One might wonder why we so often go to Israel and other Jewish areas for ministry and outreach.  In order to understand our practice let me share first our passionate priorities in our service for Messiah. Our motivation to serve in Israel is reflected in Paul’s own statement on this very same subject in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”

Passion for Israel
The word “desire” is eudokia in the original Greek and can also be translated well-pleased, will, pleasure, and satisfaction (Matthew 11:26; 2 Thess. 1:11; Phil. 1:15; 2:13; Eph. 1:5, 9). When Paul speaks of his heart’s desire he is in fact talking about the will and purpose of his heart. Paul’s passion for Israel came from a heart surrendered to the will of God, not from any mere fleshly loyalty. The love of Messiah controlled his heart, and so Paul had Messiah’s concern for Israel upon his heart (2 Cor. 5:14). It was not merely an intellectual or "theological" regard for Israel, but rather Paul’s theology was the articulation of God’s unfailing passion and purpose for the Jewish people (Romans 11:1-5). If one has a theology without a passion for the very truth it represents, than theology may be simply an intellectual substitute for genuine life in Messiah. 

Prayer for Israel
Immediately after acknowledging the national rejection of Messiah by his brethren according to the flesh in Romans 9:31-33, Paul passionately prays that the Jewish people “may be saved" (Romans 10:1). Paul knew that the spiritual situation was far from hopeless for them despite their present national unbelief, for he also shared their rejection of Messiah Yeshua before he was miraculously saved (Acts 9:3-6). Therefore, Paul had faith to believe God’s promises. God had promised that one day Israel will look unto Yeshua and be saved (Zechariah 12:10).  Paul passion for Israel’s salvation resulted from faith in the unfailing promises of God; and his prayers reflected his passion. Please note in Romans 10: 1 that both his "desire" and "prayer"  are expressed in the singular, not plural. Since his desire and prayer come together as a unity of one in his soul. For us as well our passion and prayers are not two different things, but are  the root and fruit of the same tree or two sides of the same spiritual coin.

The word for “prayer” means to want or to beg. It is used for a plea or entreaty when addressed to God as a prayer, request, petition or supplication. In my mind’s eye I can almost see Paul during his morning and evening devotions beseeching God and pleading for Israel’s salvation. Each of us need to re-evaluate our prayers and see if our passion results from fervent faith in God’s promises? Do our prayers for Israel reflect our passion for God’s concerns and eternal love for His people?

Practice toward Israel
With this kind of passion and prayer that are based on God’s promises for Israel, we can easily understand Paul’s practice and ministry to the Jewish people. He wanted them to be saved, and the Lord glorified as the Faithful  One to Israel (Romans 11:26-27). Even as the Apostle to the Gentiles, his ministry was “to the Jew first” (Romans 1:16) because it is also first in the heart of God (Jeremiah 31:3). Paul accordingly prioritized it in his own soul and agenda. He made it a point to find Jewish people with whom to share Messiah (Acts 13:46; 14:1; 16:13). Paul's consistent practice may be easier to understand in light of his theology. However, what is harder to understand are those believers who say that the love of Messiah controls their hearts, and yet whose practice is not geared toward the salvation of Jewish people.

The message of the Good News is for all nations, yet it is still a Jewish message with a Jewish priority (Acts 17:17). Therefore, regardless if you are called to Nigeria, France, China, or Pakistan, you still have a message that is “to the Jew first.” What this means is you have a responsibility to love Jewish people, reach out to Jewish people wherever you may be, to teach and disciple believers of the Jewish essence of the Good News, and to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6).

We want to imitate Paul in his zeal for the salvation of Jewish people, and therefore we are setting a priority to pray and reach out to Jewish people everywhere including in Israel. We see that Messiah’s love will control our hearts and make it a priority to serve Israel because of His promises.

On a  personal note, we want to thank you for praying for our recent  ministry trip to Israel which included meeting with couples and individuals as well as teaching seminars in different areas and outreach in several different congregations located near Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem and in the Negev. We appreciate you standing with us for Israel.

Every year on the fourteenth day of Adar (March) Jewish people around the world celebrate Purim (“Lots”). We learn about Purim in the book of Esther.
This book is unique in the Bible in that the name of God is never mentioned. The events described in the book of Esther take place fifty years after Cyrus permitted the Jewish people to leave Babylon and return to the Promised Land (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4), and is written about those Jews that did not heed the call of God and return to the land of Israel.

Esther and Mordecai were among those who, out of convenience or preference, decided to remain in Persia and not return to the land of Israel. Although God is faithful to His promises and will always providentially secure His people, nonetheless neglecting God’s call may lead to a downward spiritual spiral.  Consider Esther’s response to Mordecai when given the news of an official decree of her people’s destruction; and that she is their apparent hope:

All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days. (Esther 4:11)

With her people’s existence threatened, why does Esther respond in such a self-serving manner? The point is not to merely sit in judgment: she is no worse than any of us! But she is one of us and, like any of us, Esther was concerned more for her own safety than the safety of her people.  What made such a change in Esther that she would risk it all to help her people? The truth of Mordecai’s challenge encouraged Esther’s timid heart.
First, he challenged the false security of her perception: “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.” Esther could not live in a fantasy world where her cowardice would provide a means of escape. The foolish find their sense of satisfaction, significance and even their feeling of security in their vain imagination (Proverbs 18:11). This vanity of the mind assumes our disobedience to God will actually be our protection. People believe that their lies will protect—even promote them. However, we cannot insulate ourselves from God.

Finally, Mordecai challenged the false security of Esther’s position: “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther had married Ahasuerus, the most powerful man of his time. Did she think that this marriage and queenly position would provide her with the security her soul needed? Sometimes people marry to fulfill their lives only to find that they are still just as lonely and empty. Neither marriage, nor career, nor wealth can fulfill a life. It is not the palace, but the promises of God which can satisfy our desires. As the Scripture states, “My God shall supply all your needs through His riches and glory in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 4:19), and “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Earlier, she was indifferent to Scriptural details. Since Esther was Jewish, she would have kept dietary restrictions according to the Law of Moses. However, the food that would have been provided in the King’s palace was definitely not kosher. When she was provided with food she did not refuse (Esther 2:9). 

God can use anyone and, in this case, brought problems to break up Esther’s self-centered life. God permitted Haman, a vicious anti-Semite  to shake up Esther’s world.
Though Mordecai exhorted her to intercede with the king on behalf of her people, Esther wanted no part of any plan that would endanger her. It was risky to go uninvited into the king’s presence. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus confirms this Persian custom that anyone who approached the king uninvited would be put to death—unless pardoned by the king.  Mordecai had one last challenge to the Queen.

Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13-14)

As a result of Mordecai’s exhortation, Esther repented, pleaded to the king on behalf of her people’s welfare and the Jewish people were then preserved from extinction once again (Esther 4:15-16; 7:3-6; 9:20-25).

True Security
Our jobs, status in life, wealth, and connections are not our security, but mere opportunities to share the Messiah. Our only true security is in our saving relationship with God. Let us not live as if we believe otherwise. Esther’s position as Queen was not her security, but the opportunity providentially given by God. The most secure place is not within the walls of a palace, but in the will of God. Esther’s problem was imagining the fantasy of a spiritual middle ground, but there is no middle ground with God.
Praise the Lord that Esther finally repents—“I will go into the king” (Esther 4:16). God brought a disobedient woman to repentance in order to save His people and demonstrate His faithfulness. 

What then is the message of the Purim story? Simply this: God is faithful to keep His people by using any ordinary person who will repent, trust, and serve Him. God wants to use you today just as He used Esther long ago. Perhaps Mordecai’s Purim challenge to Esther is God’s challenge to you as well. Be spiritually pro-active in life—in your family, community, and congregation. Do not keep silent; rather, share God’s love in Yeshua with others.
(Excerpted from the Messiah in the Feasts of Israel book, now also available on Kindle)

_For those of us who live in colder climates, we don’t usually think of winter as a season for bearing fruit. However the Scriptures encourage us to be fruitful not based upon the times and seasons. Rather, we are given confidence to be producing the spiritual fruit of the life of Yeshua--in season and out of season. Whether this fruit is seen in our praise which is the “the fruit of the lips” from Hebrews 13:15 or in our practice through “the fruit of righteousness”  found in Hebrews 12:11, our spiritual fruit is not based on any season but by abiding in Yeshua (John 15:5).

We have a reminder of ‘out-of-season’ fruit in a winter holiday called the Jewish New Year for the Trees - Tu B’Shevat. Although a minor Jewish holiday it can be encouraging to consider.  In the Jewish calendar it is one of four New Years (Rosh HaShana) mentioned in the early rabbinic writings. This holiday was originally a time for counting the tithes and offerings of fruits. During the Middle Ages it developed as a recognized celebration and fruit eating was added. To this day it has become popular with many Jewish people. Growing up in my Middle Village, NY synagogue, we celebrated this holiday by eating different types of fruit and nuts and discussing the Land of Israel and its importance to our people.

Traditionally, grapes, dates, olives, and pomegranates are all part of the holiday because they are spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures and especially because they are associated with the Land of Israel. Specific categories of fruit and nuts include:

1. Fruit with hard, inedible exteriors and soft edible insides, like oranges, bananas, walnuts, and pistachios
2. Fruit with soft exteriors, but with a hard pit inside, such as dates, apricots, olives and persimmons
3. Fruit that is eaten whole, such as figs or berries
4. Fruit which is associated with the Land of Israel

Let us consider how these aspects of the Tu B’Shevat fruits can picture our spiritual life:

1. Fruits and nuts with hard, inedible exteriors and soft edible insides-- What a vivid reminder of our spiritual life in Messiah!  While we are in this world, we often need to be “hard on the outside” in order to be resistant and “not conformed” to conflicting influences (Rom. 12:2). For example, the Scriptures often teach us to “resist the devil” (James 4:7; Eph. 6:13; 1 Pet. 5:7-9). On the other hand, since He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4), we need to be soft inside, that is, yielded and responsive to the Holy Spirit, even as we are resistant to unholy spirits.

2. Fruits and nuts with soft exteriors, but with a hard pit inside— Here we have another contrasting illustration of our walk in Messiah. The soft exteriors remind us to be loving to all, yet with a “hard pit inside.” This is not to say that we should be hard-hearted, but rather uncompromising in the absolutes of God’s eternal Word. This gives us the internal character of righteous integrity and an iron backbone to withstand the wayward winds of this world. How often our merciful “soft exterior” may be offended and hurt by the unkindness of this world system! By internalizing the world’s attack on our testimony in Messiah, “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). That is why we need a “hard pit”— a heart firm in the faith of His unchanging love in Yeshua. For no matter how others may despise our faith they cannot stop us from caring and showing God’s love.

3. Fruit that is eaten whole— As we mature, we enjoy all of His Word. Some portions of God’s Word are difficult to digest (John 6:60). But as we press on in His eternal word, we recognize that “solid food is for the mature” (Hebrews 5:14) and that “all Scripture is both inspired and profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16). As we mature in Messiah’s truth that will cause us to walk in His truth, then every area of our life will bring “praise to His glory” (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).

4. Fruit that is associated with Israel— this category covers all of the rest.  Mature fruit-bearing means being less concerned with our personal agendas and more concerned with God’s eternal agenda. A maturity for both Jewish and Gentile believers will further reflect the apostolic concern that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles taught regarding the ministry of prayer: “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). Our heart’s desire and spiritual fruit is seen more and more as we become a person after God’s own heart like David who taught us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

Therefore may our maturity in Messiah reflect the heart of the King of the Jews in having fruit associated with Israel! Please join us in prayer that this year we all will be bearing fruit that testifies of the God of Israel’s love, His love that is fully and forever received in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the world.

__"For I am not ashamed of the Good News, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

The Good News of Messiah fulfills the promises that God made to the Jewish people to redeem them and the Nations (Genesis 12:3). Most conservative scholars agree that Romans 1:16-17 are the theme for the book of Romans; that is, they are the key to understanding the rest of the book. For most believers, the book of Romans provides the essence of New Covenant teaching. Likewise, followers of Yeshua (Jesus) understand that the New Covenant gives the outworking or fulfillment of the very message of the Tanakh (Old Testament). Thus, these verses provide us with a theme to understand not only the book itself, but the whole of Scripture!  Since God is faithful to His word, “to the Jew first” recognizes the unchanged reality of the Jewish people. The whole book is to be understood in Jewish terms. Romans, a book for all Gentiles from the Apostle to the Gentiles, has a “to the Jew first” message because:

• It is a fulfillment of the promises made in the prophets (Romans 1:2).
• Yeshua is David’s Son according to the flesh (Romans 1:3), and is introduced to the Nations by a redeemed Israelite (Romans 11:1, 13).
• “To the Jew first” is reiterated as principle regarding reward and judgment (Romans 2:9-10).
• Salvation by faith in Messiah is “to the Jew first” as understood through the teaching of the Tanakh and the examples of Abraham and Adam (Romans 1:17; 4; 5:12-21).

Paul wanted the Gentiles to know of their responsibility to understand and express their faith in light of God’s faithfulness to Israel. “To the Jew first” for the Gentile believers was a reminder of their calling to make Israel jealous, and to minister the mercy they had received (Romans 11:11, 31). God forbid that Gentiles should think that they had replaced Israel! No, rather Gentile believers were to be God’s reminders of His faithfulness to Israel. Any Gentile who would not go “to the Jew first” would be distorting God’s message of faithfulness in the Good News, in that he would attempt to cancel God’s promise.
We are obligated, eager, and unashamed of the Good News, because we are unashamed of His power, righteousness, faithfulness, and eternal dependability. “To the Jew first” should be the motto of all believers throughout this age as they depend upon and proclaim the Good News of Messiah.

The Good News is always “to the Jew first” because God never made a covenantal promise of redemption with any people other than the Jewish people. The covenantal promise with Abraham and his seed is the only hope of the nations, including the Jewish people. God would never righteously save anyone apart from what He promised Israel.

Relying on His Faithfulness
Single-cell bacteria propel themselves a whip-like tail connected to an outboard motor, called a “flagellum.” Top engineers study its construction and speed capabilities, with the hopes that its secrets can be applied to their own lesser nanotechnology. Biochemist Michael Behe used a term “irreducible complexity” to try to describe this wonder, among other things, like the eye and blood clotting. Irreducible complexity means that all its parts are arranged in careful dependence upon the others. Without any given part, the machine as a whole will not function. No one would have imagined even a century ago what was happening all along, in just a tiny cell! But the way in which the God of Israel demonstrates His righteousness in Messiah is similar to the way He has created these brilliant biological machines. His covenantal promises are complex, and they cannot be reduced by any one part.

The Abrahamic covenant promised blessing for the nations—that is, all the Gentiles—in Abraham’s seed. Yet this same covenant also promised Abraham a people and a land. It is one, irreducibly complex covenant. If God were to fulfill one part of the promise but nullify another part, He would break the covenant, which would be unrighteous to Abraham and his descendants. It would be dead, cancelled. If the land is no longer for them, then they need no longer be a people, and no longer any promise in blessing to all nations in his seed, Messiah. That’s true by design. Similarly, this three-fold Good News that reveals God’s righteousness in Messiah is also irreducibly complex. All the pieces matter—if indeed “therein is the righteousness of God.” If we take away even a part—whether it be that the Good News is “the power of God,” “to everyone that believes,” or “to the Jew first”—then we make the righteousness of God into unrighteousness. The only hope for the Gentile world is that the Good News of Messiah is to the Jew first. Without His power unto salvation in Yeshua, God is not saving anyone. Without His salvation received by faith in Yeshua—“to all who believe”—there would be no salvation for Jews or Gentiles, since all have free will. And apart from the Good News being to the Jew first and equally to the Gentile, God is unfaithful to His own promises and is untrustworthy for any to believe. If we remove any element then we have a different message that defames God’s righteous character; one element cannot be removed without annulling the very function of the Good News.

God’s righteousness is revealed in the Good News. The Good News is both a demonstration of God’s power and a revelation of God’s righteousness. This is exactly what Paul stated in Romans 1:17 to explain why he is unashamed of the Good News: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed… just as it is written.” God’s righteousness is revealed through His desire to save sinners and not judge them. It is a righteous salvation because it’s by faith and to the Jew first. In other words, if it was not to the Jew first, it would not reveal His righteousness as being faithful to His word. The fulfillment of His promises is not merely seen in the various prophecies predicting Messiah, but also in the context of Yeshua being the Redeemer of Israel. What is understood as a prophecy of His rejection by Israel in Isaiah 53 is actually a prophecy that Israel will repent and trust in Messiah Yeshua.

Paul was unashamed because the Good News is the faithfulness of God to our people. The Good News is still to the Jew first, even as it is still the power of God unto salvation to all who will believe! God is faithful, and all who believe on His promised salvation in Yeshua will indeed be saved.

Get Involved, You can do it!
What can you do? Ask your pastor to consider scheduling a Word of Messiah Ministries' representative to speak at your church this year. Sign up your pastor for the free Word of Messiah Ministries newsletter, The Shmooze Letter.   Or pick up some materials from our bookstore so that your pastor will be better informed and grow in his understanding  of how to present the Gospel in its biblical and Jewish context. This way, you and your congregation can reach out to Jewish friends and neighbors and invite them to your services, where they will hear the Good News in a way they can understand it. Then they will be less confused and more open to considering Jesus as their Messiah, Savior and Lord. Thus, “to the Jew first” helps both Jew and Gentile appreciate the biblical message in a more understandable and authentic way. Let's be encouraged that the gospel is still "the power of God” that can change lives and destinies for both Jews and Gentiles alike.

_We were incredibly blessed to host a unique conference for Congregation Planting, which as the first in the new building brought together planters and from around the country to learn Biblical principles and share ministry approaches. What a wonderful way to end the year. Part of the fruits of the conference was a new book Establishing Healthy Messianic Congregations: Planters, Planting, and Planning. The following is an excerpt from the new book, on the role of prayer in a functioning congregation.  Prayer is the most important responsibility for a congregation (and a family, community, etc.). In fact, this may be the only aspect of congregational life taking place in olam haba (the world to come). In light of this, the ministry of prayer is preparing us for our future home. Prayer and worship can be considered together because, whether it is in singing or speaking, both prayer and worship are praises and supplications directed to the Lord and intended to bless and bring honor to Him. The worship itself could be in an instrumental arrangement or a cappella, even so it is all to be praise and prayer unto HaShem.
Biblical teaching must be at the heart of prayer and worship ministry. The Samaritans did not have sound teaching, and thus it was wrong even if it was sincere (John 4:22-23).
Worship has the additional by-product of further building up disciples in the truth. From a communications perspective, there are three means of carrying truth directly to the heart: humor, pathos, and music. People will often think about what they sang in worship. The worship may bring the truth of God and His salvation deeper into their souls. Therefore, sound teaching must be the basis of our prayer and worship.
Worship teams need to be prayer leaders, that is, men and women with a strong prayer life. A good voice and musical skills have value, but are no substitute for prayer. An individual’s prayer and worship life helps foster his or her healthy relationship with the Lord, and so all team members must desire deeper levels of prayer and worship. It is a matter both of personal growth and integrity before the Lord.

An Elder-Led Responsibility
God teaches that His house would be “a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). This primacy of prayer is further seen in the history of our people. In Exodus 17, the first battle after Israel came out of Egypt was with the Amalekites. In this portion of Scripture we find there was a division of labor. Joshua took the army and fought the Amalekites while Moses, along with Aaron and Hur went to the top of the mountain and with arms outstretched to God, we find them praying. That prayer ministry was the key issue in the victory. Moses’ arms coming down pictured the stopping of prayer, that is, stopping our dependence on God and our abiding in Yeshua. At those times, the army of Joshua failed. Prayer was and is the essential issue in victory—for Israel, for our homes, and for our congregations. It prepared us as a people, as to how we were to live in the land. Future victories would result from prayer.
In Exodus 17:14 Moses says, “Write this down for Joshua to read.” Why is Joshua singled out? Perhaps as an action-oriented man and leader of soldiers, he would need to be reminded to pray since his natural response might be to merely fight in his own strength. When we read the book of Joshua, we see that Joshua only had two defeats. In Joshua 7, he prayed only after the defeat; and in Joshua 9, he did not pray before negotiating with an enemy. His two defeats resulted directly from a lack of prayer. A lack of prayer can also be the cause for defeat for any congregation which gets established; consequently victory comes as leaders lead in prayer.

In the New Covenant
Paul tells Timothy that in the congregation there is to be prayer “first of all” (1 Timothy 2:1). Our community life is to be a beit teflilah, house of prayer. Benedictions, supplications, intercession, praise—all types of prayer ministries are part of our prayer priority. However, elder-led prayer is biblically normative. Men everywhere were to lift holy hands in worship, and so men are normally to be leading in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8). Why would they have to be instructed to do that? Perhaps to show that prayer would be primary in how a man manages his own home (1 Timothy 3:5). If men are not leading in prayer at home, how can we expect them to lead in prayer in the congregation?
Not only do we want to make sure we are praying as a community, we want the leaders to be praying for the community. Who knows what battles our “Joshuas” are fighting at home, school and at work? In fact, one of the marks of spiritual leadership is that they lead in prayer.

Hearts for the Lord
In the Biblical picture of heaven, the elders are forever falling down on their face before God, leading in prayer. They are prayer and worship leaders. Whether in the home or in the congregation, prayer prepares us for heavenly service like nothing else.
All prayer should be from the heart. In this regard, there is no distinction between formal liturgical prayers which the congregation prays and more informal prayers. However, people need to be taught to pray. The Messianic congregation is the place for people to grow as praying disciples. As we come into a new season together we are thankful that you are offering prayers “first of all,” and hope that you will continue to stand with us in prayer.

_Some find it surprising that the only place in the Bible where we find the festival of Hanukkah is in the New Covenant (John 10:22-30):
And it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. Yeshua walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly (John 10:22-24).

The Feast of Dedication (also known by its Hebrew name, Hanukkah), was established to commemorate the purification and rededication of the Temple by Judah Maccabee, which occurred in 165 BCE on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev (December). The rededication of the Temple was necessary because it had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes three years earlier. Antiochus wanted to Hellenize the Jewish people, or make them think and live like Greeks. He violently forced an end to circumcision, Jewish worship, and the study of Torah. He captured Jerusalem, plundered the Temple treasury, and to add insult to injury, sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the Temple altar. In response, a revolt led by one family called the Maccabees challenged the mighty invaders through guerrilla warfare. After three years this small band of pious Jews was successful in defeating the Syrian armies, liberating our people and our Temple! The yearly celebration of this victory forms the backdrop of  Yeshua’s Hanukkah message.

Notice the question the people raise: “Why do you keep us in suspense? Are you the Messiah?” (John 10:24). Every Hanukkah, our people desired Messiah to come and free them from yet another enemy, in this case the Romans. Even the defiled stones from the altar desecrated by Antiochus were set aside for “the Prophet to come to tell our people what to do with them.”
Yeshua answered them, “I told you, and you did not believe: the works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you (John 10:25-26).

Why didn’t Yeshua just say ‘Sure, I’m the Messiah’? This is how familiarity with Hanukkah helps us understand Yeshua. The people were expecting a political warrior to throw out the Romans, just as the Maccabees threw out the Syrians. With a mere “yes,” He would have been accommodating Himself to a narrow expectation heightened at the time, one which was only part of the biblical picture, to come later. Had He said “no,” it would not have been true! So Yeshua wisely responds, “I’ve already told you.” In both words and deeds, He had already answered their question (John 8:58; 10:25).

God provides the eternal salvation that we need, not merely the temporary solutions that we desire. Is your faith in God’s Word, or your own expectations and experience? With the Maccabees, short-term faith was required. They pointed to a desecrated temple by an oppressive Syrian regime and said, “Let us defeat them and rededicate the temple.” However, Yeshua points to us and says that we are the desecrated temple, and we need to be cleansed and rededicated in order to walk with God. The problem is not outside of us, but within us. Our need is not for a quick fix of short-term problems, but for an eternal relationship with God.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

His sheep have faith in Him: “My sheep hear My voice.” His sheep are His followers: “They follow Me.” There is mutual recognition and a reciprocal action. The shepherd knows and directs His sheep; and the sheep respond in obedience. Yeshua then teaches that we must have faith in Him as the Son of God: “My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” (10:29-30).
Yeshua’s assertion that He is one with the Father is meant to give assurance to His followers: “No one will snatch them from My hand” anymore than from the “Father’s hand.”

Bill Gates may have a monopoly on operating software, but God has a monopoly on life! Defeat is measuring your life by your problem, rather than by your God. Victory is measuring life’s challenges by the size of your God! Do you have a Goliath in your life? I know one who is greater! God has provided salvation in Messiah, His Eternal Son. By dying for sins, He conquered death.
Despite temporary trials there is ultimate victory in Messiah. Yes, Messiah demands a greater loyalty than the Maccabees; however, His security is eternal. Trust in Him as the Savior, Shepherd, and Son. Yeshua is the Victor, and following Him brings the victory!

_Of all the miracles the Bible attributes to God, it seems the virgin birth of Messiah arouses the most controversy. But the same Bible that reveals God declares the virgin birth to be a historical fact. Some  question whether it can be considered a scientific fact since it can not be observed nor repeated. But then what miracle can be? The virgin birth of Messiah is simply another unique and miraculous work of God!

Miracles may be irrelevant for those that dismiss the possibility of God. But if God is even a possibility, then so are miracles. “But still,” you might think, “the virgin birth is hard to believe.” Actually, it depends on how big your God is! For the One who is the Creator of all, no miracle is too difficult, and thus, no miracle should be dismissed out of hand.

Also, for Jews, miracles are the only rationale for our own existence. After all, if left to the preferences of the Egyptians and Pharaoh, the Persians and Haman, or the Nazis and Hitler, we Jews wouldn’t be here at all! Yet while other ancient peoples have come and gone (do you know any Hittites?), the Jewish people remain.  God promised to keep us as a people, and miraculously He has done it.

Miraculous Births are Jewish
Moreover, miraculous births are a big part of the Jews’ history. God decided to bless the world through a people by whom the Messiah would come (Genesis 12:3). God chose Abraham and Sarah; as the Scriptures teach us, Abraham was too old, and Sarah was barren (Genesis 11:30). Thus we have a problem: God purposely chose to make a nation from the one couple that couldn’t have kids!
Rather than being a problem for God, this human limitations made the point. As the promise of God would effectively bless the world, so also it would take the power of God to make it happen. And miracle of miracles, Isaac was born. Isaac then married Rebecca. She too was barren, but again God intervened (Genesis 25:21). And again with Jacob, and Rachel, who was barren (Genesis 29:31). Again, God miraculously provided a miracle birth (Genesis 30:22-24).
Biblical history shows that the existence of the Jewish people is based upon miracle births from God. So rather than seeming abnormal, a miracle birth for the Jewish Messiah should be part of our expectations for the Messiah. After all, shouldn’t we expect the most unusual Person in the universe to have a most unusual entrance in His birth? His unique nature would actually require it!

Prophecy of a Virgin Birth
God told us to expect a virgin birth for the Messiah. As far back as the very first messianic prophecy we see this same hope:
“And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
God promised to remove that Serpent of old, Satan, the father of lies and anti-Semitism, through the Redeemer, who would come from ‘the seed’  of the woman. This is God’s first attention-getting clue: a woman would be the instrument of Messiah’s coming.
In the prophet Isaiah we read Messiah’s prophetic birth announcement: “The Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
Some object against the word ‘virgin’ as an accurate translation of the Hebrew word almah. Yet in the Hebrew Scriptures, the word almah is used seven times (Gen. 24:43; Ex. 2:8; Prov. 30:18; Ps. 68:25; Song of Sol. 1:3; 6:8), and every time it speaks of young women who have not had sexual relations. 

In the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, the Hebrew Scriptures were for the first time translated into Greek. According to tradition, it was translated by seventy Rabbis, which accounts for the name Septuagint, meaning 70. They translated almah as parthenos, or “virgin.” This was centuries before Messiah and thus objective and rightly used by the New Covenant (Matthew 1:23). So, there are no good grounds for thinking ‘virgin’ is an inaccurate reading of the Isaiah text.
It is sometimes argued that a different Hebrew word, betulah, would have served as a better word for ‘virgin’. However, the two Hebrew words are largely synonymous (as in Gen. 24, where Rebekah is identified by both), and either would make the point. In fact, it is not clear whether betulah would actually have been a good choice, since it is also used for a widow in Joel 1:8.

What’s in a Name?
But, why the name “Emmanuel” in Isaiah 7 rather than “Yeshua”? Many places in the Hebrew Scriptures tell us about Messiah, each giving us different names. In Isaiah 9:5(6), He is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince Of Peace.” In Jeremiah 23:6, He is called “the Lord our Righteousness.” In Isaiah 7:14 it is “Emmanuel.” As opposed to a “given name,” each of these names describe some quality of God’s nature or character.
Emmanu El (two words) means “God is with us.” God will neither leave nor forsake us in our sins, for Messiah, the hope of the House of David, has come. We have, by faith in Messiah, the eternal relationship with God which our lives desperately need. For in Messiah Yeshua “God is with us!”
Isaiah told wicked King Ahaz that “if you will not believe you not will be established” (Isaiah 7:9). The same is true for each of us. Let us have faith in the God of Israel’s greatest miracle, Messiah, that we may be eternally established before Him. Y
This is part of a Messianic Answer Series under the title “Isn’t the Virgin Birth Inconcievable.” All of the tracts including this one can be downloaded and printed out for free. See the Word of Messiah bookstore at www.messianicbookstore.com

The Scripture states in Psalm 50:23, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”  In November we have designated one day for Thanksgiving, however I have often encouraged families to take a month for thanksgiving. Since the Scriptures are permeated with the theme of thanksgiving, our lives are to be permeated with thanksgiving as well. The Hebrew word for thanksgiving is todah. Todah means more than just showing appreciation, it also means praise and confession: “Now therefore, make confession (todah) to the Lord” (Ezra 10:11, see also Psalm 32:5). Here we see giving thanks as a confession of faith in the righteousness and justice of God.

The thanksgiving offering found in Leviticus 7 was simply called todah, or thanks, and was actually part of the peace offerings. “If he offers it [the peace offerings] by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil…of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings” (Lev. 7:12,15). It is only when we have true peace with God that we can offer true thanksgiving to God. If we lack a thankful heart before God then perhaps we should see if we have genuine peace with God. How do we have peace with God? “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Messiah Yeshua” (Romans 5:1). It is only by faith in Messiah Yeshua that we have peace with God. This is because He is our sin offering: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin [offering] on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). In the Hebrew Scriptures an offering is often referred to by simply using the descriptive word of that particular offering. So in 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul uses this same Hebrew phrase, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin.” Yeshua did not become sinful, but became our sin offering. This is why Yeshua is also our “peace [offering]” in Ephesians 2:14, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one.” Both Jews and Gentile are made into one family in God by partaking together in Messiah our peace [offering]. Indeed, peace with God is the basis for peace with one another.

Thanksgiving Expresses our Reliance on God
The Scriptures mention three occasions where no leftovers were permitted:

1) The Passover lamb for salvation, “And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire” (Exodus 12:10).

2) The manna for their daily bread, “And Moses said to them, ‘Let no man leave any of it until morning’” (Ex. 16:19).

3) The thanksgiving offering, “Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning” (Lev. 7:15). There was sense of urgency to be thankful as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. Our giving of thanks must not be left over until morning.

So often we want to wait to see how things will turn out before we give thanks to God. But this wait and see attitude reveals a lack of faith. In the midst of problems faith testifies that “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”(Rom. 8:28). This is why the New Covenant teaches, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua” (1 Thes. 5:18). Do not wait to see how things will turn out, instead, give thanks to God now! Thanksgiving is a sacrifice of faith that reflects trust in God’s sovereign will. In fact, those who left over the todah (offering) for a later time committed a sin and were not accepted before God. (see Leviticus 7:18).

Thanksgiving Expresses our Faith in God

Thanksgiving is a result of faith that freely trusts in God. “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will” (Leviticus 22:29). God does not force us to believe; we believe Him because He is trustworthy. Personal faith in God means dependence on who He is. Sometimes our circumstances are so difficult that giving thanks to God is truly a choice--a free will offering of faith. This is exactly the same faith demonstrated by the prophets: “But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving…Salvation is from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). In Hebrews 13:15 we read “Through Him [Yeshua] then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Likewise, we are exhorted to offer the fruit of our lips, the sacrifice of thanksgiving to our God today, this month and forever!

Thanksgiving Expresses Recognition of God's Sacrifice for Us

In light of the peace we have with God through the sacrificial gift of Messiah for our sins, how can we not give thanks to God? “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). One way we can give thanks to God is by sharing His love with people who do not have His peace. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for peace in the Middle East, let’s remember that for peace between Israeli and Palestinian there must first be peace with God through the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Therefore, let us give thanks to God for making us His children and one family in Messiah. “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord...” (1 Thes. 1:2,3). We are thankful to you and for you, as together we are reaching out to Jewish people around the world. There is no better time that this Thanksgiving season to express our deepest appreciation to you and say, Todah rabah! Thank you very much. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

The Feast of Booths (Sukkot) is a harvest festival. Sukkot was a way of both looking back to remember God’s provision in the wilderness for forty years and also rejoicing in God’s goodness and blessing of the present harvest in the promised land. As a harvest feast, it reminds us of the Lord’s wonderful provision for our lives. One of the provisions from the Lord is His security when we are vulnerable. 
In the wilderness, the Israelites appeared easily conquerable by the desert tribes living there, but the Lord was their secret weapon that guaranteed victory. As Israel was redeemed from Egyptian bondage by God’s power, so they are kept through the wilderness trials by God’s power. It is all the sovereign work of God. At Sukkot we are reminded of Passover, where we see the secret to enjoying both the sufficiency and security the Lord has for our lives. During Sukkot we are commanded to dwell in a booth or sukkah for seven days as a memorial. The booth pictures not only freedom from bondage, but also true security in God. 

Today, in our ‘wilderness journey,’ reliance upon Him is still our hope and protection. Sukkot reminds us that the people of God can never live as if we could manage spiritually on our own (Leviticus 23:43). We need the Lord. He is our sufficiency. As illustrated in the wilderness, our protection is in the Lord, for He Himself is our booth. As John writes:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
The Greek word used for “dwelt” among us is skeine, which is the verb form for the sukkah, alluding to Sukkot. Messiah appeared weak, frail, flimsy, just as a booth would appear. Little did people realize that beneath that ordinary exterior was the fullness of the omnipotent El Shaddai, God Almighty, the Holy One of Israel.

OUR COVERING
The word sukkah means to cover, as in protection. God’s hand was Moses’ sukkah in the cleft of the rock. When Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, God said to Moses: Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by.” (Exodus 33:21-22) 
Whatever victory king David achieved, he acknowledged that the Lord was a sukkah of protection in the battle. He praised God with this song of deliverance from Psalm 140:7, “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” 

OUR PROTECTION
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:2-6)
When the Scripture promises, “there shall be a tabernacle” that, too, is the sukkah. In the Kingdom, Messiah will be all the protection Israel or any nation will ever need. Our security is not found in our own abilities or possessions, but in Him, our Sukkah. Though to the world we may look weak and frail, in Messiah we are secure and strong. He will cover and protect us. Paul seems to hint at this very idea when he writes, Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 
In Yeshua we are a new creation, but only in Him. Whether in war or wilderness, in Yeshua our Sukkah, and in Him alone, we are secure. God has fully provided our salvation and new life. 

There is an additional reason God wants future generations to remember the wilderness experience. Sukkot testifies to the transitional nature of this world, and helps us remember the temporary nature of this life. There was no true rest in the wilderness. The booth itself had to be a temporary dwelling, we are to “dwell in a temporary abode” (Leviticus 23:42). 
When you live in booths you testify to your neighbors that this world is temporary and is not your home; we are all just passing through. Whatever you and I own now will one day pass away. My certain hope is to one day be with God, in the true Promised Land of Heaven. Even the Patriarch Abraham had this hope.
By faith he [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9-10)
All of this present age (Olam HaZeh) is like the wilderness. Therefore, just as we were not to live as permanent residents of the wilderness, so let us not live as though this temporal world is our permanent home. Like Abraham, we also look forward to our heavenly home, which our Lord has gone ahead of us to prepare: 
Yeshua said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

OUR ETERNAL SUKKAH
One day we will be in the very presence of the Lord, and still Sukkot will be pictured as the eternal hope of all who believe in Yeshua. There will be no more hunger, thirst, or weeping because “the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). Why will this be so fulfilling? We will be covered by “the Lord’s tabernacle [sukkah]” (Revelation 7:15). Every nation, tribe, people, and language will give honor and praise to Yeshua, the Lamb, the Lord of hosts, “when He comes, in that day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe” (2 Thessalonians 1:10). This will happen because Messiah our Sukkah will dwell among us: 
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
As we anticipate Thanksgiving Day, let us be thankful for His protection and provision in all circumstances, and appreciate the covering He provides in all seasons of our lives. 

Leviticus 23 points to the final work of redemption in the three final feasts. The first four spring feasts (Passover through Pentecost) begin the biblical year and typify our salvation in Messiah Jesus. The fall feasts in the seventh month is a time of completion, with each feast illustrating a facet of the fulfillment to God’s redemptive program.

  Yom HaTeruah
The day of Trumpets (yom hateruah, lit. “the day of blasting,” Lev. 23:23-25) is commonly called Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. Why is that? When the Jewish people came out of Babylonian captivity, they adopted the Babylonian civil New Year as their own. So, 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 feast, Jewish tradition teaches that this mysterious Feast of Trumpets 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 the great ram’s horn” (Isa. 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. Remembering “our blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), we want people to believe now, before the day of wrath appears (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). Right now we must be ready to be with the Lord (Revelation 22:7, 12, 21).

Yom Kippur
The next time is Yom Kippur, or day of Atonement. 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 and 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 Tribulation, 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, all Israel will receive “cleansing from sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1). In that day, the great confession of national Israel will be lamented, “All we like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way, but the Lord has laid on Him (Messiah) the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). And in that day the natural branches will be grafted back into “their own olive tree,” and “thus all Israel will be saved!” (Romans 11:23-26).
The day of Atonement reminds us that this national gathering of Israel is coming. Let us be hopeful and be sharing Messiah especially to the Jewish people and equally to the Gentiles. Let us not be merely religious, but truly restored to the Lord ourselves.

Sukkot
Finally comes the feast of Sukkot, or the feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). This harvest festival is called “Booths” because Israel would live in booths each year during this feast, to remind us that in the wilderness the Lord alone was our protection and security. When the Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple stood, seventy bulls were ceremonially sacrificed (Numbers 29:12-32). Early Jewish teachers saw the number of bulls representing the nations of the world (Sukkah 55b).
In current times, the lulav (a palm branch along with other branches) is waved in four directions since God is sovereign and will be acknowledged one day as King throughout the four comers of the earth. This hope is prophesied in Zechariah 14:9:
“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day it shall be ‘the Lord is One... and his name One.”

This feast marks the final gathering together of all people before God and will be celebrated with the most joyous celebration of all time (Revelation 7:9-15). All nations will be gathered before God, waving “palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9) and will be covered by “the Lord’s tabernacle” (Rev. 7:15). Every nation, tribe, people, and language will give honor and praise to the Lamb, the Lord of hosts. We will rejoice with His sovereign rule over our lives!

The Great Gatherings of God
We see the seventh month as a time when God completes His redemption plan: the gathering of the Body (Feast of Trumpets), the gathering of the nation of Israel (Day of Atonement), and the gathering of all nations (Feast of Booths). If we have trusted in His Passover salvation, we’re ready for Him, restored to Him, and ruled by Him. Let’s be mindful of this season to reach out and share His message while we still can! Invite a friend and gather with us for special services celebrating these great fall festivals!