Troubles, Trials, Woes

“In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.”

Deuteronomy 8:16 NASB

The word “good” translated from the Hebrew literally means “make well” and figuratively is said to mean “happy, successful, right.” There, in this passage, is the element that it seems to me is so often forgotten: “to do good for you in the end.” So it follows if we forget that part when trouble comes upon us, as it will always do, we despair, and lay down in our discouragement. Rather ought we not rise up to the occasion to glorify G-d despite troubles, trials, woes?

What does it mean to glorify G-d in our times of darkness but to heed the imperative to practice righteousness, to love. (1John 3:10). Practicing righteousness is the demonstration of our faith. We don’t earn the good that is ours “in the end.” We walk in righteousness as a result of the salvation freely received, not based upon our merit—a salvation we did not earn.

This walk, this demonstration of our faith is written of by John: “. . .let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:18 NASB) Deed means work, performance in a continuing manner. It means not just doing once, but to continue in our doing. This is why we say to “walk with MessiahChrist.” We don’t simply come to know Y’shuaJesus as our Lord and Savior then sit and wait for our end. We walk.

This walk requires us to go beyond ourselves and our immediate circumstances, our trials and even our joys. A song from the American Sixties speaks of this looking beyond ourselves, quoting a Persian proverb “I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.” This comparison helps us put ourselves into perspective. We can, despite our circumstances, put on a friendly face, offer at least a smile. We dwell not on our lack of shoes, not even on the other person’s lack of feet, but upon the graciousness of the Lord who loves us both.

There is a relative thinking that pervades America these days comparing ourselves one to another without going beyond certain boundaries. It echoes a sentiment from another American Sixties song: “Oh, Lord, won’t You buy me a Mercedes Benz; my friends all have Porches and I must make amends.” I see this in a family of four (a husband and his wife, and two children) who recently sold their house because it was too small for them. The had a four-bedroom home with four bathrooms, a two-car garage, a family room, a living room, a dining room, and a large kitchen with another dining area. They compared themselves to friends with larger homes, with recreation rooms in basements, and more garage space, and more bedrooms. Not far from their home lived several families of similar size each in trailer homes. These trailers have perhaps two or three bedrooms, a kitchen with dining area, and a living area, and one bathroom and a dirt area to park a car.

I believe we ought to go far beyond ourselves and our immediate trials, beyond our circle of friends, to trials of others, our neighbors. Then we ought to ask the question of what our response should be. Perhaps we are to be content with our situation. Or perhaps we are to extend help to another in greater need. The answer, to continue on the American Sixties music trend, isn’t just “blown in the wind.” It is found in prayer.

Thank you, most gracious Lord for Your love and Your strength as we stumble and fumble along on this journey, this walk with You. Amen.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Noblesse Oblige

Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more. Luke 12:48 HCSB

Luke 12:48 HCSB

For years I’ve heard truckers complain about the way four-wheelers (car drivers) drive. I’ve heard truckers lament, too, that so many problems occur because these four-wheelers just don’t have enough road experience. Truck drivers receive special training and after a few years of driving are considered professional drivers. In one year truckers drive more that most car drivers do in a lifetime. Truckers are required to take special written and driving tests in order to receive commercial driver licenses. A car driver, on the other hand, can buy a large motor home yet isn’t required to have additional training or licensing. When the motor home crosses a white line while turning a corner, the driver is excused for he isn’t a professional; he’s not expected to be able to handle the motor home with that high degree of skill. A truck driver, however, is required to maintain his/her truck within the marked lane, even when it is five-times longer than a motor home.

The trucker is a professional. The trucker is held to a higher standard than other drivers on the road. But this doesn’t mean the trucker a better person than the four-wheeler. It simply means a trucker has a skill and that he/she is expected and required to perform at a significantly higher level of expertise.

Y’shuaJesus said, “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much.” John Gill, in his expository of the Bible, says concerning Luke 12:48, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall, much be required: the more knowledge a man has, the more practice is expected from him; and the greater his gifts are, the more useful he ought to be, and diligent in the improvement of them: and to whom men have committed much, or to whom much is committed, of him they will ask the more; not more than what was committed to him, but more than from him, who has less committed to him; in proportion to what a man is entrusted with, the greater increase and improvement it is expected he should make.”

We are sinners saved by grace, are we not? How do we differ from those we call “unsaved”? We recognize Y’shuaJesus as our savior. We recognize that we are the children of G-d. We are not better, just knowledgeable. And we are accountable for that knowledge. Peter tells us we “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 HCSB)

We are nobility. Much has been given to us. Much is required of us. This brings us to Noblesse Oblige. I found the following explanations in Wikipedia, an information source on the internet. Noblesse Oblige essentially means that nobility performs a service. Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself/herself nobly, must act in a fashion “that conformes with one’s position, and with the reputation that one has earned.” It suggests noble ancestry constrained to honorable behavior. A privilege entails a responsibility. In the days of of monarchy, being a noble meant that you had responsibilities to lead and to manage, and were not to simply spend your time in idle pursuits. Noblesse Oblige is also belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate.

Noblesse oblige concerns a child of G-d. Our Master, Y’shuaJesus, provided instruction and guidance on our behavior as Children of G-d. The Apostles’ writings share both doctrine and its application. There a variety of roles in which we are to be noble: father; mother; son; daughter; employer; employee; land owner; business owner; and even the role of a country’s citizen.

Thank You, LORD for You have granted us the right to enter You Kingdom.
Help us live today as nobles upon Earth. In the Name of Y’shuaJesus. Amen

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Victory’s Road

For the LORD your God is the One who goes with you
to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

Deuteronomy 20:4 HCSB

Some years ago, while driving truck, I was provided with directions to my assigned destination. These directions were to be strictly adhered, according to company policy. But not always did they work. I recall a time in Maryland I ended up on a narrow, winding road lined with million-dollar homes on large parcels of land. I flagged down a small delivery truck driver to ask if I was in the right place. He shook his head, wondered how I’d managed to get this far. No, I wasn’t in the right place. And there was no place to turn about, being over 75 feet (27 meters) long. I had to continue along the road, make a few turns, then I’d come to a round-about. He instructed me not to try to go around that round-about, but to cut across it, as I’d never make it otherwise. Eventually, thank G-d, I made it back to the main highway. It turned out my load went to a small facility that was just a block from where I turned of the highway. The directions were very wrong.

Unlike the roads of the old Roman Empire that all led to Rome, not all lead to the destination we want to go. In general, the road to Victory is the true road for a Christian. Victory as not just something far off, in the future, but also available today. Victory is intentional, simple, and hopeful. We can imitate the ways of victory in the G-dly ones G-d brings into our lives, and through various writings of the Bible, such as the Apostle Paul’s.

There are many roads to victory. One is becoming passionate about our Lord. Another is an unforgettable victory; we mustn’t totally forget past failures, for that can lead to repeated failure. And there’s a restorative victory, which is one that bring us back for a wrong turn.

The directions to victory are given us through G-d’s Word. We have G-d’s promise in Deuteronomy that G-d goes with us to fight for us to give us victory. We move freely from one road to another, trusting in our Lord’s righteous victory, and in His ability to provide victory in our lives. When we awake in the morning, do we choice which road we should take for the day’s victory? Perhaps we do. In our morning devotional times we may see we need to be more intent upon victory, more passionate. Perhaps during the day we are reminded to forget a failure and proceed without fear. Or perhaps we’re reminded of a past failure, and shown how not to repeat it. There are many roads we may take leading to victory, and our Lord will not only show us the way, but will walk the road with us. Our Lord’s directions, unlike my company’s, won’t leave us on a narrow road, lost. He is with us all the way!

Victory’s road is one of praise and worship. Victory’s road is serving G-d’s people, using our gifts, fitting well into the Body of Messiah on Earth. Victory’s road is what I might call the Road of Awe, which is a holy and righteous fear of the LORD. Victory’s road is also one that comes through listening in the quiet for the Spirit to speak. And there’s a certain victory that comes through letting go, surrendering to the flow of G-d’s Spirit.

Victory’s Road is victorious living. It is our right, purchased on Calvary. Victorious living is also the exclusive privilege of those who will believe on the Son of our Creator, our Lord Y’shuaJesus. We are children of the King. We are noble men and women. As such we have an obligation to seek victory today, that we might be beacons, bright lights, drawing lost human vessels tossed upon the seas of life, to our Savior Y’shuaJesus. Let us rejoice in all ways, and do so now, not when we find victory, but rather because we have it in our position as children of the King even if we don’t feel it at the moment.

Thank You, LORD our G-d, King, Creator, in the most holy Name of Y’shuaJesus. You are victory. You are life. Amen and Amen.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Opposing Unjust Laws

“One may ask: ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all,'” wrote Martin Luther King, jr, in a letter from the Birmingham jail.

What then is an unjust law? The Reverend King wrote: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”

“Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire,” wrote The Reverend King. (Letter from the Birmingham Jail)

We must obey G-D rather than men.

Acts 5:29

In his article Widerstand: Luther and the Freedom to Resist Unjust Authority, Matthew Phillips, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Concordia University, Nebraska, wrote: “According to the New Testament, Christians should follow laws established by temporal authorities for the sake of their consciences (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:19–20). However, the earliest Christian church began at odds with both Jewish leaders and Roman rulers. The first persecution of the church in Jerusalem led Peter and apostles to proclaim the primary text for Christian resistance to unjust authority: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).”

It’s a balancing act. We are told we must indeed obey those in authority, leaders, even employers. However, we must “do so without denying Christ or compromising our faith, we must always strive to cooperate with the ruling powers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will endorse all of their policies or approve of every specific action they take. This is especially true in a democratic society, where it is the duty of responsible citizens to examine public servants with a discerning and critical eye. Nevertheless, Christians are responsible to uphold biblical righteousness in a hostile culture while also expressing respect for its leadership.” (from A CHRISTIAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A “GODLESS” GOVERNMENT, Focus On The Family)

No where do I find anything that promotes violent opposition. All true Christian opposition is both respectful and peaceful. Christians do not take to the streets and riot, destroying property, demanding “justice.” It seems to me the best example of opposition to an unjust law is the Boston Tea Party. After boarding the ships and dumping the tea in the harbor, the men cleaned the mess they’d made on the decks and departed. No one was hurt.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Government: G-D’s Institution

“Man is in a helpless state of sin and depravity as a result of the fall. He is fallen and wholly unable to save himself. The answer to this great problem as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, is the grace of God. For in God’s love he has not left the world alone in its wickedness and depravity. He has provided a means of salvation in Jesus Christ as the only escape from sin. He has also provided common grace to restrain the sinful actions of men and nations. One of the most prominent forms of common grace is the institution of government. While government does not save the souls of men, it nevertheless restrains their sinful desires and actions. But it is only by the saving power of the special grace of God that hearts and minds are renewed and turned to the light. Outward confirmation of the Law of God can never bring salvation and true life. Listen is as Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches from Ephesians 6:10-13 and exposes the lie of false religions and teachers who replace the grace of God with human works. But in the Gospel, there is true life in Christ Jesus. This is the only hope that God has given the world, and it is the only hope that the church can proclaim to sinners and fallen men.” From Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust [emphasis added]

Listen to Pastor MLJ’s sermon here: Common and Special Grace

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Submit to the Government

The Apostle Paul wrote to Roman followers of Jesus: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1 esv) (note: some translations use ‘submit,’ others use ‘be subject to.’) Apostle Paul was not the only Apostle to call for such submission to rulers. The Apostle Peter wrote: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution. . .” (1Peter 2:13 esv)

Historically, Rome held control over Israel and the known world of that time. The Roman rulers were pagans, idolators, mostly cruel, and generally despicable. When Apostle Paul wrote to his letter, the Roman Emperor desired to be worshipped as a god. Despite this, Apostle Paul charges Believers to be subject to ALL authorities, and Peter says to do so “for the Lord’s sake.”

How can this be? Am I instructed to abide the edicts and whims of an elected office or a dictator, regardless? I’ve asked this question, and come to my own conclusion. Your conclusions my differ. And that’s the first of four points to consider concerning this topic: 1) It is up to the conscience of each Believer whether or not to be subject a specific individual that represents a governing authority; 2) there are consequences for disobedience, such as getting tossed into a den of lions or losing one’s head, literally; 3) Opposing a specific individual, a king or governor, is different that opposing government. G-D establishes government, in general, for the benefit of all His people, to promote order and happiness [maybe like “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness”] and 4) Any ruler that “departs from this principle, and becomes the protector of the evil and the oppressor of the good, the case is reversed, and the obligation to its support must cease.”

Whether to obey or not to obey is a complex issue. My points are really only starting points on a long quest in which all Believers must decide where the line is that will not be crossed.

One thing: We were created in G-D’s image. We are not animals that follow blindly their instincts. As humans we have an obligation to use the thinking, reasoning, capacities which we were given. Consequently, we are not to follow blindly any exhortation from any source, whether that be within our Christian circles or from our own government and its officials. The choice is ours. May G-D be honored and glorified in our choice and our sacrifice.

Here’s some links to three commentaries from which I base my points:

Ellicott’s Commentary

Barnes’s Notes

Benson’s Commentary

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Today’s Message on a Mug

Coffee in a Cup of Strength

There’s more to this message, however:

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

But you were unwilling. . . (ESV)

Rather than “returning,” the New International Version (NIV) uses “repentance.” Ellicott’s Commentary says this: “In returning and rest . . .—The words describe a process of conversion, but the nature of that conversion is determined by the context. In this case it was the turning from the trust in man, with all its restless excitement, to a trust in God, full of calmness and of peace.”

Before the strength of quietness and trust is attained, there is a turning from our battles, our sin, and a turning to the Creator of the Universe, in Whom we find forgiveness from our sin and rest from our own strivings and attainments.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .