That would be a strange greeting at this time of the year, wouldn't it! But if we are not careful, as Christians this could be the impression we give. There are a couple of possible reasons for a Christian to be against celebrating Christmas.

One reason is the way that worldliness has taken over. The airwaves, whilst being filled with carols that convey wonderful truths about the birth of the Saviour of the world, have become (to many people) like the masterpiece that has blended with the wallpaper on the wall where it is hung: no more than a pleasant backdrop - background music to the shopping spree.

A second reason is that many Christians have retraced their theological steps to the Jewish roots of the faith and have found that Christmas never was a biblical feast, but a remodelling of a pagan festival of winter solstice worship of the sun (not the Son!). A natural consequence of this would seem to be, as in our day, an eventual reversion to these pagan roots – something Christians understandably want to avoid.

Bygone Blessings

I have been among the foremost of those who have highlighted the importance of returning to our Jewish roots, focussing our celebrations on the biblical timetable in step with the Jewish world and thereby not partaking in an unscriptural religion.

Yet I also come from the generation who were children in the post-war years, brought up in a nation where Christmas did centralise the birth of Jesus. Children today would not easily understand how our families and communities those years ago focussed their thoughts more on the Nativity than on the TV, the food and the presents.

There are a couple of possible reasons for a Christian to be against celebrating Christmas.

Yes, we had presents and yes, we had a celebratory festive meal (the one and only time in the year when our family had a chicken lunch!) and some treats to follow - but just a few presents and many of us made our own decorations. When we broke up from school for the holidays, it was with the Bible passages describing the birth of Jesus in our mind, strengthened by the words of the carols we sang. We had the clear sense that the blessings of our family times were a consequence of our celebration of Jesus' birth – we weren’t thinking about the winter solstice and pagan worship. Our national culture had grown to have a different emphasis.

One cannot ignore such rich blessings from the Lord. But neither can one deny that Jesus was not born on 25 December, that the wise men did not visit him on the same day as the shepherds, and all the other myriad mistakes that are made with the ‘Christmas story’. So how do we approach Christmas this year, whilst working (in God's timing, which may be different from ours) to take the worldliness out of our celebrations and relocate them rightly on the biblical calendar?

Positive Changes

My personal answer is to ensure that any adjustments made to our celebrations are made in a positive way, in recognition of what Jesus has done. We do no good in our Christian witness to give a negative message to the world. There is still plenty of opportunity for our Christian witness at Christmas to have a positive effect on many people around us.

My own approach is - in moderation, and remembering past blessings - to still enjoy many of the carols, to wish my friends a happy (not necessarily merry!) Christmas, and to remember that although the Lord told us to remember his death until he comes, he was born as a human being - something to celebrate on any day of the year.

My personal answer is to ensure that any changes to our celebrations are made in a positive way.

Meanwhile, I believe that the Lord is reminding us of his design of the yearly cycle of the Feasts (the three main ones being Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot) so that in time we will re-calibrate our years in step with these rhythms. But in his time. I believe we will have readjusted to this before Jesus returns, but to force the pace would be wrong and may even take away from the beauty and significance of these Feasts.

Remember what Paul taught in Romans 14:5, Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Some will get there quicker than others, but let us be patient and persuasive rather than judgmental. And in these days of transition, let us still seek to bless our friends by saying, ‘Have a happy Christmas’ - and really mean it.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘The Forgotten Jesus’ by Robby Gallaty (Zondervan, 2017).

The author’s main contention in writing this book is that our understanding of Jesus has been shaped by many different cultural influences and that Christians today, especially in the West, are largely ignorant of the fact that Jesus was a Jewish man living in a Jewish world and observing Jewish customs.

Gallaty aims to help us rediscover this forgotten Jesus and to be able to place what he said and did within a more meaningful context.

High Definition

For the author, entering the Jewish world of Jesus is like getting high definition television. Once you view the gospels in this way, the extra clarity and precision means you can’t go back! Nothing is more exciting than “the experience of learning to apply a Hebraic hermeneutic to the Bible” (p23).

But this is not just a matter of information and insight, valuable though that is. The book builds up towards a key question – which Jesus will you choose? Furthermore, by seeing Jesus as the disciples did, we can better appreciate (and perhaps begin to emulate) the “revolution that would eventually transcend the sprawling Roman Empire and change the world” (p202).

Easy to Read

The book is easy to read and contains nine chapters. The first three provide a foundational look at the 1^st Century world in which Jesus lived. In particular, it illustrates the difference between Western (Greek) thinking and a Middle Eastern (Hebraic) mindset, as well as connecting Jesus with prominent Old Testament figures such as Abraham, Joseph and Moses, and providing some information on the centuries between the Testaments.

In the central three chapters, Gallaty sheds light on Jesus’ upbringing and early life, and explores the connections between his ministry and what was commonly known by those who heard him teach.

The final three chapters explain the Messiahship of Jesus and how he was ultimately rejected and sentenced to death. His final days contain many intriguing elements usually lost on traditional Christian teaching but which can be illuminated by a new Hebraic perspective.

For the author, entering the Jewish world of Jesus is like getting high definition television. Once you view the gospels in this way, the extra clarity and precision means you can’t go back!

Why This Book?

There are now many books helping us understand the Jewishness of Jesus, so why buy this one? Overall Gallaty has put together a very full compilation of such treasures. He acknowledges that he has drawn on many sources and that much of what he says can be found elsewhere. However, he has packed a huge amount into a relatively short book without being too concise or patchy.

He is also aware that the Jewish Roots movement has produced much that is based upon conjecture and speculation - perhaps following the thrill of the new rather than giving it sufficient scrutiny. Gallaty asserts that we “cannot just take what we read and hear as if it is verifiably true” (p203), but need to exercise discernment.

In this Gallary is successful. Clearly he has treated his sources with caution and produced a book that can be trusted: not only to affirm what is written of elsewhere, but also to add some extra thought-provoking gems. What did Peter actually hear when the cock crowed? What were those swaddling clothes really like, and why were they readily available and appropriate? And when Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22, was he intending us to understand even more than just the agony of his forsakenness?

The books ends with recommended resources (books and websites), a 260-day Bible reading plan and good endnotes. It does not, however, include an index, which would have been useful for those wanting to treat the book as a resource in its own right rather than a one-time read.

Overall this is a worthwhile addition to any collection of books on the Hebraic background to Jesus and the gospels.

‘The Forgotten Jesus: How Western Christians Should Follow an Eastern Rabbi’ (224pp, paperback) is available from Amazon for £9.99. Also available on Kindle and as an audiobook. Find out more on the book’s website.

Robby Gallaty is Senior Pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The cry for justice (Amos 5:24).

What is the reason for the leaders of the churches - Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church – being so conspicuous by their absence and silence concerning the definite increase of anti-Semitism, especially in the Labour Party? Where is their prophetic voice of solidarity for the despair and fear of the Jewish people, who have made such a great contribution at all levels of our society?

It is impossible to separate the events of the Bible with the Jewish people living in the Land of Israel and here in Britain. The very foundations of the Christian faith are based on the Torah (Laws) of Moses, the Psalms of David and message of the Prophets. Jesus the Messiah was Jewish, and lived this out faithfully – including being circumcised on the 8th day and participating in the Jewish Feasts, particularly Passover. The Christian Communion service is directly related to the Passover celebration. All of the 12 Apostles were born in the Land of Israel.

In the 19^th Century Bishop John Lightfoot from Durham, in discussion about God's purpose for Israel, emphasised “the miraculous preservation of Israel throughout history”. And in the 20^th Century, Dean Inge of St Paul's Cathedral said "The Jewish people stand at the graveside of their persecutors". Archbishop William Temple addressed the House of Lord in March 1943 concerning the tragic events befalling Jews in Europe: "We stand at the bar of history, of humanity and God. At this moment we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity of showing mercy".

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn’s parents were dedicated Methodists. When he attended Sunday School at the local Methodist Church, he must have heard the famous story of Jesus and encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. In this conversation, Jesus stated "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). This tremendous truth is still valid today. Christianity owes an immense debt to the Jewish people.

So, I say again: why are our Church leaders silent as the scourge of anti-Semitism raises its ugly head in our nation once more?

Gerald Gotzen

UK Board Member of Jewish Voice Ministries International, Founder of Beit Shalom Project in Ethiopia, providing practical support for Jewish people who are waiting to make 'aliyah' to Israel.

A selection of books to see you through August.

In case you are going to be relaxing poolside this August or just enjoying some extra spare time, here are a few recommended books to keep you company. Please see the base of each review for purchasing details.

‘Praying Like the Jew, Jesus: Recovering the Ancient Roots of New Testament Prayer’ by Timothy P Jones (Lederer Books, 2005)

In this delightful book, author, professor and pastor Timothy Jones opens our eyes to the Jewish background of the prayers of Jesus. Jones, author of many textbooks, professor of biblical languages and senior pastor of a Baptist church in Oklahoma, is well-qualified to explain the customs and traditions behind our Lord’s prayers and uncover the beauty and power of his prayer life.

This is a book that will inspire you to pray but also help you understand the true nature of prayer and of God himself.

With the help of historical vignettes and careful research, we are transported back to the historical Jewish world of Jesus, so that we gain wonderful insights into that world by studying his prayers (or, in the case of the first two chapters, the prayers of others around him ahead of his birth and during his early life).

Each of the ten chapters follows a similar structural pattern so you know what to expect and so the book could easily be taken a chapter at a time. Each begins with an imaginative re-telling of an event from Jesus’ life, weaving the original context of his prayers into the biblical stories in order to help you not only study the prayers but also experience their fuller meaning.

At the end of each chapter there is a meditation for readers to apply the lessons to their own lives, considering how God hears and relates to us. The endnotes are excellent and there is a usual glossary for the reader unfamiliar with the Jewish terms Jones uses.

If prayer is like breathing, then this book is “designed to help readers ‘breathe deeply’ as they enter into prayer” (Foreword, p.vi). Do read this book – it will inspire, bless and challenge you.

Maureen Trowbridge and Paul Luckraft

‘Praying Like the Jew, Jesus’ (122pp) is available very cheaply on Amazon. Kindle version is £5.86.

‘The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti-Semitism’ by Dave Rich (Biteback Publishing, 2016, revised 2018)

If you are looking for a highly topical book that will help you understand a central crisis in modern British politics, we highly recommend Dave Rich’s exploration of left-wing Jew-hatred. Associate Research Fellow at the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism, Birkbeck College (University of London), Rich works for the Community Security Trust, briefing MPs, civil servants and police officers about anti-Semitism. Though he is not a believer, his insights into this phenomenon are well worth reading.

Beginning with a brief history of how the Labour Party transformed from the party of the working class to a mainly middle-class party championing identity politics, Rich demonstrates how Labour totally reversed its position on Israel in the space of a decade or two, from steadfast support to outright loathing.

Subsequent chapters trace this transformation through to the present day, including more recent alliances between the left-wing and Islam (much as Melanie Phillips does in her book ‘The World Turned Upside-Down’). Rich also exposes how the ideological left has adopted a radically wrong view of the Holocaust.

His research, originally a PhD project begun in 2011, is here brought further up-to-date and made suitable for a general readership. A 2018 update is promised in September covering the many high-profile developments that have taken place since the book was first published.

If the presence of virulent anti-Semitism within a so-called ‘anti-racist’ Party has taken you by surprise, or if you are aware that Corbyn is simply a symptom of a much longer-standing problem but are unsure why, this book is for you.

Paul Luckraft and Frances Rabbitts

The 2016 version of ‘The Left’s Jewish Problem’ (352pp) is available from the publisher for £12.99 (paperback) or from Amazon Kindle for £8.54. Read an interview with the author here.

The 2018 version is available for pre-order for £12.99 (paperback) or £10 (Kindle) – to be released in early September.

‘Left to Their Own Devices: Confident Parenting in a World of Screens’ by Katharine Hill (Muddy Pearl, 2017). With Foreword by Rob Parsons OBE.

In this clever, refreshing book, lawyer, writer and present Director of Care for the Family UK Katharine Hill explores the impact of a decade of the digital world on the younger generation.

Member of the Board of the International Commission for Couples and Family Matters, Hill is married with grown-up children and is also a well-known public speaker and columnist for a local newspaper.

In 15 chapters and a poignant epilogue, she “skilfully and sensitively tackles a thorny subject with razor sharp insight and unremitting authenticity” (Dr Samantha Callum, family policy expert), aiming her writing particularly at those involved in parenting, teaching and youth work. Practical advice is given on issues like screen time, social media and consumer culture, as well as more serious issues like cyber-bullying, grooming and pornography, making this an invaluable handbook for parents who not only want to ‘cope’ with today’s digital challenges but face them confidently. Over 20 cartoons provide a gestalt complement. For those wishing to explore these ‘thorny issues’ further, a helpful index is provided.

I recommend this important, timely book without reservation, as being of exceptional value.

M. Paul Rogoff

‘Left to Their Own Devices’ (143pp, paperback) is available from the publisher for £9.99. Also available from Care for the Family and Amazon. Watch an interview with the author here.

‘The Bible’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by David Hamshire (Faithbuilders Christian Books, 2018)

This short booklet (40 pages in length) follows on from two others by the same author, whose themes are all linked to the number seven: ‘Seven Days of Creation’ and ‘Seven Feasts of the Lord’. Whilst these previous two studies are on central and accepted themes, the exploration of how the number seven relates to wisdom (using Proverbs 9:1-6) breaks new ground.

The number seven binds much of Scripture together so, on the one hand, it is likely to have significance in ways yet to be found. However, on the other hand, the concept can be forced too far and become speculative. For this reason, I approached this particular study with caution. I did, nevertheless, find it well-written and thought-provoking.

I am not yet unconvinced that it leans more towards the speculative than the authoritative, but I can nevertheless recommend it as a good stimulus for study, especially in small interactive groups.

Clifford Denton

‘The Bible’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ is available from Christian Publications International for £9 inc. P&P, where you can also find more information and an extract from the Foreword.

‘More Drops: Mystery, Mercy, Messiology’ by George Verwer (CWR, 2015)

George Verwer met the Lord in 1955 in Madison Square Gardens, New York listening to Billy Graham, and started a life dedicated to evangelism. At the Moody Bible Institute, he learned that every student has to be an evangelist - for him, first in Mexico, where he married, and then in over 90 nations.

In 1962, Verwer formed Operation Mobilisation (OM), one of the most impactful mission agencies of the last half-century, known for its unrelenting preaching of the Gospel and its social action in Gospel-resistant countries like India, Nepal and the UK. From the 1970s, he obtained a series of ships named Logos to bring the Gospel to millions in coastal regions of the world.

2015 celebrated 60 years of this continuing passion. ‘More Drops’ (one of nine books by Verwer) is written in an auto-biographical style and is alive with refreshing honesty and pace, always giving God the glory through many successes and failures. Verwer’s reflection that most of what we touch includes messy situations (hence his term ‘Messiology’) - including theology, church life, leadership and people (!) – is followed up with the insight that God does wonderful things through the mess.

This is a book alive with the boldness and passion of its author, who lived to share Christ with as many people as he could. Helpfully, More Drops also recommends personal reading of nearly 50 other books, all classic works of Christian living, though Verwer always advocated getting into the word of God first and foremost, and allowing the Lord to transform your life from there.

Greg Stevenson

‘More Drops’ (136pp) is available from Amazon for £6.99 (paperback) or £6.64 (Kindle). Also available is the ‘George for Real’ DVD, a fast-moving, highly personal, encouraging and challenging story of a man on fire for the Lord and his Gospel. Highly recommended.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Guardian Angel’ by Melanie Phillips (Bombardier Books, 2018).

This is an intriguing look at the life and career of one of Britain’s most forthright and controversial journalists who regularly champions our national identity and Judeo-Christian heritage. Here we discover what shaped her early life and the key factors and influences that precipitated, in the words of the subtitle, her “journey from leftism to sanity”.

The book is perhaps better seen as a memoir than an autobiography but it does nevertheless take us chronologically from Phillips’ childhood in London through her career path to where she is now.

Poignant, Personal, Illuminating

The opening chapter is by far the longest as Phillips describes the angst and anxieties she experienced as a child. Clearly her family home was not a happy one, although it provided the moral foundation she would need in later life.

It is interesting that after describing her (Jewish) parents and upbringing in some detail there is little about her own family. We learn how she met her husband and that she has two children, but almost nothing about them. Later family relationships are also noticeably absent. It seems Phillips wants her personal story to be understood more in terms of the social and political changes that have happened in Britain during her professional lifetime (though intuitive readers will undoubtedly feel keenly the ways these have intersected with her family life). 

This is an intriguing look at the life and career of one of Britain’s most forthright and controversial journalists.

In the second chapter Phillips describes how she learnt her trade as a reporter and eventually joined the staff of The Guardian as a promising writer, by all accounts. Later chapters recount her ups and downs (mainly downs) at that publication in a way that is eye-opening and often entertaining (at least for those of us simply reading about them). We are led through the inner and outer turmoil she experienced as she gradually became aware of and came to terms with the vast ideological differences between herself and her co-workers.

Her account is deeply personal and yet illuminating for anyone learning their way around the problems with the ideological left-wing (cf. classic liberalism, Phillips’ background) and desiring to work through them intelligently and face the consequences bravely.

Overall, the account of her career path away from The Guardian is a poignant one - a move as traumatic and bewildering as any she could have imagined, but which was necessary if she was to remain true to her principle of “following the evidence where it led, and only then reaching a conclusion” (p119).

When towards the end of the book she states that “I believe what has happened to me illustrates what has happened to British society and western culture during the past three decades” (p172), we can readily agree. This is not over-inflated egotism but a logical conclusion that clearly follows from what she has recorded of her experiences.

Alfred and Mabel’s Daughter

Anyone familiar with Melanie Phillips’ writing will find this informative and for those who are not regular readers of her articles or blog, this is an excellent introduction to a social commentator who is both prescient and provocative.

An excellent introduction to a social commentator who is both prescient and provocative.

In some ways the book comes across as a sort of self-explanation, an attempt to understand what actually happened to her, personally and professionally. Certainly the book helps us understand her better and appreciate her even more.

When summing up who she is, Phillips concludes that she is neither on the left nor the right: “I am simply Alfred and Mabel’s daughter, a Jew who believes in helping make the world a better place and a journalist who believes in speaking truth to power” (p175).

'Guardian Angel' (175pp) is available on Amazon for £12.50 (paperback) or £5.91 (Kindle). Melanie Phillips writes regularly for The Times, the Jewish News Syndicate, the Jerusalem Post and for her own blog, at www.melaniephillips.com.

The row has turned into a crisis.

You could be forgiven for missing it, because it has been all-but-buried by Brexit drama and limited mainstream news coverage. But Labour’s anti-Semitism row has resurfaced this week with vicious intensity – and is threatening to tear the Party apart.

Various explosive exposés in recent years have made the nation painfully aware that Labour has a deep-rooted anti-Semitism problem.

Now, as if things could get any worse, a furore has erupted because the Party has dared to create its own definition of anti-Semitism which waters down the international standard – effectively institutionalising its own anti-Semitic behaviour.¹

Seeing Red

Last week, a Labour sub-committee backed the diluted definition over the full International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition, which is widely accepted as an international standard and embraced by the UK Government, the CPS, the police and many local councils.

Predictably, Labour’s watered down version omits several specific examples of anti-Semitic behaviour to do with Israel, an area of discourse which has been a notorious sticking-point for the Party under Jeremy Corbyn and which today represents the main conduit for Western anti-Semitic attitudes and behaviour.²

The sub-committee’s decision sparked a huge backlash from MPs and provoked an unprecedented letter from 68 British rabbis, published in The Guardian over last weekend, urging Labour leaders to “listen to the Jewish community” and adopt the full IHRA definition.³ Hours later, the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, weighed in with the same message.⁴ On Monday night, a packed meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (with the noted absence of Corbyn) rebelled against the sub-committee, voting overwhelmingly to accept the IHRA definition in full.⁵

Labour’s watered down definition of anti-Semitism omits several specific examples of anti-Semitic behaviour to do with Israel, a notorious sticking-point for the Party under Corbyn.

Despite all this, Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee, upheld the amended definition on Tuesday, without recourse to a vote and with the full support of Corbyn, who was present. During the meeting, which was marked by bitter exchanges, NEC member Pete Willsman told the room that “Some of the people in the Jewish community are Trump fanatics – I’ll take no lectures from them” and rejected the open letter from the 68 rabbis by declaring their message “simply false”.⁶

Afterwards, a furious Dame Margaret Hodge – veteran Jewish Labour MP – saw red and approached Corbyn behind the Speaker’s Chair during the Commons votes on Brexit, reportedly calling him “an anti-Semitic racist” and adding, “It is not what you say but what you do, and by your actions you have shown you are an anti-Semitic racist.”⁷

Now, remarkably facing disciplinary action by the Party, Hodge has defended her actions in a Guardian article further laying into the Opposition Leader.⁸ A rally was held in Parliament Square on Thursday evening, and a number of Jewish MPs are said to be considering quitting the Party altogether.⁹

Willing Blindness

Having shattered Labour’s reputation as an anti-racist, pro-tolerance Party, Corbyn and his inner circle are stumping both MPs and ordinary citizens by remaining steadfastly committed to fostering this one particular brand of racism within Party ranks, blowing every possible opportunity to make amends with British Jews.

But, as Jewish author and blogger Melanie Phillips obligingly notes, Jeremy Corbyn is not the cause of Labour’s anti-Semitism problem – he is a result of it.¹⁰ For the anti-Semitism that embattles Labour today actually pervades the entire left wing of the political spectrum, being a natural consequence of its wholesale commitment to Palestinianism.

Corbyn and his inner circle have shattered Labour’s reputation as an anti-racist, pro-tolerance Party.

Through a potent cocktail of godless, anti-biblical ‘isms’ - postmodernism, secularism, humanism and liberalism - the left has blinded itself to the fact that Palestinianism is a fundamentally anti-Semitic endeavour that one cannot support meaningfully without eventually getting drawn into the same attitudes.

Yet, ironically, those subscribing to left-wing secular humanism consider themselves to be paragons of virtue, incapable of racism: always standing in solidarity with the oppressed. That is why Corbyn cannot even admit fully to the Party’s anti-Semitism problem: he genuinely cannot see it. Or, even worse, he can see it, and doesn’t care - or explains it away – because he patently agrees with its underlying premises.

Spiritual Battle

Thankfully, this blindness has not descended fully on MPs or ordinary Labour supporters, among whom there is now new opportunity to highlight the roots of this nightmare in a rejection of the God of the Bible. For, contrary to popular opinion, anti-Semitism is not a racism like any other, but is actually a demonic backlash against God, his chosen Land, people and covenant purposes. Not even Melanie Phillips quite grasps its true, spiritual nature - which is why it is ‘the longest hatred’, repeatedly raising its head around the world and throughout history, refusing to die.

How people align themselves in this spiritual battle – whether or not they even know it is there – places them on one side or the other of a promise made by God some 4,000 years ago, recorded in the Book of Genesis, that “Those who bless [Israel] will themselves be blessed, but those who curse [Israel] will be cursed” (Gen 12:3).

It is the outworking of this very promise today that is causing such division and strife in the Labour Party. Truly, Jerusalem is a cup of reeling that makes the nations stagger (Zech 12:2). Systematically siding with Israel’s enemies and behaving in a way which evidences his commitment to her ultimate annihilation, Corbyn has placed Labour under a curse – which will undoubtedly affect the entire nation should he ever ascend to the office of Prime Minister.

Corbyn has placed Labour under a curse – which will undoubtedly affect the entire nation should he ever ascend to the office of Prime Minister.

House on Sand

Mercifully, most people can still recognise that something has gone fundamentally wrong with the Labour Party, even if they don’t understand why. There is now fresh opportunity for multitudes to be challenged to think about the ‘why’: why a Party so devoted to ‘inclusivity’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘anti-racism’ is manifesting the exact opposite behaviour.

We can pray that God will use their wonderings to open their eyes, to see that the ideological house of the liberal left – in which the vast majority of our politicians now shelter - has been built not on rock, but on sand.

How both MPs and ordinary citizens respond to this current storm will fundamentally shape the future for British Jews and indeed for the entire nation – perhaps as much as or even more than Brexit. As for those in Britain who have committed themselves to Israel’s destruction,

Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like chaff before the wind.

As fire consumes the forest

or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

so pursue them with your tempest

and terrify them with your storm.

Cover their faces with shame, LORD,

so that they will seek your name.

May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;

may they perish in disgrace.

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-

that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:13-18)

References

1 Phillips, M. Institutionalising antisemitism in the British Labour Party. 20 July 2018.

2 Under Labour’s definition, calling Jews Nazis or Israel an ‘apartheid’ state could be permissible.

3 The 68 are said to represent 30,000 British Jewish households, from ultra-progressives through to haredi Orthodox. This show of unity is exceptional. See also, 68 rabbis from across UK Judaism sign unprecedented letter condemning Labour antisemitism. The Jewish Chronicle, 16 July 2018.

4 Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis writes unprecedented letter, warning Labour not to send 'message of contempt' to Jews. The Jewish Chronicle, 17 July 2018.

5 Labour MPs defy party leadership, vote to back IHRA definition of antisemitism. The Jewish Chronicle, 16 July 2018.

6 Labour rejects full IHRA antisemitism definition - but is accused of 'fudge' for pledging review. The Jewish Chronicle, 17 July 2018.

7 Stewart, H and Elgot, J. Labour MP labels Corbyn an 'antisemite' over party's refusal to drop code. The Guardian, 17 July 2018.

8 Hodge, M. I was right to confront Jeremy Corbyn over Labour’s antisemitism. The Guardian, 18 July 2018. 

9 Proctor, K. Jewish MPs may quit Labour as row grows over anti-Semitism. Evening Standard, 19 July 2018.

10 Phillips, M. Giddy at their boldness – but Corbyn didn’t cause Labour antisemitism. He’s its product. 30 March 2018. 

Paul Luckraft reviews the Tree of Life version of Scripture (Baker Publishing/Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, 2015).

The Tree of Life Version of the Holy Scriptures is well worth investigating and then investing in. There are several versions of the Bible available now which attempt to recapture something of the original Jewish authenticity - so what makes this different?

Its main selling point is the claim that this is a brand new translation produced by both Messianic Jewish and Christian scholars. This, the publishers say, makes it the first of its kind, and by incorporating the translational skills of Messianic Jews it highlights the rich Hebraic roots of the Christian faith to a greater extent. And by working together as One New Man, they believe they have provided a Bible for a new era.

A Jewish-Friendly Voice

The translators have gone back to the original Hebrew (Masoretic Text) for the Old Testament and the original Greek (the 27^th Nestle-Aland Novum Testamente Graece) for the New. Naturally they have preserved the original Jewish order of the books of the Old Testament (Tanakh) and have also used transliterated terms such as shalom, shofar, Shabbat, and the Jewish name of the Messiah, Yeshua.

This is a brand new translation produced by both Messianic Jewish and Christian scholars working together as One New Man.

The translation project was headed up by Jeffrey Seir, a professor of Bible and Jewish Studies at Kings University, USA, who served as the Project Manager and Chief Theologian. A full list of the translators is available on their website.

Their aim is to provide a version that speaks with a decidedly Jewish-friendly voice, a voice like the Bible authors themselves, and to show the connections between the covenants God made with his ancient people and those now grafted in through the new covenant with Yeshua.

Versions and Resources

In addition to the full Biblical text there are some useful extras, including a week Torah reading programme and some Jewish prayers and blessings in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew and English.

There is also a short glossary and a couple of maps. Don’t expect too many extras, this is not a study Bible as such but a new version to be read in order to gain fresh insights from the text itself.

One aim is to show the connections between the covenants God made with his ancient people and those now grafted in through the new covenant with Yeshua.

Produced by the Baker Publishing Group in partnership with the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, the Tree of Life Version can be ordered online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com and various other websites and stores. It is available in several formats, from the cheaper Thinline Edition (if you don’t mind very thin pages!), produced in both softback and hardback forms, to the more expensive imitation leather covers. It is also available on Kindle.

Find out more about the Tree of Life version on its official website (US), which also houses relevant articles and resources.

Arabic message in tongues confirms calling for Jewish vicar.

A Jewish follower of Jesus was having second thoughts about being ordained into the Church of England ministry when he got the surprise of his life.

A message in tongues¹ was given during a home meeting which Ralph Goldenberg immediately recognised as Sudanese Arabic.

Having grown up in Sudan with the ability to speak several languages, he knew exactly what it meant. And it could not have been a clearer confirmation of his calling.

“Allah be’hebak – Inta min al dam beta Ibrahiem – Al Angiel fi fomak” translates as: “God loves you. You are from the blood of Abraham. The gospel is in your mouth.”

The messenger, who hadn’t even realised he had spoken a real (as opposed to angelic) language, subsequently interpreted what he had said (as instructed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:27) as: “You are to proclaim the gospel and bring my people to the kingdom.”

Holy Spirit Empowerment

As recorded in his autobiography, Find the Truth and Lock it in Your Heart,² that miraculous incident sparked the beginning of a very fruitful 20-year ministry for the Rev Goldenberg, a former optometrist who has since been helping people to see spiritual truths.

Now 72 and retired, Ralph led churches in various parts of England, including the Jewish community of Edgware in north London, where he encountered opposition as well as interest.

Rev Goldenberg’s fruitful 20-year ministry was sparked by a miraculous confirming of his calling in tongues.

At his first church, in his home town of Bournemouth, he witnessed the miraculous healing of a missionary to China who had come home for back surgery which was cancelled after prayer and anointing with oil.

The Holy Spirit, who had so empowered the first believers on the Day of Pentecost that they spoke in the languages of Jews from many nations who were staying in Jerusalem for the festival (also known as Shavuot),³ has clearly played an essential role in Ralph’s ministry.

He recalls the time when, during a Pentecost Sunday service, “nearly everyone received the Holy Spirit and children spontaneously started praying and prophesying over the adults.” His final Pentecost service turned into an impromptu full immersion baptism and lasted four hours.

Find and Follow the Truth

Ralph was among 40 grandchildren to a Chief Rabbi sent to lead the Jewish community in Sudan, and both his grandparents told him to ‘find the truth and lock it in your heart’ – hence the book’s title. So imagine his surprise when the vicar in charge of the church⁴ where he was married a golden 50 years ago told him to “search for the truth and follow wherever it leads you”.

Ralph was sent to a Jewish school in Brighton, England – and seemed to meet Christians at every turn of his life from this point on. He had also, in fact, attended a Catholic school in Sudan.

He followed his father into optometry, meeting wife Helen at the City University in London where she was also an optometry student. When he joined an optician’s partnership, he too was a Christian! Ralph and Helen had three lovely boys, a beautiful home and in time seemed to have everything, but still felt empty inside. They made friends with a Christian couple and soon became connected with St Mary’s, Ferndown.

“I am a Jew but I want to know about Jesus,” Ralph told the vicar. Helen meanwhile had already been persuaded that Jesus was knocking on the door of her life just waiting to be invited in (Rev 3:20) and Ralph was duly challenged to read the New Testament, which he found ‘mind-blowing’.

His Jewish grandparents told Ralph to ‘find the truth and lock it in your heart’.

But he needed to be sure that Jesus was divine. So he challenged God to send at least one person – perhaps even six – to say “Jesus is alive!”

He subsequently felt drawn to attend church with Helen, and was blown away when a new song was introduced which repeated the line ‘Jesus is alive today’ several times! He never looked back, and it was ten years later, while experiencing pre-ordination nerves, that he got the knockout confirmation of his calling in Arabic!

Ralph has certainly found the truth his grandparents encouraged him to seek and is currently part of the leadership of the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ), an international body dedicated to the spiritual rebirth of Israel.

References

¹  A New Testament phenomenon foretold in the Tanach (Old Testament) – see Isaiah 28:11, Acts 2:4, 1 Corinthians 14:21.
² Creative Book Solutions
³ Acts 2:4-5.
⁴ St Anne’s Bagshot in Surrey.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘The Messiah Pattern’ by Peter Sammons (CPI, 2017, revised edition released 2019). 

With Shavuot on the horizon, we turn once again to the biblical significance of the Jewish feasts.

Peter Sammons has written several books to date, but his latest is the first to be published by his new outlet, Christian Publications International (CPI). Its subtitle, The Biblical Feasts and How They Reveal Jesus, gives a good indication of the author’s overall intention and the particular emphasis that this book brings to the general theme of God’s appointed times (moedim).

Sammons presents the biblical Feasts within their covenantal setting which is a helpful, even essential, context for unpacking them in terms of God’s overall salvation plan, and which makes them both more understandable and applicable to Gentile believers in Yeshua (Jesus).

Enlargement Theology?

The book is in two sections. Part One sets the scene in which the author argues that God has frequently used patterns to express his plans and purposes, and that the cycle of the Feasts is one of the main patterns that God has woven deeply into his dealings with mankind.

The second chapter, Covenant Promises, is an excellent survey of the ‘Covenant stream’ that has emerged over time. The author explains the covenants in terms of ‘enlargement theology’ - a phrase designed to combat the error of ‘replacement theology’. God has been building a people over history, increasing their number and never discarding any who attach themselves to him through faith in his covenant promises.

The author explains the covenants in terms of ‘enlargement theology’ - a phrase designed to combat the error of ‘replacement theology’.

Also in this first section is a chapter explaining how God’s calendar differs from the one we have come to use with its own traditional festivals, and how his ‘times and seasons’ provide a better setting for understanding the whole span of the life and work of Christ, from birth to return. He also includes a preliminary chapter on Passover (before considering it as one of the cycle of seven) in order to emphasise its special importance as the starting point for the salvation story. The truths of the Exodus account are a much-needed, even necessary, model for our own experience of sin, slavery and redemption.

By the time this section closes (about one third of the book) we have a very good idea of where the author is taking us, and have also been introduced to several diagrams which are a regular feature of his teaching style.

Profound Reflection

Part Two has eight chapters, one for each of the Feasts plus a very important final chapter on what this should now all mean for us. Under the overall title of The Moedim – The Jesus Pattern, each of the seven main chapters is headed by the name of the Feast and its significance within the work of Christ. For instance, Passover (Crucified), Unleavened Bread (Buried), First Fruits (Resurrection), and so on.

There is also a common structure to each chapter. After opening with a significant passage of Scripture, the subsections are Meaning, Prophetic Fulfilment, Present Jewish Observance, Re: Jesus, and Commentary. The author is employing a pattern of his own!

The chapter on First Fruits was particularly enlightening as this is often overlooked or misunderstood, its meaning blurred by being subsumed into Passover, as indeed has also happened with Unleavened Bread (Burial). The author provides a lot of detail on each Feast, bringing out the richness of each so that even for someone familiar with how the Feasts operate within God’s plan there will be something new to learn and appreciate.

There is a sense of profound reflection, a deeper well to draw upon, if we will only pause and drink. There is so much to absorb from these chapters that as well as reading the book all the way through it would be worthwhile re-reading its various sections during the course of a year as each feast comes round.

There is a sense of profound reflection, a deeper well to draw upon, if we will only pause and drink.

What Now?

The final chapter is a key one, and powerful too. It asks the important question ‘Do we comply today?’ basically challenging a negative attitude of ‘So what?’ or answering the more positive ‘What now?’

The author is very much against those who grab such revelation as the Feasts offer and misuse it, especially those who tell other Christians that they must observe these Feasts or that without them their faith is lightweight or less meaningful. He is concerned that the increasingly popular Hebrew Roots movement could easily be led astray by such claims, and confusion could follow. To avoid this, the link of each with Jesus is necessary to provide the correct focus and application (incidentally, the author prefers the term Hebrew ‘Root’, not ‘Roots’, as this stresses the single root which is Jesus himself).

From early on in the book Sammons has been at pains to stress that we are not to become bound up with “observance” of religious ceremonies, and certainly not judge others on that basis. Internal renewal in Messiah Jesus is the aim, to which end he asks: “why not observe and mark this biblical Moedim cycle which is so focused on the life, death, resurrection and completed ministry of Messiah Jesus?” (p44).

The Feasts as a Gift from God

At the end Sammons raises a very significant point. As many churches today are becoming increasingly distant from biblical Christianity, true believers are finding it impossible to remain within their structures. They “find themselves ‘frozen out’ if not actively thrown out of many such institutional churches as their hierarchies refuse to tolerate dissent” (p130).

The solution, or at least part of it, the author claims, is to embrace the moedim as a gift from God in which we will find the full Gospel and a means of revering and honouring the one who has redeemed us.

In the moedim we find the full Gospel and a means of revering and honouring the one who has redeemed us.

The book concludes with some useful appendices, including one on why seven is an appropriate number for the whole cycle as it represents completion, and another containing a table of the covenants and key scriptures. Overall this is not a lightweight book. It requires determination and diligence. But it is well set out and makes a very worthwhile contribution to the literature on the biblical Feasts.

A revised second edition of 'The Messiah Pattern' was released in 2019, containing new material, available from the publisher for £16 + P&P.

How do we re-think 'church' in the light of our Hebraic roots?

Last week we considered how Christianity is a communal faith as well as an individual walk with God, and looked at how the Christian Church over the centuries has detached itself from Hebraic ideas of communal living.

This week, we offer some suggestions for re-discovering these ideas, all within a framework of respecting God’s design for local church authority.

Transforming from Within

A mistake made by many of us who are zealous to restore the Hebraic heritage of the Christian Church is to consider nothing of value in existing fellowships. Yet, many fellowships are strong in the Holy Spirit, strong in Bible study and prayer, build up the faith of individuals and families, practise baptism, centre on the Lord’s Supper and understand God’s purposes for Israel.

It takes a prophetic word to open people’s eyes of understanding to any (perhaps minor) changes that would strengthen links to the First Century Church – maybe linking with Messianic communities or allowing the Lord to prune away any dry traditions. It is up to the elders of these local church communities to begin to pray for change from within.

Respecting Authority in the Local Community

In his dealings with the religious leaders of his day, Yeshua taught that it is right to acknowledge authority given by God to teach and interpret Torah (Matt 23:3). In our day it is the same. Those of us who have insights into matters of restoration cannot impose our wills and over-ride the authority of local Christian communities.

We must also be careful about starting new ventures that draw believers away to new congregations, however well-meant our intentions. All must be of the Lord’s leading.

A mistake made by many of us who are zealous to restore the Church’s Hebraic heritage is to consider nothing of value in existing fellowships.

If the Lord himself chooses to take authority away from some Church leaders (Rom 11:21) he alone can do it. Thus any restoration of Hebraic foundations of the Church must be through existing authority structures. In considering this, the responsibility of Bible teachers must be considered seriously (James 3:1).

If some of us are called to start again and form new communities, we must be careful of our witness to others. How will we be perceived? Going overboard into Jewishness does not usually help, but we will surely be helpful to others if we are in good balance regarding Israel and seen as a caring community, building families and clearly fulfilling a biblical lifestyle.

We should also be discovering what it means to provoke Israel to jealousy, not anger (Rom 11:14, 18).

Lessons from the Synagogue?

The development of the Synagogue as a place of meeting in the local community is not prescribed biblically. It was in response to a need in local communities, especially after the loss of the Temple. There is a risk, therefore, of over-stating how far Christian communities should draw community models from the Synagogue.

Nevertheless, there may be lessons to learn especially since, through the Synagogue, Jewish communities have found collective strength.

Any restoration of Hebraic foundations of the Church must respect existing authority structures.

Synagogues perform several functions. They are a social centre as well as a worship centre. They illustrate the importance of the local community, especially in strengthening families. The Synagogue is a Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer). They also have an excellent educational model based on the Beit Midrash (House of Study), illustrating how study can be brought into the centre of the local Christian community.

Study is central to building up the local community based on the idea of searching the Scriptures and the Yeshiva, rather than the more academic approach of many Christian Bible schools.

Some Bible teachers might consider studying and teaching Hebrew, the foundational language of Scripture. Are we students of the entire Bible in balance? Do we know how to study the New Covenant in relationship with the Old Covenant, valuing all of biblical history and revelation fulfilled and properly interpreted through the sacrificial death of Yeshua HaMashiach?

The Feasts of the Lord

Christian communities adopted a form of the three main Feasts of the Lord (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot became Easter, Pentecost and Harvest festivals) but dates changed and some syncretism to pagan and Roman traditions entered in, which is becoming more and more a concern as the years go by. These Feasts, and the Sabbath, are all to be focussed on Yeshua.

Nevertheless, Yeshua brought fulfilment, not replacement. Within the authority structure of local Churches, are we entering the season when Christian festivals should be re-aligned with their biblical roots? One word of warning: it is no use forcing the pace on this because this can result in no spiritual life, despite our best efforts. The principal of Romans 14:5 is paramount in all things – “everyone must be convinced in their own mind.”

Are we entering the season when Christian festivals should be re-aligned with their biblical roots?

Torah and Halakhah

We have considered these things in relation to a personal walk with God. When it comes to family and community there are some issues that must be decided for the group as a whole.

Decisions as to which day to meet for corporate worship, for example, require an authoritative decision for the entire community. How to balance personal freedom to walk with God with corporate structure is a matter for much sensitivity. Authority in the local community is a necessary thing, and centralised control from outside the local community should be treated with caution.

We have discussed the way Torah is a matter of the heart and we are not to bring ourselves into bondage to ritual or put ourselves under the yoke of the law (i.e. ritual halakhah) (Gal 2:4, 3:10-14). Nevertheless, we are wise to recognise the protection that laws founded on the Bible have brought, even to nations. Outside of faith in Yeshua and the life of the Spirit, we must be able to interpret the Bible into community and national life.

The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) and the letter sent to the new congregations of the day can be a new starting point for us to re-consider how the worldwide community of faith was intended to spread and grow, and for finding the balance of halakhah and Torah for the New Covenant community.

It is no use forcing the pace on the communal rediscovery of our Hebraic roots, because this will not result in spiritual life, despite our best efforts.

Prayer for Israel

A key result of our return to a balanced Hebraic lifestyle is an understanding of God’s continuing covenant promises to Israel as a whole.

We must be careful to understand that our New Covenant relationship is with Messianic Jews who live by faith in Yeshua. But nevertheless, in balance, our prayers and concern are also to understand what God is still doing in Israel. This will also help us to understand the times in which we live as the entire world moves towards its prophetic conclusion.

Personal Testimony from Zimbabwe

The above may be a limited list of points for consideration in strengthening our communities for the times ahead. There is considerable room for taking counsel together over the coming days.

I would like to end with a word of testimony. Some years ago a group of us brought together a conference in Israel to look afresh at Acts 15. This had a limited success in raising key issues, though now I believe this discussion needs to take place more in local communities than I had previously thought, lest we create yet another central organisation.

Some months prior to the meeting in a Moshav on the outskirts of Jerusalem we held a preliminary consultation in Zimbabwe, drawing together representatives from a number of African countries.

At the end of the last day of this meeting we set ourselves the task, using a white-board, to draw up a list of relevant topics for consideration in our communities. The list went on - the details are not clear in my memory so much as what happened during this time of consultation.

A key result of our return to a balanced Hebraic lifestyle is an understanding of God’s continuing covenant promises to Israel as a whole.

It was perhaps simply the activity of beginning to consider the many issues together that pleased the Lord. Intercessory prayer had supported us throughout our meeting and perhaps this too pleased the Lord. Quite unexpectedly, as our long list was being compiled, the Holy Spirit chose to fill the room and bring a holy stillness. Some said they had never before experienced the presence of the Lord in that way through many years of ministry. We came out with no formula to pass on to others concerning how to restore the Hebraic foundations of our faith in local communities, but certainly we had the assurance that what we were doing was pleasing to the Lord.

It is surely time for Christians fellowships to take seriously the fact that this is the Lord’s time for restoration. Some may force the pace, and come out with something looking more traditionally Jewish than biblically Hebraic, but that should not stop us from seeking the Lord for ourselves on this matter. I think there will be quite a change in the next few years but nevertheless, this should happen in a gradual, prayerful, Spirit-guided way.

Next time: Guard against deception