This week we continue our look at the five Books of the Bible with no chapters and short on words. 3 John in its Greek text is the shortest document in the NT, 219 words. We have here the same interpretive problem as in 2 John. We can I believe with some certainty see this as a person whose authority is informal and unofficial, while resting heavily on theological and moral persuasion. The addressee, Gaius, is a very common name and is believed in various commentaries to have been at one time associated with the Elder, possibly one of his converts. He is now apparently affiliated with another Christian community within the Johannine circle. We should note that the letter is also directed to “the children of the church and the friends of the church.”

This is a letter of introduction and recommendation. You could say it would be much like a letter of reference that is used in business or educational settings today. In 3 John the letter differs from the standard format typical of such letters of it’s day. John has withheld the identification and recommendation until near the end of the letter. He has expanded the qualifying and theologically formulating of the recommendation’s rational and moved it to the first position. The opening verse is strong in theological formulation. It is very much like the salutation we read in 2 John. We read here in these few words the stressing of Love and Truth. The use of these two words reflect John’s instructions to walk like Christ among the people in Truth and Love. Some say it is John’s oblique way of referring to Christ, of which there is no direct mention or referral to in this letter.

In verses 2-4 the elder is concerned with the health and truth not only of Gaius but also the “children”. In verse two it seems as though the elder is expressing his hope that Gaius’s life will be balanced in both his physical and spiritual endeavors. The elder states he hopes he is in good health and all is well with his soul. Moving to verses 3&4 the elder once again returns to the joy of hearing that the “children are walking in the truth”, living out their Christian calling. He also returns to the family as a metaphor for the church, “some brothers.” One other thing that is worth noting here is the apparent mobility of these early Johannine congregations. The elder speaks of brothers coming to him with good reports, a testament to these early Christian people and their church. The advantage of this mobility is that the encouragement of the elder and Gaius, prominent members of these loosely affiliated congregations, strengthens those in this region. It is a universal thing among the faith, that we have great joy for those who work, walk and live in the word and do it well, they are always an encouragement to all of us.

The elder in verses 5-12 moves on to the practical side of this faith work with suggestions for the brothers. The message here is really very simple. The elder wishes to put before the Johannine congregations an understanding of hospitality which was briefly addressed in 2John. I may get off the rail here but it seems as if the point to be made here is that whatever work is done for those new to the field is in fact an expression of love. There is no distinction made between a loving work done for a fellow Christian and the activity of faith. The Johannine theology considers belief in Christ to be a “work” of God. Works alone won’t save you, but grace will. There may be some distance here between the elder and Paul but faith is activated by love. To make this simple before I become totally confused The elder is encouraging, no recommending, that all should be done to help these itinerant Christians, brothers, strangers as much as possible on their way, not just a polite farewell but assistance in travel expenses and other needs. The elder believes such treatment is warranted because “they set out for the sake of the name.” He points out that they certainly did not receive help from the gentiles. Part of that however was their being careful not to be associated with anything or person that might put a bad light on the ministry. The point here is that it is our duty to help such people. The hospitality and financial aid is not for the purpose of gaining influence over them or make them beholden to us. The purpose is that we may become co-workers with the truth, that we work together for the cause, so to speak. We become fellow workers in the faith.

“I have written something to the church”….verses 9 and 10 concern the condemning of Diotrephes. This is of little help to us the reader because we do not know all that he wrote or to whom it was addressed. I would not credit this as gossip as we know it today but it certainly comes close. The elder is concerned enough about the behavior of one Diotrephes that he believes others should be aware and he even lists five complaints he has with that behavior. Excellent study material here in the NIB, to keep it short I favor the the latter suggestion of what is going on here. We know that these are rather loosely affiliated congregations and it may be that Diotrephes may have refused hospitality to the elder and his associates out of fear that his community’s doctrinal standards might be contaminated. It would not be unreasonable to believe that the elder did not agree with that assessment. The reasoning that follows as pointed out in the NIB is believable and I favor it. If this were the case it would have brought a stunning irony to our attention. “Diotrephes may have practiced a rigorous form of the elder’s own doctrinal and communal discipline, preached in 2 John!” Do we not have such reservations among the faith community this very day?

In these verses 11-12 we read of the elder’s obvious disapproval of Diotrephes actions. Because of Diotrephes challenge and the elder’s support for Demetrius we can reasonably conclude that here we have a good reason for this letter 3 John. The elder reminds them that the general resources of Johannine tradition contrasts with the aggressive, targeted action taken by Diotrephes against those he opposes. It may be that Demetrius is the elder’s envoy to the church that Gaius is associated with. Demetrius comes highly spoken of to the elder, so much so that the elder says “our testimony is true.”

As we now read the last verses of this letter 13-15, there is much to be considered but I would like to share with you the closing remarks from NIB.

“Remarkably, in spite of all its introversion and avowed estrangement from the world, the Johannine church is summoned in this letter to welcome the stranger. the one who comes FOR the sake of the name , who needs equipment for the next leg of the journey, who bears witness to the church’s love and the truth in which the church walks. No one knew better than the elder that opening the door to the stranger carries risks, for the same road that brings to our door genuine need, worthy of our support, also brings disturbance and even danger.”

I step away for just a moment to allow you the reader to absorb what you have just read. The last part of the above statement is so meaningful that it needs to be read over several times.

“But the elder also realized, and testifies to us, that the church that keeps its door locked cannot possibly be faithful to the truth or instrumental for love.”

There is much more to share in this letter but I will end on this note. There is truth in the saying “that good things come in small packages”. Next week Jude. Hope you will come back to the pew. I again this week acknowledge the “New Interpreter’s Bible” as the source of aid in preparing the blog. Remember, there are many sources available for study and sharing, use them to increase your knowledge of the word and to share the word with others.

God Bless

jk

There is so much beyond the words written in the Gospel but in these busy times I feel we overlook all that is there. I sometimes think we just read the words and remember the stories and it just becomes a ritual for many of us. The bible is a record of God’s people from time beginning and His instructions to them through the patriarchs; from there into the NT a record of God’s desire to reconcile with his people through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I enjoy having a platform to express my opinion from but I want “From The Pew”, to really be a “Layman’s View of The Gospel.” Nothing wrong with opinion but sharing the gospel and opening the door to understanding it is just as important. Like other layman many times I seek understanding through prayer and the many commentaries and bible study materials available today. I am not bashful about it….there are so many wonderful and knowledgeable sources out there and I use them all. I will always recognize the authors and in some instances provide a url for you to visit them. Last week I shared with you that there were five books in the bible that had no chapters. I also shared that I had written about one of them in an earlier blog about Philemon, ‘The Little Book With A Big Message” and today will be the first in a series that will look at the other four. I have elected to start with 2 John.

In the New Testament only 3 John is briefer than 2 John. Either of these two letters could have been put on a single papyrus sheet, about 8×10 when measured by today’s standards. I liked the term used in the NIB, that they are more like postcards. To me these little letters or postcards contain much more than their size would indicate. In 2 John we find that the opening and closing read like a family letter. There are positive and negative elements, the author also notes there are benefits for compliance and liabilities for those who disregard this letter. (NIB) Who is the “Elder” in the opening verse of 2 John? Both letters are written by the same person and the use of the noun, Elder,would indicate masculine gender or perhaps a man of advanced years. It has also been suggested that it was someone of juridical authority. Now all this can be confusing and there was once a Pastor who advised me not to become overwhelmed with detail. It is surely a person recognized to have at least some moral authority and associated with the tradition to which he testifies within this community. We will leave it at that. The next thing we encounter is the “Elect Lady”. Our reference material lists some speculation as to who that might be. I believe I will take the short path on this and simply pass on to you that the substance of 2 John like that of 1 John is clearly not aimed at an individual but at a Christian community meeting in someone’s home. Plainly here John’s statement in verse 3 is more than just a wish but an assurance to all who believe. Of note also, is that not only is the “Lady” mentioned but also her children, placing an emphasis on the church as a family. Interesting to note that John writes in the following verse 4 “that some of your children are walking in truth” leaving the impression that there may be some division in behavior among the church. The letter seems to use the language of love to clarify what it means to walk in truth as God has commanded the church do from the beginning. From a layman’s view there is also the warning to be aware of those who do not teach the word as intended by God. Be aware of false teachers and even advises the church to refuse them hospitality. There is in fact to be no tolerance for those who go beyond the “teaching of Christ.”

I found it interesting that we find ourselves, the church today, experiencing a realignment of faith values and truths, in order to accommodate today’s changing morals. Verses 9 and 10 encourage us to abide in the teaching and there is always a risk of conflict in doing this. I have referred to “The New Interpreter’s Bible” quite often for direction in writing this blog. Sometimes we can be harsh in our judgement of others and within the reflections section of NIB I found this…… “The elder does not fault as faithless any kind of advance” the meaning here I believe to be a warning about overreacting. “The risk of losing God is incurred, rather by anyone who is so progressive that he does not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ.” Perhaps we as the church today need to do a better job at balancing theology with tradition. This letter also emphasizes something else. We, the Christian community “would be unable to move forward without a tradition that reminds us who we are and to whom we belong and where we have been.”

I have enjoyed my time in the pew today and hope you have.  (New Interpreters Bible is “A standard reference for pastors, teachers, and students, this critically acclaimed commentary series provides a wealth of theologically diverse perspectives from today’s leading scholars.”) You would be best served to goggle it and investigate the many resources it offers and where it can be purchased. Hope to see you in the pew next week.

God Bless,

jk

There are weeks that subjects to write about just don’t come easy. I usually look for something in my devotionals, other reading materials or sometimes I find some topic in current news. There are times I feel led by the spirit to write about something. “From The Pew.. A layman’s View of The Gospel” is in fact just that. All of us who sit in the pew have many ways of expressing our faith and being in church is one of those ways. Many of us seek Christian activities, friendships, projects and such because they allow us to grow in the faith and let’s be honest, not feel marginalized by those who do not share our belief. It is not a form of snobbery or a sense of religious superiority that drives us to do this. I believe it is our desire to remain close to the precepts of our faith, to make them an everyday occurrence and to keep that “Sunday Church” feeling all week long. While most won’t admit it that “Sunday” feeling makes us comfortable, loved and renews in us, regardless of our circumstances a hope for tomorrow through the loving, caring mercies of the God we serve. If you are growing confused as to where this is going…well your not alone.

Many times when I feel lost as to subject or direction I go to my Bible. Now this I share because I did not expect to find help here. Here, being Goggle, of all places. Goggle what your thinking and then look for the path or direction you wish to go. For me today it was of all things some information about the Bible that I found interesting. I am never reluctant to share another’s work or expand on it as long as they are given proper credit in my writings. That being the case I will post a link at the end of this blog that led me to this subject. “…Each of the books, except 5, are divided into chapters and verses. The 5 which aren’t divided by chapters are Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. These are short books which only have verse divisions.”
(Chapters were introduced to the Bible in 1238 by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro. Verse divisions were not added until 1551 by Robertus Stephanus.)

No big deal but I found this to be interesting. I don’t think many of us in the pew have thought about this or could even name the books. Now I don’t make light of this or of those people, after all I am one of those. Five books, who would have thought that might lead us somewhere. I found it interesting because some time ago I wrote a blog about Philemon, “The Little Letter With a Big Message”. Now look! How about this, I have four weeks of something to share with you “From The Pew….”!

Back in the day I once did some research on the phrase, “the family of God.” It was an interesting wake-up and one that opened other doors of study to me. As I sit here writing today it comes home to me even more. I now go to another church but I never left my “family” behind, they came with me in my heart and mind. Wherever we go we are among “family”. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior we were then adopted into the “family of God”, with the full inheritance as promised by God to his people, through Jesus Christ His son. There are people whom I love and respect within the “family” that today are suffering illnesses, lost loved ones and at this very moment have begun their journey home; it is amazing but so true, God knows their every need.

Well, if you have read this far thank you for enduring this blog. I really drew a blank, some say writers block. To be brief and to the point, I just didn’t have anything to write about. When you can’t pray, just be still and let the groaning of the Spirit pray for you. Today I just shared what was on my heart, I hope you enjoyed you time in the pew.  Oh yes before I forget. Those five books…there are still four left. Join me in the pew next week and we will take a look at one of those. Check out the link below.

jk

10 Amazing Bible Facts

All believers will travel a road of enlightenment and hopefully grow in faith and service to Jesus Christ but not all roads will take us to the foot of the cross and promised salvation. The road I speak of is our journey into the christian fellowship, the embracing of the word of God and seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Becoming a vital living, serving member of the family of God; to which we have been adopted through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We all are on that journey seeking our very own Pentecost. Many will enter into christian fellowship, joining a church and embracing the word through Sunday school and the preached word. There the journey stops, sadly they never reach their own “Pentecost”. Using “road” as a metaphor, what mode of transportation is available? There are many, Today’s post will focus on the word of God as written in the bible. This is the most common road offered but in reality the least followed. As I always do here is an excerpt from bible.org.

“The first five books of the Bible are sometimes called the Pentateuch which means “five books.” They are also known as the books of the law because they contain the laws and instruction given by the Lord through Moses to the people of Israel. These books were written by Moses, except for the last portion of Deuteronomy because it tells about the death of Moses. These five books lay the foundation for the coming of Christ in that here God chooses and brings into being the nation of Israel. As God’s chosen people, Israel became the custodians of the Old Testament, the recipients of the covenants of promise, and the channel of Messiah” bible.org

Scripture supporting that view.
Romans 3:2  Plenty in every way. First of all, the Jews were trusted with God’s revelations.

Romans 9:1-5  I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

“Then there is the Biblical apocrypha (from the Greek ἀπόκρυφος, apókruphos, meaning “hidden”) denotes the collection of ancient books found in some editions of Christian Bibles in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments[1] or as an appendix after the New Testament.[2] Some Christian Churches include some or all of the same texts within the body of their version of the Old Testament.” (Wikipedia)

Most Christian church goers know little or nothing about these books.

Then there is of courseThe New Testament, “as usually received in the Christian Churches, is made up of twenty-seven different books attributed to eight different authors, six of whom are numbered among the Apostles (Matthew, John, Paul, James, Peter, Jude) and two among their immediate disciples (Mark, Luke). The New Testament was not written all at once. The books that compose it appeared one after another in the space of fifty years, i.e. in the second half of the first century. Written in different and distant countries and addressed to particular Churches, they took some time to spread throughout the whole of Christendom, and a much longer time to become accepted.”

The above is from http://www.catholic.org/bible/new_testament.php, this is a great read for those who want a bare bones article about the bible, history and origin.

In an article written by ED STETZER in July of 2015 he shares his concern that we are basically a nation of “bible illiterates”. Tough words but the numbers tend to prove him right.

The Sad Statistics
“Christians claim to believe the Bible is God’s Word. We claim it’s God’s divinely inspired, inerrant message to us. Yet despite this, we aren’t reading it. A recent LifeWay Research study found only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week. Over 40 percent of the people attending read their Bible occasionally, maybe once or twice a month. Almost 1 in 5 churchgoers say they never read the Bible—essentially the same number who read it every day.”

I have over the years noticed a marked preference among church goers to avoid the Old Testament writings, preferring to read and study the New Testament. So…What is Old Testament vs New Testament? The Old Testament is a record of the giving of God’s Law. The New Testament shows how Jesus the Messiah fulfilled that Law (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 10:9). In the Old Testament, God’s dealings are mainly with His chosen people, the Jews; in the New Testament, God’s dealings are mainly with His church (Matthew 16:18). I need a better answer and I favor one I found on this web site.
https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-old-new-testaments.html

“While the Bible is a unified book, there are differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In many ways, they are complementary. The Old Testament is foundational; the New Testament builds on that foundation with further revelation from God. The Old Testament establishes principles that are seen to be illustrative of New Testament truths. The Old Testament contains many prophecies that are fulfilled in the New. The Old Testament provides the history of a people; the New Testament focus is on a Person. The Old Testament shows the wrath of God against sin (with glimpses of His grace); the New Testament shows the grace of God toward sinners (with glimpses of His wrath).”

I am very aware that the only true road to salvation is the one that leads us to believe and declare Jesus Christ, is the risen son of the only God, and that through him alone will we find the grace of the father and life everlasting. We are seeing in the church today an overwhelming effort to pervert or a nicer way of saying it, interpret scripture in a manner that allows today’s new culture and societal practices to somehow seem acceptable within the christian community and the family of God. I don’t know if we do it intentionally or if it has just become a normal practice but it seems as if we ignore or at least avoid some of the Old Testament writings. There are certain books of the OT Bible we avoid because they make people un-comfortable or have become a lighting rod which opens the door to discord that divides and destroys the churches ability to meet its calling. We need to once again come to the understanding that neither ( OT or NT ) can or is supposed to stand alone. We cannot and should not ignore, change the meaning, or rewrite God’s relationship and plans for his people through the written word, just to find social acceptance in the world today. Matthew leaves no doubt or wiggle room.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

This verse right there tells you that all of the basic moral commandments set out by God the Father in the Old Testament still apply for all of us today. This includes all of the 10 Commandments, all the commands not to engage in occult, getting tattoos, etc……But wait…thats old hat, things and people change, times change. Really, do you believe maybe God might change? What road are you traveling today. Got your bible with you? Do you read and study it daily, all the bible, or are you just hanging around the edges.

I pray you will find your Pentecost.

jk

We may never know much about the thorn Paul wrote of or even what it might have been. There has been much speculation by biblical scholars as to what it was or might have been. I do not suggest that today’s blog topic was it but I do believe it could very well be mine and yours as we work at living a Holy Life. Never had thought about this even though I often have used the word conscience many times and have even used it as an analogy suggesting that what we referred to as conscience,  was for the Christian, possibly the Spirit speaking to us. A new book, which I acquired on the suggestion of a friend in the faith has led me to today’s blog subject. The book written by Calvin J Roetzel, now in its sixth printing is titled “The Letters of Paul”. Less than twenty pages in and Wham! A few words written by the author and I am encouraged to do some internet surfing and of course spend some time with Merriam Webster. It seems from times gone by and up to this very moment there has always been this thing called conscience, depicted in the secular world as that little man on our shoulder, sometimes even as a little devil, or a kinder picture being that of a cricket, “Jiminy Cricket” to be exact. In his book Mr Roetzel suggests that for Paul there were “things of the conscience”  that were there in times of his following Christ. At this point I guess we should ask, just what is this “conscience thing”? We found and favor this definition.

“The conscience is defined as that part of the human psyche that induces mental anguish and feelings of guilt when we violate it and feelings of pleasure and well-being when our actions, thoughts and words are in conformity to our value systems. The Greek word translated “conscience” in all New Testament references is suneidēsis, meaning “moral awareness” or “moral consciousness.” The conscience reacts when one’s actions, thoughts, and words conform to, or are contrary to, a standard of right and wrong.” (gotquestions.org)

May I suggest some areas that interest me in relation to what things that might drive this “conscience thing”. One being Cultural Awareness.

Cultural Awareness
-the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.

-the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.

It is suggested that this cultural framework, is a term used in social science to describe traditions, value systems, myths and symbols that are common in a given society. A given society may have multiple cultural frameworks. I found it interesting that in some of my reading it was noted that the Hebrew saw himself as a member of a covenant community, not as an individual, and that community being one related to God and his laws. That is to say that a Hebrew was confident in his relationship to God as long as the Hebrew nation as a whole was in good fellowship with him. That being the Hebrew way of looking at conscience, let’s look at the Christian side of this “conscience thing”. Now I could stumble around for a couple of hundred words or so but I believe that which is written in an article in gotquestions.org is a much better and clearer way.

“The New Testament concept of conscience is more individual in nature and involves three major truths. First, conscience is a God-given capacity for human beings to exercise self-evaluation. Paul refers several times to his own conscience being “good” or “clear” (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Corinthians 4:4). Paul examined his own words and deeds and found them to be in accordance with his morals and value system, which were, of course, based on God’s standards. His conscience verified the integrity of his heart.
Second, the New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness to something. Paul says the Gentiles have consciences that bear witness to the presence of the law of God written on their hearts, even though they did not have the Mosaic Law (Romans 2:14-15). He also appeals to his own conscience as a witness that he speaks the truth (Romans 9:1) and that he has conducted himself in holiness and sincerity in his dealings with men (2 Corinthians 1:12). He also says that his conscience tells him his actions are apparent to both God and the witness of other men’s consciences (2 Corinthians 5:11).”

Here lies a fault of today’s society. We tend to not acknowledge those values we disagree with and they receive little or no consideration as to how we interact with others. With all the issues facing the Christian community these days, that is a rather narrow view. We tend to simplify this “conscience thing” by bypassing the obvious question, “what forces shape our values and guides our consciences?” Are we influenced by a conscience guided by Godly thoughts or are we influenced by the culture of the day? First I guess it would be best to understand this “state of consciousness”. My trusty dictionary says it is “the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.” This fits perfectly one of the defining characteristics of Paul. Paul was very much aware of what was his inner-self so to speak or more plainly from a Christian viewpoint, the leading of the Holy Spirit with-in himself.

We need to ask ourselves what is it that feeds our conscience? Is it the word of God and the desire to follow the example of Christ and submit to the will of the father in our lives? Are we obedient to God’s law as given by him in the Ten Commandments.

“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts” (Psalm 119:97-100, NKJV)

Is it really that simple? What about the pressures of the day? Would it not be reasonable to expect that if we accepted the cultural permissiveness of this day and even worse embraced them, our attempts to live a Holy Life might be compromised? If what we feed our conscience is made of the current cultural permissiveness, could that be a problem for the Christian person? If we look at our conscience as a way to evaluate our actions, then would it not be reasonable to believe that it could be a thorn in our side? I know I have once again left you with more questions than answers. I do find it comforting that beyond the words there was a person who was just like us. We all struggle every day to live a Holy Life and it is remarkable that Paul sought to be “of good conscience” as a servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

How about you? Are you of good Conscience? There is that old adage “you are what you eat” implying that what we take in can effect our bodily health. It is stated in such a way that it is not condemning but does put the responsibility on the person to whom it is directed. Could we say that our conscience is an old adage that calls our attention and responsibility to carefully consider what motivates our actions and speech? If you have read this far, I thank you for staying in the pew and allowing me to ponder openly with you.
God is Great! I would pray that all of us would welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, even when God uses it to through our conscience to give us direction to continue in “the way.”

God Bless,
jk

Few will disagree that our nation today is one of general unrest and that civil discourse is almost impossible due to the turmoil that exists among our people. Turmoil which is best described as a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion brought on by the hate and rhetoric of people determined to destroy anything they disagree with. This effort is aided by a complacent media that no longer reports news but instead choses to write the news. Where do we in the pew fit into this world of uncivil behavior driven by hate and thirst for power? First thing that comes to my mind is that a Christian, a follower of the way could not meet God’s commandment that we are to “Live a Holy Life” and subscribe to any of the beliefs or practices that are destroying our society. Please stay with me through this blog, be aware I am stretching a bit to make a point.

My first stretch is to give form to this madness. The first place we go of course would be the political parties, who themselves are going through a transformation of sorts. Why here first? Because political parties are constantly seeking to gain or consolidate their power base, and power corrupts.We can then move on to factions within these and here lies one of our clues. There are the liberals, the conservatives and add to that the “far left” and of course the “far right”, the last two sometimes referred to as “ultra”. We all can agree that dialogue between these groups can be difficult but we have moved way past that. Still…..while these differences of opinion can be heated, they are not the problem.

My second stretch is to suggest what is driving this destruction of civility and tolerance, to give it form, so I suggest this rather unusual thought. Theocracy……and yes I can hear you asking, does he know what a theocracy is?
theocracies. 1 : government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. 2 : a state governed by a theocracy.(www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy)

Stay with me now. I am saying that this level of hate and lack of civil discourse requires some form of organization. I am saying we are seeing a new form of government. Now some folks are pointing to a shadow government, there has always been a shadow government. Ever hear of those “smoked filled back rooms”? We are dealing with a “Theocracy of Hate”. Those involved in this belong to a government built on hate and have become the powerful “Purveyors of Unrest”. I am simply suggesting that this environment of hate, intolerance , and lack of civility contains a well organized and informed structure which is well financed, closely controlled and goal oriented. It operates like a Theocracy, led by people who are considered to be infallible in judgement to the point that their orders are treated as if they came from a divine source. Disobedience to the source is not tolerated. Talking points, the political process of plausible argumentative replies used to answer a difference of opinion, well they have become a holy mantra of justification.

The “third stretch” is recognizing that this particular Theocracy has also become a “Purveyor of Unrest” within the community of faith, the family of God and those who try each day to live a holy life. Yes folks we are like a bunch of frogs in a pot filled with water waiting to come to a boil. By the time we feel the heat it will be to late. We see what is going on around us but refuse to accept the fact that this “Theocracy of Hate” has allowed this purveyor to come among us and peddle daily the increments of unrest that weakens the faith. You may ask, what might these be? One of the most important and the one that leads us to the rest, is this insatiable desire to rewrite the Word as to its meaning so as to fit the demands of today’s society. Now I realize that a statement such as “meaning of the word” leaves open the process of opinion and that is not all bad. There are many within the church whose “opinions” are crafted to advance their agendas in order to consolidate their positions and power. Hey, you think I might have left the barn with a few less bales of hay than needed? Look at what those who held positions of power and influence in Christ’s day were willing to do to maintain and strengthen it. Call it what it was, a political murder.

I asked at the very first of this post “Where do we in the pew fit into this world of uncivil behavior driven by hate and thirst for power?” The answer for the committed Christian…….WE DON”T. The Kingdom of God is not of this world and we have been called out, to be different, to be a living example of the love of the Father for his children. We read in Isaiah 57: 20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. The wicked will always be with us constantly causing problems which creates the unrest among the Community of Faith. So what to do. It might seem harsh but we cannot allow ourselves to be drawn along the path they have chosen to walk. If we are to have peace within or hearts and minds we must heed that which is written in Isaiah 57:21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” We must separate ourselves from their evil ways. You may interpret this however you wish. Let’s move on to Lamentations 5:5 Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest. Think about this for a moment. We are besieged by those who wish to marginalize our faith and denigrate our God. I will stretch a little more within this stretch. In Deuteronomy Chapter 12, verses 8-14 we are told God will choose a special place for His people to worship, rejoice and rest in the promised land. In verse 12:9  for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. Even though this book is written before our reading of Lamentations there is some advice here that can be carried forward and makes sense. Amen, we have not yet come to that place. There is still work to be done and souls to be saved. Going back to Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. We as the Church cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in this
theocracy of hate which will sow the seeds of unrest among our community and weaken our ability to “Go Forth….” I close with these words of our Lord and Savior

John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

jk

I am not a theologian or a lawyer but can’t get this subject off my mind. It has been said that a good writer always writes about those things he knows about which makes my writing about this even more puzzling. I can read and the tools of the digital age allow me access to a great deal of information. I was drawn to this topic because of the prevailing attitude concerning Laws and Rules. I consider rules to be the children of Law and they can sometimes become a bit unruly. Then as I pondered on this sudden revelation I was drawn in even more by a news story in the Washington Post, the link will be included later in this blog.

For law to work best it must be enforceable, fair and written in such a way that it protects those values that best reflect the will of the majority. There are of course other views. I will quote from Wikipedia:

“Law is a system of rules that are created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. Law as a system helps regulate and ensure that a community show respect, and equality amongst themselves. The law shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people.”

I think it can be said with some confidence that the influence of religious beliefs form the basis of many secular laws that are written. Our constitution in part is written by men of religious leanings, some of which worked their way into our constitution. The point of today’s blog is the disturbing trend of people to just simply ignore the law as written because it does not fit their agenda or social needs. Again I go to Wikipedia to look at another form of law.

“Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (Church leadership), for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law, or operational policy, governing the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches), the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion. The way that such church law is legislated, interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was originally a rule adopted by a church council; these canons formed the foundation of canon law.”

Please understand that I am aware of how tedious a read this can be but I want to be accurate and fair. So we start here. Over the past few years, months, weeks and days there has been a display of open disdain for the law as written, discussed, voted on and enacted in the required manner. Immigration laws, sanctuary city laws and just recently our withdrawal from the Paris Accords. Now the Paris thing is a bit different but the response to it by certain interests fits with the direction I am going. If you don’t agree just ignore. I might add that Paris is an agreement not a Law. Here again we see that opinion is far more important than law or any agreement. We have looked at two different forms of law and now I will add a third, again from Wikipedia.

“The Seven Laws of Noah (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני נח Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noah), also referred to as the Noahide Laws or the Noachide Laws (from the English transliteration of the Hebrew pronunciation of “Noah”), are a set of imperatives which, according to the Talmud, were given by God as a binding set of laws for the “children of Noah” – that is, all of humanity.
Accordingly, any non-Jew who adheres to these laws because they were given by Moses is regarded as a righteous gentile, and is assured of a place in the world to come (Hebrew: עולם הבא Olam Haba), the final reward of the righteous.
The seven Noahide laws as traditionally enumerated are the following:
1 Do not deny God.
2 Do not blaspheme God.
3 Do not murder.
4 Do not engage in illicit sexual relations.
5 Do not steal.
6 Do not eat from a live animal.
7 Establish courts/legal system to ensure obedience to said laws.

According to the Talmud, the rabbis agree that the seven laws were given to the sons of Noah. However, they disagree on precisely which laws were given to Adam and Eve. Six of the seven laws are energetically derived from passages in Genesis, with the seventh being the establishing of courts.”

There is another type of law, the “Law of God”. I have used that term a time or two in different blogs and it can open a whole new subject for a blog. But let’s keep it simple.How does all of this tie together? It seems that regardless of the origin of the law we have evolved to a place in time that in some issues have no law but that of opinion, and it is divided. We choose to do that which pleases us or fits our agendas, which begs the question, why the law? This may not be the best answer but I liked the fact that it is simple and straight forward.

“Law is simply a guide for people to follow to ensure cohesion, agreement, and peace in civil and interpersonal relationships. Without an understood standard, enforced by a sovereign ruler, everyone would act according to his own whim or desire, and nothing good or worthwhile would be produced” (http://www.truegospel.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Basics.tour/ID/6/What-are-Laws-of-Kingdom.htm)

I have noted that the references to the law above are from Wikipedia, you might want to seek other definitions elsewhere. I will continue on with what I have here. At the start of this blog I pointed out that it is best to write about things you have knowledge of, my next point. For more than 34 years I identified as a United Methodist and still hold a great affection for its people. The Methodist Church today is engulfed in a difference of opinion concerning same-gender issues. I am not going to mire this blog in an argument in which I have no standing. (I am a Christian so of course I have a faith-based reason about this issue.) I intend to use this as an example of the power of Opinion over Law. I refer you to:

Book of Discipline (United Methodist)
The Book of Discipline contains the laws, rules, policies and guidelines for The United Methodist Church. Its last edition was published in 2016. Without going to the link above I pulled this out and it serves the point I wish to make.

“…….is followed by a brief history of the church, then the church constitution, and a statement concerning the doctrine and theology of the church. The Social Principles of the church follow. Finally the legislative section, by far the largest part of The Discipline, appears.”

Other denominations have similar publications that serve the same propose.The following news story is an excellent example of the issue I am writing about. Let’s be clear that this is church law, earlier I listed some secular laws that have seen challenges based on opinion. The church law contained within the Methodist Discipline states that this is not allowed and provides actions to be taken. Before we jump on my Methodist friends we should make it clear that this particular issue has risen its ugly head in many other main-line denominations. The issue here is not the same-gender thing but the this practice of discarding, ignoring, and other wise completely by-passing law in favor of an opinion is not owned by any one group or interest. The link below is the story I have referenced.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/06/07/the-united-methodist-church-just-appointed-a-transgender-deacon/?utm_term=.1d9c77c771d2

I started out with the statement that Law is an adventure in Opinion. Why is this? If we incorporate our laws into rules that reflect the Rule of Law, how is it that Opinion, secular or religious now is in many issues the ruling factor. It would seem to me that a law which has been put into place by whatever agreed process is in place and is recognized by a majority vote of the government, institution, or organization would require a similar process to change the law or rule. Do we now live in a society that simply accepts and agrees on what Opinion has the loudest backing, the most money or the ability to just accept their view as Law and to obey the law is optional based on their opinion?

I guess I have left you with more questions than answers. You might say you are confused as to where I was trying to go with this. So am I…….I leave you with this thought. If we are unable to determine when life begins and after all these years we still have a difference of opinion as to how that applies here…….then I guess all our lives are subject to the Opinions of others.
God Bless,
jk

Last week I wrote that the end is really the beginning of the “Promise” which is a neat play on words, or a layman’s admission that my knowledge of theological reason and lingo are not all that developed. As most of us are prone to do we underestimate the scope of things in order to keep them manageable. Well I was speaking of God’s promise of eternal life, again “God’s Promise” and once again the usual practice of underestimating something. According to one person’s count, there are 3573 promises in the Bible. The word promise itself occurs over 50 times in the King James Version of the Bible. (bibleinfo.com) Now I have seen other counts and as the sentence that says “one person’s count” is just that, one person’s count. I can write with complete confidence that I could say that the number is more than one and at least more than a hundred and more than just about eternal life. In secular terms I have opened a can of worms. First thing to be learned here is to never underestimate God and never think of God as one issue Savior.

None of God’s promises in the Bible ever fail, from the very beginning to now, this very day. The first promise in the Bible… Genesis 3:15, I will put contempt between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. They will strike your head, but you will strike at their heels.”

The last promise found in the Bible:Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Here is a list of some verses where the word promise is found:
Hebrews 7:6
Hebrews 8:6
Hebrews 11:13
Hebrews 11:17
Hebrews 11:33
2 Peter 1:4.
Romans 9:4
Romans 15:8
2 Corinthians 1:20
2 Corinthians 7:1
Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:21
Hebrews 6:12

Why the list in the middle of a post, is it to prove a statement, written or said? Truth is I hope you will take time to look these up and read each one. I have found that to be close to God, one doesn’t have to be on their knees. When you immerse yourself in the word there is a peace that transcends all the chaos that is in the world around us. There is knowledge and the wisdom that is of God, for direction of our life: Psalms 32:8, KJV. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”

The object here is not to play a numbers game but to present a case that can be proven by Biblical writings and lived out by those to whom God promised. Once more we are compelled say “None of God’s promises in the Bible ever fail.”It’s in the Bible, Joshua 23:14, “Look. I’m now walking on the road to death that all the earth must take. You know with all your heart and being that not a single one of all the good things that the Lord your God promised about you has failed. They were all fulfilled for you. Not a single one of them has failed.

In the same manner of promises we need to be aware that those promises of God containing retribution for sins and other transgressions are also kept in full. The God we serve is real and present yesterday, today and tomorrow. The very nature of the world today invites the devil to place in our lives those things that destroy our faith and lead us into the misery of sin and overwhelm us with a despair that challenges our faith.

Follow me on a short journey in words of God’s “Promise” in New and Old Testament form. God’s promise to Abraham ( Gen 12:2-3 ), in which the latter, although childless, was to become ancestor of a great nation. Later this promise was repeated ( Gen 15:5 ), and to his credit Abraham believed God’s utterances. On yet another occasion ( Gen 17:1-27 ) God brought his promise even closer to fulfillment by stating that Sarah would have a son ( Gen 18:10 ), because nothing was too hard for God to accomplish. Paul would write later and call these the “covenants of the promise” ( Eph 2:12 ; cf. Gal 3:6-17 ).

There is the promise to Abraham, a more general declaration made by God at the time of the fall ( Gen 3:15 ), and continued in a promise to David ( 2 Sam 7:12-13 ) that his seed would continue forever. From here on it continues and we see that with Christ’s kingship which was not of this world, it did fulfill the divine promise. Here is the “Promise” I referred to last week. There is now the dispensation of grace. We to this day still share in all the benefits of Abraham’s covenant ( Eph 3:6 ), while looking forward to a time when the kingdom of God, which was ushered in with the age of grace, will be realized when Christ returns to complete the kingdom of believers and establish it for all eternity before God in heaven.

There are so many things to write about here but for what I hope to leave you with this week, there is not enough paper or space to due it justice. We don’t just die, we begin a new and exciting journey just as God has promised. That which our God has promised, as written in His word in yesterday’s past and all the days to come will be fulfilled as “Promised”.

John 5:28-29, NKJV. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

As I always try to do here are two web addresses to use for further study. They have been the source of the information I have shared with you.

www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/bible-promiseswww.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/promise/

God Bless, jk

It’s Thursday about three in the afternoon and a typical hot, humid summer day in the south. Some things never really change while other things, particularly those totally unexpected leave us exhausted and re-examining our life and wondering why. I am very grateful for many things in my life, one is the Community of Faith. Today’s post concerns a member of that community. He is a brother in the faith and a member of the church I attend. Today’s post will be difficult for me because it involves a person I don’t know all that well but have a tremendous respect for. There are those people you meet in life that while you are not friends in the usual way, they are someone you would like to get to know better. Such is the case where this gentleman is concerned. In a series that shares the grief of the sudden death of a loved one, the writer puts on paper an agonizing and truly remarkable picture of grief that questions our faith but at the same time in a moment of shared frustration, gives us the reason for and the power of faith. There is also the opportunity to share the “Rest Of The Story”  I Consider these posts to be a remarkable journey through one man’s grief because the questions he asks are not from despair, but rather a believers quest for peace. I would not presume to or be able to adequately address this mans grief. I will in a feeble attempt turn to this scripture. Latter in this post I will return to it.

Philippians 3: 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

When time allows go to this link. (paranormalchrist.com) There will be five posts listed in the box to your right. Read each one, starting from the bottom. While this is an unusual request and requires time, I believe you will be blessed. I was struck by the raw emotion within his written words and yet that overwhelming grief that is expressed captures the finality of death and the burden on those it has taken from. There is no good side to death, you can’t dress it up with all the common clichés we are prone to use as we sincerely try to comfort those whom it has taken from. It has been said that you only die once but it is possible for the living to die many times.

There are always those chapters in the bible that for some reason or another stay with us. In Ecclesiastes for me it is Chapter 3. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” This is then followed by verses that list fourteen specific things, a schedule for life events you might say. One commentary points out that the question of eternality and spirituality cannot be addressed, because they cannot be seen “under the sun”, without the help of God’s Holy Spirit and the Scriptures; the commentary says all we can do is to simply rejoice in his works before giving way to the next generation.*( *The Bible Panorama)

The writer of the blogs I have referred you to picked Ecclesiastes 9 as a reference point. From a purely human view the word as written here in chapter 9 says there is a common destiny for all of us. We will all die. Death nullifies everything, no good, no bad, simply nothing. The Jewish Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, you die, end of story. Now I should note that not all Jews believed that, even when their understanding of resurrection differs greatly from the Christian belief. So the view here in chapter three is more or less, eat, drink and be merry. We will all have the same fate regardless of what we do. In both chapters there is agreement in the word that God will judge all things as equal. Bluntly put, just do your thing, stay busy and leave without a fuss. It is not my intent to challenge or question the grief of another. I am thankful for this gentleman barring his soul as he has done in this series of blogs. I cannot stress enough how your reading these writings will be time well spent.

You may be asking yourself after reading this far….. “What’s The Point?”*(Paranormal Christ)

Nathan, I am thankful for the opportunity through your writings to somehow in a small way, devoid of a world of well known clichés, share your grief. Maybe, just maybe, if your father could of had a last word with you……..Maybe… Paul writes to the church in Philippi to encourage them to rejoice in their trials and to be considerate of one another. I believe in verse nine what Paul writes ..Maybe..your father would have shared with you.

Philippians 3: 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

I feel that the ” Beginning of The Promise” comes with the death of this life. Next week we will explore the promise that we of the community of faith have inherited because of Christ and the Cross.

Peace my friend and God bless.

jk

Before reading today’s post please read the following scripture – Ephesians 5: 1-20. Pray and then join me in the pew.

In the church today the scripture as written is being challenged and in some situations completely ignored. Recently a Pastor said that there are times when a particular bit of scripture will make him feel uncomfortable, prompting him to spend more time with it, reading it in its full context, then studying and praying and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I read a great deal and listen to those in the pew in normal everyday conversations and usually I will find something to write about. Today’s blog actually was inspired by one of my daily devotionals. The scripture reading was from Ephesians 5: 1-20 and it stayed on my mind the whole day. I went back and read the entire chapter and you know what…….it made me uncomfortable. What was Paul thinking when he wrote that first verse in Chapter 5?

“you must become imitators of God, as well-loved children imitate their father.”

I believe Paul’s point was that we must live a Holy Life as we have been commanded to from the very beginning of God’s speaking to his people through the Patriarchs of the Old Testament and to this very chapter of Ephesians and throughout all the scriptures. Deuteronomy is often referred to as the book of laws and contains a verse that has become the definitive statement of Jewish identity. Deuteronomy 6:4 -“Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” There would come a point where the Jews would be consumed by attempting to live in strict obedience to the Law, of which an additional 613 laws had been added over time. How do we walk the “Way”
and what is required of us? There are many answers throughout scriptures, here is one of my favorites.
Deuteronomy 10:12
[ A Call to Love and Obedience ] “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

I think that this scripture is easily understood and leaves little room for re-interpretation. Today we are overwhelmed with various interpretations and well meaning writings that seek to put the scripture in a form that is livable with today’s accepted social standards. What God asks of us is so simple when written but evidence supports that the living of such is extremely difficult; many fail every day even though God in his wisdom continues through all scripture to provide us with the way and even gave His only son’s life to absolve us of our sins and afterwards sending the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us as we strive to live a Holy Life. We still somehow fall short. Let’s take a closer look at Ephesians 5: 1-20.

Paul sets before these Christian people a high standard to aspire to. He instructs them to be imitators of God. Paul reasserts it is their responsibility to reject certain types of behavior. There is no need to put down an exhausting list of don’ts and do’s, so keeping to that thought, see how Paul states the obvious.

“Let no one even mention fornication and unclean living and insatiable desire among you – it does not befit God’s consecrated people to talk about things like that. Let no one even mention shameful conduct. Let there be no foolish talking and graceless jesting among you – for these things are not fitting for people like you. But rather let your talk be a gracious thanksgiving to God. You know this and you are well aware of it, that no fornicator, no unclean liver, no one who is characterized by that greed – which is idolatry – has any share in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. It is because of these vices that the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Don’t become partners with them”.
(NLT)
Even today Paul’s instructions and abolishment could be said to us with no adjustment of wording at all. “You know this and you are well aware of it” That being so, why do we continue such behaviors? I think part of the reason is our practice of rating some sins as horrendous, while others although bad, don’t quite reach the bar worthy of total righteous Christian indignation. We seem to allow a little wiggle room claiming Christian tolerance and forgiveness. Now I am alright with the tolerance and forgiveness thing on the back end, which leaves open a whole new blog subject but what we do on the front end needs a lot more effort on our part. The front part being learning how to convey our faith as the reason we seek to live a Holy Life. We must become better communicators. Besides walking the walk we must learn to talk the talk.

It has been said that to be a great orator, three things had to be present.
– Theory, a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action. We believe these basic precepts are necessary to living our Christian faith.

-Imitation, the assumption of behavior observed in other individuals. We must imitate Christ’s love for all people, be compassionate and be in total obedience to God.

-Practice, carry out, apply and practice what you preach.

Light and dark are words which are often used in biblical teachings to clearly communicate a state of being that produces an immediate picture most people can understand. Paul finds no need for fervent preaching but simply says that the non-Christian lives life in the dark, while Christians enjoy living in the light of the knowledge of Christ. It is a light that makes them useful citizens of this world who work toward not failing in their duty, human or divine, which in turn serves those things that are pleasing in God’s eyes. “It is the Christian’s duty to expose every action, every decision and every motive to the light of Christ.”(William Barclay)

We know that evil does not like the light but we should always remember the light of Christ as not only condemning but with it also comes healing. This is only one of many great chapters that can be found in God’s word. “Walking the Walk” is never an easy thing…..15 SO… be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5: 15-20)
God Bless

jk