Category: Shadows (Page 15 of 25)

The tribes making up Israel, twelve, had a history of getting on the wrong side of God! Their propensity to sin offers us a chance to see exactly how God holds nations accountable and to see God’s threshold of patience for sinful behavior. Ten of the northern tribes separated from the Kingdom of Judah and set up their own kingdom in about the 10th century BC.

Less than 2 centuries later they were exiled and punished by God. Today, these tribes are non-existent. The Ten Tribes had become nothing more than a group of barbaric gentiles. Rather than changing the world, they managed to drag the rest of the world down with them. It is important to understand that God had assigned to the tribes of Israel, the task of maintaining the knowledge of who God was and spreading the knowledge throughout the world. The breakup for the tribes was over who was to become their king. It was all about politics! Two of the tribes, Judah, and Benjamin, did not agree with the proposed king of Israel being Rehoboam. As a result, those two tribes gave up their inheritance (lands) given to the tribes by God and became the southern Kingdom of Judah. The northern 10 tribes remained as one group and kept the name of Israel.

Problems for Israel, the northern nation, began when King David ruled the land. It all started when he committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, before killing him. In 2 Samuel 12:10, God told David that the sword wasn’t going to depart from his house because of this sin. Even though the punishments by God were carried out during David’s reign. Solomon, David’s son, and his grandson Rehoboam experienced problems as well. All three rulers were indirectly responsible for the division that was to come upon the tribes of Israel.

Throughout the Old Testament, these two nations fought with one another. Each became strong and independent and created two distinct lineages of people in history. Each nation had its kings and even its prophets. History documents that both Israel and Judah eventually fell into captivity (slavery). God sent the Babylonians to capture the House of Judah, and He sent the Assyrians to conquer the House of Israel. The Babylonian captivity of Judah lasted for 70 years. Assyria did the same for Israel. However, Israel never fully came out of the Assyrian captivity. The Exile of the Israelites is described in (1 Chronicles 5:26, 2 Kings 15:29, 17:3-6, 23, 18:11-12).

What were their specific sins?

The theme of sinful and selfish leadership is woven throughout world history. Of the many sins to list, the one that comes to mind first is that the kings of both Israel and Judah led their people away from God.  Remember, the covenant given to kings (leaders) by God was to lead their people to Him!

When a nation’s wealth becomes nothing more than the purse for its leaders, God considers that sin. In Judah’s case, there was an argument over the wealth that was due to the priests maintaining the temples for religious teaching.

(2 Kings 12:16)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings[a] was not brought into the temple of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.”

The Northern Israelites also lost connection with their ancestry, becoming part of the peoples of Western Europe. We find that even in their places of exile, they continued to sin in the same way as they had done before being exiled. Their unique covenant with their God did little to differentiate them from their neighbors.

(2 Kings 17:7-17) – “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that was not right. From watchtowers to fortified cities they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, ‘You shall not do this.’ The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, ‘Do not do as they do.’ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.”

The Israelites had a bad habit of absorbing the local gods of the citizens around them, even giving reverence to deities apart from the One God of Israel. The northern nations assumed the customs of their neighbors. Yet, God, Himself drove those same neighbors out so that Israel would gain their land. Many of these practices were of the Canaanite peoples that had been expelled before them.

The people had set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree. These would go on to survive in Britain in the form of maypoles. “Asherim” were sacred groves of trees such as the Druids of the British Isles worshiped in. The groves were also associated with a goddess named “Asherah.” A form of this goddess was known to the Angles and Saxon under the name Eostre. The peoples of Israel made molded images, even two calves, and they also claimed to serve the pagan god of Baal.

The Israelites served many types of idols, even though God had said to them, “you shall not do this thing.” Humanity is still quick to worship anything that sounds good except the one real God. The Israelites did not keep the ten commandments.  God had warned them over and over! It was a simple list of ten and they could not do it. Unfortunately, neither can we today!

They sacrificed their sons and daughters by fire. This was a physical sacrifice, leading to the death of the child. Frightening to think that any society would just destroy the next generation with such barbarism. We are still doing it today. Crime, drugs, human trafficking, and abortion greatly affect today’s youth.

The Israelites also practiced divination and sought omens. They sinned as if they had sold themselves out to Satan.

Translating Sins into Our Contemporary Times

The idea of forgetting their covenant with God, forgetting their ancestry, and becoming a foreigner are interesting sins. God expects us to live in a fallen world but not be overcome by it. That process, it seems, leads to the abandonment of one’s beliefs in God. We can see that trend today. Without the guidance of God’s Truth in society, we become obsessed with consuming rather than serving. God’s commandments become meaningless, and our society sells itself to Satan. We are told every day through social media that sin is fun. Just watch the news, the entertainment industry, and even our educational institutions. That is what we feed to our children. It is no different than throwing them on a burning fire! That should bring us to tears. What is your list? Mine includes abortion, drugs, pornography, an ungodly educational system, gaming, trafficking, and the rampant consumption by society that is spending their future!

God’s Tolerance to Sin

Clearly, history shows us that God has a limit to His patience with a nation’s sinfulness. God loves His Creation! As any loving parent would do, punishment is meant to save. And to save, God sent His children into exile. Exile by the way is not something fun. You will not find it advertised on Airbnb. It is slavery at its worst. To avoid it means going back to basics. God, our Creator, loves us. Our response must be to Love God with all our heart and soul. We are to fear God with all our hearts and soul. We are to serve God with all our hearts and soul. We are to worship God with all our hearts and soul. Do you see any other way than to seek God’s Truth?

Contemplations

• Do you believe in God?
  • Ideas to Explore: What is necessary to maintain a belief in God? How does faith help future generations? What is the evidence that a nation believes in God?
• Do you believe that God would still punish a country that abandoned Him for Satan?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is there any country in history that abandoned God that lasted more than a few hundred years? How do the internal sins of a nation weaken its ability to survive?
• God is very protective of children – Why?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is it the compassionate nature of our Creator? Children are weak, they do not have power. Is it that Jesus came as a child and knew the world’s abuses of its children?
• What can concerned and faithful people do to help a nation with its faith walk?
  • Ideas to Explore: Practice discernment. Learn to recognize God’s Truth. Learn to recognize Satan’s deceptions. Protect children! Hold its leaders accountable to God’s Truth!

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  NIV New International Version Translations

The Ten Commandments have been the foundational structure of many nations of the world for the last several thousand years. They have established the very character of morality and civility for nations. Sadly, our society has been trying to remove the ten commandments from public use and replace them with a culture dedicated to self-interests, excessive indulgences, and sensual pleasures. God’s commands were written on stone for a reason, they are non-negotiable and permanent. They were nothing like the Mosaic Laws written on parchment that has long ceased to exist due to decay. For this lesson, we ask the question, why was the first commandment first?

(Exodus 20:1-3)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.’”

To begin with, firsts in life are things people tend to remember! One’s first car, first home, or first date are often easy to recall. Can you remember your 8th date? Yes, we are a society that places an extra emphasis on first-place finishes, and first-time experiences. Being first holds special importance in so many areas. First in sports means you are the best. First in line means you will not be disappointed if there is a limited supply. With that as a backdrop, we can look at the first commandment from our God and assume that He does not want us to ever forget this specific command!

The first four Commandments relate between God and humanity. The last six are about our relationships with each other. This doesn’t mean that the last six are any less or more important. They all are important, but there does seem to be a ranking or prioritizing in the order in which they are given. To put any other god before the one True God is idolatry. Idolatry is all about economics. When reading about the Israelites worshiping the god called Baal in (1 Kings 18), there is a tendency to think of them developing a preference for wooden idol images. However, their attraction to Baal wasn’t about a pretty statue. It was about an economic promise.

The nations around Israel considered Baal the “rider of the clouds,” who brought the rains and blessed the earth. When Baal showed up, the heavens rained oil, the rivers ran with honey, mothers gave birth to healthy children, and even the dead could be raised. Little wonder, then, that when King Ahab (See Lostpine’s Study: Who was Ahab?) chose to marry a woman from Baal territory, the farmers in Israel built a house for this new god and welcomed him to the neighborhood (1 Kings 16:31).

The Israelites never totally rejected God. They continued going to the temple, paying their tithes, and saying a prayer or two now and again, especially on holidays. This was called “hedging your bets.” They just slipped Baal into their worship time to cover their bases. After all, if you’re a farmer, it’s only practical to invest in getting insurance policies in case the clouds didn’t like you. We still worship our idols today. They could be sports, cars, money, or oneself. Anything that supersedes God, is an idol, anything! And we are still hedging our bets!

What are a few of today’s idols?

• Security – The relinquishing of freedom and rights to others for the promise of a more secure world is a falsehood. Only God can make the promise of security! (See Lostpine’s Study: Does the End Justify the Means?)
• Money, Riches, Wealth – The pursuit of opportunity was one of the founding pillars of our country. Through hard work and enabled by liberty, people sought to improve their economic status. God allows for wealth provided that a person’s riches were not gained at the expense of his relationship with God. In Matthew 6:24 when Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
• The Automobile – For some, the automobile is a symbol of freedom to come and go, get to work, and a useful tool. For others, it is a symbol of money, sex, and power, with a clear hierarchy identifiable by model and price. The automobile has become a divider of those who have from those who have-not.
• Fame through Sports, Media, and Entertainment – Thank the Internet for social media. How many “Friends” do you have? Is becoming a celebrity something to aspire to? Many parents will sacrifice virtually anything for the chance for their child to become famous. Ever seen a child beauty pageant or a little league baseball game?

Take a test of how much time, devotion, and unquestioned loyalty are given to any of the items above. Is there a conflict between prayer, worship, and one’s Tee Times? One’s loyalty can often be tested by a quick audit of your logos, flags, caps, T-shirts, and other clothing items. Or how about this hard question, where does Jesus sit priority-wise with your interests, time and money use, amount, and attention? Is He first, second, third, fourth?

(2 Corinthians 13:5) – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

Jesus obeyed every law of God and that includes the Ten Commandments. He too emphasized the first commandment by saying, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38). The First Commandment is listed first because God knows our hearts.

(Jeremiah 17:9) – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

It is human nature to create idols that we put before God. Our duty, however, is to place God first and strive to live a life that is pleasing to God. Then leave everything else up to Him, knowing that whatever happens in our life, it’s going to be okay (Romans 8:28-29). Jesus also emphasizes this point in the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders.

(Matthew 7:24-25) – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Jesus uses the Greek word “petran”, meaning rock in His parable. The rock Jesus is talking about is not about the house or its foundation. The rock is about the most important choice we make in life, to honor God with all our heart, soul, and strength. The rock (God) is all about where we choose to build our life and about choosing God first as our construction site. It is all about choices, idols, and distractions, that insulate us from our one and only God. Has any human being ever kept the First Commandment? No, because only Jesus was without sin. But without Jesus, there can be no rock upon which to build one’s life. Without the Rock, there is no everlasting life! Need a visual example for a group? See Lostpine’s Study: Rocks and Things.

Contemplations

• What idols in our world today would you add to our list? 
  • Ideas to Explore: Gaming, technology like cell phones, televisions, or what about homes, clothes, jobs? Is the size of your sanctuary important to you? What about electric cars or the Green New Deal?
• Do you think you can get through this world without honoring God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is that really the point? Do we even care about a few commands on stone these days? What are the true motives of a person who picks God over this world?
• What evidence do you think you should see in someone’s life if they have placed God First?
  • Ideas to Explore: Make a written list of what you do well and where you falter. That could be a game plan for life! Take advantage of your strengths and fix your weaknesses!
• What is your house built upon?
  • Ideas to Explore: List everything you have done to secure your life: then sort them into two lists, sand, and rock. The Rock List are those things that you did solely for God’s benefit. The Sand list is those pursuits you took for your glory.  Now, which is longer?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

The concept of teaching with parables is not a new thing. Parables are allegorical relations or representations from which a moral value is drawn out for instructional purposes. While they are typically simple narratives or short stories, they can be used to illustrate a universal truth. Jesus used 35 parables¹https://abujacatholicarchdiocese.org/catholics/why-were-parables-important-in-the-development-of-christianity.html in His ministry. They represent approximately one-third of His teaching. When asked by the disciples, why He used parables? Jesus replied:

(Matthew 13:11–17)²NIV New International Version Translations – “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Parables work for teaching because they go directly to the heart of their message. Jesus used them effectively to challenge people in identifying a moral dilemma or a poor decision. A common description for a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus explained to His disciples that His use of parables had a two-fold purpose:

• to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it; and
• to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent.

In the previous chapter (Matthew 12), the Pharisees had publicly rejected their Messiah and blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22–32). They fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of a hardhearted, spiritually blind people (Isaiah 6:9–10). Jesus’ response was to begin teaching in parables. Those who, like the Pharisees, had a preconceived bias against Jesus’ teaching would dismiss the parables as irrelevant nonsense. However, those who truly sought the truth would understand them.

(Proverbs 1:1–7) – “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Some guidelines are useful when reading parables. First, try to identify the spiritual truth that is being taught. You might even find hints in the verses before the parable. Jesus often set the stage in verses noted just before the parable. Next, separate the actual lesson from the story. With each parable, there is both a deep spiritual meaning as well as the dressings for an interesting story. You will find facts that lead to truth and information that add window dressing. Seeing both helps with understanding the intended message. All parables are consistent with Scripture. They are illustrations of God’s Truth. You should find a sense of consistency between any parable and the rest of the Bible.

Are parables true stories? Parables, like poetry, were never meant to be taken literally. Remember, their purpose was to teach the eternal Truth of God’s Word to those who believe in God. There are parables in the Bible other than those found in the Gospels. The book of Proverbs is full of them. Many theologians also place the story of Jonah and the whale into the category of a parable. We know that Jesus was probably history’s greatest teacher. Jesus is also God incarnate (in human form). He has no rivals, no equals. Jesus is also our Creator! The lessons of biblical parables are God’s Truth in the form of stories. Jesus made sure His disciples understood the meaning of any parables He used.

(Mark 4:34) – “He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.”

Example – The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

While the parable starts on Luke 18:10, verse 9 sets a pretext:

9 “To some who were confident of their righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:”

Jesus is establishing that the teaching within this parable is about self-righteousness and spiritual pride. There are at least three sins that will be brought forward within people of wealth, position, and power.

10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”

Jesus then combines two interesting people in this lesson. One is a priest, a holy man who has been dedicating his life to avoiding sin (so he claims) by following God. The other was the ever-hated tax collector who was granted the power by the Romans to collect even more than was due to expand his profits and wages.

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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”

Verse 11 and 12 find the Pharisee expressing pride over his spiritual purity, even to the point of comparing himself to a hated profession, like tax collecting and other sinful professions. This might extend the parable to include a lesson on the sin of being judgmental. Surely, everyone would recognize the Pharisee as better than a tax collector! That is the false pride example of sin.

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”

Jesus then adds a fact of humility and a request for mercy from the tax collector. We might summarize the essence of this parable as two people, one expressing false pride, bragging of his perfection before God, being judgmental, and the other, humbly accepting that he was a sinful person, begging for God’s forgiveness. If we examine Scripture for other evidence of consistency, we might use:

(1 Corinthians 1:28-29) – “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
(1 John 1:9) – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
(Matthew 7:1) – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus sets the point of the parable, humility, repentance, not boasting, not false pride will get you to heaven. He makes sure that the disciples understood the example, the story, and the teachings.

Closing Ideas

What are we to take with us from a brief look at parables? Our Savior chose parables as one of His principal methods of sharing the Gospel’s message. Just as Jesus walked the sinful streets of Jerusalem, so are our streets filled with sin. Sin, evil people, are not waiting around for someone to share the gospel with them. Jesus held an open contempt for the self-righteous religious leaders of his day. He knew that spreading the Gospel in and around the people who needed to hear it was no easy task. His parables were no doubt just silly stories to the leaders of Jesus’ time. They were just out for themselves. His stories would have never passed the fact-checkers. Parables would have been censored had the leaders understood the real purpose and messages.  But the people whom Jesus loved understood His truthful advice to them. That is the power of the parable!

If you think for a minute that our leaders today are not out for themselves, then you have been tuned to the wrong source of news. All get rich at the expense of the people they serve. Over 2,000 years since Jesus walked our earth, we have not progressed very far. The Apostle Paul tells us that we all must put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and prepare for a spiritual battle! After telling one of His parables, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9, 23). This was our call to listen to the parables of the Bible, not just as one would listen to ordinary stories but to listen as a people seeking the Truth from God!

Contemplations

• Thinking about your acceptance of Jesus, how would you create a parable about yourself?
  • Ideas to Explore: What areas in your life did Jesus affect the most? How did you first become aware of your separation from God? What were the events that led up to your “Ah Ha” moment?
• Which of the parables in the Bible do you like the most?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why were they easy to remember? Why were they meaningful to you?
• Who were the greatest teachers in your life?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why do you still remember them? What was it about the teaching style that made them effective?
• Where in society today are parables still in use?
  • Ideas to Explore: Education. Advertising. Family stories and history.

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  https://abujacatholicarchdiocese.org/catholics/why-were-parables-important-in-the-development-of-christianity.html
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  NIV New International Version Translations

Fake news has been around for a long time. Satan must be given the “First Fake News Award” when he told Eve that she could be as knowledgeable as God if she sinned and ate the apple. The problem with fake news is that it represents nothing more than lying to accomplish nefarious goals. It divides people, creates anger and, for those who cannot control their emotions, the spreading of hatred results in crimes against our society. Today, there are those who celebrate violent acts against those with differing opinions. This should never happen in a civil society. 

This study is not going to look at opinion news or commentary that just take differing sides. Any democracy thrives on opinion and civil discourse. Instead, lets take a few of the warnings that God Himself extended throughout history and see how to apply them today to our media, politicians, teachers, and anyone else who seeks to falsify information to enhance their agenda.

(Proverbs 29:4)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.”

Where is the peace and stability that we all seek today? One might say that there is complete chaos in our economy, world affairs, borders, and personal safety.  Who is complicit? If someone spreads untruths or the withholding of truths (both are lies) that result in crimes against the innocent, does God hold the deceiver accountable?

(Proverbs 28:10) – “Whoever leads the upright along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.”

First, it is important to establish that there is aways going to be accountability with God. If deceit is present, punishment is inevitable. It doesn’t matter what you may personally believe. God’s Truth is God’s Truth. To look at a biblical example, Jeremiah comes to mind. Jeremiah prophesied during the 7th century BC, when there were great political problems. It is the longest book in the Bible.  He has a lot to say. While Jeremiah loved God and loved his country, many people attacked him personally, even to attempt to take his life. What was going on? The northern Jewish kingdom, Israel, had been defeated. The southern kingdom called Judah, were having a leadership problem. King Manasseh and King Amon had allowed all kinds of pagan acts into their nation’s religion. Leaders had even allowed people to sacrifice children. 

We see today that religion is still under attack and being forced to accommodate our sinful world. God’s original idea was that “religion,” belief in God, would make a positive difference in His world. Instead, the world is busy convincing people that the Bible is nothing special and is not God’s inspired Word. One might argue about subtilties such as the use of the word “literal” in a recent Gallup poll.²https://news.gallup.com/poll/394262/fewer-bible-literal-word-god.aspx However, if fewer people are believing there is a God and only about twenty percent of the people in the US believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word, we are really in trouble.

Just look at the impact of the changing beliefs in our country on children. It is not hard to agree that they are being sacrificed to drugs, trafficking, and an educational system that makes everyone hateful about their sex, color, ethnic origin, and family history. Our society is no longer accommodating to people with special needs and mental illness. We may be entering a period in history where it is no longer safe to send a child into public education. History tells us that when deception becomes an accepted practice and a prized skill, the slippery slide into Marxism, Communism and Atheism is usually not far behind.

(Jeremiah 9:6) – “You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me, declares the Lord.”

Speaking on God’s behalf, Jeremiah is quick to point out that deception, lying, fake news, is paramount in affecting the opinions of the people. Is the deception wining? According to Gallup, yes. Jeremiah shares an important insight into Satan. 

(Jeremiah 14:14) – “Then the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusions of their own minds.’”

In verse 14:14 above, the first thing God points out to Jeremiah is that others are claiming his credentials as a “prophet.” They lie but do so by claiming that their own lies are coming from Jeremiah. Have you heard this before? Might be something like, “unnamed sources have heard what Jeremiah really said!” The first clue God is giving us in the sorting out of His Truth is to watch for someone usurping the credentials of others. We have entire industries established on that premise. God says their own credentials are false. What do we get then from this group, delusions of their own minds? That is an interesting sentence Jeremiah uses. What could be considered delusional? Men getting pregnant.! Over fifty sexes. One race is better than another. What about no longer requiring repentance and reparation for crimes. And then there is the big delusion, the Bible is not the inspired Word of God!

(Jeremiah 23:32) – “Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,’ declares the Lord.”

Here Jeremiah shifts to looking at the results. There are no benefits for the people that are coming from those who claim their high positions. We see it now. Can you name the benefits we are receiving from our institutions today? As a result of our government, are you better today, safer, healthier, happier? You don’t live longer by the way! The average life span is dropping not rising! What about our educational systems? Are the students prepared for life with basic skills, can they work, can they contribute to society or just confused about things? How’s the supply chain been treating you? And then there is the elephant in the room, our media. Can you be sure what you hear is truthful? Is it consistent? Does it bring people together in peace or is it spawning more violence and hate?

(Jeremiah 27:14-16) – “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”

Jeremiah himself is appealing to the king that he should not listen to the false prophets. God did not want His people to die in war or die because of hunger and disease. The king and other leaders ignored Jeremiah. So, he went directly to the churches and people. The false prophets, the leaders were telling the people, everything is going to be just great. All your existential threats will be mitigated. However, no one listened to Jeremiah. History remains Jeremiah’s only witness to the truth of his prophecies!

The Bible was penned by human hands, but its Truth was inspired by our Creator Himself. It is time God’s people turned to His Word, not away. It is time churches taught His Word, not their own opinion. It is time to elect leaders that respect God and His Truth once more! Without God and His Word, Jeremiah’s prophetic warnings are but a noise in the wind. Jeremiah’s prophecies were right!

(2 Timothy 3:16) – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”

A few Facts about God’s Word

• The word “bible” is from the Greek ta biblia, which means “the scrolls” or “the books.” The word is derived from the ancient city of Byblos, which was the official supplier of paper products to the ancient world.
• The full Bible has been translated into over 500 languages. It has been partially translated into over 2,800 languages.
• The Bible has more sold copies than any other book in history, over 100 million copies each year. One hopes that it has been the most read book in history!
• The Bible is not a single work but a collection of works from a wide variety of authors, such as shepherds, kings, farmers, priests, poets, scribes, and fisherman. Authors also include traitors, embezzlers, adulterers, murders, and auditors. There are over 40 contributors. Yet their messages are amazingly consistent.
• The Bible was written over 15 centuries with the New Testament originally written in Greek and Old Testament originally written in Hebrew. Yet it is ageless, wisdom even for today.
• There are approximately 2,500 prophecies in the Bible with over 2,000 prophecies that have already been fulfilled. With that track record. You would think people would notice!

Only a world with a Creator can be blessed to have His wisdom packaged neatly to share with each other. The Bible is the greatest story ever told because the Bible is True! 

Contemplations

• Are people today just too lazy to research what they hear and see if it is the truth?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are sources we use for proof unreliable? Do we rely too much on media? Are those profiting from deceit too powerful? Is it fear that keeps us ignorant?
• Why do people believe what they hear in the news and read on the Internet?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are we too trusting of sources? Should we do more reading of alternative sources for comparison? Is it the inherent sinful nature of humans that keeps us from God’s wisdom?
• Are people just biased?
  • Ideas to Explore: Have we been educated and trained to harbor specific biased opinions? Where might our biases come from? How should we remove them?
• Why do people allow themselves to get so worked up that they hate someone and are willing to hurt them?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is it mental illness? Is it a poor education? Has hatred been planted by family experiences? Are they whipped up into a murderous frenzy by deception and lies for a nefarious purpose?
• Are we too busy to care?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why do we tolerate harm to our country and families from poor leadership? What causes a city like Chicago to tolerate death every weekend for years and years?
• Do you personally believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Why or Why not? Do you think it is time for you to form a decision? Your decision will have eternal consequences!

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A bribe is money, favor, or other consideration given in exchange for one’s influence against what is true, right, or just. The Bible is clear that giving or receiving a bribe is wrong. After witnessing our news media cover the negotiations of the last several US Governmental bills, the evidence indicates that bribery and vote buying are alive and well in politics today. It is worth our time to review God’s opinion of those tactics and see if we can find clarity. How in the world did we get to where we are today? God’s Law, given to Moses for the people of Israel, had been very specific about taking a bribe.

(Exodus 23:8)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.”

We find this very same command repeated in Deuteronomy 16:19: “Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.” The negative effects of taking a bribe are clearly outlined in these two passages. First, bribery perverts justice (it is wrong, a sin). It is a slap in the face of wisdom and discernment (we all know that it is wrong and will bring the wrong outcome). It distorts the truth and perverts the words of those who are trying to be righteous in the sight of God (it is destructive to those who work for honest gain). Bribery is a characteristic of a corrupt society.

The Old Testament added an interesting twist to the Law on bribery. The Law went even further in the case of a bribe involving the killing of an innocent person. A judge who took a bribe to condemn to death an innocent person was as guilty as a paid assassin. He was to be “cursed” (Deuteronomy 27:25). When high officials gave and received bribes, it disrupted society. “By justice, a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.” (Proverbs 29:4).

In biblical times, people became quite used to bribery. It became rooted in the fabric of how they even worshipped God. How did the Israelites try to bribe God? The Israelites imagined that by giving thousands of animals and massive quantities of oil to the Temple, they could bribe God into being pleased with them. The reality was that most of the political and religious leaders of Israel were being bribed through offerings (gifts). The Prophet Micah 3:11 records: “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money.” Micah 3:11 ends, however, with this: “Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.’” The bribes resulted in the perfect worldly outcomes, giving those who offered the bribes what they wanted!

(Isaiah 1:23) – “Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.”

Isaiah prophesied against the evil of Israel when they had turned from the one true God and His laws. Isaiah used a metaphor, calling the city of Jerusalem no different than an unfaithful harlot. Isaiah commented that Jerusalem was once full of justice, but it had become a place of rebellion, murder, and thievery. Her leaders were those who loved bribes and chased after the money bribery brought them (Isaiah 1:2–23). It is no different than what we see today. Can you argue that our nation once was the “Shining City Upon a Hill” as written by John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts in 1630? Its luster has been diminished lately. Rebellion, murder, and theft seem to dim our glorious light. The people of Israel were to emulate God in their dealings with one another: “For the Lord, your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

Probably the worst bribe in history was the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received to betray Jesus. The bribe resulted in the arrest and crucifixion of our Lord. Eventually, even Judas realized that his acceptance of a bribe was evil. But when he tried to return the money to the chief priests and elders, they refused it, correctly calling it “blood money” (Matthew 27:3–9). There are a lot more stories of bribery. We could add dozens more. But shouldn’t the point of this lesson be about how we got here and how to change direction?

How then do we change our society and stop bribery? Is that even possible? Humankind is a fallen creature, quick to believe Satan’s lies. There must be a few proven biblical methods that work. God has spent 6,000 years trying to get our attention. Promoting honesty must go beyond mere ethics training. Even small lies or a little bit of cheating are like a leaking dam. It does not take long for the foundation to wash away. Humanity must seek God’s Truth!

(Proverbs 17:23) – “The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.”

History tells us that the purpose of bribery is the perversion of justice. Therefore, demanding justice, measuring leaders for their fairness, lawfulness, and for their mercy will help us stay clear of those who are corrupt.

(Amos 5:12) – “For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. Some oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Amos the prophet points out that God knows what is going on in our world. He stresses that the purpose of bribery is to take advantage of the innocent. Notice that the “courts” are used, the legal system is used for nefarious purposes.

(Isaiah 33:15-16) – “Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.”

Isaiah, whose name means “Yahweh is salvation,” is best known for writing the book that bears his name in the Old Testament. His writings are especially significant for the prophecies he made about the coming Messiah, hundreds of years before Jesus was born (Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7, 11:2-4; 53:4-7, 9, 12). Isaiah goes right to the heart of the issue with his people. Isaiah called out those who rule for partnering with untrustworthy people and taking advantage of those who were the weakest. This behavior led Israel’s leaders to believe that their safety rested in their relationships with others. However, it was God who decides the destiny of nations, and security is for God to grant and for humans to deserve. Isaiah held the daring view that the best defense is the reconciling response to moral demands. No one is secure when some are being denied justice and security.

Corruption and other forms of crime are interconnected. To keep corruption in check, a nation needs stability, the rule of law, human rights, and freedom. A moral nation promotes economic growth and levels the playing field for its citizens to succeed. There must be respect for the laws and those laws must be equally applied to all. To curb bribery, either those giving them or receiving them requires serious punishment. A long time ago, King David figured out what it takes for his nation to prosper: “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.” (Psalm 15:5).

Contemplations

• Do you believe that the people’s representatives sell their vote?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is bringing results to one group at the expense of another fair? When a political figure accepts gifts of any kind, such as stock tips, favored loans, trips, or even cash, should this be against the law? (by the way, it is against the law–just no one bothers to hold them accountable)
• What do you think it will take to remove corruption from business and politics?
  • Ideas to Explore: Putting God back into our Nation. Harsher penalties. More transparency. More laws?
• God responds negatively to the worldly statement, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Why?
  • Ideas to Explore: God considers all with equal justice! God favors the weak.
• Why do people keep supporting businesses and politicians who basically are criminals?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is it some kind of master plan of Satan? Are humans inherently broken? Can we save our Nation without Godly leadership?

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What is your perspective on life? Most would agree that if you see life as half full, your interpretation of reality is in a positive context. Those who might see life as half-empty are associated with the interpretation of reality in a negative context. But there is a subtle trick being played on us. Our interpretation of the world is heavily influenced by what we see and hear every day. People aged 16 to 24 spend the most time on social media, over 3 hours daily (Source: Digital Information World). Adults spend more than 2 hours daily on social media and cable news. This fact should lead us to ask a very important question:

(1 Corinthians 15:33)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

Paul was quite specific about his concerns over where the information came from, how it was presented, and how it influenced us. Humans are most impacted by something called negative bias. It comes to us early in life. As very young children, we are constantly told “NO” over and over and given warnings about the dangers attributed to the world around us. Through education and then as working adults, people will hear and remember the negative more than the positive. Our media, our news, the books we read, the movies we watch, and our chats with our friends are unfortunately dominated by negativity. Why? It sells, sells, sells. Think this is too bold a statement? If one considers just a single social media program, Twitter (now called X), the 140 million tweets posted daily would fill a 10-million-page book. Yes, that is daily! Have you read some of those tweets yourself? There is a definite negative bias written into the messages. That is why people love it so much. Remember, it sells. It sells so well that people are willing to give away their privacy and personal information to get Twitter for free. A caution here, however: nothing is ever free except for God’s grace!

As humans, we remember traumatic experiences better than positive ones. Our memories recall insults quicker than praises. Thoughts are generally about negative events, brought forward by emotions such as envy, greed, anger, lust, or fear. Nobel Prize-winning researchers Kahneman and Tversky found that when making decisions, people consistently place greater weight on negative aspects of an event than they do on positive ones. Why do people use negative bias? It works! By overemphasizing the negative, the choices you make and the risks you are willing to take can be influenced. That is why social media is free! It is all about the influence!

(Titus 3:10) – “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.”

The Letter to Titus, written by the Apostle Paul, is saying if there is division because of the influence or if it is causing you to hate, change channels, and cancel the social media app! We have already witnessed in our world that a single event quickly dominated the news and then accelerated into rioting in our streets. This psychological phenomenon explains why bad first impressions can be so difficult to overcome and why past traumas can have such long-lasting effects. In almost any interaction, we are more likely to notice negative things and later remember them more vividly. Satan has our number, and we don’t even see him lurking behind the screens and keyboards.

(Proverbs 10:11) – “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

Media is a prominent source of negativity, hatred, and division, especially in the news and reality shows. Today, the increase in violent crime, the racism that is stoked like a fiery furnace, and dozens of new things to fear every day are dividing our nation. It may not be true of every social media application or technology. For a few good ones, the jury is still out! It just means that the responsibility is on you always know the Truth. If you are getting angry, if you are starting to hate someone or some group, it is time to stop and do a “Truth Check.” If you’re a Christian dealing with negativity in your life, the best way to overcome this is to submit your concerns to God. Don’t conform to the world, and don’t hang around, read, or watch bad influences. Balance your wisdom with God’s Word. Setting our minds on Christ is intended to rid ourselves of the worries of life. We are to meditate on God’s promises to help with depression, not medicate it!

(Matthew 6:34) – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

One overarching test for any information you have is to assess its impact on you and others. Solomon’s wisdom from the Proverbs tells us:

(Proverbs 15:4) – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

Whether we are choosing a candidate for a political office or picking which cable news anchor to watch, apply this test. Does it build up or destroy the human spirit? Are God’s commands honored? Where is the peace? And the number one test: is it True? What we watch and read will influence how we believe and act. If you hate your neighbor, hurt your neighbor, or fail to help your neighbor, it may be worth a little self-examination to see what the information sources are in your life. The bad information usually comes with a channel changer or an on/off switch.

(Philippians 4:8) – “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.”

Closing Concerns

How much of the world’s knowledge has been captured by technology? If you said all, you are wrong. Only a small, small fraction is available via online technology. Significant amounts of information remain exclusively on paper in libraries, whether public, private, or personal. Then there is knowledge protected by copyright. Many detailed works (including mistakes) are cataloged only in personal notebooks, dooming future researchers to continue to repeat those mistakes since they are not published. Therefore, it is a common misconception that almost all knowledge is on the Internet. What the Internet holds is a lot of good and bad facts. Not questioning the information is laziness. Combining what we know with observation and revelation, the boundaries of what is yet to be learned are exhaustive. Wikipedia and Google are just nice places to start. But what happens when we take this vast storehouse of information and filter it through the human mind? Oh yes, here comes that negative bias again! Letter.ly is a journalism blog that tracks statistics on messaging coming from the news media. Here is what they find:

• Approximately 90% of all media news today is negative.
• Sensationalist stories form 95% of media headlines.
• Media reports with negative news or statistics catch 30% more attention.
• 26.7% of people exposed to negative news go on to develop anxiety issues.
• 63% of kids aged 12–18 say that watching the news makes them feel bad.
• 39% of Americans believe the media exaggerated the COVID-19 coverage.
• A staggering 87% of the COVID-19 media coverage in 2020 was negative.

Contemplations

• Where do you go to find uplifting news and stories showing how God works in this world?
  • Ideas to Explore: Church, a special list of friends, Christian-themed media. Or can you even find any news like this today?
• Are you angry after watching a news show?
  • Ideas to Explore: What is righteous anger? How do you keep focused on God’s Truth?
• Where do your opinions come from?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are they based on family history? What about friends? Work? Does the church influence your opinions?
• What do you do to control your time with technology?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are there Godly uses, worldly uses, and what constitutes too much time?
• How do you find reliable sources for your information?
  • Ideas to Explore: How do you test the Internet? What about cable news? Books and other resources
• What would you expect to find if you were trying to validate God’s Truth?
  • Ideas to Explore: Consistency within the Scriptures. Consistency of opinion with people you respect. A poor track record on news that is usually biased.

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Where does real wisdom come from? Real wisdom is the kind that guides one’s life through the turmoil of our world. Many may wonder exactly what happens as we close our eyes for the last time, slipping away from those at our bedside. The good news is that the wisest man in history shares his knowledge with us!

(Ecclesiastes 12:7)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Here is an explicit statement from Solomon on death and the afterlife. There is impressive consistency in the Scriptures as to the meaning of this verse from Ecclesiastes. Let’s look at a few of them.

(Genesis 2:7) – “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

God’s creation of Adam and his name carries some similarities to the word for earth in Hebrew. The Hebrew for a man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah). For the rest of creation, God had simply spoken things into existence (e.g., Genesis 1:3, 14, 20, 24), but God does things differently with Adam. God could have chosen to create humans in any way He desired. However, God used both natural, inert material (dust) and supernatural power (His breath) to give humans a unique composition in the universe. This simple fact of creation separates us from all forms of matter and life. God chose to create humanity to be unique!

Because of the recipe for humanity’s creation used by God, we are dependent on both the fragility of our world and on God Himself. Dust signifies a sense of insignificance here on earth. It is meant to bring about humility that we should never forget. Genesis 3:19 reiterates humanity’s dependence upon God and the fragile nature of human life: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Because we are completely dependent upon God for life, we are called to worship our Lord and to only serve Him. Again, Solomon is specific here, in Ecclesiastes 3:20, he states: “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” If King Solomon had ended there, the world would be filled with just atheists. However, there is a part two in Solomon’s statement that defines further the uniqueness of humankind. “The spirit returns to God who gave it.”

While we exist in this world, we are body and soul. The word “soul” in the Bible is a translation of the Hebrew word neʹphesh and the Greek word psy·kheʹ. The Hebrew word means “a creature that breathes,” and the Greek word means “a living being.” A soul, then, is part of the entire earthly creature. It is important to admit that the word “soul” is not merely a disembodied entity. In the Bible, the combined “body” and “soul” is defined as who you are!

(Matthew 10:28) – “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

We are left to sort out what happens to the soul, call it the spirit if you must. If the body returns to dust, where does the soul, the spirit go? In other words, where do YOU go after death? There is hardly anyone who is not afraid of death. The reason for this is that death is the end of life and existence as we see it. All that we enjoyed in this world, the precious moments we spent, our dear ones, our experiences, our memories – they all come to an end with death. Traditionally, science has viewed death as the end of life. According to science, if the brain functions and the heart beats, life exists. The moment the heart ceases and the brain function stop, a person is dead and that’s the end of their life.

The Christian then should ask what happens to the soul (spirit) after the death of the body? Just before Jesus was to die on the cross, He said to the thief dying next to Him, “… today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The term “Paradise” is used twice in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7) and it is about heaven. Jesus explicitly tells the thief that when he dies, his soul will be with Him in heaven. We can conclude, therefore, that when the body ceases to function, the Christian’s soul separates from the body and goes immediately into Jesus Christ’s presence. That is what the Bible is telling us. Yet we are also told that there is more to come. This leaves us to conclude that while we wait for the restoration of the world, we will be with Jesus, and this will be a good thing for all who are with Christ!

At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the General Resurrection will begin. The redeemed bodies are rejoined with their eternal souls. The final Judgement takes place. Our Advocate, the Christ, stands up for us. Jesus’ atoning death on Calvary’s Cross provides the blood sacrifice of the one and only Son of God. Punishment for sins has been placed upon the Second Person of the One True and Holy God. The redeemed are acquitted, and the unredeemed are cast into eternal separation from God, Christ, and all that is eternally good.

(Revelation 20:11) – “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”

The prophet Jeremiah points out that God had a plan for him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5). The human soul, from its first breaths of life at conception to the eventual demise of the body, remains part of God’s plan. However, any soul without Christ is in peril. The soul of anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord to be saved will be gloriously transformed for eternity. This is the Good News of the Gospel’s message.

(John 5:24) – “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

But what about that last breath and what happens until Christ comes again? The Apostle Paul simply says, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). We will be with our Lord! God’s promises are our destiny. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we will be in the arms of Jesus now and for eternity. We believe that while we wait, we will be comforted by Jesus Himself until the New Order of our world is created. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”(Philippians 3:20-21)

(Psalm 16:9-10) – “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”

(Acts 2:27-28) – “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your essence.”

Whether you were David of the Old Testament or Luke of the New Testament, God remains responsible for the creation and protection of each human soul. Our prayer each day is to be confident in the knowledge that God will not abandon us and has a glorious plan for eternal joy awaiting each of us who trust His Word. However, there is one Truth that cannot be denied, “No Jesus, No heaven!” Oh, poor soul!

(1 Corinthians 15:17-19) – “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Contemplations

• Do you think of yourself as existing without a body? A soul of sorts, somewhere else?
  • Ideas to Explore: Where do our ideas of death, resurrection, and life after death come from? Who are the influencers of our thoughts? Are there any fears and, if so, what are they?
• How can you replace your fears of death with joy?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you understand why you believe what you believe? Which do you find more fearful, the world or the Bible? Why do you feel that way?
• Where does hope for eternal life come from?
  • Ideas to Explore: Implanted by God; our families, experiences, the world?
• Jesus assures us there is a morning after death. Why do you believe Him?
  • Ideas to Explore: How strong is your faith that Jesus is real? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Is Jesus someone to be feared, revered, or both?

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The Apostle Paul was in prison again in Rome. It would be from his cell that he would write the second letter to his protégé, Timothy. Paul knew that the time of his death had come (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Timothy was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish mother. His mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were believers in the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:5). Paul had appointed Timothy to head the church in Ephesus. Paul writes to encourage Timothy in his Christian life. He urges him to be strong in what he believes. Timothy is to use the gifts that God has given to him. Paul asks him to preach the Gospel and teach the Truth. Yet, we find a message in Paul’s letter that is hardly encouraging. It isn’t very comforting. In it, we can glean insight into the human depravity that is seemingly penetrating our society. Almost 2,000 years ago, Paul gave us clues to identify those in our world to avoid.

(2 Timothy 3:1-5)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

William Barclay, a famed theologian of the New Testament, calls these verses “Times of Terror.” The Apostle Paul is saying that the return of our Lord will be preceded by a time of terror when evil people will gather for their final assault on the world. The Greek word chalepos is being used to indicate “terrible,” or difficult and hard to bear, times yet to come. The Apostle Matthew also uses chalepos when he describes the two Gergesene demoniacs who met Jesus among the tombs (Matthew 8:28). We are being warned that there will come a time when the very existence of the Christian Church and of goodness itself will see an assault from evil before its final defeat. Whether you believe we are there now or not is irrelevant. Paul has given us an excellent picture of what a sinful and evil society will look like—a society that God detests! It is a message to help us avoid those who seek the destruction of a moral world. Let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:1-8 more closely.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive”

It is no accident that the first of these qualities is a life that is centered on one’s self. Oh, my goodness! If you had to write a one-line description of our society, this would be it. Narcissism reigns supreme these days in government, social media, sports, and the news. Our woke and cancel cultures, the war over race and color, are front and center in our schools, workplaces, government, and even churches. It becomes an insult to all who may have differing opinions.

“disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,”

The breakdown of the family, single-parent homes, and the attack on children indicate a disturbing trend. While the recent isolation of many due to COVID has led to emotional and mental issues, too often there has been a complete breakdown of respect and obedience to parents. There are now groups that promote the dissolution of the family structure. How sad! One should always assume that in God’s orderly world, there is a place for a family, a mother, a father, and obedient children.

“unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,

Barclay defines these verses as “implacable in hatred, reveling in slander, ungovernable in their passions, savage, not knowing what the love of good is, treacherous, headlong in word and action, inflated with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” What are your opinions? Are there over 50 genders? Should drugs become accepted in our society? Our media spreads hate like salt on an icy road. You know what salt does to your car right? It eats away everything from the inside out!

“not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

Have you watched any of the 200+ cable channels lately? Paul’s words sound like a caption on a new TV reality series. People line up to watch. In sports, news, and government, all seem to love adversity but do what they do in the name of diversity. Schools no longer listen to parents, and companies dictate social policy. God’s sovereignty is denied in all they do! Billions are spent each year to produce video content for our consumption. Most of it is junk, pushing radical concepts to children and young people.

“Have nothing to do with such people.”

The Apostle Paul gets right to the real point, avoid these people! But what do we do instead? Elect them to run our lives, tune in and watch them daily, and envy them as heroes of the games. Wear their names on the clothes we purchase. Here is one of the most terrible pictures in the New Testament of what a godless world would be like, with the terrible qualities of godlessness set out in plain view. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement of oneself but the obliteration of “self.” Paul used the Greek word philautos which means self-loving. Love of self is the basic sin, from which all other sins flow. Obedience to God and charity become impossible the moment we make our own will the center of our lives.

Paul trying to help us pick people, and leaders to support, emulate, and learn from. He uses a Greek noun, alazoneia, meaning “The claim to good things which a man does not possess.” Aristotle defined a derivative word, alazon as “the man who pretends to creditable qualities that he does not possess, or possesses in a lesser degree than he makes out.” We see in our world today, people who pretend that they are richer than they are or braver than they are, and those who promise to do what they cannot do. Socrates states that they were to be found in every walk of life but were worst of all in politics. “Much the greatest rogue of all is the man who has gulled his city into the belief that he is fit to direct it.”

In Paul’s description of the last “terrible” days, people were to have no love for good things or good persons (aphilagathos). Those who fed their mind on cheap false knowledge, in the end, found nothing. The danger we all face is that one can sink so far away from God as to find even the presence of good people something to avoid. Look for it! The danger sign is that people will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. And here we come back to where we started. Such people have placed their wishes at the center of their life. They worship themselves instead of God, knowing nothing of Christ, the real power that changes people’s lives.

Contemplations

• Where does Paul’s description of an evil world fit in our world today?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is Paul right? Can you find parallels in life today? Where is it the most prevalent? Where are your concerns?
• What is your plan for dealing with a world spiraling toward Paul’s end-time world?
  • Ideas to Explore: Since no one knows when the Lord will return, what should we be doing? Where do you see Christian behavior in need of adjustments?
• Paul was getting his protege ready for trouble. How do you think we should be preparing the next generation of Christian youth?
  • Ideas to Explore: What are the productive ways to strengthen the faith of future generations? How do you personally work to strengthen the family unit?
• Do you avoid people like Paul has described?
  • Ideas to Explore: Can you recognize them? Is hate a typical characteristic? Do you tune them out if they are on media? Have you tried increasing your time with the Word of God? 

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  NIV New International Version Translations

When Jesus left Bethany and approached Jerusalem from the East, He came to a high point where Jesus could view the city. His disciples pointed out its beauty. Jesus’ response was sobering:

(Matthew 24:2)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “’Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’”

Jesus was telling His disciples that Jerusalem and the Temple would someday be surrounded by an army and destroyed. Just 38 years after He spoke these words, the Roman General Titus accomplished the fulfillment of Jesus’ words precisely. What can we learn about this medieval event, laying siege to a city, and the insight from our Savior?

The Bible doesn’t record many instances of Jesus weeping. We have the well-known and probably shortest verse in our Bible, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) when Lazarus had died. But there is another one, in Luke 19:41, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” The foreknowledge of the fall of Jerusalem brought Jesus to tears. The siege of Jerusalem, (70 BC), was a Roman military blockade of Jerusalem. The fall of the city marked the effective conclusion of a four-year campaign against the Jewish insurgency in Judaea. The Romans destroyed much of the city, including the Second Temple. Most of the information on the siege comes from the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.

In a siege, people are trapped in a location. Unable to escape, refresh food supplies, external trade for critical goods are stopped, and everyday life brings untold hardship, even death. The purpose, of course, is to subjugate the citizens, to bring them under control, to enslave them. The siege strategy of war remains alive and well. It has been and is still being used to fight COVID when people are restricted to their homes and cities. In Ukraine, we see the impact on millions of people trapped by Russia. Can we learn anything from the siege by Titus that can help us today?

Jesus was commenting on more than the future of Jerusalem. He was also drawing attention to the tragic spiritual condition of the Holy City. Just as in the days of the prophets, Jerusalem remained a city chasing after other gods. The worst part of their behavior was that they simply did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Soon the city would condemn Him to death and accuse Him of perverting the nation. (Luke 23:2) Jerusalem was a sinful city.

Josephus claims that 1.1 million people were killed during the siege. The majority were Jewish. Josephus attributes this to the celebration of Passover for the vast number of people present at the time of the siege. All of Jerusalem’s remaining citizens became Roman prisoners. After the Romans killed the armed and elder people, 97,000 were enslaved. Of the 97,000, thousands were forced to become gladiators and eventually expired in the arena. Many others were forced to assist in the building of the Forum of Peace and the Colosseum. Those under 17 years of age were sold into servitude.

The Jewish nation had grown tired of Roman rule. It seemed logical to fight back against the Romans, their common enemy. This resulted in the formation of multiple resistance groups (Jewish Militias) to break the grip of the Roman Empire on the Jewish Nation. After Jesus’ death, uprisings began to occur throughout the Jewish kingdom. Two of the groups were the Zealots of Eleazar son of Simon and the private army of John of Gischala, run by a new leader who had just come to power. John and Simon had different agendas. The first strove only for political freedom and minted silver coins with the legend “Freedom of Zion“. Simon, on the other hand, stood at the head of a messianic movement; his copper coins have the legend “Redemption of Zion.” Each group was convinced that they had a righteous plan to defeat the Romans and free the Jewish nation from Roman rule. The Roman strategy was simply to allow the Jews in Jerusalem to destroy themselves. Titus would succeed in using their internal conflicts against them.

The ancient city of Jerusalem had a security system consisting of an external set of three surrounding walls, all with defensive gates and numerous towers where archers kept watch. There was arrogance within the Jewish leadership that the Romans could not conquer the city. Titus and his legions eventually came to the walls of Jerusalem after other successful battles in the area and surrounded the city. The siege was on! General Titus sent a small group of emissaries into the walled city to ask if the rebel leaders would care to surrender the city, and thus protect the life of its people. The rebel leadership controlling the city chose the worst decision that they could make. Remember, they were surrounded, trapped in a walled city by a powerful and experienced Roman army. Their answer was returned to Titus by murdering the Roman emissaries and throwing their bodies from the city walls.

With now three separate Jewish rebel groups operating in Jerusalem, they began to physically fight against each other while the Romans remained encircled around their city. The entrapped citizens within the walls literally were starving to death. Yet, their leaders, who were distracted by infighting, finally gave the Roman legions the chance to take the city. The common people of Jerusalem who had suffered under the long siege would suffer again because of the bad decisions made by their divisive leadership. The Jewish historian Josephus blames the entire war and its disastrous aftermath on militant groups who were a minority among the Jewish people during the entire Roman period. Their decisions were never in the best interest of the people. The infighting provided cover for Titus to plan, attack, and destroy Jerusalem. 

Divisiveness remains a problem in the world today. It seems that even having common enemies does not bring people together anymore. What does God say about divisiveness?

(Mark 3:24-26) – “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.”

God’s opinion on divisiveness is quite straightforward. Don’t do it, it will destroy you. We find divisiveness everywhere today. In the news, the entertainment industry, the government, courts, businesses, and it is destructive. This happens even when groups have common goals. The attitudes within our country today cannot be pleasing to God! We must learn how to work together again. Could it take finding common goals like placing our God first? Serving Him should be the common strategy for all humanity. It is time to become civil again! If our leaders cannot bring God back, it is time for new leadership. We need to make God our common goal!

(Romans 16:17-18) – “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.”

Our country was founded on cooperation and agreement. Please make note that the official document title of the Declaration is “The unanimous Declaration of Independence of the thirteen united States of America.” The words unanimous and united are used as adjectives, not nouns. Had the colonies each been divided and fighting against each other, the story of our history might have been closer to that of the history of Jerusalem under Titus. No walls around us can be high enough to protect us from evil if the evil comes from within. Jesus is weeping for us today. Only “In God, We Trust” can save us.

And a Final Message to the Parents of the World!

(Deuteronomy 6:5-9) – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

God expects you to pass His Truth onto the children. It is not easy! Developing the character of a child must not be subcontracted to external educational systems where God is not allowed. If we want a world that is less divisive, it is up to every family to model the proper Godly behavior for their children. Both cooperation and good manners start at home. As Proverbs 22:6 states, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Contemplations

• Why is our nation so divided?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is one side very right while the other side is very wrong? Are we being provoked by evil people into hating each other? Is it because we have lost our focal point, God?
• Is divisiveness being taught in our schools?
  • Ideas to Explore: Where do children learn to hate? Is the breakdown of the family unit providing witness to the divisiveness?
• Are the influences over society, such as social media, news media, sports, the entertainment industry, and even our political system using divisiveness to gain or hold power over people?
  • Ideas to Explore: Who teaches cooperation in society these days? Who fosters divisiveness? Why?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

A Gallup poll released in July of 2022¹https://news.gallup.com/poll/393737/belief-god-dips-new-low.aspxs shows that Americans’ faith in God has hit another all-time low. While the poll showed that there was a 6 percent drop from 2017 polls, the lowest percentage should be an awakening for our country. The largest drop occurred in the age groups between 18 and 29. Our media lists the principal cause as the anxiety coming from coronavirus lockdowns. But is it that simple? While other studies show that lockdowns destroy seven times more lives than they save, it is worth the time to look at our country’s handling of young citizens in the “Gap Years.” The “Gap Years” are those when children leave the protective enclave of their family, even their church, and venture out into a world that is ready to consume them. Let’s look at a few current facts²https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/ ³https://www.addictionresource.net/2021-addiction-statistics/:

• About 24 percent of people over 12 report binge drinking in the past month.
• About 55 percent of 12th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past year.
• According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 14.5 million people had an alcohol use disorder in 2019.
• Drunk driving rates: More than 10,000 people die in drunk-driving crashes yearly.
• Alcohol-related fatalities: Excessive alcohol use is the cause of about 95,000 deaths per year in the United States.
• Prescription opioid drugs like oxycodone (OxyContin) have a high potential for misuse and addiction.
• In 2019, more than 10 million people in the U.S reported misusing prescription opioids.
• Nearly two million were under the age of 26.
• Opioid overdose rates: About 130 people in the U.S. die each day due to fatal opioid overdose. From 1999 to 2019, nearly 500,000 Americans died due to opioid overdose.
• Heroin use disorder rates: About 50,000 Americans tried using heroin for the first time in 2019. About 745,000 people used heroin in 2019, and an estimated 438,000 had a heroin use disorder.
• Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid drug that is sometimes prescribed for pain. It is also illegally manufactured in forms that are sold on the street, sometimes mixed with other drugs. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl (mostly illicit forms smuggled through the southern US border) are involved in about 70 percent of drug overdose deaths each year. From May 2020 through April 2021, more than 100,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses.

The above statistics are but a minor portion of the world youth see daily. Daily news rounds out the insanity! No wonder they question God, even life itself. One question that must be asked is how have we prepared our youth for our world? Have you paid attention lately? Catholic Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester is quoted as saying, churches have stopped “challenging” young people. He blames the church for becoming too user-friendly. Our society has managed to confuse the young about their gender and sent them into the world lacking basic skills like communication, math, history and sciences. Adults have legalized drugs, worked to provide unfettered access to abortion, removed the consequences of crime, and placed the entire focus of the rest of their life on “THEMSELVES.” Fast cars, a fast life. Why not live that way if you don’t believe there is anything else worth living for!

Our trade schools, universities, and entry-level employers then take over while they are still in the “Gap Years.” Covid has put the focus on remote learning, and social media. Then here comes the Metaverse. The Metaverse is furthering the movement of life into abstract technology by making one’s life nothing more than an avatar. An avatar is a digital representation of yourself. Not concerned yet? Here is what youth are being taught:

“The Metaverse (their future) will come with many benefits, including an increased sense of control over their environment and unlimited potential for creativity. Making a living in the Metaverse will become a reality and you need to know more about the Metaverse if you want to find a job or build a career in this alternate reality! Computers are learning to do what we have already learned to do. For many years now, we have spent our days consuming the data gathered because of our existence. All those digitized images and videos and words, all those facial expressions and micro-expressions, those poses and posturing, those intonations of voice, those opinions and beliefs and emotions, those behaviors, those effects. Out of that vast, ever-evolving online databank of human specifications, a pattern emerges — a pattern that suits us, that represents the self we desire to present to others. We will cobble together a simulation of a person that we present as the person who we are. We become deep fakes that pass, in the media world that has become the world, for real people. The child will no longer be a father to humankind. The data will be the father to the human.” (This is a composite statement taken from several Internet sites promoting the future of the Metaverse)

It is time we snapped back to the reality of life here on earth for a moment. You remember, the earth that God created, the earth that Satan would like to control. Satan is having a field day! We fight with each other over the very survival of humanity. Will we depend on a digital image of ourselves, rather than the God-given blessings of our own human life? It is no wonder there are not enough people to fill the jobs in our country. Where is the hope? The Apostle John had an opinion thousands of years ago that is most appropriate for this topic today.

(2 John 1:12)⁴NIV New International Version Translations – “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.”

Those 18 to 29 years old have just completed the foundations of public education. The purpose of public education was to prepare them for life ahead. In the years to follow, they will move on to preparing themselves for life. To gain a skill, to establish ethics, adapt a moral behavior, master how to adapt to changing technology and opportunities, to find wholesome work. Humans were created to live together, work together, and love one another. Against any notion that heaven is good while the earth is bad, Genesis declares on each day of the earth’s creation that “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). On the sixth day, with the creation of humanity, God saw that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God had created man and woman to work together, making the very nature of work relational. Work only became toil because of the fall of humanity, not less, because more work is required now to yield the necessary results including any sense of satisfaction. Relationships are not incidental to work. They are essential! Work serves as a place of deep and meaningful relationships but under the proper conditions. Jesus described our relationship with Himself as a kind of work, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29). A yoke is what makes it possible for two oxen to work together. In Christ, people may truly work together as God intended when He made Eve and Adam co-workers. The goal, therefore, must be to assure that education prepares our youth for a life of “good work.” Good work will then provide satisfaction in life. To be prepared for God’s work, humans will need four attributes (skills of sorts):

1. Humans need to believe there is a God! Lose God and you have not only lost eternity, but you have lost life itself. God does not exist in the Metaverse. God created the UNIVERSE! The need to work is an intrinsic part of the human spirit placed there by God. Work is not easy, but work can be challenging for the human spirit to find joy. 
2. There is ample evidence that our world and all its natural laws were created by God. No one needs a computer to walk about the earth and see God’s handiwork. Hold a newborn in your arms and you will always know there is a God. Watch a seed grow into a beautiful flower or close out your day with a sunset in the mountains. What Natural Laws require, however, is deciphering. Learning new skills, the crafts of science and the ability to observe without bias is essential to understanding the Natural Laws of God’s world.
3. Common sense is also necessary for understanding God’s Natural Laws and then discovering a path to God. Common sense is taught best by understanding that with every action (cause) there is a reaction (effect). History is filled with examples. There is no such thing as discovery without common sense. Let’s stop teaching our youth uncommon sense ideas! Consequences and accountability help build common sense.
4. Finally, there is the necessity for humanity to seek God’s knowledge and revelation through His gift of the Spirit. We have a living God, a living Savior, and the living Spirit, ready, willing, and able to help us with our journey through this world. To see our citizens give up on God should bring tears to us all!

To abandon God is to abandon one’s future to a broken and finite world. To abandon face-to-face relational learning for online courses, for a metaverse, is also inconsistent with how God created humanity’s need to work together. No one can predict how our world will change. Change, however, it will. The creativity of humans must assure that what a child is taught today, will keep up with the changes in this world for tomorrow. To leave them without the skills to work productively and to work as a team with others is to abandon them to the destructive nature of the world we live in. To fail to pass on God is to end any hope and joy in life. Change, however, does not hold true for God. God is the never-changing creator of a magnificent universe where humans were meant to flourish together. Don’t let this secular world get you sidetracked. We need to close the “Gap Years” and fill them with God’s Truth and the understanding that God’s work is “good work.” God’s work requires us to know each other, hug each other, cry with each other, and live together in peace.

(1 Corinthians 13:12) – “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

The Apostle Paul is describing our knowledge of God and His ways as incomplete. Paul wrote in Romans 11:33–34, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” Paul is describing our world as one with only partial knowledge of God as if we are seeing a reflection in a dim mirror. After the coming of Christ, when the church is fully mature as God is, we will see God face to face, knowing Him in person. Then and only then will the gap our youth face be fully closed forever!

Contemplations

• What programs does your congregation have for youth in the “Gap Years?”
  • Ideas to Explore: Are there faith-building programs for all age groups? What skills do you think youth will need in the future that might be missing? Are youth given opportunities for service work?
• How have our secular educational systems, both high school and gap years failed?
  • Ideas to Explore: First, do you think there have been failures? What is the impact of isolation and remote learning on young people? What is causing the loss of a belief in God? Why are young people despondent about the real future and seeking an alternative like the metaverse?
• Life seems to be losing its value in our world today. What do we use to determine whether a life has value?
  • Ideas to Explore: It is one’s income? How about one’s appearance? It is popularity, or the car they drive. Maybe it is the number of trophies they win? Is someone with a handicap lost to this world forever?
• For youth in the gap years, is there expectation that God should be fun?
  • Ideas to Explore: What are the expectations of someone 18 to 29 years old? Have you asked them? Are their expectations reasonable? Are the adults you know setting the proper examples with regard to work, God, and life?
• To give up on God is to give up hope for joy. How would you address the hope of 18- to 29-year-old?
  • Ideas to Explore: How would you educate them differently? How would you keep them a productive part of society? How would you pass on to them the gift of faith?
• Where have families, churches and educational institutions failed our youth?
  • Ideas to Explore: Have they failed? If they have not, why would someone ever give up on God? Who is best positioned to make a lasting impact in the Gap Years?

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  https://news.gallup.com/poll/393737/belief-god-dips-new-low.aspxs
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  https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/
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  https://www.addictionresource.net/2021-addiction-statistics/
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  NIV New International Version Translations