Why are there Giants?

Spiritual Lessons 

Why Are There Giants?

Evil giants wouldn't be so hard to slay except that we won't. Why?

We go to church on Sunday: We are comfortable in our self-assigned row in church. We are content with outsourcing our Christianity to the qualified and "called". The missionaries evangelize, the CPC worker saves the babies, the Pastor studies, and we pay them. We're busy experiencing our Christianity instead of working out our religion.

Our unsaved neighbor likes us so much: We've over-valued the world's perception of us and of Jesus. We are afraid of being perceived as judgmental or narrow-minded. We are afraid of Jesus coming across as too harsh. We've failed to demand justice to the point of accepting atrocities -- all for a good presentation.

We are Purists: We Christians have started to sum up our duty as: giving the gospel. We've disengaged with our culture under the intention to remain pure and unspotted. Instead we have failed to take a stand and rebuke evil and consciously teach the nations, and practically visit the afflicted. The majority has used pietism as a cop-out for engaging in warfare. We have surrendered ourselves out of responsibility to act like a Christian.

We're afraid of man: We buy into the dangerous thought that disobedience is rebellion. That God-given authority is unlimited. That passivity and conformity are spiritual. Agitation, reproof and judgement all become negative black words, and somehow love becomes an torpid blob of meaninglessness. We are so afraid to do something wrong, we do nothing. We fail to see our inaction condemns us. For inaction is a choice. Toleration of tyrants is an act of condoning tyrants. Living in fear is being a willing slave. And closing our ears to reason is willful ignorance.

There are giants because Christians refuse to defy them.

Will We Be Davids?

Spiritual Lessons

Will We Be Davids?

David ran his fingers down the golden strands. Not so long ago he played this very same melody under a starry sky, alone in a wilderness. But now he played for the King.

He looked up at the monarch and felt his heart sink. Saul sat with an evil expression furrowed into his face. Peace could not penetrate this man's soul.

David looked back at the floor and concentrated. God had used King Saul. Saul had made a kingdom out of a nation, raised armies and fought many battles. More importantly, King Saul was the Lord's anointed. No matter if Saul no longer trusted him. He would honor the King.

Saul was hounded by an evil spirit. It caused him to be afraid. The longer he watched David play, the more the anxiety built. The Lord was with David. And Saul knew it had departed from him. Somehow David's melody seemed to chant the very words the women sang with their tabrets, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

 Instead of releasing tension, the music seemed to attack him. Anger throbbed through his whole being. It was unfair that David was both given the spirit from the Lord and his kingdom. David had already been anointed with oil by Samuel. The prophet that no longer would fellowship with him. Jonathan, his own son, had knit his heart to this young man, even in the knowledge that David would take Jonathan's rightful place. With a surge of just indignation Saul stood to his feet and threw his javelin at the minstrel, David.

At that moment David had a choice.  

God wanted to make a King out of David. But instead of handing him the Kingdom, He crushed David. And He used a man to do it: King Saul. Saul was undoubtedly mad, even haunted by an evil spirit. He threw spears and claimed the right to do so. And yet, he was the Lord's anointed.

David knew this. When Saul threw his spear, David had a choice.

1. To stay, in risk of being killed.
2. To throw the spear back.
3. To flee

We also have “Sauls” in our life. Kings, God has put in our life. Some of these men have hurt us. We are given the same choices David was. We might have the right and ability to throw the spear back. No-one would have blamed David.

Except God. God allowed Saul to mistreat David. And He used it to mold David into a man after His own heart. God will do the same in our lives. He will use the Sauls in our life to crush the Saul in us!

David accepted it. He didn't bad-mouth Saul. David allowed God to change him. Being hunted will change us. Being wounded will scar us.

We can have pure motives and a righteous stand and still be crushed. God sometimes uses pure and righteous men to do it. Sometimes he uses mad men. Either way, we have a choice.

David tried to stay. But more javelins were thrown. Self prosperity is not conceit. Self defense is not pride. David fled. And yet David left alone. He didn't take a band of men with him. He was willing to go by himself. This solitude and hounding, the lies, deceit, and maliciousness crafted David into a man that is now known as the world's greatest comforter. David could sing before, but now his Psalms are echoed by thousands in every generation.

People will misunderstand you. Joab did. Why wouldn't David kill the King when he had the chance? The Kingdom believed Saul and had no way of hearing “David's side”. The kingdom misunderstood David during a time where it should have seem him not only an innocent man, but their future king.

Friends, dear friends, will be parted from you. Friends are often made because of what you hold in common. But sometimes, in these kind of trials, our friendships will be tested in the areas where we can't be in common. Jonathan's heart was knit to David's. And yet they could no longer fellowship and sing in the palace as they once had. They wept. Grief is natural. But Jonathan also allowed David to leave, and "strengthened his hand in God.” (1 Samuel 23:16).

 If we are Jonathans we must remember to let go of our Davids. Our friendships don't have to change when Kings throw spears. We can still be friends. But allow David to go in peace. If we are Davids we must remember how hard it is for the Jonathans that have staid behind. We too must learn to let go. David never spoke ill of Jonathan's father. David did cry “What have I done? What is mine iniquity...?” But David did not tell Jonathan to come away. David did not berate King Saul to Jonathan. Neither expected to be sympathized with as a victim. Neither depended on the other as their savior. Pray for your friend. Do not defend your character to them. But do not feel guilty for fleeing. Do not feel guilty for being Saul's son. Jonathan fought a whole garrison of Philistines without David. God placed you there on purpose.

David refused to disrespect Saul. God knew Israel didn't need another powerful king, but a broken and humbled man. Good men can do evil things. Who are we to determine if our king is a David or a Saul? To Urriah, David seemed to play Saul. The people in your life today, the ones who hurt you, malign you, and throw spears, might be Davids. They might be men after God's own heart.

Is it our responsibility to go to war against our king? Not likely. Will we have to flee? Possibly. Will we become “David's” – people after God's own heart? Only though much breaking and tribulation.

To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:10

Satan would have us stay in an unforgiving position. It is his device to keep us weak. And why? So he can either attack us or render us useless.

This is not a crafty ploy, though countless Christians have fallen on swords of unforgiveness. Satan doesn't hold us captive. We have sentenced ourselves and freedom is our choice. Obviously there are times it is humanly impossible to forgive, but this is why Paul forgave in the person of Christ.

Forgiveness doesn't look like sympathy. It doesn't mean we must put ourselves continually in a defenseless vulnerable place. David hid in caves. He did not continue to place himself before the king and his javelins. Forgiveness doesn't look like trust.

But forgiveness is unwilling to keep an account of wrong-doing. Forgiveness will pray for those who hurt him. Forgiveness is willing; forgiveness is open minded towards reconciliation; forgiveness understands Satan's devices. A forgiving heart is unwilling to gossip. Forgiveness is strength. Forgiveness is freeing.

Christian, we once determined to follow Christ, though no one else followed. No turning back. Though friends forsake us. We started this journey counting the cost. When it is required of us, will we give up? This is a race. The first half-mile was hard. The second half was exciting. The third seems impossible. It's how races go. Don't give up brothers and sisters. Satan would sift us, but ultimately we are given a choice.

Will we be Davids?  

White Roses

White Roses

"Tonight, as I looked up for a moment from the general jolly merry-making, as I looked out through the window at the evening sky, through the bare trees at the yellow horizon, suddenly I remembered that it was Good Friday.  The sky seemed strangely far away and indifferent and it saddened me.  Or perhaps it was the people with their empty laughter, for whom the sky had no relevance.  I felt excluded from the merry party and from the unconcerned sky."  - Sophie Scholl

I read this from Sophie's diary and my heart resonated with her.  So often I've looked up from my own merry-making and the world suddenly seems to expand before me and my own isolated bubble is exposed to the imperative issues that will inevitably touch it.

It is so much easier, and altogether more comfortable, to live in seclusion and peace of our own homes, thoughts, churches and good fortune.

Once in a while we are accosted by today's troubles.  No matter how shielded we are, it is impossible to escape the atrocities of the dying unsaved souls, suicide victims, abortion and it's murdered innocents, the neglected elderly, the emotionally scarred children in foster homes that live unwanted and unhelped.  The homeless.  They helpless.  The hopeless.

Sophie and Hans Scholl also could not escape their time and their country's horrors.  Like all of us, they were not given the choice as to which time-period they were to be born into.  They happened to be young Germans in the 1940s.  And this was their firm conviction --

"...Which one of us can foretell the unspeakable shame that will be visited on us and our children when the scales fall from our eyes and the crimes, most horrible and infinitely beyond measure, come to light?  Is the German people, in its innermost soul, so corrupt and decayed?  Will it without lifting a finger, frivolously trusting questionable laws of history, surrender the most valuable thing mans own, that which raises him above all other creatures?  Will the German people surrender free will, man's freedom to help put a spoke in the wheel of history and subordinate it to his own reason, his own decision?  If Germans are so devoid of personal individuality, if they have become so irretrievably a mindless and craven mass -- then, indeed then they deserve to perish."  
The opening sentences of the White Roses' first leaflet.

The White Rose was first birthed by a group of students who were joined in their mutual "non-conformity" and love for freedom.  All held in high revere literature that had been banned and consigned to book burning.  Each of them held their dictator in disgust, and all had witnessed in various forms the terrors of Nazism.  They eventually grew impatient of simply talking of the issues and horrors and each determined to strongly resist.  Their solution?  Issuing leaflets calling for resistance to Hitler.

When the first leaflet was dispersed in Munich Germany, it created a sensation.  It was a daring trumpet blast in the mandatory silence of Nazism.  Some took the leaflets right away to the police.  Others disposed of it.  But some of them followed the leaflet's instructions and retyped the page with as many carbon copies and passed it on.  One such person said, "Today no one will believe how happy we are to do something against the regime at long last."

The next leaflets informed the German people of the atrocities of the Fuhrer and Nazism.  "The fact is that since the conquest of Poland 300,000 Jews have bestially murdered in that country."  The leaflet stated that anyone who watched such crimes without doing something about them could not possibly acquit himself of guilt.  Their last word?

"The White Rose will not leave you in peace!"

Hans once told his sister -- "It is high time that Christians, too, [not only Communist and Social-Democratic resistance fighters] start doing something.  Chrisitans have to set up a visiable sign of resistance.  When we are asked at the end of the war, 'What did you do?' shall we stand there empty handed?"  - Hans Scholl

The Scholl siblings along with the rest of the White Rose did do something.  They appealed to their fellow Germans.  They publicly protested.  They refused to prolong Hitler's war by donating to the Nazi "Winter Aid" clothing drive that was to benefit German soldiers in Russia.  They helped prisoners of war and foreign workers.  All things what their sister Inge called "...small scale resistance, practical and tangible, and potentiality contagious."

One story of a friend further demonstrates the Scholl's resistance.

"That evening, as we walked in the English Garden, Sophie seemed very nervous to me,  She said

"...one ought to do something, for instance, write on walls."

I said, "I have a pencil in my pocket."

Sophie: "It has to be done with tar-based paint."

I: "But that's insanely dangerous."

Sophie, evasively,: The night is a friend of the free."

Next morning I went with Sophie and Hans to the university to attend Professor Huber's class... There was a big crowd of students by the university entrance staring at the stone wall.  As we came closer we saw the word FREEDOM printed in black paint in three-foot-high letters.  Several cleaning women were busily trying to scrub off the writing.  An older student said to Sophie, "Those b*******."  Hans urged us to walk on -- "We don't want to be conspicuous."  As we left, Sophie said to me under her breath, "They have a long scrub ahead of them; that's tar-paint."

These young people dared to cry for freedom in a "state where all free expression has been ruthlessly gagged".  They admonished others to "Fight the Party!  Get out of the Party organizations where they silence you with 'No Polotics!'  Get out of the lecture rooms of SS leaders and SS chief leaders and Party toadies!  We are committed to true science and genuine freedom of thought!"

If the White Rose could courageously fight and even die for such a nobal cause, it should quicken our sense of justice and duty to fight our modern culture and atrocities.

At ages 22 and 24, Sophie and Hans Scholl shook their nation with their radical stance on freedom.  Especially after their brave martyrdom.

"I remember meeting an acquaintance on the street one day, and he said to me, "Don't beam so!  They'll arrest you for beaming."  That is how it was.  We didn't have much of a chance to survive, but survival was not what counted.  Life counted.  Life itself touched our hearts through the death of Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends. ... Hope.  That was what [they] gave us."  - Ilse Aichinger

I am not writing this to discourage or condemn.  But to inspire you as the Scholls did me.  The Bible mentions in 2 Corinthians how mortality can be swallowed up in life.  This is my desire.  And yet, to be mortal, to relish peace and security and to even grow weary of the battle and wish to close our eyes to the world and it's horrors is no condemnation.  It is our instinct.  But we can choose to be selfish mortals, or we can allow our mortality to be swallowed up in life.  His life.

I'm not saying we need to start a crusade.  I'm not saying we should sell our home and join a cause.  I'm not saying we now need to spend every 24 hours printing leaflets.

True hearted"small scale" resistance in our culture might be giving up a movie night to petition our Representatives. It might mean not pro-longing the "war" on innocents by refusing to support Pro-Choice businesses.  It might mean taking the risk of looking foolish by passing out a tract.  It might mean exercising our mind when we'd rather zone and entertain ourselves.

Many of us are busy.  Okay, all of us are insanely busy.  And that's not a condemnation.  Some of us might only realistically have 15 minutes a week to actively engage in our world's battle.  Some of us might have more.

But we will do nothing if we are convinced that we don't have any time.  If we have time to like posts on Facebook, watch a movie, play a game, email -- we have a few minutes.  We will do nothing if we are convinced that it's not our duty.  We will do nothing if we won't take it seriously.  We will do nothing if we are unconvinced at our nation's need.


But here are the facts:

Millions are on their way to Hell.
Approximately every 12.8 minutes someone dies from suicide in the U.S. alone.
3,500 babies are killed every year in the United States.
And this is just a few examples...


David asked, "Is there not a cause...?"  Absolutely.  And we can take his example to heart.  He went and did what he knew best.  He gathered stones for his sling shot.  And then he made himself available to his Strength and his Redeemer.

David had to throw off his brother's criticism.  We too must throw off criticism.  Low expectations of others.  In fact, our world expects it's young people to be self-absorbed, ignorant adolescents.
What has God gifted us with?  Of course we are weak earthen vessels, but we are the very vessels He has chosen.  God has all the power and knowledge -- He waits on us. We are not given the choice to be warriors.  We are in the midst of a battle.  But we are given the choice whether to be His warriors or not.

Every person God ever used had their own set-backs, their own weaknesses, their own hard circumstances.  But you are His warrior and He has given you life for a purpose.  What if we only have 22 years like Sophie?  Twenty two years from now even? I desire to be a White Rose in my nation and my time. I want to be able to face my death and say as  Sophie did --

"I would do everything again, exactly the same way."

Resources:

"The Short Life of Sophie Scholl" by Herman Vinke



Related Posts:


Companies that Support Planned Parenthood



Feminism 



How Can We Help 


A Witness 


Compassion Part I

Three Davids

Spiritual Lessons

The David that Went in his Strength


Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and King Saul and the men of Israel were set in array against the Philistines.

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath.  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel -- "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we might fight together."

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Now David, the son of Jesse, ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.

And they said -- "Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it  shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."

And Eliab, David's eldest brother heard him speaking to the men, and his anger was kindled against David and he said, "Why camest thou down hither?  and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?  I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. "

And from that moment David desired to prove himself to Eliab, and to the men of Israel and to be enriched with great riches and went straightway to the King.

And David said to Saul -- O King I will fight Israel's enemy, Goliath.
And the King said to David -- "Thou art not able to fight against this Philistine.  You are but a youth."
And David once more addressed the King -- "I have saved my father's flock from both a lion and a bear, and this Philistine shall be like unto them, for I am David, the son of Jesse."

And Saul armed David with his own armor, and girded David with his sword.  And David went before the men of Israel to show the honor of the King towards him.

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and when he saw David he cursed him.
And then said David to the Philistine -- "Thou comest to me with a sword, but I come to revenge Israel and to prove the strength of David, son of Jesse, and I will defy you, and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all of the earth may know the strength of an Israelite, and the valor of David!"

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and drew near that David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine, in full confidence of both himself and Saul's sword.
And the Philistine drew his sword and prevailed against David, for David had trusted in his own strength and forgotten the Lord his God.

The David that Waited on the Lord.


Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and King Saul and the men of Israel were set in array against the Philistines.

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath.  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel -- "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we might fight together."

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Now David, the son of Jesse, ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.

And they said -- "Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it  shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."

And Eliab, David's eldest brother heard him speaking to the men, and his anger was kindled against David and he said, "Why camest thou down hither?  and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?  I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. "

And from that moment David feared the pride of his heart and continually questioned the motive of his heart.  Nonetheless he sought audience with the King.

And David said to Saul -- O King I will fight Israel's enemy, Goliath.
And the King said to David -- "Thou art not able to fight against this Philistine.  You are but a youth."
And David once more addressed the King -- "You have spoken truly oh king, I am a worm and unworthy, but the Lord will deliver Israel from this Philistine."

And Saul armed David with his own armor, and girded David with his sword.  But David said unto Saul -- "I cannot go with these; I will go with no weapon so I may prove the Lord God.  I will wait on Him to defeat the enemy of Israel, for the Lord our God is stronger than man and He will fight for us.  Have no fear, but wait on the Lord God."

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and when he saw David he cursed him and his God.

And then David sat peacefully before the Philistine and said -- "Thou comest to me with a sword, but I come in the rest of the Lord.  You defy me and curse God but I will wait on the Lord."

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and drew near that David sat and prayed and the Philistine drew his sword and smote the Israelites, and the Israelites were brought under bondage to the Philistines, and Goliath of Gath gloried in his victory over God's people.

The Real David


Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and King Saul and the men of Israel were set in array against the Philistines.

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath.  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel -- "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we might fight together."

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Now David, the son of Jesse, ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.

And they said -- "Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it  shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."

And Eliab, David's eldest brother heard him speaking to the men, and his anger was kindled against David and he said, "Why camest thou down hither?  and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?  I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. "

And David knew the pride of his own heart, but also knew not to expect everyone to understand the true motives of his heart and said, "What have I now done?  Is there not a cause?"  And David left the apathetic and fearful brethren and sought the king.

And David said to Saul -- "Let no man's heart fail because of Goliath, thy servant will fight him."
And the King said to David -- "Thou art not able to fight against this Philistine.  You are but a youth."
And David once more addressed the King -- " Thy servant slew both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine."

And Saul armed David with his own armor, and girded David with his sword.  But David said unto Saul -- "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them."  And David took his own familiar staff and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherds bag and took his sling which he had defeated the lion and bear with; for David knew the Lord God would use him and the things God had equipped him with.

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and when he saw David he cursed him and his God.

And David said -- "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied.  This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  And all the assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands."

And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and drew night to meet David that David hasted and ran toward the army, in full confidence that the Lord would fight through him.

And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone and slang it, and the small stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth.  So David prevailed in the strength of the Lord over the Philistine with a mere sling and a stone.  And the Philistines fled when they saw their champion was dead.  And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines and were victorious.  And the assembly was convinced of God's faithfulness and strength and He was given glory.  All because one young man trusted in God and acted on it.



Related Post

A Witness