Why Would God Tell You That?

Is that a question you’ve heard before? Or maybe it was implied by someone’s response to you sharing what’s been on your heart. You felt confident God was calling you in one direction, but those around you couldn’t understand it or thought you’re behavior was irrational. “Certainly God wouldn’t call you to leave what you know and go somewhere foreign.” Or “God wouldn’t call you to quit your job and start something new”. Or “God wouldn’t ask you to go into debt by going back to school”. Or [insert your situation here]. Seeds of doubt get planted, and you begin to wonder if you really heard God.

I think all of us have had at least one moment like that in our lives, and most likely more than one. It’s what we do in that moment that counts, and prayer is the best way to start. How many times in the Bible was God patient enough to encourage those who doubted what He asked or who felt inadequate to complete the task. Moses is the first person who comes to mind, and he helped to free the Israelites from slavery, gave them the Law from God and wrote the Pentateuch. There are numerous examples of God telling people to do things that we might call crazy, like Hosea being commanded to take a harlot as a wife to demonstrate Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, or Noah building the ark, or Abraham leaving his country (especially at an older age) to wander in the wilderness where God led him. But one person stands out especially in this season of Christmas, and that person is Mary.

Many of us have grown up hearing the story of the nativity, and Mary being chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. What is less taught is how all of this was counter-cultural in their day. According to scholars, Mary would have been a teenager, and Scripture tells us she was betrothed to Joseph. While in our culture, we would view this as an engagement but not an official marriage, in ancient Israel, they were viewed as husband and wife already. In the famously deemed Ten Commandments of the Law, the seventh commandment is “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). But there was much more detail to the Law than the Ten Commandments, especially regarding unfaithfulness. Leviticus 20 is just one chapter devoted to the consequences of the sins of sexual immorality. Usually the result was death. John 8 demonstrates that the practice of stoning an adulterous woman to death still occurred in the first century AD. This practice from the Law is written in Deuteronomy 22:23-24, “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”

With this in mind, imagine Mary, a young virgin who is betrothed, winds up pregnant. A virgin getting pregnant would be seemingly impossible, so what would be the alternative thought? Adultery, most likely. Matthew’s account makes it clear that even though Mary and Joseph were betrothed, they had not consummated their marriage yet. Therefore, a pregnancy would’ve been viewed as unfaithfulness. Mary knew the Law, but when she was told by the angel Gabriel that she was chosen by God and that she would become pregnant through His power, she responds, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). How incredible is that! Knowing that this choice could result in death according to the Law, she trusts in the Lord. Even more, she praises the Lord for regarding a humble person as herself and exalts the Lord for His magnificence (Luke 1:46-55-The Magnificat).

Joseph’s response also demonstrates his exemplary character, and no doubt why God chose him (as well as being of the lineage of David). Matthew describes Joseph as a “righteous man” (Matt. 1:19) and says that “not wanting to disgrace her (Mary), planned to send her away secretly.” While some may find it harsh that Joseph would essentially divorce her, he was actually giving up his right to bring her before the court and have her stoned as the Law states should happen for an adulterous woman. Rather, he was willing to protect her and put the shame on himself. But thankfully, the Lord sent an angel to deter him from this decision and explained to him what happened. Just like Mary, Joseph didn’t question what was told him, but Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

If there was any time to doubt that you heard from God, the situation these two faced would be at the top of the list. Everyone knows that they haven’t officially consummated their marriage. Everyone knows that the Law says an adulteress would be stoned to death. But the Lord orchestrated everything perfectly. Since Mary was betrothed, the decision was up to Joseph, who God knew to be a righteous man who wouldn’t harm Mary. He knew Mary would fulfill the task because she was a faithful woman of God and considered God’s choice to be a blessing to her. The story of the birth of Christ is one of hope and amazing love, and it all began with faith that what God said was true and would be fulfilled.

God knew what the Law said—He wrote it! He knew what He asked of Mary and Joseph would not line up culturally. But God is above culture! God is above all things! God speaks to us if we’re willing to have ears to hear and understand. If you know that God has called you to do something, and you’ve gone before Him in prayer (this is important!), have the faith of Mary and Joseph who said, “May Your will be done, Lord.” Their faith resulted in the birth of our Savior who has redeemed us and saved us from our sin.

Even if you feel alone in your decision, the Lord will be there to guide you and provide for you along your journey. Let’s pray together:

Father, we thank you for the truth of Your Word, that it is a lamp to guide us when we falter or doubt. You’ve chosen many people before us to fulfill Your will, and we thank you that we can learn and be encouraged by their faithfulness. We have the blessing to see promises fulfilled that not many of them saw. Help us to hear your voice and drown out the world that seeks to discourage and destroy us. We desire to be a light instead, walking where you tell us to go even when we can’t see the end. Thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, and the salvation and forgiveness You’ve given us so that we may lead others to Your kingdom. May we not fear the unknown but rejoice that You have chosen to regard the humble to exalt Your name. Give us Your strength and peace even when we feel alone, and remind us that You are always there. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Message to the Bride of Christ: Repent!

Wars abroad and cultural wars at home—evil thrives and preys on the innocent. The sickness permeates everything until we wonder if there’s anything good left. It’s in schools, homes, businesses, media of all kinds, nations, and yes, even in the church. “There is so much evil, how can You stand it, Lord?” I wrote on October 7th in my journal. But then another written thought proceeded, “You see it all that it makes Your love that much more profound and magnificent. Your grace is beyond words, and I’m humbled by Your goodness, such goodness that can’t exist in this sinful world.” While everything seems dark and grim, Solomon’s words ring true, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Going back to those “earlier times” we read about the birth of creation, and later, the birth of the nation of Israel—a people set apart by God and for God. But if you’ve read any of the Old Testament, it doesn’t take long for their love of the Lord God to turn to lust of other idols and gods. They run with the world and their faithfulness runs with it; more explicitly, they play the harlot. According to the Law, adultery was punishable by death, and so was the fate of Israel. Everything seemed dark and grim (sound familiar?), and often times, God is described as violent and wrathful in the Old Testament. While the wrath of God is real, it’s not without proper cause. His beloved had repeatedly committed adultery against Him (human terms, of course, to help us understand the significance of Israel’s sin). If you’ve ever been in that situation, consider how you felt and still feel—angry, bitter, vengeful, wrathful, broken. The Lord doesn’t mince words when He describes what will become of His beloved. But as I reread through those passages of Scripture, such as in Hosea, the love of God pierces my heart. In addition to a husband role, the Lord God also describes Himself as a father to Israel, guiding and leading them even when they chose to follow other gods:

“When Israel was a youth I loved him,

And out of Egypt I called My son.

The more they called them,

The more they went from them;

They kept sacrificing to the Baals

And burning incense to idols.

Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,

I took them in My arms;

But they did not know that I healed them.

I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,

And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;

And I bent down and fed them.” Hosea 11:1-4 (NASB)

While Hosea 11 reminisces on the earlier state of Israel, most of the book focuses on Israel’s choices and how they lead to its destruction:

“Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me!

Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!

I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.

And they do not cry to Me from their heart

When they wail on their beds;

For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves,

They turn away from Me.” Hosea 7:13-14

What stands out to me in this passage, and as I read Hosea as a whole, is that even though Israel has carried out such wickedness and unfaithfulness, the Lord says “I would redeem them.” If only they would turn, all the wrath and anger would turn to forgiveness and compassion, like in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15).

To be clear, this post about Israel is nothing in relation to what’s happening in the Middle East. Rather, it’s to demonstrate God’s love in the midst of evil everywhere. To reiterate Paul’s words, what was written before is to help us now, so that we would have hope. Israel was set apart for God under the Old Covenant. But now we are under the New Covenant, ushered in by Christ’s sacrifice. The church is now the bride of Christ- God’s elect- that is set apart in this world for the Lord. Yet how often we act like the Israel of the Old Testament! How many idols do we worship? What does our faithfulness look like? Are we faithful at all? We are supposed to be armored up with the truth of God’s word, but we have to actually study and know it and live it for ourselves in order to wield it against the enemy and our flesh.  What distinguishes us from the world? Rather, we have let the world into the church for fear of being “(insert word here)phobic” or being deemed irrelevant when cultural relevancy is all the rage.

The Lord’s love is beyond our understanding, and I can confidently say that He is waiting for us, the church, to come back to Him. The problem is that many of us don’t even recognize that we’ve strayed. We fail to recognize our idols and that we follow a Sunday routine without growth or joy. We fail to question what is taught, and when we feel that tugging in our mind that says “That doesn’t seem right,” we ignore it thinking that the preacher must know what he’s talking about. STOP and LISTEN to the Holy Spirit! In truth, the Lord is angry with the church because it spews lies and appeases people’s emotions. Emotional hype is not spiritual growth—it just masquerades as growth until we realize how empty we are when things get difficult. We are accountable for what we know, and we are without excuse, just like Israel was. They had the Law written for them. They had prophets and priests to guide them. They had tangible miracles to save and provide for them. Yet, they abandoned the Lord. We have much more than they did since all the truth is at our fingertips. We have Christ as the ultimate sacrifice so that we aren’t required to bring sacrifices except to “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1). Paul continues in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

One of the greatest lies I’ve given in to is that I don’t have time. I don’t have time to sit down and write. I don’t have time to study God’s word. I have to get this and that done. I know I’m not alone. In this age, we fill up our lives with so much that sometimes it seems we barely have time to breathe. But the excuse of “not even time” is a lie—we choose to create chaos in our lives. I think we even welcome the chaos because it prevents us from truly examining ourselves individually and as a body of believers. Our flesh savors this, and it is a daily fight to push through, take the blinders off, and let ourselves be still with the Lord with all our sin and pain exposed. But only when we do this can we be healed. For the sake of our nation, and really the world, we must go through the pain of recognizing our failure as the body of Christ. But thanks be to God, it doesn’t stop there! Our repentance leads to God’s magnificent forgiveness and love that is beyond human comprehension. When we are right with Him, we can stand as soldiers declaring truth and thwarting the enemy:

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:11-13

Let us learn from the past and become a faithful, and spiritually strong bride of Christ. Evil is all around us, but let us stand firm as a light to the nations and demonstrate God’s truth and love.

©Lauren Demuth

Blunt and Wise

“Lord, please help me have the bluntness of Jesus and Paul and also their wisdom.”

That was part of my prayer tonight. If you’ve ever read any part of the New Testament, most likely you’ve read some of Paul’s or Jesus’ messages. There are no “bless their hearts” or “well, it was how he or she was raised” or “that’s just what he chooses to believe.” Jesus and Paul were compassionate, but they were also blunt with wisdom to accompany their words. As we’ve seen in the last few years, straightforward truth is hard to find, not just in the world, but especially in the church. Can we distinguish the church from the world? How many times has something been swept under the rug hoping no one will notice? Like Solomon wrote many times in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. 

“All things are wearisome;

Man is not able to tell it.

The eye is not satisfied with seeing,

Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

That which has been is that which will be,

And that which has been done is that which will be done.

So there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say,

“See this, it is new”?

Already it has existed for ages

Which were before us.

There is no remembrance of earlier things;

And also of the later things which will occur,

There will be for them no remembrance

Among those who will come later still.”

Ecclesiastes 1:8-11 (NASB- bold print added for emphasis)

These are words from the wisest man who ever lived. They may seem downcast or negative, but they are true nonetheless. We can criticize ancient Israel for falling into what appear to us to be obvious traps and temptations, but won’t people generations from now say the same about us? Will they not say, “Why did the church allow that to happen?” “They were preaching that from the pulpit?” We are blessed to have the Scriptures to learn from them so that we can be more faithful followers of Christ as lights in the darkness and hope to a world that is quickly losing it. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul starts by saying that their forefathers were in the wilderness with Moses, and they all shared the same experiences, but God was not pleased with most of them. He then continues to write in vv. 7-13, 

“Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.’  Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (Bold print added for emphasis)

Putting Paul’s instructions and Solomon’s wisdom together, we can summarize that we are going to face trials, and most likely, they are trials humanity has already faced. We’ve received an instruction manual (the Word of God) that shares what to do and what not to do as a follower of God. Sometimes we don’t like being told what to do (or not to do) like children but then we want to know God’s will. We ask the questions but don’t like the answers so we plug our ears and hum and hope for a different solution. Let’s take a look at one of Paul’s passages in Romans 1 that tends to start the ear plugging:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (vv.18-23- bold print added for emphasis)

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (vv. 24-25)

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (vv. 26-32- bold print added for emphasis)

No doubt there could be multiple posts written to break down these verses, but the simple truth is, God has been made known to everyone. What Paul reveals is that people have chosen and continue to choose to deny it and worship other things. People have chosen to give in to their sinful desires, and God has let them face their own judgment. We have the free will to choose. The world is going to act in accordance with the world. That is its nature. I’m not writing this post with non-believers in mind, but the church. Are we part of the last verse, which says, “although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them”? How has homosexuality been addressed among people who claim Christianity and practice it? Do we address it at all or turn away to remain “relevant” in our culture? What about other topics, like abortion? 

Paul is writing to the church of Rome, both Jews and Gentiles, who are learning how to be Christians in their culture, not unlike much of what we experience today. In Romans 2, he turns the focus off the world and back to the church and addresses believers specifically:

“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” (vv. 1-11- bold print added for emphasis)

Hypocrisy. How many of us have seen it? How many of us have heard that people aren’t Christians because Christians are hypocritical? Are they wrong? Too often the church is the one who looks at the speck in his brother’s eye but ignores the log in its own eye (read Jesus’ blunt message in Luke 6:41-42). Sometimes the church is too busy judging what the world is doing and not seeing that the world has made its way into the church. We criticize the very thing that we are doing. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a grievous sin in the church and mentions that he had written to the Corinthians not to associate with immoral people who claim to be Christians. He writes in vv. 12-13,  “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” We are the bride of Christ to be presented as pure, spotless, and blameless so why are we acting as an adulteress (see James 4:4-5), like Israel did, cheating on God with the world, not cleaning house from the unrepentant sin we let permeate it? All of these things written in Scripture may sound harsh to our culturally-sensitive ears, but the intention is for repentance so that all may come to know Christ. 

There are such things as righteousness and unrighteousness. The idea that everyone has their own truth is a lie. The answers to our questions are right in front of us as long as we don’t close our eyes, plug our ears, and hope the truth will change to a more culturally-accepted response. The truth of the gospel is above culture, which is part of its beauty. It surpasses the boundaries of time and language. Are we bold enough to not care what the world thinks? A lot can happen when we take a stand just like the Roman Christians who chose not to worship an emperor or the many other deities therein. Do the consequences outweigh truth or does truth outweigh the consequences? We, the body of Christ, must decide soon. 

© Lauren Heiligenthal Demuth

Forever Yours

Darkness descends upon my soul

as fear and self-hatred entrap me.

The earth opens revealing a pit

with an insatiable appetite.

Defeated, I fall to where all seems lost,

to where light fades into hopelessness.

 

Tears, anguish, death.

Each attempt to escape sends me

deeper, deeper into sorrow,

transforming me into someone unrecognizable.

“Oh God, I can’t believe You love me!

How wretched I am–a failure!”

 

How can there be hope for me,

so undeserving,

so unlovable,

so unrighteous?

The darkness twists lies into truth–

easier to cling to than forgiveness.

 

“Fight, fight! Don’t let the enemy win!”

A faint cry breaks through the darkness, almost incomprehensible.

“I love you! You are Mine! Even broken, you are beautiful!”

Music to my soul, I hear my Father’s voice

leading me out,

shining His light so I could come home.

 

How can it be

that He loves me so?

How can it be

that I’m worth it?

How can it be

that with all my mistakes, He still blesses me?

 

Father, Your grace astounds me;

Your love saves me;

Your Spirit moves me;

Your joy envelops me;

Your faithfulness lifts me;

Your sacrifice will keep me

forever Yours!

~~~

It’s been almost a year since I wrote my last poem “Faith Over Fear.” Thinking about writing this post was difficult because I struggled to keep that mindset of having faith over fear; rather, for awhile, I let fear grow inside me to such a point that I became lost to who I was. As a Christian of 23 years, this did not seem right. I was ashamed of my behavior, my thoughts, my hopelessness. There really isn’t a catalyst moment for why this began, but I can say it seemed to start last summer. I had just finished a school year that I didn’t expect to end well, but it did. I was proud of being able to accomplish a teaching job that I felt was impossible and out of my league. When I wrote “Faith Over Fear,” I had finally given things over to God, and even though my job was not a piece of cake, I saw people and situations with God’s perspective more than my own. I even fought to keep my job and worked harder towards obtaining a teaching license. So why did that change? I don’t fully know. All I know is that fear and anxiety gripped me to the point of dangerous thinking. Everyone could see it, which made it worse. I have never been one to hide my emotions, but in this case, it wasn’t just my job at stake, it was my testimony. How can I say I follow God when I let fear and doubt cripple me so badly. Where was my faith? It was depleted. There’s no sugar-coating it. I felt I could not succeed at what I was doing; therefore, I was a failure. It didn’t matter God opened doors; I was unwilling to let things go and trust Him. I said “I can’t!” and I loathed my own poster I put in my classroom, which read “Don’t say you can’t until you discover that you can!” My conviction was staring at me in the face until I couldn’t take it–I quit. I quit, thinking the job was the problem. It wasn’t. The fear and anxiety continued, but now I was truly a failure. I gave up! I have never given up before! And I had to face my decision. I had to face myself and the reality of it all. “You’re stupid. You’re worthless. Look what you did to your family. How could you?” Thoughts, lies, over and over multiple times a day, every day. Self-hatred reigned in me. I can forgive anyone else but myself. It was torture to the point where my thoughts went dark–places I never, ever thought my mind would go.

Now some may be thinking, “Come on, Lauren, this was just a job. It’s OK to fail!” But not to me. Failure has never been an option although I know how ridiculous that sounds. I know it’s true we learn from failure, but it was the idea that I gave up. I know God would have given me the strength and knowledge to keep going. I just didn’t want to. I didn’t believe I could do it. Those awful thoughts were relentless. I didn’t trust myself alone. But those who love me didn’t give up on me even when I gave up on myself. They loved me when I felt unlovable. They encouraged me, prayed for me, held me. Little by little the light came back in. I started applying for jobs–and oh how my pride wanted to take over. What started as “I would never apply for that” became “Oh, please call me back!” I finally got a job, and although it’s nothing I would have ever planned for myself, it’s good for me for now as I continue to grow in the Lord. My hope is to be able to teach Bible one day when the timing is right–truly, when I’m in the right place with God to teach again. Just those little steps forward helped me to gain confidence. I enjoy interacting with people and actually being a light to those around me. As many know, music can be powerful, and I love to sing. While everything was going on, I lost my joy of singing as I felt like a hypocrite to sing praises to God when I wasn’t trusting Him. But I started listening to the 2019 Wow CD and also to Lauren Daigle’s CD “How Can It Be” (I still listen to this every morning on my way to work). The songs awoke something inside me and as I started to sing, I started to believe the words, and essentially the truth, once again. There is still so much for me to work on, but I am beyond grateful and blessed to still be here, and God’s grace has been more than sufficient. His love is so immense that even when we don’t love ourselves it’s still there, waiting for us to accept it.

Although this post isn’t easy to write, it’s during these times where we can decide to stay in the pit or be transformed and grow. I mistakenly thought that the pit was my new home, but thanks be to God that He called me out and placed my feet on the solid Rock once again! I encourage you to reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Everyone is going through something; it doesn’t matter if it seems big or small. Lift each other up and help to bring Christ’s love and light back into their lives. You never know the impact one word or gesture could make.

~~~

Side note: I didn’t realize until after I wrote the poem how much it resembled Psalm 30, which is also a great read. Check it out!

©Lauren Heiligenthal

The Beloved Tree- The Lord’s Message of Faith

Lauren (Heiligenthal) Demuth's avatarAletheia_Word

It has been almost a year since I was prompted by the Lord to write “The Beloved Tree” and post it on my blog. I was unsure about writing it at first because I had never completed a fictional short story before. I reread and reread and believed that it was just right. A week ago, I read the story again (after many months), and I discovered something that has impacted me greatly: The story the Lord helped me write was a prophecy about my own life.

About three years ago, I graduated with a Master’s in Biblical Studies. I should have been confident to go out and find a job related to this degree. I even had my thesis in the process of being published (which eventually happened), but my old enemy stepped in: fear. I had never had a job outside of working at my parents’ coffee house…

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Writing It Out

I was re-reading this today and am amazed at the Lord and His truth. I hope this will encourage you as it has re-encouraged me 🙂

Lauren (Heiligenthal) Demuth's avatarAletheia_Word

There are noises all around me, yet the sound that proves difficult to ignore is the battle between my flesh and spirit. It gnaws at me daily, especially when the voice of my flesh cries out louder: “You haven’t done enough”; “You’re lazy”; “You’re not ready”; “You’re incompetent.” I would expect myself to be past listening to lies, but I still do. Even sitting down to write today was difficult. I know it’s what I’m supposed to do, but my flesh has been fighting hard against it. Why? Because I discover God’s truth when I listen to what He asks me to do, even if it seems small. I discover truth when I’m honest about my struggles and weaknesses. I discover that I am enough.

So, what are my struggles? Self-worth. Faith. Confidence. Fear. I would say that fear drives them all. Fear of failure. Fear that our land and…

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Faith Over Fear

I close my eyes

and visualize

paths leading to my demise,

where fear leads me to wander.

 

I stand frozen

knowing I’ve been chosen

for something greater than

drinking the enemy’s poison.

 

The choice is mine:

To follow the Divine

on the straight and narrow defined,

the path leading to glory,

 

Or to walk down easy street

where, with every step, the truth retreats

to the back of my mind and defeat

becomes my story.

 

Countless times the choice seems clear,

yet too often I cater to fear,

who takes the joy from what I hold dear,

leaving me empty and broken.

 

If I had faith the size of a mustard seed,

I could move mountains from land to sea

and fulfill God’s call inside of me

to become who I’m meant to be.

 

The Lord knows every thought

and sees my river of tears.

The Creator calls out to me,

reminding me that He has conquered fear:

 

“Break forth, child of God, daughter of the King.

Shine bright, let your righteousness bring

the truth to the nations,

a fragrant offering.

 

Sing with all your soul

and let yourself become whole

as you take My hand and stroll

down the road to everlasting.

 

No fear can conquer Me,

and my Spirit is inside of thee

with the power to crush the enemy

underneath your feet.

 

Take hold of your shield

with faith you can wield

against weapons of defeat

and let yourself be healed.

 

Stand firm, soldier of the living God!

My Word is a double-edged sword;

My mouth is a flaming fire,

consuming all the enemy’s horde.

 

Fear Me above all else.

Have faith that you are victorious in Me,

and there will be no reason to doubt

That you will become who I created you to be.”

 

 

Written February 24, 2019

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

Trinity Series- Part 2- Jesus in the Old Testament

Jesus in the Beginning

In the first post of this Trinity series, I briefly explored some key words in Genesis 1. Specifically, I discussed the plurality of the word “Elohim” mentioned in v. 1 and the use of the plural pronouns “Us” and “Our” in v. 26, the latter leading to a credible position that there is a Trinity: God in three distinct yet unified persons. But we cannot forget that in between vv. 1-26 is the miraculous and wondrous work of creation. God spoke and it was so! Take a moment and think about everything you’ve seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled. It still boggles my mind that new species are being discovered every year (possibly every day!). Also, think about yourself and how complex you are in mind, body, and spirit. All of this because God spoke.

But the truth of creation gets even more awesome. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins to give us life, was there:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”[1]            ~ John 1:1-5 (NASB)

The idea of how the Trinity works is wrapped up in v. 1. The Word was with God and the Word was God. These bold words may seem small, but they have significant meaning. To be with someone implies that there are at least two of you. But then to say you are someone other than yourself transforms separation into unity. Ultimately, we can conclude that God the Father and Jesus, God the Son, are distinct but unified Persons (I will discuss the Holy Spirit in a future post). Additionally, not only is Jesus described as being God, but John declares that He played an active role in creation. Along with John’s gospel, the beginning of Hebrews also indicates Jesus’ role in creation, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Heb. 1:1-2). In discussion of other names of God which appear in plural form, Robert Baker Girdlestone remarks that “it is worthy of notice that in the well-known passage in Ecclesiastes (12:1) the Hebrew runs thus, ‘Remember now thy Creators in the days of thy youth.’”[2]

John 1:1-5 and subsequent verses in John 1 leave no room for doubt that “the Word” is Jesus. John 1:9-10 refers to Jesus as the true Light: “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” John (known as Jesus’ beloved disciple) also uses “the Word” again in v. 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Furthermore, John 1:29-30 recounts the day John the Baptist baptized Jesus:

“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”

The phrase “for He existed before me” is significant because in the birth narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus, John is physically born first (Luke 1:36). Therefore, John the Baptist was referring to a different kind of existence: an eternal one. In John 8:53-58, Jesus Himself alludes to His eternal nature when speaking to the Jews:

“53 ‘Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?’ 54 Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ 57 So the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ 58Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”[3]

Every time I read this passage I feel a sense of awe at Jesus’ declaration. R.C. Sproul presents a thought-provoking argument for the meaning behind “I am”: “In John’s gospel, Jesus makes a number of ‘I am’ statements: ‘I am the bread of life’ (6:48), ‘I am the door’ (10:7), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life’ (14:6), and others. In each of these statements, the wording in the Greek New Testament for ‘I am’ is ego eimi. These Greek words also happen to be the words with which the essential name of God, Yahweh, is translated from the Hebrew. Jesus, then, by using this construction for Himself, is equating Himself with God.”[4]

With all the evidence that declares that Jesus existed with God and was God at the beginning of all things, and everything was created through Him, why do we only talk about Him as if He first showed up at the virgin birth? Does He show up elsewhere in Scripture outside of prophecy?

No One Has Seen God

Before we can answer that question, there is another important topic to discuss: the declaration that no one has seen God. Well, the Father that is. But why is this important? Because there are many passages that seem to say that so-and-so saw the face of God, which we usually interpret to mean God the Father. Yet, there are other passages which declare that no one has seen God. It all seems strange, but have no fear! Since Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), and therefore NOT contradictory, we only have to do some biblical research and put the puzzle pieces together.

First, let’s examine two Old Testament passages: Exodus 33:9-11; 17-23 and Judges 13.

After the Golden Calf debauchery in Exodus 32, the LORD becomes quite angry with Israel. Exodus 33 illustrates His anger and Moses’ intercession on Israel’s behalf. Verses 9-11 offer context and insight into Moses and God’s relationship,

“9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

If we had no other context for v. 11, we might assume that it is possible to see the Father’s face. However, the LORD Himself provides clarification in vv. 17-23 after Moses pleads for Israel:

“17 The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.’ 18 Then Moses said, ‘I pray You, show me Your glory!’ 19 And He said, ‘I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.’ 20 But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!’ 21 Then the Lord said, ‘Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.’”

Based on these verses, it seems reasonable that v. 11 has another meaning, possibly that the LORD speaks with familiarity to Moses as a man speaks to his friend. As Scripture indicates, very few people had the same intimacy with God as Moses did.

Let’s look at our second passage. In Judges 13, the angel of the LORD appears to Manoah’s wife, telling her she will have a son. The woman describes the angel of the LORD in v.6,

“A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.”

Manoah prays for the man of God to appear to them again, and the LORD answers his request. Manoah says in v. 11, “‘Are you the man who spoke to the woman?’ And he said, ‘I am.’” He then wishes to prepare a young goat for the angel of the LORD, but the angel of the LORD advises Manoah to prepare a burnt offering to the LORD instead “For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD” (v. 16). Verses 17-23 shed light on who the angel of the LORD is and how the people understood His significance:

“17 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?’ 18 But the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?’ 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. 22 So Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time.”

This is one of many passages where the angel of the LORD physically appears to people, and there seems to be clear face-to-face interaction. It’s not until a miraculous sign occurs that the people realize that they have spoken with the angel of the LORD. Once they realize it, they declare that they have seen God. But how can this be?

Let’s look at some New Testament passages. John 1:18 (and reiterated in 1 John 4:12 by the same author) blatantly declares, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Jesus Himself proclaims the same truth in John 6:45-46, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” The connection in both of these passages is that no one has seen the Father—a more specific term than “God”— except the Son. If we know that Jesus existed when the earth was created and that there are references in Scripture to people claiming to see God, then could it be that people were actually seeing and interacting with the Son of God in some cases?

It’s time to put the puzzle pieces together that we have gathered so far:

First, based on information from the introductory post, we know that there is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We, as humans created in the image of God, are representatives of how the Trinity functions since we are body (physical like the Son), soul (which is spirit like the Father), and spirit (also spirit like the Holy Spirit).

Second, based on John 1:1 and other passages discussed in this post, we know that Jesus was with God in the beginning and played a role in creation. This further solidifies Trinitarian ideas.

Third, based on how we were created and our knowledge that Jesus came as a physical being, we know that Jesus is physical whereas the Father and the Holy Spirit are spiritual.

Fourth, based on OT and NT passages discussed in this post, we know from the Father and Jesus’ own mouths that no one has seen God. Jesus clarifies that no one has seen the Father. We also know that Jesus is God based on John 1:1 (and other passages- some to be discussed in future posts), and that even though no one has seen the Father, they have seen the Son.

Therefore, because people have seen Jesus face to face, and He has the authority of God (since He is God), it is reasonable to suggest that He is the angel of the LORD in the OT Scriptures and is sometimes depicted as the LORD (e.g., Gen. 18) when speaking to someone (like Abraham). This would explain why people hold the angel of the LORD with reverence and fear Him once they understand who He is, yet at the same time, they do not die because they are not looking upon the Father but the Son. This further demonstrates God’s love for us that even after witnessing all the wickedness humanity has wreaked on the earth, He still came to live among us and suffer as we suffer for the sake of our eternal fate.

 What Next?

All of this information is surely a lot to compute, and there’s so much more to discuss. If you are interested in this topic, I highly encourage you to go on a Bible search site, like biblegateway.com, and research “angel of the LORD.” Read those passages and consider that Jesus is the one intervening on the Father’s behalf. I plan to expound upon some of those passages in upcoming posts to make the aforementioned points more clear. As mentioned in my introductory post, please feel free to leave comments or questions. I would love to hear from you!

Also, to all those who are fathers or soon-to-be fathers, have a Happy Father’s Day!

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

 

Footnotes

[1] Bold print added for emphasis.

[2] Robert Baker Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament: Their Bearing on Christian Doctrine. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1998), 22–23. Bold print added for emphasis.

[3] Any italicized words in Scripture passages are from the NASB translation. These are words that are inserted for clarification and are not part of the original text. I add the bold print to emphasize my points in this post.

[4] R. C. Sproul, What Is the Trinity? , vol. 10, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2011), 22.

Trinity Series- Part 1: What Does “Trinity” Mean?

Introduction

Trinity. This is a word/concept that many of us have heard before, but what do we really understand about it? Do we conceive its significance not only in the Word of God but in our lives? The word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture; however, it is a term first used in the second century to describe who God is based on Scriptural evidence. Throughout the last two thousand years there have been numerous theories and doctrines offered by historical church figures who have sought to define or clarify the concept of the Trinity. Some of these doctrines have become foundational beliefs in the church. One example is the Nicene Creed, established in 325 A.D. to combat Arianism, a doctrine that denied the divinity of Jesus:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance [ousias] of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance [homoousion] with the Father, through whom all things came to be, those things that are in heaven and those things that are on earth, who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and was made man, suffered, rose the third day, ascended into the heavens, and will come to judge the living and the dead.[1]

While we could explore the plethora of arguments and historical documents related to this topic, it is my opinion that the best source to use is Scripture itself. Over the last few weeks, I have been encouraged, challenged, and amazed while spending time in the Word to understand the Trinity more fully. God has truly given us all we need to know if we are willing to ask Him and take the time to dig into His truth. Since there are numerous passages that are worth discussing in regard to the Trinity, I will be writing a mini-series on the topic. While focusing on Scripture, I will also incorporate biblical research that offers insight on the original languages and cultural background. Illumination on these subjects helps to establish a clearer picture of the biblical audience and the intended message. As the first part of the Trinity series, this post aims to unpack the basic idea of “Trinity” and what it means to be made in the image of God.

In the Beginning

As we open our Bibles to the first book, Genesis, we are confronted with a magnificent picture and puzzling language: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). In this context, the word for God in Hebrew is “Elohim,” which is actually plural in form. While some scholars argue that the plural form of God, which is found throughout Scripture, is in reference to the greatness “of majesty or completeness” of God, others conclude that this plurality gives credence to the Trinity.[2] As explained in the New Bible Dictionary, “Three affirmations are central to the historic doctrine of the Trinity: 1. there is but one God; 2. the Father, the Son and the Spirit is each fully and eternally God; 3. the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is each a distinct person.”[3] While the term “Elohim” may leave some in doubt of a Trinitarian concept of God, the language used in Genesis 1:26-27 provides further evidence of the Trinity: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”[4] The plurality of the verb “make” and the plural pronouns are unmistakable, thus providing support for the Trinity.[5] But what does it mean to be made in the image of God (Trinity)?

Being Made in the Image of God

There is no denying that people have questioned how God can be three persons yet one God. Muslims declare that the Christian belief in the Trinity is to believe in a plurality of gods, and I’m sure others have come to the same conclusion. However, to understand how the Trinity works, we must look at how we were created.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a body (σῶμα; 1 Cor. 12:12), but that’s only part of who I am. I also have a spirit (πνεῦμα; Matt.5:3; 26:41; Heb. 4:12). This is my personality, the essence of Lauren, if you will. But even with a body and spirit, I am not whole. I also have a soul (ψυχή; Matt. 10:28; 16:26; Heb. 4:12), the part of me that will live eternally. I cannot touch my spirit or my soul, but they are always real and present. Without them, I would not be me nor would I live eternally since the body decays and ceases to exist. With this in mind, I could argue that I am three persons in one, completely unified yet each part is distinct.[6] I believe this is a simple yet powerful explanation of what being made in the image of the Trinity means, and it helps us to see how the Trinity is possible. Scripture explains to us the distinct roles of each Person of the Trinity and also how God Himself is the very representation of unity. The following is a very basic outline of the roles of the Trinity which will be explored in future posts: God the Father is spirit, unseen except by the Son (John 1:18; 6:46), who is Creator and Judge over all creation. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, physical in form, who is seen in both Old and New Testament writings. He is also involved in creation and is the Mediator, the High Priest, between us and the Father (Heb. 8:1-6). The Holy Spirit, also present in both Old and New Testament writings, is the power of God. He is the Guide and Counselor (John 16:5-15) who dwells within the followers of God as a seal of their eternal salvation.

Searching the Scriptures

While there is much more to be written on this topic—coming soon—I want to leave you with this challenge: Search the Scriptures. If you truly want to know God more, seek Him. Ask Him questions and read His Word for answers. Too often we go to self-help books or books written by famous Christians to find what we’re looking for. I was one of those people who bought book after book explaining this and that. But in truth, nothing compares to reading His Word. I also want to encourage you to read a translation that doesn’t try to use relevant language. In other words, do not pick translations that rewrite passages with American/Western cultural pictures or language (especially do NOT use The Message paraphrase). I prefer using the New American Standard translation because it is one of the closest translations to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages, although I’m not saying that this is the only translation to use. Another challenge I offer is to read through the chapter and verse breaks. Chapters and verses were added to Scripture for ease of reading and research, but these are not in the original texts. I recommend reading through an entire book in one sitting, if possible (I know this is difficult for OT books). It is amazing what reading Scripture in context (see Cutting the Context), rather than pulling out a verse here and there, will reveal!

As I prepare for the next part in the Trinity series, please feel free to ask questions in the comments section. I will do my best to incorporate answers in future posts. I look forward to searching the Scriptures with you over these next few weeks! God Bless 🙂

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

 

Footnotes

[1] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 420–421.

[2] Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology (Los Angeles, CA: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983), 63.

[3] M. Turner and G McFarlane, “Trinity,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 1209.

[4] Bold print added for emphasis.

[5] Even though Gen.1:27 switches to the pronoun “He” (singular) instead of “Us”(plural), The NET Bible First Edition Notes explains that “The third person suffix on the particle אֵת (’et) is singular here, but collective.” While “He” is singular in form, it is collective in meaning. Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ge 1:27.

[6] Also mentioned in my post “Once Saved, Always Saved?” is that humans are uniquely created with free will, thus we have the ability to choose where our soul will eternally live.