Loving Like God Loves

Yeshua seemed to think we will love each other and be one in Him. I’ve found that it doesn’t take much getting to know each other before we who love the Lord love each other as brothers and sisters if the situation allows for at least some interaction with each other. We were just discussing this in my Kosher Bible class, about how we can just walk by a perfect stranger and your eyes connect for just a moment and you recognize each other as fellow Believers. I love when that happens.

I usually experience a genuine love for them at that moment. Like if someone hurt them right then I’d have to jump in and say, “Hey, that’s my sister you’re messing with. Back off, in the name of Jesus!!!” Okay, a little dramatic, but there’s this sense of belonging when I know they’re Believers too. There’s a connectedness.

It’s not really our love though, especially if we don’t even know the person or know them well. We’re really feeling Yeshua’s (Jesus') love for that person; He puts His love in our hearts. How supernatural is that? If you haven’t had that experience, ask the Lord to open up your life to that kind of sensitivity to other believers. Then look for it. It'll happen.

My then 88 year old mom (she’s 90 now) told the Exterminator, “You’re a believer in Jesus, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes.” He was. A little time of fellowship between Mom and the bug guy!

For the rest of this article, go to: www.sidroth.org and click on "Learn More: Articles." Scroll down to "Loving Like God Loves." You will find others of my articles there as well.

You Can't Taste the Chicken Soup Online

How long has your family been celebrating Passover, I was asked by a new Christian friend who had just learned that my family observes Passover. To her the Exodus was only a Bible story. "Oh, about 3500 years," I responded.

If there's one thing Jewish people do, no matter how religious or non-religious we are, mostly everyone participates in a Seder. I'm pretty sure that's a work of the Holy Spirit. After all, that's a long time, 3500 years, to be telling the same story every year. God has to be in on that. We're just not all that faithful on our own.

The first year my Dad became a believer in Yeshua he conducted the Passover Seder almost entirely in Yiddish (which only some of us actually understood). He did so because Yiddish was his first language as he grew up in his Rabbi grandfather's shull (synagogue) and his heart was so tender toward Yeshua, he wanted to tie his Jewish background together with his Jewish Messiah. We were all so familiar with the story, having each heard it all our lives, that despite the language, we knew what was being said, and were touched by Dad's love for the Lord and his gratefulness to God for rescuing our people time and time again.

This year there were 14 of us at our Seder table in Jacksonville, 12 family members and two guests, one from Germany. But my son was in New York and unable to be with us. That is, not "in person." However, my daughter Jenny had a brainstorm. We "Skyped" him in and there he was on her laptop computer, big as life. Well, almost. She carried the laptop around so we could each greet him. The family kibbitzing went on between the kids and their uncle as usual, only online this time. Then we set him near the candles as my other daughter Ellen lit them and said the blessing. When it was time for the first cup of wine, he said the B'rachah (blessing) in Hebrew and English. We proceeded through the Seder with him at the head of the table -- literally because we could only see his head on the screen.

So not even distance kept us from celebrating our Passover Seder together this year. I wonder if we're the first to hold a family cyber-Seder. The only thing missing, for me was that I couldn't hug him and for him, that no matter how interactive we were able to be, he couldn't taste the chicken soup online.

Why Easter Isn't Kosher

Do you know the origin of Easter eggs and those cute little Easter bunnies? Did you know they have been around since Nimrod's wife, after his death, defined herself as a fertility goddess, using eggs and rabbits as symbols for fertility rites connected with worshipping her. Her name was Ishtar. In semetic languages, as in Hebrew, an "s" and an "sh" is the same letter. An "i" is pronounced as "ee" which makes Ishtar into Eester or Easter.

Yeshua's death and resurrection took place during Passover following His last Passover Seder on earth during which time He broke broke the bread and took the cup of wine and gave them to His disciples as symbols of His blood and body which He so courageously and so willingly gave for His "friends." He was then examined by the High Priest while the lambs were being examined by the priests to be sure they were perfect and without blemish or spot. Though no cause was legitimately found, He was crucified just when the lambs were sacrificed as the passover offerings. He was the greater fulfillment of all that Passover represents. Yeshua, John said,was the (Passover) Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. Passover was Israel's release from slavery to men and Yeshua brought us release from slavery to sin. Passover and the Resurrection are prophetically tied to one another.

But 300 years after His death, Constantine married the worship of Ishtar to Christianity and so we have a confusing mix of the resurrection of Jesus with colored eggs and bunnies -- and basically no mention or observance of Passover which God commanded be an everlasting celebration for Israel and for all who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which would include every Christian, for Christians worship the same God that Yeshua worshipped.

I presented this information at one of my recent Shabbat services. One woman to whom this was all new exclaimed, "What am I now to do with the $100 worth of Easter baskets I have ready to give to friends and family?" Apparently she has done this for years. I had copies available at the meeting of an extensive article on the subject that I had written for the Messianic Vision website previously, so she took the article, made copies of it and stuck one in each basket, explaining why this was the last year she would be giving out Easter baskets. She has opted along with many others these days, to celebrate the Resurrection of Yeshua on Passover, when it took place and to forsake the pagan stuff.

If you would like to see more of why Easter isn't kosher, go to Articles at www.sidroth.org . Scroll down to the bottom of the articles and in the search box type: What's Wrong With Easter and the article will come up. Though this article was written in 2008, you'll find some of the 3,500 year old information may astonish you.

You Never Know Who You'll Meet At a Turkish Festival

Some friends and I attended a Turkish Festival. Lots of wonderful Turkish food, music and dancing. Hundreds of people, most looking Turkish in some way. I felt at home. Why? Because Middle Eastern food and music tends to be similar regardless of the country it comes from. My pita bread was stuffed with veggies and meatballs resembling an Israeli falafel. And the dancing? Well whatever they call it, it looks pretty much like an Israeli hora to me and I was able to join like I was one of them. I felt like I was on vacation with some Sephardic friends in Israel.

Of the hundreds of people there, a man who happened to be standing next to me asked, "So, did you see everything?" I replied we had seen everything, ate everything and even danced some. He seemed pleased, then introduced me to his wife with whom he spoke Turkish. "I'm an American who became Turkish," he said. "And she's Turkish who became an American." I thought I should answer in kind so I said, "And I'm an American who's Jewish, and enjoying all this Turkish stuff." He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, as he put out his hand to take mine, "Me too. I'm David Silverman." I shook his hand and told him my name. We were immediately mishpuchah (family). My (non-Jewish) friends were amazed that out of all the people there, the one who talks to me is Jewish. I wasn't. "Welcome to my life," I said. It happens. Often.

In an art exhibit of mosaics and photos of Turkey, my Greek friend Barbara mentioned that her mother came from Samos, just off the coast of Turkey. One of the Turks handing out brochures at the exhibit overheard and said. "I come from Cos, close enough to swim to Samos." I asked him what he was doing in Jacksonville, so he told me how he'd fallen in love with a girl when he came here to study who was decidedly not going back to Turkey with him. So he stayed here. I could see he was wondering if I too were Turkish or Greek, so I told him I'm Jewish, interested to see what his reaction would be. He immediately got really excited.

"Oh, I must tell you," he said in his melodious Turkish accent. "Eighteen of us went to a Seder this week. We went to a synagogue and we did the whole lamb thing," he said. "We put the horseradish on the matzoh to remember the tears of slavery..." He went on to tell me what had taken place and did a great job of conveying the whole Passover Seder in two minutes. He got it. The Passover story had evidently become very real to him.

He asked me if I knew the rabbi who had conducted the seder.He seemed sure I should know him. After all, we're both Jewish. I didn't. I explained that I am Jewish but I believe in Jesus so I attend another kind of congregation. He looked puzzled. "I don't know about those things," he said. So I continued, with the Turkish music playing enthusiastically in the background, "Jesus, you know who He is?" He shook his head, "Oh yes." "He is the Son of God," I said, "and He was Jewish." Again he nodded affirmatively. "But most Jewish people have not believed in Him," I said intending to go on to say how this is changing in fulfillment of prophesy. This time he shook his head back and forth and said, "He's Jewish but the Jews don't believe in Him? That's crazy. Very confusing." I agreed.

I left it with saying that the God of the Passover cares about us all wants to bring everyone who looks to Him out of whatever kind of slavery we may find ourselves. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed. I left with a joyful sense of having been at the right place at the right time for seed planting and with a greater sense that God is still using the Jews and the Passover seder to show the world how good He is!

Passover Isn't Just For Jews

It seems appropriate to begin this blog with Passover. God told Moses to make Passover the beginning of the year. It's also Spring and Spring does seem the time for the beginning of things, doesn't it? So does a deliverance from bondage to a tryrannical slave-lord like Pharaoh. Talk about a new beginning! Being released from Egypt was THE new beginning for Israel and as it turns out because of their release, a new beginnning that would affect the world.

The celebration of Passover isn't just for Jewish people. God told Israel to observe Passover yearly, including all who joined them who wished to follow their God . This extends to the non-Jewish believers in Jesus [Yeshua - His real Hebrew name] today. We are all to celebrate the Passover at this time of year every year forever! Forever would include now, wouldn't it?

As we celebrate Passover we are participating in what God is doing in our day to restore His ancient paths in preparation for Yeshua's return. It's that significant! God's deliverance from the terrible slavery of the Jewish peole in Egypt was the single most powerful manifestation of His power and love in the earth, second only to the Resurrection of their Messiah, Yeshua. Passover teaches us much of how we are also set free through faith in Yeshua, the (Passover) Lamb of God (See John 1:29).

During the seven days of Passover the Israelis were commanded to eat no leavened bread. Leaven in the Bible is a sign of pride (as in puffed up) and of sin. Not eating bread is a sign to God of our desire to be free of sin in our lives as we live before Him. God told them "for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread...and nothing unleavened" (Exodus 13:6,7). Why not obey God joyfully observing this commandment? There is a sense of blessings in it, a feeling of being separated unto God, and of His pleasure in us. We keep it not out of some obligation or law, but out of a heart that wants to bless God.

When Israel left Egypt there was no one sick or feeble among them. That would mean physically and emotionally. No depression that day! Would you consider keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread by offering up your normal bread and cake for a week (you can eat anything but what has yeast or leavening in it), and while doing so pray for those you know who are in bondage to sin or are in need of healing. Replace your bread with a box of matzoh (available at any supermarket usually with other Passover goodies). Pray also for the peace of Jerusalem and for our nation.

God had ordained this time to be the beginning of the year (but a Roman emperor changed it in the 400's or so as worship to the god Janus; therefore we have January.) We are starting a new spiritual year in this month of April. Fasts are often God's way of preparing His people for what is coming the rest of the year. It may be to strengthen your faith or to enlarge your capacity for His blessings. He will bless those who seek Him through fasting and prayer. God honors those who honor Him! A "matzoh fast" is a wondeful way to honor God and put yourself in a place for Him to honor you for your obedience.

In these days in which we live, those who acknowledge God's ancient ways and observe them through faith in His Son Yeshua by grace enter into a place close to God's heart. May He draw you closer to know Him than ever before during this Passover season. Hag Sameach! (hahg s'may akh). Joyous Holiday!

For more on the Jewish roots of Christianity and related articles by Lonnie Lane and others go to: http://www.sidroth.org/.