The River of Life
Monthly Archives: May 2021
Ep 198: Why fight racism?
The remarkable story of a white civil rights activist from Alabama
Ep 197: What does Lego teach us about life?
Perspectives from a Lego Master
Israel at War – Again. Why?
It is a familiar sound that had not been heard for a while: air raid sirens in major cities. People fleeing to bomb shelters. A thousand rockets had been fired into Israel within a period of 24 hours. While Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted many rockets, some got through, resulting in the death of six people, including an Arab father and daughter. Israel retaliated by bombing targets in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Several dozen people were killed, including Hamas leaders. It’s horrible, nasty, and deadly. But why now?
When it comes to the conflict between Israel & Palestine & the Arabs, it is easy to get it wrong. Part of the reason is that we are dealing with thousands of years of history, cultural clashes, and vastly different world-views. Also, there is temptation to over-simplify the causes of conflict, or view it from a one-dimensional secular political perspective. Unfortunately, the media has not helped – either through ignorance, ideological bias, or both.
Gaza & Hamas: The Gaza Strip is a small, overcrowded Palestinian enclave between Israel and Egyptian Sinai that came into being as a result of the 1948 Israel-Arab War. It is the most densely populated territory on earth, with 1.9 million people in territory 42 km by 6 km. From1967-2005, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip. Approximately 8,000 Jewish settlers live in 30% of the strip in 21 settlements. Then in 2005, Israel under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon unilaterally withdrew from the strip and handed it over to the Palestine National Authority in Ramallah. Two years later, in a violent coup the Islamist militant group Hamas seized the strip and has ruled it ever since. Thus, it was under Hamas that the wars with Israel began, including 2008-2009; 2012; and 2014.
More deadly: What makes the conflict of 2021 more deadly is that Hamas is much more heavily armed, thanks to its Iranian friends. The Islamic Republic provides money, training, and weaponry. Hamas rockets are now heading towards Israel’s two major cities: Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The latter’s population is one-third Arab and houses Islam’s third most holy site, the al Aqsa Mosque.
Yet, another ominous sign is that Arab citizens of Israel are rioting in tandem with the Hamas rocket fire. Normally quiescent, commentators say this is unprecedented and potentially deadly.
The multi-faceted nature of the current conflict needs some explanation within the short amount of space we have here. There has been unrest for several weeks. Consider the ingredients of a potential tinderbox.
• Iran has just celebrated its annual al Quds (Jerusalem) Day, highlighting Islam’s claim to the holy city and their hope of its recapture;
• Israel also celebrated its own ‘Jerusalem Day,’ which commemorates the reunification of the city after the Six Day War of 1967;
• A decades old legal dispute between Jewish landowners with Arab tenants/squatters in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, known also as Shimon ha-Tzadek;
• Clashes with rioters on the Muslim-owned el Haram el Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary), known also as Har Ha Bayit (Temple Mount).
• Arab videos on Tik Tok showing physical attacks on Jews. This is featured on official Palestinian television.
• Add to that the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan, when most Muslims are fasting during the day.
The Bigger Picture: The media will tell you the conflict is over the proposed Sheikh Jarrah Arab evictions (being appealed in the Israeli Supreme Court) or unrest at the Temple Mount. It is far bigger than that. For decades, the Arab world and the global community have said that the ‘Israel-Palestine issue’ is the most pressing foreign policy issue in the world today. Failure to resolve it would result in Middle East or even world war. Now, an increasing number of Arab states have lost patience and interest in the Palestinian cause, known in Arabic as al Qadiya al-Filastiniya. The Palestinians feel betrayed and want to get back on the Arab radar.
Other issues include inter-Palestinian division: Hamas, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority do not get along and the Arab world’s brokered attempts at reconciliation have failed. Another major challenge. Arab nations have their own issues to fix, including their response to Covid-19. They are concerned and annoyed over the alliance of Hamas with regional rivals Iran and Turkey. Donald Trump, ignoring decades of US foreign policy, stopped funding the Palestinians, opened an American Embassy in Jerusalem without major bloodshed and forged peace agreements with Israel and Muslim nations, known as the Abraham Accords. Trump disproved the prevailing notion that the Arab nations would never make a separate peace until the issue of Palestine was resolved. Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called for local elections which have not been held since 2006, then cancelled them and blamed Israel. The current US administration has restored funding to the Palestinians of $290 million. Hamas wanted to take the stage, ‘defend al Quds’ and ‘al Aqsa,’ while sending rockets towards Jerusalem!
Iran is fighting a proxy war with Israel through Hamas; who is not the only adversary. Iranian allies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen, all have the capability of firing rockets into Israel, thus broadening the war. In every direction Israel is under the shadow of rocket fire.
Spiritual side: When it comes to the Middle East conflict, there is more to the problem besides the politics. You have different religions and their respective theologies, including what will happen in the last days. Great insight can be gleaned from Psalm 2, which asks the question of why the nations are in turmoil? The bottom line has to do with their resistance, indeed, rebellion, to the living God.
Yet He who sits in the heavens shall laugh (v. 4) and, despite furious opposition, the Lord will place His king on the holy hill of Zion (v. 6). It is not a matter of partisan politics or divine favouritism – it is an issue of redemption for all people. By all means, in the current distress, pray for Israel and the Palestinians for peace and protection. Yet, since Bible-believing Christians believe that the king is coming, what we are witnessing may be nothing less than the birth pangs of a coming revival, if not the coming kingdom (vs. 8-12).
Christ is Risen! So What? | Episode 2
Resurrection – or Hedonism/Nihilism
Like a Bamboo Tree: How to Grow Spiritually and Quickly
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Life in the fast lane of the 21st Century requires spiritual strength and maturity. With potholes and speed bumps on the road and deep ditches on the side, it will take an amazingly resilient spiritual condition to keep steady and come out on top.
It is said that the bamboo tree has a very slow start. Its growth is short and measured. Then suddenly it miraculously shoots up overnight. In the coming days, we need to be like a bamboo forest.
Would you like to grow spiritually? And quickly? Experiencing God’s peace at all times, a flourishing prayer life where you get big answers and breakthroughs, and endowed with wisdom that unscrambles every riddle and points the way to a brighter future?
For the born again Christian, there are several key things that facilitate spiritual growth. These include:
1. Prayer: This is particularly important when it is done ‘in the Spirit’ and also in the ‘understanding’ (1 Corinthians 14:15). Prayer helps you become strong in God; failure to pray renders one spiritually weak (Matthew 26:41).
2. Discipleship: This is the core of the Great Commission, the only assignment God ever gave the church. Described in Matthew 28:18-20 (and elsewhere), the Commission involves teaching believers to know and obey the commandments of Christ.
3. Fellowship: Interrelated to prayer and discipleship is fellowship – a key component of Christian life and growth.
TOP PRIORITY
Yet, here is something that should be top priority for every believer. We are called to learn the Word of God. The reasons are wonderful and compelling. The Word of God is:
1. Protection from error;
2. Good seed to the seeker, sincere milk to the babe, and strong meat to the mature;
3. A lamp to our feet and a light to our path;
4. Able to make you wise to salvation;
5. Endures forever;
6. Quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword;
7. Other metaphors of the Bible: mirror, hammer, fire, laver, honey, rain, snow, bow, gold, and power
It’s simple: Jesus tells us that we don’t live by food alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Without its light, power, nourishment, we become distracted, dark, and weak like any other man.
God’s Word is more important than food itself.
Amos 8:11 speaks about a famine in the land, not of bread and water but of hearing the word of the Lord. There are credible and dramatic reports of an increase of Biblical illiteracy. This is a serious problem, because it prevents us from having a Biblical worldview. When Christians lacks a Biblical worldview, they think, speak, and act like people in the world.
Ignorance of God’s Word leads to serious error (Matthew 22:29; Mark 12:24). Furthermore, spiritual growth is stunted and people are caught off guard when trials and challenges come.
REMEDY
How can we get a healthy diet of God’s Word? It helps to attend services at a Bible-based church, where the Scriptures are preached with faith, anointing, and without compromise. For some, they can only access such priceless messages through the internet.
Even if you get a ‘ten course banquet’ each weekend, it simply is not enough. What about the other six days of the week?
Some think that by going to Bible college, you will become an expert in the Word. This author served as a lecturer and principal in a leading Australian Bible college: No, you will not be an expert at the time of your graduation. Bible college can help lay a good foundation for a life-time of study, but your only beginning, not finishing, your walk in the Word. Nor does Bible college guarantee spiritual growth, particularly if the emphasis more academic than spiritual and practical.
The truth is that spiritual growth comes from a regular intake of God’s Word, particularly quiet time or personal devotions; this is a must. Yet, let’s face it, many do not know how to set aside the time for devotions or even have the discipline of study.
Is there a remedy for all this?
Yes, join or start a small group textual Bible study that is interactive. Provided that the facilitator has a good guide and the participants are given quality material, it is amazing how much you will learn and grow together. It is recommended to do textual studymore than topical study. Both are great but textual study forces you to engage with the very words of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak volumes into your heart. Because you are in an interactive group, iron sharpens iron; you will learn from others and they from you.
Make this a priority and watch for the coming breakthrough in your life.
The Seventh Commandment – Part 04: Adultery & New Testament Teaching
A Christian theologian and culture war blogger sent out an SOS message to his readers: Help. HeChr had just posted a blog on the benefits of Biblical Christian sexual morality and was being mercilessly attacked online. Yes, the unchurched were at him but he could handle it. He’s an experienced debater. It was the putative Christians who criticised him as well that precipitated the SOS. The blogger wanted his readers to comment in support of his stance.
It may sound strange that there is not a solid consensus on something as fundamental as Biblical morality. One of the key reasons is that only a fraction of Christians have a Scriptural worldview whereby they live. Biblical illiteracy is the key reason for this.
This author simply asks those who dissent:
1. Did God relax His holy standards in the New Testament?
2. Did God tighten His standards in the New Testament?
3. Are God’s clear standards still applicable today?
4. Finally, is western society better or worse off by adopting the ways of the 1960s sexual revolution?
In this fourth and final part of The Seventh Commandment, which condemns adultery, we focus on what the New Testament actually says. As you read, please ask yourself: do these standards still hold true today?
A key New Testament passage on this subject is 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, originally written to a church that was zealous for spiritual gifts but showed shocking tolerance towards sexual immorality.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Our bodies (v. 15): While there has been modern emphases about ‘It’s my body, I can do what I want with it,’ the Biblical Christian response needs to be ‘my body is now Christ’s body’ and the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit.’ Keeping these points in mind, the exhortation to moral purity becomes all the more real and sensible. After all, to take a ‘member of Christ’s body’ and physically team up with a harlot, or any other non-spouse, is abhorrent. Physical intercourse renders a person as ‘one-flesh,’ whether with a spouse or stranger. The ramifications are massive.
Practical side: The same apostle who tells us to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) tells us also to flee (6:11; 1 Corinthians 15:20), in this case, fornication. It is a sin against the body and God himself. Please remember, all you who name the Name of Jesus: it’s God’s body now (Romans 12:1). Don’t do anything with it without His leading or permission. Our bodies and spirits are to be used for His glory.
Sexual sin is bad news for anyone, anytime. It can disappoint, discourage, and destroy. When it happens in the church, and especially among leaders, it is beyond scandal. While we want to avoid being harshly judgemental, discipline of the offender is the only recourse. They have despised the LORD (2 Samuel 12:9-10) and used His name in vain (Proverbs 30:9). There can be discipline and eventual restoration, but not without repentance and a period of probation. Such moral failure need not be inevitable, but remember, it doesn’t happen overnight, either. Failure to repent can have harrowing consequences (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19-21). Of interest, (spiritual) adultery is labelled the condition of an apostate church (Revelation 17:1-5).
An Exorbitant Price
In order to encourage people to walk in moral purity, bear in mind that sexual sin has a very high price tag. Please consider:
1. Disease: For many people, the Russian roulette of fornication/adultery is that the woman may become pregnant. It is always better to have a child after marriage, but conception outside of marriage is not an excuse for abortion, either. The child within, made in the image of God, needs to be protected and cared for like anyone else; it is not a punishment from God. Practically speaking, pregnancy is only possible three days out of the month. However, a more serious issues is sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which can be contracted 24/7. Just one encounter can give you a life-sentence of STDs, even if they are of the non-fatal variety. Is it really worth it?
2. Emotional: Since physical intercourse brings ‘oneness’ between the two parties, anything less than sex with a person who has made a Godly commitment towards the other, is a big gamble. In the absence of such a commitment, one party can walk away and leave the other in tatters. It can take months and years to recover, if ever.
3. Spiritual: Even if a person escapes STDs and emotional upset, this last one is unavoidable. There is a spiritual dimension. One Bible teacher likened marital sex as a life-giving stream but sexual immorality as a broken sewer pipe. Again, graphic terms but they convey the fact that highest price tag of all is alienation from the living God (Revelation 21:8; 22:15). Only repentance, the gospel of Christ, and the new birth can give you the forgiveness and cleansing necessary, to start a new chapter.
Are you ready?
It is time to get right and cleansed before the LORD; the coming revival requires nothing less. Moral purity is a small price to pay for a lifetime of blessing and honour from Almighty God Himself.
How can we go beyond the Facebook friend?
How to build really great friendships
The Kingly Messiah: Why Study the Gospel of Matthew? Part 01
Purpose of the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew’s apparent purpose is to persuade a primarily Jewish audience the case that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-awaited ‘Son of David’ and ‘Messiah of Israel.’ He does so by highlighting the following:
1.
1. Fulfilled Old Testament prophecy,
2. Christ’s supernatural conception,
3. The flight to Egypt,
4. The use of parables,
5. His genealogy via Abraham and David,
6. The testimony of God the Father and the Holy Spirit at His Jordan River baptism,
7. The witness of John the Baptist,
8. Sermons,
9. Discourses and,
10. Emphasis on His many miracles.
Introduction to the New Testament
The Gospel of Matthew is the beginning of what we call the ‘New Testament’ or ΗE ΚΑΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ (He Kaine Diatheke), which is ‘The New Covenant.’ The word ‘covenant’ comes from the Hebrew ברית berith, a binding agreement between two parties which is ratified by a sacrifice and the subsequent shed blood. It is the last will and testament of the testator, namely Jesus Christ, Whose blood initiates the new covenant, first promised Jeremiah 31:31-34.
The New Testament is an anthology of books, written in Koine Greek, the international common language of the 1st Century AD. It teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, practical Christian living, and highlights ‘things to come.’ The New Testament does not replace the Old; it in fact is the sequel. Without the Old, we could not understand the New.
For our purposes, the ‘new covenant’ can be described as God’s work of atonement and reconciliation between Himself and humanity through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. He is called the ‘Mediator’ of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15).
‘Gospel’ is known as evangelion Ευαγγελιον , from ευ good, and αγγελια a message, or ‘good news,’ ‘glad tidings.’ This news is so great that it brings joy. This good news is that through God’s unilateral initiative to bring reconciliation between Himself and humanity through Jesus Christ, Lord of all, who tasted death for every man. His death was for our offences and His resurrection for our justification (Romans 4:25). Those who believe this good news will receive the new birth, forgiveness of sins, mercy from God the Righteous One, and the gift of eternal life. This priceless gospel is known as the ‘free gift’ (Romans 5:15,16,18).
Other New Testament phrases for the gospel include:
• The Gospel of God concerning his Son. Romans 1:1 , 3 .
• The Gospel of the Son of God. Romans 1:9 .
• The Gospel of the kingdom of God. Matthew 4:23 ; 9:35 ; 24:14 ; Mark 1:14 .
• The Gospel. Mark 13:10 ; Mark 16:15 .
• The word or doctrine (λογος) of the Gospel. Acts 15:7 .
• The Gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15 .
• The Gospel of glory 1 Timothy 1:11 .
• The Gospel of salvation
The gospel of eternal salvation in Christ is told through ‘four gospel narratives,’ Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There has been debate of whether Matthew’s Gospel was originally written in Greek or in Hebrew (or Aramaic) and then translated into Greek. Why the latter? Because the extensive use of Hebrew idioms led scholars to believe the original gospel was in Hebrew, since the Greek translation of these idioms can be a little awkward. The current Greek text was published very early in church history.
Summary: In the Gospel of Matthew, the case is built that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-awaited kingly Messiah, for Israel and the world. In our estimation, Matthew through the Holy Spirit did an outstanding job.
GREEK NAME OF MATTHEW
From the Greek Kata Matthaion, according to Matthew.
AUTHOR OF THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
The general consensus is that the author of the Gospel of Matthew is Matthew Levi, according to the early church fathers. Eusebius, the ancient church historian, quotes Papias who said that Matthew wrote in Aramaic before the gospel was written in Greek.
Matthew Levi, son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve original apostles of Jesus. Originally a despised tax collector for Rome in Capernaum, who got up and left everything in order to follow Jesus. He is the one that gave a great reception in his home in honour of Jesus.
Some question Matthew’s authorship because, if he were one of the Twelve Apostles, why does he heavily rely on Mark’s gospel, who was not one of the Twelve? Why isn’t he more ‘personal,’ like John’s Gospel? These issues are not so serious; after all, there can be stylistic issues, including being more formal and less personal in such an important document.
From Meltdown to Mountaintop: Making a Dynamic Ascent from the Lowest Valley Part 01
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God — 1 Samuel 30:6
Meltdown (noun): A disastrous event, like the fall of share prices; an accident at a nuclear reactor, a nervous breakdown, an emotional outburst.
It happened to Job: He had gone from plenty and blessing to trial and tribulation, losing assets and family members all in one day. His was possibly the most extreme example of compound intense suffering in history
Yet it also happened to the ‘man after God’s own heart,’ King David. When he and his 600 men returned to their city of Ziklag, it had been burned with fire and their wives, children, and possessions were missing. The only consolation is that nobody was slain but they were hostages in the custody of the carnal Amalekites.
Here in 1 Samuel 30:6, we learn that David and the mighty men were reduced to tears and continued to weep until they ran out of strength. The mood went from grey to black. Now the spirit of mourning for sons and daughters turned into the spirit of murder: the mighty men spoke openly of stoning their leader David. The man who they followed and adored for years now was in the line of fire.
Please note: Persistent worry, fear, fretting, and despair, can and does lead to rebellion and sin. It must have been the darkest moment of David’s life. The men of David had been loyal to him throughout many challenges, starting from their gathering at the Cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2). However, their grief was leading them to a tipping point.
After all, David was the leader. It was his responsibility to ensure the safety of all his people at Ziklag, including the women and children. Why did he take all the men and not leave a sufficient number behind to guard Ziklag? The answer was unknown and puzzling. Did he think the place was untouchable? That he had eliminated enough potential opposition? We just don’t know what David was thinking.
In summary, the grief and fear led to potential rebellion. If David was in a low mood, his men were even lower. They were not in a good frame of mind or spiritual condition. He was not yet king and if he failed to take wise and quick action, all would be lost.
Fortunately, David, had a track record of walking with God. At the end of this key verse was a note of hope: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
WORD WISE: The Hebrew word for ‘encouraged’ is hazaq, used 290 times in the Old Testament. Hazaqis translated ‘strong’ 43 times; ‘strengthened’ 28 times; ’strengthen’ 14 times; ‘encourage’ 9 times; and ‘courage’ 8 times.[1]
Encouragement brings strength and strength begets courage.
David knew the location of the spout where the blessings flow out. He was experienced at finding the secret place, the hiding place, the Cave of Adullam, to retreat and be recharged in the presence of the Lord. This was the wisest course of action he could have taken and it led to a stunning reversal, from misfortune to massive blessing, from valley bottom to mountaintop.
How did he do it? And how do we encourage and strengthen ourselves in the Lord?
• Focus on God’s personhood: With the Bible as your guide, mediate on God – His holiness, nearness, care as a good shepherd, faithfulness, and more.
• Focus on God’s promises: There are many wonderful promises of God and they are all ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• Focus on past victories: Reflecting on the faithfulness of God for past victories brings encouragement that the Lord, who never changes, will do it again for you, today and in the future.
• Focus on praise and thanksgiving: This under-utilised practice can get awesome results (2 Chronicles 20:20-22).
• Know ‘who you are ‘ and ‘where you stand:’ This cannot be emphasised enough. Ignorance is the darkness that stokes the fires of fear. Knowing the facts, your legal rights, and how things work, can be helpful. Knowing your position in Christ is transformational. If we are on solid ground – and we know it – then we can handle the situation far better.
Next time: We will see how David responded and how you can respond today.
TO BE CONTINUED
[1] “H2388 – ḥāzaq – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 8 May, 2021. https://www.blueletterbible.org//lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2388&t=KJV