My Blog from JFK

I should be in Malawi by now, but here I am. How did this happen?
I left Buffalo on Jetblue at around 5:50, and arrived at JFK minus one luggage item. It had apparently been searched by TSA, probably because it had several cans of food in it. I went to the baggage claim section and talked to them, the missing bag came in on the next flight and I had it in my hands at 9:35am and headed to the South African Airways Terminal. I thought I would just make it since the flight only left at 11:35 and I was there by 9:45 (actually sine Jet blue had given me a $30 voucher I felt pretty good about the whole thing at this point). However SAA shuts their check in at 9:30, and the lady (wo)manning the check-in had apparently come close to perfecting Nietzsche’s virtue of courage in turning away from the face of human misery. Neither my letter from Jetblue, nor the fact that missing this flight would make me miss my Malawi connection and have to wait until the next flight on Saturday, nor even my best “Lightning McQueen” Kachow-Kachow smile and charm could get me on the plane.
During the second attempt to try to get Jetblue to help me somehow, following the refusal of SAA. By the time I tried a few things SAA had closed their ticket booth, which is only open 7-10:35, so I had to wait until the next morning to sort out the tickets.
About the only good thing I feel about saying about Jetblue right now is that they have free wifi in their terminal which is how this gets out.
I tried to phone some of my siblings so they could contact the people in South Africa and my parents in Malawi concerning what had happened.
I kept on getting answering machines and voice mail, each of which cost me a dollar in change and sometimes didn’t take the message. I bought a five dollar phone card and contacted one of my sister-in-laws who was able to email people. I then found out that Jetblue has free wifi all throughout their terminal and used it to email people myself.
Spent the rest of the day (remember I got here at 7:15am) wandering around, found a set of shops and food court at Terminal 4, spent the night there. I got a decent amount of sleep but felt pretty stiff because I was using my laptop case as a pillow.
This morning I got my ticket changed, but since Tuesday is the one day SAA does not fly out of JFK I will be here until Thursday morning. I am currently sipping coffee and recharging my laptop, if I were stuck with other people I would probably rent a baggage locker and go see some of New York, but sightseeing alone isn’t a lot of fun. On the plus side I am reading a Church history book a friend of mine loaned me and I am making good progress on it 
I am looking forward to leaving, but not to another night sleeping on the benches here.

Reconciliation

One of my biggest and reccuring faults is irritability with people. So one of the things I find most amazing about God is that inspite of His knowing and seeing far more than we do, He is still able to be longsuffering and patient. A little while ago as I was irritated and trying to get over it, I thought of this Scripture.

2 Cor. 5:18-19 But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace; That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace.

It struck me how offended God had to be with our sin and how He actually had to overlook it even to do for us. He was justifiably angry yet, He chose to overlook it that He might take the cost of reconciliation upon Himself. Had He not been willing to overlook it, He would never have been able to take the sin upon Himself and we would have been stuck in our condition forever. This is a reminder to me to let things go and even be willing not only to overlook wrongs but to be willing to bear the blame in relationships so that I can be like Christ.

Chaff and Wheat

One of my favorite portions of Scripture is found in Jeremiah 23:28-29, “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? says Jehovah. Is not My Word like a fire? says Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

This was spoken against the false prophets who all had words that were false and confirmed people in the wrong way. God, however speaking through Jeremiah, compares the words which are not His counsel with chaff, and His Word to wheat. In threshing and winnowing the chaff is carried away by the wind but the wheat remains. God’s word is abiding, it will stand every wind of change and every gale of trouble to come, but the chaff of man’s word, man’s ideas and ways will not abide.

Chaff is an often used symbol in the Bible for transience. The wicked are compared to chaff, because their works are not eternal. In the vision Daniel had in Daniel chapter 2 the image was broken and became as chaff that passed away showing that all the kingdoms and ways of this world will not abide in the end.

Wheat has several different meanings in the Word of God, but they all spring from the fact that it is desirable, edible and enduring in the winnowing process. Wheat has substance and weight to it which causes it to endure in the time of the blowing wind.

Last night I began to think about wheat and chaff, and had a realization. In these verses we just read God’s word is compared to wheat. God’s Word is enduring, because it is not only a word, but it is also an eternal Person. Christ the Word made flesh. Also in Matthew 3 and Luke 3 John the Baptist points to Christ as one who will winnow and gather the wheat of His people into barns and burn the chaff of the wicked. Wheat is therefore not only symbolic of God’s Word, but also of God’s people. Then I was struck by a thought, are God’s people not like wheat because they receive the wheat of the Word? Why do the people of God remain in the winnowing? Because they have the eternal substance which is found in the eternal gospel, they are partakers of the divine nature. This is the importance of receiving with meekness (submissive obedience) the engrafted Word. The Word of God imparts something of the eternality and stability of God to us as we obey it. The Word weighs us down so we are not driven to and fro by the winds of changing circumstances and peer pressure. It gives us a stability that the world does not and can never have.

Jesus brings the permanence produced by hearing and obeying His Word in another analogy in Mat 7:24-27 “ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock. And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall.”

In the times that are coming we need more than ever to have His enduring nature within us and this is imparted through obedience to His Word. The winds and floods will come in different ways to each of us, but if we abide in Him and His Word abides in us we will stand strong. Praise God!

Your Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven

The last day or two I have been reading in Zechariah and thinking a little bit about the visions of the four horses (Zech 6:1-8). I am still praying for light on the whole thing as I feel that maybe God wants to show me something on it, but having looked at a few commentaries and having read over the passage some I still don't know.

However, we are all given a pattern on how to pray by Christ, and in that prayer we are told to pray that His will would be done in the same way on earth as it is in heaven. This much I can see in Zech. 6, so I will start at looking at how Scripture shows us God's will is done in heaven so we can see what we are to be praying for.

God's will is done willingly and promptly. In Ezekiel 1, the four living creatures did not turn when they went, but moved straight ahead in immediate obedience to the promptings of the Lord. They also return to be instantly ready to serve again.

As we see in Zech. 6, God's will is accomplished with a desire to bring joy to Him and to remove anything which offends or disturbs Him. I do not know what specifically the chariots were sent to do, but clearly there was something in the north country that had disturbed God and they were sent and put it right (Zech. 6:8). We also should be zealous for the Lord's quiet and pleasure in all that we do.

Lastly God's will is fully accomplished in heaven, and so may it ever be in our lives. Amen.

Thoughts on Psalm 83:11-12

Psa 83:11-12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God."

Asaph in remembering the past victories which God gave to Israel, specifically in the book of Judges, is crying out to God for a similar work against the current enemies of the Lord.

These four men had made themselves notable examples of both oppression of Israel in the days of Gideon and by their defeat also notable examples of divine retribution. Their desire in oppression was a possession of God’s land, specifically His pastures, houses or sheepfolds (the word has those three significations), all of which point to churches. These four men are types of spirits which attempt not just to destroy individual believers, but attempt to actually mar God’s inheritance by taking over churches.

Their names are significant, starting from the last to the first we see a causation of decline in churches.
Zalmunna means protection is denied. It is impossible for God’s enemies to gain even temporary possession of God’s houses unless He has removed His hand of protection from them. As the love of God’s people towards Him cools and they no longer serve Him with joy and gladness His protection is withdrawn (Rev. 2:4, Deut. 28:47).
After a while of continuing in this condition God actively gives over His church to His enemies, this is the meaning of Zebah – sacrifice or victim. These are the princes, or chief causes of the desolation which follows, the withdrawal of protection and active giving over. The nobles are the actual enemies which now wreak havoc within the churches given over.
Zeeb – the wolf, is a type of false teachers and heretics. False teachers are ordained by God (Jude 1:4). I picture this in this way, God looks through His church and sees the hearts of all men, He then gives a call, “I need teachers of error to test my peoples love for the truth. Which of you would like to have popularity and money more than you would like the truth? You will have everything you desire, but no relationship with Me, and only eternal judgment on the other side.” The hearts of the teachers of error all put up their hands and say, “Pick me, pick me.” Admittedly the choice is not often that blatantly stated, but even if it were they would make the same choice.
What state are we in when it is possible for a church to have one of its members commit murder and then suicide and claim that he is still in heaven, but he lost all his rewards?!? http://www.heavensfamily.org/ss/e_teachings/as-a-father

Lastly there is Oreb – the raven. An unclean, carrion bird known throughout antiquity for its eerie ability to detect sickly and dying animals by smell and to call to the other ravens, hence the sound of a raven became an omen of death. It also was known for attacking the eyes of its victims first (Prov. 30:17). It is truly a type of those unclean spirits which detecting weaknesses in men take them captive in all uncleanness, and using the eye as the main means of entry through lust, have deprived men of both spiritual and natural sight as in the case of Samson.

These enemies must be defeated, not only Oreb and Zeeb, but the ones who enabled their ravages - Zebah and Zalmunnah. The victories will be notable even as the Rock of Oreb was noteworthy as where he was slain and the winepress of Zeeb was known for his demise. There will be clearly distinguishable points where these battles were fought and overcome. Then God’s mature leaders, not youths, must earnestly seek for and deal with Zebah and Zalmunnah, and restore God’s protection to His people, and lead them to turn their hearts back to Him (Judges 8).

The Upward Call

Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Recently I have been thinking about the phrase the upward call, or as it is sometimes translated the high call, or upward invitation. This is the prize for which Paul was constantly running towards. What is this upward call?

First, it is a drawing of our desires toward the one who calls. As Song of Solomon says, “Draw me and we will run after you.” An invitation when it is received draws out a response from the one who receives it, whether favorable or not (ignoring an invitation is as sure a refusal as an emphatic “no”). The upward call is a continuous outpouring of the heart of God calling us higher and higher so that we can be closer and closer to Him. It can be to a higher level of ministry and revelation as it was with John in Rev. 4:1, where he is called up from one level of vision and prophecy unto a higher one. It can also be a call onward to know Christ in a new and deeper way through entering into His sufferings and joys.

Second, and very importantly, the upward call creates ability to fulfill it. When Christ walked on water, Peter seeing Him, said, “Lord, if it is You, tell me to come.” After the Lord’s call to come, he was able to do the impossible as long as his focus remained on the Lord. Christ’s upward call not only calls us onward, but it gives us the power to move. It is this upward call that enables us to change and be conformed to the image of Christ.

Our part is to respond to the upward call, to hear it and obey it. Like men walking in the dark being lead by a guide, hearing His voice and following. His call always leads to Himself! This is what Paul was constantly running in response to, what he was reaching for! The light of Christ shed abroad at that moment followed by obedience and awaiting further light. Those who follow hard in this life are privileged to do the same forever (Rev. 14:4). Praise God!

Spare Your People O Lord

The ELCA has officially decided now to allow homosexual clergy in their churches. It is good that the signers of the Augsburg confession are in heaven where there is no sorrow, otherwise doubtless their hearts would be broken. They were willing to risk earthly honors, political quiet, and even war for the sake of the Gospel and their descendants in America are not willing to bear with the disapproval of the world and its agenda.
That on its own is sad enough, but as this morning as I have been contemplating the state of the Church in general, I have had the realization that this will likely not be the last denomination to do this. Those of us who are not Lutherans look and say, “whew, I am glad I am not Lutheran.” Yet, I must wonder how much lower must the Church come before It awakes. We are like the Germans in Nazi Germany, who looked the other way when the Nazis persecuted the Jews, because they were not Jewish, then ignored what they did when they came for the Catholics, because they were not Catholic. At last there was no one left to turn to.
Let us awake and cry out to God.

Joel 2:27 - Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

It is a reproach to Christ when any church that has preached the Gospel in any measure is given over to rule by any open sinners of any variety. The people of God are His heritage, those that have His Name upon them. It is an exceedingly grievous thing when any of His sheep are under such leadership. Yet again Christ comes to His own and His own receive Him not. This is an often repeated scenario, repeated by nations, churches and individuals. We would crucify Christ again if it were possible, the cry goes out, “not this man, but Barabbas!” We would rather have a murderer or other notorious sinner in our midst than the very Son of God!

This is not the first time such a thing has happened. During the Arian controversy many, many churches were under men who denied the Deity of Christ in any real sense, and some who did not deny it themselves compromised for the sake of imperial favor. Many centuries later, during the heyday of the Puritans, men like Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, George Fox and many others had a hard time in their youth finding ministers who were sober in the pulpit, let alone able to lead others in the way of salvation. The Church has weathered both of these and other storms and this one shall also pass. However we must pray that God would spare His people, that He would not let the heathen rule over them. Perhaps if we turn to Him with our whole heart He will relent and not allow the Church to be plunged into further darkness.

Let us not be like Ephraim or Samson who sunk so low as to not realize their own decrepitude before it was too late to avoid a serious captivity (Hosea 7:9; Judges 16:20).

Spare Your people O Lord! Turn our hearts again toward You!