tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70056164367377653662024-03-14T11:47:36.849-07:00DISTINCTIVE DISCIPLESHIPDeveloping a Biblical Lifestyle
(Founded 27 July 2013)Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.comBlogger462125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-19465186658223049692024-02-20T05:00:00.009-07:002024-02-20T20:09:41.089-07:00A Healthy Approach to the Bible<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhcof5DB7DpRjNSsYJnBmMNHUMBq2LZbiw-GI5uJlhINjklKrzRO2kUkpCqi_LtVJDR65ZHMZz0ZZxygCq2cDaiUo-luyRcf1fLZ2cQMZR7MUTY-EtYeYRxpaiDZkLijoYGpmtuqL_fGO-ENH85qH6klFK7UgDUGLInf5rk3UPjDKepDztJoNEihyrhA/s640/55802354_2409070102461241_418776920725913600_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="640" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhcof5DB7DpRjNSsYJnBmMNHUMBq2LZbiw-GI5uJlhINjklKrzRO2kUkpCqi_LtVJDR65ZHMZz0ZZxygCq2cDaiUo-luyRcf1fLZ2cQMZR7MUTY-EtYeYRxpaiDZkLijoYGpmtuqL_fGO-ENH85qH6klFK7UgDUGLInf5rk3UPjDKepDztJoNEihyrhA/w356-h233/55802354_2409070102461241_418776920725913600_n.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Dr. Alice C. Linsley</p>For the sake of argument, what authority can the New Testament documents have without the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration? This doctrine states that every word in the entire biblical text was inspired by the Holy Spirit so that there are no errors in the original Scriptures.<div><br /></div><div>But what of discrepancies? When we consider the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection we find discrepancies that result from different perspectives. In fact, if the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John agreed in every minute detail, we would have evidence of collusion among the witnesses. We would have reason to be suspicious. Such <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2016/04/discrepancies-are-evidence-of.html"><span style="color: #990000;">discrepancies on minor details</span></a> are actually evidence of authenticity.<br style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><div><br /></div><div>Even to speak of "errors" is misleading. Are contextual incongruities errors? A contextual incongruity is evident in Genesis 6:4 which poses the <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2009/01/nephilim-angels-or-ancestors.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Nephilim as fallen angels</span></a> (a Rabbinic notion) while also presenting them as historical “heroes of days gone by, men of renown.” The term <i>Nephilim</i> is derived from the same root as the Aramaic <i>npyl</i> which means giant, as in great. This is equivalent to the Arabic <i>nfy</i>, meaning hunter. Noah’s great grandson Nimrod is described as a “mighty hunter” or a “mighty man” before the Lord. Nimrod was a Kushite kingdom builder who <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2023/12/nimrods-sumerian-wife.html"><span style="color: #990000;">married a Sumerian princess</span></a>. He was among the "<a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2023/10/why-first-lords-of-earth-matters.html"><span style="color: #990000;">First Lords of the Earth</span></a>."<br /><div><br /></div><div>Some portions of the New Testament include <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2023/09/distinguishing-midrash-from-historical.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Jewish Midrash</span></a> which contradict other portions of the canonical Scripture. Hebrews 12:16 describes Esau as an immoral and godless person, yet Hebrews 11:20 describes Esau as blessed. Which is the inspired word? It cannot be the midrash which contradicts the picture of Esau in Genesis as one who forgave his brother Jacob for trying to steal his inheritance birthright and his father's priestly blessing. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Hebrew 7:20-28, the author states that the former priests did not take oaths. However, there are historical documents that attest to oaths among the Hebrew priests. These include oaths of office, of loyalty, and of truth telling. The priest took an oath that declared loyalty to the high king who he served, and the oath was declared before the appointed royal official or high priest under whom the priest served.<br /><br />The author of Hebrews is honest about his lack of information. He admits that many of the religious practices of the period of the Exodus are not familiar to him. Of the Ark of the Covenant, the mysterious manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, he explains in Hebrew 9:5 – “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” </div><div><br /></div><div>The Bible is indeed a miraculous codex. It contains all things necessary for salvation. It should be read as objectively as possible, apart from denominational interpretations, dispensationalism, or concerns about errors. The reader has a responsibility to apply reason. Today the amount of information available to help people understand the Bible is enormous. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>To those steeped in the mindset of "the plain meaning of Scripture" this might sound a strange teaching. There is nothing "plain" about the canonical Scriptures. They are dense, multi-layered, tightly woven, and provocative. They require intense study and close reading with great attention to details. This should be especially true for those who claim Scripture as their first authority (<i>prima scriptura</i>).<br /><br />We are heirs to the empiricism of the twentieth century and we can legitimately draw on that heritage when investigating the Scriptures as objectively as possible. We may approach the Bible less polemically than past generations. We can understand difficult passages because of the work of learned Bible scholars, textual criticism, biblical archaeology, biblical anthropology, and the study of biblical languages and <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2019/05/ethnic-and-cultural-diversity-in-bible.html"><span style="color: #990000;">biblical populations</span></a>. Today the available “ordinary means” of understanding the Bible are vastly greater and more diverse than in the past.</div><div><br /></div><br /></div></div></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2019/10/formed-and-informed-by-bible.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Formed and Informed by the Bible</span></a>; <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-talmuds-influence-on-new-testament.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Talmud's Influence on the New Testament Writers</span></a>; <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-roots-of-gospel-are-in-africa.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Roots of the Gospel are in Africa</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/bible-on-trial.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Bible on Trial</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-disciples-guide-to-bible-study.html"><span style="color: #990000;">A Disciple's Guide to Bible Study</span></a>; <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2023/09/distinguishing-midrash-from-historical.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Distinguishing Midrash from Historical Realities</span></a>; <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2019/05/ethnic-and-cultural-diversity-in-bible.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in the Bible</span></a></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-72707363839806678882024-02-10T10:04:00.005-07:002024-02-10T11:08:12.907-07:00The Church at Prayer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0CiIg3fNUQcIQiXi0TxxKCUvNbOEKaPF3LbGuXyi0IY12yQmh9sy9WwDgCMLYBWxjrloeaRL82P7oB7er3u_r3k_BqdwwAiqD8GoRfOkOjBlPP5skVfIEDURx7T1WdTzJS24JWqfRJ0EENP2LPO4bZvEIhGZ0Qg_YHTfTSnf7hKHE1lUaw45fUCZfHk/s800/glory_be_prayer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0CiIg3fNUQcIQiXi0TxxKCUvNbOEKaPF3LbGuXyi0IY12yQmh9sy9WwDgCMLYBWxjrloeaRL82P7oB7er3u_r3k_BqdwwAiqD8GoRfOkOjBlPP5skVfIEDURx7T1WdTzJS24JWqfRJ0EENP2LPO4bZvEIhGZ0Qg_YHTfTSnf7hKHE1lUaw45fUCZfHk/w361-h226/glory_be_prayer.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><br />"Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life." - Archbishop William Law<br /><p><br /></p><p>The Church is a great mystery, the nature of which is known only to God. The divisions among Christians reflect cultural and historical realities about which countless volumes have been written. </p><p>It can be safely said that where the Church is there is prayer that aligns with divine revelation in Scripture and Tradition. The Holy Spirit inspires prayer and sometimes moves us to prayer in times of urgency. </p><p>The single prayer upon which all Christians agree is the "Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer". The authority for this prayer comes from Jesus Christ himself who taught us to pray:</p><i>Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses (debts) as we forgive those who trespass against us (our debtors); and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Types of prayer range from personal prayer in daily devotions; extemporaneous prayers in public services of worship, and formal liturgical prayers. Christians believe that prayer is offered to glorify God, to render praise and thanksgiving, to intercede for others, to confess sins, and to consecrate, sanctify, and ordain.</div><div><br /></div><div>The following prayers come from different Christian traditions, but all express what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>This "General Thanksgiving" is found in The Book of Common Prayer (Anglican).</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all they goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord,, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This prayer comes from the <b>Ethiopic Liturgy.</b></div><div><b><br /></b><i>Truly the heavens and earth are full of the holiness of thy glory, in our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy holy Son. He came, and was born of the Virgin, that he might fulfill thy will and make a people for thee. He stretched out his hands to the passion, suffering to save the sufferers that trust in thee; and was delivered of his own will to the Cross, that he might abolish death and burst the bond of Satan, trample on Hades, lead forth the Saints, establish a covenant, and make known his resurrection! </i></div><div><i><br /></i><p>These two prayers come from the Divine Liturgy of the <b>Eastern Orthodox Church</b>:</p><p><i>Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings. Put us in fear also of thy blessed commandments, that we, trampling down all earthly passions, may follow after the life of the spirit; both thinking and doing always such things as shall be well pleasing to thee. For thou art the light of our souls and of our bodies, O Christ our God. </i>(Attributed to St. John Chrysostom.)</p><p><i>O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>This memorial prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Apostolic Constitutions.</b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>He who fashioneth all that are born into this world was himself fashioned in the Virgin’s womb; he who was without flesh became flesh; he who was begotten from eternity was born in time. He was holy in his conversation and taught in accordance with law, and he drove away all manner of disease and sickness from among men, and wrought signs and wonders among the people. He who feedeth the hungry and filleth all things living with plenteousness partook of food and drink and sleep. He manifested thy name to those who knew it not; he put ignorance to flight, rekindled piety, fulfilled thy will, and did finish the work which thou gavest him to do. And when he had duly accomplished all these things, betrayed by one diseased with wickedness he was seized by the hands of lawless people, priests and High Priests, falsely so called, and a rebellious mob; and having suffered many things at their hands, and having endured all kinds of indignity by thy permission, was delivered to Pilate the Governor. The Judge was judged, the Saviour was condemned, he who is impassible was nailed to the Cross, and he who is by nature immortal died.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><b>Prayer for the Church (attributed to William Law).</b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.</i></div><div><i><br /></i><p class="MsoNormal"><b>This prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Coptic Jacobites.</b></p><i>O Longsuffering, of great mercy and truth, receive our prayer and supplication’ receive our petition, our penitence, our confession upon thy pure and holy altar in heaven. May we be accounted worthy to hear thy holy Gospel, and to keep thy precepts and commandments, and to bear fruit therein an hundredfold, and sixtyfold, in Christ Jesus our Lord, O thou who art blessed with him and the holy and lifegiving Spirit.</i><p></p></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Anglican Prayer of Humble Access before reception of Holy Communion.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Related: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/12/prayer-for-new-year.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Prayer for the New Year</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/10/prayer-for-nation.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Prayer for the Nation</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/07/prayers-of-peter-marshall.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Prayers of Peter Marshall</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2019/09/prayer-as-spiritual-lifeline.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Prayer as Our Spiritual Lifeline</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-life-grounded-in-prayer.html"><span style="color: #990000;">A Life Grounded in Prayer</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-dimensions-of-prayer.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Dimensions of Prayer</span></a></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-56314043278890481002024-01-11T11:14:00.003-07:002024-01-25T10:52:04.129-07:00Was Jesus Omniscient?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaafI4wWg4Y4SlNNNfwY8NDncoO6GvhyGGLGcwoC8q7i5RF7ZyaTWzBYQ2xulH3FFJsYEuIcwsaWNQ9sX2STnkdoHPv0Cxsq5c7ePWhMcJadjQ6V5idBt0ICUQ-4UUzrH02D0eO8rcul4phXQBjnWqrZXWqwNS_zwS58bA09qAXYBWIRwvsQM0IrRWW0/s395/2nd-council-of-niceae.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="395" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaafI4wWg4Y4SlNNNfwY8NDncoO6GvhyGGLGcwoC8q7i5RF7ZyaTWzBYQ2xulH3FFJsYEuIcwsaWNQ9sX2STnkdoHPv0Cxsq5c7ePWhMcJadjQ6V5idBt0ICUQ-4UUzrH02D0eO8rcul4phXQBjnWqrZXWqwNS_zwS58bA09qAXYBWIRwvsQM0IrRWW0/s320/2nd-council-of-niceae.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Icon of the Second Council of Nicaea</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Dr. Alice C. Linsley<br /><br />The question of whether or not Jesus was omniscient is far above my paygrade. The Son of God becoming incarnate is a singular event and a great mystery. Far greater minds than mine have struggled to understand this at the <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2020/04/nicene-creed.html"><span style="color: #990000;">early Ecumenical Councils</span></a> and they concluded that Christ has two natures: fully human and fully divine, and that the two natures are neither mixed, nor separable. In other words, one nature does not overthrow the other. The two natures exist in perfect harmony in the God-Man Jesus Christ. <br /><br />Jesus knew his destiny because he knew the expectation of his Hebrew ancestors concerning the Son of God: how he would be conceived by divine overshadowing (Luke 1:35); show his authority over wind and water, die, and rise on the third day. He predicts his death in Jerusalem. He draws on the story of Jonah being 3 days in the whale’s belly to speak of his third-day resurrection. He repeatedly called out the Jewish elite for obfuscating this Messianic Faith of their ancestors. They made it about politics. Jesus’ message was about our need for repentance and glorifying his Father in Heaven.<br /><br />The Gospels often speak of Jesus knowing the thoughts of his enemies. Matthew 12:25 is an example: "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them..." Did Jesus read their minds? That appears to overthrow what is within the realm of possibility for a fully human person. Rather, it means that Jesus knows the ways and manners of sinners and God-mockers. That fits the context of His dispute with the Pharisees in Matthew 12. This is not an example of omniscience, but proof that He knows the evil that resides in our hearts. <div><br /></div><div>It seems to me that the term “omniscient” may not be the best term to use in reference to Jesus Christ. It suggests the Greek philosophical attributes for the Godhead and is foreign to the Semitic way of thinking about God.<div><br />Omniscience means that Jesus was never surprised or disappointed, nor would He wonder about things. Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but that knowledge must have brought Him disappointment and sadness. In some instances, Jesus showed surprise or astonishment at the faith of Gentiles who approached him. Consider the stories of the Centurion (Matt. 8:10; Mark 6:6) and the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30). Our Lord condescended to the level of understanding of others out of love and compassion. This is what a good teacher does to increase the student’s understanding. <br /><br />Jesus recognized that He is the subject of the Isaiah passage: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” <div><br /></div><div>He declared this in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:17-21).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://archive.org/stream/sevenecumenicalc00perc/sevenecumenicalc00perc_djvu.txt"><span style="color: #990000;">The Seven Ecumenical Councils</span></a>; <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2023/11/jesus-claimed-to-be-son-of-god.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Jesus Knew He is the Son of God</span></a>; <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2013/10/who-is-jesus.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Who is Jesus?</span></a><br /><br /> </div></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-83717612238420244542023-12-22T17:47:00.007-07:002023-12-22T17:47:45.840-07:00A Blessed Feast of the Nativity<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpuR3ExLhiy0ML_uK5kP6Lc_V736epSXPCQaSV-qEeD_Mfke2ox2koZqlOwbzS_M7ZK-2mTmnzW2xjePQVA9_xR9y9fQy9lJczm-RDT3w80uY1p_mtysI8n5zGPswoWYS3Te5R928jnfvyzgiMtZnCAX28QOZFAhTCJKrV2ZDwVAROUU_B4mnDAAINxk/s593/nativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="492" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpuR3ExLhiy0ML_uK5kP6Lc_V736epSXPCQaSV-qEeD_Mfke2ox2koZqlOwbzS_M7ZK-2mTmnzW2xjePQVA9_xR9y9fQy9lJczm-RDT3w80uY1p_mtysI8n5zGPswoWYS3Te5R928jnfvyzgiMtZnCAX28QOZFAhTCJKrV2ZDwVAROUU_B4mnDAAINxk/w303-h345/nativity.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-74265458531650166772023-11-12T15:50:00.002-07:002023-11-12T15:51:39.540-07:00Billy Graham Embraced the Call to be a Christian<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx_Zgo_r8E4kYAPt3hZWEJN8OoAPz1-4IH3uQgjEdrJhSMF8YU-7MeQKPfcZtVGc9OGwn1_3q-_YU5ZhDRoU9jFMmU1aiJyGJcKUpGS6iHSPeoPHO_ayZvOq_tD_zdaNIYqGGg1hFJwQMJsPLZtS2cZwNWOdZ11q5a8Hsx9eIrK1vLj6MBrZJHU2qL-Y/s388/Billy-and-Ruth-Graham.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="388" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx_Zgo_r8E4kYAPt3hZWEJN8OoAPz1-4IH3uQgjEdrJhSMF8YU-7MeQKPfcZtVGc9OGwn1_3q-_YU5ZhDRoU9jFMmU1aiJyGJcKUpGS6iHSPeoPHO_ayZvOq_tD_zdaNIYqGGg1hFJwQMJsPLZtS2cZwNWOdZ11q5a8Hsx9eIrK1vLj6MBrZJHU2qL-Y/s320/Billy-and-Ruth-Graham.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ruth and Billy Graham</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><i>"I believe that Billy Graham had a profound impact on the world because he first embraced the call, not of being an evangelist, but being a Christian."</i> - <a href="https://hunnicutt.medium.com/billy-graham-was-not-a-christian-287508040522"><span style="color: #990000;">Curtis Hunnicutt</span></a><br /><br /><p>The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-Graham"><span style="color: #990000;">Rev. Dr. Billy Graham</span></a> was a bold proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was his first priority and it often put him at odds with both liberals and conservatives. Billy Graham's irenic approach was not fully appreciated in the polemic of the mid-20th century. </p><p>Writing for the Britannica, Randall Balmer explains, "In New York City in 1954, he was received warmly by students at Union Theological Seminary, a <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bastion">bastion</a> of liberal Protestantism; nevertheless, the theologian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Reinhold-Niebuhr">Reinhold Niebuhr</a>, a professor at Union and one of the leading Protestant thinkers of the 20th century, had little patience for Graham’s simplistic preaching. On the other end of the theological spectrum, fundamentalists such as Bob Jones, Jr., Carl McIntire, and Jack Wyrtzen never forgave Graham for cooperating with the Ministerial Alliance, which included mainline Protestant clergy, in the planning and execution of Graham’s storied 16-week crusade at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Madison-Square-Garden">Madison Square Garden</a> in New York in 1957. Such cooperation, however, was part of Graham’s deliberate strategy to distance himself from the starchy conservatism and separatism of American fundamentalists. His entire career, in fact, was marked by an irenic spirit."</p><p>I believe this was part of the secret to Graham's expansive influence. Perhaps the greater part was his insistence that the Word preached has the power to save sinners, to make disciples, and to bring change even to the troubled world. He once said, "When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented with authority - quoting from the very word of God - He takes that message and drives it supernaturally into the human heart."</p><p><br /></p><p>Related reading: <a href="http://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2015/03/billy-graham-on-discipleship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Billy Graham on Discipleship</span></a>, <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/02/be-salt-light-where-you-are.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Be Salt, Light Where You Are</span></a></p>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-65942661608762520182023-10-12T09:18:00.012-07:002023-10-13T12:30:08.703-07:00The Irrepressible Truth <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p8Kxe49W2c9FkWnLsSytvRDYgFYyxgRrDQipYeXhtvZ7sG-G7XgRHPu3-mwloe0TESkkaBY9S631_qy5shWCGPYgltL1EVlGHIDidgazUDGr32kVg-VxBZRMcTOxNkBqSml7VfDTj8_G5lYQ1vuX1Nmy_o3W5N5SNNawOOoJ3hrzqX3FveAJJW9ylNo/s192/royal%20authority.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="192" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p8Kxe49W2c9FkWnLsSytvRDYgFYyxgRrDQipYeXhtvZ7sG-G7XgRHPu3-mwloe0TESkkaBY9S631_qy5shWCGPYgltL1EVlGHIDidgazUDGr32kVg-VxBZRMcTOxNkBqSml7VfDTj8_G5lYQ1vuX1Nmy_o3W5N5SNNawOOoJ3hrzqX3FveAJJW9ylNo/s1600/royal%20authority.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div>“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”</i> (Matt. 28:18-20)<div><br /><div><br />This has been called “The Great Commission" and it is delivered by the One who holds all authority as ruler and high priest over the cosmos. Jesus gave this command citing His absolute authority in "Heaven and Earth" (a <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2015/02/merisms-in-genesis.html"><span style="color: #990000;">merism</span></a>). The divine Son's <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-it-possible-to-speak-of-proto-gospel.html"><span style="color: #990000;">authority was perceived by people even before His Incarnation</span></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Disciples of Jesus Christ are found around the world and the number is growing, especially in places where the Faith is suppressed and denied. The Truth of the Gospel is irrepressible. It makes itself known even in the darkest places. Indeed, it always ultimately overcomes the darkness!</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The biblical Hebrew recognized three types of authority: derived, attributed, and achieved. The deification of rulers required derived and attributed authority. Because the ruler was seen as God's representative on earth and the one to enforce divine law, his authority was believed to be derived from God.<br /><br />If the ruler proved over time to be just or righteous in his actions and decrees, the priests would attribute deification. Deification or apotheosis was an expression of the flamboyant honor shown to royal masters by their servants.</div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></div><div>Deification was indicated by the SR designation in the ruler's epithet and or royal name. <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-temple-castes-were-dispersed-among.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The historical ruler Osiris</span></a> was deified as is evident in his name O-SiR. Among the Sumerians and Akkadians SR designated a king (<i>šarrum</i>) and a queen (<i>šarratum</i>). The Akkadian <i>itti šarrim</i> means "with the king".</div><div><br /></div>None of the ancient rulers returned from the dead. They had no authority over death. However, the Son of God broke the hold of death. He tramped down death by His death. He leads his disciples to the Father and admits them to His eternal kingdom. This is the truth that can never be suppressed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2023/05/symbols-of-authority-among-early-hebrew.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Symbols of Authority Among the Biblical Hebrew</span></a>; <a href="https://college-ethics.blogspot.com/2023/08/first-lords-and-their-authority.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The First Lords and Their Authority</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/05/responding-to-jesus-authority.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Responding to Jesus' Authority</span></a></div><div><br /></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-3827360918508849032023-08-23T08:14:00.006-07:002023-08-23T08:26:41.296-07:00Angels Marvel at the Obedience of Faith<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbr-w_zFuG0YVlE6n3-C9YXc5bPuYYPEjMfQJ402twPt2LtMqEOdyKnKc4Dk1mzsFOenHFrPhjaj9jkK67q0B1Qd7hfn8m5iZGDimTsDtVXt2PhGSvM3m5qbIBz5l6IcB-sKayJiRp2nVs76c1UUIPXSRfUv3Or2OHxSpPgcg2aq64gxY1xLAvfE_a70/s274/angels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="274" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbr-w_zFuG0YVlE6n3-C9YXc5bPuYYPEjMfQJ402twPt2LtMqEOdyKnKc4Dk1mzsFOenHFrPhjaj9jkK67q0B1Qd7hfn8m5iZGDimTsDtVXt2PhGSvM3m5qbIBz5l6IcB-sKayJiRp2nVs76c1UUIPXSRfUv3Or2OHxSpPgcg2aq64gxY1xLAvfE_a70/s1600/angels.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.<br /><br /><br />"Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" (Rom 16:25, 26).<br /><br />In this verse, the importance of obedience of faith is seen as the "the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures..." The obedience of faith springs from love of God Father, God Son, and God Holy Spirit. Without that love there can be no obedience, no true discipleship.<div><br /></div><div>The relationship between faithful humanity and God is a matter into which even the angels desire to look (1 Peter 1:12).</div><div><br /></div><div>In the Greek New Testament, there are only two words in this phrase: <i>upakohn pistews</i> -"obedience of faith." "Obedience" (<i>upakohn</i>) is in the accusative case showing that it is the designed result of God’s “grace” and “apostleship” (Rom. 1:5). Such grace is a cause of astonishment to the angels!</div><div><br />Grace (<i>pistews</i>) is a gift that cannot be earned. Apostleship is the God-given authority to convey the revelation of God’s salvation, to share the Gospel of saving grace. From the beginning, the Holy Trinity has been working out the salvation of all who turn to the Holy One.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the teaching point from Ephesians 3:9-10: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."</div><div><br /></div><div>The grace of God, the gift of faith, and the obedience of love are a cause of wonder among the heavenly hosts. These are to be celebrated in the Church and we are to pray for their increase.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/06/on-gods-terms.html">On God's Terms</a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/05/put-handles-on-your-faith.html">Put Handles on Your Faith</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-57368986607823425752023-07-16T17:15:00.007-07:002023-07-17T14:06:24.979-07:00A First Look at "The First Lords of the Earth"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzb0HYlcULrNpbG2wsbLCn7tY-P0CuR0z0uAxl5i_kuj9ancoX6V7cQYXBMoPm-bSI9rcrcq3KkOtWwvyKpnPFtXdhz3aiP52AzDZ73NP0F7Tc5XatbNeOWV7-X_QFvZqAOD9WZv9ZBQCLhbqAMmsE9Hso8d64ZesJ6J2r4TunL5K76XUxw5IJgV1egU/s3469/Book%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="3469" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzb0HYlcULrNpbG2wsbLCn7tY-P0CuR0z0uAxl5i_kuj9ancoX6V7cQYXBMoPm-bSI9rcrcq3KkOtWwvyKpnPFtXdhz3aiP52AzDZ73NP0F7Tc5XatbNeOWV7-X_QFvZqAOD9WZv9ZBQCLhbqAMmsE9Hso8d64ZesJ6J2r4TunL5K76XUxw5IJgV1egU/w387-h269/Book%20cover.jpg" width="387" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Dr. Alice C. Linsley</p><p>My book <span style="color: #990000;">The First Lords of the Earth: An Anthropological Study</span> is <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CBW51FMM%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR01lZNsAKBR3xeHoTt63Ukac1rFO_aDoy5C2cI53tHF8wg65B-FrZ6cCC4&h=AT3AUAKO47G8i8ikkzu9V9VQe41Zj82I_bKwai0PV5B_XVFf46UrxSAbqIHhmYjpHulfXO0MsoDLsMtW7EX3HTTiG6dSzx0wfjJKBeEiFJPFF4vSZjIaoTQURIfe1_xPwGFaGVNDn6GWdYl2_Rh3&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT0vsDGrS-9zUS30oz30ul4glRPVLJsbNFlkyHsFW5VzXqJaPNTfp2JJsrJb8p-E_2dZeeKOkNECLy2IV1CRFRmHM5p1-H_ItibBaTmPNEwXKXR7A_lMTvysyXS9XpnphazmBbfL5G-oDdgFs8eo3NwXPsyGjWzYUhkxf6o">available on Amazon</a>. Options include Kindle, paperback, or hard cover and all are priced to accommodate the book lover on a tight budget. </p><p>The book identifies the social structure and religious
beliefs of the early <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-hebrew-were-caste.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Hebrew ruler-priest caste</span></a> (6000-4000 years ago), their
dispersion out of Africa, their territorial expansion, trade routes, and
influence on the populations of the Fertile Crescent and Ancient Near East.</p><p>Readers say this book brings the figures of the Old Testament to life. </p><p>The research took 40 years, but I was able to make a rather complex subject easy to understand. I hope you will buy the book and discover answers to some perennial questions, such as:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Who were the Horite Hebrew and the Sethite Hebrew?</li><li>Where is the oldest known site of Horite Hebrew worship?</li><li>Why did so many Hebrew men have two wives?</li><li>What was the difference in status between wives and concubines?</li><li>What types of authority did the biblical Hebrew recognize?</li><li>What were some symbols of authority among the early Hebrew?</li><li>How did their acute observation of patterns in Nature inform their reasoning?</li><li>If Judaism is NOT the Faith of the early Hebrew, what did they believe?</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>I hope you will find the book helpful and informative.</div><div><br /></div><p>Best wishes,</p><p>Alice C. Linsley</p><p><br /></p>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-38719814526723286792023-07-07T04:00:00.004-07:002023-07-07T04:00:00.146-07:00Shoeless Worship<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOMvlhdJmNstH4pjI6APZ3MVJfzM6bfa_6GdXuR_n4oLsp_3VLJjCCgQ4tEsR7DBCi7ZiG6-p3OuiZOwgAl9Igpe2al7COtN4amSye9Y_mRDcmp4E2i5h0Pmi48ilOtLX0XJJETSZ4QgUHnuMSpC91U6YBaQRvtKECNoB9qecIMxt7jU8rzRIhOCWtys/s736/34f1d714f4dc29c7edc93082d21504a5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOMvlhdJmNstH4pjI6APZ3MVJfzM6bfa_6GdXuR_n4oLsp_3VLJjCCgQ4tEsR7DBCi7ZiG6-p3OuiZOwgAl9Igpe2al7COtN4amSye9Y_mRDcmp4E2i5h0Pmi48ilOtLX0XJJETSZ4QgUHnuMSpC91U6YBaQRvtKECNoB9qecIMxt7jU8rzRIhOCWtys/s320/34f1d714f4dc29c7edc93082d21504a5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>By Hope Ellen Rapson<br /><br /><br /><i>“…Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up”. When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” <br /><br />And he said, “Here I am.” <br /><br />The He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said also, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” <br /><br />Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”</i> Gen. 3:1-9 (ESV)<br /><br /><br /><br />In many cultures, it is a sign of respect, humility, and honor to remove one’s shoes or at least to ask the host or hostess what their preference might be, before entering their home. Moses belonged to one of these cultures. His religious life reflected traditional practices. Then, when he found himself in the very presence of Almighty God, the Lord gave him these instructions. <br /><br />First, Moses had to present himself as other, and lesser, than God. Second, he had to fully recognize whose Presence he was entering. Third, Moses had to honor, submit, and worship, not a tradition, but the living Creator and Sustainer of all.<br /><br />Moses was a prince, a skillful shepherd, a businessman, and a family leader in Midian. His successes and status perhaps gave him a sense of exalted self-importance. This had to be counted as nothing in the presence of Almighty God. It had to be set aside with his shoes.<br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.S._Lewis"><span style="color: #990000;">C.S. Lewis</span></a> writes in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity"><span style="color: #990000;">Mere Christianity</span></a> that pride is the ‘anti-God’ state, the position in which the ego and the self are directly opposed to God. “Shoeless Worship” is the position in which the ego and self are discounted and surrendered to glorify God. It is easy and common to attend church services with our ego-shoes on, and neglect to humbly recognize why we are there and Who we have come to meet. <br /><br />In her poem “Aurora Leigh,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning expressed it this way:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Earth’s crammed with heaven;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And every common bush afire with God,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And daub their natural faces unaware.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Let us not “sit, and pluck, and daub” unaware or ignoring God who deserves our “shoeless worship.”<div><br /></div><div><br />Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/06/risky-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Risky Worship</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/04/life-changing-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Life-Changing Worship</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/worship-in-spirit-and-truth.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Worship in Spirit and Truth</span></a></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-20927565263257757602023-06-26T09:02:00.001-07:002023-06-26T15:07:53.626-07:00Being at Peace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDqwRiFvWHErwPoxfA7O4rYKQjJw1oSlLpRmnaUhy7RadUM3svIqSWBZwX40ttCu0dn3NaTtpx6Ug3EC_j_DaAAyc0SMbbB68oMAUe12aanVwDZdkD4PnRPVQL9xgdZi2ne-SQthwmeOwhz2vNdSIIh5Q6eSKPYAqRp2CHVk3bJOCbh0ephJpRpHSh-8/s320/88384270612c18f5a5879527482eff9f.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDqwRiFvWHErwPoxfA7O4rYKQjJw1oSlLpRmnaUhy7RadUM3svIqSWBZwX40ttCu0dn3NaTtpx6Ug3EC_j_DaAAyc0SMbbB68oMAUe12aanVwDZdkD4PnRPVQL9xgdZi2ne-SQthwmeOwhz2vNdSIIh5Q6eSKPYAqRp2CHVk3bJOCbh0ephJpRpHSh-8/w263-h320/88384270612c18f5a5879527482eff9f.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.</p>Webster’s dictionary defines peace as a state of tranquility. However, to be at peace with evil never brings tranquility, only chaos. Peace with Satan means war with God.<div><div><br />Imagine the emotional experience the soldiers had in World War I when peace was declared. They were about to rush out of the trenches to face the machine guns. The battles had taken the lives of many thousands of their fellow soldiers. They were facing imminent destruction and then the message of the Armistice came! Peace, peace, not bullets!</div><div><br />But the peace lasted for a short 2 decades before the greater suffering of World War II. </div><div><br /></div><div>A heart doctor wrote about how he was trying to save a man’s life by strongly pumping on his chest. Instead of asking relief from the painful pushing, as many others had, the patient cried out for the doctor to keep it up.</div><div><br />He said: “It's so terrible, over there!” </div><div><br /></div><div>After several repetitions, the doctor repeated several Bible verses to him. When the man revived, he related a great peace he felt during his loss of consciousness. He had trusted God’s promises!</div><div><br />I too have experienced that kind of inner peace. Once, it was like sitting in a rowboat in a lake without a ripple or slight movement of air. Another time, after I was immersed in baptismal waters, I experienced pure joy coming down on my head as honey poured from a bucket. My experience of God’s peace was glorious!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This is the peace that passes human understanding. It is more than tranquility. It is a foretaste of life eternal in the peaceable kingdom.</div><br /><i>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit</i> (Rom. 15:13).<div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-do-you-react-to-adverse.html"><span style="color: #990000;">How Do You React to Adverse Circumstances?</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/07/our-hope-of-perfect-peace.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Our Hope of Perfect Peace</span></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-14312065806833558062023-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:002023-06-16T00:00:00.135-07:00Dallas Willard on Worship<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKrQaPWayR6aURmjXxYTbdOnpH-TGRa0dpQq9wLgtM2ZF2B9htZ8WPzLSjYTAS8j_uWHHGqXe892Dqv2HZkD8LdPxaV9MuskKyN2SDYKCQmAer1spDDv5qBfYX9bxPNEV2j42FsO1z6Rnr9unumeKNIDnFxwWAlq_rKfTxgbIohZ9SkK0oR7FE7fd/s990/dallas.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="990" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKrQaPWayR6aURmjXxYTbdOnpH-TGRa0dpQq9wLgtM2ZF2B9htZ8WPzLSjYTAS8j_uWHHGqXe892Dqv2HZkD8LdPxaV9MuskKyN2SDYKCQmAer1spDDv5qBfYX9bxPNEV2j42FsO1z6Rnr9unumeKNIDnFxwWAlq_rKfTxgbIohZ9SkK0oR7FE7fd/s320/dallas.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Professor Dallas Willard championed the cause of evangelicalism.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Courtesy of USC University archives)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: #646464; font-family: Indy Sans, Adjusted Indy Sans Fallback, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><i>The core of the person is what he or she loves, and that is bound up with what they worship - that insight recalibrates the radar for cultural analysis. The rituals and practices that form our loves spill out well beyond the sanctuary. Many secular liturgies are trying to get us to love some other kingdom and some other gods. </i> Dallas Willard<div><br /></div><br /><br />Dallas Willard was an American philosopher known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation. Much of his work in philosophy was related to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)"><span style="color: #990000;">phenomenology</span></a>, particularly the work of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Husserl"><span style="color: #990000;">Edmund Husserl</span></a>, many of whose writings he translated into English for the first time. He is considered a "<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-dallas-willard-philosopher-who-championed-the-cause-of-evangelicalism-8735565.html"><span style="color: #990000;">champion of Evangelicalism</span></a>".<br /><br />He was longtime Professor of Philosophy at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, teaching at the school from 1965 until his death in 2013 and serving as the department chair from 1982 to 1985.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/c-s-lewis-on-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">C.S. Lewis on Worship</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/04/life-changing-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Life Changing Worship</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/worship-in-spirit-and-truth.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Worship in Spirit and Truth</span></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-60884916045862941062023-06-12T10:06:00.001-07:002023-06-15T05:18:20.301-07:00Risky Worship<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlgxHzF8iBN9d4_F5K7RaTLFKV6_sqP-743m8wyWuyBGypS1jo3GlGowElhVuwypBMAX0Xb5JcxIERetuO5WG3WRSSimAu0imWS0KfLeMj6RdhSYbA_V80SqTLGGUaiOsJrncnKrgfXWHBzqfqtQXHsIsD2Hk1Lz0ovLkQwg033IW7SMZIpi11Aq9/s635/raising-of-lazarus.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="635" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlgxHzF8iBN9d4_F5K7RaTLFKV6_sqP-743m8wyWuyBGypS1jo3GlGowElhVuwypBMAX0Xb5JcxIERetuO5WG3WRSSimAu0imWS0KfLeMj6RdhSYbA_V80SqTLGGUaiOsJrncnKrgfXWHBzqfqtQXHsIsD2Hk1Lz0ovLkQwg033IW7SMZIpi11Aq9/w408-h276/raising-of-lazarus.png" width="408" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />By Hope Ellen Rapson<div><br /><i>"Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the Jesus had raised from the dead. So, they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive Nard, anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. So, the House was filled with the fragrance of the perfume…" </i>John 12:1-8<br /><br /><br />Shortly after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus, Lazarus, and Lazarus' two sisters were invited to a dinner with family friends. This event was in direct defiance to the orders of the Sanhedrin edict that anyone who knew where Jesus was, should report it so that they could arrest him (John 11:57).</div><div><br />Mary chose to worship and honor Jesus by helping to serve the meal, no doubt with a heart of joy. After all, her sole legal protection and financial provision in society had been restored when Lazarus was restored to life. Mary chose to worship and honor Jesus another way. Washing someone’s feet was considered degrading, but Mary washed the Lord’s feet with twelve ounces of undiluted perfume (nard) worth a year’s wages. Furthermore, she dried the Lord’s feet with her hair, which was expected to be completely covered as a sign of purity and piety. All the guests, and especially Mary, recklessly abandoned and disregarded their culture’s expectations and concerns; they purposed in their hearts to follow Jesus as “God in their midst.”</div><div><br />Are you ready to take risks to align yourself with Jesus? Are you willing to “worship Christ in spirit and in truth?”</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/worship-in-spirit-and-truth.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Worship in Spirit and Truth</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/05/c-s-lewis-on-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">C.S. Lewis on Worship</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/04/life-changing-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Life-Changing Worship</span></a></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-69429345615782322492023-05-29T14:59:00.007-07:002023-05-29T15:24:38.861-07:00Bible on Trial<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9-SoZx3FhzUpN8eo-uWUFd7TLyKKoTLboxcvg_0EI8_VyrFk_8EcFcpjBXAYfeUubY1kHvvvZDO16nhJ66TIlLrc4AxIh665ERdLTXw4Q4Y6Ibie6_9SzubQKdaed-dXficdruWFPwb5RnZWMY4F00emMl1ZzJQ0-4K7RMrnrOMdpSJmX287nKp9_" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="612" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9-SoZx3FhzUpN8eo-uWUFd7TLyKKoTLboxcvg_0EI8_VyrFk_8EcFcpjBXAYfeUubY1kHvvvZDO16nhJ66TIlLrc4AxIh665ERdLTXw4Q4Y6Ibie6_9SzubQKdaed-dXficdruWFPwb5RnZWMY4F00emMl1ZzJQ0-4K7RMrnrOMdpSJmX287nKp9_" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br />At Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California, when Major Kenneth W. Linsley, the Head Judge Advocate, approached the base Chaplain about starting a Sunday morning Bible study at the base chapel, the chaplain’s response was, “Teach the Bible? Who wants to study something so irrelevant? Now, I will give you space to teach something like The Passover Plot.”<div><br /><div> <br />The next Sunday, Major Linsley opened the base courtroom to more than a dozen people who wanted to study the Gospel of John. Some of the attendees came from the brig in chains and handcuffs to hear God’s Word from the same military attorney that incarcerated them for their crimes. Much to the Chaplain’s chagrin, the "Courtroom Bible Class" became a place where the Bible was put on trial and declared relevant enough to transform many into “born again” believers.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>(From unpublished Linsley Family Narratives)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/07/you-must-be-born-again.html"><span style="color: #990000;">You Must Be Born Again</span></a>; <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/05/astonishment-at-doctrine-of-lord.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Astonishment at the Doctrine of the Lord </span></a>by Kenneth W. Linsley; <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/05/alice-williams-linsley.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Alice Williams Linsley</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-3669346345450326582023-05-20T04:00:00.001-07:002023-05-20T04:00:00.137-07:00C. S. Lewis on Worship<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIVBun3hpBF3kMmvbbRxqEAb2LyuJI6cBllkrU_iLL5xfl_WV2qZPfcsmudC7URtNh9lCLtrYY5PLkAMeQW0Q-bNX9iWsM54t3iNb5cV9O4I3fN0nIfoXhGT-eDyDRnJKI_I2hiNOYAWZl3cL2Zst4-SJTgc_SBtKS-On1HsvLSp2fLvyBFYMKDeG/s3840/448431-C-S-Lewis-Quote-In-worship-God-imparts-himself-to-us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIVBun3hpBF3kMmvbbRxqEAb2LyuJI6cBllkrU_iLL5xfl_WV2qZPfcsmudC7URtNh9lCLtrYY5PLkAMeQW0Q-bNX9iWsM54t3iNb5cV9O4I3fN0nIfoXhGT-eDyDRnJKI_I2hiNOYAWZl3cL2Zst4-SJTgc_SBtKS-On1HsvLSp2fLvyBFYMKDeG/w381-h225/448431-C-S-Lewis-Quote-In-worship-God-imparts-himself-to-us.jpg" width="381" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;">"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." - C. S. Lewis</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-28939081406122580862023-05-17T04:15:00.012-07:002023-05-17T04:15:00.143-07:00Worship in Spirit and Truth<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7X9K2xv3XldYVU8UR7kZok5MLpYrsqN2D5ZqC1DdGnwSiQkw_oe97GzjvdzbUzGeBX21URVaz5duSZ_cvgZrKf8ssBAjz8EooOeQJGFzoD6js_Wh3vHo5J1EwFNTWt--ouvGviMIwTBxVl9w6N-SUdQCUvO8-ywtzCZHt0tGDrxhngRFa9kI0Pt1d/s1836/c8f730948dd845cda5c9ac044c3c2bef.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1836" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7X9K2xv3XldYVU8UR7kZok5MLpYrsqN2D5ZqC1DdGnwSiQkw_oe97GzjvdzbUzGeBX21URVaz5duSZ_cvgZrKf8ssBAjz8EooOeQJGFzoD6js_Wh3vHo5J1EwFNTWt--ouvGviMIwTBxVl9w6N-SUdQCUvO8-ywtzCZHt0tGDrxhngRFa9kI0Pt1d/w320-h160/c8f730948dd845cda5c9ac044c3c2bef.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br />Hope Ellen Rapson<div><br /><br />“I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1.<br /><br />Two dictionary definitions of worship are (1) honoring or showing reverence for a divine being or supernatural power, and (2) regarding someone or something with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion, The first one applies to God; the second applies to man. Together they reflect what Jesus taught as the two greatest commandments---to love God with all you heart, mind, and spirit, and to love others as one loves themselves. <br /><br />However, the question most asked is “How?” Jesus told Photini (the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well) that we should worship God “in spirit and in truth.” </div><div><br /></div><div>How do we do that? By developing a lifestyle that is focused on honoring God in all we do and serving others in ways that show that God has continually loving thought toward them. An excellent example of that was Brother Lawrence.<br /><br /> Brother Lawrence, author of Practicing the Presence of God, lived a simple monastic life focused on doing whatever he was called upon to do in the presence of God for the honor and glory of God. He wrote, “We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king.” <br /><br />Consider the following questions:<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Do I start my day with the goal of giving honor to God through all the duties or demands or distresses that might come whether they seem insignificant or considerably important?</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Do I review my day asking forgiveness for when I did not reflect his glory and honor Him in what I thought, did, or said, and asking for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to better honor Him during the next day?</li></ul><br />Praise, thanksgiving, and commitment to Almighty God in the mornings partnered with confession, supplication, and submission in the evenings is a practical pattern framework to follow in developing a lifestyle that demonstrates the worship of the Lord “in spirit and truth.”</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-45104636712450407982023-05-13T06:42:00.001-07:002023-05-13T06:55:07.932-07:00 Grace is God Being God<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDU0Vi3Lw6FSw2s0i8NGRBa0IjftRMJfasnKEbioFSEJ0aGgXx9egp5QD5C2jYb_iihFGcKZMOqIt6MiJ1ZyL3asPZNB--qnzmpx_5R_fXrJWudPg7ROVx0gPm1fCXgz_BQOwsloAmliV-dry40PmoMIKNqjniU_PUMq1Ay1qYfcdpVSfDhF5iVD6U/s225/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDU0Vi3Lw6FSw2s0i8NGRBa0IjftRMJfasnKEbioFSEJ0aGgXx9egp5QD5C2jYb_iihFGcKZMOqIt6MiJ1ZyL3asPZNB--qnzmpx_5R_fXrJWudPg7ROVx0gPm1fCXgz_BQOwsloAmliV-dry40PmoMIKNqjniU_PUMq1Ay1qYfcdpVSfDhF5iVD6U/w248-h225/download.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.<div><br />The standard understanding of grace is "unmerited favor", and most preaching on grace focuses almost exclusively on salvation (Eph 2:8, 9). However, grace is multi-faceted. Sometimes it is expressed as God’s sanctification of humans and their enablement for service.</div><div><br />I believe that grace is simply God being God!</div><div><br />In the beginning there was but nothingness and nothingness has no merit. God's very nature seeks to fill all things. Creation was to exhibit God’s glory (Ps 19:1-6). </div><div><br /></div><div>All creatures came to be by God's grace. God's power to generate life is expressed in their diversity and complexity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Grace is expressed in the steps and processes to make earth inhabitable. Even the angels owe their existence to God's grace.</div><div><br /></div><div>And even now, Jesus is creating eternal homes in grace. He could have cleaned up this earth, but by grace He will create a new earth and a New Jerusalem for those who have trusted Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>By His grace those who suffer and diligently serve Him (Matt 25:21-23; Rom 8:17) will receive blessing upon blessing and life everlasting.</div><div><br /></div><div>God shows mercy even to the unmerciful that they might come to know Him. </div><div><br /></div><div>Grace reflects God's majesty.</div><div><br /></div><div>What can we claim that is not an expression of His grace? All that we have, we have by God's grace. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-faith-that-overcomes.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Faith That Overcomes</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/06/on-gods-terms.html"><span style="color: #990000;">On God's Terms</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/07/by-grace-through-faith.html"><span style="color: #990000;">By Grace Through Faith</span></a> (poem)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-33631764325617147252023-04-26T11:02:00.004-07:002023-04-26T11:02:53.199-07:00I Bid Your Prayers<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZp5dYhjwvESujxqNsNzQlkgfdfdRnRONaT0czmsEcOyz-MKr0UiF2F0UBj8ngDgcqOGsN9L9sN5u8gIiVPxkoLnW63qJmRNjKfN-fVRmf95lqZT5ww1vUON8JWESUiOEFaja6JJej0kJte3jVny_U9QffVLTP_FI7hNZ3U7cMRIkCyWcGi5_JM-j/s320/Prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZp5dYhjwvESujxqNsNzQlkgfdfdRnRONaT0czmsEcOyz-MKr0UiF2F0UBj8ngDgcqOGsN9L9sN5u8gIiVPxkoLnW63qJmRNjKfN-fVRmf95lqZT5ww1vUON8JWESUiOEFaja6JJej0kJte3jVny_U9QffVLTP_FI7hNZ3U7cMRIkCyWcGi5_JM-j/s1600/Prayer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Your prayers are requested for the blog's founder the Rev. Edward F. Lundwall who will undergo aorta valve surgery soon. Ed will turn 93 on June 18. Please pray for this servant of the Lord Jesus.<div><br /><br /><i>Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy servant Ed for whom our prayers are offered. Look upon him with mercy; comfort him with a sense of thy goodness; preserve him; and give him patience. In thy good time, restore him to health, and enable him to lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.</i><br /><br /><br /><div>Edward F. Lundwall, Jr. is a retired Army Chaplain and a veteran of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He and his late wife, Marionette, were Baptist home missionaries for nine years. They have three children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild.<br /><br /><br />Alice C. Linsley, Administrator</div></div><div><br /></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-69033208564197147152023-04-16T14:09:00.002-07:002023-05-01T12:44:22.697-07:00Diggers<p><br /></p><p>Hope Ellen Rapson</p><p><br /></p><p>With sweaty palms and rusty spades</p><p>Diggers hope to find and drink,</p><p>Waters that quench their cravings…</p><p>Beauty, brawn, brains, and a bounty…</p><p>Only to discover thick tepid liquid,</p><p>Tasting of darkness, death, and dirt.</p><p><br /></p><p>One broken heart, filled with thirst,</p><p>Unquenched by Jacob’s well…</p><p>Prompted---asked for a running stream…</p><p>A clear, continual life-giving artesian</p><p>Only of the Holy Spirit’s making,</p><p>Discovering fresh faith in “I am He.”</p><p><br /></p><p>With sweaty palms and rusty spades</p><p>Still diggers search to find and drink,</p><p>Waters to quench those cravings…</p><p>With broken hearts and unfilled thirst,</p><p>Some come to the eternal current,</p><p>Fresh and flowing from the great “I Am.”</p><p><br /></p><p>My empty heart, filled with thirst,</p><p>Unquenched by acts of my own will</p><p>Convicted---drank from the saving stream,</p><p>The cool, continual renewing well</p><p>Only of the Holy Spirit’s flowing</p><p>From faith in the Everlasting Man.</p><p><br /></p><p>Related: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2023/04/life-changing-worship.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Life Changing Worship</span></a></p>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-8697565546260906062023-04-13T14:02:00.009-07:002023-04-14T11:49:46.564-07:00Life Changing Worship<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNivydhstCmAhuv1wwkghKOJb8EAqsZ8stD7umNJTCwrD4UjRvdVtB20ZnK8CHAOUmsCZhe_8RXarVf7Uz6QOHTISm7Mwpjw6V-CMt3UBn5UkO8wNxABUCOl_MYQovl3Wu-GB-g3WQdwD_RphNHmAEELSytZ8LV5KAkabaMEi7T4O2Wihka2_Yr-ZL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="433" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNivydhstCmAhuv1wwkghKOJb8EAqsZ8stD7umNJTCwrD4UjRvdVtB20ZnK8CHAOUmsCZhe_8RXarVf7Uz6QOHTISm7Mwpjw6V-CMt3UBn5UkO8wNxABUCOl_MYQovl3Wu-GB-g3WQdwD_RphNHmAEELSytZ8LV5KAkabaMEi7T4O2Wihka2_Yr-ZL" width="175" /></a></div><p></p><br /><i>"But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth." </i>Jn. 4:23-24<div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div> Hope Ellen Rapson<br /><br /> The Samaritan women came to the well seeking the gratification of her thirst, performing an activity that led to her survival as woman in her culture, and escaping the shaming eyes of society. She had lost sight of the God she claimed she worshipped. Jesus restored her relationship by sweeping away her three great distractions. <br /><br /> The first distraction is the craving for physical gratification. In her case it was water in a parched land, but it could have been sex, drugs, alcohol, even food. </div><div><br /></div><div>The second is the desire to acquire material things. The Samaritan woman desired a marriage that would provide her those things in her culture…a home, its furnishings, financial security…had led her into two legal marriages followed by three illicit relationships. </div><div><br /></div><div>The third distraction was her the hope for the status, significance, and acceptance all of which she had lost, forcing her to draw water in the heat of the noonday sun away from the community of women that would gather there in the cool of the day. <br /><br /> Jesus redirected her focus from what the world offers to what God freely gives---the ability to walk in his loving presence and provision and practices everyday as an act of worship. Her life changing worship led to the transformation of her whole village. <br /><br /> In this present hour, are believers being transformed by the Holy Spirit and walking in visible, practicable ways showing the world what true worship of God is? Or are they so involved in the distractions of the world, they have lost sight and love of the Father?</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus said, "But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth." Glorify the Father in undistracted worship.</div><div><div><br /></div> <br />Related reading: <a href="https://orthochristian.com/79178.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Who Was Photini?</span></a><br /> <br /><br /> </div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-33791928184268904352023-03-27T15:22:00.007-07:002023-03-27T17:45:42.371-07:00Just a Penny<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMwzQhYm-AOBPYA3iPKrZwESdM9fzb8O7bj7VS2Dp-Ln7BwEs2FpjhxMH335zX3Ezu8nLvAyM8uwuJvkgmxwfXALxq3mVpAPEMRRyPlmqBmGS1H-qWiPpAj2vSyQ1G0emN4-szbo9JaABBNvCUmm0yOYAkmOMlI1ygk3WPJvnEpzN95E9z2CaIaZnd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="665" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMwzQhYm-AOBPYA3iPKrZwESdM9fzb8O7bj7VS2Dp-Ln7BwEs2FpjhxMH335zX3Ezu8nLvAyM8uwuJvkgmxwfXALxq3mVpAPEMRRyPlmqBmGS1H-qWiPpAj2vSyQ1G0emN4-szbo9JaABBNvCUmm0yOYAkmOMlI1ygk3WPJvnEpzN95E9z2CaIaZnd" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br />Edward F. Lundwall Jr.<br /><br /><div>You hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. </div><div><br />Several years ago, my friend Arlene and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer. Arlene was anxious about the weekend. Her boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.</div><div><br />The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.</div><div><br />As the three of them were entering an exclusive restaurant, the boss walking ahead of Arlene and her husband, suddenly stopped to look down on the pavement. He reached down and picked up a penny.</div><div><br />He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.</div><div><br />Arlene thought it strange that this wealthy man would take the time to stop and pick it up.</div><div><br />Throughout dinner, the scene tugged at her mind. Finally, she casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection and wondered if the penny he had found had some value.</div><div><br />A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before. What was the point?</div><div><br />"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."</div><div><br />She read the words, "United States of America ..."</div><div><br />"No, not that. Read further."</div><div><br />"One cent?"</div><div><br />"No, keep reading."</div><div><br />"In God We Trust?"</div><div><br />"Yes!"</div><div><br />"And?"</div><div><br />"If I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it. When God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him, who am I to pass it by? I pick the coin up as a response to God. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">+++</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br />When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!"</div><div><br />It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful, and God is patient.<br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div><div><br /></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-90016335122980899772023-02-07T12:12:00.001-07:002023-02-07T12:12:42.805-07:00Prayers Requested for Ed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn5VPHWdR7RuNwUoXXGp_5berA9kZgbZd8NmioXpbJUeplSh4uLnkddfWGua5LamMmeWNG40S8MGS70kOf8g2OMAfTQsE2PN8lp0Rv9JZSyzdmGYnbYqPi5A-91dxky9gSsVhGBez1oHY4-GjO8edLSMWiJaL1iKvIo0vSd61Z-0WUdiOHbAJEfiG/s1280/Prayer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn5VPHWdR7RuNwUoXXGp_5berA9kZgbZd8NmioXpbJUeplSh4uLnkddfWGua5LamMmeWNG40S8MGS70kOf8g2OMAfTQsE2PN8lp0Rv9JZSyzdmGYnbYqPi5A-91dxky9gSsVhGBez1oHY4-GjO8edLSMWiJaL1iKvIo0vSd61Z-0WUdiOHbAJEfiG/s320/Prayer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The founder of this blog, Ed Lundwall, is recovering from Covid. He spent 10 weeks in the hospital. His eyesight has been affected and his left eyelid stays closed. <div><br /></div><div>He is home now and hopes to be able to continue writing for the blog.</div><div><br /></div>The Rev. Edward F. Lundwall, Jr. is a former Army Chaplain and a veteran of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He and his late wife, Marionette, were Baptist home missionaries for nine years. They have three children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild.<div><br /></div><div>Ed will turn 93 on June 18 and asks for your prayers. Please pray for this servant of the Lord Jesus.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alice C. Linsley, Administrator</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-8610745673548114512023-01-22T16:24:00.006-07:002023-01-22T16:41:28.883-07:00Salvation is Not an Event<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKpbTi-UrX8igA0_y4nqekDcuWZX-Cf8Ye0aZtOWmSNtLh_C9-hmd_1GcIfh8Sy9M9fFyr-PvvG0vbCI_i14A4cmicGTMocT3cpf4eQdT3RHBCn9Gd89xU87P0DSmTZ0O0KvV0tMTlDhtBk3t8LmzHg54WLxk-AGydLt9gylRAuFGFTL0hr1IhJsV/s320/this%20one.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="320" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKpbTi-UrX8igA0_y4nqekDcuWZX-Cf8Ye0aZtOWmSNtLh_C9-hmd_1GcIfh8Sy9M9fFyr-PvvG0vbCI_i14A4cmicGTMocT3cpf4eQdT3RHBCn9Gd89xU87P0DSmTZ0O0KvV0tMTlDhtBk3t8LmzHg54WLxk-AGydLt9gylRAuFGFTL0hr1IhJsV/s1600/this%20one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.</p><p><br /></p>Salvation through faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ involves sanctification. Sanctification is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Some who say they are saved do not exhibit the graces of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Though there may be a moment of conscious commitment, salvation is not an event such as this:<br /><br /><blockquote>“I’m saved!”<br /><br />“What do you mean?”<br /><br />“I went forward at the pastor's invitation in church, and I prayed the sinner’s prayer and asked Jesus into my heart.”<br /><br />"Did you leave your heart open long enough for Him to come in? Are you letting Him establish Himself as the Lord of your life? Are you living a crucified lifestyle?</blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div>Churches that fail to make disciples create conditions in which "saved" people become disillusioned. Without discipleship training, the fruits of the Spirit and the joy of service are lacking. Christ's presence in the life of the individual is not evident.<br /><br />What must disciple-making churches do to overcome this problem?<br /><br /><br />1. Teach that salvation is about being justified by faith in the Son of God, and justification involves obedience.<br /><br />2. Teach the Bible from cover to cover and encourage daily Bible reading and memorization. The disciple is to be <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2019/10/formed-and-informed-by-bible.html"><span style="color: #990000;">formed and informed by the Bible</span></a>.<br /><br />3. Connect new believers to mature believers with whom they can fellowship and grow in the Faith.<br /><br />4. Remind new believers that repentance is an on-going attitude of the heart. For "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation..." (2 Cor. 7:10)<br /><br />5. Do not place legalistic burdens upon the new believer. Instead, emphasize that the life of the disciple is characterized by purity, humility, generosity, steadfastness, patience, and service.<div><br /></div><div>6. Teach a crucified lifestyle. The crucified lifestyle is not another legalistic work, but the exchange of the corrupting ways of the old life for the life of the Spirit that dwells within. </div><div><br /></div><div>7. Teach that the disciple's life is <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-life-grounded-in-prayer.html"><span style="color: #990000;">grounded in prayer</span></a>.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/05/put-handles-on-your-faith.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Put Handles on Your Faith</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-do-you-react-to-adverse.html"><span style="color: #990000;">How Do You React to Adverse Circumstances?</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2022/06/on-gods-terms.html"><span style="color: #990000;">On God's Terms</span></a>; <a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-faith-that-overcomes.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Faith That Overcomes</span></a></div><div><a href="https://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-faith-that-overcomes.html"><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></a><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-64273401383750227092023-01-02T12:07:00.002-07:002023-01-02T15:08:31.412-07:00Why Jesus' Disciples Didn't Recognize Him as Messiah<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCtNqbq8MMCd4pn_mTXD1Vlx90G3yCrh1L7wtUsHd29lY6iGRqAOvmC_JYuC8XHluKLRdw32FZO6SAIZN8EG_CwkIG2nyegpWQFnxTKFbAfwV5V47-FKpOurZ9yHQjQqBZLaBTnmT0Vn79Jo11lP6ZKTz4X-G73oHnZFUQCpqvDVb6hUp6qh2YsY/s2800/lightstock_257639_medium_ann_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="2800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCtNqbq8MMCd4pn_mTXD1Vlx90G3yCrh1L7wtUsHd29lY6iGRqAOvmC_JYuC8XHluKLRdw32FZO6SAIZN8EG_CwkIG2nyegpWQFnxTKFbAfwV5V47-FKpOurZ9yHQjQqBZLaBTnmT0Vn79Jo11lP6ZKTz4X-G73oHnZFUQCpqvDVb6hUp6qh2YsY/s320/lightstock_257639_medium_ann_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Why didn't Jesus' closest disciples recognize that He is the fulfillment of the Messianic expectation of their Hebrew ancestors? Here are some possible explanations:</p><p>1. The Lord’s working with His first disciples was a progressive revelation of who and what He is. His glory is such that we are granted glimpses until such a day that we are ready for His eternal kingdom. A.W. Tozer explained, "God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”<br /></p>Hebrews 1 speaks of this: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” <p>2. Jesus did not fit what the disciples expected of a Messiah who would liberate the Jews from Roman rule. The zealots of their day perpetuated a hope of a military leader who would throw off Roman domination and restore the glory of Israel under the Davidic Dynasty.</p><p>3. The Disciples were self-absorbed. Their preoccupations kept them from seeing the truth. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Self-denial means knowing only Christ, and no longer oneself. It means seeing only Christ, who goes ahead of us, and no longer the path that is too difficult for us. Again, self-denial is saying only: He goes ahead of us; hold fast to him.”</p><p>4. The teachings of the rabbis had obfuscated the faith of their early Hebrew ancestors who expected one of their own to be conceived by divine overshadowing, to die and rise on the third day, and to be God incarnate. Instead, the rabbis focused on the Jewish narrative which diminished belief in the Son of God. This is why Jesus posed the riddle of Psalm 110:1 - "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Jesus called on Psalm 110:1 as His Witness: “If David then called him Lord, how is he his son?” (Matthew 22:45)</p><p>5. Some aspects of Jesus' life and ministry were purposely hidden. The Gospel of Mark attempts to keep Jesus’ identity as Messiah and the Son of God a secret. This so-called “Markan mystery” is about the hidden Son, who commanded his followers to keep silent about his identity. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus' identity is recognized in the ancient island city of Tyre, not on a mountain as in Matthew's Gospel. For Mark, the Messiah’s appearing means the beginning of the restoration of Paradise. Perhaps the evangelist was thinking of this passage from Ezekiel 28 – “Son of Man, raise a lament over the king of Tyre and say to him: Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and flawless beauty. You were in Eden, in the Garden of God; every precious stone was your adornment... and gold beautifully wrought for you, mined for you, prepared the day you were created."</p>The theme of the hidden is expressed in the Seder. The three matzahs are enveloped and the middle one is broken and hidden from the others. It is found after a search and returned to its natural group. The three matzahs are called the Unity, but we might as appropriately refer to the unity as Three in One, or a Trinity.<div><br /></div><div>Clement
of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.) believed that the writers of scripture practiced a
"prophetic and venerable system of concealment." He explained:
"For many reasons the scriptures conceal their meaning; primarily, with
the aim of making us diligent and unresting in our study of the words of
salvation and, secondly, because it is not in the province of all men to
examine their meaning, lest they should receive hurt through a mistaken
interpretation.” (<i>Clement of Alexandria</i> by R.B. Tollinton. 1914. Volume II, p.
302.)</div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The
curious seek to know. They investigate what is veiled. The Creator invites us
to draw closer to the mysteries hidden in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:26;
Ephesians 3:6). The pattern of <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2010/04/sons-and-son.html"><span style="color: #990000;">hidden sons</span></a> in Scripture points to Jesus Christ,
the Son hidden in the Father's bosom from before the ages. He inherits the
kingdom that is not of this world and of his kingdom there will be no end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>5. The disciples had not yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit to illumine them and to give them the courage to proclaim the Gospel.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related reading: <a href="http://edwardlundwall.blogspot.com/2014/12/looking-for-true-god.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Looking for the True God?</span></a>; <a href="https://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2016/07/finding-jesus-and-knowing-jesus.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Finding Jesus and Knowing Jesus</span></a>; <a href="http://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2013/10/who-is-jesus.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Who is Jesus?</span></a>; <a href="https://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/01/holy-one-hidden-and-revealed.html"><span style="color: #990000;">The Holy One Hidden and Revealed</span></a></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-16329196957148133142022-12-22T08:51:00.003-07:002022-12-22T08:51:29.756-07:00For Unto Us a Son is Given<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS2yFyio4vxwIM49aDtPRUSjsm2vtD9BsCGMiywZlvbE8WdZ4j1q_Yn4eksZcOK-k7USiHqnQyFRwAlC6xz_1PdqYaBapBoMVX8FhaXLqHIc9EdNvS-rUtU27I_wMOkfefbmjEDr9YDhKwftdA29GVqrRIljtpRNa2Q8zXPTriVDQYAwYdRtZyYTI/s753/naxos%20nativity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="753" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS2yFyio4vxwIM49aDtPRUSjsm2vtD9BsCGMiywZlvbE8WdZ4j1q_Yn4eksZcOK-k7USiHqnQyFRwAlC6xz_1PdqYaBapBoMVX8FhaXLqHIc9EdNvS-rUtU27I_wMOkfefbmjEDr9YDhKwftdA29GVqrRIljtpRNa2Q8zXPTriVDQYAwYdRtZyYTI/w409-h313/naxos%20nativity.png" width="409" /></a></div><p>This early Nativity scene dates to about 390 AD and was found on the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2019-10-16/ty-article/.premium/early-humans-reached-island-200-000-years-ago-changing-theory-of-spread-from-africa/0000017f-e247-d75c-a7ff-fecf61250000">Island of Naxos</a> in the South Aegean. The capital city of Naxos is Hora.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;">ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005616436737765366.post-37131884047414225302022-11-04T13:25:00.001-07:002022-11-04T13:25:21.342-07:00How Do You React to Adverse Circumstances?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_37rWMmSbnDyiynXPnZ7u-SfiKnh4RhP5gqzclIJoZDyJoUop2CeRMlTO6oPsB8Osd6cPDPE23vhiENejbsAJOSAwUMxr4IdRS-Q-OT7yd_o2sU0eGgPfP2_cOzb68DEO0yFVTLO1EF2vDK7G_9Y_zhFh_pXVM64py0dQJps2qMQ0946kYpvBxW4L/s225/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_37rWMmSbnDyiynXPnZ7u-SfiKnh4RhP5gqzclIJoZDyJoUop2CeRMlTO6oPsB8Osd6cPDPE23vhiENejbsAJOSAwUMxr4IdRS-Q-OT7yd_o2sU0eGgPfP2_cOzb68DEO0yFVTLO1EF2vDK7G_9Y_zhFh_pXVM64py0dQJps2qMQ0946kYpvBxW4L/w285-h255/download.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Edward F. Lundwall Jr.<div><br />Some call being uncomfortably cold an intolerable circumstance, while others stand up to threatening situations. Some curse the adverse situation, and even God, yet others pray and trust God. I have observed both as an Army chaplain and a church pastor.</div><div><br />My brother-in-law saw the liberation of the Philippines Islands in WWII. He had been buried alive in a tunnel collapsed by enemy fire. His response was to commit himself to the Lord's service. He entered the Christian ministry.</div><div><br />Through prayer, the Lord saved my life by causing the enemy to destroy its own assault force. In reasoning with God, I got peace when I prayed that if I could glorify Him more by living than by dying that He would deliver me and our unit. Again, in desperate life-or-death circumstances, my former executive officer committed himself to God. He trusted Christ as his Savior and as a church pastor he has taught God’s Word for decades.</div><div><br />Critical circumstances are opportunities to trust God and receive blessings in one's spiritual life. The Apostle Paul wrote: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2–4).</div><div><br />However, for those who resist God’s dealing with them and refuse to let adverse circumstances be a door to spiritual life and salvation, adverse circumstances often bring sickness, death, and eternal loss. “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:1– 2).</div><div><br />While our battalion was on location near Tay Nin, Viet Nam, the monsoon rains soaked us. One man came back with his buddies to the battalion fire support base, after a night on an ambush cite, chilled to the bone. I met him trying to get warm beside a fire in a sump, a bomb crater. Several other men were there, then Charlie Company commander sent another man and ordered us away because he said that sump fires can be dangerous. It was known that some lazy soldiers would throw mortar and artillery left over explosive charges in with the trash instead of burning them by safe procedures. I obeyed and walked away, but others stayed. After I had walked halfway across the fire support base, a huge blast erupted from the sump fire. I rushed back and found several men killed and wounded.</div><div><br />One particular man was laying on the side of the sump, both legs broken looking like a rag doll; his left arm was worse, with bones exposed, even so he was still conscious. I bent down and asked him if I could pray for him. He almost sat up and emphatically said: “NO!” I learned later that he had been taught that Protestant clergy were not to be trusted.<br /><br />Later, one of his friends told me that just before he went to the sump fire, the man had railed at God for not stopping "this silly old rain and this silly old war!” Four days later, after both legs and his left arm were amputated, he died. He should have sought the Lord, for: “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6). For “. . . the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man . . .” (Genesis 6:3a).</div><div><br /> <br /><i>Edward Lundwall Jr. is a retired Army Chaplain, endorsed by the GARBC, who first served as a home missionary with FBHM and then served as Chaplain 1967–1973. He now is a freelance writer. His books deal especially on Discipleship and the Local Church.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Alice C. Linsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13069827354696169270noreply@blogger.com0