When I first wrote about the trials and triumphs of faith that Mike and I experienced early this year, I reserved some of the account for a sequel because the season of testing wasn’t quite over.  Let me say now that none of what happened to us occurred in a vacuum of prayerlessness. We were praying and receiving all kinds of prayers, as taught in Ephesians 6:18, with fasting as suggested by Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29. (Thank God that ‘fasting’ was not excluded by all manuscripts.)

Now that the continuing testimony from this testing season is more fully ‘baked’ I can share further, to the glory of God.

We had expected to return to Canada from Jamaica at the end of April. Under pre-pandemic conditions we may have tried to return earlier to secure Canadian health care for me. Under pre-pandemic conditions I would have been assured of timely diagnostics and treatment. However, the pandemic had changed all that. Addressing Covid-19 had relegated many other medical services to the back burner of the health care system. Waiting lists for intervention in non-covid illnesses had become indefinitely long, with some patients deteriorating beyond recovery and dying while waiting.

Jamaica, on the other hand, has both public and private health care systems. With most of the covid-related burden falling on the public system, private health care was readily available at a price. So although we missed the former ease of accessing our tax-financed health care in Canada, we were willing to pay the price in Jamaica for speedy access to primary care, referral appointments and diagnostic procedures. Although my diagnosis was elusive, the process of elimination proceeded almost uninterrupted. Only one test result was delayed for two weeks because (unknown to us) the specimen had been sent to a government lab inundated with covid-related work.

Now let’s pause for praise!  Given all of the above, we actually thanked God for allowing this illness to beset me while in Jamaica. Then, as our April departure date approached and the specialists confirmed a diagnosis of small bowel obstruction, God intervened through WestJet’s cancellations of our return flights due to covid travel restrictions. Our April flights were rescheduled to May, then rescheduled again to June, allowing time for my emergency surgery to be performed in Jamaica, and for me to be sufficiently healed to travel. HalleluYah!

Mike has always ensured we have savings for the proverbial rainy day, and from January to late April we were pelted with the harshest ‘rain’ we had ever weathered, so we dug into our pockets. Then, that storm was calmed when when God saved my life through surgical removal of 18 inches of my small intestine and having His skillful servant rescue me from a post-op blood pressure ‘crash’. Six days later God intervened again, showering us with finances to cover most of the surgery-related bills, thus showing me His love in a way that I had never experienced before, in fulfillment of a prophecy that I shared in Part 1.

While coming into a new level of intercession, Mike also gained some practical nursing experience. Our Jamaican home is in the Blue Mountains, a treacherous journey away from medical attention. At my discharge from hospital Mike was prompted to ask for wound care instructions, but the surgeon said that would be taken care of in post-op visits. As it happened, my incision did not heal as easily as expected, and Mike had to be coached on the phone by the doctor, through very technical wound-care procedures for about two weeks. He was a quick study!

Another testimony has to do with my wardrobe. From late January until recently, I couldn’t wear any waisted clothes – which ruled out most of my pants, shorts and skirts. Only God knew the reason why, back in November 2020, I had packed two loose, longish skirts which I’d had for a while but never worn before. Only God knew how these gifts from a sweet sister would become a staple among my wearable outfits, as their elastic waists could be pulled up to, or over my bust, under a loose blouse.

Other blessings revealed as God worked ‘all things together’ for my good were weight loss, blood sugar and blood pressure regulation. Weight loss just came with dietary restrictions, but the surgically removed neuroendocrine tumor had perhaps contributed to elevated blood pressure and glycemic swings for years.

Our last blessing in Jamaica was the doctor facilitating our double vaccination so that we could fly home in June. Once back in Canada, we experienced a miraculously speedy referral process initiated by our Canadian family doctor. Despite lingering Covid effects on hospitals, she secured follow-up appointments for me starting the very day after completing our mandatory isolation. The ensuing weeks proved God’s word in Psalm 34:4 to be unaffected by Covid. God delivered me from what I had feared – the hamstrung waiting list for medical care. Since then He has kept healing my abdomen, so that I can now enjoy more regular clothes and activities. He has also kept the referral ball rolling, so that everything ‘good to know’ about my remaining anatomy has been discovered, as He lined me up with expert oncology and surgical consultants, who in turned referred me for every possible kind of test and scan. Why? Because my diagnosis was so rare, and because – as God says in the Scriptures, “I would not have you ignorant.”

So now I can testify, with fully informed awareness, that  (1) the consultants have agreed that I do not need any further intervention at this time, and (2) Abba has given me faith to decline the offer of a precautionary treatment that would bind me to reliance on the medical arm of flesh for the rest of my life.  Thankfully, I know that it is God, not man, who determines the length of my earth-days; and it is God who will make me fruitful in all the remaining days He has appointed for me.

We are now in December and I am able to conclude this 2021 testimony of God’s wonderful work on my behalf – showering me and Mike with more prayer from His people than we ever received before, delivering me from untimely death (and Mike from untimely widowerhood), showing His love to us in other new ways, and piloting us through what had seemed a formidable obstacle course before He cleared the path in front of us. This has certainly been a most divinely eventful year. HalleluYah!

“Without a test we couldn’t have a testimony” is a true saying.  All we could share is that we’ve never been tested, which would be cold comfort to anyone facing severe trials. One of the most comforting things we know about Yeshua is that He too was tested – tempted in all the same ways that we are (Hebrews 4:15) yet He was victorious. He passed every test presented to Him as a Man living among men, and then His words to Peter were recorded for us, “Indeed, (the adversary) has demanded to sift you all like wheat. But I have prayed for you … that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back (when you have passed the test – even if you had to sit it three times) strengthen your brothers.”  Later, He had Sha’ul add, “God … will not allow you to be tempted (tested) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (and make testimonies from the tests).

Before sharing some testimonies from testing, let me comment on three aspects from an academic testing perspective. First, some academic tests used to be set with a ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality. Examiners had no personal interest in whether students passed or failed. Secondly, it was assumed that teachers had done all their work before students sat the test. In the examination room no teacher dared intervene. Thirdly, students who failed the test may not have been able to re-sit.

However, there are huge differences with the tests that Yeshua allows His disciples to face. First, God has vetted every test set for us because He does care and want us to succeed; hence His promise about not allowing us to be tested beyond our ability. Secondly, in God’s examination room the atmosphere is permeated with “Behold, I am with you always…” which means these are Teacher-aided tests. Thirdly, our ‘passing’ of the test sooner or later is almost guaranteed – even if it means reviewing teacher-highlighted ‘course material’ and correcting mistakes right there, or taking a break for that review and re-sitting the test later. (John 14:26, Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:1-4, Joshua 1:8)

That said, here’s my January-to-May-2021 story… tests and testimonies. Mike and I were in Jamaica to minister to family there, which we’d done for almost three months until the last week of January. Then we went to a resort for our 47^th anniversary, January 26. There we enjoyed witnessing to someone about God and His blessings on our marriage.  However, instead of leaving the hotel on cloud nine, I became ill there and left unwell.

The next three months were a nightmare of worsening pain and other symptoms; family doctor, ER and specialist visits; diagnostic tests and treatment procedures multiplied. Finally, two specialists reached the elusive diagnosis of partial small intestine blockage being the critical issue. By the end of April I’d had only liquids for weeks, and they determined that I needed surgery. However, they couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of the problem, so I consented to a laparotomy– a large abdominal surgery- to repair a small hernia and address whatever else was found.

Meanwhile, our Teacher-Helper had already showed up in our ‘exam room’! First, He brought news of a totally unexpected (and still unexplained) check delivered to our mailbox in Canada, in the amount totaling our medical bills already paid out-of-pocket because we had insufficient health insurance in Jamaica. Then, as news of my suffering reached Canadian and Jamaican brethren, we received encouraging prayers of faith, supernatural relief at times of crisis, and prophetic words that ministered to my inner-woman. Also, Mike was propelled into a new level of intercession and I was propelled into a new level of readiness for possible departure. In that readiness I resolved to witness to some extended-family members for whom we’d continually prayed but never directly shared the Gospel with them. Being far away, I emailed them a ‘witnessing’ epistle to redeem lost time. Then, our final specialist referral reconnected Mike with an old school-mate, securing for me the best available surgeon while our Jamaican church connection secured the best anesthesiologist.

Two prophetic words I’d received stuck with me. An 80-year-old at Shalom Restoration Fellowship said in a Zoom prayer meeting that God was about to show me His love in a way that He’d never shown me before. Then a Spiritually gifted MD said in a Jamaican Zoom prayer meeting that I was suffering heartache over our son’s illness and another family tragedy, and needed healing for that heartache as it was contributing to my illness; but she also saw what seemed like ‘angels’ hands’ ministering to my back. The part about my emotional burden rang true, and I was grateful for the ensuing prayers, but I felt there was more to the illness than that could explain. The other part brought to mind Mike’s rubbing my back in his efforts to help my abdominal pain. Perhaps the ‘angels’ hands’ included his, for Mike had truly been angelic.

The April 27^th surgery revealed a hidden, immediately life-threatening tumor, and proved more complicated than previously thought. Then my blood pressure plummeted dangerously. The anticipated two days in hospital became seven, but my life had literally been saved through divinely orchestrated intervention.  All that remained was a huge bill, but by the day of discharge God had addressed that too! Our Jamaican and Canadian congregations had offered monetary gifts, and- wonder of wonders- when we got home, we received a call saying that the surgeon and anesthesiologist had both waived their fees! Taking to my knees in tearful amazement, I gushed thanksgiving to Abba for His great love shown in this million-dollar way that was so new to me! Further contributions from our own children reduced the medical bills to just what Abba knew we could manage from savings.   HalleluYah!  Now comes the healing…

This morning I was reminded of the blessings I have received from being a teacher of children. There have been a wide range of obvious blessings – from the momentary satisfaction of seeing comprehension illuminate their eyes, to the lasting sense of fulfillment from knowing successful adults whom one has helped to develop.

The less obvious blessings are the ones that occupied my mind this morning… for example, the candor of children’s casual feedback, which can be just eye-opening or seriously conscience-pricking for an adult. Adults use filters that often strain out ‘the meat of the matter’, but young children don’t. Remember the story of the emperor’s new clothes? It was a child’s wide-eyed, shocked outburst that forced the adults to throw off their blinders and their gags, to see, acknowledge and respond sensibly to the nakedness of the emperor. This fable brings to mind Isaiah’s prophesy about the time when “a little child will lead them” (Is. 11:6), and reminds us that the notion of a child leading the way is not far-fetched. Yeshua Himself said to His adult disciples as they vied for prominence in His Kingdom, “Unless you turn and become like children, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Another of the less obvious blessings I received from teaching children and youth was the enhancement and strengthening of my own character. Before being trained as a teacher and gaining some experience in the field, I was a very shy young person myself. No one outside my family would have been likely to hear my voice. Especially as a teen I suffered from a severe lack of self confidence, which may eventually have been resolved as I matured, but its resolution was definitely helped along by my training and activities as a teacher.

To keep this post short, I will mention just one other blessing that I received from having taught children. It’s the blessing that prompted me to write today’s blog, and this is it: having to teach on a topic compelled me to ensure my own grasp of it, improving my own recall of its details, and the value of this benefit is still felt with respect to basic ‘Bible Knowledge’ long after the benefits with respect to some other subjects have lost their significance. The traditional Christian school system in which I worked for many years afforded me the on-the-job privilege of consistently hiding God’s word in my heart as I helped students to do the same.

The Scripture that the Holy Spirit brought to mind this morning, along with the memory of having rehearsed, analyzed and memorized it with at least three year-groups of upper elementary students was this: Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” SELAH.

The Biblical book of Job probably has few, if any, fans. Many of us find its theme of Job’s unmerited suffering too disquieting to linger in its chapters. I am one of those ‘many’ … but, as you may know, the Holy Spirit freely directs the attention of HIS ‘fans’ where He wills, when He wills – even toward the shadowy chapters of Job. That’s what happened to me recently. I spent so much time digging around the book of Job that I discovered the existence of an inter-testamental book called the Testament of Job. This non-canonical book apparently bestows a name on Job’s wife – Sitidos. I have only read the Biblical book of Job, but it’s nice to think of ‘Job’s wife’ having a name.

At first it was the contrasts that spoke to me… Job was a man, I am a woman. Job had 10 children alive; I only had six, one of whom never saw the light of day. Job had more sons than daughters; I have more surviving daughters than sons. Job was, in divinely inspired words, “blameless and upright” – a man that God considered as exemplary as Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14).  I, on the other hand, am not blameless and upright (except in Messiah – thank God for Yeshua who took my blame and in Whom I can stand upright).  Job – again by divine testimony – “feared God and shunned evil.” The same divine testimony would confirm that I have not consistently feared God (above other fears), nor have I consistently managed to shun what I believe is evil (precisely because of those ‘other fears’).  

As to the further description of this man’s greatness at Job 1:3, I can hardly relate to any of that. In the Concordant Literal Version, which I was led to consult, the description reads, “His acquisitions came to be seven thousand small cattle, + three thousand camels, + five hundred pair of oxen and five hundred jennies, + beside very many servants, so + that this man came to be the greatest of all the sons of the east.” (Don’t let the pluses confuse you as they initially did to me, till I decided to just regard them as emphasizing all that God had added to Job over time. A learnéd scholar would perhaps explain them differently.)

So I scratched my head, thinking, how can I even attempt to relate to all of that? Then, by really stretching for an analogy I came up with this: Mike and I did raise a comparatively large household, while temporarily shepherding a large ‘flock’ of other lambs in a corner of God’s pasture, and now we have a comparatively large number of grandchildren, children-in-law, and young ‘sheep’ honoring their connection to us. That’s gratifying, but it definitely pales in comparison to Job’s résumé above.

Finally, the family banqueting habits of Job’s adult children (verse 1:4) and the apparent proximity of their homes to each other is in sharp contrast to my experience, and to the experience of many transnational 21^st century families of the West, but so much for the ‘contrast’ side of my comparison with Job. The following verses showed me some similarities between us, along with further differences over which I can truly rejoice.

Verse 1:5 – Like Job, I have tried to maintain contact with my children, adult though they be. In our culture, of course, I can’t just “send for them” – but I developed the habit of suggesting timely, mutually convenient family gatherings as geography and finances permitted, which always involved praying for each other. And then (behold!) others began to take turns with that initiative, and much of the prayer that Mike and I had seeded came full circle, in full bloom, multiplied by praying children-in-law, back toward us and toward others in the circle.  Then came Covid, and – by the grace of God – then came Zoom to the rescue, proving that as long as there’s a will, a way can be found.

Still in 1:5…  Yes, like Job, Mike and I pray for our grown children early every morning, covering all eventualities that come to mind, but relying on the efficacy of Yeshua’s sacrifice and His “ever living to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25) rather than relying on burnt offerings as poor Job had to. No mention is made of Job’s prayers of thanksgiving for his children – just his prayers of precautionary repentance on their behalf; but Mike and I do thank God regularly for the children He gave us. Quite recently we have begun to adapt Isaiah’s words, calling out to God for His attention toward different ones (when He seems, for some divine purpose, to be hiding His face). My adaptation of Is. 8:17-18 says: “I will wait for Adonai, who is hiding His face from the house of …, and I will look eagerly for Him. Here I am (bearing up in prayer) the children that Adonai has given me as signs and wonders (grafted into) Israel, from Adonai-Tzva’ot who dwells on Mount Zion.”

In verse 1:5 no mention is made of Job’s prayers for his grandchildren, but perhaps he didn’t have any, or perhaps his much maligned wife took that intercessory role – who knows? But Mike and I pray for our grandchildren – sometimes even the ones we haven’t yet heard of, as we may feel led on a given morning. Because of the Biblically prophesied ‘signs’ we see around us, we know that if the Lord tarries, our descendants will face much more “perilous times” than we or their parents have had to. (2 Timothy 3:1-8, NKJV)

Verses 1:6 –12. Even if you have read this before, please read it again with me, in this version (TLV with the Hebrew ‘satan’ given its actual meaning, ‘adversary’). 

The canonical book of Job has 42 chapters, and from 2:11 to 37:24 we read of Job receiving what could be called ‘ministry’ from, and offering responses to his three friends who – after seven days of mourning with him in silence – try to counsel him. Finally, out of ‘the whirlwind’ swirling around Job, God speaks His mind from 38:1 to 41:26.  I’m sure beautiful songs have been made out of what God said to Job. I can think of one right away – I Know My Redeemer Lives, a part of which asks, “Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? And who told the ocean, you can only come this far? And who showed the moon where to hide ’til evening?”

So much for the poetry, but for 126 verses God threw some really ‘hard’ questions and challenges at Job, for which he had no answer. It was his turn to be speechless. But you know what I just happened to notice in comparing all the men’s speeches with God’s speech? Here is what I noticed. In the 35 chapters of man-to-man discourses, after Job gets done with rueing the day he was born, the men only mention ‘the womb’ or anything to do with birthing 3 times. God, on the other hand, just in His four chapters, brought up the ‘womb’ or birthing, or labor pains eight times! Ahhh, Jehovah sees, Jehovah knows!

Then, in His response after Job’s repentance, God said His anger was “kindled against” Job’s three friends, but He did not mention being angry against Job’s wife. God indeed has a compassionate heart! Was Sitidos even still around, we might wonder, until we get to 42:10-15, where God is restoring to Job all that he had lost and more. Without any mention of Job acquiring a more deserving wife, verse 13 says, “He also had seven (more) sons and three (more) daughters” – presumably by the same wife who had borne the first 10. And what would have blessed this mother’s heart more than the words of verse 15? “Nowhere in the land were there found women as beautiful as the daughters of Job” … and Sitidos?

There’s just one awkward detail I am compelled to share, much as I hate to spoil the lovely ending I thought we had. The ‘spoiler’ comes from the Testament of Job, which claims that Sitidos died, Job remarried, and his second wife is the one who bore the second set of 10 children. Aww, shucks!  I guess I was pinning too much on poor Sitidos. She would have had to be superhuman (or miraculously rejuvenated) to bear 10 more children in her senior years.

So, there you have it – and with yet another unanswered question I turn my gaze away from Job. 

Three nights ago night I promised to share thoughts on the final item of Solomon’s Proverbs 6:16-19 list of ‘things’ that God detests. My apologies for being late with this Part 3; there were unforeseen family needs that took priority.

The last item on Solomon’s numbering of six or seven ‘abominations’ is listed at verse 19b, which reads, “one who stirs up strife among brothers.” To understand this description we should determine what the original Hebrew of the key words mean. Firstly, the Hebrew word (shâlach) rendered ‘stirs up’ here is rendered ‘sows’ in some versions, but it also has the following meanings: to send out, to let go, to extend, to direct, to let loose, to set free, to cast out, to put forth, spread, or stretch out. ‘Strife’is rendered in some versions as ‘discord’, and the Hebrew derivative (medân) has only one additional meaning – ‘contention’.  The Hebrew word rendered ‘brothers’ here (or ‘brethren’ in some translations) is from âkh, and does not only mean male relatives who share the same father and / or mother. It more broadly means relatives of either gender, or kindred, or persons of the same tribe. So let’s keep the ‘sisters’ also in mind while we read this Scripture.

The character that Solomon is describing here is one who deliberately does and / or says things intended to cause strife, sow discord or stir up contention between or among ‘kindred’ – including spiritual brothers and sisters. However you paint ‘strife’, it’s the opposite of unity and harmony. The gamut of emotions resulting from strife may run from uneasiness (loss of peace) to fear, hurt, anger, or resentment; and the gamut of reactions to strife may run from avoidance to malice or arguments, quarrelling or physical fights and their various possible outcomes.  Both men and women, boys and girls, are susceptible to being stirred up toward strife. The hot tempered may react differently from the mild-mannered, but both can be affected. As my friend Pastor Rawle would say, “Not good!”

As the various definitions of the Hebrew word medân suggest, strife can be stirred up by words (or actions* – for example even body language) sown like seeds, sent out (perhaps through gossip), cast/thrown out like bait, let loose instead of discreetly silenced, spread around, directed/targeted, stretched out (exaggerated or prolonged). This refers to deliberate mischievous action, not innocent remarks or actions perceived as offences by overly sensitive persons who easily ‘take’ offence. Neither does it refer to words spoken or actions taken in careful obedience to the conflict resolution guidance of Matthew 18:15-17.

[It took me a while to think of an example of specific actions that could stir up strife; then the Holy Spirit reminded me of an incident from when I was about 17. I had a boyfriend, but soon it seemed to me that the relationship was getting too ‘heavy’ for my age, and I broke it off. No sooner had that happened than his brother invited me to a movie. We had all been friends together in a group anyway, so I accepted the invitation without much thought. When I got home, my Dad called me into his room and delivered a stern lecture, pointing out the seriousness of what I had done – I had carelessly risked stirring up strife between two brothers!]

Now let’s address the question of why strife-mongering is so detestable to The LORD. I believe it is because God wants above all to bless us and to protect us from evil. Strife-mongering not only hinders His blessings but also plays into the hands of His enemy – our adversary, the devil. Let’s examine God’s words in the following Scriptures:

Psalm 133:1-3 (Amplified Bible) says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! ^2. It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, coming down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron, coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]. ^3. It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon coming down on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.”

God wants to pour down blessings on us, His children (the brothers and sisters brought into His family through Yeshua the Messiah/ Jesus the Christ). He wants to pour them down as copiously as He pours down the famous dew on Mount Hermon[1], which flows on down to water the mountains of Zion. He wants to pour the blessings down with as much divine anointing as the consecrated oil symbolized, when it was poured down on Aaron’s head, to flow down over his whole body.” Notice how the word ‘down’ is being repeated, bringing to mind “every good and perfect gift coming down from the Father” (James 1:17) and not just pooling on the head but flowing on down to anoint and bless the whole body. However, from the first verse of Psalm 133:1 we learn of one prerequisite for the pouring down of Gods blessing: brethren dwelling together in unity.

Knowing these facts, while God wants to bless us, the devil wants to rob us of the opportunity to be blessed – to even kill us individually if he can, and to destroy the family of God. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!” (Who are the ‘they’? From the context, John 10:1-18, they are those who follow Yeshua and whom He brings into the family of God – those brothers and sisters who come into the family through Yeshua’s having laid down His life for them.)

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Stay alert! Watch out! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, searching for someone to devour. Stand up against him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being laid upon your brothers and sisters throughout the world.”

Galatians 5, which lists ‘strife’ as a work on the flesh (verse 20), also warns at verse 15, “If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not destroyed by one another.” In other words, don’t aid and abet the devil in his devouring, destructive attacks on God’s family – your brothers and sisters – by the sin of stirring up strife.

Indeed, one of the devil’s strategies is to bring forward accusations against God’s people. In fact, the word ‘satan’ means ‘accuser’ as well as ‘adversary’. Zechariah 3:1 says, “Then he showed me Joshua the kohen gadol (high priest) standing before the angel of Adonai and the satan (the accuser, the adversary), standing at his right hand to accuse him.” (This scenario shows the devil personally appearing before God to deliver an indictment against God’s servant, but on earth satan would have launched the accusations through the mouths of people who deliberately or ignorantly lent him their voices.)

Psalm 133 speaks of unity among brethren. As one final consideration, let me quote from Asher Intrater’s comments on Yeshua’s famous John 17 prayer for unity in His Body: “The reference to our becoming ‘One’ in Him is found 5 times in John 17, while the reference to Yeshua’s glory or our being glorified in Him is found 8 times. … There is a difference between union and unity. Yeshua’s primary prayer is for us to become ‘One’ with Him and the Father. It is a prayer for our union with God. Certainly if we become one with God, we will become one with one another. However the union with God takes precedence over our unity with one another.”

Considering all of the above, we may now need to make yet another resolution for the rest of 2021, and I suggest this. Let us resolve to abstain from advancing satan’s agenda by stirring up strife among our brethren. Let us resolve to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to bridle our tongues, and grant more self control (Spirit-led control) over not only our words but also over any of our actions which could cause strife (since actions can speak louder than words). Let us resolve to become blessed peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and also peace keepers (as much as it depends on us – Romans 12:18). These resolutions may require daily prayer, in order for these fruit of the Spirit to grow and develop till they become ‘second nature’ in our lives.

Then all heaven will rejoice, as a prelude to Revelation 12:10 which says, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters—the one who accuses them before our God day and night — has been thrown out.'”

So let it be! Help us Father, to grow in these graces as 2021 progresses, in Yeshua’s Name I pray, amen!

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[1] See https://engediresourcecenter.com/2015/07/02/tal-the-dew-of-unity/

Yesterday I shared thoughts on some attitudes which the Bible expressly says that God loves, encouraging us to use our New Year Resolution energies in seeking to emulate those Godly character traits. Today I invite you to take a look at the other side of God’s heart – the things He dislikes to the point of inspiring the strongest language in the Bible to describe His dislike. These are attitudes and behaviours we should want to avoid. They should lead us to resolutions that declare, “I resolve to not do that, or not be that way any more, but rather, to do and be the opposite!”

For our benefit God had Solomon list the things He detests, conveniently in one single passage, Proverbs 6:16-19, which says:

¹⁶ Six things Adonai (The LORD) hates,
yes, seven are abominations to Him:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ a heart that plots wicked schemes,
feet that run to evil,
¹⁹ a false witness who spouts lies,
and one who stirs up strife among brothers.

I used to wonder why Solomon first says ‘six things’ and then expands the list to seven abominations, but the reason seems to be the repetition of one particular character trait – dishonesty. Verse 17 lists “a lying tongue” and verse 19 lists “a false witness who spouts lies.” Solomon saw fit to differentiate between simple fabrication (generally telling tall tales) and specifically spouting falsehoods about someone (giving a false testimony).

This difference reminds me of something I overheard when I was a young teen. My parents had occasion to confront a young man in the district where we lived, about his attempt to deceive them about something. When they used the word “lie” the youth retorted, “Mi no tell lie! Mi ongle chat weh nuh guh suh!” (I don’t tell lies! I only say things that are not factual.) He seemed to mean that if his report was a simple fabrication that did not make it a lie. It only seemed to him to be a lie if it was damaging to someone. This lie about lies may be a more common deception than we think.

It’s no accident that lying is the only trait which is repeated in this list of abominations to The LORD. To me it’s obvious that God really detests lying and loves honesty. Proverbs 12:22 states both sides: “Lying lips are detestable to Adonai, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” However, Scripture does not acknowledge the existence of such things as “a little white lie” or “a big, fat lie.” To God, the deliberate communication of a falsehood is lying, and the one who makes a habit of communicating falsehoods is a liar. Ouch, that may sound harsh, so rather than present other Scriptures which show the final outcome of habitual lying (Scriptures which may sound even harsher) I’ll go back to underscore the positive side of Proverbs 12:22, “Those who act faithfully are His delight.” On that verse we can build a double-edged resolution, resolving on one edge to avoid lies like the plague, and on the other edge resolving to communicate and behave as ‘faithfully’ (truthfully, trust-worthily) as possible, going forward in 2021.

Solomon’s list had started with “haughty eyes” (“a proud look” in another translation). This is a manifestation of pride. God’s detesting of pride is not just in His heart; it affects His actions and His responses to us. A truth repeated three times in Scripture says “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5) If you feel as if God has been resisting you in 2020 (if you felt as if His hand was pushing back against you) then it’s time to make a new resolution to act on the advice Peter’s offers immediately after re-stating the facts of Proverbs 3:34. He says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may lift you up at the appropriate time.”

The world system does not value humility, but God does. If we’re seeking to please our God rather than seeking praise from the world, let’s resolve to humble ourselves before the Lord and towards each other (Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5) so that His mighty hand will graciously propel us forward rather than resist us as we venture into 2021.

The most ‘obvious’ abominations in Solomon’s listing are “hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, and feet that run to evil” (verses 17-18). These are things all right thinking people would normally avoid, and may not even need to make resolutions in this regard. However, as the world turns in 2021, we may see evil being called good to an even greater extent than it has been in recent years; so it is wise to arm ourselves in advance with the resolve to resist the devil’s ever-evolving attempts to involve us in the shedding of innocent blood (for example unborn babies), the planning of ungodly schemes that lead to damaging outcomes for others, and the mindless rush toward evil actions and evil destinations that sometimes happens to a mob. Yes, let’s resolve to continue, against all odds, to agree with God in what He calls evil and what He calls good, regardless of the moral decay with which the world attempts to infect us.

Finally, Solomon’s list of things that God detests ends with “one who stirs up strife among brothers.” Wow, why is that such anathema to God? That’s a good question, which calls for a careful answer, tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will only be January 3. We’ll have 362 more days to implement the resolution we can get out of this last verse. May God bless you out of this blog theme thus far.

It’s New Year’s Day by the Gregorian Calendar, January 1. This is the time when many across the globe consider making what we call New Year Resolutions – decisions about what we ‘resolve’ to change in our behavior, whether that means to start doing certain things, stop doing certain things, do certain things differently, or all of the above. Many view January 1 as a day to ‘turn over a new leaf.’

If you’re considering what resolutions to make, my encouragement to you this New Year’s Day is the same encouragement I give to myself at various times throughout the year – that any resolution worth making at any time should be aimed at aligning our behavior more closely with God’s expressed will. And guess what?  Firstly, it’s not hard to know His will for our behavior; and secondly, God will help us to stick to our resolutions if we truly seek His help.

Here are some of what God loves, and would love us to pattern in our own behaviour.

GIVING.  2 Corinthians 9:7 – “God loves a cheerful giver.” So let us resolve to be cheerful givers. From what God blesses us with, let us resolve to cheerfully return His due toward the work of His Kingdom, and also to cheerfully contribute toward meeting the needs of others.

JUSTICE.  Psalm 37:28 – “The Lord loves justice…”  Isaiah 61:8 – “I, the Lord, love justice…” And He doesn’t just say He loves justice but He demonstrates that love by His actions. Psalm 103:6 – “The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” (Psalm 103:6 makes a neat mini-study, from the Hebrew derivatives and the rendering of different reliable translations, but that’s for another blog.) Be that as it may, God spells out His will for us through Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” So, for our part now, let us resolve to love justice and to act on that love in defence of the oppressed.

LOVE OF MANKIND.   John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (My underlining shows that this verse speaks of God’s great love for all mankind, not ‘the world’ system, as other Scriptures clarify[1]. Also, I’m using the Greek root word ‘agape’ throughout this paragraph to differentiate this love from the simply romantic or familial or friendly or sentimental emotions that are commonly called ‘love’ even when not self-less. To adapt a definition from Christianity.com, “Agape love is unconcerned with the self and concerned with the greatest good of another. Agape isn’t born just out of emotions, feelings, familiarity, or attraction, but [originates] from the [Divine] will and [is ‘actioned’] as a choice. Agape requires faithfulness, commitment, and sacrifice without expecting anything in return.”)  God’s will for us with regard to agape is crystal clear in 1 John 3.  Verse 23 – “Now this is His commandment—that we should believe in the name of His Son, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ), and love (agape) one another, just as He commanded us.” Verse 11 – “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning—we should love (agape) one another.”  1 John 4:7 – “Let us love (agape) one another, for (agape) love is from God,” and verse 11 – “If God so loved us, we also ought to love (agape) one another.” Now the final word for us, in terms of making and ‘actioning’ a new resolution, is in 1 John 3:18 – “Let us not love (just) with word or talk, but (also) in deed(s) and truth!” As we embark on 2021, let’s resolve to do the actions that demonstrate the love we say that we have for our fellowmen!

LOVE FOR ISRAEL & JERUSALEM.   Deuteronomy 7:8 – “Because of His love for you (addressing Israel) and His keeping the oath He swore to your fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), Adonai (The LORD) brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”  Psalm 87:2 – “Adonai loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”  Zechariah 1:14 – “Then the angel speaking to me said, ‘Cry out saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot (The Lord of Hosts), “I am exceedingly zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.’” In case we should think this is just a personal ‘thing’ with God that He does not necessarily wish us to emulate, see Psalm 122:6 – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem —‘May those who love you be at peace!’” So in 2021, even if the whole world seems to turn against Israel, against Jerusalem, against Zion, let us resolve to swim against that tide with great splashing, leading others along in our wake, to love (agape) Israel, its people, and Jerusalem as God does.

LOVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE RIGHTEOUS.  Psalm 33:5 – “He (The LORD) loves righteousness and justice.”  Psalm 146:8b – “The Lord loves the righteous.” Loving righteousness (actions defined by the word of God as being right) and the righteous (the persons who do and defend those actions based on God’s say-so) is not in vogue nowadays. Because the proponents of humanism (with its man-made standards of right and wrong) have been more vociferous than the proponents of Biblical righteousness, they have captured much public listenership and favour. However, let the remnant who still honour the word of God above every contrary word not only stand up in 2021 to be counted, but also proclaim their righteous messages loudly enough to be heard above the contrary din. And let us resolve to publicly declare and show our love for the righteous message, the messengers of righteousness, and the doers of righteous actions. (For clarity on ‘the righteous’ see Romans 3:22, and 2 Corinthians 5:21b)

LOVE OF CORRECTION AND THOSE NEEDING CORRECTION.  Proverbs 3:12 – “Adonai (The LORD) loves those He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights.” Hebrews 12:6 – “Adonai (The LORD) disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts.” Even as we carry over to 2021 hard lessons learned from 2020 experiences, let us resolve to (1) remain open to Divine correction through God’s word and the delegates through whom the Holy Spirit might minister them to us, and (2) maintain a heart of agape love toward others who need correction. God loves them and so must we. In the case of those who don’t see their need for correction, and to whom it makes no sense to offer Biblical correction, let God see us lovingly snatching them from peril through intercessory prayer this year, until we can do or say more.

With help from the writer at https://shepherdofhope.org/six-things-the-lord-loves/, I have listed six things that the LORD positively loves, for our consideration as we make resolutions (now or on any other ‘today’ during the year). Tomorrow I will invite you to consider some things that the LORD positively abhors – for your consideration of what to avoid as we venture into resolutions for the rest of 2021. God bless you!

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[1]  See 1 John 2:15-17

Excerpt from my 2015 book, TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday, Chapter 5: “Cover One Eye” …

An example of the first kind of hearing happened around 1981 when I was newly involved with praying for Jamaica. Sometimes I prayed at home with an older Christian, Sybil Maloney; sometimes at mid-week cell meetings of believers; sometimes in general Mona Fellowship prayer meetings. Prayer was becoming a hallmark of my life and Jamaica was in a particular crisis, so that was where much prayer time and energy was focused. There was a lot that I didn’t know about the Bible, but I found that God wasn’t hindered by my ignorance, as you can tell from the following account.

One morning, I was suddenly awakened by a voice saying to me, “The lion is roaring!” I quickly got out of bed, took up my Bible (still KJV at the time) and went into the living room, wondering what to make of this strange awakening. I sat in a chair with the Bible held rather loosely in my hands, and it fell open in my lap. When I looked down, the word ‘lion’ caught my eye. I was looking directly at Amos 3:8- “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?”

I couldn’t recall ever seeing that verse before. Amos isn’t a favorite text for people young in the faith, and I’d never heard anything from Amos in Sunday school. But now that God had Personally highlighted this verse for me, guess what I studied that morning – once the wifely and motherly duties were done. From Amos 1:1, I scoured the entire book with the help of a Bible commentary, for clues to the puzzle of what was now confirmed that I’d heard. This ‘lion’ was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. In those days I knew nothing of God’s end-time agenda, so I didn’t wonder about any possible application for modern Israel; but the comparisons between Amos’ words and events in the Jamaican Church at the time, fuelled my prayers very fervently for a while. Out of that morning’s reading also, I received a new song to sing – a new bit of knowledge to declare from the depth of my ‘knower’. The first and second verses declared that The Lion had roared from Jerusalem and God had spoken from Zion. The last verse exulted with Amos over the demise of false religion:

Now the top of Mount Carmel is withering, / Yes the top of Mount Carmel is withering, / For the Lion hath taken His prey! / Who can but prophesy? Who can but prophesy?

 

1 Thessalonians 5 gives us instruction about what to do as we “keep watch for the Day of the Lord.” When we see sudden destruction taking place, we are encouraged to remain “sober-minded” and wear faithfulness, love, and the hope of salvation as protection over our hearts and minds. We are to encourage and build each other up, recognizing and affirming those leaders who work hard in the Body for supervision and correction. We are all to “comfort the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone… (and) pursue what is good for one another and for all.”

Then the writer, Apostle Sha’ul (Paul) gives a specific list of reminders for these times when distressing world events seem to herald the coming Day of the Lord. Knowing that in such times we might be caught up with the prevalent worry or reliance on what we or others can humanly do, Sha’ul gives this succinct list of instructions from verses 16 to 22:

¹⁶ Rejoice always,
¹⁷ pray constantly,
¹⁸ in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua.
¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit,
²⁰ do not despise prophetic messages,
²¹ but test all things, hold fast to what is good,
²² keep away from every kind of evil.

Some may ask, “Rejoice always? Even now? In even dire circumstances give thanks?” As if responding to the likely questions, Sha’ul pauses in his list to insert the answer: “For this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus).”

Then he briefly moves from the do’s, to remind us of two essential don’ts. Do not quench the Spirit, and do not despise prophecies. Why these particular warnings when we are facing dire circumstances? Think about it… don’t dire circumstances tempt us to get on a treadmill of trying to humanly fix things? Don’t dire circumstances tend to disrupt our schedules – even our personal devotion and corporate gathering times? Are we not tempted now – by news media, by urgent communications and other demands – to limit time for Body ministry and for hearing from the Holy Spirit? Are we not tempted, even when the Spirit does interject, to pay attention to that which sounds immediately relevant and forget about that which seems a bit outside of the immediate box?

To quench the Spirit, says the Thayer definition, means to “suppress / stifle” divine influence, or to “extinguish” the fire of the Spirit. Every intercessor knows that although the fire of the Spirit sometimes ignites even before we expect it, at other times the Holy Spirit just cannot be rushed. We need to allow ourselves and our brethren the TIME to pay attention to and respond to His ministry – whether the “fire” is flashing quickly or smoldering slowly.

One ministry of the Spirit is to SPEAK to us, and when He speaks through one of us to another or to many, that’s called prophecy. To despise prophecies, Thayer’s and Strong’s definitions tell us, means to “make no account of” / to esteem very little, to “set at naught” or to “utterly despise” these words from God. Since not all words that claim to be from God are actually from God, Sha’ul inserts another reminder, “Test all things.” That qualification does not release us from the obligation to pay attention to prophecies. Testing them is part of paying attention; remembering and ‘proving’ and perhaps just waiting to see what is true and what may not be, is part of honouring God, part of not taking prophecies lightly.

One final word – prophecies are not always prefaced by “Thus says the Lord.” They sometimes come forth in intercession, with just “I believe the Lord is saying we should pray about this…” They sometimes come forth in the relating of dreams and visions, with an individual’s interpretation of what the Spirit seems to be saying. However a word comes that is offered as the word of the Lord, we are not to disregard it, but to duly consider it, seek the Lord about it, and subject it to wholesome scrutiny.

Bless the Lord! That’s all I have to say about that today.

Punctuate for purposeful, powerful, persuasive, productive and profitable communication.  The p’s are saying, “Punctuate, punctuate, punctuate.” That’s my cute way of expressing my thoughts to you on this matter, but here is a quote from the website I will cite at the end of this post:

In the modern milieu of informal writing being self-published in blogs, on social media and in newsletters without competent editing or proofreading, inadequate and incorrect punctuation has become a public issue. Missing commas and full stops (periods) create run-on sentences that either make little sense, or require the reader to re-read in order to understand what the writer intended to communicate. A missing or misplaced apostrophe may be equally confusing or misleading to the reader, and there is still benefit to be gained from correct use of colons, semi-colons, exclamation, question and quotation marks.

When punctuation is repeatedly absent from, or abused in one’s writing, some readers are discouraged from reading further. For those readers, the writer’s attempt to communicate is aborted. For the readers who decide to slog on, the writer’s thoughts may be misunderstood and/or the writer’s literary reputation may suffer loss.

If you are just writing stuff for yourself to read, you really don’t need to publish it anywhere. Just keep and enjoy your private journals.  On the other hand, if you care – as I do – about accurately communicating thoughts to others, then for the sake of the readers we seek to inform or influence, let’s revisit the correct use of punctuation. By ‘re-visit’ I mean take time to review the rules of grammar on the use of punctuation marks, considering the pros and cons of using them correctly. Here is one of the many useful sources you may find online.  Enjoy!  🙂 https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/what/fourteen-punctuation-marks.html