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Word from Yerushalaim |
HAVE WE BELIEVED A LIE ?
"Preach the gospel and if necessary use words". This is a expression and belief here in Israel amongst many believers. For various reasons, many in the body of Messiah here in Israel and Jerusalem in particular hold to this kind of thinking, but the question that must be asked, is this scriptural? Have many of the followers of Messiah here in Israel "believed a lie? I have come to the only scriptural answer; which is YES. The phrase or belief in this doctrine ("Preach the gospel and if necessary use words") is not truth. We see in the temptation of Yeshua, in Mathew 4:1-10 how satan even quoted scripture (vs.,6) but out of context so that he could get Yeshua to believe and do something that was not truth. But Yeshua's answer was "It is written" and then rebuked satan taking His position in the written word of God.
THIS LIE IS GREATER THAN THE LIE OF, "LAND FOR PEACE"
Galatians 1:7 says: "which is not another (gospel); but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." This declaration was made because so many followers of Christ in Galatia had be tricked in to believing that law was also necessary to be saved. But in this case of ("Preach the gospel and if necessary use words") the lie is; there is no need to verbally preach the gospel of Christ. As a result many Israelis perish daily without the knowledge of God's Salvation which is contained in only one person Yeshua the Messiah (Acts 4:12). That to me is a greater tragedy and holocaust than this ongoing war of terror by Islam.
There are some very large ministries here in Jerusalem, with annual budgets in the millions of dollars that have made "a covenant with death" so to speak. Why? Because they have made agreements both verbally and in writing with the government of Israel and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to not verbally preach the gospel to Jews in the land. And many of the volunteers that come under their umbrella and ministry covering are told this agreement must now also be obeyed by each one of you as well. God knows that it is of the utmost importance that we live lives that are a total reflection of our Lord Yeshua HaMassiach. And truly as we allow His Holy Spirit to move in us we will be "an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
But in no way does this verse make the preaching of the gospel unnecessary. In (Romans 10:12-14) we see "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" the lie that is in the false declaration of "Preach the gospel and if necessary use words", becomes rather evident in light of this scripture.
A number of years back I attended a bible study in Toronto. The majority of those attending were Jewish followers of Yeshua. When we looked at the above scriptures one day at of our bible study discussion, one lady told us how she has attended a conservative synagogue in Toronto for over seventeen years as a follower of Messiah. But never shared her faith (in Yeshua as being our only source of Salvation from the sin in our lives). This lady was an absolute beautiful lady, she was so very kind, and a very generous giving woman, showing compassion in so many ways. Everyone in the synagogue loved her and appreciated what they saw in her, but because of her fear of being thrown out and of the possible persecution she never shared her faith in Yeshua. She whole heartedly believed the concept of "Preach the gospel and if necessary use words". And the end result is that laterally hundreds of these people in this synagogue who saw the goodness of Messiah in her life died and went to a eternal hell because they never heard the gospel of Salvation (English translation of Yeshua).
In America today there are actually some of the largest Messianic organizations that also now have bought the lie that the Jewish people do not need Jesus to be saved from their sins. And as a result no longer see the need to preach the gospel. We need to pray for these people both in Israel and in America that have adopted this lie. For according to (Galatians 1:8,9), this scripture so clearly warns that anyone who preaches a gospel other than the one received by revelation (Galatians 1:11-12), is eternally accursed. Brothers, sisters, this is a very strong warning of eternal condemnation for all who preach another gospel, "which is no gospel at all".
In Romans 1:16 the word says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;" I speak to you today as a prophet, not because of a title which I have, but because in the word (Revelations 19:10) "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy". And as such I call unto every one that has an ear to hear what the spirit is saying. Turn from this lie, which says there is no need to preach the gospel of Messiah, and repent and do the right things, including declare with words, the most precious good news ever given to man. "That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1Cor. 15:1-5).
It was for this reason that the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1:8)..."and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" The truth is when people hear the gospel and the power of the holy spirit is at work the results are "Now when they heard this (the gospel), they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:37,38).
Please be in prayer for the body of Messiah here in Israel. That they would be bold (Acts 4:29) and proclaim the gospel to the Jewish people and the Arab people also. That we would begin to see the Holy Spirit being poured out to empower His people to preach the truth in season and out of season. That the word would be confirmed with signs and wonders and miracles giving evidence of the power of the shed blood of Yeshua the Messiah. And that as people all over the world begin to preach this gospel to the Jew first, that they would see their family and friends receive life from the dead in their respective nations.
by: Simantov Allalouf
November 2005
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Here is another excellent article dealing with the same subject.
For Fear of the Jews
The first day of Ulpan (Hebrew classes) in Jerusalem, I noticed a couple, dressed in full Orthodox attire, tzitzit, head covering, kipah and all. The woman looked so familiar to me, that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I finally realized that she was a Jewish believer that I had known while living in the States. My first thought was, "she’s backslidden and married to a Jewish Orthodox man who’s not in the Lord." She finally recognized me too and motioned to me that we would talk after class. As we shared, I quietly asked her if she was still in Him. She assured me that she was, but I noticed that she didn’t hang around believers too much, but spent most of her time with the religious Orthodox in the class. We went to eat a meal one day after class where she and her husband revealed that they believed in Yeshua, but didn’t want to be labelled or identify with Christians, did not want to pray with believers in public and did not want to disclose who they were since they were new immigrants in the land.
They don’t attend any congregation since coming to the land. This is an extreme case, but I want to use it to demonstrate a point that is deeply on the Lord’s heart. Shortly after this, another Jewish believer in the class who I have known quite well, had fellowshipped and prayed with, took me outside the class to forewarn me that he didn’t want to talk about spiritual things in the class, or in other words, was going "undercover" too. I sensed fear all over this brother. This chat came right after an evening of prayer with some godly women who had prayed about this very issue of both Jews and Gentiles in the land "coming out of the closet." In fact, there was a woman at the prayer meeting who had made aliyah with her husband some years before through an arduous struggle that had included their being sent out of the land, a court case and finally an open door to become residents of Israel without hiding their true identities as Jewish believers. It had been an ordeal, but the Lord was faithful through their refusal to hide their identity in Yeshua and they now live, serve and testify in Israel.
One might say through these three different life stories that there are many different callings and many different ways to be a witness of Yeshua, but I continued to feel very stirred in my Spirit and it wouldn’t let up.
What I want to share with you is what the Lord has shown me about His heart in this matter of being a believer (Jew or Gentile) in the Land of Israel and beyond that, to share this word for any follower of Yeshua who might be struggling with fear. While praying one day, the following scene from John 20 came as a vision and I received a quickened word from the Lord.
John 20:19 says that after the crucifixion, the disciples were in a room WITH THE DOORS SHUT FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS. Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "peace to you." When He said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Now please hear this in your Spirit: The DOORS WERE SHUT FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS. These were Jewish believers, but they were afraid that their own people would kill them if they continued to openly identify with their Saviour.
Does the Lord want us to fear man? Is it not true that the one you fear becomes as God to you, obeying his will rather than the will of God? Can we fear man and fear the Lord at the same time? Did Yeshua fear His own people? Could He have willingly laid down His life for His own flesh and blood if He had feared them? But the disciples had their doors shut for fear of the Jews. So Jesus showed them his hands and his side to assure them that their last enemy, death, had been dealt the final blow and was under His feet forevermore. He came into their locked room to first impart His peace to these chosen disciples, quell their fear of death, fill them with the Holy Spirit and then send them out to walk as He walked on the earth. Jesus was saying, I give you the same peace I had while here in the flesh, the same peace that got me through, the same peace in the Holy Spirit that enabled Me to stay on that cross until all was FINISHED! He was giving them the peace of God that surpasses all the realm of natural thinking, the peace that’s not of this world.
God spoke to my heart, "My believers are in the land with the doors shut for fear of the Jews and because of it, the nation and the world is suffering a darkness that would be dispelled by their light. Jesus wants to come inside our locked rooms but when He does, He will commission us once again to come out into the light and walk as He walked. He said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." What was the sending of the Father? Was it not Calvary? Was it not to give His life for the sake of the world? Jesus had already prepared His chosen ones: "you will be persecuted, rejected, hated by all because of Me, even your own household will be your enemy." For how can the eternal love of God be displayed if not through these sufferings? How can one turn the other cheek if there is no one to strike it? How can one love an enemy if there is no contention? How can one say, forgive them, if there is no wound? How can we be transformed into the image of Christ if not through real life identification with the Crucified One?.
Death must work in us for life to work in them. Was Jesus giving His disciples a temporal peace just to get them through the fear of the moment or was He imparting the everlasting peace of God to get them over the finish line into eternity bringing their sheaves with them, truly a job well done. Jesus showed the disciples His wounds, not only to prove that it was He and that He was alive from the dead, but to show them that they would soon be empowered to walk as He walked and that they would also make it over to the victory side. He said we receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon us to be His witnesses (Gk=martyrs). Paul, in his identification with the Crucified One, said "I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." He determined to know nothing among us, but Christ crucified, which he said was the power and the wisdom of God.
In John 7:13, during the Feast of Booths, NO ONE WAS SPEAKING OPENLY OF HIM FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS. There was a fear of the Jews among the people during Jesus’ whole ministry on earth. This fear is a demonic spirit sent to keep the true witnesses muzzled. Its source is the fear of death and it is still operating in this land and throughout the Believing Community to a greater or lesser degree depending on the level of maturity and identification with the Crucified One. This spirit of the fear of the Jews is sent to paralyze the true witnesses who turn the case in the eternal court of heaven to the winning side and set captives free. For how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard and how will they hear without a preacher? This fear is a demonic counterfeit for the true fear of the Jews that has rested upon true believers throughout history who walk in the fear of God, the fear that causes many to turn to the Living God and to His Son, Yeshua. "And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."(Math10:28)
In John 9:22, when the parent’s of the man who received his sight were questioned about Jesus, FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS they told the authorities to ask their son. They passed the buck for the Jews had already agreed that if ANYONE CONFESSED HIM AS MESSIAH, THEY WOULD BE PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE. Is there not a fear even today of being put out of the "synagogue," a fear of being isolated, and ostracized by ones own flesh and blood, even a fear of having to "leave the land?" Yet when Jesus heard that they had put out THE MAN WHOSE EYES WERE OPENED from the synagogue, He found him and disclosed Himself to him. The healed man came out from among his own people who were entangled in the fear of man and he identified with the Man who had healed Him. Will we be as the parents ensnared by the fear of man, passing the buck, or like the son who, though rejected by the authorities, gave honour to the One who had healed Him and in so doing, encountered Him face to face? "Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.
In John 12:42, the word says that even though many of the rulers believed in Him, BECAUSE OF THE PHARISEES THEY WERE NOT CONFESSING HIM FOR FEAR THAT THEY WOULD BE PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE FOR THEY LOVED THE APPROVAL/GLORY OF MEN RATHER THAN THE GLORY OF GOD. In John 16:1-2, Jesus said, "these things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. THEY WILL MAKE YOU OUTCASTS FROM THE SYNAGOGUE. He said that when we are cast out, we should remember that He told us before so that we will not be ensnared at that moment in the fear that makes us shrink back from trusting God, for "my righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him."Paul said that if he still was looking to please men, he would not be a bond-servant of God.
When Esther shrunk back in fear and doubt, Mordecai said, "Do not imagine that YOU IN THE KINGS PALACE can escape any more than all the Jews. There was a season when Esther was counselled to hide her identity, but that season was over. She now had to trust God to keep her, no longer through hiding her identity, but in revealing it. Esther had to disclose who she was as a Jew in order to deliver the Jews. I believe that God is saying to the Messianic believers who are in the KINGS PALACE that if they continue to remain silent at such a time as this, they will not only forfeit their great eternal calling to be light to the whole world, but also their own lives : 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. Are we in the King’s palace to be safe and secure or to lay down our lives so that others may live? Esther finally said, "if I perish, I perish." Have we come to that same point of no return?
What fear has you locked up in a room? Are you "locked up in Israel for fear of the Jews?" Are you shut in because of an inordinate fear that has replaced the fear of God? Now please hear this: any fear that takes the place of God will lock you up in a room. It may be a beautiful room (acceptable religion can be very good-looking), but it will lock you out of the kingdom of His power and glory. Jesus wants to come into your room to reveal His wounds to you afresh and free you from the fear of death. He wants to come inside to breathe His peace upon you and restore you to the fear and joy of the Lord. He wants to send you out of that room empowered to do the same works He did. He wants to bring you over to the victory side of faith where no fear can touch you, but the fear of God alone. He says, "Behold, I put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie- I will make them come and bow down at your feet , and make them know that I have loved you.
Greta