Archive for March, 2022
The Old Testament Lord’s Prayer – Part One
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6: 24 – 26).
God gave us this prayer. Blessing is His idea. A simple response to the greeting, “Hello, how are you?” should well be, “Blessed.”
The praying of this prayer in faith shows expectation God will draw near and enfold you in His grace. To pray is to live expectant of blessings not of dread. The praying of this prayer is a way of saying, “Yes, Amen!” to God’s promises.
“The Lord bless you and keep you” speaks of present blessings and future care by the Lord. He will “keep you.”
He will “make His face to shine upon you.” Making His face to shine upon you refers to Him revealing His will.
“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you” is a term expressive of a smile. May God find such pleasure in you as to smile and reward you with peace.
The prayer speaks of blessing, presence, and the smile of God. It is not man’s idea, it is God’s idea. It is what He wants for you.
In light of that, consider the two most common responses to the innocent greeting, “Hello, how are you?” Why in light of the provisions of this prayer do so many people respond “Tired,” or “So far so good,” as if expecting the “Burden Bear” to attack them at any moment.”
This question concerns the medical community as well as the faith community. Dr. Richard Clark Cabbot of the Mayo Clinic led a team that studied the issue of “How to help people overcome that tired feeling.”
Parenthetically, there are times when we are all legitimately tired. It is a wonderful condition if the fatigue is the result of energy and effort well spent.
However, the doctors of Mayo Clinic in their study were concerned with the chronically tired persons who have no physiological reason for always being tired.
The Clinic was so impressed with the result of their study they had a logo designed using a cross with four equal arms each of which represented one of the four factors:
WORK, PLAY, LOVE, AND WORSHIP.
Consider them as a daily antidote to having that “tired feeling.” It is a prescription from a highly respected medical source. The way in which it should be done is found in Colossians 3: 23: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
Here comes a part you got to like —– play.
Unplug, recreate, and enjoy amusement. Allow yourself to relax and laugh.
Stress, prolonged fatigue, negative emotions, and a pessimistic outlook flood the body with toxins. They release chemical toxins within your body. Don’t make your body a toxic waste dump by depriving it of play.
A short version of Jesus’ summation of the law is simply, “You shall love…” He went on to say, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).
The only way we can stay alert to the reality of God in Christ ruling and saving is in the act of worship. It enables us to focus on the provision of this passage.
Heart of My Heart
Editor’s Note: This post was originally written in February 2021.
The organ of the heart is a marvel. This rugged four-chambered, four-valved pump which handles 5,000 gallons of blood a day, almost enough to fill a railroad tank car. It supplies the circulatory system through 12,000 miles of vessels, and in the course of the average lifetime beats two and one half billion times. There is an additional strategic function of the heart long unknown.
A British researcher at Southampton University and author, Dr. Alan Watkins, helpS our understanding. In his book “Mind-Body Medicine: a Clinician’s Guide to Psycho/neuro/immunology” he speaks of the heart as the body’s powerhouse which has a “hitherto unrecognized role in balancing the entire human system.” He states the heart produces 50 times more electrical energy than the brain and a thousand times more electro-magnetic energy. Being the strongest power source in the body, it coordinates all the other body systems, including the brain, commonly thought to be the dominant organ.
The blood it pumps through the body contains hemoglobin, a blood protein that is responsible for carrying oxygen around the body and delivering it to the different cells and tissues. An insufficient supply to the lungs makes breathing difficult. That is but one of my deficiencies.
At birth I had Methemoglobinemia. It is also called “blue baby syndrome.” It is a condition where a baby’s skin turns blue. This happens when there is not enough oxygen in the blood. Some babies are born with it (congenital) and some develop it early in life (acquired). Medicine was not as advanced then as now. I was described as having a hole in my heart. They gave me less than three months to live. Obviously I did. My childhood play was significantly limited. In adolescence I improved dramatically and began living a normal robust teenage and adult life. Unfortunately my heart has been declining recently in its efficiency. I have no reason to complain; it has served me well for nearly 90 years.
Three years ago I had a heart valve replaced. Complications resulted in some health challenges. One is necessitating a stint or stints being placed in the heart March 10, 2021. This should result in better blood flow and more oxygen supplied throughout the body causing all systems to work better. Hence, better breathing. These procedures are a miracle and that is what I am praying for.
The heart has long been thought of as the center of emotions, especially love. Prior to that, the liver was thought of in that regard. Imagine songs in which the liver replaces the heart in the title: “I Left My Liver in San Francisco,” “You’re On My Liver,” or lines like: “I love you with all my liver.” Enough.
The theme text of my life has been:
“… whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23) No room for goofing is allowed there.
Salvation
Even knowing many readers of my post settled the issue of their salvation a long time ago, I nevertheless want to reflect on it for their encouragement and the benefit of those who haven’t. At times those familiar with the subject use terms not understood by people unfamiliar with them. Hopefully, this will put the cookies on the lower shelf.
The first instruction to follow is to repent. Repentance is pictured by a person standing in a circle facing outward as they hold hands with those on each side of them. Christ stands in the center of the circle. Facing away from Him, each sees his own shadow and cannot see his fellow persons on each side properly. To repent is to turn and face Christ. One’s shadow is behind, the repentant now faces Christ, and can see his fellow persons properly.
Older theologians defined saving faith in terms of three words: NOTITIA, that is knowledge. Before one can believe in Jesus for the gift of salvation they need knowledge regarding it. He the sinless one died for us the sinful ones, the just one died for us the unjust ones, the holy one died for us the unholy one. Knowing that does not constitute salvation, but is essential to it.
ASSENSUS, that is intellectual assent, that is, believe these facts. FIDUCIA, that is trust and personal commitment. Do you have all three? Don’t stop short of the third. Commitment completes salvation and results in obedience to Jesus.
One doesn’t need to remember those terms, but never forget their meaning.
The expression “to obey” and the word “faith” both come from the same root. “Faith,” pistis, means “firm persuasion.” The expression “to obey” comes from pisteuo and speaks of acting out of firm persuasion. Thus, we are to live out our conviction. This does not mean we are saved by works, but we are saved to work.
Another way of picturing salvation might include you and me becoming friends and me enjoying an overnight visit by you. The next morning you come down with sweat on your brow complaining of severe pain on your right side. I know little of medicine, but I know those are signs of appendicitis.
I say my good friend is Dr. Robinson, a surgeon and expert in appendicitis. His office is 234 Oak Street and his phone number is 774-978-4523. Do you believe that? That is Notitia. Your response is Yes. Great, you are well, the pain is gone. That is Assensus.
No, you are not yet saved. You must let me take you to the emergency room where Dr. Robinson greets us, admits you, and has prep work done. Then you must trust the Dr. By submitting to him for surgery. That is fiducia, a personal commitment, salvation.
How to Respond to Critics
“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (I Peter 3: 12 – 17)
Jesus urged His followers to take their cross and follow Him.
Peter who did do good and suffered because of it appealed to us to be “Followers of that which is good.” This translates the word, “zelotes” which means ardent lover. We are to be ardent lovers of that which is good. No heart is pure that is not passionate. No virtue is safe that is not enthusiastically believed.
If you do follow that which is good, you will be “blessed.” The word translated blessed can be translated as “happy.”
So, don’t be alarmed, if it is God’s will for you to suffer for the good, don’t fear it. It is better to suffer man’s wrath for doing God’s will than to suffer God’s wrath for doing man’s will.
Do not be dismayed. Keep hope alive. This hope originates within you. It is a mental state opposite of dismay. This hope does not rest merely in your temperament, knowledge is essential. Hope must have a reasonable basis. You must know and be able to explain the reason for your hope.
To sanctify the Lord in your heart means to set Him aside as your Lord.
Be ready to answer your critics. This requires study.
Our faith must be a first-hand discovery, not a second-hand story.
Show meekness, be humble and exercise self-control.
Fear called for in the text is respect, reverence, and caution.
To have a good conscience requires knowledge.
To be of good conversation means to live so that others have cause to speak well of you.
A saint has been defined as one whose life makes it easy to believe in Christ. All can’t wield the sharp sword of reason well, but all can wear the silver shield of innocence. Take heart – – –
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (I Peter 3:11)
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Some things are best said by the one saying them. This is especially true when the one saying them is Jesus. In the following He gives an explanation of how to respond to the drama of life. It is a nonpareil expression of how to relieve stress. To get us started He opens with a trio sampling of primary things over which we are often tempted to stress. Expand the list to include things which cause you stress and apply the same approach to them as to these three. Read the following slowly and pause along the way to contemplate what is said.
Seeing the crowd around Him and knowing human nature Jesus gave these timeless insights. They are as relevant today as the day spoken.
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6: 24 – 35)
Observe that in conclusion Jesus allows for trouble, but having first told how to respond to it.
There is a song by Bobby Marley with the phrase, “don’t worry, be happy.” To alter that slightly, don’t worry, and you will be happy. Now, let your mind marinade on these items and make your personal prayerful response to Jesus. Don’t leave wiggle room in your response. Then go out and live in the light of these concepts.