Dr H Reflections

The Father shakes His children

This phrase, “Yet once more,” means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. – Hebrews 12:27

Hebrews 12:25-29

 25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken – that is, things that have been made – in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

The Richter scale, developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, ranges from 1 to 10. It indicates the intensity of an earthquake. The vast majority of earthquakes have magnitudes between 1 and 5 and are quite minor. Earthquakes with magnitudes 5.0–5.9 are moderate, 6.0–6.9 are strong with moderate damage in populated areas, 7.0–7.9 are major with serious damage over large areas, loss of life, and 8.0 and higher are considered great, with severe destruction and loss of life over large areas. The most powerful earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 8.4 on the Richter scale occurred on May 22, 1960 in Valdivia, Chile.

Earthquakes have been around since the beginning of history. They seem to be getting more frequent and violent in our days.

What is now called the Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence, began on July 5, 2019. Ridgecrest, California was struck with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. The next day July 6, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred with over 1000 aftershocks. Ridgecrest is basically in the middle of nowhere, also known as the Mojave Desert, 123 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The amount of destruction was small due to the low population density. Some buildings collapsed. There were several water line and gas line breaks, that resulted in power outages and fires.

In California, shaking from earthquakes is a way of life. In the Scriptures, when the Father is literally present on earth, there is often shaking. The earth and even the mountains often tremble.

Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

Psalms 68:8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The Father wants to draw us close to Him and transform us from the inside out. One of the methods He uses is “shaking.” He has a way of shaking what we hold on to until we finally let go. It is much better to be drawn by the desire for the joys of a close relationship with the Father, than driven. The Father is persistent and will continue to shake. It is better to release sooner than later. He has a way of shaking His children until we let go.

Shaking as a way of changing things. Older things are shaken loose and replaced by newer ones. Things that are secure and immovable withstand the trembling going on about them. Shaking is a part of the refining process.

REFLECT & PRAY

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!” (Jim Elliot)

Father I have certainly felt your grip upon me, it is firm but gentle. I know that You seek only my best. You are at work to conform me into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT

Better times are coming. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the Earth became a fallen world. One day everything will change. The author of Hebrews, quotes Haggai 2:6. It prophesies concerning that time in the future and when the Lord will return and fill His house with bright shine of the glory of His presence. At Mount Sinai, the Father shook the earth. In the future He will shake the earth and the heavens. A time of judgment and vindication is coming. The kingdom of God of which the prophets spoke, will one day become a reality on planet Earth. And the Lord Jesus Christ rule and reign peacefully for a thousand years (Revelation 20).

Haggai 2:6-9

 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.

 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.

 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.

 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place, I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.

As we draw ever closer to the time of the Second Coming, the shaking will increase. What the Father has predicted, He will surely bring to pass. Everything in the world, everything made belongs to the Father. He is in control.

The Father will continue to shake until all that can be shaken and removed is. What remains will be unshakable. As the Father actively shakes the world and those who are His children, we can be confident and secure. His ultimate goal is complete transformation.  

Envision for a moment, Michelangelo carefully, determinedly chipping away the large, solid piece of marble until all that is left is the magnificent statue of David. He removed what was necessary to reveal what only his genius could see locked away within the marble.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Others may be frightened by the upheavals, but it is our privilege to walk confidently in the light with our Father, buoyed up and invigorated by His grace and strength.

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An invitation to radiance

They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. – Psalms 34:5

Psalms 34:1-8

 1 I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

 2 I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.

 3 Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

 4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.

 7 For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. Her most enduring work was “Solitude.”

The inspiration for the poem came as she was traveling by train in Wisconsin. There was a young woman dressed in black sitting across the aisle from her crying. Miss Wheeler sat next to her and sought to comfort her. At the journey’s end, her emotions were mixed. She shared in the woman’s sorrow, and yet at the same time, her own face was radiant. She wrote the opening lines of “Solitude”:

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone.

Life is about choices. Our life course is set by how we respond to the vicissitudes and trials we face.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox also wrote, The Set of the Sails

One ship drives east, and another west
With the self-same winds that blow;
 ‘Tis the set of the sails
 And not the gales
That decides the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As they voyage along through life;
 ‘Tis the will of the soul
 That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

It is easy to get tripped up by the ups and downs of life. Strife and struggle are inevitable. Our response to them determines our attitudes and emotions. In face of the difficulties we face, David invites us to break out radiant praise. He shows the way to calmness, confidence, courage, and conquest of our deepest feelings and fears.

REFLECT & PRAY

Experiencing the Father’s presence produces an excited joy that cannot be contained. David bursts out with exclamations of praise.

Father may I learn and perfect the art of praising and thanking You each day. Remove the dark shadows of shame and fear that haunt me and replace them with radiant joy.

INSIGHT

Psalms 34 is not so much a prayer, but rather an exclamation of joy over the Father’s response to prayer. David has experienced the sheer joy of the presence of the Father. It is palpable. David is radiant. His heart is thrilled and overflowing with joy. Radiant is a word found in Isaiah 60:5, where it describes a parent’s face lighting up at the sight of their children, who had given up for lost (Kidner).

Imagine what it would be like to be with David as he expresses his thoughts verbally. They would be filled with excitement and enthusiasm. He has experienced the inward touch of the divine. He is taking great delight lapping it up he cannot get enough. On the surface, his exclamation seems rather tame, prosaic, colorless, but it is anything but that.

Psalms 34:2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD.

The word Hebrew translated boast is halal. Halal is most often translated as praise, exalt, or boast. But this word is overflowing with excitement, revelry, delight, fun, and festive joy. The English word hallelujah is derived from the Hebrew word halal.

But there is more. It has the sense of madness or making a fool of yourself in a good sense (1 Corinthians 4:10). In the 21st century, it would be equivalent to the thrill of cheering for your home team when they score a touchdown or a goal in an athletic event. His soul is literally jumping up and down. He is basking in the Father (Terrien).

His joy is contagious and he cannot keep it to himself. It is bursting out of him and it must be shared. David invites us to participate with him.  Each of us can enter into the presence of the Father and the joy He provides.

How does David become so buoyant? How does he do it? It all begins with praise and thankfulness for who the Father is, what the Father does, and most importantly what the Father has done for us. He shouts of the Father’s greatness and exults in Him.

Putting it in other terms, David magnifies and blesses the Father. How can a mere mortal bless God?

“The idea behind ‘bless’ is to speak a good word about someone: when God blesses someone, he speaks a good word over that person for his well-being; when a human blesses God, he speaks a good word about God’s kindness and generosity” (ESV notes).

Paul succinctly restates the same concept in one verse. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Even if it’s not your practice, pick a day this week and praise God throughout the day. Praise Him when you wake up, praise Him when you eat, praise Him when you leave the house and when you return” (Stanley).

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Prevaricator in chief

The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Many commentators and wonks agree that the year 2018 could be characterized by one word, “misinformation.” There are unintended consequences of the information age. One is misinformation, closely followed by disinformation. Misinformation often involves delusions, lies, and blind, adamant beliefs. Prevarications proliferate from Russian troll farms, media, Facebook, Congress, and the White House. Consider the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The reality of evidence-based objective truth was brought into question.

On Aug 19, 2018, Rudy Giuliani acting as a lawyer for the White House declared “truth isn’t truth.” Truth it seems is inherently partisan and becomes whatever you prefer to believe. The goal of misinformation and propaganda is to create doubt about the obvious. So much misinformation pervades storylines, with alternate explanations, interpretations, and views that the facts are simply crowded out.

The Father has given us something unique in the world, Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth never varies, never compromises, never synthesizes. It stands alone in opposition to all other conflicting opinions and points of view.

How do we know when we are being told a lie? We test all information by the standard of the truth of the Word of God. This of course necessitates that we actually know what the Word of God says. Therefore, it is important to be in the Word, reflecting and meditating on what we read, and internalizing it in our hearts and minds.

A staff member at a major university quipped he could always tell when his boss was lying. There was one simple giveaway, his lips were moving.

The enemy of our souls is the father of lies and the ultimate master of misinformation and disinformation. He commands an army of demonic double-agents. The devil loves darkness and falsehood and ultimately inspires every lie. Deceit and deception are the very center of the devil’s strategy. Duplicity is employed to accomplish the devil’s work. Darkness hates the light; falsehood hates the truth and tries to destroy it.

The devil leads those that follow him to death and eternal separation from the Father. The enemy murders goodness, chastity, honor, honesty, beauty, and all that makes life lovely. The enemy of our souls murders peace of mind and happiness and even love. Evil routinely destroys. In stark contrast, Christ brings life, and Christ leads to life. He provides the Way, and the Truth, and the Life which leads to the Father.

John 8:44 [The evil one] speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

When the evil one speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature. The Greek phrase which is translated from his own nature is ek ton idiom. The enemy of our souls speaks from his own stuff, his own nature, and his essential character. He is doing what comes naturally. He disassembles and prevaricates.

REFLECT & PRAY

Each of us can remember when we were confused and immature regarding the truth of the Father’s Word. For some of us, that might not have been too long ago. It may still seem so.

Father kindle within me the desire and energize me to get into and remain in the Word of Truth. Let the truth of Scripture permeate my mind, and soul, and spirit.

INSIGHT

The enemy and the Lord Jesus Christ are complete opposites. The Lord Jesus Christ loves us and desires our best. The enemy hates us and seeks our worst. The Lord Jesus Christ brings life and light. The enemy offers death and destruction.

The ultimate battlefield is the mind. The apostle Paul emphasizes the need for preparing and training the mind to engage in spiritual warfare. We are to take captive every thought and bring it into agreement with the Truth of Christ. We wage war against invisible, intangible spiritual forces. Satan is behind these forces. Satan is repeatedly spreading misinformation, propaganda that contradicts the Father’s revealed Truth. His half-truths often appear lofty, erudite, enlightened. But in fact, they are hollow, pretentious, and fallacious. Embedded within are despair, misery, and death.

It is incumbent upon each child of the King to develop a sophisticated Truth filter. We must equip ourselves to separate what is precious and useful from what is worthless, tangential, and base.

Jeremiah 15:19 If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman.

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Vaccinated

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we have boldness and confident access through to God him and presence. – Ephesians 3:12

Romans 5:1-2

 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, we have obtained access and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

An article appeared in the Wall Street Journal titled: COVID-19 Vaccine Passports Could Help Life Return to Normal, but Experts Urge Caution (WSJ, Jason Douglas, Dec. 8, 2020)

The idea is that individuals could stop wearing masks and following social-distancing rules. That is if they can prove they have been inoculated  and so they are not a risk to others. Studies determined that crowded, indoor venues probably accounted for 80% of new coronavirus infections Restaurants, coffee shops, theaters, and offices could reopen with confidence by admitting those certified as vaccinated, and international travel could resume. As the vaccinated population increases, normal life could gradually resume.

Should vaccinated people have greater freedom? Was there a case for issuing proof of immunity to people who have been inoculated? Such proposals triggered moral and political considerations as well. It is it wise or just to divide citizens into new categories based on their vaccination status?

As the vaccines began to be distributed for the coronavirus in late 2020, a whole series of ethical and practical dilemmas began to arise. Will people be coerced to take the vaccine? Will people be required to demonstrate that indeed they did take the vaccine? “The 2019 coronavirus pandemic and ensuing global shutdown has demonstrated the need for instantaneous, verified, and individual-consent public screening for immunities, vaccines, and travel history” (https://immunosafety.com/). What form of proof will be required? Will it be a card or a vaccine passport? Could it possibly be some form of digital proof of immunity? (Google it)

Could the vaccine be required for travel, work, entry into public buildings, or sports facilities, shopping, buying and selling? Who knew where this is all headed?

In December 2020, the Health Ministry of the Nation of Israel made plans to issue “Green Passports” to all citizens that had been vaccinated against the coronavirus. This passport will show that a person is vaccinated and will give a number of advantages. The passport will lift some restrictions, including mandatory quarantine following exposure to an infected person, and offer access to cultural events and restaurants.

Access to some locations on planet Earth is highly restricted and protected. For example some research and medical facilities, military bases, Area 51, Fort Knox, and of course the White House.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer relates his personal experience about the time he visited the White House. He was in Washington D.C. One of the individuals who had access to the White House invited him for a personal tour. He was delighted to go. Once he was initially vetted, Dr. Lutzer accompanied his host on his personal one-on-one tour. He soon discovered that it was not necessary for him to show his pass demonstrating he had clearance to enter and move about in the White House. His host was well-known and only had to say, “He is with me.”

REFLECT & PRAY

“There is no vaccine against stupidity” (Albert Einstein).

Father thank You that I can come boldly into Your presence without fear or trepidation. The choices before me require Your all-knowing guidance and direction. Give me wisdom, insight, and discernment to know what to do.

INSIGHT

Romans 5:1-2

 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

The Greek term translated introduction or access is prosagoge. Prosagoge could be literally translated “a leading or bringing into the presence of.” It is derived from two Greek words pros – to and ago – to lead. It denotes “access,” freedom to enter provided by the assistance or favor of another. Prosagoge was commonly used for the right to approach royalty or other high officials granted by someone capable of doing so (Zodhiates).

Access to the Father has been restricted since the Garden of Eden when the human race was separated from Him. Even Moses was not allowed to approach Him unimpeded.

Exodus 3:5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

But all that is now changed once and for all time! We are now welcome, more than that urged to come excitedly into the Father’s presence!

Prosagoge is the regular word for introducing or ushering someone into the presence of royalty; and it is the regular word for the approach of the worshipper to the Father. It is as if Paul was saying, “Jesus ushers us into the very presence of the Father. He opens the door for us to the presence of the King of Kings; and when that door is opened what we find is grace; not condemnation, not judgment, not vengeance, but the sheer, undeserved, incredible kindness of the father” (Barclay).

Because of what Christ has done, we have obtained our access, our introduction to the presence of the Father, the very throne room of the Father God. We can confidently and excitedly approach Him.

Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

One day, each child of the King will go to their heavenly home because of the access and introduction they have been provided through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Imagine for a moment that an angel would challenge our right to be there. The Lord Jesus Christ will simply say “they are with Me.”

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of glory divine (Fanny Crosby).

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The vaccine breakthrough

If you eat its fruit [tree of the knowledge of good and evil], you are sure to die.” – Genesis 2:17

John 3:14-19  

 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

The dreadful year of 2020 was marked by the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. It left millions dead in its wake. No one can know for sure how many people were infected globally, but the number was huge. Once scientists and medical experts understood what was going on, the race began for a vaccine that would defeat the virus. Multiple companies rushed to find a cure. Experienced vaccinologists predicted it might take years until an effective cure was found. However, before the end of 2020, several companies announced that they had developed vaccines that were 95% effective.

Pfizer and Moderna employed the latest 21st-century science leveraging state-of-the-art genetic technology to come up with a solution in just 63 days. It shattered the previous speed record of 4 years. Previously vaccines were made from a benign version of a virus or bacteria that would fast start the immune system. It would be prepared to fight the real pathogen if and when it struck.

Pfizer and Moderna used a snippet of genetic material called messenger RNA or mRNA encased in a protective bubble of fat. Messenger RNA has been referred to as “the software of life.” mRNA is normally made by DNA to carry instructions to cells in the body to manufacture proteins.

When the coronavirus attacks, it commandeers the machinery of our body’s cells and instructs them to multiply the virus, generating a cascading assault. The vaccine leverages the strategy the virus employs to assault the victim. The vaccination injects mRNA into the upper arm of the individual receiving it. It then instructs the body’s cells to manufacture just a piece of the coronavirus, the outside spike proteins. These spike proteins are harmless, but they trigger an immune system response. The immune system is then quickly trained to react to and defeat the actual full-blown coronavirus.

Long before there was a coronavirus, there was a spiritual virus that was running rampant throughout the human race. Looking back to the Garden of Eden where it was first spawned, we might label it Eden-19. The Father provided a 1st century solution which is still efficacious today.

REFLECT & PRAY

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10

Father thank You for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to heal the venomous spiritual virus that altered our spiritual DNA and brought certain death to the human race. The Lord Jesus Christ is the “the firmware of life.”

INSIGHT

It has been about 6000 years since the first case of the deadly spiritual virus, Eden-19, was observed. This virus results in the death of everyone who carries it. This 100% death rate was predicted by the Father. It was part of the warning that He gave to Adam in the garden.

Genesis 2:15-17

 15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

 16 But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden –

 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

The primary symptom is obvious: the awareness of good and evil. But there many corollary symptoms and side effects which also soon became apparent: guilt, shame, blame shifting, defiance, rebellion, envy, rage, and murder just to mention a few. The ultimate consequence is death.

Eden-19 became part of human spiritual DNA.

Rather than being quarantined and forced to shelter in place, Adam and Eve were expelled from their home, the Garden of Eden. They were forced out on their own. Paradise was lost. They had to learn how to live and survive in a beautiful, but tainted fallen world.

Immediately, social distancing was put into effect. The human race was separated from the Father. Tragically, all of Adam and Eve’s offspring are born separated from the Father as well.

The Father knowing all things, always, had already drawn up the plans for a vaccine that would provide a cure. No research was required. It would prevent eternal death for any and all who would receive it. He only prepared one dose. But that dose can be used over and over again by all of humankind. The supply would never run out and everyone could be safe and secure. At the incarnation, the Lord Jesus Christ became the “the firmware of life.” His spilt blood on the cross would heal Eden-19.

John 3:14-16

 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Isaiah 53:5 By his stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 1:18-23

 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.

 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

 23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Our altered spiritual DNA is repaired and restored by an injection mRNA from the Savior of the world. He invites all those who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him.

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