My Brothers & Sisters, I wish you a Happy Easter.
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OH, HAPPY DAY!
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Oh, Happy Day - Glen Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96-pnIfl2fg
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O Lord, Our Lord - Marty Goetz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i67rjZn9ThQ
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As I've said before, I had an unexpected Spiritual experience and became a (Maverick) Christian in a Los Angeles apartment on April 6, 1994:
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In a sense, I think I've always had a kind of kinship with Jews. Part of it, certainly, must be attributed to my strong relationship with Martin Brumer - my best friend who was killed by a car thief in 1989. But there's more to it than that. It's a controversial topic I don't want to address here and now.
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About a year before my Spiritual experience, my 'Born Again' friend and co-worker, Don ("Big D"), was attempting to convert me to his Christian beliefs. We engaged in several friendly debates about religion and spirituality. One day, Don gave me a couple pamphlets written by the Messianic Jew Zola Levitt.
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I had never read The Holy Bible at that point, and I can still remember reading those pamphlets while on a road trip with my parents to Pahrump, Nevada. 'The Seven Feasts Of Israel' and 'The Miracle Of Passover' by Zola Levitt seemed like gibberish to me. I don't think I was informed enough then to question the idea of a Jew believing in Jesus. I was pretty ign'ant about Judaism and Christianity back then. I wuz just a dumb, dirty, heathen dog.
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Right after my Spiritual experience on 4-6-1994, I began reading The Bible. And after I had read God's Word from cover-to-cover a couple of times, I ran across those Zola Levitt pamphlets in one of my book cases and decided to read them again. This time, they just blew my mind! I was so impressed by all the insight that Levitt, with his orthodox Jewish background, brought to my understanding of things involving Christ Yeshua / Jesus Christ. I thought back on that day I first read these pamphlets and found them to be nuttin' but gibberish, and I shook my head. Amazing what a couple years and some background research can do for a person's understanding!
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Well, the night before last, I was watching a YouTube video, and I noticed a video in the Recommended Videos sidebar about a Jewish person who had become a believer in Christ Yeshua. So I clicked on it and found it so fascinating that I immediately watched another, and then another, and another.
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I became instantly addicted to these video testimonials from Jewish people who, (like Zola Levitt, and Joel Chernoff, Marty Goetz, and Barry & Batya Segal - musicians I've been listening to for years), had become Messianic Jews (i.e., Jews who recognize that Yeshua was the prophesied Messiah of Israel).
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The last two nights, I stayed up too late, watching these videos, and each one of them has been extremely interesting to me. I haven't seen a dud yet! In just two nights, [link> ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry has become my very favorite YouTube channel.
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One of the things that I have found most surprising about these testimonials is how many of these Jewish folks said that, prior to learning the truth about Jesus, they thought that He was a Catholic, and didn't even realize that Jesus was a Jew. Some of these folks had even been led to believe that Jesus was anti-Semitic, that He actually hated the Jews. SMH!!
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People, this is just one example of why you MUST research things for yourself and never just take some man or woman's word for something. Especially when the subject is truly important and the stakes are high.
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It being Easter Sunday, I'd like to share a few of these testimonial videos with you, and encourage you to check out some more, if you find them as fascinating as I do.
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I was the president of the synagogue! How could I believe in Jesus?
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WOW! A Jewish lawyer and a leader in her synagogue who turned to Jesus in a supernatural way!
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A Jewish boy challenged by a Christian Girl
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[link> The Kooks Met Messiah
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You will find many more testimonials and informative videos
at [link> ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry
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If you want to learn every essential point and principle of The Holy Bible in only about 15 to 20 minutes, read the five chapters of the First Epistle of John (1st John 1-5) [link> HERE.
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Happy Easter, all Y'all.
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Bless And Be Blessed!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Stephen,
ReplyDeleteBelated blessings of Easter to you, my friend. There's much to learn/re-learn still about Jesus. I grew up in the church and even before my rebirth in Christ, I had total blind faith on who Jesus is and of his miraculous birth and resurrection. I never questioned, never doubted either of these amazing historical events. I count myself blessed to not see it any other way. I know you are very well versed in God's word and I believe you have no problem getting your points across but you might enjoy reading this awesome article, The Eyewitness Testimony That'll Make You Never Doubt the Resurrection Again that DH shared with me that I really enjoyed. I hope you have a wonderful week, my friend. Stay safe and well. God bless!
HiYa, CAThy ~
DeleteI hope you had a nice and peaceful Easter.
Thanks for the comment and link.
I'm pretty much a big 'Two Thumbs Down' kinda guy when it comes to blind faith... in anything. I believe in doing one's due diligence.
And when it comes to religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Jesus Christ, it's especially important because Saint Peter said, ""BE READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER IN MEEKNESS AND REVERENCE TO EVERYONE WHO SEEKS FROM YOU A WORD CONCERNING THE HOPE OF YOUR FAITH." (~1 Peter 3:15).
We're not doing an unbeliever any favors when he/she asks, "Why do you believe in God and Jesus Christ?" and we say, "Well... uhm... I just know it's true." An answer like that sure wouldn't convince *me* of anything.
That was a good article. Truth be told, it's not really anything novel; those same (good arguments) have been well-covered in many books that are considered classics in the field of Christian apologetics.
For example, from 1930, there's 'WHO MOVED THE STONE?' by Frank Morison
[Link> AND EAT YOUR SPINACH, TOO!
Other similar books (evidence for God & Christ) that I would strongly recommend are:
'LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS' by Chuck Missler
[Link> SAINT PETER SEZ...
'MORE THAN A CARPENTER' by Josh McDowell
'MERE CHRISTIANITY' by C.S. Lewis
'ANCIENT PROPHECIES REVEALED: 500 Prophecies Listed In Order Of When They Were Fulfilled' by Ken Johnson, Th.D.
'DIVINE CONTACT - DISCOVERY OF THE ORIGINAL NEW TESTAMENT' by Rev. David Bauscher
{*You really gotta have your thinking cap on securely for this one!*}
'THE CASE FOR CHRIST' by Lee Strobel
'THE CASE FOR MIRACLES' by Lee Strobel
...Anything by Lee Strobel.
In fact, speaking of Lee Strobel and 'The Case For Miracles', be sure to check out this video:
[Link> Lee Strobel: The Case for Miracles
Also, when you have time, check out some of the videos regarding RON WYATT's discoveries at this YouTube channel: [Link> RonWyatt.com
Bless and be blessed, my friend!!
~ D-FensDogG
'STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS...'
Stephen,
DeleteI absolutely agree with you, we are to follow Peter's charge to study ourselves proven to give a good Biblical answer why I believe. I think I didn't express myself well with my comment but I guess what I meant was for me I didn't need a Biblical explanation that it was inside me already. Maybe that came from having such spiritual grandparents and parents or seeing God's handiwork early in my life. That's why I count myself blessed. I had that child like trust and belief that Jesus spoke of. Others don't have that and for those we need to be ready to give them the answers to help lead them to Christ. Thank you for the resources. I'm going to copy your entire comment so I won't lose the links and as I have time check these out. Thanks always for sharing your thoughts and taking offer helpful, insightful reading material. Blessings to you, my friend. Be well!
No worries, CAThy.
DeleteI understood your meaning very well. And, yep, I agree with what you've said.
Truth be told (as I know you know), we were created BY God and in His own Image. Therefore, at the soul level, EVERYONE knows they have a Creator and that God IS. Of course, they can deny that fact and try to run from it; and they can use what to them appears to be inconsistencies in life as an excuse to deny the existence of God. But deep down (or deep within), they know they are a created being and therefore have a Creator.
Or, as I like to succinctly and humorously express it:
I don't believe in atheists.
~ D-FensDogG
'FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS'
My father always sang the praises of the Jews and Israel based on his Christian beliefs. I'm not sure if any of my childhood friends were Jewish, but I really never thought about it or in terms like those.
ReplyDeleteThis year at the Baptist church I belong to we allowed a larger Messianic Jewish congregation to move in to use the facility since their activities and ours don't really conflict that much. Sadly the current lock down of churches has restricted their use of the facility. They seem like a wealthier congregation than ours (as is the Korean group that also uses our church) so they'll both probably be able to continue to pay us rent. Part of Satan's plan is to shut down churches I think.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteOne of Christianity's modern-day concepts that really makes me shake my head is Replacement Theology, which is promoted in some circles.
I can't begin to imagine how any Christian who sincerely studies his Bible can come away embracing that blatantly false doctrine! One needs to be able to perform astounding acts of pretzel logic in order NOT to see the countless references to God's ongoing work of reaching out to His "chosen people".
One would think that the reestablishment of Israel in 1948 would have been more than enough to wake everyone up but, alas, there are none so blind as...
~ D-FensDogG
'FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS'
Hi Stephen,
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought I'd heard it all, you proved to me I hadn't. There are times when I've simply turned away from too many differing versions of what basically amounts to the same thing. Maybe that's how I never realized that Jesus was Jewish.
But if that's true, why on earth would Jewish people not acknowledge his existence? That's sounds as bad as those who say that the Jewish folks will never have a home. Wrong and rude, if you ask me. I'm perfectly happy believing in the basics; everyone created equal.
Thanks for the tip on these videos. I was thinking on Easter Sunday that I should probably watch something spiritually inspiring ;-)
Be well, my friend!
dIEDRE ~
DeleteFirst and foremost, my apology for being this late with a response. I feel like I'm busier now, with everything closed down due to the coronavirus scam, than I was before.
But I sincerely appreciate your comment.
>>... why on earth would Jewish people not acknowledge his existence?
Well, that's a very loaded question. But to begin, I should say that most Jewish people do not deny the existence of Jesus. (Apparently - as I've just learned over the last few weeks, to my utter, jaw-dropping amazement - many Jewish people do not realize that Jesus was Jewish.) But the primary discrepancy regarding Jews and Jesus, is that the Jewish people do not accept Jesus as their long-prophesied Messiah. THIS is the real crux of the issue: Was / Is Jesus the "Christ" (i.e., the "Messiah" promised by God to liberate the Jewish people) or was / is He not?
So, why would the Jewish hierarchy teach that Jesus was NOT the Messiah? Well, one good reason (of several good reasons), would be that the leaders of Israel at that time, and some unwitting followers of the leadership, were responsible for Jesus being crucified. They insisted that the Romans crucify Him.
It would be pretty tough for the Jewish hierarchy today to admit to having made such a boneheaded mistake of crucifying the Messiah that God promised to send them, right? DOH!
"Yes, our forefathers crucified the Savior of the world, but... you should STILL highly regard all we say today."
Good luck with *THAT* admission of guilt!
However, the saddest thing about this whole situation is that, while hanging on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive the Jewish hierarchy for murdering Him. And why? For one reason, Jesus VOLUNTEERED to be crucified! He knew all along that He would be crucified for the sins of the Jews and for the people of the entire world! Jesus was SUPPOSED to be crucified, and He knew that from His birth.
The crucifixion of God's Sinless Son, for the sins of the world, was the primary purpose of Jesus Christ's life on this planet. He volunteered for the job, and if the Jews had NOT insisted that the Sinless Savior be crucified, then we would ALL still be living in our sins, without the Atonement, and without God's forgiveness. (Well, the story is much deeper than that, but I'm giving the simple, mainstream and yet factual account here.)
So, in a sense, the Jewish hierarchy, 2,000 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, still running from its responsibility is doubly sad, since Jesus came to be crucified, and had the Jewish leaders NOT done their part, we would all still be living in our sins in the sight of God.
It's so surprising to me to learn, now, how many people (especially Jewish folks) do not realize that Jesus was Jewish because, even from a very, very young age - MANY LONG YEARS before I became a Christian and read The Holy Bible for the first time - I KNEW that Jesus was Jewish.
Actually, I probably first learned that (weirdly obscure?) fact in 1968, the first time (of at least 51 times) I ever watched...
[Link> The Little Drummer Boy | 1968 | HD | 1080p | Full Movie | Christmas Movies for Kids
I mean, even that children's TV production makes it clear that Jesus was Jewish! So, how could this be shocking news to so many people in this day and age?
A couple nights ago, I watched more of those personal Messianic Jewish testimonials at YouTube (because I'm still addicted to them) and found the following one, which may actually be my favorite to date. It's certainly very high on my short list of favorites:
[Link> He found Messiah in the pages of his US Navy Tenakh!
Thanks again for taking time to read my post and comment on it, dIEDRE.
~ D-FensDogG
'STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS...'
POSTSCRIPT:
DeletedIEDRE ~
I just now - NOW!! - watched this one...
[Link> From Judaism to Zoroastrianism, NOTHING gave life meaning. Then I met Messiah!
...and it might be my new favorite! (That gives you an idea of how much I love these personal testimonials and how each new one I see affects me. This one really brought tears to my eyes!)
~ D-FensDogG
'STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS...'
Hi again!
DeleteI am really glad you replied ;-) Not that you needed to, but as time passed I thought I might have seemed offensive.
I appreciate the enlightenment, though there's much I still don't understand.
Being busy during quarantine tells me you must be pretty essential - cool beans ;-)
Howdy, dIEDRE ~
DeleteOh, NO! You didn't come across as "offensive" in the slightest. Never crossed my mind for even a millisecond that you sounded "offensive". (I'm not sure what a millisecond is, but I know it's pert-dern short. [;^)
>>... there's much I still don't understand.
I'd be more than willing to try clarifying anything that you don't quite get, if you'd like me to. (I think that, with what is coming down the pike soon, Spiritual Truth is the single most important subject that any of us could be discussing right now.)
Ha!-Ha!
No... no... I'm afraid no one has ever found me to be "pretty essential". Or even remotely essential. But... I do provide a service here where I work. My weekday tasks now are not what they were before the coronavirus shutdown nonsense. Back then, our office was open and I was collecting cash payments, etc. But with the office closed, I'm still working, only now I'm doing things outdoors around the property. I feel very blessed to still have a job.
~ D-FensDogG
'STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS...'