ablaze

I have spoken to many, cried with some and cursed with others.

“It feels as if the House is on fire!” exclaimed a young seminarian. And I must agree.

But this I know...God is still in control. Blessed be God! Blessed be His Holy Name! And if He chooses to allow the House to come down around our ears and start fresh with a handful of faithful men and women, so be it. We have a Firm Foundation- that foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord who built His House upon the Rock... “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

So what to do next? Pray. Write letters. Speak out. Do as your conscience dictates. BUT DO NOT GIVE UP ON THE CHURCH! This is a time to POUR INTO OUR FAITH! This is the time to run into “the burning Building”!

Why? Because Jesus is there and the truths of His Church will stand forever.

Remember the wonderful story in Daniel 3* (copied below-astonishingly appropriate for us today) of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, because they would not bow down and worship his image. When the King looked into the white-hot burning furnace to see the progress he was startled because there were not three, but four men, "unbound and unhurt, walking in the fire"… and the fourth was, “like the son of God!"

Yep—Jesus (appearing as "the Angel of the Lord") met them in the fire!

And not only that… my favorite part is this:

“When the satraps, prefects, governors, and counselors of the king came together, they saw that the fire had had no power over the bodies of these men; not a hair of their heads had been signed, nor were their garments altered; there was not even a smell of fire about them.” Daniel 3:94 (emphasis added by underline)

Wow! Not even a whiff of smoke! May it be so for all who are striving to persevere in holiness in spite of very trying circumstances. May the victims of the horrific crimes be restored to a “pre-fire” pristine wholeness. May the guilty and those covering for them be exposed and appropriately punished for the pain they have inflicted on others. May the Church be purified and cleansed by this firestorm even amidst confusion. And may we, the people of God, sing praises to Him, even in the heated times of doubt, anger and dismay.

Because... Jesus is still in the House.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Matthew 7:24.

Dear Lord,

HELP US! We need You now like never before. We pour ourselves out to You, only You can keep us free from harm. Cleanse and restore Your Church we pray. We trust that you will do something new and beautiful through this dark and fiery time. In You we trust!

We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The 2 best things I have heard or read this week:

*Daniel 3: 25 "They walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord. Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud:

26 “Blessed are you, and praiseworthy,

O Lord, the God of our ancestors,

and glorious forever is your name.

27 For you are just in all you have done;

all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right,

and all your judgments proper.

28 You have executed proper judgments

in all that you have brought upon us

and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our ancestors.

By a proper judgment you have done all this

because of our sins;

29 For we have sinned and transgressed

by departing from you,

and we have done every kind of evil.

30 Your commandments we have not heeded or observed,

nor have we done as you ordered us for our good.

31 Therefore all you have brought upon us,

all you have done to us,

you have done by a proper judgment.

32 You have handed us over to our enemies,

lawless and hateful rebels;

to an unjust king, the worst in all the world.

33 Now we cannot open our mouths;

shame and reproach have come upon us,

your servants, who revere you.

34 For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever,

or make void your covenant.

35 Do not take away your mercy from us,

for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,

Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,

36 To whom you promised to multiply their offspring

like the stars of heaven,

or the sand on the shore of the sea.

37 For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,

brought low everywhere in the world this day

because of our sins.

38 We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,

no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,

no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.

39 But with contrite heart and humble spirit

let us be received;

As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bulls,

or tens of thousands of fat lambs,

40 So let our sacrifice be in your presence today

and find favor before you;

for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.

41 And now we follow you with our whole heart,

we fear you and we seek your face.

Do not put us to shame,

42 but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.

43 Deliver us in accord with your wonders,

and bring glory to your name, O Lord:

44 Let all those be put to shame

who inflict evils on your servants;

Let them be shamed and powerless,

and their strength broken;

45 Let them know that you alone are the Lord God,

glorious over the whole world.”

46 Now the king’s servants who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brush.47The flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace,48 and spread out, burning the Chaldeans that it caught around the furnace.49 But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace,50 and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm.51 Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:

52“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestors,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

54 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

55 Blessed are you who look into the depths

from your throne upon the cherubim,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

56 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

praiseworthy and glorious forever.

57 Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,