How good are you presently at looking backward so you can better see forward?
We’re talking history here – so be advised if you tend to underrate the study of the historic past in school or in life generally. Undervaluing the study of history – ancient or modern – is a plague in most human cultures and often in higher educational systems.
Notice how our great God stresses the understanding of history in the heavens and on earth through the writing of King David:
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah.
Psalm 143:5-6
Note that God and His faithful servants—the prophets and later His true Church all existed in history. That history is, by the way, still being made by God’s true Church today. That includes you and me and all our scattered brethren!
However, some in or attached to the Body of Christ (another term for “God’s true Church”) have too long been gambling with inattentive blindness – or are functionally inattentive to the work that our Savior Jesus Christ has been and is doing through his specially chosen faithful few.
What’s the spiritual fix?
How can each of us correct whatever amount of inattentive, spiritual blindness exists in our lives so near the end of this age – putting us so close to the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
The good news is that positive, corrective action is already at our fingertips:
Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”
Jeremiah 6:16
PS: That last sentence of verse 16 is a sad story for those who choose the wrong path. Please carefully disregard the tragically unwise example of the stubborn and foolish.
Ask our great God in your prayers today for eyes to see the old paths that mark the good way. God has the ointment to cure our personal spiritual blindness, but we must ask for it!
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**All images are property of Amanda Stiver, unless otherwise noted. Please do not re-use without permission.
We hosted a brunch at our house on a late Sunday morning many years ago near Elkhart, Indiana where I served as associate pastor in the late summer of 1983. The three guests of honor were three long-retired farmers from the local congregation.
These three men had begun farming before modern tractors were widely manufactured. Clyde grew up working with and training draft horses, and at the time he was 95 years of age. Bill had farmed with mules in northwestern Indiana and he was in his mid-80s. But Hoover grew up farming with oxen down South and was in his late 70s.
By personal contrast I’d grown up tractor farm-ranch operations in northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota. However, compared to their draft animal experience and wisdom, I was humbled and marveled at how little I knew. Their stories added considerably to my appreciation for old-time farming. I’ve recounted one of them before.
High-water
But our story today is about an adventure in which Hoover had to paddle his way safely out of danger during a high-water flood on the lower Mississippi River. His family’s farm was down in the northern part of the state of Mississippi on the shore of that mighty river.
During nearly every one of his growing up years Hoover’s family and their neighbors faced some level of river flooding on their farms. The year of this story was one of the big, high-water floods at a time when the science of major flood control was still in the developmental stage.
Then it started raining
Living along the southern section of America’s “Father of Waters” was not just about the rain coming down where you lived—but about what was flowing down from upstream. The flood was monitored in its early stages much further north along the upper Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Ohio Rivers.
As the rains came down, and the mighty Mississippi’s waters rose to flood their bottom lands, Hoover’s father moved their draft oxen and other livestock up the slopes nearer their house and barn. Over the next couple of days, the water moved up hill, too. Soon the floodwaters were creeping into the kitchen and living room.
It was clear that the flood had not crested. Hoover’s father gathered the family and laid out the plan. He and most of the family would haul as many belongings as could fit in the wagon. In the process they would also drive all the livestock ahead of them to safe, high ground. The camp they set up would be for the duration of the flood.
“Make a boat”
However, there was some concern about river looters who illegally used the pandemonium of big floods to steal whatever they could find in the temporarily vacated dwellings. Therefore, he instructed Hoover and his next younger brother that they would stay at the house to keep an eye on things. If the water got higher they were to move upstairs. But if the water kept rising, the boys were told to “make a boat and come on out to high ground”.
This was a load of responsibility for a 13-year-old! Hoover related that he and his brother felt some trepidation and were a little weepy-eyed watching their family disappear over the crest of the hill, livestock in tow.
Hoover explained to us that this was also when he began to comprehend the seriousness of sincere, believing prayer!
Boat building
Right away the two boys gathered all the boards they thought they’d need to build a makeshift, flood-worthy, flat-bottom boat that would carry themselves, their little dog, some food, rope, tools and a few other odds and ends.
You don’t have to look for motivation when it’s time to escape a big flood! The boat was finished and floating the next morning with the boys on the housetop loading food supplies and extra siding for repairs. Before launching their craft, they released the chickens, ducks and geese to fend for themselves.
With a prayer and some trepidation, Hoover and his younger brother shoved off their raft-boat into the rising waters using paddles made from shorter pieces of barn planks.
Finally, the brothers were making slow but steady headway toward safety. Hoover said it reminded him of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which he had read in school. It was almost a grand adventure as they used their push pole and paddles to make slow but steady progress toward high ground. But it wouldn’t be an uninterrupted trip!
Neighborly rescue
What with fighting the current and rising waters, the boys figured they’d made close to a mile toward safety when they heard the frantic call for help! It was their rather stout, elderly neighbor lady standing on her rooftop. For our purposes we’ll call her Grandma Smith.
Her call for help was a call to duty so the boys made for her house. They paddled up alongside the rooftop and helped her get aboard with her little dog. To balance the load both boys moved to the front and paddled from there. Happily, however, their neighbor had brought a basket of food aboard which helped the boys’ energy levels.
Yet another load
Laboring hard at the oars for another half mile or so, Hoover saw something swimming toward their boat. It looked smaller than a large turtle, maybe a beaver? But it was making straight for their boat. Finally, they could see that it was yet another neighbor’s dog, but this one was a Great Dane!
Grandma Smith began calling to the huge dog encouraging it forward, and Hoover began shouting orders to “Kill that dog! Kill that dog, or he gonna swamp us!” A tough call for a young fellow, but one more animal aboard their raft would swamp it and drown them all.
Hoover lost the argument, however, and a compromise was achieved. Grandma Smith, seated aft on the boat, got the dog’s head and front paws on the rear edge of the raft and held on to its collar as it paddled along behind. And onward the boys toiled at the oars.
Hailed by the Law
By late afternoon Hoover, his brother, their dog, their neighbor Grandma Smith with her little dog and a very large rescue dog were still making slow but sure headway to safety where the Woods’ family and livestock were camped.
The current carried our young rescuers around the curve of the slope leading to the high, dry ground for which they hoped. Then they heard the throaty rumble of a boat motor. As Hoover expected, it was the sheriff’s large motor launch.
The sheriff recognized the Woods boys and immediately call out, “Hoover, do you all need to be rescued?”
Hoover called back across the water, “No sir, Sheriff. We be fine here. We’re headed to high ground where the family has taken our livestock. You all go on ahead and rescue the folks what need’s rescuin’.”
Reassured, the sheriff motored on to do exactly that. Hoover and his brother, their neighbor lady, and all three dogs paddled on to a safe and happy rendezvous with their family long about dark.
The lesson
Hoover summed up the lesson from his farm adventure. When trouble comes your way: “Pray for God’s help. Gather your necessities. Help others in need. And then put your shoulder to the oars and make for high ground!” Don’t be afraid when trials come your way. Do what you know is right to do, and trust that God will provide what you lack.
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**All images are property of Amanda Stiver, unless otherwise noted. Please do not re-use without permission.
Of course, the world is more like it is now than it’s ever been before! Wars and rumors of wars. But the question is why the world is in the miserable condition it’s in now?
Sunrise, sunset… a day, a week, a month, a year has always led to another ever since creation. Even the events of those weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries bear similarity – and that’s due in great part to the worldwide continuity of selfish human nature. History repeats itself!
The corrupting influence
God inspired the apostle Paul to pen this passage of Scripture: “…the carnal [that is, physical] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Add to that the passage in Genesis 3 where evil thinking was taught to the first human family – Adam and Eve – through the slick enticement Satan’s lying lectures. Never underestimate the overweening, destructive influence of that evil, fallen angel and his demonic cohorts!
From the time God specially created that first human family humanity has lived an up-and-down, often chaotic, mostly selfishly motivated history. We see this today in the war in Europe, the horrific attacks on Israel this past October, and now the war in the Middle East. These aren’t the first, or even yet the worst wars, the world has ever seen, but they remind us that humanity hasn’t overcome anything that was instigated from that first deception.
Sin’s tragedy compounded
At the evil instigation of the serpent (Satan the Devil in masquerade) our first parents, Adam and Eve, ignored God’s loving command to eat specifically from the Tree of Life.
Instead, they chose to listen to the Devil’s evil prompting and ate fruit from the specifically forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That wrong choice bore continuous, negative fruit, in effect initiating what has become “this present, evil age” (see Galatians 1:4).
Every generation from Adam to now has essentially perpetuated the sins of disobeying the loving commands of our Creator. And our society continues to reject the 10 Commandments right into our day now. Perhaps saddest of all, is that most of the Christianity of our age, and several centuries past, has systematically rejected God’s law as well (particularly the Sabbath command), proclaiming it “done away with”. If “Christianity” cannot respect God’s way, how can the rest of the world have any hope to do so?
But what about you?
Do you have to perpetuate the sinful mistakes of Adam and Eve?
The answer is a resounding NO!
Forget the old, physical world and its evil ways! Systematically seek a closer relationship with God our Father and His Son – our Savior, Jesus Christ. Request a daily progress report of yourself: Am I keeping God’s law and upholding His way of life? As the Passover approaches in a few months, it’s a good time to start examining ourselves in light of our baptism covenant with God.
As every other human who has or will ever live, we owe everything, including life itself to Jesus Christ our Savior and to God our Father! Live your life dedicated to that dynamic destiny offered by our Savior in the soon-coming Kingdom of God!
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A fine, warm spring morning in northern Indiana – just right for remembering and sharing good stories about life on the farm in America back in the days of the Great Depression of the 1930’s—or even before—and at the same time mulling over these accounts in the light of life in God’s true Church.
Three senior sons of the soil (farmers, then retired) came to our house that Sunday morning for a buckwheat pancake brunch with all the tasty trimmings and good, strong, fresh-roasted and brewed black coffee. They were part of our northern Indiana congregation, at that time in Elkhart.
In his early 90’s Clyde was the oldest of our “crew.” He had a long career in breeding, training, and farming with massive draft horses in north-central Indiana.
He told us about training a very promising young colt back when he was a young fellow himself. It was a beautiful spring day and the “colt”, in harness with its mother, was plowing a corn field to prepare it for planting.
His first season in harness, the colt was now big and strong (already virtually the size of the mare), pulling his weight and more. Everything about him was promising. Clyde had a lot invested in this young horse.
Into the pit!
How often in life does this next kind of circumstance happen? Just as he held the reins and strode behind the plow, savoring all the planning and effort he had put into the colt – disaster struck!
The mare suddenly disappeared! It was as if the field had swallowed her! And the full-grown colt was standing in a sink hole up to his withers. The mare was lying on her side with her legs beside the colt’s massive shod hooves. One panicked stomping by the young horse would break the old mare’s legs – and the sink hole would become her grave! This was a critical moment for Clyde.
The family farm was a “muck farm.” Part of their fields had been a bog when the pioneer generation arrived. Typically, the bogs were drained to increase the acreage for farming vegetables and grain—like corn in Clyde’s case.
From time to time the dense amount of organic material in the bog would spontaneously combust beneath the soil. As the underground fire burned the combustible material, it left a hollow shell of soil on the surface. It was often the fate of the farm’s draft animals to “discover” these muck holes. Depending on the depth of the hole, sometimes the severely injured draft animal was simply shot and buried in the unwelcome grave.
That was a jolt for those of us listening to the story. Warming to his dramatic farming tale, he continued the unfolding events…
A still small voice
Clyde ran to the colt standing upright in the sinkhole. He grabbed the face harness and calmly spoke to the younger horse. His voice also calmed the mare who lay in peril below the field’s surface.
Clyde then systematically disconnected the colt from the plow harness. All the while gently urging the horse to remain still. Back in the day, draft horses were routinely trained to respond to specific, human voice commands. It was in an emergency such as this that an experienced professional horse handler’s calm, confident voice and encouraging touch became absolutely critical!
At last, the disconnect was done. Now, the rescue…
Leap to safety!
Holding the colt’s head harness, Clyde quietly prepared the younger horse for the jump up and out of the sinkhole.
This was a great test of Clyde’s draft horse skills and careful training techniques! Continuously speaking commands, the mighty muscles of the powerful young horse began to tense, little by little, until they were coiled like a spring. Only then did Clyde give the command for the colt to jump!
Up and out of the “muck hole” in one clean, fell swoop the grown-up colt launched and landed on solid ground! Finally, the old mare, still uninjured, was able to rise, gathering her feet beneath her for the climb out of the sink hole to safety.
The Master’s voice
The obvious spiritual lesson we draw from this true story is that the two horses had faith in and responded to their young master’s commands. We must learn to always be ready to have faith in our own loving Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The question is – how well do we listen?
All of us present gave a great sigh of relief as Clyde finished his horse rescue story! After appreciating the well-told lesson, Bill, a mule-man, and Hoover, an ox drover, each proceeded to tell their stories about farming in their youth. But that’s fodder for another story soon to come…
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
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It seems like everyone today wants things…money, high political or business office, community status, position, fame, and fortune (material goodies) …. Etcetera, ad infinitum!
And so, a lesson from the past…
However, there was a wonderful song from decades ago called “Stout-Hearted Men”, composed by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The words are all about the fact that the world needs… and people are looking for… a few stouthearted—brave and courageous—men.
The song, included in the 1940 musical film, New Moon, is set to a marching tune and carries a good and positive motivational message. It’s catchy and inspiring, gathering up the audience with its enthusiasm!
The lyrics and music are still under copyright, so I can’t print them here, but I encourage you to go to the page and read and listen to them.The stirring music makes the poetry come alive!
How stout is your heart?
Listening to – or just imagining the lyrics like this automatically starts a person thinking about his or her own stout-heartedness—as well as that of others.
The big question is: whose heart in human history was the stoutest heart of all? Three guesses and the first two don’t count!
You know the answer!
But…how fervently do you believe what Jesus Christ inspired to be written in God’s Word? Does the gospel of the soon-coming Kingdom of God energize your prayers, your meditation, and your diligence in overcoming?
Thankfully, some people in the world’s public – even today – see at least the need for the essential, character qualities of actual, spiritual, stout-hearted men, women and children! Unfortunately, so much of that spiritual grit is motivated by “wars and rumors of wars” (see Matthew 24, especially verse 6).
Yet understand, God has not called the whole world’s population to repentance and faith in His truth… yet—at this time! In due course He will, but not yet.
Securing our own “stout hearts”
Nevertheless, that dynamic, courageous energy should be pulsating within the hearts of the brethren of the true Church of God today!
Every individual since Adam and Eve will have his or her unique opportunity of God’s personal, special, calling to true and faithful repentance. Though, for all of us in the true Body of Christ today—and you know who you are—this is our chance to understand God’s truth and spiritually overcome.
The opportunity, the path to resurrection in the Family of God, is being offered to us now – today! Make sure that you energetically respond to that calling to the true faith of Jesus Christ. To borrow the rhythm from the song, let us become spiritually stout-hearted brethren in God’s true Church!
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
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Please puzzle this perplexing passage of Proverbs:
The leech has two daughters—Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, four never say, “Enough!”: The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says “Enough!” (Proverbs 30:15-16).
God personally inspired the writers of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (mostly King Solomon himself) to produce a collection of boiled-down-to-the-essence, powerful, pronouncements of divine wisdom.
The Proverbs weren’t just sage observations of itinerant wise men! They were God’s own inspired, authoritative statements of His divine wisdom making clear the wise and true action in any situation. What an incredible example of spiritual and physical success—if only Israel had correctly acted on God’s Word!
Don’t let yourself make their mistakes!
Wisdom was meant to spread
In the process of Jesus’ first coming He gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all persons, peoples and nations.
With His resurrection by God the Father, Jesus Christ launched the true biblical and historical Church God. He had prepared it’s launch during His ministry by calling and training the 12 Apostles as His true Church’s initial human leadership.
The true, divine wisdom of God’s spiritual calling and understanding His way of life was and continues to be spread in anticipation of His second coming. The great challenge has always been getting the truth past the lies and false religions, paganism and false Christianity included, that permeate the world.
Back to the beginning
The third chapter of Genesis demonstrates that from the get-go in the Garden of Eden mankind has teetered on the verge of self-imposed disaster! We find there the lying serpent—none other than Satan the Devil manifesting himself as a snake, but who had originally been a holy angel until his rebellion. The devil tempted the original couple to eat of the forbidden (by God) tree and Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s lies, which set in motion active evil thinking in the culture of humanity.
Through them the Devil cleverly lied to all their descendants (including us today) as well as however many people are still to come before Christ returns.
Sin was not the invention of Eve or Adam. God’s plan required that each of the His created spirit being helpers [angels] must also personally choose the way of good and reject the way of evil. That test of truth has taken place and fully one third of the angels, let by Satan, rejected honest good and deliberately chose deceptive evil.
Ultimately, every human must also choose good and reject evil. But before the final form of that test can be taken by mankind each must have his or her mind opened by God to know specifically what good is and what evil is. God Himself defines both.
The Devil’s nasty work in our age
Satan deserves the lion’s share of guilt for introducing a culture of lies and deception. After beguiling and convincing first Eve and then Adam to reject God’s command, and then to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (see Genesis 3). No doubt he convinced them that the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil would open their minds to even greater wonders! The “wonders” of depravity and destruction.
Sadly, that immoral sales pitch still works! In its twisted way modern man still symbolically consumes the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Continuing to feed the fires of sin, evil, and violence that resulted in almost continuous warfare for nearly 6,000 years of human history.
What God’s faithful should do today?
Stand your guard. Listen and beware of the spouting of evil – the false values of life that drive society today.
Read and study God’s Word. Highlight the foundational truths that undergird godly wisdom: God’s law, His plan of salvation pictured through the annual holydays, the value God put on human life when Jesus Christ gave His life to pay for the sins of humankind.
Actively seek the true values (God’s true ways of living). Ask God to open your mind and sharpen your awareness of and moral resistance to the evil ways and false reasoning driving today’s world.
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
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The “Millennium,” (literally meaning 1000 years) has long been an intriguingly profound, prophetic term within the historic, Sabbath-keeping Church of God.
Jesus and His apostles identified the Millennium, through many clear prophecies, as a critical turning point in future history. Beginning with His second coming, it marks the epoch in which Christ will rule all the nations on earth for a thousand years.
While the following verse seems to be about a change in animal nature, Note how Isaiah’s inspiring prophecy highlights the dramatic change in human nature…
“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord” (Isaiah 65:25). Is this only about animals? What do verses 17 through 25 tell us about what God desires?
Are people tamed too?
God’s plan from the outset has not been to spiritually convert animals. Nor was it God’s plan to merely “tame” people!
Repentant humanity (those who choose to repent, believe and live God’s way of life as Jesus taught) are God’s children and will be offered eternal life in the soon-to-come Kingdom of God – just as Christ’s millennial age commences.
Our carnal (meaning: physically oriented) minds must be changed through our personal repentance and response to God’s calling.
True, spiritual conversion is based on a fundamental, spiritual core-change in our individual lives, choosing to surrender our will and values and fully embrace the mindset and values of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Now back to the future middle of the Millennium
As part of the true, historic Church of God we’ve invested most of our prophetic, “world tomorrow” thinking on the cataclysmic events at the end of this age leading to Christ’s second coming.
We’ve also spent time analyzing and contemplating the early events in the Millennium itself… the establishment of world peace, the overhaul of education to be truly Christ focused, etc. Our concentration focused in on the early months, years, and decades after Christ’s return.
That deep, biblical thinking yielded—and still yields—rich insight into the Kingdom of God on earth—as well as how we should be living God’s way right now – today!
But at, say, the year 500 mark of “the” Millennium what will human culture and society be like? Think about that—because there’s another 500 years to follow before the 1,000 years of Christ’s rule ends. And so on, after that…because life is eternal in the Kingdom of God!
What will a culture without Satan (who will no longer be allowed to influence humanity from just after the second coming of Christ) be like? What will a culture shaped by the leadership of God, the Father, Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints, rather than self-centered human nature, be like?
Think of it…no more deception…no more conflict…and no more culture of disobedience. No war, just peace. It’s hard to imagine in our world now, isn’t it?
Culture based on cooperation
Without conflict at its core, what will entertainment be like? Books? What will we do without murder mysteries? Music? Without angst, how will composers and writers compose?
What about government that serves God first and is based on outgoing concern for others? A concept hard to imagine in our present, conflict driven political culture.
What about religion (remember, there won’t be any “way”, but God’s way!)? How will industry function without competition? What about family life and marriages based on cooperation? Without conflict in these foundational building blocks, how will that change the whole society?
What about stewardship of the planet? How will the productivity of the earth change when humanity works with what God created instead of against it?
As we enter the last day of the Feast and the Last Great Day soon begins, spend some time pondering these intriguing questions! And most importantly, how can you begin to apply that “conflict-less” culture in your own life now?
God’s way is profoundly deep and richly meaningful! Let’s celebrate the conclusion of the Feast being ever grateful that we are invited to be a part of it!
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
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If you’ve kept “the Feast” for few or many years you immediately understand the meaning of that joyful, truth-filled, opening night greeting.
If you’re new to God’s annual holy days, then you too may soon comprehend the sense of purpose, the historical mission, and the marvel of prophetic detail that God built into His plan of salvation and true way of life!
Savor the following rich visuals in this prophecy about the “the wonderful world tomorrow,” as the true Church of God in the 20th century often described Jesus Christ’s anticipated, literal rule of all the nations during the millennial age beginning with His second coming:
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6).
Even the most urbanized individuals recognize the dramatic, predator vs. prey contrast in that prophecy. In our world today wolves and large felines routinely kill and eat lambs and other herbivore prey that may happen by. That change of animal (especially in carnivore) nature will be a reflection of a far more important change in the nature of mankind.
Clearly, it isn’t the animals that God is in the process of saving! It’s people…all the humans made in His image from Adam and Eve on into the deep future.
The dramatic predator-prey contrast illustrates the greatness of God’s plan of salvation for humanity. It captures your imagination!
Of all God’s creation human beings are the ones given that incredible destiny to choose life and live through spiritual conversion and later resurrection to eternal life in the Kingdom of God!
That incredible, spiritual potential for humanity includes those whom God calls to choose His way of life now. But eternal life will also be offered to future humanity who live into the one thousand years of Christ-governed peace, and then, after that, to historical humanity through a second resurrection to physical life, and a first opportunity to genuinely know the true God.
Savor these eight days, and all the deep prophetic and spiritual meaning. That’s what the Feast of Tabernacles is all about!
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
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Who are you? Where do you come from? Who’s your family? What do you do? How would you answer important, personal identity questions like these?
Let’s imagine for a minute that we’re interviewing a very outgoing lady circus performer. We say “hello” and she says something like, “Hi there, I’m Sally Sue from Peru – Peru, Indiana, that is.”
Interestingly, Peru (locally pronounced pee-roo), Indiana was no doubt a great place to call home. Historically, it was the headquarters for the Haganbeck-Wallace Circus Company which was the primary rival to the famous Ringling Brothers Circus in the early 1920s.
Peru has long billed itself as the “circus capital of the world” and has maintained the International Circus Hall of Fame for some considerable time.
However, regarding the imaginary Sally Sue, would being a Peru, Indianian be the sum-total of her identity? The answer is “no” and there is a great reason why!
Many hats – that is, identities, to wear
To start with, our imaginary Sally Sue would be an American—in addition (obviously) to being an Indianian. She and her comrades in circus entertainment would also have identified themselves as performers in one or typically more circus skills… trapeze artist, trick-rider, sharpshooter, clown, exotic animal trainer, ticket seller, tent set-up worker, and/or announcer, etcetera and so on. Circus people often wore many hats when the Big Show went on the road!
Similarly, we each have several or more physical identities or roles in life. We start as infants, then grow into children. Our parents and schoolteachers ideally instruct us how to be ever more responsible children, then adolescents and finally adults—and in due course to be good parents ourselves.
Early on we learn to be chore doers, students of ever more complex fields of study… Hopefully our instruction includes how to be a good sport as well as skilled in a remarkably wide variety of games and endeavors. When old enough to work a part-time job we begin to take on the identity of a worker.
The list of skills with each its own influence on our overall, individual identities and increasing abilities is really quite remarkable.
Now consider our new, spiritual identity
When God calls us out of this present, evil world and into the true, historic Church of God each of us at repentance and baptism begins a new spiritual identity. That and the beginning of a greater depth of spiritual understanding of God’s Word and plan of salvation. If we do our part in prayer and personal Bible study we notably grow in grace and the knowledge of the true God of the Bible (there is a distinct, though sometimes seemingly subtle, difference between the God that traditional Christianity worships, and the true God of the Bible). For that gift of understanding God’s Word, way and future plan for us and all humanity, we ought to be ever thankful!
The apostle Paul was inspired to write: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5).
Our spiritual growth
Through our personal repentance for our sins which are the transgressions of God’s holy, perfect and righteous law… and our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master, High Priest in heaven and soon-coming King… God calls or will call us out of this present, evil world and into His historic, true Church of God that Jesus Christ personally built.
Though we’re still the various people that we were physically—through repentance, faith, baptism and the laying on of hands by one of Christ’s true ministers we are or will be therewith invested with God’s Holy Spirit through the process of spiritual conversion. And through that process God gives each of us our new identities in Christ and in His soon-coming Kingdom of God.
Much more yet to come…
Thus…“beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
That revealing will take place at Christ’s second coming. God speed the day!
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
*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.
Some 2,000 years ago at His first coming Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and the son of man, walked the earth as a human being. Never breaking any of the divine commandments, He lived the absolute, perfect life without sin. Would that we had faith like that now!
As the term is used, Christ was “mission focused” in living that perfect life.
He then, being God as well as man, could give, that is, sacrifice His life so repentant humans could upon their own repentance and faith have their sins forgiven, opening the door for them to ultimately be resurrected to eternal life in the divine and eternal family of God.
In the gospel of Luke is recorded one of Jesus’ parables containing that vital ingredient we humans must have to spiritually overcome that we each may also be resurrected into God’s eternal Kingdom. Here’s the story in the parable:
Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me”
Luke 18:1-5
Jesus’ story makes the solution of entering the eternal Kingdom of God crystal clear. The widow’s dedicated persistence in petitioning the “unjust judge” finally motivated him to take the needed action on her behalf:
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:6-8
Note to self: there is no person (official or not) who can resist the determined faith of one of God’s truly true worshipers—who just keep on coming—and never gives up—never surrenders!
Challenge yourself each day to remember those words of Christ and apply them—no matter what the day holds—Do not lose heart!
– Commentary by Randy Stiver
*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.
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