| People often ask me where I get the ideas for my articles. I tell
them that the Holy Spirit whispers in my ear. They often look at
me askance. Well this morning was a perfect example. The Lord
reminded me of a statement that an Orthodox Rabbi said to me years ago. He was a member of Aish
Hatorah in Jerusalem, an organization that tries to bring Jews back to their
roots so to speak. I had told him that while I now believed that Jesus
(Yeshua) was the Messiah and was God, I still considered myself a Jew. He
disagreed and we argued back and forth for weeks as all Jews love to do. That
should have been proof enough for him but it wasn't. Before I go any further let me
say that while I love and serve Yeshua that does not mean I have to deny
my Jewishness. Paul did not. See 2 Corinthians 11:22-23 or Romans 11:1. Sure
there is no Jew nor Gentile in Christ and we are all one new man but I still have
Jewish flesh. More later.
Well the rabbi finally gave in and told me that while I was still a
Jew I would spend eternity in boiling excrement for believing in
Yeshua. I later found out that it says this in the Talmud, b.gittin
57a. As Paul said in Philippians 3:4-8, while I was a Jew of the
Jews, all of those things now count as rubbish in view of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus the
Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things in order that may gain
Christ.
I have lost family and friends. I have lost material things and my
health but I do count them all as rubbish in view of gaining
Christ.
Where am I going with all this rambling? I found a video this
morning which you can find after my article. It was a news
program in Israel, in Hebrew, about Messianic Jews in Israel. I
cried when I watched it. These Jewish believers must have been
like the early believers 2000 years ago. You must cut
them some slack about what they say about Christians. They are living in
hostile territory amongst unbelievers. They see many so called
Christians including the Vatican, World Council of Churches and
other liberal denominations siding with the Palestinians. They
see other Christians saying that they are now Israel. They
circumcise their children as a tradition as is
putting up a Mezuzah (I have one on my door) not as a religious symbol.
Their new blood covenant is now with Jesus as is mine.
Watch the Israeli interviewer refer to Jesus as Yeshu not
Yeshua. Yeshu is an Hebrew acronym which means 'may his
name be blotted out'! In another place, an Orthodox Rabbi refers
to Yeshua as Yoshke the bastard. My dear sweet Jewish
mother, when seeing a statue of Jesus on some Catholic's lawn yelled out
"Yoshke Pondra!" This refers to an infamous Jewish book which
labeled Jesus as the bastard son of Mary and a Roman centurion.
I kid you not. Sad, but see what these poor Israeli believers have
to live with. I have felt persecution but nothing like these people.
I too am told by Christians that I am too Jewish and by Jews that
I am too Christian. Sue me!
This video gives you a glimpse into the time when as Paul wrote
in Romans 11:26 all Israel will be saved. Finally, don't hate the
traditional Jews. God gave them a spirit of stupor, Romans 11:8,
and they know not what they do. Forgive them their trespasses
as God commands us to do, Matthew 6:14. Now I know why the
Holy Spirit reminded me of that boiling excrement!
Come quickly Lord Jesus!
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