Who Do You Say That I Am?

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“Who do you say that I am?”

The question cut through the nighttime air with certainty. I remember thinking in that moment, it all comes down to this, doesn’t it?

The Master had taken the twelve of us to Caesarea Philippi. It was a field trip like none other we had ever ventured. Three years we had walked where He walked. Three years we had followed. And now, He brought us here?

This place was unlike any we had ever been before. I had heard of this worship center to the Greek fertility gods, but always with the admonition “you don’t ever want to go there… the sin is as vile as Sodom and Gomorrah.” And in the first few minutes of our arrival we understood why. We tried, in vain, to hide our eyes from the immorality that was on public display for all to see. The beat of the music was rhythmic. The chanting and cheering, deafening. The bonfires illuminated moving shadows on the rocky walls of the cliffs. There were people and animals everywhere.  And nothing was considered taboo.

Most of us were young men, just beginning to get a handle on life… and what it might mean to live worthy of being called His disciple.  And this sure didn’t look like anything Almighty God would be pleased about.  We saw the cave from where the Jordan River began. And we knew that this was the place where the Greeks said was the opening to death, to Hades, itself.

He called us together and against this backdrop He asked: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” John said, “Elijah.” Andrew replied: “John the Baptist.” I looked at Matthew as he said: “Some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Jesus then looked my direction. A fire behind me flickered in His eyes. “What about you, Simon? Who do you say that I am?”

Three years I had watched Him heal the brokenhearted. Three years I had witnessed chains falling off of people. Three years of seeing miracle after miracle. I honestly don’t know if I had truly made up my mind until that very second, but I knew it to be true. “You are Yeshua Hamashiach. Jesus, the Messiah.” I looked at the people all around us worshipping these false Greek gods and added. “You are the Son of the Living God.”

He smiled for the first time since we had arrived and said: “Blessed are you Simon. You didn’t come to this conclusion by seeing what is all around you… but your Father, my Father in Heaven, spoke this to you… Spirit to Spirit.”

And then He said: “From now on, I will call you Peter, the Rock.” And with one hand on my shoulder and another pointing at the stone cliff behind us, He said, “And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Truly, my life changed in that instant. I felt this great mantle being placed on me… this spiritual anointing. I knew it was up to me, and to all of the disciples… we were being commissioned for a monumental assignment… to go into all the world.

My life has been a major up and down ever since… I challenged Him the next day or so and He replied by calling me Satan. A week later, we had a sweet and tender Passover together… He was arrested…  I denied I knew Him… He was crucified… and rose again… Days later, we saw Him on the seashore… had breakfast with Him. And three times He asked me if I loved Him… oh, how I love Him…

It’s been years since that Spring night in Caesarea Philippi. I try, but I still fail at life so much, I’m not much of a rock…

He’s the Rock, really. He’s my Rock.

 

Some of the words, actions and thoughts, perhaps, of Peter and Jesus and the disciples, found in Matthew 16.

Many will say the confession at Caesarea Philippi, is truly the turning point in Peter’s faith journey.  He comes face to face with a query every single one of us have faced, or will face. Maybe today is your time to answer this key question: Who is Jesus? Who do you say that He is?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NIV)

 

(C) 2017. Rich Ronald.

God promised. So Simeon waits and watches…

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Simeon perhaps? God promised that he would see Messiah before he died. And he did!
The Old Man by Annu from trekearth.com   Simeon perhaps? God promised that he would see Messiah before he died. And he did!

I’ve tried to live a devout life. My parents were good Jews. They brought me up in the traditions of the Temple.  My father’s name is Hillel. We lived along the Coast of the Great Sea. Three times each year, the whole family journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts.

I married and had my own family and repeated the same traditions. We also came up to Jerusalem three times each year.  We celebrated Pesach, the Passover, in the Spring… Shavuot, Pentecost, in the summer… and Yom Kippur and Sukkoth each fall. These are special times for all of Israel, but especially for us devout Jews. It’s a time to remember how Jehovah delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt, how He gave us His Law and how he cared for us during our wanderings, before we entered the Promised Land.  Since my wife died I’ve decided just to stay here in Jerusalem.  It’s easier on this old body of mine. I spend my days near the Temple. God is present in my life every moment.  I pray. I sing. I do odd jobs for the priests. I pray for people who come by. I enjoy Jehovah’s presence in my life. I can sense His Spirit. It is real. He has blessed me more than I’ll ever begin to be able to tell you.

It was about 50 years ago… during the Feast of Tabernacles when we all came up to remember the roamings of our ancestors through the desert… we set up small tents called Sukkahs to live in for the week. And we gathered for a festive time of remembering.  It was during the worship celebration at the temple; the high priest had just returned back from the Kidron Brook with a vessel of water from Siloam’s Pool to pour out on the altar. In the frenzy of the crowd shouting “Hosanna” I heard the voice of Jehovah.  He spoke to me as I am I speaking to you now.  All the noise of the crowd went silent in my head. And He said: “Simeon. You will not die before you see my Chosen One, the Messiah, in Whom I will deliver all of Israel. From Him will come streams of Living Water, not just a pitcher of water. And He will be poured out for the redemption of all of Israel.” In the midst of this great worship service, I was stunned! Living water?  Poured out? The Messiah. Yes, we know He will come some day. But in my lifetime? How wonderful that day will be!  Will it be as Joel has promised? Will the prophesies come true?  Will Elijah truly come again before Messiah?

I am an old man now and I have dreamed dreams of His coming again. I’ve spent the rest of my life watching, waiting, wondering… who could it be? Will he be like Moses or more like Joshua? He must be a young adult, at least, and God is shaping Him into our powerful King and Messiah. Every time I see Herod speak before the crowds I look around and ask myself… could Messiah be a Jewish officer in Herod’s castle waiting to be revealed? What mighty legion of soldiers does he lead?  Or maybe he is a governor, or a synagogue ruler by this point in his life?

Some have said he will come from the Galilee. Ha! There’s nothing but farmers and fishermen up there!

Whoever he is, I know I will recognize him in the blink of an eye. He will be as strong as David when He routed the Philistines! He will be as wise as David’s son Solomon.  He will rule our people with power in one hand and grace and love in the other. He will deliver us from the oppressors, be it Rome or Egypt, once and for all. Isaiah says he will come to heal the brokenhearted. And those who mourn in Zion? They will rejoice!

Ah, look. There is a couple with a young baby. They always want a blessing, these new parents. I must go into the temple.  Funny, the priest is quite capable. But he always asks me. “Simeon. Come bless this new child,” he says.  “They rather have the old man’s blessing than the priest’s.”

So, I will go.  And I will keep looking. Yahweh promised me… I’m confident He will be true to His word.

I wonder if they are of the tribe of Judah?  Maybe the father is someone special?

 

The actions and musings, perhaps, of Simeon, the one who blessed Jesus and his parents, at the temple on the appointed day. As recorded in Luke, Chapter 2.
Is there a promise you are waiting and watching for God to answer? Have faith that He will keep His promises!
(C) 2016 Rich Ronald

“Have mercy on me, oh God…”

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You do still love me, right?
You do still love me, right?

I know a lot of things. It comes with the territory. God speaks to me. He reveals His truths to me. And He puts me in positions to hear and to learn of things. He then calls me to act.

And right now, He has graciously given me the assignment of watching over our king.

My name is Nathan. And I serve in the royal court of David, the King of Israel.  Our majesty has a good heart. He truly does. Like all of us, sometimes he is selfish, and his pride gets in the way of God’s best.

Such is the case of the shepherd boy turned monarch and his major lack of judgement. I honestly had trouble believing it when Bathsheba confided in me. Certainly I could understand how any man would be swayed by her beauty. But first it was one thing, then another and another… and as she unveiled each new plot twist of the story my heart broke for both of them.

By now the whole kingdom knows what kind of man our sovereign is… He is a voyeuristic, lustful, conniving, wife-stealing, adulterer, who committed murder to cover up his wretched ways.  Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? And, indeed, it is. Who wants a ruler like that? Aren’t those in power supposed to be above the fray of life’s messes? Or, do we, just maybe, prefer someone in a seat of power whose day-to-day family life is as chaotic as ours? Could it be that it shows how human and ordinary they are?

Time elapsed and worry increased. Fear of being caught began to enter the scene. When confronted with his sin, David had two choices… more coverups, more lies, more asserting his standing and power, more murders, perhaps? Indeed, as I spoke to him in quiet whispers that cool day in his chambers, I wondered if my own life might be at stake… Or, the other choice: David could open his heart and concede to his disgraceful acts. When the Lord revealed David’s muddled mess to me and I challenged the king about it, our ruler did the right thing. The gravity of his actions began to make his heart race and his lips quiver. He uttered six words: “I have sinned against the Lord.”  And he began to sob uncontrollably. He fell to his knees and grabbed my tunic.

As his mentor and friend, can I say I’m proud of him? Lessor men, like his predecessor Saul, are full of excuses. Certainly David could have suggested it was a combination of Bathsheba’s and her husband Uriah’s doing. David might have blamed it on his wife Michal and her coolness to the way he worshipped before God. David could have invoked some sort of royal privilege, I suppose. No. Our king confessed.

He later showed me how he wrestled with Yahweh about this terrible sin. You know, David really connects with God through worship. So, the musician wrote a song that began with this plea: “Have mercy on me, oh God, according to your unfailing love…”

David knows that God and only God can blot out man’s transgressions. Only God can wash away our iniquities. Only God can restore to us the joy of His salvation.

God’s judgement against David and Bathsheba was to take the life of their son. Again, that is horrible. But God’s grace is new today, and every day. The royal couple will have another son soon. And God has assured me that His hand will be on this heir, in ways that reflect God’s steadfast spirit and astute wisdom. They will call this child “Solomon.”

 

Some of the words, actions and thoughts, perhaps, of Nathan the Prophet and David the King from 2 Samuel 11 and 12 and Psalm 51.

 

(c) 2016 Rich Ronald

Wrestling with God and Receiving His Blessing

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I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me.
I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.

 

They called me “The Deceiver” at birth. And yes, I have lived up to the name.  But others have deceived me as well. I guess butting heads with people is just something I’ve always done. They say my twin brother and I even wrestled inside our mother’s womb.

Esau was born just a few minutes before I was. He was dad’s favorite. I was mom’s. Even though we shared the same birthday, Esau had certain rights as the first born. For some reason, he didn’t value the privilege. There was this time when he came in from hunting and I been preparing lunch. Some say he sold his inheritance for a bowl of soup. Truthfully, I actually sold him a bowl of soup for his inheritance.

That was just the beginning. One day, our mother Rebekah came to me with a command, not a suggestion. She wanted me to outright steal Esau’s blessing from our father Isaac. He was old and almost blind, so we worked out a scheme. It worked better than I imagined. 

He spoke words over me that God had spoken over my grandfather Abraham. The same words spoken by God to my father also: “People will serve you. Nations will bow down to you. Those who curse you will be cursed. Those who bless you will be blessed.”

Now Esau was not very pleased when he found out that I had parlayed a bowl of soup into a direct blessing for my future. He hated me. But a word is a promise and my father stuck to his word. He blessed me and sent me back to our homeland to find a wife. And again my father Isaac gave me the blessing of Abraham.

So I went and I’m thinking this life of treachery is paying off. I like it. 

One night, on my way to the lands of our ancestors, I had a dream. I saw angels on a ladder to heaven. And then God himself declared to me words in the vision I had heard often in our family: “Your descendants will be like the dust, spread out in every direction on earth. And you will be blessed.” When I awoke I made an altar and a vow: If God takes care of me, then He shall be my God.

So, as I journeyed further I met a beautiful woman named Rachael. She was a shepherdess and I was determined that she was to be my bride. And I worked for her father for seven years to earn his trust and her hand. But it was my turn to be deceived as her father Laban, my distant relative, forced me to marry her older sister Leah first. So then I worked another seven years for Rachael.  And Laban and I did not get along well. He forced me to work another four years. And during this time Leah gave me six sons and a daughter. I fathered four other sons through servant girls and Rachael gave me Joseph.

After many more struggles with Laban, thankfully, we finally reconciled, and I took my wives, my sons, my daughter, my sheep and cattle. And I knew it was time to meet up again with my estranged brother Esau. Last I knew he hated me. And I couldn’t blame him.

God said He’d take care of me. Yet, I felt I wasn’t worthy to receive His mercies. I sent my family and the gifts of many heads of cattle on ahead of me hoping it would impress my brother, even soften his heart for our first meeting together in over 20 years. I remained back in a solitary spot by the Brook of Jabbok.

That was yesterday. And you wouldn’t believe what has happened since.

Last night, I couldn’t sleep. The air was crisp and the moonlight bright. I tossed and turned as I began thinking about my family, my life, who I was and how the promises of God would hold true for me. Wondering if I deserved His grace? Anxiety and fear filled my mind as I imagined what would happen today when I met my brother.

I stared up at the stars, pondering the words of my grandfather that our family would be as many as those twinkling lights. A man approached in the shadows of the night. He challenged me. Threw me to the ground. Wrestled with me. This continued for hours. I would not be defeated. We tumbled down the banks and splashed into the water. And then rolled up again to the camp. He grabbed the socket of my hip and it hurt with intense pain. And as the new day began to dawn this very morning He commanded me to let go and concede defeat.

I’ve been wrestling with people since the womb, I would not let go. In fact, I told Him so. I said the only way I’d release my grip would be to receive His blessing. He asked my name and I said: “Jacob.” The Man replied, “From now on, your name is Israel. For you have wrestled with God, and with man, and have prevailed.” I have wrestled with God? What was He saying?

At that moment, I released my grip on the Almighty Himself. And He blessed me.  As promised, God has dealt graciously with me!

When I looked up, I saw my brother Esau across the way. He and 400 men. I thought to myself, “this can go one of two ways.” With great humility, I bowed low before my brother. It was the moment of truth. He would either embrace me or murder me.  He jumped on me and grabbed my neck! And then he kissed me. We wept together. We are reconciled! As I am with God.

I introduced Esau to all my children and Rachael and Leah. And all the cattle… the flocks and the herds. We are journeying home now. He’s gone up ahead. We’re a little slower with the children and all.

God has blessed me time and time again. With my all sons, I believe we will soon be those people… those whom will be blessed to be a blessing to all the world.

And even though, because of the overnight struggle, I’ll likely walk with a limp the rest of my days, it’s good to be home. It’s good to be home.

 

Some of the words, actions and thoughts perhaps of Jacob, the son of Isaac the son of Abraham. As recorded in Genesis 25-35.

 

(c) 2016. Rich Ronald.

Something so simple can be such a blessing!

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"I Care So I Run" for children around the globe with Team World Vision.
“I Care So I Run” for children around the globe with Team World Vision.

I’m training for the New York City Marathon. My “Long Run” this past week was 14 miles. In the brutal heat of August in South Texas. When the sun comes up and it’s 90+ degrees before you know it.

About Mile 12 I’m running up a long hill. For those of you in San Antonio, it’s New Braunfels Avenue, up from Austin Highway into Alamo Heights. It doesn’t seem like much of a hill when you are driving a car…

Anyway, I’m a hot, sweaty mess as the cadence of my feet pound out eleven-minute-miles. Up ahead I see an older guy mowing his lawn. He stops mowing and disappears into the garage. He reappears right as I’m approaching his driveway. In his hand is a single bottle of water, which I initially assumed he has gotten for himself. And then, with a big smile on his face, he reaches out and hands it to me! “Looks like you need this!” he says.

I told him he was a blessing. And truly he was! You see, I carry water on my belt. And I was rationing my water for the last two miles. I really didn’t need the water. But let me tell you… his water was COLD! Refreshing. It was extra, so I could drink some and then pour some down the back of my neck. Oooh, it was invigorating! It was a luxury. It was a true blessing!

And then I turned my thoughts to World Vision and their efforts in Africa. The water the kids walk 6 miles for each day is like the water on my belt. But then, when the local water committees team with World Vision to bring a water system to the village, that’s a luxury. It’s an abundant blessing!

I’m reminded of the words of Jesus to the woman at the well in John 4:14: ” whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The image I see when I hear the phrase “welling up” is a waterfall. An abundant flow of God’s love that rushes in us to refresh us, then out of us to refresh others.

Like a cold bottle of water from a total stranger. A blessing.

And when we run for kids — for World Vision’s Clean Water or Child Protection programs — that’s what we get to do! We’re blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12). And when you partner with those who are running, you are that blessing too! Thank you!

Running with joy,
-rich

 

*If you’d like to help children around the globe, go to teamworldvision.org/NYC and make a donation today! Thank you! *

Jesus taught gentleness. Peter caught it.

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GentlenessI’m the rabble rouser.  I have enough grit and mettle for all of the Twelve. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. It doesn’t take much to really tick me off or to make me happy. And right now, as I reflect on the events of the past couple of months, I’m so amazed and full of great joy because of my Lord and my friend, Jesus.

My name is Peter. He called me “the Rock.” We would laugh because sometimes that meant that I was strong, like a building’s foundation. Sometimes that would mean that I was dangerous and hurtful, like when someone was being stoned. Sometimes that meant that I was just plain dumb as a rock. Funny, huh?

The thing that sticks out the most to me, ever since the Passover, is His gentleness. It started that night. It was my job to wash everyone’s feet when they entered the room. But the week had been crazy. The people shouted along a great parade for Him as he entered town a few days earlier. He had sent some of us ahead to prepare for the Feast. When we all sat down we were exhausted and distracted as the Romans were not too pleased with procession and the recent activities of His followers. Anyway, as the servant for the evening, I was supposed to wash everyone’s feet… but He did it. Our Lord the King! Stooping with humility and gentleness.  I arrogantly protested that He’d never wash MY feet. And then with His one sentence reply, I flip-flopped faster than Herod or any other politician and insisted that He wash all of me! I proclaimed that I was all-in! No one or nothing could cause me to ever leave His side, vowing “I’d lay down my life for you!”

He shook His head, furrowed His brow and predicted my betrayal. “Why, I’ll show Him!” I stubbornly said to myself. Just an hour later, in the Garden, I had my chance. When they came to arrest Jesus, and only Jesus, I drew my sword and attacked one of those with the soldiers! The Master’s gentleness towards our Roman enemy, and His admonishment of my actions, greatly perplexed me.

Three times that very night I had the opportunity to stand up for Jesus… to show the world that I would, indeed, follow Him to the ends of the earth, or to death… And all three times, I bailed on Him… I denied I even knew Him.

Oh, how He knew me better than I knew myself.

The agony continued into the night and as the sun rose on the new day… The trials, the long march to Golgotha, the pain of His crucifixion and death. And through it all, Jesus was like this gentle giant, letting it all play out as He had predicted. He was calm and temperate, yet exuded this amazing strength. Soldiers mocked Him. People spat on Him. Rulers belittled Him. Executioners killed Him.

For two days we were all dejected and hope was hard to find. Then, at dawn on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb after the Sabbath, and His body was not there! Could it be? Was He alive? The joy we felt – and the fear we were experiencing – was this emotional fisticuffs in each of our hearts.

Jesus did appear to all of us on multiple occasions… each time with the gentle greeting: “Peace be to you!” Then, He was gone again.

Days past. We wondered what was next. Would He return? Feeling lost and aimless, I decided to go back to doing what I knew best… fishing. Although, my heart wasn’t in it. Where did He go? What were we supposed to do? All night my mind was racing as I merely went through the motions of throwing the nets overboard, and pulling them back in… empty. We caught nothing. Not even a single minnow.

At day break, we saw Jesus on the shore. Although we didn’t know it was Him at first. He called out to us and told us to once more throw our nets out, this time on the other side of the boat. I thought, “What difference does it make? Right side? Left side? We’re in a boat!” Hesitantly, we followed His friendly advice. And, believe it or not, we caught the most fish in a single net ever! At that moment, we recognized it was the Master!

When we landed on shore and sorted it all out, our hearts were overfilled with great joy! We laughed and cried together as we ate a breakfast that He had kindly prepared for us. And we shared stories of the past week or so. Here was our Lord, our friend, Jesus, just as we knew Him to be.

He took me aside, away from the warm campfire. With much more gentleness than I deserved, He asked me if I loved Him. “Of course I do,” I said. A second time He queried. “Lord, you know that I love you.”  A third time he gently pressed: “Peter, do you love me?”  I was hurt because I felt like I had to defend myself. But He wasn’t angry with me. His eyes expressed great love and deep compassion. And then it hit me and I fell to my knees. Three times He asked… three times I had denied I knew Him. He had to make sure! And I said: “Yes! Yes, Lord! You know me. You know all things! You know that I love you!” And one more time He said, “Follow me.”

I’m pleased to tell you that I have been following Him ever since. We celebrated Pentecost last week. Wow! The Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised would come, showed up in power. We baptized 3,000 people after I spoke that day! Jesus, even after He has gone up to heaven, is so gentle. He loves these people so very much; He has moved in their hearts, as He moved in mine.

So, my friends, I will always be ready to share the hope I have in Jesus. And I will endeavor to do so with the gentleness and respect that our Lord modeled for each one of us. And if I must suffer, I will suffer for doing good, not evil. And I am confident that I will receive a rich welcome into His eternal kingdom.

Some of the words, actions and, perhaps, thoughts of the Apostle Peter, as recorded in the Gospel of John, in Acts Chapter 2 and in 1st Peter.

This is the opening to a sermon from Oak Hills Church, North Central Campus. The video of the entire message is here: http://vimeo.com/161831718

(c) 2016. Rich Ronald.

I tried to run away while a people waited…

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When I was in danger, I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
When I was in danger, I called to the LORD, and he answered me.

Looking back. I was so arrogant. The Lord had called me to a great task: Preach a message of repentance against the great and despicable city of Nineveh. These people are the hated enemies of the nation of Israel. They would surely not hear the message. In fact, I believed they might even do something awful to the messenger. Me.

So despite my love for God, I fled from Him and His assignment. I climbed aboard a freighter headed for Tarshish, the city that was at the other end of the Mediterranean Sea… as far away from Nineveh as possible. Silly, isn’t it? Thinking I could run or even hide from God.

The Lord used three things, then, to get my attention. A great storm. Sailors. And a fish.

One of the most violent storms ever to come across the Sea descended on us. Lifelong sailors were actually afraid for their lives! I just knew that this was God’s way of getting my attention. The sailors cast lots to see who on board was responsible for the raging waters. I knew the lots would point to me. Sure enough. They roused me from sleep, peppering me with questions: “Who are you?  Where did you come from? Why are you causing all this trouble for us?”

I had to acquiesce. No hiding here. I told them of my assignment. That I worshiped the Lord, the God of heaven. And that I was running from Him. And that my presence on their ship was indeed the cause of the tempest. I assured them the only way to calm the storm was to throw me into the waves. They rejected this solution at first, desperately trying to row to shore. But the winds actually increased and tossed the vessel more violently. Finally, they cried out to God in unison: “Forgive Us!” And with one final glance to the raging heavens, they pitched me into the icy water.

As I began to sink into the depths, the sea became amazingly calm. I tried to surface with the goal of swimming to land. Suddenly a great fish scooped me up! It was putrid inside the dark, slimy belly. There was seaweed wrapped around my head. My ears popped as the ocean mammal dove deep and then surfaced above the breakers. The gastric juices of the fluids swirled inside the finback.  But I was still alive! Oh, how God has such a fantastic sense of humor! It was dark. But He gave me life. For three days I existed in the dark depths. With each breath, I gave Him praise! I cried out to Him day after day, hour after hour. Minute after minute. Time. Time for me to replay the events of leading to how I got here. Time for me to be reminded that salvation comes from God and God alone.

I kept thinking of the people back home in Israel. And those sailors. And the people of Nineveh.

Finally, God saw fit to spare my life. The whale spit me out on the eastern shore of the Great Sea. With haste I headed for the city gates of Nineveh on the banks of the Tigris River. My urgency to the assignment fresh. I knew His grace must be made known to these people. For three days I went house to house, up and down every street, warning the people and encouraging everyone to call on the grace of God.

The people responded with faith, fasting and repentance. I wondered aloud, “Why? Why would God – slow to anger and abounding in love, God – why would He be so gracious to such a hated and despicable people?”

I’m sure that many wonder of my arrogance. Even I shake my head at God and ask, “Why would you still love me?”

And then the Lord reminds me: He is abounding in love! In the midst of storms. In the midst of misunderstandings between people. In the midst of our arrogance and pride.

And for that, I’m extremely thankful!

 

Some of the actions, words, and thoughts perhaps of Jonah, from the Old Testament book that bears his name.

 

(c) 2015. Rich Ronald.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

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There is no light in heaven for the Lamb is the Light!
There is no light in heaven for the Lamb is the Light!

They call me the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved…. Well, actually, I’m the only one who called me that. But, oh, how I loved our Jesus, our Messiah. It’s been decades since we watched Him ascend into the Heavens. But that hasn’t stopped followers from following. There are communities of faith throughout the region. From Rome to Babylon. Sadly, I believe I’m the only one of the 12 left. All the others were martyred for our faith in Jesus. Some days, because of the pain of this island prison, I think I’d rather be dead, as well.

You see, I’m exiled on this lonely, desolate isle called Patmos.  There is not another soul in my life who loves the Master or follows the Way. I, too, have been cast out by the authorities for proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the Light of the World. He loved us so. There are days when I am so consumed by His great love that I can hardly move. I remember those final hours like they were yesterday.  The way the crowd jeered. The beatings and lashings. The public humiliation. The pain when He cried out from the cross. And the final exclamation, a weary, “It is finished.”

We were all stunned to think that a man would lay down his life for us like that… oh, how He loved us! But He was not merely a man, He was and is our Lord and our King!

My name is John. And the other day when I was praying and fully enveloped by the Holy Spirit I saw a vision… well, many visions, actually. And Jesus was in the midst of them. And He told me to write it all down. Messages of the future, the end of the earth as we know it. Challenges to churches. And a picture of the glory of eternity.

I saw Heaven in this dream. Oh, it is a beautiful place. The streets are paved with glistening gold. There is a river that flows through it; it sparkles like crystals. The gates never close for there is nothing to keep out.  There is no evil here. There are no tears, no sorrow, no pain. And there is no darkness in Heaven, for the King, Jesus… He is the Light! And He sits on the throne in the center of Heaven. And from the throne there are flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder. And all around the throne I saw leaders, the elders, each one themselves worthy of commendation. But each one bowing low before Jesus. And day and after day, they worship the great King! They say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. Who was, and is, and is to come again.”

And in my vision, I finally understand the answer to the question: “Why, why did Jesus have to die?” You see, many years ago, on that hill called Golgotha, all I understood was that He loved me. And in God’s grand plan of eternity, Jesus had to die for me. But in my vision, it all became crystal clear. He, Jesus, is the Passover Lamb, the final and ultimate sacrifice. As the Baptizer said: “He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Ever since the Garden of Eden — when God slaughtered an animal to give its skin to clothe Adam and Eve, to surround them with love and to restore them — God has required blood, shed on behalf of each of us, for the forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation. In the days of Abraham and Moses, it was the blood of bulls and rams. And every year people had to offer God many animals to cover their many sins. But Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice. It was His blood that was shed. And He became the Passover Lamb, slain and sacrificed. No lamb or bull ever volunteered for that assignment.

His love for me was so great… He voluntarily laid His life down for me! For you. Jesus had to be the Passover Lamb, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Jesus, fully human, fully God, was the only solution to be the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

And the compassion He showed to others? The world could not hold a library full of books detailing His great actions and love for the people we met together.

And God rewarded Him. We saw Jesus alive in this world after the resurrection… and I know for certain that He lives in Heaven and sits on the Throne for all eternity!

In my vision, He once again said: “It is finished. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” On the cross He cried out, “I am thirsty.” And now, in the glory of eternity, Jesus is the one who says: “To the thirsty I will give water from the spring of the fountain of life! Come and drink!”

He has shown me the New Jerusalem. And three times He told me that He is coming back… He is coming soon!

And to that, I say: YES! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus, come!

 

Some of the words, and perhaps thoughts, of the Apostle John, the writer of Revelation and the one whom Jesus loved.

 

(2015) Rich Ronald

Abraham, a true friend of God. My friend too!

Posted on by richlyspeaking
"Count the stars, Abraham. That's the number of your descendants!"
“Count the stars, Abraham. That’s the number of your descendants!”

My name is Abidah. Believe it or not, I have been a servant of Abraham for over 100 years now. No one has been with Abraham as long as I have been, not even his wife Sarah.

He was a wealthy, wealthy man. Always has been as long as I’ve worked for him. He hired me when we left Haran. I was number 1 of 318 servants. It was a joy to serve this great, great man.  You know, he had more sheep and cattle and camels than anyone in the entire region, maybe more than anyone on earth. Of all his possessions, he truly cherished one thing more than anything else: the gift of his son Isaac.

He made sure everyone knew that God made a promise to him. The promise went like this: God said “I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous, you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham always told us stories of his personal encounters with God. I don’t know anyone who knew God like Abraham knew God. And everywhere we went, he built an altar to the Almighty.

Yet, early on, while Abram owned many things, I would hear him arguing with God. “What good are all these things if I don’t have any children to pass them down to?” he’d say shaking a fist at the heavens.  And I’d say Abram had every right to question God’s promises, as he was an old man, and Sarai’s womb was closed.

One night, the Almighty took Abram outside and said to the man: “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!” And the man believed. He believed God. And because he believed, God called him his friend. My master? A true friend of God! Amazing!

Yet even though he was God’s friend, Abram’s troubles didn’t magically cease. Ten years after we left the Land of Ur, Abram and Sarai were still childless. They decided God might need man’s help in bringing to fruition all these “star children.” So Abram slept with the much younger, and much more beautiful Hagar, Sarai’s servant. It was Sarai’s suggestion. Can you believe it? And Hagar gave birth to a son. They called him Ishmael.  But God wasn’t too pleased and Ishmael caused more problems than Abram ever dreamed of. Even though he sinned, Abram still had this tight relationship with the Father.

Thirteen years later Abram is out tending the sheep when God shows up in power. The way Abram tells the story, one more time God reminds the man of the Almighty’s promises and tells him that he’ll have a huge family. Abram says he fell flat on his face. The next day he announces that we are all to start calling him Abraham. No longer is he merely “Father,” he is “Father of Many Fathers.” We joked with him, because by this time he was 99 years old! And Sarai, who we were to now call Sarah, was 90!

While we laughed, something about Abraham changed. He set a covenant between God and himself… and all of us male servants were dedicated to God that very day!

And just as God promised, about a year later, little Isaac was born. Isaac. The name means “laughter.” And we all laughed with his new parents, for they were so old.

While this was a joyous time, it wasn’t the end of Abraham’s struggles… but he remained faithful to God. Oh so faithful. No one in all the land was as faithful as this man. Sarah died some 27 years later.  And that old man? He passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 175. He lived a long, joyful life! We just came back from burying him next to Sarah in the land of the Hittites. He has seven children. 13 grandchildren so far. All those star children are just getting started!

Abraham. The father of many fathers. A friend of God. He was my master and my dear friend as well.

 

My interpretation of some of the key points of Genesis, Chapters 12-25, the life of Abraham.

(c)2015. Rich Ronald.

When we worship, God fights on our behalf!

Posted on by richlyspeaking
When the Shofars blew, the enemy was defeated and the walls fell down.
When the Shofars blew, the enemy was defeated and the walls fell down.

The story of Joshua and the fall of the walls at Jericho.

I’m a minister in the Tabernacle, a priest. My grandfather was Aaron. My name is Phineas. I was born in the Wilderness. Growing up we heard great stories of God. How He was with our people during the Exodus. How He parted the Red Sea. How He gave Moses the Law. But, honestly, we feel more like nomads instead of a “chosen people.” We are a people without a homeland.

That all changed recently, however. We’ve just entered the Promised Land. What an experience! Moses died a couple of months ago and had appointed Joshua to take us into this place that flows with milk and honey.  We had all just been consecrated to the Lord and it was the end of Passover. Joshua told us to get ready for a great battle, and that God Himself would be the Captain of our Army!

Yes, we’ve conquered a few lands east of the Jordan, but, we all grew up in the Wilderness. We’re learning to be warriors, but we are mostly shepherds. Except for the 40,000 trained soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.

God has gone before us. God has defeated our enemies. I’m thankful Joshua knew what to do, although, I’m certain it’s not the way other armies would do battle. He says that God kept telling him to “be strong and courageous.” Looking back, I can see why.

Just ten days ago we crossed the Jordan River on dry ground as our ancestors had crossed the Red Sea. I was fortunate to be chosen as one of priests who blew the ram’s horn, with the procession of the Ark of the Covenant. It was amazing! This rushing, flowing river, stopped immediately as our feet entered the water. It was our generation’s miracle. And everyone crossed on dry land.

We were camped just outside the fortress city of Jericho. It was going to be our first stop – and our first conquest — in this New Land. God told us this land was now ours, all we had to do was go and get it. “Go and get it?” But, by force. As in, a battle? Some of us would probably die.

Joshua, our Commander, lined us all up… 600,000 men, plus the women and children.  The strategy was to surround the city of Jericho with people. It was only about a half a mile around, so that meant that the line only needed to be a half mile long.  Picture this: each row was 1,000 people wide, shoulder to shoulder.  The line was almost half a mile wide!  And guess who was at the front? I was. Yep! This huge mass of people. And at the very front, an armed guard. Then all of us priests. Some of us were part of the worshippers, blowing the Shofar. Other’s carried the Ark.  Joshua put my people up front! As I said, we are of the tribe of Aaron. My work in the tabernacle is to blow the trumpets and encourage all of the children of Israel to gather together in singing praises to the Almighty. When we heard the news that Joshua would put us up front, I must admit, I was frightened and worried. I’m not a student of battle strategy, but I kept wondering, “don’t those who lead up front get killed first?”

It was early in the week and we marched, over a million pairs of feet, around these massive city walls. The line was so immense, when those of us in the front had finished the circle, we met those from the back of the line who were just getting started. We had fully surrounded the city.  I’m sure the people inside Jericho were confused at our actions. We had heard they were afraid of us before we ever got here. Many wondered why we didn’t just attack the citadel once we had it surrounded.  But we listened and followed Joshua. He kept telling us of this face-to-face meeting he had with the one he called “The Captain.” How God said that He would go before us into battle. That He promised the victory! All we, the descendants of Aaron, were to do was lead the people in worship and walk around the city.

Once we had circled back around to where we began, we went back to our encampment and spent the night there. Early the next morning we did the same thing we did the day before.

And this continued. Day 3. Day 4. There was no one visible any longer on the city ramparts. We guessed they were filled with great fear by now. And we, soldiers in training, were looking for a fight.  And yet, we weren’t fighters.

Day 5. Day 6. “Forgive me, Joshua, but what’s the strategy here?”

Day 7. Would today be just another of the same thing? “No. Today would be different,” Joshua told us. We lined up as usual, but today the march would be quiet. Only the priests were to blow their shofars. No noise from any of the rest of the people of Israel. When we concluded our trip around Jericho, Joshua ordered us to go around again. And again. And again. This was taking all day and we were tired! Something big was about to happen. Our heart rates increased. There was lots of nervous energy. Finally, as we concluded the seventh circuit Joshua told us to blow the ram’s horns with all our might. And he told the people to shout! To scream. To cry out to God. To worship! Previously it was ominously quiet. Now, it was raucous! The din of the shouts of praise to the Almighty was deafening.

And then the ground underneath our feet began to shake, and the dust began to boil. The walls of the city shook as first one stone, then another fell from its mooring in the rock. Our people shouted louder and louder. We sang “Hallelujah!” to our King! We blew the trumpets until our cheeks hurt and we were spitting everywhere. And in a matter of seconds the city walls came crashing down. Waves of dust and dirt blew everywhere with great force. We were covered from head to toe. But the walls, the walls, they fell in a manner as to make ramps up into the city. Our brave soldiers charged forward and destroyed everything and everyone, except for one lone family who had sheltered some of our advanced spies earlier in the week.

It’s truly amazing what God did as we obeyed and worshipped Him. He assured us He would fight on our behalf. And oh, how He did! It was His victory as we worshipped and entered the Promised Land with shouts of great joy!

My interpretation of Joshua, Chapters 1-6.

(c) 2015 Rich Ronald.