A "Message" by Debbie Dillon

As I was reading Romans chapter ten out of “The Message” by Eugene Peterson, I was taken back by the striking similarities between Israel and the Gentile Church today. Even though Paul was actually addressing Israel, it occurred to me that this same passage would accurately describe the condition of the modern Christian church culture at this very moment.
I rearranged the words from the “Message” to correspond to the “Church,” as if to a certain extent the tables had been turned, and as if Paul were addressing the current mindset of today’s church culture. As a result, this gave me a snapshot of thoughts that had been ruminating in my own mind over this commonality. What began as a therapeutic exercise on my part became allegorical by its own state of affairs. D.D.



Romans Chapter 10: Believe me, all I want for the Christian Church is what is best for them. By this, I mean a vital living relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I want nothing more than for them to position their relationship with Yeshua (Jesus) in first place ahead, and in the front line over their church agendas. I pray for this often. I readily admit that the Christian church today is impressively energetic regarding God, but they are doing everything backwards.
They don’t seem to realize that this business of setting things right on the subject of salvation is God’s work, and He alone is capable of flourishing the seeds that are sown, if we are faithful in presenting it along the lines of His Character. But instead, we have salvation shops right across the street, noisily hawking their wares. After all these years of refusing to deal with God on His terms, discounting the Torah as a mere curse, they insist on making their own deals by assimilating into a pagan culture, all the while neglecting their own relationship with the God they are busily serving, and they have little to show for it. Most of it will be wood, hay, and stubble because they have become so caught up in the building of their church empires and protecting their specific church cultures. Trusting God to shape the right living in them is too simple for them to grasp, and in the process, they forgot what Moses was saying. By their very actions, the Church creates a stumbling block by misrepresenting who God really is. He is not a god made in to our own liking- our buddy, or genie in a bottle if we follow a certain formula. Neither is He someone we can manipulate with our prayers. He is very near, especially to the broken and contrite in spirit. But how can people around this type of church culture call for help, if they don’t know whom to trust? And how can they know Who to trust, if they haven’t heard the One who truly can be trusted by meditating on His beautiful Character? And how can they hear about nurturing such a relationship as their true focus, if they are too busy with church culture type agendas? This is why Scripture exclaims what we are meant to be: A sight to take your breath away, telling all the good things of God.
So the big question is, why doesn’t the Church culture understand that she has no corner on this salvation, or even this Message? Moses had it right when he predicted:
When you see God reach out to those whom you consider to be your inferiors-outsiders because they love the whole law, you throw religious temper tantrums, or give cold shoulders and icy stares. Isaiah said it well. People found and welcomed me, who never before really saw who I was with all your misrepresentations; and I found and welcomed them, once they discovered the Real Deal.
Day after day, God is beckoning the Church, just as He did Israel with open arms, and what is He getting in return for all His trouble lately? Nothing but cold shoulders, and icy stares.

We do not support the erroneous concept that the Church has replaced Israel. P.D.
Shalom.