Blog 2, In The Wilderness

Blog # 2 In The Wilderness

            Do you ever catch yourself thinking that perhaps your Christian experience seems contrary to certain ideas held to be either “personal directives,” or implied “promises” in Scripture?  Do you find hard to resist feelings of envy at Christians who seemingly get to walk on streets of gold before they go to Heaven?  Why do some Christians preach and boast of excellent health, wealth, earthly happiness and good fortune, when these “blessings” don’t seem to be evident in the incarnate life of Jesus? Or Paul? Or Jeremiah?  Well, if you suffer from or wonder at all about this, you are not alone.  This subject is not as uncommon today as one might think.

              This issue became a topic of discussion not long ago when John wrote Dana that he felt perplexed by the seeming disparity.

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John wrote:

Hey Dana

I’m at work and haven’t punched in yet. This has bothered me for some time and I’m asking for your belief and opinion.

It seems as if the troubles never stop and we never reach that place of John 10:10 or Mal 3:10.

While listening to a media personality this AM on my way to work, the person was asking the listeners why are they still in the wilderness when God wants them to move on. You’ve heard the saying, “You didn’t get it right yet, take another trip around the mountain.”

I’m tired of the wilderness and if I’m taking trips around the mountain I want it to stop.

The media personality said, “Our actions in the wilderness help to keep us there.”

When you have time, can you please speak to this?

Yours for the Harvest

John

                                                           

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      The following Scripture passages were offered for consideration.

      Deuteronomy 1:1-10

      These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. ² It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. ³ In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, ⁴ after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. ⁵ Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, ⁶ “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’ ⁹ “At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself. ¹⁰ The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven.” ESV

      John 10:10 ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ESV

      Malachi 3:10  ¹⁰ Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ESV

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Dana responded

     Brother John, we live in the wilderness.  For now, it's our home.

     When looking at Deuteronomy 1:1-10, we must be careful to not overload the historical context with too much future application.  In the Exodus of Moses' time, the text(s) refer to a literal time in history, to a real people in that time, and to a real movement of that people from Egypt to the land of promise which God gave to them.  God's commandment to move on was to them, not to us (in particular), unless He has specifically spoken to us with the command to move somewhere or the other.  We can make general applications to our lives from historical passages, but must keep in mind that the specifics (unless it is law--like the 10 Commandments, etc.,) only applied directly and specifically to the Children of Israel in that day and time, and today applies "generally" to us, to the degree we can draw parallels.

     The Children of Israel had been fighting literal, terrifying, and very dangerous "giants," prior to God telling them to move on.  The Amorites, many think were relatives of the Nephilim (Genesis 6) and Og, who was mentioned in the passage, had a bed that was something like 18 feet long!!!!  The Children of Israel had subdued a formidable enemy, and on the strength of that, God was telling them to go on and take the land.  Many of them perished in the wilderness, because after several great victories over God's enemies, they cowered at the thought of more giants (when the spies went out.)  God had given them deliverance after deliverance and yet they doubted He would go with them when things got tough. 

      But back to my point, God had planned and set in motion His plan for Israel to be in its own land that He had given them (real and particular people, place and time.)  They had to move on from the mountain if they were to fulfill God's plan.  We are not in that exact same situation.  We speak of being in the "wilderness," but in reality, we are using the term as a metaphor to describe a less than pleasant place other than where we wish we could be, or feel we should be. But we are not where they were at that time.  We may feel like there are similarities, and we may draw spiritual connections, but we are not fighting real giants or pagan hordes who want to kill us. At least not yet....

                       

 

      This may not be much solace, but I'm not at all sure we can will, or do, or even pray our way out of the "wilderness."  Jesus told us that in this world we will have trouble.  Paul speaks often of tribulation as part and parcel of the Christian life.  Jesus said that we would be hated because He was hated first, and as His followers (I'm paraphrasing) we dare not expect less, and, we know that Satan hates the Church (at large) and individual followers of Jesus (in particular).  He is going to make sure our lives are as difficult as possible, or, he is going to make sure that our lives are fraught with thorns, hardships, "many dangers, toils and snares."  In other words, he will keep the "wilderness" constantly growing around us while we are going through this earthly pilgrimage to our "promised land," the promised and expected new heavens and earth and the new Jerusalem.  The victory is not escaping the wilderness, but not letting it beat us--not let it make us cower at the thought of giants.  Almost every time we encounter giants in the Scriptures, they are always getting killed--and by swarthy little Jewish guys at that.

     As to John 10's "abundant life" and Malachi's poured out blessing seen in light of tithing, I personally think they are matters of perception.  Look at Revelation 3:17 (Laodicea) Jesus says, "...For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked."  ESV

     Our lives are that in reverse!  We may see ourselves as "...wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked," when in fact, we are blessed beyond measure.  We don't miss many meals.  We don't sleep on the street.  We are not dying of some dread disease in some jungle hell-hole.  We are not wearing orange jump suits and getting our heads cut off on video by Isis. Life may not be to our liking, but we "...have not yet resisted to the point of shedding [our] blood."  Hebrews 12:4 ESV 

When I think of the conditions in which many have to live (and I've seen a good bit in my travels in Latin America) our disappointments, hardships, and broken dreams aren't even on the scale of the difficulties with which a significant part of the world has to deal, day in and day out.  Going to the 3rd World is an enlightening experience.  Most of the people, who, a hundred years ago, would have spent their careers in a travelling freak show because of their hideous deformities, are now fixed up by corrective surgeries at birth in our country.  No so in Honduras or Southern Mexico.  Some of the horrors with which people have to live are stark, especially when seen through a pair of US eyes behind progressive, polarized corrective lenses surrounded by titanium frames.  We can drive to church in a heated and air conditioned car, instead of having to lie in the dirty street and cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."

 

     I think we have abundant blessing and abundant life.  It's just that we live in Babylon, where too much is never enough, and even many of our spiritual leaders wag excessive prosperity in our faces like there is something wrong with a Christian who isn't a millionaire without a care in the world.  What about our brothers and sisters in the mid-East who are in the throes of persecution on a horror level the likes of our 1st century Christian predecessors?  I'm not sure that much of the current teachings would hold much water with the Christians being murdered by Isis.  Are their "actions keeping them in the wilderness?"

     One thing that helps me when I get tired of the wilderness, is a song from the old Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye Christmas movie, "White Christmas."  Bing and Rosemary Clooney sing a duet where they sing about the importance of counting their blessings. It's a good exercise, actually.  Take a piece of paper and just start writing down everything that comes to mind for which you can thank God.  For food--break it down even more, for the great steak or whatever you had for dinner last Thursday night.  For cookies.  For good coffee. For clothing to wear. For comfortable shoes. For an indoor toilet. For having a ride to get places instead of having to walk. For your wife. For your friends--name them one by one. For all the people who love you and pray for you that you might not even know. For not being hooked to a dozen tubes in some cancer ward, with constant pain and no hope this side of glory.  For the Word of God.  For the ability to read the Word of God.  For not being thrown into prison for reading the Word of God. 

     And, just keep writing them down.  If you apply yourself, you'll fill up more than one page.  Sooner or later you might find that life in the wilderness isn't near as bad as it could be, and in fact it's actually pretty good, and that we are blessed beyond measure and that our life is really abundant.  Our life is abundant because we know Jesus, and by His grace, we are not Ruby.  Is the wilderness in which you find yourself better or worse than the wilderness in which she lived, and by now, most likely died?

     We are still in the fox hole, my Brother.  It's dirty, and when it rains it fills up with water, and there's shrapnel and bullets whizzing by our heads when we try to peer out.  But, for better or worse we are in it together.  I pray for you and you pray for me.  And until God gives us orders to vacate and charge, there is, thankfully, a measure of security there.

      I don't know if what I've said resonates or not.  Really do make an exercise of counting your blessings and writing them down.  There's a book I remember Rev. Alistair Begg recommending in one of his Truth For Life Broadcasts, called "Against All Hope," by Armando Valladares. The striking thing I remember about what was said about it is that the author, who, at the time was imprisoned in one of Castro's worst prisons, reported hearing the condemned Christian men being taken out to be executed, yelling, "Viva Christo Rey!"  Christ the King lives, or Long live Christ the King.  They yelled this as they were being marched to the firing squad.  It got the author’s attention, and so troubled the guards that they began gagging the men before taking them out to be shot.  Again, is your wilderness better or worse than theirs'?

       We do have abundant life, John, if only we can see it through eyes of faith, and not those of the material world around us. Not through the eyes of Babylon, which only makes us focus on what we don't have that everybody else does. It may not be the life we choose or desire, but it is what God has ordained for us in order to make us look more like Jesus. And it is the remains of sin in our natures that makes us chafe and rebel and grumble when God chips off the coal in order to make us diamonds.  And, if we could escape the wilderness, perhaps that which is outside of the wilderness might end up being worse.  Father really does know best.

        You are in my prayers, John.

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Post Script by John before publishing:

 

Perhaps there is room for more discussion at another time on this topic. 

 

 

 

 

Introduction (#1)

#1 John’s Introduction:

 

Have you heard of The Screwtape Letters, written by C. S. Lewis? Lewis, wrote The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, among other great works. He was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters   These fanaticized letters were between a senior demon (Screwtape) and a young tempter demon (Wormwood). These satirical letters show the weaknesses of man (mankind, men and women, all personhood) and how demons attempt to use these weaknesses and foibles against mankind, especially Christians.

 

Then there are the letters of Georgia O’Keefe to Alfred Stieglitz.  How about the letters of a young Earnest Hemingway to numerous friends, family or lovers? Or we could go back to the 1700s for the letters of Benjamin Franklin to George Whitefield. Letters are used to bridge the gaps of whatever between people for any of a myriad of reasons. Love. War. Politics. Family squabbles. Work problems. Poetry. Questions dealing with living life  Hope. Disappointment. Joy.

 

This blog didn’t start out as a blog but began first as letters between two friends. Dana C. Acker and I (John Calsin) met in Bible school back in the fall of 1979. When we left school, we continued corresponding first through the U. S. Post Office (snail mail), and later over the internet. Over the past 34 years, we have been in each other’s physical company less than a half dozen times. But the bonds of friendship have grown stronger. As life’s joys and struggles were shared through, in essence, letters, we were either encouraged, saddened, challenged, or helped by the other’s letters. At some point, I began to think of publishing Dana’s responses to my letters or just his missives.

 

My letters to Dana were usually the catalyst for his thoughtful, challenging, friendly, rebuking, caring responses.  Just as we know that the book title Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche is a satire of masculine stereotypes, hopefully, we know that real friends tell other friends the truth, not just what they think they want to hear.

 

Dana and I have a historical Judeo Christian belief system. We believe in a relationship with the living God through His son Jesus. We are what scripture (John 3:3) and Billy Graham would call born again.  And I believe that Dana has something to say to us today.

While people might argue the position and role of prophet in the Church today, I have often said, I think Dana is a prophet for our time. I like this quote concerning Biblical prophets written by Sam O’Neil, In his piece titled  Defining the Role  of Prophets in the Bible, Meet the men (and women!) called to guide God's people through troubled waters.  He wrote:

 “The primary role of the prophets in the Bible was to speak with the people about the words and will of God in their specific situations. The prophets served as God's megaphones, declaring whatever God commanded them to say.”

What do we hope to accomplish through this blog? On the one hand, I won’t speak for Dana, but from my perspective, I believe we, and especially Dana, have something to say to both the Church, and others, generally using our letters as the springboard to relevancy and truth.  Sometimes that is helpful, sometimes painful. But as a surgeon cuts out a tumor—painful—it is relevant for the good health of a patient—helpful.

One of my favorite books is the children’s classic tale of The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real by Margery Williams and illustrated by Michael Green. A Velveteen Rabbit lived in a nursery with numerous other toys, one being a Skin Horse, a type of rocking horse. The Skin Horse had lived longer than a succession of other toys. An observer could easily see how worn he was, because the Skin Horse was the favorite toy of the Boy. The Velveteen Rabbit desperately wanted to be a favorite. But that meant being real.

 

Finally, one day the Rabbit asked the wise, old Skin Horse how he, the Rabbit, could become a favorite, i.e.  real. Many of the fancy mechanical toys lay broken around the nursery. They no longer buzzed, moved, or tooted. The Skin Horse answered, “Real isn’t how you are made, it’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time...you become Real.”

 

Concerned, the Rabbit asked, “Does it hurt?”

 

In all honesty, Skin Horse answered, “Sometimes.” But Skin Horse added a caveat, “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

 

Dana and I know that what the Bible says is Real, and yet, we take that by faith. We have both been around awhile, and while we may not always be wise, we try. (Hopefully) many of those who know us would say that we are real. Again, we try.  Like the Skin Horse we have learned that sometimes being real hurts. And while Margery Williams used nursery magic to make the Skin Horse and Rabbit come alive, we know real life isn’t that easy. And if we have any love to give, hopefully it will be because of God’s love for us, and what He has done in us. And in our being real, perhaps some of His love will be shared with whoever our readers are.

 

Our first blog deals with politics and Christianity. Dana responded to something I wrote some time ago, but I think you’ll find it relevant for today, especially in light of the national conventions now taking place. Our goal is one blog a week. We’ll try, but if we don’t one will soon follow.  And if we can figure out how to set it up, you’ll be able to respond and others to you.

 

Dana’s introduction:

 

 

     Greetings Brothers, Sisters, Friends, Friends I haven’t met yet and those who, after reading a bit decide that the last thing they would want to be is my “friend”—I love y’all too. I am Dana C. Acker. Welcome to the first edition of Kingdom Musings.  We hope that you will be blessed or challenged by what you will read here now and in the days to come.

 

      In getting started, I’m going to put out a couple of disclaimers.  First, I am not a Bible Scholar.  There are no advanced degrees from prestigious institutions of Biblical or Theological higher learning hanging on my wall.  That said, I am indebted to and a big fan of Bible Scholars, whose works I consult constantly. 

 

       Second, it is my purpose to be as Biblically and theologically correct as possible in what I write, but it is a fact that Biblical and theological interpretation often differs between sincere believers.  What is correct (orthodox) to one can be the next thing to heresy to another.  If you find yourself in disagreement with any positions I might put forth, as you are able, be civil in your criticisms.  An opposing view I can respect, even if in disagreement, and as I am able I will willfully address. However, rude and or hostile attacks will be ignored, and subsequently dismissed out of hand.

 

      Third, as I consult the written works of many capable scholars, apologists, theologians, pastors and teachers, I will endeavor to give adequate credit to the author or speaker by way of “footnotes” at the end of any writings I put forth, or at least after any quotes or paraphrases I use.  If I am wrong, or I make a mistake, and it is pointed out to me, I’ll admit it, and be thankful for the correction, and once noted and corrected, proceed as planned.

 

      Lastly, there are theological and doctrinal positions to which  I hold firmly.  These are subjects hard won, throughout an adult lifetime of study, inquiry, contemplation and prayer.  But I am aware that my beliefs are just that, mine.  If something I write makes you think, or rethink one of your own beliefs, OK.  Good even.  Whether or not you subscribe to my beliefs, will not raise or lower my opinion of you as a brother or sister in Christ.  Christianity is a big tent, and all who practice charity for the ideas of others are certainly welcome. 

 

      The following is from an email sent to me by John Calsin, a good friend and brother for many a year.  Seeing that we are in the midst of a new political donnybrook (election cycle), perhaps some thoughts on the Church’s response to all things political might be in order. So heat up the frying pan because we’re fixing to jump in.

 

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            In an article written by political correspondent Jon Ward, on January 14, 2016 in an article titled “Rubio’s supporters are the future of evangelicalism. But will they vote?,” Ward made a statement that particularly struck home to me:  "The Falwell evangelicals view the growing pluralism and secularism in American culture as something to fight and overturn, and they see politics as a primary way to do that."
 

        That pretty much sums up the problem both in America and the conservative Church.  Today, societal and governmental pluralism and secularism are becoming quite proactive in their stances against the committed Christian Church.  Secularism pretty much just excludes the notion of God as being an influence in any of governments or society's beliefs or practices.  Pluralism, on the other hand, basically says, "It's OK to practice any religion, philosophy, or life way you choose, as long that religion, philosophy, or life way doesn't include Jesus.  All ways are all right, as long as it is not saying that Jesus is "The Way..." let alone "...The Truth or The Life."  We are right to be aware of and wary of that sort of thinking, because given its way, its adherents will do all that they can to undermine, trivialize, hinder, and finally persecute the Christian Church in this land.  

 

     The troubling aspect of the Church's opposition to this problem is the means by which it chooses to do so--through politics!  If you think about that for a minute, it certainly appears that the Church is saying that the reign of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the prayers of the saints, just aren't quite up to the task.  There's a Christian writer named Steve Quayle who I enjoy reading and whose interviews I likewise enjoy listening to. He repeatedly says, "There is no political solution to a spiritual problem," a notion with which I concur.

 

     That reminds me of the story I remember hearing from an old preacher sometime, somewhere in my distant past, whose name I, sadly, cannot recall.  He told of his watching a bull fight in Old Mexico, and how the matador would wave his red cape, and the enraged bull would charge at it, only to have the matador quickly step to the side at the last second, and stab the rampaging bull as he charged by.  Over and over again this happened until the bull was so weakened from loss of blood, that the matador simply stepped over at that point, took his “sword” and killed the bull.  The preacher's revelation from this gory spectacle was as if the Lord had said it to him, "If that bull ever realizes that his true enemy is not that little red cape flapping in the breeze, that matador is finished."

 

     Our real enemy isn't the little red cape of pluralism and secularism, but the one who is behind that, namely the devil and his minions.  And as good and honorable as a politician may attempt to appear, they simply cannot mitigate the wiles of the devil via legislation.  We (the Church) seem to have forgotten that, "...the weapons of our warfare are not carnal...," which means that we cannot go out with knives or guns or politics and expect to defeat spiritual evil. You can’t shoot the devil! Martin Luther is reputed to have thrown an inkwell at him, and no doubt, he did. But it didn’t do the job, did it?  Expecting politicians to restore moral balance to our land is the epitome of carnal weaponry.  And we are guilty as charged.

 

     In Daniel 9, he prays for his people concerning the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy regarding the end of the Babylonian exile (from Jeremiah 25, which would be a good chapter for America to take to heart). But Daniel's prayer is mostly a confession of sin on behalf of his people.  We'd do well to pay heed.  Much more healing would be in store for our country if we confessed our sin as a nation, and as a Church, for being so apathetic about allowing evil's influence to flourish, and, for looking to godless or, at best, quasi-religious politicians to make things right again.

 

     In a very real sense, what we (the Church) have been and are still doing for the last 40 some odd years is no different than King Saul's consulting the witch of Endor in the face of the Philistine onslaught...and we see how well that worked out for him. 

 

     No, the problem is that we don't see, or we refuse to see how that worked out for Saul, so we ever continue to do it. Somewhere I heard one of the definitions of insanity as, "...doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?"      

 

     Now all that said, it doesn't mean that I advocate apathy or irresponsibility when it comes to voting for our potential leaders.  However when I looked at the last presidential election, I found myself tangled in the horns of a dilemma over the fact that one candidate, Barak Obama was a liberal with Muslim sympathies, and the other candidate, Mitt Romney was a conservative Mormon. 

 

     Many conservative evangelicals supported Romney, because he was "more Christian" than Obama, when, in reality, he holds the eternal Deity of Jesus Christ in no higher regard than did his opponent.  But the Church was quick to side with Mr. Romney over Mr. Obama for the reason stated above. Which was ”…he was ‘more Christian’ than Obama….”   In my estimation, we would have missed the boat either way as neither man represents Orthodox Christian or Biblical views in the evangelical or Catholic sense of the terms.  But it leads me to ask, was the Church right for supporting Romney just because there are no known cases of radical Mormons beheading Christians?

 

     The truth of the matter is that we cannot expect real spiritual or moral change in this land regardless of whether Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton is elected this go round, unless America repents in a big way…and America is not going to repent unless the Church repents first (2 Chronicles 7:14). We've got to remember what Daniel said in the aforementioned chapter 9: 4-5

 

     "I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules."  (ESV)

 

     We (the Church) have to keep in mind that the covenant and steadfast love of which Daniel spoke, are kept for those who "...love [God] and keep His commandments," and not just those who have a King James Bible in the house, say the blessing before eating, and wear nice clothes when attending the church of their choice on Sunday morning.  See Amos 6:1A.

 

     Well, that’s enough pontificating for this edition. On a lighter note, I remember a friend, who majored in political science at one of the country's more prestigious universities, telling me of how he spent an afternoon arguing with his grandmother because of her refusal to vote in elections.  He argued passionately about civic responsibility and the exercising of rights in a free nation (this was several years back) and still his grandmother refused to vote.  Finally, in exasperation, he heatedly asked, "Grandmother, why won't you vote?" 

 

     To which she replied..."Because it only encourages them."

 

     Keep it real, brothers and sisters, because if you don’t, the devil will.

 

     Until next time…may peace be with you.