The worst kind of replacement

My friend Frank came into the shop today and we were talking. Talking about some believers here in Sydney who are missing the point of the Gospel and Torah. Seems we know some folks who are caught up in the Galatian heresy, which may be a new term to some of you. The letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia (a region in Asia Minor in the First Century) contained these famous words,  "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?  This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (chapter 3, verses 1-5)

The rhetorical question of Paul to the Galatians begs the obvious answer, BY THE SPIRIT in FAITH!

So the contrast is clear, that people who came to faith in Yeshua did so by the Spirit of God. And they are going to be completed (sanctified, come to conclusion) in their journey by the same Spirit and NOT by the works of Torah.  Paul says that any other conclusion is folly, "foolishness."

Then in one moment we spoke about 'replacement theology.' And a thought splashed into my mind. The worst kind of replacement is the one where I replace God as the Saviour of my life. Most believers readily admit that without the blood of Jesus, without the grace of God, we would never be saved. We owe our salvation to the love of God demonstrated in the cross. Jesus died for our sins, we say. And if we trust Him, if we believe in Him, we will have eternal life. 

John the apostle said this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (chapter 3, verse 16)

So believers all start at that place. God saved me. I owe Him everything. I'm grateful for eternity. I'm grateful for my salvation. Hallelujah!

But then a crazy and self-consuming idea creeps in. We think it's up to us to finish the work of God in our own lives. I'm reminded of the story of the car park at Christmas at Westfield (a major shopping centre network in Australia and now worldwide). The secularist is driving around and around in the car park, looking for a space, and not finding anything for 25 minutes. His frustration is mounting. He remembers his Christian friend has told him that he often 'prays for a parking space' and 'God provides for him.'  So the secularist thinks, "I'll give it a try." He isn't used to praying, but while driving around he shoots up this prayer, "Lord, my friend Larry says he prays for a space. So, I'll pray this, too, and if you give me a space, I'll donate my ... " (He sees an open space), "Never mind, I found one." 

The humour aside, the way of man is to depend on himself. Jeremiah the prophet said, "Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD." (chapter 9, verses 23-24)

The Galatian heresy is really replacement gone mad. It's where I replace God with me! The way of salvation starts with trusting Jesus, and the end of my life is successful if and ONLY IF Jesus is still bringing me to Himself. I'll finish well if I surrender well to the Almighty, and not take the responsibility to keep Torah and earn the rest of my salvation. 

The worst kind of replacement is substituting ME for YESHUA. 

There's only ONE Saviour. His name is not Bob. His name is Yeshua. I owe Him everything. 

Australia and Freedom of Speech

Who can and who cannot? It's all over the Jewish news this week, and the results may be very long lasting. Is there a content-test for freedom of speech? Should there be a muzzle on sportspeople who want to talk about what they believe or don't believe? 

From the get-go, let me say forthrightly, NOT! Freedom of speech must allow for speech with which I seriously disagree. 

Case in point: A visiting professor at University of Sydney

Peter Kohn writes in the AJN this week, "Jewish communal leaders are concerned about plans for Richard Falk, a US academic who has endorsed conspiracy theories and who is widely accused of antisemitism, to visit Australia to speak at the NSW Parliament and at the University of Sydney." Their concerns have to do with the content of his speech and the effect he might have on the conversation.

Lesli Berger is the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. She says Falk's judgments on the Jewish people "make this function offensive in the extreme."

Case in point two: The continued fallout from Tim Anderson

Joshua Kirsh wrote last year about the sacking of Tim Anderson, and this week in the AJN again wrote about Anderson with "The use of the swastika sends a tacit message to Jewish students: do not presume to talk about these issues. It encourages Jewish students to keep their mouths closed and their eyes on the door." In other words,  what Prof. Anderson did had an impact on Jewish students which was out-of-bounds and thus warranted his being sacked.

Kirsh said, "Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences; nor does it mean the freedom to belittle or degrade students because of their background."

Is that true? I disagree with Kirsh. It is exactly that freedom which both he and I and Prof Anderson continue to have in Australia. 

Case in point three: Wollongong Uni

National Tertiary Education Union branch president Georgine Clarsen said she was "astounded" workshop organisers invited a "fundamentalist" to represent a Muslim point of view. She said, "There is a big difference between free speech and hate speech and this particular man that was invited was on the record as saying very hateful and inflammatory things about gay people."

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David Ould is an Anglican minister in Parramatta who tweeted today, "Freedom of speech must include objectionable speech in order for us to have a free non-coercive society. That's why I support @IzzyFolau - not because I agree with everything he says or how he said it but because each and every one of us depends on that same freedom."

Others tweeted about Ould earlier: "I remember Christian leaders like @davidould and @MurrayJCampbell defending Roz Ward, the Marxist co-founder of Safe Schools (which they opposed), when she was suspended by her employer, LaTrobe Uni, for embarrassing the university by her speech."

Case in point four: Israel Folau

Ould mentions Israel Folau, about whom I've written before as has just about everyone, in his now-legendary fight with Rugby Australia. The issue of contract breaking and homosexuality are not relevant to this post. What IS relevant is that Rugby Australia put into Folau's contract from last year something which prevents his freedom of speech. According to reports, Folau may have his own opinion about his religion and about atheists and adulterers not getting to heaven, but his term of employment prevents his speaking or tweeting about that in public. That's a muzzle which seems out of bounds with anyone in a free society. I wish him luck in this matter.

I'm so glad the thought police are not preventing my speaking out here.

I'm so glad you and I both have a right to speak freely in Australia. Imagine if we disagreed with a totalitarian regime in Saudi Arabia or China, or anywhere for that matter. And we were prevented from speaking out. No employer, no government, nobody should prevent our freedom of speech. Human decency will prevail, as honest-to-goodness people will disregard the nonsense of those who peddle hate or demeaning bullying talk of demigods.

While we still have the rights, let us use those rights.

While we still have the rights, let us defend those, even those with whom we disagree.

Use wisdom in challenging them but let them speak.

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King Solomon gave some advice to humanity about fools and speech. With these I leave you today, to ponder, and to respond.

Prov. 18:2   A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.

Prov. 12:23   A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

Prov. 15:14   The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

Prov. 13:16   Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays folly.

Prov. 15:2   The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

Prov. 18:6-7   A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin,          And his lips are the snare of his soul.

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What do you say?

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If you have time read the articles by Peter Kohn about the American anti-Semite Richard Falk here and Tim Anderson's being fired by the University of Sydney here. or this one from University of Wollongong about an anti-gay Muslim speaker in the Mercury here. 

If I could speak with Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan Mellet is a major player in the music industry whose roots are significant for us in Oz. He describes them in this way in an interview with Adrianna Chaviva Freedman of the Forward newspaper which follows his interview in the New Yorker earlier this month.

He's 24, and Jewish, and gay, and an Australian! He grew up in Perth, in an Orthodox Jewish home and attended the only Jewish school there. For years he had a YouTube following much like a garage band back in the 60s, simple, beautiful sounds. He played "the shul circuit" and then burst much further since he came out 9 years ago. He now lives in Hollywood with his partner of 3 years.

He's a fascinating and complex young man with high energy, great creativity and depth.

Troye was born in Johannesburg, but moved to Perth when he was only two. He has three siblings, and his major musical influence was Amy Winehouse, another Jewish pop star, with whom I would have liked to have had a conversation. Troye co-wrote the song, "Seventeen" with Leland, and they spent months working on an episode and its followon with an older gay man. “I went out looking for love when I was seventeen / Maybe a little too young, but it was real to me.”

When the New Yorker asked him about his status as an icon, he downplayed his role. “I get really overwhelmed when I try to zoom out and get perspective on where I fit,” he said. “So my only response to that fear is to just ask myself, ‘Is this real? Is this genuine?’ And so, if that entails writing a love song or a sex song or a party song or a sad song, as long as it’s coming from a genuine place I try not to really question myself.” 

But zooming out and getting perspective is exactly what I would speak about with Troye. It has to do with mission, and reading the articles about him, it seems to be one of the things an older person, maybe even as old as me, could bring along to him. 

He seems to be a pensive, a deep thinker. Maybe that's from his training, or just the man God has made him to be. But I would hope he does "try to question" himself. Changes happen; life happens; what awaits us is what matters almost as much as what already happened. And we can control so much. Not the results of life, for life is out of our control, but many things we control based on our own decisions.  

After all, Troye gave permission to the two gay Jewish guys who had a proposal moment during his show in October last year. It didn't just happen; he allowed it. 

When 15-year-old Troye and his dad talked about changes in Judaism that might be significant, and his dad talked about homosexuality, that released Troye into 'coming out.' And that decision led to others, of course. Each decision's consequences are a result of that choice. Making good choices are required to make a good life. 

So with all that, what would I talk about with Troye?

1) When you say, "it was real to me," can you tell me more about your version or your perspective on reality? I would try to talk about what makes something real, and how reality is not only shaped by our impressions of it, but also by its own substance. Things are, even if I don't accept their ultimate existence. Things can be real even if I don't believe in them. 

2) He has a mad love for Nutella and a disdain for tomatoes. And hey, who doesn't like hazelnut? But I'd recommend he gets a taste for grilled tomatoes. Why? Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. Check out this link for more. And what young man wants to ponder getting prostate cancer? Nobody, and if taking a few more bits of a South American tomato will lower that risk, so be it, eh?

3) Your YouTube from 2011 was early on, and you may not even believe this any longer, but you said you believed in the coming of Messiah, and though he tarried, you would wait for him. Do you still wait for him? Do you personally believe in the coming of Messiah? I do, and I did when I was your age, and your age when you made that video, too. But as a young Jewish man, I was very surprised to learn that Yeshua claimed to be that Messiah, and that he fulfilled the requirements to be that One. Maybe you will search this out as well?   

4) In fact, the changes you went through from Orthodox Jew to vanguard of pansexuality and Demi-icon in the rock and roll world would have raised eyebrows among your old mates in WA. That scandal you might have caused was worth it, don't you reckon? I wonder if you are ready to raise more eyebrows and come out as a Jew who is considering (I didn't say 'believing') if Jesus really is the Saviour? I mean, there are tens of thousands of us worldwide, even there in LA, and here in Sydney, and Israel and New York, who believe this, and who continue to live out our dreams and fill in with our own flair of life. I think you would do well with this. The #1 problem for most Jewish people in considering the possibility that Jesus might be our Messiah is the social ostracism, the rejection of our community. You well know how to handle that rejection and pain. 

Troye, if we could get a few minutes to speak, I'd be up for it. What about you?