The Two Seas
- Gil Afriat
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Tiferet Yeshua Congregation
Tel Aviv
If you look at the Sea of Galilee, you see a lake that is full of life. There is lush vegetation around its banks, and as the New Testament stories make clear, it is full of fish. It also serves as a source of fresh drinking water for Israel.
A hundred kilometers south of the Sea of Galilee is the salty Dead Sea. It’s an extraordinary place, but it’s quite literally dead. What’s the difference between these two seas? The living, thriving Sea of Galilee has streams of water feeding it and the Jordan River flowing out of it. The Dead Sea only has water flowing INTO it: nothing flows out. When a believer, or a congregation, for that matter, doesn’t have an “outflow,” it is in danger of becoming stagnant and dead!
The Dead Sea
Believers can become like the Dead Sea if they are self-focused in their faith, seeking only to receive from God, from their congregation and from others (encouragement, help, attention, love, support, etc.).
When there is no genuine outflow of wanting to serve and bless – the lives of the “self-centered” end up producing very little fruit of the Spirit. Yeshua does not mince words when it comes to trees that produce no fruit – a sober warning to us all for genuine soul searching (Matthew 7:19, Luke 13:7). God fills us so we can become life-giving rivers of water to those around us.
Congregations can also be self-focused and end up like the Dead Sea. The Lord Yeshua called us to be fishers of men, to make disciples, and to care for the poor and needy in our communities. When congregations do not engage in outreach, do not participate with other congregations or invest in other ministries, a “bunker” mentality can set in. Leaders become overly protective; the flock does not grow, and there ends up not being a surplus.
It is fitting that Yeshua began His ministry around the Sea of Galilee – Israel’s only living “sea.” It is a reflection of who He is. We, in turn, are called to be like our Master. He kept His eyes on the Father and was the servant of all. Individually and corporately, when we focus on what God wants and on what we can do for others as an impulse of love, the “rivers of living waters” from the Holy Spirit within us will abound all the more.
That’s why the Tiferet Yeshua vision is: “Love God, love one another, and love our city.” We make it a point to have ongoing ministry to the poor and needy in our community through the weekly Feed Tel Aviv outreach as well as other outreaches. Practical generosity must also be constant and ongoing. Therefore ten percent of our overall budget is designated to giving to believers in need and supporting other ministries. We have seen God’s promise for growth and life come to pass, firstly in people and also in finances.
