Serving in the IDF, 'for the sake of God and Jesus'

Jerusalem Post ^ | July 24, 2009 | MATTHEW WAGNER

[JesusBmyGod]

I do wish they would have used Hebrew name Yahshua instead of the Greek name Jesus, but the move of the Holy Spirit is evident in the hearts and lives of these youth.

Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai!

[JesusBmyGod]

ping

[rom]

How cool! It’s been so incredible to see Jews come home to the Messiah.

I am friends with one Messianic Jew, and my wife met another at Church a few weeks ago. It seems like God is on the move. I didn’t know any Messianic Jews last year.

May God continue to Bless and Keep Israel!

[Fiji Hill]

THE FIGHT IS ON
The fight is on, the trumpet sound is ringing out,
The cry “To arms!” is heard afar and near;
The Lord of hosts is marching on to victory,
The triumph of the Christ will soon appear.

Refrain:
The fight is on, O Christian soldier,
And face to face in stern array,
With armor gleaming, and colors streaming,
The right and wrong engage today!
The fight is on, but be not weary;
Be strong, and in His might hold fast;
If God be for us, His banner o’er us,
We’ll sing the victor’s song at last!

The fight is on, arouse, ye soldiers brave and true!
Jehovah leads, and victory will assure;
Go buckle on the armor God has given you,
And in His strength unto the end endure.

Refrain

The Lord is leading on to certain victory;
The bow of promise spans the eastern sky;
His glorious Name in every land shall honored be;
The morn will break, the dawn of peace is nigh.

Refrain

—Leila Morris, 1905

[denydenydeny]

The Left will react to this story like vampires to holy water.

[mnehring]

Jesus supports the IDF...

While I love and support the IDF, I think it is presumptuous to speak for God.

[mnehring]

I do wish they would have used Hebrew name Yahshua instead of the Greek name Jesus...

Or translate it properly to Joshua.

[JesusBmyGod]

That's great! I am looking forward to the veil lifting on the eyes of the Jewish people to see their Messiah and cry out to Him.

I'm also looking forward to the wealth of knowledge that the Messianic Jews will bring to Messianic Gentiles to help us understand the Scriptures from a Hebraic point of view. Most Gentiles read the Scriptures from a Greek mindset and a lot of meaning is lost when the context is wrong. May we truly become one new man in Messiah!

Be blessed and Shalom

[rom]

Amen brother :)

[JesusBmyGod]

Yeah, it is. I often wonder how some journalist are trained in getting the correct message to the reading audience. I'm sure it could have been worded better.

However, the basic message in the article is that there are increasing numbers of Jews that are recognizing Yahshua as the promised Messiah and turning to Him for salvation. And THAT is an awesome thing indeed!

[JesusBmyGod]

I’m afraid you may be right. Oh well. Hopefully if they don’t have anything nice to say they won’t say anything at all.

[mnehring]

I agree, that first sentence just threw me. Not the best way to start the article.

[Quix]

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

I noted this on a similar thread.

Great.

[Buggman]

How cool! It’s been so incredible to see Jews come home to the Messiah.

It's wonderful to see the (much larger) Gentile wing of the Church finally allowing Jews who believe in Yeshua to remain Jews and faithful to the Torah without the threat of persecution and death.

Within two decades, Messianic Jews--that is to say, those that practice what is recognizably Torah-centered Judaism, as opposed to practicing Christians who just happen to be Jewish--will be considered a part of the Jewish community by the vast majority, even if a part that's a bit on the wierd side.

Shalom.

[rom]

Since you took a poke at Gentiles, then I think it is only fair to investigate what happens to a Jew who decides to follow Yeshua.

The tears that are in my friends’ eyes are very real from the verbal persecution and rejection that comes from their own community.

Either way, I do not think it constructive to tear the body of Christ apart — we should forgive those Christians who persecuted Jews in the past while trusting God to hold them accountable for their sins. Our generations’ responsibility is to see that Messianic Jews are being embraced wholeheartedly by Gentiles.

It is what Yeshua would have us do.

We also know that God hardens hearts sometimes to make His will be done according to His plans (see for instance the book of Romans).

I for one want to learn as much as I can from my Jewish brethren about the root of my faith. Gentile commentators have missed a lot of richness by lacking a Jewish background.

BTW, as a Gentile I love saying Yeshua, it gives me goosebumps — so I’m thankful for a chance to talk to Messianic Jews :)

[TzviaJ]

You cannot be Jewish AND Christian. The Messianic movement is for the lost Jews who have grown-up with liberal reform Judaism or for Christians who feel a connection to Judaism but don’t understand why and aren’t ready to give up their faith. With education, the Jews will come home and the Christians will become Noahides or consider conversion. The free lectures and articles at
OutreachJudaism.org and JewsforJudaism.org will help teach you why this is true. Or listen to IsraelNationalRadio online.

[Zionist Conspirator]

May HaShem guide these obviously well-meaning people from the error of idolatry to the Truth of the Torah!

[Zionist Conspirator]

You cannot be Jewish AND Christian. The Messianic movement is for the lost Jews who have grown-up with liberal reform Judaism or for Christians who feel a connection to Judaism but don’t understand why and aren’t ready to give up their faith. With education, the Jews will come home and the Christians will become Noahides or consider conversion.

Amen!

[topcat54]

I do wish they would have used Hebrew name Yahshua instead of the Greek name Jesus, ...

Some people feel the same way about the NT.

Many Messianic Jews see their obligation to serve in the IDF as no different from the obligation of other Christians in the US, Britain or even Jordan and Egypt to serve their respective countries. …

But for some, serving in the IDF has special theological meaning. The confusion comes, IMO, from this earlier statement, Lacking an exegetical tradition but serious about the sacredness and relevance of the biblical text, "believers" learn this obligation to serve in the army right out of the New Testament.

Messianism has largely thrown off 2000 years of Christian tradition in favor of a newly discovered approach to the Bible which seems to pit the Jewish traditions against the Church. Thus, it is no wonder that young people are confused about that the Bible teaches and requires.

[JesusBmyGod]

Messianism has largely thrown off 2000 years of Christian tradition in favor of a newly discovered approach to the Bible which seems to pit the Jewish traditions against the Church.

I will have to respectfully disagree. I see the "newly discovered approach to the Bible" as a returning to the original approach to understanding the Scriptures.

The apostles and first believers were Jews that were zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20) and did not forsake their Judaism. For example, Paul was to show this truth by taking a Nazarite vow and paying for the sacrifices for 4 other Jews as the Torah prescribed to show "that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Torah." (Acts 21:24)

Regarding the Gentile believers they were admonished to "keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality." (Acts 21:25) These behavior changes allowed Gentiles to enter into fellowship with Jewish believers and attend the synagouge for teaching and understanding the Torah.

Yahshua is the only connection Gentile believers have to the Torah as we are grafted into the tree of Israel.

Ephesians 2:12-13
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

It is through the Living Torah (Yahshua) that we can understand and live out the written Torah (the word that became flesh); and that only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Learning the Scriptures from a Hebraic mindset and the traditions of the first believers brings depth and enlightenment of the love of the Father. Understanding the foundation upon which we stand is critical, and this foundation is found in Yahshua who is a Jew...He is the perfect Rabbi.