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Tag: #COVID

  • Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement || Distanced from Friends

    Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement || Distanced from Friends

    Security

    Story of a man awakened

    I’d like to continue from what I told you last time. You need to know what happened after a rude awakening from my dream of when my wife and I were in Eden walking with God as if HE Who Created All was my friend!

    You know of course that I awoke to this day and not a time before Abraham and you may have heard or read my story, but I wanted to tell you how I felt at the time.

    A Knock at the Door

    We lay intertwined embraced in warmth flowing from fingertips to toe. Our paradise shattered as I awoke to a loud knock on the door…

    “David! . . . Lend me three loaves!”

    Who is this at this late hour, I thought? Then as I recognized my neighbor’s outcry at our door,

    “Shaul, is that you?” I inquired.

    “Of course it’s me. Who else would it be at this hour?” my neighbor responded as he continued,

    “A friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.”

    We had just fallen asleep and I retorted,

    “Do not bother me. As you can plainly see the door has already been shut and we are all in bed.”

    “Come on, David, I have nothing to eat for my friends who have just arrived,” he replied.

    “I cannot get up and give you anything,” I again said even though my wife and I were awake by now.

    Shaul again began shamelessly knocking at our door as my wife looked toward me with that look.

    “Alright, my friend,” I shouted over his knocks as I headed to the door.

    “I will give you your bread.”

    A Parable of Separation

    You know this story.

    Perhaps the characters are purely fictional as in most parables; but like many of Jesus’ parables, He probably retold it in many places to different crowds in various ways.

    • Can you identify with the family behind locked doors in the darkness, separated from friends and seeking peace?
    • Or perhaps you can imagine that you are the friend of Shaul, who has traveled a day’s journey and arrived unexpectedly late.

    Your good friend didn’t even know that you were coming to him in person. And all of you were overjoyed for this personal reunion!

    Friends — no longer separated by distance.

    AND your friend is even willing to go to his friend and neighbor for something to eat while rejoined in communion with each other.

    Picture Paradise when Heaven’s Door | of Separation | is Opened

    I have just illustrated Jesus’ parable with names of appropriate symbolism as the Lord occasionally does. [i.e. Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham]

    שאול
    Shaul

    Shaul means, “borrowed.” http://blb.sc/000vVY

    “Lend me three loaves,” he begs his beloved friend.

    stone wall "city of David" in Hebrew and English

    דָּוִד

    David

    David means, “friend” or “beloved.” http://blb.sc/001ccS

    “This is my beloved and this is my friend,
    O daughters of Jerusalem.” – Song 5:26b NASB

    and behold, a voice out of the heavens said,

    “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

    says the LORD, the God of Israel – Gospel of Matthew 3:17

    The Gospel of Luke 11:

    It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…

    We know it as:

    The Lord’s Prayer

    Jesus’ Disciples were already isolated ‘in a certain place.’

    No show here for church friends

    or ritualized rote of memorized obligation.

    Father, hallowed be Your name.

    Your kingdom come.

    Give us each day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our sins…

    Gospel of Luke 11:2b-4a NASB

    Christ’s application in an isolated place

    Jesus, of course, is talking about prayer – petitions of a sinful man to a Father God | separated from man | by holiness.

    Here is a man alone secure in his home praying – spirit to Spirit.

    Perhaps he does dream of Paradise | personal relationship with the Lord God | as it was in the beginning.

    Jesus invites His followers to a place | separated and distanced from others in this world.

    The call to prayer is to the Father of His beloved children.

    a friend at the door | to a Friend inside

    I’ve told you this parable from a perspective of the FRIEND INSIDE.

    The Lord Jesus speaks to each SINNER as a friend knocking | adam knocking repeatedly on the DOOR | of Heaven through prayer.

    Jesus says of the FRIEND inside who I have just described in this parable:

    8 I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

    • You and I are Shaul, the borrower of bread.
    • Our Heavenly Father is David | our beloved friend with the bread of Heaven, which He now has given to us after having answered a knock at His door.

    It is His story I have just told!

    Our beloved Heavenly Father and Friend invites you to share the Bread that came down from Heaven – the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus Who IS the Son and | Door to eternal life.

    Jesus answers disciples asking about prayer with a parable of the Father | who once again desires the Personal Face-to-face fellowship of Eden.

    “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;

    seek, and you will find;

    knock, and it will be opened to you.

    For everyone who asks receives,

    and the one who seeks finds,

    and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.

    The Good News of Luke 11:9-10 NASB | Jesus on prayer to the Father

    NEXT: A look at Social Distancing of the Church in a 1st century world of violent upheaval.

    To be continued...
  • Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement of Social Distancing

    Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement of Social Distancing

    Security

    We lay intertwined embraced in warmth flowing from fingertips to toe. Our paradise shattered as I awoke to a loud knock on the door…

    We will return to my reaction to this awakening later, but for now we must leave the security of our dreams to a new reality of this prison of our solitary confinement.

    Separation

    COVID – 19 – – & other causes

    What happened to the security of our past?

    WHY a ‘new normal?’

    (It’s not really normal, is it?)

    We often feel like the man in prison wondering how he got there and missing his freedom of being with others.

    Look into the soul of the one locked up – – – in a prison away from everyone — even in solitary confinement — to keep him safe — from other prisoners – – – to keep others – – safe from his own threatening condition.

    This new reality is not like when we were back home in paradise – – home – – – with those who loved us – – – not like when our security became LIFE – – | | | – behind these confining bars – – | | | with a window looking out – – to a world virtually separated | | | from my lone soul…

    We MUST get back HOME – – – – – – – for this is not our home.

    Then the LORD God said,

    “It is not good for ‘adam to be alone..

    Bereishit (Genesis) 2:18 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָֽאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶֽעֱשֶׂהּ־לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃

    Sin & Trespass

    We all know what happened – – – – – –

    “Has God really said...? – – –

    ..you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” – – –

    The TREE was desirable to the eyes, | | | but it was the one place the LORD GOD commanded adam not to go.

    Cursed is the ground because of you;
    With hard labor you shall eat from it
    All the days of your life.
    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
    By the sweat of your face
    You shall eat bread,
    Until you return to the ground,

    Because from it you were taken;

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

    For you are dust – – – – – -,

    And to dust you shall return.”

    Bereishit (Genesis) 3:19

    So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden,

    and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

    Genesis 3:24 NASB

    “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

    Jesus, Son of the Father, the Son of ‘adam – The Good News of John 14:

    SOLITARY CONFINEMENT in the world outside the Good Garden – – – an eternal place to which the Son of ‘adam invites those banished and condemned to DEATH . . . to return to the Lord our God and Savior.

    Separated from walking in Personal relationship with THE LORD GOD . . .

    Therefore we pray:

    .. and forgive us our sins,

    as we have forgiven those who sin against us…

    And don’t let us yield to temptation,
    but rescue us from the evil one.

    Matthew 6:12-13 NLT

    Our paradise shattered!

    Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    For I am lonely and afflicted.

    Psalm 25:16

    We will return to my dream shattered by awakening from sleep when we continue Loneliness in the Solitary Confinement..

    To be continued...
  • A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box?

    A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box?

    Happy Holidays

    NO, I’m not taking a trip to relatives or friends and setting Scripture aside for a time. (And it has nothing to do with #socialdistancing.)

    In my previous holiday post, COVID – The Sĭn’ch WHO Stole Thanksgiving, I suggested that we make too much of certain holidays.

    Although the American tradition of Thanksgiving begins with a storyline of faith,

    WE THE PEOPLE have strayed far from the faith of our fathers.

    Pilgrims & Puritans

    It’s worth mentioning again at Christmas, with its varied denominational, traditional and secular celebrations:

    All of us are pilgrims journeying from place to place on the troubled seas of this world.

    The religious founding of various Colonies created challenges from the very first, but pilgrims found freedoms of worship in America agreed upon by men of differing faiths.

    • 13 Colonies Religions
    • The Mayflower Compact

    Men of faith will continue to disagree with each other, but faithless men will never agree with any who worship Christ Jesus.

    Roger Harned

    Jesus (He was the baby in the story about to be frequently retold) rebuked His fellow Jews who constantly disagreed with each other on many interpretations of the Law of Moses.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

    The Good News of Matthew 23:23

    Christian pilgrims will worship the Lord in ways which differ, regardless of the holiday.

    I wonder what Jesus might have to say about our Christmas ‘traditions’ in America, in this ‘one nation, under God?’

    Puritans and Christmas

    Puritans and many more orthodox believers become ostracized by a culture which resists rule by law and rebuke for sin.

    Yet as warning against our own severity with cultures we do not understand, remember the rebuke of the Lord Jesus against those who judge outsiders.

    A Puritan Christmas

    A 21st century pilgrimage back into the turbulence of 17th century America will challenge our own lethargic drifting away from Scripture as witnessed by Puritans and others.

    Briefly, I would like to share a couple of points from an excellent look back (linked above), BY ANDREAS KÖSTENBERGER.

    • In 1642, the article notes, “the Puritan-led English parliament asked citizens not to celebrate Christmas in any way, other than private respectful prayer.”
    • The anti-Christmas laws remained in effect until 1660 when the monarchy was restored, yet it took almost another 300 years before Christmas became a full national holiday in Scotland in 1958.

    No Miracle on 34th St

    in 2020..

    OR at Macy’s or at Shillato’s.

    (due to COVID)

    Think of the disappointment of all the little boys and all the little girls

    who believe that Christmas is all about Santa Claus.

    Pictured: 1956 Rochelle Baverman 
(a Jewish girl, like the virgin Mary) photo with Santa in Cincinnati, Ohio 
- The Nativity Crèche (pictured for this post) became one of her traditions later as a Messianic Jew.

    Christmas of the Gospels

    Many a preacher either struggles or delights to return in December to the all-too-familiar passages of Scripture (now recited by Linus & other children for the joy of all parents).

    Maybe some us heard the true meaning of Christmas from A Charlie Brown Christmas. -talkofJesus.com – https://talkofjesus.com/?s=christmas

    The church continues to tell the story of a Virgin birth of a baby Jesus in a manger, with a secular ‘Once upon a time’ message targeting children, as the Puritans once feared.

    When we present Christmas as a gift to children, do we perhaps upstage God’s purpose of sending His Only Son Jesus to the Cross?

    The Puritans thought more of the Cross than of the Manger. (And there are other issues of Roman idolatry here.)

    Are you still a child in your understanding of Christ?

    Is Christmas the way we traditionally celebrate with our families, truly the Good News of the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners like us?

    Christ is Born (Good News edition)

    I will just briefly address the Christmas nativity narrative here, for our purpose is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ by each writer of the four Gospels — the Good News of Christmas, the Good News of Jesus’ Crucifixion and especially the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection.

    Matthew

    1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 

    You may read the rest of the Nativity story in the link above.

    Luke

    Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

    Luke 2:1-2 NASB
    The Ara Pacis Augustae

    Recall that we have just discussed Caesar Augustus from later in the Gospel of John.

    1st century Rome – an awkward embrace of RELIGION & politics

    Our children’s Christmas pageants may not convey that Rome is in charge of Judea, a subject kingdom of Syria’s Roman Governor, Quirinius.

    We may not even have sensed how the Herod’s had lost power with Rome or noted that Quirinius’ successor was not appointed by Caesar, leaving Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea (with no governor of all Syria).

    Other detail of Luke’s Gospel will resound familiar detail of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.

    Once again, what you do not hear from Linus you may read in the link from the Gospel of Luke above.

    Mark

    The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

    Mark 1:1

    Note that I have not taken the Gospels in order. This is due to the Nativity detail given by Matthew and Luke not being mentioned by Mark or John.

    As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
    “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,
    WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;

    THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,
    ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,
    MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’”

    The Gospel of Mark 1:1-3 NASB

    Note that Mark points to the Prophet Isaiah as well as a prophesied messenger, John the Baptist. Mark’s Gospel begins with the baptism of Jesus by John (as it is written) and receiving the Holy Spirit of the LORD God His Father!

    Luke records this as well after reporting from witnesses of Jesus’ birth.

    John:

    I began this year of our Lord, 2020, with John’s Gospel.

    talkofJesus.com Again Jesus said, "Follow Me."
    Jesus Said:

    John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

    We have followed Jesus through Scripture, primarily from the Gospel of John, little knowing in January what darkness of this past year would bring to a world far-distanced from Christ.

    How did John approach the birth of Jesus?

    The Apostle reflected that which was before every event of the Nativity!

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    He was in the beginning with God.

    All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

    John 1:1-3 NASB

    The Apostle John records what he has already witnessed of Jesus, the Christ of the Jews and Savior of the world:

    Jesus IS the Creator, the LORD GOD!

    HE WAS, before HIS own birth as Emmanuel, God With Us.

    John has witnessed through Jesus Christ the fullness of the LORD’s glory, including Jesus’ resurrection and when the Apostle records this witness:

    Yeshua said to them,

    “Most assuredly, I tell you, before Avraham came into existence, I AM.”

    John 8:58 HNV

    John testifies that Jesus tells us this unscaleable truth to creatures of His making, which all men and women are:

    “I and the Father are one.”

    John 10:30

    His place of birth, His mother, His lineage, His story told at Christmas — ALL pale by comparison to His Existence before the beginning — the Genesis of Adam and Creation to which Moses testifies.

    When will we emerge from the darkness?

    The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. – Genesis 1:2 NASB

    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

    I will say to the LORD,

    “My refuge and my fortress,
    My God, in whom I trust!”

    You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
    Or of the arrow that flies by day;

    Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

    “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

    I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

    Excerpts from Psalm 91 NASB

    Shall we take Jesus out of the box of Christmas?

    • continuous media updates by media
    • two men in discussion behind this building is closes sign in a large church
      19 March AD2020 Churches ordered closed
    • Christmas – HUMBUG!
    • 2020? I stole that too, BOO HOO, BOO HOO.
    • I just want to have a perfect gift this Christmas.
    • unpacked nativity set boxes
      a Covid Christmas

    What does CHRISTMAS mean to YOU?

    manger with shadow of cross falling across

    We can not have Jesus born in a manger without the shadow of the CROSS.

    Will we leave Jesus in the grave?

    As we have painstakingly walked with John in this year of our Lord, 2020, we have tarried during the long week of the Passover of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

    It is finished.. + Death’s witnesses

    two Roman soldiers standing by fire at night by Jesus' tomb

    A Day of the silence of the Passover Lamb

    The Light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness did not comprehend it.

    John 1:5

    “I have come as Light into the world,

    so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness…

    I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

    “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him;

    the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

    The promise of Jesus – John 12:46-48 excerpt NASB
    Roman soldier spears the body of Jesus on the cross

    “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

    John 2:19

    But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

    John 19:

    40 They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.

    41 There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

    two Roman soldiers standing by fire at night by Jesus' tomb
    To be continued...

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