Winsome Witness 2. Being Salt in Controversy

In honor of  Charlie Kirk, we are reposting this blog in which, just days ago, we asked,  “How can a Christ-follower be a pleasant savor in his or her culture while also providing a moral conscience that preserves our culture against moral decline?”  Charlie was the salt and a "pleasant savor" even in the midst of controversy.  We pray for his family and all others who grieve.

You are the salt of the earth;
but if the salt has become tasteless,
how will it be made salty again?
It is good for nothing anymore,
except to be thrown out and trampled
underfoot by men. - Matthew 5: 13

Jesus calls His committed followers “the salt of the Earth.”  He wants His followers to be distinctive and pleasant in conversation and behavior like well-seasoned food is to our taste.  On the other hand, “salting” of meat by adding excess salt preserves the meat by killing the microbes that would otherwise cause spoiling.  When Christ-followers take a firm stand against immoral or unethical claims or actions, they are acting to preserve our culture against decay.

Jesus’s pronouncement also comes with a stern warning.  Christ-followers who allow their faith to be compromised and become lukewarm will become tasteless and their preserving witness in the culture will be dulled.  Like salt that is contaminated with impurities, a compromised Christian’s witness is “good for nothing anymore.”  It has become tasteless and of no value in preservation against cultural decline.

We discussed these principles in Christ’s teaching on “Salt” in Part 1 of “Winsome Witness.”  [Click HERE to read.]  But the question remains, “How can a Christ-follower be a pleasant savor in his or her culture while also providing a moral conscience that preserves our culture against moral decline?”

Using Too Much Salt
According to unconfirmed sources, after the Romans conquered Carthage during the Third Punic War (149–146 BCE), they plowed excess salt into the fields of Carthage to curse their soils and prevent future settlement.  (Excess salt disrupts the ability of most plants to absorb water.) The very substance that can add a pleasant savor can also be a destructive agent, even a curse, to human dialog and relationships when we become careless with our words and behavior.  And, there are plenty of issues in our culture that can cause us to be defensive and divided.

Listed below are a few of the major issues over which America is currently divided.  One glance at this list and you may agree that any one of these issues is ripe for disagreement and debate.  Admittedly, we have been guilty on several occasions of responding to others carelessly or even harshly in disagreements.  We were “over-salting the soil” which otherwise might have produced a crop of good will and understanding for the glory of God.  If we can agree that it is virtuous to avoid conflict in favor of respectful dialog, how can we acquire this virtue?

Salting Sparingly
In our culture, it is virtually impossible to develop and sustain a close relationship with anyone without encountering differences of opinion.  So, how can we avoid alienating others with whom we disagree, especially when we believe our position is the right one?  

What follows are considerations we are trying to implement in conversations involving controversial issues.  We welcome reader insights [See "Comment" link below.]  To illustrate, suppose you and a friend have just received news of a tragic murder in Kentucky allegedly committed by an illegal migrant.  [See brief summary below, and read more HERE.] 

After reading the report of this murder, what thoughts and emotions does it stir in you?  How would you need to discipline yourself to foster a rational and polite discussion with a friend or colleague who might have a different social and political viewpoint?  Here are some considerations which are rooted in the foundation we presented in “Winsome Witness,” Part 1 [Click HERE.]:

1.  Guard Your Heart:  Before speaking, we should ask ourselves, “What is my purpose in entering into a conversation that will be charged with moral and political implications?  Is it my goal simply to win a debate and gain power or prestige?  Or, instead, will I aim for understanding and peace, led by the Spirit of Christ, the Prince of Peace?

2.  Watch Your Tongue; Open Your Ears:  If our spirit and our intentions are aligned with God’s Spirit, then our tongues will follow; for our mouth speaks from that which fills the heart (Luke 6: 45). 

It is easy to unleash a sharp tongue or rapidly tap out a text message on social media.  But James, the half-brother of Jesus challenges us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1: 19b-20).  James suggests that we learn to listen politely before we speak—wise counsel!

3.  Establish Mutual Respect:  Mutual respect is essential for all enduring relationships.  As mutual respect grows, we can be less restrained in dealing with potentially controversial topics.  Once a respectful dialog is established, it is likely that a thoughtful analysis of the issue will follow.  There is a good chance of either reaching agreement; or if necessary, politely agreeing to disagree.

4.  Recognize Differences in Worldview:  Disagreements often point to differences in our worldview.  Our worldview is an internally coherent and consistent framework or lens through which we can view, understand, and relate to the world around us.  [Read more HERE.]  If our worldviews differ, we may each be reasoning logically, but because our “lenses” through which we view the world differ, we are each reasoning from a very different starting point.  Here again, we may need to agree to disagree based on mutual respect.

5.  Analyze the Issue Carefully:  Different worldviews may cause each of us to react differently to an event like the murder of 15-year-old Luis Lopez.  Then, there may be differences in how the news media report the event.  Some news sources may not emphasize the fact that this teen was murdered while defending his mother from an assault by an illegal migrant.  Also, differences in personality can influence how we respond to this news.  Some of us will be influenced more emotionally, while others will take a more analytical approach.  Then, we must factor in our past experiences, political affiliation, philosophy of governance, and views on the importance of the nuclear family, moral upbringing, law and order, and due process of law.  A calm, rational dialog will be necessary to identify these variables and consider their importance in a respectful manner. 

Given the potentially controversial nature of the issues surrounding the murder of Luis Lopez, we hope this case can illustrate how we might apply the above five considerations to establish a polite and constructive conversation.  Table 2 below offers conversation points we might use to discuss issues relating to this murder case in the context of “Immigration Policy and Citizenship” noted in Table 1.  We hope this table will also apply in discussion of other potentially divisive issues.

Salt, Mediators, and Peacemakers
We began this blog by asking how a Christ-follower can be a pleasant savor in his or her culture while also providing a moral conscience in the midst of cultural decline.  We believe the answer to both is to radiate the sweetness of character and winsome behavior of Christ.  This means that rather than simply winning arguments we must aim toward winning souls for Christ.  Jesus came as God in human form and became a servant even to the point of death on a Roman cross.  Then, He rose again to sit at the right hand of God and now serves as our Savior and Mediator between a Holy God and sinful humankind.  When we confess our sin and surrender our lives to Christ, He serves as our Mediator and settles the debt caused by our sins against God.  We become one in Him when we are baptized into Him as Romans 6: 3-4 states.

Being made one with Christ and being Spirit-filled ought to inspire us to be mediators and peacemakers.  Michael Zeytoonian, Director of the Dispute Resolution Counsel, relates conflict resolution to the role of Christ as our Mediator when he writes:

“There is this ‘place of one’ in every dispute and it offers the most complete resolution. It is different for each team of rivals and each situation.  In order to fulfill the law, the Mediator’s higher purpose is to transform the minds of the two sides, so that they can go beyond just settling, to find, or perhaps rediscover, their “place of one.”  [Read more HERE.]

All of this sounds good.  But is it possible in our divided nation and world?  The Scriptures do not gloss over the difficulty we will face.  Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 9-10).  Just a few verses after this statement (v. 13), Jesus said to His followers, “you are the salt of the Earth.  He made both claims in the context of a troubled world about which He later said, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16: 33).”

Yielding for a Greater Gain
It is clear from the teachings of Jesus that although we are to be “salt” that produces a pleasant savor in conversations with others, we will not always expect a kind response.  The most respectful words and Christ-like witness may be met with rejection and even outright persecution as was experienced by the prophets (Matthew 5: 11-12).  Our human reaction is often to press beyond respectful limits to “prove our point” or “settle accounts” or “level the playing field.” We are tempted to act as if the equity sought by many in our culture is within our grasp.  But it is better to “lose” a debate and radiate the character of Christ who while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously… (1 Peter 2: 23).  Jesus entrusted Himself to His Father because He remembered, according to Psalm 96: 10, The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.

Today, many Christ-followers, some of whom we know, are suffering dearly for their faith.  Our prayer as we close is that our persecuted brethren and all of us who love Jesus Christ will find comfort in the balanced teaching of the Apostle Peter:

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.  For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.  For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; -- 1 Peter 3: 13-18

Questions for Readers:
What are we missing?  Or misunderstanding?
What do you find most difficult when you are having a conversation that approaches a controversial topic? 
What advice can you offer based on your experience?
Please use the "Comment" link below or e-mail to silviusj@gmail.com

A Winsome Witness: 1. Proper Salting

“Yummy!  This is very tasty!”
“However, it may need just a pinch of salt.”

Most of us have a favorite dish, one that we find enjoyable, especially when it is seasoned to our liking.  But can we agree, there is something even more enjoyable than well prepared food?  We love the blessing of “fitly spoken words”-- a warm cheerful greeting, an assuring facial expression, or gracious words of comfort.  Savoring the joy of such warm encounters encourages our faith and renews our purpose for living.

On the other hand, many of us find it enjoyable to be givers of timely words of encouragement.  What a blessing it is to us when we can lift up a troubled soul and serve them with a taste of hope from God’s Word.

You ARE “the Salt of the Earth”
Jesus gave a choice title for those of us who, by faith, have become members of His Body, the Church.  He said, “You are the salt of the Earth (Matthew 5: 13).”  Notice that Jesus didn’t command His Church to BE “the salt of the Earth.”  Instead, when we obey Christ’s call as members of His Body, we ARE the salt of the Earth.  But what did Jesus mean by calling His disciples “the salt of the Earth?”

Surprising Properties of Salt:  By examining the physical properties and chemical nature of common “table salt,” we can appreciate why Jesus chose to call His Church “the salt of the Earth.”  Although chemists list many different kinds of salts, for our purposes, we will use the term “salt” to mean common “table salt,” or sodium chloride, symbolized by “NaCl.”  This form of salt is very abundant on Earth where it is often mined from salt deposits.  In addition, our vast oceans contain an average of 3.5% sodium chloride.  In fact, evaporation of ocean water also helps meet our demands for salt.

We usually think of salt as a safe and tame crystalline substance that, when added to our food in appropriate amounts, amazingly enhances the flavor.  But there is absolutely nothing safe and tame about the chemical formation of sodium chloride!

Sodium chloride is formed when atoms of sodium (Na) chemically react with chlorine gas (Cl₂) as shown in the photo of the reaction in progress.  Sodium is a soft, silvery-white metal that can explode into flame, especially when it comes into contact with reactive substances like chlorine gas.  And, chlorine gas is a poisonous, yellowish gas with an odor similar to Chlorox®.  Think of it!  Our edible table salt is formed through a violent chemical reaction between two very reactive substances—metallic sodium and poisonous chlorine gas.  The chemical shorthand of the reaction does not show that bursts of light and heat energy are given off when sodium chloride is formed.  To watch a video of the explosive reaction, click HERE.

Amazingly, all of this “fireworks” involves the transfer of one tiny electron (negative charge) from each sodium atom (Na) to a chlorine atom (Cl), resulting in a sodium ion (Na⁺) and a chloride ion (Cl^-).  These two oppositely charged ions can combine like opposite poles of a bar magnet to form NaCl.  When these ions combine with many other Na⁺ and Cl^- ions, they form a very orderly lattice work, visible as the white crystalline nature of table salt as it appears in our salt shakers.

As we noted earlier, Jesus calls His Church “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5: 13).  By this He meant that those who are committed to follow His teachings in the power of His Holy Spirit could not help but add a pleasant “seasoning” both within the assembly of believers and toward the surrounding culture.  But Jesus may have had more benefits in mind when He gave this title.  Although we will risk going beyond what Jesus intended, what follows are several applications that we hope are consistent with the biblical narrative:

Proper seasoning with salt during cooking enhances the flavor.  But too much salt can make our food inedible.  Our speech ought to be timely and appropriate, and if possible, reflect the character of Christ.  Just as properly seasoned food should not taste like salt, so also when our speech is “seasoned with salt” we should not be elevating ourselves; but instead, we ought to be “adorning the Gospel” of Christ. by the manner in which we speak and act (Titus 2: 10). 

Proverbs 25: 11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  According to the Berean Study Bible, the writer is teaching us that when we speak words that are timely and appropriate (“fitly spoken”), they are precious because they promote peace, healing, and beauty.  Such words are pleasing to the ears just as well-crafted gold ornaments placed in silver are a delight to our eyes. 
Prayer:  Father God, help me to love your Word and to allow its living, powerful action within me to produce words spoken fitly in time and place like salt adding flavor to well prepared food.   Help me to image the character of Christ so that others will want to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34: 8). Amen.

“Blessed are the gentle (meek),” Jesus said (Matthew 5: 5).  Recall that sodium metal is dangerous to handle; and, breathing chlorine can endanger our skin and destroy our respiratory systems.  And when they react chemically to form salt (NaCl), considerable “fireworks” are produced.  Jesus, the Creator of the universe, knows all about the violent chemistry that forms salt.  He also knows what is in the heart of every man and woman, boy and girl; namely, a sin nature that can be very explosive and toxic. 

Jesus called two sons of Zebedee, James and John, to be among His twelve disciples.  Both men grew to love Jesus; especially John who became known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13: 23).  Yet, Jesus had to restrain both James and John when they wanted to call down fire upon several Samaritans who had shown disrespect toward Jesus (Luke 9: 51-56).  After this, Jesus called James and John “the sons of thunder.”  We too, may have strong convictions that can explode into harsh words and behavior.  We can only be the salt of the Earth if we exercise the spiritual fruit of peace, patience, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5: 22-23).  Like sodium chloride, we have a violent history and a tendency to explode.  Only when we yield to the Spirit in us can we be the salt Jesus desires as we produce the fruit of His gentleness. 
Prayer:  Lord Jesus, you are my meek and gentle example as shown by your behavior.  Help me to respond like you did, even when you were mistreated verbally and physically.  Help me to yield to your Spirit, the Spirit of Christ who lives within me, to produce the fruit of your gentleness and self-control.  Amen.

The Church is a Preservative.  Before the days of refrigeration, meat and other foods could be preserved by salt curing.  Salt curing applies the principle of osmosis to draw water out of the meat and the cells of any microbes that would otherwise grow on the meat and cause spoilage.  Likewise, Christ-followers are “salt of the Earth” when their speech and actions present a purifying and preserving effect on those around them.  In a culture beset by moral and spiritual decay, Christ calls and equips His followers to be a preservative against cultural decay. 
Prayer:  Father, help me to pursue your holiness and purity lest I be like “salt that becomes tasteless… [and is] no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matthew 5: 13b).”

Peacemakers dissolve tension between people.  This truth reminds us of another amazing property of salt.  We have all seen salt crystals disappear when they dissolve in water.  Water molecules dislodge and separate the Na⁺ and Cl^- ions from the salt crystal lattice. This is an amazing feat considering that salt crystals will not melt unless heated to 1474^oF (801^oC)!  Like an obstinate, hard-hearted person who is combative or difficult to befriend, NaCl cannot be “melted” without a great expenditure of heat energy.  Meanwhile, simply adding water to salt can easily dissolve the hard crystals. Water molecules surround each Na+ and Cl- ion to form hydration shells that coat the ions and keep them from precipitating out.

No doubt you have used a saline solution of dilute sodium chloride in water for dry eyes, to store your contact lenses, or for nasal irrigation.  Saline is also given by injection or intravenously and is used to clean wounds.  Again, given the dangerous properties of sodium and chlorine, it is interesting that a sodium chloride solution is used in contact with our most delicate tissues to bring soothing relief. 
Prayer:   Jesus, Prince of Peace, help me to be a peacemaker.  When I encounter a head-hearted person who is brash and impolite, help me to avoid speech that “raises the temperature” of our conversation.  Instead, help my words to dissolve the tension just as water melts and dissolves the hard salt crystals and creates a soothing saline solution.

Being “Salt” from the Heart
It is obvious that even our favorite dish must be properly seasoned to be pleasant to our taste.  The human tongue has been created with an amazing capacity for precise detection of various tastes.  According to researchers, the human tongue can detect at least five different tastes.  In addition to salt and sweet, we can taste sour, bitter, and savory (umami).

Our tongues contain tiny bumps on the surface called papillae.  Within each papilla are hundreds of taste buds.  And, within each taste bud, there are from 50 to 100 chemoreceptor cells that help us taste food and beverages.  The chemoreceptor cells detect and translate chemical stimuli into neurological signals that convey the type of taste and intensity to the brain.  Initially, scientists believed that each of the five tastes were detected by a specific region of the tongue which they carefully mapped (see diagram on right).  However, more recently there is evidence that each of the five tastes are detected by multiple locations on the tongue.

In addition to enabling us to taste and enjoy food, our tongues also aid in chewing and swallowing food.  And, relevant to this blog, our tongues enable us to speak in words and sentences.  According to the Word of God, the quality of our speech determines the degree to which we can be “salt of the Earth.”  The Apostle Paul gave us a description of a major part of our function as “salt of the Earth:” 

Let your speech always be with grace,
as though seasoned with salt,
so that you will know
how you should respond to each person.
                                    -- Colossians 4: 6

Just think about this for a moment.  Do we realize that Jesus Christ, the Creator of our tongues, our sense of taste, and our ability to swallow food, and our ability to speak in words and sentences also calls us “the salt of the Earth.” Indeed, we are the salt when we “speak with grace” so that our words will be as food well-seasoned with salt.  Amazing!  With our tongue we can taste and enjoy food that is well seasoned with salt; and, with our tongue we can also speak words that bless others like food well-seasoned with salt.

But how can we “speak with grace” when we all know from experience that our tongue can be as James describes it, untamable and “a restless evil and full of deadly poison” (James 3: 8).  James continues:  Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?  Nor can salt water produce fresh (vv. 11-12).  Each of these contrasts suggest that the words from our tongue, whether gracious or otherwise, are determined by something deeper than the tongue per se.  Jesus explained how it is our heart, or our character, that governs our words and actions (see text box above).

Responding to Our Calling
If you are a Christ-follower, having been born again by faith in His deity, death, and resurrection to defeat sin and death, you too have a high calling.  “You are the salt of the Earth,” said Jesus (Matthew 5: 13).  As Christ-followers, we are called to be witnesses to the Gospel (“Good News”) by our well-seasoned conversation and acts of kindness.  Such a witness will have a purifying, preserving, and soothing effect as appropriate on our morally decaying culture. 

But we will only retain proper saltiness and the purity of it if we continually surrender our hearts and “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God…and do not allow ourselves to be conformed to this world [system of thought], but allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12: 1-2).”

I hope it has become apparent from this blog that I sense a continual need to submit to God so that He can work in my heart and in my speech.  I want my words and my actions to be the right seasoning of salt for a “yummy experience” so others will want to “taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34: 8).”  It’s all about Him, not about me, even if it takes a long time during which my saltiness is rejected.  Hopefully, this blog has provided valuable salt in the right number of “pinches” to make it worthy and helpful for God’s Spirit to use it in your life. 

Read More on "A Winsome Witness"
Read Part 2, "Being Salt in Controversy," click HERE.

Our Wedding Anniversary Celebration

This weekend, my wife Abby and I celebrate our 56^th wedding anniversary.  We have exchanged our love for each other in words and actions throughout this past week.  But whatever good and lovely that has been a part of our marriage could not have originated in us alone.

When we exchanged our wedding vows in 1969, little did we know two major facts about marriage.  First, we underestimated the vast range of experiences we would encounter.  On the one hand, we’ve enjoyed the mountaintop experiences of enjoying each other’s company in so many blessed occasions.  We were blessed with two children, Bradley and Melinda, and privileged to enjoy their development and accomplishments along with many more blessings that clearly are gifts from the hand of our God.

On the other hand, we have experienced the valleys of trial that have challenged our faith and the stability and integrity of our marriage.  We are two imperfect people who have often forgotten, and still forget, that among faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is love.  Agape love finds its only source in God as demonstrated by His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on a Roman cross in our place.  “Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4: 10).

Through all of our mountaintops of triumph and joy, and our valleys of trial and grief, our cause for celebration of our 56^th anniversary lies in our Heavenly Father, our Redeemer and Sustainer.  And, although we cannot see Him, we have experienced His enabling love extended through the love and support of our family, the fellowship we have experienced within the church, the Body of Christ; and through the many friends we have relied upon over the years. 

As we thank God for our marriage and celebrate your part in our lives, we have been enjoying time to look over photos that remind us of our many blessings over the years.  We wanted to share a few of the pics that represent some of our wedding anniversary highlights.  Thank you for your love and encouragement, and remember, you are a part of our celebration.

15^th  Wedding
Anniversary,  

1984

25^th  Wedding
Anniversary,  

1994

34th Wedding
Anniversary,  

2003 

40th Wedding
Anniversary,  

2009

46^th  Wedding
Anniversary,  

2015

       50^th  Wedding Anniversary,  Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Nat. Parks, 2019

           Celebrating the marriage
           of our grandson Caleb and
           granddaughter by marriage, Soni.

           August, 2019

55th Wedding 

Anniversary,

2024

When Is Your Anniversary:
Thank you for your interest in our story.  If you are married, we invite you to share your anniversary and thoughts regarding your  journey.  We would be just as glad to hear from you who are singles.  Please use the "Comment" link below or write us at silviusj@gmail.com

Related Blog Article:
As we have reflected on the blessings and trials of marriage and life in general, we've been using the metaphor of "the foothold."  It is important that we gain a good foothold in order to secure "firm footing" in our lives.   For more on this subject and its spiritual implications, click HERE.

Denying the Foothold

This month, we marked the 81^st anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944.  On that date during World War II, Allied forces representing the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries launched the greatest naval, air, and land invasion in world history.  By 6:30 am on June 6, the amphibious invasion began.   Over 5,000 ships and landing craft carrying troops and supplies were arriving from England across the channel to France.  Meanwhile, more than 11,000 aircraft provided air cover and support for the invasion.

The strategy, under the direction of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, was to open up a second battle front in northern France by attacking the beaches of Normandy which were controlled by Nazi forces under Adolph Hitler.  Bent on defending his control of the European mainland, Hitler had ordered the construction of the “Atlantic Wall.”  This coastal defense consisted of over 2,400 miles of coastal bunkers, landmines, and obstacles including heavy fortifications on the heights above the Normandy beaches.

The immediate objective of Allied forces on that June morning was to establish a beachhead or foothold from which to accomplish the landing of more troops, vehicles, munitions, and other equipment.  Over 2,000 American lives, representing about half of total Allied casualties, were lost on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach on the first day, and thousands more were wounded or missing.  But, by day’s end over 156,000 Allied troops had survived and secured a foothold on the beaches of Normandy.

D-Day military strategy was not the first in world history to depend upon securing a foothold against enemy forces.  Success in any military effort depends upon gaining control of sufficient ground to establish a staging area for more powerful and sustained frontal attacks on the enemy.  Likewise, on D-Day, success of the defending Nazi forces depended upon denial of the foothold.  Their failed efforts to deny the Allied forces a foothold signaled the beginning of the Allied advance to liberate western Europe and eventually their defeat of Nazi Germany.

Recognizing Our Enemy
Throughout God’s Word, we encounter the words “foothold” and “deny” as metaphors in the teaching of Scripture related to how we can resist and be victorious against the spiritual attacks of Satan.  The first step to be victorious is to recognize our Enemy and not “deny” his existence and schemes.

Six years before D-Day, British Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain met with Adolph Hitler and signed the Munich Agreement which ceded the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany.  Within the following year, it became evident that Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement that promised “Peace for Our Time” would not stop Hitler’s aggression.  Chamberlain had mistakenly denied Hitler’s evil intent to dominate Europe and eventually the world. 

Chamberlain’s error should teach us that simply denying the existence of something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  Today, many mistakenly deny the existence of God and His objective revelation in the Holy Scriptures.  Having denied God’s existence and His objective truth, the next step is to deny the existence of good and evil.  But if we are honest with ourselves, denial of our own personal tendency toward pride, selfishness, and conflict is really a denial of reality.   This denial is a spiritual consequence of our sinful nature inherited from our father, Adam.  Romans 5: 12 affirms this truth:  Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned —

Jesus’s half-brother, James, recognized that we all have a “sin nature,” and asked probing questions about its consequences in his epistle, in James 4: 1-2:
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?
Is not the source the evil desires that wage war in your members?
You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.
You are envious and cannot obtain; so, you fight and quarrel.

Wars throughout world history and the current wars in various parts of the world, all began within “the evil desires that wage war in [our] members.”  The good news is that when a person yields to the authority of Jesus Christ, he or she is “united with Christ in the likeness of His death” and “raised to new life (‘born again’) in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6: 5).  Born again Christ-followers are “no longer slaves to sin.”  Because we still possess a sin nature, we remain a target of Satan who is our "adversary," "accuser,” and also "opposer" or "obstructor," along with his hellish minions (demons).  But under the “new Master,” Jesus Christ, every born-again Christ-follower is indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit who enables him or her to oppose sin’s reign in their mortal body so that they “need not obey its passions” (Romans 6: 12-14).  In other words, when Christ is our new Master, Satan no longer has free access to our lives.  But, as in any warfare, our victory over sin depends on how well we can recognize the strategy of our enemy and then respond so as to deny the enemy even a foothold.

Strategy of Our Enemy
Psalm 36: 1-4 provides what can become a clear battle plan for recognizing and resisting our spiritual enemy.  First, unlike Neville Chamberlain’s naivety toward scheming Adolph Hitler, we must recognize the deceptive nature of the messaging that bombards our eyes and ears every day.  The messaging from the “world system of thought” will tend to appeal to the evil desires that wage war in [our] members (recall James 4: 1-2 above).

Second, we must resist ungodly messages we see and hear by remembering God’s goodness and love that sent His Son, Jesus, to the Cross to intercede and deliver us from the dominion of sin and Satan.  The Apostle John wrote (1 John 2: 14b-16; emphasis added), I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.  Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

When the Enemy Gains Foothold
What happens when we fail to recognize our Enemy and do not resist his attacks?  When this happens, we allow the Enemy to gain a foothold in our heart and mind. The table below outlines the unfortunate progression of spiritual defeat.  But, in the right column are samples from God’s Word that can be used to counter the Enemy assault:

My study of Psalm 36 has reminded me of my own proneness to “listen to sin” speaking to my heart which is the center of the nature of who I am as a person.  On the one hand, I must not trust my heart; but instead, recognize that “nothing good dwells in me; that is, in my flesh (Romans 7: 19) and that my heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who can really know how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17: 9).

On the other hand, I must remember that “Calvary is always on the way” and has come to my aid (Recall the bugles when the U.S. Cavalry comes to the rescue?)   Titus wrote the following to first century believers, and to us (emphasis added):  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2: 11-14).   

Denying a Foothold
Titus 2: 11-14 is a great passage to memorize.  Note that while God extends His GRACE (“God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense) freely, it is not “cheap!”  Grace came at the great expense of Christ’s leaving Heaven’s glory to die on a Roman cross, bearing our sin, and our pain and sorrow in place of us.  Therefore, Titus 2: 12 reminds us that God’s priceless GRACE not only “brings salvation” but it also “disciplines us to deny ungodliness and worldly passions.”  “Deny” here means to “refuse access” in the same way athletic coaches teach their players how to play defense so as to “deny” their opponent access to the goal line in football or to the rim in basketball.

Spiritually, we must “deny” our enemy access to our minds lest he gain a foothold.  The Apostle Paul cautions us about unrighteous anger and unresolved issues in relationships:   BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4: 26-27).  Paul recognized, and so must we, that our major challenges in life are not primarily the threats from a “physical” enemy.”  He wrote in 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5:
For though we live in the world,
we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.…  

In Ephesians 6, Paul uses the analogy of a well-equipped soldier armed for battle (Ephesians 6: 10-18).  He explains, as shown in the graphic, how each piece of armor that provides physical protection also has a spiritual significance.  I encourage readers to study this passage, and note specifically how the Word of God is the offensive weapon while the other pieces are defensive and must be put on “while praying at all times” (verse 18).  Christ-follower, wouldn’t you agree from your own experience that “effective, fervent prayer” is your most important spiritual “weapon” both in defense against the enemy, and in achieving victory in your service of our King?

The Power of Prayer
In conclusion, as we remember D-Day and the thousands of Allied troops that stormed the beaches of Normandy 81 years ago this June, we imagine that many of them advanced courageously because they knew they were being held up in prayer by loved ones at home.  Many others carried a military Bible near their hearts as they scaled the cliffs against enemy fire and experienced boldness and yet peace of mind in the midst of conflict.

May we each take to heart the lesson of the prepared soldier and the strategy of denying the Enemy a spiritual foothold in our lives.  We close with a quote from Andrew Murray, the great South African pastor whose writings continue to offer deep spiritual insight.  The quote is from Murray’s book, The Prayer Life:

“When a general chooses the place from which he intends to strike the enemy, he pays most attention to those points which he thinks most important in the fight. Thus, there was on the battlefield of Waterloo a farmhouse which Wellington immediately saw was the key to the situation. He did not spare his troops in his endeavors to hold that point: the victory depended on it.  So, it actually happened.  It is the same in the conflict between the believer and the powers of darkness. The inner chamber is the place where the decisive victory is obtained.”

“When the Church shuts herself up to the power of the inner chamber, and the soldiers of the Lord have received on their knees 'power from on high', then the powers of darkness will be shaken and souls will be delivered.  In the Church, on the mission field, with the minister and his congregation, everything depends on the faithful exercise of the power of prayer.”

Care to Comment:
We hope you have given high priority to gaining and maintaining a foothold on the firm ground of faith, able to withstand our Enemy attacks and the inclinations of our sinful flesh.  Maybe you have a question about something you have read, or about how to surrender your life to Christ.   You may contact us using the “Comment” link below, or use our e-mail address:  silviusj@gmail.com  We would love to hear from you.

Killing Donald Trump

Please Note: 
This blog does not propose a plan. 
It prescribes a way of prevention.

If our title sounds familiar, you may be familiar with Bill O’Rielly’s “killing series:” Killing Lincoln (2011), Killing Kennedy (2012), Killing Reagan (2015), and others.  Each book recounts the events and personalities surrounding the killing of an influential leader.  Killing Reagan is an exception because President Reagan, like Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt.  Both of these near assassinations have left a mark on our hearts and minds.

Whether you love or hate Donald Trump, he is considered by many to be the most consequential world leader of this century.   Ever since 2015 when he and Malania descended the escalator into the world of politics, the lives of the Trump family have dramatically changed.  Many of their close friends suddenly became their public enemies.  The personal and emotional cost Donald Trump and his family have paid for their decision continues to this day.

Of course, no U.S. president is loved by everyone.  Politics often skews the popularity of a president.  But politics aside, President Trump may top the list of most disrespected and hated among all U.S. presidents.  Herein lies the purpose of this blog.  (See text box on ABOVE.)

We are all familiar with the numerous, decade-long political, legal and personal attacks levied against President Trump.  The most egregious of all the attacks occurred on July 14, 2024 when Mr. Trump was shot in the head during a campaign rally in Butler, PA by a would-be assassin.  The shots fired on that day, awakened many Americans to the serious consequences when a divided nation becomes embroiled around a controversial presidential candidate.

Think No Evil, Commit No Evil?
Politics, personality, and character qualities aside, we believe it is time to take stock of our thoughts, attitudes, and behavior toward Donald Trump as a fellow human being.  The universal moral code, often represented in the Golden Rule, states that we ought to treat others as we wish to be treated.  The Judeo-Christian Scriptures express the universal moral code in the Ten Commandments, the last six of which address our moral and ethical behavior toward others.  Commandment number six (6) states clearly: “You shall not murder.”

Thankfully, most of us can affirm that we are not murderers.  But Jesus Christ the Messiah of God came into the world to bring a higher moral standard.  In his Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus laid out a moral framework for kingdom living, He said,
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
 I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  - Matthew 5: 17
By “fulfil the law,” Jesus meant that, whereas keeping the Old Testament laws of Moses may alter our outward behavior, He came to bring transformation of our hearts so that His followers are empowered by God’s Spirit to keep the “spirit of the law.”

Jesus illustrated what it means to “fulfil the law” when he said (emphasis added),
You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, “You good-for-nothing,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  – Matthew 5: 22-23

Scripture: “Evil Thoughts, Evil Actions.”
Jesus’s listeners must have been stunned to hear that their tongues are “murder weapons” by God’s standards.  Jesus affirmed the connection between our thoughts, our words, and our actions on another occasion when He said,
…the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. – Matthew 15: 18-19

Jesus’s teaching on murder is affirmed in the New Testament Epistle of James, His half-brother.  James pictured our outward sins such as murder as having been conceived like a child is conceived within the womb.  He wrote that our evil desires become pregnant and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. – James 1: 15

Suddenly, we realize that unless we have never spoken harshly to another person, we too are murderers.  And we are in need of God’s forgiveness that is possible because “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1: 17).  Jesus came with hard truth but He gave it to us through His extended arms of love.  Christ demonstrated God’s love when He gave His sinless life on the Cross as the sin offering for us who have broken all of the Ten Commandments at one time or another (James 2: 10).  All of this with only one requirement on our part:  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1: 9

Of course, many refuse to confess that they are sinners.  Many even deny the authority of Jesus Christ and the Bible which represents His inspired Word.  Instead, many will say, “Show me the science.”

Science: “Thoughts Produce Physical Changes”
Amazingly, science has been confirming the truth of God’s Word.  Researchers have demonstrated that “how we think” produces “physical effects” on our brain.   If this is true, our thoughts and attitudes, whether positive or negative, will affect the kind of person we are becoming, and, in turn, affect our communication and actions toward others.  These connections explain how it is possible for a perfectly rational and moral person to descend into darkness where evil thoughts eventually lead to evil behavior including murder.   But, biologically speaking, how does this occur?

Dr. Caroline Leaf, a communications neuroscientist, has shown through her research that our thought processes produce “physical effects” on our brain.  Each thought generates an effect upon our genes.  Our genes (DNA code), in turn, initiate protein synthesis.  Dr. Leaf’s book, Switch on Your Brain (Baker Books, 2013), explains how repeated thought patterns in our mind, whether positive or negative, will establish patterns rooted in physical changes in our brain resulting in effects on our biological, emotional, and spiritual health.

Dr. Leaf explains how our repeated thought patterns bring changes in the neurophysiological and cellular landscape within our brain by using the analogy of a growing tree with roots, trunk, and branches:

In the same way that a planted seed forms roots, appears above ground, grows, and changes, so your thoughts grow and change over time.  Once a thought is planted—the conversation you have, what you hear, what you read, and so on—its roots begin to grow.  When “watered” with thinking, it grows into a little thought plant.  If ignored, the thought tree dies.  If, however, it gets lots of thinking energy, it will eventually get bigger and stronger.  Whatever we think about the most will grow.  So, at first it is a little plant, like a nagging worry or something at the back of your mind.  Over time, if it’s watered with thinking, it becomes a “big tree” and can dominate and influence our behavior.   

Dr. Leaf gives us encouraging news.  Because our brains have the capacity to change, a property known as neuroplasticity, we can literally “change our minds.” This is possible “through directed mind management or self-regulation.” (Read more HERE.)   We can’t change what has happened to us, but like “mental landscapers” and “forest managers,” we can consciously choose to have a healthy forest.  We can exercise our will to starve out toxic thought trees that can otherwise grow when we water them by nagging worries or bad habits.  Then, using “self-regulated mind management,” we can “prune and clear out” the resultant dead debris from toxic thought trees before it accumulates and interferes with the growth of healthy trees, or becomes dry and bursts into flames that diminish our mental health.

Admittedly, there is a lot here to unpack.  Our brief summary of Dr. Leaf’s research may give the impression that we can correct our mental health woes in a quick-fix manner.   However, there is much more involved which often necessitates professional counsel and a prescribed plan of action.  To learn more, check out the resource links below.

Dr. Leaf’s podcast series (Click HERE.) Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess (Click HERE.)  Neurocycle self-help app: (Click HERE.)  Two-minute self-assessment (Click HERE.)

“Look, Here Is the Man”
On July 14, 2024, the world witnessed the near assassination of Donald Trump.  To many, it was a stark reminder of how hateful thoughts can produce hateful words and even violent actions.  Meanwhile, President Trump’s critics have continued their verbal attacks.  Occasionally, the hatred is expressed through innuendos that call for violence.  For example, on Thursday, the former director of the FBI posted on social media a not-so-subtle message with beach shells, “8647,” which is being interpreted as “eliminate President Trump.”  

In spite of the strong support from both the Bible and science, even professing Christians show disdain and spout derogatory words about Mr. Trump with apparently little regard for the 6^th Commandment or Jesus’s teaching that murder can be committed in our heart, with our  tongue, or using an electronic device. 

Jesus came into this world teaching that “the first and foremost commandment” is to love God above all else, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-38).  He showed His obedience to both commandments by perfect obedience to God, His Father in Heaven.  Jesus also spoke and acted in loving ways to everyone:  government officials, common people, Jewish leaders, tax collectors, adulterers, and even to Judas, the man who would betray Him.

In spite of His great love and kindness, long before Jesus was born of Mary, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied how He would be treated throughout His earthly life and eventually during Passion Week:
 

He was despised and forsaken of men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him…
He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.  (Isaiah 53: 3, 5). 

Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, was responsible to decide on the sentence of Jesus Christ based on trumped up accusations--sedition against Rome and blasphemy against God.  The Bible reports that Pilate’s initial verdict was, “I find no fault in this man” (John 19: 4).   Pilate paraded Jesus before the crowd and declared, “Look, Here Is the Man (John 19: 5).”  But when he saw the growing crowd which had been incited to call angrily for the crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate gave in to the riotous pressures of the mob (Matthew 27: 24) and eventually “handed Him over to them to be crucified (John 19: 16).”  Here, we can see how hatred from the heart can incite individuals and even whole crowds to become violent.

No!  We are not comparing Donald Trump to Jesus Christ either in matters of character or in the way in which the two men have been treated by others.  Nor do we wish to condemn anyone who expresses disrespect toward our president as if we are morally superior or have never been disrespectful to others ourselves.  Instead, we are simply reminding ourselves and readers of some basic truths:
1)  God is Donald Trump’s ultimate Judge, not us.
2)  God continually extends grace, goodness, and mercy to us, or we would be consumed.
3)  When God repeatedly commands us, “You shall not…[e.g. murder.]” it is because He loves us and loves everyone created in His image (Genesis 1: 26-28).
4)  God, speaking through Christ within hours of giving His very life for us on a Roman Cross, called us to live and love others according to His example.  He said,
A new command I give you: Love one another.   As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 23: 34-35).”

Time for Confession:  Social Media
Besides being pleasing to God, another benefit of obeying Jesus’s command to love our neighbor is that we have fewer regrets.  For example, I (John) regret some of what I have written in the past in Oikonomia.  Once our words are spoken or written in social media, they are hard or impossible to erase.  On the other hand, I am thankful for some of the dialogs I have had on politics with my friends in which we display a commitment to mutual respect even though we may disagree. 

Although it is not a perfect example, I was blessed to dialog with two friends which became the subject of our November 1, 2024 blog entitled “Election 2024: What Can We Agree On?” This blog grew out of a dialog on Facebook and extended to another dialog in “Comments” at the end of the blog (Click HERE.)

Time for a Heart Exam?
How about you?   Will you join us in submitting to a regular “heart exam.”  We may not all agree with President Trump’s policies or appreciate his personality or communication.  But if we harbor animosity, resentment, or disdain in our hearts (rooted as “toxic trees” in our minds), which boil over in disparaging or hateful communications, we need to be aware that we are breaking the “new command” as stated by Jesus.  We are neither loving others, especially our chief national leader, nor presenting a testimony of Christ’s love for a struggling and lost world to see.

If our description above matches your attitude and actions toward Donald Trump, we respectfully call you to acknowledge that you are a spiritual law breaker and repent of (turn away from) your sin (1 John 1: 5-10).  None of us should assume that we are incapable of the most hideous sin against God or our neighbor.  Then, with repentant heart and a sense of God’s mercy and forgiveness, let us pray for Donald Trump and family.  The Bible urges us to lift up entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings… on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority… (1 Timothy 2: 1-2a).

Related Article:  “No Gun Control Without Self-Control,”  Oikonomia, March 30, 2013  Click HERE.

Welcome to Comment:
If you have a question or wish to express a further insight or opinion, we urge you to use the “Comment” link below to post either anonymously or with your name.  If you would like to communicate privately, just e-mail us at silviusj@gmail.com.