Mark Huey of Outreach Israel Ministries delivers the following message, “A Pivotal Year Ahead,” as we critically consider what we should be focusing our attention upon, as we seek the Lord.
As one surveys the landscape of the world we currently occupy, there are many reasons to be concerned about the apparent direction of the human race in the time remaining until the Messiah returns in all His glory. Let’s face it: mankind is not evolving—but rather devolving—right before our very eyes. While this can be quite disturbing if one focuses on the problems, the fact remains that those who believe in the atoning work of Yeshua are each called to be a part of the only solution available to the wicked and perverse generation that surrounds us. If you have been born from above (John 3:3) with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:17), occupying your heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) inscribed with the Law of God (Jeremiah 31:33), you have a personal responsibility to be an active witness for the Creator God. The challenge we each have to consider—and hopefully embrace—is just how our testimony and service will manifest itself.
I am labeling the coming year “pivotal” because predictably there have been, and will be, a variety of prognostications voiced and written that will direct our collective attentions to the possibility of the Messiah’s imminent return. While much of what we are likely to hear will be intriguing to ponder, have you ever considered the motivation of those who are inclined to make or vaguely suggest certain predictions? How many are truly wanting to see people repent of their sins, and be committed to a live of holiness? How many are truly seeking to follow the command of Yeshua to make disciples (Matthew 28:19)? While we should doubtlessly be aware of the times, we should not be among those who generate unnecessary and disabling fear.
Let’s remember that Yeshua understood our inherent trait to want to know the future. After all, the human condition we have inherited from Adam is certainly predisposed to self-preservation. As a result, there is naturally an insatiable desire to attempt to know the future in order to prepare for potential problems. While there is certainly wisdom in preparing for unknowable contingencies, Yeshua addressed these concerns when He compared the matter of serving two masters in His Sermon on the Mount:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:24-34, NASU).
As you recollect this familiar passage, are you noting the repeated thematic admonition to not worry? Understand that the natural man has a propensity to overly concern or worry about food, clothing, shelter, and his health. Consequently, most of humanity has a tendency to focus their daily priorities on the acquisition of resources or wealth that they believe will procure them more personal security and perceived joy. Even our governmental system places an emphasis on purported gifts of God that are summarized as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, Yeshua warns His followers that by dividing our loyalties between God and mammon, we will inevitably hate or despise one and love and be devoted to the other. Clearly He concludes, “You cannot serve God and wealth.”
The solution comes at the close of this passage when Yeshua declares, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” These summary statements are easy to read, but not necessarily straightforward to follow. After all, there are a plethora of opinions about just what His Kingdom and His righteousness consist of by a wide variety of expositors. Without attempting to do a comparative analysis of the different interpretations, suffice it to say without the Holy Spirit to supernaturally enable understanding, many have a propensity to follow the dictates of others that they subconsciously or consciously esteem as spiritually superior. However, the Scriptures indicate that it is once again a Believer’s personal responsibility to appraise all things because ultimately, those with the indwelling Spirit of God have the mind of Yeshua the Messiah:
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Messiah” (1 Corinthians 2:12-16, NASU).
This Scripture reminds me of another admonition, in this pivotal time, when I believe that the Messianic community should not be operating in a spirit of end-time induced fear. In a time when we should be endowed with the mind of the Messiah, we are further enlightened by the Apostle Paul, as he explains it to his disciple Timothy, the following:
“[F]or God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NRSV).
In these last two Scriptures, did you notice that Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews (Philippians 3:5), wrote the Greeks in Corinth and his half-Greek disciple Timothy, that they did not need to have a so-called “Hebrew mindset” in order to overcome their so-called “Greek mindsets”? Rather, as many other Scriptures declare as a result of our adoption into the family of God (Romans 8:15-17), we have inherited the mind of Yeshua the Messiah that is supernaturally empowered with great reasoning ability, agape love, and self-disciplined soundness. This is not to say that having knowledge of the historical, cultural, social, and idiomatic expressions of the Biblical languages is not unimportant. However, when it supersedes having the mind of the Messiah, those that we are witnessing to and who are listening and observing our actions are understandably confused. Where is the love? Where are the works that testify of our faith?
In many regards, it is probably not too very different from the observations Yeshua made of the Pharisaical leaders, commenting on minutia in tithing among other things, in lieu of the weightier provisions of the Torah. His admonition cut to the quick:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23, NASU).
The Messianic community of faith does not want to become known for its focus on superfluous teachings that overlook the critical elements of our walk and relationship with the Lord. Obviously, if we are not exhibiting the love, justice, mercy, faithfulness, and sound minds that should be innate as a byproduct of our personal redemption, then we become nothing more than a band of clanging cymbals among a cacophony of religious sycophants.
Instead, I believe we have a wonderful opportunity in this coming pivotal year, as problems continue to percolate in Israel and the Middle East—as more and more people are searching out what is happening—to be powerful witnesses to those seeking God for answers. As Messianic Believers, people will ask us questions and want to know what we think about what is going on. Our challenge is to lovingly point them to Yeshua and His completed work at Golgotha. If belief in the atonement is already received and embraced, then we each have an opportunity to share more about what God is doing with Israel, with the Messianic lifestyle that we are all attempting to walk, and how God has brought us into a greater intimacy with Him.
We each have a great privilege with this timely opportunity to serve the Most High, as we first seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. This is certainly not a time to worry, but rather an occasion to make ourselves available for His service in whatever capacity He deems fit. Being conformed to the image of His Son, recognizing that we have been supernaturally endowed with a mind focused on God, will hopefully allow this year to be a pivotal year for many, regardless of what takes place. For we are forever reminded that God is for us who believe:
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:28-31, NASU).
Thank you Lord for foreknowing, calling, justifying, and further conforming us to Your character during this pivotal time! As far as the glorifying goes, we will patiently wait for Your timing, whether it is upon Your return—or we are returned to You!