A Conversation

On a day to day base, there is that pious person instructing the indoctrinated and yearning masses on how to get what they want from God.  There are many of us who began our day feeling alienated or rejected by God because we are not enjoying the blessings that other are proclaiming.  We are being told that we have entered a season where God is pouring out his blessing upon his wayward children.  Yet, many of us fail to see that beacon of light radiating out from those who professes to be enjoying those special blessing of God.  Is it because the meaning of a blessing has been dumbed down and we are blessed because we woke up this morning?  

There do not appear to be a fence of protection separating the righteous from accidents, death, disease and suffering. Oftimes we are left wondering, "why do God allow bad things to happen to good people?"   Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  There appears to be a great difference between what God wills and what God allows.  It is not God's will that anyone should perish, but God will allow us to perish.  Matthew 18:14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Luke 13:3  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

There are many great testimonies of how God is blessing financially and there are many great messages of how to reap these blessings, but at the root of receiving these great blessings, there is always the need to plant a seed.  Is God like an ATM machine, where you punch in the right code and receive what you requested?  If our prayers are not answered within twenty-four hour, is it because much of what we consider to be prayer does not fit within God's definition of prayer.   Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.  It is interesting that the disciples would ask Jesus to teach them how to  prayer.  He gave them a model prayer  in Luke 11:2.  Another interesting point is much of what we pray for today is missing from the model Jesus gave to his disciples.  

The trivialization of God has resulted in  that which is Holy is being invoked in many unholy situations.  On Facebook this morning I was encouraged to type "Amen" and my house would be free from financial worries.  Matthew 6:5-8  tell us how not to pray, and Jesus ends with Be, not ye, therefore, like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. If this is true why are we using the social media to collect "Amen". After reading many of the postings,  I usually end up with the uneasy feeling that my spirituality has been raped.

The focus of today's prayer services is blessings and miracles.   Then, there are those prophets that are predicting the outpouring of God's wrath upon an unrepentance world.  Salvation and financial blessings have become synonymous.  I along with many, in and out of the organized church have begun to secretly wonder if we are making this stuff up as we go along.  We cannot openly question the cute cliches and proclamations, by doing so would expose us to the wrath of the Christian community.  Cute cliches and proclamations without substance appear to be one of the reasons the believability of our God is suffering. 

Understand how God works and what to expect from God is two of the important elements of our Christian journey.  Made up promises and making vast and vague claims that God is not about to answer is not in the best interest of promoting Christianity.  In Matthew 21:22 Jesus said, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."  The key and operative word is prayer.  What is a prayer?  Is asking God for one million dollars an act of prayer?   Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave richness.  Maybe we should simply pray for the fruit of the spirit. 

In Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus expounded upon the attributes of being blessed in such a manner that that it should be impossible to misunderstand the meaning.   Yet, we still consider waking up to be included in the list of blessings.  I can and should be glad I woke up this morning because it will give me another day to work for Christ, but the blessings I should expect to receive is in the kingdom of Heaven.  This was Paul's reason for wanting to stay here. Philippians 1:23-24, For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.  Simply put, going home to get our reward should play an important part in our daily walk. 

To make the Christian walk more attractive, why is it necessary to redefined blessings and make them collectable on a daily base.   There are those who are standing by prepared to teach us for a fee, how to collect our blessings and count them, naming them one by one.  The blessings that Jesus expounded upon did seems to indicate that there was a reward pending, but this reward was in Heaven.  Matthew 5:12  Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  In the Old Testament when the old patriots blessed  a child, it merely empowered them to act in the name of the father.   In today's society, collecting freebies and blessings is a way of life many.  

Often, in the midst of our pain, in the midst of our suffering the message is to wait on our deliverance or it's already done.  Many will speak with conviction and authority as if they have the Word of God in their mouth.  You will be left with the belief that the only thing standing between you and your deliverance is you acceptance.  Often there is an urgent need for the fruit of the spirit to manifest itself. There is a need for a message of joy and peace and this message will shift our focus from our condition, it will allow us to glory in our Christian walk.  The fruit of the spirit will become our most important asset.  

The type of messages that focused on our healing even as we go into the hospital often leave many feeling confused and rejected.  The reshaping of the message to indicate that God is using the hospital or the doctor as instruments of his healing power is no longer persuasive.  At the end of the day, we still wonder if God has rejected us.  In my sickness and in my suffering, in my search for God, I cried out, don't tell me what God can do.  If you cannot help me accept what God is doing, or what God is not doing, then hold your peace.   

As I walk through the valleys and the shadows of death, I rise to the occasion to speak like the three Hebrew boys, "Wheather God deliver me or not He is still God." Because of my acceptance of that concept, that ideology, I do not pray for financial gain, I do not pray for healing,  I pray for the fruit of the spirit.  With joy and peace, whatever my situation is, I will fear no evil for thou are with me...

Preaching In The Parking Lot

The question is what did Jesus preach and teach about.  Within the contents of the bible, we are given an insight of Jesus message to the multitude, his message to his disciples, and even his message to the ruling authority.  It is only in the book of Revelation, we are given an example of Jesus messages to the churches.  I often compare the message that Jesus sent to the church at Smyrna a suffering church and the message that is being delivered to the church today.

Revelation 2:8-11 and unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; these things says the first and the last, who was dead and is alive; I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which you will suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.

Is this Jesus idea of a message of hope and encouragement? The devil will cast some of you in prison, you shall have tribulation, be faithful unto death, then I will give you a crown of life.  It would seem as if Jesus would have taken this moment to assure his church that he was waiting to open up the windows of Heaven and pour out his Fathers blessing.  A seasoned minister that have mastered the "art of preaching" would no build an inspirational message around sad metaphors or similes and promises of blessings after death.  

The second church named in the scripture is the church at Smyrna The message to the church, the period of the great persecution somewhere around 316 AD.  There is seven representative churches mention in the book of Revelation.  The briefest of the spirits messages to the churches is that message to the church at Smyrna, The longest message is to the church at Thyatira.

The representative church at Smyrna was suffering, and Jesus saw and understood their suffering.  Jesus commended them for their suffering and not one word of reproach is addressed to the assembly there.  By the way of contrast, the message to the assembly at Laodicea is a message of rebuke.  Not one word of commendation or praise is in the message to the Laodiceans. 

The church at Smyrna was a representative church, the number two church of the seven churches.  Seven being a representative number used to indicate the time of, the fullness of, a marker that indicate the completeness of the works of God.  If the man is involved, then the number seven requires, and is indicative of, an act of faith. Joshua was required to march around the walls of Jericho seven times; Naaman was required to wash in the dirty river of Jordan seven times.  Now, if we can view the seven churches as representative churches, then we can see the history of the church and the message that is passed down to the church of today. If we refuse to accept these churches as representative churches, then we are justifying the changing messages to the churches of today

There are those who will debate the relevance of the book of Revelation and its application to the events taking place today.  Revelation is described by some as a dated book and the events portrayed or spoken off no longer apply to this age.  The Bible is the world best-selling book.  Year after year millions of copies is sold or given away.  Most ancient books have disappeared from memory, the bible continues to be printed more than any other book and is available in more than 2000 languages.  Yet in spite of its popularity, it has been described as the world’s most misunderstood book.   Although million of people read the bible, many find it hard to understand.  It is the language of the bible that mystifies those who read without studying

When Jesus spoke to the multitudes he spoke in parables, yet one would think because of the simplicity of a parable everyone would be able to understand it.  Yet it is because of the simplicity of the message everyone cannot understand it.  Read Matthew 13.

In Matthew 13:9, Jesus gives the same exhortation to the multitude, that he gave to the churches in Revelation, “Who has ears to hear let him hear.”  It seems Jesus was concern about the day when humanities ears would become dull, and the ability to hear would become selective.

   If we follow today’s learned dissertations we will have created a model for a book that has no concrete value or meaning. If we can accept the testimony of Moses and Elisha If we can accept the four gospels and the teaching of Peter, Paul and the other gospel writers, why shouldn’t we also accept the VERY testimony of Jesus Christ as being relevant and ageless?  Is it because of the bloodbath predicted?  Or is it because we cannot accept the final consummation of things?  

To simplify, the teaching of the bible was applicable in the ancient days and is applicable today.  It is how we hear and apply the scripture.  There are four applications that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in reference to scripture, “before and after” I am not going to try to create a debatable issue as to what period he was speaking of.   In 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The reduction of the bible to surgically removed sound-bites and astute messages that bring on a state of euphoria is not in accordance with Jesus teaching or his final message to the churches.  The purpose of Christianity is the processing of humanity to fill the need of the Kingdom.  Remember God lost a third of his stars or children when the Devil was cast out of Heaven.  Christianity was not designed by God to make your life easier on planet earth.  It was designed to see if you could stand up to the Devil.  Then, If life on earth is a test are we praying for God to circumvent the test?  In church today all types of promises are made. If you are struggling God will make a way.  If you need a Job God will give you one. If you need a husband or wife God will hook you up.  If you are sick God will heal you. We hear beautifully crafted messages about walking in God’s favor, or abundant life here on Earth.  Have we ever considered the possibility that we are writing checks on the name of God, and God is refusing to honor them and we are afraid or ashamed to admit it?

Jesus message to the angels or messengers of the seven churches should serve as a guide to the pastors, teachers and church members of today’s church. 

Revelation 2:7, Jesus speaking to the church at Ephesus he said, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”  He did not say, “Hear what man say unto the church,” He invoked the spirit and he were not speaking of an earthly entitlement what he is speaking of is a promise in the Kingdom of God. 

Now let us look at what Jesus considerate to be a message of encouragement to the church at Smyrna. Revelation 2:10, he says “Fear none of those things which you will suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”  Jesus did not make any promise to deliver them from their earthly suffering; In essence he said, “if you die for me I will give you a crown of life.”  Here again, Jesus is speaking of a Kingdom of heaven entitlement.  Imagine the ministers of today speaking to the church at Smyrna.  They would be told, you are suffering because you are not trusting God.   Jesus said, “I know you are poor, but yet you are rich.”  By your earthly standards, you are poor, but by your spirituality you are rich. He did not say sow a seed and I will bless you. 

Seeing how all of these promises are fulfilled in the Kingdom of God, it is interesting to note that this was what Jesus message was about, the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Prophecy and Revelation

Matthew 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.  1st John 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Some years ago to coincide with the publication of my book, "My Search For The Real God", I started a bible study group called, "Prophecy and Revelation".   The purpose of this group was to study biblical prophecies, in search of a deeper understanding.  Since that time, the word prophecies have taken on an ominous meaning as end time prophecies flooded the internet.  The religious community has been inundated  with a new breed of prophets and they are  making their presence known.  Many church services are not complete until the prophet has spoken.  These prophecies  run the gauntlet of 'someone" (A rather ambiguous term, that was not used by God.) is about to receive a blessing to the threat of death to those who do not agree with the leadership.   To maintain a degree of separation from this emerging entity, we have changed the focus of the bible study group to, "Understanding the Word of God". 

The tagline for the video on the internet said President Obama will not finish his second term. Those who were dissatisfied with the president's antics and those who were curious quickly clicked the link.  The video began with a quote from Jeremiah 50:6. "My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have led them astray." For thirty-four-minute, I sat with my eyes glued to the computer monitor. Bible verse after bible verse mixed with images of world leaders and catastrophic events set the stage for a compelling video of a world on the brinks of destruction.  The prophecy predicted that the events depicted were to take place before the end of 2016, while the present president is still in office.  The antichrist would be brought down and the (world?)  (The United States?) would be destroyed by fire.  To survive this catastrophic event I needed to purchase the book offered at the end of the video.  Isn't it true the same book used to validate this prophecy tells us how to escape the wrath that is to come?

There are prophecies and there are prophecies.  Many of these prophecies are the result of a deviant form of scriptural reinterpretation.  The arrival of the antichrist and his ungodly minions often serves as the backdrop for a vast number of end time prophecies.  The struggle to place a face on the antichrist is often fueled by world events.  There are very few modern day presidents who have not earned this honour.  Presidents, popes and even Saddam Hussian have held the distinction of being label the antichrist.  Is there such a thing as a person who will come onto the world stage and will be identified as the antichrist?  Or, is antichrist merely a metaphor  used to reference those who stand against christ? (Comments are welcome at the end of this blog.)

There is a problem with the interpretation of the scripture to provide for the coming of a person known as "the antichrist".  Antichrist is a Christian term based on interpretation of passages in the New Testament, in which the term "antichrist" occurs five times in 1st John and 2nd John, once in plural form and four times in the singular.  1st John 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  2 John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  I am unable to find a specific scripture that support the thesis that one individual called the antichrist will appear at the end of days.  According to 1st John 4:3 he seems to be stating that there is the spirit of Christ and the spirit of antichrist.  The spirit of antichrist was present in John's day and it exist today. 

Down thru the ages and dispensation, God used the prophets to warn his people off  impending doom or disaster.  The message was often directed to a people or person and God always validated his messenger or message.  A problem with many of today's prophecies is that the message is often dubious and lacking in validation.  To proclaim that somebody here is going to receive a blessing from God does not meet the criteria of a prophecy from God.   Most often these are self-serving proclamations designed to impress and improve one's status.

There are numerous end time videos making their presence known on the internet.  Many of these videos are professionally produced and the Bible is used as a backdrop or to validate the opinion or interpretation of the author.  As with any prophecy, the element of fear is amplified.  What is common with most of these  attention-grabbing videos, at the end there is a sales pitch to buy something.  This type of marketing is used in and out of the religious community to create a revenue stream.  There is a prophet mention in the old testament scripture who sought to profit from the prophecies of God. 

Judgement day prophecies are nothing new.  As a young child growing up, "judgement day," dates were often being set.  Often the date were set far into the future, thus allowing the person who had the revelation to enjoy the maximum notoriety.  Many of these dates have passed into obscurity and that knowledge that only the Father knows remain hidden.  We do not know the day nor the hour that the son of man will appear.  This the Bible does tell us, every since Jesus set foot on this earth, was crucified, rose again and ascended unto his Father, we have been living in the last days.

Christianity has always been plagued with false prophets.  As we draw closer to the end of days, the fear of God has diminished.  We are often titillated  through our ears and eyes, over the internet and in the church of the many wonderful things  God is doing and going to do for us.  Typing or speaking "Amen", has become the golden key to receiving  "blessings".   Because of the clamouring for a blessing, we have become susceptible to a form of apostasy that has crept upon us unaware.  Men and women adorned themselves with impressive titles and make promises in the name of God.  The gospel of salvation has become obscured as we perform these acts or deeds that the prophets have assured us, will cause God to pour out his blessing upon us.  Because false prophets are not falling dead, but rather they are enjoying the fruit of their laid up treasure, this is used to validate their walk with God. 

 A message depicting the love of God is more conducive to a pessimistic society. We can easily take a scripture out of the context that it was spoken and proclaim, "love covers a multitude of faults", thereby setting the stage for the justifying of our faults in the eyes of God.  The self-made messenger of God now proclaims, "God want you to be happy", and the masses said "Amen".   This is a statement that I doubt the Apostles or even Paul, who suffered immensely for Christ sake, would sign off on. 

An interesting side notes on how God work, if these prophets had existed under the administration of the law, God might have judged them and destroyed them.  After God, divorcement proceedings against his chosen people were complete, God was silent. The God that emerged after his silence was a more kindly or friendly God who began to store up his wrath.  Under the presumption of grace made through his son, his wrath was withheld and humanity was given a chance to repent.  Whereas the Pharoah of Egypt, who chased the children of Israel into the Red Sea was destroyed in the Red Sea, God gave Herod a pass when he sought to destroy the Son of God.  

Durning the early years of Christianity, even before Paul boarded the ship for Rome, he warned the church of those who would come in seeking for positions of authority and destroying the faith in the process.  Jesus rebuked the church in the Book of Revelation because of the false prophets who was allowed to stand in the sanctuary and issue false prophecies.   Many of the organized churches of today  is suffering from a type of spiritual abuse by those who are misusing the gifts they are claiming to be from God. 

We Trivialize God.and Justified Sin.

Exodus 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Events or expressions that I witness or overheard on a day to day base often causes me to reminisce of my days growing up in a Christian environment.  My parent would often chastise or punish me for what was described as taking the name of the Lord in vain.  A slip of the tongue outside of the home was also known to bring on a slap upside the head by any offended Christian adult.  The rules have changed in today's pessimistic society.  The Holy name of God is referenced in all types of endeavors.  

In the midst of my Bible study last week, I asked a rhetorical question.  "Do we really believe in God"?  The question was asked to bring about a personal assessment of our belief system.  Can a generation that has defined Santa Claus as the figment of old folks imagination really believe in a metaphysical  God? What happen to this nation, a nation that was founded upon a strong belief in God?  A nation whose workers and framers spent so much time invoking the blessing of the immortal deity seems to have lost it way.  Somewhere along the road of deciding what to believe and the freedom to believe, the foundation of our belief structure has become shaken.  The sacredness of the Holy Scripture is constantly being called into question and is constantly being re-interpreted and the God of our salvation is been reinvented.   

Compared to the bygone days, the God of today is an alien entity.  The God who once was hailed as the destroyer of nations, a God whose fierce anger was extolled in the Old Testament is now presented as  a God of favors.  Even the church has dumbed down  the rhetoric of it founding Apostle and the message of the cross is considered hate speech.  According to the watered down messages emulating from many pulpits, the masses are more attracted to a message of favors rather than a message of salvation.  The focus of many churches seems to have entered a state of apostasy.  The mission is bringing souls into the church to improve the financial bottom line and enhance personal status, rather than soul saving.

The trivialization of God begins at that point where the justification of sin becomes a necessity and reality.  To promote a new agenda, it became necessary to declassify God as the supreme ruler and allow humanity to function as the controller of his own destiny, a position that John described as the spirit of antichrist.  That which now can be justified is no longer evil, it become a point of understanding between the seeker of justification and its personal idea of God.  According to the pious prelate, the God of today simply wants his creation to be happy. It seems as if humanity has recreated God in the image of man. Proverbs 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  

The Facebook post said,  “I saw over 700 miracles while praying.  To you reading this with faith, there is a miracle from God in your life this week.  The Lord said your problem is over.  To every hand that will share this testimony and type ‘Amen’ with faith, a miracle has been assigned to you in Jesus name.”  I often wonder, is it just me or is there others who feel like me.  Though subtle in nature, the ‘somebody’ card is being played.  This seems to be an overt act of showmanship, design to promote one's personal status and fame and has nothing to do with the true promise or message of God.   

The age of miracles is upon us and there is a search high and low for that scripture that says a miracle is coming your way. 


These types of postings are reminiscent of the bygone days when a minister or prophet would stand before a group of people and scream, “the Lord says, there is somebody in here with a headache, God says come up here and get your healing.   This always worked in a crowd of a few, until the younger generation began to question these antics and began to wake up.  Once a church lady prolonged the service thirty minutes communing with God, when it was over the message received was, "Somebody is going to die, let's pray that God rebuke the hand of death."  Well, the truth is somebody did die and she was hailed a prophet.  Once a person is proclaimed a prophet, there is no limit nor shame to the type of prophecies that will be made in the name of God. 

Mark 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

There is a type of church folks gullibility that is preyed upon by the unscrupulous, those who are seeking to make a name for themselves.  The snake oil salesman mentality, the Jim Jones approach to Christianity, the doctrine of Rev Ike is still flourishing. There also appears to be an element of play-acting.  It is also equivalent to the preacher who constantly urge you to shout 'Amen' throughout the message or The overuse of the phrase "touch your neighbor."  A proven method of subtle indoctrination, designed to foster a relationship between the speaker and the hearer. This is an act that many find distracting and somewhat distasteful but are ashamed to admit it.   

Another post said, “Money will come your way this week.  Type Amen and Share.  Another said, Type Amen if you believe Jesus can heal you.  Now, what truly indoctrinated Christian would not believe Jesus “can” heal?  The list was short compared to those who responded to the offer of money.  

When reading the Facebook post of the sometimes famous and the not so famous people promising  instant money in my bank account. Typing the word "Amen" is the key to unlocking the windows of Heaven and allowing blessing and healing to flow.  Have we become a people who approach our God on a day to day base, with outstretched hands, begging for a blessing.  Many are not impressed by those who use fancy titles to misinterpret the scripture and teach the doctrines and commandments of men.

A Proper Perspective, (Part #2)

Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #2)

Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #1)

The Thessalonicaian were an unruly bunch, like many of us today, when they heard Paul and Silas teach the scripture from a different perspective.   Rather than studying the scripture, they sought to attack the messengers.  Paul and Silas escaped by night and took their message to Berea.  Acts 17:11   These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. The Scriptures should be examined daily. If we wish to arrive at the truth, the scripture should be the object of constant study. There is little reason to expect that a person will grow in knowledge and grace, if that person does not read carefully, with sincerity and with prayer, a portion of the Bible every day.  2^nd Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Like many my age, I grew up in an age when young people were required to go to church and attend Bible study.  Bible study often became a platform of indoctrination and emotionalizing, rather than searching for answers.   In Bible study, we were often taught Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be open to you”.  Now, on the surface without considering the contextual nature of these statements, this seems to be a blank check.  Generations grew up with the focus on all types of trivial things rather than the Kingdom of God.  When that unspeakable doubt began to creep in because it seems as if God was not fulfilling our prayer request, we were told that God may not come when we want him to come but he is always on time.   There is truth in this statement and this was enough to keep many of us going as we struggled to believe that God was going to answer our requests.  Then a strange thing began to happen, we began to trivialize the works of God, this caused an increasingly large number of souls to fall by the wayside.  The problems began to manifest themselves when God refused to be bullied into action thru loud and boastful prayer.  It can be augured  that because of a failure to understand the Word of God the believability of God has suffered.

The Hebrew and Greek languages as with other languages does not allow for a smooth translation to the English language.  A literal translation, especially when it comes to the words and teaching of Jesus is not always possible.  Understanding the numerology, symbology and phraseology used in the Hebrew and Greek language are necessary to  unlocking and understanding the scripture.  If your brother smites you on one cheek, turn the other, do this mean, if someone hit you stand there and let him to hit you again?  The interpretation becomes clear when we continue to read the teaching of Jesus, it simply mean, do good to those who do you wrong.  There were those who walked away from the teaching of Jesus because of a lack of understanding when he said, “you must drink my blood and eat my flesh.”  

Another important aspect of understanding the word of God is the context.  The context is that part of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect: Misinterpretations are caused when we take spoken or written words out of their original context and present them as the complete message. The set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, based upon who is talking, who is being spoken to and what is the subject matter determines the context.  Failure to apply these rules will cause the scripture to be misinterpreted and misapplied.  My brother who raises cows, once ask me to stand in the gate and only let the female cows pass.  Did my brother just offer me a lifetime job or was it something that just needed to be done at that moment.

A literal interpretation of the scripture will often place the Bible student in an untenable position and force the injection of interpretations based upon doctrinal or personal beliefs.  Theological syncretism will creep in as we began to read the Bible through the lens of our denomination, organization, ministry strategy.  This type of interpretation is the basis of  the divisions within the household of faith.  To be true to the Word of God, we should not try to explain away certain thing God said and accept others.   If  we strive to understand the language of the Bible and allow the Bible to speak in its true form, we will not have problems with understanding and  accepting what God said.  If we consider the book to be a perfect book, then it words and interpretation should flow in a perfect manner.  For the Bible story to flow in perfect order we must be rightly divided the word of truth into ages and dispensations.  This is something we will discuss later.  The point that I am trying to make is when Jesus said, “Drink my blood, and eat my flesh”, “If thy right eye offend the pluck it out” “Ask and it shall be given” the perspective and context of these statements is a spiritual.  We should embrace the “spirituality” of Jesus messages and study to understand the signification of his speech.  When asked the question about the disciples washing their hands before eating, he said, “It is not what goes into the body that defiles it, it is what come out”.  The natural question was given a spiritual answer. 

When there is a question about what we should do, or should not do,  this scripture is often quoted.   Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  It is backed up by a similar  quote from Luke 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.   Matthew and Luke are recounting, though somewhat different in wording, of an encounter that Jesus had with the Devil.  Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.  A close examination of these verses seems to indicate a present and future commitment to living by the Word of God.  What does it mean to live by every word of God?  This is a question that you should strive to answer.

Does the ideology of living by every word that proceeded out of the Mouth of God mean we must literal obey commands given to Abraham, Moses or the ancient patriots?   God seems to have put everything in the proper perspective when Peter wanted to build a tabernacle for Moses and Elisha so they could listen to the teaching of these great leaders.  God became angry and said, “This is my beloved son, hear him.”

The problems manifest themselves when we try to take what God said to Moses and the prophets and apply it to the church.  There is a great lesson to be learned from reading how God dealt with the children of Israel.  To use this verse to justify teaching the law is in error if we say to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God indicate that we must live in according with the laws given to the Children of Israel.   As much as we try and teach it, we do not live according to the Law of Moses.  Paul stated Galatians 3:24 wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  To justify our inability to live under the Law we split the Law of Moses up into groups.  There are the moral law and the ceremonial law.  Now we have the grounds for debate, disagreement and confusion.

Let's use the Sabbath, as an example of how Jesus kept the law.  Let’s read: Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  On one extreme we have one standing in the Pulpit on a Sunday, saying we are to keep the commandants which is a point of confusion, and another condemn a host of people to Hell because they don’t keep the Sabbath.   There is a third group who leaves the assemblies wondering why Jesus died.

Now, God gave this command in Exodus 20:10, “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.”  Jesus said in Matthew 12:11  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?  The pious attitude of the self-righteous was voiced by John, 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, how can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.  This division exists even today.

Paul joined the fray in Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:

2^nd Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  The Word of God is to be divided into ages and dispensations.

2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #1)

A Proper Perspective (Part #1)

Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #1)
Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #2)

Mark 8:22-25  And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up: and he was restored and saw every man clearly.

Not long ago while walking through the woods on the way back from one of my favorite fishing spots, I took a picture, of nothing more than a peaceful wooded scene.  Uploading the picture to my social media page I caption it with, “Can you see the bear?”  The varied response was surprising, and I divided them into groups.  There were those who could see the bear, those who did not see the bear, and another group who spread rumors saying, “I saw a bear in the woods”.  The fourth group was the most intimidating, in that it suggested that I should lay off the hard liquor while walking in the woods.  The result of the study became more embarrassing when some of my friends insisted on organizing a bear hunt.  This experiment proved that our perception is often clouded by our perspective.  In many of Jesus messages he referenced this flawed condition of humanity as such:  Mark 8:18 having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

                                                  

The theme of this seminar, “Understands the Word of God”, it is not based upon the proclamation of a new doctrine, nor is it an attempt to confirm or enforce a new set of rules governing the interpretation of the scriptural.  This lecture series s designed to pose questions.  We will pose more questions than answers, the same as Jesus did during his ministry.  In the Hebrew Bible, Jesus asked at least 183 questions, compared to the more than 307 questions he was asked.  He only gave a direct answer to three.  Jesus often formulated his response to questions in such a manner that the person asking the question was forced to provide the answer.  Questions are an important asset to teaching and learning.  It is through the entertainment of questions that our perception will be sharpened, and the mind is able to adjust its perspective and gain a deeper insight into the knowledge of God. This lecture and the ones that follow is a process of searching for answers.  The answer for many of the questions that we will pose is necessary to reaffirm the faith of the emerging generation. A generation who maintains the frameworks and vocabulary of Christianity while having lost touch with their substance. 

Understanding The Word of God will allow us to adjust our vantage point, it will enable us to address many of the flawed facets of religious ideology.  The world has embraced a new and permissive order; the scriptures are quickly discarded as clichés without substance and the irrelevant rants of ambiguous church folks.  Christianity once was heralded as the true religion and protected by the Western world, it is now being offered up on the altar of political correctness.  The detractors are presenting it as a failed religion while many of our religious leaders glory in worldly excesses.   Through these lectures or classes, we intend to reaffirm the ideology that the journey is spiritual and the message is the Word of God; it is not about the art of preaching and addressing the emotional and motivational aspects of humanity.  It is not about coming to church and standing in line waiting for God to hand out a blessing.  The message is the same one that was preached by Jesus and his disciples, it is a call to the world to repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Over the course of this event, we will conduct a number of discussions.  In this venue in order for a Bible discussion to be believable the foundation of that discussion must rest upon several principles, among them are perspective and context.  The context and perspective began at the point of interpretation.  If this is true, then we must guard against a subtle form of syncretism.  Syncretism is defined as the tendency to read the Bible through the lens of our denomination, organization or ministry strategy.  When the interpretation of the scripture is based upon our personal views or perspective we take a chance on missing out on much of what God reveals in the scripture.   Theological syncretism is a form of spiritual suicide,

For a deeper understanding of the Word of God, a prayer for God to open our eyes must be at the forefront of our endeavor.  God’s perspective is from one vantage point, man’s perspective is from many different vantage points.  It is, therefore, easy for a man with a slight influence from that old devil to see things different from God.   Mark gives us a startling example of Jesus adjusting the perspective of the once blind man.  Mark 8:23-25  And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. (Remember the picture.  “Can you see the bear?)  After that he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.  What stands out in this scripture is, Jesus touched the man and he was healed, but he did not see clearly.  Being touched by the Savior and viewing life from the proper perspective was a two-step process.

There are guidelines for establishing perspective and context, and they are based upon who is speaking, who is being spoken to, and what is the subject matter.  There are three major groups addressed in the Bible, the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church. Paul referenced these three separate entities in 1^st Corinthians 10:32, “Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:”  To preclude an argument within the mind of many, the Jews and Gentiles are earthly people, the church is a spiritual body, and as Paul stated in 1^st Corinthians 12:13,  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  Paul is addressing the spiritual makeup of the church, not the earthly makeup of a person.

What is perspective?  Perspective is defined as a particular attitude toward our way of regarding something; in essence, it is a point of view.  If the perspective is a point of view, then it can vary from person to person.  No doubt the blind man whom we discussed earlier saw men as trees walking based his assessment upon the knowledge he had received as a blind man.    Perspectives can be clouded by indoctrinated beliefs, whether they be true or false.  Perspectives can be based upon what we want to believe and not what is.  Solomon addressed the issue in Proverbs 16:25, he said, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.”  Solomon had previously stated in Proverbs 12:15 that, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel, is wise.”  A simple conclusion by examining these two verses is, there is a proper or true perspective and there is a false perspective. 

A professional photographer will spend valuable time adjusting and repositioning his camera in search of the proper perspective as pertaining to its subject.   Even after the photograph is processed, it is subjected to critical review.  This review sometimes results in the photos being discarded and a new photo shoot scheduled. This does not detract from the expertise or professionalism of the photographer. In the world of professional photography there is a constant search for the proper perspective of static objects, thus highlighting and signify the difference between a snapshot and a photograph.

 Lets view a common scripture from different perspectives.  When I was a small child I saw a picture of Jesus standing at a door knocking.  The caption for the picture was Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.   Most, if not all of us have seen that picture and the image is burned into our memory.  Sermons and Bible studies are often presented, emphasizing Jesus at the door knocking.    Would the message be the same if it was viewed from a different perspective,  let's take a closer look at two of them. Perspective (1). We see Jesus standing at the door and depending upon our proximity to him, we might be able to hear him knocking and pleading.  In order to see and hear what Jesus is doing, we must get as close to Jesus as we can.  Therefore, we are now in the same position Jesus is in, and the message is not to us because we are outside of the room.  Our perspective will not allow us to act upon the message, rather it has allowed us to become a projector of the message, rather than a receiver of the message.  With all of the smugness of a saint of God, we can now proclaim, “Jesus is standing at the door knocking, will you please let him in.”  To some this might seem as it is an extreme analogy, but remember the bear that did not exist.  We must be careful that the view from the outside does not cause us to strive for a position equal to that of Christ as Lords of his church.

Perspective (2) We are inside of a room and we hear this knocking on the door.  We hear the voice saying, “let me in”.   To act upon the request of Jesus, you must be in the room.  Jesus said, “if any man hears my voice and open the door.” He did not say hear me knocking, which was an act to get the attention of those in the room.  He said, “hear my voice”.  The message was a call to action.  The uses of the term, “any man” makes this a message to the individual, a personal message. The message contained within this verse was never about seeing Jesus standing at the door, it was about hearing the Word of God on an individual level and opening the door.  To spiritualize this, if you cannot hear Jesus knocking at the door of your Heart, then you must be in the wrong place.  The message of the Word of God in Revelation 3:20 and even from the beginning of time has always been, “If you do this, this is what I will do.”

Bible Seminar, Lesson 1  (Part #2)

A Call For Unity

Acts 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Acts 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 4:34  Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Acts 4:35  And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Acts 4:36  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Acts 4:37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Unity is being together or at one with someone or something. It's the opposite of being divided.

What Is Unity

This is a word for togetherness or oneness. When a group of people act as one and are, as we would say today, “on the same page”, they're displaying unity. Unity and love are two entities of a spiritual nature that defines the moral high ground of humanity.  Yet, they are often spoken of in a cavalier manner as if they are easily obtained and maintained.   The opposite is often true.  When people are bickering and disorganized, there's no unity.   In many  families, group settings or causes, unity can be hard to find and maintain. 

The war between the states was supposed to be a means of bringing about unity between the states.   As we know this was far from the truth.  In ideology and concept, the United States might have become a unified body, but a deeper and darker hatred was born.  In today's society, unity is suffering on the altar of political correctness, our leaders have chosen a path of division.  In the name of good our churches, communities, the nation and the world is suffering an expanding divide that is terminal in nature.   Jesus addressed this problem in Matthew 12:25, he said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”

What Is The First Step Of Obtaining Unity?

Verse 31. And when they had prayed. The event which followed their prayer was regarded by them as an evidence that God heard their prayer.  We must conclude that prayer was the first step to obtaining unity  among the brethren.  Thus, without prayer and God's intervention, even war cannot bring about unity.  The place was shaken. The word which is translated "was shaken," commonly denotes violent agitation, as the raging of the sea, the convulsion of an earthquake, or trees shaken by the wind, Matthews 11:7; Acts 16:26; Hebrew 12:26. The language here is fitted to express the idea of an earthquake. Whether the motion was confined to the house where they were, is not said. They regarded this as an answer to their prayer, or as an evidence that God would be with them,

Verse 32. And the multitude. The number of believers at this time had become huge. In Acts 4:4, it is said that it was five thousand; and the number was constantly increasing.  They existed with one heart. This expression denotes a tender union. They felt alike or were attached to the same things, and this preserved them from dissensions.

One soul. This phrase also denotes close and tender union. No expression could denote it more striking than to say of friends, they have one soul. Plutarch cites an ancient verse in his life of Cato of Utica, with this very expression, "Two friends, one soul." (Grotius.) Thus Diogenes Laertius also (5 i. 11) says respecting Aristotle, that "being asked what was a friend, answered, that it was one soul dwelling in two bodies." (Kuin”el.) The Hebrews spoke of two friends as being "one man." There can be no more striking demonstration of union and love than to say of more than five thousand suddenly drawn together, that they had one soul! And this union they evinced in every way possible; in their conduct, in their prayers, and in their property. How different would have been the aspect of the church if the union had continued to the present time!

Verse 33. And with great power. See Ac 1:8. The word power here denotes efficacy and means that they had ability given them to bear witness of the resurrection of the Saviour. It refers, therefore, rather to their preaching than to their miracles. 

Gave the apostles witness, etc. The apostles bore testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This was the main point to be established. If it was proved that the Lord Jesus came to life again after having been put to death, it established all that he taught and was a demonstration that he was sent from God. They exerted, therefore, all their powers to prove this; and their success was such as might have been expected. Multitudes were converted to the Christian faith.

And great grace, etc. The word grace means favor. And the expression here may mean either that the favor of God was remarkably shown to them, or that they had great favor in the sight of the people. It does not refer, as the expression now commonly used, to the internal blessings of religion on a man's own soul; to their personal advancement in the Christian graces of humility, etc.; but to the favor or success that attended their preaching. The meaning probably is, that the favor of the people towards them was great; or that great success attended their ministry among them. Thus the same word grace (Greek) is used in Acts 2:47. If this is its meaning, then here is an instance of the power of the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to impress the minds of men. But this is not all, nor probably is it the main idea. It is that their union, their benevolence, their liberality in supplying the wants of the needy, was a means of opening the hearts of the people, and of winning them to the Saviour. If we wish to include others to our opinions or to bring them to be Christians, nothing is better adapted to it than to show them kindness, and even to minister to their temporal wants. Benevolence towards them softens the heart and inclines them to listen to us. It disarms their prejudices and disposes them to the exercise of the mild and amiable feelings of religion.

Hence our Saviour was engaged in healing the diseases, and supplying the wants of the people. He drew around him the poor, the needy, and the diseased, and supplied their necessities, and thus prepared them to receive his message of truth. Thus God is love and is constantly doing good, that his goodness may lead men to repentance, Romans 2:4. And hence no persons have better opportunities to spread the true sentiments of religion or are clothed with higher responsibilities, than those who have it in their power to do better; or than those who are habitually engaged in bestowing favors. Thus, physicians have access to the hearts of men, which other persons have not. Thus, parents have an easy access to the minds of children, for they are constantly doing them good. And thus, Sunday-school teachers, whose whole work is a work of benevolence, have direct and most efficient access to the hearts of the men women and children committed to their care.

Verse 34. That lacked. That was in want; or whose wants were not supplied by the others. As many as, etc. The word used here is employed in a large, indefinite sense; but it would be improper to press it so as to suppose that every individual that became a Christian sold at once all his property. The sense, doubtless is, that this was done when it was necessary; they parted with whatever property was needful to supply the wants of their poor brethren. That it was by no means considered a matter of obligation, or enjoined by the apostles, is apparent from the case of Ananias, Acts 5:4. The fact that Joses is particularly mentioned, Acts 4:36, shows that it was by no means a universal practice thus to part with all their possessions. He was one instance in which it was done. Perhaps there were many other similar instances; but all that the passage requires us to believe is, that they parted with whatever was needful to supply the wants of the poor. This was an eminent and an instructive instance of Christian liberality, and of the power of the gospel in overcoming one of the strongest passions that ever exist in the human bosom--the love of money. Many of the early Christians were poor. They were collected from the lower orders of the people. But all were not so. Some of them, it seems, were men of affluence. The effect of religion was to bring them all, in regard to feeling at least, on a level. They felt that they were members of one family; belonging to the same Redeemer, and they, therefore, imparted their property cheerfully to their brethren. Besides this, they were about to go to other lands to preach the gospel. They were to leave their native country; and they cheerfully parted with their lands, that they might go and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Verse 35. And laid them down, etc. That is, they committed the money received for their property to the disposal of the apostles, to distribute it as was necessary among the poor. This soon became a burdensome and inconvenient office, and they, therefore, appointed men who had especial charge of it, Acts 6:1-2,

Verse 36. And Joses. Many manuscripts, instead of Joses, here read Joseph. The reasons why this individual is selected and specified particularly were, doubtless, because he was a foreigner; because it was a remarkable instance of liberality; and because he subsequently distinguished himself in the work of the ministry. He gave himself, his property, his all, for the service of the Lord Jesus, and went forth to the self-denying labors of the gospel. He is elsewhere mentioned with honor in the New Testament, Acts 11:24,30; and usually as the companion of the apostle Paul. The occasion on which he became connected with Paul in the ministry was when he himself was sent forth by the church at Jerusalem to Antioch. There, it seems, he heard of the fame of Paul, and went to Tarsus to seek him, and brought him with him to Antioch, Acts 11:22-26. Before this, he had been acquainted with him, and had introduced him to the other apostles at a time when they were afraid of Paul and unwilling to acknowledge him as an apostle, Acts 9:26-27. At Antioch, Barnabas was led into dissimulation, by Peter in regard to the Gentiles, and was reproved by his friend and companion Paul, Ga 2:13. He and Paul continued to travel in fellowship until a dispute arose at Antioch about Mark; and they separated, Paul goes with Silas through Syria and Cilicia, and Barnabas with Mark sailing for his native place, Cyprus, Acts 15:35-41.

v32-37 The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples and his dying prayer for them. Thus, it was then, and it will be so again when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, and comforts of Christians. There were evident fruits of Christ's grace in everything they said and did. They were dead to this world. This was a great evidence of the grace of God in them. They did not take away others' property, but they were indifferent to it. They did not call it their own; because they had, in love, forsaken all for Christ, and were expecting to be stripped of all for cleaving to him. No marvel that they were of one heart and soul when they sat so close to the wealth of this world. In effect, they had all things common; for there was not any among them who lacked, care was taken for their supply. The money was laid at the apostles' feet. Great care should be taken in the distribution of public charity, that it is given to such as have need, such as are not able to procure a maintenance for themselves; those who are reduced to want for well-doing, and for the testimony of a good conscience, ought to be provided for. Here is one in particular mentioned, remarkable for this generous charity; it was Barnabas. As one designed to be a preacher of the gospel, he disentangled himself from the affairs of this life. When such dispositions prevail and are exercised according to the circumstances of the times, the testimony will have very great power upon others.

Return To God's Word

Return To God's Word

To fully understand the background of this lesson it is necessary to read and understand the entire book of Nehemiah.   Nehemiah was the Persian king's cup-bearer.  When Nehemiah lived at ease, and in honor in the King’s house, but he did not forget that he was an Israelite and that his brethren was in distress.   This was an attribute of his training.  Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The scripture tells us that Nehemiah inquired of the condition of his brethren.  Nehemiah 1:3-4  And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,  Not only did he inquire of the condition of his people, he was willing to leave his comfort zone.

The interesting aspect of Nehemiah’s plan that was put into motion was that it required the blessings of the heathen King.  The exiled Israelites returning to Jerusalem needed God’s word to prepare them for the re-establishment of their nation. Led by Nehemiah, their first task was to rebuild the city wall.  This plan, although it was approved by God and the ruling king, it was not readily accepted by all of the people.  Nehemiah 2:19  But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?   Persevering through tremendous conflict and ridicule, the people were encouraged to work, they completed the wall in only 52 days. After that, Nehemiah organized the allocation of the dwelling places back to the returning exiles based on genealogical records. They resettled their towns and then looked forward to rebuilding their culture.

What Really Caused The Downward Spiral?

The scripture background highlights a subdued nation or community  in distress.   Their suffering was attributed to the fact they had turned away from the Word of God, the people had become complacent  as pertaining to the worship and  observance of  the laws of God.   This self-righteous attitude of many was was because of their lack of understanding of God’s word  which created a lack of fear of God.   Ezra, the priest, knew that leading the people to return to the priority of God’s word in their lives was essential to the Israelites’ regaining their identity as God’s chosen ones.  He put out the call and all the people gathered in the square in front of the Water Gate to hear the Law of Moses read.   This was something that had long been cast aside. The reading of the law of Moses was to restore the fear of God within  the heart of the people.  Deuteronomy 5:29  O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!  The fear of God is a phrase that modern society tends to shy away from.  The reason being is that if the fear of God is taught, people would run from God.  This statement is merely a diversion of the truth.

The elimination of the fear of God in this country is symbolized by the Supreme court ruling in 1963, as pertaining to prayer in our schools.  This ruling, although denied by many led to a dramatic increase in crime, venereal disease, premarital sex, illiteracy, suicide, drug use, public corruption, and other social ills. This is documented by Specialty Research Associates, under the direction of David Barton, that has released a report entitled America: To Pray or Not to Pray.  

It is not hard to see the benefits that a nation, a society, or a person would derive if they chose to live by the Word of God.  In our modernist and pessimist society, Statistics indicates that our kids are more sexualized now than ever and that 70% of kids will have sex before graduating high school!   A new report says that 45% of Americans think that God wants them to be happy more than anything else.  A pew poll report shows that church attendance is at the lowest mark in twenty years.  Studies now indicate that the current presidential administration is the most anti-Christian administration of the modern era! 

George Orwell said, “The further a society drifts away from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it”.

When we hear these kinds of reports and stats, our gut instinct can be to throw our hands up in despair, panic, or disgust. We are shocked at the behavior of young people these days. Shocked at the levels of immorality at universities. Shocked at the apathy of people toward spiritual things. Shocked at the spike in gay marriages. Shocked at the smut being produced by Hollywood. Shocked at the increase in sexual promiscuity in our culture. What is this world coming to?!?

The definition of God and his Word has been redefined and trivialized in such a manner that the believability of God is suffering.  Cute clichés and emotionalized expressions have become the standard of a new age worship.  The mission of Christianity, the mission of the church, the mission of the individual should be to go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to return to the word of God.  The scoffers and doubters will ask why when science and humanity have ruled that God and the Bible are irrelevant in world affairs.

Returning to God

Return to Me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 1:3). 

The children of Israel were blessed as a nation when they obeyed the laws of God. There is always blessing in store for those who follows the teaching of the Bible. This statement in itself often leads the church, a spiritual body, to promise earthly blessing in exchange for one returning to God. With God in our lives, we are able to live a more bountiful life because of the hope we have in our Heart. God promised the Children of Israel the blessings of Abraham. In Matthew 5, Jesus promised his followers blessings of a different nature. When we attempt to entice people to God by making promises, that God has not sanctioned, we are guilty of being false teachers. It is this hope that burns within our heart that give us a type of peace that is of a spiritual nature. It is that peace that John exhibited while he languished in Jail. His only request was “are you the Christ or shall we look for another?” In a situation of that type, what would our request be?

 Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;