The Church of Jesus Christ has yet to realize the fullness of what the Lord has ALREADY DONE and which is now being made manifest ... and that being -- the tearing down of the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile.

The Jewish Apostle Paul exhorted the Gentile Believers of His day to understand the present reality . . . a reality that they may NOT have been fully appreciated at the time:

Eph 2:11-14 "11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) - 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... "

Were it not for the Jews, and the first Church -- (which was nearly, if not 100%, Jewish), - and the tremendous Plan and GRACE of God, we "Gentiles by birth" who are now "grafted into the vine" would not have the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the sacrificial lives of those who first accepted the Messiah, Jewish by birth, we are now blessed to be among those grafted into the same Vine--which is Jesus Christ, The Messiah.

OFFENDING THE JEWS--BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS

I love the Jewish People and for the last 15 years, have had a special and growing love for the Jewish Believers and those who are yet to find the Messiah. But the Lord needs to continue to shift the paradigm from that which I once understood, to what I now NEED to understand.

As one pastor once said, "50% of what I believe is wrong. The problem is - I don't know WHICH 50% IT IS!"

This morning, I received several emails from Jewish Believers saying or communicating that I had offended them, (when it was not in my heart to do so.) For that, I must apologize to any Jewish person who read what I wrote and took the same offense.

I had written to entire ELIJAH LIST to tell them of the tape I was making available on the doctrine of "election." In the list of those things I would talk about on tape, question #7 became an offense to some Jewish Believers. I'll share the specifics in a minute. Please read on as there is something to learn for many of us. . .

I NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND

So I went through this process:

I called my Jewish friend, David, a Messianic Believer and read him the question #7, which I will share with you in a minute. I said, "Are you offended by this statement?" (I truly and honestly wanted to know).

He said, "no."

I asked, "Do you see how another Jewish Believer would be offended?"

David said, "No, I can't see where they would be offended."

So I read him the letter of a dear Jewish sister, who wrote from Israel (You will read that below also). She works for a Messianic ministry there. I have protected her identity, because it's not my purpose to highlight a given person, but a paradigm of thinking in which we who are "grafted in" may need to be aware. Perhaps a shift is necessary.

As I read the letter of "objection" to David, his response was, "Well, when you look at it like that, I can see why she was offended. It makes sense from that viewpoint, that she would feel this way" (or words to that effect.

OUR WORDS MEAN THINGS--EVEN IF WE ARE NOT INTENDING THEM TO

Let me now share with you what I said in question #7. This was a question that I am attempting to answer in this tape (currently being made available) on "election":

THE QUESTION:

Question #7 "Why would Satan arrange to drive the Jews to crucify Christ if this would only hurt him in the long run? Didn't he know that the Cross would be the Lord's VICTORY?"

As I've mentioned, at first glance, even David didn't see the offense. But I've come to understand that there IS an offense, however innocent on my part. Here is the letter from this Messianic Jewish Sister in Christ:
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Dear Steve or whoever will look at this email,

I am receiving your emails [THE ELIJAH LIST] on a pretty regular basis, and I am the correspondence secretary of _________ (a Messianic Jewish ministry in Israel).

I am responding to your tape on Election (described below) and I found one of the questions quite disturbing. It was addressed as follows:

"Why did God allow Satan to drive the Jews to Crucify Christ..."

I must tell you that statements like that (however true) have helped cause 2000 years of anti-Jewish fervor and hatred of the Jewish people to the point of wanting to eradicate them.

The truth of the matter is that while the Jewish people may have been those who screamed, "Crucify Him," was it not the sins of the world (which would include non-Jews) for which He died? Why single out the Jews and word the question so His death is solely pinned on them? This really causes people to think that it's the Jews' fault only for the death of the Messiah.

I know this firsthand since as a child, I was called a "Christ killer" being a Jew. This, of course, is a disgusting and immoral message for the church and/or Christians to bring and serves to only alienate the Jews from ever finding their Messiah and coming into the fullness of salvation.

I think that you should seriously consider changing the wording of this question so that it cannot be used as a stumbling block to offend the Jewish people or to cause gentiles to believe that the Jews are and have always been their enemy.

In Messiah,

_____________

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Remember that I received several letters from Jewish Believers that had taken this same offense.

It is true that while Jesus has removed the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, we must learn to remove the dividing wall in our hearts and even in the words that we speak, however innocent. There should not be a Christian in the world today that does not understand (and hopefully most do understand) - that WE ALL had the blood of Jesus on our hands - until we received HIM.

Jesus HIMSELF said:

John 3:17-19 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever DOES NOT BELIEVE stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

IT'S ABOUT UNBELIEF

Through our UNBELIEF, we were not one tiny bit more righteous, even for a millisecond, than those who yelled "crucify Him!" Through our unbelief, WE ALL YELLED, "CRUCIFY HIM!"

We can be "technically correct" that those who called for His crucifixion were at the time, Jewish, but we would be utterly wrong to proclaim that it was the Jewish people who killed the Messiah - rather, it was all of us who with hardened hearts REFUSED TO BELIEVE IN HIM.

LOOKING FORWARD OR LOOKING BACK--IT'S THE SAME

This last week, we had a wonderful Jewish family with six beautiful children in our home. The husband and I had a delightful evening of discussing scripture and we determined to do a Passover Seder this year, where the Messiah would be seen in all of the symbolism. This brother will teach it, and while I've attended two or three Passover Seders over the years, I am especially looking forward to this one. He, Yehuda, reminded me that those in "Old Testament" times looked forward to what the Messiah would do and we look back upon what the Messiah has already done for us. But it's all the same in God's timing. Past, Present, and Future were/are in the hands of the Messiah. This is why it can be said with certainty, that it was not just the Jews who crucified the Savior of the world, it was ALL OF US!!

I know that not every Messianic Believer who read question #7, was offended. But for those who were, I want to humbly ask your forgiveness for causing this offense. We all have yet to see the beautiful coming together of Israel and the Church - where real power, anointing, and revival will break out around the world. I don't want my words to slow the "coming-together" down in any way.

We must start where we can. And start where the Lord leads. I believe the Lord is leading here. Thank you, Lord, that the "ONE NEW MAN" (Jew and Gentile with no dividing wall) is becoming manifest in your church - more and more every day. May we seek to prefer one another over ourselves! And Lord, we all . . .

" . . .pray for the peace of Jerusalem."

Note: To see all 12 questions on the tape on election, read below. NOTE THAT I HAVE "FIXED" QUESTION NUMBER 7.
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ELECTION! GOD'S PLAN AND YOUR DESTINY --Sovereignty Vs. Free Will

One time each month, I like to devote one e-mail to the entire ELIJAH LIST to more fully describe the prophetic/teaching tape we are making available for that month. This month: A teaching on ELECTION.

As the month of January is rapidly coming to a close, I felt this would be a good time to remind you of this tape on "ELECTION" available until month-end.

As I prepared to speak at a church in Wisconsin in December, I sought the Lord as to the Word to deliver to this special congregation. While I waited on Him, suddenly the Lord said, "IT WOULD WORK FOR THEM IF THEY BELIEVED IN ELECTION."

I was surprised because I've never come down in "one camp" or "the other camp" on this area of election. It can be controversial at best, ---- but the Lord had a message for this little church and I realized later that the Word given me was also for the church at large.

HOW DO YOU SEE GOD? AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE ANYWAY?

Most would not argue that how we see God; how we understand Him to be; the way in which He interacts with us, greatly affects our relationship and intimacy with Him. In Listening and preparing this Word from the Scriptures, the Lord would not allow me to study old rehashed theories and positions on the "doctrine of election."

Instead, He wanted a fresh word. Surely, much of what is taught will not be new, but many things that are taught on this tape, including the four or five personal stories that are told---I truly believe will shed not only new light on this subject--but light that will truly help in your understanding of the Loving God and POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING GOD we serve. Beyond that, it will open you WIDE UP to divine appointments from the Lord--appointments FROM YOU and FOR YOU--from others.

MANY CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS

While this certainly isn't an exhaustive teaching on the subject, many controversial questions are addressed that I believe have been largely ignored, because these questions are such "hot potatoes."

Included in this teaching, the following questions are addressed in one form or another:

1) Does God have a plan--a destiny for me, that I need to figure out for myself?

2) What if God's plan for me is messed up because I keep making mistakes in judgment?

3) If God has a plan for me, and His word doesn't return void, where does my freedom of choice come into play?

4) The Scripture says we will hear, "This is the way, walk you in it." And yet, I rarely if ever hear God's voice for myself. How can I EVER fit into His plan, if I can't hear what it is ---for myself?

5) God allowed 6,000 years of misery because of Adam and Eve's sin. Why didn't He just wipe them out and start over? Why do we have to suffer for their sins?

6) When was the Lord's plan to die on the cross finalized? Give me chapter and verse please.

7) Why would Satan arrange to drive those who Jesus came to save, (Jew and Gentile alike) to crucify Christ-- if this would only hurt his cause and assure his defeat? Didn't Satan know that the Cross would be the Lord's GREAT VICTORY--causing the dividing wall to fall and allowing for the very ones who crucified Him--to believe and be saved?

8) If Many are called, but few are chosen, I just feel I can't be one of the chosen . . . I'm not that good and not that obedient? So if I'm not chosen, what am I?

9) Teachers are always saying, "It's not about YOU, it's about HIM (the Lord)." If it's about HIM, why does my life seem to be so involved with hundreds of personal challenges that seem to be about ME? What do people mean when they say to me, "It's all about HIM and not about YOU?"

10) Andrew found the Messiah and went and got his brother and brought him to Jesus. Aren't I expected to find the Messiah for myself?

11) I was given a prophetic word that seemed good but it was "off the wall," not even CLOSE to what I have considered doing? What am I supposed to do about it? What if it's God and I just miss it?

12) My sin is ever before me---I know my slip-ups--and while I always confess them to God, my faith seems lacking most of the time. I'm sick a lot. Doesn't that PROVE that I'm sick because of the sin in my life? Isn't God waiting for me to get rid of every last doubt and every last sin before He will heal me?