptures, expressing the same kind of zeal for God, which were written long before David’s time. After the children of Israel had wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and just before they were to enter the Promised Land, Moses described their future as a nation, a future God no doubt revealed to him supernaturally. He began, “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land…” (Deut. 4:25). Sadly, he goes on to reveal that they would become guilty of idol worship, and the Lord would scatter them among the nations. But, he also shares the good news: “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (v. 29).

Wholeheartedness
is the
secret
of joy in
salvation.

With a noticeable heartbreak in his voice, Moses later pleads with them, “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you…” (Deut. 6:3a, NASB). And then Moses speaks the words that would become the nation’s daily recital, the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (vv. 4–5). This is what David took to heart. Author Andrew Murray, in his book The Believer’s New Covenant, writes, “Wholeheartedness is the secret of joy in salvation…God rejoices over His people to do them good, with His whole heart and His whole soul. It needs, on our part, our whole heart and our whole soul…With the measure we give, it shall be given to us.”

When God raised up David to be king, the prophet Samuel told Saul, “…The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…” (1 Sam. 13:14). When the Apostle Paul spoke to a crowd on one of his trips and related this story, he expanded on what that meant: “…a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22b). Though David sinned (2 Sam. 12), like all men do, his passion to love God with all of his heart was so embedded in him that when he sinned, he repented with as much passion.

Everyone who reads Psalm 51 can sense his gut-wrenching sorrow and brokenness over his sin and the fear that he might be separated from the One his soul loved so dearly: “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me…For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it…The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (vv.11, 16a, 17).

We learn from this that it takes a passionate love for God to repent passionately and sincerely. Yet today, church leaders who have fallen into grave sin, like David’s, often will not submit to church discipline. Oh, that our leaders would be men “after God’s own heart”! Congregations are, of course, also guilty. May we be convicted to repent rather than defend and justify ourselves, but to do that, we must develop a heart like David’s.

By Charleeda Sprinkle

Assistant Editor

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

© 2010
Note our new policy:

Bridges for Peace holds the copyright on this material. We encourage pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people to use these articles for preaching and teaching, and we hereby grant permission for a limited number of copies for such educational purposes. However, any other reproduction or transmittal of this material in any form—including reprinting, republishing, recording or use with any information storage and retrieval system—requires written permission from BFP International.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided
__________________________________________________
Bibliography
Brown, Rebecca, and Daniel Yoder. Standing on the Rock: The Powers of God’s Covenants. Clinton, AR: Harvest Warriors
Publishing, 2002.
Chappell, Clovis G. Sermons from the Psalms, 1931. http://www.abcog.org/psa042.htm.
Kolatch, Alfred. The Jewish Book of Why. NYC: Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., 1995.
Murray, Andrew. The Believer’s New Covenant. Bethany House Publishers, 1984.
Steinberg, Milton. Basic Judaism. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co, 1975.

Walking God's Way (Part 5 of 5)

2010-11-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is part 5 of 5 in the teaching series, "Walking God's Way" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Spirit-filled Living

The world we live in is full of temptations, sin masquerading as normal, acceptable behavior and opportunities to compromise abound. So, God, in His wisdom, has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us and give us power to be His representatives in the midst of an evil age. Those, who are filled with the Spirit, will show fruit in their lives. Paul tells us in this passage some of the ways in which a spirit-filled person will act. It is practical advice to help us to walk in Him on a daily basis.

1) We are to encourage and edify one another singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

2) We are to have a joyful heart, out of which flows spontaneous praise in song to the Lord. I love to work at the Bridges for Peace International Headquarters in Jerusalem. I have wonderful co-workers who constantly have a song of praise in their hearts. It is very common for the sounds of praise and worship to float down the halls as one or another passes through.

3) We are to be thankful for all things. Even when unpleasant, painful things happen to us, we can be thankful that God is with us in the midst of them and recognize that He is able to even bring good out of disaster.

4) We are to submit to one another in the fear of God. There is no human being without weakness. Each of us is susceptible to temptation. The wise person recognizes his area of challenge and asks others to help him. We all need to be accountable to other believers. Within our trusted circle, we need to find those with whom we can be vulnerable and transparent. We need to humbly confess our sins one to another and submit to another in the fear of the Lord.

Faith and Action

I am thankful that my Jewish friends challenge me to think about the connection between faith and practice. They probably don’t realize it, but another Jewish man, James, said similar things!

“…be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves...What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 1:22, 2:14–20).

My father, Dr. David Allen Lewis, used to paraphrase James’ words and say, “belief without action is deception!” Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount is grounded firmly in Jewish thought. He insists; “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

God is calling us to be doers of His Word. Let’s choose to walk in love, light, and wisdom. Let us choose to walk in fellowship with God. Faith with works will allow God’s glory to shine throughout the world.

By Rev. Rebecca J. Brimmer
International President and CEO

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos
www.israelimages.com/Hanan Isachar

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

© 2010
Bridges for Peace holds the copyright on this material. We encourage pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people to use these articles for preaching and teaching, and we hereby grant permission for a limited number of copies for such educational purposes. However, any other reproduction or transmittal of this material in any form—including reprinting, republishing, recording or use with any information storage and retrieval system—requires written permission from BFP International.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided

Walking God's Way (Part 4 of 5)

2010-10-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

This is part 4 of 5 in the teaching series, "Walking God's Way" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Wisdom

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:15–21).

In this passage, wisdom is contrasted with foolishness. In my leadership position, I often find myself asking God to give me wisdom. Many people depend on me to hear from God and make good, wise decisions. I know that foolishness comes much more naturally than wisdom, so I constantly and repeatedly acknowledge that God is the source of all wisdom. I seek Him and have learned that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Webster’s Dictionary defines wisdom as knowledge of what is true or right coupled with good judgment. The wise person is able to judge properly what is true or right. The Hebrew word for wisdom is hokmah (put in Hebrew spelling). The most common usage is in reference to wisdom in daily living. This is the sense of the word as used throughout the Proverbs, which teaches that true wisdom involves not only intelligence, but also moral integrity. Because a sinful life is ultimately self destructive, wisdom is extolled as the only path to a full and fruitful life (Proverbs 3:13–26).

The source of wisdom is God. By wisdom He numbered the clouds (Job 38:37), founded the earth (Proverbs 3:19), and made the world (Jeremiah 10:12). What practical things can we do to ensure we walk wisely? The Ephesians five passage gives us some very good direction.

Walk Circumspectly

We need to exercise discretion and prudence. Discretion means we are able to make decisions according to our own judgment. Prudence is being wisely cautious in practical affairs. In contrast, the foolish man is hasty in his actions, often reacting rather than thoughtfully responding. One who walks circumspectly watches his path to avoid contact with undesirable influences, which might draw him off the path.

Redeem the Time

Each of us has been given the exact same amount of time. In this respect, we are all equal. We each have 168 hours a week. It is our choice how we use them. The older I become, the more I realize how precious time is. Every hour invested righteously will reap a harvest with God’s blessing. Every hour frittered away is gone forever, never to be redeemed. In the midst of the darkness of this world, it becomes even more important to use our time carefully. We must take advantage of opportunities to do God’s will. We should do all we can to advance God’s purposes on the earth, for the “days are evil.”

Understand God’s Will

God wants to bless us with wisdom. When God asked Solomon what he wanted from Him, he asked for wisdom. God was so pleased with his request that He not only granted Solomon wisdom but honor, riches and power as well. We are encouraged in the Word to seek after wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5–6).

Most believers desire to know and follow God’s will. This is not a matter of a feeling or emotion. It is a mental and heart understanding that is discerned through Scripture, prayer and fellowship with the Lord. In this passage, Paul tells the readers to be filled with the Spirit. As we are full of God’s Spirit, we will increase in understanding His will. The tense of the Greek word used here indicates that the filling is a moment by moment repeatable action. So we could say, “Be continually filled with the Spirit.” It is not a one-time experience.

Notice that Paul contrasts being full of the Spirit with being full of wine to the point of being drunk. I have been around a few drunks in my life, and my experience is that people under the influence of strong drink lose control of themselves and often make poor decisions. When we are controlled by the Spirit, the result is wisdom. When we are controlled by drugs or alcoholic beverages, foolishness or worse is the outcome.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0506.pdf.

Walking God's Way (Part 3 of 5)

2010-08-12T04:47:00.001-07:00

This is part 3 of 5 in the teaching series, "Walking God's Way" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Light

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ [Messiah] will give you light’” (Ephesians 5:8–14).

Darkness and light are contrasted here, with darkness indicating not just physical darkness, but spiritual deadness. We are to walk in light or live our lives in the light.

Paul speaks to the Ephesians as Gentiles who formerly had no access to the light of God. “Therefore remember, that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcised [Gentiles] by what is called the Circumcision [Jewish] made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ [Messiah], being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus [Messiah Yeshua] you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ [Messiah]” (Ephesians 2:11–13).

As Gentiles, the Ephesians did not have the rich background in the Scriptures that Paul had. When Paul reminded them that they were darkness, he was reminding them of their paganism, sin and idolatry. Without Yeshua’s sacrificial gift, they would never have been transformed from darkness to light. As Christians, we have been brought near to the commonwealth of Israel and became partakers of the covenants only through the sacrificial gift of Yeshua, our Jewish Messiah, who has brought us out of darkness into light.

This transformation from darkness to light is not passive. We have to make a decision to walk in light. Yeshua told us to be lights. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). Notice again, the action required here—“your good works.” The light of our faith in God should shine out of our lives in the form of good works or action; we must walk in light.

What exactly does a light do? A light shines. When you turn on a light in a dark room, the darkness is dispelled. Our lifestyle should radiate with the light of God, and testify of His presence in our lives.

We tell our staff in Jerusalem that it is important that they take this word to heart. For nearly 2000 years, the Jewish people have not seen Christianity as a shining light. Rather, they experienced rejection, persecution, or attempts to convert them to Christianity. I have noticed that, as a people, the Jews have a great fear of annihilation. I have identified from years of observation; through conversations, written materials, and media expression, that annihilation is viewed as taking three basic forms.

1) Death: Hitler tried to annihilate the Jewish people and succeeded in killing 1/3 of all Jews in the holocaust.

2) Assimilation: If Jewish people marry outside of their faith, the chances are that children born to the mixed union, will not be Jewish, and eventually the Jewish people would cease to exist.

3) Conversion to Christianity: The rabbis teach that if a Jewish person converts to Christianity they are no longer Jewish. Some Jewish families hold funerals for family members who convert to Christianity.

Whenever we are around Jewish people, it is important that we, as Christians, allow our light to shine. God has called Bridges for Peace to help change attitudes. We work to change attitudes in our own Christian community; encouraging Christians to love, pray for, and bless the Jewish people, the family of our own dear Savior. We also are working to change the attitude of Jews concerning Christians by allowing our lives to shine, and by letting our good works be seen, for the glory of God. As we walk in light, the darkness will be dispelled.

The world we live in today, is attempting to merge light and darkness. Actions declared sinful by the Bible and unacceptable to society just 50 years ago, are now increasingly accepted by modern society. Abortion, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage were all once viewed as unacceptable and, today, are seen as the norm. Television depicts homosexuals in nearly every program as normal, nice people who live an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Standards of holy living in the Church have also seen compromise. Christians today watch movies and afterward describe it to their friends, as a good movie, by saying something like, “There were only a few cuss words, and no nudity.”

When “Gone With the Wind,” first aired, Christians were scandalized by one curse word; today that movie would not cause any heads to turn. It seems that, instead of trying to stay as close to God and His ways as possible, many Christians try to stay as much in the world as possible and still remain a Christian. But, this is not God’s way. We are to walk in the light! “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (I John 1:5–6).

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos
www,israelimages.com/Karen Benzian

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0506.pdf.

Walking God's Way (Part 2 of 5)

2010-06-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of 5 in the teaching series, "Walking God's Way" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Secular Believers

Israel

, many Jews who are defined as secular actually do believe in God. But, since they are not practicing Jews, they are considered secular. Yaakov Kirschen, the well-known cartoonist who draws the Dry Bones Political cartoons, once told a Bridges for Peace Solidarity Mission that he had been reading the book of Ezekiel and it was like reading the newspaper. He was fascinated by the fact that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled. He went on to say, “I’m having a crisis of unbelief.” He would define himself as secular, but in many conversations over the years, I know that Yaakov reads the Bible, and believes in God—but, he is not willing to live the lifestyle Judaism requires.

Growing up in a church environment, I know that this is not just a Jewish problem. Many believe but are unwilling to live the way God prescribes. Sadly, many attend church on Sunday, but their lives during the week are barely distinguishable from the world around them.

Walk In Love, Light, and Wisdom

As I read Ephesians chapter five, I was struck by the word walk. Three times in this chapter, Paul tells the Ephesians to walk or live their lives in a particular way. I see a theme of halaka running throughout this chapter. Remember Paul defined himself as “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5). Paul was trained by Gamaliel, one of the greatest rabbis, and was himself a learned Jewish theologian. This concept was very familiar to him.

In this passage, Paul chooses to highlight love, light, and wisdom. In each instance, he then contrasts the positive with negative. The exhortation found in these passages is very practical. It is all about action, not just theory. The believer who follows the advice written here will be exhibiting his faith in practical ways. Let’s take a look at how Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says we, as believers, should live (walk out) our lives.

Love

“Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ [Messiah] also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them” (Ephesians 5:1–7).

As believers, we are called to imitate God, as children do their beloved parents. Since God is love, it follows, that learning to walk in love is imperative for Christians. Matthew Henry, in his commentary says, “This puts a great honor upon practical religion, that it is the imitating of God. We must be holy as God is holy, merciful as He is merciful, perfect as He is perfect. But there is no one attribute of God more recommended for imitation than that of His goodness. Be you imitators of God especially in His love.”

Francis Foulkes, another commentator emphasizes, “The constancy with which love is to be demonstrated is indicated by the use of the word walk. Love is to characterize the Christian’s daily progress along the road of life.” Over the years, I have many times heard that Christianity is a religion of love and grace and that Judaism is a religion of law and judgment. After living in

Israel

for nearly 17 years, I can tell you that it is not so cut and dried. As Christians we are called to walk in love, and grace, but we also have “laws” or prohibitions, with judgments attached, as in the Ephesians 5 passage.

In Judaism, love of God and fellowman is a central theme. The Shma, the most widely known Jewish prayer or proclamation, says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5). The rabbis teach Jews to love their fellow man in a series of laws and teachings called mitzvoth shebain adam lehavero (literally, good deeds between man and his fellow). Rabbi Donin when talking about kindness cites the verse, “…but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

When Yeshua (Jesus) was asked by a lawyer (an expert in Mosaic Law) what he must do to inherit eternal life, Yeshua asked him, “What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?” The lawyer responded by reciting, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:26–27). He was quoting Deuteronomy. 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18. Yeshua responded by saying, “You have answered rightly, do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28). On another occasion, Yeshua was asked by a scribe what the greatest commandment was and He quoted these same two Scriptures—see Mark 12:29–31.

Christianity did not spring forth in a vacuum. Yeshua, the disciples, the apostles and most of the writers of the New Testament were all Jewish, and their teaching reflects that. After enjoining the Ephesians to be imitators of God and walk in love, Paul contrasts this with some sins and ways of walking out life that are contrary to the walk of love. All indicate a love and indulgence of self, rather than a love of God and fellow man.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos
www.israelimages.com/Israel Talkby

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0206.pdf.

Walking God's Way (Part 1 of 5)

2010-05-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is part 1 of 5 in the teaching series, "Walking God's Way" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Walking God’s Way

My husband, Tom, and I frequently walk in the evening after work for exercise and just to spend a little time together in conversation, which we enjoy because it is our time. We live in Gilo, a southern neighborhood In Jerusalem, which is the highest point in the city. No matter how hot the day is, there is almost always a cool breeze in the evening. Recently, I was reading in Ephesians chapter five and noticed a repeated theme of walking. It was an emphasis of how we live or “walk” out our lives, that led me on a trek through the Scriptures to see the connections between walking and God.

Adam and Eve Walked with God

Adam and Eve lived an idyllic life in a beautiful garden and, best of all, they had close fellowship with God, who would come and walk in the garden with them. In Genesis 3:8 it says: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” It seems that God agrees with us, walking and fellowshipping in the cool of the day is a pleasant thing.

Walking with God

The word walk in the Bible is used literally and figuratively. When used figuratively, it has to do with conduct and manner of life, or the observance of laws and customs. Repeatedly, we read accounts in the Bible of those who walked with God, like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Isaac. From the scriptural accounts it is apparent that God was greatly pleased by such followers.

Over and over again, God encourages His people to walk in His ways. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13). This passage has been described as the essence of the Law. The apostle Paul uses the same kind of terminology in Ephesians. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

The Way We Walk

In Hebrew the most common word for walk is halak and it means:

1) To make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities.

2) To live, to regulate one's life, to conduct one's self, to pass one's life.

Hebrew is a language of consonants, with the vowel sounds being memorized or sometimes indicated by small symbols placed above, below, or inside of letters. Every Hebrew word is comprised of a root, called a shoresh. So in this instance the shoresh for walk, halak is composed of the consonants H-L-K (הלך). Other words share this same root and have similar meanings. One of the most common is halaka, which literally means the way on which one goes.

Halaka—The Way on Which One Goes

I believe it is important for us to understand this word, which permeates Hebraic thought and the practice of Judaism. The Bible was written by Jewish writers (with the possible exception of Luke), who thought Hebraically. They lived in a Hebraic culture and would have been very familiar with the idea of halaka.

Dr. Marvin Wilson in his book, Our Father Abraham, describes halaka in part:

“During the period of Rabbinic Judaism, the Hebrew term halaka (literally walking, proceeding, going) took on special significance. It designated the religious laws and regulations to follow so one might keep straight on the road of life. It provided a map from the start to the end of one’s journey. When one errs from God’s path into crooked and perverse ways, one violates God’s Torah [Gen.–Deut.] and must ‘return.’ The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuva, suggesting the idea ‘turn around,’ ‘go back.’ The way back is the way of Torah; it gives direction and guidance needed to remain on the way.”

Halaka is the term used for Jewish Law. It refers to the final authoritative decision on any specific question. It rests, first and foremost, upon the biblical statutes and commandments in the written and oral Torah, it is practical not theoretical. Halaka is legal not philosophical. Judaism is a way of life. Halaka (walking) is the way the commandments are translated into everyday living. Although faith is the basis out of which halaka develops, its major emphasis is on deed. It is deed, not just faith.

I was sitting eating with an Orthodox friend recently and an interesting conversation ensued. I had mentioned that I had noticed in the newspaper Orthodox Jews being described as believers—one who was running for office stated, “Israel needs a believer in the position of Prime Minister.” I found this interesting, as previously I had thought that was a term used only to describe Christians. My friend responded, “Most Jews are believers. The important thing to know is: are they are practicing Jews.”

That reminded me of my friend, the late Dr. Bernard Resnikov. He once said to me: “Becky, I don’t understand Christians. I’ve been to many inner-faith meetings and the Christians stand around talking about what they believe. It isn’t that way in Judaism. If I read in my Bible about Shabbat (the Sabbath) and want to understand it better, I go to my neighbor who practices Shabbat, and ask him to share his insights. If he isn’t keeping Shabbat, why would I bother to ask him what he believes about it?”

These two conversations illustrate a common stream of thought in Judaism. The conceptual truths of Judaism and its values mean little unless they are translated into a way of life.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0206.pdf.

Jerusalem, My Home (part 4 of 4)

2010-05-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

This is part 4 of 4 in the teaching series, "Jerusalem, My Home" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Jerusalem of Future Hope

Recently, we have noticed a shift in attitude as Jewish people have recognized that Bible-believing Christians are their friends, maybe their only friends. Through the good work of many Christians in Israel and around the world and that of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, we are seeing a shift in attitude. The Caucus was formed in January of 2004 when Knesset Member Yuri Shtern, along with 12 other Knesset Members, joined together to recognize Christian support for Israel in an official capacity within the Knesset (Parliament) of Israel. It was the first time an official government body was created to reach out to Christians and forge relationships based on mutual respect and appreciation.

In the past, whenever a Jewish person asked me if I was an evangelical Christian, I braced myself for a negative response when I answered in the affirmative. Today, I am more likely to get a word of thanks for the many good things we do to help Israel and her people. Jewish people are awakening to the fact that millions of Christians around the world love them, because they are loved by God.

In many conversations with Jewish people (rabbis, politicians, intellectuals, and average everyday people), there is an affirmation that when the Messiah comes, we will all follow Him (both Christians and Jews). Teddy Kollek was once asked if he believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. He was always the consummate politician and obviously didn’t want to offend the inquirers. So he answered by saying that he had a good idea. When the Messiah comes, a committee should be formed including both Christians and Jews. The committee should seek an appointment with the Messiah and prepare questions to ask Him. Teddy suggested that the first question should be, “Sir, have you ever been here before?”

The centrality of Jerusalem in biblical history is undisputed. The fact that the world is watching Israel is apparent today. And in the future, Jerusalem is the city the Messiah will come to! I’m looking forward to the day when Psalm 133 will become reality in the lives of Christians and Jews…when together we will join arms and sing the song, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.” Our shared past is not good, but our shared future will be amazing under the leadership of the Messiah.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos

www.bibleplaces.com/Todd Bolen

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

© 2010

Bridges for Peace holds the copyright on this material. We encourage pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people to use these articles for preaching and teaching, and we hereby grant permission for a limited number of copies for such educational purposes. However, any other reproduction or transmittal of this material in any form—including reprinting, republishing, recording or use with any information storage and retrieval system—requires written permission from BFP International.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0507.pdf.

Jerusalem, My Home (Part 3 of 4)

2010-05-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

This is part 3 of 4 in the teaching series, "Jerusalem, My Home" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Jerusalem Today

I am one of about 750,000 inhabitants, which include Jews, Arabs, Christians, and internationals from around the world. Until recently, my husband Tom and I lived in Gilo, a southern neighborhood of Jerusalem. Our apartment there has a beautiful view of the city of Jerusalem. For about two years, Gilo was under attack from Palestinian groups. Nearly every day shots were fired at Gilo. We lived six blocks from the danger line and learned to live with the constant sound of gunfire. The Bridges for Peace office is in downtown Jerusalem, and over 15 terrorist incidents occurred within six blocks of our office during the height of the second intifada.

People are always asking me if I am afraid to live here. Certainly terror attacks are frightening, but at the same time, Jerusalem is also a city where I feel safe to walk alone at night, because there is very little crime against individuals. Children ride alone on city buses to go to school, and no one worries about their safety because crimes against children are almost unheard of in

Israel

. There are no pictures of missing children on milk cartons in

Israel

. But, certainly no one would say Jerusalem is a peaceful city today.

Jerusalem, City of Peace?

Many say the name “Jerusalem” is Eir Shalom (city of peace). Others say it is Eir Shilem (complete city). Certainly it is the dearest wish of the Jewish people that there would be peace in Jerusalem and in

Israel

. Many times we say peace will only come when the Messiah comes. The Hebrew phrase Ad sh’ yavo Moshiach (until the coming of the Messiah) is a common phrase in

Israel

. The city has seen much conflict throughout history and also in recent times, and, at times, it seems that peace is a distant dream.

But there is a peace that descends on the city every week that I have come to cherish. Every Friday afternoon, the city begins to quiet down as the citizens prepare to welcome the ShabbatShabbat meal. The Scriptures are discussed, and beautiful songs are sung. Husbands bless their wives by reading Proverbs 31 to them. Parents bless their children. When I travel outside of

Israel

, the thing I miss most is Shabbat and the blessing of a day set aside from our busy lives to be with our families and the Lord. (Sabbath). The smell of chicken soup fills the air; in fact, you can’t walk down any street in a Jewish neighborhood without smelling chicken soup. Everyone dresses in nice clothes. Fathers bring flowers home to their wives. Traffic slows down to a near standstill as everyone hurries home to be with their families before sundown. The tables are set beautifully, and families join together to share a leisurely time together over the

Living in Jerusalem as a Christian

I am in Israel and living in Jerusalem because I want to see relationships between Christians and Jews improved. For 2,000 years, we have been divided in our belief of who the Messiah is. As Christians, we accept that Yeshua is the Messiah, while the Jewish people are still looking for their Messiah. This difference in belief has caused great tension between our peoples. For 1,700 years since Christianity was made the state religion by Constantine, the Jewish people suffered at the hands of organized Christianity. Their persecution through the ages has been well documented and culminated with the Holocaust when six million were murdered simply for being Jewish.

It saddens me to know that people who bore the name of Christ acted this way. I would love to go back in history and change events, but I can’t. However, we can make a difference today and for tomorrow. Many Christians have made the decision to make a difference by showing unconditional love to the Jewish people. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Christian Friends of Israel, and Bridges for Peace are three of the largest Christian ministries in Jerusalem doing that.

It is not always comfortable to be a Christian living in

Israel

. I have personally experienced some persecution, dislike, and suspicion from Jewish people who have negative attitudes about Christians, as a consequence of past actions by Christians. I understand why they feel that way and want to change those negative attitudes by living a godly Christian life in their midst, a life characterized by love and mercy.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos

www.bibleplaces.com/Todd Bolen

www.israelimages.com/Garo Nalbandian

www.israelimages.com/Richard Nowitz

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0507.pdf.

Jerusalem, My Home (Part 2 of 4)

2010-04-30T01:07:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of 4 in the teaching series, "Jerusalem, My Home" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Centrality of Jerusalem

Ezekiel speaks of Jerusalem as the center of the world (Ezek. 38:12, NASB). If you go into a poster shop in Israel, you can find copies of ancient maps, which show Jerusalem as the center of the world.

Jerusalem has a special importance to the Jewish people. Throughout nearly 2,000 years of dispersion, every year at Passover, their prayer has been, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” The Jewish people are the people God chose from all the families of the earth to represent Him and His character through the Holy Scriptures, and Jerusalem has been their most beloved city throughout history.

Teddy Kollek, one of Jerusalem’s beloved former mayors, said, “For three thousand years, Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish hope and longing. No other city has played such a dominant role in the history, culture, religion, and consciousness of a people as has Jerusalem in the life of Jewry and Judaism. Throughout centuries of exile, Jerusalem remained alive in the hearts of Jews everywhere as a focal point of Jewish history, the symbol of ancient glory, spiritual fulfillment, and modern renewal. This heart and soul of the Jewish people engenders the thought that if you want one simple word to symbolize all of Jewish history, that word would be Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem also has special meaning to God. He chose this city as His dwelling place. Several Scriptures reveal that God loves Jerusalem more than any other place on earth. “…Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there...” (1 Kings 14:21). Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel” (2 Chronicles 6:5–6).

Christians view Jerusalem as the Holy City because it is the location of many events that took place in the Bible and in the life of Yeshua. Jerusalem is the major destination on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. My father brought groups to

Israel

67 times. He always saved Jerusalem for last as the highlight of their

Israel

experience. I remember him leading the pilgrims in singing an old song: “We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We’re marching upwards to Zion, the beautiful city of God.” Many Christians, on their first visit to Jerusalem, feel an incredible love for this city and a feeling of being “at home.”

Jerusalem is also important to modern-day Muslims, who view it as their third holiest city. They claim that Muhammad visited Jerusalem in a night vision. However, the city of that visitation is not named in the Koran and was not associated with Jerusalem until much later. Jerusalem has become a landing place for journalists. Did you ever wonder why Jerusalem and

Israel

are on the front pages of newspapers around the world on a regular basis? It has been said that there are more journalists in

Israel

than in most other places in the world. Certainly the eyes of the world are on

Israel

. I have talked with school children in the United States and asked them: “How big is

Israel

?” Invariably they think that it is a huge country, because they hear it talked about so much. Yet, it is only the size of the state of New Jersey in the United States, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Wales in the United Kingdom, Vancouver Island in Canada, the island of Shikoku in Japan, the region of Canterbury in New Zealand, and one-third the size of Tasmania in Australia.

I believe the eyes of the world are trained on

Israel

because of its importance to God and its centrality in the Scriptures. The city continues to be a focal point of spiritual and physical attack by those who seek to control her.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos
www.israelimages.com/Dan Porges

www.bibleplaces.www.israelimages.com/Hanan Isachar com/Todd Bolen

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0507.pdf.

Jerusalem, My Home (Part 1 of 4)

2010-04-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

This is part 1 of 4 in the teaching series, "Jerusalem, My Home" by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Jerusalem, My Home

What do you think of when you hear the word “Jerusalem”? Perhaps you think of the Mount of Olives splitting in two, when Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) returns. “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:4). Perhaps you think of wars––past and future. Maybe you think of the prophecy in Zechariah (12:3), which says all nations will come up against Jerusalem. “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”

Many believers think about the rebuilding of the Temple, prophesied by Ezekiel (chapters 40–47). Maybe you think about the turmoil Jerusalem has faced in recent years as terror attacks ravaged the city. Perhaps you are reminded of the time when Yeshua spoke to His disciples of future events which would precede His return. He said, “…Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24b). Many biblical scholars believe that this prophecy was fulfilled on June 7, 1967, the 28th of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar, when Jerusalem came under Israeli sovereignty again. This year, the 28th of Iyar falls on May 16, the 40th anniversary of that event. This annual celebration is called Jerusalem Day. The streets are filled with music, dancing, and happy faces. Flags wave, and the people rejoice in a festive parade through the streets.

Certainly we are living in momentous days when the words of Israel’s prophets are being fulfilled in Jerusalem, and the words of Yeshua are living in front of our eyes. I reflect on all these things and more when I consider Jerusalem. But, there is another dimension to my thoughts. Having lived in Jerusalem for the past 17 years, when I think of Jerusalem, I am thinking about my home.

Jerusalem of Significance

Jerusalem is unique. In the entire world, there is no other place like Jerusalem. Did you know that you always “go up” to Jerusalem? It is said that if you were in a helicopter flying over Jerusalem and you fell out, you would still fall “up to Jerusalem”!

Geographically, ancient Jerusalem did not have any of the characteristics that make a city great. It was located off the main trade route along the coast. It had no great water source, only the Gihon Spring. It was not an important location for an army to conquer. Yet, Jerusalem is filled with the history of the events of the Bible and of the world. In fact, the name “Jerusalem” is mentioned a total of 881 times in the Bible (667 times in the Old Testament, and 144 times in the New Testament). Interestingly enough, it is never mentioned in the Koran. Additionally, scholars say there are over 70 poetic or descriptive names for Jerusalem. The Hebrew name Yerushalayim (first mentioned by this name in Joshua 10:1) means “city of peace” and has a plural ending. Thus, it is a city of double peace!

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Photos
www.israelimages.com/David Rubinger

Philipe Ryckner

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

© 2010

Bridges for Peace holds the copyright on this material. We encourage pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people to use these articles for preaching and teaching, and we hereby grant permission for a limited number of copies for such educational purposes. However, any other reproduction or transmittal of this material in any form—including reprinting, republishing, recording or use with any information storage and retrieval system—requires written permission from BFP International.

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0507.pdf.

Messiah (Part 4-4)

2010-04-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

This is part 4 of 4 on the series “Messiah” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Understanding Yeshua’s Hebraic World

As we have seen in this short study Yeshua definitely viewed Himself as the Messiah. While He did not directly say, "I am the Messiah" or "I am the Son of God," in a first-century rabbinic way, He makes it very clear that He was the Messiah. It is important for all Christians to begin to understand the Hebraic world that He knew so well, if we are to understand His words. As Robert Lindsey pointed out: "One must always keep in mind when reading the Gospels that they preserve words and ideas that originally were spoken in Hebrew against a backdrop of rabbinic thought. Today, this is utterly foreign to most Christians. Hidden in the text of the Scriptures are words and concepts that are Hebraic. When they were spoken in the Hebrew of the first century, they were not hidden, but clearly express things that now seem obscure to us. If we want to know more about who Yeshua was and what He said, we need to learn more about the language He spoke and the milieu in which He lived.”

Future Hope

As Christians, we eagerly anticipate the coming of Yeshua. Certainly, we see many signs of the end times, which were prophesied by the Hebrew prophets.

We are not alone in this expectation! Many of our Jewish friends are also looking at the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and anticipating haolam haba (the world to come). David Rubin, a modern Orthodox resident of Shiloh believes that the day is coming when we Bible believers (both Jews and Christians) will be united. He sites Zechariah 14:9: “God will be King over all the land; on that day the Lord will be One and His Name will be One.” He explains, “In other words, on that day, there will be no confusion or disagreement between Jews and Christians about the ‘Messiah question’ or any other questions of theology. All of the theological disagreements that have tragically been the catalyst, even the excuse, for so much Jewish pain and bloodshed in the past will remain, in the past. There will be unprecedented unity among the peoples of the world in the desire to praise God in the proper way, which will be clear to all of us on that day.”

In recent years, I have been in many conversations with Jewish people, including Orthodox rabbis, in which the concept of a shared future when together we will follow the Messiah was discussed. One oft repeated suggestion is that when Messiah comes, we should get a committee together of Christians and Jews and ask the Messiah this question: “Sir, have you ever been here before?”

In one such conversation, I was asked by a Jewish friend if I didn’t believe there were two ways to heaven, one for the Jews and one for the Christians. While it would have been more comfortable for my Jewish friend if I had agreed, I was unable to do so. I told him, I believe in the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5). I went on to say, “We may not agree on the identity of the Messiah, but there is only one Messiah, just as there is only one God. When He comes, I know we will both follow Him.” I pray that He will come soon and usher in the Messianic Age we all so eagerly anticipate.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Bibliography

Benner, Jeff A. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org

Blue, Lionel and Jonathan Magonet. The Jewish Guide to the Here and Hereafter. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1989.

Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. Basic Books (a division of Perseus Books Group), 1972.

Eckstein, Yechiel. How Firm a Foundation. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 1997.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem, Israel: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Gorenberg, Gershom. The End of Days. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Kempinski, Moshe Avraham. The Heart of the People. Jerusalem, Israel: Shorashim of the Old City Publications, 2006.

Lindsey, Robert L. Jesus, Rabbi and Lord: The Hebrew Story of Jesus Behind Our Gospels. Cornerstone Publishing, 1989.

Rich, Tracey R. http://www.jewfaq.org

Rubin, David. God, Israel and Shiloh: Returning to the Land. Jerusalem, Israel: Mazo Publishers, 2007.

Smith, James. The Promised Messiah. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.

Wikipedia. “Messiah.” www.wikipedia.com

Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

Pictures:

Unknown

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information
contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0208.pdf.

Messiah (Part 3-4)

2010-03-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is part 3 of 4 on the series “Messiah” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Fulfilling Prophecy

When in Nazareth, His hometown, Yeshua attended the synagogue one Shabbat (Sabbath) and was honored by being asked to come forward to read the Torah (Gen.–Deut.) scroll. He opened the scroll and read Isaiah 61:1–2, which was understood to be a messianic passage: "’The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18–21).

There is no doubt that the men of the synagogue understood that He was proclaiming Himself to be the Messiah. He continued His discourse for awhile, and then we are told: "So all those in the synagogue when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose the thrust Him out of the city…” (vv. 28–29). These people may not have accepted the messiahship of Yeshua, but they certainly understood His messianic claim. Yeshua clearly fulfilled the Messianic promises of Isaiah 61:1–2, as He went about healing the sick and giving sight to the blind.

Making Clear Declarations

On a few occasions, Yeshua clearly declared Himself to be the Messiah. In John 4, Yeshua spoke with a Samaritan woman outside the city of Sychar. In the course of their conversation, “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things" (John 4:25). In one of the clearest declarations of His messiahship, Yeshua revealed Himself to the woman, saying, "I who speak to you am He" (v. 26).

Another declaration that He was the Messiah occurred at His trial before the high priest Caiaphas, the chief priests, the elders, and scribes (Matthew 26:57–68; Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:66-70, 23:2). In Mark's account, the high priest finally asked Yeshua directly, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" and Yeshua responded, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (vv. 61–62) Robert Lindsey points out, “The chief priests and teachers of the law clearly understood Yeshua's Messianic claims. While they did not believe it, there was no argument—Yeshua claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of Man and the Son of God! For this, they brought Him to Pilate to be punished. They considered His claims blasphemous, others considered it divine.”

In John 17:3, Yeshua prayed to the Father and said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ [Yeshua HaMashiach] whom You have sent.”

Even though Yeshua knew that He was the Messiah and communicated it on occasion to others, He often told those He healed to tell no one. When Simon Peter made his great profession of faith saying, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the son of the living God,” Yeshua answered and said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 16:16–17). In verse 20, we read, “Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ [Yeshua HaMashiach].”

Yeshua’s purpose for His first coming was to die for the sins of mankind, to be the Savior of the world, providing a way for us to be able to enter the presence of a sinless, just God. During this time, He fulfilled many—though not all—prophetic, messianic Scriptures. We eagerly anticipate the day when we will see the rest fulfilled.

Some have suggested that Yeshua came to be the Messiah only to the Gentile world. But He Himself said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). Yet, before Yeshua ascended to heaven, He clearly revealed His plan to give the Gentiles (the nations) an opportunity to partake of the blessings of the kingdom of God when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). This is just as foretold by Simeon in the Temple. “Lord now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). His salvation was always to be available for all peoples, and the glory of the people of

Israel

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Bibliography

Benner, Jeff A. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org

Blue, Lionel and Jonathan Magonet. The Jewish Guide to the Here and Hereafter. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1989.

Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. Basic Books (a division of Perseus Books Group), 1972.

Eckstein, Yechiel. How Firm a Foundation. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 1997.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem, Israel: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Gorenberg, Gershom. The End of Days. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Kempinski, Moshe Avraham. The Heart of the People. Jerusalem, Israel: Shorashim of the OldCity Publications, 2006.

Lindsey, Robert L. Jesus, Rabbi and Lord: The Hebrew Story of Jesus Behind Our Gospels.Cornerstone Publishing, 1989.

Rich, Tracey R. http://www.jewfaq.org

Rubin, David. God, Israel and Shiloh: Returning to the Land. Jerusalem, Israel: Mazo Publishers, 2007.

Smith, James. The Promised Messiah. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.

Wikipedia. “Messiah.” www.wikipedia.com

Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

Pictures:

www.israelimages.com/Itsik Maron

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0208.pdf.

Messiah (Part 2-4)

2010-02-03T03:23:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of 4 on the series “Messiah” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Did Yeshua Claim to Be the Messiah?

Yeshua lived as an Orthodox Jewish man in first-century

Israel

at an extremely turbulent time. The Jewish people were in bondage to cruel oppressive Roman overlords. They felt the need for the Messiah to deliver them. There was great Messianic expectation. Jewish author Gershom Gorenberg describes it this way: “Jesus appeared during those centuries of ferment. Christianity was the daughter not simply of Judaism but of a Judaism burning with expectation, standing on tiptoes and ready to leap into the End. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ first words are, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand.’ The new faith asserted that the messiah had actually arrived, making the time that follows into a pause before he completes his task.”

Did Yeshua claim to be the Messiah? Most Christians would quickly say yes. But, if you carefully look in the Newer Testament, you will not find a clear statement from Yeshua saying, “I am the Messiah.” Yet, when one understands Hebraic thought, it is clear that Yeshua did claim to be the Messiah. He did so in what may seem obscure ways. Perhaps this is because there were so many claiming to be the Messiah. He knew that His actions would validate who He was. Repeatedly, we find Yeshua showing Himself to be the Messiah by speaking and acting in fulfillment of accepted messianic Bible passages. He spoke in a Hebraic manner, using messianic phrases from the Hebrew Scriptures, so that the people who were looking for a spiritual Messiah would know He was the Promised One.

As “Son of Man”

Throughout the Gospels, Yeshua often refers to Himself as the "Son of Man," which comes directly from Daniel 7:13–14. It was a well-accepted messianic title, bar enash (Aramaic, not Hebrew), which describes a messianic figure of heavenly origin. "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man [bar enash], coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (NIV)

When Yeshua used this title, He was claiming to have come from heaven with a spiritual mission. Stephen, in the act of being stoned to death, described his heavenly vision in Acts 7:56, saying, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Everywhere we find Yeshua referring to Himself as the Son of Man, He was making it clear He was the Messiah. Yeshua said unequivocally that He had the authority to forgive sins because He was the Son of Man (Matthew 9:2, 5–6; Mark 2:5, 9–10; Luke 5:23–24, 7:47–48).

As “Son of God”

When Yeshua was 12 years old, He stayed in Jerusalem after His parents had begun the journey home. When they missed Him, they searched until they found Him in the Temple in discussion with the sages. He astonished the teachers in the Temple by His understanding (Luke 2:46–50). When questioned by Mary about His actions, He replied,

“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? (v. 49). Even as a boy, Yeshua refers to God as "My Father." He continued to use the term throughout the Gospel accounts, a total of 40 times!

The late Jerusalem scholar Dr. Robert Lindsey explained the significance of this expression: “Synagogue prayers contain the expression, ‘Our Father [Avinu] who is in heaven,’ many times, and Jesus taught His disciples to pray a prayer which also begins, ‘Our Father who is in heaven.’ The expression, ‘My Father [avi],’ however, almost certainly must have seemed improper to the Jews of that period. Only once in the Hebrew Scripture is God referred to as ‘my Father,’ and that is in Psalm 89, which speaks of the coming Messiah. Verse 26 reads, ‘He will call to me, “Avi atah, You are my Father!...’ The Messiah has the right to call God ‘my Father.’ I am quite sure that the rabbis of Jesus' day taught the people to say ‘Our Father who is in heaven,’ because they say ‘my Father’ was reserved for the Messiah alone. Second Samuel 7:14 also contains a prophecy about the Messiah: ‘I will be to him a father, and he will be to me a son.’ This verse marks the beginning of a coming Messiah who is the son of God. It was known from Psalm 89:26, 2 Samuel 7:14 and Psalm 2:7 that the Messiah would be the son of God, but these verses do not contain the expression ‘son of God.’ What is used is, ‘He will call to me, “You are my Father,”’ ‘I will be a father to him, he will be a son to me’; and, ‘You are my son, this day I have brought you forth.’ This is the Hebraic way of expressing messiahship―it is the way the Holy Spirit spoke and the way Jesus spoke.”

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Bibliography

Benner, Jeff A. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org

Blue, Lionel and Jonathan Magonet. The Jewish Guide to the Here and Hereafter. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1989.

Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. Basic Books (a division of Perseus Books Group), 1972.

Eckstein, Yechiel. How Firm a Foundation. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 1997.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem, Israel: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Gorenberg, Gershom. The End of Days. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Kempinski, Moshe Avraham. The Heart of the People. Jerusalem, Israel: Shorashim of the OldCity Publications, 2006.

Lindsey, Robert L. Jesus, Rabbi and Lord: The Hebrew Story of Jesus Behind Our Gospels.Cornerstone Publishing, 1989.

Rich, Tracey R. http://www.jewfaq.org

Rubin, David. God, Israel and Shiloh: Returning to the Land. Jerusalem, Israel: Mazo Publishers, 2007.

Smith, James. The Promised Messiah. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.

Wikipedia. “Messiah.” www.wikipedia.com

Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding "yes"! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teaching. "For our of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3)

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided - www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0208.pdf

Messiah (Part 1-4)

2010-02-03T03:06:00.000-08:00

This is part 1 of 4 on the series “Messiah” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

Messiah

Both Christians and Jews eagerly long for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, the topic of Messiah is one that has caused great division between Christianity and Judaism. The greatest dispute we have between us is the identity of the Messiah. As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is the Messiah. Jews equally “know” that He is not the Messiah. The Jewish rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah has been a catalyst for Christian persecution of Jews throughout the centuries. What are the Jewish people looking for in the Messiah? Why did the Jewish people reject Yeshua? Did Yeshua claim to be the Messiah? I recognize that to adequately address this subject would require volumes, yet it is a worthy and important topic for even the length of a Teaching Letter.

Definition of Terms

The Hebrew word for Messiah is Mashiach (משיח) and means “anointed one.” This word comes from the root word mashach (משח), which means “to anoint, smear (with oil), or consecrate.” The word mashiach appears 39 times in the Older Testament, although the word “messiah” only appears twice in most English translations. The remaining 37 times, the word is translated “anointed one.” It comes from the ancient Israeli custom of pouring oil on the head of a person being appointed to a position of authority. The Greek word for Messiah is Christos, translated into English as Christ. The word literally means “anointed one.” When Christians say Jesus Christ, most think they are saying His name, perhaps like our own first and last names. However, Christ is not His last name; it is His title. When we say it with His name, it is an affirmation of faith. We are literally saying “Jesus the anointed one,” and we could also say it in Hebrew, Yeshua HaMashiach.

Living in

Israel

, I have come to understand that one can say the same words and have totally different understanding about their meanings, even between English speakers. For instance, I wear boots on my feet, but my British friends put their suitcases into the boot of their car (trunk to Americans). In a similar fashion, Christians and Jews will sometimes have conversations in which both feel there has been good communication and walk away never realizing that they have not understood the intent of the other. Moshe Kempinski says this: “Until the final days, our two communities will continue to use the same words and terminology but not necessarily mean the same thing, which as we have shown, inevitably leads to misunderstanding and confusion.”

Mashiach is one of these words. One of the most common misunderstandings is that there is only one Messiah in the Bible. While mashiach is mentioned 39 times in the Hebrew Bible, it can be applied to priests, kings, and prophets. “If the anointed [mashiach] priest sins bringing guilt to the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned…” (Leviticus 4:3). “And he [David] said to his men, the LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master [Saul], the LORD’s anointed [mashiach], to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed [mashiach] of the LORD” (1 Samuel 24:6). “Do not touch My anointed [mashiach], My prophets do not harm” (1 Chronicles 16:22). “Thus says the LORD to His anointed [mashiach], to Cyrus [the King of Persia] whose right hand I have held...” (Isaiah 45:1).

The Jewish Concept of Messiah

I have attended outdoor rallies in

Israel

when 100,000 Jewish people have fervently sung “Mashiach, Mashiach, Mashiach.” It was an electrifying moment when I felt the heartfelt desire of the people for the Messiah to come. The lyrics were written by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, more commonly known of as the Rambam or Maimonides (1135–1204 AD). He developed the 13 Principles of Faith, the most widely accepted list of Jewish beliefs. Number 12 says, “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the mashiach, and though he may tarry, still I await him every day.”

What are the Jewish people looking for in a Messiah?

1. He will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5).

2. He will be well-versed in Jewish law and observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11:2–5).

4. He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example.

5. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for

Israel

6. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions. He will restore the religious court system of

Israel

and establish Jewish law as the law of the Land (Jeremiah 33:15).

7. He will bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the Jewish people by bringing them back to

Israel

and restoring Jerusalem (Isaiah 11:11–12; Jeremiah 23:8, 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5).

8. He will establish a government in

Israel

that will be the center of all world government, both for Jews and gentiles (Isaiah 2:2–4, 11:10, 42:1).

9. He will rebuild the Temple and re-establish its worship (Jeremiah 33:18). (9 points taken from www.jewfaq.org.)

In reading Jewish authors on the subject, it is clear that many Jewish people believe that it is possible to be the Messiah. In fact, many “messiahs” have come forward throughout Jewish history. Wikepedia iden

tifies seven such messiahs (including Jesus) between AD 6 and 135. On the Jewish Web site http://www.jewfaq.org, it says: “It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person's lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach.”

Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, in his book To Be a Jew, explains; “The Messiah in Jewish thought was never conceived of as a Divine Being. As God’s anointed representative, the Messiah would be a person who would bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the people of

Israel

through the ingathering of the Jews to their ancestral home of Eretz Yisrael [land of Israel] and the restoration of Jerusalem to its spiritual glory. He would bring about an era marked by the moral perfection of all mankind and the harmonious coexistence of all peoples, free of war, fear, hatred and intolerance (see Isaiah 2, 11 and Micah 4). Claimants to the Messianic title arose at various times throughout Jewish history. The criterion by which each was judged was: Did he succeed in accomplishing what the Messiah was supposed to accomplish? By this criterion, clearly none qualified. The Messianic era is still ahead of us. The reestablishment of a Jewish State in our times and the restoration of a united Jerusalem as the capital of that State have led many devout Jews to hope that these times may be the beginning of that process of redemption that will ultimately lead to the realization of all the other ideals inherent in the Messianic belief.”

The fact that many prophetic promises concerning the Messianic Age have not yet been fulfilled makes it difficult for Jewish people to think of Yeshua as the Messiah. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein says: “This idea sheds light on one of the most fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity―the Christian belief that the Messiah has come and the Jewish insistence that he has not. Judaism affirms the inevitable incompleteness of a personalized salvation and individualized holiness so long as they are not indissolubly linked with the messianic redemption of

Israel

and the world. Christianity, on the other hand, affirms that the Messiah has come and that the individual can achieve spiritual completion and fulfillment now by accepting Jesus as his personal Savior and Redeemer. The Jewish mission is to bring about the completeness and fulfillment of both man and the world―to bring Messiah! The continued existence of evil and suffering in the world and the ongoing mystery of the survival of the Jewish people bear eloquent testimony that the Jewish mission is not yet complete―the world has yet to be fully redeemed.”

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Bibliography

Benner, Jeff A. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org

Blue, Lionel and Jonathan Magonet. The Jewish Guide to the Here and Hereafter. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1989.

Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. Basic Books (a division of Perseus Books Group), 1972.

Eckstein, Yechiel. How Firm a Foundation. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 1997.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem,

Israel

: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Gorenberg, Gershom. The End of Days. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Kempinski, Moshe Avraham. The Heart of the People. Jerusalem,

Israel

: Shorashim of the OldCity Publications, 2006.

Lindsey, Robert L. Jesus, Rabbi and Lord: The Hebrew Story of Jesus Behind Our Gospels.Cornerstone Publishing, 1989.

Rich, Tracey R. http://www.jewfaq.org

Rubin, David. God, Israel and Shiloh: Returning to the Land. Jerusalem,

Israel

: Mazo Publishers, 2007.

Smith, James. The Promised Messiah. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.

Wikipedia. “Messiah.” www.wikipedia.com

Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

Pictures:

www.Israelimages.com/Gideon Levin

www.Israelimages.com/Hanan Isachar

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided - www.bridgesforpeace.com/pics/TLWEB0208.pdf

Why Stand With Israel? (Part 3 of 3)

2010-01-27T04:26:00.000-08:00

This is part 3 of 3 on the series “Why Stand with

Israel

?” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

God Is Still at Work in

Israel

As I mentioned earlier,

Israel

is the stage upon which God chose to reveal Himself to the world, as the one
true God. I haven’t found any Christians who deny this fact historically. Many, however, don’t seem to recognize that

Israel

is still significant to God. Living as we do, 2,000 years after the events of the Newer Testament, and around 3,000 years after the events of the Older Testament,

Israel

often seems irrelevant to Christians. Yet, God is still revealing Himself to the world as He fulfills His ancient promises to

Israel

. God is proving to the world that He is a faithful, covenant-keeping God who can be trusted to keep His word because of His faithfulness, regardless of the worthiness of the other.

“When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes”’” (Ezekiel 36:20–23).

Let’s look at a couple of ways God is revealing Himself today through

Israel

and the Jewish people.

God Promised to Restore the Land: “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown...The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited’” (Ezekiel 36:8–9, 34–35). Even as little as 100 years ago, it seemed impossible for this passage to be fulfilled. Palestine (a name given to the Land of Israel as early as the fifth century AD to 1948) had become desolate after centuries of neglect under the oversight of Turkish landlords. Travelers to the area were quite dismayed by the Land of the Bible. The following are some of their testimonies.

In Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain describes the treeless desolation of the land of Palestine in the 1800s. He calls it a “blistering, naked, treeless land.” He calls the villages “ugly, cramped, squalid, uncomfortable, and filthy.” Another line reads “solitude to make one dreary; un-peopled deserts, and rusty mounds of barrenness that never, never, never do shake the glare from their harsh outlines.” One particularly descriptive sentence reads, “This stupid village of Tiberias, slumbering under its six funereal plumes of palms; yonder desolate declivity where the swine of the miracle ran down into the sea and doubtless thought it was better to swallow a devil or two and get drowned into the bargain than have to live longer in such a place.”

Nachmanides, a great Jewish scholar, visited in 1267 and described Jerusalem as “deserted and laid waste and that Judea was more destitute than Galilee.” George Sandys, son of Edwin Sandys, archbishop of York, was an English traveler, colonist, and poet. He reported in 1610 that the “land is bare of trees. The country is a vast empty ruin.” Some eyewitness accounts say that there were less than 1,000 trees in the Land and that there were not enough people living in the Land to till it! Yet, today, when you travel to

Israel

, you will see a different reality. The Land is being restored to its former beauty as prophesied. “I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water; and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together; that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it” (Isaiah 41:18–20).

The Jewish people started returning to the Land in the 1800s. They began to reclaim the Land in a restoration process that continues to the present day. They drained malaria-filled swamps, planted millions of trees, irrigated desert lands, and planted the fields, growing more than enough for the needs of the inhabitants. The Land that Ezekiel once called the “glory of all lands” (20:6) is once again being restored to its former glory.

God Promised to Bring the Jewish People Back: The prophets of

Israel

foretold a day when the Jewish people would come back to their ancient homeland from the countries of their dispersal.

“‘I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cites and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land that I have given them,’ says the LORD your God” (Amos 9:14–15).

“When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer” (Ezekiel 39:27–28).

Today, over six million Jews live in

Israel

. Over three million of them came as immigrants, and many more are the children or grandchildren of immigrants. They continue to come from the countries of the world. It is estimated that there are 14 million Jewish people worldwide with the largest group residing in

Israel

for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. God is in the process of fulfilling His promises made through the prophets to bring His people home to

Israel

God Is Calling Us to Partner with Him

“Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘Oh LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel’” (Jeremiah 31:7). Whenever you read the name “Jacob” in the Scriptures, it always refers to the man Jacob or the Jewish people—never the Church. So I believe God is telling Christians everywhere to do these things for the Jewish people.

• “Sing with gladness for Jacob”—Rejoice in what God is doing.

• “Shout among the chief of the nations”—Speak up on her behalf to
those who can make a difference.

• “Proclaim”—Tell what God is doing; tell Israel’s story.

• “Give praise”—Praise God for being a covenant-keeping God.

• “And say, ‘Oh LORD, save Your people’”—Pray for the complete
restoration and redemption of Israel.

At Bridges for Peace, we have many ways Christians can become involved with

Israel

and God’s plan to show His character and glory to the world. I hope you are actively standing with

Israel

. If not, check out our Web site and choose a way to partner with the Lord as He shows the world He is God on the stage of

Israel

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Bibliography

Blackaby, Henry. Experiencing God. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1989.

Brimmer, Rebecca J. Israel and the Church: God’s Road Map. Jerusalem: Bridges for Peace, 2006.

Falk, Harvey. Jesus, the Pharisee, a New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus. Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock Publishers, 2003.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Carlsbad, CA: Magnus Press, 1998.

Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah: What Yeshua’s First Followers Thought about the Torah.
Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2001.

Lewis, David. Can Israel Survive in a Hostile World? Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Press,1994.

Twain, Mark. Innocents Abroad. 1869.

Wikopedia, online encyclopedia, www.wikopedia.org

Wilson, Marvin. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids,
MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Pictures:

www.israelimages.com/Naftali Hilger

www.israelimages.com/Garo Nalbandian

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided above.

Why Stand with Israel? (Part 2 of 3)

2009-12-30T05:07:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of 3 on the series “Why Stand with Israel?” written by Rebecca J. Brimmer, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace. May you be blessed by reading this teaching letter.

God Loves Israel

The Bible has often been described as God’s love letter to mankind. As I read the Bible, I see many instances of God’s great love for the descendants of Abraham,
his friend.

“Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in

you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9).

“He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).

“For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure”
(Psalm 135:4).

“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.

The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing”
(Zephaniah 3:16–17).

In Experiencing God, author Henry Blackaby says

that we should find out what God is doing and ask Him how He wants us involved. It is always surprising to me to find Christians who love God and read the Bible and yet don’t understand His commitment to Israel and ongoing interest in the Jewish people.

Our Jewish Savior

I wonder sometimes how many of us will actually be surprised when we meet Yeshua (Jesus) face to face. We all grow up with pictures of Yeshua on our walls or on the walls of our churches. Most of the artistic renderings picture someone who looks European. Yeshua probably didn’t look like that. He was a Jew, a Semite, and probably had a darker complexion, dark (maybe curly) hair, and dark eyes. The pictures also make Him look kind of weak. I don’t believe there was anythin

g weak about Him. He walked from place to place throughout the Land with His disciples. The terrain of Israel is not made for easy walking; it is often very hilly and rocky, with high and low elevations. The walk from the Galilee to Jerusalem was an arduous hike. Additionally, He was a carpenter. The Greek word tekton (ôeêôùí) translated carpenter in the Bible can also be translated builder or craftsman. Some believe it is possible that Yeshua worked in stone rather than wood, since that was much more common in the region. Either way, they were both trades which required strength and skill. I think it is likely that Yeshua was a muscular man—a real man’s man, nothing wimpy about Him!

Consider this, Yeshua is the only person in all of history who chose what family He would be born into, and He chose to be a Jew. Another fact that few of us stop to think about is that Yeshua was never identified as a Christian. He was born into a pious Jewish family, lived His life observing Torah (Gen.–Deut.), wore a prayer shawl, worshipped in synagogues and the Temple, and lived among Jewish people. He never entered a church.

My father Dr. David Allen Lewis (of blessed memory) used to ask Christians this question: “How can you say you love Jesus, a Jew, and hate the Jewish people?” I believe it is a valid question. When a person gets married, they not only are blessed with a spouse, they are blessed with new family members as well. Your husband’s parents will be your children’s grandparents!! No newlywed wife tells her husband, “Honey, I love you, but I just don’t care for your family. I don’t really want to be with them very often.” If she did, her husband would have to wonder if she really loved him. Loving your spouse means you learn to love those he loves. Surely if we love our Jewish Messiah (Christ), we will choose to be interested in His interests and to love those He loves, including His natural family, the Jewish people.

By Rebecca J. Brimmer

International President and CEO

Continuing Next Week with part 3 of 3: "God is Still at Work in Israel and God is Calling Us to Partner with Him "

Bibliography

Blackaby, Henry. Experiencing God. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1989.

Brimmer, Rebecca J. Israel and the Church: God’s Road Map. Jerusalem: Bridges for Peace, 2006.

Falk, Harvey. Jesus, the Pharisee, a New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus. Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock Publishers, 2003.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Carlsbad, CA: Magnus Press, 1998.

Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah: What Yeshua’s First Followers Thought about the Torah.
Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2001.

Lewis, David. Can Israel Survive in a Hostile World? Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Press,1994.

Twain, Mark. Innocents Abroad. 1869.

Wikopedia, online encyclopedia, www.wikopedia.org

Wilson, Marvin. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids,
MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1989.

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Pictures:

www.israelimages.com/Hanan Isachar

www.israelimages.com/Duby Tal/ Albatross

Many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay people have written and asked if they can use these notes for preaching and teaching. The answer is a resounding “yes”! It is our hope that the information contained herein will be disseminated over and over again, whether through the spoken word or by photocopying and redistributing these teachings. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

For the full version of this teaching letter please visit www.bridgesforpeace.com or click on the link provided above.