“. . . . it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.  To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places…….THEREFORE, I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service,  Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.  Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”  Eph. 3:4-10 (NASB); 4:1-3(Amp)

Unity (the state or quality of being one, singleness; the state or quality of being in accord, harmony) is the desire of every married couple, every business, every government and every society.  Because when all our differences are brought under submission to a common purpose there is nothing we cannot accomplish (Gen 11:6).  Imagine if we, the Church, proved that unity is possible and demonstrated what it looks like through our interactions together!      

Our trip to Israel helped put this truth into perspective.  Our Father took us on a whirlwind tour of the country and brought us into many different settings: from individual congregations to groups of pastors to a convention of believers.  He orchestrated opportunities for Ron to share “Prepare Ye the Way of YHVH” with Pastor Groups and congregations; and also sovereignly arranged meetings through our friend and host, Pastor Norberto Lederman, to introduce us to Stewards of the Bride and to introduce Raven Ministries to them.  Ron preached to a Hebrew and an Arab congregation, we met individually with four pastor couples as well as two pastors, and attended an Anniversary service of a Spanish congregation, the Evangelical Association of Israel’s monthly meeting, a meeting of Pastors of the Negev as well as the annual convention for believers in the Negev.  Our visit increased our understanding of the daily persecution believers in Israel face as well as the division that can occur over how to deal with it.  It gave us a renewed desire to encourage and lift up the arms of the Stewards of the Bride in Israel as well as a hope to connect Pastors in Israel to Pastors in Oroville; they are our older brother and we should seek to learn from them as we honor & encourage them in their place.

Experiencing such a broad spectrum of Israeli society in such a short period of time brought to mind the verses above about the purpose of the Church.  Israel is made up of people from many cultures around the world, facing a tremendous amount of pressure from within and without.  The population is a mixture of the descendants of Jews, Arabs and Palestinians who have been in the land for centuries, along with the many who have emigrated since 1948.  Due to persecution, more than a million Soviet Jews as well as Jews from all over South America and Europe have made Israel their home in the past few decades.  The most recent people group to emigrate in number is the Sudanese.  Along with a melting pot of cultures is a plethora of languages.  It's not uncommon to find signs printed in Hebrew, Russian, English and Arabic.  And, there are also substantial populations that speak Spanish or German.  Israel is truly a myriad of cultures and languages converging in one place. And like the original emigrants to America, many have come with high hopes for a new future, bright with possibilities. You don't have to interact with an Israeli long to learn they are fiercely loyal to their country and their people, and have a confidence that comes from the pursuit of a shared goal (forging a new culture on the foundation of their long standing history as a people) as well as from standing their ground in the midst of unbelievable pressure.  The ever present challenge they face is the same one every society struggles with: is their common desire for unity more powerful than their individual differences?  Only what they have to overcome in Israel is more obvious yet at the same time much more subtle: trying to form “one nation” through the very real obstacles of different mindsets and worldviews formed by their culture of birth.  Not to mention that communication is difficult at best when everyone speaks the same language.  Imagine the complexity when most are trying to convey ideas and understand in their second or even third language.

The congregations, for the most part, are a microcosm of the country: a mixture of languages, cultures and doctrinal bents coming together in one group. This is especially true of the Hebrew congregations, where everything is sung and spoken in Hebrew and then translated into at least two other languages and often times more. Since English is a common language spoken around the world, it's usually one of the languages. However, many of those listening are not hearing in their primary language; they may speak Russian or German or Sudanese. If we think it's difficult to be of one mind in America where we (technically) have a common language and culture, think what it must be like for the Church of Israel. Add to that the fact that most congregations meet in homes so growing beyond 30 or 40 isn't likely, and they are under constant persecution and pressure. Any Jewish person who believes in Messiah is considered a missionary out to "steal the souls of Jewish children". It doesn't matter if the believer is 4 years old or 84, they are seen as a threat. The persecution comes in many forms, from verbal threats, to physical attacks, to vandalism of homes, to disruption of life (children can't attend certain schools, marriage licenses and entry into universities are threatened, etc.).    

Looking at an overview of Israel seems to emphasize the purpose of the Church:  that the world would see Yehoshua through our everyday lives, giving our words credibility and drawing the lost to Him.  Of all places on the planet, Israel illustrates that something more than desire is needed to overcome our differences and achieve ongoing unity.  We might delude ourselves to believe that the things that separate us can be bridged through dialogue and shared interests.  But looking at Israel reveals that it requires something greater than human zeal.  The Bible says unity is of the Spirit and produced by the Spirit.  (Thank you God!  You are the Only Answer!)  Imagine what will happen as Yehoshua continues to build the Body of Messiah in Israel and through love they earnestly guard and keep the harmony and oneness of the Spirit.  Their friends, neighbors and enemies will definitely recognize there is something different about them and seek to know why.  Father, produce that oneness of the Holy Spirit in Your followers in Israel......and here in the United States as well. 

2011 Archives

News Update Dec 8, 2011

News Update Dec 1, 2011

News Update Nov 23, 2011

News Update October 2011

News Update August 2011

News Update April 2011