Outrageous,Courageous, Contagious Faith (part two)

(Please read the first chapter of the book of Daniel in connection with this chapter) 

               When thinking about Daniel and his friends, I view their lives in the context in which they lived. Their world had been turned upside down. Their country had been overrun by a dominant force, wrecked and ruined. Israel was simply wiped off the map. Natural national boundaries were erased and the country ceased to exist from that time until the nation of Judah (Israel) was able to claim any land as its own after World War II had ended.  

               The Jews’ experience as a nation has been filled with nothing but grief, loss, and a faith which refused to be erased, even when enslaved or sent efficiently en masse to their execution. No people in history has ever been so brutally abused, so severely and relentlessly persecuted, so widely scattered. Nor has any people held so tenaciously to their faith and their identity as a “chosen people.”

                The young men who are introduced in the first chapter of the book of Daniel must have been traumatized. All their youthful plans had been knocked into a cocked hat by the Babylonian invasion. Evidently each of them was pretty sharp. Chapter one, verse four points out they came from nobility, were quick to learn, handsome, and in peak condition physically. But they were led away to Babylon, enslaved, and picked for training to serve in the King’s court.

               They were assigned new names and placed under guards (vs. 11). They were given new names, “slave names.” Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were all names assigned by their captors. They were expected to do as they were told and to eat what was served. . . despite the fact that their religious beliefs had strong prohibitions against certain kinds of foods, or eating or drinking any thing which had first been sacrificed to idols. They took their faith so seriously that it made others uncomfortable. If got them into deep trouble.

               As the story of Daniel begins to unfold, apparently all four of the young men are recruited, “fixed,” and trained to be a part of the castle’s “eunuch detail.” (Aside: I have no idea how large the king’s harem was, but already we see several with the responsibility of watching over them. Some of these ancient monarchs may have embarrassed Hugh Hefner!). These young men were Jews. Therefore, they’d already endured circumcision. Now, this! Eunuchs have to be emasculated. I’m wincing and thinking: “Ouch! And double Ouch!” No wonder some of those ancients rued the moment they’d been conceived and cursed the day they were born!

               But that wasn’t the worst of their problems. Enslaved in a strange land, they were under pressure to conform to the rules and customs of the strange religion of the Babylonians. Demands were made, not choices offered. And clear, cruel consequences could quickly follow even the slightest hint of resistance or rebellion. In those days, in those times, rulers had absolute authority and ruled with iron fists and unrelenting fury.

                Your only option was to do or die. It was an outrageous situation. It demanded an outrageous, courageous faith if there were even the slightest chance to survive.

                While most of us, fortunately, have not been captured and forced against our will to serve a merciless tyrant, we can surely understand something of what these young men were facing. They hadn’t caused a problem, yet a huge burden was placed on their shoulders. The pressures we face today to compromise principle, or surrender faith may be less obvious, a bit more subtle. But you’ve faced them, haven’t you, in school, or in the workplace?

              Have you read their story in Daniel? Do you know what happened to them and how they dealt with it?

               How do you deal with the demands and pressures placed on you by an unfriendly world? How do you react when you’re required to choose between being “accepted” and doing what is right?

               God’s son and servant, your friend, brother, and fellow student ~donkimrey

 

Outrageous, Courageous, Contagious Faith

In trying to figure out how this blogging bizness works, everyone is saying: “Be brief. People are bizzy. Their time and attention span are limited.”

So, in my attempt to identify some more of “God’s Comeback Kids,” let me sprinkle in a bit of brevity. For a little while I’ve been thinking about Daniel (you know, the one who almost wound up in a Lion’s belly) and three of his young buddies (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who almost got themselves barbecued because of their faith.).

In my attempt to understand how those young fellas got into and out of such messes, and if I were thinking about writing a story about these guys and the events, I’d probably entitle it: “OUTRAGEOUS, COURAGEOUS, CONTAGIOUS FAITH.”

Do you think that may have had something to do with their survival or success? Have you read their story? Do you think their experience has any relevance today? What clue(s) can you pick up that explain why they got into so much trouble? And what was the key to their comeback?

The context is the book of Daniel. Is the post short enough?

God’s son and servant, your friend, brother and fellow student ~donkimrey

HELLO, HERO

An interesting account of an encounter with an angel is reported in Judges, 6:1-13:

           “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

               The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of theLORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now theLORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

           During the time I have not been writing, I’ve been studying and thinking a lot about Gideon.  Of course, it should go without saying that you should also be praying when you study Scripture.  If God is really the Author of this ancient document (as I believe He is), it seems prayer would be a logical avenue to His mind.  Gideon has surely earned a place in the Hebrew Heroes Hall of Fame, and in my opinion he qualifies for our “God’s Comeback Kid” designation.  In this present venture, I feel as if I talk with my self a lot, and would prefer instead to be sitting with you face to face in a small group somewhere with our Bibles open.  Just thinking, and praying, and “pooling” our ideas.

            It seems to me that failure to do that kind of thing has cast  Biblical personalities as some type of angelic automatons, instead of real men, made of blood and flesh and muscles and bone.  Pre-programmed to always do just the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason, and with perfect success every time.  When you pause and try to imagine what they really felt, how they struggled and fell, you can then see how your own life plays out in some similar fashion.

            When Gideon first appears on the stage of Biblical history,  he doesn’t seem to be a likely candidate for the recognition we’re about to afford him.  His circumstances are dire.  From just about every point of view he’s unimpressive.  He’s a beaten man.  His country is under brutal, repressive foreign occupation, and he’s in hiding.  He’s apparently a victim of unfortunate circumstances and playing the role quite well. We aren’t introduced to him as a tough, young, strong, bright and cunning super patriot plotting to lead an insurgency to drive out the hated foreigners.  He is scared.  Circumstances have him overpowered and cowed down.  He’s trying to squeeze a bare existence for his family from land his family apparently owns, or owned at some point.  But he’s very tentative, very edgy, probably startled at every unexpected noise.

            Against this backdrop an angel of the Lord appears. (God sometimes does things quite suddenly and unexpecedly. Uninvited as well.  Sometimes He isn’t immediately recognized.) The angel simply sat down under an oak tree and casually began a conversation.  It went something like this: “Hello.  You mighty man of valor. . .”

            As I pondered the story, several things struck me as being very interesting.  One of them is that in the midst of carrying out daily duties under great stress, Gideon is confronted by powerful spiritual reality.  He isn’t at church when this conversation occurs.  He’s not high on some drug.  He isn’t praying, or even remotely thinking about God.  That, in fact, may have been the thing farthest from his mind.  He’s just trying to survive.  Probably simulaneously silently cursing his fate and his preseent predicament and the hated Midianites who’ve overun his country, raping and pillaging at random will.

            Then an “Angel of the Lord” appears.   “Hello, you mighty man of valor,” the angel drawls.

              Come again?  Say what?  I just got through describing the circumstances: A lone Jew, hiding, sneaking to avoid the enemies who seemed to be swarming like ants or termites.  Disgusted  or ashamed would have better described him.   But, “Hello, Hero.”  You gotta be kidding!  Surely, you jest!

            Even Gideon caught it and picked up on what the angel had just said:  “If that’s true,   …Just look at me.  Look at the situation.  Are you out of your mind?  You obviously don’t understand my situation, or how bad things are, or how weak and insignificant I am.”

            To further reinforce my point of view, I considered the fact that Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress.  That is not an insignificant fact.

            Usually, wheat was threshed on a threshing floor. Probably outside, and usually done most effectively on windy days which which quickly carried the chaff (and the noise) off in any direction the wind chose.   You’ve seen pictures of this type of thing.  It gets messy, and noisy.  It creates a lot of waste that has to be disposed of.  It isn’t something that’s usually done quietly and unobtrusively.  It tends to call attention to itself.  It’s hard to describe or conceal the noise and mess made by the pounding, grinding, tossing and the wind blowing chaff ever which way.           

            A winepress, on the other hand, seems to tend toward secrecy of sorts.  Wine does best when shielded from direct sunlight.  I grew up in the South and know what a liquor still is.  I’ve stumbled upon them accidentally, and almost always in deliberately hidden, difficult to find places.

            In the annals of Hebrew history, the incident the book of Judges reports above shows very clearly this is not at the moment the land of the free, and certainly NOT the home of the brave.  

            Now consider this: Gideon is threshing wheat in the relative secrecy of a winepress. He was not planning a guerilla movement.  He was not printing revolutionary literature for distribution or making plans to overthrow anyone.  He was hiding!  He was scared!  He was apparently paralyzed by the mess in which his country found itself and how helpless and hopeless and hapless he felt as a result.

            So, does “Hello, Hero” sound a bit absurd.

            But that realization caused me to consider this conclusion:  God does not select anyone on the basis of his/her accomplishments,or contribution.  Nor does He select someone for an assignment based on their opinions of themselves.  Or of others’ view of their ability.

            God chose Gideon based solely upon God’s ability to make him the man and the leader he be later became.   God does not base His gift of grace or His call to service on our track records.   More than anyone, I have reason to thank Him for that merciful consideration!  What we think of ourselves and what others may think of us is irrelevant, in fact.  Eternally irrelevant!  God’s call to Gideon to come out of hiding and perform unselfish, courageous, successful service was not based on Gideon’s accomplishments or his view of his own potential.  The mighty Creator of the Universe, who compressed unlimited, powerful potential in the tiny atom, is quite capable of doing the same thing and even more with His human creatioons. That is how Gideon was able to “come back.”  God saw something in Gideon that everyone missed. Including Gideon!

            Now, let’s just think a bit on a personal level.  I haven’t any idea of how you may have suffered or how you may be suffering now.  Or how crushed you may feel by real or imagined circumstances.  I don’t know how you wrestle with self doubt, or fear, or angry disappointment, or failure or great grief . . Or what the devastating effects of that might be for you.  But, let’s just think on this a bit.  Imagine what it might be like if God, or one of His messengers (“angel” comes from a Greek word which means “messenger.”)…We’re just supposing now.  Just thinking.  But can you imagine your response if one were to appear with this greeting:

“HELLO, HERO?”

I bid you adieu, Hero, until our next visit.

God’s son and servant, your friend and fellow student   donkimrey

             

YOU DA MAN!

          Let’s set the stage:  One of the greatest leaders and most revered kings in Jewish history has behaved scandalously. It has resulted in an unplanned, potentially very embarrassing pregnancy. When David’s efforts fail to conceal his misconduct, he further compounds his iniquity by deliberately using the woman’s husband as cannon fodder.  In what amounts to murder by king’s decree, David orders that Uriah be placed at the very tip of the spear of an assault on the enemy and then have all his support withdrawn. That not only cost a loyal soldier his life.  Others were with him on this mission.  It is shameless and inexcusable, however much it may be resemble the conduct of some of our present day elected officials.

 

          With several bungled attempts behind, David has probably tried to settle into an uneasy acceptance of what he’s done.  He is, after all, the King.  But an even higher authority has formed and stated an opinion about his misconduct:  “The Lord was not pleased with what David had done.” II Samuel 11

          Samuel picks up where we left off just before Christmas: 

          The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”    David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”  

          Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.                                                                           II Samuel 12:1-13. (NIV)

            Now comes Nathan. Who was he?  What gives him the right to say anything to a monarch? 

            In this confrontation, try to imagine the options.  An unknown prophet has the courage and takes the initiative to speak truth to power.  How’d Nathan find out?  How do you suppose he reacted when the duty to confront the indulgent king fell upon him?  How do you suppose David reacted when it dawned upon him what the Prophet had brought to light? The cat was out of the bag! The jig was up.

            David could have told Nathan to mind his own business.  He could have faked indignation and “how dared Nathan to be so judgmental?”  

          Possessing inside information on the scandal, Nathan tactfully but very courageously confronts the King.  It could have easily cost Nathan his life.  Who is this guy?  How does he have such easy access to the King?  In our time, such a thing would seem highly unlikely.  Secret Service guys would have been on him like white on rice!  If he’d managed to squeak by security, someone would be called on the carpet.  Senate hearings would be scheduled.  The press would have a field day.

          Nathan tells David a story.  A very simple story about a very poor man who had only one lamb, possibly a pet.  A neighbor, rich and with a flock of sheep, throws a party and invites a lot of people.  Instead of taking one from his own flock, the rich guy steals the only one his poor neighbor has, slaughters it, and serves up lamb stew for his buddies.

          David is furious.  Enraged, in fact.  “Who is this sorry rascal?  You give me his name and address and I’ll see to it that he gets what he deserves!” The King’s fury is straining to be unleashed.

          “Thou art the man,” Nathan says in proper King James English.  “You da man!” The silence was probably deafening.  Nathan did not shout or stutter or waver.  There was no mistaking whom he was addressing.  There was no reason for David to ask: “You talking to me, sir?”

          To his credit, David got the point.  Someone has said: “A guilty conscience needs no accuser.”  David knew instinctively and immediately what the point the prophet was making. No doubt his sins against God had weighed heavily upon him. 

          That’s one thing about someone who belongs to Christ or longs to be a child of god:  You can not sin comfortably.  It just is not possible.  There’s no doubt in my mind that David felt guilt and shame over what he’d done, and it obviously lay very near the surface of his consciousness.

          He acknowledged his guilt.  He made no excuses.  He blamed no one for his moral collapse, not even a beautiful temptress who caught his attention in an unguarded moment.  He called no press conferences where with crocodile tears before a television camera he could stage a scripted, controlled, possibly rehearsed, public performance.  He did not wag a finger at Nathan and deftly and defiantly deny: “I did not have sex with that woman!”  He did not claim childhood abuse had driven him to this excess.  He accepted responsibility fully for what he, himself had done.

          And he repented. 

          Can you see that as a defining moment in David’s comeback?  He was on the wrong track, heading in the wrong direction, with the pace perhaps accelerating and ruin hurtling in his direction.  Wisely, though, he repented.  Simply stated, when someone had courage and compassion enough to take a risk and step across his path and block his headlong rush to self destruction, David took it like a man. And he asked God’s forgiveness.

          At that very moment, David became one of God’s Comeback Kids.

          God’s son and servant, your friend and fellow student, donkimrey

A Brief Pause

M

y last few posts have been devoted to the Nativity, and I confess to you I’ll probably be pondering the concept of the “Glory” of the Lord for a long, long time.  Very fresh and fertile soil which contains more potential than I’ll ever be able to exhaust!   

          The next post will return to the life of King David.  We’ve considered some of his heroic accomplishments and contributions and the lofty place he occupies in Hebrew history.  We also ran headlong into his selfish dalliance which created such a scandal it could have wrecked his kingdom and destroyed any possibility he had of a decent legacy.  He really messed up!  In a familiar scenario too often repeated by rich, spoiled, self-Indulgent “leaders,” he very nearly destroyed his kingdom as well as any worthwhile lasting legacy he may have left. 

           In the last sentence of the report detailing the shameful debacle, the reporter commented: “The thing David had done displeased the Lord.”(II Samuel 11:27).  That is an understatement.  A Classic Understatement.  Apparently out of control, David had set in motion some forces which no spin machine could control.  No glib, smooth-talking, fast-talking “front man” with any amount of money could hush.  ”God was not pleased.”  That has the sound to me of a quiet rumbling, growing beneath the surface and about to unleash wrath.    For a while I’ve been pondering what would happen next in this breaking scandal.  my thoughts so far are under a file which I’ll be calling “You Da Man!” 

           Before launching into that, though, I wanted to let you know I truly appreciate the thoughtful encouragement and comments some of you have offered.  you don’t need to be reluctant to share your own observations.  I’m wanting to learn from you as well as hoping something I write might be helpful to you.  I also wanted to wish you again much great Joy as you’ve pondered the real meaning of Christmas and as you take that with your aith and hope into all your new years.  And, there’s another thing I’ve done while trying to take care of a sick wife (She’s better now, thank you.) and juggle a few other responsibilities.  In my opinion, the people who comment on this site are smarter and better writers than I could ever hope to be.  I don’t know how they do it, but if  you click on the little icon (Picture) beside their remarks, it will take you to their sites.  

         I’ve mentioned several of my friends before.  I believe you’d be really impressed with the entire lot of them.   Anne Lang Bundy, Bob Brault, Brad Moore, nAncy, Neil Simpson, Robert Sutherland, Marie Notcheva, Mark Ryman, and others.  They invest a good deal of time and thought into their efforts, and they enjoy their work. If  you appreciate their talent, why not tell them? Your encouragement will simply double their joy and inspire them to continue and get better.  And you’ll feel better, too, doing something that icne!  

          Expressing appreciation and offering encouragement is a good thing for everyone involved.  I think I’ll make that one of my New Year’s Resolutions! 

(I’ll Be Back Shortly.  ~Donkimrey)

The GLORY of the coming of the Lord

THE GLORY OF THE LORD….

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 

         Searching for an answer to that question, I ran across an eloquent attempt to define “Glory.” It was in a sermon by John MacArthur, a very perceptive, capable spokesman for God:

           “Let me give you simply this, to begin with. The glory of the Lord is the expression of God’s person. It is any manifestation of God’s character, any manifestation of His attributes in the world, in the universe is His glory. In other words, the glory is to God what the brightness is to the sun. The glory is to God what wet is to water. The glory is what heat is to fire. In other words, it is the emanation, it is the effulgence, it is the brightness, it is the product of His presence, and it is the revelation of Himself. Anytime God discloses Himself, it is the manifestation of His glory. That really refers to His presence.”                                                                           John MacArthur

         Another attempt was by Robert Brault, a writer whom I’ve come to enjoy and respect.  He hesitated at first, but answered the question after I posed it on his blog: http://www.robertbrault.com:

         “As the saying goes, ‘An author is entitled to his subject.’ There are several dictionary sites, including Wikipedia, that will define glory for you. What they won’t do is wish you a Merry Christmas, which I hereby do.

smiles,
rb
   
Oh, all right—

glory: n, the realization of one’s essential being, as in the blossoming of a rose, the flight of an eagle, the artistic and intellectual expression of the human soul. God’s glory resides in His transcendence of the natural laws He created, as in the appearance of an angel to shepherds.”

         Both are profound, beautiful, definitions and are on target.  However, I’m still not certain. It seems to me that in the Scripture quote above Luke was trying to express the inexpressible. There are times when I stand in awe at mysterious Majesty and am left at a loss for words.  I definitely cannot define this concept fully.  Nor do I understand it completely.  In coming upon this word and spending time contemplating it, I believe I’ve stumbled upon a rich treasure worthy of being explored long after the scent of cedar has faded and the sound of Christmas carols dies on the crisp winter air.

          No words can adequately convey the beauty of a golden sunset or sunrise at the dawning of a new day.  The reality of “glory” is far greater than our limited ability to understand or explain.  And beyond the “glory” of the Lord, there is The Lord, Himself.  Far greater than any expression of His majesty.  Especially as we gather around the Christmas tree and exchange presents, we will discover that the gift inside a package is usually far more wonderful and valuable than even beautiful, professionally wrapped, glittering paper which surrounds it.

         So it is that the “glory” of the Lord surpasses our human capacity to fully understand what it means.  As in many other instances, it does seem to be a valuable enough concept to warrant further investigation and a serious, continuing effort to grasp its significance.  You’re surely familiar with forensic science and know how important it is when investigators find fingerprints, or footprints, or the supremely important DNA at some location.  For a reason entirely different from our purpose here, it is conclusive evidence that a person really was present on that scene.

         Now, as far as real, complete answer to the question I posed, I don’t know.  I simply do not know.

         However, may I pose this possibility? 

         I believe the “glory of the Lord” in the evidence of His presence, or His nearness.  Beyond that, all I feel really comfortable with is that personal conclusion. He was actually here, “in those days.”  At a definite point in time and space, simple, uneducated, probably poor shepherds saw and heard and then told others what they had experienced.

         The word “glory” is used many, many times in many ways throughout Scripture.  Always, it appears, people are startled (even frightened) at such an occurrence.   As they try to absorb the significance, invariably they stare in slack-jawed, wide-eyed wonder. They marvel at the fact that they’ve been in the presence of the Lord.   The experience is burned into their consciousness, and forever afterward they seek His presence and try to follow His leadership.

         Again, I ask the Lord that my priorities might be straight and my vision might be clear so that perhaps “in these days” I may sense (even if I do not see) the Glory of the Lord.  And, of course, I pray the same for you and yours.

         Thus, may this become a truly joyous, memorable Christmas experience.

God’s servant and son, your friend and fellow student,                                                                          ~donkimrey

THE GLORY OF THE LORD, II

          “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the GLORY OF THE LORD shone round about them.  And they were sore afraid.  And the Angel said unto them: “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. . . “ (Luke 2:8-11). 

         In considering the concept of “glory,” for some reason I thought of Albert Einstein’s early efforts in theoretical physics while he was a lowly clerk in a fairly remote Swiss patent office. Fresh out of graduate school, he could not get a job in his native Germany. I read somewhere that early in his academic career a professor had advised him to pick any career he wished: No matter what he chose he’d fail at anything he selected.  With a young wife and a baby to support, unable to find work, young Albert was desperate. Being a Jew in Germany was not exactly in his favor, and with an attitude some of the professors considered cocky, his options were very limited in Germany.

         So, he wound up in a remote outpost almost at the edge of nowhere, on the lowest end of the totem pole salary wise, trying to chisel a living out of what even then was a granite – like Swiss economy as far as foreigners were concerned.  But he was ambitious, confident, brilliant, and had some ideas in a massive mind, and an unquenchable imagination and incredible curiosity and patience. He had time on his hands in the slow-paced office, so he pondered and wondered and simply  unlocked some of the great mysteries of the Universe.

         Understand this: He did not invent anything.  He did not create anything.  Just by studying an thinking, his general theory of relativity rocked the scientific world and has led to unimagined developments in almost every area of modern technology; and the end of the impact has not even yet been approached.  He had never seen an atom (nor, for that matter, has anyone else.).  He didn’t know what he was searching for, but as he explored and imagined, he gathered information, took time to think,  and discovered things no one before had seen and most of us can’t even imagine.

         My point is simply this: Einstein did not invent or create anything.  He took time to think, and study, and his theory E=mc2 is a secret of the universe which had been there all the time and he took time to uncover it.

         Trust me.  I’m a long, long way from being an Einstein even after having read two of his biographies. There are so many wonders and mysteries we’ve not yet explored. Vast areas where there is no evidence of a human footstep or imprint.  Outer space and the ocean depths are only two such areas.  In my opinion, the “Glory of the Lord” may be one of those ideas worthy of further consideration. I realize  it isn’t a concept which can be reduced to a mathematical equation or a chemical formula contained in a test tube.  It does strike me, though, as being worth more than a passing glance.

         My personal view of Scripture is that God doesn’t waste words or ideas.  If He says something, it is noteworthy.  It is, therefore, worth taking time to try to understand if we can. 

         So:  Here I am still pondering the question: “What is the Glory of the Lord.”

         I feel very certain it is more than the sights (beautiful, colorful, twinkling lights, snow scenes, etc,) scents (of cedar/pine, cinnamon, etc.), sounds (Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Away in a manger, etc.), tastes (gingerbread, fruitcake, peppermint candy canes, etc.) and the treasure chest full of frosted, multi-colored  memories of your yester years.

         A prayer of mine is that I will somehow be able to get beyond the trappings and wrappings, tinsel and distractions and discover the “Glory of the Lord” and understand the meaning of the Message the Angel announced. And that I’ll be able to experience fresh and fist hand something of the joy and wonder of that night when a feed trough in Bethlehem cradled the King of Kings.

         That, also, is my prayer for you and those whom you love.

God’s son and servant, your friend and fellow student   ~donkimrey

the GLORY OF THE LORD

          Reading the narratives again about the Birth of Christ, a phrase gripped my mind and imagination in a way it had not done before.  Here’s what I was reading. . .          

          “And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and

            keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood

            by them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for, behold,

            I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people:

            for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which

            is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you; ye shall find a babe

            in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.”  (Luke 2)

         

            So, I began to think about that phrase. . . “The GLORY of the Lord.” And in times of solitude as our celebration of Christmas approaches, I’ve thought about it further length: 

         What IS the Glory of the Lord? 

         My view of Scripture is that in a wonderfully unique sense it is the written Word of God.  That is a faith presupposition (we all have them) and the point of departure as I approach the study of Scripture.  Because of that view, I have a feeling we take it much too lightly (even those who thump it vigorously and say they believe  every jot and tittle from Generation to Revolution~in the KJV!).  It deserves reverent respect and thought, and I dare not skim superficially over the surface hardly ever pausing to weigh words and ideas and discover treasure that will yield to prayerful thought and careful study.

         What, then, is the “Glory” of the Lord?

         In pursuit of an answer I consulted a dictionary, a thesaurus, a concordance, a Bible dictionary, Wikipedia (a pretty handy online encyclopedia), a couple of sermons on the subject and a couple of commentaries.  I also conferred with the gentleman whose face I see in the mirror each time I decide to shave.  He and I don’t even try to blow smoke at each other these days!  And I wondered and pondered.  I tried to think of synonymns (other words with similar meaning) and antonymns (words with the opposite meaning.  Sometimes I can get a better understanding of an idea if I can decide what it is NOT.).        

           There’s a lot of information out there; much of it what I call “antics with semantics.”  I found out that “glory” can be used as a noun (like what ‘shone around the shepherds’ that night in the passage which triggered my thinking.), or a verb (like the way Paul used it when he said he would not ‘glory’ in anything other than the cross of Christ.). I’ve also heard it used as an interjection.   If you ever spent any time around Baptists, you’ve probably heard folks say that instead of “amen,” or “hallelujah,” or “praise the Lord.”  They’d simply verbalize their nearly delirious joy by shouting “GLORY!”  The Marines at Camp Lejeune near here often say:  ”Hoooaaahh!”  I’m not sure I always understand what they mean by that, but they do.  It’s an expression.                                                                                  

         If you’re not accustomed to such, it can startle your socks off off!

         The shepherds weren’t expecting such an appearance or spectacular display.  It dawned upon them and turned darkness to light. It scared them.  The entire event frightened them, but this and subsequent happenings turned their world right side up.  They were rocked back on their heels at first, but then they took time to investigate for themselves.  Luke says when they left the manger later that night they were joyous and told everyone what they’d seen and heard.  That sounds like a pretty logical progression.  What they experienced was meant to be shared.

        The Glory of the Lord.  Christmas.  Is there any connection? Has Christmas lost its luster?  Do we ever even think beyond the superficial to consider to the Profound?

         The GLORY of the Lord.  May it shine upon you during this time when we think of Someone whom we should never forget. 

         What do YOU think the “GLORY of the Lord” is?

 

        God’s son and servant, your friend, brother, and fellow student  ><> donkimrey

A CHRISTMAS THOUGHT

           (My study of David has taken me right up to the edge of the Christmas season. So far, I’ve considered how he  created one of the biggest scandals recorded in the Old Testament. In spite of all his accomplishments and contributions, it seems his career is tottering on the edge of ruin at the end of the eleventh chapter of II Samuel. It looks as if the only thing really going in his favor is the conclusion drawn and stated early in his youth, i.e. :”He was a man after God’s own heart.” (I Samuel 13:13-14). In light of the mess he’s made, his ‘comeback’ seems impossible at worst and an uphill climb at best. Soon we’ll continue the study of his come back. You haven’t yet heard the rest of the story. ~don)

Thoughts at Christmas

          It’s been my custom for quite a while to set aside the studies and thoughts I’ve had earlier and consider the Christmas narratives as though reading them for the first time. For my own benefit and to keep the real meaning of this eternal event in proper focus, I ponder some not so obvious lessons learned in Bethlehem.

DON’T BE AFRAID

         “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:27~33)

          More than once the Angel of the Lord told his audience “Don’t Be Afraid.” That seems to be a note worth striking again and again. For Mary, she was understandably startled and frightened at the sudden appearance of the Angel, and the responsibility that was about to be thrust upon her. Both were reasons for a teenage girl to be frightened. But the fear must have been relieved when the Angel calmed her fear and told her: “You have found favor with God.”

          I’ll bet she was unaware of that. She didn’t know God had a special role for her to fulfill! She was just a kid! How could she have possibly had an idea of such eternal enormity?! She certainly had no inflated idea of her own importance.

          This looks like a good place to stop and think about implications. Do you suppose there is the possibility. . . even a very slight possibility. . . that God may view YOU (and Me) in a favorable way. Is it possible, unlikely as it may seem to you at present. . . that God favors you and has a special purpose for you?

          The point the Angel is making is that God knows what He’s doing, even when His children don’t. Therefore, we don’t need to be afraid. This incident, which occurred even before Mary became pregnant, should serve to calm our fears and help us understand that God has great plans for his children. . . even for those who may be unaware of His intention to use them to bless others!

          When David was writing, he gave as his reason for being unafraid even though he had to walk “through the valley of the shadow of death”(Psalm 23). He felt he didn’t need to fear any circumstance, if in fact the Lord was with him.

          “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people, for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 10 ~ 11)

          Early in Luke’s account, apparently on the night of Jesus’ birth, some shepherds were taking care of their flocks outside the town and again the Angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to them. They were so startled and so afraid that it actually hurt physically. “They were sore afraid.” You’ve probably had such a sensation when something you weren’t expecting happened. If you can remember such a reaction, you probably know how terrified the shepherds must have been.

          The Angel (who isn’t identified in this instance) told them not to be afraid. This time, the reason given for their not needing to be afraid was the reason the Angel gave for his sudden appearance. He had an announcement to make which could allay their fears and ours as well: “ I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”

          In our world which seems at times to be spinning out of control, as fierce, wild, wicked forces run rampant, apparently determined to destroy our way of life, there is much reason for fear. We may attempt to amuse ourselves and try to avoid harsh realities that explode all around us and threaten our very existence. But, somehow the gaudy lights and the sounds and scents of Christmas do not mask or relieve the enormous, ominous sense of fear which stalks and haunts the world.

          One of the messages which emerges clearly in the Christmas story is that we do not need to be afraid. God is with us. The “good tidings of great joy” are sufficient to drive the darkest fears away and bring light and hope of forgiveness and eternal life.  That word of advice does not just appear here. It is a constant. A part of loving faith is that it casts out fear.

          When it looked as if the world seemed at its worst and people were ready to give up, beaten and broken, this is what God said: “Do not Be afraid.”

          At perhaps the worst possible time in one of the world’s remotest places the Light of the Word burst upon the ancient world and we were told: “Don’t be Afraid.” Later, in the middle of a lake in the middle of the night in the middle of a sudden squall, Jesus appeared to His friends saying: “It is I. Be not afraid.”

          To be sure there’s much to be learned as we stand in awe at the advent of the King of Kings. One of the things we most need and can  treasure is this simple, profound, beautiful sentiment:
                                                                                  “DO NOT BE AFRAID.”
God’s son and servant, your friend and fellow student
~donkimrey >

PLEASED. . . OR DISPLEASED?

“…the Lord was not pleased with what David had done.”                (II Samuel 11:27)

         I keep reminding myself of what I’m trying to do in this effort.  Sometimes I tend to go chasing rabbits or fireflies.  If I’m serious about this study, that is not the thing to do.  Please be patient with me, help me stay focused on my objective, and keep me on track.

         In studying some of the Biblical characters whom I’ve been calling “God’s Comeback Kids,” the questions which need to be asked seem self evident:  (1.) How or why did they stray or get knocked off course?  (2.) How did they deal with their battles and bruises?  (3.) So what?  What difference does it make?  What can I learn and use today in my own situation?

         This time, a new question is raised: (4.) What were the consequences of the spiritual “detour” they took? And that led me to consider the comment at the top of the page.  To be sure, there were nasty, ugly, hurtful results of King David’s moral collapse. But there were other consequences which, perhaps, had never even entered David’s mind when his temple was pounding with lust, or his heart was perplexed and heavy with guilt because of the mess he’d created.  We know no one sins alone.  Always we involve others in one way or another. What had just taken place between the King and his next door neighbor was not simply a momentary harmless dalliance between two consenting adults.  David and Bathsheba were not the only ones affected by what they did.  There was an unborn child, a kingdom compromised, innocent men murdered (Uriah wasn’t the only one killed in this clumsy, bungled attempt at a cover-up.  Other warriors were killed in David’s attempt to erase any potential for exposure of his adultery.  In spite of his notable achievements and contributions, and his basic decency, his reputation stands stained indelibly for all eternity because he dropped his guard. 

         Like a widening circle when a pebble is dropped into a pond, the repercussions kept spreading, affecting others.

         But perhaps the greatest consequence of David’s sin was that sentence concluding the eleventh chapter of II Samuel which revealed the whole sordid affair. Unless you’re searching for something, you’re apt to overlook something posted so inconspicuously, almost unnoticed.

         “God was not pleased with what David had done.”

         That looks to me like a classic understatement! 

         It has driven me to a conclusion which seems very logical.  In order for such a situation to be resolved, we need to consider all the damage done.  Before a disease can even begin to be healed, a surgeon needs to go into all the deep crevices and get to the base of the problem. It makes no sense to paint with bright, tacky colors over rotten, termite-riddled timber. 

         Once I heard someone observe: “Nothing is ever settled until it is settled right.  And nothing is ever settled right until it is settled with God.” 

         David had hurt a lot of people badly.  Nothing though, strikes me as foreboding as that haunting comment: “God was not pleased with what David had done.”

         I have no way of knowing how that affects you.  For my part, and as I’ve weighed every word of that singular idea for days, it seems the only proper response for me is to pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  (Psalm 139:23-24 21st Century KJV)*                                     

            God’s son and servant, your friend and fellow student, donkimrey 

(The problem I’ve been considering was God’s quiet, reserved reaction. Before David can even think about going forward spiritually, that has to be considered.  While the sins I’ve committed may not be the same as those of King David, they are sin, nevertheless.  And that is something God always takes seriously.  He loves us, surely.  But He also has standards for us and plans.  When we disregard His presence and His role and plans in our lives, that always displeases Him.)