TF: FX 610.832.0398 [email protected] A Heart for the Lord
Transcript of TF: FX 610.832.0398 [email protected] A Heart for the Lord
This booklet will have a re-print of one of the many articles written by him as well as articles covering his legacy and how he has touched the lives of so many peo-ple. Daniel Glaser Finestone did indeed have a Heart for the Lord and our ministry, along with many individuals, have been richly blessed by his life work. Last year, Messiah Now Ministires published a brief story about Esther, a young girl who heard Daniel Finestone speak about our Messiah on a street corner in Philadelphia and later came to
Messiah Now Ministries is looking forward to the Spring of 2007, because that is when we will be conducting some very special events and publications honoring Daniel Glaser Finestone, the foun-der of Messiah Now Ministires! One of the programs our ministry is developing in conjunc-tion with honoring his memory is a scholarship fund to help young Messianic students interested in pursuing a higher education in Biblical Studies. We will also be publishing a booklet that will celebrate the life and legacy of Daniel G. Finestone.
know the Messiah herself! We look forward to sharing many more stories as we explore the life and legacy of the founder of our ministry!
The Life and Legacy of Daniel Glaser Finestone
Messiah Now Ministries, Inc 1 Plymouth Meeting Mall Suite 405 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 TF: 610.832.8080 FX: 610.832.0398 Email: [email protected]
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see you r good works, and glorify your Father which
is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 KJV
This year marks the thirty‐fifth anniver‐sary of the death of Daniel Glaser Finestone, beloved friend and foun‐der of Messiah Now Ministries. We would like to share with you a brief history of the origins and life of the man who still has such an impact on our ministry. Julius (Yiddle ) Feinstein was led to the Lord in Odessa in 1879 while he was an apprentice cabinet maker to Herr Wunsche. Through their study together of Messianic passages in scripture, the Lord called to Julius and he followed him. In the spring of 1880, Julius’ future wife, Esther and her mother Pearl, sold their cottage in Kiev and moved to Odessa, where they learned of Julius’s new found faith in Jesus as Messiah and Savior. In 1882 Julius resigned his employment
from Herr Wunsche and announced that he was going to Jerusalem. As a token of gratitude to Herr Wunsche for leading him to the Lord, Julius gave him a crafted, silver headed walking stick. In 1920, Herr Wunsche’s son located Julius’ son Isaac, a Missionary with the Toronto Jewish Mission in Canada and returned the walking stick to him. It is now in the possession of his eldest son, Nathaniel Finestone. In a way, this walking stick marks the legacy of a man who came to know Jesus the Mes‐siah, and because of his faith, so many have been blessed and have come to know the Lord. Though Julius’s intention was to go to Jerusalem, he only got as far as Constantinople (now Istanbul). The Ottoman Em‐pire had closed the Holy Land to Jewish immigra‐tion.
In 1884, Julius and Esther were married. Their first child, Eliza‐beth was born in 1885, but died six month later after a siege of whooping cough. Then on May 10, 1888, Esther gave birth to their second child, Isaac Levi. He was named after Esther’s father‐Reb Levy Yitzhok Glaser. Shortly after Isaac was born, the family returned to Odessa. In 1889 Julius became a deacon in a
A Heart for the Lord Cover
Calendar of Events 3
DeCoding Dan Brown
4
Purim Party Review 6
Holocaust Remembrance
7
Israel Independence 7
Life & Legacy 8
Inside this issue:
JUNE 2006 Volume 2, Issue 2
Cont’d on Page 2 , Column 1
Messiah Now Ministries Inc.
Messiah Now
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever” Daniel 12:3
A Heart for the Lord Daniel Glaser Finestone
By 1917, Daniel Glaser Finestone had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWI and became a graduate of the Detroit Institute of Technology. In 1935 he received a Masters of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary with honors, and then pastored a church in Paterson, NJ from 1936‐1938. He then came to Philadelphia at the invitation of the Christian Committee on the Approach to the Jews, which is now known as Messiah Now Ministries. In 1939, he began his Jewish Ministry at the Barnes Memorial Center, 7th and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia. This ministry then moved to Merrill Hall at 312 South Broad Street in 1942. Daniel Glaser Finestone moved his Jewish ministry to Central Hall at 2018 Walnut Street in 1955 and the First Hebrew Christian Congregation was Established at 1907 Chestnut Street. With a heart for his fellow Jews, he faithfully and lovingly proclaimed Jesus the Messiah. He pioneered Jewish missions among the Jewish people of Philadelphia, and with his beloved wife, Olive, labored for 32 years as Director of the Messianic Jewish Center and Pastor of the First Hebrew‐Christina Congregation of Philadelphia. He was a Pastor, Scholar, Soul Winner, and Friend. He was a man of integrity consecrated to God.
German church in Odessa in which Herr Schuller was the pastor. It was also the year that Esther led Pearl Glaser to the Lord. On Good Friday on 1890, Esther Feinstein was baptized in the Black Sea on the Outskirts of Odessa by pastor Friesen. On July 18, 1892, their son Joseph was born. Daniel Glaser Finestone was born on December 14th, 1894 in Odessa. His fathers wood‐turning business was prospering with a workshop front on Sabornia Plosh‐tchad, the main downtown street in Odessa. On Saturdays, Julius taught a group of a dozen or more men in the scriptures in his home. Each man had his own Hebrew‐Yiddish Bible and during the lessons they each read from Moses and the Prophets. A number of these men became believers. In the last few years of the nineteenth century, Daniel Glaser Finestoneʹs father, who had been employed by Mildmay Missions, distributed Bible literature in the Jewish Dis‐trict of Odessa every evening. Young Daniel observed the many times his father bore witness to God’s saving power through the Messiah. Julius suffered a heart attack and was taken by the Lord on December 24, 1899.
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Rev. Samuel Hinds Wilkinson, the Mildmay Mission Superintendent in London stated, “I met this child of God in Odessa in 1897...and I covet the spirit with which he carried on his work. He was a true apostle of the cross.” Although Julius was relatively young when he died, his legacy of faith in our Messiah lives on through his children and grandchildren. One of his descendents is David Brickner,
the executive director Jews for Jesus and his third son, Daniel Glaser Fi‐nestone, was the founder of Mes‐siah Now Ministries!
Daniel Finestone at Congregation Beth Messiah—1907 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, circa the 1950’s
A Heart for the Lord, continued from front page 1
Young Daniel observed the many times his father bore witness to God’s saving power through the Messiah.
Yom Ha’atzmut
Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 7
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to advise us of your wishes. You can also contact us via email: [email protected]
Following the Holocaust Memo‐rial Service, we moved to a more joyous celebration with delicious food and Jew‐ish Music to mark Israeli Independence Day. We started out with a quiz on Israel, some prayers and we sang to fa‐vorite songs:
Jerusalem of Gold & the Hatikva!
Israel celebrated its 58th Year in 2006, and many people can still remember when it first regained its own land in 1948‐ ERETZ‐ISRAEL, the Land of Israel.
This is the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped by God, and it is from here they gave to the world the eternal Book of Books.
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE On Saturday, May 6th, Messiah Now Ministries held a Yom HaShoah Service for the Six Million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. Paul Cruz opened the ser‐vice with prayer and then a few people participated in the candle‐lighting. As each person lit a can‐dle, they gave a moving testi‐mony about how the Holocaust has affected them, their family or
their friends. We have all been af‐fected by the Holocaust, and it is very important to remember those that perished in that terri‐ble time. Following the testimonies was a traditional memorial ser‐vice with Yitzkor (May the L‐rd Remember), Kaddish (The Mourner’s Prayer) and El Moley Rachamim (G‐d, full of mercy).
This was a most informative and inspiring experience for all those who came, and we are grateful for all the people who shared their experiences with us.
Mayest Thou, O God of Mercy,
shelter him (her) forever under the wings of Thy presence, May his (her) soul be bound up in the bond of life eternal, and grant that the memories of my life inspire me always to noble
and consecrated living. Amen.
NEVER FORGET
Messiah Now Ministries conducted a Purim Party that was hosted by our good friends at Olivet. We celebrated Purim this year on Saturday, March 12th, 2006. There were parades and plays, music and fun! It was a wonderful event, enjoyed by young and old alike! Of course, we were not alone in our celebration! Through‐out the world, Jews celebrate Purim, which falls on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. It is a festival of joy, singing and feast‐ing! Purim begins with a fast on the eve of Purim (Adar 13) and then ends with a special reading of the Book of Esther called the Megillah, on Adar 14 (the follow‐ing day). Since this is a joyous holiday, a beautiful meal called a Seudah, is prepared for the occasion. Purim Commemorates the redemption of the Jews of Persia during the reign of
Ahasuerus, approximately 500 years BCE. Through the intervention of Esther, who was the ward of Mordechai, an observant Jew, the Jews were saved from total destruction.
Haman, the Prime Minister and planner of the annihilation, suf‐fered the terrible fate that he had arranged for the Jews. The word “Purim” means “lots” and refers to the lottery that Haman devised to choose the massacre date for the Jews. Many times, when the name of Haman is mentioned, everyone makes loud noises, stomping or banging, to express their disgust of him. Purim is one of the minor holidays. It is not mentioned in the Torah and the name G‐d is not used in the book of Esther. It is a holiday that commemorates an
historical event and reinforces the concept that the Jewish people are indestructible and that Jews must be responsible for helping one another. The Book of Esther is read in synagogues on the eve of Purim and everyone is always welcome to participate in the public reading. This is a holiday of much festivity which includes singing, costumes, parades, plays and games. It has also developed a rich literature which is available in many languages. It is customary to feast and be merry! During Purim, we are also encouraged to send gifts, Shelach Manot, to our friends and to make donations to the needy.
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Celebrating Purim! Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 3
Mark your Calendars!! Messiah Now
Ministry Officers:
Rev. Mr.
Benjamin Sheldon President
Rev. Dr.
Keith Hardman Vice President
Rev. Mr.
Paul Housworth Secretary
Mr.
John Woodcock, Jr., CPA Treasurer
FALL HOLIDAYS
Rosh Hashanah Service and Oneg The 1st of Tishrei, 5767 on the Jewish Calendar
Saturday September 23rd, 2006 at 11:00am Manoa Presbyterian Church—153 North Eagle Road, Havertown PA. 19083
Plenty of free Parking! 1.5 blocks north of Route 3 (W. Chester Pike) near R476.
Yom Kippur Service with Nei Lah Prayer and Break Fast The 10th of Tishrei, 5767 on the Jewish Calendar
Monday, October 2nd, 2006 at 4:00pm Manoa Presbyterian Church—153 North Eagle Road, Havertown PA. 19083
Plenty of free Parking! See Above
Sukkoth, the Feast of the Tabernacles Begins the 15th of Tishrei, 5767 on the Jewish Calendar
Sukkoth runs from Saturday, October 7 to Saturday October 15, 2006 and we will be having a celebration during the week of the holiday.
Chanukah, the Festival of Lights
Begins the 24th of Kislev, 5767 on the Jewish Calendar Chanukah runs for eight days beginning at sundown on December 15, 2006 and
we will be having a celebration during the week of the holiday.
Please contact us at any time for more information regarding these Holiday Celebrations. Telephone: 610-832-8080 or Email: [email protected]
SMALL GROUPS
Messiah Now Ministries is developing two small home groups that will meet in the fall of 2006. One of the groups will be in the western suburbs and the other one will be in Center City. Ideal for those wishing to explore who Jesus is in a non-threatening environment!
Please contact us at any time for more information regarding these Small Groups. Telephone: 610-832-8080 or Email: [email protected]
Enhance your vocabulary with some important Hebrew words!
♦ Beriah—Creation ♦ Berit—Covenant ♦ Metohar—Purified ♦ Bikkurim—First Fruits ♦ Shemesh—Sun ♦ Etz—Tree ♦ Chai—Alive ♦ Etz HaChayyim—Tree of
Life ♦ Bechorah—Inheritance
As I read the Da Vinci code, I considered it a well written fiction—a fast paced action adven‐ture. I never once considered that Biblical truth was applied to this book. I was surprised at the furor that erupted in the Christian community. Its just a fiction book, I thought. I didn’t consider the danger of the book until I realized that many people were considering the fabricated stories to be true and Dan Brown in inter‐views has stated that he considers these myths to be true himself. That is when I decided to make some sense of the myth vs. the truth. I found a helpful com‐mentary by D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. and Jerry Newcombe, titled: The Da Vinci Myth Vs. The Gos‐pel. The following are excerpts from that publication: Upon examination, The Da Vinci Code is chock full of errors. Here is a short list of Da Vinci Code errors. Error: The book tells readers that ʺThe New Testament i s fa l se tes t imony. ʺ Rebuttal: The New Testament was sealed with the apostlesʹ blood. They put their money where their mouths were. The Greek word for ʺwitnessʺ – as in the idea of witnessing to the truth about Jesus – is ʺmartyro,ʺ from whence we get the word martyr. Why? Because so many witnesses to Jesus, e.g., the apostles, were killed for testifying about what
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they themselves saw. Brown glibly ignores this history and, instead, exalts the questionable writings of second‐, third‐, and fourth‐century Gnostic Christians, who were sexual libertines for the most part. Error: The doctrine that Jesus was divine was created by a pagan emperor in the fourth century, Constantine, for the purposes of manipulation: ʺIt was all about power.ʺ Rebuttal: After the Resurrection, Christians worshiped Jesus be‐cause He was divine. They called Him ʺKurios,ʺ the Greek word for ʺLord.ʺ For a Jew to say that a hu‐man was Kurios was absolutely forbidden. Error: No one believed, prior to the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 that Jesus was divine.
Rebuttal: Again, in the Gospels, written in the first century, we see that Jesus was divine. This is why Dan Brownʹs view that the early Christians believed Jesus was only a mortal rests on historical quick‐sand. From the very beginning, Christians worshiped Jesus as the Son of God. Cracking Da Vinciʹs Code authors Jim Garlow and Peter Jones have compiled a list of several Church Fathers – all of whom wrote before the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 – affirming this most basic Christian doctrine that Jesus was divine. Furthermore, one of the earliest Christian creeds was ʺJesus is the Lordʺ (Kurios) (1 Corinthians 12:3). Error: Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, and the Gnostic gospels teach that. Rebuttal: There is the flimsiest of evidence for that. There is one passage in the pseudo Gospel of Philip, written about A.D. 250, long after Philip the apostle had died, that claims Jesus often kissed Mary Magdalene on her ____ (where he kissed her is obscure in the manuscript). The word could have been mouth, cheek, forehead, or whatever. Even liberal scholar Karen King of Harvard University observes that this is referring to a holy kiss that is asexual in nature. Just like it says in the Bible, greet one a n o t h e r w i t h ʺ a ho l y kissʺ (Romans 16:16). Letʹs also remember that this was written more than 200 years after Christ. So even Dan Brownʹs sources
DeCoding Dan Brown—Myths of the DaVinci Code
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from antiquity donʹt make his case for him. Error: In ʺThe Last Supper,ʺ Leonardo da Vinci allegedly painted Mary Magdalene seated next to Jesus. Rebuttal: One of Dan Brownʹs proofs is that John looks so femi‐nine, but John is often portrayed in such a way in art because he was young. Go to any cathedral and look at the stained‐glass im‐ages of John. Just as you can iden‐tify Peter because he is holding keys, and you can tell Andrew because he is holding a Cross like an X (the kind on which He was cru‐cified), so you can tell John by his feminine looks. But suppose it were the case that Leonardo inten‐tionally painted Mary Magdalene next to Jesus instead of John, be‐cause Jesus and Mary were alleg‐edly married, and Leonardo was in on the secret, then where is the ʺbeloved discipleʺ John? He is not in the picture. Where is he? Under the table? Error: The Gnostic gospels uniformly teach the ʺsacred feminineʺ – the pagan idea that sex with a woman is the route to a relationship with God. Rebuttal: Unlike the four Gospels, the Gnostic gospels can be actually degrading to women. The Gospel of Thomas declares that a woman cannot be saved unless God first changes her into a
man (the very last verse of Thomas, 114). Error: The Priory of Sion, which looms large in the novel, was created in 1099 by the Knights Templar. Rebuttal: The Priory of Sion was created out of whole cloth in 1956 by a French anti‐Semite con man, Pierre Plantard. In 1975, documents were found in the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris that allegedly proved the Priory is as old as 1099, and that Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton and other luminaries secretly presided over
it. These documents w e r e proved to be fakes. E r r o r : Christian‐ity was based on p a g a n
religions – such as the mystery religions. Specifically, Dan Brown states: ʺNothing in Christianity is original. The pre‐Christian God Mithras – called the Son of God and the Light of the World – was born on Dec. 25, died, was buried in a rock tomb, and then resurrected in three days.ʺ Rebuttal: Dan Brown has it ex‐actly the opposite. The mystery religions more often borrowed from Christian themes – including the ones that Brown mentions. In ancient cultures, there was always the myth of the dying and resurrecting god – essentially ʺwinterʺ and ʺspring.ʺ However, these are never alleged to have been real history. In contrast, on
such and such a day (some scholars, including Dr. Alan Whanger, retired professor of Duke Medical Center – believe April 7, A.D. 30) Jesus Christ was crucified and laid in a tomb in Jerusalem. He came out alive with a resurrected body in three days (as Jews count it – two days as we would count it).
2006 WorldNetDaily.com Fact or Fiction? In the case of “The Da Vinc i Code” a resounding FICTION applies—that is how it was published—as fiction. It wasn’t too long ago that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote some fictional detective stories with a central character named Sherlock Holmes. As a gifted writer, Doyle was able to breathe life into his character and many people to this day believe he was an actual person. As compelling as some fiction is presented, it is still fiction and we must rely on God’s Word for Truth, not talented writers.
Psalm 118:8 reads” It is bet‐ter to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man”. That includes even the most accomplished of fiction writers.
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the
light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them” 2 Corinthians 4: 3-4