Down Home Shalom – Blogs

A Messianic Jewish Outreach

Yep, it’s me again! “Oy vey!” you say!?! Welllll, hang on to your yarmulkes and listen. When Ira and I walked into the studio for the first time and started doing the Down Home Shalom radio outreach show, we agreed that we would never, ever, ever debate a “Gentile” holiday (like Christmas or Easter) on that given holiday. We think it is disrespectful and rude! We work hard to thaw cold hearts and give our listeners uplifting things to ponder. We call it like we see it! We call good, good! and we call evil what it is–evil! We have always tried to be a good tool for G-D’s greater glory. Now, having said all of this, permit me to share with you all.

A few Decembers ago, my wife Shela was shopping at Wal-Mart. She accidentally bumped a display of bagged walnuts while rounding a corner, and the whole thing came tumbling down! She said she was terribly embarrassed. She looked up and another shopper came over to her and started helping Shela pick up the bags and replace them on the display. While they stacked, the other lady told Shela that she saw it happen and laughed to herself saying “I’m glad that wasn’t me!” Just then, the lady said she felt a sense of guilt and compassion and felt compelled to come and help Shela straighten up the mess. After they finished, the lady asked my wife to forgive her for that selfish thought, and then she smiled and turned to her own shopping cart and walked away.

I remember as a kid growing up in Chicago how the Salvation Army fed the hungry and had parades at Christmas! I remember how people seemed, more than at any other time of year, to want to help one another. It made me happy and even more curious about Yeshua (Jesus).

One of mine and Shela’s favorite friends is Ethel Chadwick. Ethel is the host of a Messianic outreach radio show called Bagels and Blessings, which broadcasts out of Rochester, New York. Ethel once said that as a young girl she used to sing Handel’s “Messiah” in a children’s youth group, never realizing that she was singing about Yeshua (Jesus)! Ethel is a good Jewish girl with a beautiful singing voice and loves to sing! I was mortified when I discovered that, out of all my friends, I embarrassed the two that I and Shela love most of all, Ira and Kathy Goldberg! I, quite by accident, found that Ira and Kathy love to go to the mountains during Christmas and look at the beautiful holiday lights. Ira is a solid and good Jewish man! I noticed that TV stations ask for donations for different local charities to help feed and clothe the homeless over the Christmas holiday. Most everyone, including lots of us Jews (believing and non-believing), tend to want to be extra generous at this time of year!

I then started thinking about all this. “UH OH!” you say. “Is AJ going G-O-Y!?! NOOO!” Now look, don’t you all get your tzi-tzit un-knotted! I’m just saying!! Now keep reading and don’t get lost.

When my dad was born, his birth was not properly recorded. My dad never knew when he was really born, as he was orphaned at a young age. Now let’s fast forward to when he was middle-aged. My little sister Nora was born on Independence Day–yeah, the 4th of July. My dad was so grateful and felt so blessed by her birth (after five boys, this was his first daughter) that he decided that from that day on he would celebrate his birthday with Nora. He did not know when he was born, so he picked this day, her day, to share and celebrate. Dad did this until the day he died.

Now I love Chanukkah. To me, it is a wonderful and magical time of year! It’s the Festival of Lights, man!! My kids go wild! We have eight nights of gift giving, scripture reading and great food!! (my favorite). We put out the different color Chanukkah candles and we hang different color lights outside to decorate our house! But again, I started thinking and I was left to look at myself and ask myself, “Hey, have you been a little too rigid here, Sizemore?” That’s when it occurred to me! If my Jewish Savior, yes my Jewish Messiah, has in the past and still inspires the world to stop even just for one day (even though we Jews know it’s not His real birthday) and have goodwill towards men and show compassion for each other in HIS NAME, a JEWISH SAVIOR’S NAME!! then thank G-D!! We as a people have been blessed by G-D to be (sort of) contributors to this holiday, and it is celebrated in the name of a JEWISH MESSIAH! Again, I’m not going to put up a Christmas tree or hunt Easter eggs! No, but I take comfort knowing that all things will eventually work for the glory of my G-D and my Jewish Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ)! And to all my friends, please forgive me if I was too rigid when you just wanted to be happy and rejoice in the L-RD.

Blessings and Shalom!

AJ

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

CHAPTER 17:v3-4  Be on guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.

Yep, I’m back again! I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but when I speak to new believers on air or in person I always encourage him/her to find a good and Bible-believing congregation where he/she can learn, worship, and fellowship with other believers. This provides safety for the new believer as they learn to walk in the spirit and faith.

This does not go well with some Messianics as some of them think that worship must contain all things Jewish for it to be true worship! My personal encounter with this came to pass when our Rabbi married and was asked to leave our Temple by our chief elder. I share this with you according to Luke 17:v3-4, I pray that G-D blesses you richly according to His will. I was ordered to submit myself to a new (self-appointed) congregational leader (our former chief elder) who did not like our radio show! I was told that if I did not, that I would be BLACK BALLED from all Messianic congregations in the world!! He did not want to support the show in any way but still wanted to control what was said on air! When I called the leader of our congregational association, he promised to help me with this and assured me that my membership would not be affected. Well, a short time afterward, I got a phone call from the new (self-appointed) congregational leader, and he told me that I was no longer a member of my congregation and told me that he was recording our phone conversation! Afterward, I called our association leader for help and he told me that it was out of his hands! You see, I thought that there was no way that my Jewish brethren would ever betray me! I had heard stories of some Gentile Churches doing this but we’re Jews!!, it just isn’t done amongst our ranks (I thought)!

November 2009 marks the first anniversary of my being told that I could no longer be a member of my congregation. I share this with you not for revenge (as that is the purview of ADONAI). I share this with you as a kind of brotherly advice. You see, when you become a believer you must find a good congregation in which to worship and as long as the gospel is being taught, preached and lived you will grow and enjoy a strong and fulfilling walk with G-D!

If you are a Jewish believer, you do not necessarily have to find a Messianic congregation according to Acts 2:v42, 1 Cor 1:v9, and 2 Cor 6:v14! Adonai may lead you to a wonderful gentile congregation that truly loves G-D and the Jewish people! Now, Jewish believer, please understand me. I am not saying that we Jewish believers should put up a Christmas tree and start hiding Easter eggs! What I am saying is that as a Jewish person, you already have a knowledge of the Tanach that can be helpful when you share it with your new Gentile friends if this is where Adonai leads you! (remember Rav Shaul) And finally, together, see the way that it supports and is supported by the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant), and be blessed by it! There are many Jewish believers that worship in church congregations! And Adonai may present you with the opportunity to share a Jewish perspective on the scriptures! In other words, when you as a Jewish believer are learning to walk in faith with the help of Christian believers, you will also be able to help them get a fuller and richer understanding of the scriptures! Yes, you will enrich one another’s faith and walk with Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

As to my former congregation, I say, “May Adonai bless and keep you,” and I love you all very much. As to the congregational leader there, I forgive you and the association leader as well. I have prayed for both of you in earnest! I do not want what you both did to me and my wife and children to stand between you and your salvation. Please believe me! Unforgiveness hinders us all! Let this be my written witness as I do forgive you both according to Psalms 32:v1, Matt 26:v28, Luke 17:v3-4 and Luke 24:v47.

We as the body of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) must practice forgiveness if we ourselves are to grow in our faith and be forgiven of our Father in Heaven, as proved in Matt 6:v12, 14-15. Look it up and be blessed!

Shalom and Blessings!

AJ