Memorial Service

 

Celebrating the life of Dr. Paul Thompson who passed away April 6, 2021.

A memorial service will be held Sunday April 11, 2021 at 6:00 pm at Calvary Chapel Grace Fellowship, 549 NY-17, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987.

Join us for a memorial celebration service followed by pizza. His request was for people to dress cheerfully to celebrate the abundant life and the eternal life he now lives in Christ.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ministry at Craigville Bible Church or one of the ministries they support: Marriage & Family Savers in Newburgh, NY, MyChoice Pregnancy Center of Orange County, or Samaritan’s Purse.

More information can be found on the Craigville Bible Church Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1128891370919127/

or at the Flynn Funeral Home website: https://memorials.flynnfh.com/paul-thompson/4579531/index.php

Nobody Takes Communion

TRADITION! So sings,Tevye, in "Fiddler on the Roof". It is ingrained in us from our earliest memories. Traditions are not bad things, most of the time. They do, however, bring us to a point where the truth may be subverted by what we have always done. I used the example of Monopoly in my previous post. Many of us have played the game, few of us follow the written instructions. What is true in Monopoly is true in other areas of our lives. Tradition moves into orthodoxy and, in time, replaces the simple directions of God's Word. While often the tradition is close enough, or a variant of  God's Word, so that little harm is done. However, tradition may rob us of experiencing the intimacy and purpose of God's plan.

Most of those who follow Jesus as Messiah, or as Savior if that is more comfortable for you, are familiar with a memorial He left for us just hours before He went to the cross. Depending on our background we call this memorial, Communion, The Lord's Table, The Lord's Supper, Holy Eucharist, The Last Supper or the Breaking of Bread. If I missed your title I apologize. Though there are minor variations and some differing theological baggage the service or ceremonies are similar. There is bread or matzo, and wine or juice. A big loaf , broken pieces or wafers along with little cups, a common cup, or a tiny package with both together. It is celebrated weekly, monthly, quarterly or on special days of remembrance. The tradition is drawn very clearly from the Scriptures. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22 offer very similar accounts. John 13 does not mention the memorial but  does mention the Passover meal. John adds the account of Christ washing the disciples feet. Based on this passage some fellowships add the act of foot washing to their memorial of our Lord's death. You can add Acts 2 with the record of the "breaking of bread" and additional testimony of the Lord's Memorial is found in 1 Corinthians 11. They all can support the call by the Lord to break bread and share the cup in remembrance of His death until He comes again. A worthy tradition that is based clearly in the Scriptures.

This is all well and good and even commendable that Christ's followers have kept this memorial going for about 2000 years. Few things last that long in any society or community. My question is pretty simple, is what we do a reflection of what was done when the instruction of the Lord was given? Has convenience and tradition replaced the Biblical example. More disturbing, has tradition and orthodoxy replaced the memorial and robbed us of a deeper, more personal, more authentic time of remembrance?

All of the accounts of this memorial we are to celebrate happened at a meal. None of them happened at a synagogue or "church" building. The Lord Jesus superintends the initiating of the original memorial at a Passover meal as recorded in the Gospel accounts. After that there is no indication of some ordained or authorized clergy overseeing the memorial. That does not necessarily mean there wasn't one, there just is no record. Let us take a look at the two other passages used to support the ongoing tradition.

The first is found in Acts 2:46, "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart." The believers went to the Temple (in other cities, the synagogue) to hear the Word of God. There were few copies of the Scriptures available, so God's Temple would be the place to go to hear the Word in Jerusalem. When the time at the temple was completed the Followers of Christ went to homes to share a meal and to break bread, possibly meaning a time of remembrance concerning the Lord's death. No church building, no little cups, no apparent clergy, but they were sharing and eating a full meal with gladness and simplicity of heart. 

The second is found in I Corinthians 11:17-30. Here the record of the Apostle Paul's instruction and admonition concerning the Corinthian believers celebration. When the assembly came together to share in the memorial some got drunk and others ate all the food before the others, the less fortunate, could receive a satisfactory serving. Paul scolds them telling them that if they want to gorge themselves and drink too much, to do so when they are alone at home. When they gather together as an assembly of believers, be thoughtful of the others who have joined the group. Make sure everyone has a share and do not make a mockery of this special memorial. It is clear there is a meal involved and more than a wafer. You would have to eat a lot of modern day communion bread to feel satiated and over fed. I am pretty confident that most of us head home after our communion/memorial services with a desire to eat a meal. What we see in Scripture is the  incorporation the Lord's Memorial into a shared meal with other believers. most likely in someones home.

The question I have is, "When was the last time you had a couple of believing families over for dinner and incorporated the Lord's Memorial into your meal?" Have you had a backyard bar-b-q and paused to sing a worship song or two and break some matzo and share some juice in remembrance of Him?  Maybe it is having friends over for pizza and a game night and you take time together to remember the Lord's death while eating your food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Have we made the memorial so "Sacred" that we are missing opportunities for a more intimate time with fellow believers in sharing our love for the Savior? Would you feel comfortable doing this? Even if there is no Pastor, Elder or Priest to officiate? Just you and some close believing friends remembering Jesus while enjoying a time around an open fire with some s'mores, some bread to break and some juice or wine to share.If this sounds a bit much, is it Scripture or tradition that is rubbing your fur the wrong way? You might be closer to God's Word in your dining room than in the church sanctuary. 

I am not suggesting that you do away with your traditional service. Don't go to your church leaders and ask them to discontinue your fellowship's celebration of the Lord Memorial. That time of communion with the Body of Christ can be powerful, meaningful, and a holy time together in the presence of the Lord. I have been touched in my spirit by God's Spirit in those traditional times with my little cup of juice and tiny piece of bread. Even those sort of squeaky wafers that stuck to my teeth and the eyedropper of wine have moved my heart in remembrance of Him. However, this memorial was given to you, for you. Your backyard, dining room, gazebo, campfire or even your "Man Cave" can be a sacred place to remember the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Do not let tradition or some man-made orthodoxy rob you of memorable times of communion with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, are you ready or willing to step out of your comfort zone and celebrate what He has given? I would be interested in hearing of your new found freedom to celebrate the Lord's table at your dinner table.   

Nobody Plays Monopoly

Have you ever played Monopoly? I cannot remember my first game, however I must have been fairly young at the time. It has been and continues to be a popular game. We own the traditional one, one modeled after my home town and one that reflects the Star Wars legacy. I do have a question. Have you ever actually read all the instructions for Monopoly or do just go with what you have been taught over the years? Are you aware that "Free Parking" holds no material value? You get no money when you land on the square. The rules suggest that the banker must be a good auctioneer and may or may not be a player. They may just be the banker. Any unowned property must be sold when it is landed on. If the player who lands on the property chooses not to buy it the banker immediately puts it up for auction. Anyone, even the one who refused to buy it, may bid on the property. The bidding has no minimum. You might buy Baltic Avenue for $2 if no one else makes a bid. If you mortgage a property you must pay the bank 10% interest when you pay back the mortgage. If someone goes bankrupt to you, you must immediately pay the bank 10% for any mortgaged property that comes from the losing player. If you choose to wait to pay off the mortgage you pay and additional 10% when you clear the mortgage. If the bank runs low on houses or hotels, and more than one player wants to buy them, the bank can hold an auction and sell to the highest bidder. You could potentially pay $3000 for a house on Saint James Place. Do you remember these rules? Did you play by them? Personally I do not remember paying interest or any bank auctions. I like having some cash awarded to me when I landed on Free Parking. 

To be honest I will not lose any sleep over the fact that we fudged the real rules and went with the traditions that I was taught by some one who already knew the game. What could be the harm if tradition supersedes the written rules? We likely live in a world where few actually play Monopoly. In fact, enough time has passed that few remember the original instructions and are happy to go with the popular modifications. You would have to be pretty intolerant to demand that the game be played to the letter of the law. For Monopoly the rules have changed yet the game goes on. However, there are some quiet, perhaps disturbing, applications to this socially acceptable approach to how rules are viewed.

Do rules for life matter? Where do we find them? For believers in the God of the Bible and His Son, Messiah Jesus, we can quickly respond with, "The Bible". Isn't that the place we turn to for all instruction for faith and practice? Having traveled down life's road for a while, and having devoted a significant portion of my life to the study of God's Word, I fear that we may have adopted a, sort of,  Monopoly approach to the Scriptures. I have found that tradition, theological predisposing, and what we were taught from the beginning  may dictate what we do and how we believe. These things offer comfort when we gather together as a believing body. We can lean heavily on how we have always played instead of investigating the actual instructions contained in God's Manuel. Do we rely on tradition or the Scriptures when we implement those "faith and practice" things we hold as sacred? Are we willing to take an objective look at the "Word" to see if what we do and believe lines up with Scripture? It can, indeed, be an uncomfortable process. However, it might be worth the investigation to validate or challenge our religious practice both individually and corporately. 

My intention is not to throw rocks or to cause division or angst among my brothers and sisters in Christ. However, in our pursuit of truth and a deeper relationship with the Lord we do need to have the Word of God as our guide and standard. Traditions and theology have their value and should not be discarded off hand. Still, we always need to evaluate them and what we have been taught, by God's revealed standard, being the Bible. With this being said, I would like to present a few posts to help us consider whether or not we have fallen into a Monopoly view of what we do as followers of Christ. So stay tuned as we compare our traditions with the Scripture and see just where we might stand with what we do as we gather together, in His name. We may be encouraged to see how well we are doing or there may be a need to return to the original instructions to correct what we have been taught and accepted, along the way. I think it is a risk worth taking. I hope you are willing to join me with a little mental and spiritual exercise to follow the Apostle Paul's instruction to, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

        

Morning Joy?

Have you known weeping? Has there been a time in your life that sorrow has felt overwhelming and the darkness impenetrable? As those who believe that God is good and that He delivers us from such times of pain and sorrow we often find comfort in the words of King David, preserved for us in the Psalms.One such psalm, at least one verse or a part of a verse, has found its way into songs, sympathy cards and the folds of our memories. "For His anger, a moment, His favor, life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). David is no stranger to sorrow and weeping. He has know unjust persecution and the death of ones he has loved. He has known God's favor and he will experience God's anger. None of these emotions are foreign to him so he speaks these words from experience. Most of us have been touched by aspects of similar traumas and redemptions. However, we might well question the accuracy of David's poetic claim.

If you have known weeping and sorrow for a night is there a guarantee that relief comes with the dawn? I have sorrows that still rest within the pages of my life. They still manage to rise to the surface at unexpected times. A song, a sunset, a word of Scripture, even a phrase that captures a past moment and resurrects the loss I though had been healed. There are memories shared with a friend where we both change the subject to quench the tear ducts before the liquid sorrow becomes too noticeable. Weeping certainly seems to last more than a night and not every morning feels saturated with joy.

There are a few things to consider as we look to David's words. The psalmist gives us a heads up at the beginning. This psalm was written in celebration of the dedication of David's house, David's dwelling place. After years of being on the run where David's dwelling was more of the rustic variety, living in tents, caves, and within the open wilderness, David now has a home. Actually a palace of sorts. He is the king of a nation of renown. His armies are feared and his prosperity above most nations that are his neighbors. David praises the Lord for His faithfulness and for bringing him up from the pit. David has seen, first hand, the deliverance and salvation of the God of Israel. David knows the morning joy of God's presence.

The Hebrew word translated, "joy", does indeed mean joy, even exuberant joy. It also means to shout or pray. David often uses the word to express his need for God to hear him. Psalm 88:2 is just one among many, "Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry"(emphasis mine). Could it be that weeping endures for a night but prayer or a cry to the Lord comes in the morning? Is David promising short lived weeping and immediate outbursts of joy or a change that moves our focus off of the weeping and onto the One who brings comfort when we cry out to Him? Is God telling us that our weeping is momentary or that a prayer or morning cry out to Him will get us through another day?

I am aware that David is likely making use of the Hebraic poetic use of contrast to help us grasp the wonder and goodness of God. Just as God's anger is short lived while His favor lasts a lifetime, so our weeping may overwhelm us for an evening while something replaces that come dawn. English translations choose joy or rejoicing as the contrasting idea. However, a prayer or cry for comfort is not that far removed. Weeping moving into a cry for God's presence fits as well. It also allows for a time of weeping to become a time of prayer and reflection of God's care and watchfulness, which David expresses in the remainder of Psalm 30. In verse 8 David remembers that he cried out and made supplication to the Lord, verse 10 records David's cry for mercy and for the Lord to be his Helper. 

Certainly, God can turn my mourning into dancing and clothe me with gladness, verse 11. However, even for David, this was not an overnight reality.  We do not sorrow as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), however, we do sorrow. We do weep over loss, painful situations and for those who have been taken from us. Isaiah tells us that Messiah would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We live in a fallen world where evil, at times, seems to prevail. Loved ones die and suffer with no immediate relief or apparent reason. Messiah understands. We should not pass lightly over the emotion God has designed within us. Weeping may last for a night, however, I suggest you may feel free, as dawn approaches, to cry out with supplication for God's comfort and grace just to get you through another day. If you are not ready to put on your dancing shoes God is not disappointed. His peace will suffice until His joy returns.

Never Ending New Year

Any plans for the New Year? I planned to put a new post up each Monday so I could get into a rhythm and allow more of my collected thoughts to find their way into written words. However, this is Tuesday, so I am late already. Now I face the choice of being disappointed in the ability to follow through on something so simple and contemplate the downward spiral of failure or just start over where I am and move on. Often the most disappointed person in our lives is our-self. We have our personal goals and unspoken expectations that may be unrealized or put on hold. Disappointments no one else can see. The New Year is often a time of reflection and the intention to move forward with some aspect of our lives. Coming up short can lead to a feeling discouragement and, for some, the threat of depression. We have mental conversations asking why we didn't get up earlier, exercise, write the letter, pray, read God's Word, sort that pile of stuff on the kitchen counter and a plethora of other simple things we set our minds to do but our bodies didn't follow through. It can, indeed, be discouraging. I would like to share a thought or two on avoiding the molasses swamp of personal despondency. I suggest you just look to the new year and try again.

Just how can this help? The reality is that you and I live in a never ending new year. The one we celebrate on January first is the traditional western celebration yet it is actually artificial. It is a random day chosen a few thousand years ago and the power and influence of western culture brought about pretty much global compliance. However, the Chinese and the Hebrew folk celebrate their accepted New Years on a different day. Yes, they agree to go along with the January first date so we all can interact on the same calendar but that does not negate the difference of cultural opinions. Looking to the Word of God it seems God allows every day to be a new year. We do not have to wait for some magical day to come to start fresh. Every day is a new opportunity to move forward.

I am of the belief that God is intimately involved with creation. He is not removed from the daily realities of humanity and this world. This does cause me some significant theological distress for it brings things I have been indoctrinated with into contrast with what I see in Scripture. That being said, I will save that discussion for another post. Today I want to postulate that God was not finished with creation after those six amazing days. Yes, the basics were done, however, creation continues all the time. You and I were, "Fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14, So God created something new when He created you. Everyday is a new act of creation. Thus, every day is a new beginning, a new year, as it were.

If you have received Messiah Jesus as Savior and Lord you are a, "new creation" according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. You are not recycled material, God is making you new. If you feel like a failure, no worries, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" Lamentations 3:22-23. New mercies every mornings. Not remnant or leftover mercies, God's mercy toward us is new every day. Therefore we, "walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4. Each morning is a new day, a new creation of God for you and I to enjoy.  A new day to join the Apostle Paul's encouragement from Philippians 3 in forgetting our past failures and to press on to that upward call in Christ Jesus. 

If you take a moment you may well think of other "new" things that are offered to us as each day unfolds. God is at work around us. He is at work in us. He offers new possibilities with the dawn of every morning. Do not allow the spirit of darkness cloud the brightness of His work in you. The Lord did not bring you this far to leave you now. So it is time to begin again, and again, and again, for He is not finished and you are His chosen one. We are invited to celebrate a new year with Messiah as our Savior and friend. So Happy New Years, we only have 160 of them left before next January first.

 

What Now? The Focus

What do you want for Christmas? Ice skates, tools, clothes, a new kitchen gadget, or maybe some toasty mittens for those frosty mornings. Then there is the New Year. What might your wish be for the coming year? Not a repeat of 2020 might be high on everyone's list. For many of us this week leads to the celebration of our Lord's first advent, His first arrival. The commercialized event can bring challenges to one's spirit to not be swept away with the egregious pace of it all. Christmas itself is a bit of an odd holiday. The day chosen nearly 2000 years ago was more political than spiritual but it indeed holds a long standing tradition. Celebrating Messiah's birth still seems like a good thing even if we are off a bit on the date. Which, by the way, isn't given to us precisely in Scripture. So, I will let December 25th be a special day. December 25th in the year 2020 will possibly be like no other in our life time. The CoVid19 residual fear and government restrictions still swirl around us and political tensions are yet to be resolved. Rumors are that 2021 will not be much better, at least at the start. Further restrictions, shutdowns, isolation, and economic hardships are in the forecast. So much for a "Happy New Year". For believers and followers of Messiah Jesus the "What now?" question can be a bit daunting. We want to move forward, but may question how. This is my last post to try to offer some perspective based on the prayer our Lord gave us in Matthew 6. His counsel in prayer applies to broader aspects of our lives as well. We conclude with a thought that should be ours on a daily basis. One that should be our focus in life and one that helps keep our vision clear.

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:13b). The ending of the prayer brings our focus back to the majesty of the object or focus of our prayer. I understand the textual variants and some leave this phrase out. However, it is one of longstanding, one I learned as a child, and one that cannot be disputed as theologically true. Thus, today we will let it stand. Our tendency in life, be it our physical or spiritual lives, is to maintain comfort. Much of our prayer time is spent on the desire for our comfort or that of someone else. Relief from pain, sickness, distress, financial hardship or some kind of oppression likely fill our prayer journals. Our prayer of daily bread, forgiveness, even for God's kingdom to come may have our comfort at the forefront. We feel powerless and need God's power to make us feel better. To feel more comfortable in whatever situation we find ourselves to be in. Looking forward that may yet be our focus. "Lord give me a comfortable New Year".

Is that really to be the focus of our lives? John the baptizer put it simply, "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Life is not about my comfort but about God's kingdom and God's glory. If  my discomfort results in God's glory I should be content. The Apostle Paul recognized this truth. He didn't always enjoy it but he learned to be content. In dealing with an oppression from the devil Paul asked for relief, to be more comfortable. However, he shares this response with the Corinthians. " And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Boasting in my infirmities isn't high on my New Year's list. Paul gives the believers in Corinth some other council as well, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the following, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20). God's glory and putting His power on display is apparently more important than being comfortable.

Many of us live as pampered Christians thus our prayer lives may focus on the desire to remain pampered. None of these things are bad or evil but they are self centered. If my objective is to advance God's kingdom, which was the message of our Lord here on earth, my prayer life should coincide with that purpose. My life is to be about God's kingdom, God's power, and God's glory forever. Perhaps our prayers should include the desire for God's glory. "Lord, whatever brings You glory and best advances your kingdom, handle my cancer in what is best for You. I am your servant", rather than just, "Take away the cancer and heal me, let me be comfortable." Healing may be God's way of putting His power and glory on display. However, if another path is more effective in advancing His kingdom am I willing to be content or even desirous for the disease to progress? Not an easy thought to ponder. 

The new year may hold some difficult, even evil, occurrences as the weeks unfold. Should the progressive party prevail our religious liberties may be curtailed. Messages on God's view of marriage and the value of life could be hate speech. The ongoing pandemic will give more opportunities to target houses of worship to be shut down. Medical care could be rationed or required by our governing authorities. Our enemies may prosper and our allies suffer on multiple levels. I am not wishing for these and I am not a prophet, however, we would be naive to ignore the possibilities. In all of the potential of the days and months to come what will be our focus? God's kingdom, power, and glory or our personal comfort and a pampered life hidden in the shadows. If you study the Scriptures or even history, those who stood boldly for God's glory did not always fair well in this world. Yet, their focus was on advancing God's kingdom and glory no matter what the cost. How will we answer the. "What now?" question?  Will it be about just our comfort? Or will our focus be on God's kingdom, power, and glory? I suppose we also have the option to just leave out that final phrase of the Lord's prayer and take comfort in the shadows. But there is not much glory in that.

What Now? Be Prepared

 The year 2021 is on the horizon and many hope it will be a year of returning to normal. This past year has certainly been disruptive to our usual experience of life. The isolation and limitations placed upon us have left many wounded and afraid. There is a need to go beyond where we have been. God and His Word are essential guides for those who believe in Messiah Jesus and His coming kingdom. There are many places to find direction within the pages of God's revelation to us. Over the past few posts we have considered the truths found in the familiar prayer found in Matthew 6. "What now?" is a question that should lead us to our Heavenly Father for direction. We need to realize that the advancement of His Kingdom is not derailed because of a virus or an election. We need to recognize our dependence upon the Lord day by day and be quick to forgive and support those who share our faith and strive for faithfulness. All this is well and good. However, God is wise enough to alert us to another reality.  As we attempt to look forward we dare not be naïve concerning the opposition we will face. Our enemy has come to rob, kill and destroy. That has been his plan and desire from the beginning. The battle continues today. 

Knowing this, our Lord told His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Satan and the evil spirits that invade our lives want to rob us of our freedoms, our worth, and our purpose in serving the Lord. They come to kill the unborn, the elderly, the young through war and social unrest. They hold an unrelenting desire to destroy families, communities, and the fellowships of believers. The path they propose may appear to be one of light and prosperity, however, the way may be the road to addiction and destruction. The way of temptation is one of enticement urging us to experiment with new things that appear benign on the surface but conceal the poison that draws us away for truth and into the snare that grips us and leaves us wanting. We need to pray that we would be aware, alert, and sensitive to the way of temptation. Paul warned those in Corinth, "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). We dare not deceive ourselves into following our desires into the shadows of compromise and delusion. Thus, we must pray that we will not be lead into temptation or to allow ourselves to be tested in areas of personal weakness. We are warriors for God's kingdom and be are to be prepared for the battle. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).

There is a second aspect to this prayer. We are not only to avoid being lead into temptation we are also told to pray for deliverance. "Deliver us from the evil one" is the given prayer. There are times when we need to be rescued for the evil one, or from evil, as some translate this prayer. The meaning of the Greek word for evil is pretty broad.  It is translated as labors, annoyances, hardships, peril, pain, and trouble. If we are honest the "evil one" is adept at ruining our day with hardships and damaging friendship through annoyances. His attacks are often subtle and deceitful. How much damage has come to your attitude from some "idiot" driver who cut you off? We need to be aware of our need to have our Deliverer present with us all the time. Well, He actually is. We are the ones who are unaware. Perhaps praying for sensitivity to our Deliverer's presence could help blunt the evil one's attack and keep us on the path of righteousness while avoiding that other path.

What Now? If we are to move forward and to advance God's kingdom we have no option but to cling to our Heavenly Father. Temptation and the assault of Satan and his minions will never cease until the Lord returns and His kingdom comes in all its fullness. We must pray to avoid the siren call to the shadows of death and be all the more aware of the presence of our Deliverer. Each day is a new opportunity to live out the Spirit's fruit and walk in step with our Lord and Commander. And each day is a battle to be fought and, by His power, won. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). Tomorrow is yet another day to answer the "What now?" question. Perhaps the real question concerning moving forward is, "Are we prepared?"

What Now? Humble Trust

 Wouldn't it be nice if God just did what we asked on our time schedule? We ask for good things and it often seems to take an extraordinary amount of time before anything happens. There are those moments when the Lord seems to answer even before we ask. However, it is not unusual for us to sit in  that heavenly waiting room to receive some response from the Almighty. As we have noted, 2020 has been a difficult year for many people and God's people are not exempt. For some, the turmoil from the American election goes on unabated. In addressing these things there are still things we can do. Advancing God's kingdom does not stop due to a virus or the outcome of an election. With that in mind we have been looking to the familiar verses of Matthew 6:9-13, what is commonly known as, "The Lord's Prayer".

First, we are called to keep going forward, knowing that our heavenly Father is with us. By His holy name we can find comfort and purpose. Second, we were reminded to advance His kingdom. We can do so in a variety of ways, one being the opportunity and responsibility to live out the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. The world needs to see the children of God putting, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, on display. The Lord's encouraging words go on to instruct us to pray for God to give us our daily bread and to be those whose lives are marked by forgiveness. They are examples of holding a humble trust for the God and Father Who loves us.

For some of us praying for, "Our daily bread", might seem a bit of a waste of time. After all many of us live beyond abundance. Finding daily bread might seem easier that trying to curb the intake of bread to help reduce our waste-lines. The phrase would be more meaningful if we were Jewish folk following Messiah Jesus around the highways and byways of Judea. Daily bread was an absolute necessity for the Hebrews during forty years of wilderness wanderings. Manna was the daily bread that came down from heaven to allow the children of Israel to survive. Without God's daily provision the people would have perished. It was a powerful reminder that they were fully dependent upon the Lord for their survival. If you have food in the cupboard such dependence and trust might seem unnecessary. We live in the illusion of self sufficiency. It is humbling to recognize our dependence upon God. Jesus is our bread from heaven. We need Him daily, moment by moment, if we are to survive in this fallen world. John 6:35 explains, "And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." We need to be humble, trusting, dependent, people if we are to advance His kingdom and move forward in the days to come.

Humility is one of those difficult things to foster and integrate into our lives. We prefer to be independent and self sufficient. This trait may become glaringly obvious when someone offends us. We say things like, "I don't get mad, I get even" or "I can forgive but I will never forget". We hang onto offenses and irritations like they were precious metals. Morbid jewels infesting our lives or closeted away in lock boxed memories. The guardian of pride protects the hurt and eventually sucks the very life from our bones. The Lord knows the danger. Thus, He instructs us to forgive those who have trespassed or become indebted to our wounded spirits. It takes a humble person to forgive. It is often much easier to proudly hold onto the trespass or emotional debt we maintain in their account. It is wise to remember this warning from James, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). If we are to ask our Heavenly Father's forgiveness we must forgive others as well. We cannot move forward anchored to past hurts and preserved transgressions.

The New Year is approaching. Many are praying this would be a year of revival and the outpouring of God's Spirit in new and refreshing ways. To see God's will done here on earth as it is in heaven. If we are to be a part of that revival or to have the power of prayer with us, we need to be those who live with humble trust. To come to the Lord fresh every morning asking to to nourished by the very Bread of Heaven Who rescues our souls. We must be those quick to forgive and slow to take offense. To follow Paul's directions to the Ephesians in 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." 

There are yet a few more  forward thoughts here in Matthew 6, but this is enough to think about for this week. What now? Maybe we need a little more of that humble trust and forgiving spirit if we are to advance God's kingdom in the days to come. 

What Now? The Kingdom

Has life improved over the last week? Has a little less stress and a little more confidence in the future become your reality? Probably not. They speak of a new surge in the Covid19 pandemic. New government restrictions and a limited Christmas celebration. It is all for our good, so they say. The cacophony of voices can drown out that still small voice of, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." In my last post I spoke of assurance we can find in a common prayer that many of us have memorized. It is recorded for us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. A reminder that God is our heavenly Father. He has a perspective that we can lean on and a love we can trust. Our heavenly Father is not unaware of our situation. We are welcome to call Him, Abba, and rest in His arms of comfort and protection. In the times and situations we find ourselves in we may adopt a, sort of, bunker mentality. "Keep your distance and just let me hide away until it is all over." However, that attitude may well be self defeating when it comes to God's answer to the "What Now?" question. God's prayer not only gives us comfort it also gives us purpose.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done", is the request we are to make of the Lord God Almighty. It is a thought provoking phrase. If I do not pray will that prohibit the coming of His kingdom? And what of God's will? In the long run can we ever escape His will? I mean, isn't God going to do what He desires to do? As sovereign Lord doesn't He have this all worked out in advance? If I sequester myself in my basement would it make any difference? That odd tension between God's will and my responsibility never seems to go away. Paul's question to the Romans's in 10:14 comes into play when we think of hiding in our attics. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" We are the answer to the "how." Praying, like faith, takes action if it is going to be effective. James uses a bit of an edge as he directs those scattered to have a faith that works. James 2:16, "One of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what good is it?" If you are praying for God's Kingdom to come you need to be doing things to advance His kingdom now, day by day. Covid or not, government edicts or not, we are to be actively advancing His kingdom. We still have a purpose. We still have responsibilities.

To accomplish this we simply have to do God's will. That, in and of itself, could fill a significant number of posts. Knowing and doing God's will has been a means of selling a plethora of books while leaving many a weary believer feeling inept or discouraged. Jesus asks us to pray that God's will would be done, "on earth as it is in heaven." That is supposed to be helpful. However, I have yet to visit heaven or have viewed a valid documentary on exactly how heaven works. I do imagine it runs smoother and more in tune with God's will than our current situation here on earth. Fortunately the Lord has given us a book on establishing His kingdom readily available to most of us. We need to be well versed in His Word if we are to know His will. Let me just give a few hints that may be helpful. We should be those who live by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is a bit easier to know. The Apostle Paul was directed to give the Galatians a list of nine aspects of the Spirit's fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Each day, even each moment, allows us to put this fruit on display. Our responsibility is to incorporate these various aspects of Spiritual fruit into our lives. It is fairly easy to imagine that being in glory would reflect these attitudes so we can both, do God's will, and advance His kingdom, as we live out Spiritual fruit.

Society is fragmented and hatred has spread like a cancer infecting millions. Sacrificial Godly love is the cure. We are surrounded by anxiety and fear so showing joy and peace would be a kingdom response. How about those lines with angry people joining in the odd contest of toilet paper hording? Could a bit of patience and self control put God's kingdom on display? Our communities could obviously use some gentleness and kindness. That just leaves the opportunity to weave a bit of faithfulness and goodness into our interaction with the local representatives of humanity. With that we are on our way to doing God's will and helping to get a little of His heavenly kingdom into our earthly realm. Could that be doable? We could even start tomorrow with minimal training. We simply need to make the choice to produce spiritual fruit instead of the world's corruption. It is one simple step forward that does not require governmental approval or the "right" person in the White House. 

What now? How about coming confidently to our loving heavenly Father, trusting in His care. Then we might start praying for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done. We could go about advancing His kingdom a little each day. There are lots of ways to be obedient. If you need a place to begin, living out His Spiritual fruit might be a place to start. It certainly couldn't hurt.

What Now? Going Forwrd.

 How do you feel about the past months? There are few places where the events of CoVid19 has not had an impact and if you are in the USA you can add the joy of a national election. Much of life has been disrupted. The question for all of us, and especially believers, is, "What now?" How do we move forward from where we are to where we need to be. For some it is a time of great distress. It seems the powers of darkness have gained more than a foothold and the future is uncertain in the midst of a growing darkness. Should the USA, indeed, be guided by a new administration things are likely to change. 

For some it is a time of rejoicing with the potential removal of an arrogant and un-presidential tyrant. Then there is the promise of free healthcare, free education, forgiven student loans, a guaranteed income with the government taking care of them. The government only wants what is best for us. We just need to be compliant. 

For others it will be the codification of the "right" to kill babies and to progressively move toward the elimination of those who lack the quality of life that would prove to be a drain on society. They see an expansion of government control that tells us religious practice is "nonessential" and religious conviction is disallowed as "hate speech". The pandemic has been an effective tool to limit worship meetings and penalize people of faith. Numerous governors has become lush with new powers that control the lives of the masses. All in the name of keeping us safe. The proposed plan is to regulate what you drive, where you live, how much energy you can use and how to protect yourself and your family. A false security with the price tag being your freedom and liberty. Either view leaves you wondering what to do from here.

It occurred to me that we, as followers of Messiah Jesus, have been given a plan, a guideline, to follow from the Word of God. That should not be unexpected. However, the truth that most of us have already memorized the directions might come as a surprise. In this, and a followup post or two, I want to give a possible answer that God impressed upon my heart in the quiet of the night while I recovered from some mild food poisoning. Yes, sometimes the LORD has to put me on the recliner looking up to see what He has for me. This is not a vision wrought from indigestion but just some thoughts that rolled over me when the silence outweighed the usual conflagration of my overactive midnight brain. Matthew and Luke give variations of the direction from the Lord. It is a simple answer given by the Lord as a response to a simple "How" question brought by His disciples. We will use Matthew's account but either gives us an answer to give us hope and remind us that. perhaps, nothing has really changed.

Mathew gives us this message in Matthew 6:9-13. I invite you to give voice to these familiar verses with me, "Our Father, Who art in heaven, holy is Your name, Your kingdom come Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (a slightly modified version of the NKJV). These verses can serve both as a reminder and a map to follow as we continue our journey with the God of all creation and His Son, Messiah Jesus, empowered by His Holy Spirit. It helps keep my mind straight and it helps that I learned this through simple repetition as a child never thinking, "Oh, this comes from Matthew 6". Childhood memories to the rescue.

"Our Father, Who art in heaven". Turning our attention to our heavenly Father in times of foggy reality is never a bad place to begin. He is the personal God and Father Who invites us to call Him, Abba. The intimate name from a child to their daddy. He is the Father Who hears and understands. He is the Father that has a heavenly perspective. One Who sees beyond our limited existence and experience. He has worked in the past, through every difficulty we can imagine. He is not unaware of our situation or the thoughts that may bring unrest and discomfort to our thoughts and emotions. He is not bound by politics or elections. He was not absent through four hundred years of slavery or the forty years of wilderness wanderings. He did not forsake David as he cowered in the caves or Daniel as he stood, in faith, among the lions. He was not absent at the cross nor did He abandon the women at the empty tomb. I can trust my Heavenly Father to be with me today. Perhaps, I just need to hear His words to David and "Be still and know He is God" (Psalm 46:10). Like Elijah, I wait for the mighty wind, or earthquake, or roaring fire, and miss the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19). No matter what the day brings I can rest in Him.

"Holy is Your name". The name above all names. The unspoken name among His Hebrew children as they show deference and respect to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is our loving Father. He is also the awesome God of all creation. He is not to be taken lightly or for granted. He name is separated from every other name. Our God shares this nobility with His Son, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10). Ephesians 1:21 offers a similar truth, That His Son Messiah is "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." No matter how the enemy works to turn God's name or the name of His Son into a meaningless profanity it does not change the reality of the holiness of His name. In time all of mankind will recognize that truth and bow before Him. We should not allow the turmoil of this present age to overshadow the wonder of His name or the power of His presence.

We have a more to consider from this familiar prayer given to us by the Lord Himself. Those will find their way to Torah Paranoia in the weeks to come. However, perhaps this will give you a few things to reflect upon and ponder. Perhaps it is a prayer you can revive as you enter each day and maybe, just maybe this prayer was given to us for such a time as this.   

Death of the Spirit

There was a time when humanity saw a correlation between the natural and the supernatural. A time when events that surrounded us had a spiritual connection. People believed that the gods and goddesses were at work in helping, punishing, or toying with mankind. Today we live in a rational world with a rational culture. When people act on an emotional level we proclaim them to be irrational. The supernatural is replaced with the natural so we may wander about with the illusion of control. This illusion has its foibles, however, for there are times when the rational has its limitations. Yet, we continue to find ways to avoid the uncomfortable possibility that we do not have the ability to solve everything. The supernatural will simply not go away.

In those old primitive days humanity was concerned with keeping the local deities happy. Drought, fire, storms, pandemics among other "natural" disasters were a warning that the gods or goddesses were not happy. Somehow they had been offended and now must be appeased. Often times the people were clueless as to what they had done. In Acts 17 Paul addresses the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill. Paul had seen many altars to the "Unknown God" around the city and uses this as a way to introduce the Lord God and His Son, Messiah Jesus. The background of the altars came from a pandemic that swept through the city. No one knew which god or goddess they had offended so they released sheep to wander around and whatever temple they went near they were offered up to that deity to appease them and ask them to stop the plague. However, some sheep never found a temple, so the people of Athens built an altar to the "unknown god" and made a sacrifice just in case there was a god they were not aware of. The point is, plague equals angry god. We have grown far beyond those foolish days of superstition and ignorance. Now we can explain troubling events and natural occurrences with logic and science. When we do not have an explanation we just blame things on poor management, global warming or manmade climate change. There is no need to revert to the unsophisticated days of the supernatural. 

For those who are believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the supernatural is not, at least in theory and rhetoric, unreasonable or foreign. We speak of the power of God and the power of His Spirit. God is a supernatural being who is worthy of our worship, praise and obedience. He is also a God Whom we have come to contain and surround by our theological fences. He is a God of love and compassion Who demonstrated that through the birth of His Divine Son who lived, was crucified, died, was buried and rose again, conquering death. This God offers forgiveness and life eternal to those who accept and believe in His Son, Messiah, Jesus. These are all truths to be accepted, except for the theological box thing. We, as believers, tend to struggle to keep things in balance. We spring from one doctrinal belief to another and find Scripture  to support our position. We also tend to ignore the texts that bring an opposing point of view. Sometimes we are a bit like those in Athens, not sure what to do with God or what to do with the natural events that surround us.

It is clear from God's Word that there were and will be natural events of a tragic nature that touch our lives. Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and plagues that exterminate lives have been with humanity from the earliest times, Some are a simple result of living on a fallen planet that is touched by sin and, like us, "creation groans" (Romans 8:22) under the weight and corruption caused by man's rebellion against the Creator. These are the natural consequences of events in Genesis 3 that are with us every day. However, God also makes it clear that such events may be of His design to alert His people, or to bring judgement on those who reject His call to believe and follow Him. The question might be, "How can you tell?" Is this a message from the Lord wrapped in an earthquake or a pandemic? The follow up question could be, "Does it matter?"

In our rational, despiritualized culture such natural events are passed over or excused. The people of God used to understand that such situations were a call to introspection and prayer. Is every tragic occurrence the judgement of God? Probably not. However, there are indeed times when the Lord does bring such discipline upon His people. In 2 Samuel 21:1 we read. "Now there was a famine in the land in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord." The famine was indeed a message from the Lord, a judgement due to the brutality of Saul upon the Gibeonites. Out in the wilderness the Israelites rebel against Moses and Arron and we read of this result, "So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.” Drought, famine, plague, and you can add the earthquake when Korah rebels and the drought called by Elijah in the days of Ahab (See 1 Kings 17-18). Famine was predicted in Acts 11 and famine, death, and fire will come by God's hand in Revelation 18.

In addition to "natural" disasters, God will sometimes use the unrighteous to discipline or challenge His own to repent. It is a call to wake up and rekindle their devotion to Him. God used the oppression of the Philistines, Babylonians and Romans, to name a few. Within the past year we have seen fires, earthquakes, a few volcanic eruptions, a world wide pandemic, and leaders desiring power who flaunt the truth and righteousness of God. Are these God's judgements? Is the Apocalypses upon us? Are we under the wrath of God? Is this the end of life as we know it? An end to the USA? (Which, by the way, does not seem to be a power worth mentioning in any Biblical prophecy.) What do we do with all of this? It seems believers either find little prompting toward confession and repentance in the face of such things or find a spiritual battle hidden in everything, So believers I have known stressed over which cereal to buy, "Does this company have ties to some godless regime?" Where is the balance?

It seems that we do, indeed, need to pay attention to the world and the calamities that surround us. They certainly should be a reminder to walk with purity and humility before the God we say we follow. Introspection is not a  bad thing. Neither is confession and repentance. As the years go by we may well find that our devotion to God and to the principles of His word are less and less acceptable to the world around us. It would be naïve to think that the Lord does not notice the growing depravity of our society or the gradual acceptance of evil by His own. Things that were appalling or unacceptable have quietly invaded the Body of Christ. Profanity and sexual impropriety are woven into what we see as entertainment. The push for acceptance of perversion and the killing of the unborn as an acceptable a social norm is a daily assault on God's holy standards. How would this not invite some divine repercussions? 

The question for today is simple. Has rationality brought about the death of the Spirit? Do we explain away the actions of a Holy God or do they draw us to repentance and a call to holy living. It is much easier to ignore or explain away the disasters that surround us. The natural answer is less disturbing than falling into the hands of an angry God. Just how rational have we become? Just what would God have to do to capture our attention? Famine, fire, plagues, godless people coming to power, an assault on our religious liberties and freedoms. Is this a warning sign or just a sign of the times. Is it God's hand upon us or just the course of nature randomly unfolding? If nothing else, maybe it is something to think about when you see God's creation convulsing around you.   

Psalm 23 - A Parody

 I am, for the most part, a people person. I like to talk to people and I end up with lots of spontaneous conversations in shopping lines, parking lots, the beach and pretty much anywhere. It is surprising how quickly people confide in you when you listen and ask a few questions, I like the people in our church family. I am closer to some but I enjoy talking to all of them. I admit there have been times when there have been those who have turned away and even tried to discredit me, my ministry and even my family. However, that has not quenched the joy I receive from talking and listening.

 That being said, the forced separation required by power consumed politicians has been very wearing upon me. It has been draining physically (months with no time at the gym), emotionally (seeing people I care about given to fear), spiritually (being denied worship and fellowship with other believers), and mentally (interaction and the sharing of ideas stimulates one's brain). Thus, my life has been drained of significant vitality. And the governmental edicts continue even as deaths and hospitalizations become rare.Each time a milestone is reached the government and governor find new reasons to continue the power play and fear mongering. Threats have been added to insure compliance to the message of fear. 

When these things happen, isolation and time to let my brain play with itself, a random strain of sarcastic creativity begins to ferment. I usually do not write much that is overtly political. I do fear the destruction of the country I love and the freedoms I have enjoyed by the growing socialist movement that has consumed the Democrat party. We have come a long way from President Kennedy challenging all Americans to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but, what you can do for your country." Now the party says, "Give us power and give up your freedom and government will take care of you". For many, the promise of freedom from responsibility at the cost of personal freedom is all too inviting. A country filled with the equally poor ruled in perpetuity by the powerful elite is not the freedom I desire. 

My being always seeks an avenue to release the frustration my body absorbs over time. When I was younger I ran distance to burn off and release the tension. My knees can not endure running any more so I have adjusted to the elliptical machine to release the needed endorphins. However, I cannot do that with the required mask as it stirs up my allergic asthma and leaves me gasping and light headed. As an alternative my brain finds new ways to achieve the needed release. So I ponder, imagine, my mind gets weirdly creative and the sarcastic parody gene kicks in. I have ruined many a song for my children when this has occurred in the past. I have hesitated to publish this, as it is a parody of scripture and that may cross the line of my personal sensibilities. However, I can excuse the behavior due to the stress this quarantine has placed upon my system. I can say, without hesitation, that I pray for governing officials. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 gives me that direction. I do not dislike my Governor, however, there is little he does that I agree with, support, or accept. Much of what he does violates God's Word and qualifies, Biblically, as evil. So I pray that the Lord will reveal Himself in such a powerful way that the governor will experience the personal revival only the Spirit of God can bring. 

All that being said, and with my apologies to the Psalmist David and the Lord who inspired the original, I give you this parody.

A Psalm of Albany (The Twenty-Third)

Cuomo is a shepherd I do not want.

He tells me, “Lie down and be silent”.

He leads me beside still restaurants, 

He sucks life from my soul.

He leads us down paths of unrighteousness,

For his own sake.

Yea, he puts old folks in homes,

Overshadowed by death,

They die alone. 

This is evil.

His rules and his edicts,

They oppress me.

He takes the food from my table

To give to my enemies

He taxes my house and my oil

My cup’s full of holes.

Surely no goodness or mercy

Shall come from his life

And I will dwell with a mask on, forever