Does Faith in Yeshua-Jesus Steal the Jewish Soul?

by | May 3, 2017

There are teachings in Judaism today that are aimed at keeping Jewish people away from faith in Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah. The teachings say that when a person comes to faith in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus they “lose their Jewish soul.”
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With regard to the Jewish soul, according to Chabad (an orthodox sect of Judaism), Jewish sages have said this about the human soul:  “She” is called by five names: Nefesh (soul), Ruach (spirit), Neshamah (breath), Chayah (life) and Yechidah singularity).
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The Hasidic masters explain that the soul’s five names actually describe five levels, or dimensions of the soul. Hasidic is a term relating to or denoting Hasidism, a mystical Jewish movement founded in Poland in the 18th century in reaction to the rigid academicism of rabbinical Judaism. These are the same people that teach that when a Jewish person comes to faith in Yeshua/Jesus that they “lose their Jewish soul.”  Let’s continue our look at their definitions of the “soul” to try and understand their logic.
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Nefesh is the soul as the engine of physical life.
Ruach is the emotional self and personality.
Neshamah is the intellectual self.
Chayah is the supra-rational self, the seat of will, desire, commitment and faith.
Yechidah connotes the essence of the soul – its unity with its source, the singular essence of God.
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They believe that the essence of the soul of man is literally a part of God above – a piece of God in us, so to speak. They go on to speak of two distinct ‘souls’ that vitalize the human being: an animal soul and a godly soul. The animal soul is driven by the quest for self-preservation and self-enhancement; in this, it resembles the soul and self of all other creations. But, they say we also possess a godly soul – a soul driven by the desire to reconnect with its Source. They believe the divine essence of the human soul is what sets the human being above and apart from all other creations, even the angels. The angel may be more spiritual, but the human being is more godly, they teach.
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So the question is, based on their definition of the human soul, how is it that a Jewish person loses their soul by believing in Yeshua/Jesus as the Jewish Messiah?
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From what we’ve seen many Jewish people are completely secular and completely influenced by the world around them and secular humanism. They may have no interest in anything about God, or Judaism. When those same people come to faith in Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah of Israel they repent from sinful activities and begin to study the Tanakh (the Jewish Scriptures).  They then draw near to God in an intimate relationship. Ultimately they begin to esteem the Jewish holy days found in Scripture as life giving and applicable to their lives. After coming to faith in Yeshua-Jesus as Messiah the same Jewish people that were once alienated from God and the truth of their own Scriptures begin to live their lives in adherence to the Commandments found in Scripture, living a lifestyle of Torah study, prayer and mitzvot (good deeds).
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Their faith, like that of Abraham rests in and looks to the One true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for direction and fulfillment of everything related to their lives.
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And yet when they want to share Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah and the source of their experience of life giving truth, they are accused of stealing Jewish souls.
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Has the engine of their physical life been removed?  Has their emotional self and personality been robbed? What about their intellectual selves? Have they stopped thinking? When they set themselves to follow Yeshua and become His disciples with the seat of their will, desire and a deep commitment and faith in God, how is it that their Jewish souls have been stolen?
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The answer is plain and simple.  They’re not. In fact, at the heart of God’s will for the Jewish People is His desire for them to be a light to the world of His existence, majesty and plans. When a Jewish Person comes to faith in Yeshua-Jesus as the Messiah of Israel they come into alignment with God’s instructions and prophecies as found in the Tanakh (the Holy Jewish Scriptures a.k.a. Old Testament).
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The Hasidic belief that Jewish People lose their souls when coming to faith in Jesus goes against their own teachings of what the human soul is. There’s no logic to their arguments based on their own definitions of the human soul.
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Sadly, their arguments and beliefs stem from their own erroneous beliefs of who Yeshua-Jesus was. He was not the leader of the Catholic church.  He was not a foreign god. He was not an idol and therefore anathema in God’s sight. He was not a mere man claiming to be the Messiah in order to lead people away from God.
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That being said, let’s pray for the eyes of the Jewish people to be open to the truth and for the pulling down of the strongholds of anti-messiah and the religious spirit that keeps the veil over their eyes and hearts, robbing them from the knowledge of the truth and the joy and freedom that comes from an intimate relationship with God as Father – that only comes via faith in Yeshua-Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.
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Faith in Him does not steal Jewish souls; it restores them.

EVANGELISM COURSE: REACHING PEOPLE CHANGING LIVES

by | Dec 17, 2016

Evangelism-Course

Thanks to: Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (carm.org)
Step-by-Step Ministries (step-by-step.org)
Jews For Jesus Ministry (jewsforjesus.org)

Goal: Equipping the Saints to effectively evangelize, while simultaneously creating an evangelistic ministry called “Real Life Stories,” through the development of a testimonial tracts outreach ministry.

Requirements: Each student must participate in at least one outreach event and contribute to the testimony ministry.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Week 1: Evangelism Course
Scripture memory helps Scriptural mandates for evangelism Walking the walk vs. talking the talk Prayer Bible study Memory verse: Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Week 2: Prayer, Do’s and Don’t’s of Witnessing & Writing and sharing your testimony
Memory verse: Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.”

Week 3: Testimonial Tracts
Working on testimony tracts Developing tract ministry – Getting tracts into local shops Memory verse: 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

Week 4: The Gospel Message
What is the Gospel The implications of the Gospel The Nature of the Gospel The problem with the gospel (reasons for disbelief The results of the gospel message The responsibility of the gospel messenger Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Week 5: Leading Someone to Faith in Yeshua/Jesus
God’s role and ours Communicating the essentials The proposal statement Pitfalls New Testament Chain: Roman’s Road to Salvation Old Testament Chain: Trot through the Tenakh Memory verse: Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

Week 6: Apologetics
Definitions Atheist Creationist Answering tough questions Prayer, your secret weapon Obedience vs. success Memory verse:Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

Week 7: Different types of Evangelism
Evangelistic tools: tracts, evangelism cards Your sphere of influence – home, workplace, shopping, etc. Outreaches Mission Work Street Evangelism Servant Evangelism Friendship Evangelism Internet Evangelism Utilizing the programs of the local church body Memory verse: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Week 8: Faith Comparisons
Jewish Catholic Mormon Jehovah Witness Hindu Buddhist New Age Islam Memory verse:John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Week 9: Keys to Effective Evangelism
Listen Love Holy Spirit Prayer Obedience Persons understanding of need Repentance Memory verse:Mark 16:15-16 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

Week 10: Role Playing
Memory verse:Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

Week 11: Role Playing
Memory verse:Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

Week 12: Final Exam
Final Exam

Write out 7 of the memory verses with Scripture references that we studied in the course of this class.
What is the gospel message?
Write out the proposal statement.

EVANGELISM TRAINING DOCUMENT

by | Dec 16, 2016

TREASURE HUNT: MOTIVATED BY LOVE

 

Everywhere we go we’re to be listening for the Lord’s encouragement to share our faith with people who cross our paths. People are God’s treasures on this earth and sometimes the only way they’ll learn this truth is from you! This document is a resource to help equip you to courageously talk to strangers about God’s love for them, and the Kingdom of God. The enemy’s biggest tactic to keep you from sharing with strangers is fear of rejection.  Don’t buy into the lie. More often than not people are open to receiving prayer from a stranger and hearing the good news of God’s love for them.  If they’re not, then realize that when you’re rejected you’re in good company.  Jesus, too, was rejected by men. (Isaiah 53:3)

Things to remember: If we will love – God will save, heal and deliver.  It’s not a numbers game, or your job to save people. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to save people. The part that we play flows out of our love for them and God’s love for them.

As children of God we imitate God and give…What do we give?

 Seeds of eternal life (the Word of God) (Luke 8:11)
 Our lives – our time (we are living sacrifices to God) (Romans 12:1)
 The truth in love (our words – our testimonies and the proclamation of God’s Word) (Eph. 4:15)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:11-16)
What is the truth?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 16:7-8)

What did Yeshua/Jesus preach?  He’s our role model and example.

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matt. 9:35-36)

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (Luke 9:1-2)
Where did Yeshua’s message come from?  Remember that the Holy Spirit will give you words to speak.  Ask Him!

For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (John 12:49-50)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

What is the Gospel (good news)?  Preach the gospel!

The Bible tells us what the gospel is in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, “Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . ”

The Bible says that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). This means that we have all offended God. We have all broken His law. Therefore, we are guilty of having sinned. Because of this, we are separated from God (Isaiah 59:2), are dead in our sins (Rom. 6:23, Eph. 2:3), cannot please God (Rom. 3:10-11), and will suffer damnation (2 Thess. 1:9). The only way to escape this judgment is by receiving Christ–by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Pet. 2:24).

The Gospel: Jesus is coming as the King and He’s not running for office. God loves us. He sent His own son to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He rose again from the dead. He’s coming back and wants to adopt us into His family. This is the good news.

Part of love is telling the truth, so that people who don’t understand how much danger they’re in, do understand.

If people don’t understand the risk their souls are in we need to help them understand.

Counting the Cost – Help people understand that there’s a cost involved with accepting Jesus in their lives.

Jesus first came to bring peace between people and God, and sadly at times that divides families, friends and neighbors. People must be willing to make Jesus/Yeshua their Lord and Master, surrendering their lives to Him. Being saved isn’t about saying some magic prayer that assures you a spot in heaven. To truly be saved from eternal damnation people must turn from sin and commit their lives to God. This is a lifelong process that requires that we count the cost. Yeshua said, “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28) Committing your life to God means that you begin to learn about God and His ways through the reading and application of His Word (the Bible). It means that you connect with other people of faith who have made God the Master of their lives. As God shows you things that are sinful in your life, you look to God to help you turn away and abandon those things.

A sample prayer – This is not a formula, but it represents what it means to trust in Jesus/Yeshua as Lord and Savior/Messiah:

“God, I come to you and confess that I am a sinner. I have lied, thought evil in my heart, and broken your law. Please forgive me of my sins. I trust in what you have done on the cross, and I receive your forgiveness and healing. I believe that Jesus/Yeshua/Messiah died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead for my sins. Please cleanse me of my sin and be the Lord of my life. I choose to turn away from my sin and turn toward you. Jesus, I make you Lord of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and save me, as I receive you. I believe what you did on the cross is the only way to be saved from the righteous judgment of God. Use my life for your honor, glory and the furtherance of Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.”

 

If someone is willing to pray that prayer with you, your next step is to lead them to Mission Discipleship and begin to go through some of the foundation lessons with them. That’s what it’s all about!
 …go and make disciples of all nations…

FAITH IN ACTION

by | Dec 15, 2016

FAITH IN ACTION – THE REAL SOCIAL JUSTICE

Society is full of people who suffer.  As disciples of Messiah, God calls us to not only care about those who are hurting, but to do something about it!  (James 2:14-18) (Isaiah 59:7-9)

Who are we supposed to care about? For the trafficked, for the prostituted, for the poor, for the homeless, for the addicted, for the lonely, for the hungry, for the broken, for the abused, for the prisoner, for the sick, for the slaves, for the dying?

Why care? For this reason: God cares. Adonai Roi, The-God-Who-Sees.

He is calling our generation to LOVE God with all of our heart, and LOVE our neighbors as ourselves.  (Matt. 22:37-39) He is calling for people to DO justice and PLEAD for truth. (Is. 59:4, Micah 6:8) He is calling for people to KEEP righteousness at all time. (Ps. 106:3) He is calling and crying out for FREEDOM for the oppressed, to BREAK every yoke, for bread to be SHARED with the hungry, for the homes for the homeless, for RESTORATION  of the streets, and LIGHT to OVERCOME the darkness. (Is. 58)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon us because we are ANNOINTED for such as time as this. (Isa 61:1, Esther 4:14)

It’s for KINGDOM INHERITANCE. (Mt 25:34)

Yeshua’s (Jesus’) command is “GO.” Will you?

A Battle Cry: “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight—while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, where there remains one dark soul without the light of God—I’ll fight! I’ll fight to the very end!” (William Booth)

What Can You Do?

Move out of your comfort zones and research the needs in your community.

  • Visit orphans and widows
  • Engage with and make your voice heard in community forums
  • Go to dark places and shine light
  • Gather people together to go with you as you prayer walk the streets looking for people to talk with and pray for
  • Feed the hungry – volunteer at a local food bank
  • Clothe the naked – do a clothing drive and hand out clothes to the homeless
  • Volunteer as an older brother or sister at a “Boys & Girls” Club


What not to do:

  • Being comfort driven
  • Hearing but not doing the Word of God
  • Rushing through your day without listening for God’s nudges to talk with or pray for people
  • Being so busy with “normal” life and entertainment that you have no time for outreach

MORE IDEAS AND MOBILIZATION PROJECTS COMING SOON

JEHOVAH’S WITNESS QUICK GUIDE

by | Dec 2, 2016

Jehovah’s Witnesses— Quick Guide

 

WHAT THEY BELIEVE:

  • At Armageddon only Jehovah’s Witnesses will survive
  • The soul is not immortal
  • There is no everlasting hell
  • Hell is mankind’s “common grave,” not a place of torment.
  • All the condemned will be annihilated.
  • Jesus is the Son of God not deity
  • The 144,000 in Rev. are Jehovah Witnesses who rule in heaven, while the rest live on paradise earth
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses have found the narrow road spoken of in Matthew 7:14
  • Jesus is the key to salvation, but everlasting life is a reward for doing the will of God and carrying out
    one’s dedication — in other words, salvation is a reward for good works.
  • The Watchtower constantly refers to belonging to an organization as essential for a person’s salvation; the Watchtower Organization.
  • The Watchtower has claimed to be Jehovah’s Prophet.
  • JWs claim the Bible as their final authority, but Russell’s writings, especially Studies in the Scriptures, are considered “the light of the Scriptures.”
  • JWs have their own translation of the Scriptures (New World Translation, published in 1961), which reflects the binding interpretations of the group’s leaders.
  • The JWs’ New World Translation greatly perverts the Scriptures to avoid placing themselves under the judgment of God (cf. Jn. 1:1; 8:58; I Tim. 2:6; Ac. 10:36; Col. 1:16-17; 2:9-10; etc.). Hence, the leader’s interpretation of the Bible, not the Bible itself, is the final authority of JWs.
  • The Watchtower magazine is one of the JWs main sources of doctrine, and is considered authoritative by its members.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses, also known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York), was officially founded in 1884 [as the Zion’s Watch Tower and Tract Society (originally the Zion’s Watch Tower in 1879), officially adopting the name of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931], by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916).

 

WITNESSING TIPS: Things to share with JWs:

 

  • Reading and Knowing the Scriptures: Jesus warned us that there would be great deception in the last
    days. For protection, all People need to know what the Scriptures actually say vs. what people say they
    mean. When the “plain sense” of a passage makes sense it is dangerous to seek “another sense.” We
    mustn’t rely on other people’s voices, opinions, precepts and presumptions about the Scriptures. We’ve
    all been taught “certain things mean certain things.” We must seek to know the Word of God for ourselves,
    without the influence of “other voices.” God’s Holy Spirit is our teacher and leads us into all truth.
  • Attacking the errors that JWs believe will shut them down and make them non responsive.
  • Your goal is to love them and provoke them to jealousy. Talk about your personal relationship with Jehovah’s Holy Spirit, and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
  • Talk to them about how Jehovah has answered your personal prayers; brought healing; taught you the Bible; etc..
  • Pray for them to hear Yeshua/Jesus’ voice and meet Him personally
  • If you want to study the Scriptures with them, here are some passages to address:Rev. 7:4 (the 144,000 are Israel);
    John 16:5-15 (Holy Spirit leads us into truth);
    Prov. 30:5-6 (do not add to God’s Word);
    John 10:30 ; Isaiah 9:6 (Jesus and the Father are One);
    Rev. 14:9-11, Matt. 25:41-46 (Hell is torment forever);
    Rev. 20:11-15; Luke 21:33 (heaven and earth disappear);
    Matthew 7 (the narrow gate);
    2 Cor. 11:3-15 (the importance of following the Apostles teachings alone in simplicity of devotion to the Word and to Christ.)