The bible is many things to many people and as a “believer” it is the source of strength, instruction, validation and a guide to the tenets of the faith for those who wish to live a Godly Life. To put it simply, it is a collection of stories from the time of the creation…about our God’s relationship with his people and the path of God’s people to the day of salvation, through the blood of of His only Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A good story has a few traits or guidelines that enhance it ability to educate, inspire or just simply be able to get ones attention. That is what we are about this week. I am always reading and learning from other people’s work in the telling of the story and their perspective of the Gospel. I came across a person who has helped me understand the way to study these scriptures his name is Jeffrey Kranz. (Click this link to learn more about him.)

I Love to Tell the Story Arabella K. Hankey, 1866 

“I love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love; I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true, It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.”

A scripture reference to consider: 

 Psalm 66:16

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

I often read summaries of different books of the Bible in order to understand the direction or theme that the writer is looking for. If you took journalism in school back in the day you might recall these questions were asked in order to tell the story…Who, What, Where,Why and When… Mr Kranz mentions the importance of the Theme Verse describing it as… “a verse or set of verses that sums up the story, structure, and/or theme of the book of the Bible it was written in.” Our Sunday School Class has begun a study of the Book of Hebrews so I decided to apply some of his methods to better understand how it might help me as I studied this book. Mr Kranz breaks down of the structure of the book that leads to its purpose. Then there is Key verse or verses which identify the Theme. I suggest you go to the underlined link above and read his blog. 

There are many written opinions as to the theme verses in Hebrews one being that God has spoken to us through Jesus Christ his Son and our great High Priest, so we should pay attention to his message and fix our thoughts upon him.

• Hebrews 1:1-4
  Today God speaks through his Son.
• Hebrews 2:1-3
  We have heard what Jesus says and we should pay much more attention to what we have heard.
• Hebrews 3:1-3
  We should consider (fix our thoughts on) Jesus as our great High Priest, and not neglect the great salvation that he preached.

Mr Kranz refers us to these verses… Hebrews 10:23-24 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

Just as Arabella K. Hankey’s hymn I Love to Tell the Story, I love the words that tell the story and it is in the Bible, the Holy Word that we draw closer to our God. 

Life is Good

jk

Plenty to ponder this week, although I am not on my back porch. I shared with you last time that I had some surgery scheduled on my right knee…got that done and as of today I have a six week period ahead of the usual recovery steps to complete and it will be at least four weeks before I will be able to walk on that knee… point being I am in a recliner 24 hrs a day and totally dependent on my wife. I am a very private person about certain things so I will just say bathroom time has become a time of adventure and adapting. Now Ponder this. How do I transition from this to the book of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and what led me to go that way?

I got to pondering how helpless I am and it led me to this book Ecclesiastes. The main message of Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 in my view would be the great value of human relationships, that two are better than one. Adversity is no respecter of personage or age or position. God did not create Adam to be a solitary creature to struggle alone against the events of this life. It has been almost a week since my surgery and it has provided me some time to ponder my situation…here is the result. I find peace  knowing God never intended for me to be alone in these verses from Ecclesiastes… 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:

10 

If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

11 

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I have my God, my wife and my church…and each strand of the cord strengthens my endurance in the faith.

jk

 It was pointed out to me that a certain scripture set forth the biblical reason why Christians should not be supportive of the government’s attempts to control immigration into the US. The scripture referenced was: Leviticus 19:34 Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. Another close sister scripture would be:Hebrews 13:1,2 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

We are all familiar with the use of scriptural references when seeking to strengthen a position or policy but I do have concerns about such activities. Often the verse pulled is done so because it bolsters the position being discussed, or aids in making a point that strengthens our side of the discussion. I used the word pulled because if read in full context the meaning might be much different. One such issue today, right now, real time is the immigration debate we are having in our country. I am prejudice toward the law and the fair and equitable application of it. The Pew does not have a law library and I don’t have a law degree but I do have a dictionary that goes with me everywhere in this digital world we live in. The subject of today’s blog is The relation of the Gospel to the law and politics of the day. We need to know what it is we are writing or speaking about and Merriam Webster is a good place to start.

Definition of immigrant:  one that immigrates: such as a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence.I believe we can all agree that we have a flood of immigrants coming into our country every day. Now there are many ways to enter the USA , here is another group that contributes to these numbers.
Definition of refugee
:  one that flees; especially:  a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution; someone who has been forced to leave a country because of war or for religious or political reasons.There is one other classification and I will list it after the next paragraph.

Definition of illegal alien/immigrant
:  a foreign person who is living in a country without having official permission to live there.

Ok, see the difference here? One group comes by choice which might be any number of reasons; economic, educational, religious, there are a host of reasons I am sure. Now that other group, they are fleeing because they have no other choice. So, not everyone is an emigrant some of these folks are refugees. The third groups status is not debatable due to the definition of the first two. BUT, by law there are certain requirements expected of all people who come to the United States. This is a very simplistic view of a very simple person, that being me. So is it reasonable for me to ask just what is the problem here? I’ll answer my own question, of course it is! Keeping this simple, here are the three things that I see are causing the problem. Government, Law and Politics. Government is necessary but messy. Law is complicated and is contrary to what we have been told, not blind. The last one, Politics, is the reason Law is not blind and Government is messy.

Migrant
: a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work.
These folks have been with us for a long time. They supply much of the
labor needed to harvest produce. We have seen at times in the past a great
deal of controversy regarding these people.

Now the last part to this situation. We are a nation in a debate, not always peaceful, that has seen some ridiculous mind boggling statements that are void of any reason other than a “my way or no way” mentality. The disturbing thing about this is that it is not about any individual’s intelligence, it is about a position that has gained a “political agenda” status which is devoid of individual reasoning and has become a “you’re with us thing”. We are a nation of laws and pride ourselves on being fair and compassionate in judging others by law and not agendas. There is no reasonable retort to the fact that our laws regarding immigration are not being enforced or carried out fairly. There is also the fact that law for the sake of law is not always compassionate. What about the gospel, what about “christian charity”? Let’s go back to Leviticus 19:34 and take a closer look at this verse.
34 Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

I turn to Matthew Henry’s commentary concerning this verse. God had dignified Israel above any other people but that did not give them the right to do others wrong or insult them. It is thought that the stranger referred to here is not an idolater, but a worshiper of the God of Israel. So I think that perhaps just as many of us today cite the law of the land being pushed aside for what I believe to be a partisan agenda,the scripture here alludes to the possibility that the strangers may also worship the God of Israel and require such courtesy. As we read on we are reminded that “Strangers are God’s particular care, as the widow and the fatherless are, because it is his honor to help the helpless, Ps. 146:9.

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

God also reminds them (the Jews) that they too were also strangers in the land of Egypt at one time. It is important to point out here that the Jews were welcomed into the land of Egypt to escape a famine in their homeland. God reminds them that although the strangers may have many issues, they (the Jews) have no way of knowing how they might turn out and perhaps it was not right or fair to despise them. I asked the question sometime ago what is the problem here?

Here is the view from the pew. Government is responsible for a big part of this mess because of its irresponsibility in enforcing the law as written or at least offering a plan that would allow some discretion within the law. Second and quite honestly even or close to overtaking the Government’s part would have to be Politics and the many different agendas, populated by people whose only goal is to secure their agenda through partisan political action groups. Thirdly, for which I will be roundly criticized is “The Church” in general. The Church should never be in the business of advocating the disobeying of legally established law or participate in helping people who would do that for political reasons. I will also say that the government of Mexico has not done a good job of taking care of it own people, at least the less fortunate among them.

So as to the Government and various Political organizations, get out of the way. Both of you have shown an inability to do for the people, rather working only to serve your own interests. I appreciate a strong and stable government and the things that come with it. I do not appreciate an agenda driven political solution to a people problem that is devoid of common sense compassion. To the “Church” get off your high horse of religious indignation and discounting those who disagree with you as prejudice or uninformed. Instead just simply love and care for those that are among you and accept your responsibility to foster harmony and unity among God’s people. The final verdict of this mess is really before us every day. It is Us, We, you and me. The birth, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ brought about the reconciliation between God and his people. It also was the adoption of all people into the family of God. We are all God’s children. We need to do better for our brothers and sisters.

jk

References:   Matthew Henry Commentaires, Merriam Webster

This is a Repost from a couple of years ago. Read the “Back Porch” published earlier for information about what’s going on.

Many of us have over the years experienced adversity of one kind or another, prompting that classic response..why me Lord? David wrote this Psalm when he was an old man, he had plenty of time to reflect over his life. In the world today wisdom isn’t much valued…Part of the shame of this is that there is a definite distinction between wisdom and knowledge…the first being God given and the latter acquired. It is not my intention to spend time lingering in the adversity of the day and as we walk with God there no need to do that. David had been there. Although he had been anointed king as a teenager, he spent the better part of his twenties running from the ungodly King Saul. David had many occasions to reflect on the problem of personal injustice. The first nine verses spoke to the wisdom he had gleaned from years of walking with God.

Psalm 37

1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,

2 

for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.

3 

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.

4 

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.

6 

He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.

8 

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 

For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

(New Revised Standard Version)

For convince I have inserted those first 9 verses. The first 22 verses are Godly advice for those who are in adversity not to envy the prosperity of the wicked, because it is superficial, and of short duration but today we will stay with the first 9. Now part of the message here is to put your confidence in God, and live to his glory, as this is the sure way to be happy in this life, and in that which is to come.

Gleaning from the above verses we find a list of actions we can take to make each day better. Do not worry, trust in the Lord, do good, please Him… avoid evil, take heart, there will be vindication. Put aside anger, turn from wrath. It is noted that those of evil intent will be cast aside but those who live for Christ  will prevail. A bit of a personal note here. I have always believed that there are miracles occurring around us every day. Some years back the group  Alabama had a song,  Angels Among Us…and I believe that to be true also. What I think is we are so busy living our life, our way that we allow God’s way to be obscured by the way of the world. Sometimes that little voice we hear is put off to be our  conscience, a little cricket sitting on our shoulder. Have you ever considered the possibility that it might be an angel or even….God? So…to the point here.My devotional this morning was written by John Blasé and it was about being anxious, which I will claim to be the cousin of adversity which could be the driver of anxiousness.  From the John Blasé  article I share this with you. 

“The 2019 You Version  shared that the most shared, highlighted, and bookmarked verse of the year on its online and mobile Bible app was Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The verse that didn’t make “verse of the year” but follows it is—“And the peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). That’s quite the reassurance!”

I was a bit unsure about the topic I had picked for this week, I started to search for a topic on Sunday evening…Today’s devotional took the worry away. I believe there might have been angel on my shoulder during my devotional time. I hope you will read Psalm 37 in its entirety because as I have written often…content is important and the truth lies in the wholeness of a thing. Let God be part of all your tomorrows and your life will be better. 

Life is Good

jk

I need to share some news with you, at the time I am writing this some work is bering done on the porch. I am in the office in a recliner laptop on my lap writing this. Now the rest of the story…I have tore a tendon on my right knee. I will have surgery next Wednesday. My right knee is in a compressor brace and it can’t be bent…so I have had to adapt. It is difficult to work this way and the pain is hard to deal with but the hardest thing is I am totally  dependent on others to help me with the usual routines of the day. Having said that, I have just got a system in place to do a little work on the “Porch” and a few lines on the “Pew”. Hate to miss my publishing dates but with this brace on my right knee and having to keep the right leg straight and knee un-bent it is a painful demand for a wide bodied old man. (wide bodied old man is the woke term for fat.) Can’t stay at the computer too long. 

Consider this please. “The Back Porch” is  my ponder place and that puts me in a conflict because I’m having to adapt to this new situation I find my self in. Adapting requires thinking and thinking is the enemy of pondering. Here is my answer to this disgusting place I find myself in.

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

I hope to be able to continue in a normal fashion…so keep me in your prayers.

 jk   

This week “The Pew” will be about the path ahead. 

What do I do now? I feel sure that all of the disciples were asking that question, following Jesus was everything.They had given up much, had seen and heard the things that Jesus did during his ministry and now Jesus would be speaking to them for one last time… He would soon ascend to Heaven and be with the Father. They were gathered in a 2nd floor room, hiding there because of the anger of many in the Jewish community along with the Jewish Council’s hostility toward Jesus and his disciples continued to incite the Romans to take a harder line to this new movement.  

19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Scripture tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead he presented Himself alive to the women who had come to the tomb. 

Matthew 28:9-10… And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 

There are also other writings…Acts 1:3…During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. 

1 Corinthians 15:6…Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.  

From further scripture I present this for your consideration… This is from a great web site, Got Questions…“Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come.” Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The sequence here is important and I find sometimes timelines confuse me but this one is short and to the point. After Jesus had rose the next events were compelling, profound and a lot more adjectives could be added but few would truly due justice to “The Great Commission”.  What is Next? Many of us over the years have sought the answer to that question. The answer to that question was given to us by Jesus… Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (NLT)… 

These are not instructions, wishes or requests from our Savior but a command. Jesus said I will send the Holy Spirit to enable you to do this thing. This command is to include all People, in every city and every country, to the ends of the earth. We are to make disciples…“go,” “baptize,” and “teach” this being the main command of the great commission. The “Going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching” are the means by which we do this, the basic of which means to teach or train people to follow and obey Christ. It is God’s desire that all people be saved… 

… “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.) 1 Timothy 2:4

Nothing difficult to understand. Repentance, Forgiveness, Obedience and Salvation. We know what to do and God’s people have been doing it at great costs throughout the world…Remember the Call…The Great Commission… Obey, Go and Tell.

Life is Good

Jk

I am having some minor work done on the “Porch” and it is not going well. This simple project has evolved into a chess match of excuses versus the need to get this done. I made two critical mistakes and I share them with you because these are two things you just don’t do in this day and time. First the estimated cost was reasonable and I knew the quality of this man’s work. The fist one was I failed to get a contract as to start and finish date. The only thing I had was a hardy handshake and his word. There was a time that was all you needed. Now the second mistake and this is the critical one. I gave the man half of the cost of the job up front, a substantial amount. I did this based on his previous work for me. I am in what is sometimes called “a rock and a hard place” and I don’t even have a rock to throw at anyone… as I sit here on the porch it is a bit windy but quite and peaceful. That is not good, I would prefer some noise, Hamer, saw, materials arranged for work at the needed time…nothing, even the cats are watching my impatience, I believe they are laughing at me. This calls for a first class ponder! Well, that didn’t take long. After some real time thinking, one step above a ponder, I discovered the fault is mine due to my upbringing and the company I worked for for 38 years. All those years I was putting into practice what I had been taught about life and the values that would help me navigate through it, those very things were changing. Remember I told you awhile back that a proper ponder does not have to have an answer and for this one I don’t have an answer. I do have a solution, at least from my perspective… Philippians 4:6-7…6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Take care… see you on the porch next week.

jk