Promise Keepers™ Reaches Out To Messianic Judaism
By H. Michael Weiner, Messianic Rabbi
Shomair Yisrael Messianic Jewish Congregation
Knoxville, Tennessee
Hallelujah!!! We shout, “Praise the Lord.” Over and over again jumping in exultation at what we have just witnessed. Joe Bell and I are standing on the field where second base ought to be in the BankOne™ domed stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. It is ordinarily the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks professional baseball team, but tonight it is home to the Promise Keepers™ 2003 Conference for Pastors with the theme, “Come Near To Me” (Gen 45:4). This night we are 7 rows from the front, up close to the stage.
The conference is the result of Coach Bill McCartney getting on his knees before God every day for the last two years. While he was praying, he heard the voice of God who told him to reach out to the Messianic Jewish Community and to demonstrate to the whole believing world that we Messianic Jews are a vital part of what God is doing in the Body of Messiah today. Just as Joseph reached out in the above quoted verse to his brothers with the phrase, “Come near to me” so Promise Keepers™ provided the venue for Messianic Jews and Messianic non-Jews (usually called “Christians” or “the Church”) to reach out to each other with those same words.
Joe Bell (Messianic Rabbi of K’hilat Ari Yehuda – Lion of Judah congregation in Bristol, TN) and I were privileged to represent the Messianic Jewish community of East Tennessee at this event that took place from Tuesday night, Feb 18th until Thursday at noon on Feb 20th. Jack Hayford was the emcee. Max Lucado set the tone with his talk at the beginning of the conference.
There were many other people groups included in the overall conference. There were similar outreaches to the Native American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and African American people groups. Each group had the opportunity to “tell their story” and to be received by the 12,000 pastors gathered there. But the entire first session was totally dedicated Messianic Judaism to honor the scriptures found in Romans 1 & 2 stating, “…to the Jew first.”
What we witnessed was an official recognition of the return of Messianic Judaism to the Body of Messiah after an absence of nearly 1,700 years. We know this touches God’s heart. It’s not that Messianic Judaism wanted to disappear, but it was forced into hiding by a church that declared anything Jewish was against Christ. On that day the traditional Rabbis rejoiced because Jewish declarations of faith all but stopped. The problem with taking Yeshua and believing Jewish people out of their Jewishness is the Jewishness of the Gospel itself. Yeshua and the disciples lived Jewish lives, celebrated Jewish holidays and never ceased to honor God through their Jewishness, patterns we are called to follow. Well into the first century, in the early church, all of the believers were Jewish. None of them had to give up their Jewishness in order to believe in the promised Jewish Messiah. For the last 1,700 years almost every Jewish person who came to a knowledge of the truth had to give up all Jewish heritage and practice in order to believe. The only opportunity to have community was to fit into the prevailing church community. Today, Messianic Judaism offers a choice.
What does the Scripture say concerning large numbers of Jewish people coming to faith? Examine these Scriptures pieced together from Romans, 9,10, & 11.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from the Messiah for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. Rom 11:1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! V.5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. V.12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! V.15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? V.25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, V.26 And so all Israel will be saved, V.29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. NKJV with Messianic Edit.
Messianic Judaism exists in part to provide a place where Jewish people can remain recognizably Jewish after coming to faith in the Jewish Messiah. It is a witness to the larger non-believing Jewish community that although the Rabbis teach differently, it is in accordance with the Word of God as a Jewish person to believe in the Jewish Messiah and to continue to live a Jewish lifestyle.
Please pray for Coach McCartney and for Promise Keepers™. Wednesday morning, (after the Tuesday night session) Coach McCartney asked the gathered pastors to commit to meet within 45 days with a Messianic Jewish leader in their town and invite him to a pulpit exchange. Only about 1/3 of the leaders accepted the challenge by standing up. This bothered Joe and me at the time, but after prayerful reflection we decided that all major moves of God throughout history have only been truly understood by some of the people who were witnesses to the events. Read John 17 to see how Yeshua prayed just before He was betrayed. Some really understand how important this is, some understand marginally and some not at all, but the seeds have been planted, and God’s Word will not return to Him void. Rom 11:15b what will their acceptance (significant numbers of Jewish people coming to faith) be but life from the dead? NKJV