September 2016 eShmooze Letter from Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina 28271, United States for Monday, 29 August 2016

September 2016

September 2016 eShmooze Letter from Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina 28271, United States for Monday, 29 August 2016

About WMM | Bookstore | Contact Us | Give
Ready for His Return
The sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, the month of Elul, is traditionally a time of spiritual preparation as we approach the Fall Feasts of Israel...
Read More →

Ready for His Return by Miriam NadlerSeptember 4th marks the beginning of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar: the month of Elul. This month is traditionally a time of spiritual preparation as we approach the Fall Feasts of Israel, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets (or Rosh HaShanah), a day which biblically points to Messiah’s return. The name of this important month can be read as an acrostic, for each of the Hebrew letters in Elul (alef, lamed, vav, lamed) corresponds to each word in the phase from Song of Songs 2:16: “ani l’ dodi v’ dodi li” (“I am my Beloved’s and He is mine.”) As we enter this month, how can we be preparing our hearts to worship our beloved Messiah?
So many things are able to distract us from keeping the Beloved as the true focus of our faith. We can learn from the example of the Shulamite woman in the Song of Songs who declares her love in the midst of her daily routine while she eagerly waits for her beloved to return. She says:
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom. My beloved is mine, and I am his; He pastures his flock among the lilies.” (Song of Songs 2:15-16)
Foxes are very common in Israel and are particularly fond of grapes. These pesky creatures burrow holes around the gardens. Unless strictly watched, they would destroy whole vineyards. The fox is mentioned in the Song of Songs because this cunning animal could destroy the Shulamite’s ability to wait with eager anticipation for her beloved.
The ancient writer Aristophanes compares foxes to soldiers. Just as foxes consume the grapes of a vineyard, so soldiers would loot and pillage countries through which they passed. Foxes destroy by stealth and cunning. They represent anything that can bring harm to our most important relationship as we eagerly await our Beloved One.
The Shulamite woman realizes there may be little irritations that could begin to destroy her trust and love for her beloved. She speaks of how he will not be home until evening, at the end of the day when his work is done:
“He pastures his flock among the lilies. Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Songs 2:16-17)
While she is waiting, she desires to catch the little foxes; notice the phrase as the end of verse 15 above: “while our vineyards are in blossom.” In other words, she knows that she needs to catch these foxes while love is blossoming, so their love for one another will not be thwarted.
With his late arrival, the Shulamite woman could become impatient and complain about her beloved, overcome by negative thoughts. However, instead of allowing her thoughts to be corrupted, she declares her love: “My beloved is mine and I am his.”
She is assured and confident in his love for her. She declares, “I am for him and he is for me. We love and trust each other. Our love is mutual: I can trust in his love for me and love him right back.”
However, there are “little foxes” that will constantly seek to erode her trust and love. These little foxes can be seeds of distrust, complaints, or even false teaching that will corrupt the heart and mind. In Ezekiel 13, we learn that if a person keeps his mind fixed on false information or teaching, it will corrupt the heart of the listener:
“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.” (Ezekiel 13:3-4)
Are there little foxes spoiling the special relationships you have? This consideration can apply to a relationship with a spouse or close friend, but most importantly it speaks to one’s relationship with the living God, your Beloved. In our preparation for Him, we need to examine our lives and watch out for the small things. David’s prayer in Psalm 19:12-14 has become the prayer of my heart during this month of Elul:
“Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:12-14)
-------
Advancing His Kingdom
"I knew I would learn, but had no idea how much. The tools taught here are amazing. For my congregation, it's exactly what we needed & at exactly the right time."
Read More →

Advancing His Kingdom
“I knew I would learn, but I had no idea how much. The tools taught here are just amazing. For my congregation, it’s exactly what we needed and at exactly the right time. I wish every Messianic leader could attend this conference so we could all be on the same page.” – Grant Luton, Congregational Leader, Beth Tikkun Messianic Fellowship
As our Shmooze readers know, we plant Messianic congregations because we believe that the most effective long-term testimony of the Good News is a healthy, local congregation. Our “Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations” conferences are designed to equip both Messianic congregation planters and leaders in established congregations with practical tools to enable growth in the various ministries to which God has called them.
During the last weekend of July, thirty-three Messianic leaders gathered at host congregation Tikvat Israel in Richmond, VA, for a regional conference led by Sam Nadler. The weekend began with a study on the crucial matters of: mission (why does our congregation exist?), vision (where are we going?), and values (how will we get there?) A vision centered on Yeshua is vital, for He is the One whom we as individuals and congregations want to grow up to be like! (Eph. 4:15) As a congregation planter develops his view on these essential areas, he must then communicate them to his team, so they will be in unity concerning the primary matters of the congregation.
For this reason, our conferences are not only for congregational leaders, they are also meant for any leader in the congregation. Debbie Holford, Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Hope of Israel Congregation in Charlotte, NC, attended the Richmond conference in order to apply the teaching to her role as leader of a team shaping the next generation of leaders. Afterwards, Debbie remarked, “The principles presented in the conference apply to the leaders of the congregation as a whole, but also to the leaders of the many ministries that make up a congregation… As I listened to the truth being presented, I found myself wishing I had attended the conference years ago. The information was clearly presented and very practical.”
For Tony and Michelle Mardian, who are in the process of planting a Messianic congregation in Roanoke, VA, the biggest blessing of the conference was the fact that their entire core group was able to be in attendance together. Tony remarked, “It’s been wonderful to have our whole team here – for them to be able to get the information and help us to make application when we return home.” Tony encourages other leaders considering attending a conference to, “have all the elders or potential elders in your community to come so that everybody is on the same page, including their spouses; their spouses are key. If the Lord is calling him, his wife needs to be there as well.”
Several of the leaders in attendance remarked that it was very helpful for them to walk through Sam’s paradigm of healthy leadership development: from contact-making to disciple-making to member-making to leader-making. Joseph James, an elder at Son of David Congregation in Silver Spring MD, stated, “I’ve learned a lot about leadership and about implementing new members into the congregation. To make that first initial contact is the most important thing, bringing in new members through discipleship, and then making them into leaders… When I go home, I’m taking all this back with me to the other elders; we’re going to discuss it and see how we can work it into our congregation.”
If we want to see more Jewish people coming to faith in Yeshua, there must be healthy Messianic congregations where the Good News is presented in a way Jewish people can understand it and where new believers can be discipled to be living testimonies of the faithfulness of God, bringing the Good News to the Jew first and equally to the Gentile. We want to see healthy Messianic congregations established in every city, and in September we will be holding another “Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations” conference in Brooklyn, NY, for Messianic leaders and congregation planters throughout the Northeast. Visit our conference page for more information as our registration deadline is coming up on September 4th. And please pray for us as we continue to train and equip Messianic leaders here and around the world!
-------

Sam Nadler
Upcoming Speaking Events:
Aug 28, 10:00 am:Groton Heights Baptist, Groton, CT
​Sept 3-5: Messianic Men's Conference, Montreat, NC
Sept 11-12: Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations Conference, Brooklyn, NY
Sept 16-18: BMJA Conference, London, England
Sept 25, 10:00 am: Calvary Chapel of Richmond, Richmond, VA
Schedule a Speaker →

On Sale for $8 + s/h
Abiding in Messiah
Bearing Fruit in Yeshua
In this book, you will learn what matters most to God and discover a life of significance through abiding in Yeshua the Messiah. Beginning with a look at Israel as the vineyard of the Lord (Isaiah 5) and learning of the tender care He provides for her, you will gain deeper understanding of your own relationship with the Savior.
Visit our Bookstore →

Word of Messiah Ministries

P.O Box 79238

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