Are You Too Old to Change?

There’s a great deal of expectation for children to develop and grow. Why not? If they didn’t we would be changing our teenager’s diapers! I see our kids working really hard to teach our grandchildren to properly use the bathroom. It’s not only good for the kids, the parents benefit too!

Do you know that adults struggle with change? It seems to me that after about age 25 or 30, many people stop growing and developing. They slide into “life habits” and start coasting. It’s very unfortunate. In childhood and young adulthood, the young are subject to structured education in school, forcing them to grow and learn. But real education, life education requiring serious change and development, really becomes necessary in adulthood, and it never ends until death. Most people coast because they become comfortable, and therefore complacent about their life development. They don’t have the interest or motivation to change.

The Scriptures are written almost exclusively for adults, and yet the Scriptures command people to change. One key passage is 2 Timothy 2:15, which is part of a larger set of instructions for people to take their spiritual growth and development seriously, else they lose it!

“Make every effort to present yourself before G-d as tried and true, as an unashamed worker cutting a straight path with the word of truth.” 

A big requirement for change has to be community. It’s hard to change all by yourself; you need others who know you very, very well, to help you make serious change in your life. That’s why the Scripture commands close community, something very rarely practiced among believers today in America. We are too busy for one another it seems, too busy for G-d as well. Too busy to really make any serious spiritual change. But Hebrews 10:24-25 commands us otherwise:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds. And do not neglect our own meetings, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another—and all the more so as you see the Day approaching.”

Rosh Hashanah starts on Monday night September 6. Take time during the High Holidays this year to reflect on your life: your priorities, the use of your time, your values, your commitment to G-d. What needs to change? I don’t care how old you are! What needs to change so you can better fulfill G-d’s expectation for your life. You’re never too old to change!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Are you open for Replacement?

Each month I write a column of encouragement or challenge that hopefully is as relevant for you as a reader as it is to me as the writer. This month I simply want to write about the importance of personal replacement. Too many spiritual leaders (Rabbis, Pastors, Missionaries, Elders, Sunday School Teachers, etc…) forget that their primary task is to spiritual impact individuals in such a manner that those impacted individuals become capable of spiritually impacting others. We need to be replicating ourselves as followers of Messiah and as spiritual leaders! In reality, if we are doing our work well, we ultimately are raising up others who will be proficient to take on spiritual leadership, potentially even replacing us in our own positions of leadership.

Now think about this for a moment. How does it feel to understand yourself as replaceable? That might make you feel uncomfortable, but it should make true leaders exhilarated! This is what we see modeled in Scripture, even by our Messiah Yeshua, and it’s certainly the basis for Paul’s words to Timothy:

“And what you have heard from me among many witnesses, entrust to faithful people who will be capable to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2 TLV)

At camp this year both my wife Carla and I played support roles for the first time ever. We saw young people we had mentored and trained up assuming all the key roles of leadership, and they performed those roles very effectively. This is what it means to make talmidim (learners). One of those individuals was Zeke, who right after camp moved from Chicago after 9 months of ministry service to study at graduate school in Israel for the next year. Zeke joins the over two dozen individuals we have had the joy to mentor and train up for spiritual service, most of whom serve G-d outside of Skokie. In making talmidim we must remember that they serve G-d where he wants them, they don’t serve us.

I look forward to being replaced by someone G-d raises up. I hope it’s someone I have mentored, but whoever they are, they will be someone’s talmid for G-d!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Optimistic, Idealistic yet Pragmatic

Life is a real pain sometimes! I have been feeling this lately because once again, after a lot of work, I have had to cancel our annual HaDerekh Youth Israel Aliyah for a second year! There was nothing I could do about it. It wasn’t a matter of planning or preparation. It was an “Act of G-d” as they say. Of course, I blame the virus variants and a skittish Israeli government for being overly cautious.

In order to do what we do here at Devar Emet, we must maintain an attitude both of optimism and idealism. Optimism is hopeful confidence about successful outcomes, and idealism is believing in some perfect vision or outcome. Those in service for G-d must remain optimistic and idealistic regarding G-d’s calling for their lives to accomplish ministry work; we must remain confident in G-d’s ability to make his plans happen regardless of current situations and seeming limitations. Yet we must also apply at times a healthy dose of pragmatism to our ministry work, because G-d most often works and directs through the normal circumstances of this broken world, through its deficiencies and troubles, to achieve his perfect outcomes. Much good work for G-d comes out of the trials of those holding onto their optimism and idealism while being tempered by reality. This reminds me of Paul’s words:

I know what it is to live with humble means, and I know what it is to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment—both to be filled and to go hungry, to have abundance and to suffer need. I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13 TLV)

Just being pragmatic is not the will of G-d for believers. We need to take steps of faith and believe in      G-d’s ability to work through us to do amazing things! Yet steps of faith are rarely leaps of faith. Walking with G-d requires a firm foundation!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Hope in the Holy Land

There certainly has been a lot of activity going on in Israel lately. Four Israeli elections over the course of two years but still no new Israeli government. Rioting in Jerusalem by the Arab population over a 73 year old property dispute between Jews and Arabs with no resolution at hand. 4,000 rockets shot from Gaza against Israel that accomplished nothing except the loss of several hundred lives, mostly people in Gaza, and destruction of millions of dollars of property, mostly property in Gaza. Why does this cycle of disfunction, violence and destruction continue, over and over and over again?

A new film has been produced by my friend Justin Kron, who also happens to be a member of Devar Emet’s Board of Directors, that uniquely brings to light the difficult relationships between people in the Land of Israel.

 

As they state on their website: “Todd Morehead, an American Christian with a deep love for Israel, sets off on a journey across the Holy Land to confront his indifference toward the Palestinians and to search for the deeper truths behind one of the most perplexing and polarizing conflicts in the world. Along the way, he discovers the painful struggles of Jews, Muslims and Christians on both sides of the conflict. The result is an enlightening journey that exposes viewers to perspectives rarely seen in the media, and a challenge to a man’s heart to love his enemy.” You can learn more including where to stream the film at www.hopeintheholyland.com.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem—May those who love you be at peace!” (Psalm 122:6) Regardless of the politics, please pray for  G-d to bring peace to Israel, especially the peace that comes from the Good News of Messiah Yeshua!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Working for G-d!

The Scriptures teach that when we first come into right relationship with G-d through our faith in Messiah Yeshua, we receive the immediate indwelling and the complete fullness of G-d’s Spirit of Holiness as a sign and seal of our relationship with G-d. We did not do anything in order to earn or gain our relationship with G-d, so neither did we take in G-d’s Spirit by our own action or effort. Yet coming into a relationship with G-d, like all relationships, naturally costs the true believer: time, resources, life itself. The Scriptures are filled with the testimonies of those who after coming into relationship with G-d were “tapped” by G-d for roles and responsibilities of service for him. As I have said before, “You cannot walk with G-d and not expect to be doing work for G-d.” It’s important to remember that roles and responsibilities that we take on for G-d, regardless of what they are, are never secular in nature, but are spiritual service.

Communities of faith cannot function unless the individuals within that community of faith are willing to assume roles of spiritual service. The following is a listing of service roles required for Devar Emet to conduct a regular weekly Shabbat morning service; we need a chazzan, a Gabbai, a minyan of ten Jewish men, four readers, the Drash speaker, the Sermon speaker, the music leader and hopefully at least one other musician, a person to handle sound, Zoom and the PowerPoint, a greeter, at least one nursery worker but ideally two, a Shabbat school teacher for the younger kids, and an oneg leader plus their team of hopefully at least three other people so we can all spend time hanging out together over a meal. That’s a dozen people! I am sure your own congregation has a service list like this as well. Every one of these “tasks” are important Roles of Spiritual Service! They are critical and valuable in order for us to effectively gather together for a mikra kodesh, a Scripturally commanded time of corporate worship. By the way, the list of spiritual service roles is innumerable, and goes way beyond just the main weekly worship service.

Hopefully you are actively involved in a community with other followers of Messiah Yeshua. Hopefully you’re already following G-d’s “tap” to assume a role of spiritual service within your faith community. Doing so validates both our faith as individual believers and the quality of our usefulness for G-d’s purposes as a faith community. The value you place on serving in spiritual community with others is a sign of your spiritual maturity and of your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Fighting Fear G-d’s Way

The New York Times recently had a very important article titled, Bad News Bias, by journalist David Leonhardt. The author cites research showing that our major American media news outlets, whether conservative or liberal, left or right, have tended to portray negative news over positive regarding the pandemic. The researchers involved created a database of Covid-19 coverage from media sources both here in the United States and overseas and found that the coverage by our major media here in America has been much more negative than coverage by media overseas. In other words, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all seem to be intentionally presenting the news with a bias that keeps us living in fear unnecessarily! To quote the article, “When Covid cases were rising in the U.S., the news coverage emphasized the increase. When cases were falling, the coverage instead focused on those places where cases were rising. And when vaccine research began showing positive results, the coverage downplayed it…”. But the reason for this according to the article is that Americans like bad news! We are drawn to hearing what is going wrong! To quote again from the article, “Human beings, particularly consumers of major media, like negativity in their stories… “We think the major media are responding to consumer demand.” Sounds like our American mindset needs correcting; our minds need to refocus!

Do you know that the Scriptures talk a lot about our minds and the importance of proper focus? They warn us about keeping our eyes set, not to fear the circumstances, situations and people around us, but set on G-d. The Hebrew phrase Yirat Adonai, the Fear of the L-RD, emphasizes that knowing G-d and being in relationship with G-d begins when we have come to have a genuine respect (fear) of G-d!

There’s an acronym that I learned recently: FUD. It actually stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. I think too often as believers we live lives of FUD. This unfortunately results in spiritual paralysis. How can G-d use someone who lives in fear of taking a stand for G-d’s values? How can G-d bless someone who is uncertain in their walking out of G-d’s instructions? How can G-d work through someone who doubts G-d’s promises as laid out in the Scriptures? Maybe FUD is the reason that America is so negative! Remember the quote from Richard Wurmbrand? There are two kinds of believers: “those who sincerely believe in G-d and those who, just as sincerely, believe that they believe. You can tell them apart by their actions in decisive moments.” America needs more true believers who will live not in fear, but in faith!

The Scriptures teach that when we first come into right relationship with G-d through our faith in Messiah Yeshua, we receive the immediate indwelling and the complete fullness of G-d’s Spirit of Holiness as a sign and seal of our relationship with G-d. We grow in relationship with G-d by faith as well! “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of realities not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Part of the Spirit’s work in our lives is to encourage us, to strengthen us, to empower us as we follow in faith His leading and prompting in our lives. But He can only do this when we accept who we are in Messiah Yeshua: G-d’s spiritual children! He can only do this if we honestly admit to Him that our faith is weak: G-d makes us strong! He can only do this when we intentionally step out and take G-d at his word: G-d knows the way!

Who or what are you afraid of? Are you paralyzed by FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt? Take seriously the Spirit’s work to encourage, strengthen and empower you for G-d’s purposes!

• Where do you have your eyes focused? How deeply do you respect and fear G-d?  Renew your commitment to live your life by faith alone. Seek the Spirit of Holiness to encourage, strengthen and empower you through whatever it might be that G-d will allow to come your way!
• What doubts do you harbor regarding G-d and his ways? Who is hurting your faith in G-d? We all will struggle from time to time with doubts and uncertainties, but don’t be influenced by anyone, believer or unbeliever, who is cynical or skeptical about G-d’s truth and goodness!

Keep your eyes focused on the truth of who G-d is, and who you are because of your faith in Messiah Yeshua. Don’t let anyone or anything divert your attention or discourage your faith! Trust and rely on G-d’s Spirit to encourage, strengthen and empower your life!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Walking in the Spirit

G-d’s plan made it possible through the atonement of Israel’s Messiah Yeshua for all people to be spiritually transformed, to be made positionally righteous before G-d, and therefore capable both to be in relationship with G-d and also to live according to G-d’s expectation of order. The sign of this spiritual transformation is the immediate indwelling of G-d’s Spirit of Holiness within the true believer which at the moment of decision makes them righteous before G-d. The Spirit then works within the true believer to progressively change their actions and values into alignment with G-d’s expectations as long as they continue to submit to the Spirit’s leading, guiding and conviction in their lives.

It would seem based on this spiritual transformation that from the moment a person chooses to accept Messiah Yeshua’s atonement that they would be not only spiritually transformed from G-d’s perspective, but also from an obvious human perspective; that all sin (anger, lust, jealousy, disrespect, laziness, bitterness, etc.…) would just disappear, and that the believer would never again be tempted to do anything displeasing to G-d. But this doesn’t happen. I personally know believers who have murdered, committed adultery, have stolen from their employers, who gossip, lie, and who hold serious bitterness against other people. How is this possible? Are they not transformed? The problem is not because of what G-d has done, it’s because of who we are, and our sinfulness and lack of obedience to G-d’s instruction in the Scriptures.

The Spirit of G-d desires to work in the life of a believer to progressively change their actions and values from the inside out, but only as long as the true believer continues to submit to the Spirit’s leading, guiding and conviction in their lives. We need to understand and see sin the way G-d understands and sees it. We need to recognize how influenced we are by the values and priorities of the world and repent of choosing the world and its ways over G-d and His ways. May we remain sensitive to G-d’s Spirit of Holiness!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director