"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11).
Join us as Rabbi Schneider delves into the trustworthiness of the New Testament, examining criteria that historians have used to judge ancient documents. Discover how the words and testimonies of those who walked alongside Jesus offer solid ground for faith and understanding. Whether you're seeking to deepen your faith or exploring these enduring works, this episode is a chance to feel the historical and personal weight of Jesus’ presence, and to consider the transformative power His words have over our lives today.
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Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I'm your host, Dustin Roberts. And for the next 25 minutes, we're going to be looking at life's most important questions. Sometimes we can feel like just another face in the crowd. But what if I told you that you're not just a statistic, you're a unique individual with a purpose and your purpose goes beyond your daily routine. It's true. Today, Rabbi Schneider, he's going to explain why God's not just interested in humanity as a whole, but in you individually. This message is called The Accuracy of Scripture. And if you'd like to learn more about Rabbi or this ministry, go online to our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
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Father, we bless you today. Lord Jesus, our Messiah, we bless you today. And we pray that you will use this broadcast to bring people to salvation and to cause us to become greater soul winners for you. And all God's people spoke Hebrew and said, Amen and Amen. We began to say that the most profound questions in life are these. Who am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here? What's going to happen to me when I die? And what am I on earth for? We said that these questions can really only be answered in the light of eternity. I pointed out the fallacies in getting our identity from this world or in living for the things of this world, because all that's in this world is passing away. But Jesus said, if you build your house on me, it's like a man that built this house on a rock. and your house is going to stand, even when the waves come and the storm blows, you're going to stand because you built your house in the eternal. We talked about that. But I want to move on today, beloved, to dwelling deeper into a subject that I touched on in the earlier broadcast that answers these questions and helps answer these questions, and that is this. Do the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament really give us the answers to life's greatest questions? Does the Bible, the Word of God, really answer the questions, who am I? Why am I here? And what happens to me when I die? Well, we know the Bible begins with these words in the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Beloved, there is no other way to answer the existence of the universe and the reality of our existence other than the fact that there was a first cause. The Big Bang does not answer the problem of first cause. It had to start somewhere. It had to start with the cause that had no cause, and that first cause is God. The second area that we need to dwell and that I want to dwell in more deeply today is, but does the Bible really accurately record for us what Jesus said? In other words, does Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, when they record for us the words of Jesus, is the Bible an accurate record of what Jesus really said? Can it really be trusted? As I said on an earlier broadcast, no one doubts The literal historical personage of Jesus of Nazareth. Everybody knows, all historians, secular, religious alike, know that there was a literal historical person that walked upon the earth, Jesus of Nazareth. The question was, who was he? And we talked about that. The greatest amount of information that we have on who this Jesus was is the New Testament. But the question is, can the New Testament be trusted? And does it accurately record for us what Jesus did and what He said? Now I alluded to the fact earlier that Ancient historical documents were judged by certain criteria that historians agreed upon. And the New Testament writings, beloved, have the highest credibility in terms of the tests that they passed for being considered a valid, authentic, historical document. Why? Because number one, the New Testament was written by people that actually lived during Jesus' lifetime. It wasn't written by people that lived hundreds of years after his death. Alexander the Great, the records that we have of him, were written by people that lived more than 100 years after his life, yet no one doubts the accuracy of them. How much better the New Testament that wasn't written by people that lived 100 years after Jesus died, but rather the New Testament was written by people that walked with Jesus, that heard what he said, that touched him. In fact, Paul documented the people that Jesus appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And Paul starts out at the grave that Jesus appeared after he had risen from the dead, first to the two women at the tomb. And then Jesus appeared to the disciples, his apostles. And then Paul said this, not only did he appear to the apostles, Not only did he appear to the two women at the grave, he's not saying this is only symbolic. He's saying this is real. He really appeared to these people. He said, not only that, Paul said, but he appeared to me. I was on the road to Damascus to arrest, Paul said, any Jew that was believing in Jesus. And while I was on the road, Jesus appeared to me and he blinded me and knocked me off my horse. And I was on the ground blind and I couldn't see. And I spoke to the one that had blinded me. And I said, who are you? And he said, I'm Jesus who you are persecuting. Now get up and it will be told what you must do for me. So Paul says, he's alive. He's real. He appeared to me and the words that I'm giving you, these aren't fairy tales. These aren't myths. We're not making these up. I met Jesus. He spoke to me. But I love what Paul said next. Paul said, not only that, But this Jesus appeared to 500 people that were gathered together in one place all at the same time. And Paul said this, and most of those of the 500 that he appeared to at the same time, he said, are still alive today. And so Paul's making this historical argument that, no, this Jesus of Nazareth, He's not a figment of somebody's imagination. He's a real historical reality. He's the God of the universe that became flesh, who entered into space and time and revealed Himself to us. And John said, and of His glory we all received and we all saw. And so, This Jesus, beloved, it's not the Jesus that we think of when we think of Easter bunnies and fairy tales. No, Jesus is God. And He's alive, He's here, He really came, and He's making a demand on your life and in my life. And He's saying, unless you repent, you shall perish. He said, unless you believe, Jesus said, that I am He. Who is He? God in the flesh that died for your sin that died for your sin and made a way for you to come into relationship with God and go to heaven. Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin.
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You're listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider. He's going to be right back. But first, I want to let you know that you can watch full episodes of Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku television. We have episodes that are filmed in the Holy Land and outreach events from Nigeria and Gulu, Uganda, all sorts of places. Every episode is available to help deepen your understanding of scripture and the Jewish roots of your faith. So search for Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku today. Did you know that this ministry is all about preparing the way for the inevitable return of King Jesus? Well, it's true. And we'd love for you to partner with us in this life-changing mission today. Together, we will change lives, not just locally, but all over the world. To support this team, call 800-777-7835. That's 800-777-7835. Or you can visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
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Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin. Now again, how do we know that? Because the New Testament tells us this, but can the New Testament be trusted? And that's what I was making the point of, that according to the standards of historians, the New Testament passed all the tests in flying colors of that which can be trusted as an ancient historical document, because it was written by people, listen, that were alive during Jesus's own lifetime. not people that lived 100 years after he died, people that walked with him, people that talked with him while he walked on earth, people that he appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And not only that, beloved, we have a multiplicity of witnesses, not only Peter, James, Paul, and all the writers of the New Testament, but others, beloved, that Paul was speaking of the 500 people at the same time, as well as people like myself and some of you today that Jesus has supernaturally appeared to. So we do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus in the New Testament, that they could be trusted, that this is a reliable, historical, accurate document telling us what Jesus said. And what did Jesus say? He didn't teach the doctrine of political correctness today. He didn't say all roads lead to the same place. He didn't say that as long as you're a good person, you can go to heaven. He didn't say that it doesn't matter if you don't believe in me, as long as you believe in God, you're a good person. No, Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you'll die in your sins. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to God but by me. You see, beloved one, it's not going to be long before you and I die. And when we do, it's going to be too late. Because the Bible said it's appointed for man once to die and then comes the judgment. That when you and I die, it's over. We'll have made our decision. And some of you are listening to this broadcast and God is knocking at the door of your heart. The Bible says, if today you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Because what happens is, when the Holy Spirit is knocking on the door of our heart, when God is beckoning us, come. When we feel the weight of the Holy Spirit on us, nudging us to humble ourselves, to ask God, forgive me, forgive me. I've sinned. I need to turn my life over to you. I want this to be a new beginning for me. When we feel God doing that, beloved, if we open our heart and invite him in, Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you open the door, I'm going to come into you and we're going to be in relationship together and you're going to be saved. But Jesus said, unless we open the door of our heart, if we feel him knocking and we don't respond, if we keep our heart hard, if we don't yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit, if we don't soften ourselves to the presence of God and open up and let him in and say, yes, what happens, the Bible says, is that God begins to withdraw himself from us. so that we don't have an opportunity anymore. In other words, the Bible says God will not strive with man forever. But when men refuse, listen now, to receive a love of the truth, when it's being offered to them, There comes a point where God will stop offering, He'll withdraw Himself, and He'll let that person that resisted permanently become hardened. And the result of that, according to the Word of God, if the Word of God is true, that person will spend the rest of their life, the rest of eternity in hell. Now, I know today hell is not a popular doctrine, but do you know that the Bible actually talks more about hell than about heaven? And as I said earlier, Jesus said straight and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. But broad and wide is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that take it. You see, there's thousands of ways to be wrong, but there's only one way to be right. You can be wrong by giving your life over to entertainment. You can be wrong by giving your life over to sex. You can be wrong by giving your life over to careers. You can be wrong by giving your life over to another person. You can be wrong by living your life trying to please other people. You can be wrong a thousand different ways, but there's only one way to be right, and that's to live your life and for me to live my life for Jesus. So right now, I want to give you an opportunity, if God's knocking at your heart, just to say, Jesus, I feel you. This is true. Forgive me of my sin. I receive you. Come into me and save me now. So if you'd like to repeat after me now, let's just do that. Lord Jesus, I sense that this is your Holy Spirit speaking to me. I turn to you now. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Thank you for dying for me. I acknowledge you died in my place on the cross and I receive your gift of forgiveness, your gift of salvation. Please forgive me now. Wash me of my sins by your blood. Come into my life by your Holy Spirit and save me. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Now, if you just prayed that prayer, beloved one, I want to encourage you to call a pastor somewhere, look in the phone book under evangelical churches or Bible-believing churches, call some churches up, say, do you believe that the Bible is literally the Word of God? Look for a Bible-believing church. Make an appointment with the pastor. Tell that pastor what you did. Tell that pastor that you want to start living your life as a committed Christian, or if you have friends or family members that are committed Christians, call them and start following Jesus. Do something immediately to begin to put into practice the commitment that you just made to the Lord. Start attending church on a regular basis. Start giving your finances to God. Start serving God's people in the church. Start living your life as a Christian. Start reading the Bible. I want to encourage you to start reading in the Gospel of John and just read straight through. I don't know if it's a chapter a day, two chapters a day, whether you're going to be so hungry you'll read the whole book at once. But read the Bible at least a couple chapters every single day. Start moving, beloved, into this new life and old things are going to pass away for you and all things are going to become new and Jesus is going to bless you. He said, seek first the kingdom of God and everything else shall be added unto you. Oh, my goodness gracious. Father God, we that know you repent of not being greater soul winners. Father God, of letting loved ones that we know that don't know you, letting them, Father God, go to hell without ever witnessing to them. So, Father, I pray that you would put a great spirit of courage on your people that are watching this broadcast right now, that they would begin to tell their friends and neighbors and loved ones about you, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen. What do you think of Jesus? I got this concept, beloved, from a dream that God gave me that he was showing me how we need to be witnessing to people and how imperative it is. In this dream, I found myself in a room. And in the room, beloved, was a simple couch. I was sitting on the couch. There was a lady sitting next to me. I couldn't see her face. And the next to the lady on the other side of the couch was this big guy about probably 6'3", 200-something pounds. And I had my head leaning on this lady next to me. And I felt like after the dream was over, the Lord was telling me it was just a symbol of being secure in relationship. You know, David said in one of his Psalms that he had stilled his soul like a child at rest on his mama's knee. You know, God is predominantly obviously revealed in the New Testament as Father, but within God's nature are also the feminine attributes. In fact, in some of God's Hebrew titles, we have him revealing himself to us in the feminine. For example, when he revealed himself to Moses, and all God's goodness passed by, and the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, and the Lord said, I am Yahweh God, compassionate. And that word for compassionate, which is the first word that the Lord used in describing himself to Moses, actually comes from the Hebrew word rachum, which is a feminine word. It means mercy. And so predominantly, we refer to him as our father. But within God is both the male and female natures. So in this dream, getting back to the dream, I had my head leaning on this woman. I couldn't even see her face. I think it just meant securing the relationship the way a young infant is secure in its mother's arms. And then I turned to the man that was sitting on the couch and I asked him this simple question. What do you think of Jesus. Immediately, the dream shifted. I found myself in a second room. I'm sitting on a couch, and there's a young woman in the room, about 23 years old. And I say to this woman, listen, beloved ones, the same question. I believe that God Himself, by the Holy Spirit, gave me the question. I said to her this, what do you think of Jesus. And she answered and said this, well, I know he said a lot to the church, but he never said anything to me like about being boyfriend, girlfriend. And I know that sounds strange when I say that to you. And then the dream was over. And I knew when it was over that it was too strange. The whole thing was too strange. What are you saying? And the Lord was saying to me, what was happening in that second phase of the dream is that I was showing you that there are so many people out there, they've heard that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. but they never heard, the Lord was showing me, that I love them uniquely, especially, and individually. And that's what that girl was saying in the dream. Well, I know he said he loved the church. I know that he loves the world generically, but I never heard him say anything to me about being boyfriend, girlfriend. You see, she was wanting an intimate relationship. In fact, it's a type of relationship that Jesus is calling us to. He's calling to us, beloved ones, to Revelation 19, to the marriage supper of the Lamb. So God was telling me, when you witness to people, my church, don't just witness to them generally. Don't just say that God so loved the world. But when you witness to people, witness to them in such a way that you tell them that I love them. that, for example, if their name is Bill or Mary, you say, Bill, Mary, God loves you so specifically, personally. Bill, Mary, He knows everything that's going on in your life. And Bill, He's got a special plan for you. Mary, He's got a special destiny for you. Mary, God created you for Himself. Bill, God loves you more than you could ever realize. But the only way you're going to know His love The only way you're going to fulfill his purpose for your life, Bill Murray, is when you invite him into your life and make him the center of your life. God loves you today. He loves you individually, specifically, and specially. Would you receive him right now? He's knocking at the door of your heart. Beloved, the Bible speaks of there being a famine on the earth, not for food, but for the Word of God. You know, we're living in a time where there truly is a famine on the earth for the Word of God. So much teaching and preaching today is based on just making people feel good. But the truth oftentimes is not being taught. I want to ask you, beloved, to support me and to support this ministry. We're committed to teaching the truth and supporting this ministry, beloved. It ensures that I'm going to continue to be a blessing to you and that you're going to be used of God and rewarded for building his kingdom on the earth. Beloved, just do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. That's all I've ever asked. If you sense him leading you to financially support me in this ministry, just obey him immediately. If you don't, don't do it. Just obey him, beloved, and you're going to be blessed. There always is a blessing. Now, Dustin, can you share with our listeners how they can support us and give?
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I'd be happy to, Rabbi. If you sense the Lord knocking on the door of your heart and leading you to financially support discovering the Jewish Jesus with a gift of any amount, then please reach out to us today. Call us at 800-777-7835. And if it's easier, you can give online at our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And for those of you who feel called to support this ministry even further, I want you to know about a great resource and our partnership with Freewill. Freewill is an online and intuitive platform that simplifies the process of creating a will. It's free and it's user-friendly. And when you use free will, you can ensure that your earthly blessings continue to further the kingdom's work even after your days here on this earth are done. If you'd like to discover more about free will, I want to encourage you visit DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com. Click on the resources tab and then need a will. You'll find all the details. It's free and it's easy. Once again, thanks so much for helping us extend our message and bring the hope and the healing of the Jewish Jesus to so many people all over the entire world. Once again, our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777 Blissfield, Michigan 49228. And many people, sometimes they don't remember that you can also text in your donation. Just type the keyword rabbi to the phone number 45777. We look forward to hearing from you soon. And now let's wrap up today's message on the accuracy of Scripture with God's sacred and special blessing. Rabbi.
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What I love about the Aaronic blessing is that it did not originate with man. The words actually proceeded from the very essence of God himself. The blessing comes from the book of Numbers, chapter six. So listen to these words and receive the blessing of the Lord into your life today.
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Yevarechech Yahweh, vayishmarecha. Yair Yahweh, penavelecha, vichunecha. Shalom.
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The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
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This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I'm Dustin Roberts. Come back next week when Rabbi Schneider gives us some deep revelation from the book of Ephesians. That's Monday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
Join Rabbi Schneider as he unveils the mysteries of existence through simple yet profound questions that have baffled humankind for ages. This episode delves into the philosophical and theological implications of who we are and where we come from. As false ideologies and societal pressures blur the truth, Rabbi Schneider shines a light on the importance of building one's identity on eternal foundations, rather than mutable modern constructs. This journey not only clarifies our beginnings but also offers insight into living a life aligned with divine will, ensuring a trajectory towards spiritual fulfillment.
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This is Discovering the Jewish Jesus and I'm your host, Dustin Roberts. Today, Rabbi Schneider reveals the answers to life's most important questions. life can feel like a maze of uncertainty sometimes and we can easily rush through our days we can get caught up in endless tasks and worries and rarely pause to ask questions that really matter beyond the job titles the social media profiles and like expectations that we place upon others there is a deeper identity that is waiting for us to be discovered Today, Rabbi Schneider, he wants to help us go beyond the surface. And you can learn more about this ministry when you visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. But now, let's get started.
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Father, we pray that you would use this broadcast to extend your kingdom, Father God, over the earth. Jesus, that you would be lifted up and glorified. You said, Lord Jesus, that if you be lifted up, you would draw all men to yourself. Satan, we take authority over you and everything that hinders. And now, Jesus, we say that you will release your Holy Spirit and release your ministering spirits to bring all those that you're calling into salvation today unto yourself for your name and your fame. And all of us that are in agreement with this spoke Hebrew and said, amen and amen. Think about the most profound questions in life. Sometimes we're so busy taking care of the urgent, taking care of the things that we need to deal with on a daily basis, getting in our car, going to work, taking care of children, taking care of grandchildren, focusing on our health and all the things that we deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes we lose focus of what is of primary importance Consider for a moment some of life's biggest questions. Who am I? I mean, who are you really? Do you know most of us, if you think about this, spend our lives leading our lives through what we're imagining somebody else is thinking about us? Think about the foulness of that. We ask ourselves, who are we and how do we try to figure out who we are? We try to figure out who we are by imagining what we think somebody else is thinking about us. We don't even know what they're thinking about us. We shouldn't even care what they're thinking about us. But how much focus and how much energy is placed on imagining how we're appearing to other people and what we're imagining they're thinking about us. Is that what life is about? What does it matter what they think about us? Does that determine who we are, what somebody else thinks about us, a person that's nothing, that's going to return to the dust of the earth? And yet many people are trapped in that foul, demonic reality, spending all their time spinning, concerned with what they think other people are thinking about them. And the whole thing is an imagination of the devil. It's foul. It's demonic. Break that off your people, I pray today, Lord Jesus. In your name right now, I take authority by the Spirit of God and the Word of God over the deception and the illusion that is shackling your people, that they're living their lives through the vain imagination of what they think somebody else is thinking about them rather than knowing who they are before you and who they are in your love. So Father, we ask that we would know ourself in your love. You created us. Let us know, Father, who we are in you and let us have peace before you. And so we're asking ourselves the most profound questions in life. We began by asking, who am I? And beloved, who we are is determined by asking the question, where did we come from? If we know where we've come from, which is the second question, then we'll better know who we are. So the second profound question that I want to pose today is this, where Did you come from? Where did we come from? Of course, we know today that people in the school systems are being taught the theory of evolution, not in the sense of, yes, that there's been evolution within species. We know that this happens. We're not talking about evolution in that sense. We're talking about the fact that children are being taught as even many of you have been taught. that they came from a big bang that happened in outer space. I know I'm preaching to the choir now, thousands and billions of years ago, and there's no explanation as to why the big bang took place. The thing to me that's so preposterous about this is God said, let there be light, and there was a bang. I've got no problem with the big bang. But the question is people that don't connect a big bang to God, And I'm not advocating the Big Bang theory in any way, shape, or form. I'm just saying God can use a Big Bang. Maybe when he said, let there be light, bam, maybe there was a Big Bang. But the problem with the people that are hardcore evolutionists that are using the Big Bang theory without it being in relationship to God creating all things, they always have to ask the question, but where did the Big Bang come from? or if they say that life started out as a result of the Big Bang, which then caused a single cell type of a organism to come forth, they always have to ask the question, but where did the single cell come from? And to me, the question always begs to be asked, What was the beginning? What was before that? What was before the Big Bang? What was before the single cell? And there's only one answer for that. Otherwise, the question keeps going on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. What was before that? What was before that? What was before that? What caused that? What caused that? The only way you can stop that type of questioning is with the first verse of the Bible. in the beginning, God, that God is the first cause. And with all the sophistication of this scientific information that's coming forward, it's amazing to me how the most simple question of all can be ignored, and that is, where did that come from? It had to start somewhere. There had to be a first cause. It had to start with the cause that in itself had no cause. And that cause, beloved, is God. No, we can't understand it. We can't put it in a microscope because God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. And we in our finite minds cannot comprehend eternity, a God who always was. We can't comprehend that. And what pride there is in us to think that we should be able to comprehend it. What pride there is in the individual that thinks that they should be able to put God in a microscope and be able to explain him. That's from a person that's placing himself above God. No, we are the creature, not the creator. And so the only way we can know who we are is when we know where we've come from. You know, in my life's journey, I used to have a lot of contentment years ago as a young person in my athleticism. I was a tremendous athlete in school. I lived it, ate it, drank it, slept it when I was in high school. It was all about becoming state champ in the sport of wrestling that I was in. And you know what? As long as I was deceived into thinking that that was what life is about, I was fine because I couldn't see beyond wrestling as a 15-year-old, 16-year-old, 17-year-old, and 18-year-old. I just thought I was going to become state champ, and then life was going to be one big honeymoon after that. Life was going to be one big party. But what happened was wrestling ended. And when wrestling ended, my world fell apart. And I realized from that experience that anything that I build my life on in this world is going to end. And if I build my life and get my identity from something in this world, I'm destined for destruction because everything in this world ends. If I'm building my life on being a successful attorney or an successful banker, a successful stockbroker, a successful doctor, a successful whatever your profession is, if you're building your life on your profession, guess what? It's going to end. And if your whole identity is based on your profession, if your profession is defining who you are, guess what? What are you going to feel like when it ends, when you're 65 or 70 and your career's over? You're going to be lost, just like I felt when wrestling ended. You're not going to know who you are anymore. You're not going to have any sense of value or significance anymore because it was all based on your career. This is why sometimes mothers struggle so much when their children leave home because their primary identity was tied to their children. You see, beloved, I realized back in the 1970s when wrestling ended for me that I needed to build a life on something that was eternal. I didn't want to build my life anymore on something that was going to one day end. And the way we can build a life on something that's going to keep growing and never end, that comes when we realize that who we are is based on the fact that God created us for His own purposes. And when we begin to build our life in God, we're building our life on something that's never going to end. We're building an identity in something that's not going to be taken away from us. That's why Jesus said, He that builds their life upon me is like a person that builds his house on a rock. Because when life changes and the waves come and the winds blow, you're going to stand because you built your house on a rock that's not going to be shaken. It's not going to be shifted when everything else in life changes. But Jesus also said, if you don't build your life on me, if you build it on your marriage first, if you build it on your money first, if you build it on your career first, if you build it on your looks first, if you build it on your kids first, if you build your life on anything but me, Jesus, what's going to happen? You're going to see. Life is going to change. And when life changed, because you built your house on something that wasn't permanent, you're going to be washed away in a flood. And so these profound questions, who am I and where did I come from? Who you are, beloved, is one that was created in the image of God. The book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible says, God created them male and female, listen now, in His own image. He created He them. So you and I were built, beloved, in the image and the likeness of God. Why? So that we could be in relationship with God. That's who we are and that's why we're here. We're here because God created us. He brought us into existence. And our purpose here, beloved, is to grow in our relationship with them. Jesus said, he that overcomes, he that makes me first and overcomes life, he's going to sit down with me, Jesus said, in the paradise of God where there are pleasures forevermore that eye has not seen, Jesus said, and ear has not heard. Never has it ever entered into the heart of man, the things Jesus said that I've prepared for those that love me.
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you're listening to discovering the jewish jesus with rabbi schneider he'll be right back but first did you know that thousands of years ago god gave his people a powerful blessing that captured his heart for them and this ancient benediction it offers love protection and peace you can discover how the ironic blessing can transform your life with our free bundle including a pdf and mp3 teaching Claim your free gift now at myfreegift.com forward slash peace. We are so thankful for everyone who gives a financial gift of support to this ministry. And perhaps today is the day that you decide that you would like to deepen your commitment to discovering the Jewish Jesus. The best way to do that is to sign up to become a monthly partner at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. or you can call us at 800-777-7835. Together we can help others prepare for Jesus' return. And now let's get back into the second half of today's message.
SPEAKER 02 :
So are you living your life for the world? Are you always looking around at somebody else wondering what they're thinking about you? Are you always looking around wondering how you look to somebody else? Wondering what impression you made on somebody else? Are you living your life, beloved ones, through the vain imagination of what you think somebody else is thinking about you? Now, these are the profoundest questions in life. People can run from these questions. They can ignore these questions. They could try to laugh these questions off because it makes them nervous and they don't want to deal with them. But the question begs to be asked still. And I want to ask you, where are you going to go when you die? Where are you going to go when you die? Who are you? Where did you come from? And where are you going to go when you die? That's a reality. We all die. Where are we going to go when we die? Is it just over? Do we just cease to exist? Is it like we never were other than the memory that other people have of us? Or is there a part of us that continues on even after our heart stops beating and our mind stops working? Is there more to us than the physical body? The Bible teaches that man has a soul and that the soul of man will continue to live when the body dies, when the body disintegrates. And I want to challenge you today, beloved, with this. If what I'm going to share with you today is wrong and yet you believe it anyway, you'll be nothing but a person that's better off from having received God, received the gift of His Son, and living a higher quality life as a result. But if what I'm telling you today is true and you reject Jesus and you die and end up going to hell as a result, it's going to be the most catastrophic mistake you could have ever made in your entire life. You see, Jesus said that he was the only way to God. If when we die, we either go to God or the place that the Bible calls hell, And if the only way to God is through Jesus, you would do well to pay attention. And you could not do your friends and loved ones a bigger favor than by telling them about God's gift of salvation to us in His Son, the Lord Jesus. I'd like to try to explain it this way. If we lead a life on earth that is for ourselves, if we lead a life on earth and we're not living our lives for God, we wake up in the morning, we don't think about God, we get dressed, we go to work, we do our thing, We're trying to get the most we can out of this world. We're indulging ourself in the best that this world can give us, the best foods, the most money we can make, the greatest types of what we feel are going to be fulfilling experiences, and we just go out trying to fulfill all our own desires. What happens is when one leads a life like that, that's on a trajectory, it's on a path that is not Godward, but it's opposite of Godward, it's selfward. It's bent on fulfilling that person's own desires. It's bent on fulfilling that person's own lust. It's bent on fulfilling that person's own indulgences to try to satisfy themselves with the things of the world. than submitting themselves to God. What happens is when that person dies, the motion that their soul was on in this world which was away from God, the motion of their soul just continues when they die in that same path and it just keeps on carrying them farther and farther away from God after death. And Jesus described it as a place in the New Testament of outer darkness where he said there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. So let me say it again this way, the soul that dies that's not in relationship with God, that doesn't know Jesus, the soul that's died, that's in a trajectory away from God because they never bowed their knee to God and made Jesus the Lord of their lives. When they die, their soul continues along that same direction. Jesus said that they end up in a place where there's outer darkness and gnashing of teeth, separated from God forever, trapped in darkness where there's no longer any satisfaction at all. You can't get satisfied in the outer darkness. You can't eat your hunger away. You can't be involved in sexual experiences that will make the lust go away. You can't fill your soul, beloved, which that which will really satisfy because the soul was meant for divine relationship with the one that created it. And so a person that doesn't live their life on earth to be in relationship with the one that created it, God, above all else, when they die, their soul just goes the same direction it was in on earth and they end up being projected, being cast, Jesus said, into a place of outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. On the other hand, the soul that bows their knee to the Lord Jesus on this earth is and says, Lord Jesus, come in and save me. I believe, Jesus, that you are the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to God but by you. I believe, Lord Jesus, that you died for my sin, and I ask you to forgive me, and I thank you for dying in my place. And I receive you now as my Savior, and I receive you now as my Lord. And from this moment forward, I'm going to seek to follow you. I'm going to seek to make you the Lord of my life. I'm going to seek to overcome everything, Lord Jesus, to be one with you." The person, beloved, that prays that prayer and really means it and really puts that into action, their momentum on earth, the trajectory of their life on earth, the trajectory of their soul is now upward. It's Godward. And so when that person dies, that's made Jesus the Lord of their life, what happens to that person is their soul continues on the same trajectory, the same path that it was on in earth. They go, beloved, right up to God and into his heaven, into his paradise. So you can understand what happens in death by understanding it in the way of trajectory. If a person is walking away from God on earth, when they die, their soul continues to be brought away from God into a place of outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. If a person's soul was directed Godward on earth and they were loving God on earth and seeking to please God on earth, making Jesus the Lord of their life, their soul continues on that same trajectory. When they die, their soul goes upward, hallelujah, into the paradise of God. Beloved, I pray that God will make us stronger witnesses. And that if you do not know Jesus, that you'll get down on your knees right now and ask him to save you. It's a free gift. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Beloved, I remember over 40 years ago reading in the book of Ephesians that I had been raised up with Christ and was seated with Him there in heavenly places, and that literally changed my life. It brought me from looking down in defeat to looking up, realizing that I had victory in Jesus. And the same is true for every one of us that are His. I want to encourage you today, beloved ones, if you're being blessed by the Lord through this ministry, to financially support it. The Bible tells us that when Abraham was called to offer up his son and he obeyed, the Lord's response to him was this, because you have done this thing, Abraham, I will greatly bless you. And, you know, Jesus said to us that when we honor him with our finances, it comes back to us pressed down, good measure and running over into our lap. We're instructed to financially support the teachers that are feeding us. I want to ask you today in sincerity and truth, if God's blessing you through this ministry, please honor him with your finances through this ministry so we can continue to reach the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. Thank you, Rabbi. And friends, I want to encourage you, keep listening because Rabbi will be right back shortly with a sacred blessing. But right now, if the Lord is leading you to financially support discovering the Jewish Jesus with a gift of any amount, then please reach out to us today. You can call us at 800-777-7835. And if it's easier for you, go online to our website. It's discoveringthejewishjesus.com, and you can give there. Or you can also send your gift in the mail. Our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan, 49228. And I'd like to share with you now about Rabbi's revised edition of the book of Revelation Decoded. You know, a lot of people find the book of Revelation intimidating and often confusing. But through Rabbi's guide in the book of Revelation Decoded, he's going to help you understand what Scripture really says about the end times and how it applies to our world today. The revised edition of this book, it addresses recent world-shaking events like the October 7th attack on Israel. And Rabbi also reveals how the ancient Hebrew prophets and the book of Revelation, how they together provide a roadmap for understanding the end of days. You'll discover how the Old and New Testaments work together to reveal God's divine plan and It's a wonderful resource. It's available for purchase at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. You can also request it on the phone when you call 888-697-2224. And if you visit us online or give us a call, would you also consider supporting us when you give? You are helping us share God's love. and His truth to those who need it the most. Give today, discoveringthejewishjesus.com or call 800-777-7835. Thanks so much for joining us today. And now let's turn things back over to Rabbi again so he can send us off with God's sacred and special blessing.
SPEAKER 02 :
In the book of Numbers chapter six, the Lord gave instructions to Moses and Aaron to speak this blessing over his people. And the Lord said, when you speak these words over my people, I will place my name on them and bless them. Receive the impartations of the Lord's blessings.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yevarechei Yahweh vayishmarecha Ya'er Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Vichu Ne'echa Yissa Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Ve'asem Lecha Shalom.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance and the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm your host, Dustin Roberts, and this program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider explains the accuracy of Scripture. Hear more this Friday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
In today's episode, we challenge modern notions of morality and tolerance, posing questions that are central to one's relationship with Jesus. Triggered by a poignant experience of a friend's untimely passing, Rabbi Schneider reflects on salvation, the path to heaven, and the critical importance of a committed Christian life. Uncover the truth behind the teachings of the New Testament and redefine your faith journey with insights on how to live passionately for the Lord.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider. I'm Dustin Roberts, your host, and today we're looking at life's most important questions. So what are they? Let's find out. Jesus himself was Jewish, his disciples were Jewish, and they celebrated Jewish holidays, but they continued to follow Christ. So how is it possible to be Jewish and Christian? Well, Rabbi Schneider, he's going to help us understand that question as he looks at how Judaism and Christianity intertwine together. Today's message is The Foundation of Life's Greatest Question. And if you want to find out more about Rabbi or this ministry, I encourage you, check us out at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi with a powerful lesson.
SPEAKER 02 :
Father God, we bless you today and we love you today. And Father, we know that right now, this second, that you're here, that you're alive, that there's potential in this moment. And so, Father, we ask you to work in our hearts right now. that you will open up our hearts to you and gain deeper entrance into our lives and into your love. Father God, we bless you in the name of Jesus. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, we pray, Father, in our lives, even as it is in heaven. Well, beloved, before we begin today, I want to just clear up a few things. Many times people don't understand what this broadcast is about or who I am. So for the purpose of those that may be confused, I'm a Jewish believer in Jesus. Some may not realize that Jesus himself was a Jew. Jesus in John 4, 22 said to the woman of Samaria that was not Jewish, he said, woman, you don't know what you're worshiping. We know we worship for salvations from the Jews. In fact, Jesus died with the sign over his head that said, Yeshua of Nazareth, King of the Jews. And he's coming back, according to the book of Revelation, as the offspring of David. He's the root of David in his own words in the book of Revelation. Now, when we go to heaven, We're going to be going to a city that we find is called, once again, Jerusalem, which is the city of Israel's capital today. And the Father tells us in the book of Revelation that this heavenly city called the New Jerusalem is going to have 12 gates, and the 12 gates are going to have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel upon them. So our faith in Jesus is a very Jewish thing. Many people are confused. They say, are you Jewish? Are you Christian? Because you can't be both. But the reality is, beloved, you absolutely can be both. In fact, Jesus's own disciples, his first followers were Jewish. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, they were all Jews. The first church in Jerusalem was all Jewish. Again, Jesus himself was a Jew. So being Jewish has nothing to do with whether one is a Christian or not. In fact, being Gentile has nothing to do with whether one is a Christian or not. In the Bible, there were two classes of people. There were the Jews, who were the 12 tribes of Israel, and there were the Gentiles, those that were not part of the 12 tribes of Israel. Being a Christian has nothing to do whether one is a Jew or a Gentile. Being a Christian simply has to do with whether one has made a decision to follow the Christ. Now the word Christ is simply the Greek word meaning the anointed one. It comes from the Hebrew word mashiach, which is the Hebrew word for the anointed one. The New Testament was written in Greek rather than Hebrew because God wanted the revelation of His love through Jesus to spread to the entire world. And the most common language of the world at the time, beloved, that the New Testament was written was Greek. And so let me just back up again. People are sometimes confused. They hear the title of the broadcast, the Jewish Jesus, and they put it at a distance because they think I'm not Jewish, so therefore this broadcast has nothing to do with me. And I'm simply trying to help you understand that nothing could be further from the truth. And so I just wanted to introduce that to you today. This broadcast, if you believe in Jesus, Or if you're curious about Jesus, this broadcast is for you. Now, let me also make this declaration. I heard people say, well, he doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He just believes that Jesus is a prophet, beloved. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the only begotten Son of God. I believe that Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, is the only way to God. I believe that Jesus died for our sins and He's the only atonement that God has made for man's sin. So this is, Traditional Christian Orthodox doctrine. What I'm helping you to do is to understand how the Old Testament connects to the New Testament. You see, Jesus said in the book of Matthew, don't think I've come to abolish the law. For I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill, to fill it up with meaning. Jesus didn't come to start a new religion, beloved. He came to fulfill that which was already prophesied. He is the climax and the culmination of the Hebrew Bible. In fact, the New Testament begins in Matthew chapter 1 by saying this, This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. So the first verse in the New Testament brings us all the way back to the first book of the Bible in the Old Testament, in the Torah, the book of Genesis. You see, Father God wants us to understand, beloved ones, how the New Testament and the Old Testament fit together like a hand in a glove. And that's what this broadcast is about. That's what Discovering the Jewish Geist is about. It's to help believers understand the Judeo roots of their Christian faith so that our faith can be established and advanced and so that we can become a more effective witness to both Jews and Gentiles. Now, with that being said, I'm going to be speaking today, beloved, life's most important questions. We're going to be talking, beloved, about the most fundamental issues concerning our relationship with Jesus. We're going to be talking about the simple, profound issues of salvation. What prompted me to preach this today was a funeral, beloved ones, for a friend of mine that died. He wasn't even 31 years old. No one knew he had any health problems. In fact, he had no prior health history. And suddenly, at 30 years old, he dropped dead of a heart attack. And doing that funeral caused me to just recognize how important it is for you and I to recognize how imperative it is that we're living our life in a sold out way for Jesus today. And not only do I plan on helping us to get back to the basics today through this message, but also, beloved, these series of broadcasts would be great witnessing tools for you to give to friends or family members that don't know the Lord. So Father God, I ask you to come today and fill us with your love and enlighten us with truth. And Father, cause us to become lovers of God and radical followers of your son, the Lord Jesus.
SPEAKER 01 :
You're listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And before Rabbi Schneider continues his teaching, he has a special message to share with all of us. Greetings in Messiah on this new year.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, January comes, we think about things in our life that we want to change. One thing that perhaps some of you have thought about but never taken action on is creating or updating your will or trust. I want to encourage you, go to our website. We have a free tool there, just hit Wills and Estates, and we can help you update or create your will or estate trust gift. Listen, God bless you. I love you. Many of us have honored the Lord while we're living with our finances. Let's carry that over and remember the Lord with our finances when we pass by creating a will and a state so that finances can go to the work of the kingdom.
SPEAKER 01 :
What a meaningful way to honor God with our finances this year. And if you feel the Lord leading you to create a free will, visit us at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. It's free for you whether you support us or not. Now, let's return to Rabbi as he continues his teaching.
SPEAKER 02 :
People today, I think, are lifting up as the greatest moral attribute the attribute that they're calling political tolerance, which is more commonly understood as being politically correct. It seems today that the highest virtue that men are exalting in the Western world is the virtue of tolerance. that we should be tolerant of everybody regardless of how they live, what they believe, that the biggest virtue that we can have as a moral person is to be tolerant. And what people that have this mindset mean by that is that there are no absolute rights and wrongs when it comes to religion, sexuality, and other issues of morality. And so they would say, for example, it's okay for you to be a Christian because you can believe anything that you want to believe. But it's wrong for you to say that Jesus is the only way to God because that, they say, is not being tolerant. And if you say to somebody that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that people that aren't in relationship with Jesus are going to hell, which is what, beloved, the Bible teaches, it's what Jesus taught, then you are a hateful person and you're being judgmental and you're not being tolerant. And they're looking down upon us that are Christians for having an absolute standard. But I want to say today that we cannot back off the Word of God. The Bible clearly teaches that not everybody that dies goes to heaven. In fact, think about this. When was the last time you were at a funeral where the preacher didn't put the loved one that passed away in heaven? Did you ever go to a funeral when the preacher didn't make comments at the funeral as if the deceased was in heaven? The preacher seemed to always put everybody in heaven. But yet that doesn't line up, beloved, with what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches. You see, Jesus said, straight and narrow is the way that leads to life. And he said, few there be that find it. And he also said, but broad and wide is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that take it." You see, Jesus taught that more people will be in hell than will be in heaven. Paul speaks about this same phenomenon in the book of Romans when he's preaching the gospel, and so few of the Jewish community of his day were believing. And he cries out to the Lord and he says, Lord, they don't seem to be listening. And the Lord responds back to Paul. He said, Paul, remember the days of Elijah when Elijah cried out the same thing? They're not listening. And I responded back to Elijah that I've reserved seven thousand for myself that have not bowed to the knee of Baal. And then God went on to say to Paul, Paul, it's in the same way at the present time. There's a remnant chosen according to my grace. Think about this. Elijah's calling out to God because it seems like people are not receiving the message, and God responds back to Elijah and says, no, I've got 7,000. But how many were 7,000 out of the millions that were in Israel? Very few. And so Paul comes to the conclusion that it's the same thing today. There's a remnant that will believe. There's a remnant that will follow Jesus. Remember, Jesus said straight and narrow is the way and few there be that find it. The same truth we see in the time of Noah. How many people did God save on Noah's Ark? A remnant, a handful. And so I want you to understand, beloved, that the Bible never teaches and has never taught that everybody is in relationship with God, that everybody's in good standing with God. In fact, the Bible has always illustrated and taught us the opposite, that it's a few people, it's a chosen people, it's a remnant of people that truly are walking with God in salvation and will be saved. It was true in Noah's time, it was true in Paul's time, and it's true today. So something is wrong when preachers automatically put people in heaven when there was no evidence that the deceased loved Jesus. If the one that was deceased never went to church, never prayed, never talked about their love for the Lord, never read the Bible, never sold their finances into the kingdom, and there was no evidence in this person's life that they were a lover and a passionate follower of Jesus, then we have no right to put them in heaven at funerals. In fact, when we do that, all we do is make it easier for other people to go to hell because the people that are at the funeral look at the deceased, and they look at that person, and they say, you know what, I knew that person for 40 years, and they never said anything about Jesus other than when they used his name as a curse word, and the preacher just said he was in heaven, so if he can go to heaven being the way that he was, I guess I can go to heaven, they reasoned to themselves, even though I'm the way that I am, because he was no better than me. And it makes it easier, beloved, for people to ignore the claims of Jesus Christ, the claims of Yeshua the Messiah. But I want you to hear me today. If the words of Jesus are accurate historical record, you and I do well to pay attention. No one questions whether Jesus of Nazareth really lived. All historians are in agreement that there was a person that lived approximately 2,000 years ago, that his name was Yeshua in Hebrew. That was the name that they knew him as at the time. His name was Yeshua, or Jesus we say in English, of Nazareth. No one denies it. Everybody agrees that he was a historical figure. In fact, if you go to Israel today, you'll see all the evidence that archaeology has uncovered regarding Jesus and the fact that he had these followers and the fact that this movement began. No one can deny that. He was a real person. The question is, who was he? Who was this Jesus of Nazareth? We know that he lived, but who was he? Was he a liar? Was he a lunatic? Or was he the Lord? He could have only been one of those three persons. Number one, there's a possibility that it was a liar when Jesus said to them, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God but through me. He was lying. He knew in his mind it wasn't really true. That's the first possibility. Was he intentionally lying to people and deceiving them? That's option number one. Option number two is, was he a lunatic? Did he think he was somebody that he wasn't? Did he have grander illusions? Did he imagine himself to be the Messiah because he was out of his mind? Was he a lunatic? That's option number two. Option number three is he was who he said he was, He's the Lord. Jesus said, I am the only begotten Son that's come down out of heaven. So option number three is he is who he said he was. He was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. He couldn't have just been a prophet because a prophet wouldn't have made the claims that he made. A prophet wouldn't have said, there's no name under heaven which has been given unto men by which men can be saved, but my name, which he spoke through one of his apostles. C.S. Lewis originally coined that phrase, liar, lunatic, or Lord, but it boils it down to the options. There are no other options. You're deceiving yourself. If you are saying to yourself, he was a good man, he was someone to model my life after. Yes, he was a prophet. If you're deceiving yourself into thinking he was just a prophet, but you don't have to obey him. If you're deceiving yourself into thinking he was just a prophet, but he didn't really die for my sins, he was just another human being. Beloved, you're putting yourself in a position of potentially jeopardizing your soul into hell. Jesus claimed that he was the only way to God, and unless we received him, we would not go to heaven. I want to back this up for a minute. Let's consider this. How do we know about Jesus? The primary way that we know who Jesus is, beloved, is through the record of what he said about himself in the New Testament. So the question we have to ask ourself is this, is the New Testament an accurate historical record of what Jesus really said? The New Testament records for us the things that Jesus said. And so we have to ask ourself this question. When the New Testament records Jesus' words, when Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me, we ask ourself, the New Testament says that Jesus said that, but did Jesus really say that? And can the New Testament's account really be trusted? Well, I want you to consider this. When we try to determine the historical accuracy of ancient documents, we have certain criteria that all historians have agreed upon to determine whether an ancient document is historically reliable. And when we look at ancient documents, some of the criteria that we look at is the people that are writing about this particular person or this particular event, how close to the time period when the historian wrote did he actually live to the person or the event? Now you consider that and compare them to the New Testament. The New Testament was written, beloved, not by people that lived a hundred years after Jesus died, but the New Testament was written by the people that lived with him. For example, John said, that which I have seen, that which I have touched, that which I have handled with my own hands, I proclaim to you. Peter said, we're not writing to you about cleverly devised fairy tales. Peter said, I was with him on the holy mountain when he was transfigured into light and the voice from heaven spoke and said, this is my beloved son. This is not a fairy tale, Peter said. I was with him. Who is Jesus and what does he demand? Who am I? Where did I come from? And what is my purpose on earth? Father God, we pray that you would ignite our hearts with fire. Father, we pray that you would pour your love into our hearts, that Father God, we would love you with such a fiery love that it would consume everything in our life that would get in the way of loving you. Father God, you're the one that's at work in our life, both to will and do for your good pleasure. And Father, we want to thank you today for everything that you've already done. And Jesus, we want to say to you today that we love you. I know that if you have an open heart and you just sat through me preaching, you've been strengthened. God's Word is life-giving. It's living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. I'm going now as we close today, beloved ones, to the book of 3 John. I'm going there to the first chapter and the eighth verse. Hear the Word of God. John says, therefore, we ought to support such men that we might be fellow workers with the truth. What was going on here is John was encouraging God's people to support those that were faithfully preaching the gospel. Because you know what? The gospel can't be spread without God's people supporting it financially. I want to ask you, beloved, if you believe in me, if you're being blessed by discovering the Jewish Jesus, would you support us financially so that we can continue to feed you and in fact preach the gospel all over the world. Beloved, there's always a blessing when we put God first in our life. And when we put him first with our finances, it opens our heart to receive more. This is Rabbi Seder saying, I love you. Thank you for your financial support and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. And you can give a financial gift of any amount to Discovering the Jewish Jesus when you visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And if it's easier, give us a call. Our phone number is 800-777-7835. You know, you enable us to reach further than we could on our own. So I want to encourage you, please give online today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And as a token of our appreciation back to you, when you give, we'll make sure that you receive our latest newsletter. It is packed with exclusive additional content, exciting ministry updates, and even personal correspondence from Rabbi's wife, Ms. Cynthia. And also the testimonies that you'll find inside from people who've been touched through your giving are super special. And then before we wrap up today, I want to remind you that in addition to hearing these radio programs on the air, you also have access to these messages anytime on Roku TV, and it's absolutely free. You can experience Rabbi's dynamic teaching style in full HD right from the comforts of your living room. His biblical insights, they come alive on screen, and you'll even see when he records remotely, you'll see him in Israel, you'll see him in Africa, you'll see him all over the world. And we hope that you'll see scripture in a new and meaningful way that you've never seen it before as well. So to learn more, visit us at discoveringthejewishjesus.com or you can simply search for this program on Roku TV and you can transform your viewing experience today. And now I want to turn things back over to Rabbi again so he can send us off with God's sacred and special blessing.
SPEAKER 02 :
In the Old Testament book of Numbers, we find a blessing God speaks over His children through Moses and Aaron. It carries the idea of favor and expression. Open your heart to the Spirit and the Word today and receive Father's goodness into your life with confidence.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yevarechei Yahweh vayishmarecha Ya'er Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Vichu Ne'echa Yissa Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Ve'asem Lecha Shalom.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance and the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I'm your host, Dustin Roberts. Join us again tomorrow when Rabbi Schneider shares the answers to life's most important questions. That's Thursday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
Join us as we explore profound scriptural insights into the return of Jesus, the unfolding of the final world war at Armageddon, and the key role Israel plays in God's grand design. Rabbi Schneider provides a comprehensive analysis, drawing connections between the Old and New Testaments, and illustrating the implications of prophecy coming to reality. Discover the importance of recognizing God's sovereignty and His strategic gathering of nations, setting the stage for His second coming. This episode offers listeners a chance to reflect on their readiness for Jesus's return and deepens their understanding of the scriptural narrative.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hello and welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I'm your host, Dustin Roberts, and now Rabbi Schneider is gonna wrap up his study on decrypting the book of Revelation. Don't miss the truth that God has in store for you today. The return of Jesus is perhaps the most anticipated event in all of Christianity. It's a day that has been prophesied and talked about more than probably any other event and definitely longer than any of us have ever been alive. what will his return actually look like? Well, that's our topic today as Rabbi Schneider explores the events surrounding this auspicious day. So let's get started with his message titled The Return of King Jesus. Here's Rabbi Schneider to explain the end of the age.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm going to begin today just by offering up a prayer on behalf of all of us. Father God, we worship you today and we pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit, you would cause your word and your truth to penetrate our hearts and minds and that we would be changed for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Beloved ones, last time I was talking about Armageddon called Harmageddon or Harmageddon. This last great world war will be the climax of world history as it pertains to God finally stepping in and making peace. things right. Because at Armageddon, God is going to defeat his enemies and then establish his kingdom on this earth that he has made for his glory. You know, if you think about it, when you look around and you see the beautiful birds, see the blue birds, the red birds. I mean, you look at some of the tropical birds with all the colors of a rainbow in their feathers. I mean, beauty beyond belief. I was watching television yesterday and I was watching a show in which somebody was traveling through a place in California with giant redwood trees in the mountains. It was so beautiful. You look at the ocean, you look at the sunset, you look at the butterflies, you look at the rainbow. I mean, God's beauty is so evident on the earth. That's why the Bible says everybody knows there's a God because his eternal attributes and glory are clearly seen in what he's made. In other words, when we look in the world and we see God's divine intelligence in creation, that the birds know how to fly south when it gets cold in the winter, that the human body has built-in divine intelligence so that when our body begins to overheat, what does it do? It has a built-in intelligence so that it begins to perspire to cool our body back down. Or when we get an infection, what does our body do? It begins to create antibodies to combat the infection. There's so much intelligence in creation that everybody that is open and honest to the truth will be able to easily discern that there's an intelligent designer beyond creation. So doesn't it make sense that the one that created this world will soon step into it and reign over it? See, the Bible tells us that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, that what happened was a disconnect resulted from that between God and the earth. And we are living in that time of disconnect now, although Jesus has come. And the kingdom of God is here, but not in its fullest form because of Jesus. But at the end of Armageddon, God is going to step into this world fully and exert his authority over the earth and reclaim his creation. And once again, listen now, sovereignly reign over the world. This is why it's important to understand that this last great world war called Armageddon is actually part of God's design because God wants to step back into his creation to reign. And so what he's going to do to set that up, beloved, is he's going to gather the leaders and the peoples of the world that hate him to fight him in a final world conflict that is going to be centrally located, listen now, in Israel. It makes sense that Armageddon, this last world war, would find its climax in Israel because Israel is God's land. Israel is God's nation. The Bible says Jerusalem is the great king's capital city. And so it makes sense when God comes to reclaim his creation, this world, that that final world war would take place in his land, Israel. You know, even today, when we look around, we see that, you know what, it is kind of strange that here's Israel about the size of New Jersey, yet it's so important in the world news. There's been so much conflict around it. There's so much intensity surrounding it. And it's always been like this. Why so much activity around Israel? You know, in Israel's history, it's been attacked 52 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice. So much hatred. Even today, anti-Semitism is growing in France and Germany, Sweden, Poland, Austria, other parts of the world. Listen, even... on American college campuses. Anti-Semitism is growing, and it's all building up, beloved ones, to this great world war called Armageddon. I want to go back and read for you today where we find the story of Armageddon. Revelation 16, verse 13. John says, and I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. These are demons that take on creature forms, for they are spirits of demons performing signs, listen now, which go out to the kings of the whole world. So there's this demonic energy, listen now, that's focused on the leaders on the earth. And why is this demonic energy focused on the leaders of the earth? To gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. And then in the 16th verse, John tells us this war is going to take place at Armageddon or Armageddon. And so this great escalation of the forces of light against the forces of darkness is going to take place at the end of the age. And what I want you to understand, this is God's sovereign design that's bringing it about because he wants to put an end to it once and for all. Just a few scriptures that I want to bring to our attention today that add further light on the subject. I want to go to Revelation 12 today. I want you to further get clarity as to why this time of disaster for so many peoples is going to take place in Israel. Because Israel is the place, beloved, that the enemy's hatred for God and his people is centered on. Listen to Revelation chapter 12, beginning in verse number 13. And when the dragon, and the word dragon in the book of Revelation is a word that is used for Satan. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman. The woman is Israel, who gave birth to the male child. The male child is Jesus. And then it continues to tell us there in the 17th verse, so the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her children who keep the commandments of God and to hold to the testimony of Jesus. So the dragon, listen, he hates the child of the woman who is Jesus. The scripture tells us in the book of Revelation that since Father God raised Jesus to his right hand, the dragon can no longer attack Jesus. So what the dragon has done instead in his rage is he's attacked the woman who gave birth to Jesus, the woman being Israel. He hates Israel. both believing Israel and Jewish people that don't know Jesus as well. He hates Israel as a nation. He hates the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And he hates the offspring of the woman, which is, beloved, the church. So Satan's primary target today is Israel as a people, the church who came out of Israel, and the land that is connected to Israel.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider, and he'll be right back. But first, we have an important announcement. Rabbi has revised his book, The Book of Revelation Decoded. And in this special edition, he'll guide you through Revelation and what's to come line by line, helping you to understand the current events with updated facts, statistics, and additional insights. He'll show you how prophecy and is being fulfilled right now. Order your copy at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. At the core of everything we do at Discovering the Jewish Jesus is our commitment to declare the whole counsel of God's Word from start to finish. In fact, Rabbi's unique way of connecting the Old and the New Testaments has helped people all over the world to understand the Bible with fresh eyes. To join us in this work of God, give a donation online today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com or call 800-777-7835. And now here is Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 03 :
So as we read about this conflict that's going to take place centered on Satan's hatred towards Israel and all that's come forth from her, I want to read a few scriptures once again to set the stage today. I want to begin by going to Zechariah chapter 12, verse 2 and 3. Behold, I'm going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around. And it goes on to describe how God is going to step in there at the last moment. Listen, all the nations of the earth, Zechariah said, Zechariah 12, listen, will be gathered against it. That's the same thing that John told us in the book of Revelation, that God is gathering all the peoples of the world together. to Israel for this last world war. Once again, in Zechariah chapter 12, verse 8 and 9, "...in that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David." And in the ninth verse, "...and in that day I will set about to destroy," the Lord says, "...all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Let me go on to another scripture here that will bring even further color and revelation. Zechariah 14, 2. I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured. The house is plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. The scriptural account continues as God stops it. God stops at Zechariah 14, three through five, for the Lord will go forth and fight against all those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. In that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. And the scripture tells us when the Lord steps in, it's going to look like a nuclear bomb, that their eyes will rot in their sockets, that their flesh will fall off their skin. I mean, when God steps in, his wrath is going to absolutely consume His enemies. Now listen to this, I pointed it out last week, but I just want to drive this point home. When God does step in, where is He going to step in at? Where is He going to first manifest His glory at? He's going to do it, beloved ones, listen, at the Mount of Olives, Zechariah 14, 3, listen. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when He fights on a day of battle, in that day, listen, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem. Now keep that in mind. When God shows up and all the peoples that came against him, it's like they're totally wiped out. Again, Zechariah tells us it's going to be like their eyes are going to rot in the sockets. The flesh is going to fall off their skin. They're going to be utterly destroyed. God's wrath is going to be released against the enemies of him and his people. It happens where? From the Mount of Olives. That's what Zechariah just got done telling us. Now listen to this. I love this. Acts chapter 1. I'm going to begin there in verse number 6. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God abides forever. Listen to the Word of God. So when they had come together, this is Jesus' apostles and disciples. This is after Jesus had risen from the dead, and this is taking place near the upper room there. So when they had gathered together, they were asking him, saying, Lord... Is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, listen, it is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority. So what's going on? They're asking Jesus, listen, Jesus has risen from the dead. He appears to his disciples, Acts chapter 1, and they say to him, Lord, Are you going to restore the kingdom at this time? Are you going to once again exalt Israel and reign on the earth? And Jesus says to them in verse 7, it is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Samaria, even to the remotest parts of the earth. And after he had said these things, listen now, He was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud received him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up for you into heaven will come again in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven. Listen now. Then they returned to Jerusalem. Hear me now. From Jerusalem. the Mount of Olives. They go from the Mount of Olives to the upper room where they're baptized in the Holy Spirit. But where were the disciples and apostles when Jesus was lifted off the ground and they saw him visibly ascended to heaven? Where did that happen at? It happened at the Mount of Olives. Where does Zechariah tell us in Zechariah 14, Jesus' second coming will first be made manifest? At the Mount of Olives. I mean, I just love the unity of Bible. The same place that Jesus was taken up to heaven from is He's going to return to that same spot. That's why we read in Acts chapter 1 that the angels said to those that watched him go up into the sky and then disappeared into the clouds. That's why the angels said to those that were watching, why are you gazing into the sky? This Jesus is going to return to you, church. Listen now, the angel said, in just the same way. And his second coming is manifest, listen now, in just the same spot. John tells us about this in the 19th chapter of Revelation. Listen, beloved ones, hear the word of God. Now, before I read it, though, I just want you to understand that so much of what Jesus proclaimed during his first coming was his second coming. We oftentimes don't hear much preached about the second coming of Christ, but the last thing that Jesus said to us is, I am coming quickly. And so many of the parables that he told were about his second coming, about his return. Hear how John described it. I'm beginning in Revelation 19, verse number 11. Hear the word of God. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself. He is clothed with the robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations, and he will rule them with the rod of iron. And he treads the winepress on the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which will fly in midheaven, Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slaves, and small and great. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Once again, to refresh you, this takes place, listen, at the end of Armageddon. That's why at the coming of Christ, we just read about the fact that they're going to feast on, listen now, the flesh of God's enemies, that the birds of the air are going to be turned to feast on God's enemies. You may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of the commanders and the flesh of mighty men because God is going to wipe out and destroy his enemies and set up, beloved ones, his earthly kingdom. I am here today proclaiming to you, Jesus is coming soon. I want you to put your hand over your heart with me right now and repeat this with me out loud. Say this, listen, Jesus is coming back for me. Can you say that with me? Jesus is coming back for me. Beloved, the return of King Jesus is not science fiction. And Armageddon is not simply some sci-fi film. Armageddon is happening. It's going to happen possibly in our lifetime. And Jesus is going to return, beloved, much sooner than you or I think. And we need, listen now, church, to be ready. You may think you're ready, but let me ask you, are you really ready? You may have cleaned up some of the outer things in your life, but listen, are your thoughts cleansed? Is your heart pure? Are you fully committed? Are you disciplining yourself on what you're taking in? What are you watching on television? What are you listening to on the radio? And who are you spending time with? Beloved ones, listen to me when I say to you, Jesus's return is near and he's coming back for you. The reason Jesus gave us the book of Revelation He wants us to be ready for His return. I pray, beloved, that proclaiming God's Word to you today has helped you to position yourself in a way that when you meet Him, you'll be ready and receive into His presence. Todah Rabbah, that's Hebrew for thank you very much to everyone that is supporting this ministry. so that we can continue to teach and preach the Word of God. I want you to know, those of you that are sowing into this ministry, we receive testimonies every single week. I mean, hundreds of testimonies from people that are telling us that they felt like they heard the Word of the Lord for the first time, people that are coming to salvation, people that were falling, that got lifted up by the power and encouragement that's in God's word. And it's because of you that are sowing financially into this ministry that all those people are being helped. If you're being blessed by this ministry and you believe that can bless other people, I want to ask you to just open your heart, to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And if he's prompting you to sow an offering to the Lord through this ministry, I just want to encourage you to be obedient. And I want to thank you once again from the bottom of my heart for making it possible for God's kingdom to spread through discovering the Jewish Jesus.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. And to take that step of faith right now, just go online. Our website is discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And you can also support this ministry by calling us at 800-777-7835. or you can send your donation in the mail. Our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777 Blissfield, Michigan 49228. Now I want to share with you another incredible opportunity that's made possible by our latest partnership with Freewill. It's an online estate planning tool that allows you to ensure your commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus lives long after you're gone. You can create a will and it's actually free. If you want to take this first step right now, go to our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com, click the resources tab and then need a will. And guess what? This is completely free to you, whether you choose to leave a gift for this ministry or not. So I want to encourage you, go online right now and click resources and need a will. Having a will can be really beneficial for you because if you don't have a will, You really have no say in what's going to happen with your finances when you're gone. I want to thank you for considering supporting Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And if you'd just like to give a donation, you're welcome to do that as well while you're on our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Your support, it isn't just a gift. It's an investment in eternity. Thanks so much for listening today. And now here's Rabbi Schneider with a powerful blessing. Rabbi?
SPEAKER 03 :
In the book of Numbers, chapter six, we find a personal blessing from God our Father. This blessing should touch our hearts because it's so personal. Father God wants to intimately bless you, so receive his blessing into your life today with gladness and an open heart.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yevarechei Yahweh, Vayishmarecha, Ya'er Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Vichu Ne'echa Yissa Yahweh, P'navei Lecha, Ve'asem Lecha Shalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance and the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I'm Dustin Roberts. Be sure to join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider explains the foundation of life's greatest question. What is that question? Well, you'll find out Wednesday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
