Why Doesn't Jesus Heal Everyone?

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ~2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Paul states that he had an unnamed affliction that would not disappear, but he comes to understand that it's more to God's glory that he persists in his weakness.

If God only wants the best for us, then why doesn't He heal everyone? Jesus certainly seemed to heal everyone who demonstrated faith in the New Testament. Aren't we more faithful since we can't see Him and yet still believe?

God DOES want only the best for us, and we don't always know what that is exactly. You can't lean on your own understanding of good and bad. He wants for us to eventually be beyond a world that causes death, disease, pain, and infirmities, yes. However, He uses the bad that occurs in our corrupt world to bring out the good, either for ourselves or others.

Let's not forget Job who suffered from a skin disease (not to mention losing his entire family and all his possessions). In the most beautiful passage in the Bible, God explains everything and nothing when He responds to Job's moans. He told him and his faithful friends that Job certainly didn't suffer due to lacking faith.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! ~Job 38:4-5

People, many times good people, suffer because of reasons unknown to us. We should trust that God is in control and He is good.

Your purpose here on Earth is bigger than living in comfort. It's to show others the Light and the joy of His Love. Sometimes, that comes from miraculous healing. Sometimes, that comes from a believer withstanding through hardship and serving as a guide to others who must suffer the same. Sometimes, the circumstances call for a bit of both.

You may see all the healing Jesus did during His ministry here, and see that He healed everyone who asked for healing and had faith He would. He was also here for a purpose bigger than living in comfort. Part of His mission was to show that He cares and loves us.

There's no possible way to list all the times God healed in the Bible from Old through New Testaments (or God was referred to as a healer or God was asked to heal) without just linking to the entire Bible. He is the ultimate Healer. However, He doesn't heal everyone all the time. With the exception of those faithless who reject His healing, why would He not heal His children?

Jesus healed everyone who had faith and pursued Him in the new Testament, but that can't be said to be true before nor after. He was here on Earth for the express purpose of proving that He was God (only God can heal, forgive, etc.) and to serve as a sacrifice for our sins to eliminate the forces of darkness for His disciples' souls. His healing had a dual purpose: Healing is symbolic of His spiritual healing and salvation. Notice this though: Jesus still died.

Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” ~Mark 8:31-33

They say courage is not the absence of fear but rather the knowledge that there is something bigger than it. This is exemplified by Jesus.

Death, serious injury, and disease are products of an evil world. Notice that evil still exists, even for us believers. We still live in a fallen world, and God has not yet eliminated it all. Though we are Children of God, we must suffer a little while just as Jesus did.

Yet, this evil is not forever.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~ Revelations 21:4

God is bigger than anything you may ever face. Keep your eyes on Him and not the storm.

God bless!


~Dedicated to my mama who is facing great unknowns right now. Our Healer is in control, and your suffering is not without purpose.~

Sources other than Bible:
https://www.learnreligions.com/why-doesnt-god-heal-everyone-701958
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-didnt-jesus-christ-heal-the-gentile-womans
https://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-jesus-heal/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/why-doesn-t-god-heal-every-sickness-disease-and-illness.html

Finding Eden

God spoke through me this past weekend.

I've been listening to a Podcast (The Bible Project, if you're interested) in which the hosts have been speaking about the Sabbath, the number 7 as reflective of the Sabbath day, and the repetition of both in the Bible. The first time the Kingdom of God was recognized was within the Garden of Eden. During this time of bliss, we were in complete harmony with each other, with nature, and ultimately with God. It was there where work never exhausted our souls, and we never depended on our blood, sweat, and tears to ensure our survival. We depended only on God and never doubted that we had enough.

The Sabbath, a day of rest, existed even then, but it appeared to be more of a reminder of God's providence than a necessity. In a way, every day was Sabbath. The 7th day is a microcosm of the Kingdom of God, and now that we no longer live in the Garden of Eden, we need that reminder of God's promises more than ever. Plus, we need the rest.

Over and over, God reminds us to rest. There first was the weekly Sabbath, then as festivals and holy days were added to the Hebrew calendar, there were yearly Sabbaths, and Sabbaths which came every 7 years (all slaves were freed and debts forgiven as the ideal God wanted every day). Every time the number 7 comes up in the Bible (and I dare say elsewhere in our lives), God is reminding us of this:

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:9-10

I can't put here all the times God told us to rest. We've been out of Eden so long we don't even realize how hard we toil, but God does, and He wants you to stop, be still, rest. However, we no longer live in Eden; we no longer live in the Kingdom of God... or do we? Where is the Kingdom of God? People throughout history have searched for the elusive Eden that used to be between the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates. If we found that place, would we find the Kingdom of God? Or maybe it's in the land of Israel, the promised land the Hebrews wondered the desert for forty years to find?

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:36-37

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

I need for you to understand this thing God has revealed to me. Eden is not here or there. Eden is wherever God is. Is it not with Him that we are provided for, in Him we rest with peace and joy, for Him that we raise one another up in love? The Kingdom of God is here, amongst us, and those who have faith and live in love live also in the Kingdom of God already. We have enough, and we are enough through God.

As you reflect on the Christmas season that's upon us, notice the "Christmas Spirit," as people call it. We should be living it daily. Can you imagine the dark corners of this world that would be illuminated with the light and joy we could spread? When Jesus walked on this Earth, He lived as a person already in the Kingdom of God. One day, there will be a new Heaven and Earth, and the whole of humanity will live without the storms and darkness we have now. Until then, live as if you already are in the New Heaven and Earth because the Kingdom of God resides wherever the King does, and that's here and now.

It is by Him, not our own toils, that we live and die. So, rest.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

God bless!





Sources other than the Bible:

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/513212/jewish/When-Is-the-Next-Jubilee-Year.htm

How do you know someone really is saved?

You don't. There you go; end post. Everyone go home cause that's it for the day...

No, actually come back. Let's speak on a few things concerning salvation because we all hear of Christians (with a Big C) crashing and burning and of secular, Worldly people (with an equally large W) claiming to be finally saved. With the Justin Biebers and Kanye's coming out to the public as newly professed believers, many are right to be skeptical. I mean, famous people are known to be spotlight hogs, and what better way to generate new interest than to do something unexpected and big?

I get it. I really do. Yet, this is a topic that's super important, not because it personally affects you if either of those pop culture icons actually have run to the Father or not... or does it? In a corrupt world full of evil, lies, and golden tongues, it can be difficult at times to be able to discern the influences you should allow in your life. This is not just about so-called stars and big name preachers, this is about what it means to be saved and what it means to discern or judge. This is about knowing who is a fellow disciple.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. - Matthew 7:15-20

It's sometimes best to watch and wait because the truth will out in the end. Some will say, wait!, this clearly says prophets and most people (famous or not) don't allege to be prophets. First, prophets were people who spoke on behalf of God. The point was making sure you and others aren't led astray by them. That could apply not only to big, name influencers, rabbis and preachers, but also you and me. We, as disciples, speak on behalf of God on the daily. If someone is claiming to be Christians, they are claiming to be disciples, and everything they do and say is on behalf of God.

Fruits are their actions and what they generate in the world. Are they doing good and wholesome things or are their actions shady, debatable, or downright corrupt?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me - John 10:27

If they recognize and love God's voice, their words and actions will reflect that in some manner. No one is perfect, remember this and repeat it frequently. A person who is saved will always fail to live up Jesus' example. That's the point. We need God. That doesn't change because we're saved.

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7b

Met someone particularly cross, covered in tattoos (really, some still judge this), or otherwise not looking outwardly like whatever you think a believer is supposed to look like? See, here's the thing. A disciple doesn't look a certain way. Some will be good at going to church and some will never go. Some will be straight laced and buttoned-up at all times and some will forget to bathe. We don't know people's hearts, at what developmental point they are in their relationship with God, nor what their purpose is here on Earth. What we do know is that God can see more clearly than we can whether someone is saved or not.

No matter if someone is saved or not, you should be an example of God's love. If they profess that they are a Christian, whether they are saved or not (and you CAN'T really know this FOR SURE), you treat them as a follower of Jesus. If they do something wrong, you correct them as a sister or brother. Let's look at one more verse.

John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. - Mark 9:38-42

If someone professes to be a follower of Jesus and good comes of it, whether the person is saved or not, they still did good for His kingdom. However, if they use God's name to instead do bad, they are breaking a commandment to not use God's name in vain.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34-35

Not only will you see that a truly saved person will treat other believers in Love (like they should Love everyone!), but you should do the same. Nothing is impossible with God, and while we should be ever vigilant, we should also remember to not become hardened. A saved person who has fallen needs our love. A worldly person who has found God needs our love. They need our hope and support. So, if they’ve never actually been saved, they will be blown away by the Love of our God and our family.

To conclude, we can circle back to the beginning. You can't know for certain whether someone is saved since there's no telling what is in their heart. However, you can figure out if someone is doing good for God's kingdom and is a good influence if their actions and words line up with God's ways and words. Let's celebrate with hope those who claim to have been lifted and saved. God has saved many condemned, damaged souls who seemed unrepairable. Let's not be jaded like the world.

God bless!

How does God see Time?

What is Time according to God?

A seven day week can be found in both Jewish and Babylonian cultures. Most sources will state that the seven day week originated with Babylon since they have written accounts of that measurement of time going back about 3000 years. They would, of course, scoff at using a religious document like the Torah, which goes back just as far, to justify the origin being with Jews or even a simultaneous idea that originated with both cultures. Days, months, and years all correspond to natural phenomena. The week does not. All efforts to explain how this came to be (as separate from God speaking to the Hebrews) are very speculative.

No matter; Yahweh approved the seven day week since creation when He took six days (starting sun down and ending with the next sun down) to create the world and the seventh to enjoy His creation. Since then, Jews and then Christians, along with many other cultures as they came across those peoples, follow a seven day week.

It all makes you think: God made the week an important concept (particularly the seventh day)for humanity along with a host of annual festivals and holy days. It's obvious the cyclical nature of these observances are there to remind us continually of various lessons, comforts, and warnings. However, was there more to it all? Does it give us an idea of how God perceives time itself?

Lord, You have been our dwelling place
through all generations.
Before the mountains were born
or You brought forth the earth and world,
from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God.
You return man to dust,
saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”
For in Your sight a thousand years
are but a day that passes,
or a watch of the night.
You whisk them away in their sleep;
they are like the new grass of the morning—
in the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it fades and withers. - Psalm 90:1-6

What does a man gain from all his labor,
at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets;
it hurries back to where it arose.
Blowing southward,
then turning northward,
round and round the wind swirls,
ever returning on its course.
All the rivers flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full;
to the place from which the streams come,
there again they flow.
All things are wearisome,
more than one can describe;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear content with hearing.
What has been will be again,
and what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a case where one can say,
“Look, this is new”?
It has already existed
in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance
of those who came before,
and those to come will not be remembered
by those who follow after. - Eccles 1:3-11

Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. - 2 Peter 3:8

One thing is obvious: we are all but a moment to the eternity of God. Can you imagine every time you love someone, they pass away the next moment? Of course, God is determined to not allow that to happen. As the scripture states, God wants very badly for no one to die the second death of the soul. He wants us to all exist forever with Him and love Him and each other. Some of us are just as determined to not exist one day. This grieves Him greatly.

Another thing is true: to God, nothing is new. Everything that was returns again because humanity has bad memories and worse will powers to resist repeating our offensive histories. In that manner, all of existence is cyclical. That's one reason why God wants us to remember cyclically whose children we are and how deeply He loves us.

Let's look at the Sabbath He instituted. It's a continual reminder of many things: our blessings, our day to day hustle for progress and more is not important in the grand scheme, and we are not in control. The Bible Project Podcast (check out episode 159) brought up this last point. The Sabbath is inconvenient on purpose. We have to stop everything we're doing and pause. It is in this we can finally realize that we are never in control of our time. It exists to serve God, and as we all know, our best plans can be laid to waste quite easily. Yet, our plans are not as good as God's. God is in control, and that's the best thing.

Time is such an abstract concept. Some cultures in the world don't even recognize a past or future in the sense we do like the Amondawa tribe. Many countries like the U.S., Germany, northern Europeans, etc., have a linear idea of time. The past flows out behind us and the future before us, and time can be equivalent to the idea of money. We can waste time or invest it. Punctuality is key.

Many Southern European, South Americans, and Middle Easterners have a multi-active idea of time. In other words, time passing is not bound to a calendar or clock. It doesn't have firm boundaries and either conforms to the person and events or is dispensed with entirely. It's not that they don't have a linear idea of time so much as it's not as firm and unchanging. It stretches between events rather than between blocks on a schedule.

Eastern countries see time as cyclic. The past will also be the future, so they can never waste it, simply apply patience for it to return. However, China is very time-aware. They also look at time as an investment into relationships even in businesses. Japanese have a sense of time "unfolding," as if unwrapping a gift or peeling an onion with many layers.

Now, Madagascar see the future as something that flows from behind and is laid out before them as the past, since the past is the only thing one truly sees. Since the future can not be truly planned for, businesses run differently. Buses leave, not at specific times, but when they are full, stock is refilled once empty, and gas replenished in cars once empty.

It is my belief that God is outside of any concept of time. However, in as much as time exists, He, as an eternal being and as evidenced through various parts of the Bible, must see events returning time and again just with different people and places. Although it is cyclical, in a sense, there is also a past (which must be accounted for and remembered as His various observances note) and a future before us controlled only by Him. Our sense of time is not His as our thousand years are a day to Him and a day to us is a thousand years to Him. In other words, time is of no consequence to Him. Our past, present, and future are all laid before Him at once.

Don’t worry dear soul, about tomorrow. As they say, God is already there.

God bless!





Sources other than Bible:
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/437-biblical-concept-of-time-the
https://www.pursuegod.org/the-2-concepts-of-time-in-the-bible/
https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/CGG/ID/2368/Time-Gods-Perspective-of.htm
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/390204
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-13452711
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-different-cultures-understand-time-2014-5

101st Blog Post Celebration!

Since this is officially my 101st Learning to Be Love post, here are a few of my favorite things I've learned since the beginning of studying about God with you!

1) The Bible is a love story about God and humanity's relationship throughout history as told by humans.

2) The purpose of the Bible is not to be your rule book. It's to teach you wisdom, by which your ears will recognize God's voice in every circumstance, no memorization of rules required.

3) We were made to be important ambassadors between spiritual and physical realms, and although most of the universe was overjoyed for us, not everyone was. These are the powers we battle every day, and we would certainly lose except God intervened and already won the war.

4) You can not lose salvation or the Holy Spirit. God never takes back His promises, but YOU can choose not to take Him up on them. YOU can choose to ignore the Spirit, but He's still whispering.

5) The Bible is such a complex work, more than we realize. In the original languages, there are so many double meanings and clear references to other works about God (internal and external to the Bible as we have it now) that it is a tapestry of symbols and messages (made by multiple people separated by millennia!) woven together into a single story of Love and triumph.

6) Why does God let evil exist? This age old question has an answer. If He uproots all the weeds (evil), He would be uprooting a lot of wheat (those with hope still of salvation). If you think it's worth it to do it anyway, remember that you were one of those once. He wishes for NONE to perish.

7) Do not correct an unbeliever's behaviors and beliefs. They are not on the Rock like you. Even if they wished to do well, they're being tossed by the waves!

8) Love even your enemies and forgive them. Loving is an action not an adjective, and sometimes the best way to love them is to leave them behind.

9) God speaks to you in more ways than you can comprehend, but you need to pay attention. You can also speak to Him in more ways than simple prayer (but that's still great!).

10) Do not fear: it's one of the most spoken phrases in the Bible for a reason. It's not a command to not feel the emotion, which Jesus Himself appears to have felt in the Garden of Gethsemane, but a command to not let it dictate your actions or incapacitate you. Feel it and do what you must anyway.

Finally, as you know, I like to write creatively. I don't always share my works as it's such a vulnerable feeling!
Yet, here's a long poem. Not the most well-written, and it's a rough draft. However, in honor of how long this blog has lasted and how long you have lasted with me, I'm sharing this with you, my beloved reader. And, as always,

God bless!

***
He Calls Your Name

You dance in the garden to His ways
His kisses on your cheek

Venomous tree
Velvet crimson rivers
cascade down the leaves

Shadows lengthen in the garden

You gape wide into the midst,
insides bared,
open chest torn open
You are dead but standing
You struggle to speak for the words bubble
through the blood in your voice

His Spirit hovers over your
chaotic Deep inside
He calls your name

He calls your name, but you are in shock,
crimson rivers down your hands
Voices of multitude
innumerable as the sands
rise from within it,
piercing screams echoing in your head
their blood is yours
their death is yours
Your death is His

He wanders through the garden,
the desert for you
He calls your name

That's not your name anymore

You climb the venomous tree
look upon the city you've built with the blood of your hands
The blood that never goes,
the stain that follows you

You build a boat with trees,
towers with broken glass,
you build a storm in your eyes
to escape His wrath

They all fall, fall, fall;
creations of your hands are falling into dust
Nothing you do will grow the garden

Crimson rivers in the desert
Paint death doors with the stain

He calls to you from the mountains

He calls your name

Cover your nakedness with death,
build a home with death

He calls your name
Live, live, live!

His voice grows closer,
He nears now
He cries out I am! here
You, lost among the corpses,
can not see Him

Come home,

He calls your name

your hands will build with life,

He calls your name

your hands will be clean

He calls your name...

He dies





He gapes wide into the midst

He is dead but stands

He lives,
and you rise with Him

He builds a boat with stars
He builds a tower with jewels and gold
He calms the storm
They all rise, rise, rise;
creations of His hands stand eternal

He calls your name

A new Name,

better than the old

He calls you by His name
He calls you His child
He takes your hand,
cleansed and whole

You hear Him

You follow Him to the Garden

Now dance.


***

God on Warfare

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:8

As the author of Ecclesiastes says, there are times when love is appropriate and times when hate is appropriate. Cue the sound of screeching tires as we slam on brakes. What? I thought that love was always the answer. Then, he says there's a time for war and a time for peace. Why would a God of love ever want war and death?

That's what we'll be taking a moment to think about today. As always, let's go to His love letter (not hate and war letter, right) and seek a discussion with the Most High on this topic.

“You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; -Jeremiah 51:20

Oh, well, ok Jeremiah, calm down.

And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; - Isaiah 19:2

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ - Deuteronomy 20:1-4

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. - Exodus 15:3

What in tarnation? Oh, I guess I can't tell God to calm down.

There are many examples, especially in the Old Testament, where God called out Israelites to destroy entire cities and nations. We can agree that God hasn't called us believers to do such a thing in a long, long time. Ok, so maybe we can't all agree on that. There have been wars that Americans consider righteous (I assume other countries are similar in this regard). Let's say for example, World War II... at least we consider it righteous now. We were hesitant to enter the frontlines and joined late; many were heated over the fact we ever joined. The battles in Europe felt like a movie to so many in the mainland of U.S.A., divided by seas and lack of instant communications. Now, we can look back and say we're happy to have overthrown such an obviously evil overlord and the hell he inflicted.

Maybe we were supported by God for this decision, maybe we weren't. It was difficult to say in the moment, and it's not clear now because God can turn any bad thing into a good thing at His will.

Most of what God or His people say on the subject of war is that of condemnation and a message that He is working toward a world of peace forever more.

He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. - Isaiah 2:4

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 25:8

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. - Romans 12:18

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” -Romans 12:19

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? - Matthew 26:52-53

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Wait, what about this?

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. - Luke 12:51

When drug addicts and alcoholics decide to change their lives and let go of drugs or alcohol, they usually go through a period of great division. They have to separate themselves from friends, sometimes family, many times their homes, in order to be successful in disengaging in the behaviors that those loved ones still encourage and perhaps in which still are enmeshed.

After Jesus there was a division. Friends and family were at odds because of this new radical Jewish movement that eventually separated into Christianity. At that point, there was a time for hate and war. That doesn't mean God wanted it. However, in a time of growth, there are growing pains because, in this case, many people fought change.

I believe, from what I've read, that God never wants war or hate or anything bad. Like a father, He would have us be at peace and joyful, but we've fought Him on that since the beginning when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Due to that, now there is sometimes a time for tears and bloodshed. Why? Because we chose to create a world where there are valleys of darkness to walk through in order to get to the mountaintop.

So, why would God ever order warfare and lead an army toward murder of others?

We chose to bring evil into the world, and because of that, we must fight against the spiritual powers of darkness. We can't win the fight alone. We have to push them back to where they came from so we can claim victory in a new reality without them. If we ever actually declare war, I believe God would want us to be darn certain He is asking for it. As His commandments clearly state to not murder, we MUST know first when He is making an exception.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. - James 4:1-2

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:11-12

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. - Revelation 12:7-11

As for some details concerning war, God shows us, if it is to be carried out, how it should be done. See Deuteronomy 20 for Rules of War. It explains that if anyone has unfinished business, is newly engaged, or is too afraid to fight, that they should go home. That rules out the draft. It specified to not cut down fruit trees, as "these trees are not the enemy, so don't make war against them." It also says a few messy things our civilian ears may have difficulty reading such as enslaving those cities who make peace with you and killing all of the people in others. This is so "they will not be able to teach you to sin against the Lord your God or to do any of the terrible things they do when they worship their gods." They were corrupt, murderous, and dark-minded people who God didn't want to tarnish His people. Are those specific people listed in these verses still the same people they were back in the day? No, much has changed, and so have God's children. We are not called to kill every living person now in war. It's good to understand context.

In conclusion, we brought evil into the world from the beginning and yearn to return to our Eden, full of peace and life. Step-by-step, God is bringing us back, but that means that sometimes He has, in the past, called us to seek war against other nations. Those instructions were for specific people in specific times, and they had meaning and purpose when they were ordered. Unless we KNOW that God is asking for us to disregard one of His commandments, we really shouldn't seek all out warfare. Defense is one thing. Offense is another. We are called to be peacemakers, to show the world what God's Kingdom will be like on Earth.

God bless!

What is a Human: God's View on Transgenderism

What is a human?

Transgender politics are at an all time high, and the topic brings up a wealth of controversy no matter which side you take. We know, as children of God, we don't simply take up the world's viewpoint. Whatever it happens to be today will be different tomorrow, anyway, which should be one sign that it's not the Truth as the Truth doesn't change with the opinions of the crowd. So, what is the Truth, and how should we look at transgenderism and the souls involved in it? What is God's view on transgenderism?

One thing is to remember they are souls, just like us, and God yearns to bring them to His loving fold.

Now, let us go onward to the scriptures, God's love letter to us. It will give us the framework to understand our role in this topic.

He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created. - Genesis 5:2

God created us with two biological sexes. Of course there are those who are born as both or neither, upon external expression. However, the sex genes of X and Y determine whether you're a woman (all X) or male (at least one Y).

But, most people supporting transgenderism view sex (biology/genetics) as separate from gender (mindset/internal view of oneself). So, what does the Bible say about that?

It's certainly not a cut-and-dry topic, but when Hebrews thought of our essence of spirit, it was connected intrinsically with the physical body. When God "breathed" into mankind in Genesis 2:7 to bring us to life, it was a dual symbol of the literal breath of life and His Life and Holy Spirit being breathed into us.

Let's give an example of this. Jesus was crucified, proven dead, buried in a tomb. He rose from the grave and met up with his disciples upon the road.

While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

“Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in front of them. - Luke 24:36-43

Remember that Jesus was not dead when His friends saw Him again, and perhaps that's what He is referring to: the idea of dead spirits, a belief that originated with pagans and Greek philosophers (that body is separate from soul). Every time ghosts are brought up in the Bible (see Deuteronomy 18:11 or 1 Samuel 28:3-19) they are associated with demons or those forbidden occult practitioners where demons could pretend to be loved ones. Most other places in ancient Hebrew tradition, they looked at death as "dust to dust," "a deep sleep," etc.

This is what made Jesus' resurrection that much more amazing. He was showing how, when God raises us from the dead, we are still us. We may be healed and whole, but we are still the physical self we identified with while alive before. We are not a soul planted into another body. We are our body, and God not only pieces us back together from the dust but endows us with the same personality, possibly even retaining our memories. Did you notice Jesus ate (to show His physicality) and remembered his friends and their times together? This was all done on purpose.

However, as we are mediators of Earth and Spiritual realms in the image of God, we are both physical and spiritual in a sense. We sit on the edge of both worlds without being fully either, much like Jesus.

Check out the Wisdom of Solomon, which is from the Apocrypha.

Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades. Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts. When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air. Our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our works. (2:1-4)

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. (3:14)

There's a lot yet to peruse in order to fully understand what the Hebrews believed concerning the soul. We can't fully know, until we die, what exists beyond this life or where our essence or breath of life takes us, other than the fact that we are always with God.

If the soul and body are fully intertwined, I would say that our biological sex is the only concrete part of our gender that exists beyond feelings, cultural norms, and expectations of society.

Some might say our brains are made differently, and some people of one sex has the brain of another sex (which is a highly controversial thing to assume each sex has a different brain). Scientists are currently studying this subject with nothing concrete that I've found in my research. There's no question that science backs up what the Bible says: biologically, there are only two sexes. So, since science is unsure about brain genders, let's go further.

Society has a lot of nonsensical gender role expectations, which we can be dismissed outright. What about Biblical ones? We've taken a close look at those in other posts, such as in the ones about feminism, marriage, and submission.

There were several times taking on the role of the other sex/gender (remember these are the same in ancient Hebrew eyes) were forbidden.

Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, - 1 Corinthians 11:14

This is because in the culture Paul was speaking to, men wore long hair to express homosexuality, as if they were taking the role of a woman, and this is forbidden, too.

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. - Leviticus 18:22

We can't even try to dress as the other gender as if we were taking on their role. What that gender wears, however, is determined by the culture in which you reside.

A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. - Deuteronomy 22:5

There is a hierarchy of authority, and if you have a problem with this, again, read this post. Submission has become a horrible word that conjures up worldly, power-hungry men. This is not the type of hierarchy that God desires. Look at what He actually wants, not what the world assumes He wants. His ways are not Humanity's ways.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. - 1 Corinthian 11:3

If men can be women and women can be men, all the above is nonsense. Yet, that's exactly the way of the world. It's confusion masked as truth.

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who turn darkness to light
and light to darkness,
who replace bitter with sweet
and sweet with bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight. - Isaiah 5: 20-21

Let me back up now and clarify something. There are many people in the world who honestly believe they are truly another gender than their sex. It is my personal opinion that they have a mental illness: gender dysmorphia. Yes, if you look up the term, you'll find that people believe this condition to not be a mental illness. With any dysmorphia, there is a disconnect between the reality of your body and your perceptions. For example, body dysmorphia can cause anorexia if the person believes their body to be more overweight than they actually are. Yet, strangely, you'll find those same sources both wishing medical treatment for an anorexic person's delusions while wanting everyone to agree with and support the gender dysmorphic person's delusions. This is obvious confusion.

People who are transgender need love, compassion, and understanding.

Jesus healed countless people as He walked around spreading the Word. It'd be good to pay attention to just how He did that. He listened, spoke the Truth (always), and Loved.

So, what is a human, according to God? We are body and soul, intertwined, one reflecting the reality of the other. Our roles in life are different but complementary in a Biblical-type-of-hierarchy system. We, as Christians, should never call out an unbeliever on their actions and words, as they are simply acting as unbelievers do. However, if they ask, we are called to Truth, always the Truth and always in Love.

God bless!


https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/what-does-the-bible-say-about-transgenderism/
https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-things-every-christian-must-know-about-the-transgender-debate
https://evangelicalbible.com/the-transgender-delusion/
https://pages.uncc.edu/james-tabor/ancient-judaism/death-afterlife-future
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/whats-up-with-the-witch-of-endor/
http://www.beki.org/dvartorah/crossdressing/
https://drmsh.com/the-mind-body-problem-summarizing-the-tough-issues/

A Musical God

When you think of music, do you think of the creator of the universe? One of God's many languages He uses to speak with us is song, and I'm not necessarily speaking of songs with worship lyrics.

It's cliché to think of heaven as a place with cloud floors and cherubic angels who play on harps. There's nothing in the Bible that would suggest that is anywhere close to the truth of heaven. However, I can guarantee one thing you'll encounter when you cross the "pearly gates": there will be music. There's no telling what genre of music is prevalent or if they all exist there, possibly more genres than we know. In fact, I dare to say that music is something our soul uses to communicate in a language no one has to learn to understand. It's one of the many ways we are a mirror of God's attributes, and music came straight down from God. Why would God have music in heaven? Because He loves it!

And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. - Revelation 14:2-3

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” - Revelation 5:8-10

When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? - Job 38:7

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." - Luke 2:13-14

I've actually read some sources that state angels don't seem to be able to sing as they are usually shown as "saying" things and never singing even while humans (albeit sometimes in heaven) are shown as "singing." Whatever the case may be, music is after God's own heart.

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! - Psalm 150:1-6

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. - Psalm 40:3

Psalms are an entire book of songs, many of them written by David, the musician king. Then, of course, there's the Song of Solomon.

While we're on the subject of music, the Bible is filled with dancing.

Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. - Exodus 15:20

"Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. - Jeremiah 31:4

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. - Psalm 149:3

And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. - 2 Samuel 6:14

It happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart. - 1 Chronicles 15:29

I know there are denominations which do not condone dancing, but if the Bible has anything to say about the matter, it seems God likes dancing in worship. He likes songs filled with instruments and those filled with voices.

Do you have a song in your heart? Will you sing or dance to it before God today?

God bless!

God's Name

You'll come across it all the time in the Bible: God's name. You'll see it in so many forms. He's called Yahweh, I am that I am (or "I will be who/what I will be" depending on translation), El Shaddai, the Elohim, El Roi, Lord of hosts/armies, and sometimes simply The Name.

Why is God's name so important that it's brought up repeatedly? First, the Hebrews were surrounded by nations who had their own "gods," and they wanted to make sure to differentiate their One True God from all the others. Back in the Old Testament, when God "left" the other nations to the "foreign gods" after they abandoned Him at the tower of Babel, the Hebrews were brought out from this confusion to start over with God as the light for all. He'd always intended to save us all, and to do that, we needed to know who He is.

There is power in a name. It signifies an identity, of course, but also the characteristics and reputation of that identity. God is not like the other "gods," who were like fallen humans with some magic capabilities or like distant stars that left people to their destinies with little care.

We learn His characteristics:

He's holy.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. - Matthew 6:9

He's a place of refuge.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. - Proverbs 18:10

He is salvation.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. - Acts 4:12

He was the same God of all the righteous people He'd called on before. He is the uncreated creator.

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who (that) I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. - Exodus 3:13-15

He existed first and will always exist.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8

He is our Father and comforter.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” - Romans 8:15

He is the only way, truth, and life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

He is our healer.

Saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” - Exodus 15:6

He has the ultimate power and knowledge above all others.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know! - Proverbs 30:4

He is jealous as He's the One who created, loves, and guides you. Why would you follow another?

...for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God - Exodus 34:14

He is very serious about His reputation as it's how His people will know Him. He is all the above characteristics and more.

“Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord.” - Jeremiah 16:21

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19

Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.” - Isaiah 52:6

You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. - Leviticus 19:12

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7

Just skimming the Bible, you'll find that names were important to God and the Hebrews for signifying the essence of a being, including humans. Names were changed when the person made a change in their identity. They were usually assigned a name change by God Himself.

Abram (high father) became Abraham (father of a multitude) when he was promised descendants as numerous as the sands and stars. Sarai (princess) became Sarah (mother of nations) as she would be the mother of the multitude. Jacob (supplanter) became Israel (to strive with) when God told him he'd no longer be known by his trickery but rather by his striving with God. Simon (God has heard) became Peter (rock) when he became a disciple and Jesus declared he would be the rock of His church.

What is the meaning of your name, and what do you believe God would call you? Have you experienced a deep change in identity like those in the Bible?

So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. - Psalms 61:8

Sources outside of the Bible:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-it-matters-that-god-is-yahweh.html
https://thebibleproject.com/podcast/theme-god-e10-gods-name-character/
https://thebibleproject.com/podcast/theme-god-e13-what-gods-name-feat-dr-michael-heiser/
https://drmsh.com/the-naked-bible/yhwh/

How the Bible, Fairy Tales, and Judicial Branch are Related

Some unbelievers like to call the Bible a fairy tale, but did you know there actually is a similarity in their purpose?

There is such a disconnect between the mind set and cultural norms between our modern world in the West and the ancient world in the East that it's easy to misunderstand where the writers of the Bible were coming from. Did you know there are 613 laws in the Old Testament? Did you know Torah (the first give books of the Bible) is not correctly translated as the Law but as Instruction or Revelation? In fact, our understanding of law and judges are not the same as the understanding of people living in the Old Testament.

We are a society with statutory law. In other words, nowadays, judges use detailed written law codes to make judgements. Back then, as sources state, they used a fluid wisdom tradition or an "intuition of justice with a background of cultural norms" (bibleproject). It was not formulaic. They relied on the morality of the judges. Now, we hope they are moral, but they are still allowed to make judgements as they are no longer considered the authority: the law is.

The laws as described in the Old Testament included both natural, obvious transgressions and other customary wisdoms, which could be fluid within reason. For instance, "Don't murder" is obviously a good rule for ever and everywhere. There are exceptions even in that law, present even in the Bible (i.e. self-defense, warfare, etc.). Some are murkier like "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard" (Leviticus 19:27). This is generally agreed to be a practice done by other nations who were idolaters either in the worship of their gods or in excessive, immoderate mournings. This is, in our western modern world, not a known practice that still exists. If you're cutting the sides of your head or beard, you probably aren't doing it because you worship other gods. This is what the laws boil down to. Most of the odd laws in the Bible are simply clarifying, for the people of that time and place, the main commandments such as the Big 10 (i.e.Don't worship other gods).

Fast forward to the 1800's Germany, there were two brothers whose father was a lawyer. They were librarians, writers, and scholars. The two professions collided when they decided to collect old tales from across Germany.

What compelled the (Brothers) Grimm to concentrate on old German epics, tales, and literature was a belief that the most natural and pure forms of culture—those which held the community together—were linguistic and based in history. According to them, modern literature, even though it might be remarkably rich, was artificial and thus could not express the genuine essence of Volk culture that emanated naturally from experience and bound the people together. Therefore, all their efforts went toward uncovering stories from the past. (neh.gov)

They'd realized that old tales, passed down to children throughout the ages, held the collective moral conscience and what it meant to be a German. Publication of their collected tales spurred several other European countries to do the same (neh.gov/notablebio).

In the same way, the writers of the Bible were writing down history, stories, poetry, much of which were previously conveyed before by oral traditions in order to pass down the collective moral conscience of the community and what it meant to be a Child of God. Throughout most of history, people just didn't think to write every single thing down, but at some point someone realized that it might be important preserve this sense of right and wrong and sense of cultural identity for future generations.

By the time Jesus arrived on Earth as a human, there were several sects of Judaism who were seeing the Old Testament in more of a statuary law sense. This is what people call legalism. It can sprout many rabbit trails, which begin to make things impossible.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:17-22

The law remained the law. The collective knowledge of God's ways and truths remained His truths. However, as Jesus explains, some people were so tied up in correcting people over washing of hands and plucking an ear of corn on the Sabbath that they failed to see that these laws were there to promote a gentle, loving soul. The heart and spirit of the laws were not about just abstaining from causing death: they were about raising up to life.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said: ‘Honor your father and mother’a and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘The help you would have received from me has been given to God,’ he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

‘These people honor Me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from Me.

They worship Me in vain;

they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ...

“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.” Matthew 15:1-20

Jesus was returning their attention to the spirit of the law, which boils down to the collective moral conscience of the Israelite people.

It's important to know where the writers and intended readers of the Bible were coming from in context of their own culture, time period, assumed mores, etc. It helps us to fully understand the messages they're trying to convey.

God bless!



https://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Grimm-Brothers.html
https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/marchapril/feature/how-the-grimm-brothers-saved-the-fairy-tale
http://www.yashanet.com/library/under2.htm
https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/va-etchanan/torah-rules-or-wisdom
http://www.helsinki.fi/teol/pro/_merenlah/oppimateriaalit/text/english/judaism.htm

Podcast:
The Bible Project - Law as a Revolution (and others)

(Don't) Follow Your Heart

"Just follow your heart!" That saying has popped up in every thing from movies, shows, music, everything as if it were a wise saying. It's shown up in the moral of the story even in places that don't say it outright. So, what's my problem with this worldly proverb?

It's in direct opposition to every truth uttered by God.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? -Jeremiah 17:9

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. -Romans 13:14

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. -Matthew 15:19

Your heart was not made to be your master or your leader in anything. Your heart was meant to be led. It's full of every corruption that it has been exposed to since your birth, and if you follow it, you follow it straight into the hornet's nest.

What does my heart say? It gets irrationally angry when someone cuts me off in traffic, thinks working for a living is a complete waste of time, and falls for every commercial's idea for what I need to be happy in life (ooh, that burger would fulfill me, or wait maybe it's the newest dieting plan? Nope, it definitely the burger). This is on a good day when the darkness of the world doesn't encroach on me quite as much.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. -Proverbs 4:23

Murderers, rapists, adulterers were all struggling with the desires of their heart. What kind of leader is that? I really don't want to follow something that's brought me several times to the icy fingers of depression. I've heard its words when I've been overcome with anxiety, lying about my worth and exaggerating the importance of others' opinions. When you follow your heart, you follow the world.

If your heart isn't the leader, who needs to guide your heart?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. -Psalm 23:1

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

God's words and guidance can be found, first and foremost, through the Bible. Do what it takes to be reminded of God's ways and truths. The world is quick to encroach upon you. Let God's light in daily through reading the Bible, speaking to loved ones of God, singing Christian music, or praying often.

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. -Proverbs 4:20-21

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be multiplied in the land the LORD swore to give your fathers. -Deuteronomy 11:18-21

The heart is a liar. Put on God's armor and pick up His sword to fight the darkness within and without. You may tire, but God never will.

God bless.

Prophets - Are You One?

Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. - Numbers 12:6

Are there prophets now, in the present, and how can we know they aren't just crazy people or con-men? Are you a prophet? Haha, yes I'm serious. Let's go down this rabbit-hole together, shall we?

Prophesying is one of many God-given gifts that can used for God's kingdom. It's not all about predicting future events. It's about being a spokesperson for God.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching. - Ephesians 4:11-13

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. - 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

One source states, "The foretelling of future events was not a necessary but only an incidental part of the prophetic office. The great task assigned to the prophets whom God raised up among the people was "to correct moral and religious abuses, to proclaim the great moral and religious truths which are connected with the character of God, and which lie at the foundation of his government." (talkjesus)

However, there's more to being a prophet than simply speaking God's known Word or teaching others about His ways. If you're good at that, then you have the gift of teaching. Being a prophet is about revelation, not necessarily about the future. A prophecy is never going to contradict what the Bible says, but it may reveal something new.

Definition of Prophet: "a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God" (dictionary.com)

What does it mean to be a spokesperson? They are essentially the voice of another, making official statements and advocating on their behalf. God's spokespeople have a few additional responsibilities. As exemplified by the many prophets of the Bible, they are to denounce sins and uphold righteousness and be a servant to others. Basically, if one is a prophet, they need to be a disciple of God too.

I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. - Deuteronomy 18:18-19

I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets. - Hosea 12:10

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. - Amos 3:7

Did you know that there was an official office of prophecy with a school to guide their gift back in the day?

Colleges, "schools of the prophets", were instituted for the training of prophets, who were constituted, a distinct order ( 1 Samuel 19:18-24 ; 2 Kings 1 Samuel 2:3 1 Samuel 2:15 ; 4:38 ), which continued to the close of the Old Testament. Such "schools" were established at Ramah, Bethel, Gilgal, Gibeah, and Jericho. The "sons" or "disciples" of the prophets were young men ( 2 Kings 5:22 ; 2 Kings 9:1 2 Kings 9:4 ) who lived together at these different "schools" ( 4:38-41 ). These young men were taught not only the rudiments of secular knowledge, but they were brought up to exercise the office of prophet, "to preach pure morality and the heart-felt worship of Jehovah, and to act along and co-ordinately with the priesthood and monarchy in guiding the state aright and checking all attempts at illegality and tyranny."

In New Testament times the prophetical office was continued. Our Lord is frequently spoken of as a prophet ( Luke 13:33 ; 24:19 ). He was and is the great Prophet of the Church. There was also in the Church a distinct order of prophets ( 1 Corinthians 12:28 ; Ephesians 2:20 ; 3:5 ), who made new revelations from God. They differed from the "teacher," whose office it was to impart truths already revealed. (talkjesus)

They have to be certain that what they're conveying to others is actually a message from God and not a figment of their imaginations or desire from their own hearts. God is adamant that His people believe and listen to His prophets, so if anything a prophet says is incorrect or turns out to be false, they are commanded to dismiss them as false prophets.

'Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. - 2 Chronicles 20:20

They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.' - Isaiah 30:10

As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent. - Jeremiah 28:9

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. - Matthew 24:24

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. - Isaiah 8:20

Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. - Deuteronomy 18:15-22

In other words, God is asking that we not outright deny the sayings of those who speak on His behalf. You must listen, but you must also test them to make sure they are a true prophet. That goes for yourself. If you believe you may be a prophet or spokesperson of God, make sure that what you believe you are being told holds true through the fires of God's Word. If even one part doesn't line up with the Bible's message, it's not God. If any future event or detail predicted does not come true, it's not God.

I know it sounds crazy, but I firmly believe prophecy is not a temporary gift that was given out long ago. I think it's still out there, for God's children to bolster His kingdom.

And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. - Joel 2:28

See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. - Revelation 19:10

If you find out that you or someone else is tested true to be a prophet for the one true God, remember that the calling is one of danger and ridicule, back in the day as well as now. Stephen, a prophet and martyr, once stated, "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” (Acts 7:52).

Since the Holy Spirit was spread amongst all nations who are Children of God, any one of us can converse directly with God. The gift of prophecy is one that takes that a step further by not only speaking personally with God about you and those around you. It's a monumental task of speaking on behalf of God to others, not "just" having a personal relationship and ability to converse with the God of the universe (although, speaking with God directly is a massive gift to have, all of disciples have that ability. If you don't think you have that, well, talk to God about it. :) Also, read my post named "God's Voice").

"On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared that unlike the more limited exercise of prophecy during the time of the old covenant, God would henceforth pour out his Spirit “on all people” (Acts 2:17). Peter said the result would be a fulfillment of God words: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17–18).

Prophetic ministry in the early church was widespread and diverse. A band of prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them, Agabus, “stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world” (Acts 11:28). Prophets were active in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), Tyre (Acts 21:4), and Caesarea, where the four daughters of Philip prophesied (Acts 21:8–9). Prophecy, one of the gifts of the Spirit designed for edifying the body of Christ, was also utilized in the churches at Rome (Rom. 12:6), Corinth (1 Cor. 12:7–11; 14:1–40), Ephesus (Eph. 2:20; 4:11; see also Acts 19:1–7; 1 Tim. 1:18), and Thessalonica (1 Thess. 5:19–22)." (thegospelcoalition)

The Bible may seem full of fantastical things that we dismiss as past occurrences simply because we have a hard time believing they still occur every day. One of those things may be prophecy. His Spirit is on all of us disciples, but each of us have many varied and equally as important gifts. Some of us have more than one gift. It's important that if you feel you've been given a gift, no matter how the world may look at it, you speak with God about it, meditate on it, and bring it with you into discussions with your fellow believers. Test yourself and test those who say they are prophets. And don't take this lightly: If God gave you a gift, you better use it.



Sources other than Bible:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/prophets
https://www.talkjesus.com/threads/apostle-disciple-prophet-the-difference-explained.52204/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sam-storms-what-does-scripture-teach-about-office-prophet-gift-prophecy/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/prophet-prophetess-prophecy/
https://bible.org/question/are-prophets-considered-teachers

New Year, Same Ol' You

No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good' -Luke 5:36-39

Happy New Year!

New Years are popular for resolutions. Most of us have a desire to be smarter, stronger, faster, bolder.... just better than before. The problem is, by February, most of us have fallen off the bandwagon. The reason is simple. We're trying to pour new wine into old wineskins. We're still us, the imperfect beings who've stumbled through every year before, stumbling right into this year too. Do you know what happens to old wineskins with new wine? They explode. New wine is generating gases that will expand any leather container it's inside. The old wineskin has stretched to accommodate the wine it held before and has hardened, making it impossible to expand any further. If you have new wine, you need a flexible new wineskin.

I find new meanings or deeper insights into Bible verses nearly every time I read them, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I find new insights into my testimonial experience too. When I was a pre-teen, I desired to know how to be as perfect as possible but found it impossible to follow or remember all the commands and guidelines listed in the Old Testament. I prayed to God for something I could remember throughout my life, so that no matter what I'd know I was doing the right thing. I heard the whisper of a single word: love.

What I've come to realize is God was telling me something more: Before I change your heart, nothing you do will be right.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, a but have not love, I gain nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13

So, you have health, career, relationship, organization, inner peace goals. That's honorable to be willing to better yourself. It may have even become unavoidable that you need to change your life. Understand this: that goal will fail if you don't change internally. You shaped your life around your heart, so have you invited God to change your heart to reflect where your life will now go? You need a new heart if you want a new life, or your new life will explode from the inflexibility of your old heart.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:18-19

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:22-24

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! - Galatians 4:9-10

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. - Ezekiel 36:26

Invite God into your journey, seek a change of heart, try to understand why your heart wouldn't let you make those needed improvements before now. We fail time and time again to be good and perfect, but we are nothing without God renewing our heart.

I know this all sounds vague. You need to know how to put this change of heart into practice. Of course, as expected, you need to speak with God and focus on your goals and how you want God to be a part of the process, your reasons for the goals, and your need for a renewal of Spirit.

In order to have a change of heart, you need to change your patterns of thought and the foundation for your current behaviors. This can be different for everyone. Let me give you an example.

I've wanted to run more for years. My patterns of thought, however, were hindering my progress. I wanted comfort after I came home from work, I'd tell myself I was tired after a long day, and I'd fall into a million "reasons" why I didn't need or want to run that day. To complicate things, I'd try to count calories and lump that together with running as part of my health goals. I'd get obsessed with calorie counting, get tired from low calories added to exercise, and burn out from trying to do it all on top of my normal responsibilities. I was used to coming home and sitting down, and nothing would get in the way of breaking my old patterns.

Last year, I decided to change my focus. I'd been feeling unhealthy and uncomfortable. My patterns of thought started up as I laced my shoes. I want to sit and read, I'm tired, I should spend time with the family, etc. etc. I couldn't fight the thoughts. If I shot one down, another would pop up. I listened to the excuses but continued to lace them up. I whined inside but still put in my earbuds. I felt and thought everything and paid attention to every bit of it... and went out and did it anyway. Like a bully that's being ignored, the thoughts would sometimes become bored and subside. Sometimes, they pop back up and demand my attention. As far as calorie counting, I voted against it. I'm not focusing on losing weight but being healthier, stronger, and happier. I'll love my body as the temple God says it is. I'll love myself as God loves me. I'll love my family by being an example for them and giving them a reason to join me. More, healthier calories means more energy to run faster. When you exercise, you feel deeply the bad food or the eating too much, so that helped somewhat. Either way, I chose love instead of punishment. My heart changed to see running as a meditation and form of joy. I feel alive and free.

Sometimes, I eat badly for a few weeks or put off running. That's okay. I'm gentle with myself. My soul wasn't meant for strict, unrelenting things but for cycles and undulating waves. I sense God in this change. I speak to Him on my runs.

Your journey may be different. Set goals, but remember, for new wine, you need a new wineskin.