Some would count it as humility to never say that you know something. But when the Father says to work in his vineyard, to say, “I don’t know what he means”, when you know full well what he means, is simply disobedience and rebellion, not humility in any way. It is not humble to doubt God. Humility does not equal doubt, least of all when God himself has made something clear.

This is true of everything fundamental to morality: “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” Ro 1. How much more when, in addition to this, God adds his perfect and preserved Word?

#SabbathPosts 2023/07/15

Another thought on Christ’s command to be armed: this command is one of multiple cases where Christ prophetically preempts great heresies that would be wickedly attached to his name.

Perhaps the foremost example was when he said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets”. No prophet that he had sent previously had to say, “I’m not replacing what was said before me”; yet one of the greatest heresies that would be later taught is that we can ignore, downplay, and disobey everything God said before he came to earth. It’s almost like Christ knew this beforehand. 🤔

Similarly, no prophet Christ had sent previously needed to teach people the importance of the duty of being armed and ready to fight (except perhaps in certain cases, such as “cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood” Jer 48). The sudden emphasis Christ places on this duty was no doubt prompted by the knowledge that in future one of the great heresies would be to blasphemously associate the name of Christ with pagan concepts of blanket non-violence.

Some such ideas of pacifism no doubt were wormed into the cultural view of Christianity via the Roman Catholics, who were simply dressed up pagans from the start. But wherever such ideas came from, they are obviously utterly incompatible with Christianity.

One dramatic example of this incompatibility is when some rationalise pacifism by saying that we should not protect ourselves (or even others!) because this is a lack of faith in God’s protection. This is all but straight from the mouth of Satan, who said to Christ, “Cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee”, and of course the same answer is given to the pacifists as Christ gave to Satan: “It is written, Thou shalt not test the Lord thy God.”

All Christians have the duty to be ready to fight as well as they can to defend others as they defend themselves (they should defend themselves), and to avenge others, as they would have others avenge them.

#SabbathPosts 2023/07/08

Since we’ve been away all day, this’ll be brief. 🙂

If the passions of humanity are a tree, the trunk is the passion they all should share: Morality, Reason, the Scriptures, and such; each branch has branchlets from it, but has a central trunk of its own: which the appropriate passion an individual person’s life, which all their other passions feed out of for them, as all of humanity’s individual passions feed out of the great trunk.

The central passion of my individual life is: the Strange.

From a conversation:

I gradually came to the full realisation that everything I was ever personally interested in came from a certain aspect of it: the Strangeness of it. Once I looked at my life and finally fully realised this and began exploring it, I have had an unquestionable vision of what my life will and is meant to be. 🧭

#SabbathPosts 2023/07/01

Even if I never forget for a moment that God is, and that he sees all that I and we do or think, and that he rewards them that do good, even if I never forget these things for a moment, if I ever do not do 100% of what I can, if I ever do not fully realise and appreciate these things by my actions, to the same degree, small or large, I have been as a fool, who says in his heart there is no God.

#SabbathPosts 2023/06/24

Christ gave a parable against the envious desire for equality: when the later-hired workers were paid the same amount (for less work), the first workers were envious, though they had received what they had agreed to be paid (Matthew 20). You are due what you are due, you have no excuse to complain when more bounty is given to another.

Yet today many will condemn and speak against showing more favour to one than to another, in direct contradiction of Christ who called it good and lawful: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

Those who condemn this teach and preach envy, and in doing thus they poison families and sow discord among brethren.

“These six things doth Yahweh hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him … a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6

This is not a trivial thing!

#SabbathPost 2023/06/17

Some thoughts: God’s knowledge of us and our hearts is perfect, and this means that for all practical purposes he experiences what we experience. Now, he also experienced living mortal life first hand, but how it felt he already always knew, more than we could. He senses every temptation and hassle and complication, and every time we feel nothing he feels the aimlessness, boredom, and fog. He knows how it feels to be confused, how it feels to keep on forgetting things, making mistakes, getting distracted, and he experiences every discomfort and chronic pain.

Is this always sympathy? Not always; as Paul says in Romans, he “endures with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction”, and as David says, “Though Yahweh be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” Ps 138. God knows it all perfectly, every heart, and every sensation, but his presence is with them that fear him; while the hearts of the wicked, which he thoroughly knows, do not have his regard. “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.” Pr 10

(Notice how many of the proverbs can have the word “even” inserted, as they contrasts extremes: even the tongue of the just is precious, and even the heart of the unjust is worthless. Another example is: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” Pr 12. The righteous regardeth even his beast, and even the tender mercies of the unrighteous are cruel.)

#SabbathPost 2023/06/10

This is the Sabbath Post for yesterday, which did not get posted as our power went out. 😋

Some thoughts on Christ’s command: “he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” Lk 22

One thought is that we immediately have an example application: given Christ’s great emphasis on this, the twelve were no doubt concerned, and wondered if the two swords they had among them were enough; and Jesus assured them that they were enough. So we can look at the circumstances of this case, and find some principles for why it was enough: for applying the command.

One of the most obvious reasons is that they were dirt poor; they may not have been able to buy another sword if they all sold all their garments. The command thus is not to sell all one’s clothes and go without until one has enough money to buy a sword; rather it is this principle: it is God’s command that being well-armed and ready to fight must come before being well-clothed: it must be a higher priority.

Another thing is that they were a close-knit group, nearly always together. Having two of them armed with swords, one could go at the front, the other at the rear, one on this side and the other on that side, or fighting back to back, while the others could make their escape and bring other help.

Also, it was a group of fit men, who could no doubt hold their own with their staffs, or empty-handed in a pinch. So swords were less needful for them – but needful.

#SabbathPosts 2023/06/03

“I do not ask for any crown
But that which all may win
Nor seek to conquer any world
Except the one within.”
– Louisa May Alcott

A quote I believe John Wooden may have liked.

The success he taught was of doing your absolute best. Giving 100%, because you cannot give more than 100%: if you give less, that value is lost forever.

“All that thine hand shall find to do, do it with all thy power: for there is neither work nor invention, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.” Ec 9

As it is always in our power to do our best, it is thus likewise always in our power to reject the sin that fills our hearts.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1Cor 10

Thus every man is given an ironclad choice, and any who chooses to reject their sin will receive God through his cleansing mercy in Christ.

#SabbathPosts 2023/05/20

(From a conversation. 🙂 )

Indeed, as it is clear from a scriptural perspective that it is impossible for a part of your body to lead you into sin, this can only be referring to cutting off fellowship with evil men: “a companion of fools shall be destroyed”.

It is the pagan Gnostic idea that our physical bodies are intrinsically sinful, and actually tempt us as if they are separate sinners or demons. Paul uses the term “flesh” figuratively sometimes for sinful desires, saying the lusts of the flesh are various sins – not the desires of our actual physical bodies, such as desires for food and sleep.

The idea that our actual bodies are intrinsically evil is impossible to make agree with God’s Word, who made our bodies in his own image and called them very good before sin existed: the body is a Temple, which is why it should be veiled/clothed, and kept holy to God.

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church” Ep 5

We are to love our physical bodies the way Christ loves us, and on this is based the love of a husband!

To the above comment I would add this: the same applies to “the world”: it is some places in Scripture used figuratively to refer to the world of sinners because of their commonality and how they have defiled the world.

It is again an extrabiblically invasive idea to condemn the physical world as intrinsically bad. Again, when “world” refers to sinners, the “things of the world” are listed as various sins that are committed; Scripture never lists as evils the things of the actual physical world, such as mountains and trees and stars.

Again, the world was created by God for his glory and was called very good. Rather than being put down in Scripture, the world is the exaltation of God:

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead” Ro 1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Ps 19

God’s rebuke to Job could be summed up as, look at the world around you, and see me.

#SabbathPosts 2023/05/13