Monthly Archives: July 2015

Jul 31 2015

Come Stay celebrate! The story of the Shelter Hostel in Eilat Israel book by John & Judy Pex

DSCF8620

During my two week break in Israel, I got the opportunity to relax on my friend’s balcony and read this book I got a few weeks ago.

DSCF8621It took me a long time to find this book in the UK, eventually, it resurfaced on Amazon UK after being out of stock for a while.

The story of John Pex a Dutchman and his wife Judy who is an American Jew traveled around as hippies and found Jesus and later founded a hostel in Eilat, the far-off obscure city at the very bottom of Israel past 5 hours of desert, which as Judy puts in, is to Israel what Alaska and Hawaii is to the US.

The Pexes are really some of the most pioneering members of the modern Messianic Jewish community of Israel.   As well bring Jewish and Arab people to the Lord, they have shared the gospel to African immigrants and to construction workers from Romania and China that built the modern hotels that have transformed Eilat into a busy Red Sea resort for vacationers.  A few people who accepted Jesus in the book I now recognise as leaders of congregations now.

The hostel itself has a welcoming atmosphere and bunk rooms, and an outside seating area, on Fridays they do a Shabbat service with food, and praise and worship in English Hebrew, Spanish and Russian songs.

I’ve stayed here twice now and love this place and the people there.  Regardless if you are Jewish, Christian or not at all religious but visiting this city especially if you are about to pop over to Egypt or Jordan which are so close by, I would highly recommend this place.

If you have stayed here, or would just love to hear how the gospel has been brought to Jewish people in Israel so effectively I would get this book.   I would recommend to the authors if you can find more places to stock this book, it would be better if I could buy it from a retailer in Israel run by believers 🙂

http://www.shelterhostel.com/

the shelter pano

The outside lounge under a Sukka type structure with a palm trunk, is a great place to make new friends and discuss travel stories. I visited here in 2009

Jul 29 2015

Surge in interest of French Jews wanting to move to Israel

I started writing this particular blog article in 2012 but never finished it – since then much has happened, with Islamic terror and harassment towards Jews in France earlier this year.

Interesting article on big interest in Aliyah (immigration to Israel) on the excellent Elder of Ziyon blog today: http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2012/05/french-jews-interested-in-aliyah.html

There was a wave of people coming out of Russia and the ex-Soviet states, the US, seeing as France has the large number of Jews and Muslims in Western Europe, its logical there will be new immigrants soon.

France has about 600,000 Jews.    On this year’s trip (July 2015) I saw a lot of construction happening ready for an expanding population and different friends of mine have heard more French being spoken in the last year.  Exciting times I think.

Not all the French Jews may move to Israel, I think some have already left for UK, US and Canada.  I think the Israel government should hire a exhibition centre in France and set up a dedicated event with stands and people speaking to really sell the idea of aliyah for French Jews.

This shop I saw in Jerusalem has Tanakhs (jewish Old Testaments) and Jewish books and Judaica in French.

Jul 28 2015

Hyper Hebrew Roots movement – 8. How we can help people in HHRM

1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM

Note: This collection of blog articles isn’t criticism of Judaism or Jewish people.  These series of article tackle the “Hebrew Roots” movement of teaching of Jewish practices and their relations to Jesus/Yeshua aimed at a Christian audience and how many groups/congregations/ministries can miss the important concept of the New Covenant and often point believers to a erroneous message.   Please start from the first article if you are new here.

For anyone in the system, you need to pray for them a lot, and show lots of grace.   This is because from this legalism-centred movement, grace may be a foreign concept.   When you are able to demonstrate grace to them, that will give them a better understanding of Christ’s love for them.

With Facebook and other social media, someone who posts memes of particular divisive and unhelpful images, you can challenge them in love, quite frequently they may get hostile.   Consider inviting them in to ‘Like’ pages of good quality teaching that would be beneficial to their needs.

But of course, pray for them.

Facebook and forums and blogging often leads to fall outs between people, this is VERY common in the Hebrew Roots/Messianic movement.   I suggest using the phone to resolve misunderstandings.

The bible has one specific book against legalism and problems seen in the Hyper Hebrew Roots movement, do you know what it is?

Its the book of Galatians.   The whole thing is there to challenge legalism.

What has 4 years living in Israel taught me?

I prefer fellowship with a mixed groups of peoples.   Sabra Israelis, Olim (immigrants to Israel), Russian believers, Arab believers who love Israel, Armenian Christians (there is a community of them in Jerusalem’s old city)  as well as other foreign Christians who are in Israel to study or volunteer and love and support the people there.

I fellowship with people who have different ideas on things, and we will disagree on some things.   I had a bible study with two Messianic Jewish leaders in Israel one who has a huge collection of Christmas decorations during December and one that couldn’t stand Christmas, but they two got on great.

Sometimes non believing Jewish people are fascinated by Christianity, even the manmade added bits like Christmas and Easter, so – here is your chance to really shine and tell them the gospel!!!

Ironically I once worked for an Israeli hitech company, I worked for the R&D centre in UK.   During Easter, we got a custom made easter egg with the company logo on!!   No other employer has given me something like this!!

Whilst I don’t pretend them to be perfect, Messianic Jewish people from Israel tend to be the ones I have the biggest respect for regarding Jewish-centric ministries.

Rather than Orthodox Judaism with Yeshua on top, the Israeli believer congregations tend to be more robust quality Christian teaching with a strong Jewish flavour.

Other helpful links:
The “Joyfully growing in Grace” blog has good understanding to the Hebrew Roots movement and provides help and scripture setting the foundations of our faith straight, there are stories of those with family in cult groups and those who have left some odd teaching.

https://joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com/

1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM

Jul 27 2015

Hyper Hebrew Roots movement – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement?

1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM

Various groups here including Jewish believers in Yeshua look at Hebrew Roots movements.  It should be noted that Hebrew Roots groups don’t really have one centralised body they are part of, and often have widely different approaches to theology.

Jews for Jesus on Hebrew Roots

http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/havurah/v04-n01/jewishroots

The danger of Jewish roots movements by Dan Juster

http://www.tikkuninternational.org/newsletters/dj-sep14.php 

Bewitching Believers Through the Hebrew Roots Movement

http://www.thebereancall.org/content/january-2014-bewitching-believers-hebrew-roots

Joyfully Growing in Grace (not from Jewish believers, but some comments from Jewish believers in Jesus who have since left Hebrew Roots movements)

https://joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com/

1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM

Jul 26 2015

Apocolyptomania

last days hysteriaLately been concerned some Christians get into a panic over end times.   Its disturbing when some people want God’s judgement on <insert_least_favourite_country>

It is simply not our job to do this.   Our job is disciple others, get our own lives in order, and worship God.

The whole blood red moons has got people into a tizzy, with signs in the sky coinciding with Jewish holidays.    I just have a wait and see attitude on these things.

I believe we are in latter times, and there is a increase in wickedness.  I do worry with the rise and even bigger rise of radical Islam, gender and marriage revisionism from militant LGBTQ movements, more abortion, churches and Christian groups going off on tangents.

However Jesus never told us to buy tins of beans, ammunition and hide in a bunker.   He told us to trust in him.

Here is a really good article by Charisma magazine.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/49215-don-t-get-caught-up-in-last-days-hysteria

Jul 1 2015

Fascist group threats London Jewish community

 

I went to London’s Golders Green district yesterday.   I went to see a friend who a Messianic Jew there to drop off a gift and have a good chat.

antijewish rally in londonI was appalled to hear that a neo-fascist group want to march through this area.

https://cst.org.uk/news/blog/2015/05/20/proposed-neo-nazi-demonstration-in-golders-green

Just walking around, it feels like a small piece of Israel, observant Jews in traditional distinctive clothing and some of them talking in Hebrew.    There is a lot of restaurants and shops that are kosher certified or have things in a window for a Jewish audience.

The only sign this event was taking place in the community was a small poster in the local Tesco Express.

It seems now today, this event has been moved to another part of London. I would of hoped there would be no place for things like this to be tolerated in 2015.

Please pray this will be cancelled and will not be allowed to stir up hatred.