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Bible study this week will be part 4 of Luke chapter 12

Jesus Came Not to Bring Peace, but Division

[Luke chapter 12, verses 49-59]

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Last week in our ongoing study of the writings of the apostle Luke, we concluded part 3 of chapter 12 with Jesus continuing to teach his apostles and the surrounding crowd, which was evidently of considerable size. “For those who have been given much”, Jesus taught, “much will be required”. The more abilities one has, whether they be natural abilities such as a knack for fixing things or being a really good musician, or of gifts of the Spirit as described by the apostle Paul in 1^st Corinthians chapters 12 and 14 such as healing or evangelism, the more those individuals will be required to use those God-given abilities in service to others as well as to God. Those who fail to do these things are falling short, and in so doing are watering down their own salvation in Christ the risen Lord! Let's not make that mistake, people – keep your eyes on the prize, which is eternity with Christ Jesus. And now let's commence today's study beginning at verse 49.

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12, verses 49-53)

What was Jesus talking about here? It almost seems that He was rambling around from one topic to another. After all, in one sentence our risen Savior is talking about our responsibility to use the gifts God has given us, and in the next he is talking about bringing “fire on the earth”. I think one strong possibility was that someone stuck their hand in the air and asked Jesus a question, and what we're seeing is his response. It's equally possible that this interaction probably took place at a later time that day, but at the same location. Other than that, the first thing we can take away from the words of our Lord is that he and the eternal salvation he represents will be a catalyst for conflict and a motivation for fighting. The name of Jesus will cause strife and division from within families and even whole countries. Jesus predicted that 2,000 years ago, and sure enough that's exactly what has occurred. The Arab-Israeli conflict is one glaring example of the division and strife Jesus prophesied about. There are people in the church I attend and where I play keyboards who attend without their spouses because their spouses won't come with them. This too is fairly commonplace in all types of Christian church denominations.

“....how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” As I read this first verse, the main thing I'm seeing is the raw passion and determination of Christ to fulfill his mission on earth. This can be interpreted 2 different ways. The “fire” can be that of the Holy Spirit, meaning this verse is a prophecy of the Day of Pentecost. But that same fire could also be a global holocaust that has not yet occurred, one that is reserved for the Last Days in which I believe we reside. The Book of Revelation refers to such an event in chapter 9, verses 13-16, and I quote: “The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.” Moreover, the “baptism” that Jesus was referring to was, again prophetically, his crucifixion on the cross which at that point was still more than a year away.

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” There are nonreligious families from which people of faith have come forth, and those new believers can find themselves ostracized by their own families. By the same token, there are religious families who have nonreligious members, and those individuals find themselves ostracized by their religious parents and siblings. There is a truism, 'If you want to get along with people, don't talk about politics or religion.' The divisive nature of Jesus Christ is in large part what that old saying is talking about. And now let's move on to the second part of today's study, beginning at verse 54.

“He said to the crowd, 'When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It is going to rain', and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled with him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge will turn you over to the officer, and the officer will throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Luke 12, verses 54-59)

Here again we see evidence of the group of Pharisees and Teachers of the Law that closely trailed Jesus, watching his every move and listening to his every word. I admire Jesus for his ability to wait until just the right moment before he lets loose with a verbal barrage that cuts them all to ribbons. Then comes that favorite word of his when describing his adversaries – 'hypocrites'. Yet again we have another example of Jesus' opposition to the religious establishment of his day and time. The Lord is accusing the religious crowd of having selective vision, seeing things they wanted to see while disregarding everything else. Jesus and the message he was preaching did not fit the scribes' and teachers' paradigm because they did not believe he was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses as Jesus had plainly told them (see Luke chapter 4, verses 17-21). Their refusal to believe ultimately resulted in their condemnation when their lives here on earth were over. You can be sure the same fate awaits any person who does not believe Jesus is the Savior of the world. There will be no exceptions.

“You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?” Here again Jesus is accusing the Pharisees and others in the crowd who did not believe of not being able to see what was right in front of them – the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, Jesus who is the Christ. 'Here I am plain as day', Jesus was telling them, 'and you still don't believe'. “As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled with him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge will turn you over to the officer, and the officer will throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Get yourselves right with God! That's what Jesus meant by these last words. Get yourselves reconciled with God, otherwise you may find yourselves rejected by him when you were expecting an embrace! Settle accounts with your accusers before you go. Otherwise their complaints against you, whether you think they are justified or not, will result in a ruling against you when your time comes to stand before the throne of God for judgment (see Revelation 20, verses 11-15). And if that happens to anyone, that person may find themselves condemned along with all the unbelievers and the demons of Satan. So be at peace with everyone to the greatest extent that is possible, and God will be at peace with you too!

How to run an economy and a country while still serving God

Which Does the Bible Say Is Better? Helping the Rich Distribute to the Poor, or Helping the Poor Directly?

By Pastor Paul J. Bern

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The events of this past week inside the Beltway in Washington, DC have been a reminder to us all that the super-rich have taken over our country in a bloodless coup. The first step has been taken to repeal the national health insurance passed by the previous presidential administration known as “Obama-care”. In actuality, had both the presidential candidates in last year's election endorsed Bernie Sanders' idea of simply putting the whole country on Medicare, this entire discussion, not to mention this past week's legislation of “Trump-care”, would be unnecessary. But sadly, that is not the case. So, what has occurred this week is that roughly 38 million people will lose their health care coverage while corporate America and the Wall Street billionaires get a $500,000,000.00 tax break.

President Trump, a man whose own qualifications to be president are becoming increasingly open to question, is the one who has spearheaded this entire series of events while conservative white Americans have been cheering at Trump's every move. This, my dear readers, is what America has devolved into – an all-Caucasian oligarchy! Slavery may have been abolished in 1865, but starvation wages still prevail. If “Trump-care“ passes into law, the bottom 20% of wage earners in America will lose their health care coverage, but not so much for everyone else. This is the reason the “Occupy” Movement has remained so popular, except that it has evolved into Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, S.D. and the fight for a $15.00 per hour minimum wage, among other things. And why is it that the rich have taken over the whole country while the remaining 99% of us languish in poverty? I can sum it up in one word – debt! The rich have buried the remainder of us under a mountain of debt. Today's American consumers are faced with being forced to borrow just to pay their bills. We have upside-down mortgages, upside-down car loans, never-ending student loans, usurious title pawn loans, payday loans and a whole host of other predatory practices that are fundamentally unfair.

So I got to wondering what the Bible has to say about this topic. After considerable thought, prayer, study and meditation God has shown me which Scriptures to use for today. So let's go back in the Old Testament to the Book of Nehemiah chapter 5 (for you newer readers, Nehemiah is between Ezra and Esther). I will start at verse 1, but I'm going to break this passage up into a couple of parts so that I may do the best job I can at breaking this down for everyone. “Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. So were saying, 'We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.' Others are saying, 'We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.' Still others are saying, 'We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and vineyards belong to others.'” (Nehemiah 5, verses 1-5)

The people during Nehemiah's time were experiencing a severe food shortage, and whatever food was available was priced so far out of the reach of the working people and the farmers that they were having to mortgage everything just to feed their families. As you can see, government assistance during hard times was nonexistent during this time, and people were really suffering as a result. “Others are saying, 'We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.' Still others are saying, 'We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.” In today's terms, credit cards, student loans and 30-year mortgages – combined with stagnant wages that are stuck at 1960's levels – are the new famines and new insurmountable debts of the 21^st century.

“....we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” Show me a people who have had their economic power taken away by debt, and I will show you a people who have lost their political clout as well. Plus, the slavery back then for the daughters and at least a few of the young men was sex slavery, of that you can be sure. God will never be pleased with us as long as this we allow this kind of bad behavior among humankind! It's up to us to take charge of this situation and turn it around! What are we waiting for? And now let's move on to the next few verses, starting at verse 6.

“When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, 'You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!' So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said, 'As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!' They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. So I continued, 'What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them – the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.'” (Nehemiah 5, verses 6-11)

Just like in verse 6, when I see people having to file bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills, or becoming homeless because of that, or maybe a job loss, I too get angry. It is fundamentally unfair to be living on the streets, or in your cars if you are lucky enough to still own one at that point. But let's put this into its historical context for a moment. The sentences, “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!' They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say....”, are referring to the then-recent release of the Israelites of old from the Babylonian Empire, where they had been held captive for the previous 70 years by King Artaxerxes before being released so they could rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. All this was done at Nehemiah's request, which he formally made to the king, not unlike a modern-day petition to the government. The request was granted (see chapter 1 of Nehemiah), the Israelites – who had just spent the previous 70 years in Babylonian captivity – went back to what was left of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple there. So this entire conversation is actually taking place long after everyone has returned, but before the first crop has matured enough to be harvested. Nehemiah is giving those in charge of the rebuilding a stern lecture on fairness.

“What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them.” I could modernize those first 2 verses by writing, “You're charging too much interest, and it financially cripples the entire population! This is grossly immoral! And so now, in the interest of fairness and ethics, you must give back all the properties, cars and trucks you have forcibly taken even though the debtors were making serious efforts to make good on those debts. This is a 'cease and desist' order to stop this unethical practice immediately!” This also includes credit cards, which people often must use to pay for groceries, clothing, medical bills and utility bills. People should not have to pay interest just to be able to feed their children and pay their power and phone bills! And now let me conclude today's message, beginning at verse 12.

“'We will give it back', they said. 'And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.' Then I summoned the priests and and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, 'In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!' At this the whole assembly said, 'Amen!', and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.” (Nehemiah 5, verses 12-13).

This is exactly what the Big Five banks and Wall St. investors need to do, and the same goes for the IRS. Let go of the strangle hold, Washington and Wall Street, that you currently have the American people locked into! Not just a head-lock, mind you, but a stranglehold! That's felony assault and battery the last time I checked. If any of us were to do any such thing to an individual, we'd be in jail for assault. If any of us were to do that to a business or other financial institution, we'd be charged with extortion. But if the government does that to any of us, then it's called “taxation”. The warning from God is clear here. The governmental and financial systems must start treating the population – and each other – fairly, or we will find ourselves judged and will be found wanting in the presence of God. Trust me, you don't want to go there, that's for sure! So the lesson for today is only this: Stop mistreating each other for profit! And governments, starting with America's, enact better laws to protect working people so that the problem of economic inequality can be permanently solved. If none of these things are done, and if things are allowed to continue on for much longer, the whole country is going to turn into a powder keg. Then again, maybe that's the only choice the American people have left if we're going to be able to take back our country.

30 Things You Should Do To Prepare For The Imminent Economic Collapse 20...

This is HOW People Will Lose EVERYTHING -- Bill Holter

This week's Bible study will be part 3 of Luke chapter 12

Maintaining a Sense of Heightened Awareness for Christ

[Luke chapter 12, verses 35-48]

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Last week when we finished part 2 of Luke's gospel, Jesus was giving some extended teaching time to the apostles, as well as the large crowd that had gathered around Jesus to listen, learn and profit from his teachings. He had just told them, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and where no moth destroys....” Reject materialism and all materialistic pursuits! Stop worrying about where you will live, what kind of car you drive, or what style of clothing you will wear today or tomorrow! If any of us died in our sleep tonight, we cannot take any of those things with us. They will remain left behind for your relatives and friends to squabble over anyway, so why not just let it all go? Because, you know, life becomes a lot less complicated when we reject materialism. And now today, as we continue following the train of thought of our Lord and Savior as he teaches the people and instructs his apostles, let's take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 35.

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or the third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You must also be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12, verses 35-40)

Keep your lamps burning! Remember when we were studying part 3 of chapter 11 several weeks ago? In verses 33-36, Jesus taught about letting the Light of God shine outwardly for all to see, and so be a good example for others to follow. Jesus was reminding everyone of this who was within earshot of him, and he was exhorting the people to maintain this attitude of watchfulness. His reason was that he was alluding to the time of his second coming, as well as the considerable length of time waiting for that fateful day to arrive. However, this teaching can also be applied to the workplace. Even if you have a difficult boss, or if you're stuck working a crummy temp job, and especially if you find yourselves hating both, work as if you are working for Christ and him alone and put the rest of it out of your mind. That's how I dealt with my own boredom and lack of satisfaction for the last several years that I was working before I retired. Take charge of your situation as well as your lives! That's why God put a brain in between our ears, so we can think our way through what would otherwise be intolerable situations. So stop and say a prayer of thanks to Almighty God for the brain he gave you, and then go find how many ways you can use that brain to give Him glory, honor and praise!

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” Those who have been serving Christ, no matter what capacity that service is, will find themselves being served at the Wedding Feast, which will be the marriage of Christ to his Bride, which is the true Church and not to be considered a part of any man-made religion. Having spent the better part of their lives in His service, these selfless servants of the Lord Christ Jesus will find themselves being waited on hand and foot by Jesus himself at the Wedding Feast, as it is written: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and the Bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'” (Revelation 19, verses 7-9)

“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You must also be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” There are some who say this is a further prophecy by the Lord regarding his second coming. There are still others who say 'No, Jesus was alluding to his resurrection from the dead on the morning of the third day'. Actually, I think both arguments have their merits, so I anticipate both things occurring at some point in the fairly near future. It could be tomorrow, or Jesus may wait a few extra years before He returns. No one can say for sure because it was never meant for us to know. If you see or hear of anyone who claims to know the date of Christ's return, get as far away from those people as you can. They are very dangerous to your soul, everybody has one, and hell is a genuine place that truly exists, a place to be greatly feared. And now let's move on to the second half of today's study, beginning at verse 41.

“Peter asked, 'Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?' The Lord answered, 'Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming' and then he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk? The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready and does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From anyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.'” (Luke 12, verses 41-48)

What was Jesus talking about here? “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” Was Jesus speaking hypothetically or literally? I think it was both, and my reasons are sound. By speaking hypothetically, Jesus could have been referring to all of us performing our due diligence while at work or while parenting our children, to be productive individuals and to refrain from laziness. But if taken literally, Jesus could also have been referring to his own return at His Second Coming, which will be taking place in the fairly near future. This parable Jesus told about the wicked, lazy servant, as Peter found out in verse 42, was and is for everyone, not just the 12 apostles exclusively as some traditional churches erroneously teach.

So what will happen, then, to those who call themselves “Christians” of one denomination or another, but do not make themselves ready for His Second Coming by living out their faith in which they so devoutly profess? “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” “Him” in this case also includes “her”, it's just that that particular interpretation of the holy Scriptures goes all the way back to the time of Moses. This notion of gender inequality is, unfortunately, very deep-seated within our culture, and it's only been the last 50 years or so that things have finally begun to look upward when it comes to gender equality. That, by the way, will soon include job compensation, a process that is only just beginning.

Of course, there are going to be a whole lot of people that will simply dismiss this entire posting, and more importantly the message it contains, because they don't believe in any of this. Some will laugh at Christianity, others will make fun of those who practice their faith, and a few would even kill us for it if they had the chance. Still more don't believe in God at all. What will happen to all those people in the end, when their lives are over, and they find themselves standing before the very God they refused to believe in? It will be the same for those who are called to be in His service, but refuse to heed the call, or claim they can't because of all their other obligations. “That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready and does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.” 'Does not get ready'? As before, Jesus was in this case prophesying about the distant future, but he did it in such as way that only people from that time would finally understand what our Savior meant. People, that's us. This prediction from our Lord was meant directly for all of us, or at least those of us who are paying attention to world events. Sins of ignorance will not be overlooked, but those who do so will receive substantially less severe punishment than those who knowingly sinned.

“From anyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” So if we find ourselves richly blessed in this life, we have a duty and a charge from Christ to share what we have with the less fortunate wherever and whenever possible. That does not always mean mere material goods, since this can by extension include many different kinds of service. Become a volunteer at your church of at an event organized by a nonprofit or other N.G.O. Do some sort of direct outreach yourself in your neighborhood or at a clinic, food bank, job training center, hospital, nursing home or other volunteer work. Trust me, homeless people need plenty of therapy to deal with the stress of having no place to call their own except a bunk in a shelter, or they sleep in their cars or wherever. So yes, counselors and therapists are urgently needed to lend a helping hand to those who need it the most. The point is – and here's that word again – we have a responsibility to lift each other up. Cooperation will soon replace competition in the workplace, and even between entire countries, which leaves that tantalizing aroma of world peace in the air. Now there's a goal worth shooting for!

Robert Reich : The Resistance Report, Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017