The World's Peace and God's True Peace--by Linden Malki

"Peace" at its best is a gift of God.  Unfortunately, there are many people in today's world that believe that peace is for wimps, that it is impossible, it would be boring, that there are too many people out there that are out for whatever they think they are "owed".  In fact, the attitude of entitlement is one of the least peaceful ways to live.  Ironically, often those who think that they deserve everything they think they want,  put out the least effort and expect the most from everyone else. 

Historically, peace is less common than war, ambition, revenge,  greed, the idea that we know better than anybody how the world should be run.  Often what looks like "peace" is enforced by those who have subjected everybody under their control to submission, with people living in unexpressed fear or barely repressed anger.  Those in power usually think that they are answerable to no one, or in some cases, serving a false god. 

The God we serve offers Peace--but not always what we expect. Jesus taught about peace, when He was living in a culture that was under the power of the greatest empire of its day, and a local religious and political establishment  who were  on a tightrope between the power of Rome and their own ambition.  He wanted us to understand that the world's idea of "peace" was not God's plan, because it so often was just a layer of talk over a reality of political power.

Included in His final words to His disciples was " Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  (John 14:27)  This is our calling: to learn from Him what real Peace is; that we learn from Him how to look at life from His point of view and be willing to put aside whatever does not match His teachings and His values. 

For Love of Money--by Linden Malki

Money has been part of human social and political interaction since about 3000BC, in Mesopotamia.  We find it in the earliest Old Testament stories, as already an accepted part of trade and politics. And it was already being mentioned as a way of developing dominance of one kingdom or society over another--as Joseph used the market for  grain that had been stored against the predicted famine to acquire not only the livestock of Egypt but also money from not only the Egyptians but their neighbors as well.  Coins, as distinctive and specified units of money made from gold, silver and copper, appear in the very early Roman republic, around 650BC. The acquisition and holding "money" has been a preoccupation of most members of human societies  ever since.  The Roman Empire at its beginning in 44BC already a well developed "modern" economy based on standardized coinage. We also notice that there was also a range of poverty and wealth based on family influence and status. We also notice that it was not unknown for high-status families to have disabled or elderly members who were ignored.                     

We know the story--Jesus and his followers were at the Temple in Jerusalem, watching the parade of the most wealthy and snooty making a show out of the "generosity" in their offerings. He also notices a widow, dressed modestly or possibly threadbare, unobtrusively dropping two of the smallest possible coins into the offering box. He quietly mentions to his disciples that her offering, although minimal in the eyes of the world, was actually the most prized in the eyes of God, as it was everything she had and she was willing to offer it to God.  He had also made a public statement that the richest and most apparently pious of the religious had a tradition of claiming that what ought to have been used to take of their older relatives were classed as "dedicated to the Temple", and therefore retained in their custody.   In general, Jesus was scathing in his teaching about the grasping attitudes of the rich about money in contrast to those who were generous.



This reminds us of the story of Elijah, who met a woman during a famine that had only flour and oil for one last meal for her son and herself. Elijah asked her to make him one as well, and told her that God would see that the flour and oil would feed the three of them until the famine was over.  We see similar contrasts between the story of the rich young man, who refused to sell his wealth to follow Jesus, and the "Good Samaritan" who put out his own money to pay the expenses of the Jewish victim of theft and beating on the Jericho road.  Over and over we read of those who destroy themselves by their selfish attitude and greed, and those who generously give to others and even God. We read of Judas,who criticized the use of the expensive oil to anoint Jesus before His crucifixion, being concerned about the cost of the oil (and the possibility that he could skim some of it for himself). We live in a world with a inordinate attitude about money and how to get it, when Jesus' attitude was what it could do for God's people in our generous hands.

The Source of Strength--by Linden Malki

One of the first things we as followers of God need to realize that we, as human beings, created by God, are less strong than God Himself.  This would appear to be obvious, but we don't necessarily live as if we do understand this.  Many people do not believe this; most don't want to believe that they are not as strong as they think they are--as this would mean that they would have to recognize their own shortcomings.  Recognizing our own limitations is the first step to acquire the strength that we need to know that we need.  Dealing with people who think they can do whatever they want is scary.  This is part of the first mistake that our ancestors made: thinking that they could get away with whatever seemed to be a good idea at the time.

One of the first thing we notice about the inevitable problems that arise in life is that they do arise. This usually means ignoring the debris that piles up behind you.  One common answer is to blame someone else--or everybody else.  Another is to go charging ahead convinced that it will all work out in the end. We may find out that the baggage we allow to pile up despite evidence (and advice) is clogging up what we need to take care of.  It often leads us into places we shouldn't go, often with people who are not good influences.  One victim of this situation is often the most important: truth.  If what we are doing is based on false information, it means trouble. It may not seem like it at the time, but sooner or later it will crash down upon us, and often bring down others with us.  We are seeing a political situation not only in our own country, but that is spreading to other countries and causing immense amounts of pain. Over the last century or two we have seen too many radical political disasters, based on ambition, power politics, revenge, greed, as well as stupidity.

The basic cause of this situation, both as individuals and society, is not understanding that God is stronger and smarter than we are.  He allows us to make total fools (or worse) of ourselves if we insist. If we are willing to accept the challenge of opening our hearts, souls, and brains to the power and truth of God, He will give us not only the words but often a demonstration of His power to clean up our messes and put us on the right track. It does mean humility and maybe a "thorn in the flesh" to keep us patient.  He can do amazing things; even occasionally small things as reminders that He is in control.  If we allow Him full rein in our lives, it will not always be easy, but always possible even when it appears to be totally impossible.  He may close doors that we want to go through; but they often open other places and things that we never could have guessed or expected. 

Real Fathers in the Real World--by Linden Malki

                         
"Fathers" are not fashionable in some parts of our culture; partly because our experience of fathers is not always healthy.  Once when I was looking for a Fathers' Day  Bible story, I realized that the number of  healthy fathers with good children described in Scripture is very small. We see more examples of failed fathers than not, and it is probably because human fathers are just that: human beings, with the limitations that implies. What should we expect from our fathers?  I was fortunate to have a good, godly father, not perfect but close enough. We had neighbors who were alcoholic fathers, abusive fathers, absent fathers, and my mom used to encourage the neighbor kids to play in our yard because she didn't trust some of the other parents. The contrast between human fathers and our Heavenly Father is almost enough to wonder why God chose that identity. Human beings were given a lot of freedom; we are capable of great evil, and also of great good. The best of human fathers use the "father" image of God as a pattern for their lives and their responsibility for their families and their communities.

Fathers are supposed to be strong, good examples of the appropriate authority in their communities. This can get out of hand with fathers who don't recognize that they are responsible as well for respect, and gentleness as well as strength, and knowing how to use their strength for helpfulness and appropriate authority rather than ego and inappropriate power. The best fathers realize that they are servants of God and answerable for their attitudes and how they use their authority.  Unfortunately, we live in a culture that includes the increasing belief that fathers are unnecessary and/or dangerous. In some cases, it leads to families without fathers available, and women without respect for men; and to boys and men without a sense of responsbility for anyone, including themselves. This also can lead to a disrespect or rejection of the idea of God, who is seen as either powerless or evil--or nonexistent. There are even political groups with the avowed intention of eliminating the family; although it was tried by early communist societies and was abandoned as unworkable.

The Biblical ideal is for men who recognize their need for a relationship with God that recognizes the primacy of God in human society, and learning from this relationship to have a Biblical relationship with their families and society. It is interesting that the New Testament advice describes this as husbands who love their families, and wives who respect their husbands. I have seen commentaries who point out that husbands who love their families will not mistreat them, and wives who are loved will not be afraid to respect their husbands. Scripturally and historically, families who put God in His proper place in their lives will find that putting God first will normally allow the rest of the relationships to work properly.

God Created One Family--by Linden Malki

Most creatures on this planet live in families. No living creature--including us--can survive without some sort of relationship; without it we will die alone. It is family that builds generations, where relationships enrich our lives and insure the survival of our kind. We see God watching Adam and proclaims that "It is not good for man to be alone", and God created every living thing to live in some sort of relationship with an appropriate companion.

We read of God calling a man named Abram to be the "Father of a nation" that ideally will have God as the ultimate Father, with Abram as the human counterpart in of His plan. What makes it interesting--as well as scary--is that we are all created to be God's children, but we are also each different in some ways, but also are each able, if we pay attention to our Creator, to relate to each other. Basically, whether we like it or not, we are all members of one family, and we can, if we follow the rules, live together and build a society. We have often not done a good job of this. Too often we have paid too much attention to our superficial differences and not enough to our common humanity.

We tend to pay too much attention to ourselves and are not willing to learn from God and other people. (I cannot forget my husband's favorite description of conversation at its best: "If I know this, and you know that--think how much we both know!" That was one of the  reasons we were able to live together and work together for 41 years, despite having grown up half a world apart.)

The NIV Bible uses the word "Father" (describing both God and our human fathers) 1103 times. It is a word that always implies a relationship, and one that is part of a hierarchy. God is the not only an authority figure, but one that implies a two-way relationship. When it is used in reference to a human father, again there is both an implication of authority but also a very close relationship with at least two other people: at some point, in order to be a father, there has to be a mother and a child. The human relationships we see in Scripture go the full scale from loving and caring for his family to being a total failure, which has the bad side of not doing what is required for the family to thrive. Very often a man who fails as a father also fails at anything else he is responsible for, be it a king or a servant. Some of the major disasters in the history of the Israel and Judah are traceable to men who do not live up to God's intention for them, which not only hurts them but also the other people who depend on him. When we can't get along with the others around us, whether they are our families or our neighbors or our enemies, we have failed in the task God created us for--not only during our own lifetime but in our influence on everybody who depends on us. We can create incredible havoc by not understanding our responsibility as creatures intended for good but allowed to mess up when we try to do it ourselves. 

Only God Knows What's Next by Linden Malki

Historically, we have been very fortunate in the past decade or so, to the point that it is hard for many of us to accept the dangers we see all around us. Danger has been a part of human society as long as we have existed, but we have not had so many of them staring us in the face recently. They are not as serious as many of the plagues and wars and invasions and famines that our ancestors have lived with over most of our history, but we have gotten spoiled. We are dealing with a virus that we still don't know as much as we need to know, and a quarantine that has cost jobs, connections with people, and in many cases, mental health. Add to that the police situation in Minneapolis that has triggered demonstrations and major damage to cities that have cost many people their homes and/or businesses.

Jesus had troubles enough with those who did not understand or believe in His teachings, but He did give answers. It almost sounds too easy--if we turn over the stumbling blocks we keep tripping over to Him, they can be removed or transformed. The one that is especially serious at this historical moment is the barriers between people that Paul mentions to the Ephesians, but it is one that can be answered with humility, peace, patience, and love (and all the other graces we are promised--we need them all!)

One of the most difficult situations many people are facing is ultimate reality--whatever comes across our path sooner or later, we will always face generational change--none of us are going to stay here forever. We may fade out peacefully, or unexpectedly; we may have warnings or not, we may be young or old or anything in between. There has been a recent opportunity for our church family and other friends and relatives to share a memorial service for a young man who grew up in the Calvary/Northpoint/Sandals family,who was in an accident recently. It was a privilege for many of us to share Aaron Ensman's life and support his family as they deal with his loss; and to meet or reconnect with other people who also cared for Aaron and his family.

The Mind of Christ--by Linden Malki

Let the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus--even though He was God, He laid it aside and took the mind of man, humbling Himself.   We are not God, even though we are tempted at times to think we are.  How we think, and what we think, is one of the most important things we do.  What we think controls how we act, how we talk, and how we react to the world around us. When we don't think, we get into trouble. When we put aside thought for the indulgence of "feeling", we usually don't realize that feelings can take us places we may regret. I'm not saying that feelings may not be good, but we need to be aware of what they are and where they lead.

Our thinking can be under our conscious control,  or it can become unconstrained, to where we overestimate our own abilities and blame everything that doesn't work the way we want on everybody else. We are human, and limited by human flaws. If we are not aware of this, or don't want to believe it, we can cause incredible havoc in our wake.  Science at its best is a triumph of the capabilites of human thought, but if it is not constantly examined and checked, we can be led down paths that turn out to be misleading, wrong, or possibly dangerous. It is easy for us to think that if something looks good at the beginning, it will continue to work the way we expect--not noticing that there are unintended consequences that change the expected results. And very often those who think they know everything don't realize how much they don't know--we cannot keep track of everything and everybody, and the more we try the more we get tangled up in other people's assumptions of knowledge. 

Jesus teaches us to examine our hearts, our lives, and our relationships. He is the checkpoint, the One who knows what the results will lead when we can't see them. We need to remember that "Your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths." (Proverbs 5:21, NIV)  Our paths are often not His paths, and our paths usually have more to do with our own assumptions and wants than reality. God is reality, and we can only be truly sure of actual reality when we are in touch with Him.

 

Looking for Goals in Life--by Linden Malki

One of the bits of advice that adults often offer children and students is that they need to have goals in their lives. Some kids have demanding goals that they work for singlemindedly, some see something that looks or sounds interesting, some have ambitions that are unrealistic, some are pushed by parents or other adults to fulfill their own goals, some haven't the foggiest idea. Some--not too many, I suspect,  pray for God's guidance.

The whole idea of goals is probably more common in western countries; children in the Middle East and eastwards, have traditionally no choice of their future. In most cases, you are born with your state in life and very few break out of it, probably more so with the modern information culture.  Some years ago, I spent a summer in Jordan, that included spending time with a missionary cousin who was head of a hospital up in northern Jordan near the Syrian border. He got a call from the hospital during dinner, as the doctor on duty needed help; he had been pushed into medical school by his local family when he had really hoped to become an artist.

 We don't often realize that God has goals for us as well. He will let us know, if we listen, what it is
that God is calling us to. Sometimes we realize, when we have what we thought we wanted, that we need to back out and listen. Sometimes what we thought was the right track blows up in our faces. What we usually need to do, but hesitate a bit is to stop and ask God what gifts He gave us and what he wants us to do with them.  When I was in high school, I was into science and interested in the space program, then just building up. I started college as a physics major, started with a year of basic physics and calculus. I realized before the end of the year that it would cost of all my time, and I really didn't want to do lab reports until 2am any more. I was lucky, because I was also well into the math, which became my major.My first decision for the next year was to take as much as I could of what really interested me, with the idea that I would have background in whatever I was led to in the next three years. What eventually happened is that I had an the opportunity to spend a summer in the Middle East and meet the man I married. He had an auto repair shop, and I had a background in physics, chemistry, history, library cataloging, turned out to be the best background I could have had. I am convinced that God knew what I could learn to do well, and put me in a place to do it--a place that also gave our kids opportunities to find their goals as well.

Taking Time to Remember--by Linden Malki

   

"Foursquare and seven years ago our Forefathers brought forth a new nation."  At one time, schoolchildren were encouraged to memorize this speech, which was originally given at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

 At that time, the war that created the need for the cemetery, was still in progress.  One thing that was unique in American history about this war, was that it was going between American and American, and one of the underlying concepts was a speech by the same speaker, Abraham Lincoln, two years before he became President: but was already a guiding principle in his political life: a quotation from the Gospel, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

 There were several issues going on behind the stress that threatened the unity of a country that was different than any other nation; they included slavery and its possible spread; trade policies, and old-fashioned power struggles. We all know who won, and the price paid by Lincoln himself, and that there are still some of the same issues still haunting us. But one thing that came out of this war was the growth of a tradition, originally something that became a habit with the families of those who had also lost their lives in this war.  It was on a variety of days originally, usually on an annual basis, but once a year the families would go to cemeteries, especially military ones, and bring flowers and other decorations to honor their fathers, and brothers, and later grandfathers, who had fallen in the "War Between the States." The first official celebration,  put together by a Union general was held in Waterloo, New York, on May 30. In 1868, it moved to  Arlington National Cemetery. There have always been local celebrations on various days as well. It was expanded to include the World War I, and then all war dead before and after. It was originally called "Decoration Day" until  it was officially called Memorial Day and moved to the fourth Monday in May.

Wars have always been part of human society; we seem to have a tendency to solve problems the messy way. There have been political movements to "outlaw war", but the universal tendency of people to be stubborn, greedy, and generally difficult to get along has been a problem. Even the Bible describes wars, most of which were caused by quarrels, rivalries, idolatry, and the same things we still see today, and the tough choices are usually situations where people are causing trouble which cannot be tolerated. We know that if everyone were to follow the commands of God, the love of God, and appreciate the blessings of God, we could live in peace--which will happen when God takes control of situations that we have not dealt with well.

God-Designed Families--by Linden Malki

Last week, I was reading Genesis 1 & 2, preparing the Bible readings for Mothers' Day--and immediately noticed something I had read before, but never realized how important is is.  Genesis 1:27 says that "male and female He created them." We know that this doesn't only apply to human beings--almost every life form larger than microscopic is created male and female; plants as well as animals; insects, sea creatures, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals.  In most cases, there is what is called "dimorphism", which means that the male and female versions are structually different. And notice that it is always 2 versions of the creature; there is nothing random about it. When you look at mammals, the biological variance between the male and female versions is affects most of the adults; and still they are recognizably the same species. There is no way that this is the result of random mutations! The other thing that we see in these creatures is that they were designed to be a couple--"one flesh".  They become  a family, committed to each other and their children.    When they made the choice to be their own bosses, they took on a responsibility that is not easy; of their first two sons, one was a murderer.

There are several ways we differ from all other creatures: we can talk, and we can think and design and build. We are created with the ability to do worse than we can imagine. We can also do better than we can imagine. (This happens when we allow God to give us the wisdom and strength to do our best.)  We see this happening in Scripture; most of the families have internal rivalries and resentments. (Actually, most of the issues between siblings is related to rivalries. ) There are any number of stories of family disharmony in Scripture and very few healthy ones. There are also a number of women mentioned; some are good and some aren't. My favorites are Deborah, who served as a judge in the days before the monarchy, and who led an army into battle when the men wouldn't;  Hulda, called a "prophetess" in the late days of the Judean monarchy, was the person consulted by King Josiah when early manuscripts,  which had gotten hidden or lost during a time when pagan gods were popular, reappeared in the Temple and were brought to the King; and Priscilla, who, with her husband Aquila, were very knowledgeable about the early church doctrine and on several occasions taught new converts the truth about Jesus and his church.

As parents, we have a responsibility to raise our children to understand good and evil, and in knowledge of God.  Our precious children are entrusted to us for a fairly short time, and then they are responsible for acting as they were taught--deliberately or unknowingly.

The Price of Power--by Linden Malki

When Joshua was giving instructions to the Israelites who were getting ready to finally enter the Promised Land, this is what he told them: " Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” (Joshua 1:8-9 Msg)  Jesus, 1500 years later but very close to the same area,  was dealing with a similar concept: Satan had just made Jesus a proposition. Satan would give Jesus rulership of the whole world--the condition being that Jesus would recognize Satan's authority over all the peoples of the world. Jesus' answer:  "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” (Luke 4:8 Msg) I found it interesting that Jesus (whose Hebrew name was actually "Joshua") was committed to the same instructions as His predecessor had given.
We've been thinking and reading the last few weeks about what the most important things in our lives need to be to follow these instructions. I tried to picture what the world would have looked like if Jesus had taken Satan up on his offer of political power. The first thought was that if Jesus had actually had total political power, He could have made everybody follow Him and life would have been perfect. On second thought, living a good life without any options would have been lazy and sloppy.  Then I realized that the real trap in this offer would that Satan would still have had ultimate power, with the nice guy as the figurehead.  Could have been like Chicago or New York, run by politicians who are tools of the Mafia, with the harbor full of uncooperative guys wearing cement shoes. We actually can imagine this; we know a little bit about how ugly the underside of a society without character and morals can be. 

Being ready isn't difficult on paper: Read the Word, think about it, do what it says. God supplies the strength and courage better than we can.  Open our eyes to the alternative: a world run by evil. If we don't understand what evil can do, that's our fault. The bottom line is: who's the expert on the power of the dark side, and Who has the power to keep us in the Light?  I am reminded of what I think is the most important line of an old familiar Christmas carol: "And fit us for Heaven, to live with Thee there!"

We are not on the planning level with God! by Linden Malki

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel spoke of  End Times,  generally in terms of a takeover of the Land of Israel by God or someone sent by God.  This goes back to the Exodus, when the "Children of Israel", descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who was renamed "Israel" when he struggled with God after having to leave his childhood home.  Jacob/Israel was the father of 12 sons, who went to Egypt during a famine and settled there.  400 years later, those descendants of Israel had become enslaved by the Egyptians, and they escaped and returned to their original homeland through the intervention of God through an Israelite named Moses.  1500 years later,the surviving  Judeans were constantly expecting direct rule by God Himself to happen at any time, and there were no shortage of candidates for this revolution. 

When Jesus appeared,  there were those who attempted to make Him a King and expected the heavenly army to show up and re-establish the Kingdom of God.  He explained that he could not stay on earth and was taken back into Heaven--but said that he would return and there would be a new world established under the direct rule of God. However, what did happen is that He did maintain a spiritual relationship with anyone who accepted the terms of this relationship, which developed into what we know as the Church.

The original church was looking for a return within their lives, but it didn't happen. He told them it wouldn't, that nobody knew, but there are still those who claim to know what God didn't tell us. One of those times was the coming of a year designated as 1000AD, complicated by varying calendars. There was  a Jewish rabbi of the 1600's who claimed to be the prophet of the Messiah (the Jewish version) who gained a large following, was eventually jailed by the Ottoman authorities in Constantinople, and was offered the options of execution or Islam--and lived the rest of his life in the Ottoman court.

There have been several major church organizations founded on preachers who claimed to be the messengers of the Last Days. One was the Seventh-Day Adventists, whose founder was convinced that the second coming was due in 1844.  Another was the Mormons, who believe we live in the last days, and the Jehovah's Witnesses originally expected the end to be in 1914, and still emphasize a coming end.  Another interesting suggestion was a reading of an ancient Mayan calendar, which was being interpreted to say that it ended in December, 2012.

We still don't know any more than the disciples who lived with him and saw his ascension into Heaven--and we are still supposed to live every day like it could be tomorrow.

Death is Not the End!--by Linden Malki

The obvious miracle of the Resurrection is that Jesus died, and in three days reappeared as a living man. The idea of the resurrection of the dead is not new; there are three examples in the Old Testament, four in the Gospels, and two in Acts. However, each of the others was done through the intermediation of a follower of God (except for the mention in Matthew 27:51-53 of bodies in Jerusalem tombs raised by the power of God at the time of Jesus' death).  The three instances of Jesus' raising the dead was pity on mourning families, with the addition of the raising of Lazarus being a demonstration of His power over death. There is also the appearance of Jesus to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. There are two instances of resurrections in the very early days of the Church, one by Paul and one by Peter.

It is also significant that the idea of resurrection through a prophet of God happened three times in the Old Testament; one associated with Elijah, and two with his successor Elisha. Both of these prophets lived in the 9th Century BC, after the separation of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, ruled by the dynasty of David and Solomon, and the Northern Kingdom of Israel, ruled at this time by Ahab.  He was the son of Omri, who had been a general in a period of conflicting claimants and emerged as a strong ruler.  Ahab's wife Jezebel was a princess from Phoenicia and a strong follower of the pagan "god" Baal. Elijah was the most famous of the Israelite prophets, and went head-to-head with the priests of Baal at a dramatic challenge on Mt Carmel, where he showed the power of God and destroyed the pagan priests. He is also remembered for raising the dead son of a widow, whose meager supply of wheat and oil fed them through a three-year drought. He also is remembered for having been carried to Heaven in a chariot of fire.

The most dramatic appearance of Elijah in the Gospels is what we call the Transfiguration, where Elijah and Moses are seen with Jesus on a mountaintop. (Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9), Elijah is a fascinating character because of the strength he showed during his lifetime against pagan worship(and also his depression after that battle), and the way he was taken by God, which is an example of the life beyond this earth, and the possibility of his return.

 Elisha also had a long ministry under several Northern kings, also revived the dead son of one of his supporters. After his own death and burial, a body of an Israelite happened to be dropped during a Moabite raid into Elisha's tomb, and came back to life.

Because of the fact that Elijah did not die but was taken to Heaven (which had only happened once before: Enoch, in Genesis 5), there were many later prophecies of his return. One of them is Malachi 4:5, and another is Luke 1:17 which quotes the Malachi prophecy. During the ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus, there were questions of one or the other one possibly being Elijah; even during the crucifixion, the bystanders thought He was calling for Elijah (Matthew 27:47-49).  Even today, traditional Jewish Passover observances leave an empty chair for Elijah, if he were to come. 

I Kings 17:17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.  Genesis 5:23-24

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. Heb 11:5

The Best News Ever Told--by Linden Malki

One of the things that always impresses me about the Bible is that the people are real--we know people just like most of the characters. Not just goody-goody ones that one might expect, but wondering people, and hurting people, and people who mess their lives up, and people who don't know what they are doing or why. One of the interesting collection of people we read about in Scripture are the ones that we read about at this time of year. These are people that had a truly one of a kind experience--many different kinds but all reacting to one major event in the history of our world.

It starts with a death of a friend of Jesus and his friends; a man named Lazarus. When he got sick, his sisters reacted with what would seem, up till then, an unusual expectation. They knew that they knew someone who could save his life--in that day, this would not be a usual expectation, But they knew Someone who had been saving lives in their area, and if He would only come, Lazarus would be healed. Jesus had gotten the message that Lazarus was seriously ill, but to everyone's amazement, Jesus didn't show much concern. When Jesus finally showed up, Lazarus had been dead for four days. To everyone's total surprise, Jesus demonstrated something they didn't expect--He healed him even from this; and explained to the sisters that He had the power over life and death. Everybody else got the message: the local authorities, the Sadducees and Pharisees and all the other religious/political big shots, that this was something out of everyone's experience and could not be tolerated. They had finely balanced political arrangements with the rulers in Rome that they would see that nothing would upset. It was already getting dicey, because there were political factions who were determined to provide that upset. The establishment leaders cooked up a proposition: it would be expedient for the most visible rabble-rouser to die.

We know the story--the authorities manipulated the crowds to turn their unrest onto Jesus, and He allowed it to happen. There were those who expected legions of angels to rescue Him and eliminate the Romans, but they didn't. He was arrested and executed and buried, and--He didn't stay dead. This was hard for the people, even his followers, to understand; there have always been those who still think it's fake news. Even His follower Thomas didn't believe it at first, and demanded proof--which to his credit, he recognized the truth as soon as he saw it.

It started with the small group of followers, and then larger groups, and then the impassioned preaching of His followers who "turned the world upside down", for which we are-- literally--eternally grateful.

Remembering The Greatest Day in History--by Linden Malki

On the third day after Jesus was crucified, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Jesus, came to prepare the body for its final burial. Mary is crying, and all she can say is "This has got to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Mary Magdalene coming up behind her, exclaims "I'm wondering how are we going do move that enormous stone!" Mary shakes her head. "You know very well that the stone is not what I'm talking about; I would never have believed these last three days. I don't what to think. But then I never have understood. From the beginning. From the angels to the prophecies; old Simeon at the Temple once told me that a sword would pierce my soul. I thought of that when that spear... Just a week ago they were calling him the Messiah; a few days later they were a bloodthirsty mob."

Mary Magdalene, asks "But how could they do it? He never hurt anybody in his life!"  "Well, not anyone who had even the faintest idea what he was talking about. But look! What happened to the stone?" replies Mary. "And Who is THAT?"  Mary Magdalene, not sure what she is seeing: "Who are you, and what have they done with Jesus?" Whoever has just appeared, replies, "Why are you looking for a living man among the dead? He is not here; he has risen, as he said. Go and tell his disciples!" As a totally astonished Mary backs out toward the gate, "Yes, we need them ..." as she runs out of the garden.

Mary Magdalene lags behind, looks into the tomb, and begins to cry. The being in white sitting on the stone asks her, "Why are you crying?"  Mary Magdalene, blubbering and sniffing, can only say "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid him." She hears someone else behind her who asks "Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" All she can say is "Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where, and I will go and get his body."

And then she recognizes Him, as He calls out "Mary!" She falls at his feet, and reaches out for Him. He steps back, and answers "Don't touch me; but go to my brothers, my disciples, and tell them that I am alive." She looks around, looks back at the empty tomb, and runs away.

Jesus tells us "You, also, go tell what you know about me, what you have experienced with me. And I am with you, to the end of the age."

Special: Palm Sunday from the "Living Word" series @Calvary Baptist

MK 11:1-11    THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY         DRAFT III  03/22/98

SETTING: Courtyard of the Temple
CHARACTERS: Peter, Pharisee, Scribe, onlookers?

PETER: It had been a really long day.  Jesus and his entourage arrived at Jerusalem and went up to the Temple, but this was not your usual pilgrimage.
(Moves downstage R)

PHARISEE enters L, followed by SCRIBE (who is holding a palm frond and looks nervous). (Moves around, Looks around, picks up mike, moves to L/Center): WILL someone please tell me just WHAT has been going on around here!
SCRIBE (picks up mike, moves toward Pharisee): Well, there were these all these people in the road coming up the hill.  All I could hear was "Hosanna!" and something that sounded like  "Kingdom of David".
PHARISEE (Looks around, spots Peter): I ... wonder... You there! (Gestures to Peter) Come here!
PETER (Goes toward Pharisee, bows slightly): Yessir?
PHARISEE: You hang around with this Jesus fellow; I know I've seen you. Did he have anything to do with this..this riot today?
PETER: I didn't see anything like a riot, but yes, he was here.
SCRIBE: Yes, that was him! He was riding on this little donkey, and ...
PHARISEE (interrupting): What is that? (Points to palm branch)
SCRIBE: This? (waves palm branch) Oh, this! Like I said, I was trying to find out what was going on, and somebody stuck it in my hand.
PHARISEE (To Peter): Please, start at the beginning. What is going ON here?
PETER: All I know is that he sent a couple of us to get this colt--the guy was expecting us. As soon as he started to ride toward the city, somebody started the Hosannas, and the chant about the Kingdom of David. Jesus didn't say anything at all--honest!
PHARISEE (To Peter): Yeah, sure, uh-huh. You do realize, don't you, you can't take on Rome with a few children armed with nothing more than palms. It takes money--political action committees--maybe buy a few Senators. Three years this man has been talking about a Kingdom, and here he is--coming into Jerusalem--the Holy City itself--like some sort of conquering king. If he is who he says he is, there ought to be legions of angels, as well.
SCRIBE(Looks around): Where is he now? 
PETER (Puzzled): Gone home
SCRIBE: I don't believe it. He had that whole crowd in the palm of his hand--they would have done anything he asked. And what does he do? He goes HOME! Blows the whole thing!
PETER: What else? Even you should know by now that whatever he means by "kingdom" is not about power and influence.
PHARISEE: Well, you'd better keep whatever power and influence you have with him to keep him under wraps before he gets into REAL trouble! Let's go..(Exits L, followed by SCRIBE, who has dropped his palm branch.)
PETER picks up branch, looks at it wonderingly, carries it off R.

@ Cal

Using our Good Sense--by Linden Malki

 
       

As the corona virus spreads, one side-effect is the realization that the recommendations to avoid public gatherings means that traditional church and community activities are possible sources of transmission of the virus.  In fact, there is a case up in the Pacific Northwest (where I have family) of a musical group that had held a rehearsal just before the crackdown on meetings, that has discovered that several members of the group now the virus, with the possibility of more. Most churches have concluded that traditional services are unwise under these conditions, and fortunately most churches in the country do have internet capability.  However, there are instances of churches, mainly in the southeastern part of the country, who believe that God requires public worship and will protect participants from illness.  Thinking, studying, and praying about the situation, the answer I was led to was that of Jesus, when being tested by Satan. He was told that He could throw himself off of the corner parapet of the Temple roof, and angels would catch Him and prevent Him from being harmed--thus providing a demonstration of His power. Jesus' reply: It is written: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test".  (Luke 3:12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.) The conclusion I have is that God will not do things that are not appropriate,  even when they appear at first to be good, because we are not created for God to save us from obvious and unnecessary stupidity.  Most of the Bible writings are about NOT being stupid and getting ourselves into bad situations!

When we know that there is a possibility of transferring a serious infectious disease, we should take the responsibility to avoid it whenever possible. God is not a magic genie that allows us to walk directly into danger without looking and without consequences.  (One of the distinct answers I once got from God was "I gave you a brain, use it!") God allows opportunities for us to use our best judgment--and hopefully learn things in the process; this is part of His growing us into capable and intelligent people. Just as children grow up stronger when they learn to deal with tough breaks, we need to keep growing and learning and facing new situations as long as we are on this challenging world.

  Yes, I have encountered a few people who think it's a big hoax to turn us all into puppets of some sort of conspiracy, but the odds of having as so many people experience it directly and separately makes that highly unlikely. I read a report today that says that California and Washington experiences fewer cases of illness and death than New York and some of the other Eastern states because we have been required to be more careful, stay home more, maintain safe space, and  take it more seriously. Yes, God could just zap all the viruses, but we wouldn't learn as much nor appreciate each other as much. God is willing to take care of us when we're beyond the end of our ropes, but not when we're not doing our part.

Recognizing Wisdom--by Linden Malki

The world has always had those who recognize wisdom, and those who don't. It started with the very beginning; the first advice we have on record involves a tree, a man, and God. Wisdom often includes warnings: this one did. One problem is that not every source of advise is wise, and one reason is that advice can be biased in favor of only one side of the conversation. Eve--and Adam--made an unwise choice, and we are all faced with the problem of recognizing wisdom and folly when it presents itself to us.

The primary source of wisdom is God; there are occasions where He does speak directly to people. Not everyone believes or recognizes this, but there are records and descriptions that, to the best of our knowledge, indicate that it has happened, and the results are consistent with the message. For example, Abraham and Moses lives and legacies are consistent with their experiences of God's communication with them.

Another source of wisdom is information taught by people who have a track record of giving good advice.  One thing that goes along with this is recognition of bad advice when it is offered.  This usually requires some previous information; your own experience or that of others, that you can compare with new the information, and judge whether it is confirmed by your own experience or sources you trust, or not. We are flooded with information, and need to know how to evaluate it; recognizing that what we hear varies widely in truth or not.

The whole question of wisdom is related to trust: how do we know who and what to trust? Do we know how to cross-reference information, to learn to observe the world around us to see how it works, and think logically? Do we know how to look ahead and estimate the results of things we are asked to do or believe? Do we know how to see things not just black/white, but to know the conditions when they might actually be different?  For example, I grew up in snow country, and had to learn how do deal with varying road conditions. When we lived up in Devore, I was driving home one night and when I turned onto a road going toward the mountain, it was covered in snow. I was interested to see that my brain noticeably and automatically clicked onto "snow", and knew how to change my driving procedure. We need to be aware of what we know, what we think, how to recognize reality, and to know that we don't know everything--but we do know Who does!









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Nothing New about Crisis--by Linden Malki

History has always been a record of crisis. We don’t realize how fortunate we’ve been; most of the recent outbreaks we’ve had have been limited to a smaller subculture and didn’t impinge on everybody, and settled down to being “under the radar.” The medical advances of the last few decades have made it seem too easy. A few generations ago it was common for every family to go through all of their kids having measles, mumps, chicken pox, maybe even rheumatic fever or scarlet fever. I can recall having such a heavy rash that my face was one giant dark-red measle, and spent about three weeks in bed with the lights low (visual damage was one of the possible side effects. My older daughter had all five variations of measles at one time or another; I recall the doctor calling one of them “fifth disease” because they gave up naming them. There was even a song that our Sunday School kids sang for Christmas programs called “Santa, I Hope You’ve Had Measles”. And the rate of lasting side effects was significant.

The last major epidemic disease scare in the US was polio, which was curtailed by the Salk vaccine in 1954. I recall the summers when parks and pools were closed. The worst year was 1949, with 2720 deaths and over 42,000 cases reported. Some of us still recall family members or friends who were affected; one of my father’s sisters was on crutches and braces for most of her life.

Some of the major epidemics and plagues in the Bible include cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, typhoid, typhus and measles. After the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, it was associated with an outbreak of bubonic plague there, and was returned with small sculptures of mice and boils. The Assyrian army that besieged Jerusalem was destroyed by a plague carried by mice. I found references in the Gospels of 18 specific incidents (mentioned in one or more Gospels) of dramatic healings by Jesus, in addition to mentions of more mentioned without specific detail. We can see here what the people of that culture lived with, and that Jesus has the power to heal.  And we still see occasions of healings that are beyond medical knowledge, even today. For whatever reason, God has allowed disease and disabilities since the earliest histories we have, and has shown His power over them as well. . It could be that we need imperfections to keep us balanced as a society; crisis brings out both good and evil in us. (This is one of those questions for the day that we hope all will be explained.)

Best of Friends by Linden Malki

"Friends" are one of the reminders that God created us for relationships. Everything--even microscopic creatures of all kinds reproduce and share their DNA in some way. Most plants require another plant to pollinate, and even ones that self-pollinate reproduce. Animals of all kinds reproduce with some sort of connection with another creature of the same or related species, most of which are families in some sense. The most complex relationships are those of the most complex creation--us. Where we usually see God at work is that family relationships are not merely biological, but have a major emotional connection as well; ideally good; but some are dysfuntional, often ones with no relationship or unhealthy relationships with God. 

But this is not the only kind of relationship we have, and it is one we don't realize the power and importance involved.   We not only have families, but we have friends; people with whom we have no biological relationship. Some of  the earliest Biblical mentions of God's relationship with special people were those like Noah, Abraham and Jacob, that God used to develop His relationship with humanity.  Often our closest friends are those with whom we share faith and a relationship with God. We can work together on God's tasks, and we can help each other when bad things happen, even to good people.  These truly are "brothers and sisters" in God's kingdom.

The other side of this coin is that, being human, we may fail our friends, and sometimes this is serious enough to cause not only pain in what used to be a close friendship, but may spread to others who find themselves being dragged into a mess not of their making. Some of the most painful situations involve dishonesty, slander, injury, betrayal, jealousy, ambition, anger, sabotage--we all have our own list.  What is really upsetting and sad is when a church is damaged by serious sin, from the inside, outside, or both. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes not. Sometimes we can help calm the storm; I once had two neighbors who were having affairs with each others' siblings, and I was one of the few people who was on minimal speaking terms with both the injured parties--and was able to squelch a nasty, exaggerated rumor. Once in awhile we get to do something good in this sort of situation: as Jesus said, Blessed are the Peacemakers!

Getting out of Life what we put into it with Love--by Linden Malki

         

God, You created us with the ability to make what we need out of what You provided, but also with the knowledge to do it according to Your design. We can make it right, or we can make it badly. You create us as babies, and give us to parents to love, teach, and take care of.  We have the capacity to learn,but not always in the same way. This world was created to use all of the different talents and abilities that we are provided, but we need to put our efforts and talents to work. We need to provide the teaching and opportunities for our children to learn and make use of the talents each is given.  We also need to use the teaching of others to give our kids the best shot at learning and working.

I was given an opportunity to see this in action this week.  My four kids grew up working; we had a business, and they spent time helping and learning . My older daughter could check in a shipment when she was six, and ran my office when she was in high school. We moved the store several years ago, and she found some tax form copies that she had filled out and filed when she was fourteen. She has a degree in finance, and is an accountant with as much work as she can do, still doing my accounting and taxes (and occasionally mentions things still does the way I taught her).

When my younger son was sixteen, he went up the street to an art supply store, and talked them into hiring him. At the beginning, he commented that selling a tube of paint was similar to selling spark plugs, which he already knew how to do. He worked there for the rest of high school, and when he was in college, he worked for a similar store near the Chapman University campus. He has gone on to writing, film, an online comic strip, several books, and other creative things. The other day, one of the people from the local art store came by my store to give us a flier advertising a closing sale, as the current owner has serious health issues, and asked me to pass the word to my son David. He came out to see them yesterday, and mentioned that there were things he had learned there that he still uses often. It is a reminder that "work" is more than drudgery; it should involve learning skills that we can use for the rest of our lives, starting from the beginning.  We need to understand that work skills are part of the legacy that we pass on to our own children, and others that we have the opportunity to work with.

The Family Circle by Linden Malki

"God so loved the world that He gave His Son..." 
This is one of the most recognized verses in Scripture, and it says a surprising amount when we really look at it.  First, God didn't just put a world together and walk away. There is something He did that is foundational to our world: He loves it, which indicates that He loves us. The love of a Father is one of the most basic, and yet one of the most difficult things for us to deal with. What do we actually know about Him?  That He is One God, and He wants to have a special relationship with us. We are not allowed to make any representation of Him; we are to be very careful as to what we do in His Name, and we owe Him a day of worship and attention. 

He has given us something else: we are to live in families; with fathers and mothers who are to be honored. We are brought into this world by parents, who at best are representatives of God. Parenting is not easy; we are all separate indivuals but have characteristics and obligations that make each family similar but separate. The love within a family is supposed to be based on the Love of God, but every family is both alike and different. Parents are responsible for their children, but children are also supposed to honor their parents.  Parents are only given their children for part of their lives, and they are to teach them who God is and what their responsibility to Him really is.

It can be tempting to let our lives rotate around the our children, and don't allow any "bad things" to get in the way. We live in a world that isn't all sweetness and light, and if we look at how God deals with us, we realize that we learn how to deal with tough stuff the hard way. God provides challenges, the world has its own share of tests, and we are supposed to grow up and know what to do  when life throws curve balls. I spent an amazing summer at one point in my life learning that when St Paul tells the Romans that "all things work together for good" doesn't say anything about what those "things" really are, and finally recognized that some of those things weren't necessarily about me, but there were good reasons for the way things finally worked out. In the Gospels, we see Peter try to walk on water, but sank when he took his eyes off of Jesus.  Jesus allowed Peter to get into some tough spots, because he needed to learn to deal with the stuff we're put on a complicated world to handle.

Dealing with the fireworks! by Linden Malki

Love is a great experience--except when it isn't. I've seen the excitement of the butterflies in the tummy--even had it happen once in awhile. I've had a couple of good friends who didn't understand that there is more to "love" than floating around a few inches off the ground, and when the butterflies die off you think it's over and you can walk away. Or even lose interest when somebody you've been watching from a distance shows an interest--and that takes all the fun out of it. One of my friends who had a habit of losing interest began to stalk one guy who she had dumped--after he got a new girlfriend. The thing to learn about "eros" is that you don't learn what you need to know unless you learn what's actually happening.  Yes, there are times when you can fall hard for someone who turns out to be a good match, and you recognize that the excitement always wears off--usually in six months to a year--but if you have kept your eyes open, made a point of praying for the wisdom you need, know what you want and don't want, there's a good chance that it will grow into a blessed and lasting relationship.   

All the different kinds of love have things in common--one is that they require something from us. Healthy families, healthy friendships, and even a healthy relationship with God require effort, watchfulness, an understanding of what a good relationship involves. If we always put ourselves first, this usually doesn't work well. Being a doormat doesn't work well either; it can become a distraction that makes it easy to miss out on things we really should be doing, and it doesn't usually help others either.  Again, applying good sense to a situation helps; recognizing when you are asking too much or too little from someone; interfering with their best interest, making a pest of yourself with other people (or even God).

Another thing that can be tough to wrap our minds around is the footnote to the commandments to love--that we need to have a proper understanding of how we fit into this. It can be easy to get into the habit of ignoring or belittling our own needs, or also to not clearly understand what we are responsible for, and what we are not. I've had instances of answers to prayer tell me to stop fussing and let God deal with it (and the person who triggered the problem eventually unsnarled it); I've been told to use the brain I was given to deal with an issue, and I've been told that I was worrying about the wrong thing and to concentrate on what I was actually called and expected to do. Love should be an important part of our relationships and our walk with God; and His teaching and His Word are the best ways to make it the best part of our lives.

Are We Listening? by Linden Malki

When God created the universe, and the world, He said that it was Good. When He created man, He put the man in a garden to take care of it, and He told the man that he could eat anything except the fruit of one tree: the one that was in the center of the Garden.  The man heard the instruction from God, and it gave him a choice, the choice to obey. We know what happened: they listened, but they made the choice to disobey.

We live with this choice: we can listen or not; and we make choices. God has always given us His words, and they come with the option of obedience. When mankind made too many bad choices, God told one man, one man that He knew would listen, and told him how to deal with the consequences that were coming. When God was ready to start over, He spoke to Noah and again, gave Noah instructions, and gave him the option of listening and obeying.  Again, some people listened, and some of them took God seriously and some did not. We have enough instructions, we don't need any more words, we know what God offers, and we know that it comes down to a choice.

Abraham listened; Jacob listened, Moses listened.  They knew what God wanted; and they offered their families the choices.  Sometimes people listened; sometimes they obeyed. God spoke through prophets; He spoke through events and consequences. Some people listened; some actually learned what God wanted of us. Two thousand years after Abraham, the records were there. People who listened, or read what had already been said, knew what God wanted them to hear. 

And then God spoke again; this time directly through a part of Himself. Most of what Jesus said wasn't new; it had been said before.  Jesus spoke, more people listened; this time what God was saying was spread throughout the world. We have no excuse: we have the recorded words God gave people over the centuries readily available. We have the privilege of being able to ask and to listen to Him personally; we just in many cases need to stop talking and listen. It's available; we don't need new words. We have witnesses, we have events, we have what we need. We just need to listen!

Unintended Consequences--by Linden Malki

The last picture we see of Lot is him fleeing into the mountains east of the Dead Sea Valley, thinking that the whole world is ending. His wife, about whom we know nothing, made the fatal mistake of looking back at an onrushing cloud of fire, brimstone, and toxic salts  and becoming herself a  

           

 geological specimen. Their daughters are convinced that they are  the last people left in the world, and decide to repopulate the planet themselves by seducing their father, whom they made drunk. They did accomplish part of their project; they each had a son who each became the founder of a tribe of people who lasted about 1500 years and caused their neighbors continuous trouble. They were both pagan tribes, who were at various times enemies, rivals and allies of Israel, and became part of the Assyrian empire in the 700BC's,until the Babylonians and Persians absorbed everybody.                                            

Moab was just east of the Dead Sea, in the hills and plains that the Israelites had to go through as they came back during the Exodus. The Moabites were terrified of the Isrealites who were migrating through their territory, and sent their women out to seduce the Israelites and involve them in their pagan worship. Later, we find Moab becoming a refuge for Israelites fleeing a famine at the time of Ruth, the Moabite ancestress of King David. He also sent his parents to Moab during the time that King Saul was threatening his life. 

The Ammonites were the next kingdom to the north, on the east side of the Jordan River, centered on the central part of what is now the Kingdom of Jordan--whose capital is the city of Amman, still on the site of the ancient capital  Rabbath-Ammon. This is where King  David's armies were fighting at the time of the Bathsheba incident; and they as well were involved in the invasions from the East that eventually ended the separate existence of most of the kingdoms of the Old Testament period. The memories of these kingdoms, who were both political rivals and religious threats, are found all the way through the prophetic books. It is sobering to realize that these tribes were the descendents of two panicked teenage girls, who grew up in a wicked, pagan city with apparently no real knowledge of God, who had their own answer to the destruction of their home--and whose legacy helped shape that whole part of the world. 

God Still Calls some of His people to new places! by Linden Malki

Reading about the call of God to Abraham's family made me aware that I have seen that happen in my own family. My grandmother's uncle, father, and another uncle and their families were banished from Sweden for preaching outside of the state church, and came to America over 150 years ago. My dad's father was kicked out by his father for joining one of the underground Baptist churches in Sweden, and came to Minnesota, married my grandmother and moved to the Seattle area.  My dad was offered a job promotion to move to Spokane, met my mom at church, and that's where I grew up. 

And then it happened to me. I had finished college, was turned down for a graduate fellowship I had applied for.  My dad's missionary brother was retiring from a Christian college in Taiwan, was planning to come home the long way around and spending some time in the Middle East with a missionary son and then going on to Sweden.  He invited Dad and I to join them in Beirut and travel with them through the Holy Land and then on to Sweden. Dad was retired, I was at loose ends, my mom had died five years earlier.

Dad and I took a Dutch freighter to Beirut, and on that boat was a Lebanese man with his mom, who was taking him back to the "old country" to find a wife. He had been living in California for about eight years at the time. His family was historic Christian; his father had grown up in a missionary school in Turkey, and he had a missionary brother who knew my missionary cousin in Lebanon. My aunt and uncle went on to Sweden, while Dad and I stayed in Beirut; dad's health was failing and he passed away that summer. I wound up getting married there. (Yes, Dad was happy about it, he told the family that he'd never met a man that he thought would take better care of me.) We spent the rest of the summer there, including more time in Jordan, which then included Jerusalem and the West Bank. When we came back to San Bernardino where John had been living, I discovered that the associate pastor of the church John was already attending had been the pastor of the church in Spokane I had grown up in, was one of Dad's best friends, had gone to college with Dad's sister, and had introduced my parents. God pulled a lot of strings to get me here, with a new family, a new church, and a business that was just what I actually could do well. God moved my great-grandparents from Sweden to Minnesota; my grandparents to Seattle, my parents to Spokane,  and then me to San Bernardino and a new life.

We Need Each Other! by Linden Malki

God, creating living creatures, from the smallest single-cell creature to human beings, made them to multiply—to become colonies or organisms or herds or families, and communities, tribes and nations. In the early days of God reaching out to mankind, we see Him encouraging the people to learn from Him how best to live together in harmony. Our history is a continuing saga of people gathering and warring, cooperating and attacking, loving, hating, and barely tolerating each other. We see this in the political world today, where people find others they can agree with and identify others that they don't trust. Even those who believe in God have their differences in what this means—some people develop their image of God in a very exclusive and specific belief, others are willing to tolerate almost everyone, and everything between. We even see God Himself in different ways, even though the one common factor is that He is unique—but even the uniqueness is defined differently.

I have had two experiences recently that illustrate our need for community. On January first, a person was found deceased in a house fire south of Winchester in Riverside County, who appears to have been my kids' cousin. The house belongs to my husband's sister, and her son had lived there and managed a weekend swap meet on Winchester Road. He was one of 35 living cousins, of whom 29 were at the memorial service last Saturday, some of whom had come from long distances to be with the family. My husband's family are from Lebanon, and there were folks there whom I hadn't seen in some years, including cousins and inlaws and extended family connections. While the occasion was unwelcome, I have learned that the opportunity to connect with relatives and friends is of great value.

The other is the Friday evening fellowship event last night. It was a good opportunity to see people that normally attend different services on Sundays, and also people who may not have ever been to a service here or anywhere. The church historically has always been called to gather in the Name of Jesus, whether in large cathedrals, underground meeting places, villages and cities from small to large, homes and storefronts and chapels, to share and teach and encourage each other in the life we have chosen.

Father Knows Best--by Linden Malki

We know the story--a rich young man comes to Jesus and asks  “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The first thing Jesus asks is that this man knows and keeps the Commandments--which he does. But when Jesus, who knows more about us than we know ourselves, tells this man that he needs to sell everything and give it to the poor, and follow Him, this man realizes that he wants his stuff more than he wants Life. It's easy to know what to do, but doing it is a whole different proposition. The world is full of people that will tell you what you should do, but the only One who truly knows what you were created to do is the Creator Himself.  In this story, we need to notice two things: it says that Jesus loved him, and He gave the young man the option of following or not. He didn't pressure him, He didn't chase after him. He let him follow his own path, even at the cost of his soul. This is one reason that the world is in the shape that is in: God respects our decisions, even at the cost of the consequences.

Our world  encourages us to want "stuff", often at the cost of the true things in life. This may be material stuff, or ego-stroking stuff, or laziness, or stuff that tastes and feels "good" at the time but leaves a bad taste or worse. We can open our eyes and look past the superficial stuff and see what the long-run results are; and it may not always be obvious. Jesus' disciples asked what they could expect from their faithfulness, and at first it looked like trouble and opposition and hardship, and persecution. Yes, Jesus tells them, you have given up much to follow Me, but rewards will be My rewards in serving in this life and the unimaginable joys of the next. And they did see it all--all but John, from what we know, died to this world, as they had offered their lives, and are remembered and appreciated for what we can learn from them.

We live in a world that sees "freedom" as meaning that we ought to be able to do whatever we "want",  but the question is what do we think we want and why?  Too many people have put themselves first, without understanding that we are not necessarily the best judge of good and evil, practical and impractical, logical and illogical, and don't look beyond today. Even "smart" people are not smart about everything, and  may not see other people's knowledge as useful. We need to learn how to evaluate what we think and what we are told; and the best judge is the One that has always offered wisdom when we sincerely ask and want true answers. It may not be easy, but it is worth it.

The Lamp for our feet. the Light for our path--by Linden Malki

We do not know what is going to happen in the next minute, much less next year., except that we don't know. One  example of the world we live in is that even the experts on weather know that their best predictions are still subject to change without notice. The Psalmist tells us that we are given light on our pathway, but not for as far ahead as we would like. We are never prepared for what lies around the next bend of the road; that's why accidents happen.  One of the biggest problems in the development of "self-driving cars" is that even the best of the current versions can't predict the difference between stationary objects and moving objects.  We are created for a world that is always changing, in a universe constantly in motion, and every day we wake up (if we wake up; even that is not guaranteed) to weather that may or may not be what was predicted, traffic that may or may not be what it was like yesterday, and things that we may or may not be prepared for and may or may not want to deal with.  Even if we are a hermit that lives in the woods we do not know what is going to facing us when we go out the door--or even might drop through the roof.

There are ways we can be somewhat prepared, but we still realize that worrying about things that may happen is usually a waste of time and energy. I recall when my kids were little, people would ask if I wasn't worried about dealing with the world they were facing, and my answer was that the only thing I really know is that whatever it is, it will be different that what I expect, so it does no good to worry. Yes, we do have to do our best in preparing for what we think we can expect, but always be ready for dealing with both the expected and unexpected.

We do have one advantage over many of the people we deal with every day: if we know God, we can be ready to expect some things that are worth looking for: we do know that He has ultimate control over what goes on, even though we don't always like it, but in the long run we are in His hands. He does take care of us in big ways and small things, and in the long run the one thing we can look forward to is an eternity in His care.

The Spreading Message--by Linden Malki

In the story of God's movements in the history of humanity, we find His moving in at least two major ways in the lives of people. We need to realize and remember that He created us, but also that He gave us the choice, beginning with the earliest records of our history, of listening and obeying His Word, or insisting on our own independence and free will. There have always been those who have listened and accepted a relationship with Him, and those who have rejected and ignored Him. He also told those who did know Him to pass on what they had learned to others outside of their immediate culture--which didn't happen effectively until the followers of Jesus were scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Our ancestors are largely descendants of those early converts and refugees.

The spread of the Good News also happened in the other direction--to the East. The earliest known records of the Christian message spreading toward Asia is a movement known as the Nestorians, followers of a Christian bishop who broke away from the main church about 500AD and who spread across Asia as far as China around 800-1000AD, and then faded away. There were Catholic missionaries by the 1500's. The first Protestant missions followed through the 1800's and 1900's until World War II.  They were just beginning to come back in the late 1940's when the Communist takeover drove them out. My father's brother and sister-in-law were among the missionaries who had gone to China in the 1920's and helped establish churches and schools. My uncle had spent part of the war as a translator for US Army intelligence, as he read and wrote Mandarin Chinese. They went back to western China in 1946, and when the Communists moved into the area and found a former US Army intelligence officer there, they imprisoned him for almost five years. A few years later they went back to Taiwan where he was the Dean of a Christian college for another five years. There were those who looked at the story of China missions and saw it as a failure, with the Communists trying to elimnate the churches of China. However, the amazing thing is that the church didn't die out; in fact, despite the church buildings being seized by the government and used for warehouses and factories, the churches went underground and met in homes and wherever they could, and grew. After Mao was gone, many of the churches were allowed to reopen and got their buildings back, and although it is still not totally approved, there are churches which have government permits to meet, and others which are still meeting without permission..  Estimates of the number of Christians in China today range from about 30 million known church members and possibly up to 67 million total, and there are predictions that China could become one of the world's largest churches in another 20-30 years--totally self-supporting.  Yes, it was worth it!