How Do We View God's Justice and Righteousness In The 21st Century?

     The concept of Justice and Righteousness can be a confusing issue among both Christians and non-Christians alike. For starters, among the various translations, the two terms "justice" and "righteousness" are often interchangeable. So, at times God's justice is His righteousness, as in the ESV version of Psalm 106:3, which says, "Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!". The structure of the sentence seems to indicate that the two clauses are similar in meaning. Yet the King James translation of that same verse indicates two separate and independent clauses: "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."
     Again, we see a confusion of terms in Deuteronomy 32:4, which says, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." Yet that same verse, in the King James version reads, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Is God's justice to be understood as His righteousness, or is it His judgment? No wonder we, in the 21st Century, have a hard time understanding the true nature and character of our God!

     In a very real sense, I believe we have lost our awareness and our perception -- our consciousness -- of what a Just God looks like. We have decided that we like the picture of a loving and kind God better than that of a God who judges and condemns people to destruction. In fact, many have decided to drive a wedge between the Old and New Testaments, saying that Jesus brought Grace and Mercy and Compassion, and there is no room for Old Testament justice as judgment in the New Covenant.
     But, because we know that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New, and that one of His characteristics is that He never changes (James 1:17), nor can Scripture be undone, annulled, or broken (John 10:35); we can confidently declare that His justice is both righteousness and judgment, as He determines.
     One of the hardest accusations against God to answer is why would He command the complete destruction of Canaanite peoples down to every last man, woman, and child? We are asked, "If your God is such a loving God, where is the justice and compassion in that?" What we need to be able to explain is that Israel had a unique calling as God's chosen covenant people. Their assignment was to prepare the way for a pure and just Messiah. That's why God was so careful in establishing purity laws; they pointed the way to the holiness demanded by God to bring the Messiah into the world.
     Jesus Christ must be born through an uncorrupted and pure bloodline. The inhabitants of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites were commanded to destroy were the descendants of fallen angels mating with human women; obviously an unholy bloodline. There could be no intermingling of DNA. God intended for His chosen people to remain pure so Jesus could be born into humanity; while Satan was determined to pollute the gene pool so that our Lord's birth would be denied.
     Furthermore, our just and righteous God instituted sacrificial laws to point the way to the Atonement that Jesus would bring. And the total destruction of the Canaanite societies was both a physical and spiritual war that pointed to God's just judgment against sins such as child sacrifice and cult prostitution. Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman summarizes these points of God's justice and righteousness like this: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. Not even the children are considered innocent. They are all part of an inherently wicked culture that, if allowed to live, would morally and theologically pollute the people of Israel.  I would add, spiritually and physically to that list, as well.
     That's a pretty simple example of God's justice and righteousness in the Old Testament. But how are we to look at it in the New Testament, and from a modern perspective? At the Cross, Jesus exemplified and experienced the full measure of God's wrath against sin. And because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven of our sin, and stand in God's favor by faith alone.
     But the war is not over! God's enemies will not be completely defeated until Jesus returns to establish everlasting justice on the earth. Until then, we are still called to do battle for God; only now it is a spiritual battle against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are not called to fight and destroy flesh and blood humans today, but to tear down and destroy strongholds and principalities in the spiritual realms!
     But have we stripped our God of His nature of Justice, which includes His administration of a heavenly government on the earth? Do we now interpret everything in the human sphere through Grace or Hyper-Grace instead of a righteous and just governmental lens? I'm not sure that the majority of Christians believe in Justice today. Could it be that we have reduced God to the characteristics that make us feel comfortable; creating a God that fits our image of what He should be -- loving, kind, gentle, merciful, gracious, compassionate, warm, sensitive ... and oh, yes, let's not forget tolerant. 
     Have we forgotten that at the beginning of His ministry, He proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived? Have we ignored the fact that a kingdom is under the legal jurisdiction of its King? Have we read the back of The Book which tells us that He comes to rule and reign; and to divide and conquer; that He is Lord, King and Judge? All that speaks of justice in terms that we don't like to apply to Him ... vengeance is His, and He will repay. 
     It is important to acknowledge that YHWH has not changed. He is the same God in 2019 that He was at the creation of this world. Even in the midst of his righteous judgment, He can be seen as merciful and loving. Through the destruction of the Canaanites, God mercifully protected the Israelites from idolatry and maintained His plan for Jesus to be born pure and holy. God was merciful and righteous in His justice to provide a way for a Canaanite woman (the prostitute Rahab) to repent and join the geneology of Jesus. A righteous and holy God would not be true to Himself if He tolerated sin. He must uphold His holiness. But we can be assured that wrath is not His heart. Because He will not tolerate sin, it shows His righteous mercy for those He loves. David Matthews, Executive Director of desiringGod.org writes, "Severity in God always serves His heart of mercy — to make known the riches of His glory to His people, who are the vessels of His mercy." 
     So, let us endeavor to remember that Jesus reclaimed the earth for the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed with that profound reality.  We need both His justice in the form of His righteousness and love; but when necessary, we need His judgment, too. It all serves to mold us into the very image of Him, and to see the completion of the restoration of His kingdom on earth.

Proverbs 28:5    Evil men do not understand justice, but they who long for and seek the Lord understand it fully.   
     
      

What The World Needs From Us

     I am officially back from my vacation and I have to tell you that being removed from my normal environment has given me a new perspective on the role of us Christians in the world. You see, Mark and I were in the company of a group of nearly 20 people, most of them years younger than us, and only one woman who was a fellow Christian. We had some good, long talks with her about our faith experiences, and it was interesting to find that she was pretty well versed on spiritual warfare, baptism of the Holy Spirit, and walking in spiritual gifts. The concept of Inner Healing and Deliverance, however, was unfamiliar territory, but she was not adverse to seeing their significance in spiritual healing.
     But other than this one encounter, everyone else wasn't too keen on revealing what they felt about a relationship with Jesus; shying away from any religious discussion. But, as always, when your goal is to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God, Jesus will give you the opportunity to sow a seed or two. And there was a particular conversation that Mark took part in that captured the interest of several thirty-something's one night at dinner. Let me share the gist of it ...
     First of all, you need to understand that my husband has a keen interest in understanding the historic religions of the world and how they relate to Christianity. It is important to have a knowledge of what came before Christ so that one can intelligently [and accurately] represent how our God is superior to the gods of other religions. In doing his research, he has become quite well-informed about these lesser gods, knowing their names and becoming aware of their existence and influence upon the people of today. Therefore, he has no hesitancy in engaging in a discussion with the Millennial generation, who proudly display these gods upon their bodies in the form of tattoos. In fact, it never surprises me when he asks these younger people about their tattoos, because he has a genuine interest in knowing if they are aware of the spiritual doors they are opening.

     One such discussion took place with Mike, a videographer that was quite an interesting young man. In his mid-thirties, he had come out of the snow-boarding culture, and had developed a successful business in film and video. That night at dinner, Mark noticed that he had quite a prominent tattoo on his left forearm, and asked Mike about it. "Why do you have Ahura Mazda on your arm?" Mike was amazed that someone would actually know who this entity was, and in case you are unfamiliar with this god, let me give you some insight.
     Ahura Mazda, whose name means "wise lord," was the most important god in ancient Persian mythology. When the religion known as Zoroastrianism became widespread in Persia around 600 B.C., Ahura Mazda became its supreme deity. This religion was founded by the religious leader, Zoroaster, who taught that Ahura Mazda was an omniscient god and creator of the universe. Zoroaster also taught the existence of angels, demons and saviors, ideas that can also be found in Christianity, Judaism and Islam -- all religions that came later.
     But back to Mike, and how this ancient god came to be permanently etched on his arm. Mike admitted to doing psychedelic mushrooms in his younger days and said that he did them for about a year, without any unusual affects... until the night that an entity appeared to him, attacked him, and frightened him nearly to death! That began Mike's search into the spiritual realm, various religions and gods. Instinctively, he knew there was a supreme being, but could get no answers from Christian pastors about the entity that attacked him or what god it might be serving.
     So he began an investigation into the oldest god there was, which led him to the Sumerian texts. Sumer was the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Kuwait) which is generally considered the cradle of civilization. The name comes from Akkadian, the language of the north of Mesopotamia, and means “land of the civilized kings”. The Sumerians invented one of the first writing systems, developing Sumerian cuneiform writing (impressed on clay tablets) by about the 30th century BC. The earliest literary texts appear from about the 27th century BC. 
     As far as their religious belief system, the Sumerians believed there were four creator deities, and under them were the seven gods who "decree the fates." These were An, Enlil, Enki, Ninhursag, Nanna, Utu, and Inanna. These were followed by the 50 "great gods" or Annunaki, the children of An. Sumerians believed that their role in the universe was to serve these gods. 
     So, in his search for answers about a god to serve, Mike ended up tattooing Ahura Mazda and Enki on his arm, determining that if they were among the first gods to be worshipped, they had supremacy. And when my husband could intelligently discuss these gods with him, without condemning him, Mike was willing to listen to what Mark had to say about the "Most High God".  Mike's question was, "Where do I go to find out about him"? And when Mark's answer was, "He's the God of the Bible", Mike shared his distrust of what Christians had presented to him in the past, because it was always dictatorial, rigid, and repressive -- and they were always unwilling to accept that there were other gods.

The Most High God amid His Divine Counsel

     When Mark was able to point him to Psalm 82, which places the Most High God in His Divine Council, in the midst of the [little "g"] gods, where He proclaims, "You are gods, sons of the Most High", and then takes him to Deuteronomy 32:8, where the Bible tells us that the Most High God divided mankind, fixed the territories [nations] according to these "sons of God", appointing them over the nations while He took Israel as His people, then Mike became interested in knowing more about this Most High God. He was no longer the tyrannical God that religious Christians had demanded he must accept. Mike's sense of curiosity and very real desire to understand the origins of mankind and the spirit world made it easier for Mark to introduce the character and sovereignty of the God we Christians serve.
     It was a small, first step in getting Mike to reconsider the Bible as a credible source of information about God. There was no need to press him for more; it was not yet the time to explore fallen angels, satan, or Jesus as his personal savior. That could come after he was able to receive and accept Jehovah, Father God. But he no longer viewed the Bible as a negative, restrictive book, nor the God of the Bible as a tyrant. And he had certainly never met a Christian like Mark. 
     And in this exchange, it suddenly became clearer to me why Jesus chose to teach in parables. He was trying to overcome the religious rules and legalism of the Pharisees, who were so restrictive in their interpretation, and appeal to human instincts and spirits as He introduced the Kingdom of God. Mike had made it clear that "Church people" weren't accepting of him or his questions, and Mark laughingly told him they weren't always receptive of his ideas either. But he made it clear that the god on Mike's arm was no match for the God we serve. And when Mike heard that our God helped deliver people, just like him, who were being attacked by these entities from the spiritual realm, he was even more interested. And so were the five or six other Millennials at the table, some of whom had experienced similar attacks.
     You see, this generation has been raised on the internet where anything that can be imagined is possible. So, they are bombarded with fantasy worlds, demons, artificial intelligence, and all the spiritual doors those avenues have opened. When, we as Christians, try to present God as we've made Him within our Church walls, they can't identify. We must speak to them in their own terms and from their areas of interest. Just like Jesus's parables, we have to show them a God that relates to their experiences. The unbelieving world doesn't need our sermons and certainly doesn't want to hear "The Word says". They first have to know who "the Word" is before what He says can mean anything to them. We must relate to them at where they are, instead of demanding that they relate to us in all our religious ways. We must engage with them, looking for ways to introduce them to a God that is interested in them. From there, Jesus will give us the opportunities to take the next step, and the next... always bringing heavenly purpose into their earthly circumstances. 
     It's my prayer that Mark can keep in touch with Mike and answer the questions that will inevitably come. It's a long distance between Texas and Utah, but we serve a God that arranged that divine appointment in Montana. Let's see what what He orchestrates next.

1 Timothy 2:3-4   This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
          
    

Preach The Word Without Compromise

     Exactly what does it mean to "preach the Word without compromise"? I have often heard that phrase, but could not find that exact wording in Scripture. But what I did find were several verses of counsel to consider when preaching the Word. [And for the sake of this post, I am referring to all Believers as "preachers" of the Word when we share it with the lost].
     2 Timothy 2:15 says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. It is obvious that there is a "right way" to interpret and preach the Bible, is there not? And are we any less guilty of Paul's warning to the Galatians to not turn to a different gospel, nor to distort it?
     As we look upon our religious culture in the 21st Century, it is becoming quite apparent that there are diverse "messages" out there, all proclaiming to represent the rightly divided Word of God. But they can't all be correct, since there are contrasting views within "the Church" on God's acceptance of homosexuality; on the relevance of spiritual warfare; on the definition of the Great Commission; and even on His acceptance of worshiping other gods.
     So, do all these varying religious opinions meet the approval of God by the standards He sets in His Word? Which of these messages come from human wisdom, and which are revealed through the Spirit of Truth in the Bible? Which messages rest in the wisdom of men, and which in the power of God?

     These may seem like elementary questions, but I think we need to be very aware of the Enemy's tactics in these Last Days. I am seeing everything from a powerless Gospel being preached, to a dangerous message of unity that is not Biblical. The Word is the power of God to save us from eternal hell. But that Word must not be weakened, watered down, or compromised. The very definition of the word compromise is this: a middle state between conflicting opinions or actions reached by mutual concession or modification; an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions; the acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable. Do any of those definitions sound like they define the Nature of our God? Does He make concessions or allowances for His laws and commandments -- or ever lower His standards?
     But sadly, compromise has been welcomed into the Church, and the Word of God is sacrificed on the Altar of Unity. The Bible clearly states that there are to be no other gods before Jehovah, the Most High God. Yet, in 2016, the Vatican produced a video in which the Pope endorses a unified Religion of various gods. The video opens with the statement, "Most of the planet's inhabitants declare themselves believers [showing religious leaders from Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity]. This should lead to dialogue among religions. We should not stop praying for it and collaborating with those who think differently". Sounds like COMPROMISE to me! Then each religious leader makes a statement: "I have confidence in the Buddha. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in God, Allah." Then the Pope says, "Many feel differently, think differently; seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this crowd, in this range of religions, there is only one certainty we have for all: we are all children of God". WRONG! 
     John 1:12 clearly tells us, "But those who embraced Him and took hold of His name were given authority to become the children of God"! That means that only those who believe in all that Jesus represents and put into practice what He taught [in the power of His Name] are the only ones who have the right to be called children of God. Just because one proclaims that he or she "believes in love", as each of the religious leaders says on film, does not qualify one to be a child of the Most High God. 
     It may sound like "love your neighbor as yourself" when the Pope asks you to share his prayer request that "sincere dialogue between men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice",  but it does not mean that it is pleasing or acceptable to YHWH. We see the lines being blurred between unity and diversity, to where [as stated in another video] "It is better to be less perfect in unity, than it is to be the most perfect in diversity". In other words, we've come to the point that people are willing to have less of God's Truth in exchange for more harmony with the religions of lesser gods. For it cannot be said any clearer than this: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. That verse cannot be conflated; it cannot be mixed and blended with other belief systems and still be representative of the uncompromised Word of God.
     Yet, increasingly, we see evangelical Christian leaders joining hands with the Pope and other religious leaders in their call for religious unity. And the various denominations have undermined the Word of God when they embrace cultural lifestyles that do not conform to the commandments of the God they pray to. There is no "happy medium" where God is willing to adapt His Glory, Majesty, or Sovereignty to fit our ideas of justice and mercy. It is by His Grace that we have been saved from the damnation we deserve for man's disobedience to our Creator. How dare any man attempt to equate another god to the Most High God, or tarnish His Name that is above all names! It is time that we, the true Believers in the One True God, declare our unyielding and unshakeable faith in the accurate Word of God. It's time to step into our authority to preach the Word as laid out in 2 Timothy 4:2, "proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spirit —with wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people". No more compromise!

John 5:44    How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

     
     

When Are We Going To Stop Blaming God?

     How can we, as the supposedly most "informed" generation of mankind, be so far off-base when it comes to God's will in our lives?  Granted, it would be difficult to come to a consensus of what is  even meant by the term "God's will".  Between our doctrinal differences and theological disagreements, I'm not sure we can identify even a foundational aspect of God's will.
     On a very simple level, His will is what He desires; and we can go from that thought to knowing that He desires a relationship with us. He desires that we seek Him, and that we know Him. And as we walk with the Lord, obeying His Word and relying on His Holy Spirit, we find that we are given the mind of Christ. And if you want a real clear picture of Christ's mind when it comes to the will of God, it is perfectly stated in John 6:38-40 ... " For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day.  For this is My Father’s will and purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [as Savior] will have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.”
     The Apostles had no problem understanding the will of God. Paul was able to state God's will in a very concise and brief statement: [God] wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth (I Timothy 2:4). As you have heard me say several times before, that word SAVED in verse 4 comes from the Greek word sozo. It means "healed; delivered; protected; made whole; kept safe and sound; do well; and to be kept safe from harm." THAT IS WHAT GOD'S WILL IS; WHAT HE DESIRES FOR EVERYONE!
     So why are we blaming Him when our lives go wrong? Think you don't?  What is your first thought when confronted with sickness or disease; financial difficulties; natural disasters; an accident; crime or violence; harm or death to a child; when your prayers aren't answered? If you are like some Christians, you probably think, "Why did God allow this to happen to me?" And that question can only be asked if you believe that God is in control of everything. But I challenge you to find that in Scripture!
     There are verses that say all things are possible with Him; that He directs our path; that He does whatsoever He pleases; and that He works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will. But I do not believe that there is any verse that says He is in control of everything. If you take that thought to its logical conclusion, then you must say that if God is in control, then everything bad that happens comes from Him. That is simply contrary to His nature!

     And yes, I know that people will counter this argument by saying, "Well, God allowed it." And they always cite the Book of Job as underlying this premise. But nowhere in the Book of Job does it say that. In the first chapter of Job, Satan appears before the throne of God with other angels, and God asks him where he's come from.  Satan responds, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it".  And if you know your Scripture, then you know what he was doing ... prowling like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9).
     Have you ever stopped to think how arrogant it was of Satan to come before God and announce what he was doing?  It was as if he was taunting God that he could do whatever he liked, and no man could resist him.  After all, Jesus declared that He [and the Father] know the intentions of the devil: to steal, kill and destroy.  So when God confronts Satan in the Book of Job, He knows what the devil is capable of.  But He accepts the arrogant challenge, and says, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." And what's the devil's response?  I'm paraphrasing here, but basically the devil says,  "The only reason Job loves You is because of what You give him and because of how You've blessed him." (See Job 1:9–11).
     You see, the devil counts on people loving their things [and their power and knowledge and status] more than they love God. It worked in the Garden of Eden!  In fact, Satan is sure that Christians will seek God more for things that benefit themselves than they will seek an intimate relationship with Him. So he goes about touching their "stuff" to get them to blame God for the bad things that happen to them.
     So, those who think that God controls everything, or at least allows things to happen, will point to Job 1:12 as proof of their argument: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.  But here's what we need to consider ...  If Satan became god of this world when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, why did he need permission from God to attack Job? The answer is, he didn't. It was already in his power to do so.  The Bible very clearly states in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that Satan is the god of this world.  Adam and Eve had been given dominion (authority, control, and power) over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28), and they transferred it to Satan when they rebelled against God's commands.
     Satan doesn't need God's permission to kill this one. or cause that one to be in an accident. He doesn't have to ask God if he can take the life of a little child. He just does it. Could God stop it? Absolutely. But He will not violate His Cosmic Rule of Free Will. After all, God created mankind in His own image, and that included the ability to choose.  He says in Malachi 3:6, I, the Lord, do not change. Why do we not believe Him? God does not choose one day to allow free will, and then to prohibit it the next. So, because of Adam and Eve's rebellion, Satan received dominionship of this world and we must choose whether to follow him or God.
     Of course, there follows the difficult question of whether we have some sin in our lives that has given Satan cause or authority to bring hardship or tragedy to our doorstep.  That is a possibility, and we must all search our souls and spirits for our own accountability. But we must also realize that Sin exists in this world, and we must all pay with a death -- and Satan is glad to oblige with the death of our hopes and dreams; a death of a loved one; or the death of our trust and confidence in God.
     And we need to recognize that Death comes from the devil. We know that Satan introduced Death to man, which separated us from an eternity with God.  Before the Garden incident, man did not experience death. And we know that Jesus came and conquered Death, so that we could once again have a way to experience eternity with God. And Jesus will return soon to conquer all evil and wickedness from the earth, establishing a 1,000-year reign for God to fulfill promises (covenants) He made specifically to Israel, to Jesus, to the nations of the world, and to creation. All of these will be fulfilled during Jesus’ 1,000-year reign. (My next post will outline these specific promises and their fulfillment).

     But for now, we somehow rationalize that Satan no longer has dominionship of this earth, or that he has somehow been removed from his position of Prince of this world.  And it just astonishes me that we can so easily let ourselves be convinced that God "allowed" the bad things in our lives to happen instead of giving credit where credit is due... at the feet of Satan!
     And I'm going to say something that is difficult for me to even write, but I think we must consider it ... When people blame God for all of the bad things that have happened to them, there's no way they can truly love Him as He deserves. Oh sure, they say they love Him. But how can you trust God if you think He will put cancer on you?  Or allow a loved one to be tragically taken from you? It's impossible to truly love God if you don't trust Him, because you never know when He might "allow" the devil to have his way with you!  And that is just how cunning the devil can be in presenting an argument that can threaten our relationship with our Father.
     Earlier, I quoted John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. But that was only half of the verse. Jesus went on to say, " I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."  This is very clear that it is the devil who kills, and Jesus [and God] who offer Life.  God never gives permission to the devil to attack anyone. The devil does it because, for now, he can, as god of this world.
     And for those who argue, "God wants to build character in our lives through trials", I would argue this ... While Romans 5 encourages us that trials bring perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, how can that happen if we think God allows bad things to happen to us?  We certainly can't build character if we've lost hope that we can always trust God. Proverbs 13:12 tells us, "Hope deferred [postponed, suspended] makes the heart sick".  And a sick heart cannot love or honor God.
     Trials and tribulations are situations in which the devil tries to get us to blame God for whatever isn't going right in our lives. When they come our way, we need to declare the authority Jesus has given us and bring the Power of Heaven into Satan's hellish circumstances. We need to make the devil wish that he never touched or tempted us! And instead of attributing anything bad to God, our trials should purify our hearts, strengthen our faith, and draw us closer to Him. We should never attribute the deeds of the devil to "God's will".  Nowhere in the Bible does it say it is His desire to harm us in anyway. It is simply not in His character!
     But remember... it IS in Satan's character to steal, kill and destroy. And the devil thought he could get Job to blame God when he began afflicting him with hardships and loss. See, here's the thing -- Satan cannot kick God off His throne in Heaven. BUT, he can try to get us to kick Him off the throne of our hearts. Anytime that we ascribe the devil's actions to God, we are denying His Goodness and attacking His Divine Character.  Stop blaming God, and give the devil his due!  Let him know that we're not buying what he's selling, and we know Who our God is! Don't let our Enemy rob you of the complete joy that is our God.

Jeremiah 29:11    For I know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.
     

Do You Think God Is In Control of Everything?

    The answer is either "yes" or "no".  And depending on your answer, it will likely determine whether you believe you have Power and Authority in the Name of Jesus. And it will definitely shape how you respond to life's adversities and spiritual attacks.
     Those who respond "yes" will point to the characteristic of His Sovereignty, saying it means God has supreme power, authority, and control over His creation.  They will cite Scripture they believe points to God's sovereignty over nature and nations. They will quote Bible verses they say validate God's sovereignty over history and the affairs of men.  And, ultimately, they will say that even if something bad happens... It was God's WILL!  God can use everything and everyone for His purpose, and therefore that means that He controls things by His will.  So, I knew I had to determine what the concept of God's sovereignty had to say about whether or not He controls everything.
     But here is an astounding thing that I discovered ... I looked up "Sovereignty" in the Dictionary and got this definition:  jurisdiction, rule, supremacy, dominion, power, ascendancy, domination, authority, control, influence.  I thought, "Okay, that is how the secular world defines sovereignty.  How is it defined in Strong's Concordance?", which is an index to the Bible that lists words, and allows one to compare how that word is used in different passages, and to see different meanings, depending on the context.  Well, guess what?  I went to my well-worn Concordance... and the word sovereign wasn't listed! You know how you try to justify something that doesn't seem possible?
     When the Concordance went from the word, southward to sow, I found myself repeating the alphabet to make sure I wasn't looking in the wrong place.  Surely this couldn't be!  But there it was ... Neither sovereign nor sovereignty were listed in Strong's Concordance.  So, what does that say when a well-trusted reference book doesn't even acknowledge the concept of sovereignty?  This well-respected book provides an independent check against translations, and offers readers of the Bible an opportunity for greater, and more technically accurate understanding of the Scriptural text (from both the Hebrew and Greek perspective) -- yet how could I understand text that didn't exist?
     Now, I'm faced with an even bigger dilemma! One of the primary arguments that God is in control of everything has been the characteristic of His Sovereignty... yet, that word doesn't seem to be used in the Bible?!?!  How can that be?  This quandary demanded more research, and I was actually amazed to find the following information....  The words sovereign and sovereignty do not appear in the 1611 King James Bible at all!  (MY CAVEAT: I am not advocating a "King James only" interpretation. I merely reference it because it is the oldest among the Bible versions in use today).
      I discovered that sovereign and sovereignty appear sporadically in the ESV and Amplified versions (written in 1971 and 1965, respectively).  Sovereignty appears eight times in the New American Standard version (published in 1971), although it refers to the LORD God, only twice. But the word sovereign appears 297 times (I looked it up on biblegateway.com) in the NIV translation, written in 1973, and nearly all usages refer to the title, "Sovereign LORD".
      Now I'm curious as to what appears in the King James instead of this word sovereign.  And what I found was that "Sovereign Lord" in the NIV replaced the use of "LORD God" in the King James.  Apparently, the translators of the 20th Century NIV decided to translate the word LORD as Sovereign.  This word, LORD, was translated in the King James Bible from the Hebrew Adonai (meaning Lord, Master) and Jehovah (meaning Lord).  When I compared the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (and written and completed before Christ was born!), with every occurrence of the NIV's Sovereign LORD, I found the various terms "Master and Lord", "the Lord thy God", "O Lord, King of gods", or simply "Lord".
     So, let me make my position clear ... Every time you read “Sovereign God” in the NIV Bible, it actually should read “Lord God”. The original Hebrew did not mean "sovereign" and that was a translator’s decision.  And while I cannot explain the reasoning behind this recent mis-translation, I can definitely see how assigning the word "Sovereign" has resulted in a faulty doctrine. Let me elaborate...
     Once God was actually called sovereign, then His sovereignty became an established theological characteristic, and is actually listed in Theopedia (a conservative, evangelical, Christian encyclopedia) as an official characteristic of God.  So, man's ignorance of the Hebrew language, along with religious tradition have actually created a false doctrine of God's "Sovereignty", which now translates into His control of everything because of our 21st Century dictionary definition of what "sovereign" means.
     But regardless of whether you are willing to follow the argument I've presented on the historical mis-translation or not, I still want you to understand why I feel it is important you recognize that God is NOT in control of everything. Let me start by asking you a simple question ... If you think God IS in control of everything... how has the world come to be in such bad shape?  And if you truly believe He is All-Powerful, and has the power to prevent the evil, why do we continue to see such evil being perpetrated by humans? Take, for instance, the recent viral video of that 18-year-old mentally handicapped man who was bound and gagged while four young people tortured him for hours.  They have now been charged with a hate crime, and their racial slurs and physical sadism show their evil hearts.  Do you think it was God's will that the young man suffered such torment and agony?  If He is in control of everything, then why didn't He stop that from happening?  And if there is a purpose for His good in that horrible situation, does that fit your impression of God -- that He would let such pain and humiliation be inflicted upon one of His creation to serve His own purpose?
     Now, let me present my thoughts ... Yes, God has infinite Power and can control anything He wants to.  But He used His free will to create us in His image.  Put in very simple terms, if God has free will, then so do we, because we are made in His image.  But it is quite evident that it is our free will that has caused the world to be in such bad shape.  It is the decisions we make to follow either our flesh or the temptations of the Enemy -- instead of following Him -- that result in the pain and misery on this earth.  Could He have made us to be creatures that automatically follow Him in every circumstance?  Absolutely!  But how would that have glorified Him? Ultimately, our free will results in a decision either to be loyal to Him, or to follow a path to rebellion. (And there's another facet to this question of free will -- Satan was created by God as Lucifer, and he used his free will to make a decision to rebel.  And he is trying to convince us to the same).
     What we see on earth is man using his free will to disobey God to serve his own selfish desires. So, think about this --- If everything was "sovereignly" controlled by God, then there would be no need to pray, no need to give financial offerings, no need to even live right — because whatever happened would be what God wanted regardless of our efforts.  In effect, if God controls everything, why even bother to pray?
     Now, you could say, "But God is all-powerful. He is able to intervene in human affairs, and my prayers can help convince Him". Yes, our prayers rising to Heaven can, and do, result in God intervening in our lives.  But God has given us His power, too, through the Holy Spirit, and the authority to use it!  Jesus makes that very clear in Luke 10:19 ... Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 

     Yet we doubting and faithless Christians do not believe this word from our Savior!  Oh, we have no problem believing that God exists -- but all this other stuff about demons, and spiritual attacks, and supernatural forces of evil; well, that's outside the box that we've put God and ourselves in.  But the ancient Jews, to whom Jesus was talking to in Luke 10:19 knew exactly what He was referencing. "Serpent" referred to a deadly, subtle, malicious enemy; and "Scorpion" symbolized torment and wrath.  Yet, we choose to ignore Jesus's gift [to us] of authority over both, and over ALL the power of the enemy!  These terms and symbols are all dealing with the supernatural, spiritual realm.  Jesus has given us authority and power to resist them, and yet we limit ourselves to praying and asking God to handle it for us.
     Can you consider the possibility that He doesn't want to be the "medicine cabinet God" that handles everything for us?  Can you see that the next time we encounter an attack by the enemy, we have the choice to continue to just sit back and ask God to take care of it for us -- OR we can choose to use the power and authority Jesus has given us over ALL the power of the enemy, and handle it ourselves?  Which glorifies Him the most? -- evil forces on the earth continue to torment and attack us over and over because we never stop them; we just wait for God to answer our prayers ... OR, we declare to the spiritual realm that we are using our free will and our authority to call upon the mighty Name of Jesus [and are using His power that abides within us] to wage war as part of His Kingdom servants on this earth.
     My spirit gets a very clear picture --- God doesn't want to be in control of everything!  He wants a partner, not a puppet!  He made us in His image and He wants us to act like it!  He sent His Son into this evil world , and transferred His power to Jesus to establish God's Kingdom on earth.  Then Jesus transferred His power to us, and here we are 2,000 years later, with scarcely an idea that we possess that power, let alone know how to use it.  It is not God's will that the world be in the shape it is in, nor that we suffer in our lives from all the slings and arrows of the enemy.
     Will there be things outside our control, even if we use the power assigned to us?  The answer is yes. The Prince of this world still has his power, too.  But I don't think Jesus wanted us to believe that God would control everything.  Jesus, Himself, was God ... and He could have called down a legion of angels to stop his crucifixion and controlled the whole outcome.  But He came to our realm to show us the way to fight in the spiritual war that started in Heaven and continues to this day on earth.  He used the Power and Authority given to Him by God to heal the sick, bind and cast out demons, and spread the word that the Kingdom of God (God's heavenly government) was here to take back territory.  It's time we use our free will to work with God and take control of our lives!

Romans 14:12   "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Validation By A Vision

     I wrote yesterday's blog post out of a sincere desire to help several close Christian friends overcome their reticence to letting Jesus set them free.  To be honest, I was beginning to feel as if I was failing them and Jesus because I have been unable to convince them of what my spirit is screaming is His Truth!  I have tried using Scripture to validate what has been revealed to me, but more often than not, these dear Christians are so entrenched in the Church interpretation of the Word, that they look at me with doubtful concern: "I can see that possibility, but it's not what I've been taught my whole life."  And the conversation usually ends there.
     Even those who have seen family members healed of their spiritual wounds [and are desperately searching for a way out of their own bondage] just can't bring themselves to step outside the box. Something is holding them back; they are listening to a lie; and I haven't been able to convince them that Jesus is bigger than we've allowed Him to be.

     So, I have, admittedly, been struggling. After expressing myself yesterday, through my writing, as candidly [and as creatively] as I could -- hoping that I could find some way;  any way to help them understand a new insight to this powerful and innovative and unique God we serve -- I found myself on my knees last night... and unable to pray.
     I honestly didn't know what to pray; or how to pray for a breakthrough.  I had tried praying for ministering angels to reveal God's Truth to them, as it had been revealed to me.  I tried praying, in the Name of Jesus, for specific spirits and strongholds to be bound and cast off my friends.  I tried going, in my spirit, to the throne room of God, where I knew [in confidence] that I could ask for mercy and find grace to help in [this] time of need. But all my prayers seemed flat and shallow.  As I climbed into bed, I didn't feel defeated; but certainly deflated.
     Then, as I often do, when my spirit needs to connect with God, I awoke in the early hours of the morning.  Just past 4 a.m., I lay there wide awake, still struggling with how to get my friends delivered from the spiritual darkness they were experiencing.  But I couldn't even focus my mind enough to pray coherently.  I was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, and it was as if my mind was trying to find its way through a foggy maze.  I couldn't form a plan of prayerful attack against the Enemy.  So I just closed my eyes in the dark, and started telling myself, Be still and know that He is God... Be still and know that He is God.  And I tried to picture, in my spirit, the Light of the Glory of God... the Light shining in the darkness.
     I don't know how to explain it in any other way, but the next thing I was cognizant of was that I was part of something like a mini-movie playing in my head.  I knew on some level that it was a dream, and it was like I was watching it; but it was also like I was one of the actors in this scenario.  The story played out like this:  Set in the early 1930s or so, a man and his family are traveling in their old pickup, when it develops engine trouble.  They limp into this small town, where they are greeted with hospitality by a man who seems to be the leader of the town. This leader also says he'll be glad to help get the truck repaired, and invites them to stay a few days while he arranges for the truck to be hauled away to the shop.
     Now in this "dream", I seem to be playing the part of the husband, who gets his wife and two kids settled in, while he strolls about this town, getting a feel for its citizens.  He quickly senses a reserve and restraint about the townspeople; they seem skittish and nervous.  The husband (me) tries to ask a few questions... what do the townspeople do for a living?  Is it a good town to raise a family? One of the men approaches him, looking over his shoulder, as if worried he will be caught doing something forbidden, and reveals that no one is allowed to do anything but what the Leader permits them to do.  No one is free to pursue his or her own interests.  The husband asks, Then why don't you leave?  The townsman looks aghast and frightened at this suggestion!  Oh, that's impossible!  The Leader won't allow it!
     At this point in the "dream", the scene switches to the Leader returning from taking care of the family's truck, and now I'm playing the part of the wife.  I ask him what news he has on our truck, and he replies that he has taken care of the repairs and it will cost us $800.  Well, that was a fortune in the Depression of the 1930s, and I inform him that we don't have that kind of money! And the Leader informs me that we will be unable to leave since he holds this debt over our heads.  I boldly scream at him, My husband will never give in to your demands, while the terrified townspeople look on, unable to believe that I would dare to stand up to the feared Leader.
     At that moment, the husband (me again) appears on the scene, questions us about the uproar, and declares to the Leader that he will not be subject to his dictates.  He gathers his family up, and standing in the town square, declares to all the surrounding townspeople that we are leaving; we will not be bullied or intimidated by this tyrant.  But the townspeople respond with astonishment and consternation... How can you leave? We are all prisoners here, subject to his command! And we don't have the keys to unlock the gates to the town!
     The husband (me) looks at the panic-stricken townsfolk with pity in his eyes and heart.  Folks, you don't need keys... there are no locked gates on this town.  You have been free to leave anytime you wanted to.  This deceitful and wicked man only had you convinced you could never leave.  Your freedom has always been there.  All you had to do was walk away from him and his lies.
     Suddenly I was awake from this strange "dream".  It had been 2 1/2 hours since I had begun telling myself to Be still, and know that He is God.  But I had just "watched" and "participated in" what seemed like a full-length movie, in all its detail, color, and emotion.  It was as clear and visible in my mind as if I had just walked out of a movie theatre. I was baffled as I woke my husband up and told him the strange event I had experienced in my sleep.  It was such a strange little story; like it was perfectly scripted for my personal screening.  But I wondered, why that particular story line... I couldn't really see any purpose to the plot.  

     Then it hit me!  It was an answer to my struggling attempt at prayer the night before!  God was showing me that I couldn't make people see the truth of their bondage, anymore than I could (as the husband in my "dream") make the townspeople see that they didn't have to live by the dictates of the deceitful Leader.  Satan lies to us and convinces us that we can't escape our chains, and that we live in an invisible fortress of bondage.  It's easy to keep us in those chains, too, because he knows that too many of us will never believe that all we have to do is walk away towards the Freedom that Jesus offers.
     I will tell you that I have never had a "dream" like that before!  And I rarely remember every detail and conversation and emotion in sequential order, and in such lucid images.  My husband said, "I think God just gave you a vision".  At first, I didn't want to accept that because that isn't any kind of language (or concept) that we modern and Western Christians embrace with any comfort or agreement.  But I then realized just how similar my experience was to what I have been studying in Acts, Chapter 10.
     Peter, who found himself outside the norm of Jewish tradition and Law, was staying with Simon, the tanner, in Joppa.  For a law-keeping Jew of that time, it was strictly forbidden to associate with anyone who routinely worked with dead animals. And according to Jewish Law, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet outside a village because of his ritual uncleanness.
     But God was laying a groundwork in Peter's heart for a new concept that He needed him to understand, and Peter is less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than he was before.  Boy, can I relate to that!  This whole ministry that God has laid on me and my husband's hearts necessitates that we be willing to look outside the Western Church's traditions and rituals! And it has certainly set us apart from our fellow Christians.
     And what did God do next with Peter?  While he was praying on Simon the tanner's rooftop, the Bible relates what it calls "Peter's Vision".  Scripture actually says he fell "into a trance".  Now this happens to Peter around noon, hence the description of a trance.  I would submit to you that if it had happened in the night or early morning hours, it would have been described as a dream.
     So, Peter's dream is every bit as clear and focused and vivid as mine was.  He even partakes in a conversation with God, and the dream comes to a definitive end.  It is not disjointed or disordered; it is articulated with a precise message.  And Scripture says "Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant".  Like Peter, I searched for meaning and significance.  And, I will tell you that when it is that strong an image in your mind, you know how different it is from other dreams you've had.
     I understand that the traditional Church, [and perhaps many of you] will be unable to accept what I have related.  It will be rejected as my own rationalization or justification, and it is just too far outside the realm of "acceptable" Christian experience.  But I know in my heart and spirit, that it was a clarification from God.  It articulated the struggles and frustrations I have been facing, and validated that I am on the right path.  I was shown that I may not be able to change thoughts and theology in a Christian's mind, but I am to continue declaring what I see as God's Truth.  It is then up to each Christian to decide if they are too afraid to challenge the invisible chains imposed by the Prince of this world -- or if they will take that life-affirming step and walk through the gates toward Freedom.  All I know is that I have been given encouragement and motivation to continue my walk with My Lord, and it was beyond extraordinary -- it was supernatural!

Ephesians 3:20-21   "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

A Spiritual Perspective On Gods and War

      Our national commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor was a fascinating look into history and how Americans viewed the events of the day.  During my research I found an interesting article relating how Navy Admiral Chester William Nimitz, the commander of the Pacific Fleet during World War II, regarded that horrific attack from a particularly Christian position. Then I began thinking about wars in general and how they might be observed from the spiritual dimension, and the intriguing possibilities that the Bible presents when we take a closer look at a pivotal event in the Old Testament.  My mind was racing, and I'm not sure I can connect all the dots, but let's see where my thoughts take us...

     Let me begin at the beginning.  In the gift shop at Pearl Harbor, one can purchase a small book by Admiral Chester Nimitz, titled "Reflections on Pearl Harbor".  In the book, Admiral Nimitz relates that he received a phone call while attending a concert in Washington D.C. on Sunday, December 7, 1941. It was President Franklin Roosevelt telling him he was now Commander of the Pacific fleet.  Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet and landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. There was such a spirit of despair, dejection and defeat--you would have thought the Japanese had already won the war.
     On Christmas Day, the Admiral toured the scene of wreckage and carnage; sunken battleships and navy vessels were everywhere.  The tour boat returned to the dock, and a young helmsman asked what the Admiral thought of all the destruction.  Admiral Nimitz replied, "The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make -- or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"
     If you are a history buff like I am, I wanted to know what the Admiral saw as mistakes.  Here they are.  Mistake #1: The Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine out of every ten crewmen of those ships were ashore on leave. If those same ships had been lured to sea and been sunk--we would have lost 38,000 men instead of 3,800. Mistake #2: When the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed the dry docks opposite those ships. If they had destroyed the dry docks, we would have had to tow every one of those ships to America to be repaired. The ships were in shallow water and could be raised. One tug could pull them over to the dry docks, where they could be repaired and at sea by the time they could be towed to America. And there were already crews ashore anxious to man those ships.  Mistake #3: Every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war was in top-of-the-ground storage tanks five miles away. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed the fuel supply.
     And that's why Admiral Nimitz made the statement that the Japanese either made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make -- or God was taking care of America. So that got me to thinking ... do we really believe God has a vested interest in taking care of, or protecting, nations?  And if He does, is it all nations, or are there specific ones He protects, and others He rejects?  We know that Romans 13 tells us that there is no authority in a nation, except from God; and that which exists has been placed there by Him.  But that is specifically about human government of a nation.  Is there a spiritual component, and what part do other gods play in the history of nations?
     Now, that last comment might throw you for a loop.  As a Christian, why would I even consider the existence or the importance of other "little g" gods?  First of all, because they do exist!  God spends a large portion of the Old Testament warning the Israelites, His chosen people, against following other (false) gods.  But where did these other gods come from; and how does that play into Israel being "chosen" by God to be His people; and finally how does that fit into my thoughts about a spiritual perspective on war?  Hang on, I'm going to take you on a wild ride!
     I am a huge fan of Dr. Michael Heiser, an American Biblical scholar, who earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages. He has opened up the Bible to me, by providing the Hebrew context of our English language Bibles, and offering interpretations that English-only commentaries are lacking. By providing the meanings of words and concepts from a uniquely Hebrew position, the Bible expands and increases in scope; broadening our understanding to deeper levels.
     Such is the understanding of the word Elohim. Most Christians understand that it is the most common word in the Bible for YHWH, The Creator.  But did you know that in Hebrew, the word Elohim can have both singular and plural applications. Think, in English, something like:  Look at that deer (singular); or look at those deer (plural). Well, in Psalm 82, we get a clear example of Hebrew grammar in verse 1:  God (Elohim) stands in the divine assembly; He administers judgment in the midst of the gods (elohim). It cannot be denied; it is as plain as day, or as Dr. Heiser says:  The God of the Old Testament was part of an assembly -- a pantheon -- of other gods.  
     But where did these others gods come from?  I'm going to give you a very short explanation, knowing that this topic could take days to explore (and I hope you do).  But put very simply, God, as Creator, is responsible for creating these other gods, who in the ancient Semitic world, were known as sons of God (Hebrew: beney elohim), divine beings with higher-level responsibilities or jurisdictions. Obviously, God would have hoped that they would play by His rules and exert their responsibilities in a holy or righteous manner.

     These elohim will come into play in the familiar story of the The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. We know that humankind came together (under the tutelage of the elohim who had been given jurisdiction over them) to build a city and a tower that would reach to heaven.  It was a confederation of nations (and elohim), come together to usurp the power and dominion of Elohim (God). We know that God confused their languages and scattered them from Babel over the face of the whole earth. But it is Deuteronomy 32:8-9 that reveals God's ultimate actions:  Remember the days of old .... When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.  But the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob (Israel) His allotted heritage. 
     It is very clear from this passage that YHWH's dispersal of the nations at Babel resulted in his disinheriting those nations as His people.  In effect, He decided that the people of the world's nations (at that time) were no longer going to be in relationship to Him.  He would begin anew, and enter into covenant relationship with a new people that did not even exist yet (Israel).  This idea is astounding and monumental in understanding much of what the Old Testament tells us.
     NOTE:  Several versions of the Bible erroneously translate verse 8 to say, according to the number of the sons of Israel. That is a wrong translation, because Israel didn't exist yet. In fact, Abraham had not even been called yet!
     So, what does this have to do with our discussion?  As odd as it might sound, Scripture is telling us that after the Tower of Babel, God decided to keep the peoples who would become the nation of Israel for Himself, while the rest of the nations were placed under the authority of members of YHWH's Divine Council, the elohim of the divine assembly mentioned in Psalm 82:1.  In other words, the other nations were assigned to lesser elohim as a judgment from the Most High for their actions at Babel.
     I'm now going to take a huge leap to modern times and try to connect the dots. When we understand that from that moment in history until now, the nations of the world have been under the jurisdiction of lesser elohim, we can see the history of the world's wars from a different and spiritual persecutive. These lesser elohim were in rebellion against God at Babel, and nothing has changed.  They inspired the nations under their jurisdiction to battle against other nations, in a never-ending quest to reach that designation of Most High.  That's why history has seen nations conquering other nations, and borders being defined and re-defined.
     And when you consider that during the last world war, you had both the Germans and the Japanese vying to be the Master race, it's not hard to imagine the lesser elohim in the spiritual realm working their plans, trying to convince the leaders of these wartime giants that they had a divine calling.  In fact, Emperor Hirohito of Japan believed he and the Imperial Family were divine descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu.

      Although there are some modern scholars who are doing their best to deny that Adolph Hitler had any connection to the occult or evil organizations, one need only look at his "Final Solution" for extermination of the Jews to see a correlation between the disinheriting of the lesser elohim and their nations, and their hate for the nation God would claim as His own.  There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Hitler was interested in the occult, magic, and the paganism of his Germanic roots.  He is said to have marked extensive passages in a 1923 book, titled Magic: History, Theory, and Practice, including one that reads, "He who does not have the demonic seed within himself will never give birth to a magical world".
     One can also look to the emergence of ISIS and their hatred of Israel to see the influence of their lesser elohim, Allah, and his influence against the Most High; Elohim, the Creator. Hopefully, you can see how war and gods are inherently intertwined. The Old Testament is full of stories of God warning the Israelites (His allotted portion of the world's people) against being influenced by the other nations and their false gods (lesser elohim). That same pattern has occurred throughout history and we have seen ample proof of this model of rebellion during the wars of the last century. As crazy as it may sound, we live in a world governed by other gods who have become hostile rivals in the wake of YHWH's judgment against them at Babel. They are still in rebellion and influencing the leaders under their jurisdiction, in a constant attempt to replace the Authority of the Most High God.
     But back to Admiral Nimitz's hypothesis. If the people who would become Israel was the only nation that God kept for Himself, do you think it is possible that He will take care of us? That's where we have to once again go to the Bible for the answer. In the Old Testament, God says in Genesis 12 that He will make a great nation of Israel, and "I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". So the nations that stand by Israel; support and honor her will be blessed by God.  And in Joel 3, God makes it abundantly clear how he will deal with nations who dishonor His inheritance:  "I will gather all nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for their treatment of My people and of My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and because they have divided My land."
     So, all nations are not Elohim's chosen; nations will receive blessings or curses depending on how they treated Israel. And we are grafted in as His inheritance, His children, if we have faith in His Son, who came to deliver Israel from her rebellion. And until the day His Son returns, the lesser elohim will continue in their own rebellion, still trying to execute the plan they initiated at Babel. But their judgment is sure, and it will be swift. Peace will not reign on this earth until the Prince of Peace comes in final judgment of all who oppose, disobey, and challenge the Authority of the Most High.  When Jesus says. "there will be wars and rumors of wars", He is prophesying a truth of the human existence. But I praise God that we know one day it will end. And what a glorious day that will be!

Psalm 89:5-7    Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?


   

Thanksgiving Week: Stories of Prayer, Immigration, and Assimilation

     I'd like to spend this week in a true spirit of giving thanks.  We've just finished a hotly contested and divisive election season; the war in Iraq has been revitalized; world powers are readjusting and realigning, and it's too easy to get caught up in our anxieties and fears about the future.  But this week, let's concentrate on the stories that bring us together; our common humanity and the lessons we can learn from Biblical history.

     This first story comes to us from Erbil, Iraq. Last Friday, November 18th, more than 20,000 persecuted Christians gathered to pray for Iraq and victory against ISIS. The six-hour prayer event marked the end of 50 days of fasting, and for many Christians, hopefully the start of a new life without ISIS. Think about that! In this country that has been torn apart by war for more than thirteen years, this is a remarkable show of faith in the wake of some of the most horrific and wicked persecution the world has ever seen.
     Those that gathered were specific in what they wanted to accomplish.  They prayed for the presence of God’s Spirit to envelop the meeting and that every person would clearly hear what God wanted to say to them.  They prayed that leaders of the event would preach, worship and pray under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  They prayed that those who were Unbelievers would be touched by the Holy Spirit during this time, and come to know His Truth, as Son of God and Lord of all. They prayed that this gathering would be a time of encouragement to those who were struggling to stay steadfast in their faith because of the persecution they had suffered; and a time of breakthrough for those struggling to know Jesus for the first time.  Finally, they prayed that God would indeed hear from Heaven, answer the cries of His people, and bring healing, renewed hope for the future and peace to the people of this region. It is an ancient prayer that people of the Bible have prayed since Genesis.
    While Iraqis are hopeful that the defeat of Isis and the liberation of their towns will continue, they still face violence by local militias, regional conflicts between key players like Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the distrust between the different religious and ethnic groups of the Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, and Arabs.  It is the same old world story, but at the heart of it is the continued power of prayer and the hope of God's promises.  I am thankful for this current reminder that God is still sought after as the ultimate answer to the world's chaos.
     This second story has an ancient Biblical connection.  Remember the story in Acts, Chapter 8, when Philip, the Evangelist, encounters the Ethiopian eunuch on his way back from Jerusalem?  Philip overhears the Ethiopian reading the Book of Isaiah; specifically, Chapter 53 [which identifies our Lord as the Suffering Servant], and offers to help the traveling eunuch understand what he is reading. First, we need to understand that it is nearly 1600 miles from modern Ethiopia to Jerusalem!!! This man traveled a long way to gain knowledge, and how did he come to be seeking wisdom about the coming Messiah?
     Well, scholars speculate that Ethiopia was the land where the Queen of Sheba had come from, who saw the glory of Solomon’s kingdom and professed faith in the God of Israel (1 Kings 10:13). It’s possible that pieces of the Jewish faith were passed on through the centuries to men like this servant of the current Queen. And after Philip's instruction, and his confession of faith and baptism, this Ethiopian eunuch most likely returned to his homeland and helped launch the Christian faith in that ancient land. Here's an additional interesting note: The Coptic Christians – greatly persecuted today in Egypt – trace their spiritual heritage back to this Ethiopian official.  So, what does all this history have to do with giving thanks this week?

     Daniel Sahalo is some of the fruit that was borne from that divine appointment between Philip and the Ethiopian. He was born in the farming village of Gaina, Ethiopia. In 1984, when Daniel was 4 years old, his family decided to immigrate to Israel, along with a group of other Jews seeking to flee the famine and political unrest in Ethiopia. For eight weeks, Sahalo and the rest of his group traveled barefoot at night under the eclipse of darkness. They contended with many threats, including robbers, hunger, wild animals, and the bitter cold of the desert nights. Sadly, more than 4,000 members of the Ethiopian Jewish community died on the way to Israel, including Sahalo's 23-year-old sister and 2-year-old niece.
     After waiting nine months at a Red Cross refugee camp near the Sudanese and Egyptian border, the announcement finally came that the group would be flown to Israel. Sahalo would go on to finish high school, enlist in the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) prestigious Paratroopers 101 battalion, and become the only member of his family to earn an academic degree [in International Relations and Latin American Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem].
     But perhaps his most important accomplishment has become his involvement with the Megemeria Jewelry Collection, as their Sales and Marketing Manager.  You see, the experience of Ethiopian Jews in their new homeland of Israel has o theften been a difficult one.  Most Ethiopian Jews were farmers in their native country and now have trouble finding work and integrating into Israeli society. That's where Yvel comes in; they are a company in Israel that makes and sells fine jewelry.  Founded by Argentinian immigrants to Israel, they started a social business enterprise, called the Megemeria School of Jewelry and the Arts. "Megemeria" means Genesis in Amharic, the native language of Ethiopia.

     The school teaches Ethiopian immigrants to Israel the art and science of jewelry design and manufacturing, along with many other skills, such as math and the Hebrew language. Students study for free, receive a monthly stipend to help with living expenses, and upon graduation from the school, many are hired to work at the Megemeria social business. All jewelry is designed and manufactured entirely by the school's students and graduates, with all sales revenue reinvested in the project. What a beautiful Biblical picture of how God instructed the Israelites to love the "sojourners" and "aliens" in their land, remembering that they were once sojourners themselves.  It also shows the respect of the new citizens of Israel by learning the native language and becoming productive citizens.  This story of Aliya (the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel) turned from one of struggle to one of thanksgiving.
     In these two stories, we see the history of humanity.  They encompass the stories of refugees, asylum-seekers, the internally displaced, and those moving to other countries as immigrants. They cover the reality of being human as well as being a Christian or a Jew. They remind us that we are all made in the image of God.  We are all representatives of God on earth, and we all have worth in His eyes; each of us was made by God and Christ died for us.
     In this age of war, global politics, and Elitist domination, it is sometimes hard to imagine that God cares about each individual.  But from the beginning of the human race, nothing has changed. Just as God "saw" Abram in Mesopotamia; Ruth in the land of Moab; Daniel in Babylon; and each of the Disciples in their lonely journeys to Asia Minor, India, North Africa, Persia, and beyond, He "sees" each of us. He hears each prayer, as in Erbil, Iraq; and like the Ethiopian Jews, He desires that each person seeking a better life in a strange land would be welcomed, and charity and compassion be dispensed.  The stories presented here mirror these Biblical principles, and are the perfect way to begin our Thanksgiving week.

Thank you to the Christian Broadcasting Network for reporting on these two inspirational stories.

Psalm 103:13   Just as a father loves his children, So the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].

Acts 20:27

“I did not shrink from declaring to you

 the whole counsel of God.”

     What exactly is the whole counsel of God?  In this passage of Acts, Chapter 20, the Apostle Paul is declaring his role as a Representative of God's Word.  With a clear conscience, he can say that he has presented the unabridged version, so to speak, of God's teaching.  He has not dodged the difficult questions; nor has he tried to add or subtract from God's Word to make it more acceptable to his listeners.  In fact, he has presented God's Word in order that he might help believers to grasp the whole counsel (purpose and plan) of God, so that they would become better equipped to read their Bibles intelligently and comprehensively.

     But how many of you believe, or have been told, that we are under God's Grace, not the Law; therefore the New Testament is our primary source of God's teaching, and that's the only "counsel of God" we need?  Or, that the Old Testament is a nice bit of history, but it has no real significance to us "New Testament Believers"? As a serious student of the Bible -- the whole Bible -- I find these opinions unsound and inaccurate.  

     First of all, it is important that we understand the original meaning of the word, "counsel".  It comes from the Greek word boulomai, and according to Strong's Concordance, it "expresses strongly the deliberate exercise of the will".  In other words, Paul is saying that he did not shrink from declaring God's deliberate exercise of His will throughout history, and he revealed the whole of God's revelation about His purpose(s) in relationship with His creation, man.

     Keep in mind that the New Testament had not even been written when Paul made this statement, so some may ask, "How can we make it a Law vs. Grace, Old vs. New Testament argument"?  In fact, this is actually what I am saying.... I believe that Paul was given Divine revelation in relating God's plan that covers the entire spectrum of history: Law, Grace, Judgment and Redemption.  The entire Bible is God's counsel! There is history of redemption throughout the Old Testament that points to The Redeemer in the New Testament.  Paul related God's explanation of man's origin, fall, and rescue [in the Old Testament], which leads to a worldview [in the New Testament] and points out the need for a Savior and Deliverer.  There were commandments of old to be obeyed and accepted wisdom to be pursued, and those would be expanded upon in the life of the Incarnate God.  And those commandments and wise counsel were not to be discarded, but rather they spoke of the transforming power to come; of age-old promises to be trusted and hopes to be anticipated.

     But here's kind of a synopsis of what I think Paul was saying ... God's counsel cannot be limited to one concept such as Grace or Law.  Remember, the word "counsel" is speaking of God's deliberate exercise of His will. Can we agree that the "whole counsel of God" centers around the idea of His Sovereignty in all matters?  Can we see that His counsel is bigger than Grace, for example?  After all, Paul certainly experienced the Grace of God, yet he did not limit his teaching to that doctrine.  He did not shy away from explaining how God exercised His deliberate will by punishing the rebelliousness of the ancient Israelites; nor did he neglect to point out God's Judgment against those who refuse to repent. 

     We are in need of the whole counsel of God ... the grace, the law, the discipline, the love, the forgiveness ... The fullness of His Character reveals His Sovereignty; and His whole counsel is for the purpose of establishing Christ's Kingdom on earth.  It may not be a perfect picture... but we need to hear it all!