Along with daily readings in two devotional books by Corrie ten Boom, I recently had additional cause to think about sisters Betsie and Corrie, Corrie being the family member most-familiar to many. The ten Booms were not Jewish, but along with all else they did to serve God before World War II, they hid and protected Jews being hunted by Hitler’s men once war began. They knew their God, not just about Him, and lived their lives for Christ Jesus out of authentic love for Him and, thus, for others, before being forced into Ravensbruck concentration camp, where they faithfully continued to serve their Lord: Betsie, who died there, and Corrie, after God caused her to be released because of a clerical error – just before all in Corrie’s group were exterminated.
Typical human flesh-nature might ask why God would allow a family, whose trust in and love for Him was so evident in their every moment – why He would allow them to be placed amid such filth and horror to live, and for some of them, to die there. The answer is in the question. Romans 8:28-30 CJB tells us, “Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose; because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!”
Romans 12:21 CJB tells us, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” Betsie got into that mode sooner than Corrie, but helped her sister to do so. Their barracks had backed-up plumbing and soiled bedding atop straw-covered platforms swarming with fleas; the odors were horrific, nauseating. Corrie asked Betsie how they could possibly live in such a place. Betsie said, “Show us. Show us how,” but didn’t say it to Corrie—she said it to Jesus, Whom she’d always considered her Friend. In fact, the ten Booms had always considered Jesus a family member and spoke to Him as such. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV tells us this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
From God Is My Hiding Place by Corrie: A day soon came when Betsie said excitedly, “He’s given us the answer. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about these new barracks!” When Corrie expressed doubt, Betsie pointed out that they had been allowed to stay together and that God had repeatedly hidden Betsie from the inspectors so they never discovered her Bible kept hidden in her tattered dress: they were able to share the love, truth, and Word of God with the women they shared space with in an otherwise desperate place of little to no hope, women who, if they survived their imprisonment, and with the exception of Corrie, were later exterminated. [For any who want to watch the free movie, here is the YouTube link to do so: The Hiding Place | A Billy Graham Film ]
Corrie saw the truth of this but stated that to thank God for fleas was a bit too much – until Betsie revealed this was why they had far more freedom in their room than others did: No supervisor or guard would step across their threshold – because of the fleas! Betsie and Corrie were able to worship and teach about God and minister to all the women in their large room, without fear of being caught. Corrie wrote in this book I’m quoting from, “Thankfulness keeps us connected to the reality of God in our lives.” If we’re honest, many of us would pray to be saved for our own purposes, not His – or would want death for the same reason; they prayed to serve mightily their Savior/Redeemer Jesus Christ.
Thankfulness and praise are always a strong form of spiritual warfare. As 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 CJB tells us, “For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.”
We’re told in Ephesians 6 to put on the Armor of God. We are not told to ever take it off. Do we understand what both of these mean? Do we understand that Christ Jesus is our Armor? He is our Shield of Faith, our Breastplate of Righteousness, our Belt of Truth, our Helmet of Deliverance, our Shoes made of the Gospel of Peace/Shalom with spikes that keep us standing firm in Him, and He is our Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. Each and All of them are Jesus Christ. He is our Armor AND He is our Weapon of spiritual warfare; never is it ever our “cleverness” or “knowledge” or “religiosity”: He and He alone is our Salvation and our Defense.
How is it that we don’t live this way? One big reason is that some contemporary religions foster the mentality that God works for us, like a privilege we give Him, when the reality is supposed to be that, although He is our benevolent Benefactor, once we’re saved, we’re meant to work for Him – allowed to work for Him, to help others learn of Him and, perhaps, choose to be saved. The former is childish (Lord, I want XYZ); the other is more mature (Lord, what would You have me do for You?).
God put those sisters into a Refiner’s Fire, and like the three men in the book of Daniel who were cast into the seven-times-hotter blaze, Betsie and Corrie also found Jesus with them in their spiritual inferno. Those two women will hear or have already heard Christ Jesus say the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Words they will never hear – nor should any follower of Jesus Christ ever expect to hear – are these: “You poor thing. You suffered so much. You were too miserable to glorify and magnify Me with your thoughts, prayers, words, and actions, as I instructed you to do for your own protection against the Enemy and as a representative of My Kingdom in this wicked, fallen world. But who could expect you to remember My loving instruction about how to live in each moment, whatever that entails, to put on and keep on the Armor of God under such circumstances? Here’s a Participation crown.” As apostle Paul said, “God forbid!”
The last thing I mean to do is diminish anyone’s pain, suffering, misery, or confusion. But we, which includes me, can get off track. Satan and his minions live to influence us into that state. That’s bad, but worse is how often we make it easy for them. We are to contend for the faith, and this means especially within our own hearts and minds. We are to take our every pain, suffering, misery, or confusion to our Lord Jesus Christ so He can carry it for us and we can return to doing what He wants of us, which is operate in spirit, not flesh. Remember: He doesn’t need us to help Him accomplish anything; He gives us this opportunity as a blessing and privilege as one of His – a chance to watch Him work through us.
Jesus knows we have emotions: He gave them to us. I’m thankful He included in His Word that there were times He felt both anger and compassion toward some. It’s a place I’m familiar with from occasionally watching news/pundit programs and seeing Facebook posts/comments. I’m also thankful He told us we can be angry (that there is such a thing as righteous indignation) but don’t let it cause us to sin. We just have to remember what He considers sin: worry, complaining, gossip, slander, bitterness, hatred, envy, arrogance, self-pity, and so on… anything that shoves love like God’s for us and others out of our heart and mind, in exchange for something that makes our flesh happy but is not allowed in His Kingdom.
The Church, and the ripples from there, is at fault for not addressing the spiritual battlefield Earth is that we are born into. Or how attacks – direct or through others – increase once we turn to Jesus as Lord and Redeemer, or consider doing so. Or even while in the womb. It seems the dark supernatural beings can tell when a new human will give them trouble (refer back to what Romans 8:28-30 says above). The attacks may begin early. Think of your own life: Did anything threaten to end you while in the womb, during birth, after delivery, or throughout your life? How many near-misses are you aware of, and how early in your life did they start? What about right now? [Caution: Do not think the dark powers can do anything to one of God’s saved sons and daughters, or to anyone, without His allowing it – but that is a separate topic.]
In the dark supernatural realm, if we’re no real threat to Satan or his kingdom, he’ll mostly leave us alone. But if he can cause us to stumble or get us to cause others to stumble, even if we do this while believing we’re working for Jesus, Satan may “reward” us and lead us to believe it’s God the Father Who is blessing us. Satan might get us to believe “living your best life now” or being “seeker-friendly” or “woke” is serving God, when it certainly is not. Name-it-and-claim-it (aka “manifesting”) is another popular sin taught by some. That isn’t wishcraft – it’s witchcraft! This is a trick, where we’re convinced our focus is on serving Almighty God, when it’s actually on serving ourselves.
God said we’re to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness (we too often leave that “His righteousness” part out), and then He’ll supply us with what we need (need, not want, though the two may be the same at times – He is a Good Gift-Giver). This is not what the world or some church leaders teach us. God told us we – some more than others – will have trials and tribulations in this life. If He has a purpose for us to be here during a tribulation or the Tribulation, are we spiritually mature enough to be more like a ten Boom? I think about our military men beheaded by Isis, men whose last word was “Jesus,” out of faith in Him and His promises: Such men and women, put to death in His Name, know their God! God, by Your grace, help us to serve and represent you in such a way, at all times – whether calm or chaotic: You are our Calm in any storm.
If we’re known by our fruit, many of us are in need of a fruit-inspection, based on the Word of God.
Love-filled fruit can only be produced by fruit of a love-filled tree, or in our case, a love-filled Vine called Jesus Christ, Who went to the Cross, not because of who we are, but because of Who He is. God’s Word tells us that no matter what we do or how much we do, especially in His name, if it isn’t done out of authentic love for God and agape love for others, it’s worthless – a show of love of self. These are not easy words to read or hear, but my hand is raised in recognition of needing to do better.
1 Corinthians 13 CJB: I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith – enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing.
I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass. For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways. For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me. But for now, three things last – trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.
What we see in that scripture is the fruit of spiritual maturity, which is never a matter of chronological age. I don’t know about you, but I need God’s help to grow into that some more – a lot more.
What if you’re up in years and or infirm in some way or lack funds: What kind of fruit can you hope to produce? Become a prayer warrior who goes after strongholds demons have placed over you, your loved ones, over the Body of Christ, maybe your pastor, your neighborhood, community, city, nation, etc. Because you serve (or are meant to serve) Almighty God, Who is not willing that any should perish but that all should repent and be saved through His Son, Messiah Jesus. We are to do this through authentic love for Him and, thus, authentic agape love for others, and do so in the spirit of humility – never the spirit of self-aggrandizement or self-satisfaction, and never out of “religious duty”.
I pray you will watch this and ANSWER HIS CALL FOR AUTHENTIC SELF-EXAMINATION & SELF-ASSESSMENT: (995) POWER FROM ON HIGH for the DAYS AHEAD – YouTube
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