November 4 - Soul Escape

        Psalm 124: 6-7 - “Blessed is Yahweh, who has not allowed us to be torn by their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the trap...”

        This psalm is one of the 14 “Songs of Ascents”, written after some of the Jewish exiles returned from a temporary stay in Babylon, due to being carried away from the land of Judah because of God’s judgment upon the sinful-majority nation. These Psalms mostly convey a sense of joy in the tempered, but not full, restoration of the nation of Judah. They are the words of “the remnant”, the very small group of faithful followers of Yahweh, who have always existed within the original “nation of Israel”, and even within the world itself. Most of these returning pilgrims were of the second generation of exiles, as most of the first generation would have died after approximately 70 years in servitude and/or exile as described by Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

        Much can be gleaned in this Psalm regarding the ideas of judgment upon God’s people, the concept of “remnant”, and how both carry over into the current spiritual body of Christ, the latter being the logical fulfillment of the concept of God’s people. I want to focus on one aspect, however, and leave the big picture concepts above, for another time. That concept is the will and grace of God. Those people in Jeremiah’s time who were “destined” for the sword, famine, and plague, were all in God’s perfect exaction of his judgment upon them (Jeremiah 24:10). The very poorest of the poor were left in the land of Judah after the destruction of Israel’s temple, to linger in their poverty. Some were taken to Babylon as captives, in order to serve the kings there over time. (Daniel and his three friends were part of this group who actually served in high “government” positions.) It is this latter group who had the “privilege” of returning to the land chosen by God, at the allowance of Cyrus the Persian, who eventually conquered the Babylonians. I denoted the word “privilege” because sometimes God’s favor seems like a privilege to some and not to others. (Cross-reference Psalm 16 to get a gist of why David thought his pleasant fortune was a blessing from God – [hint: it had to do with righteous living].)

        For us believers in Christ, let’s look at this Psalm in a spiritual light. Our own sins nailed Jesus to the cross; there was nothing that we could have done to keep that from happening. The waters, mentioned in this Psalm, should have engulfed us (vv. 3-5), as our just punishment. However, Jesus broke the trap for us and allowed us to escape the snare (vv. 6-8), by being ensnared himself (Isaiah 53:4-8). The last verse in Psalm 124 finally sums up our only remedy: “Our help is in the name of Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.” Romans 5:6-9 gives us a fuller explanation of our dire straits and of our rescue. “While we were still helpless [a direct reference, in my opinion, to Psalm 124:8], Christ died for the ungodly....but God demonstrates his own love toward us - while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, having been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” That is the soul escape that Jesus purchased for us, because we could not accomplish it ourselves.

        Have you been set free from that inescapable trap that would cause eternal exile from God?

 September 8 – State of Being at Death

    Philippians 1:21-23: "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, this means fruitful labor for me; I do not know which I prefer. I am hard-pressed between the two; my desire is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far better."

    Some Christians believe that after bodily death, the spirits of these same people are in a state of sleep until the end of time when a resurrection will occur in order to have a final judgment. I believe that those who believe in this have arrived at this conclusion partly because of the metaphorical word "sleep", which is used by Jesus and Paul to refer to physical death.

    In Mark 5:21-43, we have the story of Jesus raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead. In verse 35, we are clearly told that the girl was physically dead, which prompted the messengers to question bothering Jesus any further. Nonetheless, Jesus tells Jairus to not fear but to believe. When they arrive at the house of Jairus, Jesus asks why the mourners were making such a commotion, when the girl was "not dead but asleep". She was clearly dead, and Jesus was not refuting that claim, but simply using a metaphor. He really did make her spirit come back into a dead body.

    In John 11, we have the story of raising Lazarus from the dead. In verses 11-14 we read, " 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.' The disciples said to him, 'Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will be alright.' Jesus had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.' " Jesus clearly uses the terms of physical death and sleep interchangeably.

    Paul also does the same thing in 1 Corinthians 15, which is his lengthy discourse on the future resurrection of the physical body. In verse 6 he contrasts the state of two different groups: those who are still alive and those who have fallen asleep. In the context of his discourse, "fallen asleep" has to mean physical death. He uses the same language in verses 18 and 20.

    None of the previous three examples, however, disprove the concept of soul sleep, because they are all referencing physical death. As Christians, we believe that at physical death, the spirit departs the body and goes elsewhere. Where does it go, and what is its state of being?

    Before we can answer the question of where a departed spirit lives, we have to think about what a spirit is. Christians believe that there are only three major types of spirits – God, angels/demons, and people's. Spirits are other-worldly, inter-dimensional beings that can live apart from the physical world that we feel and experience every day as "living" entities. That physical world can be seen, felt, heard, smelled in the space of width, length, depth, and time. Any other dimensions that exist would be considered in some way as spiritual (metaphysical). The Bible does refer to spiritual places as seeming to be physically located, although I believe that this reference is only to help us humans to grasp the reality of a spiritual dimension, which does not need a physical place to exist. One passage that gives a glimpse into the physical references of the "grave" and its opposite term "heaven" is in Ephesians 4, where Paul quotes part of Psalm 68. He refers to Jesus descending to the lower parts of the earth and then ascending far above all the heavens. Lets break this down into specifics.

    The concept of the afterlife in the Old Testament is nebulous at best. Many ancient cultures believed in an afterlife of sorts, which is why the dead were sometimes buried with personal belongings. The departed spirit needed some things in order to live well in the next life. We get some mixed thoughts from the Old Covenant on this idea. David states in Psalm 6:5, "For in death there is no remembrance of you; who can give you praise in Sheol?" One could infer from this the idea of "soul sleep", because David recognizes a place for departed spirits, but implies that they may "know nothing". Psalm 30:9 and Isaiah 38:18 also echo this sentiment. David furthermore predicts a resurrection from this state in Psalm 15:10, where he states that "you will not abandon me to Sheol". This line is also referenced by Peter in Acts 2:27, as he talked about Jesus dying and resurrecting. David furthermore states in Psalm 17:15 that "when I awake, I shall be satisfied in seeing your likeness." These verses alone could make a good argument for "soul sleep".

    From here, though, let us look at the transliterated word above – Sheol. This Hebrew word is often translated as "hell", "hades", or "the grave". The closer word to the concept in English is "grave", but it is not referring to a physical piece of dirt in which a dead body is laid. It means the "abode of the dead". This simple definition is a general term without reference to the home of the righteous or the unrighteous.

    In 1 Samuel 28, King Saul is in desperate straits to know the will of God, who has been silent on giving him direction. Saul disguises himself and goes to a medium, intending on speaking with the dead, specifically with the great prophet Samuel, who had recently died. (I personally believe this event to be a one-off occurrence allowed by God, and not a general possibility of contacting dead spirits, which was forbidden by God in Deuteronomy 18:11.) In 1 Samuel 28:15, the departed spirit of Samuel indeed speaks to Saul, saying, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" The Hebrew word here that is translated as "disturbed" has nothing to do with being asleep. It has a simple meaning of "being agitated or shaken". Samuel did not imply that he was asleep and then aroused from sleep. He was simply in a state of consciousness. Interestingly, he tells Saul that "tomorrow, you and your sons shall be with me." There is no differentiation between the righteous and the unrighteous, if we assume that Samuel was on the side of righteousness, and that Saul was on the side of unrighteousness (seeing that God had "forsaken" him as king, since his heart was not fully committed). That is an assumption that I am not really endorsing, nor is it relevant for this topic. What is relevant is the fact that Samuel was conscious.

    Jesus gives us the best picture that we have for the depiction of Sheol or "hades", since his story was written in Greek. Hades is the direct Greek correlation to "Sheol". In Luke 16:19-21, Jesus tells the story of the unnamed rich man and the named paralytic Lazarus. (Apparently, Lazarus was a common name of that time, and should not be confused with the Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus raised from the dead. I also do not believe that this story was simply a parable, because Jesus named Lazarus specifically, whereas there are no names associated with people in all of his other parables.) When Lazarus dies, he is "carried" to Abraham's side, which was a place of "comfort", as Abraham mentions. The rich man is in torment not far from where Abraham and Lazarus are, but which is separated by a great chasm. Here we have the delineation of the righteous and the unrighteous in Sheol – one in torment and one in comfort. Both are conscious and not sleeping.

Jesus also gives us one more glimpse of the afterlife before his resurrection. While dying on the cross, he replies to the repentant fellow executee on his cross, "today you will be with me in paradise". This is almost a parallel of what Samuel had told King Saul. Why would it matter to tell someone that any type of paradise would await him, if he would never enjoy it bu    t simply be asleep? That makes no sense, to tease someone with bliss, then to never let him enjoy that bliss. After all, when one is asleep, there is no enjoyment (or torment, for that matter) experienced or felt.

    While it is not explicitly described in the New Testament, the following is what I believe to have occurred during the days of Jesus' physical death. Jesus makes a visit to the "tormented" side of Sheol to proclaim judgment to the unrighteous, either human or demonic, as hinted at in 1 Peter 3:20. (The arguments for, or against, such are outside the scope of this writing.) He then takes the horde of people who are with Abraham in "paradise", and "ascends" to Heaven with them to be with the Father. This is referenced in the aforementioned passage of Paul in Ephesians 4:7-10. None of this activity could have happened if Jesus was asleep in his temporary death.

    One other passage in the New Testament puts these ideas together within the puzzle. In John 14, Jesus states that he is about to return to the Father, who happens to be in Heaven (Matthew 6:9). Sometimes Heaven (the spiritual dimension) seems to be portrayed as "in the heavens" in the New Testament. These instances are often translated as such, almost interchangeably, since the Greek word used for each reference is only one word: "ouranois". This word is mostly used with an article as well, if only for the simple reason of proper Greek grammar: "tois ouranois", the heavens. The context of the passage usually helps us to distinguish between the cosmos (physical space) and an other-dimensional place where we conceive of the Father "residing". Jesus states that he would come back and take the disciples to be where he and the Father would be.

    Finally, when we add the statement of Paul in Philippians 1 (stated above in the preamble), we get a picture of one enjoying fellowship with the entities of the Trinity, not a non-experiential state of unconsciousness). 1 Thessalonians 4:17,18 also agrees with this sentiment: "...so we will be with the Master forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words." I personally can't see how encouraging it would be to look forward to centuries of sleep, only to be awakened to a positive judgment, even one that is totally blissful with no pain or sorrow, and even if centuries of sleep would only feel like one second had elapsed at the awakening.

    One other idea needs to be addressed as well. The previous scripture mentioned – 1 Thessalonians 4 – is a reference to "the rapture", which is also mentioned in Matthew 24. This rapture entails the resurrection of bodies for the spirits of saved individuals. If bodies are then re-united with spirits, does Jesus take them all back to a Heaven, that was previously prepared for only spirits? There are now glorified bodies involved in a possible other-dimensional place that is NOT mentioned specifically in either 1 Thessalonians 4 or Matthew 24. Another possibility is that at this "gathering" the glorified bodies will now live on the current earth, or that the "new heavens and earth" will now begin. In both passages, we are left hanging with the idea of "what happens next?" That answer (of end-time events) is outside the scope of this argument. While the possibility of "soul sleep" might seem plausible to some, I cannot see it as a logical possibility for believers who are meant to experience life to the full (John 10:10), no matter what dimension we are in.

 July 23 – Unwholesome Speech

       Ephesians 4:29: "Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is needful for building up others, so that it may give grace to those hearing."

       In mid-July 2025, my wife and I took a mini-vacation with our daughter's family to Rehoboth Beach, DE, where we enjoyed the beaches, rode bikes, and visited a state park. The state wherein I reside (West Virginia) has no entry fees to its state parks. They are free and open to all state-residents, non-residents, and foreign visitors. (This means that WV residents subsidize the state park system for the rest of the world; but that is a topic for another day, and does not concern my thoughts on this topic of speech,) Non-residents of Delaware have to pay a fee of $10 to enter via automobile to Delaware state parks, which irks me. Well, when my wife and I got to the toll booth at the entrance to the state park we visited, I had my money ready as well as a smart-aleck quip about WV state parks being free to the world. The woman who took my money said nothing, but her male counterpart retorted with a snotty quip of his own. I received my receipt, and we proceeded – end of short conversation.

       As I mused later on this exchange of words, I was reminded of the above banner verse from Ephesians 4. The Greek word for unwholesome is "sapros", which can mean "rotten, putrid, corrupt, or of poor quality". While my words were not untrue or corrupt, they were not given in the spirit of beneficence, but were meant to be a slight on the manner in which Delaware pays to keep their park system a benefit to the public. I could say that I did not violate the first part of the verse, but I did not keep the latter half of the verse. Did the "innocent" toll-takers need my five seconds of negative sarcasm? I should have been gracious to them, instead offering a word of blessing upon their day. They were just performing their job duties. After all, the verse specifically mentions that our speech is to offer grace to those who hear. I offered nothing to build them up, which makes me ashamed. My interest in living out my new life in God's kingdom took second place to my feelings about state extortion of my measly ten dollars.

       Lesson learned, repentance needed, and confession of sin vocalized to God. May I do much better next time.

 

February 12 – Love/Faith With Action

        1 John 3:18 – "Dear children, let us love not with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth."

        This verse is such a simple command; yet, it is one that is ignored with great frequency. Christians and pagans alike throw around the phrase "I love you" so often and as a matter of habit most of the time. What is signified from that phrase is mostly a sentiment of fondness. There is nothing wrong with being fond of one's family, spouse, children, or friends. However, being fond of someone simply means that I have a positive emotional tie to that person. Fondness has nothing to do with how I treat that person in deed If I am fond of someone, I will most likely consistently treat that person well and care for his/her well-being. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that will happen. Emotional dependence can often come with selfish manipulation.

        The verse above was written in the context of taking care of a brother's physical needs. John asks the question prior to this verse: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity upon him, how can the love of God be in him?" James also iterates this thought in 2:15-17, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go. I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' , but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? Likewise, faith by itself, if not combined with action, is dead."

        We have two examples, therefore , in which love and faith are both treated as actions. Mere words, no matter how well-meaning , are worthless – to God and to the benefit of the situation. Wait; what about praying for someone? Is this an act of love? Well, yes, because you are spending time on behalf of someone's benefit by drawing near to God. Am I loving that person directly? Not if that person doesn't know that I am praying for him. What if I send that person a text message, saying that I am praying for him? What if I never have any regular contact with that person in my daily life? Am I showing him love?

        Am I also loving someone when I am not harming him, even though I have no contact whatsoever with that person? (Now the lines are getting blurry; or am I just nit-picking?) I would say that the absence of harm is not the same thing as love. That would simply be neutrality, because nothing is done for the benefit of the other person. Remember John's exhortation to us to love in action and truth.

        John's entire first letter is based upon pleasing and knowing God, and displaying a life that has been changed and motivated by his love for us. Brotherly love is the supplemental outgrowth of that change in us. Brotherly love implies some type of contact with another person, if not purposeful relationship building. And that takes time, patience, and action – not merely the speaking of well-sounding phrases.

 February 8 – Keeping Track of Sins

       Psalm 130:3 – “Yahweh, if you marked our iniquities, who could stand?”

       This Psalm has an overall theme of redemption from sins. Redemption means to buy back something with another thing that has been earned or received. That is exactly what Jesus has done for us believers. None of us can pay God for our many sins against him; actually, none of us can pay him for even one little sin. James 2:10 says “For whoever keeps the entire law, yet breaks just one, he is guilty of breaking all of them.” This could imply a simple answer to the question above. God only needs to keep track of one sin per person! No, that tongue-in-cheek answer will not work. Does the question then imply that God doesn't keep track of sinful behavior at all? If he did, none of us could stand upright; we would all lie down and die. Therefore, it can't be a blanket statement about God ignoring sinful behavior.

       However, there is the idea of patience thrown into the mix. In Genesis 15, God promises Abram and his descendants the land on which he was standing; however it took another 400 years for fulfillment, because “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” While God was foretelling his great patience, he was also following the sinful trajectory of a certain people. How long did it take for the curses mentioned in Deutoronomy 28 to come to pass for the people of Jerusalem when Babylon was besieging their city in the 6^th century? Again, it took at least four centuries, if not more. Acts 17:29, 30 also imply God's patience with ignorant pagans. “Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we shouldn't consider the divine Being to be like gold, silver, or stone – a graven image of craft and imagination by man. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands men everywhere to change their minds.”

       Was God just looking the other way for millenia? Or perhaps was he winking the eye? Or perhaps, the answer comes down to acts of judgment. Remember the theme of Psalm 130 is redemption. Sin separates us from God, but his Son restores that estrangement. However, that fact alone does not negate the physical consequences of our sin. Repenting of my life of being a serial killer, will not keep me out of prison or the electric chair. Repentance from cheating on my wife will not suddenly restore trust in our relationship. Having godly sorrow for stealing money from my grandparents in order to buy drugs, will not make money grow on the trees in their front yard. Paul's words in 1 Timothy 5:24 may refer to this fluctuating time of earthly judgment of one's sins.

       As implied before, our main question cannot also mean that swift judgment awaits anyone immediately following one's sinful actions. Have you ever heard someone say, “Stand back; I don't want to be struck by lightning.” He jokingly says this to imply that sinful behavior can be swiftly judged, or, possibly, should be swiftly judged. That is usually not God's way. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Master is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to spiritually die, but everyone to come to repentance.”

       Ezra prays to God something very interesting in chapter 9 of his recording. The “remnant” of Israel has returned from exile. Ezra prays in verse 13, “...after all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible guilt – though you our God have punished us less than our sins deserve, and you have allowed us survive – should we break your commands again....wouldn't you become so angry with us, leaving no survivors? Yahweh, God of Israel, You are righteous, for we survive as a remnant today. Here we are before you with our guilt, though no one can stand in Your presence because of this.” And yet, all the people stood with Ezra while he spoke these words to God. None of them dropped dead upon hearing this. God did not turn away from this small group of people who were definitely showing repentance (chapter 10, verse 1). Did he hide “his presence” from these people? God certainly did not hide his presence from David after he had slept with Bathsheba, ordered her husband's early death, and endured the eventual premature death of the resulting baby. Psalm 51:17 holds the key: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.”  As a matter of fact, this entire Psalm gives us the picture of godly sorrow. 

       So, the answer to our main question is a paradox. God can and does keep track of our sins in varying ways. We can also stand in the midst of our sinfulness. Nonetheless, consequences and final judgment will eventually come. But, as Psalm 130:4 states, “But with You there is forgiveness; therefore, you are greatly feared.” Are you ready to take his forgiveness and turn to a life that can start to produce blessings instead of curses?

 February 7 – Sense of Justice

       Psalm 7:11a – "God is a just judge..."

       If there is one thing with which most of the world agrees, both Christians and pagans, it is a sense of justice – especially when one feels as if he has been wronged. We all have an intrinsic sense of fairness, whether we have all the facts or not. Even small children have this sense when they see things going awry. This phenomenon alone should point us to the natural law of wrong and right. But let us dig deeper into this concept.

       In Psalm 7, David explores three related angles of justice, as he cries for God to save him from his personal or perceived enemies. The first two verses are a prayer to God for help and rescue. The next four verses are quite introspective and are the first leg of this triangle. 1) He concedes that justice should be done to him, if he so deserves it. This is quite an attitude of humility, even if it implies his belief in his own integrity. 2) The following eight verses then expounds David's trust in God as a just judge, one who is continually angry at the injustices in the world, and one who metes out judgment. 3) Then verses 14-17 explain the details of reaping and sowing, as summarized in Galatians 6:7.

       Of course, in all of David's Psalms in which he asks God to rescue him from injustice, he is expecting it during his lifetime. He even expects justice when Nathan tells him the story of the extorted sheep, which is a parable of his own sins against Uriah, when he basically "took" Bathsheba from an innocent man. In due time, David does get justice, as Bathsheba's pregnancy ends in the death of the newborn baby. This is an example of God's justice through reaping and sowing.

       Regarding that sense of justice mentioned at the beginning, sometimes there is a perceived injustice that we can't prove or that is hard for us to put a finger upon. This happens when we see cronyism or something that "smacks" of corruption in political officials or even in elected leaders. It may not be a personal attack upon me, but a general attack upon the public. The principle of reaping and sowing still applies to individuals, but that may not line up with what I deem to be the deserved justice. God definitely sees wrongdoing, but he has the ultimate view of the facts, knowing every detail of what physically happened, along with the thoughts and intentions of the hearts of those acting immorally (verse 9). When I personally have been wronged in a non-legal sense, I should not seek my own justice, but I should allow God to handle the situation, because he sees all the facts and is not blinded by his own emotions. (Pursuing legal recourse for wrongs against us – while related to this subject – is another topic in itself and for another time). Paul tells us in Romans 12:19: "Do not avenge yourselves; leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, 'Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay.' [Deutoronomy 32:35]" God knows how to perfectly exact justice on my behalf, while simultaneously overseeing the reaping of what we have sown.

       This latter thought also turns our attention to the radical ideas of Jesus given in Matthew 6:38-45. "Turn the other cheek...give your cloak as well, when sued for your own shirt...go the extra mile when compelled to go the first mile...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Each of these concepts can be further examined for deeper clarity; however, on the surface, Jesus is asking us to extend grace to someone who does not deserve it. Why? Because all of us are more sinful than we even realize. Jesus has just finished revealing our sinful hearts in Matthew chapter 5, when his radical statements in chapter 6 appear. We need to be very careful when asking God for personal revenge, as David did in Psalm 7:3-7. 

      We should also consider Psalm 130:3 – "Yahweh, if you kept track of iniquities, who could stand before you?" More on that topic for February 8.

 

August 11 – Hanging up the harps?

Psalm 137:2-4, 6: “There on the poplars, we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs....How can we sing the songs of Yahweh while in a foreign land?....May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth....if I don't consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”

        This Psalm was definitely written or edited after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and after some of the people were taken captive to Babylon. To them it must have felt like a death sentence, to be ripped out of one's homeland by force and taken far away to live the rest of one's life. We don't know if this writer was one of the “righteous” ones living in Judah, or whether he was one of the wicked ones. Nonetheless, we can learn a few things from this Psalm as they pertain to the body of Christ.

        How can we sing the songs of Yahweh while in a foreign land? All of us believers are in a foreign land. 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:13 mention believers and the ancients as spiritually being aliens and strangers. Jesus even mentions in John 18:36 that his kingdom is not of this world. Our citizenship is a heavenly one (Philippians 3:20). When our earthly kingdoms and comforts are crushed, how can we sing praises to our God? Hebrews 13:14, 15 has the answer, even as it continues this theme. “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.” It takes discipline to sing praises during times of difficulty. However, this can be made a little easier by obeying Ephesians 5:19, 20 as we do these things with other believers: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to Yahweh, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our master Jesus Christ.”

        And speaking of psalms, it is interesting to note that the compiling and unofficial numbering of the Psalms has put 136 right before the woes of the captives in 137. Psalm 136 is a retelling of the wonders God did when he brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, with each line of description ending in “His kindness endures forever” – 26 times total. If we can keep our eyes on that fact, that God's kindness endures toward his children, then we can certainly put our trust in that kindness, no matter in what circumstance we find ourselves.

       As a further note, I have a question about Psalm 137:6. Can I infer that the city of Jerusalem was the captives' highest joy (as stated), instead of God himself? Could this have been part of the downfall of the inhabitants of Judah, turning God's residence and regulations into idols themselves, instead of worshiping in spirit the One who gave these objects to his chosen people? That concept sounds very eerily like the environment of Israel when Jesus was revealed. Caiaphas, the high priest at that time, predicted that one person should die in order to preserve the physical nation – which is exactly what happened when Jesus was killed...except that forty years later, the 2^nd temple was ruined again, and the occupied Jews were once again scattered away from the city of Jerusalem (deja vu).

        Let's remember that we as believers have come to a new Jerusalem, the city of the living God. We have joined the body of Christ, where God now dwells (Hebrews 12:22-24). Let's rejoice, because in that city, we are not aliens, but supernatural-born citizens.

 Can We Skip Christmas? (2023)

       Romans 14:4-5 — "Who are you to judge someone else's servant?  To his own master, he stands or falls.  And he will stand, for Yahweh will make him stand."  

       Let me preface this blog with a few comments.  I have been called an idealist and a cynic as it relates to my views on Christmas.  I readily admit that I am an idealist and a misfit in the Kingdom of God, cynical about many things. The views below are my personal views; they are not meant to put anyone down for their personal practice of any human tradition.  After all, there is precedence for having a joyous feast and exchanging presents - for a SPECIFIC reason (Esther 9:18-28).  Some will also call me a hypocrite for not obeying Romans 14:22 (which states to keep my views to myself).  Don't we all tacitly disobey this verse when we turn on the outside Christmas lights?  (Romans 14 is a rather complicated chapter, when applied to largely-followed cultural traditions; it is much simpler when taking it at its face value.) Nonetheless, I believe that there is wisdom and freedom in my views; if you can glean a nugget of truth from them, then, "more power to ya".  If not, then you will at least have read an explanation of a "complicated mind", (another endearing epithet given to me).  The goal in everything we do, however, should be to "follow Christ", as Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:1.  

       It seems that each year, I feel more stress when December arrives. It is hard for me to find anything positive with this time of year. Christmas is looming, with all of its personal history and hundreds of years of Western cultural history. It's the time of year in which it is starting to get colder, which only slightly contributes to the stress. The hours of daylight are coming to their nadir, which does contribute greatly to my mood. I love spending time outside in general, so the double combination of dark and cold is disheartening. It is also the time of the year when I try to get the most wood cut and/or split for myself and for others, before snow ends that endeavor for the season.

        Christmas (the Christ Mass) was started by the Roman Catholic church in 336 A.D., as an "alternative" to the pagan celebrations, which were held around the winter solstice. The very fact that the "church" felt the need to resort to a cultural "alternative" can mean two things. It could have been a legitimate attempt to pull pagans into a sincere form of worship to Jesus. Or it could have been a desperate attempt to change the culture (apart from changing the individual heart), in the hopes that people would eventually give up their pagan practices. The latter sounds like what happened to America, with its form of cultural Christianity lasting until the end of the 20^th century; following Jesus was relegated to cultural morality, without the incentive to personally follow him. Having said that, it is basically irrelevant whether one has any cultural traditions related to Christmas. Paul gave us general instructions about how we think about observing special days. Romans 14:5-8 allows us all equal standing in treating certain days as we like. Colossians 2:16-17 also complements that sentiment in regard to special religious days. Not even the Jewish festivals are sacred any longer. Therefore, if one wants to consider the whole month of December as special or just Dec. 25, that is fine. If one doesn't care at all about those days, that is also fine.

       My Foundational Mindset —  The early church did not consider the birth day of Jesus to be special; what is of immensely greater import to the early church was the day that Jesus rose from the dead. That day became of higher importance, not because the body of Christ needed a yearly day of observance, but because it was the very foundation of the Christian faith. In my opinion, the yearly observance of Easter also diminishes the import of the resurrection of Jesus. If you need a holiday to remind you of the foundation of our faith, you are probably not living that faith in a daily fashion.

        There are many beautiful things associated with Christmas traditions. Houses in the western world are often decorated with special items and colorful lights. There are many great hymns and songs that are, unfortunately, only sung during the month of December. How sad for us in general! We could use them year-round. People generally bake and imbibe too many confections, along with the rich egg nog. This is probably a negative thing overall, even though the enjoyment of such is wonderful at the moment.

        Santa Claus and the surrounding myth is given precedence during this time. The idea of Santa Claus is rather stupid however, especially in reference to witholding gifts to "bad" kids. Why should we "deserve" any gifts whatsoever? How did we even get to a cultural tradition of spending money on gifts for friends and family for no apparent reason whatsoever, except that it happens to be the Christmas season? There is nothing wrong with giving gifts to people in general, but our culture wastes money because we feel that we "have" to give gifts. That is one cultural constraint that I have completely rejected. The culture-at-large also tells us that December is the season for giving, especially giving to the underprivileged. Once again, why should the month of December be special for giving? If you are not giving to the poor, as Jesus commanded, during the whole year; or if you are not regularly giving to advance the kingdom of God, then your giving in December will not make up for your lazy selfishness the rest of the year.

        Some people, even Christians, turn the "celebration" of Christmas into a form of worship to the Christmas culture itself. Jesus, and his birth, are relegated to the display of relics, but rarely talked about. Some of these folks, some subtly, and some not-so-subtly, make me feel that I need to join them in their celebration of the "Christmas idol". This simply adds to my stress and anger at not being left alone. Furthermore, certain family members make me feel like a little child, when they feel the need to watch me open their gifts – presents which I don't need, half of which I will give away, half of which have strings attached, all of which they cannot afford in their limited annual budget.  (Could you feel my frustrated hyperbolic perception in that last sentence? :>)

        A certain Christian even told me one time (2022), that a Christmas tree displayed in a hospital waiting room, was symbolic of the birth of Jesus. It meant that there was still some cultural affinity to God, and that the holiday was not relegated yet to just being a pagan winter festival. I would argue that it already is a pagan winter festival in the western world, because relatively few people care about Jesus anyway.

        Today, no one says "Merry Christmas!" anymore. It's simply "Happy Holidays!" Whenever I hear that phrase, I want to shout, "For what holidays are you wishing me happiness? Hanukkah? Jewish people make up a tiny minority of people. Kwanzaa? I'm not black. Some nebulous, inexplicable celebration?  New Year's Day? All of the above?  None of the above?  I find it absurd, that one can't decide, but instead throws out some generic term that could be used for any annual holiday that one is expected to observe.

        I don't mind when my wife decorates the house for Christmas (although it is over-the-top). I let her treat this holiday as she wishes. After all, it is an individual choice to make the day (or month) special or not. I get endearingly called "The Grinch" or "Ebenezer" or a curmudgeon, but I don't mind; I know that I don't want to steal someone else's gifts; and I know that I am not stingy toward the poor. I will also pull out Michael Sweet's rendition of "O Holy Night" in July and thoroughly enjoy it.

       I used to work on Christmas day when I was a front desk associate at a hotel. It made my day with family that much shorter, which was fine with me, since they pushed their sacredness of the day upon me. All I really wanted was peace of mind and to be left alone. One year I went to the beach by myself and did not talk with a single soul on Christmas Day. The nice weather made that day a                          perfectly-normal perfect day!

      On a different note, I support a full-time American Christian worker in Thailand, who uses the traditional trappings of Christmas to introduce people to Jesus. (Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation, but very much follows Western Christmas traditions, especially in the cities, where there is commercial activity.  I think it is the lights and decorations that are alluring.) Thais in general have no clue why the western world includes Jesus in the traditions. This gives my friend an opportunity to tell of the greater story of Jesus coming into our world to save us. The Thais have no pre-conceived idea of Christmas, based upon hundreds of years of faulty thinking and a myriad of traditions, (except what the commercial world portrays). Even God can use the well-intentioned, but stupid, plans of man, including all the history related thereto, to draw people closer to Him, and to open their eyes to truth.     

  Sometimes I think that ignorance is bliss, and that blindness is a blessing. However, one cannot unlearn what has been learned, or undo what one has experienced. We can only change our minds about how to live with unpleasant surroundings, trusting in God to provide joy in the midst of depression. For all you misfits out there, you are not alone in your own measure of disdain for contemporary Christmas.  Have yourself a normal month of December, as you strive to live and surrender daily to our Master, Jesus Christ!  And remember to be patient with all.  There is no need to argue about any of the ideas mentioned above.  Live at peace with one another, if it is in your power to do so (Romans 14:19). And may your good attitude be evident to all, even as you ignore the season. 

Thoughts on Luke 10:25ff – The Story of the Good Samaritan

        This blog contains some quick thoughts on several topics, and is not meant to be a totally coherent view of the same. 

       The first verse of the passage above piqued my interest today because it used an odd phrase, which, by the way, Jesus did not concern himself with. Notwithstanding the fact that the expert in the law is testing Jesus, he uses the word "inherit" beside a phrase that connotes "doing something" in order to gain something else. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" I looked up the word "inherit" in the Greek, which is"kleronomeso". It basically means to acquire or possess something by casting lots. This is similar to the Hebrew word "yaw-rash" found in Genesis 21:10, which means "to take possession of", and is used in the context of Ishmael not getting Abraham's inheritance that Isaac will get. This Hebrew word can mean "to take posession by force", but in the context, it is used in the normal way that we think about inheritance. It is something that we get by chance or plan, but only at someone else's will. It is never something that we earn, like wages or justice deserved. Despite the fact that much work is done by people to subtly and subconciously influence a decedent before their death to plan on bequeathing something of value to them, it is still the decedent who decides what to leave to the heir. It does not have to be based upon anything done by the inheritor. It can simply be based upon the fact that the next of kin will get what the previous person has accumulated. It can be based upon tradition also, such as the firstborn son getting a larger portion of the decedent's estate. It can entail a culturally set percentage of goods to all persons born to a parent. This would seem like the basis for the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. The few verses of Luke 12:13-14 mention a scenario in which a brother gets all of the inheritance, part of which the other brother thinks he deserves. No explanation is given here; instead a warning of greed is given by Jesus.

      In all of these aforementioned passages, the idea of inheritance is not based upon receiving, as if one is owed wages. Oh, there are hints in the text, that might make the recipients think this way, and they probably do. However, a true inheritance is not worked for, but simply received from the person bequeathing. This idea is important when reading verses like Ephesians 1:14, which links inheritance with believing, not with working. Of course, on the surface, the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:34ff give the idea that obtaining the inheritance is based upon works, specifically visiting prisoners, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry. Then again, one could argue correctly, that putting our saving faith in Jesus (believing) is the foundation for those good works to be produced by the Holy Spirit as he changes our behavior. Or the idea of works in 25:34f could be a follow-up to the previous parable in verses 14-30, which does emphasize "doing" something with the talents. Colossians 3:24 may be the outlier in providing an exception to the rule of "inheritance; in context, it mentions our inheritance as a reward for "working for the Lord" (verse 23). Perhaps there is a general inheritance for all believers – eternal life; and extra inheritance based upon the works that we have done, which we also know is true, as there are many scriptures that speak of recompense, just not using the word "inheritance".

       Back to the lawyer in Luke 10 – maybe it wasn't a stretch then for him to use the word "inherit" as he was thinking of what must be "done". Jesus does provide an answer that consists of "doing". Love God wholeheartedly and love neighbor as yourself will bring life, as he affirms the lawyer's own answer. Here is where the problem enters. The lawyer seems to want to quantify how much of this loving someone else is required. The commandments themselves are vague in the percentage category, unless one considers loving God with all of our being as 100%. Loving our neighbors as our selves would also count within that 100%, since loving someone like we love our own selves would be obeying God, so that counts as loving God. Nonetheless, the lawyer was sneaky; that is why he was a lawyer – obeying the letter, but not necessarily the spirit. The percentage thereof, he was trying to elicit from Jesus. Once again, Jesus hit him right where he needed it the most. Taking time to care for some loathsome half-breed pagan is not what the lawyer wanted to hear, which is why Jesus told it to him.

       How often has God put "undesirables" in our lives in order for us to accommodate them, which is really loving God. Picking up drunks on the side of the road, or giving hitchhikers a lift, or giving local drunks a ride home, or giving something tangible to a panhandler, or even "rescuing" naked women on Rt 9, are just some examples of what my friend Len and I have experienced. I am sure that we all have supported foreign and native ministries that do exactly what Jesus called for in Matthew 25.

       Back to the Prodigal Son story. I have some more thoughts on the side of the story that was left unsaid. Of course, the point of the story that Jesus was making was the great love of the father for his wayward son – redemption from a sinful life. What about the inheritance though? The son received his portion of what would have been the current physical inheritance, if the father had died at that point. From the gist of the story, it sounds like it was just cash. So now, what does the son get after the father dies, since the son squandered everything previously given. Well, he does not get the portion of his brother. Even though his brother is miffed by the father welcoming his brother back, his father still has a right to treat him as he wishes. The older brother's portion is technically not his yet. However, the father would not be unfair in any future dealings. Whatever the estate was worth when the younger brother left, would definitely be the older brother's when the father died. What if the estate grows even further before the father dies? He is free to still give any portion of that to the younger brother. The father's point in reacting to the older brother is to point out that the father is ready to lavish his love upon the whole family if they would only ask. Why do I think the younger son will get next to nothing when the father dies? Proverbs 20:21 fits perfectly into this story – "An inheritance quickly gained will NOT be blessed in the end." Nonetheless, the younger brother probably doesn't even care at this point; he is just glad that Dad took him back in, where there is plenty to eat. He probably already knows that there will be nothing left when Dad dies, but it doesn't matter. He has come to his senses and knows that he is loved and taken care of, as long as the father is alive. Once the older brother has most of the estate, what will happen then?

       I often think of these types of earthly scenarios that actually happen around the world, as we all progress in our years of attempting to please God. I think of Paul, who was told in Acts 9:16 "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name". I wonder if that suffering was a worldly recompense for all the persecution that he perpetrated. Then, I wonder how much of that suffering was counted as participating in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10).

       So, be careful of what you wish from your earthly inheritance, and strive for the rewards that may be linked to a fantastic eternal inheritance that we don't deserve anyway.

March 18 – Abundant Life

       John 10:10 – [Jesus said], "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full".

       What does it mean to live life to the fullest? Right now - under the new covenant? In America? In Bangladesh, where 160 million souls are crammed into a land mass the size of Georgia? In Siberia, where it is barely not winter for a short time of the year? Some Bible translations, render the verse above, with the last phrase as "and life more abundantly." I have mused over this idea for decades with little actual experience, or at least what I thought was little experience. Over the years, with constant study of the Scriptures, I knew that the phrase could not mean material wealth. Psalm 63:5 gave me this clue: "My soul will be satisfied, AS with the richest of foods." I knew that the abundant life of which Jesus spoke had to be more than physical. As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with material wealth for those living in a North Korean prison camp, or in a hostile desert country like Somalia, or in a refugee camp in western Thailand. Today, in 2023, I had a revelation as I mused about some completely unrelated scriptures, to which I was led from the rabbit hole of Psalm 78, in my ordinary routine of reading a Psalm according to the day of the month.

       Let us start with the precursor to the body of Christ – the physical nation of Israel, chosen by God out of all the nations of the world, to be his special inheritance. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 gives us the historic foundation and recipe for abundant living in the land of Canaan, to which God was about to lead the nation of Israel. Verses 1-2 state: "If you fully obey Yahweh your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey Yahweh your God:...." Then, in the following verses, abundant peace, fruitful horticulture, and fruitful agriculture flow.

       Besides obeying all the commands that Moses received while on Mt. Sinai (which are basically re-iterated in Deuteronomy), the Israelites had one other mandate when they actually crossed the Jordan into the promised land from east to west. They even had a taste of this mandate while on the east side of the Jordan (Deut 2:31ff). They were commanded to wipe out all the current inhabitants of the land promised to them. Deuteronomy 7:1-7 gives the mandate to complete destroy the specific peoples – to not make any treaty with them, to not intermarry with them, but to kill all inhabitants, and to smash and burn their religious objects.

       These physical acts were commanded by God in that dispensation (Mosaic covenant), at the very least, as a sign pointing to spiritual acts in the current dispensation (New Covenant, established by Jesus – Luke 22:20). The nation of Israel had to physically invade the cities as a killing host, which would lead God to fulfill his promise to wipe out the sinful peoples (Deut. 7:1; cf Genesis 15:16 also.) The act was God working symbiotically with his chosen people to produce a desired result. This concept is spelled out specifically in 2 Peter 1:3-9, in which Christians are commanded to pursue godly disciplines, character, and behavior, all while contrasting the work of God's spirit alone to produce fruit in us, as is stated in Galatians 5:22-23. This spiritual act is the ongoing sanctifying process of the believer, which is a direct correlation to the wiping out of the sinful peoples in Joshua's time of leadership.

       There are a couple of other scriptures that give us a picture of this concept. Psalm 1:1-3 states: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor take his stand according to the ways of sinners, nor sit in the authoritative seat of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of Yahweh, and on whose law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its FRUIT in season and whose leaf does not wither." We Christians, however, are not trees, which cannot move; we can choose to put down our roots by the streams of waters, or we can uproot ourselves and move to poisonous soil. It is our choice. Likewise, Romans 12:1-2 gives us a similar concept: "Therefore, I urge you, brother, in view of God's kindness, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your reasonable act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Can you see how this relates to the mandate to the Israelites to wipe out all memory of the Canaanite inhabitants? The "renewing of the mind" equates to the smashing and burning of the pagan religious objects. However, once again, offering ourselves as living sacrifices is a choice. One can easily slip off the altar, when one is not dead, like a traditional offering was.

       As I was reading the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 11 today, having slid down that aforementioned rabbit hole, I recalled that at that time in history, the promised land had barely been overtaken, even after 200-odd years since the walls of Jericho came down. It would take another generation or two for the nation of Israel to even come close to controlling the boundaries that God originally spelled out to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. As I look back at my life as a Christian over 40+ years, I can only blame myself for not experiencing the abundant life promised me (controlling that spiritual land from end to end). Of course I still have eternal life, for that was given to me when I was adopted into the kingdom of God (cf. Colossians 1:12-13 & Ephesians 1:13-14). Eternal life is an unchanging state of being; abundant life is a constantly-changing state of experiencing. Laziness, premature contentment, and downright disobedience are killers of abundant life.  (This is how the nation of Israel basically lived from the time of Joshua's death, until roughly the time of King David.)  That is why I must focus on the aforementioned scriptures as I live in a daily relationship with the spirit of God – if I am to ever have any semblance of life to the fullest, regardless of my circumstances. Jesus suffered tremendously as a sinless human, and yet he lived a human life to the fullest. He promises both trouble and fullness, simultaneously. John 16:33 states "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 1 John 5:4-5 also says "...everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who trusts that Jesus is the son of God." 

 

May 6 – Your Word is Truth

         Psalm 119:104 – "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

         This is easily one of the most quoted scriptures in the Old Testament. It goes without saying then that God's words, recorded for us, should be the most sought-after treasure in our lives. Actually, the entire song of Psalm 119, the longest in the Bible, is one that extols his word, laws, and commands. Jesus takes this idea even one step further. In John 17:17, he prays to the Father "....your word is truth".

        Recently, I had an unexpected conversation with a 40 year-old woman, that started with what's wrong about American society. She immediately stated that we have neglected the Bible. I then said, "Tell me more!" So she proceeded to tell me how God had led her mother, sister, her daughter, and herself 20 years ago from New Orleans to Virginia Beach to start a new life. She told of divine intervention along the way, as well as "signs" to guide them to the correct location. They were helped in gaining employment and lodging in Virginia Beach. She even met her future husband there. The same happened (minus the husband-finding) when just three years ago (2019), they were prompted to move again from Virginia Beach to my hometown, of all places – a rinky-dink small tourist town, with few opportunities of employment.

        Throughout our conversation, I delved further into life in Virginia Beach. There were no friends who would miss them, when they would move to my town; there was no church family to speak of, only a husband to bring along. The same thing was said of her three years of residence in my town. She preferred to keep to herself. If this wasn't odd in itself for a Christian (although she did not mention that name), one thing else was glaring. I asked how she knew that God was truly leading her. Her reply was how she saw his hand in her family's moves. I then inquired if God's word, the Bible, was important. (Remember that this was the catalyst of our conversation, but which never appeared in her long story.) She stated that it was, but that it was not enough in order to know God in a personal way. She gave the age-old example of people in poor and restricted nations, where folks cannot find a Bible, but nevertheless, have found the living God. I couldn't deny that this is true, but not in America, where we both lived. I came to the conclusion, that God's word was not really important, as she mentioned that she might read it a couple of times a week for "comfort", not for direction, guidance, or truth. However, it was not needed for knowing God in a personal way. So many verses came to my mind, and a few I offered; however, I was beating my head against a wall.

        So, my dear reader, let's remind ourselves of what God's word can do for us. Psalm 119:10, 11, 97-100, 133 state, "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you....Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts....direct my footsteps according to your word." Verse 10 above sounds like a personal relationship with God CAN be found via his word.  Furthermore, the last phrase states that God can give us direction in which to walk. 

         Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Pentateuch, because it is pregnant with hope and description of why keeping God's commands are more than just rule-following. In chapter 6, we read: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and get up." Having them in one's heart and living them daily sounds to me like a lifestyle, not a religion. The rest of chapter six also gives that impression.

        The Israelites, by and large, however, forgot that God brought them out of Egypt, in order to make them prosperous in a new land – under his covenant as King and caretaker. By the time that Jesus arrived on the scene, the Mosaic law had become a burden that no one could carry, and one that not even the Pharisees would help you carry (Matthew 23:4). Jesus had to remind us that God and his word were more than rules to be submitted to. Man was not created to just follow the rules; the rules were created to benefit man (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13). Jesus showed us how to love God by keeping the Spirit of the law, which transcended and pre-dated the Mosaic law itself. Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), as only he could. 

        How can we know these differences that bring freedom unless we read the words of Jesus himself?  Let's get out the flashlight, and start walking in this dark world.  

 

January 20 - “Have you not read....?”

        Matthew 19:4 - “Haven’t you read”, Jesus replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’....”

        This response from Jesus to a question about divorce gives us serious implications about what we actually believe to be true in life. Often, we verbalize statements that are based upon what we grew up hearing and/or learning from various sources, such as our grandparents, school teachers, neighbors, or civic leaders, etc. Sometimes these statements are true; sometimes they are assumed to be true, but are only half-truths, old wives’ tales, or downright falsehoods due to ignorance.

        When Jesus responds to the question on divorce by the Pharisees in Matthew 19, he is assuming that they should already know the answer, because they should know what the sacred writings say. In many cases, however, Jesus has to correct their thinking about these writings and/or enlighten them because their understanding is so narrow, rigid, or otherwise skewed.  In four other places mentioned in the book of Matthew (12:3; 21:42; 22:31; & 21:16), Jesus asks the same question - “Have you not read...?”

        In Matthew 22:29f, Jesus goes a little further when he chides the Sadducees: “You are in error, because you do not know the Scriptures, or the power of God.” That sounds like the consequences of being ignorant of what God has already revealed to man. In those days, usually the only people who had regular access to the sacred writings were the religious leaders of Israel. Making copies of writings was not an easy thing to do; it took precious resources of writing material such as vellum, papyrus, or parchment. Then it took so much time to copy word-for-word a document. This is partially why passing down truth via an oral tradition was so widespread. Copies of writings for an ordinary person was basically a luxury.

        Even though the Chinese started wooden moveable type at the end of the first millenium AD, it wasn’t until 1450 when Johannes Gutenberg introduced metal moveable type, that commercial widespread printing started to become a reality. Now we have moved from paper to digital printing. The whole world basically has the opportunity to read countless books. We Christians have no excuse not to read the Bible, Old and New Testaments, since those writings are so prevalent in society. Let’s look at a few more verses to take us from only a few persons with sacred-writing knowledge to the responsibility of us all.

        In Paul's 2^nd letter to his friend Timothy, he states in 2:15, “Show diligence in presenting yourself to God for approval, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, correctly handling the word of truth”. Paul is here referring to the Old Testament writings. One chapter later in verses 15-17, he reminds Timothy of “....how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for good works.” All these commands and benefits are coming from the Old Testament! How much more revelation about faith in Christ is given in the New Testament writings! Kudos to Timothy's parents and grandparents who instilled the sacred writings in Timothy at such an early age. What a blessing!

        Another beautiful verse about Old Testament events is found in 1 Corinthians 10:11 - “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us....” That sounds like something that we should read for our own benefit. Jesus takes this concept up a notch. He states in John 14:23-24, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me”. We can't obey his teaching unless we know what it is, which is why we need to read his words and remind ourselves of them over and over. The apostle John re-itererates this in his first letter. In 2:3-6, he states, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says 'I know him' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” If we want to know how Jesus walked, we have to read what is written about him. That is our responsibility.

       There is an old blues song called “Nobody's Fault But Mine”, recorded in 1927 by Blind Willie Johnson and which has been covered by countless artists since. Some of the words are: “I got a Bible in my home...I got a Bible in my home...if I don't read and my soul's lost...it's nobody's fault but mine”.

 November 10 – Dying To Self

        Psalm 101: 8 – "In the morning, I will put to silence all the wicked of the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of Yahweh."

        On the surface, this verse is one of the strangest that I have read in the Psalms. How does this verse relate to me? Let's unpack this last verse of this psalm, as well as the whole psalm itself. This is quite a short psalm, whose theme is personal integrity. Verses 2 and 3 mention carrying one's personal behavior in one's own house in a sound or complete manner. The NIV uses the word "blameless", that nebulous term that almost sounds like "perfect" but could also be related to "reputation", as in the idea of someone not being able to blame you for wrongdoing, due to ignorance of the facts. The root of the Hebrew word means "having reached the end of maturity". The Greek word "teleois" also means the same thing, and is used by Jesus in Matthew 5:48: "Be perfect (Gk: teleois), as your heavenly Father is perfect". The odd thing about this latter verse, however, is that the heavenly Father never needed a process to become completely mature. He has always been sinless, perfectly faithful in all his ways. We humans, however, need a process to become mature, complete, striving to become sinless in behavior and thought.

        Back to Psalm 101. The nation of Israel (meaning every person living in the land AND therefore, under the Mosaic law) was commanded by God to obey every law that he gave to Moses (Deuteronomy 27:1). Therefore, in some sense, morality could be forced upon individuals. There are many societal punishments listed in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy for moral sins. David, as recalled in Acts 13:22, was a man after God's heart. Therefore, it is not surprising to read the words of this Psalm, which is credited to David the King, the supreme leader of the nation. Outward morality was highly pursued to ensure God's blessings on the nation, as described in Deuteronomy 28. This is even commensurate today with some Muslim nations, which use Shariah law in their societies to enforce moral behavior. The actions in verses 7 and 8 could literally be enforced by David in his own household and at the city gates, which would have been shut and locked nightly. Therefore, in the morning, certain immoral fellows could have been blocked from entering the city if so deemed.

        Fast forward now to the new covenant, where we are not under law, nor the curse of the law (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:10-14). We Christians no longer live in a theocratic, physical nation. We all live among pagans, in many different types of governments. However, all Christians live in the spiritual kingdom of God, serving one King and Master, who still expects obedience to all his moral ways. Therefore, verses 7 and 8 can be construed as personal commands to oneself, seeing that we ourselves are the city with gates(openings). (See Luke 11:34 & 8:18 for references to bodily openings related to light/darkness [good and evil]). We are the dwelling of the Holy Spirit; we are the city of God (1 Corinthians 6:19; Matthew 7:14; Hebrews 12:22). We are the individuals who have to secure one's "city" from the evildoers. Colossians 3:1-10 gives us the clear command that is the spiritual fulfillment of Psalm 101:7, 8: "Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above.....set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God....put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed....because of these, the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed [to maturity] in knowledge in the image of its Creator."

        One thing to note further: John Bunyan understood this concept, when he wrote his book The Holy War: The Battle for Mansoul, in 1682. This is a lesser-known book from the author of The Pilgrim's Progress, but is just as important and relevant as an allegory of spiritual growth.

 

 February 4 – To Wed or Not To Wed

       Matthew 19:10-12 – "The disciples said to him, 'If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.' Jesus replied, 'Not every one can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs, because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.' "

       I just read a short one-page biography of a full-time Christian worker with a well-known American ministry. At the end of the article was a short prayer request for this worker. It read: "Pray for [Lora] that she would never lose her first love, Christ; pray for contentment as a single woman; and pray for wisdom should God's will be for her to marry." Lora is 40 years old and has never been married; she became a Christian in high school. The article gave the impression that Lora has also been working as a full-time Christian worker, personally raising her own financial support, since she graduated from college. That sounds like someone who is confident in her calling!

       However, the final prayer request lacked that same confidence. I believe that request was wonting, not because of confidence itself, but because of a lack of understanding of God's sovereign will versus his allowance of our freedom to make choices in serving him and living for him. Let's look at the last reference in the scripture above regarding eunuchs. This is obviously a term that is rarely mentioned in one's lifetime. Nonetheless, it is simply referring to a male's penis being removed from the body (I don't recommend it). However, the last reference could also be symbolic of the state of renouncing marriage for life, and, therefore, not physical. Regardless of the physicality, Jesus' meaning is that celibacy is a gift(!) for those who can abide by such, not needing a spouse and being content with living alone.

       Paul further elucidates this idea in 1 Corinthians 7, a rather long, but clear, chapter on marriage and celibacy. In verse 7 of that chapter, he also calls celibacy a gift – as well as marriage being a gift! They are both gifts. He also states that those who can accept the gift of celibacy, have the greater gift. But neither person is wrong for accepting whatever gift he takes. God allows us to take whichever gift we want.

       Paul's further instructions, however, start with verse 29 and goes to verse 38. He wants us married folks to be fully devoted to Jesus, and he tells us that earthly marriage can be a hindrance to that devotion. Jesus also clearly tells us that we are to love Yahweh our God with all our hearts, minds, and strength (Matthew 22:37). I am also to love God more than I love my spouse, which is strongly implied in Luke 14:26, Exodus 34:14, and throughout the 7^th chapter of I Corinthians.

       The upshot is that Lora is incorrect to think of marriage as God's will. She is free to accept whatever gift she wants, so long as her devotion to God remains steadfast or even becomes greater. There is no need to be confused about getting married, because either way God is pleased with giving you a gift. He is even more pleased when we love him more than the gift itself.

Pleasing God

 June 30 – Pleasing God

2 Corinthians 5:9 – “So we make it our goal to please Him [Jesus], whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

       All of us are at different stages of growth in our knowledge and trust in our heavenly Father and our Master Jesus Christ - which is why we all need reminders about how to live. We are told that Jesus has come to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10); however, that does not mean that he is to be our personal Santa Claus, satisfying our every whim. Our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15), or even in the abundance of awesomeness in one possession. Pleasing God in our actions and thoughts is what will bring us the most abundant living possible. Look at Isaiah 58:13,14 in the spiritual light of Hebrews 4:8-11 (the fulfillment of what it means to keep the Sabbath as we rest in the completed work of Jesus, not in a literal sense of the seventh day of the week).  “ 'If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight [your salvation in Jesus] and Yahweh's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find joy in Yahweh, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.' The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”

       Therefore, here are some reminders about pleasing God.

Romans 12:1,2 – “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's kindness, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, set apart and pleasing to God – this is your reasonable act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1 – “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask and urge you in the Master Jesus to do this more and more.”

Hebrews 11:5,6 – “...for before he [Enoch] was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. For without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Proverbs 15:8 – “Yahweh detests the sacrifices of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”

Psalm 104:34 – “May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in Yahweh.”

1 John 3:21,22 – “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”

Philippians 4:18b – “....I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epahroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

Hebrews 13:20,21 – “May the God of peace....equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him....”

Isaiah 58 – This entire chapter, partly referenced above, describes obeying (pleasing) God and the blessings that will follow. These are awesome promises!

Only Two Nations

 June 1 – Only Two Nations

Psalm 33:12a – "Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh..."

       The above phrase is a frequent statement seen on church marquis across the United States, from many years prior to this current year of 2021. I just saw it on a marquis of a local Baptist church in my home county. It signifies several things: 1) that America was, and/or still is, a "Christian" nation, one whose founding was based upon Christian principles; 2) that America is/was divinely inspired to be a different/special nation in the grand scheme of the nations of the earth, post-middle ages; and 3) that, perhaps, America as a whole, has left its divine calling as a light and moral example to the rest of the heathen world. There has already been so much written about the creation of this great democracy in the 18^th century AD, regarding the spiritual foundational thinking (or lack thereof) of a new society, rebelling against the oppressive British overlords. This is not the crux of this article.

       My argument here is much broader in nature. Throughout the whole of scripture, there is a theme that re-appears: God's chosen people are pitted against the other people groups in the region, whether they are large (e.g. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon) or whether they are small (e.g. Moab, Ammon, Amalek, Jebus, Canaan). To God, there were only two sets of people: his specifically called people (descendants of Abraham thru Isaac) and all the rest of the world. God even calls his nation his son: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1). God also says "Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...." (Exodus 19:6a) "I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter...I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way...little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land" (Exodus 23:27a, 28, 30). The whole theme of Psalm 83, as another example, is planned revenge of the nations surrounding Israel.

       As the new covenant is played out, we find that the Gentiles (nations) are slowly brought into the body of Christ (Acts 10). Verses 34, 35 state "Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." Paul tells us in Colossians 3:11, "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all." Romans, chapters 9-11 presents a back-and-forth argument for the acceptance of the Gentiles into the family of faith. There is even a mention that not even all of Israel belonged to Israel. Then verse 9:30 gives us the crux of the matter: "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles who did pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as if it were by works." So we see here that God's people even in the Old Covenant were only truly those who lived by faith. The same is true for us now – the Christians are the ones who live by faith in Christ's righteousness, which means that they are God's people, his holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).

       The odd thing about the theme verse above (what was on the church marquis), is that it is missing the 2^nd part of that verse, "the people he chose as his inheritance. A political nation does not choose to be a "godly" nation, even if that is their intention, or even if they impose a religion in order to make God (Allah) the head (e.g. Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, with their Sharia law). One cannot even call a nation Christian, even if a majority of its people belong to God. There are only two nations in God's eyes now, as it always has been: those who are his by trusting in his love, and those who are not by refusing his love.

 

Hero                                                                                                                      11 July 2021

       The word "hero" is thrown around in English-speaking communities quite freely and loosely these days. Therefore, I had to research the definition of the word "hero", to certify that I knew what it meant. It turns out that Webster's Dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero) defines the word "hero" less tamely than I thought it would. There are several definitions listed, all closely linked in meaning. However, definition 1C and 1D are the way that the word is mostly commonly used today. A hero is: 1C) a person admired for achievements or admirable qualities, or 1D) one who shows great courage. Both of those definitions are quite general and broad. I was personally thinking that a hero was something quite narrower – a person who saves someone else from physical or mental harm, either in a long-term fashion, or with an extraordinary feat in a time of crisis or danger. Of course, my definitions do fit the definition of a hero, but they go quite beyond it.

       A hero can simply be an idol, and many people actually use the word in that fashion, e.g. a sports figure or popular musician. A hero can also be a person who inspires someone else to great achievements. This can simply be a parent, friend, mentor, or teacher who has a positive influence in someone's life. Both of these examples fit definition 1C. However, I don't think the word should be used as a synonym for the word "idol". An idol connotes the idea of devotion and adoration, the latter word also carrying a connotation leaning toward worship. Why can't we convey our thoughts in a more comprehensible fashion? Let's just use the words idol and inspiration instead of a nebulous word like hero.

       So many times in America, the word "hero" is used synonymously with military personnel, especially those who have been sent by superiors to foreign lands to engage in various kinds of activities (e.g., aggression; policing; logistics support), sometimes in places of potential mental and physical harm/danger. The latter kind of people fit definition 1D, simply because they have to be vigilant and courageous within the environment of danger, in order to survive. However, those people who chose to be contracted with Uncle Sam to serve in the military, are not necessarily admirable or high achievers, just because they served in the military and got paid for it. I also served Uncle Sam in the administrative service of the IRS for 25 years, without serving at all in the military. My yearly evaluations were consistently outstanding, as I performed my paid job functions. I was a hero according to definition 1C, as my work ethic and performance were exemplary and admirable. If I came to work in a snow storm, then I would have been a hero according to definition 1D, as it took courage to drive the winding, hilly roads for 30 miles in blinding snow.

       I have two friends who have performed acts of rescue from harm. One friend used to drive by my house at 4:30 AM every day to catch the commuter train to Washington, DC. One morning, about one mile east of my house, he noticed smoke emanating from a house that was situated very close to the highway. It was quite evident that the smoke was not produced by a chimney of any sort. There was clearly a slow-building fire within the house. My friend turned his car around, stopped near the house, and started banging on the front door. When no one answered his knocking, he went to the house next door, awoke that resident, and inquired of the knowledge of anyone living next door. The awake neighbor affirmed, and helped in arousing the sleeping neighbors, in order to escape, at the very least, smoke inhalation. My friend then continued to the train station and went to work, as if it was another ordinary day. He had initiated a rescue of a family from possible death.

       Another friend works for a blasting company on a drilling rig. He regularly has to connect loose heavy steel pipes to dangling pipes attached to the rig. One day he was simply acting as a driller's helper while another person ran the rig. He knew that the driller had a history of bad health and was susceptible to strokes. At some point this day, he noticed that the driller appeared lethargic and dazed while pulling his drill above his head. Somehow the last metal pipe got disconnected from the rest and was about to fall on the driller. My friend reacted quickly by running to the drill and knocking the man to the ground, just before the metal pipe fell. Neither were injured permanently by this maneuver. My friend had clearly saved his co-worker from serious harm.

       Two rescues – two heroic acts. Both of those are examples of what a clear definition of "hero" should be. We should not denigrate "admirable", "inspirational" or "courageous"; but we should certainly elevate "hero" with its own specific and greater meaning.