Seven Times

"For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity." ( Prov. 24:16 NKJV) This is one of the best illustrations of the Christian life. One thinks of how many times that Peter the apostle sinned, fell, or failed. Jesus rebukes him, he denies the Lord three times, and even after being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he occasions rebuke by Paul because of hypocrisy. (Cf. Gal 2:11ff) Yet he keeps getting up and following Jesus. In the final verse of his second letter, Peter encourages the believers to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." ( 2 Peter 3:18 NKJV) The important thing is to continue in the right direction, balancing His love with His truth, both exhorting and extending mercy, not sloughing off but not emulating the Pharisees. Over time I have met a few "rigorists," people who believe that they are the arbiters of genuine Christian faith, that their interpretation and application of the Scripture is the only correct one, and that they have a God ordained mission to coerce others to their understanding. Probably I recognize these people because I used to be one... before I received God's love for me personally. Now I'm not so positive of my view of things; I am just trying to follow Jesus. I read His statement that apart from Him we can do nothing. ( John 15:5) I contemplate the verse that finally broke the back of my own hubris. "If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" ( 1 John 4:20 NKJV) May we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. ( 1 Peter 5:6 NKJV)

Paying for Other People's Sins

One of the most tragic but common phenomenons is the reality that we often pay for someone else's sins. What do I mean by this? If we have been mistreated or abused by someone in our past, and we have not forgiven that person, and the emotional/spiritual wound has not been healed, then we are likely to over react. To use a physical illustration, if we suffer a severe burn on our arm and it is not treated nor bandaged, then the slightest contact will cause it to hurt, and we may scream as a result. If we do have the burn treated and bandaged then the same slight contact will not have the same effect. When people respond in a disproportionate way to something that has happened, I believe that oftentimes unhealed/forgiven wounds are the cause.
How do we avoid this? Proverbs indicates that we can choose to take, or not to take offense. "The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult." (12:16) "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Prov. 19:11 ESV) Jesus exemplifies this on the cross when He says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:24 ESV)
Sometimes the offense is so great that we are overwhelmed. Then we must call out to God for His power to forgive. Cry out for His compassion and receive His love for us personally. If we don't then we end up punishing person B for person A's sins.

"Inside the Revolution"

Thought I'd try another book review. Have just completed "Inside the Revolution," by Joel C. Rosenberg. Mr. Rosenberg is of mixed Jewish/Gentile ancestry, came to Christ in 1975, became a journalist and a successful fiction author before turning to non-fiction centering on the Muslim world. "Inside the Revolution," is a 2009 publication focusing on three major trends happening with Islam. First, he details the rise of the modern jihad movement from the accession of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 to the leadership of Iran, after toppling the Shah. It is a chilling account of the fanatical figures determined to destroy Israel and the U.S., a goal downplayed by our nation's elites. The second section chronicles the efforts of prominent moderate reformers within Islam such as King Mohammad VI of Morocco, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd from Irag, and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. Needless to say, Rosenberg presents a much different perspective than one receives from American media. The final section details the courageous faith of Muslim converts to Christianity in some of the most dangerous countries in the world. Especially encouraging is the spread of faith in Christ in Irag, Iran, Egypt, and Pakistan. Loving one's neighbors and one's enemies is a powerful recipe for conversion. As I've heard elsewhere, many Muslims are turning to Christ from dreams and visions of Him. May I encourage my readers to take a look at this powerful witness to God's sovereign work among Muslims.