The Enforcers...

...enforced justice, (Hebrews 11:33)
Some of the greatest Heroes of Scripture, and of all time, are those who have "enforced justice."  Of course, some see "justice" as a matter of opinion, or what is best for them.  So God does give us instruction to guard against such thoughts. We find some people really got what justice was.  David did. Solomon did.  Jesus definitely did.  Then we need to have a sense of how to "enforce." It is not always with the power of the sword or a left hook. Enforcing is not turning away from the oppressed or mistreated. It is speaking up. It is using the influence or authority we have in any setting to make sure people's God-given rights are upheld.  It is not arrogantly demanding. It is Micah 6:8 :

He has told you, O man, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

    and to walk humbly with your God?

Sometimes the ones we have to enforce justice upon is ourselves - how we view and treat others.  May we be someone's hero of justice today. 

Not What they DID

Hebrews 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.
This cluster of unnamed heroes have something in common: in faith they did not do anything - they could not do anything, but trust in God.  The two women had to watch and wait as Elijah and Elisha raised their sons.  Others were put in positions where they could not fight back, and helplessly be abused.  Some faced the most cruel types of suffering and death.  Yet they are heros - they believed, and they have demonstrated to us that it is not true that "I cannot take any more." They did.  May God give us the grace we need to live by faith.

Wait, Did you say SAMSON???

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel (Hebrews 11)
Great people of faith - those who trusted God, served Him, and accomplished great things for Him.  We can well understand including the likes of Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets... But Samson? The man driven by his immorality? The arrogant kid who bullied people, demanded his own way, and never seemed to grow up? Sure, we tell our kids about him as a strong hero, but can we as "mature" adults see him that way? The writer (ultimately God, here) says so.  Let us not forget the ingredient that put him in the category of those surrounding him in this list here: 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.(Judges 13)  The LORD bless him, and the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.  God had his hand on him his whole life through. God uses cracked pots and imperfect people to accomplish His will when they trust in Him and do what He calls them to do.  Sometimes they (WE!) do things He tells us not to do, and even fail to do other things He tells us to do, but the party is not over yet, the curtain has not fallen. If you can still read these words, God can and will use you, if you trust and obey Him.  What will he stir you to do today? 

Heroes Who Did not make it out Alive

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
We live in a world where most heroes almost always make it out alive - at least in the movies.  We are shielded from a great truth - many heroes die in becoming one.  That is what we commemorate on Memorial day in our nation, yet it seems to be a lost thought.  Abel simply did the right thing, even when it made someone else unhappy.  He was more concerned with pleasing God than appeasing an angry brother.  It got him dead.  But He still speaks. Just as his blood screamed from the ground to God for justice, his example of faith, as a hero, cries out to us today.  Do the right thing, no matter who objects to it. Trust God.  His commendation matters more than the condemnation of men. Be a hero of faith.  

The Fellowship of the Forgiven

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (I John)

The Truth. That is what we all need. The truth is we are all sinners, which puts us outside of the fellowship of the family of faith. But God has shown us the way back into this fellowship of the Father and His Son, by offering us forgiveness. It is as real as real can be - it is black and white, dark and light. To say otherwise is just plain denial of the truth. It is what we all need and really long for - this fellowship with God, the Son, and His family of the Forgiven.  So let's get real, let's be honest, and become and live as members of His forgiven fellowship, His family of faith.  

The Place of Fellowship

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,says the Lord Almighty.”

(II Corinthians 6)

The Church is the place for fellowship - not in some buildings, but in the midst of God's people gathered with Him.  It's like the new Garden - not in the sense of beautiful surroundings - but walking and talking together with God.  The "outside" of the garden is not the world outside the four walls of a building, but when our affections, affiliations and affinities with the things of this world are stronger than those for God and His people.  It is when we walk in darkness, instead of the light of God's Word and will a willingness to trust in Him and one another. The darkness is "out there" in the same sense Adam and Eve felt it at the Fall - they had touched and tasted an unclean thing, wanting it more than walking with God.  True Fellowship is walking together accepting God's truth and being willing to tell the truth about ourselves; it is also trusting in God, His Word, His Will, and learning to trust one another as His family, beginning to look more and more like Him as we spend time together. 

The Truth about Fellowship

 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (I John 1)

God is Big on Truth.  John brings that out in both his Gospel and his letters.  The truth is: we all long for true fellowship.  The fact is we often settle for a lie when it comes to fellowship.  True fellowship is found in relationship with the Father and the Son, and thereby, with one another.  As stated in an earlier blog - there is a false fellowship - the fellowship of darkness, where everyone feels a part of the same group: we approve of one another's sin, thus allowing our own.  But deep down, we know that is not true fellowship; we do not want anyone to know the real "me" - it is too shameful, dark, and fearful.  So we try to deceive others and end up deceiving ourselves.  True fellowship allows for total truth, because when we "come clean", and accept forgiveness, we find true fellowship.  If we don't, we miss out.  This is the context of verse 9 - one of the most quoted verses of scripture.  It is not a license to sin, but a proclamation and promise of one who has found forgiveness.  Have you?