I'm Tired

 

I’m tired…

-         Not just sleepy where a good night’s rest would/should appease the tiredness,

But I’m tired…

 

-         of these days, of trekking through this mortal time seeing the disruption, corruption,

 

-         and the filth even of mortal humanity’s seeming unconcern where they throw their trash

 

-         of mortal humanity’s seemingly breaking the law (with no concern) moreso than ever before.

 

-         of seeing the living of life simply for this mortal timeline, seemingly, having gone through wars, fires, earthquakes, famines, and such, when all gets straightened out and settled down, all humanity goes back to that “normal” way as if nothing tragic had happened. (Should we not learn from such?)

 

-         Of these dark days, not of the darkness that routinely/regularly “happens” at sunset, but of the darkness igniting the rise of evil at sunset. (“People  love darkness more than the light…” John 3:19.)

 

“Que sera sera” (whatever will be will be) the future’s not ours to see…” Maybe not, but we who know the truth, when we see evil coming in to wipe the truth away, shouldn’t we stand up and speak out that it will not happen; keep on the way of the truth. Until our eternal home going, let us live now to proclaim the truth. (See John 14:6.)

 

Tired of it all. For myself, I have realized the better way of living is for the immortal. I’m ready to see the brilliance of the new day of Christ’s return and the entrance of the Father’s eternal immortal Kingdom, where tiredness will be no more.

 

²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better,” 

Philippians 1:21.

The Year That Was

 That Most Joyous Time of Year Once Again Has Arrived

…Christmas, as it has been called many years throughout history, celebrating God(Elohim) becoming one of us in the person of Jesus (Yeshua)—the Christ, Messiah, Adonai, Savior and soon coming King of kings (Revelation 19:16; Deuteronomy 10:17) for all peoples, the blessing promised long ago to Abraham (Genesis 12:3). “Come, Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20. And to my Messianic Jewish friends—about the same time of year—it’s Happy Hanukkah, the festival of lights, celebrating Yeshua, the Light of the world, John 8:12.

 

Crazy days this year has been, hasn’t it? And not as that popular song of yesteryear goes “…lazy, hazy, days of summer”, but all through 2020—the year that was; how do I share? Not fully understanding all I’ve been experiencing through these recent days and years; I’ll give it a try anyway in sharing. In that, this letter as well might be crazy.

We may be uncertain of the happenings of our days; change can be expected in our lifetime, not knowing what may come or when. But Jesus, “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), knows all the happenings (changes) that are to come about in our days—individually or corporately. (And the most important change comes individually through one’s repentance, and turning to Jesus as Savior and Lord, no longer following the “I did my way” mentality, but God’s way.)

Apart from the reality of Jesus being the real reason for this most glorious of holiday seasons, this Christ M A S season, having come through this year that was, is so much different than any other Christmases I have ever experienced, unlike any other year of my lifetime. In the past, Christmas had been simply a joyous once-a-year event—a shopping spree. Now it’s so much different; the real meaning much more evident.

With the coming of that pandemic (in some respects perhaps a panPANic), perhaps 2020 will go down in history as the year that was. But I pray may it not be forgotten, rather remembered as a reminder for us Christ-followers to go forward ever more so zealously than ever before, proclaiming the Good News throughout the year and every year until the day of Jesus’s return and He makes all things new (see Revelation 21:1-8.) Then maybe we’ll get the proper understanding of the truer meaning of that popular Christmas carol Joy to the World, which was originally written of Jesus’s second coming.

Wow, how to cope with it all. The pandemic had launched spiritual warfare within America, my mortal homeland. Never before have I been so concerned about a presidential and legislature election as I have been this year of 2020—as all of the Church should have been, concerned, as in every area of life, even with the governing of our nation as well all throughout our history.

I cannot see now how I can go on living the usual way I have lived before the events of 2020 had happened as if the pandemic had never happened. The end of time, nearer than ever before? It so is, with the passing of each new day— “Come, Lord Jesus.” Nevertheless, until then, when all gets straightened out and the new year begins, may it not be a return to the “normal” past, or even a “new normal,” as it has been in settling down after 911, and other of the wars and tragedies we have suffered—just continuing on with life as usual as if nothing had happened. May it not be, but to the greater purpose of our temporal existence.  Apart from the works of God, since Genesis chapter three, this mortal world has been abnormal. Revive Your Church, Heavenly Father, through this land and around the world to a greater revival than what has ever been seen in history.

I’m sure glad there’s more to life than this mortal time. Crazy as it may sound, but my walking/driving about, my mind/heart now being more set on the immortal eternal reality, noticing the temporal works of humankind, that it’s all temporal, it’s all going to burn (see 2 Peter 3:3-7). And thus as well the realization of the familiar hymn comes true: “this world is not my home, I’m just a pass’n through.” (Consider John 14:1-3; Colossians 3:2-4.) The realization of the better forever world is coming clearer into focus.

James 4:13-16 (Amplified) reads, “…Come now [and pay attention to this], you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.” ¹⁴ Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air]. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretension and arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

Restore America, heavenly Father, as we were founded—upon biblical principles—that we for a time may be a light-bearer and salt-spreader to the world of Your grace, peace, and love, until the day of Your return, Lord Jesus (Adonai Yeshua).

 

The year that was—2020. It’s so refreshing and with a new sense, of hearing those Christmas carols this year, reminding me of my truer purpose for living in this time—Jesus (Yeshua), the Christ, Messiah, Adonai, our Salvation and soon coming King. “Come, Lord Jesus.” 

 

Blessings and shalom,

Charles

 

A Christmas movie worthy of your viewing you may want to consider seeing (about 1 hr. 40 min.) if you have not seen it.  Or consider viewing it again or again and again if you have seen it:

 The Christmas Candle

Laborers Together

 Summary: We are laborers together, not singly. Jesus called out disciples and sent them out two-by-two. (Consider Mark 6:7 and Luke 10:1.) Together they are a help to one another. And so are we in this time, a team, not “lone rangers,” to share the “blessing of Abraham” to the nations of the world.

Struggling Twins

Journey with me back in time to the biblical days of Isaac, the second son of Abraham. (We're reading the Bible at Genesis 25:19-34.) As we recall from a prior post, Abraham sent his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Isaac. And so she was found, Rebecca, among Abraham's relatives, Bethuel and Laban. Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca.

Rebecca, unable to have children, Isaac "pleads with the LORD" (Genesis 25:21) on her behalf. The LORD understands and answers Isaac's prayer; Rebecca conceives. In labor she gives birth to twin boys—Esau and Jacob—Jacob the younger. They struggled in the womb, however, and as the LORD knows they would become two rivaling nations (see Genesis 25:23).

Hendrick ter Brugghen,
 Esau Selling His Birthright, c. 1627.

Growing up, Esau becomes a skillful hunter; Jacob is a quiet man, and he prefers to stay at home. One day Esau returns home, famished, after a long day of hunting. He sees his younger brother brewing some stew and asks for some.

Ah, Jacob seizes his opportunity. "Trade me your rights as the firstborn son for some stew," Jacob says (Genesis 25:31).

After a bit of a confrontation, Esau gives in, famished with hunger, and "sells his rights as the firstborn son to his younger brother Jacob" for some stew (Genesis 25:33).

Here we've witnessed a first scheme of Jacob in deceiving his brother Esau. We'll catch a second further forward in considering a later chapter in Genesis. As well, further forwarding we'll see Jacob finding peace with God and with his brother Esau. And he realizes he's the inheritor of the blessing of his grandfather Abraham (see Genesis 12:2-3).   Hence, our labor today, together with our fellow Christ-followers, to all the nations: passing on to all generations the blessing of Abraham (see Acts 1:8, consider Galatians 3:13-16).

Quarreling Church

The Conversion of Saul, fresco 
by Michelangelo, 1542–45aption

Fast-forwarding now to the first century A.D. (we are reading the Bible at 1 Corinthians 3:1-9) we meet Paul (formerly Saul). At first meeting, we see him as a persecutor of Christians, "uttering threats with every breath, eager to kill the Lord's followers (see Acts 7:58; 8:1-2; 9:1-2). 

Then, on the Damascus road, bringing both men and women, arrested and chained, back to Jerusalem a bright light from heaven shining around him suddenly blinds him. He hears a voice, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

Saul asks, "Who are you, Lord?"

The voice responds, "I am Jesus you are persecuting." And then Jesus instructs Saul what to do (see Acts 9:3-9).

Paul the Apostle, 
by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
c. 1657

Saul's life (now Paul) transformed, and he becomes a Christ-follower himself. Paul's call is realized "to carry [the] name [of Jesus] before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel" (see Acts 9:15-16). In so going Paul does not go alone; he goes with various companions throughout his travels—Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, to name a few (see Acts 4:36, 12:12, 15:22, 16:1).  Paul gives his life to sharing the blessing of Abraham—the Good News—throughout Asia Minor and into Europe, establishing churches for the assembly of Christ-followers where they too can realize their call to labor together in Christ's cause.

To the church in Corinth, Paul writes, expressing his concern for their apparent infancy in the faith, "There are not to be any arguing (quarreling) and jealousy among you (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). Paul's letter continues, "When one of you says ‘I am a follower of Paul,' and another says, ‘I follow Apollos,' aren't you acting like people of the world, ‘still controlled by your sinful nature?'" (See 1 Corinthians 3:3-4).

"One plants one waters," Paul confirms, "but it is God who gives the increase" (see 1 Corinthians 3:5-6). "We are laborers together [in the faith—passing on the blessing of Abraham—to the peoples of the world]" (see 1 Corinthians 3:9).

Consider further the study guide to 1 Corinthians 3.

No Greater Legacy

Forwarding again further through time we come to the 19th Century, to 1840, and St. Clairsville, Ohio, Ohio, U.S.A. Four-year-old James Mills Thoburn welcomes his baby sister, Isabella, to the family. James was born in 1836.

Growing up James graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1857. A year later he joins the Methodist Episcopal Church. The next year he sails to North India. He works in village evangelism and church planting. He labors for a time with William Butler; Butler is the first American Methodist missionary to India. For 13 years, since 1874, James Thoburn served as pastor of the church founded by William Taylor in Calcutta.

Isabella Thoburn, a teacher, persuaded by her brother, joins James and his wife in India in 1870. She's the first missionary appointee of the Women's Foreign Mission Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church to India. Joining her is medical missionary Clara A. Swain, M.D.

Isabella Thoburn

Isabella establishes a girl’s college in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. At first, there were just six girls enrolled in the school but soon grows to 20, despite "bitter prejudice on the part of the Hindus against the education of women," Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya.   Come the year 1857 Isabella Thoburn College opens; it is the first women's college in Asia.

Isabella served many years at home and abroad. Ill health taking its toll, in 1901 she dies of cholera, her body interred in Lucknow. In failing health, too, James returns to Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1908, where he resides until his death in 1922.

Ruth A. Tucker writes, "[the brother and sister James and Isabella Thoburn leave] a legacy of training Indian nationals for the gospel ministry." What more significant legacy to leave than laboring together in Christ's cause passing on the blessing of Abraham?

Jesus answered them, "Don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you," John 6:27, NLT

Information on James and Isabella Thoburn gathered from Boston University, School of Theology, History of Missiology, Wikipedia, and Ruth A. Tucker’s From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya.


Coming next month Sojourners in a Foreign Land

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