Shabbat 5/52 - Yes, NASCAR did mock God and Prayer

I really wanted to write about this weeks Torah Portion and Parsha, however, I am feeling led to write about the invocation at yesterday's NASCAR race. If you haven't heard it or seen it, I will provide a website: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J74y88YuSJ8

Below are my three Comments that really matter on the subject:

1) For those who think this is "Funny" and are hating on us for thinking it's inappropriate...Not once did he pray for our service men and women, not once was he serious about his prayer. It was a mockery of our faith. If he was mocking Islam, don't think the Muslims in this country wouldn't flip out.

Personally I think God does have a sense of humor, I bet He laughs every time a Christian picks up a "self-help" book, in a Christian store no less, I am sure He laughs when I think my plans are going to work out and He changes them. But God does NOT laugh at MOCKERY of anyone's faith. I believe in Galatians 6:7 reminds us that God won't be MOCKED.

Every Christian who truly is would be offended at the way this man thinks this is funny. It's not, it's a mockery of Christian belief.

So if you think I am closed-minded, that's fine. At least I know my brain is tucked up in my head working properly, and don't have to worry about it falling out!

2) Where in that prayer did our troops get honored? Where in that prayer did our flag and those who have died for our faith and flag get honored? Where in that prayer did God get glorified? Other than his "smokin' hot wife" and the things that keep those drivers safe, he wasn't thankful, he was mocking prayer.

Don't get me wrong, yes, I am glad that NASCAR still allows prayer, it's because it's a SOUTHERN sport and evidently we still believe in God in the South. And many of you are right stating that it's relationship over religion, I feel very much the same way, however my way of approaching the Throne of God calls for reverence and humbleness...two qualities that I did NOT see in this prayer, which is why I deem inappropriate. Remember that we are all of different faiths, some Christians, some not--and we all have opinions, just like we all have arm pits and sometimes they stink, but as Christians we are called to Stand up for our faith and that is what those who found this inappropriate are doing, just as those who think it was appropriate.

If 99.9% of you actually knew me, you'd know I am the first person to crack a joke and take things very LIGHTHEARTEDLY, but that doesn't mean that I think mocking prayer (whether ripped off for a movie or not) is appropriate.

Everyone who comments on this is getting in a huff for no reason other than attacking each other--WCNC asked for our opinions and that is what this is...

3) I am tired of every comment about yesterday's NASCAR prayer that says "At least they allowed prayer..." Either you call it for what it was "A MOCKERY" or don't...stop being so LUKEWARM about this subject!

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The Star and The Cross

If you know me, then you've probably seen this symbol, a Star of David superimposed with a roman cross, hanging around my neck. And if you are a Christian friend of mine, you've probably asked me "Why do you wear Jewish symbols?" Further more, you've heard my answer..."If it weren't for the Jews, then we Gentiles wouldn't have a Savior." If this symbol has worried you about my beliefs, you've probably asked me "Why and did I know that Jesus was the only way to heaven?" To reassure you I did, I said "Yes." To your dismay, I have continued to wear my "Messianic Star of David."

So I need to know, why does this symbol bother "Christians" so much? For me, it symbolizes how interwined our faith actually is with that of the Jewish faith. What does it symbolize to you? Instead of asking me in the name of "concern for my understanding of truth or salvation" why don't you tell me why you are so upset by the true understanding of 1st Century, Bibilcal Faith?

Personally this symbol, shows my understanding that if it were not for the Jews rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, then I may not have the opportunity to know Jesus as my savior. I can't prove this stance, but I can however, state that rejection turned salvation my way and for that I am grateful. Also I wear this "Symbol" because it shows others that I recognize that my religion and faith is based in both "testaments" of the Bible. And lastly, I wear this symbol because my Savior is a Jew.

So tell me, what about this symbol makes you feel so uncomfortable?

Reflections on Shabbat 3/52

This past Shabbat rest, I spent my time thinking about Jesus as a Jewish Theologian. Mainly because my friend Nehemia gave me a book by that title and because I have decided that I want to understand more of the “history”

of my religion, and to develop my own “Theology” as I was once told to do.

This week my studies took me in to the drama of Messiah (Jesus/Yeshua) life. The main study is about his baptism. As we know John, called the Baptist, (though not the founder of the Baptist church) came before Jesus to proclaim the coming Messiah; to show people before Christ came how they were to live. Before baptizing people, he commanded Jews to exercise virtue, both in the set of righteousness towards each other and piety towards God. (Whiston 1998) Then they could come for baptism. Even today this is our way of doing things. We ask God to save us, to purify our lives and to make us righteous, and then we go for baptism.

So the book explores why Jesus, Son of God, yet Son of Man had to be baptized? Is it because He was a sinner? No. Jesus, himself never knew sin. However, the modern Christian church teaches that he was giving “Christians”

an example of how we are to live. This is only half true. Since Jesus never knew sin, he didn’t have to exercise virtue or turn from his “past.” The people that John had baptized prior to Jesus are our example on how we are to turn from

our ways and receive Grace. Dr. Brad Young says in his book, Jesus: The Jewish Theologian, Jesus went for baptism so that he is “identified with all humanity”; Young goes on to say that “At baptism Jesus didn’t become a child of God, rather God PRESENTED Him for the entire world to see.” (Young 1995)

So I want to move on from this very important point. God presented Jesus. We often think, “Well didn’t God present Jesus at His birth?” To this I would have once said “yes!” but today I have to say that I now know that while

he was presented to the world, it wasn’t until His ministry was ready to start that He was truly presented.

At the time of Jesus’ baptism I believe that He was submitting to the Will of the Father. So it is when we too are baptized. Many Christian churches teach that “When we are immersed in the water the old man is dying and we

are raised with Christ.” That to me is a feel-good explanation. The reason I believe this is that when we are saved, we receive Christ into our lives, we are immediately changed. The old man dies; we are immediately changed into the “New Creation/Creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 states “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (NIV). So regardless of our “baptized” state, we are new and united with Christ. Our

baptism is our “Presentation” to the body of believers and it is truly during our baptism that we are submitting ourselves to the Will of the Father.

Bibliography

Whiston, William. "Josephus: The Complete Works." In Antiquities of the Jews, by Josephus, 581. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998.

Young, Dr. Brad. Jesus: The Jewish Theologian. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.

*Note to reader: Recently I challenged my friends to seek a “Shabbat Rest.” The writings here, are my observances and things that I am studying and learning during my “time of rest.” The views held here are my own observances and opinions. If you disagree, you are free to comment on this or any notes. I welcome your own observances in that we may learn and grow in faith together.

RA

Short Note/Explaination on Mitzvah/Torah according to Examples of Jesus

This is just a short "update" on my "The Word of the Law" note--I've had a few emails telling me I am wrong about Torah Observance and Grace...many think they can't go hand in hand. So let me elborate on Matthew 5:17-20.

The Message reads: 17-18"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.

19-20"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

The KJV reads:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled, 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The English Standard Version reads:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you(I) will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

So according to many study notes that I have read and these that I am going to post are the ONES I AGREE with. To fully understand these verses one must make note that there were THREE categories of law: Ceremonial, Civil and Moral.

1) Ceremonial Law: These relate specifically to Israel's Worship. (See Leviticus 1:2, 3 for an example). Its primary purpose was to point forward to Christ; these laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus' Death and resurrection. While we are no longer bound by ceremonial laws, the principles behind them--to worship and love a Holy God--Still apply. Jesus was often accused by the Pharisees of violating ceremonial law.

2) Civil Law: These applied to daily living in ISrael (See Deuteronomy 24:10, 11 for example). Because modern society and culture are so radically different from that time and setting all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. But the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct. Jesus demonstrated these principles by example.

3) Moral Law: (Such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct command of God, and it require strict obedience (see Exodus 20:13 for example). The Moral Law reveals the nature and will of God and it still applies today. Jesus obeyed the Moral Law completely.

I realize that several people will not agree with me on this, and that is alright, to each their own. However, I believe that if we as Christians start to really look at our lives and begin to live life with GRACE and OBEDIENCE then our lives will truly shine forth the LIGHT of God.

*Explanations taken from "Life Application Bible: NIV"

Deeper? Yeah, we can go there!

et’s talk about our relationship with God. Do you ever feel as if you are walking through a dry desert? You know the place, you are walking and walking, the heat is getting next to you, you are dirty, sweaty, don’t know where your next meal is coming from. All you can focus on is the “heat wave” that you can see in front of you, then within that heat wave, you see a mirage--an oasis, with water, and shade, you take off running; thinking “This is it! I’ve made it!” only to get ready to dive next to the water and drink and only pulling up more sand--you heart sinks. You rollover and think “Why me?”

Maybe this is a visual of your relationship with God. So you are thinking how can I have changed things? Is it possible to change this? Before you loose heart, yes, you can change things.

Like our earthly relationships, we must dig deeper in our relationship with God. So I know you are asking “How?” I mean it’s true we can walk the walk, talk the talk, but are you really connecting with God?

According to Crosswalk.org there are several steps to help you dig deeper roots in your relationship with Christ.

1-Look beyond what you can see to a deeper reality. We have to look beyond the current circumstances of our lives and see how God can use and will use those to make life better for us and to His glory. Then we must be passionate about them.

2-Define who you are accurately. How you define yourself, is how you will grow. If you define yourself as a certain thing, then you will go in that direction. Don’t define yourself by what others think of you, or by negative descriptions. Define yourself as God sees you.

3-Come out of hiding. God knows everything about you. He knows your sins and weaknesses. So don’t withhold yourself, instead let God use those things in your life as your strengths.

4-Focus on who you are rather than what you do. Don’t focus on the roles in your life (husband, wife, friend, volunteer, etc.) yes, they are important, but they don’t define you! God’s love for you and your love for Him define who you are.

5-Immerse yourself in Scripture. Don’t take at face value what the preacher says on Sunday. Every day, you need to make time to study, read, and meditate on God’s word. This is prevalent in Jewish society. It is an HONOR to sit in a Synagogue or a Yeshiva and study God’s word. Sometimes they study only one or two verses at a time, to get the full meaning that God has for them.

6-Learn from your History. Reflect on the important events of your life so far. Reflect on what God has taught you and how He walked you through them. Then pray and think about how God wants you to apply the lessons so far.

7-Trust in God’s Protection. This is the best type of protection. Take America’s history. We were the minority in soldiers during our Revolutionary War, but with God, we became the majority. God will guide you and walk with you every step of the way. And when the adversary decides to try to harm you, God will protect you. If you fear anything it will block you from a deeper relationship with God.

8-Trust God’s Plans. God created us all and he has a plan for each of us. All we have to do is believe in it and trust that God is in control. Nothing in our lives happens by chance! It’s been preordained!

9-Replace unhealthy thoughts with healthy ones. When negative thoughts enter our lives, replace it with one that is positive and reflective of God’s love for us!

10-Choose a new direction. Even though we can’t control what happens to us, we can change our attitudes and the way it affects us. Make sure that God is in your attitude and the direction your life takes!

11-Depend on the Holy Spirit. Instead of relying on your own limited strength, you need to rely on the Holy Spirit and God living in your life. Pray daily that the Holy Spirit will guide you and fill your spirit in a way that is pleasing to God.

12-Become an everyday vessel. Everyday of our lives is a gift from God. And most of the time God didn’t use the “special” but rather the mundane, ordinary and frankly the boring people to show His goodness! At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned ordinary water, plain old H2o and turned it into the best wine. There was nothing special about the water, there was nothing different about the vessels that the water came in. Rather the difference was the “Creator” or Vintner in this case. So if God can take ordinary water and turn it into the BEST wine--what MORE can He do for you?

*the points were adapted by Crosswalk from Debbie Alsdorf’s Deeper: Living in the Reality of God’s love. Available from www.christianbook.com

All elaborations are the understandings of the “Note Author”

Random Acts of God

Ya know, God works in AMAZING ways! Truly He does. Recently I had been attending the local Synagogue, and was hurt by a guy stating that "Christians should be held accountable for the Holocaust!" However, the Rabbi told him that "Rachel is a Christian and look where she is tonight..." I got an apology. But that isn't the amazing thing...you see this opened my eyes to understanding that the TRUE roots of Christianity are found in Judaism. Yes, the roots of the Christian faith are Hebraic and to understand them is to understand Biblical Christianity.

Recently God felt it good to return a friend to my life that I hadn't really been close to in about 3-5 years and BOY did I miss him! Even though we were close, I'd send emails, write letters and tell him what was going on in my life--he was the first to hear that my grandfather had passed--outside my family and church family.

Earlier this year, as I began to really understand the Hebraic roots of my faith, I got back in touch with my friend (Nehemia). I shared what was going on, he shared where he was in his life and we are back to being BEST FRIENDS!

But you see if God hadn't returned Nehemia back to my life, I wouldn't have the support that I have in researching my faith, learning Hebrew and finally coming to understand the things that I know God is revealing to me daily.

So when you think your life isn't what you want it to be, more than likely it isn't, however, it is what God wants it to be--because if it weren't for your present situation, God's probably not implementing you fully into his plan!

The Word of the Law? Well At Least I am in Good Company! Shabbat 2

Recently I was met with the idiom “The Word of the Law.” But why you may be asking...well because I asked a Rabbi to help me with my Hebrew. Wonder what I would have been met with had I asked a Greek Orthodox Priest to help me with my Greek?

So what does it mean when someone says “all you have is the word of the law...” It means you don’t have Jesus (Yeshua) and you don’t have the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). However, literally “The word of the law” means that the law is interpreted in an absolutely literal way which goes against the ideas that the lawmakers had wished to implement.

So lets think about this in a Biblical way--Jesus was a Torah Observant Jew, so was Paul--even after he became a ‘Follower” of Christ. However, in the 1st century AD “Ignatius of Antioch, the early Church authority, encountered Messianic Jews who continued to be Torah-Observant (Shomar Mitzvah). He didn’t regard their observance as positive, but rather wrote “We have seen how former adherents of the ancient customs have since attained to a new hope, so that they have give up keeping the Sabbath [on Saturday], and now order their lives by the “Lord’s Day” instead [Sunday].” (Freidman, 2001, p. 101) What is interesting is that Jews in the New Testament aren’t regarded as not being Jewish considering their belief in Jesus as Messiah, they are considered just as Jewish as non-believing Jews.

Christians seem to have fallen for Ignatius’ thought process that one can’t be Torah Observant and saved by grace at the same time. This belief simply isn’t true! I have many friends who are Jewish, Torah-Observant and believers in Messiah Jesus.

So if “Word of the Law” is all I have, if all I have is an absolutely literal interpretation of the LAW, which is GOD’S LAW, then I must be in good company, because the early church held the same beliefs.