Christian Author: Writing to Raise the Gaze

The following biographical piece was written for and first published on October 29/09 in The Watford Guide-Advocate in my weekly inspirational column P-Pep!

When he sat in his home in Bristol, England, listening spell-bound to a visitor from Jamaica, young Raglan Phillips could not have dreamt the direction his life would soon take. The guest told exciting stories of pirates on the high seas, of exotic fruits, and cane sugar plantations in the West Indies. He talked of getting on in life, working hard and making a fortune, then eventually being waited on by servants in a tropical paradise home.

    In 1871, at sixteen years of age, Raglan, with his cousin, George, voyaged by sailing ship from London, arriving in Jamaica almost six weeks later, their ship having been battered by storms en route. But his would not be an earthly fortune. He didn’t know then that God had other plans, nor the great impact his life would have on the Jamaican people, plus thousands in various parts of the world.

    Last Sunday was our church’s Fall Missions emphasis day, and I shared the above piece as a lead-in to a segment of this man’s life story. That part focused on his funeral, held 1930. It was the largest the island had ever seen up until that time, and was only surpassed decades later when the first prime minister of the country passed away. Raglan was a white man, yet was mourned, celebrated, and paraded in his death by thousands of black Jamaicans, complete with marching bands. Many of them were barely several generations from the emancipation of their slave-traded forbears.

    I’m learning and writing about this man and his life of significant influence and benefit to the people of Jamaica and elsewhere. His great-grandson, Richard, lives in London, Ontario, and asked me to help him write elements of his life story. Richard says that   Raglan took the Salvation Army to Jamaica, and started the City Mission Churches. He preached all over the country, and “brought the organization that cares for orphans, the elderly, the blind, and the marginalised” into Jamaica. He became a successful surveyor, writer, printer, and had many other skills, but his love was for God and people.

    It was not always like that. Remember, he set out on his voyage of adventure seeking worldly fortune. What happened? The time came when he became aware of his need for God, and he committed his life to Christ. By then in his thirties, Raglan was completely convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who loved him, died for his sins, rose again, and reaches out to meet those who come in faith to Him. His values changed.

    Even now, reports continue to come in of lives that were touched and transformed by his simple acts of kindness and faithful living; acts that inspired his contemporary Jamaicans, and subsequent generations. God’s impact through this life sent small, but strong waves across the oceans in the way a pebble dropped in a pond sends ripples to its banks in every direction.

    At Sunday’s service we prayed and gave offerings to help send brand new missionaries to thirteen different locations in India, Cambodia, Spain, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, and Costa Rica.    They’re leaving behind the security of home, loved ones, and well-payed jobs. Younger couples are taking their kids with them.

    As a youth, Raglan Phillips hadn’t the foggiest notion, when standing at those foggy London docks, that he was actually a missionary in-the-making! Perhaps you’re a missionary in-the-making, too!

© Peter A. Black

~~+~~

TODAY, November 11, 2009, my wife and I stood by our Southwestern Ontario cenotaph with a crowd of between five and six hundred people, comprised of all ages -- from mothers with youngsters in baby-buggies, to  middle age, and to very senior. More than half of our number was made up of several hundred elementary schoolchildren from our public and Catholic schools. 

   What a beautiful fall day it was, with sunny blue skies and a hint of fresh breeze, but not too cold. A lone piper led the Legion colour guard and organization representatives and town dignitaries along the street, his bagpipes sounding their characteristic strident, yet plaintive skirl. The Last Post and Reveille were sounded, the padre's prayer was offered and a young lady led in the Canadian National Anthem and God Save the Queen. Wreaths were laid. We'd seen it all before, many times. But we needed to witness this, yet again.

   This service will stand out in May's and my memory, since we expect this to be our last Remembrance Day in this community. The memorial phrase, Lest we forget. Lest we forget, has a slightly different ring for us now. Of course, we hope to be spared to observe this significant tradition next year, elsewhere.

  I'm glad and thankful that our community's schoolchildren were released from class for this commemoration. Now is the time for them to be made aware of the price of freedom, and to be sensitized to the heartache and loss, as well as the heroism of ordinary people.

   It's good that they learn about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who've suffered devastating injury and trauma. These kids are growing up in a world in which violence and war are glorified through various media, especially in the virtual reality of certain video games flooding markets and impressionable young minds.

   The ranks of stalwart Royal Canadian Legionnaires are thinning out in many communities, and WWII veterans are passing away at the rate of about 400 each week. Korean war vets are getting up in years and have depleting ranks, too. Who will help our society remember and honour our war dead then?

   The Legion does a great work of ensuring that we don't forget them. Perhaps  a new generation of younger people will take up the torch, so that our  veterans and wounded soldiers from recent and present conflicts, and families who have already been bereaved, will find the recognition they deserve and support they need.

   More, even than that worthy organization, I hope and pray that a new generation of Christ followers will arise to bear the message that there is One who paid the ultimate price through making the supreme sacrifice to provide forgiveness of all sin, and secure peace between us and God, therefore providing a basis for peace between each other.

   Jesus said, when instituting the service of Holy Communion in which the bread and wine/grape juice are shared, "Take, eat; this is my body which is [broken and given] for you ... this cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it in remembrance of me." (1 Cor.11:24-25 / Mat. 26:26-28)

   This remembrance ordinance wasn't at all for Jesus' own sentimental comfort; it was and is for our good. Salvation, forgiveness, peace with God, the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and hope for life spent in His immediate presence beyond this life, will only be truly anticipated, appreciated, and enjoyed, through our knowing, acknowledging, and embracing the means by which they were obtained for us.

   That calls for remembrance of the divine method and means: 

~ The Righteous dying for the unrighteous.

~ The Immortal Eternal One dying a mortal death to bring mortals to immortality.

   Yep. That's another aspect of the "greatest story ever told" -- The Incarnation, and we'll be caused to remember it in just a few weeks from now, during Advent and Christmas. Let us prepare our hearts now to celebrate it well.

~~~

  We hear the term 'unsung hero' quite often nowadays. It's usually in reference to someone considered ordinary who did something selfless or otherwise extraordinary in a situation.

   In some cases, the unsung hero may not have performed any one deed considered extraordinary in itself to merit the appellative, but rather his or her general way of life -- the cumulative value of the way he lived -- is worthy of note.

   It's good when admirers are moved to bring such persons to the attention of a wider audience. Unsung hero? I'd say that was how I thought about Bill when on my way to his memorial service last week.

   Once I'd signed the memorial guest book May and I entered the chapel room to join the visitation line. Eventually, we got to view dear Bill Lucas' earthly tabernacle, reposed serenely in his casket. He looked as real and alive as when I'd seen him sleeping numerous times before, when calling in to visit him in the senior's residence. But Bill wasn't there. This was only the image of his mortal life, lingering in the clay.

   He'd crossed over into greater, eternally enduring, realities. The Lord had come -- true to His Word -- and taken Bill away to be with Himself (John 14:1-3).

   After several minutes of visiting with Bill's daughter Rebecca we moved on to secure seats, allowing others to visit with her.

   Attendees were predominantly senior, although people of all ages and stations in life were there to celebrate his life. I wondered how many of those people had been brought to a life-transforming faith in Jesus through Bill's faithful witness, or had been encouraged and helped along in life in some way. He had been a farmer and rural mail deliverer, and was a lay minister, and S.A. soldier.

   Major Rick Pollard of the Salvation Army officiated. And what a service it was! Senior 'Sally Ann' saints and people from various church fellowships had come to honour Bill's memory, and were free in their praises. Shouts of Glory to God! and frequent Praise the Lords! and Hallelujahs! filled the place again, and again. A great swell of fervent singing filled the room with the music of grand old Gospel hymns of faith.

   A long-time friend of Bill's, Harold Scharf, brought a tribute-cum-eulogy-cum-solo and message. He stirred us all to be as committed to the Lord and live passionately for Jesus as Bill had done.

   Yes, personally I was honoured to have known him these past six years or so, and caught a sense of his love of the Lord, and strong desire to live true to God. He had a clear passion for the salvation of souls, and took his witness seriously.

   William Roland Lucas' life of eighty three years had touched many hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- with the fragrance of Christ since the time of his coming to Jesus as a young man.

   May and I give thanks to the Lord for Bill. We were honoured to have witnessed our Brother's home-going celebration; yet more importantly, to have been touched by his life and testimony.

   I believe Bill is no longer unsung, and that he received these words from the One who really matters: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord."

~~+~~

No Anticlimax ... 

Our friend from England, Joyce, had heard so much about the beautiful colours of fall in Canada, that she wished she could have stayed a few more weeks to witness for herself the full splendour of the leaves with their glorious, contrasting colours.

    Before her flight back home from Toronto, each day she eagerly noted the slight turning of the leaves - the fading green here, the turning to gold there; and a reddish blush amidst the mostly greens and yellows.   

    However, her flight was booked, and she had to get back to her husband Jim, and her poodles! And so, Joyce missed the most vivid colours and glorious scenes of the climactical period of an Ontarian fall.

    Sometimes we must move on before the thing we long to experience comes to fruition. Feels anticlimactic, but that can be OK. Moses led the tribes of Israel through tough times in the wilderness for forty years. The Lord had used him to galvanize these former slaves into becoming a nation under God.

    The period encompassed two generations. The first was to die out before the succeeding one could be entrusted with entry into the Promised Land. Anticlimactic for the former generation, for sure. But remember, they regretted leaving Egypt - the land of their bondage and slavery, and resented the hardships encountered en route to freedom.

    Picture faithful old Moses, at one hundred-and-twenty years of age, standing on Mount Nebo's peak Pisgah, viewing the Promised Land beyond the Jordan river, knowing that this is the end of his earthly trail. He can see the Promised Land, but God won't permit him to enter it; at least, not this side of the grave (see Deuteronomy 32:48-51). Anticlimactic, for sure!

    Some years ago my wife, May, and I were very moved as we stood on Mt. Nebo, situated to the east of the northern end of the Dead Sea, and viewed on the western horizon, as did Moses, the land beyond Jordan. We felt a deep pang for him. Our eyes distinguished the flash of shimmering golds and silvers generated by the sun striking Jerusalem's domes and roofs in the distance. We'd soon be on our way back there, then bused to Tel Aviv airport for our flight home to Canada. No anticlimax for us, since we had been in Jerusalem several days before.

    Many centuries after Moses' death, Peter, James, and John are on a mountain in Israel with Jesus (ref. Matthew 17). What an awe-inspiring scene, as the three witness their Lord Jesus transfigured before their very eyes. His face begins to shine like the sun, and His clothes take on a glistening luminescence, till they appear white as the light. And then, who appears - but Moses and Elijah! In whatever form this was, Moses had gained entry to the Promised Land after all, in God's perfect plan and time!

    He'd played a part in preparation for the coming of Christ, and eventually got to meet Him face to face right there in the Promised Land.

    Joyce, and you and I, and all who have received Him will meet our Saviour, too. Our eyes will behold Him, whether we presently live in the Americas, in Europe, or in other lands across the seas.

    In Jesus we glimpse the gold and silver - the riches of God's grace - in store for those who love Him.  . . . as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

A Prayer

Heavenly Father:

Thank You for allowing us to see, as it were, the golds and silvers of Your purpose and plan for those who respond to Your grace in Jesus Christ. Despite life's disappointments, You have purposed to bring us through into the fulness of eternal life as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven with a place in the New Jerusalem. Help us to lead others from life?s wilderness into the 'promised land' of salvation and life in Christ. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

SUMMER -- such as it has been in Southwestern Ontario -- is pretty much over, and students from JK kids to Post-Graduate adults are now finding their way back to the classrooms of the nation...

It's not uncommon nowadays to find mature adults -- and even senior citizens -- as students in a college or university setting, sitting alongside those decades younger than themselves.

    This reminds me of the fact that life itself is an arena of education, an institution of learning. 

Many years ago I read somewhere to the effect that "God's preparations are a long school."  And even if I only dreamed it up, I believe it to be true.

     Moses had possibly the finest education that ancient Egypt could offer (perhaps the best in the world at that time) since he was raised as the Pharaoh's son. Yet at the age of forty, following his taking matters into his own hands and killing the Egyptian who'd been beating a Hebrew slave, Moses began to learn that you cannot run ahead of God's program and do His work by human effort, alone. It would be another forty years before Moses was ready to lead the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land of Canaan; and even then, it was a further forty years before they were ready to actually cross over into it.

    There is much truth in the statement, "the day you stop learning is the day you begin to die."

Personally, I know I'm a slow learner. However, I do thank my Father in Heaven that He has been patient with me, and has allowed me to continue as a student in His "long school" -- the school of life; sometimes the school of hard knocks.

Several questions, all present tense, that came to me as I thought on these matters:

• Am I learning?  That is, learning in the sense of increasing in knowledge of the Lord Jesus and my experience of His grace, and also learning about life and how to live it.
• Am I growing?  That is, am I aware that my heart -- my spiritual, inner being -- is enlarging, growing in gratitude, and appreciation of the Lord and of people? Are my intellect and my spiritual intuition growing or shrinking? (Oh, I know my memory seems short-lived, and frayed at the edges, but do I have that vital sense of progress within?)  Jesus taught of our need to abide or remain as fruit-bearing branches in vital connection and relation to Him, the True Vine (John 15).
• Am I serving?  Education has an end in view -- that the student be equipped for life, equipped to act, apply knowledge, and contribute to the good of society as a whole. God's long school, under the counsel of the Holy Spirit equips and enables us through our surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to apply what we learn for the good of the whole, and especially for the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  

I'm registered and am in class already. You too?  

Our final post in this series begins with the focus:

The Supremely Blessed --

en route To Become Supremely Cursed

Before we get down to the serious business let's share from the email files on the lighter side, more of the summer quip series, It's Soooo Hot.

It's Soooo Hot ---

- Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

- You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

- The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

- Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

- The cows are giving evaporated milk.

Those of us who have followed the pre-Easter season of Lent and the Palm Sunday celebration of our Lord Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem will be familiar with the cries of jubilation the thronging crowds shouted.

    The scene and their shouts fulfilled the Old Testament Scripture from Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

    As Jesus embarked on the final week of the last stage of His earthly ministry -- in which He would suffer all the indignities of betrayal, denial, and a complete travesty of justice; of His being persecuted, falsely accused, beaten, buffeted and abused, and skewered to the cross in nakedness and shame, and declared a blasphemous criminal -- the prophetic message of Zechariah was in the very process of being fulfilled. This was when the pilgrims to the Holy City, both adults and children, celebrating Jesus on His arrival in Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey colt shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9).

Blessed IS ... The King. Let us think about that.

He was blessed while en route to becoming "a curse for us"(Gal 3:13-14). V 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.

And the redemptive purpose and result? -- Multiplied blessing! V 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

    He was blessed while in the very act of giving Himself up to all this indignity and suffering, even to death -- blessed with "the joy"!

Joy -- really? Yes. Heb. 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That's a paradoxical juxtaposition: CURSE and JOY -- simultaneously experienced!

Most assuredly, the blessing of the Lord really does enrich, and adds no sorrow (Prov. 10:22).

    In the words of C. H. Gabriel's grand hymn (V 4 of "My Savior's Love" / "I Stand Amazed"):

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calv'ry, And suffered and died alone.

(Ref. Isaiah 53:3-5)

    There are so many areas to be considered in this great subject, however, I must bring it to a close in this session. Here are two statements for your own private consideration, since I won't be providing a development of them (then those will be followed by several points of principle):

1) The Blessing of the Lord --

Empowerment Amidst the Transitions of Life.

Ask yourself: How might this apply to my life at this time?

2) Blessing - power to affect or change the course of an individual, people group, or family for the better.

Ask: How may such a wonderful process begin to happen in my life and family?

    In speaking / pronouncing a blessing is it to speak --

Truth ... (of the person or situation) as it is currently?

(Not necessarily so.)

Truth ... as it should be?

(Surely. Speaking to a Biblically-based, God-honouring, life-affirming preferred outcome.)

Truth ... as it could be?

(Certainly. By the mercy and grace of God, according to His will -- Romans 8:28-29.)

    We express our sincere desire for that person or family's wellbeing.

As some believers say: "We speak blessing into people's lives."

However, it is important for the candidates to engage the principles that place them in blessing.

    Note two things related to this subject of blessing that characterized Jesus' earthly ministry:

Mark 10:16 [Jesus said] "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

1) The wonderful transformative touch of the Master's hands, and 2) His faith-inspiring words. Yes, the blessing of the Lord changes / transforms (Cff. Isaiah 61:1-3; Mat. 5:3ff.)

The blessing of the Lord becomes active according to primary principles of the Kingdom of Heaven:

First, it operates according to Humility - which positions one for blessing.

Second, it operates according to Faith - which pleases God and enables one to receive His provision / blessing.

Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The spoken aspect of blessing others may be described this way:

Blessing: Speech arising from Godly love and holy desire backed by heaven.

And FINALLY (!!):

What was our Lord Jesus' final act in His earthly ministry?

Luke 24:50-51 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Thank you for joining me on these musings re. blessing. I invite you to check this page again for a new focus in a few weeks' time.

~~0~~

The Blessing of the Lord -- Power to Change.

Getting Started - On the Lighter Side:

Here are several more lines from the same email summer file as last post:

 IT'S SOOO HOT!!! That

- You can make sun tea instantly

- You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

- The temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.

-You discover that in August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

(Hah! We're not there yet in Ontario, this year, but I'm not complaining!)

Down to business: Thank you for joining me on this journey. This is the second last section in the series, and although this post makes for a sizeable read, I do hope you will hang in to complete it with me.

Several Principles implied in this discussion:

- The Blessing of the Lord is Transformative.

- Humility is Key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

- Humility is 'Step One' towards the Blessings of the Kingdom.

- Humility Positions Us for Blessing.

A key to obtaining, enjoying, and maintaining the blessing of the Lord is what we could call the Primary Kingdom Life Principle of Humility.

This was expressed by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:3-4: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Cp. James 4:6, 10 [God] gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (1 Peter 5:6 underscores this.)

What is a child like? As indicated in the little child whom Jesus used as an example before the crowd that day (Mat. 18), let us suggest that generally speaking, a well-cared-for and loved child is naturally responsive to kindness, is also trusting, and eager to please. These are reflective of humility.

Since, as Jesus declared, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom ..." pride will keep us out. 

- Pride renders us inflexible and unresponsive to grace, and distrustful of the provision of God in Christ for our spiritual security.

- Pride causes us to cling to the thin air of self effort amid the quicksand of self-righteousness, rather than to reach out in faith to trust in Christ.    

- Pride keeps us locked up in the prison of an unrepentant heart.

Yes, humility is necessary for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a hallmark of the Kingdom Life.

- Through humility we find the grace to recognize our need of God and His forgiveness.

- Through humility we receive the grace of repentance.

- Through humility we take hold of the key of faith in dependence on God. Hebrews 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Cp. Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 10:8-10.)

Remember from Part Eight of this series, how we showed that the Lord Jesus, the King Himself, is the supreme exemplar of the attribute of humility and is the supremely blessed One?

And so, this time consider The Beatitudes / Sermon on the Mount. Working our way through (Mat. 5:3-12) and personalizing each of them gives a different feel or view - an outlook as from within our own life and experience. The approach may seem fanciful but is not intended to be glib. Put yourself in the picture (I'm sure we have many brothers and sisters in Christ somewhere in the world of whom these are relevant and true, even at this time):

1. (V3) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who, although poor in spirit, depend entirely on God's grace for my acceptance by Him, for mine is the kingdom of heaven.

2. (V4) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who mourn over reversals and losses in my life and also in identification with those of others, but especially over my own sins and failings which grieve my Heavenly Father's heart, for in confessing my need I will be forgiven and comforted.

3. (V5) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who, in meekness, can show gentleness of strength under the control of grace, while resting in God's sovereign will, assured that He is my ultimate Provider, and that as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven I will share in the King's inheritance in the earth (Cp. Psa. 2:6-8; 24:1; Rev. 5:9-10; 11:15).

4. (V6) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ my King -- the righteousness which is from God by faith (Cp. Rom. 1:17; 3:22; 2 Cor. 5:21), and which by His grace is being worked out in my own life, for by it only am I truly filled and satisfied.

5. (V7) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who, by the grace of God and in the King's name, show mercy towards others (since I myself have received divine mercy), for the channel will remain open for me to continue receiving mercy all the days of my life (Cp. Mat. 5:43-45; 6:14-15; Psa. 23:6).

6. (V8) - Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I who humbly, sincerely, and in dependence on God's grace, and without selfish ulterior motives, demonstrate the purity of an undivided heart, for there will be nothing to cloud my spiritual perception of the character of Christ my King or of my Heavenly Father - even while in this life; and like Job of old I may anticipate seeing God with my eyes, in life beyond this life (Job 19:25).

7. (V9) Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I when serving as an instrument of peaceful reconciliation for others through the grace of God, so that they come to the happy state of being at peace with Him (Rom. 5:1), for through it I will have the honour of being noted and named among the children of God (Cp. 1 John 3:1-3). That's what God has done for me through Christ the King (Eph. 2:14-18; 4:3; 6:15).

8. (Vv10-12) Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy am I when persecuted while trusting in the righteousness of Christ and living uprightly, for I belong to the King and the Kingdom of Heaven, and they belong to me. And I am especially blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy when people insult me, persecute me and falsely say all kinds of evil against me because I belong to and honour the King, for that is precisely what He endured for me. Therefore, I can rejoice and be glad in the promise of great reward in heaven, and I will be associated with the celebrated company of faithful prophets who came before me, and who likewise endured.

Now, are a series of different persons represented in the various beatific qualities of the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five? I've come to believe they are intended to represent the same person. They constitute the kingdom manifesto for all citizens of heaven.

Whether we view the Beatitudes as ascending steps, or significant points of growth, as links in a chain, or as a string of pearls, progress is in view - growth in these dimensions throughout life - from humility and a deep sense of dependency on the undeserved grace of God, all the way through to rejoicing despite undeserved persecutions and trials.

It is marvellous: When God blesses us with Himself through Christ, it transforms lives and has power to transform couples, families, communities, countries, continents, and the world.

That's it, folks:

Humility is necessary for our spiritual birth into the Kingdom of Heaven, and also for our progress and continuance in it.

We'll call a halt to this series next post at Part Ten

May you be truly blessed as you live out the Kingdom Life day by day. 

© Peter A. Black, 2009

The Supreme Blesser -- The Supremely Blessed

Getting Started -- On the Lighter Side

In Southwestern Ontario we haven't as yet attained great heights of summer weather, but maybe the following from a selection of email smiles I received several years ago will keep us thankful:

IT'S SOOO HOT!!! That:

- The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground

- The trees are whistling for the dogs

- The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance

- Hot water now comes out of both taps.

We understand that the Lord God?s promise to bless all peoples of the earth through Abraham finds its ultimate fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ and the redemption He purchased and salvation He gives. The blessing of Abraham becomes the portion of all who through faith in Christ are justified in the sight of God, whether Arab, Jew, or Gentile. All become one in Jesus.

We've expressed and stressed that the essence and substance of the blessing of the Lord is Himself. But blessing is not just for us. Is The Blesser not blessed also?

The Supreme Blesser -- The Supremely Blessed

Our Lord Jesus, in the Sermon On The Mount (Mat. Cc 5-7) - specifically in the Beatitudes, as in Matthew 5:3-11 (extended, 12-16), gave what has been dubbed The Manifesto of the Kingdom. This represents the principles under which the Kingdom of Heaven (the righteous and loving rule and reign of God) is put into practical effect here on earth. This is how the 'Kingdom life' is lived; how the rule and reign of God is extended in the lives of the Kingdom of Heaven's citizens, and through them to influence and include others here on earth. It operates contrary to the ways of the kingdoms of earth, or the kingdom of darkness, for that matter.

Portion - Mat. 5:12, 14-16

First let us consider a word comparison:

Matthew 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

The Greek word translated blessed here is eulogeo - to bless, speak well of, to praise. Eulogeo is frequently translated praise or bless in the New Testament.

For example: In Luke 6:28 Jesus teaches His subjects to bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. That is also eulogeo.

However in His introduction to the Kingdom Life in the Beatitudes (as in Mat. Chapter 5) the word translated blessed is the Greek word makarios - supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, happy.

But, is the Lord Jesus, the King of the Kingdom, only well-spoken of and praised (eulogeo)? Or is He Himself also supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy (makarios)? Of course. Our precious Lord supremely demonstrated every aspect of the Manifesto of the Kingdom in His Incarnation and earthly life and ministry, crowned by His betrayal, rejection, sufferings and death, and not to forget the sequel -- His resurrection, ascension, and exaltation.

The first century poetic lines (or hymn) in Philippians 2:7-11 show Christ / Messiah's seven steps downward in voluntary humiliation, and His seven steps upward to His appointed exaltation. And if we were to take the time to draw on a number of Scriptures, we would readily apply each aspect of the supremely blessed (makarios) life to Him.

We'll provide several examples then abbreviate several more. Paraphrasing the Beatitudes in Matt 5:

V 3 Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy is our Lord Jesus, the Messiah / Christ the King, who supremely demonstrated humility in poverty of spirit by His total dependence on the grace of God His Father during His earthly life and ministry, for His is the kingdom of heaven.

V4 Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy is Jesus who mourned over the crushing burden of our sin, sickness, and loss in the world, that He bore it all in His body on the tree [cross], and is comforted. (Cp. Isa. 53, and noting v 11; cp. Heb. 12:2.)

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calv'ry, And suffered and died alone.

(C. H. Gabriel)

V 5 Supremely blessed, fortunate, well-off, and happy is Jesus who preeminently demonstrated meekness (the humility and gentleness of strength under the restraint of grace and constraint of love), for He will inherit the earth. (Consider, too, the tense indicated in Mat. 28:18).

Try following this line of application through each of the Beatitudes. Jesus the righteous One overcame every test and temptation (Mat. 4:3-11; Heb. 4:15-16), and hungered and thirsted to fulfil the Father's will (John 8:29; Heb. 5:7-9). Through Him the righteousness of God is put to our account, and we become the righteousness of God by faith in Him (Rom. 3:22; 4:24; 2 Cor. 5:21). And so on. Making it brief here:

Jesus the Messiah / Christ the King (State:

- supremely demonstrated mercy ("went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil ..." Acts 10:38);

- was pure in heart (the one who had gazed on the face of God the Father from eternity past and rested in the Divine Embrace (John 1:1-3,16-18; 6:46);

- supreme peacemaker (made peace through the blood of the cross - Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:15-17)

- was supremely persecuted, falsely accused, maligned, and mistreated;

- and was (and is) supremely blessed with the greatest reward in heaven.

The highest place that heaven affords is His by sovereign right,

The King of kings and Lord of lords, And heaven's eternal Light. (T. Kelly)

Yes, Jesus is our BLESSED REDEEMER, and in Him we are supremely blessed!

This was a rather hefty piece, I know.

In our next post, Part Nine, we'll apply the blessedness of the Kingdom Life in a personal way.

I plan to wrap this series up in ten segments, so you may be relieved to know that the end is in sight!

What Want I More?

Beyond the Temporal & Material

First, on the lighter side from the email files:

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why, indeed? Ever been up the CN Tower then been fascinated when looking down at life on the ground?

Ephesians 2:6-7 says of those who respond to the grace of God and receive the Gift of His Son  "... God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

No higher place, and incomparably blessed.

I have come to believe we must get beyond primarily identifying the blessing of the Lord with the temporal and material, rather that the spiritual and eternal, if we are going to experience and enjoy our salvation to the full in our lives as lived in the here and now.

    We might consider faith, hope, love, joy, peace; also forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, redemption, reconciliation with God, and so on - any number of things - as blessings from God - which they are, and the blessing we have by virtue of God being present in our lives. We might also consider as blessings - life itself, health, family, friends, food, clothes, our homes, and much more besides.

    I've also come to view these latter-mentioned things as tokens of the blessing of the Lord, but not primarily as the blessing itself; that the blessing of the Lord is NOT THOSE THINGS. Jesus made that plain in Luke 12:15 when He said, ... "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a [person's] life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

    Many of the things we consider are the blessing or blessings of the Lord are the benefits of life that He has allowed us to enjoy, or that we would like Him to give us, or allow us to experience.

    And so 'The blessing of the LORD' is exactly that - the LORD! As I see it, the blessing of the Lord is what becomes our portion when He blesses us with Himself. In Himself, God causes us to be supremely benefited, and brings us into a condition and realm of supreme happiness (felicitation is a good old-fashioned word for it). 

    God Himself came to us in the Incarnation and the Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, for God was in Christ, reconciling [us back] to Himself. (2 Cor. 5:19 cp. KJV / NRSV; John 1:1-3, 14.); and through Christ's Resurrection and Ascension back to heavenly glory, and His subsequent giving of God's Holy Spirit to all who believe and receive Him by faith, God comes to us personally.

    Yes the blessing of the Lord is primarily and supremely Himself in the triune fullness of His being. The apostle Paul was on this track when he penned the benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14 - May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

    Despite all the hardships, privations, dangers, and opposition that he experienced during his missionary travels Paul considered Himself blessed, and his heart overflowed with gratitude.

    My late dad told the story of a minister who was called (perhaps a hundred or more years ago) to minister to a poor woman who lay dying on the floor of a dismal, unheated attic cubbyhole in the heart of London, England. He found she was a Christian believer, and before breathing her last, she expressed her faith. The minister was deeply moved, and her words of testimony so clung to his mind that he penned a poem which became a sacred song. I only remember one verse:

In the heart of London's city

Lying on a garret floor,

Having no earthly comfort,

She cried, "I have Christ. What want I more?"

That woman considered herself supremely blessed with the blessing of the Lord that enriches inestimably.

Now that we have stated and underscored the divine essence and substance of the blessing of the Lord,  we'll consider several basic principles pertaining to the blessed life -- in the next post.

Just for G-Eight Nations and North Americans?

On the lighter side. You may have read this letter a child wrote to God:

"Thanks for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy."

Yep, we don't always get what we want when we want, do we?

Is the Blessing of the Lord the exclusive right or inheritance of Christian believers in North America, the Western world? or for G-Eight nations? Sadly, many teachers and preachers have talked and written about the blessing of the Lord as in Proverbs 10:22 in terms that would virtually make it the peculiar right of Christians of North America or the developed world, since their emphasis has been so much on material possessions. How miserable, sad, and short of the truth.

    No, this blessing of the Lord is not just for Christian believers in wealthy nations, with all of the material comforts and provisions we've grown accustomed to. Things which through the global economic downturn for many people have become constituents of fading dreams - even liabilities, and worse, which have in part plunged them into a nightmare of financial ruin.

    The blessing of the Lord doesn't evaporate with the absence of 'things'.

    Rather, the Lord's blessing is His intended reality also for those who love Him and trust Christ, even if living in a mud-and-straw hut in Africa, or a jungle clearing in the Indian sub-continent, in equatorial jungles or sun-parched desert-lands, and amidst the desperate privations of life in which they may be immersed. It is intended too, for the Christian child of God, persecuted for his or her faith in China, Myanmar, Vietnam, or living under various regimes hostile to the Gospel of Christ and Kingdom of God.

    The material and economic benefits of our society, stable politics, healthcare, and bountiful food production and their availability are wonderful, and we thank God for them. We wish every human being could have a fair share of them. Yet, these are not to be confused with the blessing of the Lord that truly enriches, and that brings no sorrow.

    All of these things may bring us sorrow.

    Too much material benefit, or too little, can bring us sorrow. Life brings sorrows as well as joys.

    But the blessing of the Lord enriches all of life, in the midst of sorrows and joys.

    Anything and everything of this life may be stripped away. But we are our Father's treasure; are 'in Christ' and are accepted in Him, the beloved Son. We belong to God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He belongs to us. Christ IS our life - the substance and substrata of our being; and He is eternal. (Ephesians chapter 1; Colossians 3:1-4.)

We'll  underscore the point in the next post.