Suffering

Many might say that a suffering church, or a suffering individual, is not blessed. Perhaps some may say, like Job's friends, that suffering comes because we must be doing something wrong. Scripture discusses many different examples of suffering. Jesus even gave the cause of one young man's blindness from birth, as not being any wrong that he or his parents committed, but as an opportunity for God to be glorified. It was then that Jesus healed him (Jn. 9:1-3). Even if we have only this one example as an exception, it puts to rest once and for all the dogma that people have earned their suffering by something wrong that they have done.
What possible blessing could suffering be in our lives? Suffering accomplishes a spiritual work in us that nothing else can accomplish. The work that is accomplished in us through suffering is compassion. There is absolutely no other way that a church, or an individual believer, can walk in the footsteps of Christ, or the fullness of ministry without that quality.
Compassion differs from sympathy, or even empathy. By its Hebrew and Greek meanings, compassion is formed in our deepest soul. The word is associated with the bowels, the deepest, innermost parts. It is not a surface expression of sentiment, but a flow that comes out of a deep wound in the gut. It isn't generated from a circumstance our minds can imagine, but from an experience.
Many of the works of the Father and the Son are works from the pool of compassion within Them. The Psalms describe the LORD as full of compassion:
"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth...The LORD is gracious and full of compassion...slow to anger and great in mercy."  Ps. 86:15, 111:4, 145:8
The great work of the LORD in gathering the exiles of Israel and bringing them back to the land is a work accomplished out of His compassion (Deut. 30:3, Jer. 12:15).
The forgiveness of sin and iniquities comes out of God's compassion:
"But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them." Ps. 78:38
"He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."  Mic. 7:19
Jesus repeatedly ministered miracles out of compassion:
"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."  Mt. 9:36
"And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick."  Mt. 14:14
"Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat..." Mt. 15:32
After feeling the compassion for this multitude above, Jesus miraculously fed over 4,000 men, plus the women and children that accompanied them.
In a parable (Mt. 18:23-35), Jesus teaches about a master who, out of compassion, forgives a servant's debt to him. The master then argues that this forgiven servant should then be able to forgive others' debts out of that same compassion that was shown to him. It is the argument of this master in Jesus' parable that not only is it worthy to have compassion, but also that it is an expected characteristic of compassion that it should also beget compassion, or multiply (see also 1 Jn. 3:16 ).
Jesus also cleansed leprosy, restored sight to the blind, cast out a legion of demons, and raised a woman's dead son out of His compassion (Mk. 1:41, Mt. 20:34 , Mk. 5:19 , Lk. 7:13 ).
There are examples in scripture of people who are forever recorded for the works that they accomplished out of compassion:
Pharaoh's daughter, full of compassion (Ex. 2:6), not only rescued a Hebrew slave's baby out of a river, but raised the child, Moses, as her own. It is an extraordinary work for a royal princess to adopt a slave as her son. Could the compassion she felt have been created by suffering the loss of a child of her own? We don't know that for sure, but there is no mention that she had other children.
A father received back his miserable, wayward son out of compassion (Lk. 15:20). Could this father's compassion have come from the deep wound created when his son demanded an early inheritance, left his father's house, and cut off all contact, until the father feared he was dead? (v. 24)
A Samaritan, feeling compassion (Lk. 10:33), went out of his way to minister to a robbed and wounded man, when others, who should have cared, just left him on the road. Perhaps the compassion that flowed from the Samaritan came from the wound of suffering ethnic and religious prejudice and hatred, as was felt towards Samaritans at the time.
Jesus' feet were washed and anointed by a weeping woman who had known the very worst circumstances in life, while the self-righteous looked on with scorn. She poured out upon Him from an alabaster box. It was in this type of box that unguents used for healing and soothing wounds and sores were kept. This is what our compassion is. Poured from our alabaster box, it heals and soothes others' wounds and sores. Jesus said that because she had ministered to Him out of a very great love, her many sins were forgiven her (Lk. 7:36-50).
As we can see in the examples above, compassion runs much more deeply than just a thought of sympathy, or words of consolation. Compassion acts.
The compassion of a church, led to its sacrificial giving (Heb. 10:34) to a suffering apostle. Did this compassionate church know from experience what it was like to suffer, and do without so much themselves?
The Apostles urged believers to have compassion, and condemned those who refused to minister it (1 Pet. 3:8, Jude 1:22, 1 Jn. 3:17).
We instinctively desire to escape from the painful experiences that are brought into our lives, but these very experiences produce the precious gold of compassion within us, and cause us to reach our greatest unity with God. 

Our Father has a heart of compassion.

"Alabaster Box"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq8VP9osGrg


*Artwork at the top of the page: "Suffering" by Paula Heffel

Progenitor

Often times, when trying to understand who we are in Christ, we may think back to Adam,  and the great authority and purpose of that man, and potentially all mankind.
However, I have to ask myself: Is this what Jesus accomplished-to bring us back to Adam- to "restore" us back to the original, to Adam before the fall? However, I'm seeing something else here. I would like to study it through.
Adam was a "type":
"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who was a type of Him who was to come."   Rom. 5:14 
According to the above scripture, Adam was a "type" of Christ because of his role as a progenitor- all man who followed him carried the same consequence of Adam's actions, in this case death, regardless of whether they committed the same sin as Adam. Like Christ, Adam is a progenitor of a kind-in that case: mankind. Following our fleshly progenitor, man became sinful, dying mankind.
Likewise, following that same "type", Jesus is a progenitor of a kind. All who "follow" after Him, also follow what Christ created, part of which was life from the dead, but it goes beyond that.
So if it was not Jesus' intention to restore us back to Adam's stature and purpose, what then can I understand about how He was a progenitor to me? This scripture helps me:
"...if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer, THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW..."  2 Cor. 5:14-17 
Also-
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."  Gal. 6:15
What does the term "new" mean in the above verses? The Greek word, kainos means "of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of". We, following His precedent, have become a new creature. Even as we knew Him to be on earth in the flesh of man (like Adam), we cannot know Him as that now. He became something new as well, unknown before this, and unheard of, and we also, following our progenitor, are this new creation.
I would often wonder how it was fair that I am born with a nature to sin, and in the process of dying, just because Adam sinned. Now I see the powerful precedent of his role as a "type", or progenitor. It was so God could send another progenitor. This time, a progenitor to a new creation, and of life forever more. The progenitor concept allows me to become, even thousands of years later, what Christ established. God is brilliant!!
It would seem that this "new creature" fits right into God's plan. According to His word, God does not intend to restore creation to a former state, but rather:
"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?...
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind (come upon the heart). But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy."  Isa. 43:18-19, 65:17-18
Notice the LORD doesn't say "I will create". This "create" is present tense.
So, what exactly am I?
Jesus' disciples didn't quite know either. They were given only small glimpses as they encountered Jesus after His resurrection. We also have this scripture that helps:
"Beloved, now we are children (sons) of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  1 Jn. 3:2
While we may not have a full picture in of ourselves as that new creation, we do have Christ's directives to us as to what we are to be doing now (Mt. 28:18-20, Mk. 16:15-20, Lk. 24:44-49, Acts 1:8).
It is of incredible benefit to look backwards through scripture. We learn many, many vital things. It is all truth and edifying (2 Tim. 3:16-17). However, it is also prophetic, telling us of things to come. There was a TV show entitled "The New Old Christine". We, however, have not become "the new, old Adam", but rather something that never existed before, but now exists through Christ, the progenitor of a new creation.

Our Father made us a NEW creation through Christ.


"We Will See Him As He Is"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcCB-T8NeXI
 

Anointing

Most of us are familiar with the fact that the church of believers in Christ is called to be as He is. He is our King, and our High Priest. We also are to be kings and priests. Peter described it this way:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."  1 Pet. 2:9
Jesus says in Revelation, that He has made us "kings and priests unto our God" (Rev. 1:6, 5:10). The Hebrew word for "priest" is kohan, which means "priest, principal officer, chief ruler, prince, priest-king". Priesthood then, by meaning, incorporates a kingly office as well.
The priest is touched and sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice, and with the holy anointing oil in order to be consecrated, or set apart for his office (Ex. 29:20-21, Lev. 8:30). The anointing oil was first "poured" over Aaron's head (Ex. 29:7). The word "pour" in Hebrew is yatsak, meaning pour, flow, overflow, pouring a molten metal into a cast, to cast metal. It was poured out over Aaron as if the LORD was filling a mold with molten material.
We believers in Christ have also been touched and sprinkled with His blood, from the sacrifice He provided for us, and most of us believe that we have been anointed in our lives as well. This is what I would like to look at: The Anointing.
We highly value the anointing that God has placed in our lives. However, according to scripture, our anointing that is so precious to us, is not really all that it could be, because it is missing a vital ingredient. While we teach of this vital ingredient, in our hearts it remains far from us. That vital, but missing ingredient is unity.
Paul described a mature church, under the equipping by apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, as all coming "to the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). That's a great deal to accomplish. We'll see more about the measure and the stature later, but at least we can work on the first step, which is unity of the faith. One large stumbling block to that unity is the fact that we value our individual importance too much to lose any of that importance in order to submit to a unity. In order to form a unity, we have to give up a little of "I" and "me", to become an "us". It is similar to what is necessary in order to achieve unity in marriage. In another example, an eye is wonderfully and miraculously important. However, the undeniable greatness of the eye, becomes absorbed into an even greater glory-the whole, complete body. In fact, the eye cannot fulfill its great purpose until it loses some of its separate identity to the functioning whole.
In the scripture from Ephesians, Paul joins the thought of the unity of the faith with the "fullness of Christ". Jesus, Himself, came into His own fullness by giving up part of His former identity:
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name..."  Phil. 2:5-9
Jesus gave up the form and position of God, with God, to become born of man, and dying man at that. He had no reason to do this except in obedience to the salvation plan of God. As a result of this obedience, God exalted Him to something even greater, because Jesus' name has been made greater than every name. David said it this way to God:
"You have magnified Your word above all Your name."  Ps. 138:2
Jesus is that word that was with God and was God (Jn. 1:1).
If we think "our" anointing is great now, we ain't seen nothing yet! Paul tells us that when we achieve the unity of the faith of Christ ordained by the Father, including unity with saved and reconciled Israel, this resulting unity will be "life from the dead" (Rom. 11:15).
David, in the Psalms gives us this beautiful illustration of the anointing that comes from unity:
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren (resemblance, kindred, like, each to the other) to dwell together in unity (to become one)!
It is like the precious (beautiful, valuable, gladness) oil (to shine) upon the head,
Running down (sent down, abundantly, "go down to the spring to drink") on the beard,
The beard of Aaron ("light bringer"),
Running down on the edge (extremity, even scattered pieces in corners) of his garments (stature, size, measure).
It is like the dew (light rain, cover, covering, overshadow) of Hermon (sanctuary, consecrate),
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
And there the LORD commanded the blessing (source of blessing, prosperity, gift, treaty of peace, kneel, adore)-
Life (revived life even from sickness, quickened life, continuing life) forevermore."   Ps. 133

Those oil-soaked priestly garments, created within the unity of the brethren, reflect a measure and stature. And the oil reaches to the outermost parts and pieces of the Body. It is no wonder that the devil, and our own flesh, fight the idea of the unity of the brethren so much. However, the Lord will overcome both to bring forth this unity anointing.

Our Father has created an abundant anointing found in the unity of the brethren.

"Behold How Good"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOQ9FM5gtjU

"Fresh Outpouring"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxujjn-Oqio

Sand

The headlines recently have exposed sexually exploitive and abusive behaviors that have existed for decades in the film industry, other businesses, and politics. Many knew of this behind-the-scenes behavior, of course, but never spoke out against it. Now, we are hearing about the vile things that happened to people in past decades, up to today. Now, the public is in an uproar over what has been decided to be unacceptable behavior. Hollywood has begun a "movement" to demand an end to it. What was seemingly "acceptable", and "business as usual" then, was never right, and will no longer be tolerated, they say.
The problem is that man-made rules about what is right or wrong are rules that stand on nothing but shifting sand. Today, something is acceptable, tomorrow, it is not. Yesterday, something was deemed unacceptable, but today, it is acceptable in order to stay relevant with current trends of society. Society enforces these shifting rules, but men's hearts remain the same. We can see the disparity between what society arbitrarily determines, and the true condition of the heart of man, by the sincere incomprehension on the faces of some who have been accused of unacceptable behavior. We hear comments like, "That was just locker room talk", and "I thought she liked me", and "Nothing happened that wasn't consensual". Then we hear the vague, confused apology: "If I ever did something that offended or hurt anyone, I am deeply sorry."
All of this damage and confusion is the result of relying upon man to tells us what is moral, immoral, acceptable, and unacceptable, because all of those determinations shift with the winds of time and opinion. In doing this, we build our houses on sand, and then we are shocked when that sand sinks and swallows up the house, or causes its collapse. What the sands of the desert look like one day, will look completely different the next day, as the ever-blowing winds continually rearrange the sands and dunes. To build anything on those sands is foolishness.
God, however, does not build houses upon the sand. He builds upon rock-the rock of His Word. His house does not shift and fall with the changing sands beneath, but it stands forever. Jesus also told the parable about building a house upon the rock, as opposed to unstable sand:
"Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."   Mt. 7:24-27
God says about Himself and His word that what was true yesterday, is still true today, and will continue to be true tomorrow. It doesn't change with the fashions and fads of man's thoughts:
"For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed , O sons of Jacob."
                                                                                                            Mal. 3:6
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  Heb. 13:8
God specifically warns us not to be carried about on the shifting winds, equating that kind of instability with being infants:
"...we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head- Christ." Eph. 4:14-15
God's word does not equivocate. His word does not hesitate to take a stand, and it does not seek to speak on both sides of an issue. It is not reliant upon the shifting opinions of society.
God's word on the issues in today's headlines can be found very easily:
"You shall not commit adultery."   Ex. 20:14
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.  Ex. 20:17
"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles, who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."   1 Thess. 4:3-7
The Lord did not declare these principles for arbitrary or antiquated reasons, as some might insist, but because this type of immoral, abusive behavior harms one's self and others, as noted in the above scriptures.
It has been mentioned that the exploitative behaviors in today's headlines stem from the issue of abuse of power, where those who are in positions of power, use that power to intimidate those with lesser power into doing their will.
Jesus was all over that issue:
"But Jesus called them (His quarreling disciples) to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Mt. 20:25-28
The word of God is not outdated. It is all up into today's headlines. Issues of morality go on and off like a light bulb over the heads of society, depending upon the mood of the day, but God shined an eternal light on the truth of moral principle, righteousness, equity, justice, defending those who have no one to defend them, revealing the corrupt power of the wealthy over the poor, and the strong over the weak, and revealing those evil, abusive things that man has done to each other under the cover of secrecy. When men's justice has failed, God's justice has prevailed. Where men's truths have been revealed to be lies, God's truth has stood from time and eternity.
The state of our confusion on these and other fundamental issues regarding how we should treat each other attests to our having turned away from the word of God a long time ago. We are seeing the consequences of that now. We have been building on shifting sands, and the house is falling. It will do no good to rebuild that house, if the plan is to rebuild on these same sands again.

Our Father's word is the Rock upon which we can build.

"My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less"

"In Christ Alone"
                                                                                            

CHURCH

 

For this entry, I have been thinking about CHURCH - not "church", as some might know it, but CHURCH.

The specific CHRUCH I would like to look at was not in America, or any country that you might expect. It is the CHURCH of Syria. We can see the glory of this CHURCH as it is displayed in the life of Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul.
In Acts 9, Saul is already known as a zealot in his persecution of those Jews who believed in Jesus. He "breathed threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts 9:1). Meanwhile, the believers in the synagogue in distant Damascus (meaning "silent is the sackcloth weaver"), Syria, already had such a wide-spread reputation, that it caught the outraged attention of Saul and the high priest in Jerusalem. Saul received permission to bring those believers, bound, from Damascus to Jerusalem. As he neared the city of Damascus, he encountered the glory and presence of the Lord Jesus from heaven. As a result of this experience, Saul became blind, with the Lord telling him to follow His instructions when he came into the city (v. 3-8). Once in the city of Damascus, still blind, Saul began to pray (v. 11). The Lord instructed one of His believers there, Ananias (meaning "God has shown grace, favor, mercy, pity, pray(er)"), to find Saul, and lay hands upon him. The Lord told Ananias that He purposed a great ministry to the Gentiles through Saul. Ananias was fearful of Saul, because of his reputation as a persecutor of believers, but he obeyed the Lord's instructions:
"And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  Acts 9:17
Saul was baptized and remained in Damascus for some time, as he went to the synagogue there, and preached belief in Jesus Christ.
Later in time, after Saul travelled back to Jerusalem and on to other areas, Barnabas ("son of peace, son of a prophet") sought him out to bring him to Antioch ("driven against"), on the border of Syria and Turkey (see map). Saul and Barnabas stayed there at the assembled CHURCH of Antioch for a year, teaching a great many. The disciples of this CHURCH were the first to be called "Christians", or "followers of Christ" (anointed, Messiah, anointed with gifts of the Holy Spirit). (Acts 11:25-26). It is one thing to be a "believer" in Christ, and another to be a "follower" of Christ.
We have another account of the CHURCH at Antioch, Syria, a while later:
"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas ("son of peace, son of a prophet"), Simeon ("hearken and obey") who was called Niger ("Black"), Lucius ("light")of Cyrene ("supremacy of the bridle", a city in Libya, Africa), Manaen ("comforter"), who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away." 
                                                                                                                 Acts. 13:1-3.
It is interesting that the Lord did not send Saul back to the church in Jerusalem immediately after his miraculous conversion experience, although he did appear before the church leaders there later. Perhaps it was because Jerusalem was too dangerous for believers, and Saul would have a vital end time ministry to fulfill. Perhaps the Lord did not want to send Saul to the church leaders in Jerusalem at that time for another reason. However, for the early years after Saul's conversion, he spent a great deal of time with the CHURCHes in Syria.
The CHURCH at Damascus healed, accepted, and nurtured Saul, despite his fearsome reputation as a persecutor. The CHURCH at Antioch, obedient to the prophetic guidance of the Holy Spirit, officially laid hands on Saul and Barnabas, and released them into their callings. This CHURCH's obedience to the Holy Spirit changed the world, and continues to do so to this day, as Saul would write most of the New Testament.
The CHURCH at Antioch was dedicated to fasting and prayer. This CHURCH valued and relied upon the Spiritual gifts that the Lord placed in their midst, including teaching and prophetic gifts. This CHURCH welcomed worshippers of varying races, and nationalities. We are told that this same CHURCH, hearing and believing a prophetic word of the coming of a great famine, obeyed that prophetic warning, and sent relief to the believers in far away Judea (Acts 11:27-30). This Great Famine that affected the whole world, did soon come to pass as prophesied during the reign of Emperor Claudius.
It is out of the synagogues of Syria that the CHURCH, the humble, obedient followers of Christ, made an eternal impact that we seldom consider.
The photo at the top of the page is the St. George Church in Homs, Syria, or what's left of the physical structure after attack by ISIS. However, the CHURCH in Homs knows that a CHURCH is not just a building, but a called out assembly of believers in Christ, followers of Christ, and they were determined to still meet together there, as the photo shows. Those in the photo happened to be assembled there that day to witness a wedding.
These are some of the things, when added together, that make up the difference between a church, and the CHURCH. It is the CHURCH that Jesus spoke of when He said, "...and on this rock (the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God), I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose in earth will be loosed in heaven."  Mt. 16:16,18-19
If you attend church, you might want to consider becoming part of a CHURCH. They might appear to be a humble gathering at first look, but the Lord entrusts just this type of gathering with His eternity-changing glory.

Our Father has called us to be THE CHURCH.

"Let the Church Rise"

"The Lord's Prayer"- Aleppo, Syria