Letters

October 1, 2007

TBC Staff

Dear Mr. McMahon,
Your comments in "When the Well Runs Dry" [TBC Notes, 8/07] brought back memories. Eighty-seven years ago, I was born on a farm in Central Nebraska. We had no electricity. Our water supply came from a well. Above it stood a windmill that was run by the wind. As the wheel on the windmill went round...the well brought water up through pipes from below. One summer when I was a child, the farmers became very much concerned about water, because the wind had not blown for several days. The cattle tanks were almost empty and the water in the cisterns was getting very low. Back then people prayed and believed God more than they seem to do today. As we gathered together to pray, the Lord made the wind blow. As it blew, all the cattle tanks were filled and so were the cisterns. Then we thanked the Lord!...

You also called our attention to Job:3:25... "the thing which I...feared is come upon me...." Years ago when I became enamoured with my salary, the Lord called my attention to Matthew:6:24: "You cannot serve the Lord and mammon." I could not forget it! Finally I told the Lord that I would serve Him. Then fear overcame me....My fear concerned money for retirement. But our God is so gracious and kind! One day He led me to 2 Timothy:1:7....From that day on, when the fear came I asked the Lord to replace it with the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. And He did! In my retirement I have little money, but I always have enough! And I praise the Lord for the power, love and sound mind which is mine. VH (TX)

Dear Dave,
I refer to your Q & A in June 2007 concerning the unbiblical use and distinction of the term "Messianic" when applying it to any believer following the Messiah, irrespective of whether they are from Gentile or Jewish backgrounds. I am a believer in Jesus who was born a Jew. I totally agree with the comments you have made, and thank you for stating the truth on this subject, regardless of the consequences from the Jewish Roots Movement or Messianic Judaism apologists, who will attack you for it.

Those who value such traditions usually defend their position based on three factors, which are witness, identity, and liberty. Scripture compels us to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy. In reality these movements provoke Jews to anger, scorn, and disgust! Most Jews are won to the Lord through Christian witness and not through Messianic Judaism. This fact is even acknowledged in Messianic Judaism's own statistics and surveys.

Regardless of our past-our present and our future is in Christ Jesus and in Him alone; not in the religious designation that God allowed us to be born into. There is no need or purpose for any separate identity once we are in Him. We are new creations in Christ, Jew and Gentile are now "one new man." Practicing man-made rabbinic traditions is a misrepresentation of our real freedom in the Messiah....In conclusion, man's view is totally irrelevant. It's only what God says that matters, and He says "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God." (Romans:2:28-29) DH (Australia)

Correction: Dan Kimball notified us that we mistakenly titled his book The Emergent Church. It's The Emerging Church.

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