Jesus Messiah Fellowship
Light To The Nations
Messianic Faith
By Cohen G. Reckart, Pastor
Converts to the Messianic Judaism of Jesus are a special breed of seekers. They are alive in their own spiritual thirst and eager to find a spiritual home for their faith. Those who are more caught up in a denomination or an organization or some theological argument usually show a lack of attention to any Truth beyond their own paradigm. It reminds me of an old story of a frog who had been born and raised at the bottom of a well. All he knew was the well and those things within its circular walls. One day another frog fell into the well by accident. He ask the frog in the well if he ever tried to get out. The frog replied no, he saw no need to get out. The visiting frog began to tell him of the world outside of the well and as hard as he tried he could not convince the well frog to even try to see anything else but the inside of his well. The visiting frog keep leaping and leaping until he reached the top and disappeared. The well frog remained in the well until his death never knowing of the world that existed just ten feet away.
God has always honored faith. He is not in the business of honoring unbelief and traditions of men. The issues of faith take us back to the question of who believes in God? The belief in one God has always been the basis of our faith. The Scripture sets the authority for this:
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
It is a sin not to believe in God. It is a sin not to have faith in God. A person will go to the Lake of Fire for these two sins before they will be damned for killing, stealing, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, gambling, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, using tobacco products, etc. Before a person can be saved they must start upon the basis of believing in God. This opens the first door of faith. Now faith is not something you hope, it is something you believe. Our faith is in those things God has revealed to us and we believe them. These beliefs become doctrines, teachings, standards, and together are rolled into our faith and practice. Until a person has a Biblical foundation for their beliefs, they do not have faith in those areas. If their beliefs are personal convictions and not based upon the Word of God, then they are yet lacking in true faith in those areas. Personal convictions do not take authority over the Word of God. Faith is allowing the Word of God to become our only creed.
It is through the testimony of the Word of God that we are confronted with the Lord Jesus Messiah and his salvation within Messianic Judaism. Faith then in the record of the New Testament is a requirement of faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Faith in Jesus as the King of Israel and as the Saviour who was crucified on Calvary, died, was buried, and who rose again on the third day, becomes the foundation of believing in Jesus. The purpose of faith in Jesus is to be saved. The reward of salvation is eternal life. Salvation is then by grace through faith as found expressed in Acts 2:38. Acts 2:38 is the one verse of Scripture in the whole of the New Testament that shows us the plan of faith-grace salvation.
When you choose Jesus as Lord and King, you at the same time choose his Kingdom. You desire to place the yoke of the Kingdom upon your life. You are prepared to give up family, fame, fortune, and all the world to become a son or daughter of God. You give up your biological birth to be born again by a heavenly birth. You give up your Gentileism to become adopted into the Messianic Judaism of Jesus as a converted *Jew by choice*. You are ready to give up all paganism to walk in the light of the Word of God. Your conversion from other religious systems makes you vulnerable to a new form of bigotry and hatred to which you previously were immune. Even among Acts 2:38 groups you will be hated and persecuted because you do not belong to their pedigreed organization or denomination. One Gentile sister wrote and said: I am sorry I was born a Gentile, but I am glad I had the privilege of choosing the Messianic Judaism of Jesus on my own". So, your faith will not be without times of persecution, but you will overcome because the choice you made guarantees it.
As a convert to the faith of the Judaism of Jesus, the Kingdom is yours. Jesus reigns over you. You are a disciple and have been adopted into the sheepfold of the Shepherd. Salvation for you was not an accident that happened one day while attending Church, it is something you wanted and was willing to seek for until you found it. You did not fight about salvation, you wanted to be saved so bad you made a vow unto the Lord that you would do any thing or go any where he wanted you to. You laid your soul upon the altar and purposed in your heart to make your life a living sacrifice. You submitted yourself unto the Lord for him to have his way. You were willing to to go to the waters of separation in baptism as a testimony of your faith in his blood.
Baptism is called the waters of separation because it is here that several separations take place. 1.) We are separated from our sins and they are washed away by the blood of Jesus; 2.) We are separated from a previous life of sin to rise to walk in a newness of life; 3.) We are separated from the kingdom of darkness and blood translated into the Kingdom of Light; 4.) We are separated from our Gentile identity and take upon us the adoption of the sons and daughters of God; 5.) We are separated from bondage unto the liberty wherein Jesus Messiah has made us free.
Baptism is not the washing away of dirt and grime. The water does not wash away sin. It is the act of faith through water baptism that we receive remission or pardon for sins. It is while a person is snugly grasped by the water as it touches all parts of their body that the blood of Jesus is applied to their sins. They are washed by the blood while externally all they feel is the warmth of water baptism. Read Acts 2:38 slowly: "and be baptized in the name of Jesus Messiah for the remission of sins." The purpose of baptism is then "FOR" the remission of sins. Faith in God for the remission of sins when baptized produces the grace of remission and pardon. As you are emersed under the water, the Kingdom of God waits to welcome you when you arise and come forth in praise and thanksgiving. You are at the *straight* gate and there you will remain until you are bid entry by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Remain at the gate, tarry at the gate, until your day of Spirit baptism comes.
A convert being baptized cannot take anything into this watery grave. They must take off all jewelry, all ungodly apperal, all makeup, all finger-nail polish, etc. A candidate for baptism should come to their separation of the world and their sins, with faith and with honor to the event. Water baptism is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament Jewish *mikvah* or cleansing pool. The *mikvah* was a pool used for several types of cleansing, and through which a convert had to pass before he or she was considered a *Jew by choice* to either Phariseeism or Saduceeism. The *mikvah* was considered the door into the house of Israel. Is it any wonder then that John and Jesus would teach baptism as the door into the Kingdom of God? In Pharisee and Saducee Judaism the *mikvah* even for converts was not about cleansing for sin or a rebirth from a previous religion. They still looked to animal sacrifices. But in the Messianic Judaism of Jesus, water baptism is exactly that, a cleansing of sin by the blood of Jesus, and a rebirth from a previous religion into the Kingdom of God. Jesus spoke this with clarity in John 3:3-5 and questioned Nicodemus why he did not know these things since they were practiced by the Pharisees and Saducees concerning their own converts. In the Jewish *mikvah* baptisms a person must be naked and must dip themselves three times (in private with at least one witness). There is no baptizer as in the case of John and Jesus and the others who baptized converts in their clothes before the public.
In Jewish convert *mikvah* baptisms, the presiding Rabbi would require the candidate to bring forth fruits of repentance. This was done by the convert making certain confessions for sins. In most cases the convert is led through a series of questions and must answer them correctly before being allowed to self baptise themselves. Although these questions are not found in the New Testament text, nor are they mentioned in relationship to New Testament baptisms, nevertheless, it was expected of the baptismal candidate that they make a public statement or acts or repentance prior to baptism. Now repentance is not just praying prayers of being sorry for sins. Repentance is a forsaking of sin and an announcement of forsaking sin. Thus, it is perfectly ok if a Minister wants to lead his convert through the following questions while they are standing in the separation (repentance) waters of baptism:
1.) Do you of your own free will come to these separation waters of baptism by faith, and choose to enter into the covenant of Jesus Messiah and into the Kingdom of God?
2.) Do you accept the Messianic Judaism of Jesus as your faith to the exclusion of all other religious faith and practices?
3.) Do you pledge your loyalty to Jesus and the Kingdom of God and promise never to deny them?
4.) Do you desire to become a (son or daughter) of God and to enter into the Israel of God?
5.) Do you this day commit your soul, mind, and body, to be immersed into the New Testament Scriptures?
6.) Do you promise to establish a holy home and to be faithful in Church and as a witness to the world?
7.) If you have or will be blessed with children or grandchildren will you promise to raise them as believers in Jesus Messiah?
8.) Do you now as Ruth, say unto the members of the Kingdom of God: "Your people shall become my people and your God my God?
9.) Do you desire to give up all of your Gentile birth to become a *Jew by Choice* in the Messianic Judaism of Jesus?
10.) Do you now repent of all your sins and desire to be born of the water and of the Spirit?
These may be read by the Minister while standing in the water with the convert.
It is perfectly acceptable for the Minister to read Ezekiel 36:25-28 prior to invoking that found in Acts 2:38.
Holy Spirit baptism may or may not occur at this water baptism. Several factors come into play here and the faith of the convert is the deciding factor. Many come to baptism but in their heart there is not a full and a total acceptance of the way of life that they appear to be adopting and accepting. Only the Lord can judge these hearts. One thing is certain, no one will receive the Holy Ghost baptism until their faith is acceptable unto the Lord Jesus. Holy Spirit baptism is God's own sign that he has accepted a person's faith and their worship. Thus, for a convert these two essentials must be united before the Holy Spirit baptism will be received. A candidate should be encouraged to continue in their faith and to enter into worship of the Lord. When the heart and mind is right, Spirit baptism will come. The initial evidence of Spirit baptism is the gift of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance (Acts 2:1-4). A convert should not seek tongues but rather Spirit baptism. When Spirit baptism comes, the Spirit gives the utterance in other tongues. What a mighty and glorious experience, a refreshing, from the Lord unto the soul.
Because I Love
Jesus
I began this journey because I love one Jew.
In my mind I visualize, that at the very first,
the Apostles and first Messiahians did the same,
following the King from Gilgal to Calvary
through all the hatred and persecution, and the terrors in the temple
because they loved him no matter what the Messiah's doctrine or teachings
or perhaps because of his doctrine and teachings.
I have begun my Aliyeh, a journey with Jesus, with the Jew that I
love.
This is my Messianic Faith, I will embrace your
Covenant Jesus, I accept my
newborn birth. Lead me and guide me, I am yours Lord!
