LCJE Bulletin Issue 100, May 2010
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LCJE Bulletin Issue 100, May 2010 Networking Jewish Evangelism LCJELausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism Networking Jewish Evangelism From the Coordinator LCJE Turns 30 LCJELausanne Consultation LCJE turns 30 in June this year, and the Lausanne Movement, on Jewish Evangelism which LCJE is a part of, will be holding its third world congress in Cape Town, South Africa, in October. The following three quota- LCJE Bulletin Issue no. 100 tions spell out what LCJE stands for. May 2010 Consultation on World Evangelization, Pattaya, Thailand 1980 © Lausanne Consultation on In the report Christian Witness to the Jewish People it is said in Jewish Evangelism the conclusion: Editor : Kai Kjær-Hansen Including Jewish people is a test of our willingness to be involved Linguistic editor : Cindy Osborne in world evangelization. It is a test of our faith in the one exclusive Design : Chris Skjøtt way of salvation and of our proclamation of Christ as an adequate Saviour for those who are apparently adequate so far as worldly Printed by : Yorke Printe Shoppe righteousness is concerned. Lumbard, IL 60148 Published : February, May, Lausanne II in Manila, The Philippines 1989 August, and November In the Manila Manifesto it is said in the section “The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ”: Individual membership US $25 annually; subscription US $15; It is sometimes held that in virtue of God’s covenant with Abra- payable to LCJE ham, Jewish people do not need to acknowledge Jesus as their Our bankers are : Messiah. We affirm that they need him as much as anyone else, Den Danske Bank that it would be a form of anti-Semitism, as well as being disloyal SWIFT-address : DABADKKK to Christ, to depart from the New Testament pattern of taking the Reg.no. 3652 gospel to “the Jew first . .” We therefore reject the thesis that Account no. 4803086338 Jews have their own covenant which renders faith in Jesus un- IBAN : DK6430004803086338 necessary. Or cheque drawn on a Danish bank and sent to LCJE/Kai The Lausanne Movement’s 2004 Forum in Pattaya, Thailand Kjær-Hansen (address on back From the document Jewish Evangelism: A Call to the Church: cover) Finally and fundamentally Jewish evangelism is necessary for the sake of God’s love and His glory. A “no” to Jewish evangelism CONTENTS implies that the death of Jesus for sin was insignificant and would lead to a great omission from the Great Commission. A “no” to 2 From the Coordinator 3 Racing with Each Other Jewish evangelism withholds God’s saving love from the people 4 LCJE Bulletin: 100th Edition of Israel. A “yes” to Jewish evangelism opens the door for Jewish 5 LCJE Bulletin: Issues 1-100 people to share in God’s glory as revealed in the new covenant or 7 Two people Are Better “testament.” Than One The church must consider these matters and again en- 9 LCJE 30 years dorse and commit itself to Jewish evangelism. 12 Deadly Competition in Christian Much is at stake. Ministries to the Jews Book If Jesus is not the Messiah for the Jewish people then 18 Review: A Tribute to Moishe Rosen neither is He Christ for the nations. 19 Do Jews have a Jesus Problem? Either Jesus is the Messiah for all, or He is not the Mes- 20 George Gruen: A Father of the siah at all. Modern Messianic Jewish Movement We expect that later this year, from Lausanne III in Cape Town, 21 Book Review: Jewish Inter- we shall see similarly positive and binding statements on Jewish marriage Around the World evangelism. Kai Kjær-Hansen 2 Racing with Each Other By Bob Mendelsohn, LCJE Coordinator for AustralAsia Races. I really enjoy watch- We are all in the contest ing some of them. Cars fly at Although I enjoy sport as up to 360 km/h (220 mph) much as the next guy, and around city streets in the contests are there to be Grand Prix. Horses clomp won, Hebrews 12 says as with small men atop them in much about contests as I matching silks. Motorcycles needed at that moment. buzz through hairpin turns. There we are taught, “Let Runners, each groomed us run with endurance the and tanned, complete 1500 race that is set before us, meters, the winner less than fixing our eyes on Y’shua the a second ahead of his near- Bob Mendelsohn author and perfecter of our est two competitors. Races faith.” I’m struck by the plu- – we gave our eyes and our the speed of the toll collec- ral pronouns “us” and “our’” nights to many during the tor and the possible delays in the text. We all are in the recent Vancouver Olympics. of others in the queue. OK, contest. Not Bob versus an- I cannot imagine training for maybe it’s not the best use other, but the people of God 10 years or more to succeed of my time, but I do it none- versus the enemies. in one race, only to fall short theless. Or in 1 Corinthians 9:24: or not even finish. The contestants in races “Do you not know that those Ponder the men’s 10,000m jockey for position, ready- who run in a race all run, but speed skating race. Dutch ing for the right moment to only one receives the prize? speed skater Sven Kramer pass one another and push Run in such a way that you was the hot favorite to win. to victory. I thought of that may win.” But don’t miss it; He crossed the line four in a recent meeting where the “you” who wins is plural! seconds ahead of his near- some agencies were discuss- So when some from LCJE est challenger from Korea. It ing the attendees going to get to go to LCWE in Cape- wasn’t even close. But with the 3rd LCWE conference town, we all win! When Mi- eight laps remaining, Kram- in South Africa. Some were chael Brown debates some- er’s coach Gerard Kemkers working hard to get there, one and the gospel goes had sent him into the wrong while others were lying low. forth, when my friend shares lane. Thus Kramer was It seemed a race, with a the gospel with his neighbor, disqualified, with nothing to year to go! I pondered the we all can claim victory. It’s show for all his efforts. “me too” reality. I wondered good we can rejoice with where my own heart was one another in the good Like Olympians in relation to visiting and things at Muchan or at LCJE Like Olympians, I participate participating at LCWE as an in AustralAsia or when Jews in a silent race each time LCJE representative. As an for Jesus has a campaign of many lanes narrow to one, American expatriate, it was proclamation in Israel. God and I approach a toll plaza unlikely I would be invited. is good; we all win the prize or push my shopping trol- There were, no doubt, ten of sharing in his glory. How ley in the market towards times as many Americans good is that! the checkout. I wonder if as others who put up their Bob Mendelsohn I will win against, say, the hands to join the queue. But [email protected] red Ford or the woman with what would I say or how the yellow jacket. This silent would I relate to racing my race causes me to calculate way there? 3 LCJE Bulletin: 100th Edition By Tuvya Zaretsky, President of LCJE Our friend Moishe Rosen are arranged for the benefit might say, “If we didn’t have of those engaged in Jewish an LCJE Bulletin, we would evangelism. All of that is vital need to invent one.” With this for the activity of agencies the 100th issue of the Bulle- and people who are network- tin, we pause and appreciate ing to communicate the good the wonderful resource that it news of Messiah Yeshua to is for the Lausanne Consulta- the global Jewish community tion on Jewish Evangelism. in the 21st century. The LCJE Bulletin provides It is worth noting that a historical record of what all of this has been done, has taken place in the field throughout the publication of Jewish evangelism since of 100 issues, without tak- the mid 1980s. Many of us ing a single paid advertise- have appreciated access to ment. All of the contributions Bulletin articles from which Tuvya Zaretsky – articles, reports, and papers we have made citations in – have been submitted by our papers, reports, and ministry Jewish evangelism. It is the members and are published newsletters. We have accu- LCJE members who contribute without remuneration. The mulated almost three decades all of that information for the cost of editing, printing, and of material that documents benefit of the entire network. mailing the Bulletin is pro- the activities, thinking, trends, The Bulletin provides mem- vided entirely through LCJE meetings, and membership bers with an opportunity to membership dues. of those laboring in the field publish articles on theological I hope you agree that we of Jewish evangelism at the and missiological thinking for have a valuable resource in transition from the 20th to the benefit of our field and the LCJE Bulletin. On this the 21st centuries. And, Lord the global church. Thanks occasion of our 100th issue, willing, the LCJE Bulletin will to our editors, it has been I want to express apprecia- continue to provide docu- circulated to libraries, mis- tion to our editor, Kai Kjær- mentation of our unique and sion agencies, and training Hansen, our linguistic editor, strategic network.