"June 2016 eShmooze Letter" Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States for Tuesday, 31 May 2016 About WMM | Bookstore | Contact Us | Give

"June 2016 eShmooze Letter" Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States for Tuesday, 31 May 2016
About WMM | Bookstore | Contact Us | Give
June 2016
Paul's Pentecost Priority
Fifty days after the Sabbath following Passover comes the feast of Shavuot or Pentecost, which means “fifty.” In Acts 20, we find an interesting passage regarding Pentecost...Paul’s Pentecost Priority by Sam Nadler
Fifty days after the Sabbath following Passover comes the feast of Shavuot or Pentecost, which means “fifty.” Pentecost is an early harvest feast, one of the three feasts that all Jewish men were required to come up to Jerusalem to celebrate. In Acts 20, we find an interesting passage regarding Pentecost: “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16). What’s the hurry, Paul? And why Jerusalem? Why not stop at Ephesus where so much of your ministry was accomplished? (See Acts 19).
If Paul had stopped in Ephesus, it is likely that he would have been delayed by many old friends desiring to see him which would have delayed his journey. Yet, when Paul came to Caesarea, he was warned that in Jerusalem he would be arrested and placed in bonds (Acts 21:10-12). In light of such an urgent warning, why did Paul still make getting to Jerusalem by Pentecost such a priority? What’s in Jerusalem at Pentecost? Many, many Jewish people!
A Dynamic Opportunity!
Three times a year, all Jews everywhere were to come to Jerusalem and to the Temple for worship: at the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16). Though more came to the Temple at Passover, there were more out-of-town Jews able to come to Jerusalem at Pentecost (see Josephus’ Antiquities 14, 13, 4 & 17, 10, 2). This was mainly because the more favorable weather later in the year made the roads passable and thus Jerusalem more accessible.
This is why we read in Acts 2:7-10 of the crowds coming from so many different nations to Jerusalem at Pentecost. Messiah had promised His disciples that His Spirit would empower them to be His witnesses so they could reach the world with the Good News (Acts 1:8). At that Pentecost, the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, was given to the Body of believers in Yeshua. The many countries represented by individuals who received the pouring forth of the Spirit pictured God reaching out to the whole world!
The Abrahamic Covenant Fulfilled
In Genesis 12:3, God told Abraham, “In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.” The Abrahamic Covenant has its ultimate fulfillment in the Good News of Yeshua, and the Gentiles who were being saved were evidence of this. So, Paul was bringing a gift from the Gentiles in Corinth and Macedonia to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:3-4; 2 Cor. 8:1-15; Rom. 15:25-27). Paul knew that since his Jewish brethren from all over the world would be coming to Jerusalem for Pentecost, the timing of this gift would be a wonderful testimony of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant! So even with the warnings, Paul was determined to be in Jerusalem on this Pentecost. Through the grace of God, Gentiles were showing love to Jewish people and showing them that all the families of the earth were indeed being blessed!
Feast & Fellowship
Following the regular offerings for the Feast of Pentecost (see Lev. 23:15-21, Numbers 28), the people brought their own freewill offerings as the Lord had prospered them. They would then share this with all the various people who had travelled from all over the world and rejoice together in the Lord (Deut. 16:12-15). This demonstration of love and fellowship would customarily last almost a week as the people reached out to one another. What a great opportunity for the Jewish believers and especially for Paul to reach out with the Good News as the Spirit of God gave them an open door. At this time, Paul could continue to win souls and make strategic contacts into new areas for the Good News!
The Pentecost Priority
This was Paul’s priority: to make the most of every opportunity for the sake of The Good News. Hence he would write, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5). Paul’s Pentecost Priority reminds us of our ultimate purpose in life while on this side of heaven: to share Good News with those around us. On our summer vacations, holidays, or business trips, are we seeking a ‘Pentecost moment’ to share with a ‘whomsoever’ the Lord may bring our way? Whether it’s a Feast Day (whatever holiday it may be), a family event, work time, or leisure, let’s be like Paul and take every opportunity to share the love of God and reach out with the message of Messiah to all with ears to hear, even to the Jew first!
Read More →
-------

Our Passover Privilege
“How can a person hear the Gospel through a Jewish Feast like the Passover?...
I was surprised by my friend Jean’s* question. It was the day before our annual Passover Seder outreach...Our Passover Privilege by Laurel James
“How can a person hear the Gospel through a Jewish Feast like the Passover?”…
I was surprised by my friend Jean’s* question. It was the day before our annual Passover Seder outreach and as I was out shopping, I ran into Jean, a very sweet lady who is a believer and committed member of a church in our area. When she asked me how things were going at Word of Messiah, I told her how excited I was about our upcoming Seder, especially because of the Jewish people yet to believe in Messiah who would come and hear the Gospel presented through this incredible Feast. In response to her follow-up question, I tried to share as much as I could in two minutes about this God-given witnessing opportunity. Far from being a side note, it is hard not to see Yeshua in the Passover, for, from beginning to end, the entire Seder testifies of Him!
The following day, about 430 people filled the room as the Seder began. At my table was a group of believers from various churches. For some, this was their first Passover Seder. They all had a wonderful time learning profound truth from God’s Word, worshipping God, fellowshipping with each other, and laughing at those who took a bit too much of the horseradish from the Seder plate! Many who come to our Seders for the first time have remarked how incredibly eye-opening it has been for them to see how each element of the Seder points to Yeshua, from the broken middle piece of the Afikomen to the third Cup of Redemption, the very cup Yeshua once lifted and proclaimed, “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood…” (Luke 22:20).
At a table nearby, Robert* and Gail* sat through the Seder for about the fiftieth time in their lives; however, for them, this year was different than most. For the past few years, this Jewish couple who have yet to accept Yeshua as their Messiah have come to our Seder at their friends’ open invitation. Though incredibly skeptical at first, they keep coming back, and each year are opening up a little bit more to the Good News. Please join us in prayer for this couple as well as for the many other Jewish people who have yet to respond to the great love of their Messiah. And please pray as well for those who did respond! As Sam closed the evening with an invitation for those who wanted to accept Yeshua, several people responded and prayed to receive Him into their lives!
As always, we take full advantage of the opportunity for the Good News afforded by this foundational Feast, and our Charlotte Seder was one of many we conducted this year throughout the Carolinas.
In Columbia, SC, the Seder was a great success and great opportunity for our congregation plant in Columbia to testify of Messiah as the Lamb of God. Many who came from churches learned not only more about the roots of their faith, but also the calling we all share to get the Good News out to the Jewish community. Out of approximately 100 people, there were several Jewish unbelievers present. As guest speaker, Sam interacted with individuals around the tables, many of whom had questions such as, “How can you be sure Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah?” and were genuinely interested in hearing more about the Good News. At the end, two people responded by giving their hearts to the Lord!
At Hope of Israel Roanoke, a congregation Sam is overseeing the planting of, there were over forty people in attendance at the Seder. Afterwards, Tony Mardian, the leader of HOI Roanoke, had a conversation with one unbelieving Jewish lady, Evelyn* about her impressions of the Seder. When she commented that, when confronted with this teaching, a Jewish person has to “decide whether they want to be a Christian or a Jew,” Tony explained that this is a false assumption that has unfortunately been taught by many Jewish and Christian leaders alike throughout the years. However, the truth is quite clear in Scripture. He showed her the different passages where Rav Shaul (the apostle Paul) claims present-day Jewishness while putting his trust in Messiah’s atonement, and explained that he personally also did not stop being Jewish when he trusted in Messiah. She had never heard this before. Several of the ladies who were sitting with Evelyn later told Tony, “That hit her hard; she had never heard one stays a Jew while becoming a follower of Messiah.” Please pray for Evelyn as she grapples with this truth and the implications of the Good News that were presented through the Seder.
Other Seder outreaches included a banquet in Bath, NC where over thirty churches were represented in the attendance. It was the first Seder for most and the teaching was received especially well by the people because the host congregation, Winds of Change Church, had been studying about the Feasts of Israel and were anticipating learning more about Passover for the sake of their own faith and outreach. Three people gave their hearts to Lord during the evening and are being followed up by their community.
Sam also conducted a Seder in Edisto Island, SC, a first for the majority of the people there. Many of those who attended go to churches where there may not be clear teaching on the Good News nor opportunity to place faith in Messiah. So, when Sam gave a clear presentation of the Good News, explaining how religious ceremonies cannot save, and how just like at the Exodus, we must apply the blood of Yeshua, our Passover Lamb to our hearts, fifteen people prayed to receive the Lord!
We are so thankful for each of these opportunities, as well as the many others, the Lord has provided during this season through Passover banquets and presentations, and we look forward to the next Feast on God’s calendar, Pentecost, which will present new opportunities for the Good News. Until then, we continue to share the Good News of Yeshua, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, with Jew and Gentile alike!
*Names changed to protect the privacy of the individuals
Read More →
-------

Happiness by the Creator's Design
Many are aware of the fact that God tells us 365 times in Scripture not to fear, one reminder for each day of the year. But did you know that God’s Word tells us six times more than this to be happy, have joy, smile, and be glad?...Happiness by the Creator’s Design
Many are aware of the fact that God tells us 365 times in Scripture not to fear, one reminder for each day of the year. But did you know that God’s Word tells us six times more than this to be happy, have joy, smile, and be glad?
At the 16th annual Messianic Women’s retreat, we focused in on these Scriptures through our theme “Happiness by the Creator’s Design.” This joy-filled weekend was led by Miriam Nadler, head of Women’s Ministries at Word of Messiah, and Natalia Fomin of Hope of Israel Congregation’s Sisterhood ministry.
Natalia opened the retreat with a message on “Our Creator’s case for happiness.” She explained how the Hebrew word,ashrei, normally understood as “blessed” is best translated as “happy.” We saw this in Psalm 1: “How happy is the man (or woman!) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” True happiness is a result of our walk with Yeshua, a state of being that is given as we are forgiven by Him and declared righteous. This kind of happiness reflects our Creator, for after all, we serve a happy God! (Matt. 25:23, John 15:11)

Miriam continued with this theme as she spoke on Psalm 32, which begins with “How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” Like David, as we acknowledge our sin and confess it before the Lord, we can find deep happiness in the freedom of God’s forgiveness.

Through our small groups, we dove further into these topics and their specific application for our lives. We also had a chance to respond to the Lord in worship through many different avenues: with music led by Miriam Nadler, Laurie Liss, Jenny Grant, Carol Barton, Emily Fomin, and Serena Liss, with Israeli dance led by Debbie Bateman, and with art led by Elaine DeBroq.
There was also space built in for fellowship through time around the campfire, morning devotions, shared testimonies, Saturday evening havdala, talent night, and time outside in beautiful Blowing Rock, NC. Through all this, we were refreshed and encouraged, reminded that we are on this journey of joy together.

Miriam wrapped up the weekend with a final message on “Being happy according to Yeshua,” walking us through Matthew 5. Our happiness in Messiah comes as we humble ourselves before Him (5:3,5), bring our sorrows and needs to Him (5:4), hunger and thirst for righteousness in Him (5:6), are cleansed by His atonement (7-8), dwell in peace with others (9), and persevere through trials and persecution (10-12). We left the retreat armed with tools to begin each new day seeking not after the world’s version of happiness, but inspired to find true happiness in our “happy and blessed place” (God’s Word) as beloved daughters of the King of Kings.

Here are some thoughts on the weekend from several of the ladies who attended:
“It was a bubbling well-spring-of-joy filled retreat, which will continue to ripple out in blessing, laughter, and true happiness from Him in the lives of every lady there!”
There was “fantastic godly teaching and ministry from an awesome group of ladies who love the Lord with all their heart!”
“This retreat covered areas that I have never known. Some of us gathered and continued discussing what we had learned. I am blessed. Thank you!”
“What a wonderful retreat! It is the BEST event I attend all year and I count it all as a huge privilege to participate”

Read More →
-------


Sam Nadler
Upcoming Speaking Events:

• June 5, 10:15 am: Gateway Baptist, Newton, NC
• June 12, 11:00 am: Lighthouse Baptist, Rural Hall, NC
• June 12, 6:00 pm: Beulahland Baptist, Pilot Mtn, NC
• June 19, 11:00 am: Center View Baptist, Maiden, NC
• June 26, 10:30 am: Emmanuel Baptist, Harsville, SC

Schedule a Speaker:

On Sale for $25 + s/h
Redeemed: Seeing the Messiah in the Book of Ruth DVD Study
As we look at the book of Ruth, it would appear to be a story mainly about love and friendship, and this is certainly a theme throughout the book. However as we take a deeper look, we see it is also the story of the people of Israel and their need for a Redeemer.
Visit our Bookstore:

Word of Messiah Ministries

P.O Box 79238

Charlotte, North Carolina 28271, United States
---------------------