Thorns

People like to speculate about Paul's "thorn in the flesh." It is not important to know what the thorn was. Rather, it is important to know why it was there. 

God allowed Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” to remain in His life, even though Paul asked God to remove it. Instead of releasing Paul from His “thorn,” God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

This is wonderful assurance. No matter what our thorn in the flesh might be, God will give us grace and strength. We will not be defeated by the thorn. God will sustain us in spite of the difficulties that remain in our lives.

But why did Paul have to have a thorn in the flesh? Why didn’t God make His life a little less problem-laden and just remove the thorn?

The answer is found in II Corinthians 12:7. Paul wrote, “…there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

There it is. The reason why God sometimes allows thorns in our lives, thorns which irritate and remind us that they are there, poking and prodding us as we try to maintain a comfortable, problem-free existence. God places a high priority on humility. “…lest I should be exalted above measure.”

If we glory, we should glory in the Lord. If we are lifted up, it should be God that does the lifting, not us. Sometimes we need thorns in our lives to remind us that we need God, His grace and His strength. Otherwise, we might resort to self-sufficiency. In His infinite love and concern, God thinks enough of His children to allow trials to remain in our lives when we would prefer them to disappear.

“…lest I should be exalted above measure.” Adversity is intended to remind us of our need of God and keep us dependant on Him. It keeps us from exalting ourselves and our own abilities. What an amazing, loving God. He is kind enough to us to allow things in our lives that are painful, yet healing, for they keep our focus on Him, the only source of an unlimited supply of grace and strength.


If you still cannot make sense of the purpose of a thorn in your flesh, glance backward 2,000 years. Let your mind travel to Jerusalem and a certain gruesome crucifixion site. There you will see someone else acquainted with thorns in his flesh. He was a king…The King.

This King wore a crown, not made of jewels…but of thorns. He understands the pain that thorns produce. But His purpose was greater than His pain.

“…lest I should be exalted above measure.”

Rose Thorns Photo: http://coraramos-cora.blogspot.com/2012/01/not-all-thorns-are-scary-but-they-still.html
Crown of Thorns Photo: http://wissmanns.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

A Christmas Gift

"I came, I saw, I got it all." That is, no doubt, what a lot of shoppers are saying about now. Others will soon be saying, "I came, I saw, I ate it all!"

In spite of the mass commercialization and distortion of the real meaning of Christmas (I spare you the tirade; you already know the spiel.), this is still a wonderful time of year. Gifts are great and so is food. (This year, we are opting for salad and hummus in place of a traditional Christmas dinner.) But the greatest gift is Jesus, not just as a newborn baby, but as our risen Savior. 

Isaiah 9:6 is often quoted this time of year. It is a prophecy of the Messiah. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Years ago, I came across the meaning of the phrase "the government shall be upon his shoulder." During ancient Jewish weddings, at some point during the ceremony, the groom would lay the bride's veil on his shoulder. This was highly symbolic. This man was now assuming responsibility for the woman he was marrying. As the authority in her life, he pledged to be her protector and provider. The literal action of placing her veil upon his shoulder indicated the duty he would fulfill to his bride.

The picture of Christ and His church is beautifully portrayed here. He has assumed the responsibility to be our head. As such, He will provide for us and protect us. The government truly is upon his shoulder. 

This Christmas, I trust that all your memories will be happy ones. May you be reassured by God's love and care for you. He is the greatest Gift of all!!

Study Motto

Richard Adams, a pastor-friend of ours, and his friend Marcus Brainos, formulated the following motto:

“I study the Bible to find out what to believe, 

not to prove what I already believe.” 

We can all benefit by the application of this principle. It is tempting to try to make the Bible say what we want it to say. We want the Bible to fit us, our mindsets, and our lifestyle, rather than changing our thought processes and lives to match the Bible.

It is important that we discard our preconceived ideas and read and study the Bible through minds untainted by our individual histories, prejudices, traditions, beliefs, and preferences. Then - and only then - can the Word of God come alive to us in an astonishing personal way.

Lechem Ba'ajin

 

Bill and I first made this during our three-month stay in Israel in 2011. “Lechem Ba’ajin” means “Meat Pastry.” We found this recipe in a cookbook called Simply Israel by Gila Levine. Of course, we altered it somewhat, but it is still the same basic recipe. It is easy and fast to prepare and the blend of spices makes for a mouthwatering dish. 

“Tie-eem!” (That is Hebrew for “Delicious!”)

3 large onions, chopped

2 T olive oil

1/2 lb white ground turkey

1/2 lb dark ground turkey

1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

4 Pita Breads

Sautee onions in olive oil until translucent. Add meat and spices. Cook until meat is done, stirring often. Stir in pine nuts. 

Place meat mixture on top of pita breads, distributing evenly. Place pita breads on baking sheet and bake in preheated 350° oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Overkill?

Every few days, I check out the Jerusalem Post and Jordan Times online. An article in the Jerusalem Post caught my attention today. Haredi Jewish men (what outsiders term "Ultra-Orthodox) were successful in getting permission to move their father's body moved from its original burial plot. Their father died eight years ago. According to the article, when the men visited their father's grave, '"they suddenly saw that next to their father were buried people [who were] possibly Sabbath-observant but certainly not strict in [observing religious] commandments."'

"Elyashiv responded that they should rebury him in a different plot, apparently basing his decision on the laws of burial as codified in the Shulhan Aruch – which rules that a righteous man should not be buried next to an evil man, nor even a man of average righteousness."

"According to the family, their father, who died at a young age, was renowned for his acts of charity and modesty. They exhumed and reburied him late last Thursday night on the Mount of Olives next to his own father, who died last year."

This probably seems like a case of severe overkill to most of us, but - to a degree - it does reflect the biblical importance of burials and death-related issues. Consider Joseph's bones being carried from Egypt to the Promised Land. The designated mourning period that followed a death. The shame of not having a proper burial. However, to my knowledge, the Bible never gives guidelines regarding who one's neighbors should be in a cemetery. Haredi Jews have gleaned this custom from their own religious laws, not from the written Torah. 

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear on the Mount of Olives, where there is a Jewish burial ground, which, I might add, is a very expensive place to be buried. 

Quotes and photo copied from http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=280405

Miramia

"Miramia" is Arabic for "sage." We brought a lot of it back from Jordan, and I enjoyed some the other day. It is mild-tasting and wonderful with just a little honey.

Interestingly, the Arabic word for "tea" is "chai." In the United States, we use the word chai to refer to spiced milk tea from India. But in Arabic, chai is a generic word that refers to many types of tea.

Walking Ancient Paths Book Release

  
It has been in my hands two weeks now: BOOK ONE of the Walking Ancient Paths book series. (My brain is already gearing up for BOOK TWO.) This is good stuff. If readers enjoy Walking Ancient Paths: BOOK ONE even a smidgen as much as I enjoyed writing it, then they are sure to have an enjoyable journey!

Isaiah 9:6

I came across these photos today. I took them at the YMCA Three Arches Hotel in Jerusalem. Great prophetic Scripture that was fulfilled only a few miles from where it is engraved in stone.