Coexisting with Chaos
by Dave Brown
Table of Contents for this Article
Definition of Chaos
Wandering
Story Involving a Common Example of Chaos
Right and Left Brain Activity
Back to the Story
Lessons Learned
A General Approach to Dealing with Chaos
Dealing with Specific Chaotic Situations
Disagreement with an Associate
Worrying About the Necessities of Life
Serious Illness or Injury
Common or Unique Phobias
Jeopardy to Yourself or Loved Ones
Betrayal of People You Have Trusted
Untimely Death of a Loved One
Deception from a Compulsive Liar
Attacks of Satanism
Loss of All Hope
Destruction of Your Nation
Your Turn
Definition of Chaos
Let us begin by defining just what it is that we are calling chaos and the reason it needs to be addressed. Chaos is often associated with evil, for reasons that will become clear. However, it does not have to always depict wickedness. Much good can come out of chaos if we understand simultaneously both its potential for improving our lives as well as the danger it poses. It is much like electricity – look at all of the good we get from it! But grab a bare wire and you quickly discover its downside. From the outset, however, let us not marginalize what chaos is: (1) it is real; (2) it can cause tremendous harm and even death to multitudes of people; and (3) when dealt with properly, it can produce tremendous benefits from the revelation of things hidden within it.
To start out with a neutral view, chaos can best be defined in its most extreme state. That would be the state of the heaven and the earth immediately following its creation by God, i.e., before God did anything to set the heaven and the earth in order. Two translations of Genesis 1:2 that describe the state of the heaven and the earth at this point are given below
Genesis 1:2:
(TLB): … the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors.
(NKJV): The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
To get a feeling for this, imagine that God created you before He did His six days of work, and that He has thrown you into the middle of this chaos. You cannot see or hear anything. You cannot make sense out of anything. You know that you exist, but things are quite hopeless unless God does something to either rescue you from it or make else order out of this chaos. This gives us a further feel for its definition. Typically, in its extreme chaos is characterized by unfathomable disorder. Its potential for good and evil are real and we should take them seriously.
These and other translators were not at all unified on this verse, and it is probably much better that we do not converge on a single physical representation of what chaos is. It is not a physical thing as much as it is an abstraction. If it were just something physical, then it would be described in detail – but what we are given proves that it cannot be described any further. It is never instantiated by exactly the same thing twice (we mean when we encounter it twice).
Note how the TLB just calls it a shapeless, chaotic mass, while the NKJV states that it was without form and void. (Void of what?). The first talks about the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors – can you see them in your mind? The second talks about darkness on the face of the deep, with the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters. Make a note of waters and deep – it is common to see that immense chaos of the oceans being referenced as the deep. We feel that the recently popular song “rolling in the deep” is probably referring to chaos as opposed to water (or at least it should be in our opinion).
So which one of the above translations is right? Is it too much of a stretch for us to accept that they both right? And so are all the others that are reasonable (the exceptions being those that never come out of the deep). Each translation gives a different perspective, and if we allow each to qualify the other, then we come to the true logical conclusion that chaos is an abstract rather than a tangible reality. But it is real. As real as your thoughts, for example, or your dreams. They are real, but they cannot be described in terms of anything else that we understand, because that which is chaotic cannot be totally understood, but its effects in terms of suffering are quite understandable. It is much like a virus, which remains invisible until if overcomes its victims – and then it does not matter how it might be defined in unfathomable medical jargon. It makes little difference to the victims, but they have no problem in describing their suffering in language that most can understand. We can say that a virus is an example chaos.
Back to Genesis, we know that God did set things in order – perfect order. So we can, by faith, envision in our minds from the Genesis record two things that are impossible for us to see in the real world as it exists right now. These are: (1) pure chaos, and (2) its opposite state of being: perfect order (the total absence of chaos). Neither of these exist today for us to observe, and the fact that we generally exist in some combination of chaos and order creates the ultimate challenge of life. So when we use the words chaos and order, we do so in a relative sense, not in their ultimate senses as described in early Genesis.
We know that in six days God spoke the chaos into perfect order. But that did not last for long, at least not according to the number of words in Genesis prior to the description of Eve and Adam eating of the forbidden fruit. In cursing the ground (Genesis 3:17), God brought into it a degree of chaos that would cause decay (chaos) in all of the physical world from that point forward (see Romans 8:19-22). Obviously we are not talking about the the Genesis “day zero” chaos, but you do not have to get too far away from relative order before you can get a good perception of its nature, which can be quite ruthless to the unprepared. It is the purpose of this article to enable us not only to be prepared for it, but also to benefit from keeping one foot in it. We have annotated the following passage where we believe examples of [chaos] are being referenced.
Genesis 3:17-20: Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground [chaos] for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles [chaos] it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground [chaos], For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." 20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (NKJV)
It may have seemed to Adam when he planted his first crop that he had everything pretty much under control. However, we know from the rest of the Bible that this was not the general case, and mankind was destined to have to confront chaos all of our lives. As we go through some examples, you might not be able to relate to some of them … at least not right now. But sooner or later in your life something unexpected and of great consequence will occur. It is then that you need to be prepared to overcome the chaos that it will bring with it. We will start with a fairly simple self-inflicted example for the purpose of defining the terminology.
To coexist with chaos is to overcome its downside, and thereby, to escape its evil. Note that we do not use the phrase “living in chaos.” That was our original article title, but it communicates the idea of chaos being persistent in our lives. We realize that this is true of some people, but that is not what we consider to be ideal, i.e., to just tolerate chaos and live with it. To coexist with chaos implies that we know how to identify it, although we might not always anticipate it. It also implies that we will know of its dangers, and that we will only knowingly venture into it purposefully when there is something to be gained from such an experience. In general, we will only venture into it when we have made the proper provisions to keep it from overwhelming us.
If we could avoid it completely, life would become extremely boring – chaos holds the excitement that enables us to learn and to progress. Our own personal ignorance is an example of chaos, and overcoming this is a life-long endeavor that is not without its pain. So, while we do not want to jump into it to the point of allowing it to overcome us, we will allow it to offer its benefits. It is when we do not realize that we are being plunged into it that we need to have some general approaches to help us deal with it.
So, for now, we might imagine that we have one foot on solid ground and the other foot on the edge of the ocean deep. We can look out and see the waves breaking on the line of the beach, demonstrating their little chunks of chaos. Close enough to sample the chaos, while attempting to derive optimal value from both the land and the sea simultaneously.
Wandering
We will start with a true story that will serve as a parable or prototype. I am reluctant to use myself as an example, but the analogies to be drawn would not be as effective if the story were just made up. So, take my word for it, it actually happened.
My recall of the experience was inspired by some lyrics from the song that we all know and sing, and many of us have probably memorized, How Great Thou Art (Carl Boberg, 1886). The second verse is:
When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
and I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.”
It is the first few words of this verse that made me think about what it would mean if we really took it literally.
We have all sung the song, I presume taking his word for it, since few of us have actually wandered in a true forest. I am not talking about a tree farm, or a trail through the woods, or even walking to your tree stand to hunt deer. The word wander means:
“1. To move about without a definite destination or purpose.”
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition; https://www.thefreedictionary.com/wander
This excludes any destination whatsoever, or any tools to keep the wanderer on some preconceived track. If any of that enters into the activity, then another word would need to be used to describe it, because that would not be wandering.
Given this definition, we need to ask ourselves: have you ever really wandered in the woods? Please do not think I am accusing you of lying when you sing this song – that is not my purpose at all. You are not making a statement regarding your own activity … you are taking the author’s word for it … much as you would if you were to sing the words of a love song when you are not in any type of romantic relationship. Singing it on behalf of the author can be extremely valuable in that you can learn from it by imagining the author’s experience. In a sense you are having that experience, but in a vicarious manner. For example, it might describe some amazing spiritual lessons that you can attribute to God by wandering in a wilderness area.
Given this strict meaning of the word wander, we might even question whether our author, in fact, wandered, or whether he was using poetic license (which would be totally acceptable). No doubt we see his point, and it is an excellent one. It really does not have to be true wandering, does it, if we are on a path and can experience the same things? No, we are not being critical in the sense of him or any of us telling the truth or lying; the same effects can be achieved if we follow a trail through the woods. But on the other hand, it could have consequences if we were totally intent upon literally following his words, and in doing so we attempted to wander in a strange wooded area.
The fact is, if most people were to wander in a true wilderness area, they would get lost in a matter of a few minutes. The few “woodsmen” exceptions among our readers does not nullify this general rule that applies to well over 90% of us. How can I be sure of this? First-hand experience? Yes, but not that alone. I have been told this by many experienced hikers who have experienced the inevitable when they wandered off the beaten paths.
I have tried to reason out just why most people who truly wander in the woods quickly start walking in circles (which is evidence of their being lost). I watched myself trying to walk a straight line to avoid circling back. The reasons we get lost are quite simple: it is impossible to walk a straight line in the woods as you would, for example, walking across a football field. What makes it impossible? Obstacles. Low hanging tree limbs, thick briars, stickers, clumps of small trees so thick that you cannot get through them (and do not wish to try), fallen trees, cliffs, huge rocks, swampy areas (you do not want to get your feet wet), etc. etc. So, when these obstacles are encountered, the hiker must go around them. “A round?” … as in circling? Do you think after circumventing an obstacle that you can resume your linear route? Good luck – try it. Inevitably you will recognize something. The identically same trees you saw a short time ago. That’s right! You are exactly where you were 30-40 minutes or ago. You are lost. And this is an example of chaos, first the forest itself, but now more than that – what is going on in your mind.
Now think about this. When God cursed the ground, what did he make to grow up? “Thorns and thistles,” (Genesis 3:18) remember? These are just some examples (synecdoche) of the various obstacles that we encounter when we wander into the woods. It is not that you would prefer to go around these patches … in many cases there is no choice. Safety compels you to avoid them.
Perhaps we can see why so few of us have ever wandered in the forest. Why would anyone want to get lost and perhaps risk his/her life in such a way? Well, before we pass judgment on those who do, let us recognize that the forest is like all other chaotic situations that we are going to have to face in life. But you do not have to get lost to realize this. Just like the song, you can learn from the experiences of others, and thus need not subject yourself to risk. We do not recommend that you go in the woods alone or with other novice wanderers like yourself. Other advice will follow.
Story Involving a Common Example of Chaos
So much for background, now for the story. I was on a dirt road through an old primitive forest (not a tree farm). The road paralleled a stream. I had been back there several times deer hunting before. Usually I would just pull up to a familiar wide spot on the side of the road, park and go down to the stream across the road, where I knew of a log to sit on, and there wait for deer. Deer hunting is not easy – it might take a whole year of doing this every weekend before even seeing a deer. Then it would be a doe. But that is not relevant … this story is not about deer hunting. I am just giving that as my excuse for being in the forest.
Regardless of your purpose, after sitting still for ten minutes or so, the deer hunting became secondary, and the wonder of the woods would amaze and occupy my mind. There was life all around – squirrels, birds, chipmunks, sometimes a ground hog or a raccoon. One time I saw a cougar. I froze, it froze, and then it ran of the same way it came. No deer? No matter. There is plenty going on there (including the “birds singing sweetly in the trees”) to keep you occupied by observing the habits of the animals. Hunters are motivated by the excitement (shot of adrenaline) they get when they hear a deer in the brush near them. But, it really does not have to be a deer – it might equally be a squirrel or other animal … since you do not know until you see it, it has I the same effects. There is no reason that it should be any different if you are out looking to take picture
This day was different since I determined that I would enlarge my hunting area by exploring the terrain on the other side of the stream. I would follow the stream by keeping the up-slope on the other side to my left, and thus the stream would be down to my right. I would not need to keep the stream in sight, because I could use the slope to keep me parallel to it. If I was going to explore the areas on the other side, I would need to do more than just follow the stream.
So, I go down, cross the stream and start up the other side, and then sort of edge to the right before going too far so that I can follow the lay of the land parallel to the stream. Also I would know that when I got back up to the road, I should go to the right down the road to get to my car. I kept creeping along like this for about an hour or so. I was looking for fallen trees that I could climb up into for a temporary deer stand, and I found a couple of them that looked quite promising.
The afternoon was passing away and the clouds were looking a bit like rain, so I needed to get back. My plan was that I would drop down to the stream, cross it and go on up to the road and walk that short distance to my car. So I drop down the slope to the stream. I hear it, and then, yes, there it is, just as I left it. All I need to do is cross it and then go up the slope to the road. Since I had been walking downstream, I would need to turn right to get back to the car once I got up to the road. Nothing to it.
One problem. The stream was running the wrong way. When I crossed it before, it was running from my left to my right. So, when I came back to it in a type of large semi-circle, it should be flowing from my right to my left. Not that anyone would have to write that down. That is like something that is part of your DNA. I KNEW that was how I remembered it and that had to be right. So what do you do when you are in the middle of the woods and you encounter a stream that you think you know, but it is flowing the wrong way?
Right and Left Brain Activity
It is good if we take a break from the story and try to understand some elementary known facts about the human brain. It has been found that the human brain has two major hemispheres. This can be seen in visual models of the brain. It is important not to take this fact too far. For example, the idea of one of these totally dominating over the other is probably not a useful paradigm. On the other hand, it is good to recognize that we have different needs that these different hemispheres of our brain supply. Since sometimes one of these sides contributes more than the other to satisfying these immediate needs, this model can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves, and thus a greater ability to cope with new, strange and unknown situations (chaos).
It is generally agreed that the right brain is wired more for the quick emotional response, and conversely, that the left brain is wired more for logical thinking. Both are essential. You are walking through the woods and suddenly see a snake. The right brain takes over and tells you to freeze, and if appropriate, to run. For most this is not a reasoned response – you just do it. Like a knee-jerk reaction, you do not have the time nor the inclination to argue with it. On the other hand, if you have had experience with snakes and you are in no jeopardy, the left brain might formulate a plan either to systematically move to a safer space, or perhaps for some, even to catch the snake for whatever reason (let’s not get into that).
It is the role of the right brain that is probably more important to understand when you venturing into or are overtaken by chaos. Do not think of the woods – think, for example, of going to a party where you know the host and you want to please her, but you do not know any of the other people there. That can be far more chaotic that wandering in the woods, or even to some, encountering a snake. Then she introduces you, and asks you to say a few words about yourself. For a good proportion of those reading, this would be the stream flowing the wrong way.
Recognize: it is all the same. There is no difference as far as your left and right brains are concerned. The immediate response and feelings you get from your right brain are virtually identical. The right brain is wired to handle the surprises, the snakes, bears, and even streams flowing the wrong way. But when things are known to be relatively stabilized, it hands over its information and control to the left brain to make order out of the chaotic situation in order to move things forward in an orderly way, i.e., to survive. The difference is simply in the degree of the brain activity. But since these differences can be tremendous (depending on the circumstance), all of this must be considered seriously.
It is helpful to realize that what can be to some a new and welcomed experience, to others can be the epitome of chaos. Some people would love to meet new people at a party; others might have a strong aversion for such encounters. Few would want to become the featured speaker (but, of course, we all know of exceptions). The fact that we have such difference does not invalidate any of the right-brain, left brain principles; it just applies them to the situations as is most appropriate.
It is the reaction to something akin to chaos that activates the right brain’s survival mechanisms, and along with this often comes a shot of adrenaline that, depending on the circumstance might either feel good or it might provoke a round of sickening severe nervousness. Don’t worry if your hand shakes a bit – that is normal. Recognize that everyone has these feelings at one time or another – some more often than others. Further, with some they could be quite disturbing, and with others they are hardly noticed. Times of momentary confusion are common with many people, and their occurrence does not mean there is anything “wrong” with you, especially if you generally handle them and get on with life.
What gives you that “sick” feeling when all of a sudden the stream is flowing the wrong way? It is the drug that is released in various quantities in your body, which can make you either feel good or terrible, depending on your frame of mind about the thing that precipitates it. For example, it is the same thing that is in coffee that gets many people going in the morning (although obviously to a much lesser intensity). If you are a football fan you can relate to the feeling in a close game when one of your team runner breaks out into the clear and has a long run to a touchdown. You usually deal with this by yelling and screaming, and perhaps jumping up and down. Few in the crowd on your side stay seated. All of this can come from a sudden shot of adrenaline. It can feel great or it can be quite disturbing, depending on what caused it and just what you have the latitude to do about it. Similarly, it is what causes usually adolescent girls to cry at a rock concert – boys too but they tend to hide it. Many feel it during what they assume are a religious experiences.
Recognizing what it is in the positive sense can help you cope with it when it hits you negatively in a chaotic situation. Although some extreme cases can be abnormal, in most cases, it is not. In cases where it seems that ordinary things are causing panic, help should be sought from medical or psychological specialists in this area. But otherwise, we should recognize it as a positive aspect of life, and do what we can to take advantage of it, and even perhaps enjoy it.
Back to the Story
As you recall, we left the story where I thought getting out of chaos was just a matter of crossing the stream and going up to the road that would lead to my car. I did not even realize I was in a chaotic situation. I was convinced I knew where I was. This compounded the right brain activity when I found out that I was lost. This became obvious when I saw that the stream was flowing the wrong way. Let us consider the steps for resolving this sudden surprise reversal in expectations.
Step 1 – Panic? Yes, I was going through a new and strange totally unexpected experience that I had never been through before. This exploration was no longer fun. There was no doubt in my right brain; I even said it out loud: “I am lost” perhaps actually informing my left brain. There was no one to hear me, so I was just confirming that I knew what was obvious. The right brain kicked in – the part that gets us all prepared when we encounter a bear (or such) in the woods. First freeze – maybe the bear will not even see you. Then decide a direction and run as fast as you can. Or perhaps find a big stick – something to defend yourself with. But how do you defend yourself from a stream that is flowing the wrong way? No, the valuable provisions of the right brain are not going to get me out of this problem as they might many others. In fact, it could be getting me into more trouble if I respond to this whole event in an emotional way. The panic is normal – same as I would have if I had seen a bear, but the stream is not a bear and it will do me no good to start running. I must not let the increased heart rate from the shot of adrenalin bother me too much. Now is the time to try to understand it, recognizing just what it is for. If properly channeled it might just make my brain that much more effective. So let’s settle down and let things calm down a bit before we go on to Step 2.
Step 2 – Take control and THINK. Let the right brain now turn over the problem to the left brain. I was not going to solve this problem by emotion, although that might not be a bad idea if you had, in fact, encountered a bear. My left brain thought: “I am not going to get to my car unless I can figure this out. Examine your sanity – maybe you made a mistake and the stream was really flowing this way when you first crossed it. You ARE quite forgetful. Admit it – you just did not remember the stream flowing the way it is now, and this is the way it should be flowing. There is nothing wrong! Cross it and get to your car!” That is what every fiber of my being was screaming at this point and it would be the easiest thing to do – just figure you are stupid and really did not remember like you thought you did. But wait …
Step 3 – Grapple with reality. Further reflection by my left brain told me that, as stupid as I might be, I am not THAT stupid – I KNEW which way that stream had to be flowing!!! I was not going insane. Water always flows downhill. But in this case it seemed that it was not. The only way to resolve this logically is to consider that this was not the same stream. And, given this knowledge, I also realized that if I crossed this stream and pretended that the car was on the other side, then I would really be in big trouble because I would be getting further and further away from it, and deeper into the chaos of the woods. So, for sure, we dare not go there. I envisioned and brought forth out of my memory again the act of crossing the stream, and seeing which way it was flowing. I am not going to doubt my sanity; I KNOW what I saw.
Step 4 – Figure it out. There has to be a logical explanation – the moon could not change the course of the stream in an hour or so (if it could at all). OK, so thinking logically, I put my feelings aside for now and put my left brain on it. Never having encountered anything like this before, I figured that the only way that this could possibly have happened was that I had gotten over into the next parallel drainage. Imagine it on a contour map – we have all seen them. The water flows downhill in all parallel valleys. I was expecting to loop back to the same stream with the water flowing downhill from my right to left, but it was flowing left to right, as it would have to be if it were in the next drainage over. I was beginning to feel un-lost … but I knew there was a lot of work ahead of me. The old adage: “you are not out of the woods yet” came to mind (please forgive).
How had I managed to do such a foolish thing? “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18) – that’s how. I was too smart to need a compass since I reasoned (falsely) the lay of the land would keep me relatively on a straight line, but apparently it did not keep me in the same drainage as I had expected it to. In fact, I had not even considered that as a possibility – I never gave it a thought. Obviously that is not what I thought at the moment, but I did learn the lesson right there and then in the terror of knowing that I was lost – I will never go in the woods again without a compass.
Alabama’s woodland slopes are not as well-defined as those in Kodiak, Alaska. I did not need to worry about getting lost there because the terrain was steep enough that when panic time came and you knew you needed to get out, you could just drop down to the nearest stream and follow it down to the ocean. The main road (only road on this side of the island) was along the black rocky beach, so you would be on a road and worst case would in an hour or so encounter a passing vehicle. I never had to use this trick, but it was there to give me assurance. Perhaps this is when I got out of the habit of trusting my compass.
My left brain was giving me the solution, but my (false) sense of direction was still urging me to “cross this stream and go on up to your car.” I guess we all know the feeling when we KNOW we are going in a different direction than we were convinced we were going. When your head tells you something and your guts tell you something else, you have to make a decision. So what to do? Run around in little circles … yell and scream? No time for that – the clouds were getting darker. No one here to help me. No one in shouting distance. And even if they were, I would be way too embarrassed to call for help. But no matter, that would have been fruitless in any event. No cell phones – this was 20 or so years ago before we even knew what they were. The solution had to be in just plain will power – mind over matter, or at least over what seemed to be the “right” direction.
So, I turned my back on that new stream and I walked in the opposite way from what my guts were telling me. It did not matter that every fiber in my body was telling me to cross the stream. My memory of the contour map came in handy. This HAD to be the solution. So, turning my back on the new stream, I went perpendicular to it and directly away from it.
The idea in doing this was to get back into the right drainage. This would seem logical and doable.
Up, up, up the slope; it seemed a long climb, but I finally got to the top of it. Fortunately, the slope was fairly well defined in this area. Somehow I managed to maintain a straight course away from the stream, and then I went down, down, down into the next drainage. Basically, I was using the slope to maintain at least my general direction.
It could be reasoned that I was just as likely to get lost on this trek as I was on the original. Getting lost in walking around the various obstacles (recall them? big trees, low tree limbs, sticker patches, thorns, thistles, small trees in thickets, big rocks, boggy ground, etc.). They were all still there. But there was one difference – I was no longer wandering.. And I also may have had the providence of God on my side, although the nature of God’s providence makes it impossible to say one way or the other. Now going down, I was excited to reach the stream. It looked like the original one but I was skittish until I got right up on and saw it – YES!!! it was flowing in the “right” direction. Time to thank God for that. Divine intervention or just dumb luck – I will take either.
Lessons Learned
Don’t ever go out in the woods again? Avoid chaos at all cost. No, we will see that attempting to avoid all interactions with chaos is one of the worst alternatives unless you are eager to be bored to death, and learn nothing. Life is a learning experience, but it is difficult if not impossible to learn anything without pain. To learn something, you must first grapple with the idea that you do not know what it is that you are going to learn. That admission, in itself, is painful. Many people just cannot conceive that there are things they do not know. Until they are plunged into chaos unprepared, they will reject the pain that comes from admitting they were wrong, or at best ignorant. And so they stay in a stated of chaos for the rest of their lives. You have seen them – extremely pathetic. And totally beyond hope unless they manage to seek it out themselves. So perhaps they can be helped? If so, it is not for me to be able to tell you how to help them. At this point I am more interested in you for you; not you for them.
The pain need not be extreme, and the quick recognition of the value of something learned can quickly turn it to pleasure. It might just be a moment of humility. That is painful for most people. Jesus said we must take up our metaphorical crosses (Matthew 10:38;16:24; Mark 8:34) and follow Him (to our metaphorical crucifixion). And this was not to be viewed as a one-time requirement that could be accomplished, and after which we move back to life a usual. Luke 9:25: “And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Can this be accomplished without pain? Did Jesus ultimately obtain pleasure by taking up His cross? Read:
Philippians 2:5-11: “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient (even) unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (things) in heaven and (things) on earth and (things) under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Clearly when Jesus emerged from the chaotic experience of the cross, it was one of great exaltation and rejoicing. Would He feel the same if He gave into the temptation of taking some other way than that of obedience? Jesus said we must take up our own crosses; He did not say it was necessary for all of us to die on them. It was (and perhaps still is) for a limited few; but that is not the point of the passages above. The point is that when entered the life of following Jesus, you agreed to accept what takin up your cross means, which is to most is a fair share of painful chaos.
Total avoidance? It is true, there are some chaotic places in this world that we should totally avoid e.g., participating in Russian roulette, fornication, deception or any other sin. But all sin is not chaos and all chaos is not sin. There are many moral and physically positive activities, like entering into an unknown forest for the first time, that involve chaos, but are not sinful in any way. In fact, we will show how we can easily beat the chaos of the forest, and the way that we do that can help us to beat most other chaotic situations that we will encounter in life. This is because they are all in some ways analogous to each other.
The proper lesson from the woods chaos is: never go into the woods without your compass along with a little thought preparation as to how best to use it to get out when you get lost. In fact, you might just relish the idea of wandering in the woods (where did we first hear that phrase?). A compass can insure that you move in a relatively continuous straight-line direction, which prevents you from going around in circles. But that is not enough. If you follow it in the wrong direction, then it will put you deeper and deeper into the chaos -- obviously not good. Looking at just the four major directions on the compass, there are three wrong ones and only one right one, so you have at least a 75% chance of going the wrong way if you just go straight. But there is something to be said for that because in most parts of our country that will put you out on a road.
Let’s stop here and realize that nature is not your friend. If you think it is, spend a couple nights lost in the woods without any other provisions. You might not survive the first night depending on the appetite of the animals. On the other hand, the big problem is with the little creatures – ticks, bugs, mosquitoes, chiggers, etc. – they all want to eat you. They will not take real large bites, but they can be more than a minor inconvenience. So knowing what is the right direction can be critical.
So, how do we assure we know the “right” direction? Trust your memory, right? Hopefully you know better than that. The chaos of the woods can twist your memory in a dozen ways. If in your humility you pretend you are too stupid to remember, you will be way ahead of the game.
This problem can be solved rather easily by drawing a rudimentary map, which is not difficult. Suppose the road where you park your car generally runs north and south. You need to find a place to park that has about a mile of straight roads ahead and behind you. Just to be sure [important step], prior to getting out, ride up and down the road for a few miles so that when you come back out to the road you know which direction your car is in. Then, before you go in the woods, draw the main road with a long line and mark the top of it N for north for this example.
Let’s assume for this example that we will enter the woods in the westerly direction away from the road, and we will edge a little toward the north when we get in. That way when we come out we take the road south back to the car. So assuming you are entering the woods walking to the west, mark the map with an arrow back to the road – and label that arrow EAST. Think of this as your panic arrow. Regardless of what happens and how you get turned around, look at your map and it will tell you “to get out of this mess, go east.” Then, use your compass to make sure you walk in as straight a line as possible to the east (or wherever you have drawn your panic arrow).
So nothing can go wrong, right? Wrong. Suppose you get hot and sweat and it blurs the map – or maybe you fall into water in a swampy area or crossing a stream, or you might just misplace and lose it. Now that would put in you a terrible fix, right? You search for your map and you cannot find it – remind you of anything? Yes, this is a real “stream going the wrong way” event.
Solution. Draw the map on your hand with indelible ink. Why on your hand? To avoid all of the potential problems of using paper given above. So, you wander in the woods knowing you will get lost. You want to get lost to explore all around a lot of neat things that you never imagined were there. Then, when it is time to return, you just pull out your compass (be careful not to lose that), look at your map, and take the panic arrow direction to the road.
No need to stop going in the woods – there are a lot of interesting things that can be discovered by such exploration. In my case, neat fallen trees that I can use for make-shift tree stands. But there are also old gravestones, old shacks, sometimes even an old houses. But be careful of old wells and worst yet, remnants of old out-houses that have rotted away. You certainly do not want to fall into any of these, so keep your eyes peeled when in the vicinity of old home sites. Look down and do not step if it is not totally clear that there is solid ground under you.
You can feel free to explore any wooded area now that you know the secret of getting out. You just need to take some precautions and know what to do when you get lost. I did not say if you get lost, since if you are wandering you will get lost. No problem, you know the way out – follow your panic arrow. I have used this method to get out of the chaos of the forest any number of times. I enter the woods KNOWING I am going to get lost, and actually relishing the idea. No problem – I have my compass in my pocket and my map on my hand. I will enjoy getting lost in this chaos without concern and I will learn a whole lot from each of these experiences.
No need to avoid the chaos of the woods if you think this is something you will enjoy. However, we advise for the first few times (at least) go with someone who has “been there” before and survived. But this is not about the woods. We are just using that as a good understandable example. All of life is about keeping one foot on solid ground and the other foot exploring the chaos.
A General Approach to Dealing with Chaos
Let’s revisit the possibility of avoiding all chaotic situations. That would seem to be the ideal. The problem is that it is impossible. When our ancestors were forced out of the garden they left that option way behind, both for them and for all of us to come. Instead, we will be confronted with any number of chaotic situations (of various severities) because life is not all positive. In fact, a considerable part of it is painful, discouraging, confusing, and just no fun. Happiness is not achieved by avoiding all chaos, and for that matter, it cannot be achieved at all in any permanence by seeking after it. We can have satisfaction and a positive outlook, but not by avoiding chaos – we must deal with it. This does not mean that we run headlong into plunging ourselves into it. It means that when it comes along, we are prepared.
How do we go about doing this? First define precisely what your chaos is. Of course you will not be able to give all of the details – that is what makes it chaos. But try to fence it in as best you can with very general descriptions of your concerns. It is best to write this down or type it into a text file. That way when you read it you examine your own mind and verify your concerns. When you read it you are reading your own mind. You think you knew what was in your mind? Read it, re-write it, and read it again. It should tell you that you really do not know all that you would like to. Ah … now you are getting somewhere. Ask yourself: “What is it that I am afraid of?” and “What do I dread?” Don’t try to fence in the whole world. It might be best to practice a small problem before attacking the dragon head on. So begin with something you have been avoiding in your life because it is merely unpleasant, as opposed to your ultimate fear in life. You can get to that later once you work up to it.
So although chaos is not going to be pleasant, you know it is best for you to encounter it and deal with it rather than letting it fester until it attacks you when you least expect it. Here are some rules for getting started:
We have used the metaphor of keeping one foot on solid ground and the other sampling into the chaos. This idea comes from Revelation 10:
Revelation 10:1-3: And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; 3 and he cried with a great voice, as a lion roars: and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.
The sea, often called the deep, can represent chaos in this figure (right brain). The land is the firm ground of reason (left brain). When we are forced to venture into chaos it is a best practice to keep one foot on the solid ground and allow the other one to test the chaotic waters. When you take your compass and a map into the woods, you are keeping your left foot on firm ground. You may discover many strange things, and while you are not immune to the animals, insects and snakes, you can be assured that you will not get lost. Most of these pests can be avoided by going exploring in the cooler months of the year, or with a little deet.
Revelation 10:5-7: And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and sware by him that lives for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets.
This “voice of the seventh angel” event occurred prophetically in Revelation 11:15-19, which looks forward to the final judgment described in Revelation 20.
Recognize that many chaotic situations will arise when you least expect them, so it is never too soon to get prepared for them. You have a lot going for you. Your spiritual compass is Jesus Christ; He keeps you on a straight and narrow path, and you can appeal to Him for help at any time through prayer. When it comes to this type of spiritual help, He has often promised to provide whatever you are lacking for the situation (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). Your map out of the depths of chaos is the word of God. This is a gift that you have from God that has been given to you by Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to deliver all truths. Currently access to this is the Bible (2nd Timothy 3:16-17), which is all that you need to get you out of the chaos. But like our physical maps, it must be written so that it cannot be lost or destroyed. God’s word needs to be written not on our hands, but on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). It is up to us to have those passages so familiar to us that they are second nature in establishing our reactions to the chaotic situations of this life.
There were some times in the forest story where we used words right and wrong in the common way to specify what is favorable and unfavorable physically. This is common in the Bible as well, and generally this usage does not imply anything morally right or wrong. But there is an analogy in the spiritual sense. For example, “The water flowing in the wrong direction” can have an analogy in life when a person comes up to something they thought they understood and expected to easily get over, only to realize that it is not at all what they thought – it is, in fact just the opposite – they thought they were doing good, but discovered it to be wrong in the moral or spiritual sense. If they continue as they are tempted to do they will cause great harm. This happens to good people more than they can imagine and it is extremely hard to reverse a direction that we have felt for so long is the right (correct and righteous) way to go.
Satan uses this against us by baiting us with seemingly good things, and many good people are deceived by them. Can it ever be wrong to give to the poor what they need most and to take from those who have more to provide their needs? This is the Robin Hood that we delighted in when our second grade teachers read it to us. Did anyone ever think that this would become the basic tenet of Marxism that would lead to the murder of hundreds of millions of people in Russia and China in the previous century? Why are our children not being taught about these atrocities? Is this bait and switch tactic going to be tried out on the masses once again? I think we can be assured of that. One thing is certain: Satan has an advanced degree in deceit – he knows how to get support for evil by making it look good, and perhaps even allowing some good to be accomplished by it early on. Good people stood by and refused to look into the chaos as it developed. Once they got drawn into it and they were on the freight train to Siberia, it was too late.
For now, let’s keep things on a higher conceptual plane, and address the general question of “how do I get out of chaos? And, if I cannot get totally out of it, how do I deal with it?” Let us begin at the beginning and see how God did it. He called upon the Word. He did not trivialize the power of the Word, as we often do. Let us consider:
Genesis 1:1-26:
1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light… 6 And God said … 9 And God said … 11 And God said … 14 And God said … 20 And God said … 24 And God said … 26 And God said … (All Bible quotes are ASV.)
Verse 2 indicates that what God had created at that point was in a state of chaos. The Holy Spirit is mentioned here, but we must recognize that Jesus the Word was also active. Realize: Jesus made all things:
Colossians 1:16-17: …for in Him [Jesus] were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; 17 and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Jesus is the Word.
John 1:1-3, 14: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made. … … 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
We have discussed two types of chaos. The first type we recognize as such and “dabble into it” intentionally in order to flush new experiences, knowledge and wisdom out of the chaos. The forest would be an example of this one. If we keep one foot on solid ground, there is no reason to be overcome. But even that is not guaranteed … you may well feel that all is well when suddenly you encounter a stream flowing the wrong way. This brings us to the second type, which is the chaos that comes upon us when we have no warning about it whatsoever. We are not wandering into the woods or any other strange physical or spiritual place seeking enlightenment. On the contrary, we might be engaged in a most pleasurable, satisfying and safe experience. An example: you are fishing on a lake on a beautiful day and another boat fails to see you for whatever reason and crashes into your boat. Most traffic accidents fit this same pattern. If you had anticipated it, in most cases you would have avoided it. We can almost say: it comes when you least expect it. It seems that way in retrospect. One way around these problems is to realize these things can happen and do not get over confident when things seem to be going well. If you allow your car keys to trigger an image of your being involved in a crash, that will alert your right brain to the possibility, and chances are, you will drive much more safely.
To summarize the solution recommended above, take confidence in the fact that you are a child of God and you have Jesus as your compass. Address the sudden chaotic event by praying to Him. He is there to help you in your time of need, and this is a time of need. Like a spiritual compass, He will keep your mind from ruminating in endless circles. Next, use your map. These are the words of God that you have written on your heart – we are about to suggest some of them below.
The forest is an example of a potential physical chaos, or chaotic situation. Other practical examples of potential chaos (some physical, some spiritual, some both) that most of us will have to face in our lives (if we have not already) are:
Some of these might be the most traumatic experiences that you can ever encounter, and we strongly recommend that if you find yourself in one of them that you seek help from friends, religious leaders, medical or psychological authorities. In the most general sense, getting lost has little to do with not knowing your physical way home. It has everything to do with your not knowing the morally or spiritually best direction to take when you are in spiritual chaos. We feel that the analogies given below will help in many of these situations. We are not saying that they are stand-alone solutions. Get help first from God, and then from your family and friends.
Dealing with Specific Chaotic Situations
Disagreement with an Associate
What makes it chaos? You do not know what the person who you disagree with it going to say or do if this disagreement continues. You are expecting an amiable relationship, and you know of nothing you have done to offend this individual. But from their words and actions it is obvious that they perceive that you did. This is a stream flowing the wrong way.
Fortunately, the Bible gives us a definitive solution to get us out of this chaos.
Matthew 18:15-18: And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he hear (thee) not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.
Do not put it off or make excuses. Such could indicate blame, and in the worst case, it could be blame. If you have done something wrong to the least bit of causing the problem, admit is quickly. This is part of what Jesus meant when he said:
Matthew 5:25: Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Jesus is not telling us to lie or be deceptive in any way. If you have done anything wrong, even if it is not technically a sin, get it out in the open, and then apply Matthew 18:15-18. Note how this has to resolve the problem regardless of the response from the guilty person. He will either repent or be disciplined by the church. We would hope the former, but any resolution will get you out of the chaotic situation that could have had you lost and circling had you not taken Jesus’ advice.
Matthew 18:15-18 shows clearly that honest and good intentioned Christians can have serious disagreements. Sometimes these are minor things that can be dealt with quickly and informally, but there are other times when it is necessary to involve others and follow the procedure.
Another illustration of a disagreement between two Christians is found in Acts 15:36-41. This involved two of the strongest spiritual giants and most righteous Christians who had ever lived: Paul and Barnabas. If they could have a disagreement, then we might say that any two Christians could. They kept it strictly between themselves, and they came to a mutually agreed-upon solution. Such is the ideal.
The question might be asked: what if my disagreement is not with another Christian? This becomes more problematic, but the principle given would still apply, and if followed, it will resolve the issue better than any other approach. The first principle is: keep the knowledge of the disagreement as limited as possible. If it can be resolved without involving anyone else (as in the case of Paul and Barnabas), this is the best solution.
If that cannot work, then try to enter into a meta agreement with your adversary. Agree that you are not going to discuss the disagreement until the method for a proposed resolution is initiated. That method will involve one or more mutually-trusted persons. Three is probably optimal – you pick one, he picks one and the two of them, pick the third. You agree up front that regardless of what this arbitration process determines, you both will agree to it and live by it. Now is the time for disagreement – while discussing the method of resolution -- not after they make a decision and one of you does not like it (which is practically inevitable). If you both stick to your agreement to abide by their decision, then that should resolve the problem for once and for all, and hopefully you can go back (or move forward) to being friends. Or if that is impossible, at least considerate neighbors.
One potential benefit of this two-step process is that by agreeing to the method you demonstrate that your problem is not that you hate each other. You are striving to reach an agreement, and when you agree on a solution method, you demonstrate that you can agree. It may well be that in striving to reach this meta-agreement that you both realize how trivial the problem between you is, and resolve an agreement without even going through the method.
What if a woman has a problem with a man? This could be a time to make an exception. It is not mandatory, but if a woman feels uncomfortable applying the solution of Matthew 18, then there is ample cause to make an exception and allow the woman to seek help from a highly respected man who can help her resolve the issue. Gender might not be the only issue – there could be times when a man feels uncomfortable and needs such assistance. It is good to indicate your respect for Matthew 18 and inform the adversary the reason that a third person is being involved despite the fact that you wish to limit the controversy according to the principles of Matthew 18.
Worrying About the Necessities of this Life
What makes this chaotic? You have thought it through dozens if not hundreds of time and for some reason always come back to the same place where you started. What does that remind you of? You are not lost in the woods, but you might as well be. This circular thinking in your mind is not accomplishing anything. It is not going to get you to a mental place from which you can move in a positive direction, that being toward a closer walk with the Lord.
This is another case in which the Bible gives us very specific instructions.
Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Think about the magnitude of this promise. What else could you want? We do not ask “what else could anyone want” because we know that there are many desires that people have that originate with Satan. He convinces the masses, if they just had money… if they just had status … if they were just like their more fortunate neighbor, then all of their problems would be solved and they would be happy. But worse that this, he says: “It is their fault that you do not have what they have, and you have every right to take it from them.” This is Marxism. What it does not consider are the downsides of being wealthy. It is impossible to fathom the perils of the rich until you become rich yourself.
Stop looking elsewhere and start considering yourself. You are rich. When was the last time you went a day without food? Do you have a place to sleep out of the rain? Are your children starving to death? Chances are if you can read this on the Internet, your answers to these questions will be quite different and far more favorable than over 90% of the rest of the world. They are in a far worst economic condition than you are, and yet, most of them are not wasting their minds in endless circles of worry about their state of being. Is your problem really about not having enough, or is it a status problem worrying about what some others think of you because you are not of their station in life.
Jesus recognized this when He gave the following commands – and yes, they are commands indicating that normal people have the power over themselves to obey.
Matthew 6:25-34: Therefore, I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not ye of much more value then they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, (shall He) not much more (clothe) you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This is more than a command; it is a command with promise. This promise can be realized now. Worry and concern are good if they motivate you to action. Think of the many actions you might take to advance yourself, and then act on them, starting with the easiest, and build on that small success to accomplish even greater things.
There are two things we worry about: things that we can do something about, and things that we have no control over. If you can do something about it, do it. It might require tremendous effort and require much time and effort. In these cases, break it down to minor tasks and do them one at a time, one day at a time. Get involved with it and dedicate yourself to it, not worrying about the ultimate final outcome – this is what Jesus meant by “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
What about things you cannot control: nuclear war, political debates, the financial crisis, or even a friend or relative who is so out of control that it is impossible for you to perceive of any way of helping them. Should you be concerned about these things? Yes, to the extent that you can learn about them and exercise good citizenship and family support. But our argument here is that your concern should not turn into obsession – there is only so much you can do, and when you have done that, then have faith in Jesus. “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness” – this is something you can do now and every day. And if you do: “… all these things shall be added unto you.” And you will be surprised how many of the just no longer matter.
One time I was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and the doctor said to me: “You are a very sick person.” I interpreted these words like I had only hours to live (as I expect most people would). I felt a feeling like I expect most people do when they are having a panic attack. The stream was definitely flowing the wrong way. Then in my mind I recalled Matthew 6 and made a decision: I am going to just totally throw this on Jesus to do my worrying for me. And I went on to sleep.
Serious Illness or Injury
It is quite common for those to suffer greater anguish when this type of chaos happens to someone they love than when it happens to themselves. We often hear: “I wish it was me instead of them.” Typically, this is not being stated for show – it is a genuine and true feeling of love that they have. But regardless of whether a medical type of problem is either yours or someone you love, it is a traumatic event and the immediate reaction that most have to it is to view it as a very dark forest. The injuries/illnesses themselves are compounded when there are critical decisions that must be made. The forest just got a thicker underbrush, and the stream is flowing the wrong way.
Recognize that your anxiety is normal – few people take such things in stride, keeping both feet on solid ground. We all have our normal colds and upset stomachs, but we can usually reach for some remedial over-the-counter medicine. But here we are considering major life-changing (perhaps life-ending) events that generally inform the victims that life is not going to ever be the same again, or at least not in the short term while they are adapting to it. Generally, the first normal step when there is a major injury or an illness is to consult a doctor or some other medical authority to get advice on the problem. Quite often this provides a pathway out of the chaotic situation, and hopefully, in time, it leads to a cure or healing, or at least a mitigation of the problem.
In some cases, there could be a protracted period of suffering. Paul faced such a situation that he called “a thorn in the flesh.” But before we get into Paul’s way out of this chaos, it is imperative for us to see what Paul’s primary goal in life was. It will be just so many meaningless words if we do not understand Paul’s primary motivation, expressed here as in most of Paul’s letters:
Romans 15:5-6: Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s ONLY goal was to bring glory to God and Jesus. True, he has daily, weekly, and other sub goals that were essential to his welfare and the preaching of the gospel. But they were all totally subservient to this primary goal of his life. It is difficult for most of us to relate to such a singular goal in life. But recognized that all of his sub-goals and objectives kept this one dominant goal in view and in mind.
It seems that Paul may have failed to realize something in this regard. Please consider prayerfully:
2 Corinthians 12:8-10: “Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And He hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for (my) power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Jesus talked directly to Paul. Perhaps Paul reasoned with him the first and second time that without this handicap, Paul would be able to serve Jesus that much better. Anyone who has ever preached realizes how our shortcomings might hurt our abilities to communicate the gospel. But it appears that on the third appeal, Paul is instructed by Jesus that he is in a better state to glorify God and Jesus WITH this problem as opposed to without it. It seems clear that this was a major turning point in Paul’s thinking – he just did not recognize this as a possibility.
This had to be a major recognition that the stream he wanted to cross was in fact flowing the wrong way. If he crossed it like he wanted to he would fall far short of being able to give the glory to God that he wanted to. The solution was to turn his back to the stream and walk in the diametrically opposite direction. “If pain will help me glorify you, then bring on more pain. If weakness, injuries, necessities (not having what he needed in life), persecutions, distresses, then bring on more of them as well.” Now that Jesus had set Paul straight, Paul could ONLY reason this way because his primary objective in life was the glorification of God and Jesus.
Think of all of the great orators you have ever known. We can think of some contemporaries, but Billy Graham comes to my mind since he was the highest regarded by the denominations when I was growing up. What is it that made him great (and we will freely admit, he was great in the worldly sense of the word)? Was it what he said? … or how he said it? Listen to him in YouTube some time and see what it is that made him great? For those listening, what impressed them? Could they tell you what he taught about the plan of salvation that came from Jesus? Or had he made up something that sounded good to the masses, and preached it with such skill as to hold their attention for hours?
Then consider this. What if the speaker had some speech impediment, or was otherwise crippled in some way? If he spoke the truth to the best of his ability, who would receive the glory. Who would be the focus. Would not the message be that it is the truth that is important and not the skill of the orator? Would not the focus then be on Jesus Christ rather than the speaker? This is the message that Jesus finally got through to Paul, although it seemed to take three tries. But once Paul GOT IT, he was more than willing to put it into practice in several different ways.
How do we put it into practice? When people see what we are going through and how we suffer, and yet we keep our faith in Jesus, will that not be a better testimony to them than a million idle words from someone who is apparently totally on top of the world? Remember the words of Jesus: “take up your cross.”
Another amazing aspect of this passage is that it covers virtually every possible mode of suffering. Paul gave enough examples of different types of suffering that we can see, by synecdoche, that all of them are covered. Perhaps (or especially), even those we have brought upon ourselves. And so, for example, the recovering alcoholic (or other drug addict) can give a tremendous appeal to those with similar afflictions to turn to the Lord. In that regard, all of the subtitles of this section could be collapsed into this one remedy. But we think there is also value in elaborating upon them individually as well.
One final reminder as a review: this remedy will not work if it is not our primary goal to glorify Jesus, but if that IS our goal, then the suffering will become of secondary importance to us. Let us also remember the role that prayer plays in this process, from the Hebrews writer:
Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as (we are, yet) without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need.”
Time of pain and suffering is indeed a time of need.
Common or Unique Phobias
Most people have at least one thing that they are terribly afraid of. A few common phobias are
heights, small closed-in spaces, speaking before a large audience, spiders, snakes, rats, lizards (and other creeping things), bees, crowds, open spaces and many others. These are usually handled by most people quite easily by avoidance. However, there are times when one of these terrors can beset you by surprise – e,g,, walking in your back yard and encountering a snake. This is a stream flowing in the wrong direction, and the right brain may be adequate to provide the solution. As long as a phobia does not interfere with your living an otherwise normal life, it should not be of high concern.
On the other hand, if a phobia is causing a disruption in what you consider to be your normal life, then we would encourage you to seek help to have it addressed. One general psychological way of approaching the problem is to break it down into a sequence of smaller problems starting with something that is almost fathomable by you now, and you voluntarily agreeing to give that a try. The approach is to overcome the fear at the lower level, and then systematically move up to more fearsome experiences. The experience must not be forced – the person who has the fear must totally volunteer to taking each of the steps. While it might seem that this could be accomplished without psychological help, for most people this is like doing their own dentistry. It is not recommended.
Probably the most important aspect of dealing with your phobia is to reject the idea that there is something “wrong” with you. Study the statistics related to how many people have them, and you will see that having one is fairly normal. As long as it is not causing any disruption in your life, just avoid the potential phobic situations. If you find that to be impossible, then seek help.
Jeopardy to Yourself or Loved Ones
This is related to the discussion in the previous section, but it will exclude the consideration of phobias. Parents who do not get worried about their children from time to time are not normal, and similarly would be our concerns for anyone that we love. Much the same feelings occur when we are ourselves in health jeopardy. For this reason we will consider them together.
Concerns are not phobias. But they do tend to create chaos. Let us consider some of the case studies that we have in the New Testament.
If you recall in your study of Revelation, chapter 12 tells us about a tremendous chaos caused by Satan that afflicted the wonderfully righteous woman who was about to bring a child into the world. He persecuted the woman who was figuratively and spiritually giving birth to faithful Christians (“her seed” in Verse 17). Chaos is a powerful tool of Satan.
Revelation 12:13-17: And when the dragon [Satan] saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man (child). 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus: …
“Her seed” are Christians – we would expect most of the readers are either currently Christians or will be so in the near future. So the figurative river represents the chaos that Satan is heaping up and assaulting us with. Water (e.g., the deep) is often used metaphorically to represent chaos. This is a picture (a figurative image) of chaos. Satan uses chaos to confuse us, to get us to blame one another, and ultimately to kill one another (Cain and Abel), not only in war, but by alcohol and drug abuse, gang violence and anything else that will kill or destroy. Recall Satan’s first words: “ye shall not surely die” still echoes today causing many to doubt their faith in God. This is chaos.
Satan tries to overwhelm the woman first to completely eliminate any possibility of new Christians being born spiritually. God defeats him directly in this effort, but for reasons that He knows, He allows Satan to make war with the rest of her seed … those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. Generally, these are Christians, and hopefully we can relate to such treatment because persecution is common and inevitable (2 Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”).
As an example of God’s love and mercy for all His creatures, many animals have natural ways of dealing with a surprised perception of grave danger … they freeze. I froze when I saw the stream going the wrong way, and I am sure you can recall when you were surprised by such a situation yourself. Perhaps the woman in Revelation 12 froze when the last she expected was a river of water coming out of the mouth of the serpent. When it happens (and it will) be patient, give it time, and allow your reasoning (left brain) to overcome your fear (right brain); unless, of course, you need that fear to assist you in overcoming the confrontation.
The earth helped the woman. We interpret this to be a metaphor for the normal events of nature, although in the figure of Revelation 12:16, there is evidence of divine intervention. But the wording infers that it may have been more providential than miraculous. Often things can appear in the environment that help (e.g., the appearance of a law enforcement officer). The lesson of Revelation 12 may be that if we give these natural forces a chance, they usually provide a pathway out of the anxiety that accompanies sudden chaos that will at least give us a chance to calm. There is always a logical way out, but you may not arrive at it if adrenaline is coursing through your brain. Be patient and convince yourself that very shortly you will be able to think much more clearly.
If you have wandered through the glades, you probably walked up on a rabbit now and then. When a rabbit is surprised, it does not instinctively run. It freezes. In a great proportion of cases the predator never even sees it, and had the rabbit run for its life, it would have been in greater jeopardy. Running with fear leaves a scent trail that can be followed by most predators, which is another reason for the rabbit freezing. Of course, this changes dramatically if that strategy is not working. Once the rabbit realizes that it did not fool the predator, it will get a shot of adrenalin and explode in running since it realizes, at that point, there is no other alternative. This is a natural God-given attribute of survival for the rabbit, which is also a survival instinct shared by many other animals, including humans. Recognize that a natural stimulant drug may well be just a first-reaction to chaos (something beyond immediate understanding). Give it a chance and it might just pass, as often the predator does the rabbit.
Be aware of wicked things that we have never seen before that may seem as though they are more than we can handle. These could be people who we considered to be good doing things that are just so inconceivable that we cannot believe it. Spiritually, this is evil water flowing in the wrong way (chaos). The short passage from Revelation above is a promise that God will provide what we need to escape whatever chaotic things this life might throw at us. There is no chaos that can overcome us if we resolve to turn our backs on it and use our spiritual compass (Jesus) and out spiritual map (God’s word) written on our hearts to escape. Here is some more re-assurances.
1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.”
In the following note how Paul was beside himself over his fear that something had caused harm to Titus.
2 Corinthians 7:5-9: “For even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but (we were) afflicted on every side; without (were) fightings, within (were) fears. 6 Nevertheless he that comforts the lowly, (even) God, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in you, while he told us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more. 8 For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret (it) (for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season), 9 I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.”
Paul seems to be referring to the problem reported to him by some Christians at Corinth of one of the members cohabitating with his father’s wife (technically, his step mother). We see Paul dealing with this situation in 1 Corinthians 5 and then coming back to it and commending them for taking the proper action in 2 Corinthians 2. The more immediate chaos was caused by his not finding Titus when he went on to Macedonia seeking for him. He attributes his meeting with Titus as an act of God and thanks God for it, as we should whenever we have good fortune.
Having a close friend or relative that you love physically lost is a chaotic adventure that for them and us. But an even greater threat is when they are in spiritual jeopardy. Here is an example of this:
2 Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. 4 For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or (if) ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, you might well bear with (him) [allow him to influence you – dbb].
Paul was doubting their spiritual integrity. He states the evidence that he had for this in a sarcastic way: (1) they thought he was rude in speech; (2) he preached for them without taking payment for his work; and (3) he previously had not made a show of his qualifications (i.e., he was humble). Of these, the second shows how far people will go when they have a motive to criticize. Perhaps we have some today that regard those who preach without pay to be inferior to those who accept support. For shame! It is the truth of the words that are important, not whether the preacher is paid or not. But Paul’s concern shown in the passage above is for them, not himself. Even the words he uses to defend himself are (as he put it) foolish, in the sense that he was being largely sarcastic with them.
As Paul did, we should do all that we can to rescue those who we love from jeopardy, whether it be physical or spiritual. But often there is little that we can do other than pray. Let us do so recognizing that our God and our savior Jesus rule this world and can bring anything that we ask to pass. We can know for a certainty that if things do not work out perfectly to our liking, that there is a reason for these things, and even in this, we can take comfort.
Betrayal by People You Have Trusted
You thought you knew them and you trusted them with your most sacred secrets. But now they turn against you. This is a good case of where the anticipated stream that you thought you were going to easily cross is clearly flowing the wrong way. What makes it chaos is that chances are you do not have any idea what to do about it, if anything. Here is an example of when it happened to Paul:
2 Timothy 4:16-18: At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. 17 But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might me fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom (be) the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The initial response of most people is to get even. But Paul did not even finish the sentence before he was asking God for their forgiveness. This is the first step away from the evil stream to begin to grow a warm feeling toward your enemies so that they do not dominate and control your mind. Have faith as Paul did that if you follow the map it will get you out of chaos.
Christians in the first century were largely converted from the Jews, and they looked to those good Jews for guidance even while they were attempting to convert them to Jesus. It had to be devastating to them when these Jews not only turned against Jesus, but also embraced the teachings of Satan, in all idolatry and degradation. The following is assurance given to them by Jesus:
Revelation 3:9-11: “Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that (hour) which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
Some today, as back then, try to stay on the fence and serve Jesus and, at the same time, stay with their past practices that reject the true gospel. Paul’s definitive instruction to them is that they must make a decision and turn their backs on that which is evil, and get as far away from it as them can.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Who are the unbelievers? You cannot tell by what they say. You can only tell by their behavior. If they believe Jesus with the saving faith that He requires, their life will be turned toward serving Him and His ways.
It is right to offer forgiveness to those who betray you, just as Jesus did on the cross, and just as He does now if we repent of our betrayal of Him (1 John 1). But it should be easy to see it they are committed to a new life of dedication, or if they are just giving Jesus lip service. If there is evidence that they have repented, then it is our responsibility to forgiven them (Matthew 18:21-22). But if we see evidence that they are trying to take us down to the chaos that they are still in, recognize that this stream is flowing the wrong way. Turn your back to it and “come ye out from among them and be ye separate …” Order will follow.
Untimely Death of a Loved One
This is by far the most dreadful example of chaos that anyone can experience, especially if it involves someone who is as close to you as anyone can get. The death of a child would certainly be the worst, but a close relative or a spouse would also be extremely traumatic. What produces chaos is being totally helpless – once they are gone there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. This is good to know before they depart, for often people face the chaos of “if only I had done …” Think it through and do it now, before you loved one dies. Recognize how you will feel if you do not, and live through that experience while you can still do something about it. And then DO those things that you “should have done” so that you will not have the “if only I had …” chaos that comes from blaming yourself – not for their death, but for not making their lives as enriching as it could have been while they were still with us.
It is not very comforting to say the obvious: “If you did not experience such bliss, you would not be experiencing such pain.” A common saying is that it is better to love and lost than to never have loved at all. Such attempts to bring rationality into a solution for grief can only cause more pain, and we recommend against such. It is far better just to “be there” and say nothing than to utter words that have little meaning under the circumstances.
Let us consider Jesus:
John 11:32-36: Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews (also) weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!
It has often been asked, and I expect most of us have also wondered: why was Jesus so upset since He knew that He was, within a few minutes, going to raise Lazarus from the dead. The answer lies not in His sorrow, but in His meta-sorrow (sorrow about the fact that the sorrow He was experiencing was not just a temporary thing). What he was experiencing was not only the death of someone He loved dearly, but the deaths of all people that is brought about by the sin that is in the world and multiplied by Satan. Lazarus was not lost eternally, but many who he loved would be. Let us take comfort in the fact that God loves them more than we do.
Perhaps the greatest relief from the dread of grief is the knowledge that God has created us with the capacity to heal from our grief over time. There are some aspects of grief that we will never get over, nor should we want to. We will remember good things about the person, and when we do it will bring a sense of sadness. But it will not be a painful as the immediate grief we feel when we first fully accept the loss. This is often called a grieving process, and it is the only way out of chaos for those who are devastated by the loss of a loved one.
Revelation 11:7-12: And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies (lie) in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do (men) look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Let us be assured from this passage that physical death is caused by the sin of mankind, much of it long ago, but it still continues with us today in all of its variations. The consequences are continued by the fact that we are just as sinful today as they were back then. The solution is to recognize this and to get our spiritual lives as far away from sin as we possibly can. The final lesson is that if and when we do, God will be there to provide all that we need to take care of us, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds.
Deception from a Compulsive Liar
This is similar to the response of being betrayed. The difference is that if someone who is close to you is a compulsive liar, you will have known it for years. This one is more like someone who is performing a service for you and is consistently deceiving you about it, but because of the subtle nature of this sin, you do not realize it until much damage is done.
Paul talked of such using hyperbole and paradoxical figures of speech.
Titus 1:10-16: For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. 13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
What makes this such a humorous anecdote is the fact that it is internally inconsistent – as all paradoxical statements must be. Note that he states that what the Cretan prophet said was that all Cretans as always liars. He also calls them evil beasts and idle gluttons, figures of speech that might indicate he was not expecting us to take all of this literally. If, in fact, all Cretans always lied, then how could we believe what this prophet said? since he was a Cretan. To add to the paradox, Paul states: “This testimony is true.” The truth is not in taking this hyperbole literally. The truth is the fact that these literal statements hold the vast majority of the time. The few exceptions do not nullify the basic truth being emphasized by these figures or speech.
In a population so given over to deceit we can be sure that there were many compulsive liars. We are talking about a derangement of the natural personality that makes the person believe that he is compelled to lie. All the time. Exactly how this comes about we do not know. We suspect that some might have a God-complex and actually believe that they can modify reality by what they say. Recall Genesis 1 – God actually had this power. If this is not the case, they must believe that reality is not working to their advantage, and therefore, they must change the perception of it in the hearer’s mind in the belief that the altered sense of reality will work to their benefit. So, if they should make an error and happen to tell the truth, this gives them a sense that they have let themselves down – a sense of frustration. But no problem, it does not happen that often. But I would expect that, like Satan, they might make an exception and tell the truth if it works to their benefit.
Normal people get taken in easily by compulsive liars because the normal person cannot believe that such can exist. They are inclined to give all people the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, this would be one nasty world if we had to assume that everyone was a compulsive liar (as it seems the Cretan prophet did above). Another major problem is with detection because they lie so convincingly. They seem that they believe it themselves, and perhaps they do. Once you see what you are up against you need to recognize that “he might really believe what he is saying” even though you know better.
As an example, I had someone build a custom van for me a few decades ago who was a compulsive liar. I did not totally discover it until after he delivered the van. He delivered it at night – that should have given me a clue. But we had been working together on it for weeks. I do not mean that I ever did any craft work, but I continually went in and checked up on what he was doing. After getting the van I realized that he had not just scammed me on a few details to make a few extra bucks. No, I systematically went through every detail of the job – probably 20 or so, and realized that he had lied to me on every one of them, many of which did not really benefit him. In other words, he lied even if there was not advantage to him for it. This is when I realized that I had a true compulsive liar on my hands. Another case of thinking I was getting out of the woods, only to find the stream I had to cross was flowing the wrong way.
This is indeed a chaotic situation, and the solution is not in the application of your intuition. Every fiber of your being is saying to take him to court, force him somehow to fix everything. If you are thinking this way you are not listening to the above paragraphs. This is not your ordinary joe you are dealing with. This is a person who has the ability to lie and not only believe it himself but to have everyone around him believe it as well. You may well end up on court being sued for the defamation of his character.
Matthew 5:25: Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Did you ever wonder what Jesus was trying to get across to us? His words are not absolute, holding in every possible situation. But when it comes to dealing with a skillful compulsive liar, Jesus words make perfect sense.
Well, I still had my van and although he did not enhance it like he said he would, neither did he destroy it – so I was not totally defeated. I was able to get him to voluntarily fix several things, but once I got to a point of frustration, I just gave it up. The money it cost to fix the few things that were left was well worth not having to deal with him any longer. I was out of the chaos, and that is worth quite a few pesos.
Attacks of Satanism
Satanism is like Christianity. Neither can be completely defined. The words are used to convey a general idea, but no one really knows what that idea is, except in very broad and general terms. Some recently have tried to portray Satanism as something that is akin to Christianity. They have convinced many people that Satan has gotten a bad rap, and that ultimately, when you understand it and its organization (e.g., the church of Satan), you will see that it tries to portray itself as all about freedom and good as opposed to slavery and tyranny. They will even tell you that the serpent in the garden was acting in the interests of mankind.
What makes Satanism chaos is Satan. It is his intent to deceive and confuse – and this creates chaos. So, the solution is to just stay as far away from Satanism as you can, right? If you can, yes. In fact, this seems to be the directive that Jesus gave to those who had not been exposed to the “deep things of Satan.”
Revelation 2:24: “But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.”
It seems to me what Jesus is telling them is if you have avoided the deep things of Satan up until now, then you have no obligation to search out what they are. In fact, it might be a sin to get into such a dark area. However, this leaves two types of people who this exhortation would not apply to: (1) Those who have already (for whatever reason, good or bad) experienced the deep things of Satan; and (2) Those who, either directly themselves or their loved ones, are attacked by Satanic forces. This last one would include preachers, elders or other mature Christians who have been called upon by someone who has been so attacked.
It is important that we qualify just what we mean by “attack.” The last thing that organized Satanists to is to physically attack others. They are not militant since their goals would not be accomplished by physical force. They accomplish their purpose by hiding themselves in the upper echelons of otherwise benign appearing organizations. The lower-level worker bees never know what is going on within the part of the organization controlled by Satan. In fact, their tasks are generally to take on some highly-regarded social cause.
Before going further, let us provide some scriptural basis for these ideas:
Ephesians 6:12: For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in spiritual realms.
Most common translations have “heavenly (places)” rather than “spiritual realms.” Research into the Greek word heavenly indicates that it is a realm above the above, and not physically accessible (we cannot take a rocket ship to it). The word “places” was added by the translators, we believe, to avoid the English error of having an adjective modifying no other word in the sentence. Our opinion is that this introduces a physical concept – that of a physical “place” – into the reader’s thought process. We do not believe that the translators had any sinister motive in doing this, but we do object to it because it does, in a sense, re-focus the subject.
It is not at all hard to see that these spiritual hosts of wickedness in the spiritual realms are what we have described above as being Satanic; clearly they are what we have also defined as being chaotic. This is the goal of Satan – to deceive and confuse. To keep people from doing what they know is obviously right. This is mostly accomplished by convincing good people that the evil things that they are being led into have a good justification.
The procedure is fairly routine. A competent person progresses up the ranks of one of these organization and finally gets to that next promotion that will put them into the lowest ranks of the upper echelon. They demonstrate all of the qualification and then are told that there is just one more. They are given details of what they must do, but it seems a bit over the line of morality or legality. This is a stream flowing the wrong way. If the victim crosses it, then there is something on the record by which he can be blackmailed, and thereby controlled. Subsequent promotions demand worse and worse things to progress up the ladder.
Fortunately, Paul also gave us the remedy – basically it is to turn your back on that evil stream and get as far away from it as you can. But the temptation to go on will be next to overwhelming, especially after putting all of that efforts into getting positioned for the promotion.
Ephesians 6:13-18: Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil (one). 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, …
The straight path out of this chaos is to meditate on the above and gain spiritual strength from it. It does not matter what you might lose, including all of your friends. You are trading a life of the service to Satan for an eternity of being in fellowship with Jesus. There is no comparison. If you cross the stream it will take you deeper and deeper into chaos. There will be many other streams to cross and it will become next to impossible not to. As you go up in rank your requirements are more and more depraved. I heard one person in this position say that he knew the next thing that would be required of him would be to kill someone. Fortunately, he was able to get out of this organization with his life. Those who would mandate such a thing would have no problem in terminating him. While he was able to escape, the fact that this entire situation came about goes to prove that there are Satan’s operatives at the highest level who are willing to do this or anything else to satisfy the one they serve.
Loss of Hope
Revelation 5:1-5: And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon: …
There are times in this life when it seems that no one can be found who is worthy to “open the book.” This is indeed a stream flowing the wrong way and it was the last thing that John was anticipating at this point as his adventure of receiving the Revelation developed. Why would he be so put out by this? Recognize the great news that John had been receiving to this point. This had to have him at the peak of his expectation that he was anticipating answers that would comfort the anxiety felt by him and his fellow Christians with regard to the severe persecution that they were undergoing. But now there would be no more revelation because there was no one worthy to open the book.
As we have stated so often, the way out of chaos is Jesus, and this was no exception …
Revelation 5:1-5: … and one of the elders said unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.
It would seem that this book was the remainder of the Book of Revelation, of which it is said in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
If you need more help to escape a state of being hopelessly lost, please click for this article: https://www.biblethought.net/hopelessly-lost.html.
Destruction of Your Nation
In its most innocent sense, evidence of chaos is seen here is the emotional instability exhibited by many when their candidate loses an election. It is, to a large extent, totally irrational and devoid of understanding of just who and what is in control of this world. It is easy to determine the point at which the stream running the wrong way is detected – it is when the counted votes clearly indicate defeat. Is it any comfort that about 50% of the population (perhaps more) view the stream as flowing the right way? Yes, I guess they can all be wrong, and have been over and over again since the country was established, and somehow it has managed to survive. But this does not matter to the partisan – to them this is the worst case scenario.
Getting voted out might seem like the worse disaster that could occur, but it is nothing compared to being ousted by assassination, war or other armed conflict. War is one of the greatest examples of chaos when it defies all reason and destroys the values that have been at the foundation of the country’s national identity. While the survival of the country is a legitimate concern, of greater concern is what will take its place. It is this unknown that probably accounts for the chaotic mindset.
If history serves us right we can say that for the most part the “new country” that takes the place of the defeated one is much more like the one destroyed than it is to some superior alternative. As likely as not, the new country will be in chaos that will take several years before extrication … but ultimately something more orderly seems to emerge, for better or for worst.
You might look up the Icarus Paradox, for which there are no exceptions when it comes to organizations that are composed of humans. The reason for this is that it is the very success of an organization (company, nation, religious organization, etc.) that brings about its ultimate destruction. Success leads to power; power leads to corruption, and corruption ultimately destroys the organization. But just because it will ultimately happen does not mean it is imminent. It may be one or more generations before it happens. We make this general statement so that such will not be a surprise to you, and that you may anticipate it and take whatever deterrent or pre-emptive actions will be to the benefit of you and those you love. The only exception to this principle is the Lord’s church, which we will discuss at the end of this article.
Let us consider some Biblical examples.
Revelation 2:9-10: I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
I doubt we fear this degree of tribulation at the loss of our country, but denying it as a possibility almost guarantees it to come about. What was it the destroyed the Jewish nation? Wrong if you think it was Rome – they were just the instruments of God (clearly evidenced by Matthew 24). Was it God then? No, this would pose God as some arbitrary avenger, which we know is not true. God clearly spelled out how the Jewish nation could prosper and what would bring them to destruction. The fault was clearly in their corner.
It was the corruption at the highest levels that was initiated by the temptation of Satan to abuse the power that God gave the Jewish leadership. Thus, they became a synagogue of Satan. Attempting to serve themselves, they were really destroying themselves in servitude to Satan. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver … how much more were the bankers loading into the pockets of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducee leadership to, among other things, allow them to totally pollute the temple – to the extent that it disgusted our Lord and caused him to take aggressive physical action – brief exceptions that only occurred twice in the three years of Jesus’ ministry (John 2:14-15; Mark 11:15;).
Throughout the Book of Revelation, the city state of Babylon is used to illustrate that no country is invulnerable. The reason for this choice was that at the time of Babylonian superiority, no one could possibly conceive of her fall – and yet, the Jews (and all peoples) were well aware of the fate of Babylon. So, today if we make this same mistake we can be assured of our ignorance is willful, since history tells us that the destruction of every great civilization (country) is inevitable. It is made inevitable by the same thing that caused the fall of the Jewish nation and the fall of Babylon – the corruption of the leadership. By corruption we mean that they too advantage of their power to serve themselves rather than God and their people.
Revelation 18:1-20: After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render unto her even as she rendered, and double (unto her) the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. 7 How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she said in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. 8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, …
[We omit the details and continue after the types of merchandise are detailed.]
17 … for in an hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that sailed any wither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, 18 and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What (city) is like the great city?
At the time of Babylon, none. And so, there was at the time a general firm belief that its prosperity would last forever. It is used as the epitome of what a great nation could be, and thus the greatest possible example of failure. But it is one that could be easily demonstrated since every Jew knew of their historical interaction with Babylon and its fall. This did not make it any less traumatic for the Jews when Jerusalem fell.
The way out? Meditate on the following:
Revelation 18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.
Most of us know about the corruption in our government, although some will not accept that the politicians they support could possibly be corrupt. This is willful ignorance that might only be excused temporarily by gross naivety. The mere fact that it takes so much money to mount a campaign for political office guarantees that the decisions will be made by those who provide these funds as opposed to the politician themselves, who for the most part are the puppets of the hidden elites pulling the strings. To the politicians, this is just a necessity of getting elected, as is the deception of the masses that generates their support. The ends justify the means, since who could do a better job of governing than they could. So it is all justified in their minds. Their terms will only last for a relatively short time, and the regime that replaces them will be, at best, only a marginal improvement. This is chaos unless we recognize that God is in total control of the nations.
What is your judgment of this instantiation of Babylon? Read Revelation 18:20 again – this calls for you to make a judgement. The indication is that God will execute YOUR judgment. It is expected that you will understand the predominance of corruption, and make the same judgment that God will make. When that occurs, you will be free from the chaos that will accompanies the transition – but expect most others to be consumed by it.
But didn’t Jesus say that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18)? Absolutely!!! As long as it remains HIS church it will never be corrupted. But that is a condition that has only been kept by a very few throughout history. Where is the history of those who served God strictly according to the Bible? Some of it lingers in the church fathers at the end of the first century and into the second and third. But as faithful as they were, many of them giving their lives to the cause, their errors and departure from the pure word of God is clear from their own writings. Without the map out of chaos, they were plagued to participate in endless division and strife, which was ultimate called Christianity.
Those who stayed within the doctrine of Christ were condemned to death in many cases, not by Rome, but by the apostate church, the very creation of which was for political purposes. Historians consider the few who continued in the apostle’s doctrine negligible, if they consider them at all. They trace “Christianity” to be the church established by the edicts of Constantine and its many flaws – the inquisitions and the response to its obvious depravity by the reformation. Yes, the principles of the Icarus Paradox were alive and well in what has become known as the chaos of Christianity. But it would never have any effect on those faithful Christians who humbly obeyed all of the gospel as given in the New Testament, to the best of their abilities. These are the ones who Jesus called: “my church” and said “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Your Turn
We have presented a simple case of venturing into chaos, and also how this, as an analogy, might apply to some very serious problems in our lives. We hope you can see that these examples are just a start to your applying them to all situations in your life that involve chaos. In times of chaos, additional help can come from those who have a deep knowledge of the Bible. Formulate for them a question, such as: what do the scriptures teach with regard to … (this particular problem). There are reference books and article indexes that may also help, but probably not as much as someone who has dedicated much of his life to Bible study. For some article type helps, please see:
https://www.biblethought.net/site-guide.html
… and
https://www.biblethought.net/bible-subject-index-1.html
Also, seek help from an on-line concordance or other search engines.
Think of the help you are getting from the scriptures as your map out of chaos. Take time to draw your map before you venture too far into chaos. It will be well worth all of the time that it takes. The Bible covers every possible obstacle along the way, so take what time you need to draw your map before jumping into this forest. Then have total faith that Jesus is right there with you – pray for His help continually.
You will run into surprises along the way that are totally unanticipated, and that shock you to the point that you may not even believe it. That is the nature of chaos. These are the streams that are running the wrong way. If they are absolutely wrong and you know it, turn your back to them and use your relationship with Jesus and the scriptures to find your way back to safety and salvation..
Jesus' Conditions on Salvation
by Dave Brown
Table of Contents for this Article
Definition of Chaos
Wandering
Story Involving a Common Example of Chaos
Right and Left Brain Activity
Back to the Story
Lessons Learned
A General Approach to Dealing with Chaos
Dealing with Specific Chaotic Situations
Disagreement with an Associate
Worrying About the Necessities of Life
Serious Illness or Injury
Common or Unique Phobias
Jeopardy to Yourself or Loved Ones
Betrayal of People You Have Trusted
Untimely Death of a Loved One
Deception from a Compulsive Liar
Attacks of Satanism
Loss of All Hope
Destruction of Your Nation
Your Turn
Definition of Chaos
Let us begin by defining just what it is that we are calling chaos and the reason it needs to be addressed. Chaos is often associated with evil, for reasons that will become clear. However, it does not have to always depict wickedness. Much good can come out of chaos if we understand simultaneously both its potential for improving our lives as well as the danger it poses. It is much like electricity – look at all of the good we get from it! But grab a bare wire and you quickly discover its downside. From the outset, however, let us not marginalize what chaos is: (1) it is real; (2) it can cause tremendous harm and even death to multitudes of people; and (3) when dealt with properly, it can produce tremendous benefits from the revelation of things hidden within it.
To start out with a neutral view, chaos can best be defined in its most extreme state. That would be the state of the heaven and the earth immediately following its creation by God, i.e., before God did anything to set the heaven and the earth in order. Two translations of Genesis 1:2 that describe the state of the heaven and the earth at this point are given below
Genesis 1:2:
(TLB): … the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors.
(NKJV): The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
To get a feeling for this, imagine that God created you before He did His six days of work, and that He has thrown you into the middle of this chaos. You cannot see or hear anything. You cannot make sense out of anything. You know that you exist, but things are quite hopeless unless God does something to either rescue you from it or make else order out of this chaos. This gives us a further feel for its definition. Typically, in its extreme chaos is characterized by unfathomable disorder. Its potential for good and evil are real and we should take them seriously.
These and other translators were not at all unified on this verse, and it is probably much better that we do not converge on a single physical representation of what chaos is. It is not a physical thing as much as it is an abstraction. If it were just something physical, then it would be described in detail – but what we are given proves that it cannot be described any further. It is never instantiated by exactly the same thing twice (we mean when we encounter it twice).
Note how the TLB just calls it a shapeless, chaotic mass, while the NKJV states that it was without form and void. (Void of what?). The first talks about the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors – can you see them in your mind? The second talks about darkness on the face of the deep, with the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters. Make a note of waters and deep – it is common to see that immense chaos of the oceans being referenced as the deep. We feel that the recently popular song “rolling in the deep” is probably referring to chaos as opposed to water (or at least it should be in our opinion).
So which one of the above translations is right? Is it too much of a stretch for us to accept that they both right? And so are all the others that are reasonable (the exceptions being those that never come out of the deep). Each translation gives a different perspective, and if we allow each to qualify the other, then we come to the true logical conclusion that chaos is an abstract rather than a tangible reality. But it is real. As real as your thoughts, for example, or your dreams. They are real, but they cannot be described in terms of anything else that we understand, because that which is chaotic cannot be totally understood, but its effects in terms of suffering are quite understandable. It is much like a virus, which remains invisible until if overcomes its victims – and then it does not matter how it might be defined in unfathomable medical jargon. It makes little difference to the victims, but they have no problem in describing their suffering in language that most can understand. We can say that a virus is an example chaos.
Back to Genesis, we know that God did set things in order – perfect order. So we can, by faith, envision in our minds from the Genesis record two things that are impossible for us to see in the real world as it exists right now. These are: (1) pure chaos, and (2) its opposite state of being: perfect order (the total absence of chaos). Neither of these exist today for us to observe, and the fact that we generally exist in some combination of chaos and order creates the ultimate challenge of life. So when we use the words chaos and order, we do so in a relative sense, not in their ultimate senses as described in early Genesis.
We know that in six days God spoke the chaos into perfect order. But that did not last for long, at least not according to the number of words in Genesis prior to the description of Eve and Adam eating of the forbidden fruit. In cursing the ground (Genesis 3:17), God brought into it a degree of chaos that would cause decay (chaos) in all of the physical world from that point forward (see Romans 8:19-22). Obviously we are not talking about the the Genesis “day zero” chaos, but you do not have to get too far away from relative order before you can get a good perception of its nature, which can be quite ruthless to the unprepared. It is the purpose of this article to enable us not only to be prepared for it, but also to benefit from keeping one foot in it. We have annotated the following passage where we believe examples of [chaos] are being referenced.
Genesis 3:17-20: Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground [chaos] for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles [chaos] it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground [chaos], For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." 20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (NKJV)
It may have seemed to Adam when he planted his first crop that he had everything pretty much under control. However, we know from the rest of the Bible that this was not the general case, and mankind was destined to have to confront chaos all of our lives. As we go through some examples, you might not be able to relate to some of them … at least not right now. But sooner or later in your life something unexpected and of great consequence will occur. It is then that you need to be prepared to overcome the chaos that it will bring with it. We will start with a fairly simple self-inflicted example for the purpose of defining the terminology.
To coexist with chaos is to overcome its downside, and thereby, to escape its evil. Note that we do not use the phrase “living in chaos.” That was our original article title, but it communicates the idea of chaos being persistent in our lives. We realize that this is true of some people, but that is not what we consider to be ideal, i.e., to just tolerate chaos and live with it. To coexist with chaos implies that we know how to identify it, although we might not always anticipate it. It also implies that we will know of its dangers, and that we will only knowingly venture into it purposefully when there is something to be gained from such an experience. In general, we will only venture into it when we have made the proper provisions to keep it from overwhelming us.
If we could avoid it completely, life would become extremely boring – chaos holds the excitement that enables us to learn and to progress. Our own personal ignorance is an example of chaos, and overcoming this is a life-long endeavor that is not without its pain. So, while we do not want to jump into it to the point of allowing it to overcome us, we will allow it to offer its benefits. It is when we do not realize that we are being plunged into it that we need to have some general approaches to help us deal with it.
So, for now, we might imagine that we have one foot on solid ground and the other foot on the edge of the ocean deep. We can look out and see the waves breaking on the line of the beach, demonstrating their little chunks of chaos. Close enough to sample the chaos, while attempting to derive optimal value from both the land and the sea simultaneously.
Wandering
We will start with a true story that will serve as a parable or prototype. I am reluctant to use myself as an example, but the analogies to be drawn would not be as effective if the story were just made up. So, take my word for it, it actually happened.
My recall of the experience was inspired by some lyrics from the song that we all know and sing, and many of us have probably memorized, How Great Thou Art (Carl Boberg, 1886). The second verse is:
When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
and I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.”
It is the first few words of this verse that made me think about what it would mean if we really took it literally.
We have all sung the song, I presume taking his word for it, since few of us have actually wandered in a true forest. I am not talking about a tree farm, or a trail through the woods, or even walking to your tree stand to hunt deer. The word wander means:
“1. To move about without a definite destination or purpose.”
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition; https://www.thefreedictionary.com/wander
This excludes any destination whatsoever, or any tools to keep the wanderer on some preconceived track. If any of that enters into the activity, then another word would need to be used to describe it, because that would not be wandering.
Given this definition, we need to ask ourselves: have you ever really wandered in the woods? Please do not think I am accusing you of lying when you sing this song – that is not my purpose at all. You are not making a statement regarding your own activity … you are taking the author’s word for it … much as you would if you were to sing the words of a love song when you are not in any type of romantic relationship. Singing it on behalf of the author can be extremely valuable in that you can learn from it by imagining the author’s experience. In a sense you are having that experience, but in a vicarious manner. For example, it might describe some amazing spiritual lessons that you can attribute to God by wandering in a wilderness area.
Given this strict meaning of the word wander, we might even question whether our author, in fact, wandered, or whether he was using poetic license (which would be totally acceptable). No doubt we see his point, and it is an excellent one. It really does not have to be true wandering, does it, if we are on a path and can experience the same things? No, we are not being critical in the sense of him or any of us telling the truth or lying; the same effects can be achieved if we follow a trail through the woods. But on the other hand, it could have consequences if we were totally intent upon literally following his words, and in doing so we attempted to wander in a strange wooded area.
The fact is, if most people were to wander in a true wilderness area, they would get lost in a matter of a few minutes. The few “woodsmen” exceptions among our readers does not nullify this general rule that applies to well over 90% of us. How can I be sure of this? First-hand experience? Yes, but not that alone. I have been told this by many experienced hikers who have experienced the inevitable when they wandered off the beaten paths.
I have tried to reason out just why most people who truly wander in the woods quickly start walking in circles (which is evidence of their being lost). I watched myself trying to walk a straight line to avoid circling back. The reasons we get lost are quite simple: it is impossible to walk a straight line in the woods as you would, for example, walking across a football field. What makes it impossible? Obstacles. Low hanging tree limbs, thick briars, stickers, clumps of small trees so thick that you cannot get through them (and do not wish to try), fallen trees, cliffs, huge rocks, swampy areas (you do not want to get your feet wet), etc. etc. So, when these obstacles are encountered, the hiker must go around them. “A round?” … as in circling? Do you think after circumventing an obstacle that you can resume your linear route? Good luck – try it. Inevitably you will recognize something. The identically same trees you saw a short time ago. That’s right! You are exactly where you were 30-40 minutes or ago. You are lost. And this is an example of chaos, first the forest itself, but now more than that – what is going on in your mind.
Now think about this. When God cursed the ground, what did he make to grow up? “Thorns and thistles,” (Genesis 3:18) remember? These are just some examples (synecdoche) of the various obstacles that we encounter when we wander into the woods. It is not that you would prefer to go around these patches … in many cases there is no choice. Safety compels you to avoid them.
Perhaps we can see why so few of us have ever wandered in the forest. Why would anyone want to get lost and perhaps risk his/her life in such a way? Well, before we pass judgment on those who do, let us recognize that the forest is like all other chaotic situations that we are going to have to face in life. But you do not have to get lost to realize this. Just like the song, you can learn from the experiences of others, and thus need not subject yourself to risk. We do not recommend that you go in the woods alone or with other novice wanderers like yourself. Other advice will follow.
Story Involving a Common Example of Chaos
So much for background, now for the story. I was on a dirt road through an old primitive forest (not a tree farm). The road paralleled a stream. I had been back there several times deer hunting before. Usually I would just pull up to a familiar wide spot on the side of the road, park and go down to the stream across the road, where I knew of a log to sit on, and there wait for deer. Deer hunting is not easy – it might take a whole year of doing this every weekend before even seeing a deer. Then it would be a doe. But that is not relevant … this story is not about deer hunting. I am just giving that as my excuse for being in the forest.
Regardless of your purpose, after sitting still for ten minutes or so, the deer hunting became secondary, and the wonder of the woods would amaze and occupy my mind. There was life all around – squirrels, birds, chipmunks, sometimes a ground hog or a raccoon. One time I saw a cougar. I froze, it froze, and then it ran of the same way it came. No deer? No matter. There is plenty going on there (including the “birds singing sweetly in the trees”) to keep you occupied by observing the habits of the animals. Hunters are motivated by the excitement (shot of adrenaline) they get when they hear a deer in the brush near them. But, it really does not have to be a deer – it might equally be a squirrel or other animal … since you do not know until you see it, it has I the same effects. There is no reason that it should be any different if you are out looking to take picture
This day was different since I determined that I would enlarge my hunting area by exploring the terrain on the other side of the stream. I would follow the stream by keeping the up-slope on the other side to my left, and thus the stream would be down to my right. I would not need to keep the stream in sight, because I could use the slope to keep me parallel to it. If I was going to explore the areas on the other side, I would need to do more than just follow the stream.
So, I go down, cross the stream and start up the other side, and then sort of edge to the right before going too far so that I can follow the lay of the land parallel to the stream. Also I would know that when I got back up to the road, I should go to the right down the road to get to my car. I kept creeping along like this for about an hour or so. I was looking for fallen trees that I could climb up into for a temporary deer stand, and I found a couple of them that looked quite promising.
The afternoon was passing away and the clouds were looking a bit like rain, so I needed to get back. My plan was that I would drop down to the stream, cross it and go on up to the road and walk that short distance to my car. So I drop down the slope to the stream. I hear it, and then, yes, there it is, just as I left it. All I need to do is cross it and then go up the slope to the road. Since I had been walking downstream, I would need to turn right to get back to the car once I got up to the road. Nothing to it.
One problem. The stream was running the wrong way. When I crossed it before, it was running from my left to my right. So, when I came back to it in a type of large semi-circle, it should be flowing from my right to my left. Not that anyone would have to write that down. That is like something that is part of your DNA. I KNEW that was how I remembered it and that had to be right. So what do you do when you are in the middle of the woods and you encounter a stream that you think you know, but it is flowing the wrong way?
Right and Left Brain Activity
It is good if we take a break from the story and try to understand some elementary known facts about the human brain. It has been found that the human brain has two major hemispheres. This can be seen in visual models of the brain. It is important not to take this fact too far. For example, the idea of one of these totally dominating over the other is probably not a useful paradigm. On the other hand, it is good to recognize that we have different needs that these different hemispheres of our brain supply. Since sometimes one of these sides contributes more than the other to satisfying these immediate needs, this model can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves, and thus a greater ability to cope with new, strange and unknown situations (chaos).
It is generally agreed that the right brain is wired more for the quick emotional response, and conversely, that the left brain is wired more for logical thinking. Both are essential. You are walking through the woods and suddenly see a snake. The right brain takes over and tells you to freeze, and if appropriate, to run. For most this is not a reasoned response – you just do it. Like a knee-jerk reaction, you do not have the time nor the inclination to argue with it. On the other hand, if you have had experience with snakes and you are in no jeopardy, the left brain might formulate a plan either to systematically move to a safer space, or perhaps for some, even to catch the snake for whatever reason (let’s not get into that).
It is the role of the right brain that is probably more important to understand when you venturing into or are overtaken by chaos. Do not think of the woods – think, for example, of going to a party where you know the host and you want to please her, but you do not know any of the other people there. That can be far more chaotic that wandering in the woods, or even to some, encountering a snake. Then she introduces you, and asks you to say a few words about yourself. For a good proportion of those reading, this would be the stream flowing the wrong way.
Recognize: it is all the same. There is no difference as far as your left and right brains are concerned. The immediate response and feelings you get from your right brain are virtually identical. The right brain is wired to handle the surprises, the snakes, bears, and even streams flowing the wrong way. But when things are known to be relatively stabilized, it hands over its information and control to the left brain to make order out of the chaotic situation in order to move things forward in an orderly way, i.e., to survive. The difference is simply in the degree of the brain activity. But since these differences can be tremendous (depending on the circumstance), all of this must be considered seriously.
It is helpful to realize that what can be to some a new and welcomed experience, to others can be the epitome of chaos. Some people would love to meet new people at a party; others might have a strong aversion for such encounters. Few would want to become the featured speaker (but, of course, we all know of exceptions). The fact that we have such difference does not invalidate any of the right-brain, left brain principles; it just applies them to the situations as is most appropriate.
It is the reaction to something akin to chaos that activates the right brain’s survival mechanisms, and along with this often comes a shot of adrenaline that, depending on the circumstance might either feel good or it might provoke a round of sickening severe nervousness. Don’t worry if your hand shakes a bit – that is normal. Recognize that everyone has these feelings at one time or another – some more often than others. Further, with some they could be quite disturbing, and with others they are hardly noticed. Times of momentary confusion are common with many people, and their occurrence does not mean there is anything “wrong” with you, especially if you generally handle them and get on with life.
What gives you that “sick” feeling when all of a sudden the stream is flowing the wrong way? It is the drug that is released in various quantities in your body, which can make you either feel good or terrible, depending on your frame of mind about the thing that precipitates it. For example, it is the same thing that is in coffee that gets many people going in the morning (although obviously to a much lesser intensity). If you are a football fan you can relate to the feeling in a close game when one of your team runner breaks out into the clear and has a long run to a touchdown. You usually deal with this by yelling and screaming, and perhaps jumping up and down. Few in the crowd on your side stay seated. All of this can come from a sudden shot of adrenaline. It can feel great or it can be quite disturbing, depending on what caused it and just what you have the latitude to do about it. Similarly, it is what causes usually adolescent girls to cry at a rock concert – boys too but they tend to hide it. Many feel it during what they assume are a religious experiences.
Recognizing what it is in the positive sense can help you cope with it when it hits you negatively in a chaotic situation. Although some extreme cases can be abnormal, in most cases, it is not. In cases where it seems that ordinary things are causing panic, help should be sought from medical or psychological specialists in this area. But otherwise, we should recognize it as a positive aspect of life, and do what we can to take advantage of it, and even perhaps enjoy it.
Back to the Story
As you recall, we left the story where I thought getting out of chaos was just a matter of crossing the stream and going up to the road that would lead to my car. I did not even realize I was in a chaotic situation. I was convinced I knew where I was. This compounded the right brain activity when I found out that I was lost. This became obvious when I saw that the stream was flowing the wrong way. Let us consider the steps for resolving this sudden surprise reversal in expectations.
Step 1 – Panic? Yes, I was going through a new and strange totally unexpected experience that I had never been through before. This exploration was no longer fun. There was no doubt in my right brain; I even said it out loud: “I am lost” perhaps actually informing my left brain. There was no one to hear me, so I was just confirming that I knew what was obvious. The right brain kicked in – the part that gets us all prepared when we encounter a bear (or such) in the woods. First freeze – maybe the bear will not even see you. Then decide a direction and run as fast as you can. Or perhaps find a big stick – something to defend yourself with. But how do you defend yourself from a stream that is flowing the wrong way? No, the valuable provisions of the right brain are not going to get me out of this problem as they might many others. In fact, it could be getting me into more trouble if I respond to this whole event in an emotional way. The panic is normal – same as I would have if I had seen a bear, but the stream is not a bear and it will do me no good to start running. I must not let the increased heart rate from the shot of adrenalin bother me too much. Now is the time to try to understand it, recognizing just what it is for. If properly channeled it might just make my brain that much more effective. So let’s settle down and let things calm down a bit before we go on to Step 2.
Step 2 – Take control and THINK. Let the right brain now turn over the problem to the left brain. I was not going to solve this problem by emotion, although that might not be a bad idea if you had, in fact, encountered a bear. My left brain thought: “I am not going to get to my car unless I can figure this out. Examine your sanity – maybe you made a mistake and the stream was really flowing this way when you first crossed it. You ARE quite forgetful. Admit it – you just did not remember the stream flowing the way it is now, and this is the way it should be flowing. There is nothing wrong! Cross it and get to your car!” That is what every fiber of my being was screaming at this point and it would be the easiest thing to do – just figure you are stupid and really did not remember like you thought you did. But wait …
Step 3 – Grapple with reality. Further reflection by my left brain told me that, as stupid as I might be, I am not THAT stupid – I KNEW which way that stream had to be flowing!!! I was not going insane. Water always flows downhill. But in this case it seemed that it was not. The only way to resolve this logically is to consider that this was not the same stream. And, given this knowledge, I also realized that if I crossed this stream and pretended that the car was on the other side, then I would really be in big trouble because I would be getting further and further away from it, and deeper into the chaos of the woods. So, for sure, we dare not go there. I envisioned and brought forth out of my memory again the act of crossing the stream, and seeing which way it was flowing. I am not going to doubt my sanity; I KNOW what I saw.
Step 4 – Figure it out. There has to be a logical explanation – the moon could not change the course of the stream in an hour or so (if it could at all). OK, so thinking logically, I put my feelings aside for now and put my left brain on it. Never having encountered anything like this before, I figured that the only way that this could possibly have happened was that I had gotten over into the next parallel drainage. Imagine it on a contour map – we have all seen them. The water flows downhill in all parallel valleys. I was expecting to loop back to the same stream with the water flowing downhill from my right to left, but it was flowing left to right, as it would have to be if it were in the next drainage over. I was beginning to feel un-lost … but I knew there was a lot of work ahead of me. The old adage: “you are not out of the woods yet” came to mind (please forgive).
How had I managed to do such a foolish thing? “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18) – that’s how. I was too smart to need a compass since I reasoned (falsely) the lay of the land would keep me relatively on a straight line, but apparently it did not keep me in the same drainage as I had expected it to. In fact, I had not even considered that as a possibility – I never gave it a thought. Obviously that is not what I thought at the moment, but I did learn the lesson right there and then in the terror of knowing that I was lost – I will never go in the woods again without a compass.
Alabama’s woodland slopes are not as well-defined as those in Kodiak, Alaska. I did not need to worry about getting lost there because the terrain was steep enough that when panic time came and you knew you needed to get out, you could just drop down to the nearest stream and follow it down to the ocean. The main road (only road on this side of the island) was along the black rocky beach, so you would be on a road and worst case would in an hour or so encounter a passing vehicle. I never had to use this trick, but it was there to give me assurance. Perhaps this is when I got out of the habit of trusting my compass.
My left brain was giving me the solution, but my (false) sense of direction was still urging me to “cross this stream and go on up to your car.” I guess we all know the feeling when we KNOW we are going in a different direction than we were convinced we were going. When your head tells you something and your guts tell you something else, you have to make a decision. So what to do? Run around in little circles … yell and scream? No time for that – the clouds were getting darker. No one here to help me. No one in shouting distance. And even if they were, I would be way too embarrassed to call for help. But no matter, that would have been fruitless in any event. No cell phones – this was 20 or so years ago before we even knew what they were. The solution had to be in just plain will power – mind over matter, or at least over what seemed to be the “right” direction.
So, I turned my back on that new stream and I walked in the opposite way from what my guts were telling me. It did not matter that every fiber in my body was telling me to cross the stream. My memory of the contour map came in handy. This HAD to be the solution. So, turning my back on the new stream, I went perpendicular to it and directly away from it.
The idea in doing this was to get back into the right drainage. This would seem logical and doable.
Up, up, up the slope; it seemed a long climb, but I finally got to the top of it. Fortunately, the slope was fairly well defined in this area. Somehow I managed to maintain a straight course away from the stream, and then I went down, down, down into the next drainage. Basically, I was using the slope to maintain at least my general direction.
It could be reasoned that I was just as likely to get lost on this trek as I was on the original. Getting lost in walking around the various obstacles (recall them? big trees, low tree limbs, sticker patches, thorns, thistles, small trees in thickets, big rocks, boggy ground, etc.). They were all still there. But there was one difference – I was no longer wandering.. And I also may have had the providence of God on my side, although the nature of God’s providence makes it impossible to say one way or the other. Now going down, I was excited to reach the stream. It looked like the original one but I was skittish until I got right up on and saw it – YES!!! it was flowing in the “right” direction. Time to thank God for that. Divine intervention or just dumb luck – I will take either.
Lessons Learned
Don’t ever go out in the woods again? Avoid chaos at all cost. No, we will see that attempting to avoid all interactions with chaos is one of the worst alternatives unless you are eager to be bored to death, and learn nothing. Life is a learning experience, but it is difficult if not impossible to learn anything without pain. To learn something, you must first grapple with the idea that you do not know what it is that you are going to learn. That admission, in itself, is painful. Many people just cannot conceive that there are things they do not know. Until they are plunged into chaos unprepared, they will reject the pain that comes from admitting they were wrong, or at best ignorant. And so they stay in a stated of chaos for the rest of their lives. You have seen them – extremely pathetic. And totally beyond hope unless they manage to seek it out themselves. So perhaps they can be helped? If so, it is not for me to be able to tell you how to help them. At this point I am more interested in you for you; not you for them.
The pain need not be extreme, and the quick recognition of the value of something learned can quickly turn it to pleasure. It might just be a moment of humility. That is painful for most people. Jesus said we must take up our metaphorical crosses (Matthew 10:38;16:24; Mark 8:34) and follow Him (to our metaphorical crucifixion). And this was not to be viewed as a one-time requirement that could be accomplished, and after which we move back to life a usual. Luke 9:25: “And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Can this be accomplished without pain? Did Jesus ultimately obtain pleasure by taking up His cross? Read:
Philippians 2:5-11: “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient (even) unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (things) in heaven and (things) on earth and (things) under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Clearly when Jesus emerged from the chaotic experience of the cross, it was one of great exaltation and rejoicing. Would He feel the same if He gave into the temptation of taking some other way than that of obedience? Jesus said we must take up our own crosses; He did not say it was necessary for all of us to die on them. It was (and perhaps still is) for a limited few; but that is not the point of the passages above. The point is that when entered the life of following Jesus, you agreed to accept what takin up your cross means, which is to most is a fair share of painful chaos.
Total avoidance? It is true, there are some chaotic places in this world that we should totally avoid e.g., participating in Russian roulette, fornication, deception or any other sin. But all sin is not chaos and all chaos is not sin. There are many moral and physically positive activities, like entering into an unknown forest for the first time, that involve chaos, but are not sinful in any way. In fact, we will show how we can easily beat the chaos of the forest, and the way that we do that can help us to beat most other chaotic situations that we will encounter in life. This is because they are all in some ways analogous to each other.
The proper lesson from the woods chaos is: never go into the woods without your compass along with a little thought preparation as to how best to use it to get out when you get lost. In fact, you might just relish the idea of wandering in the woods (where did we first hear that phrase?). A compass can insure that you move in a relatively continuous straight-line direction, which prevents you from going around in circles. But that is not enough. If you follow it in the wrong direction, then it will put you deeper and deeper into the chaos -- obviously not good. Looking at just the four major directions on the compass, there are three wrong ones and only one right one, so you have at least a 75% chance of going the wrong way if you just go straight. But there is something to be said for that because in most parts of our country that will put you out on a road.
Let’s stop here and realize that nature is not your friend. If you think it is, spend a couple nights lost in the woods without any other provisions. You might not survive the first night depending on the appetite of the animals. On the other hand, the big problem is with the little creatures – ticks, bugs, mosquitoes, chiggers, etc. – they all want to eat you. They will not take real large bites, but they can be more than a minor inconvenience. So knowing what is the right direction can be critical.
So, how do we assure we know the “right” direction? Trust your memory, right? Hopefully you know better than that. The chaos of the woods can twist your memory in a dozen ways. If in your humility you pretend you are too stupid to remember, you will be way ahead of the game.
This problem can be solved rather easily by drawing a rudimentary map, which is not difficult. Suppose the road where you park your car generally runs north and south. You need to find a place to park that has about a mile of straight roads ahead and behind you. Just to be sure [important step], prior to getting out, ride up and down the road for a few miles so that when you come back out to the road you know which direction your car is in. Then, before you go in the woods, draw the main road with a long line and mark the top of it N for north for this example.
Let’s assume for this example that we will enter the woods in the westerly direction away from the road, and we will edge a little toward the north when we get in. That way when we come out we take the road south back to the car. So assuming you are entering the woods walking to the west, mark the map with an arrow back to the road – and label that arrow EAST. Think of this as your panic arrow. Regardless of what happens and how you get turned around, look at your map and it will tell you “to get out of this mess, go east.” Then, use your compass to make sure you walk in as straight a line as possible to the east (or wherever you have drawn your panic arrow).
So nothing can go wrong, right? Wrong. Suppose you get hot and sweat and it blurs the map – or maybe you fall into water in a swampy area or crossing a stream, or you might just misplace and lose it. Now that would put in you a terrible fix, right? You search for your map and you cannot find it – remind you of anything? Yes, this is a real “stream going the wrong way” event.
Solution. Draw the map on your hand with indelible ink. Why on your hand? To avoid all of the potential problems of using paper given above. So, you wander in the woods knowing you will get lost. You want to get lost to explore all around a lot of neat things that you never imagined were there. Then, when it is time to return, you just pull out your compass (be careful not to lose that), look at your map, and take the panic arrow direction to the road.
No need to stop going in the woods – there are a lot of interesting things that can be discovered by such exploration. In my case, neat fallen trees that I can use for make-shift tree stands. But there are also old gravestones, old shacks, sometimes even an old houses. But be careful of old wells and worst yet, remnants of old out-houses that have rotted away. You certainly do not want to fall into any of these, so keep your eyes peeled when in the vicinity of old home sites. Look down and do not step if it is not totally clear that there is solid ground under you.
You can feel free to explore any wooded area now that you know the secret of getting out. You just need to take some precautions and know what to do when you get lost. I did not say if you get lost, since if you are wandering you will get lost. No problem, you know the way out – follow your panic arrow. I have used this method to get out of the chaos of the forest any number of times. I enter the woods KNOWING I am going to get lost, and actually relishing the idea. No problem – I have my compass in my pocket and my map on my hand. I will enjoy getting lost in this chaos without concern and I will learn a whole lot from each of these experiences.
No need to avoid the chaos of the woods if you think this is something you will enjoy. However, we advise for the first few times (at least) go with someone who has “been there” before and survived. But this is not about the woods. We are just using that as a good understandable example. All of life is about keeping one foot on solid ground and the other foot exploring the chaos.
A General Approach to Dealing with Chaos
Let’s revisit the possibility of avoiding all chaotic situations. That would seem to be the ideal. The problem is that it is impossible. When our ancestors were forced out of the garden they left that option way behind, both for them and for all of us to come. Instead, we will be confronted with any number of chaotic situations (of various severities) because life is not all positive. In fact, a considerable part of it is painful, discouraging, confusing, and just no fun. Happiness is not achieved by avoiding all chaos, and for that matter, it cannot be achieved at all in any permanence by seeking after it. We can have satisfaction and a positive outlook, but not by avoiding chaos – we must deal with it. This does not mean that we run headlong into plunging ourselves into it. It means that when it comes along, we are prepared.
How do we go about doing this? First define precisely what your chaos is. Of course you will not be able to give all of the details – that is what makes it chaos. But try to fence it in as best you can with very general descriptions of your concerns. It is best to write this down or type it into a text file. That way when you read it you examine your own mind and verify your concerns. When you read it you are reading your own mind. You think you knew what was in your mind? Read it, re-write it, and read it again. It should tell you that you really do not know all that you would like to. Ah … now you are getting somewhere. Ask yourself: “What is it that I am afraid of?” and “What do I dread?” Don’t try to fence in the whole world. It might be best to practice a small problem before attacking the dragon head on. So begin with something you have been avoiding in your life because it is merely unpleasant, as opposed to your ultimate fear in life. You can get to that later once you work up to it.
So although chaos is not going to be pleasant, you know it is best for you to encounter it and deal with it rather than letting it fester until it attacks you when you least expect it. Here are some rules for getting started:
- Do not be proud and think you can deal with it yourself … if you could it would not be unpleasant, and you would probably already have it done. You are going to need God’s help, so ask for it as a first step.
- Whether by choice or by chance, you are not going to enter into a situation where you have all the answers already worked out. If you did, that would not be chaos. Do not plunge into it headlong – keep one foot on firm ground as you test the waters with the other one.
- Do not enter into chaos without your compass. Most of you have probably guessed that your compass is a metaphor for Jesus. Know that He will be there and will provide everything you need to get you through this. He will keep you straight. … but what else do you need to know? Jesus will keep you going straight, but what is the right direction?
- That’s right --- your map. Again, you probably realized that this your map is a metaphor for the Bible. Not written on your hand, but on your heart. So now is the time to write certain relevant passages on you heart. Some of the examples below will help.
- You cannot overcome a problem without learning from past mistakes, and you cannot learn from them without pain. Just admitting that you have a problem, and that you have made mistakes, is itself painful. When it is hard to bear, remember Jesus’ words: “take up your cross.”
We have used the metaphor of keeping one foot on solid ground and the other sampling into the chaos. This idea comes from Revelation 10:
Revelation 10:1-3: And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; 3 and he cried with a great voice, as a lion roars: and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.
The sea, often called the deep, can represent chaos in this figure (right brain). The land is the firm ground of reason (left brain). When we are forced to venture into chaos it is a best practice to keep one foot on the solid ground and allow the other one to test the chaotic waters. When you take your compass and a map into the woods, you are keeping your left foot on firm ground. You may discover many strange things, and while you are not immune to the animals, insects and snakes, you can be assured that you will not get lost. Most of these pests can be avoided by going exploring in the cooler months of the year, or with a little deet.
Revelation 10:5-7: And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and sware by him that lives for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets.
This “voice of the seventh angel” event occurred prophetically in Revelation 11:15-19, which looks forward to the final judgment described in Revelation 20.
Recognize that many chaotic situations will arise when you least expect them, so it is never too soon to get prepared for them. You have a lot going for you. Your spiritual compass is Jesus Christ; He keeps you on a straight and narrow path, and you can appeal to Him for help at any time through prayer. When it comes to this type of spiritual help, He has often promised to provide whatever you are lacking for the situation (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). Your map out of the depths of chaos is the word of God. This is a gift that you have from God that has been given to you by Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to deliver all truths. Currently access to this is the Bible (2nd Timothy 3:16-17), which is all that you need to get you out of the chaos. But like our physical maps, it must be written so that it cannot be lost or destroyed. God’s word needs to be written not on our hands, but on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). It is up to us to have those passages so familiar to us that they are second nature in establishing our reactions to the chaotic situations of this life.
There were some times in the forest story where we used words right and wrong in the common way to specify what is favorable and unfavorable physically. This is common in the Bible as well, and generally this usage does not imply anything morally right or wrong. But there is an analogy in the spiritual sense. For example, “The water flowing in the wrong direction” can have an analogy in life when a person comes up to something they thought they understood and expected to easily get over, only to realize that it is not at all what they thought – it is, in fact just the opposite – they thought they were doing good, but discovered it to be wrong in the moral or spiritual sense. If they continue as they are tempted to do they will cause great harm. This happens to good people more than they can imagine and it is extremely hard to reverse a direction that we have felt for so long is the right (correct and righteous) way to go.
Satan uses this against us by baiting us with seemingly good things, and many good people are deceived by them. Can it ever be wrong to give to the poor what they need most and to take from those who have more to provide their needs? This is the Robin Hood that we delighted in when our second grade teachers read it to us. Did anyone ever think that this would become the basic tenet of Marxism that would lead to the murder of hundreds of millions of people in Russia and China in the previous century? Why are our children not being taught about these atrocities? Is this bait and switch tactic going to be tried out on the masses once again? I think we can be assured of that. One thing is certain: Satan has an advanced degree in deceit – he knows how to get support for evil by making it look good, and perhaps even allowing some good to be accomplished by it early on. Good people stood by and refused to look into the chaos as it developed. Once they got drawn into it and they were on the freight train to Siberia, it was too late.
For now, let’s keep things on a higher conceptual plane, and address the general question of “how do I get out of chaos? And, if I cannot get totally out of it, how do I deal with it?” Let us begin at the beginning and see how God did it. He called upon the Word. He did not trivialize the power of the Word, as we often do. Let us consider:
Genesis 1:1-26:
1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light… 6 And God said … 9 And God said … 11 And God said … 14 And God said … 20 And God said … 24 And God said … 26 And God said … (All Bible quotes are ASV.)
Verse 2 indicates that what God had created at that point was in a state of chaos. The Holy Spirit is mentioned here, but we must recognize that Jesus the Word was also active. Realize: Jesus made all things:
Colossians 1:16-17: …for in Him [Jesus] were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; 17 and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Jesus is the Word.
John 1:1-3, 14: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made. … … 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
We have discussed two types of chaos. The first type we recognize as such and “dabble into it” intentionally in order to flush new experiences, knowledge and wisdom out of the chaos. The forest would be an example of this one. If we keep one foot on solid ground, there is no reason to be overcome. But even that is not guaranteed … you may well feel that all is well when suddenly you encounter a stream flowing the wrong way. This brings us to the second type, which is the chaos that comes upon us when we have no warning about it whatsoever. We are not wandering into the woods or any other strange physical or spiritual place seeking enlightenment. On the contrary, we might be engaged in a most pleasurable, satisfying and safe experience. An example: you are fishing on a lake on a beautiful day and another boat fails to see you for whatever reason and crashes into your boat. Most traffic accidents fit this same pattern. If you had anticipated it, in most cases you would have avoided it. We can almost say: it comes when you least expect it. It seems that way in retrospect. One way around these problems is to realize these things can happen and do not get over confident when things seem to be going well. If you allow your car keys to trigger an image of your being involved in a crash, that will alert your right brain to the possibility, and chances are, you will drive much more safely.
To summarize the solution recommended above, take confidence in the fact that you are a child of God and you have Jesus as your compass. Address the sudden chaotic event by praying to Him. He is there to help you in your time of need, and this is a time of need. Like a spiritual compass, He will keep your mind from ruminating in endless circles. Next, use your map. These are the words of God that you have written on your heart – we are about to suggest some of them below.
The forest is an example of a potential physical chaos, or chaotic situation. Other practical examples of potential chaos (some physical, some spiritual, some both) that most of us will have to face in our lives (if we have not already) are:
- Disagreement with an associate (Christian and non-Christian)
- Worrying about the necessities of this life.
- Serious illness of injury; prolonged pain; anticipation of death.
- Common or unique phobias.
- Jeopardy to yourself or to those you love.
- Betrayal of people you have trusted in the past.
- Untimely death of a loved one.
- Deception from a professional compulsive liar.
- Attacks of Satanism.
- Loss of all hope.
- Destruction of your nation.
Some of these might be the most traumatic experiences that you can ever encounter, and we strongly recommend that if you find yourself in one of them that you seek help from friends, religious leaders, medical or psychological authorities. In the most general sense, getting lost has little to do with not knowing your physical way home. It has everything to do with your not knowing the morally or spiritually best direction to take when you are in spiritual chaos. We feel that the analogies given below will help in many of these situations. We are not saying that they are stand-alone solutions. Get help first from God, and then from your family and friends.
Dealing with Specific Chaotic Situations
Disagreement with an Associate
What makes it chaos? You do not know what the person who you disagree with it going to say or do if this disagreement continues. You are expecting an amiable relationship, and you know of nothing you have done to offend this individual. But from their words and actions it is obvious that they perceive that you did. This is a stream flowing the wrong way.
Fortunately, the Bible gives us a definitive solution to get us out of this chaos.
Matthew 18:15-18: And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he hear (thee) not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.
Do not put it off or make excuses. Such could indicate blame, and in the worst case, it could be blame. If you have done something wrong to the least bit of causing the problem, admit is quickly. This is part of what Jesus meant when he said:
Matthew 5:25: Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Jesus is not telling us to lie or be deceptive in any way. If you have done anything wrong, even if it is not technically a sin, get it out in the open, and then apply Matthew 18:15-18. Note how this has to resolve the problem regardless of the response from the guilty person. He will either repent or be disciplined by the church. We would hope the former, but any resolution will get you out of the chaotic situation that could have had you lost and circling had you not taken Jesus’ advice.
Matthew 18:15-18 shows clearly that honest and good intentioned Christians can have serious disagreements. Sometimes these are minor things that can be dealt with quickly and informally, but there are other times when it is necessary to involve others and follow the procedure.
Another illustration of a disagreement between two Christians is found in Acts 15:36-41. This involved two of the strongest spiritual giants and most righteous Christians who had ever lived: Paul and Barnabas. If they could have a disagreement, then we might say that any two Christians could. They kept it strictly between themselves, and they came to a mutually agreed-upon solution. Such is the ideal.
The question might be asked: what if my disagreement is not with another Christian? This becomes more problematic, but the principle given would still apply, and if followed, it will resolve the issue better than any other approach. The first principle is: keep the knowledge of the disagreement as limited as possible. If it can be resolved without involving anyone else (as in the case of Paul and Barnabas), this is the best solution.
If that cannot work, then try to enter into a meta agreement with your adversary. Agree that you are not going to discuss the disagreement until the method for a proposed resolution is initiated. That method will involve one or more mutually-trusted persons. Three is probably optimal – you pick one, he picks one and the two of them, pick the third. You agree up front that regardless of what this arbitration process determines, you both will agree to it and live by it. Now is the time for disagreement – while discussing the method of resolution -- not after they make a decision and one of you does not like it (which is practically inevitable). If you both stick to your agreement to abide by their decision, then that should resolve the problem for once and for all, and hopefully you can go back (or move forward) to being friends. Or if that is impossible, at least considerate neighbors.
One potential benefit of this two-step process is that by agreeing to the method you demonstrate that your problem is not that you hate each other. You are striving to reach an agreement, and when you agree on a solution method, you demonstrate that you can agree. It may well be that in striving to reach this meta-agreement that you both realize how trivial the problem between you is, and resolve an agreement without even going through the method.
What if a woman has a problem with a man? This could be a time to make an exception. It is not mandatory, but if a woman feels uncomfortable applying the solution of Matthew 18, then there is ample cause to make an exception and allow the woman to seek help from a highly respected man who can help her resolve the issue. Gender might not be the only issue – there could be times when a man feels uncomfortable and needs such assistance. It is good to indicate your respect for Matthew 18 and inform the adversary the reason that a third person is being involved despite the fact that you wish to limit the controversy according to the principles of Matthew 18.
Worrying About the Necessities of this Life
What makes this chaotic? You have thought it through dozens if not hundreds of time and for some reason always come back to the same place where you started. What does that remind you of? You are not lost in the woods, but you might as well be. This circular thinking in your mind is not accomplishing anything. It is not going to get you to a mental place from which you can move in a positive direction, that being toward a closer walk with the Lord.
This is another case in which the Bible gives us very specific instructions.
Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Think about the magnitude of this promise. What else could you want? We do not ask “what else could anyone want” because we know that there are many desires that people have that originate with Satan. He convinces the masses, if they just had money… if they just had status … if they were just like their more fortunate neighbor, then all of their problems would be solved and they would be happy. But worse that this, he says: “It is their fault that you do not have what they have, and you have every right to take it from them.” This is Marxism. What it does not consider are the downsides of being wealthy. It is impossible to fathom the perils of the rich until you become rich yourself.
Stop looking elsewhere and start considering yourself. You are rich. When was the last time you went a day without food? Do you have a place to sleep out of the rain? Are your children starving to death? Chances are if you can read this on the Internet, your answers to these questions will be quite different and far more favorable than over 90% of the rest of the world. They are in a far worst economic condition than you are, and yet, most of them are not wasting their minds in endless circles of worry about their state of being. Is your problem really about not having enough, or is it a status problem worrying about what some others think of you because you are not of their station in life.
Jesus recognized this when He gave the following commands – and yes, they are commands indicating that normal people have the power over themselves to obey.
Matthew 6:25-34: Therefore, I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not ye of much more value then they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, (shall He) not much more (clothe) you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This is more than a command; it is a command with promise. This promise can be realized now. Worry and concern are good if they motivate you to action. Think of the many actions you might take to advance yourself, and then act on them, starting with the easiest, and build on that small success to accomplish even greater things.
There are two things we worry about: things that we can do something about, and things that we have no control over. If you can do something about it, do it. It might require tremendous effort and require much time and effort. In these cases, break it down to minor tasks and do them one at a time, one day at a time. Get involved with it and dedicate yourself to it, not worrying about the ultimate final outcome – this is what Jesus meant by “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
What about things you cannot control: nuclear war, political debates, the financial crisis, or even a friend or relative who is so out of control that it is impossible for you to perceive of any way of helping them. Should you be concerned about these things? Yes, to the extent that you can learn about them and exercise good citizenship and family support. But our argument here is that your concern should not turn into obsession – there is only so much you can do, and when you have done that, then have faith in Jesus. “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness” – this is something you can do now and every day. And if you do: “… all these things shall be added unto you.” And you will be surprised how many of the just no longer matter.
One time I was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and the doctor said to me: “You are a very sick person.” I interpreted these words like I had only hours to live (as I expect most people would). I felt a feeling like I expect most people do when they are having a panic attack. The stream was definitely flowing the wrong way. Then in my mind I recalled Matthew 6 and made a decision: I am going to just totally throw this on Jesus to do my worrying for me. And I went on to sleep.
Serious Illness or Injury
It is quite common for those to suffer greater anguish when this type of chaos happens to someone they love than when it happens to themselves. We often hear: “I wish it was me instead of them.” Typically, this is not being stated for show – it is a genuine and true feeling of love that they have. But regardless of whether a medical type of problem is either yours or someone you love, it is a traumatic event and the immediate reaction that most have to it is to view it as a very dark forest. The injuries/illnesses themselves are compounded when there are critical decisions that must be made. The forest just got a thicker underbrush, and the stream is flowing the wrong way.
Recognize that your anxiety is normal – few people take such things in stride, keeping both feet on solid ground. We all have our normal colds and upset stomachs, but we can usually reach for some remedial over-the-counter medicine. But here we are considering major life-changing (perhaps life-ending) events that generally inform the victims that life is not going to ever be the same again, or at least not in the short term while they are adapting to it. Generally, the first normal step when there is a major injury or an illness is to consult a doctor or some other medical authority to get advice on the problem. Quite often this provides a pathway out of the chaotic situation, and hopefully, in time, it leads to a cure or healing, or at least a mitigation of the problem.
In some cases, there could be a protracted period of suffering. Paul faced such a situation that he called “a thorn in the flesh.” But before we get into Paul’s way out of this chaos, it is imperative for us to see what Paul’s primary goal in life was. It will be just so many meaningless words if we do not understand Paul’s primary motivation, expressed here as in most of Paul’s letters:
Romans 15:5-6: Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s ONLY goal was to bring glory to God and Jesus. True, he has daily, weekly, and other sub goals that were essential to his welfare and the preaching of the gospel. But they were all totally subservient to this primary goal of his life. It is difficult for most of us to relate to such a singular goal in life. But recognized that all of his sub-goals and objectives kept this one dominant goal in view and in mind.
It seems that Paul may have failed to realize something in this regard. Please consider prayerfully:
2 Corinthians 12:8-10: “Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And He hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for (my) power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Jesus talked directly to Paul. Perhaps Paul reasoned with him the first and second time that without this handicap, Paul would be able to serve Jesus that much better. Anyone who has ever preached realizes how our shortcomings might hurt our abilities to communicate the gospel. But it appears that on the third appeal, Paul is instructed by Jesus that he is in a better state to glorify God and Jesus WITH this problem as opposed to without it. It seems clear that this was a major turning point in Paul’s thinking – he just did not recognize this as a possibility.
This had to be a major recognition that the stream he wanted to cross was in fact flowing the wrong way. If he crossed it like he wanted to he would fall far short of being able to give the glory to God that he wanted to. The solution was to turn his back to the stream and walk in the diametrically opposite direction. “If pain will help me glorify you, then bring on more pain. If weakness, injuries, necessities (not having what he needed in life), persecutions, distresses, then bring on more of them as well.” Now that Jesus had set Paul straight, Paul could ONLY reason this way because his primary objective in life was the glorification of God and Jesus.
Think of all of the great orators you have ever known. We can think of some contemporaries, but Billy Graham comes to my mind since he was the highest regarded by the denominations when I was growing up. What is it that made him great (and we will freely admit, he was great in the worldly sense of the word)? Was it what he said? … or how he said it? Listen to him in YouTube some time and see what it is that made him great? For those listening, what impressed them? Could they tell you what he taught about the plan of salvation that came from Jesus? Or had he made up something that sounded good to the masses, and preached it with such skill as to hold their attention for hours?
Then consider this. What if the speaker had some speech impediment, or was otherwise crippled in some way? If he spoke the truth to the best of his ability, who would receive the glory. Who would be the focus. Would not the message be that it is the truth that is important and not the skill of the orator? Would not the focus then be on Jesus Christ rather than the speaker? This is the message that Jesus finally got through to Paul, although it seemed to take three tries. But once Paul GOT IT, he was more than willing to put it into practice in several different ways.
How do we put it into practice? When people see what we are going through and how we suffer, and yet we keep our faith in Jesus, will that not be a better testimony to them than a million idle words from someone who is apparently totally on top of the world? Remember the words of Jesus: “take up your cross.”
Another amazing aspect of this passage is that it covers virtually every possible mode of suffering. Paul gave enough examples of different types of suffering that we can see, by synecdoche, that all of them are covered. Perhaps (or especially), even those we have brought upon ourselves. And so, for example, the recovering alcoholic (or other drug addict) can give a tremendous appeal to those with similar afflictions to turn to the Lord. In that regard, all of the subtitles of this section could be collapsed into this one remedy. But we think there is also value in elaborating upon them individually as well.
One final reminder as a review: this remedy will not work if it is not our primary goal to glorify Jesus, but if that IS our goal, then the suffering will become of secondary importance to us. Let us also remember the role that prayer plays in this process, from the Hebrews writer:
Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as (we are, yet) without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need.”
Time of pain and suffering is indeed a time of need.
Common or Unique Phobias
Most people have at least one thing that they are terribly afraid of. A few common phobias are
heights, small closed-in spaces, speaking before a large audience, spiders, snakes, rats, lizards (and other creeping things), bees, crowds, open spaces and many others. These are usually handled by most people quite easily by avoidance. However, there are times when one of these terrors can beset you by surprise – e,g,, walking in your back yard and encountering a snake. This is a stream flowing in the wrong direction, and the right brain may be adequate to provide the solution. As long as a phobia does not interfere with your living an otherwise normal life, it should not be of high concern.
On the other hand, if a phobia is causing a disruption in what you consider to be your normal life, then we would encourage you to seek help to have it addressed. One general psychological way of approaching the problem is to break it down into a sequence of smaller problems starting with something that is almost fathomable by you now, and you voluntarily agreeing to give that a try. The approach is to overcome the fear at the lower level, and then systematically move up to more fearsome experiences. The experience must not be forced – the person who has the fear must totally volunteer to taking each of the steps. While it might seem that this could be accomplished without psychological help, for most people this is like doing their own dentistry. It is not recommended.
Probably the most important aspect of dealing with your phobia is to reject the idea that there is something “wrong” with you. Study the statistics related to how many people have them, and you will see that having one is fairly normal. As long as it is not causing any disruption in your life, just avoid the potential phobic situations. If you find that to be impossible, then seek help.
Jeopardy to Yourself or Loved Ones
This is related to the discussion in the previous section, but it will exclude the consideration of phobias. Parents who do not get worried about their children from time to time are not normal, and similarly would be our concerns for anyone that we love. Much the same feelings occur when we are ourselves in health jeopardy. For this reason we will consider them together.
Concerns are not phobias. But they do tend to create chaos. Let us consider some of the case studies that we have in the New Testament.
If you recall in your study of Revelation, chapter 12 tells us about a tremendous chaos caused by Satan that afflicted the wonderfully righteous woman who was about to bring a child into the world. He persecuted the woman who was figuratively and spiritually giving birth to faithful Christians (“her seed” in Verse 17). Chaos is a powerful tool of Satan.
Revelation 12:13-17: And when the dragon [Satan] saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man (child). 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus: …
“Her seed” are Christians – we would expect most of the readers are either currently Christians or will be so in the near future. So the figurative river represents the chaos that Satan is heaping up and assaulting us with. Water (e.g., the deep) is often used metaphorically to represent chaos. This is a picture (a figurative image) of chaos. Satan uses chaos to confuse us, to get us to blame one another, and ultimately to kill one another (Cain and Abel), not only in war, but by alcohol and drug abuse, gang violence and anything else that will kill or destroy. Recall Satan’s first words: “ye shall not surely die” still echoes today causing many to doubt their faith in God. This is chaos.
Satan tries to overwhelm the woman first to completely eliminate any possibility of new Christians being born spiritually. God defeats him directly in this effort, but for reasons that He knows, He allows Satan to make war with the rest of her seed … those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. Generally, these are Christians, and hopefully we can relate to such treatment because persecution is common and inevitable (2 Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”).
As an example of God’s love and mercy for all His creatures, many animals have natural ways of dealing with a surprised perception of grave danger … they freeze. I froze when I saw the stream going the wrong way, and I am sure you can recall when you were surprised by such a situation yourself. Perhaps the woman in Revelation 12 froze when the last she expected was a river of water coming out of the mouth of the serpent. When it happens (and it will) be patient, give it time, and allow your reasoning (left brain) to overcome your fear (right brain); unless, of course, you need that fear to assist you in overcoming the confrontation.
The earth helped the woman. We interpret this to be a metaphor for the normal events of nature, although in the figure of Revelation 12:16, there is evidence of divine intervention. But the wording infers that it may have been more providential than miraculous. Often things can appear in the environment that help (e.g., the appearance of a law enforcement officer). The lesson of Revelation 12 may be that if we give these natural forces a chance, they usually provide a pathway out of the anxiety that accompanies sudden chaos that will at least give us a chance to calm. There is always a logical way out, but you may not arrive at it if adrenaline is coursing through your brain. Be patient and convince yourself that very shortly you will be able to think much more clearly.
If you have wandered through the glades, you probably walked up on a rabbit now and then. When a rabbit is surprised, it does not instinctively run. It freezes. In a great proportion of cases the predator never even sees it, and had the rabbit run for its life, it would have been in greater jeopardy. Running with fear leaves a scent trail that can be followed by most predators, which is another reason for the rabbit freezing. Of course, this changes dramatically if that strategy is not working. Once the rabbit realizes that it did not fool the predator, it will get a shot of adrenalin and explode in running since it realizes, at that point, there is no other alternative. This is a natural God-given attribute of survival for the rabbit, which is also a survival instinct shared by many other animals, including humans. Recognize that a natural stimulant drug may well be just a first-reaction to chaos (something beyond immediate understanding). Give it a chance and it might just pass, as often the predator does the rabbit.
Be aware of wicked things that we have never seen before that may seem as though they are more than we can handle. These could be people who we considered to be good doing things that are just so inconceivable that we cannot believe it. Spiritually, this is evil water flowing in the wrong way (chaos). The short passage from Revelation above is a promise that God will provide what we need to escape whatever chaotic things this life might throw at us. There is no chaos that can overcome us if we resolve to turn our backs on it and use our spiritual compass (Jesus) and out spiritual map (God’s word) written on our hearts to escape. Here is some more re-assurances.
1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.”
In the following note how Paul was beside himself over his fear that something had caused harm to Titus.
2 Corinthians 7:5-9: “For even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but (we were) afflicted on every side; without (were) fightings, within (were) fears. 6 Nevertheless he that comforts the lowly, (even) God, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in you, while he told us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more. 8 For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret (it) (for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season), 9 I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.”
Paul seems to be referring to the problem reported to him by some Christians at Corinth of one of the members cohabitating with his father’s wife (technically, his step mother). We see Paul dealing with this situation in 1 Corinthians 5 and then coming back to it and commending them for taking the proper action in 2 Corinthians 2. The more immediate chaos was caused by his not finding Titus when he went on to Macedonia seeking for him. He attributes his meeting with Titus as an act of God and thanks God for it, as we should whenever we have good fortune.
Having a close friend or relative that you love physically lost is a chaotic adventure that for them and us. But an even greater threat is when they are in spiritual jeopardy. Here is an example of this:
2 Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. 4 For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or (if) ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, you might well bear with (him) [allow him to influence you – dbb].
Paul was doubting their spiritual integrity. He states the evidence that he had for this in a sarcastic way: (1) they thought he was rude in speech; (2) he preached for them without taking payment for his work; and (3) he previously had not made a show of his qualifications (i.e., he was humble). Of these, the second shows how far people will go when they have a motive to criticize. Perhaps we have some today that regard those who preach without pay to be inferior to those who accept support. For shame! It is the truth of the words that are important, not whether the preacher is paid or not. But Paul’s concern shown in the passage above is for them, not himself. Even the words he uses to defend himself are (as he put it) foolish, in the sense that he was being largely sarcastic with them.
As Paul did, we should do all that we can to rescue those who we love from jeopardy, whether it be physical or spiritual. But often there is little that we can do other than pray. Let us do so recognizing that our God and our savior Jesus rule this world and can bring anything that we ask to pass. We can know for a certainty that if things do not work out perfectly to our liking, that there is a reason for these things, and even in this, we can take comfort.
Betrayal by People You Have Trusted
You thought you knew them and you trusted them with your most sacred secrets. But now they turn against you. This is a good case of where the anticipated stream that you thought you were going to easily cross is clearly flowing the wrong way. What makes it chaos is that chances are you do not have any idea what to do about it, if anything. Here is an example of when it happened to Paul:
2 Timothy 4:16-18: At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. 17 But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might me fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom (be) the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The initial response of most people is to get even. But Paul did not even finish the sentence before he was asking God for their forgiveness. This is the first step away from the evil stream to begin to grow a warm feeling toward your enemies so that they do not dominate and control your mind. Have faith as Paul did that if you follow the map it will get you out of chaos.
Christians in the first century were largely converted from the Jews, and they looked to those good Jews for guidance even while they were attempting to convert them to Jesus. It had to be devastating to them when these Jews not only turned against Jesus, but also embraced the teachings of Satan, in all idolatry and degradation. The following is assurance given to them by Jesus:
Revelation 3:9-11: “Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that (hour) which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
Some today, as back then, try to stay on the fence and serve Jesus and, at the same time, stay with their past practices that reject the true gospel. Paul’s definitive instruction to them is that they must make a decision and turn their backs on that which is evil, and get as far away from it as them can.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Who are the unbelievers? You cannot tell by what they say. You can only tell by their behavior. If they believe Jesus with the saving faith that He requires, their life will be turned toward serving Him and His ways.
It is right to offer forgiveness to those who betray you, just as Jesus did on the cross, and just as He does now if we repent of our betrayal of Him (1 John 1). But it should be easy to see it they are committed to a new life of dedication, or if they are just giving Jesus lip service. If there is evidence that they have repented, then it is our responsibility to forgiven them (Matthew 18:21-22). But if we see evidence that they are trying to take us down to the chaos that they are still in, recognize that this stream is flowing the wrong way. Turn your back to it and “come ye out from among them and be ye separate …” Order will follow.
Untimely Death of a Loved One
This is by far the most dreadful example of chaos that anyone can experience, especially if it involves someone who is as close to you as anyone can get. The death of a child would certainly be the worst, but a close relative or a spouse would also be extremely traumatic. What produces chaos is being totally helpless – once they are gone there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. This is good to know before they depart, for often people face the chaos of “if only I had done …” Think it through and do it now, before you loved one dies. Recognize how you will feel if you do not, and live through that experience while you can still do something about it. And then DO those things that you “should have done” so that you will not have the “if only I had …” chaos that comes from blaming yourself – not for their death, but for not making their lives as enriching as it could have been while they were still with us.
It is not very comforting to say the obvious: “If you did not experience such bliss, you would not be experiencing such pain.” A common saying is that it is better to love and lost than to never have loved at all. Such attempts to bring rationality into a solution for grief can only cause more pain, and we recommend against such. It is far better just to “be there” and say nothing than to utter words that have little meaning under the circumstances.
Let us consider Jesus:
John 11:32-36: Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews (also) weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!
It has often been asked, and I expect most of us have also wondered: why was Jesus so upset since He knew that He was, within a few minutes, going to raise Lazarus from the dead. The answer lies not in His sorrow, but in His meta-sorrow (sorrow about the fact that the sorrow He was experiencing was not just a temporary thing). What he was experiencing was not only the death of someone He loved dearly, but the deaths of all people that is brought about by the sin that is in the world and multiplied by Satan. Lazarus was not lost eternally, but many who he loved would be. Let us take comfort in the fact that God loves them more than we do.
Perhaps the greatest relief from the dread of grief is the knowledge that God has created us with the capacity to heal from our grief over time. There are some aspects of grief that we will never get over, nor should we want to. We will remember good things about the person, and when we do it will bring a sense of sadness. But it will not be a painful as the immediate grief we feel when we first fully accept the loss. This is often called a grieving process, and it is the only way out of chaos for those who are devastated by the loss of a loved one.
Revelation 11:7-12: And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies (lie) in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do (men) look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Let us be assured from this passage that physical death is caused by the sin of mankind, much of it long ago, but it still continues with us today in all of its variations. The consequences are continued by the fact that we are just as sinful today as they were back then. The solution is to recognize this and to get our spiritual lives as far away from sin as we possibly can. The final lesson is that if and when we do, God will be there to provide all that we need to take care of us, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds.
Deception from a Compulsive Liar
This is similar to the response of being betrayed. The difference is that if someone who is close to you is a compulsive liar, you will have known it for years. This one is more like someone who is performing a service for you and is consistently deceiving you about it, but because of the subtle nature of this sin, you do not realize it until much damage is done.
Paul talked of such using hyperbole and paradoxical figures of speech.
Titus 1:10-16: For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. 13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
What makes this such a humorous anecdote is the fact that it is internally inconsistent – as all paradoxical statements must be. Note that he states that what the Cretan prophet said was that all Cretans as always liars. He also calls them evil beasts and idle gluttons, figures of speech that might indicate he was not expecting us to take all of this literally. If, in fact, all Cretans always lied, then how could we believe what this prophet said? since he was a Cretan. To add to the paradox, Paul states: “This testimony is true.” The truth is not in taking this hyperbole literally. The truth is the fact that these literal statements hold the vast majority of the time. The few exceptions do not nullify the basic truth being emphasized by these figures or speech.
In a population so given over to deceit we can be sure that there were many compulsive liars. We are talking about a derangement of the natural personality that makes the person believe that he is compelled to lie. All the time. Exactly how this comes about we do not know. We suspect that some might have a God-complex and actually believe that they can modify reality by what they say. Recall Genesis 1 – God actually had this power. If this is not the case, they must believe that reality is not working to their advantage, and therefore, they must change the perception of it in the hearer’s mind in the belief that the altered sense of reality will work to their benefit. So, if they should make an error and happen to tell the truth, this gives them a sense that they have let themselves down – a sense of frustration. But no problem, it does not happen that often. But I would expect that, like Satan, they might make an exception and tell the truth if it works to their benefit.
Normal people get taken in easily by compulsive liars because the normal person cannot believe that such can exist. They are inclined to give all people the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, this would be one nasty world if we had to assume that everyone was a compulsive liar (as it seems the Cretan prophet did above). Another major problem is with detection because they lie so convincingly. They seem that they believe it themselves, and perhaps they do. Once you see what you are up against you need to recognize that “he might really believe what he is saying” even though you know better.
As an example, I had someone build a custom van for me a few decades ago who was a compulsive liar. I did not totally discover it until after he delivered the van. He delivered it at night – that should have given me a clue. But we had been working together on it for weeks. I do not mean that I ever did any craft work, but I continually went in and checked up on what he was doing. After getting the van I realized that he had not just scammed me on a few details to make a few extra bucks. No, I systematically went through every detail of the job – probably 20 or so, and realized that he had lied to me on every one of them, many of which did not really benefit him. In other words, he lied even if there was not advantage to him for it. This is when I realized that I had a true compulsive liar on my hands. Another case of thinking I was getting out of the woods, only to find the stream I had to cross was flowing the wrong way.
This is indeed a chaotic situation, and the solution is not in the application of your intuition. Every fiber of your being is saying to take him to court, force him somehow to fix everything. If you are thinking this way you are not listening to the above paragraphs. This is not your ordinary joe you are dealing with. This is a person who has the ability to lie and not only believe it himself but to have everyone around him believe it as well. You may well end up on court being sued for the defamation of his character.
Matthew 5:25: Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Did you ever wonder what Jesus was trying to get across to us? His words are not absolute, holding in every possible situation. But when it comes to dealing with a skillful compulsive liar, Jesus words make perfect sense.
Well, I still had my van and although he did not enhance it like he said he would, neither did he destroy it – so I was not totally defeated. I was able to get him to voluntarily fix several things, but once I got to a point of frustration, I just gave it up. The money it cost to fix the few things that were left was well worth not having to deal with him any longer. I was out of the chaos, and that is worth quite a few pesos.
Attacks of Satanism
Satanism is like Christianity. Neither can be completely defined. The words are used to convey a general idea, but no one really knows what that idea is, except in very broad and general terms. Some recently have tried to portray Satanism as something that is akin to Christianity. They have convinced many people that Satan has gotten a bad rap, and that ultimately, when you understand it and its organization (e.g., the church of Satan), you will see that it tries to portray itself as all about freedom and good as opposed to slavery and tyranny. They will even tell you that the serpent in the garden was acting in the interests of mankind.
What makes Satanism chaos is Satan. It is his intent to deceive and confuse – and this creates chaos. So, the solution is to just stay as far away from Satanism as you can, right? If you can, yes. In fact, this seems to be the directive that Jesus gave to those who had not been exposed to the “deep things of Satan.”
Revelation 2:24: “But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.”
It seems to me what Jesus is telling them is if you have avoided the deep things of Satan up until now, then you have no obligation to search out what they are. In fact, it might be a sin to get into such a dark area. However, this leaves two types of people who this exhortation would not apply to: (1) Those who have already (for whatever reason, good or bad) experienced the deep things of Satan; and (2) Those who, either directly themselves or their loved ones, are attacked by Satanic forces. This last one would include preachers, elders or other mature Christians who have been called upon by someone who has been so attacked.
It is important that we qualify just what we mean by “attack.” The last thing that organized Satanists to is to physically attack others. They are not militant since their goals would not be accomplished by physical force. They accomplish their purpose by hiding themselves in the upper echelons of otherwise benign appearing organizations. The lower-level worker bees never know what is going on within the part of the organization controlled by Satan. In fact, their tasks are generally to take on some highly-regarded social cause.
Before going further, let us provide some scriptural basis for these ideas:
Ephesians 6:12: For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in spiritual realms.
Most common translations have “heavenly (places)” rather than “spiritual realms.” Research into the Greek word heavenly indicates that it is a realm above the above, and not physically accessible (we cannot take a rocket ship to it). The word “places” was added by the translators, we believe, to avoid the English error of having an adjective modifying no other word in the sentence. Our opinion is that this introduces a physical concept – that of a physical “place” – into the reader’s thought process. We do not believe that the translators had any sinister motive in doing this, but we do object to it because it does, in a sense, re-focus the subject.
It is not at all hard to see that these spiritual hosts of wickedness in the spiritual realms are what we have described above as being Satanic; clearly they are what we have also defined as being chaotic. This is the goal of Satan – to deceive and confuse. To keep people from doing what they know is obviously right. This is mostly accomplished by convincing good people that the evil things that they are being led into have a good justification.
The procedure is fairly routine. A competent person progresses up the ranks of one of these organization and finally gets to that next promotion that will put them into the lowest ranks of the upper echelon. They demonstrate all of the qualification and then are told that there is just one more. They are given details of what they must do, but it seems a bit over the line of morality or legality. This is a stream flowing the wrong way. If the victim crosses it, then there is something on the record by which he can be blackmailed, and thereby controlled. Subsequent promotions demand worse and worse things to progress up the ladder.
Fortunately, Paul also gave us the remedy – basically it is to turn your back on that evil stream and get as far away from it as you can. But the temptation to go on will be next to overwhelming, especially after putting all of that efforts into getting positioned for the promotion.
Ephesians 6:13-18: Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil (one). 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, …
The straight path out of this chaos is to meditate on the above and gain spiritual strength from it. It does not matter what you might lose, including all of your friends. You are trading a life of the service to Satan for an eternity of being in fellowship with Jesus. There is no comparison. If you cross the stream it will take you deeper and deeper into chaos. There will be many other streams to cross and it will become next to impossible not to. As you go up in rank your requirements are more and more depraved. I heard one person in this position say that he knew the next thing that would be required of him would be to kill someone. Fortunately, he was able to get out of this organization with his life. Those who would mandate such a thing would have no problem in terminating him. While he was able to escape, the fact that this entire situation came about goes to prove that there are Satan’s operatives at the highest level who are willing to do this or anything else to satisfy the one they serve.
Loss of Hope
Revelation 5:1-5: And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon: …
There are times in this life when it seems that no one can be found who is worthy to “open the book.” This is indeed a stream flowing the wrong way and it was the last thing that John was anticipating at this point as his adventure of receiving the Revelation developed. Why would he be so put out by this? Recognize the great news that John had been receiving to this point. This had to have him at the peak of his expectation that he was anticipating answers that would comfort the anxiety felt by him and his fellow Christians with regard to the severe persecution that they were undergoing. But now there would be no more revelation because there was no one worthy to open the book.
As we have stated so often, the way out of chaos is Jesus, and this was no exception …
Revelation 5:1-5: … and one of the elders said unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.
It would seem that this book was the remainder of the Book of Revelation, of which it is said in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
If you need more help to escape a state of being hopelessly lost, please click for this article: https://www.biblethought.net/hopelessly-lost.html.
Destruction of Your Nation
In its most innocent sense, evidence of chaos is seen here is the emotional instability exhibited by many when their candidate loses an election. It is, to a large extent, totally irrational and devoid of understanding of just who and what is in control of this world. It is easy to determine the point at which the stream running the wrong way is detected – it is when the counted votes clearly indicate defeat. Is it any comfort that about 50% of the population (perhaps more) view the stream as flowing the right way? Yes, I guess they can all be wrong, and have been over and over again since the country was established, and somehow it has managed to survive. But this does not matter to the partisan – to them this is the worst case scenario.
Getting voted out might seem like the worse disaster that could occur, but it is nothing compared to being ousted by assassination, war or other armed conflict. War is one of the greatest examples of chaos when it defies all reason and destroys the values that have been at the foundation of the country’s national identity. While the survival of the country is a legitimate concern, of greater concern is what will take its place. It is this unknown that probably accounts for the chaotic mindset.
If history serves us right we can say that for the most part the “new country” that takes the place of the defeated one is much more like the one destroyed than it is to some superior alternative. As likely as not, the new country will be in chaos that will take several years before extrication … but ultimately something more orderly seems to emerge, for better or for worst.
You might look up the Icarus Paradox, for which there are no exceptions when it comes to organizations that are composed of humans. The reason for this is that it is the very success of an organization (company, nation, religious organization, etc.) that brings about its ultimate destruction. Success leads to power; power leads to corruption, and corruption ultimately destroys the organization. But just because it will ultimately happen does not mean it is imminent. It may be one or more generations before it happens. We make this general statement so that such will not be a surprise to you, and that you may anticipate it and take whatever deterrent or pre-emptive actions will be to the benefit of you and those you love. The only exception to this principle is the Lord’s church, which we will discuss at the end of this article.
Let us consider some Biblical examples.
Revelation 2:9-10: I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
I doubt we fear this degree of tribulation at the loss of our country, but denying it as a possibility almost guarantees it to come about. What was it the destroyed the Jewish nation? Wrong if you think it was Rome – they were just the instruments of God (clearly evidenced by Matthew 24). Was it God then? No, this would pose God as some arbitrary avenger, which we know is not true. God clearly spelled out how the Jewish nation could prosper and what would bring them to destruction. The fault was clearly in their corner.
It was the corruption at the highest levels that was initiated by the temptation of Satan to abuse the power that God gave the Jewish leadership. Thus, they became a synagogue of Satan. Attempting to serve themselves, they were really destroying themselves in servitude to Satan. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver … how much more were the bankers loading into the pockets of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducee leadership to, among other things, allow them to totally pollute the temple – to the extent that it disgusted our Lord and caused him to take aggressive physical action – brief exceptions that only occurred twice in the three years of Jesus’ ministry (John 2:14-15; Mark 11:15;).
Throughout the Book of Revelation, the city state of Babylon is used to illustrate that no country is invulnerable. The reason for this choice was that at the time of Babylonian superiority, no one could possibly conceive of her fall – and yet, the Jews (and all peoples) were well aware of the fate of Babylon. So, today if we make this same mistake we can be assured of our ignorance is willful, since history tells us that the destruction of every great civilization (country) is inevitable. It is made inevitable by the same thing that caused the fall of the Jewish nation and the fall of Babylon – the corruption of the leadership. By corruption we mean that they too advantage of their power to serve themselves rather than God and their people.
Revelation 18:1-20: After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render unto her even as she rendered, and double (unto her) the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. 7 How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she said in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. 8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, …
[We omit the details and continue after the types of merchandise are detailed.]
17 … for in an hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that sailed any wither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, 18 and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What (city) is like the great city?
At the time of Babylon, none. And so, there was at the time a general firm belief that its prosperity would last forever. It is used as the epitome of what a great nation could be, and thus the greatest possible example of failure. But it is one that could be easily demonstrated since every Jew knew of their historical interaction with Babylon and its fall. This did not make it any less traumatic for the Jews when Jerusalem fell.
The way out? Meditate on the following:
Revelation 18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.
Most of us know about the corruption in our government, although some will not accept that the politicians they support could possibly be corrupt. This is willful ignorance that might only be excused temporarily by gross naivety. The mere fact that it takes so much money to mount a campaign for political office guarantees that the decisions will be made by those who provide these funds as opposed to the politician themselves, who for the most part are the puppets of the hidden elites pulling the strings. To the politicians, this is just a necessity of getting elected, as is the deception of the masses that generates their support. The ends justify the means, since who could do a better job of governing than they could. So it is all justified in their minds. Their terms will only last for a relatively short time, and the regime that replaces them will be, at best, only a marginal improvement. This is chaos unless we recognize that God is in total control of the nations.
What is your judgment of this instantiation of Babylon? Read Revelation 18:20 again – this calls for you to make a judgement. The indication is that God will execute YOUR judgment. It is expected that you will understand the predominance of corruption, and make the same judgment that God will make. When that occurs, you will be free from the chaos that will accompanies the transition – but expect most others to be consumed by it.
But didn’t Jesus say that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18)? Absolutely!!! As long as it remains HIS church it will never be corrupted. But that is a condition that has only been kept by a very few throughout history. Where is the history of those who served God strictly according to the Bible? Some of it lingers in the church fathers at the end of the first century and into the second and third. But as faithful as they were, many of them giving their lives to the cause, their errors and departure from the pure word of God is clear from their own writings. Without the map out of chaos, they were plagued to participate in endless division and strife, which was ultimate called Christianity.
Those who stayed within the doctrine of Christ were condemned to death in many cases, not by Rome, but by the apostate church, the very creation of which was for political purposes. Historians consider the few who continued in the apostle’s doctrine negligible, if they consider them at all. They trace “Christianity” to be the church established by the edicts of Constantine and its many flaws – the inquisitions and the response to its obvious depravity by the reformation. Yes, the principles of the Icarus Paradox were alive and well in what has become known as the chaos of Christianity. But it would never have any effect on those faithful Christians who humbly obeyed all of the gospel as given in the New Testament, to the best of their abilities. These are the ones who Jesus called: “my church” and said “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Your Turn
We have presented a simple case of venturing into chaos, and also how this, as an analogy, might apply to some very serious problems in our lives. We hope you can see that these examples are just a start to your applying them to all situations in your life that involve chaos. In times of chaos, additional help can come from those who have a deep knowledge of the Bible. Formulate for them a question, such as: what do the scriptures teach with regard to … (this particular problem). There are reference books and article indexes that may also help, but probably not as much as someone who has dedicated much of his life to Bible study. For some article type helps, please see:
https://www.biblethought.net/site-guide.html
… and
https://www.biblethought.net/bible-subject-index-1.html
Also, seek help from an on-line concordance or other search engines.
Think of the help you are getting from the scriptures as your map out of chaos. Take time to draw your map before you venture too far into chaos. It will be well worth all of the time that it takes. The Bible covers every possible obstacle along the way, so take what time you need to draw your map before jumping into this forest. Then have total faith that Jesus is right there with you – pray for His help continually.
You will run into surprises along the way that are totally unanticipated, and that shock you to the point that you may not even believe it. That is the nature of chaos. These are the streams that are running the wrong way. If they are absolutely wrong and you know it, turn your back to them and use your relationship with Jesus and the scriptures to find your way back to safety and salvation..
Jesus' Conditions on Salvation