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February 2016

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The Power of Touch:Divine Impartation Through Touch

The Power of Touch: Divine Impartation Through Touch is now available on Kindle as well as paperback on amazon.com.

Why do people lay hands on others or extend their hands while they pray for them? How long has this practice been in existence and by whom? Why is this a God-given practice? What does the Bible have to say and what examples provide insights? What is the power and efficacy of the laying on of hands and why should we partake? What about frauds, empty promises, or placebo effect outcomes in medical contexts? How do we account for reliquary touch (objects instead of hands)? Who imparts what and to what effect?

These are the questions the kinds of questions that have prompted the writing of this book, a three year labor of love to research and write. The contents take a topic an inch wide and mile deep, yet very much in the forefront of interest in impartation and transference, especially in the context of contemporary charismatic circles. The book explores the biblical, historical, theological, and theoretical foundations of the power and efficacy of the laying on of hands in prayer for imparting healing, gifts, and blessing.

 

Copyright 2016 by Eva S. Benevento. All Rights reserved.

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Stop Whining and Do It

I have a small wood plaque on my kitchen wall. It says, “Hier wird nicht gemeckert,” German for “No  whining here,” above an image of a funny goat. It reminds me that whining did not exist in my home when I grew up, and is still not well tolerated in my kitchen, or any other room for that matter. Whining never helps the situation and pretty much only serves to annoy others.

“Faire et se taire,” a phrase attributed to Flaubert means “Do it and be silent.” That’s the polite version. It has been alternately translated as “Shut up and get on with it.” The implication is that there is no way to get around hard work and whining about it doesn’t change a thing. Every biography I have read about prime movers and shakers, regardless of the field of endeavor, reveals a hard working individual whose persistence caused them to achieve their goals. That’s why biographies sell. They inspire readers because those powerful stories highlight people who overcome great odds. These stories give hope to readers that they can also overcome their obstacles.

An old adage says that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day. I disagree. You will probably work even harder at it because you love it, but hard work is not necessarily a burden. Doing what you hate is. So the way to lighten your burden is to find out what you love. If you work at your passion, you still have to work hard, but it is not burdensome because doing it provides the satisfaction.

Sometimes we end up doing tasks we really don’t like but somebody has to do it, and we agree out of a variety of feelings that have nothing to do with calling and purpose—a favor to someone, personal guilt, wanting to appear a team player, feeling trapped. That works for a while as a temporary fill-in, but for the long haul, it’s not a good idea. Here is where the whining comes in—complaining about lack of support, lack of help, lack of resources, incompetent co-workers, and the list continues. We’ve all heard it and probably even did it at some point. What is even worse is that the longer we persist in doing what we are not called to do, the longer we keep the right person from doing it.

The funny thing is that when you do work at whatever is your passion, you put up with the same shortcomings along the way, and even greater ones, but you find a way to overcome them for the sake of the vision. You appreciate small successes and it sparks renewed motivation to press on to more.

The same principle applies to our relationships in the Kingdom. Each of us has a purpose. God has a perfect plan with the people, places, and things. “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart (Jer. 29:11). The context for this is for Israel, but why would God not have a plan or purpose for each of us as well? He is omniscient (all knowing) and we can rely upon His goodness and faithfulness. As we seek Him for direction, our heart’s desire is revealed. Our passion for the callings of God keeps us pressing on in the face of opposition. No whining is allowed in this territory. Hier wird nicht gemeckert!

 

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What is this thing called race?

“Can we all just get along?” These famous words by Rodney King ring out as an indictment against the kind of hatred that fomented the 1992 Los Angeles riots and cost King a serious beating at the hands of L.A. police. The call for “getting along” that King spoke of is more than simple tolerance of race. It is the deep commitment to intentionally become inclusive of race and culture as the family of God. We have come a long way as a nation and even in the Church, but as long as we have institutionalized queries with race identification as part of government and private surveys, forms, and legislation, we cannot say race is no longer an issue. It is just one of many instances where racial divide is categorized and institutionalized.

How do we even identify race? Is it about color and facial structure? Is it about culture? We hear arguments for and against such things as affirmative action or white privilege. Should we make a point of race when it becomes politically or socially advantageous to manipulate existing prejudice? It is certainly not an exact science and quite frankly is becoming more difficult as families are becoming more multinational, multiethnic, multicultural, and multiracial.

Just as an example of complication, sorting out Hispanic identification is not so easy. When did Hispanic lose its meaning as language orientation and become a race? If we decide that people from Central America, South America and Spanish-speaking Caribbean Islands are Hispanic (meaning Spanish-speaking regions), we eliminate Brazil and Haiti. Brazil is the largest South American nation where Portuguese is spoken and French is spoken in Haiti. Both are Latin-based languages, as is Spanish, Italian, and even Romanian. Perhaps Latino (Latin based) is a better description than Hispanic, but that can be problematic because as a male oriented word, it is gender biased, particularly from a non-Latin perspective. Furthermore, countries south of the U.S. are as diverse in population as those north of the border. Every shade of human skin is well represented in the Latin Western Hemisphere because of the mix of African, Asian, European, and indigenous peoples in differing proportions over the past four centuries.

Furthermore, cultures among the varying nations in Latin America have distinct differences. Culture includes food, music, and traditional costume, but it is much more. It expresses itself in how people view such things as beauty, family relationships, how they respond to authority, concepts of time and space, and much more.

One can easily see that race identification is not so simple, and needs rethinking for purposes of classifying demographics if those purposes still have a need to exist. Language is significant in attempting to categorize people groups. For example, references to Hispanics often imply non-white terms and evoke a non-white image, yet millions of Hispanics are white. Other Hispanics have Asian features (particularly in Peru, Chile, and Cuba) in varying combinations of shape and shade. Certain Caribbean nations also have large communities of people having ancestry from India. How do we account for such variety?

Even the term “people of color” referring to people who are not white can be seen as a biased term because “white” is also a color. And then, who is white? Only people of European ancestry? How do we categorize Middle Eastern peoples of varying skin shades? Calling white people Caucasian is problematic since most do not hail from the region of the Caucuses. Sensitivity to reject pejorative terms toward various groups is laudable, but I have often heard the words “lily white” (also a pejorative term) in reference to whites, usually in a negative context, used by the very people who speak against prejudice. When asked to identify oneself, perhaps the best response for everyone should be “other.” Either we need to stop classifying people by inadequate classifications of race or create a new language that is inclusive, equitable, and respectful to all.

We have seen church leaders call for reconciliation of past offenses toward various racial groups to be a top priority among churches, which is a righteous agenda. Reconciliation, however, needs to be more than a handshake and public photo shoot. Whereas past sins cannot really be adequately atoned, we can certainly be agents to change wrongs of the present. It does require us to see and do.

It’s fair to say that most churches are still fairly homogenous in terms of race and cultural construct with the excuse that people tend to be more comfortable with others of the “same face.” While there may be some truth to feelings of comfort, without intentional integration, inclusivity, and reconciliatory agendas, change does not happen. My hope is that our churches reflect an “all nations” look in a country that offers more diversity of people groups than most. It can only happen when leaders become intentional about integration in every program, every outreach, and every mission.

Race is a peculiarity that we think we can identify, but it really is indescribably elusive. Maybe the point is that we need to have new eyes in how we see humanity and better ethics in how we treat one another. My personal family may be peculiar in that we have representation from every continent except Antarctica, but I don’t think the penguins mind. We are many and we are one all at the same time. Isn’t that what heaven looks like?

 

Copyright 2016 by Eva Benevento

All rights reserved.

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Let Justice Be Done Though the Heavens Fall

Fiat justitia ruat caelum — An ancient Latin phrase meaning, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” We live in an imperfect world—no surprise there. So, let’s pass some laws to make it fair. Ha! People are not fair, ethical, or moral because of laws. You cannot legislate morality because that is an issue of heart, but you can legislate justice by passing laws that demand people to be treated with equality and dignity. If our desire is to promote liberty, it requires us to be diligent in the cause of freedom and justice. My blog today is to make a plea for each of us to renew our commitment to the godly principles of justice and love for God’s creation in each of us.

People become moral and ethical when their hearts change. Who can change hearts and how can we facilitate a change of heart?

We will never achieve a perfect world. That is for the return of the perfect King Jesus. But until then, we, as believers, are given the privilege to do the work of the Kingdom. The cause of justice is an ancient cause and no less relevant for today. For whom should we seek justice? Here are just a few things God has said about the cause of justice (emphasis added):

  • He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing (Deut. 10:18).
  • ‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow’ (Deut. 27:19a).
  • Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17).
  • Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free (Psalm 146:7).
  • Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute (Psalm 82:3).
  • I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor (Psalm 140:12).

Why is God so interested in justice? We must understand the difference between justice and vengeance. So often they are confused with mob mentality. Justice is moral rightness, doing what is right. Vengeance is “getting even,” exacting punishment, usually violent, for a wrong perceived or done. God is interested in righteousness, doing the right thing on behalf of others.

For whom does the Lord seek justice through the hands of humanity? To the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the weak, the fatherless, the prisoner, the poor, the disenfranchised. When we examine the ministry of Jesus, to whom do we see Jesus extending mercy, love, provision, and healing? It is repeatedly to the sick, the poor, the widow, the marginalized, the rejected, and the oppressed. Jesus quoted His mission from the prophecy in Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,” (Luke 4:18).

Jesus met lepers more than once and healed them out of a heart of compassion. These were outcasts because of their disease. They were the untouchables of society, yet Jesus touched them. Who are the untouchables in our society? The homeless? The diseased with cancers, alzeimers, mental disorders, or AIDs? Are we touching them with compassion and healing?

Jesus encountered a widow whose only son had died. He was the widow’s only source of support. Jesus raised him from the dead. Scripture tells us, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). What is our part in keeping this word? Even if we are unable to go, we can support missions and outreaches that care for orphans and women in distress.

Jesus watched as a widow gave two copper coins in the offering, all that she had. “Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury” (Mark 12:43). I would say most of us are not wealthy by the world’s standards and so we may think that our little bit does not count for much. Large contributions are great, but a little by many can do much as well. One person giving $1000 is the same as 100 people each giving $10, and New Jersey is not short on people. Some can do a lot and some a little, but everyone can do something.

The mercy and compassion of Jesus extended to the defiled and marginalized. He rescued the woman caught in adultery by a few words written in the dirt. We don’t know what those words were. Could they have been the sins of the accusers? It certainly had an impact on the watchers and those ready to hurl rocks at her.

Another time Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well. Religious leaders would have nothing to do with her. According to common Jewish customs, she had three strikes against her. 1. Being a woman—religious leaders did not have conversations with women. 2. Being a Samaritan—a mixed people alienated by the ruling class of that time. 3. Being a fallen woman—she had five husbands (we don’t know if they were legitimate or not), but the one with whom she was cohabiting was not a husband. Yet Jesus took the time to give this rejected and marginalized woman the good news of the gospel. Are we giving the good news to the alienated, the marginalized, the rejected because they may not be socially acceptable? Do we withhold the gospel and mercy from those of a different belief like Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, or atheists because it is uncomfortable?

God’s perspective is clear and plain. “To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3).” The cause of justice is God’s chosen fast. “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). Why? God’s kingdom has its foundation in righteousness and justice. Psalm 97:2 says, “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”

Furthermore, because God is a giver beyond our concept of giving, He declares, “How blessed are those who keep justice, Who practice righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:3). When we actively engage in the works of justice, we are blessed. It is not a hardship to those who love the Lord. Proverbs 21:15 says, “The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.” It is a terror to the wicked because “Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things” (Proverbs 28:5).

My challenge to you today is to follow the course of justice. Let us take the faith of our fathers, true Christianity, to those who are suffering. Join the work of ministry that furthers the cause of justice, whether it be ministry to the homeless, to the prisoner, to abused and abandoned women and children, to those trafficked, to the depressed and alienated, to the disabled. The list of human suffering is a very long list. Each of us can find a place where our lives will make a difference to someone—each one, help one. We don’t have to look very far. Simply start with the one. The one God puts before you—each one, help one.

If you love God, the suffering and need of others will move you. We can do no less with the gifts and callings God has for each of us. It means giving of your time, talents, substance and even your wallet with joy and gladness of heart. It means involvement in your community’s issues to better the lives of its residents. It means finding out the legal and political issues and positions of local and national candidates so that we can vote out of conscience, not only popularity. It means volunteering your time and energy in the outreaches of your church and community. It’s not complicated. Let us all commit to a change of heart for the sake of justice to glorify the King of Kings. Simply hear and obey. Each one, help one.

 

Copyright 2016 by Eva Benevento

All rights reserved.

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