Category: Shadows (Page 13 of 26)

There is an amazing bit of trickery going on in our world, right before your eyes. Most people never see it happening. Yet, they wonder why there is such confusion between generations. Let me show you a bit of Satan’s magic and how it works!

What is a sin? If you were part of the “greatest generation,” one of those who defended our freedom, your dictionary would have read:

1. an offense against the religious or moral law.
2. an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible such as a transgression of the law of God.

This definition comes from the American College Dictionary, Harper & Brothers Publishers, text edition, published in 1948. This is the dictionary that would have been used by those returning from their service to our country after World War II. It was direct, first establishing that sin occurs when one departs from a law that has been established by either a religion or a moral norm. The second meaning, often used in dictionaries ties the meaning directly to God’s Law, God’s moral code as the established standard. Most people would not dispute the meaning of sin defined this way.

Now let’s fast forward to a time like now when artificial intelligence can sample human opinion across the world in seconds. Here is what a young student might learn from ChatGPT today:

“The concept of sin is often associated with religion, and the definition of sin can vary depending on religious beliefs and traditions. In many religions, the definition of sin is typically determined by sacred texts or teachings, as well as the interpretation of those texts by religious leaders, scholars, and communities.”

Right out of the gate, sin has been downgraded to just a concept. Sin has no specific meaning or no specific repercussions because people define sin based on their “interpretation” of either sacred text or teachings by virtually anyone who might claim proficiency in such knowledge. Don’t underestimate the sleight of hand here. Suddenly, sin is redefined, not as a transgression against God or even God’s Laws, but merely the opinion of anyone claiming to be an expert. Examples might include the many honor killings of children by their fathers for dishonoring their families we see around the world. There have even been such killings in our country. These interpretations override both God’s Laws and most civil laws. It shows the power of culture and tradition on the interpretation of words like “honor.”

Subtle shifts in the use of language often reflect broader changes in societal attitudes and values, which will impact intergenerational communication and their understanding of sin. When we changed the name of a baby in the womb to a fetus, it became easier to accept abortion as a form of personal rights and birth control. You weren’t killing a baby, just a fetus.

 So then, what exactly is a sin? There was no sin in the beginning, at the point of the creation of our world. Adam and Eve, representing humanity, fell victim to Satan’s carefully crafted appeal to go against God. Because of humanity’s free will, sin came forth. Satan said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? Surely you will not die.” (Genesis 3:1-5) Satan merely took an explicit command from God and confused its definition with the insertion of doubt. God’s Will was to be the form of obedience and not following God’s Will became a sin! Sin is, first and foremost, against God and against what He has disclosed of Himself through His Word. And that definition of sin prevails in one fashion or another across the entire scope of Scripture. Our responsibility is to learn God’s Truth. This includes God’s definitions of sinful behavior. God is the only one that can ever define a sin.

When society, with its teachings, religious leaders, educators, and numerous communities gets through with interpreting God’s Word, anything can and will go wrong. When sin becomes nothing more than an inconvenient truth, God’s Truth is replaced with Satan’s lies (Romans 1:21-32). Sin becomes not only acceptable but a lifestyle. Sin can even become a religion and a moral code. BUT YOU CANNOT LEAVE THE REAL GOD OUT OF ANY DEFINITION OF SIN! This brings us then to another “real truth,” humanity needs help badly. Humanity loves to hate, loves to lie, loves to steal, filled with lust, and the list is enough to fill Hollywood’s movie libraries.

(John 3:16-18)¹NIV New International Version – ”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

What then are we asked to do?

1. Accept God’s Word (the Bible) as real.
2. Not to make our goal to pick apart God’s Word, looking for the “loopholes.” You will not succeed.
3. Do pray for help to understand God’s Word and accept it! Then pray for help to follow it!
4. Know that you have help to accomplish this.

Through the Holy Spirit, you can grow close to your one true Savior, Jesus. He is the reason why God doesn’t give up on this world of ours. Jesus brought us into reconciliation with His Father, God! Sin is portrayed in Genesis 3 more as humanity’s rebellion. It was not that eating the apple is intrinsically sinful. Sin is doubting God’s Word, mocking God, and criticizing God. The English language is constantly evolving and changing, with new words being added and existing words being used in different ways. The English language even has a long history of borrowing words from other languages, and this trend continues today. Technology and social media are also major factors in influencing how we understand each other. While the English language is a living and constantly evolving system, God’s Word is not! What humanity has always needed is a stable and just standard written by the author of the Universe! That is why we use God’s Word as a marker,  a beacon in our world, to find that narrow and small door into eternity. There are over 650 sins listed in God’s Word. History tells us that humans will never be perfect. Good news, however. We don’t have to strive for perfection, just strive for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

Contemplations

• Where are your doubts and where is your confusion?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are you confused by the softening of religious denominations toward sin? Do you think that God will look past sinful behavior? What does repentance mean to you?
• What do you think society’s worst sin is?
  • Ideas to Explore: Our attack on our children through pornography, drugs, trafficking, abortion? Our leadership’s pursuit of self-worth? The lack of integrity of our governing bodies? Please add a few of your own favorites to the list.
• Where do you see our nation redefining sin into something no longer sinful?
  • Ideas to Explore: Woke culture, Gender confusion, exposure of sinful behavior to children, national debt, telling the truth, our right to religious freedom?
• What do you personally do when you see sin prevailing in society?
  • Ideas to Explore: Ignore it? Avoid it? Call it out? Try to stop it. What do you think God does when He sees it?
• Do you believe that God punishes sin?
  • Ideas to Explore: Find anywhere in the Bible an example of where God rewarded sinful behavior.
• Why do you think people act as if they will get away with sin?
  • Ideas to Explore: They don’t believe in God. They have defined sinful behavior as righteous and not sinful. Ignorance.

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  NIV New International Version

Whether we like it or not, the world today has triggered the natural and instinctive reaction of fear in many people. The “fight or flight” response is very real and triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol in our bodies. It seems like we have been given only two hard choices.

We are witnessing multiple mass migrations around the world. People risk their lives because there are wars and open borders. Leaders in rogue countries are risking everything to conquer neighbors. In our own nation, families are uprooting themselves, escaping liberal cities and states in the hope of regaining some resemblance of safety and control over their lives and the lives of their children. People have the “flight” response down pat. The question, however, is whether people should think about standing their ground and fighting!  If there is any advice to be had that is worth its salt, it is safe to assume that we should begin any search for answers with the author and creator of our bodies and souls, God Himself. Can God help us with understanding when it is time to stop running away and stand and fight for our rights and freedoms?

“Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.” ~ Billy Graham

Anxiety only distracts us from our relationship with God and His Truth.  “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children’” (Matthew 11:25). At its worst, anxiety can be a crippling disease, taking over our minds and moving our thoughts to fear of the darkness of the world around us. To see God in our world and understand His Truth is essential to reducing anxiety and controlling fear.

(Ephesians 6:13)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Fear, the desire to run away, often takes seed in the depths of ignorance. Simply, we stay and fight when we believe we can win, and we run when we believe it is a lost cause. Our threats in life breakdown as follows:

• There is Physical danger: Physical harm or injury can include threats from other people, dangerous animals, governments, countries, or natural disasters.
• There is Emotional stress or Trauma: You might find yourself in sudden shock, the result of past traumatic experiences, such as physical or emotional abuse, that create a sense of danger and vulnerability.
• Social anxiety can cause fear: Social situations and interactions, such as public speaking or meeting new people, due to the fear of rejection, judgment, or embarrassment.
• Phobias: An irrational fear of a specific object or situation, such as heights, spiders, or enclosed spaces.
• Loss of control can trigger fear: A sense of losing control, such as being in an unpredictable or chaotic environment not of your own making.
• Most recently, uncertainty: A sense of the unknown, such as fear of the future.
• Finally, there is the Perceived threat: Even when there is no actual danger, the perception of a threat can trigger “fight or flight” responses in people.

The element most critical in any of the above types of fear is whether you are prepared to make good decisions or to be discerning when facing your fears. God’s Word suggests wearing “His full armor.” Armor protects and intimidates your enemies. Did you notice that the verses include the use of “the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Therefore, we are guided with this advice: prepare, prepare, prepare. It is also called KNOWLEDGE. For if you have both faith and knowledge, who dares challenge you?

Next, let’s take the gorilla in the room. We are called first to fear God! Why? God is eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowledgeable. Since eternity is FOREVER, it is no joking matter as to which side of God you should be striving for. You remember, don’t you, the part about separating the SHEEP from the GOATS (Matthew 25:31-46)? It seems that God is telling us to always run toward Him and fight back when obstacles are present. A good beginning is to believe that God exists and to align your purpose in life to seek His Truth. Some call that reverence. When we have the proper balance between self-interests and His interests, it causes us to want to serve Him. (Psalm 89:7; Hebrews 12:28-29)

• We should fear acting against God’s will.
• We should fear dishonoring God with our actions.
• We should fear misrepresenting God or His Word to the world.

There is a natural humility that emanates from faith in God. It stirs a hatred for sin and takes seriously the impact that sin has on our world. (Romans 7:13) When our attention is on God and He is in our hearts, we then can love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength, and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Matthew 22:36-38) It is also easier to love others too. Such knowledge and strength let us stand before difficult situations and difficult people because God doesn’t want us to be afraid. It’s Time to Stop Running! We need to be people who will no longer run away because God doesn’t want us to be afraid. He wants us to be bold, and courageous, and to know that we can handle anything that comes our way!

(1 John 4:4) – “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

No, we cannot fix everything that is wrong in the world. Thank goodness God is not asking us to do that. He is, however, asking us to be responsible. Learn His Truth and stand firm against the world’s corruption of His Truth. How you act influences others and who you support impacts the world around you.

(Proverbs 3:27) – “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

When we see injustice that we can personally do something about, God obligates us to step in and help where we can. Need a good Biblical example? The parable of the Good Samaritan is a great place to start. The hero of the story didn’t help by trying to change the Roman justice system or campaign for societal change. He just stepped in and did what others wouldn’t do (Luke 10:25-37).

The Book of Jonah gives us a wonderful example of the futility of running away from God. Jonah did not want to take on God’s challenge of a prophet and go tell the people of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2) of their sins and wickedness. They needed to repent. Jonah went the other way. God reeled Jonah back on track and helped him with his task. For issues of faith and defense of God’s Truth, the fight or flight response should not start with fighting or fleeing. There is in the beginning of any threat, an opportunity to understand the magnitude of the predicament. We need to know how to fight or when to flee and where to go.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-9) – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”

Time must be spent understanding and considering options. Whether you run or stay is not as important as the fact that it was a product of deliberate thinking about God’s Truth. God does hold us accountable for our choices!

(Proverbs 31:8-9) – “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Finding your source of strength lies in your understanding of God’s Will for your life. Remember Billy Graham’s words in 1965. He had no idea of his role in this world when he stepped forward to challenge people around him to know and trust God. His trust in God made all the difference!

(Philippians 4:8-9) – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

The purpose, of course, is to stop future injustices against those around us and do our part by defending our friends, families, country, and humanity itself. If we are silent or always run in the other direction, there is little hope for the future. Through our actions, we can feel better about understanding God’s Truth and our role in His Kingdom. This makes us better people, capable of contributing to the overall well-being of the world around us. Yes, evil will still exist. The lust for power will still reside in the hearts of evil people. But the difference is that your hope will rest on the gift of Grace from our Creator and the sacrifice that His Son has made for each of us. And to that, we say each day, Halleluiah!

Contemplations

• What do you do to seek the will of God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you spend time thinking about what God wants for you? Is your life all uphill or does the road you follow take you closer to God and His peace? Do you really, really believe there is an eternal God? 
• Where do you go and what do you do to align your own will to God’s Truth?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is your opinion different than God’s? Where do you differ? Have you spent time to understand both yourself and your God? Does your will hurt or help the world around you?
• Are you are fighter?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do injustices make you work harder to see them overcome? Are you silent, a person that likes the shadows so no one even knows what your opinions are? Can you make a list of what you have done in your life to change the world for the better?
• Are you very good at finding safe places to hide?
  • Ideas to Explore: Hiding is sometimes the prudent thing to do. Do you find places that build your faith and strengthen your spirit to hide in?
• What should the world write on your tombstone?
  • Ideas to Explore: Really, what message would you leave for the generations to come about you?

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Before we begin, let’s first agree on what values are about. Personal values are moral principles that define the very essence of who we are and how we act. They are a person’s standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. Our values establish our importance to society, our worth in this world, and our usefulness to those things not of this world. At the most basic levels, we are told to categorize people by recognizing their value as human beings who are made in the image of God.

(Genesis 1:26-27) – “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image,”

Because we are all made in God’s image, we have the capacity to reason, feel emotions, and make decisions that can impact the world around us. Values are those things that we will not compromise, will not debate, and direct our behavior. Values motivate us to do things, both great and small, good, and bad. For us to honor our God, values are necessary to become disciples of Christ. Values, however, are not necessarily permanent. Any repentant heart knows very well that forgiveness often takes a difficult decision and a change in values. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.¹from Robert Frost’s Poem, “The Road Not Taken” God, however, is accountable to no one. There is no higher principle to which God must conform. He himself is the “absolute of truth, beauty, goodness, love, and justice.” His perfect character is the essence of what the Bible calls “righteousness.” In a universe without God, what we call “good” would have no meaning and values would serve no purpose. This is important to understand. We do not belong here on earth; our citizenship is in heaven. Our time here is merely preparing us for what is yet to come.

(Romans 8:18) – “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament. He struggled, as we all do, with the goodness of God. His problem, wicked people often prosper. Habakkuk, the author of the shortest book in the Old Testament, was wise enough to know that when you have a question or a problem with God, the best thing to do is take to God directly. So, he cried out, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Habakkuk 1:13). Habakkuk’s complaint to God questioned why God was allowing the people of Judah to continue in their wickedness and injustice. When God answered that He was preparing the Babylonians as his weapon of judgment on Judah’s unrighteousness (Habakkuk 1:5-6), Habakkuk became even more indignant. Habakkuk argued that the Babylonians were even more wicked than the people of Judah; how could God use such a people to judge His own people? God’s response overcame the prophet’s objections. Habakkuk was confused by an apparent incompatibility between God’s character and God’s actions. God’s character and values are always perfect.

Our world will tell you that human values are formed through a complex interplay of various factors, including cultural, social, psychological, and environmental influences. This world defines human values as the beliefs and principles that guide our behavior, decisions, and interactions with others all within the experiences gained in our world. The error being made is that the perspective of experiences and interactions is limited to this world. Some values may even be more universal, such as the value of honesty or respect, others are more contextual and may vary across different societies and cultures. Our world will use this loose definition of morality as a crutch. Social Justice is one example.

God’s moral structures and values are built into the created order. The Bible affirms that even those who have not been exposed to God’s law have a conscience – a moral law – within them (Romans 2:14-16). God is not only revealed in nature but also in the human heart. There is a surprisingly uniform moral absolute in most cultures because God has placed His natural law, His moral law in our hearts. We simply cannot deny it. To attempt to remove God from any discussion on the source of values just doesn’t make sense. Personal experiences, both positive and negative, can shape a person’s values and beliefs. Even education and media exposure will reinforce values and beliefs. But removing God does nothing positive for the values (or lack of values) we see in society today.

(Psalm 15) – “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”

King David sums it up for us! It is the person who is in God’s presence, living a blameless life, speaking the truth. Leaders with Godly values shape their decisions around God’s principles. Look at the Bible from beginning to end, 6,000 years of authorship. You find a foundation of moral concepts such as goodness, love, and justice. God’s moral values are built into our created order. Even our sense of good and evil exist because God created the categories. You might know them as the “Perfect 10.” God’s list cannot be altered or replaced by humanity. Only God decides what is right and wrong and only God decides what is of value to His Kingdom!

(Galatians 6:7-8) – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Values are important in life because they form the foundation of our behavior, personality, attitude, thoughts, and decision-making. Values give our life a purpose which is to guide our actions, so they are in alignment with our beliefs. Values help us discover passions and purpose. What’s important to you? It’s a simple question, but one with profound consequences for how you live your life. It’s a question that gets to the heart of your values and guides your decisions. God would like to be number one on your list of values! He will help with those many choices along the way.

Contemplations

• Where do you see society redefining its values?
  • Ideas to Explore: Education, Government, our nation’s justice system, business ethics, and the rapid increase in drug consumption and crime.
• Are you someone who largely lives out their values, or if you are instead someone who does one thing and believes in another thing?
  • Ideas to Explore: Values can change as a person matures. Children’s values are different from someone who is approaching retirement. Have your values kept up with you?
• If you act differently than you believe you should, why is that so? What is stopping you from acting the way you want to act?
  • Ideas to Explore: Peer pressure, jobs, and even family pressure can force people to behave differently than they want to behave. Where is the source of your values coming from? God? People? Media? Church?
• Do you live a “values-driven life?” Does living by your values increase your sense of satisfaction with yourself and your life? Do you know your values?
  • Ideas to Explore: Will your values achieve your worldly and eternal goals? Are they aligned with our Creator who created you?

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  from Robert Frost’s Poem, “The Road Not Taken”

We are a judgmental society. Everyone is quick to express their opinion on just about any topic. Civil discourse seems dead these days. Our world riots over acronyms and phrases that few people even take the time to understand. Let’s see if we can plow through these issues and search for God’s opinion on Judgment.

(Matthew 7:1-2)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Most Christians remember Jesus’s comments in the Gospel of Matthew about becoming judgmental. Unfortunately, like much of Scripture, there is a tendency to pick and choose the verses we like. In Matthew 7, the passage starts off OK. “Do not Judge, or you will be judged.” The important part, however, comes next. Jesus states you will be judged “AS YOU JUDGE OTHERS.”  And that changes the perspective on judgment. Judging motives are impossible because we cannot see each other’s hearts. What we see are visible actions, but not motives. For example, if someone’s actions or behaviors harm others, infringe upon their rights, or violate laws, then others may have a right to judge and hold them accountable for their actions. In such cases, we have a responsibility to intervene or take action to prevent harm and protect ourselves or others.

On the other hand, judgment is subjective, and people’s beliefs and values can differ. Therefore, Jesus is calling us to approach any judgment with empathy, an open mind, and a willingness to understand different perspectives. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to refrain from judgment and instead focus on promoting understanding, compassion, and support. We should never forget that humanity was created with “free will.” Therefore, what we observe in other people are their actions made by their conscious choices. Someone’s behavior is nothing more than a reflection of their personal character or morality. But Jesus goes on further to really establish the boundaries of judgmentalism.

(Matthew 7:3-5) – “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

What then, could that plank in one’s eye look like?

• Poor judgment often involves a failure to consider the potential consequences of one’s actions.
• If someone repeatedly ignores advice or feedback from others, it may be an indication of poor judgment.
• Acting on impulse or anger without taking the time to consider the potential consequences can also be a sign of poor judgment.
• And the granddaddy of them all, humanity’s inability to learn from mistakes. When we see someone make the same mistakes or fail to learn from past experiences, it may be a sign of poor judgment.

Therefore, before anyone launches a tirade of insulting comments against someone’s poor decision-making, it might be worth reviewing what a good decision-making process looks like.

• Are the issues clearly identified, and are the problems defined well enough to know all relevant information related to their situations, including any potential risks or benefits that exist?
• Are different options available or have personal biases filtered out solutions that could potentially address the problem? There may be both short-term and long-term consequences to any options.
• Have you evaluated both sides of an issue and considered how they align with your goals and values? Remember, your goals and values should also align with God’s Truth. You might want to reflect on God’s Word for His perspective.
• Once a decision is made, are you willing to change your mind if new information becomes available? For example, if the motives of someone’s heart become visible to you, can you change your mind?
• Do you periodically re-evaluate the outcome of a decision? Overall, poor judgment can manifest in a variety of ways, but it often involves a lack of consideration for consequences, ignoring feedback, impulsivity, and an inability to learn from mistakes.

One of the basic rules of interpretation of the Bible is to take the passage in context with all of Scripture. In other words, you shouldn’t simply lift a phrase or sentence out of the book and read it by itself. Jesus and His disciples often passed judgment on others. Jesus often called out “false prophets.”

(Matthew 7:15) – “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

The Apostle Paul was also quite judgmental. There can be sins that no one should tolerate. Here is one that was quite troubling to Paul.

(1 Corinthians 5:1) – “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.”

Jesus called false teachers a lot of nasty things. Hypocrites, blind guides, white sepulchers²Whited sepulchers are whitewashed tombs. Their outside is beautiful and decorated with flowers and monuments, but their inside is filth., serpents, and even a generation of vipers. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”. In Romans 16:17 Paul tells us that we are to avoid those in the church who cause divisions. It is good advice to apply to all those who are divisive and over-judgmental. Paul named names of those who were in the wrong in 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:15-18; and 2 Timothy 4:14-15.

The term “judgmental” refers to someone who is overly critical or harsh in their assessment of others. A judgmental person is someone who tends to form strong opinions or make negative evaluations of others based on limited information or without considering different perspectives. They may be quick to judge others based on superficial or irrelevant factors such as appearance, background, or beliefs, and often fail to show empathy or understanding towards those who differ from them. Being judgmental can lead to negative attitudes, prejudices, and stereotypes that can harm relationships and limit personal growth. It’s important to approach others with an open mind and a willingness to understand different perspectives, rather than resorting to judgment or criticism. However, God never asks us to ignore sin or tolerate sin, in others and especially in ourselves.

Contemplations

• What can you tell about a person who will not participate in civil discourse?
  • Ideas to Explore: They lack knowledge of the subject. Their hearts are darkened by some unknown force or experience. Their true motives are hidden.
• Does God expect you to accept everything that someone tells you (e.g., your government)
  • Ideas to Explore: (Acts 5:29). When God’s commands conflict with the commands of human authorities, we must choose to follow the higher authority. Notwithstanding this exception, however, the general command of Scripture is to submit ourselves to government authorities. How do you personally handle the conflict?
• What is the difference between silence and activism?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is it OK to be silent when we see something against God’s will? What is the fine line between being a good citizen and a protestor?
• How does God respond when He sees us sin?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is God patient? What gets God angry? What is God’s motivation, His goal in judgment?

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  NIV New International Version Translations
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  Whited sepulchers are whitewashed tombs. Their outside is beautiful and decorated with flowers and monuments, but their inside is filth.

The concept of idolatry has evolved and taken different forms in different cultures and generations. In biblical times, idolatry was associated with the worship of physical idols or images that represented various gods and goddesses. These idols were often made of wood, stone, or metal and were considered to have magical or supernatural powers. Do you know what sin is attacked more than any other in the Bible?  I bet if I took a survey today, very few would get it right. It is the sin of idolatry. The very first commandment explicitly prohibits idolatry. It would be the most common thread of messages coming from God’s prophets that would be repeated over and over. Idolatry is humanity’s rejection of the one true God.

(Exodus 20:3-5)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,”

Fast forward to today! There is a new consumer culture and an increasing emphasis on personal branding and social media. Idolatry has taken on many new forms. People often idolize celebrities, athletes, and social media influencers, placing them on a pedestal and seeking to emulate their lifestyles and behaviors. Do you think this is an overstatement? One beer company put the wrong image on their cans and immediately lost 5 billion dollars of their stock value. The Apostle Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Romans 1:21-25. “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind so that they do what ought not to be done.” (Romans 1:21-28) Today, there are many more forms of idolatry. Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc. Nature worship is the worship of the sun, moon, and stars as providing powers to nature. We see elements of this in the fanatical approach to our world’s climate concerns. VHEMT (Voluntary Human Extinction Movement²https://www.vhemt.org) was founded in 1991 by Les U. Knight, an American activist who became involved in the American environmental movement in the 1970s. He concluded that human extinction was the best solution to the problems facing the Earth’s biosphere and humanity. Let’s hope Mr. Knight never becomes a modern-day hero.

History tells us that during the Israelite’s long captivity in Egypt, they fell into idolatry. Unfortunately, the concept of idolatry continues to consume our world. Humanity is quick to worship anything other than God, including material possessions, power, and fame. Idolatry is nothing more than a form of spiritual or moral corruption, leading humanity away from a focus on the one true God and His Truth. Whether or not idolatry is “bad” depends on one’s individual beliefs and values. However, excessive focus on material possessions or the worship of human beings is detrimental to one’s spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being. The 2022 State of Mental Health in America report confirms the trend that mental health in the U.S. continues to get worse. ³https://www.mhanational.org/research-reports/2022-state-mental-health-america-report

(Deuteronomy 4:15-16) – “You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,”

When things are going poorly and people cannot understand their God, there is a temptation to find someone or something else to believe in. There is, however, a fundamental element to faith and salvation, and that is to stay focused on the ONE TRUE GOD! Humankind will never supersede Creation itself.

(John 3:16-18) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Can you imagine into existence a universe? Does your breath create life? Every time we let the world redefine our God, we create a false image of who He is. That is idolatry. Humans always constrain our Creator according to their image. We would like to believe that God thinks the way we think, that God would make the same choices that we would, and that God would view the world’s issues and evaluate them as we would. Let’s be realistic for once. God is different from us and greater than any human can ever be. God is a pure spirit and all-powerful. God is omnipresent and eternal. Every time you try to either understand or control our God, you have made Him into a false god, an idol.

(Isaiah 42:8) – “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

How did the Jewish nations rid themselves of idolatry when it was their great national sin? It would be 70 years of exile, enslaved by the Babylonian culture, that would painfully remove those idolatrous tendencies. Let’s hope and pray that the same course of history—exile and enslavement—does not befall our nation. If you want to rid your nation of idolatry, a priority must be placed back on the idea that we can never fully understand, define, or encapsulate our God, His Son, or the Holy Spirit. All three are alive and well, just waiting for us to love them. They also know that there is nothing we can do to stop them from loving us.

How are we doing? There are storm clouds on our horizon. A recent Gallup poll indicates that Belief in God in the U.S. has dipped again to 81%, a new low.⁴https://news.gallup.com/poll/393737/belief-god-dips-new-low.aspx This is the wrong direction. Satan has been busy too. He couldn’t have a better strategy than to also go after the youth in our world. Once they adopt idyllic behavior, the road to hell is all downhill from there!

(Proverbs 3:5-6) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Why do people believe in idols? The answer to this question is “sin.” It is the sinful nature of man that causes us to worship modern idols, all of which are, in one form or another, self-worship. The temptation to worship ourselves is mighty. It is so powerful that only those who fully comprehend the majesty of our Creator can hope to fight the destructive power of sin within us. God’s road of Grace is the only path that leads to eternal life. It seems like a clear choice to me!

Contemplations

• Where do you see people substituting “things” or “people” for God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Homes, cars, jobs, clothes, technology toys, search for fun, power, prestige, wealth, oh please, feel free to add a few of your own.
• Why would someone think an object, made by humans, has power?
  • Ideas to Explore: Maybe they place little or no value on God’s Word. They have been tricked or lied to by others. People may want to believe in something that they can see.
• Where do you see humility in this story?
  • Ideas to Explore: To defeat oneself, one must be truly humble.
• Why will the things of this world never really satisfy the human heart?
  • Ideas to Explore: Humanity cannot comprehend the full glory of eternity with God.

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By now, most conservatives should be confused as to why voters in Chicago chose a progressive former teacher over a tough-on-crime former public schools executive to lead the nation’s third-largest city. Chicago is reeling in uncontrolled crime spawned by progressive social justice reform led by the previous progressive mayor. The same shock might come from the election of a pro-abortion judge who has won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, giving liberals their first majority on the state’s highest court in 15 years. It was all about the right to take the life of unborn children. And let us not forget the State of New York. Their incumbent governor won a full term in office despite a record of totalitarian rules for COVID-19 lockdowns and out-of-control crime in New York’s largest city. Religion, believing in a Creator, is declining and one might point out that the wellspring of leadership seems to be drying up in our nation as well. Is there an answer to this?

One might conclude that people are growing in their love of sin! People sin because sin is fun. Sin feels good. We can be a bit esoteric and say further that sin increases as temptations increase, human desires are given preference over Godly desires, and addictions are fanned by society’s desires. While self-control seems to grow weaker with each generation, there is a national affront underway to re-defining sins as personal rights.  I have checked our Constitution and so far, have not found any sins fitting that description. Unfortunately, your rights to not sin are also under attack. Here we sit silent, drawing even the most conservative and Godly into sin! So, why does this happen?

“Sin will take you farther than you ever intended to go, it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever intended to pay.” ~ Kay Lee Arthur

There is, of course, always Satan to blame.

(Isaiah 14:12-15)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. “

Isaiah sheds light on Satan’s sin of pride that caused him to be cast out of heaven along with his angels who followed him. We pick leaders who, by their very actions, believe they are greater than God Himself. This flaw of the soul loves to sin. And if everyone around them sins, they are loved even more by those around them.

We are, by nature, imperfect and sinful creations.

The original sin of Adam and Eve is often given as the reason why we are all born with a sinful nature. While true, we sin because of “Free Will.” However, our imperfections were fixed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We should recognize that to live freely is a right worth keeping.  Ironically, the very gift of free will from our Creator is what we give up when we choose poor leaders. Humanity is imprisoned by their very evil ways. What is a poor leader? A leader who leads his nation into sin and away from God!

People don’t know enough or know the wrong things.

Sometimes, people may not have access to accurate or complete information to make good decisions. This is especially true for those generations that rely heavily on social media and the Internet. This can make it difficult to assess whether the leaders are truly effective. Even news media has failed to uphold truth to God’s standards. To start with, God does not say always tell the truth. It is more complex than that.  His ninth commandment in Exodus 20:16 states “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” What exactly does that mean:

(Exodus 23:1-3) – “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.”

Proverbs sum it up, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Proverbs 12:22).

People are self-centered and selfish.

Focus on oneself is another major root cause of sin and why people do all sorts of terrible things toward each other with no regard for the welfare of their fellow humans. Sin is the reason why selfishness and greed exist in this world. It exists among politicians, businesses, churches, communities, and families. No one is spared this sin.

(James 3:16) – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Lust.

The lust for the flesh is another major reason why people sin. What could account for the extent of human trafficking across our borders?  The cartels are just shipping products to the broken people of our nation. For every trafficked child, there is a buyer! The battle for our young children is for their bodies and minds. The entertainment industry has prostituted itself in the marketing of lust.

(Galatians 5:18) – “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

The sin of ignorance.

One last reason we sin is just pure ignorance. The Gospel’s message of forgiveness, repentance, and salvation is disappearing from our world. If you want to stop sin, just open the Book of Instructions, God’s Word. Want to understand our world, and learn about our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ? Open the BOOK!

(Acts 17:11) – “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. “

The Problem Defined.

We like to sin. Our leaders are not leading us toward God but toward sin. They do so by redefining sin as a set of human rights. Why wouldn’t you elect someone who tells you that it is OK to be selfish, to steal, murder, and rape your neighbor? What is yours is theirs. Take what you want and enjoy this world for what you can get out of it. That would be the political banter of places like Chicago and New York. If you think this is not happening, then look at how God tells us to choose those who will lead us:

(Exodus 18:21) – “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”

Are the leaders of our nation Godly people? Have they raised their families to be servants to the flock or to be served by the flock? Do they hold the guilty accountable? The question that needs an answer is why all our leaders become rich at the expense of the poor.

(1 Peter 5:2-4) – “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

The love of sin and being disobedient to God’s word that condemns all sin is one of the major reasons why people sin in the first place. You will only sin or enjoy your sinful lifestyle if you love sin in your heart. So many people are in love with their evil ways and don’t want to turn away from them, it is as if sin gives them eternal life. Trust me, it doesn’t work that way!

(1 Peter 5:1-5) – “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

The above passages show the importance of leadership. Peter sets down in a series of contrasts, the perils, and the privileges of the eldership; and everything he says is applicable, not only to the eldership but also to all Christian services inside and outside the Church. We should use these guidelines for choosing our nation’s leaders too.  Peter does not say that a person should be conceitedly or irresponsibly eager for office. Note that the leader is to accept office, not to make a shameful profit out of it. The Greek word used for making a shameful profit is aischrokerdes. The noun from this is aischrokerdeia, and it was a characteristic of leaders that the Greeks loathed. The point that Peter is making is that no person should ever accept office or render service for what they can get out of it. Finally, Peter reminds us that good leaders demonstrate humility just as Jesus did when He washed the disciple’s feet. Look to see whether our potential leaders are washing the feet of those they promise to serve!

Contemplations

• If you hired a contractor to remodel your home and they were over budget, late on their commitments, not following your plans, and stealing your materials, what would you do?
  • Ideas to Explore: Hire them again for all of your other projects. Do nothing, just tolerate their poor workmanship. Fire them and be more careful when you hire a replacement.
• Why do people tolerate poor leadership?
  • Ideas to Explore: Fear, bias, ignorance, like what they see?
• A minority of people are stealing the lives of our children. Why do we let them?
  • Ideas to Explore: Parents don’t care anymore? Does no one see a problem? Are people all too busy and self-centered to notice?
• If children are raised without any knowledge of their God, what hope do they have?
  • Ideas to Explore: People have given up? Do people no longer believe in a Creator? People are too sinful?
• If crime is increasing, the national debt spiraling out of control, children are being taken advantage of, the economy crumbling, and war is inevitable, what do you think the answer is?
  • Ideas to Explore: Can our nation be fixed with the present leaders? Can citizens change course?

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(Psalm 137:1-6)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”

The Bible refers to the forced removal of the Israelites from their homeland and their captivity in a foreign land as being “exiled.” The most prominent example of this was the Babylonian exile, which occurred in the 6th century BC when the Babylonian Empire conquered the Kingdom of Judah and exiled its people to Babylon. See our four-part series for more information on the Babylonian exile by clicking :

Part 1 – What was the Babylonian Exile All About?

Part 2 – Who was Zerubbabel?

Part 3 – Who was Ezra?

Part 4 – Who was Nehemiah?

Simply stated, exile was God’s punishment for the Israelites’ disobedience and unfaithfulness. Our question for this study is to ask the question, Would God exile us today for our idolatry and moral decay in our nation?  And is exile necessary before repentance and renewal can take place?

Exile, as a form of punishment, has been used from the very beginning of God’s creation of the earth. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden of Eden. This was a permanent relocation because of their sin.

(Genesis 3:22-24) – “So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

While the concept of exile typically involves being forcibly removed from one’s homeland and being sent to a foreign land, a person can be exiled within their own country. This can occur when a person is banished from their community or forced to leave their home or region due to political, social, or religious reasons. Governments or other authorities may use tactics such as arrest or the threat of arrest to restrict the movements and activities of individuals seen as threatening their rule. Even forced relocation to a different part of the country might occur because of crime, high taxes, and other autocratic policies hostile to individual freedom. When individuals do not conform to certain norms or beliefs, they can be ostracized or marginalized within their community. This can take the form of social exclusion, discrimination, the loss of one’s freedoms such as speech, or even physical violence, and can have a profound impact on the lives and well-being of those who experience it.

(Ephesians 4:18) – “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Exile of any kind is a tragedy. Remember that the principal goal of leadership in God’s eyes is to draw a nation closer to Him. The people installed poor leadership who, in turn, promoted their addictions of idolatry and sin. Idolatry can be the pursuit of wealth and absolute power over the people of a nation. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets argued that exile happened because the people failed to follow God’s instructions. Remember, the people had made a Covenant with God (contract) where God gave the people specific instructions to show their faithfulness to Him. As the people ignored His Laws and other instructions, God became angry. Out came the prophets. God sent warning after warning to His people. Finally, God exiled His people because they just could not follow His Laws and instructions. It should not come as a surprise to anyone!

Exile, however, brings opportunities. Even before the destruction of Israel and the exile of Judah happened, the prophets spoke of eventual restoration. The Babylonian captivity significantly impacted the nation of Israel when it returned to their land. They would never again be corrupted by the idolatry and false gods of the surrounding nations. A revival among Jews took place after the return of the Jews to Israel and the rebuilding of the temple. We see those accounts in Ezra and Nehemiah as the nation would once again return to the God who had delivered them from their enemies. During exile, the people learned how to rely on themselves more, and how to adapt to new situations and surroundings. The people also became more resilient. The most important learnings were what their shortcomings were and how to live up to their part of the covenant they had made with their God.

The story of the Prophet Daniel is packed with stories about the Babylonian exile. Daniel would spend most of his life, seventy years, as a captive in Babylon. He would become a prophet, an interpreter of dreams, and a prisoner. He would fast, worship, and pray to the God of Israel under the threat of his life. He would survive a den of hungry lions by calling on God’s power and presence.  The life of an exile was difficult, but God called Israel to repent, remain faithful, and trust in His saving Grace. We, too, are exiles in this world, longing for the day when we will live at home in the presence of Christ our King. We are citizens of heaven, but we take up residence in a sinful world for a time. Our task, present Christ’s image to all we meet on our journey. The Apostle Paul sums it up perfectly:

(Philippians 1:19-26) – “for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”

During Daniel’s time in exile, he refused to compromise his standards and remained faithful to God. Daniel used his influence to help others and remained steadfast even when faced with hardships. The good news is that we can look forward to happy endings from our God. But first, we need to look at our sins. Our national sin is comprised of ever-growing entitlements and pork-barrel spending. Our nation is in a precarious financial position, one that can only grow worse. Our nation is in a mess spiritually, morally, and politically. The nation has forgotten God who had blessed us abundantly. We now celebrate lawlessness and slaughter our offspring both in the womb and on the streets of our cities. Our lack of borders is changing the very nation we live in. And finally, our nation’s enemies see our weaknesses, and all anxiously await our demise. Is exile upon us?

(Matthew 10:22) – “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Jesus understood this well. If you live for the next world, this world will hate you. Do you notice the hate lately? Our nation has become a hostile environment for those who live for Christ. None of us know when we will see our current exile end. Do you even recognize our nation any longer? Be aware, however, of one very important Truth from our God.

(Revelation 21:8) – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Contemplations

• Do you think God is punishing our nation?
  • Ideas to Explore: There is very little good news. Life expectancy is down, crime is up, the value of our money is disappearing, those rights we were guaranteed in our Constitution are rapidly going slipping away, children are under attack, and please, add a few of your favorites. No nation can survive the slippery slope we are on.
• Whom do you think people are turning to for clarification and help?
  • Ideas to Explore: Government, media, churches, Hollywood, schools, science, God? We see a nation giving up God, following a corrupt world in pursuit of false promises. To whom are you turning for help?
•  Where is all the hate coming from?
  • Ideas to Explore: Who is rioting, who is killing, and who is it that you fear?
• Are you willing to accept the sins of our nation to just get along with each other?
  • Ideas to Explore: We have been divided into groups who can no longer live with each other. Our government wants your children, our parents want their children back. How do you think this will end?

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Have you heard about ChatGPT¹Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer? This is an artificial intelligence project that is striking fear into people all over the world. The concerns are it could replace the need for humanity. If you apply it to Christianity, one could think that it could become so smart that all the pastors would no longer be needed and churches in the world would just close. Want to get to know God? Just load an application on your phone and you would be on your way to heaven! I would expect Hollywood to do a movie on this one day.

Is ChatGPT something that should concern us? Is our Creator giving up on humanity and just replacing us with something superior?  Will artificial intelligence surpass all humans and erase the history of humankind with something better? Well, if you read the Bible with an open mind, you will see that humanity is burdened by sin. We are, by nature, self-centered, deceitful, stubborn, and just downright stupid most of the time. Think I am wrong? Read a few history books if you can find them anymore. Or just turn on the news! Better yet, look at the governments and leaders around the world, including those in our nation.

ChatGPT is all about this world, Satan’s world. God’s Kingdom is something even ChatGPT cannot define. The Kingdom of God is mentioned more than 80 times in the New Testament. Teachings of Jesus Christ center on the Kingdom of God. There are two parts to God’s Kingdom, His present spiritual reign over His people (Colossians 1:13) and Jesus’ future reign in the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20). Jesus promised He would come again to our world and establish His Kingdom as an eternal inheritance (Matthew 25:31-34). That seems to say that Satan will, in the end, inherit ChatGPT. This world is his dominion and Satan will be left with the bits and bites of logic, embedded with this world’s sinful bias. I asked ChatGPT what humanity could do to leave a lasting impression on history. Here is a summary of ChatGPT’s answer:

“Accomplish something noteworthy: People who make significant achievements in fields such as science, technology, politics, or the arts are often remembered for their contributions to society.

Create something enduring: People who create enduring works of art, literature, music, or other cultural artifacts can leave a lasting impression on history.

Make a significant contribution to society: People who make a significant impact on their communities or society are often remembered for their contributions.

Develop a new idea or concept: People who develop new ideas or concepts that change the way people think or behave can leave a lasting impression on history.

Overcome great adversity: People who overcome great adversity or tragedy can inspire others and be remembered for their resilience and perseverance.”

In short, do something remarkable, create something enduring, make a significant contribution to society, develop a new idea or concept, or overcome great adversity. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  ChatGPT just told you everything you need to know about how to be remembered forever in this world. Or did it?

(Jeremiah 29:12-14)²NIV New International Version Translations – “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”

ChatGPT doesn’t believe in God. I know because I asked it. Faith in God and Christ is unique to the human soul. This wisdom database leaves it up to you and your faith to decide if God is real. The same is true for eternal life. ChatGPT was meant to be the culmination of worldly knowledge. God, however, is not of this world. People may be amazed by ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, but it will only make their creativity and intellect lazy. ChatGPT is meant to think for people. Humanity can now sit at the beach, let their government send them subsistence checks, use drugs to mellow out, and let all the creativity of our world be taken over by this mysterious “Artificial Intelligence.” However, ChatGPT has no humility, the kind we find when we kneel before God and allow the Holy Spirit to convict our souls. Also missing was the relief from guilt, knowing that the Son of God removed our sins. Does this then make the question become whether ChatGPT can save our world or hasten its demise?

(Acts 17:27) – “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

John Wesley³https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Methodist movement that continues to this day. Wesley traveled widely, generally on horseback, preaching twice or thrice daily. It is said that he rode 250,000 miles in his lifetime and gave away 30,000 Pounds Sterling to the needy. Wesley preached more than 40,000 sermons, formed societies, opened chapels, examined, and commissioned new preachers, and much more. But just what was the item(s) of most value John Wesley left our world?

Doctor J. Edwin Orr, one of the greatest authorities ever on revival in the church was a lecturer at Wheaton College. He took some students in 1940 on a brief visit to England, to visit the Epworth refectory where John Wesley had lived. Orr tells this story.

Beside a bed in Wesley’s home were two worn impressions on a carpet where it was said that he knelt for hours in prayer for England’s social and spiritual renewal. As the students were getting on the bus, Orr noticed one student missing. Going back upstairs, he found that student kneeling on the carpet kneeholes praying with his face on the bed. “Oh Lord, do it again! Do it again!” Orr placed a hand on the student’s shoulder and said gently, “Come on Billy, we must be going.” And rising, Billy Graham joined the bus.

By the time Graham graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois, in 1943, he had developed a simple, direct message of sin and salvation that he delivered energetically for the rest of his life. They estimate that his message reached over 200 million people in his lifetime.  Graham had five children, Gigi, Anne, Ruth, Franklin, and Ned. All are involved in Christian ministry today. The Samaritan’s Purse, founded by the Graham family, mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters in the United States and around the world. While our world may still be Satan’s world, those Wesley knee prints on the carpet have allowed millions of people worldwide to hear the gospel of salvation and experience God’s love. Those knee prints were left by one man, on his knees praying to God every day!

(Ephesians 1:18-20) – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

The mark for humanity that should become our goal is a mark that leads people to recognize their sinful nature, and the desire to seek eternal life via the path led by our Savior Jesus Christ. Leave God your knee prints from your prayers and leave this world to ChatGPT. God is not an artificial God. He is very real! Would you bet your eternal life on something created by humanity?

Contemplations

• The only living creature in our world with faith, is humankind-Who do you think put it there?
  • Ideas to Explore: Could it have come from millions of random cosmic acts? Why would virtually every civilization in history attempt to worship a higher power?
• When you use a computer or phone, and the Internet, do you check who is responsible for the information and opinions that are expressed?
  • Ideas to Explore: The risk associated with Artificial Intelligence is that it can hold bias. Do you think someone might try to manipulate people, or nations with biased information?
• If our 1st Amendment Rights are diminished, how do you think this would impact ChatGPT?
  • Ideas to Explore: The technology can contain biased information. It might be used to control large groups of people. 
• If people do not know the Word of God and God’s Truth, how do you think they can spot the obvious errors and biases embedded in artificial Intelligence?
  • Ideas to Explore: Computers are but a mirror of humanity. Sin will be part of any ChatGPT. How will you be able to tell the difference in the future?

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  Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer
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  NIV New International Version Translations
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  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley

Our world is spending a lot of time lately talking about equity. Many see it as the foundational issue of our race relations, even the rationale for reparations to the disenfranchised. If you look in a dictionary published in 1947, you will find equity defined as the quality of being fair or impartial. Today, however, Merriam-Webster¹https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity defines equity as justice according to natural law or a human right.

To understand equity, we must recognize that the newer, contemporary definition links equity directly to bias and favoritism as requirements to fix past inequities. Equity has become the opposite of equality. It is all about making exceptions and giving different levels of support or assistance to people based on their circumstances that may require different treatment to achieve equality. Equity is meant to make up for past deficiencies so the disadvantaged can reach an equal status, a level playing field with those who are perceived to be “advantaged.” For example, lowering academic standards for one group is seen as removing a barrier for disenfranchised youth. Equity is NOT about giving everyone the same thing. That is equality. Equality means providing the same resources or opportunities to everyone, equally, regardless of their needs or abilities. Unlike equity, equality treats everyone the same.  Nowhere, however, does either equity or equality assure the same outcomes.

What happens when we search God’s Word for guidance? Is there more clarity? The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines the word equity as “uprightness.” Uprightness means moral integrity; honesty in principle or practice; and conformity to righteousness and justice. On the surface, everything seems copasetic. However, equity is more complex than it may seem so we will walk up on our understanding using the Bible.

(Ecclesiastes 2:21)²NIV New International Version Translations – “For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.”

Solomon points out in the verse above, that when an individual uses discernment, gains knowledge (wisdom), and works to obtain skills, success will generally follow them.  However, if one just inherits (is undeservingly given) what another’s success has created, there is no lasting benefit, and the gain is meaningless in God’s eyes. If someone or some groups were purposely deprived of what others could fairly get, it might make sense to try to come up with “an equitable solution.” An equitable solution, however, is one where all parties know the cause of the disparities and agree to the necessity of giving unequal benefits. Remember, the test for any God’s equitable solution is the “Fairness” test.

Equity, as it is used today, is to provide different resources to achieve equality. Nothing, however, is said about equal results. The missing component seems to be a person’s initiative, pride, effort, skill, and willingness to work hard. Solomon is just pointing out that you cannot give someone enough money, and resources or lower the standards sufficiently to solve all the equality problems in our world. Whether we treat people equally or equitably, everyone must do their work to achieve success. To attempt to force solutions on one group at the expense of another group as some type of declaration of success, only creates more division and hatred, especially if the inequity was caused by humanity’s sinful nature in the first place. The bottom line then is that unless God becomes part of the equation, true equality cannot ever be achieved.

(Proverbs 17:26) – “If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is not right.”

To be equitable, there must always be a sense of fairness in its actions. Not just fair for one group but for all groups. As we see in Proverbs, we cannot treat one group differently. That, by God’s wisdom, is unfair. Equity that takes opportunities from one group and gives them to another does not fit the first of God’s guidelines either. Making one group pay for opportunities afforded to another only creates more hatred and division. Letting one group have access to resources due to a systemic bias is not fair to those who have worked for those same resources but were not the source of any bias. The question should always be, Where is the “Fairness”?

(Isaiah 59:14) – “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.”

When something is unfair, God says that justice cannot be served. This counters the goal we are after. The entire reason for today’s equity is to use bias to obtain equality. Yet God says unfairness is a roadblock to His Truth. At the time Isaiah the prophet said these words above, he was trying to get a sinful nation to turn back to God. There is a lot of sin to be found whenever there is unfairness present. Neither definition of equity, old or new, considers humankind’s sinfulness. When justice is driven by the bias of humanity, those with power set the agenda, determining who has been harmed, the harm, and who should pay for restitution. The justice we should be concerned about is the justice that will be administered by God! Today’s example might be the lack of enforcement on crimes based on race, or social status. This just doesn’t make sense if we look at God’s Laws! God’s commandments forbid murder, theft, and many other societal sins for everyone equally.

(Malachi 2:6) – “True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness and turned many from sin.”

In Malachi, we gain additional insight into God’s version of equity. The objective we are searching for is to reach the elusive goal of equality. This requires the practice of truthfulness. And when God’s kind of equity and equality is present, there is peace and an obvious lack of sinfulness.

The problem with perfect equality is that not everybody starts from the same place. While we are all created equal, our circumstances, family, nationality, and even DNA send us all down separate paths in our lives. Our travels take us to different places, providing completely different sets of experiences. A child growing up in a crime-ridden inner city may never achieve social equality with a child raised on a farm in a rural community. What about God? Was either child exposed to Godly parenting? In our prior example of dropping college entrance requirements, the entire purpose of those exams was always to offer some indication of an individual’s propensity to succeed. Those standards were to be part of life’s roadmap to success.  Lowering standards is counterproductive. It would be more beneficial to all parties to raise the skill levels of the students and demand more from them!

(Matthew 26:11) – “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”

God never intended for anyone to be poor or disadvantaged. However, God knew there would be poverty because of sin in our world. Jesus’ statement that the poor will always be with us is intended to remind us that they are poor only because we have failed them. Jesus never intended to justify tolerance for the poor. It is our problem, and we should constantly strive for equitable solutions.

Unfortunately, we only look at our nation’s equity issues through the lens of money and color. COVID-19, technological change, uncontrolled migration of unskilled people, burgeoning national debt, and poor government policies are just some of the problems that have created income and wealth inequality. At the same time, our educational systems are failing to graduate students with the critical skills necessary to earn a decent living. Drugs are being legalized. Trust me on this one but no one can show how our nation’s drug problems will fix any of the equality problems that exist today. Our legal systems are busy perverting justice, removing the requirements for accountability and restitution. What we need is restorative justice! To make matters worse, a corrupt society is driving our children and families away from God. Today’s definition of equity does not serve our nation well!

Equality should mean that everyone has equal rights and opportunities. Equity should mean that everyone is treated fairly and impartially. Our world is busy corrupting our very understanding of these two biblical concepts for social justice and political objectives. Simply said:

(Romans 2:11) – “For God does not show favoritism.”

There is no way a nation can hope to achieve equality among its people without God being part of the process. No amount of equity (allocating resources or opportunities based on individual needs) can fix a sinful world without repentance and revival! Our world has become a place where God’s Truth is no longer celebrated. Deceit and corruption are paving the way for a hopelessly divided nation, not one nation under God anymore, but a nation deceived and separated by its sinfulness. Our founding documents remind us that we were all created by God as equals in His eyes. Our nation’s constitution was meant to assure that all our citizens had equal access to opportunities, and our constitution was never meant to secure equal results for everyone. No one can have equality without freedom!

“A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.” ~ Milton Friedman

Contemplations

• Satan uses our language and changes our understanding of its words from generation to generation. How does this weaken our ability to communicate?
  • Ideas to Explore: We hear each other but have been taught a biased interpretation. How do we protect ourselves and our children against this trend?
• Why are changed definitions of our language a barrier to peace?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is not a principle of communication, a common language? How might replacing the concept of “fairness” with “bias” hurt our nation’s future?
• How would you ensure that “fairness” is always maintained when dealing with issues of equity?
  • Ideas to Explore: How do you define fairness? How would you compensate for the past sins of a nation? Does one sin ever fix another sin?
• How does a society ensure that Solomon’s concerns of creating a work ethic are taught to our younger generations?
  • Ideas to Explore: Involve them in service programs for those in need. Start children at an early age in understanding the concept of work. How would you reward the hard worker? Should everyone get the same as everyone else, or different rewards, based on what type of criteria?

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  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity
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  NIV New International Version Translations

(Luke 19:1-10)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “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 because he was short he could not see over 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, he 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 stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of 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 to save the lost.”

The first question you should ask yourself when reading Scripture is why God gave us these words. Zacchaeus is a very important story because he is a perfect example of a sinful person who was changed by Jesus Christ’s compassion for sinners. Luke 19 describes Zacchaeus as a tax collector in the City of Jericho. His reputation was terrible. He was known as a corrupt tax collector who collected more than he should have collected.  In the eyes of the community, Zacchaeus was hated. One question we should ask ourselves is whether there is more to the fact that he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. For this, let’s look at the chapter in Luke just before this parable.

(Luke 18:11) – “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.”

Our world is pretty good at hatred. Hating tax collectors was an easy thing to do. Roman taxes were excessive, and the Jewish people were not happy about that situation.  Besides the corruption rampant in their trade, the taxes went to enrich the emperor and there was no real benefit bestowed back to the people who paid them. Jesus, Himself, compared tax collectors to pagans, as written in Mathew 18:17, “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Based on this, the crowd’s perspective of Zacchaeus was really just the societal norm about tax collectors.  Zacchaeus was hated because he was a thief. Standing at ground level, we are enveloped by “the crowd.” As the crowd saw Zacchaeus’ sin, we see others’ mistakes and sins. Humans are pretty good at spotting faults in others and spawning hatred toward them. Just watch the news media. Satan is a divider in chief. We are quick to judge others. Unfortunately, as part of the crowd, we often forget to look at ourselves. As the Apostle Paul states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). How then, do we lift ourselves to see better, and see our life as our Savior sees us? Climb a tree!

There was a cherry tree that my grandfather had planted in the backyard of his home. Located in the inner city of Cleveland. The tree seemed out of place. I never knew my grandfather. He had escaped from his home country of Lithuania in the early 1900s. Russia had invaded his homeland and forced him into the Russian military as a cavalry officer. The term was to be 20 years of service. His hope for freedom came when he escaped to the United States. He died long before I was born. As a young boy, I would spend time at his home with my grandmother. One comforting memory is learning to climb into the branches of that cherry tree. Of course, sampling the fruits was one reward. I believe that my grandfather would be pleased to know that his tree cradled me in its branches. There is much to be said about leaving the ground. Your troubles seem to leave you. Dreaming can become easier. Your perspective changes and you see God’s fruit much clearer and closer to you. Often, we must plant trees for the next generation to climb. Thank you to all of those ancestors who took the time to plant their trees of faith for me to embrace.

Zacchaeus knew about Jesus. He was excited that He was coming to Jericho.  Because he was very short, and could not see beyond the crowd, he climbed a sycamore tree. We have that same problem.  We are often excited about Jesus, especially when we hear the stories of His forgiveness and healing. But what do we do to get out of the crowd? Zacchaeus was trying to find meaning in his life and he was eager to know the truth about life. But when Zacchaeus was in the crowd, they only saw his sins. Oh yes, he only saw their hatred too. We can reflect a lot on the perspective of Zacchaeus. We are all too short to see over the crowd.  In this busy world full of noise in every area of life, we tend to want to find meaning in our lives to fill in the gaps that we are experiencing. Unless we try to “climb trees” to extend our eyes’ reach toward a quieter yet better future, our attitudes only reflect the judgmental attitudes of those around us. We just hate back! What we need is to place our eyes on the fruit, Jesus!

Don’t be surprised when you finally climb your tree that Jesus already knows you. Jesus already saw Zacchaeus and knew Zacchaeus even before he ever climbed the tree. Once the connection was made, things moved quickly. Here is what you should focus on (the cherries in the tree) in Luke’s story.

• Jesus asked to come into Zacchaeus’ home, to stay in his house. Jesus did not care about how the crowd reacted.
• Zacchaeus responded and opened his doors right away. This is also an attitude that tells us that Zacchaeus was a man ready to be saved and to serve. He opened his doors for Christ and was willing to listen to His advice.
• What caught the attention of Jesus was Zacchaeus’ passion to be seen. We must try to show ourselves to Jesus even if we think Jesus doesn’t see us. Trust me, Jesus sees you!
• Zacchaeus recognized his sinfulness. He repented and changed his life. His repentance included restitution of monies stolen by him.

Was it worth it? In Luke 3:12-13, “Even tax collectors came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them.” Yes, it is that simple! Each of us is asked to recognize that we have sinned and repent of our sins and then do our best not to sin. Jesus just wants to come into our house (hearts). That is what salvation is all about!

Contemplations

• Where is your high and quiet place? Where do you climb to find Jesus?
  • Ideas to Explore: Television, the Internet, employment, home life, and families rarely can offer a high and quiet place to think about our faith. Where is yours and how often do you go there?
• Why is it so hard to see our faults?
  • Ideas to Explore: Lack of humility. Engrained sinfulness. Stubbornness. What are your blinders?
• Why do you think that repentance is part of salvation?
  • Ideas to Explore: Repentance breaks the bindings of sinful behavior. Fear of God. Proves we are learning God’s Truth. Sharpens our discernment.
• How do you think the crowd responded to the new Zacchaeus?
  • Ideas to Explore: Brought others to Jesus? Was a visible testimony of the power of faith in Christ. What can your testimony do for others?

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  NIV New International Version Translations