Abundant Life

Christian persecution is a real and terrible part of our lawless world. The chaos of the world is carried into our homes, too, as it causes family discord. But greater than the physical and emotional toll is what happens to our spiritual peace. For we have an enemy that would steal our peace, our spirit, leaving us without hope, in utter despair. Our Lord Y’shuaJesus is the remedy. He said:

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. —John 10:10

“Christ is a good Shepherd; many who were not thieves, yet were careless in their duty, and by their neglect the flock was much hurt. Bad principles are the root of bad practices. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand his life of him, he laid it down of himself for our redemption. He offered himself to be the Savior; Lo, I come. And the necessity of our case calling for it, he offered himself for the Sacrifice. He was both the offerer and the offering, so that his laying down his life was his offering up himself. From hence it is plain, that he died in the place and stead of men; to obtain their being set free from the punishment of sin, to obtain the pardon of their sin; and that his death should obtain that pardon. Our Lord laid not his life down for his doctrine, but for his sheep.”—Matthew Henry Commentary.

I like the way the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary describes Abundant Life : “[It is] not merely to preserve but impart LIFE, and communicate it in rich and unfailing exuberance. What a claim! Yet it is only an echo of all His teaching; and He who uttered these and like words must be either a blasphemer, all worthy of the death He died, or “God with us”– there can be no middle course.”

When the chaos of darkness intrudes we face the loss of our exuberance. . .
I like Andrae Crouch’s song Take Me Back. The chorus is:

Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received You.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed.

King David offered this pray, that we can make our prayer:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
—Psalm 51:7-12

The Staff of G-d, the Sword of Joshua

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’s hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

—Exodus 17:8-13

It makes sense that Moses should stand upon a hill, above the battle, with upheld arms. The symbolism seems clear. Moses raising his arms, yielding to the will of G-d, his own strength wanes. Aaron and Hur support Moses, allowing him to continue to hold high the staff of G-d. The staff symbolizes authority. It is upon G-d’s authority that Moses sends Josua and the people of G-d into battle. Somewhere I read that the names Aaron and Hur meant Praise and Word. This, too, makes sense. For holding up the arms of Moses, supporting the waning strength is:

Praise of G-d
Word of G-d

But let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that all it takes to gain victory over an enemy is to stand upon the authority of G-d, holding up the Word of G-d as our justification, lifting our hands, our arms in praise. For there, below Moses, boots hit the ground, weapons found their mark. The people of G-d fought for liberty from their enemy, an enemy that would enslave them.

And some 3,000 years later—two-hundred and forty years ago—farmers on what is now American soil stood together against another form of enslavement: British imperial tyranny. They stood together for Liberty. They stood together for Justice. And so it began in Lexington, not far from Boston, that well-trained British soldiers were ordered to move against the colonial people, against farmers and craftsmen. They were ordered to subdue men and women, untrained in the art of war. But the colonist stood bravely against the “red coats.’ Ordered to give up their arms, they refused. Shots were fired. Shooting continued into their backs as they ran. Men died, including their commander. This was the battle, really a massacre, of Lexington. But. . .

. . .came Concord. On April 19th, 1775, things would be different. It began a mile out of Concord, at Meriam’s Corner, as the red coats crossed a bridge, still exuberant from their victory and sacking of Lexington. They marched toward Boston. They met more untrained farmers and craftsmen. But this time, the red coats faced a different tactic, one we call guerrilla warfare.

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Even now, the significance of Lexington and Concord awakens a response in Americans that goes far beyond the details of the day or the identity of the foe. An unmilitary people, at first overrun by trained might, had eventually risen in their wrath and won a hard but splendid triumph.” —Author Willard Wallace

Who will we turn to in times of trouble?

The world as we know it is about to end. We face devistating geological upheavals, increasing in number and scope. The Pacific Ocean is becoming radioactive, fish are dying. Chickens and turkeys are being killed, millions so far, as they are diagnosed with avian flu. We face and imminent monetary collapse, and not just in Greece. Riots rattle America. Racial tension is at an all-time high, like a pot about to boil over. A spirit of control pervades the world, as liberty is sent packing for a long, lonely holiday. We face tyrannical individuals that have allied themselves against the people of G-d. Islamic terror spreads its ugliness, its lawlessness throughout the world. We face deception from within our own ranks, within the Church. And in these times of trouble, to whom shall we turn? We must remember—we must not forget—how David responded:

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
In your faithfulness put an end to them.
— Psalm 54:4

Matthew Henry commented that “If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God’s threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David’s present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God’s promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the redeemed.”

I will awake the dawn!

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me.
—Psalm 108.1-6

We must learn how to praise God from David’s example:
1. With fixed heart.
2. With freeness of expression.
3. With affection– lively, but not carelessly.
4. Publically.
5. With magnification of God’s mercy and truth
—Matthew Henry

Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, will be martyred

The appeals are over for Asia Bibi, who has been tried and convicted of blasphemy (see earlier post). Unless the Islamist government of Pakistan grants some extraordinary stay she will be executed soon. The Spirit of G-d has upheld Ms. Bibi; the Lord’s right hand kept her from falling away from her commitment to our Lord. She has not denounced Messiah. She has endured.

Have you ever seen one of those action movies where a team of mercenary soldiers go into a country to rescue someone? This is one person that should be rescued. But that isn’t likely to happen, unless the Lord opens the cell doors and releases her. Our prayers and our hopes for her release, for her return to her children, have come to nothing. Well, that isn’t totally true. For she has endured. Lord willing, she shall endure until the end. Then shall she be summoned to the foot of our Lord, given a new white robe, and encouraged to wait a little while until all who are to die for the Lord Y’shuaJesus do so.

But the one who endures
to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:13

And yet I have to ask a few questions: Why didn’t I do something for Ms. Bibi? Why hasn’t there been an outcry from Christians worldwide against her being held a prisoner? Why hasn’t there been an ‘million man march’ on Washington to get attention to the injustice being committed by a country we support, that is suppose to be our ally?

We’ve been told that Islam is a peaceful religion. We’ve been told that only a few Muslims are terrorists, and that they don’t really follow the Qur’an. Pakistan is our friend. Our friend is going to murder Ms. Bibi for expressing herself. Expressing herself is not her right, according to the law in Pakistan. Is Pakistan then not following the Qur’an? Or is Pakistan carrying out what is actually in the Qur’an? Is that the way it’s going to be throughout the world where Islam is able to take over?

It seems to me, as Christians, we’ve turned the other cheek a few too many times; we’ve been good little doormats. Here in America we’ve let atheists and homosexuals and humanists determine the way we conduct ourselves in public. Hotels and motels are being pressured to remove Bibles from rooms. Christian clubs are forbidden in many schools. Even children who bring Bibles to school are being sent home. In Houston, TX, pastors are not allowed to exercise their rights of free speech and freedom of religion as granted by the U.S. Constitution. Christians who meet at home are, in some places, in violation of a local ordinance prohibiting such acts. In some “free” countries, speech can be termed “hatefull,” and the speaker fined or jailed or both. Christian businessmen and women are being told they must go against their own faith and do what is unthinkable just so as not to offend an unbeliever. For instance, Christians who run businesses having to do with weddings are told they must take on homosexual wedding customers. (And if you say, “What’s wrong with that?” to any of the above, then you are part of the problem; and you are a lukewarm mouthful of water that the Lord will one day spit out.)

Soon we’ll be coming to the winter holiday season. Yes. Winter Holiday Season. Not Christmas anymore. We’re told not to say “Merry Christmas” because someone might be uncomfortable with it. And, yes, I know, the Apostle Paul talked about not eating meat sacrificed if it may make a weaker brother stumble. Does that apply? But really, is Christmas our holiday or theirs? And, yes, it’s about them and us. Us being the Christians. Them being the pagans, the unbelievers.

Lord forgive us. We really haven’t a clue of what we’re doing. We don’t deserve Your blessing. We don’t deserve being kept by You. We don’t deserve You shining upon us. We don’t. But by the grace You granted to us, through the sacrifice of Y’shuaJesus, we are saved anyway, not based upon our actions or in-actions, but based upon Your desire, Your decree.

For God So Loved the World:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
John 3:16-21

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . . for it is for this that He came, died, and rose. Praise The Name of the LORD our G-d.

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. . .

Love one another

How about loving those who torment and persecute you, too. Is it an easy task? Maybe it helps to consider what the Apostle Paul wrote, and how Matthew Henry interprets it.

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Philippians 1:28

“He exhorts them to courage and constancy in suffering: And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, Php_1:28. The professors of the gospel have all along met with adversaries, especially at the first planting of Christianity. Our great care must be to keep close to our profession, and be constant to it: whatever oppositions we meet with, we must not be frightened at them, considering that the condition of the persecuted is much better and more desirable than the condition of the persecutors; for persecuting is an evident token of perdition. Those who oppose the gospel of Christ, and injure the professors of it, are marked out for ruin. But being persecuted is a token of salvation. Not that it is a certain mark; many hypocrites have suffered for their religion; but it is a good sign that we are in good earnest in religion, and designed for salvation, when we are enabled in a right manner to suffer for the cause of Christ. – For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe, but also to suffer for his name, Php_1:29. Here are two precious gifts given, and both on the behalf of Christ: – 1. To believe in him. Faith is God’s gift on the behalf of Christ, who purchased for us not only the blessedness which is the object of faith, but the grace of faith itself: the ability or disposition to believe is from God. 2. To suffer for the sake of Christ is a valuable gift too: it is a great honour and a great advantage; for we may be very serviceable to the glory of God, which is the end of our creation, and encourage and confirm the faith of others. And there is a great reward attending it too: Blessed are you when men shall persecute you, for great is your reward in heaven, Mat_5:11, Mat_5:12. And, if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him, 2Ti_2:12.” Matthew Henry.

We are to know two things, if nothing else: first, though we suffer trials at the hands of others, are persecuted beyond what we feel is fair or deserved, those who contribute the our suffering are worse off for it that we, for they are marked for ruin; second, our suffering, when enabled to suffer for the cause of Messiah, marks us for salvation in Messiah. We are blessed; they are damned.

English: oasis (Algeria) — Oasis in Algeria (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we look our tormenter in the face, can we imagine him or her in hell seeing us in Heaven? Probably not. But imagine it this way. Imagine a small park in the middle of the desert, an oasis. We sit upon green grass beneath tall trees. A breeze blows cool air over us. We sing songs, dance, and talk with Y’shuaJesus, who is always present on our oasis with us. Outside the edge of the green is brown sand. It is dry, hot, horrid. An unrelenting burns the skin of those marked for ruin, for damnation. Through baked eyes they look into the oasis they can never enter. Through parched lips they call for help. We don’t see them anymore, but for all eternity they see those they’ve mistreated, tortured, persecuted.

When we are maligned for the cause of Christ, we do best to turn our anger upon the one is causing the torment–the devil and his rebellious minion. Our struggle is not, as Paul has said, against flesh and blood, but against the rulers in the dark realm. . .

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Count your Blessings?

In early May, a friend emailed the following to me:

“I was reading something today that Patrick Henry Reardon said:

“Suppose for a moment, that God began taking from us the many things for which we have failed to give thanks. Which of our limbs and faculties would be left? Would I still have my hands and my mind? And what about my loved ones? If God were to take from me all those persons and things for which I have not given thanks, who or what would be left of me?”

“You know…this made me cry and start to thank Him like I never seemed to do before, because I never thought about it as this. We all can think…oh I count my blessings…but do I really?”

I thought about what my friend sent me, and I finally got around this morning to writing her back. I wrote: Hope all is well with you and your husband. I’ve been slacking off lately, and writing only one post a week and letting other things go. I can’t use the excuse that I haven’t the time, as I do. What I have been doing is reading more than I’ve done. I’d love to say it’s been all super spiritual studies, but it hasn’t. There’s a used book store not too far from us and I’ve got several hundred dollars in credit there from having dropped off many of my wife’s professional books a few years ago. From time to time I’d go in there and get a novel or two. A few months ago I went through the shelves and picked titles in the science fiction and mystery/thriller sections, as well as some in the non-fiction section, that sounded interesting. So now I’ve gotten into reading a novel or two a week. I do read slow.

My day’s are still somewhat filled with various projects, in addition to dropping and picking up the two high schoolers. We added about ten yards more of top soil, extending various garden beds this year. We’re adding a small-250 gallon-pond also. The spring rains and cool weather have allowed things to really grow well this year. We hope the summer will be wet and mild, too.

Thanks for all the emails you’ve sent. I read them all with care. This particular one, “Counting our Blessings?” was one that spurred me on to do a lot of thinking. What I had to consider, ponder, is that there are-I confess-lots of things I’m not thankful for at all and would just rather them go away. Yet they don’t. So in those, too, I’m learning, there are reasons for such things to be. I think some times I may be like a child being told to eat his vegetables, and thinking, “I suppose you want me to thank you, Mom, for those?

I did take the opportunity to sail last week on Cassandra, my Cape Dory 25 sailboat that I keep on Lake Lanier. The weather finally warmed up and the winds calmed down to around 10-12 mph with gust only to around 20 or so. I haven’t even cleaned the poor boat up from its winter nap. But for two-and-a-half hours I sailed around the lake just having a grand old time. Only one thing unpleasant occurred: While pulling the starter rope on the small motor I use to go in and out of the marina, I managed to knock my hat off into the water. By the time I got the motor started, the sails furled, and turned around, my favorite hat sank into lake. Oh, well, it was still worth it.

I think the lesson of that day fits right into counting blessings: In then end, even the unpleasant events all fit into the whole is such a way as we’ll eventually conclude that because of Y’shuaJesus, it all has been worth it!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you all.

Okay, So I Am A Narrow-Minded Member Of A Culturally Ghettoized Evangelical Subculture

According to the Christian News Network, “Rob Bell, author of the best-selling and controversial book Love Wins, which challenges the Christian teaching of Hell, came out in support of homosexual marriage on Sunday and called “narrow” Christians to repentance.

“According to reports, Bell was speaking at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and delivered a message based on his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God.

“I think we are witnessing the death of a particular subculture that doesn’t work,” he asserted. “I think there is a very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoized, evangelical subculture that was told ‘we’re gonna change the thing’ and they haven’t. And they actually have turned away lots of people.”

“And I think that when you’re in a part of a subculture that is dying, you make a lot more noise because it’s very painful. You sort of die or you adapt,” Bell continued. “And if you adapt, it means you have to come face to face with some of the ways we’ve talked about God, which don’t actually shape people into more loving, compassionate people. And we have supported policies and ways of viewing the world that are actually destructive. And we’ve done it in the name of God and we need to repent.”

And to this I have to say, “Yes, okay, so I am a narrow-minded member of a culturally ghettoized evangelical subculture.” But, guess what? Many are called to holiness, to be born again into the Kingdom of Y’shuaJesus, but few are chosen. And I, according to my faith, am chosen. I am chosen according to the Promise of The Father, The Son, The Spirit. I Am Chosen. Oh, and as for repentance. Well, perhaps Mr. Bell will come to repentance for being deceived, and for deceiving. May G-d bring Mr. Bell to his knees.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Vengeance

Vengeance:
noun
1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been
harmed by that person; violent revenge: But have you the right to vengeance?
2. an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble: to take one’s vengeance.
3. the desire for revenge: a man full of vengeance.

Reading through the three listed definitions of vengeance, it becomes clear to me why the Apostle Paul was against such behavior. The very desire for revenge consumes, and as such opens a very large trap in which the arch enemy of G-d’s people can use to our own ruin. We are admonished to give place to G-d and His wrath. We are to forgive, right? Here’s how Paul put it to the Romans:

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Romans 12:19

Having finished Acts, I turned to Judges. In the first chapter I see the wrath of G-d visited upon an enemy of Israel, the Canaanites.

And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

Judges 1:4-7 (emphasis added)

Here’s what Matthew Henry has to say:

“The Israelites were convinced that the war against the Canaanites was to be continued; but they were in doubt as to the manner in which it was to be carried on after the death of Joshua. In these respects they inquired of the Lord. God appoints service according to the strength he has given. From those who are most able, most work is expected. Judah was first in dignity, and must be first in duty. Judah’s service will not avail unless God give success; but God will not give the success, unless Judah applies to the service. Judah was the most considerable of all the tribes, and Simeon the least; yet Judah begs Simeon’s friendship, and prays for aid from him. It becomes Israelites to help one another against Canaanites; and all Christians, even those of different tribes, should strengthen one another. Those who thus help one another in love, have reason to hope that God will graciously help both. Adoni-bezek was taken prisoner. This prince had been a severe tyrant. The Israelites, doubtless under the Divine direction, made him suffer what he had done to others; and his own conscience confessed that he was justly treated as he had treated others. Thus the righteous God sometimes, in his providence, makes the punishment answer the sin.” (emphasis added)

The Lord has said He will take vengeance. For vengeance is His. And here, in the Book of Judges, He does so through inspired acts of His people.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .