Celebrating Relationship!

This year we celebrate Shavuot on the 6^th of Sivan, starting Saturday night, June 4^th. What is Shavuot? Scripturally, Shavuot, also called Pentecost or the Festival of Weeks, commemorates the completion of “the counting of the Omer”, the 50 days from after the first day of Passover to the date that traditionally was when G-d gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai: Shavuot.

As we can read in Exodus, when the Jewish People first celebrated Passover and then Shavuot, they were in a period of transition; they had been saved from slavery in Egypt by the G-d who claimed to be the G-d of their ancestors and they had to figure out what it meant to live as a nation under the leadership of the G-d of Abraham. This is why Shavuot is traditionally understood to be the time G-d gave the Law of Moses to the Jewish People. Interestingly enough, Shavuot is also known as the Day of Pentecost – when G-d gave the Holy Spirit to the first disciples of Yeshua as recorded in Acts 2!

It is common for observant Jewish people to celebrate Shavuot by staying up all night to study Scripture to demonstrate their dedication and appreciation for the instruction G-d gave His People. It is also traditional to read the story of Ruth. It is believed that the Megillat of Ruth (the Scroll of Ruth) became the traditional text read because of the manner in which Ruth enters into covenant with the G-d of the Jewish People. Yet, in the holiday of Shavuot, the emphasis is not so much on the people who enter into the covenant as it is on the G-d who desires to be in covenant relationship with His People! This is the most important point and even our lesson for today: G-d desires to be in covenant relationship with us! This is the reason He gave the Jewish People the Torah, this is why He gives followers of Messiah Yeshua His Holy Spirit, and this is why He is coming back to be with us for eternity! G-d is the only G-d, and He initiates relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing! Yet it begs the question:  “How are we celebrating and demonstrating daily our zeal to be in deeper relationship with G-d?”

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

The Cost of Comfort

I consider myself to be a connoisseur of carrot cake. I’m not sure when this started, but certainly it was under the influence of my wife Carla, as she makes an amazing carrot cake! The rich cream cheese frosting, the sweet heartiness of the cake itself, and the knowledge that I am eating something healthy; its CARROT cake after all! What, you don’t think it’s actually a health food? Well, you’re probably right, but it certainly is a comfort food. Eating carrot cake along with a cup of coffee in the morning is a great way to start my day!

As you’ve already surmised, although I love carrot cake, I have learned that it’s definitely not healthy if eaten regularly or in large quantities. It might give me comfort in the moment, but this comfort comes with a serious enduring cost. There’s much in our world today that can be comparable to carrot cake. Modern society is full of opportunities and activities and conveniences that in and of themselves are not bad, but if acted on too often or in too large of quantities can cost us dearly in the quality and effectiveness of our lives.

Shaul (Paul) understood the spiritual danger that comes if we focus too much attention on our personal comfort. You might say that his life choices were a bit radical and out of the norm because of his ministry calling, which I agree with, but the principles that Shaul taught are universally valuable for all of us to consider and apply into our lives. We live in a world full of good and evil, and being very careful regarding what we choose to fill our lives with ultimately makes an eternity of difference! In 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 (TLV) he wrote:

 I do it all for the sake of the Good News, so that I might be a fellow partaker of it.  Don’t you know that in a stadium the runners all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win!  Every competitor exercises self-control in all respects. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we do it to receive an imperishable one. So I run in this way—not aimlessly. So I box in this way—not beating the air.  Rather, I punish my body and bring it into submission, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

I have known several believers through the years who have allowed their love of this world’s comforts to destroy their spiritual and personal lives. Their allowance for sin, begun at first in small quantities, grew and overwhelmed them, leading them to do horrible things that destroyed their personal testimony and brought great pain into the lives of the people around them. Sin is like the chamets (leaven) of Passover; unless we purge it from our lives it will grow and take over (see 1 Corinthians 5). Take some time to consider your pursuit of comfort compared to the cost of your Messiah’s sacrifice as you prepare for Passover and Resurrection Day this month.

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Remembering the Power of G-d’s Word!

In March 2019, Wolf Schubach, my very good friend of over 25 years, passed away after a grueling battle with cancer. In honor of his yartseit (anniversary of his death) I want to once again reflect on Wolf’s life and his passion for the Word of G-d. Wolf loved the Scriptures and the Hebrew Language, down to their very jot and tittle. Though a biologist by education and a business man by vocation, his passion for the last 15 years was in meticulously translating the Hebrew Old Testament. Four separate times he painstakingly translated through the entire text, working as he went to understand the unique meaning of each Hebrew word so he could express this unique meaning in an accurate English translation. Translating the Scriptures for Wolf was an expression of his worship of G-d!

Is it possible that for some of us, the Scriptures are too familiar? Could it be that we take them for granted, treating them as nice literature but not what they really are: G-d’s miraculous Word of Truth!  Paul challenges us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 with the miraculous and supernaturally unique nature and purpose of the Scriptures: 

“All Scripture is breathed out by G-d and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of G-d may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

Wolf appreciated Paul’s challenge, and spent the latter years of his life maximizing his ability to understand the Scriptures for himself. He challenged me to do the same. Consider for yourself: do you take the Scriptures for granted or are you maximizing the Power of G-d’s Word? 

Forward for Messiah,

Rabbi Kirk Gliebe

Spiritual Farming

Have you ever considered that our Messiah Yeshua lived in an agrarian society. Yes he was a carpenter (actually the Greek word probably translates better as “stonemason”), but, whereas today less than 2% of Americans make a living by farming or ranching, in the First Century the vast majority of the population would have been living off the land. It’s because so many people could relate to agrarian life that Messiah Yeshua used the illustration of the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-8 (TLV):

“Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed. As he was scattering the seed, some seeds fell by the road; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil. They sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, they were scorched; and because they had no roots, they withered away. Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked them out. But others fell on good soil and were producing fruit. They yielded a crop—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Farming is both an art and a science, and requires real faith. Preparing the soil, buying and sowing the seed, fertilizing, watering and weeding requires tremendous investment of time, effort, resources … and patience. And it doesn’t always payoff: farm bankruptcy is a serious concern in America, as drought, fluctuating commodity prices, insects and disease can lead to serious financial loss despite all the investment.

Some people seem to think that spiritual seed sowing is easy. They believe sharing one’s faith means “shotgun evangelism”, or “just give them the Gospel”, or “better to offend them with the Gospel than not to tell them at all” as effective spiritual seed sowing. How sad. I do not think that many of the people who think and act like this actually share their faith much or see much long term spiritual fruit from their efforts. Remember, the sower isn’t done with his work until after the harvest!

I have found that those who don’t yet believe in Messiah Yeshua, especially Jewish people, need to be actively, authentically and sensitively engaged with regarding the Besora (Good News) over time. People in the First World (USA, Europe, Israel) are not dying to get saved, they're just dying. They need spiritual farmers who will take the time to help prepare their hearts through the work of G-d’s Spirit, including encouraging their continued heart development after they have come to believe. This is not the responsibility of select “religious professionals”, but instead the responsibility of all who profess faith in Messiah Yeshua. If we really love G-d and Messiah Yeshua, we each must make the investment to be spiritual farmers for the spiritual benefit of the people around us who need G-d’s Good News sown into their hearts with love.

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Doing What Matters

I spend a lot of time speaking with young people about life. Many of them publicly project confidence and self assurance, while privately harboring feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. I often find that young people today lack deep or meaningful relationships with their parents or other adult role models, hurting their ability to trust, be vulnerable or speak openly about their concerns and their need for advice. And, unfortunately, when young people project this attitude of self confidence, it sure makes it hard to provide much advice. So it’s really hard to mentor them!

In Matthew 28:19 Messiah Yeshua commanded his eleven disciples to “Go therefore and make talmidim (disciples) ….” What is a disciple? A disciple is a learner! You have to be pretty teachable to be a learner according to the Scriptures, and vulnerable, transparent, trusting … and humble wouldn’t hurt either. It’s also important to remember that to be a talmid requires desire on the part of the learner to want to learn from someone. Unfortunately, again, all of these traits and attitudes are not too common in our American society today, nor unfortunately all that common among too many self-professing followers of Messiah Yeshua. It’s hard to make disciples today.

At the same time, older and mature believers need to be willing to be vulnerable, transparent, trusting … and humble in order to be the spiritual influencers people need, especially young people. They need also to be willing to give of their time and resources (what I call “Time and Material”) to become relevant and authentic to those who need them. It’s not easy. Unfortunately, too few older believers care enough to really try.

Maybe this is why so much of ministry is programmatic and project oriented today instead of personal. It’s all about the big event or cool project or the exciting service, when the question we should be asking is, “show me your disciples?” I have my simple “Life Purpose” statement that I will share with you: “That I may know Messiah Yeshua and make him known, entrusting to faithful people what Truth I have been shown, so that they will do the same; in order that I will finish the Fight well in the Faith, not becoming disqualified.” (Phil 3:7-10; 2 Tim 2:2,4:7; 1 Cor 9:27)

Making talmidim for Messiah Yeshua, especially among young people, isn’t easy. It just happens to be all that really matters for eternity.

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

 

Faith is Not for Faint of Heart

Our calendar in December encourages us to remember two important historical events that are at their core, dates that celebrate faith. As Messiah Yeshua stated in Luke 18:8, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (TLV) The context for this statement is the illustration of the persistent widow and the stubborn judge. Yeshua was challenging his disciples then, and us today, to persist in prayer, which is to persist in faith. Unfortunately too many of us I believe have allowed our zeal for faith living to cool. Let’s face it, living out faith today in our society isn’t perceived to be cool.

Hebrews 11 is recognized as a chapter that celebrates faith in G-d. The first verse makes the point of trying to both define faith and articulate what it does in the life of a person of faith. I sum the verse up in two points:  

First, Faith is Confident Assurance about our Future.   Faith gives us genuine certainty regarding what G-d has stated in his Scripture about our eternal future with him! 

Second, Faith is G-d given Conviction about the Unseen Reality. Faith is the motivation that leads us to test for what G-d has stated in the Scriptures about the reality of the spiritual realm and, by testing, to prove that it is real! 

What does this have to do with Chanukah and Christmas? Both of these holidays remember people of faith who took deliberate, risky and painful steps of faith! The Maccabees who stood up against the corrupt religious establishment of their day and the paganism of the Syrian King who reigned over them practiced great faith. They took G-d at his word, understanding what he expected from them, and brought great spiritual renewal for our Jewish people. Mary and Joseph, Anna and Simeon, also lived out faith in what G-d revealed to each of them in quite inconvenient and socially awkward ways. Just to think that Mary humbly agreed to become the mother of the Messiah, knowing the stigma this would cause her; Joseph also, knowing he would need to bear the difficult role of fathering a son, not his own, but G-d’s! Why did they do this? They were confronted by the reality of G-d’s will for their lives and they chose, by faith, to fulfill G-d’s will for them despite the difficulties it would bring. They each chose to trust G-d! 

This holiday season take time to renew your commitment to faith living. What steps can you take that will force you to test the reality of G-d’s unseen spiritual realm: More time for Scripture reading? A greater commitment to G-d’s service in an environment way outside your comfort zone? Really prioritizing G-d with your finances? Setting aside your plans for your life in order fulfill G-d’s plans for your life? G-d’s Word is truth and Messiah calls us to grow our faith in him through prayer and action. Something to think about! 

Happy Chanukah & Merry Messiahmas! 

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Coalescence: The Result of Trust Building!

Several years ago I was honored to be a part of a small group leadership gathering in Dallas. As a member of the Steering Committee for the gathering I was asked to facilitate a discussion regarding ways of building and growing trust among ourselves as ministry workers from different organizations. One word that popped into my mind relevant to trust building was coalescence.  Coalescence can most easily be illustrated, if you think scientifically, as “the process by which two or more droplets, bubbles or particles merge during contact to form a single daughter droplet, bubble or particle.” For my simple mind, coalescence is most easily defined as the process by which two separate entities grow closer together until they ultimately become one.

I find this to be particularly interesting in my current capacity, both as the leader of a congregation and as the leader of an outreach ministry. Developing trust between individuals within religious organizations is critical to ministry effectiveness. But trust grows slowly, demanding accountability, transparency and clarity of understanding between people, and yet is easily lost. Without these three values held closely, honestly and passionately among an entity’s constituents, “togetherness” can never be more than a superficial reality for any organization. Without these values an entity will inevitably and easily suffer division and chaos, and ultimately dissolution.

Patrick Lencioni in his book The Advantage speaks of four disciplines required for a healthy organization: Building Cohesive Leadership Teams, Creating Clarity in Purpose and Policy, Over-Communicating that Clarity and Reinforcing that Clarity

Demanding real accountability, transparency and clarity from members of a congregation or ministry is critical if there is to be any hope for the organization to be healthy and to function in the way God intends it to. If these three values are not being carefully adhered to, trust will be diminished and ultimately lost, regardless of whether that entity is your local congregation or an outreach ministry like Devar Emet.

Our faith in Messiah Yeshua demands that we live lives before one another of accountability, transparency and clarity. I agree it’s not easy, but Messiah Yeshua never promised us more than an execution stake in this world, so learning to build genuine trust with one another seems a small price to pay to living as effective members of the Messianic Kingdom.

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director