Category: born-again Jew

The Little Flock #1

Sunday, December 4, 2011

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32 KJV)

Christendom enjoys claiming the previous verse, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things [the material goods of verses 24-30] shall be added unto you” (verse 31). Yet they do not enjoy the verse after today’s Scripture (verse 33): “Sell that ye have, and give alms….” Today’s Scripture identifies the audience of verses 31 and 33—“the little flock,” not us!

Throughout the Bible, God refers to Israel as sheep (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6; et al.). In one parable (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7,10), Jesus likens Himself to a shepherd, who has 100 sheep (the nation Israel). One sheep is lost and cries for help, so He seeks that one sheep. This one sheep symbolizes Jews who acknowledge their lost (unsaved) condition. The other 99 sheep (most Jews) willingly continue in spiritual ignorance.

Notice the adjective “little” in the term “little flock.” Even after Israel saw her Messiah Jesus perform miracles, signs, and wonders, most of them ignored Him. Very few Jews trusted in Jesus as Messiah—the Bible says only 120 believers were in Jerusalem at the end of Christ’s earthly ministry (Acts 1:15). The “little flock” was little indeed!

Although 8,000 Jews were saved during early Acts (Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4), that was just a fraction of Israel. Millions of Jews did not believe. Those who did believe during John the Baptist’s ministry followed his water baptism: the little flock is “a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). Any Jew who was saved in early Acts obeyed Peter’s instructions of Acts 2:38, and joined that little flock of Jewish believers from Christ’s earthly ministry.

The “little flock” encompasses all Jewish believers from Christ’s earthly ministry, early Acts (pre-Acts chapter 9), and the Tribulation (it does not include any Jewish believers today). In Galatians 2:9, the little flock is called the “circumcision” and in John 21:15-17 they are called “sheep” and “lambs.” Unlike us, they are not members of the Church the Body of Christ. As today’s Scripture indicates, the little flock is the recipients of Christ’s earthly kingdom.

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Are You a Nominal Christian?

Sunday, October 30, 2011

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9 KJV).

The title “Christian” was such a hateful, derogatory term in the first century A.D. It was used to describe a small number of people who lived such “Christ-like” lives, conversations that communicated God’s grace instead of the world’s vile standards. Today, over two billion people identify themselves as “Christian.” Nevertheless, we have not lost sight of what the Bible says about nominal believers.

Unbelieving Jews and saved Jews look alike on the outside. In Jesus’ day, millions of Jews practiced Judaism. While they had the outward physical circumcision of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, very few had the inward spiritual circumcision of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Physically, they were all Jews. Spiritually, most of them were not Jews—they were not God’s spiritual children, but Satan’s children (John 8:44). These lost Jews had never been born-again (they had not received the spiritual circumcision of Romans 2:28,29).

In today’s Scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ describes these “nominal believers” (cf. Mark 7:6). Scribes and Pharisees (Israel’s religious leaders) loved to keep the Mosaic Law and feel “religious,” but the Lord Jesus claimed it was vain worship. They appeared to do everything that God told Israel. However, they disobeyed the commandments they hated and embraced the tradition of men (Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:8-13)!

Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 to describe these “hypocrites.” Despite their godly façade of Matthew 23:27-36, they were not God’s children (“their heart is far from [God]”).

God is not fooled. He knows the hearts of those who are saved and those who are lost. Are you a nominal Christian, in name only? Have you truly trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, thereby being rightfully called a “Christian?” Or are you just a church member who merely professes to be a Christian? Friend, it makes an eternal difference!