by Ken Rank
Over this last Labor Day weekend, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to speak at the A.R.I. Gathering (Alliance of Redeemed Israel) in Orlando, Florida. The theme of the conference was “worship.” Many speakers gave wonderful presentations on various aspects of what worship is as well what worship is not. Yet, there was a very clear underlying (and might I add unplanned by man) theme of unity and reconciliation that acted as almost the hub of all messages. My own talk began on worship but extended to not only the future reconciliation of both Houses, it also keyed heavily on reconciliation within our own house. Let’s face it, while many of you are balanced and seek unity, you all have Internet access and know what is happening today. Quite simply, as a body we are one polarized and fractured mess! Mainstream Christianity is now divided to the tune of 30,000 +/- denominations and sects, and the Messianic/ Hebrew Roots movement is no less divided. Though it might not be divided 30,000 times, it has actually become a greater stumbling block to those exposed to it as so many within it spend their time fighting over some of the more ridiculous things one can think of. There are some who argue and divide over issues like how to pronounce God’s name or whether they are to use the sighted sliver or the dark conjunctive period of the moon to set the calendar by. They will even divide over whether or not words like Lord, God, or Jesus are even permissible to speak because they are perceived to be pagan. How frustrating and what a complete and total waste of time and resources! Do we really think our heavenly Father is pleased with this nonsense?
When my turn to speak at the conference was complete, an Orthodox Jewish man by the name of Hanoch Young spoke after me. He took the same spirit of reconciliation and reached out to us as family. It was very touching, very meaningful, perhaps even very prophetic. Yet, how can we take his hand or the hands of other Jews, if we can’t take our own hands? Instead of submitting to one another, holding each other accountable, edifying one another, we spend our time looking for what is wrong with each other. We spend our time dividing from one another, bickering, moaning, and complaining in most cases, over trivial things. We profane the holy things we touch, and worse, we profane God’s name by ceasing to reflect Him to the world around us. It appears at least, that our walk is more about us and not others, or God. We have missed the point, terribly!
A friend once made an observation that I find extremely thought provoking. His thought is one we might prayerfully consider. Essentially, when Israel came out of Egypt they found themselves in the Wilderness. All the way there they bickered, whined, moaned and complained. They also profaned holy things and eventually made themselves an idol, the discovery of which led to Moshe (Moses) breaking the tablets that contained the words of the Most High. It was then that God literally killed many who took part in these things. My friend went on to point out that there does appear to be another time in the wilderness for God’s people; it appears to happen prior to the coming of Messiah. His point, “If God does not change, and He killed them for bickering and profaning holy things back then, why do we think He wouldn’t do the same today?” He has a point, but who will hear it?
In addition to those deaths, there was a second aspect of the wilderness experience regarding the ancient Israelite that stands out in my mind; they were left there! God had had enough, all the whining and complaining, the profaning of holy things, He simply left them there with all their spiritual baggage and took the next generation into the land promised to them. If God does not change, is it not possible that our whining and complaining, our straining over gnats, our dividing brethren over words and phrases, that He might also leave us behind and take the next generation into the Kingdom? I think it would border on arrogance to think the answer is no. As long as we continue to watch camels dance right by us while we strain at gnats; we are missing the greater picture!
I certainly don’t intend to come off as self-serving, but I truly want to not only see but be a part of what is to come. Who wouldn’t? Though a time of great difficulty awaits this world, there is also a time of triumph and joy that awaits us. Whether we partake in the triumph and joy or stand back and watch the next generation take part in what we so look forward to, our fate in that matter does appear to be in our hands. God will not force us to do for Him; He seeks a willing servant who has bent the knee (submitted/worshiped) to Him. Do we re-submit our lives and pray for revival in our own hearts first and then for the greater body, or, do we just continue bickering over minutia that distracts us from the bigger picture? A revival truly can begin today, inside each of us, extending to the body at large. We can choose not to be like those before us; we can cease the whining, bickering, dividing, and profaning of God’s character, or, we can just keep on keeping on and die by the way. The choice really is yours!
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When my turn to speak at the conference was complete, an Orthodox Jewish man by the name of Hanoch Young spoke after me. He took the same spirit of reconciliation and reached out to us as family. It was very touching, very meaningful, perhaps even very prophetic. Yet, how can we take his hand or the hands of other Jews, if we can’t take our own hands? Instead of submitting to one another, holding each other accountable, edifying one another, we spend our time looking for what is wrong with each other. We spend our time dividing from one another, bickering, moaning, and complaining in most cases, over trivial things. We profane the holy things we touch, and worse, we profane God’s name by ceasing to reflect Him to the world around us. It appears at least, that our walk is more about us and not others, or God. We have missed the point, terribly!
A friend once made an observation that I find extremely thought provoking. His thought is one we might prayerfully consider. Essentially, when Israel came out of Egypt they found themselves in the Wilderness. All the way there they bickered, whined, moaned and complained. They also profaned holy things and eventually made themselves an idol, the discovery of which led to Moshe (Moses) breaking the tablets that contained the words of the Most High. It was then that God literally killed many who took part in these things. My friend went on to point out that there does appear to be another time in the wilderness for God’s people; it appears to happen prior to the coming of Messiah. His point, “If God does not change, and He killed them for bickering and profaning holy things back then, why do we think He wouldn’t do the same today?” He has a point, but who will hear it?
In addition to those deaths, there was a second aspect of the wilderness experience regarding the ancient Israelite that stands out in my mind; they were left there! God had had enough, all the whining and complaining, the profaning of holy things, He simply left them there with all their spiritual baggage and took the next generation into the land promised to them. If God does not change, is it not possible that our whining and complaining, our straining over gnats, our dividing brethren over words and phrases, that He might also leave us behind and take the next generation into the Kingdom? I think it would border on arrogance to think the answer is no. As long as we continue to watch camels dance right by us while we strain at gnats; we are missing the greater picture!
I certainly don’t intend to come off as self-serving, but I truly want to not only see but be a part of what is to come. Who wouldn’t? Though a time of great difficulty awaits this world, there is also a time of triumph and joy that awaits us. Whether we partake in the triumph and joy or stand back and watch the next generation take part in what we so look forward to, our fate in that matter does appear to be in our hands. God will not force us to do for Him; He seeks a willing servant who has bent the knee (submitted/worshiped) to Him. Do we re-submit our lives and pray for revival in our own hearts first and then for the greater body, or, do we just continue bickering over minutia that distracts us from the bigger picture? A revival truly can begin today, inside each of us, extending to the body at large. We can choose not to be like those before us; we can cease the whining, bickering, dividing, and profaning of God’s character, or, we can just keep on keeping on and die by the way. The choice really is yours!
Visit Ken @ Facebook
