At this point the water is surrounding you and the force of the stream is undeniable. You feel at home with where you are and what you believe. The stream is life-giving and you are moving in a direction which you know is right. However there are some obstacles along the way that obstruct your view and cause you to wonder if this is the only stream. Perhaps you have gone off course because there are so many diversions.
Not only that but there are people along the shoreline who seem to enjoy themselves without getting wet. Some are even mocking you as if you are going the wrong way.
This is the fork of opposition. It is a place of conflicting tides which tug at you in ways that bring fatigue and defeat. The stream is still moving but not at the pace you would like. The deep looks a bit challenging and the shoreline looks quite appealing.
You have entered into the waters of theology. Theology can be good or not. It is literally the study of the divine. Christian theology is diverse and often driven by denominational doctrine. It can be helpful or confusing. One theology that has developed since the first century is called Replacement Theology. It has other names, another is Fulfillment Theology. Its basic premise is that God has transferred the promises given to Israel and the Jewish people to the Church. God no longer needs the Jewish people so He replaced them with Christians, who are now His chosen. There is much to be said about this, but in essence it re-routes the River of God and discards the canvass of History, which God has not yet completed. To them, the Story begins anew in the New Testament. The Old is still with us as a warning and for illustrations, mostly for children’s Sunday school. The prophetic writings, which pertain to Jerusalem and Israel’s glorious future are symbolic of Jesus and His bride, the Church. The curses of the Mosaic Law are still in tact for the Jewish people because of their disobedience and rejection of Jesus.
Sound appealing?
Of course if this were your belief system, it would be more complex and acceptable because you would have heard it from the beginning of your journey. It has been passed down like a baton for so long, that up until recent decades it was the underlying theology of the majority of the Western Church. Most church goers never heard it called by name. For that matter there was little to refute it. When asked, most Christians would say, “I have nothing against the Jews, I just never learned anything about them.” To most of them modern Israel has no relationship to the Israel of the Bible, simply another nation.
To me, this theology is not only wrong, it is lifeless because it is wrong. Nevertheless it has flowed like a stream for almost 19 centuries. In a very real sense the life-giving River has broken off into polluted streams.
Moving into the stream of life at “Waist-deep” has its challenges that require more understanding and skill to rightly discern and divide the word of God.
It may seem arrogant to claim ownership of the truth, but that is for you to determine as you learn what you have not considered. Our goal is not to elevate Israel or the Jewish people, but the Word of God and the God of the Word.
We want you to join us as repairers of the breech and restore the faith of our Fathers to a place of prominence in a vastly deteriorating culture where Christians seem ineffective and even foolish.
The message of the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the story of promise and the power to believe. Join us as we head into deep waters on a life-saving rescue mission.
It’s time to start swimming.