Jesus view of Pacifism.

Many people over the years have seen Jesus as a pacifist—and for good reason. Here was a man who apparently was willing to die rather than defend himself, a man who taught his disciples not to kill, not to resist evil, to love their enemies, not to fear those who kill the body, and that only those who are willing to lose their lives will be able to save them.  Jesus’ teachings seem very much like those of such popular pacifists as Tolstoy and Gandhi, and indeed, Tolstoy based his views on gospel passages.

But did Jesus teach that it is wrong to defend oneself against attack? Did he really mean that we should not resist evil? Such a view seems to contradict what we read elsewhere in the Bible. In Romans 12:9, for example, Paul says that one should “hate what is evil,” and in James 4:7 we read that we are to “resist the devil.” It is clear from passages in Luke 22 that Jesus’ disciples were armed, and Jesus himself advised them to purchase swords.

These apparent contradictions can be reconciled by recognizing the Hebraic nuances of the gospel texts, and by developing a deeper understanding of the Jewish background to Jesus’ words.
Kill or Murder?
One verse that is commonly cited in support of Jesus’ pacifism is Matthew 5:21, which most English versions of the Bible render, “You shall not kill.” The Greek word translated “kill” in this passage is a specific form of a Greek verb. This verb always used in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures as the equivalent of the Hebrew verb “ratsakh”.  I don’t know Hebrew but I looked it up and this is the same word used in the sixth commandment in both Exodus 20:13 and its parallel, Deuteronomy 5:17. It seems quite certain that in Matthew 5:21 Jesus was quoting the sixth commandment.

The Greek word to kill and ratsakh in Hebrew are both ambiguous and can mean either “kill” or “murder,” depending upon the context. However, God himself commanded capital punishment for such crimes as deliberate murder (Exod. 21:12-15), rape (Deut. 22:25-26), kidnapping (Exod. 21:16), adultery (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22), sorcery (Exod. 22:18), and many other crimes. The sixth commandment, therefore, must be a prohibition against murder, not killing as such. This includes premeditation of murder.  It’s the intent of the heart.  Even the prohibition about lusting is a matter of the heart and not the actual doing.

In spite of this, the King James Version of 1611, and the revisions of 1885 (Revised Version) and 1952 (Revised Standard Version), used “kill” rather than “murder” in translating Jesus’ quotation of this commandment. Most recent translations of the Bible have corrected this mistake; however the “kill” of the King James Version and its successors has strongly influenced many English-speaking Christians’ views of self-defense.

The eye for an eye prohibition means that we are not to take revenge upon another.  When a debt is to due we must take only what the debtor owes and not to extract more. In other words, Jesus is telling his disciples that one must indeed consider the circumstances of the debtor…..turn the other cheek if necessary.  Keep him as a friend.  “Do unto to others” etc etc. So how does this all relate to killing?  The Lord is simply telling his listeners that revenge belongs to the God.  However, never did he imply that we are not to defend ourselves.  Or to resist what is evil.

Our response to evil does have to be resistance—it is morally wrong to tolerate evil. However, we also must continue to show love for the evildoer.

It should be noted that loving and praying for one’s enemies in no way precludes defending oneself when one’s life is in danger. One is morally obligated to preserve life, including one’s own. Jesus never taught that it is wrong to defend oneself against life-threatening attack. However, he consistently taught his disciples to forgive and not to seek revenge against those who had attacked them. Our responsibility is not to respond in kind to belligerence directed against us. That only prolongs and perpetuates the evil. We are not to “be overcome by evil,” but to “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).

Not only does a pacifistic interpretation of Jesus’ sayings contradict many biblical passages, but pacifism was never a part of Jewish belief. According to Scripture, for example, a person who kills a housebreaker at night is not guilty of murder: “If a thief is seized while tunneling to break into a house, and he is beaten to death, the person who killed him is not guilty of bloodshed” (Exod. 22:2). The rationale is that the thief is ready to murder anyone who surprises him, thus one may preempt the thief!!  The Jewish position on this issue is summed up in the rabbinic dictum, “If someone comes to murder you, anticipate him and kill him first.”

The sages taught that if one is in danger of being murdered, he should defend himself, even if there is a measure of doubt about the intention of the attacker. Furthermore, if another person’s life is threatened, one is obligated to prevent that murder, if necessary by killing the attacker. The sages ruled that a person who is pursuing someone else with intent to murder may be killed. In light of this, it is very unlikely that Jesus, a Jew of the first century, would have espoused pacifism.  He understood that every disciple must condemn what is evil and protecting human life.

When we examine Jesus’ words from a Hebraic-Jewish perspective, we can see what has been obscured by mistranslation and lack of familiarity with Judaism. The passages construed to support pacifism actually condemn revenge rather than self-defense. It is not surprising that this interpretation is consistent with Jesus’ other teachings and the rest of biblical instruction.

Bible Tidbits

I am always interested in learning more about God through reading His story in the Bible.  I hope you are like me and enjoy delving deeper into scripture.  We can see God in both the obvious and not so obvious ways that He deals with us humans.  In this short blog I will submit to you, my followers, a few tidbits that I thought quite interesting and hoping you do as well.

The Last Part of the Last Supper.

As I was reading the account of our Lord and His disciples eating the Passover feast together in the upper room, it again came to mind that this was to be His last meal on earth.  I often skipped over the last part of the story focusing instead on the cup of wine and the broken bread.  I’m hoping that most of you at some point have been able to observe the Passover meal either in your congregation or perhaps at a special celebration presented elsewhere…..even in a movie.

So what happened at the end of the Last Supper? The Gospels, tell us “when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26) The word hymn is a translation of the Hebrew word Hallel, a reference to the psalms of praise (113-118) which are sung on Passover eve as part of the Seder feast.  These hymns/psalms were also sung by the pilgrims going to the temple for the yearly feasts and were well known by the Jewish people.  They are still sung today as part of Passover meals. Jesus must have been fond of these psalms whose central message is deliverance.

The word Hallel means “praise” in Hebrew.  It is one of the most important words in the Hebrew Scriptures.  It is also the root of the word Halleluiah which means “Praise unto God” as well as the name of the Book of Psalms in Hebrew, Tehilim.  It is precisely the book of Tehilim (Psalms 118:25-26) that is being quoted on Palm Sunday when the crowds proclaimed “Hosanna….Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9)

A Sacred Number to Swear By!

What do the Sabbath, Joshua’s march around Jericho and the pairs of clean animals brought by Noah into the ark all have in common?  The answer is that all these biblical subjects have the number Seven.  And it’s not just in these stories.  In dozens of other Scriptural instances the number seven plays a central role.    In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of himself using the phrase “I am” seven times.  What is so special about seven?

In ancient Israel, the number seven represented divine perfection.  It was considered a powerful, unbreakable number because it could not be divided by common small numbers which the people used to count on a single hand.  The word seven in Hebrew, “sheva” is linked to “shevua”….an oath.  Unlike most languages, Hebrew words have layers of meanings.

This word sheva is used when someone wanted to make a very strong promise.  They would take an oath as though to say, “let the divinely perfect number seven be my witness.”  It was the same as saying that God is the witness between them…..however, the name of God was never used directly because it was considered too holy to be pronounced or even written.  Now we know seven is worth swearing by!

Why Do the Jewish People Pray Three Times Daily?

When reading the book of Daniel I noted that Daniel opened the window of his house and prayed to God.  Three times daily he did this. (Daniel 6:10)  The apostle Paul probably did the same although he told us to be in prayer continually.  In other words, always have a heart toward God.  But why would Daniel and other observant Jews pray three times daily?  God didn’t specify three times, did He?  No, however, there are examples of men praying at three different times during the day. The rabbis deduced from their reading that we ought to pray at three specific times daily… and more is even better.

First, the Morning Prayer.  Three times in Abraham’s story we read …..Abraham got up early in the morning…..when he was wondering what had happened to Lot (Gen 19:27); when fulfilling God’s command to sent Ishmael away (Gen 21:14); and when he was going to sacrifice Isaac. Each of these times, he was overwhelmed with anguish, pain and questions. Thus, he prayed and poured out his heart before God.

Second prayer. It is said that Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer when, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening” (Gen.24: 63). The word rendered as meditate here also means prayer.  Did he pray for his bride in order to be comforted after Sarah’s death?  If so, his prayer was answered quickly, because here she came, Rebecca, riding on a camel, escorted by his father’s servant!!  So the afternoon prayer goes back to Isaac.

The Evening Prayer….It is said that Jacob instituted the evening prayer. “He, (Jacob) came to a certain place and stayed there because the sun had set.” (Gen. 28:11) Actually one of the most well –known encounters with God happened there and that’s why, ever since, the Jewish people have sought God in the evening prayer.

Our Lord also observed these prayer times.  We do know that He went out early in the morning to pray.  We as disciples are to follow the example of our Rabbi, Jesus.  How is your prayer life?  Do you pray only in times of need or just when you feel like it?

I hope these few Bible Tidbits are interesting for your inquiring minds and will be of benefit to your spiritual knowledge.

“The fear (wisdom, awe, power) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverb 1:7)

                                 Come to Dinner

We all enjoy our holidays.  Most are usually accompanied by a wonderful meal with family and friends.  There is something special about sharing a meal together.  As I read the stories in the Bible I came to realize how many times the Lord used a meal as a teaching tool!  I found more information concerning eating and feasting in a recent newsletter I received, and thought I would share some of the comments in this blog.

The Loaves and the Fishes……(Matt 15:32  Luke 9                     We all learned this story as children.  Perhaps the teacher had us play the part of the little boy who shared his lunch and how Jesus multiplied those five barley loaves and two little salted fish.  All four Gospels relate this miracle so it was something really special.  That tiny bit of food was multiplied and enough to feed the hungry crowd and still some left over.   Jesus used this miracle to remind the people how God had provided the quail and the manna for their ancestors on their escape from Egypt.  This hillside crowd now witnessed the promise that God had made to their ancestors many years before. They in a sense were reliving those events.   You can read about it in Deut. 18:15.

Our Lord provided this type of meal two times.  First , with five loaves and the second time with seven making a total of twelve.  The Priests of the temple were required to bake twelve loaves of bread every day.  According to the rabbis, the priests would only consume a small bite but they were satisfied.  These loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel.  When the Master multiplied the loaves He was also alluding to the twelve loaves found in the temple. Everyone ate and they were satisfied.  God was to be their provider.

The Prodigal Son….. (Luke 15:22-24)
There are so many layers of meaning in this story.  But the basic parable involves a wayward son who returns home to a loving father after he had taken his inheritance and it squandered it.  He is starving and in order to survive he devises a plan.  He knows his father is a forgiving and kind man and so he takes a chance that perhaps his father will take him back……..if only as a servant in the home.  Of course he is right. The father completely forgives this ungrateful young man and provides a feast to honor his return.  Jesus uses this story to describe the attributes of God.   He is always loving and forgiving and willing to take us “back” after we repent of wrong doings and seek His forgiveness.  The Prodigal now realizes the great love of his father for him despite all he has done.   There is reconciliation for one who has “returned.” This calls for a celebration!

The Last Supper….  (Luke 22: 14-10)
Jesus would share his last Passover Seder with His disciples in a small upper room in Jerusalem.  This was one of the three annual feasts that every good Jewish man was to attend.  Of course the Seder meal involves more than just the bread and the four cups of wine.   Jesus however used this part of the Seder to tell his disciples that the broken bread and the cup of wine were to remind them of his suffering and death. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11:27-29) also tells his gentile readers to remember the body and blood of the Messiah and to take these elements in a worthy manner.  Always realizing that even though they are gentiles, they are deemed worthy of taking this part of the feast, in remembrance of their being grafted into the “body” of the Messiah and that He died for them as well as the Jews.  We today continue this tradition, remembering the sacrifice of our Lord and making a renewed commitment in our discipleship.

Breakfast by the Sea (John 21 1-14)
This meal took place after the resurrection.  Jesus made a breakfast for those fishermen disciples.  The Master called to them and He was recognized.  Jesus was frying fish on the beach and the disciples saw him from their boat.  I imagine the aroma blowing on the wind first caught their attention.  After the meal Jesus purposely talked to Peter.  He had charged Peter with “feeding His sheep.”  He was giving Peter a major job.  He was to guide this ragtag group of disciples into a driving force for bringing to others the good news of the gospel.  Jesus was again alive and had been resurrected from the dead and that a New Kingdom was at hand.  I imagine the Master had more teaching to do before His final ascent.

Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
In Revelation 19:9 it was revealed to John there was to be another great feast.  Knowing the marriage rituals of the 1^st c. Jews would help in understanding the traditions of this final supper.  However, Jesus represents the Bridegroom and the Bride as represented by the congregations of believers.   When the Lord returns for us there will be a marvelous feast.  It will be a great celebration and the most joyous occasion of all time!

    Be sure to prepare yourself for grandest feast of all!!!

                                  The  Great Divide.

Most people know the story of the Rich Man and the poor beggar, Lazarus.  It’s found in Luke 16:19-31 where Jesus is teaching his followers. Jesus told this story in the form of a parable to bring home a pointed lesson.  The Lord often spoke in parables to teach a moral lesson which people could understand.  He used familiar locations and as well as various themes…. using types of people familiar to that culture.  The Lord never wasted an opportunity to relay spiritual truths.  This parable like all of his stories had multiple layers of meaning.

This parable is often told to illustrate that those who are faithful in this life, will be rewarded in the life to come.  In other words the faithful ones will receive their place in heaven.  Or in this case it was “Abraham’s bosom.” The Rich Man, whose name is not given, sees Lazarus in the heavenly realm and pleads with him for just a drop of water on his parched tongue.  However, there is a great gulf between them.  They are able to see each other but cannot cross this gulf.  Then the Rich Man tells Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers of their pending doom unless they change their life.  His reply was, “They have the law and the prophets let them listen to them.”  (NIV)

So what is the real take on this story?  Is this a story about life after death?

We must look to Jewish life in the 1^st c. to really understand its meaning. The scribes, teachers and Pharisees believed that God rewards those who do His will.  They taught that the place of the dead was called Sheol.  The New Testament Greek equivalent to Sheol is Hades, which is also a general reference to “the place of the dead.” The souls of the righteous, at death, go directly into the presence of God… “Heaven,” “Paradise, “or “Abraham’s bosom.” Perhaps this the way you have always thought of this parable. However, we need to know the background of Jewish teaching.

Our Master, Jeshua, was speaking to His followers as well as those who doubted Him.  They knew about Sheol and the Great Divide as taught by the scribes. They had studied the Hebrew Scriptures and it was their general belief that a great gulf separated the wicked from those in Paradise.   They also understood that the Rich Man was perhaps, a Sadducee.  The Sadducees were a sect of Judaism and were the officials who were in control of the temple. Unlike the Pharisees, they did not believe in the afterlife, angels or resurrection of the dead.  Jesus is poking a hole in their thinking.

As Jesus (Jeshua) described the soul of Lazarus being carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom, He spoke in the common terms and idioms of Pharisaic theology to describe the death of the righteous.

So if Jesus isn’t talking about life after death what is He saying?  Think about this.

• Jesus did not tell this parable to teach us about the afterlife. He assumed that His listeners already understood those basic principles.  He spoke to a Jewish audience with a general Jewish expectation.  His depiction of the afterlife was incidental to the story.  He wanted to convey a moral lesson about caring for the poor.  The Rich Man should have given Lazarus a place at his table.  Those who receive good things in this life and not share with those who need help are like the Rich Man.  “The first shall be last and the last first.” Sound familiar?

• Finally the Master used this parable to speak of his own death and resurrection. Those who refused to believe him and heed his message of repentance would continue in their disbelief even after His resurrection. The main point of this parable is the message of repentance and forgiveness. Seeing oneself as needy and seeking God in all things.

The lesson to be learned here is this.  We seek God in our repentance, in our humility before Him.  We prove our love by helping our fellow man.  We share the story of His love with tangible evidence of our discipleship.  John, the Baptizer said (Matthew 3: 1-3)

“Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

                           Beware of Itching Ears!

Every doctor will tell you not to scratch inside your ears.  They know it is dangerous and you know it is dangerous.  Yet we all scratch our ears when they itch.  And they do itch!

However, when the apostle Paul wrote about itchy ears he had something else in mind.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Paul is actually warning Timothy and his readers that people will turn to false teaching because they want something that tickles their ears.  The craving starts as a little tickle….some small idea that sounds good or appeals to the intellect at the moment. We start to scratch the ear and it feels good.  These ideas sound rather appealing.  Many people will be lead to believe these lies or half truths because they seem to really make sense.

People are mislead into believing the crafty words of those who appeal to man’s desires because most of us want to be able to take destiny into our own hands.  Remember what Satan told Eve? “Did God really tell you not to eat of that tree?  He doesn’t want you to be as wise as He is!!!”  (my paraphrase)

We too want to be wise and so we are easily led in the wrong direction.  God’s words often appear unrelated to the real world. We are told that science holds the key to man’s understanding of the world……not some antiquated book called the Bible.  Science therefore can solve the dilemmas that face us.  We can take control of the world and ourselves only through science.  Really??

In appealing to “itchy ears” the “smart ones” know how to intimidate and ridicule those who disagree with their theories.  They couch these theories in scientific jargon which seem impressive.

Another way of deluding those with itchy ears is to make the simple appear complex. The goal is to divert the reader or listener from a clear understanding of the issue.   “In the beginning God created………..”  That simple statement of fact now becomes complex and most scientists can quote their theories of just why it didn’t happen. Accordingly they lead us to believe that it took millions of years to come up with you and me.

Intimidation is another technique used to muddy the waters of reason.  Namedroppers, book-quoters, jargon users, and prestige talkers all use this method.  After all, nothing is really that simple and we scientists know how the world and its inhabitants came into being. In other words, non-scientists must rely on the trained scientists to clarify all things scientific.   After all, the Bible isn’t a science book is it?  Yes, it was written by humans in a particular time frame, however, the validity of the words is true.

I am led to the belief that God’s word is valid in all manner of faith and godliness.  I have come to realize that unless we hold to the truth of scripture in all points, everything we believe will also come into question.

I am certainly not against science.  Our lives have improved and benefitted from science.  Antibiotics and life saving devices have all extended lives. Well crafted science does not go against scripture.  It enhances it!

When someone tries to tickle your ears with ideas contrary to scripture then beware. Our faith is under attack on all fronts.

Hold fast and don’t be deceived.

               How Do You View Mary, the Mother of Jesus?

We Protestants do not believe in many of the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding Mary.  However, have we failed to remember her enough?  She was after all, the birth mother of our Lord.  She was especially chosen of all the women living, to be his earthly parent.

Nowhere does Mary herself or any of the apostles or disciples of Jesus, try to deify her in any way.  She is His mother and a faithful Jew in all ways.  She fulfilled the role given to her.   We find no evidence that Jesus told any of his followers to pray to her as an intercessor to God.  However, in reaction to Catholic dogma, must we never have good words to say about her or the fact that she was the chosen vessel of the Lord?  She is rarely studied in her own right except perhaps at Christmas when we find her in a manger scene, a halo above her head, kneeling beside a wooden trough filled with straw…….which presumably holds baby Jesus.

I want to come to the defense of Mary and in regard to what is written about her in scripture.  She is at the intersection of the Old and New Testaments.  She is in the lineage of other pious mothers…Hannah, Sarah, Rachel, Ruth.  When she appears in the temple with infant Jesus, Anna and Simeon, worship this baby who is called the “consolation” of Israel. This child will be the promised Messiah of the world and will fulfill the promises made by the prophets of old.

Has she the right to be called Blessed?  Remember the word itself means, “set apart”.  Mary earned that right. Not because of her virginity, or even her humility, but because she was chosen as the person and “place” where God’s glory would enter into this world.  She was in the lineage of David, and she was faithful to all the commandments of God.  These she taught her son and raised him in the words of the Torah and obedience to live a life of a pious Jew.

She was perhaps a teen.  Marriages were usually arranged by the family and the daughter was expected to marry the one chosen for her.  We know the story, of course.  Joseph, “adopted” Jesus as his own son although can we imagine the villagers all knew that Jesus was “illegitimate.”

Mary herself was called blessed by her cousin Elizabeth.  “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42)  Mary herself declares that all generations will call her blessed.  Not because she is without sin but because of what God has bestowed upon her.  (Luke 1:48) In fact we might view Mary as the Lord’s first disciple.

In our last glimpse of Mary, we find her in the upper room in a gathering of believers where they were told to go after the Lord’s resurrection.   She lived to see what had been foretold of her son.  That He indeed was to be the Savior of the world.

She bore Him and then lived for Him.  She honored herself in bearing Him and was His mother and His teacher.  He revered her and she worshiped Him.  We need not go through Mary in order to get to Jesus but we can join with Mary in pointing others to Him.  This more than anything else will honor her as she honored Him.

                 What is Hanukkah and Why Should We Care?

The only mention in the Bible of Hanukkah is in John 10:22-23.  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomon’s porch.”  It doesn’t say Hanukkah but that was the real name of this festival.  Jews celebrate this great festival today with gifts and gathering with friends.

This seemingly unimportant event had great meaning in the days of the Messiah.  But why does it impact Christians today?  What is this festival all about?

Without searching the net I will make it easy for you.  During the inter-Testamental period…that is the time between the Old and New Testaments, the Greeks had taken over Jerusalem as part of their conquered territories.  They viewed the Temple as a place to worship their deities and the infamous general, Antiochus Epiphanies had even sacrificed a pig on the altar.  Of course this was a supreme offense to the Jews. There was an uprising among the Jews and they waged a successful war against these pagans.  The Jews had to purify the Temple menorahs (candlesticks that used oil). The menorahs used in the Temple had eight branches……the middle branch called the “servant” light which was used to light the others one day at a time. The miracle of the story is how the oil in the lamps didn’t run out.  Can you see the symbolism of Jesus as being the “servant” branch that would light the world?

At the opening of Matthew we find that Romans now had come as conquerors.  However, they allowed the Jews to continue to maintain their religious festivals in the temple as long as they didn’t provoke uprisings against the authorities.  The Jewish people wanted Jesus to be the Messiah that would raise an army and defeat the hated Romans just as the Jews had done before to the Greeks. Jesus didn’t come for that purpose.

During the festival of Hanukkah that year, Jesus was teaching in Jerusalem in the outskirts of the Temple proper.  He always attended every feast and this was no exception.  He took every opportunity to teach how the commandments of God impacted their lives.   He told the crowds about the teachings of the prophets and how the story of Hanukkah related to himself.

While reading the Gospels we miss so much of the Messiah’s teachings because we simply don’t know the stories behind His words.  But it was during the festival of Hanukkah that  He spoke some of his most memorable teachings.

During this festival the great Temple was lit with four huge giant menorahs….the blazing light could be seen throughout all Jerusalem.  How appropriate that Jesus chose this time to tell his followers…”I am the light of the world.  He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Although the sayings of Jesus don’t seem to follow in the order we expect, these words are true.  We moderns, expect everything to be written in the context of the passage given but early writers often wrote his teachings as they remembered them. Therefore the teaching of John 8…..comes before the mention of the Feast in John 10.  Be assured that Jesus used every opportunity to teach a lesson about His authority.

Jesus, our Messiah, like the great lights of the menorah, sends His Spirit to ignite us so that we can shine His light in a dark world.   The Hanukkah’s story of a lasting light is predicted in Isaiah 49:6…..it is from the Jews that the light will come. “I will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus becomes that light that shines through our dark world. His light does indeed bring the light of life into the darkness of men’s souls.

                                           Being Sorry…….is that Repentance?

Last Sunday in Bible Class we discussed Matthew 21:18-22 and the fig tree that bore no fruit.  Jesus cursed the fig tree.  It withered and died.  The fig tree bore no fruit and therefore wasn’t productive.  It was worth nothing because the tree didn’t fulfill its purpose, which was to produce its fruit. He also mentioned faith.  Faith is needed to produce fruit.

John the Baptizer also told his hearers… that they should bear fruit worthy of repentance.(Matt 3:9)  Of course the fig tree was simply a metaphor for the disciples  who followed the Lord.  They were expected to bear fruit.  This meant they were to do good works as well as making disciples.  Doing good works, giving alms, healing the sick etc. were also expected of those early followers.  But what about repentance?  Why is that important in the life of a disciple?  Can’t we just apologize and go on? Surely what we do for others really counts, right? And what is repentance anyway?  More than you think.

Is there such a thing as a “lifestyle” of repentance?  Perhaps we are missing something important here.  Many think of God as a judgmental tyrant who is out to extract vengeance on the disobedient.  Other’s view Him as a kindly old man who turns a blind eye to the moral condition of his children. In fact, God is neither.

Psalm 51 is a powerful prayer of David, after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed in battle.  How could he approach God after that?

True repentance is based on an understanding of God’s character. God wants truth in our “inner” parts and a humble heart. David understands God’s character.  He knows that God is merciful and gracious in His forgiveness. If we really understand what sin is then we can more fully live a life of repentance.

Sin is “missing” the mark that God expects of His children.  We say to ourselves, “Well, nobody is perfect.”  Few of us today think of repentance as a lifestyle.   We promise in our prayers that we will never do hurtful things again……and we mean it.  After all, none of us has really committed a serious crime or deliberately hurt another person. Many things seem like repentance but really are not.  Each falls short because we still hold onto many of the sins which will always be there.

David knows that true repentance is ultimately a supernatural work of God.   That’s why David prayed ”Create within me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Only a Creator God can do what David is praying for. This cry for forgiveness can only come from God himself.

Yeshua’s (Jesus) once and for all sacrifice for sin is ultimately how we can find forgiveness. Repentance is possible because He took our sins upon himself..  God’s greatest demonstration of love is found in Him. It is God’s gift to us through Him.

For all who have received this gift, a lifestyle of repentance is a blessing.  It reminds us daily of God’s relentless love and forgiveness for us. That in turn makes us a more loving and forgiving people.

Don’t you think God enjoys that?

                                Truth Twisting

The sexual revolution is here…..whether we agree, disagree, like it or not.  The “closets” are now empty and those who believe they were “created” as a certain gender have declared themselves free of sexual restraints or inhibitions.  Those who declare themselves to be LGBTor Q and have become part of a church community, feel that God loves everyone just as he/she/it declares themselves to be. They want confessing Christians to accept their decision or wear a label which identifies them as bigots…… narrow minded and without love of others.  After all, Christ died for all sinners, didn’t He?  Are you without sin in your life?  Can’t you accept their lifestyle with love and just go on with “things as usual.”   Should we keep up the charade that all is well?  Should Christians close their eyes to this problem and just believe that God is in His heaven and all is well in the world?

The strength of this transgender movement has been its ability to intimidate and bully opponents.  Also they have succeeded in their capacity to warp the truth of God’s words.  The “gay theology” has become a deceptive siren song capturing hearts and minds even with the one bulwark that had remained standing firmly against the movement……..the church.

More and more, Christians, churches, and even entire denominations will have to decide whether they will remain faithful to the teaching of Scripture or capitulate to the spirit of the age.   They also will be forced to decide if they are willing to endure the harsh criticism that will inevitably explode against them if they stand for scriptural fidelity.  So what should Christians be doing in preparation for the assault that is certain to accelerate?

We need to be armed with the teachings of God that affirm these deviant lifestyles are an affront to God’s will for man. Generationally, the news is worse.  A recent study by the Pew foundation found that among the Christian Millennials is the belief that homosexuality should be accepted by society.  Are they reading the same Bible I am?  Has this God of ours become so lenient that He now has laid aside any previous commandment and now He simply says “they can’t help it?”  No repentance necessary.  I am what I am!!

That being said, we are to open our hearts to those who are in this type of life style.  Satan has told his lies before now.  Those who are deceived live in a type of spiritual darkness.  Many are without real love and understanding.  Perhaps they come from broken homes or have missed the foundation of solid Christian teaching.

I realize that many of these individuals come from loving and caring families.  They declare it must be genetic and yet that assumption has not been proven.  Just like other sins……..God does still loves them and only wants the best for their lives. This type of life style is false and deceptive and separates them from coming to a full faith in their Creator.

Certainly standing for biblical truth in the public square is not for the squeamish.  Moral cowards in the church have already found an excuse not to get involved. Christians who venture forth into battle will face a withering backlash unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.  Yet God is with us.  He loves us and He loves them.  Hold to the truth…….expect persecution.