12-25-2014 I am sorry

To some Lord, the subject at hand may not seem connected to the season, but You are not a respecter of mankind’s timing and to those who don’t see the value in the message…I am sorry.

A confession: It is based on a longstanding personal struggle which has been socially encouraged and ignored for too long. Lord, you knew me from the womb and watched over me as a child. You saw how I chose to perceive my existence. I make no excuses and will not blame others for my choices. Even in the early years. I realize now what I ignored then… You were moving me toward different decisions than those I initially made.

As a younger Mark, smaller and insecure, one of the temptations I fell toward was to believe those around me when they said, “you are not as good as the rest of us.” The acceptance of this pronouncement from my peers led down a slippery slope. It began with the pebble of self-pity gaining momentum toward a new thought. As I tumbled through early life a concept began to nudge in my brain: One I know You placed there.  You whispered, “you are Mine and special because I made you that way.” 

But the world cleverly shouted, “If you really are special prove it. Fight back”.  I chose to listen to the louder thought, and so warped Your better message to fit my own desire. My world became one of rebellion and cleverness, maneuvering and playing odds toward getting what I wanted: Recognition and acceptance by those who would rather persecute me. To avoid the slights and ridicule, I had to somehow disguise my perceived inadequacies from others. The solution was so simple I didn’t even realize it was happening as it unfolded. All I had to do was become like the others.

Odd, I even remember when I began to look at that ugly life, trying to paint it more beautifully with my own brush. I saw individuals, their popularity, their possessions, their power and I considered, “I can have that too, I can be that, I can look like them.”

There is a word now, old fashioned as it sounds, that I didn’t know then. It defines well what I had become. It is a word that does not roll off the tongue easily and it takes a little grasping to comprehend. It is a word You spoke against from the very beginning of creation and probably the best of opposites in comparison to Your Word, Jesus. The anti-word is Covetousness. I had learned it well in my young life and it became my god.

Lord God, how in this world could You love someone, anyone, all-ones like me who decide they can be better by imitating or wanting to out-do those who are less than You?  I’m so very sorry I didn’t listen to Your Love offered then. The results are still with me, the aftermath of my selfishness still clings and the damage still affects the path I now walk.

Yet, You said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

How can it be? How can You forgive one like me who thought I knew the best way to live, disguising my true ego behind a mask I called “service”, “humanitarianism”, “altruism”? How could You love one who played the role of “the persecuted”, yet was perfectly willing to persecute others to get his way? How could You, knowing my nature, have planned a way to redeem me; I who would so casually and intentionally push You aside to obtain a better position?

Yet You continue to whisper to me and all others like me, ”If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

      "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

You love the one who would step over others to get what he wants? You ask me to love those who would do the same to me? You forgive those who would do this, even to You? It’s beyond my comprehension. It makes no sense. It takes all the faith I can muster to trust in it. I’m sorry Lord, I’m not capable of such great things…unless You live within me and show me how.

And so I confess:

Do I still covet/worship the trappings of the world? Yes, but You share with me things greater than my selfish desires.

Do I still persecute? No doubt, but You illuminate and help me to correct my ignorant actions.

Do I still pity my position in life? Sure, but You reveal the blessings of my life, teaching me the difference between temporary happiness and eternal joy.

I am sorry. If it were up to me, such things as love, peace and goodwill would be all and only about me. What great irony there is in a God who gave all His Love, Peace and Goodwill to an undeserving world; gave these to an undeserving man: that I might be pulled to my knees in confession that I might choose to worship t He who is the greater and better of all.

Thank You Master for Your great if of Grace and forgiving Love, born as least, resurrected as best.

Mark C.

11-27-2014 Be Perfect

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.

They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.

They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"                       Psalm 83:1-4

O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,  so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!

Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.

Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:13-18

"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.                    

Matt 5:43-48

Master, so much has happened since my last blog. I have experienced life with its great blessings and its curses. And I confess I’ve let these things preoccupy me to the point where I have not been as faithful to this record as I want to be. Forgive me.

You have taught me that the ups and downs of this life do not define me. How I endure passing events with You as my guide,  You who have known me since I was in the womb and who will know me beyond; You give me true shape and form.

But what does this have to do with persecution? Isn’t that the continued subject matter that You have put on my heart and that the world would distract me from? Interesting, that in a time such as this, I am experiencing a form of persecution that might cause me to walk in self-pity and self-concern…or, if I am true to You, should encourage me to continue in the direction of spiritual awareness. That path leads toward Your will for me, my family and those to whom I might witness. I choose the second walk. I know You will be with me on that journey. Then again, as You said through the prophet Jerimiah, walking with You will involve learning some very difficult (mighty) things. Am I prepared for that?

Case in point is my attitude toward those who would persecute me…otherwise known as my enemies. Lord, You have some very particular things to say about my enemies. I read Old Testament scripture and it seems that Your enemies take a beating. I read the New Testament and I’m told to love my enemies. Why the difference in treatment? Aren’t my enemies the same as Your enemies?

I know of some specific entities and individuals that I would like to see punished for the indignities I believe they have caused me and others. I think, by setting an example of them, Your kingdom would be well served and greatly improved.

I’m not alone in this sentiment. Even your servant David asked You to “clean house” on his behalf. Yet as I recall, You had to humble that man on a number of occasions to make sure he understood whose agenda was paramount.

            That’s the crux of this harsh lesson, isn’t it Lord? I have to be careful not to claim righteous indignation when pointing my finger at others. That’s Your job. My job is to reach out to those in need as Your hand and fee. I’m to let You hammer out the details regarding who deserves Your wrath. As for my enemies? My job description appears not to change.

            I’m not particularly pleased with this arrangement, Jesus. Yet, I realize that, though I and my fellow believers may be persecuted, there is work and witness to be done. I look at what You expected of Ananias when a well-known persecutor of believers showed up in his town. That perceived enemy of Yours, Saul, turned out to be one of Your greatest apostles. Would I have followed Ananias’ example and given comfort to someone responsible for the torture and death of my clan?

That’s why today I find myself humbled and thankful. Who might I have knowingly or unknowingly abused? What have I done that might stand in the way of Your plan?  Might I look like Your enemy to certain others? What unforgiveness lurks in my heart that You forgive regardless?

Guilty as charged Lord, but I ask for You to cleanse me, direct me, love me as You would have me love my enemies. Teach me. In spite of all my failings, please continue to work in me until I completely healed. Help me now to share that healing love; not tolerance, but true concern for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of those You call out to.

Lord, I’ll strive to let You, in Your perfect way, handle Your enemies (much as I’d like to help You with that). As You suggest in Matthew’s testimony, please help me, with my enemies, to be perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect.  

Thankfully,

Mark C.

10-6-2014 Asking, Seeking, Knocking - Day Three

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

A friend recently shared something incredible with me. He was not aware that spiritual persecution existed at a significant level in the world today. As a matter of fact, he was shocked that any modern society would want to eliminate or silence another group because they differ in their beliefs about God.

Lord God, are we that naive, are we that blind? Is it simply ignorance or by intentional choice that we will not see the methodical intent to destroy Iraqi, Syrian and Coptic Christians. And when some dare to say the past Holocaust and recent attacks on Jews are either a fabrications, or worse, justified; do we simply shrug our shoulders as if none of this matters? 

I’d simply pray for eyes that my friend and the rest of the world might see, but You ask for more Master. You ask us to “do”, not just observe. You ask us not just to keep peace, but to make peace. And remind me what You define peace to be?

"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.”

You’ve had this particular conversation with me before: Making peace is tough. It requires a change in me. I have to love (Your deep standard of love: sacrificing all for the loved party) and pray on behalf of those who do not love me. And what are they required to “do” for me? Not a thing.

I have argued with You about the fairness of such an arrangement and You simply say:

“I am making all things new.”

And that is the toughest part of all: Recognizing that You are concerned for all Your children; even Your children who are persecutors and those who have yet to acknowledge You as Lord and Savior. I would have them brought to justice immediately. You say:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Grace sound so wonderful when it is being applied to me. But what if my calling is to give rather than receive? What if my ministry is to proclaim to others Your name, my Savior Jesus, and my testimony results in my own persecution. What if the example of my martyrdom helps inspire another to confess You as Lord? What if by the example of my faithful obedience, the very one who persecutes me were to turn their life to You? Such things never happen, right?...

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

What kind of bizarre ministry are You calling me to, Master? What kind of upside-down thinking is this? Did Saul of Tarsus ask that very question? In all my studies of scripture and through all my prayers, the answer does not come. Maybe I’m not ever supposed to know. Maybe all I’m supposed to do is what I’ve always been asked to do by You:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

*******

9-21-14 Asking, Seeking, Knocking - Day Two

Let’s see: Getting into the zone of proper worship and attention; Prayer, scriptural study, …more prayer…more study…what am I missing? Why am I not hearing from You? I’ve been in silence, and fasting for one whole day now…

Oh yes, confession, OK, there is that, Lord: Let me confess and pray not only to You, but with those reading so that our joy might be made complete.

I might be falling into old patterns; confusing the act of sharing with others with that of impressing others. Rid me of pride; fill me with Your spirit to the point where there is no room for distraction or invasion by my personal desires.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when others insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”                 

Matthew 5:9-12

Lord, help me in my understanding of persecution. There are plenty of examples; too many in fact. I’m confused in what role You want me to take regarding the plight of the persecuted.

I know that the circumstantial persecution I and those in my land now experience is minuscule in comparison to our past. There is certainly greater persecution that exists in other parts of the world today. Does the degree of suffering by the persecuted or the amount of persecution being dispersed worldwide (past, present or future) really make a difference? Do You care any more or less for one afflicted group verses another?

Even if now I don’t feel very persecuted, does that mean I have not been, nor will I suffer at the hands of others? Does my lack of present persecution tempt me to play dress up, trying to look like I’m subject to difficult trials so that others will see me as a good Christian?

And what of the future?

I know that the closer I walk with You, the more likely that I will experience certain persecution. I also understand that one way to know that I am following You closely is by the magnitude of my persecution. Is this “unsettled” feeling within me a sense of guilt that I am not close enough in my walk with You? Or is my discomfort evidence that You are preparing my spirit for things to come? I’m beginning to think, both. Regardless of why I’m uncomfortable, I believe that You want me to better understand the condition of the persecuted and to explore what real persecution looks like.

There is of course the Webster definition of Persecute, but I think You want me to focus on Your definition. In the Old Testament, the word Persecution and its variations (Persecute; Persecuted) is mentioned 161 times. In the New Testament, the Greek equivalent is used 49 times. In all cases it implies being pursued/followed to be destroyed. In most Biblical examples and the related history of Your people, those who persecute literally run after, usually with hostile intent; figuratively, chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, persecute, pursue .

But most confusing and compelling are Your defining comments in Matthew chapter 5. Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake are blessed! Those who are insulted, persecuted, falsely accused for Your name’s sake, Jesus, are blessed and should rejoice! Honestly, these do not sound like circumstances deserving celebration.

Then I read Hebrews 12 and an equally amazing statement jumps out. The author states:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

If You were the true model, the perfect definition of the persecuted during Your walk in this world; shouldn't I be seeking out those whose walk looks like Yours today? Shouldn't I be encouraging them with Your message of salvation, running alongside them towards a deeper relationship with the One who sacrificed everything for them? 

Lord, does such a ministry look like? There are legitimate secular and faith-filled groups who are already raising the conscientiousness of the world concerning persecution. But who is trying to reach out to non-believing and believing victims alike? Who is uniting them, not around their individual strife, but seeking to bond with them in recognition of our common Savior? Who is helping the persecuted, running with them toward a finish line which may require traveling a continued path persecution? Who is being honest enough not to promise the persecuted a false hope of relief in this world while preparing for the spiritual relief You offer for eternity?

Lord, am I capable of enduring such a mission? Can I run such a race?

*******

9-14-14 Asking, Seeking, Knocking - Day One

Day One

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”                                                                  



Matthew 6:31-33I must admit I’m highly anticipating time alone with You in silent prayer, fasting and listening…and perhaps a little writing…on my personal retreat to the Abbey of Gethsemani. I wonder if You are as anxious to respond?

I’m also surprised Lord. It seems there is more interest than I imagined coming from friends and family about my desire to spend such an extended and focused amount of time searching with You. Maybe it’s my excitement rubbing off on those I’ve shared with about the trip. Maybe it’s Your Spirit working in all of us. Regardless, I believe I’m hearing loud and clear from You, even prior to my journey, that I’m to share this experience. You and I will be sharing a lot of course; but other inquiring minds are curious and why not share with them as well about the spiritual disciplines.

I’ll be writing out a daily journal which will be sent out on my return. Lord, I pray for You to help me stay out of the way during this time of scriptural study, reflection and scribing. I know my tendency is to set an agenda and “expect” You to reveal some great mystery to me. Granted, You never fail to enlighten on these trips, but I’ve always come away with a completely different epiphany or illumination than that I had been searching for. That’s what makes the journey so intriguing: After choosing to follow; the map, the route and the destination is Yours alone to reveal. Thank You for Your patience and desire to lead.

The hard part as always is letting go. It takes at least a day for to sluff of the cares of the world.  If I can forget about phone calls, my next meal and what is happening on the radio and news shows, I’ll be all right. You’ve walked me through this before: Maybe that’s the most fun of this; I know it can be done because You’ve already taught me how.

So this time my expectations will be no expectations at all. Sure, You’ve put certain issues and questions on my heart. I’ll study them as given, but I desperately want this time alone with You to be Your time to work on me, not, the other way around. I pray this also on behalf of those following along: Please guard us all from distractions so that we can listen and respond as You would always desire us to do: In obedience.

And for those following with me (please don’t follow me, follow Him!) Let the greatest Rabbi we will ever know lead you to your own new discoveries by this path. I would love to hear from you though as you read along because He may be teaching us as a class as well as individually. That’s what He did with his first disciples! He is just as likely to teach me through your experiences. Imagine such a world!

Looking forward,

Mark C.

markc91754@comcast.net

8-27-2014 Persecution

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.                     Psalm 9:9-12

Lord I’m concerned and I’ve been taught by Your Word to bring my concerns before You.

The issue is persecution: more specifically; degradation and physical harm to another human being or group of human beings by another group who do not believe or abide by the same cultural or spiritual values.

My concern is even more focused though, more personal. Recently it seems that in this country, in my protected little Safe Zone, I may have been turning a blind eye to escalating violence against my fellow believers around the world. I am now tuning in to see that across the globe, Your body is hurting, families and individuals are being martyred.

What am I to do? I’m not a person of influence or power; I don’t have much money to offer; I live so far away from many of the “hot spots” I hear and read about: I’m not trained nor prepared in the ways of protection for others…

…Or am I?

OK, You remind me by scripture and the example of others that there are things I can do. Ephesians 6 says I can use Your Word and prayer as offensive weapons to protect Your saints. Does that really help when my brothers and sisters are being chased and cornered and killed for their faith?

You tell me in Matthew 5 that I’m blessed when others insult me and persecute me and utter all kinds of evil against me falsely because of my relationship with you Jesus. Am I truly an example of persecution? Do I stand up for You boldly, regardless of the circumstances? Do I support and offer defense for others who do?

Then there is of course the persecution of Your people, the Jews. They are not Christians—do I really need to be concerned about their plight?

Of course I do! Your word assures that they are 
Your people forever. Your word says that those who bless Israel are blessed, those who curse Israel…well let’s not go there. So what can I do about the injustices and attacks against the Jews?  Are they the only others besides my sisters and brothers in Messiah whom I am to be concerned for?

What about non-believers who suffer persecution? Surely I don’t need to be concerned with them? And yet Your word again convicts me: Who is my neighbor ? You suggest that I’m to do to others as I would have them do to me. Does that include standing up for those who are victimized yet do not call on You, Jesus as Lord and Master?

It seems to boil down to this confession, Adonai: I want so badly to believe that my “side” is the only side victimized, but I know better. Because of whose I am. Once long ago, a man by the name of Joshua asked You prior to a great battle; “Whose side are You on?”

Your answer? You are on God’s side. I must get right with You and not worry so much about who is not right with me. Does this mean I must be tolerant and submissive to other religious classes? Lord, not at the expense of You! But it is You who teaches me a very…VERY difficult persecution lesson. It reads as follows:

" Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

   For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

   I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

   Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

   Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Matthew 25:37-46

Is it only coincidence that You share this lesson scripturally after Your dire premonitions about the coming of the next age? I can’t imagine the placement being an accident. The worst persecution period of any age is nearing. Am I prepared? Whose side am I on?

Here is the sadness of the situation. I whom You love, persecute You daily. I whom You love, persecute others, even if by ignorance. I want to be recognized by my suffering on Your behalf, yet I do not always behave as a son of God, even to the Son of God.

But I’m learning…growing. You love me enough to teach, me correct me and forgive me; not persecute me.

So I pray about the conditions of today for my fellow brothers and sisters suffering; the land and the people of Israel; the slave trading of women and children; those being ethnically cleansed by slaughter.

And there is one more group which then You bring to my attention as a new lesson: Those who wave the banner of false persecution—who want the world (and possibly You, Adonai?) to perceive them as persecuted, not for relief or redemption, but for power, control and positioning. How am I to respond to them?

I’ve got to start with You: With Your word given for understanding; with Your commands to guide my mouth, my hands and my steps in obedience:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being

experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.              1Peter 5:6-11

And I’ve got to end with You: The One in dominion, the one whose side teaches about persecution by the example of His own persecution—not for positioning or power, but in absolute sacrifice and complete love for others. 

That suggests it doesn’t matter who is being persecuted; what does matter is that we, the persecuted offer support and relief to one another. We the persecuted should be in unity as one persecuted body. In You I now understand and react to the persecution of all—we suffer together and we should stand against those who persecute (even if that means self-correction because we find ourselves being unsuspecting persecutors!). As one body we need to bring the world’s comparative attention to the differences between those being subjected to true suffering and those manipulating circumstances to gain undeserved pity.  

And Lord, with Your help I’m learning to abandon my own selfish attitude—my desire for me persecuting Your desire for me. Is not the first battle to end persecution fought in my own heart? Maybe, just maybe if I can win that victory, and allow You to teach others through me, how quickly Your un-persecuted kingdom might come. 

Amen, come Lord Jesus.

Mark C.

6-1-2014 Ipcha Mistabra

 My son, do not forget my torah, but let your heart keep my commandments,

for length of days and years of life and shalom they will add to you.

Let not loving kindness and truth be loosed away from you; bind them around your neck; write them on the polished tablet of your heart. So you will find grace and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Trust in YHWH with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
As you are going, in everything you do, know (yadah) him, and he will make straight your paths.

Be not clever in your own eyes; Be in awe of the LORD, and rebel against everything evil. It will be healing and refreshment to everything you are—to your very core.                           Proverbs 3:1-8

Lord, I’ve been spending a lot of time speaking with friends who are well versed in Your scripture and reading outside sources related to a very Jewish concept. It’s an idea that has even surfaced in pop culture and is summed up in the Aramaic term Ipcha  Mistabra, a well-used phrase in the Talmud which translates roughly as “On the contrary, the reality appears otherwise.”

A recent movie highlighted the concept and noted that the Israeli intelligence community, Mossad, has system set up where a group of people are given decision making authority. One of those people, the “contrary man” is given the duty of counter thinking the others. So, if everyone agrees, that one is to disagree. This approach was implemented after the Israelis misread critical information leading up to the 1973 Yom Kippor War. The approach is designed to allow for the alternative—what if we are not seeing things clearly? What if we are missing a critical point?  

I confess that this kind of thinking resonates with the skeptic in me, Master. You seem to have wired me to be that contrary guy in the room; trying to peer at the puzzle from a different angle to see what’s not fitting properly into place or what pieces might be missing all together. Ironically, by this approach, You’ve shown me how to find the misplaced and missing pieces in me.

Lovingly, You have even introduced me to others like me and revealed a very significant, but subtle blind spot in our methods. I’ve come to understand that some questioners do so only for the sake of the question. To make the point finer; they appear to enjoy disproving more than finding proof. I get it—by never coming to a conclusion, no commitment is ever necessary. I used to be that person—it was safe and I was always right because there was no wrong. My grandmother would call it arguing with the angels.

But then I discovered another kind of contrary thinking. It was the original kind, introduced by You and your messengers long before popular skepticism existed. I noticed in the scriptures that your prophets and you, Jesus, asked many questions as well. Your answers were also very upside down from worldly reasoning. “Is my God a skeptic,” I had to ask? As I studied and questioned further, I found something unusual…an answer. You always concluded and committed. You made covenants and gave instruction, giving final form to the unanswered. There was a destination to be had!

Many amazing men and women were persecuted and even killed for this kind of reasoning. No wonder it’s an unpopular approach even today! And because of that risk of rejection by the world, I also was hesitant to take this approach. But now I see that You designed and encouraged me to freely exercise the Ipcha  Mistabra approach. You have revealed that I’m not gifted to be contentious or argumentative. Instead, I’m to be studious and anxious, making sure my path matches Your path planned out for me.

I don’t want to appear difficult to others (although I’m sure it often looks that way). I want to assure that all of us who are anxious seekers, consider as much of the puzzle as can be connected with the ultimate goal of being unified in Your Truth.

What is Your Truth? I’ve never been fearful of that question (or the variations I’ve heard from others). Now I’m also not afraid of closing in on the answer. As a matter of fact Adonai, I hunger for it with all that I am. Thank You for that appetite. Thank You for giving me at least a glimpse of the greater picture, and for guiding me toward completion. There is an answer, but now, to the contrary, I’m more convinced than ever of who, not what is that answer. And I’m more excited to engage with other like-minded people who enjoy the questions and who are anxious for The Answer. Instruct us all in the Ipcha  Mistabra ways of You, YHWH.

Mark C.

4-13-2014 The Why of Remembering

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”  Matthew_23:37 

My daughter reminded me Lord of confusion surrounding this week. This week? Yes of all weeks, this is the most conflicting. I want to skip it all together, passing go and collecting the benefits without the pain. And so did Jerusalem. They had traditions and rituals—taking Your feast of Passover and turning it into a spectacle—just as we have turned this week into little more than a Spring fashion show and food fest. 

Holy as the week was and is, they forgot…and I am prone to forget that this time is not about us. It is all about You. What You God had done in ancient times; what You were about to do. How could I forget…ignore or overlook how all Your moments connect through the ages? Why am I tempted to minimize past connections to this week and to days yet to come, all in the fullness of time?

But my daughter remembers why. Thank you Shay. She pointed out to me a passage from my book, The Singularity. At one point in the narrative, the main character and his friend narrowly escape death in an underground earthquake while exploring Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. When they emerge into daylight, they see a cliff with a large sign that reads. Golgotha Family Fun Park. The sign and the park are real places, written into the story to emphasize how bizarre a world we live in, where such a morbid part of spiritual history would be turned into an circus concept.

Of course there may be some reading this to whom the term Golgotha may be foreign. Indeed I’ve found people in various Christian Worship services I’ve attended, have scant understanding that it is the descriptive name used in Jerusalem for the hill on which Jesus was crucified.  Golgotha means Skull and the cliff face assumed to be the site of Your crucifixion Lord, indeed resembles a skull face when seen from certain angles.

What does this strange story and description have to do with this week? Absolutely nothing: But the world has gone out of its way, Christians included, to tie importance, even sick entertainment value to the site in order to obscure the real purpose for this week. The real events are an advent unto themselves, a prophecy lived out like no other before or after.

To walk through the significance of Passover, The feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, along with their ties to the Persecution, Death and Resurrection of You, Jesus would take volumes (perhaps its own book?). Lord, please help me help others understand that the real story is not in the “if” or the “how” of the benefit we are offered from Your sacrifice. The real tale is in Your decision to make and carry out such an extraordinary plan. No man, not even Hollywood’s finest would have imagined it without the original inspiration.

I’m not writing this to convince those who don’t believe. Nor am I trying to criticize we followers (including myself) who treat these times so casually and irreverently. Instead, I want to encourage all of us to take one significant moment away from the business of life to simply read a small portion of a book called by some, the New Testament. I know, lots of you have probably skimmed through it or had someone read it to you years ago. Please, if just for one more time or the first time, read or re-read just a few chapters, 26-28 in a sub-book called Matthew. If that catches your interest, also read a few chapters in a book called by some, the Old Testament. In it is a portion of a sub-book titled Exodus. Here read just chapters 11-12. You’ll probably ask, “What is the connection between the two readings.” Read each a second time and the picture will start coming together.

 

Why would I take the time to ask others to do this, Lord? Because You have asked me to do the same and I can ask no less of others I love. It may be a futile effort, but that’s my doubt speaking. My faith says it’s Your will for me to invite others to remember why the story is told The rest is up to You and the rest…everyone else.

Simple as that Lord, a strange real life testimony can turn into an amazing story not meant to entertain, but to change the life of anyone willing to be changed. I don’t even have to explain how the story ends, because it doesn’t. That’s the wonder of it; new life offered to anyone willing to look beyond a broken world’s wretched attempts to explain away the never-ending love of a God longing to redeem His people. The Why of remembering is all wrapped up in one beautiful statement that both begins and completes Your relationship with Your creation…

Mark C.