Lester Bentley

05 May

REFLECTION: THE LORD STIRRED CYRUS

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By Lester Bentley … “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.”  (Ezra 1:1, 2)

“The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.” The Lord can stir the hearts of kings. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turns it whithersoever He will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

We may not have access to the king or the ruler of the land, but we may pray as Daniel did, and God can touch the heart and spirit of the king on his throne.

According to the historian Josephus, Daniel had read the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah to King Cyrus. He pointed out that God had named him a hundred years before he was born. It must have stirred the young king to hear his name read out in the ancient scrolls of the prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah.

But we may ask, “What caused Daniel to instruct the king? What allowed Daniel to speak with Cyrus?”

Yes, indeed, Daniel was a high official in the Persian government. His close encounters with the king may have allowed him to talk with the king about different situations. The king was undoubtedly impressed with Daniel and the wisdom Daniel possessed from his years in the Babylonian court.

But instead, it was the result of Daniel remaining faithful during one of the most challenging and trying times of his life that opened the door.

In Daniel 1, Daniel spearheads a movement by himself and his three friends to remain faithful to God. Late in his life, Satan directs certain officials in the Persian court to become jealous of Daniel. They trick Darius into passing laws making it illegal for Daniel to worship his God.

Daniel follows through on the commitment made in Daniel 1 by remaining faithful, as we see in Daniel 6. As a result, the situation looks hopeless as Daniel is reported to Darius, the king. The law states that those failing to comply must be thrown to the lions.

As a result, Daniel spends the night talking with lions. The following day, having received protection from God and fulfilling the requirements of the law, Daniel is rescued from the lions. Who could have accounted for his surviving a night with the lions?

What an impact Daniel had through his experience with the lions. Note this passage from the book Prophets and Kings by Ellen G. White.

“The deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions had been used of God to create a favorable impression upon the mind of Cyrus the Great . . . . And now, just at the time God had said He would cause His temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt, He moved upon Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning himself, with which Daniel was so familiar, and to grant the Jewish people their liberty.” (p. 557)

“Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I have hold of.” “He shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 45:1, 13)

“That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” Daniel had learned by studying the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah that the time allotted for the exile was to end after seventy years. He believed God’s word and began to pray earnestly to fulfill the prophecy (see Daniel 9). When Daniel began to pray, God began to work. Is God’s “doing” dependent upon our “asking?” Yes.

Often God’s work allows us to be placed in uncomfortable circumstances. A figurative “lion’s den.” These experiences may come from “loss of personal wealth or financial health. It may come as the loss of our health, family, and friends.” Or people that we dearly love suffer the same losses of money, health, or family. These three, money, health, and family, are Satan’s favorite ways to test the people of God.

As with Daniel, people are watching, looking to see how you respond as a Christian. Your response can mean the difference between another seeking Christ or rejecting Christ.

—Lester Bentley is the pastor of Gillette, Wyoming church district; photo by UnSplash

10 Nov

REFLECTION: RECLAIMED

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By Lester Bentley — As a pastor of a five-church Wyoming district that stretches nearly 200 miles from end to end, often there isn’t time to dabble in a hobby. Yet, it is essential for my mental well-being. My pursuit of choice is restoring antique furniture. Recently, while cruising Facebook Marketplace, I saw a nearly 100-year-old secretary desk that had seen better days. The price was steeper than I wanted to pay, and also located in Colorado, while I live in Northeastern Wyoming. Yet, it appealed to me. My wife says it was as if it was calling out for help. Arrangements were made to bring it from Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and then to Douglas, Wyoming, where the exchange of the desk for money took place.

There are times when a picture is worth a thousand words, but the image on Facebook was far greater than how the desk looked in reality. It was dirty, with a broken leg that was taped up with electrical tape. Without the electrical tape, the desk could not even stand on all four legs. Yet another leg was missing its top, and each joint was either broken or loose. Yet, the potential could still be seen. So, the purchase was made, and the process of disassembly and reconstruction began.

Often, fixing the broken in this life takes pressure and time, and the process is slow and labor-intensive. The fractured leg was no exception, as the shaping, gluing, clamping, and drying time took a total of 24 hours of intense pressure. Patience is needed to allow the process to happen naturally. The process could not be rushed, for if rushed, failure would incur.

But over time, the desk once again began to take shape. It began to resemble how (change “how” to “what”) the craftsman initially intended when it was created. The legs were repaired, the desk was reglued and clamped.  Then it took hours, literally, to clean the dirt and grime from the desk.

Antique furniture restoration reminds me of the process all of heaven goes through to reclaim just one sinner. It cost all heaven had, and during the process, there was no guarantee it would work. Any slip, any misstep would cause sin to last forever, leaving those Christ came to save marred and eternally lost.

Christ came and carefully illustrated before us all the process necessary for humanity to be fully restored—restored to the same glory our first parents had in the Garden Tabernacle of the Pre-incarnate Christ called the Garden of Eden.

Christ has called the Christian church His workshop. Each master restorer works in conjunction with heaven to restore broken humanity. As with furniture, the process takes time, and it is labor-intensive. Often, what is being repaired comes under duress as it resists change. But slowly, patiently, heaven and the church, God’s instrument of restoration here on earth, work together to bring restoration to those who have been purchased at a great price. Why? Because the master carpenter saw value in what looked worthless and emptied the treasury of heaven to purchase and then restore what the universe saw as of no value.

In the words of Isaiah (58:12): “Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the repairer of the Breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”

–Lester Bentley is the Northeastern Wyoming District pastor; photos supplied

27 Jul

REFLECTION: A Three Stranded Cord Is Not Easily Broken

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By Lester Bentley

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they (either person) fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Solomon’s experience with independent life caused him to consider the importance of friendship and the value of people doing things together. As he penned these words from Ecclesiastes, he may have recalled an old Jewish proverb, “A friendless man is like a left hand deprived of the right.” In other words, a person without friends is like a man whose left hand is orphaned from his right hand. Therefore, Solomon concluded that two people working together are better than one working alone.

Why would two people be better than one?

Because when two are working together, they can get more done. While working, they will enjoy the company of the other. Even when they divide the profits from their work, they will have more than if working alone. It is also much easier to accomplish tasks of great size if two people are working together, rather than alone. As they work together, they can encourage each other, especially when things don’t go as planned.

In Palestine, walking paths leading from city to city were often steep, filled with rocks and stones that could give way when stepped on. It was easy to trip, fall and get hurt. Even the most experienced of travelers could stumble and fall. It often resulted in broken bones or turned ankles.  How wonderful it was to have a friend that could help during a slip or a fall.

In the garden, Eve left the side of Adam. Why? We are not told. But she did and subsequently fell to the temptation of not trusting in God. She thought there was something better. Yet God had provided everything she would ever need. If the first woman had stuck to the side of the first man, there would have been a strength to withstand temptation. The first woman would not have stumbled. Our Christian friends can help us walk straight and keep us from doing wrong. But we have Another that has also promised to help, and that is God in heaven. He has promised to be with us and help us when we’re in need. He is only a prayer, a cry for help, away.

As the passage says, two are better than one when it comes to warmth.  When this was written, two travelers camping or even staying in the courtyard of a public inn would feel the cold of the Palestine night. They needed each other for warmth. If one did not have a companion to keep him warm, he must add to his already-heavy burden by bringing extra blankets to stay warm.

Two are better than one so that while one rests, the other can keep watch over the other. Palestine had many wild animals and even those who would wish to rob a traveler. Therefore, one watched over and cared for the other while traveling, which segues into verse twelve. Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

When one person attacks another with the intent to rob or kill, the person attacked could easily be killed. But there is strength in numbers. If you unite with a friend, there is power to withstand the attack and win.

But the author finishes with an exciting statement. Solomon says, “And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  What is Solomon trying to say?

A person alone could easily be overpowered, quickly get hurt, encounter burdens and work that is too great and have difficulty staying warm when exposed to the elements. But with a friend, these things become easier. You have companionship, warmth, a shared workload, and can watch out for each other and pick the other up when he falls. There is strength and resilience when two combine their efforts. But as strong as a two-stranded cord or rope is, a three-stranded rope or cord is even stronger. When we unite ourselves with others and add Christ, we have a three-stranded rope or cord. It is a bond not quickly broken.

Christ has asked us to unite with each other and unite with Him, and when we do, it forms a bond that is not quickly broken. Jesus has promised to watch over us. To comfort and strengthen us and He asks us to do this for others.

–Lester Bentley pastors the Northeast Wyoming church district; photo by UnSplash