AN OPEN LETTER TO MY MESSIANIC BRETHREN

After the Holocaust, our surviving Jewish brethren pledged, “Never again.” However, it seems that they have forgotten their pledge and have turned their back on the latest worldwide outbreaks of anti-Semitism, thinly veiled as anti-Israel denunciations by the UN, the Democratic Party, and the growing BDS movement.

Our brethren have turned their back on the plight of the Jews fleeing Western Europe, the constant terror attacks against Israel, and the growing incidence of anti-Semitic violence even in the USA. They also seem to be deaf to the anti-Semitic proclamations of the Democratic Party:

·       This week, four of the top candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination -- Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Julian Castro and Bernie Sanders -- gathered at the J Street Conference to explain why the United States ought to pressure the state of Israel to make concessions to terrorists, why the Obama administration was correct to appease the Iranian regime and why American Jews ought to value the opinions of Bernie Sanders over those of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the future of Jewish safety. Two other top Democrats -- Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden -- sent video messages in support of the group. By contrast, when the American Israel Public Affairs Committee held its annual conference in March, not a single Democratic presidential candidate showed up. https://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2019/10/30/the-j-street-democrats-n2555560

My wife and I have attended a number of YIVO programs in lower Manhattan. I have asked the program directors why they aren’t addressing the current threats against their Jewish people. Either they referred me to another party or stated that other groups already had such programming. In general, the Jewish outcry seems to be feeble at best.

I hope the Messianic groups are raising their voices. If there has ever been a time to take action, it is now. To not take action is a betrayal, not only of our own families but also of the oppressed.

COMPASSION FOR THE HOMELESS, SOCIALIST STYLE

New York City’s socialist Mayor de Blasio has shown matchless compassion to NYC’s homeless:

·       From the tropical shores of Honolulu and Puerto Rico, to the badlands of Utah and backwaters of Louisiana, the Big Apple has sent local homeless families to 373 cities across the country with a full year of rent in their pockets as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Special One-Time Assistance Program.” Usually, the receiving city knows nothing about it. https://nypost.com/2019/10/26/nyc-homeless-initiative-sends-people-across-us-without-telling-receiving-cities/

Rather than caring for them, de Blasio has conveniently dumped them on other cities, even as far as Honolulu, without their being told of this influx. Nevertheless, many return, so far 224 families are back in the NYC shelter system.

Legal Aid lawyer Joshua Goldfein, whose firm represents these families complained about NYC’s dumping program:

·       “We suggested that DHS reach out to people as their subsidy runs out to confirm they will be secure and not have to re-enter shelter, but the agency told us they have no plans to do that.”  

At least the USSR and Chinese socialists had long range plans, even if they did include genocide. They put their people to work. However, our socialists seem to be more myopic – buy them a ticket and send the homeless elsewhere, where they can be a problem to someone else.

THE “CONTRADICTIONS” OF SCRIPTURE: WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THEM?

A good systematic theologian attempts to understand all of the verses of the Bible in a harmonious way. Why? Well, we cannot stand on the faith or be confident of it if it seems to be saying contradictory things. Besides, our Lord wants us to be able to make a defense for our faith (1 Peter 3:15; Jude 3). Therefore, we have to resolve the apparent contradictions.

However, Scripture also warns us that we only partially see and understand (1 Corinthians 13:9). This requires us to believe what Scripture teaches even if we cannot fully grasp it with our minds. The doctrine of the Trinity comes to mind before all else. While the Scriptures teach that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6), it also teaches that God is three distinct Persons. Do we completely understand this? I don’t think so.

Here is another puzzling doctrine – God controls our lives (Ephesians 2:10) and yet, we are responsible. Let me give you an example. On the one hand, it is God who saves us. Consequently, salvation is a free gift from God:

·       Of his OWN WILL HE brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18 ESV; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:27-28)

James claims that salvation doesn’t depend on our will but on God’s. However, James also says that we have to receive the implanted Word:

·       Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

Doesn’t this mean that our response is also necessary in order to be saved? If so, how can salvation be a free gift? How then can we reconcile these two verses? (Evidently, James saw no contradiction in what he had just written.)

Clearly, salvation is God’s work alone (monergism). However, after we are saved, God invites us into the working out of our salvation (synergism):

·       …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

It seems that even our work is primarily God’s work. Therefore, we cannot even boast about our strenuous efforts, as Paul had indicated:

·       But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Even though we are required to work in conjunction with God, He gets all the credit. Do you understand this completely? I don’t, but I accept the fact that God’s ways and thoughts are far above my own.

HOW THE DEVIL RAVAGES US

When we think about how the devil might take charge of our lives, we usually think of involvement with occult or demonic practices. However, there are many other ways that we can open the door to the devil and demonic activity. We make ourselves vulnerable through any sinful practice:

·       Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:26-30 ESV)

Paul provided several example of how we open the door to the devil through sinful anger, stealing, and “corrupting talk.” However, any sin sends him an invitation. If we do not repent of sin, Paul argued that we “grieve the Holy Spirit.” When we grieve Him, He withdraws His protection from us, but when we honor the Lord, He honors us. When we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. When we sin and refuse to repent, our Lord removes His protection.

It think that is what Paul meant when he commanded the Corinthian church to hand an unrepentant sexual offender over to Satan:

·       When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)

I don’t think that Paul had instructed the church to call Satan into their midst to transact a deal. I think it is more likely that when the Church exercises its authority to bind and loose sins (Matthew 18:18; 16:19; John 20:23), it is declaring the judgment of God. Excommunication is therefore meant to reflect the fact that God too has excommunicated the unrepentant, and this makes him vulnerable to Satan.

It is important to understand that this also represents love, not only to protect that Church against the spread of sin (Galatians 5:9), but also to the sinner so that he might repent and be restored.

How do we resist Satan? First of all, it is important to understand how he is able to take us captive. Primarily, it is through deception, rather than through our “own evil desires” (James 1:13-14). Just take a look at his hubris. He even tried to deceive Jesus by saying, “IF you are the Son of God” (Matthew 4:3, 5). Likewise, he deceives us by appealing to our desires (Genesis 3:1-9). Paul therefore warned that the devil could make himself appear as a caring friend:

·       …Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness… (2 Corinthians 11:14-15; Romans 7:11; 1 John 5:19-20)

By deceiving us, he is able to lead us into sin, and sin hardens our conscience so that we can no longer see properly:

·       And even if our gospel is veiled [by Satan], it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; John 3:19-20)  

What will free us from Satan’s deceptions? The “Light of the Gospel”:

·       For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

This is not just a matter of book-learning. Instead, this primarily requires God to open our minds through His Word:

·       And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 John 5:20; John 17:26)

This is why the deliverance ministry is not enough. Jesus explained that unless our minds are fortified against the deceptions of the enemy, we will again be taken captive by Satan (Matthew 12: 43-45).

However, if we are willing, God is able to guide us away from deception. As a young Christian, I met a beautiful young woman in the midst of a divorce. We knew enough to know that we shouldn’t get involved, but we were very attracted to each other. However, we decided to just be friends. We saw each other again but decided that we could handle the attraction.

Nevertheless, I began to experience something that I had never experienced before. I felt that my prayers were hitting the celling and would go no further. No matter what I’d do, this uncomfortable awareness remained. I told a friend about it, and she immediately told me to stay completely away from this young lady. “Perhaps she is right,” I thought and began to consider breaking off our “friendship.” Immediately, the sense of my alienation from God disappeared!!

Our Lord guides us, but do not become presumptuous and forsake His Word because of this. On this occasion, the Lord graciously condescended to help me in my naiveté.

THE PRESS LOVES COMING-OUT TALES WHICH DAMN THE CHURCH

In a Huffington Post article, Hannah Brashers relates her painful “coming out” tale from a fundamentalist church to lesbianism. She claims that “Christianity is dangerous to queer people,” signaling the fact that the gay agenda is no longer “live and let live” but a frontal attack to silence and marginalize Christianity. She, therefore, recommends that if a Christian claims to be gay-affirming, they should “hold other Christians accountable.” They need to prove themselves by acts of “real allyship”:

·       Hearing our cisgender, heterosexual allies promise to stand up for us and then actually seeing them follow through is what real allyship looks like.

This requires Christians to become agents committed to subverting any Christian prohibitions against sexual conduct. However, to say that the Bible is wrong in these matters is also to open the door to the possibility that the Bible might be wrong in many other matters, perhaps even in all matters. Either the Bible is the Word of God or it isn’t. We are not free to pick-and-choose which verses are trustworthy. Jesus didn’t. Instead, He affirmed every Word of the Scriptures during His conversation with the devil:

·       But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

However, I can sympathize with Brasher’s charge that “Christianity is dangerous to queer people,” in the same way that I can sympathize with a friend’s complaint about receiving a speeding ticket. Even though he was wrong for speeding and possibly endangering others, I can still sympathize with him. However, this doesn’t mean that we should get rid of police or the consequences for breaking the law.

Likewise, the Church issues important warnings from the Word of God about what happens when we refuse to repent of our sins. Similarly, I think that many had found Jesus’ Words highly disturbing:

·       And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-5)

For those who were willing to repent of their sins, I’m sure that, in the long run, this warning proved to be liberating. However, for those who refused to repent, this warning must have been experienced as condemnation.

Brashers felt condemned by her church because it was faithful to the Word, as it must be. We can only hope and pray that it had planted seeds that will germinate in time.