Love Your Enemies

Jesus—His Life and Message: The Sermon on the Mount - By Peter Amsterdam:
http://directors.tfionline.com/post/jesushis-life-and-message-sermon-moun/

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

We’re going to take a look now at the last of the six examples in the Sermon where Jesus gave a fuller understanding of the Law of Moses. Here He went beyond the idea that members of the kingdom of God shouldn’t retaliate and resist (as explored in the previous article), by teaching that we are to love our enemies.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.1

Jesus paraphrased Leviticus 19:18, you shall love your neighbor, and then added the phrase and hate your enemy, which most likely summarized the way many in His day interpreted Scripture. There is no Scripture which specifically says to hate your enemy, though it can be inferred by Old Testament verses such as Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.2

There are also Old Testament passages that speak of showing kindness and goodwill toward enemies.

If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.3 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.4 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.5

Author D. A. Carson commented that

Some Jews took the word “neighbor” to be exclusive: we are to love only our neighbor, they thought, and therefore we are to hate our enemies. This was actually taught in some circles.6

The key lies in the matter of who is a neighbor. The word “neighbor” in the Old Testament is used generally as a term for a member of the Jewish people, the people of the covenant. All throughout the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, the word “neighbor” generally refers to fellow Jews. The full sentence Jesus paraphrased said:

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.7

The general Jewish thinking at the time left “non-neighbors,” basically non-Jews, outside the command to love. However, Jesus greatly expanded the understanding of who is a neighbor to include strangers and even enemies. This is made clear both in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount as well as in the parable of the Good Samaritan.8

John Stott explains that according to Jesus, our neighbor is

not necessarily a member of our own race, rank or religion. He may not even have any connection with us. He may be our enemy … Our‘neighbor’ in the vocabulary of God includes our enemy. What constitutes him our neighbor is simply that he is a fellow human being in need, whose need we know and are in a position in some measure to relieve.9

We are to love even our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who abuse us.10 Why? Because we are God’s children, and this is how God treats people.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.11

Speaking of humanity in general, the apostle Paul made the point that corporately, through Adam’s sin (and individually through our own sins), humanity rejected God and as such were considered His enemy, yet Scripture tells us that While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.12 From the very beginning, God loved humanity; even though humanity was in rebellion against Him due to our sins, He loved us. As His children (sons of your Father), we should do as He does, by loving our enemies. We’re told to pray for those who persecute and abuse us. They may be cursing and damning us, wishing us harm, but our response should be to call down God’s blessing on them and let them know we wish them nothing but good.13 We are to pray for them as Jesus prayed after being severely beaten and nailed to the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”14

We are children of our Father, and therefore should imitate His love. He doesn’t discriminate. He gives the blessings of sunshine and rain not only to the just, but also to the unjust (which according to the Greek words used means those who keep the divine laws and those who don’t), the evil and good. God is inclusive when it comes to His love, and as disciples, our attitudes toward others should reflect His. Earlier in the Sermon Jesus taught to go the extra mile, to refrain from slapping back in retaliation, to give not just our tunic but our cloak when someone sues us; and here He goes a step further, saying we must love these people, to love even our enemies, to be positive in our attitude toward them. We are to behave as God behaves, to treat others as He treats them. The love He speaks of isn’t referring to a natural affection or feelings of love or emotional love, but rather the type of love which stems from the will rather than attraction or charm. This love chooses to love the undeserving. It’s a love that is shown in action, in compassion and kindness.

Jesus next puts forth two hypothetical cases.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?15

Loving those who love you is nothing special. Even those who were considered the lowest of the low in Jesus’ milieu, the hated tax collectors, loved their family and friends. Jesus makes the point that there is no reward for doing what is naturally commonplace.16

He then pointed out that if you greet (bid welcome and wish well to) only those of your own people (in this case fellow Jews), you are only doing what everyone does, including the Gentiles—the people who were looked down upon and considered idolaters. There is nothing exceptional about warmly greeting your own people. The implication is that more is expected of believers. We’re not only meant to love and greet those who love us or are from our own family group/neighborhood/ community/race/nationality, as this is common to all people.

In the introduction to the six “you have heard it said … but I say unto you …” examples, Jesus said:

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.17

Here He is making the point that we shouldn’t pride ourselves because we measure up to what everyone else in the world does by loving our own. He’s saying that as members of the kingdom we are to do more than what is naturally done, to go beyond the norm. We are to imitate God by manifesting His love to everyone, including those who hate us and persecute us.

Jesus then ended with:

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.18

The meaning of “perfect” as used here isn’t moral perfection. John Stott explains:

Both the hunger for righteousness and the prayer for forgiveness, being continuous, are clear indications that Jesus did not expect his followers to become morally perfect in this life. The context shows the ‘perfection’ he means relates to love, that perfect love of God which is shown even to those who do not return it. Indeed, the scholars tell us that the Aramaic word which Jesus may well have used meant ‘all-embracing.’19

Authors Stassen and Gushee wrote:

Those who want to make the Sermon on the Mount into impossible high ideals interpret the summary verse, 5:48, as demanding moral perfection… They assume that “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” meant moral perfection…. Rather the word here means complete or all-inclusive, in the sense of love that includes even enemies. This is the point that Jesus has been emphasizing in this teaching: the love of God’s grace that includes the complete circle of humankind, with enemies in it as well, by contrast with tax collectors and Gentiles, who love only their friends… So we are not to think of Jesus as teaching impossible moral ideals, or idealistic moral perfection, but practical deeds of love towards enemies, including prayer for them.20

The direction to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” picks up on the earlier point of imitating God. A believer’s lifestyle, along with the principles behind it, is meant to be different from the norm. It derives its direction and inspiration from the character of God rather than from the social norms of society. In giving the six examples (and throughout the rest of the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus teaches looking beyond simple obedience to the rules and restrictions of the Law to better understand the mind and character of the Father, and to reflect His character as best we can. It echoes the repeated direction given in the Old Testament:

You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.21

Like the Father, our treatment of others shouldn’t be determined by who they are or their treatment of us. God loves people and bestows His love on them even though they don’t believe in Him—even if they hate Him. He doesn’t respond in kind. Instead, He loves them because He is love. We too are called to move beyond reacting to others based on our personal feelings about them or how they treat us or what they say. Instead we are to be governed by God’s love, to love as He does. When we do, we reflect His love toward them.

The command to love others is not necessarily a command to like them. Liking someone depends on a lot of different factors, such as compatibility, temperament, and more. Lloyd-Jones explains:

What God commands is that we should love a man and treat him as if we do like him. Love is much more than feeling or sentiment. Love in the New Testament is very practical.—‘For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.’ Love is active. If, therefore, we find we do not like certain people, we need not be worried by that, so long as we are treating them as if we did like them. That is loving.22

Scripture speaks of hating evil:

O you who love the LORD, hate evil!23 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.24 Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.25

Because God by nature is absolutely holy, He hates evil. His anger and hatred of evil is expressed as His wrath in Scripture. It is clear throughout Scripture that in the life to come, those who have been evil and have rejected the gift of a personal relationship with God made possible through the sacrifice of His Son will face judgment.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.26 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.27

God loves every human being, even though they sin against Him. He offers them the means of salvation from His wrath against their sin, but many reject it, and they face judgment in the life to come. When we are called to love our enemies, it’s a call to love them as God loves them, to desire good for them, to pray that they will come to know Him so they can spend eternity with Him. God hates their evil (and ours as well), but He loves them as individuals. He will nevertheless judge them for their evil, because that is just and right. Thus, while we should love the individuals as God loves them, it doesn’t mean we accept or embrace what they do and who they become, or never speak against or take a stance against their wrongdoing or ungodly actions. It is right to hate evil; as Paul says, “hate what is evil, cling to what is good,”28 and there is such a thing as righteous anger against evil. But such anger is hatred for the evil deeds; it’s hating what God hates. It’s not a personal hatred; it has no personal malice, vindictiveness, or spite.

Jesus’ call to love our enemies is His call for us to live as members of His kingdom by letting our light shine before others, by exhibiting a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees, by doing our best to reflect the nature and character of God, our Father in heaven.

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

General Bibliography

Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Biven, David. New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. Holland: En-Gedi Resource Center, 2007.

Bock, Darrell L. Jesus According to Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.

Bock, Darrell L. Luke Volume 1: 1:1–9:50. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994.

Bock, Darrell L. Luke Volume 2: 9:51–24:53. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1996.

Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Carson, D. A. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World.Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1987.

Charlesworth, James H., ed. Jesus’ Jewishness, Exploring the Place of Jesus Within Early Judaism. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997.

Chilton, Bruce, and Craig A. Evans, eds. Authenticating the Activities of Jesus.Boston: Koninklijke Brill, 1999.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Updated Edition. Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.

Elwell, Walter A., ed. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament.Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

Evans, Craig A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 8:27–16:20. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.

Evans, Craig A., and N. T. Wright. Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Flusser, David, and R. Steven Notely. The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’Genius. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.

Gnilka, Joachim. Jesus of Nazareth: Message and History. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997.

Green, Joel B., and Scot McKnight, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Guelich, Robert A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 1–8:26. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1989.

Jeremias, Joachim. The Eucharistic Words of Jesus. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1996.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jesus and the Message of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.

Jeremias, Joachim. New Testament Theology. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume 2. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.

Lewis, Gordon R., and Bruce A. Demarest. Integrative Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976.

Manson, T. W. The Sayings of Jesus. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957.

Manson, T. W. The Teaching of Jesus. Cambridge: University Press, 1967.

McKnight, Scot. Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.

Milne, Bruce. The Message of John. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1992.

Ott, Ludwig. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1960.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Words & Works of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

Sanders, E. P. Jesus and Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985.

Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. New York: Doubleday, 1958.

Spangler, Ann, and Lois Tverberg. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Stassen, Glen H., and David P. Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2003.

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Stein, Robert H. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, Revised Edition.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994.

Stott, John R. W. The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978.

Talbert, Charles H. Reading the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004.

Williams, J. Rodman. Renewal Theology: Systematic Theology from a Charismatic Perspective. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Witherington III, Ben. The Christology of Jesus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

Witherington III, Ben. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001.

Wood, D. R. W., I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, eds.New Bible Dictionary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. After You Believe. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2010.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.

Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.

Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995.

Footnotes:

1 Matthew 5:43–48.
2 Psalm 139:21–22.
3 Exodus 23:4–5.
4 Proverbs 25:21.
5 Proverbs 24:17.
6 Carson, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, 55–56.
7 Leviticus 19:18.
8 Luke 10:29–37. See The Parable of the Good Samaritan in The Stories Jesus Told.
9 Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 118.
10 Luke 6:27–28.
11 Matthew 5:44–45.
12 Romans 5:10.
13 Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 118.
14 Luke 23:34.
15 Matthew 5:46–47.
16 Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 132.
17 Matthew 5:20.
18 Matthew 5:48.
19 Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 122.
20 Stassen and Gushee, Kingdom Ethics, 141.
21 Leviticus 19:2; 11:45; 20:26.
22 Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 272.
23 Psalm 97:10.

24 Proverbs 8:13.

25 Zechariah 8:17.

26 John 3:36 NIV.

27 John 5:28–29.

28 Romans 12:9 NIV.

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O buldogue de Darwin — Thomas H. Huxley

http://creation.mobi/darwins-bulldog-thomas-h-huxley-portuguese
por russell Grigg
traduzido por Xavier Silva
wikipedia.org

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin tinha pouco tempo para as polémicas científicas, teológicas e morais suscitadas pela publicação da sua “Origem das Espécies” em 1859. O mesmo não se pode dizer de Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895), que se lançou na refrega, chegando mesmo a alcunhar-se de “buldogue de Darwin”.1

Darwin chamava-lhe “o meu bom e simpático agente para a propagação do Evangelho — isto é, o Evangelho do diabo”.2

Foi Huxley, não Darwin, que arrebatou e escandalizou o público na década de 1860 falando dos nossos antepassados símios e dos homens das cavernas. Londres revelava-se — desde os cardeais a Karl Marx — fascinada e atormentada pelas suas aulas brilhantes. “Operários barbudos com bolhas nas mãos afluíam às suas palestras sobre a nossa ancestralidade. Ele atraía o tipo de multidões que atualmente estão reservadas aos evangelistas ou às estrelas rock.”3

“Das suas provocações surgiu … a nova fé do Ocidente — o agnosticismo (ele cunhou a palavra).”3
Juventude e autoeducação


wikipedia.org

Thomas H. Huxley

Thomas nasceu na vila de Ealing, perto de Londres, em 1825, o sétimo dos oito filhos de Huxley. Negligenciado pelo pai, cresceu na pobreza, apenas com dois anos de escolaridade formal. Vivendo na miséria industrial da década de 1840, em que a igreja era um luxo dos ricos, Thomas procurou a redenção através da autoeducação.

Aos 12 anos leu a Teoria da Terra de James Hutton e teve o seu primeiro encontro com a geologia antibíblica. Leitor ávido de história, ciência e filosofia, ensinou-se a si próprio quase tudo o que sabia até entrar para a escola de medicina do Hospital de Charing Cross.4Apresentou-se à 1.ª Parte do exame para o bacharelato em Medicina na Universidade de Londres, ganhando a medalha de ouro de anatomia e fisiologia, mas não compareceu à 2.ª Parte.5

Trabalhou depois como assistente do cirurgião (“colega do cirurgião”) a bordo do HMS Rattlesnake, numa viagem de estudo do oceano do sul (1846–1850). Embora Huxley não tivesse nenhum grau universitário formal,6 a publicação dos resultados da investigação sobre a estrutura de vários invertebrados marinhos obtidos nesta viagem garantiu-lhe a aceitação futura pela comunidade científica britânica.7 Em 1851, aos 25 anos, foi eleito Fellow da Royal Society (F.R.S.), que também lhe atribuiu a Medalha Real em 1852, um ano antes de Charles Darwin receber a mesma distinção.
Huxley e Darwin

Em novembro de 1859, Darwin publicou a Origem das Espécies. Vinha a adiar a publicação há cerca de vinte anos, “receando a execração como ateu”, mas tinha sido espicaçado para agir devido a uma carta que recebera no ano anterior de Alfred Russel Wallace, na qual Wallace tinha abordado a mesma ideia da “sobrevivência dos mais fortes” de Darwin.8

Embora Darwin tivesse o cuidado de não o dizer, a Origem significava em última análise que o homem não tinha sido criado, mas era simplesmente um símio desenvolvido. “Mas sem a promessa do Céu ou o medo do Inferno, por que é que devemos viver uma vida íntegra?”9 Darwin tivera esperança de evitar toda essa polémica. O mesmo não se pode dizer de Huxley, que antes escrevera a um colega: “Afinal, é tão respeitável ser um macaco modificado como poeira modificada”.10 Assim, Darwin precisava de um defensor tanto quanto Huxley precisava de uma causa, e não faltou muito para que Darwin se referisse a Huxley como o seu “apoiante mais caloroso e mais importante”,11 e “o meu bom e admirável agente para a promulgação de heresias condenáveis”.12

Huxley subscreveu de forma exuberante o naturalismo da evolução, embora, surpreendentemente, não o respetivo mecanismo. Discordou de Darwin sobre o ritmo da evolução. Por exemplo, Darwin excluiu toda a saltação ou “saltos”, fazendo com que Huxley lhe escrevesse: “Sobrecarregou-se com uma dificuldade desnecessária ao adotar’tão abertamente o princípio Natura non facit saltum [a natureza não dá saltos].”13 Huxley também discordava "da analogia entre a seleção artificial e a seleção natural, do hibridismo e da hipótese de pangénese de Darwin, ou seja, que o desenvolvimento de características de um dos pais passaria para os seus descendentes.”14

No entanto, toda esta ambivalência de Huxley não impediu a sua promoção fanática e agressiva da teoria de Darwin. Tal como comenta o professor de direito Phillip Johnson: “A fé no naturalismo evolutivo é o que une as diferentes fações de evolucionistas, não o acordo sobre quaisquer propostas científicas concretas.”15

O que motivou Huxley? A historiadora Prof.ª Gertrude Himmelfarb escreve: “Huxley foi o grande vingador. Furioso com o estatuto inferior dos cientistas em comparação com os clérigos, ele aguardava o momento em que pudesse pôr o calcanhar “nas suas bocas e ro-o-o-odá-lo no seu interior”. A “Origem” deu-lhe essa oportunidade.”16
Huxley e o evangelho

Huxley, embora não crente, estava totalmente familiarizado com o Evangelho e tinha pouca paciência para com os cristãos que transigiam a sua posição apoiando a crença antibíblica do naturalismo evolutivo. Escreveu:
“Tenho bastante dificuldade em compreender como é que alguém possa, por um momento, duvidar que a teologia cristã tem de resistir ou cair com a fidelidade histórica das Escrituras judaicas. A própria conceção do Messias, ou Cristo, está inextricavelmente interligada à história judaica; a identificação de Jesus de Nazaré com esse Messias assenta na interpretação de passagens das Escrituras hebraicas que não’têm valor de prova a não ser que possuam o caracter histórico que lhes está atribuído. Se a aliança com Abraão não foi feita; se a circuncisão e os sacrifícios não foram ordenados por Javé; se as ‘dez palavras’ não foram escritas pela mão de Deus nas’tábuas de pedra; se Abraão é mais ou menos um herói mítico, como Teseu; a história do Dilúvio uma ficção; a da Queda uma lenda; e a da criação o sonho de um vidente; se todas estas narrativas definitivas e detalhadas de acontecimentos aparentemente reais não’têm mais valor como história do que as histórias do período régio de Roma — o que dizer da doutrina messiânica, que é enunciada de uma forma muito menos clara? E o que dizer da autoridade dos escritores dos livros do Novo Testamento, que, com esta teoria, não só aceitaram simplesmente ficções vagas por verdades sólidas, mas também construíram as próprias bases do dogma cristão sobre areias movediças lendárias?”17

Huxley acrescentou que “a Universalidade do Dilúvio é reconhecida, não simplesmente como uma parte da história, mas como uma consequência necessária de alguns dos seus pormenores”.18 E em seguida, relativamente às tentativas dos teólogos de dizerem que o Dilúvio foi apenas um acontecimento local, escreveu: “Uma criança consegue ver o disparate dessa afirmação.” 19

Prosseguiu:

“Quando Jesus disse, como de uma matéria de facto, que ‘veio o Dilúvio e os destruiu a todos’, ele acreditava que o Dilúvio tinha efetivamente acontecido ou não? Parece-me que, como a narrativa refere a mulher de Noé e as mulheres dos filhos, existe uma boa garantia das escrituras para a afirmação de que os antediluvianos casaram e foram dados em casamento; e eu pensaria que a afirmação de que comiam e bebiam seria admitida pelo crente mais firme na verdade literal da história. Além disso, atrevo-me a perguntar que tipo de valor, como ilustração dos métodos de Deus para lidar com o pecado, tem um relato de um acontecimento que nunca sucedeu? Se nenhum Dilúvio varreu as pessoas descuidadas, em que é que o aviso de dilúvio vale mais do que o grito de ‘Lobo’ quando não há nenhum lobo? Se a permanência de três dias de Jonas dentro da baleia não for uma ‘realidade admitida’, como é que pode ‘garantir a crença’ na ‘ressurreição futura’? … Suponhamos que um orador conservador avisa os seus ouvintes para estarem atentos a grandes mudanças políticas e sociais, não vão eles acabar, como em França, sob o domínio de um Robespierre; o que acontece, não só ao seu argumento mas também à sua veracidade, se ele, pessoalmente, não acreditar que Robespierre existiu e que fez as coisas que lhe são atribuídas?”20

Relativamente a Mateus 19:5 [“Não tendes lido que o Criador os fez desde o princípio homem e mulher, e que ordenou: Por isso deixará o homem pai e mãe, e unir-se-á a sua mulher; e serão os dois uma só carne?”], Huxley escreveu:
“Se a autoridade divina não é aqui reivindicada para o vigésimo quarto verso do segundo capítulo de Génesis, qual é o valor da linguagem? E uma vez mais, pergunto, se pudermos tratar de forma leviana a história da Queda como um ’tipo’ ou ‘alegoria’, o que sucede à base da teologia paulina?”21

E relativamente a 1 Coríntios 15:21–22 [“Porque, assim como por um homem veio a morte, também por um homem veio a ressurreição dos mortos. Pois como em ADão todos morrem, do mesmo modo em Cristo todos serão vivificados.”], Huxley escreveu:
“Se se considerar que ADão não é mais real como personagem do que Prometeus, e se a história da Queda não passa de um ‘tipo’ instrutivo, comparável ao mito profundo de Prometeus, qual é o valor da dialética de Paulo?”

Resumindo a posição dos teólogos que comprometeram as palavras da Bíblia, Huxley observou que “a posição que eles assumiram é desesperadamente insustentável”.
A morte de Darwin e a Abadia

Quando Darwin morreu, foi principalmente devido aos esforços de Huxley que ele foi sepultado, não na sua cidade natal de Downe, mas na Abadia de Westminster. Huxley e os seus amigos ateus coagiram o cónego Farrar da Abadia de Westminster, enquanto outros tentaram obter apoio na Câmara dos Comuns. Assim, o clero liberal, tão desprezado por Huxley pela sua disponibilidade para fazer compromissos, deu aos restos do agnóstico Darwin reconhecimento espiritual na Abadia.

Huxley faleceu 13 anos mais tarde. Houve quem sugerisse um funeral de estado na Abadia, mas, diga-se a seu favor, “Huxley tinha antecipado e afastado essa ideia”.22 Em vez disso, teve um funeral simples na sua vila, com a presença de alguns dos seus amigos científicos e ateus. Um deles deu a sua opinião auspiciosa de que a frase “quem não crer será condenado” — está reservada para as pessoas comuns; não se aplica aos Membros da Real Sociedade”.23
Qual é, atualmente, a relevância da vida de Huxley para nós?

Em 1981, a Academia Nacional de Ciências [EUA] resolveu que “a religião e a ciência são domínios separados e mutuamente exclusivos do pensamento humano cuja apresentação no mesmo contexto conduz a uma má compreensão tanto da teoria científica como da crença religiosa".15 O professor de direito Phillip Johnson comenta: “A vida de Thomas Huxley é a melhor resposta a este disparate. Na realidade, os cientistas (tal como as outras pessoas) estão obcecados com a questão de Deus e a ideia do naturalismo evolutivo é impedir o Pé Divino, e as pessoas que se aglomeram atrás dele, de entrarem para dentro da porta.”1

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Palestra “Jesus ou Darwin – um deles está errado – Parte 1 Dinossauros”

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Consequence, Consequences and More Consequences!

By Dennis Edwards:

The Bible from its very first pages is a history of consequences. The decisions we make, the behavior we exhibit, have consequences. Adam and Eve paid the consequences for their decision in the Garden of Eden, and mankind continues to suffer as a result of those consequences. Ancient man also paid consequences for his decisions and behavior. The Bible tells us

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.[1] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.[2]

God therefore decided to

bring a Flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die.[3]

As a result of that worldwide Flood we find massive fossil graveyards all around the world. Fossils formed in sedimentary rock laid down by flood waters all around globe are a testimony to the consequences of man’s refusal to acknowledge God in his understanding. Peter tells us,

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old … whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished.[4]

Modern man has all but removed the idea of a great worldwide Flood from his understanding, because he does not want to believe in consequences. From the time of James Hutton in 1780’s, to his disciple Charles Lyle in the 1830’s, science has tried to eliminate the idea of a world-wide Flood from geology and has accepted “millions of years.” Why? Because modern man wants to be “free” to live a life without moral restraints. Peter says earlier in the same chapter,

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the Last Days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.[5]

Aldous Huxley, the grandson of Thomas Huxley, who was called “Darwin’s Bulldog” for his avid defense of Darwin’s theory, candidly admitted the following,

I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning, consequently assumed it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world (and this is what evolution really teaches) is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he is also concerned to prove there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do (moral liberty is the goal, to be free from religion’s confines). For myself, as no doubt for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.[6]

Paul, much like Peter, said the following:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.[7]

Wikipedia defines “itching ears” in the following way:

Itching ears is a term used in the Bible to describe individuals who seek out messages and doctrines that condones their own lifestyle, as opposed to adhering to the teachings of the Apostles.[8]

Man wants a world without consequences, so he can do what he wants. But the Bible teaches from the very first book that life has consequences. Rather than follow God, man accepts the theory of evolution, the modern origin’s fable, because he does not want God in his conscience. Believing in evolution frees man from religion’s moral constraints, so he can live his life to the full, or so he thinks. But Paul warns,

And with all deceivableness and unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned (or in this case condemned or judged) who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.[9]

So we see Aldous Huxley’s honest confession confirms what was spoken by the Apostles. Because we do not want to follow God’s loving voice, but rather our own selfish desires, we reject God’s restraints and do as we will.

After the Flood the next important event is the dividing into different language groups at the Tower of Babel. Mankind refused to follow God’s suggestion and scatter throughout the earth. Instead men began their own building project. They constructed a skyscraper and formed their own religion. As consequences for not doing as the Lord suggested, God divides the languages and scatters mankind to the four corners of the earth.[10]

A few generations later around 2,000 BC, because of his good decisions and behavior, God blesses Abraham. God says,

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.[11]

It was not just because Abraham believed, but because his beliefs caused him to be just and make righteous judgments. God decides to reveal to him the judgment that will be wrecked upon Sodom and Gomorrah as a consequence of the decisions and behavior of its population. And the Lord said,

Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me: and if not, I will know.[12]

Then Abraham has his famous discussion with the Lord, where he says,

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?[13]

Abraham argues that it would be unjust for God to condemn the innocent with the guilty and so asks God to withhold his judgment if he can find 50 righteous people within the city. God agrees. Abraham persists until he has God agree not to condemn the city if there are but ten righteous people.[14]

Lot, Abraham’s nephew, has been living in Sodom as a judge. He is warned by the angels to flee before the destruction comes. Lot goes and pleas with his married daughters and sons-in-law to forsake the city and live. But they won’t listen to him, and he barely escapes by the persistence of the angels with his two younger daughters and wife. The wife also seemed to have a hard time leaving Sodom and all its luxuries and looks back during its destruction which the angels had specifically commanded them not to do. As a consequence she is turned into a pillar of salt.[15]

But Abraham chooses God. He chooses to do justice and judgment. He chooses doing right above material riches. Therefore, God enters into a relationship with him. Thus begins the history of the descendants of Abraham. It’s a beautiful history which is told in the book of Genesis in the Bible.

For other articles from the book "Where is America in Bible Prophecy?" check out the index to the chapters at the following link: https://fightforyourfaith.blogspot.com/2016/10/where-is-america-in-bible-prophecy.html

Notes

[1] Genesis 6:5-6
[2] Genesis 6:11
[3] Genesis 6:17
[4] 2Peter 3:5-6
[5] 2Peter 3:3
[6] https://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=680&topic=94 (accessed 03/2016)
[7] 2Timothy 4:3-4
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itching_ears (accessed 03/2016)
[9] 2Thessalonians 2:10-12
[10] Genesis 11:1-9
[11] Genesis 18:19
[12] Genesis 18:21-22
[13] Genesis 18:25
[14] Genesis 18:26-33
[15] Genesis 19:12-26

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Reiki and the New Age Movement

By Dennis Edwards:

I want to touch a little more on the subject of the New Age Religions including Reiki before going any further in our study.

One of the first promoters of the New Age Religion was none other than Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was well versed in the New Testament and quoted often from the words of Jesus. In his mixture of Hinduism and Christian thought, he developed his idea of political non-violence encouraging his followers to not offer physical resistance to government abuse, but to maintain a pacifistic position. Quoting from the Sermon on the Mount, he said, 

Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.[1]

Asked if he admired Jesus Christ so much, why did he not become a Christian? Gandhi replied, he would become a Christian if he ever met a real follower of the words of Christ. George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was para-phrased to have said something similar: 

Christianity might be a good thing if anyone ever tried it.[2] 

The mixture of Christianity with Eastern religions became quite popular in the 1960s. The Beatles trip to India, leading to George Harrison’s conversion to Hinduism, resulted in their influencing their generation with Eastern ideas. Many of their songs like “My Sweet Lord” promoted Eastern religious concepts. The Christian West enjoyed “My Sweet Lord” thinking it was dedicated to Jesus Christ. In reality the song was to Lord Krishna and incorporated the words Hare-Krishna. Those words later became a familiar sound by the Hare Krishnas who were known for their continual chanting as they walked through the streets and parks looking for new converts. In fact the Krishnas are expected to chant Hare-Krishna at least two hours a day as a way of connecting with the Hindu god Krishna. 

We need to understand that the Eastern idea of reality, their world view, is totally different to the Western Christian idea. In the Eastern world view, man is captured by his karma in a continual cycle of death and rebirth. Man is doomed to be born again and suffer another life if he cannot improve his karma. Only by connecting with the universal life force or energy can man overcome his bad karma and be released back into the cosmic energy and find his “salvation.” This is usually accomplished through the help of a guru or spiritual guide. One’s ultimate salvation is in the re-uniting with the universal energy or spirit with the complete death of self. 

There is no personal entity in the Eastern world view of salvation or nirvana, but rather the reuniting of your spirit-energy with the great spirit-energy of the universe. Therefore, everything becomes God or part of God, you, me, the trees, the animals, everything is God. The Eastern world view also has no concept of sin. Man is born in ignorance and has to be illuminated. Those who have been enlightened and overcome karma are the gurus who teach others how they too can overcome their karma. 

In the Judeo-Christian world view, man was made by God in a perfect state and had perfect fellowship with God. Man fell from that state through disobedience to God having been deceived by Satan, a rebellious angel. God promised a way of salvation and reconnection with Him. His promised Redeemer would defeat Satan and open the way to restore man’s broken relationship with God. God later chose Abraham as the father of faith through whom He passed His laws and commandments. God knew Abraham would faithfully teach his children after him, as we have read earlier. 

For I know him (Abraham) that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.[3]

As a result we have the Old Testament, with hundreds of specific prophecies foretelling of the life of the Redeemer who was to come. The prophecies were fulfilled in Christ, who Paul rightly explains is the way of salvation. In the Judeo-Christian worldview of death we are given once to die, but after that the judgment.[4] There is no continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth. One does not lose his identity in death but faces judgment with reward or due punishment. Only through the accepting of God’s own sacrifice for sin, in His coming into the world and dying for man’s sin on the cross, can death be defeated and the way of salvation found. Salvation is a gift of God offered to us by God’s own sacrificial death on the cross.[5] Satan and death are defeated and the way of salvation is offered to as many as will receive it.[6]

But in today’s New Age generation, we find man rejecting Christ’s position as the Redeemer. Man would rather accept Christ merely as an enlightened one, like the Buddha, Mohammed, or Confucius. To the New Age, Christ did not really rise from the dead. Christianity is merely one of the ways of salvation, and Jesus a mid-Eastern guru showing a path to salvation, a path similar to any of the other paths found in any other religion. Jesus becomes a great moral or spiritual leader or guru and nothing more. Salvation can then be found within many of the differing religious faiths or philosophies. However, commenting upon the above idea, C.S. Lewis said the following: 

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.[7]

We either accept Jesus as Lord, or deny the truth of the Gospel and walk in darkness. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, Jesus warned them that many would be deceived. He said, 

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.[8]

A few breaths later He repeats Himself and says, 

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.[9]

And then a little later when talking of the Great Tribulation that shall be upon all the world, He says,

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.[10]

Of course the “elect” that Jesus is talking about here is the same “elect” found throughout the New Testament and comes from the Greek word “eklektos” which means “called out ones,” or “separated ones. ”The Latin “ecclesia” comes from the same word and is translated in our Bibles as “the Church,” which means the saved Christians, the true believers in Christ, and not a building. Not one time in the New Testament does the word “elect” point to or indicate any other group of people than the newly saved believing Christians. Not once does it refer to a special group of Jewish believers, but is always synonymous with the new Christian Church of believers whether formerly Jewish, Greek or Roman.

Paul himself warned that in the “Latter Days” men would seek to the occult for spirituality, 

Now the spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.[11]

He also warns that Satan comes with 

power and signs and lying wonders and because they received not the love of the truth, for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.[12]

Satan can indeed do signs, healings, and even give us a feeling of peace in order to deceive us. God will let us be deceived if deception is what we prefer. However, we do not need to be deceived, because as Paul says, in Christ is 

hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge (of God). And this I say less any man should beguile you with enticing words.[13]

In other words, we do not need to look elsewhere for some new hidden wisdom, even if it all sounds good, because all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge is in Christ! Nevertheless, Paul warns, 

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, (why do you willingly listen)?[14]

It seems mankind is very easily tempted by his need for experiencing God with his feelings that he looks elsewhere. But the problem is that our spiritual Enemy, the Enemy of our soul, is seeking to destroy us through deception. Paul writes,

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.[15]

He warns us that we should not fall for the deception. We should be smarter. 

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.[16]

Jesus said He is the true light. He said, 

I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of light.[17]

But the trouble is that 

men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.[18]

Jesus also said, 

I am the way, the truth and the life.[19]

He said that 

if (we) continue in (His) word then (we would be His) disciples indeed, and (we would) know the truth and the truth would set (us) free.[20]

When He prayed to the Father for His disciples He said,

Sanctify them through your truth; your word is truth.[21]

But He also warned that we could be deceived. He said,

If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.[22]

God has warned us in His Word that we should not be deceived by another gospel.[23] Reiki claims to be teaching us a method for healing and spiritual strength that was lost but rediscovered sometime recently in Japan. Reiki presents itself as a non-religious healing or stress relief technique open to all people of faith or of no faith. By using pseudo-scientific and metaphysical-sounding terms, the Westerner is captivated by its offers of healing and stress relief. It is even clothed in some very Christian-like terms and concepts. But when we look at Reiki closely we see it is indeed a spiritual practice with the calling upon spiritual entities or “angels” for direction and help ultimately ending in the person having what the Bible calls “a familiar spirit” or spirit guide.

Such practices have been condemned in God’s Word since the times of Moses. The Lord said, 

When you are come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord your God does drive them out from before you. You shall be perfect (obedient) with the Lord your God. For these nations, which you shall possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for you, the Lord your God has not suffered you so to do.[24]

Isaiah warns us,

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep (whisper), and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?...To the word and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.[25]

Jesus is 

the true light, which lightens every man that comes into the world, 

not Reiki.[26]

Please pray for those tempted by Reiki and other Eastern religious philosophies. Pray for the Reiki masters who may themselves be seeking for God. We are fighting a spiritual battle, therefore use the weapon of prayer, but also let every man speak the truth in love with his neighbor. God expects us who know the Word to speak up and with meekness instruct

those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.[27]
Notes

[1] Matthew 5:39
[2] http://shawquotations.blogspot.pt/2014/09/christianity-might-be-good-thing-if.html (accessed 03/2016)
[3] Genesis 18:19
[4] Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
[5] Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.
[6] John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[7] C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6979-i-am-trying-here-to-prevent-anyone-saying-the-really (accessed 03/2016)
http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/free-resources-pastors/152257-free-ebook-mere-christianity.html e-book download (03/2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwgLVJyZryA áudio part one (03/16)
[8] Matthew 24:4-5
[9] Matthew 24:11
[10] Matthew 24:24
[11] 1Timothy 4:1
[12] 2Thessolonians 2:9-11 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.
[13] Colossians 2:3-4
[14] 2Corinthians 11:3-4
[15] 2Corinthians 11:14-15
[16] 2Corinthians 2:11
[17] John 8:12
[18] John 3:19
[19] John 14:6
[20] John 8:32
[21] John 17:17
[22] Matthew 6:23
[23] Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
[24] Deuteronomy 18:9-14
[25] Isaiah 8:19-20
[26] John 1:9
[27] 2Timothy 2:25-26

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Spiritual Buoyancy

A compilation
Audio length: 10:28
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http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/spiritual-buoyancy/

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.—Isaiah 43:2

*

When Mrs. Booth, the mother of the Salvation Army, was dying, she quietly said, “The waters are rising but I am not sinking.” But then she had been saying that all through her life. Other floods besides the waters of death had gathered about her soul. Often had the floods been out and the roads were deep in affliction. But she had never sunk! The good Lord made her buoyant, and she rode upon the storm!

This, then, is the promise of the Lord, not that the waters of trouble shall never gather about the believer, but that he shall never be overwhelmed. He shall “keep his head above them.” Yes, to him shall be given the grace of “aboveness.” He shall never be under, always above! It is the precious gift of spiritual buoyancy, sanctified good spirits, the power of the Christian hope. When we are in Christ Jesus, circumstances shall never be our master. One is our Master, and “we are more than conquerors in Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”—J. H. Jowett

*

Joy is a spiritual buoyancy that comes when we are rejoicing in God.—Tim Keller

*

In 2 Corinthians 4:7–9 we read: “We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us. We have troubles and trials all around us, but we are not defeated or crushed. We do not know what to do, [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted and pursued but God does not leave us, He does not abandon or leave us behind. We are hurt sometimes, struck down, knocked over, but we are not destroyed.”

This joy, this buoyancy, does not mean we are impervious to suffering; it means we are unsinkable. We are constantly getting wet, we are constantly being pushed down. However, we do not stay down; we don’t sink.—Tim Keller

*

Our buoyancy comes from a focus on the unchanging privileges that we have in God, namely complete access to our gracious loving Forever Father.—Author unknown

*

God seems to ask greater depths of experience of us as we go along the heavenly pathway. First the water of trial is ankle deep, then knee deep, and later loin deep with waters to swim in. Swimming on top of trouble would never be possible in ankle-deep waters. How good that the Lord graduates our trials, which though severe all issue well.—W. M. Wadsworth

*

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.—Isaiah 40:31

*

Here is the analogy that comes to mind: it feels as if I am floating on the top of water in a swimming pool on one of those inflatable cushions. When you lie on one of those, and one of your friends tries to push you down under the water level, they can do it, but only for a little while. Why? I believe you call it BUOYANCY.

The definition of buoyancy in Wikipedia (it is on the World Wide Web, so it has to be accurate, right?): “an upward acting force, caused by fluid pressure that opposes an object’s weight.” It goes on to say, “If the object is either less dense than the liquid or shaped appropriately (as in a boat), the force can keep the object afloat.”

Okay, so there you go. Prayer is God’s UPWARD-ACTING FORCE! As God’s people were praying for me, I simply did not, could not, and will not go under for good. He doesn’t allow it to happen.

When you add in the fact that as believers, we are less dense—Jesus lives in us—and we are shaped appropriately—we are in Christ—you can’t be in a better position! Right? Add those two huge things together and you get spiritual buoyancy.

Again, all of us are human. This doesn’t mean that you don’t go under. It just means that with prayer and Jesus, you don’t stay there.

And, in fact, the lower you go, the faster you shoot up because of upward-acting forces. Try to push a beach ball far under the water and you will see what I mean. It shoots up out of the water with great force.

I am learning that this upward-acting force is always more powerful than any weight—including cancer and all the scary unknowns that go with it—that tries to push me down.—John D. Talbert

*

A little brown cork

Fell in the path of a whale

Who lashed it down

With his angry tail.

But in spite of its blows

It quickly arose,

And floated serenely

Before his nose.

Said the cork to the whale:

“You may flap and sputter and frown,

But you never, never, can keep me down;

For I’m made of the stuff

That is buoyant enough

To float instead of drown.”

—Author unknown

*

I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth.—Isaiah 58:14

*

Those who fly through the air in airships tell us that one of the first rules they learn is to turn their ship toward the wind, and fly against it. The wind lifts the ship up to higher heights. Where did they learn that? They learned it from the birds. If a bird is flying for pleasure, it goes with the wind. But if the bird meets danger, it turns right around and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher; and it flies away toward the very sun.

Sufferings are God’s winds, His contrary winds, sometimes His strong winds. They are God’s hurricanes, but they take human life and lift it to higher levels and toward God’s heavens.

You have seen in the summertime a day when the atmosphere was so oppressive that you could hardly breathe? But a cloud appeared on the western horizon and that cloud grew larger and threw out rich blessing for the world. The storm rose, lightning flashed and thunder pealed. The storm covered the world, and the atmosphere was cleansed; new life was in the air, and the world was changed.

Human life is worked out according to exactly the same principle. When the storm breaks, the atmosphere is changed, clarified, filled with new life; and a part of heaven is brought down to earth.—Streams in the Desert, Volume 1

*

Obstacles ought to set us singing. The wind finds voice, not when rushing across the open sea, but when hindered by the outstretched arms of the pine trees, or broken by the fine strings of an Aeolian harp. Then it has songs of power and beauty. Set your freed soul sweeping across the obstacles of life, through grim forests of pain, against even the tiny hindrances and frets that love uses, and it, too, will find its singing voice.—Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Compiled by Philip Martin. Published on Anchor May 2016. 

Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by John Listen.

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Taking Our Burdens to Jesus

By Maria Fontaine
Audio length: 8:05
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We have all been through some very difficult times of testing at different points of our lives. Each one of us has had our special tests, and as a result, had special opportunities to be strengthened in our faith and walk with the Lord. Maybe you’re still in the midst of battle and you’re feeling weary and wondering what good all of this testing is doing, and you’re wondering when this is all going to stop.

But no matter what is going on in your life, the Lord wants you to know that He loves you, He cares; everything is in His hands. Whatever He allows to come into your life will somehow work together for your good. And though you can’t see it now, you will be able to see it in the future. Can you believe this?

Maybe you’ve suffered a heartbreak in a relationship recently, and you feel broken, crushed, alone, insecure, and unlovable. The unfailing love of Jesus is there for you even through your darkest and loneliest nights, and He can help you have faith in love once again. He won’t leave your heart and life broken; even if it’s shattered in a million pieces, He’s able to find and gather each piece‚ to make you complete, and make something beautiful of your life.

Jesus understands it all. Even if no one else understands how your heart is aching, He truly understands. It may take time for the hurt you are experiencing to heal, but it willheal because He has promised that He will not leave us comfortless.1 He wants to comfort us through everything that we experience. He’s touched with the feeling of our infirmities‚ and He understands.2 He will ease your burdens. He will soothe the pain. He will answer your prayers. You will see the sunshine again one day soon, so don’t give up in despair, but talk to your Best Friend and let Him give you the comfort that you need.

Maybe you feel overworked or overloaded right now; you feel that you just can’t keep up with the pressure of all that there is to do. If you’re feeling worn out spiritually, physically, mentally, or all three, remember Jesus’ promise, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”3

When the Lord asks you to do something and it’s very difficult for you‚ you may be tempted to think, “That’s too hard, Lord; I’m not capable of that,” or “I don’t have the physical or mental or emotional or spiritual talents and capabilities”—but we have to believe that if the Lord asks us to do it, then He’s going to make it possible. So you have to go ahead by faith and just do it. You put yourself out on a limb, saw it off‚ and see Him catch you.

It might seem impossible to do everything that is on your plate, and it is, and that’s why you just have to ask the Lord for His strength and guidance as to what to do and what to leave undone. If the burden becomes too much for you to bear, talk to Jesus about it and ask Him for the solution. He will show you how to pace yourself. He’ll tell you when you need to stop for a while and just pray, or read His Word, or meditate, or take some downtime away from work when you just enjoy life and your family and loved ones.

Maybe you’re discouraged about your efforts in your service for the Lord and the apparent lack of fruit‚ or you’re discouraged about your personal spiritual progress, feeling that you aren’t doing enough or growing in your relationship with the Lord. In times like this, you can know that the Lord is helping you to build endurance, and that if you patiently persevere and do the will of God, you will receive the promise.4

Maybe you’ve landed in a temporary situation where you seem to be getting stuck for a long time, or you simply can’t find a place, a job, a home, or a calling or career that seems right for you. Please don’t despair, because Jesus is preparing a place for you—not only a place in heaven, but a place on earth here and now. Remember too that God doesn’t make mistakes, and if He has seen fit to place you somewhere, it may be that where you are right now is the best place for you to be for this time and for His purposes.

God’s great men and women didn’t look for the places of service that suited them, but rather for what they could do for others. They looked for the need and they were honored to be chosen to fill that need. They were visionaries who believed that they could make a difference in the world, and they set out to make that difference‚ and many of them achieved their goal because they didn’t give up.

I recently read something that I thought did a good job of describing the character of the visionary.

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

—From The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent Keith

Doing the right thing anyway, in spite of opposition or your own feelings, is the making of great men and women; it’s the path to success. And when you walk His road, He won’t fail to take care of you and your children. He’ll meet all your needs. You can count on His promises.

The Lord has promised to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory,5 and He’s promised to strengthen you out of His unlimited resources with power through His Spirit in your inner being.6 We know that He will never fail to do so as we keep trusting Him and claiming His promises!

He is going to take care of you, no matter what! And one day you’re going to be so thankful that He brought you through each and every thing you experienced in this earth life and gave you the grace to be faithful to Him and to love others.

Thank you for being faithful to the calling the Lord has given you in spite of the difficulties. He will not fail to give you everything you need to fulfill His will for your life.

Originally published October 2005. Adapted and republished May 2016. Read by Debra Lee.

1 John 14:18.
2 Hebrews 4:15.
3 Matthew 11:28.
4 Hebrews 10:36.
5 Philippians 4:19.
6 Ephesians 3:16.

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