Carpenter Ants, Black and Yellow Bees, and Worms

Ants. A large, black carpenter ant climbed up the edge of the wooden deck. Those black ants don’t sting, I don’t think. There are also large red ants down here in Georgia that do sting—terribly so. Fire ants. And we have those small ants I think of as a grease ants, too. These are the ones that lick the oily stuff of the peonies so that the flower will bloom fully. But the large black ants just roam about ignoring everyone and everything. Harmless, seemingly. Except I’ve been told they are carpenter ants, and eat the insides of wood structures to build their nests. I’ve not seen evidence of their destruction, however. Perhaps it takes years to weaken a board on the deck, to make it collapse from my weight as I walk.

Bees. This is also the time of year I see small piles of wood dust in some places around the deck posts. There will be a small hole above the pile, bored by a black and yellow bee. I’ve seen these bees go in and out. I always thought they just bored in an inch or so and laid eggs. I thought that until one day when I cut into an old board that had been laying out back for a while. Inside, the bees had dug throughout the board, building quite a network of tunnels. I’m sure the deck posts will be damaged if I let bees continue to nest there.

Worms. A few years ago we were using some lawn treatment that helped prevent weeds. It worked pretty well, too. But I’ve never really been a fan of chemicals, and finally we gave it up. Our neighbors have done likewise, so we all now just mow the weeds with the grass. What I’ve noticed is that we’re now getting worms back in the grass, and more in the gardens that surround it. I think the chemicals destroyed the worms. Worms are good to have around, eating there way through the dirt, making small spaces that allow air to saturate the ground. That’s not bad, either. A lot of people pay to have lawns punctured with holes to do the same thing.

What do all these critter have in common, the carpenter ants, the bees, and the worms? The all makes small holes. I read Regular Joe’s article on zombies on his blog. He came out and said what needs to be said. There are zombies walking around today. Lot of ’em, too. They are the walking dead. Unless they receive Messiah Y’shuaJesus as their Lord, the will be dead for eternity.

To take up on that idea, we can see the dead speaking loudly, making small holes like the ants, bees, and worms. They teach in public schools, especially colleges. They report for various news organizations, write for television shows, produce movies, write movies. They are in our political arena, as well. And unfortunately these walking dead infiltrate our churches. And the walking dead are deceivers. As Jude wrote (Jude v10-13.):

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Paul put it this way: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. . .” Romans 1:22

Deceivers. At least three types of deceivers. One like the ant, one like the bee, and one like the worm. The holes deception bores begin small, getting beneath the surface where we don’t see what it’s really doing. Eventually, with a destroyed foundation, the structure collapses. Y’shuaJesus said that our faith must be built upon a rock. And, yes, we say Y’shuaJesus is the Rock. Out faith is built upon Him. It is still faith. We have to remember that our sins are forgiven. We have to remember that Y’shuaJesus paid the price of for our lives. But deception undermines our faith, slowly chipped away, by the walking dead, whether in the “world” or in the church. Do we begin to think we have to earn salvation through works or doing a certain type of mystical prayer? What can we offer G-d in trade for eternal life?

The black ant deception looks perfectly sound, fine. We don’t suspect a thing is going on. The bee is more direct. We see signs, but don’t think it’s really too dangerous. The worm. Well, the worm of deception appears to be a good thing. Like the worms in my lawn and garden. But our faith is to be a rock, not a garden. Worms say “The Bible teaches. . .” and we applaud, or say “amen.” Worms, well, worm their way into our lives, eating at us in ways we don’t even know.

The aim of deception is to undermine our faith. We are called to endure until the end. We can suffer set backs, but our faith must endure. We must be prepared to endure hardships without the loss of our faith. Our faith must endure. The Gospel Faith. That Y’shuaJesus lived, died, returned from the dead, and lives at the right had of the Father. Truth.

The cure to deception is what Paul wrote to the Corinthians (Ephesians 4:14,15):

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. . .

One example. There is a deception today that goes by the name of “emergent.” It isn’t new: It’s “new age” wrapped in Bible quotes. It looks so spiritual, even something Y’shuaJesus would approve. “From the Lighthouse” is a great place to learn about exactly this type of deception, and more. You can find it here:

Evangelism and the Walking Dead. In his article, Regular Joe wrote about evangelism of the walking dead, that they might be awakened. I agree. It is our mandate, too easily forgotten as we duck assaults from an enemy that is not flesh and blood (though too easily works through physical forms). We pray for all to come to the knowledge of Messiah, to the salvation that is preached in the Gospel Message.

Tom White, from his column in Voice of the Martyrs magazine encourages us: “Don’t let the big dogs in our country—who growl loudly through the media—prevent us from finding ways to reach out.” Throughout the world, Believers in Y’shuaJesus reach out to, and from within, countries in which the Gospel is restricted or simply outlawed. There are 54 nations like this. Here, in America, we are, for the present, unrestricted in our out reach with the saving message of Messiah and Lord Y’shuaJesus. “We must thereore go outside the fence with childlike faith,” wrote White.

And we must also not become discouraged in our efforts, must not question why there seems such poor return for our efforts. Not all will hear. Paul wrote (2Corinthians 4:3,4):

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Oh, Lord, You are our Rock. You will not be moved. Help us endure, with our faith intact, that we might greet You at Your Glorious Return and Feast with You, even reign with You as You’ve said we shall. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Passover Tonight

Today, mis-named “Good Friday,” was always called “Black Friday” by my mother. No, not the black friday shopping days that seem to follow so many of the Christian Holy Days. Black Friday because it is the day in which we mourn our sins and that a Holy Innocent took them upon Himself, for us.

The Ten Plagues in a Nutshell
from Chabad.org
Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand in the name of G-d, “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh repeatedly refuses. Aaron’s staff turns into a snake and swallows the magic sticks of the Egyptian sorcerers.

Pharaoh still refuses to let the Jews go. Moses warns him that G-d will smite Egypt. Pharaoh remains impervious. G-d begins to send a series of plagues upon the Egyptians. In the throes of each plague, Pharaoh promises to let the Children of Israel go; but he reneges the moment the affliction is removed.

1) Aaron strikes the Nile, the waters turn to blood;
2) Swarms of frogs overrun the land;
3) Lice infest all men and beasts. Still, Pharaoh remains stubborn;
4) Hordes of wild animals invade the cities,
5) a pestilence kills the domestic animals,
6) painful boils afflict the Egyptians.
7) Fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail. Still, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go; as G-d had said to Moses.”

The people of Egypt have suffered too much. They beg Pharaoh to let the Jews go. When Moses comes to warn Pharaoh of the eighth plague, Pharaoh says: You say that you want to go serve your G-d? I’ll let the men go, as long as the women and children stay behind. No, says Moses, we must all go, men women and children, cattle and herds. Pharaoh once again refuses.

The next plagues descends upon Egypt.
8) a swarm of locusts devours all the crops and greenery;
9) a thick, palpable darkness envelops the land.

The Israelites are instructed to bring a “Passover offering” to G-d: a lamb or kid is to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, so that G-d should pass over these homes when He comes to kill the Egyptian firstborn. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs.

Then G-d brings the tenth plague upon Egypt, all the firstborn of Egypt are killed at the stroke of midnight of the 15th of the month of Nissan.

Let us remember Y’shuaJesus and look forward to Sunday, the Day of Resurrection! Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Passover 2012

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:11-14

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5:7

This Friday, at sunset, begins passover. It is known as פֶּסַח pesach, which comes from “pretermission, that is, exemption; used. . .of the Jewish Passover (the festival of the victim), passover (offering).”

The weeks preceding pesach are spent in much house cleaning in search for bread crumbs. It is quite an activity in which all members of each household are involved—young to old. I hadn’t realized Christians from some denominations also follow this part of the Law, too.

What does leaven symbolize? It has long been thought of as a metaphor for sin. Just as we’ve spoken of, before communion, we search ourselves looking for any sin in our lives. Passover and Resurrection Day are forever linked to communion. Y’shuaJesus is the Lamb of G-d—the Lamb slain whose blood covers us, keeping us from the Angel of Death. We celebrate communion to remember Y’shuaJesus, that His body and blood were given for us. It seems appropriate that we should, before Resurrection Day, which also called by the pagen name of Easter, search for bread crumbs containing leaven, not only in our lives but throughout our homes.

While this is all good, I wonder if there is a deeper meaning to leaven than that of sin only. In Luke 13:21 Y’shuaJesus says of the Kingdom of Heaven: “It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” I read that many reconcile this as being the one time in a hundred where leaven isn’t a metaphor for sin. Yet it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me. Matthew Henry comments on Luke 13:21: “You expect [the Kingdom of Heaven] will make its way by external means, by subduing nations and vanquishing armies, though it shall work like leaven, silently and insensibly, and without any force or violence. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; so the doctrine of Christ will strangely diffuse its relish into the world of mankind: in this it triumphs, that the savour of the knowledge of it is unaccountably made manifest in every place, beyond what one could have expected, 2Co_2:14. But you must give it time, wait for the issue of the preaching of the gospel to the world, and you will find it does wonders, and alters the property of the souls of men. By degrees the whole will be leavened, even as many as are, like the meal to the leaven, prepared to receive the savour of it.”

So to speak of leaven, one is speaking of something that is silent, working almost mysteriously within—sin does that, doesn’t it? Y’shuaJesus warned of the leaven of the Pharisees. Their doctrines, traditions, interpretations of the Law, and even their hypocris, that would all work within those that adhere to their leadership. Leaven. Y’shuaJesus said to seek first the Kingdom of G-d. It will also work within us, slowly, silently, mysteriously. The Word of G-d, made flesh in Y’shua, made flesh in us.

Yet go back to the woman hiding the leaven in three measures of flour. There’s a view that even here leaven is sin hidden within the ingredients that the loaf is made from. There is a belief that the loaf is symbolic of the church, which is G-d’s Kingdom on Earth, and that the leaven is false beliefs and false doctrine hidden withing the ingredients so that these deceptions are passed on to all who partake of the loaf. An extreme example of the way an entire nation can become captive to a bizzare notion is the propaganda machine developed by Hitler prior to World War II. The leaven of his deception grew slowly, silently, until it permeated most all in the nation of Germany. The German people were mentally poisoned to hate the Jewish people, gypsies, virtually anyone that did not adhere to their Aryan cultural view of themselves. Extreme nationalism gave rise to the Hitler youth movement. No one questioned the authority of the Third Reich, of Hitler, of his agents, until too late. When they did, they were eliminated. The world, it seemed, went crazy. Sixty million people died as a result of Hitler’s leaven. Two atomic explosions rocked Japan.

Could the church of the twenty-first Century become permeated by false beliefs? The Apostle Paul said: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) It’s not that there may be evil lurking in heavenly places, it’s that THERE IS evil lurking. It is leaven in the church. Sin!

Proceeding pesach, we rid the leaven within our homes. We celebrate the feast of passover with the knowledge of Y’shuaJesus as the pesach lamb. On Sunday we celebrate the empty tomb, the resurrected Lord. And we rejoice!

Psalm 7 A model prayer for us while in distress (part three)

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

“In You do I take refuge,” prays David. One commentator said the original meaning of the Hebrew for “take refuge” meant “flee to.” In danger, I’m sorry to say, my first thought is to flee from, to go anywhere that gets me out of danger. Isn’t that what fleeing is all about. Perhaps that is exactly what Elijah did. G-d tracked him down, led him to a mountain cave, and got him to the point He could finally whisper to him.

David’s attitude is much better. “He puts himself under God’s protection and flies to him for succour and shelter,” wrote Matthew Henry. “He pleads, his relation to God. “Thou art my God, and therefore whither else should I go but to thee? Thou art my God, and therefore my shield ([see also] Gen 15:1), my God, and therefore I am one of thy servants, who may expect to be protected.” His confidence in God: “Lord, save me, for I depend upon thee: In thee do I put my trust, and not in any arm of flesh.” Men of honour will not fail those that repose a trust in them, especially if they themselves have encouraged them to do so, which is our case.”

There are those saints today, brothers and sisters in Messiah Y’shuaJesus, that are in eminent physical danger. Pastors, ministers, brothers and sisters living in any of the 51 Gospel-restricted nations of the world are in danger. They are in danger if they assemble, if they speak of the LORD to one another, if the actually share the Gospel with someone. The rest of us may be, but most likely are not, in the line of fire—yet! It is coming, though. In whom will we trust? Is our pattern in times of distress, discord, to turn to a spouse, someone in our family, a close friend, or a paid therapist? Have we trained ourselves to flee from anything that discomforts us? When all else fails us, and no resolution is found, do we then come to G-d and say, “Hey, where are You, where were You?”

For any time of distress, whether or not it is spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, there is a way that is better. There is David’s way. Flee to G-d! But to prepare for times that are truly evil, we must train ourselves to look at every moment of every day as an opportune time to flee to the Lord, to offer the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of thanksgiving. It is an attitude we do ourselves good to develop. Then, in time that are certain to come upon us, evil times, dangerous times, we will flee first to the Resurrected Messiah.

Praise Y’shuaJesus!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7 – A model prayer for us while in distress (part one) (jonahzsong.wordpress.com)
Psalm 7 – A model prayer for us while in distress (part two) (jonahzsong.wordpress.com)

Hadassah (continued)

“. . . Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. . .” Esther 3:5

The dissent of Mordecai is a passive, non-violent form. It is a refusal to obey edicts or laws contrary to Scripture. He did not protest openly an edict, or law. In Iran, today, a pastor is in jail for openly protesting a law. According to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), (see article here) “Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old pastor from Rasht, about 750 miles northwest of Tehran, was arrested in October 2009 after he protested a government policy that required children, including his 8- and 9-year-old sons, to study the Quran in school.”

Recently, VOM contacts told VOM “the chief justice in Gilan province told Youcef’s lawyers last week (Jan. 16, 2012) that if Youcef repents, he will be released. Youcef told his attorneys repenting means leaving Christianity to return to Islam. He said it was impossible for him to “return” to Islam, since he was never Muslim.

“Our contacts write, “Because of your prayers and concerns, the regime is afraid to issue a negative verdict, and yet they do not want to release him…”

“Please continue to surround Youcef with your prayers. Pray that the chief justice will have a change of heart.”

Pastor Youcef objected to a law. He protested that law. That’s different from not obeying a law, right? Perhaps he could have just let things go along quietly. Perhaps. But what of Mordecai? All he did was to disobey, and that got him in trouble with Hamman. Had G-d not intervened, Mordecai and most of G-d’s people would have been executed. And G-d’s intervention included active work by Mordecai. More thoughts on that later.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Eve of Destruction

“For this is what the LORD says: ‘Just as I have brought all this great disaster on these people, so am I about to bring on them all the good I am promising them.’ ” (Jeremiah 32:42 HCSB)

If pictures are worth a thousand words, songs are worth a thousand pictures. There’s a saying that tells that the Welsh were not born with silver spoons in their mouths, but poetry raging through their veins, and music filling their hearts. And I know African’s are the same as the Welsh. And being Welsh, myself, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if I turn often to music, and song lyrics.

Barry McGuire sung the S.F. Sloan song Eve of Destruction with a loud, poetic voice, exposing all sorts of heinous things taking place in our world. In one verse he pleads

Don’t you understand, what I’m trying to say?
Now, Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no running away,
There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave,
Take a look around you, boy, it’s bound to scare you, boy,
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

On one internet site that has the lyrics, a man commented: “The song is a grave warning of imminent apocalypse, and considered by some to be the epitome of a protest song. It expressed the frustrations and fears of young people in the age of the Cold War, Vietnam, the nuclear arms race, and the civil rights movement.”

Yes, the song was written in July 1965. That was 47 years ago. I was sixteen, in high school, and not too concerned with the world outside my peaceful life in rural California. It took a few years for me to see that truly we were on a road toward destruction. The most important question then, as too often now, is “When is the coming destruction?” When Y’shuaJesus pointed out that the beautiful Temple in Jerusalem would soon be torn down, the disciples followed with the same question, and also wanted to know the signs of the Lord’s return.

Since the time the song was written, sung, and listened to around the world, many, many destructions have taken place. We’ve seen countries rise to great levels of economic opportunity only to collapse into utter ruin and despair. We’ve seen wars, and heard rumors of wars. There have been earthquakes, floods, drought, famine. So far these destructions, as devastating as they have been, have been localized and regionalized. Destruction has not engulfed the Earth entirely, and at one time. Yet we’ve sung these lyrics for nearly half of a decade.

Today, on the internet, in various gathering places throughout the world there are those, Christian and not, crying out that we are on the Eve of Destruction. And just as many voices return with their own cries of denial. I submit to you, that since day one of the Jewish calendar 5770 years ago, we have been on the road, sitting on the very Eve of Destruction. And yet it hasn’t happened. At least not yet! How then shall we act? How then shall we go on? I believe the words of the Lord through Jeremiah point to our proper response, to our beneficial attitude: “Just as I have brought all this great disaster on these people, so am I about to bring on them all the good I am promising them.”(Jeremiah 32:42 HCSB)

Yes, there is hope. Yes, though things fall apart, there is life and joy after. When the Lord brings destruction, and we, His people are affected, He showers us with great things in the aftermath. It is terrible for those who fail to heed His admonishment! And worse for those who fall away, those who are lead away, for they will find no such reward. We, then, have the hope of Noah, who settled the Earth after the flood. We, then, have the hope of Rahab, who survived the destruction of Jericho. We have the hope in the form of a promise from our Lord and Savior, Y’shua, who said He would never leave us alone. He lived with us, died for us, rose from the dead and sent His Spirit to fill us until His return in glory. Master. Savior. Lord. G-d.

So as the world ignores the warnings, and as some who see them freak totally out, we who are True-Born Believers in the Hope of Messiah NOW. Remember Rahab after the destruction of Jericho: “So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.” (Joshua 6:23 HCSB)

There is HOPE!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Contend for the Faith (jonahzsong.wordpress.com)

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