A Messianic Jewish resource ministry about Messiah Jesus-Yeshua, helping others

to know Him, the Bible, Biblical Jewish roots of Christianity, Israel and God's plan

of eternal redemption and salvation.

February 2024 Menorah Light Mission Report

Dear Friend,

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The Jewish Messiah Was Proclaimed To Israel

Yeshua-Jesus Was He

The following positions are explicitly laid out by some people:

1. The Jewish people, as a whole, did not reject Jesus as Messiah.

2. Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah.

3. Jesus refused by word and deed to be the Messiah.

4. The Jews cannot be blamed for not accepting what was never offered.

Here are three fundamental statements that all believers should be able to affirm without hesitation:

xx1 Jesus came to be the Messiah. This is the fundamental message of the New Testament, which is why we call him “Christ” (meaning, “Messiah”). And it is a fundamental message of the Scriptures that the Messiah had to suffer and die if he was one day to rule and reign (see, e.g., Luke 24:25-27, 44-47), a biblical truth that most of the Jewish people of Yeshua’s day missed, a biblical truth that most Jews through the ages have continued to miss, and a biblical truth that In Defense of Israel has now fed into as well.

xxIn other words, God did not say to Israel, “It’s fine that you rejected Jesus as Messiah because he did not come in the political way you expected. He had to die in order to be the Savior of the world, so you are not guilty.” There is not a hint of such a message in the Scriptures, which simply proclaim him as the Messiah, period.

xx2 The Jewish people rejected their Messiah. Although all Jews are not Christ-killers (God forbid!), and although the entire Jewish nation did not play a role in the crucifixion of Jesus, God held the Jewish people in Jesus’ day responsible for his death and, more significantly, he held them responsible for rejecting Jesus the Messiah after his resurrection. The New Testament witness is explicit and consistent on this. That’s why the apostles preached to “the people of Israel” that they were guilty of rejecting the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23, 36; 3:13-15, 17, 19; 4:10-11; 5:30; 7:52; 13:27-28; see also John 1:12), and that’s why Paul spoke of Israel’s hardening, breaking off, stumbling, transgression, and rejection (see Rom 9:31; 10:3; 11:7, 11-12, 15, 20 – although with the full expectation of Israel’s future redemption; see Rom 11:11-15, 25-26). Again, I encourage you to take a moment to look up these passages. They are striking in their force and consistency.

xx3 Jesus remains the Jewish Messiah, and there is no salvation for the Jewish people outside of faith in him. There is not “dual covenant” theology, referring to the false concept that Jews can be saved outside of faith in Jesus. After all, if “The Jews Did Not Reject Jesus as Messiah”, and if “Jesus refused by word and deed to be the Messiah” (be it the “reigning Messiah” or not), then, not only can it be said that “the Jews [in Jesus’ day] cannot be blamed for not accepting what was never offered” but that the Jews in any day cannot be blamed for not accepting Yeshua. This again is a fundamental denial of the Word of God, and Jesus, Peter, and Paul declared that the message of the gospel was to Israel first, and then from Israel to the nations (see Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; 3:26; 13:32-39; Rom 1:16; in Paul’s words to the Jewish leaders in Rome, it was “for the sake of the hope of Israel” that he was bound in chains; Acts 28:20).

xxAs painful as this witness is, it cannot be rewritten, nor can anyone lessen Israel’s guilt because it was God’s will that Jesus died on the cross. To the contrary, just as it was God’s will that Joseph be sold into Egyptian slavery and yet at the same time his brothers were guilty of sinning against him (Gen 44:16-45:5; 50:14-20), so also it was God’s will that Yeshua die for our sins while at the same time the Jewish people, along with Herod and Pilate and the Romans, were guilty of having him crucified (see Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28).

xxIt is scripturally impossible to claim that “the Jews cannot be blamed for not accepting what was never offered.” A glorious offer was made and refused, and that’s why Paul’s heart was broken (see Rom 9:1-5).

Please click on 54 Reasons Why Jesus is the Messiah below..

xxI am thankful for Dr. Michael Browns addressing this critical matter.

cccIn His service, thank you for your prayer and support, God bless and keep you,

ccccccPastor Reuben Drebenstedt, directorcccreunen@menorah.org cccwww.menorah.org

2024 Will Be A Very Interesting Year

Now all glory to God, who is able through His mighty power at work in us,

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!

Ephesians 3:20

xx I have been thinking about the celebration of Purim (February 23, 2024) and the message Mordacai delivered to Queen Esther to encourage and motivate her. “...Who knows whether you have come to your royal position precisely for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14 The Jewish people were about to be destroyed by an evil man with an evil plot. God wanted to use Esther to save them. The royal position nor this job description was one Esther had been seeking but she understood the call God had on her life and chose to be obedient. She sought His strength and courage and now every year Queen Esther is honored and remembered by the Jewish community as Chapter 9: 26-32 describes.

xxNot many of us are in a Royal position like Esther’s but if we have trusted Jesus as our Messiah we are the children of The King, John 1:12 and are called to be ambassadors for His Kingdom, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21! What an awesome job description! We live in a world where evil increasingly wants to kill, steal and destroy, John 10:10. Like Esther, we have choices to make also!

xxI am so grateful God called me to be a partner with Menorah! I’m also grateful that Reuben was listening to God when He gave him the vision for Menorah. I know it was raised up precisely, for such a time as this. I know my love for God and Israel was developed for such a time as this. God always brings us ministry opportunities at just the right time! 

xxGod keeps bringing through the many outreaches of Menorah people who are searching for truth. People like Peter from Eastern Europe who heard the Gospel message for the first time & told me that he was not a true atheist anymore because this message of Jesus had touched his heart and he wanted to read the Bible & find out more! Also the man who was given a Gospel of John & decided to go to church for the first time to find out more! Moshe who we met in our Jewish neighborhood two summers ago is back in Israel now and we are still keeping in touch! He feels a lot of anxiety over the situation since 10/7/2023. He has been checking out Messianic Congregations we have recommended in Israel and still questioning his Orthodox upbringing. Pray with us for Moshe to find soon The Peace he is looking for in His Messiah Yeshua! Pray for 'The Chosen' episodes shown each Saturday in the Clairmont Retirement community by 3 attendees of our Tuesday evening Bible study. Each week they have many opportunities to answer questions and continue to minister to all who attend!

xxI’m grateful for Jewish neighbors that God is keeping the door open for us to love. Reuben continues to be faithful in his prayer walks around our neighborhood! We continue to pray that God will keep us a light shining for Yeshua! He is using all the branches of Menorah to plant the Gospel.

xxGod continues to be faithful! Thank you for your prayer that we remain faithful also. This is such an important time to be busy in the Harvest Fields as we “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”... Psalm 122:6 We know only the accepting of & the return of Jesus, our Messiah, will bring True Peace!

xxShalom in Yeshua's love and faithfulness, from the Menorah House,

xxxxxxDonna, director donna@menorah.org

  Great to daily witness our Lords message to a needy dark world!