The Last Word

Recently, at a Christian conference, I had the tremendous privilege of standing behind an orthodox Jewish man and watch him worship, name the Name of Yeshua, applaud the speakers and enter into the joy of the Lord. In addition to our worshiping Jewish brother, we also had a collection of Spirit-filled speakers, unafraid to speak out boldly with care, compassion and focus. It was like being in a warm swiftly moving prophetic stream, with issues being presented that were relevant and vital. There we received what we felt was the commission for the Company: Preach and guard the everlasting the Gospel - the real Gospel - support Israel, celebrate the feasts of the Lord, take the choir out into the highways and byways and declare and share the faith. The day after was a down day: Religion and discouragement; wheat and tares; a spiritual blow from the blue. It has to be expected when you come down from the mountain.

But it's been a good week in many respects: For example, sitting down round the most enormous kitchen table, the stone smooth and cold as glass, sharing with a couple about the feasts of the Lord and finding that I was evangelising at the same time. How do you explain the feasts without sharing about Jesus? No, we are not Orthodox Jews; we're not bound by the strict requirements of the Law, such as the separation of meat and dairy items in the kitchen and such like. We're just following the command: 'Celebrate the feasts of the Lord'. They're His feasts, not exclusively those of the Jews. I was handed a most delicious sounding menu: Honey roasted tomato lamb tagine, followed by baked apples filled with dates and dipped in honey. Jewish people certainly know how to eat!

I'd also found myself in conversation with that Jewish friend sitting just in front of us at the conference. Sadly, he told me about the anti-Semitism he had experienced in England. I told him about the Dreyfus play that I am waiting to stage. His quick eye and sharp humour was a joy; we must have spoken for about half and hour. He was so self-effacing; he apologised for being intense and talkative but framed his self-analysis by saying: "You'd be intense if you had God after you all your life!" I remembered someone once saying that the existence of God could be proved in two words: 'the Jew.' And Jesus, the Jew will have the last word. 'Come blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom.' Jew and Gentile together, one new man.