Happy Reformation Day! I wonder, in what areas does the modern church still need reforming? What dangers and blind spots do we face? A few that come to mind…

• Lack of reverence for the Lord’s Day
• Self-centered theology in our songs
• Pragmatism in our church growth
• Mysticism that supplants the Word of God
• Ignoring biblical male/female roles
• Prayerlessness
• Earthly mindedness
• Politicizing the pulpit
• Underemphasizing the Second Coming of Christ

The Reformers used an expression, “semper reformanda,” meaning “always reforming.” We always have room for growth. As Jesus said to the church in Sardis, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (Revelation 3:2).

Which of these do you think is a major problem? What would you add to the list?

I didn’t have a chance to post earlier on the Charlie Kirk memorial but wanted to share a few thoughts here. My personal response is overwhelmingly positive – with a couple words of caution.

First, the good. We should rejoice that at one of the largest funerals in American history, worship leaders and speakers did not just give a perfunctory nod to Charlie’s faith, but shared the explicit Christian gospel – how we deserve death, how Christ died for our sins, and how forgiveness is possible only through repentance and faith in Christ. We should rejoice that millions of viewers, along with our nation’s highest leaders and so many young people, got to hear and see the effects of the gospel.

I’ve heard reports that many high school and college students are attending church for the first time and desperately asking to get a copy of the Bible. There really are signs of genuine revival. What an answer to prayer that would be! I don’t mind political leaders talking about God and country together. I was glad to hear it. America would not be what it is apart from our strong Judeo-Christian roots. I hope Charlie’s life and death cause many to dig into the claims of the Christian worldview that led to the greatest nation in history (as far as liberty, wealth, innovation, diversity, and opportunity are concerned).

Now, a word of caution. It was just surreal to have a memorial service, worship service, and political rally all wrapped up in one event. At best, it was an inspiring display of civil religion with clear recitations of the gospel. At worst, it could conflate the MAGA movement with Christianity. There is overlap in these movements, but we dare not mistake one for the other. Our faith is in Jesus Christ alone — not in any mortal man. Christianity is bigger than any leader, any movement, or any nation. Jesus did not say, “I will make America Great again.” He said, ‘I will build my church.” Nations rise. Nations fall. But the Word of the Lord endures forever. Certainly we want society to flourish. I believe that conservative, generally Republican, values lead to this (things like free enterprise, limited government, freedom of speech, free exercise of religion, etc.). We also know that true and eternal flourishing comes only through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Along these same lines, there is also risk of Catholics and Protestant Christians sharing a platform together when talking about our faith. We have much in common, but we also have significant differences that get to the very heart of the gospel (remember the Protestant Reformation). While we can and should be “co-belligerents” in the culture wars, the Apostle Paul made clear that spiritually, we are not the same (see the Book of Galatians). I’m grateful for my Catholic friends, and I pray God will use those in places of leadership to preserve our religious freedom, but insofar as last Sunday’s memorial was a worship service, I don’t think it was helpful to the Christian faith to have Catholics on stage talking about Jesus when Scripture says they preach another gospel. This is the same error Billy Graham fell into later in his life. Maybe the memorial service struck the right balance. Maybe it crossed the line. I don’t know. But we dare not think that when it comes to our understanding of the gospel, that Evangelicals and Catholics are the same.

In spite of all this, we have much to be thankful for in what happened Sunday at State Farm Stadium. To God be the glory, great things he has done!

Thank you all who followed me on this journey of remembering my semester in Israel. It’s been a joy to pull out old journals and emails, relive many of these moments, and learn some new lessons along the way.

If you ever get the chance to travel to Israel, do it! I’d love to go back, and for Natalie and the kids to see it someday. Israel is a land like no other. Walking its paths will transform your understanding of the Bible. I don’t think I could ever get enough of this place.

For anyone interested, here’s a complete list of blog posts describing my IBEX adventures.

January 22 – Israel…25 Years Later
January 23 – Flying to Israel
January 26 – Arrived in Israel
January 27 – First Visit to Jerusalem
January 28 – Meals at the Moshav
January 29 – Notes from Jerusalem Assembly
January 30 – City View and Chilly Weather
January 31 – Snow Day in Israel
February 4 – Everyday Life in Israel
February 5 – Visiting the Temple Mount
February 6 – Meeting the Locals
February 8 – Solomon’s Stables
February 10 – Benjamin
February 12 – Multi-cultural Worship
February 18 – All Roads Lead to Jerusalem
February 19 – Walking in the Footsteps of Abraham and David
February 24 – Samaria
February 27 – We Dig Israel
March 1 – Preparing for Egypt
March 3 – Cairo
March 4 – Aswan
March 5 – Luxor
March 6 – Valley of the Kings
March 7 – Egyptian Treasure
March 12 – Hezekiah’s Tunnel
March 16 – Lavish Prairies of the Shephelah
March 17 – Western Wall Tunnel
March 19 – Papal Pilgrimage and Purim Party
March 23 – Negev Day One – Beersheba and Nahal Zin
March 24 – Negev Day Two – Red Sea and Tabernacle
March 25 – Negev Day Three – Masada & Dead Sea
March 28 – Springtime in Israel
April 1 – Galilee Day One – Caesarea and Mt. Gilboa
April 2 – Galilee Day Two – Nazareth and Mt. Arbel
April 3 – Galilee Day Three – Capernaum and Boat Ride
April 4 – Galilee Day Four – Golan Heights
April 6 – Galilee Days Five & Six – Free Time and Water Hike
April 7 – Jordan River and Beth Shean
April 11 – Israel Museum
April 12 – Neot Kedumim
April 13 – Modern State of Israel
April 18 – Samaritan Passover
April 19 – Passover Seder
April 22 – Jerusalem Tomb Tour
April 23 – Hiking Wadi Qilt
April 27 – New City of Jerusalem
May 2 – Reflecting on Israel
May 4 – The Great Provider

Continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Ps. 122:6)

May 4, 2000. Yes, God is the Great Provider! Thank you for all your prayers concerning our flight situation. I have good news: we’ll all be going home in the next two days! Yes, that’s right! God made a way for all of us. He is so gracious.

The IBEX profs and the Bible faculty back at TMC worked very hard to get us home as soon as possible, and it seems they were 100% successful. Unfortunately, TMC is $20,000 in the hole, but at least all of us will be home.

Everyone has a ticket home, though some won’t make it until Saturday. The first of two groups leave tonight on TWA #885 and will arrive in LAX on Friday morning at 10:45am.

When I step off the plane, I’ll be greeted by my fiancé and my parents, and then, one day later, I’ll be graduating! Needless to say, these next few days will be rather eventful. Yahoo!

~Stephen

P.S. “Shalom’ from Israel, one last time

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’ve been sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

May 2, 2000. It’s hard to believe, but the end has come. My finals are finished, our field trips are done, and now, only 48 hours remain until I depart from the Land of Israel.

How does one leave the Promised Land after 3 1/2 months and casually assimilate back into a normal routine in America? Is it possible? In some ways, I’m sure my life will forever be changed as a result of this experience. In other ways, however, I know that living the Christian walk will be just as hard as ever.

I’ve seen almost every square inch of this great land, from the northernmost Lebanese border to the port of Eilat on the Red Sea, from the Mediterranean Coast to the waters of the Jordan River. The cities and regions of the Bible are no longer foreign words, but familiar places with vivid memories. And now, the most difficult task begins – putting all of the knowledge into practice.

The excitement of Israel is coming to an end, but my responsibility is just beginning. God has graciously provided beyond all I could ask or think, and I firmly believe that “much will be required” in return. Please pray that I will be a humble servant, and that God will use me in whatever capacity He sees fit.

Of all the lessons I’ve learned over the course of this semester, one in particular stands out as a recurring theme: the self-sufficiency of God. I don’t quite know how else to explain it! God is utterly self-sufficient; He doesn’t need man (or anything else) to accomplish His plan. In fact, throughout history, He’s proven that He best enjoys working when the odds are overwhelmingly against Him.

Why else would He choose a lowly shepherd boy like David and a band of 400 renegades to establish a united monarchy? (1 Samuel 16, 22) Why would He limit Gideon’s army to a mere 300 men? (Judges 7) Why would He leave Israel without any continual water source like the Nile? (Deuteronomy 11) Why would He tell Jehoshaphat to send the choir instead of soldiers to the frontlines of the battle? (2 Chronicles 20) Why would choose Jerusalem as His capital, an obscure city tucked away in the Judean Hill Country? And why would He appoint a suffering Servant, Jesus, to bring salvation? (Isaiah 53)

Obviously, He would (and did) do all of these things to bring Himself greater glory. At first glance, it doesn’t make sense, but remember, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) If I can hold on to this single truth, my entire semester will have been worthwhile.

Ironically, my trust in God has been tested even during the course of my writing this letter. Just moments ago, Todd posted up a very disturbing notice on the email room bulletin board:

“TOWER AIR FOLDS: THOUSANDS STRANDED”

What does this mean? Well, it means that as of right now, two days before we’re supposed to board our plane, our airline has gone out of business. It means that the seven seniors here (including myself) might very well miss our graduation (which is the day after we’re supposed to arrive). It means that my mom and dad may be flying out to California to see a graduation ceremony without me. It means that we could end up paying hundreds, if not a thousand dollars, more to get a plane ticket back to the U.S!

I guess God is already giving me opportunities to put my knowledge into practice, and to start trusting in Him. What started as a newsletter is quickly turning into a prayer letter, so please pray with us here at IBEX that God will get us home!!! How thankful we can be that He is still in control.

Lord willing, this will be the final chapter of my Israel updates, but you can still contact me through email once I’m back in the States. I love you all, and am so thankful for those of you who took time to write back. It was always a great encouragement!

~”Goodbye and Shalom” from the Land of the Bible, Stephen Jones

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!