The Glorious Sun! No shades please.
They tell us most of the country is vitamin-D deficient and are therefore sick. Yet they insist you need sunscreen to block the greatest natural source of vitamin D–“the sun is now harmful, so you need to buy some cream.” God wants to hurt you, but we got you covered.” 😉
2 Corinthians warns is against this trick. Never let anyone tell you you need shades when gazing into God’s glorious light. Reject any teacher who filters God’s glorious word. They explain, they pure word is too harsh for the mind and needs to be cleverly watered down so that it is more easily digestible for sinners. Their sermons are full of interesting stories “people can relate to.” (Friends, you want life giving stories, the word of God is full of them!)
“But have renounced the HIDDEN things of DISHONESTY , not walking in CRAFTINESS [trickery], nor handling the word of God deceitfully [no light filters or sunglasses;] but by manifestation [visible exhibition] of the TRUTH commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our GOSPEL be HID, it is HID to them that are lost: In whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD hath BLINDED [obscured, shaded] the MINDS OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE NOT, LEST the LIGHT of THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST, who is the image [exact likeness] of God, should SHINE unto them. For God, who commanded THE LIGHT to SHINE out of darkness, hath SHINED in our hearts, to give the LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE of THE GLORY of God IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day [as we stand face to face before the Word of God].–2 Corinthians 4:1-4, 6, 16 KJV
Bathe IN THE LIGHT OF JESUS’ FACE IN THE GOSPEL, God’s word!!!
Don’t put a novice in office.
There is a trend in many churches these days of putting younger people into leadership. I recently visited a fellowship run by young people in their 20’s and early 30’s. Most of them are also new believers.
There is a very good reason the Bible says:
“A bishop [elder/pastor-teacher] then must be … apt to teach; Not a novice, [new plant] lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.-1 Timothy 3:2, 6 KJV
Even though the “young plant” may have knowledge–be a quick learner; They lack one essential ingredient all God-appointed Biblical leaders have: EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE.
You can teach what you’ve learned, or you can teach what you know to be fact.
In God’s kingdom this required EXPERIENTIAL knowledge is
- Of God. (1Jhn. 1-2)
- The Christian journey, battlefield. (Rom. 5)
- The enemy the devil. (1Tim.3,
- The path to victory/Overcoming.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for a young plant to possess this knowledge. This is why all of the prophets and disciples were trained over long periods by God before given responsibility to lead his flock. It’s also why we don’t reach maturity until we have been tried in the furnace of trails, and have endured like gold.
Objection! But wasn’t Timothy young? Yes, but he wasn’t a young plant. He was trained in the faith/scriptures since a child.
These churches who covert young leaders also SHAME the elders in their midst as they dismiss their wisdom and experience in favor of “young talent”.
Many of these churches have spiritually dried up, and hope to survive by recruiting youthful leaders. It’s a misguided business strategy, mixed with LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
*the pic is from Unconscious: Unlocking the Zone book.
MANNA: “Surpasses all understanding”
And he humbled [afflict, oppress] thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know [were force fed like a helpless baby. Not food!?]; that he might make thee know that man doth not live [have the activitiy of life] by bread [grain, earthly] food only, but by every word [all the commandments] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. –Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV
Like the unfamiliar food: manna, the word of God is the answer to all of our distress. We normally expect relief to come from what ever we feel we are lacking that causes our discomfort. But, getting closer to God in prayer and his word are the remedy we really need. Notice the level of relief, comfort, and satisfaction promised in these passages.
“for NOTHING BE ANXIOUS, but IN EVERYTHING by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, that is surpassing all UNDERSTANDING, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 YLT1898
“Surpasses all understanding,” is exactly what the manna from heaven did to the starving Israelites in the wilderness. It was nutrition they knew nothing about, yet it was more than enough to satisfy their needs, with plenty left over when they could not work for food.
Friends, the word of God, (full of his promises) is all we need to lean on when times get tough. God promises to take care of everything we need.
“and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye were called in one body, and become thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord; –Colossians 3:15-16 YLT1898
“‘Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, –Matthew 11:28-29 YLT1898
“Do you believe this?”
Manna: I’m Starving! But, what is that?
In the wilderness, the Lord afflicted the souls of the Hebrews through starvation, so that they would learn to look to him daily for food and sustenance. (Deut. 8:3)
This was an important event on planet earth going forward in the history of God saving his people.
Did you know that the “fat man” may very well be as nutritionally deficient as the starving, skin and bones child in the third world country? The fat man is stuffing his starving body with nutritionally empty substances Therefore his starvation continues even as his body grows.
First there must be a certain type of hunger/starvation, nutritional deficiency. Then the sweetness of the words of God are no longer words in another book on the shelf.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.–Matthew 5:3-4, 6 KJV
The world system, the kingdoms of men, are organized to condition its subjects to look to the empire for the satisfaction of every need. For example, entertainment for the lonely and empty. Specially created and packaged food for the hungry. Club memberships for community and a sense of identity, etc. These, like the starving fat man, create an illusion of healthy growth.
The nutritional deficiency is so great that a mere threat of taking away these things creates a panic that often manifest in a war-like reaction, such as we see in the two party political system. The members are trained to fight the opposing side as if food and water are at stake. The same mindset is seen in organized sports leagues.
When these provisions fail, the kingdom provides drugs to numb the delusion and disappointed mind, or to take the mind on drug trips.
What if our soul and spirit were starving for a different, super-natural food? A food not for the body, but for the mind, soul and spirit?
Silence is complicity, and protection is accessory: Judges 19-21
This is a really good summary of this passage. The passage reads like a Blockbuster movie with anticipation, stomach churning horror, amazement, sadness, outrage, revenge, and a measure of redemption. I left out at least a dozen more adjectives.
Every teacher must remember the beginning of the book, and do not leave off the ending, which ends where it began.
This tells us that you really don’t go to the book of judges to find the way the people of God should live. You go there and learn how the people of God should not live.
(Bible critics use passages like this to accuse the Bible of promoting vile conduct.)
The episode in chapter 19 highlights the worst moral decline among the mightiest of the tribes. There are a lot of failures to consider. However, one that stands out to me, (and is often overlooked,) is the perpetrators were a distinct group among the Benjamites. They had a reputation for corruption. They were known as “the children of wickedness.”
Nonetheless, they found a haven and protection among their blood brothers. “A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.” Instead of family shame, their brothers supported their evil lifestyle.
In this case “a king” (as the book repeatedly reminds us) would have been morally responsible before God, and be the first to suffer for such evil in the kingdom.
Friends, silence is complicity, and protection is accessory to the crime. God took the opportunity to clean house in all of Israel at that time.
Study note: Remembering that the Lord only tells us what is important; how many mistakes were made in this episode in Judges 19 + 21?
THIS IS HEAVY!
“And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Revelation 5:4 KJV
Why was John crying his eyeballs out? Because that book contains the list of those inheriting eternal life. The roll must be called, the names must be read.
WORTHY is a word indicating a comparison between at least two things.
Thayer Definition:
“weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.”
Who “outweighs, is more valuable” than what or who?
The answer is The Law, Sin, and Death. Therefore more powerful than them, and able to deliver out of their hands and give life!
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 5:9-14 KJV
