Intro

There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about truth.  We are told that we live in a post-truth world.  We hear of fake news, and of alternative facts.  So this week seemed like a good time to quote Pilot and ask “what is truth”?

Scripture and Commentary

The Scriptures provide us with a lot of insight into truth:

The truth comes from God, not by the law, but by grace thru Christ and by God’s word:

John 1:14-17:

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 17:17

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

We must seek to understand the truth thru the gift of discernment, given by God:

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

James 1:5

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you

Proverbs 15:14

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Philippians 1:9-10

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ

Truth is recognizable by 5 key characteristics:

A. Truth is consistent with “good fruits”

Ephesians 5:9

9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth

And 22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

B. Truth has nothing to hide

John 3:20-21

 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

1 John 1:6-7

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

C. Truth glorifies God, not individuals

John 7:18

18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 

D. Truth doesn’t preach a “prosperity doctrine” or other false teaching

I Timothy 6:3-5

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

2 Timothy 4:3-5

3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

E. Truth is loving in both word and deed

1 Peter 1:22

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

1 John 3:18

 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Conclusion

I reject the notion that we live in a post-truth world!  Instead I think we live in a world where the truth is being fulfilled, while simultaneously many are also being deceived.  The Bible tells us that Satan is the father of lies, and that there is no truth in him, but as Christians we can always be confident that with the assistance of discernment given by God we will know the truth, and be set free.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

 

Intro

A new year is always a good time to talk about hopes for the future, so I decided to make this first post of 2017 all about hope. I found there are more than 180 references to hope in the Scriptures!

Scripture and Commentary

Hebrews 6:17-20:

¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰ where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

This concept of hope as our “anchor” seemed an interesting metaphor, so I began to do research on the history and function of anchors in boating.  Eventually I stumbled across a great article describing 3 common mistakes boaters make when anchoring their crafts, and some interesting parallels can be drawn for us in our walk with God.

• Mistake #1: Anchoring in the wrong place

Clearly the Lord thought this was key, as there are many, many verses that address this.  We’ll start with the wrong places to anchor beginning with 1 Timothy 6:17:

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment

And Proverbs 11:7:

7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

And John 5:39-40 and 45-46:

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

So we are not to anchor ourselves in wealth, in other people, or in our laws or religious teachings.  So where then do we anchor?  We can start with a prophetic passage from Isaiah 42:1-4:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.

This is one of many Old Testament passages hinting at what was to come, that is that Messiah would establish His kingdom and bring salvation to all people.  Paul goes on to describe the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ as the foundation for our hope in Romans 8.

Romans 8:3-4:

3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

And 15-17:

15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

And finally 18-25:

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

So then our anchor is secured in the knowledge that Christ has provided a pathway for us to be the children of God, and joint heirs in an everlasting kingdom of justice and righteousness.  Or as Ephesians 1:18 states:

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.

That sounds like a pretty good hope to me!

• Mistake #2: Your anchor is inadequate, and won’t hold your boat.

If hope is to be our anchor, we need to ensure that we have a good, strong supply of hope to hold us steady.  Paul offers the key to this in Romans 5:1-5:

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

So as we encounter trials of life in 2017, we should glory in the knowledge that this is God’s way of ensuring our anchor is strong enough to hold us steady.  Or as Romans 12: 12 admonishes:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

• Mistake #3: No “give” in the rode

Surprisingly you can be too firmly anchored.  Boaters use something called a “snubber” to ensure that their anchor line, or “rode”, isn’t so rigid as to cause undue strain.  Without this flexibility the rode can become tangled, the boat can be damaged, or the anchor itself may break.  To me this is such a beautiful metaphor for the traps that ensnare many Christians.  How easy it is to be rigid in our doctrine and intolerant towards those struggling under the influence of darkness, only to realize we have gotten all tangled up, caused damage to our testimony, or lost sight of our hope!  But what shall we use a snubber?  As usual I will look to Scripture for answers, beginning with some verses from Romans 4:

Romans 4:2-3:

2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

And 13-15:

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

And 23-25:

23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

And we know from Hebrews 11:1 that:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

So strong faith in the promises of God is the foundation of righteousness and the substance of our hope, and the hope itself is the anchor for our soul.  This leads us to 1 Corinthians 13:2 & 13:

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love, then becomes the “snubber” in our rode.  Love for God and others will keep us from becoming too rigid, and ensure that our boat stays firmly anchored throughout 2017.  Until next time:

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13).

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

A few days ago an atheist from my college alum group posted the picture below on Facebook.  My response to him was that true Christians are far too busy imitating Christ to engage in such behavior!  This became the inspiration for our final Swords in the Garden post.

By now most Christians know that Jesus was not born in December, and that traditions such as decorated trees, yule logs, gift giving, etc. arose out of pagan winter solstice celebrations.  If you aren’t familiar with this, it is easily Googled, and I won’t spend time on those topics here.  Instead we will revisit some of the Scripture we have covered in prior posts, add a few new passages, and wrap up the year and our Swords series with some commentary.

Scripture

We will start with the verses from Ephesians 4:26-27 and 29-31 we first cited in “The Anger Trap”:

26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

We’ll also reference 2 Timothy 2:14-16 and 23-26:

 14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 

 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

And recall these verses from the post “Should Christians Condone Sin”:

Matthew 22:36-40:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

And Matthew 24:12 in regards to love in the latter days:

 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Commentary

Respecting the “Reason for the season”requires first knowing the One whose birth is being celebrated. While remaining vigilant against sin in our own hearts, we need to realize that it is loving God that produces a desire to avoid sin.  Until sinners feel that love, they will continue in their worldly ways.

Like most Christians I would like to see the world growing less evil; however, my Bible tells me I am destined to be disappointed in that regard.   This is not our true home, and we must accept that it will continue to deteriorate as time progresses. Our posts to date have reviewed God’s guidance as to how we are to react to these changes in the world around us.  Love is to be paramount.  We are not to be militant, argumentative, and striving against our fellow man.  We are not to put our faith in a stockpile of earthly wealth or provisions, but rather to put our faith in God.  And we are to be kind when God brings foreigners across our path- rejoicing in the opportunity to share the Gospel rather than resisting changes to earthly traditions.  Our focus is to be on the heavenly, and love our native language.  Peter was mistaken about the proper course of earthly events when he drew his sword in Gethsemane, and reliance on our own wisdom will lead us to the same confusion! We must keep Our Eyes on Him.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

This week we continue with the “doomsday prep” topic in our “Swords in the Garden” series.  Last week we explored Scriptures often quoted in support of prepping activity, and this week will look at verses that support the opposite viewpoint.

This is intentionally a lengthy post, as I prefer the inclusion of lots of Scripture to brevity.  The goal isn’t to quote every verse on each topic- that would be impossible- but rather to include enough Scripture, from enough parts of the Bible, to demonstrate that God is consistent in His messaging.  Many false doctrines are the result of taking a verse or two out of context, and then twisting them to support worldly views! If our desire is to follow God’s will, then we should be willing to do a thorough examination of His instructions.

Scripture

We will divide this week’s Scripture into 3 key themes:

• The world is going to change, but God never changes

We will start in 2 Peter 3:3-7:

3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

And James 1:17:

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

And Psalm 89:34:

34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

And conclude this section with Numbers 23:19:

19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act?  Does he promise and not fulfill?

• God has demonstrated His commitment to supplying our needs

A great place to start for this section is Psalm 37, and I encourage you to read the entire Psalm, but since it is a bit long I will just include a few highlights here- first from verses 3-4:

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Continuing to verses 18-19:

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

And 25-26:

25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.

And finally verses 39-40:

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Beyond the Psalmist, the Old Testament is full of examples of God’s provision.  In fact one of my favorite stories is in 1 Kings 17, which I will again abbreviate starting with verses 4 & 6:

4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”  6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Getting fed by birds is pretty cool, but of course the story continues when the brook dries up, and Elijah is instead sent to the house of a widow.  Verses 15-16 explain the outcome:

 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent; neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

And of course we have the story of manna, described in Exodus 16:4:

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

• God expects us to be generous, and to demonstrate faith in Him

We will begin this section in James 5:1-6:

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.  

This may seem like a strange verse, but if we are honest we know that a store of food is no different than a store of money- in fact food may be a more reliable store of wealth in a time of trouble!  And experts tell us that currently 1 in 9 persons on earth has inadequate food to sustain a healthy life, so we need to soberly consider whether we are “fattening in a day of slaughter”.  Recall the words of John the Baptist found in Luke 3:11:

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

We’ll continue with Luke chapter 12, and the parable of the rich fool in verses 15-21:

 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

We can stay in Luke 12, and review verses 22-34:

 22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Just in case we weren’t sure that Luke heard God correctly, Matthew reinforces in chapter 6 verses 25-34:

 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And whilst in Matthew 6 lets recall verse 11 from the Lord’s Prayer:

11 Give us today our daily bread.

And finally God emphasizes many times that He expects us to live by faith.  Let’s start with Romans 1:17:

17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

And Hebrews 10:36-39:

 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.38 And,“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. 39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

James 2:14-17:

 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

 Romans 12:20

20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head

And finally Proverbs 3:5-6:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

 Commentary

So what conclusions should we draw?  We know God is unchanging, and we see passages where He has commanded His followers to stockpile, and passages where that same behavior is frowned upon.  After prayerful consideration I have developed the following views.  First, God may, on occasion, put it in someone’s heart to prepare a store of supplies.  Second, since love is the primary commandment, that store of supplies should be viewed as a vehicle for blessing others- meaning that the believer is more than happy to share- including with “enemies”.  Third, we are not to be worried nor anxious, nor should we derive confidence or take our comfort from a stockpile of worldly items. Our stores should never substitute for our faith!

I think most people would find it difficult to “prep” under these conditions, and truly believe that it would require the inspiration of the Lord to do so.  For most of us, prepping would in fact be a “sword in the garden”- a demonstration of a lack of faith in God’s plan and an attempt to rely on own devices.  So I choose not to prep; however, I am really nice to the ravens.  After all- God never changes!

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

This week we continue with our “Swords in the Garden” series where we tackle some rather thorny topics and do some soul-and-Scripture searching to determine whether we are relying on our power, or on God’s.

Our next topic is: Should Christians “doomsday prep”?  This week we examine the Scriptures commonly used to support “prepping” activities, and next week we will look at evidence to support the opposing viewpoint.

Scripture

First we will review the passages quoted most often by those that believe prepping is a biblical activity, beginning with 1 Timothy 5:8, seen below in context:

3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

And Ecclesiastes 11:1-6:

1 Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,    in the place where it falls, there it will lie.4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle ,for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

Proverbs 6:6-11:

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

Noah preparing for the flood in Genesis 6:20-21:

20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

And of course the story of Joseph in Egypt found in Genesis 41:46-49:

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

Commentary

The passages from Genesis are obviously the most compelling here, since they show God specifically instructing man to prepare in advance for natural disasters- and in particular to gather and store foods.

The rest of the verses are more problematic.  The remaining Old Testament verses seem to deal more with the prudence of diversification, and the virtue of work over idleness.  1 Timothy 5:8 seems to be the most often-quoted New Testament verse in regards to preparedness; however, when read in context we see that there are multiple messages in the verse.  First, it suggests that the Church should assist in providing for those in need.  Second, it admonishes Christians to demonstrate their love by first looking after their own families.  Third, it suggests widows that find themselves destitute should turn to God- praying day and night for help. Finally, it reiterates the importance of providing for one’s own household.  Taking verse 8 out of context muddies the waters, as the passage clearly refers to what should be the responsibility of the Church in regards to charity, and what should be the responsibility of Christian family members.  Note that there is no mention of catastrophe, or of stockpiling for future needs.

So the verses we have examined advocate hard work over idleness and diversification over concentration in regards to our worldly assets.  They also admonish us to demonstrate faithfulness by looking after our own families, and to pray in times of need.   Finally, we have evidence that God has instructed His people to prepare for disasters in the past.  Next week we will look at some more Scripture, and then discuss what this may all mean for us in our modern times.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

This blog post is part of a series I’m calling Swords in the Garden.  The idea for the topic arose when I was browsing in a Christian book store one day, and came across a video game where the players battle- physically with conventional weapons- the forces of Satan and his agent the antichrist.  The thought that immediately came to mind was “wow- just like Peter in Gethsemane”.  It seems likely that as the world gets more wicked, we may be more tempted to take matters into our own hands, to battle against the increase of evil in the world, but what does Scripture teach us in this regard?

Scripture

First the actual sword in the garden passage as found in John 18:

When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

And Matthew 26:50-54:

50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”  Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

And Luke 22:49-53:

⁴⁹ When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.  51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.  52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

And reading further down we see an event that transpired later that same evening, as recorded in Luke 22:54-62:

54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Commentary

There are 4 points that stand out as I read the accounts of that night.

• Jesus indicated that it was appointed for “darkness to reign”. This seems much like the warnings provided in other scriptures about the last days, when there is an increase of evil in our world.
• Jesus also indicates that the events are necessary to the fulfillment of Scripture, and in accordance with the will of God.
• He had legions of heavenly warriors at His disposal. If a battle were intended, once again God had everything covered!  There was no need for the disciples to take matters into their own hands.
• The very same disciple that raised his sword denied the Lord thrice that very evening.

Peter’s use of the sword, and his later denial of Christ, seem to me as fruit of the same tree.  At first, he was unable to accept the arrest of our Lord as part of God’s will- surely he must intervene on God’s behalf!  Later he was unable to trust in God’s protection, and denied the Lord out of fear for his own safety.  How weak we are when we try to take God’s place, and how patient He is with us!  Of course, the good news for us in all of this is that God was later able to use Peter to be the “rock on which He built His church”.  So, we have hope.  Next week we will continue to look at this story in a modern context, and to see if there are places in modern Christianity where we are being led to bring “swords to the garden”.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

Yesterday our church participated in a simulcast screening of the excellent film “The Insanity of God”, which chronicles the lives of a couple and their children as they travel the world doing God’s work in some of the most hostile environments imaginable.  You can see the trailer on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX6SWxwKZSE

This story drives home the point that there is only one church, and all of us are called to be missionaries- some abroad, and some at home.  With all the post-election talk of walls and borders, of who belongs and who doesn’t, I thought it might be worthwhile to explore what the Bible has to say about those who cross our own “mission field” here in America.  Perhaps some of us have been fortunate enough to have the world come to us, instead of us going out into the world- a marvel of the resourcefulness of God!

Scripture

Leviticus 19:34 provides a clear command:

34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

As does Exodus 22:21

21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15 provides guidance for how they should be compensated:

14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. 15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

And in Jeremiah 7 God mentions treatment of foreigners in regards to both a warning and a blessing:

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:

“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

9 “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,[a] burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.

Hebrews 13:2 offers up some intrigue:

2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

And for good measure 1 Peter 1:17 turns the whole notion on its head:

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Commentary

In addition to the above we also know that God created the world, and man in his image.  As such it is both his planet, and all are his people.  We also know that he has a plan and purpose for each one, and knew each before they were formed in the womb.  What I have been able to find in scripture gives clear mandates for treatment of travelers and immigrants, and then reminds us that in fact we are the strangers here- this is not our home.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

A few weeks back I was listening to a program about religion on BBC radio.  One of the participants was explaining that he became an atheist following the events of September 11, convinced that God could not exist if tragedies like that were allowed to happen.  I was suddenly reminded of this yesterday when I happened across a young boy with his mother picking out an ant farm.  I’ll admit this seems like an odd connection at first, but have you ever observed an ant farm?  The ants are busy, busy, busy.  They tunnel, they build, they form relationships, and vie for power.  To the ants the farm is the entire universe; however, as observers we know that the farm is just a box, in a building, in one city, that is part of a much larger dimension.

Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us:

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 adds:

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Commentary

Sometimes I think we, like the ants, get stuck in our frame of reference.  Many scriptures tell us of God’s omniscience, His plan for the world, and our eternal natures.  Both Christ (Matthew 6:19-20) and the Apostle Paul (Colossians 3:1-4) admonished us to fix our mind on heavenly things, and to avoid earthly entanglements.  It can be hard to process tragedies caused by the evil in this world, but we need to remain steadfast in our faith.  Physical death is merely a change of venue, an escape from the ant farm into the broader reality of eternity.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K

Intro

Some readers have asked how they can support this blog.  The blog itself is adequately funded without reader support; however, if it has blessed you please consider making a gift to Haiti Outreach Ministries.  They have a particular need right now, as they have lost the source of funding for the only medical clinic in one of the poorer communities in Haiti.  You can learn more about the clinic by viewing the video at:

The video calls into sharp relief the differences in wealth between the United States and our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean, so this week’s blog post will explore some of what the Bible has to say about both wealth and giving.

 

Scripture

The scriptures indicate that wealth comes from God in 1 Samuel 2:7:

7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

But wealth also comes with many warnings!  Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6-10:

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

James warned those that would hoard wealth in the latter times in James 5:1-6:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

And perhaps the scariest warnings of all from our Lord in Matthew 13:22:

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

And Mark 10:25:

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.

In regards to giving, we are both commanded to give, as in Luke 6:38

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

And reminded that giving is our choice, as in Acts 5:1-4:

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

And 2 Corinthians 9:7

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Finally, in Corinthians 13:3 we are reminded that giving, in the absence of love, is useless:

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Commentary

Northern California, where I reside, has a very large immigrant population.  Many of these immigrants have left families in their home countries, and are working here to support not just themselves, but also the families they left behind.  On Fridays, you can see long lines at business that offer “remittances”- international wire transfers- and immigrant workers wait for hours to send money back to the ones that they love.  As the body of Christ, we have family members in other lands as well, and they are waiting for our kindness and support.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

 

 

Intro

I have to start by admitting that I had a much easier topic in mind when I started to write this week; however, after much prayer I have decided to move ahead with what I feel God has put on my heart.  It’s been a difficult week.  A non-believing friend of mine shared a video on Facebook where a well-known minister condemned others, and a few days later I heard another minister indicating that we “Evangelicals” are going to get the world to straighten out by passing laws consistent with our beliefs, so everyone had better get ready to behave themselves as we see fit.  All of this has occurred against a backdrop of having other church folks tell me about all the things they are doing to make sure this lost world knows that we “don’t condone sin”.

Before we get into the scriptures, let’s first go to the dictionary and get clear on some definitions.  First the definition of the word “condone”:

1. To disregard or overlook
2. To imply tacit approval
3. To pardon, forgive, or act in such a way as to imply forgiveness

And now the word “condemn”:

1. To express adverse judgment or strong disapproval
2. To pronounce guilty or sentence to judgment
3. To judge unfit for use or service
4. To declare incurable or irredeemable

Scripture

In Luke 6:37 we are told:

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

In John 13:35 Christ said the following:

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

In Matthew 22:36-40 He elaborates:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

But He also warns in the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 that in the last days it is going to get harder to love due to the worsening, decrepit state of the world:

 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Finally, we can get our definition of how love behaves by referring back to Corinthians 13:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Commentary

From the fornicating woman at the well (John 4), to the adulteress (John 8), with the crooked politician (Luke 19), and the highly demonic (Luke 8) the example set by Christ was one of love and ministry first, with any change in behavior occurring after the fact.  This seeming “condoning of sin” earned Him no small amount of scorn from the religious elite; however, it changed the lives of those He encountered.  He reinforced that “He was not sent to condemn the world” (John 3:17) and that he was sent “for the sinner, not the righteous” (Luke 5:32).

I can’t help but feel grieved that the secular world has a better idea of what Christians are against, than what we are for.  That they know what we believe, but not what we have.  Without falling into sin ourselves, perhaps it is not such a bad idea to “overlook” or “to act in such a way as to imply forgiveness”?  Taking Corinthians 13 with us to Planned Parenthood, instead of a picket sign?  Resisting the temptation to create a religious bubble that encourages us to “judge unfit for use and declare irredeemable”?  To be more zealous about loving the sinner than about hating the sin?  The more I observe, the more I think this may require us to prayerfully consider which teachers we lend our ears to, and which shepherds we follow.  It is simply too easy to create a den in which to hibernate, burying our talent to keep it safe, but without increase.

This week I also watched the excellent documentary “Furious Love”, where some Christians decided to go and minister in some of the darkest, most demonic places in the world.  Along the way we find them sharing a soda with a transvestite prostitute in Thailand, casting demons out of the possessed in Africa, and feeding heroin addicts in the city dump in Madrid.  At one point in the film someone suggests that our job is to love and minister, and it’s God’s job to change people.  I am praying for a “love revival” where Christians are once again known by their genuine, biblical love.  That our media interviews, our Facebook posts, our daily encounters will be consistent with the example of Christ- blessing and drawing in the lost.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K