In Our Hour of Desolation

Today my bible reading was about Jesus feeding the 4,000 with just seven loaves and a few small fish. It is a miracle, of course, but I noticed things in that passage I had never focused on before. For the past two weeks, I have been counseling a scared, pregnant young teen. She has made an amazing transformation in that time from abortion-determined and in her words hell-bound to submitting her life to Jesus and determined to carry her baby to term. But she is terrified. I text her often, every day. I thought of her and wrote to her of my thoughts as I pondered this often quoted miracle of our Lord.

 “In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and *said to them, “I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” And His disciples answered Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” And He *directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. About four thousand were there; and He sent them away.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:1-9‬ ‭

Notice Jesus’ disciples ask him, “ Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy all these people?” First, they KNOW there is not enough bread to feed 40 people, let alone 4,000. Secondly, they recognize that the people are in a DESOLATE place. That is a place that is lonely, empty, with no food or help for them. There is no way to satisfy the overwhelming need. It is a place so many of us find ourselves. 

I have often been in such a place. Likely, you have too. We all have or will find ourselves in a desperate, desolate place with no hope of sustenance or provision. We hunger for something we cannot possibly hope to find in that terrible desolation. Maybe that is where you feel you are right now! 

But look at what Jesus does. First, He gives THANKS. He knows that His Father will provide against impossible odds more than enough to not only take the edge off their hunger but SATISFY all those people. He doesn’t wait till after His Father comes through with the goods. He gives thanks FIRST. Then, He divides (or actually multiplies) the food and not only cares for the immediate needs of all those people, but abundantly, overwhelmingly meets the needs, with leftovers for the journey home...

Remember, the Gospel was written when some of those people were still alive. Why weren’t they pouring out of the woodwork screaming that Christianity was based on a lie? Instead, the followers of Christ grew at a phenomenal rate in those early years.

Those who had been in the wilderness with Jesus at this time KNEW personally of this miracle. They KNEW it wasn’t a lie. 

And what Jesus did for them in that desolate place, He can do for you and He can do for me. In gratitude to our Heavenly Father, we can and should FIRST give thanks for His provision when we are in a desperate, desolate place. Then, trust Him. He who numbers every hair on our head is standing with us right now. In the hour of our deepest need, He will satisfy.

Everything is possible with God

Swallowed by a Whale and Rescued

A startling, unflattering revelation. I am just like Jonah...joyful and grateful when God sends little blessings. Sorrowful, angry, even temper-tantruming when He sends struggles.

“Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4:6-9‬ ‭

I read this passage this morning with the sorrowful recognition that despite all the miracles of God Jonah (and I) have seen, we still struggle with self-absorption and lack of trust. Jonah was saved from drowning at sea by being swallowed by a great fish. He was in the belly of the fish, alive for three days. The fish then vomited him safely onto dry land.

Who could complain to God after that kind of spectacular rescue???

Me.

No...I have never been swallowed by a whale, but I have faced other drowning moments in life. I don’t always love the method by which God rescues me, but He always has. I don’t like the unavoidable fact that He even brings the struggles sometimes as He did when he provided a worm and scorching wind and blazing sun to destroy Jonah’s comfort in the shade of the plant. But there is a purpose in ALL of the trials or the God who has a perfect plan would not bring them.

I know this because His Word shows how portions of His often inexplicable ways unfolded and led to triumph, victory, and glory to God. To know who God is, look at who He has been. To know what God can do, look at what He has done. To know that God can be trusted, remember His trust-worthiness in the past.

Jonah had the same prideful and unwilling heart as I have. Jonah kicked and screamed over God’s plan, and then had a hissy fit when it wasn’t what Jonah wanted. Jonah sulked and obeyed ultimately, but it was a grudging obedience at best.

Yet God used Him.

Sanctification is a process. God can use me in the midst of that messy, sporadic, wandering path. I don’t want to be like Jonah. I’d rather be perfect. Nonetheless, I am hopeful this morning that despite the fact that I am NOT, God IS. That is the only hope any of us have.

Hallelujah Chorus in the Courtroom

Almost everyone in the pro-life world knows Flip Benham. He is a boisterous, strongly opinionated, voracious defender of Jesus and of unborn life. A pastor and prolife advocate for decades, he was responsible for leading “Jane Roe” to the Lord. She was Norma McCorvey, “Jane Roe” of the infamous Roe V Wade landmark case legalizing abortion. He also baptized her. He won her over through love, truth, and persistence.

The “pro-choice” people hate him. In my five and a half years as a Cities4Life counselor on the sidewalks of the SE busiest abortion center in Charlotte, NC, I often serve alongside Flip. He is unfailingly smiling and holding a Bible. Even in the heat of summer, he always wears a vest. He has a dress vest for court, which he appears in often. Flip is forever receiving citations or being arrested. In each instance I have observed, he is being targeted not for breaking any law, but for the Gospel, prolife message he unwaveringly proclaims. Human life, including unborn human life,  is sacred and should be protected.

I am often called as a witness, since I am on the sidewalk so frequently. I may not always agree with how Flip confronts those who are killing the unborn, but I always respect and admire his passion and willingness to be a truthful witness of the Lord.

He was once challenged by an officer for “disturbing the peace” in front of the abortion center. Flip instantly snapped back, “I cannot disturb what they do not have.” That’s Flip. Quick. Funny. Filled with the love of the Lord and the desire to defend what God would have him defend.

The latest court case was Thursday, August 8. Flip was charged with assault. I was down the street from him when the alleged assault occurred. The zoning people who have been capriciously misapplying the picketing ordinance in order to seize our signs slowed their car as they approached me. My sign was on private property owned by supporters of Charlotte Cities4Life. It was leaning against a tree but I was right nearby. I knew what would happen. I raced to my sign and held it. The car stopped. 

“You cannot lean your sign against a tree,” the zoning official said.

“It is private property and we have their permission,” I said.

“Signs must be held, even on private property.”

“What about all the voting signs I see, even have in my own yard, all on private property. Why are they not seized?”

“They should be,” he said. “We can’t seize everything.”

“Then why are you seizing ours?” I asked. “Please show me the ordinance that says what I am doing is illegal.”

“I will email it to you,” he said.

“That is fine, but please show it to me now. Pull this ordinance up on your phone.”

He refused, and shaking his head, drove away. At this point, he drove on to Flip, who had laid his signs on the ground while answering a phone call. When he saw the zoning officials approach, he knew what would happen. He ran to his signs and stepped on them. The officials tried to wrench the signs out from under him and Flip fell to his knees, brushing one of the officials in his fall. He begged them not to seize his signs (which are expensive.) They refused. Flip called 911 to report the stolen property. The officers arrived, heard the story, and filed the complaint. No complaint was filed against Flip.

Till later…

The zoning officials went to the magistrate and said Flip had assaulted them. Later, Flip was arrested. There was no evidence, no injury, and his story was very different from the zoning officials’ story. The officer who had responded to the 911 call had seen no evidence whatsoever of assault. 

It didn’t matter. Flip was arrested, spent some time in jail, posted bond and was released. 

I met him along with two other witnesses for his defense. None of us had seen the actual incident that time. We had seen the zoning officials seizing our signs countless other times however. I knew from my interaction with them just moments before the incident with Flip that they were out to find a way to take our signs.

Because we were potential witnesses to be called to testify, we had to wait outside the courtroom. It was a long wait. We were never called, but finally Flip and his incredible lawyer, Corey Parton, emerged with huge grins on their faces. 

Not guilty. According to Flip, no judge had ever pronounced “not guilty” with more confidence or more alacrity. Corey told us that the three officials all gave different stories of how Flip assaulted them, none of which were believable. Flip had desperately wanted to share the Gospel when he testified, but he was not ever called to the stand. It wasn’t necessary. The zoning officials were incriminated by their own fumbling deception, like the infamous Haman who was hung on the very gallows he erected for his enemy in the book of Esther.

“Jesus was never mentioned today, “ Flip said later (just as God is never mentioned in the book of Esther), “Though, His justice was done and His mercy bestowed upon each one of us.  He was glorified!”

*photo above of Flip Benham and attorney Corey Parton of Parton & Associates, PLLC

*David Redding of Redding Jones, PLLC, has also been working with Flip on this case and others.