God’s Holidays: Yom Teruah

Tags

9-11, appointed feasts, El Shaddai Ministries, Fall feasts, Feast of Trumpets, God's Holidays, holy convocations, I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 5, Jesus' Return, Leviticus 23:1, Mark Biltz, No One Knows the Day or Hour, Poetry, Rosh Hashanah, The Day of Blowing, The Day the No One Knows, The Rapture, Yom Teruah

Kids are back in school, coffee shops are serving pumpkin lattes again, and the crisp feeling of Autumn is tingling the air as the leaves of trees turn all shades of yellow, red and orange; the rains have come, and warm thoughts of the holidays drift through our minds. Holidays are special to most of us for various reasons, mostly because of family time, gifts, good food and all the decorations. There is a history that comes with most holidays, for every holiday had its beginning at some point in time and for some reason. It is important to know that reason or else the holiday loses its meaning, and one might as well call holidays “family time” instead of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Did you know that today is a special day to God? Yes, each day is special and is the day that He has made, but today in particular is special because it is a God-created holiday.

Yes, this is also Remembrance Day for those lost on September 11, 2001, in a tragedy that unexpectedly struck our nation. And just as this nation is called to remember those lost on 9-11, God calls us to remember His holiday.

To begin with, there are actually seven holidays that are special to God, and today is one of those seven. They are most important number one, because God says they are important. In Leviticus 23:1 it says that, “The Lord spoke . . . saying, “Speak to the people . . . and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.””

What feasts are these that God is speaking about in this passage? To what is God referring? Interestingly enough He is not referring to Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Not one of these holidays was put in place by God. They were all man-made.

God’s holidays have been all but forgotten by the Church, because the early Christians did not want to appear Jewish. Still today there are those who say these feast days are Jewish, but God does not call them Jewish. God clearly states that they are His holidays, His festivals, His holy convocations. He very clearly calls them “My appointed feasts.” They are not man-made, but God-ordained for the celebration of those who are called by His name. Because they are His, it seems imperative that we recognize their importance and purpose.

Does this mean that we MUST celebrate them, that we are under the law to do so? No. We don’t even have to celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving, but it is more special when we do. Even so, it is a blessing to observe God’s appointed feast days, for in so doing we are celebrating what Jesus did for us in the past and will do for us in the near future. Truly, the focal point of these holidays is Jesus, for they foreshadow His fulfillment.

So, according to the Bible, what are God’s holidays? There are four Spring holidays: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost; and there are three Fall holidays: Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. All four Spring festivals have been fulfilled through Jesus. However, the three Fall feasts have not yet been fulfilled by Jesus.

In the Hebrew language “feast” actually means “an appointment, a fixed time.” And when God calls them “holy convocations,” convocation actually means “a rehearsal.” Therefore, all of God’s holidays are divine appointments set by God on His calendar as dress rehearsals for something more to come.

A clear example of this is Passover, which was set in place on the night that God delivered the Israelites from the death angel and Egyptian bondage by the blood of perfect lambs. For hundreds of years, the Jews rightly celebrated Passover looking back at what God had done for them in Egypt. But God intended that more would be fulfilled through this “appointment,” through this holiday, and so the people were to go up to Jerusalem and “rehearse” it every year until Jesus fulfilled it completely as the Passover Lamb. For it is by Jesus’ blood that we are delivered from bondage to sin and from the power of death, hell and the grave. Now we too as Christians look back on Passover and remember all Jesus did for us. Clearly, this festival is not only meant for the Jews but for all who believe on Jesus’ Passover sacrifice. And clearly it is not just about food or family, but the focus is clearly on Jesus.

And just as Jesus fulfilled Passover in all of its details, He also fulfilled the other three Spring holidays as well.

Number one, Jesus fulfilled Passover by being our perfect sacrificial Passover Lamb;

Number two, Jesus fulfilled Unleavened Bread by being sinless (without yeast) in all of His ways and being buried in the grave;

In John 1:29 John the Baptist rightly exclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

The Apostle Paul states in I Corinthians 5:7-8

“7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

And in I Peter 1:18-20 it says, “18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

Number three, Jesus fulfilled First Fruits by being our First Fruits from the dead, truly the First Fruits of the resurrection,

As Colossians 1:18 says, “18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

And I Corinthians 15:20 reads, “20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

and Number four, Jesus fulfilled Pentecost by asking the Father to empower believers by sending the Holy Spirit (this is related in Acts 1–2).

But… He has not yet fulfilled the three Fall feasts. However, He will, for they are not just feasts; they’re not just about food and parties and family. They are appointments that God has set in place, predestined before the beginning of the world. They are dress rehearsals for that which Jesus will fully fulfill. They are God’s holidays. They are not Jewish. Therefore, as the people of God, it is important for us pay attention to these feasts and be aware of their significance.

The first of the three Fall unfulfilled feasts is Yom Teruah, “the day of blowing” the shofar (ram’s horn that is a type of trumpet). It has also been titled Feast of Trumpets and Rosh HaShanah. The Jews after their Babylonian captivity carried on some of the traditions of the Babylonians, and some of their months took on new names, and their new year, instead of beginning in the spring as God ordained it, they chose instead to have it begin in the autumn like the Babylonians. Thus, they call the festival Rosh HaShanah or Head of the Year or what we would consider as New Years. However, in scripture God does not call it this. Rather, He calls it Yom Teruah which can be translated as “the day of blowing” or “the day of trumpets”.

In Psalm 81:1-3 we read of this feast day as written by Asaph, “Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute. Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.”

Throughout it’s history, Yom Teruah has been a holiday known by many names and idoms including, “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” “the hidden day,” “the awakening blast,” and “the coronation of the King.” On this day the shofar (a rams horn) is blown 100 times, and the hundredth time it is blown is called “the Last Trump.” No one knows when exactly Yom Teruah begins because this festival is based on the New Moon which is very difficult to detect, and there is only a small window of time that it can be seen. It takes two credible, trustworthy witnesses to declare the time when the sliver of the moon first appears. Thus, this feast is known as the day when “no one knows the day or the hour” that it begins. But, once the sighting time of the New Moon is agreed upon by two witnesses, the feast day officially starts.

Incredibly, Yom Teruah is all about repentance. It is a call for God’s people who’ve not already searched their hearts and fallen on their faces before God, to do so then. This is in preparation for Yom Kippur, the second Fall Feast which follows, which is known as the Day of Judgment and Atonement. Remember, this is not a call to those who do not know God to repent. This is a call to believers to repent before a holy God. Revelation 2-3 draws our attention to seven churches. Five of those seven God calls to repent or else He will remove their lampstand or even spew them out of His mouth. Five of those seven are not ready for Jesus’ immanent return, and God graciously alerts them to the necessity for them to repent. Yom Teruah is God’s appointed day for calling His people to repentance and holiness.

Yom Teruah, thus calls all Christians to repentance and preparation. Preparation for what?

Here are some clues:

It is a day that “no one knows the day or hour” it begins

It is the day of the “coronation of the King”

It is day of the “awakening blast”

It is the day of the “Last Trump”

Let’s take note that Yom Teruah is known as the “Day the No One Knows the Day or Hour.” Did not Jesus say that of His return? Matthew 24:36 states, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows…” When Jesus comes back the sound of the shofar shall sound. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 states clearly, “16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” This scene is loud. There is a shout, there is a loud voice, and there is the trump of God.

And furthermore, God’s holiday of Yom Teruah is also called “The Last Trump”. And did not the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15:51-52 speak of this “last trump” as the time Jesus will change us in the twinkling of an eye? “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Could it be that Jesus gave us a clue as to when He’d be returning? After all, the phrase, “no man knows the day or hour” referred to Yom Teruah. So, could it be that on any given year at the time of Yom Teruah, Jesus could return? And the Apostle Paul who was a Jew of Jews would have known that “the Last Trump” was a phrase used for Yom Teruah. Could it be that just as Jesus fulfilled Passover to the day and in every detail, that He’ll also fulfill in every detail the holiday of Yom Teruah otherwise known as the day of the blowing of the trumpet, the Last Trump, the Day when No One Knows the Day or Hour? After all, God always keeps His appointments.

First Thessalonians 5:1-2,4 says “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night . . . But ye brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Remember also that Jesus said that the time of His return would be like the days of Noah, wherein people would be going about their lives heedless of the end. But, Noah was not clueless, but was prepared with an ark that God instructed him to build. Those who’ll be surprised and taken off guard will be those who are not “watching” eagerly for His appearing (Revelation 3:3) and those who are caught up in the pleasures and cares of this world (Luke 21:34-36). But this is not so of God’s people.

As Christians, let us therefore, take note of Yom Teruah, God’s special holiday, for Jesus is coming back very soon at the “appointed time,” at “the Last Trump” and at at time “When No One Knows the Day or the Hour.” May we not be distracted to notice the signs; may we not be too busy to hear His Holy Spirit; may we not be too self absorbed to be in prayer; may we not be too consumed by the things of this world that we are unprepared and unwatchful. Indeed, Yom Teruah is about Jesus’ immanent return. Though this “appointment” has not yet been fulfilled by Jesus, it will be soon. Thus, rehearsing it would be a good thing, for it keeps us ever watchful just as Jesus wants us to be. As the days grow darker, may we lift up our heads for our redemption draweth nigh.

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For more information regarding God’s Holidays please refer to the Mark Biltz web addresses below:

Page on All the Feasts: https://www.elshaddaiministries.us/feasts_pages.php

Main Web Address: https://www.elshaddaiministries.us/index.php

To purchase the DVD set on the Feasts of the Lord: http://shop.elshaddaiministries.us/Feasts-of-the-Lord-Set-ITEM-100-001.htm (Right now the package is only $10.00!!)

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Before the Foundation

Tags

1 Peter 1:19-20, Adam and Eve, Before The Foundation of The World, Creation, Creator God, Genesis 1, Genesis 2, God's Creation of the World, Jesus the Lamb, Jesus the Lamb of God, Jesus the Passover Lamb, Psalm 36:9, Revelation 13:8, Sovereignty of God

Before the Foundation…

(By: H. E. Basaar, Spring 2005)

He knew before the beginning,

He knew what it would take;

He knew we would be sinning

And of the sacrifice He’d make.

***

Yet, He hovered low over the waters,

He moved upon the deepest darkness,

He drempt of us, our sons and daughters,

As He graced the liquid stillness.

***

He fashioned the world within his hand,

Suspended it in the midst of space.

Called the stars forth within his plan,

Crafting the world and the human race.

***

Still, there it was before Him

The sight of pain and blood.

The stabbing evil taint of sin

Arose in His mind as a flood.

***

Yet, God, who is light within light,

Into the desolate abyss shone

Brilliantly down from his glorious height,

Where he sits on his heavenly throne.

***

Soon land was formed and birds flew,

Animals walked on dirt called Earth.

Fishes swam in oceans blue,

And trees and flowers were given birth.

***

The world was good, He said it was so

And graced it with a grin.

His eyes searched it out as He looked below,

For all was well therein.

***

Yet there it was, the horrid cost,

Of making this our world,

He saw the future tempest tossed,

And yet its realms unfurled.

***

He then stooped down, as He walked this land,

And scooped up some dust within his hand,

Through His fingers He felt the grains of sand,

And then molded it into something grand.

***

It sat there lifeless upon the earth,

As the Spirit hovered yet again.

God held His masterpiece of greatest worth,

And breathed upon it His holy wind.

***

He saw the blood, He saw the pain,

And yet the breath of life He breathed,

He perceived the guilt, the rancid stain,

Yet in His image, man He made.

***

He saw Calvary from the midst of Eden

As He looked in the eyes of Adam and Eve.

He beheld heaven from whence Lucifer’d fallen,

He looked at you, and He looked at me.

***

From the very beginning He saw our shame.

Before He’d made us, He understood.

Before Earth’s foundation the Lamb was slain.

Yet He looked upon us and said, “It is GOOD.”

Behold God’s Lamb!

Tags

Abraham sacrificing Isaac, Ben Hur, Genesis 22, Genesis 3:15, God Will Provide A Lamb, Hebrews 11:17-19, Jesus the Lamb of God, Matthew 21, Michael Card, Palm Sunday, Passover, Passover Lamb, This Must Be The Lamb

Time of Remembrance

Palm Sunday was truly a special day to commemorate Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. It was the day wherein the people cried out “Hosanna in the highest” while waving palm branches, cheering loudly, and laying their coats in the road (Matthew 21). Let’s think on that stirring scene of Jesus being heralded as their Davidic king of salvation by a people unprepared for Him to die on a shameful cross just four days later. What the Jews of Jesus’ day strongly desired was a conquering king to deliver them from Roman oppression and to restore the kingdom to them as promised to David. But, unbeknownst to them, God had sent them His sacrificial Lamb who would save them from something mightier and more terrible than Rome. This Lamb would by His shed blood save them from their sin and put them back in right standing with God the Father.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly upon the foal of a donkey, it was on the 10^th of the first month on God’s calender. In the history of the Jews this was the day on which they were to select a lamb for the feast of Passover that would come four days later. They selected the lamb on the 10^th and were to bring it into their homes. They were to watch it to make sure that it was truly without spot and without wrinkle. Plus, they might even get attached to the cute little lamb that in four days they would kill before the Lord.

Exodus 12 is the first time that God stipulated that this was to be done. At that time the children of Israel were in Egypt. Nine plagues had already struck the Egyptians, and a tenth was about to wipe out all of the firstborn. It was then that God told the Jews to prepare a spotless lamb.

Genesis 3:15

Such a promise of salvation was not first seen in Exodus 12, however. It is in Genesis 3:15 that we first behold this promise:

15 And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed [the serpent’s] and her seed [Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 22

Furthermore, we also see this promise in the story of Abraham when he is taking his son Isaac to sacrifice him for God in Genesis 22:1-2,6-13

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

God Will Provide “Himself” A Lamb

It is said in Hebrews 11:17-19 says of Abraham,

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

Thus, Abraham still believed that God would fulfill His Word regarding salvation through the line of Isaac the son of promise. He never gave upon believing what God had said, and therefore, believed that God could even resurrect Isaac.

Furthermore, since every word of God is inspired, it is important to note Abraham’s prophetic words, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” It does not say, God will provide a lamb FOR Himself. No. It quite clearly implies in the Hebrew text that God will provide Himself as a Lamb. For indeed, it is believed that Golgotha is more than likely the mountain to which God directed Abraham in the land of Moriah. Thus, Jesus died as the provided Lamb on the very spot where Isaac was to have been a sacrifice.

1 Peter 1:18-25

First Peter 1 sheds greater light on this concept of God as the Lamb.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.25 …And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Behold! The Lamb of God!

And so, before Jesus was ever born or began His ministry, and well before God told the Jews in Egypt to sacrifice a spotless lamb; even before He taught His people that “without blood there is no remission” of sins (Hebrews 9:22), even before Abraham beheld the ram caught in the thicket, even before the world was created, before the foundations of Earth were laid, even before God said “Let there be light,” it was planned that Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Just as God taught the Jews to select a spotless lamb, God Himself selected the LAMB who died once for all and whose shed blood covers all who believe (Hebrews 9:23-28, 10:10).

And it was on Palm Sunday that God ushered His perfect, humble, spotless Lamb into Jerusalem in front of the cheering crowd. It was on Palm Sunday that God’s Lamb Jesus was brought into God’s house (the Temple) where He was observed and questioned for four days to see if He was perfect. It was on Palm Sunday that God’s plan of salvation though His Lamb was nearing its grand unveiling.

It was on Passover, otherwise known as Good Friday, that Jesus was mocked, beaten, given a ridiculous, illegal trial wherein He was falsely accused, was jeered, spit upon, robed in purple, and crowned with thorns (like the ram in the thicket). It was on Passover, that Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, bore on His back our sins, our infirmities, our pain, our grief (Isaiah 53). It was on Passover that Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith…for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). It was on Passover that God profoundly tore the veil of the Temple in two, right down the middle from top to bottom, as a New Covenant was created in Christ’s blood. All of this detail, this elaborate symphony of grace, was intricately woven throughout the holy Scriptures through promises from the beginning of time. And on Passover…the mystery literally was unveiled.

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Sources:

On the word “Hosanna”: thttp://www.preceptaustin.org/hosanna-save_now

All Bible Quotes taken from the KJV Bible: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

 

Outstanding Songs and Scenes that Communicate This Truth of Christ as the LAMB:

Hymn Lyrics: He Giveth More Grace

Tags

Annie Flint, Annie Johnson Flint, Christian Hymns, Christian Poems, Christian poetry, He Giveth More Grace, Hymns

He Giveth More Grace

by Annie Johnson Flint

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, 
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; 
To added affliction He addeth His mercy; 
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. 

When we have exhausted our store of endurance, 
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, 
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, 
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

 Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, 
Our God ever yearns His resources to share; 
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; 
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

Chorus:

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure. 
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men; 
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, 
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

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For More Information Concerning the Author, Connect With The Article, “Like Crushed Roses”: https://wordpress.com/post/holylight4u.wordpress.com/583 

Hymn Lyrics: His Eye Is On the Sparrow

Tags

Christian Hymns, Civilla Martin, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Hymns, Hymns of the Church

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

by Civilla Martin

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

—-

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

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To Learn More About The Author, Please Connect To The Article, “Like Crushed Roses,” At This Link: https://wordpress.com/post/holylight4u.wordpress.com/583

Like Crushed Roses

Tags

1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Annie Flint, Annie Johnson Flint, Billy Graham Crusades, Charlotte Elliott, Christian Trials, Christian Tribulations, Civilla Martin, George A. Young, God Leads Us Along, Haldor Lillenas, He Giveth More Grace, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Hymns, Just As I Am, Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle, Psalm 103:1-6, Psalm 139:17-18a, Psalm 40:5

As Christians we have all had different experiences, different joys, different pains, different disappointments, different regrets, different afflictions, but we all have the same Jesus. We all have experienced ups and downs, highs and lows, sorrows and joys, and through it all Jesus has said, “My Grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Story after story in the Bible relates to us the incredible trials and successes of believer after believer, from childless Abraham and Sarah who in their old age saw the fulfillment of God’s promise though the birth of their son Isaac (found in the book of Genesis); to Job who lost everything including all seven of his grown children, his wealth, and his joy, but who saw it restored and multiplied in the end (the book of Job); to Paul who was a Hebrew of Hebrews and a well-respected man of standing among the Jews who then for Jesus lost it all, was beaten, went hungry, endured hardships, pain, shipwreck, loneliness, and eventually was martyred for Jesus, and yet before his death saw the Gospel spread throughout the known world because of his labors (2 Corinthians 11). They each had different trials, but they all had the same Lord. And through their stories we can see that God did not leave them comfortless. We also can see through their stories that God comforts us through the stories of their experiences.

And this is still the same for Christians throughout history. Many of the hymns that we sing to the Lord when we gather together were inspired through the trials, tragedy, hardships and grief of their authors. Though not all of us have been through the same experiences, we all have experienced the unending love and incredible mercies of Christ throughout our lives, and have been sweetened by His presence, giving off a fragrant aroma like that of crushed roses.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what a few of the hymn writers have been through, and how their pains and joys still inspire us today as we continue to sing their songs unto the Lord.

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow”

Civilla Martin and her husband became very close to a couple named Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle. Mrs. Doolittle was bedridden 20 years, and Mr. Doolittle wheeled himself to and from work in a wheelchair. Yet, in spite of their great afflictions, they were full of joy and were a comfort for all who knew them. When Mr. Martin asked them what the secret to their cheerfulness was, Mrs. Doolittle responded, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” It was through this relationship and because of those words that Civilla Martin penned the inspirational song, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”

“Just As I Am”

“Just As I Am” was written by a young woman named Charlotte Elliott. She was an angry, bitter lady, for she had a disability that could not be overcome. Her anger was directed at God, for she felt that God must not love her. Her family wanted to help her, so they invited a Swiss minister to dinner. It was at this dinner that she erupted violently. After her embarrassed family exited the dining room, the minister gently spoke with her. At one point, Charlotte asked him, “If I wanted to become a Christian and to share the peace and joy you possess, what would I do?” To which the minister replied, “You would give yourself to God just as you are now, with your fightings and fears, hates and loves, pride and shame.” Then thoughtfully she inquired, “I would come to God just as I am? Is that right?” And so, she came to believe in Jesus during that heart-to-heart discussion. Later for the sake of her minister brother who was raising funds for a school for poor ministers she wrote a poem that was published entitled, “Just As I Am.” That poem went on to become the most famous hymn in history. Though for the rest of her life she still struggled with her infirmities and disability, she was encouraged by letter after letter sent to her by those who had been profoundly touched by her poem that later became a hymn made popular during the altar call at the Billy Graham crusades.

“He Giveth More Grace”

Annie Johnson Flint was born on Christmas Eve and was to her parents the “greatest earthly gift.” A short 3 years later, Annie would lose her mother who died in childbirth, and a short time after that would also lose her father who had been “suffering from an incurable disease.” Her father, a godly man, willed Annie and her baby sister to a good baptist family named Flint, in order that they be raised in a solidly Christian household. At the age of 8 while attending a revival meeting, she believed in Jesus for herself and was truly converted. She was a cheerful and optimistic child, full of hope and undying faith.

Later, two years into a teaching career, the debilitating affliction of rheumatoid arthritis began to rear its ugly head in her life. On top of this, her sister and her were made orphans again when both of their adoptive parents died within a few short months of each other. The two of them had very little money, but her love of music and poetry became a monetary blessing. “Two card publishers printed some of her greetings and released the first little brochure of her poems,” and through the Sunday School Times she began to correspond with countless hurting people who did not understand what they were enduring. Through the poems and other words that she wrote to them, “she became convinced that God intended to glorify Himself through her in her weak, earthen vessel; and like Paul, she gained real assurance and could say with the apostle, the promise granted to him: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” She could also say with Paul, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” She believed that God had laid her aside for a purpose, even though that purpose was obscure to her at times” (any quotes about Annie Flint are taken from https://hymnary.org/person/Flint_Annie).

“God Leads Us Along”

God Leads Us Along” was written by George A. Young. Not much is known about Young, but what is know is that he was a carpenter and preacher of the Gospel. Researchers believe he more than likely lived between the years 1855-1935, and diligently served the Lord in small rural areas of the United States. Though he held no known huge revival meetings nor had a mega church nor was a popular television preacher, he sought to preach the Gospel wherever he went while at the same time raising his beloved family. After years of scrimping and saving, he and his wife were able to build their own small home. However, not long after the completing of this home, those who hated his message of the Bible burned it down while he was away ministering to others. In 1903 he wrote the words and composed the music to “God Leads Us Along” which depicts a lovely Psalm 23-like pastoral scene with a chorus of profound meaning.

“Around 1942, hymn writer Haldor Lillenas (The Bible Stands; Wonderful Grace of Jesus) decided to track down George Young’s widow, and find out more. He got an address in a small town and, driving there, he stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. When the attendant saw the address, he said, “Why sir, that’s the County Poor House up the road about three miles. And mister, when I say poor house, I really mean poor house!”

Not knowing what to expect, Lillenas made his way there. He found Mrs. Young, a tiny, elderly woman, in surroundings that were far from congenial. However, she radiated the joy of the Lord, and spoke of how He’d guided her and her husband over many years. Then, she exclaimed, “Dr. Lillenas, God led me here!” I’m so glad He did, for you know, about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days….So many of them don’t know my Jesus. I’m having the time of my life introducing them to Jesus! Dr. Lillenas, isn’t it wonderful how God leads!”” (Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Histories, by Alfred B. Smith (Dickinson Press Incorporated, 1981 quoted on https://wordwisehymns.com/2011/12/14/god-leads-us-along/).

Practical Application

We as Christians can know that God cares about us. He did not just care about the Bible story characters nor just about these hymn writers. He cares about us. That’s why these hymns were born. They were born so that we could be comforted through them, inspired through them, be encouraged through them. Psalm 40:5 says, “Many, O LORD my God, are . . . thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalm 139:17-18a says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand…” Not only this, but 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” So first of all, know that God cares for you!

Furthermore, whether we have been inspired by another’s trial or our own, in good times and joy, in grief and great loss, bitterness and uncertainty and broken dreams, we all like these hymn writers, have a testimony, a story to tell. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 we see that God comforts us so that we in turn can comfort others. “3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Truly, we are to edify one another with songs, hymns and spiritual songs as seen in Ephesians 5:18-21.

So, number one, let’s remember that God cares for each of us individually. Let’s not forget all of His daily benefits (Psalm 68:19)! As it says in Psalm 103:1-6,

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”

Let’s also remember that we are here for others as well because God cares for them, and wants to love them through us. As long as we breathe, we have purpose. These hymn writers could easily have given up, but instead they sang a song that is still resonating today, even now in your hearts. We may never write a great hymn nor be famous, but we can still give a word of encouragement or comfort to someone we know. That’s all these hymn writers did at the time. They were not great. They were not famous. They were simply Christians going through trials and tribulations who chose to praise God through the midst of it, and wrote a song, a song which has survived the test of time and still inspires God’s people today. Like crushed roses smell sweeter, even so, may the fragrance of our trials minister to the needs of others. May we not forget that we are the body of Christ, God’s Holy of Holies, and it is our purpose to build up one other and share our stories to encourage and inspire each other to press on. Remember, God cares for us, and therefore, we all have a story to tell!

Various Sources:

Books:

Morgan, Robert J., Then Sings My Soul, 2006.

Osbeck, Kenneth W., Amazing Grace: 366 Hymn Stories for Personal Devotion, 1990.

Alfred B. Smith, Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Histories, Dickinson Press Incorporated, 1981).

Online:

His Eye is On the Sparrow:

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow,” http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/i/s/hiseyeis.htm.

He Giveth More Grace:

“He Giveth More Grace,” http://littlebirdieblessings.blogspot.com/2011/08/he-giveth-more-grace.html, August 19, 2011.

“Do You Ever Wonder About Great Hymns Like He Giveth More Grace?”, https://rare.us/your-daily-bread/faith-your-daily-bread/do-you-ever-wonder-about-the-story-behind-great-hymns-like-he-giveth-more-grace/, by Tami Nantz, May 2015.

“Annie Johnson Flint,” https://hymnary.org/person/Flint_Annie, http://www.homecomingmagazine.com/ (excerpts)

Just As I Am:

“Miss Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871,” http://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/elliott.html.

“Charlotte Elliott Faced God with One Plea,” https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/charlotte-elliott-faced-god-with-one-plea-11630559.html.

“History of Hymns: “Just As I Am” Comes from Writer’s Struggle with Confining Illness,” https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-just-as-i-am-comes-from-writers-struggle-with-confining-il, article by Irene Ting-Ting Lai, via Discipleship Ministries, the United Methodist Church website.

God Leads Us Along

“God Leads Us Along,” https://wordwisehymns.com/2011/12/14/god-leads-us-along/.

Because He Lives:

“Courage and Strength For His Child: Because He Lives,” http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/courage-and-strength-his-child-because-he-lives, as taken from Lindsay Terry’s Stories Behind 50 Southern Gos pel Favorites, 2005.

“Rev. McDowell: The Story Behind the Gaither’s “Because He Lives,” http://www.oleantimesherald.com/lifestyles/rev-mcdowell-the-story-behind-the-gaithers-because-he-lives/article_2d73f288-ccaa-11e3-9d7f-0019bb2963f4.html, article by Rev. Dan McDowell, special to the Oleans Times Herald, April 25, 2017.

“Because He Lives: The Story Behind a Worship/Southern Gospel Classic,” http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Because_He_Lives_The_story_behind_a_worship__Southern_gospel_classic_/59502/p1/ (Quote by Gloria Gaither), article by Tony Cummings.

Hymn Lyrics:

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow,” https://www.hymnlyrics.org/mostpopularhymns/his_eye_is_on_the_sparrow.php

“He Giveth More Grace”

http://paulsohn.org/he-giveth-more-grace/

God’s Still Plays Music On Broken Chords

Tags

2 Corinthians 3, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, Bach, Bach's Chromatic Fantasy, Chromatic Fantasy, Corrie ten Boom, Glory of God, Johann Sebastian Bach, Naomi, The Book of Ruth, Tramp for the Lord, Treasures in Earthen Vessels, Treasures in Jars of Clay

There is a true story found in the pages of a book entitled, Tramp for the Lord. The story is that of brokenness, specifically the brokenness of the country of Germany after WWII. The people of that nation were devastated at the end of the war, and many were astounded to hear of Hitler’s atrocities. Some who had had positions of importance had lost everything, including their home, their job, their family, and their dignity.

It was into this scene that Corrie ten Boom enters, turning a concentration camp of horror into a transitional home for those who were destitute. While visiting such a transformed facility, she met an older woman who sat in a corner of a large room that she shared with three families. The woman had been a concert pianist and a professor of music before the war. Now, she had lost everything. However, a pastor offered her the use of a piano miles away in a church that had been demolished by bombs, but the piano was untouched.

One thing led to another, and Corrie ten Boom was invited to hear this woman play. After walking miles and miles (since there was no other mode of transportation), they finally reached their destination. As the woman sat down to play, she asked Corrie if she would like to hear something in particular. Breathing a prayer, Corrie responded, “The Chromatic Fantasy” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ5IkHlKQrw). Well, Ms. Ten Boom was appalled with her selection for it is one of Bach’s (and truly one of classical music’s) most difficult pieces ever written. Not only this, but though the piano had survived the bombs it had not survived the inclement weather. It was soggy, dilapidated, with all of its peddles broken off. The ivory of the keys was non-existant, and the chords were terribly rusting and some were even broken. Corrie looked on in horror, wondering what on earth was about to happen.

The older concert pianist smiled however, poised her fingers above the broken keys, and prepared to play. Her fingers flew across those decaying keys, and unexpected heavenly music danced in Corrie ten Boom’s shocked ears. How could such a weather worn piano play with such elegance, and how could such a war-crushed woman play with such poise? (For the rest of the story read: Tramp for the Lord, page 47-50, “Music from Broken Chords”).

We all in a way are like that piano. Even the woman in the story was like that weathered, battered piano. We too are weathered. She thought life had robbed her and left her a mere shell, devoid of purpose. We too have been through experiences that have left us less than perfect. The rains of life have left us soggy but not unusable. The rust of life has crept up on us over time, even as weeds encroach upon a garden, but our chords are still musical. We too are still capable of playing beautiful music. We too are vessels that can still be used by God.

There are many in the Bible who were weathered and worn, but one in particular stood out to me, and her name is Naomi. We read in the book of Ruth that Naomi first had to leave her home, family and friends behind because of a devastating famine (vs. 1). Then, while trying to survive in a foreign land, her husband died (vs. 3). Still reeling from the loss of her husband and hoping that all was turning around, Naomi went on to lose not one but both of her childless sons (vs. 5). All too easily we can glance over those verses and hurry on to the rest of the story. But truly it is astounding to note that in a mere 5 verses we catch a glimpse of the enormity of Naomi’s losses. For indeed, she’s lost everything. In verse 13 she states that she felt the hand of the Lord was against her (vs 13). Later when she returns to the land of Israel, she tells her old friends to call her Mara meaning “bitter” instead of Naomi which means “sweet” (vs 20). She goes on to say that when her family and she had left the land of Israel because of the famine, her heart and life had been full. There may have been a horrible famine, but life was good. However now, though she still owned the land, it meant nothing to her for she was returning to it empty (vs 21). She had no husband, no sons, no grandchildren and no prospect of them, no money and no prospect of it, and therefore, no future. Or so she thought…

For the story doesn’t end there, for unbeknownst to her, her daughter-in-law, the young, quiet, gentle, Moabite woman who begs to accompany her in her devastation and despair, is ordained by God to become the great grandmother of King David and was to be in the lineage of Jesus, the Savior of the World.

But, all too often we can be like Naomi, focused on our losses, focused how we used to be full but now are empty, focused on the past, thinking we’ve no future. The devil loves to keep us in the slough of despond, wallowing about unable to move beyond our present experiences. Or maybe we think our best days are over, that we’ve no real purpose now. The devil loves to keep us thinking like this too, for it keeps our minds on what we are not, instead of on who God is in us.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 we read,

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Now, this passage talks to us about “light” and “earthen vessels” and “glory”. So let’s take a closer look!

First of all, what is this “light”? In Genesis 1 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God separated the light from the darkness. This was a physical light that the darkness could not overwhelm. In John 1 God said He sent the Light of Jesus into the World. He is the spiritual light of the world that the darkness could not understand nor overcome. This same light of Jesus has shined in our hearts, and His fellowship with us has brought about illumination to our spirits that we might begin to comprehend who He truly is.

Second of all, what are the “earthen vessels”? In Exodus 31-32 God wrote His law on actual stone tablets. It says that with His finger He wrote it and engraved it. However, God predicted that the day would come when He would write His Word upon the hearts of His people and not on stone. 2 Corinthians 3:3 states that Christians are the “epistles” or letter of Christ written by the Spirit of God on “fleshly tables of the heart.” Indeed, we are those “fleshly tables,” those “earthen vessels” made of clay and extremely fragile. Nevertheless, upon these earthen vessels are written the very Words of God.

And lastly, what is “glory”? “Glory” means to think or recognize. It is the value of something or someone based on God’s perfect objective opinion. When speaking of the glory of God it means His unchanging essence.

When we give God glory we are giving Him His full recognition. Thus, the “glory of God” is essentially what He is, and the “glory of man” is what God created him to be.

2 Corinthians 3:7,9,13, 18 states,

“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance…for if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory…And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished…”

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Now, from these passages it appears that “glory” also has a light to it, because Moses had to veil his face because of the glory of God that shone from it. Not only did Moses’ face glow, but the glow faded. It was actually more the fading of the light that was covered by the veil than the glow.

However, the glory of God in the “face of Jesus” is unfading and undimmed, and we all look with unveiled face upon His radiance and splendor, and are changed from glory to glory to look more and more like Him. Though we are simple, fragile pottery made of clay, He has written His Word on us and has filled us with the treasures of His light and understanding. Each of us is written on by God, filled with the unfading glory of God, and are storage vessels of God’s vast treasure. We contain the wealth of heaven, glow with God’s essence and are engraved by God’s finger.

No, we may not be the grandparents of a king nor may we be in the lineage of the Savior of the World, but we are all individually God’s masterpieces created for good works in Christ, and those good works don’t end when we hit a certain age or when we lose a spouse or when we are unemployed or when we think we have no purpose. Bitter Naomi who thought life was over had impacted a young woman, altering that young woman’s life forever. In spite of all of Naomi’s disappointments and disillusionment, Ruth had seen the one true and real God in Naomi, and because of this, Ruth abandoned everything to follow Naomi and her God. Naomi still had purpose even when she thought she didn’t. Naomi thought she was too old, but she wasn’t. Naomi had given up, but God hadn’t.

Let us not limit God! For, indeed, no matter how broken we are, no matter how disappointed we are, no matter how flawed we are, no matter how old we are, no matter if our families are Christian or not, no matter how the rains of life have left us rusted and the strings of our piano broken, God has chosen to write upon us, to light us up with His glory, to stash His treasure into these vessels of clay, and to play His celestial music through our broken chords.

And The Darkness Could Not Comprehend It…

Tags

500 years of Reformation, 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, 95 Theses, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, bohu, Constantine, Dark Ages, Emperor Constantine, Genesis 1, Johaness Gutenburg, John 1, Martin Luther, Mithras, Pontifex Maximus, printing press, Protestant Reformation, Sun god religion, syncretism, tohu, waters of the deep, without form and void

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep….and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters. “The earth was without form and void”, this statement of Genesis 1 carries more weight than most people think, for those words “without form” and “void” equal something far more sinister and evil than at first comprehended at a cursory glance, or even a second and third reading. These two words signify that the earth was a formless destroyed waste of confusion and chaos. These words are used throughout Scripture for destroyed cities or land or empty barren wastelands of the earth after God has judged it (Job 26:7; Isaiah 24:10; 34:11; 45:18; Jer 4:23). It is difficult for us in the English language to grasp the enormity associated with these words, but they represent “chaos, confusion, and disorder,” and everything opposed to order and harmony (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old Testament, pgs. 121 #922 bohu and 1214 #8414 tohu). And there was darkness on the face of the deep…This darkness is has been said is a darkness that could be felt, and the “waters of the deep” are not just still and peaceful sitting there doing nothing kind of waters, but instead are an abyss of a surging mass of agitated waters of fathomless depth (Strong’s, #8415 tehom and root word #1949 huwm).

This was not a tranquil scene of still waters and a gentle earth waiting to be formed. No… Genesis 1 presents to us a scene of tumult, judgment and chaos and the darkness that covered all with its barbarous, suffocating tentacles. This is the realm into which God’s Spirit entered, hovered as an eagle over her young (#7363 rachaph), gently moving upon the face of the tumultuous deep. And then it happened, that which shook the world and shattered the tangible darkness sending tremors into the very abyss…Genesis 1:3 states, “then God said, “Let light be!” How incredible those words are, and how much more incredible is the God who spoke them, commanding light to shine forth into a chaotic world filled with destruction and chaos, covered with turbulent waters and blinding darkness. But, at His word, Light overwhelmed and overcame the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend what had happened.

Even so, in John 1, darkness of ignorance and blindness and hopelessness covered a world overwhelmed by sin and depravity wherein religion held captive the helpless masses. For, into the world stepped the most extraordinary being ever to walk the earth. Though He was clothed in humanity and humility, He was the very Word of God and Light of God entering the thickest, tangible, ruinous darkness and with that entrance saying loud and clear with all authority and power, “Let there be Light!” And the proud, puffed up darkness could not grasp what had happened, nor could it overcome, nor could it seize by force the Word and the Light of the Living Creator God. For the very “I Am” had entered the world, and it could not silence Him. It could not cover Him. It could not hide Him. It could not shake Him. It could not defeat Him!

Time after time, that same darkness has fought to overcome that Light, the Word of God. From the very birth of the Church, it has sought to silence the Gospel of Life and Light, mainly through persecution, fear, and war. Millions of martyrs have spilled their blood for Christ, as Roman emperors crucified them, burned them alive, tortured them, ruined their businesses, and drove them into the catacombs. But, the Gospel was not defeated. The more pressure the darkness placed upon the Body of Christ, the more the Gospel spread.

And so the darkness tried another tactic: infiltration.

In the 300s, the Roman Empire was struggling to hold itself together. Inside the Roman empire there were warring religions and the persecution of Christianity; on the outside of the Roman empire there was resistance and war. No one was getting along. It was then that a Roman emperor observed the disintegration of his empire with great interest. He was the high priest of the Mithras religion (the worship of Apollo the sun god, but he found in Christianity a common bond. For the stories of the sun god Mithras and the Son of God Jesus Christ seemed in his mind, to mesh. It is even said that before marching into battle one day, this emperor while worshiping the sun, saw a vision of the cross and was told by a voice that in this sign he was to conquer. Upon returning from great victory in battle, he realized that all religions must have freedom, and that all religions must find common ground. The Edict of Milan was issued in the year 313, as a joint venture of the Roman emperors of the West and the East. Through this edict it became illegal to persecute Christians, and tolerance of all religions became the law of the land. Everyone was to get along. There was a common prayer that all could pray to the nameless deity all held in common and thus not offend. Syncretism (a blending together of different religions) was put into place as the order of day, worship on Sundays for Christians and the celebration of Christmas was protected, which also meant protection for those of the Mithras religion who also worshiped their sun god (Apollo) on Sundays and celebrated Christmas. Everyone was free to practice their own religion, but the Emperor was to be Pontifex Maximus (the high priest—literally meaning the “greatest bridge maker” – http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pontifex) of them all. This Emperor’s name was Constantine.

Nevertheless, the Word of God still prevailed and firmly founded the Church on the Nicene Creed. The Council of Nicaea met in A.D. 325 amidst much argumentation regarding the “substance” of Christ (https://probe.org/the-council-of-nicea/). The Nicene Creed clarified the role of Christ, that He was of the same substance of the Father, was not a created being, and thus, firmly established the doctrine of the Trinity. Furthermore, the temporary peace produced at this time allowed for the historian Eusibeus to carefully organize and affirm the unquestionable books that are contained in our Bibles today. Several councils followed to confirm what Eusibeus affirmed and that the churches had been following from the beginning.

Though this strange peace gave the Church a brief respite from outside persecution and allowed for the Nicene Creed and the books of the Bible to be carefully examined for Canonicity, the pulsating darkness of paganism began to spread within the Church.

By the year 1517 that very darkness had so infiltrated and enveloped the Church that people hopelessly and blindly groped about in great superstition and in an overwhelming fear of death. Owning a Bible was against the law (http://justforcatholics.org/a198.htm), prayers were made to Mary, the saints and angels, relics (even bones stolen from graves that the Roman church claimed were of Stephen or Peter or Paul) were superstitiously bought and venerated, the Pope was seen as Christ (The Vicar of Christ – from the Latin Vicarious meaning “substitute” https://www.thefreedictionary.com/vicar) on earth and his word was infallible, salvation was through works and helped along by buying indulgences (https://www.christian-history.org/indulgences.html). Because people were not good enough to get into heaven and they were taught by the Roman Church that they would eventually upon death go to purgatory (a place where sinners must be purged of their sins before going on to heaven), they desperately struggled to buy indulgences that would free them and/or their relatives from this horrific place. Even perilous pilgrimages were made to Rome where they would pay to kiss statues, kneel on hundreds of steps while praying in a certain fashion, etc. in order to get indulgences that would cut their time short in purgatory. “For hundreds of years (approximately 500-1600 A.D.) through the Roman Catholic Church, the insatiable appetite of evil had taken hold of the people. Though little groups here and individuals there had sought the truth of Scripture, they were mercilessly persecuted and martyred by those who wanted to keep them in tangible darkness. People like John Huss, John Wycliffe and Jerome Savonarola spoke out against the immorality and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic church, and because of this they and others like them (thousands upon thousands) were pressured unsuccessfully to recant and then without trial” martyred for their faith (HolyLight Reformation Presentation of October 2016).

The same agitated, tangible darkness that filled the earth with chaos of Genesis 1 sought tirelessly to destroy the body of Christ in the Dark Ages. The same blindness of sin and blackness of despair in Jesus’ day, mesmerized the masses of the Dark Ages. Why? Because the Gospel message was no longer preached nor was it widely known. And this was because the Word of God had been withheld from the common people.

Then, 500 years ago on October 31^st of 1517, in the midst of colorful leaves and the crisp cool autumn air, 34 year old Martin Luther placed his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church in Germany. The pounding of the hammer to the nail echoed throughout the land of Germany, rattled the foundations of the Pope’s Roman residence, shook the powers of darkness, and sent the demons squealing with terror. For not only did Luther dare to nail his 95 theses to the door, but they knew that that the Johaness Gutenburg printing press of 1440 that had at one time printed thousands upon thousands of indulgences now would print not only Luther’s 95 theses as well a multiplicity of his other writings, but would print the Word of God in the language of the people. “By 1519, this unknown monk had become Europe’s most published author, his 45 original compositions [were] republished in nearly 300 editions…Three years later, Luther had produced some 160 writings, the majority addressed to the Christian people of Germany in their own language, even though many of them had never before owned a printed work,” (Colin Woodard, December 2015 article, “The Power of Luther’s Printing Press,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-power-of-luthers-printing-press/2015/12/18/a74da424-743c-11e5-8d93-0af317ed58c9_story.html?utm_term=.6230eb429e9d). Furthermore, a copy of Luther’s New Testament translated from Greek into the German language of the people “was released September 21, 1522, and a second edition was produced the same December” (https://www.christian-history.org/martin-luther-bible.html). “In two months, no less than five thousand copies were sold. In twelve years, nearly a quarter of a million New Testaments were distributed amongst the German people” (Captive to the Word: Martin Luther, Doctor of Sacred Scripture, by A. Skevington Wood, chapter “Luther as a Translator,” pg 102, https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/asw/captive/captive-to-the-word_09.pdf). Soon Luther’s copy of the Pentateuch followed in 1523. Finally in 1534, the whole of the Bible had been translated by Luther into the German language.

The endless night of the Dark Ages ruled by Popes and Bishops and by superstition and mysticism was pierced by the blinding, enduring light of God, as Martin Luther nailed the theses to the door and then translated and printed the words of Scripture into the German language. Indeed, in the words of Isaiah 9:2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” And the people in Germany had and did see that great light. Though for hundreds of years the insidious midnight desperately attempted to suppress the truth, to keep the Bible from the people, to steal, kill and destroy all hope of salvation, and to snuff out the last embers of light, the Light of the World still could not be comprehended nor overcome.

And the light spread as the truth of the Gospel was preached in France, Holland, England and beyond. Soon the Bible was translated into other languages of the people, so that, as John Wycliffe (also known as “the morning star of the reformation”) desired, every plow boy could read the word.

October 31^st of this year, 2017, marks the 500 year anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the Wittenburg Castle Church in Germany. 500 years ago, he risked his life to ask questions that needed to be asked, and though he honored the Church he dared to question the unScriptural behavior of church leadership. Though he knew the flesh and blood that stood against him and sought to kill him, he also was more than aware that he wrestled not against flesh and blood, “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Indeed, one of several hymns he wrote reveals this spiritual warfare reality in the life of Martin Luther, entitled, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” *Lyrics below

Throughout the years, the darkness has struggled against the light, trying unsuccessfully to extinguish that light. True scholars have fought to preserve the Bible from contamination, and though many versions are based on a polluted, man-made text, the Received Text (Textus Receptus) still endures unconquerable. And in spite of sin’s draw, Great Awakening after Great Awakening reveals that God’s light still pierces the darkness.

Though so many throughout history have risked their lives and families on behalf of the Word of God and have even died simply because they dared to own one in their own language, and though today in third world countries people are desperate to have a Bible and are willing to lay all on the line to obtain one, the Christians of the West have no time for it. According to Barna (A Christian Research Group) “Nearly a quarter of a century ago in 1991, 45 percent of American adults told Barna they read the Bible at least once a week. In 2009, 46 percent reported doing so. These percentages were remarkably consistent over the course of nearly two decades. But since 2009, Bible reading has become less widespread, especially among the youngest adults. As more and more Millennials join the ranks of adulthood, the national average continues to weaken. Today, about one-third of all American adults report reading the Bible once a week or more. The percentage is highest among Elders (49%) and lowest among Millennials (24%)” (https://www.barna.com/research/the-bible-in-america-6-year-trends/) (emphasis added is mine).

According to

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

This lack of knowledge and vision is all about people not knowing the Word of God, and without knowing it, people perish in their minds, in their politics, in their judicial system, in their family structure, in every way.

500 years after Martin Luther, our enemy is still at work. Since the foundation of the world until now, the darkness still hates the light. The battle for the Bible still rages on. Let us therefore remember along with Martin Luther and others throughout the ages that we are children of the Light, that we are of the day, that our only offensive combat weapon is the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Another Dark Ages is now enveloping this nation and the West. Let us not be apart of it. As Philippians 2:15-16 says, Let us truly be “the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.”

 

Other Sources Used Not Listed Already Above:

Information regarding Constantine:

*Doc Marquis various dvds

*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04295c.htm

Mithras/Sun god Religion:

*http://www.truthbeknown.com/mithra.htm

*Encyclopedia Britannica (online)

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mithra

Information about the Reformers/Martyrs:

*http://www.ministers-best-friend.com/Protestant-Reformer-Heroes.html

*Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

*https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Wycliffe

Canon of Scripture:

*https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/who-decided-what-went-into-the-bible.html

*https://www.gci.org/history/athanasius

*https://bible.org/seriespage/7-bible-holy-canon-scripture

*http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/ntcanon_emergence.aspx

*http://biblehub.com/library/davidson/the_canon_of_the_bible/chapter_vii_the_bible_canon.htm

*http://ntcanon.org/Eusebius.shtml

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

by Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing.
Our helper He amid the flood, Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe, Doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side, The man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He.

Lord Sabaoth, his name, From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers Not thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also.
The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever…

The State of the Nation

Tags

America, American Christian Poem, American Christian Poetry, Christian American Poem, Christian Poem, Christian poetry, Compromise, God, Liberty, Politicians

“The State of the Nation”
Poem by: H. E. Basaar, October 2004

We are born into an America filled with lies
Raised to live our lives by tepid compromise;
Here one is taught that what is really real
Is only what you choose to think and feel.
We are born into a land that’s filled with scorn
Where deceivers rule and divisiveness is born.
We are told not to question rulings of the state
Where morals lose and God is second rate,
Where any word or thought or opposing stance
Is viewed through the lense of intolerant tolerance.

While politicians bow to gods of greed and fornication
We’ve forgotten that righteousness exalts a nation.
People pledge allegiance to what they think is right;
As the children of Liberty refuse to fight.
Ravenous for power, evil raises high its head
Clutching and grasping ‘til freedom is dead.
Indeed the blade of truth has become dull
As Americans of weary heart and timid soul
Leave the sword lifeless in its rusty sheath,
Choosing comfortable complacency to lay beneath.

Awaken those of you in this land of greatness born!
Awaken! Do not your Creator, Savior scorn!
As truth is succumbing to vile interrogation
Do not back down in defense of this nation.
Remember who you are within this fading light
Unfurl the banner and do what is right!
Do not muddle the lines between evil and good
Take a stand; be who you are; do what you should!

(Compliments of Ameristella.wordpress.com)

Why I Write

Tags

2 Timothy 3:16, Deception, Deception in the Church, False Prophets, lying signs and wonders, Matthew 7:22-23, prophecy

 

Dear Reader,

Thank you for visiting my blog, and for taking the time to get to know me a bit better by reading “Why I write.”

I’ve been writing since I could write. As soon as I could shape letters on a page and form sentences (whether fragments, run-ons or otherwise), I wrote. Over time I’ve honed this skill, from the creative writing class in high school, to my English classes in college, from essay after essay, to my Master’s thesis in seminary, and finally a published short story. It has been a constructive and interesting journey.

I have a B.A. in Bible and History, an M.A. in Biblical Literature, have a published story, have worked for years in ministry and am at present a chaplain.

My heart is that of ministering to the Body of Christ. As a chaplain I do this as a profession. As a volunteer I do this with my spare time. As a writer I do this with my knowledge and heart wrapped into one. My writing is all about edifying the Church, and though the edifying is sometimes like pruning, it is always constructive. After all, pruning to a plant is important or else it will get all tangled, have smaller fruit/flowers, and be generally unsightly. Even so, the Body of Christ needs the edification of pruning in order to produce better fruit.

Thus, I write because I love it. I write also because the knowledge within me demands to be let out! I write to inform, to edify by reproving (showing where we might be wrong in our beliefs/conduct), correcting (showing forth the Biblical way of belief/conduct), and by instructing in righteousness (analyzing how we ought to live Scripture in every day life). (2 Timothy 3:16)

Furthermore, I write to expose some deceptions sweeping over the Church. Indeed, over the years I have come to a shocking realization that some of those I’ve grown up highly respecting have been teaching heresy. One such person I grew up wanting to be like. At age 13 and up, I idolized this person. I went to his meetings, bought his books, wanted to talk like, look like, and act like him. I even wanted to gray early because he did! He was anointed, a man of God being used mightily, and I longed to be anointed and be used mightily by God too! I wanted to see the sick healed, the dead raised, the demons cast out, and have the powerful manifestations that he did in his miracle crusades.

However, what I did not realize, is that the minister I idolized was openly teaching unbiblical things not as a theory but as a fact, while at the same time telling everyone that the Bible was the standard to be followed in all doctrine and practice. My heart is grieved now by this powerful truth, and I pray for the minister that I esteemed and looked up to in every way. He is in grave error.

You see, when I write what I write on this website, I will not write simply to expose for the sake of exposing. Though I may get passionate about repentance and the truth, my heart is broken over what is happening to the Church. I am grieved for the Body of Christ that is falling prey to this horrific deception. People, who love Jesus, who are hungry for God, who long for the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, are being led astray to the subtle beat of another gospel and they don’t even know it! This is not about naming names. Rather, it is about false teaching and false prophecy and lying signs and wonders. There will be names mentioned at times, however, because people are being led astray by leaders who are deceived, and by leaders who are deceivers. It is hard to tell the difference between these two types of leaders. But whether deceived or deceivers, they are still propagating deception and that deception must be exposed….that we might better know how to pray….that the Church and its leaders might come to repentance.

After all, “many will say… ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness,’” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Indeed we are living in the Last Days. We must be vigilant. We must be sober. We must watch and pray (1 Thessalonians 5, Luke 21:34-36).

These are some of the reasons why I write. Thank you for your time and consideration and prayers. Blessings to you all!