Palestinian Evangelicals…Yes

I have not been writing much lately other than sermons because I’m reading a ton, researching a ton, journaling a ton, and evaluating a lot of things…a ton. I’m on the backside of my life, and I’ve got to make sure I get it right. I’m not interested in pleasing man or people who want to have their bad doctrine or idols stroked or affirmed. I’m in a post-Christian south that can justify being counter Jesus’ teaching as long as it sells, underhanded, mismanaging God’s things, wrecking people’s lives for some agenda,  misinformed and happy to be so, unwilling to learn, marginalizing of anyone or thing that doesn’t seem to fit…..

If that means I pastor until I die, so be it. If that means I shift vocations, then so be it. It’s better for me to not write when I’m doing that because I may say things that shake people’s sensibilities too much and that just creates more headache for me. But I digress.

One thing I’m passionate about is the whole world. It’s Jesus’ mission (see Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 12:1-3 and then Jesus’ saying it again in Matthew 28:16-20). God intends for all things to be brought back under the rule of Jesus. Humans reconciled to God through Jesus alone from all nations. Systems and nature are also to be brought back under the rule of Jesus. The new heave and the new earth are a reality we will experience one day with all of the redeemed who have believed on Jesus. This included Palestinians.

Unfortunately certain eschatological systems have made an enemy out of anyone who is not Jewish or who is not pro-Jewish state to the hurt and destruction of others who seem to stand in the way.

There is one problem, Palestinian Evangelical Christians who are systematically persecuted by a non-Christian Jewish state. Talk about throwing a wrench into one’s theological system. That one right there does it.

Here’s what you should do, read your bible, believe every inerrant word of it, interpret it well with all the hard work necessary to understand the Spirit inspired author’s meaning, make application to the world as it is and as it will be, then let your systems form around those conclusions. Don’t try to make the Scriptures and your world fit into a neat little timeline produced by someone whose agenda you don’t know.

Read this article, and marinate in it. This is real, and I’ve met some of these people, and there are others in your town, Rome, GA, who could join that crew if you would love them, tell them that old, old story and watch the Spirit birth some new folks into the Kingdom.

This right here is good for you to read and digest. It’s reality.

Palestinian Evangelical