I’d love to go ahead and list all the thoughts I have with regards to how dark things are all around the world, from a perspective considering our continent, and our specific region of Southeast Asia; Then, from a perspective looking at our entire country, then our specific partition (Luzon, or the North), our province (Benguet), and then our city.
There’s certain, pronounced darkness and evil in each perspective, and it’s not as if it wouldn’t be present the deeper we go. There’s definitely darkness from a view considering our entire city, just as much as we see darkness and death creeping into our circles of influence… Down to ourselves – our beings, from every aspect: Mind, body, soul and spirit relentlessly being attacked by darkness.
Again, I’d go into detail, but in doing so I run the risk of placing too much emphasis. That, or I probably wouldn’t want my specifics mentioned in public.
Well, I could – only if I am able to match it all with the Gospel. And I suppose it’s not up to me to be definitive and absolute about ‘arranging’ or ‘matching’ specific infinite and eternal Truths against grim, albeit finite facts, but even before I try to take the first step in what’s probably going to be a very long article, I’m saying already – The Truth is the Truth in that it endures forever, surpassing even the longest applicable and the most lasting of facts.
Psalm 42
Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Our hope is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
We aren’t seeing it on television or any of those traditional mediums of communication, but I am reading about it on social media platforms such as X and Threads – Christians are being killed all over the world. I’ve recently been reading about how the killings are more prominent now in Nigeria, and in Sudan. We’ve also read about how missionaries have been executed in areas in the Middle East, and in South Asia.
Our Savior didn’t wait until His own crucifixion – He warned us clear enough while He walked with us:
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.John 15:18-21
We are persecuted simply because we are no longer of this world. I do keep sharing about how we’ve been changed from the inside out, and the things we do naturally now are totally different from what we used to do without any effort or awareness on our part.
No longer do we do the works of the flesh, because the old flesh has been crucified. We have a more pronounced propensity towards the fruits of the Holy Spirit, because of the Spirit that was poured into us, and is now alive in us.
What I’m saying is that we are new creations, for better or for worse. We project the goodness of God for those who see to be brought to repentance.
But lest we forget, Christ also called us the Light of the World – this light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it (from John 1:5), and it’s becoming more and more apparent that those in darkness would rather hate and kill what they do not understand and comprehend.
Darkness spreads, and I could imagine that this darkness is coming closer and closer to home. We see persecution in forms of all-out barbaric killing, or in more ‘civilized’ tribes and nations, through stealing, and destroying: Of resources, of dignity, of reputation, etc.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:7-12
I must confess that I was one of those fellows who openly mocked my own Mom when she was raising awareness of the times of the end – I was, as Scripture pointed out, one of those folks who would say something in the lines of ‘You keep saying the end is coming, but where is it?‘
…And now, seeing all that’s going on, I couldn’t help but agree – or actually, I would like it very much if Christ came back already. It’s just becoming harder and harder to live in this world, and we’ve been transitioning from having enough time to make all sorts of analysis of signs and prophecies, to being brought on edge and just calling on Christ for help… and, even to just come already and to manifest our complete and absolute salvation, in this wretched existence.
I no longer cringe or spurn as much at these folks who add priority to the endtimes… Much as we really shouldn’t be looking down on other Christian denominations. That is, however, with the understanding that folks who ARE part of said denominations ought to always keep in mind, now more than ever, that we are primarily the Body of CHRIST – and NOT the Body of (denomination’s priority – Baptism, Evangelism, Pentecostals, Intercessors, etc), NOT the Body of Positive Thinking, NOT the Body of whatever is trending with regards to musical Worship; And, yes, I keep constantly reminding my own Mom that we are NOT the Body of the Endtimes and Prophecy, more than we ARE the Body of Christ.
I suppose I should be giving all of us that heads-up – Again, that we are New Creations, for better or for worse, and we are the Body of Christ, for better or for worse.
This means that, yes, while we ARE blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved, we ARE prime targets of sin, flesh, and death. People will either do all in their power to see us crucified and burned alive, or they will listen in awe, as we continue to sing and praise through the flames.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
I have reason to believe that this peace that surpasses all understanding dictates the following:
- Even in the worst that the world could ever do to us, Christ is still the best thing that ever happened for us.
- For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.Philippians 1:21
At around this time I’m reminded of something that amused me, and something I wrote about in the past – the interrogation scene in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, where a brutal, enraged (supposed) protagonist Batman (played by legend Christian Bale) came to the desperate point of trying beat out the location of two missing people from a Joker (fellow legend Heath Ledger) laughing hysterically.
He was allegedly defeated, trapped and cornered, but he laughed louder and louder as Batman hit him harder and harder, until he spat out the facts, in a way that only Heath Ledger (masterfully) expressed: ‘You have nothing, NOTHING to threaten me with! Nothing to do with all your strength!‘
Right now, as I’m writing about persecution and the troubles of this world, starting off from a top-down view, I’m reminded of our state in Christ, with Christ, and as the body of Christ, even in the increasing peril: For all that the darkness can do to us, for all the stealing, killing and destroying that the enemy could do to us, the devil is a lion, but a mere roaring lion with NOTHING to threaten us with… Nothing to do to us with all his strength.
Even in nothing we have everything – through Christ, righteousness unto life, and life abundant. Life eternal. Though we die, we live… and, indeed, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
And, really, we’re off to a good start here, and I’m seeing now that I don’t really need to go through the entire top-down approach, from the world, to the continent, to the nation, the city, and so on – The terrible things we see happening to our brothers and sisters and their families in other areas in the globe ought to remind us all that to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
That no death or life, no circumstance, no trial or no persecution, no distance or isolation could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
That, in fact, Christ Jesus paid such a great price for us to be so reconciled to the Creator of all, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – that we are able to call Him our Father.
That our Father is for us, and not against us. That we can run to our Father in our time of need, to His throne of grace – and that we can come to Him, and He gives us rest.
And, consequently, He’s also chasing us down – as the Father ran to the prodigal son and to the spiteful elder brother. He chases us down with goodness and mercy, provoking celebration as he restores us, constantly reminding us that all that is His is ours.
Whether we are lamenting with our brethren being killed and hunted down all over the world, or crying out to the Lord with regards to our position as a nation in Southeast Asia, or expressing discontent and disappointment in our national and local governments…
We may bear the burden of distress for others, for the suffering of others in the hospital, or mourning a recently passed loved one… We could mourn with others in ministry, or suffer with those we work with.
We may also be facing our own struggles, our own losses; We may be suffering from rejections and consequences of past decisions, suffering from what is happening around us and against us, or struggling with our own internal conflicts….
Indeed, in the best and the worst of times – for us who could only observe and pray, down to our brethren who are threatened with the sword for Christ… Because of Christ, the Best for ALL of us, we cry out as Paul did:
55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
1 Corinthians 15:55
To God be all the glory and praise, for in Christ, we have true peace, peace beyond all human reasoning and understanding. May this peace continue to manifest in our minds and in our actions, and may we always be secure, knowing that God is for us and not against us, and that nothing is ever going to separate us from His everlasting love.
May we continue to live, move, and have our being in Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we continue to flow, trust God, and thank God. It’s but fitting, especially considering Thanksgiving is coming in a few days.
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 43:11
May the Lord bless us all, and may our Father be glorified to the maximum as the world continues to turn, and life and existence in this reality continues. He is good, and good all the time – Our trust is in Him, always. Amen.
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