Two Monks

“Once upon a time there were two monks who were traveling through the countryside during the rainy season. Rounding a bend in the path, they found a muddy stream blocking their way. Beside it stood a lovely woman dressed in white robes. ‘Here,’ said one of the monks to the woman. ‘Let me carry you across the water.’ And he picked her up and carried her across. Setting her down on the further bank, he went along in silence with his fellow monk to the abbey on the hill. Later that evening the other monk said suddenly, ‘I think you made an error, picking up that woman back on our journey today. You know we are not supposed to have anything to do with women, and you held one close to you! You should not have done that.’ ‘How strange,’ remarked the other, ‘I carried her only across the water. You are carrying her still.”

Recommended Reading:

True Faced by McNikol, Let Go by Fenelon, The Hidden Hand by Southworth

Building Daughters

In the book of Nehemiah the words “build,” “rebuild,” and “repaired” occur over fifty times in chapters two, three, and four. “Rebuilding” is a theme that is obviously important to God. It can be traced back as early as the first commandment in the Bible, Genesis 1:28. “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” What I find intriguing about this rebuilding process in Nehemiah is how many of the builders worked together as a family. The one that caught my attention the most however was found in chapter 3:12. “Next to him Shallum the son of Halloshesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.” The fact that his daughters were helping with the rebuilding suggests at the very least, that these girls had developed some skills in building. Perhaps that it could be said that not all girls are meant to grow up playing with dolls? Following our children’s natural bent, “Train up a child in the way they should go…” would seem to be the better part of wisdom. The same is true with boys; not all boys are meant to hunt or play football. It is essential that we observe and learn our children’s natural design. The word “train” in the passage I quoted earlier comes from a Hebrew word which literal means narrow, or strangle, jaws, or palate, or to put on one’s mouth. You can get the sense that this word carries the idea of restricting or guiding in a certain direction. Chuck Swindoll describes this word through an illustration of the Hebrew midwives. When a Hebrew child was born, the midwives would take crushed dates or grapes and message the juices on the palate of the child, thus creating a sucking reflex. It is this same idea in training and preparing our children for life…creating a desire, a longing to do what they have been designed to do.

Zuma, The Countess, and the Secret Tree

I found a new book today that Lamplighter will be republishing for January!  It is always exciting and exhilarating when God helps me to find another book that is “better than the last one.”  I cannot fathom how he continues to help me find these incredible life changing books, but He just does.  The one I just completed will be titled either Zuma and the Secret Tree or The Countess and the Secret Tree or The Miracle Tree or The Secret Tree….I would love to know which one you like best (mark@lamplighterpublishing.com  prior to Dec 31, 2006); the story takes place during the time when Spain had enslaved many Indians.  Their poor treatment which resulted in many deaths only deepened hostilities which led to the death of several high officials for Spain.  The cause of death appeared to be poisoning but the Spaniards were unable to detect its source.  Until the day that they caught her!  And the penalty is death by fire…was Zuma poisoning the Spaniards—their trusted slave?  Or was the white powder found in her possession that evening to be used for a noble deed? And if she is innocent, why is she unwilling to reveal the nature of the white powder?  And what was she doing in the Countess’s room with the powder just before she was caught?  When you learn about this unbelievable heroic act of this Indian woman, you will be astonished!  This is one story I can’t wait to publish…

 

 

A Difficult Divorce

One of the most difficult choices a man may have ever faced is found in the book of Ezra chapters 9 &10. It is here where Ezra learns that many of the leaders of Israel who have just returned from exhile, had previously married foreign women. Knowing that this may incur the wrath of God even further, Ezra begins to pray, fast, and humble himself. His view of God’s treatment toward Israel in light of their nation being destroyed, is noteworthy: “And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?...Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

Can you imagine being the leader of this people and having to face this most difficult decision? Why is it difficult? Because these men not only have wives, they also have children; and the only way that they can have God’s blessing again is to sever their relationships. We don’t know if they supported their wives and children after this seperation but I do know that this decision must have been heart wrenching. I just can’t fathom it. Ezra couldn’t either. I do see in this, an heroic act made by those who are willing to embrace such an unthinkable decision. It is heroic because in order for their families to receive God's blessing, they know that have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

In chapter 10 we find Ezra quite beside himself not knowing what to do, except to pray and ask for fogiveness: “While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping, and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.” The text doesn’t specifically say this, but I have to consider the possibility that these men, women, and children are the very one’s who are about to make the most difficult decision of their lives—in order to receive God’s blessing. I am sure that this did not ease the pain for Ezra but something significant happens next. A young man comes to Ezra and says, “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and those who tremble at the commandment of our God…” Still I cannot fathom having to make this decision or being the leader who has to enforce it. But then I read the next verse and it spoke volumes to me. But before I quote it, I must say that leadership can be a lonely place, where pain is part of the package. Only when leaders embrace the pain will they be able to lead others through difficult waters. Then said Sheccaniah to Ezra, “Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” It is the task of men who desire to lead their families to make difficult decisions in order to receive God’s greatest blessings—this is our task. We live in a day when men need to humble themselves and pray and fast and seek the God of heaven for our families. We do not live in an easy day; there is pain and difficulty in relationships at many crossroads. What will we do when faced with a difficult decision?

Note: A Difficult Divorce is not to suggest that divorce is favored by God. Clearly the Scriptures teach that God hates divorce. The NT also speaks to the Christian who is married to a non Christian and teaches them to remain married, but if they (the unbeliever) departs, let them depart, a brother or sister is not held in bondage in such cases. This story in the book of Ezra is really teaching men that sometimes difficult decision are required of us if we are to receive God’s blessing. Today we live in a culture when men are more than willing to divorce their wives and leave their children. The families in Ezra’s day were grieved beyond words. I would contend that men today need to embrace whatever pain they have to endure in order to keep their families together. We are fighting for the blessing of our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and generations to come. Embracing the pain is about men being strong for our children and our chidlren’s children…there is a lot at stake, and this is our task.

Reommending Reading:

Ishmael, The Mansion, True Faced, The Highland Chairman, The Lost Clue

testimony

Consider the often cited quote from Ray Kroc, the McDonald founder and multi-millionaire: “My private priorities are God first, family second, and hamburgers third.  When I go to work on Monday. that order is reversed.”