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Having
just begun the year 2004, I thought I would offer
my own outlook on the direction in which we seem
to be going - a "State of the World"
address. Let me tell you at the outset, as I look
at the world, I am not optimistic. I see much
more bad than good heading our way. Yet, I am
not discouraged, because my hope is not in the
world, but rather in Messiah and the Kingdom of
God! The theme of this month's article is "corruption."
King David declared, "The Lord has looked
down from Heaven upon the sons of men to see if
there are any who understand, who seek after God.
They have all turned aside, together they have
become corrupt; there is no one who does good,
not even one." Corruption is pervasive
among fallen human beings, their institutions
and societies. The Word of God tells us that
in the Achareet HaYameem - the Last Days,
the period of time immediately preceding the Second
Coming of the Son of God to planet Earth, corruption
will be everywhere. Since judgment is to "begin
with the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17), I'd
like to begin by focusing on the corruption within
the Church - Messiah's Holy Community.
Corruption
Within The Church
Rabbi Paul, who was a prophet, warned us that
King Messiah wouldn't return to Earth until there
would be a Great Apostasy - a falling away from
the genuine Faith and faithfulness to God and
Messiah. Scripture clearly foretold that the Church
of the Last Days would be increasingly far from
God, from truth and from faithfulness to the Word
of God. That is exactly what is happening in the
North American and Western European Churches.
The following is an article which appeared in
WorldNetDaily, dated December 3, 2003.
The title of the article is, The Church Doesn't
Think Like Jesus: Survey Shows Only 9% Of Christians
Have Biblical Worldview. A new survey by
pollster George Barna finds only 9 percent of
born-again Christians hold a Biblical worldview.
Barna, who surveyed 2,033 adults in his study,
found only 4 percent of the general population
have a Biblical worldview and suggests many of
the nation's moral and spiritual challenges are
directly attributable to this fact. "If Jesus
Christ came to this planet as a model of how we
ought to live, then our goal should be to act
like Jesus," said Barna. "Sadly, few
people consistently demonstrate the love, obedience
and priorities of Jesus. The primary reason that
people do not act like Jesus is because they do
not think like Jesus. Behavior stems from what
we think - our attitudes, beliefs, values and
opinions. Although most people own a Bible and
know some of its content, our research found that
most Americans have little idea how to integrate
core Biblical principles to form a unified and
meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities
of life."
For the
purposes of the research, a Biblical worldview
was defined as believing that absolute moral truths
exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible;
and firm belief in six specific religious views.
Those views were that Jesus Christ lived a sinless
life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing
Creator of the universe and He still rules it
today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot
be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility
to share their faith in Christ with other people;
and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.
Only 7 percent of Protestants overall maintained
a Biblical worldview, according to the study.
Of adults who attend mainline Protestant churches,
only 2 percent shared those values. Among Catholics,
less than one-half of 1 percent had a Biblical
worldview. The denominations that produced the
highest proportions of adults with a Biblical
worldview were non-denominational Protestant churches,
with 13 percent, Pentecostal churches, with 10
percent, and Baptist churches with 8 percent.
One
of the most striking insights from the research
was the influence of such a way of thinking upon
people's behavior. Adults with a Biblical
worldview possessed radically different views
on morality, held divergent religious beliefs
and demonstrated vastly different lifestyle choices.
People's views on morally acceptable behavior
are deeply impacted by their worldview. Upon comparing
the perspectives of those who have a Biblical
worldview with those who do not, the former group
were 31 times less likely to accept cohabitation;
18 times less likely to endorse drunkenness; 15
times less likely to condone homosexual sex; 12
times less likely to accept profanity; and 11
times less likely to describe adultery as morally
acceptable. In addition, less than one-half of
one percent of those with a Biblical worldview
said voluntary exposure to pornography was morally
acceptable (compared to 39 percent of other adults),
and a similarly minuscule proportion endorsed
abortion (compared to 46 percent of adults who
lack a Biblical worldview). Among the more intriguing
lifestyle differences were the lesser propensity
for those with a Biblical worldview to gamble
(they were eight times less likely to buy lottery
tickets and 17 times less likely to place bets);
to get drunk (three times less likely); and to
view pornography (two times less likely). They
were also twice as likely to have discussed spiritual
matters with other people in the past month and
twice as likely to have fasted for religious reasons
during the preceding month. While one out of every
eight adults who lack a Biblical worldview had
sexual relations with someone other than their
spouse during the prior month, less than one out
of every 100 individuals who have such a worldview
had done so.
Rabbi
Loren's conclusion: Don't be among those whose
religion of the Last Days is one of "holding
to a form of godliness" - a religion that
looks good on the outside, but it's power is denied,
a religion where there is no true faith, and no
real belief in its reality! Rather, strive
to think and believe like Yeshua. Develop a Biblical
worldview. How? Become convinced that the Bible
is truly the divinely inspired Word of God. Visit
our website and read the article entitled, "Apologetics:
Is Yeshua the Messiah?" You will find overwhelming
evidence that the Holy Scriptures are supernatural,
infallible and inerrant!
Don't
approach the Bible as you would a smorgasbord,
picking and choosing only those things you like,
and ignoring the others! The Holy Scriptures
are a "package deal." Approach them
as "all or nothing." Believe along with
King David, that God's Word is "very pure."
Trust what Paul and Peter wrote, that all Scripture
is inspired by God - and that God breathed upon
the authors, holy men who were carried along by
the Holy Spirit, so that the final product is
the inspired Word of God - true, accurate and
without error. Believe that until Heaven and Earth
pass away, not so much as one book, chapter, word,
letter or even the stroke of the scribe's pen
will pass away, but be fulfilled! Your pastor,
your rabbi doesn't believe that the Bible is the
inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God? You
should leave, or he should leave!
Now, on
the positive side, apart from post-Christian America,
Canada, and Western Europe, the Church in most
other parts of the world is growing. I especially
want to highlight the Church in China. When the
communists took over China in 1949, there were
only about 1 million Christians there. Since that
time, in spite of terrible persecution from the
godless and tyrannical communist government, the
Church has grown seventy-fold! There are approximately
70 million genuine Christians in China today!
It is my understanding that the Faith is reaching
intellectuals and leaders in the arts and sciences.
They are hungry for a new approach to history
- not the eastern view that history goes endlessly
in circles, but the Biblical view - that history
has a beginning, middle and is heading toward
a meaningful goal. They want to know what made
Western Civilization self-sustaining over the
long centuries; why it didn't collapse; why it
was able to produce intellectual and religious
freedom and such great advances in science and
technology. They are concluding that it was the
Judeo-Christian heritage, and its Biblical worldview.
I want
to mention three specific areas of corruption
within the Church: first, charismatic excess.
I'm "charismatic" in the sense that
I believe that God can still supernaturally equip
His sons and daughters with the miraculous gifts
mentioned in the Scriptures. However, I don't
believe that everyone has a supernatural gift.
I don't believe that not having an obvious supernatural
gift means that one is not indwelt by the Spirit
of God. In my experience with congregations that
supposedly are "charismatic," I've discerned
that most of the prophecies are not true prophecies,
the visions are not sourced in God, and the "tongues"
frequently are not a genuine gift from the Holy
Spirit, but something that is man-made. Nevertheless,
over the years, I've heard accounts of what I
believe are genuine charismatic manifestations,
and so I remain open to the real thing. I don't
want to "throw out the baby with the bath
water!"
The second
area of corruption within the Church are those
churches that are based on "seeker sensitivities,"
conducting entertainment-oriented services, but
seldom proclaiming the truth, that truly following
Yeshua is not about having your needs met - but
rather meeting the needs of others. The Christian
life is about serving God, denying ourselves and
the world, enduring hardship, persecution and
trials. I'm not condemning all churches that have
"Seeker Services" or use some entertainment,
because there may be some that also tell people
the truth. But we need to question the re-packaging
of the Good News to cater to people's tastes and
have the goal of merely drawing large crowds.
The third
area of corruption within the Church is the "prosperity
teaching." It is false teaching. It is a
destructive lie. In contrast to these false promises
of health and wealth, listen to the Word of the
Lord: "Blessed are you who are poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who
hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed
are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed
are you when men hate you, and ostracize you,
and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for
the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day
and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great
in Heaven. For in the same way their fathers used
to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are
rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
Woe to you who are well fed now, for you shall
be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall
mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak
well of you, for their fathers used to treat the
false prophets in the same way" (Luke 6:20-26).
Messiah declared, "He who does not take his
cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
The one who pursues His life in this world will
lose it, and the one who has lost his life for
My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:38-39).
Paul and Barnabas strengthened the souls of the
disciples, encouraging them to continue in the
Faith, saying, "Through many tribulations
we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
Paul also declared: "I have been crucified
to the world, and the world has been crucified
to me" (Galatians 6:14). He taught us that
it is false teachers, men of sick, depraved minds
who teach that godliness is a means of financial
gain (1 Timothy 6:5). He made it clear that "the
grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation
to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness
and worldly desires" (Titus 2:11-12). Following
God means that we are to limit our worldly ambitions,
curb our greed and restrain our desire for material
things.
Corruption
Within The Jewish Community
Not only is there corruption within the Church,
but there is corruption within the Jewish Community.
The more I think about it, there are only two
categories of non-Messianic Jewish people. There
are the majority, who reject a traditional and
more Biblical worldview. They don't believe that
the Tenach is the divinely inspired Word of God.
Theirs is a Secular/Humanistic, Post-Modern worldview.
They don't believe that a close personal relationship
with God is possible. They don't believe in the
reality of Heaven, Hell, salvation, eternal life,
or hold to moral absolutes. Whether their affiliation
is Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or none at
all; whatever their level of Jewish expression
and identification, the sad reality is that most
Jewish people today are basically secular/humanistic
in their thinking. As a result their moral life
is, for the most part, as corrupt as the rest
of the society around them. They are far from
God, without salvation and eternal life.
The second
category is non-Messianic Jews who have a basic
Biblical worldview. They believe that the Tenach
(the Torah and the Prophets and the Writings)
is the Word of God, but they have several life-destroying
problems. First, their version of Judaism is based
on a broken covenant: "'Behold days are coming',
declares the Lord, 'when I will make a New Covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah, not like the covenant which I made with
their fathers in the day I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My
covenant which they broke, although I was
a husband to them,' declares the Lord" (Jeremiah
31:31-32). Non-Messianic Judaism is based on
this broken covenant which cannot save us. There
is no Temple and there are no sacrifices by which
we can be brought near to God and experience genuine
atonement.
Second,
they deny the New Covenant, which is based on
the coming of the Messiah and the Good News He
proclaimed, the salvation He offers, the atonement
He made, the reconciliation with God He alone
provides and the offer of eternal life He promises.
The Lord further said through Jeremiah: "'But
this is the covenant which I will make with the
house of Israel after those days,' declares the
Lord. 'I will put My Teaching within them, and
on their heart I will write it; and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people'"
(Jeremiah 31:33).
Third,
they have added to the Word of God by according
the same level of authority to the Talmud, and
the halacha (legal decisions) of the non-Messianic
Rabbis. This polluted system has mixed up the
Word of God and the word of man, and it is a deadly
mixture. It kills true religion, and keeps us
far from God. Listen carefully to the Word of
our infallible Rabbi, rebuking the Scribes and
Pharisees (the forerunners of today's "Traditional
Judaism"): "You invalidate the Word
of God for the sake of your tradition" (you
cause it to not work properly, so that it doesn't
guide you to salvation and eternal life). "You
hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
'This people honors Me with their lips, but their
heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts
of men'" (Matthew 15:3,7-9). Their worship,
their prayers, their religion is useless, empty
and meaningless. It accomplishes nothing! I
call upon my people to turn back to God, to acknowledge
Messiah Yeshua that He sent, to give heed to the
entire Bible, both Old and New Covenant Scriptures,
to adopt Biblical values and to disavow man-made
traditions and laws. This is true Judaism and
our only salvation.
Corruption
Within The Messianic Jewish Movement
Not only is there corruption within the Church,
and within the Jewish Community, but it is also
present within our own precious Messianic Jewish
Movement. Even though the Scriptures are quite
clear that women must not be the leaders of a
congregation, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of
America acknowledges and promotes a female "rabbi."
This willful disregard for the Word of God is
wrong and should not be tolerated. Roughly half
the congregations within the Union of Messianic
Jewish Congregations are advocating "Another
Gospel," namely, that Jewish people don't
need to personally place their faith in Yeshua
in order to be saved! This false teaching disregards
the basic message of the Bible - that the whole
world (which includes the Jewish people) is dead
in trespasses and sins. All have sinned - Jews
and Gentiles, and have fallen short of the glory
of God (Romans 3:23). But God in His great love
and mercy sent us the Savior - Yeshua our Salvation,
who alone can save us. The Son of God said that
He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that
apart from placing faith in Him, no man could
get to the Father (John 14:6). Yeshua said to
a group of Jewish leaders (men who believed in
God, who knew the Torah, who went to the Temple
in Jerusalem and offered sacrifices), "Unless
you believe that I am He, you shall die in your
sins" (John 8:24). Simon Peter stood before
the Sanhedrin, and declared to the leading priests,
scholars and rabbis of Israel that there is salvation
in nothing and no one other than Yeshua of Nazareth
(Acts 4:12). It doesn't get much clearer than
that! Another of the Emissaries wrote, "He
who has the Son has the life; he who does not
have the Son of God does not have the life"
(1 John 5:12). Paul, perhaps the greatest theologian
of all time (apart from Messiah Yeshua) made it
crystal clear that if during our earthly life
we personally confess with our mouth that Yeshua
is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised
Him from the dead, we will be saved. But, the
inverse truth is equally clear: if sometime during
the earthly phase of our life we don't confess
with our mouth and believe in our heart, we will
be lost. The Rabbi from Tarsus had great sorrow
and unceasing grief in his heart because he knew
the lost state of his Jewish people who didn't
believe in Messiah Yeshua. In spite of these
essential truths, I report to you with sorrow
and grief in my heart that the Union of Messianic
Jewish Congregations has put a man who denies
these basic doctrines in charge of their seminary
program! As it stands now, a heretic is training
these rabbis-to-be! This is intolerable! The potentially
destructive effect on the Messianic Community
is incalculable - and is the epitome of religious
corruption!
There
are other problems in the Messianic Jewish movement
as well. The following comes from an outstanding
editorial by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, which appeared
in the November 2003 edition of the Messianic
Times, in response to some of the prevailing
attitudes among some leaders of Messianic Congregations.
We are
a "branch of Judaism:" If by "Judaism"
we mean the Biblical faith of our forefathers,
then we cannot be "a branch" - only
"the branch." If we mean the rabbinic
Judaism of the past 2,000 years, we are most certainly
not its sprouting, neither can the rejection of
Messiah be our fellow branch. We are of a different
tree - the Olive Tree of Salvation and Blessing.
The false Judaisms have been broken off and removed
from the Olive Tree.
Jewish-centeredness
vs. God-centeredness: If the goal of our Jewishness
is our Jewishness, then it is an idol. If we place
a yarmulke on a golden calf, we do not wind up
with Jewishness but a golden calf with a yarmulke.
The point of Jewishness is not Jewishness, but
God.
Emphasis
on Law; de-emphasis of Messiah: The Law is to
point us to Messiah, not Messiah to the Law. If
we cannot declare with Paul that we have determined
to know nothing but Yeshua the Messiah, and Him
crucified, then do we not preach another Gospel?
Messiah
demoted: Any demotion of Messiah, any dilution
of His deity, is heresy and must be called that.
We are to acknowledge no other Savior except God
(Isaiah 43:11) and no other Messiah but the Savior,
whose goings forth are from the days of eternity
(Micah 5:2).
The "Church"
as a foreign entity; the Gentile as tolerated
stranger: According to the Scripture, the Church
is not a foreign entity but a Jewish Commonwealth
in which Jew and Gentile are distinct and yet
one. This Commonwealth belongs not to Rome but
to Jerusalem, where it was started by 12 Jewish
disciples. We were not called to reject, disdain
or disparage the Church, but to lead it!
Seeking
of legitimacy, guidance and authority from rabbinic
tradition: We must make up our minds. Either we
have the truth, or we do not. If we have the truth,
then rabbinic tradition, though of interest as
reference material, is premised on error, having
rejected the Messiah. The Apostles would grieve
and the prophets denounce us should we be found
seeking the approval of our people or following
the ways of their error instead of leading them
with the uncompromised Gospel of salvation. We
are under the authority of one Rabbi only - Messiah.
Rabbi
Cahn concludes: no man can serve two masters.
Nor can a movement. It will, in the end, love
the one and hate the other. Woe to us if we, as
Esau, forfeit the greatness of our inheritance,
having traded it for a bowl of stew - kosher or
otherwise. Woe to us should we forget whose love,
whose life, and whose blood it was by which we
were washed, forgiven and raised to new life.
It was not Jewish culture that gave its life for
us, not Jewish tradition that was crushed for
our iniquities, not the Torah that hung bloodied
on the cross for our salvation. It was Messiah
alone. To Him alone we owe the full measure of
our love, our devotion and our lives. The voice
of the Lord beseeches us to return to our first
love and the simplicity of our Faith. Only then
will we fulfill the high and glorious calling
given to this movement and to Israel.
Rabbi
Loren adds another problem: Disassociation from
Messianic Jewish evangelistic organizations: Some
Messianic leaders have publicly disassociated
themselves from Jews for Jesus and other worthy
Messianic Jewish evangelistic organizations. Perhaps
the leaders who disassociate themselves from these
ministries do so because the bold and consistent
outreach of these evangelistic ministries stands
in contrast to the leaders lack of courage, faithfulness
and zeal to spread the Good News. Rather than
"getting up on a high mountain and lifting
up their voices," too many have been content
to "hide their light under a bowl."
Another reason some leaders may disassociate themselves
from these good Messianic Jewish evangelistic
ministries is because they know that these organizations
are disliked by non-Messianic Jews, and they don't
want to endure the same contempt. Paul addressed
this cowardice and hypocrisy (see Galatians 2:11-13).
The desire to gain the approval of the non-Messianic
Jewish Community at the expense of our brothers
and sisters in Yeshua, and the unwillingness to
"go outside the camp, bearing Messiah's reproach"
(Hebrews 13:12-14), is a grievous sin and religious
corruption. We need to be reminded of Yeshua's
words: "Blessed are you when men hate you,
and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and
spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son
of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy,
for behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for
in the same way their fathers used to treat the
prophets" (Luke 6:22-23).
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