Environmentalism
The way we treat the environment and animals has caused a
great rift in society resulting in climate change promoters and deniers, tree-huggers
and loggers, and hunters and vegans to be at deep odds with each other. I’m not
picking any side here. What I know is that the obsession with these arguments
has distracted many from our true purpose in life. Scripture expects that we
are to care for the earth and the creatures in it. This earth and the animals
were created for man and man was given dominion over them to care for them
(Genesis 1:26; 2:15; Hebrews 2:6-8). However, we have lost the primary focus.
We care for this world for it’s own sake not because of Who made it and His
mandate. The reality is we are caretakers; God entrusted us with a
responsibility and when we care for His creation, because it is His creation,
we will do it adhering to all His commands and with His help (Psalms 24:1; 1
Corinthians 10:26). God is a great defender of His creation (Revelation 11:18).
Christian stewardship demands that we do not pollute our environment and that
we care for the animals entrusted to us. However, these things should not take
the place of God. They were created for our use and with proper management we
will not be overrun with waste and animals would not go extinct.
Social Justice
There are many social justice issues being advocated in our
society: “equal rights”, “black lives matter”, “me too”, to name a few. People
support or refute these in varying degrees. The church has been accused,
throughout different generations, of inaction or even indifference toward these
many issues. I dare say I can agree with these accusations. However, I would
never advocate for the church or a Christian joining these movements/causes. As
previously, stated our purpose here on earth is to fear God and keep His
commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14). These movements focus on the individuals
being wronged and not the God who created us free moral agents with rights to
all the resources on this planet. As a result they plot and scheme and resort
to subterfuge and even violence in order to accomplish their goals, some of
which, is in complete opposition to the will of God. This is selfishness and
the clear work of the enemy of souls; this is the means by which he took
one-third of the angels from Heaven (John 8:44; Revelation 12:3, 4, 7-10). As
Christians it is our duty to act justly and treat everyone with their God given
dignity (Micah 6:8). In this I dare say that we have failed. Church services are
said to be the most segregated hour in the week. This is appalling and raises
the question: who is being worshipped in these services? How can we claim to
love God who we cannot see while we hate our fellow man who we can see? (1 John
4:20) True love is keeping God’s commandments and His commandments describe
true love to our fellow man (1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6; Exodus 20:12-17;
Deuteronomy 5:16-21). God has designed an order to society and when we subvert
that order we end up in chaos and individuals become disenfranchised (Exodus
22:22-24; Leviticus 25:17). He has made provision for all members of society no
matter the status, and He will provide justice for all in due season (Exodus
22; Numbers 36:1-10; Deuteronomy 22:23-29, Ecclesiastes 12:14). It behoves us
to honestly study God’s plainly spoken word and accept it. We must stop trying
to wrestle the Scripture to fit into our skewed world-view (2 Peter 3:16). We
need to choose to wrestle ourselves to fit into God’s perfect design.
Career
“…If any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2
Thessalonians 3:10) This is a very straightforward statement from scripture.
Therefore, if we would like to sustain our lives, which require us to eat, it
then becomes necessary that we work. Most people get this very simple yet
profound fact. However, some of us go overboard. We find our definition in our
careers even to the point that we forgo this basic reason for working. But even
more detrimental to our lives we place our careers above the law of God,
disregarding His Sabbath, lying, stealing, or even killing to achieve worldly
success. This is a dangerous way of living. Imagine (God forbid) that one
should develop a degenerative disease, or meet in an accident that takes away
the physical means necessary to carry out their chosen profession, or just simply
just get old, what would life be like? If our career defined us, this narrow
world-view would make it very difficult (nearly impossible) to find another
useful occupation. Some people, who live this way, end up becoming invalids and
even suicidal because they can’t see beyond their selfish desires.
However, as Christians we are defined by Someone greater than
the work we do (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:23-34; Acts 17:28). We are defined by
the God we serve not the skills He gave us to serve this world (Romans 6:16; 12:3,
1 Corinthians 4:7). Therefore, in order to be truly successful we need to get
our priorities straight, His commandments always come first (Ecclesiastes
12:13, 14). It is hard for the hyper-planning, overachieving, type-A
professionals of this world to yield control of their lives to Another. But to
be truly successful it is necessary. We cannot judge our achievements by the
standards of this world (1 Corinthians 1:25). Moses was at the height of his career
– next in line to rule the greatest kingdom of his age – he would have had all
the power at his disposal to free his people. But God saw fit to accomplish
this task another way. Moses was made humble in order to become the greatest
leader this world has ever known (Exodus 2, 3; Hebrews 11:24-29). Yielding to
the will of God is vital. Making ourselves malleable to His will is essential.
All the career goals that we align may not be His will for our lives (1
Corinthians 3:19). If we will sincerely serve Him we must die fully to our
selfish ambitions for perceived success (1 Corinthians 2:5; Philippians 2:13).
Church Work
Church work is a major stumbling block for many! Why?
Because it is work masquerading as the will of God. There are many important tasks
necessary to be done in and for the church to ensure the successful fulfillment
of its purpose. However, many of us get lost in the work of the church
forgetting the God of the church. The analogy preachers like to use is the
story of Martha and Mary. Martha was busy preparing food for the people in her
home and Mary was consumed listening to Jesus’ words. Martha was upset that
Mary was not helping her and Jesus responded that Mary had made the better
choice (Luke 10:38-42). This is an excellent typology for us today. Before we
sit and listen to the Master that we may learn His will we run ahead claiming
to do His work with very little regard to the way in which He would have it done.
We put in all this effort with planning committees, focus groups, studying the best
practices of other organizations and performing SWOT analyses, but very few
seek to know how God would have us carry out His work. We do what makes us
happy and what makes us feel good and claim that God is being praised. We place
culture and tradition before God’s truth. Throughout scripture whenever God
issued a command for a task He gave explicit instructions on how it was to be
done and who was to carry it out – The ark for the flood (Genesis 6:13-16), The
sanctuary and it’s services (Exodus 25-40; etc.), The disciples evangelistic
work (Luke 10:1-20; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; etc).
Preachers often emphasize the great commission, in part,
stressing the baptism side of the decree and lightly touching the preaching and
teaching aspect of it (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18). People are to be
taught to observe God’s commandments before they are baptized. Simply being
baptized will save no one. Faith in God and His grace to help us adhere to His
will is the foundation of salvation. The example of the thief on the cross is a
perfect view of this. He genuinely believed in and respected Jesus he confessed
Him before all, and rejected his sins but did not have an opportunity to be
baptized, however, he will still be saved. Many of us church folk run around
scheming and plotting how to get more people baptized to increase church
membership, by any means necessary, with very little consideration to the
conversion of hearts, thereby flooding the church with erroneous ideas and
theories that are contrary to the word of God (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Revelation
12:15). As church members we need to consider deeply the warning in scripture
that in the last day many will claim to have done God’s work but He will
respond that He never knew them and declare them to be workers of iniquity (Matthew
7:21-23). I was talking to my mother about this recently and I used the example
of her garden beds. She requested that the workman make the beds fifteen inches
wide leaving more space between the beds for cleaning and movement. He made the
beds twenty-four inches leaving hardly a one-foot space between the beds. Did
she get the garden beds made? Yes. Are they in a form she can use properly? No.
Likewise when we do God’s work in a manner He did not prescribe the outcome,
though seemingly prosperous, is not acceptable or capable of producing His
desired fruit; to Him it is the work of iniquity (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8;
23:15; Mark 7:6). The bottom line is God requires obedience not numbers (Ecclesiastes
12:13, 14; Micah 6:8).
End Time Events
The final book of the Bible reveals Jesus Christ and the
events leading up the to the end of the world as we know it. In the first
chapter there is a blessing pronounced on those who read and obey what is in
this book (Revelation 1:1-3). With a blessing placed on it, how could it
possibly be a distraction? This is the ingenuity of human effort combined with
that of the enemy of souls. Prophecy is given to us to warn, guide and
encourage us (2 Peter 1:16-21). However, some have taken the ability to explain
prophetic truths as a point of superiority and pride. This is not the will of God for His
truth. Scripture plainly tells us if we have these skills and lack love we’ve
lost our purpose (1 Corinthians 13:1, 2). We know that love is keeping God’s
commandments. There are many that can give a clear breakdown of the fearful
things to come in this world but they lack the empathy, compassion and basic
decency toward their fellow man. Simply knowing the truth will not save anyone,
the Devil knows what is coming and he is already lost (Revelation 12:12). There
are many in this world, who will never have an opportunity to study and know
the prophecies, but we will all come face to face with God’s laws before He
returns (Matthew 24:14). Obedience to these lay at the foundation of salvation
(Matthew 19:16-21; Luke 10:25-28). God requires us to fear him and keep His
commandments, to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Ecclesiastes
12:13, 14; Micah 6:6-8). The prophetic books of the Bible were not designed to
create classes of Christians they were given to build faith in God. We have a
duty to our fellow man to sound a warning not treat him as a pariah (Isaiah 21:11,
12; Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 9:4; 1 Corinthians 14:8).
Family
The first of the commandments associated with our interpersonal
relationships, which also is the first with a promise, requires us to honour
our parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3). Those of us with children know
that they are fully our responsibility to care for and nurture (Ephesians 6:4).
With those instructions, is it possible to place parents and children before
God? Yes. When we are children we are expected to obey our parents every
instruction, however, when these instructions contradict the word of God it is
required that we obey God (Ephesians 6:1) Parents are to raise their children
to know and love God but these children are not to detract from the work God
gives us to do. Abraham’s allegiance was tested by God to determine if his
promised earthly posterity was more important to him than serving God (Genesis
22:1-19). When Nadab and Abihu sinned against God (making an offering to God
with strange fire) and were killed, Aaron was instructed not to mourn for his
sons because he was the High Priest, a representative of God (Leviticus 10:1-7).
When children grow up it is their duty to care for their parents. Jesus
chastised the Jews about the practice of Corban, which allowed them to forgo
providing for their parents (Mark 7:9-13). However, by giving up His life Jesus
was no longer able to care for His mother. He made adequate provision for her
and fulfilled the will of God for His life (John 19:26). The parent-child bond
is very strong but this relationship should never supersede our obedience to
God. What of the marriage bond? In this bond two become one, hurting one’s
spouse is hurting one’s self (Ephesians 5:22-31). This is the strongest
interpersonal bond created by God, however, this too cannot supersede our
allegiance to God if we are to be saved (Job 2:9, 10). This was the error Adam
made. He placed the bond with his wife ahead of the bond with his God (Genesis
3:6, 1 Timothy 2:14). The familial relationships are a difficult one to
navigate, but we must navigate it. All earthly ties must be placed in
subjection to the will of God. When Jesus was on earth He called many to be
disciples. One such person asked to go bury his father and Jesus’ response was
to let the dead bury their dead (Matthew 8:21, 22; Luke 9:59, 60). When God
calls us to act there should be no debating and no hesitation; like Elisha, we
are to sever all earthly ties and proceed in the will of God (1 Kings 19:19-21;
Luke 9:61, 62).
Truth
How are we then to positively impact the world in which we
live? Temperance, one of the fruit of the Spirit, is a key guiding factor
(Galatians 5:22, 23). Because of sin we carry everything to extremes. This is
because sin separates us from God and without God we loose perspective. He is
our guidepost, plumb line, measuring rod, cornerstone, without His guidance and
direction we will destroy the earth, each other and ourselves (Ephesians 2:20).
We are to be good stewards of the environment returning to the earth as much or
more than we take from it so that it can keep giving (Leviticus 25:1-4). We are
to deal kindly, justly and mercifully with our fellow man (Luke 6:31). It is
the duty of the church to provide a place of solace and peace for those that
have been injured and downtrodden. It is to be a safe place of respite where a
person can find hope in God’s mercy, comfort in His justice and peace of mind
in learning how to truly forgive. Scripture teaches that vengeance belongs to
God and He will repay and He is not slack concerning His promises (Romans
12:19; 2 Peter 3:9-14). We need to share this well needed truth with others
saving them a lifetime of hurt, shame, regret and bitterness. We are to work
and rest as God describes and when He sends us in a different direction we
should be amenable to the change (Exodus 20:8-11; Ecclesiastes 9:10; 1
Corinthians 10:31). The work of God through the church is to be done in the way
He describes, diligently and with reverence (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2; 1
Corinthians 14:40; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16). His present truth is to be
the focus of our message to the world the three angels messages or Revelation
14 pointing the world back to His commandments and highlighting the work of
Jesus as our living Example, Mediator and Saviour. We are to ensure that the
full picture of sin and its consequences are understood in conjunction with
obedience and its rewards. Family relationships must be subjected to the will
of God. We are responsible for caring for our children and teaching them the
will of God (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Colossians 3:21), respecting our parents
(Exodus 21:15, 17; Colossians 3:20), and loving and respecting our spouses
(Ephesians 5:22-28; Colossians 3:18, 19) We are to care for our families but
the work of God comes first always (Matthew 10:37). Let us not get distracted
by the good works that we are to do, losing sight of the Reason why we do
these good works.
For Every Truth
In Love and Lost
Behold The Man
The Other Side of God
