As the Days of Noah. . .

The Last Days. It’s on a lot of minds these days. Wars. Ebola. Islamic Terrorists. Rampant Crime. How could we not think that these are the Last Days. Yet, in all sincerity, as a human race we’ve had wars, famine, plague, and more than enough crime. The past looks pretty ugly. And yet, the mass of men, living lives of quiet desperation (thanks HD Thoreau) just kept on living. “Eat, Drink, Be Merry, for Tomorrow We May Die!” is the prevailing motto. This is the paradigm in which we, as Earth-dwellers live.

That’s what the Days of Noah were all about. Just going on despite the violence they perpetrated or experienced. That’s my sense of it all. We talk of the Last Days, but do we really believe it is here? Reading Genesis chapter six tells of G-d’s disappointment with the sin of the people. They’d become a real pain [ in King James English that was translated as G-d repenting of His creation] to Him. It’s Y’shuaJesus’s view of those times that opens things up for me.

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:36-39

Generally, people are simple unaware. Period. Sure, we occasionally get a Chicken Little running about yelling, “The sky is falling. The sky is falling.” And lots of things point to toward the Last Days. But we largely ignore the signs. We go on marrying, eating, living, dying. And maybe that’s okay, too. Maybe our lives are meant simply to be lived, that we just need to be good and do good, in the capacity that we find ourselves. Maybe that’s enough. But in the Days of Noah, the people were violent, sinful, because they’d lost their view of G-d. They’d forgotten G-d. The people of Israel, years later, did the same thing. A judge would arise, chosen by G-d to turn the hearts and minds of the people back to G-d–and to vanquish the enemy that had come against Israel. Than the judge would die and the people would again forget.

What I think. . . maybe. . . it’s okay to go on marrying, eating, and going to church weekly or whatever; but we need to turn our eyes toward the Heavens, we need to turn our eyes toward the Lord. The Lord must be the center. For if the Lord is the Center, then the Center will hold and our lives won’t fall apart.

Awake in the morning rejoicing G-d; go to bed at night thanking G-d for another mundane, ordinary day living for and through Him. And if at night we hear a voice calling our name. . . Listen Up! Look Up!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Thank You Lord for the Victory

Matthew Henry wrote: “Wherever we are, we may speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that which encourages our faith. And his providence must be acknowledged in events, though small and seemingly accidental”

And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. . . -Deuteronomy 26:11

It is shameful that I so often forget, in my living and in my praying, that thankfulness and gratitude go much further to bring me into the Holy Presence of the Lord Y’shuaJesus than all my good requests and good intentions. And to live, authentically, I must live in His presence. Saying “Thank You, Lord” when things work out is all well and fine. However, it’s a mark of true Christian Character that when things are difficult, things are rough, when trials are like fire licking my feet, that a man or woman in Messiah’s Care can rejoice in thankfulness to a G-d Who is personal, Who is loving, Who is faithful to show His Light after a long walk through a dark valley.

In these times, which appear to be close to the Last Days, peace with G-d is paramount and is sought by many. We as Believers in Messiah Y’shuaJesus understand the truth that the only way to have that peace is through Y’shuaJesus. We are warned that many will come in the Name of G-d saying many things. We are warned that we will be persecuted for our Truth. So there is physical trials we must endure. But there are other trials: for we battle a spiritual enemy that delights in emotionally battering us. We have feelings that betray us, disrupt our peace. As we are inundated with thoughts and fears, we pray for help and deliverance. We feel like we are dying, perhaps. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, or so goes the saying today. We must remember that we are not going to die. So all these hardships, both physical and emotional, only makes us stronger.

Being thankful to G-d isn’t thanking G-d for the trials, necessarily. Being thankful and rejoicing in that thankfulness, is remembering the past deliverance that G-d has done personally in our lives. Remember the time He did . And being thankful to G-d is rejoicing in the remembrance of those times of His deliverance. I can certainly begin a prayer with “Oh, Lord, please save me. . .” and proceed to go at length talking to Him about all that concerns me, that threatens me, that makes me feel so badly. But how much better it is when I say, “I praise you Lord, I thank You. For in times past You have rescued me and You have shown me that You were near me though I didn’t feel Your presence. Thank You that even today, even now, I can understand that despite how I feel, You are there with me. Together I will overcome, in Your Name by Your Power.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

When the water warms. . .

. . . the fish seem so much more active.

Lately it feels like that for me, at least mentally. And that’s not a good thing, really. I’m not talking about great mental activity, great productive writing or thinking or praying. I’m talking about thoughts swimming around too fast, feeling like attention deficit. I’m talking about focus.

Summer finally arrived here in north Georgia. And with it an odd anxiety. It’s all in my head.

I began a study looking at “Rights” and “Justice.” I quickly got overwhelmed, moved on, and haven’t returned. Perhaps it’s just not the time to write about it. Perhaps it’s “the enemy” attacking me. Perhaps it’s just too many fish in the warm water of my mind.

It’s also that several things lately have reminded me of the “End Times.” I recalled that Y’shuaJesus said we need to be vigilant for we don’t know the time of the coming wrath. And I am encouraged by the Apostle Paul, who, guided by the Spirit of G-d, wrote:

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Romans 5:9

Relax, I tell myself. There’s nothing to be anxious about. Anxious. Anxiety. Y’shuaJesus comforts us with words meant to sooth us, to let us know that we need not be anxious. When I think about being anxious about nothing, I remember I once attended in which it was somehow inappropriate to be anxious or concerned or upset. I remember how the preacher led praise and the congregation danced in procession around the auditorium. I remember the faces that held tight their anguish, forcing smiles. It was as if some one might let out a brief display of sadness and an Elder coming around saying, “Your not. . .” this or that or some other thing or another. “Let go, Let G-d,” he or she might say.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s alright to feel sad, or blue, or anxious, or distracted. Maybe that’s what makes us human. It makes me wonder just how far we’ve come to trying to be emotionless robots, flesh-covered computers. Adverts on the television tell us to ask our doctors about this drug or that drug to make us feel better. Preachers tell us we need to get right with G-d, and we’ll feel better. The best one I’ve ever heard, is that Solomon was depressed when he wrote Ecclesiastes. “All is vanity. . .” Maybe King Solomon was right. Maybe we’re just being deluded into accepting a well-placed lie. “Life is wonderful. Life is beautiful. Be happy.”

It seems to me that it’s okay feel what ever way we feel. And with those feelings, perhaps because of those feelings, we grasp tighter to the hem of our Savior’s clothing and, as Apostle Paul so said, find a contentment in even these tribulations. Perhaps in the depths of anxiety, we may rejoice. This isn’t suppose to be a “wonderful life.” It’s suppose to try us. For Life that is wonderful is Life with our Savior when He comes for us.

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.

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. . .

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. . .

A Life’s Mission

Those CNN stories of women who “died” and “returned” all seemed to have the idea of a life mission, whether it was a commitment to find one or continue one. So I was thinking. Many years ago, a member of the church group in which I ministered said he was waiting for a sign to begin his ministry, his mission. I think I was a bit harsh, not as pastoral as I’d once been, when I suggested that the Bible provided the all that we needed to hop to it, to go. I recall saying that he was like a pilot awaiting landing instructions from a small field that had no particular flight control center but relied upon written protocol. This fellow was awaiting a word, yet Y’shuaJesus, I’d said, already provided the word:

Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

Mark 16:15

As I write this, I think about how I’d responded in a way that wasn’t characteristic of me. I described it as a bit harsh, not as pastoral. . . There are time when I revert to a pastoral way with people. But just as often I find myself just speaking out what I find in me to say. Things change. Our calling doesn’t but perhaps what changes is the way we approach our calling, or how we perform.

This subtle change is exemplified a friend who ministered in a church that utilized the five-fold ministry of Apostle, Pastor, Prophet, Evangelist, and Teacher–an Apostolic Church similar to the one founded during or after the Welsh Revival in 1904-05, in Pen-y-groes, Wales. My friend had served in a position of Prophet, as it suited his personality. But the Apostle of the church was reassigning him to a pastoral ministry, which my friend found quite a challenge. My friend, however, agreed that it was necessary for his Christian growth, and good for the Church as well. The difference, I believe was in the way in which he was to relate to those to whom he was called to minister. He wasn’t just speaking the word of G-d, as when he was a prophet. Now my friend would speak to word, yes, but often in a different manner, staying around to pick up the pieces. He was also called, now, to comfort people going though hard times, struggling to stay afloat amid life’s drama.

Here’s the thing, I’m not so sure we have one specific destined task that we’re to complete in our sojourn upon Earth. We are all strangers in a strange land. We all relate to one another in some way. Perhaps our mission is very broad: to relate to each other in a righteous, Messiah-centered manner. At times this may mean we are to be good listener and ask appropriate questions that allow the other person to find his or her direction to Y’shuaJesus. There are other times I know that we are to be like a stone that sharpens a knife by grinding off rough edges.

Perhaps, then, our “mission” is our relationship to Messiah extended into our relationships with those around us–each day, every day.

Lord lead us into Your Truth. Lord extend Yourself through us. Lord let us lead others to You. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . .

Letting go; Moving on

Last night, on a CNN program my wife watched, several people told of their experiences with death. One individual was sent back to finish her work, to finish the mission she’d been sent to Earth to complete, she said. She’d spoken to Y’shuaJesus. He sent her back, though she didn’t want to go. Another woman, dying of cancer with only a few hours to live, was visited by relatives that had died, and told to forget all that she’d been through, let it go, and complete the mission for which she’d been sent to Earth. In this particular case, she stated that she’d allowed the cancer to eat at her and that her body immediately healed itself once she came to some resolution about herself. There were other people, with other stories.

My wife asked me if I believed the stories. I said something like the people thought they’d experienced the events, but that I though it was more of a dream, an intense dream, that felt real. Even in the moment in which a heart stops beating, the brain is still alive. Why not continue dreaming. Then if the heart is revived, the person recalls the dream and thinks it happened.

That is my explanation.

One thing that rings true that one of these women said: we must forgive ourselves of our past sins. Y’shuaJesus died that we be forgiven. We are made new, so why not let go of the past mistakes, the past sins, and move on with our lives. If ever an enemy wished to defeat us, then that enemy would constantly remind us that we are sinners, we will always be sinners. Okay, so that enemy may be half right. We are sinners. But aren’t we also saved? We are saved by the mercy of G-d, through Y’shuaJesus. The enemy will fail to remind us of that part.

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead

Phillipians 3:13

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .