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Two-thousand years ago, the people of God awaited the coming Messiah. They expected a Conquering King, but received a Suffering Servant.
Two-thousand years later, the people of God await the Second Coming of the Messiah. By and large, they expect the Suffering Servant, but will receive the Conquering King.
Two-thousand years ago, the people of God saw adherence to the law as good, righteous and holy. Neither the Messiah, nor any of His disciples, including Paul, ever decried this view of the law; in fact, they upheld it.
Two-thousand years later, many believers see the law of God as a burden to be shed in favor of a grace they scarcely understand ~ some going so far as to decry those who do try to uphold the law as heretical.
Two-thousand years ago, believers from all walks of life were prepared to suffer for the name of the Messiah. Many were martyred in some of the most horrific ways, even being burned alive and yet never recanting of their faith.
Two-thousand years later, believers will leave a church body because they don’t like the music or they disagreed with a teaching – they’ll skip service because the air-conditioner is broken.
Two-thousand years ago, believers looked for the signs the Messiah actually taught would precede His return – events He warned them would signal the end of the age.
Two-thousand years later, the church looks for a secret rapture to remove all “true believers” from the earth, prior to any of these signs being made manifest… particularly those of Matthew 24:9.
Two-thousand years ago, disciples of Messiah – followers of the Way – eschewed pagan traditions in favor of observing God’s appointed times – an issue so prevalent for those of gentile background that the Apostle Paul penned Colossians 2:16 to address it.
Two-thousand years later, the Church observes celebrations of known pagan origins – ignoring the appointed times of God, all the while using Colossians 2:16 as an excuse to do so – regardless of God’s explicit instructions not to do such things.
Two-thousand years ago, believers understood that suffering and sacrifice were synonymous with their faith – that they would need to walk out the scriptures daily amid intense persecution.
Two-thousand years later, believers and churches treat God as though He were a vending machine – seeking health, wealth and prosperity rather than looking to bring further glory to His name.
Two-thousand years ago, believers studied the scriptures – those scriptures being that of The Law, The Prophets and the “Other” Writings; those writings we refer to today as the “Old Testament”.
Two-thousand years later, many believers only know smatterings of the “New Testament”, or worse, mere tidbits of scriptures they’ve picked up ~ never stopping to consider that the bedrock of understanding the content lies in the foundational writings, i.e. the “Old Testament”.
Two-thousand years ago, believers were willing to sacrifice career, friends, family and even their lives for their faith. They pursued God with their whole being knowing full-well that doing so could cost them everything (see Matthew 10:34 – 39).
Two-thousand years later, many professing believers silence or eschew beliefs deemed provocative or divisive in favor of those which find greater acceptance among men.
Two-thousand years ago, believers affected their communities – they took so seriously the command to look after the Poor the Widow and the Orphan (Fatherless), that they established and appointed Deacons to look after them.
Two-thousand years later, believers will walk past homeless persons on their way in to church – yet tell themselves that they’ve done well by putting a few dollars in the offering plate.
Two-thousand years ago, believers saw the Messiah – and by extension his congregation – as a source of truth. They saw God as a sovereign judge the only true source of justice in the universe.
Two-thousand years later, believers look to God and the church for encouragement and affirmation, even on issues and behaviors the scriptures actively decry and deem abomination while looking to their governments to define morality.
Two-thousand years ago, believers held to what Yeshua said; “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.“
Two-thousand years later, it is even taught from certain pulpits that “all roads lead to God / Heaven“, ignoring the preeminent exclusivity of what Yeshua actually said.
Two-thousand years ago, having access to the scriptures was a luxury to be envied. Reading from them directly was a privilege and an honor.
Two-thousand years later, the scriptures are readily available in nearly every language, and access to them is freely available – yet reading them is seen by many as a burden.
Two-thousand years ago, believers understood that God is no respecter of persons. Paul went so far as to address this in 1 Corinthians 4, going on to describe himself and Apollos as “the worlds dirt and scum…“.
Two-thousand years later we see a clear distinction made among believers between congregants and leadership in a way that venerates those in positions of authority. Apostles wear three-piece suits and fly on private jets…
Two-thousand years ago, believers heeded the warning of Messiah regarding false prophets and Paul’s admonition regarding those who would seek to “make merchandise” of us (2 Corinthians 2:17).
Two-thousand years later, false-teachers making merchandise of their congregations isn’t only present, it’ pervasive and the perpetrators are heralded and even celebrated.
Two-thousand years ago, believers understood that God created the Heavens and the Earth. They understood that He did so in six days and rested on the seventh – declaring the seventh day to be a Sabbath rest.
Two-thousand years later, many believers seek to reconcile the creation account of scripture with the postulations of secularists and atheists who adhere to an evolutionary paradigm….because reasons. They further ignore the Sabbath in favor of the Venerable day of the Sun.
Two-thousand years ago, believers understood that Messiah told us that we would be “hated by everyone because of His name.”
Two-thousand years later, many believers seek social acceptance – many churches strive to be “seeker friendly“.
It has been asked – even by myself – why we don’t see the manifestations we see in the Book of Acts? I mean, we all hear the occasional report here and there, but for the most part, we actively see very little of this. So little in fact, that there are denominational doctrines which teach that we have entered into a new “Church Age”. The crux being; that was for then, and now it’s over.
Being that I see that stated nowhere in the breadth of scripture, I find myself grappling with a different possibility… Could it be that we have collectively – in one way or another – departed from the “faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints“?
Perhaps we all need to collectively look to scripture for proper doctrine and understanding… I don’t know about anyone else, but as for me – I will follow YHVH.
Until next time.
שלום עליכם – Shalom Aleichem – Peace Be Upon You