SPECIAL MESSIAH 2008 CONFERENCE ISSUE

Transcription

1 The MJAA Restoration Report A special report from Joel Chernoff to MJAA partners Vol. 1 No. 3 SPECIAL MESSIAH 2008 CONFERENCE ISSUE This issue of The Restoration Report focuses on highlights from the June 29-July 6 Messiah 2008 Conference held at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. If you attended, you know what a blessing this Conference was. But, in any event, I wanted to share some of the more meaningful moments with you. Joel Chernoff, MJAA General Secretary Rabbi Frank Lowinger MJAA President Rabbi Frank Lowinger exhorts audience on opening night to prepare for a great Jewish revival Quoting from the writings of the prophets, one of the main themes of Messianic Rabbi Frank Lowinger s address at the Messiah 2008 Conference on opening night, Sunday, June 29, was to exhort the attendees to rend your heart and not your garments. In further explaining this, Lowinger of B rit Hadoshah in Buffalo, NY, and current President of the MJAA, challenged the first-night audience of the weeklong Conference to put themselves in a position to receive God s gifts in order to usher in a great Messianic Jewish revival. Citing passages from Daniel 10:10-14 and Deuteronomy 8:2, Lowinger stated that the Body of Messiah must look for a new connection that must come from the hearts of Believers. Continuing that thought, he added that the Jewish world gave birth to a Messianic revival in the first century, and the Body of Messiah must now make a new connection in order to lead a revival that will bring life from the dead (Romans 11) for the Jewish people and the world. In closing, citing as examples the importance of athletes being in the right position to make the right plays, Lowinger stated that what will be accomplished for the Lord will be dependent upon the position of hearts of God s people. With Lowinger s rousing address in their minds and hearts, Conference attendees then moved into an intense week of learning, ministry, prayer and worship. Walid Shoebat Former member and militant of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Walid Shoebat, pulls no punches about Islam The one thing that becomes immediately evident to an audience when Walid Shoebat steps up to the podium to speak is that he is going to tell it like it is. Shoebat pulls no punches. It doesn t matter if he is speaking to a Messianic Jewish, traditional Jewish, or Christian group, or even an Arabic group (as has also recently begun to happen). Even when it comes to Democratic presidential nominee Barak Obama, Shoebat speaks his mind. Shoebat knows the Word, and he makes no apologies for his past. But he can present his views in a way that can be humorous and even engaging to his audience. Shoebat came to faith in 1993 when he studied the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) in a challenge to convert his wife to Islam. Six months later after intense study, he discovered everything he had been taught about the Jewish people was a lie. Driven by a passion to bring

2 the truth about the Jewish people and Israel to the world, Shoebat shed his former life to bring the cause of Israel to churches, synagogues, government leaders and the media. Today, he seeks to expose the anti- Semitism and hatred of Jews in the Islamic, Christian and secular world. This has resulted in threats on his life. His enemies call him a liar for the stand he now takes, but he is quick to point out that Yeshua s enemies called Him a liar too, which only strengthens Shoebat s belief that the Bible is not theory or hypothesis, but reality. To him, the Bible is truth. It also convinces him there should be unity among Believers when he said, We quarrel over the nonessentials. The truth is obvious, and God wants us to know the truth. In switching to the subject of Islam, Shoebat commented, Americans are oblivious to the dangers we face. Islam has operated under 14 centuries of deception and hatred. As a terrorist I knew all about you. I studied you. Then I studied the Tanakh and really got to know all about you! Islam wants to change the times and the law, he continued. Islam believes it must destroy all other religions and all other kingdoms. History has bore out that everywhere Islam has gone, strife has followed. Eighty million people perished in India in a religious struggle over the newly formed republic after World War II that led to the creation of a Muslim Pakistan next door. Civil wars have torn apart Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and numerous other nations. Shoebat was also quick to debunk the argument that the reason there is terrorism against Israel is because of its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. If the problem is Israeli occupation, Shoebat questioned, why has there never been a single Palestinian Christian terrorist? There is no difference between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, observed Shoebat. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are the same when it comes to terrorism. The only difference is that the PA is secular and Hamas is religious. We want to jail the latter but accept the former. Shoebat sees little hope for peace in the Middle East and referred to scripture to support his views. The Bible says there is a time when there will be peace, but it won t be a real peace. This is the peace Islam wants! His answer to Islam is for America to speak with strength and to be a people of action. Speaking at an Arabic church the day before the Messiah 2008 Conference, Shoebat did not pull any punches there either. He accused his Arabic audience of still harboring hatred for the Jews when it was their own people who lied to them and dispossessed them of everything they owned in Israel, resulting in their fleeing to America. One may not fully agree with everything Walid Shoebat says, but it cannot be denied that God s Word has transformed a former dangerous terrorist into an advocate committed to sharing God s truth with Jewish, Christian, Arab and Gentile alike. Marcus and Joni Lamb Daystar Television Network Founder Marcus Lamb apologizes to thejewish people on behalf of the Church and Christians At a particularly stirring moment in his emotionally-charged talk, Daystar Television Network Founder, Marcus Lamb lowered his voice, and hesitated a moment before launching into the next few sentences that would touch the near capacity audience in the Auditorium of Messiah College. The church doesn t understand why Jews don t accept Yeshua, Lamb started. I want to publicly apologize for the past behavior of the church and Christians toward Jewish people. Lamb then cited some of the infractions against the Jewish people by the church. I apologize for the crusades, the Inquisitions, the Holocaust, and for

3 calling you Christ killers, he continued. We must express unconditional love toward the Jewish people and never make them feel like we re trying to take them away from being Jewish. Then, in a slightly quivering voice, Lamb asked the audience if they would forgive him. With applause and cheers they did. Lamb s apology came during a talk that was aired internationally via satellite on the Daystar Television Network and included, among other things, an explanation as to why the Gospel must be preached to the Jew first. Speaking in a way that reflected his evangelical roots, Lamb offered the following reasons: The Jews were, are, and will always be the Chosen People. The Jews are the guardians of God s covenants, revelation and Word. Yeshua came as a Jew to the Jews first. Salvation and reconciliation with God is from the Jews. Paul wrote that the Gospel message was to be preached to the Jew first in the new areas the disciples went into. The Jews are the roots of our faith, not the branches that were grafted in, which the church sometimes forgets. Lamb also remarked how there was a marked and pronounced blessing on the Jews, which has resulted throughout history in their contributions in so many fields of human endeavor. There were three other meaningful moments during the evening. First, Lamb remarked that speaking at the Messiah 2008 Conference was one of the grand highlights of his 35 years in ministry. Second, the Daystar Celebration Singers performed a beautiful rendition of the song, Angus Dei, in perfect Hebrew. Then, upon the conclusion of his talk, Joel Chernoff and David Levine presented Lamb with a kippah (head covering) and tallit (prayer shawl). They were placed upon his head and shoulders, and the MJAA Executive Committee came on stage to pray for Lamb. Finally, as celebratory music started, Lamb joined the dancers with what perhaps may have been his first time ever participating in Hebrew dancing. If there was one disappointment in this wonderful evening, it was that Lamb s wife, Joni, was not able to join him at Messiah 2008, because she had come down with a strep throat. Eeki Elner National Leadership Center Founder, Eeki Elner, envisions a new leadership role for the besieged Israeli town of Sderot Tel Aviv resident, Eeki Isaac Elner, had no idea that when he visited the besieged town of Sderot, he would be so moved by what the citizens of the town were experiencing, that he would move there. As a result, Elner, a Special Envoy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, founded the National Leadership Center in Sderot. His reasons are clear: to help Sderot flourish and to make it the center of a renewed commitment to training effective, ethical leaders. What is happening in Sderot is a social failure, Elner stated. The real leaders of our country are those who can confront the real issues taking place. Elner sees Sderot becoming a center for training Israel s leaders. New projects (like the National Leadership Center) will bring new people to Sderot to rebuild it, he insists. The eyes of Israel are upon Sderot. The older people cannot rebuild the town, but the young people who will be drawn there can. In describing what the people of Sderot endure daily, Elner said that 7,000 rockets have poured down on Sderot in the past eight years. Not many residents have been killed, but the mental anguish is worse than the physical fear. The terrorists know what times of the day to launch rockets. Elner s house has been struck by a Qassam missile. But he answered the terrorists with classic Israeli resolve when he said, You will shoot. We will rebuild. No newcomer to the Israeli political landscape, Elner had earlier started the National Coalition for Religious Choice, a civil rights organization that

4 worked with the Jerusalem Institute of Justice s Chief Legal Counsel, Calev Myers. Every Jew deserves equal rights, commented Elner. Israel should be a political and spiritual home for every Jew. It is people like Elner, the son of Holocaust survivors, who will help guide Israel into a new vision and understanding of her future. Calev Myers Jerusalem Institute of Justice Founder and Chief Legal Counsel, Calev Myers, cites progress made amending Israel s Law of Return For the second year in a row, the MJAA was blessed to have Calev Myers speak at the Messiah Conference. As the Founder and Chief Legal Counsel of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, a public interest law firm that concentrates on discrimination issues especially against Messianics and Christians Myers updated the audience regarding the recent Supreme Court of Israel s landmark decision to grant 12 Messianic petitioners Israeli citizenship. Myers also reported on the progress of the investigation into the Ami Ortiz bombing. Ortiz is the 15-year Messianic youth who opened what he thought was a Purim gift left at his door, which turned out to be an explosive with nails, screws and bolts in it. According to Myers, Israeli investigators believe the bomb was not of Arab terrorist origin, because it had a sophistication and composition that suggested otherwise. It may have been the act of a zealous ultra- Orthodox individual, rather than an Arab terrorist organization. Please continue to pray for Ami and his courageous family. While Ami has made tremendous progress, he will still need seven more surgeries, not including the reconstructive cosmetic surgeries he will undergo after that. Join us at these upcoming MJAA Regional Conferences for the Restoration of Israel and mark your calendars for next year s Messiah 2009 Conference Midwest Regional October 24-26, 2008 Marriott Northeast, Cincinnati, OH Heartland Regional November 7-9, 2008 OKC Marriott, Oklahoma City, OK Southeast Regional December 19-21, 2008 Rosen Plaza, Orlando, FL Southwest Regional February 13-15, 2009 Hyatt Regency, Irvine, CA MESSIAH 2009 June 28 July 4, 2009 Messiah College, Grantham, PA For more information, visit our website at or call toll-free is published by the MJAA, PO Box 274, Springfield, PA MJAA (6522) Please be sure to visit our newly redesigned, more user-friendly web site for the latest updates, articles, videos, and more ~ is published by the MJAA, PO Box 274, Springfield, PA MJAA (6522) ~

5 The MJAA Restoration Report is sent periodically to MJAA pledging members and active donors. It s our way of saying thanks for all you do to help bring spiritual and physical restoration to Israel (ROI)! Please detach, complete, and mail with your tax-deductible gift in the enclosed envelope. Enclosed is my gift of $ to help bring spiritual and physical restoration to Israel through the MJAA s many outreaches. Apply my gift to my current Pledge. Please do not send cash. Use current date on check. I wish to charge my gift of $ to: VISA MC American Express Discover Print Cardholder Name Card No. Exp. Date / Last 3-digit security code in signature panel on back (or 4 digits on front of American Express cards) Signature (Name) (Address) (City, ST ZIP) (Barcode) Please send your gift in the enclosed envelope or mail to: MJAA, PO Box 274, Springfield, PA (acct# - seg) The MJAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax-deductible in accordance with law. As a general policy, if gifts to a specific project exceed the budget required, excess funds will be applied to a similar project, or where needed most urgently.