Why Doesn't Jesus Heal Everyone?

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ~2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Paul states that he had an unnamed affliction that would not disappear, but he comes to understand that it's more to God's glory that he persists in his weakness.

If God only wants the best for us, then why doesn't He heal everyone? Jesus certainly seemed to heal everyone who demonstrated faith in the New Testament. Aren't we more faithful since we can't see Him and yet still believe?

God DOES want only the best for us, and we don't always know what that is exactly. You can't lean on your own understanding of good and bad. He wants for us to eventually be beyond a world that causes death, disease, pain, and infirmities, yes. However, He uses the bad that occurs in our corrupt world to bring out the good, either for ourselves or others.

Let's not forget Job who suffered from a skin disease (not to mention losing his entire family and all his possessions). In the most beautiful passage in the Bible, God explains everything and nothing when He responds to Job's moans. He told him and his faithful friends that Job certainly didn't suffer due to lacking faith.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! ~Job 38:4-5

People, many times good people, suffer because of reasons unknown to us. We should trust that God is in control and He is good.

Your purpose here on Earth is bigger than living in comfort. It's to show others the Light and the joy of His Love. Sometimes, that comes from miraculous healing. Sometimes, that comes from a believer withstanding through hardship and serving as a guide to others who must suffer the same. Sometimes, the circumstances call for a bit of both.

You may see all the healing Jesus did during His ministry here, and see that He healed everyone who asked for healing and had faith He would. He was also here for a purpose bigger than living in comfort. Part of His mission was to show that He cares and loves us.

There's no possible way to list all the times God healed in the Bible from Old through New Testaments (or God was referred to as a healer or God was asked to heal) without just linking to the entire Bible. He is the ultimate Healer. However, He doesn't heal everyone all the time. With the exception of those faithless who reject His healing, why would He not heal His children?

Jesus healed everyone who had faith and pursued Him in the new Testament, but that can't be said to be true before nor after. He was here on Earth for the express purpose of proving that He was God (only God can heal, forgive, etc.) and to serve as a sacrifice for our sins to eliminate the forces of darkness for His disciples' souls. His healing had a dual purpose: Healing is symbolic of His spiritual healing and salvation. Notice this though: Jesus still died.

Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” ~Mark 8:31-33

They say courage is not the absence of fear but rather the knowledge that there is something bigger than it. This is exemplified by Jesus.

Death, serious injury, and disease are products of an evil world. Notice that evil still exists, even for us believers. We still live in a fallen world, and God has not yet eliminated it all. Though we are Children of God, we must suffer a little while just as Jesus did.

Yet, this evil is not forever.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~ Revelations 21:4

God is bigger than anything you may ever face. Keep your eyes on Him and not the storm.

God bless!


~Dedicated to my mama who is facing great unknowns right now. Our Healer is in control, and your suffering is not without purpose.~

Sources other than Bible:
https://www.learnreligions.com/why-doesnt-god-heal-everyone-701958
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-didnt-jesus-christ-heal-the-gentile-womans
https://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-jesus-heal/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/why-doesn-t-god-heal-every-sickness-disease-and-illness.html

God on Warfare

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:8

As the author of Ecclesiastes says, there are times when love is appropriate and times when hate is appropriate. Cue the sound of screeching tires as we slam on brakes. What? I thought that love was always the answer. Then, he says there's a time for war and a time for peace. Why would a God of love ever want war and death?

That's what we'll be taking a moment to think about today. As always, let's go to His love letter (not hate and war letter, right) and seek a discussion with the Most High on this topic.

“You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; -Jeremiah 51:20

Oh, well, ok Jeremiah, calm down.

And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; - Isaiah 19:2

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ - Deuteronomy 20:1-4

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. - Exodus 15:3

What in tarnation? Oh, I guess I can't tell God to calm down.

There are many examples, especially in the Old Testament, where God called out Israelites to destroy entire cities and nations. We can agree that God hasn't called us believers to do such a thing in a long, long time. Ok, so maybe we can't all agree on that. There have been wars that Americans consider righteous (I assume other countries are similar in this regard). Let's say for example, World War II... at least we consider it righteous now. We were hesitant to enter the frontlines and joined late; many were heated over the fact we ever joined. The battles in Europe felt like a movie to so many in the mainland of U.S.A., divided by seas and lack of instant communications. Now, we can look back and say we're happy to have overthrown such an obviously evil overlord and the hell he inflicted.

Maybe we were supported by God for this decision, maybe we weren't. It was difficult to say in the moment, and it's not clear now because God can turn any bad thing into a good thing at His will.

Most of what God or His people say on the subject of war is that of condemnation and a message that He is working toward a world of peace forever more.

He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. - Isaiah 2:4

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 25:8

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. - Romans 12:18

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” -Romans 12:19

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? - Matthew 26:52-53

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Wait, what about this?

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. - Luke 12:51

When drug addicts and alcoholics decide to change their lives and let go of drugs or alcohol, they usually go through a period of great division. They have to separate themselves from friends, sometimes family, many times their homes, in order to be successful in disengaging in the behaviors that those loved ones still encourage and perhaps in which still are enmeshed.

After Jesus there was a division. Friends and family were at odds because of this new radical Jewish movement that eventually separated into Christianity. At that point, there was a time for hate and war. That doesn't mean God wanted it. However, in a time of growth, there are growing pains because, in this case, many people fought change.

I believe, from what I've read, that God never wants war or hate or anything bad. Like a father, He would have us be at peace and joyful, but we've fought Him on that since the beginning when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Due to that, now there is sometimes a time for tears and bloodshed. Why? Because we chose to create a world where there are valleys of darkness to walk through in order to get to the mountaintop.

So, why would God ever order warfare and lead an army toward murder of others?

We chose to bring evil into the world, and because of that, we must fight against the spiritual powers of darkness. We can't win the fight alone. We have to push them back to where they came from so we can claim victory in a new reality without them. If we ever actually declare war, I believe God would want us to be darn certain He is asking for it. As His commandments clearly state to not murder, we MUST know first when He is making an exception.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. - James 4:1-2

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:11-12

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. - Revelation 12:7-11

As for some details concerning war, God shows us, if it is to be carried out, how it should be done. See Deuteronomy 20 for Rules of War. It explains that if anyone has unfinished business, is newly engaged, or is too afraid to fight, that they should go home. That rules out the draft. It specified to not cut down fruit trees, as "these trees are not the enemy, so don't make war against them." It also says a few messy things our civilian ears may have difficulty reading such as enslaving those cities who make peace with you and killing all of the people in others. This is so "they will not be able to teach you to sin against the Lord your God or to do any of the terrible things they do when they worship their gods." They were corrupt, murderous, and dark-minded people who God didn't want to tarnish His people. Are those specific people listed in these verses still the same people they were back in the day? No, much has changed, and so have God's children. We are not called to kill every living person now in war. It's good to understand context.

In conclusion, we brought evil into the world from the beginning and yearn to return to our Eden, full of peace and life. Step-by-step, God is bringing us back, but that means that sometimes He has, in the past, called us to seek war against other nations. Those instructions were for specific people in specific times, and they had meaning and purpose when they were ordered. Unless we KNOW that God is asking for us to disregard one of His commandments, we really shouldn't seek all out warfare. Defense is one thing. Offense is another. We are called to be peacemakers, to show the world what God's Kingdom will be like on Earth.

God bless!

You are Genesis

Most of us read Genesis, even the origin story of humanity, and automatically imagine Adam, Eve, and their children as specific individuals. What if I told you that literalism may not be the only intention of this story?

There are as many ways to translate the Bible as there are people in the world. We're all reading the books from our own perspectives, experiences, cultures, and in our own languages. However, it's important to remember that the Bible is made up of several forms of literature, including poetry, wisdom works, parables, history, war stories, and of course origin tales. We should know the writers' intentions for each book and what literature traditions influenced them.

Since creation stories in many cultures were very symbolic, it'd be in keeping with this tradition that the beginning of Genesis would be much the same. This is about people who show up as our first humans: Adam, Eve, Cain, Able, and Seth.

Adam's name is Enosh in Hebrew, which means simply man or mankind. Eve's name is Chavah, which means breath or living. Together, they are humanity and the ability of creation and birth.

There is plenty of Biblical evidence that they were real individuals. Genesis delves into the beginnings of the genealogical tree naming a hundred "begats" and the age of each person when they died. It's not unreasonable, however, to entertain the possibility that, although these may have been real individuals, they also performed the double function of symbolizing humanity.

Adam and Eve have parallels in the New Testament. Jesus is referred to as the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45.

The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam--that is, Christ--is a life-giving Spirit.

Wives, and Eve as the first wife, are referred to as the Church in Ephesians 5:32.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Consider this:

And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken. - Genesis 2:22

It states that Eve came from Adam's rib because the church comes from Jesus. When it states that Eve was bone of Adam's bone and flesh of his flesh, that's because the church is the body of Christ. Eve was the mother of all living, spiritual alive, but her childbirth is painful because it's a difficult process to be reborn in Christ.

Finally, in Revelations 12, the woman clothed with the sun is just like Eve.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days...

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. - Revelations 12:1-17

Eve was cursed with painful childbirth, and she gave birth to the twelve Israelite nations, some who fell from grace. The dragon is reminiscent of the serpent in the garden, and the male child the woman gives birth to is a clear parallel to Jesus who will rule all nations. Obviously, that child was brought back up to heaven for awhile. Yet, the woman (the church) is still pursued by evil (the dragon), but God has protected us. The offspring of the church is all of the Children of God.

Adam and Eve were the original groom and bride. Jesus referred to the church as a bride or virgin/maiden waiting upon His return eagerly (Matthew 25). Even Revelations refers to the woman clothed with the sun and a star crown, which draws several parallels with Eve and the church.

Onward to their children, Cain, Able, and Seth. There's a lot to unpack with all this, most of which we won't be doing today.

Cain in Hebrew is Kayan, which means acquired or possession. Able is Hebhel, which means breath or vanity. Seth is Sheyt, which stands for compensation. Cain's parents acquired him from God, Able was a new life (breath), and Seth was their compensation for what they lost. Some sources state Cain was preoccupied with possessing and acquiring, which very much may be true, but I've found nothing to substantiate it to my satisfaction.

Cain was raised to carry on Adam's livelihood, agriculture, but Able became a herder. We typically assume the first time God handed down rules or ways to worship Him was with Moses, but there's signs to indicate that's just not true. Cain and Able made offerings of grains and lamb, respectively, which indicates some sort of communication about sacrifices. It's abundantly clear that God spoke with them regularly because when God speaks to Cain before and after Able's death, he isn't terrified like most people are in later Bible stories. In fact, he's quite sarcastic with Him.

And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” - Genesis 4:9

So, we have reason to believe God gave them specific instructions, and Cain didn't follow them.

This is my own take on the subject of their symbolism. When his gift was rejected, we know his fury became out of hand.

So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.' Genesis 4:3-8

Cain could be symbolic of trying to gain salvation or approval by works alone while Able is symbolic of gaining salvation through faith. They both appear, on the outside, to be good; obviously, Cain offered from "the fruit of the ground." In the same way, Jesus shames those who display themselves as holy but inside are rotten.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. - Matthew 23:27-28

Please compare to the Pharisees of Jesus' time who would rely on their own works to bring them into God's favor, believing that following the letter of the law made them superior. In jealousy of Jesus, who lived by faith and the spirit of the law, they murdered Him, also referred to as a type of shepherd. We could also see Cain as the Israelites losing their privileged place as the first born, giving the lineage of Jesus to Seth just as the gentiles were given the ability to join as Children of God. It's a strong parallel and an important lesson about all sins stemming from the heart.

Cain receives the punishment of being a wanderer (which is symbolic, too, of a lost soul). Cain is afraid of being killed due to his new reputation. This, combined with the fact he's being punished, indicates that God not only already told Adam, Eve, and their family that murder is wrong, but everyone else they would come across already knew that law too.

Notice, though, something God does when Cain expresses his fear.

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:15-16

God continues to place Cain in His protection, attempting to express His love. There is a possibly that Cain could be saved. God wishes for no one to perish, not even Cain. Not even the Jews, who would have the chance to be reborn, too.

Every one of these characters is us. We are the humanity who holds promise of creativity and rebirth, we are the humanity that falls like stars from a crown, we are the humanity that is protected by God's graces and willingness to save, we are the humanity who is raised once again to live amongst God in His Kingdom back where we belong.

It's fascinating that a single Bible story could tell of our entire history, present, and future in so few words.


Sources other than Bible. Some are related to this article; some are just interesting:
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/articles_cainandabel.html
http://evidenceforchristianity.org/could-characters-like-cain-and-abel-be-symbolic-or-presentativer/
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4480857,00.html
http://whatthebiblesays.info/AdamandEve.html
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/4-26.htm
https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/335943/jewish/Chavah-Mother-of-All-Life.htm
Strong's Concordance
https://biblehub.com/library/bunyan/the_works_of_john_bunyan_volumes_1-3/a_discourse_upon_the_pharisee.htm
http://modeoflife.org/cain-and-abel-and-the-publican-and-the-pharisee-accounts-in-parallel/
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2954&context=auss

Jesus Wept

The shortest sentence in the Bible, at least in English translation, is the iconic, "Jesus Wept." John 11:35

This phrase is encapsulated in the crux of the full Bible story. So, why did He cry, anyway? As always, let's start at the beginning...

of mankind.

" - God has said,'You must not eat of it (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) or touch it, or you will die' 'You will not surely die,' the serpent told her." Genesis 3:3-4

Spoiler alert: they ate it, and they died... eventually. Some speculate that since death is used as a term to indicate both spiritual and physical termination, they both experienced an immediate spiritual death. What is spiritual death? Separation from God. When they began to cover themselves and hide in order to avoid God as He walked through the garden, it was a sign the relationship they once had with Him was broken. What about physical death? Ah, many believe that humans were immortal before this time, and the spiritual death initiated the death process. In other words, the moment they betrayed God, Adam and Eve began to age, which would continue genetically through their descendants. As time went on, humans deteriorated faster and faster, living shorter and shorter lives. Either way, that snake lied.

So, what was God's reaction to this betrayal? I'd venture to say sadness and definitely anger. He cursed all three of them vehemently in the following verses.

Why though? Didn't He know what was going to happen?

Thousands of years later, when the Son of God walked among their descendants...

"Now a man named Lazarus was sick... When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”...

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days...

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:1-44

Some may be confused why Jesus would have cried at all, seeing as He was capable of raising Lazarus from the dead. He mourned not for Lazarus but for everyone else. He didn't wish for them to be in such pain, and as Isaiah 53:4 states, "-surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow."

However, there was more than sadness expressed in these verses. Twice, it states that Jesus was "deeply moved" and "troubled," which are the words ἐνεβριμήσατο and ἐτάραξεν respectively.

"Deeply moved" translates to "I snort as with indignation and anger." Troubled translates to "agitated." Now, anyone familiar with grief will find that it involves more than just sadness. Sometimes, anger, fear, and other emotions are combined. This phrase was repeated more than even the fact that Jesus was saddened. He was angry... but why?

Go back to the beginning, when Death was first introduced into the world. He's angry that it exists. He's angry that we have to grieve. He's angry that our lives, spiritually and physically, are cut short due to the sins of this world. The reason this is such an important story concerning Jesus is because THIS IS WHAT HE'S HERE FOR. He's here to make His followers believe in His divinity, His ability to save. He's here to die so that we may live.

Our spiritual death was immediate in the Garden of Eden, but physical death was simply introduced into the human genome so that we would no longer physically live forever. When Jesus came to Earth, He saved many souls immediately and some bodies immediately. However, He wants to save everyone, eventually, in both ways. It is my belief that the seed of physical salvation has also been released into the world from Jesus, and it will come to fruition when the entire world has joined the Kingdom of God.

In the meantime, He grieves for what we must suffer.



Sources other than the Bible:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-wept--2
Strong's Concordance
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_709.cfm
https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/adam-and-eve/why-didnt-adam-and-eve-die-the-instant-they-ate-the-fruit/

Finally, Be Strong

Many of us in Western countries are blessed in that we can worship freely with little to no oppression. However, that doesn't mean it's easy to stand firm and proud for what we believe in, and we can face backlash and even hatred for our principles. As many of you know, you need to put on the armor of God.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:10-18

Let's break this apart, shall we? Paul wrote the book of Ephesians from a Roman prison in Ephesus, waiting for his trial in front of Caesar. His ministry had been so successful that the silversmiths were losing money with all the people that stopped buying idols and worshiping Artemis. He left to Jerusalem but was arrested there. We know the outcome of his trial was execution.

Needless to say, Paul knew first-hand what it was to stand firm in his faith while facing death.

When speaking of the armor of God, he describes several pieces of armor and weaponry common for Roman soldiers to equip. In fact, it seems the verse goes in order to how a soldier would've put those pieces on his body.

Belt of Truth - First thing equipped and used to hold everything in place, both the rest of his armor/equipment but also to hold extras he may need like money or food. Without the Word of God and His truth, everything else we do will fall apart.

Breastplate of Righteousness - Resting on and attached directly to the belt, the breastplate protects the heart. Living our lives in God's way of love will protect us from temptations and harm to our hearts.

Feet fitted with Readiness - A Roman soldier had footwear with spikes in the heel, to better grip, balance, and well to defend themselves with! We need to stand ready and steady to deal with whatever may come our way, eyes wide open.

Shield of Faith - Roman shields were long, spanning from chin to knees. When under great attack, many soldiers together would hunch down together and combine shields to protect themselves and their fellow soldiers until they were able to, as a group, make the next move. Our faith and trust in God will protect us from the fiery arrows of the world, and when we combine our forces to protect each other with encouragement and trust in God, we're unstoppable.

Helmet of Salvation - Many nations had leather or bone helmets, but the Romans wore bronze or iron helmets, almost impervious to attack. As children of God, we are saved, which means many things, but one the biggest things it means is that the Holy Spirit now lives within us to help us direct our ways. With the Holy Spirit, our minds are protected from worldly attacks, trying to sway our minds into paths of darkness and doubt.

Sword of Spirit - A Roman soldier had a few types of swords, one of which was a two-edged sword. The Word of God, the Holy Spirit, while it protects, also cuts through the darkness, getting straight to the truth of the matter. If God is with us, who can be against us?

Something else to remember is this:

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Put on the armor first, prepare. The soldier doesn't arm him or herself in the middle of a battlefield. They put it on before they step out. Find a way to put on your armor daily before doing anything else, so that you will be prepared for whatever comes your way.

One way of doing this is prayer, which Paul actually addresses. It brings us back to God's perspective, our faith in Him, and is a type of meditation to calm us at the start of day. You can also start the day with Bible reading. Don't sigh. You don't have to read a whole book to make this effective. Simply, read a daily verse like those through the Bible app. Like prayer, it centers us back onto the right path. You can journal, draw, run while contemplating God, etc. You do you. Just find a way to equip yourself.

How do you put on the armor of God each day? Comment with your own ideas, and as always, love y'all!






Sources other than Bible:
http://www.christianarsenal.com/Christian_Arsenal/Full_Armor_of_God.html
http://www.truthnet.org/Spiritual-warfare/6BackgroundArmor-God/Armor-of-God.htm

We the Priests, the Warriors

This world can be full of troubles, death, and darkness. Most of us have felt helpless at some point in the face of the overwhelming atrocities.

As Christians, we are unique in that God has called upon us to be the light in this darkness, to be a source of hope in the midst of hopelessness.The unbelievers are annoyed by our constant replies that we will send "thoughts and prayers" to victims every time something occurs, yet nothing is put into action or changed to prevent the evil from occurring again. Of course they are! Don't automatically put up a wall when you hear the outpouring of anger against us when you can find wisdom in their words. Put your love of God above your pride and listen. Of course we must pray, pray always and without ceasing. However, we are called to be God's hands and feet, used by Him to lead the world to His way of love.

So, what can we do? How exactly can we accomplish that?

There's a popular, albeit fictional, story of an atheist professor who attempted to shame the believers in his classroom by calling into question the logic of a purely good God. He stated that if good and bad exist, and God created everything, then God created bad and is, therefore, not purely good. Without posting the story in its entirely, a student stood up and turned the questions around in order to show that, in the same manner that darknessand coldness does not exist in themselves but are the absence of light and heat, so too, evil is simply the absence of good and, therefore, God.

We are called to bring light and warmth to a dark and cold world. Anytime, there's a question of how, we can look to the Bible.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people to be his very own and to proclaim the wonderful deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and exiles to keep on abstaining from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Continue to live such upright lives among the gentiles that, when they slander you as practicers of evil, they may see your good actions and glorify God when he visits them. " 1 Peter 2:8

You are a priest, and what did priests do? They lived their lives as examples of joy, love, and truth, as we are called to be examples to the world. They were those who had direct access to God and His messages, and they were responsible for announcing those messages to all those who would hear, as we are called to spread the gospel. They made sacrifices that appealed to God for others' sins and praised Him for their blessings, as we do when we pray. There's something else they did:

They separated the clean and unclean, the diseased from the healthy. If someone was diagnosed with a contagious disease, that person was quarantined away from everyone until he or she was declared no longer contagious. If someone was unclean for some reason or another, that person was made to stay outside of the encampment to keep from spreading diseases or making the clean unclean. Not to mention that the punishments for those who committed crimes against others were harsh and immediate.

What does this mean for us? We are called, as a holy people, to discern the unhealthy and unclean and push for the powers-that-be to separate them from the rest of us. If those who are unhealthy purposely harm others, we are called to push for the powers-that-be to punish those criminals.

You are a warrior, and what do warriors do? They do not rest in apathy. If you are a Christian, you are called into action as a priestly warrior of God. We all know the verse about the full armor of God:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:10-18

Another thing to remember is that we are all made gloriously different with varying points of view. What a shame if we didn't have the strength to see different dimensions and solutions to problems! Let us come together as brothers and sisters and not fight amongst ourselves, but hear each the other's opinions, so that we can find a way to shed God's light and love into the confused, blind, and horrified world.

And also, always, always pray.

God's Dwelling Place

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

First, there was a Garden of Eden. This was the first dwelling place of God amongst His people. Adam and Eve, as you know, were said to be naked and to know nothing of clothing. This may have been literal, but it was certainly figurative. They were without sin because they didn't know anything of good and evil or the separation it could give them from God. Therefore, they had nothing to hide and lived vulnerable, unafraid, and unashamed. Once they did sin, they covered themselves in fig leaves to symbolically hide their sins. (It's interesting to note that the fig tree came to be a constant symbol of the tribe of Judah, who would come to be known as simply Jews, throughout the Bible.)

They attempted to cover their own sins, but fig leaves did an inadequate job. So, God made the first sacrifice, performed in the first type of temple, the garden. There, he slaughtered a lamb (symbolic of Jesus) and covered their nakedness (which exposed their sins). There was now death that stood between God and mankind.

Later, the tabernacle and then temple would be a new type of garden for God's people to be in His presence and make necessary sacrifices for their sins.

However, in the temple and tabernacle, there was a place called the Holy of Holies, the only place God would visit His people. It was an area of the structures that was separated from everything else, even normal priestly rooms. The high priest himself only went into the Holy of Holies once a year, and it was covered with a thick curtain to keep it from stray eyes (symbolic of the sins and death that separated God and mankind). When Jesus died, that veil was torn, ripped from top to bottom. Let's put this into more perspective. The curtain was about sixty feet tall, thirty feet wide and four inches thick. Four inches thick. This was torn from top down, because it was an act from above.

It is important to note that Jesus rose again because God's people never die. True death would never again stand between God and His children, so neither would the curtain that stood for it.

As His children, we are now filled with the Holy Spirit that once only came to Earth within the Temple and Tabernacle's Holy of Holies area. We are literally His temples.

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22

This should be a sobering thought. First, God communed with us in his garden, then his tabernacle and temple, and now, he communes WITHIN us.

"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord." Jeremiah 7:3-11

We must be careful where our heart lies, as we are not only symbol of God's people and His message. We are literally His temple! If you wouldn't do or say something before God's face, you should not do or say that thing at all. You are an organic church, made to reach the world! It's not enough to say "I am a temple" as if you being a "believer" is enough. What stems from your heart will show. The seeds you water in your heart will grow.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

A garden, tabernacle, and temple are teeming with life. The opposite would be a tomb, filled with death and decay. Don't cover your sins with fig leaves and white-wash paint. You can't cover up sins or its stench with your own actions. The only one who can eradicate death and fill you with life is God, and as His child you, as His temple, can spread that life and light to the world.


****

Sources besides Bible:
https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/the-temple-and-the-tabernacle/
https://heritagebbc.com/bible-question-and-answer-archive-1/i-1-why-did-adam-and-eve-cover-themselves-with-fig-leaves/

But a Sword: Schism of Faith

"Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

‘A man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’"

Matthew 10:34-36 & Luke 12:49-53

And thus began the struggle between Jews and Christians (who called themselves the New Israel). Jesus' death was only the beginning, a battle cry that began a war of faith. Most of His disciples died for their beliefs. Peter and Paul were both martyred in Rome about 66 AD. After Andrew spread the gospel to what is now the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Greece, he was crucified. Thomas traveled with the word through Syria and possibly India where he was stabbed through by soldiers. Bartholomew went to many places including Arabia and Ethiopia, and although the details of his death are unclear, they mostly point to martyrdom as well. James was mostly within Syria, where he was stoned and clubbed to death. Matthias (the replacement for Judas) ministered in Persia (Iran) where he was killed for not sacrificing to their sun god. John was the only one generally accepted as escaping the others' fate and dying of old age after writing Revelations.

Paul himself, before becoming a Christian, was a very successful hit man against Christians, a hired hand of the Roman empire. The Roman government, although outwardly very tolerant of various religions, hated anything considered superstitious (although what that would mean might change). Many of their emperors would also execute anyone who didn't follow the Roman practices of sacrifice as not sacrificing to their gods meant possible devastation for everyone.

Christians were greatly persecuted in the early years, eventually enacting some sort of revenge through growing anti-Semitism. There is no clear cut delineation where one side rose as definite victor, but there are certainly eras where Christians or Jews could be considered more as the aggressor or oppressor.

By the Middle Ages, many Christians had fed on a steady teaching that Jews were the devil. Jews were already blamed for everything from pestilence, to upheavals, to diseases. Then, the Black Plague hit Europe.

They didn't keep very accurate records, but some claimed Jews died at half the rate of others in Europe. The reason for this: far better sanitation practices. Within the book of Leviticus, one can see teachings of washing hands, disposing of human filth and corpses properly, and even determining contagious diseases for quarantine purposes. This made Christians, who generally had very little access to the Bible in their own language, very suspicious.

Pope Clement VI declared Jews were innocent, but most people, who by now resented both the Church and the King, seemed to believe Jews poisoned the drinking wells. In the 1300's several Jewish communities were exiled and burned to the ground. The town of Mainz defended and killed several attackers, but Christians returned for revenge and destruction. Several communities were destroyed by mobs & some were entirely exterminated. By 1351, there were almost no Jews left in Germany or Low countries.

After the age of enlightenment in the 1500-1600's, religious ideas began to wane. So, leaders used more secular outlets for anti-Semitism, which brought perverted versions of evolution, used already ingrained hatred and fear of the masses, and created a ticking time bomb that Hitler used to create the Holocaust in the 1930's.

Is all this what was meant by Jesus when He said He came to bring a sword? Possibly. His life and death created a schism in Judo-Christianity for generations because we've had a hard time considering each other brothers and sisters. The problem with this is ironic and obvious: We are all followers of the same God. In the present times, we are experiencing a relatively unusual peace between the two faiths. As the world turns against both Jews and Christians, there is a need for brotherhood as it will only get worse. As it says in Mark 3:25, "If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

"When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Matthew 27:50-51

Sources:
jewishhistory.org
sixmillioncrucifixons.com
christianitytoday.com
Bible

Let It Go (Not the Song) ;-)

Sometimes, we all have to accept help from others. It allows others to feel good about themselves, strengthens relationships, and reminds you that you can not do life alone. Not if you want to actually live and enjoy it.

I have decided to go to my grandmother's burial in New Hampshire. It will be a complicated plan in order to get me there and back without a plane (I am terrified) and in time for work the next week, making sure my parents cat is taken care of, and that my child is being watched since my husband works nights. Both my husband and my mother-in-law will end up taking a day off work just to let me go. Then, my husband will be driving non-stop from here to New Hampshire (a 12-15 hour drive) and then back to South Carolina since my parents will not be leaving for home for a week. Deep breath. I originally was not going to go.

My first thoughts, when I heard of the burial, spiraled out of control, and I could not get past my sudden anxiety. How would I be able to accomplish all this? So many people have to pitch in to help me? Suddenly, I was creating excuses on why I did not need to show up. I have not shown up there in years. Now, after my grandparents have passed way, now, I am showing up to bury them. It seems lame. I am making too many people miss work. Cadence will miss me. I will miss her too much. This will be the longest I have been away from her. Can we afford all this gas? Can I face all these remote family members without having a panic attack (I have social anxiety issues)? Who is going to take care of everything back home? The house will end up too messy. Everyone and everything will go under if I am not there to singlehandedly keep things running smoothly!!

Yeah, do not laugh. This is serious business.

Then, my sweet husband stopped me abruptly and gave me a reality check. We got this. If you want to go, he said, do not worry about how we will make this happen. Just go, and I will figure everything out on this side. It did not stop my flooding thoughts, but it did feel like a breath of fresh air. It gave me pause enough to reconsider the flooding thoughts. It made me realize how foolish I was being. Of course, my responsibilities matter, but we were not meant to do all this alone. God made us, and God, even God, comes in a trifecta of power. Even he is connected with others. He wants us to be connected too. It almost makes me cry to think on it. I finally decided to go. My grandmother's burial is more important than all this worry. My feelings are good for guidance, but they were never intended to be my master. Only God is. He would want me there, even if just to support my dad. Seeing that father's day is coming up, this is even more important, seeing he is missing HIS dad AND his mom. I wish I could have known my grandparents more, but distance and the illusion of singlehanded independence blinded me to the fact that time was passing on things that matter. Let Jesus take the wheel, let the Father calm your heart, let the Spirit show you the way. Reality check in more than one way and more than just this situation.

If I am doing this here, I am doing this in many places, and I may end up regreting much more. I would regret not going. I wish to be there for my dad, to let go of my grandparents, to say goodbye even if I did not say hello enough, to see the relatives I never get to see, to not make the same mistakes again, to feel the sunrise in the north, to have one-on-one time with my husband and parents in the car, to let go. Let it go. Relax. God's got this. Ask for help. That is my lesson. I hope to take it to heart and work on this throughout my life in many ways. I have to make a note for myself to remember. This is what matters. Love matters. Sometimes, the ones who try to carry it all need to be carried.