Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Christian Over-Fascination with the Rabbis

Why are so many Christians fascinated with making connection to Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis who do not believe in Jesus, and are not equally or surpassingly (not even remotely!) in making connection with the Israeli Messianic Jews who are leading the 15-20,000 strong Body of Messiah in Israel?

Ultra-Orthodox protest outside the private residence of a Messianic Jewish believer in Arad. The woman, a widow, was targeted for many years because she was a foster mom to the children of other believers who had passed away. The ultra-Orthodox did not approve of a follower of Yeshua raising the children.

It just makes me crazy to see Christian leaders and regular Christians flocking to the rabbis who do not believe in Jesus, and acting like the ones who do believe in Yeshua are no big deal. Where does that attitude even come from? Maybe from the grand illusion that your connection with them is going to result in their coming to Jesus.

Let me tell you this: in God's plan, Israel is being 'harvested' by His laborers in that field - like the laborers who brought in the harvest for Boaz in the book of Ruth. And what was the role of the non-Jew Ruth? Well she labored alongside Boaz's laborers.  She did not try to take over the harvest field and bring in the harvest herself. No, she labored in assistance to the main laborers.

When Ruth married Boaz, that did not restore the inheritance to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. The only thing that could restore Naomi's inheritance in the people of God was the SON of Ruth and Boaz. See - only as Ruth labors alongside Boaz' harvest-bringer-inners, will the SON be brought forth who will restore the inheritance to those Jews who have no spiritual inheritance in the LORD. Get it?

So this week, I received an email from a concerned Messianic ministry family in Israel because they became aware through Christian churches and groups in the U.S. that these Christians were inviting a pair of ultra-Orthodox rabbis to speak in their churches. I have kept the Messianic family anonymous because they have had more than enough backlash and trouble as believers of Yeshua in Israel, but here is the report I provided from them in Israelprayer, including links to YouTube where these rabbis are speaking in US Christian churches.

"We received word in Israel from a reliable ministry source who we are keeping anonymous in order to protect them from any backlash, that there are two ultra-Orthodox Jews who belong to Bayit HaYehudi who are being promoted among gentile Christians in the United States.

In fact, Jeremy Gimpel (Israel Update) and Ari Abramowitz (The Land of Israel) are quickly becoming highly sought after speakers to Christian churches and groups, as they have been instructed how to speak to Christians as if their religious beliefs are exactly the same as Christians.

Our Israeli ministry friends say that they personally know Christian groups that these two men are being promoted among, and are concerned because the aftermath of speakers like them have led many believers to deny the Lord and convert to rabbinic Judaism.

This is a head’s up if you are not aware of these men, so that you may be aware. You can watch them speak on YouTube videos here and here Also this website in connection" http://mizrachi.org/

As Christians, our relationship with Israel is strongest when we link to the Body of Messiah Yeshua in Israel. We need them and they need us - and God made it that way for His purposes to be perfected by our mutual respect, care and alliance.