Caleb’s Call

Connecting to believers….

“Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

We are experiencing a time of great revelation in our generation. The Church is coming alive to the Jewish roots of her faith and are learning that “if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” (Romans 15:27)

Genesis 12:3 is re-shaping the world Christian landscape. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” We are understanding the need to bless the Jewish people – this chosen family of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob who have borne the weight of hatred from the Christian community for centuries of forced conversions, cruel accusations and mocking, crusades, pogroms, inquisitions, and the holocaust. With increased force we are standing with the nation of Israel, not because of any political position, but because she is God’s chosen nation to bring blessings to the world.

We have re-read the admonition from the prophet Isaiah and are appropriating it to ourselves. “You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth (62:8).” We are listening to the plea of the Psalmist (122:6), “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

Some of us go so far as to pray the prayer from Psalm 137:5, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”

Amidst the turmoil and terror, these are good days. God is bringing revelation to our hearts. Praise God for every believer in Jesus and every believing organization around the world who love the Jewish people and who support the resurrected State of Israel. Thank God for the tens of thousands of international believers who bring both financial and moral support to the Jewish people.

But I would like to challenge you to take the next step. Notice carefully Paul’s words to the Galatians, “especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

There is a neglected group of people among many Zionists – the Jewish believers in Jesus.

Thousands of Christians visit Israel annually. Most never touch a Jewish believer. Some do not even know they exist, nor that they are often poor and often harassed because of their faith in Jesus.

Tens of thousands attend rallies designed to bring unity between Christians and Jews. Jewish believers in Jesus are rarely if ever invited to these functions, sometimes out of fear that the unity movement might be thwarted. Imagine that in the context of life during the time of the apostles.

Thank God for Christian Zionists, but let’s take the next step. Develop relationships with “the family of believers.” With them we are doubly related: 1) as grafted-in members of their family and 2) as family members who share in the faith that Jesus is the Messiah.

Let us not ignore those clear words of Paul. That is “Caleb’s Call.” Let us help connect you to Jewish people who have come to faith in Yeshua. Remember them with your own personal support, with that of your home congregation, and from any foundations over which you have authority. Continue to support every God-ordained ministry designed to bring together these centuries-long estranged community of God-believers, but do good “especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Radical Faith

One of the most impacting meetings I had in Israel this past November was with an amazing Arab believer, Mohammed (name is changed for security reasons). Mohammed goes into the West Bank and ministers to the radical Muslims, some of whom are former terrorists. After going through security checkpoints he pastors over one hundred beloved Muslims that he has led to the Lord. His life is in danger each time he witnesses, but God's supernatural protection and grace has covered him and his young family.


Muhammed shared with me that just a few days earlier, the owner of a Christian bookstore in Gaza was brutally murdered. Mohammed knew this man and his family. The man that was murdered left behind two young boys and his wife who is pregnant with a baby girl. Mohammed shared how some people came to her house and asked her how she felt about the death of her husband. "I am very, very sad that my husband was killed," she said, "but, I would be even sadder if he had come home alive. That would have meant that he had denied Jesus."


I sat stunned. This woman's faith rattled my worldview as a believer from the West.
The Muslim extremists will bribe or shame Christians to get them to renounce their faith, Muhammed continued. A Christian was bribed with a car, a home, and a good job, and converted to Islam. A Christian woman was brutally shamed into converting to Islam."


"Do many believers convert to Islam through bribery and fear?" I asked.
Mohammed looked shocked, "Oh no! Believers would never convert! They would much rather die for the Lord." He was nodding his head to confirm my agreement.


I then understood the difference. "Christian" is just a name, a family background into which one is born. "Believers" are the sold out ones who have already given up their lives to the Lord, who do "not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11)

This fearless lifestyle deeply impacted me as I reflected on my own commitment to live and even to die for the Lord.


Tod, Mohammed and Richard together in Israel


Blessings- Tod

todmcdowell@gmail.com

http://www.mcdowellsmessage.com/

http://www.calebcompany.com/
For tax-deductible donations to our ministry, make checks out to "The Caleb Company." Then send them to 68 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203- with a note that it is for the McDowells. Thanks!

Prosperity Gospel

This outstanding article by Asher struck such a powerful note of affirmation in my heart, that I want all of you to be sure and get it, read it, and respond in whatever way the Lord leads.

Repent if you have believed a “poverty gospel” that the people of God were not intended to prosper for the sake of the advancement of the kingdom. God desires that His people prosper, so that, as the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “we may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work,” or, as he said on another occasion, that those who have been idle or lazy should work, so that “they may have to give to others who are in need.” In other words, our desire for financial blessing is so that we can provide for our own, AND ALSO for the work of God, NOT so that we can always increase our own standard of living, while others live in poverty and lack. This is God’s intention for His people.

Repent for having received a teaching about the “prosperity gospel” that appeals to the lusts of the flesh—giving in order to get luxuries that may actually stand in the way of doing God’s kingdom work. In other words, repent of greed.

Repent for not having used the wealth the Lord has given us for His kingdom advancement.

May the Lord open our hearts as we ponder the words given to us by our Jerusalem brother!

You may also want to sign up regularly to receive Asher’s email updates. If so, please go to www.revive-israel.org. For giving to his ministry, you may visit the http://www.tikkunministries.org/ website, pull down donation for Revive Israel.

June 2007
The Generosity Gospel - Asher Intrater

Sometimes I am asked if I believe in the "Prosperity" gospel. What I believe in is the "Generosity" gospel. There is a divine revelation of God's desire to bless His people in every way, including financially. The issue of blessing can be seen at the first covenant of God with Abraham:

Genesis 12:2 - I will bless you.
Genesis 12:3 - In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. The issue here is the intention of the heart. We desire to be blessed IN ORDER TO bless others. Every blessing of God also contains its own temptation and the moral test to steward it properly. Solomon was blessed financially, but in the end, he was lured away from the Lord.

[Notice that in this passage the financial blessing of God is connected to the restoration of Israel (Genesis 12:1 - "Go to a land which I will show you.") and to world evangelism (verse 3 - "All the families of the earth").]

There is a perfect balance to the word of God (a two edged sword). If we encourage people with the blessing of prosperity, we also have to warn them of the danger of greed. Greed is so dangerous that it can result in someone going to hell (Luke 12:16-21, Luke 16:19-26). The problem is not so much in what is preached by "prosperity" teachers, but in what they are not teaching. If you teach just half a message, even if it is true, then it becomes misleading.

This fault can be found on either side. If we teach only on God's will to prosper financially, without the character issues involved, people will ultimately become indulgent and greedy. Some preachers try to attract people to give to their ministry, or to come to their church, by giving a message that is basically an appeal to the lusts of this world.

However, if we do not teach God's will to prosper, the people will remain largely unfruitful and unbelieving. Many times people complain about those "prosperity" teachers, and then in the next breath they complain about their own lack of finances.

Yeshua's (Jesus') teaching is stunningly balanced and stunningly simple: Luke 6:38 - Give and it will be given to you. This is an example of "measure opposite measure," the law of equal action and reaction. I would summarize the basic principles of finances in Scripture this way:

INTEGRITY + GENEROSITY = PROSPERITY

Integrity includes hard work and honesty. Integrity demands paying taxes. If we are to pay all our taxes, give decent wages to our employees, provide for our children's education, we will quickly find that we need a lot more money than we ever imagined. Therefore, integrity demands prosperity.

If we want to help the poor, strengthen the body of Messiah, and spread the gospel, we will need even more provision. Thus generosity also demands prosperity.

Although Yeshua taught on the perfect balance of generosity and prosperity (Luke 6:38 above), He also taught that one is better than the other. Acts 20:35 - It is more blessed to give than to receive. We will be judged, not by what we have, but by what we give (Luke 12:15; 21:3, Acts 10:4).

We are to give no thought to our own provision (Matthew 6:25) - that is worry; nor to our own prosperity (Romans 13:14) - that is greed. We are to be focused on bearing MUCH fruit for the kingdom of God (John 15:8) - that takes generosity; and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) - that takes integrity.

Generosity is central to the plan of God. (John 3:16 - God so loved the world that He gave...) True faith in God will produce generosity of heart. Generosity may be seen both as character and as charisma.

Character means the personality qualities of God. We are to "give to all who ask (Luke 6:30)," so that we will become "sons of the Most High (Luke 6:35)." That is our reward - to be like Yeshua. God has great generosity of heart. I want to be like Him. Therefore I want to develop generosity in all things, including finances.

Giving is also a charisma, a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. In speaking of financial giving, Shaul (Paul) said, "As you abound in faith, speech, knowledge, diligence and love, see that you abound in this grace (charisma) as well" - II Corinthians 8:7. So we are to grow in generosity as both a fruit and a gift of the Spirit.

Just as we are passionate to worship and share the word, so should we be passionate in our giving. We want to be like the "first century church." In that community of faith, there was supernatural giving. Apostolic restoration will include apostolic generosity. (And the businessmen were as much a part of the kingdom ministry as the prophets and evangelists.)

Acts 4:34-35 - All who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet.

This money was used for the needs of the congregation and for the world mission. These saints understood their destiny together to change the entire world (remember Genesis 12). That vision was so exciting that people wanted to give everything to be part of it. The same fire of Pentecost (Shavuot) revival and world evangelism also made them "burn" with excitement to give. Their supernatural giving was "vision motivated."

The gospel is exploding all over the world today, particularly in the poorer nations of Asia. The potential of our giving to multiply results for the kingdom is exponential. Let's go for it.