Faith, With A Little

Dr. Mike Murphy

November 3, 2024

     A young boy was invited to spend some time with Albert Einstein.  Although very intelligent, the young boy was more than a little arrogant.  After spending time with Dr. Einstein, they walked out onto his porch to continue their talk.  As they sat on the porch, the young boy smiled, thinking of a way he could possibly trip up Dr. Einstein.  As they began to sit, the young boy pointed to a tree, and asked, “How do we even know that tree is there?”  Calmly Albert Einstein looked over at the young boy and replied, “Only by faith.”

What is faith?  The dictionary defines faith as “strong belief or trust in someone or something, belief in the existence of God, strong religious feelings or beliefs, a system of religious beliefs”.  Although belief and trust are a big part of our faith, to accept this definition would mean that if we believe there is a God or have feelings for God, then we have faith in God.  This is one time Webster and the scholastic world simply got it wrong!  Faith cannot be found through positive thinking.  Faith cannot be defined by intuition or premonition.  Faith is not wishing for the best, and hoping all will turn out okay.  Although many would try to define faith in such terms, it can never be seen or identified in this way.    

The Bible defines faith in an altogether different way.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  When we read this verse, we must ask ourselves, what is the assurance and the conviction that defines our faith?

The word for assurance means “that has foundation and actual existence, a firm substance of real being.”   The word comes from another Greek word that actually means “to stand under”.  Assurance is certainty, the reality of trust we have in things around us.  When we walk up the stairs in our home, we do so with certainty, without second thought.  We have walked up those stairs so many times that we know they will support us, and get us to where we need to be.  Assurance is based in trust, knowing we can rely on something with complete confidence.

Conviction means “that by which a thing is proved or tested”.  This is why we refer to the term when someone has been found guilty of a crime.  The conviction of our faith is the same.  We have been shown the evidence, and have seen all the things that support that evidence.  We have conducted our own personal trial, and been shown all the facts.  We have intelligently looked at this evidence, and have made our ruling.  Jesus Christ is who He claims to be!  He is the Son of the living God, who came to this earth to offer each of us a true and lasting hope!

When we take a close look at these two words, we begin to see the power that Paul placed in this verse.  And when we go back and look at the verse in its’ original language, we see even more power.  The Greek literally translates, “Now faith is the reality of things being hoped for, the proof of things not seen.”  Our faith is both reality and proof, it is based on both our mindful acknowledgement and our certainty.  We cannot know and understand faith without both.  Through our mindful acknowledgement, we have the proof our faith is based on.  Through our certainty, we experience the reality of knowing our faith is true.  

The best way this can be explained, is by doing so the way Jesus would have.  Through a example or parable. When we see a boat, our mind quickly identifies the object and recognizes it as a boat, not as a car or a plane.  Through our experiences, we have come to know the purpose of a boat.  The boat is designed to keep up afloat on water, and to help us get to the other side.  Our faith is likened to the trust that allows us to step into that boat, knowing what it is designed for and the purpose it is meant to serve.  This is why Paul goes on to tell us that without faith, it is impossible for us to please God(Hebrews 11:6).  For the Lord knows that without faith, we will never find ourselves in that boat!

To truly understand faith, we need to understand where our faith comes from.  Faith is not something we can just learn.  It is not something we can obtain on our own.  And it is not something that we are born with.  Faith is a gift.  It is not a gift we deserve, or a gift we have earned.  Along with His grace and mercy, it is a gift that leads to His glory, a gift to fulfill His plan and purpose for each of us.  A gift that will never be any better than the One we place that faith in.

Faith is vital to the life of every Christian.  We are saved through faith(Ephesians 2:8), we are justified by faith(Romans 5:1),  our hearts are cleansed by faith(Acts 15:9), and through our faith we look forward to the return of Christ(2 Peter 3).  It it because of our faith that we please God, that we show the Lord our trust and dependency on Him, and that we seek to rely on His mercy and His grace.  

Our faith is rational(Hebrews 11:3), showing us that God is the Creator of all.  Our faith is revolutionary(Hebrews 11:4-8), making the invisible visible, and the impossible possible.  Our faith is inspiring(Hebrews 11:4-40), leading us to places we would have never gone, and accomplishing things we would have never imagined.  And our faith is discerning(Hebrews 11:26), teaching us the rewards of Heaven over the riches of man. 

Our faith is trusting, our faith is rational, and our faith calls us to action.  As we closely see how the Lord defines faith, let us take a closer look at each of these.

Faith Is Trusting  

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”, Proverbs 3:5..  A verse many of us have grown up knowing, being taught to us from our earliest years.  Many will often try to separate the words trust and faith, but you actually cannot.  Although they are two different words, you cannot define one of these words without the other.  It is through trust that we can believe in all the promises God has given us.  And it is through faith that we trust those promises will be fulfilled.  Without trust, our faith would rely on hope.  Trust gives us the assurance of those things, and what separates the truth of God’s Word from all the other religions of this would.  We have seen the fulfillment of God’s Word, therefore we can trust His Word.  No other religion can make that claim!  They just hope the false words their ‘god’ has given them will come true.

Two hundred and forty-five times we see the word faith used in the King James Version of the New Testament.  What may surprise you, it is only used twice in the Old Testament.  But both times the word carries incredible meaning.  In Habakkuk 2:4 we read, “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”   The Hebrew word for faith means “firm, secure, trustworthiness”.  It is actually derived from another word that means “craftsman”.  A craftsman was seen as a one who was an expert in his field, whose actions could be trusted.  Someone whose actions had purpose and meaning, and what they made you could be secure in.  It is by no mistake that the words is used here!  It is by faith that we can have security and trust in God’s Word and His work.  This word shows us that there is far more to faith that just knowing God.  It shows us that faith is trusting God, and believing that we should follow His will.  

Trust is a call to our faith.  Trust is why we should follow God with all our heart, committing every part of our life to the Lord with complete confidence.  Showing us that our faith does not rest in the logic of men, but in the proven wisdom of God.  Jesus said in Luke 4:4, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”  Trust shows us why our faith in Christ is all we will ever need!

Faith is Rational

Our faith is not a philosophical theory or even a psychological fact.  Our faith is nothing short of a spiritual force!  Our faith is living, created from a Living Word, that has produced a living proof!  Although our faith is not solely based on evidence, it is supported by every ounce of evidence this world has ever seen.

Despite what many would try to tell us, our faith is not blind.  The very heart of the Christian worldview is based on actual evidence, not on blind faith.  It is only after one is presented with overwhelming evidence that he or she is invited to place their faith in the facts of the Gospel.  Our faith is not about turning off our brains and only following our heart.  It is also not driven by the emotions of the day.  Our faith is about seeking Christ with every character and feature of our body, every cell that makes up our existence being used to follow God.  Our mind shows us the reality of all we hear, and our eyes shows us each day that our faith is not blind.

  Throughout the Scriptures we are shown that reason, understanding, and wisdom are traits that are rewarded.  Proverbs 3:13 tells us, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.”  This verse tells us we are blessed when we seek wisdom from, and understanding in God.  We must remember, that God created us with the ability to reason and to think.  And He gave us those abilities for a very specific purpose, so that we might seek and find the truth.  God knows that if we truly seek that truth, we will find Him.  Psalm 14:1 tells us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’.”  The word for fool used here does not refer to a lack of intelligence, but refers to a person without morals.  This verse shows us that when we deny the existence of God, we put ourselves on a path in search of evil.  Reason and understanding that does not focus on God, soon becomes the logic that leads us to the evil of this world.  Faith is not only rational, faith is a sign of intelligence in God’s eyes!

Faith Is Action

An impala is an amazing creature.  This antelope found in the savanna of Africa, has athleticism and grace that few animals can match.  In a single jump it can reach heights of over ten feet, and can leap distances of over thirty feet.  But with all of its’ abilities, you can enclose an impala behind a three foot wall and it will never escape.  An impala will never jump if it cannot first see where its’ feet will land.  Fear, and this world, would have us be like the impala.  Entrapped in fences without knowing what lies beyond.  But our faith allows us to overcome the fear of these fences that Satan would place in front of us.  Our faith draws us into action, causing us to step over those fences.

We must begin to understand, faith is not just believing in the evidence God would have us see, it is putting that wisdom into action.  Faith is not just cheap talk, faith also requires our hard work.  Faith takes us beyond talk, it puts us into action.  Faith is more that just believing in God, faith leads us to behave by the Word of God.

Faith is an action.  Look at the Bible as an example.  Noah built an ark.  Abraham departed his home when he received the call of God.  Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelis go.  Joshua fought for the Lord.  Samuel anointed David.  Each of these were acts of faith.  Faith requires action, without action there cannot be faith.  In Hebrew there is not even a noun form of the word for faith, it can only be found in verb form.  Each of the above patriarchs stand in the presence of the Lord today, because they chose(a verb) to follow the call of God.

Faith is a doctrine that is expressed through our choice, through our action.  Faith leads us from belief toward trust and obedience, and that trust and obedience requires us to act.  We must never forget, faith is our trust, our reasoning, and our understanding in action .  In order to follow God, we must first get up, and put all that God shows us into movement.  Our faith is evident in everything we do.  It is only when we put our faith into action, that the world around us can see Christ reflected in each of us!

Faith!  A word far more powerful that most of us ever imagined.  A word that Christ tells us with the smallest of amounts we could move mountains.  Our faith brought us to the Cross, put us on our knees in front of that Cross, and calls us to show the world the beauty of that Cross. Faith is not just our holding on to God.  It is knowing that God is holding on to us, and that He will never let us go!  It is us knowing that before He even thought to let go, He would move mountains.  That He would and will move this very earth  because of our faith. 

Praying each of you will move mountains!

FEAR!

Dr. Mike Murphy

October 27, 2024

He could hear his heart beating louder than the voices and the footsteps. As he crouched in hiding behind the cabinet, he was sure they could hear every beat.  But with each beat, the soldiers continued to move, and soon he could hear their voices no more. He quickly rose, and found his way quietly to the door, stepping as lightly as he could as he made his way out of the village and into the protection of the land surrounding it..

Touma did not plan on still being in the village as the soldiers arrived, but the Lord’s needs had keep him there.  Two hours earlier, a voice in the dark had awakened him. Calling out to him, warning him of the soldiers that would soon raid his village.  He did not recognize the voice, but his heart knew the One who spoke.  As the village leader, Touma had the care of the village in his hands.  Five months earlier, a missionary had introduced Touma to Christ, and Touma soon accepted Christ into his heart.  With Christ in his heart, Touma soon found the Lord in his voice. Teaching all in the village the love of Christ, and baptizing each as they proclaimed His name.  In a village of forty-two, Christ name was soon declared by all.  And as each proclaimed Christ, Touma knew that the village was no longer in the care of his hands, but had been placed in the care of the Lord’s hands.

The voice that spoke told Touma to warn the village, to get all to safety as quickly as he could.  Touma quickly sprung into action, going hut to hut, awaken all that night and sending them on their way to safety.  As time ran short, Touma got the last family out of the village, and into the security of the night.  Forty-one of the forty-two were now safe, only Touma was left as he heard the vehicles of the soldiers approaching.  In his rush to get all safe, Touma had forgotten the most valuable item the village had.  A Bible given to him by the missionary that had led him to Christ.  A Bible that was read for all to hear each day. Each word cherished, each word bringing the village to want to hear more.  A Bible the village not only cherished, but did not know how they could ever replace.

Touma hurried to his hut to grab the cherished Bible, but as he gathered it into his hands, he could hear the voices of the soldiers swarming the village.  As they crashed they way into each hut, Touma hid behind the only place he could think of, a small cabinet in his home.  As he hid, Touma prayed.  Not for his own safety, but for the safety of the Bible.  He could not imagine the village without all hearing and taking comfort in the Word.  As the soldiers entered his hut, he could hear them questioning where everyone was.  And as Touma curled in hiding behind the cabinet, he could hear the disgust of the soldiers.  Muslim soldiers, who had heard of the village’s recent conversion to Christ.  A decision that had secured their eternity, but one  the soldiers could not allow to stand on this earth.  A decision that would cost each in the village their life if the soldiers had found them.  And as village leader, would have cost Touma even more, a persecution that many would consider worse than death.

But as Touma prayed, he could hear the soldiers leaving.  Frightened beyond belief, but without fear.  Terrified, but without terror.  Touma had found his strength, and it was written in each word of the Book he held and cherished.

If someone asked you, “What is the most common command in the Bible?”, what would your response be?  Would your answer be one of trust? Would you say it was a command to obey?  Or would you answer it was a command of love?  The answer is one most would never think of, that few could even guess.  “Fear Not” or “Do Not Be Afraid”, is the most common command God gives us.  By most accounts, three hundred, sixty-five times, the Bible tells us to not be afraid.  Once to remind us each day of the year.

Fear.  One of the most basic emotions that fill each of our days.  Fear can overwhelm us. Fear can silence us.  Fear can influence us.  And fear can drive us.  From the beginning of recorded history, fear has made its’ presence known. When we read the events that occurred in the Garden of Eden, we see fear there. Although pride was a driving force behind man’s first sin, it was the emotion of fear that is first recorded.  After Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree, the Bible tells us that God was in the Garden looking for them. “Then the Lord God called to man and said to him,’“Where are you?’  He answered, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”(Genesis 3:9-10).  Although their rebellion had brought tragedy on them, it was their fear that hid them from the only One who could save them.

Years later, the nation of Israel would also find themselves consumed by the same fear. They found themselves in exile, prisoners at the hands of the Babylonians.  Afraid as they were forced from their homes, abandoning their land to be marched into cities they had never seen, captive to a people they did not know.  With each step of that march, their fears consumed them. Questions driven by those fears came to their minds.  Why had this happened?  Had God abandoned them?  But their fears blinded them from the fact, God had not abandoned them, they had abandoned God.

So exactly what does the Bible tells us fear is?  Is all fear bad?  And how should we handle our fears?

The Bible describes fear in two ways.  The first, is a way that motivates us and encourages us.  The second, is a way that hinders us and restricts us.  We often refer to the first as the “Fear of the Lord”, but it is a term that is often misunderstood.  Proverbs 8:13 describes this fear as a hate of all evil. Teaching us that to fear God is not to be afraid of God, but to see in ourselves what God stands for.  It teaches us to have a respect for God, and to find ourselves in awe of what God does in our lives each day.  In this term, we see the blessings and the benefits of serving God, the wisdom and understanding that only God can bring to us(Psalm 111:10), and the life that only He can offer us(Proverbs 14:27).

But as much of a gift as the first is, the second way the Bible describes fear could not be more opposite.  The Bible describes this as a “spirit of fear”.  A fear that is not from God, but a fear that keeps us from God.  Dictionaries describe this fear with words like, afraid, panic, and threatening.  I find it much easier to describe in a different way, it is a lack of trust in God.  When we trust in the complete power of God, our fears vanish. our fears have no power over us.  It is for this reason that Paul tells us, “For God did not gives us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”(2 Timothy 1:7).

Fear, as we know it in the world today, is not from God, but is a powerful tool in Satan’s hands.  It builds a wall around us, convincing us that we are helpless.  Restricting us from doing the things that God has called us to do.  Fear is a word that only knows excuses.  Always looking to tomorrow, never allowing us to do all the things God needs us to do today.

We must remember, fear cannot be present where love is(1 John 4:18).  God’s love cannot know fear, and Satan will do everything he can to keep fear present so we cannot see and feel the love of God surrounding us.  He will use fear to bring us doubts, keeping from us the freedom that God’s perfect love brings us.  Our faith and our fears cannot exist together. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. Even when we cannot see it, we know the Lord is in control, working in and through each of our lives everyday.  Fear blinds us to that assurance, putting questions in our mind to those convictions.  Satan uses fear to grab hold of our emotions, seeking to gain an upper hand on our thoughts.  Satan knows that faith is not something we can ever produce ourselves, but is a gift from God.  Fear is Satan’s way of setting up a roadblock, looking to keep the Holy Spirit from delivering that precious gift to us.  It is for this reason, from Genesis to Revelation, God gives us the encouragement to plow through that roadblock, always reminding us to “Fear not”.

As we look at this world today, no greater two words should we hear each day than “fear not”.  With each step, this world will place roadblocks in your way. Roadblocks that play on our fears, that look to make us take pause instead of moving in the direction the Lord would lead us. Roadblocks that look to slow us down, filled with sounds that look to drown out our voice. Roadblocks that carry names of danger and enmity, posting signs at each stop that read with words like bigot, hate, outdated, and ignorant.  Words that leave us with only fears of what the world will think of us, instead of driving us to places the Lord needs us. Words that seek to make us forget how His grace has taken us this far, and how His grace will lead us the rest of the way home.

As you hear the words “fear not” this day, do not let your fears drive you. Do not let fear stop you from saying a single word the Lord would have you say. Do not let fear stop you from making a single step the Lord would have you make.  Do not let fear give you pause, causing you to not reach out to the hand that the Lord desperately needs you to touch.  And do not let fear convince you to hid your face from the opportunity the Lord has placed in your hands this day. Today, remember those two words, and repeat them often. And today, give Satan a glimpse of what he should fear.

Be freed by faith, not restricted by fear.

The Persecuted!

Dr. Mike Murphy
October 20, 2024

Logan Brookes had the opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity that he could not have dreamed of.  As a young journalist at a major newspaper, these opportunities did not fall into your lap often.  Logan felt his career was going nowhere fast.  He had shown such promise at his past assignment, but now he found himself at what he thought was a dead end position.  He was given the position of religious reporter, one he did not know what to make of, and one he knew little about.  But today, he felt fate had smiled on him.  Today was the day he could make a name for himself.

As Logan watched the television coverage of the recent events, he knew that religion would be coming front and center.  The sudden disappearance of many Christians brought with it many questions.  These were questions the world would soon ponder, questions that would allow Logan to bring his name to the forefront.

Logan listened to the commentators, looking for an angle that would separate him from all the others covering this story.  He heard them discuss the who.  He heard them talk about the what.  He heard the reports that stated the where, and addressed the when.  But as he listened to every channel, not once did he hear the why.  Why had many people throughout this world suddenly vanished?  This would be Logan’s approach, he would seek to answer the why.

As Logan began to investigate the story, he soon discovered the why would not be an easy question to answer.  For the past several years, Christians had grown to be despised.  A religion that relied on what the world had come to see as failed past events, a religion the world saw based more on fairy tales and myths than on science.  A religion that restricted the progress the world seeks, and taught standards the world would never accept.  Obstructionist that stood in the way of the evolution of man.  As the years had past, those who practiced this belief had dwindled greatly in number.  Many had left the faith, realizing that Christianity did not hold the answers the world sought.  Many had been forced out, as the world could no longer tolerate their views.  And many had been eliminated, obstacles disposed of as other beliefs had come to the forefront.  But even with all their faults, the question still lingered.  Why had Christians suddenly been taken out of this world?  This was a question Logan was determined to find the answer to.

For days Logan sought the advice of the experts.  Experts who could tell him what Christians believed, but could not tell him why they were gone. Professors and scholars who could tell him the principles behind their thoughts, but did not have a clue why they had vanished. Questions that as he asked, he not only did not get answers to, but soon discovered these were answers that no one sought.  The reality of the matter soon became aware to Logan. He had the story of a lifetime, a story that sought an answer.  But it was a story that no one cared to read.  It was an answer in search of a question.  Logan soon perceived that no one really cared, no one gave a second thought as to what had happened to all the Christians.  Most were just glad to see them gone.

As we read this story, the fiction of the situation soon becomes apparent. But as I look at the world around us today, I soon begin to wonder just how much is fiction, and how much is reality waiting to develop?

If you were asked, “Who are the most persecuted people in the world today?”, what would your answer be?  Most would guess many times before they came up with the right answer.  Christians!  Christians are the most persecuted people of this world today.  Over one hundred million Christians suffer persecution for their faith.  Whether imprisonment, abuse, hostilities, or death, more and more Christian lives are impacted because of their belief in Christ.

Over one hundred thousand Christians are martyred each year.  That equates to eleven men and women of faith who give their life in the name Christ each hour.  Eleven every hour! That number is not just growing each year, it is exploding.  In over seventy-five percent of all the nations of this world today, Christians face some form of discrimination.  And across the world today, eighty percent of all persecution and acts of religious discrimination are directed toward Christians.  Those numbers are not just staggering, they are overwhelming!

At the same time we see these startling facts, we must also face the fact that the influence the Church has in this country and throughout the world is diminishing.  Every recent poll shows that more and more people are not turning to God for their answers.  They do not trust the accuracy of the Bible, and do not see it as inerrant.  They do not understand the principles of Christianity, and most no longer seek to understand those principles.  More and more tell the polls that they do not believe that Christ was God, nothing more than a simple man.  And fewer and fewer feel the Church has any influence in their life.

We are watching as the world no longer wants to hear what the Church has to say.  At the same time they are speaking loudly back, telling us to be quiet or face the consequences. And as we are watching this happen, we see the Church in the western world unaware of the anger the world is spouting at us.  As much of the Christian world cries in anguish, the western Church ignores their pleas.  We sit in our pews ignorant of the predators that roam around us, predators that will soon be gathering at our very doors.  Predators that will soon seek new prey.

Our enemies feed on our silence.  Our silence as we watch the predators of this world gathering to devour us.  The words of Martin Luther King speak with volumes to the Church today.  “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”  A prophetic warning that may well apply more to the Church today, than it did to the generation in which these words were spoken.  Words that echo the warning that Christ had for this generation.  “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”(John 15:18-19).  The words of Christ foretold us, the hatred of this world wants nothing more than to have us out of this world!

As we near that glorious day, a day that will call each of us to spend an eternity with the Lord.  A day in which we will be changed in the blink of an eye, a day that will change this world forever.  A day the Church often discusses, and a day we often reflect upon.  We wonder what that day will hold for those left behind, those that will face a time of tribulation unlike any this world has ever seen.  How will this world face that day?  How will they explain the one event that will change their lives forever?  What theories will the world create to illustrate it? What explanations will be devised to explain why those who follow Christ have instantly vanished from this world?  Or will they even look or care to explain it at all?  Maybe they will just be happy to see us gone.

Praying each of you will not be here to find out the answer to my question.

Making Biscuits

Dr. Mike Murphy
October 13, 2024

Each Sunday morning, at his small southern church, the pastor would call on one of his deacons to lead the service in an opening prayer.  This Sunday was no different, he called on his oldest deacon, Bruce, as the service began.  Bruce slowly rose, bowed his head, and began to speak.  “Lord, you know how much I hate buttermilk.”

On hearing these words, the pastor opened one eye to glance at Bruce, wondering to himself just where all this was going.  And then, with a slow southern drawl, the pastor heard Bruce continue.  “And Lord, you know that I am no fan of lard.”  Now the pastor was completely perplexed, and began to openly sweat at the thought of how he would follow all this up.  Then, he heard Bruce begin to speak again.  “And Lord, you know I am not crazy about plain ol’ flour. But Lord, when you mix them all together, and you bake them just right, You know how much I love biscuits.  Lord, when I look around at this world, I see a lot of things I do not like, a lot of things I just do not understand.  But you know Lord, maybe I just need to take a look at what You are mixing, at what You have baking.  I am sure that when You get through, it will probably be something even better than biscuits!”

As he heard these words, the pastor slowly smiled.  He knew that the best sermon the congregation would hear that morning, had just been spoken.

A very dear relative of mine sent me this little story the other day.  As I read it, I could not help but smile.  And often that day, this little story stayed on my mind.  And each time I thought of it, it spoke to me a little louder, a little clearer. And with each thought of the little story, it became a little more transparent, it was me that the little story was speaking about, it was me that the deacon in this little story was speaking to.

So often today, we look at the world around us and we shake our head. We see the events playing out each day, and we just do not understand.  We find ourselves left questioning God, not understanding why He has not already done something about all these.  Many of us jokingly say we would love to just find a cabin in the woods, isolated from all we see going on in this world around us. Others of us point to the sky, saying everything we see means the Lord will soon return.  That the joyous day when Christ will return for His Church is at hand, and we just need to sit back and wait for His return.

But as I hear these words amidst the buttermilk, the lard, and the flour the world has spread around me, I realize that this oven is heating up for a reason, a reason that involves me. The Lord is reminding me, it is time for me to put my apron on.  To get out all the cooking tools He has given me.  It is past time I started making some biscuits.

Each word of the little story reminded me, the chaos we see in the world today is not calling for our silence, but demands our voice.  It does not lead us into the woods in isolation, but draws us right into the middle of the heat.  Only in the heat can the biscuits be made, and never in silence can the meal He has us preparing be announced.

I treasure and look forward to the moment I see His face, as He returns for all of us who call on His name.  But the promise of that soon approaching day does not leave me silent, it makes me want to shout until I am hoarse.  Of this Paul told us, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”(Philippians 1:6).  God is working on me, and looking to working through me each day I find myself on this earth.  Each minute, each second of every day, brings opportunity in His hands, the potential to reach someone else for Him. Just because the world might fall apart around me, does not mean His hands are not at work in and through me.  And not for one second does it mean His voice should ever be seen as quieted by me.  If anything, the chaos demands that I make His voice be heard louder.

Simply look at the Apostles, those who spent so many of their days with Christ, and see how their actions speak to us as we complain about the world around us today.  As Christ ascended into Heaven, and His return was promised, they believed like us that Christ could return any day.  In the midst of the chaos of their day, look what they did with all this in mind. They gave their all, literally. They refused to be silent when the world threatened to silence them.  And in almost every case, they gave their life so others might know the love, grace, and mercy that Christ brought to this world.  Take an even harder look at the ministry of Paul.  Most do not realize it, but of the thirty or so years that Paul spent in the ministry for Christ, he spent almost six of those years in prison.  A prisoner for doing nothing more than speaking the truth that only Christ had shown him.  But despite this, what did Paul do?  He worked to the very end. Despite all this world threw at him, despite all the hardships he would face, he made the most of every opportunity(2 Thessalonians 4:7-8, Ephesians 5:15-17).  Paul made biscuits!

And as I look around me today, I still see those like Paul.  Those that serve as a Christ-like example to all of us.  I have a friend who finds himself up each morning before most of us even realizes the day has begun.  Each day he goes on social media, and he prays for this Church and this nation.  Despite all the evil he sees in this world around us, despite all the hardship he sees this Church facing, he prays for hope.  He takes the opportunity each day the Lord gives him and makes the absolute most of it.  And daily through his written prayer, he reaches out to all around him, so each might share in his Godly hope for all of us. I have another friend who does street ministry in a foreign country.  Each day he reaches out to kids on the street, many of these kids are ones that our world has forgotten.  But kids he has not forgotten, and knows that Christ would never forget.  Most of us talk about the frontlines, but he lives for Christ on those frontlines every second of every day.  In conditions most of us could not even begin to imagine, he brings Christ to a needing world.  Both of these friends each day make biscuits!

With each day I have left, whether I am here until Christ returns, or I find myself already there, looking down joyously as many of you come to join me, it is past time I spent each day making biscuits.  Not being put off by all this world might throw at me, but making the most of each daily opportunity the Lord gives me.  That I leave this world the way the Lord will again come, with a shout.  And as He returns, I want to spend each of my days helping the Lord to make the “ride up” as full as possible!  It is time I took the buttermilk, the lard, the flour of this world, and made something remarkable from them.  Something that my hands are not capable of, but with the help of His hands, do not even test the capabilities. That each day finds me with apron in hand, baking away as I have never found myself baking before.  That I spend each day in His kitchen, doing the very thing He has called me to do.  It is time I started making biscuits!

Praying each of your days finds you in the Lord’s kitchen hard at work!

Handwritten

Dr. Mike Murphy

October 6, 2024

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN

I can only imagine what it must of been like that night so many years ago for Daniel to see these words.  The thoughts that must have come to his mind as he read those words. And the reality of what speaking those words to the king must have told him.

Belshazzar had grown up in the palace, and probably thought he had seen it all.  But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw that night. Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, the long ruling king of Babylon.  His father, Nabonidus, had married the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, Nitorcris.  Nabonidus used this marriage to gain great power over the kingdom, but was not respected by the people.  As he sat in rule over Babylon, his arrogance showed.  Nabonidus built statues of another god, and ordered the people to worship that god.  He proclaimed the moon god, a god who had the name Sin, as the top deity of the land.  This did not set well with the people, and soon their anger began to boil over. Nabonidus was forced to flee the palace in fear of his life, and placed his son, Belshazzar on the throne as he left.  But Belshazzar’s reign would be short, by most historical accounts, it was less than two years.

Belshazzar was much like his father.  History records him as brash, impulsive, and arrogant.  Historians wrote of him acting much more like a spoiled child than leading as a king.  Cyrus, the future king of Persia, would refer to Belshazzar as a coward with evil intent. Belshazzar’s name meant, “may Bel protect the king”.  Bel was a term referring to the lordship of many gods, and was often used as a collective or pantheon title for all the gods. But Belshazzar would learn that night, none of his gods could save him from what the Lord God had proclaimed to him.

On that night, Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of Babylon’s top people. As they gathered for the feast in the palace, outside the walls of Babylon a different “feast” was brewing.  The Medes and the Persian had surrounded the city, and laid siege to it. They were looking for a way to take down the powerful defenses of the city.  But Belshazzar was not worried, the city of Babylon was considered impenetrable, and held supplies that could last the city for years.  Babylon was a city like no other, magnificent in every way. Conservative accounts describe the walls of the city as being over eighty feet thick and over two hundred and fifty feet tall.  The outer walls were filled with guard stations, each towering another one hundred feet above the walls.  Getting in the city was just as much of a problem as getting to its’ walls.  A system of inner and outer moats and walls secured the city, and the enormous bronze doors of the inner city could not be moved.  The Babylonians considered the city nothing short of a fortress, a fortress that relieved them of all fears from those who stood outside of its’ walls.

As the wine flowed that night, they looked to their own pleasure as an escape of the reality that laid just outside of their walls.  With each filling of their cups, their denial became more embolden.  And with each drink, the arrogance of Belshazzar became greater.  “Who could possibly think themselves greater than Babylon?”  The question must have been asked that night.  As the question was asked, the king looked to put his arrogance on display.  He ordered the gold, the silver, and the vessels they had taken years before while plundering the Temple in Jerusalem.  An invasion of the land that had also placed many of the Jews under the captivity of the Babylonian people.  They drank from the Temple vessels, mocking the God of Israel, proclaiming greater the gods whose names they did not even know.  They desecrated the Temple articles, in a blasphemous attempt to relive their glory days, replaying in their minds a day when Babylon was the world’s conqueror.  Trying to forget the current day in which they were waiting to be conquered.  Belshazzar had forgotten the power the Lord God had shown his grandfather, humbling him, and bringing him to his knees. Belshazzar’s arrogance drove him, and his foolishness blinded him.

As those in the palace relished in their past glory, the Lord God suddenly shook them back into reality.  As all watched, a human hand appeared, writing four words on the wall for all to see.  MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.  As mysteriously as the hand appeared, it would soon again disappear.  But the words it wrote remand for all to see.  The king sent for his wisest men, so they could tell him what these words meant.  But as each read it, each failed. Not one of his “wise men” of Babylon could interpret a single word.

Hearing the commotion, the queen came into the banquet hall.  Most believe this queen to be Belshazzar’s mother, Nitocris, and she remembered back to a man who her father had trusted, who had often brought wisdom to him. She had Belshazzar bring a man to the hall who had the vision of a prophet, and the wisdom of the Lord’s Word.  She had her son summon forth a man named Daniel.

As Daniel entered the hall, the king offered to him the same he had offered to all others.  Any man who could read the writing, would be placed in a great position of power. But Daniel refused the king’s offer.  He know the kingdom was not his to give, and the title was no greater than the man who was giving it.  But Daniel was led by God to interpret for the king the words he saw written before him.  As Daniel looked at each word he explained them.  MENE, MENE. God had numbered the days of Belshazzar and the Babylonian kingdom. TEKEL. Belshazzar was weighed in the balances, and his faith and actions were found to be light. UPHARSIN.  The Babylonian kingdom would be divided, handed over to the Medes and the Persians.  Daniel basically told Belshazzar, he did not do the things as king the Lord God had called his grandfather to do, and because he mocked God, and would not turn to Him, the Lord was about to take his kingdom from him.

That very night, Belshazzar would see the words that the Lord God wrote before him come true.  Little did Belshazzar know, but Cyrus, the king of Persia, had already devised a plan to conquer the city.  He had a trench dug to divert the Euphrates into a nearby swamp, drying up the river from flowing into the city. This lowered the water levels so his troops could march through the river gates.  And as we read the writings of Herodotus, Berosus, Xenophon, and other historians, we see that the great bronze door to the inner city was left open that night, allowing Cyrus and his army full access to the palace as they entered the city. That very night, Belshazzar would see his kingdom fall and his life come to an end.

We have often read the story, and the phrase “the handwriting on the wall” is one that is known the world over.  But as we look at this story, two important points are so often overlooked. Two points that carry a lot of weight, and each of us, and this country, should be paying close attention to today.

First, what happened that night did not come as a complete surprise, at least not to those who listened to the Lord, and who followed His Word.  Over two hundreds years earlier, the Lord told Isaiah of that night. He told Isaiah of a man named Cyrus whom He would bring to power, and whom He would work through so His will could be fulfilled(Isaiah 44:28-45:7). The Lord gave Isaiah specifics of that night.  He told Isaiah He would open the gates for Cyrus(Isaiah 45:1), and He would shatter the bronze doors that would restrict him(Isaiah 45:2).  Over a hundred years before that night, the Lord told Jeremiah that the leaders of the city would be drinking that night, and death would suddenly come on them(Jeremiah 51:57). And He told Jeremiah that the city walls would be broken and the city would be set ablaze(Jeremiah 51:58).  What happened that night should not surprise us, because the Lord, before hand, gave us all we would ever need to know about that night.

History is filled with many of these same examples.  The Lord does not leave us blind, but gives us all the sight we need to see what the days before us hold, and what is needed of us each day.  The problem has never been in the warning, the problem has come when we choose to ignore that warning.  When we choose to ignore what the Lord has shown us, so we can look on what this world would have us see.  The Lord has always given us the answer before we even knew the question.  The problem is, we choose to ignore the answer because this world does not like Who the answer is coming from. 

We need to look no farther than the Dark Ages to find the perfect example of this. The Dark Ages covered a period of roughly six hundred years between the sixth and thirteenth centuries.  This time in history received its’ name because of the lack of intellectual and cultural advancements that man experienced during this time.  Historians will tell you that whole centuries were lost that could have seen mankind far more advanced today.  But when we look at this period closely, we soon realize that man was not absent of the knowledge, we just ignored the wisdom that God had already given us.

If man had simply taken the time to listen closely to the Lord, centuries of advancement would have been know to us centuries ago.   Long before man knew and understood germs and the dangers they bring to our everyday lives, God gave Moses the bases of sanitation(Leviticus 11 and 15).  Long before man claimed to discover bacteria, God showed man how to treat it, by removing the oxygen from it(Leviticus 13:52).  Centuries before we knew how to treat disease, the first antiseptic was given.  Hyssop Oil is an antibacterial and is still used in creating it today(Numbers 19:18, Psalm 51:7).  Long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, when men were afraid of falling off the edge of a flat earth, God had already explained to Isaiah that the earth was round(Isaiah 40:22).  He explained in Job the principles of direction, that all direction is centered around a northern pull, thus a compass will always point north(Job 26:7).  He taught man the first and second laws of thermodynamics in Hebrews 1.  The hydrologic cycle, of how rainfall is evaporated and then turned again into rain, was given by God centuries before man claimed to discover it(Job 36:27-28).

This is but a short list of the vast amount of examples that could be given. How many disease that we face each day could have already been cured if we simply took the time to listen to the wisdom that God has already given us?  How advanced would technology be if we had simply applied the knowledge that God has already shared with us? How would each of our lives be changed today if we had listened closely to what God had said to each of us yesterday?  My point is this, God does not leave us ignorant(Romans 11:25).  Just like that night with Belshazzar, our ignorance does not come from God not sharing His wisdom with us, but from our own foolishness in not accepting and following that wisdom. Belshazzar saw firsthand how the Lord had moved in the life of his grandfather. But Belshazzar chose to ignore all that God had shown him, all the wisdom that God had for him.  Just like Belshazzar, our lives and our world are the same today.  We ignore the proven wisdom the Lord has given us, so we can follow the foolishness this world has to offer us.  Out of one side of our mouth, we deny all God has shown and provided us.  Then out of the other side of the same mouth, we mockingly question out loud where God is.  We ignore God until the hand starts to write on the wall, failing to understand, that same hand has been writing words of wisdom to us for years.  The word of God is sure.  As sure handed in this world today as it was in that palace so many years ago.

Second, look closely at what Belshazzar does with the wisdom of God that Daniel shares with him.  What do we see him do?  One word, nothing!  His own interaction with Daniel shows that he believed what was said, but he chose to do nothing with the warning and the reality that the Lord gave him.  We watch as a king decided to party while the kingdom around him crumbled. And a king who fails to repent when the day of judgment is staring him directly in the face. Although the remaining minutes of his life were short, what Belshazzar did, or did not do, with those moments speaks volumes.  Facing the reality of what his eternal future would soon hold, Belshazzar chose to spend his last minutes in the pleasure he had sought in this world.  At no minute of his life does Belshazzar’s arrogance shine brighter than in those moments between Daniel speaking to him, and Cyrus and his soldiers entering the hall of the palace.  Belshazzar placed his faith in what the world had told him about his walls, instead of falling to his knees and placing his future in the hand of the One who had just written on his wall. Way too late Belshazzar would learn, there is not a wall thick enough or high enough that the Lord cannot instantly bring down.

Belshazzar placed his faith in this world, not in our Lord.  Even in his last moments, he rejected and resisted the grace that God had for him.  His actions reflect so many of those we see today, they are blinded by the sin that drives their lives. No warning can often be given that is loud enough or strong enough for them to see and hear the truth.  They choose to follow the lie, because they think the lie expects nothing from them, asks nothing of them.  But what they do not understand, is the wall that the lie has built around them.  Not allowing the truth to reach them and for His healing hand to touch them(John 12:40).  No matter how large the hand writes, they cannot see over the wall the lie has placed around them to read the words.

As we look at this country today, we see a nation that greatly resembles Babylon. We see leaders that reflect the arrogance of Belshazzar.  Leaders that find comfort in the walls of the lie, refusing to look beyond those walls at the truth. With each newscast we see, and each headline we read, we see the imaging forming of a hand.  A hand that is starting to write on the walls of the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the White House today. With each movement of the hand the words are forming, the message is being given.  We see the words of the warning coming into clear focus before us.  But as we watch the faces of many of our leaders, and of the people of this nation, we soon see the blank stares. Stares that read the words, but ignore the warning.  Stares that drive them to arrogance, not to their knees.  Stares who are blinded by their own foolishness. Stares that lead them to worship a god called “Sin”. Stares that no longer seek the truth that is found in repentance, because they take pleasure in the lie that surrounds them. Stares that take comfort in the walls and doors of the palace, ignoring the enemy that is building outside.  Stares that ignore the destruction and death that awaits while reaching to fill their cups with a little more wine.

Wake up America.  Wake up from this lie that now has a hold on you.  Fall to your knees before the clock strikes, and the doors begin to burst open.  Look closely at the words He is proclaiming to you, the message He has always given you.  Take into heart each of the words. Look on the hand again of the only One who has ever truly loved you.  The only One who has ever found true purpose in you.  His hand is writing America.  The love, grace, truth, and mercy that is found in each word of His warning has always been handwritten.

Praying God’s Word will find their way off the wall and into your heart.