Israel, The Church, and Dilapidated Wineskins.

Over the last few years, I have examined an ever-increasing awareness within some factions of the church towards "ministry" to Israel. I say "ministry" in the broadest of terms as some of what I have observed has bordered on the strange, bizarre, and even heretical. Even more, people like talk show host Glenn Beck, has publicly taken a Biblical stance on our need to support Israel as a nation and promoting the idea that Israel is at the center of what is taking place in the world. Let me preface this week's blog by first reminding us that Israel has a significant role in the end-times events as recorded in the Bible; however, somewhere along the way, I believe that we have grossly misinterpreted what our role as the church is in ministering to this nation. With that said, my concern is one of end-times deception taking place, especially through our worship, by using this gravitation towards "Israel" as a means to promote a much larger agenda.

The kind of activity which concerns me is a renewed emphasis in bringing in the worship of Judaism into the framework of Christianity. What has started as the church's interest in participating in sedar meals, has now transpired into "Bless Israel Services" where worship is filled with Old Testament symbolism and rituals. When Jesus came to the Jews in the first century, he made something very evident. With a vivid illustration, Jesus made it very clear that the picture of worship was going to be changed. What was celebrated in the past and how worship was celebrated, was going to be obsolete because of the work He would accomplish as Messiah. In so many words, Jesus said, "The new wine of Christianity cannot fit into the old wineskin of Judaism---it simply will not work!" (See Mark 2:18-22).  Yet, in many of circles of worship, we introduce Old Testament aspects of worship as if they still maintain the power and stigma they did when used in the context of Judaism. Let me insert a disclaimer at this point. I believe that our expression in worship when we come into the presence of a Holy God is something that has never changed. The rituals and symbols of worship, however, have changed between the Old and New Testaments. And this is where we have gone astray in our theology of worship.

There are some that believe by us using various symbols in worship---the shofar, banners, menorahs, prayer coverings, and the incantations of prayers said in Hebrew, that these will somehow perpetuate the worship experience and because we are "blessing Israel,"  God is somehow extra pleased that we are going to the extent to be "Jewish" in order to show our commitment to His "chosen people." There are even Messianic movements which are seeking to become "Torah compliant" so that somehow, God will be more pleased by their worship. Many in this movement believe that we must observe the feasts of the Old Testament and by neglecting these feasts, we cannot receive the full blessing of God upon our lives. I have even known people to participate in Jewish synagogue worship and have attempted to convince me that the presence of the Lord was there! In the end, those in this movement go to great lengths to make non-observers of these things somehow feel less "Christian" by their lack of participation in Jewish worship.

But what is the bigger picture? Believe it or not, I believe that this push to incorporation of some of  the Old Testament aspects of worship is a part of a bigger end-time movement towards a one-world religion. The biggest lie which many Christians unknowingly have subscribed to is in believing that Judaism worships the same God as Christians----nothing could be farther from the truth! By believing that, we are essentially saying that Judaism worships "half" of the truth. They accept our "God" but do not accept Jesus as being God. And in a strange way, we're okay with that. If we choose to believe that then the downward spiral begins. We unknowingly deny the Trinity and we would then also have to believe that Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and basically any other mainstream religion all worships the same "God." If worship does not see Jesus Christ as being God (after all, Jesus said, "If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father"), then it is not worshiping the same God as Christians do. By us accepting Judaism as a valid form of worship minus all of second half of the equation, then we are embracing what God has already condemned.

This theology actually pushes Christ out of the worship picture. By subscribing to a return to the feasts, torah, and rituals of Old Testament worship, we are denying the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of these things. Although I have already mentioned a particular issue in "Worship that Deceives Part 1," we need to be on guard against any theology that submits Old Testament ideas and imagery without seeing it's fulfillment in Christ. We as the church do not need the "symbols" of Old Testament worship in our practices---we have become the embodiment of the Old Testament symbols through Jesus Christ who lives in us! I don't have to say my prayer in Hebrew to add an extra special blessing---God gave the New Testament church it's own language for worship in the upper room when they were" filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:4). The slow infiltration of accepting the worship of the synagogue to blend in with the worship of the church begins the slippery slope towards Ecumenical-ism.

I am beginning a class on Islam in the fall and I have recently received one of the books required to read in the class---the Qur'an. In the introduction of this newer translation, the author wrote, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all worship the same God--they only have different prophets. Believe it or not, there is a movement of worship that is trying to unite all faiths on a common ground. (If you don't believe me, find out what Rick Warren is up to these days.) The enemy is using our own Scripture against us in making us think that the command to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6)means to embrace Judaism giving it a certain privileged honor among the church. The truth is, our ministry to Israel is not one of embracing their way of life but in showing them "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" which only the church can do. We are not to be participants in their worship but we are to be the prophets which expose the errors of their ways. We are not going to win Israel to the Lord by showing how much we accept their worship which God has rejected. We can only win them through the proclamation of the truth! (Romans 10:1-21). Remember, the temple veil was torn in two not just to show man that they had access to God but to also show Israel, that God was no longer there in their worship.