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Tag: Doris Murdoch

  • Who guards the Holy City? And Why?

     by Doris Murdoch

     
    Guardians 2This is my fourth post on my Holy Land tour.  I’m trying to allow God to lead me to the content of each post. At this point, I’m not sure why I feel led to this post.  The use of traditional guardians in the Holy City of Jerusalem has left my heart warmed and troubled.
    I’m going to begin with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The church houses the tomb of Jesus Christ; it is the traditional location of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ which would be of great religious importance to Christian pilgrims as it is the most revered shrine in Christendom.  By long term tradition, the Muslim family of Nuseibeh is the official doorkeeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The holding of the key to the church has been in the Nuseibeh family for more than 1,300 years. (The Judeh family, also Muslim, manage the key for overnight security.) The Nuseibeh family holds this tradition close to their hearts and is very punctual and respectful in unlocking and serving God through this daily responsibility of caring for the church.  Five competing Christian denominations, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox (also a small Ethiopian Orthodox group) enviously [ene_ptp]manage the church.  The Nuseibeh family has helped in keeping peace among these Christian denominations when conflict arises.  The Nuseibeh family describes themselves as “preserving peace in the holy place.”  This all seems to be a cooperative effort by all, but in contrast, it seems like a strange setup for a church that is internally Christian.  The Omar Mosque sits right next door; the Nuseibeh family worships and prays in the mosque.  Who do you think should be the key holder and the door opener?
    In 1995, Israel turned Bethlehem control over to the Palestinian National Authority in accordance with the Oslo Peace Accords. The Oslo Accords did not create a Palestinian state, but it was an effort to bring peace among the Israeli government and the Palestinians. The Oslo process started in Oslo as a secretive meeting; it resulted in the recognition by the PLO of the State of Israel and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in negotiations. When pilgrims enter Bethlehem, there are security checks by the Palestinian authority. Does this process seem like an effort to encourage peace and equality of power among the Palestinians and the government of Israel?
    Who should have control of David’s tomb and the upper room identified as the place of Pentecost and the Last Supper?  Should it be the Jews, world Christians, the government of Israel, the Roman Catholic Church or someone else?  Over the years, ownership has been by the early Jewish Christians, the Crusaders, and the Muslims; at present, it is under Israeli control.  It is said that the Vatican now desires control of this area.  Why does any specific religious group have to have control over the religious sites, especially those that have religious beliefs and patriarchs that overlap in religious history, basically the Abrahamic faiths of Islam, Judaism and Christianity?
    Scripture tells us that the Lord gave the “land” of Israel to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 13:14-15; Genesis 26:3; Exodus 6:8) with Numbers 24 defining the borders.  In Revelation 21, we read that the first heaven and earth will pass away and a New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and God will dwell among us.  There will be no temple building for the “Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” will be the temple and it will be illuminated by the “glory of God and its lamp is the Lamb”. The residents will be those who have their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Leviticus 25:23 says, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.”  The lands of the world belong to God; it is all on loan from God in this transient period. When the Jews rejected Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Gentiles were adopted in to God’s family as adopted sons of Abraham. The Gentiles were formally grafted into the olive tree of Jesus Christ even though adoption in the lineage of Jesus Christ had already taken place in the Old Testament through the relationships of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.  Confirmed in John 14:6, the New Jerusalem will be available to all believers in Jesus Christ for “no one comes to the Father but through Me (Jesus Christ).”
    Romans 11 speaks of the hardening of the Jews until the day of the fullness of the Gentiles, specifically Romans 11:25-27, that “a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. 27 This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.’ ” With belief, the Bible tells us that the Jews can be re-grafted into the olive tree of Jesus Christ (Romans 11:17-24).  Belief in Jesus Christ through world evangelism needs to be the focus.
    Luke 21:34-36 states,  “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation (diversion, mental distraction) and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  Is it possible that ownership or guardianship of the various religious sites in Israel has become a mental distraction for the Abrahamic religions of the world?
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  • Mount Precipice — Sent By and As God, but Not Accepted

    by Doris Horton Murdoch

     
    [ene_ptp]In my previous post, I mentioned that I had just returned from the Holy Land. All of my forthcoming posts will consider my spiritual encounters in the Holy Land with Jesus’ confrontation on Mount Precipice being the topic for today.
    There are many mountains listed in the Bible, but in actuality, most of these mountains are globular hills. These hills consist of sand, clusters of grass, caves, and many, many stones. The landscape is dotted with cedar and olive trees. One of the many hills is Mount Precipice. From the crown of Mount Precipice, one can view Mount Tabor (Mount of Transfiguration) and the Jezreel Valley (also known as the Valley of Megiddo; fertile heartland in the location for Armageddon). Mount Precipice is known as the site where an angry Nazarene mob attempted to throw Jesus over the cliff. We read about this in Luke 4:14-30 (NIV):

    Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
    18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
    to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
    20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

    After hearing the reading, the congregation’s eyes were fastened on Jesus; they were amazed at what they were hearing. It was good! The words were awesome! Then along comes the spoilers in the group. There seems to always be someone in the group that can gather the crowd and cause confusion and dissent. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Joseph was a carpenter; he worked with wood. He wasn’t a man with great schooling and he certainly was not a man of the cloth! Joseph is an honorable man and he has honorable sons, but they surely are not chosen as God’s prophets! A spoiler can plant the seed that causes disunity among families and congregations.
    Jesus uses Elijah’s and Elisha’s stories as examples of how we must have faith and trust that God is in control. God will provide the message and the healing in His time and in His locale. Many times God bases this on the faith of the believers. As we see in verse 28, the group becomes furious with Jesus. How dare Jesus compare His position to the great prophets Elijah and Elisha? Let’s get rid of this false prophet! He is of no value to this community! Just imagine, he thinks He has the powers of Elijah and Elisha! No one will ever equal or exceed the powers of Elijah and Elisha! Let’s get rid of this guy! Throw him off the cliff! As we know, the all-powerful Jesus walked through the crowd and went on his way. Millennium-old rumors say that Jesus leaped from Mount Precipice to Mount Tabor. The Arabic name for the mount, Jebel Qafzeh, translates to “mount of the leaping.”
    Jesus came to loose the chains of slavery for humanity (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 58:6; Isaiah 61:1-2) and to anoint man with the freedom of salvation through His final sacrifice. He came to personally claim the good news. Jesus brought love, forgiveness and healing to humanity. He came to proclaim the Lord’s favor on mankind. And what do we do? Reject Him, starting with His very own community.
    Are we supporting our church family? Are we encouragers of all members? Have we placed any members on the precipice? Have we pushed any members over the precipice? Jesus was about his Father’s business and we all need to hold ourselves accountable of being about our Father’s business.
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  • Are we living within God’s will and laws?

    by Doris Horton Murdoch

     
    Murdoch picI recently traveled to the Holy Land. One of the sites I visited was Masada. To prepare myself for this excursion, I watched the mini-series entitled “Masada” produced back in 1981 with Peter O’Toole as Flavius Silva and Peter Strauss as the zealot Eleazar. Then I read Josephus’s eyewitness account of Masada found in The Wars of the Jews, Book 7, Chapters 8-9. I learned that the residents after King Herod were the Jewish zealots. In my limited knowledge, I had always thought of the zealots as members of an ancient Jewish sect that were zealous for God and His Son Jesus Christ and resisted the Roman authority. The word zealot comes from the Greek word “zelotes”, from “zeloun” meaning “to be jealous”. My overall impression of the zealots had always been very positive.
    When I returned home from the Holy Land, I reread the passages from The Complete Works of Josephus. Josephus [ene_ptp] called those at Masada as “Sicarii”. Sicarii is the Latin plural form of sicarius meaning “dagger man”. In Book VII of The Wars of the Jews, Josephus defines Sicarii as ruffians and in 7.8.1.270, the Sicarii are described as those that “imitated every wicked work.” Josephus considered the Sicarri to be barbaric and “wild and brutish” in disposition. These Sicarri killed, terrorized, and plundered fellow countrymen that were trying to live peacefully and cooperatively under Roman rule.
    I now interpret these zealots or Sicarii at Masada as “radical followers of God” just as we have “radical followers of God” and/or “radical Muslims” today. Then and now, some consider the radicals as “heroes of the faith” and others consider them as “radical terrorists.” I’m not sure what side I’m on in this argument, if any side! I know that all men need to live within the will and laws of God.
    The laws of God are found in Exodus 20:1-17 in the Ten Commandments. Commandment 1 is “You shall have no other gods before me.” At what point do extremism and terrorism become our gods? When man fights in the Name of God, at what point in the battle is he taking the Lord’s name in vain? Can warfare misuse the name of God? God commands, “Thou shall not kill”; when does killing another man become acceptable? God says, “Thou shall not steal.” When does it become satisfactory to plunder the defeated? God says, “Thou shall not covet.” Covet means “to be jealous or desirous for” what another has. Zealot comes from the word jealous. When is it appropriate to be zealous to the point of being radical or a sicarii?
    Yes, throughout the Bible, God has allowed these things to happen within God’s will. Knowing God’s will is personal and can only be found in a close relationship with God. Even today, the only way any of us can be zealous about God and political positions is through our relationship with God. As Christians, are we spending enough time alone with God to truly know His will for our lives? Are we spending enough time in spiritual community to know that we are working within God’s will?
    In the sight of defeat, the Sicarii of Masada, led by Eleazar, began to question whether their efforts were within the will or favor of God. In Eleazar’s final speech, he discusses how the group chose to never become servants of the Romans; victory at Masada was not defeating the Romans. Victory would be to die bravely and to not be overpowered by the Romans. Eleazar called this as a favor from God. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we see a repentant heart in Solomon; he found zeal for worldly (under the sun) victories was only chasing after the wind. In Eleazar’s speech to his most courageous men in the Wars of the Jews, I also see a repentant heart:

    “To be sure we weakly hoped to have preserved ourselves, and ourselves alone, still in a state of freedom, as if we had been guilty of no sins ourselves against God, nor been partners with those of others; we also taught other men to preserve their liberty. Wherefore, consider how God hath convinced us that our hopes were in vain, by bringing such distress upon us in the desperate state we are now in, and which is beyond all our expectations; for the nature of this fortress which was in itself unconquerable, hath not proved a means of our deliverance; and even while we have still great abundance of food, and a great quantity of arms, and other necessaries more than we want, we are openly deprived by God himself of all hope of deliverance; for that fire which was driven upon our enemies did not of its own accord turn back upon the wall which we had built; this was the effect of God’s anger against us for our manifold sins, which we have been guilty of in a most insolent and extravagant manner with regard to our own countrymen; the punishments of which let us not receive from the Romans, but from God himself, as executed by our own hands; for these will be more moderate than the other.” 7.8.6.329-333

    Eleazar later states that true freedom is allowing the soul to be released from its earthly constraints and that is found only when God calls us home to His eternal kingdom.
    Man can become zealous about the wrong things. Our humanity calls us to earthly efforts, but God calls us to things that are above. Galatians 4:26 says, But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. Colossians 3:1-2 confirms where our thoughts and actions should be, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. While on earth, man needs to: follow God’s laws and strive for that personal relationship with God that guides him to better understand God’s will and plan.
    Thomas Merton expresses well the journey of that personal relationship:

    “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

    While on earth, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 concludes what man should be zealous for: Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.  
     
     

  • Is America morally obligated to resettle Syrian refugees? —YES

    [Editor’s Note: Not all post will have an opposing response. If you disagree with this one, please make your case in the comments.]

    by Doris Horton Murdoch

    Murdoch picYes, Americans are morally obligated to resettle Syrian refugees. This resettlement assistance of any global group of oppressed persons is a collective international responsibility. According to World Vision, there are 13.5 million people in Syria needing humanitarian assistance. The total population in (2013) is 22.85 million. So more than half of the population needs humanitarian care.
    There are 4.3 million refugees and 6.6 million displaced in Syria and half of these displaced individuals are children. Most of the Syrian refugees have remained in the Middle Eastern countries. Only about 10% of the Syrian refugees have moved into Europe. The United States has pledged to take 10,000 refugees in 2016 with fewer than 2000 finding refuge in the United States in 2015. The United States is a large country in land mass and is the 7th wealthiest country in the world (US Insider). As a world leader, is the United States really doing our equal share by accepting 10,000 refugees?
    What do our American values prompt the nation to do in this resettlement issue? As a nation under God, what does scripture tell us to do with refugees? How does the Great Commission direct our efforts in an evangelism opportunity? Is it possible that our American values, God’s Word, and a missional opportunity are weaving a tapestry of final judgment for the end times?
    America is built on the respect of human values. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal; endowed by their Creator (For those of the Abrahamic faiths [Christian, Jew, Muslim], this is God and/or Allah and/or YHWH and/or Jehovah.) with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans, do we truly believe in these rights for all people or for a select few and, if so, who are the select?
    Throughout history, America has been composed of immigrant populations seeking peace free of oppression and violence, job opportunities, religious freedoms, security and hope for a better life. Are we now consumed in the idea of survival of self with prosperity in life of the select? As I type this term select again and again, I’m convicted to look at my own inner prejudices, fears and desires. I believe Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk and writer, would respond to select with, “Our job is to love others (all of the world) whether not they are worthy.” It is not for us, as Americans, to judge the people of the world. As Americans, we are to offer love, respect and humanitarian assistance in as many ways as possible, even if it means allowing Syrian refugees to resettle on American soil. As a nation under God, it is our commission to open our arms and hearts to all, especially the marginalized people of the world, in this argument, Syrian refugees.
    The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) tells us to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This same scripture states that God is with us always. We’re reminded in scripture that God is always with us, so we never stand alone. Where is our faith and hope in Jesus Christ? Jesus is my Savior. He is your Savior and He is the Savior of and for the world. In Jeremiah 22:3, we read, Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. Through scripture, we are commanded to respond with righteousness and justice. We aid in delivering others from the oppressors. We oppose the shedding of innocent blood. We oppose violence and mistreatment of the weak to include children, women, elderly, disabled, refugees, etc.,—the marginalized.
    As we continue to scan through the Bible, we read about Boaz assisting a refugee as he allowed Ruth to glean sheaves of wheat from his fields (Ruth 2). In Matthew 2:13-14, we read how Joseph, Mary and infant Jesus refugees and fled to Egypt for safety from the violence and oppression of King Herod. We read about the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-35. Are we the priest, the Levite or the Samaritan? Malachi 3:5 warns against judgment if we turn aside the alien and do not fear Me (God). We are all aliens, sojourners or refugees of this world; the earth is the Lord’s and we’re only borrowing the earth for a time. Leviticus 25:23 speaks of this; we only leave the refugee position when we are redeemed through Jesus Christ and our permanent home becomes eternal in God’s Kingdom. So, technically, we’re no different than Syrian refugees. Isaiah 16:4 instructs us to be a hiding place for the outcasts or marginalized. When we reject refugees for fear of our own personal safety, are we truly displaying Christian behavior? II Samuel 22:3 states, My God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge, My Shield and the horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold and my Refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. If we really believe this scripture as the Truth, fellow followers of God, then why do we fear for our own safety from common humanity?
    Culture is all that separates us from others, within the United States and the world. Our human needs are the same. The concepts of courage, fear, joy, compassion, pain, etc. are felt by all people of this earth. As Americans, we are blessed to live in a country like the United States.   As a blessed nation with many believers in Jesus Christ, is it possible that God is bringing unreached people (Muslims) to the USA? Could God be providing an opportunity for victory in the gospel word of Jesus Christ? In our churches, we: pray for world evangelism; send missionaries to witness to unbelieving populations of the world; and we provide humanitarian aid and support through much of the world. About 4 million broken people of Muslim faith desire to move westward (McCrabb). As Christians, we must stand up in this refugee crisis and approach it as a gospel opportunity.
    As living and faithful Christians, we are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh (II Corinthians 3:2-18). The Holy Spirit has literally written on our hearts and we are daily being transformed in righteousness for the glory of God. Someday, as transformed beings, we will approach the throne of God and finally clearly see and understand Him. So out of 10,000 refugees, one terrorist steps forward in violence, do we reject the other 9,999 refugees (half of them children) for our personal safety? In this decision, we’re refusing the God of hope and accepting the god of this world. We must take courage for the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must shut out the fearful voices of this world and focus our eyes on Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer.

    Cited Sources:
    Baig, Mehroz. “International Collective Action for Refugees is Slow but Crucial. 2015.
    Crabb, David. http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/building-his-church-in-a-refugee-crisis . 2015.
    Goddard, Anne. “The Case for Empathy”. 2015
    Gregoire, Carolyn. http://huffingtonpost.com/entry/refugee-crisis-mental-health_55f9b694edf55c73. 2015.
    Jesse, Andreozzi. “Turning Away Syrian Refugees is Exactly What ISIS Wants”. 2015.
    Mavromichalis, Margarita. “From Athens: The Human Face of the Refugee Crisis. 2015.
    Merton, Thomas. Christian History. “In Defiance of the Gods”. Issue 116. P.43. 2015.
    Sprinkle, Preston. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theologyintheraw/2015/11/a-christian-response-to-the-syrian-refugee-crisis . 2015.
    The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. www.archives. 2015.
    World Vision. http://worldvision.org/news-stories-videos/syria-war-refugee-crisis . 2015.

    Doris’s books, Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Our Testimony; Constructing Your Testimony, can be ordered here: https://energiondirect.info/authors/authors-l-m/doris-horton-murdoch
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