The PZ Insider Report- Discipline - Vital To the Servant

The PZ Insider Report- Discipline - Vital To the Servant Warrior Life
Monday, December 30 2013
In this article I am going to take
on probably one of the more
tougher aspects of living the
Servant Warrior life, that is living
a life of discipline.
None of the other virtues, traits,
character aspects will ever see
their full potential until one
becomes disciplined.
Now, I have to admit that this is
a tough one to write about
because I have my own shortfalls in this area as well.
I am going to let you in on a little secret, I tend to procrastinate in some things and not
so much in others.
No matter, it is something that I personally need to overcome and fix in my life. But what
I have found out in walking the path of that servant warrior, alone "I" cannot fix it, that is
something that God has to help me with.
That is the part of discipline that is hard.
The life of a Servant Warrior does not just magically appear. It is something that you
have to work at almost every minute of every day of your life.
The working every day of your life part, is where the discipline comes in.
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Developing the character, virtues, proper mind, body and spirit is something that takes
time. In fact it takes a lot of time and with some parts, our whole lives.
Without self discipline you will barely get started with what you want to do and probably
peter out just after you get the ball rolling.
It all starts with making excuses for this or that. Miss your quiet time, skipping prayer,
allowing the couch to call vs getting outside and working out with the sword, sticks, or
what ever physical fitness you do.
In the end it comes down to doing one of two things.
1 - Suffer the pain of self discipline
Or
2 - Suffer the pain of regret and disappointment.
One way at looking at being self disciplined is being diligent.
Here are just a few scriptures from Proverbs that speak about this.
Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of
the diligent maketh rich.
Proverbs 11:27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that
seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.
Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be
under tribute.
If you really want to live the Servant Warrior life, you will have to choose one of these,
self discipline or regret.
With that, I am honored to present the following articles in this issue of The PZ Insider
Report.
The Servant Warrior - Discipline - It is Vital To the Servant Warrior Life
By Ray Gano
Make the Message Clear and Plain - By Barbara Henderson
A Double Standard? - By Troy Koehne
Losing The Culture War - By Bill Wilson
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Christians Are Being Burned Alive, Beheaded, Crucified, Tortured To Death And
Imprisoned In Metal Shipping Containers - By Michael Snyder
Bewitching Believers Through the Hebrew Roots Movement - By Fisher, G. Richard
Is 2015 THE Year?
The book title is “Israel - America And God’s
Judgment - Discovering God’s Biblical Template
For Judging Nations”
Scripture shows that God does in fact deal with
nations by warning first in hopes of repentance. If
repentance is not there, God will chastise the
nation and continue to do so till the nation is
brought to her knees. If she still has not repented,
then we read in Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other
prophets what God does next.
2015
Do you realize all the events that will be taking
place in 2015?
Do you understand why that is such an important
year?
Do you understand the ramifications?
In my book Israel - America And God’s Judgment I examine the cyclical, generational
and social trends that that are moving this nation.
That is unless divine intervention intercedes to change that direction.
But, do you really understand what it will take for that to happen?
Did you enjoy The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn?
Have you been looking into the Blood Red Moons?
Are you a fan of Pastor David Wilkerson?
If you can answer YES to any of these questions, then this book is for you.
Purchase Now For $4.50 - http://amzn.com/B00GZ49ADS
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Ray's Other Book
Past The Point of No Return Why 2 Chronicles 7:14 No Longer Applies To US
...At Least For Now
For the past twenty years the United States been
spiraling downward facing social, political, and
religious decay.
Our ideals based on the constitution have been
replaced by the ideals of Socialism and Communism
to the point where we might lose our culture and
freedom to these satanic ideals.
Christians have sat on the sidelines allowing the
very fabric of our nation to deteriorate, and now we
wonder why we are where we are.
God's hand of protection has been lifted, that is a
fact. 9-11, financial catastrophe, natural disasters
is proof of that.
Because our nation has chosen to neglect the Word
of God and have literally kicked God out of our
nation on national Television, we are now facing God's chastisement, and it has already
begun.
For twenty years, Christians have been calling our nation to prayer and they keep
sighting II Chronicles 7:14, asking God to bless America and its future.
The problem is that America's Christians and her people refuse to act upon 2 Chron
7:14. They do not want to repent and instead choose sin and debauchery over living a
God fearing life.
Our walls have been breached, our hedge of protecting lifted, The bricks are fallen, and
the sycamores are cut down. But instead of repenting, which is what God has been
calling us to do, we stand in defiance and shake our fist at God, spitting in His face.
God's template in how He deals with rebellious nations is now in play. Because we have
refused to occupy till He returns, we as a nation have pasted the point of no return of
God's mercy and now face His chastising and judgement.
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How does God chastise nations? He sends their enemies to place them into bondage.
We as a nation have chosen this path. Instead of choosing God, we - like Israel, have
chosen an evil and selfish king.
God is a just God and He does not change. Therefore He will see His template for the
nation through to the end.
Due to our rebellion, God will break us like the potter breaks the clay. We will face pain
and suffering like this nation has never faced before.
Will we humble ourselves like Nineveh once did, or we will be placed in bondage for
generations?
That choice is up to us, but no matter what, we are now being forced to lay in the bed
we have made for ourselves.
2 Chronicles 7:14 No Longer Applies To US … At Least For Now.
Is there is still hope for this nation?
Will God give us one more merciful chance?
The answer has been right in front of us all this time. What have we missed?
Purchase Now For $1.50 -- http://amzn.com/B00ANDCOYO
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The Servant Warrior - Discipline - It is Vital To
the Servant Warrior Life
By Ray Gano
In this article I am going to take on probably one of the more
tougher aspects of living the Servant Warrior life, that is
living a life of discipline.
None of the other virtues, traits, character aspects will ever
see their full potential until one becomes disciplined.
Now, I have to admit that this is a tough one to write about
because I have my own shortfalls in this area as well.
I am going to let you in on a little secret, I tend to procrastinate in some things and not
so much in others.
No matter, it is something that I personally need to overcome and fix in my life. But what
I have found out in walking the path of that servant warrior, alone "I" cannot fix it, that is
something that God has to help me with.
That is the part of discipline that is hard.
The life of a Servant Warrior does not just magically appear. It is something that you
have to work at almost every minute of every day of your life.
The working every day of your life part, is where the discipline comes in.
Developing the character, virtues, proper mind, body and spirit is something that takes
time. In fact it takes a lot of time and with some parts, our whole lives.
Without self discipline you will barely get started with what you want to do and probably
peter out just after you get the ball rolling.
It all starts with making excuses for this or that. Miss your quiet time, skipping prayer,
allowing the couch to call vs getting outside and working out with the sword, sticks, or
what ever physical fitness you do.
In the end it comes down to doing one of two things.
1 - Suffer the pain of self discipline
Or
2 - Suffer the pain of regret and disappointment.
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One way at looking at being self disciplined is being diligent.
Here are just a few scriptures from Proverbs that speak about this.
Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of
the diligent maketh rich.
Proverbs 11:27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that
seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.
Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be
under tribute.
If you really want to live the Servant Warrior life, you will have to choose one of these,
self discipline or regret.
What all this comes down to is taking control of your mind and body.
The new year is coming up.
How many people do you think will take on a new year's resolution and say " I want to
lose 20 lbs."
How many people will fail?
You want to know WHY people fail?
It boils down to two things.
1 - The lack of self discipline
2 - Not having a goal or setting a goal
Look at how many people in the bible achieved great things.
One of my favorite examples is Noah.
Do you know it took Noah 120 years to build the ark?
Boy is that self discipline or what?
But here is the difference between a common man and the Servant Warrior.
I bet there were many times that Noah woke up and did not want to work on that ark.
Sure he may have taken some time off here and there. Getting away from your work
from time to time is a good thing. God wants people to rest.
But it is the self discipline that Noah had that kept him going.
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Now, one has to admit the motivation to get the job done is a pretty big motivator as
well.
The whole " I am going to destroy all life on the earth" does help.
There are many other examples of people in scripture accomplishing great things, but
the wonderful thing is that in all of this, God was also involved and He helped the people
achieve.
It wasn't due to their own accord that many of the great men and women of the bible
performed great deeds. It was because they submitted to God, thus allowing HIM to
work through them.
That is the difference between the Servant Warrior and the common man.
The Servant Warrior has God assisting them, when the common man has him and him
alone to help achieve the goals he has placed before himself.
So what do you want?
Either you discipline yourself for the future rewards, which in the long run are wonderful;
or you live life foolishly only doing what a weak mind and body dictate.
This is why I profess being a procrastinator. It is something that I constantly work at. It
has been painful, but what is worse is that it is even more painful when I do allow
procrastination to seep in.
One of the aspects of being a Servant Warrior is taking care of one's body. If you are
like me, there is room to lose a few extra pounds, do some toning up, and becoming
more proficient at the sword, sticks or other weapons I like to train with.
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If we continue to put off honing those skills, or whatever it is we wish to do, the odds are
very good that you will not only regress (backslide) but you will also lose those skills.
There is the old saying, "three steps forward, two steps back."
How many of you know what I am talking about?
This is where discipline comes into play. It is the battle for your mind between the
Servant Warrior in you and the sluggard that lives in all of us.
It is self discipline that keeps us moving forward in losing those few extra pounds.
BUT… it is discipline that helps us keep those few pounds off and working towards a
better body.
It is self discipline that makes us get out and do some sword work, stick work,
exercising one's self so that we can protect and care for our loved ones.
It is self discipline that keeps us on track to always do what is right, instead of allowing
that sluggard that lives in all of us a chance to gain that foothold.
Don't Use it - You Will Lose It
As a Servant Warrior, we have many skills that we need to hone.
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Yes we have physical skills, but we also have mental and spiritual skills we need to
constantly work at.
What happens if we stop practicing / using our skills, we lose them.
For example, look at prayer.
How many people do you know are really great at prayer? They seem to always say the
right things, be eloquent, and do not ramble on?
Do you think that they were just born that way or that they take the time to constantly
hone that skill?
How do you hone the skill of prayer?
SIMPLE… you pray and you pray a lot.
The same goes with studying the bible, scripture memorization, talking to others about
Christ, walking in faith, and the list goes on.
How many of you can look back in your life and see times when your spiritual lives were
doing really great.
But look at you now, your prayers may not have that gleam in them like they once had,
you can't recall that verse like you used to, someone tells you to look up Habakkuk and
you have to go to the front of the bible to see what page it is on.
See what I mean?
This is what Archilochus was meaning when he said…
We do not rise to the level of our expectations.
We rise to the level of our training.
Sure we may all look at ourselves and think we are really good at this or that. We may
even watch some sort of action movie thinking we have the ability to do what we see the
good guy doing. In fact, we might even have the same skill.
But if we do not continue to train at all our Servant Warrior skills, they begin to diminish
and eventually we lose them.
So if we are not self disciplined to work at the skills of being a Servant Warrior and
continue to train in those skills. When the time comes where we need to actually call up
those skills, how many of us will be 100% proficient at that skill that will be needed at
that time?
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This is why discipline is so important to walking that Servant Warrior path.
Whatever skill you want to perfect in life, you have to discipline yourself to work at them.
If you don't, you will find yourself living a life of envy and regret. You will envy those who
did have the discipline and you will regret because you allowed yourself to miss out on
those rewards.
William Aurthor Ward, the author of "The Fountains of Faith" once said…
"The price of excellence is discipline."
If you want excellence in your life, which if you are a Servant Warrior, that is something
you do want, then you must be willing to live a life of excellence, and living the life of
excellence is what it means to be a Servant Warrior.
As Servant Warriors (AKA Bible Believing Christians) we should be striving for that life
of excellence.
Why?
Because we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Our Father in Heaven is the creator of all the universe.
We serve Jesus Christ who laid His life down for us, so that we can live with Him
forever.
Is living a life of self discipline easy?
NO WAY.
It is painful, it takes work and even at times very hard work.
It takes having control over your sluggard mind that just wants to be a couch potato.
It means doing more, training more, being more.
The Servant Warrior Page on Facebook
I recently started a group on Facebook called The Servant Warrior.
You can visit and join the page by going here…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theservantwarrior/
One of my fellow servant warriors said the following, and I thought that it really painted a
great picture of what we as Servant Warriors have to face.
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Now in this she is addressing the women out there, but the points that she raises is for
all of us Servant Warriors.
Here is what she said…
How many women here see
themselves in the role of a
Woman Warrior?
I think of the things that are
coming and I know that the Lord
has called me as a Warrior.
My first thought is the protection
of my grandchildren, as my 5
sons are grown and all warriors.
I have had law enforcement
training and military training for I
always knew I was called to be a warrior.
But I am seeing many women stepping into the warrior mode. I see so many
making sure they will have food, learning the basics of growing their own food,
canning, seeking alternative heat and lights.
This is the basic survival skills all warriors have.
I know firsthand of those learning how to protect their loved ones and their home.
I see it as the Lord has given us a preview of what is coming for us to be
prepared.
If you think back to the settlers in the West, these were mostly Godly people
trying to make a living and they had to learn to protect what was theirs.
Same things are happening now in these ungodly times.
I was confused at first about my role. Until I was reading my bible through.
Women have been called to be warriors.
I always knew I was named after Deborah in the O.T. and when I got to Judges I
was amazed reading about my namesake.
I know that I will be by my husband's side, fighting whatever fight that might
ensue, physically, mentally and prayerfully.
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We are called to Christ and he gives us each a calling, an anointing.
Recently I was flying home from Texas and a nice looking gentlemen asked if he
could sit by me. He said he was praying and the Lord led him to sit by me. I
found out during our 30 minute heart to heart conversation he is a renown
evangelist, named Robby Mitchell. He told me God was calling me into a role.
I can't wait to see what God will use me for. I will be more than happy to talk to
any of you Ladies, and will accept all friend requests. God Bless each of you
~ Karen Sinquefield Rickard
Hard times are coming.
In fact, hard times are here already. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is going
to get worse.
This is why I believe that God is calling people out. Calling people to stand up and be
The Servant Warriors we have been call to be.
What is interesting is that I am not alone in this. I started this page on Saturday and
already I have over 170 people who have joined The Servant Warrior page.
The message and calling people out to be the Servant Warrior again is resonating with
many.
There is so much bad in the world today. Why not stand for what is good, just, and
righteous in the eyes of God.
I am standing with God. I am working to be more self disciplined in the ways of God and
walking that path of righteousness.
Now do not get me wrong, I am far from perfect and boy do I blow it more often than
not.
But the difference is I do not allow the enemy to keep me down. I preserver and I
discipline myself to get back up and stand again. And if the enemy knocks me down
again, I will continue to get back up. At times it will not be as fast, and at times I will
jump right back up, but no matter what, I will not give way to the enemy. I will do all I
can and I know that with God's help and power working through me, I will continue to
fight the good fight as a true Servant Warrior of God.
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What Do You Choose? Servant Warrior or The Side Lines?
There are many who are called to be
the Servant Warrior. In fact it amazes
me how many are out there. But as
good as that is, it is sad that there are
many who are choosing to live the
easier softer life and remain on the
side lines.
Like it or not, there is no such thing as
retirement. We serve God till our last
dying breath and at that point He calls
us home to our heavenly reward.
It does not matter how old you are or how young you are. Male, female, short, tall, fat,
thin. It does not matter where we are from or the color of our skin. IF you are a true bible
believing Christian, you are called to be that Servant Warrior for Christ.
Folks, we are living in the last days of the last days.
We do not know when Christ will return. But we do know that Christ commanded us to
"occupy till He returns."
I have to be honest and say that we have been lax in that job. But the battle is not over
and now more than ever God is calling people to service as Servant Warriors again.
I stand today humble yet proud that I have answered that call to be The Servant
Warrior.
My heart beats again feeling that charge within and the fire burns in my bones to help
others discover the same.
I know that many out there feel like they can do nothing and the enemy has been
beating you down. I know exactly what that feels like, been there done that, got the "T"
shirt.
But that is changing, not only in me, but I know in others as well. I feel like I am
empowered again, those batteries getting charged up again. I feel good knowing that I
am choosing the right path and that the discipline will pay off in the long run.
I look to that day when I can stand before Our Lord and hear Him say…
"Enter my kingdom my good and faithful servant."
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You don't know how much I want to hear those words from My Lord, My Savior, My
King.
The words of a job well done, I fought the good fight and ran the race well.
It is my self-discipline that will help me get there, but it will be the Power of God working
through me and seeing me through that will make the difference.
It isn't the people we elect or the laws that we make that will matter. What matters is
God working through the hearts of men and women who choose to stand in these dark
days.
It will be the power of God working through the Servant Warriors that will make the
difference.
That is what is exciting to me, that is why I feel good about what we are doing here at
Prophezine. That is why others are also feeling good because they too are answering
that call of The Servant Warrior.
The path is not easy and many times it is painful, but the feeling inside knowing the
good we are doing for the King with whom we serve is a nice feeling to have.
I have to say that there is no better feeling, no greater purpose or challenge than to
answer that call.
Put that spark, that zeal, that charge back into your life, pick up the cross and follow
Him as The Servant Warrior.
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Make the Message Clear and Plain
By Barbara Henderson
It was an interesting day in Jerusalem to say
the least. In recent weeks Jesus Christ had
been crucified, buried, and rose up from the
grave. He was seen by many. There was no
doubt that Christ was risen from the dead. He
ascended to heaven. His Apostles were
gathered in Jerusalem waiting for the time to
come to preach! The crowds gathered, also
waiting. THEN Peter, the Apostle of Jesus
Christ, stood up to preach the good news –
salvation by grace alone, through faith alone,
through Christ alone.
In the crowd listening to Peter preach there
were people from all over the place! Most
languages and cultures were represented right
there in Jerusalem listening to the fisherman
tell every individual how to be reconciled to God Almighty and obtain citizenship in
heaven through Jesus Christ. Peter made the message clear and plain. He did not turn
aside to avoid hurting the feelings of those who worshipped false gods. He did not
attempt to entertain in order to get people’s attention.
He did not dress like the most popular culture. He did not care what celebrities were
doing at the moment. He did not have a praise band playing pop music disguised as
music designed to please Almighty God.
Peter simply opened his mouth and proclaimed the gospel. He made it as clear and
plain as possible. He told the truth. Were some people offended? Most likely. Were
some converted? Definitely! The church exploded with true converts. Peter made the
message clear and plain.
There was no confusion regarding exactly what the message was. The message was
REPENT! You are walking down a road that leads to hell. You don’t have to go there.
Turn from the things of this world and look to the gift of eternal life offered through Jesus
Christ alone!
If you have been following the news in the United States you know that headline news
was the story of the Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson clearly saying homosexuality is a
sin. He got suspended from his job as a television star on a reality show. The network
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– A&E – thought because of the money involved that they would be able to get an
apology out of the bearded icon. It didn’t work! A&E thought America would rise up and
condemn the man for not accepting homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle. They got a
big surprise. In the end – there was a lot of money on the line, and A&E reinstated the
Duck Dynasty patriarch. Personally, I don’t watch the show.
Having relatives in Arkansas and Oklahoma who could match the Duck Dynasty stars
homespun humor and lack of any bending to peer pressure, the show may be just a tad
too close to home for me. However, I am pleased to see a show that represents
Christian family values. I just don’t watch it. I don’t watch a lot of television period. I
applaud the family values in the show, and their refusal to bend to the forced tolerance
that is rampant in the current political, cultural, and social setting in the USA and in the
world. I have been thinking about how to go forward in stopping the sort of evil
treatment Christians and conservatives get for simply speaking the truth. This is what I
came up with.
Today I am calling for national rebellion against forced tolerance of anything and
everything that is not right according to God. There is no one person or even half the
population of any nation that has the authority to change into ‘good’ what God has
clearly called ‘bad’. End of story. Do not let the world silence you! You don’t have to
go looking for a fight. Just be ready to tell the truth when the opportunity arises. You
don’t have to say it in a hateful manner. On the homosexuality issue simply quoting
scripture is enough. Tell those who don’t like the message in the Bible to take it up with
God.
We are at war, and this war is far more than a culture war. This is a war for the truth.
The truth is clearly stated in the Bible on every important subject. Truth is unchanging.
It is not affected by time, culture, social agendas, acceptable morals in any particular
culture or social environment, or quantum leaps in pseudo-science.
First, there is a personal decision to simply speak the truth when called on regardless of
the social or political fallout. If you wind up facing the giants, remember that you are
just a lowly messenger. You don’t have any authority to change the truth. Do what is
right. Don’t waste your time trying to fit into the current culture. Don’t waste your time
trying to stay in touch with the current politically correct hot buttons or the social
agenda’s making headlines.
If you make a real effort to do what is right according to God Almighty you will make one
major effort each and every day. You will work to treat others the way you want to be
treated. That means treat others with kindness and tell them the truth. Remember that
very often things that are social acceptable or politically correct are not based on truth.
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Second, there is the church. The duty of every church is to tell the truth without
deviations. That’s it. When the truth of God is mixed in with pop culture, political
correctness, attempts to reach different cultures, or anything else that distracts from the
gospel the message is NOT clear and plain. Listeners have to sort through all sorts of
gobbled-gook in order to find the truth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved. It doesn’t matter if you live in a shack or a palace. The message is the same.
It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, rich or poor, smart of not so smart, the
message is the same. It doesn’t matter if you are from central Africa or Scandanavia.
The message is the same. It doesn’t matter if your culture is Southern American or
Yankee American. It doesn’t matter if you live in a nation where freedom of choice of
religion is allowed or in a nation where accepting Jesus Christ may get you murdered.
The message is the same. Jesus says come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest. That is the message.
There is no better message than the message of salvation by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ – the only begotten Son of God. You can, however, confuse the message
drastically by dumbing it down, applying worldly tactics for business growth to church
growth, pop culture, social agendas, political correctness, or any other distraction.
The motto of Christians could be ‘Make the message Clear and Plain’. Christ receiveth
sinful men!
Christ Receiveth Sinful Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfj2YMeN-IM
Sinners Jesus will receive;
Sound this word of grace to all
Who the heavenly pathway leave,
All who linger, all who fall.
Refrain
Sing it o’er and over again;
Christ receiveth sinful men;
Make the message clear and plain:
Christ receiveth sinful men.
Come, and He will give you rest;
Trust Him, for His Word is plain;
He will take the sinfulest;
Christ receiveth sinful men.
Refrain
Now my heart condemns me not,
Pure before the law I stand;
He who cleansed me from all spot,
Satisfied its last demand.
Refrain
Christ receiveth sinful men,
Even me with all my sin;
Purged from every spot and stain,
Heaven with Him I enter in.
Refrain
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A Double Standard?
By Troy Koehne
First of all, I am not a Duck Dynasty fan. I have no idea
what the show is about or who the characters are.
What I do know is they are Christians who refuse to be
bullied by the main stream. They were told they
couldn’t pray in Jesus name as it might offend a few
people.
Later on, when asked what sin is for an article, Phil
Robertson tells it like it is and the whole world goes
ballistic.
As we all know, he was fired from his show for offending what—3% of population? Yep,
got to keep the gay crowd happy. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
People are calling this a first amendment issue, freedom of speech. To a certain extent,
I agree. You should be able to say whatever you want regardless of what it is, or who
you are.
However, I see this as a whole different issue. See, we as Christians like to pick and
choose when and where to fight.
We get excited when someone like Robertson stands up and tells it like is because in
our hearts, we believe the same thing. The difference being, we don’t have the guts to
stand up and do the same.
However, if your preacher stood up next Sunday morning, and began to preach about
the sin of Sodom as in the days of Lot, you would rake him over the coals.
Let’s go one step further, what if your preacher was delivering a fiery message about
the sin in your life?
You wouldn’t run down the altar and get right with God, you would get mad. Perhaps
you would leave the church. I’m not giving my money here anymore, did you hear what
he said? Oh the nerve of that guy.
Do you know the difference?
Your preacher is not preaching to entertain you. It’s okay to crucify him but when an
entertainer that we all like and admire speaks the truth, we get all crazy trying to support
them.
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So on one hand, we nail the preacher to the cross but on the other hand, we bow down
to those who entertain us.
Kind of looks like a double standard doesn’t it?
That’s because it is. We love our entertainers. The preacher’s job is to get you to live
right. To lead you on the path of holiness. If you are not being convicted of the sin in
your life when you go to church then either your heart is cold or your ears are being
tickled.
Churches that teach the old paths are being abandoned for the mega churches that
hold thousands. We love our coffee, and all the different things they have to offer to the
unhappy masses.
They preach a come as you are gospel. They have the bands to entertain us so we get
our fill of entertainment. Everyone is dressed down to the point you can wear what you
want without offending anyone.
We can support that. Sure. Gays are behind the pulpit preaching, Sister so and so is
preaching on Sunday night, and so on.
The small churches that lead their people down the path of holiness are being crucified
at an alarming rate for preaching on sin and repentance.
When the small Baptist church down on the corner stands up and says what these
mega churches are doing is wrong, going against what the Bible says, we crucify them.
Who are they to judge?
Again, what a double standard.
We have a pastor locked up in Iran right now. Our government refuses to do anything
about it. How many of you know about that? There have been petitions that you may
have signed at one point but we still point out fingers at him for being a Christian in Iran
in the first place. His family is in the US trying to stand strong but for Pastor Saeed, his
life is in peril. He has been beaten and tortured for the sake of the gospel.
But we don’t do anything about it because we are not entertained. It’s as if we are
ashamed that he is even a Christian. He makes us look bad. You mean he is actually a
soul winner, doing great things for God, and that got him arrested in Iran.
Yeah, he is in jail, trying to survive when you are fighting to have your favorite
entertainer reinstated on his show. All so you can sit in your easy chair, drink soda, eat
dinner, and never give anything else a second thought.
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Do you see what is happening here? There is someone waiting in the shadows to come
upon the scene to steal our hearts with signs and wonders. Yes, that someone is the
Antichrist. He will deceive many because he is an entertainer.
He will give you the world and in return you will worship the ground he walks on. Why,
because we love those who entertain us.
Friends, God has not called us to be entertained but to holiness. No one likes to deal
with the sin in our lives but to be in the presence of a holy God, we have to deal with it.
That means we need to hit the altar and confess our sin. We need to be in the word of
God on a daily basis.
If you are looking for your entertainers to get you saved, thinking you are getting your
weekly dose of grace, you are probably going to get left behind.
Jesus told us to come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you
rest. So how about we turn of the TV and start getting right with God. This world doesn’t
have much longer so we had better start doing things God’s way.
If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But remember, it’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
an angry God.
You had better get right before you get left behind.
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Losing The Culture War
By Bill Wilson
A recent Economist/YouGov Poll is a clear indicator.
Some 67% of Americans called 2013 a bad or very
bad year. About 32% called it a good or very good
year. 61% believe the country is on the wrong track.
Of the 29% who believe the country is on the right
track, 54% are Democrats and 88% are moderate to
liberal. Roughly 56% say that health care coverage
is worse now than a year ago. Of those describing
themselves as moderate to liberal, however, 56%
think health care coverage is better--51% of them
are Democrats. It is self evident that those who
support the policies that are destroying the nation,
think they are good policies, enthusiastically so.
But where is the logic in this?
According to this poll, the vast majority of Americans see that things are not going well.
Yet the policies that are taking the country down are allowed to continue. We also see
from the poll that those who believe everything is going well are far and away moderate
to liberal. They are in the minority, yet the policies they support are those that are ruling
over the majority.
While there are clear distinctions between Democrats and Republicans among
American citizens, it would appear that the vast majority of Americans are quite
conservative. The party lines are blurred when it comes to policy--in other words, the
conservative citizen base is not seeing conservative policy and government from those
they elect.
This means that once people get into office, they are buying in to the very liberal
policies that are causing social and economic harm to people. It also means that those
who consider themselves moderates or liberal are not thinking well. This is indisputable.
Trillions of dollars of debt are being incurred to bail out a failing economy; some 50
million people are on welfare; the jobless rate is higher than statistics say because
millions have given up on finding a job; taxes are increasing through socialist
healthcare; we have been at war for over a decade, and the list keeps growing. We are
amidst the most enduring and savage culture war the US has seen since the Civil War.
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If 80 percent of Americans claim to be Christian, how then can policies detrimental to
family and country be so entrenched? Obviously, we are not living up to the standards
of our professed belief system.
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." He tells us in Matthew 28
to make disciples. Just having people say they believe in Christ is not making a disciple.
For our nation to be in such a state, there must be multitudes who say they are
Christian, but have no idea what is required. There is no hope for this nation or the
world apart from Christ, a relationship with Christ, and abiding in Him. If we say we are,
we need to be.
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Christians Are Being Burned Alive,
Beheaded, Crucified, Tortured To Death And
Imprisoned In Metal Shipping Containers
By Michael Snyder
The “coming persecution of Christians” has already
begun. It is already here. So why is the mainstream
media in the United States almost totally silent about
this phenomenon? When some politician somewhere
around the globe inadvertently offends homosexuals or
Muslims, it instantly makes headline news.
But very few Americans are even aware that it has been estimated that 100 million
Christians are currently facing persecution and that approximately 100,000 Christians
die for their faith each year. As you are about to see, Christians all over the world are
being burned alive, beheaded, crucified, tortured to death and imprisoned in metal
shipping containers just because of what they believe.
This persecution goes on year after year and it is steadily intensifying. But the
governments of the western world and the mainstream media are almost entirely
ignoring what is happening.
The information shared below is extremely graphic. Some of the websites that normally
run my articles may want to think twice before posting this one.
The reason why I have included such graphic information is because I believe that it is
very important to accurately communicate what is truly going on out there.
People need to know the reality of the holocaust that is happening. The following are
short excerpts from news stories about incidents of Christian persecution that took place
in 12 different countries around the planet. Sadly, the vast majority of Americans have
never even heard about any of these stories…
#1 Christian Taxi Driver Pulled Out Of His Cab And Beheaded In Egypt: One attack
involved taxi driver Rafaat Aziz Mina, who was slaughtered in an Alexandria street just
because he was Christian. In his early twenties, he was killed on 16 August by a mob of
Islamists who took to the streets after news reached them about the military’s action
against their camps in Cairo.
An amateur video shot by a resident shows a mob blocking cars, checking the
passengers inside. When Aziz’s taxi was stopped, one of the protesters noted a cross
hanging from the rear view mirror. Quickly, the young man was dragged out and kicked,
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punched and beaten to death. For several minutes, the extremists defiled the lifeless
body kicking and spitting on it, concluding their performance by cutting off his head,
which they left on the sidewalk.
#2 Tortured To Death By U.S.-Backed Al-Qaeda Rebels In Syria: In late October, the
U.S-supported “opposition” invaded and occupied Sadad for over a week, till ousted by
the nation’s military. Among other atrocities, 45 Christians—including women and
children—were killed, several tortured to death; Sadad’s 14 churches, some ancient,
were ransacked and destroyed; the bodies of six people from one family, ranging from
ages 16 to 90, were found at the bottom of a well (an increasingly common fate for
“subhuman” Christians).
#3 “Slaughtering Us Like Chickens” In The Central African Republic: Thousands of
Christian civilians sought refuge at an
airport guarded by French soldiers
Friday, fleeing from the mostly Muslim
ex-rebels with machetes and guns who
rule the country a day after the worst
violence to hit the chaotic capital in nine
months.
When several French helicopters
landed at the airport, people sang with
joy as they banged on plastic buckets
and waved rags into the air in
celebration.
Outside the barbed wire fences of the
airport, bodies lay decomposing along
the roads in a capital too dangerous for many to collect the corpses. Thursday’s clashes
left at least 280 dead, according to national radio, and have raised fears that waves of
retaliatory attacks could soon follow.
“They are slaughtering us like chickens,” said Appolinaire Donoboy, a Christian whose
family remained in hiding.
#4 Shot For Refusing To Convert To Islam In Libya: A group of Muslims robbed two
Egyptian Christians living in Libya, then tied up and shot them to death after the two
Copts refused their demand to convert to Islam, relatives said.
On a rural road in Derna District in northeastern Libya on Wednesday (Sept. 25), a
group of Muslims surrounded Waleed Saad Shaker, 25, and Nash’at Shenouda Ishaq,
27, demanded their belongings and started beating them. During the strong-arm
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robbery, the relatives said, the Muslims demanded that Shaker and Ishaq recite
the shahada, the declaration of conversion to Islam. When the two Orthodox Coptic
Christians refused, the group of Muslims tied them up and shot them.
#5 Head Cut Off In Front Of A Camera For Converting To Christianity In Tunisia: A
young man appears held down by masked men. His head is pulled back, with a knife to
his throat. He does not struggle and appears resigned to his fate. Speaking in Arabic,
the background speaker, or “narrator,” chants a number of Muslim prayers and
supplications, mostly condemning Christianity, which, because of the Trinity, is referred
to as a polytheistic faith: “Let Allah be avenged on the polytheist apostate”; “Allah
empower your religion, make it victorious against the polytheists”; “Allah, defeat the
infidels at the hands of the Muslims,” and “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
his messenger.”
Then, to cries of “Allahu Akbar!”— Allah is greater!”—the masked man holding the knife
to the apostate’s throat begins to slice away, severing the head completely after
approximately one minute of graphic knife-carving, as the victim drowns in blood.
Finally, the severed head is held aloft to more Islamic slogans of victory.
#6 50 Christians Burned To Death In Their Pastor’s Home In Nigeria: Fifty members of
a northern Nigerian church were burned to death in their pastor’s house.
The attack by armed gunmen was only the first in a 12-village spree of violence that left
over 100 dead in northern Nigeria’s Plateau State, a region that had previously been
outside Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram’s operational area and is the largely Muslim
Fulani tribesmen’s homeland.
Yet Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks and threatened even more
violence.
#7 Two Brothers Crucified For Their Faith In Ivory Coast: Two peasant brothers were
brutally crucified on “the example of Christ” as forces loyal to Ivory Coast President
Alassane Ouattara continue to target perceived supporters of his ousted Christian
predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo.
Raphael Aka Kouame died of his injuries; incredibly his younger brother, Kouassi Privat
Kacou, survived the ordeal. The pair were badly beaten and tortured before being
crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by their hands and feet with steel spikes on 29
May.
#8 Angry Mob Of About 1,000 People Destroys A Church And Beats Christians In India:
Shouting religious slogans, a mob estimated at 1,000 people has destroyed a Christian
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church under construction in northern India, according to a report received from church
leaders in the region. The attack occurred Sunday.
With the building demolished, the mob began to beat the pastor, his mother and church
members, who were able to flee and went into hiding for the night. The extent of their
injuries is not known.
#9 Suicide Bombers Kill 81 At A Church In Pakistan: A pair of suicide bombers killed 81
people outside a church in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday in the deadliest attack yet
on the country’s Christian minority, reviving fears that the newly installed government is
powerless to stop the resurgent Taliban’s reign of terror.
The attack on the 19th-century All Saints Church in Peshawar took place as hundreds
of worshippers were streaming out of the church, police chief Mohammad Ali Babakhel
told the newspaper Dawn.
“The suicide bomber tried to attack the people, but when he was stopped by the police,
he detonated the bomb,” he said. “The second blast was carried out inside the church.”
#10 80 Lashes For Drinking Communion Wine In Iran: An Iranian court sentenced four
Iranian men to 80 whiplashes for drinking wine during communion and possession of a
satellite antenna.
The court issued the sentence in the city of Rasht on October 6. Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, an advocacy organization for religious freedom, reported on the punishment
last week on its website.
#11 Imprisoned In Metal Shipping Containers In Eritrea: A representative of Open
Doors, a charity that works with Christians under pressure for their faith, said that many
Christian men and women are being held in underground dungeons, metal shipping
containers and military detention centers.
“They face exposure, hard labor and insufficient food, water and hygiene. They are
regularly denied medical treatment for malaria and pneumonia contracted while in
prison or diseases like diabetes, hypertension or cancer that they may have arrived
with,” said the representative.
#12 Publicly Executed For Owning A Bible In North Korea: Eight people — their heads
covered with white bags — were tied to stakes at a local stadium in the city of Wonsan,
before authorities shot them with a machine gun, according to the source.
Wonsan authorities gathered a crowd of 10,000 people, including children, at
Shinpoong Stadium and forced them to watch the killings.
—–
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For the moment, things like this are not happening in the United States. But you would
have to be extremely naive to think that it never could happen here.
Animosity toward Christians is rapidly rising in this country. Anyone that spends much
time cruising around the Internet can see that very clearly. In fact, some bloggers
recently suggested the castration and murder of Christians here in the United States.
It might seem easy to dismiss those remarks as the ramblings of a few deranged
individuals, but the truth is that our own government is now labeling Christians as
“extremists” and “potential terrorists“. For a large number of examples of this
phenomenon, please see my previous article entitled “72 Types Of Americans That Are
Considered ‘Potential Terrorists’ In Official Government Documents“.
All over the planet, the persecution of Christians is growing. And our own government
is now demonizing us and characterizing us as a “threat”.
The years ahead are going to be very challenging for those who choose to be
Christians. If you are a Christian, I hope that you are getting emotionally and spiritually
prepared for that.
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Bewitching Believers Through the
Hebrew Roots Movement
By G. Richard Fisher
The old hymn “I Would Be Like Jesus” has
a chorus that has the hymn singers assert,
“Be like Jesus, this my song, in the home
and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day
long! I would be like Jesus.”
Many Christians don’t realize that there is a battle being waged between Jewish
externals and rituals as a means of spirituality and sanctification and truly biblical means
that are internal heart issues. None would argue that being more like Jesus is a very
commendable goal. After all, we are to constantly look to Him (Hebrews:12:2) and see
Him as our ultimate example (1 Peter:2:21). But with every journey in life we must
decide how we are going to get there. The larger issue of being like Jesus is: What does
it really mean? What does it look like? and Just how is it accomplished?
The late Jewish scholar and researcher of first century life in Israel, David Flusser, said
rightly; “Jesus was a Jew in every way” ( Jewish Sources in Early Christianity , Adama
Books, New York, 1987, p.7). There is absolutely no denying that Jesus was born a Jew
and lived an observant Jewish life. He did this to fulfill completely every demand of the
law, He did it for us (Romans:8:1-4), and He continues to do it in us if we are true
believers.
So if we want to be like Jesus, does that mean that we must become observant Jews,
as some allege? Is that what being like Jesus really means? Should Gentile believers
try to be Messianic Jews? Can they? Should Gentiles don a yarmulke, worship in a
synagogue, blow a shofar, wear a prayer shawl, call Jesus Yeshua or Yeshu, keep the
Old Testament feasts and dietary laws, and give their pastors the title of Rabbi, even
though Matthew:23:8 says otherwise? Are Jewish ceremonies and practices
efficacious?
Do we need to restore first century or later Jewish practices to really be good
Christians? The Pharisees practiced all the ceremonies, but theirs is a cautionary tale
since Jesus told them that they did these things in vain (Matthew:15:7-9, See also
Matthew 23).
So, is Jewishness next to godliness? One very modern movement would answer the
questions with a loud—“yes, more or less!” This growing movement is called the
Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). Unfortunately, it lacks a shared, coherent, consistent
theology, an internal mechanism of doctrinal control, and it is filled with mavericks who
seem to be making it up as they go along in terms of attachment to Jewish
accoutrements.
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Some in the HRM are way over the edge in their denial of the Trinity and seem to know
Jesus only in the flesh. As we will see, this movement is an idea, a view, an attitude, or
a philosophy; a shared concept that Jewish traditions and Judaism are far superior for
the church, a sure fire way to a deeper sanctification and with some, possibly even
salvation.
It’s hard to define the HRM because it is so diverse and made up of so many disparate
groups and individuals. It’s a moving target. It’s a vast smorgasbord of everything from
scholarship, as in the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, to so-called Third
Questers, to individuals practicing subjective pop (make-it-up-as-you-go) Judaism. It
can even include the medieval mystical Kabbalah, with its esoteric numerology. More
often than not there are no distinctions made between the Old Covenant and the New
Covenant or between the Bible and the Talmud. This movement can impose legalism
with a vengeance or in some instances may simply suggest Jewish practices that they
say will give us deeper insight and understanding as well as make us more “authentic”
believers.
Here, then, is a loose definition of the Hebrew Roots Movement. It is a very modern
movement that insists that we must resurrect first-century Judaism (our Jewish Roots)
and the milieu and lifestyle of first-century Jews and impose them on both Jewish and
non-Jewish believers. This is not just an academic study to better understand Scripture
and its setting but is rather a movement of restoration that claims that the church has
moved off its Jewish foundation and must return to a more Jewish way of life to be
authentic.
Although there is great benefit in studying the archaeology, geography, sociology,
religion, and customs of the ancient biblical world, it does not follow that we must
reinstitute and copy those times, replete with language, customs, and even dress.
It is obvious in much of the HRM that it’s not just the study of the first century for
interpretation, information, and illumination that carries the day but keeping the
traditions and practices of the Jewish Talmud, which was completed long after Jesus in
the years 400-500 ( The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion , Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
New York, 1965, p. 374). Actually, there are two Talmuds, namely the Babylonian
Talmud and the Palestinian Talmud. The Talmuds vary in many of their customs,
traditions, and practices.
Jewish believer Stephen Katz expresses his concerns when he says, “Much of the
Jewish Roots Movement is actually based on later Jewish/rabbinic tradition. More
importantly, the question of whether Gentiles need to add Jewish lifestyle and return to
Jewish roots was settled by the Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15. The
remarkable news of the Gospel is that, in Y’shua, Jews and Gentiles have direct access
to God” (“The Jewish Roots Movement: Flowers and Thorns,” March 1, 2001).
In practice, many promoters of the HRM draw their content more from Talmudic
Judaism than from Old or New Testament Judaism. Acts 15 addresses head-on the
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relationship of Gentile believers to Judaism. The Apostle James told the Jewish
believers that they should not disturb Gentile believers. In verse 19, James strongly
commanded, “I judge that we (Jews) should not trouble those from among the Gentiles
who are turning to God.” Then an official letter went out to the Gentiles reaffirming the
decision: “Since we heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with
words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘you must be circumcised and keep the law’—to
whom we gave not such commandment” (v. 24). In other words, “Back off trying to
make Gentiles into Jews!”
Messianic Jewish believer Stan Telchin sees the imposition of Jewish law and practice
on Gentiles as one of the more troubling aspects of the Messianic Jewish Movement: “I
know that the overwhelming majority of Jewish believers do not attend Messianic
synagogues. It has been suggested that less than five percent of the Jewish believers in
the United States attend them….Many Jewish people who I have brought to such
synagogues have told me they felt as though they were looking at a caricature—an
imitation and not the real thing” ( Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity , Chosen Books,
Grand Rapids, MI, 2004, p. 83).
If Telchin’s statistics are even close, it means that up to 95 percent of the attendees at
Messianic synagogues are Gentiles and only 5 percent are Jews. This tells us that
Gentiles are being “converted” to forms of Judaism that even many Jews reject. That
turns Acts 15 on its head. The really big question that Hebrew Roots teachers must
answer is, “Why are there far more Gentile believers than Jews in Messianic
synagogues and Messianic fellowships?”
This imposition of Jewish practice on non-Jewish believers really does constitute a
serious issue that promotes elitism, unnecessary division, wide confusion, and
unbiblical practices. We can almost understand Jews who convert to Christ who still try
to keep some of the cultural aspects and celebrations of their familial heritage. If their
intentions and motives are not legalistic, and if these things are not done for salvation or
out of religious elitism, there may be some minor benefit. Yet to impose them on
Gentiles (as is the case, more often than not) is a direct violation of Paul’s words to the
Colossians: “So let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new
moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of
Christ” (2:16-17). So Paul tells the Gentiles at Colossi that they are not to let anyone
force Judaism on them. Didn’t Paul tell the Ephesians that saved Jews and Gentiles
were now one new body and one new man—the church (Ephesians:3:1-8)?
We have already mentioned the very confusing practice of superimposing the later
Talmud and Talmudic traditions on New Testament believers (Jew or Gentile). Isn’t this
as serious as any of the extrabiblical books imposed on cult followers? Some of the
Talmud has nothing to do with the New Testament and only reflects later Judaism
without a land, a temple, a priesthood, or a sacrifice.
The Hebrew Roots Movement is cavalier and does nothing as far as the above
cautions. The use of later rabbinical material must be done with much care, that is,
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sparingly and judiciously. We must be sure that it can be verified and corroborated by
earlier or contemporary sources. It is our only safety. If we are unsure of a later source,
would it not be dangerous to add it to the Bible (Revelation:22:18-19)?
One very important and urgent issue that the Hebrew Roots Movement never
addresses is—which Judaism? This is the elephant in the room.
It would be more correct to speak of Judaisms. There were different streams of Judaism
in the first century. Is it to be the religious Pharisees? And, if so, is it the school of
Shammai or Hillel? Or is it the religion of the Sadducees? Why not the Judaism of the
Zealots or the Herodians? Is it to be the Judaism of John the Baptist? Better yet, the
purists—the separatists called the Essenes. As has been mentioned, any first-century
Judaism of any stripe cannot be fully practiced since there is no temple, no priesthood,
and no animal sacrifices. Some in the Hebrew Roots Movement seem to be enamored
with modern Orthodox Jews. But the large and unanswered question is: which Orthodox
group?
In the complex world of Jewish Orthodoxy, there are a myriad of competing groups with
different dress and different traditions, all claiming to have their corner on the truth. A
few of the somewhat cloistered groups in Jerusalem are the Ger Hassidic Dynasty, the
Belz Hassidic Dynasty, the Karlin Stolin Hassidic sect, the Breslav Hassidic Dynasty,
the Samar Hassidic Dynasty, the Chabad Hassidic sect, and the Neturi Karta. (For
details, differences, and dynamics of these groups, see The Mysteries of Jerusalem ,
Adam Ackerman, Multipress, Jerusalem, 2007, pp. 61-77). Which one is right?
There is an almost total ignoring by the Hebrew Roots Movement teachers of two-thirds
of the New Testament, namely the Epistles of Paul (as well as the other Epistles). There
is some tipping of the hat to selective pieces of Romans that in their view speak of
Abraham and also of being grafted into Judaism, or Jewish Roots. It is clear that being
grafted into Israel has to do with Abrahamic and Messianic blessings—not cloning or
trying to act like Jews. These spiritual privileges are real spiritual and eternal blessings.
They do not mean dressing up and pretending to be of some other nationality or
religion.
Gentile believers have received the Word of God, the Messiah, and His salvation. Being
grafted into Abraham’s blessings is as beautiful and as simple as Gib Martin and Larry
Richards explain: “The olive tree…is a familiar and beautiful part of the landscape of
Israel. It is a symbol of both strength and blessing. David penned in Psalm:52:8: ‘I am
like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and
ever’….Paul uses the branch of an olive tree to picture what God has done in grafting in
the gentiles, the ‘wild olive tree’ (Romans:11:17) into the cultivated olive tree, Israel. In
Paul’s metaphor, some of the olive tree’s branches were broken off and wild shoots
were grafted into the tree. God was turning the Gentiles into fruit-bearing people….Paul
is pointing them to the very source of their lives: God. God is the Keeper of the
vineyard, the ultimate Gardener” ( The Book of Romans , Thomas Nelson, Nashville,
TN, 2007, p. 168).
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Ignoring the Epistles is one way to avoid a deluge of material about New Testament
church life, church structure, church officers, church practices, and beliefs. It’s no
wonder that those in Hebrew Roots have a truncated and skewed message. I say this
with sadness.
What we are dealing with is both foundational and fundamental. Is it to be synagogue or
church? The Jews had a practice that if anyone professed Christ they were to be thrown
out of the synagogue (John:9:22). Yet those in the HRM would try to pretend that
synagogues are good places to be—or at least to emulate or push their way back in.
Can we merge church and synagogue? Should we? We need to remember that Jesus
said clearly, “On this rock I will build my church.” He did not say, “I will build my
synagogue.”
Is it to be law or grace? The Book of Galatians deals with that in great detail. However,
as I said, the Epistles are neglected and ignored, and Galatians is skipped over. It is
interesting to note that Paul told the Galatians that a trip back to Judaism indicated that
they had become both “foolish” and “bewitched” (Galatians:3:1). The word “bewitched”
is the Greek root baskano , and it means to be allured and drawn into false doctrine.
Is it Old Covenant or New Covenant? If it was anything but New Covenant, Jesus would
have never said at His last supper, “For this is My blood of the new covenant which is
shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew:26:28). This is repeated in
Mark:14:24 and Luke:22:20. The repetition must be there for a good reason. Jesus must
have known that some would ignore much of the New Covenant or get the two
covenants confused.
Is it the Passover or the Lord’s Supper? Paul reminded the Corinthians what the
Passover stood for and what was really central: “For indeed Christ our Passover was
sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians:5:7). It’s clear that all the Old Testament ceremonies,
symbols, and feasts were types and shadows pointing to Jesus (Colossians:2:16-23,
Hebrews:10:1-10).
Is it Saturday or Sunday? Saturday (the seventh day) was clearly attached to the
finishing of the Old Creation (Genesis:2:1-3). Sunday, the first day of the new week
celebrates the Resurrection and the new creation in Christ. Christians are a new
creation (2 Corinthians:5:17).
Is it Jewish externals and superficial ritual purity or internal cleansing and heart purity?
Psalm 51 answers that question clearly: “Sacrifice you did not desire or I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken
and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (vv. 16-17).
This brief article is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of the Hebrew Roots
Movement. For now we are just asking questions. There are detailed larger articles and
a book in production to examine in depth and detail the entire movement. We hope to
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offer corrections to many aberrant practices and deal more fully with some of the issues
raised in this piece. Stay tuned.
This article originally was posted to The Berean Call. You can view it here…
http://www.thebereancall.org/content/january-2014-bewitching-believers-hebrew-roots
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