The Word of the Lord Shall Come Forth From Jerusalem - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

The Word of the Lord

Shall Come Forth From Jerusalem

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

(Isaiah 2:3 NASU)

The Word of the Lord shall again come forth from Jerusalem. The very place where the Lord God of Israel chose, of all the places on earth He could have chosen, is the land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael. His Word will again go forth in power and truth from that very location. In our day.

I like how The Message also states the verse above, as I have included more verses in order to get a fuller picture of what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed centuries ago. This very Word of the Lord is coming forth in our time, directly from the land of Israel.

“The message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem: “There's a day coming when the mountain of God's House will be The Mountain — solid, towering over all mountains. All nations will river toward it, people from all over set out for it. They'll say, "Come, let's climb God's Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He'll show us the way he works so we can live the way we're made."

Zion's the source of the revelation. God's Message comes from Jerusalem. He'll settle things fairly between nations. He'll make things right between many peoples. They'll turn their swords into shovels, their spears into hoes. No more will nation fight nation; they won't play war anymore. Come, family of Jacob, let's live in the light of God.” (Isaiah 2:1-5, THE MESSAGE)

I have become more attuned in recent years to those Jews whom the Lord has chosen, saved and now set in place, as teachers in the Body of Christ, the Body of Messiah. These are ones who even more so are prophetically and accurately speaking to the nations. From their lineage, history, culture and with a deeper, fuller understanding of the Scriptures, these ones get it, and are giving it. And now they are the ones chosen by the Lord to proclaim it to all the nations.

They are the Messianic Jews, or “believers” as some of them prefer to be simply called.

As I look back at the great Bible teachers in my lifetime, men such as Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson and several others, I have realized that these were (still) all Gentiles. The Holy Spirit had anointed them with the gift of teaching, and they did an excellent job, equipped with the understanding and knowledge having been given to them. They had brought us thus far.

But now, as the days of the Gentiles are waning, the years of the Jewish believers are coming on strong. It is as it has been prophesied.

As Yeshua (Jesus) Himself proclaimed and prophesied, “And they (the Jews) will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24 NKJV)

The time of that time is now.

In 1967 the nation of Israel, the Jews, once again took rightful control and ownership of all of Jerusalem, as they were the victors during the Six Day War over the millions of Arabs who had surrounded them. Not since 70 A.D, when the Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem, and in particular the Jewish Second Temple (which was standing on what is today the Temple Mount), did the Jews possess this sacred parcel of land - the very land which the Lord Himself had said He had put His name on it. Forever. For all eternity.

Scripture says, “…in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers — only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them." (2 Kings 21:7-8 NKJV)

The Jews were scattered throughout the earth as it been so prophesied. During the days of King David and King Solomon (Jewish kings), the Jewish prophets were speaking of return. And then, since the days of the Roman (Gentile) rule over this land, when the Romans drove them out, scattering the rightful inhabitants of the land, the Jews, to the wind, Gentile kingdoms ruled over the land. For these past 2000 years, Gentiles had “trampled” the land. 

But that has now come to an end. Again, as historically written, and proclaimed in Luke 21:24 by the Messiah Himself, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, these times of the Gentiles were coming to an end at some point in time. That time has now been fulfilled, since that historical triumph at the Kotel, the Western Wall, in 1967. It ended the Gentile rule.

It is now the appointed, prophesied time for the Jewish believers to take the lead, to be the ones taking charge. They shall be doing the proclaiming and teaching.

As I understand it prophetically now, Yeshua-believing Jews are now the primary ones we should be looking to, as they are being raised up to bring forth the Word of the Lord from His Land. Those Jewish teachers and prophets from the group of Messianics, the Jewish believers in Yeshua HaMashiach. They will have the most current word for the nations. They do even now.

I have found myself listening and learning more and more from Messianic Jewish Bible teachers and prophets in these past years, than from any other teachers of the Word. Men like Jonathan Cahn, Barry Segal, Joel Rosenberg, Peter Wyns, Michael Brown, Warren Marcus, Sid Roth, Ron Cantor, Sam Nadler, Chuck Cohen, Scott Volk, Jonathan Bernis, Aviel Schneider, Richard and Carolyn Hyde and many more.

Though not all of these fore mentioned men of the Lord are currently living in Israel (not yet), they are Jews, believers in Yeshua, who are expounding on the full Word of the Lord, from Genesis to Revelation. Their understanding of the Jewish prophets, from Moses through Micah, is beyond any of that which Gentile teachers have understood thus far. They have been given the fuller package.

Ruach HaKodesh (Hebrew), the Holy Spirit, has once again chosen the Jews to bring forth the Lord’s word from Zion, and specifically from the Jewish city of Jerusalem.

I encourage you to watch them on TV, get their emails, read their websites, and subscribe to their YouTube messages. You will be blessed if you also pray for them, and give financial support (out of your wallet, checkbook or credit card!) for their ministries. My good wife Laurie and I certainly do, and have been for over a decade.

Since the first days of the church, beginning in Acts with Peter, James, John, Paul - or should we call them by their Hebrew/Jewish names (Peter was Shimon, James was Yakov, John was Yocahanan, Bartholomew was Bar-Talmai, and Paul was Saul) – Jewish believers have once again been gifted with His word, to be proclaimed in the nations now.

The Jewish prophets proclaimed this would happen. Our Savior Yeshua affirmed it. We are living in the times of the end when it is happening now. What a blessed people we are – the One New Man of Jews and Gentile believers!

I encourage you to listen and learn from them. I believe they have been given the NOW word, for these days and times the world has entered.

The marathon baton has been given back to our Messianic Jewish brothers, for this final sprint, to take the lead in telling the world of the good news of Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

A gift from Derek & Ruth Prince - 1987
 - as a Derek Prince Ministries staff member in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
It hangs in our living room.

We sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.

In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We love Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This - In the year of our Lord 12.19.15 - #221 –“Word of the Lord From Jerusalem” – Saturday at 7:30 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Check it out. Paperback $5.99  Kindle $1.99

Click here: Why Israel? by Steve Martin

Jews vs. Christians: An Us vs. Them Mentality? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Jews vs. Christians is the wrong mentality. (iStock photo )

Jews vs. Christians: An Us vs. Them Mentality?

12/4/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma news

To the Jewish person who is only aware of the issues of history (touched on in my last article), but not of what Yeshua taught, there remains no other conclusion: Christianity is anti-Semitic.

Therefore, when Jewish people are shown the prophecies in Scripture regarding Messiah (Is. 7:14, Is. 53; Mic. 5:2; and more), they cannot imagine that these would refer to Yeshua. After all, they reason, how could Jewish Scripture point to a Jewish Messiah who is the leader of an anti-Jewish religion?

Exception or Rule?

Throughout history there have been many individual Christians who have loved the Jewish people, such as Corrie ten Boom, who sacrificially rescued Jewish people in her home during the Holocaust. Today, many Christians would point to her as a representation of their concern for Jewish people. Unfortunately, however, to the Jewish people, believers such as Corrie appear as the exception, rather than the rule.

The Kiss of Death

Some well-meaning Christian leaders have responded to Christendom's persecution of the Jewish people by affirming: "Let's not offend our Jewish friends any further by preaching the gospel to them." This unbiblical stance perpetuates the false belief that 'Jewish people don't need Jesus,' effectively cutting them off from their only hope for eternal life (John 14:6).

A Hardened Heart

Still other Gentile believers disregard history, the scriptural instruction to "Speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15) and common sense. Rather, they attempt to justify a continued insensitivity to Jewish people. How do they do this? Instead of preaching that salvation is received when one turns from sin to God, a "cultural gospel" is proclaimed for one to turn from his Jewishness, and be converted to "Christianity."

History has handed down to Jews and Christians an "us vs. them" mentality. Thus, Jewish people are often made to feel that being Jewish is a sin, and that once they believe in Yeshua, they should turn their back on their Jewish heritage (forget Passover, Hanukkah and so on). This is confusing and presents a false view of the issues of sin and forgiveness. Scripture is clear that being Jewish is no sin, lest Yeshua be the chief sinner, for He is the King of the Jews.

God's Solution: Living the Truth in Love

If, because of history, Jewish people cannot "see" Yeshua in the Scriptures, and if it is unscriptural to be insensitive to Jewish people in our witness, what then are we as believers to do? Our Jewish friends need to see us as Yeshua's representatives. Our committed love and concern for Jewish people, and all people, is needed in order to overcome the historical horrors that have been said and done "in Jesus' Name." Let us not allow the sad history of the past 19 centuries to be the only witness that our Jewish friends have. Rather, let us become "living epistles" (2 Cor. 3:2-3), demonstrating God's love for Israel. We can help Jewish people look at the Scriptures with "new eyes" and favorably consider Yeshua as Lord and Messiah.  

Satan has done all he can to ruin our Lord's testimony to Israel. Although he has deceived even church leaders regarding God's program for Israel, still the Bible says, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). True believers in Yeshua can, with their testimony, gain victory in the Lord!

I know personally that this victory is real, for years ago, non-Jewish believers simply and sincerely shared Jesus with me. I mocked them at first, because of course I "knew" from history what Christianity is all about. Still, a spiritual seed was planted in my heart, and soon after, I came to believe the truth about Yeshua and was wonderfully saved.

Here are three lessons for our lives from these issues we've looked at through these articles:

Part 1) The Word of God: Scripture is the sole authority for faith and practice.

Part 2) The work of God: The sacrifice of Messiah is the sole necessity for our redemption by faith.

Part 3) The witness of God: Love is the sole testimony for all people, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

You, too, can make a difference. God has strategically placed you in the lives of your Jewish friends to demonstrate the love of God, so that my people chosen by the Lord will never again say, "Anyone but Him." Instead, may they say with confidence and joy, "No one but Him!"

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic Congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: wordofmessiah.org. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

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What Keeps Jewish People From Seeing Yeshua as the Messiah? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

This significant period of time had a huge impact on religious world history.

What Keeps Jewish People From Seeing Yeshua as the Messiah?

11/13/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma NEWS

Atoning sacrifice is one of the most basic tenets of biblical Judaism. Today, however, Jewish people by and large have disavowed it.

How did this happen? In my last article, I discussed how misguided reverence for the Oral Law was developed and taught by the rabbinic leadership between 516 B.C.-A.D. 70. This view of Scripture interpreted through Oral Law ultimately contributed to Jewish rejection of Yeshua as Messiah.

Now we consider the next period of Jewish history, A.D. 70–135—from the fall of Jerusalem to the "Gentilization" of the church. What happened during this time inhibits my people even today from seeing Yeshua as their atoning sacrifice.

Temple Sacrifices

The faith of the Jewish people through their history was based on the sacrificial system centered in the tabernacle and later in the temple. One could only approach God by first offering a sacrifice. With that in mind, how could Jewish people today consider sacrificial atonement irrelevant to Judaism?  

With the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, the Jewish religious leaders faced an enormous problem: how were they to maintain a people of faith without the prescribed sacrifices at the altar and the temple? Incredibly, the way the religious leaders reinterpreted the meaning of sacrifices 2,000 years ago affects Jewish thought and theology to this day.

Symbolic Sacrifices

Even before the temple was destroyed, sacrifices were seen as symbolic. Philo (20 B.C.–A.D. 40), a Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, Egypt, taught that Temple offerings were mainly symbolic in nature, and wrote that "the offering of domesticated animals [sheep, goats, bullocks] and gentle birds symbolized the submissive offerer." Since these non-aggressive creatures were viewed as the 'persecuted' in the animal world, the rabbis went on to interpret that the offering spoke of the idea that "the one pursued is accepted by God..." (Leviticus Rabbah 27:5).

Secondary Sacrifices

Prayer

Since repentance or contrition has always been necessary along with a sacrifice (Lev. 23:27), the removal of the sacrifice merely enhanced repentance as the essential element for atonement. "Prayer," therefore, was considered even "more efficacious than sacrifices" (Talmud Ber. 32b).  The rabbis and writers of the Talmud made much of certain Scriptures such as Psalm 51:17-"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit."  

Religious Rites

Along with prayer, other religious practices such as fasting came to be seen as equivalent substitutes for sacrifices. Even studying the verses of Scripture on sacrifice was regarded by the rabbis as one having offered the sacrifice: "whoever occupies himself with the study of Torah needs neither burnt offering, nor meal offering, nor sin offering nor guilt offering" (Talmud Men. 110a). The reciting of the Shema ("Hear O Israel..." Deut. 6:4) and the wearing of phylacteries were seen "as if he had built an altar and offered a sacrifice upon it" (Tal. Ber. 15a).

Archaic Sacrifice

Maimonides (famous 12th century rabbi, Moses ben Maimon) went so far as to declare that sacrifice was archaic religion from which God had weaned Israel. Thus modern Jewish writers such as Trude Weiss-Rosmarin, look upon faith in Yeshua and the doctrine of vicarious atonement as unreasonable: "The idea of 'vicarious atonement,' that is to say, the payment of the penalty not by the sinner but by a substitute, is irreconcilable with Jewish ethics" (Judaism & Christianity: The Differences, p. 52). What these scholars and rabbis have overlooked is that in the Scriptures, the Lord gave these truths regarding repentance and contrition in light of the need for blood sacrifice, and never apart from the offerings. God still considers sacrificial, substitutionary atonement to be of utmost importance, even when it isn't convenient. 

Scriptural Sacrifice

Why is God such a stickler about sacrifices? Because the Word of God and God's priorities cannot be overlooked. God has told us how He wants to be approached. It is not up to man to determine these things. For instance, if someone broke your $400 window, but offered you only $25 to replace it, that would be sheer arrogance on their part.

Rather than offering you what they thought the window was worth, it would be up to you to determine its value. The doctrine of atonement (see Isaiah 53) has been lost to my people. Thus in the eyes of many Jewish people, they see believers as making too much of sin, and Yeshua's death seems to be an unnecessary sacrifice. Yet even a perusal of Scripture informs us that no one approaches God without a sacrifice: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement" (Lev. 17:11).

As it is Written

Surprisingly, even Yeshua's disciples had a hard time understanding the need for Messiah's atoning death and the promise of His resurrection, so He taught them: "These are My Words ... that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day ..." (Luke 24:44-46). As Yeshua taught His disciples then, the Jewish people need to be taught today: it is Scripture's teaching that matters, not the traditions of men. Please pray that my people will come to understand not only the condemnation for sin, but their need for atonement, and that God allowed the temple to be destroyed because the ultimate and final atoning sacrifice has been made in Messiah's death.

In the last article of this series next week, we'll discuss one final era of Jewish history, the persecution of the Jewish people (A.D. 135 to the present day), and its continuing implications for Jewish unbelief in Yeshua today.

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic Congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country, and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship, and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: www.wordofmessiah.org. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

How Can a Jew Believe in Jesus and Still Be Jewish? - Sam Nadler

Why do some hold to the belief that a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua is no longer a Jew?

How Can a Jew Believe in Jesus and Still Be Jewish?

10/29/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma news

It all depends on who Jesus (Yeshua) is.

The New Covenant presents Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah (John 1:41, 45, 49, etc.). If He's not the Jewish Messiah, then no one should believe in Him, because His credentials as Savior of the World are based on His credentials as the Messiah of Israel.

If He is the true Messiah, then it is kosher that I as a Jewish person believe in Him. And, I would be a Jew in good standing with God, even if no one else agreed.

For argument's sake, suppose that Yeshua is a false Messiah. In the eyes of rabbinical authority, I must still be seen as a Jew. Why? Because, believing in a false messiah does not make any Jew a non-Jew. For example, in 132 c.e., Simon Bar Kochba was as a leader during the Jewish revolt against Rome. Rabbi Akiva (a very famous rabbi) declared Bar Kochba to be the Messiah, although at the time Bar Kochba had none of the accepted credentials.

However, no Jewish authority has ever said, "Akiva is no longer Jewish for believing in a false messiah." If, after endorsing a false messiah, Akiva is still considered to be a Jew in good standing, then one who believes Yeshua is Messiah cannot be considered otherwise.

In a synagogue on Long Island, New York, I once gave a presentation of why I believed Yeshua is the Messiah. Afterward, the senior rabbi stood up and declared, "Nadler, you're no longer a Jew because of your belief in Jesus!"

"Rabbi," I responded, "If the Bostoner Rebbe says I'm still a Jew, though a wayward Jew, and if the Encyclopedia Judaica declares I'm still a Jew, though a wayward one, then on what basis can you say I'm no longer a Jew?" "Well," the rabbi said, "perhaps I'm wrong." "Rabbi," I quietly responded, "maybe you're wrong about more than just that?"

To my astonishment, the synagogue audience of over a hundred Jewish people erupted into applause. It was apparent to all who would consider the issues objectively that a Jew who believes in Yeshua is still a Jew, whether the rabbi approves or not.

In the Book of John, the early believers in Yeshua described him as "the Messiah;" "the One spoken of in Moses and the Prophets;" "the King of Israel," and so on. They consistently saw Yeshua in a Jewish frame of reference, as the centerpiece of Jewish history.

Please notice also how these believers understood themselves. In both Acts 21:39 and 22:3 in the New Covenant, Paul declares first to the Romans, then again to his own Jewish people, "I am a Jew from Tarsus." At this time, Paul had been a believer in Yeshua for well over 20 years.

So, it isn't that he's confused or that he's trying to say one thing to the Romans, and something else to the Jews. Paul doesn't say that he "was a Jew," or "an ex-Jew from Tarsus," or a "former Jew," etc.—Paul considered himself a present-tense Jew.

In Romans 11:1, Paul reiterates his Jewish identity when he raises the rhetorical question, "Has God forsaken His people (Israel)?" He then answers, "Not at all! For I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." His first "proof" that God has not forsaken Israel is himself. God chose a "Hebrew of Hebrews" (Phil. 3:5) so that the Gentile world would never think that God would forsake "a people whom He foreknew."

Today it's the same story. Every Jewish believer living his or her present-tense Jewish identity testifies, "Am Yisrael Chai b'Yeshua HaMashiach!"—The people of Israel live in Yeshua the Messiah! For if the Lord would break His promises to Israel, why should anyone else think Him trustworthy regarding the Good News of Yeshua?

A few years back, I was invited to speak on a secular radio call-in show in Miami, Florida. I received a number of "you're-no-longer-a-Jew" calls from Jewish listeners. Then a call came in from a more polite gentleman: "Mr. Nadler, now that you're a believer in Jesus you're no longer a Jew, for the Bible says that 'in Messiah there's neither Jew nor Greek.'"

I recognized the Scripture portion and responded over the air, "Oh, you mean Galatians 3:28, 'there's neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; for we are all one in Messiah Jesus'."

"Exactly," the caller replied. 

"Then let me ask you a question. Are you a believer?" 

"Yes, I am," he answered.

"Great. Are you married?" I asked. "Well, yes, I'm married," he slowly answered. "Is your wife a believer?" "Yes, she's a believer," he responded after a longer pause.

"Well," I said, pausing to catch my breath. "If you're a believer and still a male, and your wife is a believer and still a female, then I'm a believer and still a Jew. The verse in Galatians is not teaching that we lose our identities in Messiah, but that there's only one way to God for all people."

An extremely long pause, then "You mean... I'm still Jewish?"

"If you were born a Jew," I responded, "then you're still a Jew."

"Hallelujah!" he shouted over the airwaves, "They told me I was no longer Jewish."

Yes, it has been said that one cannot believe in Jesus and still be Jewish. However, if, as the Bible teaches, Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah, then trusting in Him is the most Jewish decision a person could ever make.

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years.  Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic Congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the Body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country, and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship, and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit www.wordofmessiah.org. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Israel: Storm Clouds Are Gathering - Sam Nadler

Israel: Storm Clouds Are Gathering

9/24/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma news

Photo above: Storm clouds are brewing over Israel, but God has Israel's back. (Wikimedia Commons )

Few prophetic portions of Scripture fail to mention Israel. We see in God's Word that the existence of this relatively tiny country is essential for the furthering of God's plan in this world for when Israel as a nation confesses Yeshua as Lord, He has promised that He will return (see Matt. 23:39).

The enemy knows this and has plans to launch an all-out attack on Israel in an attempt to prevent this from happening. Yet God knows Satan's plans, and has told us through His prophets how it will all end. God places yet unfulfilled prophecy in Scripture not to make us speculative about the future, but to assure us the future is under His control so that we would live confidently for Him now. 

Allow me to share a prophetic passage from the Book of Jeremiah to illustrate:

"At that time, declares the Lord, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people. Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness, when I went to give Israel rest. The Lord has appeared to him from afar, saying: Indeed, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (Jeremiah 31:1-3).

The time that God is referring to here is revealed in the previous verse, Jeremiah 30:24. This is speaking of a future time when His anger and wrath will be poured out. Yeshua speaks of this time as well in Matthew 24:31. The Babylonian captivity which took place in Jeremiah's lifetime was foreshadowing a future tribulation period, called "the time of Jacob's distress" (Jer. 30:7). The Hebrew word for "distress" is tsara, which can mean "trouble" or "tribulation" (The Yiddish word, tsuris, comes from this Hebrew word). 

We see in Scripture that this horrific period of time, to take place in the "last days" (Jer. 30:24), will have 3 purposes:

• To prove that Satan is a liar—he can't protect his own from the wrath of God (2 Thess. 2:3-12; Zech. 3:1-3).
• To punish the nations for their sins, especially the sin of anti-Semitism (Is. 29:7-8; Zech. 14:16; Matt. 25:40,45).
• To prepare Israel for the returning King Messiah and His Messianic kingdom (Deut. 4:30; Hos. 3:5; Zech. 12:10). 

This period of time will be so awful that God has to assure us that Israel "will be saved out of it" (Jer.30:7). 

Today, storm clouds are gathering as nations are plotting against Israel. Iran has promised that when they get the bomb, they will use it to destroy Israel. Though these threats may seem to be far removed from us, believers who aren't Jewish should not assume they will not be affected, for these nations have also promised that once they get rid of the Saturday people, they will take on the Sunday people. 

All followers of Yeshua need to be involved in fighting the good fight in these last days, for it says in Zechariah 14:1-2 that ''all nations will come against Israel." "All nations" means all nations; I believe that this will include the United States as well. This is why we must be praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

It's not that Israel needs the support of the U.S., but that the U.S. must support Israel in order to be on the same page with God. For God says in Genesis 12:3 that He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse her. We must pray for our government to repent and realize that it is in the U.S.'s best interest to support Israel.

The future is indeed under God's control. But how would He have us to live confidently for Him now? 

This section of Scripture in Jeremiah is meant to prepare believers to be a witness and instrument of grace to Jewish people, planting the seeds that will one day bring forth 144,000 zealous Messianic Jewish believers (Rev. 14:1). 

Jeremiah 31:1 is the only place in the Hebrew Scriptures that prophesies a national restoration of Israel, that "all the families of Israel" will be restored. Perhaps Paul was thinking of this verse when he wrote in Romans 11:26 that, "all Israel will be saved."

Here in the Hebrew Scriptures, God assures Israel that despite the horrors of that period of time, He will do His greatest work for them. The future problems to be faced will not be the last word on the people of God, for God's Word is always the final word and in His Word we have hope not only for Israel, but also for ourselves, that is if our lives are founded upon that same Rock (Matt. 7:24-25). The hope of Israel is the only sure hope for all people. 

This national restoration of Israel is still in the future tense, but today God has set apart a "remnant according to His gracious choice" (Rom. 11:5). God has many Jewish people today who are ready to hear and respond to the Good News, and He has sent us to tell them! 

For Israel and for each person individually, there is only one way of salvation: by His grace (Jer. 31:2). I've been at meetings where over 70 Jewish people have come to faith at once, yet each one had to accept Yeshua by grace through faith as they responded to God's love for them in Messiah. What God does in Messiah for each of us, He will also do for the nation of Israel when they trust in Yeshua and make the confession of Isaiah 53 as a nation. 

God's everlasting love which "draws us" (Jer. 31:3) is completely beyond our experience as it is based on His righteous character. He loves each of us knowing who we are and never, ever gives up on any one of us! This is why we must never give up on Jewish people—because God never will. He has called His body to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6), and bring the Good News "to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." (Rom. 1:16).

Today we can move forward in this great calling, confident in a God who holds the future as well as the lives of each of His children! 

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country, and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship, and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: www.wordofmessiah.org. 

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For All, Here is God's Redemptive Plan in the Feasts of Israel  

8/27/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma news

Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles should be celebrated by Jews and Gentiles alike.

In preparation for the fall feasts of Israel, let's take a step back and look at the feasts as a whole. Are they merely fascinating historical occurrences, or do they hold deeper relevance for believers in Yeshua (Jesus) today, whether you're Jewish or Gentile? 

Throughout the ages, God has sought after the people of Israel, in order to bless them and to make them a blessing to many peoples (Gen. 12:2-3). He also gave Israel a sacred trust—to bear His Name and to be the nation from which His redemptive plan for the world would go forth (John 4:22). This plan is illustrated in the feasts He ordained. 

These annual feasts are called "moedim" in Hebrew, meaning, "appointments." In a sense, these "appointed times of the Lord" (Lev. 23:4) constitute God's agenda with His redeemed people. Ultimately, they provide a Biblical and historical foundation for faith in Yeshua. 

Messiah Yeshua was to be the fulfillment of the feasts; indeed, He is the purpose for their existence. "These (Feasts, Sabbath day ...) are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Messiah" (Col. 2:17). Even as all Scripture is inspired and profitable, these "shadows" are relevant for followers of Messiah today because they never stop pointing to Him! (2 Tim. 3:16).

So, what are these feasts and how do they outline God's redemptive program? God's seven annual appointed times are laid out in Leviticus 23. The first three feasts—Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits—are celebrated in the springtime.  These feasts illustrate the redemption accomplished in Yeshua's first coming, when He became the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," (John 1:29) and through His resurrection, our "Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20).

The fourth feast, Pentecost (or "Feast of Weeks"), speaks of the establishment of the Body of Messiah when the Holy Spirit was poured out at this feast's fulfillment (Acts 2:1).  

The final three feasts come in the fall, during the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. As the biblically significant number seven indicates, the fall feasts point to a time of completion and paint a prophetic picture of the coming fulfillment of God's redemptive program. 

The Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25) is commonly called Rosh HaShanah or the Jewish New Year. When the Jewish people came out of Babylonian captivity, they adopted the Babylonian civil New Year as their own.

Even though it falls on the first day of the seventh month, it is called New Year's Day. Because there is very little biblical information on this mysterious feast, Jewish tradition teaches that the blowing of trumpets, or shofars, during this feast recalls the ram's horns Joshua and the Israelites used at Jericho, and of the ram that Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac.

Scripture notes a time when Israel is gathered back to the land by the "blowing of a great ram's horn" (Is. 27:13), and in the New Covenant, Paul explains this mystery as a time when all believers will be gathered to Messiah (1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1 Thess. 4:16-18). And because none of us know the exact time of this future "blowing of the trumpet," the Feast of Trumpets should motivate us to readiness and service. 

The next fall feast is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). In Jewish tradition, this day is for Jewish individuals to "get right" with God. Biblically, it was a day for Israel to be restored to God as a servant nation (Lev 16, 23:26-32). Prophetically, it points to the time when Israel as a nation will be gathered to Messiah Yeshua.

At the end of the coming tribulation period, Israel as a nation will "look on Me (Messiah) whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as one mourns for a firstborn son" (Zech. 12:10). In that day, Israel will receive "cleansing from sin and impurity" (Zech 13:1), be grafted back into "their own olive tree," and "thus all Israel will be saved!" (Rom. 11:23-26). The Day of Atonement reminds us that this national gathering of Israel is coming, motivating us to share the Good News of Messiah "to the Jew first and also to the Gentile" (Rom. 1:16). 

Finally comes the Feast of Tabernacles (or the "Feast of Booths"). This harvest festival is called "Booths" because God commanded Israel to live in booths each year during this feast, to remember the time in the wilderness and how the Lord alone is our protection and security. This feast is also called the "Feast of Ingathering" (Ex. 23:16).

Today it is celebrated as a final harvest festival, accompanied by great joy in the provision of God for His people. Zechariah prophesied that the nations will one day be "ingathered" to Messiah. One day all surviving nations which had once attacked Israel will honor the King of Kings, the Messiah of Israel, by celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem each year (Zech. 14:16-18).

We see the seventh month as pointing to the time when God will complete His redemptive plan, by gathering the Body of Messiah (the Feast of Trumpets), gathering the nation of Israel (the Day of Atonement), and gathering all nations (the Feast of Tabernacles) to Himself. 

I hope that this article has given you a clearer picture of the amazing, incomprehensible love of God as you consider His redemptive plan in the context of His appointed times. 

The Feasts of Israel are special times for all who trust in the One that they speak of, as we remember the great salvation He has provided for us, anticipate His glorious coming, and use them to share His great love and plan with Jewish and non-Jewish people who don't yet know Him!

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic Congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To equip the Body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship, and the Feasts of Israel. Sam mentors Messianic leaders around the world, and regularly holds leadership conferences to train and encourage congregation planters in their vital ministry. For more information and resources, visit: www.wordofmessiah.org. 

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