Mark Huey of Outreach Israel Ministries delivers the following message, “Cross Graining,” as we each consider the significant calling and opportunities the Lord has given us, to be a part of the Messianic experience in this hour.
During the Spring season, as the annual transformation of nature reinvigorates the landscape from dull browns to vibrant greens and verdant colors of emerging flora, the cycles of life once again come into focus. Convincingly, the rebirth of dormant nature subliminally reminds even the hardest heart—whether one wants to believe it or not—that there is renewed life after apparent death. Scientifically this phenomenon can be readily explained in relatively simple terms on a tangible, even verifiable level. This is good, because these consistent and somewhat predictable realities, confirm that the human environment has relative stability leading to perceived security in the here and now. Yet, beyond the present state for the Believer in the God of Creation (with even a modicum of understanding about the concepts of the intermediate state and resurrection), this is a wonderful time of year to meditate upon the possibility of future renaissance and spending eternity in the presence of the Almighty!
In the Judeo-Christian world, the themes of deliverance from the bondage of sin and/or resurrection of life dominate not only the discourse, but are woven into various religious activities that commemorate either Israel’s escape from Egypt, or the sacrificial death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. For the Messianic community of faith, fully aware of the instructions regarding the appointed times of the Lord, it is a unique privilege to weave together not only the Spring moedim (Leviticus 23:5-14), but also the recognition that the Lamb of God has fulfilled the atoning sacrifices required for access to the Most High (Hebrews 10:19).
Each year, increasing numbers of seekers, sincerely desiring to know more about God and His ways, are being exposed to an amplified traditional Passover seder meal that more fully explains the progression of His plan for the world (Genesis to Revelation). Now, in locations all over the globe, people that can classify as “end-time saints” who know Messiah Yeshua and keep His commandments (Revelation 12:17; 14:12), are faithfully participating in these commemorations. It is awesome to witness born again Believers learning about the things that Messiah Yeshua did!
While contemplating these thoughts, in conjunction with keeping abreast of the world and national events—as the proliferation of knowledge and information increases exponentially (Daniel 12:4)—an image flashed across my mind that I thought was applicable to the circumstances of the season. I must confess that while I am not an avid angler, I have read and imagined and even seen documentaries on the illustration that came to mind. I pictured a vibrant, foaming river or stream that cascaded down a rocky gorge—with a great number of fish seeking to jump upstream against the rushing flow. Of course, the thought of salmon seemingly flying against all odds, in their instinctive nature to spawn upstream, was what I was observing in my mind’s eye.
For a moment, as I contemplated this scene, I first thought about how we as Believers are in many respects very similar to the spawning salmon, in their struggle to fight against a torrential flow of a freshwater stream tumbling to the ocean. With the world seemingly heading pell-mell toward the events described in the Book of Revelation, the frigid ice-melting enhanced rapids reminded me of the direction our world is headed. The flying salmon are struggling to locate upstream in calmer waters, like Believers swimming against the tide of humanity, who are unfortunately heading toward a God-less eternity.
As I let my mind wander on these thoughts, I then saw a more refined image of a single fish that was not only trying to move upstream, but was actually swimming across the stream from one eddy to the other. As this particular salmon leapt from one side of the stream to the next, the flight was in direct opposition to the flow of the river. I concluded that this must be a “cross grain” pattern, rather than a straight up grain or upstream approach. While the fish was making progress up the incline from side to side, the possibility of exposing its broadside to the water was making its transverses even more precarious. However, to make progress, the fish had to locate calm eddies to rest and regain strength before the next flight across and up the river. In light of the current season, I wondered if the eddies might not be like the times of refreshing when the feasts of the Lord are commemorated. Perhaps the Creator had designed these times when rests for the body, soul, and spirit are ordained, in order to renew our strength to persevere in the struggles of life?
These images faded from my reflections, and I wondered to myself if this was an impression of what life as a Messianic Believer might be like, as we travel the path that has been chosen for our walk with the Messiah. After all, while we are Believers in the Messiah of Israel and have faith in His accomplished work at Golgotha to atone for our sin, we also are fully convinced that obeying and observing God’s commandments is applicable to us and should be embraced as His people. We have the double blessing of not only knowing the Messiah Yeshua as Savior and within us a resurrected life with the Father (1 Peter 1:3-9; 3:15), but we also have the opportunity to receive blessings from the Lord by being obedient to Him (Deuteronomy 28; 1 John 3-5). Unlike a mass of today’s Christians, who are like a great majority of salmon simply jumping straight upstream to spawning spots—we are actually a small slice of the remnant, perhaps a remnant of the remnant for that matter, who can be considered some of the saints called to do all the things that our Father has commissioned His people to accomplish.
Moments later, I thought about the words “cross grain.” They came to my mind and I could not help but think about the suffering of our Lord Yeshua on the cross for our sins. I had heard in years past about groups that promote the concept of “cross training,” or living a crucified life, and the play on words sparked my attention. I was even reminded of a commitment I made decades ago to incorporate the principles of living a “crucified life” into my own walk of faith, as the Apostle Paul once wrote, “I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20, NASU).
There is no doubt that Paul was one of the foremost recognized Messianic Believers who has ever lived. He lived during a time when the larger world, as it then existed, was at diametrically-opposed odds with not only the claims of the Jewish people who served the One True God—but furthermore those who recognized Messiah Yeshua as the Deliverer of Israel and that world! If he had known about the salmon, I would suspect that Paul would probably identify with the concept of going “cross grain,” with the fomenting tide of his generation. The First Century followers of Yeshua were an infinitesimal minority among the mass of humanity.
Have you ever really considered the calling that was on the life of a servant like the Apostle Paul? Certainly, Paul was called to be a spokesman for the Messiah among the nations (Acts 9:15), but he was also someone who suffered immensely for it (Acts 9:16). Here was a man who was not only reviled by many of his own Jewish brethren, but he also had to move against the collective philosophical streams of his age. If you ever feel like you are having some challenges in your chosen “Messianic” walk with the Lord, as you might be criticized for your convictions by various family members, friends, or colleagues—while you are in good company, few of us have ever had to endure the hardships that the First Century Believers had to experience. Consider the great difficulties a man like Paul had to encounter on his multi-year missionary journeys. Paul labored upstream, as he testified of the gospel message to fellow humans along the roads and sea lanes of the Roman Empire. He offers a summary of some of the trials he endured:
“Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27, NASU).
The Apostle Paul desired not only to see people born again and delivered from demons, but most especially to see Jewish and non-Jewish Believers united as one Body of Messiah, defined as God’s “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:15). Even today, seeing this enacted in the Messianic movement is a great challenge with significant obstacles. Those of us who work toward this end often face a great deal of harassment and insult, and an Adversary who does not want to see the Father’s people restored.
I would suspect that for Paul, a loyal Hebrew of Hebrews, he was most assuredly thankful when, even after he fully exposed himself by going across the grain of his contemporaries in the torrid marketplace of ideas where he labored, the restful eddies of life, exemplified by the commanded times of rest in the year (cf. Acts 20:16), must have been a joy to reach. If anyone ever needed a time to rest, recuperate, and reflect upon his work for the Kingdom, it was Paul! Thankfully, Paul was given the time to exemplify a faithful walk with the Messiah that we can emulate (1 Corinthians 11:1), and also record his thoughts for future generations!
In light of the current season, when we have just remembered the deliverance from Egypt and Yeshua’s resurrection, there is one Pauline passage that speaks to a renewal and recommitment of pursuing the work of the Kingdom. In his letter to the Philippians, in a somewhat confessional and autobiographical way, Paul described not only some of his personal history, but most importantly his desire to be useful in the call that was upon his life. The Apostle Paul recognized the significant value he possessed in being a faithful Jew and a Pharisee—yet at the same time also recognized that his human pedigree was not much in view of what Yeshua had accomplished for him. His desire was to move forward in the calling God had placed upon Him, so that his life would be so conformed to Yeshua’s that he would endure sufferings, death, and ultimate resurrection—in a similar manner to that of his Lord:
“If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the assembly; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Messiah, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Messiah, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Messiah Yeshua. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 3:3b-14, NASU).
For modern day “cross grainers” called into the Messianic community of faith, this passage is one that can be understood in some rather significant ways. I personally find going back and reflecting on these truths to be especially pertinent—particularly the recollection that our righteousness is not to be derived from our human Torah observance—but rather is found “through the Messiah’s faithfulness” (CJB), or His faithful obedience to the Father unto death (Romans 3:25-26). Our obedience to God’s Torah is to only come as we emulate our Messiah Yeshua.
As we bounce from one eddy to another eddy of the rushing stream—attempting to broadside us on our life’s journey upstream—we need to consciously recall the responsibility we have to move ahead smartly and with the right motives. While you remember the blessings of having a greater revelation of God’s instruction to you, living a life of Torah obedience, share such a truth in a manner that properly reflects His character. Be tempered by the mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father. Precede wisely, as Ancient Israel was called to be a proper testifier of God’s truth to the nations surrounding it (Deuteronomy 4:6).
Paul might not have had the possibility of a mental impression of salmon spawning to work with, yet he did use the Scriptures to gain understanding and encouragement for the call God placed upon him. In Paul’s search to know the Almighty, he frequently turned to Biblical books like Psalms or Isaiah for comfort and strength. Isaiah, similar to Paul, was also known exhorting people to know the Lord. He was able to use illustrations from animals like the eagle, which soared over the Judean and Samarian mountains, to encourage people to overcome the challenges of life and travel against the streams of humanity that have forever opposed the Creator God:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:28-31, NASU).
Recognizing yourself as a Messianic Believer, cross graining a contemporary, fallen human culture—be encouraged that you are not alone! Find solace in images like salmon spawning, or eagles gliding, that can remind you not only about the challenges we endure, but also the opportunity we have to be refreshed and renewed on the path of righteousness. It is possible, similar to the Prophet Elijah, to think that we are the only ones enduring the hardships of life. But remember, despite Elijah’s weary and despondent query of the Lord, He reminded him that he was not alone, but indeed that there were some 7,000 who had not bowed or kissed Baal (1 Kings 19:4-18).
Today, brothers and sisters, there are far more than 7,000 Messianics. Our numbers are steadily growing. The Lord is preparing a people to greet Him at His return. May we each be counted among such “cross grainers” as we wait upon Him. I pray that we would all be renewed in our desire to share the good news—a message that can keep us, and countless others, from being swept into the great divide by the ravaging storms and flood waters of life!
Until the restoration of all things…
