Trust: it's all part of growing up!

God’s intentions for us are our potential. He will never require more from us than we can deliver. His promises are that if we do our part, He will do His. And, with His promise always comes provision. Need something? It is yours, if you pray according to His will (1 John 5:14; Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). That’s a pretty big deal, if you are in trouble.

Which brings up another aspect of our journey—that is, “How do we know when we are in trouble?” Don’t be silly, you say. No, really, “How do we know?” Is it when we don’t have 2 nickels to rub together? Apparently not, since He has promised to care for us just as He takes care of the lilies of the fields, and the sparrows in the air. Need scripture and verse?

Need I remind us that Jesus says,

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.… “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"Matthew 6:26-34 (NKJV) 

So, the next time you are prone to worry, just take a glance out the window and watch the little sparrow or walk in the meadow beyond to enjoy the beauty of the lilies —that’s promise enough.

So, how do we know when we are in trouble? We know we are in trouble when we do not trust and obey. For His promises and provisions are real. They shine as brightly as the noon day sun and are as obvious as the little sparrow fluttering past our window, or the lily growing in the valley below.

God is, after all is said and done, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

JimR_/

Peoples Church 70th Anniversary of Pastor Colton's ministry

I want to take this opportunity to express our love and appreciation for Dr. Colton Wickramaratne and his family, as well as to the Peoples Church congregation and friends in Sri Lanka.

Quite honestly, I fell in love with Sri Lanka shortly after falling in love with my wife—who is the daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth Cawston, missionaries during the 1940’s and early 50’s. After marriage it didn’t take long for me to also adopt Sri Lanka as my second home.

Eventually, Bonnie my wife and I served as the first resident missionaries to Nepal, after which, we switched over to Sri Lanka and Southern Asia. It was at this time in our ministry that we taught at the Bible college and helped Pastor Colton as much as we could to evangelize the island.

While doing this, Pastor Colton decided to take a sabbatical to travel abroad to introduce his vision for Sri Lanka and ask me to pastor Peoples Church during his absence. Fortunately, he and Susan had laid a firm foundation and although these were big shoes to fill, Bonnie and I managed with God’s grace to minister to this lovely congregation.

At this juncture, it is hard for me not to say that these were the good old days, but I know that would not be true, since you are still experiencing what for you is the good old days, also. None-the-less, it will be hard for any generation to match the devotion and ministry of some of my colleagues who were active in those days. How well do I remember Daddy Beling and his entire family—yes, David and Paul were a vital part of the ministry then, too, as well as Gerald Senn, Samuel and Rani Kumar, Birdie and Lincoln, and many, many others. I can still hear Lincoln call out: “Here Ringo, come here Ringo,” and old Ringo, the family dog, would come trotting around the corner and pause just long enough to give Judy, the family monkey a break from being annoyed. In passing, I should say, Judy had a mirror in her cage, and was constantly looking at herself—Pastor Colton would pass by and “Say, oh yes, Judy, you are such a pretty girl!” I don’t know if she understood but she sure seemed to accept this as a compliment.

Speaking of monkeys, I want to tell you about two other monkeys. One belonged to Sister Oloff, a Russian émigré, who once asked Colton to pray for him, since he was sick. Pastor Colton politely informed her that “We did not pray for monkeys at People’s Church,” which disappointed her very much.

Later she asked him it he would pray for her friend “Charlie” and he did so very eloquently one Sunday morning. That evening a vesper’s services, during testimony time, Sister Oloff stood and gave a praise report on how she had asked Pastor Colton to pray for her friend Charlie, and that Charlie was now cheerfully jumping around in his case. (Charlie was the name of her monkey!) Colton just laughed and said to me, “Well, she got me on that one!”

Now, the other monkey that I want to talk about is one named Michelle, which you now know as your dignified pastor, Dishan. Oh, my, where do I start on this one? What about the time that he and our son Jimmy went to the Green Cabin restaurant and ordered shrimp fried rice, and just before they finished their plates off, Dishan plucked a hair out of his head, place it in the remaining spoonful and then call the waiter over and demanded: “Do you expect us to pay for this? It has a hair in it. I am sure that the health inspector would like to know about this!”—or words to that effect. Naturally, neither of them had any money so they had concocted the scheme up all on their own just to avoid that. Then there’s the time that Michelle put a girl’s wig on, painted his lips and arrived by car at our front door in Havelock Town, in Colombo, and put on a whining (poorly, I must say) impression of a damsel in distress; although, about have way through his act he blew the whole things and begin giggling uncontrollably. Yep, that’s your pastor, and like Charlie, I suggest that you also put him on your prayer list.

Now, enough of that. Back to Pastor Colton. In my mind, never did a greater man of God or prophet live. I have found him at all times to be a man of utmost integrity, sincerity, and trustworthiness. I honor him for that but am quick to add that he could have never accomplished half of what he did had it not been for Susan, his dear wife, and our beloved friend. She was priceless in that regard. I mustn’t neglect to say that each of the family members, all of the children, are a testimony and a compliment to their parents and to this great ministry—which, of course, I am sure you are well aware of. It was and has been a great privilege of ours to be a part of it, and to have such great partners and friends as the Wickramaratnes. May God bless you all on this the 70^th Year Celebration of the ministry.

May His peace be upon you!

 JimR_/

Peace through surrender . . .

Question: How do I find peace?

Answer: Peaceful relationships should be a top priority in each of our spiritual journeys. Each of us must first, however, come to peace with our inner-self before we can be at peace with others. It stands to reason, also, that since we are made in God's image, peace within is only possible when we are at peace with God. In short, we must change. However, to know and to do—that is, to actually change, is practically impossible for many of us.

To change in that case requires surrender. For it is only through surrender that God can construct us moment by moment into the fullness of Christ—which, as mentioned on prior occasions, is God’s intention (Romans 8:28-29). The good news is that God is both the author and finisher of our salvation (Hebrews 12:2); thus, His intention becomes our potential—He will perfect us, and thereby sanctify us (1 Corinthians 1:30). That is, by His grace, He initiates our desire and furnishes us with the will power to all that our sanctification requires (Philippians 2:13).

The key to an amicable relationship not just with God and our self but also others, is found in one simple act—that is, through cooperation. Obedience is always better than sacrifice. Work as hard as you wish, but nothing will please God any more that obedience. First of all, and certainly primarily, we must understand that God is firmly committed to all that is good for us and therefore, peaceful for us; however, we commit a grievous injustice to not just our own souls but to that of others when we refuse, ever so slight, to change.

I know by now that some are wondering where I am going with this. Let me cut to the chase and put it bluntly: a cantankerous 80 year old is just as far from God's intention for each of us as is a fresh new convert in their early 30ties, or even in their teens. Longevity may increase your retirement fund in the corporate world, but we all will end up with a zero balance in our spiritual ledger unless we walk wisely before the Lord (Ephesians 5:15-21) on a daily basis.

This is not the negative Gospel, either. Nothing could be more positive than to walk upright before our God (1 John 1:7). Therefore, our daily prayer should be that of the psalmist to—

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)."

It is a natural thing, spiritually speaking, to desire the very best that God has for us, since it is He that has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) for this explicit purpose, as the Amplified version so clearly illustrates. Therefore, we must not shy away from His purposes for us, hang on to the past, coddle the "old man," and in general wallow in mediocrity.

In any event this is my opinion. So, take care to focus on His purpose as well as His promises for us and keep eternity in view at all times!

As my friends in the Middle East are so fond of saying,

"Peace be upon you!"

 JimR_/

Mustard seed challenge

Mustard Seed Challenge

Not all challenges to the New Testament narratives are chronological ones; sometimes scientific facts are contested, such as the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19) which critics say is a reflection of scientific ignorance because a mustard seed is definitely not the smallest seed on earth.

Let us therefore take a close look at what the narratives say:[i]

Matthew 13:31-32The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”Mark 4:30-32The Parable of the Mustard Seed30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth (i.e., in the soil). 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Luke 13:18-19

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

In each of these cases, although it may look like we are straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, a specific location is mentioned; i.e., his field, a garden or plants in a garden, his garden. Also, it should be noted that the English word rendewhite “earth” also means “soil” in the Greek language. So, what do we have? We have a small seed which happens to be the smallest seed in the garden and yet it grows into a large bush, so large that even the birds can rest in it. Now, had Jesus said, there is absolutely no seed in existence smaller than a mustard seed, then we would have a problem. It does, therefore, seem rather argumentative to insist that we take this seed into a laboratory and check its size against all other seeds in existence; however, if we compare this seed to the other seeds planted in a specific garden and there are none other smaller, then we can honestly say it is the smallest seed in that garden.

These are only two examples. There are others. However, in each case I am convinced that given enough research and/or accounting for a copyist’s error, or an inadequate translation of a particular word these difficulties can be reasonably solved. Furthermore, we should not assume that every day conversational Aramaic or Greek or Hebrews contained the same nuances that we associate with particular words.

We should also keep in mind that Mark, for example was written in Aramaic then translated into Greek, which to my mind may account for some of the subtleties or shades of difference perceived when compawhite Mark’s narratives to the other Gospels.[ii][iii]    

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[i] Strong’s Concordance gives the following:

Matthew

mikros: small, little

Original Word: μικρός, ά, όν

Part of Speech: Adjective

Transliteration: mikros

Phonetic Spelling: (mik-ros')

Short Definition: little, small

Definition: little, small.

Mark 4:30-32

mikros: small, little

Original Word: μικρός, ά, όν

Part of Speech: Adjective

Transliteration: mikros

Phonetic Spelling: (mik-ros')

Short Definition: little, small

Definition: little, small.

gé: the earth, land

Original Word: γῆ, γῆς, ἡ

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: gé

Phonetic Spelling: (ghay)

Short Definition: the earth, soil, land

Definition: the earth, soil, land, region, country, inhabitants of a region.

epi: on, upon

Original Word: ἐπί

Part of Speech: Preposition

Transliteration: epi

Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee')

Short Definition: on, to, against, on the basis of, at

Definition: on, to, against, on the basis of, at.

[ii] One such incident that I have in mind is the word “except” a staff; whereas the other Synoptics say shall take no staff. I am no expert in Aramaic, but from what I have been able to gather, there is a strong possibility that the word “except.” In Arabic, a Semitic language not unlike Aramaic, “except” can also mean not even, or exclude, leave out, leave off, omit, take out. That being the case, the Greek translator may have mistranslated the word. Reference: Mark 6:8 and Matthew 10:9-10; Luke 9:3:

Can take a staff

(Mark 6:8) - "and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt."

Cannot take a staff

(Matthew 10:9-10) - "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support."

(Luke 9:3) - "And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece."

[iii] Some of the evidence adduced for the existence of Aramaic Gospels is very questionable. For example, a passage in Tosephta Yadaim has been interpreted as evidence of the existence of Christian Gospels in Aramaic before the fall of Jerusalem, before AD. 70. The passage reads: "The rolls [if this is what ha-gilyônim means] and books of the Minim do not defile the hands." As explained by the "Aramaicists." the term gillayôn was derived from cuaggelion, and clearly refers to the Christian Gospels; and the term Minim ("apostates") means the Christians.(Charles C. Torrey, Documents of the Primitive Church (1942), chap. iii, "Aramaic Gospels in the Synagogue." )

Was Muhammad the promised Comforter mentioned in John 14:26

When Cultists Ask 

Adapted from his book—By Dr. Norman Geisler

Deuteronomy 18:15-18—Is this a prophecy about the prophet Muhammad? 

Misinterpretation

God promised Moses here, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren [Israel], like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” (v.18 KJV). Muslims believe this prophecy is fulfilled in Muhammad, as the Qur’an claims when it refers to “the unlettered Prophet [Muhammad], Whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures), in the Law and the Gospels” (Sura 7:157). 

Correcting the Misinterpretation

This prophecy could not be a reference to Muhammad. The term brethren refers to Israel, not to their Arabian antagonists. Why would God raise up for Israel a prophet from among their enemies. In the surrounding text, the term brethren means fellow Israelites. The Levites were told “they shall have no inheritance among their brethren” (v.2).

Elsewhere in Deuteronomy the term brethren also means fellow Israelites, not a for- eigner. God told them to choose a king “from among your brethren,” not a “foreigner.” Israel has never chosen a non-Jewish king.

Further, Muhammad came from Ishmael, as even Muslims admit, and heirs to the Jewish throne came from Isaac. When Abraham prayed “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” God answered emphatically: “My covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Gen. 17:21). Later God repeated: “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Gen. 21:12 NIV).

The Qur’an itself states that the prophetic line came through Isaac, not Ishmael: “And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and We established the Prophethood and the Scripture among his seed” (Sura 29:27). The Muslim scholar Yusuf Ali adds the word Abraham and changes the meaning as follows, “We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained Among his progeny Prophethood and Revelation.” By adding Abraham, the father of Ishmael, he can include Muhammad, a descendent of Ishmael, in the prophetic line. But Abraham’s name is not found in the original text.

Jesus perfectly fulfilled this verse, since he was from among his Jewish brethren (cf. Gal. 4:4). He fulfilled Deuteronomy 18:18 perfectly: “He shall speak to them all that I [God] command Him.” Jesus said, “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28 KJV). And, “I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). He called himself a “prophet” (Luke 13:33), and the people considered him a prophet (Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; 24:19; John 4:19; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17). As the Son of God, Jesus was prophet (speaking to men for God), priest (Hebrews 7-10, speaking to God for men), and king (reigning over men for God, Revelation 19-20).

Other characteristics of the “Prophet” fit only Jesus, not Muhammad. For example, Jesus spoke with God “face to face” and he performed “signs and wonders.”

Deuteronomy 33:2—Is this a prediction of the Prophet Muhammad? 

Misinterpretation

Many Islamic scholars believe this verse predicts three separate visitations of God— one on Sinai to Moses, another to Seir (a region near the Dead Sea and the Arabian Desert) through Jesus, and a third in “Paran” (Arabia) through Muhammad who came to Mecca with an army of “ten thousand.” 

Correcting the Misinterpretation

This contention can be easily answered by looking at a Bible map. Paran is near Egypt in the Sinai peninsula and Seir is in Old Testament Edom (cf. Gen. 14:6; Num. 10:12;

12:16-13:3; Deut. 1:1). Neither are in Palestine where Jesus ministered. Nor was Paran near Mecca, but hundreds of miles away in near southern Palestine in the northeastern Sinai.

Further, this verse is speaking of the “Lord” (Yahweh, not Muhammad) coming. And he is coming with “ten thousand saints,” not ten thousand soldiers, as Muhammad did. There is absolutely no basis in this text for the Muslim contention.

Finally, this prophecy is said to be one “with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death” (v.1). If it were a prediction about Islam, which has been a constant enemy of Israel, it could scarcely have been a blessing to Israel. In fact, the chapter goes on to pronounce a blessing on each of the tribes of Israel by God, who “will thrust out the enemy” (v. 27). 

III. Deuteronomy 34:10—Does this verse support the Muslim claim that Jesus could not be the predicted prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18? 

Misinterpretation

This verse claims “there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses” (KJV). Muslims argue that this proves that the predicted prophet could not be an Israelite but was Muhammad instead.

Correcting the Misinterpretation

The “since” means since Moses’ death to the time this last chapter was written, prob- ably by Joshua. Even if Deuteronomy or this section of Deuteronomy was written much later, as some critics believe, it still was composed centuries before the time of Christ and, therefore, would not eliminate him.

Note that Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of this prediction of the prophet to come, not Muhammad. This could not refer to Muhammad, since the prophet to come was like Moses who did “all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent” (Deut. 34:11). Muhammad by his own confession did not perform signs and wonders like Moses and Jesus did (see Sura 17:90-93).

The prophet to come was like Moses who spoke to God “face to face” (Deut. 34:10). Muhammad never even claimed to speak to God directly but got his revelations through angels (cf. Sura 2:97). Jesus, on the other hand, like Moses, was a direct Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 9:15) who communicated directly with God (cf. John 1:18; 12:49; 17). 

John 14:16—Are Muslims right in referring this promise of the coming “Helper” to Muhammad? 

Misinterpretation

Muslim scholars see in this reference of the promised “Helper” (Greek, paraclete) a prediction of Muhammad, because the Qur’an (Sura 61:6) refers to Muhammad as “Ahmad” (periclytos), which Muslims take to be the correct rendering of “paraclete.”

 Correcting the Misinterpretation

There are absolutely no grounds for concluding the “Helper” (paraclete) Jesus men- tioned here is Muhammad.

Of the 5,366 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, not a single manuscript con- tains the word periclytos (“praised one”), as the Muslims claim it should read.

Jesus clearly identifies the Helper as being the Holy Spirit, not Muhammad. Jesus refers to “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send” (John 14:26).

The Helper was given to Christ’s disciples (“you,” v. 16), but Muhammad was not. And the Helper was to abide with them “forever” (v. 16), but Muhammad has been dead for thirteen centuries. Jesus said to the disciples, “You know him [the Helper]” (v.17), but they did not know Muhammad. He wasn’t even born for six more centuries.

Jesus told his apostles, the Helper will be in you (v. 17). In no sense was Muhammad “in” Jesus’ apostles. The Helper would be sent “in my [Jesus’] name” (John 14:26). But no Muslim believes Muhammad was sent by Jesus in his name. The Helper Jesus would send would not “speak on his own authority” (John 16:13), whereas Muhammad constantly testifies to himself in the Qur’an (cf. Sura 33:40). The Helper would “glorify” Jesus (John 16:14), but Muhammad claims to supersede Jesus as later prophet.

Finally, Jesus asserted that the Helper would come in “not many days” (Acts 1:5), whereas Muhammad did not come for 600 years.

Trust this helps.

JimR__/