On Fear

One of the things that The Lord has patiently taught me is to be anxious for nothing (Phil. 4:4-7). The modern media, with a 24 hour news cycle can tug us one way or another. The news managers of all the networks purposely tug our emotions this way and that, keeping us, like hundreds of canaries in a cage, agitated.

Take a moment, slow down and read the news over your open Bible.

As I write this on 11 July of 2014, for example, Iran moves closer to having a nuclear capability, ISIS (the new Islamic Caliphate in Iraq) has acquired 40 Kg of nuclear materials (think dirty bomb) , Israel is under hour by hour rocket attack from Hamas in Gaza, the US Southern border is being over-run by illegal immigrants with the apparent blessing of the US Government, high profile Billionaires and the US Chamber of Commerce …. It can be depressing stuff.

A dear friend of mine wrote recently discussing his depression from the news. I get it. Me too…, till i take time to reflect on history… Already written.

Already written history? Yes! The prophetic writings in the Bible are historical accounts written in advance. God’s name for Himself, “I Am” is a wonderful descriptor. He is “present” simultaneously in our past extending to before the beginning of time, He is present in our, well, present time and he is present in our future and beyond the end of time. God is always in our timeline.

The un-fulfilled history of Israel, for example, has Jesus on His Throne ruling from Jerusalem in the Millennium. This can’t take place if Jihadists destroy Israel. Because God says this will take place (history yet un-happened) I trust Israel has to remain. Therefore, while I pray for Israel, I rest in the sure knowledge that God loves Israel and Israel will survive.

Besides the promises inherent in the un-happened history, The Lord gives us promises which have no expiration date. How about the words of Our Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34? This is the passage famously having Jesus extolling he takes care of the tiny sparrows, so surely He will care for us.

For me, I rest …. “rest” … in Jesus and His Grace. Whatever is in store for me at the as yet un-happened history, I trust that the Lord is here with me now as well as at that next point in time. If He cares for the sparrows, certainly He will care for me.

For me, I am ‘exercised’ over the news, but its the anger of the righteous over sin, not the anxiety from fear.

I like the following lyrics of a song by Steve Green. Its on my list for my funeral service 🙂

Come and See

Jon Mohr/David Huntsinger/Bonnie Huntsinger

Romans 6:18/Colossians 1:13

To all who are tortured and ravaged by sin
The frail and the wounded about to give in
There’s news of release and captivity’s end
We’ve been set free, come and see

Oh sleeper awake, come out of the night
Throw open the door and step into the light
For sin is undone and the wrong is made right
We’ve been set free, come and see

Chorus

Come and see, the power of sin has been broken
The gates of your prisons stands open, come and see
Arise, believe, for the power at work both to rescue and save
Is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave
We’ve been set free, come and see

I, too, lived in slavery, unmercifully bound
Battered and broken I finally knelt down
And there in obedience freedom was found, I’ve been set free

And now through the dungeons of darkness and night
I run in the freedom of liberty’s light
And shout to the captives, “Oh prisoners take flight
We’ve been set free, come and see”

Chorus

If the enemy’s holding a knife to your chest
Demanding you give up or die
In Christ crucified you’ve already died
And now you are free

Chorus

Friends, I have comfort in troubling times simply by God’s Grace. This comfort is available to those who have completely placed their trust in Christ; to Christians. Are you resting in Christ? Have you heard God’s tug on your soul? Have you responded? May God richly bless you.

M

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A Contrast Between Two Sinners

Luke 7:36-50

“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he is forgiven little, loves little.” NASB

One day Jesus was invited to have dinner with Simon, a Pharisee. It is likely this was publicized on the social register because word of this event got around to a local woman, who was a prostitute. In tears, she came to the dinner and as Jesus was reclining at the table, she used her tears to wash His feet, her hair to dry them and expensive perfume to anoint his feet. She also kissed His feet.

Simon, was put out that Jesus did not send her away, that he allowed her to attend to him.
But, knowing Simon’s thoughts, Jesus asked Simon to say which of two debtors in a parable loved the lender more. So the story was this: A man lends $10,000 to one man and $1000 to another. After a time, neither man can repay his loan and the lender forgives both debtors. Simon answered that the man who owed $10,000 must be more grateful and hence love the lender more.

Jesus said Simon had judged correctly. But then he turned towards the woman, who was still crying at His feet and said, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house and you did not give me water to bath my feet, but she washed my fet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not anoint my head in oil but she anointed my feet with perfume. “

Then, speaking to the woman, He said, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”

As are all of us, Simon was in need of forgiveness for his sins, but the woman came to Jesus in distress because she knew of her great need to be forgiven. Driven by faith in Jesus and a conviction of her need, she approached Jesus in the contrite attitude of a penitent sinner. Her attitude of gratitude was to show Jesus her love for him in an act of worship.

If we are honest with ourselves, none of us have so few sins that we aren’t in dire need of forgiveness. Indeed if we only had ONE sin, that would be enough to damn us for eternity! So, like the woman, we ought to show an attitude of great gratitude for what Jesus has done for us in delivering forgiveness of our sins.

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Rahab, an Unlikely Believer in God

I have many passages of Scripture which I love. One of my favorites tells a story of how an unlikely person is brought into fellowship with God against all earthly odds.

The Old Testament Book of Joshua records the history of the Jews after being in the desert for 40 years. Moses has died, and his younger protégé Joshua is given the leadership of the Jewish people. Then Joshua leads the Jews into the new land which is to become the Israel of the Old Testament era.

Before the Jews crossed the Jordan River, Joshua sent two spies into the walled city of Jericho to see what opposition the Jews would face. This is really a fascinating story, but you might never have heard the emphasis on the Prostitute Rahab before. The account is recorded in Joshua, Chapters 2 and 6.

Rahab is simply described as a harlot, or, a prostitute. She had what we might call a condominium along the outer wall of Jericho. Somehow, the spies ended up at her place looking for a place to hide. I would guess they stood out somehow, perhaps with their rough clothing, and they knew they were in trouble.

As they seek shelter, Rahab eagerly opens the dialog, but not as one might expect. She begins by telling the two that she has heard of the recent news and how it is that the Jews have entered the land with victory after victory. There were news accounts of the 40 years in the desert, the victory over Pharoa’s Army, the crossing of the Red Sea and the more recent battles with kingdoms on the opposite side of the Jordan River. She said that everyone in Jericho was in fear. Then, she asks that she and her family be spared if she hides the two spies.

The spies agree and Rahab must place a red ribbon in her window on the outer wall so that the rest of the Jews can see where she is, and know not to slay her and her family.

Then, the story (which is also really cool but not on point with THIS discussion) gets to the destruction of the walls of Jericho (and the walls came-a tumbeling down…). The punch line comes with the following facts:

1. The wall where Rahab lived was left intact, so Rahab and her family weren’t crushed and killed.
2. Rahab made a pledge of FAITH with representatives of the Lord (the two spies)
3. Afterwards, Rahab is noted to have remained with Israel (though her family isn’t mentioned.)

The analysis goes along these lines:
1. God honored her initial faith statement and saved her and her family from physical destruction.
2. Rahab heard the word about this God of the Jews and she had a really intense respect for this God. The Bible often calls this a “fear of the Lord”. We each need to get to this point where we understand both the Devine and awesome nature of a Holy God. The ‘fear’ or reverent respect (some say ‘awe’) is a natural state we must reach. This first stage for Rahab was that beginning of faith.
3. Rahab then puts action to that young nascent faith but approaching the two spies and ask for safety in exchange for help. The spies might have said, “No.” She might have been overheard and betrayed to the local government. She would have been killed. Her boldness of action was an “all in” movement. In effect, she committed her life in one move.
4. Rahab then follows through with her telling lies to protect the spies. Now, lying is not really honored by God, but in this case, this person of young faith acted in a genuine faith motive.
5. Next, after helping the spies escape (another gutsy move) she follows through on her instructions by tying a ribbon in her window so that her location was visible to the outside. This meant she was not really a secret believer.
6. Finally, afterwards, she identified with a new people, the Jews. She remained with the Jews. Notably absent in the notes is any mention of the family she also rescued. Sometimes, family doesn’t adopt the faith we each must find.

The Bible provides a few footnotes in the history of Rahab. For example, the Gospel of Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus. In Matthew 1:5, Rahab is listed as the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth and eventually was the ancestor of King David and eventually to Jesus. And in the Epistle of James, the brother of Jesus, Rahab is lauded for putting action to her faith.

So, what does all of this mean?

First, Faith comes by hearing about God. It is the work of God Himself to reveal His nature to people who will believe. Rahab heard about God and believed. Today, we have the Bible, God’s Word. Sometimes the Word of God is hidden inside other things, perhaps like C.S. Lewis’ works or the words of beleivers.

Second, true faith requires some action. While it is God who brings that first tiny bit of faith, obedience to God’s Word is required. God didn’t ask Rahab to do a lot, but what she had to do was irreversible. So it is today. Growing in faith requires more and more obedience to God. As a believer is obedient, God brings more faith and the process continues.

Third, God’s family is a cast of unlikely characters. Rahab was a prostitute who had a change in her entire life and was then honored in her posterity by being in the lineage of Jesus. King David was an adulterer and a murderer. The Apostle Paul was tossing Christians in jail until he literally saw the light. It was very unlikely by our human standards, but as God sees us, once we have been grafted into the family relationship of God, the old sins are covered and forgiven. This is part of the new life the Bible speaks about.

Finally, Rahab remained with her new identity. This is a subtly new wrinkle I missed until now. After Rahab and her family were brought out safely from Jericho, they were placed ‘outside the camp’. See Joshua 6:23. Later, however, we see only Rahab mentioned, not her family, as ‘living in our midst to this day’ Joshua 6:25. And THIS is an intriguing change.

What was the change which would allow a Gentile prostitute to reside inside the camp? The Bible doesn’t talk of this directly with respect to Rahab. But we can form some excellent guesses. The first Question would be, “Was Rahab still a practicing prostitute at Joshua 6:25?” Prostitution was a sin punishable by stoning, so it is unlikely she could still be a harlot at this time. I think the answer is deeper yet. I think she so identified we the God of the Jews that she went “All In.” That probably meant a time of convincing elders of her sincerity, humbling herself to receive religious instruction and perhaps a time of some proof. What happened with Rahab was a true conversion in which her whole life changed. And so it is with each of us.

At least one part of Sripture that notes this transformed nature is in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. In verse 10 is a list of ungodly behaviors. But in verse 11, speaking to the congregation in Corinth Paul says, “And such were some of you.” Past tense. Some of the Corinthians were engaged in things and now, after their conversions, they weren’t. Remaining, as Rahab did, also means forsaking sin.

Every time I read the Rahab history, I am reminded how, in my own life, I came to faith as a young person and how God has allowed my faith to grow. And like Job, even now as I face my own struggles with my health, and as I question God on why there is no cure in sight, yet I love God and I remain in my faith. I fully understand that my faith and my remaining are all part of the Grace of God which keep me day to day.

I hope this simple story of Rahab has been a blessing to you.

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