Y Not I

After my recent discussions with the guys over at “Talking Out Of Turn”, I was running through my small brain some of things that were said. One thing that sticks out as coming back over and over is that to keep Torah is to keep types and shadows. Patrick recommend some books that I should read to better understand this, and it gave Charles concern for the soul of one who does these things. That means folk that if you are doing these things Charles things you may not be saved. You salvation is based (to Charles) based upon what you do, or do not do. Charles admits that he is judgmental:

Yeah, I�m judgmental. I have to judge, so that I won�t be judged. And I don�t want anybody to ever come to my website, or listen to my voice, and ever think that Torah observance, whether it be rabbinic or Messianic, is inherently pleasing to God.

This got me thinking about a modern day Acts 10 with Charles in the role of Peter. Charles is called to a certain place to meet with someone, a Jew, a Torah observant Jew at that. I am guessing Charles might be a bit uneasy about this meeting. Maybe he would be praying, maybe G-d would show him a vision, maybe it would have all kinds of ham, pork, lobster on a plate, and Charles would be very hungry. Maybe the voice of G-d would tell him, “not so fast Charles, do not eat anything on this great sheet.” “But L-RD”, Charles would respond, “By no means L-RD, not eating that would be following a type or shadow, for I am hungry and I have eaten these foods all the days of my life.” So Charles chows down, since this is all types and shadows.

After the vision when it is time for Charles to go and meet with this Jewish Torah observant believer, it seems that Charles meets, but the meeting is asking questions to get the believer to demonstrate that he had “a consistent and solid theology”. The Jewish believer would have to “understand that there would be some scrutiny”, for “it could be a movement away from Christ�s sufficiency”. Charles would need to “examine their theology and conscience a little bit”, before agreeing to visit with the Jewish believer and speak with them.

Keeping types and shadows. Interesting isn’t. Let me ask this question. Would not a cross in front of a church, on the pulpit, around ones neck, wherever, would that not be also a shadow? It is not the actual cross Jesus was on, is it? That shadow seems OK. Curious. Communion, certain a shadow of the Last Supper, yet so many Christians keep the Communion. It is certainly just a shadow with the thimble of grape juice as compared to 4 glasses of wine that the Passover Seder that Jesus was involved with at the Last Supper. The little cracker is slightly different than the matzo and all the things that Jesus was dipping His matzo in, not to mention the full meal he enjoys. So the communion is most definitely just a shadow of the actual event, and yet Charles does not seems to think these things are problematic, where he might be concerned for ones soul.

Interestingly enough Halloween, Charles says this:

I would do the same for a Gentile in my church who asked if it was OK to do Halloween. I wouldn�t say �yes� or �no� right off the bat, I would ask how they planned to celebrate it, and then examine their theology and conscience a little bit to determine whether this was crossing a personal line for them. If you don�t do it in faith, it�s sin, after all.

So there is a way to keep Halloween “in faith”. Not sure how that looks, maybe a devil costume, but wear a cross as well, not sure. Regardless, it is much too complicated to understand the way of the churches for me. I personally do not know the difference between different churches, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. To me (and I think to most Jews, believer or not), it is all just the Gentile Christians. Even the Catholics would fall under that umbrella. And they are all there go at one another, some say that Shabbat has been moved to Sunday, some say no, Shabbat has been done away with. Some play instruments as part of service, some say no, no to that.� And so on and so on and so on.

There is nothing wrong with that, however these things end up always causing concern for the soul, as Charles put it. Basically these different groups go around being so judgmental of each other that to those outside the appearance is not one that provokes jealousy for the Jews. Probably more pity than anything. They can discuss these things, but if salvation is based upon faith and faith alone, then please accept your brother and sister whether they are Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic or even Messianic Jewish.

My concern for these folks is not in their souls, I will leave that to G-d to judge. My concern is that they bring glory to G-d, that they represent His Name well. Right now some of these things do not represent very well. Fortunately I do know that most churches and groups do a good job representing G-d when they are not bickering with the other groups. My charge would be for them to discuss these important issues in a way that does not have concerns for the soul, but does have concern for the walk and for the glory it brings to HaShem. I think the tenor of the discussion would be different, because it would be brothers discussing things in a brotherly manner, rather than the suspicious eye of judgmentalism that seems to be exhibited so often.

For most Christians that I come across, it seems that the conversation stay in a brotherly manner. I have some serious disagreements with some of them, yet, never have concerns for their souls. If we agree on the definition of salvation, then the rest we can discuss without concern, and I do in so many instances. You can see some of them on this site, some on other sites, and some through private emails. To me that brings more glory to G-d then worrying about the soul of the believer you are talking to. To me that make one a Mr. Logeye. Don’t be Mr. Logeye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

B”H