It’s Settled. We’re His

5/13/2020 (started 5/11)

The wonderful SIMH today was Amazing Grace, but not just as we normally sing it—you’ve probably heard it sang from the noted version of “Amazing Grace, The Sweetest Sound I Know,” as sung by seven members of the South African choir I think it is from a Seventh Day Adventist seminary. A truly wonderful rearrangement with smooth sweet-sounding voices. (I’m writing this at 9:30, after being up 4 hours and the sounds are still in my head. ) We do, indeed, live in amazing grace. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

This past Sunday was the first day for many churches to be back on something similar to normal schedules. Hopefully, most had normal to better than normal crowds attending; not for the sake of high attendance, but for the sake of normalcy prevailing. It is enough, folks. We do not need to live in fear. We need to face the problem and build our own immune systems the way nature’s God intended us. Eat well, sleep well, work well. Eating means great limitation on processed and refined products, more natural foods. Sleeping means 6-8 hours straight through with variation being account of age. Working means do what you do expending energy to tire the body while fully obeying eat and sleep, full well knowing your energy is going to be restored by new foods, regular sleep, etc. Never, ever depend on meds or chemicals to rebuild your immunity. 

Any of us may from time to time and often even permanently need chemicals to replace something we can no longer create or use naturally. But, this sort of medicinals, be they stabilizing or even healing, most times cannot rebuild one’s immune system. It takes the natural foods and natural habitat (eat, work, rest, eat, work, rest, repeat) to make us as healthy as we can get. [note: work may only be light exercise or may be full days of labor,  depending on capabilities.]

Now you know my thoughts on that, just come up with your own applications of the needs of your body and for those to whom you may give care. I promise not to interfere. 

Sunday, I used the story of David and Goliath to make an application of the battle which rages today between the truth of God’s word and the general discontent with it amongst those who doubt or outright deny the truth of it. Those who have an innate desire to have no god or a god of their own making will most often parade their position and “war” against those who simply believe the bible means what it says as it says it, where it says it, to whom it says it, and for what purpose and end result it so succinctly defines. 

It is a battle-royal, but don’t get me wrong; it isn’t physically life or death, only spiritually. A spiritual battle. The analogy is thus: here comes Goliath with not only all the world offers, but also with all the bravado, all the effrontery and a huge cloud of witnesses, backing him to win against the simple straightforward approach of the anointed of the Lord!Here comes little David, with the voice of the Lord, armed with the knowledge and assurance that he was right! David’s power came from the deliverance of the Lord’s intentions, which shall never, ever be resigned nor subjugated! 

All today’s world offers by all its “goliaths” is an attempt to look as though there just isn’t any winning against it! This goliath I’m referring to is the system which runs the three paths of mankind’s ruin: religion, politics, and money. It appeared (as a serpent beguiling Eve and Adam) in all three forms in (of all places) the third chapter of Genesis. Some 4,000+/— years later, John wrote about the three this way: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life,-1 John 2:16. These three were spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in His ministry to Israel and the Lord again through Paul in his ministry to us in Romans through Philemon. 

But as the Lord simply told His Apostles, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33. Then, almost immediately He was crucified, buried, and arose from the dead, and for 40 days assured them He was the winner and they were His forever. 

The Lord, giving a complete revelation to Paul in order to bring His Salvation to even us, as far removed from His will as we are naturally, gave Paul these words we are to take title of: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God…” -Gal. 2:20,21a.

Take the Lord at his word; just like Paul did, just like the Apostles did, and just like our example, David did. Trust Him; “And the things of this world shall grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”—from the chorus of the song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

Thanks for reading, the Elder