A Nickle a Bottle

One day a friend and I walked to my parents home collecting soda bottles discarded alongside the road. It took us an hour to walk the three miles, but we collected two large bags each. We took them to a store where we got a nickle a bottle for them. That was the redemption value at the time.

When I hear the word redemption, I always think of those old, discarded bottles. I think how they are turned in for cash, sent back to the bottling factory, cleaned up, and come out like new. So here’s the first part of a chapter in a book by Dr. Harry Ironside, Great Words of the Gospel.[It’s in the public domain, so can be distributed freely.]

What is Redemption?

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)

The word “redemption” is one that runs all through the Bible; in fact, we can say without any suggestion of hyperbole that it is the great outstanding theme of Holy Scripture. This important truth runs through the Book like the proverbial red strand that, we are told, runs through the cordage of the British navy. Everywhere, from Genesis right on to Revelation, you find God in one way or another presenting to us the truth of redemption—redemption in promise and in type in the Old Testament; redemption in glorious fulfillment in the New Testament.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD

What do we mean when we use the term “redemption”? Ordinarily, and in Scripture too, the word means to buy back, to repurchase something that has been temporarily forfeited; or, it means to set free, to liberate, as we speak of redeeming one from slavery; or, it means to deliver, as to redeem one from some grave danger.

Back there in Israel in olden times, if a man fell into difficult circumstances, found himself burdened with debt, he might mortgage his entire property, and if that was not enough to satisfy the claims of his creditors, he could even mortgage his own strength, and ability, his own physical powers. He could sell himself into a kind of slavery until his debt was paid. Sometimes, he found himself hopelessly thus enslaved. Scripture says, however, “After that he is sold, he may be redeemed again.” One of his brethren may redeem him, or, if he is able, he may redeem himself. It would be almost impossible in most instances for anyone to redeem himself. Probably, the only way would be if he suddenly fell heir to some vast estate. But on the other hand, if he had a rich relative who cared enough for him to undertake to meet the liabilities and discharge them, he might thus be set free.

THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER

The one who did this was called a kinsman- redeemer, and he was a wonderful type of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word is goel. He comes before us in Scripture long before the time of Israel. Even in the book of Job you read of him. It was the goel that Job spake when he said, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”

Then one may, as I say, have forfeited his property. Well, some wealthy one could come and pay off the mortgage and thus redeem the property. We are used to such transactions today, and we attach that meaning to the word “redemption.”

Now, in thinking of man, we know he is a sinner, sold under judgment. It was his own fault. God says in His Word, “You have sold yourselves for naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money.” It is not possible for any man to redeem himself from the sad condition in which he finds himself because of sin, but that is why we need a kinsman-redeemer who is more than man, one who is divine as well as human.

REDEMPTION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

When we turn to consider this subject of redemption in the New Testament, we find it presented in three different ways: first, redemption from judgment. That is redemption from the guilt of sin, which is through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But that is not all. It is not only the will of God that we should be redeemed from the judgment due to sin, but Scripture also has a great deal to say about redemption from the power of sin, so that we might be redeemed from those evil habits and unholy ways which at one time held sway in our lives. This redemption is through the indwelling Christ, through the risen Christ working in the power of the Holy Spirit, who makes Christ real to His people down here.

And then Scripture speaks of a third aspect of redemption: the redemption of the body. I have been redeemed as far as my soul is concerned, if I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am daily being redeemed from sin’s power, if I am walking in subjection to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. But though I am thus redeemed in measure, I am made to realize every day that this very body of mine is often a hindrance instead of a help in regard to the my practical deliverance; but I am looking forward to the time when the body itself shall be redeemed and made like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then I shall be redeemed from the very presence of sin and from all the evidences of its corruption.

THE JEWISH FEAST OF PASSOVER

Here in the first Epistle of Peter, the apostle carries our minds back to a wonderful event that took place in the land of Egypt centuries before, that event which the Jewish people to this day celebrate annually in the Feast of the Passover. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, suffering under Pharaoh’s cruelty, and God, you remember, said, “I am come down to deliver them,” and He told Moses of something that was to take place whereby, He says, “And I will put a division (or literally, a redemption) between my people and thy people (the Egyptians).” That redemption was made by the blood of the passover lamb; and it is to this that the apostle Peter is referring typically in his first Epistle when he says, “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (empty behavior) received by tradition from your fathers (ancestrally handed down); but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The blood of the lamb shed so long ago was God’s picture of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which was shed on Calvary’s cross fifteen hundred years later, but to which we now look through the mists of nearly two thousand years. How can that blood avail for our redemption today? The blood had to be sprinkled of old on the actual lintel and door posts and then they were safe inside. It is centuries since Christ has died. In what sense, then, can we be made secure from judgment through the blood that He shed so long ago?

FROM THE LINTEL AND DOOR POSTS TO THE HUMAN HEART

We read in the Epistle to the Hebrews of having our hearts sprinkled by the blood of Christ. How is that blood applied to our hearts? Through simple faith. In the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 3, after dwelling on the lost condition of all men by nature and practice, the apostle says in verse 23 and on, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”; and then adds:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)

What is he telling us? That the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is all-availing, that it is sufficient for all men everywhere, that it settled for the sins of all men in past ages, who looked on to the cross in faith, and it settles now for all in the present age and in all the years to come, who look back to that cross in faith—”through faith in his blood.”

In other words, when we trust the One who shed His blood at Calvary, then we are numbered amongst those who have redemption through the sacrifice that He offered, and that means that we are secure forever from the judgment due to sin, just as Israel, sheltered beneath the blood of the passover lamb, was secure from the judgment that was to fall upon Egypt, for God said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” So today, we who put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are redeemed from the judgment that is hanging over this poor world—the judgment that sin deserves. And so we can enter into the meaning of that Scripture which says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

WHAT DOES YOUR SALVATION DEPEND UPON?

Some of you have only lately come to Christ; you have not known the Lord very long. Oh, I beg of you, do get this clear. Your salvation, your security from judgment does not depend on anything that you can be or do. It depends upon the work that the Lord Jesus did for you when He suffered in your place upon the tree, and you enter into the good of that redemption through faith in Him. When Satan comes to tempt you, when you discover things in your own heart that you did not realize were there, just meet him with this: the redemption that is in Christ Jesus has settled everything, has made me free, has given me deliverance from the judgment of a holy God.

The believer is said to be redeemed from the curse of the law. He was exposed to that curse because of sin. God has declared, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” We have failed; we have broken God’s law; we are under that curse. But our Blessed Redeemer was made a curse for us, as it is written, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Redemption guarantees our safety from judgment.

[Look for the remainder of the chapter tomorrow.]

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

The Gospel of John. Standing with Psalms, Jonah, and Hebrews, it is one of my favorite Books of the Bible. According to the introduction in my Apologetics Study Bible, it was written directly to Believing Jews, who at the time were being driven from the synagogues and needed encouragement that they’d made the right choice in believing in Y’shuaJesus as Messiah. The Gospel also provided “ammunition” to evangelize Jews. The Book has a “unique writing style that, like the author’s selection of content and themes, differs noticeably” from the other three Gospels, according to this introduction. This is perfectly acceptable, as the author would have “written his account of what others said in his own distinctive style, being faithful to their meaning if not to their exact wording. His sense of being led by the Holy Spirit would have given him the freedom to couch things in his own words, believing he was being faithful to history at the same time.”

The Book of John declares up front that Y’shuaJesus is The Word, The Word that was with G-d, was G-D. . . John the Baptist tells us that “He is the one Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” John 1:33. Nathanael blurts out, “Rabbi, You are the Son of G-d! You are the King of Israel!” John 1:49. We are taken to a wedding in which Y’shuaJesus gives us His first sign backing up the Gospel’s declaration of Y’shuaJesus as Messiah: water becomes wine. John 2:11. This Gospel then takes us, along with other disciples, on a journey during which we see Y’shuaJesus challenging traditions, people’s conventional wisdom, and the religious leaders of the day. We see Y’shuaJesus “cleansing the temple.” “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” John 2:16. A Pharisee, Nicodemus, comes to Y’shuaJesus by night and confesses that G-d is with Y’shuaJesus, to which Y’shuaJesus replies that we must be “born again.” “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of G-d,” says Y’shuaJesus. John 3:5. We are amazed that Y’shuaJesus speaks to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. John 4:27. We experience the second and third sign in the healing of an official’s son and the healing at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. John 4:46, 5:8. We are feed along the shore of the Sea of Galileea, along with 5,000 others, from five loaves of bread and two fish, the fourth sign. John 6:9. We are with the twelve disciples for fifth sign confirming Y’shuaJesus as He walks on water. John 6:20.

It is after Y’shuaJesus fed the 5,000 then escaped to the other side of the sea, that we begin to understand that not all follow Him for His teachings and wisdom. “I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled,” Y’shuaJesus tells the people after they find Him. It is at this point that Y’shuaJesus begins to provoke these followers, perhaps to drive away those he don’t truly believe. They want bread, and more signs. He tells them that His Father gives them real Bread from Heaven, and that He is the Bread of Life. John 6:35. They aren’t satisfied, and complain that Y’shuaJesus is only the son of Joseph and that they know His father and mother. And Y’shuaJesus presses onward, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves.” John 6:53. “Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept it?” John 6:60. It was after this that many of Y’shuaJesus’s “disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.” John 6:66.

But wait, why is Y’shuaJesus being so hard? It’s not a very civil thing to do, is it? It is driving away people. There might be repercussions, like lost revenues and prestige. What happened to the gentle baby Who lay in the manger? Didn’t Y’shuaJesus come to bring peace on Earth?

There’s a story of a home church service in a country where it’s illegal to have church. [Yes, 53 nations restrict Gospel preaching.] During the service, a soldier enters with a weapon and says to the gathered, “Everyone who believes in this Jesus, stand up.” A handful of people do so. The soldier then tells the others to leave quickly. When only the handful, a remnant, who stood for Jesus are left, he says, “Okay. Now let Praise the LORD!”

Well, okay, we don’t do that sort of thing. We are too civilized. We invite everyone in to our well-appointed, comfortable churches. We don’t ask for loyalty oaths or any sort of pledge of allegiance. We say, “All who enter are welcome.” We want the unbelievers in our churches to hear the Word of G-d spoken, so that they might come to believe, too. And there’s a parable about such mixing, too. About the weeds among the wheat. And most of all, we want peace. We just don’t want conflict anymore.

But conflict is going to be there for us, regardless of what we want. Conflict and persecution and all the rest of the toils of living in a world spoiled by sin, corruption. The world is a beautiful place, nonetheless, it’s tainted with evil.

And so it is that Y’shuaJesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter- in- law against her mother- in- law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39. [emphasis added]

“Ours isn’t to reason why, ours is to do and die.” We must be tried, and we must be proven. We must love the LORD more than anyone or anything. We must follow our LORD.

Writing about Matthew 10:34, Yves I-Bing Cheng, M.D., M.A., wrote: “The Lord Jesus. . .did not come to change the social structure of this world. He did not come to bring a social peace to a world that is living in sin and in disobedience to God.”

At the manger, the night Y’shuaJesus was born there was a “multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” Luke 2:13. [emphasis added] The Peace of the LORD is given, not to the entire population of Earth, but to those with whom the Lord is pleased. This peace is not necessarily an external peace that is free from trials and various burdens including disease. It is, however, a Peace that is Spiritual, a balm that heals our soul. What we need to remember, always, is that Y’shuaJesus asks, “Do you want to go away as well?” We must answer as Peter did, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . .

Bobby’s Mother’s Day

Yesterday, Mother’s Day, was “like eating a bad meal,” Bobby said. “The bad taste just lingers on and on.” It’s not just that one day particular day each year either, but all the ruined holidays and trips over the last fifteen years that float the the surface weighing so heavily upon him today, the day after. For Bobby, it feels like his tiny piece of the universe is being torn apart, like documents going through a paper shredder. He said that it takes several days to return to something less disturbed, and life really isn’t normal–ever.

The way Bobby describes it, the rage in his wife erupts like a volcano, spewing fire and sulfur and lava on anyone foolish enough to be in the path. “The rage attacks come upon her out of nowhere, without provocation,” he said. It reminds him of King Saul:

The next day an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear, and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice. 1 Samual 18:10

For Bobby, appeasement is the lyre (harp) he plays attempting to sooth his disquieted wife. And just like in this story of King Saul’s raving, the soothing music of the lyre or appeasement isn’t enough. “There are times when I bite my tongue and don’t say anything, just ignore the outbursts, and eventually, like air released from a deflating balloon, they are over. “Mother’s Day,” Bobby said, “turned into one of the times that when the fire directed at me didn’t burn too badly, but was redirected to our child.”

Later in the day, Bobby’s wife’s rage deflated, they sat at the dinner table. The two wounded souls who’d barely survived the flames of rage a few hours earlier, and still reeling from the outbursts, sat amazed when she began to talk about going on a family vacation. “No way I’m going,” Bobby said he’d thought to himself. “But I know I’ll do exactly what she wants, regardless of having the money to do it, or my wanting to do it.”

Bobby’s wife is one of over six million Americans that exhibit signs of what is called Borderline Personality Disorder. According to a U.S. government website, “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. Because some people with severe BPD have brief psychotic episodes, experts originally thought of this illness as atypical, or borderline, versions of other mental disorders. While mental health experts now generally agree that the name “borderline personality disorder” is misleading, a more accurate term does not exist yet.”

There are some psychiatric professionals who believe that BPD is a biological condition, and as such can be “cured” with drugs. Others professionals believe it has its roots in early childhood, and can only be somewhat alleviated by behavioral-modification therapy.

From Bobby’s experience with his wife, and his mother who he believes suffered similarly, the BPD may be somewhat controlled by behavioral conditioning, but it’s like the joke “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.” In Bobby’s case, his wife doesn’t see anything wrong with raging to get what she wants. “On too many occasions,” Bobby said, “my wife has put it this way: “You make me act this way because you don’t do what you need to do!”

People who are in relationships with BPDs are often referred to as “Nons.” There is one online forum that once spoke of the metaphor of being in the Land of Oz as living with a BPD, and getting back to Kansas, in which the Non is in control of his or her life. In Oz, the BPD is the pitiful little man behind the curtain, and the Non is deluded enough to follow the instructions of the wizard.

Even after becoming aware that he was living in Oz, getting back to Kansas is proving difficult. “I got out several times,” Bobby said, “but was Hoovered back.” Hoovered is the term used by Nons when they are pulled back into these destructive relationships. A BPD can be sweet, endearing, especially when in a position to lose their prey, a husband or wife. When the rage is over, when they’ve successfully wounded their lover, the BPD works hard to win back the object upon which they heap their self-loathing, their self-hate. And the Non is often so co-dependant, he or she is simply drawn back into the foray.

“But I’m going to get out,” Bobby said, “as soon as our child is old enough.” Many aren’t able to wait, and move on to divorce, which are usually bitter battles against an enraged foe. BPDs are sore losers. BPDs can also look to all that don’t know them well, as perfect, loving mates, that are themselves being abused by their spouses. Many other Nons wait until some point of exit after children are out of the house. Unfortunately, it is often too late to get out without damage; many by then suffer greatly from stress-induced diseases. Many are nearly crippled from their own inner weakness exhibiting itself through weakened muscles and bones.

“We, as nons, try to bare our cross bravely,” Bobby said, “but we lose a lot in the process.”

Pray for those with BPD, that they may be healed. Pray for those entangled with a BPD, that they may endure and get out with something left of themselves.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Authentic Voice

Yesterday, sitting at B&B’s, a friend and I ate bagels and talked. We spoke of a lot of things, including writing. My friend is a writer of both prose and poetry as well as a painter. It was a pleasant time for me. As I was dropping him off at his home, we spoke a bit about the perception of those who die being “up there” looking down on us. He and I agreed that it’s not really how it works. I said that was one of the things I’ve in mind to right about one day. We discussed briefly why it is people believe the dead are watching us. It’s comfortable. Many people who don’t believe in a Biblical Heaven still believe in a life beyond, where everything is perfect, beautiful.

So this morning I began to think about why I haven’t contradicted the thought of friends and relative, my own parents, not being in Heaven at the moment looking down on me, cheering me on from afar. It’s clear they’ll be there one day. It’s clear they’ll be at the Feast. But in the meantime? Why haven’t I written about them sleeping, waiting? Perhaps I, too, can’t let go of them all. Or perhaps it’s just not the right time.

This led me to thinking about filtering things that I write. Just how much do I purify my words according to some sense of learned and internalized standard? Do I wish not to offend? Or at times, born out of frustration and anger, might I actually wish to hurt?

If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him. John 7:38

So the words are water that flow from within a person. I think of spring water, which has a great taste, and it differs from spring to spring, too. But once it’s filtered, totally purified, it loses it’s spring taste and becomes uniform. Blah. It’s no longer authentic water. Yet we all agree some filtering even of spring water may be beneficial to remove bacteria and other harmful living things.

In the introduction to the Gospel of John in The Apologetics Study Bible, the editor writes about the style of writing and the audience to whom John wrote. I infer that John didn’t simply transcribe the Words G-d breathed into him, but wrote empowered by the Spirit of G-d in a style that the non-Jewish Believers would understand, to which they would easily relate. “Christian belief [is] in the full trustworthiness, authority, and inspiration or inerrancy of the text. . .” It seems to me that the Holy Spirit provides not only the inspiration, but the correct amount of filtering to produce an authentic, inspired voice.

. . .Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15

Authentic Christian writing–and Authentic Christian Voice– that comes after the Apostles is, then, writing that is filtered through scriptural admonishments, through prayer, through guidance by the Holy Spirit. It is writing that builds up, rather than pulls down. It is writing that conforms to that of the Words of Messiah Y’shua and the Apostles He sent to the world. And yet, this authentic Christian voice does not restrict itself to worldly standards of politeness or correctness. An authentic Christian Voice may be a balm that heals just as easily as a whip that scourges. It is a voice that cries in the wilderness, a voice that calms the inner waves. But in all, this Voice is born from a deep relationship with our G-d.

It occurs to me that my recent, prolonged silence was born from a fear. I titled this blog JonahzSong, and want very much for it to be an Authentic Christian Voice. Yet how can I presume to write words inspired by G-d? Yet King David was human, meaning he was a sinner, and still he was a man after G-d’s own heart. So there is hope that there is something in the words that come forth that will have a positive affect upon someone, offering conformation, encouragement, or correction. In all, I think the best any Christian writer can do is offer up something of himself, as closely as possible to what G-d would have him do. In the end, it isn’t what a Christian writer writes that counts, but how those words are used. This is to say, that in all things that are read, regardless of the source, the reader must not ask only if it is an Authentic Christian Voice that speaks, but also if the words are meant for that particular reader. Or listener, for that matter.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and yours.

An Alien Invasion “May Be The Only Way To Unite. . .

. . . this increasingly divided world,” President Bill Clinton said on television talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this month. “If we were visited someday, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

This came from an article by Michael Snyder in The Truth in which Mr Snyder also writes: “Back in 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a similar statement. He told the United Nations General Assembly that “I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside of this world.”

Mr. Snyder also mentions that since President Reagan made his statement up to President Clinton’s statement, much has happened to prepare the world for aliens coming to visit. “We have been primed to expect that it will happen someday,” he wrote.

Well, Mr. Snyder is probably young, and can’t look back to the production of H.G. Well’s The War of the World on The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938. It created quite a stir, with many people believing it was real, and there was some panic.

We’ve been enthralled with aliens for longer that the 1980s to the present. It’s just that we seem to love the idea of alien’s attacking the world; the world fights the alien inavaders and wins, of course.

Interestingly, another possible take on aliens is being suggested by some scientist who’ve recanted on the idea of a Darwinian Evolution, and others others that are saying there may be other possibilities than Evolution, espousing an attitude of “we don’t know.” Even a staunch Darwinian, Richard Dawkins, “one of the world’s most famous champions of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and a staunch atheist, has recently been discussing the possibility that life on Earth could be the result of advanced alien engineering.

“Dawkins has said that he still believes that life most likely originated on earth, but he has also said than an alien designed start is an “intriguing possibility.” Intelligent life, he has explained, could have evolved elsewhere in the universe according to modern Darwinian theory, and this intelligent life could have eventually learned to engineer new life, and an engineered seed could then have ended up on earth and subsequently evolved into to all the life found here today.here is another development that makes Darwin’s Theory look entirely tame. It’s called Intelligent Design.” [from The Oligarch]

What does our Lord have to say about all of this?

Pay attention, you stupid people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
Can the One who shaped the ear not hear,
the One who formed the eye not see?
The One who instructs nations,
the One who teaches man knowledge —
does He not discipline?
The Lord knows man’s thoughts;
they are meaningless [from Psalm 94]

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Falling into a pile of fertilizer, coming out smelling like incense

Ever known someone who could totally mess up, yet come out of it all way better off than when he or she started messing up? Well, check out King David. Before becoming King, David was hated by King Saul, who ended up pursuing David, wanting to kill him. David fled to enemy territory, to live in a city under the rule of King Achish, a Philistine. And in so doing, David incurred an obligation to King Achish.

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” 1 Samuel 28:1,2

So David’s in a bit of a pickle here. He knows he can’t fight against Israel. He also knows that he has lived under King Achish’s rule; David owes the Philistine king. Here’s what Matthew Henry says:

“[In] verses 1-6 here is, I. T he design of the Philistines against Israel. They resolved to fight them, v. 1. If the Israelites had not forsaken God, there would have been no Philistines remaining to molest them; if Saul had not forsaken him, they would by this time have been put out of all danger by them. The Philistines took an opportunity to make this attempt when they had David among them, whom they feared more than Saul and all his forces.II. The expectation Achish had of assistance from David in this war, and the encouragement David gave him to expect it: “Thou shalt go with me to battle,’’ says Achish. “If I protect thee, I may demand service from thee;’’ and he will think himself happy if he may have such a man as David on his side, who prospered whithersoever he went. David gave him an ambiguous answer: “We will see what will be done; it will be time enough to talk of that hereafter; but surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do’’ (v. 2), that is, “I will consider in what post I may be best able to serve thee, if thou wilt but give me leave to choose it.’’ Thus he keeps himself free from a promise to serve him and yet keeps up his expectation of it; for Achish took it in no other sense than as an engagement to assist him, and promised him, thereupon, that he would make him captain of the guards, protector, or prime-minister of state.”

Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” 1 Samuel 29:1-3

David’s not going to be allowed to fight against his own people. Here’s how Matthew Henry explains it: “It is strange if those that associate themselves with wicked people, and grow intimate with them, come off without guilt, or grief, or both. What he himself proposed to do does not appear. Perhaps he designed to act only as keeper to the king’s head, the post assigned him ch. 28:2 ) and not to do any thing offensively against Israel. But it would have been very hard to come so near the brink of sin and not to fall in. Therefore, though God might justly have left him in this difficulty, to chastise him for his folly, yet, because his heart was upright with him, he would not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able, but with the temptation made a way for him to escape, 1 Co. 10:13 .II. A door opened for his deliverance out of this strait. God inclined the hearts of the princes of the Philistines to oppose his being employed in the battle, and to insist upon his being dismissed.”

The lesson to take from David’s experience is to stay out of the enemy camp. Yet, we’re Christians, and we’re being made perfect, but we’re still waging a war on the flesh. We are going to become enmeshed in some affair or other that has the potential to drag us into sin. It is at that point we must remember David’s response to King Achish, and not commit ourselves further. That gave David time to wait upon the Lord, and the Lord rescued him from a grievous error.

Thinking about what King Achish was asking of David–a promise to fight for the Philistines, against Israel–I wonder how many times I’ve made a promise about something that I had no right to make. Perhaps it seemed innocent enough at the time, but how can I know what may occur in the future. How many promises have I made in nearly sixty-five years that I’ve broken? Perhaps rather than saying, “Sure I’ll do” this or that, it may be more ambiguous a response, like David’s, to say “Let’s see what happens,” or “I’ll see what I can do.”

The thing is, we, as Christians, need to be more shrewd in our dealings with the “world.” I think often that we are too gentle, too naïve, too willing to accommodate without thinking through exactly what it will cost our souls.

What do you think?

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Brother Extraterrestrial

An article Vatican Astronomers Ramp Up Their Search For “Brother Extraterrestrial,” by Michael Snyder, is a bit disturbing, yet it goes hand-in-hand with United Nations’ thinking when it appointed an ambassador to deal with extraterrestrial beings.

Snyder states that in a presentation at the 2013 Strategic Perspectives Conference, a Dr. Thomas Horn told the audience that they [aliens] are coming here and they’re going to baptize us into their faith and it is going to require us to make changes to our knowledge, to our understanding, of the Gospel. In fact, some of their deepest theologians have said, “Perhaps everything we think we know about the Gospel is going to have to be thrown out.”

Okay. So some one may be reading too much science fiction, and maybe thinking it wasn’t fiction at all. But when an institution such as the Roman Catholic Church begins express the same views, it’s goes from disturbing to just plain weird. Recently, from the Vatican’s extraterrestrial hunt, a prominent Vatican astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, has publicly suggested that aliens could actually be the “saviors of humankind.” That’s right, the Vatican is hunting for extraterrestrials. And the Vatican seems to think those same aliens could be “perfect beings, without sin.” Nervous yet?

In the article by Snyder, he asks: “So what would happen someday if “aliens” showed up and claimed that they seeded life on this planet, guided our evolution and are now here to lead us into a new golden age?

“And what would happen if the Catholic Church gave those aliens their stamp of approval?

“That sounds absolutely bizarre, but there are very important Vatican officials that are apparently thinking very hard about these things.”

At RNN.com, we learn that “Horn, speaking quickly and efficiently, yet making sure to cover all issues on the roster comprehensively, continues on to reveal even more startling themes of the current hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. His research is thorough and transparent (even referencing some hitherto unavailable documents, which he obtained directly from one of Rome’s top astronomers) and quotes the works of select individuals within the Church who perpetuate the idea that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is a descendant of alien life and that Mary’s virgin birth was a direct result of an alien abduction scenario.”

THIS STUFF TELLS ME THAT. . .

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:12-16

The scene is being set for the prophesies John on Patmos, as recorded in Revelation. In a way, it’s like a mind-boggling movie in which a con artist is setting up the marks. And we are the marks. The con artist has read the Bible. The con artist knows human beings, too. We want a savior to come down and rescue us. Hum. Sounds a bit like the story of the first advent of Messiah, in which a nation of people were waiting for the Messiah to rescue them too.

Oh, I get it, we won’t make the same mistake as we did last time, in which we rejected the Messiah because He didn’t fit our expectations. No, we’ll accept the first guy down from some “heavenly” planet that says, “Hey, I’m back!”

We need to read Revelation! We need to be prepared to weather out a big storm and wait for the Conquering Messiah. You know, the one riding the white horse carrying a sword, with flaming eyes. We need to wait until we hear the trumpet blow. We need to wait until Y’shuaJesus calls our names. He’ll read them from The Book of Life. We’re in there. We need to have patience.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Can’t Believe it’s Spring Already

The past four months of my inactivity on JonahzSong was unplanned. As the winter holiday schedule became hectic–kids and wife home, things to do, places to go, people to see, et cetera–I thought, “I’ll start back up on January First.” That day came quickly. . . and went. Then February and March and finally I aimed for April First, which didn’t happen either. Oh, well. . .

One thing I did do is to start back on a regiment of exercise. Mostly I’ve been riding a stationary, recumbent bicycle, which I’ve enjoyed. It’s different than a normal, upright bike. My legs got immediately back in the groove–muscle memory built from years of bicycle riding and touring. A lot of folks at the gym listen to music while they ride or run. I started listening to podcasts. I found a great one from Israel National Radio that is a talk show, Life Lessons with Judy Simon. She researches a subject, then thoroughly introduces it prior to bringing in people to interview.

The other thing I’ve been up to is a lot more reading. In addition to the Bible and various commentaries, I’ve read a lot more fiction. Detective novels and science fiction. Some good, some very good, some excellent. And I’ve spent some time with a story I began a few years ago. It’s still not finished, but I have a better understanding of where it’s going. Guide Gold tells the story of a man that discovers his wife really doesn’t know him at all. The deeper theme is one of failure and redemption.

Hummmmm. Failure and redemption. That’s the theme of all our lives, isn’t it? Yesterday we were suppose to be celebrating the only real redemption there is: redemption from death as demonstrated by the resurrection of Y’shuaJesus.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Luke 24:1-12

Here’s what Matthew Henry wrote about Luke 24:1-12: “See the affection and respect the women showed to Christ, after he was dead and buried. Observe their surprise when they found the stone rolled away, and the grave empty. Christians often perplex themselves about that with which they should comfort and encourage themselves. They look rather to find their Master in his grave- clothes, than angels in their shining garments. The angels assure them that he is risen from the dead; is risen by his own power. These angels from heaven bring not any new gospel, but remind the women of Christ’s words, and teach them how to apply them. We may wonder that these disciples, who believed Jesus to be the Son of God and the true Messiah, who had been so often told that he must die, and rise again, and then enter into his glory, who had seen him more than once raise the dead, yet should be so backward to believe his raising himself. But all our mistakes in religion spring from ignorance or forgetfulness of the words Christ has spoken. Peter now ran to the sepulchre, who so lately ran from his Master. He was amazed. There are many things puzzling and perplexing to us, which would be plain and profitable, if we rightly understood the words of Christ.”

We fail. We fail in our lives simply because we forget. Muscles don’t forget, but they do get out of use. My muscles didn’t forget how they work the pedals of a bike using my ankles to add spin. They were out of practice, though, which is why a daily workout is necessary to maintain their optimum abilities. It’s like that with our life in Messiah. While listening to what others have to say is nice, we can be led astray too easily in these days of deceptive practices within the Church. We need daily a refresher, a reminder of the Lord’s Words.

From the five books of Moshe (Moses) to the writings of the minor and major prophets, and of the disciples themselves, we are shown how to listen to and how to live at peace with G-d. It is through the the scriptures that we come to understand our place in Y’shuaJesus. We must, as Matthew Henry put it, “rightly understand the words of Christ.” Then we avoid the pitfalls of misunderstandings, we stay out of petty disagreements, we see snares before being caught up in them. It’s the Words in Red, the Words of Y’shuaJesus, and it’s the whole of the Bible that we delve into, with prayerful consideration, from which we will grow and live gainfully in Messiah.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Noah: Preacher of Righteousness or Survivalist/Doomsday Prepper

A recent post on From the Lighthouse talks of a new movie Noah:
“A new Hollywood epic on the life of Noah has stirred controversy among Christians, Jews and others who have pre-screened the film, as they state that the movie largely leaves out one important foundation: the Bible.

“Noah is the brainchild of producer Darren Aronofsky, who says that he has wanted to make a film about Noah and the ark since his childhood. With a $125 million budget, the film is said to be more of an edgy action epic that depicts a man who fights off his enemies as he prepares for a coming apocalypse, rather than a story of a “preacher of righteousness” who calls the world to repentance from sin.

“Russell Crowe, known for his roles in Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and Robin Hood stars as Noah in the film, and Anthony Hopkins, known for his roles in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and The Legends of the Fall appears as grandfather Methuselah, who provides advice to Noah.

“Man corrupted this world and filled it with violence, so he must be destroyed,” Methuselah explains to Noah, who has a dream of “death by water.”

The remainder of the article is available on the Christian News Network website.

Okay, so here’s the thing: I’ve looked at the trailer and frankly it’s appealing to me as movies go. But then I like apocalyptic movies. I sorta think they’re glimpses of possible realities.

The movie critic complains the movie producer Darren Aronofsky didn’t use the Bible in the story. Well, Mr. Aronofsky used the idea of a man named Noah and a flood that destroys wicked people. Hummmmmmmm! So a movie is made as a fictional account of a Biblical person and a Biblical event and that account isn’t what the author of the article seems to think it should be. That’s the problem with the movie; it doesn’t fit the idea the critic has of Noah. As I understand it, the author says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. This seems to me to mean that the critic wants Noah to stand around preaching the Gospel of Righteousness to a people who were only doing evil because they were uninformed of the truth. The critic seems to think there is something inherently wrong with preparing for the flood. Wait. Am I missing something here. Wasn’t Noah instructed to build an ark? What part of building an ark to house his family is Noah doing that isn’t preparing for a coming disaster of epic proportions?

In the trailer, we see Noah facing angry hordes that want nothing more than to take the boat, even if they swamp it trying. After all, the hordes don’t just stand around and say, “Oh, we’ve been bad. We deserve to drown.” Why is that so controversial? Oh, sure, the Bible didn’t go into great specifics about the flash mob at Noah’s boat as the rain came pouring down. Here the foundation for the epic flood, from the Bible:

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis chapter six

The idea that Noah was a preacher of righteousness comes from the Apostle Peter when he wrote: “. . .”if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. . .” 2Peter 2:5.

The movie critic spoke of people critical of the movie wanting it to be more scriptural, and the movie has been assailed as not being a Christian movie. Okay. Was Sound of Music a Christian movie? Look, just because a movie gives a fictional account Noah, why does it have to have the approval of Christians? And even if some producer said he wanted Christian input and approval, to whom would he go? There is no single Christian church on Earth at this time. Had Mr. Aronofsky said he was making a scriptural account of Noah, perhaps he’d ask for assistance from a major Christian denomination in America. Perhaps it would be the same denomination that approves of marriage between two men or marriage between two women, or practicing homosexuals as church leaders.

I think the controversy comes from our “feel good” world of the Twenty-First Century. We are led to belief that G-d wants nothing more than for us to feel good about ourselves. As such, we must see G-d in our “feel good” image. G-d is put into a box, contained. We perceive of Him as a peacenik without the flowers in His hair. In this case, I think the movie critics wants Noah to preach Peace and Love and throw flowers to that poor, misunderstood mass of humanity.

Other critics of the movie say it’s just another environmental-disaster movie that is part of a whole agenda that wants the mass of humanity to be scared of the way the Earth has been treated, and that the Earth is somehow trying to overthrow its caretaker, namely humans. In this light, Hollywood is supporting the propaganda of the “Green Movement.” This theme isn’t brought out in the trailer, that I can see.

The reality of Noah is far different. Noah found favor with G-d when G-d saw only a fallen humankind. As such, G-d decided to give humanity another chance, wiping the slate clean. In wiping the slate, a whole bunch of wicked people went down kicking and screaming in a flood of water. If only CNN had been around to document the Flood, we’d see if the wicked hordes attacked the ark or not.

Mr. Aronofsky’s account of Noah is as good as anyone’s account. It’s a story. We live in a secular world with lots of stories. So as long as Mr. Aronofsky doesn’t say it is the Word of the Lord, then it’s just another secular movie depicting a lot of blood shed centered on the theme of survival.

That said, there is one movie that is either out or coming out that I do think is over the edge. It is a movie about Abraham storming an army that surrounds his nephew Lot, and rescuing him. Now that one got it all wrong. And that might have crossed the line from just secular movie-making to deception. There are lines. I don’t see the story of Noah crossing over that line to deception. Then again, I’ve only seen the trailer. Maybe the actual movie does so. Most likely I’ll see it when it’s shown on television, then I’ll know.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

When my children were little. . .

. . . they were soooooooo cute. Sure, they’re cute now, but there’s just something about old photos and such of my children when they were two and three and four years old. I have some videos that were made of two of my kids fifteen years ago. They were shot using a video cam on Hi8 tape. I’m converting the videos to MP4 format and storing them to an external hard disk. Eventually, the idea is to take short sections, like highlights, and make a movie that can be burned to DVD.

So I set up a folding table in the music room/study of our home, and lined equipment up along it for the process. I’m sitting here now, with my MacBook Air, while the video camera plays to the MacBookPro, which is converting a Christmas eve video from 2001 to an mp4 file. And those two kids are just adorable, in there one-piece pajamas and colorful socks. My boy would have been five, my daughter a few days short of four. They’re playing together on the living room floor of the home we lived in while in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They’re talking to one another, playing so nicely. In the next scene they’re helping clean things up as we all get ready for bed.

Not don’t get me wrong, these two are still adorable as high schoolers. Well, maybe not adorable. Perhaps good looking, well-mannered. My boy is on the varsity wrestling team, my daughter plays for the State Champion Girls Basketball team. They do well in school. They have friends; they go out once and a while. They’re quickly becoming adults. But occasionally, like all siblings I suppose, they argue with each other, they don’t always pick up their things, and just don’t always cooperate. They’re not babies anymore. They don’t look at me with awe anymore. They don’t hang upon every word. They’re experienced in the things relative to the high school world. In defense of them, they are growing up. No longer are they dry sponges awaiting water that I pour. They think for themselves, have their own particular taste in clothing and music. They’re becoming there own persons.

But clearly in our relationship to our Heavenly Father, we are to remain like we were when we were children. We are to be in awe of Him. We are to hang upon every word. We are to develop and grow in Him, and in Him alone. Our taste is to be His taste. We are to emulate the model He provided for us when He came from Heaven to Earth. We are each unique, sure. We are each our own persons, within the boundaries of G-d’s Will for us, yes. But we don’t “know everything,” so we accept His way in our lives.

If we are not little children to the Father we have in Heaven, then we must be converted and become one.

‘I assure you,’ Y’shuaJesus said, ‘unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’

Matthew 18:3

Matthew Henry put it this way: “Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are marks of childhood, and render them proper emblems of the lowly minds of true Christians. Surely we need to be daily renewed in the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. Let us daily study this subject, and examine our own spirits.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .