Is there a devaluation of marriage? Maybe not...

Marriage works, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

This article from July in the Sydney Morning Herald makes some interesting points.

What do you think?

This article by Claire Lehmann ,a graduate student in forensic psychology who works as an advocate for nurses. She is a wife and soon-to-be mother.

There is a disconnect in our national discussion about marriage. On the one hand we have had a very strong movement for same-sex marriage rights but on the other hand, there exists a general silence on the value and function of marriage in society. If we are fighting for the right for all individuals to partake in an institution, is it not also critical that we discuss the inherent worth of that institution? Marriage in Australia is on the decline as it is elsewhere. Social inequality is also increasing - now approaching the highs of the 1920s, according to Labor MP Andrew Leigh's Battlers and Billionaires, published recently.

Paediatric epidemiologist Fiona Stanley says: ''If you want to have a future that is secure, successful and productive, you must invest in healthy mothers, healthy children and young people.'' One in six Australian children live below the poverty line, and one third of babies are born out of wedlock. The social justice argument for marriage is yet to be made however. One reason for this is that high-quality de facto partnerships between men and women give the same benefits for children as traditional marriage does. But it's difficult to generalise about the effects on children of cohabiting relationships because results are entirely dependent on whether relationships are long term and stable, or fragile and part of a series.

But the fact that so many people are invested in the right to marry for same-sex couples suggests that marriage itself is still highly regarded. People are not fighting for the right of same-sex couples to cohabit or enter into civil unions, but to marry, indicating that the cultural significance in the social ''fact'' of marriage remains. Despite this, media conversation around heterosexual marriage is generally coloured by cynicism and 1970s feminist-negativisms. Progressive public commentators do not like to admit that marriage is actually good for women and children, or that a happy marriage is associated with better well-being, longevity and lifetime health.

In February, Jill Filipovic of The Guardian wrote a piece condemning ''outdated'' notions of marriage, citing the ''male as breadwinner myth'' as central to her argument. Filipovic writes that ''marriage confers tangible benefits to men, and far fewer to women . for women, it means more work and less pay, or the financially tenuous position of staying home full time and hoping your marriage (and only source of income) lasts''. Filipovic's argument is based on the premise that a woman's economic position should always be independent from others. A woman's wealth should not be shared with her husband and vice versa, because independence and autonomy should at no point ever be compromised.

As a young woman about to have a baby, this argument does not compute. In the first few months of his life, my baby will be dependent on me, which means that I will be dependent on others, including my husband. That women are dependent at different times in their lives should not be stigmatised. Healthy interdependency in family relationships should not be constructed as the antithesis of feminism. Filipovic argues that our society suffers from the ''male as breadwinner myth''. This ''myth'' reinforces an outdated gender role where a man works in order to provide for his family. Such a myth is believed to reinforce gender roles, and allows men to shirk their housework duties.

This ''male as breadwinner myth'' is not just a product of popular journalism, however, it is echoed by serious feminist scholars such as Cordelia Fine, who argues in Delusions of Gender that ''hard-wired accounts'' portraying men as being intrinsically motivated to provide for their families are not only inaccurate, but harmful to women. They exist merely as an excuse for men to get out of doing childcare, cooking and cleaning. This ''myth'' might be relevant in marriages between two university professors, who squabble over who gets to take the next research sabbatical overseas, but what Fine and Filipovic fail to acknowledge is that for a lot of women and children, having a male breadwinner around actually makes life a great deal easier.

Whether such provisioning is hard-wired or not is irrelevant. Although some women do not like to admit it, men give up a lot to be married, especially in an era of commitment-free sex. Internet forums are awash with men who voice grievances about the state of contemporary heterosexual marriage, but it has taken female advocates to bring this message to mainstream audiences. So for progressives who champion same-sex marriage but not male-female marriage, it may be timely to consider evidence which suggests that marriage may actually be conducive to health and well-being for both men and women. It may also be timely to consider that marriage may actually be a good thing for our children too.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-devaluation-of-marriage-is-costing-society-20130709-2po9k.html

St Paul and the Jews: A study on Romans 11

St Paul, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

This message given today at Rivers of Life church in Singapore. A study on Paul the apostle and his teaching about Jewish people, from Romans chapter 11.

"Shalom friends at Rivers of Life Church.

I’m privileged to speak with you again today and to be part of your family of faith. I was with you 18 months ago and you were generous to me and financially supportive of our work among the Jewish people. I don’t take that lightly and appreciate your belief in the Gospel of Jesus going to all people, including the ancient people of the Covenants. As I share with you this morning, about a very problematic biblical passage, and see what God has to say about Israel from Romans chapter 11, perhaps this will clarify some theological sticking points and may give you cause to rejoice, or so I hope, that God is ever looking after us, ever challenging us, ever calling us to Himself. I believe as a result of this sermon today that you will trust God all the more, and isn’t faith what it’s all about?
By the way, you have received a white card this morning from Jews for Jesus, and I hope that while I’m speaking you will fill that out and turn it in at the book table or in an offering to us, and we can continue to send you (or begin sending you) our newsletter which we prefer sending to you via email. Thanks.

Preamble: Romans 9-10
To put this in context, Paul the Apostle is teaching the Roman church in his letter to the Romans about God’s Sovereignty and about His choices, so that the believers can be comforted, when challenged by their own lack, their own insufficiency, their own sinfulness. In light of all that, and the assurance that Paul wants for the Roman believers, the Apostle then turns his attention on the obvious question, ‘What about the Jewish people?’ If God chooses the believers, and they have nothing to worry about, what about the Jewish people, who were also chosen by God. Are they still in God’s consideration? Does He notice them?
And what about Jews who don’t believe in anything at all? Are they still chosen? And what about an eternal plan for them and for Israel?

Paul deals with the problem of Israel from two standpoints. In chapter 9 he teaches the sovereignty of God; how God chose my people for himself back in Abraham’s day. In chapter 10 he deals with Israel’s failure to respond to God’s righteousness, ending with the announcement that they are “a disobedient and obstinate people” (10:21). Ouch.

If this were so, then how does Paul resolve the obvious tension? Will Israel’s disobedience win in the battle with God, or will God find a way to deal with the situation so as to safeguard his purpose? This is where chapter 11 comes in. Paul will answer this by looking into Israel’s past, present, and future, which actually brings us into today’s message and our world today in a clear and visible manner.


I. HAS GOD REJECTED HIS PEOPLE? (1-10)

a. Paul is the example today

Paul’s answer is no, and he uses his own life as evidence of this. God is not done with the Jewish people because God saved Paul. If God were done with Jews, then Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews would be dismissed and not saved either. So in answer to the question, did God reject all the Jewish people, the apostolic answer is NO!

b. Elijah is the example back in the day

Then Paul continues with the evidence from back when. Against the backdrop of serious whinging by the prophet Elijah, the Bible (1 Kings 19) says that there were 7,000 people who stayed faithful, at the time of Elijah the prophet. In the same way, God has preserved from within Israel, a remnant of people who love Jesus. Some get this mixed up, and think the term remnant applies to the Church, that is, that the Church of Jesus has replaced the Jewish people. But that’s exactly not what the apostle is saying. The evidence of God not rejecting the Jewish people is Jewish people in the Church. So the remnant is the believing Jews, or what we call Jews for Jesus. That the church believes, well and good, but that’s not a fulfillment of the promises of God to Abraham. See what I mean? (Online folks, Paul may have been thinking of
Psalm 94.14

c. There is a remnant (5-10)

Then Paul asks, since Jewish people are mostly rejecters of the Messiah Jesus, have they fallen too far? Did their rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus cause them to fall irreparably? Absolutely not, he shouts. He quotes from Isaiah 44 (They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. Verse 18) and Psalm 69 (May their table before them become a snare; and when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, and make their loins shake continually. Verses 22-23) He says that the majority of Israel’s rejection of her messiah was predicted and it should not surprise us. God uses parables to prevent hearing and He uses the Truth of Scripture to hide truth from those who are hardened against it. So that most Jewish people then (and dare I say, today) continue in unbelief is actually a testimony of God to choose a remnant.

II. GENTILES GET IN ON IT (11-24)

Then in verse 11 and following Paul says that God’s purposes for you Gentiles were helped along by most of Israel saying ‘no’ to the Gospel message. Without Israel knocking back Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, Gentiles would never have had a chance to hear and believe. You are welcome.

a. Chosen by grace

He has already made a case for the choice of the remnant being made on the basis of grace and not by works. And now he emphasizes that yet again. (5-6) And he makes sure that the Gentiles who are not the remnant, and yet brought near, understand that they are also ‘in by grace.’ He uses two images, one of the lump of dough and the other of wild olive branches.
Verse 21 makes his point so clear, “for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.”

“For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience.” (Verse 30)

b. Gentiles have a ministry to make Jews jealous

Paul says the Gentiles in the community of faith, nicknamed the Church, have a role to play and that’s to make Israel jealous. Listen, your new car won’t make a Jew jealous. He already has two in his garage. Your money and glamour are irrelevant to a person with more wealth. They know science. They lead the way in technology and movies. There is one thing the Gentile believer in Jesus has that would make the ordinary Jew jealous… your faith. You have a relationship with the Almighty. You know the Living God. (John 17.2) And that, and that alone is what I hope you share with Jewish mates and work colleagues. When you see them and they are in turmoil, offer to pray with or for them. Attend to their home when they have lost a loved one. Sit with them. Comfort them. Demonstrate the peace of God, which passes all understanding. When you can attend their son’s Bar Mitzvah or wedding, let them see your calm and your patience. Let them know you know the God of peace. That will help make them jealous!

c. Don’t be conceited but fear

In verse 18 we read that Gentiles should “not be arrogant toward the branches.” I guess that would be a natural thing to do. You might think, “aha, those Jews had their chance, and they knocked back the Messiah Jesus, so now it’s my turn.” In a way you are right, but the attitude of arrogance will come back to bite us if you are not careful.

One of my favorite and least favorite verses in the Bible is verse 22. “Behold therefore the Kindness and severity of God.” The two poles of His hands, or if you will, the two hands of God. The right hand is the hand of mercy; the left is the hand of judgment. He is not a one-handed deity. He offers mercy in His first coming; judgment in His 2nd coming. The warning: don’t be conceited but fear.

III. THEN IT’S THE JEWISH FULLNESS TIME AGAIN (25-32)

a. What time is it? Jews en masse coming to faith

The apostle says that this hardening condition on the Jewish people is temporary. That’s good news for the Jews. We read, “a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (.25) so there also seems to be a time frame which ends for Gentiles. Whatever fullness might mean, it’s clear that whatever that is, that this fullness will trigger the end of the time of the hardening. In other words, Jewish people will soften again to the Gospel of Grace and will receive Yeshua en masse.
But Paul has already indicated that in the key passage earlier in verse 15: “For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

Let me see if I can unpack that one. Paul says that it was necessary for Jewish people to say ‘no’ to Yeshua so that Gentiles could have opportunity to experience eternal life. But then God will open our eyes, remove the stupor from our blindness, and cause us to see Him, whom we had pierced, and we will accept Him. That’s not only a theory; that’s a promise from heaven. And when that happens, Paul says, buckle your seatbelt, the end is nigh. The phrase, “resurrection from the dead” implies that very culmination of global history.

b. Redeemer comes to Zion: (Isa 59:20-21)
When Jewish people en masse receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, when Jews for Jesus are abundant throughout the world in cities and countryside alike, when every tribe and kindred and family and tongue includes Jewish people who have become believers in and followers of Jesus, then buckle your seatbelt. The end is near. That’s when the Redeemer will come (in verse 26) In fact, people ask me all the time about signs of the times. About blue moons and about earthquakes and famines and about Israel becoming a nation again after 1900 years away. Look, there’s one sign that is clearer than any other sign in the Newer Testament. That sign is the sign of Jewish people saying ‘yes’ to Yeshua and that’s exactly what is happening across the world today. In the 19th century, over 200,000 Jews joined the church. Since 1967 another 200,000 have been grafted back into the olive branch. To be fair, there are 13 million Jews worldwide and 6 million of those in the Land of Israel, so there is much work to do, and we are doing that work, but a significant threshold of Jewish numbers has been reached. Is it enough? I’m not going to announce anything except that the sign is visible. Reach for your seat belt; the end is near.


c. Who is “All Israel?” (v. 26)
Verse 26 is a sticky one. Paul writes, “All Israel will be saved.” So who is “all Israel?” Some say this is the Church. Although I appreciate that the church is certainly saved and will be saved, the text in front of us doesn’t allow us to switch from Jews to something else without warrant. The apostle has been speaking for 3 chapters about Jewish people and to be consistent he must be continuing to do so. Thus, the Church is not in view.

Nor is this all Jewish people alive throughout history or even at the time of Messiah’s return. That would mitigate against evangelism and would take away free choice… both of which are inconsistent with biblical history. Being Jewish has never been enough to save us; it’s merely a calling and a dramatic one at that, but it was never salvific.

The key is again the use of the term ‘remnant.’ A remnant of carpet is part of the original that is still in place after the rest of the carpet has been dislodged and replaced. When I think of this imagery, there is only one meaning for the remnant and that’s Jewish believers in Jesus. In that way, with God being faithful to the remnant, He is faithful to the original covenant and faithful to His promises, all the while still consistent with His call to include others in the ‘new carpet.’

When you read about the remnant (Isa 28.5), think of Jewish believers in Jesus like me, like Jews for Jesus, like others in Israel or New York City. And know that God keeps His promises.

IV. FINAL DOXOLOGY
Verse 33: “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” When you see God’s hand, can you do anything else? Praise and doxology, that’s what should come out of our being. He is the God of wonders and He has called and kept Israel, even in our times of disobedience. He will call us again, and maybe now is that time. And He has reserved 7,000 in the time of Elijah, and 100,000 in these days, and how many more are yet unknown to you and to me. He is the God who calls, keeps and saves to the uttermost. All we can do is praise Him. He is worthy of all praise, amen?

Final thoughts:
Let me end my talk this morning highlighting the work of Jews for Jesus in a couple places. I was in New York City a fortnight ago and our teams there handed out over a quarter million gospel tracts and over 100 unsaved Jewish people gave us contact information, wanting to hear more from us about Yeshua. That’s awesome.
We have teams in Berlin and Budapest just now preparing for something very similar and in Moscow in September to do the same. Also in Israel in the very dangerous south, our teams are preparing to minister on the streets and on buses and radio and anywhere we can during the month of October. I’m so proud of our volunteers and staff worldwide. I’m humbled to be part of our outreaches, even in Sydney where I’ve lived for 15 years. Your support keeps us out there. Your prayers strengthen us and don’t miss this; they open the hearts of Jewish people to hear us. Thanks for being part of our teams. Every Jew who hears us owes you great thanks as well. "

Mick Jagger turns 70

Can you find 40 Rolling Stones titles in the following story?

I don’t want to go around and around but everybody needs somebody to love.  This is no luxury. I’m talking about eternity. I might have mixed emotions but we need a connection to the God who made us.

Some to be sure are preachers of doom and gloom. They want to talk about darkness and paint it black. Don’t have your nineteenth nervous breakdown. It’s a good story.  Let’s go back to zero.

Listen, the story began 2000 Light years from home. As another land was in view. God looked down from heaven on all those who had an empty heart. And worse, a heart of stone.  Because of our sin, we were a slave to darkness. We were pretty beat up. Sad, sad, sad.

The Bible says God would replace our stony heart and give us a heart of flesh. (Jeremiah 31)

This is the dirty work. He died for your sins. Any way you look at it, that’s an awesome thing to do.  I can almost hear you sigh. You readily admit, ”I can’t get no satisfaction.” And yet you have far away eyes. You should cry, “Mercy mercy!” Don’t have any sympathy for the devil.

 

Why are you always suffering? As your tears go by you always say to yourself “I wanna be loved.”  We all have a hole in our hearts that only God can fill; there is no use in crying, no longer a need to carry the beast of burden, God wants to come into your life and make you blinded by love! Y’shua is Lord and wants you to know him. Repent and receive Him as your Savior.

Disregarding this offer might be your biggest mistake. This flyer might be your one more shot. Y’shua, the Jewish messiah, says, “Can’t you hear me knocking?” He’s aching for you to please go home.

Y’shua is returning. He’s coming down again. You won’t always be happy, but you would be a fool to cry.  This could be the last time we tell you this story.

Flip the switch. It’s more than an emotional rescue.

God wants to give you life. For real answers. And real quotable quotes for your life, write me

Bob Mendelsohn

Jews for Jesus

PO Box 925

Sydney 2001

AUSTRALIA

 bob@jewsforjesus.org.au     

Phone:  +61.2.9388.0559

Royal Son in hand: Victory for UK

The summer in the UK is full of joy and gladness. So they say. William and Kate have announced the birth of the Royal Son. For cricket tragics, the Ashes are sure to stay in England as the Brits thrashed the Aussies for a 2-0 lead at Lords. Andy Murray finally won and is king of Wimbledon, if they allow a separate sovereign there. Joie de vivre is sure to characterize life this Northern Summer. Add to that the 81 million pounds from May when a Briton won the EuroMillions jackpot. The mystery winner's haul is not the largest ever won on the lottery but puts the ticket-holder sixth on the National Lottery rich list.

The Guardian reported, "A National Lottery spokesman said: "We've been giving the rest of Europe a chance to win big this year but lady luck is clearly shining back down on the UK once again.' "

Didn't you love the ceremony at the Tour de France? This from the Melbourne Age newspaper: "After claiming his first Tour de France victory on Sunday, Kenyan-born Briton Chris Froome labelled the historic evening finish as near "perfection"...Shortly before Froome was presented with the yellow jersey, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe were illuminated as a tribute to this 100th Tour.

Darkness then fell as the presentations began, with German Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) the first to step up to the podium for winning the final 133.5km stage from Versailles to Paris in a sprint from German Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) and Briton Mark Cavendish (Omega-Pharma-Lotto).

Then came the presentation for the winning team - the Saxo-Tinkoff line-up of former Tour winner Alberto Contador and Australian Michael Rogers, followed by Slovakian Peter Sagan (Cannondale) to receive the green jersey as winner of the points competition, and then the revelation of the Tour, Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) who won the red and white polka dot jersey as King of the Mountains and white jersey as best young rider.Finally came Froome's ultimate moment of glory, just as the Arc de Triomphe was again lit up in the yellow representative of the race winner's jersey.

After receiving one of world sport's most prestigious winner's garments, Froome, 28, was then joined by Quintana and Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) who finished second and third overall to him at 4mins 20secs and 5mins 04 secs respectively for the playing of God Save the Queen."

Here's the entire article from The Age

Clearly the King of the Kings of England is looking down and shining on the UK. Or so they would think. But it's also about the reality of God saving the queen. And God saving the new royal son. And God saving you and me. It's not Lady Luck, it's the powerful God of the planets. It's not the Man of Steel who will save England. It's not the Duke of Cambridge. It's the King of Kings.

Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah who was the original Royal Son, born of the Father.  That's the One I mean.

The writer of the book of Hebrews said it this way, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews chapter 1. verses 1-3)

The Royal Son, announced twice by His Father, is still sitting and longing for us from His throne, at a palace much more glorious than Buckingham Palace. The Father said at Yeshua's mikveh, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3.17) Later on after the miracles and teachings and public ministry of Yeshua in Israel 2,000 years ago, the Father again said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17.5)

I urge you, Britons and non-Brits alike. Let's all listen to Him. Yeshua is the Way to the Father. Care to discuss this?

Royal child on the way

I just watched another interview. The baby is coming. The news media is interviewing themselves. The Royal watchers are more active than Queensland during State of Origin. When will the baby arrive? And will it be a he or a she? We await the queen's posting, not on a twitter tweat but on an easel inside the gates at Buckingham Palace! The queen announced the baby would be a Leo, not a Cancer, so she got her wish apparently. And the queen hopes to meet the new great grandbaby before Friday when she is off to Balmoral. By the way, the easel is the same as the one used 31 years ago when William was born.

The royal baby is on its way with the Duchess of Cambridge in labour in a London hospital, the palace has announced. And we will know things after the encrypted phone call goes from Paddington's St Mary's hospital to the Queen, then the notice on the easel, then the 64-gun salute and a three-hour ringing of the bells throughout London. No one will miss it. No one will be left out. News will travel and people will know.

Or will they? It seems unlikely that anyone will be ignorant, but my guess is that some will be clueless. Even though the information will be everywhere, some will refuse to know or will decline to care. That's fascinating in itself.

363 kilometres from London is Brussels, Belgium. There they swore in Philippe as its new king on Sunday after his father Albert II abdicated, subduing for a day questions about his ability to bring a divided country together and the power of the monarchy.

Philippe, 53, took his oath in Belgium's three official languages - Dutch, French and German - two-and-a-half weeks after King Albert, 79, announced that he would abdicate after 20 years on the throne.

Kings and queens, royalty in Europe. The news about the news about the breaking news.

It reminds me of the birth of another royal baby. And would people believe the news about the news of that royal birth? Miriam was the mother and Yeshua was the royal baby, but it was so out-of-the-ordinary that it seemed too far-fetched. It was unusual. It was miraculous.

Since that time, nearly two thousand years ago, the story about the birth seems to be so foreign it is as if it is in another language, and not an official language at that. Imagine a Jewish person in Israel hearing this. The carol says it this way, "Once in royal Davids city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her Baby in a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, and His shelter was a stable, and His cradle was a stall: with the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Saviour holy."

Doesn't that sound foreign? Doesn't that sound non-Jewish?

But what if we read it in this language? "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah the prophet wrote that one) That sounds a bit more Jewish but still, the whole virgin/baby thing is right there.

In fact, Isaiah (who wrote about 700 BCE) also said this two chapters later, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called, 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.' " George Frideric Handel certainly used both citations for his famous oratorio 'Messiah.' Some who are familiar with that major work will hear these lyrics and his music and imagine this being sung in a church or concert hall at Christmas. But it's originally sung in Judah, the southern section of what we now title the State of Israel.

Isaiah received his visions in the days of "Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." It is generally thought the vision of the throne scene which occurred "in the year Uzziah died" (Isa 6:1) was the beginning point of his ministry as a prophet (739 BCE). According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah was executed by Manasseh only a few years after he ascended the throne and that Isaiah was sawn in half with a wooden saw (see Hebrews 11:37). This would mean Isaiah prophesied during a period of approximately fifty years (c739-690 BCE).

But our story is not about Isaiah, but the message of the Royal Child on the way. "He is coming!" the prophet might have shouted. "When?" the people might have asked, and he never acknowledged the answer to that. But his famous, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" was what to do while you wait. (Yes, Handel used that one also, as did Stephen Schwartz in Godspell (This clip from the movie and the baptism of John). Prepare for His coming. Make straight in the deserts a highway for our God!

So the problem might seem one of language, but it's more than that.

Israel, the nation, had abdicated her right as a missionary nation, choosing rather to live either godlessly among the nations around her, or as a 'holy' people separate from and without instructing those same nations. The Almighty had to send another, her Messiah and Deliverer, to chasten, to teach, to prophesy, to correct Israel. Not everyone liked that message. Not everyone accepted Yeshua as the Messiah.

Not everyone rejected that message either. Many Jewish people said, "Yes" to the Royal Son. Yeshua was born of Miriam, in a stable in Bethlehem in Judah (Israel). No 64-gun salute, only some wandering shepherds who were watching their flocks at night came. Oh and some magi (wise men) from some eastern nations (perhaps modern Iraq or Iran)came over to pay respects as well. Kings honoring a king. That makes sense. We'll see that one in the UK soon enough.

Well-wishers, royal-watchers, uncommitted observers... everyone will hear about William and Kate and their baby. The newborn of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. For most of us, this will have no meaning and even less bearing.

For all of us, what we do with Yeshua, son of Miriam, Saviour of the World and Messiah of Israel, has eternal meaning and bearing.

Who is this Yeshua? Did He really die for our sins and rise from the dead? That's what I believe and a topic for another blog.

Jew denied entry to Great Britain

With all the joy of the birth of the Royal Son, with the Ashes squarely in hand for the Brits against the Aussies, and with Andy Murray king of Wimbledon, you'd think that England would have nothing but glee to celebrate and Joie de vivre to characterize it this Northern Summer. But this report from the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle and others is shocking and worrisome. It's about anti-semitism at the border, and a Jewish university student detained and exiled to the US. Read and comment.

"A Jewish student from Kansas was denied entry into Britain for a summer job several weeks ago – apparently due to a customs agent's anti-Semitism.
After being detained for more than nine hours, he was put back on a plane to the United States by customs officials. During that time he was never told why he was being denied entry.
According to the the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, the British man who had offered Louis “Chip” Cantor summer work experience, Kevin Shilling, said the British border agent he spoke to in his attempt to get Cantor admitted into Britian made more than one anti-Semitic comment to him during the telephone conversation they had.

Chip Cantor told his story to two local television stations last month. On June 4, he told KMBC he was traveling to Britain to visit and gain summer work experience, and to participate in a fundraiser for a child who has cancer. He left Kansas City on Wednesday, May 29, landed in Britain after 10 p.m. London time and waited in line to go through customs.
When he got to the front of the line, a female customs agent began looking at his passport. Chip’s father, Chuck Cantor, said his son told him the customs agent was very pleasant toward him until she saw the Israel stamps in his passport. Then she simply walked away with his passport without speaking a word to him. Chip told his father he estimates she was gone 45 minutes to an hour. He never saw her again.
“He has a lot of Israel stamps,” Chuck said. Chip has been to Israel several times including two programs sponsored by Young Judea — the six-week Machon program and a gap-year program. Chip Cantor graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in 2009 and will be a senior in the fall at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Finally, according to Chuck, a different, uniformed customs agent came to see him and told him the agents would be taking his bags and detaining him for questioning. He was not told why.
Once in the interview room Chip told his father that he was told if he changed any of his answers to any questions, he was going to go to prison.
“He said, ‘Why would I change my answers? I told you the truth,’ ” Chuck said.
According to the Chronicle, Chip wasn’t allowed to be in sight of his luggage and eventually was put into what he described to his father as a detention cell.
“At some point a woman who was wearing a burka came to the cell to photograph him,” Chuck said. At that point he was fingerprinted as well.
As she was doing this, she said to him, “We’re putting your name and fingerprints and photos into a database. From now on it is going to be very difficult for you to ever travel in the United Kingdom or anywhere in the E.U. It will be up to each individual country to decide if they want to admit you.”
Chuck said Chip kept telling the customs agents he had not committed any crimes or done anything wrong. Eventually another agent came to tell Chip he was being deported.
Now several hours after he was detained, Chip was given the opportunity to call his father. Chuck asked to speak directly to the customs agent involved and was connected with Philip G. Yeomans.
After Chuck spoke to Yeomans, he contacted Kevin Shilling, his managing director and owner of Shilling Communications, the British company where Chip was supposed to be employed for the summer. It was about 3 a.m., London time. Shilling, who is not Jewish, called Yeomans.
Shilling noted that while the conversation didn’t accomplish anything, Yeomans made several anti-Semitic comments. At one point, Shilling recounted, when Shilling was explaining the reason Chip was in the country, the customs agent told Shilling that Chip should have lied to the customs agent, adding, “A Jewish kid would find that easy.”
Yeomans, the custom agent, also told Shilling any additional attempts to aid Cantor would be useless and “the little Jew will be on his way back to his rich daddy,” in a matter of hours.
Chip said he was given only a half of a sandwich and very little water throughout the nine hours of detention. In the morning, Chip was escorted to the plane by another customs agent for a flight back to the United States. “The guy walks him onto the plane and in front of everyone, like a prisoner, he says here is this man’s passport. Do not give him his passport until you land in the United States,” Chuck said he was told. The American Airlines purser told Chip that, in 17 years flying internationally, he had never seen anything like it.
When contacted by the Chronicle, Shilling said, “I’m really so sorry for Chip and the way he was treated. I want to reassure all your readers that if they plan a visit to the U.K., once they get past the U.K. Border Agency they will find friendly, welcoming people, without prejudice.”

This report from Israel news
Also this video from KMBC Television in Kansas City.

Leawood Student Detained on Trip to UK

Public Lecture

Appeal, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

Some folks want to watch rather than read. Fair enough. Enjoy this 40 minutes. The Q and A session continued but apparently that part was not recorded. Shame.

So enjoy the video: Yesterday's Guilt... Tomorrow's Fear given in New York City, July 2013