Streams in the Desert

One problem I find with people is that they rationalise man made structures [like countries] into God ordained institutions. As I read the scriptures I see God calling His people to be a blessing to the nations, we are to be salt and light within our communities. To leap from that to some meta-plan of international political intrigue is, from what I have read of the Scriptures, plain rubbish and dangerously misleading.

Usually such a leap is based on taking Scriptures wildly out of context, a danger Evangelicals suffer from - 'proof texting' it's called. An example of this I have just come across is the 'Streams in the Desert' programme sponsored by Gateways Beyond. I like the people at Gateways Beyond. They are a great bunch of guys and many are good musicians, something lacking in the churches here in Larnaka. Theologically Gateways Beyond is a mix of messianic Jewish outreach and political Zionism under a guise of end times prophecy. The first I am encouraged by - I long to see Jews, as with Arabs, worship and enjoy a relationship with our Lord. The second, political Zionism under a guise of end times prophecy I am appalled by.

I stand and watch appalled as Israel takes Zangwill's untrue statement that 'Palestine is a country without a people; the Jews are a people without a country' and turn it into a battle cry to create genocide against the Palestinian people. Each Palestinian killed is a person Jesus died for and loves dearly. Each Israeli killed is a person Jesus died for and loves dearly. But just a casual look at the numbers of casualties shows a story that, while not being annihilation of the Palestinians, is way unbalanced in favour of the Israelis. Until justice prevails or all the Palestinians are killed we will have no peace in Palestine.

There are two contenting perceptions about the role of the Jewish tribes which some see as polar opposites: There is Zionism, which claims that the Jewish people were and are still a critical part of God's plan and there is 'replacement theology' which claims that the Christian church has replaced the Jewish people as the critical component to God's plan. In both cases there is one special group to receive God's blessing. Neither of them seem to actually capture the heart of God and both are equally wrong. Zionists also tend to interpret Scripture to suit their own ends as far as land rights are concerned.

However, from what I see in Scripture, though God's heart is to bless us, he calls us primarily to be a blessing to others. This is what the Jews seemed to miss from day one - they were supposed to be a blessing to the nations. Yes, check it out, each time its plural nations. And they failed miserably in this calling! Within the Jewish tribes there were the people of God. Abraham was called a friend of God. God had his friends within the Jewish tribes. It wasn't that the whole Jewish tribes were his equal friends. Though Scripture shows he was calling all the tribes to truth and justice.

I suspect that He also had his friends outside of the Jewish tribes too, but I cannot prove that. Maybe my first question to our Father in Heaven will be something along the lines of, 'Who were your friends outside of the Jewish tribes? In Egypt for instance...' but that's another story.

The Bible talks about 'grafting' as the analogy, not replacement. We who follow the Lord are grafted into the root stock, like sweet oranges in Cyprus are grafted onto bitter orange root stock. Thus we continue on the calling of God to be a blessing to the nations. To be a minority within a majority.

Jesus continued to expound the calling of God's people to be 'salt and light' as He put it, and the early disciples never thought of themselves as citizens of a country but as sojourners, just passing through. That is the healthy and Biblical perception of how we see ourselves and the nations we live in. Patriotism should be an anathema to a follower of Jesus.

So, when you look up all references to Cypriots and then claim that these are the 'specific ways God used the Cypriots to bless the Body in the first century and will again in these end times' this is simply proof texting and misleading people to believe things that are plainly untrue. There is no reason for God to repeat Himself. He might, but He is not bound to do and my reading of Scripture suggests he rarely does repeat Himself.

As I read Scripture and observe God working in the hearts and minds of people who follow Him, I see Him treating people according to the way He made them, not according to their nationality. Thus Barnabus was annointed not because he was Cypriot, but because of his character or nature. He could equally well have been Sudanese, Greek or Moroccan!

'Cyprus: The Barnabas Anointing' is thus a collection of proof texts, intragesis rather than exegisis, helpful in part to support the second strand of Gateways Beyond, that of political Zionism. This comes through clearly in their text:

Defenders of Israel Numbers 24v24

Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin.”

Daniel 11v29-30 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

Most exciting, there is a purpose for the nation of Cyprus with respect to Israel that is yet to be fulfilled. Cyprus is also referred to as Kittim in the Scriptures. The Bible speaks of ships from Kittim coming against the enemies of Israel or discouraging the enemies of Israel.

No, this is not Scriptural interpretation or prophecy, but wishful thinking on the part of Jewish believers still stuck in the perception that the Jewish people were and are special. God weeps over each and every one of the people on earth who die without knowing Him. The story Jesus told that we call the 'Prodigal Son' tells us that. Every person on earth is special in God's eyes.

We need to be clear that political Zionism has nothing to do with following Jesus. Following Jesus is about laying down our lives for our friends, its about going the extra mile, not attempting to clear out a country of those living there so that Zangwill can be proved true that 'Palestine is a country without a people; the Jews are a people without a country'. This is not end time prophecy. It's a crime against humanity. The same humanity God sent His Son to die for.

Paul commended the Bereans for searching the Scriptures to check out what he was saying. I wish more people would take a Berean approach to programmes like 'Streams in the Desert'. From what I see, Streams in the Desert does not appear to be 'Contending for Cyprus and her regional calling' but contenting for Israel and finding any people who can help her. As such it's political rather than spiritual. I won't be going!