Our final day at LCJE was just as eventful as the past two days. After beginning the day with a time of prayer, Seth Postell, a gifted and wonderful scholar, presented his paper “Messianic Interpretations of Israel’s Feasts.” He began by asking us to imagine the Torah as a scroll, and in the middle of that scroll, Sinai. Seth then posed the question, “What is Sinai’s role and purpose?” He puts forth an answer that does not generate an interpretation, but utilizes the interpretation already present within the book. I won’t attempt any further description, because I could never do his paper justice, but I urge everyone to download a copy of Seth’s paper from the LCJE website at www.lcje.net. It is my understanding that the paper will soon be made available on the site.

Tuvya Zeretsky followed with a discussion on the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) report. If you missed my blog that already discussed the report, please visit the WEA website at www.worldevangelicals.org and check out the evangelical statement on the Gospel and the Jewish people. I believe there is a link on the home page’s upper right-hand corner.

Rich Robinson, an extremely knowledgeable and entertaining guy, finished the morning sessions with an informative and engaging presentation entitled “What is ‘Authentically’ Jewish?” His premise was that it is difficult to differentiate which cultural traditions are “originally Jewish,” and which originated elsewhere and were adopted into Jewish culture. He specifically addressed the influence of the Hellenistic world as it relates to everything from the traditional Passover Seder to the mosaic art floor of a synagogue in Beit Alfa. I’m fairly certain that Rich’s paper will also be available on the LCJE website sometime soon (as will most of the others).

After lunch, Theresa Newell from the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ-USA) presented “The History of CMJ Work in Israel.” It was a tremendously informative look at the history of CMJ―which is the oldest Protestant mission in Israel―and its efforts to bring the Gospel to the land of Israel. Her historical survey was expansive, so I won’t go into a lot of detail, but one interesting component was the story of the Michael Solomon Alexander―the first Jewish Bishop in the Holy Land since the days of the early Church. Learning Alexander’s story is a must for anyone interested in the history of Jewish missions. Visit CMJ’s website (www.cmj-israel.org) for more information about the organization, Alexander, and the work they are currently doing in Israel.

The final presentation was a dialogue session facilitated by Josh Sofaer of Jews for Jesus, Justin Kron of Chosen People Ministries, and myself (CJF Ministries). It offered the opportunity for younger workers within Jewish missions to discuss various issues with more experienced workers and leaders of various Jewish ministries. It was a wonderfully positive and constructive opportunity for workers of all ages and experience levels. Among the topics discussed were: the use of new media in evangelization, unity among the various Jewish ministries, and ways in which young people can become involved in Jewish ministry. It was great to hear the “movers and shakers” of Jewish ministry voice their support and commitment to raising up the next generation of workers that will take the Gospel of Yeshua to the Jewish people.

Our day ended with a dinner banquet and time of fellowship. We were blessed to hear special guest Dr. Ergun Caner speak about persistent and passionate evangelism’s impact on even the hardest of hearts. Dr. Caner described his Sunni Muslim upbringing, and how God used a persistent Christian boy to witness to him throughout high school. Today, Dr. Caner is President of Liberty Theological Seminary & Graduate School and author of numerous books, including Behind the Veil. I’ve been a big fan of Dr. Caner, and I highly recommend reading Behind the Veil―especially if you have an interest in sharing the Gospel with your Muslim friends and neighbors.

LCJE-Boston has been a great experience, time of fellowship, and networking. It’s a blessing to come together, in person, with those that we normally only communicate with via email or telephone, from thousands of miles away. It has also been immensely constructive to discuss current trends, ideas, and strategies within Jewish ministry as we work together toward the common goal of sharing the Good News of Yeshua haMashiach with the Jewish people.

-Michael