Top 10 Reasons for Crises/Tragedies (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a series on what I understand might be the top 10 spiritual principles or laws that relate to many of the crises across our world today. Please see Part 1. I decided to present this in more than the originally planned 2 parts. Hopefully, this will allow time for pondering and reflection on these concepts. 

Some readers may be tempted to argue that, as born again Christians, we live under Grace (and we do!), and therefore, are delivered from spiritual laws or principles. This would be the height of fallacy. While we are, indeed, delivered from the Mosaic and Levitical laws, it is helpful to keep in mind that God, the highest power in existence, is highly ordered and structured. He created and governs everything in the physical universe to follow His laws and principles. We know many as the laws of physics, aerodynamics, mathematics, etc. As with all things physical, I believe even these laws are subject to higher spiritual laws and principles. Being saved by Grace does not exempt us from God’s highly ordered spiritual principles. Rather, it should draw us into much deeper study, appreciation and obedience of His highly principled requirements and expectations, such as loving, forgiving, sowing righteous seeds, etc. 

Ok, so what are the priority spiritual laws; how are they being implemented and enforced; and how might they relate to crises you may have experienced or witnessed? Here is my take, presented in a series, based on considerable pondering of this very complex topic. Hopefully you will be inspired to do your own pondering and share your thoughts as well. (Be sure to see Top 10 Reasons for Crisis - Part 1) 

#3. The Law of Faith. Four times, The Bible iterates the righteous , born-again person must live/walk by faith, which simply means learning to trust God and His Word from moment-to-moment. Because faith works by Love (Galatians 5:6), it, along with Love, likely has a neutral spiritual pH equivalent, while fear (the opposite of faith) must be highly acidic/toxic.

While it’s possible to have faith in things other than God and His Word, as many in our world do, The Bible promises that all else eventually shall fail and prove unworthy of our faith, whether in this life ...or beyond. Life is so structured that we will either live/walk by faith in God, who alone is trustworthy …or by fear of other things that are totally untrustworthy! All across our world today, we see the stark and dark results of people walking in fear, even many who profess being born-again!

Another post, Fear Is Faith Is Fear Is..., notes that faith and fear are the exact same spiritual force -- God's creative, attracting force. They are both spiritual substance that produces physical results. (Hebrews 11:1) Fear is simply faith that has been corrupted, and rather than creating/attracting things hoped for, as faith is intended to do, it does the exact opposite -- creating/attracting things NOT hoped for; things dreaded. We can only wonder how much of the crises and tragedies in our world today may be in some way triggered by people exercising strong fear, which is corrupted, negative faith. (See: Job 3:25) Remind yourself regularly that our loving, foreseeing God on 4 occasions in His Word, The Holy Bible, reveals that the just person (those whom He has deemed righteous and born-again in Jesus Christ) shall live by his/her faith. I personally believe and embrace this as both a commandment and a promise. What about you? 

NB: Satan, as a created being, does not possess the creative power of God. As God’s enemy, he uses his kingdom of devils and demons (fallen angels) to work through us to manipulate and corrupt the good things God has created. Thus, he corrupted faith to become fear, or negative faith. In this manner, he succeeds in getting us to use faith against ourselves (akin to how stressors work against our autonomic nervous system).

#4. The Law of Causeless, Brotherly Blood Guiltiness. God’s ‘life-for-life’ law requires our high respect for His gift of life in order to help sustain healthy lifestyles within nations/societies. Many of us erroneously understand this law as requiring no blood guiltiness, without exception, omitting the part about ‘causeless and brotherly’. There are clear Biblical exceptions for taking a life with just cause within a nation/society. But what about the taking of lives between opposing nations/societies, such as in wars? Is there Biblical basis for conscientious objections to participating in wars? I do not know. I do know that throughout The Bible, God iteratively affirms, ‘I am The Lord. There is no other God.’ With only one Sovereign Deity, it is He who ultimately directs and controls everything, even things we humans think may go against His loving and graceful character. We tend to think that because we conveniently forget that He is the ultimate Judge of all things. As The Lord above all things, He declares He who ultimately starts and ends wars. (See: Exodus 15:3, Deuteronomy 7:9-10, 32:30 and 39, Isaiah 45:7 and 48:10, Jeremiah 31:25, Ezekiel 9 and 14:12-23, Amos 3:6 and many more such attestations.)

Does this sound sacrilegious to you?  If so, please read and meditate on these Bible verses affirming God’s role in causing/allowing calamities, including wars, all to accomplish His high-level purposes and objectives across His creation. Psalms 46:9 affirms God shall one day cause all wars to cease. Thus, since He is indeed above all things, and there is none other higher, we are the ones who need to adjust our thinking and accept what He has intentionally and purposefully iterated in His Word, The Holy Bible.

Imagine the potential links between the extent of causeless, brotherly blood guiltiness across our land and world, and the incredible calamities regularly reported in the news!

#5. The Law of Governmental Respect. God has ordained governmental structures and authorities as the means by which societies can be sustained orderly. This reflects the highly ordered and structured nature of everything spiritual, from which physical authority derives. Imagine the consequences when those in governments, themselves, and governments, in general, disrespect this particular law, and God’s other laws as well! For example, do you really think the Law of Sowing and Reaping will be suspended for them?! (See: Judgment Bar Absences)

Blessed pondering...

See: Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4

Still Willing, He Is (Poem)

‘Still willing, Yes! He’s still willing’, this I say,

Reflecting on the healing He did that day,

When a leprous man came on bended knee.

Far a way from him all others had to flee.

‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ *

For leprosy there was no cure or vaccine.

In public, he had to proclaim, ‘Unclean, unclean!’

Everyone who heard him knew well what that would mean.

But far from this man, Jesus did not flee,

Though He knew The Law from their history.

Then He had the nerve to reach out and touch,

This fellow with a sickness feared so much!

‘I am willing. Be cleansed,’ He said to him,

Instantly healed from that disease so grim!

So excited, he went and spread his good news,

Forgetting about Levitical curfews! **

Friend, to you this should be really Good News.

If you’re sick, on this story you can muse.

This same Jesus Who healed a leper that day,

Is ALIVE and WELL to send healing your way!

All He needs is sincere faith that authorizes,

Healing that your miracle actualizes.

So go ahead, muse and meditate this great story,

Then for your own healing, give God praise and all glory!

Think of others who, like you, may need to be healed.

Tell them, after on your knees for them you have kneeled:

‘Still willing, Yes! He’s still willing, to you I say!

Meditate on the healing Jesus did that day!’ 

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*  Mark 1:40

** Leviticus 13 and 14

Fear Is Faith Is Fear Is (Poem)

 

Ever heard of this: good and bad gravity?

What about the same for electricity,

Aerodynamics and centrifugal force?

Nope, each IS exactly what it IS, of course.

While driving your car, what force do you trust?

Forward or backward, the force is called ‘thrust’.

In both directions, you can’t go at once!

That goes against the strict laws of science.

While we all understand this, physically,

Why should it not apply spiritually?

God, Who ordained one, also ordained the other.

Do they change just because their use is flipped over?

God created faith as His ‘force creative’.

To work when with Him we are ‘consultative’.

Things for which we hope, to us are attracted.

Needs met, desires filled, as in Love we’ve acted.

Fear is faith that has become corrupted,

When selfishly our lives are conducted.

Just because our ‘faith switches’ have been flipped,

Doesn’t change the ‘energy or force’ we’ve gripped.

Faith: Substance of things you hope for, coming near.

Fear: Substance of things you dread, also appear.

Fear: Misplaced faith. To you let’s hope this is clear.

Four times God said, ‘Live/walk by faith!’, yet we veer.

Angels and devils alike have been dispatched,

Both armed with powers that, to us, are un-matched.

By our creative force they are authorized,

By our words and acts, their powers aggrandized. 

In God’s image we all have been created,

To live by faith, though it’s always berated.

Flip your switch if your faith has become jaded, 

So things you don’t hope for... can be evaded.

Faith in God comes by hearing His Word and ‘voice’,

As you do, turning from fear is a clear choice.

As darkness must flee wherever light shines bright,

Strong faith automatically puts fears to flight.

Faith in God’s Word pleases Him to no end.

There’s no telling what blessings He’ll send.

But...

Devilish traps and schemes sent from you to steal,

Always use ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.

(F.E.A.R.)

Top 10 Reasons for Crises/Tragedies (Part 1)

Our modern version of The Gospel of Grace seems to have simply erased key aspects of God’s Word, character and nature. Our resulting, rather sterile version of Christianity includes a broad ‘no-fault escalpatory clause’ that effectively dismisses any personal responsibility for the consequences we experience. Yet even Jesus iterated and demonstrated on numerous occasions that life on earth is both enveloped within, and governed by a set of clear spiritual laws, each with clear, identifiable positive and negative consequences. He also pulled back the covers on how these laws are being implemented and enforced, and He gave us a set of relevant warnings.

Mind you, these laws universally apply to ALL human beings, irrespective of our religious, spiritual, or non-religious beliefs and backgrounds. Because we may not immediately perceive and identify the consequences of keeping or breaking these laws, and because of our ‘no fault’ religious ideas, we easily/readily dismiss all of the warnings, and rather embrace an approach to life that effectively relegates everything that happens as ‘God’s mysterious, unknowable will, none of which is my fault!’ This life view suggests we are mere movable pieces on life’s chessboard, subject to imperceptible dynamics that we are largely unable influence. Nothing could be further from Truth.

Life on earth is quite the contrary! To demonstrate and prove it, I pondered what might be the top few spiritual laws that have been designed and operationalized to govern and influence life on earth, and to understand more fully how are they being implemented and enforced. Much of this, you may know consciously or subconsciously. Given the rapidly declining state of the quality of life on earth, a review of this is indicated. 

Ok, so how does it work?

God has established and gives us His spiritual laws. He sends teachers to instruct us therein. The Bible affirms and demonstrates satan seeks to trap us into breaking these laws in order to accuse us in Heaven’s High Courtroom. Once he has a case against us, God allows us Grace for to repent (time and opportunity to change our thinking and ways). If/when we do, we escape being judged for having broken the relevant law(s). If we do not repent, but persist in our law breaking ways, God, as the ultimate just Judge, must pass judgment to be carried out/executed by angels or devils (fallen angels), or by animals, microbes, the environment, etc., as necessary and assigned. If God doesn’t pass due judgment, He would have to abdicate His Throne to another, ultimate and just judge. None higher exists! Passing judgment allows executioner beings (both angels and devils) access to our lives, whose modus operandi is to carryout God’s judgment sentence. Such destruction is NOT necessarily related to the assured salvation of a sincere Christ-believer. It does relate more to our daily walk through this life. Thus, God iteratively affirms, if there are calamities, crises, tragedies and disasters, He, as The Lord over everything in His creation, is ultimately and personally behind them. (Isaiah 45:7 and Amos 3:6) After all, He is Sovereign over ALL of His great creation. Nothing happens therein without His express knowledge or approval. He’s The Boss! 

So what are the priority spiritual laws; how are they being implemented and enforced; and how might they relate to crises you may have personally experienced or witnessed? Here is my take, presented in a series, based on considerable pondering of this very complex topic. Hopefully you will be inspired to do your own pondering and share your thoughts as well.

#1. The Law of Love.  This is God’s overarching/enveloping law. I prefer to view it as the ‘God bubble’, akin to amniotic fluid in which all things exist. [This fluid, generated during pregnancy, reportedly has a perfect/neutral pH level of 7.0 - 7.5– the balance between alkalinity and acidity.] Within this context, God has ordained a set of supporting spiritual laws that, when respected, maintain perfect balance. When disrespected, however, life on earth becomes out of balance, highly spiritually and physically acidic/toxic (the equivalent of lower spiritual pH levels).

Within this framework, the set of supporting laws are symbiotic or inter-dependent, tightly connected.

#2. The Law of Sowing and Reaping. This law stipulates that, sooner or later, we shall inescapably reap what we sow. This is an inescapable law that governs everything in, and beyond life. It is the principal force that overshadows every other supporting spiritual law. The requirements of the other supporting spiritual laws are the ‘seeds’ on which this law exerts its force and impact. I regard it as God’s great incentive law – incentivizing us to be careful in paying attention to the details of our life’s walk. We have inverted this law as The Golden Rule - do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

The Earth realm is designed as a field for planting and developing seed, and then harvesting fruit of that seed. This is not only true agriculturally, but also conceptually and spiritually, as well. Every living thing in the earth is designed to produce after its kind, according to its physical DNA code. This is not limited to physical reproduction. It also includes spiritual reproduction. This suggests the existence of a type of spiritual DNA, which I suspect may be our heart’s motives. Whatever we ‘plant’ spiritually, good or evil, reproduces after its kind. This law assures and insures that the fruits of our spiritual seeds will redound to us, specifically and individually, whether in this life or the next.

Given the ‘seed-time-harvest’ principle, all seeds, once planted, require time to develop, and then to produce their fruitful harvest. God allows each seed sown in an individual’s life to have its own time requirement. He alone determines what constitutes ‘the fullness of time’ in allowing us to reap the harvest of what we have sown. As a result, we plant seeds (of good or evil words and deeds) and cannot easily link them to their eventual fruitful harvest. Thus, we make the serious mistake of dismissing this inescapable law.

What is the source of spiritual DNA? Consider this:

Persistent, deep-rooted imaginations ‘seed’ or source the DNA of our beliefs; such beliefs source the DNA of our thoughts, etc., until such words source the DNA of our actions that, in turn, determine not only our life’s quality and longevity, but also our eternity. Could this be why God is so concerned with ‘the imaginations of our heart’? (Genesis 6:5, Genesis 8:21 and Luke 1:51)

Also consider this: To live is to sow; and to sow is to reap. There is no escape, so the better option is to pay attention to seeds we sow. NB: Everything is a type of seed! Learn to connect the dots between your situations/experiences and seeds you have sown months and even years ago.

Blessed pondering...

See: Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

Deceitfulness

Deceitfulness. What exactly is it? What are its finger and footprints? Since we humans are prone to being easily deceived, here are some of the major things we tend to trust not to deceive us, and some markers by which you can tell if you are walking on Deception’s territory.

The deceitfulness....

...of Youth is that it will last...forever

...of Work is that it should be our top priority

...of Death is that it is the end of life...forever

...of Sleep is that we can cheat it...cumulatively

...of Savings is that it will get us through rainy days

...of Marriage that it will solve our aloneness problems

...of Governments is that they will save us from ourselves

...of Children is that they will love us in our old age, proactively

...of Penal Institutions is that punishing crimes rehabilitates criminals

...of ‘Throw the Bums Out’ elections is that new bums won’t be elected

...of Spouses is that he/she will always be faithful, even when we aren’t

...of Food is that what we enjoy eating will not be harmful, now or later on

...of Money/Wealth is that it will meet all our needs, if only we could get more

...of Medicine is that it will solve most of our health problems, mainly with a pill

...of ‘The Next Administration’ is that it will save us from the last administration

...of Campaigns is that mud-slinging candidates are themselves not anchored in mud

...of Political Polls is that they are adequately representative and respondents are truthful

...of Exercise is that it will quickly reverse the cumulative effects of poor habits earlier in life

...of Elections is that the ‘zag’ elected in will end problems caused by the ‘zig’ just thrown out

...of Saving is that it will get us through rainy days, irrespective of whether we have honored God

...of Life Sentences is that sparing lives of the criminally violent is Godly, when it’s just expensive**

...of the ‘Informed Electorate’ is the assumption that voters use their intellect over their emotions

...of Police ‘Flaking’ * is that God blinks, doesn’t see, and the Law of Sowing/Reaping is on vacation

And finally,

the deceitfulness....

...of Devils is that they are a myth

...of Sin is that there is no penalty, ever

...of Deception is that...

you really haven’t been deceived!

Bottom line: 

Everything and every belief we tightly hold onto more than God 

will eventually fail us...guaranteed.

Trust in [and rely confidently on] the Lord with all your heart

and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

and He shall direct your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

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* Evidence planting

** Socially and financially

Truth-to-Power Speakers

Romans 12:18 wisely advises, ‘If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.’ One thing that can quickly dispel peace is speaking truth-to-power. How risky and potentially messy! Just ask Moses, Jeremiah, Jesus, Isaiah, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, and many others!

Like me, have you ever been thrust into wrestling with whether to speak truth-to-power, potentially disrupting peace, or to keep silent and cower to your fears, and suffer along with others the consequences of keeping silent? The strong grip of fear seems to tighten even more as truth >>>SCREAMS<<< to be released into the increasingly untenable situation. And it seems the mantle of speaking the truth has undeniably, and recognizably fallen upon…YOU! My, my, what will you do?!

Unless you are naturally confrontational, you may wrestle, first in research and then in prayer, seeking to clarify your own understanding of ‘truth’ in the matter at hand. Once your truth is established in your mind and spirit, the wrestling match may turn to seeking alternative voices who can carry ‘your’ load, but they are either present, but are even more reluctant than you are, or worse yet, they are non-existent! My, my, what will you do?!

You may then wrestle in prayer, seeking alternative modes of delivering your truth, whether directly, as in orally -- face-to-face as Moses was challenged to do with Pharaoh (with the support of Aaron), or indirectly, as in writing or via some appropriate ‘object lesson’ or example, hoping the intended target will ‘get it!’  My, my, what will you do?!

Alas! Facing more sleepless nights, early morning promptings of your spirit, and a stream of incredible imaginations about possible scenarios that may ensue, you finally find faith and courage to commit to speak truth as you know it. You may prepare and rehearse your spiel. You continue to pray, seeking to hear God’s affirming voice, and receive His reassuring peace, as you try to perceive what His possible lessons may be in leading you to this seeming dead end… or possibly new beginning.

Finally, you speak, releasing truth into a murky, confusing situation, with all the Grace you can muster, keeping in mind James 3:16.* Reactions will either be positive/constructive, or negative/destructive; short or long drawn out. Either way, you are now committed to your truth, and locked into the evolving, reactionary scenarios and their consequences.

--Now is the time to hold tightly onto the Grace you have received to get you this far. 

--Now is the time to extend Grace to others involved, as God presents opportunities to do so.

--Now is also the time to ‘...know testing of your faith produces patience’, and to ‘...let patience have its perfect work, so you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)

In our world, ‘power’ is derived from position, money, might and influence. While all of these trappings are very temporary, some ‘holders of power’ may  overlook this fact, and act accordingly. Over time, positions shift, money deflates, might wanes, and influence dissolves. Truth, however, remains, and God’s Truth, of course, is eternal. Speaking truth-to-power is not without risks, and the prospect can certainly risk ‘losing your head/mind’, both figuratively and also literally, as was the case with John, The Baptist. This is most certainly an area that must be handled with prayer and Grace.

As you reflect on the above and your own personal experiences with speaking truth-to-power, consider this. Paul’s admonition to ‘live peaceably with all men’ does not include ‘peace at any price’. When our pursuit of peace results in the suppression or crucifixion of Truth, we have gone too far. This is when we need to apply our spiritual guts and backbone to murky situations that will only become murkier if/as they are ignored, stepped around, and repressed. Been there; done that!

But in the midst of the mess is clearly not the time to start developing your spiritual guts and backbone. When? How? (Feel free to share your thoughts.)

Here’s my take. Feeding on God’s Truth (The Bible) daily enables us to (a) fall in love with Truth, (b) recognize Truth in life’s situations, and (c) become both willing and equipped to defend Truth as opportunities arise. Admittedly, this is a long-term process, but one definitely worth starting, intentionally. God is faithful, and He knows whether your heart’s intentions are to live peaceably with all men, but not peaceably at any price. Perhaps, only when we arrive at this point will He trust us with greater, deeper insights into His Truth, both to walk out in our lives… and to defend, as necessary.

Peace to you

(but not at any price~)

;o)

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* For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (James 3:16)