Advent of Lamb and Lion -- DWELL 3.0

This is the third article in a series on the theme
of “God (Emmanuel) coming to dwell with us. 
See Dwell 1.0 HERE and Dwell 2.0 HERE
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“A Lion was here!  And, he’s coming back!”

This chilling exclamation could strike fear in anyone, depending on time and location.  Truth is, the Lion has been here, and is coming back.

Readers of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series may remember the reaction of the Pevensie children, Susan and Lucy, when they first hear about the lion, Aslan, king of Narnia:

Susan: “Is he—quite safe?
               I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
Mrs. Beaver: “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their
                         knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just
                         silly.”
Lucy: “Then he isn’t safe?”
Mrs. Beaver: “Safe? . . . Who said anything about safe?
                         Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.
                         He’s the King I tell you.”

The children did not know how to think about this wild and unsafe lion who runs loose and cannot be tamed or trained.  C.S. Lewis describes how the children are awed when they first meet Aslan:

“People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. For when they tried to look at Aslan’s face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn’t look at him and went all trembly.”

Looking into An Advent Candle
Fast-forward from Narnia to the present:  One our favorite Christmas traditions is lighting our Advent candles. They remind us of the long-anticipated coming of Christ.  According to the Old Testament Scriptures, when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3) God immediately promised He would send a Messiah (“Sent One”) who would provide a way of deliverance from sin (Gen. 3: 15).  Since then, generations of Jewish women hoped they would be the mother of Messiah, the privilege that went to a lowly peasant girl named Mary.  Before Mary and Joseph were married, an angel explained to Joseph that he should accept Mary as his wife because the child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1: 20-22).”

During each week of Advent, we light another one of the five candles, symbolizing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, respectively.  Then, on Christmas Day, we light the “Christ candle.”  Once while staring into the flame of the Christ candle, I began to think about the scientific and spiritual significance of fire.  I began to wonder what God meant when He said to Moses, For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4: 24).  

Like the children visiting Narnia, many of us wonder how God can be “good and terrible at the same time.”  How can God who “so loved the world that He sent His only Son” to save us from our sin; at the same time, be “a consuming fire?”  We will find that God addresses this apparent contradiction in His Word; but He also has provided helpful insights about the nature of fire itself through science and technology.

The Science of Fire and Light
Fire as we know it is only one manifestation of what scientists call radiant energy.  Radiation that is visible to our eyes we call "light."  Radiation (rays) of light travels through space as “waves.” Each of the beautiful colors we see in a rainbow has a precise wavelength.  Longer wavelengths than red are called infrared; and longer wavelengths than violet are ultraviolet rays.  The visible spectrum of light provides for both our sense of vision and also powers the photosynthesis of organic (hydrocarbon) compounds by green plants, algae, and other autotrophic organisms necessary to support life on Earth.

Fire provides both radiant heat and light.  It warms us in the cold and lights our way in the darkness.  Both heat and light result from chemical transformations of energy within organic matter.  For example, an Advent candle radiates heat and light when oxygen interacts with chemical bonds of hydrocarbons (C-C and C-H) in the paraffin at high temperatures, causing bond breaking and energy release.  Like throwing a rock into a hornet's nest, when we "strike a match," the energy from the friction is enough to start bond breaking.  As a result, like stirred up hornets, the electrons in matter begin zooming in all directions, releasing more heat and light.  

Nuclear reactions also release heat and light.  When the nucleus of atoms containing protons and neutrons are "stirred up" by collisions with accelerated subatomic particles, nuclear fission or fusion reactions release tremendous amounts of heat and light.  Examples are the explosion of nuclear bombs, the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity, and the nuclear reactions that create heat and light in our nearest star, the Sun. 

[Consider:  Life is possible on Earth because it is precisely distanced from the Sun, making this massive star both the source of suitable warmth and the source of chemical bond energy through photosynthesis to power the living cells and bodies of humans and most organisms on Earth.]

Both combustion of matter and nuclear reactions release energy according to discoverable and predictable laws of physics and chemistry.  Scientific laws represent our best current human understanding of the operation of the material or natural world.  Therefore, no educated person would ask how fire can be so Illuminating and warm while also being so destructive of lives and possessions.  Instead, our experiences with fire depend on whether we meet fire on its own terms--i.e. the laws of physics and chemistry established by God as part of His created order.

The God of Fire and Light
Like fire, there is no contradiction in God's nature between His being a God of love and being a "consuming fire."  To understand this with our finite minds, we must realize that God is Holy.  To be “Holy” means to be completely other, distinct, or separated from anything or anyone else in the universe.  

Because God is Holy, there exists an infinite gulf separating a Holy God from everything else in His creation. Therefore, what we see of God, our glimpses of His supernatural nature, His “Glory,” are entirely up to Him to reveal to us.  Our knowledge of God is not left to our own opinions; it is not subjective.  God has revealed Himself in the objective revelation of inspired Scripture in the Bible.  It is our responsibility to know, love, and obey Him through His revealed Word.

We can read in Exodus 33: 18-20 the account of how Moses experienced the awesome holiness and sovereign will of God (emphasis added):

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
And the Lord said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see Me and live.”

We can see from Scripture that God is not only Holy and Sovereign, but He is extremely protective and “jealous” of His Holiness and character.  The Pulpit Commentary explains:

“When God spoke to Israel at Sinai, His glory appeared "like devouring (consuming) fire on the top of the mount" (Exodus 24:17); and in allusion to this Moses [in Deuteronomy 4: 24] calls God "a consuming fire."  He is so to all His enemies, and to all who disobey Him; by severe inflictions He will punish, and, if they persist in their hostility and rebellion, will ultimately destroy them (compare Deuteronomy 9:3; Isaiah 10:16-18; Amos 5:6; Zephaniah 1:18; Hebrews 12:29).  … God has a burning zeal for His own glory; He guards it with jealous care; and He will not spare those who do Him dishonor, especially those who are guilty of idolatry, whereby they "change the truth of God into a lie" (Romans 1:25; cf. Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 6:14, 15; Deuteronomy 32:16, etc.; Psalm 78:58, etc.; Nahum 1:2). God is jealous also over His people because He loves them and will not endure any rival in their affection and devotion.”

The God of the Old Testament continued to reveal Himself through writers of the New Testament as being zealously in love with His people like “a consuming fire.”  The writer of Hebrews 12: 28-29 invites all who have received God’s gift of salvation by grace to show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

We can better understand that “God is love” but also a “consuming fire” when we believe that He is the Sovereign King, Owner, and Sustainer of creation; and we are his subjects, or stewards (Genesis 2: 15).   But God is also a loving Father to those who have accepted His Gift of salvation and become His children (John 1: 12).  Hebrews 12 merges God’s character as both a loving Father who disciplines his children for their good (Hebrews 12: 8-11); and, as a passionate lover who jealously desires our love and obedience like a consuming fire (Hebrews 12: 28-29).  As a child, my reaction to my earthly father’s warning, “Don’t touch the fire!” was not a reason to hate fire or to hate my father.  Rather, I learned to respect my father’s loving instruction for my own good, and use fire as a gift of God when used according to His laws of creation.

Advent of the “Light of the World”
Truly, there is no contradiction between God’s love and His being compared to a consuming fire.  During this Advent season, it is very inspiring to celebrate a God of love, fire, and light unfolding His plan through the prophecy and birth of Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Five hundred years before God’s Messiah was born in Bethlehem, the Prophet Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 9: 2, 6a; emphasis added),

The people who walk in darkness
    Will see a great light;
 Those who live in a dark land,
    The light will shine on them.

For a child will be born to us,
    a son will be given to us…

Notice from this ancient prophecy the themes of “light” and “dark,” predicting the Light of the world (Jesus; John 9: 5) bringing Truth and deliverance for weary travelers wandering in darkness and despair.  Centuries later, the Gospel of Matthew describes the fulfillment of this prophecy.  The light from the Bethlehem star guided the Magi over hundreds of miles to a stable where this Child was “born to us.” Baby Jesus came from Mary’s womb in human form but He was supernaturally “given to us” as God conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus came as God’s gentle, sacrificial Lamb.  He said, “I did not come to judge you for your sin but I have come as the Light of the World to expose your sin and invite you to repent and turn from sin (John 12: 45-47).  The Lamb has come, gave His Life to redeem us, and rose again victorious over death.  But to His words above, Jesus added, He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day (John 12: 48).  With these words, Jesus forecasts His second coming when, according to Hosea 11: 10, He will roar like a lion…and His sons will come trembling from the west.  Isaiah 9: 6b-7 predicts how Christ will return to rule on the Earth:

And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase
     of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it
   with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts
   will accomplish this.

God’s authority and wisdom will bring His justice and righteousness.  Finally, the zeal of the LORD for accomplishing this prophesy will make it certain to happen.  According to the Pulpit Commentary, the zeal is “God's jealousy of his own honor, which is bound up with the prosperity and final triumph of his people over all their enemies, will assure the performance of all that is here prophesied.”  But, along with God’s authority and fiery zeal, we see the image of the loving Eternal Father who longs to reconcile and counsel His people in peace.

Although God was driven by His fiery zeal like a Lion to accomplish His redemptive plan, He came first with the gentleness of a Lamb and the consideration of a loving Father.  To Joseph, the worried fiancé of Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1: 20). Likewise, to Zacharias, father of John the Baptist (Luke 1: 13) and to Mary (Luke 1: 30) God provided a similar preface of “fear not” before the announcement of the respective births.

Meanwhile, the glory of God also appeared out of the darkness surrounding shepherds huddled on a dark hillside with their sheep.  Luke records that the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid (Luke 2: 9).  As if to comfort the shepherds in their fearful response, God’s messenger conveyed His announcement with gentleness and love:

the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. 
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  – Luke 2: 10-11

Christmas Light…and God’s Love
During this Christmas season, once again people around the world will celebrate with lights of all kinds—candles, incandescent, florescent, and digital lighting.  Many who at least acknowledge the existence of God would rather not think of God as a “consuming fire;” or as a lion, “wild and unsafe.”  Instead, they prefer to think of God as a “God of love,” a “safe God,” a baby in a manger who makes no moral or ethical demands.  Anyway, how could a loving God be jealously demanding like a “consuming fire?”

The contradiction is explained another way—by the fact that Almighty God through Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2: 7-8).  But there are other accounts of God’s sacrificial pursuit.

In 2 Corinthians 8: 9, the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to the churches includes an appeal very fitting for the Christmas story:  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.  Jesus, born of a poor peasant couple and wrapped in strips of cloth, was laid in a stable manger to rest.  As an adult, He had no place to lay his head (Luke 9: 58) and was buried in a borrowed tomb (John 19: 38-42).

Casual reading of the verses above does not impress upon us the weight and extent of God’s love and passionate pursuit of us.  He took on flesh (incarnation) and became a servant, ultimately giving His life on a Roman cross.  Can we comprehend what this meant?  The need for more careful meditation and communion with God through His Word, and the fellowship with others of like faith is the primary reason we need to observe Advent and Christmas. 

We hope you will take time to ponder the truth that God loves you.  He generously gave His greatest Gift to bring you into relationship with Him, and to share His righteousness and Eternal Life through daily communion with you through His Word, prayer, and service to others.

Remember, the Lamb has already come as God’s expression of love for us.  Now, our clocks mark time until His return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5: 5) to judge those who have rejected Him, and to dwell with His redeemed forever.

Daily Meditations for Advent
The approach that we have used to enhance our time of remembrance of the Advent (coming) of the promised Savior, Jesus Christ, is to follow an Advent calendar.  These calendars are of different types and are easily found by searching for “Advent Calendar” online.   Most provide daily or weekly Bible readings and some offer a fun activity suitable for individuals or family.

We will suggest three Advent resources for you to consider.  The “Advent Reading Guide” was prepared by West Hill Baptist Church, Wooster, Ohio (Go HERE.).  It invites us to focus on a Christmas theme each Advent week starting with “Hope.”  Meditations address why we celebrate Christmas and how we ought to respond to God’s “greatest Gift.”

Focus on the Family provides a “Welcome to Advent 2021” (See HERE.) which includes background on Advent, a calendar of Scripture readings, and fun activities related to Christmas.

The third Advent resource is one that we published in Oikonomia, in 2017 (Go HERE.)  “Daily Meditations to Enrich Your Christmas” contains a daily Scripture reading and a short commentary along with discussion to help you personally apply the truth for each day.  We hope these suggestions will enrich your celebration of Advent and the Christmas season this year.

Have a Merry and Meaningful Christmas, from our family and loved ones to you and yours!

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Reference to C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series (HarperCollins) and related comments are drawn in part from a meditation by Ben Keiser, Summit Ministries

Seven Daily Meditations for Thanksgiving

Since 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday, Thanksgiving has provided Americans an opportunity to thank God for His many blessings and providential care.  When celebrated according to its historic purpose, Thanksgiving stands in sharp contrast to its neighbors on the calendar, Halloween and Christmas.  Thanksgiving invites us to resist the typical holiday buying and selling; and instead,  simply gather with loved ones to “give thanks” for the spiritual and material blessings we already have.

Although Thanksgiving should make few demands upon us, it has become increasingly commercialized—think “Black Friday.”  Maybe you are among those who try to make Thanksgiving a time to practice contentment and personal renewal of a spirit of thankfulness.   And, like many, you could use some spiritual guidance in these efforts.

This month, Oikonomia provides a series of “one-a-day, Thanksgiving meditations” based on the great Thanksgiving hymn, “Thanks to God for My Redeemer,” with lyrics written by August Storm (1891).  Each daily meditation is accompanied by Scripture from the Bible intended to help users prepare mentally and spiritually to offer genuine thanksgiving to God.  We hope you will return to this website each day to read and meditate on truths that foster a thankful heart.

November 18: “Thanks to God for My Redeemer”

[Click graphic to read lyrics.]
[Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]

Consider:  When someone performs a good deed for us or gives us a gift, we want to express our thankfulness.  Jesus Christ gave the “world’s greatest gift”—He gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin on His cross of Calvary (John 3: 16)!  According to Titus 2: 14, Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good (NIV).  Hebrews 2: 14-15 (NLT) explains how it became possible for Jesus, through His incarnation, to “set us free:” Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood.  For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.  Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.  Jesus can set us free from both our bondage to lawlessness (sin) and from the penalty of our sin (death; eternal separation from God).

Response:   If you have accepted Christ as God’s Gift of salvation by faith, then you know the One who is both the central Cause of true thankfulness and the worthiest Object of our thankfulness.  According to Psalm 107: 1-2 and Titus 2: 14 (above), how can those whom God has redeemed express their thankfulness?  How will you express your thankfulness to God today?  [To learn more about how you can be redeemed, see “Thanksgiving Every Day” below.]

Nov. 19: “Thanks for All Thou Dost Provide”

[Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]
Consider:  Yesterday, we focused on God’s greatest Gift, His Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  When we accept by faith the ransom payment that Jesus Christ made with His life, we are not only set free from sin and death; but we are adopted by God as one of His children (John 1: 12; Romans 8: 10-17).  Amazingly, God becomes our loving Heavenly Father!  Just as God wants our redemption from sin and its penalty to relieve us of worry about our eternal destiny, so He wants our adoption to relieve us of worry about our daily material needs (Matthew 6: 25-33).  Just as our good Heavenly Father provides for His other creatures, so He provides “all the rest” that we need.  An amazing truth!  James, a half-brother of Jesus, wrote the following: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation nor shifting shadow (James 1: 17).  Message:  God is a perfect Father.  He gives us “every good thing and perfect gift,” He does not change in character, nor do His purposes change in the slightest. 
Response:  Take a few minutes to read (or sing) the lyrics of the hymn again.   What “good things” does the hymn writer include?  For which of these will you give thanks today? 

Nov. 20: “Thanks for Pain
                 and Thanks for Pleasure”
[Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]
Consider:  Stanza #2 of “Thanks to God for Our Redeemer” describes the familiar conditions of our lives in a fallen world in which we experience both “pain and pleasure:”
Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!

Most of us are well acquainted with both pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy.  In fact, during the year prior to their first Thanksgiving celebration in the New World (1621), the Pilgrims lost 49 out of the original 102 passengers who had crossed the Atlantic.  Four hundred years later, many of us have grieved at the sickness and loss of family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Bible invites us to “give thanks” for both the pain and the pleasure.  Our hymn writer himself was afflicted with severe back pain at age 37 which remained with him.
Response:  Read or sing the hymn again.  Which words remind you of hard times you have endured.  Meditate on Scriptures like James 1: 2-4 and Romans 8: 14-28, and ask God to inspire you to give thanks for His work in your life through your “hard times.”  Pray for family and friends who are going through hard times during this holiday season.

November 21: “Thanks for Pain and Thanks
                           for Pleasure” (continued)
Consider:  Yesterday, we considered that God allows both pain and pleasure; and still, He commands us in every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5: 18).  One of my brothers in Christ, named Bill, who is now in a rest home, has taught me that no matter how bad our situation, we can always find those who have it worse than us.  For example, this Thanksgiving it may be hard for us to thank God for an illness, or the death of a loved one, or the economic and political turmoil that we face in America.  But when we remember the outright threats of religious persecution faced by Christians in nations like China, India, Afghanistan, and Haiti, we should respond by praying for the persecuted church and for missionaries who are bringing the Gospel of Christ into difficult places.  A spirit of thanksgiving helps us in our trials and motivates us to pray for our brethren who suffer greatly. Meditate on the Scriptures from Hebrews 12: 28 to 13: 3.  Here’s a portion:  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe… Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.  Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Response:  According to God’s Word, we are to give thanks for both pain and pleasure because we can depend upon our Father in Heaven to use these “good gifts” to mature us (James 1: 2-4).  Will you join with us and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in nations where persecution is harsh?   Pray using the Scriptures cited in today’s devotional.

November 22:
“Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
  Thanks for what Thou dost deny!”
Consider:  The past two days have focused on pain and pleasure.  Sometimes we bring pain upon ourselves when we refuse to accept God’s answer to our prayers.  Romans 1: 21 describes people who, even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  On the other hand, we can choose to make Thanksgiving a time to reflect on how God has provided for and blessed us during the previous year.  Ephesians 5: 20 urges us to give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Here, God commands us to be thankful for answered prayers whether He answers by granting, delaying, or denying our requests.  Psalm 84: 11 declares, For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Response:  Is your relationship with God such that you honor and thank Him regardless of whether He answers your prayers with a Yes, a No, or a Not Now?  Why not take time today to list ways God has answered your prayers this past year, and then sincerely thank Him?

November 23: “Thanks for times now but a memory…”
Consider:  God has equipped us with minds capable of remembering things. God’s gift of memory is intended to help us grow as a result of both “good” and “bad” experiences.  Each of us carry both good and bad memories.  Good memories of times with dear family and friends of the past are treasures we can keep with us and give thanks to God for them.  Sometimes God helps us to see that a “bad memory” can eventually lead to a good outcome in which we grow in godly grace and character.  I know a man whose hip was shattered when he was hit by a car.  But the resulting pain, the weakened and handicapped condition, and the experience of learning dependence on others caused him to draw closer to God whose purposes became evident throughout the experience.  [See HERE for more details.]  Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet” who bore God’s grief for a rebellious nation of Israel wrote
(Lamentations 3:21-24),
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Response:  Pause now and devote time to remembering specific happenings or people from this past year that have influenced you in a particular way.  Then, thank God for them and consider how you might respond further.

November 24: “Thanks for Jesus by my side!”
Consider:  Have you ever thought what it means to have “Jesus by my side?”  In John 14: 16-17 we can read Jesus’s words to His confused disciples:  I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.  If by faith, you have invited Jesus to be your Savior, you are a redeemed child of God the Father.  As an obedient Christ-follower, you no longer have Jesus simply “by your side,” He abides in you, and you in Him (John 15: 4-5).  Think of that!  You have the offer of an intimate relationship with the LORD (Jehovah), the “eternally existent One” who is active in past, present, and future without change (James 1: 17).
Response:  On this, the eve of Thanksgiving, return to our hymn and reread or sing the lyrics, watching particularly for words or phrases that relate to “time.”  Thank God for His faithfulness in the past which is “but a memory.” Thank Him for the present “heavenly peace with Thee;” and, for “Hope in the tomorrow, Thanks through all eternity!” [Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]

November 25: Have a Blessed Thanksgiving
Consider:  We hope our one-a-day devotional meditations have inspired your thankfulness and helped you to prepare for a blessed Thanksgiving Day.  A great way to begin this Thanksgiving is to read Psalm 100 and then respond in prayer with a personal expression of your thankfulness for His character and provisions. 

If you are still looking for some fun and learning activities for yourself and loved ones who may be gathering today, visit Oikonomia, November 21, 2018 which offers “Thanksgiving Topics for Your Table.”
Response:  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. – Psalm 100: 4  [Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]

Thanksgiving Every Day!
When a person invites Jesus Christ to become his or her Savior and humbly yields to His lordship, every day can be a day of thanksgiving, even in days of trouble and pain.  If you would like to know more about the Life transformed and filled by God’s Holy Spirit, please check out this booklet online, entitled “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?” [See online booklet HERE.] This helpful booklet explains how you can yield the "throne" of your life to God and find peace with Him as your Father in Heaven.  Through God's Spirit dwelling in you, you can learn to see the world and your life priorities from God's perspective.   If you have additional questions, comments, or would like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@gmail.edu

Vaccination: A Voice for Personal Choice

Our Declaration of Independence states,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Inalienable Rights
According to the Legal Dictionary, inalienable rights are “personal rights held by an individual which are not bestowed by law, custom, or belief, and which cannot be taken or given away, or transferred to another person.”  According to the U.S. Constitution, inalienable rights “cannot be taken away by legislation, as they are beyond the control of a government, being naturally given to every individual at birth, and that these rights are retained throughout life.”  

“The founding fathers intended the government of the new nation to have the sole charge of protecting the inalienable rights of its citizens, and made that clear as they stated:  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…  While there is not a specific list of rights that are considered inalienable in the Constitution, there are some rights that are generally accepted as natural rights of man.”  The list of inalienable rights from the Legal Dictionary is extensive, and the following are but a few:

•  To act in self-defense
•  To own private property
•  To work and enjoy the fruits of one’s labor
•  To move freely within the county or to another country
•  To worship or refrain from worshipping by a freely-chosen religion
•  To be secure in one’s home
•  To think freely

Today, our rights and freedoms as Americans are being threatened by both elected leaders and unelected bureaucrats who seem to be more and more out of touch with the intent of our Founding Fathers and of the long-held beliefs of their constituents.  Perhaps their wealth and financial security has led many politicians to disregard economic realities when they propose trillion-dollar legislation for “infrastructure” while further undermining our “economic infrastructure.”  Or, maybe it is their protection by walls and security personnel that causes them to disregard the importance of national borders and law enforcement.  Whatever the case, it has never been clearer that our freedoms are being threatened and will disappear entirely unless we present a well-reasoned defense of our faith, rights, and moral obligations.  [Read more about this concern in the article,  ” See HERE.]

Inalienable rights such as those listed above imply the freedom of the individual to choose within the limits of legal code.  One such “right to choose,” that regarding our personal health needs, has traditionally been granted to each adult individual based on recommendations of their physician or other medical experts. However, the development of vaccines as a strategy against the COVID-19 virus and its variants is being used to justify overriding our personal right-to-choose whether or not to be vaccinated based on our private doctor-patient relationship.  Vaccine mandates by certain employers are causing Americans to choose between being vaccinated or losing their source of income and related benefits of employment.

We should note that the concern of many Americans about COVID vaccines is not generally about whether or not the vaccine is a reasonable choice to protect one’s health.  Those who believe vaccination will protect them from the virus should be free to choose to be vaccinated; and then, not fear infection from either vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals.  The real concern and even fear on the part of many Americans is the loss of patient-doctor privacy and the freedom of each individual to choose what they allow into their bodies.

A Rationale for Exemption
If you are among those considering how to express your conviction about not being vaccinated, you should know that my friend, John, has composed a detailed statement in support of his appeal for an exemption.  He has made this statement available so others can use it as a resource, not word for word, but as a starting point to be modified to better express their own personal rationale which they can defend:

To whom it may concern,

I’m writing to inform you that I cannot take the COVID-19 vaccine due to my personal and sincerely held religious beliefs.  My faith in God is my most treasured possession.  Therefore, honoring Jesus Christ by being obedient to what I feel called to do regarding this vaccine is of utmost importance to me.  My religious belief, observance, and practice is that of a follower of Jesus Christ and I base my moral decisions on my understanding of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  I have several sincerely held beliefs that prohibit me from ever taking this vaccine and I’ll list them below:

1 – I believe life is precious because it is a gift from God (For example: Genesis 2:7 & Gen 1:27). I don’t believe I can do anything that condones or benefits from the shedding of innocent blood.  God made it clear that shedding of blood is one of the things he hates (e.g. Proverbs 6: 16-19).  I also believe that every human being was knit together in the womb by God himself (Psalms 139:13-14). Therefore, I think abortion is murder; and therefore, I would never knowingly put anything in my body that was derived from aborted fetal cells. I also could not knowingly put anything in my body that was developed using aborted fetal cells or tissue in the testing process.  Over the years I have stopped using products that I later found out used fetal cell tissue in the development like Bayer Aspirin and Preparation-H. I feel that to knowingly use or ingest any product developed using the blood or tissue of a murdered human being would be to condone (or profit) of the killing itself.

2 – Since I believe that God fearfully and wonderfully made me and that he did not make a mistake (For example: Psalms 139:13-14). I don’t believe that I could take any product that deliberately changed or modified my DNA or RNA as that would be rejecting what God did when he created me. It would be telling my God that I need to take something to fix the code of my body and His creation.

3 – I also feel my body is a temple that God Himself started dwelling in the day I confessed my sin and asked Jesus to forgive me (For example: see John 3:16, Romans 10:9-13, Ezekiel 36:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, etc.). I am admonished in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 to glorify God in my body and treat His temple (my body) with respect by not intentionally doing anything to or with my body that would harm it.  As a practicing Christian who believes that my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, I do not smoke cigarettes, smoke marijuana, take illegal drugs, commit adultery, or participate in any activity I deem immoral. This includes ingesting anything I believe to be harmful to my temple, including certain vaccines – particularly those that are widely reported to cause harmful side-effects, no matter how rare. To insist that I degrade my body – the Temple of the Holy Spirit – is an infringement upon my religious beliefs.

4 – Lastly, I believe that the Holy Spirit will convict me of things that would be a sin for me to do or what would be the will of my Father in heaven. (For example: John 16:8, Galatians 5:16-25, 1 Corinthians 2:11-16). I have spent much time in prayer about this vaccine and asked the Lord for wisdom and guidance. He has made it clear to me in my reading of Scripture and in my spirit as he speaks to me through the Holy Spirit that lives in me that I should not get this vaccine.

My right to not be coerced into denying my faith, beliefs, and convictions under God are fully protected rights. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1974 makes it clear that it is “illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex” and it further states that employers must “reasonably accommodate applicants' and employees' sincerely held religious practices”.  The US Constitution fully restricts the US Congress (this would extend to all agencies such as OSHA) from infringing on religious freedom at all when it clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

I affirm that everything I attest to above is my personally and sincerely held religious conviction. All that I have expressed above is a true and legitimate conviction based on my understanding of the whole Bible and my personal communion with my God.  I, therefore, respectfully decline any COVID vaccine.

John Oscar Bellamy  III  ___________________

Signature of Pastor, as witness  ____________________

Care to Comment?
There is much confusion today regarding the COVID virus and vaccination.  We obviously don't have all the answers.  However, reasoned and civil dialog can be very helpful. Please feel free to use the "Comment" space below to insert your questions or add your comments. We'd like to hear from you.  Or, you can e-mail us at silviusj@gmail.com.