This link takes you to Roger Oakland’s “Understanding the Times” website. He describes so succinctly the issues we face today with deceptive movements that are pawing at so many people, imbedding evil claws into the youth of the world.
We must take heart, however. For those that are called by the Lord, will respond despite any lack of effort on our part, and the resistance from the “dark side,” so to speak. There is something we can all do: Pray. Pray. Pray.
So this is the time of year in which many make resolutions. Here’s a repost written by David Wilkerson. It reminds me that a New Year is a New Slate and a New Time for Belief, Faith, and Following the Lord anew. Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and yours throughout this New Year.
THE SIN THAT MAKES GOD CRY
Let me give it to you straight—no beating around the bush and no soft-pedaling. The sin that makes God cry is being committed daily, not by pagan workers of iniquity but by multitudes of Christians—the sin of doubting God’s love for His children.
Do you think it makes God sound too human and vulnerable to say that He cries? Then ask yourself how a God of love could not cry when His own people doubt His very nature. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, and according to the book of John He wept when those closest to Him doubted His love and concern. That was God incarnate at the tomb of Lazarus, crying over friends who failed to recognize who He was.
Time and time again Christ’s dearest associates on this earth doubted His love for them. Think of the disciples in a storm-tossed boat that was taking on water. Jesus was in the stern of the boat, sound asleep. Fearing for their lives, His followers shook Him awake and then accused Him of outright unconcern. “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38). How their accusation must have grieved the Lord! That was God Almighty in their boat! How could He not care? But whenever men take their eyes off the Lord and concentrate instead on their circumstances, doubt always takes over. Jesus was astounded! “How can you be afraid when I am with you? How can you question My love and care?”
Christians today grieve the Lord in this matter even more. Our unbelief is a greater affront to Him than the unbelief of Mary, Martha, and all the disciples, for our sin is committed against greater light. We stand on a higher mountain and see more than they could ever see. We have a completed Bible with a full and detailed record of God’s trustworthiness. We have the written testimonies of almost twenty centuries of Christians, generation after generation of godly fathers who have passed down to us unshakable proofs of God’s love. And we have countless personal experiences that testify to God’s tender love and affection for us.
Let us look for His exceeding mercy and love, admit the sinfulness of our unbelief, and recognize who He is!
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
It all has to do with the with the New Age beginning today. One radio newscast spoke of a New World Order. It’s like the Whole Earther’s are celebrating because now the New Age begins with World Unity. It’s a radical paradigm shift to a new order, they say.
While it’s hard to swallow, there are indications there truly is a New World Order in the making. There are more and more people who are afraid and willing to trade their own freedom, and the freedom of there neighbors, for security. TFrom both within the church institutions and liberal political movements there is a desire for peace and security by having a strong world leader and a single worldwide religion. One World Government. One World Religion. Fun! It’s likely that they’ll get there way at some point. They think today it begins. Perhaps it does. But look out. For the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (first letter 5:3):
While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
At 6:21 am this morning, an uneventful winter solstice, and I knew I’d survived the End of the World-at least this one. When is the next one scheduled to occur?
Y’shuaJesus was asked about “The End,” and said it wasn’t His to know, but only the Father G-d. Yet, of course, we really do want to know “WHEN?”
Things seemed to be going so well. The weather wasn’t perfect, but tolerable. People up in New York were starting to get clear of the destruction of their double whammy storms. The election is over. Whether we celebrate or mourn, at least we know now were we stand for the next four years. Here in Georgia it’s raining. And it’s about time, too. And on the XMRadio I’ve been listening to “Radio Hanukkah.”-eight days of music celebrating the Maccabees Victory and beginning again of worshiping G-d in The Temple. It celebrates the miracle of light, a light that stayed lite eight days when there was only enough oil for one.
Then a young man barely out of his teens shoots a bunch of kids and six adults. Defenseless kids. Defenseless adults. Law enforcement officers comb the man’s house, where he also murdered his mother, for clues to how and why. The murdered children and adults are mourned–by us all.
How long will we all remember, though? Certainly parents of slaughtered babies will not soon forget their anguish, their loss. But we move on, CNN moves on, the world moves on, live goes on. There may be superficial answers offered us to our questions of “Why?” We will be told that the boy played too many violent video games too often. We will be told the boy watched violent television. We will told the boy was brilliant, but somehow damaged goods.
Even after we move on “solutions” will be proposed. Advocates will cry out for our attention, trying to get our ears. The “solutions” will include taking away any implement that might be used to cause harm. Take away access to evil guns. Curb violence on television. Restrict video games.
This month Christians celebrate the birth of a Savior. Not just any savior. The Savior. This is the time we need more than ever to understand that controls upon our liberties lead only to tyranny and that solutions only lay in accepting the only true savior, the only true peace that there is–Y’shuaJesus.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
If the Earth were a giant caldron, our Lord Y’shuaJesus came to make sure it was well stirred. Take a look at the following selection from The Book of John.
One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”
John 5:5-10
Invalid at the wall Jerusalem Old City, Israel Photo by Wil Robinson
This invalid spent thirty-eight years waiting to be helped to the healing waters. Lord Y’shuaJesus comes along and says, in essence, “If you want to be healed, break the rules of the Sabbath that say you can’t carry any load.” What would you do? Would you refuse, because you follow the rules? Would you question the Lord, try to find out why you were to break the rules of the Sabbath?
G-d made the Sabbath rules in the first place (Jer_17:21; Neh_13:15; Exo_20:8-10). Why did Y’shuaJesus command the invalid to break them then? “It may be answered, wrote Albert Barnes (1798-1870):
“1. That the Son of man was Lord of the Sabbath, and had a right to declare what MIGHT be done, and even to dispense with a POSITIVE law of the Jews, Mat_12:8; Joh_5:17.
“2. This was a poor man, and Jesus directed him to secure his property.
“3. The Jews extended the obligation of the Sabbath beyond what was intended by the appointment. They observed it superstitiously, and Jesus took every opportunity to convince them of their error, and to restore the day to its proper observance, Mat_12:6-11; Luk_6:9; Luk_13:14; Luk_14:5. This method he took to show them what the law of God really “permitted” on that day, and that works of necessity and mercy were lawful.”
The religious community got it wrong. Lord Y’shuaJesus made the rules, and set about trying to show people there is some depth to them, some principles behind them.
Is is just me, or do you feel as though we, as Christians, are placed into a particularly small box, confined to a narrow set of behaviors considered “Christian”? Take the following scripture and Matthew Henry’s own comments on it as an example of how it all starts.
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:23-26
Matthew Henry commented: “The servant of the Lord must not strive, 2Ti_2:24. Nothing worse becomes the servant of the Lord Jesus, who himself did not strive nor cry (Mat_12:19), but was a pattern of meekness, and mildness, and gentleness to all, than strife and contention. The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men, and thereby show that he is himself subject to the commanding power of that holy religion which he is employed in preaching and propagating. – Apt to teach. Those are unapt to teach who are apt to strive, and are fierce and froward. Ministers must be patient, bearing with evil, and in meekness instructing (2Ti_2:25) not only those who subject themselves, but those who oppose themselves.”
My dispute with Mr. Henry isn’t that we, as followers of Y’shuaJesus, are not encouraged to not stir up strife. And, certainly, it behooves us to be considerate in all our dealings with all people. No, my dispute is that this places us into a small, confining box. By this commentary upon the Words of G-d, we are confined to fulfilling only one roll, utilizing one tool, in our daily living.
Let’s take a look at our example of what a true believer is to be. Let’s look at Y’shuaJesus as he appears to his disciples.
And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
John 2:13-17
In the English Standard Bible Version, verse 17 concludes with “Zeal for your house will consume me.” This public display certainly shocked the disciples who had been with Y’shuaJesus for some time. Those disciples saw his first miracle, at the wedding where He turned water into wine. These disciples had seen His gentle ways, His meekness. Now these disciples witnessed the first public display of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. What part of gentle, meek, and mild is that display? What do we learn from it? We learn that “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?
And [Y’shuaJesus] said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Waiting to see a doctor about my worsening joint pain, I am thinking about how we greet people, and how we respond to a greeting.
Commonly, I say “Good Morning” to people in the morning. But am I saying “Have a good morning” or is it a statement, It is a good morning.” Likewise, leaving someone’s presence, I say domething like “Have a great day.” That seems clear that it’s a wish, a prayer, even a blessing.
“. . . but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” 1Peter 3:9
We are called, according to Peter, to bless people. We can say, “Good Morning,” and make it a prayer, a blessing, to the recipient. And if they receive it, they receive the Lord’s Blessing, I think.
Now as to an appropriate response, it seems to me a blessing should be recrived in return. “You have a lovely dat, too,” might be good.
. . . I pull myself out of bed early to prepare the day. Make oatmeal for my wife, who just hopped into the shower. Let the dogs outside. Set out some things for my wife to make a salad for lunch. Cut up an apple, put it in a baggie for my wife to take with her on her drive to her office. Make sure my daughter is getting up. She is almost out of bed. Return the the kitchen. Make two turkey and cheese breakfast burritos and pour a glass of orange juice. That’s my daughter’s breakfast, which I take to her. Room Service. Knock on her brother’s door, ensure he’s getting out of bed.
Now, at last, coffee for me in the kitchen. Read Psalm 118.
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
Psalm 118:24,25
Pray a praise for the Psalms. Pray for the family, immediate and extended. See my wife off. Clean up the counter, put away salad items. Daughter comes into the kitchen, ready to go. Son follows, wanting breakfast, which earlier he’d declined. He pours cereal into a bowl. It Will Be To Go, Right! I say.
All in the truck, we drive merrily toward their school, radio plays Country tunes today. Near the school, wait at a signal light for the left-turn arrow. An electrical company van in front of us is two car lengths behind the car in front of him. The arrow is green. The van doesn’t move. Honk! Not beep. HONK! Son says I over reacted. Says I drive like him, slow. Explain there’s a difference. Van needed to know it is time to drive, PERIOD. Son says again I over react, that I do it all the time. He is now getting under my skin. Feeling irritated. Annoyed.
Drop the kids at their high school. Drive toward home. Long stretch of two-lane road with 45 mph speed limit. Another van, mini-van, in front of me. Drives 35. No passing zone. Finally, I’m turning just ahead. Arg! He turns where I’m turning. We turn. Okay to pass now. Pass. Zoom past. Drive 48 now. Leave him in the dust. Don’t feel better. Worse, actually.
Home. Irritated. Annoyed. Lord?
Oatmealraisins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I prepare my oatmeal and think to myself, “Maybe, it’s all because I’m not doing what I should be doing. It’s a reaction to not serving the Lord the way I should.” I’ve thought before that perhaps I need to return to the truck driving ministry.
Yet. . .
Ashamed. I was ashamed at my reaction to the utility van that wouldn’t go fast enough at the green light. Ashamed and didn’t want to feel the shame at having my boy point it out. So I became annoyed. I tried to explain it all away. I carried that irritation onto another van driving too slow for my taste.
Inhumanity is a horrible thing. Being truly human is being truly perfect. Some how, having been around six decades now, I should know better. Should behave better. I should be perfectly human in all ways. Especially in driving. I’m a professional driver, after all. I have a commercial driver license. I can drive the big rigs. I’m good at it, too.
Ego wants me to think of myself as perfected. PRIDE! I sorta keep forgetting I’m a sinner saved by Grace. Humanity is perfection. Inhumanity is flesh.
But, all is not lost. There’s a song I recall that has a line that sums it up the hope, “He’s not finished with me yet.”
By G-d’s grace we are saved from the punishment we deserve for our sin. By G-d’s mercy we are blessed with good things, things we didn’t earn.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Photo credit: Chiot’s Run)
Children, we are. We stumble. We fall. He picks us up. He washes our face. He says it’ll be okay. Then He gives us an oatmeal cookie! Praise His Holy Name!
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon y’all throughout this beautiful week.
Jonah’s Song 