COME AS A CHLD - LESSON 37 - LOOKING BACK AFTER THE BATTLE IS OVER

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We have spoken previously about the fact that Abram went to war against a confederation of kings.

He won the war (against all odds) and brought his nephew, Lot, as well as all of the other captives back home to their land in The Jordanian Valley along with their possessions that had been taken as spoil.  

The king that had been defeated and  lost his city, the King of Sodom, came out to greet Abram after the battle.  Possibly he came out to thank him; even though he was publicly thanking Abram, it is also very possible he was just there to have the people and goods of his lands returned to him.  He was a selfish rotten king and somehow he had managed to escape the slime pits where he had been driven and Abram had successfully brought the people of his city out of captivity and recovered all of his goods while he was fighting his way through the quicksand and slime of the asphalt pits.  Some of his men who had escaped had informed him and he goes out to The Valley of The Kings to meet Abram who has rescued the people.  

All of this rescue had happened simply because Lot, Abram’s nephew, was

among the people of Sodom taken into captivity.  There was really nothing about Sodom or it’s people that Abram thought worth saving.  He had simply come after his family, and as he did the other people involved benefited from his actions.  This is so often the case.  A whole community will be blessed and receive goodness if even only one godly person lives among them.

 

We can look at this whole scenario and see typology of The Last Days and End times and The Battle of Armageddon and the end of the kingdoms of this world and the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ. 

Abram was living peacefully and happily in a world where he had established a godly kingdom.  Most all of those he loved were safe and well cared for, except for Lot who had struck out on his own because He had to do things his own way.  In this story, Abram is much like Christ before the incarnation.  Christ was living a blessed life in heaven before he looked down and saw the state of mankind and had pity on them
 and quickly came to their rescue.

 The three allies of Abram who helped him in battle, Eschol, Aner and Mamre are comparable to archangels who  come and go on the earth and inform God in heaven of the things of the earth.  Perhaps  Mamre had become  Abram’s closest friend in a foreign land.  It was one of these three men who came to Abram with the news of Lot’s captivity.  This person was a messenger, and would be comparable to Gabriel in many ways.  The way they were mighty in battle could be comparable to Michael.  Their complete loyalty to Abram is like the loyalty of the angels of Heaven toward God. 

 

The King of Sodom is so typical of Satan.  How many lives had he wrecked with his evil ways in the City of Sodom?  How many souls had sold out to his immorality and lack of compassion and respect for God, holiness and the sacredness of life?  He was a nothing of a man who had narrowly escaped death in a slime pit while his people had been carried off captive and lost everything because of his selfish ways of feeding his own hedonistic desires instead of tending to the job of being king to a large city.

 

Lot in this story is comparable to the weak and fallen church.  Christ loved them unconditionally, just as Abram loved Lot.  He came to save them, to bring them out of captivity and to give them back what the evil one had taken from them.  Abram did this for Lot.

 

The city of Sodom and the area where Lot was living is comparable to an end-times earth that has lost all sense of godliness.  There is nothing worth saving about it, but Christ comes for the people, just as Abram came for Lot.  He is returning for us one day!  Look up!

When you think of all the people benefiting from their association with Lot you have to consider the story of Israel.  All the world has been saved because God has loved His people, Israel.  Because He has always rescued them, we too, the whole people of the earth that have evolved from the seed of Abraham have been blessed and saved.  The Son of God who walked the earth and saved us by giving His precious life and blood, came to live with us from them.  A whole world full of sinners benefited from the righteousness of one man.
  

Genesis 14 told the story many years ago, way before anything had taken place in history.

 

We all just never looked deep enough to see it.

 

There is SO MUCH to be gleaned from these scriptures!

      

Again we see the hospitality of Abram at work in the way he conducted his business.  He did not have to rescue everyone; he could have only taken Lot and his family, but Abram was gracious and kind to all.  He rescued the whole community of captives and brought them to safety, even though he did not agree with their lives and their lifestyles.  These men would never have come for Abram.  He did not take that into consideration.  Abram lived out the meaning of grace in his rescue of Lot.

 

We are told by some that the neighborhood of Sodom was just the opposite of gracious and kind and hospitable.  They did not like outsiders.  They were a closed city and did not want to be bothered by people traveling and passing through.  They had developed a world unto themselves and did not want interference from the outside.  Lot was an exception because he had come into the city gradually, first living outside the area but close, then moving closer, then living next to the gates then finally residing inside the city itself.  By the time Lot moved inside the city he was not considered a stranger or a traveler passing through.  Those living in the city had become accustomed to having him around and considered him to be one of them, even though Lot perceived himself as being different from them.  His association with them made him appear to be one of them to someone passing through.  Lot had probably paid heavy taxes to the King of Sodom in order to live in the area.  The closer you get to evil the worse things become over time.

Abram in his love for all mankind rescued them all, including Lot.  The King of Sodom came out to speak to him after the war.  He told Abram to keep the spoils and simply return his people.  Perhaps that was his way of buying his kingdom back from Abram.  Abram was not one who considered people for sale or trade.  Like Our Heavenly Father he believed in free will.  He had made a vow to God not to take one penny from this evil king.  God had been generous and allowed Abram to rescue Lot.  Abram honored his promise by not taking the King of Sodom’s money or treasures or the spoils of the war, but returning all of them, except for what his allies had taken.

Christ came into this world, rescued us by giving his life for us and left this world taking nothing.  He would not let us be bought by the enemy of our souls.  If your soul belongs to the devil, it is because YOU chose to let it, not because Christ has not tried to save you.  God gives us all free will.  Abram let the other captives chose either to stay in another place or go back with The King of Sodom.  Unfortunately, most all of them traded their souls for the lush lifestyle in the land of Sodom.  It is said that once you taste certain evils it is hard to walk away from them.  God is always there trying to help us with this, just as Abram was there for Lot, but we must make the choice. 

We have mentioned them before, but while we are looking at so many details, think a little further about the three allies.  Who were these allies of Abram that had ridden into battle so boldly with Abram and his 318 adopted sons?  Their names were Mamre, Eschol and Aner.    Mamre was from the land where Abram had pitched his tents near the old, old tree.  He was an Ammorite who had become friends with Abram.  He knew about  Abram’s belief in The One True God and respected and admired this.  Eschol and Aner were his brothers.  Eschol lived near Hebron and he most likely grew grapes.  His name in Hebrew means “cluster.”  Later the area where he lived was named for him. Aner’s name in Hebrew means “a young man.”  All three of these allies lived in the land where Abram had settled, the land that God has promised would be his as far as his eye could see in all directions.   These three were not opposed to Abram being in the land and felt blessed by his presence.  Again, I think of the angels.  I also think of those words of Christ in Luke 9:50 where Christ tells the disciples "whoever is not against us is for us."  He states that who ever helps one of His will not lose their reward.  I am happy for Abram's helpers whom I know God will reward for their kindness towards His people.  There are many such people walking the earth today.  God will not forget them when he makes up His jewels.   

 

The 318 adopted sons are surely the saints that have gone before us when we consider the prophetic meanings of this story.  They will be resurrected and we who belong to Christ will join in with them as Christ fights for us in end times.  They are the one’s who are faithful and true, loyal to the things that Abram has taught them from his own house.  Though adopted, they are loved and sit at his table with honor and respect and reward and can also be compared to the Gentiles who know Christ today.

    

We come to the most awesome part of the story:  Then another King appeared.  This King had not fought in the battle, for He was known as The King of Peace. 

His name was Melchizedek.  He was the King of Salem, better known as Jerusalem.  He came bearing bread and wine for he was also a priest of God Most High.  Wonder of all wonders - He blessed Abram!

This was the blessing he proclaimed:

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth.   And blessed be God Most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” 

It is in Melchizedek that we see the pre-incarnate Christ.  There in the Valley of The Kings, Abram had paid tribute to no king, but to Melchizedek whom he gladly gave one tenth of his goods.  Many people think in error that Abram paid him a tenth of the spoils.  Scholars studying these passages tend to disagree.  We heard earlier that Abram did NOT take of the spoils of the battle but returned them to the King of Sodom.  How do you give a tenth from something that you did not have to start with?

 

No, many believe that Abram had been taught by this priest from God Most High, Melchizedek, how to tithe correctly.  You do not give the spoil, you give of your best.  We have heard this over and over now, all the way back to Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.  Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe from the best of his best, of what he had already possessed even before the battle and that of which he had received because he had been blessed from God.  He kept nothing from the battle and gained nothing from the battle.

Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine from Heaven and sat at the table with Abram.  He confirmed and repeated the promise of God to Abram and Abram realized that in this battle God was saying to him, "I always keep My promises."  This is what will happen with Christ and the people who belong to Him when life's battles are over and the victory has been won and we sit with Him as the honored guests at his table in The Marriage Supper of The Lamb.   

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is the beautiful ending to the story.  

No; for every ending is just a new beginning in disguise.  From the blessed end of the Battle of The Nine Kings comes a Kingdom that will never end.  It is a Kingdom where the Most High King who was once a prophet and priest will reign forever.  A million new stories will be written about this kingdom and they will never, ever end.

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 36 - SOME HIDDEN MODERN DAY PROPHECIES IN THE STORY OF ABRAM AND LOT

I love the Old Testament!

One thing a lot of people overlook while studying the book of Genesis is how much prophecy is in this  very first book of the bible.  

When we come to the story of Abram rescuing Lot from those who battled against the Jordanian Kings in The War of Nine Kings we can’t help but pause and look at the prophetic significance of the story.  There is much more than I will say today - but I have chosen to chew on these passages for a bit and ponder them over several more lessons.  I keep feeling like there is a message of prophecy for today hiding here.  There is definitely more prophecy than I will discuss immediately.  There will be a few more lessons after this one to expand on these thoughts.  

So excuse me for getting sidetracked from the chronological order of our study, but let’s look first at the Hebrew meanings for the names of the kings that were involved in this war.

Here is a brief list that summarizes the facts about each king on both sides of the battle that will help us to grasp a few more interesting facts about them.  

FOUR KINGS THAT FOUGHT FIVE KINGS:

       Amraphel – King of Shinar:  His Hebrew name means:  “sayer of darkness.”  Shinar was the area called Babylon and it exists today as modern Iraq and Syria.  This king represents Satan and The Spirit of Antichrist in prophecy.

            Arioch – King of Ellasar.  His Hebrew name means “lion-like.”  Ellasar was a city located in Babylon.  The word Ellasar in Hebrew means:  “God is chastener.”  (We read of another interesting Arioch later in the book of Daniel who was the Captain and executioner of King Nebuchadnezzar’s army.  He persecuted the wise men of Babylon.   These two are not the same person. King Arioch was born first, the other Captain Arioch came much later.)  King Arioch represents Antichrist in prophecy.

      Chedorlaomer-King of Elam.  We have mentioned in a previous lesson that his Hebrew names means “handful of sheaves.”  This was a very pagan king serving a female goddess named Lagamar who was the head goddess of the Elamite pantheon.    Elam was what is now know as modern day Iran.

      Tidal – King of Nations.  This king was an ally to Chedorlaomer.  The “nations” he ruled over were the Arab nations.  His Hebrew name means “great son.”

FIVE KINGS OF THE JORDAN PLAIN THAT FOUGHT THE FOUR KINGS (ALSO KNOWN AS THE MONARCHS OF PENTAPOLIS):

      Bera-King of Sodom.  His Hebrew name means “son of evil.”  He ruled over the city of Sodom in the Jordanian Plain.  The name Jordan in Hebrew means “burning.”  The King of Sodom also represents The Antichrist in prophecy.

      Birsha – King of Gomorrah.  His Hebrew name means “with iniquity.”  Gomorrah was another city located in the Jordanian plain.  The Hebrew translation for Gomorrah is “submersion.”  In prophecy Birsha represents The Man of Sin.

      Shinab – King of Admah.  His Hebrew name translates as “splendor of the father.”    The city of Admah wa s located in the Siddim Valley south of The Dead Sea. The word Amdah in Hebrew translates to mean “red earth.”  The prophetic  Shinab represents, The Son, The Messiah, The King of The Earth.

         Shemeber-King of Zeboiim.  His Hebrew name means “lofty flight.”  He was an ally to The King of Sodom.  Zeboiim was another city in The Jordanian plain south of The Dead Sea. Zeboiim translates in Hebrew to mean “gazelles.”  In prophecy King Shemeber represents one who is “strong and fast” like a gazelle.

           Bela – King of Zoar.  In Hebrew his name means “destruction.”  He was the king of the city of Zoar.  Zoar in Hebrew means “insignificant”  or “smallness.”  or "the little one."   Zoar was the area that is now modern day Saudi Arabia.   It is said that two generations before Abraham lived a man named Armonius who had two sons named Sodom and Gomorrah.  This man formed three cities and named two of them after his sons.  The third city he named Zoar - after the mother of his two sons.  Later in our study we will find that Zoar is the place where Lot and his daughters fled and hid in a cave while Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed.  This city was like a tropical oasis full of palm trees that flourished from the waters that flowed from the mountains of Moab.  It was known to be popular on the trade route for balsam, indigo and very sweet dates.

Taking all the Hebraic names of these last five kings that fought in this war and won the victory, we can come up with a prophetic meaning for a similar war that will most likely happen in the last days:

Here is the paraphrase:

The son of evil with iniquity will come, but the splendor of the Father who is the King of the earth and strong and fast like a gazelle will destroy him who is insignificant and small.

SEASONS - ELUL - LIVING FACE TO FACE AND MEETING THE KING IN THE FIELD

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

On this last month of the Hebraic calendar called Elul, many of us try to focus on the past year of our lives.  It is a time to bring before our Beloved our misdeeds, mistakes, and wrong actions so that He can show us how we can make changes for the new year coming up.  If you follow the first calendar that God gave in the scriptures, the Hebraic calender, you will note that the new year actually starts in the fall.

Perhaps it is easier to imagine what Elul is all about if you look at this season the same way you would if you were preparing for a wedding.   How do these shoes work? (How am I walking?)  What veil should I wear?  (How am I seeing?)    Is my dress ready? (How have I prepared?)  Have I spoken to the groom about everything?  (How is my contribution to this relationship going?)

If you were engaged to be married, you would need to discuss all the skeletons in your closet in the time before the wedding.  You would not want your loved one to discover your deepest hidden secrets from someone else, or to be surprised and hurt by them later after your marriage.  You need to confess everything that your future spouse might not yet have heard about you, so you will know for certain that all past mistakes are forgiven and forgotten, and you are safe with the one that you have chosen to live your life with.  

You would, of course, promise them never to revisit these things.  With the love between the two of you, it is possible to begin a fresh new page of life.  This is how I have learned to speak to my Beloved, Jesus, during the season of Elul.  He knows I am not perfect.  He loves me anyway.  He doesn't care that I have sinned and made mistakes, but He does care if I do not confess these things to Him.

In the great love story portrayed in The Song of Songs, Solomon speaks of the conversation that is held between two lovers.  They are not afraid of one another.  They are comfortable enough in their love that they can speak of their faults and mistakes.  They are humble enough and so much a part of each other that one can come to the other and ask forgiveness for things done wrong because this one knows that anything they have done will have an instant effect on the other.  No sin is a sin all alone.  Every sin we commit hurts our Beloved.  

This is a time for the healing of this pain.  Healing begins with honesty and confession.  Healing always comes before joy.  It is definitely a time to say “I want to change for you and never put you through such pain again.”   The honesty, love, truthfulness of this confession only makes the bond of love stronger.  The stronger the bond between lovers, the less likely it will ever be broken.  

It is a time of the weaker seeking strength from the stronger.  We are looking up to Jesus, accepting the mercy of God and calling on Our Lord to help us be stronger.  There will be encouragement that comes from the stronger lover that will change the spirit of the weaker lover from sadness to joy; from being ashamed to being confident and sure of their love.  As our hearts unite with God in prayer during this season, together we will be capable of things we could never achieve apart from one another.    

Elul is definitely a relational time period.  It is a time to be spent totally in tune to the desires of The One we love the most, looking to see what He will show us, listening to hear what He will tell us.   If we are out of step with His leading of the dance of our days, He will help us pick back up on the beat of the dance through the rhythms of life.   It is the perfect time for bearing our souls to the only One who truly understands our souls.  He truly loves us as we are, and accepts us with all our flaws; even enough that He died for us and all our imperfections;  but He has a loving desire to help us change into the people that He created us to be.  

So, our goal at the end of the month of Elul is to begin to walk face to face.  When we seek His face and ask His forgiveness, He loves us, flaws and all.  He reaches out to us to pull us up and help us to change.  When we spend this time we can truly come to know the meaning of the phrase "I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”   

To utter the words “I am my Beloved’s”  is to cry out to God, to communicate our love and loyalty to Him.    This is to be the activity of our hearts.  It is how our souls are speaking.  The second part; “And my Beloved is mine,’ hints to God’s activity toward us during this time.  This negates our act of listening.  Good communications involve both speaking and listening.

We speak joyfully to our Beloved during this month, not simply because we are about to begin a new sacred year, but because God is shining forth his attributes of mercy toward us.  We know that we need to use this time to atone and work on our selves, and God empowers us to do so when we approach Him humbly seeking forgiveness.

This is the time for us to express our desire for complete atonement to God.  At the end of the time, when we reach Yom Kippur, that is the time He will express His complete desire to atone us, so much so that He died to redeem us.  Rosh Hashanah is all about redemption.  Yom Kippur is all about atonement.  

There is a beautiful Jewish parable that speaks of this very act. 

THE PARABLE OF THE KING IN THE FIELD

A King returns to his city following a long absence. The city's inhabitants stream out to the countryside to greet him. When the king enters the field a new phenomenon occurs. The field equalizes everyone who is found there. Now, for the first time, virtually everyone is empowered and permitted to greet the king. All partitions which usually separate him from the populace are nullified. The king, in turn, graciously receives each and every one. This phenomenon does not take place outside the field. For, within the capital, and surely within the palace, only select dignitaries can access the king.

Is this parable not a beautiful portrait of how Jesus loves us? 

He went up to Heaven to send His Holy Spirit so that we could communicate better with Him and The Father.  So many times when we pray, we are looking up to heaven, seeing him on a royal throne, knowing His kingly power is at work constantly redeeming us, but often it seems we are at a distance, further away than we want to be from Him. We tend to see Him like a King of a city who went away.  We know He is still in control. 

We know He still exists and is coming back, but then one day He does come back!  He walks through the fields of the city.  These are the fields where the common workers toil and labor every day.  This is where they have broken the ground, planted the seeds provided by Him, watered them, weeded them, watched the crop grow to be ripe and ready for harvesting.  The citizens are so proud of the harvest that is just ripe for the picking!  They can’t wait to tell the Master about how beautiful and bountiful it is; then they look up and see Him actually walking through the fields!  They are overcome with joy!  It is Him, The One they have been laboring for all along!  He has returned!  They run to greet him.

As the everyday ordinary people run to great their King who has come down to walk in the field, they all seem somehow the same.  Their differences are not showing.  No one is more important.  No one voice is heard above the other.  All are equal in the field.  It is not formal here, like it might be in the royal palace.  No one is announced, or proclaimed.  They all just come toward Him, one at a time, each one special and unique, yet everyone sharing the same honor of greeting the King and having the King recognize them and speak to them of their own particular tasks.

 Here all feel free and comfortable to discuss the physical aspects of the harvest with the King.  Who would know more about harvesting than a King who is also A Creator?  Who could possibly know more about preparing for a good harvest?  They drink in His advice.  They sit at His feet to listen to His instructions.  They freely admit their mistakes and short-comings to Him because they can look into His eyes and see how much He loves them.  It is not hard.  They are not afraid.  They all feel safe. 

The King looks happier here, in the field amongst the people of His city, maybe even happier than He ever looks on His Royal Throne.  He is glad to be here.  Is it not what He has purposed to do all along?  He is smiling and gracious and generous.  He uses the ordinary existence in the field to explain to all the important principles of His Kingdom and here in the field the lowest realms of existence are transformed into a dwelling place for a King.  Everyone is excited to know that The King is in the field!

It is the strangest thing to think about, but even when the King is walking through the field the primary mundane matters of life must still be carried out!   It is a time for pausing, but not stopping.  It is a time of reflecting while still working.  In our daily lives we concern ourselves with many activities that are not in and of themselves holy, but these things are performed “for the sake of the King.”  Now when we see the King walking through the field, He may stop and talk to us of our activities.   We find out that “little things” are very important to Him.  He has noted everything, every action, every task that we have done during the times of the seasons before the harvest.  They HAVE mattered to Him.  He has not overlooked us, or forgotten us when we could not see Him or reach out and touch Him.  He has noticed every little thing.  Suddenly we recognize that in seeking His will in all things, we have made a part of our world His dwelling place, a place where He may come down and walk with us, even in our imperfections, even into the day-to-day activities of “the field.”

Hence, to continue looking after the field of The King in the best possible manner, during Elul we chose to put special emphasis on study of the Holy Scriptures and prayer, because even while The King is walking through His field, we recognize that it IS His field and we honor Him by continuing on with our work for Him. 

SEASONS - THE MONTH OF ELUL - A TIME OF TURNING

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Every fall season brings us to the beautiful time of Elul.  This year the last month of the Hebraic calendar starts at sunset of August 26^th, 2014 and lasts until sunset on September 24^th, 2014.  It is one of my favorite seasons.   I usually find myself singing that old song called “Turn, Turn, Turn” made famous by a group called The Byrds back in the 70’s.  The song uses the words of Solomon in the lyrics.  They ring so true during the month of Elul. 

It is a time for turning around and embracing the love of a God who was willing to die for us.  It is a time for paying attention to a God who loved us enough to give His only begotten Son to ransom us from our sins.  It is a time of changing from a relationship of “back-to-back” and turning to a better higher place of “face-to-face” with our Creator.

I think it is this very aspect of the season of Elul that keeps the lyrics of the song and the words of Solomon on my mind and in my spirit in the early parts of each fall.  Elul is the time that teaches us the necessity of being willing to turn.

In the mystial thoughts of Jewish literature it is explained that at the beginning of the Hebraic season of Elul we are “anchor el achor” which means in English; “back-to-back.”  By the end of this season of Elul we are said to be “panim el panim” which means “face-to-face.” 

The concept could be more beautifully explained in a dance, perhaps a lovely ballet production, but since those resources are not readily available, I will try to use mere words.

Let’s paint the picture, like an artist using words:  First of all one must ask the obvious question.  How can it be that we (us and God) are back to back?  Wouldn’t this statement imply that God has His back turned to us?  Wouldn’t it also imply that we have our back turned to God?  How can we say such a thing when this is the month it is said that “The King Is In The Field” , or the God of Heaven has come down to the lowest parts of earth offering mercy and forgiveness to all who are seeking him?  Many teachings and teachers have taught us that this is the very month when God is more accessible than ever, when He is waiting for us to come out to the harvest and greet him in the “field.”  We have learned that this is a time when He is there for us waiting in the “fields” of our everyday lives.  So how could we possibly be “back-to-back?”

The concept is much easier to grasp if you think of it like this; just recall all of the old classic love stoires that you have watched in the movies.  A loving couple has to part for one reason or another.  We see them beginning to walk away from each other with their faces both turned in opposite directions.  Almost always, at some point the man turns around and looks back at the woman.  You can see in his face that he is wanting to call out her name, that he longs to ask for another chance, or beg for forgiveness, or make a way for them to still be together.  In these scenes he is always just about to speak, just about to call out her name, but then he realizes that her back is turned and she is walking away from him.  He tells himself that it is too late, that she just doesn’t care.  He thinks that there is nothing that he can do.  So he turns back around. 

Seconds later the woman turns to look back at the man.  She knows that she doesn’t want this relationship to end.  She stalls for time, walking away slowly  More than anyting she wants to say something to mend the situation, but doesn’t have the right words.  She just can’t muster up the courage or doesn’t have the strength to speak up.  She is in great dispair.  After all, why should she try to speak when his back is turned away from her?  She assumes he just doesn’t care as she sees him continue to walk away from her.

And we, the viewers watch this touching scene, sitting on the edge of our seats, hoping against hope that they will both suddenly turn around in the same second and finally realize that the other does care enough to turn and step back into the other’s arms.  We keep watching, hoping to see if maybe one of them will suddenly realize that though they both appear to be back to back, they really and truly want to be face to face. 

Sometimes we get the happy ending.  

Sometimes they both continue to walk right out of each other’s lives.  

And I am reminded every year that Elul is the time that God uses to remind us to turn.  We must be willing to turn around and face God, willing to turn around and face those who have hurt us.  We must offer forgiveness and move back into the loving embrace of the God who loves us beyond all reason.  We must find ourselves with Him once again, living face-to-face. 

It is a beautiful season.  It is the most wonderful love story ever written.

SEASONS - LOOKING FOR REAL FATHERS ON FATHER'S DAY

SEASONS - A TIME FOR HONORING OUR FATHERS
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 I want to wish every true father in America a Happy Father’s Day!

It is time to wake up America and realize how much our fathers really matter.  If you are one of the many brave fathers with strong convictions and morals who may have been forced to take a stand in the public schools, or your local community activities, or push for some governmental changes to take place, or serve in the leadership of your local church congregation, then you understand very well how important your actions are for the benefit and well being of all.  

Sometimes the role of a father is a very lonely, unrewarding place to be, but the importance of input from mature wise men that have learned how to raise decent families is critical at this time in America's history.   The fathers who step up, take charge and act will make a huge difference in the future of our nation.  It may be a very long, hard battle sometimes, but thank God for men who are willing to stay in the trenches and fight for their families.

I know they still exist.  There are still a lot of selfless, bold, courageous men out there; we just aren’t hearing about them from the media anymore.  My own Dad is one of those individuals.  I have always been very proud of his honesty and his ability to stand alone if needed in making hard decisions for our family.  I’ve always known I could count on his integrity and his ability to distinguish right from wrong.   My husband is also from this special breed of men who puts the needs of others before his own personal needs and gain.  His "Pop" was of the same good character.  Both my husband and I are blessed with brothers who have strived to be good fathers and to do the right things for their families.  We are among the blessed.  I am forever thankful for this fact.  I also fear, we are among the minority.

They are rare these days, the good fathers; but these men are still out there fighting their daily battles and working very hard to keep the dying dreams of America alive and well.  So much is different and unique in the world of true fathers.  These men actually work for a living.  They don’t depend on the government for handouts. 

Instead they serve the government honorably by taking jobs that promote the welfare of all.  Their hard earned tax money is the money that goes into the government's tills and takes care of all those who aren't able to provide for their own.  They actually want it to be useful, fair and beneficial to all people.  They very seriously go to the polls and vote for good men that they think will best handle the huge responsibility of our government and our freedom.  Yes, they work even in this strange economy where jobs are not plentiful, these men still get up and go out every day and look for ways to make a living for their families.  They don't throw up their hands and give up.  If their field of expertise isn’t hiring anymore, and most of them are not, they are not ashamed to get their hands dirty and do hard labor in order to feed those that they love.  Men over fifty have never worked so hard for so little as right now in America.  They take what work they can find and they gladly do a good job.  They look for honest ways to make ends meet.  In the middle of this whole process, you might see them often doing without so that others may have what they need.  You won't hear them complaining about not having enough. They keep their eyes open, they are always searching for ways to make things better.

The true Fathers of our country have learned to appreciate the things in life that have no price tags, and they teach their children to do the same.  They expect their children to have comparable work ethics.  They teach them to appreciate the value of a dollar, and they also teach them to balance that with a Sabbath rest.  They learned from their true fathers to set aside one day in seven to honor the Father of All.  They give a tenth of all they have, even if it is not much, to the work that The Father is blessing.   These brave men aren’t afraid to speak up and say “I believe in God .”  They do not have qualms about praying out loud in public places, and they can’t understand how anyone could be offended by their Great and Awesome God, or not want to hear the Name of Jesus at the end of their prayers. 

None of these fathers minded fighting for this country, and risking their lives for our freedom.  They can see the downward spiral of America taking place, but they still pray for change, they act on change and they still dream of a better day to come.  They believe that sometimes the impossible is possible.  They will defend your right to speak your mind, and they will uphold the law of the land. They believe in being fair and just.  They don’t see colors when they look at people’s skin, instead they see hearts.  They have a code of honor and respect for treating all of God’s creatures with dignity.  They do not tolerate violence.  They do everything possible to make the world a safe place.  They know there are good people out there with overwhelming problems and they are always there to share and lend a helping hand.  They understand hard circumstances; they have lived there for a long time too.  They show kindness and mercy to all.  They will give you the shirt off their back if they think you need it.  They understand what it is like to be young and inexperienced and not know what to do next.  They are wise from experience and they gladly share their wisdom with those willing to listen.

These good mature men are slow to speak and quick to listen.  They use their hands and feet to put action to their words.  They won’t let you walk alone.   They are not critical and judgmental with their help; but they love with the same mercy and kindness shown by the Father that they serve from heaven.  They know that sometimes the only thing that works is tough love.  They grit their teeth and enforce this tough love, even if sometimes it tears them apart inside.  They do whatever it takes to accomplish the right end.  They never give up.

Yes, some of these honorable and true fathers are still out there.    You may not hear about them in the news, and they may be quiet as they go through their days, and you may not always notice what is going on with them.  They are men of action, and they let their actions speak for themselves.  They don’t need your approval nor will they seek it.  They don’t need you to remind them what to do; it comes naturally with the title.  They take the title of "Father" seriously. 

These real men don’t mind coming home from twelve hours of hard labor and pitching a softball for two hours with a young boy trying to make the team.   These real men still compliment their wives when they put food on the table every night, even if it is just beans and cornbread.  They often help wash the dishes.  These men are thankful for a heart willing to tend to a family and a partner who cares about the importance of making a home.  These men who are tempted everyday by the rampant evil activities of this selfish and ungodly world that we live in, the world of pornography, free and easy sex and casual affairs, and they turn their heads and walk away.  You won't find the perversions of the world creeping into their homes through the back door.  They live on a higher plane. These are not the things that motivate their hearts.  They still know the meaning of a marriage vow, and they meant it when they said “I do” on their wedding day.

I'm talking about a group of men who will sell everything they have in order to get medical treatment for a sick child; and the ones who will sacrifice the boat, the new car, the motorcycle or the second home in order to make sure their son or daughter gets a college education.   Yet you will discover that education to them is more than the stuff you can find in books and on a college campus. They teach their children the important things of life at home, and their homework assignments are extensive.  They instruct them and prepare them for a world that would love to prey on their youth.  They leave the communication lines open with their families. These real fathers are not unapproachable people.  These are men who have spent a lifetime listening to their children’s hearts, and they know how to help them when the time of their need arrives.

These are men who take in elderly parents when they come to the point in life where they can no longer help themselves.  They will give up their privacy in order to care for the aging and dying and those who need some extra care.  They will show honor and respect and decency to those who have walked life’s journey before them.  These real fathers appreciate the value of the legacy of love that others have left behind.  There is no price tag on this loyalty.  It comes with the package, totally free of charge.

On Father's Day these are the true fathers, the fathers that I look up to!  These are the men who I  chose to honor.  I also chose to honor the Greatest Father of All, the One from whom these great fathers draw their strength and wisdom.  Does it matter at all?  Yes, I think it matters most of all.

I think Sonora Smart Dodd had an excellent idea back in 1910 when she gave her father the first Father’s Day celebration.   I'm glad our country finally woke up and cooperated with her and proclaimed the day a national holiday.  I wish to see that spirit of true fathers renewed in America.  God gave us some very helpful advice when He wrote those word on stone tablets;  “ Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the earth.”

I pray that every true father in America will be honored this year, not just of Father’s Day but on all days.  Thank you for being real men.  May God create more of you!   We are forever grateful for all you do.  Our future is in your hands. We have not forgotten, though we do not say it often enough.    You are loved and respected.  We appreciate all you do as well as who you are.

Happy Father's Day!

PEN ART - THE REFLECTION OF CHRIST IN NEHEMIAH - PART THREE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 In Nehemiah's day, the beginning of all the building started  in a spot that was deemed the most important place in the wall.  The place was known as  the wall around the Sheep Gate.  This gate represents Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

This is the gate mentioned in John 5:2,  the gate beside the pool of Bethesda.  It is the gate beside the pool with five porches, which could easily stand for five types of ministry. 

This is the gate where the sheep were washed and brought into the temple for sacrifice.  Here we are washed of our sins, just like the sheep in Nehemiah's day.  The priest who offered up the sacrifices were required to live in this area.  They had to live next to The Sheep Gate.

  At the time of Nehemiah the High Priest's name was Eliashib.  "El" means "God."  "Yashib" means "to go back."  Reading backwards as the Hebrews do - we can hear a message even in the name of the high priest who worked at this gate.  The message says "go back to God" - or REPENT.

So it is recorded by Nehemiah that the wall around the Sheep Gate was built by one whose names meant "repent."  This gate is the perfect Old Testament picture of the New Testament sacrifice of The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.  This gate shows us the cross. 

We are lead to think immediately of the prophet Isaiah's great words about Jesus, "as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth."  (Isa. 53:7).   At the Sheep Gate of our lives there is a principle of death at work.  It is the death of the natural self.  It is the way we come to our own cross.  We are called to obey Christ, to follow Him and to walk with Him.  That means that some of our desires, some of our natural longings must be put to death.  That is the principle of the cross.  This is a gate that must be kept in repair if we want to grow into a strong Christian.

 A gate is an opening.  The cross symbolized by this Sheep Gate, is an opening to God.  A beginning.

 On each side of the Sheep gate the walls lead to two towers, one tower in each direction.  The first tower is named "Meah."  "Meah" means "Hundred."  The second tower is called The Tower of Hananeel - which means - "God is gracious and merciful."  "Hanan" means "gracious and merciful."  "El" means "God."  Reading backwards we have "God is gracious and merciful."

 Reading the gate and the wall by the meaning of the names of the places in the wall we come to see an Old Testament message with a New Testament meaning:  "The walls of Salvation built by one named "repentance" stands between two tall towers that say "God is gracious and merciful to hundreds."

 In the Old Testament, in the story of Nehemiah, there is a gate of sacrifice in the middle of a wall of salvation called The Sheep Gate that opens the way to God for mankind.  This beautiful picture that God has painted for those with eyes to see, just like a thousand other Old Testament pictures of Christ, brings us hope.  It is a reason to hold on to our belief in God and to cling to our faith in all circumstances, even when we appear to be as broken as Nehemiah's walls.