So this just happened like twenty minutes ago (I'm doing some mobile blogging right now):
I arrive at the church, feeling excited and optimistic, which for me is rare when it comes to encounters with Christians. But maybe times are changing (or I am). I get buzzed inside and a nice lady directs me to the elevator that takes me to the waiting room.
The waiting room was so peaceful. It was just an ordinary waiting room, very clean and tidy, sofa and a couple of chairs, some glass shelves with African instruments and things. But I was a little nervous because why was I feeling so optimistic anyway? This guy when he finds out I'm Messianic might tell my family not to visit there anymore.
Then a lady unlocks the security door and I'm lead through a little labyrinth of offices and then I see the books... Was it the Pastor's office? No, it was just the receptionist's office but it was filled with books. Turned out to be the overflow books from the pastor's office.
But then I'm led into the pastor's office, this big room with lots of windows and lots of books. And there he was smiling and welcoming.
I felt completely comfortable talking about everything. Maybe it was because a Messianic lady once told me, speaking in hushed tones like she was conveying very sensitive information, that this pastor had a "road to Damascus" experience when he visited Israel. I took that to mean he was favorable toward the Messianic movement. But I also got "the vibe" from him. The "I'm Messianic friendly" vibe.
So he wanted my story. And under normal circumstances, had it been any other Christian pastors office, I might have stumbled over my words or not known what to talk about. But the Spirit just made me completely relaxed (and happy! yes, I was happy for no apparent reason). He got my story and all my perspectives of the Messianic movement--basically he got a crash course in all things Messianic. I gave the personal story first then the Theological journey.
I explained at some point how there's two camps in Messianic Judaism, the Bilateralist camp and One Law camp, and what they teach. He recoiled at the Bilateralist notion that Gentiles are excluded from the New Covenant, excluded from Israel, and how Jews and Gentiles should be segregated into two distinct corporate bodies. Then I described One Law teachings, how we believe that all Believers, both Jew and Gentile, have a membership in the Israel of G-d. I talked about how we're preparing for the Prophetic vision of many nations joining to the L-rd and becoming His people, keeping Sukkot, Passover, Shabbat, streaming to Zion to learn the Torah, etc.
He said he agreed with everything that I had said. And he actually meant that.
And at the end we both knelt before the L-rd and prayed. And I could really feel that we were in the presence of the L-rd. It was just such a great time to worship and be thankful.
Afterward, he explained that he must be obedient to the timing of the Spirit. And he didn't have to say anything else. I completely understood what he meant.
CONCLUSION
So I'd just like to encourage Messianics out there: even as you go about building Messianic fellowships, make sure to keep your eyes open for bridge-building with Christian communities. Maybe there's not many who are receptive. But pray that G-d will direct you to the ones who are receptive.
A lot of books is always a good sign :)
ReplyDeleteAre we complete in Yeshua Messiah?
ReplyDeleteA danger for those of us who believe in one law is when we
believe we are better than Yeshua's little ones. We have to ask ourselves if we think we are more complete than the new convert who eats pork and breaks Shabbat.
If you view your brother in Christ in anyway less than fully justified, whole and complete before the Father, you have sinned against your brother and have a heart full of pride. You did not justify your brother, you cannot take away his justification. He is whole in spite of you, he was called to "draw near" by G-d himself and G-d will not reject the one sincere who brings the Korban of Messiah Yeshua.
To look at that woman and lust, you become an adulterer. You sinner, who are you to judge another?
While G-d teaches us how to walk, we must never think of our fellow Christian as less than we are. If the term Messianic has the connotation of “I am better than them” or the term Christian means “He is less than me”, we need to repent.
Agreed with what you say, but is there not room to lovingly correct/teach/lead our brother in paths of righteousness?
ReplyDeleteThat pastor leads and teaches others, but is he missing some pieces? Should we not share truth?
Having received grace one is able to minister grace unto others. We are all dead in the flesh and should consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive to G-d in the Spirit.
ReplyDeleteAnd because we are perfect in Yeshua, he will deliver us from the body of death for HE IS the ressurection.
Not eveyone is given the same from G-d. Some are given 1, some 3, and some 5. If G-d has given you so much with the knowledge of eating Kosher and Keeping the Sabbaths, praise him, but we can not look at those he did not give it to as less that us or loved less than us.
Correct, exhort, rebuke the believers, but always with grace and humility, knowing someone died and bought them too. Shalom
Pete,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. It's a work in progress... But I figure that the best way to share is to build a community that he can see with his own eyes. I'm working on that now...
As an independent believer--neither Messianic nor Christian--in YHVH and his Messiah, Yehoshua, I am often frustrated by a lack of communication from the Messianic side of the isle in the Assembly of Messiah. Yes, I understand the reasons for them being more private in nature. But, with so many misunderstandings which exist between Messianics and Christians, you guys (I speak in general, not at anyone here personally) need to start talking and dialoguing more. Otherwise, unspoken things like misunderstandings, bad blood, and general suspicions will cultivate more open conflict between Messianics and Christians.
ReplyDelete