|
Ask The Pastor
Thursday, September 12, 2002
Una,
I'll break your questions into parts and try to provide some answers
that may help you.
> Question:
> I have been arguing with my boyfriend that I am a
Jew. He said that if
> I am a Jew then I must believe in God.
Are your parents Jewish? Being a Jew can mean different things to
different people.
Your boy friend is thinking in terms of 'Judaism.' Judaism is the
religion of the Jews. But the problem is that some Jews are not
religious at all. They are simply Jews by culture. This is why it is not
uncommon to find Jews who do not believe in God. Is your
boyfriend Jewish?
> I asked him what God is and he said that it is a
super-natural being.
Yes, God is supernatural. The Bible says that God is Spirit.
> I told him that i belive in some super-natural
power and not being.
The fact that you believe in some super-natural power means that
you have a consciousness that there is something outside yourself
that is powerful. The reason you believe that way, is because you
were created to believe in God. Now you just need to find Him.
> Can you explain to me what God is?
We were created in God's image and likeness. That means in part
that we humans are sort of mirror reflections of God Himself. This
also means that God has Personhood. And because God has
Personhood, we can know Him on a personal basis. If you are
created in the image of God, and I can know you, then it must
mean that we can also know God.
> In terms of Judaism, what does it do?
First, you need to stop thinking of God as 'it'. God is the creator and
sustainer of life and of all things. The Hebrew Scriptures tell us a lot
about God. As a Person, He loves. God has emotions and feelings.
> Does it control this world?
Yes, God is in charge of this world.
> Does it help each individual?
God is especially involved in the lives of those who believe in Him.
But He also loves the entire world. It is not His desire that humans
hurt one another. I would say that God helps individuals.
> Did it just make this world and leave it up to its
own faith?
God created the word through His own Word. The Bible opens with
this statement, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the
surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light!'" (Genesis
1:1-3)
The ancient Jewish scholars said that 'the Spirit of God' was the
Spirit of Messiah. They also said that the 'Light' was a special light
that was made for people to live their lives in. But when the first
man Adam turned from God, this Light was hidden. It was to be
given once again only when Messiah comes.
In the meantime, God kept His presence in the world by various
means. He sent angels to different people at different times. He
choose the Jewish nation to represent Him in a special way. They
were to prepare the way for Messiah. The Jewish people in their
religion have a great concern for Messiah.
There was a Jewish baby born about 2000 years ago than many
Jews believed was Messiah. But many of the Jews didn't think He
was Messiah. The Jewish baby was named Yeshua, which means,
the Lord is salvation. Yeshua caused a division among the Jews.
The Jews who accepted Him as Messiah, later took to themselves
the name Christian. These were Christian Jews. The Jews who
rejected Him as Messiah, continued with the name Jews. But both
groups were Jews.
Since that time many Gentiles have joined themselves to the
Christian Jews. And today many more Jews are turning to Yeshua
as Messiah. Are you familiar with this?
> Please write back to me. Thank you.
Una, if you could tell me a little more about yourself it would help
me provide better answers to your questions.
Feel free to write me again,
Buddy
Bro. Buddy Martin - Ask
the Pastor
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
Back to the Christian Challenge International home page!
|
