Me, Myself and Israel

Me, Myself and Israel

Am I Israel or are they me?

By Pastor Adam Fox

To some of you this is no shock, but I am a pretty big fan of Spider-man. I have quite a few collectibles and two or three dozen shirts sporting the wall-crawling web slinger. So of course I am going to go see any television show or movie that is about him, and that includes Into the Spiderverse. 

This animated movie took us as the viewer into the Marvel Multiverse, where the comic world is not just one but many worlds filled with versions of heroes. The movie collected some Spider powered heroes from different universes to fight super villain crime boss, the Kingpin. 

While for me it is hard to pick which version of Spider-man is my favorite, it usually goes down to Peter Parker or Peter B. Parker. Huh?

Let me explain. The first Spider-man we see is a blonde successful Peter Parker who (SPOILER!) gets killed. But another universes Spider-man, Peter B. Parker, comes into the film to help the team of heroes save the day. "It's Peter Parker at 40, it's Peter Parker with a bad back... and who's not sure if he still wants to be Spider-Man, and what it means to be Spider-Man after the excitement of being Spider-Man,"

The point that I would like to hit and hit hard is, the two Spider-men are similar but not the same thing, just like the church and Israel. 

There is a debate in some theological circles about future things, the Doctrine of Eschatology. Some of these debates include the nation of Israel, when the church will be raptured up and so forth. A lot of these debates center around those who believe in Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism - stay with me on this, cause it is important. 

Dispensationalism can be defined by Paul Ennis as "“Dispensation is a system of interpretation that seeks to establish a unity in the Scriptures through its central focus on the grace of God. Dispensationalists arrive at their system of interpretation through two primary principles: (1) maintain a consistently literal method of interpretation, and (2) maintain a distinction between Israel and the church."

Let's look at the first point of the Dispensationalism, the need for a LITERAL interpretation of Scripture. When you read a passage from the Bible, do you see it as something that has or will happen or a figurative or loosely translated that could or may have happened. Or can we pick and choose? 

This seems to be the one that is easiest to understand, all of Scripture should be read as literal. When we look at the Exodus tale from the life of Moses, God parted the Red Sea and the walked across on dry ground. How should we interpret this passage? Did Moses and Israel walk on a dried sea bed or was it an allegory for something else, like faith in God?

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.  Exodus 14:21-22

Simply: Moses and all of the Israelite walked on dry ground in a parted Red Sea. Literal. 

While we read some sections of Revelation or of Daniel and scratch our head at what we read, we still cannot see it as figurative. While there is figurative language in the Bible, we have to take the Word of God serious and literal. 

The big fish in the Dispensation camp is the view on Israel and the Church. The nation of Israel as we can see from the Older Testament is the narrative of God's people as they establish the promised land and look towards a redeemer (Jesus). The Church by contrast is the story of a people of faith who believe in Jesus the redeemer. Are they one group or two? Does it matter? Friends, it always matters. 

“Traditional dispensationalists also put great stress on the distinction between Israel and the church. Some of them, in fact, regard this distinction as fundamental to understanding Scripture and organizing eschatology. In their view God made an unconditional covenant with Israel; that is to say, his promises to them do not depend on their fulfilling certain requirements. They will remain his special people and ultimately receive his blessing. Ethnic, national, political Israel is never to be confused with the church, nor are the promises given to Israel to be regarded as applying to and fulfilled in the church. They are two separate entities. God has, as it were, interrupted his special dealings with Israel, but will resume them at some point in the future. Unfulfilled prophecies regarding Israel will be fulfilled within the nation itself, not within the church."

If Israel and the Church are different entities as the Dispensationalists believe, then the church do not participate in the Biblical Covenants. Covenants are promises basically, promises between God and an individual. But since these are promises from God - they will never be broken and you can count on that. There are five major Covenants in the Old Testaments. 

• Noahic Covenant in Genesis 9: “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth”
• Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12: 1. He will be made into a great nation (12:2).
• 2. This nation will be led into the Promised Land (12:1).

3. Through him (Abraham) all people of the earth will be blessed (12:3).

• Mosaic Covenant in Genesis 19: God tells Moses that if Israel obeys, they will be His chosen people, His treasured possession. Ultimately, these blessings will be extended to all people.
• Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7: David and his descendants that his house will rule over Israel forever which is fulfilled by Jesus Christ. 
• The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31: Despite the failure of God’s people to live up to the covenants that were made, God graciously made a new one with his people:

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” – Jeremiah 31:31-34 

These five covenants from God to the people of Israel are important. They show us to a certain extent the nature of God and His guidance and care for the Israelite's. But that is where it ends, with Israel. With the promises and covenants from God to the nation of Israel, the people of God, it makes sense that the church today would want to be in on it. But the church is a separate entity but still loved by God equally. The two are separate and need to be so. Israel will have a special place in the final dispensation, in the future kingdom of God.

Look at what Paul writes in Romans 11 about the nation of Israel:  I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Israel will have a place in Glory as will the Church - but that does not make them the same person. The Dispensationalists in my humble opinion have a point, but the part that makes me scream out Testify! is what they think about the end times. Traditional dispensationism believes that the church will be raptured up BEFORE everything happens. YES!

The homecoming of the believers in God is something that is coming and when it does happen, it is going to be awesome. The only question that we in the church have is when. When will the church be raptured home? Pretribulation (before everything happens) MidTribulation (during the middle of it) or Post-tribulation (after all the tribulations happen).

Looking at this objectively, I am reminded what a senior saint would always claim about when the rapture will happen. He would state defiantly, we are to be raptured before the tribulation happens but if I am wrong - then in the middle. If I am wrong on both - then it will be post-tribulation. 

The Dispenationalists thankfully take a stronger stance on the rapture and future things then my wishful thinking elderly saint. The tribulation period is not designed for the church - the bride of Christ nor Israel since it is a period of outpouring of God's wrath. This wrath makes it inconceivable that the church will be on earth during the tribulation period. 

It is important to see future things like the rapture or the millennial kingdom, mentioned in Revelation 20:4-6, through the lenses of theology. Because Dispensational theology and their double tent pole of Literal translation of the Bible and distinction between Israel and the church - it makes understanding Revelation easier. 

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

We can read passages like those of Revelation 20:4-6 and take them literally, as in a thousand years MEANS a thousand years. 

Theology is important, because it teaches us about our Heavenly Father. We should want to learn as much as possible, learning about Him and imitating Him in all that we do and say. The more we know, the less we don't. 

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam

Sky's the Limit

Learning about God through Rice and Oil

By Pastor Adam Fox

Sometimes in life there are truly wonderful, incredible and amazing movies. Movies that capture our all and enthrall us for every minute, that move us to tears or joy or both. We could spend hours debating these remarkable movies and why they are so perfect for us as individual and as a collective. 

However, the Punisher is not one of them.  

In 2004, Thomas Jane became the crime fighting vigilante anti-hero known as The Punisher or Frank Castle. Castle becomes the Vigilanty to avenge his murdered family and since the comic has been around for decades so it is a viable story to make a movie from. But this movie was terrible without debate. Do not believe me? The villain was played by John Travolta. 

In this terrible movie, The Punisher wages war against the Saint Crime family led by Howard Saint (Trivolta). In in this pile of poo there was a line that stuck with me, "Pray for Peace, Prepare for War".

What an odd sentiment but it did stick with me. Should we live our lives hoping for greatness but knowing that there are limits in place to control us? An attitude in which we do not limit ourselves, we allow people or structures to dictate what we cannot do. Or should we not be so optimistic and more guarded?

Society has built in limitations for us, we cannot deny this. Our jobs have requirements for what is needed to work there in education and physical requirements. When we drive our cars, there are limits of in how we drive and the speed to operate them. It is not like we can get on State St. and blow through the red lights at a speed of 87 mph. That is illegal and dangerous. 

Limits are there and limits are everywhere in life, the most obvious being our spending. Every human being on the face of this Earth has a budget. We get amount of money and are forced to pay what is needed first before spending or saving the rest. An example is the government (just kidding, they spend money like they print it - WAIT!)

Limitations are there in life for us so that we can grow and live safely. But what about limitations in our faith as Christians? Should we limit God? ABSOLUTELY NOT. 

For arguments sake, let ask a rhetorical question to help us learn this important point about our God. "If you had unlimited resources - what would you try to accomplish?" How would your life be different if you had no limitations? 

Would you still be at the same desk or position at work? Same house? Same car? Same bank account?...  If it were me, there would be subtle changes that only Andrea and I could notice but there would be changes.  

If we would make these hypothetical changes, whatever they are - then why aren't we chasing after them? Why are we letting these dreams stay dreams? Shouldn’t we be making them our goal and try instead of telling ourselves and God no? Why are we dictating to our God what we cannot do or what He is not allowed or able to do in and through us? 

We serve the Almighty God in that knows us well and created us. Our God is so amazingly powerful in that He created the seasons, time itself, the smallest atoms to the largest giraffes. There is no limits to our God - just the ones we have for Him. 

And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, Psalm 78:40-42

Two great examples of serving a God without our self-made limits are oil and rice. 

In 2 Kings 4, we have the story of Elisha and the Widow's Oil. This is a perfect example of having great faith in God, a faith without limitations. 

1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

We have the prophet Elisha meeting a wife of one of the other prophets in Israel and her coming to our man Elisha with a specific problem. Her husband the prophet is dead, her family now is with no income and we all know that things in life need money. If she did not come up with some money quickly, she would lose her children as well. 

This is a problem that we can all relate to, not having enough money as well as Bills and debtors. This widows only possible source of income was selling a lone jar of oil. Could she have sold this single bit of oil for money and then scramble for the next fix? Yes but Elisha has a different idea. 

3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

She is commanded by Elisha to go house to house, neighbor to neighbor and collect empty vessels and get as many as possible. If this were you how many would you get? How many is enough? Would 20 be enough? When would you stop? 40? 100? 

4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

Elisha told her that she is take her lone jar of oil and use it to go and fill up the borrowed vessels. And so she does – all without a questioning of God or the prophet as to how this will work.

5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

God provided a miracle. Each one of those vessels were miraculously filled so that she can sell them and not have to lose her children to slavery. PRAISE GOD!

Cool story but it shows us the limitations we set-up for God. "Notice that the abundance of the miracle the widow and her sons experienced was in direct proportion to the number of jars they were willing to gather. The number of jars they were willing to gather was a reflection of their faith." Gina McClain from Don’t Quit.

We are that widow. We may not be in the same place, having the same needs as her but we end up doing the same things to God. Detailing to Him what we can and cannot do and what we allow Him to do for us. Just like Israel of Old.

How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,

And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, Psalm 78:40-42

Israel like us, had a history of frustrating God and telling Him what He is allowed to do. Think about it. We as believers, tell the Creator of Everything, the Author and Sustainer of the faith what He is allowed to do. The One who knows every detail about us and our lives and we have the gumption to tell God what He would not be able to do. 

What fools we are.

Why do we set limits for God? God knows what is best and is in control of all things. We need to trust Him for that. Trust Him like the Widow and her last jar of oil or like Hudson Taylor and his last bag of rice.

James Hudson Taylor was a legendary missionary to the country of China. He was one of the first and did many great and wonderful things by faith – one of which was overtaking a hospital ministry without a regular source of funding for it.

Taylor took over this ministry “relying solely on the faithfulness of a prayer-hearing God to furnish means for its support.” Taylor decided to write a letter asking for help in showing the need because Taylor realized that “Had not God said that whatever we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus shall be done? And are we not told to seek first the kingdom of God.” A letter of this magnitude to his supporters would take months to arrive – 10 at the earliest.

With supplies for this hospital running low, Taylor redoubled his prayers. It was then that he was informed that the last bag of rice was opened and is disappearing rapidly.

With an attitude of great faith in our God, Taylor believed that the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand. Taylor knew that god as a loving Father, always responds to his children’s needs. While He seldom shows up early, He is never too late.      ( a sentiment copied by author J.R.R. Tolkien)

Before the last of the rice was eaten, a check had arrived for 50 pounds or around $3600. Boom. God worked in the heart of a man who wanted to help this ministry EVEN BEFORE he knew of the great need.

Unlimited. Not letting our own ideas of what God could do for us limit in how or what we ask God for. Look at Hudson Taylor as the what-if example. If Taylor let his own presumptions dictate what God could do, would he have ever taken over this hospital? Would he have sacrificed another part of his ministry to help the sick?

Live without Limiting God, trusting that God knows best and will act at the right and perfect time. As Hudson Taylor said, “as a loving Father, always responds to his children’s needs. While He seldom shows up early, He is never too late.”

God will do great things, we just cannot let our own concepts and ideas limit how God will work in our lives. C.H. Spurgeon summed it up perfectly, “The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”

Limitations are a part of life and there to help us but limitations on our God are a stupid thing. Limitations of God our like the Widow who only collects 5 jars and says good enough.

Let us do more than good enough and let our faith in God guide us. Trusting God without abandon, without limits can be challenging to us. It means opening yourself up and that is not always easy for us to do – even to God. But IF we do, it means we can grow closer to the God who created us and loves us. Like a man and his rice or a widow and her oil. Sky’s the Limit y’all.

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam

Knockin' on Heavens Door? Just ring the Door Bell!

Take Me Home Country Roads...

Understanding what Heaven is really about

By Pastor Adam Fox

As a society, it seems we enjoy talking, looking, reading, singing and watching about Heaven - even though not all of us as a society believe in it. If you think about it, Hollywood in all its forms of media loves using Heaven in its books, songs, television shows and movies. Don't believe me? How about these examples for ya. 

• Heaven is For Real (Book and movie)
• Stairway to Heaven (song)
• The Good Place (TV)
• Take me Home (Song)
• Field of Dreams (Movie) 
• Supernatural (Television)
• Miracle from Heaven (Book and Movie)
• Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (Movie)

Just a few great examples. We love the comforting nature that an afterlife brings us as a society. West Virginia and its Mountain Mama claim to be Heaven. Led Zeppelin claim there is a stairway to Heaven and heck, even Iowa is jumping in with the claim that there state IS Heaven. 

But is any of this true? Why are we as a society so eager to learn all about Heaven? For answers, we do not have any one person we can ask as in having first hand experienced it, since you must be dead to get to Heaven. So we must depend on what the Bible tells us. And friendo, there is a lot of information about Heaven in the Word of God that will quickly separate fact from fiction. Here is a brief glimpse of what the Bible tells us about Heaven.  

• Heavenly Bodies: There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 1 Corinthians 15:40
• New Earth: Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2
• Peace: The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
  The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
  And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
  Says the Lord. Isaiah 65:25
• No more sadness or death: And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
• Co-heirs with Jesus: He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:7
• A place to worship God:  But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. Revelation 21:22-23

These are just a few of the promises about Heaven that are in the Scriptures. Even with these promises that are all over the Bible, we still want to add our own narrative to Heaven. That is where we get the idea of Heaven being a giant cloud or Heaven being this create-your-own-destination type place. While I would love to have an afterlife where I can lay next to the cheeseburger tree and Diet Coke Waterfall, that is not it, nor is that the point of Heaven. The point of Heaven is to worship God at every moment and never grow tired or bored of doing so. (Revelation 4:8-11)

One of the problems with our fascination with Heaven and the afterlife is the eagerness. The Bible tells us that Heaven is a wonderful place. It is wonderful not for the streets of Gold or for the Saints of old or even the mansion built for me. It is wonderful because of one thing and one thing alone and that is because of God the Father is there. 

God the Father and the Lord Jesus are in Heaven and as John 14 tells us He is preparing a place for each one of us.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

We can be eager about getting to Heaven, maybe even excited. There is nothing wrong with that, I get excited for many things including getting to eat pie for breakfast. (#adulting)

But I think we have this desire as believers to get to Heaven for a few reasons. The first being the desire to be in the presence of our God and Savior. There will be nothing more scintillating or enjoyable than to be in the presence of the one who made us, of the God who set forth the planets and the stars, who made time and the seasons as well as each one of us. It is something to look forward about but not something to gloss or miss the now over. 

Another reason to be eager about Heaven could be being tired of this sinful world. I get it. We are living in a sinful society that promotes sin and hates and opposes the truth that comes from the Bible. This is the world we have to live in and the Bible tells us to not love the World but to live here and love God. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Living in our society, where the morals and biblical values are trodden upon. Values like sanctity of life, importance of marriage between a man and a women, sex inside marriage only, honesty and so forth. Being around all of these twisted values makes you feel like you want to go home, to be with God in Heaven. 

But let me remind you of something. God has called us to live here, to be the salt and light to this world. If God had designed us to be taken to Glory as soon as we come to a relationship with Him it would be awesome but problematic. The problem is if we are taken home ASAP, how would others know if they are not told? That is why we are here, to tell others about God and to grow in our own relationship with Him. May not always be easy living in this sinful society, but God has a plan for us. 

One final reason to be eager to go to Heaven would be those already called home. To be surrounded and welcomed into Glory by those of old. I can relate to this greatly. That one day when I die, I am pretty sure it wont be for another 150 years - give or take. But I want to be welcomed by those saints that have gone before me, to party with Jesus forever with them. 

It is natural to miss our loved ones. Even though it will we will see them again if they knew Jesus as their personal savior and because of that, we know they are free, happy, and without pain - we can still miss them. I know I do. I have days when I miss being with and eating with my Papaw and Grandma Fox. Then there is my Uncle Dennis. Uncle Denny went to be with the Lord suddenly in 2015. Uncle Dennis was a lover of life, his family as well as making others smile. He would have a diet mountain dew in one hand and always try to make me smile, if it is hassling me about the Bears or giving anyone who needed help his help. He is missed. 

Another person I want to highlight of those saints passed is Kyle Lowry. Kyle went to be with the Lord 3 years ago this past month. I had the privilege to attend Olivet Nazarene University with Kyle. Kyle was one of those people who had the God given gift to make you smile and feel like a hundred dollars. He was a Pastoral major with me and became my graduating classes Student Body President. I spent many a day with Kyle talking hockey, making each other laugh and the struggles of a college graduate and Pastor.  Kyle was the best of us unfortunately though depression and other problems led to him taking His life. He is missed. 

There are many reasons to be eager and excited for Heaven most importantly because it is where God is. To be with our God is something where words cannot express how special that will be. We just need to learn how to be content with waiting on God's time. I know that each one of us has our own circle of people that we are looking forward to seeing. 2018 was a challenging year for us as a local church, but I know that all of those saints who passed on who knew Jesus as their savior are in Glory with their God and loving every minute. 

Heaven will be a fantastic, indescribable and wonderful place of perfection filled with our Lord. It is something that is filled with believers long gone where we all worship God. It sounds perfect because it is. That is why we need to keep showing the love of God towards everyone, keep sharing and teaching about God. There is always room for more. 

I am sure that there is no stopping Hollywood or the music industry from stopping there use of Heaven. So that means we cannot fall into the fiction narrative that they create for what they want Heaven to be. Instead we rely on the truth found in the Bible and wait till it is our time to be called Home to see it ourselves. Until that glorious day when we will Fly Away, we grow in our faith and share our faith to all we can as God directed us to do. 

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam