A few days ago, I came across an article by Beth Moore entitled, "Overcoming Deception in Our Lives." The article began with these words: "Deception is the glue that holds every stronghold together." When I read that, something went off inside of me: I realized that so many of the strongholds in the church today are tied in with an ancient deception--the deception commonly referred to as "replacement theology."
In future months I plan to write more in-depth on replacement theology--how it came about, why it is unbiblical, and what the results have been for the church, Israel, and the rest of the nations. But for now let me say it again--let me say it loud and clear: Replacement theology has been the glue that has held so many (perhaps all) strongholds together in the church.
In a nutshell, replacement theology teaches that the promises of God given specifically to the nation of Israel have been forfeited by her and have been transferred to the "church." It is based on an out-and-out lie, that God is finished with the Jewish people--that the Jewish people no longer have a position of authority in God's Kingdom. Nothing from Scripture backs this up. Nothing.
I use the word "church" in quotes because we've come to think of "church" as being a building or institution, when the word translated "church" means nothing of the sort. (The word I'm referring to, "ekklesia," means "assembly" or "called-out ones," and connotes organic community, not institutionalized structure.) In fact, one of the results (or shall I say "curses") of "replacement theology" has been all sorts of wrong teachings--including the unholy, unscriptural dichotomy between "clergy" and "laity."
Due to the replacing of the Hebraic mindset with the Greek mindset, dualism has run rampant in the "church." Thus, in addition to the separation between clergy and laity, the church has imbibed of another unholy separation--the separation between the "sacred" and the "spiritual." Thus, we find it easy to "act one way on Sunday" and another way during the week.
There's the absence of the fear of the Lord in our churches. How can it be otherwise, when we've made a mockery of His word and have decided for ourselves that His holidays and His laws (which were given to Israel as a revelation of His character, His heart, and even His Messiah) are no longer worthy of our time or attention?
There's been the horrific story of anti-semitism in the church. Although much of the church has repented of this, the past is not easily forgotten. Jewish people, for the most part, are still scandalized at the thought of "church." They have wrongly been led to believe that Jesus is not for them--partially as a result of the church communicating that very message to them over the centuries!
Related to the tragic anti-semitism has been the absence of His priority on Jewish evangelism. Just this past week, I attended a series of meetings at a local congregation (notice I didn't use the term church!) led by an Indian evangelist. Each evening I attended, the evangelist quoted part of Romans 1:16--the part that says "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Funny how each evening he left out the last part of that verse--the part that says "first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." I don't blame him; he was probably just passing on what "the church" has taught him. Still, the truth of Romans 11:12 & 15--namely, that the nations will taste of revival once Israel comes to faith in her Messiah--has been for the most part lost on the "church."
The good news is that the tide is turning. Much of the body of Messiah is coming out from under this devastating deception, and as a result the Gospel is spreading like wildfire in certain parts of the world--and is spreading in Israel and among the Jewish people as well. The fact that Israel even exists as a nation is the result of hundreds of years worth of prayers coming from the remnant of believers around the world who heard God's heartbeat and were separated from the deception and strongholds of the institutional church.
And that's where you come in. Chances are that if you're reading this, you're part of the modern remnant of truly called-out ones--the ekklesia. Israel still hasn't fully come into her inheritance. The church has not fully awakened out of her replacement theology-induced slumber. Your prayers are crucial. Your position is crucial. Your voice is crucial. You are crucial--to the move of God at this hour.
Don't be caught asleep. Tap into God's heart, and join me in helping awaken both Israel and the church.
