Faithfulness

“Jesus said…” (Repost)

I originally wrote this post 10 years ago, and as I read it again it became obvious that the message is even more pertinent for today’s church. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells a parable about a widow beseeching an unrighteous judge for legal protection from her opponent. She persisted in her petition, and the unrighteous finally granted her request. Jesus says to His disciples in v. 8, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” That question is often overlooked, but it’s meant to be taken seriously. Will Jesus find His bride faithful when He returns, or will we be reminiscent of the world? It’s time for repentance and change in the body of Christ.

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The Supreme Court’s decision regarding gay marriage shouldn’t have been as shocking for Christians as it seems to have been. Why should we be surprised when the world acts like the world? What has bothered me this week is not so much the gay marriage ruling but the number of various biblical interpretations thrown out there with the postmodern attitude: “All interpretations are right and justified.” It’s the mindset that interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, and that’s OK. I’m not talking about unbelievers who use Scripture against Christians. I don’t put any stock into what they say because a person cannot understand the Scriptures without the Spirit. How can I say that, you may ask? Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 2 (NASB):

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,

‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Bold print added for emphasis)

An unbeliever may seem knowledgeable about spiritual matters and talk about Scripture all day long, but unless he or she has the Spirit, his or her words are meaningless.

Back to my original point, what has bothered me are various interpretations given by people who claim to be Christians. How can people who claim to have the same Spirit (which people are indeed doing if they call themselves Christians) proclaim opposing biblical interpretations and divide the church even further? Is the Spirit of God divided or confused? Of course not! So the only answer is that there’s something wrong with the church.

I read an article the other day called “I’m gay, liberal, open-minded–and a convert to Christianity.” I read the article not because I thought I’d agree with the author, but I was more curious about how he was going to justify his choices. The content made my blood boil. Here’s a few excerpts from Jonathan Elliott (author) with bold print for emphasis:

“But last October, I – a 33-year-old, progressive, openly gay man who spent much of my twenties as a crusading atheist and curious agnostic – was baptized and confirmed in the church. I’m unafraid to proclaim myself a disciple of Jesus Christ.” – He is open about his homosexuality and his proclaimed Christianity. The church has placed its stamp of approval upon him.

“I’m still the person I was before I became a Christian, and a baptism isn’t a brainwashing. This change in my life didn’t turn me into a raging nutball – at least, I’m no more of one than I ever was.” – So are other Christians transformed into raging nutballs? Supposedly accepting Christ and being baptized didn’t change him. There’s apparently no need for change. How many of you Christians would say that you are the same person before coming to Christ and have had no conviction to change or repent?

He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010: “I joined a support group for other newly diagnosed folks, and the therapy involved with this was rooted in a belief in a higher power. Initially, I resisted wholeheartedly. I’d been raised without any faith experience, and to even open up to the possibilities of God was a frightening and conflict-ridden concept. But ongoing discussions with this group made me realize that I was angry at what had happened to me – specifically, angry at God. And that meant I believed.” – It’s not until he feels angry towards God that he believes. OK, so even if this is how someone starts believing in God, you would think that there would be some sort of interest in learning more about Him, right?

“I spent the next two years bouncing back and forth between nearly 20 congregations of different denominations, serial first dates with church communities. And while I often found comfort and positivity, none felt like home. Sometimes I’d engage a pastor during the post-service coffee hour and find a bit of theology I couldn’t agree with; other times, I didn’t feel wholly welcomed.” – Searching for the right theology, which is…?

“Then, in 2013, I took a job as communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.” [Elliott] “found that the church had the openness, diversity and the clear sense of tradition I sought. It was also strongly inclusive of the LGBTQ community, and welcomed both women and men as clergy members.” – Not sure what the “tradition” part means for him, but it seems that he found a place which supported his lifestyle. He didn’t have to change.

“Our priest preaches sermons that incorporate everything from transgender rights to the theological leanings of Dr. Who.” – What? And how is this preaching exactly?

“And though the fundamentalists scream loudest, there are progressive and inclusive new forms of church springing up around the country, like Capital City Church in DC. Christian businesses like Elevation Burger use faith as part of their culture to inform great products and practices, without aspersions or judgment (take that, Hobby Lobby and Chik-Fil-A).” – Again, welcoming division within the so-called church.

“I acknowledge that Christianity is often countermanded and corrupted for heinous and spiteful things. But I refuse to accept that as the status quo. At the end of the day, I’m a Christian because faith, and our openness to God and to one another, make us stronger and more willing to engage the world as it unfolds and changes around us.”

Not once is Christ mentioned. There is no talk of salvation or Scripture. But the concepts of openness and finding the right fit rise to the surface. There’s no need to change; just be open to God and one another. How is this Scriptural? Does this not bother anyone else? Either the world hears (supposed) condemnation from the church or full acceptance of behavior, which is more politically correct. How has the church arrived to this point? I believe the issue tends to derive from biblical interpretation and the church’s unwillingness to distinguish good from bad fruit.

When discussing biblical interpretation for modern issues, a number of arguments start with “Jesus is in the New Testament, and He says…” Somehow the Old Testament gets tossed aside or is spoken of as barbaric. What most people forget or have not realized is that Jesus is still under the old covenant before His death and resurrection. Sure, someone wrote up a page that said “New Testament” and placed it before the Gospels, but it’s not until after Jesus dies and resurrects that the new covenant begins. A covenant cannot be established unless blood is spilled, and in this case, Christ’s blood (Heb. 9:13-18). So when people try to argue that Jesus is changing the Law with His teachings, they argue in ignorance. How can He uphold the Law and change it at the same time? What is more, why would He violate His own character since God does not change? There is either a lack of understanding or the unbelief that Jesus is God. John testifies to Jesus’ beginning with God (John 1). Jesus Himself testifies that He was before Abraham (John 8:58), and declares in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Since Jesus is God, why would He oppose His own instructions?

As I’ve argued before, would not Christ, who has always been with and part of the Father, understand the Law perfectly? Would not, then, His teachings reflect the intended motivations behind the Law rather than change the Law itself? It is true that we (Christians) are no longer bound by the Law since Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, yet Jesus makes it clear that the Law is not abolished even now: “Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.“ If the Law is the tutor which leads us to Christ (Gal. 5:23); if the Law and the Prophets are witnesses to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-22); if Jesus is One with the Lawgiver; and if He is under the Law while He teaches, how is it Christians argue that Jesus opposes the Law?

Many people want to see Jesus as a social justice campaigner, reaching out to the lowest of the low because they’re oppressed. They declare that He changed the role of women. That He simply loved people for who they were no matter what. That He condemned the rich men. Well, if that’s the case I must be reading a different gospel. Because I see Jesus as the holy Son of God who spoke to the self-righteous, rich, and lowly alike. He ate with and taught all of them. Many of the self-righteous, like the Pharisees, ridiculed Him and sought His death. They should have known the truth and taught the sheep, but instead they acted like wolves. Their own arrogance and desire for power and riches from the world drove them away from the Messiah they were supposedly waiting for. Some rich people, Jew and Gentile alike, sought Jesus for wisdom, truth, and healing, and those who had faith received what they asked for. For others, the cost of following Jesus was too high. Jesus interacted with the lowly and outcasts because they didn’t know the truth. They were sheep without a shepherd, the lost and spiritually sick. Those who were supposed to teach them had no understanding even with all of their knowledge, who burdened them with their own additions to the Law and man-made traditions. So Jesus taught them, and many came to believe in Him. And despite what many people are spouting nowadays, they changed because of the truth they came to know.

Zaccheus (a rich, tax collector) no longer stole from people, but gave half of his possessions to the poor and vowed to return four-fold to those he defrauded (all of this given from his heart, not compulsion). Mary Magdalene was no longer possessed by demons but served the Lord (some scholars propose that she is also the sinful woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair in Luke 7:36-50; John 11:2 seems to support this). Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery to “Go and sin no more.” He also told that to others whom He healed. The power of God was manifested so that they would believe, but they were instructed to no longer live in sin. Many of Jesus’ disciples who heard the teaching, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56),” decided to turn away from following Jesus. Scripture explains they left because of their unbelief (John 6:53-66). Jesus came to bring life to anyone who would heed His words of truth and follow the Father’s will. Salvation is a gift for all, poor and rich, Jew and Gentile alike. This is what Paul means when he writes, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:27-29). Anyone who claims this to be about social justice or equality is a fool. Such a person takes this teaching out of context which is talking about faith. Any of us who have made the commitment to follow Christ and carry out this commitment are one in Him. We are the body of Christ with each member serving its own God-given purpose so that the body may function properly.

Anyone who says that no change is necessary as a Christian is a liar and not a believer. This goes beyond the discussion of homosexuality. It’s about all sin. If I’m aware of sin in my life, and I do not repent and change, I remain in sin before God. If Israel received wrath from God while He continued to fulfill His promises to them (Psalm 78; 1 Cor. 10), do we think that we would not incur similar judgment if we remain in sin? Paul writes in Romans 6:1-7,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

He continues in vv. 11-18,

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

If there are people who claim Christ but don’t acknowledge sin, they do not speak the truth. For what is the purpose of coming to Christ if we don’t believe we need to be saved from our sinful ways? If we believe we live rightly before God, why (as in Jonathan Elliott’s case) would we seek God since there should be no fear of eternal judgment?

Here’s another word from Paul regarding so-called believers who choose to continue in their sin: “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one. 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” (1 Cor. 5:11-13). Paul’s not talking about unbelievers who are coming to the church to learn about God. He’s talking about people proclaiming to be Christians but continuing in sin without repentance. It is the church’s job to rid itself of people who profane Christ’s name by choosing to live wickedly (knowingly).

Jesus says to His disciples,

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the world that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” John 15:18-24

He continues His teaching by talking about the Spirit to come (Whom we now have as believers):

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16:7-15

We either follow the teaching of the world or the teaching from the Spirit. If we proclaim to be Christ followers we should no longer live according to the world’s sense of morality (if it has one). If we are one body in Christ our understanding of truth must be the same. We may disagree on music styles or small church vs. big church (the petty things we fight over; read Romans 14), but the essentials should be the same. How we understand sin should be the same. Do we want Christ to see us as a bride defiled by the world, or a pure, spotless bride?

When we encounter the lost our hope should be that they want to change to be more like Christ. How can we remain the same when we’ve been given so great a salvation? Is not His abundant mercy and grace reason enough for us to fall on our faces and repent because of our own wickedness? “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Romans 5:6-9).” If we know that there is wrath to come for those who do not believe (who are slaves to sin), why do we think that this wrath will not come upon us if we ignore sin, whether our own or that within the church? Is this not taking advantage of God’s grace, thereby slapping Him in the face?

The gospel of Christ will offend those who desire to be part of the world, but for those who seek new life, it is freedom from sin. It is eternal life. It is hope. We should not be ashamed of the gospel and fall in line with the world. If we follow the world then we are worse than unbelievers because we know the truth and turn away from it. Instead, may we serve God with the same Spirit, with the same understanding of truth.

Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” ~ John 14:6

 © Lauren Demuth

Having a Heart Like David

King David is remembered for many things such as killing Goliath, contesting with Saul, taking Bathsheba and murdering her husband, and winning wars. But above all else, David was a man after God’s own heart as Paul attests in Acts 13:22 where he proclaims in the synagogue, “After He (God) had removed him (Saul), He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all my will’” (see 1 Samuel 13:14). What made David a man after God’s heart wasn’t that he was perfect. He made some costly mistakes as humans do, but David was contrite before the Lord. There was not a king like him in all of Israel, and the Lord chose for the Messiah to come through his lineage.

While the world tries to sensationalize David’s life through TV shows and false drama, his life really was sensational in its own right. The Old Testament is full of amazing history that demonstrates God’s character, love, power, and righteousness in a fallen world. The world expects great leaders to come from noble families and for those leaders to have obvious outward appeal. Even the prophet Samuel expected this when he was commanded by God to anoint a son of Jesse as a new king in place of Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. When Samuel saw Eliab, David’s older brother, he thought that Lord was going to anoint him because of his stature, but God said to Samuel, “’Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Sam. 16:7). How often we look at the outward appearance and expect great things only to be misled or disappointed by the truth that lies beneath. But thankfully, we serve a God that sees the character and soul rather than the outward appearance. David wasn’t even present when Samuel met with Jesse and his oldest sons; rather, he was the youngest son tending sheep (1 Sam. 16:11). It is a pattern in Scripture that God chooses the younger son above the expected firstborn to do great things in His name (ex: Seth, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon). Imagine what that must have been like to be the youngest son, coming in from the field after being with sheep, and standing before your family to be anointed as the king of Israel. One would expect David to be smug or assume his kingship right away, but that is not the case. “The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward” as it says in 1 Samuel 16:13, but David continued to be a shepherd for his father. He did not get ahead of God’s timing, but God worked to bring David to the forefront.

When the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, an evil spirit was terrorizing him so his servants said that someone who was skilled in playing the harp would help soothe him. So when Saul commanded for them to find someone with this skill, one of the servants knew about David who was not only a skilled musician but was also “a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him” (1 Sam. 16:18). David’s character spoke for itself, and God brought him before the king where he not only played for Saul but became his armor bearer (1 Sam. 16:21). Again, David did not usurp Saul but followed the Lord’s direction. Although David served Saul, he also traveled back and forth to help his father tend the flocks (1 Sam. 17:15). When David’s oldest three brothers went to battle with Saul against the Philistines, Jesse sent David to his brothers with rations and to check on their welfare (1 Sam. 17:17-18). At this point the Israelites had been standing off with the Philistines for 40 days, listening to the taunting of Goliath who challenged Israel to send a man to fight him. While all Israel was afraid, David stood courageous and told Saul that he would fight Goliath. David was not being proud, but rather, he knew that whoever would defy the LORD God would be defeated. He shares with Saul that he has defeated both lion and bear when defending his flock, and he will kill Goliath “since he has taunted the armies of the living God” (1 Sam. 17:36). This story gives me chills every time I read it because David’s faith and devotion to the LORD radiate off the page. It’s not only David’s fate that weighs in the balance but the entire fate of the nation of Israel. Yet in David’s heart, there is no outcome but victory because he knows the LORD God is on his side. What he says to Goliath is so powerful because it was not just for the Philistines to hear, but for Israel as well:

“You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

David gave all credit and glory to God because he knew that Israel belonged to the LORD, and now the rest of the world, including Israel, would know it. With a sling and stone, David killed Goliath and cut of his head with Goliath’s own sword. From that day forward, David stayed with Saul and his son Jonathan (1 Sam. 17:49-18:2). Again, David was anointed to be king, but he was obedient to Saul and served him wherever he was sent. God blessed David who prospered and won the hearts of the people to the point where they sang that “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). This saying marked the turning point of Saul’s love for David as Scripture says that “Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on” (1 Sam. 18:9). Saul even tried to kill David while David was playing music for him, but David escaped. Saul knew that the LORD had departed from him and was with David so he made him a commander of a thousand where David prospered all the more (1 Sam. 18:10-14). Even when Saul plotted against him in David’s marriage to his daughter Michal, the LORD allowed David to succeed and Saul’s daughter loved David, thus making Saul more afraid. Throughout the rest of 1 Samuel, Saul continues to seek David’s life while David lives for awhile on the run from Saul along with many mighty men who remain loyal to David. As we read in the Psalms written by David, he had inner turmoil during this time, but he always came back to his devotion and faith in God. Even when David had the opportunity to kill Saul and assume his rightful place as king, he did not kill him, saying to his men who encouraged him to seize the opportunity, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord (Saul), the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Sam. 24:6). David was a mighty man of God not only in faith but in physical prowess, yet he did not consider himself to be above God but gave vengeance over to the LORD. When Saul realized that David could have killed him, he stated in front of all David’s men and his own, “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household” (1 Sam. 24:20-21). As future king, David could have wiped out Saul’s family, but he makes a covenant with Saul that he would not destroy his name or his family. David also spares Saul’s life again as recorded in 1 Samuel 26 even while knowing that Saul will not give up trying to kill him. While David seeks refuge with the Philistines, Saul seeks a medium, rather than the LORD, to find out what he should do in regards to the Philistine army. This becomes the last act of Saul before his downfall in the battle against the Philistines. Saul’s disobedience led to his death whereas David’s obedience led to a kingship that reigns forever in Jesus Christ.

What we learn about David before he was anointed king before Israel was that he was humble, devoted to the LORD since his youth, and while he was capable of defeating predators and giants, he sought the LORD to win every battle rather than relying on his own physical strength and wisdom. David passed all the tests thrown at him before being established as king. Who would he become as the king of Israel?

In learning of Saul’s death, David didn’t do what the world would expect. He didn’t celebrate the death of Saul, but he mourned him and chanted a lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, with whom David made a covenant in his youth. David even killed a man who claimed to kill Saul at Saul’s request, thinking that he would win favor with David (2 Sam. 6-16). Rather, before killing him, David said to the man, “’How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?’” (2 Sam. 6:14). David took no pleasure in Saul’s death even though Saul pursued David incessantly in order to kill him. David entered his kingship with a heart turned to the LORD, and he was anointed king over the tribe of Judah in Hebron (2 Sam. 2:1-4). During this time, Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, made Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over the rest of Israel (2 Sam. 2:8). David prospered in Hebron with more wives and children while Saul’s family weakened.  Eventually Ish-bosheth was murdered by his servants who brought his head to David thinking they would gain favor. Yet, like before, David viewed Ish-bosheth as anointed by the LORD and even called him “a righteous man” before killing the servants for their wickedness (2 Sam. 4:5-12). Again, David didn’t take matters into his own hands concerning Saul’s family but let the LORD handle it. All of Israel then made David king saying, “’Behold, we are your bone and flesh. Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel’” (2 Sam. 3:1-2). The youth who was shepherd for his father’s flock, who protected them from the bear and the lion, became the shepherd of Israel, protecting his people and leading them to safety and security in the LORD.

In 2 Samuel 7, the LORD reestablishes his covenant with David after David seeks to build a temple for the LORD. Rather than David building a house for the LORD, the LORD declares that He will build David’s house saying, “’Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever’” (2 Sam. 7:16). Regarding a house built for Him, the LORD says, “’When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-13). This promise is fulfilled through Solomon who builds the temple with the supplies that David prepared for him. Even after all that David has been blessed with, he continues to remain humble before God saying,

“’Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord God. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.’” 1 Samuel 7:18-21

After this, David continued to have great success in every battle, but he was about to be tested at home. 2 Samuel 11 conveys the account that when David should have been out to battle in the spring, he decided to stay in Jerusalem. David was on the roof of his house one evening, and he saw a woman bathing. He was attracted to her and asked who she was. Even though he learned that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s mighty men, he decided to take her and lay with her (vv. 2-4). When Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, David tried to cover up the situation by inviting Uriah back to Jerusalem under the false pretense of inquiring about the state of the war in hopes that Uriah would go home and have relations with Bathsheba. However, Uriah was so faithful and loyal that he didn’t think it appropriate to take liberties while the rest of the men were fighting and sleeping in tents (vv.6-13). Seeing that his plan didn’t work and making matters worse, David wrote a letter to Joab, the army’s commander, to place Uriah where the fighting was intense and withdraw from him so that he would die (vv.14-15). Unbeknownst to the contents, Uriah delivered his own death sentence, which was carried out. When news came back to David, he waited until Bathsheba’s mourning was over and then took her into his home to be his wife where she bore him a son. Scripture clearly states that “the thing David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD” (v. 27). Despite what some preachers and teachers may try to argue, the LORD God does not tolerate any sin, and David’s actions not only fall on him but his whole family.

The LORD sends Nathan the prophet to share a message with David, but instead of telling David about his sin directly, he uses a parable. Nathan shares about a rich man who had many flocks and herds and a poor man who had one lamb that he cherished and was part of his family. A traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man didn’t want to provide for him out of his own flocks so he took the poor man’s precious lamb and prepared it for the traveler (2 Sam. 12:1-4). When David heard the story, he was so incensed that he proclaimed that the man must die for his actions, and that “He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion” (vv. 5-6). Then Nathan declares to David, “You are the man!” (v. 7). The Lord declares that He gave David so much, including Saul’s house and wives as well as all Israel, and He would have given him more (v. 8). He continues,

“’Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’” 2 Samuel 12:9-12

Upon hearing the word of the LORD, David confessed his sin before God, and the LORD says through Nathan, “’The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die’” (vv. 13-14). What is so powerful about the message in verse 13 is that before David made any sacrifices to God because of his sin (as required by the Law), the LORD had already forgiven David after his confession. Psalm 51, written by David, demonstrates his contrition before the LORD in regards to his sin of adultery and murder. Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Yet even though he receives forgiveness, there are still consequences for his sin, which he and his family pay dearly. First, David’s son dies as the LORD told him would happen. Before his child’s death, David fasted, prayed and lay on the ground for six days in hope that the LORD would change His mind and allow his child to live (2 Sam. 12:15-19; 22). But when the child died on the seventh day, “David washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate” (v. 20). David didn’t act out of anger towards God for his son’s death, but rather he sought Him first and worshipped the LORD. He accepted God’s punishment because He is a just and righteous God. When David comforted Bathsheba and lay with her, she bore another son to David who was Solomon, and the LORD renamed him Jedidiah, “beloved of the LORD” (v. 25). While David was blessed with another son, who would one day be ruler of Israel as proclaimed by the LORD, the troubles in David’s family were only beginning.

In 2 Samuel 13, Amnon, a son of David, was in love with his half-sister Tamar. Instead of approaching her respectfully and asking David for her to be his wife, he took her by force bringing shame upon her and causing a family feud that ended in death and betrayal. Tamar’s brother Absalom was enraged by Amnon’s actions, and although David was angry, he didn’t punish Amnon. Absalom waited two years to seek his revenge, and he had his servants kill Amnon because of what he did to Tamar (vv. 28-29). Absalom fled for three years and even though David mourned for Absalom and wanted to go to him, he wouldn’t. Joab was able to help David see his error and convinced him to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 14:1-21); however, David would not see his son for two years. When Absalom finally came into the presence of the king, he conspired against his father by winning the heart of the people and staging a coup, making it appear that the people of Jerusalem made Absalom king in Hebron (2 Sam. 15:1-12). When David heard it, he fled along with his household and 600 faithful men, leaving ten concubines behind to keep house (vv. 13-19). When Absalom returned to Jerusalem as proclaimed king, he listened to the counselor Ahithophel’s advice and openly lay with the ten concubines left behind in order to show the people that he had become odious to his father (2 Sam. 16:20-23), thus fulfilling the LORD’s words spoken through Nathan to David. Yet the LORD was with David, and He provided another counselor that would thwart Absalom’s efforts by convincing him that Absalom himself should go out to battle against his father and his men (2 Sam. 17:7-14). Even though David charges his men not to kill Absalom, Joab ignores this instruction and kills Absalom while he is hanging from a tree (2 Sam. 18:9-17). When David hears of his son’s death, he mourns for him rather than celebrating that his men had won the battle, but Joab rebukes the king saying that he has brought shame upon his servants and family “by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you” (2 Sam. 19:5-6). David had a weak spot for his family, and particularly for his children. As king, he was responsible for putting the good of the kingdom above all else, but as one can imagine, David must have felt guilty for what was happening in his family, knowing that the consequence of his sin was the cause of family strife as foretold by the LORD.

After the incident with Absalom, David was restored as king and won more battles in the name of the LORD. But another sin that displeased the LORD was that David instructed Joab to number the people of Judah and Israel (2 Sam. 24 and 1 Chronicles 21). The account in 1 Chronicles explains that “Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1). Joab knew that this command was not right so he did not number Levi and Benjamin with the rest of Israel (1 Chron. 21:6). God struck Israel because of the census, and David confessed his sin; therefore, the LORD gave David three options to choose from as a consequence. David chose three days of the sword of the LORD, including pestilence, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout Israel. The result was the death of 70,000 men so David beseeched the LORD for His reprieve, asking for the consequence to fall on him and his household and not the people of Israel. The angel of the LORD stopped, and David was instructed to build and altar and offer sacrifices to the LORD. The LORD responded and ended the suffering in Israel. While David was a righteous man after God’s own heart, he still faced temptation, even by Satan himself. No one is impervious to the temptations of this world, but what matters is what we do when we fall into temptation. The consequences were grave for Israel, but had David not repented and sought the LORD, it could have been worse still. His mistakes and repentance are examples for us that we should inquire of the LORD first and to heed godly counsel when provided so that we don’t fall into sin. But when we do fall–and we all do–we should repent and make ourselves right before the LORD so that we and our family can be restored back to God.

In David’s final days, he didn’t rest as he could have, but made every effort to prepare supplies for the future temple of God that he knew his son would build. While some want to argue that Nathan and Bathsheba conspired to make Solomon king in 1 Kings 1 since Adonijah, David’s older son, sought the throne, 1 Chronicles 22:6-11 puts that theory to rest:

“Then he (David) called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you.’”

These words from the LORD were shared with David through Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 7, and the Chronicles account gives us more detail concerning what was said to David. Therefore, Solomon was always meant to be the next king of Israel, and he was destined to build a house for the LORD. This is further confirmed in 1 Chronicles 28:5-7 where David is speaking to the officials, princes, commanders, overseers, and mighty men of Israel: “Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’” Then David directs instructions to Solomon, summarizing what he has learned about the LORD and His dealings with humanity:

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10

David knew he couldn’t build the house himself, but he made every effort to make preparations and help his son. He also gave Solomon the plans for building the temple as well as the divisions of priests and Levites and the weights of the gold for utensils and constructed pieces, after which David said, “All this the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern” (v. 19). David shared all that was prepared and provided for building the temple, and then in front of all the people, He prayed a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the LORD, including the following words:

“Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.” 1 Chronicles 29:12-17

Although Scripture provides just a snapshot of the life of David, we can learn important truths from what the LORD has decided to share with us. Being a person after God’s own heart doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect. No one can be perfect and everyone sins. But as David did, we must begin with humility. While being anointed king, David remained a shepherd and let the LORD elevate him to his promised kingship. He placed himself under Saul’s direction and leadership until it was clear that Saul intended harm; yet even in those moments on the run, David sought the LORD and did not extend his hand against his enemy. Even when Saul died, David did not rejoice over his fate, but mourned him as the LORD’s anointed. When David committed sin, he repented and accepted the consequences for his sin, not straying from his allegiance and faithfulness to the LORD. He sought to raise up children dedicated to the LORD and did everything he could to prepare Solomon to fulfill his God-given task. His Psalms demonstrate a raw and open-hearted relationship with the LORD that always ended in rejoicing in the LORD because He is the all in all, Creator of heaven and earth, and the Rock of our salvation (Psalm 18). May we have a heart like David–repentant, dedicated, and worshipful before the LORD.

©Lauren Demuth

Worthy of Our Calling

As I continue to read through the New Testament, and especially in Paul’s letters, this particular phrase keeps popping up: “Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.” What does that mean? Let’s look at some verses (NASB translation) with this instruction:

Ephesians 4:1-3 – “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Philippians 1:27-28 – “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

Colossians 1:9-12 – “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 – “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 – “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord is so good to us that He doesn’t leave us wondering what “walking in a manner worthy of your calling” means. First, this command is given to the church as a whole. As the body of Christ we should be walking in a manner worthy of our calling in order to glorify God in this world. Second, it is also an individual command because as you read in each letter, not everyone is acting as a Christian should. Each Christian should examine oneself to see where his or her standing is with the Lord and make the changes needed to be worthy of the calling of being a believer in Christ. In each of these passages, Paul explains how we should live. Sometimes it’s easier for me to take it all in with a list so here’s a list based on what we’ve just read:

A Christian walks in a manner worthy of his or her calling by:

  • Demonstrating tolerance for those within the church in love, humility, gentleness and patience
  • Diligently preserving the unity of the Spirit in peace
  • Standing firm in one spirit with believers
  • Striving with other believers in one mind for the faith of the gospel
  • Trusting in God rather than being afraid of opponents of the gospel
  • Bearing fruit in every good work
  • Increasing in the knowledge of God and His will
  • Strengthened with God’s power to be able to attain steadfastness and patience
  • Joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be part of His kingdom
  • Accepting exhortation and encouragement from those with spiritual wisdom and discernment
  • Persevering in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Having faith in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Suffering for the gospel knowing that God will deliver retribution at Christ’s coming

We could easily add to this list with other passages from Scripture, but notice how all of these actions are important as a BODY of believers. The love we have for one another and how we treat one another should be a testament to the world. But if church looks like the world, what distinction is there? Are we willing to be set apart for God’s kingdom knowing that it may make us a target of suffering in one way or another? 1 Thessalonians 2:12 struck me where it says “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Not only are we called into a kingdom beyond anything we can imagine, but we are also called into God’s glory. The God who created all things with a word calls us to share that glory. The God who came down to a sinful world to save His people as only He could calls us to share that glory. The God who died and took every sin upon Himself as the perfect sacrifice calls us to share that glory. The God who raised Jesus Christ from the grave to give every person the opportunity to spend eternity with Him calls us to share that glory. It feels impossible to be worthy of such a calling. How can we be? And that’s just it. We can’t. On our own, we are unworthy. But the love and sacrifice of our amazing, incomparable God has MADE us worthy because HE IS WORTHY!!! What other god would give itself to meager people? What other god would allow those people to share its glory? NONE! That is why Yahweh is the Lord of lords and King of kings who created humanity–because of LOVE. He WANTS us to be with Him even after all we’ve done. Even after all the slander to His name. Even after all acts of disobedience and defiance. He is still worthy above it all. He is still glorified above it all. He is still love above it all. He is still forgiving above it all. He is still extending His hand above it all. But make no mistake, God is a jealous God who will not tolerate lukewarm devotion. We cannot love God and be friends with the world (James 4:4). If we say we’re willing to give it all, we need to mean it with our lives because He is worthy of it. And as Paul indicated in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, we want to be counted by God as worthy of our calling when Christ returns so that the name of Jesus will be glorified in us and us in Him. On that day, we will no longer be able to ask these questions: Did I diligently study God’s word of truth to know Him and understand His will? Did I treat brothers and sisters with all humility, gentleness, peace and love to build them up and be an example to the world? Did I persevere in faith in the midst of trials? Did I stand up for the Lord when everyone else around me fell silent? Did I put the Lord first above all else in my life?

Sometimes all of these questions and thoughts seem overwhelming. How can we ever achieve them? One thing that the Lord has reminded me lately is that He’s already overcome everything. Everything we have faced, are facing, or will ever face, the Lord has overcome it with His death and resurrection. He will return, and He will reign, and we will forever be with Him if we are faithful believers. What happens in our lives until then will either glorify God or not. We are not perfect so we will have difficult moments and failures and setbacks. But then instead of getting down on ourselves and getting stuck in a pit, we have the choice to ask, “How can I glorify the Lord in this?” In other words, we can choose to take the eyes off of ourselves and circumstances which is just a moment in time and focus on the God who is eternal.

Let’s encourage one another and exhort each other as the body of believers so that we can glorify the King of kings in a world that desperately needs to know and understand the love of our Savior. May we demonstrate that love to each other so that it overflows into every aspect of our lives, bringing others to the saving grace that God has given as a gift for them.

©Lauren Demuth

Would We Stand?

American Christians have experienced a number of cultural shifts over the past few years, but I think it’s safe to say that most of us have not had to endure religious persecution. We are relatively safe, for now. Our brothers and sisters around the world have not been as fortunate, although some say that they are thankful for what they have experienced. Their faith has remained firm, and their relationships with God have flourished. Without the details of their suffering I could smile and rejoice at their perseverance, and indeed, I do rejoice! They have stood up for Christ and are not ashamed of their scars! However, I’ve read what some have endured, and I couldn’t help but cry and pray. To go through even a fraction of what they’ve gone through would cause many to shatter and remain broken.

I think it’s important to know what’s been happening to our fellow believers in Christ. They deserve our love, encouragement, and prayers. In honor of their boldness in the faith, I would like to share a couple of testimonies from the recent Voice of the Martyrs newsletter:

“Danjuma Shakaru’s grave is still empty. Villagers had dug the 13-year-old boy’s final resting place after he was critically wounded during a Jan. 28 attack on their village. When they saw his mangled, lifeless body covered in blood, they fully expected him to die. But God had other plans.

Three months after the attack, Danjuma’s face is marked by horrendous scars where his right eye was carved out … and by a beaming smile.

Danjuma’s memories of the attack begin with the gunshots he heard at about 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. He remembers running for his life and then being confronted by some of the more than 1,000 Islamic insurgents who attacked his Christian village, burning homes and killing villagers who didn’t manage to escape. Although his memories of the attack are incomplete, one thing he’ll never forget is the pain caused by a machete slicing through the left side of his head.

The rest of the attack, by God’s grace, he doesn’t recall. ‘Then I found myself in this situation,’ he said. ‘I can’t remember how the story continues again.’

Danjuma can’t recall the attackers hacking at his left arm with a machete. He has no memory of them cutting out his right eye. And he doesn’t remember them cutting off his genitals.

Danjuma is among the thousands of Nigerians who have been brutalized in violent riots, bombings and village raids since 1999, when Islamists began their campaign to establish Islamic law and an Islamic territory in the north. The insurgency escalated in 2009 with the rise of the extremist group Boko Haram.

According to the research group Joshua Project, Christians make up nearly 51 percent of Nigeria’s 177 million people. More than 43 percent of the population is Muslim, while others practice one of several ethnic religions.

In spite of what he has suffered, Danjuma is certain that God is still in control. He has no anger toward his attackers. ‘There is no problem,’ he said. ‘I have allowed God to handle everything.’

Danjuma not only forgives his attackers but almost pities them for the condition of their hearts. ‘I forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing,’ he said, echoing the words of Christ. ‘If they had love, they wouldn’t behave that way.’

Following the attack, which left 23 villagers dead and 38 injured, survivors began to dig graves for those killed. Villagers had walked past Danjuma’s body and assumed he was dead, but later they heard him crying and shouting. He had somehow regained consciousness. They transported him and others with serious wounds to the nearest city, about 15 miles away.

‘They couldn’t believe that the boy would come back alive after all of this,’ said Hadila Adamu, a manager at the hospital where he was treated. ‘He bled so much. It is a miracle. That’s why he calls himself ‘Miracle.’’

Prior to the raid, Danjuma was a typical Nigerian boy. He lived with his mother, a widow, and enjoyed playing with friends. He often went on fishing trips with fishermen from the village. It was after one of these trips that the attack occurred.

While the attackers stole so much from Danjuma, they couldn’t take his joy. It is still evident on his face and in his voice. ‘The joy comes from the Lord,’ he said.

Danjuma said his relationship with God has only grown stronger since the attack. He continues to pray regularly and seek God’s guidance. ‘God continues to guide and protect,’ he said.

Danjuma’s life is much different now. A catheter extends from his lower abdomen, draining urine into a bag that he must carry as he walks. He is fully dependent on God, on his mother and on the care of others around him.

VOM is helping to ensure that Danjuma’s life is as whole as it can be, helping with medical costs and assisting his mother with this care. Danjuma asks VOM supporters to pray that his faith will continue to grow.

‘If they hear the story, they should pray for me – for my [broken heart] and that I have strength to serve the Lord,’ he said.

Danjuma hopes that any children who read his story will remember that Christ can get them through any trial.

‘If they find themselves in such a situation, they should embrace God,’ he said, still smiling. ‘They should believe that God who created us knows everything about us, so let’s be faithful and let’s be kind. The way I find myself today … God knows the reason I am supposed to be, so you should embrace God and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.’” (The Voice of the Martyrs, August 2015, p. 5)

~

“Sept. 11, 2014, began as a happy day for Mary Patrick. She and her older sister were walking to a wedding in a nearby village with the bride-to-be and the bride’s younger sister. But their lives, like those of many other young women in Nigeria, changed forever with the terrifying sound of yelling and gunfire.

Mary, who is 24 years old, quickly hid in a nearby house with the others when the Boko Haram attack began in Adamawa state, in northeastern Nigeria. They hid in the house for four days before being captured while trying to escape.

‘The only thing I was thinking when they took me is that I will die,’ Mary said. ‘I know they will kill me. I’m just praying to God everything that I do that is wrong, that the good Lord will forgive me.’

The horror that Mary faced during four months of captivity with Boko Haram became clear to VOM’s medical coordinator in Nigeria recently when he tried to buy her a meal.

‘I wanted to buy food for her and bought some meat,’ the VOM worker said. ‘She told me she couldn’t eat the meat. She said, ‘In the camp they used to eat human flesh, so every meat looks like human flesh.’’

Boko Haram’s nearly 6-year-old campaign to establish an Islamic territory in northern Nigeria has resulted in the slaughter of thousands of Christians, including a reported 10,000 people in 2014, and has forced more than 1.5 million people from their homes. The insurgent group also has kidnapped hundreds of young women like Mary, brainwashing them and using them for whatever purposes they desire.

Mary’s brainwashing began as soon as she arrived at the Boko Haram camp, in another part of Adamawa state. She quickly found herself behaving like the dozens of other young women in camp, some of whom were ‘Chibok girls.’ The April 2014 abductions of 276 girls from a school in Chibok, Borno state, brought international attention to Boko Haram’s practice of kidnapping and abusing young girls. Although some of the Chibok girls have managed to escape, 219 remain in captivity.

Mary said the more than 50 Chibok girls she met were among the most vicious prisoners she encountered. ‘The [Boko Haram] train women how to shoot, how to bomb,’ she said. ‘They even taught how to shot a gun, how to kill somebody, bomb places like churches, wood houses and schools.’

The women were told these attacks were the work of God. Mary even carried out an attack on her own church, but she said she tried to shoot away from people.

Boko Haram’s brutality scarred Mary deeply. She watched as they killed her older sister for disobeying orders to murder a man who had refused to renounce his Christian faith. She watched as her friend, abducted on her wedding day, and her friend’s younger sister were married off to Boko Haram commanders. And Mary was repeatedly raped during her time in captivity. ‘Sometimes five men at the same time,’ she said. ‘After this one, this one.’

As Mary was forced to recite verses from the Quran week after week and even was given a Muslim name, her Christian identity began to slip away.

‘I just forgot how to pray, how to read the Bible,’ she said. ‘When I was Boko Haram, the only thing is Muslim prayer.’

After four months, Mary saw an opportunity to escape. One night when the Boko Haram terrorists were drunk, she and an older woman fled into the bush.

The escape came just in time. Mary was days away from being forced to marry a man who had raped her several times and had killed her sister.

When Mary made it home, she learned that her father had died of a heart attack following the abduction of his daughters. She is now the only living member of her family.

The VOM medical coordinator’s family has welcomed Mary into their home to help her work through the trauma she suffered in captivity. After several months of freedom, Mary is still recovering small pieces of her identity each day.

‘She is a bit bold now and she is outspoken,’ the VOM worker said. ‘It is like she is trying to manage her situation, finally.’

Despite Mary’s unimaginable suffering, she said that her captivity, escape and time living with the VOM worker’s family have ultimately deepened her faith. ‘Before, I didn’t go to church, I didn’t read Bible, I didn’t pray,’ she said. ‘But now, I go to church every day; I pray so that God will forgive me all my sins because I don’t want to go back to my life in the past. I am now a born-again Christian. I am thankful for my life.’

As her faith matures, Mary is learning how to forgive. It’s something she struggles with as her emotional wounds are still healing. When asked how she would respond to members of Boko Haram today, she pauses to consider. ‘I forgive them, but … if I catch a Boko Haram I will not leave him,’ she said. ‘I will kill him.’

VOM has provided Mary with a scholarship so she can attend a university in June, and she will continue to live with the VOM worker’s family. As she heals and rebuilds her life, Mary asks for prayer – but not just for herself.

‘I would be grateful to have other people pray for Christians in northeastern Nigeria because they are suffering the most,’ she said. ‘I am thankful to God for what happened to me, but I would ask for prayers for strength for all Christians in northeastern Nigeria.” (The Voice of the Martyrs, August 2015, pp. 6-7)

~~~

These are just two testimonies out of thousands who have endured and survived persecution for the sake of Christ. It seems like we are worlds apart, but in fact, we are all part of the same body. “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:26 NASB). It’s time to put petty differences and theological ramblings aside and focus on the gospel message, the hope and life that only Christ can give.

I’ve been worrying about too much lately, about things so temporary that it’s shameful. After taking a few moments to read these testimonies I was reminded again that life is surely a fleeting vapor (James 4:14). Everything could change in a moment, and when everything else is gone, Christ is the only One who remains if I choose to be faithful.

If we lost everything and were asked to recant our faith, would we stand?

 

A Tribute to the Persecuted and Slain

“Jesus said…”

The Supreme Court’s decision regarding gay marriage shouldn’t have been as shocking for Christians as it seems to have been. Why should we be surprised when the world acts like the world? What has bothered me this week is not so much the gay marriage ruling but the number of various biblical interpretations thrown out there with the postmodern attitude: “All interpretations are right and justified.” It’s the mindset that interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, and that’s OK. I’m not talking about unbelievers who use Scripture against Christians. I don’t put any stock into what they say because a person cannot understand the Scriptures without the Spirit. How can I say that, you may ask? Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 2 (NASB):

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,

‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Bold print added for emphasis)

An unbeliever may seem knowledgeable about spiritual matters and talk about Scripture all day long, but unless he or she has the Spirit, his or her words are meaningless.

Back to my original point, what has bothered me are various interpretations given by people who claim to be Christians. How can people who claim to have the same Spirit (which people are indeed doing if they call themselves Christians) proclaim opposing biblical interpretations and divide the church even further? Is the Spirit of God divided or confused? Of course not! So the only answer is that there’s something wrong with the church.

I read an article the other day called “I’m gay, liberal, open-minded–and a convert to Christianity.” I read the article not because I thought I’d agree with the author, but I was more curious about how he was going to justify his choices. The content made my blood boil. Here’s a few excerpts from Jonathan Elliott (author) with bold print for emphasis:

“But last October, I – a 33-year-old, progressive, openly gay man who spent much of my twenties as a crusading atheist and curious agnostic – was baptized and confirmed in the church. I’m unafraid to proclaim myself a disciple of Jesus Christ.” – He is open about his homosexuality and his proclaimed Christianity. The church has placed its stamp of approval upon him.

“I’m still the person I was before I became a Christian, and a baptism isn’t a brainwashing. This change in my life didn’t turn me into a raging nutball – at least, I’m no more of one than I ever was.” – So are other Christians transformed into raging nutballs? Supposedly accepting Christ and being baptized didn’t change him. There’s apparently no need for change. How many of you Christians would say that you are the same person before coming to Christ and have had no conviction to change or repent?

He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010: “I joined a support group for other newly diagnosed folks, and the therapy involved with this was rooted in a belief in a higher power. Initially, I resisted wholeheartedly. I’d been raised without any faith experience, and to even open up to the possibilities of God was a frightening and conflict-ridden concept. But ongoing discussions with this group made me realize that I was angry at what had happened to me – specifically, angry at God. And that meant I believed.” – It’s not until he feels angry towards God that he believes. OK, so even if this is how someone starts believing in God, you would think that there would be some sort of interest in learning more about Him, right?

“I spent the next two years bouncing back and forth between nearly 20 congregations of different denominations, serial first dates with church communities. And while I often found comfort and positivity, none felt like home. Sometimes I’d engage a pastor during the post-service coffee hour and find a bit of theology I couldn’t agree with; other times, I didn’t feel wholly welcomed.” – Searching for the right theology, which is…?

“Then, in 2013, I took a job as communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.” [Elliott] “found that the church had the openness, diversity and the clear sense of tradition I sought. It was also strongly inclusive of the LGBTQ community, and welcomed both women and men as clergy members.” – Not sure what the “tradition” part means for him, but it seems that he found a place which supported his lifestyle. He didn’t have to change.

“Our priest preaches sermons that incorporate everything from transgender rights to the theological leanings of Dr. Who.” – What? And how is this preaching exactly?

“And though the fundamentalists scream loudest, there are progressive and inclusive new forms of church springing up around the country, like Capital City Church in DC. Christian businesses like Elevation Burger use faith as part of their culture to inform great products and practices, without aspersions or judgment (take that, Hobby Lobby and Chik-Fil-A).” – Again, welcoming division within the so-called church.

“I acknowledge that Christianity is often countermanded and corrupted for heinous and spiteful things. But I refuse to accept that as the status quo. At the end of the day, I’m a Christian because faith, and our openness to God and to one another, make us stronger and more willing to engage the world as it unfolds and changes around us.”

Not once is Christ mentioned. There is no talk of salvation or Scripture. But the concepts of openness and finding the right fit rise to the surface. There’s no need to change; just be open to God and one another. How is this Scriptural? Does this not bother anyone else? Either the world hears (supposed) condemnation from the church or full acceptance of behavior, which is more politically correct. How has the church arrived to this point? I believe the issue tends to derive from biblical interpretation and the church’s unwillingness to distinguish good from bad fruit.

When discussing biblical interpretation for modern issues, a number of arguments start with “Jesus is in the New Testament, and He says…” Somehow the Old Testament gets tossed aside or is spoken of as barbaric. What most people forget or have not realized is that Jesus is still under the old covenant before His death and resurrection. Sure, someone wrote up a page that said “New Testament” and placed it before the Gospels, but it’s not until after Jesus dies and resurrects that the new covenant begins. A covenant cannot be established unless blood is spilled, and in this case, Christ’s blood (Heb. 9:13-18). So when people try to argue that Jesus is changing the Law with His teachings, they argue in ignorance. How can He uphold the Law and change it at the same time? What is more, why would He violate His own character since God does not change? There is either a lack of understanding or the unbelief that Jesus is God. John testifies to Jesus’ beginning with God (John 1). Jesus Himself testifies that He was before Abraham (John 8:58), and declares in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Since Jesus is God, why would He oppose His own instructions?

As I’ve argued before, would not Christ, who has always been with and part of the Father, understand the Law perfectly? Would not, then, His teachings reflect the intended motivations behind the Law rather than change the Law itself? It is true that we (Christians) are no longer bound by the Law since Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, yet Jesus makes it clear that the Law is not abolished even now: “Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.“ If the Law is the tutor which leads us to Christ (Gal. 5:23); if the Law and the Prophets are witnesses to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-22); if Jesus is One with the Lawgiver; and if He is under the Law while He teaches, how is it Christians argue that Jesus opposes the Law?

Many people want to see Jesus as a social justice campaigner, reaching out to the lowest of the low because they’re oppressed. They declare that He changed the role of women. That He simply loved people for who they were no matter what. That He condemned the rich men. Well, if that’s the case I must be reading a different gospel. Because I see Jesus as the holy Son of God who spoke to the self-righteous, rich, and lowly alike. He ate with and taught all of them. Many of the self-righteous, like the Pharisees, ridiculed Him and sought His death. They should have known the truth and taught the sheep, but instead they acted like wolves. Their own arrogance and desire for power and riches from the world drove them away from the Messiah they were supposedly waiting for. Some rich people, Jew and Gentile alike, sought Jesus for wisdom, truth, and healing, and those who had faith received what they asked for. For others, the cost of following Jesus was too high. Jesus interacted with the lowly and outcasts because they didn’t know the truth. They were sheep without a shepherd, the lost and spiritually sick. Those who were supposed to teach them had no understanding even with all of their knowledge, who burdened them with their own additions to the Law and man-made traditions. So Jesus taught them, and many came to believe in Him. And despite what many people are spouting nowadays, they changed because of the truth they came to know.

Zaccheus (a rich, tax collector) no longer stole from people, but gave half of his possessions to the poor and vowed to return four-fold to those he defrauded (all of this given from his heart, not compulsion). Mary Magdalene was no longer possessed by demons but served the Lord (some scholars propose that she is also the sinful woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair in Luke 7:36-50; John 11:2 seems to support this). Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery to “Go and sin no more.” He also told that to others whom He healed. The power of God was manifested so that they would believe, but they were instructed to no longer live in sin. Many of Jesus’ disciples who heard the teaching, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56),” decided to turn away from following Jesus. Scripture explains they left because of their unbelief (John 6:53-66). Jesus came to bring life to anyone who would heed His words of truth and follow the Father’s will. Salvation is a gift for all, poor and rich, Jew and Gentile alike. This is what Paul means when he writes, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:27-29). Anyone who claims this to be about social justice or equality is a fool. Such a person takes this teaching out of context which is talking about faith. Any of us who have made the commitment to follow Christ and carry out this commitment are one in Him. We are the body of Christ with each member serving its own God-given purpose so that the body may function properly.

Anyone who says that no change is necessary as a Christian is a liar and not a believer. This goes beyond the discussion of homosexuality. It’s about all sin. If I’m aware of sin in my life, and I do not repent and change, I remain in sin before God. If Israel received wrath from God while He continued to fulfill His promises to them (Psalm 78; 1 Cor. 10), do we think that we would not incur similar judgment if we remain in sin? Paul writes in Romans 6:1-7,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

He continues in vv. 11-18,

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

If there are people who claim Christ but don’t acknowledge sin, they do not speak the truth. For what is the purpose of coming to Christ if we don’t believe we need to be saved from our sinful ways? If we believe we live rightly before God, why (as in Jonathan Elliott’s case) would we seek God since there should be no fear of eternal judgment?

Here’s another word from Paul regarding so-called believers who choose to continue in their sin: “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one. 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” (1 Cor. 5:11-13). Paul’s not talking about unbelievers who are coming to the church to learn about God. He’s talking about people proclaiming to be Christians but continuing in sin without repentance. It is the church’s job to rid itself of people who profane Christ’s name by choosing to live wickedly (knowingly).

Jesus says to His disciples,

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the world that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” John 15:18-24

He continues His teaching by talking about the Spirit to come (Whom we now have as believers):

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16:7-15

We either follow the teaching of the world or the teaching from the Spirit. If we proclaim to be Christ followers we should no longer live according to the world’s sense of morality (if it has one). If we are one body in Christ our understanding of truth must be the same. We may disagree on music styles or small church vs. big church (the petty things we fight over; read Romans 14), but the essentials should be the same. How we understand sin should be the same. Do we want Christ to see us as a bride defiled by the world, or a pure, spotless bride?

When we encounter the lost our hope should be that they want to change to be more like Christ. How can we remain the same when we’ve been given so great a salvation? Is not His abundant mercy and grace reason enough for us to fall on our faces and repent because of our own wickedness? “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Romans 5:6-9).” If we know that there is wrath to come for those who do not believe (who are slaves to sin), why do we think that this wrath will not come upon us if we ignore sin, whether our own or that within the church? Is this not taking advantage of God’s grace, thereby slapping Him in the face?

The gospel of Christ will offend those who desire to be part of the world, but for those who seek new life, it is freedom from sin. It is eternal life. It is hope. We should not be ashamed of the gospel and fall in line with the world. If we follow the world then we are worse than unbelievers because we know the truth and turn away from it. Instead, may we serve God with the same Spirit, with the same understanding of truth.

Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” ~ John 14:6

 © Lauren Demuth

Faithfulness

In all out confession I’ve been struggling with my faith and confidence in the Lord. I’ve let worry and stress overtake me, and then I feel awful that my faith wavers so. God has never given me a reason to doubt Him. Rather, when I think about past situations I remember that He’s provided an abundance of reasons to put my hope in Him. More than I deserve, I’m sure. As I’ve been told by the Lord many times through various instances, it’s time for me to grow up. It’s time to be in the world and learn how to function as a Christian among the darkness. It’s time to remember all the words I’ve written on this blog and live and grow in ways I’ve encouraged others to live and grow. As a start to moving forward, I wrote this poem:

Faithful 

I am surrounded by a culture

That loathes my King,

That abhors truth,

That seeks corruption and lawlessness.

 

Yet I have to be in it

Like all who strive to serve Christ

For it is not the healthy who need healing

But the sick.

 

To be in the world

I must guard myself

From my sinful nature,

The beast that longs to be set free again.

 

For Christ has set me free

From sin.

Instead, I have become a slave

To the true Master of all.

 

Yet the world beckons me to worry,

To fear,

To revert back

To who I once was.

 

My faith slips,

And I feel ashamed.

How can my confidence in Him be so fragile?

How can I fail my God?

 

I’ve had faith many times before,

And the Lord never failed me.

Rather, He led me down beautiful paths unknown.

By walking in blind faith I learned to see the truth.

 

It is time to grow up

And eat spiritual meat,

To be a vessel used

For God’s glory.

 

I desire to walk in faith again,

To leave the petty worries behind

And remember that the Father has been,

And will always be

Faithful.

 

Indeed, the Lord is always faithful: “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13 NASB). The Lord is faithful whether I’m faithful or not, but I believe it is a much better journey to have the faith to walk with Him. As another blogger (Unshakable Hope) reminded me today, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Sometimes it’s hard to remember that I live for the eternal instead of the temporary, but I must choose this mindset every day. Will it be a struggle? Sure. But I believe it’ll be worth it in the end. 

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

Psalm 73

Appearances can be deceiving. People may seem to have it all together. Their fame and fortune may be desired. But to whom does their soul belong?

I was reading Psalm 73 last night, and its message seems quite applicable for today. Sometimes it is easy to forget that those who are of the world will lose everything in the end. They are not to be idolized nor are we to be jealous of them. Rather, we are to remember our hope in Christ and pray that they will understand and receive the gracious salvation we have accepted. May we come to the same conclusions as Asaph:

Psalm 73

“1 Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.
8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.
11 They say, ‘How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?’
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.

21 When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.” (NASB)

We all struggle with being in the world and not getting caught up in it. Our cultures tell us what we should think, how we should act. When we think that these are the standards that the Lord desires we are being “senseless” and “ignorant” like beasts as Asaph writes in vv. 21-22. The truth is found in vv. 25-28. We are either faithful to the Lord or not. Two options. Nothing more, nothing less. If we are children of God, He is our refuge and strength. He is always faithful even when people are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13). It is Christ who is our hope, not the wickedness of the world. May we remember what He has done in our lives and choose to be faithful until the end (Heb. 3:6).

©Lauren Heiligenthal