I was planning to write something lighter on my blog this week until I heard about the June conference in Volos, Greece, hosted by the World Council of Churches.  One of its missions: to discuss the growing problem of how Christians in Muslim countries are being slaughtered by Muslims, and their churches and property destroyed.

The conference attendees were a mixed bag of church representatives—both Protestant and Catholic, social scientists, politicians and theologians.  Their conclusion: that Israel was responsible.  What? And not only that, but the Jewish state was declared a “sin”, and a Christian had the duty to resist this “offensive” Jewish existence.  Wait. Do I have this right?  The reason that all these Christians are being slaughter by Muslims in their own countries (and much of it provoked by the Muslim Brotherhood who hopes to take over the Middle East, purge the land of all non-Muslims and institute a caliphate and sharia law) is because of the Jews in Israel?

When organizations take facts and reality, and willfully twist them to conform to their misguided theories or agenda, and to accomplish hateful purposes; and when Christians begin to twist some scriptures while ignoring others for the same purpose, and then ascribe these hateful beliefs and theologies to God, then we are on thin ice as Christians, as a nation, as a world. And that’s what happened at this conference.

The pronouncements that came from this group are so far from anything you can find in the Bible. Like Hitler, who essentially proclaimed the Jews non-human so he could discriminate against them, then ultimately exterminate them, so-called Christians are declaring Jews no longer the “chosen” race through the false teaching of the Dominionist  Movement and Replacement Theology that says the church has replaced the Jews in both God’s plan and covenants, thus making it easier to discriminate against them and eventually close their eyes and ears to the Ahmadinejads of this world who want to ultimately exterminate them.

The Bible says that in the last days the whole world will be against Israel. Sadly, we are seeing this prophecy begin to unfold. But make no mistake, the same demonic force that was behind the anti-Semitism of Hitler’s Nazi Germany is the same demonic force that is behind today’s new rising global anti-Semitism.  Satan hates the Jews.  It was to the Jew that God gave His law and revealed His word.  The entire Old Testament was written by Jews.  And all the New Testament, with the exception of Luke, was written by Jews.  The “seed” of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15, the one that would crush the head of the serpent, was a Jew.  His name was Jesus, and he came as Messiah and Savior, and all his apostles were Jews. But it doesn’t end there. According to the Bible, New Jerusalem will have twenty four names inscribed on it, and they will all be Jewish! Revelation 21:12 talks about the twelve gates into this city and says, “and names written thereon (the gates) which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” Still describing New Jerusalem, it goes on to say in Revelation 21:14, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles (all Jewish) of the Lamb (Jesus).”  Finally, when Jesus returns He will rule and reign not in Washington D.C. or London or Brussels, but in Jerusalem. And He will take His rightful place on the throne of David, a Jewish King.

It’s a dangerous thing to spit in the face of God.  If any group of people should love the Jews it should be Christians, for we owe them so much. While others stand on thin ice, let us stand on the sure, solid word of God where in Genesis 15:18-21 it clearly defines Israel’s borders; and where in Genesis 17:7-8 it clearly seals these borders as a non-revocable, everlasting possession and covenant.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I love young people.  They’re so full of enthusiasm and vitality.  And this week at our church’s youth conference there was plenty of that. When some shared their experiences during Sunday service I was struck by the tone. It wasn’t all about goose-bumps and spiritual highs.  It was more serious.  It was about connecting with Jesus; about getting ready for what’s coming next in these end times; about concentrating on the Kingdom of God, and sharing it with others while there’s still opportunity.

We can learn from the young.  I think the conference is proof of that.  Too many of us who have gone by the name, “Christian”, for years need a wake-up call. No matter what our theology is about the end times and the tribulation, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that we are living in unusual times. Something is happening and it can be described in one word: change.  Everything is changing: the weather, governments, world stability, finances, families, and long held concepts of morality. And in order to survive these changes we’re going to need to visit the mountaintop, to spend time with Jesus and get our priorities straight, and to get our hearts and minds prepared for whatever comes.

These young people weren’t afraid. They were excited about the opportunities God was about to give them. Opportunities for God to show Himself strong in their lives.  Opportunities to touch a hurting world with His love.

Now that’s an example I’d like to follow.  

Until next week,

Sylvia

America is a great nation.  I think it’s the greatest in the world.  By blood, sacrifice, and perseverance it gained and sustained its freedom.  By innovation, hard work, and ingenuity it gained and sustained its greatness.  And its people are among the friendliest and most generous in the world.

Oh, there is so much to be grateful for here in America, even in these hard times!  And as we celebrate our Independence Day, let us remember all those who have sacrificed so much and continue to sacrifice to keep our nation secure.  And let us remember the Creator Who gave us the inalienable rights we cherish: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Over and over again, despots throughout the ages have tried to stamp out personal freedom and liberty. And yet they won’t yield. “The greatest gift that God in His bounty made in creation, and the most conformable to His goodness, and that which He prizes the most, was the freedom of the will, with which the creatures with intelligence, they all and they alone, were and are endowed. (Dante Alighieri, The Devine Comedy)"  May we not take it and our God for granted.

Happy 4^th of July!  And God bless America!

Until next week,

Sylvia

 It’s not surprising that the last valley alluded to in the Bible (and the last valley I’ll discuss in my blogs) is so like the first two valleys in Genesis—the valley of rebellion and the valley of war and strife.  It tells me man is incapable of governing himself without God.

We come across our last valley in the book of Revelation where it talks about Armageddon and what happens there. Armageddon is the hill overlooking the Valley of Megiddo or Megiddone and both mean “to gather, or rendezvous.”   It is also known as the Valley of Jazreel, Valley of Decision, and Valley of Jehosaphat—which means “God will judge” (although beginning in the fourth century A.D. some claim the Valley of Jehosaphat is between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, which is currently a cemetery in a ravine—hardly the place for the nations of the world to gather.)

But Megiddo is vast; a natural battleground that has been the scene of dozens of battles over the centuries. It is the rendezvous place where God will judge the nations, and both Joel and Revelation tell us why:

“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they had scattered among the nations and parted my land. . . let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about . . . Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:2, 12, 14

“And he (God) gathered them together (for judgment) into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” Revelation 16:16.  The nation’s armies have gathered here to destroy Israel; “to wipe it off the face of the map,” or so they think.  But God has allowed them to gather in order to render His judgment.

At this time, the whole world will not only be against Israel, but will be in rebellion against God and following the demonic leader the Bible calls “Antichrist”.  For both these things God will judge them.

What’s scary is this: events are already taking shape.  Increasingly, the world is turning its back on Israel. And world leaders are pressuring Israel to give up its land for peace. They are in essence trying to part God’s land.  And as global disruptions and financial disasters deepen, more and more people will be receptive to a world leader who promises to solve these problems.

So . . . are we marching toward the Valley of Decision? I believe so.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I’m a firm believer that as long as God gives us breath we should appreciate our life and live it to the fullest for Him.  But sooner or later, unless we are the generation that will experience the rapture, we will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23:4). Everyone dies. It’s inescapable. While we needn’t be morbid about it, we should consider what this event will mean in terms of our eternal future. 

For a believer in Christ, that future is assured.  Psalm 23 tells us we are to “fear no evil”, that God will be with us.  People tend to fear the unknown.  But here the unknown is made know, for not only does it tell us that God will be with us and comfort us, but that He has something wonderful waiting.  The picture given is a banqueting table along with the promise that we “will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  Oh, what a future!

Since this valley comes upon most people suddenly, unexpectedly it is well to make sure we are right with the Lord. And for those of us who have friends and family who do not yet know Him, it is paramount we pray diligently that they do, for eternity is at stake.

We’ll only pass this way once, and when it’s our time to reach that shadowed valley our houses, our bank accounts, our job titles will be meaningless. Only one thing will matter: “Who do you say the Son of Man is?” If the answer is “My Savior and God” we have nothing to fear and unimaginable wonders await us.  But for those who can’t answer in that way, may you come to know the One Who died for you, Who sticks closer than a brother.  The One who loves you like no one ever will.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Eshcol is a sample of the Promise Land where a cluster of grapes was so big and heavy that the spies Moses sent to scout the land “bare it between two upon a staff” (Numbers 13:23).  But it was also a land of giants, and great walled cities.  And here in is the rub.  In order for the Hebrews to obtain the territory God had promised them, they had to face these obstacles. But lacking the faith to do so, they, instead, wandered the wilderness for forty years until the men of that generation perished and the next generation was finally ready to claim it (Numbers 32:9-13).  What a tragic story! 

Those who have been in the Valley of Eshcol know there is always a choice to be made here. Rich and ripe with the promises of God, it also comes with obstacles, with giants and high walls that need overcoming. Ask any person in ministry.  Usually that ministry has been brought about at great cost.  But the same can be said of our personal life.  The promises God makes to us often seem to take forever to materialize, and there seems to be one wall after another to be scaled, one giant after another that hinders our progress. That wayward child God has promised to deliver from drugs seems to be only getting worse; in stead of that healing God promised we seem to get sicker; and rather than God’s promised provision, our finances continue sinking deeper into the red. The list goes on.

In this valley much is at stake. Like the Hebrews, we can throw up our hands and say the giants are too big, the cities too fortified that victory is impossible and God’s promises will never come to pass. Or, we can be like Caleb and Joshua, the only two spies who had no fear and knew they could possess the land because God was with them; and the only two spies permitted to enter the Promise Land with the new generation. God’s ways are higher than ours and He doesn’t measure time the way we do.  But if we stay the course, no matter how long it takes, His promises will come to pass. He never fails. He will deliver.

“Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Until next time,

Sylvia

Baca, the Valley of Weeping. Who has not passed through it at some time in their life?  And that’s just it, for me and those I know, it’s only a valley that occasionally must be traversed. But what of those who actually live in this valley, who have lived in this valley all their lives or for years, and see no hope of ever getting out? I’m speaking of people far removed from my clean, orderly life; people I’ve read about or heard about in some documentary; people in third-world countries who forage in dumpsites for a living; children who have been stolen from parents and forced into the sex trade; people, like those in Haiti who, a year after the earthquake, still live in tents.  People who have lost hope, who see no future.

It seems as if the scope of this valley is growing, and may continue to grow in the months and years ahead.  Floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes have already ravaged our country and countries everywhere.  The homes of millions swept away, their life’s work, their savings, gone.  Unemployment continues to rise, countries continue to face financial ruin.  All grounds for weeping.

As the Valley of Baca enlarges and deepens, my prayer is that God will give those of us who don’t live there, a heart of compassion, hands that seek to help, feet that run to comfort.  The psalmist in Psalm 84:6 asks God to make the Valley of Baca for those going through it, a well, and rain to fill the pool.  Only God can fill such a dry and bitter place.  Only God can fill us with the love, courage, strength and resources to make a difference there.

Oh, may God give us His heart of love for those who weep!

Until next week,

Sylvia

Did you know there are over fifty named valleys listed in Scripture? Valleys with either a proper name or a descriptive name like the one above? Neither did I. And then there are dozens of times a place is just called “a valley” or “the valley.” And all tell a story.  But because there are so many, I’ve decided to only write about another half dozen or so, in no particular order, before moving on.

This week’s valley, the Valley of Dry Bones, is an incredible place. God takes the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37: 1-14) to a valley of bones and asks him, “can these bones live?” If God is involved, of course the answer is “yes!”  The entire passage concerns Israel (“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel” verse 11) and how God was going to make them a nation again, which He fulfilled in 1948. 

But my question is this: if God can make a dead nation come back to life can He not make the dead things in our lives come back, too? 

Many of us have, at one time or another, visited the Valley of Dry Bones.  Maybe some of you are still there.  Maybe your marriage is dead or your finances, or your job opportunities.  Or it could be your good name, your reputation, your hopes, your dreams, all dead, all finished, or so you believe. 

It’s interesting that God asked Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones. “”And he (God) said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”

I’m not a name-it-and-claim-it Christian, but I do believe in the proper of prayer and the importance of speaking life (God’s word) over our situations. It’s too easy to be negative and give up when we’re in the Valley of Dry Bones.  But if there is anything to take away from these passages in Ezekiel, it’s that we shouldn’t throw in the towel too quickly.  God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). So is He able to bring our dry bones back to life?  The answer: a resounding “yes!”

Until next week,

Sylvia

Beware of this valley.  It’s dangerous.  The name itself, Gerar, means to drag off roughly.  What happened here?  In Genesis 26:12-22 Isaac, Abraham’s son, has been mightily blessed by God and has “became very great,” so great in fact that the Philistines who lived in the area were envious and their envy drove them to stop up all of Isaac’s wells. And everyone knows how vital water is, especially in the Middle East.  Eventually, the local king got into the act and, in the interest of peace, asked Isaac to leave, thus Isaac was symbolically “dragged off roughly”, to the valley of Gerar.  But even here his troubles didn’t end because the new wells his herdsmen dug were contested by the herdsmen of Gerar.  After a cycle of digging wells then giving them up to the protesters, Isaac finally dug a well that he was allowed to keep.

So why do I think this is a dangerous valley?  Because it’s a valley that can easily breed resentment.  Imagine you are happy, “on top of the world,” and living in peaceful union with God, blessed mightily by Him, when all of a sudden, because of the sins or selfishness or carelessness or malevolence of others you are forced to go to a place you don’t want to go; forced to endure hardship, suffering, heartache, humiliation, all because of something someone else did. It could be a spouse who did not handle the finances wisely and now you are facing bankruptcy, or a spouse who has violated the marriage with an adulterous affair, or a business that has been mismanage and now you are out of a job, or a rebellious child who has run away from home and turned your world upside down.  It could be any one of a dozen things but the result is the same.  You find yourself where you don’t want to be, “dragged” there by someone else. And because you believe it’s not your fault, bitterness can sprout like a weed. 

Verse 19 of Genesis 26 tells us that in the midst of this valley, Isaac’s servants found a “well of springing water (KJV).” The Amplified calls it a “well of living (spring) water.” Jesus tells us in John 4:10 that He will give “living water” to whoever asks, the only kind of water capable of quenching spiritual thirst.  Gerar is a tough valley to be sure, but oh, what a deep and marvelous well God has for us there if only we ask!  It doesn’t have to be a place of bitterness.  It can be a place where circumstances make us more open to the Lord, as well as a place of deep refreshing.  As usual, the choice is ours.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I was surprised to find Abraham in another valley, the Valley of Shaveh (Genesis 14:17-20) right after his victory over King Chedorlaomer.  Why was he there and not back up in the mountains since valleys are taken as low points in our lives?  Only after giving it some thought did it seem reasonable. God had given Abraham a great victory, but the victory came with a price. The Bible calls what happened in the last valley, the Valley of Siddim, a “slaughter”.  Abraham had been at war. He had blood on his hands.  He had killed many. And he had made enemies.  Would the sons or relatives of those enemies seek revenge?  These things had to weigh heavily on his mind. No wonder he had no peace.

But here’s the good part, while he’s lingering in this low point, Melchizedek, priest of the most high God and King of Salem, the very King of Peace—for Salem means peace—comes to Abraham bearing bread and wine, and blesses Abraham.  And by this blessing he assures Abraham that God was still with him, thus restoring his peace.  And who is this Melchizedek?  The pre-incarnate Jesus, the ever-existing One, who appears many times in the Old Testament.  In Hebrews 5:6, speaking of Jesus, it says, “Thou are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”, and Hebrews chapter 7 goes into more detail.

Oh, there is so much in these passages of Genesis! It would take a proper Bible study to lay it all out.  But suffice it to say, that after we have been in a valley of conflict, and the conflict is now over, it still may be difficult to regain our peace.  So many unpleasant things happen during a conflict.  People are wounded, relationships may be destroyed, and this could leave us still trapped in a valley of remorse, despondency, or fear of the unknown.  But praise God! Jesus is willing and able to meet us there like He did Abraham.   And if we commune with Him (symbolized by the bread and wine brought by Melchizedek); if we spend time in fellowship with Jesus, He will restore us back to a place of peace, and bless us going forward.  What a gracious God we serve!

Until next week,

Sylvia