correct me please

I don't think this little site gets many hits. However, if anyone of the Jewish faith read that last post and was offended, I'm sorry. Like I said I don't really know anything first-hand. Feel free to comment and correct me if I'm wrong or anything. I'd love to be corrected.

modern judaism

Last night I listened to Luna and Ruben talk about modern Judaism. It was heartbreaking. Almost all I know about Judaism is in the Bible. Today, of course, it can't be what it was in the Bible. Back then it was centered around the temple and animal sacrifices. Now there is no temple, there hasn't been for....about two thousand years I think. My Jewish friends were talking about how far Judaism has fallen from what it used to be. Ruben especially was saying that it isn't about God anymore, it's about culture and being Jewish and keeping an identity.

Not that those things are bad, but to have a religion just for the sake of being religious is horrible. It's so empty and unfullfilling. I guess I'm getting all of this second hand though. I don't really know anything. I'm sure there are a lot of Jews who really follow Judaism because they love God. I hope so. I really love the Jewish people and as a Christian I feel indebted to them because they're the people to whom Jesus was sent. Their history was the one I grew up hearing about in Sunday School; I new it long before I knew American history.

God please touch Judaism. Bring it back to its ancient beauty of being focused on You. Your people have been so faithful to continue in their religious traditions for centuries without a temple or a nation to call their own. Please bless their faithfulness and bring them close to You. Show Yourself to them again in a powerful way. Thanks for Your promise to always be faithful to them.

passover

Everyone in Immanuel Fellowship has been encouraged to ask God for two or three friends who are not Christians to be praying for. Of course we are hopefully praying for others around us as well, but these are some people you feel like God would have you be especially focused on in prayer and in looking for opportunities to share Jesus.

Tonight I took a Jewish friend of mine, Luna, to a sader dinner held in an A&W restaurant by some Messianic Jews who work with Menorah. It was well done as always. Very traditional Passover meal except the fact that Ruben, who was leading the dinner, spoke of Jesus’ work on the cross to free us from our sins every chance he got. The Passover dinner provides a surprising amount of non-tacky ways to share Jesus. It’s perfect actually. He compared Jesus to the Passover lamb and talked about how He frees us from the slavery of sin just as God freed the Hebrews from Egypt. I was praying during the whole meal that Luna would be able to hear God speaking to her in all that Ruben said.

We ended up staying over an hour after the dinner was over just talking to Ruben and his wife. He was able to share Jesus with her in a way I never could have, explaining how He is God’s answer to our sin, for both Jews and Gentiles. He told her of how God was able to show His love for Ruben and draw him into a friendship. Ruben asked her if she wanted to pray and giver her life to Jesus and start a friendship with God. She said that was what she’d been wanting. The three of us prayed together. They exchanged phone numbers so they could keep in touch and she could come to him and his wife with her questions about being a Christian.

God this is so awesome! Help me support Luna as she’s learning how to walk in this new life she’s asked You for. Draw her close to You; help her not to be passive about this but run after You. God keep her in You.

identity

Where do I get my identity? Is it from my parents? How I look like or act? Leading a housechurch? Hopefully not either of my jobs. ;)

Good questions, it'd be nice if I could find some answers. Among other things God's been challenging me in this area the last few weeks. Especially in regards to finding it in either my parents or in being a housechurch leader.

God help me find my identity only in You. You made me, You bought me, You know me better than I do. Help me see Your view of me...

links

I added some links to the side of my blog. It looks kinda....not the way I wanted it to look. Hmmm...

all i can do

shattered
it's shattered
and scattered on the ground

helpless
i'm helpless
and i am lying down

hands
these hands
i know You hold me
can't escape this love

weak
so weak and afriad
help me believe You save
keep me looking into Your eyes
it's all i can do