Way Past Time

                                Posted by Robert Ray Greene

Quote from Dr. Missler:
"What I used to regard as patriotism I now regard as an obsolete form of idol worship.
The America that used to stand for freedom and liberty is a thing of the past.
I might say a myth of the past.
The net of it is though that I think the damage being done is not reparable. A lot of people think that in the coming elections this thing will probably be repaired. But I don't think so. 
Even if it was I don't think the kind of damage that has been done to what we used to embrace as America - I think it's over. It is done and I think the times that are coming are more trouble than ever.
Now that may be a great blessing from a spiritual point of view. Our Chinese friends, the Chinese Church, prays for the American Church, prays for persecution because they believe that that will make it healthier. And they're really right in a sense.
But the point is, I think there are very, very dark times coming for America and the big challenge for all of us is a) to understand them and then be prepared to minister in those times because I think that things are going to get far more rough than most people have any idea.
The primary thing that overwhelms me is the Biblical illiteracy. In the pulpits, not only in the pews !
And so, I think it's time to do our homework. A time for us to dust off the things we knew and make sure we do, and be prepared to give people answers.
And I think that the primary thrust is to get serious about it. I think that it's a question of stewardship of our hearts...and I think God wants to be Number One on a list of One, not ten.
And so I think that now is the time to focus, now is the time to take Him seriously. And I think everyone of us are called to a specific ministry and they're not the same. And the great adventure in life is to discover that specific ministry He has called us to and then get about it, get on with it.
Because I think that the time is short, its exciting, its challenging and preparation is essential. Now is the time."

i can only add that it is waaay past time.

History

                                              Contributed by Jimmy Odom

The first century contained a Judaism with many sects. Today is not much different. There may be different names but sects still exist and operate. During the first century, there were five primary groups that we are going to look at. These are not all by any means, but are the ones we will be studying for now.

PHARISEES - Ruling sect, clung steadfast to tradition
SADDUCEES - They drew their inspiration primarily from Temple worship
ESSENES - They withdrew to the wilderness to await the Messiah. Qumran is believed by many to be one of their communities.
NAZARENES - Also known as "Followers of the Way" or "The Way." Led by Paul after Jesus ascension.
ZEALOTS - Nationalists seeking to free Israel from Roman control
The Zealots ceased to be around the years 66-70 A.D. This was the group that Judas Iscariot belonged to and that met it's end when the first Jewish revolt was put down. This is the time the Temple was destroyed and has yet to be rebuilt. The Jewish Revolt also led to the end of the Sadducees... no Temple to worship at, and the Essenes also disappeared at this time. This left, primarily, the Pharisees and the Nazarenes.

The church began within Judaism as an all Jewish sect. Very few Gentiles converted but with the sending forth of Peter and Paul, this began to change rapidly. After the destruction of the Temple there was a great dispersion. The Pharisees had basically rejected "The Way" and the Gospel was sent to the Gentiles. Romans, chapter eleven explains how the Gentile was grafted into the roots of Judaism. During these trying times, Jews often hid Christians from persecution. The ties were very close and followers of "The Way" were seen as family.

A second Jewish revolt occurred during the years 132 to 135 A.D. This is also known as the Bar Kokaba Revolt led by the man of the same name. Bar Kokaba proclaimed himself to be the Messiah and shortly thereafter, Rabbi Akida confirmed his claim, thus adding validity to the revolt. This left Jewish Christians with a dilemma; join the revolt and deny Jesus as Messiah or withhold support and be seen as traitors by the brethren. They chose to stay out of the revolt. This caused a breach within the two communities and further separated the Christians from the Jews. The hostilities that developed were the beginning of Anti-Judaism which is still with us. This separation partly aided in the outreach to the Gentile nations but caused a very wide chasm between the church and it's roots.

The Church begins to define itself apart from Judaism beginning about 160 A.D., the time of Justin Martyr. The Church began to turn arrogant and, during the second, third and fourth centuries, Greek thought swept into the Church like a flood. A whole series of events led to the de- Judaising of the Church. Unfortunately, Christian hostility toward Judaism also developed hostility toward the Jews. There were scattered occurrences of Jews and Christians shielding one another from persecution, but it was the exception and not the rule. Hostilities and persecutions grew and the Jews rapidly became the minority wherever they were. In 1879 the term Anti-Semitism was coined by Wilheim Marr. Marr was a German political agitator describing Jews as a different "race." This was the first recorded time this concept was expressed. Anti-Semitism is a 19th-20th century phenomenon. The hostility from ancient times is best described as Anti-Judaism. What seems to be Anti-Jewish in scripture is an "Intra-Family" device used to win Jews by Jews. In the second century, it became Anti-Jewish to win Gentiles by Gentiles. In the first place, we have Jews against Jews; in the second, we have Gentiles against Jews. The loss of Jerusalem was seen as evidence of God's rejection of the Jew. The early church fathers saw the suffering of the Jewish people as directly related to their "sin" of rejecting Jesus as Messiah. In the fourth century, the Church began to read the scripture designating all blessings to the Church and all curses to the Jews.

After the second Jewish Revolt, Judaism lost it's status as a legal religion in Rome. Jews were subsequently banned from Jerusalem. It was later, in the fourth century that Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Jews lost many rights with this edict. Jews were no longer permitted to dwell in Jerusalem and by 339 A.D., it was considered a criminal offense to convert to Judaism. Later, in 380 A.D., the bishop of Milan caused the burning of a Synagogue and referred to it as "an act pleasing to God." In their zealousness to keep Gentiles from being drawn into Jewish worship and law, early Church fathers began to attack Jews and Judaism from their pulpits and in their writings.

To deal with Old Testament scriptures, New Testament thought was read "into" rather than "out of" the Biblical text. This rendered the Tanakh little more than allegory. As Christians began to "spiritualize" the scriptures, they tended to treat unconverted Jews with more hostility.

During the Middle Ages, the Jews created separate lives due to the community, i.e. dress, habits, social restrictions, etc. The Church viewed them as useful primarily as money lenders. The scriptures forbade lending with usuary, Christians did not consider this applicable to the Jews. The Jews found this offensive, but were pressed into this service and later despised for the positions they held as a result. The Jews were also required to wear distinctive hats or sew on patches. Isolated from larger society, accusations were soon to follow. Jews were said to have a peculiar smell, not the "odor of sanctity." They were said to be the sucklers of sows and called Christ killers. The Jews were accused of being "desecrators of the host," they were presumed to secretly enter Churches to pierce the Holy Wafer and let the "real blood" of Jesus flow out. They were also accused of killing Christian infants and using their blood for their Passover wine. Jews were accused of poisoning the wells and causing the Black Plague which killed one-third of Europe's population. . . All False.

In the year 1096 A.D., Pope Urban II called for the liberation of the Holy Land from the Muslims and the Crusades were born. On the way to wage war against the Infidels, many began to wonder why they should wait until they reached the Holy Land. They could rid the world of the Christ killers as they went. The Jews suffered greatly. Meanwhile, the rabble and ne'er- do-wells, who were unfit as soldiers, fulfilled their imaginary duty by falling on nearby Jewish villages. This was done all across Europe, killing and raping hapless Jews, leaving Synagogues burning in their wake. Just as at Massada, many Jews chose suicide rather than forced conversions. Death or conversion was the only choice given those caught. One form of trial to test the converted Jews was the "Trial by Water" or "Water Test." After the suspect was bound he/she was cast into a body of water, either a lake, stream or pond. The liars were said to float, whereby they were executed. The truthful sank and promptly drowned...how convenient!

One of the first waves of Crusaders to arrive in the Holy Land began to search for the infidels. Upon approaching a village, they were met by a party of men, well dressed in flowing robes and armed for battle. The Crusaders fell upon them and killed them all with little resistance. Upon entering the village, they learned from the women that they were Christians coming out to join with them. The only excuse offered was the question, What right do Christians have to wear turbans?

In the year 1099 A.D., the Crusaders besieged Jerusalem. During this time, the Crusaders herded the Jews into a central Synagogue and set it on fire. The soldiers formed a ring around the Synagogue holding their shields emblazoned with the Cross and singing hymns. Anyone who tried to escape was prodded back inside by the lances of the brave and noble knights. Can it be any wonder that the Jew finds it offensive when he sees a banner proclaiming a crusade coming to his city? Christians need to rethink some of their terms and their origins.

The next event of note was the European expulsion of Jews. England began to expel Jews in 1306, followed by Spain, Germany and Austria. Later, in 1492, the Inquisition began. This occurred the same year the "New World" was found by Christopher Columbus. Our home was being discovered while the European Jews were losing theirs! Thousands of Jews were tortured and burned at the stake. Finally, the Jews were ordered to convert to Christianity or leave Spain; more than 150,000 fled. They became wandering nomads, finally settling in North Africa and around the Mediterranean. Many converted openly, but secretly remained Jews and became known as Marranos.

In the year 1523, Martin Luther issued a tract, That Jesus Was Born a Jew," with high hopes of converting the Jews. They did not respond as desired and his attitude changed toward them. Twenty years later, in 1543, Luther was writing such tracts as On Jews and Their Lies." Luther called for Jews to be permanently driven out of the land.

In the later part of the nineteenth century, there were six million Jews in Czarist Russia, the largest Jewish population in the world. With the onslaught of vicious pogroms, thousands died and many more fled. Between 1880 and 1910, more than two million immigrated to America. The year 1894 saw the "Dreyfus Affair." Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew serving in the French Military, was accused of giving secret documents to the Germans and was convicted for being a traitor. After being imprisoned, he was finally exonerated and drew the world's attention to the problem of Anti- Semitism. A few years later there are again pogroms in Europe and Russia followed with World War II and the Nazis.

Could these things have been avoided if the Church remembered it's Jewish roots? It is sad to think that we do not teach our history in our churches, rather it is taught in the Synagogue.

http://hebroots.org

PASSOVER Seder Haggadah

Prayer

Candle lighting

Shehechyanu

Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam

She-he-chee-ya-nu v’ki-yi-ma-nu

Vi-hi-gi-ya-nu  l’z-man ha-zeh   Amein

Translation: 

Blessed art thou, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe

Who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.  Amein

Passover has a message for the conscience and heart of all mankind.  For what does it commemorate?  It commemorates the deliverance of a people, the people of YHWH, from degrading slavery, from foul and cruel tyranny.  Though wrong may triumph for a time, and even though it be perpetrated by the strong on the weak, it will meet with it's inevitable retribution, at last.

Although we, who mouth the words and recite the passages, are reliving an epoch which is believed to be peculiar to Jewish history, the drama that is Passover does not belong to a people, it is YHWH’s Passover.  In John 3:16 and 17, Y’hshuwah clearly stated YHWH’s Passover has brought deliverance and salvation to all who will be His people.

Prayer

Abba Eloheinu,

We have gathered on this evening, at this Seder table, in remembrance of Y’hshuwah, and to recall, retell, and re-enact the early history of Your people, Israel, who from Biblical days onward have been infused with a burning desire for freedom and for life. In this spirit, we now raise our cups to sanctify Thy Name which is YHWH and give thanks for this Holy Day of Pesach, the Passover of YHWH.  b’shem Y’hshuwah HaMoshiyach   Amein

Kiddush

Drinking of wine (juice)

Sh’ma

Shema’ Yisrael  YHWH Eloheinu  YHWH Echad
Baruch shem kevod malchuto le-olam va'ed


Hear, O Yisrael: YHWH is our G-d, YHWH is One
Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom for
ever and ever.

Read John 13

Foot washing

The Four Questions:

Why is this night different from all other nights?

It is the Passover of YHWH.

Why is the food we eat and the way we eat it specifically different tonight?

Because the food and the seder are symbolic and in specific remembrance

The deliverance from Egypt was absolutely literal at that time and Egypt represents the “world” in Scripture, so Egypt is symbolic of sin and bondage.

Why do we continue to observe this night?

Because YHWH said to do so through out all generations . . . And Y’hshuwah told His followers as oft as we do it, it is in remembrance of Him looking forward to His return.

Why do we eat lamb,bitter herbs, and matzo?

Because this is the meal per the instructions of YHWH.  The lamb is symbolic of The perfect Lamb, who was foreordained to shed His blood for the deliverance of YHWH’s people. The bitter herbs are symbolic of the bitterness of the bondage, that we often call security.  Matzo is bread without yeast or leavening.  Yeast (leavening)  is symbolic of sin.  So, the unleavened bread represents haste and the absence of sin as we are led out of the ways of the world and symbolic of the absence/death of our old sinful nature in the salvation and deliverance.  Immediacy of the timing was and still is essential.

Read Exodus11:1-12:51

TaNaKh speaks of four types of sons.  Y’hshuwah confirmed this in His parable of four kinds of soil.

Wicked – Wayside         One who is simply disinterested in eternal matters and interested only in their  

                                        own selfish gain

Simple – Stony places    One who has little depth

 Naïve -   Thorns           One who is easily refocused and misdirected by surroundings and events

Wise  -  Goodsoil           One who brings forth fruit

Every generation is duty bound to relive and retell the Exodus from Egypt.

YHWH revealed Himself to Abraham as EL Shaddai, and Isaac and Jacob referred to Him as the G-d of their father Abraham, which continued until the time of Moses.  It was to Moses from a burning bush that was not consumed came The Voice that spoke The Name, YHWH, and that same Voice would command the Instructions and deliver the promise of His Passover.

But there were nine plagues upon Egypt, before the death of the firstborn. 

Plagues: 

1.      Blood Exodus 7:17-25

            The first plague, the water to blood.  Life is in the blood,and without water we die, but the two                      are dramatically far from interchangeable in purpose.

2.      Frogs Exodus 8:1-10

           When the magicians also produced frogs . . . that intensified the problem.   Exodus 8:11              

            indicates the frogs brought by the plague of YHWH were returned to the river, while the rest of 

            the frogs died on the land . . .

3.      Lice 8: 16-19 

            At the plague of the lice, the magicians acknowledged that this was the finger of G-d, as they 

             could not produce or copy.  

4.      Swarms of flies 8:21-32

5.      Plague on the livestock  9:1-7

6.      Boils 9:8-14 

7.      Hail 9:15-26 Exodus 9:27 

             Pharaoh confessed with his mouth, but his heart was hardened.

             By the plague of hail, some Egyptians had become believers.

8.      Locusts  10:3-17

9.      Darkness  10:18-29 

             The plague of three days of darkness always bring to mind the three hours of darkness before 

              Messiah died.

10.   The death of the firstborn

             Although all are quite ominous, the Passover and death of the firstborn was uniquely symbolic 

             of Messiah. 

             The only begotten son of YHWH was/is the perfect Passover Lamb and yet is also referred to 

              as the firstborn.  

His death and shed blood is the only means of salvation for a dark and sinful world, the deliverance for a people enslaved in bondage.

The Exodus was not only a deliverance and leaving, but a new beginning, with the Red Sea symbolic of baptism . . .

Read John 14 and Exodus 21:32, the cost of a slave . . . 30 pieces of silver

The lamb that was slain for the first Passover, although necessary for obedience, was only symbolic of the Lam who would die for our deliverance and forgiveness.  The willingness to sacrifice is prelude to freedom.

The first step in the struggle to lift the yoke of bondage must be marked with the realization, one cannot free themselves.  Liberty is not achieved or maintained by complacency. It is not won without suffering. Freedom is accomplished by selflessness and sacrifice; won by courage.   Y’hshuwah said if it be possible, but not my will, but Thine be done; and that is what it is to follow Him. 

Thus do we bow before YHWH our Maker, Master and Creator of life, for the redemption He has brought.

I’ve changed the word“would” to “should” in each line of the Dayenu and added a final line.

For all Thy acts of kindness, we are most grateful and content.

If Thy only act of kindness were to deliver us from the bondage of Egypt,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of deliverance was the bringing of the plagues,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of mercy was to divide the Red sea waters,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of mercy was to provide the manna in the desert,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of graciousness was the gift of a Sabbath day,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of love was to favor us with Thy written Torah,

     we should have been grateful and content.

If Thy only act of loving-kindness was to bring us into the Land flowing with milk and honey,

     we should have been grateful and content.

All this, and yet in grace, You gave us Your Son,

     for this we are eternally grateful and content.

Read John 15:1-14

Matzo is the symbol of haste and sinlessness.   Be ready! 

Read John 16:32-33

Bitter herbs are symbolic of the bitterness of slavery and bondage, forced labor and containment.

·        I do have salt water, for which to dip matzo or herbs, salt; in recognition of covenant and water symbolizing the Living Water.

Read Exodus 3:5-15 and John 4:10-14

This is not a Jewish Feast, it is the Passover of YHWH.  A mixed multitude entered a covenant agreement Exodus 12:38

Read John 17:1-17

Sh’ma

John 19:1-42

Eat the meal,following another blessing over the wine and bread.

Mark 14:22-14:26

Song

Luke 21:28

L-shanah haba’ah chadash Yirushalayim im Y’hshuwah HaMoshiyach

Next year in New Jerusalem with Y’hshuwah Messiah.