Coming of Age?
A Time for Everything
By Malcolm E Baker

Ecc 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

Ecc 3:2 a time. Divinely appointed (see Ps 31:15; Pr 16:1-9).

Ecc 8:9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt.

The Teacher shows that we are subject to times and changes over which we have little or no control, and contrasts this state with God's eternity and sovereignty. God sovereignly predetermines all of life's activities (e.g., the 14 opposites of vv. 2-8).

We have witnessed the terrible affects of the Tsunami at the end of last year. We saw the pictures and heard the reports of the devastation. It was also later reported that warnings had been given by the centres watching and monitoring the earth’s signs that earthquakes are on the way. The warning signs were not heeded and finally the waves of the Tsunami washed away all that stood in its path. Thousands of lives were lost, with devastation and destruction all around.

The physical signs given in our world are often pointers to what is happening, or about to happen spiritually. Are we Christians any better at reading and heeding the signs God sends us?

At the present time one hears the movement and rumblings of spiritual plates moving – an eruption could occur at any time soon in Israel.

No one that has visited the various Christian organisations in Israel could find fault with or criticise the good work that they have achieved over the years, and the fine relationships they have built up with the people of the land. But is this reason to go on doing the same things in the same way?

From the rumblings and movement that I am hearing I would suggest it is time to seek the Lord. We are approaching a time of change. The various works in the land could come to a point, if they continue and do not listen to the congregations and believers in Israel, that they will be lording it over those they claim to love and support – to their own hurt as well as to the hurt of the believing Jews and Palestinians.

It could be that we are at a Divinely appointed time in the history of the Church in Israel, a time when the rest of the Church needs to stand back and allow the indigenous Church to take it’s rightful place. Rather than being in the land and doing the work for them, is it time to ‘hand over the reigns’ and allow the believers there to head up and do things the way God is leading them? We Gentiles can still support them. We can send them money and supplies as they have need, but not to run the show. The believers in Israel have come of age. It is time for them to take responsibility and to stand before the Lord on their own two feet.

The believers in Israel do not fear the Jews like the Gentiles do. They are not afraid to preach the Gospel. The Gentile has developed a complex about this and does not want to ‘offend’ the Jew, but as Little Miss Dynamite’ herself said on a recent tour of the UK – K of AMITI that is – “the Gospel is an offence”.

The Church in Israel has grown from just a few hundred to somewhere between 9,000 and 12,000 in the past two decades. Evangelism is at the forefront of ministry in the various congregations with planned events to evangelise at football matches, political rallies and various other ‘happenings’. Picnics and music in parks is another way that congregations reach out in evangelism, sharing the Good News at every opportunity. There are many initiatives in operation that are effecting change and bringing Jews to Jesus. Whilst I believe that the way various works in Israel have operated rightly in loving and not seeking to offend the Jews, I do ask the question now – Is this the right way to continue? Is God giving signs that it is time to evangelise, time to speak the truth in love?

A Palestinian brother who wishes to remain anonymous said to me:

“The body of Christ in Israel is very special as it is composed of Jews and Arabs; former enemies yet beloved and dear brethren as the dividing wall of hostility has been destroyed (Eph.2:14). Yet we still live in a larger society where the hatred between Jews and Arabs is active. As believers we try to show the love of the Lord that unites us and many times it is a very powerful witness for Jesus as the only one who makes the two (even enemies), one. One of the hindrances for this glorious image is the fact that `Christian` organizations prefer to support secular projects and neglects the body that has so many needs. I am referring mainly to `Christian Zionist Organizations` that sadly emphasize their Zionist view more than their Christian belief. On eschatological understanding of the Bible they hold `premillennialism` (as I do too) yet that made a twisted view of `blessing Israel`. No believer underestimates practical love and charity to which we are all called for, but it is due time for many people to reconsider what, to whom, and why are they giving especially if they are giving tremendous funds. If they think they are helping God by their money to fulfil His plan they are wrong as many of these organizations they are supporting zestfully, have inside them anti-missionary or even anti-Christian elements. Why not simply support the `Household of faith`, and as an Arab I add: Jews as well as Arabs. Does not the body have any projects, spiritual as well as humanitarian? Who are the best agents for the money of the Lord that comes from believing Christians, the local saints or the local sinners? Reports in Israel are the best but does anybody really know what is the money going for, or if they are using part of it to fight the missionary work? Do you consider the damage that these` Christian Zionists` are doing to the work among Moslems and nominal Christians who are looking to us Christians as Americanised and anti-Arabs? Aren’t these questions horrifying enough???”

Questions of aid and questions concerning evangelism are the rumblings of an approaching Tsunami. Questions of standing with the believers when Government legislation brings condemnation and hardship are also part of the approaching troubles. Believers in the West – those Gentiles that give so generously from their earnings and savings can help to bring change and to stop the approaching destructive forces. If you feel God is speaking then make your thoughts known to the organisations you support. Don’t just give your money, tell them what you want it to be used for and make sure it is used in that way. Or better still, read Margaret’s article and act on that. Become involved in a much more personal way. God is opening doors, but it is our choice whether or not we walk through them.

I put the following three questions to a Messianic believer living in Israel:

1. What changes would you like to see these organisations make? How could they make these changes without it affecting their constitution?
2. There is a law in Israel that forbids preaching the Gospel to young people, and if a young person becomes a believer the one that lead the person to belief could be imprisoned. My understanding is that there is such a case pending at this very time. What are believers doing to get this law changed?
3. For something like 100 years believers have gone to Israel trying to preach the Gospel to the Jews but without success because of the history between the Church and the Jewish people – the persecution and holocaust. So they have taken the view that lifestyle evangelism is the way forward. To win friendship and show support and compassion – taking time and effort to do this to win back trust. Is what is happening just another way of evangelism, but it is different to what some believers want to happen and don't agree with?

The brother, a leader in Israel that wishes to remain anonymous answered below:

“Excellent questions and they certainly deserve answers. Because Israel is such a difficult country for Christians to work in, many groups have sought alternative ministries that have caused compromises. It is very, very difficult to obtain a visa for longer than three months at a time, which makes it very expensive if you are not an established mission.

I would like to see these groups rethink the "Great Commission" and whether the investment of time, energy, and money is really God's best. There are many other organizations that are involved in full-time outreach. They have involved Indigenous believers and specifically support this outreach. These other foreign organizations have had to sign agreements with the Israeli government in order to remain in the country. Yes, they would need to make drastic changes. As it is now they are providing help for new immigrants, help to find and buy apartments, and our Jewish people are still without YESHUA. So my reaction is, what have they done for my Jewish people except to provide a little comfort and detour to Israel on the journey to an eternity without the Lord YESHUA.

True about the law to do missionary work with kids under 18. But what about kids who bring kids? You see we can do this as Israelis. My wife and I did summer camps here for 30 years. We had many kids who were relatives of believers, friends, and came to our camps. We have youth meetings and the kids bring their friends. At soldiers conferences they bring friends. They bring friends to the congregations. We have two professional groups dealing with Israeli laws. The Messianic Action Committee and a public awareness media project. Messianic lawyers are involved in several cases that have come to the public attention.

When we first arrived in Israel in 1966 there were very few believers, maybe 300, and maybe 5 Messianic assemblies. Today there may be as many as 10-12 thousand and 200 congregations. Lifestyle or friendship evangelism is one method, but this is Gen-X and we have mass-media, internet, and all the tools that are available. I noticed in the article you sent that Chernoff says the Holy Spirit has not been poured out here. Not true! We have the Holy Spirit working here in the same power as other parts of the world. Providing humanitarian aid and worldly comforts will NOT bring revival. Only YESHUA and the Name of YESHUA clearly identified and clearly spoken will bring salvation. The Word of God is so clear that there is salvation in no other than YESHUA. The same passage that Chernoff quotes says, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. (Rom. 10:13) But how can they call upon Him in whom they have not believed, and how can they believe in Him of whom they have not HEARD? (Rom. 10:14).

You are misunderstanding some of my points. I am not calling for these groups to quit Israel. I am saying they should not call themselves evangelical. I think it is great and they should keep providing these worldly comforts for the next 100 years. They should try to find ways to serve the local Body.

Please read Isa. 40:1-11 and look up the words in Hebrew. These verses are quoted and are the basis for work used by many of the hundreds of organizations involved in the physical provision to comfort Israel. The word "nachamu" in Hebrew means comfort and repent. The message of comfort is to repent and the voice that is calling out is saying to Israel, to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God."

They are bringing an incomplete message.”

I asked another leader – who also wishes to remain anonymous – about a certain ministry they had mentioned as to what changes they would like to see come about in that particular ministry. The reply was:

• I would like them to publicly say to the government that although they are fully supportive of the state of Israel, and they will continue to bring millions into the country, the government must understand that the Messianic Jews are our brothers and we expect you the Israeli Government to treat them as equal citizens.
• I would like them to budget firstly to the body here and align themselves in fellowship and finances with the local congregations.
• I would like them to recognise that their blatant and blind support of the state of Israel sometimes backlashes onto us, when they pour money into religious orthodox projects, these people end up persecuting us.
• I would like them to be upfront with the Government and say that their whole purpose is to love Israel by sharing with the Jewish people the Jewish Messiah.

This situation is not going to go away. The sooner the various organisations get together with the indigenous believers seeking the Lord and His way forward, the sooner reconciliation and peace can come to this ‘region of the Middle East’. How can we preach peace when there is no peace – even in the household of faith? Source: Pointers Magazine March 2005