Michael Edwards for The New York Times
Posted on 07/30/2005 11:45:33 AM PDT by Pharmboy
Michael Edwards for The New York Times
Rabbi Eckstein, left, and Pastor Munsey at the Family Christian Center in Munster, Ind.
"This guy is a kingdom guy,'' said the Rev. Steve Munsey, gesturing toward Yechiel Eckstein. We were sitting in the greenroom of the Family Christian Center in Munster, Ind., about 40 minutes from Chicago. We were between Sunday-morning services, and Pastor Munsey was taking a break, kicking back to welcome his guest. ''What do I mean by kingdom guy?'' he said. ''Like a godfather in the Mafia, it's a term of respect.''
Eckstein accepted the compliment with a smile and sipped his coffee (from the church's own Starbucks). Eckstein has spent a professional lifetime in evangelical churches, although he had rarely seen one as grand as the Family Christian Center, with its 5,000-seat auditorium and a pulpit that boasts a theatrical replica of biblical Jerusalem complete with Golgotha's hill and, in the words of Pastor Munsey, ''a very lifelike cave depicting the tomb where Jesus was lain.''
A lanky deacon came over to shake Eckstein's hand and said, ''It's a thrill to meet a man like you.'' Eckstein smiled. The deacon is said to be one of the biggest steel contractors in America. Devout Christian laypeople like him have built Eckstein an empire.
''I support Israel in every way possible,'' Munsey said. ''For example, I make it a point to buy my clothes from Jews.'' Since he was wearing jeans and a battered sports jacket, it was hard to assess the monetary value of this contribution. Munsey was dressed informally because he planned to ride his customized Harley motorcycle onto the pulpit. The bike is named the Passion, and it has a crown of thorns painted across it.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
But wait a minute...don't Evangelicals not like Da Joos?? /sarcasm
All this hyperactivity is financed by the contributions of evangelical Christians. In the last eight years alone, an estimated 400,000 born-again donors have sent Eckstein about a quarter of a billion dollars for Jewish causes of his personal choosing. No Jew since Jesus has commanded this kind of gentile following.
In all due respect to the Rabbi, it is still Yeshua these gentiles are following. All the Rabbi had to do was ask.
And, by the way, that was a terrific article. Thx for posting it.
Evangelicals played a huge part of the aliyha project.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you..
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society Emphasis added.
Now I know where mega-churches get their bad rap from.
Such a sentiment makes me shudder.
He seemed to be under the impression that Jews govern Bulgaria and had been involved in withholding accreditation from his school.
This too.
''I'm a Jewish rabbi,'' he informed the congregation. ''An Orthodox Jewish rabbi. I believe in a Messiah, but I am an Orthodox Jewish rabbi.''
I bet the majority of the Congregation will believe, with this response, that he is a Christian Jewish Rabbi. That's not a good thing.
Needless to say (I hope), the Orthodox Jewish concept of the Messiah is different from the Christian concept.
No kidding.
probably is -but the fact remains I have never had much problem with the Othodoxy --It's th eJack Mormons, and Liberal Jews in name only--and the Kennedy /bill Press Catholics that make my skin crawl.
Does this congregation realize this rabbi worships a different God?
'Hog' ping.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!"
My pleasure, friend.
I was thinking the same thing...but then I thought, the Rabbi is seeing the power of Yeshua day in and day out. Don't think in the quiet of night he hasn't asked himself about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is in there working all the time.
Christians ought not be out to convert our beloved Jewish brothers and sisters, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Nothing we can say can make a difference compared to His call.
"Be of good cheer." All's well that ends well.
Does he?
I thought that Jews and Christians worship the same G-d. It's on Christ that they disagree. That is not so?
The following delineates the Biblical standard:
1Jo 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
"""And, by the way, that was a terrific article. Thx for posting it.""'
DITTO
Jews believe that the God of Genesis through Malachi is different than Jesus. Christians believe He's the same God. Sounds to me like Jews and Christians worship different Gods. I realize many Christians think that because Christianity shares a common heritage with Judaism that we worship the same God. Much of St. Paul's writings to the early church was a call to leave the Jewish traditions behind. The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to show that the OT ceremonial law were shadows and signs pointing to Christ who is the substance of all they pointed to.
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