Sovereignty Series - Mystery vs. Marionette

 

The age-old debate of free will vs. sovereignty in salvation continues to rage on. In my own personal experience, the heated conversations usually end with someone throwing up their hands and saying, "Well, if that's really what God is like, then no one stands a chance.  How fair is that?"  For some reason, a sovereign God who works as He pleases is offensive to the human mind.

Or perhaps it's only to the American, whose mind is so firmly set on freedom that any implication that man is truly not free but dead to sin causes an involuntary gut reaction.  

It's funny how we are such a young nation, but freedom flows through our veins.  Recently, my sister was in Russia picking up one of her adopted daughters and she was given a clear picture of the ugly American. She told me that in Russia, the people live for the government.  They are under the government's rule and have no rights but the rights given to them by the government whenever the government feels like doling them out.  That's why court dates come and go, depending on whether or not the judges feel like working.  

In America, however, the government exists to serve the people.  We have rights and we demand that they be exercised and upheld. If the government doesn't act quick enough, we'll get rid of them and replace them with a better and more attentive civil servant.  So when an American tries to act like they are in America, when in reality they are in Russia, the term "ugly American" comes into play.

I think you get the picture.  

I heard John MacArthur once say that God's sovereignty is better understood and accepted outside of America.  His point was that because we are so ingrained with the concept of choice and freedom, that we cannot grasp a sovereign concept - only democracy.  Choice.  Freedom. Rights. Justice.

But when we seek to understand God better, we absolutely must set aside our preconceived ideas and let His Word reveal truth.  

For example, wives, do we really need to submit to our husbands?  I mean, come on, some of us make more money than our husbands, we do more than our husbands around the house and we’re probably even smarter than them.  When that scripture about submitting was written, it was a different time, a different culture. Women have evolved – we’re doctors, lawyers, merchants and chiefs now.  Men and women are created equal and though we wouldn’t go so far as to say men should solely submit to us, we certainly think that God no longer requires women in general to be subservient to their husbands.  Right?

When we reason like this, we quickly forget that the reason we as women struggle with the whole submission concept goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.  When Eve sinned, the consequence was the fact that women would forever desire to rule the roost, but God would not change His mind on home leadership.  It has nothing to do with culture, education or income.  It has everything to do with order, God-given roles and sin.

Back to sovereignty.  The angered response to a Biblical defense for sovereignty in salvation is, “Then we’re simply puppets. No one is responsible for their own actions because they don’t truly have a choice.”

Technically, they are right.  We don’t have a choice because DEAD PEOPLE CAN’T CHOOSE ANYTHING! 

It’s a matter of perspective.

If you start with a living, breathing, logical, healthy, smart, rational human being, then it isn’t fair that he doesn’t get a choice.  If you put a plate of spaghetti and a New York strip steak in front of this man, he should be able to make an educated choice.  Do I want carbs or protein for dinner?

But if you start with a dead body – do you really want me to describe a dead body here or will you take my word for it…he’s dead – and give him the choice of spaghetti or steak, guess what he’ll choose every time.  That’s right – nothing, because he’s dead.

Now, bring this dead man back to life and set a beautiful plate of beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes with gravy, French cut green beans and a warm roll in front of him, and do you really think he’s going to be angry because you didn’t wake up the dead body next to him and feed him as well? No, he is going to gratefully dine on your generosity and when the meal is done, he’ll ask you what you would like him to do next.  Right?

Okay, enough for tonight…trust me, folks…I’m not done yet…

 

On to Galilee

On our second (and last) day of touring in Israel, we headed north to Galilee. We passed a tel named Megiddo and drove through the Jezreel Valley to Mount Tabor. This first picture is our view looking down from Mount Tabor into the Jezreel Valley. It's pretty vast and the picture doesn't do it justice. Several interesting events have taken place in this valley or on this mountain:

*This is where Deborah joined Barak in his battle against the Canaanites

*This location is also considered traditionally where the transfiguration of Jesus took place (though it's not verified or proven)

*Below in the valley is where Gideon defeated the Midianites - it was fun reading that story on the Mountain and trying to imagine what 300 soldiers with pitchers and torches in their hands surrounding the Midianite army looked like

*But for those of you who know me, probably the most fascinating event still to come is the battle of Armegeddon, which will take place in this valley, between Megiddo and Mt. Tabor. It was interesting to me how vast and open the valley is - farm land abounds and the occasional town on the edges, but mainly wide open. Now if I were Satan, I think I would have developed this whole valley so that it would not be a choice battlefield for the last showdown between the enemies of God and the Almighty Himself. Then at least there would be one prophecy that was false. But no such luck...God is sovereign over all and this huge field, miles and miles of land, is simply waiting that final battle. Amazing! It's massive, by the way...

Next we went to Capernaum. After being rejected in Nazereth, Jesus made Capernaum his home town (Matt. 4:13). Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen who came from Capernaum, as well as Matthew the tax collector. The town is well excavated and in this first picture you can see some of the ruins. Do you see the large structure in the back, built on top of the ruins? This is a church/synagogue and you can enter it to worship. It is built directly over the top of a large open ruin that is supposed to be Peter's house.

And here you go! Above us in this picture is the base of the church and below is the ruins of Peter's house. Not sure why they think this is Peter's house or why it was necessary to build the church on top of it, but it was interesting to see...

Here are more ruins - there were several olive presses. I explained to my girls with me that when Jesus said that it would be better for a millstone to be tied around your neck and for you to be tossed into the sea, than for you to cause a child who believes in Jesus to sin (Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2), this was what He was talking about. That round stone would be the millstone.
Here is Orit standing in the synagogue. These ruins have a foundation that dates back to the time of Christ, but the majority of the structure is later than the first century.

After Capernaum, we continued north to the Syrian border. Mount Herman was in the distance, which is the very north of Israel. This area is the Golan Heights. In this picture we are standing on a dormant volcano (which has a name that for the moment has escaped me) and on this location is a military bunker. If there would be some kind of invasion to the north, this whole area would be evacuated and within six hours it would become an active military base. We toured the bunker inside the volcano and it was really fascinating. I'd love to tell you about it, but then I'd have to kill you...We felt safe, since there has been no fighting here since Israel captured the Heights in the late 70's. In this picture, Syria is behind us. Anything green and maintained is Israel, anything desert-like is Syria.

The Golan Heights is a key area for the security of Israel. From this point, the Israeli military can successfully protect and defend their nation from an attack from the north. Unfortunately, this prime real estate is one of the pieces that is on the negotiating table with the Arabs. Eitan believes that ultimately Israel will lose the Golan Heights to the Palestinians in the name of peace, but it will only weaken Israel's position and open them up for more trouble.

This is Hannah, Mary and Alex popping out of the top of one of the gunnery stations on the top of this volcano. The bunker winds deep into the volcano, with places to scope out the mountains and lands surrounding them, as well as places to rest and eat. Much of the bunker was closed to tourists, but what we saw gave us confidence that this area is valuable to the Israeli security.

Finally, we went swimming in the sea of Galilee. We made a pact before the day began...if we went swimming, we wouldn't post pictures on the internet of the event! So, being the faithful mother that I am, I am not posting a picture of the event, but if you come over, I'll show you them in person!

The sea of Galilee is very low, by the way. We need to pray for rain in Israel - they are truly in the midst of a drought and I know my friends asked several times if we would ask God for rain.

We ended the day eating at an Arab restaurant. It was a real treat. We sat at a table and they filled it with small plates of what they call "salad." There was several kinds of cole slaw, a variety of pickled veggies, humus and eggplant spread to dip your pita in - plates everywhere! Fresh pita was incredible and then we all ordered some kind of meat to add to our plates...way too much food! When we were done, they moved us to a different table and served us coffee that could make your hair fall out, watermelon and baklava, or their version of it. It was truly an adventure!

We got home around 9:30, showered, packed and then dozed until 2:00 a.m. Then we headed to the airport for a 5:30 a.m. flight. As you can tell, the trip was too short but we saw what we could and moved on to the next adventure.

There is something awe-inspiring to be where Jesus walked and to be where the events of the Bible took place. In America, we have such little history because we are so young, that I can't even compare what you see in Israel to something here. But I guess what amazes me the most is that God would extend His love and His presence to the Gentiles. He had His hands full with the Israelites. Why would He bother to add more trouble to the mix? But we have to remember that the Gentiles (that's you and me) were not an added thought. God didn't come up with a different plan and graft us in because He was rejected by His own people.

After Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to dedicate Him at the Temple. There they came upon a man named Simeon, who took Jesus in his arms and, quoting Isaiah, said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."

You see, Jesus was given for all peoples, Gentiles and Jews alike. This has been a part of God's plan all along. We know that before the foundations of the world were laid, God chose for Himself a people to be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:3-5). This included Gentiles. And we also know that if we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham's descendants according to the promise (Galatians 3:6-9,25-29). So looking at the deep, rich history of the land and knowing how much God loves His people, I claim His love and that history as my own.

Don't you long for the day when faith shall be sight?

From Joppa to Jerusalem

The day after the conference was a Saturday. This is the sabbath in Israel, and it is a day of rest for the nation and a day of worship for believers. The day starts for the Kashtans with Eitan, the husband, leaving the house around 7:30 a.m. to pick up congregants in his large 11 passenger van for church. He leaves early because he has to make two trips, dropping the first van-full off and heading out for a second round before the service begins at 10.

This particular morning their pastor was out of town, so Eitan was also preaching. Every service is translated into Russian and English, and this morning, Alon, the Kashtan's son who is in the military, translated for us. Also, Amir, another son, was home for the weekend from his military station, and he played guitar in the praise band. An Israeli soldier is never without his weapon, even when on leave, so he stood with a guitar in hand and his gun slung on his back...a very strange site to see for an American, but not so strange for an Israeli.

After the service, Eitan met with a committee who was planning a ministry outreach event for about 40 deaf Israelis at a beach nearby - the youth of the church would serve lunch to the group and the final details needed to be discussed. So with hands flying and interpreters keeping pace, that meeting lasted about forty minutes. Meanwhile, the two vans-full of passengers patiently waited for Eitan to finish, so that they could get their ride home. About an hour and a half later Eitan arrived at home, done with his taxi-ing, ready for dinner. After dinner, we made plans to head out to visit nearby Jaffa (Joppa), while Eitan prepared to go to a nearby town to preach in the evening service at a Russian church. He arrived home shortly before we did, which was nearly ten at night.

I tell you this because Eitan has done this for a decade. This is his sabbath routine. Granted, he doesn't usually preach in his own church, but there are times he does and he teaches the youth in addition to everything else on his plate. This man truly has a servant's heart and on his only day of rest, he gives it to the Lord. Truly a great testimony for all of us...

The picture at the top is our group sitting on some steps inside the city of Joppa. Joppa is the town that Jonah escaped to, to catch a boat as he ran from God's directions. Also, this is where Peter was staying when God gave him the vision of the cloth filled with unclean food - the call to go to the Gentiles. It is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean Sea and there are Roman ruins as well as great Hebrew history within its walls.

But I want to jump to the next day, when we visited Jerusalem.

This is a scenic shot of Jerusalem. If you put your finger in the middle of the picture and then drag it to the left about an inch, you will land right on top of the mosque that sits atop of the Temple Mount. The picture below gives a closer look at that site. But before we leave this picture, let me give you some perspective.

We are looking out across Jerusalem and the amount of Bible history that took place in this one frame is pretty incredible. I know this is hard to see but let me give you a few notes:

* On the far side of the city, where you see two towers, is the Mount of Olives - those towers are where two separate mayors thought the ascension took place...

* You can see in this picture, as well as the one below, the wall of the old city of Jerusalem

* The city of David is actually located just below this wall and to the left a bit - remember, the David did not build the Temple, but simply gathered the materials for his son Solomon to use

* From where we are standing, it is thought that this is where Abraham told his servants to wait and then headed with Isaac to that Temple Mount, Mount Moriah, to offer him as an act of obedience

Standing at this place, imagining it completely empty of structure, I tried to imagine Abraham's mindset as he worked his way down one hill, into the valley and then up to the place where God would eventually provide the Lamb. I think I could have sat there in silence for an hour or two and still not have grasped the significance of everything I was looking at. But Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:56 that Abraham understood exactly what God was planning to do and he was glad. Abraham told his son that God would provide a Lamb - not a ram, which was given on that particular day, but a Lamb who would save his people and redeem his offspring.

And he was glad.

He rejoiced.

I think that sometimes we look at where Jesus walked and are reminded of His sacrifice and it brings a sadness to our hearts. We know we are responsible for His death and His tears over Jerusalem were tears over our sin as well. But His sacrifice is cause for rejoicing - His life is cause for celebration for those of us who know Him. It should produce gratitude and joy - yes, sorrow over our sin, but relief and praise in the work of the Son.

Which brings me to this picture. Here we are on the other side of the city. The Mount of Olives is actually to our right and beneath us are the graves of wealthy, lost Hebrews, who know the prophecy about the Messiah coming to Jerusalem and standing on the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:4) They want a front row seat for that event, but the problem is that they don't think Jesus is the One who will be standing there. They don't know the true Messiah and as one of the girls said that day, "Boy, are they going to be surprised when they see Jesus standing there." In actuality, since they are dead, they already know that Jesus is the Messiah, right?

We ended that day at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. We ate lunch within the city walls and walked through the shopping district in Old Jerusalem, coming out at the Wailing Wall. The base of this wall is part of Solomon's Temple and it is here that the Jewish community comes to pray for the Messiah. There is a barrier to separate the men and women, and if you look closely, you will see that on the right side, it is packed with women, where the men's side has only a handful. This is not necessarily typical - I think it was more due to the time of day than anything else. There was a large group of boys in the square, singing and dancing - perhaps a bar mitzvah celebration or a class visiting the wall. If you go to the wall to pray, you are expected to back out of the area, not turning your back to the Holy Wall.

When you see the ritual set up that is void of Jesus Christ, this is the time to be sad. Knowing the suffering that took place in this area on your behalf should cause joy - seeing the rejection of this gift should cause sorrow. Do you see the difference?

We could have spent days in Jerusalem and not seen it all...but time ran out on us and we had to move on. I think it left a longing in the young girls' hearts to return to see more some day...

Women's Conference

It was a good trip - a true Wisen adventure! Over the next few posts, I am going to share with you various aspects of the trip, and hopefully you will enjoy the narratives as much as the pictures...

I need to start by saying that my mom is quite the guide. She is a walking and talking encyclopedia and at 70, there's not even a hint of slowing down! She was a delight to travel with and I thank the Lord for such a loving, knowledgeable mother who eagerly joined me for this adventure. This picture was taken at the women's conference, the morning after we arrived in Israel.

The conference was held in a converted warehouse. We had to take a freight elevator up to the second floor, where the church gathers. The sanctuary was beautiful but paled in comparison to the precious women who served and prepared for the conference. When we arrived at about 8 a.m., they were busily setting up tables for registration, making coffee and organizing for the coming lunch.

Here are my daughters (middle two) and Hannah (right side) who came with us from Michigan. On the far left is Liel - she blessed us with leading worship throughout the conference. She also translated my power point and ran the sound from the back of the room for the day. She is a little Israeli doll who leaves for her military service in the next week in the Israeli Airforce. She just graduated high school and like most Israeli citizens, is heading into the military before she will attend the university.

I spoke in three sessions at the conference. The topic was "Idols of the Heart." The basic message that I brought the women was this: If the goal of the Christian walk is to please the Lord in all that we do, this should cause us to obey His Word, which produces fruit of the Spirit in our lives. When we do not experience that fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) but rather negative emotions (anger, frustration, depression, anxiousness, etc.), then we can most likely point to something else sitting on the throne of our heart, which then causes us to disobey the Word, resulting in negative emotions. We looked at the lives of sisters, Rachel and Leah, who revealed the true desire of their hearts through the names they gave their babies. Neither woman found peace or joy in life, because the desire to be loved or have a baby was greater than their desire to please the Lord. In the end, we looked at how we identify the idols in our hearts and then talked through the three step process of removing that idol, renewing our mind in scripture and then replacing that idol with a godly practice.

The women were very receptive to the message, despite the fact that there were two translators working overtime in the room - the gal on stage beside me was translating in Hebrew and another woman was translating into Russian through headsets. Apparently, most services in Israel are translated in all three languages, so the women were used to this and not bothered by what felt like mayhem to me!

After each session, I had women line up to ask good questions. These women are hungry for the Word and desire to submit to God's will for their lives. One woman was the pastor's wife of a rather large congregation. I found out later that she tends to be rather protective of the women in her church. When my friends put out a new book (translated from English usually), she has to read it first before she will allow the women in her congregation to get it. She sounds kind of like me!

Anyway, she had never attended the conference, being unsure of what exactly went on at one. She had decided to come this year and check it out for herself. She did not bring any of her women, but wanted to be able to give an informed recommendation for the next conference. After the second session she came to me and introduced herself. She said she was concerned about what would be taught that day, but was delighted to hear that it was God's Word which was being boldly proclaimed. She told me that next year she was planning on bringing the women from her church. I was thrilled that she desired truth to be taught, not fluff or feelings, and her reservations were the norm for the women there. They were not taking a day out of their lives to have their ears tickled. Rather, they wanted to know God. They wanted to hear from His Word. I loved their soberness and their questions - many were Berean-like and I loved that as well!

Please pray for the women of the church in Israel. They have the same struggles that we have here in America - unfaithful husbands, rebellious children, family illnesses, financial strain, etc. Of course not all are struggling with these biggies, (yes, there are faithful husbands in Israel!!), but I guess what I discovered is that life is pretty similar all over the world. The big advantage that we have is our resources that aid in our walk with the Lord. We have thousands and thousands of books, as well as counseling ministries in the church that can come alongside us and help us through life. These women are pretty isolated. The body of Christ is strong in Israel, though very small. Fellowship is truly sweet, and as I sat and watched the women pray together, for each other, I was moved at their steadfast hearts. Despite the difficulties, these women truly know the love of Christ and are generous with it - they work hard, give much and are constantly hungry for righteousness.

Finally, I wanted to post a picture of my daughter-in-law, Mary. She was our official photographer and on this first day, the day of the conference, I didn't grab the camera and get a picture of her. This is her on the airplane. She was a doll, as well. With my other little girls, she served lunch, cleaned up and snapped photos. All of my team worked hard that day, even though we were a bit foggy due to jet lag. At one point in the conference, I was on stage and my interpreter was thanking the planning committee before we began the final session. My eyes started to blur and I thought to myself, "I sure hope I don't doze off while she's talking!" Thankfully I didn't, but I have to tell you - jet lag stinks...

Next time I will post a bit about our time in Israel...thank you all for your prayers for safety. We never felt in danger and rested in the hands of God the whole time we were gone!