Just this week we got a mass mailed 'invitation' to attend an Easter service at an area congregation. We opened up the beautifully designed high resolution (did I mention LARGE?) mailer to find a list of movies that would be used...evidently to depict the Easter story (cause, you know, Scriptures could use the extra help).
"God at the Movies" was one phrase used in the publication.
Both my husband and son responded that the poor folks on the high-gloss page wearing their nifty 3-D glasses looked somewhat transfixed.
The publication wasn't at all surprising to me, just turned the old stomach momentarily, ya see.
I recounted the whole lack of the word 'Church' in the Scriptures emphasizing that we, the children of God's grace, are 'The Called-Out Ones'.
"What are we 'Called-Out' from?", I asked my son.
"Sin and the world", my son answered.
"Yes, just like the Israelites were called out of Egypt. So we, too, are 'CALLED-OUT' to be set apart from the 'olam hazeh (present worldly system)! Does this look like God's Called-Out Ones? (pointing emphatically to the publication)", I asked.
My purpose here is not to persuade you to cease using the word 'Church' in your circles of influence, nor is it to slam those fellowships who look, by all accounts, just LIKE the world we are supposed to be separated from. I am not saying we shouldn't use media for Kingdom purposes, either.
I am, however, hoping to draw attention to every reader's mind during this GLORIOUSLY PASSIONATE WEEK, are you feelin' your CALLED-OUTedness? Is it showing up on you? In your fellowship? Do you know what you are Called-Out from...what exactly were you Passed-Over for?
My Pastor used a very clever illustration about congregations recently. He took a large container and had a small cup beside it. Each cup depicted the 'spiritual temperature' of an individual in that fellowship. The first cup represented those 'burning with spiritual fervor'. A second cup represented those who are not too hot for Christ, but very warm nonetheless. Each consecutive cup had an impact on the overall temperature of that fellowship. And yes, there were plenty who were ice cold, plummeting the fahrenheit pretty quickly! So, as the Mashiach assesses that certain congregation, testing its spiritual temperature, HE then must conclude and proclaim that fellowship as being 'LUKEWARM'.
Okay. We know from Revelation 3:16 what His feelings are toward the Lukewarm fellowship of Laodicea.
A fellowship is only as vibrant as the individual members who make it up, right?
Which is why I write to you today, the Called-Out One on the other side of this monitor.
Pesach (Passover) is the feast that commemorates the Jewish nation's exit out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. Sunset April 8th (this evening) begins the celebratory PESACH: " The Festival of our Deliverance.
For an in-depth study of the Pesach and our Blessed Seh HaElohim (Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, YESHUA!), please go HERE. You will be eternally glad you did, come your assembly's next RESURRECTION CELEBRATION...for you will have been deliciously informed of the foundational Hebrew roots holding up your Christian Faith.
John Parsons, a wonderful teacher of the Hebrew4Christians website writes the following:
"For Messianic Jews, Passover marks the liberation of the entire world from the bondage to the evil one (a type of Pharaoh who enslaves humanity) by the hand of One greater than Moses. Like the original Passover in Egypt, the sacrifice of the Lamb causes the wrath of God to "pass over" those who are trusting in the LORD's provision for redemption, but in the case of the sacrifice of the Mashiach Yeshua, this redemption delivers us from the cruel bondage of Satan and causes the wrath of God to forever be put away from us (baruch HaShem!)."
Baruch HaSHEM, indeed!
Chaverim, may ADONAI grant us all a new understanding of our Faith in Yeshua and ALL that HE sacrificed Himself to give us. And in so doing, may HE additionally grant us a burning spiritual fervor that catches like wildfire in our congregations!
May our trusting faithfulness in YESHUA HaMashiach, Seh HaElohim, grow out of all worldliness keeping us from BEING ABOUT THE FATHER'S BUSINESS.
Abba YHWH, for You are faithful and will do it for the sake of HaSHEM (The Name)! We praise and thank You for teaching us, for Your Spirit guiding us, for Your Son's TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE for us! May You continue to set us apart for You have CALLED US OUT of Sin and the world! Let all who call upon the Name of ADONAI rejoice!
8 Give thanks to ADONAI! Call on His Name! Make His deeds known among the peoples. 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him! Talk about all His wonders. 10 Glory in His Holy Name; let those seeking ADONAI have joyful hearts. 11 Seek ADONAI and His strength; always seek His presence. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:8-11
