SOME THINGS THAT RESTART

Everything begins in Genesis when God created the universe as we know it. But many things began again, and some things changed after the flood in Genesis chapter nine. Here are a few of the things:

V1: Every beast of earth had to replenish the earth from those that came from the ark.
V2: The control of man was established (or reinstated?) over the animals, birds, fish and insects.
V3: Every animal and plant given to man for food (as modified by clean/unclean dietary laws).
V4: Men are not to eat blood or bloody meat.
V5,6: Capital punishment is instituted.
V7: Man is to multiply and populate the earth.
Vs 8-17: God established the covenant of the rainbow: There will never again be a catastrophic, world-wide flood.

WHAT DO WE DO TO TRAIN OUR CHILDREN SPIRITUALLY?

This is a re-post of a blog I did in 2016, but I think it's worth repeating.

We do the formal things people usually associate with spiritual people: We read directly from the Bible. We did not use devotional books though some, if using the Bible as a direct source, may be worthwhile. We Pray for guidance, protection, and provision from God and for the well being of others. We "Talk of these things while [we walk] in the way", we speak using the concepts we have learned from the Scriptures.

It's very important to be spiritual by example. What does it mean to be Spiritual, how do we know if someone is spiritual? We see what such people teach, they do good work, they witness (they tell others of the existence and providence of God and specially of Jesus.) They care for others. They seek God by reading the Bible, praying, having fellowship with other believers.

We train our children by telling them what good character is. To demonstrate to us they have learned, we make them tell us what a good character is. We make them show good character through their speaking and actions. We encourage them to do good works by telling them what good works are, and by doing good works ourselves.

We endeavor to be good examples because what we talk about and do, the children hear and see. We let them see by letting the Bible show us. After all, how do you know what the Standards are unless you read them? We let the Church show us and let others show us.

THINKING OF TRINITY

In John 3 Nicodemus has trouble comprehending the nature of God as we sometimes do. He is coming to Jesus from the teaching “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD”. (Deu_6:4) He definitely would not expect to be standing before, and speaking directly to, God himself. He is questioning who he perceives to be an ordinary man, though a healer, worker of miracles and a radical teacher. Jesus tells him bluntly he must be "born again", a term that is strange to him. He is thinking of natural childbirth. Jesus explains men must be born of water (natural childbirth) AND spirit. He is using natural things to explain spiritual things. Through verses 10 to 21 He tells Nicodemus how men are born again, and Jesus' mission on earth.

We can empathize with Nicodemus. It is hard to conceive of God’s omnipresence except by the Spirit of God. Many invent their own conceptions of God such like the Hindu concept as "all is in God" or "God is in all". But that seems to reduce God to an ether-like force or a huge conglomerate of things: something without a personal will or even a personality.

But we know, because God tells us:
- The Father is the creator, the one who sits on the throne of heaven.
- The Son, he that came in a body to save us.
- The Spirit, the Comforter, the one who lives in all God’s people.

INDESTRUCTABLE

2 Corinthians 4 speaks of the light that shins in us because of our inward truth which is the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because this light is in us, we manifest the truth - the news of Jesus. This light cannot be seen by those who are lost – who do not know Jesus; the light is hidden form them. They cannot see it, nor will they be able to see it until they realize that they are sinners, that Jesus died for their sins, that he rose again, and will come again for those who have the inward light. Once they believe this, they too will share our light. How will they know if we do not tell them?

The light that shines is the Word of God – Jesus – in whom we trust as our sufficient sacrifice for sin. Some do not accept this and reject it; they have no light. We have the light in earthen vessels, that is to say: presently earth-bound bodies, so that the power of God can shine through us.

But this does not mean we do not have problems. For we are . . .
- - Troubled yet not distressed.
- - Perplexed yet not in despair (because we have hope of eternity).
- - Persecuted yet not forsaken (because we know God is for us).
- - Cast down yet not destroyed (because they cannot destroy what god will preserve).
- - Delivered to death yet the life of Jesus is manifest in our faith (God is working in us to show others and to bring them to the truth).

Let us share our indestructability with those who will perish.

ARE THEY AMOUNG US

Jude 11
“Woe onto them for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the way of Balaam for reward, and perished after the gainsaying of Core.”

Cane - - The sacrifices of works rather than the sacrifice of blood.

Balaam - - Seeking to become rich in the doing of God's work.

Core - - Putting forward themselves to take the place of God's appointed leaders.

The book of Jude says to rebuke the wrongdoers in the church. Are such among us today? Do we see people expecting rewards for works? Do we see some seeking (and becoming) rich? Do we see some push aside others for their own eminence?

TURNING GOOD INTO BAD

2 Corinthians 2
Paul writes, in verse 11 that, “no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices”. Is seems he is speaking of a situation about a person who is being over-punished. Paul might have set this punishment in motion via another earlier letter. The Corinthians went about to chastise this fellow. But Paul says in verse 6, “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority.” It seems they were continuing to do so. Paul is saying ,”enough”. Overdoing it might cause the man to be overwhelmed; now the time has come to forgive and comfort (verse 7).

The Corinthians were doing a good thing in correcting wrong but once the correction was sufficient Satan took over by pushing them to continue the correction. Satan was encouraging something that was good initially to be run past its useful time so that it becomes bad.

We must be careful we do not overextend our righteous activity so that what was good in us (and against Satan) then becomes bad in us (and against God). We should act properly for God's cause. We must be careful that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

NOT SITUATIONAL ETHICS

2 Corinthians 1:17

When we purpose things within ourselves it is  "yes" or  "no".  But the purposes or promises of God are  "yes" 

We make up our minds according to the occasion and decide  "yes" or  "no" about something.  It may be "yes" today but tomorrow the situation may change and it might be "no".  

The promises of God are not made up to fit the situation but are decided beforehand.  The situation agrees with what God has decreed, or it does not.  For us as humans what is today "yes" may well be "no" tomorrow.  We waffle and change our minds about the situation.  We should make up our minds using God's everlasting principles as our base, and not with facts that change from day to day, or minute to minute.  

For example, “Thou shalt not kill” never changes nor does the punishment for it, namely, the death of the killer.  This applies to premeditated murder.

A man kills another man with a brick.  Today we say he should be hanged:  "yes".  Tomorrow we look at his background:  the brick thrower’s disadvantaged upbringing, he was beaten and abused all his life, he was half crazed with drugs; we reconsider and say he should not be hanged:  "no".  God's law does not change, period.  If a man purposely sheds another man's blood, by the hand of other men must the killer’s blood be shed.  

God allows leniency for situations such as accidents, self-defense and wartime battles.  But he is not lenient about when the situation includes malice or forethought.

LAW MAKES SIN

One Corinthians 15 verse 56
 "the sting of death is sin; The strength of sin is the law". 

Why is the strength of sin the law?  Because if there were no law, every action would be the same; there would effectively be no sin.  The law identifies what sin is.  Theoretically if you do not know what sin is, you cannot do sin.  Take the example of a woman who dresses immodestly for the purpose of raising lust in men:  if it were not a sin to incite sin in others  and modest dress were not required, then low necklines, split shirts, high skirts, in tight clothes would not be sin.  But if there is a dress code, then women who do not follow it are sinning (and the authorities are sinning if they allow it).  The Bible says that, “. . . women adorn themselves in modest apparel . . .” (1Tim 2:9)  Men are to: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (1Col 6:18)

Don't want to be told what to wear or not wear?  Do away with the dress code.  We might also say do away with  "thou shalt not commit adultery"  and  "he that fornicates is joined unto a harlot sins against their own body"

We can ignore God's laws and his wishes, but we cannot appeal them nor strike them from the law. 

GREAT ENLIGHTENMENT

I pray that most of the population of the United States will at least know they have a choice to make about Jesus Christ.  I want them to know that God sent Jesus to earth to die in their place for their sins, that he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, and that if they believe that they have an eternal place with him in heaven, and if they do not they will be eternally separated from God (otherwise known as “Hell”).  A person becomes what we call “saved” by acknowledging what Jesus did for them, and asking Jesus to forgive and accept them

But I am not praying for “renewal” or “revival” (though these are certainly worthy to pray for).  What I want I would term “Transformation” or “Enlightenment”.  For me someone who is “renewed” or “revived” is already saved but has fallen short lately in the way he is behaving or thinking.  He needs to have his thinking and acting “renewed” to his saved state.  He needs to have his salvation revived as if being resuscitated in an operating room.

So I pray for a Great Transformation, a Great Enlightenment for the people of the United States.

TOUNGUES OR NOT

One Corinthians 14
For all that people argue about speaking in tongues, this chapter minimizes tongues in favor of prophecy and understanding.  It does not prohibit them.  The greater need is for understanding. 

Although I have never spoken in tongues, I suppose they could be for blessing and giving of thanks as suggested in verses 16 and 17.  But any hearers of the speaking would not understand, there is no edification.  Perhaps even the speaker does not himself understand, as is said in verse 14.  For all that desire to speak in tongues we are supposed to desire more earnestly to edify the church.

Here is how clear speech comes (see verse 6):
- -  Revelation - what is revealed by God.
- -  Knowledge - what we know from reading the Bible and our experience
- -  Prophesying - expounding God's will as he has told it to do you.
- -  Doctrine - explaining our own understanding of God's will from Scriptures and life. 

DOORS

I recently made paintings of the front and back doors of the Bedford, Massachusetts house I grew up in.

When I was done, I made an analysis of how these doors were used and who used them.  The front door was only for formal occasions and was rarely used.  The side door was for general family use and for the reception of visitors and businesspeople.  There was a cellar door too but only used for family activities.

I thought of other doors of houses in which I have lived and their uses.  Our house in Gotha, Florida had three doors and we used all of them.  The front for Family but also for receiving people.  The side was for in-and-out access to the car and for play.  The back door was for in-and-out and play but also to dispose of trash.  Our current house in Windermere, Florida has two doors.  The front is for reception and general in-and-out.  The back is for family arrival and departure and access to garage.

You can think of our souls having doors too.  There is a front door, which might be only for formal users.  There might be a back door which may be hidden from most people.  It might be only for family, or it might be closed but for a very few special people.  It might be heavily guarded and never used by anyone but yourself.  Or there might be many doors for other specialized users.

There is another door that is always present, the one God uses.  You might not think of it as a door because what and who we are always open to God.  God has this right to his door because he is the owner of the house.  Most of the time he allows us to live thinking no one sees us, no one knows.  But God always sees, and always knows. 

God will never break  your doors down; He gives you a choice of how you will live.  There will be a time, however, when God repossesses your house and you will meet him face-to-face.  We do not have the capacity to be fully ready for that day, there will always be some embarrassing mess we should have cleaned up.  That is why we need to accept Jesus as our redeemer and trust He will keep his word:  that if we believe he died in our place for our sins and rose again and He will receive us into everlasting live with Him.  That is a door we can jointly own with God and will never be shut to us.

MANAGEMENT GIFTS

1 Corinthians 12, a lesson in management

This speaks of diversity of gifts but same spirit, differences of administrations but same Lord, diversity of operations but the same God.  We can say that the Father represents operation, the Son represents administration and the Holy Ghost represents gifts.

Manifestation of the spirit can be in every (Christian) man or woman:
1.   word of wisdom
2.   word of knowledge
3.   faith
4.   healing
5.   working of miracles
6.   prophecy
7.   discerning of spirits
8.   tongues
9.   interpretation of tongues

This is how a whole company or organization could be organized:
   Operations - what we should do, where we should go
   Administration - how we shall accomplish what the operator directs
   Gifts - providing the things and services needed for getting the job done. 

God is the manager and the supplier of all we need, and the equipment with which to do it.  But he does it in a more meaningful and life-giving way than merely producing automobiles or frozen dinners.  He supplies the reasons for being and the abilities to “do life”, to turn our existence into value.

SMALL FROM ALTITUDE

When I was working, I flew to many places in the country.  As I looked down upon the earth from 35,000 feet the things of men were so small that only the largest buildings were obvious.  It would have been difficult to pick out a semi-truck when looking at superhighways.  Indeed, I never saw one.  If a person were to stand in the middle of an intersection, and you were told where to look, you could not possibly see him.  From the sky as the eye wanders over the rest of the earth you realize how insignificant the person would seem.  The smallness of that person, that place, becomes astounding.  Yet through such a means God saved the world.  Think of God, Jesus, being in one human body. 

The vantage point of the plane demonstrates a small part of the expanse of Gods comprehension.  He comprehends what the human eye in the plane sees, and much more.  Think of this single man Jesus who, while in the flesh, has the vantage point of the plane.  ". . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt  among men."

TREE ON CLIFF

Here is a painting I did titled “Tree on Cliff”.  The idea came from a photograph of an actual tree I saw in a business trip to Washington state.  It looks precarious does it not?  It looks to be hanging onto the cliff.  What are roots holding onto?  Are they deep enough?  Can they hold on?

This reminds me of the parable of the seed sower.  As you remember, the sower spreads the seed into four types of places:  the wayside where birds ate them up immediately; the stony soil where the seeds could not last long;  the soil among weeds where the competition and distractions were too great;  and the good soil where the plants became well established and fruitful.

The good soil represents Jesus.  He provides source of nourishment and a place to firmly anchor roots.  The good soil results in much fruit.

The actual tree was smaller than the one the one shown in this painting.  Other trees in the photograph had actually started to fall.

What does the picture make you think of?  Will this tree eventually fall into the Water?  If on rocky soil it will fall over into the water.  If it is on good soil the tree will remain anchored and fruitful no matter how steep the cliff is.  Jesus is good soil and allows us to hold in any sort of difficulty.

Are you planted in good soil?

WAITING TO EAT

1 Corinthians 11:21
I wonder if this verse is saying the Corinthians have church communion suppers at which people eat when they arrive without waiting to eat all together?  Therefore there are times when one is full (drunken) and others (who have not yet eaten) are hungry.  This shows a selfishness of one Christian not caring enough for another to eat together.   "I’ll do what I do for me and let the others catch up".  This type of thinking is only of yourself and what you can get or do for yourself.  But we should be discerning of the body of the Lord Jesus when eating together as a Christian group.  Everything should be done in a decent order as the Bible says.  God, through Paul, sets up many ways of prayer proper Christian action,
- - Manners
- - The Lord supper
- - Tongues
- - Who to fellowship with

In verse 33 he instructs to "tarry one for another". 

Some who are rich can well afford to wait, but do not.  Some who are poor, who really need the food and arrive at the supper late, may not get fed because all is gone.  Many others are not even thinking of the Lord at all. 

HOW TO TELL THE TRUTH

Romans 16;17
There are those who cause divisions and offenses (stumbling blocks) because they proclaim something else other than the doctrine we have learned.  We might use the example of Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or Catholics (who go too far into Mary). 

What we have left us is doctrine, a tradition of how scripture should be interpreted.  We see how it has been interpreted by men.  But is this tradition right?  Men sometimes change things as it has been passed from one to another.  Has it changed over the years? 

Much of what we know about God is how he has been passed to us through other men.  God works in man: they write about it.  Scripture is not just a collection of men's writings about, it is a reporting of what God did in their presence.  How close were these men to actual events?  Were they eyewitnesses?  Had they lived within 200 years after Christ lived?  There have been many such writings.  Out of all available writings who decided which were good and which were not? 

In the development history of a Bible translation I am reading I look for:
- -  Is it a translation or a paraphrase?
- -  Was it done by a group of people, or was it done by just one person?
- -  Was the group qualified to know the meaning and intent of the original languages?
- -  Has the translation lasted for a long enough time for it to become known as trustworthy?

Here is why I think these points are important:
- -  A translation is an attempt to recreate in the target language what was said in the original languages.  A paraphrase is an author’s opinion about what a translation is trying to say.  He is not working with original languages.
- -  A translation by a group of people must me more reliable than a translation by a single person for one team member can test the others for accuracy and intent of the original language.
- -  Each member of the translation team must have expertise in the language being translated.
- -  A translation that has been in existence for a length of time has given opportunity for mistakes to surface and be corrected.

I will trust a translation for these reasons listed above.  For years I have read the King James Version and lately I have been reading the New American Standard Version.  When I was first saved I acquired and read a New English Version.

Except for being careful about the origins of a particular version, the version does not matter nearly as much as actually reading it.  It is important to read the Bible - - and not just once in your lifetime.  If it is God’s Word to us it should be important enough to read many times. 

I read from the Bible every day.

THE CHURCH DISTRACTING

Today (Sunday 7 June) I listened to two church services: one given via YouTube from the church I go to, and the other via YouTube from a large church in Orlando.  There are reasons I go to one church and not to the other.  I will talk of the large church first.

I will not attend the large church because of the music.  It is too LOUD.  Loudness does not make music more worshipful; it just makes it uncomfortable.  To enhance the uncomfortable music, they use lighting.  They use spots, moving beams, and streaming visual effects.  To make these effects more visible they use smoke.  This is all staged as a rock concert.  For example, they use different stage levels for the musicians.  All the vocalists stand in front in a line.

All this seems to me to be showmanship.  They look excited, they jump, they yell the lyrics.  Are they truly excited or is it just a stage act?  What is the difference between this and a rock concert?  This extends too to the announcements which seems to be hyped with faked excitement.

They also transition between the different segments with videos.  Is all this technology necessary for an effective worship?  Must this be done to reach today’s people?  Will people not listen unless they are entertained?

Yet the actual preaching was well done.  It had good content and was well delivered.  All the stuff that went before (music, etc.) was a barrier to the content.  Yet at the end of the preaching, while transitioning out to what followed, there was a keyboard droning behind the words muddling the speech.  Why is that necessary?

The church where we attend is small, so it is possible to know everyone.  The music is done by various people, not the same group every Sunday.  The preaching is not always by the pastor but is sometimes done by others.  The preaching today, for example, was well done by another, and very helpful.  This type of freedom presents ministry opportunities to every member of the congregation.

At the big church ONLY the pro singers and musicians and ONLY the pastoral staff present the worship.

WHEN COMFORT IS DANGEROUS

John 21
The disciples had been fishing all night and had nothing to show.  While standing on the shore Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side.  They had already been fishing all night with no success.  Now this stranger yells out to them to “Cast the net on the other side.”  (As yet they had not recognized Jesus.)  This was more work after a whole night’s work, what could this guy know, but they did it anyway.  Now they caught so many the net broke.  Sometimes it is not good to give in to comfort when a little more work needs to be done.

Jesus warned Peter that he would be persecuted when he was old; that he would, “be carried whither he would not.”  This is after Peter had been told three times to feed the flock.  Did he have to be told because it would be hard to keep himself focused on his work for God during persecution?  When the persecutors would be seeking after him too “carry him” he would have the remembrance of “feed my lambs, feed my flock” to keep him applied to godly work, rather than saving his own skin - - or worse:  giving up some godliness for the sake of comfort and peace.

STILL WORKING ON DEVOTIONS

John 20
At 76 years old I’m still not one for a strong personal devotional time period, i.e. reading by myself.  Yet all these married years, and a little before, 47 years in all, I have had family devotions, a daily Bible reading.  This small thing has been great in my life .  As God said, it has been the mustard seed that, though a tiny seed, grew to “a great tree with branches that the fouls of the air may nest in.”

Jesus, by the sacrifice, asks how important is your [job, animals, wealth, self-esteem, power, etc.] to you?  More important than me?  He answers the question of how important are we to him:  we are important enough for him to give his only begotten son, important enough for him to die himself for us, important enough for him to give his spirit to dwell in us. 

One thing I have confidence about:  I KNOW what God thinks about a lot of things.  Some would take me aside as being a “Christian Bigot”.  They would say, “How can you be so arrogant as to say you KNOW what God thinks?”  I would say to them, “What principles are a guide for your life?  Any?  Some favorite author or politician?  Some particular group you belong to?”  From reading the Bible I know right from wrong, good from bad, profitable from unprofitable.  Each time I read the Bible I get yet more from it.  I have been a better man to the world because of it – even to those who would say it's  “just another book”.

PUT THE BALL IN SOMEONE ELSE’S COURT

[[ To continue some thinking from a previous blog of 4 April 2020 .  .  . ]]
John 19

Pilate cared nothing for Jesus life; that mattered not at all to him.  If Pilot could quickly get Jesus to admit he was King he could get a quick, easy judgment.  He brought him out before the people in “Kings clothing” saying, "behold your King".  But he had no evidence, only the troublesome fact that Jesus had said he was the son of God.  Now pilot was sucked into Jewish religious matters.  He tried to release him until the Jews said that Jesus made himself King in the place of Caesar.  That was enough to let pilot off the hook and get Jesus crucified.  In all this, the fact that an innocent man might die had no effect on Pilot’s thinking.  He didn't want to do anything that would embroil him in legal wrangling for months to come.  He wanted out of the Jewish religious arguments.  Let it not be said that Pilot upheld a Jewish religious discrimination suit in a Roman court.  That was a career-stopper.