January 7 – Various Workings

       1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – "There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are varieties of service, but the same Master. There are varieties of working, but the same God works all of them in all people."

       I recently discovered (2026) among a pile of old books that belonged to my parents, an updated version of an old compilation by L.B. Cowman, called Streams in the Desert. It was first published in 1924 as a collection of short daily encouraging messages for Christians. Mrs. Lettie Cowman took some of her own writings and compiled them with various other writers' experiences in the Christian faith. I had never heard of this book, even though I have been a Christian for several decades. Apparently, it ranked in popularity among Christians with Oswald Chambers' famous book My Utmost for His Highest. (I had actually run across the latter and obtained a copy of it in the 1990s. I eventually read through the entire book and was inspired by Chambers' passion for living for Christ. Many years later I started to re-read My Utmost but found it uninspiring. What had changed? Well, I had changed in various ways.) I found the layout of Streams to be confusing, even after reading the explanatory introduction. Sometimes I could not tell which portions of the daily readings belonged to the compiler, which means that some of the daily readings had creations from more than one author. Sometimes the poems at the end of the readings had names attributed to them, and sometimes not. (Were the poem-writers the same as the prose-writers?) What I found in both books, however, were often short snippets of Bible verses, that were then expanded in explanations and in ways that sometimes didn't even point back to the verse itself.

       My reason for change in outlook and attitude toward these books is not the point, even though that would account for the way that I viewed these books (one the second time around). My point is that any accounting of one's experience in God, or explanation of his Word, or attempt at encouraging someone else to personally know and experience this living God, can be worthless to one and a boon to another, and even both at various times.

       It is God's Spirit who works his will and ways into our very being. God can and does use human activities, experiences, and writing for the benefit of others. That is the lesson in 1 Corinthians 12, as mentioned above. Romans 12 also explains this same topic, with an important caveat. Verse 6 states "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us..." God's grace is exhibited among us believers in various ways and depths of comprehension. His body consists in many parts, each performing various tasks that support its entire health and usefulness. Just because I can't feel what my pancreas is doing, doesn't mean that is useless. It is quite vital to my overall health, as are many other organs. (You'd be surprised to know how important your small toe is.)

       Furthermore, Paul explains this measure of grace in Romans 12:3f – "By the grace given to me, I say to you all: do not think of yourself more highly than you should, but with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith that God has given to you." So, when you read the writings of people, from the early church "fathers" to "nobodys" like me, remember that nothing is worthless if offered in service to our Master Jesus Christ (see 2 Thessalonians 1:11). While chewing on someone's grace, swallow what you find palatable, and spit out what you find disagreeable, knowing that someone's gruel is another's ice cream sundae.

August 24 – The Meaning of "Abolish"

     Matthew 5:17 – "Do not think that I [Jesus] have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." (NIV)

     Ephesians 2:14, 15 – "For he himself [Jesus] is our peace...by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations." (NIV)

       There seems to be a surface contradiction when reading the above verses side-by-side. Did Jesus abolish the Old Testament law or did he not? The answer is more simple than is thought. However, a couple of ideas need to be established. While one CAN completely find God's truth in his written word, one cannot put one's faith necessarily in particular words in any given translation of God's word. According to the Quora website, there are approximately 900 English translation of the original Greek canon of God's word, in whole or in part, originating, at least, since 1526. The above verses are a good example of what happens when words, concepts, and definitions are not completely understood or clearly explained within a given translation.  Sometimes, one has to dig deeper into the original languages to get a more complete picture. 

       The King James Version does also not give a clear translation of Matthew 5:17, using the vague word of "destruction", instead of using "abolish". (The explanation of the word "destruction" is for a completely different discussion.) However, the meaning of "destruction" is much closer to the Greek idea, than is the word "abolish". Let me explain.

       In Matthew 5:17, the Greek word used in translating "abolish" is "katalusai", from the root (καταλύω) . It means literally to "loosen down", whose practical usage means "to disintegrate"; hence the KJV's rendering as "destruction". Jesus did not come to pulverize into dust the Law, but to fulfill (to fill completely or to end the task) the Law. And don't forget the Prophets, which are also mentioned in this verse. Jesus was fulfilling everything written about himself within the Law of Moses, as well as the succeeding prophetic writings. I would add that Jesus also showed us the proper way of interpreting the details of the law, especially when it came to following the letter (the external) of the moral laws, versus the internal motivations of the heart in doing so. (See Matthew chapters 5 and 6 for examples.)

       In Ephesians 2:15, the Greek word used in translation of "abolish" is "katargesas", (καταργήσας), which means to annul, nullify, or make void (as in a contract). Paul states that the Mosaic law has been nullified, been made obsolete, or no longer in its surface usage. He also describes the hidden purpose of the law in Galatians chapters 2 and 3, as being a slave master over all humans, showing us how wicked we are, and revealing that we are not able to obey God's commands within our sinful nature. Paul was writing this to an amalgamation of Jewish and Greek persons who were confused about how to live within their current/former culture's milieu. Don't forget that the rest of the world, which included millions of people not even remotely familiar with the Jewish law, still had God's moral unwritten laws to keep, understanding that those laws existed before and apart from the Mosaic law, and internally recognized by our consciences. See Romans 1:18-20 and 2:12-15 for further explanation.

        Perhaps we should use words like "disintegrate" and "nullify" to distinguish very important differences in concepts.  No one is helped when the waters are muddied.  A clear stream means clarity in understanding.  

July 31 – The Most Confusing Word in The Bible: Righteous

Psalm 37:12a – "The wicked plot against the righteous..."

       Throughout my lifetime, the most confusing, misunderstood, nebulous word/concept in the entire Bible has been the word "righteous". It is a word that is hardly used outside of religious thinking. There are a few references, however, in secular culture. Do you remember the Righteous Brothers music duo from the 60s onward? The world even uses the phrase "holier-than-thou" to reflect a perceived arrogance of a more-righteous behavior. That latter concept infers that righteous behavior has to do with morality, that built-in understanding of what are right and wrong acts. Behavior is certainly tied to a moral understanding of righteousness.

       In reference to the opening Bible verse, however, "the righteous" is a person or group of people. So, who is the righteous; what makes them righteous; how do they possess righteousness; and what is righteous behavior? A cursory look at David's psalms gives us a contrastive overview of the wicked versus the righteous. A contrastive, but confusing, Psalm 91 also follows that theme. While reading these psalms, many questions arise in my thinking, especially when I contrast David's erratic actions over the course of his 70 years. With that in mind, I don't intend to make this blog an exclusive study of the concept of righteousness. I only want to give an overview and how I was inspired while reading Psalm 91.

       Psalm 91:8 sums up the misfortunes described in verses 5-7, as being the just payment for "the wicked". These misfortunes, however, in reality, happen to all kinds of people and have happened throughout history. Is the protection reflected in Psalm 91:5-8 a definition of hyper-faith? The New Testament has examples of misfortunes happening to Christians. That sentiment is not my theme. As I reflected on "the wicked" in verse 8, I was reminded of Romans 3:10-16. In these compiled references of distinct Old Testament verses, Paul weaves the argument that all people are "wicked" and not righteous. This causes Psalm 91:8 to make perfect sense, because I am the wicked person. It is no wonder then, when my fallen nature (Romans 5:12-14) coincides with living in a fallen world (Romans 8:20-21), that undesirable things happen in my physical life. But I digress yet again, except to say that all of us are wicked individuals, (who may happen to act righteously from time to time; this concept will also play into BEING righteous versus acting righteously.) Then, how do I get righteousness? Let me mention two distinct understandings of the word righteous without trying to back up the definitions with detailed Greek language explanations.

       The word righteous can basically mean two things: 1) being in right-standing with God (a peaceful friendship versus a status of enmity); and 2) behaving in a morally acceptable way towards people and God, which also pleases God. One is a positional or relational righteousness; the other is a practical, action-oriented righteousness.

       Let us work backwards then from the argument in Romans 3, and from the (also confusing-sounding) remedy in 1 Corinthians 1:30 – "It is because of God that you are IN Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption." Our right-standing (relational righteousness) with God is only because Jesus purchased that reconciliation through his atoning death on the cross (Romans 5:6-10). Our faith in that understanding of salvation was also what saved people under the old covenant, despite the fact that Jesus had not yet come to make atonement; the people's faith in the idea that God would forgive their sins, despite their wickedness is clearly shown in David's psalms, not because people could live any way they liked, but because their hearts were already drawn to a loving God. It is God's kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), not just under the new covenant, but also in the times and covenants before. See the following for examples of those puzzle pieces: Psalm 32:1; Hebrews 11:7; and Romans 4:1-14, for the intertwining of righteous acts with faith.  

July 17 - Temporary Mission

Luke 10:1 - "Jesus appointed 70 others and sent them two by two ahead of him, to every town and place where he was about to go."  

       Luke 10 tells the story of Jesus sending out 70 persons to towns, ahead of his 
eventual arrival to those towns (verse 1).  The story contains specific commands to these 
70 persons for this particular mission only.  (Cross-reference Luke 18:18-30, which also 
describes a specific command to one person only; conversely, a general command for all 
believers regarding the poor can be found at Matthew 6:1-4).  First, the 70 were 
commanded to "remain" at "whatsoever house they entered (vv 5 & 7)".  
How were they to know what house to enter?  We are not told.  How long were they to 
remain in that house?  One hour?  Till supper was over?  Till they left that town?  I 
believe that the latter is the answer.  Why would Jesus tell them to "remain" 
if they were just there for a short visit?  The implication is that they were to lodge at 
someone's house till moving on to the next town, unless the owner's peace returned to 
them negatively.  Then they could pick another house to attempt a welcome lodging.  
However, they were not to lodge in different houses during their stay in that town (v7) - 
"Go not from house to house".  This is not a prohibition on visiting multiple 
houses, just moving their lodging from house to house.  Remember the context of 
"remaining".  How else could they get out their message if they didn't visit 
each house?  Let's examine some other possibilities.
       What was their mission?  Jesus told them to "heal the sick, and say unto them, 
'the kingdom of God has come near to you'."  That was all - two things.  Later 
in the chapter (v. 17), we find out that demons were subject to the 70 persons when they 
used the name of Jesus to drive them out.  This implies that exorcism was part of the 
"healing of the sick".  Where did the healings take place? How did they 
proclaim the nearness of the kingdom of God?  We are not told.  However, there are some 
possibilities.  First, we could infer that only the house in which they lodged was given 
the "good news" and healings.  Second, they could have preached in the streets 
or at the market (public places).  Third, they could have proclaimed the "good 
news" in the weekly synagogue meetings.  Fourth, they could have gone from house to 
house, inviting the inhabitants to listen to their message.  We don't know, because we 
are not given the specifics. We also do not know how long was the mission.  There is much 
to be left to the imagination.  

 July 11 – Nostalgia

Ecclesiastes 7:10 – "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' It is not wise to ask such questions."

       Usually this question arises in the minds of older individuals who grew up in a middle-class lifestyle; although the question can emanate from anyone who has lived to see large societal changes. That last word is what causes the question in the first place: CHANGE. That is a constant in our ever-moving western world of 2026. Societal structures, government, business, cultural mores, and technology seem to progress (not necessarily for the better) whether we like it or not. It is usually when we don't like it that the big question above is asked. This is where nostalgia kicks in. We long for the old days when things were better, when life was simpler, more community-oriented, less disjointed, slower, peaceful, and more godly. Often, life was actually better, due to the fact that we had more freedom, more money, less stress, and less regulation from governing authorities. However, sometimes the question is asked because life was so good that, in our minds, it verged upon the closest thing to utopia in a fallen world. Since that utopia has dissipated, we now want it back. That will never happen however, because we can't go back to the days of the local emporium or general store or non-existent social media, or whatever we deem to have been better. Life has changed!

       A renewal of the mind is needed once again. I am convinced that life is a constant series of repentings. Remember that repentance means a change of the mind. Then, John the baptizer told us to produce fruit in keeping with repentance; that is the action part (Luke 3:8). We must remember that we are strangers and aliens on this planet (1 Peter 1:11), a vapor that appears for a short while, then vanishes (Psalm 39:5, 6). The old days, as good as they might have been, will pale in comparison to the awesome things that God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). As part of the mental correction, Hebrews 11:13-16 encourages us with the following: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on this earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one."

       When life seems worse now than in the "good ole days", we Christians must remind ourselves, that we were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:12-14). God placed us in the exact time in history and location so that we would reach out to him (Acts 17:26-27). There are good new days ahead, even if they are only in the next life. Keep the faith; you will eventually get there!