Short-Selling Stocks and Combative Kingdom Investment

 

The “short squeeze” of GameStop has already faded from the headlines, but the war between the hedge fund managers who “short sold” its stock and the retail (private) investors who took revenge by artificially boosting its value holds important lessons for us in these latter days. Recently, the Kingdom of God has been under assault on every front in particularly ruthless ways. Our ancient adversary sees his chance to “drive down” to zero the perceived value of Kingdom investment in the hope of causing people to sell out in panic, thus making the “stock” drop even further. He also hopes to create paralyzing fear that keeps even true believers from holding onto their “shares” in the Kingdom, let alone taking bold new risks for the King.

Two similar parables told by Jesus compare the resources that God has given us to capital that can be used in the “stock market of life” for the advance of the Kingdom. Both describe how a powerful man divided his estate among his servants before leaving for a journey: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey” (Matthew 25: 14-15). Upon his return, he called his servants to account for what they achieved with those resources. 

In the parallel parable, the reason for his journey is made clear: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us’” (Luke 19:12-14). This man was none other than Jesus who ascended to heaven to receive the Kingdom and to return to reign. His servants are called to continue doing business with his resources in the meantime, despite being surrounded by a hostile population that rejects his authority. 

There is always an element of risk in investing in any kind of stock market – including the “stock market of life” that contains much more than mere finances. This stock market touches every aspect of our life decisions, and courage is required in order to continue investing even when evil forces attempt to destroy the profitability of the shares we hold. Satan is like a hedge fund manager, trying to “short squeeze” every believer who has invested in the Kingdom like a retail investor. His goal is to destroy our resolve and to erode even our hope of a fair fight in a free market. He also wants us to lose sight of the fact that Jesus will return in triumph, punishing his enemies and rewarding his faithful servants. 

Now is the time to respond with all-out “economic warfare” for our King! It may seem that Satan is succeeding in driving down the value of our shares, but we can act by investing all the more – thereby driving the price back up and making the predatory hedge fund run by our enemy pay dearly. Unlike the GameStop story, in which the hedge fund managers of Wall Street eventually will subdue the retail investors, every true step of faith we take now will yield eternal value for the Kingdom. Satan’s empire may seem invincible now, but one day his stocks will crash.

How do we wage economic warfare of this type? Each person needs to understand what God has placed under his oversight, and then decide how best to use those resources – while refusing to surrender to fear or selfishness. Maybe we need to free up more of our time to minister to the needy, to build relationships and to share with the lost. Maybe we need to pour ourselves into intercessory prayer. Maybe we need to open our bank accounts for the Kingdom as though this is an emergency (and it is!).  

Even those who feel like they have nothing to give will be singled out for praise by Jesus himself if they take these steps in faith: And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (Luke 21:1-4). 

God will lead us if we come with a heart ready to invest everything we are and everything we have. A ruthless enemy may be willing to use any form of economic / spiritual warfare against us, but these challenges should actually be seen as investment opportunities. Our decisions will prove whether we believe that Jesus is truly coming back from that “long journey” – and this life is a series of opportunities to express that faith in God in a practical way. 

The movie Persona Non Grata tells the story of Sugihara Chiune – the Japanese diplomat who used his position to issue six thousand visas to Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi advance, despite the position of his superiors. In one scene, his assistant says to him: “The world is a wheel that goes around. Hitler may be on top right now, but one day the wheel will turn and he will be at the bottom.” Chiune responds: “When the wheel does turn, let us make sure that we have no regrets.”

It is our turn to combatively invest in the stock market of life on behalf of the King. May we grab hold of every opportunity, and may our faith help others catch a glimpse of the value and of the ultimate victory of our King and his Kingdom. When we are called to account, may we have no regrets and may we hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:16). May the fear of what is coming upon the world only give us more motivation to risk it all for the one who gave it all for us. 

The illustration is taken from the Money & Markets website. 

Father, Forgive Them for What They Will Do

 

Stories of the persecution of early believers at the hands of Roman emperors have been engraved on the collective memory of Christians all over the world and down through the centuries. The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus wrote that, following the burning of Rome, “Nero falsely accused and executed with the most exquisite punishments those people called Christians, who were infamous for their abominations…” He added that Nero had punished them “not so much for the crime of burning the city, but for hatred of the human race” (The Annals, 44.2-4).

Tacitus’ report, though perhaps biased due to his disdain of Nero, confirms the worst suspicions of Christians regarding the brutality of the Roman Empire. However, few readers pay attention to the fact that Tacitus himself seems to confirm the accusation leveled against the Christians of harboring “hatred of the human race” – indicating that even he may have seen Nero’s actions as justifiable in some strange way. Even fewer have ever stopped to consider that the Romans may have had logical reasons for their repression of the belief in Jesus Christ. 

Christians understandably bristle at any attempt to justify the utter cruelty that the early believers faced, and indeed it is clear to anyone with spiritual discernment that the true source of the campaign of eradication against them was the Devil’s hatred of all God’s children on the earth. Even so, it is worthwhile to consider the perspective of the Roman establishment as they sought to ensure peace and tranquility in the vast Roman Empire. This closer look is particularly useful as humanity descends into another dark age that may end up eclipsing that period. 

The Roman Empire faced huge administrative challenges and the threat of instability was never far off. The first couple of centuries of the spread of Christianity coincided with the rise of cults that mixed religion and politics – especially in the Asia Minor region. Rome saw the spread of new faiths and the forming of exclusive societies by its subjects as a threat to peace – as shown by Emperor Trajan’s letter to Pliny the Younger: “If people assemble for a common purpose, whatever name we give them or whatever reason, they soon turn into a political club” (Letters, 10.34). The Romans also viewed respect for their idolatry as evidence of submission to their authority, and therefore saw the Christian refusal to worship any other god as political treason and as a potential cause of spiritual volatility due to angering the gods.

Today, we are heading back into a very similar situation. A massive campaign of intimidation by the world elite has turned the majority of humanity into a nervous and jittery herd of largely compliant sheep. It is up for debate whether the information spread by leading figures is true or false, but it is clear that the goal is domination rather than empowerment. In a situation like this, fear is a powerful motivating factor as the survival instinct kicks into high gear. Anyone who dares to violate the will of the “gods” is seen as a threat to stability and survival. Soon to follow are the accusations that “hatred of the human race” motivates this refusal to bow the knee. 

We as believers may soon face the wrath of the truly fearful masses if we hold the line against the lies. They may not have the deeply diabolical intentions harbored by world elites, but they are afraid – deeply afraid – and therefore unpredictable. “…The god of this age has blinded [their minds]...” leaving them without the light of the Gospel to combat the darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4). They are as helpless against the wolves as sheep without a shepherd, as “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). This god-free situation paradoxically leaves them vulnerable to fulfilling Jesus’ words that “the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service” (John 16:2).

In all honesty, we would act no differently if we faced the current crisis without a true relationship with God. We, too, would see the current events sweeping the globe as an existential crisis for humanity requiring the complete surrender of every shred of God-given freedom and dignity. We, too, would soon forget that our lives ultimately are in God’s hands. We, too, might be persuaded that climate change is a threat demanding immediate action to bring about depopulation. We, too, could react to any dissenting opinions as a clear and present danger to society requiring an end to free speech in order to preserve the peace. We, too, might come to the conclusion that all non-compliant religious beliefs must be eradicated for the sake of survival. 

Inquisition-like thought police and a humanistic attempt to survive without God is the next stop on the journey at the current rate. Peter did warn us to do our best to avoid causing needless trouble: “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:15-16); “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Even after our best efforts, persecution will come. That is a promise.  

Thank God that his cause will ultimately prevail, but it is important in the meantime for us to understand what motivates the masses of humanity surrounding us. This comprehension should move us to deep compassion for them, and prepare our hearts ahead of time to ask God from the depths of his heart beating inside of us: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The illustration is taken from the following website. 

Loneliness, Social Distancing and God's Embrace

 

During the height of one of the lockdowns this past year, a student of mine from California entered the online class I had opened while I was still muted and invisible. An older lady with a pleasant yet slightly mournful countenance, she began talking with one of the other students about how she cannot wait for our weekly sessions together – not knowing that I was hearing everything. My heart broke for her when I realized that she saw the class as the one glimmer of hope and human connection in a world now enforcing loneliness and social distancing. All I wanted to do was simply reach out and give her a hug to try to comfort her in some small way.  

As an online lecturer since even before the outbreak of COVID-19, I have noticed the human need for companionship among my students become ever more apparent and acute as the dreary months have dragged on. Loneliness, to put it bluntly, is a little foretaste of hell. God’s very first observation about our humanity summed up the horror of it all: “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Indeed, this was the very first thing in the whole world that he declared to be not good! 

In the western culture, a twisted version of individualism and the destruction of family and social connections had already taken a bitter toll on the human psyche before we heard the phrase “social distancing” for the first time. However, even in cultures where being physically alone is almost impossible, the gnawing pain of loneliness within us can be a silent killer of the human soul. God created us for meaningful human connections, and we naturally wilt and wither away in their absence. 

Loneliness and the fear of being alone are often directly connected to other issues in our lives – from various forms of addictive behavior to the trail of broken relationships that many of us leave behind in our search for companionship. The pain of unfulfilled longings can lead us to view ourselves as unlovable and unworthy of human contact. Those who claim to actually enjoy being completely alone may simply have reached a point of amputating that part of their consciousness in order to stop the pain. 

Logically, the pain of loneliness could be solved by simply having meaningful contact with other human beings. However, our hearts will ultimately remain empty if contact is not made within the context of our even more important relationship with God. The true balance is found in rejoicing in his supreme role as our father, while realizing that he longs for us to live in community with loving siblings (Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:12; Romans 8:29) and that he loves to set “the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6). 

Now, how can we see the heart of God at work today in this area of our lives? After all, the strictest forms of enforced social distancing prevent people from reaching out for true human connection. In the past year, I have become convinced that there is something profoundly evil about this enforced loneliness and that its dangers likely outweigh any benefits by far. Nonetheless, God has allowed human companionship to become scarcer precisely when its importance has become more obvious.  

We find a partial answer to the dilemma in the story of Gideon. Outnumbered and perhaps feeling a bit alone, Gideon likely could not believe it when God asked him to reduce his ranks even further – all the way down to three hundred (Judges 7:1-22). God knew exactly which soldiers he wanted to place around him during the battle. The others may not have been made of the material that Gideon would be able to rely on, and might have ended up weakening his own resolve or even betraying him.

We are also at war today, and while we may wish that we had more comrades surrounding us, we should remember two facts. First, God created us with the need for companionship and he will tenderly care for us. Second, it may be that many of the people that he is removing from our lives are not supposed to fight alongside us in the battles ahead. Ultimately, he knows better than we do which companions we truly need in our lives, and he can judge their character in ways beyond our abilities.

Pain accompanies the loneliness in our hearts, and shame often prevents us from simply admitting that we feel alone. Even if we overcome that obstacle, fear can keep us from trusting God to supply all our emotional needs for companionship. And yet, I can see him watching over us, guiding us closer together even in times of social distancing, and singing over us a song that we will hear in full only in heaven: 

I've been waiting to watch you realize

What all your longing was for
And I've been waiting to show you the thread of grace
That ran through all your pain…

And I've been waiting to see you tremble as you're embraced
By a world saturated with my love
I've been waiting for the day when at last I get to say
My child, you are finally home…

Every tear you cried dried in the palm of my hand
Every lonely hour was by my side
Every loved one lost, every river crossed
Every moment, every hour was pointing to this day…

Indeed, the famous verse about him singing over us is found in a context that tells of how he will gather his people together after a time of trouble (Zephaniah 3:14-20)! 

This post goes out to all who are lonely in these dark days of social distancing. He sees you, he knows your need, and he has not forgotten your pain. Somehow, may he send one of his faithful servants to simply hug you in a way that will alleviate the pain and remind you of the promise of the eternal embrace of his everlasting arms. 

The illustration by Peter Wever was taken from the Tutt' Art website. 

I Can’t Hear You! God's Voice in Wartime

 

In one of the defining scenes of the Hacksaw Ridge movie, the combat medic Desmond Doss finds himself alone on the battlefield after all the other American forces retreated from the bitterly contested ridge on Okinawa. Feeling lost and overwhelmed by the horror, he cries out to God: “What is it you want of me? I don’t understand. I can’t hear you!” He then hears the cry of a wounded man calling out for help, and realizes that this was the answer – God’s way of directly communicating with him in the midst of the battle. With renewed courage, he gathers himself together and sets off in the direction of the voice of the wounded soldier.

Two months ago, I published a post about the spiritual warfare that has made the year 2020 one of the most difficult in living memory. This situation shows no signs of ending anytime soon, and we should expect it to intensify even more in the future. One of the greatest challenges in war is meaningful and trustworthy communication. They say that knowing is half the battle, but even this principle is difficult to apply in the fog of war due to the continuous and fierce clashes over the reliability of the information. In such times, there are three facts that we should keep in mind. 

First, God as our general does not miscommunicate with us, nor does he misread the battlefield in a way that needlessly jeopardizes the future victory or our own lives (unlike countless human generals over the centuries who could not see the whole picture at any given time). However, it is entirely possible that there will be times that God’s voice will be silent or will seem silent, and we will be tempted to believe that we have lost the connection. This understandably can lead to despair or panic in our hearts, and can cause us to take actions that are against our own interests. 

In times like these, it is wise to ask ourselves what the last command that we remember hearing was, and to remind ourselves of the overall calling that we know that God has placed on our lives. This stance is what allowed Desmond Doss to regain his footing and keep moving forward in saving the wounded, and it is also what kept David in the battle until it was over: “I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed” (Psalm 18:37).

Second, we need to remember that not all communication is verbal. Messages can be delivered visually as well – for example, by using a symbolic flag in battle: “Declare among the nations, proclaim, and set up a standard (flag); proclaim – do not conceal it – say, ‘Babylon is taken…” (Jeremiah 50:2). Something within the heart of the warrior is stirred to action with renewed courage simply by seeing the standard of his own side moving along the frontlines. We must follow the movement of the standard of our king expectantly, and move accordingly. 

Light is another ancient means of communication during warfare: “Then [Gideon] divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers… Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing…” (Judges 7:16, 20). This light not only startled the Midianite enemies, but also caused the darkness of night to glow. Interestingly, the breaking of the clay jars was what allowed the light to shine. Our human clay (2 Corinthians 4:6-7) often reaches the breaking point in wartime, but if our lives are in God’s hands then his light will shine through even then.

Third, the enemy will do his best to gain an advantage on the communication front – either by using psychological warfare to demoralize us (2 Chronicles 32), or by feeding us information designed to mislead us. In times like these we must never remove the helmet of salvation that guards our minds from the thoughts placed there by the enemy (Ephesians 6:17). It is the helmet that also identified soldiers in ancient battles, and simply seeing other believers wearing it as a identifying mark of salvation is in itself communication that cannot be valued too highly. 

These days can be particularly cruel when God’s voice seems obscured, but even in the fog of war there are messages from his word to which we can cling. During times of absolute silence, we already know so much of what he has told us. And even when we think that we are going crazy, he is capable of reminding us of just the right information at just the right time in order to keep us moving forward to victory.

Photo taken from NDLA site.

Plagues and the Last Reach for Control

 

What is the connection between the current pandemic, the control over all humanity through technology, and the ancient plans of the enemy of our souls? Looking back into biblical history will help us understand the events unfolding before our eyes.

Three thousand years ago, King David decided to take a census of all the men of fighting age. It was one of his greatest mistakes ever, and it cost the lives of seventy thousand Israelites who died in a plague that lasted three days. Joab, his nephew and military commander, was a man that often needed to be restrained from reckless actions but even he had warned King David against the move, saying: “May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?” (1 Chronicles 21:3; see also 2 Samuel 24:3). 

Joab knew that taking a census was dangerous business, and he likely recalled the strict rules given by Moses for counting the people: “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them… The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves” (Exodus 30:12,15). 

What is the principle here? Counting the people was not just an issue of pride (like some suppose regarding David), but rather was also connected with control over them. This even greater danger is for human leaders to become all-knowing about their subjects, thus intruding into a realm reserved for the omniscience of God. After all, the true number of such things is for God alone to know – including the hairs on our heads and the stars in the sky (Matthew 10:30; Psalm 147:4), something that a later mention of the story of David’s census even hints (1 Chronicles 27:23). By the way, to this day many Middle Eastern grandparents do not count their descendants due to a superstitious fear of inviting disaster. 

David was a man after God’s own heart, but his blunder revealed the winning recipe for being struck with a plague. He took a census for the wrong reason of wanting to know too much about his subjects, while likely ignoring the requirement to pay a half-shekel ransom per person as a humble acknowledgment that he was treading in territory belonging ultimately to God himself. Therefore, it should not surprise us that his actions resulted in a plague. 

Current world leaders have “improved” on his blunder, by exploiting a plague as an excuse to push measures far more invasive than a mere census. Instead of learning from the mistake to avoid the consequences, they have manipulated the pandemic (the biblical consequence) in order to make the mistake even greater! Believers can reasonably differ on the severity of the current pandemic and the appropriate response to it, but all of us should have noticed by now that many "solutions" proposed by the powers-that-be are pure evil and are leading towards the complete control over humanity foretold for the time of tribulation (Revelations 13:15-18). Whether we will be around to face that test or not is a passionately debated question, but the fact that humanity is being taken in the wrong direction should be clear.  

This is the beginning of Satan’s final campaign to ensnare all people. He seeks to control human beings by monopolizing all information about them, thus attempting to compete with God’s omniscience. His strategy focuses on forcing everybody into a position where he can identify those who refuse to deny the God who created them. A foretaste of the Mark of the Beast is already present in China’s surveillance state and social credit score, a model that many other countries may soon follow. 

By the way, the mark on the hand and the forehead are planned diabolically as a direct counterfeit of the command: “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 11:18). It is no accident that these are the same places on the human body being discussed today.  

During the height of the first COVID-19 lockdown, I noticed powerful lines in the song “Is He Worthy?” which has been the anthem of countless believers: “Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave. He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. From every people and tribe, every nation and tongue, He has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the Son.” 

Suddenly I saw the passage that inspired these words (Revelations 5:1-10) in a new light. Many believe that this scroll is the deed to the earth handed over to Jesus, but the same Greek word most often describes the Book of Life later on in the same book (17:8; 20:12; 21:7). This concept of a list of those with eternal life is also found in other passages (Exodus 32:32, Malachi 3:16, Daniel 12:1, Psalm 69:29). Could it be that the enemy is making a last desperate effort to harm those whose names are written in the scroll, and perhaps is even trying to peek inside himself by forcing everybody into a position of having to choose? I believe that this is exactly what is happening. 

We can do nothing to stop events foretold for the end of time, nor is it our role to try. People who are under Satan’s dominion may be shaping current world events, but ultimately they and their master will fail utterly in the attempt to control all of humanity including those that belong to Jesus. In the end, we know that Jesus alone will open the Book of Life with all of our names, for He alone is worthy. And, thanks be to God, no plague or pandemic will accompany that final census count since we are covered by the ransom of the blood of the Lamb. 

Photo taken from Flickr. 

This Is War - September 2020

 

At the end of this week, the ram’s horn will sound all across Israel marking the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-2). One of the main reasons to blow a trumpet, according to another passage, is an outbreak of war: “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9; also 1 Corinthians 14:8). 

This is war. By now, it is clear we are at war and that 2020 will be remembered as the year in which a fierce spiritual attack was unleashed upon us. A declaration of war by the enemy leaves us with no choice but to sound the alarm before our king and to enter the battlefield. As you prepare, pay attention to this spiritual briefing. 

VICTORY. Your ultimate victory in Jesus Christ is already secured, since the outcome was determined on the Cross. The devil may succeed in advancing on some fronts temporarily, but he will be routed in the end. If you are not deeply convinced of that truth, then you will be of no use in the war and it is best for you to retreat instead of enlisting (Deuteronomy 20:8; Judges 7:3). You must remember that God has chosen you to fight at this time in history on the front that he assigns: “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience…” (1 Timothy 1:18). Your role in the victory has already been prophesied, for such a time as this!

OBJECTIVES. Here it is actually worthwhile to consider the objective of the enemy first in order to understand our own. He hates the sound of the trumpet. He hates the sound of your voice lifted to God in a faith-filled declaration of triumph while the battle still rages. He hates the choir of the redeemed singing praises to the Lamb: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelations 12:11). The devil knows that our heartfelt praise in our darkest hours foretells his defeat ahead of time. Need I say more? You know what to do!

ENEMIES. Know your enemy: the devil and his angelic hosts. There are countless hostile human beings who are under their influence, and their deeds and ideologies must be confronted boldly – but they themselves are not our primary enemy: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12; also 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). It can feel that humans are your enemies, but there is still hope that at least some of them will abandon the enemy of their own soul once they realize the trap.

SURPRISE. The element of surprise is a crucial weapon. The story is told of a World War I attack that went so deep into enemy territory that the defenders began surrendering even though they far outnumbered those who launched the offensive. This tactic is particularly useful when it comes to loving our enemies and blessing those that curse us. It sends shock waves through the spiritual world every time, and there are few things that the devil hates more than having his own soldiers start believing in the love of King Jesus. Use that weapon of surprise boldly.

VENGEANCE. God does not forget your suffering at the hands of the devil and his servants, and he will avenge (Romans 12:19). In human wars, the attacks by one side often justify an assault that was already pre-planned by the other side. Leave the decision on how and when to him, but know that he often uses spiritual attacks on you in order to launch his own retaliatory campaign to gain even more ground back. Take comfort as he takes up your cause. 

ROLE. Each soldier receives his commands from the top. It is your job to do exactly as you are told on the battlefront that you are assigned. In World War II, most heroes had no idea that someday the stories of their valor would be told. We see the bigger picture today, but at the time they could not see further than one step ahead in the fog of war. They felt incredible loneliness. They had no idea how much their service made a critical contribution to the cause. Such is war, so be ready to fight on in a lonely corner – and may it later be said that you were among those who "escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens" (Hebrews 11:34)

EXPECTATIONS. Now that you have enlisted, your days as a civilian are over: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). All sinful pleasures must be tossed aside, since they simply open up the door to the enemy (1 Peter 2:11). Even harmless peacetime pleasures may now become scarce. Lower your expectations regarding what to expect. Life will be hard, so drink deeply of the simple pleasures that you still receive: a cup of water, a glorious sunset, a bird singing, the friend who calls you to check in. Those little joys will refresh you, even if almost everything else is taken. 

IDENTITY. You are not just cannon fodder, but rather a warrior who is also a beloved son or daughter of the King. In human wars, there are countless casualties that seem absolutely senseless and without reason. Such is not the case in this spiritual war. Even if you lose your life, you will not be consigned to a mass grave to be forgotten forever, but rather will be ushered directly into the presence of the King. Even on your most difficult days, you are also given spiritual rest in Christ. “Whoever goes to war at his own expense?” (1 Corinthians 9:7). You certainly do not, since he will supply all your needs as your faithful commander. 

This is war. Arm yourself in his strength, and get out into the battlefield.

Illustration taken from Zedge

The Privilege of Being Underprivileged

There are times when we cringe at the tactless words of others. For the honest believer, this may happen even with the words of Jesus himself on occasion – especially in the story of his encounter with the Canaanite woman who came asking for help during his visit in the region known as Lebanon today (Matthew 15:21-28). At first, he ignores her determined cries for help: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” When he finally responds, we are stunned to hear him say, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Undeterred, she persists, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Nobody with even the slightest inclination towards justice – let alone social justice – can help but recoil at this exchange, especially in an era when privilege is a topic of discussion. Not only does Jesus remind the Canaanite woman of her status outside of the chosen people, but he also uses a seemingly degrading analogy to dogs in order to rub it in. We are offended on her behalf, and cannot understand why she accepts the implicit comparison (although some try to lessen the blow by noting that Jesus uses a diminutive, perhaps endearing form of the word). Explaining away the insult is still difficult even after hearing his parting words: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” 

Why does this story offend us so powerfully? What hidden truth could we be missing here? The analogy that Jesus uses contains several characters: the little dogs, the children and the masters (though the latter two may be the same). The humans are parallel to the Nation of Israel, while the dogs are comparable to the Canaanites. We may not have noticed the most important character in the analogy, however: the crumbs of bread. This Canaanite woman seems to have realized the value of those crumbs, and may even have made the connection between them and the Bread of Life who was standing before her. 

This picture is rooted deep in Middle Eastern culture. To this day, people treat bread with utmost respect. Stale loaves or morsels that have fallen on the floor are not thrown away but rather are gathered up and placed on a ledge where animals can benefit from them. 

Against this backdrop, the analogy becomes clearer. Those sitting in luxury around the table had the privilege of filling themselves with the finest pastries, but they treated the Bread of Life with contempt by carelessly dropping crumbs on the floor. The Canaanite woman realized that one crumb of the Bread of Life was worth more than a life full of earthly honor and privilege, and she was not going to let the comparison to a dog stop her. I submit to you that she is the one to be envied in this story, not the privileged diners at the table. 

Jesus never promised that this world would be fair. Indeed, he said that the poor would always be present (Matthew 26:11) and that the natural order of the fallen world is a hierarchy based on the abuse of privilege (Matthew 20:25-26). He in no way justifies such treatment of others, and says that it should not be this way between his followers. Even so, he does not promise an end to privilege in this life. 

If we as believers find ourselves in a place of being underprivileged, let us remember our true value in the eyes of God rather than seeking validation from other humans, and may we learn to value the crumbs of the Bread of Life that fall down around us more than life itself. If we are in a position of privilege, let us remember the words of Job who realized that he would have no ability to stand before the Creator God if he was not willing to respect those of a lower status than him and even hear their complaints against him (Job 31:13-15). Taking advantage of the underprivileged is a serious sin that must be confronted within each heart; still, it is better to be on the receiving end than the giving end. 

Jesus without privilege and equality is a greater treasure than privilege and equality without Jesus. As we see in the painfully raw yet beautiful story of the faith of the Canaanite woman, if being underprivileged brings us to a place of valuing even crumbs of the Bread of Life then it is actually a privilege in disguise.