What kind of Clothes are You Wearing?

Rabbis would often use parables to teach a Biblical Truth and Yeshua, Jesus, the Rabbi with all Authority, is a Master at this. 

Yeshua again used parables in speaking to them:  "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son, but when he sent his slaves to summon the invited guests to the wedding, they refused to come.  So he sent some more slaves, instructing them to tell the guests, `Look, I've prepared my banquet, I've slaughtered my bulls and my fattened cattle, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding!'  But they weren't interested and went off, one to his farm, another to his business; and the rest grabbed his slaves, mistreated them and killed them.  The king was furious and sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city.  "Then he said to his slaves, `Well, the wedding feast is ready; but the ones who were invited didn't deserve it.  So go out to the street-corners and invite to the banquet as many as you find.'  The slaves went out into the streets, gathered all the people they could find, the bad along with the good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.  "Now when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who wasn't dressed for a wedding; so he asked him,  `Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark!' In that place people will wail and grind their teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen."  Matthew 22:1-14, Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

In parables the King is always God, the Kingdom of Heaven –- God's Kingdom, and in this case those invited are children of Israel.  The Kingdom of Heaven starts now as we walk arm-in-arm with God and following after Yeshua the Messiah.  (While Yeshua talks about all those who were invited and did not come, we should remember that many Jews did follow Him and believed in Him - By the thousands!)

Yeshua is telling His audience that God will destroy those who refused to come to the wedding, and if fact, killed the messengers -- the prophets who have called God's People to repentance and foretold the coming of the Messiah.  Since those who were originally invited would not come, God now has expanded the invitation to the rest of the world, the Gentiles - Guess what, we're all invited! 

Now the King comes to be the guests and finds someone not dressed in his wedding clothes, and has him cast into the darkness where there is wailing and grinding of teeth.  But we say; "Wait a minute!  They were just brought in from the street.  How would they have time to go and dress?  Maybe they didn't even have wedding garments! 

In ancient times, when a king would have a grand feast, a wedding or some grand celebration, he would often give gifts to the guests -- garments suitable to wear to the feast.  Who would not put on the wedding clothes?  When God invites us into His Kingdom, to His Wedding Feast -- And we accept the invitation -- He gives us wedding clothes!

 I am so joyful in ADONAI! My soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in salvation, dressed me with a robe of triumph, like a bridegroom wearing a festive turban, like a bride adorned with her jewels.  Isaiah 61:10, CJB  

And, He gives us other fine garments as well -- Gifts of the spirit!   

Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good.  To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, CJB.

Now when our King sees us at His Wedding Feast -- What kind of clothes will He see us wearing?  The ones He gives us or the same clothes we came in with?  How can He tell?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.  Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake.  Galatians 5:22-24, CJB   Everyone will know that you are my talmidim (my disciples) by the fact that you have love for each other.  John 13:35, CJB

So . . . If we say that Yeshua is LORD but the King sees us and asks; "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?";  What does that mean?  Have we only given mental acknowledgment that Jesus, Yeshua, is LORD and Savior (but not really LORD and Savior of my life)?  Are we living as someone who belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven?  Did we really put on the Wedding Clothes?  What kind of clothes are you wearing?   

Keep silent before Adonai ELOHIM, for the Day of ADONAI is near. ADONAI has prepared a sacrifice; he has set apart those he invited.  When the time comes for ADONAI's sacrifice - "I will punish the leaders and the sons of the king, also those who dress in foreign clothes."  Zephaniah 1:7-8, CJB  

We pray you have your Wedding Clothes on!  

The Miracle of Chanukah and The Manhattan Declaration

Hebrews, our ancestors in the Faith, celebrate the tradition of Chanukah for eight days during December. Today, the focus of Chanukah is that there was only enough pure, holy, oil to light the seven lamps of the Tabernacle Menorah for one day; the oil lasted eight days.  Menorahs with nine lamps, called Chanukiah, are lit during Chanukah.

In our opinion, the focus is that God gave a small group of passionate citizens miraculous victory against an oppressive, superior, enemy force who seized, desecrated, and defiled the Tabernacle and tried to force them to abandon Him. They would not, under any circumstance, stand idly by as their religious freedom was assaulted.

They were prohibited, under penalty of death, from fulfilling the covenant God made with them to circumcise their sons (cf., Genesis 17:9-14), keep Shabbat, the Sabbath, and from obeying God's instruction to celebrate His Feasts, His appointed times (cf., Leviticus 23).

They reclaimed the Tabernacle and religious freedom.  They purified the entire Tabernacle and relit the Menorah. The brilliance of the lighted Tabernacle radiated for miles!  God’s people once again kept Shabbat and dwelled with Him again as they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. Chanukah is a time of Dedication (cf., John 10:22).

In America, religious freedom is being constantly assaulted.   A growing number of Americans, like our Ancestors in the Faith, are committed to not stand idly by as religious liberties are assaulted.  They are taking action by signing a document called the Manhattan Declaration.  Read it.  We urge you sign it as a declaration of your commitment to obeying God no matter what the cost.  If your Pastor hasn't brought it to the attention of the Congregation; ask him to!  Make it a time of Dedication: http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/ .

May we honor God by obeying His instructions, standing firm in faith, and purifying our personal Tabernacle (cf., 1 Cor:16-17). May the brilliance of our Saviour’s light in us flood a dark world! May we dwell with Him with great joy in preparation for the time when we ALL tabernacle with Him in Jerusalem (cf., Zechariah 14)!

Grief that Heals - Abraham’s Grief and “Sitting” Shiva

Abraham bakhah’d, cried aloud, wailed, maybe even screamed, immediately after Sarah died. After he bakhah’d, he stood up from Sarah’s presence, p’nay. He had been in front of, before her - face.  Genesis 23:2-3

These are healthy responses to grief, releases of grief, valves for spontaneous, strong, expressive emotions. In His Wisdom, God designed us with voice and lungs. It’s fitting to use them at such a time.

Another healthy response is the Hebrew traditional custom of Shiva.

Shiva comes from the Hebrew word, Sheva, meaning seven. Shiva begins immediately after burial. Mourners walk through, experience, and release grief over the course of a week: together. Focus isn’t on the physical person of a loved one, but on the essence of who their loved one is; their soul. Reflecting on the loved one’s soul is a reminder that they, too, are a soul.

A soul is thought of as the light of a flame. Each person brings light into the world. Light can be taken from a flame to light more candles without diminishing the original flame. Like the flame, a person can give of himself, touching many lives, without ever being diminished.

A soul always looks upward to God, for what is good and right; a flame burns toward heaven. A memorial candle is lit in the Shiva house. It burns throughout the entire week. Its flame reminds mourners that their loved one's soul is eternal. This thought brings light into the darkness they are experiencing.

Mourners at Shiva sit low as a sign of mourning. It is a physical connection to the loneliness and grief they feel. They “Sit” Shiva.

In a time of devastating personal loss affecting an entire congregation, a wise Christian Pastor walked the Congregation through the experience of Shiva. The Congregation comforted each other; they were extremely sensitive to each other’s needs. They experienced true Community as they bonded in common grief, expressing it, and releasing emotion in the traditions of Shiva.

Grief through Hebrew Eyes: Abraham and Sarah

We are deeply moved in discovering how Abraham grieved for Sarah immediately after she died. What moves us is understanding it through Hebrew eyes.

In Genesis 23:2-3, the Text says, “Abraham came to mourn Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead . . .” New King James Version

The process of mourning does involve weeping.  But, when Abraham wept, it wasn’t quiet, dignified, weeping. In Hebrew, bakhah, Abraham bakhah’d; he cried aloud. Middle Eastern people don’t cry softly in their grief. They’re a people of spontaneous, strong, expressive, emotion. Abraham bakhah’d; he cried aloud. Think of his cries as wailing, maybe even screaming.

The Text then says he “stood up from before his dead.” Abraham stood up from Sarah’s presence, p’nay, in Hebrew. More than that, p’nay speaks to his being in front of, before her – face. Her face is where he saw her express life.

Abraham’s bakhah, his crying aloud; his p’nay, being in front of Sarah’s face; his standing up to move away from her presence, p’nay, are missed in translation. In understanding bakhah and p’nay, his grief is visible, we experience it. We are moved!

Sh’av – Our Path:

Since the time of the Exodus, our ancestors in the Faith, the children of Israel – Hebrews – the Jewish people, have called upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and declared that He alone is the Lord of the universe:  “Sh'ma Yisrael, Adonai Elohaynu, Adonai Echad” – “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD Alone.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)  We believe this with all our heart, and with all soul, and with all our might.  We believe this expression speaks to God’s eternal existence, in plural unity – Echad.  A faithful Jew recited Sh'ma morning and evening (they still do).  Longer than just this one verse, the Sh'ma is not just a declaration to “hear” God’s Words but to “do” what God has instructed us all to “do”.  (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 6:8; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:4-6)

For all the centuries leading to the 1st century of our time, the Scriptures, “the Text” as the Rabbis would say, spoke of The One to Come.   He would make atonement for the failure to keep the Blood Covenant between God and Abraham, “Walk before Me and be blameless”.  He would be the atonement, called for from the beginning, for all who call on His Name.  He would cause God’s instructions to be written on the hearts of His people.  Yeshua, Jesus, came as God in the Flesh – the Son of God – the Messiah.  He came for us all.  “He is the full radiance of God’s glory and the flawless manifestation of His reality.” (John 1:1–14; Hebrews 1:1-3)

The Hebrew Text, known to most Christians as the Old Testament, speaks many times of the Spirit – the Ruach, or the Spirit of Holiness – the Ruach Kodesh.  The Ruach had acted upon selected people at various times.  Now Ruach HaKodesh, God’s Spirit of Holiness, the Holy Spirit, empowers, all whom God regenerates through Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of boldness, a spirit of love and a spirit of total commitment.” (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Timothy 1:7)

God speaks to us in many ways but the most reliable is through the Bible, His Text.  We believe that the Scriptures, in their original language, are the very Words of God.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Ever since telling God we knew how to tend a garden, we have been unable to free ourselves from sin.  We believe the only approach to the Holy One, blessed be He, the only pathway to salvation is by grace through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus, the Messiah.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by deeds, so that no one can boast.” (John 14:6; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8–9)

 But, as we read Psalm 32, and see that God has always extended His Grace to truly repentant people who looked forward or looked backward to the Messiah, we believe that faith without action is a dead faith. “Whoever claims to be in Him, must walk as Jesus walked.” (Philippians 2: 9-13; James 2:17-18 & 26; 1 John 2:6)

Ever since that moment in history, when Yeshua died on a tree of shame for our sakes, all those who call on the name of Jesus the Messiah as Lord and Savior are part of the Mishpakhah of Yeshua, the Community of Faith, the Body of Christ. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”  (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:4-6)

Yeshua, Jesus, was born a Jew, lived and taught as a Jew, died, was raised by God, is alive today, is still a Jew!  All of the first believers were Jews.  Why would we want to be separated from the heritage we have in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?  “You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Romans 11:11-18)

Again and again, God and the prophets spoke to Israel concerning God’s Covenant.  The Covenant He made with these people was about them and the land, His People and His Land.  It is irrevocable.  While Gentiles are grafted in to the Olive Tree, we do not find anything in Scripture to suggest God has broken His Covenant with Israel.  As we travel the path of His covenant coming to completion, Jesus reminds us one thing that will have to happen along the way as He spoke to Israel and especially the religious leaders: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, . . . .  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 15; Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Amos 9:11-15; Matthew 23:37-39; Romans 11:1-10 & 25-32)

The Hebrews were and are, never obsessed with life’s destination – they are more concerned about the Path.  If you are on the Path, don’t worry, the Destination, Heaven, will be there!  We want to focus on the Path – God has the rest covered; we know that Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, is coming again in power and glory! “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Zechariah 14:1-19; Matthew 24:30-31; Revelation 19:11-16)

Why Sh'av?

Drawing water from the Spring of Salvation  - And with joy you will draw water from the spring of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

Sh’av comes from the Hebrew word sha-av. Sh’av is the imperative form of the verb - and it means "Draw (water).” Isaiah 12:3 speaks of drawing "water from the spring of salvation," with joy! In relation to this, we want to celebrate the goodness and reliability of God's word by drawing out the meaning and significance, the picture, of the Biblical Text from the Text itself – in its eastern, cultural context – rather than reading a meaning into it from our 21st century, western world view – something God never intended.