Manifest Destiny

None so deaf as those who will not hear.  None so blind as those who will not see.            --Matthew Henry

manifest  [man-uh-fest]
adjective
1.  Readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent; plain:
a manifest error.2.  Psychoanalysis. of or relating to conscious feelings, ideas, and impulses that contain repressed psychic material:
the manifest content of a dream as opposed to the latent content that it conceals.

verb (used with object)
3.  To make clear or evident to the eye or the understanding; show plainly:
He manifested his approval with a hearty laugh.4.  To prove; put beyond doubt or question:
The evidence manifests the guilt of the defendant.5.  To record in a ship's manifest.
noun
6.  A list of the cargo carried by a ship, made for the use of various agents and officials at the ports of destination.
7.  A list or invoice of goods transported by truck or train.
8.  A list of the cargo or passengers carried on an airplane.

 A student of American History will recall the phrase "Manifest Destiny" as the realization by early settlers that there was a great deal of land west of the original thirteen colonies.  There was incentive to settle further and further west, as there was a great deal of land to be claimed, and there was gold on the west coast.  This land was uncharted, and (to the minds of the European settlers) uninhabited, as the indigenous peoples were nomadic.  As "civilized" people migrated further west, they organized into new Territories of the United States of America, which would eventually become states themselves.  Westward expansion was self-evident; it was obvious to all but the Indian tribes that white settlers should possess the land all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

"Manifest" is not a word we use much any more in our everyday vocabulary.  It is a good word, though; one that is used in older versions of Scripture.  John 14:21 says, "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me.  And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."  I don't know about you, but I would like very much for Jesus to manifest Himself to me.  Through the Scriptures, Christ has in fact been made manifest to us.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. (Romans 1:18-19)

I truly believe that we are in what has been called the End Times.  I trust that Jesus is coming back very soon.  For students of Scripture, the signs are manifest to us.  For those who don't take the Bible literally, or who scoff at it's stories as so much mythology--well, I've probably lost them as readers by now.  Unfortunately, I think the scoffers of society have influenced the Church more than the Church has influenced society.  But that is another rant for another time.

Let's look at the evidence.  In Matthew 24, the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked Him, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming?" (Matthew 24;3).  Jesus gives the disciples a long discourse, describing things that will come in the short-term, mid-term, and long-term.

Wars, rumors of wars, and deceipt
Jesus predicts deceivers will come after Him, declaring that they are Him, or at least speak for Him.  "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Take heed that no one deceive you.  For many will come in My Name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many.' " (Matthew 24:5).  In the History of the Church, what started with Apostles and Elders like Peter and Paul evolved into a hierarchy, replete with politics and power.  There arose a church leader who called himself "Papa", what we would now call the Pope, who hailed himself not just the head of the church, but "the Vicar of Christ".  That is, the papacy claimed to be the Viceroy, the stand-in, for Christ until His return to Earth.

"And  you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:6).  After the establishment of the papacy, there were the Crusades, a series of religion inspired wars designed to re-take Jerusalem from Muslim hands.  Jesus predicted these conflicts, and warned us not to be worked up about the possible end of the world at that time.  And we know now that it was not to be, just as He said.

The Beginning of Sorrows
Jesus predicted geo-political realignment, and natural disasters.  "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:7-8).  Many will argue that there have been wars fought between peoples as long as there have been people.  But none could argue that modern technology has allowed the possibility of mass destruction on a scale never seen before.  Those same people will argue that the world has always had seasons of drought, periods of widespread disease, and earthquakes.  There are two new developments, however, that are pertinent here.  First is the development of mass communication.  Whenever there is a natural disaster anywhere in the world, CNN announces it as it occurs.  So we know more quickly about the event, and of the toll it takes.  So I don't know whether there are more earthquakes or famines now than there ever were, but I do know that more people are aware of them now than ever before.  And I also know that more people are affected by natural disasters than ever before.  With a global population of 6.5 billion people (and rising), more and more people are affected by drought, disease, and dynamic shifts in the earths crust.  If you have a heart, you must feel for all the people who are affected by these things.  We want to help them.

Widespread Hate
Jesus predicted persecution on an unprecedented scale.  We have all heard of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed.  The upcoming persecution of the Church will make the Holocaust pale in comparison.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My Name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  --Matthew 24:9-12

We have already begun to see the rise of ISIL and their brutal treatment of Christians.  They have beheaded some, drowned some, killed some by fire, and others they have buried alive.  Their watchword is "Death to America".  There are currently 330 million Americans.  When they get access to nuclear warheads--and they will get access to nuclear warheads (see the current headlines about the "deal" struck between the US and Iran to allow development of nuclear material) they will most certainly develop a nuclear bomb within 10 years--maybe sooner.

The false prophets have already infiltrated our culture.  They have come stealthily, preaching half-truths about the nature of God.  "God is love," they preach (which is true).  "We need not worry about God's wrath.  The God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament" (which is NOT true.)  The current pope was recently quoted as saying that the god of Islam is the same as the Christian and Jewish God, that He is just known by a different name.  This is a LIE.

Jesus described the culture of the end times later in Matthew 24 as being comparable to the pre-flood world.  "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matthew 24: 37).  The point He was making was the suddenness of the event, because He goes on to say that people were going about their daily routines, "eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark."  But a close look at the culture of the days of Noah reveals something telling.  Genesis 5:6 says, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the hearts of the human heart was only evil all of the time."  How descriptive.  How very much like today.  (Witness the majority of Christians who support the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding gay marriage, while at the very same time believing that homosexual behavior is wrong--the "inclination of the human heart" bending toward evil.)

Genesis 6 speaks of the violence present during the time of the flood.  The Hebrew word for violence and lawlessness is "hamas."  Genesis 6:11 and 13 says, "The earth was also corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (hamas).  And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh is before me; for the earth is filled with violence (hamas); and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."  Any student of today's situation in the Middle East knows that the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a terrorist group, is supported by Hamas.  I know that in the Palestinian language, "hamas" has a different meaning.  It supposedly means "enthusiasm".  But in their "enthusiasm", they declare a holy "jihad", which means a violent war or struggle against unbelievers.

The End
Jesus describes only one prerequisite to His Glorious Appearing.  It is not the rebuilding of the Temple, although that is described in Revelation as a physical structure which will be rebuilt just before or during the Tribulation.  It is not the appearance of the Antichrist.  It is global evangelism.  "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:13-14).  With the current state of global communications, can anyone tell me a nation or language or tribe that has not heard the gospel message?

The book of Revelation describes a one-world government or one-world economy (Revelation 17:13).  I have already quoted the current pope about his identification with Islam.  I have read more than one story about the pope being a Jesuit, and the fact that most Jesuits are embracing Liberation Theology.  This line of thinking says that the style of government that most closely aligns to the teachings of Jesus is Marxism.  In fact, the line in the Communist Manifesto "from each according to his ability to each according to his need" is a direct quote from the book of Acts, where Luke described the actions and attitudes of the early Church.  The difference between the early Church and the tenet of Marxism is Free Will.  God gave men free will, and delights when they choose to share with the needy.  Marxism denies people free will, such that anyone who does not fall in behind the Party line is arrested or killed.

As for the economy, historically every seven years there is a "correction" to the world markets.  This is due to occur again, possibly this coming September.  There is some concern among economists that the correction of 2015 could be very devastating.  Could this usher in Marxism into the US economy?  We already know that the sitting president attended a church that preached Liberation Theology.

There is an extra-biblical source of prophecy that indicates the current pope may be the last one ever.  The writings of the Catholic cleric Malachy in the twelfth century are interesting, to say the least.  Is this the moral and religious Antichrist spoken of in Revelation 19:20 and elsewhere (Revelation 17 speaks of a woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, whom many theologians identify with a false religion).  Many Christians look forward to the Rapture of the Church, in which all Christians are taken to heaven suddenly, leaving a moral and religious vacuum behind that will be filled by Satan and his followers.  Many Muslims look forward to a violent overthrow of Christianity in the last days.  Could it be that Islam becomes the one world religion after the Rapture of the Church?

The Bible says that no one knows the day or the hour of His coming, but that the seasons will be made manifest.  I believe in my heart that something earth-shaking will happen with the coming Jewish New Year in September.  Traditionally, it is marked by the blowing of the trumpet 100 times.  Some predictions of the Second Coming of Jesus include a description of "the last trumpet".  I don't know for certain that the Lord is coming for His Church on September 15, some 60 days from now.  But I do expect something big to occur with the advent of the 70th Year of Jubilee since Joshua led the Sons of Israel into the Promised Land.  And I do know that we are closer now to the end of the world than we have ever been before.

Are you ready?

Go With God

   

When I was a kid, I had a motley collection of die cast metal toy cars.  Sold under the brand names "Hot Wheels" or "Matchbox Cars", they looked just like a miniature replica of hot rods and cool cars on the road at the time.  The only thing that worked on them was that the wheels would roll--it would not steer, and you had to push it to make it go on a flat surface.

Soon after I started collecting small replicas of fast cars, I got a package of orange, interlocking tracks.  The plastic "roadways" would connect end-to-end, and their raised edges would keep the cars from veering off under the bed or dresser, where I couldn't reach them.  This made the cars more enjoyable to play with, but it still took a lot of imagination, because they would not propel themselves.  I discovered that if I elevated the first part of the track a little bit, the car would zip down the ramp and roll on until it hit something or it ran out of momentum.  The gravity that propelled it downhill would also be the force which slowed it to a stop when the road leveled out.

When I outgrew the tiny cars and their ugly burnt orange tracks, I noticed that they had invented accessories that would propel the cars automatically.  No longer did the kids need to engineer downhill tracks.  Instead, they could buy curved tracks that made the cars travel in an oval pattern.  The motorized thrust-er would give the toy cars enough momentum to zip around the curved track and back to the motor again.  The cars could go and go, without having to pick them up and start over again. As long as the power remained on, the little cars would go round and round the track.

In a way, this progression parallels my spiritual journey.  After I grew up and set out on my own, I was directionless and unmotivated.  God had to literally pick me up and place me on track in order to keep me going straight.  From time to time He would lift me up to a spiritual high point.  From there I could zip down into the real world, with enough momentum to jump the chasm life set before me, or even loop-the-loop if given the chance.  But eventually the gravity inherent in every day living would slow me down.  I would grind to a halt, and need the hand of God to propel me forward again.

As I grew older, with more responsibilities (like a job, and a wife, and then children), my life began more and more to resemble an oval track.  I would go round the first bend and receive wages for my work; just round the second turn, however, were the bills.  Round the first bend was friends and relatives.  Round the second turn were arguments with the wife, or friends' betrayals.  I became very familiar with the treadmill I was running.

Over time I have discovered that I need energizing as I go round life's racetrack.  At first I thought church and God were like a pit stop--somewhere to get the engine serviced, check the tires, and get help when I needed an overhaul.  The older I get, however, the more I think of worship among fellow Christians as being just like that electric motor the kids play with.  The one that shoots their cars round the track and back again.  Each week I look forward to that thrust of spiritual momentum that gets me through to the next time.  If I miss going through the wheelhouse of the church, I lose momentum, and am in danger of coming to a complete stop.

Just like the die-cast toys are made in the image of actual automobiles, so I am made in the image of Almighty God.  However, I do not have an internal combustion engine; I cannot self-propel.  I need outside motivation, and a track or surface free of obstacles and debris.  The motivation I receive can come from natural sources, like gravity, or a strong wind.  But gravity slows you down.  The wind makes you go, well, whichever way the wind blows.  That may not be the direction God wants to take you.  "He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.  No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner to they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff." (Isaiah 40:23-24).

No, it is much better to be propelled by His power, in the direction He wants me to go.  And if I make a habit of going through the church house each week, like the die cast toy cars going through the wheelhouse every time around the track, then I can run forever. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25).  I must make sure, however, that my "wheelhouse", my motorized motivation, is connected to the Source.  If not, then the wheels stop turning, and I come to a screeching halt.

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.  A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.  "They will be mine," says the Lord Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession.  I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him." --Malachi 3:16-17

Think about that, my friends.  We are God's treasured possessions.  At the end of the Day, when He picks up His toys and goes Home, we will be with Him.  We will no longer have to go around in circles.  We will no longer be buffeted by the winds or slowed down by gravity.  We will be with Him forever.  How much more do we long for His touch, His energy, His momentum even now?

Go Deep!

Inch by inch, row by row, I'm gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row, Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below 'til the rain comes tumbling down

Early this spring I built a garden box for my wife.  She put fresh, clean garden soil in it, free of rocks and sand.  She put just the right amount of fertilizer in it.  Then she planted seeds for tomatoes, squash, bell peppers and okra.  She carefully watered the young plants, and put mulch over the soil to keep the moisture in.

Well, the tomatoes are coming in nicely.  The squash a little less.  The okra plants are there, but there is no fruit.  And we don't know what happened to the peppers--they didn't come up at all.  Our neighbor, who has had a garden box for years, told us that the squash plants are too crowded, that they need to be thinned out.  He also said something about picking off the "male" buds and letting the "female" buds grow, because they are the ones that produce fruit.

I thought of our little garden box today when I heard a sermon on The Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13.  You are probably familiar with the story:

A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear. --Matthew 13:3-9

In this parable, the four types of ground are compared to the hearts of the hearers of the word. Some are better prepared than others to receive the seed of the Word of God.  The farmer cannot discriminate, as he does not know where their hearts are at any given time--only God knows.  And when the harvest comes, he may be tempted to call himself a failure: only 25% of the seed yields a return.  From God's economy, however, that 25% that fell among the good soil yields between 3000%  (30 times the investment) and 10,000% (100 times the investment).

That's a pretty good return, even if 75% of the time the Word goes unheeded.  Think about it.  Who led you to Christ?  Was it a parent, or a pastor, or a person you knew?  Someone led that person to Christ, and that person was led to Christ by someone, and on and on.  Somewhere deep in your spiritual roots (your spiritual great-great-great-grandparent) had no idea you would be saved as a result of their sharing Christ with someone else.  Somebody led Billy Sunday to Jesus.  Billy Sunday became an evangelist, and his message was heard by a young man named Billy Graham.  Billy Graham became an evangelist, and his message has been heard by millions.

The farmer was faithful to sow the seed.  He did not hold back, but spread the seed everywhere.  As evangelists who sow the seed of the gospel, we are called to spread the Word to all, and not pick and choose who hears it.  The more farmers who go and spread the seed, the greater the harvest. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6).  In this analogy, the "seed" is more aligned with the soul that is saved.

None of us really understands how a seed grows.  It is placed underground and covered up.  Unless it is buried, it will not do anything.  Nothing happens to it unless it is cut off from light and air. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:24).  Similarly, we don't know how a person comes to know the Lord.  Not really.  "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8, emphasis added).

Somehow the Holy Spirit brings us to the place where we are willing to die to self, and come alive in Christ Jesus.  God made us all with that longing within us, the longing to know Him.  Like that seedling, we are only able to spring forth into new life if we are covered up and buried, cut off from any other source.

I found this chart while looking for something else.

I don't know if you can see it clearly, but the deeper the Word of God penetrates the surface, the better chance you have of responding positively to it.  You have to go beyond the birds, the rocks, and the thorns.  Only then can you bear much fruit.  Fruitful Christians are sorely needed in this world, especially now.  Especially where you are right now.

Let me encourage you to go a little deeper in your study of the Scriptures.  Go a little further to help someone in need.  Get beyond surface speech, and get into deeper discussions with people.  Sow the seed, and God will make it bear fruit, as only He can.

Ancient Prophecies, Peoples, and Promises

‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts,great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day.You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror.And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them.Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it.Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’--Jeremiah 32:17-25 (ESV)

Why would Jeremiah prophesy that Israel would be defeated by her enemies, all her people carried into exile, and the land overrun with foreigners, and then turn around and buy some real estate in that same area?  Think about it.  If we knew that war was imminent, and that our home town would be destroyed in that war, would we want to invest in real estate at pre-war prices?  Yet that is what Jeremiah did.  He paid 17 silver shekels, or a little over two month's wages, for land that in a few months' time would be worthless.

The answer is found later in the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah

“For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them.Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”--Jeremiah 32:42-44 (ESV)

It was meant as an encouragement to the people.  Their land would be taken from them (because of their sin), but it would be restored to them later (because of God's love, grace, and mercy.)  God had given His word that the land would belong to the descendants of Abraham until the end of time.  God still honors that promise.

I think this passage is also an encouragement to us.  Even if we do not have a Jewish heritage, we are promised God's love and mercy and grace forever.  If we love Him, He may put us through trials and tribulations.  Our churches may be battlegrounds (literally), and we may see more and more bloodshed in places of Christian worship.  But God is greater than ISIS, just like he was greater than the Chaldeans in Jeremiah's time.

Who were the Chaldeans?  Chaldea was in the southern part of the Babylonian empire, roughly in the area of southern Iraq today.  The term also refers to sorcerers, magicians, and charlatans.  In the second chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he could not remember, much less interpret.  He called together all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to help him.  They were all dumb-founded.  "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean." (Daniel 2:10, ESV, emphasis added).

Today it may seem that Christians are attacked from all sides.  On the cultural front, there are those who challenge faith in Jesus using astrology, who equate Christ's miracles with cheap magic tricks.  On the world stage, there is no greater threat to Christians than ISIS.  These religious terrorists are getting more and more bold in not only capturing, torturing, and killing Christians, but also video-taping and broadcasting drownings and beheadings of their enemies.

Do we cower in fear?  Do we succumb to the terror they are trying to instill?  No, for "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."  We know that God has invested in us, and that His investment will not return void.  He gives us a peace that surpasses all human understanding.  We know that even in the middle of persecution, our God reigns.  We are assured of His imminent return.  Whether we live or die in this world, we are assured of living in His presence for eternity.  And if we are still alive when He returns for His church, all the better!  Praise His holy name.

I wouldn't advise you to invest long-term in my country's real estate, as we could be overrun at any moment (militarily, or culturally).  You might consider, like Jeremiah, investing in land in Israel, however, because although it will be a war-torn region until the battle of Armageddon, God has promised that land to His people forever.

A Father to the Fatherless

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A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.                   --Psalm 68:5

Not long after Mother's Day last month, I saw a heartbreaking internet posting from a college classmate of mine.  She said she always finds herself mourning on Mother's Day each year, because she is childless.  She has had multiple miscarriages through the years.  Her husband left her, she said, because she could not bear him children.

Well-meaning people have tried to comfort her, telling her that all of her babies are waiting for her in heaven.  It's for the best, they tell her.  God's will, and all that.

Like Job said, "Miserable comforters are you all!" (Job 16:2).

So with Father's Day approaching tomorrow, I am sensitive.  By and large, men do not mourn being unable to sire children.  Not like women do.  But millions in our culture and in our world have no father.  Many have grown up in homes without fathers.  Some, like me, have lost their fathers later in life.  Still others may carry a father wound so deep that they have written their paternal parent out of their lives.

For these people, Father's Day is meaningless at best.  At worst, it is a reminder of the Dad they imagined, but who walked out on them, or maybe was in prison, or perhaps has passed away.  There is a Dad-shaped hole in their hearts that is almost impossible to fill.

Almost.

When Jesus was on this earth, He established His own Sonship with the Father.  He taught that God can be our Father, as well, if we let Him.  Remember our Lord's Model Prayer?  He taught us to address God as "Our Father in Heaven." (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2).  In this way, He calls us to relationship with God.  To a culture that had been raised "in the fear of the Lord," the petitions in the Model Prayer would have been thought of in a different light than maybe we think of them today.

• "Your kingdom come." They thought God would come on a white horse with the sword of righteousness in His hand, to deliver His people from oppression.  Jesus taught them that a loving Father manifested Himself as a baby born in a manger, who preached a message of love, forgiveness, and peace.
• "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."  They thought God's will was that His enemies would die by the sword or live as servants of His people.  Jesus taught them that a loving Father had a message of hope and salvation to the Gentiles, so that all who call on His name shall be saved.
• "Give us this day our daily bread."  They knew that God had fed their forefathers with manna in the wilderness; they also knew what the Psalmist had written: "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread." (Psalm 37:25).  Jesus taught us to share our bread with those who need it, as we would share it with our brothers and sisters in the same house.
• "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  They approached God with fear and trembling, hoping He would show them mercy.  Jesus taught us that we can approach God with confidence, knowing that He loves us and wants to remove our sins from us "as far as the east is from the west."

In my quiet time today, I read the 10th chapter of Mark.  It is striking to me that the chapter begins with teaching about divorce, and is immediately followed by His command to "let the little children come unto me."  The order and proximity is the same in the companion passage in Matthew chapter 19.  The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus.  They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"  Jesus answered with the ideal that had been put in place since the Garden of Eden: "At the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'." 

We see in our culture today that men will divorce their wives for any and every reason.  This ought not to be.  God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).  When confronted with this truth, men today will go back to what the Pharisees told Jesus.  "Moses said that a man could give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away." (Matthew 19:7).  Look, Jesus, they were saying.  Everybody does it.  Even Moses said in the law that it was permissible.  Today we hear that everybody does it--even the Church allows it.  Even so, Jesus said it is not God's perfect will, or even His plan for us.  He said our hearts are hardened, and we call evil good.

Immediately following this passage, it says

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, He was indignant.  He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will no receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  And he took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  --Mark 10:13-16

I might be going out on a limb here, but isn't it possible that the children being brought to Jesus were the children whose parents had divorced?  Jesus had just rebuked the Pharisees for teaching that a man could abandon his family for any and every reason.  This may have emboldened the divorced mothers to bring their now fatherless children into His presence.  When the disciples tried to shoo them away, Jesus corrected them.  He blesses the fatherless; He scoops them up into His arms and shows the love of the Father to them.

Many times, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law.  Moses' Law had special provisions for the widows and the fatherless.  They were to be fed and clothed (Deuteronomy 26:12).  They were to be protected (Deuteronomy 24;17).  Justice was not to be denied them (Isaiah 1:17).  "Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let your widows trust in me." (Jeremiah 49:11).

If you have not known your father, if he abandoned you, or is imprisoned, or has passed away, let Jesus heal your heart.  Let God be your Father.  Trust Him to be your Protector, your Provider, your Peace.

A special message to Men of God who may read this:  if you know of a fatherless child, step up and be a godly example to her.  Share God's truth and His wisdom with him.  Do what you can to stand in the gap for that child.  God will bless you for it.

 

The Light of Love, not Finger Pointing

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  --Isaiah 58:9b-10

Fellow Christians, I want to remind you of a great truth.  We have seen Jesus!  The Son of God Himself was made manifest to us, and we responded humbly and gratefully.  We knew His mercy, and were prompted to act.  "If we confess our sins," wrote the disciple whom Jesus loved, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

We were not drawn to Christ by facing a list of our sins and trespasses.  We were drawn to Christ because of His great love for us.  "Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the Sons of God." (1 John 3:1).  Romans 5:8 says,

1. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Brothers and Sister, hear me.  If this is true (and it is), then why in the name of sense do we point the finger at people because of things they do?  We love to lump people together and label them all with a broad brush.  

There is a trend on the internet that speaks to this problem.  It is called "animal shaming."  A family pet, usually a dog, is told to sit while a sign is hung around its neck and a picture is taken.  Usually the sign says something like, "I stole a half pound of block Parmesan cheese off the counter and ate it.  No pizza for me!"  The dog looks confused, and the people who see the photo laugh at the joke.  

"Shaming" has been tried on cats, too, but they always look bored in the photo, like they don't care.  And that's just the point.  The pets are not truly "shamed" by this.  It's not like they can read the signs hung around their necks.

Unfortunately, this has escalated to children.  There have been photos posted online of small children, middle schoolers, and even older teens who have been made to hold a sign listing their offenses while the parent takes their picture and posts it online.  I read a story this week about a 14 year old boy who committed suicide after being "shamed" like this on the internet.

Have these parents never done anything stupid when they were kids?  We know they have.  They probably got away with worse things than what they are shaming their kids for.  "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).  Matthew 7:1-5 says

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Is this the way we try to evangelize the world, by pointing out their faults?  If so, it is little wonder, then, that we are failing to reach this generation for Christ.  We must first show them Jesus, then disciple them to become more like Him.  Unfortunately, many of us become very legalistic, saying that people are going to hell because they're gay, or because they are transgender, or because they engage in pornography.  News flash: people go to hell because they reject Jesus and His love.  We are all sinners--even those who don't engage in lewd, lascivious behavior; in the Greek,  πόρνη (pornē).

Does that mean that I support the sins that people get engaged in?  Not at all.  But people aren't shamed into heaven.  They aren't wooed by the spirit of legalism.  Legalism sets up stumbling blocks. We are called to be a light in the darkness, but so many times we set up stumbling blocks that cast big shadows, hiding the light of Truth.  We are called to be the salt of the earth, but instead of seasoning and preserving the Faith, we mount an assault against evil deeds.  We may be well-meaning, but we fall into the same trap of shaming.

We must remember that legalism does not get people into the Kingdom of God.  Jesus showed us that the path to God is paved with love.  We just need to show them Jesus, and let them respond by faith.  One of the most memorable lines from any movie was the line from A Few Good Men where Jack Nicholson shouts, "You can't handle the truth!"  Nobody can.

The only sinless man was Jesus. Yet He was called the Friend of Sinners.  Being their friend does not condone the sin.  It does, however, make the Truth easier to face.  Paul wrote this to the Ephesian church:

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.  You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.  Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. --Ephesians 4:15-25

Truth.  Love.  Be righteous and holy.  Shine His light into a world of darkness.  "So that the world may know."

 

 

God's Secretary

You ever stopped to think about what your praying for when you pray? Take my mother for instance; she is lying in the hospital with a bad heart, fluid on her lung and a staph infection. It would appear in its simplest form that you would simply need to pray for her to get well but every aspect of her recovery is completely dependent on the actions of all of her care takers. You have to pray the cardiologist got enough sleep last night and is on his A game. You have to pray the RNs are loving their jobs today and aren't busy posting on Facebook so mom is getting their undivided attention. You have to pray the guy/girl drawing blood is competent and attentive and not worrying what they are going to do for lunch. You need to pray that the lab tech is in as big of a hurry to find out what is wrong with mom so she can start getting the right drugs for her particular infection. You have to worry whether or not the X-Ray tech gets the exposures done quickly so the doctor can read them. Lastly you have to pray for these 5 different people to communicate effectively to intimately come up with the right course of action. There are 7 billion people on this planet and this many people are involved in one persons well being. Hope God has a secretary.--Jason P.

When I first read Jason's Facebook post, I immediately thought about how big God is.  Luke 12:6-7 puts it into perspective.  "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered; do not fear, therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows."

There are seven billion people on this place called Earth.  And God knows us all by name.  God knows Jason's mother and father, and Jason's grandmother and grandfather, and Jason's two aunts, and Jason's daughter, all of whom were in the ICU waiting room praying and worrying together.

God knows the doctor, and the doctor's ex-wife who is suing him for child support while he is trying to pay off his student loans.

God knows the day shift RN, and her son who is in the military overseas.  If she is taking a break on her phone, it is to see if he is safe.

God knows the night shift RN, who had to leave her two pre-school aged children at home with their father.  If she is stealing a few minutes on her phone, it is to say good night to them, and to remind her husband to give the younger one his medicine.

God knows the med tech who drew blood, whose mom just passed away, but who is at work anyway. God also knows the lab tech, who just got engaged, and is planning a honeymoon with his bride-to-be, and wonders how he can possibly pay for it after he financed the engagement ring. God knows the x-ray tech, and the nightmares she has been having recently, and how she is afraid to go to sleep.

God knows that all these people need to work together to care for Jason's mom, and for the eleven other people in the ICU that day.  Oh, and by the way, God knows those eleven other people.  He knows their thoughts and fears.  He knows their hearts.  He knows their past.  He knows their future.

Just like the line from Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles parodying an earlier movie, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges."  When you ask, Jason, whether God has a secretary, my defense of Him might be, "Secretary?  My God don't need no secretary!"

Or does He?

When you think of what a good secretary, or administrative assistant does, it lines up pretty closely to the spiritual gifts spoken of in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.  Read on, and I'll tell you what I mean.

Setting Appointments
If I wanted to meet with an executive in person, I might first have to set an appointment with his assistant.  The assistant would write my name in an appointment book, or in a Day Planner, or type it into a computer program designed to organize time more efficiently.  Then the assistant might remind the executive that the appointment is set, and remind again when the day arrives, and yet another reminder might go out as the appointed time approaches.  If I were sitting in the waiting area patiently waiting my turn, the assistant might announce my presence thusly: "Your two o'clock is here."  The assistant might even thank me for coming as I am walking out the door.

Those people who have a gift for intercessory prayer are like appointment setters for God.  They might mark certain names down on a list.  They might mark down important events, like interviews or planned surgeries.  Then they may from time to time "remind" God to be with that person as they go into that event.  And at the appointed time, the prayer-warrior will ask God to be with that person in a very special way.  They will thank God for the outcome afterward.

Taking a Letter
Often a person in a secretarial position might be asked to take a letter.  The executive might dictate the letter live, right then and there.  Or the dictation might be stored on a device, and the secretary might only need to type it out so that it can be mailed.  The executive might ask to sign it personally, or to check it for errors and omissions.  Or the administrative assistant might be trusted enough by the boss to sign the letter and check for errors before it is put in the mail and sent out.  If I receive a letter from a company executive, it would not matter to me whether a secretary typed it, signed it, sealed it in an envelope and mailed it.  I know that the message comes directly from the boss, even if the secretary put the idea on paper.

Spiritually, God gifts prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers this way.  Seven times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, John wrote, "To the church at ______ write...."  Galatians 6:11 says, "See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand."  This suggests that the rest of Galatians may have been dictated to a secretary, or amanuensis (A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts).  Paul may have been getting old, and his eyesight failing as he wrote the pastoral epistles, but he wanted the readers to know that he himself was writing this letter.  And we know that the message Paul wrote or dictated was one that God had placed on his heart.  There are modern-day Bible teachers who speak for God, and who might give a fresh perspective on ancient ideals or beliefs found in Scripture.  If I go to church this Sunday and the sermon really speaks to me, I could say interchangeably, "God really spoke to me this morning," or alternatively, "Pastor Robert really spoke to my heart this morning."  We see how God uses people in this way more and more as the population rises.

Doing the Work
From time to time an executive might be called out to do a sales pitch, or to conduct business in another city.  During that time, the office does not close.  The administrative assistant must field calls, pay invoices, order supplies and see that the day-to-day activities of the business all get done in the boss's absence.  Only in rare and special cases might the assistant need to contact the executive by phone or email: when important decisions have to be made, or when something unexpected happens. The bulk of the business, however, gets done just fine without the boss being there.

There is a specific spiritual gift spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:28, which the older versions translate as "helps".  It is defined in this way.

1. Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts.

God wants to make sure that His people work together effectively and efficiently until He comes in His glory.  He has set certain people in key places to make that happen.  If you don't think you have a spiritual gift, think again.  It may be in investing in others so that they can realize their spiritual potential.

So, on second thought Jason, God does have a secretary.  Many of them, in fact.

It is us.