If I was into conspiracies, I might think someone was trying to stop me from speaking in Richmond, VA! Last year, the meeting was cancelled for a snow storm. This past summer there was  a a hurricane, so they had me deliver the sermon over skype. This was sufficient for communicating the urgency of praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), but there was still some unfinished business there.
Often when I am to speak somewhere, people may take the opportunity to invite their yet unsaved Jewish friends and family to hear the Good News of Messiah from a Jewish man like me.


Jake* is a Jewish man who had come to faith about a year ago. So when he heard I was scheduled to speak in Richmond last year, he immediately made plans for his family to attend– plans that had to be cancelled because of weather.
This time I was scheduled to speak on the birth prophecy of Messiah (Isaiah 9:1-7). Sure enough, Jake arrived with his unsaved but interested sister, Shelley*, and his grandfather, Sol*. I shared that the portion helps us understand the connection of Hanukkah and Messiah’s birth, and demonstrates, as the New Covenant explains, how believers are “transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). I went over the fact that the prophecy “unto us a son is given,” is fulfilled in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.” I could see Shelley listening intently to every word, as if the truth of it was deeply penetrating her heart.
At the end of the message, people were invited to respond to what the Scripture teaches by prayerfully trusting in Yeshua as the promised Messiah, Savior and Lord. Several people indicated they were doing just that –including Shelley! After the service, I encouraged Shelley to confess her faith by telling the pastor of the congregation and her brother, and she did with a big smile on her face. Jake cried for joy over his sister’s response to the Good News of Messiah.
That afternoon, Jake, Shelley, Sol and I had lunch together. We talked about first steps in following Messiah and how they would maintain their Jewish identities as testimony to God’s faithfulness to our people (Romans 11:1-6). I gave them each Hanukkah gifts of my book, Messianic Discipleship.
Sol and I spent several hours discussing faith together. Though Sol had become more religious later in life and started going to synagogue, he admitted he was more of an atheist. We went over a quite a bit of evidence to demonstrate the reasonableness of Messiah’s resurrection. He admitted that it was not a matter of reason for him, but that he was unwilling to move from his unbelief. While we ate, he was listening as I shared my testimony with Jake and Shelley. He smiled as he identified with my initial rejection of the Good News as being not for us Jews, and listened just as carefully about how the Lord broke through my adamant unbelief to bring me to Himself. In parting, Sol said he looked forward to meeting with me again. 
Please pray not only for these, but for the many others who are considering the Messiahship of Yeshua and His Good News.

_*Names are changed to protect the privacy of the individuals

What is a Messianic congregation? Is it about a particular model of worship services? Or is it about meeting on Saturday instead of Sunday? One’s  preferred model, whether traditional or contemporary, is in fact a surface issue and will vary depending on the distinctives of the leader, the group, and the community.
Essentially, the effectiveness of the service has to do with systems that work properly. There are some things that need to be done in order to be the an effective testimony of a congregation. We are to be praying. We are to be ministering the Word. We are to be administering and overseeing. Those are the three elements that make up a Messianic congregation: Prayer, Ministry of the Word, and Overseer (management and administration).

The three aspects of the Body of Messiah are rooted in the person of Messiah Himself. The redemptive work of Messiah was three fold: Prophet, Priest and King. Messiah is our high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4). He is the prophet like onto Moses—not only did He prophetically minister the Word, but He is the Living Word. Then, of course, he is the Ruler of rulers, the greater son of David. He oversees our activities in His leadership, reigning over our lives and hearts.

This three-fold ministry is what we are to live out in our leadership in our hearts, homes, and congregations. As it says in 1 John 4:17, “as He is, so are we in the world.” He is the head, and we are the body. The body lives out the values of the head. Therefore, the ministry of prayer reflects Him, who always lives to make intercession for us. In the ministry of the Word, we are actually testifying of Him the very truth. In the ministry of overseer, seeing that things are carried out decently and in order—this reflects King Messiah, who orders all things. The end result is to manifest Yeshua—that the life of Yeshua be made known. His values, His character, His name shall be honored and exalted.

 *Adapted from upcoming book on which the Planter’s Conference will be based, click here to learn more

“Hi Sam, I received your name from a mutual acquaintance, and I wanted to talk with you. I’m Jewish and my wife is a now a believer in Jesus. And I have some questions.”
“Let’s get together and talk, David*.”

A week later we were together in my office. “How can I help you, David?”
“Sam, my wife and others would want me to consider Jesus. But as a Jew – and I want to stay a Jew – I don’t think I can. I know you are Jewish, but how can I believe in Jesus as a Jew? Admittedly, since Bar Mitzvah, I haven’t been very religious, but I still don’t want to give up being a Jew.”
“And you shouldn’t, David.” I shared with David some of my story, and how the Lord got my attention forty years ago. “David, there were Scriptures that really made me curious. One is Isaiah 53.” I opened my Bible and we went over Isaiah 53. I noted those verses that spoke about Messiah’s death, and resurrection. “When believers first showed me this I thought they were trying to trick me since it seemed far too clear. I figured they must have taken part of their Bible and stuck it in mine!”
“But the more I looked into –even to disprove it –the more convinced I became.” I explained to David that as I was becoming convinced, I prayed asking God to provide a more convenient Messiah!
David laughed, “I know the feeling.”
After coming to faith, I thought I was the only real Jew who had ever done such a thing, but of course there are many.”
“What did you do then, Sam?”
“I started reading the Bible. I was surprised that the New Covenant (New Testament) was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures.” We read Jeremiah 31:31-34 together to see how the forgiveness of sins and personal relationship found in the Good News was prophesied to Israel.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, . . . this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
“David,” I said, “Messiah gives us new life.”
“Yes, I see now what my wife has been trying to explain to me. I realize I don’t have this new life!”
I shared with David more of my initial struggles as a Jew, and I decided I’d take a step of faith myself. “David, can you think of one good reason not to place your faith in Yeshua as your Messiah?” David looked me right in the eye and said, “I’d very much like to do that.”
I led David in a simple prayer of trusting in Messiah Yeshua as His Lord and Savior. I then asked him to pray silently, admitting to God whatever he could remember which is wrong in God’s sight. I reminded him of the cleansing in Messiah’s atonement, explaining God’s assurance that those matters and much more have been forgiven.
Afterwards, I prayed for David, for his assurance and growth. I gave him The Messianic Answer Book and Messianic Discipleship, encouraging him that we would be studying them together.
I looked at the calendar and said “today is your spiritual birthday, David. You can tell people that today you became a child of God. And, David it would be good to share your faith with others.” As I walked him out we passed Miriam’s office. “Miriam, this is David. David, tell Miriam what just happened.” He said, “I trusted in Messiah today,” followed by rejoicing and hugs. We passed Matt’s office and then Natalia’s, and each time we did the same thing. I wanted to get David used to sharing his faith.
We have talked and met since, working through the book Messianic Discipleship. Thankfully, David is growing as a healthy new believer in Yeshua. Pray for him as he grows in his faith.

**name changed for privacy