When a mother recently asked how to teach her son about God when she is Jewish and her husband is Christian, I replied saying the following.
The good news is Jesus Christ was a Jew, as were His apostles and the majority of His disciples during His earthly ministry.
Beginning and building upon your Judeo-Christian values is a great place to start. Even the apostle Paul (whose ministry was primarily to the Gentiles) acknowledged the Judaic roots from which Christianity originates and is to this day upheld (read chapter Romans 11 in the Bible).
I journeyed to Israel, the land of the Bible, for the first time last year and enjoyed it thoroughly. There are many wonderful spiritual tours you can take concerning the ministry of Christ and thereby simultaneously connect with both your Jewish and Christian roots.
Jesus Himself strictly kept and adhered to the law of Moses, fulfilling it entirely. The difference is the Judaic law is a shadow of the substance of better things promised by the Jewish prophets in Christ.
God spoke through the Jewish prophet Ezekiel saying, "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Christ was a child of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), born of the virgin Mary as foretold by the Jewish prophets. Christ came not to fight and wrestle over religion and the many rules that man-made religionists impose upon people, but rather to bring about a spiritual new birth within the heart of mankind (John 3:1-17) and thereby build a spiritual kingdom (Luke 17:20-21; Romans 14:17) to bring heaven to earth.
Therefore the letter of religion kills, but the Spirit and heart of the Creator imparts love, life and liberty (see 2Corinthians 3:6).
Transcend religion and tradition to taste and see for yourself that God is good!
Religion can be boring and constraining, whereas the Creator is always fun, loving, liberating and life-giving.
You will best learn and teach your son (and yourself) theology, as you happily travel together to explore your world, have fun experientially and rejoice in the Creator and creation making new discoveries daily.
Paul F Davis - author of God vs. Religion and worldwide minister
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
info @ PaulFDavis.com
Second, it has not been the practice of The Foursquare Church to draw conclusions hastily in such situations. Our own history as a movement is marked by miracle visitations, both in the United States and in many nations around the world where our ministry extends. We have seen pure, wise, and trustworthy leaders scorned by cynics—at times, even scorned by church leaders who oppose miracles in our time on any terms. That is one reason our general response is to be “slow to speak,” as the Bible instructs (James 1:19). It is for that same reason that we tend to position ourselves as Gamaliel did (Acts 5:34-41)—the rabbi whose influence is reported by the Apostle Paul as having shaped his own thinking in significant regards (Acts 22:3).
As president of our fellowship, and in conjunction with the elders serving on our board and the executives serving in our offices, I recommend that we all give ourselves to prayer for God’s grace upon us as a fellowship of churches. We want to be available to His Spirit, instructed by His Word, open to His will, and humbly slow to pass judgment on things that are outside our purview. We are not called to answer for any other ministry or its report; our responsibility is to seek to serve our flock, teach our people God’s Word and wisdom, and keep ourselves open to to the precious workings of His Spirit.
For the time being, our desire is to live in hope, believe for God’s best in our day, and counsel our leaders and our people to be filled with the Spirit of God. We ask the Spirit to give us humility in discernment and to guard our souls from being either gullible, doubt-prone, or resistant to whatever God may seek to do that proves Christ-exalting, Word-verifying, and enduring beyond sensation or mere excitement. With time, whatever is taking place in Lakeland and through activities issuing from its happenings will either verify or discredit the source of the manifestations.
We are in an hour of history, both nationally and internationally, that calls us to prayer and fasting. Let us give ourselves to seeking God, and let us give place to His visitation in ways that please His heart, seek His glory, and honor His Son, our Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and Soon Coming King.
http://www.PaulFDavis.com - licensed Foursquare minister and author of God vs. Religion
Invite Paul to speak in your city!
RevivingNations@yahoo.com (or) gmail.com
If you liked what you read, check out Paul’s new book “A New Earth - Connect with Your Creator & Experience Endless Awakenings”
Paul’s new book at http://paulfdavis.com/booksvideos.htm
Paul Davis is a worldwide minister who moves in the miraculous to touch and transform humanity.
Paul has a unique ability to hear the voice of God, naturally bring forth the supernatural in a playful and heartfelt fashion, unlock and simply explain divine mysteries, impart life changing revelation, and usher in powerful manifestation bringing heaven to earth.
Paul is the author of several books including Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; God vs. Religion; United States of Arrogance; Poems that Propel the Planet; Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery 101; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; and many more!
Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul’s Dream-Maker Ministries builds dreams, transcends limitations, & reconciles nations.
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
