Mishpachah Yeshua Newsletter
A Newsletter To The Family Of Jesus From Restoration Ministries
The Hebraic family is not simply an individual or private matter.
Rather, it is an institution in which the whole community has a stake.
Thus, the Hebrew word “mishpachah,” meaning family, not only refers to parents and children,
but to the whole extended family worldwide in the body of “Yeshua”—our Jesus.
[click here for a printable copy]
July 2002 Topic: Raising Sheep for
Heaven
Dear Friends,
For 10 years Sue and I tended sheep at our
farm retreat-center. We raised them for their meat and wool,
but they also provided visual illustrations as I counseled
church leaders. As in any type of farming, everything exists
for specific purposes, and reproduction plays a crucial role.
Whatever you sell must be replaced by offspring.
The essence of our pilgrimage with Jesus
Christ is similar to farming:
• We are called to fulfill our
Father’s purposes while we live on earth, and to reach
our desired outcome—eternity with Him.
• We’re also responsible to
spiritually reproduce and prepare succeeding generations to
follow us.
If you had the land and planned to raise
sheep to sell, wouldn’t you want to know what type of
sheep are the most marketable to get the best price?
Wouldn’t you study the best ways to raise healthy sheep?
You’d take the time to do whatever was needed so that you
could achieve your goals. I wish this intensity of preparation
were as evident when it comes to preparing our children
to serve the interests of our Father for
their welcome at His Throne!
So many goals and purposes of Christian
parents for their children parallel those of the world. Sadly,
many have not fully considered the eternal consequences of
their spiritual neglect. If you emphasize achievement over
character, or education over personal responsibility, or
success over obedient trust, you’re setting up your
children to seek the world’s measure of success rather
than our Father’s.
How do you know if you are raising
children (or spiritual disciples) who follow you on the
pilgrimage to fulfill our Father’s purpose? He caused His
teachings to be permanently written so that you could evaluate
your methods and goals. Our Lord warns His people to
judge ourselves on earth so that we and our children
don’t face judgment at the Throne. As Peter admonishes, “For the time has come for the judgment to
begin. It begins with the household of God; and if it starts
with us, what will the outcome be for those who are disobeying
God’s Good News?” (1Pet.
4:17).
When the Eighth Graders Became Sheep
Students from a nearby Christian school
came for a three-day retreat. Our son Mike had attended the
school for three years before we home schooled him, and I had
been president of the Parent-Teacher Association. The pastor of
the church that sponsored the school was a close friend.
As the kids unpacked and got settled in
their dorms, the eighth grade teacher, who had been a
foreign missionary for many years, shared with me her sorrow:
“As much as I’ve tried, I don’t seem to be
able to instill the kind of motives these kids need to serve
the Lord Jesus. They have a pecking order among themselves
based solely on their academic grades.” Having known her
and her deep devotion to Jesus, her sense of failure touched me
deeply.
“Would you mind if I helped? These
kids need to be broken down and rebuilt if they’re ever
going to have the attitude that serves the interests of Jesus.
Let me coordinate their activities for the next 3 days.”
With her permission I devised a plan.
First, I had the girls challenge the boys
to a race. While they shoveled the chicken coop, the boys
cleaned out the sheep pen. What began with some grumbling
started to bring them together. Then the assignments got
progressively harder. What I watched for were the helpful kids—the ones who were aware of others’ needs and
served them. When everyone else was tired, they were the ones
pouring cups of water or rubbing sore backs. As I spotted kids
with these qualities, I complimented them and encouraged the
rest to take notice of those who served
others.
[During many youth retreats I’d
survey the group at the end of their stay about who they
admired the most during the retreat. It was ALWAYS the young person who served others without
concern for him/herself.
Interestingly, although the ones with servant hearts were
recognized and appreciated on retreats, back on their own turf
these qualities weren’t highly regarded. Achievement and
good looks were the criteria back home, and many youth
directors fell right into affirming worldly qualities.
Popularity and the desire for recognition are seductive.]
On the afternoon of the third day we had a
picnic and swam in the river that flowed below the retreat
center. The lodge was a long uphill walk from the river. I mean
LONG and STEEP! When we were getting ready to make the trek
back, the willing helpfulness of everyone was overwhelming! As we stopped halfway back
for a breather, the teacher sat down and cried for joy. In
between tears and laughter she told everyone how pleased she
was with the caring nature each of them had come to cherish.
And they knew they were changed! That special time knit
them together in a unified bond. The teacher died of cancer a
few years later, and I can picture the “Well done!”
she heard as her name was spoken to all the hosts of heaven.
When the Pilgrimage Ends,
How Will You Be Judged?
Unless we parents and those responsible
for discipling others clarify from the Scriptures God’s
ultimate goal and purpose for our children and disciples, we
can, with good intentions, unwittingly be preparing them for
their own destruction. Just as the Christian school mentioned
earlier emphasized “academic excellence” but missed
the importance of infusing Christ-like character qualities,
many of us can miss the mark as well.
Paul reminded Timothy that there are
certain people we must please in life, and requirements to
fulfill if we are to achieve victory:
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have
heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure
hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one
serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete,
he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim.
2:1-5). WHO must be pleased when our pilgrimage is over? By
what standard will He judge us?
Please stop and read the parable of the
sheep and goats found in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus never changes.
Our righteousness is found in Him alone, but are we walking in that
righteousness? Do you think He will change the criteria for
entering His presence when you or your children arrive at the
throne? Ponder this passage carefully: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all
the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly
glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats” (v.
31,32).
I believe Jesus is warning all of us to
seriously consider the love He demands, the love in which His
followers are more concerned for the welfare of others than for
themselves. Especially true is our concern for those who can
never repay us.
“Then the righteous [sheep] will
answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The
King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me’” (v. 37-40).
But to those who fail to reflect His vital
character quality of love, only one outcome awaits: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into
the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels...Then
they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to
eternal life” (v. 41,46).
Are you sure that you are teaching your child(ren) or
disciple(s) about a life of loving and obedient trust that will
get them welcomed at the Throne? Do you and your children
actively show care for the least of
the brothers of [Jesus]? Do you
have the courage to review and possibly reconsider your
thinking?
Sheep Fit for Heaven
You know how much we emphasize the home as the
basic building block for all spiritual development. As parents
we want to encourage you to biblically discern your
responsibility to your family. Every
other desire you have for your children pales in light of the
standard by which they’ll be judged when they face the
Lord Jesus. He will not be the
little child in your children’s manger set. They will
meet Him as KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. At the end of our
earthly pilgrimage the Lord Jesus has revealed His
standard of judgement for all of us—”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
I know that to some of you this may sound
like earning heaven through works. Not at all! I am
writing about evidence. If we have the indwelling Holy Spirit as the
seal of our Father consummating His Covenant with us, then we
will fulfill His purposes: “For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). In light of God’s
criteria for judgment, won’t His Spirit guide you to help
those who can never repay you? Your children need to learn this
from you.
Trust in the words of Jesus, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has trust in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I
am going to the Father” (John
14:12). In Covenant union with our Father, we have the desire and
power to do the things that glorify Him. This is the evidence
of His indwelling Spirit that we will be welcomed at the
Throne! What testimonies do your children or disciples hear
from you to evidence that your pilgrimage will ultimately find
you welcomed into heaven? If you don’t have any
testimonies that would convict you in the court of Jesus that
you really are His follower, then now is the time to stop and reconsider.
Not only are you hurting yourself, but you are leading your
children down the broad road to destruction.
True Servanthood: A Life of Loving-Justice
Your parents probably taught you social
graces which you’ve passed on to your children. Good
manners enable people to get along in society. But often the biblical foundations are overlooked—those principles that please our Father
and are the solid ground for our children to be prepared to be
welcomed into eternity. Many think that one of the highest
character qualities they can teach their children is to be kind. But this
falls way short of what our Father commands. His standard is
what I term “loving-justice.” It is more than a
social grace. It is seen in someone who is so emptied of
himself that his thought-life is consumed with how he can serve
others. Consider the example Jesus presented of a lovingly just
man, the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
The expert in the law had answered
Jesus’s question correctly, “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love
your neighbor as yourself” (v.27). But when he asked Jesus, “Who
is my neighbor?”, the Lord
told him about a lovingly-just man. Jesus had already taught
the standard of loving-justice by which each of us can evaluate
our actions, “So in
everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums
up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12). The Samaritan involved himself in the mishap to
the degree he would have desired help. Many Christians today
cringe at the extent of his servanthood, but remember, the Lord Jesus used him as the standard.
For most of us, our relationships with
others are often consciously or unconsciously negotiated for
our own self-interest. We may think, “You scratch my back
and I’ll scratch yours.” But our Lord’s
requirement calls for us to go outside our comfort zone and
serve those who cannot repay us:
“Then Jesus said to his host,
‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your
friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if
you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But
when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot
repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the
righteous’” (Luke
14:12-14).
Going Beyond Kindness to Servanthood
The yardstick by which all our attitudes
and behaviors are judged is the character of Jesus. By His
standard we are compelled to stretch beyond our comfort zone. “To this you were called, because Christ
suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should
follow in his steps” (1
Peter 2:21).
Kind people who lack a heart of justice don’t
go the distance the Lord requires of them. They evaluate their
actions from their own perspective, not from that of the
recipient. Kindness without justice makes it easy to pull out
your wallet, but withhold yourself from the fullest extent that
the other person needs you. Consider the following verses and
the standards of behavior and attitude our Lord Jesus demands:
“I tell you,
• Do not resist an evil person. If
someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other
also.
• And if someone wants to sue you and
take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
• If someone forces you to go one
mile, go with him two miles.
• Give to the one who asks you, and
do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
• You have heard that it was said,
'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
• He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will
you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
• And if you greet only your
brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even
pagans do that?
• Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect. ” (Matt.
5:39-48).
Think of situations in your own life in
which you’ve experienced some of these challenges
to test your heart. How did you respond? Ask your children or
disciple to describe their response to any of the above
confrontations. Was there a gap between Jesus’ commanded
response and their own? Is forgiveness needed in any of these
situations, from either our Lord or from another person?
Your Thought Life and Actions
Must Conform to Jesus
None of Jesus’s teachings will ever
matter to you, nor will you ever be able to carry them out if
you do not take seriously the command discussed in our June
2002 newsletter: “Take every
thought captive and bring it into obedience to Jesus.” It is only the
Spirit of Christ that will enable
you to live out His commands. But your willing obedience is
the evidence that you do have the Holy Spirit, and that your
pilgrimage is heading for the desired destination.
I’d like to close with the criteria
for faith communities that we shared in our February 2002
Mishpachah. Are these part of the faith-practice that your children
or disciples are experiencing?
1. Our fellowship with others must spur us on to glorify our Father through praise, worship, and living testimony.
2. Our fellowship with each other should
result in growth in Christlikeness in each person.
3. Our fellowship must provide the
corrective/confrontational means to assist each other toward entering the narrow gate.
Please have the courage to stop and
reconsider your path before your pilgrimage ends. There is no Court of
Appeals in heaven, and now is the appointed time to be walking
in Spirit and in truth so that His presence can be clearly seen
in both your words and your actions.
Our love,
Mike & Sue
As we finished writing this newsletter we
received the following story from Gene & Betty Steele who
minister among the Tohono O’Odham people in Casa Grande,
Arizona. I think you will agree the story captures the heart of
a “sheep.”
THE CAB RIDE
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a
living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was
dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or
twice, wait a minute, then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished
people who depended on taxis as their only means of
transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always
went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my
assistance, I reasoned to myself.
So I walked to the door and knocked.
"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I
could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a
long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood
before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with
a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase.
The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years.
All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks
on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In
the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and
glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the
car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then
returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked
slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat
my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an
address, then asked, "Could you drive through
downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I
answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said.
"I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice." I
looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
"I don't have any family left," she continued.
"The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly
reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you
like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through
the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked
as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood
where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.
She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had
once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of
a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the
darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing
the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go
now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a
driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon
as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her
every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the
trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was
already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe
you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said. "You have to make a
living," she answered. "There are other
passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent
and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an
old woman a little moment of joy," she
said. "Thank you." I squeezed
her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a
door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that
shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that
day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an
angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What
if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then
driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I
have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned
to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great
moments often catch us unaware—beautifully wrapped in
what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU
DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT ~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU
MADE THEM FEEL.
How do you think this man’s family
felt when he arrived home to tell them what happened in his
cab? Please ask our Lord to give you a lovingly just heart and
watch what happens....
