On May 14, 2022

THOUGHTS ON STAYING STRONG IN THE DESERT: GOD’S REPLY TO THE CRY OF THE REMNANT IN THE MIDST OF AMERICA’S DARKNESS

SCRIPTURE. “My adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse. For I have eaten the ashes [in which I sat] as if they were bread and have mingled my drink with weeping.” – PSALM 102:8-9, AMPC

QUOTATIONS

OLDSTER. “Everyone experiences the feelings of sadness and loneliness. We might rue our lack of companionship, but some people present a desperate need for aloneness. Being alone allows a person to think, imagine, and take in nature. Because being alone is essential for specific human actions, similar to all other aspects of life, it is a gift.” ― Kilroy J. Oldster, Author of ‘The Dead Toad Scrolls,’ 2016; edited

LEWIS. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.” ― C.S. Lewis, ‘A Grief Observed,’ 1960; edited

Selah.

FIRST THOUGHTS

DK: QUESTION #1. Let’s start our discussion by considering April-May 2022, when I sensed that a ‘Great Sadness’ had fixed itself within and around me during the previous few days. Not depression or oppression, per se, but rather a ‘Grieving,’ deep down in my soul.

‘So I inquired of God’ to ask Him if He could help me understand it, and how to deal with it. He graciously supplied a rich answer, but I shall hold that in abeyance for just a bit.

THE POINT. We are all hurting, grieving, experiencing a Great Sadness these days, every single one of us. It can hardly be avoided, beloved, given the divisive and chaotic events swirling around us these days. ‘Even in our own midst’ at times.

What we will do today is attempt to confront this Historic Grieving head on, to see what the Lord will say about it.

OUR FOUNDATION. As you know by now, I am all about Origins, since that’s the way our Creator constructed things in the Cosmos and on the Earth. Everything has a Beginning, a Middle and an End. So to this powerfully rich description of the Nature of our Messiah-King Where Christian Grieving Started.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” – ISAIAH 53:3-5, KJV

COMMENTARY. “The low condition He submitted to, and His appearance in the world, were not agreeable to the ideas the Jews had formed of the Messiah. It was expected that He should come in pomp; instead of that, He grew up as a plant, silently, and insensibly. He had nothing of the glory which one might have thought to meet with Him. His whole life was not only humble as to outward condition, but also ‘sorrowful.’ Being made sin for us, He underwent the sentence sin had exposed us to. Carnal hearts see nothing in the Lord Jesus to desire an interest in Him. Alas! By how many is He still ‘despised’ in His people, and rejected as to His Doctrine and Authority!” – MATTHEW HENRY, ‘Expositions of the Old and New Testaments,’ 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

Now compare this Christ with the one we have been sold for two or more generations now in the today’s Church: The Jesus of joy and celebration, with universal compassion and unqualified love who desires only that we succeed and enjoy ‘The abundant life!’

Or as I presented just a few lessons ago: “The Life of Riley” and the American Dream.

Never a promise of suffering or sacrifice, of humility and even humiliation. Or reminder of these honored EXAMPLES OF THE DISCIPLES: “So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name.” – ACTS 5:41, AMPC

A LOST PRINCIPLE. Like so much of aberrant White American Evangelicalism – for lack of a better cover label – we have forgotten the Words of the Lord, through the Apostle: If Jesus suffered, and we truly follow Him, then so shall we also suffer.

Paul wrote of this plain and true to his struggling young charge.

“Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].” – 2 TIMOTHY 3:12, AMPC

Of this Principle, CHARLES ELLICOTT drove a veritable stake into the heart of any contrary cultural doctrine that would dare oppose it: “[E]ternal glory was only to be reached by man through an avenue of sufferings. ‘No cross, no crown!’ is one of the watchwords of the Faith.” – ‘An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers,’ 1878, 1897; edited

The ’Lost Doctrine’ indeed of American Christianity.

THE NECESSITY OF GODLY GRIEF

When Suzette and I were newly minted Christians who had just joined the employ of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University (then called “CBN University”) in 1983, we were invited to become members of a Bible Study group of mostly University leaders.

I recall it being a wonderful experience for the most part, except for one development in relation to ‘The Dentist’ who was part of the group. When Suzie and I would occasionally bring up a struggle we were having for counsel and prayerful encouragement, I was told on one evening, this:

“Cliff, I just don’t get why you and Suzette are struggling much of the time. I have been following the Lord for decades, and I don’t struggle!”

As you can imagine, we as new believers were stunned, and yes, ‘grieved’ by this, to the extent that we talked about it for a couple of weeks, and decided to quietly leave the group. Note: Had Suzette and I been more mature, we may have stayed to work out the difference with The Dentist, whose life we later discovered was tragically rife with family issues that were being hidden.

Selah.

THE AMERICAN GOSPEL. Once again, an insidious False Doctrine had already loomed its ugly head by 1985, the year of our disillusionment. You know, the idea that once one enters the Kingdom of God, all things pretty much fall into place so long as we think and confess positively (i.e., lie), work hard and reap a material harvest.

‘The Life of Riley.’

FOUR REASONS FOR CHRISTIAN SUFFERING. Now we turn to a superb elucidation of these issues from the well-regarded EDITORS at ‘Got Questions’ in a piece titled, “Why Do Christians Suffer” (ret. May 10, 2022; edited)

AS A FORM OF DISCLIPLINE. “God is a good Father, and when one of His children goes astray, He may use suffering to bring him or her back. Hebrews 12:5–11 says that God disciplines those He loves. Verse 7 says, ‘Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?’”

TO IDENTIFY AND ENCOURAGE OTHER SUFFERERS. “Second Corinthians 1:3–4 says, ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.’ Those who have experienced the grace of God in their trouble are better equipped to help others find the same grace in their trouble.”

TO DRAW US CLOSER TO THE LORD. “We often seem to grow most when we go through difficult times. Suffering strips us of artificial or temporal securities and forces us to dig more deeply into the Word to find peace and purpose. It has been said that ‘when Christ is all you have, you find that Christ is all you need.’”

TO REMIND US THAT THE WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME. “Christians who live in more affluent parts of the world may find it harder to long for Heaven than their impoverished brothers and sisters. When life is comfortable, Eternity is only a glimmer far in the future. But when Christians suffer persecution, poverty, and privation, Eternity starts to become the brightest light in their lives. Often, Christians who suffer have an advantage in keeping their priorities straight.”

OUR FALSE GOSPEL. “Some teach that those who have enough faith will ‘never have to suffer.’ But this doctrine is contradicted on every page of the New Testament. From John the Baptist being beheaded in prison (Matthew 14:1–12) to John the Apostle being banished to Patmos (Revelation 1:9), the New Testament is a record of the terrible suffering that dominated the first-century Church (Acts 8:1–3). The men and women listed in Hebrews 11 were commended for their faith. Many on the list, including Abel, Noah, and Abraham, endured suffering. Hebrews 11:16 tells us how they did it: ‘They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.’ We read of faithful Moses who ‘chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward’ (Hebrews 11:25–26). Moses’ faith did not shield him from suffering, and in fact contributed to his choosing of it to gain something greater.”

So it is beloved, that it seems very nearly the entire American Church must be re-reschooled in sound doctrine in order to annihilate, yes, expose and utterly destroy anything resembling a False Gospel of a trouble-free life on the earth. Here is how the Apostle put it to the Church at Corinth.

Please make special note of the severity of Paul’s language.

“We are destroying [‘demolish with violence’] sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish [‘avenge, retaliate’] every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [‘willful compliance and submission’ as a church] is complete.” – 2 CORINTHIANS 10:5-6, AMP

COMMENTARY. I particularly loved the normally mild Commentary the following Bible scholar wax unapologetically ‘militant’ when offering his interpretation of Paul’s teaching. Quoted at length once again for its salutary power and sheer force of God’s desire here, of which we neither hear nor see anything of its like preached in today’s churches.

“Paul saw himself as a soldier warring against the proud reasonings of man, arguments which oppose the Truth. The true character of these arguments is described in the expression, ‘against the knowledge of God.’ It could be applied today to the reasonings of scientists, evolutionists, philosophers, and religionists who have no room for God in their scheme of things. The Apostle was in no mood to sing a truce with these. Rather, he felt committed to bring ‘every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.’ – WILLIAM MACDONALD, ‘Believer’s Bible Commentary,’ 1995, p. 186; edited

FOOTNOTE. I do all I can to imitate the Apostle Paul, beloved. In these Days of Apostasy, I often do so in a militant fashion when dealing with those ‘erring inside the house.’ To the “outsider,” I am vastly more compassionate.

Jesus made the necessity of making such distinction unmistakably clear.

“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and yet did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will be beaten with many lashes [of the whip], but the one who did not know it and did things worthy of a beating, will receive only a few [lashes]. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” – LUKE 12:47-48, AMP

Apology here for misunderstanding the points some were making in yesterday’s donnybrook. I missed this important distinction and will try not to make it again.

THE TEACHING

I love this Psalm for a couple of highly related reasons. First, it was penned by King David, “the man after God’s own heart” (cf. 1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), imperfect as he was. Second, as with us, this imperfect man loved the Lord with all his heart and soul and might; therefore ‘Affliction’ was practically his middle name.

Selah.

So let’s look at this man’s sacred Song as a Template of sorts that is already being stamped upon us all, before our course is fully run. It is a ‘mark’ of sorts, beloved: The very mark of our King.

KEY TERMS. As always, we turn to a consideration of the central ideas contained in this powerful Scripture.

REPROACHED. This could also be our middle name, beloved, as it was etched in blood on our Savior’s entire body and soul. From the Hebrew term, ‘Charaph’ [חָרַף]: “To say sharp things against; to blaspheme or defame or defy; to rail against or upbraid severely; to turn one’s season to winter; to strip of one’s reputation and provision; to treat with scorn or contempt; to [falsely] charge with a fault or blame in order to shame.”

CURSED. From the Hebrew, ‘Shaba’ [שָׁבַע]: “To Imprecate, swear an oath against; ‘to bind oneself by seven things’ [or to ‘seven oneself’]; i.e., to make severe covenant for or against something or someone; to pledge one’s allegiance to a certain idea or promise; to adjure (charge, bind or command on oath, or under the penalty of a curse); in sum, to utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate.”

UNTO WEEPING. Here ‘the consequence of standing alone for Christ and Canon’ is made clear by David, all too familiar with the angry, hateful reproach of men – most of whom were his fellow Jews! From the word, ‘Beki’ [בְּכִי]: “From a root word meaning to bemoan, wail, complain bitterly, mourn, make lamentation with tears; to weep; also, overflow with deep grief; to express sorrow, grief or anguish by outcry; this is the original sense.”

COMMENTARY. “‘Mine enemies reproach me all the day’ – Continually! They reproach me as one of Thy people; or, I bear reproaches in common with others, and it becomes to me a personal matter, so entirely are my feelings and interests identified with those of Thy people. Perhaps there were also, mingled with this, personal reproaches and calumnies. ‘And they that are mad against me’ – Angry; excited even to madness. ‘Are sworn against me’ – literally, ‘swear by me,’ or against me. The meaning is, that they have conspired together under the solemnity of an oath to do me harm. It is not the wrath of an individual that I am to meet, but the combined wrath of those who act under the solemnities of an oath. Compare Acts 23:12 [Amplified].” – ALBERT BARNES, ‘Notes on the Old and New Testament,’ 1884; edited

DK. Thus in a most dramatic departure from the seditious ‘American Gospel,’ we see here that the true follower of Jesus Christ shall meet on a regular basis with ‘severe opposition’ in the form of many persecutions – even death threats, as with the Apostle Paul.

And if history serves us well, beloved, the lion’s share of such violent hatred shall emanate ‘from other “Christians.’” KING DAVID laments once more:

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches and taunts me—then I might bear it; nor is it one who has hated me who insolently vaunts himself against me—then I might hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend. We had sweet fellowship together and used to walk to the house of God in company.” – PSALM 55:12-14, AMPC

MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTS. “No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the Church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the Church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the Church by ‘dividing’ them [Selah]. And an interest divided against itself cannot long stand. The True Christian must expect trials from professed friends, from those with whom he has been united; this will be very painful; but by looking unto Jesus we shall be enabled to bear it. Christ was betrayed by a companion, a disciple, an apostle, who resembled Ahithophel [a forerunner of Judas] in his crimes and doom. Both were speedily overtaken by ‘Divine Vengeance.’ And this prayer is a Prophecy of the utter, the everlasting ruin, of all who oppose and rebel against the Messiah.” – ‘Exposition of the Old and New Testaments,’ 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

Note. This God, the one the called ‘Jehovah,’ and ‘Adonai,’ is the same One we worship. But the Jews knew Him be both ‘Wonderful and Terrible’. American Pastors only present the “Wonderful” Jesus – not the Jesus of Matthew Henry, the ancient sages, along with the Law and the Prophets – the God of Vengeance against His betrayers.

It is as if the American Church has dared to try to remove the very teeth from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And I tell you straight up that it shall not be tolerated much longer.

And first and foremost to be visited upon the House of His so-called ‘friends’!

NOAH WEBSTER (1828): “One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy.”

Selah.

LAST THOUGHTS

Keeping in mind that ‘Period of Grieving’ I mentioned at the outset of this commentary, let me now share with you what I was instructed by the Lord about Why and What this Grieving was all about.

SEVEN REPLIES. Dating from Friday April 5, 2022, through Monday May 9, 2022 – I ‘heard’ no fewer than seven passages that directly addressed that ‘The Great Sadness’ I expect all of us are in some degree are experiencing. Rendered in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) for richness of translation.

Imagine this as ‘a Conversation’ between the King, and his lowly servant, and it will make a bit more sense.

THE CRY. “I am faint and sorely bruised [deadly cold and quite worn out]; I groan by reason of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.” – PSALM 38:8

THE INJURY. “My adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse.” – PSALM 102:8

THE CRISIS. “My zeal has consumed me and cut me off, because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.” – PSALM 119:139

THE IMPRECATION. “[And Nehemiah prayed] ‘Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.’” – NEHEMIAH 4:4

THE REASON. “For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” – ECCLESIASTES 1:18

THE ENDURANCE. “Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.” – PSALM 129:2

THE ASSURANCE. “Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, ‘but the Lord delivers him out of them all.’” – PSALM 34:19

This is the first time I have ever experienced ‘an ongoing Conversation ‘with the Spirit of the Lord, but it was so refreshing and confirming as He kept adding Replies to the agonizing Question I first posted. So as we begin to conclude, let’s turn once last time to The Sages, who often possess so much more wisdom than I can offer.

COMMENTARY ON PSALM 34. “‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous’ – This is not intended to affirm that the afflictions of the righteous are more numerous or more severe than the afflictions of other men, but that ‘they are subjected to much suffering, and to many trials’ [as normal Christianity!]. Religion does not exempt them from suffering, but it sustains them in it; it does not deliver them from all trials in this life, but it supports them in their trials, which it teaches them to consider as a preparation for the Life to Come …

‘But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ – The Promise is not indeed, that they shall be delivered from all trouble on earth, but the idea is that God is able to ‘rescue’ them from trouble here; that He often does it in answer to prayer; and that there will be, in the case of every righteous person, a sure and complete deliverance from all trouble Hereafter.” – ALBERT BARNES, ‘Notes on the New and Old Testament,’ 1834, 1884; edited

NOTE. I have said it once before, that for every major issue or even Crisis I have had to face in these past five tumultuous years, He has addressed every one. Not always (hardly ever?) in the time and manner of my desires, but always, always faithful with some sort of Divine Solution.

Sometimes He changed my circumstances. Other times He changed me.

DK: QUESTION #2. To finish this somewhat personal commentary on our Arduous Path to follow Him and fly against what Dr. Schaeffer always referred to as “The World Spirit,” I will end with where I began: ‘Inquiring of the Lord’ about this deep structure Sadness I continue to feel.

Again, it is not depression or oppression. Just ‘Grief.’ A type of Soul Ache that is somewhat new to this old man. I will close out with the ONE ANSWER that pretty much both settled it for me, and also gave me a Settled Peace.

PSALM 69:8-9 (AMPC). “I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother’s children. For zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches and insults of those who reproach and insult You have fallen upon me.”

ZEAL FOR GOD’S HOUSE! This, beloved, this right here for me at least, is the Core Cause for our griefs, our reproaches, our many insults, our estrangements from family and friends – indeed, our “Splendid Isolation!” Taken from the Hebrew term, ‘QINAH’ [קִנְאָה]: “Ardor, jealousy [of a lover of God against any rivals to His Majesty]; often manifests in anger, indignation; ardent zeal of this kind is noted ‘as strong as the grave!’ (Song of Solomon 8:6).” Finally, Noah Webster (1828) writes: “Passionate eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object.”

CONSUMED ME! The effect of this sort of nearly Unbridled Ardor for the Lord and His Word and Ways is found in another Hebrew term, ‘AKAL’ [אָכַל]: “To eat up, devour; burn up or be completely consumed by [God’s Holy] Fire; expended, nearly destroyed; dissipated; immersed; to strive toward perfection and become spent; to use one’s fuel or energy; implies a spiritual aggressiveness or violence to pursue the Lord’s objectives.” The term, ‘Magnificent Obsession’ comes to mind here, indicative of such a fierce devotion to Christ that it overwhelms all other desires.

COMMENTARY. “‘For this is the reason’ of that alienation of my brethren and others from me, because there is a vast difference and contrariety in our tempers. They mind not the concerns of God and of Religion, but are wholly intent upon wealth, and honour, and worldly greatness.‘For the zeal of thine house.’ – That fervent passion which I have for Thy house, and service, and glory, and people. ‘Eaten me up.’ – Exhausted and wasted my natural moisture and vital spirits, which is oft effected by grief and anger, and fervent love and desire; of which passions zeal is composed. ‘That reproached Thee’ – That speak contemptuously or wickedly of Thy name, or Providence, or Truth, or Worship and Service. ‘Fallen upon me.’” – MATTHEW POOLE, ‘English Annotations on the Holy Bible,’ 1685; edited

CODA. To those who have reached that ‘Place of Reckless Abandonment’ to the Person and Cause of the Almighty, that you are become very nearly ‘eaten up,’ virtually beside yourselves for the dreadful condition of The Nation and more, ‘His House!’ Thus are you ‘grieved, angered and desolated’ at times by it, left even in your wisdom with not knowing what to do.

To finish our Study of Him and Us in this hour, I resort one last time to Another Psalmist’s Lament, this time the Sons of Korah, for the Ultimate Answer.

Though you didn’t need me to tell you what follows, here it is.

“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.” – PSALM 42:5, AMPC

MATTHEW HENRY. “The Psalmist looked to the Lord as his chief good, and set his heart upon Him accordingly; casting anchor thus at first, he rides out the storm. A gracious soul can take little satisfaction in God’s Courts, if it does not meet with God Himself there. Living souls never can take up their rest any where short of a Living God. ‘To appear before the Lord is the desire of the Upright, as it is the dread of the Hypocrite’ …

SEE THE CURE OF SORROW. When the soul rests on itself, it sinks; if it catches hold on the power and Promise of God, the head is kept above the billows. And what is our support under present woes but this, that we shall have ‘Comfort in Him.’ We have great cause to mourn for sin; but being cast down springs from unbelief and a rebellious will; we should therefore strive and pray against it.” – ‘Exposition of the Old and New Testaments,’ 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

I cannot add to this, beloved. So do we suffer much for Him, yet will He attend to us much, in rich return. Selah.

Ever your servant, DK

VIDEO LINK