Melchizedek is an interesting fellow

Melchizedek in the Old Testament is God's way of letting us know He is the Father of all peoples. He created everyone and has interaction with every people in every culture. The depth of revelation or understanding that other culture have about their Father in heaven obviously varies and they still need a revelation of Jesus to be saved. However, Abraham, who was God's chosen, who was going to bear us the Levitical priesthood through Isaac and then Jacob, actually tithed to Melchizedek. In the Jewish culture the Priests were tithed to, but Abraham recognized that Melchizedek actually knew God as well, and considered him a high priest. This is very significant, its not just us as Christians who have a connection with God. If God is really the Father of all nations then the story of the flood and of Babel should be evidenced in other cultures as well as ours.
Furthermore the word El...as in Elohim (God) or Bethel (house of God), El Shaddai (God Almighty) was a Canaanite word before it was a Hebrew word. This means that Abraham actually called inherited and willing used the word that Melchizedek use for God in the future Hebrew generations. He acknowledged that Melchizedek knew the same God he did. This would be comparable to Paul going to Greece and using the Greek word Theos which already meant "God" in their culture and Logos (or word) for Christ. Not comparable to using Zues, who is created, and not in the likeness of the God we know. Even the word G-O-D that we use is believed to have a Germanic origin "gudo".
Anyway, all of this to say, God has called me to study other cultures and find out where God is already there, a pure understanding of a transient creator being, with no barnacles of error. Then use God in that culture and their history to connect in Christ and the rest of the story. As an example of what I want to do, I'm going to tell you a couple of stories.
Firstly a YWAM outreach team was in the Amazon rain forest with a tribe that had never heard of Christ at all and many of the villagers had never seen white people in their generation. The team, wisely, starting ministering to the people by relating and asking a little about their tribal history. The asked where this tribe comes from. The chief replied with an answer that didn't really tell them much, so they asked over and over...the chief continuing to not communicate an appropriate answer. Later on that week they came back to the question. Again the team asked "How did your tribe get here? What is your story?" The chief responded with this story.

"Many years ago, the people of the world were building a large temple that was to reach to the heavens and show the power of men. Then a powerful Spirit struck the temple, confused the people and scattered them around the world. And that is how we got to this place in which we live."

The team, obviously overwhelmed with this amazing opportunity, pulled out a bible and showed the chief (through a translator) how the story of their ancestors was recorded in this book. The chief, overjoyed and teary eyed, cried out "Where...did you get the book that tells the story of MY people." The tribe listened over the days that followed and was taught the message of Christ and came into relationship with THEIR Father...not the YWAM teams Father, but that tribes Father. They knew a God that was theirs, that had already created and had a history with their people.

Their are stories of floods, creator beings who are supposed to come to earth one day, books that tell civilizations how to live and the story of their history that were "lost long ago" and the people are waiting for someone to bring it. God has created open doors all throughout cultures, if we only had the training or discipline to study and find out where God is already at work in peoples hearts, cultures and histories.

The Inca's worshipped the sun god Inti, until one day a bold leader named Pachacuti questioned this reality. Pachacuti asked some questions:
1. If the sun is god, then why can a cloud overshadow it and take its glory away.
2. Why is it predestined to rise and fall? Having no control over itself never mind the lives of those on earth?
3. Inti can't be universal if, while giving light to some he with-holds it from others

Now, Pachacuti's father, Hatun Tupac had a dream where a Spirit from the Inca peoples history named Viracocha, visited him. Viracocha reminded Hutan Tupac that He is the only creator of all things, and is to be worshipped. Pachacuti remember this story and new the history of this God, the Inca upper class, royalty and priesthood were told that this was to be the God that they worshipped from this point on.

Pachacuti's description of this God as summarized by Dr. B.C. Brunage of the University of Oaklahoma is as follows:
"He is ancient, remote, supreme, and uncreated. Nor does he need the gross satisfaction of a consort. He manifests himself as a trinity when he wishes,... otherwise only heavenly warriors and archangels surround his lonliness. He created all peoples by his "word" [shades of Heraclitus, Plato, Philo and the apostle John!], as well as all huacas (spirits). He is man's Fortunas, ordaining his years and nourishing him. He is indeed the very principle of life, for he warms the folk through his created son, Punchao [the sun disk, that was somehow distinct from Inti]. He is a bringer of peace and an orderer. He is in his own being blessed and has pity on men's wretchedness. He alone judges and absolves them and enables them to combat their evil tendencies."

The Spanish conquistadors came across and slaughtered the upperclass and royalty to get the wealth of this nation. This left the Inti-worshipping lower class as the sole inheriters of leadership in the country, thus Inca's returned to their belief in Inti and this one generation legacy of being so close to God is silenced. However, some of the spanish priests translated the songs written to Viracocha in the Inca language and they sound remarkably similar to Christian hymns still sung today. In reading the book "Eternity in Their Hearts" by Don Richardson, I had a revelation that with hundreds of stories like this from all around the world, sharing Jesus with people is so easy, while serving them, teaching english, practically helping or living amongst people, I am going to dig in and get to know their culture, finding out what revelation of God they already have, whether as small as having a value of saying thankyou or having a village elder who had a vision of Christ. This is my vision, it means a season of schooling, studying Anthropology and History. But its a clear vision that God has birthed in my heart and He is going to help me fulfill!

Bless you, hope you enjoyed reading...please contact me with comments or questions. I have so much more I could say about this topic and share with you! Merry Christmas!