Passed-Over for What?
Just this week we got a mass mailed ‘invitation’ to attend an Easter service at an area congregation. We opened up the beautifully designed high resolution (did I mention LARGE?) mailer to find a list of movies that would be used…evidently to depict the Easter story (cause, you know, Scriptures could use the extra help).
“God at the Movies” was one phrase used in the publication.
Both my husband and son responded that the poor folks on the high-gloss page wearing their nifty 3-D glasses looked somewhat transfixed.
The publication wasn’t at all surprising to me, just turned the old stomach momentarily, ya see.
I recounted the whole lack of the word ‘Church‘ in the Scriptures emphasizing that we, the children of God’s grace, are ‘The Called-Out Ones‘.
“What are we ‘Called-Out’ from?“, I asked my son.
“Sin and the world“, my son answered.
“Yes, just like the Israelites were called out of Egypt. So we, too, are ‘CALLED-OUT’ to be set apart from the ‘olam hazeh (present worldly system)! Does this look like God’s Called-Out Ones? (pointing emphatically to the publication)“, I asked.
My purpose here is not to persuade you to cease using the word ‘Church’ in your circles of influence, nor is it to slam those fellowships who look, by all accounts, just LIKE the world we are supposed to be separated from. I am not saying we shouldn’t use media for Kingdom purposes, either.
I am, however, hoping to draw attention to every reader’s mind during this GLORIOUSLY PASSIONATE WEEK, are you feelin’ your CALLED-OUTedness? Is it showing up on you? In your fellowship? Do you know what you are Called-Out from…what exactly were you Passed-Over for?
My Pastor used a very clever illustration about congregations recently. He took a large container and had a small cup beside it. Each cup depicted the ‘spiritual temperature’ of an individual in that fellowship. The first cup represented those ‘burning with spiritual fervor’. A second cup represented those who are not too hot for Christ, but very warm nonetheless. Each consecutive cup had an impact on the overall temperature of that fellowship. And yes, there were plenty who were ice cold, plummeting the fahrenheit pretty quickly! So, as the Mashiach assesses that certain congregation, testing its spiritual temperature, HE then must conclude and proclaim that fellowship as being ‘LUKEWARM‘.
Okay. We know from Revelation 3:16 what His feelings are toward the Lukewarm fellowship of Laodicea.
A fellowship is only as vibrant as the individual members who make it up, right?
Which is why I write to you today, the Called-Out One on the other side of this monitor.
Pesach (Passover) is the feast that commemorates the Jewish nation’s exit out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership. Sunset April 8th (this evening) begins the celebratory PESACH: ” The Festival of our Deliverance.
For an in-depth study of the Pesach and our Blessed Seh HaElohim (Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, YESHUA!), please go HERE. You will be eternally glad you did, come your assembly’s next RESURRECTION CELEBRATION…for you will have been deliciously informed of the foundational Hebrew roots holding up your Christian Faith.
John Parsons, a wonderful teacher of the Hebrew4Christians website writes the following:
“For Messianic Jews, Passover marks the liberation of the entire world from the bondage to the evil one (a type of Pharaoh who enslaves humanity) by the hand of One greater than Moses. Like the original Passover in Egypt, the sacrifice of the Lamb causes the wrath of God to “pass over” those who are trusting in the LORD’s provision for redemption, but in the case of the sacrifice of the Mashiach Yeshua, this redemption delivers us from the cruel bondage of Satan and causes the wrath of God to forever be put away from us (baruch HaShem!).”
Baruch HaSHEM, indeed!
Chaverim, may ADONAI grant us all a new understanding of our Faith in Yeshua and ALL that HE sacrificed Himself to give us. And in so doing, may HE additionally grant us a burning spiritual fervor that catches like wildfire in our congregations!
May our trusting faithfulness in YESHUA HaMashiach, Seh HaElohim, grow out of all worldliness keeping us from BEING ABOUT THE FATHER’S BUSINESS.
Abba YHWH, for You are faithful and will do it for the sake of HaSHEM (The Name)! We praise and thank You for teaching us, for Your Spirit guiding us, for Your Son’s TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE for us! May You continue to set us apart for You have CALLED US OUT of Sin and the world! Let all who call upon the Name of ADONAI rejoice!
8 Give thanks to ADONAI! Call on His Name! Make His deeds known among the peoples. 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him! Talk about all His wonders. 10 Glory in His Holy Name; let those seeking ADONAI have joyful hearts. 11 Seek ADONAI and His strength; always seek His presence. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:8-11
April 8, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Carmen,
My spirit is so aflame that I can hardly keep my seat on this chair. God IS calling me out! Out of this mundane, hand wringing, political motivating, America worshiping, world loving generation. Please don’t misunderstand (and I know YOU won’t). I am eternally greatful that God chose me to be born in America, but I am increasingly saddened that this so-called Christian Nation is what we worship. Even those upset about morality going down the tubes continue to call us back to America’s roots! To this I say, NO!! We need faith in God! Not faith in America! Of course they would send a glossy pen up about the movies. I, myself, once believed that we must make ourselves more “inviting” in order to reach the lost. I am becoming more and more convinced that this is in error. We just need to GLORIFY HIM and SEEK HIM AND THE LOST and HIS SHEEP WILL HEAR HIS VOICE!
Okay, this is turning into a post…so stay tuned. I love you and am so glad that I found you and your glorious ministry to call us to our roots.
April 8, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Interesting that you wrote on the subject of being “called”….check my blog. When did you write this? I wrote mine last night….Great minds think alike. And so do we! Haha.
April 8, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
Carmen, Carmen, Carmen….WOW…what a powerful post girlfriend. When will it stop? When will we accept being “called out?” It’s far to powerful to remember what we were PASSED OVER for…wow…
I’ve attended several seder meals and the story just grips me everytime…without that, our story stops..I am with you sister…we MUST be called out in order to reach those around us who are ICE COLD…we must be willing to do it one simple act of kindness at a time…
Funny….I made the postcard for our church and it had 2 words….ONE HOPE…that seemed to sum it up quite well.
love you…
your willing to be “called out” sister!
amazing as usual…I’ll be passing it on!:)
lori
April 8, 2009 @ 10:25 pm
Thank you, precious friend, for this “lovingly–and powerfully!–loaded”–post.
As I read about your reaction to the movie mailer, I recalled Christmas Eve, two year ago, as I sat in our local fellowship (which shall remain nameless). Tears streamed down my face as I watched “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” play on the sanctuary monitors. Every now and then, the movie would stop for the pastor to note the ways that Jesus was like Rudolph. (I AM NOT KIDDING!) My husband noticed my tears and asked, “What’s wrong?” “WHAT’S WRONG?” I whispered (a little too loudly). “What’s WRONG? Are you KIDDING me? Pastor ****** is comparing Jesus Christ to RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER!!!!!!”
About five weeks later, the Lord specifically and unquestionably CALLED US OUT of that church! And, He specifically and unquestionably led us to another where God’s Word is our bedrock, Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and His Holy Spirit leads as we worship in Spirit and in Truth. Our pastor is also so wonderful to celebrate and teach Jewish heritage.
What a blessing and a gift! But, my heart still aches for those swimming around in lukewarm waters. That water’s getting colder and staler by the day … 🙁
April 10, 2009 @ 1:46 am
Oh I loved this post Carmen!
Thinking of you and missing you!
May the light of Yeshua burn even brighter in our hearts this year!
Shalom my sweet Sister!
I’m not surprised by the entertaining plug for a church service. Isn’t that what “we” want – fun not faith? How many are really willing to fall crazy in love with God and give up all the fun for a life lived out in faith for Him!?
Jill
April 10, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Amen!
I love that your son answered you! I pray my kids will do that someday too!
extremely powerful!
Happy Easter my sweet sistah!
April 25, 2009 @ 9:54 pm
Hey YOU! I just downloaded the study! Thank you for sharing it!
I WISH like the dickens I could be there live….it LOOKS fantastic and I’m going to start it….I’ll keep you posted!!
Huggers!
peace,
lori
May 10, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
Good stuff! I am called out g-friend. He is shoutin’ my name. It sounds kind of like “Go Carol, Go Carol!”