Living for G-d!

Have you ever asked yourself the question “What does it mean to live for G-d?”

For most Yeshua followers this question immediately brings to mind action items such as attending services, reading Scripture and prayer. But action items like these express outer religiosity, and don’t necessarily indicate true internal spiritual passion.  Plenty of people attend services, read Scripture and pray but their approach to life isn’t substantially any different than people who don’t.

“How differently should a person live who states that they want to live their life for G-d?”

It would be easy to be trite; to come up with some clichéd “religious” answer, but G-d doesn’t like cliché followers. To live a life for G-d demands a different approach to life for oneself, a commitment to living differently from the way others do.

Shaul in Philippians 2:12b states: “keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling”. Would you be someone whom Shaul would say is working out their Yeshua faith based clearly on Scriptural principles? Are you substantially and recognizably different as a believer from unbelievers? Something to ponder!

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Embracing what is Important!

Our HaDerekh Youth Israel Aliyah group of nine experienced quite a lot road tripping through Israel in June. The sights of Biblical ruins, the variety and uniqueness of Israel’s geography, swimming in the Red, Dead, Med and Sea of Galilee, fighting cockroaches in Tiberius, and meeting so many Jewish people in the Land who profess faith in the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua!

Many of the people we met with challenged us to make Aliyah, to move back to the Land of Israel as Jews and assume our responsibility as physical members of the nation of Israel. Biblical references would be cited, the allure of reclaiming the Land would be mentioned, and the machismo of military service would be alluded to, especially for the guys. Considering Aliyah is part of the reason for our trips so this is a natural part of our discussion with Israelis, but seldom did we hear of the cost of Aliyah: poor wages, a high cost of living, terrorism, religious discrimination against Jews who believe in Yeshua, severe spiritual warfare!

We value what we appreciate, and we appreciate what is important to us!

What’s important to you? I imagine the basics are important: clean water, good food, and a safe place to sleep. What else is important to you? Personal significance, comfort, pleasure. Yet so often what is important to us is not at all important to G-d! Following G-d’s calling should be our most important interest, yet this costs us, and rightfully so.

To make Aliyah for a Jew from America will cost: in wages, comfort, and social acceptance. To follow Messiah will cost: “Take up your execution stakes and come follow me.” May we fully embrace what is truly important, and the cost that goes with it!

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

The Ministry Life Cycle!

Everything wears out over time.  Cars, clothes, refrigerators…everything wears out over time! People physically wear out too, as we all personally know, but it’s a different type of wearing out. Everything has a life cycle, even ministries. Organizations and congregations don’t really wear out per se, they just become irrelevant.

Without thoughtful analysis, honest critique, and new ideas, great ministries become ineffective over time.

It’s really a simple cycle. Ministries most often start off frenetically, the result of G-d planting a vision or an opportunity before an individual, who then over time systematizes that vision or opportunity into a functioning ministry structure with others to enhance their effectiveness in fulfilling the vision. But if that individual isn’t hitting the refresh button (prayerfully, critically and honestly analyzing the ministry to make sure that it is staying true to the original G-d ordained vision while along the way intentionally developing and involving new leadership) that ministry will slowly calcify and become irrelevant, leading to organizational death. This is true of both ministry organizations and congregations.

G-d doesn’t raise up ministries, he raises up people with vision, whom he entrusts  to fulfill that vision. Sometimes that vision can be carried by succeeding people for a century or two, but often it’s just one individual for a few years or decades. When the individual loses sight of the vision, or is unable to effectively pass on the vision to others, the ministry dies. Most ministries die because the leader has lost sight of the vision.

At Devar Emet we are working hard to stay relevant and effective in the vision G-d has entrusted to us to reach Jewish young adults, teens and children for Messiah Yeshua. How are you fulfilling the vision G-d has given to you?

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Raising up Leadership .....

Raising up leadership…

from within a community can at times seem like a daunting task. Where do we find the spiritual leaders, elders and children’s teachers we need for our communities? 

In our own work in Skokie I have had the privilege in the last 10 years of working with a dozen young Jewish adults who either have gone on to ministry service within our greater Messianic Jewish Community or are preparing to do so. 

You might ask, 
“Where did you find these people?”
I’m glad you asked!       

I started by looking at who was already attending my own congregation. Raising up leadership from within your own community starts with a consideration of who you have already, and what you are currently doing to personally, intentionally and actively mentor those people for effective leadership. 

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

Identifying, Equipping, Empowering and Releasing leaders from within our own congregations must be the primary effort of our congregations!

The Body of Messiah will most effectively continue its all important task of impacting our world for Messiah Yeshua as we all together work to train more workers into the Harvest Field for the salvation of people!

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director