S1: Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line with Doctor Michael Clinic.
S1: My name is Michael Ray clinic. I'm the academic dean
S1: and professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible
S1: Institute in Chicago. Thanks for joining me at the radio
S1: kitchen table for our Bible study across America. Normally you'd
S1: call to talk with me about the scriptures, but today's
S1: program is different. It's recorded, so please don't call. You
S1: can learn more about Open Line or even hear past programs.
S1: You can connect to our social media pages and fill
S1: out your Bible question for me to answer at our
S1: next program by going to our website Openline radio. Org
S1: that's openline. Org I hope you'll check that out. But
S1: now it's time to get yourself a cup of coffee
S1: and grab your Bible for a very special Open Line
S1: in 2023. We took Open Line on the road to
S1: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, as part of
S1: a Chosen People Ministries conference called Finding Shalom Peace in
S1: a Troubled World. Now our world is still troubled, and
S1: that's why it's so important to keep studying the scriptures,
S1: to see how the gospel speaks into all areas of
S1: our lives. Seeing how the SA Shalom, the Prince of Peace,
S1: can bring peace to a hurting and troubled world. What
S1: we need to do is keep studying the scriptures, peace
S1: for our own souls, peace with God, peace with one another,
S1: and around us is centered in Jesus, the Messiah, the
S1: Prince of Peace. At the conference, I answered the questions
S1: of the live audience there, and we met a few
S1: of the people who were involved in the conference. So
S1: before we get to these questions, I want to let
S1: you know about our current resource. It's called survey of
S1: the New the New Testament by Paul Benware. Sometimes Bible
S1: reading can feel like looking at a bunch of puzzle pieces,
S1: not quite sure how they fit together. But at Openline
S1: we want you to see the whole picture. And that's
S1: where survey of the New Testament comes in. Paul Benoit's
S1: clear writing style helps you step, helps you step back
S1: and see how all 27 books fit together. You'll discover
S1: the themes that unite Scripture and the distinctive contribution of
S1: each book that the that the New Testament makes to
S1: our faith. You can request a copy of survey of
S1: the New Testament with a gift of any size by
S1: visiting our website openlibrary.org, or by calling 886447122. Well, now
S1: it's time you can join me as we travel back
S1: to 2023. To our first question asked at Wooddale Church
S1: in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
S2: I'm Walt from Bloomington, Minnesota. And what does it mean
S2: that Jesus is God's begotten son? He's not created.
S1: Mhm. Yeah. He's definitely not created. He's the eternal Son
S1: of God. I believe the concept of begotten ness comes, uh,
S1: in Scripture from Psalm two, in Psalm two, a messianic
S1: psalm which predicts the coming of the Messiah. It says, uh,
S1: that the Lord said to me, uh, you are my
S1: son this day I have begotten you. And it sounds like, oh,
S1: I've given birth to you, or you began. However, it's
S1: a royal psalm. It's about an enthronement of a king. And, uh,
S1: if you look at the ancient Near East in Egypt,
S1: in various places, when Pharaoh became king, when they were enthroned.
S1: And this is important as we're listening, uh, today is
S1: the day that Charles King Charles is being, uh, Crown. Right. Coronet.
S1: It's his coronation day. Well, in the ancient Near East,
S1: it was declared that a person, when he, uh. When
S1: he had his coronation, he was declared the Son of God.
S1: But the word that was used was I've begotten you.
S1: He was declared the Son of God and begotten of God.
S1: It doesn't really mean I gave birth to you because
S1: he was obviously born, but rather declared the Son of God.
S1: It's an enthronement term. It indicates coronation. Uh, and particularly deity. So, uh,
S1: in that culture to say, uh, you're the begotten of God,
S1: it means you are the eternal God. You have just
S1: taken your throne. And of course, when you think about
S1: the throne of Jesus, he. When is he going to
S1: take his throne? He's taking his throne right now. He's
S1: seated at the right hand of the father. He will
S1: take his throne on the throne of David in the future. So.
S1: And in the past. He's forever the Son of God.
S1: This is an eternal situation. He's been on the throne
S1: of God forever. So therefore, this is sort of an
S1: eternal statement. He's he is eternally enthroned as God, God
S1: the Son. And so that is the concept it has
S1: actually has to do with coronation as king and enthronement
S1: as the Son of God, rather than giving birth to him. Okay.
S1: Of course, that makes him I love at Psalm two
S1: at the end. This is really an important concept since
S1: he is the son at the end of Psalm two.
S1: It says this, uh, kiss or pay homage to the son,
S1: lest he become angry. And you will, and you perish
S1: in your rebellion. That sounds bad, right? If you're. But
S1: then it says. Blessed are all those who take refuge
S1: in him. There's this great offer that we can put
S1: our trust in him. Take refuge in him. Find protection
S1: in him. And that's how we will bring joy and
S1: happiness into our lives. Blessedness into our lives. So it's
S1: not enough to know that he's the eternally enthroned Son
S1: of God. It's important to know that we need to
S1: take refuge in him first, by putting our faith in him,
S1: and then by living within his, uh, walking with him
S1: as our King. So that's Psalm two.
S3: Yes, I'm Linda from Ely, Minnesota, and I've been wondering,
S3: when did Moses write the Pentateuch? Was he in Sinai,
S3: the wilderness? Did he have some of that knowledge when
S3: he lived with Jethro? Um, just kind of wondering how
S3: he put that all together.
S1: Yeah. Me too. Uh, you know, why did you think
S1: he had to get the 70 elders there with him and.
S1: And that whole system of tens of. Because he was
S1: so busy writing the Bible. You know, I write books,
S1: and I know I can't find any time. I can't
S1: imagine what it would be like to be writing books
S1: in the wilderness, right? Uh, people knock on his door. Moses,
S1: we have a question. He says, leave me. It's my
S1: writing time. Uh, I think that he probably was writing.
S1: There are different segments when he was writing, when he
S1: had direct revelation, and he would write those things down. Also,
S1: there were probably other times when, uh, he had resources
S1: of some sort, things that he may have remembered from
S1: his upbringing, from, uh, Jochebed. Uh, you know, he was
S1: raised in a in a nice Jewish home, even though
S1: he was adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter. So he must
S1: have had some materials that he had from that, I
S1: think oral traditions that he had received from, uh, his
S1: family about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And then he wrote
S1: these down as they were traveling. I think there was
S1: a song by Keith Green that, you know. So you
S1: want to go back to Egypt? Do you remember that song?
S1: It was a long time ago. But he says what?
S1: Moses sitting around writing the Bible. Well, that's exactly right.
S1: That's what he was doing. So as he found time,
S1: he wrote, I think, different segments. And by the end
S1: of his wilderness wanderings, that's when he put it together.
S1: And one of the things that's really important when we
S1: read the Pentateuch, this is not just the Daily Journal
S1: of Moses. Uh, it's really clear that there is structure
S1: in the Torah, in the in the Pentateuch, the Five
S1: Books of Moses. It's really one book. And it's kind
S1: of interesting because it follows a structural pattern. There's story
S1: or narrative followed by a poem, followed by an epilogue.
S1: And it follows this structure four times through the Pentateuch.
S1: So you can go Genesis one through 48. That's the
S1: story of creation and the patriarchs. And then chapter 49,
S1: you've got this poetic piece by Jacob when he blesses
S1: the 12, uh, 12 sons. And then chapter 50, The
S1: Death of Jacob and Joseph. And that's the epilogue, and
S1: that's the structure. And then with Exodus, you start the
S1: narrative again. You get the the Exodus narrative, the story
S1: of the departure from Egypt. You have the Song of Moses,
S1: and then you have traveling to Sinai as an epilogue.
S1: And this continues through the Pentateuch. So you have narrative
S1: poem epilogue. And why is this important? It shows that
S1: Moses took all these materials that he was writing, and
S1: structured them in a very clear way to lead us
S1: to the end of the book, which has a double
S1: poem by Moses, the two songs of Moses, and then
S1: the epilogue, which is the the, the death of Moses
S1: at the end, and the reminder to keep looking for
S1: the prophet like Moses. So that's that's the structure of
S1: the book. Okay.
S3: Thank you.
S1: Um.
S4: Hi, I'm Aaron from Rogers, Minnesota. Question is from Zephaniah
S4: three nine. What is the pure language or pure? Pure speech?
S4: Could it be Hebrew?
S1: Yeah. It's a language of heaven, don't you think? Yeah.
S1: Uh uh, I often wonder what was the original language
S1: before the. The Tower of Babylon? Right where they all
S1: were broken up. I'm guessing they were all speak in Hebrew,
S1: because that's what Adam and Eve were speaking in, in Genesis, right? Actually,
S1: we don't know. That's how Moses wrote it. I don't
S1: know what the pure speech is. Uh, I have a
S1: lot of jokes that Russian Jews used to tell. I
S1: won't tell them on the radio about about learning Hebrew
S1: versus speaking Russian. I won't repeat them. But the they
S1: were so much oppression in Russia. They were really looking
S1: forward to the language of heaven in the land of Israel.
S1: And so when they were trying to get out. So, uh, yeah, I,
S1: I don't know what the language of heaven is, but, uh,
S1: or the original language, the IR language. I would guess
S1: it may may have sounded a lot like Hebrew if
S1: it wasn't Hebrew. Okay. Yeah. Hey, we're going to take
S1: a break here. And when we come back, we're going
S1: to take more of these questions from this wonderful live
S1: audience here in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. My name is Michael Redlich.
S1: This program is called Open Line, and it's our Bible
S1: study across America. So keep listening because there's more questions
S1: coming up straight ahead. We'll be right back. Welcome back
S1: to Open Line with Michael Riedel. We're pre-recorded today, so
S1: don't call in. We're listening to a program from 2023
S1: when Open Line traveled to Minnesota at a Chosen People
S1: Ministries conference called Finding Shalom in a Troubled World, hosted
S1: by Wooddale Church. Let's listen in.
S5: I'm David Johnson. I actually know the answer. I wrote
S5: this for others. What is a completed Jew? Okay, and
S5: there's two of them sitting at the table.
S1: Okay. I am a completed Jew. Uh, that's a term
S1: that some people use. It's actually a reactionary term. Uh,
S1: because so often Jewish people have been called who come
S1: to faith in Jesus. In Yeshua, we are called converted Jews.
S1: And the problem with the word converted is for Jewish people.
S1: That means that I've converted from being Jewish, and I
S1: have now become a Gentile. And that's not true. I
S1: will always be Jewish. In fact, my faith is now
S1: complete because Jewish people are looking forward to. I was
S1: raised to look forward to the coming of the Messiah,
S1: and now I understand the Messiah has come. My faith
S1: is complete. I've put my trust in Yeshua. I once
S1: heard someone say, I've converted from my sin, not from
S1: being Jewish, and it's no sin to be a Jew. So, uh,
S1: that that's, uh, one, one approach. And some people call
S1: some call Messianic Jews, call ourselves Messianic Jews. Uh, some
S1: call ourselves fulfilled Jews. Some people say we are Jewish
S1: followers of Yeshua. There's all sorts of terms that we use,
S1: but the term that we stay away from, if we can,
S1: is converted Jews, because that is different. It when Jewish
S1: people hear it, it's it says something different than when
S1: other people hear it. We hear we cease to be
S1: Jews and that will never be the case. God made
S1: us Jewish and our destiny as Jews. That makes us, uh,
S1: complete in our in our faith is faith in the
S1: Jewish Messiah, Jesus. And so that's that's why we use
S1: those other terms.
S5: May I put in a plug for Marty.
S1: Yeah. Put Marty gets us here.
S5: I've heard him many times at community Bible study with
S5: Tom Berkowitz. Always dragged him in here. And I've got
S5: several CDs, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't have
S5: CDs to sell out there.
S1: Okay, there we go. They're going to sell CDs for
S1: Marty gets. Marty gets is my friend everyone listening on
S1: the radio? Marty gets is my friend for, oh, 35,
S1: 36 years. And I was just noting that he'd never
S1: listened to Open Line before. And now this is my
S1: really good friend, is all I'm saying. Okay. So anyway,
S1: thank you, Marty, for doing that. And thanks for the plug.
S5: We're going to go away. I'm not getting a commission.
S1: Okay, good. Thank you.
S6: Hi, I'm Nancy from Waukesha, Wisconsin. So I guess this
S6: is another language question here. But in John 21 when
S6: Peter and Jesus are talking, Jesus asks Peter, do you
S6: love me? And the Greek words are agape and phileo,
S6: denoting different levels of love. In the original language, you know,
S6: maybe Hebrew or Aramaic. What would those words be, do
S6: you think for agape?
S1: And let me just say that the only thing we
S1: have to interpret are the Greek words. And so I
S1: am a firm believer that we ought not to try
S1: to go back to the Aramaic words that might have
S1: been spoken that happened in the events there. But what
S1: what is inspired? What is inspired? Revelation is the written text.
S1: You know, it doesn't say that those events were inspired.
S1: It says all Scripture is inspired or God breathed. So
S1: we're going to stick to those words. Now, what I
S1: will tell you is this in John 21, uh, this
S1: is actually one of my favorite passages because it gives
S1: hope to all failures like me, because Peter really failed.
S1: How many times did he deny the Lord? Three times.
S1: Peter always had to do everything in threes. You know,
S1: how many times did he have to be told to
S1: eat later on when he had that vision of the
S1: unclean animals three times. He's just a three time kind
S1: of guy. And it took a lot to get into
S1: his head. Well, anyway, he denied the Lord three times.
S1: And then three times he's asked, do you love me?
S1: And each time he says, yes, Lord, you know I
S1: love you, I love you. And a lot of people
S1: want to make a big deal that the Lord is
S1: using the word agape or agapao, because that means unconditional love.
S1: And Peter answers with the word phileo, which means friendship, love. However,
S1: that is what those words meant in classical Greek. By
S1: the time you get to Koine Greek, the language of
S1: the New Testament. They are absolute synonyms. There is no difference.
S1: And so all those sermons you may have heard about
S1: agape versus Phileo. They were misinterpreting those words. Wow. Uh,
S1: but there is significance because three times the Lord asks Peter,
S1: do you love me? And three times he's given an
S1: opportunity to affirm his love for the Lord. After his
S1: three denials, remember what he does. He's he's seen the
S1: risen Lord. He says, I'm going back to where I
S1: used to be. Uh, and he he goes back to
S1: being a fisherman. I'm going fishing. It leads the other
S1: disciples with him. Remember, he was the one that Lord
S1: said to him, I will make you fishers of men.
S1: And now he's going back to being a fisher of fish.
S1: And the Lord looks at him and says, do you
S1: love me more than these? A lot of people mistakenly
S1: understand him to be pointing at the other disciples. Do
S1: you love me more than them? Does that sound like
S1: like the Lord Jesus? I'm going to compare your love
S1: to the other disciples. No, he's pointing at the fishing boat.
S1: At the nets. Do you love me more than all these?
S1: Accouterments of fishing. And three times Peter gets to say
S1: I love you. And then each time he's commissioned. Feed
S1: my sheep. Tend my sheep. Shepherd my sheep. What is
S1: he doing? He's restoring him to ministry after his great failure. That's.
S1: It's a great passage. But it has nothing to do
S1: with the words agapao and phileo.
S6: Thank you so much.
S7: I'm Stephanie from Maple Plain, Minnesota. I have a family
S7: member who struggles to accept that God designed a system
S7: or a reality where we are destined to be born
S7: sinful and we must ask to be saved. He likens
S7: it to throwing a baby in the pool and expecting
S7: them to ask for help. The idea of our free
S7: will being essential for a love relationship doesn't satisfy him
S7: because he says, God set it up that way, and
S7: he gave me my rational mind to question this and
S7: to struggle. I think that he hasn't been overwhelmed by
S7: God's good goodness so he can trust God's sovereignty and
S7: his plan. And so I pray for him. But do
S7: you have an answer for this confusion that he has?
S1: Just clarify again, what's his objection that that.
S7: God set up this system. So I'm born sinful and
S7: I have to accept forgiveness or request forgiveness. He agrees.
S7: It's a free gift. Salvation is offered to us. But
S7: why did God set it up this way?
S1: Did you ever think that God didn't set it up
S1: this way?
S7: I don't know.
S1: Well, think about it. He created Adam and Eve, told them.
S1: Don't eat from this tree over here. You can eat
S1: from every other one. And they opted not to listen.
S1: And that's how the system got started. So God's intention
S1: was for them to obey him. However, they didn't. And
S1: as a result, we all sin in Adam. He. He's
S1: our our head. He's our leader. He's the one that
S1: voted for us to be sinful. Now, I'm not saying
S1: that God didn't know that would happen, because the scriptures
S1: say that Jesus is the lamb slain before the foundation
S1: of the world. So before the first brick was laid
S1: in this world, the Lord knew what they were going
S1: to do and knew he was going to plan a
S1: plan a redemption, uh, for us. But, you know, it
S1: was not his desired will for Adam and Eve to sin.
S1: And yet they did. And as a consequence, we sin. Um, but,
S1: you know, I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
S1: If you're going to think. I don't want to believe this.
S1: I don't want to trust in this, we'll say, oh, boy,
S1: this is a bad plan that God has set up. However,
S1: if we think I am desperate and I am drowning,
S1: and God has given me a life preserver here, and
S1: he has planned this life preserver from eternity past, and
S1: he wants me to grasp Ahold of it. Uh, and
S1: he's going to even as and this is what's really
S1: amazing is he opens our hearts to believe, just like
S1: he did with Lydia in Acts 16. Uh, how is it, uh,
S1: that that's how as, uh, there was a movie I saw,
S1: Count of Monte Cristo. How was this a bad plan?
S1: It seems like a good plan. However, I know the response. Well,
S1: if God has to open my opened my heart for
S1: me to believe this. He needs to give me the enablement,
S1: divine enablement to believe. Then, just like in Romans nine, well,
S1: why does he still find fault with those who don't believe?
S1: Who can resist his will? And I don't have the
S1: answer for that. When I read that in Romans nine,
S1: the very first time, I was like, wow, I'm really
S1: going to get the answer I've always wanted. And then
S1: then the next verse says, who are you, O man,
S1: to talk back to God? And the answer God has
S1: about his sovereign plan for opening hearts and choosing and
S1: predestining and all that is, uh, don't talk back to God.
S1: That's it.
S7: And so pride comes into play.
S1: Yeah. Yeah. But God opens our hearts and we trust
S1: in him. And it's sort of a mystery, I believe
S1: how those two factors work together. Our responsibility to believe.
S1: But God opening our hearts and enabling us to believe. Uh,
S1: but I think, amazingly, you know, maybe I would suggest
S1: for your friend, have him read The Lion, the witch
S1: the witch and the wardrobe. Uh, I just listened to.
S1: I recently listened to The Lion, the witch and the
S1: Wardrobe on Audible books, and the reason I did it
S1: is because some students told me that they think of
S1: my wife and I on campus as Mr. and Mrs. Beaver,
S1: and so I thought I got it, I got to
S1: go back and listen to that. But the thing is,
S1: when you hear Aslan's willingness to take Edmund's sin and,
S1: and go through that humiliation and take the punishment that
S1: he deserved, I don't believe that. You know, the deep
S1: magic is that we are owed to Satan, the ransom
S1: to Satan. But I just would say to your friend,
S1: look at what the Lord Jesus did, and maybe take
S1: it out of the Gospels and put it in the
S1: Chronicles of Narnia, and maybe he'll get a grasp about
S1: God's great love for him for this plan. Okay.
S7: Thank you.
S1: Um.
S8: Hi. My name is Kevin from Austin, Minnesota. I'd like
S8: to know how far different are the original boundary lines
S8: of the Promised Land from the modern day borders of Israel?
S1: They're really different. I can't give you miles, but I
S1: will tell you, uh, the biblical boundaries as found in
S1: Genesis 15, as you go north, they encompass, uh, Lebanon,
S1: Syria and most of Iraq. So that's how far it
S1: goes up to the north. It goes down just about
S1: where it is in the south. It encompasses Gaza, which is, uh,
S1: no longer governed by Israel, but it goes all the
S1: way to the river of Egypt or the Wadi el Arish,
S1: down by El Arish, Egypt, in the northern part of
S1: the Sinai Peninsula. And that's by Kadesh Barnea. That that's
S1: as you head eastward. So I wish I could show
S1: you a map on the radio, but I can't. But, uh,
S1: it goes from there, and it encompasses all the way
S1: up north. It's much bigger than than what Israel ever
S1: has been, even in the times of David and Solomon,
S1: which tells me that one of the reasons we have
S1: to have confidence that God's going to fulfill the Abrahamic
S1: covenant is so that those boundaries can be fulfilled which
S1: have never been fulfilled. So when God, God promised to
S1: Abraham a land seed blessing, all those things must come true.
S1: When the Lord Jesus returns, he will establish a kingdom
S1: with those boundaries for Israel. Okay. Okay, we're going to go.
S1: One more question. Let's see if I can answer it.
S9: Good morning, I am Carmen, I was born and raised
S9: in San Antonio, Texas. I'm a Texas midget.
S1: Oh.
S9: And my question is, God has chosen the Jewish people
S9: as his special people, the chosen ones. And I was wondering,
S9: after hearing the different testimonies that I've heard the last
S9: couple of days. How can we pray for the Jewish
S9: people from our heart, not just, you know, Lord, bring
S9: them to salvation, but to really pray?
S1: I would say Romans ten one is the only example
S1: of praying, evangelistic praying in the whole Scripture. And it's
S1: for the Jewish people. It says where Paul says, my
S1: heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that
S1: they might be saved. So we can pray for God
S1: to open hearts among Jewish people. We can pray for
S1: God to raise up a genuine, godly followers of Yeshua
S1: of Jesus, to be near them, that they would have
S1: opportunities to talk, that they would take. They would be bold,
S1: yet sensitive when they talk. Those are all specific prayer
S1: requests that we can pray for the salvation of the
S1: Jewish people today in this time of antisemitism. We can
S1: pray for the God's protection and preservation of the Jewish people. Uh,
S1: we can also pray for ourselves, that we would meet
S1: Jewish people and God would give us opportunity to boldly
S1: yet sensitively speak with them, and that God would open
S1: their hearts. That's what I would say. Well, we're going
S1: to take a break here. When we come back, we're
S1: going to talk a little bit with Mitch Glazer, president
S1: of Chosen People Ministries. I might ask him that very
S1: same question, but we'll see. Uh, my name is Michael Ray.
S1: We're in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, at Wooddale Church at the
S1: Chosen People Ministries Finding Shalom conference. Stay with us. More
S1: questions coming up straight ahead. We're so glad that Febc
S1: partners with Openline, with Doctor Michael Melnick bringing the Febc
S1: mailbag every week. Learn how Far East Broadcasting Company is
S1: taking Christ to the world at Febc on their weekly podcast.
S1: Until all have heard with Ed Cannon. You'll hear stories
S1: of lives changed by Messiah all across the globe. Again,
S1: you can hear the podcast when you visit febc. Org.
S1: That's Febc. Welcome back to a pre-recorded open line with
S1: Michael Redlich. Open line was part of a Chosen People
S1: Ministries conference in Eden Prairie, Minnesota in 2023. Before we
S1: get to the questions, I want to talk with our guest,
S1: the sponsor of Open Line and this conference, uh, the
S1: president of Chosen People Ministries. But before that, I wanted
S1: to remind you that Bob from Orlando. This is something
S1: you may not have heard. Uh, he became one of
S1: Open Line's kitchen table partners. And I am so grateful
S1: for Bob because, uh, and all our kitchen table partners,
S1: they are people who commit to give a gift once
S1: a month to help keep open line on the air.
S1: Once a week, we talk about your questions about the Bible.
S1: And as a result of that, the decision to decision
S1: to become a kitchen table partner, Bob will start receiving
S1: a special digital Bible study, an audio Bible study that
S1: he'll get in his email every other week. It's something
S1: I prepare exclusively for kitchen table partners, and they get
S1: to have about a 5 to 7 minute Bible study
S1: in their email every other week. It's a real great
S1: joy for me to do that, and I'm grateful that
S1: we have that special time in the word together, and
S1: just wanted you to know that if you're finding open
S1: line helpful in your walk with the Lord, if you're
S1: growing in your understanding of Scripture and how to live
S1: according to the scriptures, uh, then maybe you'd consider becoming
S1: a kitchen table partner too. All you have to do
S1: is call, uh, open line number. Here's the number. Uh, 88864471228886447122.
S1: Or go to open line radio.org. And you'll see the
S1: link there. I hope you'll consider that. And now I'm
S1: going to introduce my friend Doctor Mitch Glazer, president of
S1: Chosen People Ministries. I'm not going to give you a
S1: big introduction. I'm just going to say thank you. 11
S1: years now, you have had an open line underwritten by
S1: Chosen People Ministries from the very first week we were
S1: on the air. And I want to say thank you.
S10: You're welcome. Michael, it's been more than a privilege.
S1: Thank you. Now, why in the world would you do that?
S1: That's the question I have always wondered.
S10: Well, it helps us raise money.
S1: Yeah, I know.
S10: But. The main reason we did it was because you asked.
S10: And because I love you. And you've been my friend
S10: and co-laborer in ministry for many, many years. But to
S10: have a Jewish believer as the voice for answering Bible
S10: questions that Christians have, and knowing that biblically and theologically,
S10: you would make sure that people understood the important role
S10: that Israel and the Jewish people play in God's ongoing plan.
S10: And you would emphasize Jewish evangelism and all the things
S10: that we love and have shared together for so many
S10: years was just like a little bit of a dream, Michael.
S10: I mean, to have you as our voice was just fabulous.
S10: And so we praise God for Moody and we praise
S10: God for you.
S1: Well, I I'm really grateful. And, you know, I think
S1: one of the most amazing things is moody and, you know, this,
S1: but maybe our audience doesn't. I am the fifth Jewish
S1: studies professor at Moody, so that must be like ten years.
S1: But no, I've been there 30 years. But the Jewish
S1: Studies program at Moody Bible Institute just this year is
S1: celebrating its 100th anniversary, 100 years of Jewish studies. So
S1: it wasn't really hard to think about Moody having those themes.
S1: Moody Bible Institute has had a great heart for Jewish people,
S1: always concerned theologically. In fact, when it's it's a fairly
S1: small major. People don't know that. They think there are
S1: hundreds and hundreds of Jewish studies students. But it's a
S1: it's a small major. It's had a great impact for
S1: Jewish ministry, I believe, as you look at the people.
S10: But when I started counting how many missionaries who have
S10: worked with chosen people went to the Moody Jewish Studies program.
S10: I stopped counting at 200.
S1: Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah, it's had a great impact. And
S1: I'm really grateful to God that I got to play
S1: a little part of it. But when I interviewed, the
S1: provost said to me that he's the head of education
S1: at Moody. He said this would be a good time
S1: to shut down the program. Did you ever wonder why
S1: we're not? And I'm like, ah, no. I think, why
S1: am I here for this interview? And he said, because
S1: we have a a biblical, theological and practical commitment to
S1: reaching Jewish people.
S10: Absolutely. And it was wonderful to be part of the
S10: celebration at the missions conference, to have a whole missions
S10: conference at Moody Bible Institute, dedicated and focused on Jewish missions,
S10: was one of the great privileges of my life.
S1: Yeah, it was it was great. Loved it. Thank you
S1: for being there.
S10: And the food was good.
S1: The food was really good. So now it's the first
S1: time at Moody. I think they had Jewish food for things.
S1: But anyway.
S10: Bagels for all.
S1: Bagels for all. for all. Exactly. Let's talk about this conference.
S1: It's called finding Shalom in a troubled World.
S10: Yes.
S1: Why would you choose this theme?
S10: Because we're living in a very fractured, divided wall world
S10: right now. Unfortunately, it's also impacted the church and it's global.
S10: We just did a conference like this in the UK
S10: because they're having the similar problems and also in Australia.
S10: And I think that the answer to our lack of unity,
S10: the answer to our being divided within ourselves and within
S10: our families and churches is the Prince of Peace. And
S10: so we want to focus on the peace that we
S10: can have, not only peace in our own soul, but
S10: of course, peace with God, peace with one another, and
S10: peace within the greater body of Messiah. Because that unity
S10: was supposed to be, according to John 17, was supposed
S10: to be a testimony of the very nature of God.
S10: And so it's vitally important that we have peace with
S10: ourselves and peace with one another, so that the world
S10: can see that God is indeed true and Jesus is
S10: the Messiah.
S1: Yeah, I'm really excited. I get to preach tonight on
S1: one of my favorite passages at this conference. It's, uh,
S1: I'm speaking on Isaiah nine one through seven about finding
S1: peace or shalom through the Prince of Peace. So I'm
S1: pretty excited about that.
S10: Yes. Well, that was my choice, Michael.
S1: I know, yeah. I didn't have any choice. Uh, we
S1: have a question here for us.
S11: Hi. My name is Gaye Rieger, and I'm from Savage, Minnesota,
S11: and I am. I would love to hear both of
S11: you share how you came to Messiah. How you found him.
S1: Wow. Well, I'm going to just say that I did
S1: a whole program. I think. What date was it on?
S1: If people want to go back and listen to the podcast,
S1: I think it was like April 17th or 15th or
S1: something like that. Uh, you can go back to the
S1: podcast in mid-April if you go to Moody Radio. Uh, and,
S1: and you can find the podcast. And because it was,
S1: it was a was a rebroadcast actually from last year.
S1: It had, uh, we took over an hour because it
S1: was my 50th spiritual birthday last year when I did
S1: that program. So we rebroadcast it and actually, Chris Fabry
S1: from Moody Radio came on and interviewed me about how
S1: about my whole faith story. And so that was pretty exciting.
S1: So I've been a follower of Yeshua for 51 years quickly.
S1: My parents were Holocaust survivors. I never dreamed I would
S1: believe in Yeshua. And when I was confronted through the
S1: Chosen People Ministries Brooklyn director, a woman named Hilda Kozar,
S1: we argued the scriptures. I wouldn't say we studied them.
S1: We fought over the scriptures. But through her explanation of
S1: messianic prophecy, I became convinced that Yeshua was the Messiah
S1: and became a follower of Yeshua. When I was in
S1: high school. It was the broadcast, by the way I
S1: just heard in my headset was April 8th. There we go.
S1: So you can go back and listen to that.
S10: Well, I was raised a good Jewish boy. Became a
S10: bad Jewish boy after my bar mitzvah. Went to college.
S10: Dropped out of college all before I was 17. Majored
S10: in unregistered pharmacy and minored in marketing. And then? And
S10: then I went. Then I went, like all good Jewish boys.
S10: I went out to San Francisco looking for. For truth.
S10: No flowers in my hair. But it was long. My
S10: two best friends betrayed me and became believers in Jesus.
S10: I tried to talk him out of it and lost.
S10: And so I read a New Testament that I found
S10: in a phone booth in the middle of the redwood
S10: forest and discovered, unbelievably, that Jesus was Jewish. I thought
S10: he was the chief of anti-Semitism. And I fell in
S10: love with Jesus and accepted Jesus. And he transformed my life.
S10: And like Michael, I'm a 51 year veteran of the
S10: of the spiritual warfare.
S1: So, you know, I just, I just, I just. Watched
S1: For the second time. Jesus. Revolution. And you know, I
S1: was just the first time I saw that movie. I
S1: was thinking about, you know, I was on the East Coast,
S1: not on the West Coast, but how many.
S10: Were much younger?
S1: I was much younger. Uh, better looking too. Uh, but no, uh, I,
S1: I was amazed when I started thinking about how many
S1: people in Jewish ministry came to faith in that period,
S1: between 1967 and 1973, which was sort of the Jesus
S1: Revolution period. And it was you and me and my
S1: friend Larry out in California and, uh, our friend Jan
S1: Moskowitz and Bruce Goldstein and and there were so many
S1: of us, uh, that went to Jewish ministry. So that
S1: that movie didn't really hit the revival among Jewish people.
S1: The revolution. But it was there.
S10: Yeah. Uh, you know, my interest in, in church history
S10: and Messianic Jewish history, every time there's been an outpouring
S10: of the Holy Spirit, people have been drawn to the scriptures.
S10: And actually the role of Israel and the Jewish people
S10: in God's plan has become prominent. And a lot of
S10: Jewish people have become believers in Jesus. So whenever you
S10: see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, if there are
S10: Jewish people around, Jewish people.
S1: Hit them too.
S10: Jewish people are being touched. It happened between World War
S10: One and World War Two in Europe, and it happened
S10: incredibly during the early, late 60s and early 70s. And
S10: so whenever there is a movement of the Holy Spirit,
S10: Jewish people get saved. So pray for a movement of
S10: the Holy Spirit. Yeah, and there's a big one coming,
S10: according to Romans 11. So we're going to see the
S10: best yet.
S1: Yep, yep. Greg Laurie was on a moody radio program
S1: and a Jewish believer I know, who also is a
S1: product of the Jesus Revolution. She called up and said,
S1: how come you didn't mention all the Jewish people that
S1: came to faith there at Costa mesa and all that?
S1: And he said, forgive me. We were just kind of
S1: focused on what happened there at that time with me. So, uh, but, uh,
S1: he then he laughed and he acknowledged that there was
S1: even then in California, the back story of that movie
S1: was there were many Jewish people who came to faith,
S1: even there.
S10: So a lot of the leaders of the modern messianic
S10: movement in Israel came to faith outside the country during
S10: the Jesus movement. And I remember my first trip to
S10: Israel in 1976. There may have been a half a
S10: dozen congregations. Today there's probably between 150 and 160. And
S10: I mean, this is the ongoing fruit of the Jesus movement.
S1: Yeah. And that's how, you know, it was a real
S1: revival because it has ongoing fruit. So let's ask, uh, Jason,
S1: why don't you come up and see if you have
S1: a question? Great. Jason Rose is. I'm going to give
S1: your last name. I think it's okay. Is it not? Yeah.
S1: Jason Rose is a former student of mine who graduated
S1: from Jewish Studies and serves with Chosen People Ministries.
S12: So my question is, since you lead tours to Israel,
S12: what's the most theologically or biblically significant site, in your opinion?
S5: Well.
S1: I would say the Temple Mount, the Western Wall. I
S1: don't usually go on the mount because it's a little bit, uh, touchy.
S1: But I think the Western Wall that what people used
S1: to call the Wailing Wall, it's not the Wailing Wall.
S1: The Western wall, the supporting wall of the Temple Mount.
S1: I think that's the most significant because, uh, God said, well,
S1: that's where on that mount is where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac. Uh,
S1: it's where when the temple was built. The spirit of God.
S1: The first temple, the Spirit of God was the Shekinah.
S1: The the presence, the Shekinah glory was present there. Ezekiel
S1: ten describes its departure before the Babylonian conquest. Uh, but
S1: Ezekiel also talks about the day when the temple is
S1: rebuilt in the Messianic kingdom, when the Spirit of God
S1: will be present there again. Uh, and so it is
S1: a remarkable place, the Lord Jesus. A lot of people say, well,
S1: you know, now that you believe in Jesus, it wouldn't
S1: matter because, uh, you know, we are the temples today,
S1: you know, and I think there's a sense of truth.
S1: Doesn't matter where you worship. We need to worship God
S1: in spirit and in truth. But it says the Lord
S1: Jesus had zeal for his father's house. He cared about it.
S1: Do you have a quick one minute answer of your
S1: favorite place to take people?
S10: You know what I usually say about the Garden Tomb
S10: is that if it wasn't there, it was like there.
S10: And I'd say taking communion at the Garden Tomb, which
S10: is a part of many tours, is still, for me personally,
S10: the most meaningful moment of my trips to Israel. I
S10: highly recommend you come to Israel. You can go with
S10: Michael or you can go with Chosen People Ministries. Take
S10: your pick.
S1: I don't care how you go, just go. That's what
S1: I think.
S10: And I hope that you get to take communion at
S10: the At the Garden Tomb. It's so incredibly powerful.
S1: Yeah, I love that. I think that's a really exceptionally
S1: special place. I agree with Mitch. Uh, what's your favorite place?
S12: My favorite place is Capernaum. Actually, because of the significance
S12: of the beginning of the Messianic Jewish followers of Jesus.
S12: It's the oldest site where you can see, uh, Jewish
S12: community of fellowship.
S1: Yeah, that's the hometown of Jesus. And it's also that
S1: some go to that synagogue there, and they think that
S1: may have been actually a messianic Jewish synagogue, not necessarily
S1: a traditional synagogue. So that's that's pretty amazing. We're going
S1: to come right back with more questions in just a moment.
S1: You're listening to Open Line with Michael, and that was
S1: Mitch Glazer on the program with me. If you've always
S1: wanted to see Israel but haven't been able to able
S1: to travel there. Or maybe you were there and you'd
S1: like to remember better. Chosen People Ministries is offering a book, Israel,
S1: the land and the people. It's filled with some of
S1: the best photos of Israel anywhere. It's a coffee table
S1: sized book and it presents the beauty, history, culture and
S1: variety of the land, from snow capped Mount Hermon to Masada,
S1: from ancient Jerusalem to modern Tel Aviv, and much more.
S1: If you'd like a copy, just go to our website openlibrary.org.
S1: Scroll down and click on the link that says A
S1: Free gift from Chosen People Ministries, and you'll receive your
S1: copy of Israel, The land and the people. Welcome back
S1: to Open Line. I'm Michael Ray Melnick. No phone calls
S1: today because we're listening to a program first aired in
S1: 2023 at a Chosen People Ministries conference in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
S1: Let's go back to the conference. We're going to have
S1: a question here. Who are you, miss?
S13: My name is Tricia. I produce Open Line and you
S13: went out to the break. I have a question for you.
S13: You went out to the break saying Jesus hometown was Capernaum.
S13: And I said, wait, wait, wait what? I thought his
S13: hometown was Nazareth.
S1: He was born in Nazareth.
S13: He was born in Bethlehem.
S1: Born in Bethlehem. Raised? Yeah, right. Born in Bethlehem. Raised
S1: in Nazareth. So that was his hometown in that sense.
S1: But when his public ministry began, he switched over to
S1: Capernaum and lived in Capernaum.
S13: Okay.
S1: And so, uh, when you go into Capernaum, there's a
S1: sign that says the hometown of Jesus right there. But
S1: it really wasn't his hometown so much as his adopted hometown,
S1: born in Bethlehem. Right, I remember that. Okay.
S14: Okay.
S1: Raised in Nazareth, but adopted Capernaum as his hometown.
S15: Hi, I'm Lisa from Richfield, Minnesota. With the interfaith dialogue
S15: happening in the world, how do we make sure we
S15: as Christians are not being deceived, but that we are
S15: following the truth of the Lord?
S1: Well, I think interfaith dialogue is great. You know, one
S1: of the things that I believe about interfaith dialogue is
S1: that we should always express if we're interfaith, we should
S1: be able to express what we believe as well. Listen
S1: carefully to people. I always think that one of the
S1: best things we can do when we're dialoguing about interfaith,
S1: instead of telling people, you know, that, you know, believe
S1: on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
S1: That's probably not what I would do in an interfaith dialogue,
S1: but I would look for every opportunity to tell my
S1: faith story, how it is that I came to faith,
S1: what it was that God did in my life, how
S1: he worked in my life, how it is that I
S1: came to believe in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, and
S1: how he forgave my sins. And the reason I would
S1: do that is it's interfaith and it's a dialogue. You
S1: want to hear my part, I'll listen to yours. And, uh,
S1: hopefully that would as we talk about what God has
S1: done in our lives, when we dialogue, people will be
S1: challenged and want to hear more, uh, part from the dialogue.
S1: So that's what I would do, uh, if I were
S1: engaged in interfaith dialogue, it would be to learn what
S1: people think. To learn how they feel. But always looking
S1: for an opportunity to tell my faith story as well.
S15: Yes. Thank you.
S14: Um.
S1: Okay. Here we go.
S16: Linda from Minneapolis. Uh, we have some acquaintances, friends who
S16: are Russian Jews. And English is their fifth language. They're
S16: extremely intelligent, sophisticated people. Do you have any advice on
S16: how to share with people who are rather intimidating, but
S16: very dear.
S1: Oh, boy. Well, uh. they you don't don't be intimidated.
S1: They're just people. And, uh, I think they Russian Jews
S1: were raised in an atheistic culture, and they would they
S1: would like to experience a real God. The thing that
S1: I do is, uh, when I talk to anyone, but
S1: particularly Jewish people, uh, I do something I call raising
S1: the flag. I'll. I'll mention something that God has done
S1: in my life. If I'm friends with them, I can
S1: talk about what God is doing in my life. They're
S1: talking about their lives. I might say that, you know,
S1: someone was ill. I prayed and God was working and
S1: provided this doctor and they're better or something that God
S1: has done that, uh, that I feel like just raise
S1: that flag. Uh, God is, uh, if they're having a problem, say,
S1: can I pray for you? Something like that. Raise that flag.
S1: And then as time goes by, they'll want to hear
S1: more because they are searching for a real experience with God,
S1: not religion, not, you know, going to this place or
S1: doing that thing. They can't hardly believe that there's someone
S1: who's experiencing God working in their lives. So keep raising
S1: those flags. And then as you have opportunity, tell your
S1: faith story. And before you know it, they'll want to
S1: know more and more. Okay.
S14: Thank you. Yeah.
S1: Uh, well, can't believe it. That's the first hour, but
S1: there's a second hour coming up on most of these stations. Remember,
S1: if your station doesn't carry open line, you can always
S1: listen online or with the podcast during the break. Check
S1: out our webpage, online radio.org. It's got all sorts of
S1: links that you'll like. How to ask a question or, uh,
S1: how to get our current resource or become a kitchen
S1: table partner. When we come back, there'll be more questions
S1: from this great audience here in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Uh,
S1: we'll be talking about the Bible, God and the spiritual life.
S1: Open line with Michael Ray is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: the ministry of Moody Bible Institute.