VaYoter Nakhon (And Moreover The Truer)

An insight of living a consistent faithful interpretation of God's providence and promises through an Eucharistic lens (celebration of Christ's empowering sacrifice towards our own sacrificial journey of worship and sanctification).

I was once more blessed through the Instagram chatter with my dear pastor friend, Rev. Decky Pendowo. He was pastoring the GBI Khayyalim, a name which sounds foreign to many but not to my halfly hebrew trained senses. So I was confirming whether the name was taken from the word "Chayyelim" חיילים meaning "soldiers, troops, or armies", not to mention my assumption on general Christian notion, identifying ourselves as "Christ's Armies" against spiritual (dark) forces. Ptr. Decky later confirmed, "זה נכון אחי" or "zeh nakhon akhi" (that's right, brother), a pleasant and heartwarming answer in the midst of my rather solitaire linguistic journey. I replied, "שמחה! תודה רבה אחי" (oh how joyful! Many thanks, brother).

I believe that was divine appointment because I couldn't seem to shake off the thought of this familiar word " נָכוֹן nakhon" (true/right). Although the word isn't exactly related to the expression "כֵּן kèn" (yes), I was feeling led to couple them with these following verses. May this reading of The Word blesses our souls with both deeper thirst and satisfaction in His presence. ❤️🙏📖💬

כִּי כָּל הַבְטָחוֹת אֱלֹהִים "כֵּן" הֵן בּוֹ. לָכֵן הָ"אָמֵן" שֶׁאָנוּ נוֹתְנִים בּוֹ כָּבוֹד לֵאלֹהִים גַּם הוּא בְּאֶמְצָעוּתוֹ.

השניה אל הקורינתים 1:20 HRNT

Ki kal havtakhoth elohim "ken" hen bo. Lakhen ha"amen" shanu nothnim bo kavod l'elohim gam hu bamtsautho.

For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” ("Ken" כֵּן ) So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20 AMP)

עַל כָּךְ הֵגִיב בְּאָמְרוֹ: "וְיוֹתֵר נָכוֹן, אַשְׁרֵי הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים וְשׁוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ."

לוקס 1:28 HRNT 

Al kakh hegiv bamro: vayoter nakhon, ashrei hashom'im eth dvar elohim vashomrim oto.

But he said, “Blessed ("ashrei" אַשְׁרֵי ) rather ("vayoter nakhon" וְיוֹתֵר נָכוֹן ) are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28 ESV)

What a wonderful concept of "vayoter nakhon" (truer). Rather than simply negating the previous premise (v.27; blessedness & joy that come from being in the physical premises & vicinity with Jesus), ישוע our True Vine, identified Himself with God's Word, and "rather" than the former, it is "truer" that the amazing joy and blessings can flow to all people who align their lives with godly things/things of God (דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים).

Knowing that nothing is coincidence, we remember how Matthew 11:28 also taught us to find rest and peace in coming to Christ (worship & The Word) in obedience & eagerness to learn (to apply & to serve) from Him. Learning not to worry about our living is, I believe, synonymous with putting our confidence in Him who relates with all of us, even the least of us. A life that's broken and given is a life that proves its connection to the Everlasting Father, a life that's privileged to be showered by God's "yesses", a life that gives life.

Blessings.

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Were You Expecting an Ox?

How the tensions and application issues of scriptural texts underline the importance of inclusive, ecumenical communal efforts to approach sanctifying interpretations.

The rereading of some lesson materials revealed new colors post discussion of several books (especially the one wondering, "Why Jephthah had to make such vow? Could there be anything else coming out his house? Was he expecting an ox? 😅📖), and this previously had caused pained chuckle and mild migraine for me, having read previously that he vowed after "The Spirit of the LORD was upon (him)" (Judges 11:29).🤫

It's amazing how Christians today skip the digesting & critisizing of ancient tribal narratives, written far after the actual event (most likely a flashback made in "godly" period of Israel's monarchy) to serve a purpose of making certain (theological) points 🕎. Nowadays, with half eyes opened, we often embrace the reading as is, as a "manual book" on how they understand the works of The Spirit, how they should approach God & people.💬

"And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom WE gave no such commandment: ...

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, AND TO US, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.."

Acts 15:23-24, 28 (KJV)

While I won't make this time a widened discussion on historical apostolic authority, my point is:

It's better to have the Spirit-inspired take on current burning issues rather than maintaining interpretations that's seemingly spiritual but hold little regards for mercy, grace, justice, life, and salvation. It's better to humbly repentant later for being too emotional, inclusive, or progressive, than to approach the texts with the same rigidity ⛔ which disabled the scribes & priests to acknowledge the Messiah when they actually had the privilege to see Him face to face.

These are times when people including the Church is tempted toward polarization, the "progressive" are mocked, as well as the "universalists" and the "conservatives", everywhere you turn theological "stray bullets" are to be expected and cautioned. Many have forgotten that our privilege being citizen of the Kingdom is purposed for "good" works prepared by God Himself. Are we zealously attacking opposing camps without considering that wisdom belongs to God? 

To be Spirit-filled believers in ישוע Jesus is to be faithful disciples of the Word📖🕊️✝️ (orthodoxy) who are open for "progressiveness" (ortho-patos) so that the dicotomy of spiritual & secular living is dedicated toward elimination (ortho-praxis). Sooner or later one would come to the realization than any other motives for exegesis fall secondary to the sincere drive for christlikeness and sanctification.

I therefore won't deny the drive in this typical season of my life to challenge the interpretive lens that are hegemonic, discriminative, and oppresive. The lens once stuck with a hot glue to my eyelids. So let's continue the reality checks.

Whenever we're faced with endless claims and searches of that "one true church" in the criticism of all others we should remember the lessons of biblical figures. Gideon, later known as Jarubaal, won miraculously but later strayed and succumbed to narcism, his descendants were involved in bitter deadly quarrels. Samson was showing God's presence in military victories, later was overthrown by his own lusts. The best of the major judges was (I believe) Barack, decided wisely by letting a woman of God, the prophetess and judge דבורה Deborah to take charge (and literally charging the oppresive darkness), if you observe, so many female godly characters ended up in better manner than their male colleges. (another consideration to rethink ministerial equality?😉) 

And should we revisit Solomon? A great name many scholars believed to most likely be mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 6:29 due to his older years' repentance after a lifelong of compromising and apostasy. Solomon was probably the greatest human figure viewed by religious eyes, but the spiritual eyes would respond with a resounding "amen" to Jesus who says that the eccentric "nobody" whose life ended "tragically" too soon, John the Baptist is in fact the greatest person ever being born.

None of us can claim "spiritual security" from joining any congregation, having Pastor so and so as a mentor, having certain theological liniency, etc, the list can go on forever. At the end of the day, in Revelation 4, the twenty-four elders will be throwing their crowns and worship before the throne of the only One who saves, ישועתה ליהוה "Salvation belongs to the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). We then find comfort and refuge in Christ alone and in that perpetual note, share the joy of salvation and the journey, the sanctifying interpretations (and applications) as co-heirs, siblings in The Kingdom, sons and daughters of The Most High.

A Twisted Worship?

A repositioning of worship paradigm from the reading of Mary's "Magnificat".

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”  

And Mary said,  “My soul magnifies the Lord,   and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

(Luke 1:39‭-‬47 ESV)

This might not sound biblical.. nor medical. The upside down Kingdom mandates a chiropracticed worship. And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior." (Luk 1:47)

       How many times being mostly evangelical as we are, claiming obedience to the authority of the Word, being a pentecostal-charismatic as we are, claiming openness to movements of God's Spirit, yet we haven't seemed to get our worship expressions straight?

And by "straight", I mean to follow the manner of the Kingdom that Jesus was bringing which is the exact opposite to views of the world.

     Our beloved mother Mary has given us this (written) Spirit-inspired legacy of "the soul that's proclaiming" and 'the spirit that rejoices".

     Sadly, many Christians today need chiropractic treatments in the way we respond to the Good News and ministry. Many of us got it turned around, the spirit is told to minister (while it's left hungry and away from Jesus, the Savior), while we're trying to pursue the next spiritual sensation or mere understanding, we tell our soul to hold on to salvation, thus the faith gets tossed around & badly beaten. That's why there's something "fishy" about the overrated expression "I'll be there/ministering in the spirit", while the underlying motive is reluctancy to delve in exhausting human dynamics.

     I believe that when we can be sure we're approaching God the right way, that's the time we allow our soul to dominate what it can never grasp, a favour & salvation from God that are receivable (in the right sense of) by faith alone. I believe faith to be and should be simple: pray, read the Word, believe, then in that belief .. we tell the soul to move, to train, to allow strains, to work on problems and pains, to sing like never before even when our strengths are failing, to fight for what's right, to demonstrate mercy, to glorify and magnify our Lord.

     We can learn from the opening of Mary's "Magnificat" today to rejoice in/with our Spirit and taking part of God's redeeming & loving works to renew creation with our soul, as mentioned in the שְׁמַע Shema (Deut 6:4-6), "our soul, and our strength". May the words of our mouth & the thought (meditation) of our hearts be pleasing to Him, our rock and redeemer (Psalm 19:14). 

#lectionary #lectiodivina

Will Learning Theology (Or Simply Anything Else) Erode Your Faith?

 

The moment we're sure to understand is whether at your most wise & educated or in the most ignorant & less informed state, while in the climb towards wisdom you'd feel so insecure and venerable, I have pastor friends, one is a doctor of ministry, the other just obtained his PhD, they share this "imposter syndrome" notion of inadequacy which IMHO is a good thing that allows humility, a heart posture which allows more learning, understanding and wisdom.

But I don't see that illusion of mastery as to legitimize ignorance in the name of faith. That would be masking laziness, prejudices, all those dark features of chaos, the things God himself has in fact been subduing & shining upon.

The fact that almost none of us are left without invested talents, room to grow, people to meet, demands to exercise love, justice, and truth, all these in themselves display this divine paradox: denying the chance to change is the refusal of μετάνοια repentance and the denial of God's grace.

Yes, to be a believer is to embrace paradoxes. As with the recent social justice heated (and many times polarizing) discussions, the privileged v marginal, I was also reminded that human interactions are anything but simple, as we acknowledge casualties, we should avoid the naivety of dichotomizing. Evil is cosmopolitan as grace is omnipresent & immutable. 

The scholarly studies & analysis indicates that Jesus, of all people, might as well be closer to camps of the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees or any other Judaism sects of His time in terms of His unorthodox & creative hermeneutics (in which I believe coexisted in realtime parallel to His divine  omniscience and the presence of רוח קדוש The Spirit).

This in a fair maesure therefore, suggests learning will & should land you back to faith, to marvel and love of our God. Is it the same faith of the limited, the less privileged, the meek & simple? Definitely! But once you're called, you must answer, you must push forward, you must arrive back in faith as a person who's doing his part, as a person finishing the race, therefore we won't be taking God's grace for granted, but rather, in The Spirit, doing what you know of the Word, making manifesto of your worship, making it tangible, evident, appealing.

To close, parallelizing paradox & pharisaic natures, along with the fact that Nicodemus & Paul was (and in a way had still been) Pharisees, the fact that only few "camels" passed the eye of the needle, into seeing the fullest revelation of יהוה God in the person of ישוע Christ, we then come to understand that while "nature & nurture" can be tempered with, you cannot force faith the same way as you can never fathom God's grace for the most unlikely and unworthy. For God all things are possible, and in that knowledge we have the ground of confidence that He'll finish His good works in us as we do our parts.