STRANGE

JOHN 10 - 19 - 20

Therefore there was division again among the Jews because of these sayings.

And many of them said, He has a demon and is mad.

Why do you listen to Him?

When you come up against the leaders of any religious persuasion expect confrontation.   Demons were popular in biblical times, today madness is just another label for mental illness.

The only other listing in the concordance against the word "mad" is in Acts 26.25    Festus accused Paul of being beside himself.  "Much learning is driving you mad".    But of course when anyone speaks their Truth into any situation it is usually not appreciated, often causes offence, but hardly a justification for calling someone mad.

Festus wasn't appreciating the words of truth or reason expressed by Paul so he retaliated by suggesting Paul was mad.   

A dear sister in Christ recently suggested that even Yeshua's family thought He was mad.    "Where is that written" I enquired.   She appeared flustered "it's in the bible" she replied "but where" I enquired. "Oh I don't know but I will look it up."   I gently reminded this good and faithful servant of the Lord that I doubt Miriam His mother considered He was mad having received divine revelation from the Most High God that she would carry His son.    His brothers and sisters would also have been raised in scripture and would have known He taught in the temple from an early age.   They would have known He was different.   

It's rather like the church zealot who having raised him/herself into a position of superiority decides to inform a subordinate "God told me to tell you"   Hello - I usually reply "God is perfectly capable of speaking into my life.   He has my ear 24/7.  At which point the offended one blushes and moves on to his/her next victim muttering "critical spirit"

Strange is a label they attach to people they don't understand.   They appear different, odd, dreamers, whatever.   Petra was just one such case.   As a tiny child she appeared to be holding conversations with invisible friends.   There was nothing evil or malicious in her nature.   All was sunshine.  When she was two years old she would sing and laugh, that precious contagious laughter of a little child.

Her friends disappeared with knowledge of self but still the concept of right or wrong in the eyes of her lost friends survived.  Like most tiny hearts race, colour, class and religion just didn't exist.

Every child is the product of their environment, prejudices are slowly introduced by parents along with religious persuasion and education.   This little girl knew it was wrong to kill or hurt another human or creature and of course her God "said so" she frequently informed her younger siblings.

As a teenager the strange girl struggled with her own imperfections.   Litter preference, physical and mental abuse gave hatred a foothold, the crushing pain of parental rejection along with the previously hidden wicked crimes committed by her birth church in the name of a Holy God resulted in rebellion, she wanted answers.

"Shout to the Lord" is a common hymn,  this girl was shouting WHY?    How could He allow people called by His name to inflict murder and suffering on the defenceless.   Her birth church did not promote circulation of any creed other than their own.   The bible was not allowed.

A thick impenetrable fog settled around her and she faced a cold black void of nothing.   Perhaps if she had picked up a bible at that point she would have noticed the words of Solomon the wise as he pondered the cycle of life.    

  Ecclesiastes 3 - 8

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

Then she knew the pure innocence of first love that lasted until death parted and the miracle of new life in her own precious children.   God was filed under G.   Perhaps one day Jesus would return from his place behind the stars but for now her little family was enough. 

The years rolled by and the green fields of plenty slowly turned to burnt wasteland.   Her heavenly Father perhaps considered "it is time"   Yeshua the Shepherd King walked into her wilderness and lifted the bruised and broken lamb high on His shoulders and carried her home.   

His touch, powerful and life changing was unforgettable but her battle was far from over.   At every given opportunity temptation came.   The refining fires of her Holy God were burning away the dross, renewing, perfecting until the day she would finally be worthy to stand before His Holy presence.

Now she saw in dreams the consequences of man's agenda and the Sheol that is now the Middle East.   The arms and munition dealers resplendent in their leafy suburb homes far from the blood filled gutters and mutilated corpses.   Blood money filling their coffers.  Business booming.

Babies, innocents, blown to smithereens without a shred of remorse.   Dark armies hot wired by religious zealots in the killing fields of Iraq, Libya and Syria.   Once again the ordinary man, woman and child caught in the fire of their dangerous war games.   Small wonder the God of creation ignores the chants and incense of the hypocrites in their tidy parishes. 

Genesis

4 - 10-11

And He (the Lord) said "What have you done?

The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

So now you are cursed from the earth which has opened its mouth to receive

your brother's blood from your hand.

The children of Abraham continue to slay.  Innocent blood covers the hands of every leader and war lord.    Those responsible surely haunted their every hour until Yeshua returns and justice reigns then they will receive their reward.   She knew the end would be terrible.   The Day of the Lord - purification of evil from the land.

   

Then man will see His creator and at last understand the little knowledge he had was God given.   He remained in part blinded by his own understanding of time and all that his five simple senses could comprehend the special powers (sight, hearing, smell, taste touch) by which a living thing becomes aware of the external world.   She was sensitive - conscious of the eternal - considered strange.

Now the world is preoccupied by self and celebrity.  Even the most stoic personalities sinking in gloom and despair.  The Lord has touched His children throughout the ages and through their witness and gifting has brought hope and peace.

One American singer song writer is a just the tonic for battle weary souls.   Her album "Greatest Hits" and the track "Stubborn Love" proclaims the forgiveness and patience we receive as we stumble along the highway to heaven and perhaps my favourite track on her album "Sounds of Heaven - I am gonna fight for You" reminds every battered soul we are not alone and dear to our Father in heaven.   Gifted and blessed long may she continue to write, compose and sing for His glory. 

The guardians are busy pulling damaged souls back from the precipice.   Protecting and lifting the souls of the martyrs.   Their trial is over, death has no hold over them, they live and walk in His courts.

Perhaps we should all consider ourselves blessed to be seen as strange by the children of this world.   Our Shepherd King approaches and all His lambs are precious and preferred.

John 10 - 27

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; 

neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Baruch ha ba b'shem Adonai

SHALOM.

Recommendation:

Kathy Troccoli - Greatest Hits album - Stubborn Love and Psalm 23

Kathy Troccoli - Sounds of Heaven album - I'm Gonna fight for you.

Downloads available via various internet providers.