Merry Christmas -- to all the orphans

Happy Holidays to All the Orphans

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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First of all, merry Christmas and happy new year to all the orphans, wherever you may be. You see, I'm an orphan myself, and I'm in my 60's. There are a lot of us out there. We're called “elder orphans” – people who have outlived most if not all of their relatives, who are estranged from their families, or who aged out of the foster care system like I did as a teenager. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, there are 22.6 million people in the USA alone who currently have this dubious distinction. Twenty two and a half million folks who ain't got nobody, and there is nothing any of us can do about it. It's a harsh reality, but sometimes life can be very harsh indeed. You either learn to roll with the punches, ducking and dodging as best as you can, or you get the living daylights beat out of you. It's all up to you. I know that's not a particularly nice thing to say, but that's the truth. And I love truth.

I am one of those who aged out of the foster care system as a teenager. I started out in life as an orphan, only to wind up in foster care. I was told as a child I was adopted, only to find out decades later that it was a lie. I was told I had been taken away from my birth mother as an infant because I was born “in jail”, to quote the woman who raised me, who I knew as 'mom'. But there came a time when I was in my twenties when I needed a copy of my birth certificate, and when it arrived in the mail I was in for a big surprise. According to my birth certificate, I had been born in a private home and then transported to a hospital. When I confronted my “mom” about this and demanded to know the identity of my birth mother, she refused, saying she and her late husband (my foster-dad died just after my 12^th birthday) had 'spent their hard-earned money on me', and that it was “none of your business” who my real mom was. And you think you've got family problems??

So the woman who raised me and myself are permanently, and understandably, estranged. How do I cope with all this? How could anybody cope with even one out of all the things I just mentioned? I tried to find my original identity, but none of the people who lived in the house I was evidently born in were still alive by the time I checked, and the doctor who had attended me at the hospital was also deceased. I registered with a government database in Ohio, the state where I was born, just in case I had any siblings trying to find me, but I never heard back from anybody. So I have drifted through life all alone. I have tried marriage twice, but I was still alone and adrift despite being a head-of-household. My two marriages combined lasted a little over three years. My ultimate solution has been my faith. In fact, my faith is the only thing that has consistently worked for me over the years. That, and I published a book about my experiences in the form of a memoir back in 2014. It's called, “Sole Survivor”, it's still in print, digital or audio format from this link. Writing and publishing that book was very therapeutic for me. It helped me get rid of a lot of old baggage.

So I wrote this piece this week to see how many others I could reach out and help this holiday season. But I'm not going to limit this to just the orphans and those who aged out of the foster care system. If you know your parents and are on good terms with them, you are already ahead of a lot of people in terms of having family. If you have ever received an inheritance from a relative, you're doing better than many. In that case, I would advise that individual or family to use that inheritance to start a small business. In an economic climate where meaningful jobs are so hard to come by, it makes so much more sense to simply hire yourself.

But there are also a surprising number of advantages to being an 'elder orphan'. First of all, I have almost nobody to buy Christmas gifts for, excluding a few friends from the church where I play keyboards every Sunday. That's a major money and time saver for me and others like me. There is no one to cook for me, but I know exactly what I want something to taste like before I ever start cooking it, so everything I make on the stove or in the oven turns out perfect every time. There is no one's birthdays to remember, and there's no 'moochy' relative sleeping on my couch and eating my food. I get up when I want, usually around 8 or 9AM, and I go to sleep when I want, usually by 11PM or so. I know that's over 9 hours sleep per night, but since I survived a stroke I had back in 2006, my body seems to need 9 hours of sleep. I sometimes get up to an early alarm, but I can no longer do that on a daily basis. When I do get up to an early alarm, it's usually because I have a medical appointment or because it's a church or grocery day.

Another big advantage to being a 'senior orphan' is the independence. When you go through life without any family as I have, you wind up being a fiercely independent person somewhat like, or very similar to, myself. No one is nagging me about anything. Nobody bosses me around, and I don't take any crap from anyone, either. I've always functioned much better and was much happier when I was self-employed. Trying to work for somebody else always was a chore, and I never seemed to fit into the office work environment no matter how hard I tried. Orphans are like that, you know. A lot of business owners are orphans. Unfortunately, so are a lot of homeless people, and so are may of those who commit suicide. They have no one to help them through the pain of what they are experiencing, no one to ease their anguish. Without a Higher Power to turn to, they simply give up. This can happen in any number of ways. For example, here in Atlanta where I live, there are car wrecks involving wrong-way drivers on the interstate highways every so often. According to the CDC, at least one third of these head-on crashes turn out to be suicides.

I would urge anyone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts to call the national suicide hot-line at 1-800-273-8255. Seriously, do it right now if this is you. You can read the rest of this later. But for everyone I wish to say it's not so bad to be stuck being alone. Being alone and independent means you are free from many of the encumbrances of everyday life, especially family issues. It means you have no kids to raise. It costs $250,000.00 to raise a child from their birth until they finish the first 12 grades of school. Think about how much money you're saving. Another advantage to being an 'elder orphan' is not having a dangerous ex-spouse to obtain restraining orders against to protect yourself and your kids. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Survivors of foster-care and/or spousal or parental abuse do not get to skate away from such circumstances without a hefty toll being taken by life and that of living it. It is common for survivors to suffer from PTSD as I do. Trauma, especially during childhood, can be a trigger for mental illness, and I am a survivor of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder myself. But mental illness is something that can be managed with certain medications, and I am happy to report that I'm in my 12^th year of recovery, and I never so much as looked back once. Nor do I regret being an 'elder orphan'. I relish my independence, go at my own pace, and I live the simple life. It's far from being a really prosperous one, but I've made a lot of money before, and riches tend to be a trap and a headache. But at the end of the day, for those of us who are the survivor of survivors like myself, the term 'orphaned elder' has a nice ring to it. To me at least, the word 'orphan' is the sound of freedom.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 14

Paul and Barnabas Escape Death, Emerge Triumphant

[Acts chapter 14, verses 14-28]

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When we last concluded our study of Acts chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas had entered the city of Lystra and had preached the Word in the local synagogue. The people present had received with gratitude the salvation of Christ, but the Gentiles of that city were very pagan in their religious practices. The “priest of the Temple of Zeus” had brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates to offer sacrifices to the pair of preachers. As I wrote last week, this could well have been a considerable temptation to them both. They could have set up a Christian church, and had the whole town eating right out of their hands if they wanted to. In a way, it could have been an excellent opportunity to turn the entire town to Christ.

Except that this would have been wrong, based on what the Bible teaches (see Isaiah 44: 17). It was Christ who was to be worshiped and not themselves. Indeed, when they realized what was occurring – keep in mind it was their first day in that city, having no prior knowledge of it as far as I know – the scene before them upset Paul and Barnabas a great deal. If nothing else, it proves that these two men were preachers of integrity because they lived and breathed it. This is the kind of thing that can happen when one is led by the Holy Spirit rather than by their own. To find out just how upset they became, let's take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 14:

“14) But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15) “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16) In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17) Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18) Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” (Acts 14, verses 14-18)

In verses 14 and 15, Paul and Barnabas are shouting at the crowd that there is only one true God. They even tore their clothes in their duress! “We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.” In verses 17 and 18, they are asking the crowd to believe in – at the very least – the true God who brings the sun, the rain, the crops and the seasons. 'If you must pollute the message of Christ with your idols, then at least show some pure belief in the Father who sent Him!' This was the essence of what Paul and Barnabas were trying to say to the crowd. “18) Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” To sum it up, Paul and Barnabas had a tough crowd on their hands. They were having a difficult day at the office, that's for sure. But as we continue this week's study beginning at verse 19, their day was about to get so much worse.

“19) Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20) But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21) They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22) strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said.” (Acts 14, verses 19-22)

Paul's and Barnabas' trolls of that day, the Jewish temple authorities from the two cities where they had just come from, caught up with them at right about this time. Remember from last week's study, verses 5-7, where Paul and Barnabas had to flee Iconium to keep from getting killed? It was those very people who showed up unannounced and stirred up some of the Jews that Paul and Barnabas had just converted earlier that day, causing them to turn against them. “They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.” Paul may not have been dead, but he was certainly close to it. But the disciples gathered around him, praying over his body continuously for an undetermined amount of time, that detail being lost in the mists of history. By being given up for dead, only to walk back into the city later that same day, Paul emulated Christ while Barnabas emulated the apostle John, the disciple who stayed with Jesus' mother while Jesus suffered and died on the cross.

“The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.” I find it noteworthy that there was no bitterness on Paul's part toward Barnabas with regard to his stoning the day before. Barnabas had evidently been spared from the majority of the stoning, but he was bruised and bleeding enough to be unable to help protect Paul from the mob of his Jewish 'brethren'. Still, Paul didn't hold it against him, or at the very least had settled any differences he may have had with Barnabas well before they left on their journey to Derbe. “Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said.”

Paul and Barnabas felt compelled to return to the cities they had most recently visited, to tell the congregations there how Paul's life was spared, and to greatly encourage them. Let's not forget this was a time of wholesale persecution of Christians and all things having to do with the Gospel. It took a lot of guts to express belief in Christ and openly live one's faith back then, just like it took a lot of guts for Blacks and white folks to march together for civil rights and racial equality in the 1950's and 1960's. There is a price to be paid for taking a public stand in favor of an unpopular idea, or an unpopular religion like Christianity. The problem many have with Christianity is that it entails an ongoing relationship with the Son of God. So what's so bad about that? It demands accountability on the part of the believer, and insists the we adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately for some, the whole idea of a Power greater than themselves is more than they can stomach. Which, by extension, makes them extremely self-centered individuals. Which is why the religious establishment of the time hated Christians so much. They were Jews competing with Jewish dogma, and they were winning at every turn. And now, let's conclude this week's study, beginning at verse 23.

“23) Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24) After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25) and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26) From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27) On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28) And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.” (Acts 14, verses 23-28)

As we can see in verse 23, Paul and Barnabas knew that, once they left Lystra and Iconium a second time, it was doubtful as to when they would be able to return. And so, after considerable prayer and fasting, they “committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust”. They put their trust in the elders they appointed, sure enough, but Paul and Barnabas put their ultimate trust in God, knowing He would see them through as time went on. To view this another way, Paul and Barnabas knew when to move on. They were both very perceptive individuals of great discretion, and I think that's the most likely reason God chose them both.

“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them....” Antioch, which was situated several hundred miles north of Jerusalem, became the northern base of Christianity in the early days of the church. And so all that had happened to Paul and Barnabas, on what has become known as Paul's first missionary journey, was disseminated and passed on by word of mouth there at Antioch. The Church was greatly enriched and empowered by Paul's and Barnabas' stories of leading others to salvation while barely escaping death themselves. In that same vein, I hope to do the same with all my readers, enriching and empowering them and their lives as we all learn together to live better for Christ. And next week, we'll get started on chapter 15 in our ongoing studies of the writings of the apostle Luke.

This week's Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 3

The Apostle Peter Tells It Like It Is!

[Acts chapter 3, verses 16-26]

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Last week when we left off at Acts 3, verse 15, the apostles Peter and John had just healed a man who had been crippled from birth. This man was now walking along – and even jumping at times – with John and Peter as they went to the temple courts to show themselves to the priests and teachers of the Law. These were, as you now know, part of the same people who had handed Christ over to Pilate to be crucified just weeks earlier. So there they were, standing before the priests in the outer courts (there was only one high priest in the Inner Court), with the newly-healed man holding on to Peter and John to steady himself as a crowd gathered close behind them. Peter does most of the talking in this narrative by the apostle Luke as he continues to explain the man's healing with the holy Scriptures. So let's take up where we left off beginning at verse 16.

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Now brothers, I know you all acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that all your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.” (Acts 3, verses 16-20)

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.” The main thing Peter is saying here is that he disavows himself of having anything to do with the formerly crippled man's evidently miraculous healing. Faith in Jesus rather than in Peter and John's abilities is what caused this healing to occur. In so doing, Peter set a fine example for all of us to follow, particularly those who aspire to be ministers. He took none of the credit for himself. “It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” Jesus lived his life with such power and might that his very name is all it takes for healing to occur, whether it be physical, mental or psychological, or for that matter a healing of souls, as only the Spirit of the Lord can do.

“Now brothers, I know you all acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.” Right here in verse 17 we are witnesses that Christ's final wish as he was crucified had been granted (“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”), and it is Peter, a man who had denied ever knowing Christ three times, who is conveying this message of gracious forgiveness for their grievous sins to all the people! Moreover, I'd call arranging for Christ's conviction on false charges, along with our Lord and Savior's ensuing death sentence, to be as grievous of a sin as you can get! So the apostle Peter, himself being a man forgiven of grievous sin, is delivering this same message of forgiveness to all who will accept and embrace it.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that all your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.” Turn away from all that you, and therefore we, have been doing. It's time for all of us to grow up and turn away from our childish, trifling ways, and to stop being so selfish and greedy. Let us turn away from being materialistic, from insisting that we must be first, and of refusing to let go of past hurts and injustices, whether real or imagined. Being unable to let go of perceived hate, disrespect or fear of or from another stems from a refusal or inability to forgive that person. But as Peter said just above, how can we expect our own sins to be forgiven when we refuse to forgive others? The answer is, of course, we cannot – so why are so many people apparently ignoring this fact of life? They had better wake up before it's too late; you know who you are. But take heart! Jesus Christ, who is God's only Son, “has been appointed for you”. Jesus is like a court-appointed attorney, ready to defend us with all the vigor and spectacular performance we would expect from the Son of God. And now let's finish up today's study, starting at verse 21.

“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for him to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your own people. You must do everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be cut off from his people.' Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, foretold of these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on the earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3, verses 21-26)

“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for him to restore everything.” This is a clear reference to the Second Coming of Christ. While this has not occurred yet, we can all be sure this will occur in our lifetimes. I'm including myself in that statement, and I'm in my early 60's as I write this. I would also like to add that there is a lot of pointless speculation about the timing of Christ's return. I think that all the time taken up by speculating about Christ's return could be better spent leading people to the Lord, or by buying a homeless family a large box of fried chicken. What the world needs is more people willing to put their faith into action. I know we can't all be philanthropists, but for God's sake, turn off your televisions and go do something positive! Never forget that the start of something really good always begins with just one person and an idea. “For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your own people.'” Moses was obviously referring to Christ when he wrote that in Deuteronomy 18: 15.

“'You must do everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be cut off from his people.' Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, foretold of these days.” On the surface of things, the apostle Peter was telling everyone there – which was likely dozens of people to possibly well over a hundred – that those who will not obey or believe in Christ will not receive the salvation Jesus promised by his Supreme Sacrifice. But this verse also tells us that the Biblical prophets of at least 1,000 years before had been foretelling of Christ's coming, and that he would suffer and die as a ransom to be paid for the multitudes of humanity. And so Peter was saying that the many who had been parties to the public execution of Jesus Christ on Golgotha hill, at least a few of which were present with the others there, that their ignorance about the true identity of Christ was no excuse. Only by placing their/our complete faith in Christ can humanity be reconciled with God. As it was then, so it is today. Only a short time remains before Christ's return, meaning there is even less time left before the rapture of the greater Church. As such, we no longer have any excuse for our own lack of understanding or belief, and so we are ultimately responsible for our own fate and our own salvation. Let everybody take note!!

“He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on the earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” As Peter addressed the crowd there at the temple with the apostle John and the formerly-crippled man, he was addressing them as Jewish men, since the majority of them were (I don't know if the man who had been healed was Jewish or not, but it evidently made no difference to Peter). But through the apostle Paul, who was not converted to Christianity until his encounter on the Road to Damascus – which we will study in-depth when we get to chapter nine – the gospel was carried to the Gentile nations, but only after quite a lot of rejection that Paul encountered in his ministry. Peter and the rest preached to primarily Jewish audiences in Jewish synagogues. We don't have time to go into the reasons why, as that would take us off course, and it would be time-consuming as well. Those who want to know more about this should start by reading the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament.

“When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you....” “Raised up his servant”, once again, refers to the risen Christ. He was sent first to appear to the apostles in Luke chapter 22, but it was Peter who first went to the tomb to verify what he heard from the women who had found the tomb empty. Peter had been the first of the Eleven to see the empty tomb, and this was the source of his confidence – not in himself, but the complete faith he had placed in Christ to be his Savior and risen Lord – as he spoke. But Peter's confidence was supernatural, and so was John's quiet confidence as he stood by while continuing allowed the healed man to continue steadying himself. After all, the poor guy had been crippled from birth, so it's no wonder that he still needed a little assistance. I would too! Next week as we move on to chapter four, Peter's first 'sermon' continues as he continues to build his case for salvation in Christ. Everyone have a blessed week....

The Beatitudes 2.0

The 'Flip Side' of the Teachings of Christ Jesus

by pastor Paul J. Bern

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For this week's commentary I will, once again but from a different angle, demonstrate that the teachings and presence of the Lord in Spirit and in Truth are more relevant today than ever before. I'm not talking religion and I'm not talking about doctrine, I'm just writing today about Jesus Christ and what he taught, because people everywhere seem to be hungry and thirsty for real truth and authenticity. So today I am once again putting Jesus up on a pedestal where he belongs. My topic is what we now call the Beatitudes of Christ, or just 'the Beatitudes' for short. I'm going to give you 2 different sets of quotes, the first from the apostle Matthew's gospel and the second from Luke's. These are very powerful instructions from our Lord and Savior, so let's examine what happens when we obey them, followed by what can happen if we don't. So let me begin with Matthew chapter 5 and verse 2.

“....He began to teach them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who came before you.'” (Matthew 5, verses 3-12)

“Poor in spirit” could mean a couple of things. Besides those who are dispirited and disenfranchised, it could also mean people who are mentally depressed, and so by extension Jesus could have been taking about the mentally ill or mentally challenged individuals. Most likely it's all of the above. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Most often this verse is associated with those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, particularly a spouse or a child. But this can also mean those who have suffered catastrophic losses, like the survivors of hurricanes and wildfires who have nothing but the clothes they're wearing. They too will be comforted, because they will regain much of what they have lost. Moreover, those who have lost loved ones will see them again, and maybe sooner than we all think.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Why? Because at some point in the fairly near future, all the warlike people will kill each other off because of their addiction to fighting and conflict. They thrive on it, so let it consume them. The meek, mild, compassionate, loving and gentle people will be the only ones left. Let those whose only motivations are anger and rage roast in hell! “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Notice that it reads, “for they will be filled”. That means those who get filled with righteousness will derive theirs from God, through his only Son Jesus Christ. Those whose righteousness is self-generated – this is, generated by the human ego instead relying on the Holy Spirit – is egocentric by nature and is derived from human emotions. So we can conclude that righteousness that is received from above is from God, but self-righteousness is of Satan and is Luciferian in nature. So the two are totally incompatible.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Be forgiving and merciful towards others, and you will get the same in return. Likewise, when we show mercy and kindness towards God's creations – other people – we can expect the same from God. Conversely, mean people – particularly those with violent tempers and those who seem to be always angry – and those who commit violent crimes such as murder (like school shootings!!) and forcible rape, should expect no mercy from God whatsoever unless they repent of their ways once and for good! “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Since we all have a sinful nature that we must work hard to control (see Romans 3, verses 9-18), people who are “pure in heart” are those who don't partake in the corrupt nature of the world in which we live. That is, it is not possible for any human being to keep his/her heart pure while they allow themselves to be surrounded by the gross impurities of this world. Greed, malice, hate and prejudice, wall-to-wall sex all the time, pornography, every kind of addiction you can imagine, subliminal messaging and imagery designed to program the human mind are just a sampling of what's out there. All you “Christians” who look at porn, party at clubs all night, use dangerous drugs like heroin and meth and so-called “spice” (“artificial marijuana” that is neither), you had better take a step or two away from what you're doing, and from the person you have become, and take a good long look at yourselves. You don't have much time left to get yourselves right with God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” While this needs no explanation, it also says, 'Cursed are the mercenaries who kill for profit, the politicians who send our sons and daughters off to fight and die in wars that benefit only a few people and their families. Cursed are those who pollute the earth that God created and divert its resources exclusively for themselves, causing hardship and starvation for hundreds of millions. Cursed are they who deny electricity and clean drinking water to 25% of the planet so they can keep it all for themselves. Cursed are they, for they will be called the sons of the devil! “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” All the Christians who have died or who will die for their faith, fall into this category. So do all whistle-blowers within government and industry, all of whom see, to die mysterious deaths under equally mysterious circumstances. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., presidents Kennedy and Lincoln, as well as Malcolm X all fall into this category.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” If you have ever been cussed out, threatened, or physically attacked by Christian haters, you know exactly what I mean. What's the flip side of this one? Simple – if one has never had to defend one's faith, the depth of one's belief is directly proportional to the vigor with which one is compelled to defend one's faith. Conversely, if we never talk to anyone about our faith and what Christ has done in your life, our faith lacks depth, which limits how we interact with the Risen Spirit of Christ the Lord. Never be afraid to talk to others about your faith, because you never know when you can help someone. You could even help lead a soul to their Savior, of whom they were previously unaware. Jesus has already saved your soul, hasn't he (but if not PLEASE ask him now!!)? So go and pay it forward, that's your job! And now let me briefly quote from Luke's gospel.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6, verses 24-26) So there you go, that sums things up rather nicely, exactly what God's Word is saying to us, spoken through his Son Jesus (or 'Yeshua' in Hebrew, the native language of Christ). There are two sides to every teaching of Jesus, and sometimes more than that. This is just one of dozens of examples throughout the Bible where God's Word can mean more than one thing and still be consistent. In the meantime, and in closing, everyone please continue to pray for peace in our nation's schools, as well as in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula. Shalom....

This week's Biblical teaching will be part 1 of Luke chapter 19

Forgiveness for Cheaters, Hustlers and Crooks

[Luke chapter 19, verses 1-10]

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Today as we start chapter 19 of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus and the Twelve – along with an entourage consisting of many believers plus a few accusers – has left the place where Jesus had healed the blind beggar and had just arrived in Jericho. Presumably the beggar Jesus had healed was among that number, if for no other reason than he was actually able to see Jericho for the first time. But there was more to it than just that, as I pointed out last week. That formerly blind beggar was transformed in his mind, not just his eyesight. He put those newly healed eyes to good use, as the scripture says (“Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God”). He became a follower of Jesus in Spirit and in Truth, which is exactly what should happen when we give our lives to Christ! The blind beggar who had been healed became a minister of the Good News of Jesus, and we have a responsibility as authentic believers to emulate Jesus just like that healed beggar did. One thing you can be sure of – that formerly blind ex-beggar was well taken care of for the entire remainder of his life, so long as he kept on telling everyone what Jesus had done for him. We are all charged with the task of aspiring to be the same. Bearing that in mind, let's go ahead and get started with this week's lesson right from the top of chapter 19.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, Jesus looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.' So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, 'He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.' But Zacchaeus looked up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.' Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.'” (Luke 19, verses 1-10)

Make no mistake about this, the tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire. They were the enforcement arm of Rome's equivalent to the modern IRS here in America. As such, they routinely misused and often abused their authority to squeeze ever-increasing sums of money from their subjects, in a manner eerily similar to what the US government does today with the federal income tax. Like the IRS in modern times, the Roman tax collectors like Zacchaeus in Jesus' time were universally hated and despised, and were considered by the people to be a symbol of corruption. So now you know why everybody started muttering to each other when Jesus became “the guest of a sinner.”

So Jesus and the Twelve were passing through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, as was their custom. When Jesus spotted Zacchaeus perched in the tree along the roadside and asked to stay at his house that day, he undoubtedly upset the Pharisees who followed along with Jesus and the Twelve. They did this mainly to gather some 'intelligence' about Jesus for the Sanhedrin, or ruling religious body at the Temple in Jerusalem, and to look for evidence to use against him. But Zacchaeus, the 'corrupt official' of no account among the people, recognized immediately who Jesus was, while the Pharisees and teachers of the Law still did not understand that he was the Messiah, or the Promised One. How ironic! The person there with the worst reputation among the people is the first to see Jesus for who he is, while those with the best reputations were 'stuck on stupid'!

“But Zacchaeus looked up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Here is proof in black and white that Zacchaeus knew exactly who Jesus was. He must have reasoned to himself, “I am the most hated man in town. If I profess any belief in this man, I will have many accusers accusing me of giving false testimony about myself. So I had better seek forgiveness from this man called 'Jesus'.” We have a word for what Zacchaeus did, and that word is 'repentance'. Zacchaeus repented of his old ways and discontinued his old habits the instant he recognized Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer of all humankind. Moreover, he did it publicly in the presence of many eyewitnesses so there could be no room for doubt in the minds of Christ and the people that Zacchaeus' repentance was authentic.

Because this occurred, Jesus responded, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” What did Jesus mean by 'son of Abraham'? He was referring to Genesis chapter 15, verses 1-6, when God made his covenant with Abram. The Lord Jesus then stated to Zacchaeus that he was one of the “sons of Abram”, the founding father of the Israeli people who God later renamed “Abraham” (see Genesis 17, verses 4-9). Then Jesus said, “....the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” Jesus doesn't care about the self-righteous. You know, like the Pharisees that had Jesus under surveillance? Or like the vendors in the Temple whose tables and chairs Jesus tossed around like match sticks? (except that didn't happen yet in the apostle Luke's narrative)

Jesus came to rescue sinners like us, people who struggle daily with their own selfish and sometimes evil natures and with all their imperfections, character flaws, inconsistencies and even occasional insanity. But these kinds of things are the very reason why Jesus went to the cross of Calvary and sacrificed himself so selflessly. The ugly truth is we're not strong or good enough to live up to the standards of our Creator. Consequently, we would be unfit to live forever in eternity with Christ, and we would be irretrievably lost. Try to see this from God's point of view. Because, in the end, His viewpoint is the only one that's going to matter.

Think all these things over very carefully this week as we close out our Biblical study. Our eternities after our physical lives are over are nothing to be playing around with! The truth of this matter is that those who live their lives only for themselves, for fame and fortune, for riches and wealth and the power that goes with them all, will have nothing when their lifetimes run out. They can't take their materialistic junk with them when they pass away, and neither can we. But, placing our complete trust in Jesus who saved us all from eternal death and shame, and being willing to hand over control of our lives to him, guarantees life for all eternity with the One who made us. As for myself, anything less than this simply won't do. I can only hope and pray that you all agree. And next week we'll move on to part 2 of Luke chapter 19.

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Preparing Ourselves For the Day of the Lord

[1^st Thessalonians chapter 5]

When I closed out 1^st Thessalonians chapter four last week, you no doubt recall my interpretation that we are to be living each day of our lives as if it will be our last. I cannot overemphasize this important truth, nor is it possible to diminish its importance. God is watching everything we do and listening to everything we say, and for a man like myself being in a position of Christian leadership, I am held to a higher standard by the Lord, because what applies to church members applies to me twice as much. Plus, as our Lord's return for his Church continues to get ever closer, I fervently hope that others will follow my example and be continually readying themselves for His coming. And this, my dear readers, is a goal worth attaining at any time. It is at this point that the apostle Paul takes up where he left off, starting at the beginning of chapter five.

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we need not write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying 'Peace and Safety', destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1st Thessalonians 5, verses 1-11)

Paul paints a vivid picture of the coming of the Lord. Of course, one might ask if this is pertaining to the rapture of the church, or to the Lord's triumphant return three and a half years later (see the Book of Daniel chapter 12, etc). If you are one of those who has studied the rapture, the tribulation and the signs that we are living in the end times (never mind what you may have seen on TV or at the movies), then it is essential that we understand what Paul meant here. When he wrote, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”, I believe this warning was meant primarily for the Church. Be ready, watch and pray that we receive purification from the Holy Spirit, so that as members of the Bride of Christ we may be found “without spot or blemish”.

“While people are saying 'Peace and Safety', destruction will come on them suddenly...”. According to prophecy, before the Antichrist can come to power, World War 3 will have to occur first (also known as the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 39 and 39). There will also have been a series of natural disasters that will have occurred by this point in time (I don't have time to explain that part in detail, so please bear with me). People will be clamoring globally to be free to live in peace, and to be safe from natural disasters; “... and they will not escape” can be translated into modern English as saying, “Total destruction will overpower them without warning, and they won't stand a chance”. Nobody knows exactly what this means since all those other events have not yet occurred, and speculation would be counterproductive. All I can tell you is that the Antichrist will be in power for a total of seven years, and that one of his first acts will be to negotiate the peace treaty that ends World War 3. All the countries involved will adhere to this peace agreement for three and a half years. At that point the Antichrist will do something that breaks that same peace deal while elevating himself to something supposedly equivalent to God, as if there were such a thing. It is at this point that the persecution of Christians will greatly increase, and this will be happening in the US as well. This will be the “acid test” for all of those who identify themselves as being Christians. Either we take the mark of the beast and worship the Antichrist as god here on earth, or we refuse and continue to worship Jesus as the Son of God in heaven. Those who do worship Jesus will find themselves being martyred by the forces of the Antichrist. A time is coming when our Christianity will cost us our life. What will you choose? To quote the prophet Jeremiah, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”. Since the Lord died on the cross for my sins, I would not have any problem returning the favor, knowing that like himself, he will raise me from the dead to eternal life. We should all be willing to do the same.

“But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” Remember who we are in Christ! We are the adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We were bought at a very steep price, one that no man would be willing to pay. We were adopted as sons and daughters of Jesus our Kinsman Redeemer, making all of us Jewish by adoption (see Romans 8: 15-17 or Galatians 4: 4-7, among others). We don't belong to the night and we never did, we were born for the day and for the light from our very conception. “Let's be alert and self-controlled”, Paul wrote. You won't be ready to meet the Lord at the rapture if you're in bed sleeping off a hangover, or after playing video games all night long. As I have said before, it's time for us all to get our priorities straight. Jesus first, worship him first and always give him top priority in your daily living and you'll find yourself living with an internal peace that was neither present nor possible before. I'm speaking from experience, and if God can do this for me then he can do so for you too. But we must ask Him first. Sitting around waiting for God to give any of us a hand-out will accomplish nothing, unless one considers wasting time an accomplishment. I most definitely don't!

“ God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...”. I will sum this up in one sentence – we're not here to be on the receiving end of the tribulation that Jesus spoke about, but rather we will be protected from it if only we remain faithful to his Word. “If you love me”, Jesus said, “keep my commandments”. Jesus died so that we may have eternal life with him in heaven, a new dwelling place that we have not yet seen. Obeying His commandments is the second prerequisite, believing that he is the Son of God is the first. Having written that, let's conclude our study starting at verse twelve.

“Now we ask you brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1^st Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 12-28)

Respect the value of hard work, Paul is saying, and especially those who do so. Dirty hands and sweat can turn an otherwise boring day into a really fun one. This is especially true of the younger men and women who are still able-bodied enough to do so (unfortunately, that is no longer the case with me). Hard physical work is dignified provided that it is done constructively. “Warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Build each other up, don't tear each other down! Make the idle people either get off their butts and get to work or move on and stop standing in the way. It is written in the law of Moses, “If a man will not work he shall not eat”. Yet by the same token we are commanded to “be patient with everyone”. Give the slower people a chance to catch up. Better yet, why not donate your time and tutor a few to help them along? Now that would be in keeping with the Holy Spirit of Christ!

“ ...always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” Sometimes I think the secular world understands this better than modern churches do today. Immediately after recent natural disasters here in America, there were armies on volunteers that descended on these devastated areas and helped clean up, doing whatever needed to be done. What surprised me was when I found out that up to half of these volunteers don't bother going to church. Yet they understood the command and answered the calling that God obviously put on them. “Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” Let the Holy Spirit always be in control of everyone, every life, in every situation and in all circumstances. Check out everything you see, hear or read to determine its value, or the lack thereof. Put problem people completely out of your life if that's what it takes to get free from negative influences and all forms of evil. Hold on to the good and simply let everything else go. Such timeless wisdom!

“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” Paul closes out by replaying that theme of being found holy and blameless before the Lord, with the understanding that this is only possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. No one can do this by themselves, but only through complete reliance on the Holy Spirit can such a noble goal as this be achieved. The key is in the last sentence, “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” Total reliance on Christ will enable him to cause us to be holy, pure and blameless in the sight of God. Instead of being self-reliant as we are in most situations, we are to step aside and let Christ do the work, not for us but through us as we become willing conduits for his unequaled Spiritual power. That is the ultimate meaning of unity through Christ. Shalom!

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This week's Biblestudy will be the 2nd half of Ephesians chapter four

It's Time For Us to Clean Up Our Act

[Ephesians chapter 4, verses 17-32]

Today we will be finishing up the latter half of chapter four of the book of Ephesians. Taking up where we left off last week, the apostle Paul was making some concluding remarks about living up to our calling as Christians with the understanding that we do so because God is watching us all, and He is actively protecting his followers and faithful servants who live up to their calling in Christ. It doesn't matter as much what your calling is since all have equality in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is more important is that we discharge the duties of our Spiritual calling, combined with being full-time ambassadors for Christ, in a manner that gives all the glory, honor, praise and full credit to the Father through his Son. The apostle Paul continues this important topic beginning at verse 17.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is within them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you have heard of him and were taught in him in the accordance with the truth that is in Christ Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4, verses 17-24, NIV)

Paul's reference to “Gentiles” in this context, since there were already numerous non-Jewish believers at the time the apostle Paul wrote this, is that of all nonbelievers regardless of background or status. Refusing to believe in the saving power of Christ is still very common today, especially over in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe. There is a price to be paid for willful separation from God, and for willful disbelief. It starts with a loss of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which results in a loss of all sensitivity to the teachings of Christ, even to the point of ignoring or walking away from the cleansing power of His blood, which was shed on Calvary for you and me. This creates an empty spot in each of us if it is allowed to occur, meaning that people will try and fill up that empty spot left within them by their separation from God with anything they can find. This includes a Spiritual “laundry list” specified in writing by the apostle Paul, meaning it has the same relevance today as it did when written 2,000 years ago.

Living for sensuality is one of the primary ways these faithless individuals try to fill in the empty spot within them that is a result of separation from God and refusal to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Sexual promiscuity, drinking alcoholic beverages until they make themselves sick, and overdosing from prescription medications (whether legally prescribed or not) are three examples. All three can and do kill people. Drunk driving, which killed 35,000 people last year in the US alone, is the worst of them because it often takes innocent lives. The fact that it happens unintentionally changes nothing as far as those responsible are concerned, assuming they survive the crash. Those who do not repent and turn away from these kinds of behaviors will end up forfeiting their place in heaven if they don't get their act together. You know who you are, and you don't have much time left because we are in the Last Days foretold in the Bible. It's decision time, people. Whatcha gonna do? Make an affirmative decision to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your lives – that is the correct choice! Why not do so right now? Ask Jesus Christ, who is God's only Son, to come and inhabit your heart, mind and soul. It doesn't matter how you say it, just do it.

So! What happens when people realize they have sinned and make a decision to repent of their non-belief and their self-destructive behavior? A total renewal of our minds takes place, as Paul wrote, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” So evidence of repentance amounts to a Spiritual heart transplant, or to a brain overhaul, or actually both. When we catch ourselves slipping in this regard and going back to old habits or addictions, we are to immediately make a conscious effort to put aside our old selves, even to willfully suppress ourselves when necessary. We then put on our new selves in its place, remaining focused on that, while practicing it continuously until it becomes second nature to us. Bearing that in mind, let's continue now beginning at verse 25.

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed until the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4, verses 25-32, NIV)

Don't we all aspire to become more Christ-like in our own special way? Paul is saying to us all that being truthful is the best place to start. Being truthful is equally as important as the act of worshiping Christ, and our worship becomes empty and meaningless without this critical ingredient. Truthful people have integrity, but untruthful people either have none, or they sometimes have a distorted vision of what real integrity is. “All liars”, the apostle Peter wrote, “will go to the lake of fire”, meaning untruthful people such as those whose livelihoods are based on deception or theft, or who have a secret or two to hide. I was somewhat like that a long time ago when I was a much younger man. I was a very successful “direct salesman” as they used to call us back in the 1970's. I sold optical products and jewelry, but the stuff I was selling was poor quality and I knew it, but I sold it anyway because I just didn't care. I had no problem with lying to get a sale. I had yet to learn that repercussions result from that kind of behavior. I'd rather not discuss in detail what those repercussions were, but they were severe. That is just one example, but I have long since repented of such dishonest behavior, by the grace and mercy of God.

The second thing that can keep us separated from God is anger. When Paul wrote, 'In your anger do not sin'... , he was quoting Psalm 4, verse 4. It is one thing to have a justifiable anger resulting from injustice, such as from being a crime victim (first, be glad you survived). But anger between spouses, siblings, neighbors, co-workers, and especially within churches, is not indicative of lives lived for Christ. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger”, Paul wrote. Paul had a way of making a point so profound and so concise that he could sum it up in one sentence, and this is a good example right here. If you're still angry at bedtime and can't go to sleep because of whatever – well excuse me, but you're in sin. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger. But this has stayed in the Bible for the last 2,000 years because it is timeless advice, but also because it is a divine command from the Lord. It's time to change out of your old selves and to put on a brand-new garment of peace, tranquility, unconditional love, forgiveness (without which our own sins cannot be forgiven – it's in all four gospels), generosity, compassion and being merciful. Do as Paul wrote, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”. 

 

Watch your mouths! If we are going to talk, Paul writes, then let's say things that build people up instead of trash talk, cursing and profanity, which are offensive and never appropriate. Get rid of every kind of malice, hatred, envy, rage and violent behavior, which are forms of spiritual impurity. Spiritually impure people who fit into all the various categories that I have listed above are not going to be with the Lord when they die. Let all who read this examine themselves. It's time for us all to get serious about our faith. People here in these Last Days of this age have only a short while left before the two events relating to the second coming of Christ take place. The first is the rapture of the church somewhere during the three and a half year reign of the Antichrist as prophesied in several places in the Bible. The second will be the actual return of Christ at the conclusion of the battle of Armageddon, as it is foretold in the four Gospels and the books of Revelation, Daniel, Zechariah and several others. In between time, in those 3.5 years, all those who refuse to worship the Antichrist as god on earth will be executed, and will so be saved and gain eternal life in the presence of God. But those who yield to the Antichrist and receive his mark on their forearm of their forehead cannot be saved, and their end will be eternal shame and condemnation. Believe it or not, it's all over the Bible as I stated above, and as time goes on I intend to make time to teach all these other subjects as well. Until next week, then, shalom.