Christian Life - When did Christians begin separating "Christian Life" from "secular life"?

 I cannot find that in the Bible - if others can please let me know.

 

       

a recent discussion with faithful believers and thoughts on 2 Corinthians 12:9. some of the thoughts repeat in different scenarios to reach the many challenge our churches and families are encountering.

During a recent Bible study, one of the Bible study members noted that its congregation has dealt with many different “thorns” within these past couple of years, and a number of members continue to experience suffering – for some it is a beyond-the-scope-of-imagination-or-experience-type of suffering – even now. Unexpected, unbelievable, unimaginable things. She guided those of us gathered together with her for Bible study to the passages in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.

Verse 9 climaxes Paul’s narrative with a response from Christ Jesus to Paul’s complaint of a “thorn”— a “messenger of satan”, that God seems to have ignored or chose not to address as Paul desired: Jesus tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  The study group had a meaningful and encouraging discussion about it. Iron sharpened iron; we were all edified by this Spirit-informed conversation.

Whatever Paul’s “thorn” was, no one knows; what Paul does say is that whatever it was, that it was completely opposite of all of the favor, the many blessings and gifts bestowed upon him by God (like, for example, Paul was so powerfully used by God that his handkerchief even “contained” miraculous healing! See Acts 19:11-12). Whatever the thorn was, it was enough to render him weak in ability and/or capacity, and seemingly on some level, was emotionally troubling as well. Yet, in this passage, we see the permissive will of God: in His knowing Paul since before the foundation of the world, he who was once Saul of Tarsus, a self-righteous Pharisee of incredible intellect – God could use the “thorn” of Paul’s suffering as a powerful demonstration of His grace to Paul. God turns such thorns into “sacred instruments” in His providence.

More on “The Thorn”
and Jesus' Answer. 

Paul was not a superman, even though we may see him through the Biblical accounts in a magnified way. When we closely examine his life, we quickly see that Paul did not stay on the “mountain top” for any long stretch of time; he was mostly on the sides of the mountain or traversing the valley – sometimes a very dark valley at the end of which was persecution or imprisonment. He was just as much flesh and blood as you and I – he lived in a society that disregarded the God of all heavens like today. He was as fallible as you and I. Acts 9:1 says that as a Pharisee he was intent on murdering believers; he himself admits in 1 Corinthians 15:9 that he was undeserving of being an apostle because of his background. As we read in Acts and in the letters Paul was inspired to write, he strives to emulate Christ in nearly every human way, but Paul was not fully God as Jesus was. So, whatever his thorn was, it wasn’t just debilitating – it was a deeply humbling situation, because it sent Paul crying to his God for relief three times (in Jewish culture, repeating something three times was the ultimate penultimate). It became a distraction, one that could take his focus off the ministry he was assigned. He just wanted God to fix “it” so that he could do the work he was called to do.

Yet, God in His wisdom and omniscience foreknew this circumstance. It could potentially become a seed bed for a kind of pride not befitting of the one anointed by God for His purpose. Continued distraction of trying to puzzle out the "why" could shift his focus to trying to get to the bottom of why, of trying to justify himself on his works, to make him ineffective in his ministry. So Paul had to be reminded that everything he needed to continue and endure was already in him, and around him. Paul was indwelt and covered by God’s special Grace, a Grace that filled Paul with God’s strength and power. This Grace of power and strength not only enabled Paul to speak the Spirit’s words (1 Corinthians 14:2,18) and to fully identify with the Gospel of Christ (Romans 2:16, 16:25), God’s power in Paul transformed him. Christ’s Spirit – the Lord Himself -- God’s special Grace, sustained Paul throughout his ministry which was frequently punctuated with physical suffering, setbacks, discouragement (2 Corinthians 11:23-33; Galatians 3:1-3; Acts 15:37-38; 2 Timothy 1:15; 4:9-12, 14-18). In the strength and joy of the Lord, to whom Paul was yoked, Paul was empowered to carry out the immense charge and responsibility God had placed upon him to plant communities of worship in Asia and Europe. As Paul would say from time to time, it would appear that he did have reason to boast. Yet, the presence of the thorn reminded him of how helpless he was; it is hard to boast when you are down on your knees or face before the LORD seeking solace and aid. Despite Paul's powerful gifts, he was incapable of healing and fixing the situation - God did not allow him to do so.  

In these last days filled with crises of one kind or another, especially those that are so unexpected and shocking, we, too, need to be reminded of who we are. That we are indwelt with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, that we have a supernatural power from God to help us remain faithful to our call and to our God. That in God’s permissive will He is guiding us towards a future with Him, and sometimes it takes a “thorn” to reset us and remind us that we can do nothing without God, and that He is in control of all things for a purpose still as yet unrevealed. That Paul's misery is a Example of the early church fellowship and care.

recorded account in scripture, it would appear that - in addition, God could use the example of Paul’s determined perseverance and endurance in the face of his suffering as a teaching example that harmonized with the cautions and admonitions that he shared with recipients of his apostolic and Spirit-directed letters. He was God’s example to the newly converted and established churches of what the power of God that indwells Christ followers could do in the purpose of God and in the face of significant challenge. 

When one examines the first 100 years of Christianity, immediately one sees that it was no “picnic” – not even close. Although false prophets preached a type of prosperity gospel back then, the Christian life would not have reflected such teaching. Those faithful followers who had some measure of wealth, or who had been blessed with provisions, shared it with community (see 2 Corinthians 8). The food insecurities, housing insecurities, the religious oppression from Jewish and idol worshipers, tax burdens that could result in loss of property, family members, and jail, diseases and more were all a part of the common daily experience in that environment that impacted all, even faithful Christians. Even with the healing gifts of some within the Christian community, life was still difficult and death was not a stranger. There are miraculous deliveries and rescues, but they were not the experience of everyone in the body of Christ. (see Revelation 2 and 3) 

Paul and the other apostles always pointed to Christ and His promises of salvation, indicating that salvation did not assure a “smooth ride to heaven.” Christians’ earthly journey then and throughout all time through to the present would be accompanied by various kinds of pain and suffering because (1) they bore the name of Jesus, and (2) because people – Christians included -- carry the impacts of Adam’s sin in our broken bodies. (look up in your Bible concordance or in online Bible search engines words like suffer, pain, illness, disease, persecution, etc.) Yet, in the suffering that emanates from those things, God would reveal Himself to His people in ways not experienced in times of peaceful calm.  

As eloquent and “spiritual” as all of this sounds, even “idyllic” – the words of the 2 Corinthians message disturb us, does not sit well in our “modern times” of what we believe an Almighty, loving God looks like. May be okay for some religious leaders and pious Christians, but “regular” people? We are stumped that Paul, this pearl in God’s kingdom, this powerful witness for God would not get healed by God of something that was for Paul so troubling, so painful, was so distracting to his ministry. All God had to do was speak it and Paul would be healed and then could carry out the ministry to an even higher level - right?

In our catastrophes, in our “spiritual attacks” which often come out of the blue (I am defining spiritual attacks here as direct harassment by satan that can come in diverse ways, e.g., health crisis/prolonged chronic health issues, financial crises, relationship crises, violence, etc.); in our befuddlement and agony, we faithful, like Paul, ask why me, Lord? Why did you let this happen? Why didn’t you stop it? I know this is true personally because I’ve said it, and in many conversations with other believers in ours and other churches of God in all kinds of different circumstances, I’ve heard it said. Like me, sometimes with a lot of emotion and tears.

It is a hard scripture passage to swallow, and we all agreed on that point. It is personal. That is, it is a situation that unsettles us, troubles our spirits, gives us cause to "pause". Its companion scripture at Romans 8:28, which also has a hard message inherent in it, sometimes gets carelessly used as a bandaid: “We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Say that 3 times and bam! You’re good. The bandaid goes on and all is well. No; sure, you can say it scores of times, but in human experience all is not well. For whatever reason, God has not removed the “thorn”. It seems as if, to us, who are in deep and raw pain, like He doesn't know it is there because, like Paul, we are waiting for the divine resolution - that becomes our focus. The crisis does not immediately disappear. The miscarriage does not reverse. The bullet does not return to the gun. Time does not roll back the vehicle accident. The diagnosis more often than not is not a mistake - it is real. The abuse and violations of one's personhood do not unhappen.

What we do not often grasp in Romans 8:28 is the depth of what those “all things” are; our focus is on God making things good. But what if that disturbing situation is a gateway to good? 

God contrasts those “all things” against a divine transforming goodness – which is a certain clue that "all things" must be hard, difficult or even traumatic - otherwise, God would not have to step in to transform or change the "all things". We begin to see that these Roman 8:28 “things” to indeed be difficulties, challenges, traumas and tragedies; they are the epitome of that “thorn” of Paul’s. And, like with Paul, they leave us helpless.

We are like Paul: we don't like it; we do not understand; we sit perplexed and keep asking God why, and He doesn’t answer, not even one syllable. We cry, we beg, we become frustrated, inordinately perplexed, we get angry (if we are honest, we do get angry with God) because of the unexpected, undesired and deeply painful circumstance that God will not fix, or that God allowed to happen. Is He not Jehovah Rapha – Jehovah God our Healer? Is He not Jehovah Jireh – Jehovah God our Provider? Is He not LORD Sabbaot – Jehovah God, Host of the Heavenly Armies? Is He not Jehovah Rohi – Jehovah our Shepherd? Is He not El Roi – the God Who Sees!? Is He not Jehovah Chesed – God of Mercy and Love? Then, why??? Did I do something wrong and am now being punished? Is that how it is, Lord?

In her Gospel song and expanded prayer, “Held,” Natalie Grant puts to music the shocking, terrible, and painful loss of her friend’s two month old baby, and tries to understand the why of having something so "sacred torn from your life, but you survive" in the wake of such. Why "there was no sudden healing," "who told us we'd be rescued and why should we be saved from nightmares”, “we who believe?” "we who have died to live - it's unfair?" We cry, It's not fair! and we continually ask Why??? She concludes,  finally, "that the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held." 

Gospel songwriter Bart Millard (MercyMe) takes his so bewildering daily struggle of caring for a beloved child who has juvenile diabetes, the crises of sugar imbalances and the scary times they share in that journey, the sorrow of knowing he cannot save his child from the condition that can go awry at any moment and place his son in the emergency room, again – and he turns his painful reality into a song called “Even If”. The song says, “what do I say when I’m held to the flame like I am right now? I know You’re able and I know You can, save through the fire with Your mighty hand, but even if You don’t, my hope is You alone; I know the sorrow and I know the hurt, would all go away if You just say the word, but, even if You don’t, my hope is You alone…” How can he say that? For a while, he couldn’t. He couldn't see a happy ending. For Christians who have similar circumstances even we ask, How can I say that as I watch my child in a hospital bed with more tubes than I can count? Or hold onto my child as they begin painful medical procedures, or have to go the morgue to identify my child's body? Bart tells us, even with tears and in helplessness, even if he cannot see any movement towards a healing outcome, and that his sorrows all seem to have somehow bypassed God, that we must remind ourselves of who God is and who we are to Him. That even though we are like grass that fades when the harsh wind blows, how can we not say those words? How can we not say those words that even if you don't heal my child, my sister, my brother, my spouse, my mother, my father: no matter what, God - I will still trust you. I will still trust you.

God did not send Jesus to the cross for us to have everlasting life in these bodies and in this world. God loves us too much to impose an eternity of pain and suffering on His children. He placed Jesus on the cross so that when all righteousness is executed, we could have a hope, a “blessed assurance” that what God has promised will come to pass and that we will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14-15). We need to believe it even though we can't understand it, and yes, that is hard, it is so hard to praise and trust God in such times. This world conditions us to think that we can solve our problems through sheer determination, that when we do all of our Christian service, we deserve to have our problems solved. There are some preachers who will tell you the same thing. But we cannot understand God's ways because we are not God - His ways and work do not follow human logic. (Isaiah 55:8-11) Notice that God says (NRSV) that His Word "shall accomplish that which I purpose; and succeed in the thing for which I sent it." What His purpose is and what His will is in a given circumstance will be revealed in God's timing. He Who sees the end from the beginning and lives in the eternal present operates on a level we cannot reach in our flesh.

Horatio Spafford processes his indescribable grief and loss, putting those jagged emotions into words: “though satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control: that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed His own blood for my soul”, in the hymn that became, “It is Well with My Soul.” He sent his wife and daughters on a ship across the ocean with plans to join them later. But a tragic accident during the crossing resulted in the death of his four daughters; he had previously lost a son to scarlet fever. 

All of these persons and countless others – and that number will keep growing – who have walked a dark path, suffered unique pain and loss like some of us reading this, have had their faith tested as if by fire. As one person put it, they have "been to the cross". There are a number of Bible-based hymns and gospel songs that are Spirit-inspired to encourage and strengthen us during difficulties, and that praise the God of all comfort and encouragement. Singing the words and promises of God is comforting and like balm to our spirit. When we truly know God as a comforter and encourager - when our hearts are tied inexplicably to Him, our Shepherd, even though the pain remains, the tears return unbidden, the raw emotion comes out of a secret place, and the difficult conditions continue, we can turn to Him and seek His face and words of comfort through song and prayer in the Spirit based on His scripture. 

A number of church communities that have suffered losses during the pandemic and are struggling to return to in-person, are finding it challenging on many levels. Some of their members are still reeling from the after-effects of COVID, suffering long-COVID, and are enduring other complications such as chronic diseases, loss of employment and income, housing insecurity, trying to make ends meet. Add to those challenges, very unexpected and unanticipated crises that have befallen them, some worship communities are finding themselves being held to the flame in ways we could have never imagined, through trials and revelations that rip through us like a sharp talon; situations that cause us to have flashes of waking nightmares that seem to never end. Even though we know the end time prophecies backward and forward; what we didn't know was how they would feel, how they would impact us, and how would our faith stand up? And then, when all of the angst bears down on us mightily, we hear Jesus tell us His grace is sufficient. How do we respond to Christ? How well do we know the author of that Grace? I'm not talking about the children's picture book version, nor the little baby in the manger version, but rather the version where Jesus shows Himself disgraced on the cross for us, the version where Jesus emerges with power incorruptible from the tomb after 3 days dead, the version Jesus shows us of Himself ascending victoriously to heaven, the version Jesus shows us of Himself in

                         The Revelation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  

King Jesus, Mighty God, Eternal Father
Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega 

We need to seek this Jesus Christ with all fervor, we need to comprehend what His grace is, we need to know how to live in that divine Grace and experience its strength and power just as Paul had to learn to experience it. Don't wait until the fury of hell is upon us to try to establish our relationship with Jesus. We need to start now, on our knees, with the knees of our hearts bent in submission to Him, with our Bibles open before us, waiting for God. While we wait, we are to be working in His purpose (thus we need to know what God's purpose is for us - not what we wish God to do for us), we need to be praising and adoring Him, and living lives of praise. We are to be worshiping Him in obedience - obedience is essential (contemplate Jesus' words recorded below as if you were there when He said them: John 14:21, 23-24; 15:7,9-10,14 - see His face in your mind's eye as He spoke those words to His closest friends). We need to remember and embrace the truth that God has placed within us who are saved and being sanctified a supernatural power through His Spirit to enable us to do the work He has called us to do in His power. "If God is for us who can stand against us?" (Romans 8:31) That same Spirit determines what that will look like as He makes us like Christ, transforms us for living into eternity with the Lord.

When we become able to grasp and experience the fullness of God’s special grace in us, we will see God taking our pain and suffering and using them as sacred instruments to deepen our trust in and relationship with Him, to learn the hidden treasures God reveals in that divine space (Isaiah 45:3; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10). We may not know on this side of heaven why God permitted these things, but we can be assured that God will use our difficult circumstances in a way that will shatter our doubts, increase our faith, will bless us and others, and glorify His name. Those are the “good” of Romans 8:28.

As long as we are in the flesh, we will want to continue to lean into Jesus, to know Him as the embodiment of all Grace, dwelling within us as we travel a journey where the path is narrow, where there are obstacles – hills and valleys, where there are no U-turn signs, where there is no apparatus to process our agony other than God’s provision, and where we stumble and fall from the crushing weight of the circumstance. We will at times not know where or how we are going and getting through this because the attacks are so sharp and unrelenting. 

No, it is not easy; God did not promise that Fair nor Easy would be our constant companions on this journey. Instead, He promised that He would be. That He would not only walk with us, but guide us through. That He would commune with us, set a table of sweet communion in the presence of our enemies and our “thorns” - who and whatever they are. He takes us on our journey into places of oases – prayer and fellowship, worship with those of the Body of Christ – others who also travel the narrow path to refresh and encourage us. (1 Corinthians 12:26; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6; 1 Peter 5:9)  Friends, those of us who have been on this road in our journey know that it takes more than an "acquaintance" with Jesus to be able to find that solace, that healing of heart and spirit. If we are skimpy in our relationship with Jesus during so-called easy times, when the mountains fall on us, we do not have a firm hold on who our Savior is and are at our wit's end trying to cope on so many levels. Don't believe those false "prosperity gospel" promises - that if you go to church, donate a lot of money, and do good deeds you will have a life of ease and material blessings, and cannot be hurt by anything. Hard times are going to come - no matter if you are a believer or if you are a person who does not believe in Jesus Christ as God and Savior. We will all be touched by pain and suffering at some point in our lives as long as we live in these bodies and on earth - for some, it may be for prolonged periods.

Those who do believe in Jesus, when we entreat His presence and participate in that communion He has graced us with, we are enabled to choose to not be discouraged, to choose to have a joy that is a “settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of [our lives], the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right [in God’s timing and in God’s way], and [to translate our circumstance] through the determined choice to praise God in all things.”[1] For us who love God and are called according to His purpose, we receive the strength and power of His Grace. The Spirit of Christ living in us Who is greater than our worst enemy. (1 John 4:4) Even with tears. Even though the storm rages and our physical self is buffeted and we are knocked off our feet. Even in our deepest of sorrows and our most raw emotions, God is here with us; His Grace comes upon us powerfully. That same grace will heal our broken hearts and spirits and aliven us so that we may come to know and cherish that He is our hope alone 2], and in both awe and renewed commitment, we will hear ourself say “it is well with my soul, for His grace is sufficient.”

 

Dr. Charles Stanley recently aired a two-part series on “Our Great Encourager”. This first part in a series offers knowledge on understanding who God our comfort is - Part 1, and in Part 2, the message continues as to how God encourages us in our difficulties. https://www.intouch.org/listen/radio/our-great-encourager-part-1; 

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[1] Excerpts from “Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn’t Enough,” Kay Warren, Revel Publishing. 2012.

[2] Ephesians 1; 2:4-10; Philippians 4:1-9; 2 Peter 1:1-4

Trials - Our Proving Ground

Who hasn't heard from the pulpit that God allows us to go through difficulties to build our faith? (if you haven't perhaps you should ask your minister why hasn't that been preached) In fact, one of the less fully understood scriptures in the Bible, often quoted by churchgoers when difficulties occur: Romans 8:28, is God's oath to us - but do we truly understand its depth? 

The greatest teacher of all time, our Lord Jesus Christ, clearly taught His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, as recorded in John 15:18-16:4, 16:31-33 that because of His name that we bear, that we, too, will be treated as He was treated because the world, which is under the power of satan and his demons, hated Him and sought to kill Him on more than one occasion. He experienced the extreme trial. Thousands of true believers since that time have also experienced the extreme trial - torture and death for their faith in Christ.  

And then there is the subtle trial - finding ourself under the sway of false teaching. All of the lies and misinformation contained in so-called prosperity gospels - which promise a gilded life when becoming a follower of Christ - are a tool of satan to destroy our faith in the true God. When we hear that we should be having a grand and glorious life here on earth and that doesn't happen, we are told it is because of some kind of sin we have committed against God that has not been resolved, or the 'sin' of not releasing all your financials to the organization promoting such false gospel. Or, experiencing a terrible disaster, or that if a loved one or oneself suffers a crippling disease, or sickness leading to death, it is because we have not believed God hard enough. (compare John 9:1-3) The faith of that person and the opportunity to have a true relationship with Christ can become undermined by the lies, shattered in discouragement, defeatism, because of the false picture of God painted for them by false teachers. 

It is, therefore, extremely vital to know who God is, why we are here, and what truly says. All of this can be sought after through an understanding of Bible scripture using teachers gifted by God to earnestly teach the word of God's truth, through application of such, and prayer. (compare Romans 10:1-4, 9-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-3:9) 

For those of us who are in Christ, then, this message is for us to consider as we endure the trials that have come, are here now, and those that will come on us, both individually and as a worship community. We are not immune to suffering and trials as indicated above, but how should we respond?

When we consider just what a trial is, using the legal sense of the word, we know it to be a time to prove something, to have evidence and testimony to prove that an unlawful action or wrong done against someone will be rightly judged and that the party who suffered receives justice. This endeavor is a process accomplished through a trial - a platform structured to bring such evidence and testimony before an impartial judge who is entrusted to rule in favor of what is right, what is just. My generation grew up watching Perry Mason on TV - a drama about an attorney who was skilled in counseling his clients and for using evidence and testimony to win their case; to keep the series interesting, every now and then the client was proved by Mr. Mason to be the guilty party. Today's generation watches TV programs such as Law and Order, where both prosecutors and criminal lawyers fight for a form of justice that provides for some satisfaction of the law and intent of the law.

A trial for a believer in Christ is also a process, a time to determine - in this case - our faith status, is it strong and stable, or waivering. In 1 Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to instruct many believers of his day who were of Jewish heritage, and those Gentiles who would also come to believe in the God of Moses and His Son Jesus Christ - the Greater Moses, using the evidence and testimony of those ancestors to illumine how our faith is tried. (the Hebrews "faith honor roll" offers examples of what kind and temperature of faith pleases God.) And there are Bible accounts of how faith sometimes fails the trial - take some time to search through your browser for such examples of failing faith. God makes provisions for all of us to grow our faith to become tensile in strength - a faith that endures the stretching and intensity of the test that it comes under. We may choose to absorb all of those provisions, or we may choose to utilize only some of what God provides. 

Comparing it to a diet: protein from different sources serves to build us up physically. If we choose a diet rich in carbohydrates, but lacking in protein, our stamina may have a bright spark for a minute but suffer or fail because we did not have a strong foundation that the protein provides. In the scripture passage in 1 Corinthians the people relished the blessings of God but did not fully internalize the power of God's Word and the obedience opportunities He provided to strengthen them. That choice led to a faith failure. They could not resist the popular heathen practices of the surrounding nations, their worship of Jehovah through the provisions He made for them to stay whole and blessed was set aside for tantalizing pleasures that eroded their moral cores. Or even attempting to test God - exacting from Him what they demanded He should do to make their lives more pleasant, saying that God would get a bad reputation if He didn't. 

Paul sums up these examples, saying, "So, if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall." Because the tests or trials will come, and if you are not prepared in mind and spirit to endure - if you have not taken on all of God's provision for faith victory, then you could fall. Verse 13 ends the passage: "No testing [trial] has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." Faithful believers who have striven for obedience before God can hold onto that promise that God will not allow you to be in a situation that He will not be able to bring you through. Faith victory does not mean we will always "win" the situation or oppression by getting fully delivered out of it to keep our body or life, or even our reputation safe from the painful effects of difficult situations. Faith victory means that we will not lose our faith even when faced with harsh treatment or death. It is that persevering faith that keeps before us the open door to eternal life - God will not allow that to be taken away. (see also Romans 8:31-39)

Today as I write this blog article, there are scores of faithful people being persecuted because they have identified themselves with Christ; some of them will be tortured and abused, may even die. However, they are still victors as they refuse to renounce Jesus in the face of such brutality. Those abused and maltreated persons who survive may carry the scars in their bodies and or in their hearts straight through to glory, where we will be made whole. (Also see  Revelation 3:7-13; 7:9-17; John 10:1-30) A faith victory story from scripture revolves around the destruction of ancient Judah in the 6th century BC. The prophet Habakkuk was witness to the great disaster of Judah and Jerusalem - when the Babylonians (or Chaldeans as some Bible versions name them) came up against Habakkuk's land in 539 BC. The destruction was vicious and left little for the survivors. The actions by Babylon were a result of the nation of Judah's apostasy; God removed His protection from the majority of land and peoples. Although Habakkuk knew the reason and purpose, he still had a waiver of faith as he actually witnessed the destruction taking place and the accompanying trauma and danger. It shook him to the core of his being to the extent that he began to question God's mercy! Yet just as quickly as the urge to do so came, just as quickly it vanished. We see at the end of chapter 3 that Habakkuk fully accepted the sovereign right and will of Jehovah, praised Him and even rejoiced at what He was accomplishing through the removal of the apostate nation. He recommitted an even deeper faith; what initially looked like a failure became a determined faith victory!! 

In 1917, during what subsequently be named World War I, nation after nation was devastated by conquerors for nearly four years, who, using weapons of destruction never before experienced, sought to control the world. The U.S. had been very reluctant to enter the war during the years it raged for various reasons. After a German U-boat sunk the British cruise liner Lusitania in 1915 killing over 100 Americans, and then the ensuing attacks and sinking of American ships by the German war machine, the U.S. was forced to respond and entered the war in the spring of 1917. The then U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson, in October 1917, by executive order, established the Aberdeen Proving Ground, which officially opened in December 1917. Through the order, the Army had taken over 69,000 acres of land and water in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay to provide an area for design and testing of ordnance. The order transitioned its operations and testing ground for proof and acceptance of ammunition and cannon from New Jersey to the Chesapeake Bay site. The site would expand to include testing of chemical weapons, research, development and general test facilities. Testing fields and operations by military are essential to determine if the weapons developed would hold up and be effective under war conditions and accomplish what they were designed to do. The testing is designed to eliminate any defective machinery or weaponry that would fail under extreme war, climate, utilization, and other situations. The Aberdeen Proving Ground continues to operate after over 100 years.

The world is a testing ground for our faith wherever the Church is found whether it be a dangerous country or a tolerant one. Jesus foretold that in the John 16 reference above - that in the world we would have persecution and suffering; this is the venue where our faith is tried.

On a personal note, over the course of a couple of years, I experienced trial after trial after trial - some very major and painful to the bone, and some not as major in comparison. I knew in my spirit that God was growing me because of something that was to occur at some point. He kept permitting tests to visit me and they had the best effect in bringing me to my knees to receive God's love and consolation, but especially His strength and direction. I had no clue what was coming, but felt in my spirit it was going to be something big - something with the capacity to rock my faith; by His gracious urgings I kept praising and praying, kept growing. Stayed in His Word, giving Him thanks for nurturing me and asking for His abundant strength and grace as I could sense the time getting closer. And when it hit, it knocked me down - it was so awful, forceful and overwhelming that I could not process it all at once; to say it was traumatic is barely scraping the surface. But for God's nurturing me and growing me through those many tests, I am not sure how I would have kept standing - even if I am soaked in tears while I stand. Pain - especially emotional pain - can be relentless and/or can arise out of no where and overwhelm you when you least expect it for a while. I cannot say - because I can barely see past a nano-second - that I will ever recover fully in this life time. It may continue to be a raw wound until heaven when I will be fully healed - Hallelujah. Trust me - I had no part in the strength and grace that is still bringing me through. Even my "yes, Lord" is authored by what He has done in my spirit. The valley is deep and dark, but God's light is on the edge and is leading me through like a beacon. By His love and mercy, by His unlimited grace, He is holding me in His victorious right hand and guiding me over the treacherous faith traps. He is teaching me things about His love, patience, lovingkindness I could never know if I had not experienced this trauma. To God be the glory in all things. Thank you, Father. 

Back to Romans 8:28 - this is a mini-Bible study all by itself. One of the first things that this scripture promises is that trials and sufferings will happen - it is not a matter of if, but when. Some of those trials will be heart-rendering. The second thing we are confronted with - even though it is not specifically stated but certainly implied, are more questions to be answered about God's character, His sovereignty, His being a Creator, His omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience. All of these factor into the statement, "called according to His purpose." What is God's purpose? Better asked, what is God's purpose for me and individuals? It may also be asked, what is God's purpose for humanity, for the earth, for all of creation? How does my life fold into God's greater purposes with creation? What does it mean to "love God"? What does God's love look like in return? How do "we know" these things? How does God turn these terrible events into good? What is "good"? I would encourage everyone to consider these questions as part of disciplining ourselves towards strengthened faith.

In Jesus' high priestly prayer on the night before His crucifixion as recorded in John 17, He prays for those apostles and all who would come to believe in Him through their teaching and witness, that God would protect them - not just physically according to His will, but primarily that they will remain faithful in the world. He prayed for God's love to be in all of them and that such love would be as strong a bond as that between the Father and Son. Jesus asks the Father not to take them out of the world, as it is to the world that they  have been sent to teach the Gospel of freedom and love, and where their enduring faith would serve as a testimony through the tests they would encounter. They would glorify God's name in obedience to His will. (see 2 Peter 3:8-18)

Later on in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, the Holy Spirit would instruct Paul to record at 2 Corinthians 13 that 'testing' is not just an external experience. Like at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the testing is done long before weaponry is commissioned for use by military personnel. The staff at the proving ground must test the materials and equipment ahead of its employment during a military conflict or war to see if indeed they can withstand the fierceness of battle. Verse 5 (using the Amplified Version Classic) tells us that we are to "Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?" In other words, don't wait until the fire is on you to know the strength of your faith - find out now if you are living in the will of God and growing your faith. Are we bearing fruit worthy of one who is committed to the work of the Lord in both our lives and in our ministries? (ALL Christians have a ministry, not just ordained people.)

We will suffer in trials brought on by the conniving evil one. That truth is inescapable as long as we live in this world. If we suffer because we are doing wrong things, disobeying Christ, then it is not the kind of Biblical suffering due to the Name we bear that Jesus was referring to in John 16 above. When we sin against God, sin will have its consequences - even if we are Christian. The apostle John's letters to the Ephesian Christians and to all who would come after them confirms this in 1 John 1, starting at verse 5 (AMP): "And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]. [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts]." Are we confessing our sins or are we deceived into believing we do not sin, because friends, as long as we are in these imperfect bodies we will sin. But we have God's promise of forgiveness when we confess and repent.

So, how should we respond to trials and intensified attacks? Do we just say, "well it is God's will and He will remove the problem." Hmmm, that sounds good. Let's look at this: when Jesus was tempted face to face by the devil (Luke's Gospel at 4:1-13 details for us that Jesus was tested 40 days and nights - not just on three occasions). On those three occasions that the Holy Spirit had recorded in scripture, how did Jesus respond? Now, remember, even if in the flesh, Jesus was still God and could have ended the conflict with a word that would send the devil into oblivion, i.e., He could have retaliated in a death-dealing way, but that was not within the will or timing of the Father, nor would we have learned anything useful in such situations as we cannot fight the devil with physical weapons, nor can we call down hellfire on him successfully. Jesus tells us in John 10 that the devil attacks us to accomplish one or all three of these things: to steal, to kill, and to destroy. In all three of those instances it is not just the body he seeks to harm; he goes for the jugular - our faith. It is the faith of the believer that he wants to steal, that he wants to kill, that he wants to destroy. He has thousands of years of experience at the job - just check his resume in scripture and secular records. So when he in all arrogance approaches the Son of God in those three recorded instances in Matthew 4:1-11 and in the Luke Gospel cited above, he attempts to entice Jesus to worship and obey him by actually quoting scripture and appealing to what he surmised was 'weakenness' in Jesus now that Jesus was in the flesh. So what did Jesus say each time: "It is written." He recited the scriptures that addressed the ruse and temptation of the devil. Can we do that? Can we recognize the devil's tricks, what scripture is being violated or twisted to be used to deceive? Can we say and pray in the midst of suffering the scriptures that address the attack and can we do that in all trust and belief in what God's Word is saying? Or, is our first response that of complaining about our circumstance and perhaps correctly identifying the devil as the source of the matter, and asking God to tell us, to justify to us why He is letting this happen? 

Did you read that? Say it out loud - are we asking or even demanding God to tell us why, to justify for us why He is letting these things happen to us? Why me, Lord? Haven't I been good, haven't I obeyed you? Why are you punishing me? In all honesty, that is the usual human response and we all may have been prone to go that route. I confess that I have more than once. I thus refer us to James chapter 1. God is telling us through James to rejoice in the face of trials and suffering. Whaaaaaat????? Did you know that God may use pain and suffering as sacred instruments to help us strengthen our faith because if we know and love God, such trials lead us speedily and directly to Him to rely even more so on His love and peace. It reminds me of God's promise in Malachi 3:2-3, that God will purify us to become the full righteousness of God, and His methods of purification often come through trials! The sacred instruments are sacred in God's use of them, as He further deepens our relationship with Him. Pain and suffering also places us in partnership with Christ in a unique way as we saw in the passages above, so that we share in His sufferings in a way that does not lead to faith death, but instead to faith victory: a deeper faith and trust in the Only True God, the only Sustainer and Perfector of our faith. In our holding steadfast in faith during trials, we acquire through God's grace in a new intimacy with Him - one so close that He reserves special communion, a special treasure in such intimacy. (Isaiah 45:3; Psalm 23:4-5)  

Faith goes beyond the natural - it is a spiritual connection to God. And, also the fact that our endurance is not of ourselves - we cannot within our own power fight the forces of the devil (reference Ephesians 6:10-18 which is an incredible source of wisdom and strength on how to arm ourselves against the devil's schemes). Thus, in these battles, we have strong communion with Christ, we have the power of the heavenly hosts with us, we have the all-seeing God who knows the end from the beginning on our side. The God of all the universe fighting for us! This is why we rejoice. We rejoice also because our testimony goes ahead of us and speaks truth into others' hearts who are undergoing similar trials. 

God determines the battle to be fought; we may not fully understand just what that is, only that we are suffering by what is happening. Because God is over all things, is Almighty and Omnipotent, He can never lose a battle. We may think God has lost because we did not get the outcome we wanted, but God never loses. His thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension; we cannot see His entire plan in any circumstance. We cannot understand how He will turn our seeming loss into a tangible winning outcome on a spiritual and natural level. But - we can trust the end of His plans to be victorious and righteous, and to glorify Himself. (see Deuteronomy 10:14-15; Psalm 89:11; Isaiah 55:6-11; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 King 8:23; 

(I can use the example of the terrible pandemic that initially took the lives of thousands; when vaccines and other measures were made accessible to fight this microscopic virus, did this not bring us a kind of joy to know that we now had at our disposal a means to wage war. We also learned that behavior changes were required to fight this war successfully - changes that were not always received well. Sadly, those who refused the power outside of themselves to fight the virus succumbed to its terror.)

God promises to His faithful ones are contained throughout the Bible. When we are on the proving grounds of this world, may we endeavor to allow the provisions and tools God has created and gifted to us in order to establish a rock-solid faith that will withstand the test and make us more than conquerors by faith!

A prayer from St. Augustine (adapted):

Almighty God, you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: Set your servants free from all anxious thoughts about the future, give us contentment with your good gifts; and confirm our faith and charge our hearts and spirits to continue to grow deeper into you, so that as we seek your kingdom first, as you have promised, you will bless us in our need and not let us lack any good thing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

PRIDE - The Invisible Trap

[Following is a sermon I preached August 2022. The actual delivery may have been altered - which is what happens when the Holy Spirit is directing!]

The Anglican Pentecost Lectionary cycles present lessons and readings that go to the heart of Biblical doctrine, sometimes are “weighty”, uncomfortable. We’ve certainly had these in this cycle of lessons. Today’s is one of those. Let us pray. Father, you have admonished us: let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church. By your grace may we do, so in Jesus Name. Amen

PRIDE. How many have heard this proverb: “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” A haughty, arrogant spirit, feeds on praise and recognition, seeks to be exalted, boasts of accomplishments-look how great I am, I’m better than others and above reproach, others are beneath me, justifies us by who we know and what we do – the excessive pride that is conceit in one’s self. Today’s texts not talking about the pride that means the joy in doing a good job, or the delight and blessing of children that the Bible calls the pride of parents - No, not at all. They are referring to the pride where the heart attitude is that of a sense of superiority. One preacher called it the ‘gospel of me’ where the driving ‘ism’ is to exalt me, what makes me feel good, what makes me happy, self-satisfied, what gives me pleasure cause I am entitled. This ‘ gospel of me’ attitude is pervasive in our culture and has crept into the church (one minister says it’s knocked down the doors of the church); it's a destructive pride. The prideful haughty spirit can be contagious, and its presence in the church creates chasms, breaks the unity of the Body, which Jesus has called out to be a community of one-ness and love.  Pride like in the parable (Pharsee&tax collector) about those who trust in and promote themselves to others and even to God as very righteous, simultaneously judging others worthy of contempt.  Friends, such pride is gateway to an anti-God, antichrist attitude and deeper sinful conduct. Pride does not require a certain status in life: rich, poor, middle class, upper class, heads of corporations, heads of families, political leaders, religious leaders, youths and teens, young adults, middle-aged adults, senior adults, black-white-brown, yours truly – no one is immune to pride. It is like the pretty weeds of the nightshade family – they have pretty blossoms and berries, but are toxic and deadly as they mature. Pride that is left to grow in us becomes more toxic, more deadly, destroys relationships with family, friends, and most importantly with God. We are all susceptible to adopting a prideful attitude or conduct. Why?

Because of the first act of rebellion by humans. Adam’s and Eve’s sin was the consequence of pride – acting out their belief that they could be like God. They chose to believe a lie that appealed to the opportunity of independent self-rule  rather than obedience to God. And when confronted with that sin, Adam pridefully replied that it was because of the woman that God gave him – as if she were an inferior product – that woman, that God made, gave me the fruit of the tree and I ate it! Not my fault! We chuckle, but the truth is that we all inherit this tendency from Adam as part of his sin DNA. Prideful people want to be their own boss, truly believe that God is obliged to satisfy their needs and wants because they deserve it. They practice a modern-day Gnosticism that says they own their bodies and can do whatever they want with them, that as long as they feel some kind of “spiritual” connection to the universe, they’re good. 

Our 1st reading today, written by a Jewish scribe who lived nearly 200 years before Christ, who borrows from holy scripture addressing the human condition saying, “the beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord; the heart has withdrawn from its Maker. For the beginning of pride is sin, and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.” Heavy statement.
Friends, human pride is devoid of the Fear of God; it is a forsaking of the LORD; it has dire consequences. But, the antithesis of human pride is humility that is founded in the fear of the LORD. 

That’s the overarching theme in today’s texts-- submission to God in humility, fearing God and reverencing Him alone. Our fear of the Lord should lead us to humble ourselves, should lead us to remember and empathize with, pray for, serve and support the Body of Christ throughout the world. Our reverential fear should leads us to obey God regarding sexual purity in a world that literally worships and takes pride in sexual immorality of all kinds. Like Balaam in the Bible, who was an agent of devil that led a prideful Israel into gross sin, satan still uses pride like a weapon against believers. In the Luke reading, Jesus words are uncomfortable, maybe even offend; He tells us,"all who exalt themselves will be humbled". He goes further, asking us if those we tend to bless are those who can do something FOR us. He admonishes that we are not only to bring blessings to, but to also invite persons who are poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind the outcasts – we’re to reach out to them to bless them w/o payment, w/o prerequisites but with hospitality and provision. That’s why God placed us here, placed our church in this place to bless the community and those in need, to go beyond the doors of our building in a sacrificial way – how are we doing w/that? Think about it:  Did not the One who is our Sustainer and Deliverer, our Provider, once see us as outcasts, undeserving of mercy? 

 This gospel of ME: I am entitled I deserve, am better than, this arrogance of pride is so easy to come by: we breathe it, we hear it, we taste it daily in the spirit of the world around us. It insidiously entangles us, wraps us in layers of self-deception.   Have you ever awakened from sleep to find your feet tangled up in the bed coverings? You struggle to break free, kicking off all the covers eventually. That is the kind of situation pride puts us in Hebrews 12:1-2a in the lectionary a couple of weeks ago speaks to that. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us [the writer is referring to what we call the 11th chapter's Bible honor roll of faithful believers who model for us what our faith must be like; so since we have this model of faith before us], let us also lay aside every encumbrance [weight] and the sin which so easily entangles us..."

We are told to recognize that we are entangled by a seemingly imperceptible sin --a sin such as pride, and that we must get rid of it—it’s anti-God, and blocks our spiritual growth, gets us off the path of our marathon faith journey. How are we to rid ourselves of such a sin? Look at verse 2: we are instructed to  humbly submit ourselves, our lives to the originator and perfector of our faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, and do what He would have us do.. The LORD cuts to the chase at Philippians 2:3 (and we thought the gospel lesson in Luke was hard), where He says we are to “do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” Wow. This is one of those scriptures in the Bible that we try to read fast and not hear. But friends, this is NOT a passover scripture—this scripture is integral to who we are in Christ!  Do nothing – what does nothing mean? Nothing right? Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard OTHERS as better than yourselves;  totally opposite view of how the world thinks and functions. So then, do we conclude that Christians are better than the world?  NO! Romans 3:23 reminds us that We are sinners like everyone else. But we are to be different. God calls us to be different: He has placed the Grace of God in His children; we did not place this grace in us, we didn't call ourselves, we didn't become "a Christian" in our own power. NO. We received the Spirit of Christ in us and the faith that Jesus planted in us - primarily so that we cannot boast as having achieved this on our own, the Holy Spirit in us who seeks to transform us to be, to look, to speak, to 'smell' different from the world. This grace that leads us to share and live sacrificially, to invite others to grow with us in Christ - this reality should soften our hearts in humility rather than puff us up in pride. See - the longer devil’s worldly system persists – the more pronounced our “difference” must become. Hard stuff to hear, isn't it? 'Siblings', brothers and sisters in Christ, the gospel of ME cannot co-exist with the fear of the Lord and God’s people need to stop acting like it can! The Holy Spirit says at 1 Peter 5 that God opposes the proud - He will not even listen to the prayers of the proud! Look: Christ did not die on that cross to make us happy and self-absorbed, self-satisfied, entitled – He died to make us holy, to have in us His power of salvation, to submit to and be sanctified in and by the Spirit Who empowers us to die to wordly passions – to grow in holiness. To God’s glory – not ours. There was minister years ago who God had used powerfully to preach His oracles, and who, after such powerful sermons, the Holy Spirit instructed him to withdraw to a quiet place, to sit in full submission and prayer to God to protect his mind and heart from any tendency toward pride in how God used him in such a powerful way. He obeyed.

This Fear of the Lord, deep reverence and awe of God, knowing and believing deep inside of us that only God is deserving of all praise, honor and glory. That for us to try to appropriate even a smidge of such pits us against God! This reverence and awe, this full commitment to the sovereignty and authority of God and His Word is the fear of the Lord that we are to develop within us and live throughout us to push pride out. That is what our texts are telling us today, and what they have been telling us for a while now – that we are to CULTIVATE this fear and reverence. We pray the words each Sunday; we sing  the words each Sunday. Pride has no place in the life of a believer. It smothers, it chokes the fear of the Lord in us.  

So: Do we have a healthy fear of the Lord, a humility before Him? To borrow a phrase, do we ‘cop a plea’ like Adam, and say the pride that we live in and practice isn’t our fault – no: it’s the family I came from, the community I lived in, or it's the culture that I was raised in. I just do what they do! I had a co-worker who was a regular church-goer, still is. She used to say years ago (but I have not heard it recently, hallelu) that the reason she curses like a sailor is because her mother and aunt - regular churchgoers, always did. Will our testimony of it’s not my fault hold up before an Almighty Holy God? If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom –Do we submit to the wisdom of God by applying His word to our lives? Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we’re prone to pride. It is so essential to believe and obey God, and submit to His holiness. It must be our goal over our self-satisfaction. Need to realize how much God loves us/hates sin especially pride. God had created this beautiful angel in heaven with the capacity to praise and worship Him in extraordinary ways, but the angel allowed a jealous pride to develop within him and challenged his Creator. We call him satan. God created humankind in His own perfect image and loved them, yet they succumbed to a destructive pride, that broke that unity and from which we continue to suffer. God hates pride in His children because of its destructive and harmful nature. 

I need to tell you this true story and then I’ll be about done.    A minister once shared a time he had allowed pride to creep up in him. He had overcome a serious speech impediment from his youth, had completed college and pursued the ministry, was a fierce force to be reckoned with on the tennis court. He had “worked his way up” from a poor preacher who sometimes did not even have food to eat, to become a senior pastor of a large church, to travel in that role and do mission work, preach regularly on the air and was the recipient of much praise and honor. He said that all of it got into his heart and mind. He was consciously and unconsciously becoming more and more entangled by the pride that had begun to take root in him. But God -- But God would not let him continue in that way (how many know that God loves us too much to let us go down a path of self-destruction without intervening?). God knows the trap that pride is to humans and He saw the cords getting tighter on his child. One day when playing a hot game of tennis, the minister went for a lob and stumbled, tripped, and twists his ankle. Anybody else know what that feels like? It is so painful - hurts for days! But the minister was oblivious to the connection of falling less than glamourously on the court, winding up in such a humbling situation, feeling more righteous for going after the ball than recognizing where that action led him to (makes you think of Nathan and King David, right?). So with one leg injured, and limping around, he nevertheless continued blind to his sinful pride – which seemed to take on yet another level. So one day, driving with the one foot, he gets into an automobile accident and now the other leg is out of commission. This is true!! Some days later, following the accident, he is at home trying to sort out before God all that was happening to him. And somehow he had become separated from his crutches - they had fallen away from him and were no longer in arms’ reach. Can you guess what happened next? He says he had to get down on the floor, on his stomach, hands and knee, crawl and drag himself towards his crutches. He's crawling and dragging and, as he does so, a gospel song by Nicole Mullen – "I Get on My Knees" began playing and in that moment his eyes were opened. Surprise and remorse. He realized that since he himself had been choosing not to bow in humility before His Lord, the Lord brought him to a place where the only choice was to be on his knees. On his knees in deep regret and humility before his Lord. On his knees in submission to begin the healing process of removing the pride from his heart, mind and soul that had damaged his relationship with Jesus. 

Our All-Knowing, All-Wise God repeatedly warns us to humble ourselves before Him to battle the sin of pride. He further tells us in Philippians 2 that we cannot take this matter lightly – we must labor, struggle to work out these things that cause us to stumble through the power God gives us. He enables us to choose to submit to His will, He enables us to walk humbly. He enables us to nurture our union with Christ by regular Bible study, unceasing prayer, fellowship with other believers, through service to others and seeking God’s kingdom above our own. 

We may never have considered that we could be harboring within us seeds of pride that can damage our witness and relationship with Jesus. Like getting vaxxed against chronic viruses, we need the protection of spiritual discipline that our Pastor has been admonishing us during this season of Pentecost to embrace: spending more time w/Gd and intentionally serving Him in worship and in outreach to others. Like today - we can find scriptures in our favorite Bible app that warn about pride, commands us to be humble and meditate on those. We must often - daily - seek out God’s perspective, praying the prayer at Psalm 139 for God to search our minds and hearts so that we can know where we have allowed pride to get a hold on us. Listen to what He would have us do, then commit ourselves to live in harmony with His will for our lives, walk humbly w/God.  In Jesus’ name let us pray prayer from BCP for self- dedication and submission to God’s will. 

61. PRAYER OF SELF-DEDICATION [AND SUBMISSION], Book of Common Prayer, p. 832 (adapted from the traditional language at that page to reflect contemporary language)

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to You, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly Yours, utterly dedicated to You; and then use us, we pray You, as You will, and always to Your glory and the welfare of Your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

And let the church say Amen.

 

How Did I Miss It?

The abbreviation or short speak of choice for sharing an announcement on social media -  ICYMI - just this moment held special meaning for me because I had missed it.

After all of these years of the stories of Jesus' death and resurrection I had missed it!! I admit to a slowness from time to time, but this???

Per Hebrew custom, a day is from evening to evening. So between the evenings of Jesus's arrest and of  Passover, a time referred to as the Day of Preparation in the Biblical account, Jesus is crucified. He is placed in a newly hewn tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea and preliminarily dressed for burial. Of course, that Passover was a fulfillment of the original Mosaic Law for remembrance of the redemption and deliverance of God's people from enslavement in Egypt - the firstborn lamb sacrificed and its blood slathered on the door posts and lintels of abodes, which brought salvation to those inside, and the redemption price paid in the death of the Egyptian firstborns. The Passover had been in effect for hundreds of years and after hundreds of celebrations of that ancient event, it is all fulfilled in that one night. Jesus becomes the Passover Lamb whose blood saves. I have for so long been in awe of this aspect of that evening to evening, of that Passover night almost 2,000 years ago, and my soul feels it once the 'busyness' of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday settle. 

But, what I have missed is this: the next day was Sabbath! The day following Jesus' death is the sabbath! Knowledge of it has been buried in my cerebrum somewhere, and like a memory prodded from a deep place, ICYMI was impressed on me! Exodus 31:15 says: "For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord." It was a long six days that week - take time to see the work Jesus accomplished that week up to and including His greatest work.

Jesus enters into a special sabbath rest in the tomb. Think about it: the Lord of the Sabbath enters a special sabbath rest that seventh day. Because this knowledge has been newly resurrected in me, I am going to consider and contemplate this significance. O, O, O, O - sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble...

Letting Go of What We Know to Step Into the Unknown By Faith - Part 1

Have you read Luke chapter 8 recently? What a record of Jesus' ministry! We begin with a reminder of those women who accepted and believed in Jesus, who had found in Him deliverance, healing, and a glimpse of God, followed Him, and provided resources to Him, supporting His ministry. (Because of the targeted mission Jesus was sent to earth to fulfill, his adulthood did not follow the regular path of Jewish males, even though he was the firstborn son. He did not even have his own dwelling - which by age 30 would have been the norm (unless family responsibility required otherwise, of course. see Matthew 8:20.) 

Then Luke's record tells us that Jesus taught the crowds in parables - the one instant being the parable of the sower. This would have been a story that the people of that time didn't have to look up or ask about what it means to sow seeds. Planting, gardening, farming were a common routine and in generations past had found its rhythm and architecture in the Mosaic Law. Luke's account records Jesus' story parable this way: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, he calls out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” This went a little deeper than the common planting experience; I can imagine that some of those hearing Jesus' words were wrinkling their brows, squinting, or whispering the first century expression of "what is he talking about?" So when they were all together the twelve disciples asked for an explanation and Jesus explains that the seed in the story represents the Word of God and how it is received or not received by those hearing it and the consequences of each. 

Jesus is next indicating that those things that are hidden will come to light - a universal law. He follows that by a statement of 'holy' economy: "Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."

As we travel along with Jesus compliments of Luke, Jesus' biological family tries to get His attention and draw Him away from His mission. As noted above, the modern day reader will want to take into context the norms of that day so that you can properly understand this account: Jesus is the eldest son. Joseph, His earthly father, has died. As the eldest son in Jewish culture one is to take on the role of head of household. Therefore, His family is concerned because Jesus does not follow that 'norm' in the way they think He should. His perspective is priestly and divine, but His family does not grasp why Jesus is different - even after all these years. As faithful as Jesus was to the things of the law, Jesus has a higher calling; I can imagine the inner wrestlings of Mary's spirit about this God-man firstborn son. 

Her encounter with the angel Gabriel about 30 years prior rendered a response of joy and gratefulness (Luke 1:26-56). And, perhaps, like us, three decades later after birthing several children, and still feeling the sting of her beloved husband's death, and attempting to negotiate an uneasy and uncertain existence under a burdensome authority of both the religious leadership and Rome, her memory of that amazing day could have become dampened, and the prospect of what she thought her firstborn was and why has become dim. No doubt, like so many others, she was expecting her adult Jesus to rally an army of strong Jewish men and call down the heavenly hosts for the most amazing battle to secure the land from Rome and break their oppression. But look at the men Jesus was collecting around Himself - they did not look like warriors! Her Jesus led a band of fishermen, a tax collector and businessmen, hardly the stuff of soldiers! Her Jesus performed miracles like the prophets of old, yet did not call down fire on the enemies! Her Jesus, whose life was transferred to her womb those many years ago with the promise that He would save His people is going around from town to town bringing up things from the scrolls about the Messiah and His teachings were stirring up the religious authorities! I personally think, too, that the family was ashamed of their son and sibling, and very embarrassed out of ignorance. (Do we, too, lumber under our own vision of Jesus, seeing a Jesus whose role is to bring material blessings and make our lives better by taking away all our difficulties - to defeat our enemies as it were? To listen to His words for inspiration and to feel emotionally elated, to float us with a little sunshine in our miseries, and then go back to the same struggles, weighed down by our sins and cares of this world?) 

As He would often say, Jesus must do the salvific work that His Father has given Him to do, which will require Him to lay aside some of the expectations of His family. Could not the Son of God, creator and sustainer, have provided for his family's needs when it was necessary? He was indeed their Head, but they did not understand how just yet. 

So the family arrives at the place where He is teaching and healing and they summon Him to those earthly tasks of the eldest son: "He was told, 'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.' But He said to them, 'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.'” In my mind's eye I can see the mixture of emotions of Jesus' family members upon hearing his statement: the siblings would have been nonplussed by Jesus' answer, and perhaps angered, or just thrown up their hands over their brother's reply; Mary possibly dismayed by her son's reply. It is worth noting at this point that Luke's accounts are often punctuated by statements of Jesus, the context of which would have been contemporary for first century observers who witnessed them first hand, and perhaps a little differently contextualized by our western minds two thousand years later. Jesus, knowing His time was limited, was teaching about the kingdom of God in the words of the prophets and by the Spirit. He was implicating Himself as the Chosen, the Anointed One foretold by the prophets who would deliver people free from their sins and would usher in a restored kingdom over which He would be king. Jesus was not dismissing His family disrespectfully but rather was sharing the good promise that because of His kingdom work, His biological family and all who accepted Him would become a part of that restored eternal kingdom and experience the true fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Him. And, that they would come to realize with a different set of emotions that they had been dwelling with the Son of the Living God and did not even know it. They had not yet received the gift of faith to understand.

The next event is crossing the lake in a boat. The Sea of Galiliee and its lakes were known for sudden storms and rough waters. Such a 'sudden' storm occurs while they crossed to get to the other side of Lake Gennesaret in the mid-to-upper part of the Sea of Galilee. A tired Jesus is asleep while the disciples man the boat during the crossing; the winds are so strong that they are tossing the boat and causing water to enter into it. The disciples panic and try to wake up Jesus during this crisis, telling Him don't you see what is going on - we're about to lose our lives! Jesus roused from sleep simply commands the winds and the raging waters to stop. Just as suddenly as they came, they left at Jesus' words and all is calm. Then Jesus asks the apostles, "Where is your faith?" 

[Reader, if you have not already figured it out, this chapter in Luke is all about faith in Christ and being enabled by God to step in faith into the unknown. To continue, go to Part 2]   

Letting Go of What We Know to Step Into the Unknown By Faith - Part 2

We return to our journey with Luke and the disciples as they follow Jesus. Luke next records in chapter 8 other events that would, indeed, necessitate a faith from God to understand. 

After crossing the lake, Jesus and the disciples arrive at the country of Gadarenes in the south and southeast and, as they go on shore at the place Jesus tells them to dock, they are met by a dreadful sight - a naked man, crazed by demon possession, grimy, bruises over his body, face twisted, eyes that looked like they were being strained open and bulging, sweating, raging with ungodly sounds, feet blistered, ankles having the remnants of broken chains. Luke gives us a bit of background about this man - that for a goodly amount of time in this man's life he had been indwelt by demons, who took control over the man's life and being, breaking restraints that city officials had installed to keep him from doing harm to others. The demonic possession made it impossible for him to live in society - the demons drove him to despair and isolation, and to dwelling in the tombs near the sea waters of that area. The demons - alerted to the fact that the Son of God was in their midst - forced the man forward to where Jesus was; they were afraid of what Jesus would do to them because they knew who He truly was. (Can you imagine what the disciples were doing at this instant? Were they like the people of the city scared out their wits, and going to the safety of the boat, or finding this man's dilemma a source of crude entertainment? They had only hours before saw another dimension to this rabbi - that He had control over 'nature', but this situation - inflamed by demonic madness - could have left them doubting as what Jesus would do or could do.)  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man and asks the demon his name. The demon says "Legion" because there are so many in and with him. The demons beg Jesus not to put them into the abyss (for they knew what their ultimate fate was to be); Jesus sends them into a herd of unclean animals and they drive the animals into the sea and drown them. Upon learning of what happened, the people of the city came out to where Jesus was to see with their own eyes the 'crazy demon man' no longer inhabited by the destructive demons, but dressed and calm. The people are seized with fear because of the power of Christ (flashback to when the Israelites were fearful of Moses after His encounter with God on the mountain), about what His presence could do to their way of life, and, therefore, strongly tell Jesus to leave! As Jesus and the disciples leave, the now delivered man asks to go with them, but Jesus tells him to stay and tell all the people what God has done for him. Then Luke says that the man went about telling everyone all Jesus had done for him. He had not only seen - he had experienced the faithfulness of God.

Upon their return to Galilee, a crowd welcomes Jesus and the disciples, and we reach a compelling pinnacle in Jesus' travels in this chapter of Luke. A man named Jairus who was a leader of the local synagogue reaches Jesus and falls at His feet, begging Him for the life of his daughter who was ill unto death. (picture the scene - a respected leader of the synagogue, in his fine robes, falls to the ground at Jesus feet; his actions illumine for any paying attention, that this Jesus was from God, a special prophet unlike any they would have known) Jesus accompanies the man as they make their way through the crowds, but the crowds are dense and Jesus and the man and the disciples are bumped about in a stop and slow-go motion as they determinedly make their way forward. And then it happens, right in the middle of Jesus' slowly moving through the crowd. "As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Strict observation of Jewish Law and interpretations by the Jewish priesthood would make them aware of the scriptural backdrop to this story. In the Law of Moses, a woman's menses were considered unclean because of the flow of blood. Leviticus 15, beginning at verse 19 presents the ritual she had to pursue: ritual washing of anything on which she sits and sleeps; those touching anything on which she sits or sleeps - even her clothes - would render them unclean as well. That she had this flow of blood beyond her menses for twelve years would have made her living in society impossible. Laundry day would be every single day. She would have been isolated to a great degree because she could not visit and sit on their divans, and there was always a possibility of blood leaking past her efforts to contain it. As one faithful to the law, she was both compliant and trapped by its regulations because of her unique situation, and yet she persevered to obey - keeping herself 'socially distant', which was not an easy task in a village or community. 

We are not told how much adherence to this law impacted her 'norm', e.g., how did she obtain items from market? How did she maintain her house? Did the physicians come her door and drop off some compounds or other remedies in front of it, being careful to be contactless? How did she or could she bring her sacrifices to the priest? Her condition would have kept suitors away - a husband and family was beyond her hopes now. Can you imagine living in a small town or village, being sick or potentially always on the verge of making others unclean before God, so that you are prevented from interacting with others in any meaningful way? (Of course you don't have to think hard about that: we've been through some highly difficult months of isolation and limited socializing. Multiply that by 12 years in the same place.) 

Her prayers for twelve years had been seeking God's healing and blessing, perhaps for God to send a special prophet as He had done through Elijah and Elisha to provide such healing. To remove this curse from her. Perhaps she had prayed Psalm 3:8, Psalm 4:6, especially Psalm 5:3. Maybe even Psalm 51. Perhaps all of the deliverance prayers she had learned of in holy scripture.  But her pleas were seemingly answered by silence. She sought out physicians who claimed to have a remedy, but all of them failed - so much so that she was financially spent seeking a cure. She could not puzzle out why her obedience to the law had not resulted in deliverance by now, or even an easing of her dilemma. Even the priests were not able to heal her, even though she may have been able to presented an offering to the priest for forgiveness of sins and God's favor. So this woman, for twelve years, having once long ago known the freedom of living under the law, now lived captive to the impact of Adam's sin in her body and restrained by that same law to living an imprisonment and captivity that no one could save her from. 

And then she heard about Jesus - the Great Prophet and Healer. Still, she was caught in a cycle of doing the 'right thing' and believing her righteousness would result in a deliverance. That God would be so pleased and moved by her faithful self-imprisonment, and gradual impoverishment as a result of legal obedience, that He would release her from her circumstance. Then she learned that Jesus had left Galilee. Had her hopes become so narrowed, her commitment to 'play by the rules' her focus, that she had missed what could have been God's answer to her years of difficulties and pain?

Did her prayers now change? Did she now pray, 'God - if you would have me step out of all I have known for these many years to risk it all, please give me a new kind of faith to do it. O God, please let me see Jesus!' 

Was God moving her in this new hope? Yes! She dared to believe that God would answer her twelve years of prayer, her twelve years of isolation and shame, her twelve years of being faithful, her twelve years of hoping against hope. That in this Great Prophet and Healer, in Jesus God would answer her. O God! She felt a new hope rising in her. But - and for her this was a big 'BUT' - in order to see her Deliverer, to receive His healing, she would need to step out in faith, literally - leaving her hiding place to stand in the brightness of the day. 

She had to seek and believe God's mercy. She had to leave the legalities of restraints in the law and of the priests, and step out in faith trusting in God's grace and mercy that were inherent in the law but not often taught (see Matthew 12:6-8). She had to let go of her rigidity of following the rules, of the fear and shame that narrowed her vision and thinking, and which kept her isolated and stuck on that expectation. She had to listen to what God was offering to her - something far beyond what she thought was the correct thing to do, and to actuate the faith God had sprouted in her. She had to seek Jesus at all risks to herself and her future in that place. So, determined, yet with fear and trembling, she clothes herself to obscure her identity (not realizing possibly until later that God's hand of protection clothed her) and skulks through the crowd - afraid that at any minute someone will recognize her and thus block her way to her Savior. And then she sees Him! She sees Him! She moves stealthily, and ever so carefully, but with an increasing urgency as she inches towards Him. She reaches out, straining to get near enough to the Great One and, finally, her hand touches His robe. And right there, right there in the middle of the noisy crowd a silent peace comes over her as she feels the healing taking place inside her body. A glorious warmth envelops her and she is filled to overflowing with gratefulness and joy as twelve years of strain leave her, replaced by a feeling of wholeness that she had not felt in so long, and of a Godly love that takes her by surprise. Then the silence is broken by His voice. "Who touched me?" The fear and trembling return - He knows what I have done! He knows that this unclean, unworthy woman has touched his garment and received His holy power in her inmost parts! It had been a glorious moment, one that would never leave her memory. Even if it was to be temporary, if He removes the miracle she just experienced, she will understand she tells herself. I haven't done anything for Him, so why should He allow me to keep this gift? Yet, He is now calling for her, He is now seeking her! He says, "someone has touched me because I felt my power leaving me." She did not know emotionally and spiritually until that moment that this Great Healer is the Anointed One. She would not know yet that her illness and suffering had been a gift, a sacred instrument, that had been planned for her from before time, that God's timing of her encounter with Jesus was intentional, and that her unique deliverance divine, and salvation came by God's grace. Jesus came back to Galilee for her and for those whom the Father had foreordained. That even while she suffered all of those years, God was moving heaven and earth to bring her to this point in time, to a point in her life that she would step into the unknown by the saving faith that God would give her. A faith she had received from God to risk what she thought had been the reasonable thing to do because she had done it for so long, that the possible reward of healing had become of more importance to her than the Healer, and to let that go so that she could, even with fear and trembling come to Jesus with a faith that saw who He was. 

Thus, feeling a courage that she didn't know could be in her, with all fear and trembling she comes up to the Master and falls at His feet, sobbing with a heart full of gratefulness and thanksgiving, in a flood of tears prostrate before Him in all humility, she publicly confesses her identity and what she had done to Jesus, at first expecting to be reprimanded, or even worse, for Him to take back His healing. But then, she heard Jesus' compassionate voice, His comforting words, wrapped in divine love that shattered the fear and dimmed the years of pain - calling her Daughter, and telling her that it is because of her faith she was healed. Jesus did not say that her gift of healing was due to her twelve years of prayer focused on the reward of following the law was what healed her, He tells her it is her faith, a trusting faith in God and not in rewards. That the God-Man Jesus, had not only healed her condition - He had changed her heart and the course of her life and blessed her with a faith that would be enduring and based on grace and not the false precepts that the religious establishment had tacked onto God's covenant law with Israel that eroded faith in God.

She acted on the gift of faith from God. It had been a long, debilitating twelve years, she had exhausted her finances and her spirit looking for the reward, yet somehow continued to wait on the Lord - even if from the wrong perspective. In His grace and in His timing He gifted her with the faith and confidence to trust and let go, and step out into the unknown in a new revitalized faith, based on belief and trust in God's Son Jesus, on His love, mercy and grace. She looked up at Jesus in deepest gratitude and awe, words hardly coming from her mouth. She looked into His eyes and saw the face of God.  

After blessing the woman, Jesus continues with Jairus despite their receiving the message that his daughter had died. Jairus, dejected by the news, hears Jesus tell him, “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.” In his mind and heart no doubt Jairus was at a crossroads - how can she be saved? She is dead. Yet, I will believe. And Jairus takes Jesus home with him. The mourners were already gathered for the bereavement rituals. Jairus wife was probably inconsolable, and upon seeing Jairus may have said, why did you trouble the teacher, our daughter is dead. The community has begun gathering outside here. Jesus tells the parents in the hearing of those present at the house that the young girl is just 'sleeping', and the people who had seen the girl die, nervously laughed at such a supposition. The door of the house closes leaving the mourners outside, and Jesus takes into the house Peter, John, and James, and the father and mother. The parents look to this God-Man and Great Healer, in faith as He touches the dead child's hand and says "Child, get up!" (a touch that would have rendered Him unclean under the law). Jesus speaks life back into her body to the astoundment of all, the parents awestruck yet filled with thanksgiving and so lost in the moment of this miracle, Jesus needs to instruct them to give her something to eat, to rejoice because they did believe, and their faith by God's grace, changed the direction of their lives in those few moments.

It does take faith to step into the unknown. We sometimes stick with what seems the reasonable thing to do, looking at those material supports that a reasonable person would look at. Praying for miracles and stymied by human reason, we cannot see the miracle that is already there. We are sometimes called in difficult and trying circumstances to let go of what we know - of what our reason tells us is the right thing to do, and to trust God in a different way. That new faith and trust takes us into the unknown, into the unseen, where God is free to execute His plan for us. It is in that unseen and unknown place where the faith in God and from God brings true victory.

What He has planned for us is sometimes waylaid because we are confusing and fusing trust in God with our own human reasoning. Look at Abram and Sarai. God had promised them a son, an heir, through whom God would bless all peoples. Well, they waited, and they waited, and finally reasoned that such a thing would happen if we pay it forward and have a child through a young female slave so that God's blessings can come to fruition. Yet the stepping out in reason led to unforeseen difficulties, a disruption in the household, and bitterness - a rift between two peoples that continues even unto this day. Yet God, who does not promise and not fulfill, places a new covenant between Himself and Abraham, a new faith to believe that Abraham's wife Sarah would become pregnant and bear the true child of promise. That through that child a there would be one born who would have the power and authority to bless the world. That child would be the Author and Perfector of our faith who tells us to lay down all those self-imposed things and human reasoning as supports and lean on Him instead. Listen to Him for He alone can open doors that no one can shut.