Apostasy: the great “Falling Away”, abandonment of the faith, the Rebellion against God. 2 Thess. 2

Despite the fact that orthodox Jews and the Israeli government are making war on the believers in Israel, Christian love has continued to flow toward the Jewish people: this is good and it is the will of God to bless the Jewish People! But lately, some aberrant teachings have surfaced within the church, and it is dangerous for us, as believers, to either embrace them or to ignore them. In the end time, Y’shua/Jesus warned that, if possible, even the elect would be deceived. We must heed His warning.

Fact: The religious leaders of the Jewish People persecuted Y’shua and demanded the Romans crucify him. They then persecuted, jailed, and killed many Messianic Jews. See the Book of Acts. Saul himself was one of the persecutors until the Damascus Road experience. Much is written in the Talmud against the believers. The opposition against the Lord’s Messiah and His followers began before the Holocaust and before any inquisition. It is not new. It is Satanically inspired, just as the opposition to the Jews is Satanically inspired.

There is an ongoing campaign against Messianic Jews by the religious leaders. They have never repented or apologized for their historical and current actions against the followers of Y’shua. Now that they have their own country, they have become emboldened to express their fear of Y’shua more vehemently.

Fact: Yad L’Achim, a Jewish anti-missionary hate group, compares Messianic congregations and Christians to Hitler, since they mistakenly think our goal is to destroy Jews. Yad L’Achim’s goal is to evict all Christians and Messianics from the Land of Israel.

See their website: http://www.yadlachimusa.org/

The Israeli government accepts false accusations from Yad L’Achim against Christians and Messianic Jews and uses those lies to deny citizenship and to evict legitimate volunteer Christian workers from the Land of Israel.

Israeli believers in Y’shua are suffering at the hands of Yad L’Achim, Lev L’achim, Orthodox Rabbis (modern-day Pharisees) and others. These groups continue to spread lies and slander believers without opposition. A criminal act committed by an Italian, Chinese or American is still a criminal act when committed by a Jew. God does not have a double standard and does not take it lightly when His Body is targeted.

The Israeli government is the authority behind this persecution. It has demanded that believers give up their right to practice their faith. NO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM exists in Israel for Christians: Arabic, Jewish, or Gentile believers. Meeting places and homes have been fire-bombed, vehicles damaged and tires slashed. Believers have been fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, harassed in the street, threatened with death, physically assaulted, and falsely arrested. There have also been several assassination attempts. Humanitarian ministries are refused permission to operate in Israel unless they sign away their God-given commission to share the good news of Yeshua. Apprehension is on the increase among believers in Israel – a fear that is tangible and contagious. Many are afraid to attend a congregation for fear of the repercussions.

Despite all this, true Christians are still standing up for the Jewish people and still blessing them with their material goods.

We are told to bless our enemies: I have no argument with that instruction. But…something much deeper and darker is happening. As believers, we need to be aware of it.

Some Christian religious leaders are preaching that we should bless the Jewish People with our tithes and offerings – but not with the gospel. This is the spirit of Antichrist and a very subtle and effective form of anti-semitism.

In Acts 8, Simon saw the apostles laying hands on people and imparting the Holy Spirit. He offered money so that he could do that too. Peter answered, “Acts 8:20-23

"May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told to reward bad behavior or to withhold the “good news of salvation.” Never in the history of mankind has this particular brand of anti-semitism been so widespread and accepted in the church. People are actually defending themselves and feeling good about their actions because they do not want to offend the Jews. Pastors are even preaching from the pulpit: “The Jews have their own way to God.” This is Apostasy! It is rebellion against what God has commanded. We are not told to hide our light under a bushel basket; we are told to be beacons for God’s Truth. Y’shua/Jesus is The Truth, the Way and the Life! If another way to God existed, God would not have subjected his son to the abuse, humiliation and degradation of the Cross. The whole reason the Jewish People are called the Chosen People is because God chose them to bring forth the Word: the Written Word and the Living Word – Y’shua! His very name means Salvation of God! There is NO OTHER WAY!

The “kingdom of heaven is within you”, said Y’shua

Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the parable about the kingdom of Heaven being like a mustard seed that grows into an abnormally large tree. The birds of the air come and roost in it. He also likened the kingdom of heaven to dough with yeast in it.

These two parables describe the Church as a whole today:

Matt 13:31-33

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

In Matthew 13 Y’shua likens the birds to the evil one.

Yeast is a symbol of sin – see Exodus 12, 13, 25 and Matt. 16:8-12, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1-3, I Cor. 5 and Gal. 5

We need to be aware that the kingdom of heaven existing now coexists with the old sin nature that also lives within us. When that sin nature is allowed free rein, bad things happen. That’s why we are told to reckon ourselves dead to sin. Our religious leaders are not exempt any more than we are – we were all born in sin and we all have a war going on within ourselves. The birds that come to roost in our kingdom are not there to help us. The yeast that is present in our lives can corrupt us. This is a very real and present danger. The Lord gives us victory to overcome these things, if we are willing. It is through the shed blood of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit that we are set free from our sin nature and can operate in Resurrection victory. We need to maintain a pure and holy walk with the Lord and not betray Him! We need to obey Him!

The bottom line: If the Word of God tells us to spread the Good News (evangelize) then that’s what we do. That is how we bless the world. Material blessings are nothing without the Message. Good minus God = 0

“What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” Matt. 16:26, Mark 8:36, Luke 9:25

“Do not be deceived --- any other gospel is a curse.” Gal. 1

I wrote all of the above to show you how desperately the Jewish People need the gospel! The religious and political leaders in Israel are totally corrupt. Israel is not a third-world country. It is one of the top five countries in the world, along with the USA, Russia, France and Great Britain. Blessing a corrupt government with money leads to more corruption. Money given to an organization run by unsaved Rabbis will be used to persecute the brethren of Y’shua – the believers. We believers need your help today just as they did 2000 years ago. The apostle Paul urged the churches to collect funds to be sent to Jerusalem for the believers. It is the believers who are doing work with the needy and using the funds correctly. It is the believers who are sharing their faith and being persecuted for it. It is the believers who are bringing peace to the Land – Jew and Arab worshipping together!

Bless Israel with the gospel and bless the believers with your offerings so we may support our families and help those who are truly in need. Work with the believers in the Land. Do not treat us as outcasts!

Please, please, please do not support the birds nesting in the branches, dirtying the fruit with their diseased droppings and plucking the fruit before it is ripe. The gospel message is clean and simple – let’s keep it that way and stop making deals with the devil.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes; to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

‘How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"’ Rom 10:14-15

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20

"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

“…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8

To God be the Glory!

Lura Maiman Beckford

Arad, Israel

December, 2008

* Note: We are well aware that many Jews have been persecuted down through history in the Name of Christ, by organizations or individuals out of ignorance or hatred. There are many accusations against the so-called “Church”. There are many “satanic birds of the air” that have perched in the branches of the tree, masquerading as ministers of righteousness. They are not the true church. In fact, true believers were often persecuted along with the Jewish people by religious institutions (Inquisition, Holocaust, etc.).

Blaming the true Body of Messiah for any persecution is the same as accusing Jesus Christ. He paid for all sins on the cross, including those done against the Jewish People as well as those perpetrated against the Christians down through the ages. It is time to stop blaming and start forgiving. This can only be done through personal acceptance of the shed blood of Messiah Y’shua. He is our sin sacrifice. He is our resurrected Life! He is our Peace!

The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."    For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."   Romans 10:8-13