Showing posts with label Sam Nadler. Show all posts

Friday, September 2, 2016

Why the Hebrew Celebration of Rosh Chodesh Is Important for Believers - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Why the Hebrew Celebration of Rosh Chodesh Is Important for Believers

Why the Hebrew Celebration of Rosh Chodesh Is Important for Believers

9/2/2016 SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Though many are familiar with the weekly Sabbath and the yearly festivals God gave to Israel, there is another appointed time which is not as well-known.

Rosh Chodesh (literally "Head of the Month") is observed each month at the new moon, marking the beginning of a new month on the Hebrew calendar. Saturday, September 3 marks a Rosh Chodesh heralding the beginning of the month of Elul, traditionally a month of spiritual preparation leading up to the three fall feasts of Israel: the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

We see in Paul's writings that the early believers were familiar with Rosh Chodesh, just as they were with all of God's appointed times: "Therefore let no one judge you regarding food, or drink, or in respect of a holy day or new moon or sabbath days"(Col. 2:16).

Before the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., each of these times were marked by the sacrifices which the priests brought before the Lord. Though sacrifices were made daily and weekly on the Sabbath, God commanded special sacrifices to be made monthly as well:

"At the beginnings of your months you will offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; three-tenths of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for one bull; and two-tenths of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for one ram; and one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for one lamb; as a burnt offering of a pleasing aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord. Their drink offerings will be one-half a hin of wine for a bull, and one-third of a hin for a ram and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. Also one male goat as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering" (Num. 28:11-15).

The primary sacrifice made at Rosh Chodesh was the burnt offering of two bulls, one ram and seven male lambs, along with their grain and drink offerings. These burnt offerings (olah in Hebrew) symbolized the total devotion of the people to the Lord. However, these were not the only offerings to be made. There was also the sin offering: one male goat. In Scripture, the goat (aiz in Hebrew) symbolizes strength and willfulness.

Through the burnt offerings, the month is totally dedicated to the Lord; dedication, however, is an act of the will, and in this we all have the propensity to become willful, stubborn and resistant to God, the very one we are dedicated to (Deut. 9:6; Neh. 9:16; Zech 7:11; Rom. 2:5; Heb. 10:26; and others). Both then and now, this rebellious nature of humanity necessitates an offering for sin as well.

As we see in the chart below, Messiah's sacrifice has fulfilled the requirements for each of these offerings before God. He has become our burnt offering who "gave Himself up for us" (Eph. 5:2), as well as our sin offering:

The Offering	The Leviticus portion	The Significance	The Fulfillment
1) Burnt (Olah)	Lev. 1; 6:8-13	Total Devotion	Eph. 5:2
2) Grain (Minchah)	Lev. 2; 6:14-24	Consistent service	John 6:33, 35
3) Peace (Shalom)	Lev. 3; 7:11-34	United fellowship	1 Cor. 10:16; 11:25; Eph. 2:13-16; Col. 1:20-22; Heb. 13:15, 20; Rev. 3:20
4) Sin (Chatat)	Lev. 4; 5:1-13	Mortifying our nature	2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:25; 8:3; Heb. 9:26; 10:5-18; 13:12
5) Guilt (Asham)	Lev. 5:14- 6: 7; 7:1-10	Compensation paid	Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 11:27; 2 Cor. 5:19; Is. 53:10

Messiah Our Offering: The Spiritual Significance of the 5 Major Biblical Offerings

"God made Him who knew no sin to be sin (offering) for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

In Messiah's atonement, we no longer have the need to sacrifice animals before God. However, like the early believers, God's appointed times can continue to mark our days, weeks, months and years as we remember the perfect sacrifice of our Messiah.

So, each month Rosh Chodesh is a time of renewal of our volitional dedication to the Lord. It also reminds us of our need of Messiah's sin offering for us as we recognize our dependence not on our own dedication but on His sacrifice in our service to God.

Messiah fulfilled every sacrifice for us and, so on Rosh Chodesh, we appreciate again what He has done in each facet of His death for our sins.

Rosh Chodesh Sameach! (Happy New Moon)

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus who has been in Messianic 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, to subscribe to Sam's new podcast, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: www.wordofmessiah.org.

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Misconception Some Jews Cling to When They Accept Yeshua as Messiah - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

A Jew is still a Jew when he or she accepts Yeshua as the Messiah. (YouTube )

The Misconception Some Jews Cling to When They Accept Yeshua as Messiah

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, "God forbid! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant 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.

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Friday, August 19, 2016

The Crucial Tenet That Inhibits Jews From Seeing Yeshua as the Messiah - 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 a previous 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 (Is. 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.

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.

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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Are Gentiles Still Gentiles or 'Spiritual Jews' After Coming to the Faith? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

A Messianic Jewish congregation celebration

Are Gentiles Still Gentiles or 'Spiritual Jews' After Coming to the Faith?

6/30/2016 SAM NADLER charisma news

In a previous article on this page titled, "Messianic Believers: No Separation from Jewish Roots," I wrote about what it means to be a Messianic Jewish believer in Yeshua. Now, we'll look at the other side of the ledger.

If you were not born Jewish and you believe in Yeshua, you are a "Messianic Gentile." Mazel Tov (congratulations), and welcome to the family! That being said, just as there are misconceptions about Jewish believers, there are also some mistaken beliefs about Gentile believers in Messiah that need to be clarified.

First, what is a "Gentile?" The word Gentile simply means "one of the nations," and is derived from the Latin gens meaning "nation."

This is a direct parallel to the Hebrew word for nation, goy (plural, "goyim"). Unfortunately, just as anti-Semites use the word Jew in a negative manner, the word Gentile or goy is often mistakenly thought of as a synonym for "pagan or "anti-Semite." Also, many Jewish people see the word Gentile as being synonymous with "Christian."

Before Yeshua came and was proclaimed among the nations, the customary way for Gentiles to get right with God was to become a proselyte, or convert, to Judaism. All non-Jews at that time were considered pagans since they were not permitted into the Temple to make the appropriate sacrifices for their sins. Therefore in Matthew's account Yeshua said,

"But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking" (Matthew 6:7).

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matt. 18:17).

At the time of His earthly ministry, Yeshua's disciples were all Jews, and as such, they believed that the religion of truth was the Jewish religion. Gentiles, by definition, were not part of "the people of God," and were considered outside of the Jewish faith (Eph. 2:11-12). Today however, because of the apostasy of traditional Judaism, it is more accurate to call our Messianic faith "biblical faith" rather than the "Jewish faith."

Though conversion to Judaism was at one time the only way for Gentiles to be accepted into the biblical faith, during His ministry Yeshua "hinted" at the inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God (John 10:16), but even here gives only a hint. For Yeshua at that time to clearly mention Gentiles as co-heirs with Jews would have been distracting to His disciples. Since many people identified Gentiles with paganism, this truth regarding Gentiles being accepted as co-heirs with Jewish believers in Yeshua awaited further and future revelation.

A common question brought up in regards to this matter is, "Are Gentiles still Gentiles after coming to faith in Messiah Yeshua, or do they become 'spiritual Jews?'"

When Paul was writing to the congregation in Rome, he addressed the non-Jewish believers there by saying,"But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13). Just as Paul referred to himself in Acts 22:3 and in Romans 11:1 in the present tense as a "Jew" and as an "Israelite", so he now refers to the non-Jewish believers in the present tense as "Gentiles." In other words, though they are saved and are brethren in the faith (Rom. 1:13; 11:25), they are still Gentiles—that is, non-Jews, and that is okay!

In Messiah, Gentiles are truly co-heirs with Jewish believers, but this does not mean that either group loses their personal identity. Read Galatians 3:28 carefully: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, and there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Faith in Yeshua does not change a person's cultural, national or ethnic identity any more than faith would change their gender or the color of their skin. As surely as Jews remain Jews when they come to faith in Yeshua (Acts 22:3), so also do Gentiles remain Gentiles after coming to faith in Yeshua.

This is good news, and in it we see that God loves diversity. Of course He does; He created it, and has redeemed it! Our unity is not experienced through uniformity, and our diversity does not necessarily bring division. The reality of our unity is based upon the truth of who Yeshua is and what He has actually done for all who believe in Him. This reality of our unity in Yeshua is experienced as we live out our faith in Him and love one another. Our unity amidst diversity brings greater glory to God as His life is manifested trans-culturally and trans-ethnically (Rev. 5:9).

This unique unity demonstrates grace and love through Yeshua as the spiritual way and witness of peace and harmony in the world:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35).

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus who has been in Messianic 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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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Messianic Believers: No Separation From Jewish Roots - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Messianic believers should not be separated from their Jewish roots.

Messianic Believers: No Separation From Jewish Roots

Though the words "Messiah" and "Christ," as well as the adjectives "Messianic" and "Christian," are technically equivalent, they have acquired additional cultural connotations over the years. Unfortunately, they are often misunderstood.

Many people do not realize that the word Messiah has the same meaning as the word Christ. The Hebrew word Mashiach, which means "Anointed One," is transliterated into English as Messiah. When Mashiach is translated into Greek, the word is Christos, which is then transliterated into English as Christ.

To many, Christ is the central person of the Christian faith, but Messiah is the hope of the Jewish people. The same applies to the label "Christian." Generally, to Jewish people, the word Christian means non-Jew. Therefore, when a Jewish person becomes a believer in Yeshua, calling him or her a Christian indicates to the Jewish community that this person has deserted the Jewish people and "joined the Gentiles."

In order to prevent any misunderstanding of our faith by the Jewish community, we (Jewish believers) and those in fellowship with us have come to use the term "Messianic believer" to describe ourselves. Jewish believers are still Jewish, because Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah as well as Savior of the world.

When a Jewish person comes to faith in Yeshua and retains his or her Jewish identity, this serves as a strong testimony to the unbelieving Jewish community. For if Yeshua is the true Jewish Messiah, then a Jewish person who places faith in Him has made the most Jewish act of faith that he or she could ever make!

Why do I focus on Yeshua being the Jewish Messiah? Because the Word of God does. From the very first words of Matthew's account, the New Covenant declares Yeshua to be the Jewish Messiah: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matt. 1:1).

As the Good News according to Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, the Good News according to John was written for a Gentile audience. However, even when John (Yochanan in Hebrew) wrote to Gentiles, he presented Yeshua for who He is: the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. Notice the terms John uses in John 1:29-49 (ESV, emphasis added):

"'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!... They [the disciples] said to him, `Rabbi...We have found the Messiah... We have found him about whomMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Yeshua from Nazareth... Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'"

When John wrote to the Gentile world about the essential need for faith in Yeshua, he dared not separate Messiah from His biblical and Jewish roots. Though his Gospel account would declare Yeshua to be the Savior of the world (John 4:42), Yeshua's credentials for being the world's Savior rely upon His being Israel's true Messiah.

If Yeshua is not the rightful Jewish Messiah, He has no authority to be anyone's savior, let alone the savior of the world. To separate Him from His Jewish roots is to separate Messiah from His legitimate, eternal authority and ministry.

It is true that at this present time, the majority of believers in Yeshua are non-Jews. However, this does not change the fact that Yeshua is still the true Jewish Messiah and that faith in Him does not and cannot make Jews into Gentiles.

Consider this illustration from my book, Messianic Discipleship, which expounds on the misunderstandings many have about Jewish believers in Messiah:

There was once a Jewish restaurant (the Bible), which served excellent food (Yeshua, the "bread of life" [John 6:35]). Though this restaurant was Jewish, it was located in a mostly Gentile neighborhood (the world). Now, if this restaurant served such great food that many Gentiles became patrons, would it make the food non-Jewish? Of course not! Jews could still eat there and enjoy the "home cooking."

If those same Gentile patrons enjoyed the food so much that they took some home in their own non-Jewish containers (so that everyone mistakenly thought that the food had come from a non-Jewish restaurant), this still wouldn't change the fact that the food and the restaurant were Jewish. It would be ridiculous to think that Jews who ate in the restaurant would stop being Jewish simply because they ate with Gentiles.

The irony of these questions is this: Quite a while ago, some of the Jewish patrons of the restaurant thought that the Gentile patrons had to become Jewish in order to eat there! This matter turned into a real controversy for the Jewish restaurant. It escalated to the point that all the original Jewish patrons ended up coming together to discuss the issue. At this meeting, it was finally decided that "Gentiles that eat Jewish food don't become Jewish, they simply become fulfilled Gentiles!" (To read of the actual controversy and decision, see Acts 15.)

Shimon, an Israeli believer, met with me shortly after he had come to faith in Messiah Yeshua. He was curious about this "Jewish identity" issue. Since he only wanted to glorify Jesus and not put any trust in the flesh, this Jewish issue seemed to him to be no more than fleshly pride. However, after studying the Scriptures together, he realized that it was no more prideful to be identified as a Jewish believer than to be seen as a male believer; these are simply the facts of the matter.

In fact, according to Scripture, to identify as a Jewish believer in Messiah is a matter of testifying of God's faithfulness to His promises, even as Paul did in Romans 11:1-2. Since then, Shimon has matured as a Messianic Jewish believer, and though he still wants to be careful that he puts no trust in his flesh, he is also bold to declare, "Am Yisrael Chai BaShem Yeshua HaMashiach!" That is, "The People of Israel live in the name of Yeshua the Messiah!"

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus who has been in Messianic 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, 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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Thursday, March 24, 2016

Feast of Purim: Do You Identify With the Jewish People? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Feast of Purim: Do You Identify With the Jewish People?

The Feast of Purim is a Jewish holiday found in the book of Esther that celebrates God's deliverance of His people from destruction.

Purim is recognized each year in Jewish communities around the world (this year on March 24) with various services, get-togethers and activities. Esther and her cousin, Mordecai, are the heroes, but earlier in their lives, we find that they, like us, had some rather weak moments.

Why Identify With the Jews?

In the biblical account, Esther becomes the Queen of Persia, but she repeatedly hides her Jewish identity: "Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known" (Esther 2:10, 20). Presumably, Esther lied about her Jewish background by not disclosing the truth in the Babylonian palace. In God's eyes, not telling the truth is just plain sin (Lev. 5:1).

Why would Mordecai tell Esther not to reveal her Jewish identity? Scripture tells us that God had called His people to return from exile in Babylon to their homeland of Israel. Those who heeded God's call left Babylon. However, those that remained in Babylon were not identifying with the call of God and, therefore, did not identify themselves as the people of God.

It is the same principle for us today. If you will not identify with God's call, you will not identify with God's people. During Esther's time, if a Babylonian found out that his neighbor was Jewish, he could say, "But I thought you Jews were called back to Israel by God? Why are you still here?" Their unbelief and resulting shame would be revealed.

Heeding His Call

Identifying with the call of God has always been evidenced by identifying with the people of God. Notice this in the life of Moses: "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time. He esteemed the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward" (Heb. 11:24-26).

Though not Jewish herself, Ruth identified with the Jewish people when she identified with their God: "But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16, MEV).

Though Paul was called to the Gentiles, he lived as a Jew and identified himself with his people throughout his ministry because he was identifying with God's faithful promises and unchanging purpose for Israel (Acts 21:39, 22:3; Rom. 11:1-2).

This was not only Paul's personal commitment; he also influenced other Jewish believers to do the same: "Then he came to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted him to travel with him. So he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek" (Acts 16:1-3, MEV).

Whether it be Daniel, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, Paul, Timothy or you, the challenge of faith is always: Do we believe God will be faithful to His promises? Will we identify with Him and His people?

Esther's failure to identify with God's purpose and people was indicative of the problem of all the people that stayed behind in Babylon. Since God cared for His people, He confronted this problem head-on by allowing an anti-Semitic man named Haman to arise. This forced the issue of identification with God's people (Esth. 3-4).

In Scripture we see that Gentile believers are called to identify with the Jewish people by standing against anti-Semitism (Ps. 83), pro-actively sharing the Good News with Jewish friends (Rom. 11:11), praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6), and identifying with Jewish believers in Yeshua (Ruth 1:16).

Likewise, Jewish believers need to identify themselves and their children as Jews. This is one reason Messianic congregations are available: to help Jewish believers to grow spiritually and testify powerfully, "Am Yisrael Chai B'Yeshua HaMashiach" "the People of Israel Live in Yeshua the Messiah!"

Messiah's Identification

Ben Elohim (the Son of God), came in the flesh, identifying Himself with us all (Phil. 2:5-8). But even in this He came as a humble Jewish carpenter. He could have come as a Persian, Greek or Roman, but He chose rather to be identified as a Jew. Messiah identified with us to save us. "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. ... For I say that Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers ... for He is not ashamed to call them brethren" (John 1:11; Rom. 15:8; Heb. 2:11). Those who identify with Him are saved in Him.

If we are ashamed of identifying with the Jewish people, are we not denying the purpose of God in Messiah? This is why Paul proclaims his Jewish identity in the book of Romans: not to boast in the flesh, but to boast in a faithful God who has not forsaken Israel!

Through a turn of events, and by God's grace, Esther repented (Esth. 4:16) and eventually became a hero. We, as well, can repent of any failure to identify with God or His people. We, like Esther, can also play a significant role in God's work in this world. As a believer in Yeshua, whether Jewish or Gentile, isn't it time for you to identify with God's people, promises and purpose?

Have a Happy Purim!

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus who 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.

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Friday, March 18, 2016

Is the Current State of Israel the Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Is the evolution of modern-day Israel the fulfillment of biblical prophecy?

Is the Current State of Israel the Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy?

Recently I was asked to be a guest on Dr. Michael Brown's radio show, "The Line of Fire," for "Thoroughly Jewish Thursday." As we discussed the topic of the day, "Why Support Israel?", one of the listeners, a Hasidic Rabbi, called in with some concerns.

Though surprising to some, Rabbi Benjamin's* viewpoint on the modern nation of Israel is one that is commonly held by many in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. As I addressed this rabbi's concerns from the perspective of Scripture, I sought to point him to Israel's only hope in both the present and future: Yeshua the Messiah!

Our discussion went as follows:

Q: Hi Sam, my name is Benjamin* and I'm a Hasidic rabbi. From my understanding of a biblical perspective, today's state of Israel is a bastion of evil; a country filled with immorality. Also, Scripture also tells us not to awaken or arouse love before God desires. I don't believe in Jesus, but I'm waiting for Messiah to come. Until this happens, I see the existence of the state of Israel as being against what the Bible teaches. God sent us into exile to be a light to the nations, not to go and hide in one little part of the world. Israel is the Holy Land, but today it's filled with heresy and wickedness. And even if it wasn't, according to Scripture, it's just not the time yet for this return to the land.

A: Shalom, Rabbi Benjamin. I can certainly understand the point you make. Of course, the critical issue here is going to be Mashiach (Messiah); if what He tells us is true, and if how He interprets Torah is the way it is to be interpreted. In light of this, we see in Scripture that there is a twofold return of Israel: first, to the land (Ezek. 37), and second, to the Lord.

According to the prophet Daniel, we see that the Jewish people have to return to the land and make a bad deal with the anti-Messiah, a deceiver. Nonetheless, according to prophecy, the Jewish people return to the land prior to their national return to the Lord. Today, we see this falling into place according to prophetic Scripture.

I've been to Israel many times, and I see that the people there are simply sinful people, just like any of us. Certainly, these are ordinary people needing to hear about the extraordinary atonement in the Messiah that makes people right with God. We need to understand the simplicity and purity of faith in what God has done for us in the atonement that Messiah has made for us.

This is how we get right with God so we can then live a life to His honor; not merely a life that reflects the beautiful traditions of our people, but a life that brings God honor through our teshuvah (repentance), meekness, kindness and mercy. The very forgiveness we have received in Messiah, this is what we are called to share with the nations.

In other words, the message that our people were to bring to the nations was the message of Mashiach, the Good News of who Yeshua is and what He has done for us. This is vital for each one of us to deal with! We see the nation of Israel today with its failings and flaws, but none of us can throw the first stone.

All of us need to have sympathy and compassion, realizing that we each need to trust in Messiah individually and then pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

*Name changed to protect privacy of individual

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus who 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.

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Friday, February 12, 2016

Does the Promised Land Still Belong to the Jewish People? - SAM NADLER CHARISMA NEWS

Does the Promised Land Still Belong to the Jewish People?

Does the Promised Land still belong to the Jewish people? (Wikimedia Commons )

Today there are many different opinions regarding critical issues about Israel and the Jewish people, even among believers. Many have questions such as:

1. "Can a religious Jewish person be saved apart from faith in Yeshua?"

2. "Are the Jewish people still the 'chosen people'?"

3. "Does the promised land (Israel) still belong to the Jewish people?"

Such questions tend to create a spiritual ambiguity in the minds of many, which produces an uncertain rather than fervent witness to the Jewish people. As believers, this brings us to a foundational issue: the need for proper discipleship concerning God's promises, plan and purpose for the Jewish people according to His Word.

Let us now look to this plumb line for our faith in order to help clarify the issues raised by these three questions:

1. "Can a religious Jewish person be saved apart from faith in Yeshua?" No. No matter how religious, no one can be forgiven of their sins and accepted by God without personal faith in Yeshua. It was to Jewish men that Yeshua spoke when He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Think of it this way: If there were some other way for Jewish people, or any people, to be saved other than through faith in Yeshua, then God the Father would have been a fool for letting His Son die on a cross! If keeping the Law of Moses could save people, Yeshua would have told people to keep the Law. But instead, Yeshua declared that Jewish people and all people need to trust in Him: "If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46).

2. "Are the Jewish people still the 'chosen people'?" Yes, according to the Law of Moses (Deut. 7:6; 14:2), the Prophets (Is. 41:8; Amos 3:2), the Writings (Ps. 33:12; 135:4), and the New Covenant (Rom. 9:3-5, 11:1-2). But isn't the body of Messiah called a chosen people as well? Yes, 1 Peter 2:9 declares all believers in Yeshua to be "a chosen generation (or people), a royal priesthood." However, please note that Peter refers to the body of Messiah as "a chosen people," but not as "the chosen people." Though Israel is chosen for a specific purpose (see next question), during this time of Israel's national unbelief, they are "sidelined" from being God's instrument of service until they return to God and confess Yeshua as the Messiah (Matt. 23:39; Hosea 5:15).

For the present time, the body of Messiah is the spiritually active instrument of ministry, "a royal priesthood" for service and worship. Though Israel is chosen to be a "witness people" for the Lord (Is. 43:10-12, 44:8), they cannot be an active witness until they first believe in Yeshua as Lord (Rom. 10:14, 15). Israel is chosen as a people for God's purpose, which, in the past, was to bring Messiah into the world (Rom. 9:5), and in the future, to bring about the return of Messiah to planet earth (Matt. 23:39; Zech. 12:10). This will happen when the Jewish people collectively confess their national sin of rejecting Messiah (Is. 53). Though nationally chosen for God's purpose, each individual Jewish person still has to have personal faith in God's salvation on God's terms to be saved. Otherwise they are as lost and unsaved as any pagan (Jer. 9:25, 26).

3. "Does the promised land (Israel) still belong to the Jewish people?" Yes! The present spiritual condition of Israel does not change the promises of God, for even though Israel is nationally unfaithful, He is still faithful. This is Paul's argument in Romans 11:1-2, where he writes, "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite. ... God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew." Israel returned to the land after the Babylonian exile, but that wasn't to be their last return. In fact, Isaiah prophesies Israel's return to the same land for the second time in Isaiah 11:11-12: "Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people ... from the four corners of the earth." The Jewish people's present return to the land is the fulfillment of this promise in Isaiah.

Now this doesn't mean that everything the present Israeli government does is praiseworthy, but it does mean that Israel is entitled to the land, and that we, as believers, must support them in this. Even though this and their status as the chosen people remains unchanged, each Jewish person can only be saved through personal faith in Messiah. For all people, Jew and Gentile, Israeli and Palestinian, there is no peace apart from the Prince of Peace.

By understanding these critical, sometimes volatile issues, and having biblical answers to address them, believers in Messiah can have a boldness and confidence to share their faith with Jewish people. Outside of God's miraculous, heart-changing power found in the Good News, there is no solution to the present and future problems we see in the Middle East, and the world.

So get involved! Share this with your friends! You can help get the message out. Since God has not forsaken the Jewish people, let us not forsake our responsibility to proclaim Yeshua to Jewish people.

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Friday, September 2, 2016