Molech Worship; We're Killing our Children!

How many Christian parents out there ( for I do not call them anything but ignorant ) place their offspring in the public, or government school system, thinking that somehow, their impressionable and immature children will not succumb to the peer-pressures of the evil that it has become, but will instead have a salvific effect on that corrupted society?

Common sense alone should tell you that, if your child's teachers tell your child one thing for 8-9 hours a day, no matter how much you try to train up that child in the way he or she should go, you're going to be fighting a losing battle and your child will most likely end up being more confused than those other children, along with whom he or she is being indoctrinated!

In most, if not all American prisons today, the inmates often lead a healthier ( physically speaking ) existence than some of those who abide by the laws of the land! A guaranteed three squares a day, a warm cot, and a free education ( if you want it ); sure, it can be dangerous, but, in some of our larger cities, isn't it just as dangerous outside the prison walls? Never mind the fact that probably at least 75% of convicts will live the rest of their lives behind bars, plaguing society with the burden that society has unwittingly and ignorantly laid upon their own backs! Sure, there are those who actually do pull off a true reform behind bars, and end up becoming productive members of society ( once again )! Some have even entered into a true and good relationship with their Heavenly Father while physically imprisoned! By the same token, it is quite possible, with God as their helper, that a young Christian could have an influence on, rather than be influenced by, the corruption that has become our society! Not likely though, and as Jesus replied to His tempter, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God'; for a Christian parent to place their child into one of these centers of indoctrination is akin to throwing him or her into a den of lions!

In today's American public schools, the education may be 'free', but is it really, especially for the Christian? Your child will learn that he or she is the only one that matters; what he or she wants or likes is what is most important! They will learn, among other things, that you can be anything you want in a 'free society' ( and I use both words very loosely ), as long as its's not a Christian, unless you keep it behind your eyes and between your ears. Even then, you'll most likely end up in some sort of trouble; either that, or end up losing your religion! Most, or many, will end up becoming so indoctrinated and brainwashed that they will end up behind the bars of a prisons, often before they have left the confines of the schoolyard! Speaking of schoolyards; how many public or government schools have you seen, or heard about that have razor wire fences raised high around their yards, whether to keep Nature out, or to keep the children in, until the whistle blows or the bell tolls? How many of these institutions of ( mediocre, at best ) learning have metal detectors that the children must walk through before they can enter? How many have bars on the windows ( for whatever reason )? How many have armed guards patrolling the hallways or standing at attention in darkened doorways? All this is quite understandable; reprehensible, but understandable. The government schools are simply a breeding ground for America's prison population!

How has America veered so far off course; where did we go wrong?

Public schools, not necessarily government schools in the beginning, started well, but because humanity is so prone to corruption, any human institution is prone to it as well! This is where the Church, or Body of Christ comes in: She is to be a transformational force in society, rather than conforming to it's image! As a body though, made up of corruptible and easily deceived men and women, the institutionalized church, rather than transforming society into the Image of the Creator of Society, has conformed so much to a corrupted society that there is almost no noticeable difference!

What may be done, you may ask, to remedy this abominable and horrific situation??

'And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.'

'You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.'

Deuteronomy 6:6 & 7 

We, as parents, especially Christian parents, are instructed to teach those children that God has entrusted to us, in the way in which they should go, the way of life! In the care of these ( government ) centers for indoctrination, they learn, more often than not, the way that leads to death; not always to physical death, but death nonetheless! We are to teach them the importance of communion in the corporate Body of Christ; the public schools teach them the importance of communion with themselves ( is that even possible?! )! We are to teach them to love God and their neighbor as themselves; there, they are taught the importance of loving yourself and being nice to those who are nice to you! We are to teach them to do unto others as we would have them to to us; there, they are taught to make a preemptive strike, doing unto others before they have a chance to do it to you!

If we, as Christian parents, would shoulder the responsibility that God has placed upon us and educate our own children, teaching them from their youth the way in which they should go. By not sacrificing them on the altar of convenience, and allowing a corrupted government school to confuse them, and likely foster their own natural corruptibility, we can break the cycle and begin to raise a new generation of God-seekers! 

There are those who have floundered through the public ( government ) school system and made it out okay, but, sad to say, most of these seek after God within the walls of some institutional church building! It  seems like a vicious circle, but it can be broken! It will be broken with the help of our beneficent and most gracious God and Father! With His help, and with the perseverance of His Saints, we will raise up a generation that knows no other God but the One, True and Living God!

May it be,
Charles Haddon Shank

The Perfection Point (for Ginger Schatz )

Is there a point at which humanity will reach physical perfection?At some point in the future, will mankind reach a sort of utopia where there is no sickness, no sighing, crying or dying? We'd all like to believe that there is such a place, and especially that we will live long enough to see it, or maybe our children or grandchildren; it's a beautiful dream, isn't it?

If we could only return to the Garden like it was in the beginning, where man had direct Communion with God everyday and everything was right, good, and as it should be!

What a minute; what about the snake, or serpent?! We can't forget either that there was a forbidden Tree in the Garden that God planted and in which He placed His good Creation! Whether you believe that he serpent was possessed by that fallen spiritual being known as 'Satan', or whether you subscribe to the Scriptural ( and shocking? ) notion that this 'serpent' was simply a man who was outside the special Covenant that God had typologically made with Adam and his descendants; the fact that God had placed this Tree in the Garden, knowing that Adam would disobey His voice and eat of it, should give us pause!

One would almost think that God planned it that way, knowing that man, in his imperfection, would carry out His Divine Will and Purpose for His Creation! Now, don't get me wrong; I'm by no means saying that because we carry out God's Will in our imperfection, that we should, as the apostle Paul was accused of preach, 'sin more, that Grace may abound'; God forbid! All I'm saying is that we should rest in the fact that though we are imperfect, at least, according to the modern usage, God works His purpose through those imperfections, for, as the apostle also wrote that His 'strength is made perfect in weakness'.

Now, as we can see, from passages like Hebrews 10:14, we have been 'perfected forever'! This definitely is not ( by any means ) to say that we, as individuals, are perfect, at least, not according to the modern usage, but as the Body of Christ, the Body which all of the writers of Scripture had in view, we ( corporately ) have been made perfect, or complete in our fullness, in Christ. Another way to say this is that we fulfill His perfection; we fill it up daily by living our lives according to God's Law of Love!

According to the modern usage of the word, we do not fulfill God's Law of Love on a daily basis, not to mention hourly, minutely, or even secondly!

In his first letter to the churches, John wrote, 'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love' ( I John 4:18 ); was he saying that if one fears, he does not love in truth, or was he saying that if one has fear, but casts it aside for the sake of love, that he has been made perfect in love? Earlier in this same passage, John wrote to his 'children', 'If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us'. It sound like, if we love God, and our neighbor ( brother ), that we have reached the 'Point of Perfection'!

Now, again, do we do it perfectly? Not at all! But, like a wise man said, 'we have been perfected in our imperfection'!

Will we ever reach the point of perfection, where we will never fail to always love perfectly, will we always be able to cast fear aside and love without fear? Its a nice dream, but human nature has proven time and time again that this is impossible! With God, however, we know that 'all things are possible', and it is only through and in Him ( Him in us ) that we have reached that 'Perfection Point'!

May we always remember John's words, for by loving God, and our neighbor as our self, we can be assured that we have been perfected in His Love, and that all fear has been cast aside!

Charles Haddon Shank

Conversations With a Bullfrog; 'Just as I Am'

Out of the blue, the other morning I received a call from my old friend and sometime nemesis, Jeremiah Bereano. 'Where have you been?', I demanded, quite rudely! There was silence on the other end for a bit, then kinda of a short, terse reply ( like I'd hurt his feelings or something )'Well, hello to you too'. I hadn't heard from him in some time, and I reminded him that he had promised to keep in better touch, but he replied ( in reminder to ME ) that it worked both ways; I coulda called him, and it had been a shorter time this time then the one before, between calls! I had to ( grudgingly ) admit that he was right on both counts, then and so, I asked quickly, 'what's up, Doc?' ( apparently, he was now Dr. Jeremiah Bereano, PhD. )

Well, it seems that my friend, in his spare time, along with the doctorate and all, had been doing some thinking. 'You know I'm single again, right, Chuck?' Well duh; I knew that he was in circumstances much like my own, and I quickly reminded him of that lamentable fact! 'Yes', I slowly and deliberately said. ( like, DUH! ) 'Well", he said, 'I've been thinking.......... 'I wonder if some of us aren't able to better serve the Kingdom of Heaven better as single people'; maybe that's what Jesus meant when He said, 'there are eunuchs who were born thus from [ their ] mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept [ it ], let him accept [ it ]'. ( Matthew 19:12 ) 'I know that you believe all Scripture has been fulfilled, and that this passage must be read in the covenant context of audience relevance, but might not this Scripture apply to us today?' 'Being the husband of one wife, and women naturally being jealous, wouldn't it make practical sense that if one were unmarried, he would have a better opportunity to minister to people, in particular, women?'

He had a point, as far as that went; not that women are the only ones naturally jealous ( men are too-and just like men, not all women are ). 'Isn't it God's Plan though, according to Scripture, that 'each man have his own wife, and......each woman.........her own husband' ( I Corinthians 7:2 ) To be fair, audience relevance and context could be argued here as well, but thankfully, my friend didn't push the issue! The immediate context, as well, of Paul's words ( 'because of sexual immorality' ) nix the whole idea that everyone should necessarily be married! Marriage obviously, on its own anyway, does not put the brakes on sexual immorality! Later on in his letter to the Corinthian Church, the apostle Paul stated that it was better if they could remain as he was, whether unmarried, divorced or widowed. ( I speculate that Paul was previously married, but that his wife divorced him when he became a Christian )

'I realize', he said, 'that some are trying to make the Bible, or Scripture, not applicable to us today, since we are not Jews and all of Scripture has been fulfilled, but I agree with you Chuck ( I about dropped dead here ) that the meaning of 'fulfilled' had a better connotation of 'filled up', rather than 'ended'!' 'Just because Jesus and Paul were speaking and writing to those first-century Jews, according to the situation ( not unlike ours today ), doesn't mean that those words hold nothing for us today!'

'Well', I replied, 'their situation was like yet unlike ours today; we are merely facing a paradigm shift, they were facing the end of all things!' 'We are dealing with the Eternal Covenant which the end of their paradigm/age ushered in; they were dealing with a paradigm shift as well, but theirs was a paradigm shift that made the people of God His New Temple, as they were meant to be!'

'Did you know that Paul used the same word in Ephesians 5:21 as he did in 5:22?' 

'What does that have to do with whether or not we can serve the Kingdom better being married or being single?!' ( My friend could be annoying sometimes, with his seemingly out-of-the-blue 'switching gears' )

'It is related', he reasoned, 'sorta'! 'If the husband is to submit to the wife as much as the wife to the husband, then that kinda blows out of the water the whole notion that men are somehow the final authority, and that the woman is the only one who needs to bow, or submit to that authority!'

'Okay, I still fail to see how that relates!'

Apparently, this is what he really wanted to talk about when he called! Therefore, it's related........because he said it did! Okay, so we were still on the subject of marriage, although a slightly different aspect..............okay, we can do this!

My friend, the PhD, soon advised me of this very fact! 'While it is true', he said, 'that God did set the man over the woman, or wife, as the head of the family; He also gave the wife just as much authority over her children, and charged them both with submission to each other!' Okay, Paul said as much in his letter to the Ephesians (5:23 ); 'For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church'. In the immediate context, though, Paul tells them that 'He is the Savior of the body'. We,as men, are certainly not a perfect picture of Christ, as the heads of our families! Nor, I think, are we meant to be; by submitting to each other, in the Lord ( as our children are to obey us in the Lord ) we submit ourselves to Christ as our True Head!

'This may be a conversation for another day', my friend remarked, before he hung up ( something about a meeting ), 'but what exactly did Jesus mean when He said that 'those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage' ( Luke 20:35 )?' 'I know that these words were primarily meant for the ears of His first-century audience, but as we are the sons of that coming age He talked about, those words are for us as well, don't you think?' 'I'm not trying to say that the institution of marriage is over and done with, but I would think that they have some meaning, as most Scripture does, beyond the first-century!'

Well, my friends, Dr. Jeremiah Bereano was right; that was a question for another day!

We both said our quick goodbyes and hung up our respective phones; back to the glorious rat-race of Kingdom Life; he to his, and me to mine!

The Rise and ( Coming ) Fall of the American Empire

I am by no means a history buff, nor am I all that knowledgeable about American history. All that I do remember though, about our history as a nation, came, not from any of the newer, and thus probably corrupted versions, but from older and likely less biased history books. Keeping in mind, of course, that it's usually the winner that gets to write the history books, we might remember that pretty much any history will probably be thus at least somewhat biased!

When America was founded, well over 200 years ago, depending on whose version of history you read, the founding fathers of this great nation, while being driven by more or less Christian principles, did not disallow for it to become an empire, much less one in direct opposition to their Creator and His Law. Even though our nation still is known in some circles as a 'Christian nation', and has, in the past anyway, vaunted itself as 'a city on a hill', 'a light to the nations', if you will; the government of this nation has been turning towards empire-building for at least three-quarters of it's existence! As far back, I believe ( and any history buff may correct me ), as the early 1800s, the beginnings of this empire-building, this Roman idea of bringing democracy or peace to the rest of the world through any means necessary, was employed by the leaders of this 'city on a hill'!

It may be argued ( and quite well, in fact ) that at least the First Barbary War was unavoidable, and in fact justifiably necessary! The Second, though delayed by the War of 1812 ( also 'necessary' ) was a much shorter and decisive one that spelled the end of any tribute payments ( heretofore made ) to the Barbary Coast States, and did much to enhance the reputation of the United States Navy as a force to be reckoned with. I trust that this information is correct, but whatever the case may be, it is without doubt that, as far as ( proclaimed ) foreign wars go, this marked the beginning of the American Empire!

As time wore on, and America waxed in her power and ability to assert that power overseas, wars became almost a matter of fact! Though most often provoked, it seemed that the reason behind these wars grew less and less, and the provocation for them, greater and greater!

Though many of these battles ( wars ) for domination were fought overseas, there were battles fought as well, within the boundaries of North America. The Mexican-American War, fought in the mid to late 1840s, was fought as an almost direct result of our expansionist policies, in other words, our possession of the Republic of Texas. Again, this war was no doubt justifiably provoked. Though this war was a direct result of our expansionist policies, and succeeded quite well in that design, it was not without controversy and even some opposition from certain elements.

The Spanish-American War of the late 1800s may have been the first example of a war that the US got themselves into because of their interventionist policies! Although this conflict lasted less than three months, with the help of native revolutionaries, a decisive end was brought to this war, which also spelled the effective dominance and even end of the Spanish Empire! Following closely on the heels of this war came the little-known ( to me anyway ) Philippine-American War. This conflict came as a result of Philippino revolutionaries vying for native control and freedom from the Americans, to whom the Spanish Empire had ceded control after their defeat.

Doubtless, many more examples of needless foreign wars, either because of our interventionist or expansionist policies ( or both ), could be enumerated here, but I hope you're beginning to get the idea! It should be clear by now that war led to war, led to war, led to war!As the new super-power of the world, America, or the U.S, soon began to view themselves as 'a light on a hill', 'making the world safe for Democracy ( at the point of the sword )', or as I like to call them, 'world police'.

America will never be destroyed from the outside.

 If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Abraham Lincoln-1838

Although I'm sure that Abraham Lincoln had high hopes that this day would not come, he uttered this prophecy in truth. It is not from any outside force, though they are and will be involved, that our destruction is coming! It is a cancer that has corrupted the heart of good intentions that is eating this nation from the inside out! The damage has been done, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and when the smoke clears and the dust settles; America will not be as she once was. It may take up to a century ( like as not, much less ), but it is physically unavoidable!

Clearly, America as a nation, or more specifically, the U.S. Incorporated, has begun to falter! Writing on the 12th anniversary of 9-11, as I am, we should be reminded that, though the impetus for these attacks ( on the surface, anyway ) came from outside our national borders, two of the greatest monuments to our financial prowess came crashing down! 12 years later, and throughout those 12 years, look where we stand! We are in the midst of an already bankrupt economy, which is seemingly being held up by false hopes and digits on a computer screen.

Without even exploring the notion that the attacks of 9-11 occurred as the result of 'an inside job', or even going in over my head and discussing ( at length ) the coming financial ruin of America ( the longer we hold it back with a false economy, the worse it will be ), suffice to say that the U.S. Inc. will not be recognizable, if even in existence, when it's all said and done!

With all the 'doom & gloom', some may ( or have already turned to ) despair, but there is Hope for America! This Hope alone is to be found in a national repentance for all the atrocities ( such a the 'murder of the innocents' ) that have been perpetuated in this nation since it's inception, and a wholesale turning in obedience to our Creator, Almighty God! If this national repentance does occur, and I believe it will, although this will necessarily spell the end of the U.S. Inc; America, through much trial and tribulation, may be ( will be ) preserved!

Amen, May it Be!
Charles Haddon Shank

The Decline of Western Civilization, Part Two

Okay, let me get this straight; we're going to bomb Syria................because Syria bombed Syria?!

Really, how much sense does that make?!

Well, if you're in the know, and in the general context of our foreign policy for the last 2oo years, give or take, it makes all the sense in the world! The rulers of the American Empire seem to think that it is their duty to 'police' the world, to make it safe for democracy. This haughty attitude has engendered many unnecessary problems in the world at large, and has been the cause of much heartache and loss of lives ( 'Bring the Boys Home' ) here in America.

Beginning as much as two centuries ago, our Founding Fathers, and certain subsequent 'rulers' started out with what seemed like a good foreign policy; America was 'a city on a hill' to all the other nations! She was ordained ( of God? ) to shine the Light of Democracy into the farthest reaches and darkest corers of the world! She was, in essence, ( up till 1948, anyway ) the New Israel, to minister the Good News of Freedom to the nations who labored under tyranny and oppression!

Fast-forward to the present-day dilemma facing the 'powers that be'; to bomb or not to bomb, to stick our metaphorical nose in even farther where it does not belong! As was hinted at earlier, this is just the next logical step for a nation that has back-pedaled from being a bright and shining ( 'a thousand points of' ) light, to being hated by many nations for our often unwanted and always intrusive foreign policy!

The blame for much of what has gone wrong with our foreign policy, along with a host of other evils, can be laid almost wholly and squarely at the feet of the Church in America! When the first 'ruler' had a notion, however good and righteous it seemed, that we should be 'policing' the world, or even intervening in the affairs of nations outside our own borders ( we have enough to deal with here ), America's preachers should have been among the first to nix the whole idea! However, as it stands now, 'a silent pulpit is a complicit pulpit', and though She bears much of the blame, and more and more preachers, praise God, are waking up to this abominable fact, She is still, to a large extent, silent and complicit!

Much of the blame, I will admit, for the frightened silence of many of America's churches, can be brought right back around and laid at the feet of her secular 'rulers, those 'powers that be', as the mistakenly term them. Because the 'rulers & authorities' which the Church in America has allowed to gain sway have departed from the principles & precepts found in Scripture, and to some extent followed by our Founding Fathers; the Church, they have, through tyrannical oppression & subterfuge, put into effect their own corrupted and perverted system of checks & balances concerning the Church Herself!

It is not too late; in fact, it's never too late! America, and even the Church in America ( thank God? ) will never be the same, but the most awesome Creator of the universe is as immutable as He is powerful! What evil man has done and will yet do can never undo or even alter the eternally infinite and perfect Plan of our Almighty Father! There WILL be consequences, no mistake about that, but we can rest assured, that with all the machinations of man, and 'the evil that men do', nothing can interfere with Almighty God's plan for His Creation!

Let us rest in this joyous fact, not cowering in the safety of our 'bunkers by the River', but bravely, fearlessly, and joyfully shining the Light of God's Love and Kingdom, as 'a city on a hill'!

Charles Haddon Shank

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

If you are at all familiar with the traditional 'Lord's Prayer', you should recognize this phrase as one of the final phrases in this prayer, and the final request. No doubt this prayer, as taught by our Lord Jesus to His disciples had more of an immediate significance to them, eschatologically speaking, but I believe that we might as easily 'voice' this prayer today.

As we struggle with temptations ( of all kinds ) daily, even though we are the New Temple of God, and bask in His Presence every day; we ought to realize that, though our conscience has been cleansed, we still deal with those who may yet live under the shackles of Law ( or so they may believe ), not to mention the fact that though we are a ( made ) new creation, the Body of Christ, and The Temple of the Holy Spirit, we are still human beings, with natural inclinations ( desires ), not altogether a bad thing!

Our prayer might better be directed toward our mothers, brothers and sisters today, for we are the Body of Christ! Physically speaking ( please don't get me wrong; I am not discounting the Spiritual ), it is to each other that we should direct our prayer, for although, as James said, it is from within that these ( evil ) desires come, if there is no object for that desire, there can be no ( evil ) desire. This is not to say that all desire is wrong ( evil ), but more often than not, desire is based on feelings ( still not altogether a bad thing ), and when those feelings change, which they most often do, at some point, and to whatever extent, the desire changes! As our desires change, our relationships often suffer, because they are ultimately based on feelings!

Feelings are not altogether a bad thing either; God gave them to us! They are one of the five physical senses that He built into us, as well as being a sort of sixth sense, spiritually speaking, which enables us, in our spirit, to know certain things which may not be ascertainable to the physical senses! If we are led by the Holy Spirit of God that is within us, our feelings should relate to us the sense that certain natural tendencies are wrong, while certain others are right and good.

Too often, and sometimes without realizing it, we tend to lead our brother, sister, father or mother into temptation, either by our words, actions or both. If we dress a certain way or act in a certain manner toward others, the other person may perceive the wrong message and act, or react rather, in a way that is not pleasing in God's sight, or in the sight of His People! Even in these situations, it is not so much the actions of the first person that are wrong, but in the reaction of the second. Even so, we should heed this injunction to the Body of Christ, and do our best not to lead our brother, sister, father or mother into temptation!

Being the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit that we are, we still have those human tendencies, which can lead us either way! This is where necessary Communion with the Body of Christ comes in; when we stay in Fellowship with the Light, it becomes easier to overcome those ( wrong ) tendencies. Not all physical tendencies are wrong ( in fact, many are good and right altogether ), and as we are strengthened by that necessary Communion, our tendencies will lead us more into the realm of Right, rather than Wrong, God, as opposed to Evil!

This is not, as I must declare always, to discount the infinitely powerful work of the Holy Spirit, but more often than not I believe, God works through His People to accomplish His Will! In all things, and in all ways, His Will, His Purpose is accomplished, and so I agree with the musical artist, Jewel; 'We are Gad's Hands'!

Charles Haddon Shank

A Living Law

'There is a Law for God's people'!

You may have heard that the Law ( yes, the so-called Mosaic Law ) was abrogated at the cross, when, as Scripture says, 'having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.......He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross' ( Colossians 2:14 ), but Jesus said, 'Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill' ( Matthew 5:17 ). The apostle Paul also wrote in another place, 'Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.' ( Romans 13:10 ) So, was the Law abrogated, put aside, and ended, or was it the Mosaic Code, or contract that passed away?

In a recent post, I pondered shortly the notion that the written code given to Moses on Mt. Sinai was a contract, rather than, as it has been traditionally ( orthodoxically ) viewed, a covenant. The Ten Commandment, as summed up by Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40, although given through Moses, and thus seen to be a part of the so-called Mosaic Law, ought more correctly to be seen as God's Law, or the Law of Love. The 613 some odd 'commandments' or stipulations given in the Mosaic ( written ) Code should be viewed simply as terms of a contract, which conditions to these terms are spelled out in Deuteronomy 28 and surrounding.

This contract, as also discussed previously, and by more learned men, might better be viewed, also in opposition to traditional orthodoxy, as a betrothal contract, or covenant. You may remember that, in a previous post on this subject, that I discussed the differences and similarities concerning contracts and covenants. A contract may be given as part of a covenant, but as a contract may involve, for instance, the building of a house, when the house has been built, the contact has been thus fulfilled and necessarily comes to an end, whereas if the contract is based in relationship, which may continue, it is seen to have simply part of a covenant. So with the Mosaic Code, or contract; as simply a part of the greater Covenant that God formed ( 'In the beginning' ) with His people, it was given as a betrothal contract of sorts, wherein God said, 'if you will keep my Law, at the consummation of the ages, I will come in to you and you will be My people ( Wife ) and I will be your God ( Husband )', and they lived happily ever after!

This Law of which we speak, better known maybe, as the Law of Love, the Law of God, may be seen to have been personified in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God! 'God is Love' is a familiar and most famous and well-known fact; the Son of God was sent, not only to fulfill ( fill up ) the Law, but to become the Fulfillment of the Law, thus God, being Love, is also, by extension, the Law Himself!

I have reasoned previously that, as any earthly father; God has given His children a set of natural laws to live by, if we are to enjoy the blessing of His Presence!

Not only do we have this natural law of sowing and reaping to think about, when we fail to keep the Law of Love as we should, there are also blessings and cursings involved. If we love our Father, and our neighbor ( brother, sister, mother ) as yourself, we reap the blessing of Joy in the Presence of God, but if we fail to love as we aught ( and we all fail at times ), we experience the ( cursed ) loss of that necessary communion with our Father, and so live a cursed existence until such time as we return to that communion where we can enjoy the blessings of His Presence!

This is not to say that when we ( ourselves ) fail to love as we aught, that we are cursed forever. Since God sent His Love to dwell in us, that is, in His New Temple, we are thus filled with the Love of God, and because He is faithful, even though we are not always, His Love trumps our lack of love; Love wins!

Through the Fulfillment ( again, 'filling up' ) of His own Law; God has shown Himself to be a Living Law, One that is unchangeable, inscribed indelibly on our 'hearts', not just engraved in stone or written on papyrus!

As we continue to 'fill up' this Law of Love', let us always remember, that even though we fail in our labors of Love, it is His Faithfulness that guarantees us a seat at His table and a place in His Holy Family!

Even so let us strive to love as we are loved, and live in the Law that gives Life!

Amen,
Charles Haddon Shank

Beautiful Lies?

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, 

or causes[o] an abomination or a lie, 

but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:27

Utopia is a beautiful dream, but is it any more than that? John is describing one of the many facets of the New Jerusalem above, or, as some might term it, 'heaven'. If 'Heaven' is indeed a place where the 'wolf' will literally lay down with the 'lamb', and the 'lion' will literally feed alongside the 'ox', then maybe we are waiting, futuristically, for some far-off utopian landscape as John seemingly describes above.

Any simple Google search using terms like 'lion with lamb' ( which is based on a faulty tradition ) or even 'wolf with lamb' will likely reveal at least one story or video about unusually friendly animals cavorting together that are traditionally at enmity with each other, or at least are thought to be. Is this simply a preview of 'Heaven', a foretaste of what things will be like when Jesus finally comes back, burns up the earth ( including its periodic table ) with unquenchable fire, and ushers in 'the new heavens, and new earth'? Or is this merely the result of the peace that the Presence of God brings? Is this simply one of the many facets of the concord that we so fondly refer to as 'Heaven'?

To imagine a world without physical, mental, or emotional disability, especially for those like myself, is a pipe-dream; as the saying goes, 'wouldn't it be lovely?' Yes, that would be lovely; no more being carried like a back-pack around 'the Kitchen Sink', no more having to refrain from certain activities because my body just won't keep up with my mind, no more carrying a cane everywhere I go, and etc., but that's just me!

It has been said, and said often and truly, that the Book of the Revelation borrows more heavily on Old Testament history than any other book in the New Testament. This is not as clear as it should be to the casual observer, especially those who tend to disregard the Old Testament, except maybe the Psalms and Proverbs. When read in the context of the Hebrew Scriptures though, and even part of the Greek, it is easy to ascertain the truth of this statement. For instance, by reading the prophecies of Ezekiel and Hosea, we can easily ascertain to 'whom' John is referring when he mentions 'the great harlot'. When we read of the 'beast' of Revelation, especially the many-faceted one in Revelation 13, all we need to do is read the prophecy of Daniel ( and even Ezekiel ) to see where John got his 'picturesque' story from. There is truly, 'nothing new under the sun'!

No more shall an infant from there [ live but a few ] days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,

But the sinner [ being ] one hundred years old shall be accursed.

Isaiah 65:20

In the first few verses of Revelation 21, John seems to describe a utopian Paradise, an almost unearthly ( although hauntingly familiar ) dream-scape, but when in the context of like passages above, we can see that this is speaking of a present situation, though maybe future to the original audience.

In the modern evangelical church, this lie, among others, has been propagated out of mostly pure ignorance, though in many cases, it is purposeful ignorance, for whatever reason. Even though these lies, especially in the case of 'Heaven', may convey beautiful pictures to our naturally speculative minds, they are what they are, and not being defensible, in all honesty, from Scripture! As lies, especially in the case of 'Heaven' ( and related doctrines ), they may seem harmless enough, but they really are not!

Pretty obviously, at least, in the more traditional version, if 'Heaven' is a place that is often termed 'Utopia', or even 'Paradise', then futurism is right, and we have it to look forward to upon physical death ( depending on which version you ascribe to ), or at the return of Christ, which Scripture says has already happened! If one lives according to their belief that Heaven is a place that we only look forward to, then that one will naturally focus one's efforts on going there when one dies, instead of building God's Kingdom on Earth, as He instructed His disciples to do in the first century AD! Remember too, that Jesus told those same disciples, in the first century, that His Kingdom ( 'Heaven'? ) was near! If we do not understand this aspect of the Story, we will miss many other statements that Jesus made, and the many allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures that He, as well as the apostles, made!

Beauty, as Truth, is absolute! Either something is beautiful, or it's not! In some relative sense, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', yes; one man might see beauty in a certain woman or thing while another may not. The beauty cannot be seen though, if it is not there! If one man sees it and the other does not, the other is necessarily deluded; the thing he beholds is beautiful, but he has been blinded to it's beauty! So it is with Truth; if a lie is taught long enough, and seems to be beautiful enough, it will be believed as truth! Beautiful as it may seem, though, 'Heaven', at least as we have traditionally been taught it, is a lie!

What is truly beautiful, though, is that God has made His people ( on Earth ) His New Temple, or dwelling place, and that is Heaven! It is the enduring Presence of God which is truly and absolutely beautiful, and this is what Scripture actually teaches!

Let us rest in this Truth, while doing our best to build up in His Kingdom of Beauty!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Stewardship of Creation

Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations,

 baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

( Matthew 28:19 )

We have a problem here in Whitehall! Our church parking lot is normally open to the public throughout the week, but on Sundays, we close the lot to all but our congregation. We even have a sign posted to this effect  but people seem to just ignore the sign!

The verse above has been traditionally understood as an imperative to overwhelm with water any new convert to the Gospel that we disciple, or lead to a saving knowledge of our Lord. To be honest, though, this verse doesn't have anything at all to say about dipping them in water, or even just pouring water on them ceremoniously, much less repeating the action multiple times while muttering some mysterious catch-phrase.

When Jesus reminded His disciples, in Luke 12:50, that He was soon to be baptized ( leading to the demise of His fleshly body ), He did not mean to say that He was about to drown ( except maybe in His sorrows-Psalm 18:5 ), but that He was about to go through an ordeal that no mere man could persist through! He was ready to lay down His life for His Friends!

To baptize, according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, means simply to whelm, whether it be with water, with the Word ( of God-Ephesians 5:26 ), or by 'fire' ( Matthew 3:11 ). It is with this 'Fire' that we deal today! Our lot, as our lives, is not our own, but belongs to our Lord, Jesus who became the Christ! He is the 'fire' with which violators will be baptized!

'Oh sure', you might say, 'just because I park my car here when the law ( sign ) says not to; God's going to rain down fire from 'Heaven'? 'I don't think so'! Well, no, your car probably will not be instantly vaporized by a giant fire ball if you don't obey our law ( although, this is not outside the realm of possibility ), but when you disregard God's Law, or even the just laws of His People, it's going to catch up to you someday, and probably sooner rather than later!

This is not to threaten, but to remind any violator that ignorance, purposeful or otherwise, will not be disregarded. We recognize, as the Body of Christ, that we are given the stewardship of His Creation, even if we've turned it into a parking lot; it's still His! We are His, and all that we have is His!

As His Steward, 

Charles Haddon Shank

The After-life

With all the movies, TV shows and books available today on the subject today, if you are not thoroughly convinced of 'life after death', then something may be right!

The traditional concept of 'life after death', while usually fairly pleasant to think about, is no more than mere speculation! Wouldn't that be awesome, especially for those with physical disabilities, not to mention mental ones, if, after this earthly experience, there was an other-worldly one, without the pain and suffering? I mean, think about it; no broken or missing limb ( 'no canes or walkers, either' ), no bad things happening to good people, and so on and so forth!

Sounds like a utopian dream! Much better than the dystopian nightmare we're living in right now, right?!

Well, 'Dream away', but while you're dreaming, make sure you don't dream your Life away!

You've no doubt heard, read and watched articles like '90 Minutes in Heaven', with people talking about their own or others near-death experiences and 'heavenly' previews, and shows or movies like 'Medium' ( who can forget 'Highway to Heaven'? ) and the recent 'The Lovely Bones'. All very interesting and fun to think about ( well................), but it's really all just vain speculation. People may tell you of their own, or loved ones experiences ( or experiences with their loved ones-that's pretty popular right now! ), and be totally convinced that what they felt saw or heard is very real. They may even convince you, and you may even have visions or some other sort of 'super-natural' experience! I'm not saying it's not possible, or even outside the realm of possibility! In fact, the more of this stuff that I hear and see, the more I'm beginning to believe that 'they' may be right! I DO believe in 'The Communion of the Saints' ( dead & living ) after all!

So, aside from the little bit of nothing that we can gather from Scripture on the subject; what DOES happen to us when our biological bodies expire? Ecclesiastes 12:7 says that 'Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.' Seems pretty 'cut & dried', right? After our physical body ceases to function and becomes worm-food, our spirit returns to God! Is it really that simple, or is this statement, like so many others in Scripture, an eschatological construct? Are we not with God at present? Paul wrote to the Church in Thessalonika that 'Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.' ( I Thessalonians 4:17 ) I quote John 11:26 a lot, but if we are now His Dwelling Place, where DO we go when our biological bodies cease to function?

It's nice to think that one fine day, we will see our loved ones again in some perfect and heavenly Paradise, but there is, sad to say, no Scriptural warrant for it! Again, watching 'the Lovely Bones' last night, I got to thinking about the probability of that kind of scenario ( except maybe the bit at the last about the 'possession'  ), but this again, can only be speculated about, although it may be good speculation, and even biblically based ( 'Logical Conclusions', remember? ).

The 'after-life', which we've reasoned about before from Scripture, is our present Life in the Kingdom of our Father! It is Life of the New Covenant which God Himself revealed to His people in the form of His Son, Jesus, who was the Christ ( the Anointed One ) Not to rehash too much of what I've presented before, but the apostle John wrote that 'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life' ( John 5:24 ), and later, in a letter to his 'children', 'We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death' ( I John 3:24 ). These, by the way, though being eschatological statements, or applicable today, though maybe not to the same extent that they were then. According to these statements, especially within the context of fulfillment, we can see that we are alive forevermore, and living in this Life after Death which was promised to those who love Him!

One comment I received in preparation for this post was that it's better to focus on life before death than on life after death. I agree! We should focus on living life in the here & now for the glory of God and the good of His people, His Kingdom! Should we spare ANY thought, or engage in vain speculation about some sort of 'after-life'? Well, if we aren't living right in the here & now, we might worry about an 'after-life', but if we are living in right relationship with our Father and His Family right now, there is no need to worry about an 'after-life'; THIS IS IT!

'I hope you dance'!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Fellowship of the King

One King to rule them all, One King to find them, One King to bring them all and in the Light to bind them.

Okay, so maybe it's just a little cheesy ( some might say 'sacrilegious' ) to take Tolkien's inspired words here and use them for this purpose, or is it? Is this not what our Father, in His infinitely glorious Covenant, does and has done?! When Tolkien wrote his masterpiece, I'm sure he had no intention of writing a treatise or thesis on the greatness of God and  the utter futility of the efforts of men to strive against His Master Plan, or did he?! This is pretty much what this awesome piece of literature turned out to be, after all, cleverly disguised as arguably the finest work of fiction the world has ever known! He showed, among other things, that it is most often the case that God uses the smallest, seemingly insignificant ( even foolish ) characters to confound the seeming wisdom of the wise, or the over-powering might of the powerful and the mighty!

This amazing book picks up where The Hobbit left off, though about 60 years later. In the aforementioned volume, Tolkien introduces us to this diminutive, quiet and seemingly shy ( to Big People, anyway ) folk, a folk who had, in recent times especially, become so reticent and seemingly insignificant in the affairs of the Big, Wide World, that most Big People barely take any notice of them. Our first meeting makes us think almost of a silly, fun-loving little people, comical even, but by the time 'The Fellowship of the Ring' rolls of the presses, we are made to understand that, though these Little Folk can be quite comical at times, even silly and almost stupid and bumbling, they are anything but insignificant!

'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.'
' So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.'

This famous exchange between the wizard Gandalf, who interestingly enough, plays an almost Christ-like role in the Story, and Frodo Baggins, the diminutive, yet toweringly fearsome hero of the Story, is but one of the great quotes in the Book. In fact, these words could almost be said to mirror those of Jeremiah in his prophecy ( Jeremiah 20:9 ). They should bring to mind one of the most comforting passages in the New Testament Scriptures, wherein the apostle Paul comforts his readers in their afflictions, telling them that 'all things work together for good to those who love God' ( Romans 8:28a ). You can almost hear Mordecai's warning to Esther ( Esther 4:14 ) in this conversation between Gandalf and Frodo.

The Law, as given an Mount Sinai through Moses could almost take the place of the Ring in this Story. The Law, as the Ring was favorable to its Bearers as long as they followed its will, or rule. As long as they held it, they were blessed with unnaturally long life, though it was, in the case of Gollum, or Smeagol, a miserable existence ( did Bilbo fare much better? )! Israel, as long as it followed and held the Law given on Sinai, though they led a troublesome existence, were blessed, for the most part, with a long life on and in the Land.

Although Tolkien was avowedly a Christian, and hints of his Christianity can be seen throughout the body of his work, especially his Middle Earth saga, it should be noted as a flawed theology, as is much of Christianity! All of the types and figures that those with keen eyes and sharp minds can see within these pages are imperfect types, much as those that we see in Scripture. Tolkien, Christian that he was, made clear to his fans that this was not to be viewed as Christian literature, and reportedly denied any similarity of his creation to that we read about in Scripture!

As one wends through this first volume all the way through to the final one in this 'trilogy' ( though it is actually six books ), ending with 'The Return of the King', it is notable that though with the return of the King, the defeat of the evil power of the Ring, and an ensuing reign of peace, there are still real dangers in the world, which we read of in the closing chapters of 'The Lord of the Rings' ( 'The Scouring of the Shire' ). Because of the defeat of the power of this Ring and its final destruction, peace flourished throughout Middle Earth, and though there were still factions that threatened to disturb that peace, it could not be done away with as long as the True King sat on the throne.

Though not in the aspect of being bound that we often think of today, we are bound to the communion of the saints, much as the 'fellowship' were bound to each other. They, as we, are bound by the bonds, the Law of Love, to each other. He, love Himself, in His sovereign Rule and Power, sought us, He brought us ( together ), and bound us with the Law of Love written on our hearts! 

In His Love, we can enjoy this fellowship that He our King has brought us into, and while there are still dangers in this world, 'snakes in the garden', so to speak, we can rest in peace, knowing that, since our King has returned, come down to us, nothing can sever us from His Love, His Life, ar alter His Purpose, which is fo our good and His glory!

Amen,
Charles Haddon Shank

The End of Faith

There is some talk in recent times, with the many and varied aspects and implications of the word 'fulfilled', that certain things have come to an end, or ceased, as a result of their fulfillment. In most cases, when a thing, such as a contract is fulfilled, it is necessarily brought to an end, the agreement being 'filled up'. For instance, one party may contract to do a certain thing for another party, such as build a house for them. When the house is built, and all the terms of the contract have been met, or fulfilled, the contract usually ends. Another example on the other end of the spectrum, so to speak, is the contract between a prostitute and her 'John'. Time is usually of the essence in these situations; the contract, whether simply being spoken or written, is often, from what I understand, made for a certain amount of time ( feel free to correct me if I'm wrong ). When the time is up, and the prostitute has held up her end, so to speak, and fulfilled the contract, her duties have come to an end and the contract ceases!

Contracts may lead to a relationship of whatever sort, to whatever extent, and they often do so in the case of house-building because of maintenance and up-keep. More and more though, a separate maintenance contract will be offered, and so the relationship, of whatever sort may continue ( that's what it's all about, 'relationship'! ) Somewhat the same may happen in the case of a prostitute and her 'John'. She may became his favorite ( and usual ) 'fling', and thus the relationship will continue, whether purely business or otherwise. In certain cases, the two parties involved may covenant to 'quit' any third party involvement, and the 'John' may end up rescuing her from her death-style!

Most contracts, though, are meant to be of a temporal nature, and although they can lead to a further relationship ( beyond the terms of the contract ), when the terms of that contract are fulfilled, it ceases to be, and there are no more obligations on either party.

Not so with covenants! 

Covenants, especially biblical covenants always involve a third party, usually a mediator, or Higher Power. In the case of the Marriage Covenant, two parties agree together, before God, to live together as man and wife, and to become one in word and deed. Some marriages have more of a contractual aspect, in that when either party feels that his or her purpose in the marriage has been fulfilled, the marriage is most often brought to an end, like any other contract! In fact, some so-called marriages are actually contracts, which may involve certain agreements having to do with money, or with certain requirements to be performed by either or both parties.

The Mayflower Compact, as I understand it, was formed more as a contractual agreement than a covenant. It was, as I understand it, made consensually and acknowledgedly before God, and could thus almost be considered more a covenant than a contract! In that this contract, or 'compact' was made to preserve the union of the parties, and to bolster a society, you may well say that they covenanted together!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 ( NIV )

What is the end of faith? 

First of all, maybe we need to clarify what we mean by 'the end'! By saying that it is fulfilled, do we mean that it has ended, that there is no more need of it? Or, speaking of 'the End' of Faith, are we referring to the Christ, Emmanuel, God with us ( John 11:26 )? If this is the End of which we speak, then yes, I agree, Faith is Fulfilled! Like I told a friend, 'it is filled up in us'. Because it is part of an everlasting ( age-during ) covenant made by an eternally infinite Being; it is forever. Although I ordinarily prefer the NKJV, I quoted the NIV in this circumstance because it uses the word 'confidence'. Is He not still our confidence? Do we not still exercise confidence in Him as the God and Master of the Universe?? The Faith that the Old Testament saints exercised was a confidence in the hope, the religious belief that one day a Messiah would be revealed, One who would lead them to True Freedom! Their faith was fulfilled! The Messiah that they looked for was revealed and did lead them to True Freedom! Eschatologically, the Hope that they had did come to an end; their hope in a Deliverer to come out of Zion was made evident, and so in that sense ended! The Object of that Faith, just like the Object of that Hope, and in fact Faith and Hope personified, are met in the person of Jesus the Christ, God Himself, Who is eternally infinite and existent!

But, one might argue, since that biblical faith in the hope of the Messiah was fulfilled, is it not true that faith is no longer necessary, and thus is no more? We've already seen that this cannot be so, for people must still exercise faith in Christ, in order to believe religiously, in other words to live out their beliefs. There must be a confidence in the word spoken if there is to be a belief, especially an active belief, in the Person. Thus, Faith, even though it be fulfilled eschatologically, is not ended, but as we saw earlier, is rather filled up in us!

 A covenant, like a contract, requires faith, faith in the fact that the other Party will do what He promised. If faith, being fulfilled, is no longer necessary, then we no longer need a covenant either. If we have just an agreement to live together, work together, etc., what we have is simply a contract, which when fulfilled, is brought to an end. Maybe this is why we have so many marriages within the realm of what is called Christianity, that have fallen apart, making a mockery of the bond between Christ and His Bride, between God and His people! Maybe if marriage, as well as other relationships were viewed as the covenants they are, or should be, the world would look more like the Kingdom of God and Heaven it is!

Maybe if we practiced our Faith, rather than discarding it as used up, and pertaining only to biblical figures, as those we read about in Hebrews 11, then maybe we would begin to see the Kingdom expand, as more real and lasting relationships are formed, and covenants, not just contracts, are formed and fulfilled!

I have Faith that this WILL happen!

Amen,
Charles Haddon Shank

No More Lines

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 ( NIV )

In the modern evangelical, and even fundamentalist Church today, there is an attitude of watching and waiting! Thus, many such churches seem to be waning rather than waxing. Oh sure, the numbers game played by the corporate officers may seem to be bolstering the local economy, and the members may seem, on Sonday anyway, to be 'on fire for the Lord', but it doesn't take much seeking, usually, to find that's what it's all about; the numbers!

Obviously, and quite reasonably, just like a lie, the more it festers, the more it grows! If you are only after numbers, which too many congregations these days seem to be, the entertainment value that brings them in must continually grow in order to keep them coming. Entertainment only goes so far, and as the wisest king of Israel found, 'hope deferred makes the heart sick'. How often, do you think, do those who are entertained with the utopic return of Christ, the so-called 'second coming', have to be disappointed with a false hope and crushed with a 'no-show', before they will turn their backs on His so-called church and say, with the crowds, 'crucify Him, crucify Him'?!

These same 'Christians' acknowledge to an individual that Christ is in their hearts, that they are indwelt by the Spirit, but they lure some in with the unreasonable hope that He is going to return in the person of Jesus Christ, ushering in a utopian dream called 'the new heavens and new earth'. Many of these 'Christians' have missed, ignored, or otherwise 'glossed over' the gravitous fact of 'Christ in us, the hope of glory' ( Colossians 1:27 )! The fact that they are still waiting for their hope seems rather absurd, given their acknowledgement that Christ IS in us!

The Kingdom of God, or Heaven is a reality that Jesus said, in His day, was near, and that the apostles spoke of as 'about to be', 2,000 years ago! If Jesus has not returned yet, which, to be precise, is what the apostles prophesied, then neither has 'The Lord's Prayer' been answered. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come.......on earth as it is in Heaven'. If this prayer has not been answered and Jesus has not come, then maybe they are right and this is not 'Our Father's World'!

The belief that Jesus has not come ( repeatedly ) when prophesied, and that we are not living in the Kingdom which He said was near almost 2,000 years ago must be very disheartening. To live your life as if everything for which you have labored and spent your life's blood, sweat and tears, could all be washed away tomorrow, burnt up along with the rest of the physical universe when Jesus returns, must take the wind out of your sails ( if ever wind there was ). The old saying, 'why polish brass on a sinking ship' has new meaning! If all our works will be reduced to a pile of ash anyway, why bother beautifying what God has so graciously bequeathed to us?

Seriously?

Thankfully, 'NO'! Many, in fact, more and more Christians who believe like this, live their lives rather inconsistently with their stated belief, building things that last, acting as if this is 'Our Father's World' and living as if there is no tomorrow! 

They live as we ought to live, being Jesus to a desperately seeking world, a Father's Creation, His children who, through whatever means, have been estranged from Him, and are seeking that necessary relational communion. Many seek that communion in the wrong places and find only a temporal relief and shelter ( at best ) from the storms of Life! They will never find the True and Lasting Communion till they seek solace in the Only True Source, in the Body of Christ! If the Body of Christ does not provide that necessary communion, they will continue to seek it elsewhere, and they will die! If we, as the Body of Christ, will share in the Communion, the relational blessing that we have been given, they will live, the Body of Christ will continue to grow, rather than stagnate, and the Kingdom of God will expand!

We must find our joy again!

The Body of Christ, or the Church as we know it, must realize their hope has been fulfilled ( filled up to the overflowing ). If Solomon was right, and he was rarely wrong, and 'hope deferred makes the heart sick', then it's no wonder that so many of our 'churches' have lost their touch. No wonder that so many seem to be sick & dying among us!

The realization that the Kingdom has come ( 'on earth as it is in heaven' ), that our Hope has been 'filled up', and that the 'new heavens and new earth' is not some utopian Paradise, must come as quite a shock to some Christians! We have labored all our lives, to a greater or lesser extent, under these false assumptions.

Believing that we are the Body of Christ, living in the Paradise ( remember the snake in the Garden? ) that has been Restored to us, gives us much Joy! Knowing that we live in Perfect Communion with our Creator and Father helps us to live our lives to the fullest, and encourages us to love as we are loved!

Charles Haddon Shank

Therefore Get Wisdom

Been there, done that!

The wisdom of the ages, especially as revealed through that wisest of Israel's kings, is the standard for wisdom! Of course, we know that the wisdom revealed in the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, all point toward and speak of that Greater and True Wisdom, personified in the Person of Jesus who was the Christ. We, as His Body, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit, are possessors of that Wisdom, in fact, you might say that we, the Body of Christ, now embody that Wisdom!

'So', you might well ask, 'why do so many Christians make so many unwise decisions, making a mockery ( among nonbelievers, especially ) of the Union between Christ and His Church?' Why, since we have the Presence of Wisdom personified, do some Christians act so foolishly sometimes? To a watching world, one that does not acknowledge the Covenant, the answer may come quickly, and in the form of, 'well, they're just hypocrites; they really don't practice what they preach or do what they say; why would I want any part of that, they're no different than us!' If we truly have The Wisdom of the Ages, don't you think we would be acting wisely?

No one of us is perfect, that much is clear! By saying that one should be acting wisely if one truly possessed The Wisdom of the Ages, I am not saying that one does not possess The Wisdom of the Ages, unless one acts wisely all the time. I'm simply saying that he will be known for his wisdom, his wise action. I can empathize with those who have acted unwisely, because my life has not exactly been a shining example or a perfect personification of wisdom. This is not to excuse my own foolishness, or the foolish actions of others, but sometimes life seems to make it almost impossible to choose the wiser path!

Like I said; 'no one of us is perfect', and we're only human, right?!

Wrong; we're not only human!

Because we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Wisdom of the Ages, even, you might say, Wisdom Personified, we are no longer merely human! Yes, we still have all of our human sensibilities, the greatest of which may be what is known as our feelings, our emotions. When I say 'greatest', I don't necessarily mean 'best', just most pervasive! Feelings, for their own part, are not necessarily a bad thing; emotions play a leading role in how we act, and I'm not saying that they shouldn't either, it's just that when those feelings or emotions lead us to act unwisely, foolishly, then is when we must stifle those feelings and emotions, and begin to think ( unselfishly ), 'how does my action ( or lack thereof ) effect those around me; what should I do for the betterment of society around me, not just for my own selfish 'feelings'?

This is where Wisdom comes in!

Wisdom, especially as written and Revealed in Scripture, but now seared into our conscience as well, tells us, among other things, that we are to think, not only of ourselves, but others as well! ( Thinking only of ourselves usually has an adverse effect on others around us, and thus an adverse effect upon us as well ) Conversely, when we act in wisdom, unselfishly putting the needs of others before our own, this usually ( not always ) has a blessing effect, because as we bless others through our unselfish actions, we are most often blessed ourselves, by their returning those unselfish feelings and actions, heaping blessing upon blessing back on our own head!

Prayerfully considering my own selfishness,
Charles Haddon Shank