The Cross's Load Will Grace Renew

Seal of the Germantown Congregation

"Ah, precious soul, take courage new,

All this shall have an end;

The cross's load will grace renew;

Soon blissful rest thou'lt find.

The sorrow of this fleeting time

Is worthy of the joy divine,--

Patience."

Translated from a German hymn by Peter Becker, Germantown, Pennsylvania.

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" I Peter 1:13

The German Baptist Brethren, otherwise known as the Dunkards or Dunkers, came to the American Colonies to escape persecution from the Lutheran church. They formed a congregation in Germantown, Pennsylvania.

Peter Becker had a reputation for living a pious and godly life, and for his even temper. I imagine he felt the sting of persecution in the form of mockery perhaps from those who thought him odd. At the end of each verse, the word "Patience" appears. How fitting a word for us all to hear when we'd love to scream, "Unjust!" Perhaps when he wrote this hymn he had specific men in mind:

"If upon the narrow way

Thou suffer scoffings here,

Just go on in path of right,

But shun the broad way's snare;

Though men may look at thee askance

And thou must often grieve perchance,--

Patience."

 How wonderful that God provides for us examples of men who have lived the way He wants us to live.

In a discussion with my daughter, the subject of gracious living came up. So often we hear on the radio or TV malicious talk. Expressed opinions given in a manner of ill-will leave us wondering what separates those who profess Christ from those who hate Him. From the pulpit, from time to time, we'll hear a fiery sermon expounding upon some seemingly unforgivable sin or ideology. Where is the grace in that?

The people to whom the Apostle Peter wrote were experiencing great persecution, some even having been thrown to the lions. Not once through his epistle did he say to speak out in anger against those whose ideologies were wrong or who despitefully used his readers. He did not want them to seek revenge through actions or words, for that was the Lord's to do. On the contrary, he exhorted them to do quite the opposite.

After reminding them the price Christ paid for them and the great salvation they received, Peter says:

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings," (I Peter 2:1)

Peter didn't launch into a bunch of dos and don'ts. He didn't say, "Wear this; don't wear that." He went first to the outward expression of the inward character.

We, who are saved by grace, must extend to the same grace God extended to us to those around us--even those who mistreat us or whose lifestyles and ideologies contrast what we believe to be right. Grace doesn't mean you condone what they do. It doesn't mean you excuse what they do. It simply means you extend to them the blessings they do not deserve, even as God extended to you the blessings you do not deserve. And remember, the Holy Spirit convicts and draws men to God...not you.

In my research of the preachers and the people of the colonial times, I find time and again the companions to Godly character are a kind heart, an even temper, and a generous spirit. I find the men and women who bore these traits were loved and esteemed even by their enemies.

My daughter often encounters 'trials' in school where her faith maybe tested. In this recent conversation, we agreed that grace must prevail in our conversations with others. Sure they are out to rile you. Don't give in. Turn and walk away, if you must. But look to the Holy Spirit to produce in you His fruit and lay aside any harsh words that would match the words and manner of the world.

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous;

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it."

I Peter 3:8-11

The Battle for Freedom of Conscience

"Thomas Goold being presented by the Grand Jury held at Cambridge, April 7, 1657, for not bringing his child to the holy ordinance of baptism, the said Goold appearing in Court confessed his child to be unbaptized, the Court sollemly admonished him of his dangerous error." Middlesex Court Original Papers, Charlestown, Massachusetts p. 699.

"The Snake in the Grass or Satan Transform'd to an Angel of Light," title page by Richard Gaywood, paper, etching, 148 mm x 93 mm. At the sides are a Puritan and a Covenanter above an author writing.{{PD-1996}}

"But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them." Mark 13:9

The colonists from the early 1600's through to the writing of the Constitution witnessed time and time again people willing to endure much persecution for their beliefs. Thus, many came to understand a person's conscience cannot be bent to the will of the government or other rulers. To change what a person believes at the core of their being requires an act of God, not of man. A battle for a person's freedom of conscience played a significant role in the war for human rights.

The anabaptist groups, like the Baptists and the Quakers, were demonized by the courts for not baptizing their infants. The Puritans, from which the Congregational Churches were formed, came out of the Church of England (many of the preachers having been trained by that church), held to the doctrine of infant baptism so strongly that they viewed anyone not baptizing their infant a messenger of Satan:

 "'Tis Satan's policy to plead for an indefinite and boundless toleration." Thomas Shepherd, "Election Sermon" (1672), p. 24

"The Lord keep us from being bewitched with the whore's cup, lest while we seem to detest and reject her with open face of profession, we do not bring her in by a back door of toleration." John Cotton, "Bloody Tenet Washed," p. 132, 192

"The Loud outcry of some is for liberty of conscience … I look upon an unbounded toleration as the first born of all abominations." Reverend Urian Oakes, president of Harvard in 1675. http://mises.org/daily/5966/The-Libertarian-Origins-of-Rhode-Island

 Reflecting upon this battle in Colonial times, I could not help but see the parallel in our own times. The cry of anger against evangelical, Bible-believing churches (indeed all who lay claim to the title: 'Christian') no longer comes from a state church but from secularists, atheists, and those in the government who have little regard for true freedom of conscience. They tote toleration while denying business owners liberty of conscience on how they run their business. There is little difference between the above quotes and the actions and words of those who wish to impose laws that are contrary to the conscience of the business owner or the individual.

The Anabaptist groups (like the Quakers and the Baptists and the Seekers) continued to stand for their beliefs, against all persecutions: from arrests, to whippings, to hangings. They did not waiver. Such conviction led others to embrace their freedoms and even their faith. People gave up their positions, their wealth, their homes in order to hold to their core beliefs. And by standing firm, drawing others to them, they eventually won for us religious freedom...which I fear we are losing, particularly if we (out of fear of losing our comforts and 'peace') refuse to stand firm on God's Word--on God's Truth, and not man's--no matter the cost.

The Bible does teach us to obey the laws of the land and live peaceably, but not to the extent of denying Christ or denying God's laws. God's laws must come first in our lives. God, our Creator, knows what is best for us. He gave us those laws, those instructions on how to live, because He knew that to work contrary to them would lead to destruction. He didn't want that for us. As an example to us, He gave Peter and the other apostles courage to say, "We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)

When  you are facing opposition to what you claim is your faith, are you willing to say as the apostles did, "We ought to obey God rather than men"?

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because thy are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil."

John 17:14-15

Nathaniel Griffith

Outside Newport, RI January 1675

Ah, please excuse my breeches dear friends. And my new friends, I'm Nathaniel Griffith. Please, come quickly into my house. Take my musket and this quiver of arrows. There's bows behind the door.

What is my concern? The Plymouth Colony in November sent a colonial militia against the Narragansett tribe. 'Tis a shame, I say. We, in Newport, have always found the Narragansett to be a friendly people. Nonetheless, it has happened.

In December, the colonial force found the Narragansett fort not far from here. With men from Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (along with some Pequots and Mohicans), an attack was launched against the fort. Aye, it put all of us here in a fine mess. Many of the Narragansett people escaped, but face a winter with little food and shelter.

Which brings me to my breeches. I took supplies to those friends I'd made over the years. 'Twas midday, when I rode down a trail at a canter,  my chestnut mare as anxious as I to get home. Hearing some noise behind me, I looked over my shoulder and the next thing I knew I  sat upon the trail and not on me horse. It happened so quickly I had no time to know what hit me, but when I looked up I saw a rope strung across the trail at the height of a rider.

'Twas by the grace of God I escaped. My mare had stopped. No doubt, I'd yanked hard on her mouth when I'd been thrust from my seat. She stood looking at me, her head slightly tilted as though asking why I sat there and not on her back. I jumped to my feet and leapt upon her back then raced home.

As you saw when you joined me, I have just arrived home. No one pursued me, and I pray my goodwill toward the Indians will stay their anger against us. But I wish not to be caught unawares, nor do I wish to incite the militia against my friends. Many in Newport have taken in the wounded from that battle last month. Some of the wounded colonists from the north are heading home now. I fear, however, that this will not be the end of it.

What's this ye say? Ye must continue your journey? Have ye supplies? Aye, I thought not. I have a gelding who would make you a good pack animal. You may take him, and I will give you some of what we have, along with some arrows and two bows. I fear I have no ammunition to spare. I have not sufficient ammunition to protect ourselves through these months.

I wish you all Godspeed. Take care to stay out of the frozen swamp, for that is where many of the Narragansett warriors and their families fled.

---

Lynn Squire here,

When I was about eleven, I was up at our neighbor's farm playing cowboys and Indians. While galloping my sorrel mare away from said 'cowboys' (I was riding bareback and therefore an Indian) I looked over my shoulder and instantly found myself sitting on the ground. My horse had ridden under the clothesline, which hit me at chest level. When I landed on the ground I didn't know what had happened until (like Nathaniel) I looked up. Not until I had seen the line did I feel its sting.

At the time, I was rather embarrassed. What fool rides under a clothesline? But  now I chuckle whenever I think of it. Unfortunately, my mare was not as nice as Nathaniel's. She ran home without me!

Jacob Leisler, "I am ready. I am ready."

 Henry Sloughter signing Jacob Leisler's death warrant.

"I hope these my eyes shall see our Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven I am ready. I am ready." Jacob Leisler, May, 1691

"We are thoroughly wet with rain, but in a little while we shall be rained through with the Holy Spirit." Jacob Milborne, May 16, 1691 at his execution.

These two men died as traitors to the Crown of England. During the English Revolution of 1688, the people in New York were divided. Leisler befriended the Huguenots. And to keep them from being sold into slavery for being unable to pay their bills, he championed their cause in what would later be called Leisler's Rebellion. Jacob Leisler became the acting Lieutenant Governor in New York. A man truly before his time, Leisler summoned the first Intercolonial Congress in America in New York, May 1690. Their mission: to deal with the ongoing conflict with the Indians and the French.

When the rebellion ended, Leisler resigned his command to Governor Sloughter. The governor responded by arresting him along with others. After extensive trials, Leisler (along with Jacob Milborne and six other men) were convicted and sentenced to death.

Death will come. I know we don't want to think about it, but many will die today in accidents or from illness or from some other demise. We all have to face it. What a joy for those who have received salvation to be able to say, "I am ready. I am ready."

Our perspective tends to be limited to this present life, but God’s perspective encompasses all of eternity.
I've noticed that many of the Psalms open with the psalmist revealing sorrow and hurt in his life, but close with him determining to praise God. We should praise God always, for our hope lies not on the substance of this world but in our eternity in Heaven.

*What do you look forward to in Heaven?

• Spending time with Jesus 
• Worshiping God with the angels 
• Not suffering anymore 
• Getting rid of this ugly old body 
• Not struggling against our flesh anymore 
• Seeing people who have gone before us
• And so much more. 

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3

What will be waiting for us in Heaven? A place just for you and a place just for me.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelations 21:1-3 

 Who will we be with? We will be with God. How do you feel about that? Excited and maybe a little awed?

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Revelations 21:4-5

What will you not find in heaven? Death, sorrow, crying, pain, the former things.

What does God say He will do? Wipe away our tears, Make all things new.

What does that mean with respect to our sorrows we experience here on earth? They will no longer affect us, because they will have passed away. 

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelations 21:6-8

Who will be in heaven? He that overcometh. That refers to those who are saved. We find the definition of this in Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.”

Who will not be in heaven? Sinners, those who are not saved—who are unbelieving. We have all lied. We’ve all been fearful and idolaters in some way. The difference between the two groups is that those who overcome go to heaven, and we see in Revelation 12:11 that it is through Christ that we overcome.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelations 20:10

What happens to Satan? He is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

After that, will he ever be able to torment another again? No.

To God be all glory and honor and praise.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. We have a hope that we must cling to—a hope that will help us endure to the end. And that hope is eternal life in the new heaven and new earth." 

Revelations 21:4 

* The following is used with permission from https://sites.google.com/site/joabsfire/bible-study?offset=10

Of Marriage

"It is a question, not easily answered, whether marriage was appointed by the Divine Parent, merely for the propagation of the human species, or for the education of children. Whether one or the other, or both were reasons of the institution, it certainly was appointed by God, honored by Jesus, and declared to be honorable unto all by St. Paul." Elder John Leland, The Virginia Chronicle 1790

"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:23-24

Our Wedding, Feb 5, 1995 Chehalis, B.C.

This week, my husband (Dave) and I celebrate eighteen years of marriage. We met one year plus a day before our wedding. We both worked at Trinity Western University--both of us having graduated from Trinity a few years before. We were friends for four months, then dated for four months, then engaged for four months.

Just recently, Dave and I were musing about whether a marriage would be nullified in the eyes of God if the laws of the land hadn't been properly followed. When first married, I'd occasionally wake up from a dream where I had experienced the horrors of being improperly married. Such is the life of a person with a vivid imagination.

I am exceedingly grateful for the institution of marriage. What a horrible lonely life I would have but for my husband and my children. I feel for those who must raise their children on their own. How overwhelming a task it must seem.

For the most part, weddings are grand events in Canada, taking the larger portion of a day with celebrations often going into the wee hours of the night. Our wedding was quite simple by comparison, and we would have made it even more so if family didn't feel a full roast beef dinner with all the trimmings was not an absolute necessity. But I'm chasing a rabbit trail.

Weddings in Colonial times (in general) were much more simple affairs. In Virginia, before the Declaration of Independence, "the rites of matrimony" could be done two different ways.

1. A license was issued to the bridegroom from the clerk's office in the county of the bride. This cost the bridegroom about 20 shillings and 50 lbs of tobacco. The license was then delivered to the clergyman on the wedding day to 'solemnize' the rites. He'd be paid 20 shillings for the service.
2. The clergyman posted banns of marriage for the couple on three Sundays at the cost to the groom of eighteen pence and for the 'joining of the couples together' he received 5 shillings.

As you can imagine, the poor folk would take the second route to marriage.

Most weddings were solemnized by parish preachers (parishes being that of the Church of England). However, some Presbyterian ministers provided the service. If the marriage was done by license (route 1 above), the parish preacher took the 'solemnizing' fee even if the actual ceremony was done by a Presbyterian minister.

Our marriage process was not that much different from the 1700's.

Dave and I did not have a typical church wedding. We were married in the lodge at Pioneer Chehalis along the Chehalis River and nestled in the rugged mountains of British Columbia. A more beautiful setting there could not be. We had our pictures taken in the trees along the river. Having taught horsemanship clinics for several years at this location, I knew the weather would be perfect, and it was. (And no, the picture above is not done in a studio but onsite, just outside of the lodge where the ceremony was held.)

We had to apply for a marriage license as well, but I didn't need to be a resident of B.C. (although I was). Dave had to pay for it (probably around $100). The license is only valid for three months. Within that three months a marriage ceremony with two witnesses needs to be performed.

In B.C., you can choose from a civil or a religious ceremony. The minister performing a religious ceremony has to be registered with the government, just like in Virginia in the 1700's. The minister performing the ceremony completes the Marriage Registration Form and sends it to the agency where the marriage will be registered and the legal record kept.

"After the declaration of independence, in 1780, an act passed the general assembly to authorise as many as four ministers in each county, of each denomination, to solemnize the rights;" Elder John Leland, The Virginia Chronicle 1790

Dave and I were married by a Lutheran minister, and the wedding witnessed by many family and friends. For us, it didn't matter the denomination of the minister. He was a friend of Dave's and able to marry us and that was enough.

In Virginia, many couples could not have the minister of their choice before 1784. They were limited to the authorized ministers in their county. After 1784, any ordained minister could apply for a license to solemnize the marriage. The license was given to the preacher, and after the ceremony, he was to certify to the clerk that indeed the solemnization occurred. The groom paid five shillings to the preacher and fifteen pence to the clerk for registering the certificate.

What was our conclusion about the validity of a marriage not done according to the law of the land? God does tell us to obey the laws, so we should make every effort to abide by them. However, mistakes and misunderstandings do happen. I think the vow before God would stand. Perhaps a simple fixing of the mistake by making it legal according to the state law would give all peace of mind.

After eighteen years of marriage, the only thing I can remember about those days before knowing Dave is how lonely I was. He truly is my hero, because he took this less than adequate woman and made her his wife, providing me with a friendship that will last through eternity.

Much advice can be given for marriage, but one thing I know for sure, humility and grace before God and your spouse must prevail through the whimsical winds of love. And I hope my dear husband has found the money he spent to get a wife returned to him a hundredfold. I know I've been blessed beyond measure.

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 

While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear...

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

I Peter 3:1,2,7

The Proof of Your Faith Is found in the Revelation of God's Hand

"God had so appointed it, to stop their fierce proceedings against me for a lie, which they sought to take me in." Thomas Goold quoted by Nathan Eusebius, The History of the First Baptist Church of Boston (1665-1899), p. 44.

"And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." Acts 12:11

Thomas Goold, a leading property owner in 17th century Charlestown, Massachusetts and a wagon maker by trade, created quite a stir. He, the writer of the Confession of Faith for the Charlestown Church began to openly espouse Anabaptist doctrines. Along with Mr. And Mrs Osborn, he caused such concern that the leaders were compelled to write the first records of discipline in the First Parish Church of Charlestown, April 6, 1658.

"...it was consented to by the brethren that his wife [Mrs. Osborn], leavened with principles of Anabaptisme and Quakerisme, should receive an admonition for her notorious neglect of the publique worship of God, denying our churches to be true churches, and denying her membership with us,..."

The end result: excommunication.

These people would be removed from the care and protection of the community. For taking a stand, Thomas Goold would lose not only his social standing but eventually be fined on many occasions, and when he refused to pay the fines, imprisoned.

But Mr. Goold did not focus on the bad. He saw God's hand. When messengers of the church came to argue that he had lied regarding a date for baptism of his child, he recognized God's protection. A friend, who had borrowed his breeches, found the letter confirming Goold's words in the pocket. He also recognized God's protection in having his friend there at the time of this confrontation.

Based on what I have read, I wonder if Mr. Goold still waivered in his convictions at this early date of his trials. I wonder if God saw fit to use this time of testing to help Mr. Goold see God's protection so that he would trust God in future events.

When Peter was arrested, James the brother of John had already been killed by Herod. No doubt Peter feared he'd meet the same end. Yet God spared him. Did that mean Peter would never again face dangers? Not at all. History tells us he was crucified upside down. But between this arrest and his death, Peter would have much work to do for the Lord and would require great faith and trust in God.

As a chapel speaker at a children's camp, I'd listen to girls tell stories of how they hid their Bible under their beds so as not to provoke the anger of their mothers. Or tell of threats by other children in their school yard because they profess the name of Jesus. They, even as young children, stood by their conviction of faith and endured.

Today we see many Christian businessmen and women facing a financial noose. Like Thomas Goold, because of their convictions they may lose all they have gained via fines, and others will suffer because of the stand they take. I wonder if they, like Thomas Goold  and Peter, see God's hand and are encouraged to persevere.

While I read through the documents of our past and rejoice at the battles for freedom fought and won, I marvel at how quickly we are giving up those freedoms. Can you not see the similarities between what Mr. Goold experienced and what those Christian businessmen today who are taking a stand on their convictions are enduring? Even if you do not agree, surely you can see how we are going backward instead of forward in freedom.

We must pray. We can pray for the troubles to be removed, but we must also recognize that God may have a plan higher and greater than our own. The persecution the church in Jerusalem experienced caused them to run to other locations. The apostles had been given a commission:

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8

 They had not yet gone to the uttermost part of the earth. Comfortable, enjoying the fellowship of others and the growth of the church, they stayed in Jerusalem until God scattered them by using persecution as a catalyst.

Every trial comes for a purpose. Whatever we endure can stand as a testimony of God's work in us and through us, if we chose to look for His hand. Thomas Goold, admonished and put away from the church, could well have been left alone, but God had another plan.

"Now after this, considering with myself what the Lord would have me to do;  not likely to join with any of the churches of New England any more, and so to be without the ordinances of Christ; in the meantime God sent out of Old England some who were Baptists;..."
Thomas Goold, quoted by Nathan Eusebius Wood, The History of the First Baptist Church of Boston (1665-1899) p. 50.

Again Goold saw God's hand. He gave God the glory for the relief and encouragement he received.

What about you? Is your faith proven by your ability to see God's hand in your circumstance? Does seeing His hand in your situation strengthen your resolve to stand by your convictions?

I am praying for our country and for those men and women who courageously remain resolute against those who seek to take away their freedom. I also pray that when the testing of my faith comes, I will be counted among the faithful and found to be without compromise.

"My breathren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers tempations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience...
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."
James 1:3-4,12

The Courage of Mrs. Leland

"The case was this: my wife, who was seated near the head of the bed, when she saw the Captain step from the bed with his sword drawn, and draw back his arm to give the thrust, like a female angel, sprang like the lightning of heaven, clasped her arms within his elbow, around his body, locked her hands together, and held him like a vice, till the men took away his sword. We then took a lantern and went into the road and carried on our meeting."
John Leland, The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland p. 27

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." 

Deuteronomy 31:6

Elder John Leland preached the Gospel from Massachusetts to North Caroline. He started as a young man in 1774 and continued traveling and preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ through the War of Independence until his death in 1841. He faced many dangers and threats, but God provided for him a strong and courageous helpmeet in his wife.

When Mrs. Leland held back the captain from thrusting his sword through her husband, she did so to prevent the captain from stopping her husband's preaching. Invited to preach at a woman's house, they were stopped at the gate by the woman's son, the Captain. However, her husband let Elder Leland in and the people came to hear the preaching. When Elder Leland opened the meeting with singing, the Captain attacked. Mrs. Leland likely saved her husband's life.

Raised by an abusive step-father, Mrs. Leland endured hardships as a child, like her feet partly frozen off and an illness that left her speech impaired. Then, as a wife, she was often left alone to care for numerous children with little means and facing many dangers from soldiers, runaway slaves, and vagabonds during the war. 

Though she endured much affliction, from near shipwreck to evil spirits, she did not endure them alone.

"It has been remarked of Mrs. Leland, that her faith was strong. Indeed, on some occasions, it seemed to rest on grounds that partook of the character of revelations. An instance of  this kind occurred in the storm by which they were overtaken on their passage from Virginia to New England, in 1791. After twelve hours of incessant watching and agonizing prayer, expecting momentarily to go to the bottom, she appeared to sink into a slumber; but presently turning to her husband, she exclaimed, "We shall not be lost." She had received this assurance from a figure in white which seemed to stand before her, measuring off piece after piece of a long white cord, and which said to her, "The vessel cannot sink, I have undergirded it.""

The Writings of Elder John Leland, p. 45.

 Two things we can learn from her life:

• Affliction and hardship bring strength to those who humble themselves in the Lord
• Strength to endure hardship and affliction will come from the Lord when we look to Him.

When we have reached the end of our strength, God offers us more from His fountain, if only we would drink.

Hard times have come and passed, and yet we will see more in the future. How we face them reveals not only our character but our faith. In this new year, we may see attacks on our faith from our government, from the community, and from individuals, not to mention those leaders of other countries who hate the Kingdom of Heaven. Each moment we must chose between trusting God and walking in obedience or compromising our faith for the 'comforts and safety' this world feigns to offer. When we chose to trust God, He will not fail to provide us with the peace that passes all understanding. I wonder if perhaps we may have opportunities to see the 'figure in white' He sends to watch over us?

"...Who are kept by the power of God through faith...though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:...

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;..."

I Peter 1:5-7,13

Resolute for the Kingdom of Heaven

"My heart was greatly attached to the Holy Scripture. I have not yet forgot the burning desire--the soul-longings that I had to know what was the mind of God, contained in his word. I would read--then pray--then read and pray again, . . . that I might know the truth as it is in Jesus." John Leland, The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland, p. 14)

"Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." Matthew 13:44

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Like most people, come year end I begin to look to the next year and reflect on the past one. I love the work God has been doing in my life, though many times His lessons have been bitter pills to swallow. Rarely has there been a year in my adult life that I've looked back and said, "What a wonderful year I have had." I suppose that is partly due to my analytical mind, which always wants to 'fix the problem.' Such a mind tends to seek out problems in order to satisfy its compulsive desire to make things right.

However, this time I look back and give a solemn nod to the events of the year. I'm glad for what I've been through, what cutting away God has done of cancerous mindsets, sins, and what-not. I haven't yet "arrived," but I can see God's merciful and gracious hand at work to mold me into the person He would have me be for His glory and honor--and that is why I live.

I confess, I go into the new year recognizing a flaw in me I often point out is the problem with others: the desire for comfort and rest from all hardships. Aye, most people would not consider that a flaw. Nonetheless, I look to what weakens our society and those close to me, including myself, and I see the lust for recreation, entertainment, and comfort. I say lust because there is nothing wrong with enjoying life. But when it becomes a lust, it replaces what is good about 'enjoyment' with addictions, substituting what should be consuming our lives with what should not.

What does all this have to do with the kingdom of heaven? Like John Leland, the man finding the treasure in the field or the merchant man finding the pearl of great price, the burning desire for the kingdom of heaven has a two fold effect. First, all else in one's life seems of little value. Second, only one thing seems worth living for: the kingdom of heaven.

The coming of the kingdom of heaven was preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples. It is not an earthly kingdom. When Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, the entrance to this kingdom was opened to all who believe. One becomes a citizen of it by being born again. One is born again through faith in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for one's sins, in His burial, and in His resurrection. This faith changes one's life. Many claim this faith, but their lives haven't changed. If you measure the lack of change in their lives against what Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is like, then you will likely conclude they have not bought the field or the pearl.

Reflecting upon the 'selling' of ALL in order to obtain the kingdom of heaven, I asked myself, "What have I not yet sold?" I am already a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, but am I fulfilling the whole duty of a citizen? Can a stranger, when he encounters me, tell that I am a citizen of this great kingdom? If I am still carrying the baggage of this worldly kingdom then I cannot fully reflect the heavenly kingdom. Thus, I am resolute to know the mind of God and live a life worthy of His kingdom.

Reflecting upon the 'buying', I asked myself if there was anything hindering me from being fully committed (like when one purchases a valuable item is fully committed to ownership) to this kingdom of heaven. Like the patriots of our country during the War of Independence, am I willing to suffer great loss in order to help others, including my children and future grandchildren, to gain the freedom found in the kingdom of heaven?

Weariness tends to pull one's attention away from the plow and to the shade under the tree or the spring of fresh water. Sometimes we mistake entertainment or recreation for the only shade tree or the only source of fresh water. Yet the true source is found in Christ: in the studying of God's Word, the worship of our Lord Almighty, and the fellowship of the saints (meaning fellow believers).

I am weary right now, and yet in my heart beats a desire to not seek refreshment from movies or sports or the variety of entertainment the world provides. I know that when I am weary these things can often leave me feeling empty and even fill me with more anxiety. They are only momentary diversions, not true sources of help.

Looking to the new year, my resolutions may seem to some a bit backward. I look to endure hardships and to teach my children how to endure them. Not that I plan to seek out trouble, but that I be willing and ready to 'sell' those comforts or pleasures that draw me away from God. Most of all, I plan to get back to the basics of life: hard work.

My father was a hard worker. His notion of a relaxing Sunday afternoon was hoeing the trees or checking the cows or riding the fence line. I loved going with him. Such peace could be found riding beside him or sitting in the truck, and even in putting my hoe in the dirt.

We rarely ever watched sports or a movie on TV. Of course, we only had two or three channels. Our lives didn't halt when a football game or a hockey game came on TV. Dad put a full days work in on the farm, and then after the sun set, he would pull out his Bible and study with the same fervor with which he worked. What a wonderful example he was to me. I want to be like him and find my pleasure in both my work and in my walk with God.

What a change this resolution is this year from last year. Last year, I thought I needed to spend more time relaxing and enjoying life so I planned to spend more time playing games or seeking what others considered good fun. I found out I sought the enjoyment of life in the wrong places. I forgot the great pleasure work could bring. This year I want to 'sell' it all and 'buy' the field. Doing so will bring greater joy than any entertainment, any comfort, any pleasure the world can bring. I want to work that field for Christ, because in it is the greatest treasure of all, the kingdom of heaven.

What are your New Year's resolutions?

Then I commend mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, tahn to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 

Horse in the Bog by Lynn Squire

Welcome Friends and ye new visitors. I'm Nathanial Griffith. Please excuse the mud on my breeches and coat. We've just returned from a long ride under less than favorable conditions.

Aye, I see you looking at my poor old gelding. His hindquarters still quiver. He'll need a good rest, a warm mash, and warm blankets. While my nephew William attends to him, let me tell you the story.

A delegation from our church to lend moral support to Thomas Goold's church in Boston departed a week ago. We knew the trek to be dangerous for we feared the unrest among the Wampanoag Confederacy. However, 'twas not the Indians we need to have feared but the weather.

We set out, five of us with ten horses, three pack horses and seven mounts. As is our custom, we altered walking and riding so as to give the horses rest, yet cover ground quickly. We would make the seventy-five mile trip in two days, the most time lost being the crossing of Sakonnet River at Blue Bill Cove. Much happened along the way, including a foul storm that besought us from Porstmouth to Lynn, and another on the return from Quincy to Freetown.

'Twas that storm that flooded the narrow trail at many places, and while on our ride home the sun shone at times, the paths turned into soup. Three of the other men rode ahead of me, navigating through a particularly deep and wide quagmire. I saw that they made it through and thought to follow after.

My gelding lowered his nostrils and tilted his head to look at it. As you well know, a horse can only see close up with one eye at a time. He jigged a bit, but he's a goodly type, and with some urging leapt into the bog. I lurched forward and felt the panic in his stride as his neck came up to rear his front legs from the mud.

Fearing his struggle would only worsen the situation, I leapt from his back onto the edge of the mire. By this time I could see the coupling of his back straining and sinking as he fought to get his feet under him. At first I hauled on the bridle thinking to pull him from the mud then realized he needed his head free to act as a pendulum.

I was at a loss how to help him until Rev. Myles (a visiting minister from Wales who had joined our delegation) rode up. He had the good fortune to have a sturdy rope. Dismounting quickly, he tossed me an end while he took the other around the back and to the side of my gelding. Together we worked the rope under the buttocks of my gelding and then heaved the horse out of the bog.

The poor beast lay on his side, his lungs gasping for air and every muscle in his body quivering. The good reverend and I stripped off our cloaks and threw them over the horse's body. Knowing the cold would cause great harm, we could not let the gelding rest long. We'd need to get him to a warm, dry place. With much urging, and using the reverend's horse to help pull mine along, we managed to find a widening in the trail where we could build a fire.

As you can see, the gelding, though weak, has made it home. He'll recover in about a week's time with good care. 'Twas an unfortunate happening, and I would not wish it on any man or animal. If you don't mind, I shall bid you all adieu and help William fix the warm mash and blankets.

---

The storm in Northern California (where I live) at the first of this month, drew up many memories. Pulling horses out of mires and canals were some of them.When my husband and I sat before the fire in the comfort of our living room and watched the rain come down (some say at the rate of an inch an hour), I had the urge to put on my Stetson, my slicker, my boots, and my chaps, and head out to do something. What I don't know. In the past it would have been something to help in the comfort and care of our animals.

Between fifteen and twenty years ago, I lived and worked on a ranch in an area that flooded several months of the year. There were times when horses found themselves in the unfortunate position of sliding down a steep embankment into waters below or foolishly being ridden through a boggy spot on a trail, which the rider did not perceive to be deep. In our modern times, we could use a tractor with a front end loader and a sling to lift the horse to safety, but there were times when we had nothing but a lariat and muscles to drag a horse from a bog.

One such time happened when we were several miles from any camp or road, and the trail was either up the mountain or down the mountain. The poor horse was an older gelding, and we feared the incident would do him in, but God is merciful. We managed to get him to a corral at the top of the trail where a truck and trailer could take him back home. Lots of tender-loving care brought him back to full health.

The story Nathaniel told came to mind when reading Mr. Potter's Journal from Virginia to New England. His July 20, 1690 entry says:

I went from Onions to Eliza Town, there having been very much rain, in sight of Collonel Townlies my horse fell with me, and by Gods mercy I escaped drowning having been twice under water wet all my linnen and papers. (Travels in the American Colonies, by Newton D. Mereness p.5)

 I imagine the gentleman was quite uncomfortable, but I must admit I wondered what happened to the horse. :)

Part 7, A Forted Frontier Holiday: Through the Storm, by Lynn Squire

While harvesting, the German settlement near New Market, Virginia receive warning of an impending attack by French and Indians war parties. They flee to a quickly cobbled refuge, Fort Providence—for they will surely need to rely on God’s Provision. The forted colonials long to celebrate the holidays and await the arrival of visitors. 

Each CQ contributor to this serial will bring their characters into the fort from throughout colonial America. Join us for A Forted Frontier Holiday each Monday on CQ for the next two months!

Part 1 - Inside Fort Providence by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Part 2 - A Providential Proposal by Susan Craft

Part 3 - Landlocked by Carla Olson Gade

Part 4 - Preserve My Life From Fear by Elaine Marie Cooper
Part 5 - A Gift from Buckskin Samson by Kathleen Maher
Part 6 - Narrow Passage by Pat Iacuzzi

Part Seven
Through the Storm
By Lynn Squire

     Snowflakes stung Abigail Griffith’s cheeks and bit her nose. She wiggled her stiff toes while icy mud surged over the badger skins Caleb Owen had wrapped around her leather shoes. With each step, wind wound her skirt about her legs threatening to pull her down.
     “Abigail, step into the wheel prints. It will make your goin’ easier.” Caleb’s large hand took her elbow. An auburn lock escaped his fur cap and brushed his crinkled brow. But his smile was gentle. Like his cousin, Joseph. Her Joseph.
     She looked away. “I’m sorry.” Lord, I don’t blame You for taking Joseph from me. I didn’t deserve him, but now, to be a burden on the Owens and cause them to make this trip in this wretched weather. Abigail’s hand went to her abdomen. If the Owens learned of her condition, would they also learn of her sin and shun her, even as her father had?
     The wind rippled the bonnet of their Conestoga wagon. “’Tis nothin’ to be sorry about.” Caleb Owen stepped into the other lane of prints. “I’d have you ride in the wagon, but the horses are struggling. If Mum’s feet were not infected, she’d walk as well. As it is, Tad fights to keep the horses moving.”
     The wagon turned, and a cold blast hit Abigail. She stumbled.
     Caleb caught her arm, steadying her. “See there?” His mitted hand pointed to a white field barely visible through the storm’s veil. “’Tis cleared land. We’re less than a mile from Fort Providence.”
     A whirlwind of snow and leaves thrust past them. Its cold claws cutting through her woolen cloak, and its icy nails scratching the tips of her ears. She tugged her clout and hood over them then touched the rucksack hanging off her shoulder, its hidden contents a constant reminder of her secret sin. Would Johan’s priest uncle be there? Would he give me absolution? Joseph had said God would forgive her if she would pray, but why would God? Her father hadn’t.
     “I wish you’d let me put your rucksack into the wagon.” Caleb all but shouted above the roaring wind. The wagon halted, and he bumped into the end gate.
     “No. It is my burden to bear.” Her fingers tightened around the woven cloth, drawing the heavy sack to her bosom.
      Uncle Alwyn appeared around the wagon's corner. “I can see moccasin prints in the snow. I fear Indians may be between us and the fort.”
     Abigail blinked away the ice crystals forming on her lashes. Lord Almighty, will this be my restitution? Must You also punish these good people for my sins?
     The muscle of Caleb’s cheek flexed. He reached into his buckskin and pulled out an intricately carved reed with feathers dangling from it.
     “What is it?” Abigail reached to stroke the soft plumage.
     “A calumet given to me by a French fur trader. It signifies to the Indians we’re messengers of peace.” Caleb tossed it to Uncle Alwyn. “If God gives us favor, whoever made the tracks will acknowledge this.”
     “With that, you had planned to meet the Savages?” Abigail cringed to think what might happen to him.
     “Yes.” Caleb brushed the snow from his shoulders. “And I hope to bring them to the cross, the symbol of the peace God offers us.”
     The wagon jerked forward again, and Abigail’s first step sent shards of pain through her freezing toes. Her rucksack banged against her breast and jangled.
     “I had a rattle that made the noise of what’s in yer bag.” Caleb narrowed his eyes though a tender smile quivered about his lips. His foot stepped in a puddle and splashed ice crystals. “When do you expect your child?” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear over the wind.
     Abigail pressed her hand to her belly and looked away from him. “I…how did you know?”
     “You’ve grown since we’ve started, and yet you eat little.” He braced his back against another icy blast. “My sister, she was but five months when one could not mistake the bulge beneath her dress. If I were to guess, you’re about that far along.”
     “Then you know it’s not Joseph’s child.”
     “Aye. I suspected as much. But he is a babe, and ye need to be caring for him.” The wagon wobbled as another gust hit it broadside. “Why did yer Tad send you away in your condition?”
     Abigail stared across the empty field, though little could be seen more than five feet from her except snow. White. Barren. Oh how she wished she was barren. Then no one could discover her shame. She squeezed her eyes closed and the horror of that night rose up before her. “No,” she cried out and stumbled, falling to her hands and knees, the frigid wet ground penetrating her gloves, assaulting her like—
     “Abigail.” Caleb’s hands were on her shoulders, lifting her up. He yanked off her wet gloves and shoved her hands into his fur hat.
     She lifted her gaze to see his auburn hair whipping in the wind. So much like Joseph's hair. “I was to marry another man, but when he discovered my condition…” Spinning away, she hurried to the wagon.
     Caleb jogged after her. “So Joseph married you?”
     “Joseph and I, we’d been friends since childhood. When he sailed to Wales last June, Father posted banns for me to marry another. I was angry. I ran away. Not thinking where I was going. Then behind the White Horse Tavern in Newport…” She could still feel the man’s hands on her.
     Caleb punched the back of the wagon. “’Tis wickedness.”
     The wagon halted, and Uncle Alwyn rushed around its side. “I see the fort. We are yards away, but the mare has fallen.” He tossed Caleb the calumet. “Come help.”
     Caleb tucked the calumet into his coat then helped Abigail into the wagon. “We’ll talk when we get to the fort.”
     Aunt Claire’s hand reached across the crates to grasp Abigail’s. “We’re nearly there. Come, get under these furs and get warm.”
     Abigail tugged on the leather thongs holding the badger skins on her shoes and pulled them off. Clumps of ice clung to the skins. She shuddered at the thought of how cold she’d have been without them. Then, she scooted around bushels of dried fruit and nuts, passed a crate of dried meat, and slid under the buffalo fur, pressing her rucksack against her bosom."Our Father, which art in heaven, hollowed be thy name..." Would that God would hear her. What would she do at the fort? what would she become?
     The howling wind carried the shouts of the men while they worked, and Aunt Claire shifted to peer through the front of the wagon. “I can see the fort.”
     Abigail rose to her knees when a movement behind the wagon caused her to turn. A tomahawk waved above the head of a man with furs wrapped about his face.
     As though an iron rod, Abigail’s back straightened. She put herself between the man and Aunt Claire. “What do you want?”
     “Alwyn.” Aunt Claire shouted.
     The stranger spoke an unknown language and wielded his weapon.
     Abigail lifted her palms. “Please. We just want to get to the fort.” Stories of what savages did to women whirled in her mind. Lord, let him do what he will to me, but don't let him hurt Aunt Claire.
     He roared at her and jumped onto the back of the wagon.
     Abigail jerked back and Aunt Claire screamed, “God Almighty, help.”
     “Peace.” Caleb stepped into view. With a calm face and slow movements, he held out the calumet to the man now squatting near a wicker basket.
     The savage’s eyes narrowed and he turned, tomahawk raised above his head. His gaze flitted to the calumet. He lowered his weapon and spoke again. When Caleb shrugged his shoulders, the man motioned to his mouth then pointed to the food.
     “I think he’s hungry.” Abigail reached into a bushel and grabbed a handful of nuts. “Here.”
     He snatched it from her hand, his fingernails scraping her palms, then pointed a bony finger to the other baskets and crates. The scent of tobacco mingled with musk wafted from him sending Abigail's stomach into turmoil. She reached beside her and fingered the top of the meat crate. Perhaps if she offered him more, he’d leave them be.
     “Give him whatever he wants.” Uncle Alwyn came beside Caleb, musket in hand.
     Caleb lowered the calumet. “He looks near starved.”
      Indeed, he did. Was this what would become of her?
     After loading meat on top of a bushel of dried fruit, the stranger jumped out of the wagon. Without a word, he slipped into the white cover of the storm.
     “Where will he go? It’s so cold.” Abigail glanced out the front of the vehicle. She could barely see the fort ahead for the snow, as though she were looking at a figure through oiled parchment. “Will he be okay?” She moved to the back of the wagon, and Caleb helped her out while Uncle Alwyn went to the horses.
     “Aye, I expect so.” His gaze drifted to her abdomen then to her face. “You were brave and kind. I’m sure that helped.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I wish you would accept God’s kindness to you.”
     Her throat closed about the notion. I do not deserve kindness. “Why would He be kind to me when I have ruined so many lives with my foolishness?”
     Caleb took her hands in his. “He loves you and desires to forgive you.” His mitted thumb caressed her fingers. “I have prayed for you every day since Joseph’s letter came to me.”
     “I didn’t know he sent you a letter.”
     “He seemed to know his next sail would be his last.” Caleb let go of her hands, snapped his to behind his back then stepped away. “He asked me to take care of you should something happen to him. I vowed I would.”
     “Oh.” Abigail looked to the white ground, frozen, cold.
     The wagon pulled away from them, the snowfall slowed, and Fort Providence stood engulfed in fog like a distant fortress, a refuge perhaps. Any hope for her future peace rested there.
     “Joseph longed for you to know the Saviour he knew.” Caleb touched her arm. “The Saviour I know.” He took her elbow and led her through the snow. “God is not your enemy. He loves you more deeply than any human can.”
     A mew escaped her taut throat. If only this could be true.
     He let go and rubbed his whiskers. “You saw how the calumet softened the anger of the Indian. So the cross makes peace with God. On the cross, Jesus shed His blood for you. He became your sin offering. Can you believe in Him—in His death, burial, and resurrection for your sin?” He touched her rucksack. “To relieve you of the burden you bear? Call on Him.”
     Oh Lord, my God I cannot bear the thought of what I’ve done…of what has become of me.
     Caleb drew her to a halt. “You simply need to ask for His forgiveness. He will not condemn you. Just turn from your sin to follow Him and believe He gives you freedom from sin's wages and its shackles.”
     Dear Lord, is it so simple? Her weakened legs shook and collapsed. There was nothing she could do to free herself from the shackles this sin placed about her heart. Would God give her peace and freedom if she asked? “Dear Lord God, forgive me for running from my father, for my pride and anger. Oh Lord, have mercy on me.”
     Caleb’s hand rested on her shoulder and shouts came from the fort. “Do you believe He has forgiven you—that He has saved you from your sin?”
     Did she believe? Across her bosom rolled an inner warmth. For so long she’d believed God hated her. Did God truly love her?
     The gate swung open and cheery voices welcomed them.
     “I find it hard to fathom.” She lifted her head, heart beating, blood rushing, and saw Suzanne and Johan running toward her. Their faces glowed from bright smiles.
     “Can you stand?” Caleb tugged on her arm.
     Her legs shook when she rose to her feet, but she could not deny the release she felt, as though her soul took flight. Would the gates of Heaven be like this? Joseph and other friends coming to her? Jesus coming to her? “I…I want to believe.”
     She closed her eyes and when they opened, Suzanne and Johan had taken her rucksack and wrapped her in their arms. She searched for Caleb’s face and mouthed, “I do believe.” Oh Lord, You made Your Soul an offering for my sin. I give You my battered one. Will You make it whole again?

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?"

She said, "No man, Lord."

And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” 

John 8:10-11 

 The End of Part 7

Part 8, "Christmastide" by Carrie Fancett Pagels, will be up on December 24th. 

---

Lynn Squire is the author of Joab's Fire (a novel set at the turn of the 20th century in Alberta, Canada), Best of Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful (a collection of short stories, poems, and devotionals), and A Week of Faith More Precious than Gold (a collection of short stories and devotionals).

Prior to her days of writing fiction, Lynn wrote for horsey periodicals when she wasn't teaching horsemanship and having grand adventures. Today her adventures center around three kids, a loving husband, and wherever her imagination takes her.

From Entrapment to Liberty

"There I stood upon a rock, and made my vows to God to forsake all sinful courses and seek the Lord, if he would direct me how." John Leland, The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland.

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;..." Isaiah 61:1

Many of our country's forefathers held John Leland in high esteem. Yet in his journal we discover he often felt unworthy to preach and perhaps ashamed of his past prior to being saved. In my opinion, this humbleness enabled him to be used of God.

I fear, like John Leland, that many people live in shame and never learn to accept God's forgiveness.

In my years in the camping ministry, I listened to many stories from young women who had suffered at the hands of a man. Often such encounters would lead the girl into a life of entrapment. Feeling as though she were damaged goods, she'd allow herself to be in a position again to receive such abuse, perhaps even seeking it out thinking that was the only way to be 'loved.' Once a victim, she moves into engaging in sinful behavior and becomes trapped in a vicious circle, not able to discern between good love and brutal lust.


Elder Leland felt a great conviction against his former life. We don't know what that former life entailed, but we can see his great sorrow for it. We know that prior to God grasping his heart, he attended dances and other 'frivolities' and that he was ashamed of this. The above statement was a result of witnessing the baptism of a young lady he'd danced with. Her commitment to change and discovery of a new life obviously impacted him.

In Isaiah 61, we find hope for the victim of this vicious cycle of a sin committed against them thus leading them to engage in sin themselves.

The speaker in Isaiah 61 is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. After the Prophet Isaiah recorded what the Messiah would do with respect to Israel and the Gentiles, we see the Messiah focusing on the individual and on His plans for each person:

• "To preach good tidings unto the meek." Note, it is to the meek. The meek are those who are poor, humble, and afflicted. Those who are proud will not look to God for help. They look to themselves for inner strength and power, or to their knowledge of science and humanities, but they do not look to God.
• "He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." When a person experiences the consequences of sin, it is heart-wrenching. When a person feels crushing shame for a sin, conviction to change can rise from the dust. Jesus was sent to be a cast or a splint for the injured heart, thus providing a way for that conviction to bring change.  As such, Jesus makes a way for healing to happen and to prevent or protect from further injury, IF the person is willing to humble herself and let Him work in her life. But like a broken bone, healing may take time.
• "To proclaim liberty to the captives." Like the young ladies I mentioned above, many people are held captive by a sin they cannot gain victory over. But Christ was sent to proclaim liberty. Where does that liberty come from? When He was on earth, He met many people enslaved by sin, including the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). When she expressed some faith by calling Him Lord, He didn't condemn her but told her to "go, and sin no more." He proclaimed to her liberty. Then He gave Himself to be the final offering for sin. Upon Him our sins were placed so that we too can "go, and sin no more."
• "To proclaim...the opening of the prison to them that are bound." When sin shackles us to the walls of our wretched life, death holds the keys to our prison door. When Jesus died and was buried, He went into that prison and took those keys. And when He rose again, He conquered death and gave freedom to all who will believe, accept Him as their sin offering, and then follow Him out of that cell. For the young woman who abandoned her body and self-respect to the use of men or for the moment of ecstasy, He opened the prison. Will she trust Him and come out?
• "To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God." When we give ourselves over to Him, accepting the liberty He offers and walking through that opened prison door, we can have hope that God will prevail against our enemies. They cannot touch our soul. They cannot take away our Heavenly Home and the freedom we have in our heart and will someday have in Heaven. That hope enables us to hold up our heads and walk a straight path. What can man do unto us? We are safe and secure under the wings of our Saviour for eternity.
• "To comfort all that mourn." Like John Leland, we at times look back and wish we'd not lived the life we did. We wish we'd made other choices or not allowed ourselves to be in a position of vulnerability or become a victim and slave to sin. But in Christ, we find comfort. We will not forever be under the dark cloud of the sins of our past. When we get to Heaven, we will remember them no more.
• "To give beauty for ashes." The world around us is burning away in the lust of its eyes and the lust of its flesh and in its pride of life. It affects us. We experience the consequences of man's sin even as all creation does. But in our hearts, we find beauty in Christ. We find beauty in the hope of eternal life He gives us. And one day, we will stand in Heaven and be awed by the beauty of His presence and the place He has prepared for us.
• "The oil of joy for mourning." Scarred, we mourn what might have been. Pain of sins deepen our sorrow, but when we look to Christ and what He has done for us, and what He has planned for us, we receive the healing balm of joy. How can you not have joy when you reflect on Him and the tremendous love He has for you?
• "The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." When we focus on the entrapment of sin in our lives, we are weighed down. But, when we focus on the freedom we experience in Christ, we can do nothing more than praise Him, and that praise rests upon our shoulders like a delicate chiffon scarf.
• "That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Did you notice? Trees of righteousness. You don't become that by staying in the captivity of sin. "Go, and sin no more." Victory over sin requires action on our part. We must leave the old life and plant ourselves in Christ and the life He wants us to live. Only when we live according to His ways will He be glorified. And honey, we are created for His glory.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

Ephesians 2:8-9

Henry Dunster and Freedom of Conscience

"The Lord gave me an attentive eare and heart to understand preaching. . . . The Lord showed me my sins, and reconciliation by Christ, . . . and this word was more sweet to me than any thing else in the world."

Henry Dunster, First President of Harvard College, 1653.

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." Isaiah 53:10

Harvard College

Henry Dunster was twelve years old when he found "reconciliation by Christ." This was the beginning of a life where the sweetness of that understanding would be tested by the temptations and trials of life. After studying at Cambridge University in England, he became a teacher. Then in 1640, civil war broke out in England, and Dunster emigrated to New England. While no doubt he experienced consternation over the Church of England before leaving to the New World, he would also find the religious leaders in Boston at odds with him. In 1654 Mr. Dunster was asked to resign from Harvard presidency for expressing beliefs the religious leaders of the time deemed heretical.

Currently, I am doing a study on the Messianic Prophecies, those passages in the Old Testament that foretell the first and second coming of Christ. The first coming happened approximately 2000 years ago. We anxiously await the second.

While studying Isaiah 51-53, I found myself pausing at Isaiah 53:10, "when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin". What a thought. Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He did not speak in protest when he was afflicted. He did not complain when he was unjustly sentenced to death, because He had a purpose in mind: to make Himself an offering for my sin. He poured out His Soul unto death in place of mine.

Reading through the Life of Henry Dunster, by Jeremiah Chaplin, Samuel Dunster, and Edward Swift Dunster, I reflected upon what needed to happen in Mr. Dunster's life before he would have the conviction of heart and spirit to stand against the religious leaders at that time who would suppress his freedom of conscience. His ability to be strong in the face of opposition began with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Quite likely Dunster took his orders in the Church of England, like other Puritan ministers. However, in his Confession of Faith, we hear his angst over what was happening in that church:

"The Lord hath made me bid adieu to all worldly treasures; and as corruptions in the Church came, first I began to suspect them, then to hate them....So, after 10 years' trouble, I came hither [to New England]; and the Lord gives me peace to see the order of his people." (Life of Henry Dunster, p. 13)

Imagine the thrill he experienced when he found himself not only accepted but highly esteemed by those well-educated leaders of the New World. But in this New World a maelstrom was brewing. As people gained knowledge of God's Word and began to think for themselves, they began to oppose the present religious leadership, and Dunster would be caught in the middle.

Roger Williams, a man Dunster respected, would be banished. Anne Hutchinson would be banished. Lady Deborah Moody was excommunicated. Obadiah Holmes would be brutally whipped. Many others would take a stand and find the fury of the religious leaders either on their back or reaching into their pockets.

Then came Henry Dunster's turn. He would need to examine his convictions and take a stand.

Imagine the horror those esteemed men felt when the man they chose to lead in the education of their youth took a stand against a doctrine to which they clung. I can almost feel the thunder of their anger. And my own knees knock in empathy for the meek and gentle Mr. Dunster.

And then I am reminded what Christ had done for me. I imagine Mr. Dunster thought the same. For taking a stand on what his conscience told him was right, Mr. Dunster would be demonized and considered possessed by Satan.

Today the secular world would have me emotionally stripped, and their verbal whip laid upon my back for my convictions. The Atheists would gladly call me a fool for my faith in God, my belief in Heaven, and my determination to follow Jesus Christ, who is to them a dead man but to me alive and well and Whose Spirit is living in me. I believe in the grace of God which saved me through faith. And because I believe, I stand on His Word thus His laws, as absolute truth contrary to what society and the government would claim is true and to the laws they create that are in direct opposition to God's.

As a child, I remember being mocked for that faith, but I would lock my jaw and push forward. No one could take that faith from me. I remember as a young adult being mocked for my belief that anyone who is not saved will go to hell. I remember having someone scream in my face that I was cruel to tell another that hell existed and the only way to Heaven was through faith in Jesus Christ.

Even a little more than a year ago I made a decision (based on convictions that what God in His Word says God means) to step down from a position of leadership. I could not reconcile what I believed with a stand the organization made, which I believe supported a view contrary to God's Word. My heart pounded in my chest. My palms sweated, and my hands shook. But my spirit was strengthened by God's Spirit. It took courage to speak knowing the emotions stirred by my stance have caused many within the past few years to be the recipients of violence. While I could not imagine the group I spoke to acting in such a manner, I had no doubt if word got out to the general populous I could experience backlash. But then I remembered the Cross. In obedience to God I must walk. In faith that His precepts are truth I must continue.

Each confrontation I have faced regarding my faith stirred within me a strength of conviction I never thought I'd have. Was I wrong to have spoken truth? No. Often I have reflected on whether there could have been a better way, and maybe at times I did not speak with seasoning, but I cannot say that I was ever wrong to answer a question with the truth found in Scripture. Nor was I wrong to walk away from an association yielding itself to the pressures of the world or to stand on God's precepts as absolute truth for my life.

Two facts remain: I am a sinner, and Christ offered Himself for payment of my sin. How then can I not stand for God's laws that declare me a sinner, knowing the price Christ paid for me when I broke God's laws? Would I have Christ sacrificed again?

Each of us will face moments of truth when we will show in our words and actions whether we understand God's laws are above man's. What will that moment reveal about our faith and our understanding of the price paid for our sins?

"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

I Peter 4:19

 

We Are Endowed by Our Creator

"I believer no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the Good Book and the spirit of the Savior have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses...I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it:"

Former Chief Justice Earl Warren, addressing the annual prayer breakfast of the International Council of Christian Leadership, 1954

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." II Timothy 4:3-4

Our church's home missions conference ended on Tuesday. Pastor and Radio Talk Show Host Jerry Scheidbach reviewed the history of America in his keynote address urging us to be people that have "understanding of the times" (I Chronicles 12:32). He charged us to reclaim America, to no longer be bullied into silence, but to go forth and boldly preach the Gospel and the Bible-based morality and freedoms for which the Continental Soldiers courageously fought and died.Will you accept the challenge?

John Witherspoon (1723-1794), a Presbyterian minister, and one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence believed that a role of State was to protect Christians and the Church to carry out their God-ordained mission to preach and teach the Gospel.

In the first session of the Continental Congress in 1774 Sam Adams settled a debate for the session to be opened with prayer by stating that it did not become "Christian men, who had come together for solemn deliberation in the hour of their extremity, to say there was so wide a difference in their religious belief that they could not, as one man, bow the knee in prayer to the Almighty, whose advice and assistance they hoped to obtain."

The Declaration of Independence states: "We are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights."

The point is, we were once a Christian nation because the principles of the nation were built upon Biblical truths known to our forefathers as Christian.

But God looked across the ages and saw what would become of our society (as well as the rest of the world) and prompted the Apostle Paul to write the warning he gives in II Timothy 4:3-4.

According to a survey of churchgoers done by LifeWay Research:

"...while 90 percent "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do,"..." (http://www.lifeway.com/Article/research-survey-bible-engagement-churchgoers) only 19 percent personally read the Bible every day.

How can you know how to please and honor Jesus in all that you do if you do not know what He expects from you? If you spent so little time with your spouse would you know what pleased him or her? Would you even have a good marriage relationship?

Why would anyone forgo immersing herself into God's love letter? I wonder if fear of conviction, which should lead to giving up that which is displeasing to God, keeps one from reading. I wonder if it might be that such a person doesn't want to believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, because if he believed such then he'd have to also believe there is a hell and someone he loves is heading there. Could it be that he deems watching the next movie on the Hallmark channel, or watching the next big football game, or playing the latest Wii game is so much more important than studying the Bible it cannot be delayed even 30 minutes to spend time with God? Perhaps he idolizes men or women who deceive him into believing the Bible is not relevant to today's world or that it provides only one of many ways to know God.

"...they will not endure sound doctrine;..."

Doctrine means teaching. Any good teacher will tell you that learning is like building. You have foundational truths upon which you build by adding knowledge and understanding. If your foundational truths are anything but those laid out in Scripture, the structure of your knowledge and understanding will be weak and could easily tumble down. However, in our society relativism has replaced sound doctrine. Here in California they even determined that if a child thinks one plus one equals three, then for that child, that is truth and therefore he should not be corrected.

"...but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears...."

No one wants to be told what they like to do--and indeed are addicted to doing--is wrong and is offensive to, perhaps even an abomination to God. We all want to be patted on the back and told our thinking is right and good. And so we tend to look for those who will tell us it is okay to live our own way; that it is perfectly acceptable and God, being a loving God, would never tell us to be any different. Hmmm. God IS a loving God, and because He is, He makes very clear in His Word what will lead to destruction. He's the Creator. He knows best what will destroy His Creation.

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

And we see that happening. Just watch the news and witness the so called War on Women or the War on Christmas.  But what are we going to do about it?

For months I have pondered this. The presidential election race revealed the ugliness of our nation. If we hadn't seen it before, we have seen it over the past 18 to 24 months.

But I am a mother and wife and a very little known writer. I can't stand up in Congress and tell them to get back to the Bible. I can't stand before the Senate and point them to the laws God has given us by which we should govern ourselves. I can't go to the White House and insist they uphold the Constitution and speak truth.

I am not a pastor. I am not radio host. I am not so many things. But it doesn't matter who I am not. It matters only WHOSE I am.

I am a child of God. I am a sinner redeemed by grace. I am a freed prisoner of sin. I am a member of the elect according to the foreknowledge of God (I Peter 1:2). I am born again of incorruptible seed, by the word of God (I Peter 1:23). I am a member of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (I Peter 2:9). And I am a stranger and pilgrim passing through this life on my way to my Heavenly home.

What can I do?

• First pray.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;" I Timothy 2:1

• Live my life in a manner that professes godliness with good works. (I Timothy 2:9-10).

• Sanctify the Lord God in my heart. (I Peter 3:15)

• Always be ready to give an answer, with meekness and fear, to anyone asking me the reason for the hope that is in me. (I Peter 3:15)

• And above all, be willing and ready to suffer for well doing, for Christ's sake. Because, dear friends, suffering will come for those who will stand strong and courageous for the Lord. And through that suffering we will find joy and peace--joy because we suffer for Christ, and peace through the presence of the Holy Spirit because we know that there is nothing they can do that can separate us from the love of God. Ultimately life here on earth ends and eternity begins.

Since my eternity is settled, I say, "Go ahead, make my day: threaten me with Heaven."

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
Revelations 12:11