I recently sent out an e-mail to my family members asking the question, "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?" I pointed out, that before answering the question, it would be good to know the difference between the two and I followed with an analogy that helped explain the difference between liberals and conservatives.

Since my family members are a mix of red and blue states, I expected some interesting comments. I was not disappointed. A comment from one of my granddaughters, who is soon to be an Assistant Professor at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, really made me think. She replied, "I'm an independent because a two-party system will inevitably lead to corruption and idiocy."

I realized that the same is true of a "two house" or "two kingdom" system. The division of the Davidic kingdom into Israel and Judah led to the destruction of both kingdoms. Even the revival of Judah following the Babylonian exile ended with its destruction in 70 AD. Out of the ashes of this devastation, two houses (or "parties") emerged: Rabbinical Judaism and Christianity. Their relationship over the past two thousand years has illustrated the validity of my granddaughter's statement.

Our answer should be, "I want to be a member of a one party system, where the party truly represents everybody, and everybody is an equal member." Such a party has not and will probably not exist on this earth until the Messiah returns and establishes His kingdom. But it is the goal that we need to be reaching for, because the sworn promise of the God of Israel to Abraham can only be fulfilled by one united house of Israel. The prophet Ezekiel outlines how we can have one "party" or "house:"

We are to take one stick and write on it, "For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions." Then we are to take another stick and write on it, "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions." Then we are to join them one to another into one stick, so that they may become one stick in our hand. Once we have done this, YHVH will make the two sticks one in His hand and will gather the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and make them one nation in the land of Israel. One king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations and no longer divided into two kingdoms (Ezekiel 37:16-23).

As Messianic Israel we are challenged in identifying the two sticks so that we may, at the very least, symbolically put them back together. While the Jewish people can be readily identified as one of Ezekiel's sticks, coming up with a group of people who see themselves as being the people of Ephraim, Ezekiel's other stick, is a challenging task.

The people who would mostly make up the stick of Joseph, which is in the hands of Ephraim, are the lost sheep scattered among the various flocks that make up Christianity. These sheep are lost to their heritage and to the possibility that they might very well be called to take part in the actual fulfillment of the sworn promise God made to Abraham to give his descendants, Israel, a land of their own for a perpetual inheritance (Genesis 15:18). Most Christians see themselves as the redeemed of the Lord returning to Zion. They believe that the route is first to heaven, and then accompanying Messiah when He returns to establish His kingdom on earth. Wisdom dictates that we be prepared for both eventualities.

Our challenge as Messianic Israelites is to turn the lost sheep in found sheep. Using the story of the Ugly Ducking as a prototype, the first step in accomplishing this transformation is to have the ugly duckling realize that it is a swan. Those who see themselves as an ugly duck, when they are a swan, will never be able to fulfill their destiny as long as they are swimming with the ducks.

The lost sheep need to become found sheep. As ducks cannot mate with swans, sheep cannot mate with goats. The lost sheep need to quit being in one flock with the goats of this world and recognize their heritage and their destiny. They need to be sure they are in a sheepfold, and heeding the Father calling them back to their own soil if they are to fulfill their destiny as part of the people of the commonwealth of Israel.

While the first step may be to see one's self as a member of the House of Judah, or the House of Ephraim, the goal is to be an equal citizen of the commonwealth of Israel.

To accomplish this transformation of the lost sheep of Israel into the found sheep of Israel, they need a herald or messenger to bring them the good news that they are citizens of the commonwealth of Israel. Those shepherds and forerunners (who are found sheep) that feel that the Ruach haKodesh is encouraging them to be a messenger bringing good news of good things to the lost sheep, will find helpful guidance in ways to take this message out in the following article: "The Stimulus Campaign".

Be blessed and encouraged,
Angus

You may contact Angus at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .