500 NEW JEWISH BELIEVERS COME TO THE LORD.....IN TEL AVIV

THIS IS A WONDERFUL SIGHT FOR US AS ISRAEL LOVING CHRISTIANS
Gods Covenant people are now accepting the TRUE MESSIAH YESHUA.

Read this report from David Hathaway's Ministry


Witnessing History in the Making -

500 people respond to an altar call at an outreach conference in Tel Aviv

Last week we organized an outreach conference with an international evangelist and a friend of Israel , David Hathaway, who has ministered worldwide for over 60 years. This year he celebrated his 50 anniversary since his first ever visit to Israel in 1961. It was a very joyous celebration with the theme: Israel - yesterday, today and forever. He has a big heart and a big passion for Israel and the people of Israel and it was reflected in his message.

Over 700 people attended the 2-day conference. Most of them NON-believers and many of the guests at the conference were an older generation, holocaust survivors and many other Israelis. For most of them it was the first time they had ever heard the gospel of a Jewish Messiah preached to them. Their response was overwhelming!

On the first night more than 300 people responded to the altar call, came forward to receive Yeshua as their Messiah! The second night 200 people also gave their lives to Yeshua. It has exceeded all our expectations! We have never seen such a large number of people in Israel responding to the message of Yeshua.

We saw what a difference our social work makes. The love, patience and help to people does wonders. We thank God that Voice of Judah is a ministry that continuously bears such fruit.

It was genuinely a historic event; something that hasn't been seen in Israel in the modern days. To see countless of people coming forward to receive prayer for healing and the testimonies kept pouring in from people who were amazed to discover they were healed.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 speaks about "dry bones",

"Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel . They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off..." (v.11)

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel . Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live..." (v.12-14)

When the British, American and Soviet soldiers liberated the concentration camps, many of them saw the same horrifying image that the prophet Ezekiel saw: valley, field or simply piles of bones and dead bodies. The survivors that they found in the concentration camps didn't look any better. They were literally walking skeletons.

But God made a promise and He kept it.

He opened up the graves (concentration camps) and took His people out of there. He brought them into the land of Israel and restored the nation of Israel in 1948. Some of these holocaust survivors are still living among us and the world witnessed the fulfillment of the first part of the "dry bones" prophecy - the physical restoration of Israel .

Last week at the conference we were awestruck to see God in action as He is fulfilling the second part of the prophecy - the spiritual restoration of the remaining generation of holocaust survivors.

While many times the youth gets all the focus of what God is doing among the young generation, it was indesc rib able to witness how God made a point of showing that He is far from done with the older generation, when hundreds of people answered His call during the conference to restore them spiritually after restoring them physically as a nation.

The Spirit of God was poured out mightily over the "dry-bones" generation last weekend and we have seen what has not been seen in Israel yet: the overwhelming response to an altar call of about 500 Israelis in Tel Aviv.

It brings tears to my eyes to realize how tremendously privileged we are to be living in Israel during these days and witnessing how God is fulfilling ancient prophecies right before our very eyes.

It is thanks to your prayers and financial support of our humanitarian outreach projects, we are actually seeing such fruit. And we are grateful for your investment and participation in the salvation of Israel .

You play such a vital role in helping us bring the gospel to Israelis and seeing them saved. Be a part of Israel 's salvation, by giving u a helping hand and supporting the valuable work of Voice of Judah Ministires.

This is certainly a wonderful thing to report and put on our blog...we have seen so much false stuff going on lately that we tend to get sidetracked from the REAL Salvations that are going on every day PRAISE THE LORD that there are Spirit Filled Christians who do not give up when everything seems to be against them.

GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THAN IS IN THE WORLD.


Many blessings to our many Messanic Believers and may they remain firm in these last days.


Agape

Pastor David

THE HERETICAL TEACHING OF THE 'VIOLENT TAKE THE KINGDOM BY FORCE'

Whilst in the UK over the past 2 weeks, I kept hearing my good friend saying the 'Violent Take the Kingdom by Force' I was not sure what he was implying, but gradually I realised he was stating that as Christians we should virtually demand whatever we want from Gods Kingdom.

This did not sit right with me and the Holy Spirit has led me to do research on the scripture found in Matthew 11:12 where Jesus is talking about John the Baptist.
Following is parts of a good article which explains the meaning of Jesus words in verse 12.

The phrase, “…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence,” refers to how religious men have used positions of authority to bully their way into control of the religious institution of Christ’s time, which was the Jewish synagogue, but more particular, the Jewish temple with its wealth, prestige and status as a political establishment.

The original Greek word biázœ (NT: 971) in Matthew 11:12 is translated as suffers violence; biázœ is a compound word originating from a root bías (NT: 970), meaning strength. Biázœ means literally to overpower by rushing forcefully into. 

In Matthew 11:12 biázetai is used in the present indicative passive but also used with middle voice (for self-interests); present indicative affirms something that is occurring while the speaker (Jesus) is making his statement; passive voice shows the subject (the kingdom of God) as receiving the action (i.e. forceful violence) of the verb; the middle voice indicates the subject as acting in some way upon himself or concerning himself (i.e. the violent force their way into the kingdom for their own interests not God’s).

As you study the context and parallel gospels you discover the Law and the prophets were preached up until the time of John; from then to the time Jesus makes this statement about violent men taking the kingdom of God by force is specifically said to apply to the gospel. Therefore the phrase, “…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence,” connotes the kingdom of God being sought by violent men with impatience and haste. The main point Jesus makes in this context is that from the days of John the Baptist until and including that very moment the kingdom of God suffered “violence.”

As mentioned previously, the Greek word biázœ for violence is derived from a primary root bías or bíos (NT: 979) meaning literally strength or life. Bios is a word for life that differs from the usual Greek word for life, which is zoë (NT: 2222). The word bías (aka bíos) refers to the state or condition of existence, including the duration, means, and manner of life. Zoë on the other hand describes life as the element or principle of the human spirit and soul.

To illustrate the distinction between zoë and bios the word "biography" is derived from bios; biography is the life story of someone; it describes what type of life they actually lived. This is a very important point considering that in the context of Matthew 11:12 Jesus uses the word bías in a word form that expresses more than just the action of violence foisted by impatient men on others. In Matthew 11:12b the words violent men are translated from biastaí (NT: 973) and this word includes men’s violent manner of life and their forceful state of existence. Bios is a primary Greek root that describes two principal ideas:

1. The present state of existence (i.e. how people act, behave, speak, think etc)
2. By implication, bias also refers to a person’s means of livelihood or income.
 
This is a scary thought when you consider that just as in the days of John the Baptist today there are self-righteous and religious folks “forcing” their own way on others. Pastors, ministers, televangelists, false teachers and false prophets use the church pulpit and ecclesiastical positions to acquire wealth and power.

Instead of being shepherds that feed God’s sheep, their very “existence,” as paid ministers is done for a “livelihood.” Watch out if you are one given to obeying the truth! It could cost you your very life, as it did with both John & Jesus!

The violence was the smug and self-righteous attitude of religious men who failed to recognize the day of their visitation and who exercised “violence” towards the kingdom of God (i.e. believers proclaiming the truth).

The context reveals first, when John the Baptist arrived on the scene for public ministry, he did not come in finely dressed clothing or with softly spoken words to tickle one’s ears. John was a rough & tumble looking character that came out from the arid Judean wilderness declaring that everyone in every place should repent.

John’s message created quite a stir amongst the hypocritical sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees (the ‘religious’ men of the day). These sects had controlled the minds and money of the masses of Jews for many years under the sanction of Rome and strengthened politically by the recent appointment of Herod, who believed he was a Jew, and the true ruler of the Jews.

Herod respected John greatly but he also played the political role to appease the Jewish rulers because they held sway with the people.
Suddenly John the Baptist challenged the influence and status of the Jewish leaders. John spared no one and even Herod himself was told to repent for his adulterous affair with his brother’s wife. Herod was told to repent by John, landing him in prison.

The response to John’s message was the “violence” spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 11:12. The Jews had accused John of having a “demon.” This type of verbal accusation was a form of “violence.” It was the wrathful hatred of a sect of jealous hypocrites. They were Satan’s children, and their nature was the same as that of the devil... violent. After John was imprisoned, Herod’s wife demanded that Herod cut off his head and have it publicly displayed on a platter. Therefore, as Jesus said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence...”

What does the phrase “violent men take it by force” mean?
The phrase in the second half of Matthew 11:12 reads, “and violent men take it by force.” The Greek word translated as, “take it by force,” is harpázousin. This Greek verb connotes seizing or grasping something with speed and force. The Jews “forced” their way into the ministry of John the Baptist, but he would have none of their antics. When John publicly rebuked Herod for his adultery Herod’s violent reaction was to have John seized by “force” and imprisoned.

· “violent men” – (NT:973 ) biastês; from (NT:971 ); a forcer, i.e. (figuratively) energetic:

·  “take by force” - (NT:726 ) harpazo; from a derivative of (NT:138 ); to seize (in various applications): Harpazo comes from a root Greek word, haireomai (NT:138) which means, “to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer.”

Using the Greek definitions above, Matthew 11:12 could be translated as follows, “and men who act as forcers seize them by force.” This is EXACTLY what happened to John the Baptist and Jesus Christ; they were both seized and taken by force. John was seized and thrown into prison, only to be beheaded later.  Jesus was seized in the garden of Gethsemane and tried and crucified.

In Christian ‘churches’ today many ministers and pastors are guilty of lording it over the flock. They rule the roost with severity and domination. They want to control the logical and thinking people among their church members by not allowing any public discussion or disagreement with their teaching. In this manner self-made ecclesiastical despots are causing “violence” to the kingdom of God (i.e. God’s flock). With force, they seize upon the minds and wallets of the members of their congregations.

The Concordant Literal New Testament (below) provides a much more accurate translation of Matthew 11:12 and the parallel context in Luke 16:16.
Matthew 11:12 “Now, from the days of John the Baptist hitherto, the kingdom of the heavens is being violently forced and the violent are snatching it.” (Concordant Literal New Testament)

Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets are unto John; thenceforth, the evangel of the kingdom of God is being brought, and everyone is violently forcing into it, and the violent are snatching it. Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass by than for one serif of the law to fall.” (Concordant Literal New Testament)

I will post more on this subject shortly as it is a very important topic and one that has been totally misapplied by greedy men.


Many Blessings


Pastor David