Bible

OUR OLD CATS – WINSTON & CLEMENTINE

/ rpstiver / 1 Comment

A commentary by Randy Stiver (12-2-2022)*

“Hey mister, would you like a kitten—or maybe two?” The two teenaged sisters were sitting on a bench at a country store in rural Ohio doing their homework on a Sunday afternoon – and were trying to give away some small kittens snuggled together in the basket between their young guardians.

“Actually,” I responded, “our family is looking for a good cat. We just moved here this past summer, but “Duke” (short for Marmaduke) our 19-year-old Maine Coon Cat died last spring. However, my friend and I are going deer hunting this afternoon so I can’t take a kitten right now.” 

Then I asked for their parents’ phone number, promising to call the next day. Long story short… their folks showed us several cardboard box tops filled with three litters of active, month and a half to two months old kittens huddled together in the box tops to ward off the autumn chill.

One smaller orange-gold kitten sat bolt upright watching us while all the others hunkered down to stay warm. He reminded us of Duke and was promptly selected. “Take two,” they pleaded, “please take two!” So we picked up a beautiful, slightly larger, tortoise shell female of light brown shades with black and gold-gray highlights.

Home we went with the two free kittens to fill the spot in our lives that the one and only Duke had held. They were summarily named Winston and Clementine after the famous World War Two era, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife. History aficionados never run out of good names for pets!

The two kittens proved to be excellent rodent-control specialists—Winston in particular—and faithful companion pets. Time passed, and on November 21st Clementine died of old age at 16. Now old, yet spry Winston soldiers on a little sadder and lonelier on his own.

Cats in the Bible

God created cats the same as He created every other creature on earth, whether still living or now only a part of the fossil record. But the smaller felines (like our Clementine) were well suited as companion pets whose day job in rural and urban settings was and has been vitally important rodent and pest control.

Looking back

Who knows. Possibly Adam and Eve had a pet cat or two after their exile from the Garden of Eden where they had disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Archeology shows that cats were kept (and sinfully, sometimes worshipped) in ancient Egypt and elsewhere.

God forbids idolatry—whether fabricated, false gods or “god-ifying” people, creatures or things. God loves cats and all the other animals He created. However, He especially loves human beings because we are His children created in His divine image.

Above all the fish, birds and animals—including felines, God gave His human children the incredible potential to be resurrected into His spirit family, thus to inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of God. We must, of course, actively choose good and systematically reject evil in our life-long quest to overcome sin and to faithfully follow Jesus Christ as our Savior.

As creatures we are unique in God’s creation. Much as we appreciate them, cats (and all other pets) do not have the potential for eternal life. Only humankind is made in the image of God and has the destiny of the Kingdom of God.

Cats and character

How do cats or other pets help us build that godly, spiritual character?

We learn persistent kindness and tender heartedness as we care for our pets. This instills in us the loving-kindness of God the Father who feeds the little birds.  “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:20).  Note: as wonderful as pets are, God ranks them below our love for our neighbor and especially our love for God and Christ.

Pets teach balance and value

Caring for a pet or treating animals kindly and with respect in a proper priority schools a child or any person in finding and keeping that vital balance.

Consider the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus asking Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter (read Matthew 15:21-28). She cried out to Him repeatedly—to the point that His disciples requested that Jesus should send her away. Always the “great Teacher” Jesus chose to speak to her and probe her faith a little. He knew it would also be instructive for His disciples – and any uppity Pharisees looking on.

Christ told her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” “Dogs” was an occasional derogatory term then used by the Jews for Gentiles (non-Israelites). Christ was testing both the woman’s understanding and her depth of faith. The dedicated mother persevered in her request for her daughter’s healing when she responded, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

To all His disciples and any Pharisees listening, Jesus’ words had seemed to echo their dismissive opinions about the non-Israelite gentiles. However, He was searching the woman’s faith and teaching all the Jews listening a powerful lesson:  Gentiles (non-Israelites) were and are God’s children too!

However, please note: The “little dogs” who had masters were pets. Pet dogs and cats were therefore not uncommon in the Jewish, other Israelite and Gentile (non-Israelite) communities of the 1st Century. And given the repeating commonality of human nature, the same keeping of pet animals is true in our era.

Take the time to read Proverbs 27:23-27 and Proverbs 12:10 to see firsthand how God wants His people (all of us) to care for our pets as a lesson in loving kindness.

Caring for our pets is a gentle-hearted, character-building duty that has thousands of years of human history behind it. It teaches us to better appreciate God’s creation and to be diligently watchful of our pets and livestock. It also teaches us gentleness, kindness and patience. God desires us to also make sure that above our dear pets, we love God above all and love our neighbors as ourselves.

*This originally appeared as a weekly note sent to my local congregation. If you wish to reprint this commentary or learn more about how to do so, please contact me in the comments below. I reserve my rights to this content, it is not in the public domain for use or reprint without my permission.

What Is America’s Best Holiday…and Why?

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A commentary by Randy Stiver – 11/18/2022 *

The U.S.A. has an official listing of its federal holidays (10 in all). But from the perspective of God’s Word and way, which of the 10 is America’s BEST holiday? Let’s review and weigh each one while striving to see it as Jesus Christ sees it.

Official U.S. Federal Holidays (according to days given off work):

New Year’s Day – January 1

New Year’s Day was a commonly celebrated holiday in ancient Rome—but it was very distinctly not a true Christian day of celebration. The Roman celebrations were typically drunken, adulterous festivals celebrating Roman, pagan deities. Drunken immorality is profoundly not the conduct of true and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther King’s Birthday – the 3rd Monday in January

Dr. King was a courageous man of his time. He helped forge an increased level of freedom under the law for vastly more Americans directly and in principle. Recognizing and valuing great leaders of the nation is worthwhile and important but valuing the Word of God is of even greater importance.

Washington’s Birthday – the 3rd Monday in February

Speaking of courageous men of their times, George Washington became the legendary “father of our country”! The historic, American system of law and governmental function ensuring “freedom for all” was begun during his service as the nation’s first president. He was a great leader, but the day of his birth is still not remotely of the magnitude to be the nations’ greatest holiday.

Memorial Day – the last Monday in May

Memorial Day began in 1868 on May 30th in the aftermath of the Civil War Between States which claimed more American lives than any conflict in its history. Originally called “Decoration Day,” the observance was later moved to the last Monday in May. Remembering one’s national history and ancestors who forged the path for us today is typically a good thing. On the other hand, if a people ignore the troubled times in their history and the right principles and values they and their ancestors have stood for, then they will also soon forget who they are. Identity is forged in remembering. But God has even greater things for us to remember!

Juneteenth National Independence Day – June 19

Rooted in the end of slavery in America at the close of the Civil War between the States, this recently added national holiday is a day of celebrating the freedoms proclaimed in the Emancipation Proclamation. Freedom is a wonderful thing to be treasured by all. And yet, we must always remember the source of true freedom comes through Jesus Christ of the Bible—the true Savior of all mankind.

Independence Day – July 4

Of all the holidays on this list, Independence Day in America is perhaps the most quintessential. It heralds the nation’s freedom and independence from national oppression.

In the Bible Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were prophesied to inherit phenomenal world greatness. Firstborn son Manasseh’s descendants in the end time of this world’s history would become the greatest single nation in world history. The United States of America has fulfilled that prophecy. Joseph’s second born son Ephraim was to become the world’s greatest “company of nations.” The British with its now past but great empire fulfilled that prophecy (see Genesis 48).

American Independence Day marks the separation to the two phenomenal destinies of America and Great Britain.

Labor Day – 1st Monday in September

The proverb says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Jesus backed that prophecy up with His own words, “…My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). A holiday that celebrates good, hard work—especially the direct and specific work of God is worth valuing very highly!

Columbus Day – 2nd Monday in October

When Christopher Columbus sought sail across the sea, he may well have realized that he sailed in the wakes of Jean Cabot under an English flag, Eric the Red and other Vikings, a fair number of adventurous Irish, not to mention King Solomon’s navy of about 1000 B.C. However, in modern times Columbus received the largess of the credit for discovering America.

Veterans’ Day – November 11

Likely every nation has such a day of remembrance for their young citizens who gave their lives defending their homeland. The irony of God’s children in one place striving to destroy God’s children in another place is profoundly sad commentary on the history of mankind from the Garden of Eden forward. But such has always been ever since the tragedy of Cain murdering his brother Able (see Genesis 4:1-15).

However, the sadness of war more significantly devolves from the pre-Adamic rebellion of the arch-angel Lucifer against God’s plan and divine rule. Satan and his followers (the one-third of the angels who rebelled and became demons) attacked God’s faithful angels led by the member of the Godhead we know now as Jesus Christ. On God’s own sacred calendar the spiritual holyday Day of Atonement marks that ancient tragedy (see Isaiah 14:12-21; Ezekiel 28:11-19).

Thanksgiving Day – 4th Thursday in November

Credited to the Pilgrims of Massachusetts in the days of the Plymouth Colony (1660s) when they dined with the native American tribesmen. For the Pilgrims it was a day of thanksgiving for a safe journey to the New World. For the tribesmen it was a peaceful greeting to the newcomers. The modern world’s greatest nation the United States grew from that event. Thanksgiving Day’s true fame comes from the expressions of profound thanks to God for the pilgrims’ safe journey across the sea and for the peaceful reception by the local tribesmen already in North America. O that America and all the nations could just keep that peace! Under Christ and the resurrected saints’ Millennial rule they finally will!

Christmas Day – December 25

This is the supposed day of Jesus Christ’s human birth. However, it’s not only the wrong date—it’s also in the wrong season of the year in ancient Judaea. Winter in both ancient and modern Israel (or Palestine as the Romans called it) was and is a cold season. Shepherds have their sheep in barns at night and they themselves at home in warm beds during the winter. Therefore, the shepherds of the time of Christ would have been out with their flocks during the warmer nights of autumn—but not in mid-winter!

That places the human birth of Christ in the September—October time frame and not in December. The Bible is divinely silent on the exact date, but the season would have had to have been autumn. Jesus Christ knew His mission and His great love for all God’s children. His first coming was to live a perfect life (without sin) and ultimately die for the sins of all humankind—thus providing them the calling to know of and to accept that sacrifice and ultimately be resurrected to live forever in the eternal Kingdom of God.

And now America’s Best Holiday selection…

True freedom comes through the spiritual leadership of Jesus Christ. In the inspired words of the Apostle Paul, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). So, which is America’s (or any nation’s) best holiday?

The answer is that none of America’s holidays equate to God’s holy days which are specifically listed in Scripture. However, one holiday more closely harmonizes with the principles of God’s truth in true Christianity—and that would be Thanksgiving Day. “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, / And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (Psalm 30:4).

Remember its true, spiritual roots, and have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving 2022!

*This originally appeared as a weekly note sent to my local congregation. If you wish to reprint this commentary or learn more about how to do so, please contact me in the comments below. I reserve my rights to this content, it is not in the public domain for use or reprint without my permission.