Looking forward to sharing precious time with Abba and you at his next appointed time!  Feeling Blessed

Looking forward to sharing precious time with Abba and you at his next appointed time!  Feeling Blessed

REVIVAL, REFORMATION, RESTORATION -- PART 3

How Should We View Restoration?

Restoration Is A Gift From YHVH:

[Restore our fortunes, Adonai, as streams renew the desert.] -- Psalm 126:4. YHVH’s capacity for restoring life is beyond our understanding. Forests burn down and are able to grow back. Broken bones heal. Even grief is not a permanent condition. Our tears can be seeds that will grow into a harvest of joy, because YHVH is able to bring good out of tragedy. When burdened by sorrow, know that your times of grief will end and that you will again find joy. We must be patient as we wait. YHVH’s great harvest of joy is coming!

Restoration Is A Part Of The Healing Process:

[Yeshua touched him. ‘I want to,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Yeshua said to him, ‘Go right over to the priest and let him examine you. Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Take along the offering required in the Law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy, so everyone will have proof of your healing.’] -- Matthew 8:3-4. Leprosy, like cancer, aids and other long-term illness today, was a terrifying disease because there was no known cure. In Yeshua’s day, the Greek word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar diseases and some forms were contagious. If a person contracted the contagious type, a priest declared him a leper and banished him from his home and city. The leper was sent to live in a community with other lepers until he either got better or died. Yet when the leper begged Yeshua to heal him, Yeshua reached out and touched him, even though his skin was covered with the dread disease.

Restoration Is The Work Of The Body Of Moshiach:

[We will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Moshiach, who is the head of His Body, the Church. Under His direction, the whole Body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love.] -- Ephesians 4:15-16. Some believers fear that any mistake will destroy their witness for Adonai. They see their own weaknesses and they know that many non-believers seem to have stronger character than they do. How can we grow up into Moshiach? The answer is that Moshiach forms us into a body; into a group of individuals who are united in their purpose and in their love for one another and for Adonai. If an individual stumbles, the rest of the group is there to pick that person up and help him or her walk with YHVH again. If an individual sins, restoration can be found through the church -- Galatians 6:1, even as the rest of the body continues to witness to YHVH’s truth. As part of Moshiach’s Body, do you reflect part of Moshiach’s character and carry out your special role in His work?

REVIVAL, REFORMATION, RESTORATION -- PART 2

The Reformation began as a religious protest against certain practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic church in the sixteenth century and ultimately resulted in various groups of Protestants [those who protested the Catholic church] throughout Europe breaking away from the mother church, fed up with its corruption and control and disagreeing on key points of theology. There have been two times in church history when believers seemed to be divided all the way to the roots. The first was the Great Schism [the East-West split] of 1054, when the Eastern Orthodox church and the Roman Catholic church split apart. The second began in 1517, when Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation. For hundreds of years, individuals and groups within the Western church [e.g., the Waldensians, John Wycliffe and John Hus] had been urging reform of the various abuses that had crept in. Following their example, Luther also cried out for reform; but this time the protest drew wide attention. A movement began that would have a result Luther had never anticipated: the church catholic would be divided. The sixteenth century was an age of developing nations and soon German-speaking Switzerland under Zwingli, French-speaking Switzerland under Calvin and England under Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer took up the banner of reform. Thus, was born Protestantism, the third great branch of believer’s faith. The Reformers emphasized the Bible as the supreme authority in matters of faith and practice.

Seeds of Change:

Ideas of reform had been wafting through Europe for a few centuries. John Wycliffe in England, Jan Huss in Bohemia, Savonarola in Italy and others had dared to speak out against church policies. But Martin Luther brought the conflict to a head on the last day of October, 1517, when he hammered his Ninety-five Theses [disagreements with church policies] to the door of All Saints Church at Wittenberg, Germany. The church door was a kind of community bulletin board, so this was not vandalism, but it might as well have been; the content of Luther’s criticism did a great deal of damage to the status quo. What were the issues? The church was selling indulgences. Major donors could get forgiveness for themselves or departed loved ones. The money raised would pay off the debts the new bishop had accrued while buying his new position. The church was aggressively hawking the scheme because a cut of the take went to build a new basilica in Rome. For Luther, this just added to a pattern of corruption and unspiritual leadership. In addition to finding this corrupt, Luther also argued that it was a system of works that was contrary to the biblical message of redemption and grace. At that time, he had no intention of leaving the Catholic church or launching a new religion, but the church’s unyielding response arguably forced him to. A papal decree condemned Luther and he was ordered to recant, prompting his famous response, [Here I stand, I can do no other.]

Reformation Principles:

A few years before this whole adventure started, Luther had been studying the book of Romans. It was then he personally finally faced up to YHVH’s Grace. The church at that time was not teaching much about grace or the Law: salvation was earned by good works and religious observance and forgiveness apparently could be bartered. When Luther discovered the biblical teaching that [the righteous will live by faith,] it changed his life and it changed the world. This principle; [justification by faith]; formed the basis of Reformation thinking. Since it was one’s personal faith that connected with YHVH, there was no need for any priest or pope to mediate that relationship. Hence the concept of [the priesthood of the believer] took hold. And if each believer could personally stand before YHVH, then each one should be able to hear YHVH’s Word and interpret it. Thus, the Bible became the authority, rather than church leaders and it became very important to the Reformers to translate dusty Church Latin into the modern vernacular. Also, since bread and wine could not save you, the Reformers’ concept of Adonai’s Supper changed. Although different Protestant groups had different views on this, all agreed that the work of taking communion had no saving effect; it was faith in the Moshiach who gave His body and Blood for us.

Reform Blazes Through Europe:

Europe was ripe for reform. Luther’s ideas spread to other scholars, teachers and priests. Pockets of protest emerged. Since the church had established such political power throughout the continent, the Reformation became a sort of political revolution as well as a religious one. Luther gained support from some German nobles and there were some popular uprisings as well. In Zurich a priest named Ulrich Zwingli began preaching from the Bible and criticizing church policies. The city government supported him, asserting its independence from church power. A similar thing happened in Geneva, where reformer William Farel enlisted the help of a bright French scholar named John Calvin. Like Zurich, Geneva became a laboratory for believer’s statecraft. Calvin was a great organizer and it is appropriate that his teachings became commonly known as [Reformed,] since he paid a lot of attention to the formulation of theology and believer’s practice. In 1536, just three years after his own conversion experience, he published the first edition of The Institutes, which set forth Reformation principles in an orderly style. This was hugely important for the young movement. Many revolutions explode in a burst of passion and later people wonder what it was all about. Luther had provided the passion, but now Calvin presented the principles. These became the two major Protestant groups: the Lutherans and the Calvinists. They shared many beliefs, but they differed in enough points that they never merged. Lutheranism spread northward, through Germany to Scandinavia. Calvinism went north and west, through Switzerland to France, Holland, Scotland, England. The Roman Church stayed strong in the south: Italy, much of France and Spain. Two smaller Protestant groups deserve mention. The Anabaptists emerged in Switzerland and elsewhere as a radical back-to-the-Bible movement. The other Protestants saw them as a threat and treated them badly. The most notable Anabaptist was Menno Simons, for whom the Mennonites were named. Mennonites in Holland strongly influenced the formation of the Baptist church and the tradition of Jan Huss remained alive in Bohemia in the form of the Unity of the Brethren. The Brethren were caught in the crossfire between Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists, but they ultimately contributed to the Moravian Brethren community in Herrnhut, Germany, which pioneered revivalism and missions and had major influence on John Wesley. While continental Europe was being carved up by the new denominations, England was doing its own thing. King Henry VIII had been in an ongoing power struggle with the Pope and the tipping point came when the Pope refused to grant him a divorce. This was purely a political matter with no moral high ground, but it gave opportunity to a group of reform-minded believers in England. When Henry grabbed control of the English church from Rome, some strong Protestants arose to shape this new Anglican church: Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Thomas Cromwell and others. The sixteenth century turned into a violent roller coaster ride as Henry changed his mind a few times, Lutherans and Calvinists bickered and Bloody Mary tried to bring England back under the Catholic church. Many good believers were martyred by other believers. Ultimately, Queen Elizabeth, Henry’s daughter, navigated a sane middle course.

The Impact Of The Reformation:

Of course, the Protestant Reformation completely changed the religious landscape of the Western world. Roman Catholic hegemony was broken. On the one hand, the Protestants successfully challenged an oppressive regime rife with corruption. On the other hand, they opened the door to all sorts of new heresies and fringe groups. It is no wonder that the number of Protestant denominations keeps growing as new churches continue to break away from old churches. The emphasis on an individual’s relationship with YHVH and each person’s capacity to interpret Scripture created an environment of vitality and creativity, but also held potential for chaos and division. The Reformation also triggered political, academic, scientific and philosophical revolutions. It is no accident that the Reformation followed hard on the heels of the Renaissance. In many ways, they were the same movement; a new freedom for people to interact with truth on their own. Humanism, individualism, nationalism and a number of other isms all have Reformation connections. The world hadn’t really changed a lot between the years 480 and 1480. But by 1580 it was hardly recognizable.

REVIVAL, REFORMATION, RESTORATION -- PART 1

Before I started teaching on University, people always used to ask me which ministry I represent. My answer was of course always the same, I represent YHVH and not a ministry but I must admit that it did somehow scare people away. People want to see authority, a controlling body, something visible you belong to. Then YHVH directed me to cross paths with Elisheva from Jerusalem Tours and we started a ministry called Shalom Eden. I know it was YHVH that directed me because there were no chance at all that I would have found it on my own. I just sat down one day and said [Adonai, I do not know where to, please help.] I browsed the internet and started to type religious word and then search. Then I saw a question from her asking why the use of wedding rings and I answered. Then to sort out the problem of belonging, I boldly joined the Ministry of Shalom Eden and just added United Kingdom on the end. Lucky for me, Elisheva is a real YHVH’s woman and did not complain. Then another problem arose, people now knew I represent Shalom Eden and started asking questions like what the Ministerial Statement is but now I was clever enough and immediately answered [Revival, Reform and Restore]. Yet again, because I belief YHVH had placed me with S.E, I was bold enough to adopt the Statement and make it one for S.E United Kingdom, but it did not end there! Now regularly, I get asked what does Revival, Reform and Restore stand for. What does it represent? Sometimes it is hard for me to understand why people will keep themselves busy with questions like these but then every time YHVH reminds me that it was the same with Israel. People believe more when they see. Israel was the same and YHVH gave them a king on their request, king Saul. To answer this question of Revival, Reform and Restore; I not only want to share it with inquisitive people around me but also with the whole world for this is what YHVH gave me to be proud of and as you will also see is my love for history.

Revival

Revive or revival is a religious awakening that sweeps through a congregation or even an entire nation. A revival is characterized by fervour in worship, an awareness of personal sin, an eagerness to seek forgiveness from YHVH and from other people and an eagerness to share one’s experience with others. The Great Awakening was an important revival in American history. The term is also used, particularly in Baptist churches, for any special evangelistic meeting. It is an emphasis on preaching that produces a personal response to YHVH. Revival came to the American frontier with the preaching of James McGready, a bold and uncompromising Presbyterian who moved to Kentucky in 1789. By all accounts, McGready was one of YHVH’s gifted orators in the tradition of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Jonathan Edwards. When he spoke, he painted word pictures of heaven so beautiful that his rough and often lawless congregation longed to be there. His portrayal of the horrors of hell was so vivid that they trembled in fear. Convicted sinners would fall on the floor weeping and pleading: [What shall I do to be saved?] After a successful revival at Red River in 1800, McGready sent word ahead that he would preach at the Gasper River church in July. The news spread along the frontier. Families and individuals came from as much as a hundred miles away; by foot, by wagon, by whatever means available. They brought with them tents and food so that they could camp out for the length of the service. This first [camp meeting] lasted for several days. The best known of the early frontier camp meetings occurred at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in August 1801, with as many as twenty thousand people attending. In descriptions of the meeting by friends and foes alike, there is mention [perhaps exaggerated] of strange signs manifesting themselves. Participants were said to have leaped with joy when saved. There were reports of jerking, barking, dancing and rolling on the ground. The Presbyterian General Assembly of 1805 was alarmed by such reports and tried to dampen the revival, attributing the excesses to the influence of the Methodist doctrine of grace. The result was a split, as the pro-revivalist Cumberland Presbyterians left the Kentucky Synod. The Second Great Awakening began with the Presbyterians, but it was carried over the mountains by the Baptists and Methodists.

In a sense, Charles G. Finney, Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham and countless other evangelists and revivalists are heirs of James McGready and the Second Great Awakening. The ongoing appeal of revivalism comes in part from the Armenian doctrine that YHVH has an offer of salvation available to all mankind at all times and the individual can come to Moshiach if only he or she will choose to accept that offer. In the history of revivalism, no figure is more important than Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875). Charles G. Finney was converted in 1821 as a result of his personal study of the Bible. Believing that his conversion included [a retainer from Adonai to plead His cause,] Finney abandoned the practice of Law to begin preaching in 1824 and he pastored Second Presbyterian Church in New York City, before setting out to preach revivals in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New England. With Finney, the revivals moved from outdoor camp meetings to large, urban, indoor auditoriums. Many of the standard features of modern revivalism were first introduced by Finney, including protracted meetings, the altar call, special music, the anxious bench, using you when referring to sinners, holding prayer meetings at unreasonable hours and allowing women to pray and speak. Critics then and now have accused Finney of manipulating his listeners, a charge Finney seems to add credit to in his book, Lectures on Revivalism [1835]. There, he clearly states his belief that [a revival is not a miracle or dependent on a miracle in any sense. It is a purely philosophical {i.e., scientific} result of the right use of the constituted means.] [Finneyism] has become a derogatory term applied to many modern revivalists and televangelists to distinguish their manipulative tactics and results from those true revivals that are a work of YHVH. Revivals became a staple of American religious life through the end of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. An interdenominational prayer meeting in New York City on 23rd September 1857, grew from six people to ten thousand people in prayer meetings scattered throughout the city. During the Civil War, revival broke out among the Confederate soldiers in 1863 and 1864. Perhaps as many as one hundred thousand were converted. During the last quarter of the nineteenth century the leading revivalist was D. L. Moody. Moody’s introduction to mass evangelism came while visiting London England, when he was asked to be a substitute preacher. The impressive response to his closing invitation got him invited back to Britain in 1873 for a two-year evangelistic campaign. Meanwhile, Moody teamed up with Ira D. Sankey. Sankey was a musician and Civil War veteran, who sang in a rich baritone voice while accompanying himself on a small reed organ. Together, they presented the gospel in word and song to an estimated three million listeners across Britain during the two-year crusade. The evangelistic team of Moody and Sankey remained together for more than a quarter century, leading countless souls to salvation through faith in Yeshua Moshiach. D. L. Moody set a standard and style that influenced many evangelists who followed after him, such as Billy Graham. With Moody, the evangelistic crusade not only moved indoors, it also left behind the roughness and spontaneity of the camp meeting. His crusades were carefully planned in advance. Every detail; from promotion to follow up; was taken care of before Moody and Sankey arrived in town. Moody himself appeared neatly dressed, like a businessman. He spoke in a calm and plain voice. His goal was to see sinners saved and his message was always a simple one [the same one preached by the early church]: the promise of salvation and eternal life by grace through faith in Yeshua Moshiach. There were no theological arguments or sermons on the fine points of believer’s doctrine. Rather, Moody presented the gospel in a clear and simple language that his hearers could understand. The spontaneous outbursts that characterized the old-fashioned camp meetings were discouraged. Moody did not hesitate to halt his sermon long enough to ask ushers to escort overly enthusiastic individuals from the auditorium. Revivalism continued in the twentieth century with energetic preachers such as Billy Sunday wooing and wowing the crowds. But it was Billy Graham who set the standard in the last half of that century, preaching to millions, perhaps billions, through the mass media. BUT, although the idea of [Revival] was pure and concentrated on the Gospel and Yeshua Moshiach, it lack one crucial ingredient throughout the Western World history – the teaching and following of the Torah and celebrating only Biblical feast days.

15“And I shall give you shepherds according to My heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16“And it shall be, when you have increased, and shall bear fruit in the land in those days,” declares יהוה, “that they no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of יהוה.’ Neither would it come to heart, nor would they remember it, nor would they visit it, nor would it be made again.

17“At that time Yerushalayim shall be called the throne of יהוה, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the Name of יהוה, to Yerushalayim, and no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

18“In those days the house of Yehuḏah shall go to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.

Jer. 3

When God hides His face, we are at the mercy of the elements and spirits of the world. God often uses nature as a blacksmith and forge to refine and shape us. Judgment is painful, but don't fear it. Fear God instead.
Isaiah 54

I accidentally installed a motion-detector flood light above our kitchen sink. Like an idiot I troubleshot the socket. The light has settings for brightness on it, so I fiddled with that, too. Then I realized the light was motion-detecting.



Then I consciously decided to let the family figure it out one by one.

Shalom dear fellow Shofar Blowers and Listeners!

? Here is your Meeting Link:
https://dateful.com/eventlink/2753910087

Feel free to invite others using this link:
https://tube.thetorahnetwork.com/v/KmZMaD

?Please let us know if you would like to lead worship in one of the next meetings, or know someone that would.

We are Looking forward to sounding the Shofar with you in Jerusalem!
Shalom,
Camp Ephraim

Shalom dear fellow Shofar Blowers and Listeners!

? Here is your Meeting Link:
https://dateful.com/eventlink/2753910087

Feel free to invite others using this link:
https://tube.thetorahnetwork.com/v/KmZMaD

?Please let us know if you would like to lead worship in one of the next meetings, or know someone that would.

We are Looking forward to sounding the Shofar with you in Jerusalem!
Shalom,
Camp Ephraim