Restoration Nation

International Taste Test of Universalism By Mark Eaton
I used to live in a small town called Russellville, Arkansas. The restaurants there were few and far between. Both of them were café’s, or little hamburger joints. For instance, if you want a hamburger, or fried chicken; you go to the same place. They had two pasta restaurants and yet one was known for there philly cheese steak and the other for cajun? When I moved to Dallas, Texas I was in shock. I could go to a pizza place that had real imported cheese; or I could to a little place that has authentic philly cheese steaks. The real challenge is that authentic food usually has the real names like ‘calizones’ or ‘chicken alfredo’. The other day I was in a real well known place and ordered alfredo sauce. When I got it, it tasted different. He said most alfredo is done the American Way, and not authentic. What is the one thing I had to overcome to eat the best food I had ever eaten? I had to Move Beyond Terminology. I don’t know all these dishes by there real names. Go to a Thai Restaurant and say, “I just want chicken and stir fry.” They gave me a dirty look when I did this last weekend.

There are at least 54 flavors of universalism, and many of them (at least 20) are alive and well as movements today. In the past, Universalism has been like the small café, that you can order everything off one menu. But as we progress, God is giving tremendous revelation as He sees fit. I am running into a lot of foreign names like Preterism, British-Israel, etc…I had a woman come up to me recently and mentioned a minister she loved and absolutely respected, and said “I still don’t know what a Preterist is”. Be true to the authentic revelation God gave you. It may involve numbers, types & shadows, and 18 verses of the Old Testament no one has ever heard. Or it may be a simple walk through Galatians that reveals ‘grace’ in a new light. I told my wife recently I don’t know if I will eat pizza at the little café again, since I had have the authentic. I am just going to have to move beyond terminology and taste a few new things. The scriptures speak “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Begin to taste and see that ‘the goodness of God’ many times is rich revelation of another.

Look at the Woman at the well with Jesus. She begin to have a discussion on the different forms of worship. The well was the modern day ‘gossip shop’ in those days. She knew all the latest news about the different forms of worship. Jesus involved himself in a discussion of her ‘terminology’ and did not just immediately go for his point.

Just as some families have a recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. Allow God to get you a glimpse of His goodness that has passed down from generation to generation. One thing that we must not forget; ther are revelations of Universalism that is still hid, insights still veiled and waiting to be revealed at the Father’s season. So let us begin to connect and move beyond terminology and taste the goodness of God in each other! Bon Appetite! I am still Struggling to try Indian Food!