CRH/BSPM/BSPOPP AND CoyRH/SEATC Clerical 2024 Fall Holy Days NewsletterMAIN STUDY–AT THE END OF THE TRAILShalom alechem from the Hub City (or as I’ve recently grown to call it–my new Rome!!)!!! Here’s trusting that you and yours are found blessed, well, and whole in EVERY area of your life today as the seasons both outside as well as in our lives once again change and our thoughts once again turns homebound bound towards His holy throne and eternal Kingdom that shall never end and that will be the future home of those who truly love and trust Him.I still gawk in disbelief that it’s already been around six months already since I took the leap of faith by my chinny-chin-chin to formally move from the Malta of two years that I lived at south of Floydada to Lubbock to serve as my new official home city and international headquarters. It hasn’t been easy by any means–and there’s still plenty of struggles I face that are still present as challenges that must be overcome (marginal homelessness and transportation challenges and problems being among them). But considering where I was at this same time last year, I now overall find myself in a similar position to another spiritual traveler that the physician Luke describes this way in the last 20 or so verses of the Book of Acts:Paul Arrives at Rome11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods[a] as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse,[b] where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium.[c] A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers,[d] who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.15 The brothers and sisters[e] in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum[f] on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns.[g] When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.Paul Preaches at Rome under Guard17 Three days after Paul’s arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, “Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. 18 The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence. 19 But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. 20 I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”21 They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. 22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere.”23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. 24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. 25 And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,26 ‘Go and say to this people:When you hear what I say, you will not understand.When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.27 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’[h]28 So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”[i]30 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.[j] He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.It had been definitely a long journey for the Apostle Paul/Rav Shaul to finally get to the city gates of Rome–and not just in miles neither from his initial starting point in Jerusalem. Of course, his whole life up to that point from when he got struck blind on the road to Damascus and even the years right before that had basically been preparation for what now lied ahead for him in this new city. All you have to do is check out what he himself wrote to the church at Phillippi:Philippians 3:1-10 New Living TranslationThe Priceless Value of Knowing Christ 3 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God[b] are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[c] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,…and also to the Believers at Corinth in his second epistle to them to get the full effect of how Paul/Shaul generally approached life up to that point in time…2 Corinthians 11 New Living TranslationPaul’s Many Trials 16 Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. 17 Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. 18 And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. 19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! 20 You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 21 I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that!But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.NOW this rockstar rabbi who was a disciple of the great Jewish sage Gamaliel and who would eventually become his Meshiach’s personal emissary to the Gentiles–THIS rabbi who went through so much as he approaches the Rome city limit sign finds THIS sight awaiting him at the city outskirts:Acts 28:11-15 New Living TranslationPaul Arrives at Rome 11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods[a] as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse,[b] where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium.[c] A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers,[d] who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.15 The brothers and sisters[e] in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum[f] on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns.[g] When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.ESPECIALLY make sure that you note verse here:Acts 28:11-15 New Living Translation Paul Arrives at Rome 15 The brothers and sisters[e] in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum[f] on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns.[g] When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.Those of us who have been on long journeys away from home usually find a sense of excitement, relief, and pleasure in either getting to the final destination we planned to go to and/or seeing the most familiar landmarks of our hometown after being gone from home for a long time. Paul by the longings of the Holy Spirit/Ruach Ha’Kodesh had been anticipating getting to Rome. Now here he was to a place he had never been before. How now would his thoughts and reactions be after so long a journey? And what does that have to do with this year’s Fall Biblical Festivals?If there’s one thing that’s self-evident about this time of years, it is what this same Apostle wrote to the church at Thessalonica:1 Thessalonians 4 New Living TranslationAgain, the Apostle admonished us–The Hope of the Resurrection 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[g] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[h] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.Again, the Apostle admonished us–18 So encourage each other with these words. BUT WHAT, pray tell, MIGHT THOSE WORDS BE? And how might he after getting this far to the end of this particular trail be thinking and wanting to write about to the rest of his brethren throughout the known world at that time? In my humble opinion and analysis, here’s a quick short list of things he probably had on his mind upon seeing the city lights of Rome for himself for the first time in his life:(1.) He probably didn’t have it too far from his mind about what all it took just to get here in the first place. All those times he had to constantly run for his life and leave trusted friends and brethren behind suddenly without notice…Oh–he sure didn’t forget those people who whipped his back real good with a cat-of-nine-tails those 40 lashes save one. Times in prison, times he went cold and hungry; persecuted constantly by just about everyone and everything he knew because he dared to believe that Jesus/Y’shua was the Messiah and unashamedly proclaimed Him without compromise to the entire world. I’m sure those things were still pretty fresh on his mind as he looked out in the distance to the dominating Rome city water tower and skyline ahead of him.(2.) He remembered all the people and places he had encountered along the way. You probably wouldn’t blame him if he were still a bit steamed and soreheaded and desperata\ely desiring to give certain people a piece of his mind. BUTINSTEAD you’d probably be just as amazed to find out how easily he probably forgave all of those people who in the past did him wrong, left the judgment and results to his God, and hopefully entreated his God to open their eyes to these wrongs, come to repentance, and be reconciled to God.(3.) But even as he thought about those who did him wrong, his thoughts also probably turned towards all the saints and believers he met and got to know in all the places he was blessed to travel to through the years. He probably thought of brethren he remembered such as that Lydia in Thyrtira who took him into her home and graciously spent times of sweet fellowship with him and his traveling colleagues or those Berean brethren who received what he preached, took the time to give him a fair hearing, and examine the Scriptures themselves to see if the things Paul/Shaul told them were truly so.He also most likely thought of his compatriots such as Apollos and maybe even Peter himself that were also doing the exact same things he was doing (and whom Paul even dared to call on the carpet a time or two when Peter got a little offbase theologically on something). He kept in mind other standup folks he knew such as Priscilla and Aquila and also thst guy Epiphroditus who bent over backwards for him to see that Paul while he was in prison got all that he needed thanks in part to the supplies the Believers in Phillippi arranged to send him. Coming to the end of this particular trail was probably for Paul/Shaul not just for his own sake, but also for the sake of his most valued friends and partners who make the necessary sacrifices to help Paul get to his eventual destination. (4.) He would probably remind us of a similar time coming down the road for all of us that he wrote the Thessalonians about13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[g] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[h] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.He might also like to remind us that this life is not all there is. Just like Paul finally getting to Rome, he’ll probably tell you that there will be a time where we’ll also soon be going to a place that we all have never been before–but that will very much also feel like our final true home and destination. And when we finally get to THAT place, we’ll never have the desire ever again to leave, stray, or wander away …because at that time for us, there will NEVER truly be ANY place like THAT Home.(5.) Then Paul/Shaul would recommend that in the meantime while we wait for that opportunity to go to that final place, we first consider the advice he would have given to these same believers in Rome that he wrote to before he got here:Romans 12 New Living TranslationA Living Sacrifice to God 12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.3 Because of the privilege and authority[c] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[d] 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[f] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,”[g] says the Lord.20 Instead,“If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”[h]21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.And then with a wistful smile and twinkle in his eye, he’d probably tell us–”And if you do these things, you will do well in pleasing the Master and in doing all the things He said and commanded us to do before He left us.”(6.) It would be at this juncture that Paul’s traveling companion and official physician Luke might jump in and remind us of something interesting about the way he specifically ended his account of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. “Have you noticed something about the way the Lord had me to END that book?” He’d especially try to point out with his finger the LAST two verses of Chapter 28:0 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.[j] He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.We’d then clearly see for ourselves one big thing about the particular story about Paul/Shaul and the other Apostles. The book of Acts is written in such a way where there is NO CLEAR-CUT DEFINITIVE ENDING! IN FACT–the story STILL continues WITH ALL OF US…i.e.--the story hasn’t quite finished for us yet. After all of this, I think Paul/Shaul once he met the Roman brethren and entered the city gates for himself wouldn’t say that it was actually the END of his current journey–but only the BEGINNING! Then he’d probably turn around and say to us as he now officially starts his “contending in Rome” era–”Thank you, Lord, that You FINALLY got me here to this place. It’s definitely been worth every mile of the trip. Now, it’s showtime–time for me to get busy and get down to business and to work!”Just like it wasn’t the end of Paul’s story getting to Rome, so it is with our story pertaining to us. While we all await His final Glorious Appearing, let’s all remember during this Fall Feast season that His final overall redemption story for all mankind wil not for now en WITHOUT US involved in some way within it. Let us do our part while we still have time and opportunity to do so to make His Name famous in everything we do. That way, we’ll have no regrets when He finally lets us arrive in that place we’ve never been before…but that will serve as our final Ultimate Home and destination for the most ultimate of wedding suppertimes.Then as Paul gives us one last look before we part ways with him for now so that he can finally get settled here in Rome, he’d one more time reemphasize the following final reminder from our state department of highways:The Hope of the Resurrection13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[g] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[h] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.May THAT day AND place come speedily–even in our own days…Wishing you all the best to you and yours during this special Fall Festival season in THAT Matchless Name of Him who is now helping me contend in my new Rome….Coy RHSPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:(1.) I’d especially like to ask those led to do so to join me in appropriate intercession and prayer not only for Israel and its people in its current state of war against both Hamas and Hesbollah, but also in particular those in East TN/western NC affected by the foods that were the result of Hurricane Helena. One of my cousins just happens to live in the Asheville area in a town that’s about seven miles north of Asheville proper. When I texted him immediately upon hearing about those floods, he told me that he himself was fine personally save for losing some of the back treeline around his property–but that there were a number of his neighbors and people trapped in their homes and still waiting for water, power, and cell service to come back on. He told me that overall the scene out that way was sheer devastation. I urge people that wish to help in the disaster relief efforts due to road closures still prevalent right now to consider monetary contributions to such organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Blessing, and Kenneth copeland Ministries who are usually very active in various relief efforts as these as you might be led to do so.(2,) Here's a friendly reminder from your state department of highways that you can still get your copies of all four of our current releases available through BSPOPP such as “Walking From Lockney to Jerusalem”, “A Message from Siberia”, “sowing In Tears”, and “A’Wise and A’Foolish In Canaan’s Land”. Keep in mind that a portion of the proceeds of the sales of all BSPOPP books after basic expenses are paid goes to help various restorative justice ministries stay financially strong and prepared for futrure ministry. You can get more detailed information on all of our current BSPOP releases at https://coyrhseatcbspm.wixsite.com/walking and also access our Amazon pages through our good friends at texashighplainswriters.com through their “member Books page tab. On the member books page, just simply click on to the picture there of “Walking From Lockney To Jerusalem” to jump immediately to all of our BSPOP book Amazon pages. (And please don’t dforget to consider patronizing some of our distinguished West Texas author colleagues while you’re there on the Texas High Plains Writers site…)(3.) We leave for you two different special Sukkot gifts this time…the first is actually a new song the Lord just happened to get me to write just now about our featured topic of today’s MAIN STUDY. The second is our latest photo just for you courtesy of the good folks at Circle J photography here in lubbock who we happened to recently encounter at the West Texas Small Business Summit that was held here in Lubbock just a few weeks ago. Enjoy and have a great Fall Holy Day season!!!AT THE END OF THE TRAIL Lyrics(Music:) Think Southern Gospel–along the lines of the the style of Jason Crabb and the Crabb Family) (Start the song a cappella on the first verse, then add instrumentation as you go along…)(Verse 1:) It’s been a long hard journey From Jerusalem to here I can’t believe I finally made it After all these many years The Lord so many years ago Said to me loud and clear This was the place I needed to go to To finish my race of years…(Chorus 1:) At the end of the trail In a place they once called Rome Is now where I find myself No longer wanting to roam As the city lights are calling me And summon me towards His throne To a place that I’ve never been But they say is just like home…(Verse 2:) To all the ones who caused me trouble And persecutions galore I say, “Father, please forgive them– They know not what they’ve done…” And for all my friends and partners Who helped me along the way It’s for their sake I got here And by his grace one thing seems clear…(Chorus 2:) At the end of the trail In a place they once called Rome The trials and tests I suffered Are now just memories It’s only by His grace that I survived And by His love He saw me through As I come closer finally Towards a place I might call home…(Bridge:) The city limits sign And the city lights all beckon me I throw down all my burdens And hug my loved ones so dear…(Chorus 3:) At the end of the trail In a place I’ve never been The shooting wars all are over I’m finally safely in His den It’s a feeling I’ve never had Since I don’t know when Here at the end of my trail In a place I now call home.{Final Ending:] It’s here I will finish my course And at this point I’ll stay At what is now the end of my trail At this place I now call home.(Repeat last two lines–then end by singing lines–”Lord, I’m home…I’m finally home…I’m home….I’m finally home…”)© October 3, 2024; music and lyrics originally written by Coy Reece Holley and property of Broken and Shattered Promises Online Publishing and Productions. All rights reserved.
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NEWSLETTER MAIN STUDY PART 1--(WALK #103 PRAYER VIGIL COLLAGE MESSAGE) A WELCOME TO OUR “KEHILLAH KEDOSHAH”
(INITIAL NOTE OF EXPLANATION:) For those that may scratch their heads in reading the audience this part is directed to, the Lord had me to give a special written message as a part of a collage to greet a group of male participants in a Christian renewal retreat called “A Walk To Emmaus” that happened in July of this year. The message given as a part of this particular collage in light of recent events seems so pertinent to the present overall national and world situation that currently faces all of us that I strongly felt this should be an integral part of our main study today. Please don’t let the specific language directed at these participants throw you off. Instead, please instead focus on eating any real spiritual meat you may see here and spitting the bones that might not be what you might accustomed to. The reason for its inclusion is because this lays a specific foundation for what I’ll be discussing in PART 2. In the meantime, I believe the message I gave these men will somehow also be useful to you...that is, IF you’ll allow it to BE so…
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Shalom alechem, chaverim!! (Hebrew for how I and some others I’ve known in the past might wish to say--”Greetings, friends!”) And all of us here who are associated with this thing called “A Walk To Emmaus” are thanking Him for YOUR decision to make the quality choice to make Him YOUR choice by participating in our Walk this weekend. We all believe that as this weekend progresses, you will be able to see His love and grace in a much greater measure and light than you ever have before.
In light of what’s happened in recent weeks and months with this thing called a pandemic and the many changes (good and bad) that have come with it, it just seems right to me (and maybe even good to the Holy Spirit, too) that above most here I help reintroduce (or maybe even in some cases, NEWLY introduce entirely) a concept that I believe a number of us had so quickly forgotten in previous years. It is a concept that recent events in all of our lives have now forced us all to confront the reality of. To some, this might seem to be a brand-new major paradigm shift. But to me personally, it simply is an old lesson I actually learned 30 years ago the hard way. It was a very painful lesson at the time for me to learn--but now I’m glad I learned it then because it is one of those unique lessons I went through in my past that have helped me personally navigate some of the uncharted waters we’ve all been forced to sail lately.
Let me start to paint the picture on this by pointing out an experience I found in the book “Have A Little Faith” written by New York Times best-selling author Mitch Albom. In “...Faith”, Mitch recalls some of the experiences he went through for several years in preparing to write the eulogy he was asked to give at his childhood rabbi’s funeral. One of those memories was the recounting by that same rabbi of one particular day of his childhood growing up in the Bronx (i.e.--the New York City area).
“...One time when I was young, I happened to be standing near an apple cart outside on the street. Those apples looked so delicious that I thought that maybe if I could just look like I had accidentally brushed up against the apple cart that maybe I could get one of those apples so that it wouldn’t look like I was stealing…
“...Just as I was about to do that, a voice from above shouted in Yiddish, “ALBERT, IT IS FORBIDDEN!”
“...Was it God?’
“...Not quite God---but a lady shouting from the windows upstairs...But you see, Mitch--we looked out for each other..had each other’s back. In Judaism, we would call it a “kehillah kedoshah’--a SACRED COMMUNITY. If someone was about to stumble, someone would be there to help catch them. But now these days people don’t have time for each other anymore. People rushing to and from and going everywhere in the suburbs--people don’t even have time to sit down together as a family for a meal anymore. How can we expect them to have time for anyone else?”
After the events of recent weeks and months, that rabbi’s question seems much more poignant by the day as we find churches dramatically cutting accessibility to their services and operations through either going completely or at least partially to online services and/or outdoor-oriented services (and even in some cases--complete cancellation entirely). Where just even as late as last year people and pastors were scrounging to get people to come INSIDE the doors for a revival or a special event, now such terms as COVID, facial coverings, and social distancing have sadly become a part of the current rules and requirements for operations.
We’ve been forced as the Body of Christ to struggle with new definitions and methods on how a “sacred community”/”kehillah kedoshah” should operate in a time of unprecedented disease epidemics, financial and employment uncertainty, and racial strife and friction....definitions and methods that I now strongly believe WERE NOT HIS original intention to start with. And before we start thinking that this is a new thing that no one else has experienced before, let me remind you of something that the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote about situations such as this. (And FYI--I absolutely LOVE how the New Living Translation really frames this in a modern-day vernacular that we can quickly and readily understand--)
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 New Living Translation: 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.
Allow me to put even more of a theological foundation to the major points I plan to make here by going to the last part of Hebrews chapter 10:
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
I know personally the hard way how it is when you can’t be a part of a certain community of individuals that you personally above all else want so band to be with. And I have had a little taste of the pain involved when certain things around you actually limit your ability to take part in those things that community might deem important to all. Having been (and also STILL in some way) a member of a church organization once called the Worldwide Church of God (now called Grace Communion International), I as a member along with others personally experienced the heartbreak, frustration, and other junk that came with the trinkets and T-shirts that came with massive changes in the way things used to be done at one time in that particular international church fellowship.
I could almost go through a complete laundry list of things about Worldwide on this subject (including how many years it used to be considered a “cult” by most of orthodox evangelical Christianity at one time in its history). But I think instead that you would benefit the most here by seeing what it truly was through my eyes one particular WCG experience that best illustrates what it’s like when what was once YOUR “sacred community” seems to be falling apart at the seams around you.
To set up the stage for this, maybe I should ask you to imagine what would happen if YOUR own church (that is, if you have one at all) were involved in a church split. According to some studies I heard about one time, church splits and divisions were apparently at least in the top 10 list of major psychological events that cause the most personal trauma and/or major physical ailments people have these days. Heated arguments over the color of the sanctuary carpet and also whether the songs sung in your worship services should either be sung directly out of a hymnal or praise songs and choruses put on a large projector screen are the norm now at every business meeting your church may have. Then suddenly, your pastor announces his resignation and his intention to start a competing church just down the street from your current one. Before you know it, half the congregation leaves with him--some of them your very best friends and/or family members WITHOUT even a decent chance to say a decent goodbye to them before they walk out the door. How would YOU react after all this came down the pike on you ALL AT ONCE???
Sadly (with different and much more bigger and complex issues and scenarios involved that I don’t have the time or space to get into here) in 1995, this WAS NOT my imagination when I attended a Feast of Tabernacles convention in Fort Worth. In ways you probably can’t fathom or imagine right now, THIS was the sort of nightmare that actually came with massive doctrinal changes to all of us within Worldwide. Within the course of just ONE YEAR, mind you--AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of AT LEAST half of my own local congregation AND the pastor AND one of our elders formally left to form another competing church that opposed those doctrinal changes. Around this time, I was ALSO personally stuck at home at the time in Lockney due to unemployment, transportation, and other issues not even able for several MONTHS to go to ANY Worldwide church service (whether in my nearest congregation of Lubbock or ANYWHERE else). And just as things COULDN’T get worse, the Pastor General (i.e.--what we called the international administrative head of Worldwide at the time) died of colon cancer just a few weeks shy of this particular convention. To say that we were about to go through what I called a “Feast of funerals” would have been a MASSIVE understatement at the time.
One instance especially jogs my memory now as I write this. One day as we were going to one of the services of this particular Feast in Fort Worth, we passed by this trailer and van that was set up as an outdoor stage for a group who spewed out the most despicable and hateful rhetoric and who particularly said some of the most disparaging things about Worldwide founder Herbert W. Armstrong. While I and others were passing by this trailer to go to the Convention Center for the service, those in our group either tried not to pay much attention to it and/or laughed it off and made a sort of joke of it amongst ourselves. But as I heard this nasty group pontificate the religious rhetoric of what they considered “...the Gospel”, I wanted SO BAD to scream through my tears, “...IF YOU ONLY KNEW WHAT EXACTLY WE’RE ALL GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULDN’T BE SAYING SUCH HATEFUL STUFF TO US!”
As I hit the stop button on that particular Fort Worth experience, I can also maybe stick a portion of Hebrews chapter 10 back in your face and even shove a megaphone in front of it for good measure to emphasize an important point:
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In otherwards, we WERE NOT meant to serve before our God as Lone Rangers! That IN NO WAY was His original intention or desire by any means! “Social distancing” from others in the Lord, “worshipping God in nature and His creation”, and other excuses and hindrances--those CANNOT replace His Divine COMMAND to “...assemble ourselves TOGETHER--and even more so as you see the Day [meaning the time of our Lord’s return--regardless of whether or not you might believe in the Rapture] approaching.” (YES, I SAID IT AND EVEN BY ITS WRITING AND CREATION APPROVED THIS MESSAGE--it’s a COMMAND from the Master Himself, NOT merely a suggestion!!!) And THAT is part of the purpose of we call the LIVING WATER EMMAUS COMMUNITY!
In the word of God, you might find references to how when our God prescribed people in the Old Covenant the way they were to build altars, He tended to specify that they be built out of stones INSTEAD of bricks. WHY SO? According to the Jewish sages, when the Tower of Babel was built, some of the ancient writings specify that the Tower was made of man-made bricks in which each brick was made into the exact same shape and basically in a cookie-cutter, assembly-line industrial style. The Sages even go so far to suggest that absolutely NO regard was made for the concern of anyone that might be injured or possibly killed helping to build the Tower and that the efforts to build the Tower completely superseded any sense of possible compassion or concern for anyone directly affected by it. BUT in contrast--when a wall or altar was built in Ancient Israel, the children of Israel were actually required to build them out of hewn stones--in which was individually cut, fitted, and shaped...and in which WITHOUT each UNIQUELY fitted stone the project could not be truly considered complete.
In similar fashion, this is, as I might wish to call it, a “kehillah kedoshah”--a SACRED COMMUNITY that in just a short time YOU will be able to join....a SACRED COMMUNITY of diverse individuals from many different churches, denominations, races, cities, towns, professions, etc. who periodically come together for ONE common purpose--to proclaim what in Hebrew would be called the “mayim hayim” (i.e.--LIVING WATER) of our Lord and Savior and of His blessed Holy Spirit AND help YOU begin to experience a small taste of what the overall universal ‘kehillah kedoshah” of the God we all serve truly is for yourself. And most of all--to assist YOU in helping you play the role that our God might have you to play in all of the “kehillah kedoshahs” and spheres of influence that you may be a part of.
As you start the process of becoming a part of our particular “kehillah kedoshah”, I urge you pilgrims to be aware of the following: (1.) IT MAY COST YOU SOMETHING TO BE A PART OF THIS! Now I don’t mean to say that to scare or discourage you--but simply encourage you to realistically understand the type of DEEPER commitment our Lord and Savior may require of you. There’s one thing I remember most about what it originally took for me years ago to become a Worldwide Church of God member in the first place--the fact that doing so was going to require COMMITMENT and that it would cost me something to do it. I couldn't go into something like that halfheartedly. It HAD to be ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL!
You’ll probably find yourself going through similar conditions as you go through the rest of this Walk. I know for sure this--that my Lord from here on out is now going to expect you to step up your game a little bit. What once you thought was truly important will soon instead need to be subservient to what HE may want you to do.
(2.) There will be NO promises of rose gardens and/or easy solutions or shortcuts as you go through this process. I WILL assure and almost guarantee you that some of the tough sledding and other things you left behind at home to get here might also be some of the very first things that will greet you at your front door when you leave here and head back into what we call around here your “4th Days” ahead.
BUT--MAY I ASK YOU TO ALSO TAKE HEART AND NOTE THE FOLLOWING?
(#3.) You WILL (IF you’ll allow Him to do so) have the opportunity to much more experience His peace, joy, and love this weekend as you never have before. YOU WILL have an opportunity to obtain some clarity and direction of some things you may have been seeking the Lord about for years. YOU WILL get to meet along your journey here during this Walk some interesting people that will assist you along the way in getting to REALLY know and experience Him for what He truly IS--NOT what you might have previously imagined him to be. And YOU WILL learn for yourself the real benefits of what being a part of a “sacred community” like this can truly be--SO THAT YOU in turn can take what you’ve learned here and then teach those things to others in your world.
It’s in talking about this “sacred community” that I need to go back to the Mitch Albom book I talked about earlier and refer to another incident about our rabbi friend we discussed here. Later on in “Have A Little Faith”, Mitch recounts the occasion of that rabbi’s 60th anniversary of leadership over the particular New Jersey congregation he personally founded and led. For that rabbi, it actually WASN’T the party itself that made the occasion special.
“...Mitch--when I saw all of those people there...old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, hugging each other like long lost friends...to me, it was a little slice of heaven.”
Even if our Saviour hasn’t quite brought down heaven to earth for all of us just yet, I do know this--that our rabbi friend might be on to something. Regardless of rules dictating how many feet apart we have to stand away from each other AND/OR who has to stay and help clean and sanitize the ARC afterwards, one thing is for sure this weekend--that there’s a LOT of people here in what I would call the “Kehillah Kedoshah b’shem Mayim Hayim” (that is--the “sacred community of Living Water Emmaus” that are chomping at the bit to give you a good ol’ West Texas welcome, shake hands, fist or elbow bump, etc. (...you get the idea…) when they finally get to see and meet you in person. And maybe when you do, you might also get a chance to see a small snippet of the coming attractions reel of His Glorious Kingdom ahead--not only now, but also in the many 4th Days ahead of you...just like our rabbi friend did with his congregation. I urge you NOT to let THIS “kehillah kedoshah” slip away--but keep close to your heart always. All the best to you as you do just that from my end and my ranch/homestead--even as I hope that you’ll personally allow ME to be one of the first to formally welcome you to OUR “kehillah kedoshah”---
Shalom rubakah and DeColores in the Name of Him who gives us THAT “mayim hayim”/LIVING WATER and who Himself created OUR particular “kehillah kedoshah” (i.e.--Yeshua Ha’Meshiach/the Lord Jesus Christ),
Coy Reece Holley
(Men’s Walk #51)
Kehillah Kedoshah b’shem Mayim Hayim Emmaus (i.e.--the Sacred Community of Living Water Emmaus)
PART I can be found here at http://coyrhseatcbspm.wixsite.com/walking/2020-fall-newsletter-part-i ...
PART II at http://coyrhseatcbspm.wixsite.com/walking/2020-fall-newsletter-part-2
Collage Message-- http://coyrhseatcbspm.wixsite.com/walking/men-s-walk-103-collage-message ...
Game Summary-- http://coyrhseatcbspm.wixsite.com/golden-calves-golden-mummies-game-s ...