Mission Faithwalk

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:8-9 & 15-16) When we start talking about trees in the Garden of Eden, I’ll admit that I get a little anxious. There is an aura of magic about them and magic is frowned upon in Scripture, isn’t it? First, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil very likely was not an apple tree. Neither w...

                 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”   So God created mankind in his own image,     in the image of God he created them;     male and female he created them.                                                            (Genesis 1:26-27)             One of the questions asked in the Bibl...

              In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  (Genesis 3:1-3)   The Bible study I’ve joined is using a book that explores the references, prophecies, mentions, and presentations of Jesus found in Genesis. The journey of discovery begins with the first few verses. There are so many things that need to be said about Genesis 1:1-3. I have also recently watched about half of a debate between two enthusiasts (one is a professional scholar) in which the non-scholar claims that the Eridu Genesis (Sumerian creation account) and the Enuma Elish (Babylonian creation account) predate the Genesis creation account and claims that the Genesis account is clearly derived from the previou...

                 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “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.’   “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.” (Luke 18:10-14) We began a Bible study on generosity in my Sunday School class, and today’s passage was the teaching text. It’s a story of two men who went to the temple to pray. Two men who both stood apart from others, the pharisee because he didn’t want to as...

                           So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians3:26-28)           Did you ever play sports? Or followed a particular sport player as they grew from childhood to adult? At the earliest level, I suspect it’s all about fun. Fairly quickly, however, children figure out that there is this thing called winning (that probably starts out more important to their parents but becomes important to them) and winning involves being better than this thing called “the other team.”           Eventually, the children reach the age when they move from one team to another. They may...

                 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:38)           I’ve been discussing the problem of evil with someone online, and today’s verse came to mind. So, I apologize to those who aren’t in the mood for a philosophical rant because that’s where things are going this morning. Let’s start with the definition of truth without the circular reasoning involved in using the word “true.” Truth is “that which is in accordance with fact or reality.” One comment made was that religion is a myth or fairytale for adults. I suspect there are cases where that is true, but it is a hasty generalization that “all religions are the same.” The first problem is that there is the modern and temporally snobbish view of fairytales: they’re just stupid little stories meant to entert...

                 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.   He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”   Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”   When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.   When S...

                 There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. (I Samuel 2:2) You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’    You shall fasten it on a violet cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the guilt of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, regarding all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the Lord . (Exodus 28:36-38) and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14) The association of which my church is ap...

                   Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”   Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”  Again they tried to sei...

                 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming . (I Peter 1:13) Drunk: affected by alcohol to the extent of losing control of one's faculties or behavior Someone who is sober is not drunk. Yes, sober is also used to describe something that is muted in color or that is serious, somber, and altogether not fun. I’m pretty sure those last two definitions were developed by people trying to justify drunkenness with its reduction of control. The first definition is the key. To be sober is to not be drunk, to not be affected …to the extent of losing control of one’s faculties or behavior. Alcohol is not the only substance that produces that lack of control. Other drugs and toxins do. I’m going to suggest that emotions and physical or mental illness can, too. Moods (pervasive emotions) like doubt and pride should be added to the...

                 One of my mantras for the year is “Move Forward.” When I got home from church yesterday, I realized I had forgotten to pick up a few things I needed at the store, which is OK because I forgot to take my purse. Among my tasks for the afternoon was making dog food, and I realized that I was out of peas. I also happen to need a few other things I’d forgotten when I went shopping. The only reason that any of that is important is that not having the things will prevent me from moving forward. They are admittedly minor, silly, quickly addressed roadblocks, which suggest that there are bigger, “badder” roadblocks that may provide a more significant hindrance. Discerning which sort of roadblock prevented the forward motion might be an excellent idea. That brought the following passage to mind: Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, a...

                 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micha 6:8) When I mention the Bible in some places, the predictable response is a question about how I can stand such teachings as stoning rebellious sons, or forcing women suspected of infidelity to drink something nasty that will physically harm her when there is no evidence – just a jealous, probably delusional husband. The first problem with this question is that the person asking it as “cherry picked” portions of scripture of which he/she is sure “nobody in their right might could approve.” He/she isn’t seeking to understand. He/she might not have any difficulty with putting gun owners who refuse to give up their guns in prison for life (or the death penalty) or requiring enforced re-education (AKA brainwashing or reprogramming.) So, it’s not that they’re op...

                 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:11-12) Sometimes, we look at grace as our “Get out of Jail Free” card. When we do something bad, God doesn’t punish us as badly as our treason deserves. He forgives and even causes it to work together for our good (Romans 8:28). I have likened grace to Jesus taking the baton from me and finishing the race I could not finish myself. There is something to these ideas as far as they go, but today’s passage makes it clear that grace isn’t passive. It doesn’t do to us or for us without our having to respond in any way other than acceptance. After it produces salvation, grace’s function is to teach us to say “no” to the things that made the salvation necessary. It is meant to teach us to say no to what is evi...

                 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds (Psalm 141:3-4a)           I found a pack of “Fighter Verses” in the basement, and the above was the first one I pulled out. I sighed. “Keep your mouth shut. Don’t say a word! Never voice your opinion again!” But when it came time to include it in my blog, I discovered the “rest of the story.” Notice what follows the word deeds : Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.   (Psalm 141:3-4) It’s no longer about what we say. It’s about what we eat, with whom we eat it, and about what we desire. Today’s verse is another exa...

                 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (II Corinthians 5:17) Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24) It’s still legal to talk about newness and a new year. As I see it, I have until January 6 to wax eloquent on the topic. As I read the first verse above, the verse from John came to mind. This is probably partly because the homesteading groups I follow online are already talking about starting seeds indoors. It’s also partly because, as I said yesterday, sometimes the new isn’t very visible. It’s like the kernel of wheat Jesus described. There are two basic categories of wheat: spring wheat and winter wheat. Spring wheat must be planted as soon as the farmers can get their equipment into the fields. Once soi...

                 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19) As I write this, it’s still 2024. By the time you read it, it will be 2025. Happy New Year! Do you feel any different? OK, assuming that you got a good night’s sleep and don’t have a hangover, do you feel any different? We make big deals about new years. Some of us think in terms of new months, or new pay periods, or new days.  Why don’t we get excited about new hours, minutes, or seconds? One reason is that the celebration would take more time than the new time-period. Another is that they happen too often. But a third is that while we fool ourselves about new years, we recognize that the break between this time-period and that isn’t magical. The time periods are convenient constructs, but they’re arbit...