A Personal Reflection on Sheep and Goats

Lessons from the farm.

Written and published by Jean-Louis. 12/2012

You can also read a story from the farm in 2 parts  HERE

Becoming a goat farmer
In 1972, I had the privilege and the blessing of living on my brother´s goat farm for 3 years. Being born and raised and having lived all of my life in cities, I hardly could tell the difference between a carrot top and a potato leaf.

The Lord had his reasons to let me take a detour at that point in my life which I was to understand years later. I had strayed away from the Lord, the Bible and the church after graduating from college in the US and was about to experience the unpleasant and painful discipline of my loving Heavenly Father which as all of us former backsliders know is for our own good and in the end bring a harvest of righteousness.

Looking back at the hardships, it feels a little bit like the episode of Jacob working for his uncle Laban. The rewards were not material but the lessons learned, the perspectives and insights gained from the simple life of a shepherd, animal husband, gardener, cheese maker, and all the farm functions and activities taking place around the seasons prove to be an invaluable help in my own and others´spiritual growth.

Having a melancholy nature prone to enjoying solitude and meditating, observing nature, animals and people have always been one of my favorite past time.

So the farm environment was ideal and conducive to my perpetuating the family tradition of farming and raising animals since my French ancestors on my father´s side were farmers in Southern France until they immigrated to Algeria.

When I came to the farm, we had a small herd of goats which grew to a good size of 40 after 2 years of selecting the best milk producers from the kids born on the farm. My brother and I did everything manually, from milking 20 goats each, morning and evening to making the cheeses in the specially air humidity and temperature controlled room whose environment requirements left very little tolerance for errors.

Since we had a lot of additional pasture land that could be rented out to other farmers, we had an agreement with the owner of the land to barter some of the grazing pastures for about his 20 ewes in exchange for some  lambs born the following years.

As it happened most of the births were female twins, so pretty soon we had a sheep herd of our own without any effort on our part since most of the time in the summer they stayed out at night during the good weather. We would bring them into the barn to provide shelter during a storm, examine them for injuries or disease or to fleece them.

I loved my goats. I knew each of them by name since they had to be registered with their pedigree in the official registry. When I called them in the evening they would come in a single file and knew which one of the 2 doors were theirs because the newborns needed to be separated from the mother to be fed separately.

No need to count them, their strong personality was so distinct that I would know which ones were straggling behind and I would go get them.

Nothing to do with hair color

However, there was one ugly all black (the other ones were brown Alpine goats with a black stripe on their back). She was part of the original motley herd that my brother bought initially.

My brother and his wife kept her because they felt sorry for her and were using their emotions and did not want to see that if they kept her, she would ruin their struggling business that was sustaining 7 persons.

Let me explain how bad that goat was! She did not give any milk at all, completely dry and worthless as far as belonging to a milk farm. She would eat the others´ fodder and then lay down on the top of the hay to prevent the other ones, even the small ones from eating. She was also soiling the clean hay.

But that´s just the beginning. My brother has kept her 2 years tolerating that kind of behavior because of his compassion for animals. Our goats were grazing within the perimeters of their fenced pasture. One of their favorite foods was tree leaves that they would reach resting their front hooves on the fence. But then, having eaten all the available leaves, the nameless ugly goat would jump the fence first.  She was the leader of the pack. I don´t know what attracted the buck - she didn´t smell like Channel #5 - but he would follow her and since all the other goats followed him as the alpha billy, soon the whole herd was across the fence in the neighbor´s tree nursery eating the saplings ready for sale.

So the neighbor would come and complain with a bill for damages in his hand.

So after a few convincing arguments, my brother finally gave in to my plea and let me kill the goat. Since we wanted to get something out of her after all that nuisance, I roasted her with spices to at least give her a chance to redeem herself in death.

To our great disappointment, her meat was hard and tasteless and ruined our dinner.

That´s how bad she was!

The other goats were a delight to take care of. They were bounding with energy, funny and mischievous, with an endearing personality especially the little ones who were so affectionate. One of them thought she was my dog or a sheep and kept hanging around with me when the other ones were spread out grazing in the pasture.

When I came aboard, there were few grazing fenced fields . Since we did everything by hand, it took a long time to complete one pasture. After 2 years, we had finally finished a good number of fences so we could rotate and give the grass time to grow till we allowed more animals in.

Don´t get hung up on personality

You might wonder where this is leading to and what it has to do with the spiritual life.

As I mentioned before goats are full of life and fun to be around, they know how to attract attention and bring a smile with their antics. They are very personable and charming. 

By contrast sheep are kind of dull, boring, with not a whole lot of striking personality. They rarely venture out on their own although some of them are known to stray due to some weakness or when their fleece get soggy and heavy or entangled in a fence or shrubbery.  They are for the most part docile and submissive animals in need of a shepherd and feel safe and secure in group sharing the grass and lying down while ruminating.  

In the morning when I led the goats out to graze before they had their own pasture, I observed that the sheep were huddled together in one spot and that they did not move from that one spot before having eaten all the grass down to the ground closest to them.

By contrast, the goats would start munching on one spot and then moving on, literally running to get there first, to another spot in any direction without any sense of a herd moving together. In the process they were soiling the grass for the sheep and complaining with loud bleating that they were ready to enjoy another pasture and if we were a little too slow they would jump the fence and go their own way. No respect for rules, limits or letting others enjoy their meals and no sense of gratitude but complaining and letting you know their impatience by their demanding tone of voice. 

By the way, goats bleat differently than sheep, they say something resembling a self - centered meeee, meeee instead of a cry for help to our Father, Ba, Ba which would be  baby talk from the Hebrew Abba , Father as in English Dada for Dad or in Portuguese Papai for Pai. 

Oh, the things you can learn on a farm!

Back into the sheep flock

A few years later when the Lord helped me to reintegrate the flock, I started observing people in church and some comparisons started emerging that reminded me of the behavior I had witnessed on my brother´s farm among the sheep and the goats.

I know that we are not to judge people lest we be judged by the same standards we judge and that our salvation does not depend on what we do but on our trust in the Lord Jesus finished work for us and that we are kept and sanctified by his grace through faith until the day of redemption of our bodies.

However the word tells us to be wise and prudent, observe our surroundings and take action when necessary.

A lot is being said and written about wolves in sheep´s clothing, false teachers and false prophets, but little is mentioned about sheep and goats.

We know that a judgment will be held and sentence executed between sheep and goats after the tribulation. Matthew 25:31-46.

One thing struck me as evidenced by what I observed on the ground. The sheep in the judgment were not aware of the recipient of their good and benevolent actions. They did that because they had the heart of a sheep. They fed on the Word of God. They rested and meditated on it day and night (Psalm 1), they gave out of what had received by faith and putting their love into actions without expectation of return. What can one expect of a prisoner, or of a hungry man? They gave food and garment which is what the sheep does with its meat and wool.

This is one the mark of a sheep who is so connected with his Shepherd that he is most of the time unaware and consequently doesn´t take the credit and the glory that it is he, himself that is the origin of what he says and does because he acts naturally with the supernatural power of God working through him his will and his purpose. How many times have you said or done something to another person and have heard them asked: How did you know that´s what I needed to hear or the help that I needed? You didn´t know but the Holy Spirit knew and used you when you were obedient and abiding in Him.

On the other hand, the goats were oblivious of the good they withheld because it was not profitable to them.

I also noticed that the sheep huddled together and weren´t too preoccupied with the goats doing their antics. My brother and I were in charge and we had to find a solution as caretakers. That tells you a lot about a great number of so called pastors nowadays who don´t know if they are tending sheep or goats. Pasture hopping is a game that happens when the goats get bored or are not satisfied with the food and spoil it for everybody else, although you can also train a sheep to jump a fence with enough practice and enticement.

We have to ask if the leader himself or to be more up to date herself is a goat in disguise. It is also possible that some goats whether they be leaders or followers don´t even know that they are goats because of satan´s deception.  

The sheep are thorough and careful in their eating and wait until the Shepherd gives them a command to go and lead to another pasture not knowing what to expect but trusting that He will take care of them.

A characteristic of false prophets and false teachers is that their teachings and revelations do not benefit anyone. Instead they seduce and blind their followers with the pernicious errors of their ways and lead them to abandon the way of truth and righteousness and follow after other gods and doctrines of demons.

Like that useless, tasteless, destructive goat they are following their master the goat-head- shaped androgenous hybrid god, named baphomet of the free masons who likes to disguise himself as an angel of light to destroy as many as he can with his illusionist tricks and his snake oil charlatan salesmanship. 

Discerning by the Word

We can learn how to recognize and identify bad shepherds, false prophets and false teachers because the Lord has given us ample instruction in his word concerning them.

Jeremiah 23 speaks of the Lord Jesus our Good Shepherd, the bad shepherds and the false prophets in Israel. Their characteristic features and the way they promote themselves and their agenda that can be applied to the church environment today.

Note the prominence of the word as opposed to the worthlessness of straw.  “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’  How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?  They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me^. Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

Just as there are tares among the wheat, and as a good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit and you cannot gather grapes on a thorn bush, we can see that it is an exercise in futility to expect a goat to act like a sheep.

We can ask the question: Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23

Application
Then knowing the answer, what are we to do? Look it up in Paul´s epistles giving instructions on what to do with people who distort the Word of God, who sow discord among the sheep, who act more like goats than sheep.

Don´t be naïve and credulous. Check everything in the word and see if it is in line with what the Scriptures declare. Talk to somebody more knowledgeable that you trust, a bible teacher that believes in the inerrancy of the Scriptures and teaches from the whole counsel of God, prophecy included and belief in the soon return of Christ as prophesied by the OT prophets, Christ himself and the Apostles. 

Keep your eyes and ears opened, feed yourself with the good grain instead of chaff and straw. Don´t spend a lot of money on charismatic apostolic movement conferences in the hope of receiving an impartation, a fresh anointing from somebody who tells you he has the latest authoritative revelation from a spirit who happens to be lying and unholy.

Follow the advice of Isaiah 55:1-3  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.² Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness^.  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (KJV)

Guard you heart for out of it flow the issues of life. Stay in close connection with the people you know you can trust who love the Lord and produce good fruit helping you grow in knowledge and wisdom and a closer communion with the Lord. Hang around, huddle and share with sheep! Remember, goats don´t like to hang around sheep, they are too impatient, that seems to explain why some “sheep” are always looking for the latest dazzling firework and groovy (showing my age!) worship and praise music that will give them warm fuzzies, hypnotize and anesthetize them against the demands of denying ourselves, carrying our cross, following Jesus our Good Shepherd wherever he leads us his sheep. So usually they leave and go somewhere else. 

Conversely, if you find yourself in a congregation whose majority appear to be goats, then you might have to move to a herd of sheep which is harder to find these days. If you are a sheep, you might get a check in your spirit that you are not in the right place and that if you stay there too long your soul will shrivel and your spirit will starve on this kind of diet of pop rock Christian musical entertainment and very little spiritual food from the lack of a steady expository preaching and teaching of the word. 

The only remedy for a goat is to be transformed into a sheep by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, convicting him /her to repent, and receive Christ, for forgiveness by his sufficient grace through faith, be born again of the Spirit, believing that Christ died for their sins and was resurrected to give them the free gift of eternal life.

Summing up
I have been blessed to sit under the leadership and teaching of some pastor/teacher that had a heart of a shepherd and a love for their congregation. It was such a joy, and it gave me a sense of family fellowship and working together serving the Lord and each other and functioning as a body fulfilling the purpose for which we were created anew through the new birth. I remember them with a heart full of love and gratitude for their dedication and abnegation in their service. I am thankful to the Lord that we met and walked together part of the way. They helped me grow and by their example modeled what it is to be a caring, impartial, patient, wise, authentic, hardworking, selfless, a conscientious  student of the word and a persistent, fearless person representing faithfully our Lord to the congregation entrusted to them and a testimony to the world around them.

If you have such a pastor, you are blessed with a shepherd after God´s own heart.    
Then this exhortation from Paul in Hebrews 13:17-20 is for us and together we can say “Amen” to the encouragement of the benediction. 

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. 

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Preach the Gospel - and by all means use the Word of God

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 12/2012

 
SOUND DOCTRINE

-       Yet I am not ashamed, because I know WHOM I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1:12-14.

STAND FIRM. HOLD ON

-       So then brothers, stand firm and HOLD ON TO THE TEACHINGS we passed on to you whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17.

• WHAT DO WE HAVE OF LASTING ETERNAL VALUE? let´s meditate on that.
•  The Lord Jesus to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia:  I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11.
• “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” II Corinthians 4:7.
• The jars of clay (our bodies).  For God made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. II Cor. 4: 6.

To summarize:

-        God´s part: John the Baptist giving his testimony about who Jesus is: A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. John 3:22.

-       Jesus praying to the Father: For the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. John 17:8 NASB

-        Our part: Jesus said: Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew    10:8

So now that we know what to hold on to, what we have, what we have been given and that we are to give, what do we do? 

1. If a person wants to feel really humble and use one of those clichés that sounds really spiritual, here is one cop out tantamount to substituting grace through faith or adding works to grace with the social gospel “Preach the Gospel and use words if necessary” (quote attributed to Francis of Assisi). Reams of articles have been written on the subject, so no need to explain. But when in doubt Google!

 
The opposite that sounded also quite spiritual used to be the fashion statement when I grew up in Catholic France and was asked “ Are you a Catholic?” the answer would be: “I am not practicing but I believe”. The worst of it was that I really was living in a schizoid, make believe phony world of existential philosophy until 

the Lord intervened and revealed himself, his unfailing grace and his love for me a miserable sinner that had broken every one of his commandments and offended his Glorious Majesty, thus deserving hell reserved for the devil, his angels and rebellious independent, self-sufficient human beings that refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of their Creator over his creatures and receive on his terms his way of reconciliation and peace he provided through the substitute sacrifice of His son Jesus-Christ on the cross 

• through the preaching of his Word, 
• through my reading of the Beatitudes that revealed my total inability to measure up to God´s standard of holiness and earn my salvation through my own efforts, being a wretch that I was and 
• my need for a Savior and 
• the love and faith in action of the Christians around me. 

2.  Or like Paul, we can say: It is written, “I believed, therefore I have spoken” with the same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak”. II Cor. 4:13. 

Peter obeying his Lord said to the crippled beggar:

-        Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. Acts: 3:4.

We are not given in order to hoard what we have but to share with others.

In the way of common grace, as the Father makes the rain fall and the sun shine on the just and the unjust on the earth that “the Lord formed to be inhabited”, we share the truth of the Gospel with everybody who will 

• listen, hear, and through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit  
• understand with an open and willing heart their natural propensity for sins, their incurable condition facing the just wrath of a Holy God, 
•  repent  and receive Jesus-Christ who died for them and if they accept what the Bible say about who they are and who Jesus-Christ is,
• become saved by his grace through faith (given to them), 
• believe in his name and become children of God (being born again), 
• receiving forgiveness and eternal life through his resurrection.

For a more thorough explanation of what the Gospel is, click HERE 

In a more specific way we share everything we have received with our brothers and sisters in Christ as the day of the redemption of our bodies draws near and we need to be strong and remain standing firm in the power of his might against the flaming arrows of the evil one.

It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. I, the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right. Isaiah 45:12,19.

Therefore, this is what we have been entrusted with and this is what we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus-Christ that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

This is righteous kingdom living.

Not a guilt trip I am trying to put on you. Jesus said: “Without me, you cannot do anything”. (Spiritual, that is).

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” II Cor. 3:5.

Whatever you think you don´t have or are unable to do because of fear or timidity, ask him, he will provide what you lack. 

Let us emulate Paul the Apostle who asked the Ephesians:  “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in ^[a]chains; that ^[b]in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:19,20. NASB

Prayer of a contrite and repentant prodigal son

When the Lord delivered me from the occult, Hinduism and the New Age in 1984 and restored my life and my calling.
Written and posted by Jean-Louis.12/2012

If you want to read more of my journey in a fiction short story, here is the link for the first chapter:
Sighing and the divine response:
http://thelightseed.blogspot.com.br/2011/02/joshua-tree-desert-parable.html 
or in this blog under the title "The Joshua tree"  
 
Lord Jesus, teach me to pray.

Teach me to learn and understand what prayer is, not only through intellectual knowledge, but according to the truth of your blessed word engraved in the heart, in the deepest place of my being that you created.

Lord, I am not learned enough to understand you or to understand the world that surrounds me. I need you like an explorer lost in the middle of the jungle needs a compass.

I have the map, but I don´t know how to read it. Teach me to read and understand the meaning of the map. But most of all, guide my steps on the right path.

May your strength help me to walk for my legs are weak. Grant me the will needed to follow you, wait for me, do not stay in front, I beg you. Stay at my side; let me hold your hand, because if I stay alone behind, I run the risk of being lost and loosing you again.
Give me your will, because mine is too weak now.

May your light illumine the darkness in my mind and disperse the harmful thoughts and illusions that don´t cease to overwhelm me and keep me from getting up again and continue on the way.
I am your child who implores you in his poverty to fill him with spiritual riches, to bless him with the presence of your Holy Spirit and granting him the assurance of the peace that passes all human understanding. I need you, without you my life is not worth anything.

Teach me obedience, surrender and humility so that I can accept fully the grace and the eternal life that you give us through your death and your resurrection.
Teach me to be faithful.
Teach me to confess my faults and sins to you first, then to those against whom I have sinned.
Mold me according to your pattern.

Replace the emptiness that I feel in my life, in my heart with your purifying love.
Replace my weak intellect by the force of discernment and wisdom of your Spirit.
Use me, only you can make something of my life because until now I have not made much of it.  

Teach me how to be a good husband and a good father.
Help me to show my love not only with words but also with deeds.
Help me to be honest with myself and sincere with others, to always tell the truth, to fight against evil, to encourage and support my brothers and sisters and my neighbors when they live through hard times.
Help me to stay simple in my faith and my devotion for you.
Give clarity to my thinking and the ability to organize my thoughts.
Help me to trust you every moment of my life in the little things as in the big ones.

Rid me of the burden of guilt.
Deliver me, O Lord from the fetters that chain my feet and prevent me to walk with you in me and me in you.
I plead with you; I implore you, hear and receive my prayer.
I cannot stand anymore this absence, this emptiness deep inside my being and my life. 
Lord Jesus, be the Lord of my life and the ruler of my heart.
Rule my heart and my spirit. I surrender to you, do with me as you please. Show me your will.
Thank you Lord for giving an attentive ear to my prayers. Blessed and praised be your Name.
Your son.

Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time - Yahoo News

Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time - Yahoo News

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Reblogged from gracethrufaith.com  
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)
The purpose of this study is to show that the above verse from the King James translation of  2 Tim. 2:15 has been given a meaning Paul didn’t originally intend.  If you’ve heard the phrase “rightly dividing” being tossed around lately, you probably know what I mean.  If not, reading this will help you to be better prepared when you do.

Shew Thyself Approved 

First, an overview of 2 Tim 2:15.  The Greek word translated approved in this verse is dokimos.  It came from the world of finance and is the key to understanding the verse.  All money was coinage in those days and was originally valued by weight.  Dishonest money changers would shave some of the metal from the coins they handled, making them worth a little less than their face value. The little bit shaved from each coin was a hidden profit that over time could be used to make additional coins that cost them nothing.

But some money changers were men of integrity, who would neither accept nor distribute lightweight coins; they were men of honor who put only genuine, full-weight money into circulation. These men were called dokimos. They were approved because they correctly handled the money entrusted to them. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans: God’s Glory, p. 18.)

Timothy was a young man and one of the Church’s very first pastors.  Paul advised him to warn his people not to get caught up in debates over different interpretations of words (2 Tim. 2:14). He told Timothy to study so he could deliver the full weight of God’s Word in its proper context. That way he could present himself to God as a teacher of integrity, as one approved, a dokimos who correctly handled the word of truth, and therefore he would not be ashamed of what he had taught.  That is what the verse is supposed to mean.

Rightly Dividing the Word Of Truth

The Greek word translated “rightly dividing” in the King James translation of 2 Tim. 2:15 is “orthotomeo” which literally means to make a straight and accurate cut. Carpenters used this word to describe the correct way to saw lumber, while civil engineers used it to be sure the roads they were building went from one place to another by the shortest possible route. When used metaphorically the word means “to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course, equivalent to doing right”.  By using this word Paul was instructing Timothy to preach God’s word accurately, correctly, and with precision. Had he been instructing Timothy to divide God’s word into various parts he would have used the Greek word diaireo which means to divide into parts.

Probably the most famous use of 2 Tim. 2:15 was by C.I. Scoffield in titling his monumental book on dispensationalism, written in 1896. He called it “Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth”. Many of you know that I follow this system of theology and believe that it correctly handles the Scriptures.

I’m convinced that back then people understood what “rightly dividing” meant but over time the way words are understood changes, especially in metaphorical usage, and other translations have interpreted orthotomeo to reflect this. Look at the same verse from the NASB and you’ll see what I mean.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth 2 Tim. 2:15 NASB).

Notice “accurately handling” has replaced “rightly dividing” in the NASB. The NIV uses the phrase “who correctly handles”. Both of these are more in line with the metaphorical use of the Greek word “orthotomeo” as we understand things today.  When you put dokimos (approved) and orthotomeo (accurately handling) together you get someone who preaches the word the way God intended, or as some would say “he tells it like it is”.


But lately some people have begun applying this phrase to actually divide the New Testament up into the parts they say are meant for the Church and the parts that are not, using 2 Tim. 2:15 to justify doing so . They take the phrase “rightly dividing” to mean we should cut the Bible up into the parts meant for Israel and the parts meant for the Church, and only focus on the parts meant for us.

First, they claim that because the gospels were written about the time just before the cross, they don’t really apply to the Church.  They say the cross “rightly divides” the Old Testament from the New and therefore the Gospels belong with the Old Testament and are meant for Israel. They also exclude the first part of the Book of Acts, claiming that the use of spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and healing described there were meant as signs to Israel and are no longer available to the Church. Some also claim the letters from Peter, James, and John and the letter to the Hebrews were written for Jewish believers and not to the Gentile Church. And because the Book of Revelation deals with the time after the Church is gone they say we really don’t need to pay much attention to it either.

Is That What That Means?

In short, they are taking the literal meaning of the English phrase “rightly dividing” instead of considering that Paul was using the Greek word orthotomeo metaphorically.  I think this is a doubly incorrect interpretation that basically leaves the Church with only the last half of the Book of Acts and Paul’s epistles.

I’ve received numerous letters and comments from these folks criticizing me for using the words of Jesus in some of my answers to questions about living the Christian Life. They accuse me of not “rightly dividing “ the Scriptures.

Even though I can see differences between what Jesus taught in the Gospels and what Paul taught in his letters, I believe this division of God’s word improperly exceeds Paul’s intent in his instructions to Timothy. To me this is another step in undermining the authority of the Bible, similar to what some Christians have done by ignoring the Old Testament.
I think if the Lord had wanted His word to be divided up like this He would have offered a method for doing so.  But He didn’t. He didn’t tell the Church to ignore the Old Testament back then, and He’s not telling us to throw out parts of the New Testament now. You won’t find any directions on how to “rightly divide” His word because we don’t need special instructions to read something the way it’s written.

Obviously, the Bible says some things specifically to Israel, some things specifically to the Church, and some things about the unbelieving world.  An important part of correct interpretation is to determine the context of a passage to see who the Lord was addressing.
Paul said he didn’t hesitate to proclaim the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).  He said that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4), and that Israel’s history contains examples that were written down as warnings to us upon whom the end of the age has come (1 Cor. 10:11).  To me that means the entire Bible has value for all of us and with careful attention to the context we can glean important truths from every one of its 66 books.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Bem te Vi - Portuguese for "I See You"

(Brazilian song bird whose call sounds like: I see you, I see you.
Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 9/2012) http://thelightseed.blogspot.com

Bem Te Vi, Bem Te Vi
You who sing of God´s glory

Your song is so pretty

It could seem monotone
But the call of your heart
In Springtime or Autumn
Is a confession or a delight
On a sad day or a bright night


Bem Te Vi, Bem Te Vi
Heavenly Messenger
With vigilant eye, a warning
To the wicked you call
And the righteous too
You faithfully fulfill your part
Secrets of our heart revealing
Without your own condemning 

Bem Te Vi, Bem Te Vi

Please be my friend
You see me, this I know
Because you keep telling me so
But when to the Father
My many faults you tell
Remember as you go
The good I do as well


Bem Te Vi, Bem Te Vi
Angel in disguise
The Word speaks of you
As a messenger divine
When It wisely declares: "Be careful
When the King you revile  
Even in your thoughts
Or the rich you curse
In your bedroom"
For Bem Te Vi on swift wings
Could report the whisperings . (Ecclesiates 10:20)

Jean-Louis

Credit: from Carlos Weick's Flicker album.

Tempering our weapons

Written and published by Jean-Louis. 6/2012

In Isaiah 52:12, the Prophet declares:

“But you will not go in haste or go in flight;
For the Lord will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
Isn't it comforting to know that we don't have to watch our back, that the Lord protects from the attacks of the enemy from behind? All we have to do is keep our armor on, take up our shield of faith and the sword of His Word and use them efficiently. See a list of our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:10-18

As spiritual warriors, we have spiritual weapons to combat and defeat the enemy in prayer and gain the victory in life. We are also figuratively speaking essentially a weapon in the hand of our captain of the Host. Speaking of the servant of the Lord (which we are), Isaiah declares:
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
³ He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor. ”
⁴ But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” Isaiah 49:2-4
Please, read Jeremiah that also speaks about Israel as a weapon of war 51: 21-23.

This of course was found in the Old testament. 
However in the New Testament teaching Paul tells us the our weapons against our enemies are spiritual and then proceeds to enumerate and categorize them in chapter 6 of Ephesians.

The enemy knows our weaknesses and uses this knowledge in his schemes to try and defeat us. But the Lord will help us in our weaknesses if we recognize them and ask for help.
Another way our enemy attacks is in our place of strength. We run the risk of being defeated in those areas because we are prone to self-sufficiency and independence. If we rely in our own strength, the enemy will encourage us to move in our own ways and will defeat us.

  Generally, there are 2 ways we can react to adversity.
• First, we can think that it's the devil's work and ask God to rebuke him by the authority of Jesus’ name.
• Second, we can realize that the Lord is sovereign and the devil can only do what the Lord allows him to do and that the Lord is providing us with an opportunity to strengthen us and teach us an enduring lesson thus helping us to mature.

In Isaiah 54:14-17, the Lord declares:
“In righteousness, you will be established;You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you.
If anyone attacks you, it will not be my doing whoever attacks you will surrender to you.” (or will fall because of you. [In NASB]). See, "it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you." (The tongue that speaks the lies of the accuser or the brethren against us directly or indirectly).
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and this is their vindication from me."

One thing I learned when I took a course in forging metal during my technical studies is that you use different kinds of cooling agents to temper the metal that you are trying to shape. Perhaps we could use the analogy of the forge and tempering with oil to understand the way the Lord works in our life to make us an instrument ready to use.

In forging, the blacksmith heats the metal to a certain color that indicates that the metal is ready for a certain application. If he wants the metal to be very hard, but brittle, he heats it to a glowing red, almost white and cools it very rapidly in water. If he wants to be able to work with the metal, he brings it to a blue and plunges it in oil which allows a slower cooling to provide resilience to the metal.

The piece of metal doesn't say to the blacksmith: Ouch, I don't like the way you are pounding on me and heating me up and cooling me down.

Sometimes in our Christian life we need the cool refreshing water of the Spirit to soothe our souls. However, there are times when the Lord is trying to purify us, make us more resilient, more usable, less brittle and breakable. I Corinthians 13:4 says: “Love is not easily angered.” Are we sometimes brittle, easily offended and engage in spiritual joust with our brothers or sisters using Bible verses, swinging our sWord to prove that we are right?

So, the Lord uses His Spirit as the oil to cool his weapon or instrument down.
This requires patience on our part as we have to let Him do His work in us until He says that the season of preparation is over and we are able to be used by Him for His purpose. Look at verse 16 again.
And this comes right after the beautiful chapter 53 on our Lord Jesus-Christ, the suffering servant. What a lesson!

When the blacksmith wants to fan the fire, he directs the bellows in one focused place and that place radiates heat throughout all the cooling coals and that's the spot where he plunges the metal. So sometimes the Lord will concentrate on one spot in our life and we have to stay there until we understand what He is trying to do, and decide to let Him mold and forge us into an instrument that he can use after his tempering us with the oil of the Spirit . That is His prerogative as the Lord of our lives.

Jean-Louis