Restoring The Early Church

(Section 3)

Mike & Sue Dowgiewicz

[click here for a printable copy]

 

The Early Church — Born Again
The Cornerstone: Jesus
The Building Block: Families
The Support System: Neighborhood Home Fellowships


God’s Design for His Church

The diagram that follows represents an updated model of the early Church priorities based on a Hebraic-influenced spiritual focus. Take a moment to examine the diagram and the priorities it implies. Note that the focus emanates from the center outward. The inner three sections will be developed more fully in the chapters to follow.

 

We developed this diagram during the course of our research of the early Church while we were in Israel. The process embodied in the diagram begins with the intimate relationships connoted in the center three boxes. As relationships expand outward to the congregational level, a greater degree of administrative and organizational structure may be needed to coordinate the penetration and impact that believers in the restoration will have in their communities. At the same time, such organizational structure should enhance and encourage intimacy at the home fellowship level rather than promote activity that would in any way detract from those relationships.

Parallel the relational process referred to in the diagram in light of your own growth and development as a human being. Following your birth you began the process of becoming increasingly more aware of your connection to ever larger groups of people. Initially you were conscious of your mother, then your family, your extended family, your neighborhood, town, and world.

When you are born again in your spirit, this same process reflects God’s biblical design. He intends that you grow in intimacy with His Son Jesus. At the same time, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, you begin to learn to express love and receive love in a unique and special way within your home. Supportive relationships that include a few other believers to whom you can commit yourself for nurture and strengthening in a home fellowship are an outgrowth through which you are discipled to bear fruit for the Kingdom. As pockets of developing fellowships congregate, their opportunities expand to minister among broader venues and to financially support those who are called forth.

The nation of Israel embodied a relationship-based organization that parallels the progression illustrated in our diagram. The family relationships and authority systems provided the model for organizing the entire nation. For Israel this organization pattern was vital, particularly when it came time to fight their enemies. To be victorious they needed to respond “as one man” when the war trumpet sounded. The nation of Israel as described in the Bible was the summation of progression: an individual belonged to a family that was part of a clan that identified with a tribe. Finally, twelve tribes who were ruled by their elders (and later, a king) made up the nation.

The relational responsibility that bound Israel together kept them organized as individuals, families, clans, and tribes. When David became established as king over Israel, he designated fortified cities to be built all over Israel. Each city was led by zakens, or respected elders. Each city possessed an individual identity and experienced a certain measure of autonomy. Each was expected, however, to respond for the good of the whole nation when the battle trumpet was blown.

The restoration occurring in the church today parallels this pattern. An individual puts wholehearted trust in Jesus. Perhaps those in his or her home observe this changed life and also choose to trust Jesus. (Maybe they have long been praying for that family member to join them in trusting Jesus!) Believers on pilgrimage need spiritual intimacy with others who come alongside them in a home fellowship so that they may support each other’s trust in Jesus. Pockets of fellowships can then gather to form a congregation, which then joins other congregations throughout the city to cooperate in larger endeavors to impact unbelievers at large.

The supportive relationships in the home and home fellowships provide the effective mechanism to permeate neighborhoods, businesses, and the cultural and social sectors of the city. The primary weapons of God’s Kingdom, as always, are intercession, prayer to tear down the enemy’s influence, obedience to the Word, and the personal testimony of believers as they reflect increasing Christlikeness in speech and action. The administrative coordination at the congregation level helps to maintain focus and purpose.

Think about it. Your relationship with Jesus, represented in the center of the diagram, does not require organizational structure. It is out of the Father’s love that Jesus is revealed: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). This relationship is personal and spiritual. No human organization is needed at this level, only the regenerative work of God through the Holy Spirit. Neither structure nor organization are necessary in one-on-one relationships or in intimate relationships with a few. Even home fellowships are affiliated through relationships with others in the faith community and/or through the evangelist or church planter who cultivated the groups. When organization is kept to a minimum, the Holy Spirit’s guidance of those involved is hungrily sought and depended on. Fewer distractions of activity and programs arise to cause believers to take their focus off seeking God.

The institutionalism that has crept into the church today in the US has relationally crippled followers of Christ. They no longer know how to commit themselves deeply to other people, nor do they see the need to take the time to do so. Too often American Christians are like eggs in a carton. Their shells rub up against each other at services and meetings, but their lives never become “scrambled” in intimate relationship. Even the “cartons”, the separate congregations, seldom mix.

Personal load-bearing interaction with others may seem foreign to you. You may have committed yourself to a marriage but find it difficult to intimately care for the individual you married. You may be committed to a specific congregation and even attend Sunday school or be part of a home group but find it almost impossible to commit yourself to individuals in deeper, caring relationships. Many Christians find themselves committed to the effects of believing in Jesus: being saved, having their sins forgiven, or having their prayers answered. Few find it easy to have an ongoing daily relationship with the person of Jesus.

While in Israel our believing Jewish friends asked, “Why do you Christians in the United States always need an activity like a Bible study in order to get together? Can’t you get together just because you love and care for each other?” We were deeply convicted by their observation. Think of the words describing the early Church: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46,47).

Remember this: Jesus loves each person individually and personally. He died for each one so that each could enjoy a relationship with Him. You may have been drawn to Him for personal reasons: for forgiveness to escape the wrath to come and for the cleansing that enables you to have fellowship with God. But as a follower of Christ you also enter into a process. You become a disciple, a lifelong practice of being transformed into His image.1 Jesus designed discipleship not as a program conducted by leaders of a congregation but as an extension of your growing relationship with Him. He desires every believer to be in a relationship with other believers to enjoy true fellowship as they are discipled and as they themselves disciple others.2 You may be brand new to the Kingdom, but as long as you have one hand in the hand of the Master, you can reach back with the other to guide someone even newer along the path you have walked!

Remember that God still sees His Church as the ekklesia, “the called-out ones.” His people are the Church, even the gathering of two or three in His Name. Wherever God’s people are throughout the week, there is His Church, permeating society and connecting with the very people He wants His children to lead into His Kingdom.

The ekklesia who already have an ongoing relationship with each other are eager to gather for fellowship, communion, and building up of one another. This level of relationship, referred to in the diagram as the “intimate few” or “home fellowship”, represents a seven-day-a-week commitment to each other. This depth of care and concern signifies far more than just scheduled meetings together. It is a mutual commitment to uphold righteousness and to bear one another’s burdens. The early churches met in homes as well as gathered in the temple courts for worship and instruction.3 The temple courts represented the congregational assembly of the home fellowships. These people were relational, unified by their love for God and their commitment to each other as His people.

People today generally identify one congregation with one church building. As many believers have found whose congregations are built upon home fellowships, though, several congregations can share the same facility. At the time of the apostles all the congregations that met throughout a city would have collectively been considered “the church”: “To the church of God in Corinth” (1 Corinthians 1:2); “To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia” (2 Corinthians 1:1); “Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1).

As believers empowered by the Holy Spirit went about the daily business of life, they could carry the message of Christ to all they encountered. “In the first century all church members were scattered abroad and the Church was the mission; today, the Church stays home and the apostles are scattered abroad to be missionaries...It was the method of ‘every-member evangelism’ that did the miracle in apostolic days.”4 Are you in the habit of bearing witness to what you have seen and heard as you go about your daily business?

Man’s Design: Programs and Institutionalism

Most American churches today minister to crowds, whether small or large. Almost every facet of church life, including the seating and aisle arrangement, is designed for crowd control. Even the concept of “church” is often a place of formal gathering or a service. Man has erected large edifices to control blocks of people. When you come to Jesus through this system, you are deposited into a big, impersonal organization called the “congregation”. Within the vastness of the congregation you then try to find some people who will care for you individually as a person. The congregational leadership may develop contrived groups in order for you to be involved in “church activities.”

For too long churches have attempted to fabricate programs in the hope of generating loving relationships. Congregations are partitioned into homogeneous groupings such as couples’ clubs, youth groups, college and career fellowships, erroneously believing that common circumstances will encourage interpersonal caring. This programmatic pattern of ministry is based on the Greek model rather than the Hebraic. The Hebraic paradigm would provide relational opportunities for mentoring by the older and wiser. Intergenerational contacts would be modeled and encouraged. With the home as the main meeting point for fellowship, most programmatic groups would be unnecessary.

In much of man’s design for the church, even their identity as “worshipers” appears to have been lost. “In [worship’s] place,” notes A.W. Tozer, “has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’ This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us....[Even] sound Bible exposition may be carried on in such a way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth”(emphasis added).5 Think about that.

Stop to consider when you think about the different churches in your community: Does God really desire that Christians cling to secondary doctrinal issues that now divide the church into thousands of denominations? Does the current prejudicial division come from God? Is this division counterproductive to the advance of the Gospel? How do these separations subvert the biblical emphasis on unity? Ponder the admonition of Philippians 3:15,16: “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” If such divisions in His Church counter God’s plan, can it be that the restoration underway around the world is His way to remove the barriers that now separate believers?

Many doctrines and traditions incapacitate the church by focusing on what is divisive rather than on what unifies. Rather than apperceiving the Word of God and fostering agreement as did the early Church councils that followed the biblically Hebraic approach, subsequent councils even to the present day use the win-lose argument of the Greek philosophers: “If we think differently, then I must be right and you are wrong.”

Estrangement and separation have been the fruit of this thinking for centuries. Often the central theme of church history has been division, hatred, and murder of Christians by Christians, each believing they are serving God. Revisit the doctrines of the early Church, those matters derived from God’s Word, for which believers were willing to die. Conversely, the church from the time of the Greek philosophers has been filled with “doctrinal traditions” for which believers were willing to kill or despise others. The Greek spirit in the church today has produced intolerance, a weapon wielded by Satan to keep Christians ineffective in reaching cities for Christ.

From God’s vantage point He sees a church divided, revisionists against revisionists. As the restoration continues and apperception once again gains ground among God’s people, they will increasingly pray to understand and follow the original intent of the biblical writers and the Hebraic roots that so influenced them. The result will be an ever-increasing unity and harmony by God-lovers who are willing to let God make it clear.

While at the retreat center we witnessed the fruit of revisionism in the inability of local churches to unite in face of a spiritual threat. In the late 1980’s television news reported that two thousand satanists were moving into Connecticut to “take the state for Satan.” As small as it is, Connecticut for years has been #1 in per capita income in the nation. Initially, satanism entered companies and businesses through the guise of personal growth seminars that incorporated eastern mysticism and meditation. For those who recognized and understood spiritual warfare, the satanic underpinning was readily apparent. The efforts of a few believers to voice their concerns and to mount an effectual offensive proved fruitless. We were reminded of the Jewish people in “labor camps” during World War II who struggled futilely to awaken others inside and outside the camp to its real function as a prison of death.

As the satanic controls over these companies grew, formerly pleasant work places became oppressive. Several financially sound companies ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Media coverage questioned the bankruptcy of one particular Connecticut company, especially the disappearance of $11 million of company assets at the hands of two “mysterious strangers”.

Since we had relationships with many Christians from different churches, we encouraged them to join with other believers in the affected companies to intercede against the demonic takeover. “Doctrinal” differences, however, separated these individuals and rendered any efforts ineffectual.

It is our hope that God’s restoration will expose the source of the philosophical doctrines that now divide believers. Pray for ever-increasing cooperation among Christians in neighborhoods, workplaces, and cities in concert together for the cause of Jesus Christ.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

“Making disciples” is the responsibility of every follower of Jesus. The early Church illustrates that no one should be on the sidelines. Even Philip the deacon (see Acts 5) became Philip the evangelist (see Acts 8) who led a revival in Samaria. Each and every individual, family, and home fellowship are God’s best means of permeating a godless society. These represent the relational troops that can be mustered and coordinated at the congregational level for a more encompassing outreach. Of greater impact, however, is the relational mobilization of God’s people through personal contacts and relationships in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Focused caring contacts with unbelievers require followers of Christ to personally convert their own faith into action.

You can individually and collectively intercede for neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Crime and evil have proliferated in part because Christians have failed to exercise their authority in Jesus through trusting prayer. A painful reality exists if you truly believe God’s Word: No matter how close you yourself draw to Jesus and to others in the faith, there will still be those you know and love (and countless others you’ve never met) who will enter a Christless eternity in hell because they have not understood and accepted the Gospel. Let us all be obedient to carry out the Lord’s command to share the Good News.

Think about the following truth as the Hebraic early Church understood it. The Book of Genesis makes clear that every human being is created in the image of God. Although sin ruptured our relationship with a loving Father, He graciously provided the means of reconciliation. Through the willingness of His own Son to lead a sinless life and to shed His blood, we can have fellowship with the Father once again. Our loving response to His love is to be burdened for humanity in the same way that He is. A popular saying in the 1970’s is appropriate as we consider the restoration of the church now underway: “With one hand reach out to Jesus, with the other bring a friend.”

Recap: God’s Design for Growth in Christlikeness

The process of expansion from one to one-on-one to a few is always personal. This always begins from the center of the diagram, with Jesus. Your fellowship must first of all be with the Lord and then with others whom God provides for mutual strengthening and encouragement. Every step and extension of commitment to other people as you move toward the outer rings is based on a network of personal relationships, someone caring for you and you expressing care for them. Your trust in Jesus will be strengthened only as you abide in caring relationships, experiencing His love (that you already know by faith) through the love and admonition of others. As the fullness of God’s love grows in you, you can then share the vitality of your faith with those who have yet to encounter Jesus.6

Through the intimacy of relationships in your family and in your circle of load-bearers in the home fellowship, your awareness of the Holy Spirit’s work in you grows. The Spirit continues to fill you to be God’s vessel of blessing to others as you manifest His gifts. Thus you are able to truly appreciate the power of belonging to a body in which everyone does his part. Equipped and empowered, you can then fulfill His commission to you and to all believers: to make disciples of all nations.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

Jeremiah’s words remind us of the command the Lord gave us in Miami after our return from Israel in March of 1994: “Free the captives.” God desires to prosper His people in their pilgrimage of Christlikeness and to display His glory among them. This will happen when followers of Christ have the courage to forsake whatever hinders them and to wholeheartedly seek Him with a faith empowered by His Spirit and nourished by His Word.

Through apperception of the Scriptures (going back to the original intent of the biblical writers), the following chapters contain some practical suggestions to acquire the powerful, cooperative faith of the early Church, a Church built upon a Hebraic understanding of the Bible. The priorities of Jesus, marriage, family, and home fellowship are essential to His restoration. His people must seek the rhema of the Holy Spirit as did the early Church for specific guidance and direction.

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Chapter 8

Your Relationship With Our Father And Jesus

Early one Sunday morning, hours before Mike was to speak at a morning worship service, the Lord woke him up. There in his mind’s eye was a vision of a funnel. As Mike stared at the funnel he could hear in his spirit an explanation of its meaning. Sketching the funnel on his computer, he then made an overhead transparency of it. When he finished his message that morning, he put the funnel transparency on the overhead projector and explained it to the congregation. To his surprise, people left their seats and came forward to repent of their sins, convicted of having believed a gospel that did not include the Lordship of Christ in their lives.

The following week Mike was asked to address a different congregation. The Holy Spirit prompted him, “Just tell them about the funnel.” He again put the funnel transparency on the overhead projector. After he had finished explaining its meaning, people again left their seats and came forward to repent. When the funnel image was presented on retreats, the explanation elicited the same response: conviction and repentance.

This illustration represents the funnel:


“That if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be delivered” (Romans 10:9, JNT).1

During the past few decades the Gospel has become “watered-down.” Many have come to Christ with the goal of “getting saved.” But salvation is the by-product of the biblical command to confess “Jesus is Lord.” The Lordship of Christ is your entry point into the funnel. Lordship implies a rejection or yielding of all that you are in your sin nature—all of your will, your rights, your possessions, your plans. You become His “disciple”. It is a conversion that demands that you weigh the cost. Note from Jesus’s words the extent of the relationship He calls for: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26,27). Discipleship entails total trust and obedience to the Master.

Like the pull of gravity, your humility to submit to the Lordship of Jesus draws you downward into the funnel as an invisible but constant force. The tug of His faithfulness does not let go of you. When you sin, His Spirit seeks you out and brings you to repentance through His kindness (see Romans 2:4). God pursues you to the point of your yielding so that your broken heart and spirit can once again enjoy the fullness of His presence as Lord.

As you pass into the stem of the funnel, the love of Jesus is so compelling that you do not desire to think about yourself but only to do His will. Your personal discretion to choose what you want to do withers as you continue to yield yourself as a bondservant to His will. God’s goal for you as His child is to be changed by His Spirit into Christlikeness in such a way that there truly is evidence of a “new creation.”

Those who understood the funnel explanation recognized that the “being saved” gospel they had received had consigned them to the sides of the funnel to deal with all their imperfections. Through the influx of reasoning and psychology into the church during the past few decades, sins that require repentance are now considered “problems.” No longer are believers held accountable to take personal responsibility for their own sins, which would bring them through repentance into the center of the funnel. Much of pastoral counseling now convinces people that they must understand their problems and find out who is at fault for their current condition.

Through the process of problem exploration, individuals may expand their awareness about their difficulties. At the same time, however, they develop an increasing unhappiness with God. Though they might not put it into words, in their hearts they neither trust Him to do what He promises in the Bible nor do they entrust themselves to Him as Lord of their lives. Thus many Christians live as if they have been “victimized” by both God and by others. They have not grasped a loving trust in a sovereign Lord.

The Hebrew Bible: Basis for the Gospel of Jesus

The early Gospel was more comprehensive than we in the church have understood. Many today have been told an incomplete or even counterfeit gospel.

The Bible stipulates one true Gospel as the way to eternal life. Jesus told his Jewish listeners, “Whoever trusts in Me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:38,39). The “streams of living water” refer to the evidential operation of the Holy Spirit in the life of one who puts his trust in Jesus. The only Scripture in existence when Jesus spoke these words was the Hebrew Bible. If you want to trust Jesus “as the Scripture has said,” you must study the Hebrew Bible to discern the complete Gospel.

Our acceptance by God the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus was the central issue in the early Church. The Gospel that is based on the Hebrew Bible and understood by the early Jewish church was not man accepting Jesus as his Savior, but God accepting the Lord Jesus as the only Savior.

Christ fulfilled the reconciliation requirements of God. Jesus’ payment was complete, and a new covenant was established through His blood. The resurrection of Jesus was the Father’s sign that the sacrifice for our sins had been accepted by Him. God was, and forever will be, satisfied.

As noted earlier, before the coming of Jesus a number of rabbis taught that a person must experience a spiritual birth, a response to God’s call on his life. Conversion equaled rebirth. Being “born from above” was a shift from following the letter of the law to abiding in loving obedience with God.

Being born again was the point at which you put your full trust and reliance in the Lord. That’s why Jesus was so surprised when Nicodemus professed ignorance of this new birth: “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?” (John 3:10).

The Hebrew word for “faith” means more than just belief; it is a profound trust in God. Trust is an emotional response from the heart, far more than mere mental assent that God is real. Reliance on the Lord penetrates the very core of your being.

We must always be on guard against a counterfeit gospel. Even the first century Galatians were warned to beware of a perverted gospel: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8.) Any so-called ‘gospel’ of today that differs materially from the Gospel understood by the earliest followers of Jesus is a path to hell. Satan is shrewd. He doesn’t care how you don’t get to heaven, as long as you don’t get there! Some people wrongfully assume that God will excuse them at the judgment throne for not knowing the true Gospel. The Bible states otherwise.

The early Church understood salvation as a process based on repentance and loving trust in Jesus. And in the Hebrew Scriptures, God expressed His heart’s desire for a love relationship with His chosen people. The two agree. But many of the Israelite leaders perverted this love into a series of rules and obligations designed to earn salvation only if precisely followed.

God lays the same relational requirement in both the Older and Newer Testaments; that is, to love Him. If we try to keep God’s commands without loving Him, we’ll become proud and get caught up in what we do for Him. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 that “without love, we are nothing.” Living out God’s commands because of our love for Him keeps us humbly dependent on Him, and contrite when we fail.

The foundation of love is found in Deuteronomy 6:4,5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” The Hebrew word for love, ahav (ah-hahv’), means to be filled with desire and delight and passion for the one you love. You long to be in your loved one’s presence. The heart-cry of God throughout the Tanakh is a longing for a love relationship with His people. The ten commandments tell us that God promises to show His love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Quoting from that same Deuteronomy passage, Jesus delivered the greatest commandment: “‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second [which is from Leviticus] is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). The Greek word agape (ah-gah’-pay) is used for love here and its meaning is similar to the Hebrew ahav.

To summarize the priority of loving God: Everything in our Christian life—everything about knowing God and experiencing Him, everything about knowing and doing His will—depends on the quality of our love relationship with Jesus. If our love relationship with Jesus is not right, nothing in our life will be right.

Let’s review three of the key elements of conversion in both Older Testament Israel and the Hebraic church—repentance, agape (ahav) love, and trust:

1. Salvation requires your Repentance

John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter at Pentecost all affirmed repentance as the first step of salvation.
Biblical repentance always demands a turning away from sin and a turning to God. Do you see these two distinctives? Turning from sin and turning to God. That’s the vital message in this verse: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21).

Repentance grieves you that you have grieved God; you hunger for the forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration that only He can give. That grief is the “godly sorrow [that] brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

For years, Sue had prided herself on her moral lifestyle and sound reputation, but inside she felt more like a “whited sepulcher.” Hidden from view were the pride, independence, and selfishness that influenced so many of her decisions. When God made these known to her as the detestable sins that they were, she anguished before him. Desire for independence from Him vanished as she yielded to His Lordship. Her change of heart was relational. It went a thousand miles beyond agreement with a set of teachings and rules.

2. Salvation requires your agape (ahav) Love

In the early church, there was an intensity of love for God in accepting the Gospel message that is often lacking today.
God desires a love relationship with His people. This love is wonderfully manifested by those who know the Gospel of the Hebrew Scriptures and understand the depth of their own depravity. For them it is easy to see God’s grace in the atonement and to appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf.

Trevor McIlwain of New Tribes Missions has gotten a phenomenal response by teaching natives the Bible in chronological order, from Genesis to Revelation. When they complete the Older Testament, they see the depth of their own sin. Then when they hear about Jesus, they are delighted to respond in love to His sacrifice on the cross.

3. Salvation is incomplete without your Trust

The unwavering trust that God requires of His children is the fabric woven throughout the Hebrew Bible and the Newer Testament. Look at some of God’s promises to those who trust Him to take care of things:

“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him” (Psalm 32:10, emphasis added).

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5,6, emphasis added).

“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘The one who trusts will never be dismayed’” (Isaiah 28:16, emphasis added).

Salvation for the Jews was based on a loving trust in God: “Abraham trusted God, and it was credited to Him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6, emphasis added).

Accepting the Gospel: Forceful Conviction Required

One of the more perplexing verses for some is Matthew 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

In light of the military examples in the Hebrew Bible, picture this illustration of that verse: Around a military fortification such as the walls of Jerusalem, “killing zones” are established to concentrate weapon fire for maximum killing effectiveness. Those who attack the fort must first courageously battle their way through the killing zone. Because of the strong likelihood that they might be killed in the attack, these individuals have to “be dead” to everything beforehand in order to fully focus on their objective.

Such forceful determination was the standard for those who gave their lives to follow Jesus. This essence is captured in Matthew 13:44-46: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” It takes tremendous certainty to give up everything you’ve got in order to lay hold on what God is offering you.

Accepting the Gospel: Accepting the Covenant

The early Jewish followers of Jesus clearly understood the significance of covenants. Today we understand dimly at best. God had established covenants with His people through Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. Jeremiah had prophesied that the Jews could expect yet another covenant. God is the initiator of the covenants between Himself and His people. Each covenant carries with it God’s promises and man’s responsibilities if he accepts God’s terms.

Paul reminded the Gentiles about covenants as part of the heritage received from the Jewish people: “Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises” (Romans 9:4). The writer to the Hebrews builds the foundation of the Messiahship of Jesus on the institution of a new covenant: “To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24, emphasis added).

These words sound quaint and very antique to us in the postmodern West. But what a thundering impact Jesus’ words must have had on the Jewish ears who first heard them: “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28, emphasis added). Suddenly in that upper room that evening, it was a new ball game on earth. The rules were changing, and a new covenant was transcending the old.

But the new covenant did not eradicate the old. The old became the enduring foundation for the new. The old is still there as the historical basis. And today, we cannot adequately appreciate the new unless we have a heart-knowledge of the old, as the early Jewish followers did. For it is from the heart that we put our loving trust in Jesus to enter a covenant relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son’s shed blood.

No Salvation Without Forgiveness

One truth in particular startles many believers. Jesus declared, “If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). The question for us is, Can we be forgiven of anything by our heavenly Father if we do not forgive others who have violated us?

John warns about unforgiveness: “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21, emphasis added).

The early Church understood that our Father will not consummate a relationship with an unforgiving person. Why? Because his Father refuses to forgive him. There will be no evidence of the Holy Spirit operating as a stream of living water in a bitter, unforgiving person. That person has failed to appreciate how much he or she needed to be forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus. That’s a relational fact, something fairly obvious to early believers—but not so obvious to those who have given themselves to the false, man-centered gospels of today.

Our decision to forgive opens the way for the Holy Spirit to take up His residence in us. Richard Wurmbrand, a Jewish believer who suffered for his faith for fourteen years in a Romanian prison, teaches a profound and correct interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer. He states that “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” should be translated “forgive us our debts as we have already forgiven others their debts.” Only through a correct understanding of forgiveness could the martyrs throughout history have responded with grace to their persecutors. Those suffering for their faith had already forgiven their tormentors.

“Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4)

God knows that we will be hurt and betrayed by people. A wise friend, Bert Schlossberg, told us years ago, “You can never walk in the fullness of Jesus until you can wash the feet of Judas.” Rarely can human effort or strength ever wipe away the hurt you feel from what others have done to you in the past. Only through loving trust in Jesus and the power of His grace can you forgive the ‘Judases’ in your life. To the ancient Hebrews God was Yahweh-Rapha, the Lord our healer. Our trust and reliance in God releases His power to remove the sting of those painful memories.

Bert’s words impacted our hearts. On February 21, 1994, we celebrated our twenty-fourth wedding anniversary with him and his wife Exie during our stay with them in Israel. We gathered for dinner at the Biblical Resources Center south of Jerusalem to participate in a reenactment of the Last Supper. We were seated around a triclinium (three-sided) table eating what would have been a traditional Passover meal at the time of Christ. Jesus and His disciples would have reclined on their left side around the three outside edges of the foot-high table with their heads facing the table.

This diagram depicts the likeliest seating arrangement of Jesus and His disciples at the Last Supper:

 

The second position on the left was traditionally the host of the meal. That would have been Jesus. The first position on the left was the “go for” person who assisted the host. John 13:23,25 (“One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him...Leaning back against Jesus, he asked Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’”) indicates this to be John. The first position on the right represented the lowest place at the table. In John 13:24, Peter motions to John. Speculating that he was embarrassed as a result of the argument over “which of them was to be considered greatest” (see Luke 22:24-32), Peter possibly took this position across from John and Jesus.

Remember that Jesus had responded to His betrayer, Judas, by washing his feet. The third position on the left was reserved for the person whom the host wanted to honor or for special guests outside the family. When Jesus was asked who would betray Him, He said, “‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon” (John 13:26).

We were deeply affected by the possibility that Jesus would have honored His betrayer. In our hearts we knew that it was within the character of Jesus to do such a thing. Certainly all of us at that meal left with a deeper conviction of how far we who follow in the steps of Jesus must go to forgive those who hurt us.

The Indwelling Holy Spirit: Caring For the Needs of Others

The Jewish people at the time of Jesus’ birth had been anticipating the Messiah for centuries. In Matthew 11 John the Baptist, who was then in prison, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are You the one who was to come?”

Jesus sent them back to John, responding with six things that the Jews knew from the prophet Isaiah would identify the Messiah when He came: The blind receive sight; the lame walk; those who have leprosy are cured; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; and the good news is preached to the poor. The Messiah was to be recognized by His care for others, a theme repeatedly emphasized for all God’s people throughout both the Hebrew Bible and the Newer Testament.

Hebraic faith required action on the part of the individual. In this light, Jesus Himself reveals what He will demand as a sign of our faith at the final judgment: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Each of us needs to consider seriously our covenant responsibilities. If your faith has not caused you to care for others, then you have no faith. James reaffirms this critical Hebraic truth: “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). This is a far cry from the contemporary faith that goes forward at a meeting, then settles back into a comfortable lifestyle and stays at the “Baby Christian” level forever after.

The consummation of the covenant between Jesus and His follower evidences noticeable change in the follower’s life. When he is sealed with the Holy Spirit, those changes begin to pour out like “living water.”

“I, John, your companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).

What picture do you get of the early Church in the book of Acts? Wayne Jacobsen, author of A Passion For God’s Presence, writes:

They were preoccupied with Jesus. Their ministry had power. Their community had reality. They were willing to sacrifice. Believers in the early Church weren’t living up to a slate of expectations. They were simply doing what came naturally to people who loved God with all their hearts.2

Weigh these verses as you consider your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ...But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:3,7, emphasis added). In what ways are you on a daily basis “walking in the light” as Jesus did? Light cannot be hidden, and your “spiritual brightness” should be readily apparent as you walk!

“But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5,6, emphasis added). “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21, emphasis added). Jesus demonstrated a denial-of-self lifestyle.

Your fellowship must first be with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. If you claim to be in Him, you must walk as Jesus did, a path of suffering. Suffering is not a popular concept in this culture. Yet the early Jewish believers recognized that the world in which we live is an arena of suffering. Rabbi Philip Sigal emphasizes the ancient Hebraic doctrine of suffering as a precedent for salvation. The mystery of God’s covenant relationship with Israel can be seen in the balance of the miraculous interventions of God when He delivered His people and the concealment of His presence during other times of persecution and duress.3 God’s silence did not mean that His covenant had been canceled. He had reasons beyond their, and our, scope of understanding for why He chose not to rescue.

So, too, present believers cry out to God in their painful struggles. Are there times when you have persevered in prayer with faith and trust, only to feel as though the heavens are brass? This is part of the mystery of God for you: Can you by faith cling to His promises of never forsaking you even when it seems He is not responding? The power of your testimony intensifies its impact on others when they see that God has not only sustained you in the midst of the fire but has actually brought you to the point of thanksgiving for the suffering because of the glory God receives through you.

For example, for years a friend had struggled with a debilitating illness. Then her husband became seriously ill and was unable to work. Hospital bills accumulated. She had been asked to speak to a large group of women about her testimony of God’s sustaining power. She found, though, that she couldn’t quite bridge the gap between seeing herself as a victim of adverse circumstances and envisioning herself as a participant in a process of refinement that could strengthen and encourage others who might face similar trials. Depending on how her pilgrimage was presented, hearers would perhaps empathize with the pain and thank God that they hadn’t faced such trials. Or they would give glory to God if thankful joy characterized her presentation. He had indeed healed the sting of the events and had granted her the privilege of joining Him in the cup of suffering. Her subsequent testimony brought glory to God and comforting hope to fellow sufferers.

This latter concept is illustrated in 2 Corinthians 1:3-6:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer."

The Lord empowers His people to endure the night of affliction through His grace. As we walk in the light, His blood cleanses us, enabling us to follow “in His steps.” The Bible tells us that Jesus “learned obedience from what He suffered” (see Hebrews 5:8). Paul notes in Romans, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (5:3-5, emphasis added).

Suffering is not only an indispensable part of our relationship and walk with the Lord Jesus. It also represents a vital facet of intimacy with the heavenly Father:

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:15-18, emphasis added).

The Father works in us a glory that can be displayed only through our identification as sons and daughters of suffering. God doesn’t intend for you to go through these struggles all alone, however. When you stand before Him and He announces your name before the host of heaven, He will show you what He accomplished in you. It will not be your merit or religious activity that will count on the judgment day, but Jesus showing His work in removing your sinful nature and imparting His own pure character in you.
.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered
in his body is done with sin” (1 Peter 4:1).

Sometimes we Christians are so caught up in our suffering and trials that we are forced to ask ourselves, “Am I suffering because of some special attack by the devil (see 1 Peter 5:8), because of a sin on my part (see James 5:15,16), or because of my participation in the sufferings of Christ (see 1 Peter 4:13)? We might find that we are able to accept an occasional affliction as just a part of the human condition. But there certainly are times when we are confronted with trials from all sides and sources and find that we can no longer “gut it out.” In those situations we would do well to examine our lives and hearts before God to determine if there is indeed a chastisement occurring to return us to God through repentance. (Committed prayer and counsel from a spouse or fellowship of intimate friends can be helpful!)

This is a thoroughly biblical approach and even referred to by the writer of Hebrews as an encouragement (see Hebrews 12:5). God’s intervention in our lives reveals the love He has for us as His children: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11,12). Granted, this view may be unpopular in today’s culture of disrespect, delicate psyches, and “I-am-a-victim” mentality. God’s Word, however, does not conform itself to popular opinion.

“Glory in His holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always” (1 Chronicles 16:10,11).

Lest you become overwhelmed by sorrow and suffering and throw your hands up in despair, remember a key Hebraic principle: joy in the midst of affliction. The Colossian saints were admonished to have great patience and endurance, which are developed only through trial and testing. Yet they are instructed in the same breath to joyfully give thanks to the Father! (See Colossians 1:11,12.) There are over a dozen Hebrew words for joy in the Older Testament. As theologian Carl Henry stated, “Joy is not merely a sporadic experience but an enduring disposition and characteristic of the devout believer. What distinctively marks the believer is joy even in affliction.”4

No stranger to suffering, Paul from his prison cell could urge the Philippian believers to “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). If we truly trust in God’s sovereignty—that nothing can happen to us outside of His will and plan for our lives—then what have we to fear? “Whom have I in heaven but You? And being with You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God” (Psalm 73:25-28).

Even as we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ from one glory to the next, we have also that blessed assurance of our home in heaven. God had promised the people of Israel that the obedient would indeed rise to have body and soul reunited for eternity: “But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead” (Isaiah 26:19). These words of encouragement, “We will be with the Lord forever”(1 Thessalonians 4:17), should never be far from our hearts or from our lips. When was the last time you joyfully pointed a troubled saint back to that reality?

Your ongoing relationship with Him is critical if this is to be accomplished. And as we shall see, this intimacy is all the more crucial if your marriage and family are to bear fruit in a covenant relationship with the Father. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2, emphasis added).

As you read the following poem, ponder your level of trust in the nearness of Jesus in your own life. Do you recognize yourself as a “child of His love?” Is one step enough for your faith to see, or do you need to analyze the destination, implications, and consequences before moving an inch? Can you put a finger on the greatest fear that may be keeping you from trusting wholeheartedly that “in all thy journeying He goes before?”

STEP BY STEP
“As thou goest, step by step I will open the way before thee”
(Proverbs 4:12, New Translation)

Child of My love, fear not the unknown morrow,
Dread not the new demand life makes of thee;
Thy ignorance doth hold no cause for sorrow,
Since what thou knowest not is known to Me.

Thou canst not see today the hidden meaning
Of My Command, but thou the light shalt gain;
Walk on in faith, upon My promise leaning,
And as thou goest, all shall be made plain.
One step thou seest—then go forward boldly,
One step is far enough for faith to see;
Take that, and thy next duty shall be told thee,
For step by step thy Lord is leading thee.

Stand not in fear, thine adversaries counting,
Dare every peril, save to disobey;
Thou shalt march on, all obstacles surmounting,
For I, the Strong, will open up the way.

Wherefore go gladly to the task assigned thee,
Having My promise, needing nothing more
Than just to know, where’er the future find thee,
In all thy journeying I go before.

Frank J. Exley

______________________________

Chapter 9

One—On—One: Marriage

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22).



When God created Adam, He placed the man in the Garden of Eden to enjoy fellowship with Him and to work. Adam was assigned to take care of the garden and to name the animals and birds. His life had purpose and meaning, but Adam alone of all creation had no partner “according to [his] own kind” (see Genesis 1). The man needed a “helper suitable for him” (see Genesis 2:18, emphasis added). The Hebrew word for helper, ezer, designates one who assists, especially in time of need. It is used most often in reference to God as the One Who meets the needs of Israel. Therefore from this reference point, a woman’s role as a “suitable helper” does not imply subordination. “She is the needed helper whom God supplies to end man’s loneliness and to work alongside him, not the junior assistant.”1 Adam’s authority in the union was denoted by his naming of his wife “woman,” even as God had signified His authority over the heavens and earth by naming them “day,” “night,” “sky,” “land,” and “seas” (see Genesis 1:5-10). The woman that God created was suitable for Adam; she complemented those areas of his nature that were incomplete or lacking.

Government and sociological studies reveal the vast differences between the genders in terms of thought processes, perspectives, and emotional influences, as well as an array of physiological variants. According to Dr. Donald Joy, professor of human development and family studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, the manner in which males and females process information in their brains is strikingly different. Women are able to immediately access past experiences from both hemispheres of the brain and come to speedy conclusions. Men, who differentiate strongly in either their analytical left hemisphere or affective, emotional right hemisphere, require more time to sort, analyze, and conclude. Couples who are unaware of these differences in approach to situations may experience frustration or irritation. “Why can’t my spouse see things my way?”, when God has actually “wired” them differently to make them mutually interdependent!2

This need for one another illustrates the dependence that members in the body of Christ have for one another in order to achieve wholeness. Too often individuals criticize one another for their unique methodology and approach, failing to appreciate the contrast that was designed by God. When unity is achieved in the body, God is certainly the Source!

Viewed in a Hebraic framework, marriage is a pilgrimage together, an individual and collective growth in the character of Jesus. Let the quality of your marriage be a physical representation of your relationship with Jesus. Make John’s words the hallmark of your marriage: “No one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12, emphasis added). Check Ephesians 5:33 for facets of a marriage which others can see has been impacted by the Lord: “However, each one of you [husbands] must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (emphasis added).

Respect and love in a marriage that displays Jesus can only be accomplished by permitting Him into your midst. Note also that God speaks directly to the husband regarding his love, and to the wife regarding her respect. He does not ask the spouses to remind one another of their particular responsibility! As a husband, you are coordinating your purposes with God’s when you consider in what ways you can become easier to respect. Similarly, as a wife, examine yourself through the eyes of the Spirit to determine how by His grace you can become easier to love. This is not an attempt to earn love and respect but an ongoing opportunity to be a willing and
malleable vessel that testifies to the Potter’s touch as He changes you through His Spirit.

If you are presently married, how did you determine that your intended was God’s will for life partnership with you? Have you ever had doubts since then that you misread His will? Do you still have hope that God can revive and restore your relationship to the place He wants it to be?

The book of Hosea presents some marvelous insights into the character of God as the husband of His wife Israel. Israel had repeatedly committed spiritual adultery, a violation of the marriage covenant, with other gods as she departed from the Lord (see Hosea 1:2). Out of His love and desire to bring her to repentance, God brought upon Israel famine and ruin (see 2:9-13). When she repented out of desperation, Israel declared, “I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now” (Hosea 2:7, emphasis added).

Note that God did not respond as an arrogant wronged party; He did not demand a “pound of flesh” for Israel’s transgressions. Instead He determined, “I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert,” away from distractions and responsibilities so that she could focus intently on their relationship, “and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards”— in the desert, where grapes normally do not grow and would thus be totally unanticipated!—“and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” (2:14,15).

In this situation of infidelity and repentance, God becomes the model of mercy and forgiveness in the context of a marital covenant between Himself and His people. He gives hope to His beloved when she knows she deserves nothing but wrath. What a picture of intimacy and true love! What an eye-opener for you to contemplate your relationship to God as the Bride of Christ in such personal terms!

God continues the marriage theme in Hosea: “In that day, declares the Lord, you will call Me ‘my Husband’; you will no longer call Me ‘my Master’. I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. I will plant her for Myself in the land; I will show My love to the one I called ‘Not My loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not My people,’ ‘You are My people’; and they will say, ‘You are My God’” (2:16,19,20,23, emphasis added).

Why would God go to such great lengths in His Word to open His heart to His people as a Husband bereaved by the most devastating of sins, adultery? Is He not indicating that marriage is more than a coming together of a man and woman in relationship but also a covenant illustration of the sanctity of that union in His sight?

The words that Hosea chooses, prostitution, adultery, unfaithfulness, take on even greater significance if we allow our first love for God to deteriorate due to any type of distraction. How incumbent it is on us to reflect in the physical, earthly realm of marriage the reality of our devotion to our Groom, Christ. The devotion of the heart that God seeks from His people is poignantly described by Rabbi Menachem Mendel:

“A bridegroom might under the bridal canopy repeat to the bride ‘You are betrothed” a hundred times. If however he does not add the [Hebrew word] li, ‘[You are betrothed] to me,’ then it is as if he had said nothing. The entire wedding with all its preparations are worthless. The crucial point is li—to me. All of scholarship [is] worthless and all of worship is futile if they do not penetrate my bones. Essential is li.3

How long-suffering, forgiving, and merciful God expects us to be in relation to the spouse to whom we are joined in covenant. How needy we are of His grace to be able to do so! Although our current culture portrays marriage as a disposable option to other lifestyles, God presents an image of permanency and sanctity as the model for married followers of Christ. Does this require circumcision of the heart and total yieldedness to God’s sovereignty through the Holy Spirit? Absolutely! Does the reality of struggling with our sin nature also demonstrate the necessity of our relationship to others in the body of Christ for strengthening, admonishment, and encouragement (not to mention prayer and fasting!)? Most assuredly!!

Because marriage is analogous to Christ’s relationship with the Church (see Ephesians 5:22-33), Satan has focused special attention on keeping Christian marriages from exemplifying the loving radiance of Jesus. In this “atomistic” culture where people are so disconnected from the context of their relationships, even marriage can resemble two parallel existences similar to railroad tracks. A few common concerns, such as the children, pets, or maintenance chores, may act as rail ties that connect a couple’s lives periodically. They do not, however, see themselves as one in the sight of God. In the current Western culture the enemy has kept wives and husbands at bay from the support of the mentoring relationships the Bible calls for, relationships that are nearly non-existent in our churches today. Satan has won this battle. His tactic? Pressure on couples to make it on their own.

Mentors: The Wisdom of the Wise

“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14).

We mentioned earlier that the Hebraic people did not expect a married couple to make it on their own. Marriages, like individuals, thirst for the mentoring of older people with wisdom and experience. Too much worldly emphasis has influenced couples to either “gut it out or get out of it.” God is restoring the same kind of community support that so greatly strengthened the relationships in the early Church. This support includes home fellowships, which will be discussed more fully in Chapters 11 and 12, and mentoring.

In light of the biblically Hebraic importance of older people as mentors in our lives, study these statements by Robert Hicks in The Masculine Journey. (The statements below made about men can also pertain to the relationship between older and younger women.)

"In almost every field today the concept of mentoring is being discussed. It is as if a major corrective move is now taking place in business, industry, and educational circles....[Mentoring] holds true in any kind of relationship where an older man seeks to invest his life in younger men... [T]he mentor contributes several things: a brain to pick on, a shoulder to cry on, and an occasional kick in the pants... [T]he mentor cares for the younger man in the totality of his life and wants to see him become successful in life.

"I believe this is the greatest need in the church today. So many younger men in our churches need to hear the voices of older men in some context besides church business meetings. They need the one-on-one, the life experience, the realism of what life was like for them at the same age. Without this mentoring, men either “go it alone” or go it with others who don’t know what they are doing!"4

Examine Proverbs 20:24: “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Most older believers “have made enough mistakes to be useful” to younger men and women. The older person has probably experienced firsthand the crisis or confusion a younger person is facing and can comfort and exhort with his or her silver-refined wisdom. How sad that the ignorance, pride, or insecurity of a younger struggler could keep him or her from seeking out a mentor in time of need.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of older people being “involved” in the lives of their family and spiritual community. The Word tells us, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged” (Proverbs 17:6). How the grandchildren turn out in life is a true reflection of the grandparent’s parenting of their own children. The values and beliefs that really sank into the hearts of the children of one generation will be reflected in the manner in which they then raise their children. Grandparents, stay personally and prayerfully involved with the guidance and training of your children and grandchildren until you die. It is never too late to help make your crown, your grandchildren, more glorious! Mentoring throughout life is biblical. The detrimental loss of the influence of older people is primarily a post-World War II phenomenon. We truly believe that God can use wholehearted believers to undo this tragedy.

In the midst of so much family disintegration, it is perhaps not so unrealistic to consider households of combined generations. Some families are being thrust into this position by job loss or marital breakdown. Others are foregoing nursing homes for their aging parents and making room in their own homes. The proposal to combine households with parents and adult children reflects the Hebraic view of mishpachah: family based on spiritual unity as well as on bloodlines. Currently one in three unmarried adults between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-five live with their parents, as do one in eight divorced adults. Obviously major adjustments are required on the emotional as well as the physical plane for both parties.

Many live with bitterness toward their parents and/or children. Followers of Christ must confront this painful sin through the power of the Holy Spirit and seek forgiveness (see Matthew 5:23,24). Regrettably, as the church as well as American society have experienced in the past two generations, the isolation and self-centered independence of the Greek influence have wreaked havoc with our children’s sense of stability and security.

If you cannot possibly imagine yourself reestablishing contact with parents against whom you hold strong feelings, seek counsel from others in the body. They can join you in prayer to understand how much you have been forgiven at the Cross and how God’s grace enables His children to forgive those who have hurt them. Pray for the healing that only Jesus can give in order that you may become an instrument of reconciliation if He so directs. Then pray for His timing and opportunity to humbly seek forgiveness for the unChristlike attitudes you have been governed by.

The authors have concluded from research in economics and business that the current concept of retirement encourages older people to abandon family responsibilities when they reach a certain age. A national plan for retirement first began in Germany following World War I. Facing hyper-inflation, the government needed a way to convince people to save their money rather than spend it. They developed the idea of “saving for retirement,” choosing the age of sixty-five for job severance. This age was chosen because actuarial tables indicated that only one per cent of the population would live beyond that age. (They neglected to tell the populace that ninety-nine per cent of them probably would not live to collect their savings.) Over the decades, saving toward a compulsory retirement age has become standard in most industrialized nations, even as longevity has risen dramatically throughout the world.

To save for the future is biblical: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” (Proverbs 6:6,7). But this concept has become grossly distorted in the United States. Rather than an admonition to save for old age, “retirement” has become a withdrawal from family responsibilities, a relocation to the “sun belt”, a pleasure-oriented senior citizen culture.

This destructive “retirement system” has not only uprooted older women from helping the younger women (see Titus 2:4,5) but has also fostered the very life of self-indulgence the Bible warns against: “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6). An ever-increasing number of lonely senior ladies exist without purpose in convalescent homes and cavernous old homesteads. Because some have forsaken their God-given responsibility to younger women, has God permitted them to be treated as “dead even while she lives”? It is not too late to change this situation.

Has God placed older men and women in your networks of relationship? Some may be your own relatives. Others may be acquaintances who would love to be surrogate family members. Pray for eyes to see those to whom He has given access, then follow up on His lead with a visit or call. Not only will you be inviting them to sense a new purpose and meaning in life, but you will be reaping an extended family for yourself and for your children.

The Husband

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7)

Husbands who are inconsiderate of their wives not only hurt their spouse but hinder their own ability to communicate with God. How men need to be sensitive to any loss of vitality in their relationship with the Lord! Ephesians 5:25-27 reveals an important duty of the husband in his home: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (emphasis added).

The statement “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” indicates a vital role for a husband in his wife’s spiritual development. “Word” in this passage is rhema, not logos. The husband is not being enjoined in this passage to teach his wife the logos, that is, the Bible. His responsibility is far more than that. He is to bring to light the application of the truths of God, the rhema, to her life. As the priest in his home, he is commanded to uphold God’s will and to teach his wife and family. (This will be discussed more fully under “The Government of the Home,” below.)

As mentioned earlier, part of the restoration of the early Church’s vitality includes the return of the older mentoring sages. God has ordained that mature men of wisdom provide counsel for husbands. Our culture puts great strain on men to “know everything about everything”, but the Lord doesn’t expect a husband to be all-knowing. He wants a man to trust in the wise counsel and leadership of older men. “Older men [are] to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (Titus 2:2). Satan knows that men are changed more through personal contact with role models than by any formal teaching. He will do everything to keep younger men away from the sages so that temperate and self-controlled behavior will not be passed along. Even congregations are often subdivided into age-related, homogeneous groupings that shield the generations from close contact with each other.

Congregations should seriously examine the isolation of young men from access to older men, and encourage or even provide opportunity for them to gather informally to share their concerns and bear one another’s burdens. Men who find themselves talked at by lecturers in church settings (the abstract Greek approach) are really hungering for the rabbinical example of role modeling and the Hebraic experiential approach. Jesus taught with parables and stories because men are more responsive to a pictorial, affective approach. This is why men so often “swap stories” when they get together. They can visualize the situation and relive it with the person sharing it. Men who have no outlet to express their feelings and burdens often lack inner tranquillity and self-control. Could this be contributing to our nation’s rampant family and spousal abuse?

Examine the relationships you currently have with other men in your extended family, your worship community, your social activities, your workplace. Who among these have you called on for encouragement or counsel? Are there any older sages among these men? If not, stop and pray that God would reveal to you those men with whom you can load-bear on a deeper level. Then approach them with the prospect. Be prepared to offer creative alternatives for meeting times, such as early morning before work or opportunities when the two families can meet and you two men can take a walk for awhile. Any perceived inconvenience will quickly be dispelled as you form a bond of trust and accountability.

The Wife

“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husband so that, if any of them do not believe in the word, they may be won over without talk by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives” (1 Peter 3:1,2).

In her submission a wife is really yielding to the Lordship of Jesus, Who has set her husband in authority over her. Women need to seek out older women for counsel and wisdom. Nobody expects a young wife to know everything. “[Older women] can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4,5).

The relationship between older and younger women is critical. Satan knows that the wisdom passed along in this relationship will keep the Word of God from being maligned. He will do everything to prevent these relationships from occurring within the church. There are a million excuses for how you can’t possibly fit another thing into your life. However, reprioritizing for the sake of harmony in your home is worth any inconvenience when God reveals to you the woman or women who desire to be in a mentoring relationship with you!

Do you have some cherished woman friends whom you recognize in your spirit to be mature women of God? Ask them to share with you their life lessons that touch your present needs, both their successes and failures, and to identify which biblical principles were applied or missed. Then pray about a woman God may reveal to you who is either newer in the faith or earlier in her life pilgrimage who would be blessed to have you as her mentor and friend!

We have a friend in her twenties who was pleasantly surprised when a younger woman in her congregation shyly approached her to askif she would disciple her. Our friend had never considered herself to be an “older woman,” but since she herself was being mentored by some older women in her congregation’s care group, she felt pleased to be able to pass along the lessons she was learning and to nurture a new friend as well!

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1).

Despite the current prevalence of wives and mothers in the workplace, the home still represents the heart of a woman’s influence. Hebraic believers recognized the woman’s great worth as she raised godly children and maintained shalom bayit, the peace of the home. In biblical times the family rather than the individual was the basic unit of society. Women as well as men were always seen in conjunction with others. For a woman specifically, connectedness came through her husband or her father, the ones God had raised up to provide for and protect her. If her husband died while she was still young, a woman was counseled to remarry so that she not eat of the bread of idleness and gossip: “Therefore, I would rather the young widows get married, have children and take charge of their homes, so as to give the opposition no occasion for slandering us” (1 Timothy 5:14, Jewish New Testament).5

So treasured was the home that on each weekly Sabbath celebration the wife was extolled by her husband through his reading of Proverbs 31:10-31 (actually, in Jesus’s time, the husband sang it to her!). The truths from those verses were a reminder of the parameters of womanly godliness in the home and the dependent relationship of the spouses with each other. If there was disharmony between the spouses, the situation needed to be amended before the Proverbs selection was read so that hypocrisy would not discolor the Sabbath.

Because marriage was considered a sacred trust rather than a legal obligation, the husband recognized that his wife was consecrated to him, set apart for a special relationship. How different the contemporary view of the marriage covenant would be if Christians grasped the significance of both the covenant and the consecration involved!

As the Holy Spirit guides your husband, he may want to read Proverbs 31:10-31 to you while your children are present. Such expressive appreciation not only affirms your worth to your family but sets before you aspirations of godliness that the Spirit can accomplish in you by grace!

The Government of the Home

“The women added, ‘When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?’” (Jeremiah 44:19).

The wives referred to in Jeremiah’s quote, above, excused their sin with the defense that their husbands were well aware of their idol worship. Over our years at the retreat center, one of the most common difficulties that married men confessed was an inability to differ with or correct their wives. One method of non-confrontation found the husband playing ignorant. Even the most loving of them admitted that it took great courage to confront his wife or to voice a different view than hers. Yet the Lord’s warning applies to those who feel ignorance is excusable: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?” (Proverbs 24:12).

On women’s retreats the vast majority of married women would confess control mechanisms that they used on their husbands and families. Sadly, one of the side effects of control is that the children are raised in an atmosphere of duplicity. As they grow, the children observe the unchecked wrongful attitudes and behavior of their mother as she secretly does things “behind the back” of their father. (Obviously, control can also characterize the father and produce the same results.) This too agitates the children. They respond with fear, alienation, rebellion, or withdrawal, carrying within them a distorted view of parental authority and of the authority position in general.

Perhaps you are in a marriage marred by dominant control or subtle manipulation. You may even be at the point of hopelessness that your relationship could ever become more Christlike. Take heart from these encouraging words from author and counselor Lois Mowday:

"We need to accept the enormity of our problem. And, with aggressive determination, we need to accept the enormity of our God...He takes broken hearts and hard hearts and restores them. He takes broken lives and makes them whole in fantastic, unforeseeable ways. He takes our shattered dreams and replaces them with new contentment. The ingredients He needs to accomplish these miracles in our lives are repentance, forgiveness, commitment, a decision to put Him first, lives yielded to Him in the middle of excruciating pain, and time."6

We cannot say enough concerning the many Christian families that are suffering severe consequences due to the paucity of older women offering themselves as friends and mentors to younger wives and mothers. Are you willing to choose to trust God to work in your spouse’s life as well as in your own as you earnestly seek Him in prayer? And for your own well-being as well as that of your family, are you willing to prayerfully seek out an older woman as a spiritual mentor? If you are an older woman, are you willing to make yourself available to guide and encourage a needy younger woman?

“He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” (1 Timothy 3:4,5).

Leadership traits of an elder [Hebrew zaken], the gray-haired man of both the synagogue and early Church, were learned over time. The primary “school” for development of character was a man’s home: “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). His home leadership was developed in cooperative relationship with his wife and was recognized by how he raised his children. Because of the noble character of his wife, this man could join with other elders: “Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land” (Proverbs 31:23).

The Hebraic elder was a leader of influence in his community, a shaper of public opinion and a civic leader who was not afraid to dissent. The elders at the city gate made decisions for the entire community. The resolutions they handed down revealed the halakhah, the way in which the principles laid down in the Scriptures were to be enacted. Today there is such a great need for mature men of God to be role models of integrity for other men who desire to grow as Christlike leaders: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

The writer of Hebrews stipulates that the aftermath of a person’s life is an essential prerequisite for heeding his teachings: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7,8, emphasis added). The reminder that “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” follows on the heels of “imitate their way of life.” This is the Holy Spirit’s admonition for the apostles and for all subsequent church leaders: Follow Jesus’s example of servanthood. Avoid systems that are so impersonal that you cannot individually know or imitate the life of those in leadership. For his welfare and for yours, no leader should become a sacerdotal, a high priest/intermediary, between God and a congregation.

Would you want for your children a teacher who “had all the facts straight” but whose personal moral life was a shambles? We are our brother’s keeper, not to condemn but to come alongside to turn with love toward an obedient and trusting relationship with Christ. Recognize that those in spiritual leadership will come under increased spiritual attack as they impact lives for the glory of God. Have you committed to pray regularly and specifically for the particular needs and families of your spiritual leaders and mentors?

“All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:15,16).

While we were living in Israel Mike overheard two men in our neighborhood having a heated debate. Our Jewish host Bert asked if he thought that the relationship was being jeopardized by the strong disagreement. Mike certainly thought that the men couldn’t walk away as friends after such intense shouting. Bert replied, “That is the way it is with Gentiles. Whenever they disagree they become alienated and estranged from each other. That isn’t so with Jewish people. Our relationships are more important than the issues we may disagree with.” We were deeply convicted by Bert’s observation. We also realized how greatly married couples need to treasure their relationship and not become divided over issues: “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends” (Proverbs 17:9).

Have you noticed the incredible increase of intolerance for interpersonal differences permeating both our society and the church as well? People are walking away from each other over trivial matters. This intolerance is destroying marriages, families, and friendships. The Greek/Gentile tendency is to take an adversarial approach to disagreements and react personally when others differ with you, to the point that your mutual affections are often alienated. The Greek influence of win/lose, right/wrong depreciates your relational joy and focuses on the outcome of the decision. From this vantage point, someone must be the winner, someone the loser.

Believers fail to recognize that differences exist because we are different. Besides gender, personality, and background, spiritual gifting may cause us to perceive situations differently. A person who is an exhorter will want to see the steps taken that will immediately bring about resolution, while a person with a mercy gift may avoid facing a difficult issue out of concern for the other’s feelings. Rather than trying to persuade the other person to agree with our view, let us more consistently heed Paul’s admonition to let God make the point of discussion clear (see Philippians 3:15).

In Acts 15:36-41, Paul and Barnabas argued over whether to take Mark with them on their next missionary trip: “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus” (v. 39). Even though a “sharp disagreement” had occurred, it did not rupture their relationship in the way that many Gentiles read into this event. Remember that it had been Barnabas who had courageously made contact with Paul after his conversion when everyone else was still fearful of him: “When he [Paul] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:26,27).

When that disagreement arose, the church at Antioch put the matter into the hands of God: “But Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord” (v. 40). It is doubtful that Barnabas denounced Paul to young Mark, for Mark later joined Paul in his ministry: “My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him)” (Colossians 4:10); “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
In another situation, Paul, in a remarkable act of courage, had to confront Peter: “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong” (Galatians 2:11). Paul expressed the intense emotions that such encounters cost him: “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Throughout the Scriptures the ability to confront an issue while maintaining the relationship is seen as the pattern of God’s people with each other: “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault” (Matthew 18:15); “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23,24).

Isn’t this a major weakness in our relationships? By not loving one another enough to recognize and confront our differences, we knock the blossom off relationships that were meant to glorify the Father. We are so afraid to confront issues on which we disagree that we allow feelings of woundedness or bitterness to fester. Underlying tension and apprehension become the hallmark between us. Commitment and true fellowship require belonging to one another vulnerably, warts and all.

The authors believe that God expects, and possibly even brings about, differing opinions in marriages and other close relationships. As with other things in life that we value dearly, we might hold on tightly to our opinions and beliefs with strong conviction. But by His grace and the teachings in His Word, God expects us to work through these differences whenever possible. We must learn how to confront with love.

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).

Most communication differences or issues between spouses or others in relationship can be resolved if the conflict is viewed as a point of difference between the parties, i.e., “We have a problem” not “You have a problem.” If your home seems filled with disorder, squabbling children, and frantic schedules, don’t accuse your spouse of gross mismanagement or your children of blatant rebellion. Instead, define the nature of the problem: Too many activities? Late nights? Unrealistic expectations of orderliness? Too little cooperation? Once the problem has been defined, then set out possible solutions to achieve the goal. In this case it might be harmony in the home, or task delegation, or elimination of certain outside activities. Focus on identifying and solving the problematic issue rather than on changing your mate’s personality!

We in Christ are also in each other as members of His body. We must permit our differences to be spoken with the emotional intensity with which they are held without feeling threatened by the emotions expressed. (Keep in mind, however, that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that evidences His work: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). The stoic approach that the western church inherited from the Greek philosophers frowns on any display of strong emotion.

Emotional expression is biblical, however, as long as it is not aimed as a weapon at anyone: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Many men in particular are caught in the stoic trap. They hold in their emotions for so long that when they finally do release feelings, they often express them destructively. If we grasp our biblically Hebraic roots—that relationships are more important than issues—our faith can trust that in all differences “God will make it plain.”

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Chapter 10

One–On–One: Parenting

The significance of the marriage covenant and the permanency of the relationship between a husband and wife is emphasized so strongly in the Word because God has special plans and purposes that go beyond personal fulfillment between a man and a woman. Note marriage from God’s perspective: “She is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth” (Malachi 2:14,15, emphasis added). The Lord Who opens the womb (see Genesis 29:31) has left instructions with the parents on how to produce “godly” offspring! His Word is full of practical application. His family of believers, mishpachah, has been designed as a body to minister counsel and wisdom to parents.

Whatever has not been implanted in the hearts of the parents, however, is not likely to be produced in their children (outside of direct revelation and intervention by God). Godliness encompasses a trusting faith and obedience to the Lordship of Christ, His privilege and position in our lives to expect obedience from us. Godliness also manifests a righteousness that is empowered by the Holy Spirit to reflect Christ’s work by grace in us. God is not directing us to command our children to follow orders in the Bible and toe the line in respect to outward actions. He longs for our children’s hearts to press in to their loving and holy Father. To help them recognize what pleases God, apply through His Spirit the wisdom of the Word. Allow the impassioned cry of God to sear your spirit as you dwell on this verse: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29, emphasis added).

How are we to teach our children the difference between acknowledgment that God is and wholehearted service from the heart? From a Hebraic sense, the heart represents the whole of one’s inner being that distinguishes him from the animal realm. With his heart man can choose to express love, to sacrifice his own well-being for that of his beloved, and to subdue his own personal inclinations. It is the part that God searches to know and to test (see Psalm 139:23) so that we might not try to fool ourselves or others by outward behavior that appears holy but masks sinful motivation.

It is the heart that responds when we are tried by fire. Are we willing to undergo our desert experiences as did the Israelites for forty years in order that He might humble us and test our obedience (see Deuteronomy 8:2)? For the children of Israel God brought about intense hunger that could only be filled by His mighty power as He provided them manna. We so desperately need spiritual manna: “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). A heart that is truly seeking God and awaiting His purposes is the clay vessel, young or old, that God is looking to shape.

“These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all His decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:1-7).

An examination of the first several verses of Deuteronomy 6 reveals the essence of childrearing ordinances that guided the Hebraic people before and after the incarnation of Christ. In Deuteronomy 5 God had delineated the Ten Commandments, initiating their deliverance with the words “Hear, O Israel” (v. 1), the same words that Moses repeated twice more in chapter 6 (vv. 3,4). This demand for attentiveness was worded in such a way as to command obedience; these were non-optional decrees. God’s commandments and statutes were designed to teach His people, not for mere knowledge sake but that they might obey them. In so doing, they would prolong their days. God intended that His people fear Him—have an overarching reverence and awe that recognized He was well able to reward or punish—yet at the same time wholeheartedly love Him.

The power of generational influence is seen as God directs His commands to “you, your children and their children after them” (v. 2) in order that the blessing would be upon them all. Sobering, isn’t it? How you train up your children will impact how they train up your grandchildren! No wonder God is so explicit in His directions for bringing up offspring! The “careful obedience” (v. 3) to which parents are exhorted has in the Hebrew a sense of guarding as a watchman; preserving; building a hedge around as with thorns. What a beautiful illustration of God’s commands from His point of view: Such a wondrous treasure for our well-being demands that we carefully preserve that which pleases Him as a precious gem. We must post a watch around our lives that parallels a hedge of thorns against enemy incursion! Is this the panorama of loving obedience that you are sharing with your children? A devoted recognition that our heavenly Father knows what is best for us and desires intimate trust in His way for our lives?

In this decade of moral decadence, relativism, and economic anxiety, how good it is to cling to God’s promise “that it may go well with you” (v. 3). Our wellness may take various forms, be they emotional, spiritual, or physical (God knows what forms each of us needs the most!). Trust-filled obedience that recognizes our need for His grace reinforces our relationship with the One in authority Who loves us. Our response to God’s will mirrors to our children the reality of Him Who is not seen but Who is so very real.

What is the preeminent truth that God emphasizes in this chapter of Scripture? That He alone is God (see v. 4). That He alone is worthy of all the worship, praise, and dependence that is due one’s Lord. And how are we to respond to this Only God, and to train up our children in their relationship with Him? To “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (v. 5). The love that is referred to here (Hebrew ahab) connotes a delight and desire in the one loved; a powerful emotional attachment that hungers to possess Him and to be in His presence.1 Does that describe your “walk with God”, the relationship that your children know you have with Him so that they can emulate that? Interestingly, this is the kind of love that God expresses toward His people in Deuteronomy 4:37 (“Because He loved your forefathers”); in Isaiah 43:4 (“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you”); and in Malachi 1:2 (“‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord”).

Such love finds its counterpart in the Newer Testament in the Greek word agape. This word encompasses the essential nature of God, His heart’s concern for mankind, and the relationship that through His Holy Spirit characterizes the unity of believers.

This same love reflects the sacrificial devotion expected of parents: “‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love’” (Genesis 22:2); “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons” (Genesis 37:3); “I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free” (Exodus 21:5). Curiously, the Bible directs no such love from children toward their parents. Children are instructed to honor their mothers and fathers, to revere and respect them, and to obey them. These are words that expect action as well as the emotion inherent in the relationship.

God commands our love not only from the heart but also from the soul. The Hebrew people considered the soul to be that vital part of the being that draws breath. From that perspective, even animals have a soul, in the sense that they breathe to live. The word contains no metaphysical essence of “spirit” as our culture might interpret it. Rather, it evinces a passionate zeal for life, a precious reflection of the inner person as he knows himself to be.2

To love God with all your soul and to pass that fervor on to your children requires great searching and appreciation for all that God has done to enhance your well-being: He has drawn you to Himself (see John 6:44) and given you new life, supplied you with His riches from glory according to your need (see Philippians 4:19), and created you in His image to enjoy true worship and fellowship with Him (see Genesis 1:26). What a privilege to search the Scriptures with your children to personally thank God for Who He is and for His manifestations of such great love!

You are also enjoined to love God with all your strength, with all the energy and boundless intensity that you can possibly establish! Do you get the sense that we are not talking here about an intellectual acknowledgment that God exists or a dry doctrinal stance of obedience that responds to the written word of the Bible? This is your God Who is so filled with consuming zeal for His people that He has called the Church His Bride! He has eagerly sought a love relationship that should constrain Christians to put aside all earthly pride and self-focus in order to cherish and adore Him. This is the purpose of your creation by Him, and His goal as you train up your children to do likewise. You can no more tell them to love God if you don’t treasure Him than could a rabbi tell his students to live with integrity if he himself was a cheat.

These are no casual instructions to be voiced in passing. On the contrary, they are to be taught diligently, inculcated and exhorted, from the earliest part of the day before duties and responsibilities distract you until the last moments of waking so that you might dream of His goodness. Note the locations of this interaction with your children: “At home and when you walk along the road” (v. 7).

Consider carefully the hours, many or few, that you and your children are in proximity. How do you spend most of them? In front of the TV? Putting out sibling brush fires? Frustratedly responding to a jangling phone? How about when you are literally “along the road”? Do you take the time to stroll along the paths and sidewalks to capture their hearts with Him? Do you incorporate God’s principles into your car trips together? Or are you so intent on meeting yet another obligation or activity to “benefit” your child or yourself that praising God doesn’t even occur to you? Sports, piano lessons, and ballet may be good, but not if you are robbed of the parental interaction that God knows you and your child need.

“Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:8,9).

Have you ever wondered why Orthodox Jewish men wear little boxes on their arms and foreheads? The answer is found in the above verses. The boxes testify to a wholehearted desire to obey God even while recognizing that we are frail human beings prone to distraction and sin. People are visual; that which we see with our own eyes makes a deep impression. Think of the awesome experience of the Israelites as they trembled at the foot of Mount Horeb in front of the fire that blazed out of the deep darkness: “Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice” (Deuteronomy 4:12). The voice of the Lord and the blaze of the fire totally absorbed their interest. This was God!

As the generation that observed this encounter passed, the awe of God and His power diminished, as God had warned the Israelites through Moses that it would. They failed to trust the Lord Who manifested Himself daily in His loving provision and turned instead to idols of wood and stone. The Israelites neglected the injunction to impress the commands of God onto their children. Today’s Orthodox men box God’s commands on their forehead as a reminder that all that is seen with the eyes and thought in the mind should be filtered through a relationship with God. The commands are bound on the left arm near the heart to convey loving determination to follow God. These are visual reminders that the Lord is indeed very near, as Paul reiterates in Philippians 4:5. They are a sign, a symbol of God’s covenant relationship with His beloved.

A sign is used to convey an idea, a desire, or a command. It points the way to a goal or destination. While Christians do not bind God’s commands physically to their bodies, we do use visual cues to remind us of His proximity. Do you usually keep your favorite Bible in the same place for devotions and reference? Do you thank the Lord whether alone or with others whenever a meal is put in front of you? Do you take note of spiritual bumper stickers, coffee mug verses, breathtaking sunsets—and immediately think of Jesus? There are countless reminders of ways that God touches our hearts during the day to prompt us to communicate with Him. Sharing with our children these reminders of God’s presence as they happen or around the dinner table reinforces a continual awareness of our Father. This helps to make His lovingkindness more understandable to their hearts.

Such reinforcement ties in with Paul’s admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray continually.” A constant attitudinal awareness of God in our spirit enables us to turn to Him regularly and naturally. This is the lesson we need to pass on to our young and to new believers. Our relationship with God is not bound to a place (a church building), a ritual (prayer meeting or Bible Study), or even to other believers. The more we can saturate our hearts with a God-awareness moment-by-moment, the more that our children and others with whom we interact closely will see Him manifested as the Living God Who changes us from within!

While we were in Israel we frequently saw the special little boxes, mezuzot, nailed to the entry way of each Jewish home. Inside those little boxes are the commands of Deuteronomy 6 that we have been discussing. These focus on obedience to God’s commands and our relationship with Him. Every time a family member enters the home and sees the mezuzah, he or she is reminded that behavior is to be holy within that house. Likewise when they leave, they are reminded that their behavior is to reflect God wherever they go.

To a follower of Christ, this symbolic gesture should have rich meaning. Anyone who passes through your doorway should recognize that this is a home where its occupants love God. Your walk with God as a believer should reflect a loving obedience to His Word as He motivates you from within by His Spirit. Therefore, your home should reflect holiness, a set apartness available for His purposes and glory.

When you pass through your “gate” to the outside world, are you diligent “as aliens and strangers in the world” (see 1 Peter 2:11) to bypass evil and to choose righteousness? Would your children or friends refer to you as a person of integrity and conviction on the job? Are you willing to make the hard choices that might cost you in prestige or finances in order to uphold God’s Word in and through you? Your answers to these questions can make the difference in your child’s mind between religion as a ritual and faith as a lifestyle.

Have you fallen into the trap of letting the “professionals” (the pastoral staff, youth workers, Christian School teachers) replace you as the primary source of spiritual truth for your children? How tragic to see this disregard for God’s admonition in Deuteronomy for parents to impress these things on their own children. The Israelites had witnessed the awesome display of God’s might “so that [they] might know that the Lord is God” (4:35). Surely such work of God in your own life and in those you love is worthy of retelling and praise!

It has often been said that the Older Testament presents physical truths that are to be enacted spiritually by Newer Testament believers. With this in mind, consider the force behind this verse: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

How necessary it is for followers of Jesus, whether parents or not, to “watch ourselves closely.” The enemy of our souls came to “steal and kill and destroy” (see John 10:10). His targets encompass those who seek wholehearted devotion to God, and the children who could be powerful arrows in a righteous quiver.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

What is “peace”? The biblical concept of shalom, peace, encompasses completeness, wholeness, soundness.3 This is more than the absence of war or conflict. It is a positive term that speaks of contentment, health, calmness of heart, unity, restoration. What richness of blessing you are offered by God when you pray for the peace that comes as you trust in Him. When you view your life as a pilgrimage, a process, a path along which you are journeying, you can more clearly see the ongoing nature of this relationship with God. Daily testimonies of God’s interventions in your life enables your children to be on the alert for His hand working around them too.

As you become an available vessel prepared for His use, God can then fill you with all joy and peace, so that your hope can overflow onto those you encounter. Is your family being showered with this hope? Is your home a refuge where this can occur? Does your heart trust in full reliance on God? At least twice Jesus connects faith and peace: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50), and, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34). Your relationship with God will determine the measure of peace that you can offer to your home.

Harmony in the home, shalom bayit, is a critical goal toward which to work. The home is the crucible in which your sin nature is confronted and the fruit of the Spirit has opportunity to come forth. Harmony does not come naturally. It must be nurtured, modeled, and reinforced daily: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification” (Romans 14:19). You cannot pass on to your children what you don’t practice first in your own life. How important is personal peace to you? Are you willing to sacrifice activities and even certain relationships in order to be a vessel of peace? Weigh this verse carefully: “For whoever would love life and see good days...must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:10,11).

Now obviously peace is not an entity at which you can grasp. Rather, your peace comes from a wholehearted search for intimacy with God, to seek His face: “Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him” (2 Peter 3:14). Your heart will find rest in your faith only as you earnestly hunger for His presence with a sincere, pure heart (see Psalm 24:3 and a host of other psalms). This dichotomy, that you make every effort to find peace, reflects Hebraic block logic: How can you find peace if you have to work so hard at it? It is also a lifelong process to identify what is hindering the sense of His peace and to return to the trusting relationship of loving obedience. Constant awareness of His glorious grace will restore your peace.

So important is the concept of peace that it is used as a name of God: Yahweh Shalom (see Judges 6:24) and the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6). Since the names of God reflect some part of His character, your peace will be developed by God as you choose to trust Him. He is the God of peace, even in trial and conflict: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). This is a wonderful visual image for children: the God of peace crushes Satan under our feet, the very body parts that are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (see Ephesians 6:15)!

When Jesus sent the seventy-two ahead of Him to every town that He was about to visit, He instructed them, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you” (Luke 10:5,6). In order for visitors to enter your home and take note that this is a place of peace, you must first check your own heart. Are you walking in righteousness even when you are alone, away from curious eyes? True integrity embraces reverence and awe toward God, permeation of truth that makes no room for “little white lies”. Uprightness is empowered by grace and a humble willingness to serve.

Are you plagued by anxiety and fears when you are surrounded by the four walls of your home? Young eyes observe and absorb the actions and attitudes of those who are most important to them, their parents. Any discrepancy between your words and your behavior will only cause doubts in your children about the credibility of God to keep you in perfect peace. Be open to confess your sins and shortcomings in front of your children so that they can also see the forgiveness and cleansing of God at work (see 1 John 1:9). Ask for their forgiveness when you have sinned against them, and make restitution when the situation calls for it.

The Holy Spirit lives within the “four walls” of your heart to remind you of the precious promises of God: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:26,27). Make sure that you sacrifice some other activity, even sleep, so that you can pray and feed on His Word to be reminded of the things the Spirit wants you to know.

Differentiate between the peace that the world gives (fickle, fleeting, dependent on circumstances and people) and the peace offered by Jesus (holy, without ulterior motive, independent of circumstances, relational to Him). Ask your children to come up with examples that show that they know the difference. The peace of Christ is designed to be fruit bearing and self-sacrificial so that others might be blessed and give praise to God! Believers are admonished to not let their hearts be troubled. Think of how “catchy” worry, insecurity, and hopelessness are to others who love you. Most will want to quickly solve your problem for you; a few may even suffer with you. Ask God to reveal if some sin may be separating you from intimacy with Him or if some spiritual stronghold may be blinding you to His sovereignty and love. Approach your situation first from a spiritual level and then consider other factors afterward.

Jesus also admonishes, “And do not be afraid.” This parallels Peter’s words, “You are [Sarah’s] daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear” (1 Peter 3:6, emphasis added). Do you have any reason to fear? Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Luke 10:34). Satan has declared war on believers: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). Those in the world system who hate your Master will certainly respond to you with persecution: ”Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man” (Luke 6:22). Are you able to accept such insult and exclusion as a blessing? Will you teach your children to have the kind of relationship with Jesus that will result in the same “blessing”?

It is in the presence of such “fearsome” attacks that followers of Christ are admonished, as were the disciples, to fear God alone: “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him” (Luke 12:5). In the midst of the fearful crises you may face, you must immediately turn your complete focus, your thoughts, your decisions of will, your emotions, onto God, the only Source of peace. Having told His disciples to fear God, Jesus then tells them, “Don’t be afraid” (Luke 12:7).

This is not double-speak. They, and you, are commanded to have awesome regard for the power and might of God. But as His precious child, you are of great value to Him. Loving submission to this awesome Lord is meant to draw you closer to Him, not to drive you away cringing. It is through your own attitudes and actions toward God that your children, or anyone whom you are discipling, will see the balance between fearing God and loving Him as Abba, Papa Father. Think of the comfort God intends for you as you read Philippians 4:5-7: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

Twentieth century rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “God is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance.”4 The priorities with which you live determine how you spend your daily twenty-four hours and with whom. It doesn’t take long for children to recognize when your words don’t match your actions. We once challenged a friend who was a believer experiencing marital difficulties to ask his twelve-year-old daughter what she thought were the three things that were most important to him. She came up with four: “Golf, God, Mommy, and me.” Try this with your own spouse and children; if you are single, ask your closest friends for an evaluation.

This is a serious assignment, for God has purposes for each of His children. If you are not making yourself available to Him to become prepared and strengthened through personal prayer, worship, and Bible meditation, then you are hindering His development of your righteousness. That extra hour before the day begins or after quiet has settled at night may be the opportunity for God to fill your “clay vessel” with what is needed for the coming hours. Is the benediction from the writer of Hebrews an incentive to closet with God? ”May the God of peace...equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever” (Hebrews 13:20,21).

There are many wonderful books available on activities that can draw families closer to each other and help you to train your children in godly living. We are including some “helpful hints” that might whet your appetite or at least give you some ideas to build upon if you recognize the need for your home to be a sanctuary. Note that actions alone will not build character in either yourself or your children. True reformation begins with your heart, where your character is formed.

Determine with your spouse (or with an accountability partner if you are single or a single parent) how you might specifically carry out the following commands of God. They may appear idealistic, if not impossible, but God has empowered His children through His Spirit to follow His orders! “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy [set apart for His purpose but not yet perfect] and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive [Paul repeats this—it must be important!] as the Lord forgave you [whether the one being forgiven deserves it or not; not holding a record of it for later recall]. And over all these virtues put on love [obedience to an action as well as expression of emotion], which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15, emphasis added).

Have each family member write or draw a picture of examples of each virtue, i.e., humility, forgiveness, thankfulness, presented in these verses. Pray about specific opportunities to exercise virtues during the day’s activities. Encourage each family member who has chosen to appropriate one of these qualities of righteousness rather than a fleshly response during a stressful circumstance. Exhort those who have violated one of these commands and allow opportunity for confession before God and a chance for restitution. So often people tend to excuse sinful choices (“Oh, she’s too little to understand”, or, “He deserved it!”) rather than to recognize that the One Who was truly violated was God. Learn to thank God for the grace He shows you as you repent, confess, and receive forgiveness and cleansing (see Hebrews 10:22).

Maintain a prayer journal for the whole family, complete with dates and who was prompted to bring up that prayer topic, and update it regularly. Set aside time to orally review the journal as a family and to express gratitude to God for His faithfulness. Remember, Daniel had to wait twenty-one days before his prayer was answered, yet God heard his prayer on the first day. Persevering in prayer is an important lesson, as God’s timing is always perfect, and there are spiritual forces in the heavenlies who oppose the saints as they pray. To share “the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” (see Psalm 78:4) is scriptural. The people of Israel were encouraged to teach such things to their children “so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands” (Psalm 78:6,7).

The level of respect, or lack thereof, that children have for their parents reflects the degree of authority that they recognize in God. If your children do not respond to the authority of those who rightfully exercise it, such as parents, teachers, police, and other civic representatives, then they will certainly not defer to God, Whom they cannot see. The writer of Proverbs 6:20 repeats a theme found throughout all of Proverbs: “My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” Such injunctions are countercultural to the contemporary “rights” atmosphere. The Word, however, is timeless and unbounded by cultural constraint. The heart attitude for parental guidance commanded in Ephesians 4:2 forbids harshness or domination: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” “Every effort” indicates a lot of work, consistency, and energy motivated by love of God and for one another.

What is the atmosphere of your home? You can influence the environment toward harmony by the choice of music there. Words that honor God, melody that sings in your heart, and rhythm that soothes rather than agitates can be a vehicle of joy for the whole family. Take seriously the psalmist’s decision before God: “I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Psalm 102:2,3).

Consider if any “vile thing” is being set before the eyes of anyone in your home. How carefully do you weigh what you watch on television as well as what your children are allowed to view? How comfortable would you feel if Jesus were sitting there with you (as He really is, through His Spirit in you!)? Besides desensitizing your children to evil and increasing their exposure to the world value system perpetuated through commercials, television viewing devours time, stifles creativity, and lowers attention levels toward anything that isn’t constantly changing images. Set up an experiment in your own home of alternative family activities: visiting the library and sharing worthwhile reading material aloud, making your own board games (such as a “concentration” type game, picture dominoes for little ones, bingo), or gardening as a means of stewardship (sewing seeds, nurturing and cultivating the seedlings, reaping the fruit and sharing it with the needy).

Some family hobbies could even be preparation for future home business endeavors. What crafts are you often receiving compliments for? Teach them to your children. How about carpentry or car repair, during which you talk with your children even as they assist or do the repairs with you? Sewing? Baking? Accounting? The things that you may prefer to do alone because it’s quicker are actually opportunities in the training-up process to produce responsibility, perseverance, and diligence in parents as well as in their children!

A number of creative families have established a bartering network to earn points for necessities. They are able to offer services to one another ranging from technical to unskilled. For instance, one father operates a carpet cleaning business. He is able to clean the carpets at another member’s restaurant and accumulate points for the job done. He can choose to “spend” them there or “buy” the services of another member. You and your children have a goldmine of skills and talents to offer to other individuals in which services rather than money can be exchanged!

Older children can also use the time not spent in front of the TV to gain practical skills in budgeting money earned from part-time jobs. One young friend had often come home from school listless and bored, complaining of nothing to do. A neighbor expressed a need for an after-school baby-sitter several days a week and the young lady somewhat reluctantly agreed. Within two weeks her mother remarked excitedly how responsible her daughter was becoming as she allotted time for homework, entertained the children, and made decisions regarding her earnings! Her grades soared, as did her savings. She had purpose to her afternoons and goals to achieve.

As the center for spiritual training for your family, the home is the obvious arena for living out biblical truths and developing Godly character. Rather than criticizing certain family members for their messiness, sit down as a family and establish a goal (organization, neatness, orderliness) and discuss how each person can contribute to that goal. As a parent, examine yourself first. Do you rise early enough in the morning so that rush and hustle can be avoided in your own life? Are there things that can be prepared the night before (clothes set out, books organized, keys and purse always in the same place)? Is your home filled with time-consuming items that require extra maintenance: silver, brass, cluttery knickknacks, fussy yards? These rob time from your family, so weigh the personal importance of these time-eaters against their upkeep effort. Simple surroundings really do add to harmony and peace, especially when everybody knows where everything is!

Very few Christians have work schedules that cannot accommodate family devotional time. One family rises at 5:30 each morning to spend time sharing God’s Word and praying. The very youngest in the family can draw pictures to illustrate what is read aloud as older ones take turns reading and sharing insights. We found that handwork, be it embroidery or interlocking blocks, keeps hands out of mischief even while ears are intent. This will take effort and consistency until it becomes a pattern of your lives, so don’t be discouraged if your children are fidgety at first. Especially pay attention to the needs of each family member and the application of God’s Word, the rhema, to those concerns. Children so need to understand the vitality of God and His active presence in their lives.

How wonderful that God created people to require food! The opportunities involved in food preparation, thanksgiving, sharing, and clean-up are daily occasions to evaluate the level of cooperation and consideration being developed. When these are lacking, they should be immediately addressed out of concern for what is going on inside the individuals who are troubled. Are there situations they are experiencing that need counsel or wisdom or intervention? So vital are mealtimes together that any activity that interferes should be seriously reconsidered, be it athletic practice, music lessons, or telephone calls. So often the Bible records Jesus imparting important lessons as people were sharing meals and relaxing. Should we ignore so significant an example?

Mealtimes are an opportunity for intimate communication and emotional expression. A Readers Digest poll revealed that strong supportive families were also a critical factor in giving children an edge in school. “The family is society’s main way of transmitting to the next generation the values and behavior that lead to success in school and in the world. Much of what kids know, they don’t learn in school, they learn from their moms and dads...Eating together seemed to make a bigger difference in our poll than living with two
[parents] together. This means that the family is not just there, but is doing its job” (emphasis added).5

Can you recall the last time you had guests into your home to share hospitality? Paul exhorts believers to “practice hospitality” (see Romans 12:13). In other words, your heart should be ready without notice to receive with sincere love any in the household of faith who have need. They, too, are part of your mishpachah, your family. What is the general atmosphere before guests arrive and while they are in your home? Do they sense the peace of God in your welcome, that their presence is truly a pleasure rather than an obligation? Make it a point to involve your children in the preparations, serving, and sharing of meals with guests. You are training them to interact on a personal level with those outside the family confines.

Part of Peter’s admonition to “love each other deeply” (see 1 Peter 4:8) involves offering hospitality without grumbling. The choicest food and most lavish settings cannot compensate for a hassled, frazzled host who is more concerned about the dinner than about the guests! Let your children see that entertainment and considerate conversation with others is an opportunity to show appreciation for those who care enough about you to share your hearth.

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12).

When you have the peace of God in your heart to nourish those in your home, you are then equipped to “go out in joy”. The calmness of spirit that the Holy Spirit bears as fruit in you gives you the freedom to wonder as a child, to appreciate the infinite creativity of God in the work of His hands and to thank Him for it. The vitality of Jesus that energizes believers is often portrayed as “living water” (see John 4:10, 7:38, Revelation 7:17). Life-sustaining water flows from its entry point to its outlet, ever-changing with refreshment and cleansing for you as your life circumstances change.

Think of the impact your life and the lives of your children can have on the ones outside your gates as you see your own self as Jerusalem, the City of Peace: “I will extend peace to her [Jerusalem] like a river [the extent of God’s peace toward us is limitless], and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream [our wealth is a godly heritage, a Spirit-filled life overflowing like a flood to bless others]; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees [in our peaceful homes we are fed, our relationships prosper, and we find joy and relaxation]. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:12,13). Shalom bayit enables lovers of God to reach out beyond their family to comfort others and exercise compassion and empathy.

The peace that the Holy Spirit works through you in your home acts like wholesome leaven to extend its influence into the wider arena of your neighborhood, workplace, and society. Be alert for opportunities to model and verbalize to your children what obedience to Zechariah 7:9,10 means on a daily basis: “‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless [today’s single mom, and kids with absentee dads], the alien or the poor [perhaps international students or refugees]. In your hearts do not think evil of each other [make sure your outside actions match your inside thoughts!].’” And be faithful to pray earnestly “for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:2,3).

A practical means of outreach is through correspondence, not only to teach your children to express gratefulness for blessings shared but also to train them by example to be vessels of life and encouragement to those they don’t see regularly. The letters of Paul and Peter begin with variations of “Grace, mercy and peace to you from God the Father.” The epistles are filled with examples of how God has demonstrated these virtues in their own lives and in the lives of others. Your correspondence, even email, should contain aspects of these elements too.

“To show mercy” can be manifested in very practical ways. One mother wanted to train her children to help those who couldn’t repay. Through a local congregation she located a contact person who was helping to resettle Bosnian refugee families in their area. This family scoured friends, neighbors, and fellow worshipers for blankets, coats, and household goods to bring to a few needy families. Through an interpreter they were able to share compassionately from the heart, as years earlier, they too, had been “aliens in a strange land” as missionaries overseas. A bond of friendship was woven that has continued to this day. They were not just doing a good deed of meeting material needs. This family was being the hands and feet of Jesus carrying His love to those who had suffered much. Opportunities such as this one abound. You have only to pray and be alert to the answers God supplies as you live out your trust in a way that your children can see is “for real”.

Parenting involves so much more than following guidelines of behavior and hoping that the professionals in your child’s life will compensate for your shortcomings. Your children are on loan to you from God so that you might rely on His grace, power, and love to train them to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. Such a responsibility could seem overwhelming, but as you will see in the next two chapters, God has redeemed you into a body of load-bearers so that together you might trust Him.

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Chapter 11

The Home Fellowship
Promoting Righteousness

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46,47).

“Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia” (Romans 16:5).

“The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19).

“To Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home” (Philemon 2).

“Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house” (Colossians 4:15).

The above verses make clear that Paul was writing these particular letters to the ekklesia, the “called-out ones” who met in homes. As noted earlier, many of the early Church practices duplicated those of the God-fearing synagogues at the time of Christ. Like their synagogue birthplace the early Hebraic home churches (or neighborhood home fellowships, as we are calling them) retained the characteristic of personal participation. The earliest believers experienced the neighborhood home fellowship as an extension of the home for spiritual growth.

The preceding verses also reflect early Church koinonia, the fellowship and caring interaction that developed among those in the churches that met in homes. At the time of Christ the home signified the spiritual training base for the Jewish family, the place where parents shouldered the responsibility for training up their children in the wisdom and will of the Lord. The home fellowship represented an extension of the home, not a programmed activity of a larger congregation that met at the temple. This is an important distinction, one that is vital if you are to understand the significance of the progression outward from relationship with Jesus to spiritual growth in the home to intimacy with fellow load-bearers to gatherings of worshipers in congregations at large.

Authors’ Note: We were once interviewed to head up a new home fellowship ministry for a large congregation. During the interview we found that we could not communicate clearly with the interviewer. He was looking for programs and
activities to occupy and coordinate the congregation as they met in contrived “care groups.” In effect, he wanted a “Christian program” that would guide and instruct group attendees so that there would be standardized, predictable outcomes. Our emphasis on personal righteousness and load-bearing relationships built on an individual’s trust in Jesus actually seemed intimidating to him.

A church leader from another denomination once told us, “We can’t have our people trusting Jesus. That would cause mayhem! We need to control and direct the spiritual activities of the people in our congregation.” Do trust in God and obedience to Him really produce mayhem? “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

“An Intimate Few”, or Neighborhood Home Fellowships, are also called care groups, cell groups, or home churches. Regardless of the terminology, in the early Church they represented a seven-day-a-week commitment of the followers of Jesus to one another. As an extension of the home, the neighborhood home fellowship was the relational network that upheld personal righteousness. Keep in mind this distinction as you read this chapter. In many churches today “care groups” are viewed as scheduled meetings of small groups of believers whose interest is primarily on “self.” The focus of the early Church was twofold: righteous, load-bearing fellowship that equipped followers of Jesus for godly living and Gospel sharing.

Remember, the goal of your pilgrimage with Jesus is a personal relationship that draws you to increasingly trust the Lord and to bear fruit for Him. True ministry within a home fellowship equips followers of Christ to share their trust in the only true Source of life and provision. Authentic fellowship finds load-bearing believers encouraging each other as they wholeheartedly trust God. Authentic ministry comes as one Christ-follower helps another to lovingly trust the Lord in all circumstances. Paul understood that as believers followed Jesus, the Lord would allow them to encounter difficult situations “so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God” (2 Corinthians 1:9). It is God Who prompts His people to reach out beyond themselves to come alongside the needy and minister His mercy to them.

Such availability and vulnerability requires deprogramming from the institutional approach that is so embedded in a broad area of church culture today. If you are ever to experience the love, understanding, and acceptance that God is restoring to His people, you must, by His grace, get past the depersonalized forms of associations to which you may have grown accustomed. For those who have been part of congregations that rely heavily on programmed activities designed only to benefit the participant, it often takes several months to adapt to the increased personal responsibilities of a home fellowship built upon the early Church model.

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Early Church believers approached God to worship Him and to have their prayers answered. This may sound like a small point, but think about it. It wasn’t just the act of praying, but answered prayer, that got the early Church noticed. The book of Acts begins with a small band of disciples: “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:14). When Peter and John were released from the Sanhedrin’s capture (see Acts 4), they went directly to their fellow believers: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). When these people prayed, something happened. Miraculous answers to prayer abounded as they trusted wholeheartedly in the One to Whom they prayed. Peter’s miraculous release from prison (see Acts 12) further confirmed to them that prayer moved God to respond.

Think about Paul and his numerous requests for prayer: “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17); “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18); “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Paul wasn’t asking that mere words be lifted to God. He was earnestly seeking the response that God would give in answer to those prayers.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Because of their knowledge of God from the Hebrew Bible, the early Church understood God’s conditions for answering the prayers of His people. The book of James contains many Hebraic themes identified with the early Church: a trusting faith that results in action; concern for the poor and underprivileged; humility versus haughtiness. Apperceiving Proverbs 15:29, “The Lord is far from the wicked but He hears the prayer of the righteous,” James reemphasizes God’s prerequisite for answered prayer. That prerequisite is righteousness.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:16-18, emphasis added).

Addressing the prayers of Jesus, Hebrews 5:8 states: “He was heard because of His godliness [righteousness]” (emphasis added). Again the writer of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of righteousness: “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13,14, emphasis added).

Because of the communal as well as personal awareness of the Hebraic early Church, the followers of Jesus were deeply concerned with individual and communal righteousness. The Hebrew Scriptures had demonstrated that God had prevented the entire nation of Israel from conquering the city of Ai because of the hidden sin of one man, Achan (see Joshua 7). God had upheld this same standard of righteousness for the fledgling Church by taking the lives of Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5:1-11).

The Lord’s Supper, based on the Jewish Passover observance, required all leaven to be removed from the land. The removal of the leaven signified a state of holiness (righteousness). Jesus and His disciples could not keep the Passover unless all leaven, or spiritual impurity, had first been swept away. Paul elaborates on the state of righteousness required of those partaking of communion:

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment” (1 Corinthians 11:23-31, emphasis added).

Partaking of communion in the early Church was a serious communal activity. The early Jewish believers understood the holiness of the Passover and believed Jesus’s words, “This is My body”; “This is My blood.” Plato’s dualism that separated the sanctity of spirit and matter had not yet influenced the Church. Therefore, the philosophical argument over the communion elements (transubstantiation, consubstantiation, or spiritual remembrance) so dividing denominations today did not divide the true believers. Hebraic block logic, bolstered by trust, accepted the words of Jesus without further explanation. Jesus was the sinless Son of God. His fulfillment of prophetic Scripture as the sacrificial Lamb could in no way violate God’s command to abstain from blood consumption. Thus, Jesus could assure His disciples, ”The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). The faith of the Twelve could accept His words even while the mental struggle of other disciples caused them to turn back and desert Him (see John 6:60-68).

Some research of the early Church supports that the followers of Jesus got together in homes for the specific purpose of sharing communion. This encompassed a time of participation and an opportunity for repentance. Later, when communion took on a sacramental nature, participation was incorporated into the congregational gathering on the Sabbath. A very important personal and communal scrutiny element of the early Church was thus lost. Where sins were confessed and righteousness prevailed, prayers were answered in a powerful way. These were “God-size” answers. When sins remain unconfessed, prayer becomes form without power.

Paramount in any of the early Church practices was fellowship with God. Without a right relationship with Him there is no other fellowship: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). A merciful and gracious God provided the means to restore fellowship and righteousness that had been broken by sin: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The breaking of bread in the home was critical not only to maintain strong relationships but to preserve righteousness. Home gatherings provided a medium for accountability so that the Lord’s instruction for dealing with a person who sins could be followed.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:15-20).

The primary goal of the above passage is maintenance of individual and communal righteousness, and restoration of the repentant. God knows man’s frail inability to always maintain His standard of righteousness. Even King David, a man after God’s own heart, was an adulterer and murderer. In order to restore fellowship the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him. David, his heart broken and contrite before his God, repented and confessed his sin. His intimacy with God was restored.

For the home fellowship of today, confession and repentance are key to maintaining ongoing prayer that results in divine answers. Recall that to be “born again” in the early Church meant that you put full trust and reliance in Jesus Christ. Followers of Christ covenanted to enter into a Lord / slave-servant relationship. The foundation of this relationship was mutual love that carried with it a certain responsibility. The Lordship of Jesus necessitated obedience from His servant. Lack of trust, unlovingness, or disobedience by the servant was sin, a breaking of fellowship with God. Confession recognized that sin had indeed occurred. God was seeking a repentance that sorrowed over the separation of intimacy with Him. This sorrow produced repentance that turned away from evil and toward God: “Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10, emphasis added).

Over the centuries the church has acquiesced to a sinner’s confession that an offensive act has been committed. Such admittance is cognitive and deals judicially with the unlawful act. In effect, the perpetrator is focused only on the wrong action, not on the person or the relationship that was violated. This reasoning is incomplete. The Hebraic early Church was relational, not cognitive. Repentance required taking responsibility for damage done to the relationship as well as restitution for the offense. Note the difference of emphasis from focus on “the hurtful action” to concern with “who was hurt by the action.” Since the reality of being born again was a loving trust in God, the severity of personal sin was all the more poignant—the sin violated Someone with whom the offender had enjoyed a loving and trusting relationship.

Atonement for sin could be made only through the shedding of blood (see Hebrews 9:22). Because of their knowledge of the Hebrew Bible, the Jewish people recognized the futility of atonement by human effort. Forgiveness required the grace of God, that He would accept the substitutionary atonement of the annual sacrifice of an unblemished lamb. How well Jewish believers understood the importance of the shed blood of Jesus to fulfill the just requirement of their holy God!

The Hebrew Scriptures clearly established that God could not be approached in just any manner without severe consequences. Even the high priest who represented the entire Jewish nation could enter the holy of holies only once a year after the sprinkling of blood. Jesus shared the parable of the wedding banquet to describe the kingdom of God (see Matthew 22:1-14). He told His listeners that some people
outrightly resist the King’s offer; others even kill His messengers. Some accept His invitation but fail to prepare themselves to enter His presence:

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’" (Matthew 22:11-13).

Early believers recognized that even earthly kings had standards for entry into their presence. Esther understood this when Mordecai implored her to approach her husband, King Xerxes, on behalf of the Jews about to be annihilated:

"All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king" (Esther 4:11).

Consider the above condition of approach to the king as you read Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Standing alone, this verse could seem to indicate that believers may approach the throne even if filled with unrepentant sin. The early Church clearly understood such presumption to be false. The writer to the Hebrews emphasizes the necessary prerequisite of the shed blood of Jesus:

"He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption...How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God"! (Hebrews 9:12,14, emphasis added).

It is not through our righteousness that our prayers are heard by God. It is because of our humble reliance on the shed blood of Jesus to cover our sins that we receive forgiveness from Him as we confess and repent. The humble and contrite person who trembles at God’s word and trusts Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength is the one esteemed by God (see Isaiah 66:3).

Prayer in the early Church included spiritual warfare. The example of Daniel from the Hebrew Bible demonstrated that persevering prayer and trust in a loving Father were key to God’s response. Demonic forces opposed the ministering angels who brought God’s answer (see Daniel 10; Hebrews 1:14). Righteous Daniel prayed for twenty-one days before the heavenly messenger, with the help of the archangel Michael, broke through with God’s response. Jesus voiced the parable of the persistent widow (see Luke 18:1-8) to encourage His followers to pray without ceasing: “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:7).

Satan is aware of the importance of righteousness combined with prayer that perseveres until the answer is received. If he cannot hinder through unconfessed sin, he will discourage God’s people from praying by instilling doubt and unbelief that the Lord will ever answer. This is why the intimate righteousness of the home fellowship is critical to encourage each other to persist in prayer. A home fellowship of today that does not experience God-sized answers to their prayers may have already given way to Satan’s scheme. [See also God's Instruments For War by Mike and Sue Dowgiewicz.1 This booklet discusses the coordinated use of spiritual gifts as weapons of warfare in faith communities.]

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24,25).

The home fellowships of the early Church encouraged participation in communion through the mutual upholding of biblical standards. The home gatherings represented the location in which individuals were included or excluded from fellowship. It would have been unthinkable for a person to join a home fellowship for purely social reasons as do many believers today. The Bible has established criteria for God’s people to have fellowship with each other. The Word also establishes a precedent that men and women are influenced for good or for evil by the close relationships they keep.
Study the following verses:

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

“A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good” (Proverbs 16:29).

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get
yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24).

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him” (Titus 3:10).

The right to separate from evildoers in order to uphold righteous standards is a biblical prerogative. Paul emphasized the importance of communal righteousness in the Church in his admonishment to the Corinthians: “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:4,5).

Author’s Note: Because of the dualism so prevalent in the church today, it is difficult for many to believe that God would actually use Satan to perfect His people. The Scriptures demonstrate that God used Satan to test Job (see Job 1:6-2:10) and to sift Peter (Luke 22:31). God also uses him in the church to destroy the sin nature in His people when all other human elements fail. That is why Paul writes about believers who live close to the fringe of righteousness but still make it to heaven: “He himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

Consider the importance of interpersonal influence as it may affect believers in a home fellowship who prayerfully trust God in spiritual warfare:

"When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army...He shall say: ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them.’ Then the officers shall add, ‘Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too’" (Deuteronomy 20:2,3,8).

The Bible teaches that right relationships can spur believers on to greater love, courage, and service for the Lord. Wrong relationships can deter His people from the valor and courage required to accomplish His purposes through them. Load-bearing in a home fellowship enables Christians to support each other in a personal way so that they can carry out God’s purposes. Courage and valor are as highly esteemed in the Bible as they are in Israel today. The Israeli military leaders of today are the ones whose wisdom and courage have won previous battles as they led, not sent, their men into the fray.

Consider how biblical men of courage attracted one another. 1 Samuel 14 illustrates Jonathan’s courage for the Lord at Micmash: “Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few’” (1 Samuel 14:6). The same courageous regard for God’s honor is displayed by David against Goliath: “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied’” (1 Samuel 17:45).

From the time they first met, these two valiant men were drawn to each other: “And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself” (1 Samuel 20:17). Their courage produced a wonderful devotion that was eulogized by David: “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women” (1 Samuel 1:26).

People who are courageous for God attract other courageous people to themselves. The prophet Samuel describes the “men of valor” who joined David:

"These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field" (2 Samuel 23:8-12).

These three were joined by thirty other mighty men who also embodied courage beyond the average. Who are the ones in your life whom you can count on to come alongside you to stand firm in God’s mighty power when trials and spiritual battles assail you?

Consider the home fellowship of today in light of the early Church: Righteousness produces boldness. Think of the importance of courage. Valiant people attract other people of courage. Do you believe that your close relationships in the faith reflect you? If you do, look honestly at yourself and those to whom you are close. Do they exhibit the abiding presence of Jesus? Is He producing His fruit through each of you? (Ponder the vine and branches relationship of John 15:1-17).

The writer to the Hebrews described the importance of courage and encouragement to keep Christ-followers from sin’s trap: "But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first" (Hebrews 3:6,12-14, emphasis added).

As you find yourself being pressured more and more by the ever-evolving standards of the world system, prayerfully immerse yourself in God’s Word. Beseech Him to fill you with “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (see Colossians 1:9). The Israelites of Jeremiah’s time succumbed to the lure of deception and worldly gratification. Heed God’s warning to them: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16, emphasis added). Does God’s rest mean that your circumstances will improve, your trials subside, your temptations cease? Probably not, but your soul, your arena of emotional and decisional response, will find rest in the midst of the turmoil. God’s “ancient paths” call for righteousness and trust. Let us spur each other on to walk in them.

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Chapter 12

The Home Fellowship
Load-bearing Relationships

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

Remember that the Hebraic early Church was both spiritual and practical. The previous chapter explored the critical “vertical element” of the home fellowship, that is, the process by which believers in a home fellowship uphold a righteousness that leads to holy boldness for the sake of the Kingdom. Such believers attract others who are courageous for the Lord. This chapter addresses the “horizontal elements” of the early Church. These are the enactments of your faith undertaken because of your love for the Lord Jesus. As with your forefathers in the early Church, only by His grace through the power of the Holy Spirit can you live out the biblical mandates.

The keys to the horizontal element in the home fellowship are mentoring and role modeling. The seven-day-a-week commitment ofthose in the home fellowship is the avenue by which the wisdom of the older men and women can be incorporated into the lives of younger men and women. This is the means by which the ish, the mature man, and the zaken, the Hebraic elder, can have their most profound effect on the lives of the less mature. Because of the intimacy grown and nurtured in the home fellowship, loving correction can be given to those who act foolishly in their responsibility toward God and toward others.

Just how important is the restoration of the wisdom and experience of older men and women in the church today? This cannot be overemphasized. Keep in mind that this loss is a post-World War II phenomenon. If the vitality of the early Church is to be fully recaptured, the wisdom of age and experience must once again be cherished by believers.

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:11,12).

In the Hebraic model of home fellowship, when your family joins together with other families and individuals for worship, sharing, and fellowship, these gatherings are special. They are time spent with friends who are spiritual relatives—family you look forward to being with, family with whom you are developing an ever-deepening, load-bearing relationship. If you do not see these occasions as opportunities to share your life with kinfolk you care about, your gathering will become impersonal. The activity, not the people, will become your priority. Instead of strengthening the quality of your relationships as you encourage each other through prayer and testimony that enhances trust in God, each gathering will in time become a duty, an obligation for you and your family. After awhile you will regress to thinking of the coming together as “attending a service.”

Many years ago our friend Karl Duff taught us the concept of “load-bearing.” Sitting in our living room one afternoon, he pointed to an open beam that supported the ceiling. “Mike,” he remarked, “that beam is continually carrying the weight of the roof; the roof depends upon it. We need that kind of load-bearing relationship among believers today.” His words remind us of the intimacy that Paul must have had in mind: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:10,15), and, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

When you get together with believers in a home fellowship, consider that gathering an extension of what you have already been doing in your home. The home fellowship should never become a compensation for deficiency in your own home. Believers should never try to make up for what is lacking through irresponsibility in someone else’s family. It is appropriate to help others develop reliability, but never step in to take on responsibility that is rightly theirs. A number of church leaders have admitted to us that many programs in their churches were designed to compensate especially for undependable fathers. Irresponsibility becomes an increasing burden on others and perpetuates the sin that has fed it.

A home fellowship must support the home as the basic building block of spiritual development. If you are not leading the way in your own home by establishing some sort of regular spiritual focus with your family, don’t expect a home fellowship to provide a “Sunday school” program to do it for you! The times in a home gathering when children do share and receive ministry should not be the only occasion during the week when principles of godly living are discussed with them. Most parents are glad to share ideas of activities that they are doing at home to help their children to better love, serve, and experience God. Just ask. Your children really do need to see you as their primary spiritual authority. It’s right out of Scripture!

If other families demonstrate good habits and practices that you would like to develop in your own home, ask for help until these qualities are part of your family life. For example, if you are frustrated by a strong-willed toddler’s incessant activity, ask for suggestions (and prayer!) from parents in your group who have learned from experience how to survive with victory. If your teenager suddenly seems uncommunicative or withdrawn, seek prayer and counsel from those who have gained insight through their own experiences and investigation. God really does want you to raise godly children and has provided resources who can minister truth and
wisdom to you.

One mother expressed her dismay over her thirteen-year-old daughter’s occasional outbursts of tearful screaming. Another mom with a daughter the same age acknowledged that her daughter also had emotional flare-ups. This mother then shared counsel that had worked in her own situation. She said that during such tearful occasions with her daughter, she would wrap her arms around the girl to affirm that she understood the inner turmoil and pain and frustration. She would then firmly insist that screaming was an unacceptable way to vent these emotions. This woman and her husband had already established pre-determined consequences for disobedience in this realm of behavior. When her daughter had calmed down, the mom reminded her of these, as well as the family goal of maintaining the home as a sanctuary of peace. In this way the girl was able to learn to take responsibility for her decision of whether or not to obey the family standards of behavior, for she was aware of the consequences. She was also presented opportunity to expand her awareness of the needs of others in her family for peace in the home, and to take her eyes off herself. This type of sharing encourages others to bear one another’s burdens and to give glory to God for His wisdom and compassion.

The home fellowships in which the authors have participated have abided by two principles:
• The presence of Jesus in our midst must be the foremost consideration.
• Children must be welcomed as integral members of the body.

Consider this: If Jesus doesn’t “show up” in your gathering, should you? In other words, true unity is really representative of your own ongoing fellowship with Jesus and your heavenly Father: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). When your relationship with Jesus is intimate, your home fellowship gatherings will reflect that. The Lord Himself will guide your time together through His Spirit.

If your fellowship with God isn’t personal, then something will be lacking in all of your other relationships. Without intimacy with God and others, you will in time look to some form of contrivance to impart a false sense of “fellowship” to your gatherings. An example of this would be the use of singing and music to “conjure up a mood” that makes people feel good. It provides a soulish high but does not restore lost fellowship with God. That can be done only through repentance and restoration.

Beware of another potential pitfall when small groups come together. No one individual should “sweat the outcome” of your gathering and try to control what happens. If this occurs, you have the return of the sacerdotal, someone attempting to mediate between you and Jesus. Be wary of too heavy a reliance on prepared materials as your primary reason to gather, rather than your love of Jesus and of each other. Do your leaders show a greater interest in Jesus and you than in trying to achieve a desired goal when you meet? Over years of ministry we have observed that when the sacerdotal shows up, the Holy Spirit remains silent.

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Home fellowships should never treat children as “second hand citizens” of God’s kingdom. Jesus admonished His disciples to humble themselves and change to become like little children (see Matthew 18:3,4). This perspective can revolutionize your own view of yourself as a “child of God.” Are you able to humbly entrust yourself to Him the same way you desire your children to trust you? Before you consider children a potential nuisance in your gatherings, ponder the Lord’s words about them. By encouraging them to share their insights and questions, you are reflecting the value you place on them. Even the elders permitted the twelve-year-old Jesus a forum in the temple to share “His understanding and His answers” (see Luke 2:47).

One home fellowship to which we were committed consisted of six family units totaling twelve children, ages one to seventeen, and eleven adults. Generally when we assembled as a group, the adults and older children sat in a circle while the little ones played with interlocking blocks, tiny cars, coloring books, and picture books in the middle in a designated area. (A colorful quilt could mark the boundaries of your play area.) The toys were set aside just for home fellowship times, so no one had “ownership” over them. Even the older children sometimes kept their hands busy with plastic blocks while their ears were tuned in!

Often one of the little ones would crawl into an empty lap for a quiet story or take an available hand for a drink in the kitchen while discussion was going on. The adults became aunts and uncles to these children, and the teens were regarded as big brothers and sisters. Thus, even though few in the group had extended family locally, relationships developed to a certain level of family intimacy.

On Sundays when our home fellowship gathered with other home fellowships in our congregation for praise and worship, we were often there more than an hour before the worship began. The children played together while the adults supervised and drank coffee, talked, and prayed. Our fellowship family sat together with the children during the praise and worship. Because of the extended love and care, you couldn’t tell which adults the children belonged to!

We have found that children who are not accustomed to quiet play gradually learn. When outright rebellion flares, the parent can accompany the offender to a bedroom to handle the situation in the manner he or she chooses. Consistent commitment by the adults and the example set by peers and older children help more active children settle in. However, we also have no unrealistic expectations that a two-year-old will sit quietly for an hour either! Parents are encouraged to allow others to help with child care. This not only gives them a break but fosters trusting attachments between the children and adults in the fellowship. Anyone can wipe a nose or hold a little hand on a walk-break!

Spontaneous midweek gatherings strengthen these relationships. Barbecues, nature hikes, slide shows, home videos, picnics, impromptu prayer times, game nights—all are expressions that say “We care”. Not every person can make every get-together, and that‘s all right. Each one knows that he or she is only a phone call away for praying, rejoicing, and load-bearing. For single and divorced members, these relationships are especially vital as the love they share in the home fellowship may represent the most comforting source of family care that they are experiencing.

We have found that it is sometimes appropriate to break by gender into different areas of a home. Older children often enjoy participating in discussions with adults if they feel that they will be heard. Either gender can supervise the activity of the little ones. If the discussion seems inappropriate for young people, the older children can head outside for a break with the younger ones or for a snack in the kitchen. The keys are flexibility and adaptability. If you meet in a home that isn’t normally “childproof”, the hosts can move the untouchables out of reach and the parents can bring toys for their own children, confining their activities to a designated spot.

Some home fellowships alternate adults (both men and women) to supervise activities with the children for part of the time. The activity depends on the particular talents of the person in charge and the age of the children. Examples are songs, crafts, storytelling, baking, games. Because relational contact is maintained during the week through personal visits or by phone, the children feel as though they are with family. New additions can be lovingly incorporated into the fellowship. Both adults and children learn to carry on conversations with all age groups, a skill often undeveloped in a society and church culture that epitomize homogeneous groups.

If the children squabble with each other, provide an opportunity for them to resolve it (but not to the point of tantrums or belligerence!). We encourage parents not to step in too early nor to feel unduly embarrassed if their children’s behavior is not letter-perfect. Disagreements can be learning opportunities for yielding rights and helping one another. Sometimes the older children can intervene in creative ways that encourage their sense of responsibility too. Some parents may seem oblivious to the disruptive behavior of their own children. This is a prime opportunity for the gray-haired mentors to take the parents aside to discuss appropriate “house rules” so that the apprehension levels of others can be diminished. Parents whose children have already graduated from that stage may be able to offer helpful recommendations based on their own previous experiences.

“Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10).

Seeking ways to bless those around you, particularly those in your spiritual family, demonstrates a heart filled with gratefulness for all that God has done for you and in you and through you. It is in the fertile soil of loving relationships that you are able to truly discern needs that you can then fill. A single mother in our home fellowship had undergone a painful divorce and felt emotionally and physically drained. Her nine-year-old daughter was very special to us, and each family in the fellowship spent extra time including her in family activities: sledding, walking the dog, playing at others’ homes. Both mother and child were able to regroup and continue with joy. In fact, this family has since moved out-of-state, and we still exchange calls and letters as “family.”

Remember that the early Church came together spiritually prepared to encounter Jesus. It is imperative that you prepare yourself and your family before you gather to worship: “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All must be done for the strengthening of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:26, emphasis added). Worshipers coming together should spiritually prepare themselves in advance, anticipating to participate as the Holy Spirit leads. Do not wait for the scheduled gathering to roll around in the hope that whatever is ailing you will somehow be “fixed” when you meet for worship. Each day has its own troubles. As you face these with one another’s help, you can focus on God and His moving in the body in your gatherings. Set aside the distracting worries and anxieties of what you may have to face when you get home. Concentrate instead on the majesty and sovereignty of God. He is aware of all you are going through. Worship Him!

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act” (Proverbs 3:27).

There is a close connection between caring for someone and sharing with that person. Apperception of the above verse and others like it in the Hebrew Bible fill the Newer Testament. For example, Paul apperceived Proverbs 3:27, above, in these verses: “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in the grace of giving...Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality” (1 Corinthians 8:7,13, emphasis added).

Jesus recognized that people have material needs for which they work. His parable in Matthew 20:14,15 addresses the landowner andthe hired workers in the vineyard: “I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with My own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” If you are part of a home fellowship, ask yourself, “What benefit do others receive from me? Am I a gracious giver of myself to those whom I profess are spiritual family? Does my (sometimes sacrificial) availability reflect my appreciation for all that my Father has given to me?”

Financial responsibility to others in the faith is based on the Hebraic understanding that sees all things as God’s. The early Church clearly recognized this: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32, emphasis added). James reiterated responsibility for the well-being of others: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17, emphasis added).

The Holy Spirit often prompts His people to meet the specific need of another. How often the authors have been the recipients of the exact dollar amount required at a certain time! For example, we had no sooner arrived at our destination a thousand miles from home when the car radiator failed. We had no funds for this unexpected glitch, but a family friend agreed to repair it for a certain amount. The following day two checks arrived totaling the whole amount of the repair. Neither donor knew of our specific need but had responded to the urging of the Holy Spirit to send help!

Good deeds of charity were a hallmark of Hebraic daily life. The “righteousness [that] delivers from death” (see Proverbs 10:2, 11:4) was no abstract concept but a deliberate donation of material goods to meet real needs. The Hebrew word for righteousness means “acts of right or justice,” or what we would call “charity.” The attitude that God demanded toward a needy brother was this: “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:10,11, emphasis added). From a Hebraic standpoint, to do that which was right constituted worship of God. To love God was to love your fellow man in a way that met his needs.

“And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21).

Weigh this Hebraic view of a Christian life: The essence of the love that Jesus refers to lays not in what you say but in what you do. Jesus linked the final judgment with “whatever you did for one of the least of these” (see Matthew 25:40, emphasis added). Sheer hypocrisy is living in a manner that refutes your moral words: “Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right” (Proverbs 20:11, emphasis added). Paul exhorted Philemon, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints” (vv. 6,7). The living witness of your faith testifies to your ability to fully fathom your manifold treasures in Jesus as you share them with others. As those you encounter see more of Christ’s love in action through you, they will begin to attribute more to Him working in you and less to you as a “good person.” Thus they will “see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (see Matthew 5:16).

James exhorts the faith community to “show [your] faith by what [you] do” (see 2:18). This outworking of a loving faith takes time, the commodity people seem to treasure most and have at their discretion the least. The choices to be made in the use of your daily twenty-four hours can seem staggering unless you ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”—then abide by the answer the Holy Spirit reveals.

Aside from your responsibilities to your family, strengthen those with whom you are growing in Jesus. As “living stones” (see 1 Peter 2:5) in God’s spiritual house, you are a reflection of Christ in you and are bound by the exhortation of Peter: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us” (1 Peter 2:12, emphasis added). Again, only intimate, load-bearing relationships will spur you on to actively expend your life for Jesus’s sake. Your acts of kindness in no way earn you salvation. They are the outpouring of Spirit-driven love that evidences the work of God in you.

In Israel we saw a wonderful living enactment of Paul’s word to the Galatians, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2). On buses younger people gladly and automatically got up to let the older folks sit down, fulfilling (perhaps unwittingly) the injunction, “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:32). Passengers stepped off the bus to carry baby carriages onboard for mothers. People staggering on the rain-slipperied floor immediately were met with a multitude of outstretched steadying hands. The list could go on... We were reminded of Jesus’s teaching about the Samaritan when He was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” (see Luke 10:29-37). In essence, He answered that our neighbors are all those for whom, through the love of Jesus, we reach out to bear their load.

“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13).

The Hebraic early Church excelled at hospitality, another tangible demonstration of love. Opening one’s home to others was deeply engrained in Middle Eastern culture and was expected among Gentiles as well as Jews. Biblical hospitality is an entirely different phenomenon than what we in the United States regard as “inviting people over”. Americans may love to entertain, but our gatherings are more oriented to the activity we do (barbecuing, playing cards, discussing a study book or video) rather than to the relational development with the guests themselves. For instance, many church programs involving a home setting use a Bible study or some prescribed curriculum as the focal point for gathering.

Program-based agendas often emphasize content conveyance rather than the needs and concerns of the participants. Consider the lasting impact the Word of God makes when biblical truths are addressed to current life situations—living parables, if you will. How much likelier that God’s truths will result in changed lives, particularly if those truths are shared with people who have a genuine concern for an individual as “family”. Programmed studies may inform and interest the participants, but unless the information can be role-modeled and somehow applied, it will most likely be stored on the mind’s back burner and probably forgotten.

Since much of the western Christian community has lost awareness of the importance of the home, hospitality from the heart has become scarce. The book of Hebrews reminds believers, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). Among the pastors and church leaders we have encountered, few have practiced the criterion of hospitality required in Titus 1:8 and 1 Timothy 3:2. At the retreat center, we found through survey that seldom are believers invited into the homes of others in the congregation just to deepen their relationships. Those who do share a closer-knit camaraderie often have points of contact outside the spiritual realm, such as children on the same sports team or carpool activity.

In Israel we were overwhelmed by the hospitality we encountered, a very deep warmth and regard for people. Hospitality was and is a basic function of the Jewish home. (We realize that open-hearted warmth also characterizes many European and Asian cultures in general.) This practice, as the Scriptures make plain, was central in the Hebraic heritage of the early Church. Peter instructed God’s people, “Offer hospitality to one another” (1 Peter 4:9). Certainly the weekly joyous celebration of the Sabbath is an avenue for reunion. But other spontaneous get-togethers offer insight into the desire for commitment and depth of relationship.

One afternoon as we walked around our Jerusalem suburb of Pisgat Zeev, we prayed to encounter an Israeli family that had been settled in “the land” for a long time. Suddenly, two German Shepherds bounded up to us, pursued by their shouting, laughing master. Rebuking them in Hebrew, he turned to us, extended his hand, and introduced himself as Yehuda. He added, “You are Americans staying with Schlossberg family? They good people!” We nodded eagerly, and shared with him some of our experiences and impressions of Israel. (We should note here that although English sometimes failed him, Yehuda spoke fluent French, and Sue was able to recall enough high school French to enable a fairly flowing conversation!) As he turned to leave, Yehuda said with a twinkle, “You come to my house soon.”

Later, back at the Schlossbergs’, we asked Bert if invitations like that were meant to be taken seriously. “Sure,” he answered. “Just pin him down to a time.” The next time we encountered Yehuda on a walk, we continued our conversation where we had left off. Again he stated, “You come to my house.” Smiling, we asked, “When?” Grinning back, he responded, “Friday. Nine AM.” Friday morning arrived and we climbed the flower-bedecked steps of Yehuda’s home, greeted by the barking dogs. As we entered the airy, casually cluttered home, Yehuda’s cheerful wife Berte grabbed our hands and led us up to the kitchen. “Please, you sit here.” Bustling about the kitchen, she asked, all at the same time, “Do you want coffee? We have juice too. How about soda? Yehuda, here, put these pastries out. I just got them—they’re wonderful. I’ll get some fruit for you too. Do you like the fruit in Israel?” Overwhelmed by the concern for our gastronomic well-being, we could only nod and smile and nod and smile. As we all dipped into the feast set before us, questions, comments, and responses flowed between us. We felt as welcomed as if we had known them for years!

Sharing family adventures (they have five children) and mutual concerns for the declining moral state of our respective cultures, we found so many planes of commonality between us. What sealed our care for each other, though, was our expression of love for the Bible. We had gleaned so much from the Hebrew Scriptures in the past weeks and were able to point time and again to verses that reiterated God’s promises to His Jewish people. Finally, moved by the Spirit, Mike tearfully asked forgiveness from Berte and Yehuda on behalf of his Polish ancestors for the atrocities committed against the Jews during the Holocaust. More tears flowed, hugs abounded, and acceptance was affirmed. As we moved to depart, they both insisted, “Please, wait. Another pastry, more fruit. We must talk some more.” (As we later commented, “When you prepare to leave an Israeli home, make sure you plan your departure ahead of time. It’ll take you an hour to get out the door!”)

Subsequent visits provided the same generosity and kindness. At one point Berte regarded us wonderingly and asked, “Are there other Christians who believe like you do?” We had been sharing with them the love we felt for the Jewish people because God loves them, and avowed our beliefs from Romans 11 that He had a special plan to be fulfilled in and through them. We assured them that we were not alone in this. With what sorrow we hugged each other good-bye the morning of our flight home! What had started out as hospitality had ended up in loving friendship.

We believe that the absence of biblical hospitality in the American Christian community today contributes to the shallowness of the relationships seen in so many churches. One friend noted that the depth of relationship in her congregation appeared to be a mile wide and an inch deep! Hebraic hospitality offers spontaneity so that friends feel free to drop in without prior arrangement. This openness to unannounced intrusion also makes it easy for them to turn to one another in their time of need. Our western scheduling of every church gathering and activity makes it that much more difficult to spontaneously turn to other believers when problems befall us. It is ironic how natural it was for us as children to stop by our friends’ homes. Somehow cultural entrapments take over until what once seemed so natural during youth is later perceived as intrusive when we “mature.”

One chilly Jerusalem night Bert and Exie Schlossberg realized that it had been weeks since they had seen their neighbors across the street. Around 9 PM, after we had retired to our room, they headed out and knocked on the neighbors’ door. Eli and Rivka answered in their bathrobes, laughing with joy to see their friends. They immediately lit up the house, set out goodies, and filled the next three hours with animated conversation. You need the honesty in your relationships to welcome unplanned visits, or to express that the timing really is unsuitable. Just make sure that presuppositions of how others might react don’t keep you from spontaneous care. Even a note on the door indicating that you stopped by when they were out demonstrates that they were on your mind!

If you examine the levels of relationship you have with the various people in your life, you might be shocked to find how shallow so many of them are. How many of your conversations ever get beyond issues: politics, the high cost of living, the decline of morals, crime, the alcohol and drug problems of young people nowadays? How many dig beneath to the things that pain you and hinder your walk with God? True load-bearers “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). They pray and fast with each other to find God’s answers to the painful or confusing situations afflicting them. They also have an open heart attitude that doesn’t flinch at godly admonishment: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). Such wounds require deep commitment and compassion born out of times of shared sorrow and joy.

On several occasions we presented the following two statements to retreaters and churchgoers:

• Name three people in your congregation to whom you would turn in time of deep trouble in your life.
• Name three people in your congregation with whom you would ask to do an activity.

In so many instances when we compared and analyzed the results, the responses verified how shallow and uncommitted the relationships were within those congregations. Few could come up with three names for each category (apart from the pastor’s name, which appeared regularly under the “time of deep trouble” category. Seldom was the pastor a person with whom people shared social activity.) Of those who had listed six names, we investigated further. Many admitted they probably wouldn’t in reality contact some of the names; these had just seemed like people who would be understanding or fun. In light of this data, Christian relationships that can “carry each other’s burdens” are relatively few.

“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

One of the vertical-horizontal facets of the early Church was decision-making. (“Vertical” refers to your relationship with God; “horizontal” to those in the earthly realm.) Hebraic believers were persistent in seeking God’s rhema, His revealed will or decision, rather than leaning on their own reasoning and understanding. The Greek philosophical influence in today’s church leans heavily on rationalization, employing a lot of “pro and con” discussion. With this type of human reasoning come elements of control and manipulation that tend to divide and estrange people.

An earnest devotion to seek God’s guidance testifies that Jesus Christ is the Head of His “called-out ones”. When God’s people long to restore intimacy with Him, a desire for His guidance is an early indicator: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, “Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going’” (Zechariah 8:20,21, emphasis added). Pursuit of the Lord’s continuous guidance must first be a matter of priority in your home. When you refuse to listen to God’s guidance, Zechariah warns: “‘When I called they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty” (7:13).

How detrimental to others in your home fellowship or even at the congregational level to expect God to manifest His power and presence in your midst when you neither seek Him nor uphold His holiness in your own home. A number of times when the authors have been with a group that was seeking God, the Spirit would quicken to us or to someone else in the group, “The sin of Achan is present. God will not listen to your request.” (See Joshua 7.) Achan had tried to hide his personal sin. God had held that sin against all of Israel by letting them be defeated by the people of Ai. When the sin was revealed and dealt with, Israel was able to conquer their enemy. Be conscious of tolerating hidden sin that restrains God from guiding and acting on your behalf.

Again, the pattern of spiritual guidance and decision-making experienced in the home fellowship must be an extension of what is already practiced within the family. The Church of the New Testament relied solely on the Holy Spirit and His illumination of the Hebrew Scriptures to bring understanding to their walk with God. They had no access to the libraries and videos of today. As evangelist David DuPlessis wisely observed, “They had to depend on the Holy Spirit and His teaching and guidance. They had no other option but to minister, to preach and to write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”1 Seek the Holy Spirit. Do not proceed without the rhema of God, His guidance that brings with it the power for fulfillment: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, emphasis added).

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8,9).

From the Hebrew Bible the early Church was able to apperceive God’s sovereignty in decision making: “The Lord works out everything for His own ends...In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:4,9, emphasis added). Decision making is a crucial facet of relationships that are committed to one another and dependent on reliant trust in God. Worldly methods or processes that are used in decision making can cause tension among friends if they feel that bad counsel was given or good counsel not acted upon. Both in the home and in the home fellowship, be sure to select decision processes that God has ordained. Biblical examples of decision-making include, but are not limited to, the examples that follow.

When the disciples replaced Judas with another man to complete the Twelve, they followed the principle of Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord”, and, Proverbs 18:18, “Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.” Two disciples had been proposed to fill the void left by Judas. Instead of taking a popularity poll or vote that could have left some still wondering later if the decision had been correct, they “drew lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the apostles” (Acts 1:26). By employing this method any time a potential dispute might arise, further controversy is diffused: “Every decision is from the Lord.”

Early believers recognized that their hearts were deceptive beyond measure. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Since childhood they had been nurtured on Proverbs 3:5,6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” The deceit of Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5) and its consequences certainly had warned them about lying to the Holy Spirit: “Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?’...When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened” (Acts 5:3,5).

God’s protection method to keep His people from being deceived by their own personal desires included the confirmation of two or three persons. Autocratic decision-making by individuals represented a foreign concept. The early Church’s process of decision making was apperceived from the Hebrew Bible: “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:5, emphasis added). The teaching of Jesus reaffirmed this: “Again, I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19, emphasis added). Paul reiterated the same principle: “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2 Corinthians 13:1, emphasis added).

The church at Antioch used the witness of spiritual gifts, prayer, worshiping, and fasting to set aside Paul and Barnabas for ministry: “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers...While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:1-3, emphasis added).

Fasting had been a component of spiritual life for centuries. Denying the flesh to focus on spiritual matters signified a wholehearted dependence on God for the answers sought. One present-day congregation of three hundred home fellowships in Guatemala encourages two believers from each fellowship to fast one day a week so that each day is bathed in fasting and prayer by a minimum of six hundred believers. They are seeing mighty interventions of God in their midst! Jesus Himself said, “When you fast” (see Matthew 6:16), not if you fast. Surely there are blessings to be released when believers humbly seek to minister to one another through prayerful fasting before His throne.

God has not left His people to struggle alone to discern His will. Christians are fellow believers committed to seeking God’s best for each of His children so that they will be equipped to obey their Lord. Like Paul, earnestly ask God on behalf of one another to “fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). Seek Him in your prayer closet and diligently study His Word for rhema. As you entrust yourself to Him, He will use your spouse and/or faith family to confirm His plans for you.

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Chapter 13

Fulfilling Biblical Prophecy:
Israel and the Jewish People Today

“This is what the Lord says...’Only if these decrees vanish from My sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Me.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:35-37).

Obedient trust in God and the truth of His Word hinges on His utter reliability to keep the promises He has made. The glorious riches of the Newer Testament are fulfillment of the prophetic promises voiced in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thus followers of Christ have security in the reality that the vows of God yet to be fulfilled will surely come to pass in His timing.

Over a three-day period in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit quickened in us the verses cited in this chapter that pertain to Israel and the Jewish people. We also sensed specific categories for each verse to emphasize key promises to the Jewish people. Many of these promises are being fulfilled before the world’s eyes. Now indeed is the time for a “Gentile Awakening” among believers in the US churches!

Scarcely a day passes without news of Israel appearing in the media. How remarkable from a purely secular viewpoint that such a tiny piece of real estate should consume such public attention! Yet from a biblical point of view, God is exposing and tearing down the walls that have divided Jews and Christians for centuries. In many Christian circles, however, these dramatic events go unnoticed because they appear irrelevant. The Bible indicates otherwise. This chapter emphasizes the importance of prophetic fulfillment of these promises as they apply to your personal walk with Jesus.

Israel: What Is God Doing? Should It Mean Anything to Me?

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

The roots of Judaism and Christianity go back to our common father, Abraham. Nineteen hundred years of ecclesiastical prejudice and ignorance concerning the Hebraic roots of Christian faith have resulted in persecution of the Jews. For centuries the church has lacked the power and vitality of the first century Church as documented so clearly in the Book of Acts. As a Hebraic understanding of God’s Word is being restored, does God desire for the church today to bless the Jewish people? Will He not fulfill His promise to bless those who bless the Jews? Will part of the blessing the church receives entail a restoration of the early vitality and power that once characterized it?

God Is Changing the Hearts of the Gentiles

In response to a heightened interest in fully appreciating God’s faithfulness to His Word, many followers of Christ have become more aware of an ever-increasing amount of “divine activity” occurring among the Jewish people and the land of Israel. Consider the following news items that highlight repentance among Christian churches, a repentance that acknowledges with shame the historic persecution of the Jews.

In 1962 Pope John XXIII convened Vatican Council II. At that gathering, the Jews were decreed innocent of the charge of “Christkiller.” (During World War II, Monsignor Angelo Roncalli, who would later become Pope John XXIII, had developed an extraordinary reputation for saving thousands of Jews from Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria by providing Jews with fake Catholic baptismal certificates.)1
The following prayer, composed shortly before the Pontiff’s death, admitted the church’s sins against the Jewish people and sought forgiveness from God for injustices committed:

"We realize now that many, many centuries of blindness have dimmed our eyes, so that we no longer see the beauty of Thy Chosen People and no longer recognize in their faces the features of our first-born brother. We realize that our brows are branded with the mark of Cain. Centuries long has Abel lain in blood and tears, because we had forgotten Thy love. Forgive us the curse which we unjustly laid on the name of the Jews. Forgive us that, with our curse, we crucified Thee a second time."

The Diocese of Cincinnati concurred: “The Jewish people is not collectively guilty of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, nor of the rejection of Jesus as Messiah. The Jewish people is not damned, nor bereft of its election. Their suffering, dispersion, and persecution are not punishments for the crucifixion or the rejection of Jesus.”2

A recent newspaper noted, “The Vatican is also reported to be drafting a document that would acknowledge the church fostered centuries of anti-Semitism and failed to stop the Holocaust”3

Lutherans have recanted of Martin Luther’s writings against the Jews. In 1984, celebrating the 500th anniversary of Luther’s birth, the World Lutheran Federation issued this statement: “We cannot accept or condone the violent verbal attacks that the Reformer made against the Jews. The sins of Luther’s anti-Jewish remarks and the violence of his attacks on the Jews must be acknowledged with deep distress, and all occasion for similar sin in the present or the future must be removed from our churches...Lutherans of today refuse to be bound by all of Luther’s utterances against the Jews.”4

Added to these acknowledgments of sinful atrocity is a document from the United Methodists: “Jews have been victims of systematic oppression and injustice...Christians must also become aware of that history in which they have deeply alienated the Jews...The persecution by Christians of Jews throughout the centuries calls for clear repentance and resolve to repudiate past injustice and to seek its elimination in the present.”5

“I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

The representative verses included in this chapter are predicated on:

• the eternal nature of the Abrahamic covenant
• God’s promises to, and relationship with, the Jewish people
• the biblical basis of the hatred of the Arabs toward the Jews
• God’s unconditional relationship to the land of Israel
• the regathering of the Jewish people back to Israel
• God’s purposes in this regathering as they pertain to Gentiles the world over

It is our heartfelt desire that believers who ponder the promises that relate to the Jewish people will be encouraged in their faith. God does indeed keep His Word. Ignorance of God’s promises and of His faithfulness to keep those promises can often leave Christians discouraged and despairing. Wholehearted trust in God’s faithfulness fills believers with confidence, hope, and joy. Maintain intimacy with the One Who keeps His Word, the Messiah Jesus.

Please review the following verses thoughtfully and prayerfully.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The covenant with Abraham was instituted and initiated by the sovereign God Who gave His oath to uphold it. Only God has the right to say “I will” and it will be.
[God speaking to Abraham] “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).

The duration of the covenant that God established with the people of Israel was forever.
“All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:15).

The boundaries of the land given to Abraham were established by God.
“To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates’” (Genesis 15:18).6

This covenant was promised to pass through Abraham’s son Isaac and to his descendants forever. It did not pass through Ishmael, as claimed by the Muslims.
“Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him’” (Genesis 17:19).

God then confirmed to Isaac’s son Jacob and to his descendants the covenant of the promised land and the blessings to be poured upon them.
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying...All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).

God confirmed the patriarchal covenant with Moses, who then reminded the Israelites of God’s covenant promise to them of the land they were about to enter.
“And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a
possession. I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:8); “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land He swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month...After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He promised on oath to you and your forefathers” (Exodus 13:5,11).

Even when the Israelites had been removed from the land during their exiles and dispersion, God did not forget His covenant.
“Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking My covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

God’s Sovereign Election of the Jew Is His Encouragement to the Elect of the Church

God’s actions on behalf of Israel emanated out of His love for them and out of His oath to the patriarchs.
“The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

Similarly, Peter reminded believers that they too were chosen by God in His foreknowledge and through the work of the Holy Spirit. The election of followers of Christ as well as the chosenness of the Jewish people were initiated by God for His pleasure, purposes, and glory.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Peter 1:1-2).

Those who are in Christ stand assured that no one can bring any charge against God’s chosen ones.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:32-33).

The Land of Israel Is God’s Possession

The land of Israel belongs to God. The Jews are tenants of His property. It was not designed to be broken up or traded away.
[God speaking]: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you are but aliens and My tenants” (Leviticus 25:23).

God speaks possessively of both the Jewish people and the land, and of the severe consequences for violating either.
[God speaking]: “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My inheritance, My people Israel, for they scattered My people among the nations and divided up My land” (Joel 3:2).

God’s Relationship with the Jewish People Is Everlasting

The Jews are God’s “treasured possession.” As such, He set them aside for His specific purposes.
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).

God chose the Jews to make a name for Himself, a relationship designated to be “forever.”
“And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself, and to make a name for Himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God” (2 Samuel 7:23-24).

God is prepared to destroy every other nation except the Jews. He has disciplined the Jewish people but has promised that He will not utterly destroy them.
“‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, for I am with you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished’” (Jeremiah 46:28).

God’s relationship with Israel was as intimate as that of a nursing mother with her child. His people have been etched into His very hand.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

As a servant to the Jews, Jesus Christ validated the promises that God had given to the patriarchs and fulfilled His promise that many nations would be blessed through the seed of Abraham.
“For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:8,9).

In light of God’s relationship with the Jew, even Gentile believers are encouraged to share their resources with the Jewish people.
“They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:27).

Today God Is Reassuring the Jewish People by Regathering Them to the Land of Israel

God assured His people that there would be a second regathering of the Jews to the land of Israel from the four corners of the earth.7 It is HE Who will accomplish this.
“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be
glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth” (Isaiah 11:10-12).

God promised that HE would use the Gentiles to help gather the Jews back to Israel.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders’” (Isaiah 49:22).

Jeremiah spoke of a future “exodus” to Israel beyond that made by the Jews from Egypt. This gathering of the Jews would be even more notable than their departure from Egypt.
“‘However, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when men will no longer say, “As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,” but they will say, “As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where He had banished them.” For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers’” (Jeremiah 16:14-15).

God again affirmed through Ezekiel that HE was the One Who would scatter and gather the Jews. After HE has brought them back to Israel HE will give them a new spirit and a new heart.
“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.” They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws. They will be My people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:17-20).

God assured the Jews that their future regathering would be a sign to other nations of His holiness. Again, God repeats the phrase used fifty-nine times in Ezekiel, “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.” God’s ultimate purpose for the Jewish people is spiritual reconciliation with Himself. Israel will acknowledge the Lord when HE brings them back from captivity.
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for My holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show Myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel’ declares the Sovereign LORD” (Ezekiel 39:25-29).

After Returning the Jewish People to the Land, God Will Establish a New Covenant with Them and Cleanse Them from Their Sins

God will make a new covenant with Israel unlike the previous one made with Moses.
“‘The time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:30-32).

The new covenant to be established will be everlasting.
“‘In those days, at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten’” (Jeremiah 50:4-5).

After their return God will cleanse the Jews and give them a new heart and a new Spirit. Their obedience, as it is with Christians, will be based upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you” (Ezekiel 36:24-29).

The time of this return and the pouring out of the Spirit appear to be after the time of Christ’s first advent.
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:10).

From Jerusalem (Mount Zion) God will reign forever over the Jewish people.
“‘In that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem” (Micah 4:6-8).

God Acts for His Own Name’s Sake

For God’s own name’s sake He acted on behalf of the Israelites.
“But for the sake of My name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:9).

For His name’s sake upon which He gave His promises to Abraham, God did not deal with Israel according to what they deserved.
“‘You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for My name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign LORD” (Ezekiel 20:44).

God forgave their sins not because of the merits of the Israelites but for His name’s sake.
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).

For His name’s sake God promised that He would not cut off the Jews. He afflicted them in order to bring them to repentance.
“For My own name’s sake I delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I do this. How can I let Myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:9-11).

The Arab Hatred toward the Jews Is Recorded as Animosity of the Descendants of Ishmael toward the Descendants of Isaac

God foretold to Hagar, the Egyptian slave, that the child she had conceived by Abraham (Ishmael, the father of the Arabs) would be hostile to his brothers. Isaac was Ishmael’s half-brother by Abraham and Sarah.
“The angel of the Lord also said to [Hagar] ‘You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers’” (Genesis 16:11-12).

Unlike Abraham who procured a wife (Rebekah) for Isaac from God’s own people, Hagar obtained a wife for Ishmael from Egypt.
“While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt” (Genesis 21:21).

Esau, a son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob, married two daughters of Ishmael. Also called Edom, Esau became the father of the Edomites who did harm to the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land in their Exodus from Egypt. (Seir, in the hills east of Israel, is located in what is now called Jordan.)
“So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir” (Genesis 36:8).

King Jehoshaphat reminded God of the injustice the Israelites had suffered at the hands of Ammon and Moab (see Genesis 19:37,38), who were descendants of the incest of Abraham’s nephew Lot with his daughters. Mount Seir was the land of Edom, Esau’s descendants.
(Jehoshaphat speaking) “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:10-12).

The Arabs also opposed the Israelites during the time of Nehemiah when the latter returned to the land of Israel from exile in Babylon.
“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (Nehemiah 4:7-9).

In the time of the Psalmist, the Arabs used cunning against the Israelites, just as the Arab nations do against the Jews of Israel today in order to secure their land.
“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.’ With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You—the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites’” (Psalm 83:1-6).

Ezekiel prophesied against Edom, Esau’s descendants. God’s hand was against the Edomites because: 1) They had hated Israel since ancient times. 2) They had shed the blood of Israel. 3) They wanted Israel’s land. 4) They spoke blasphemies. 5) They boasted against the Lord. These motivations still represent the attitude of the Arab nations against the Jews. These five points, in fact, were reaffirmed in the 1964 PLO Founding Charter, calling for the total destruction of Israel.8 Despite current peace documents and handshakes, that charter remains in effect to this day.
“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax...Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,” even though I the LORD was there, therefore as surely as I live,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you will know that I the LORD have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.” You boasted against Me and spoke against Me without restraint, and I heard it’” (Ezekiel 35:5, 10-13).

God’s Command for Aliens Living in Israel Is Still in Effect Today

Non-Jewish people are permitted to live in the land of Israel. Many Arabs, currently referred to as Palestinians, own homes and property in Israel. Some are members of the Knesset, the governing body of Israel.
“‘You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,’ declares the Sovereign LORD” (Ezekiel 47:21-23).

Israel Born in a Day: Seeing Is Believing

For many Gentiles, the verses from Isaiah 66:8-11, below, would have gone unnoticed and without meaning if, on November 29, 1947, God had not caused the United Nations to vote to partition British-held Palestine. This ballot established an official homeland for the Jews. In the face of great Arab adversity, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was declared—in a day!
“‘Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?’ says the Lord. ‘Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?’ says your God. ‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance’” (Isaiah 66:8-11).

God Is Awakening the Gentiles by His Actions on Behalf of Israel

God is regathering the Jews to Israel a second time, using this action as a banner or signal to the nations. He desires for the Gentiles to help the Jews to return: “I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3).
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders’” (Isaiah 49:22).

As God shows favor and compassion to Israel, other nations of the world will learn to fear the name of the Lord.
“But You, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory. For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea” (Psalm 102:12-17).

In the last days, people will go up to Israel, and the law of God will flow forth from it. Peace will pervade the nations and war will be a thing of the past.
“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Nations will flock to Jerusalem to honor the Lord.
“At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts” (Jeremiah 3:17).

As God gathers the Jews and rebuilds Israel, the nations will know that He is the Lord. His word is reliable and true.
“Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it’” (Ezekiel 36:36).

God promises the nations that if they learn what He has taught the Jews, He will establish them among His people. Severe consequences await those who fail to learn obedience to Him.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘As for all My wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave My people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. And if they learn well the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 12:14-17).

After God restores the Jews to Israel, He will judge the nations based upon their treatment of the Jewish people.
“In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My inheritance, My people Israel, for they scattered My people among the nations and divided up My land” (Joel 3:1-2).

Activities for Followers of Jesus to Consider

As the Holy Spirit continues to move Christians to look favorably on the Jews as “the apple of [God’s] eye” (see Zechariah 2:8), pray for increased repentance on the part of believers and growing unity between Christians and Jews.

• The arrival of 1,000,000 Jewish immigrants to Israel from the former USSR. The airlift of 15,000 Falasha Jews from Ethiopia to Israel. The return to Israel of Jews from China whose ancestry dates back to the exile period. God is using His activity as a “banner to the nations.” We trust that you will become sensitized to seeing these events as God’s fulfillment of His promises to the Jewish people. May the Holy Spirit encourage you in your faith and cause you to bless the Jews as He directs.
• The Bible commands a simple action—Pray!

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you’” (Psalm 122:6,8).

There are six million Jews in the United States, more than there are in the State of Israel! Of these, over 200,000 are Messianic Jews, sons of Abraham who recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah, the One Who is coming again! According to a survey taken by the Messianic Times, 71% of those Messianic believers polled indicated they “would move to Israel if Messianic Jews were allowed aliyah”9, the “Law of Return” guaranteed to all Jews by the State of Israel. The current Israeli government considers Messianic Jews to be “Christians.” As such, they are not eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return. You can direct your prayers, then, that since “the authorities that exist have been established by God” (see Romans 13:1), God would change the hearts of Israeli government officials to allow the Jewish believers He is calling to the land to be able to do so.

• Ask forgiveness from the Jews. You may have friends, neighbors, and co-workers who are Jewish. Pray that “the veil” over their hearts be removed and that they would have a longing for the Messiah as He has revealed Himself, Jesus. Make a diligent effort to examine the Scriptures with new intent to understand God’s relationship with the Jews. Investigate the agencies and organizations that offer very tangible ways for you to become informed about, and involved in, returning the Jews to Israel and helping them get settled.

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Chapter 14

Conclusion: Jesus Is The Head. What Part Do His People Play?

As you may have noticed, we did not address at length the “congregation” level of our diagram. We believe that if God’s people seek an obedient love relationship with Him that depends on His guidance and if they yearn for Him to rebuild a Hebraic understanding within their families and home fellowships, then God will also guide the congregations. Followers of Christ must reverse the order of priority within the churches today. We must stop subdividing congregations into smaller (often homogeneous) units that are designed to enable leadership to control and manage people more effectively. Instead, we must connect with what the Lord is building and equip followers of Christ to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16, emphasis added).

Our friend Casey Sabella has written a timely and prophetic book, Titanic Warning: Hearing the Voice of God in This Modern Age.1 Think about the following excerpts particularly as they pertain to congregations today.

“This world-renowned ship [Titanic] went to the bottom decades ago because thousands of people put their faith in a paradigm: that she was “unsinkable.”...[M]any facets of her maiden voyage correspond directly to faulty paradigms that the Church has accepted as truths for centuries...The Titanic also serves as a prophetic beacon. It points today’s Christian to what the future will hold if we fail to make course corrections. The Church is traveling in the right direction for the wrong reason on the wrong ship. God is speaking, but too often we have not exerted the effort to listen. Ineffective church traditions have distracted us from listening to our Lord.”(p. 29)

“Outwardly then, the Titanic conveyed the image of safety and luxury, when in reality she was an accident waiting to happen.”(p. 54)

“[C]hurches throughout America have lost touch with their mission and are speeding toward destruction with the same blind pridefulness...Far too many expressions of the local church are centered on their own organization, or worse, around the pastor who drives it. The purpose for people coming together has lost its meaning.” (p. 55)

“Titanic-style churches are out of touch with what God values. I believe that His plumb line of truth has already been dropped, exposing Western Christianity as “wanting,” in many cases. Booking passage aboard the Titanic involved a choice based on personal values and needs. We also have a choice and do well to be skeptical of Christian organizations which exude the same philosophy of pride, image, and greed that the Titanic manifested.” (p. 96)

Casey is being joined by a host of others who are apperceiving what God intends in His Word. These men and women are establishing their faith in the power of God so that they may join Him as He builds the Church His way. The truths that made the early Church grow and prosper are being restored by the Holy Spirit’s outpouring on the Gentiles. This restoration is connected to the fulfillment of His promises to the Jewish people.

We have shared with you the message that we believe God has given us for the Church at this time. It is not a new message but an old one. During our research we were grieved to discover that God had revealed many of the truths imparted in this book to some of the key Reformers. Much of it was unheeded by them, even when they recognized it as truth. Will Christians today be any more courageous? It is not a matter of whether you will be successful, but whether you will be obedient.

God has called the authors and others we have met to the role of “vision keepers”. Those who have helped us have also warned us to keep the vision from being subverted and twisted for other purposes. We must preserve God’s purposes. Our desire is not to control the vision but to let it diffuse through others who believe a restoration is taking place. Someone must be raised up to carry the restoration message and its application to education, business, and government.

Our call is to hold with an open hand the vision God gave us in Israel as we wait for Him to raise up others to carry it. The Restoration will be recognized by the power produced in those who appropriate the Holy Spirit understanding of their Hebraic forefathers who first received Jesus as Messiah.

If individuals, families, and home fellowships walk in the rhema of the Holy Spirit, “rooted and built up in Him, strengthened with faith as [they] were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7), congregations will reflect the quality of relationship with God and with each other embodied by the early Church. The Restoration is more than a change in your religious behavior. It is the transformation of your nature from within.

Some of you may be (or may have been) part of a large, impersonal congregation. Even if you have left such a gathering, you may be tempted to look for structural replacements, groups led by those who are talented and/or hired to keep the system running. You won’t find them as Jesus builds the Church His way. Various segments of the church worldwide are already witnessing the return of the biblical evangelist, the church planter. He is recognized by the fruit of great love and sacrifice on the part of the congregations that he plants. He appoints the grayed-haired zakens to serve the body and is equipped through the power of the Holy Spirit to assist the congregations that face trouble.

If you are in a structured church system and God is not directing you out, stay there. “Keeping God’s commands is what counts” (1 Corinthians 7:19). Pray and intercede for God to effect the changes He desires. Also pray that He will unite you with others who are seeking load-bearing, equipping relationships. Review our proposals, making sure that you are not using the system or its structure as an intermediary for your faith. The suggestions in this book can serve as a litmus of your personal expression of faith and relationships.

The issue is a return to the quality of relationship with Jesus Christ that produces the same kind of testimony manifested by our forebears in the book of Acts. Nothing less should be accepted if we are to truly appropriate our heritage as “followers of Christ.”
Finally:

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our [your] joy complete” (1 John 1:3,4).

We leave you with the blessing that we and the psalmist have found to be true:

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this” (Psalm 37:4,5).