Professor Solberg and The Bible Roots Ministries joins the dialogue about the dangers of the First Fruits of Zion

 I'll be honest, it hasn't been easy to be the primary online voice discussing the First Fruits of Zion these past almost three years.  I've put a lot more effort and passion into the effort to warn the Church about FFOZ than I ever imagined I would when I first heard about Torah Clubs in the Fall of 2022.  From the beginning the entire Franklin Christian Ministerium has supported me, that has been invaluable.  My whole church, including my board, have supported me, that has been crucial.  But until now, I had only been able to have private conversations with people in leadership at various groups affected by this movement, the public element was missing.  Today that changed.  The reach of Professor Solberg's platform is roughly 1,000 times that of my own, this dialogue about FFOZ has needed to be moved into the mainstream conversation within the Church, that reality moved much closer with the release of this interview.

If you're new to my blog, or my YouTube channel, note that all of my research has been primary source.  I don't write about what people say about what FFOZ says, I write about what FFOZ teaches in their own publications, the things they choose to publish and profit from.  You may not agree with all of my conclusions, that's ok, they come from an Evangelical Baptist perspective, I wouldn't expect them to be universally understood and embraced.  If my thoughts get in the way, look at the direct quotes, I flood my posts and videos with them.  I  believe in the priesthood of all believers, and I believe that the Holy Spirit is more than capable of guiding each follower of Jesus Christ into Truth.  Weigh what FFOZ is saying against the Word of God for that is the ultimate judge, not me.  I am doing my best to apply God's Word to these weighty matters, if I fall short God's Word will not.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #33 Acts 5:29

Acts 5:27-29     New International Version

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

One of the things that has fascinated me as a parent is how silly words, phrases, even jokes, get passed down from one generation to the next.  My daughter Clara has come home from school with all sorts of things that I recall from my own childhood, it just goes to show that time-honored concepts like the cooties will never really die.

A phrase we haven't heard yet from our daughter, and don't care to, but one that teens have been using for quite some time is, "You're not the boss of me."  In the sitcom that ran from 1984-1992, we learned that Tony Danza's character Tony Micelli was the boss, sort of.  At the same time (1984-1990), another sitcom starring Scott Baio was telling us that Charles was in charge.  This is a fundamental staple of sitcoms, much of the humor of I Love Lucy, All in the Family, or Everybody Loves Raymond is the never ending struggle for the upper hand. 

In the real world, the struggle for power often takes on a deadly earnestness.  It is well understood that many people throughout history have been willing to kill to obtain or maintain power over others, but it has also been demonstrated over and over that other people are willing to die rather than live under tyranny.  World History is many things, among them it is a story of would-be dictators/tyrants and the revolutionaries and martyrs who opposed them.

When it comes to ultimate authority, the kind with real legitimacy that doesn't depend upon the threat of violence, the most common struggle in human history has been between material and spiritual lordships.  For much of history kings and priests have take up common cause, propping up the same dynasty that benefits them both.  It doesn't hurt that these two classes often came from the same aristocratic families, making cooperation between them more likely.

But when the vision of secular and religious power do come into conflict, who has the true claim on being the final authority?  There is no doubt, no doubt at all, that the Word of God proclaims that final authority rests in the spiritual realm with God himself.  We see this play out in God's liberation of the Israelites from Egypt as Moses asserts his authority over that of Pharaoh.  It is central to the story of the first king of Israel, Saul, whose power was dwarfed by that of the prophet Samuel.  And prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel again and again proclaim that God's will is above that of kings and even empires.  In fact, the prophets make it very clear that it is God himself who reserves the right to raise up, and tear down, kings and kingdoms to suit his purposes.

Which brings us to yet another reason why 'Christian' Nationalism is doomed to fail: It overvalues secular power.  Power in this world is fool's gold, it won't last and it can never be the ultimate authority.  The people of God are called, instead, to imitate the Apostles by defying the powers that be when they go against the revealed will of God.  Rather than bow before them willingly, or bend before them under duress, we must follow the example of the heroes of our faith who stood for righteousness and against evil in whatever form it took, including their own government.

Who is the boss?  Who is in charge?  God.  God alone.

Sermon Video: Jesus: The Name Above All Names - Ephesians 1:19b-23

In one of the Apostle Paul's beautiful rabbit trails in his letters, he muses on the power of God that both works in/through his people and raised Jesus from the dead.  This thought leads Paul to contemplate the glory and authority that belongs to Jesus, as the risen Lord, declaring it to be above all others that every will be.

The Church in Franklin (Venango County) PA: How are we doing? - What serving here more than a decade has shown me.

 

My wife Nicole and I moved to Franklin, PA in January of 2012.  I'm not a native Pennsylvanian, but we've invested our lives in this town for more than a decade, and raised our daughter here.  We hear a lot about trends, good and bad, with respect to the Church in America, in various other parts of the world, and globally.  But what about the Church, the collective Body of Christ, here in Franklin (with some thought spilling over, by necessity to the larger Venango County)?  How is it doing?  Is it healthy?  Growing or shrinking?  United or divided?  On mission or distracted?  I'd like to try to answer those questions from my own, admittedly limited and potentially biased, point-of-view.  My answers are drawn from my own interactions with pastors, church members, and non-Christians in this community.  I've also been instrumental in organizing and leading ecumenical ministries and worship for most of my time here, so my chances of knowing what is going on are better than most.

Let's leave the question of whether or not the Church here is healthy to the end, that's a fitting conclusion.

1. The Church in Franklin has neither significantly grown nor significantly shrunk in the last decade.

Since we arrived in 2012, our area has seen several elementary school closures, and the loss of most of the workforce at Joy.  Those losses fit with the trend of the population in this town and this county slowly declining for the past several decades.  At some point, unless the percentage of people choosing to be a part of the Church rises significantly, we would expect to see church closures as well.  For the most part, that hasn't happened yet.  On the contrary, we actually added a couple of growing congregations in the area, including Oil City Vineyard (Pastor Charlie Cotterman) and Redeemer Anglican (Pastor Eric Phillips, they worship here in 1st Baptist's building down the hall from us).  Over the past decade plus, some of the local congregations have grown and some have shrunk.  Here at 1st Baptist we've experienced both trends in that time period.  Overall the congregations of the churches have grown older, along with, on average, the residents of the county.  Unless my sense of things is mistaken, we have neither seen great revival, nor significant loss in recent years.  We have challenges on this front to be sure, but certainly no reason to panic.

2. The ecumenical spirit of cooperation and corporate worship remains strong.

As with many things, the Covid stoppage sapped the momentum of our two primary county-wide worship opportunities (Thanksgiving and Palm Sunday)  Prior to 2020 they had grown to 150 or more including upwards of a dozen pastors.  Since they restarted, we've only been in the 40-50 range with 5-6 pastors on average.  The numbers are disappointing, but the spirit of joyful fellowship and worship remains strong with those who continue to participate. 

As a contrary bit of evidence, the Franklin Good Friday crosswalk has not suffered a loss in participation after Covid, we're still in the 125+ range (weather dependent).  

I would be happy to see more opportunities for ecumenical worship, and more people enjoying that Spirit honoring worship, time will tell if we can better recapture what had been one of this community's best features.

3. Distractions are tempting, but Gospel-inspired ministry in the community continues to be central to our daily mission.

We have had a few flare-ups of things that don't truly impact our calling to Gospel mission, but by and large the cooperative church ministries and para-church ministries have grown and continued to impact the lives of those in need in our area.  I'm thinking of our multiple food pantries (shout-out to the hosts St. Patrick's and St. John's) as well as ABC Life Center, Mustard Seed Missions, and Emmaus Haven.  Along with other partners like Salvation Army, Community Services, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Youth for Christ, Meals on Wheels, and on and on.

I grew up in a small town with a minimal amount of this kind of para-church ministry happening, particularly missing were intra-church cooperative efforts.  Some of you reading this may not understand how good we have it here in Franklin because you haven't known what it is like to be in a community without these blessings.  As a pastor it is deeply refreshing and encouraging to see so many lay leaders and lay volunteers doing their part to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Don't take this blessing for granted, be a part of it moving forward.

4.  The health of the Church here is strong and vibrant, but with significant challenges.

In the end, irrespective of how our community might compare to generations past here, or how it might compare to the Church in other portions of rural America, we still will answer to God for what we have done with the opportunities and resources that were available to us in this time and place.  I, for one, think that we've done well.  Without minimizing the failures that have occurred, we have much to be proud of with respect to working together to make a difference, worshiping together, and being a representation of the "salt and light" that Jesus has commanded us to be in the world.  We could always be doing better, Christ-likeness is after all our sky-high standard, but in this case the perfect is not the enemy of the good, Christ is our inspiration and we've made progress in that direction.

For more specific thoughts on the health of the local Church, see the 4 further points below:

4a. Historic / orthodox Christianity is being taught consistently, but it is also being attacked by a Hebrew Roots inspired cult.

In the fall of 2022 I first became aware of an organization that was now operating in our community: First Fruits of Zion.  They had started what they call Torah Clubs and were teaching something I hadn't seen before.  After some research, I spoke with the men and women who serve the church alongside me at a Franklin Christian Ministerium meeting.  The response was both a deep testament to the shared commitment to orthodoxy that connects our various churches, and what a community needs from its pastoral leaders when facing a difficult challenge: They unanimously supported a public statement affirming orthodoxy and warning people not to participate in this group.

Long story short, and those of you who follow my blog and/or YouTube channel know it is a long story, the ministerium stood firm on the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith, the historic and apostolic Gospel, and everything else associated with this controversy.  I was, and am, proud of them.  {For more on this matter: The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs}

4b. Nationalism has divided the devotion to the Gospel of some, but it is not at an endemic level.

The response to Nationalism has been more difficult to gauge given that it is a much more subtle danger to the hearts and minds of those in our congregation than it would be if it was a defined cult like FFOZ.  I certainly have been troubled by some of the local social media posts, including a upsetting furor aimed at local business people about a rumored (but untrue) arrival of immigrants {Venango County businesses were harassed on social media, again, based on rumors. We need to be better than this.}  We have also seen a local couple attempt to turn property in the area into a haven for Nationalism, but so far this seems to have failed to gain the traction that they hoped for. {Why plans to build a "Christian" Nationalist Retreat Center in Franklin, PA is not a good idea for the local churches or our town.}

Would I like to see a healthier understanding on the part of the Christian community that our kingdom is not of this world and our citizenship is in heaven?  Certainly.  Would I like to see less politics and more theology in our discussions and fellowship?  Absolutely.  That being said, there have been much more dangerous reports of churches around the country going all-in on a political / culture war version of the Gospel, we have largely avoided that trap here locally; thanks be to God.

4c. Finding new pastors is becoming an increasing challenge, but the men and women who serve here now are Christ-honoring leaders.  This area is blessed to have them.

One of my responsibilities for the NW area of the American Baptist Church of PA & DE is to help congregations in the pastoral search process (Baptists don't assign pastors, we're all independently employed).  In that capacity I've come face-to-face with the demographic realities confronting every church in America that show we have a significant pastoral leadership shortage, something that will only get worse in time.  I can't speak to who might serve in these roles in the future when finding new pastors becomes more difficult, but I can absolutely endorse the men and women who have served alongside me in the spiritual trenches.  We are truly, and powerfully, blessed by God with honorable servant-leaders.  Some of these have moved on to other places since I got here, I deeply miss Bill Hastings, Mother Holly, Scott Woodlee, David Janz, and my dear friend Jeff Little, and a few of them have gone on to their reward, the losses of Tim Tygert and Steve Henry were felt far and wide.  Yet we have retained some amazing men and women, and gained some new leaders who have risen to the occasion.  I won't name names lest I leave out someone who deserves the praise, but I would gladly recommend a couple dozen pastors in our area whom I know to be honorable servants of Jesus Christ.  We are truly blessed here.

4d. Reasons for pessimism can be found, but most of those regularly connected to an area church maintain hope for our future.

A last thought: We could find reasons to be pessimistic about the Church in the Franklin area today, and/or about its future.  There are problems and challenges, some of which we will overcome, some perhaps not so much.  I'm not in that camp.  I've served here since 2012, which makes me, somehow, one of the longest tenured pastors in the county, and I can say that I remain strongly positive about our present, and deeply optimistic about our future based on the countless conversations, interactions, and joyous moments I have witnessed.

How are we doing?  We are doing well.  We are doing well together: One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Optimism?  Yes, I have it, and you should too.

Sermon Video: Thanking God for you - Ephesians 1:15-19a

After reminding the church at Ephesus about God's wondrous blessings given to them in Christ, the Apostle Paul continues by sharing that he personally thanks God for them.  Not only is Paul thankful to God for saving them, Paul also prays for them that they might grow in their faith and know God more.

Why do they think God is a failure? A question for those who think they alone have the true Gospel

 

One of the things that the First Fruits of Zion (HRM), Christian Fundamentalists (KJV Only zealots), and Latter-Day movements (JW, LDS, etc.) have in common is the belief that they alone have the Truth with respect to Jesus Christ.

But what are the implications of such a belief?  What does it say about God if 99% of those who have ever put their hope in Jesus Christ were actually in fundamental error?

The answer is that in their view God is weak, a failure.

But that's not what the Word of God proclaims.

The Hebrew Roots Movement: Analysis by Pastor Randy Powell of the survey conducted by Ben Frostad

 

 

This material was previously published as a simple blog post, now I've recorded it as a YouTube video.

The following analysis is taken from a thesis written by Ben Frostad, by his own account an ardent follower of the Hebrew Roots Movement (or, as he chooses to call it, the Messianic Torah Movement). It was written as a graduation requirement for the Torah Resource Institute (A One Law organization), and was sponsored by Tim Hegg, who until 2009 held a leadership role with the First Fruits of Zion. In other words, this paper and the survey it contains were created by, and overseen by, true believers in the Hebrew Roots Movement on behalf of an organization promoting those beliefs. This is thus NOT the supposition of critics of this movement (which I admit to being in my defense of orthodoxy), but the views of those from within the movement as portrayed by someone within the movement.

Beginning of Wisdom (Torah Club) lesson #20: Equally blasting the Church and Judaism, claiming both "have concealed the knowledge of God" (because FFOZ believes that they alone have it).

 

I'll admit off the bat, this section contains one of my pet peeves, "taking the Bible literally."  In most cases, when someone talks or writes about taking the Bible literally it is a indication that he/she is about to do an awful job of interpreting the Bible.  Why?  Because the Bible's author's don't take the Bible "literally," and those who have learned to interpret the Bible according to its own ideas know that full well.  Biblical authors write with a host of analogies, metaphors, similes, parables, as well as prophetic and apocalyptic language.  What I think Lancaster is trying to say is that the people he is lambasting don't take the Bible "at face value" or "as authoritative."  But I digress, the real issue with The Beginning of Wisdom lesson 20 is that here Lancaster reveals his contempt both for the modern Church and for modern Judaism.  This is yet more evidence that FFOZ is trying to carve out their own unique (and new) niche in a space that is neither Christianity nor Judaism but some amalgam of both that is unrecognizable to either.

This is not the first time that I've demonstrated the animosity of FFOZ's leadership to both the Church and Judaism, but it is a reminder that the canard that their intention is to help followers of Jesus witness to Jews rings hollow when they choose to display this level of contempt to both Christianity and Judaism, and teach it to their followers.

Let's look at the specific claims to see if they hold any water or are in fact more straw men.

"Rather than teaching the Bible's wisdom, churches prefer to teach creeds and sacraments construed from elaborate theologies that are only loosely based on cherry-picked collections of Bible verses.  They don't know the Torah or understand it."

Now, when the Church is in error, both historically and today, it has earned honest criticism.  This isn't that, I'll give FFOZ credit for writing against things like "Christian" Nationalism (as I have done many times) and other such perversions of the scriptures, but that's not at all the focus of Lancaster's ire here.  It isn't the materialism and greed of the Prosperity Gospel or the charlatans in the New Apostolic Reformation that he's aiming at, but the ordinary churches that are going about the business of sharing the Gospel they inherited and making disciples.  FFOZ, through Lancaster's Torah Club materials, is teaching its followers that the whole Church is adrift and in error, not because of sin or a lack of the Fruit of the Spirit, but because they are not teaching obedience to the Torah.  It doesn't matter that the vast majority of the Church is solidly trinitarian, while FFOZ is not, in Lancaster's telling the thing that makes the Church hopelessly lost is a failure to place the yoke of the Law of Moses upon those who have faith in Jesus.

Perhaps that feels like too much of a conclusion based on this one lesson, and it would be if this was all we had from FFOZ on the topic, but as my seminar and writings have demonstrated, this theme runs through the entirety of their work because they've elevated Torah to an idolatrous level making it the very nature of God, and thus eternally unchangeable (even non-expandable, non-updatable), even by Jesus himself.

Should the Church be doing a better job of teaching the, "whole counsel of God"?  Absolutely.  We need to be open to God's direction and correction to overcome our blind spots and the sins we tolerate.  Is our answer to cling to the Law of Moses as if it has the answers?  Not at all.

"Liberal synagogues steer their flocks away from taking the Bible literally, preferring to offer popular social platitudes instead of the unpopular mandates of the Torah's laws.  In academic circles, men and women who make careers out of studying the Bible rarely believe the words they are studying."

I've spent my whole life within Christianity and the Church, so I won't hazard to speak about the integrity of either the liberal or orthodox branches of Judaism in the world today, but it appears that Lancaster has no such qualms about ripping into both.  As the example at the end of this post demonstrates, FFOZ's leaders have equal contempt for Messianic Judaism as well.  Who is left?  Who is it that is interpreting the Word of God aright and doing God's will in this world?  Ah, that's right, FFOZ and the HRM, and nobody else.  

As I've written about Fundamentalist Christians who think only those who believe exactly as they do are acceptable to God: If 99.9% of those who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are still lost in sin and heading to hell, according to your own view, how pathetic is the Gospel that you're proclaiming and how weak is the Holy Spirit that you're talking about?  We believe that Jesus Christ overcame Sin and Death, and yet your thesis is that only you know the true Gospel, that God was incapable of implanting it correctly in anyone else??  The hubris is stupefying.

Here is that hubris in action from Boaz Michael's own mouth, "Your efforts as Torah Club leaders and students is a direct, and in my opinion, fulfillment of these words of our master. The reconciliation of Israel and the restoration of the world are in God’s hands, but the mission is in yours." (Michael, Boaz, Malchut Conference 2022, session #5, "Then the End Will Come")

I have seen Torah Club supporters over and over criticize the Church for following the "teachings of men."  The irony is incredible, they're risking everything on the belief that Boaz Michael, Daniel Lancaster, and the rest are true prophets in sole possession of the key to God's Word.  That's an awful lot of faith in men.

For other examples of how they view Christianity, Messianic Judaism, and their own self-aggrandized role in God's will: 

An example of of Boaz Michael espousing an antisemitic trope (that they only care about money) at Messianic Judaism:  By espousing these premises, Messianic Judaism has maintained a convenient niche right next to the evangelical Christian church. Since they are not teaching that the Torah is the biblically prescribed way of life for all peoples and nations who call upon the name of the God of Israel, they can conveniently co-exist in cooperation with the Church’s anti-Torah theological assumptions.  They can receive financial support, utilize their buildings, speak at their conferences… – (Michael, Boaz, “Encounters with an Ephraimite: Identity through a Lost Heritage”, p. 8)

An example of Boaz Michael claiming Messianic Judaism falls short of God's will (something he believes that his organization is fulfilling in their place): The matrix of the Messianic Jewish Movement simply is not big enough for the restoration that God is doing in the Body of Messiah. The Hebrew Roots movement has outgrown Messianic Judaism. - (Michael, Boaz, “Encounters with an Ephraimite: Identity through a Lost Heritage”, p. 11)

An example of Boaz Michael claiming that his movement alone has the Truth of the Gospel, unknown before this generation: So, the responsibility of this message falls on us, a small minority of God‘s people who’ve come to an understanding of the gospel of the kingdom and whose lives are being transformed by the undiluted power of Yeshua’s message. And we’re called to take this gospel message to the kingdoms: 'Repent for the kingdom of God is it at hand.' And this prophetic movement has only become possible in our generation. It’s our responsibility. (Michael, Boaz, Malchut Conference 2022, session #5, "Then the End Will Come")

An Example of Daniel Lancaster saying that FFOZ's followers are the only true disciples of Jesus ready to face the End Times: "Until then, however, there’s a small remnant, right. It’s a pretty small remnant of the kingdom on earth. There’s a few of us. There’s a few of us clinging to the Commandments in the testimony of Yeshua as it says in the Book of Revelation." (Lancaster, Daniel, Malchut Conference 2022, session #9, "Band of Survivors")

The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, by Tim Alberta: A book review

 

1. I found the book to be deeply emotional, in a good way.  It connected with my own care and concern for the Church in America on a gut level, I could sense the authenticity of Tim's faith and his heartbreak at what has become of the Evangelical world he grew up in.  The personal sections where Tim wrote about his dad's death were at hard to read as expected, but that same heart-on-his-sleave aspect carries throughout the book.

2. Alberta interviewed, and got honest self-aware responses, from the heaviest hitters in the world of political evangelicalism.  This isn't a hatchet job from an outsiders, instead it is a look behind the curtain.

3. Although I knew about most of the episodes that he builds his narrative around (Jerry Falwell Jr.'s fall from leading Liberty University, for example, or Rachel Denhollander's crusade to help the SBC reckon with the sexual abuse in their midst), there were still gut wrenching new details and head shaking low points that were new to me.

4. While a cry for help, the book is not without hope.  In the midst of the most Christ-dishonoring actions of individuals who claim to be doing God's work are sprinkled the stories of other men and women, mostly less well known, who were/are willing to strive to be like Jesus and to do so with honor and decency.

5.  "Christian" Nationalism as a threat to the Church in America isn't going away anytime soon.  It took us generations to reach this point, a point where politics trump theology and ethics, where winning at all cost is met with thunderous cheers instead of the horror that it deserves, and so the path back to a more Christ-like attitude will be a long and difficult one.

Overall, this is an excellent book, sobering in its unflinching diagnosis of what ails the Church in America, Evangelicalism in particular, but also ones written from a man who firmly believes that God is in control and that his Church will triumph.

Sermon Video: The Competency of God's People - Romans 15:14-16

 

Are you an optimist or a pessimist about the Church's future?  No matter what generation or geographic location that question is asked in, scripture itself gives ample reasons for more than optimism, it offers certainty.  Romans 15:14-16 is one such example, in it the Apostle Paul tells the church(es) at Rome that he has full confidence in their goodness, knowledge, and competency to teach each other.  This confidence flows from: (1) the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is common to all believers in Jesus, (2) the sufficiency of scripture for our faith and practice, and (3) the priesthood of all believers which enable each of us to approach the throne of grace on an equal footing, all equally heard by God and all equally capable of serving the Kingdom of God.  As Baptists, we take these truths and find two connected implications: (1) Freedom of Conscience (aka Soul Liberty) and (2) the autonomy of the local church.  Both ideas flow directly from the competency that we have because of the work that God has begun in our lives and our faith in God's promise to complete that process of transformation.

The difference between self-sorting and self-preservation: Why people choose to leave a church is important

 

An interesting thing happened to me two Sundays ago that has been gnawing at my mind since.  As I always try to do when we have visitors join us for worship, I spoke with a new family in the brief moments before church was to begin.  They were, like so many individuals and families that had joined us for a week, or two, in recent years, looking for a new church home.  Other than visitors from out-of-town, and those who join us of their own accord without a previous church background (an answer to prayer!), most of those who seek a new church are doing so because of something that was amiss where they had previously attended.

Given that this happens fairly regularly, and that some of these new folk will stick around while others will keep looking, my brief conversation with this family wouldn't have stuck in my mind if I didn't have a pertinent section in my sermon on Romans 15:1-6 that I had actually written in as an addition that very morning when I was reviewing my message:

"A quick note, the current habit of Christians self-sorting into homogenous local churches which only contain people who look, act, and think like they already do is in part an attempt to avoid this hard work of self-transformation and discipleship, and thus inherently an unhealthy development in the Church as a whole.  Given modern mobility and technology it will not be easy to overcome the tendency of most people to seek out a church primarily on the criteria of being 'comfortable' there."

At that point in the sermon I added an ad-lib to the effect that the people here in this congregation don't need to agree with me on everything, especially the cultural and political issues of the day (about which most wouldn't know if they agree with me or not given my reluctance to speak publicly on them, as I've noted over the years).

Without sharing the particulars of why that one family had joined us a few weeks ago, I knew it wasn't because they were avoiding the challenges of discipleship by seeking out a homogenous church community.

But, as pastors often do when they realize that a portion of their sermon touches directly on the life of someone sitting in the pew, I hope I wasn't misunderstood, I hope it didn't feel like I was aiming those words in their direction. 

{FYI, 95% of the time the whole, "He's talking about me in the sermon!" phenomenon is the thought of the person in the pew not the intention of the person behind the pulpit.  After writing and delivering more than 750 sermons, I can honestly say that it has never occurred to me to aim what I'm writing at one individual or family, that's just not how the sausage is made.}

Here's why I hope I wasn't misunderstood: There is indeed a big difference between those who seek out a "comfortable" church where they won't be challenged in their beliefs and attitudes, and those who seek out a healthy church where they will be discipled and asked to serve.  

It isn't an easy decision to leave a church, at least it shouldn't be, even if that church has become an unhealthy, even a toxic place.  To leave feels like giving up, like conceding that you don't see much hope of things changing anytime soon.  Honestly, this topic ought to feel different to single people than to parents.  I may feel confident that I can protect myself from negativity in a church that has grown unhealthy and still be a positive influence on those around me, but taking that risk on behalf of your kids is no small thing.  Honestly, I wouldn't let my kid be a part of a church overflowing with the hatreds of "Christian" Nationalism or the materialism of the Prosperity Gospel, to give two common examples, even if I felt called to stay there myself and try to make a difference.  

In the end, I'm not in the business of "sheep stealing."  If people come to our doors because there is a problem (real or imagined) with the place they previously worshiped, we will welcome them with kindness no questions asked, that goes without saying.  Maybe God is leading them here, maybe he isn't, I'm certainly not in a position to judge that matter for them.  If where they were previously wasn't a healthy church, for whatever reason, they will be welcome among us, and hopefully they will find God's presence and the challenge of discipleship in our midst.  But I'm not trying to grow this church on the back of disgruntled Methodists (sadly a numerous bunch in our county given recent events), disillusioned Presbyterians, or angry Catholics.  What I hope for, and what all of the clergy I've known and worked with in this community for more than a decade likewise hope for, is a collective Church in our community that allows those who don't know Jesus to see glimpses of him in us.  What I hope for, and so do my fellow pastors, is that we together may add new members to the family of God, new sinners saved by grace, new lives redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  There will always be a rearranging of chairs within our various congregations, some growing some shrinking, and a flow of people between us, what matters in the end is whether or not that migration is making the Church healthier or unhealthier, whether or not it is supporting or harming our universal collective mission of being salt and light in this world.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #31 John 17:20-23

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

"Oh, we're halfway there, O-oh, living on a prayer..."  That is of the chorus of "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, one of my favorite songs and one I invariably try to sing at Karaoke (that key change is brutal).  I started this series of 62 posts about "Christian" Nationalism, each with a specific verse of Scripture that speak against that corrupt idea, on August 9th of 2022.  I'll admit, after a steady stream of posts my focus wavered and for much of 2023 has been replaced with the need to combat the spread of Torah Clubs [The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs} in our area.  But, once you've taken up a task, it is hard to let it go.  This post, then, marks the halfway point, the rest will continue to be created as time and my need to focus on other things permits...

The passage from John's Gospel is Jesus' prayer for unity among his followers offered up to the Father on the eve of his Passion.  One of the remarkable things about this particular prayer at this particular time is how laser focused it is upon the need for unity among the body of believers who would soon be called Christians, drawn together as part of the Church that Jesus founded to continue his work after his return to Heaven.

OK, so Jesus wanted his followers to "be one," what does that have to do with "Christian" Nationalism?  A whole lot if you take a few minutes to think about it.  One example will illustrate why Nationalism, especially "Christian" Nationalism is antithetical to Jesus' prayer: During WWI, tens of millions of British, French, German, Italian, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and American young men tried to kill each other.  That the vast majority of these young men claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ, who were being order to try to kill other followers of Jesus Christ, didn't matter at all to those in power because the enemy belonged to a different nation.  One's national allegiances superseded, nay even extinguished in this case since it condoned killing other followers of Jesus, one's faith.  This wasn't the first time, similar wars had raged since the break-up of the Roman Empire, pitting Christians against each other in order to further the claims of their feudal lords, kings, and eventually nation-states.  

There isn't an objective way to look at Church History without concluding that God would consider this bloodshed to be sinful.  One may be able to defend those who fought in defense of their family and community, but that rationale evaporates in every other scenario, not to mention the wanton rape and pillaging that walked hand-in-hand with these wars.  It is impossible to say that participation in this militant violent behavior made those who did so more Christ-like.  Perhaps the horrors of violence brought some few to repentance afterwards, but God is not in the business of using evil on the chance that some will be repelled enough by it that they turn and seek the light.

If, then, one accepts the premise of "Christian" Nationalism, that our allegiance to Jesus Christ must be in some fashion melded with, even subsumed to, our allegiance to our country, there is NO hope of unity within the Global Church.  What we will end up with is a host of church bodies split along political lines, and a never-ending sorry tale of rivalries and violence between them that mirror those of the nations to which they belong.

A current example: Why do you think that the Russian Orthodox Patriarch has dubbed Putin's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine as a Holy Crusade?  [Moral Clarity: God help us if we can't see that Vladimir Putin and his war are Evil.]  The sad truth is, the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church has chosen the kingdom of this world, and in so doing, has made a mockery of its claims that it is a defender of Christianity.

After supporting Ukraine invasion, Russia's Patriarch Kirill criticized worldwide - by JONATHAN LUXMOORE for National Catholic Reporter, March 15, 2022.

The Church cannot fulfill its mission if it allows lines drawn on a map to divide those whose first allegiance must be to Jesus Christ, yet another reason why "Christian" Nationalism is biblically untenable. 

The rise in antisemitism around the globe is accelerating, we must not ignore it as our ancestors did 100 years ago.

100 years ago antisemitism was commonplace in Europe, America, and many other parts of the world.  It was also nothing new, having been present and poisoning the heart and soul of Christendom since at least the first mass violence against Jews by Christians during the run-up to the Crusades.  It was a spiritual cancer growing there within the Church that successive generations failed to eradicate.  Spasms of violence, mass confiscations of property, and expulsions from various kingdoms and nations had sporadically occurred, but few could envision that the generation growing up in the gruesome shadow of WWI, who would soon begin enduring the Great Depression, would also be the generation to witness history's greatest effort at ethnic genocide.  When Hitler rose to power in Germany the warning signs began to sound, but they were not heeded, not by enough people and not by people who could have done something about it, until it was far too late.  Jewish refugees were not welcome anywhere, including in America.  {A well documented example: VOYAGE OF THE ST. LOUIS - The Holocaust Encyclopedia} They may have proven themselves to be the Greatest Generation in many ways, but in their response to antisemitism, they soundly and profoundly failed.  As the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed to the world in the rubble of WWII, the rallying cry was, "Never Again!"  Shame at having done too little too late had broken the fever of antisemitism, seemingly, it was hoped.

I fear that we're living in the generation that will begin to answer the question of whether or not "Never Again!" can last more than 100 years before it expires.  

ADL Records Dramatic Increase in U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Following Oct. 7 Hamas Massacre

Russia Airport Mob Hunting Jewish Passengers—What We Know Oct 30, 2023

As I have written and said many times in the past, the failure of the Church to not only protect the Jews of Europe and America from violence and discrimination, but also the failure to fully purge that evil from the hearts and minds of those who claim to follow Jesus (himself purposefully and proudly Jewish), is the greatest failure in Church history.  It is our darkest stain and our greatest shame.

God demands more of us, our generation will have the opportunity to demonstrate through word and deed that we have learned from our ancestors mistakes.

** It is entirely possible, and at times even morally responsible, to be critical of the policies of the nation-state of Israel AND at the same time condemn and oppose antisemitism in all of its forms.  Israel should be no more subject to a "Love it or leave it" mantra than America.  We can love America and be critical of her failure just as we can support Jews wherever they may live without having to agree 100% with what the nation of Israel does.  However, the insidious nature of antisemitism compels us to speak with measured wisdom if we feel we must be critical of the nation of Israel, so that criticism of governmental policies and actions does not give encouragement to the racists who are seeking to harm and kill Jews.

It is also entirely possible to condemn terrorism in all of its forms, even to agree that a government is justified in taking military action against terrorists, and at the same time feel compassion and pity for the innocent civilians that are left homeless, wounded, and killed in the process.**

Pray for the Peace of Israel, pray for the Holy Land, pray for the Jews and pray for the Palestinians. 

Below are links to my previous posts on the subject of antisemitism:

Scripture Abuse: 2 Chronicles 7:14, idolatry, nationalism, and antisemitism

Another Mass Murder inspired by the Evil of the "Great Replacement" theory

QAnon's kidnapping and “adrenochroming of children” is just repackaging the medieval antisemitic Blood Libel, the whole movement must be utterly rejected.

I'm not willing to ignore Antisemitism on Christmas Eve (or ever).

Sermon Video: The LORD dwells in Zion - Joel 3

Christian Antisemitism: An utterly absurd oxymoron

I was asked to pray for a church that is being torn apart by a Torah Club

 

I was asked today to pray for a Baptist Church in Iowa ahead of expected turmoil this evening.  The pastoral leaders and I have been in conversation since February after they watched my initial YouTube video which explained why the Franklin Christian Ministerium had written a public letter warning about the teachings of the Torah Clubs.  As it turned out, this church in Iowa had a sizeable number of members who had been participating in their local Torah Club, a development that alarmed the leaders of the church.  They and I shared research on the First Fruits of Zion (the parent company of the Torah Clubs), talked through our findings, and in general supported each other in this processes of learning more about this false teaching and formulating a response.

Prayer is needed today because the pastor of the church and his wife are going to be meeting with a family that have been members of the church for 40 years, this family is a part of the group that recently began participating in a Torah Club, and when the pastoral leaders of the church (having fully researched the FFOZ) asked them to discontinue their participation in this unorthodox group, they refused.  Sadly, the report that I have received is that most of those from this church who now belong to a Torah Club  have refused to leave it when warned of the dangers.  The demonstration of unorthodox beliefs that should have sent chills down their spines, has fallen on deaf ears.  It is expected, sadly, that this family will be choosing to leave their church family at tonight's meeting.  Please pray for the hearts and minds of the pastoral leadership of this church, pray for repentance and reconciliation on the part of those who have gone astray.  Please pray that this doesn't split the church in the days ahead.

As someone called by God, and ordained by his Church, to fill the role of a shepherd of the sheep, it is deeply emotionally painful when the people we have invested our blood, sweat, and tears in decide that they would rather be somewhere else.  Even when that somewhere else is a church where you have a reasonable expectation that they will be nourished, it still hurts.  Believe me, I speak from experience.  But, when they leave and you know they're walking away from an orthodox understanding of the Gospel to chase after "another gospel" (that actually is recycling 1st century heresies), it doesn't just hurt, it is a wound that won't soon heal.  Shepherds are called to protect the sheep, to risk ourselves, sometimes literally, to protect them.  What do we do when they walk into danger of their own accord and refuse to heed our plea?

Stories like this one are the reason why I've devoted so much time to this issue, why I've written and spoke about it many times, and why I'm teaching a seminar on it starting on 9/11.  What is happening to the church in Iowa is the goal of First Fruits of Zion, it is what they believe must happen, and what they are doing their best to accomplish.  (During the seminar I'll show you the video clips that prove it.)  Please pray for them tonight and in the days ahead.  You don't need to know which Baptist Church in Iowa it is, God has known them since the day the church was founded, he will know who you are praying for as his heart aches for them too.   And please pray for me as I deliver my seminar, pray for the acceptance of this warning on the part of our Christian community in Venango County, and pray for those who have gone astray, may they return to the faith which our ancestors handed down to us.  Thank you.

** Update 9/5/23 **

The initial update I received from the leadership of the church in Iowa is that the family in question has decided to remain in fellowship with the church and continue dialogue on the relevant theological issues.  This openness to correction is an answer to prayer, may God continue to work in hearts and minds with respect to this family and the others from the church who have started down the unorthodox path of the Torah Clubs.  Thank you for your continued prayers on this matter.

Sermon Video: Why the Church cannot replace Israel: God's plan includes them, Romans 11:25-32

There is a simple and excellent reason why the creation of the Church and the instituting of the New Covenant, both at the direction of Jesus Christ, is not a replacement of Israel: God's promises are irrevocable.  What God has promised cannot be undone.  God promised Abraham that he would bless his descendants, always, and so that promise will remain in effect until the end of time.

That doesn't mean God can't change the way in which his blesses Israel, hence the culmination of the Mosaic Law which Jesus fulfilled, and the bringing of God's new covenant people, Jew and Gentile alike, into one family by faith through grace.

Sermon Video: Grafted Branches - The Church and Israel, Romans 11:16-24

What is the relationship between the Church and Israel?  In order to understand the purpose and mission of the Church, it is necessary that we understand how it fits into God's redemptive plan.  Paul provides answers to this question through the analogy of broken off and grafted-in branches with a common olive tree root.

Contrary to the false teachings of the First Fruits of Zion (Hebrew Roots Movement), the root is NOT the Law of Moses, but rather the promise to Abraham which preceded it by over 400 years.  God built the Church upon a promise, not a Law, upon his grace {See the book of Hebrews for the fullest development of these themes in Scripture}.

How then do we relate to Israel?  Those Jews who believe in Jesus are our brother and sisters in Christ, those who reject Jesus are the children of God who have wandered from home, and we as God's adopted children must treat our position with humility, and those whom God has promised to one day restore (the Jews that don't believe in Jesus) as family.

Sermon Video: A Remnant Chosen by Grace - Romans 11:1-6

When his Covenant people rejected the Messiah, how did God respond?  Did he reject them and walk away?  No, God continued to be faithful by working with the remnant that did accept Jesus.  God did the same thing in Elijah's day, working with a faithful remnant to continue through a period of darkness (i.e. the reign of Ahab).

The same thing holds true in the Church Age.  During generations of turmoil or faithlessness, God has held true with his remnant.  Whatever comes in the future, God will continue to keep his promises to the Church, continuing to work with those who by grace have been called.

Sermon Video: Bring them the Good News - Romans 10:14-15

Believing in Jesus is simple.  Salvation can be attained by anyone.  But only if they know about it, only if they get the chance to accept Jesus.

Which is where we come in.  God entrusted this task to us, to those of us who have already found Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Thoughts from our trip to Israel #1: The Global Church

 

There were many things that Nicole and I experienced during our seven days in Israel this May, all manner of insights and wisdom were available to us as we toured site after site connected to the stories of the Bible, and the life of Jesus in particular.  I won't try to list them all here, they're better one at a time with context, so let me just share one observation that jumped out at me again and again during our trip:

The Church is global.

I know, I already knew that, and I hope you did too, but it is the kind of truth that sometimes slips from our minds and hearts as we naturally focus in upon the needs and issues facing our own slice of that global entity and begin to think that most Christians look, think, and act as we do.

At many of the sites we visited, such as the one pictured above at the Church of the Primacy on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, there were these pavilions set aside that tour groups could reserve for a time of instruction, prayer, or worship.  In other words, there are so many groups coming to these places to visit them that those who are the custodians of these sacred spaces have invested resources into setting aside spaces for them.  We often saw them being utilized, and took advantage of a number of them ourselves (such as at the Garden Tomb, pictured below)

What these pavilions don't immediately reveal is the great diversity of peoples making use of them.  English was the minority language in use, people who look like most of our group were not the norm, and frankly the Western Church was less often represented than the South American, African, and Asian.  While waiting to visit various places we had fascinating interactions with brothers and sisters in Christ from Brazil, Nigeria, India, and South Korea.  

In fact, just after the picture above was taken, our group celebrated communion at the Garden Tomb site, and while we did so we could hear a nearby group lifting up, "In Christ Alone" in song through deeply accented English.  Thanks to the layout of the area, we couldn't quite see them, but a number of us began to quietly sing along; it was beautiful.

Statistics about the Global Church are useful, they paint a two dimensional picture, but actually standing in the midst of men and women from all over the world to whom Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, all as eager to learn about the places he visited as we were, really drives home in a powerful way the wondrous breadth of the universal Church.

FFOZ (Torah Clubs) admit that they are purposefully aiming to disrupt and divide the Church

Intentions matters, so do goals and methods.  The Franklin Christian Ministerium has gone to great lengths to demonstrate the danger posed by what the First Fruits of Zion are attempting to do in our midst with their Torah Clubs.  In fact, the level of disruption, number of people who have left the fellowship and discipleship of their previous churches, and animosity toward the traditional and apostolic teachings of the Church that we have seen here locally are an integral part of the overall purposeful plan of the leadership of First Fruits of Zion.  In other words, what they have done, and are continuing to do, here locally they hope to do all over the world.  This is what they want to happen because this is what they believe must happen to bring about the End Times.  They believe they are on a particular mission from God, chosen for this purpose, and are all the more dangerous because of this misguided zeal.

But you've been told this is just a Bible Study, its just about learning the Jewish roots of the scriptures and Jesus.  Don't take my word for it, listen to what FFOZ's leadership has to say...

{All quotes below comes from the video recordings of the Malchut 2022 Conference, a gathering of Torah Club leaders and financial backers, in other words, this is what they tell the insiders, the true believers.}

Quotations are in italics, emphasis in bold is my own addition, commentary in {brackets} is my own.

One of our dreams as an organization is to see post-supersessionist Christianity. A Christianity that is restored to a proper theology with Israel to the Torah and to the Kingdom. Most of us started our journey to post-supersessionist Christianity in the church. And while many of us still attend the church we see it differently now, we see it through different eyes. We see that something is missing. (Boaz Micael - And Then the End Will Come, 8:27ff) 

{Participation in FFOZ starts with people who are in the Church, there’s no reason for them to stay there once they’ve had their “eyes opened.”}

So, the responsibility of this message falls on us, a small minority of God‘s people who’ve come to an understanding of the gospel of the kingdom and whose lives are being transformed by the undiluted power of Yeshua’s message. And we’re called to take this gospel of message to the kingdoms, repent for the kingdom of God is it at hand. And this prophetic movement has only become possible in our generation. It’s our responsibility. (Boaz Michael - And Then the End Will Come, 23:11ff) 

{We alone can save the Church?  A reform not possible in any point of Church history until now?}

Imagine having your home filled with Christians, experiencing the renewal of their salvation, bringing them into an understanding of the gospel of the kingdom, increasing their devotion to king Messiah, assisting them alongside yourself of becoming agents of the kingdom alongside Israel. And this is all through your mission and efforts where HaShem has placed you. (Boaz Michael - And Then the End Will Come, 38:20ff) 

{Why belong to the Church if the real Kingdom work is only happening in Torah Clubs?}

We’re going to return to the Torah and find that its wisdom is the antidote to the fractured and confused world that we live in and a fractured and confused church that we are part of. Some of you might feel like your Torah clubs groups are in some way subversive. Like they’re supplanting the local church. Like they’re not legitimate expressions or legitimate places of communal fellowship. Now I want to tell you the opposite is true. Many people say, many people say, I don’t wanna say it because someone might say, “you said that.“ So I’m just going to say many people say that the institutional church that we have known is not recoverable. It’s not coming back the way it was. It’s going to change, and perhaps a Torah Club or some type of home base communities are the pattern for the future. But know this and be confident in this, the institutional churches’ issues are not a result of your efforts in the Torah Club. They are a result of various cultural and generational shifts. And perhaps it’s the result of sharing a tired message that has not resulted in what it has promised. (Boaz Michael - And Then the End Will Come, 39:52ff) 

{FFOZ proclaims the Church to be dead, groups like the Torah Clubs are the future.}

You are the creators. You are the doers. You are the ones that God has chosen to proclaim this gospel, the gospel of the kingdom, to all nations. What an amazing burden that HaShem has placed upon us. You’ve dedicated yourself to a mission. You might not have the biggest Torah Club. You might not even think of yourself as qualified to teach others about the gospel of the kingdom and yet you are here. And yet your eyes have been opened. (Boaz Michael - And Then the End Will Come)

{Michael Boaz believes his followers are the only ones chosen by God to spread the true Gospel, that they will bring about the End Times.  This sort of cult-like zeal is very dangerous, and will inevitably lead to those who buy into it leaving the Church.}

At the end of the day we are a disruptive movement. We’re disruptors. And a disruptive movement is an ideological idea that’s connected to community to prevent something from continuing or operating in a normal way. We’re introducing an idea that is intended to challenge and to transform the status quo. We’re not satisfied with, and we’ve not been inspired by the direction that the institutional church has gone for the most part over the past 2000 years. (Boaz Michael - What's your IQ? p.1) 

{The Church throughout its history doesn’t suit them, so they’ll disrupt it.}

We have to be disruptors that are very patient in our disruption. We have disruptive ideas. A disruptive idea is a perspective, the introduction of an idea that opposes an entrenched view, process, or perspective. This disruptive idea of ours, it attempts to displace the opinion of the majority in a particular field and transform the status quo. So we are a disruptive movement full of disruptive ideas. And we believe that the church or perhaps disciples must be re-introduced to the Jewish Messiah. And this re-introduction will result in radical changes to their worldview, to their theology, to their practice of faith as disciples of Yeshua. (Boaz Michael - What's your IQ? p. 1-2) 

{FFOZ’s goal is radical change to both the faith and practice of the Church.}

So these ideas, they are disruptive. And to some degree they’re confrontational. They are threatening to established organizations And structures of power. So it should come as no surprise that we should encounter opposition. That we feel suppressed. (Boaz Michael - What's your IQ p.3)  

{FFOZ knows that their ideas are a threat to the Church, to dismantle/overthrow the Church is the end goal.}

Likewise, were in a similar situation right now where we realize that the whole body of Messiah, the whole church, is a mission field as well. (Daniel Lancaster - Band of Survivors, 1:14ff) 

{The Church is the mission field because in FFOZ’s belief system, the Church is full of people who don’t know the true Gospel.}

The leadership of FFOZ believes that the Church is moribund, that they, and they alone, have their "eyes opened" to the true Gospel and that God has called them to change the world with it.  Is it any wonder that the bonds of fellowship and Christian brotherhood have been strained, and at times broken, by this movement?  The Franklin Christian Ministerium's effort against the FFOZ is also a commitment to support and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the larger Christian community.  If your church is being confronted with these teachings, if members of your congregation have opened themselves up to it, don't hesitate to contact any one of our pastors, there's no need to stand alone against this, we're ready to stand with you.