Musing – What Flag do you Fly?

Hebraic Musing – What Flag do you Fly?

What can we learn from this verse tucked away in the book of Numbers?  “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.”  Numbers 2:2  NIV    The Lord is instructing Moses and Aaron (and us) for the purpose of developing His chosen people for a future.

The Israelites were each assigned specific locations in the camp surrounding the Tabernacle in the center.  God, in His great wisdom, placed each tribe in a space and defined a spiritual role within the nation for each tribe, and for each man.  Each tribe possessed a unique tribal banner or flag.  What was the purpose of the flag?  Why did God command that each tribe possess one?

Throughout the years flags or banners have been a part of history.  They have marched with armies through wars and they have been raised in territories that have been claimed.  They have served as a beacon of pride and ownership of the nations that raised them.  Flags have even been to the moon!

Flags denote our loyalty to a people group and the mission for that group.  Flags people carry and display represent their own particular purpose, loyalty, identity and/or mission.  This is what the nation of Israel needed and desired.  They wanted a flag for each tribe which would define the nature of each tribe and describe its role and mission in the nation.

This clarity of purpose is something to which we can all relate.  One of the most powerful prayers a person can offer is to ask for God to reveal to him or her one’s own personal mission.  At one time or another, many of us have prayed that God would work through us and use us for His purposes; that we would be able to make our own unique and meaningful contribution to the Kingdom of God in a way that only we can. 

Here is how Rabbi Eckstein described God’s plan for each of us.  “When God created us, He had a purpose for us.  Once we understand our personal and unique talents and abilities, life becomes much simpler.  Decisions are easier and we make better life choices.  Ultimately, we live more effective lives, instead of wasting our time on meaningless pursuits.  We have fulfilled and satisfying lives, knowing that we are doing exactly what we have been put here to do.”

If you had a personal flag, what would it look like?  Many of the tribal flags contained colors, animals, objects, or plants.  What might symbolize your life’s mission?  Would creating a visual that encapsulates your life’s goal help keep you focused and living with purpose?  I’d love to see what your flag looks like.

 Points to ponder

What flag or banner do you fly?   What do others see in you?

What is your life’s purpose? 
What do you stand for, fight for, live for and are willing to die for?

♫   There is a flag flying high in the castle of my heart, For the King is in residence there...
         So let it fly in the sky, let the whole world know.… ♫ 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 29, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by and excerpted from Rabbi Eckstein’s “Flying Your Flag” – IFCJ   May 16, 2018

Musing – What is the Heart of the Gospel?

Hebraic Musing – What is the Heart of the Gospel?

Have you ever felt while reading the Bible that you are lost in a forest of ideas, principles, laws, etc.?  What is at the heart of the Bible?  What is the critical essence of the Gospel?  What should be our key takeaways?  I’ve found many lists saying the same thing with differing words; so allow me to propose this list as the essential basics at the Heart of the Gospel, or CENTRAL THEMES:

1.      God is the creator

2.      The universality of sin

3.      Jesus Christ as the son of God and Lord of all; while also being both fully human and fully divine

4.      Jesus is the Savior through his atoning death and his resurrection life

5.      The necessity of personal conversion

6.      The coming and the presence of the Holy Spirit and His transforming power 

7.      The fellowship and mission of the Christian church

8.      The hope of Christ’s return

A seeker asked me recently “why are there so many churches and denomination out there?”  Could it be that individual church fellowships and denominations have downplayed some of these, and/or created and stressed additional themes?  And could those additional themes or tenets become the source of confusion -- distractions weakening the power of the Gospel?  Can extra rules and customs (Like clothing, music, etc.) hinder acceptance and compatibility of the Good News when presented to a distinctly different culture?  

More important – Missionaries to foreign cultures are finding that many past efforts have failed.  Why?  Because preaching the need for pipe organs, denominational rules, proper dress codes, etc. became unnecessary distractions when presented to a foreign culture.  In a recent study of missiology I read of many success stories where the initial missionary team preached from the Bible and stressed CENTRAL THEMES like the above; then they let local indigenous leaders build the local church by building on those themes.  Those churches changed the culture only as needed to comply with the CENTRAL THEME of the Bible.

When leading interdenominational Christian men’s groups, I had a friendly custom of fining anybody who mentioned their church or denomination because “we are here to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

 Points to ponder

I agree with all 8 points above.  If we add “The inerrancy of the Bible”
we have the challenges of making timely, meaningful and relevant translations available.

Do we always need to change cultures in order to make the Bible relevant?

Do all who claim to be Christian accept these as the central theme of their faith?
Or, can a “Christian” ignore any of these themes and still be called “Christian”?

Does it all start with Believing, Repenting and Believing Jesus? 
Then the rest should follow.    What think you?

♫   My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; …♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 22, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note -- Excerpted from “PERSPECTIVES on the World Christian Movement”  4^th ed.,  The Willowbank Report.  p. 512

Musing – What did Jesus mean by “Go into all the world…”?

Hebraic Musing – What did Jesus mean by “Go into all the world…”?

As I study a book on missions – “Perspectives”* –  I am puzzled by questionable concepts that seem to permeate typical Christian thinking, like…

·      Are Missionaries & Pastors super Christians with special callings? Peter calls all of us a “Royal Priesthood.”

·      Do you have to get on a plane, sacrifice vacation time and encounter a drastically different culture in order to be a missionary?  The world is all around us, every day!  “The light that shines the farthest, shines brightest close to home.” – Garmond Mindt

·      Is evangelizing at “work” robbing your employer, or can divine opportunities come up?  Does “work” take away from “Ministry”?  There is a lot of social time available for witnessing spontaneously. 

·      Is there a difference between “Sacred” and “Secular”?  Not in God’s Hebrew-think!  It is all about Him!

·      Does the Bible say we can only talk about Jesus if our company is a “Not-for-Profit”?

Personal experiences tell me that there is a plethora of opportunities to be a missionary 24/7 as we are already “in the world”.  Here is just a sampling of everyday witnessing and discipling:

·      A Chicago diesel mechanic was sent by GM to Guinea, Africa, as a trainer.  He was loved and he witnessed.

·      Irene and I dine out frequently and we make it a point to learn the server’s name.  When he/she brings the meal, they always ask “Is there anything else I can do for you?”  We say “We are going to pray for our meal, would you like to join us?”  Responses vary but 90% say “Yes”.  And afterward we ask if there is any special need they would like us to pray for.  Frequently they reveal their serious need and a relationship develops – sometimes including salvation.  Everyone is carrying a prayer need deep down inside.

·      Flying to an out-of-town job site, a friend asked if we could have dinner some night that week.  Long story short; he accepted Christ a few months later.  For 30+years he’s been an active Christian leader in LasVegas.

·      A consulting colleague in England was practicing saying “Jesus Christ” as a guttural swear word.  So, risking persecution, I sang ♫ Jesus is the sweetest name I know…♫.    No persecution, but 10 other colleagues in that board room found out where I stand.

·      While working as a consultant for three years in Europe, I was able to also serve as president of an evangelical organization, Business Men’s Fellowship, and conducted monthly dinner meetings.

·      As a coach, I prayed to Jesus with my youth soccer team before the game, and then realized there was a Jewish boy on the team.  After the game, the Holy Spirit again prompted me to thank Jesus for being with us in the game, and the Jewish boy chimed in “There were times out there I thought Jesus forgot us!”

·      Made two company owners who claimed to be atheists come to a Full Gospel meeting to hear my testimony.

·      My nephew traveled to China on business with two suitcases, one with personals and the other with Bibles.

Key – Businesses and businessmen can and do have access to the “Unreached” and “Hard to Reach” corners of the world.  Businesses and businessmen are welcomed everywhere, especially those of us from the U.S.

 Point to ponder

How many times have “Divine Opportunities” come up in your daily walk?

When Jesus said “Go into ALL the World” didn’t He realize we were already there?

If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Does evangelism require a calling, a theological degree, a special gift…or a willingness?

 ♫ Go tell it on the mountain over the hills and everywhere…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 15, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*   Inspired by “PERSPECTIVES on the World Christian Movement” –  4^th ed., Chapter- “Restoring the Role of Business in Mission”  Steve Rundle  p. 757

Musing – What Should a New Christian be Expected To Do?

Hebraic Musing – What Should a New Christian be Expected To Do?

I’ve been reading amazing documentaries relating successful missionary experiences when starting churches in foreign lands.  Here is a theme that caught my attention.  As a follow-up to the traditional “Sinner’s Prayer” they would ask three questions and expect answers:

1.      Are you ready to follow the path of Jesus the Messiah?  Or, have you made Jesus your Lord, your Boss, your King?

2.      Are you willing to obey Jesus’ command to repent and to be publically baptized?

3.      Will you call others to follow this path?    Will you tell and encourage your family and others to also give their hearts to Jesus as you did?

The exact words may vary, but these three points seem to prevail in the stories of successfully explosive church growth accounts.

Are we discipling new believers in these three points after we hear them recite the “sinner’s prayer”? 

Remember when you first accepted Christ?  Were you excited and wanting to share your new-found faith in Jesus with friends, family and anyone who would listen?

 Point to ponder

How many self-proclaimed “Christians” in our churches today
have not proclaimed their new-found faith by…
Being publically baptized?
or
Sharing their faith with others?

 ♫ There’s a new name written down in glory…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                            May 8, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”