08.22.08
Posted in Spiritual Growth, Tom Gilson at 7:45 am by Tom Gilson
Not long ago I heard J.P. Moreland discussing whether we can know Christianity is true. Moreland is an apologist and the author of what I consider to be one of the most important books written by a Christian in recent years, Kingdom Triangle. I don’t have his exact words, but it went something like this:
“There seems to be among average churchgoers a nagging suspicion, a fear, that the scholars—those who are really in the know—have proved the faith is all wrong. In the universities, the laboratories, and even the seminaries they’ve found out the Bible is mostly false and the message of Christ is a big hoax; but the rest of the world just hasn’t quite caught on yet.”
Moreland was actually drawing from Dallas Willard, in another on that short list of most important books, The Divine Conspiracy. Willard is professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, and stands in a good position to comment on this topic. On page 92 he wrote,
The powerful though vague and unsubstantiated presumption is that something has been found out that renders a spiritual understanding of reality in the manner of Jesus simply foolish to those who are “in the know.”
This presumption is “powerful,” he says. What kind of effect might it have? Does it really make a difference? It must. A believer, after all, is someone who believes; and if that belief is colored by concerned that the really smart people, the ones who understand, have found out it’s all foolish, that belief may be little more than a confused mind game: “I guess it’s all wrong, or at least I think it is, but I’m going to believe it anyway.” This is irrational. It makes us double minded, even unstable, to use James’s words (James 1:6-8).
I wrote in a post on Thinking Christian that quite often, it really is good to do what others say is good for us; but too many churchgoers “believe” not because they think it’s true, but because they think it’s good for them to believe. That kind of belief isn’t good for you, though; it’s just confused.
This presumption that it’s foolish to believe is wrong, at any rate. Willard goes on:
But when it comes to say exactly what it is that has been found out, nothing of substance is forthcoming.
Thus Rudolf Bultmann, long regarded as one of the great leaders of twentieth-century thought, had this to say: “It is impossible to use electric light and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.”
To anyone who has worked through the relevant arguments, this statement is simply laughable. It only shows that great people are capable of great silliness. Yet this kind of “thinking” dominates much of our intellectual and professional life at present, and in particular has governed by far the greater part of the field of biblical studies for more than a century.
But the baseless presumption in question must be seen for the empty prejudice it is if we are to enroll with serious intent in Jesus’ school of life. Though this is not the place to discuss it, you can be very sure that nothing fundamental has changed in our knowledge of ultimate reality and the human self since the time of Jesus.
Here on this blog entry is not the place to discuss it either, for it would go far too long. I will leave you with questions and some advice instead, directed especially toward followers of Christ. Do you really believe what you “believe?” Does believe, for you, mean to consider the Gospel to be true and reliable information, or does it mean something less than that? Do you sense that nagging suspicion that it might be all wrong after all? Are you believing because you’re confident it’s true, or because you think it’s probably good for you?
If you identify any of those haunting doubts in you, here’s what not to do: Don’t try to squash or squelch it, don’t feel condemned about it, and don’t feel shame over it. It’s a signal, a good and helpful one for you to pay attention to. It may be a sign that what you “believe,” you don’t really believe, and that you’re trying to manage some kind of impossible schizophrenic doublethink. Bring that vague unsettledness out into the open. Turn it into genuine questions. Then you can look for genuine answers, in Scripture, at your church, and among good books and blogs (of which I hope this is one).
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08.11.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 7:34 am by Bryan Dunn
Well, Jesus had gone and done it now. With the latest teaching of - again - repudiating Pharisaic tradition and practice, there was now a rift that would not be repaired between Himself and the religious authorities. Once Jesus returned to Capernaum after talking to the latest crowd, he is met by a centurion needing help.
Now you may have heard some teaching here that this was some sort of proselyte of righteousness. I don’t see that in these passages at all. The language used seems to be just standard language of any Gentile in addressing someone they had respect for. Perhaps even a love for in this land that had been under captivity for so long. Of note is the centurion did not bite at Jesus’ move to come to his house. To do so, for the Gentile, was no inconvenience but for the Jew it would have risked defilement (the thought, going into a Gentile’s house!). Even while addressing Jesus as ‘Lord’ (showing a high regard for His person) didn’t belay the faith this man had based on what he had heard from others. And as a military man, he was not forgetful of his mission - to get attention to a valued servant.
Edersheim notes: …the question with the Centurion would be: not, Could Jesus heal his servant, but Would He do so? And again, this other specifically: Since, so far as he knew, no application from any in Israel, be it even publican or sinner, had been doomed to disappointment, would he, as a Gentile, be barred from sharing in this blessing? Was he ‘unworthy’, or rather, ‘unfit’ for it? Thus this history presents a crucial question, not only as regarded the character of Christ’s work, but the relation to it of the Gentile world.
When Jesus showed a willingness to go and heal the servant, the reply of the centurion shows his recognition of Christ’s authority. Again, Edersheim notes:
He was a soldier and his thought was cast in a military mould. ‘I’, he argued, ‘am a man ranked under authority with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one ‘Go’ and he goeth; and to another ‘Come’ and he cometh; and to my slave ‘Do this’ and he doeth it.’ He pictures a spiritual hierarchy after the model of the military organization which he knew so well. Though only a subordinate officer subject to his superiors, he had authority over his soldiers; and, if he had only to issue his commands and they were executed, might not Jesus, whom he recognized as the Lord of all principalities and powers, do the lake and much more? There was no need for Him to approach the sufferer; let Him but speak the word, and ministering angels would hasten to fulfill it.
This centurion, because of his military experience and practice, understood that Christ didn’t need to be personally present to execute a command. The one in authority only needed to issue the command to have something done. What remarkable faith in the person and authority of Christ!
Christ is excited about this man’s faith (see vs. 10). Then in verse 11 Jesus refers to the duplication of this faith many times over as other Gentiles who would come from all parts of the earth to take their place in the kingdom. Then in verse 12 He makes certain that those that were physical decedents of the promise understood that those that rejected the King, even though there were servants (by birth), would exclude themselves from the kingdom and be consigned to darkness forever.
In response to the faith of the centurion, Christ gave him the assurance that his servant would be healed. This passage of scripture is a remarkable foreshadowing of the setting aside of the nation Israel because of unbelief. It also shows that the message Christ brought was for the Gentiles as well who would believe and take their place with the faithful of Israel in the kingdom. What a wonderful insight into God and His work for His children!
The centurion’s faith astonished Jesus, who then used it as an opportunity to reaffirm the inclusion of many foreigners in the kingdom of God. Although both Matthew and Luke recorded this event, only Matthew added Jesus’ comment about the diverse crowds that would flock to the final banquet, while those who assume they are guests of honor would be turned away at the gate. Matthew directed his Jewish readers to two truths:
- Jesus fulfilled all the foretold descriptions of the Messiah, and
- Jesus was the Savior of the entire world, not just the Jews.
The first truth defines Jesus’ identity as Messiah; the second truth defines his relationship to us. The first states a fact; the second offers a personal invitation to us. Will we be among the varied multitudes celebrating with Abraham the triumph of Jesus? Your RSVP is required.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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08.05.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 8:57 pm by Gene Cornett
Here is the link to the 3 position descriptions recommended by the personnel committee which the church will vote on in the August 20th business sessions.
Click Here (PDF) - Interim Worship Director Position Description
Click Here (PDF) - Associate Pastor - Minister of Education and Outreach Position Description
Click Here (PDF) - Facility Maintenance Coordinator Position Description
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08.04.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 10:16 am by Gene Cornett
The Jerusalem church came under severe fire after a very public execution of one of its own members. See Acts 8:1-4. The persecution scattered the believers except for the apostles themselves. We are given no reason as to why the disciples stayed. What is important to note is that at least one member of this church, Stephen, so irritated the local authorities that he was stoned, executed. This would be the local Jewish authorities. It’s hard not to think that there is a challenge here for our church. Is there no one so provocative in our church to excite at least some ire, some persecution from outside? Some experienced a bit of this on the Lackey mission trip. Perhaps they would want to share something of their experience here.
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08.03.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 1:19 pm by Bryan Dunn
Jesus presented the truth to those that were listening, and each hearer needed to make a decision. Again, Jesus was inviting the rejection of the doctrines and practices of the Pharisees and was asking them to accept His words and to put their faith in Him. The question on many hearts was - how good must one be to enter the kingdom. The plain answer from Christ was that one must be as good as God is - one must conform to His goodness and holiness as revealed in the law.
Let’s look at some practical sides of what Jesus is saying for each of the foundations, because what He says certainly speaks volumes if you know just a little bit about building. So, let’s visit The Life Application Commentary for some practical insight.
Some athletes can “talk” a great game, but that tells you nothing about their athletic skills. And not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to God’s kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our “walk” than our “talk.” He wants us to do right, not just say the right words. Your house (which represents your life, 7:24) will withstand the storms of life only if you do what is right instead of just talking about it. Some people wonder if they are really Christians. If that’s you — start acting like one. Some people jabber about their intense faith. If that’s you — just show your faith in faithful living.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Maybe that’s you. You need to get off the fence or off the podium. I love the folks on both sides, those that speak of great and wondrous things, everything is so blessed and so spiritual. And then those that seem to never break through that glass ceiling of faith, they can’t seem to get the heart and mind to synch up so things are always out of kilter just enough to keep them second guessing and doubting the reality that God is active in their lives. And that’s just for the house built on solid rock…what about…
Like a house of cards, the fool’s life crumbles. Most people do not deliberately seek to build on a false or inferior foundation; instead, they just don’t think about their life’s purpose. Many people are headed for destruction, not out of stubbornness but out of thoughtlessness. Part of our responsibility as believers is to help others stop and think about where their lives are headed and to point out the consequences of ignoring Christ’s message. Some people just need a little prodding to come over to Jesus’ side. They have heard the gospel, but they’re not sure or not convinced or not ready. Often they just haven’t met anyone for whom that decision has made a difference.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
I would think more of us and those that we know fit into this area. We’ve heard it all before, we have even accepted it, but our faith is not truly built on the Rock - it’s propped up against the cliff and actually sits on shifting sand. We look around, find people just like us who have made a decision at some point but have not shown any growth or maturity, people who are still in spiritual diapers under their swimwear (cause we all look fashionable), and the waves come in and our lives become a wreck…we see others who are on the beach with us hoping the waves aren’t driven in by the tide or a storm so they really reach our home against the cliff…no telling what kind of damage that might do! And think of our ‘insurance’ policy (our faith), no telling what clauses we may have missed and don’t want to know about if we truly had to use it due to a horrific storm. Now listen to these words…
People today accept the concept of individual autonomy. Truth has been relegated to “whatever is true for you is true.” Because the possibility of absolute truth has been widely rejected, people now depend on “personal truth.” But we can’t make up for the loss of absolute truth by creating our own truth. We are simply wrong too often.
Jesus concluded his sermon with a challenge about foundations. Those who heard him were impressed by his authority. But amazement doesn’t equal acceptance or submission. People who agree in theory that a house should be built on a solid foundation may still go out and construct their lives on a swamp. Part of sharing the gospel with someone involves helping them really look at the foundation of their lives. We must also be able to demonstrate our own foundation. People need to hear and see that we have made Jesus’ teaching the basis of our lives.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The teaching of Christ was so different from what these folks were use to that the Matthew notes that ‘the crowds were amazed at his teaching’. What again made the folks amazed? It was both the content of His words and the authority with which they were spoken. When was the last time you heard someone speak like that? Was it at church? Over lunch with someone? Over some diet or new miracle drug? When was the last time YOU spoke with this type of intensity / authority?
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07.27.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 2:17 pm by Bryan Dunn
After addressing the things that the Pharisees taught as being fitting of true righteousness (and knocking them down), Jesus now describes what the character of true righteousness really looks like. If you want to be righteous, then you must do for others what you would want others to do if the situation were reversed. If we treated our neighbors like ourselves, then no neighbor would be mistreated.
Of interest here is that Christ – while not demanding the righteousness of the Pharisees – demanded the righteousness of the law, for what He was teaching was a summary of the righteous requirements of the law.
So, we are to jettison the things that were taught (or piled on) by the religious leaders of that day and actually follow the letter and intent of the law. An interesting thought! What would that mean for us today? How much of God’s word do you have in you? Enough to be righteous as you follow it? Or do you just listen to what others say and do your best to follow their words and examples? If that is the case, how do you know you’re following the right thing?
At this point Jesus points out there is a difference between what He is teaching and what the religious leaders were teaching; a confrontation of two diverse interpretations of what God demanded for acceptance into His presence. Which way should be chosen? Jesus exhorts His hearers (and us) to enter through the narrow way – by hearing His word and accepting His person.
Make no mistake, the narrow path was just that – narrow and uneasy to follow because it was less traveled. As were the requirements Jesus was laying out – they were hard, but were of God. And not much has changed today. We hear that God is love (and He is), that there are many ways to find Him (that’s a lie, He’s not lost and can be seen in creation but only can be ‘found’ in the person of Jesus Christ). Many things are espoused, but God and His requirements have never changed. Who is at the end of your chosen path?
4 – Warning to False Teachers (Matt. 7:15-23)
Here Jesus labels the Pharisees. Most of us don’t like to be labeled (democrat or republican, fundamentalist or liberal, metrosexual, homophobic, etc.). Imagine you are a Pharisee listening to Jesus say verse 15 – false prophets. The Pharisees claimed to be God’s representatives with His message to instruct the nation in His way…right…. Appearances can be deceiving.
So, how can someone tell the difference? The way to tell a false prophet from a true prophet was his life. The Pharisees were to be judged by their fruits. If they were righteous, they would be producing fruit that was righteous. But the proof was in the pudding – looking at the bad fruit they were producing showed that nether they or their system was righteous.
Jesus pronounced judgment on the false system He is rejecting. In verse 19 we see a pronouncement of judgment and that should follow to those that chose to follow the flawed system as well.
Along with this you may notice that lip service is not enough. Look at verse 21 (“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven). Again, this may seem to be a hard saying, but if we’re not fully committed and devoted to only one master, what are we committing or committed to? If it’s not the truth, it (logically) must be something false. Looking through history, it’s hard to tell why wars were fought. Umm, ok, perhaps it is easy! There were opposing sides, and they fought over something that was important at the time. This is the very thing Christ is pointing out here – choose your side! When Jesus ushers in His kingdom, it will be in spite of Pharisaic opposition to the King. And when folks come with the thinking that they too belong because they served in some capacity to the way other men taught them…there will be disappointment. The only way to get in is by putting faith in the person of Christ alone.
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06.19.08
Posted in Bible Study, Gene Cornett at 2:58 pm by Gene Cornett
When there are many needs in a church body there is temptation to press people into more church involvement. However, the church needing help, or this or that program needing more support, is often an ineffective motivation that will not work for most. Most want to invest time, money and effort in what really matters. However, we are not always convinced that every church activity fits that criteria. We need to do some hard thinking about what a church is and does. It is easy for the church to become or for us to think of it as an activities center. That is not our purpose.
So, what is the right motivation for engaging in the ministry of the church? Jesus said to Peter in the context of a substantial conversation in Matthew 16:18 (ESV) “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” There is much that could be said about this verse, but I want to focus on this. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” (italics mine) The church belongs to Jesus. Likely, he was referring to all churches of all time, but the thought fits a local church like Seaford as well. This church, the people who make up Seaford Baptist Church, belongs to Jesus. We are his. He is the head of this church. Of the many implications of that statement, I want you to focus on this: How is Jesus calling you to engage in his church? The right motivation is following God’s call on your life, so our task is to discern, “what is God calling me to do through this church body?” For our ministry involvement to last, we must see it as an act of obedience and out of gratitude for God’s grace extended to us.
Ministry involvement is a much broader idea than the items that would get announced in this monthly newsletter or in the weekly bulletin. The ministry of Seaford Baptist Church is the collective output of every single member of this church as they scatter all over the world during the course of the week, seeking to authentically live out their faith in Jesus. With that definition of ministry, everything you do is potentially an act of ministry, as you seek to offer your life in service to God, doing everything that you do in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Everyone has the opportunity and the responsibility to engage in the world around them daily. However, it seems fair to say that all members should also engage in some identifiable ministry within the body as well. Most of us have come to expect Seaford to have high quality in our ministries, as well as a high quantity of ministries, and we expect it all to be creative and fresh to boot. For that expectation to be met requires us all. So if you are not involved, is that because that is the clear call of God on your life, or is it because of some other reason? (Keep in mind that our ability to rationalize is legendary.) The needs of the body are huge, but don’t engage because of the volume of work, or because you feel sorry for other volunteers, staff or pastors. Engage in ministry because that is God’s call for you and do it with all your heart.
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06.15.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 1:33 pm by Bryan Dunn
In spite of the rejection of His message by the Pharisees, Jesus could anticipate some would receive His word. Because of this, He turns His focus in the sermon to those who wanted to meet God’s high standards for entrance into the kingdom. There are a number of important areas that are touched on.
An earlier rejection of the Pharisaic practice of prayer now leads way to how it should be done. What is the true nature of prayer? One area is that of perseverance in prayer. Look at verse 7 and 8 in the Amplified Bible
7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. AMP
A result of persistent praying is that a believer will receive what is sought. Why is that? God’s nature. Think of yourselves and your families. What father – who has the responsibility to provide for his children – will mock them when a need is presented? The same goes with the faithfulness of God. God, our Father, will not allow Himself to deny needs presented to Him by His children.
However, let me add this, as eloquently put in The Life Application Commentary -
Believers, however, must not take Jesus’ words as a blank check; prayer is not a magical way to obtain whatever we want. Jesus had already explained some conditions on this promise: His followers were to show mercy and forgiveness to others (5:7; 6:12), avoid praying in order to get attention (6:5-6), and be willing to persevere in prayer. Our requests must be in harmony with God’s will (”your will be done,” 6:10), accepting His will above our desires.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
And that’s the rub, isn’t it. When it comes down to it, when we pray, are we in our will or God’s will? Are we persistent in our prayers? Is it really a need, or are our prayers a bunch of wants?
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06.08.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 7:26 pm by Bryan Dunn
The Pharisees practice of setting themselves up as judges of all men – as measured by themselves, of course – is now examined. This should be a fun lesson for those of us chided again and again as others take this verse out of context when we say, observe, or otherwise comment on things that are amiss. When Jesus tells His disciples (and us) not to judge;
- He is not forbidding them (or us) to discern between good and evil.
- He was not forbidding them (or us) to discern between truth and error in doctrine.
- He was not dealing primarily with actions, instead He is instructing on motives behind the actions.
We see results or actions of folks, but it is hard (impossible) for us to see the motives behind the actions. That was no deterrent to the Pharisees, and they claimed to be able to determine the motives and therefore judged the motives of people – and that is expressly what Christ forbade.
The illustration Jesus was using of sawdust and a plank are identical in nature with the difference being the size of the object. Jesus was saying that what one is quick to judge in another is often a major concern in his or her own life. Instead of dealing with the personal problem, is is easier to rally the cry against another – in doing so the spotlight shifts from self to the same problem existing in another. In saying this, again let me point out that we would be mindful of looking at removing impurities in our own lives before we choose to move the spotlight to another and begin to crucify them for similar or identical things.
Then we see the final set of information that indicates that Jesus did not expect the truths that He had been proclaiming to be accepted by the Pharisees (Matt. 7:6). While He did not expect them to accept His standards of righteousness as their own, the Lord’s expectations for His own children is different – we need to do as God instructs.
We have just gone through a whole heap of information where Jesus documents why He rejected Pharisaic interpretations and practices of the law. For us – do we see any indications that we may need to reexamine why we do what we do? How we look at righteousness and expect it to be carried out in our families, homes, churches, society? Would Jesus be overly concerned about our society – or more concerned about how we treat each other and relate to Him?
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06.01.08
Posted in Bible Study, Bryan Dunn at 8:35 pm by Bryan Dunn
An interesting note here is that Jesus ties the desire to accumulate wealth (as viewed by the Pharisees) as a substitute for faith. You know, I want to be secure in my ‘stuff’ too. I really don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck. I’d love to be able to waltz out and purchase exactly what I want (or need) when I want to. I want my kid to have it better than I had it as a kid. Perhaps you are like that as well. That has not been in the cards for me, and maybe a reflection and thanks should be offered up for that. It seems to be a truism that those with material means may not see the need to trust God for needs today and tomorrow. Have a bumper crop? Build bigger storage facilities!
What does Christ say about this – ‘do not worry about your life’. The reasons for this are we are more than just a physical being (vs. 25). If that was all we were, then our concerns for food and clothing would pretty much cover it. Look around now! What makeup, mascara, deodorant, nail polish, body wash, under garments, car, truck, beer, wine, causes (care to go green?) are all things that we may view as must haves or must do’s for various reasons. Recently (yesterday, as I type this) I went to a funeral for a friend. It was different in that we walked from the church to the burial site. Again – I noticed no u-haul or storage pod for all the ‘stuff’ accumulated in the 50 years of this friend’s life. And everything you and I acquire will not leave planet Earth and travel with us to our Heavenly dwelling place, in fact you are working hard to leave your stuff to someone else. Why do we dote and fret so much over it?
Christ emphasized the Father’s care for all of His creatures (vs. 26). And, as a child of The King who cares for the birds, understand He can provide for you and I just as much because we are more valuable to Him than the birds (much to the chagrin of PETA and others of that persuasion). Another reason not to worry about this stuff and our place in it is that we can’t extend life by even a single hour (vs. 27). Even the best project manager and planner can plan well enough to make their design a substitute for faith.
Christ even refers to creation that is inanimate – the lilies and grass. If God, who has taken care of the flowers for quite some time after He created them, continues to nurture and care for them for such a short period of time, we can be certain He will care for His children.
Then Jesus shows that the Pharisees’ concern to provide for the future grew out of their lack of faith. Check out verse 33. Instead of giving a huge portion of the time we have here in pursuit of stuff to provide security for the days ahead, the command is that we put God’s work and His righteousness before all things. We waste a lot of time about the future here on planet Earth when no promise is given to us for any future here – we are headed to a better place!
I can already imagine the comments to be thought or made. How irresponsible! God also told us that if we didn’t care for our own we are worse than infidels! You are taking the red letters of the Bible out of context here! I hear you. I would only ask that you examine your life in this area, pray (communicate) with God on this area. See if you aren’t – in fact – defending a defenseless position as His child. Our time here is fleeting, what is really important?
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