Discovering The Bible

Fruits of the Flesh vs Fruits of the Spirit

Many Christians I know love to quote Galatians 5 when discussing Fruits of the Spirit. Now, these are things that the Apostle Paul says are from the Holy Spirit.

However, there is something that Paul also discusses, which I seldom ever hear: the fruits of the flesh. These are the things that don't come from the Holy Spirit AKA these are the things that don't come from God.

Years ago, when I was still a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, I was taught that when someone is to determine if someone else is Christian, or not, is to look at the fruit they are producing. Essentially do these people live their lives as best as they can in the fruits of the Spirit? Or are they more of the fruits of the flesh?

This idea was also touted in the Church of the Nazarene and now I hear it in the Episcopal Church.

Obviously, we aren't perfect as people, and as Christians, there are times where we fall short and sometimes we will participate in the fruits of the flesh, rather than in the Fruits of the Spirit.

More often than not, when we look at someone, is there a clear distinction?

If anyone is friends with me on Facebook, then you know that I have not been quiet when it comes to my distain of the current United States President (He who shall NOT be named, and no, I'm not referring to Lord Voldemort). And from the beginning, even during his first term, I was very unhappy, but I was not as willing to voice my opinions as I am now.

In a conversation on Facebook the other day, I was reminded of Galatians 5:1-6:10 and the Fruits of the Spirit vs the Fruits of the Flesh.

Let's take a look at Galatians 5:1-6:10: NRSVUE

5:1: For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2: Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3: Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the entire law. 4: You who want to be reckoned as righteous by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5: For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

[Okay, so why does this start out with circumcision? In Jewish law, from Exodus, we see that circumcision was a covenant between God and Jewish people, it was their sign that they honored and worshiped God. When Jesus was born, Jesus was also circumcised as part of the law, because Jesus was Jewish by heritage and religion. When Jesus grew up, He proclaimed that he was not abolishing the law, but fulfilling it. Fast forward to Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, more and more non-Jewish people were proclaiming faith in Christ. In the book of Acts there is a debate among the church leaders about whether or not it was necessary for non-Jewish people to become circumcised. And it was deemed unnecessary for non-Jews to become circumcised. Here in Galatians, Paul was speaking to Christians in the Roman province of Galatia, which is located in central Anatolia, which is modern day Türkiye (Turkey). Many of these men were becoming circumcised anyway, and Paul was informing them that what they were doing was of no benefit. The law wasn't written for them, and by becoming circumcised, they were unnecessarily making their religious life a whole lot harder by follow additional rules and regulations that they did not need to.]

7: You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? 8: Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9: I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. 11: But my brothers and sisters, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12: I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

[In several places in the Bible, we see the extra burden that is placed on teachers, especially religious leaders who teach others. The burden to share and explain God's truth and to lead people to God, not away. Paul is pretty upset that this unnamed person had come to Galatia and convinced many men to get circumcision done. This also caused religious questioning and confusion among those at Galatia, wondering what they should do. Those who cause confusion within the Church are dangerous, as they can lead well-meaning Christians astray with unnecessary strife and grief.

In modern context today many conservative Christians see more liberal Christian churches embracing LGBTQ+ members and ordaining them and marrying them as a dangerous thing that is confusing and bringing harm to the Church at large. As someone who grew up in a very conservative church and household, I once believed what they said about LGBTQ+. That it was a choice. They chose to engage in sin and that it wasn't God's plan to be married unless it was opposite sex only. Turns out, I had to wrestle with my own sexuality. And I did it years later than many because I was so convinced that this was a sin. I cannot count how many nights I would cry in bed, praying God to take the sin away. And for awhile, God seemed pretty silent, but then, God gave me a revelation: There was no sin to take away. Being bisexual, or being any part of the Queer community, wasn't sinful, it wasn't a willful choice. God had created and made us this way. And God does not make mistakes. To love, whether in a hetero or homo relationship, is divine. Marriage, whether homo or hetero is divine. Sexual relationships, whether homo or hetero are divine in the context of marriage. Being gay isn't the sin. And years after making this realization, I can finally be able to live my life as my full, authentic self. And I have only been able to do that since I was 34 years old (I am 36 now).]

13: For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. 14: For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15: If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

[Freedom in Christ. Jesus came to save us from ourselves. Here, Paul is warning that we do not get caught up in worldly things once we have been freed from their shackles. We are to love. Period.]

16: Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17: For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19: Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, 20: idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21: envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

[That is quite a list of fleshy desires. And looking at society today, at culture, in politics, we see fleshy desires all over the place. And some of it is praised in our culture, just as it was praised back in Paul's day. For example, the Bible makes it clear that sexual immorality consists of many things, including any sex that occurs outside the boundaries of marriage. In today's culture, it is very rare to see a couple waiting until marriage to have sex. Sex is so common, so normal that there are no cultural consequences to having it (except the stigma around teen pregnancies). Or billionaires, as another example. To amass that much wealth, they cause the poor to envy them, they have no problems stepping over people to make even more money they don't need, and they idolize money. Even though they have money that would last them many lifetimes, they still aren't satisfied and want more. And they do scrupulous things to get it.]

22: By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity (goodness), faithfulness, 23: gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24: And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26: Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

[How are we, as Christians, known? By our love, our joy, our peace, our patience, our kindness, our generosity/goodness, our faithfulness, our gentleness and our self-control. When we truly commit as Christians, our fruits are evident. Our actions reflect the Spirit. Then how can we tell if a person who says they are a Christian, are really a Christian? By their fruit. Do they say they are Christian, but lack generosity and goodness? Do they say they are Christian and cause chaos wherever they go? Do they say they are Christian, but are hateful and spiteful? Do they say they are Christian, but they cause division?

While our words are important, our actions show the world our true character. Is our character rooted in the Spirit, or is it rooted in the flesh?]

6:1: My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2: Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3: For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4: All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5: For all must carry their own loads.

[In today's North American Christian Churches, we have really moved away from self-reflection and Christ-centeredness to churches that make people feel good. Many Christian churches have moved away from hymnal singing to full-on worship bands and singing contemporary choruses. We went from tradition to flashing lights and concert vibes. Churches aren't supposed to make us feel good, churches are supposed to teach us to be the salt and the light of the world (See Matthew 5). We were meant to be a part of a community, not a party that happens once a week. We were meant to share Communion together as often as we meet (See Acts 20 and 1 Corinthians 11). We were meant to self reflect, and learn and grow, even when it is uncomfortable. (That's how we know we grow!!) Stagnation has become the norm in Christian churches today and the Bible warns against such things (See Zechariah 1; Hebrews 3 and Revelation 3.) When we grow in the Spirit, miraculous things happen. We see love, joy, peace, patience, generosity/goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we grow in the Spirit, we naturally embody love, joy, peace, patience, generosity/goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

As Christians, how are we growing?]

6: Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

7: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for you reap what you sow. 8: If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9: So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10: So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.

[Growing in the Spirit is not easy work. It is something that should take our entire earthly life. We should never stop. And God is always presenting us with ways in which we can work for the good of all.

I hope and pray that I never become stagnant.]

Peace, Blessings and Love

(Some) Old and New Testament Passages

As Pride Month comes to a close today. I found it fitting to finish this blog series by a Scripture Study. While I cover more in my book, I found these particular verses to be a great start. As always, here is the link to my book if you are interested. And it is available in paperback and ebook. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN9MNCK2

Old Testament Scripture Passage:

Genesis 2:24: This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one Many Christians use this passage to justify the "one man; one woman" when it comes to Biblical marriage. If we take a close look, even in the English translation, there is the assumption that the two are already married and the joining comes after marriage. Marriage is not even used in this verse, and yet people use it to justify their ideas of marriage.

The original Hebrew word for wife in Genesis 2 24 is ishshah (pronounced EE-shah) which can also mean woman or female, not just wife. And wife is the second definition, not the first. All but one English translation uses the interpretation "wife", but interprets it as "marries a woman" (CEV). Next, let's take a look at the original word "joined." Dabaq (pronounced daw-bak) is used approximately 55 times in the Old Testament. It has several definitions, including to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch."

To continue with Hermeneutics and synthesizing information (see Part 2 in this series here https://www.tumblr.com/discoveringthebible/785758773811822592/part-2?source=share), we see that people have used this term to mean "sex," [as in sexual relations], but that is not the original intention of the world. If that were the case when we see this word in the book of Ruth, that would indicate that Ruth and Naomi had sex with one another.

In the King James Version, dabaq is interpreted in both verses as "cleave." To say Genesis means "sex" and for Ruth to mean otherwise is a gross misinterpretation of Scripture.

Martin Luther had a problem with the Catholic Church in his day taking advantage of illiteracy among the people. The Church would change Scripture to say whatever they wanted, because most people couldn't read, they blindly accepted what the Church was telling them. With the abundance of free resources on the internet, it has never been easier for someone to look up the original Hebrew and Aramaic of the Old Testament and interpret back to English, even without learning those languages.

Genesis 18:20: NIV: Then the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grevious" First, we can see that Sodom and Gomorrah is full of sin. And it is full of victims crying out to the Lord for help. And God is moved to action. This indicates that God is a God of compassion. God is a God of love. And because of God's love and compassion, He was moved into action. Many, in fact, most Christians, point out that this sin was sodomy and/or homosexuality.

It is not just in the book of Genesis in which we read about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Ezekiel 16, for example, God is giving a message to Ezekiel to give to Jerusalem. And in this message, God reveals the real sin of Sodom. [This message is also applicable to Israel right now as their leadership continues to slaughter Palestinians in Gaza].

Ezekiel 16:46-50: 46: "Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south. 47: But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption. 48: As surely as I live," says the Sovereign Lord, "Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. 49: Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, which the poor and needy suffered outside her door. 50: She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out as you have seen." God actually called the people of Israel more corrupt than the people of Sodom! [And yet, we remember Sodom and what we were taught about that they did was actually wrong!]

New Testament Scripture Passage:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: CJB: 9: Don't you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't dilute yourselves--people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, 10: who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob--none of them will share in the Kingdom of God. 11: Some of you used to do those things. But you have cleansed yourselves, you have been set apart for God, you have come to be counted as righteous through the power of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the Spirit of our God. Sexual sin is not something that God takes lightly.

In verse 9 we see the Greek word pornos (pronounced por'-nos) and malakoi arsenokoitai (pronounced mal-ak-oi' and ar-sen-ok-oy'-tye). Technically, while they are two distinct words, the Apostle Paul used them together to better describe what was sinful. Let's first begin with the word pornos. According to Strong's Dictionary it means "a fornicator, a man who prostitutes himself." This word appears 10 times in the New Testament. The Complete Jewish Bible interprets this word as "who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse." Next we see malakoi arsenokoitai. According to Strong's Dictionary, malakoi means, "soft, effeminate." According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon; soft; soft to the touch; effeminate. According to Dictionary.com, effeminate means, "(of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.

Next, let's look at aresenokoitai. According to Strong's Concordance, it means, "a sodomite, a male engaging in same-sex sexual activity." In the Bible, we see examples of how fathers comfort their children, and how mothers comfort their children. They do it very differently. Even Jesus is quoted in both Matthew and Luke using feminine terminology to protect His people (see Matthew 22 27 and Luke 13 34). There are times in life when we need to take a more "masculine" approach and when we need to take a more "feminine" approach. Not only do we as humans do this, but so does God. This then, cannot be what Paul is calling a sin. Effeminate has two meanings.

It is the second meaning that Paul is referring to, not the first. "Characterized by excessive softness, delicacy, self-indulgence, etc." Paul was calling out the men who prefer to live the self-indulgent lifestyle. The kind of life where they do not work for themselves or their livelihoods. He was calling out the selfishness of this lifestyle, not homosexuality or men being "too soft." We all need to be more compassionate, more empathetic, more loving and less selfish. In Genesis, after The Fall, we are told to "till the land." We would have to work for a living. This doesn't mean that "God will only help us if we help themselves." The Bible tells us that God will provide for us everything that we need. God will make our work fruitful.[And for those who are disabled and unable to work, God also placed provisions on the abled bodied to care for the poor and the sick.]

Pride Month is coming to a close. This doesn't mean LGBTQ+ people will go back to "hiding." We are pretty flamboyant and hiding is not a good look for us. This does not mean we don't have to talk about how our rights are being taken from us.

It is a shame that our existence has been so vilified over misinterpretations of Scripture. It is a shame we have to fight to live and be accepted as if our sexuality was a choice.

If heterosexuality isn't a choice, neither is homosexuality.

I hope that this blog series (and it was a hope when I published my book), that at least it would have people consider what the Bible actually says about homosexuality and queerness instead of taking it blindly by Biblical interpreters.

If you wanna see a wonderful documentary, check out 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture https://www.1946themovie.com/

Much love, peace and blessings,

Cody Marie

Sexual Assault

Besides Pedophilia that became decriminalized in the Christian church as a whole, so did sexual assault. Many churches and denominations even have insurance to cover cases of sexual assault that happen.

In my book I lump Pedophilia and Sexual Assault in the same chapter, but here are some highlights that make me sick to my stomach on the topic of sexual assault and the Church.

A website called "Not in Our Church" lists appalling statistics about sexual abuse that occurs in the Christian church. "A survey of 6,000 United Methodists found [that] Half of all laywomen and one-third of laymen witness or are victims of some degree of sexual harassment or misconduct in their congregations, from inappropriate comments by the pastor or laity in leadership to physical assault and stalking. -50% of pastors admit to using pornography." -37% of pastors report inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.

1 Timothy 3:1-7: CEB: 1: This saying is reliable: "if anyone has a goal to be a supervisor (bishop, overseer) in the church, they want a good thing. 2: So the church's supervisor must be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, sober, modest, and honest. They should show hospitality and be skilled at teaching. 3: They shouldn't be addicted to alcohol or be a bully. Instead, they should be gentle, peaceable, and not greedy. 4: They should manage their own household well--they should see that their children are obedient with complete respect, 5: because if they don't know how to manage their own household, how can they take care of God's church? 6: They shouldn't be new believers so that they won't become proud and fall under the devil's spell. 7: They should also have a good reputation with those outside the church so that they won't be embarrassed and fall into the devil's trap.

-40% of married pastors have had an extramarital affair (clergy abuse) while serving as pastor. 1 Corinthians 6:18: NASB: Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

1 Thessalonians 4:2-7: NASB 2: For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4: that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification in honor, 5: not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6: and that no one violates the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you. 7: For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.

This Scripture passage forbids rape, sexual assault and other sexual sins, yet, it is prevalent in the Church [as if it doesn't exist.] "Acting out our sinful desires is harmful in many ways 1) it causes people to excuse sin rather than stop sinning; 2) it destroys marriages; 3) it is deliberate rebellion against God's Word; and 4)it always hurts someone else in addition to the sinner. Sinful action is more dangerous than sinful desire, so desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desire is just as damaging to righteousness. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and will turn people away from God."

And yet, our focus is on something we deem more important: LGBTQ+. The Church has failed not just one people group: but two: the LGBTQ+ community and the victims of church sexual assaults and pedophilia.

As Christ-followers, how low have we sunk to forgo compassion on the hurt, the marginalized and the oppressed in order to keep power where we should have never amassed it in the first place? The Pharisees and the Sadducees of Jesus' day missed the whole point of Jesus' life and ministry, because they turned God's laws so legalistic.

I mourn for the Church as we have done the same, especially to the LGBTQ+ community and to the victims of church sexual abuse to whom we turn a blind eye. God will avenge the victims of the Church. And where will we stand? On the side of victims, or on the side of the oppressors? There is no middle ground. James 3:9-10 NIV: 9: With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. 10: Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James does not specify individuals here. All human beings are created in God's image. This includes those who identify and are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. As Christians, we must to better. James 3:17-18: NLT: 17: But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield favoritism and is always sincere. 18: And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. This means we cannot forget those suffering in the Church at our hands! We cannot overlook the victims of Church abuse and pedophilia. We cannot overlook and cast out those who identify as LGBTQ+, or who are allies. To ignore them is like ignoring the poor, and to ignore the poor and the marginalized is to ignore Christ. This summarizes Jesus' teaching in Matthew 25: 31 :“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32: All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33: He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35: For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36: I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37: “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38: Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39: When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 :“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 41 : “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43: I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 :“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45:“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46: “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

C. Jeanne Orjala Serrao in her commentary: James: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition says this (emphasis mine): "James wants us to expand out trusting circle to include those of the Christian community. That is where the virtues of mercy, impartiality, and sincerity come play. Community leadership that is merciful, impartial and sincere will earn respect of the entire community. This will allow for the building of trust within the community. Unfortunately, too many have grown up in "Christian" communities in which they witnessed so-called Christians who were unmerciful and judgmental. Others have witnessed preference given to those who were more attractive, talented, or from more prestigious families than they. And worst of all, many have witnessed blatant hypocrisy in church leaders. We cannot blame young people who turn away from a church that justifies hypocrisy as part of what it means to be Christians....Leaders need to examine their motives continually. They may need to explain some of their difficult decisions so that the community can see their actions as merciful, impartial, and without hypocrisy. To the extent at each Christian is called to ministry, in some sense, all Christians are leaders who influence and share the whole community."

Right now there is a huge divide in the Christian church. There is much hate and animosity toward the LGBTQ+ as well as to the victims of sexual assault. Right now, the loudest denomination in which is trying to condemn the LGBTQ+ is the Southern Baptist Convention. It also has a HUGE problem with covering up sexual abuse and pedophilia cases. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1102621352/how-the-southern-baptist-convention-covered-up-its-widespread-sexual-abuse-scand

In my research, there is some correlation between a rise in sexual abuse to when pedophilia was removed from the Bible and homosexuality was added in its place. (I hope to research this topic further.)

They are also responsible for the overturn of Row vs. Wade.

They are now trying desperately to overturn Obergefell vs. Hodges. The Obergefell vs Hodges case allowed same sex couples to get married in the United States in June 2015.

Their voice cannot be the loudest. Thousands of lives (and souls) hang in the balance.

[I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, I left when I was 17 due to the hypocrisy and cult-likeness they displayed. I understand their theology well. I spent years Reconstructing my faith from them. While there were a lot of negative things I experienced in that church, there were also some great things that I learned and it was through them when I first found out who Jesus was.]

If you are on the fence about this topic, please take some time to pray on the matter. Pray for God to open your heart to what God is trying to communicate.

Much love, peace and blessings,

Pedophilia

This topic sickens me greatly for a number of reasons. When I was writing my book, I had to stop on several occasions just to keep myself from throwing up.

As Christians, and especially Christian leaders, we are to protect the most vulnerable in our society, but behind many churches' closed doors, sexual abuse happens. Today's blog covers specifically pedophilia, which according to dictionary.com is "sexual desire in an adult for a child."

If you are interested, you can purchase my book here, through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK5K8ZM9. (Kindle version)

This is excerpts from Chapter 3 (pgs. 24-35)

A study was published 2018 titled, "Child Sexual Abuse in Protestant Christian Congregations A Descriptive Analysis of Offensive and Offender Characteristics." This study wanted to identify the "who, what, where" aspects of sexual abuse in the Church. The study states, "The purpose of this study was to uncover common offense, offender, and victim characteristics of child sexual abuse that occurs at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian churches." For clarification, these denominations are considered Protestant - Baptist - Non denominational - Methodist - Pentecostal - Lutheran - Presbyterian - Restorationist - Episcopal/Anglican - Holiness *This includes the Church of the Nazarene and Free Methodist - Congregationalist - Adventist - Anabaptist - Reformed - Pietist - Friends - Fundamentalist

The study continued by stating, "We found that the overwhelming majority (80%) of offenses included contact offenses. This means that most offenses involved direct and physical contact between the offender and their victim(s) (e.g., sexual assault, groping, or a degree of rape) in comparison to non-contact offenses (e.g., child phonography on a church computer) at 7.4%.

The Abel Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study found that pedophilia molesters average 12 child victims and 71 acts of molestation. - This study also discovered that out of 561 sexual offenders there were over 291,000 incidents totaling over 195,000 victims! -As well as only 3% of these sexual offenders have a chance of getting caught. (This percentage is even less than another study!)

A study titled "Child Sexual Abuse in Protestant Christian Congregations" discovered that -98.8% of all offenders are male -Offender age ranges from 18-88 years old -80.1% of offenders were employed in an official capacity within their respective churches

1 Corinthians 5:1-2: 1: "I (Paul) can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you--something that even pagans don't do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2: You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship." Paul's example is something we should all be following. If anyone who is sexually immoral, (cheating on their spouse, molesting others, caught in masturbation and pornography, etc.) they should be removed from church authority, and this author believes that they should also receive the professional help they need to stop. -Most frequent male offender role within the church was a pastor at 34.9%

1 Thessalonians 4:2-7 NASB 2: For you know what instructions we have you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4: that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification in honor, 5:not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6: and that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, told to you previously and solemnly warned you. 7: For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification. This Scripture passage forbids rape, sexual assault and other sexual sins, yet, it is prevalent in the Church. "Acting our sinful desires is harmful in several ways: 1) it causes people to excuse sin rather than stop sinning; 2) it destroys marriages; 3) it is deliberate rebellion against God's Word; and 4) it always hurts someone else in addition to the sinner. Sinful action is more dangerous than sinful desire, so desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desire is just as damaging to righteousness. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and will turn people away from God.

In my book, I go on to discuss the Christian Hip-Hop group DC Talk, about their song, "What If I Stumble?" It also happens to be my favorite. The song opens "with an interview with Brennan Manning, 'The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians.' And that quote is even more prevalent today than when it was first said over 25 years ago. We are literally doing the opposite of Jesus' Great Commission.

Of course, with news about the former DC Talk (and Newsboys member) Michael Tait leading a double life and admitted to abusing drugs, alcohol and men. I will say that most people cover up their abuse for as long as possible. And churches have insurance just for this occasion! Michael Tait is moving in the right steps for restoration and healing. He even went through a 6 week program and has been keeping clean and sober and refraining from sex. God can work with this. I wish more and more sexual abusers would do what Michael Tait is doing: admitting the sin, admitting guilt and working to fix what was broken.

As Church leaders, we need to be diligent when it comes to speaking out about sexual abuse. Many people stay silent.

Plato said, "Your silence gives consent."

We should be protecting our children in churches. Our behavior helps victims to decide whether God is evil or Good.

Peace, Love and Blessings,

Hello again!

For this part of the series, I am going to dive deeper into a couple of the specific Biblical verses that have been misinterpreted and what the original languages actually mean in regards to what people call the "homosexual verses".

(If you would like to read my book, and learn about all of the misinterpreted Biblical verses in regards to homosexuality, you can order it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN9MNCK2 ). It is available in paperback (print on demand) and Kindle.

In my book, I used this method to study each Scripture passage. (This is from Glasgow Church of Christ's website, which you can visit here: https://www.glasgowchurch.org.uk/news/how-to-read-the-bible-and-get-the-most-out-of-it)

This is one of many recognized ways in which to study Scripture. I used this model because of it's clear explanations and overall understanding that can be used by New Christians as well as Theologians.

Old Testament Passage:

Leviticus 18 (key verse 18:22) (New Living Translation)

1: Then the Lord said to Moses, 2: “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. 3: So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. 4: You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. 5: If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.

6: “You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.

7: “Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

8: “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.

9: “Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.

10: “Do not have sexual relations with your granddaughter, whether she is your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for this would violate yourself.

11: “Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.

12: “Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister, for she is your father’s close relative.

13: “Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.

14: “Do not violate your uncle, your father’s brother, by having sexual relations with his wife, for she is your aunt.

15: “Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, so you must not have sexual relations with her.

16: “Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife, for this would violate your brother.

17: “Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not take her granddaughter, whether her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, and have sexual relations with her. They are close relatives, and this would be a wicked act.

18: “While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

19: “Do not have sexual relations with a woman during her period of menstrual impurity.

20: “Do not defile yourself by having sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.

21: “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the Lord.

22: “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.

23: “A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.

24: “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. 25: Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out. 26: You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.

27: “All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled. 28: So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now. 29: Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel. 30: So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God.”

[Excerpts from my book, pages 51-53]

Scripture Passage #5: Leviticus 18:22: "Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin."

Leviticus 18 in the New Living Translation, is titled "Forbidden Sexual Practices." Here we read countless sexual acts that God has forbidden his people to participate in. And smack dab between a verse about sacrificing your children to a god named Molech and a verse about having sex with animals, we get the supposed "homosexual" verse. The NLT, which is this author's favorite Biblical translation, actually does a really poor job of interpreting the original Hebrew text in verse 22. I chose this translation here because it uses the term "homosexuality" in their English translation. In this translation, "as with" is the original Hebrew word mishkab (pronounced mish-kawb'), which means "a bed" or "intercourse bed" or "couch." Essentially Strong says that this word is to indicate where the sexual act would happen, not the sexual act itself. [Strong's Dictionary] We also see the original Hebrew word zakar (pronounced zaw-kahr). It is translated in Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 as man, an adult male. Zakar is also interpreted as man-child. This means zakar is not just adult males, but any male regardless of age. Although we already looked at issah (pronounced ish-shaw') this is the root word of woman/wife that we discussed in Genesis 2. While this word does primarily mean adult woman, there are also times in the Bible, especially that of the NASB, that translate this to mean 'girls.' Next, let's take a look at what we have interpreted as "detestable sin." Towebah/toebaw (pronounced to-ay-baw') "something disgusting; an abhorrence; abomination; abominable." All of a sudden, this passage of Scripture isn't so black and white. We understand whatever the actual sin is, is an abomination in the sight of the Lord, but this verse isn't suggesting homosexuality. Because of the possibility of adult male and girl, as well as adult woman and boy, this verse indicates pedophilia as the sin. Children are brought into the equation in Leviticus chapter 18 verse 21, and then we immediately go into Leviticus 18 verse 22. Because of the original Hebrew words, we can translate this correctly, following the same path of the NLT as "Do not practice pedophilia, having sex with an adult as with a child. It is a detestable sin." This is the original meaning of the translation that only has changed within the past 125 years, more recently in English. What if the Church has always looked at this passage with pedophilia in mind, rather than homosexuality? What if we took a stronger approach to loving our neighbors who love differently than us and what if we looked at the pedophiles and the sexual assault that is happening inside Church walls and took a stand against it? What if instead of holding on tightly to an interpretation that turns out to be incorrect, to really examine what we believe, pray, meditate and ask God what we should do now because of the new revelation He has given to us. I know for me; I need to make it right for those whom I have harmed. I am not talking physical harm, but Spiritual and emotional harm I have caused because I let my feeling and beliefs get in the way, instead of the Truth.

[Excerpts from my book pages 70-74]

New Testament Passage:

1 Timothy 1:8-11 (Key Passage 1:10) (New Living Translation)

8: We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9: For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10: The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11: that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

The books of 1, 2 Timothy and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles or the Pastoral Letters. Their content is certainly related to the work of a pastor...Paul addresses specific leadership concerns in the newly established churches. [In 1 Timothy chapter 1 verses 8-11] Paul discusses the purpose of the Law. In the first century, the Law was the Torah. Today, in Christian circles, we know this as the first five book of the Old Testament Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This was the Law and the History of the Jewish people that was given to Moses by God. The Ten Commandments were just as important to the Jewish culture in first century A.D., as they are today in Christian circles. A summary of Exodus chapter 20 verses 1-17 - You shall have no other gods before Me. - You shall not make idols. - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. - Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy. - Honor your father and your mother. - You shall not murder. - You shall not commit adultery. - You shall not steal. - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - You shall not covet. Just as in Paul's passage in 1 Corinthians that we discussed previously, he again addresses "homosexuality" with the Greek word arsenokoitai, which as we previously defined means 'sodomite.' Again, we see a list of sins that Paul uses as examples of who the Law was written for. If we take a look at a portion of the Law, the Ten Commandments for example, many of them are listed in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verses 8-11 - "Defiling what is holy" i.e., not keep the Sabbath (4th Commandment) - "who kill their faither or mother or commit other murders" i.e., Not honoring your father and mother (5th Commandment) and murdering (6th commandment) - Slave traders/Slave kidnappers i.e., stealing and coveting (8th and 10th Commandments) - "Liars, promise breakers" i.e., bearing false witness against your neighbor (9th commandment) As we take a look at this information, as well as the information from the previous section, we discover, again that Paul actually isn't discussing homosexuality as the sin. [As stated previously, the homosexual sin was actually extra marital relations.] The major sins here are the ones that break the Law, the covenant that God made with his people. Paul discusses the following sins in 1 Timothy chapter 1 - People who are lawless and rebellious - Ungodly and sinful - Those who consider nothing sacred and who defile things that are holy - People who murder their parents and others - People who are sexually immoral i.e. any sexual acts outside of marriage - Slave traders/slave kidnappers -Liars -Promise breakers -Other things that contradict the wholesome teaching that comes from God - This could be a whole host of different things. Paul is vague here Paul's advice to Timothy is important. It is a blueprint for how to be able to figure out who are false teachers and witnesses and who are the true teachers. This is important for all Christians. Unfortunately, there are people in the world who will use Christianity as an example to do their dirty work and their sins....We must take a look at the behaviors of others, I argue, especially when we are church leaders, to see how they stack up. The devil is sneaky and will use others and their knowledge of Christians and Christianity to do much harm to try and discredit people who are searching for Christ. Year after year, people are turned away from God because these false teachers and people who claim to be doing it for God, aren't actually doing it for God at all. There are Christian churches in the United States, and elsewhere, that are preaching hate, and injustice. We must look at the godly examples and references that we have in the Bible to discern who is true and who is not.

My hope and prayer is that all Christians don't just take what we know today as the Bible at face value. Or believe what some pastor, priest, deacon, bishop or other says it says. Over the many hundreds and thousands of years, certain translators have taken certain liberties that should have never been taken with the Bible.

In the 21st Century, we have an incredible opportunity to research and discover for ourselves what the Bible actually means and says. And we have resources available, such as the Strong's Dictionary of Bible Words (as well as others) that can walk us through the original Biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek so that we get a better idea of the message as it was originally written a really, really, long time ago.

Peace, Love and Blessings

I cannot believe we are already halfway through 2025. As I get older, the time seems to be going by faster and faster (even though time is constant.)

I am not sure that I have ever really taken the time to blog specifically on Pride on this blog before. So, this year, I am.

On my Facebook page I have a lot of conservative Christian friends. This post is for them, but most likely, very few will probably read it, so I hope this will give a bit of encouragement to my liberal Christian friends.

Two years ago I wrote a book, "The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault." I wrote it more as a therapy to help me get through church trauma from the Church of the Nazarene. But, I also thought it might be a good tool for Christians who believe that LGBTQ+ have a rightful place in the leadership of the Christian Church to use so that it might open eyes of conservative Christians who believe that just by being or associating with the gay community, that they are sinning.

I used to believe that.

I used to believe that being gay was a choice and that by that choice, people were sinning against God and choosing to go against God's covenant of marriage. Over the past couple of years especially, I have been repenting from that belief.

Associating with and being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is not sinful, if it was, the millions around the world who prayed to God to take that sin away, God would have taken it.

And how do I know?

I lost track at how many sleepless nights I had, crying out to God, to take away this part of me.

(If it isn't obvious, by now, I identify as bisexual.)

After much time, reflection and prayer, it occurred to me: What if God isn't taking this "sin" away from me, because it isn't a sin at all? Why would the God of love torture me in that regard?

God wouldn't.

And if God did, I am not sure I would want to worship a God like that.

For Pride this year, I am going to be blogging excerpts from my book, in hopes that it sparks good dialogue. That it might open some hearts and minds to the fact that the overall arching teaching about homosexuality in the Bible is actually a misinterpretation.

To start, I am going to be referencing Part 2: The Current Consequences of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Church:

"The Pew Research Center, which began in 2004, according to their website, is a "nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. -93% of all LGBT Adults see at least one religious institution as "unfriendly." Proverbs 18:1-2: 1: Unfriendly people are only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. 2: Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. -76% of religious adults believe homosexuality should be discouraged, by frequency of attendance at religious services James 2:8-9: Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself (quoting Leviticus 19:18). 9: But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. To discourage people from coming to church to worship the living God is downright shameful and ridiculous. We should be welcoming everyone who wants to come to church and greet them with the love and kindness God has shown us, not bar people because we might not like something about them. James 2:1-4: NASB: 1: My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2: For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, 3: and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing bright clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool." 4: have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? We must stop being evil judges who are trying to kick out the LGBTQ+ people and allies in our churches. May God have mercy on our souls if anyone believes this is the right action, when clearly it violates Scripture. -48% of LGBT+ adults are unaffiliated with religion -60% (of the 48%) are 18-29 year olds -45% (of the 48%) are 30-49 year olds -39% (of the 48%) are 50 or older*

*Bolton, Cody Marie. The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 2023. pgs. 18-19

Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ demographic seems to be "lost", not because of what they are doing, but because how Christians have treated them.

In Part 2, we will discuss more about the exact misinterpretation that has caused this hatred toward our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.

In Part 3, we will also discuss how Pedophilia is also involved and how it pretty much runs unchecked.

In Part 4, we will also discuss Sexual Assault and how it is all connected with this misinterpretation of homosexuality in the Bible.

In Part 5, we will take a look at the Scripture verses themselves, like Leviticus 18:22 and others, and what should be the more appropriate interpretation than what is the current "standard."

Happy Pride!

Peace, Love and Blessings,

I am now Episcopalian.

And for the first time ever I am interested in the Papal Conclave. I want to know who becomes the next pope.

I was fascinated with Pope Francis.

I know several conservative Christians who disliked him. Very few popes (Francis was pope #266), were ever quite like him. "A People's Pope"

By far one of the most humble, in my opinion. He made himself accessible to the people. He never took a salary, dined with the Vatican staff, slept in a room in the Vatican's guest house, and as a last act, left his vehicle in his will to be turned into an emergency response vehicle for people in Gaza.

If ever a pope lived out to be the hands and feet of Jesus, it was him.

Two and a half years ago I did DNA testing. I was curious about my ancestry and my ancestors. (And also if I was an identical twin or not. Turns out I am.) My ancestry has a few people recognizable from history, including Rebecca Nurse who was falsely accused of Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts and was killed in 1692; Helene, the first born free person of what is now Quebec, Canada; the first Italian immigrant to the US, Pietro, and dozens of American and Canadian early settlers, including Farmers, doctors, deacons, pastors and a bishop. I am also a descendant of 2 popes:

Pope Gregory XIII and Pope Paul III.

Pope Paul III, my 15th great grandpa was considered the first pope of the Reformation. He convened the Council of Trent in 1545. He is a patron saint of the Arts, because he supported Michelangelo and commissioned the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.

My 13th great grandpa was Pope Gregory XIII. He was responsible for commissioning the Gregorian calendar. He also founded many seminaries and was a big supporter of the Jesuits.

Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope.

I hope whomever is chosen, will continue in the work Pope Francis started.

History seems so detached from our current society. We aren't learning and studying history. And it shows.

My hope and prayer is that we go back to learning our history, so we dont repeat the same atrosities.

I hope that is also your prayer.

Peace, Love and Blessings

So far this year, 2025 has been scary for a lot of people.

In the Middle East we are seeing stories on social media of the atrocities that are taking place in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military. We are also seeing an increase in suicides of Israeli military members. (I will discuss this in another post).

We are seeing global political partnerships that just a few years ago would have been scandalous.

In the United States, we are seeing the beginnings of a political leader on the thirst for incredible amounts of power, at the expense of people who voted for him, and for those who didn't, because he does not really care.

As a Christian, I have had an incredible awakening of what Biblical justice means. I have had countless arguments from other Christians who seem to believe that America comes first. And this is Biblically inaccurate.

The Vice President of the United States has said, “As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens. It doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there’s this old school and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way, that you love your family and then you love your neighbor and then you love your community and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world. A lot of the far left has completely inverted that. They seem to hate the citizens of their own country. Country and care more about people outside their own borders. That is no way to run a society.”

Vance has taken the theological concept, first attributed to St. Augustine, "ordo amoris," and twisted it to fit his theological ideals, and use of discrimination against certain groups of people, instead of using the Bible as the ultimate example of love. (Ordo Amoris means Order of Love. It was a theological idea that Love started with God and from that love, you loved other people. However, instead he has twisted it to mean that farther out from that initial love, less love is required for others.) Vance also has a misunderstanding that the "far left" hates their own. Love isn't a pie. You don't give others what is left. There is and should be enough love to go around so everyone feels it, not just a select few who are close to you.

Our current President, Donald Trump, has expressed untrue and downright discriminatory claims about immigrants in the United States, so often that many people think that what he is stating is fact, which ultimately is creating a riff within the United States, similar to the riff during World War II for Japanese Americans and the internment camps we sent them to, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941. And similar to Hitler's rhetoric in Germany in the 1930's that led to internment camps that housed Jews, Trans people, disabled, elderly and children and the ultimate massacre of millions and millions of people.

The Marshall Project is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. We have an impact on the system through journalism, rendering it more fair, effective, transparent and humane." https://www.themarshallproject.org/about

The Marshall Project quotes Trump as saying, "Under Border Czar Harris, our communities are being ravaged by migrant crime."

They report that, "According to a consistent, overwhelming amount of criminology research, immigrants to the United States, both legal and undocumented, have committed less crime than native-born Americans going all the way back to the 1870's."

Trump has stated, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some, I assume, are good people."

The Marshall Project says, "But immigration in the U.S. is strongly associated with lower crime. Looking at data from 200 metropolitan areas, a 2017 study found that immigrants are "less likely to offend than native born Americans" and "for property crimes, immigration has a consistently negative effect" on a region's crime rate. Their website also says, "That trend, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) research found, has been consistent all the way back to 1870." They also said, "Those findings hold true for undocumented immigrants. Using estimates of undocumented populations, researchers in 2018 found that "undocumented immigration does not increase violence.' Similarly, a study published one year earlier asserted undocumented immigrants have lower rates of drug arrests, overdoses and drunk driving offenses than native-born Americans.

If you want to read more about The Marshall Project's findings into Trump's accusations, click here: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/10/21/fact-check-12000-trump-statements-immigrants

As someone who has spent many years studying and reading the Bible, I am horrified at what is happening in America and around the world currently. And while some Christians share my concerns, many Christians do not. And I fear by the time they do, it will be too late. They have fallen to believe rhetoric that is damning of people who are not white.

Exodus 23:1-9 is titled "Justice for All" (NRSVUE)

1: "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. 2: You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice, 3: nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.

4: When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. 5: When you see a donkey of one who hates you struggling under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help set it free.

6: You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in lawsuits. : Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty. 8: You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds officials and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 9: You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

I bet when this is published and I share it on my Facebook page I will have people say something like, "You quoted the Old Testament, as a Christian, it doesn't matter."

As a Christian, I can assure them, that the Old Testament is just as relevant as the New Testament.

Jesus affirmed the accuracy and relevance of the Old Testament. Jesus quoted from the Old Testament many times.

Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill."

As Christians, we need to take the entire Bible seriously, not just the New Testament.

As Christians, we need to be speaking up for the immigrant. In the United States there is a misunderstanding that only certain (AKA "legal") immigrants are afforded protections. However, we already see that it doesn't matter whether an immigrant is "legal" or "undocumented", ICE has been given unprecedented authority to deal with them as they see fit.

ICE has even been arresting United States citizens:

As a nation that wants to get back to Christian values, they are twisting the Bible and Christianity in awful ways that are causing people to leave Christianity, because it is pretty easy to see the hypocrisy that the current presidential administration is causing.

If we got rid of all the immigrants and those who are descended from immigrants, we would have hardly anyone left, except the Natives, and from history, we can see just how sh*tty we dealt with them.

God is very clear in the Bible on how we are to treat the immigrant, the poor, the widow and the orphan. And God is also clear on how he will treat those of us who treat them badly.

Isaiah 1:16-17: NASBRE: Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil; 17: learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow."

Micah 6:8: NRSVUE: He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 23:23: NRSVUE: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.

Luke 18:7: NRSVUE: And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?

I hope and pray that those who see immigrants as "terrorists" will see the error of their ways.

For Christians who love their neighbors as God has called us, I pray that we continue to implement ways in our churches to support and to love immigrants.

May God forgive our selfishness

Peace, Love and Blessings,

Collect: (Prayer)

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who loves and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:7-14

Thus says the Lord:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel."

See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.

With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, |He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock."

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.

Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness over sorrow.

I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.

The Psalm: 84:1-8 [9-12]

1: How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2: The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

3: Happy are they who dwell in your house! they will always be praising you.

4: Happy are the people whose strength is in you! whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.

5: Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

6: They will climb from height to height, and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

7: Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob.

8: Behold our defender, O God; and look upon the face of your Anointed.

[9: For one day in your courts is better than a thousands in my own room, and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

10: For the Lord God is both sun and shield; he will give grace and glory;

11: No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk with integrity.

12: O Lord of hosts, happy are they who put their trust in you!]

The New Testament: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined for us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

The Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herold is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remined there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord to the prophet: "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

Homily:

In order to understand the Gospel message for today, we really need to look at the entire chapter of Matthew 2. In is in the beginnings parts of this chapter that we learn a little bit more about the wise men, but also about the events that lead up to Joseph taking Jesus and Mary down to Egypt to escape Herod.

Matthew 2: 1-12:

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they sent out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star has stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

In most current depictions of the Nativity scene, we have Joseph and Mary, baby/infant Jesus, various animals, like sheep, and camels, shepherds, and the wise men in a manger scene. However, from the description in Matthew 2, these icon depictions are really inaccurate. By the time the Wise men came to Bethlehem in order to worship Jesus, Jesus wasn't a newborn baby any more. According to some Biblical scholars, he could have been as old as 2 years old. While still quite young, he would have been walking and beginning to talk by the time they came to bear gifts.

And the gifts that they brought were significant. Each gift that was brought to Jesus, had purpose. Gold, for obvious reasons, was a currency and would have been very beneficial, especially because after the wise men left, an angel warned Joseph to go to Egypt. Most likely, this gold (we don't know much) would have at least funded their trip down to Egypt, but some believe it could have been enough to fund their entire trip to Egypt, while living there, and back again to Israel. Next, we see Frankincense. While still used today as incense, although not my personal smell preference, it was used as a gift for royalty. And this could have also been used in financing the trip to Egypt. Lastly, we see myrrh, a spice derived from the sap of a Commiphora myrrha tree. Use in the Arabian peninsula and in Africa as medicine, incense and was often used in perfume to mask the scent of decay. It was often used in burials. While symbolic in nature, these gifts were also practical, especially, as Matthew 2:13 begins with "After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream..."

Now, this was the second dream Joseph receives from God. Joseph followed the instructions the angel had given to him. And with these new gifts, it would have made it easier for them to leave Bethlehem that they had called home for approximately a year by this point. While the Bible does not say how long they were in Egypt for, it is believed they were there several months, maybe a year. This was not an overnight trip, and there was no indication they knew how long for sure they were going to be there.

According to several historical sources, King Herod died in 4 B.C from an incurable disease. So Jesus was either born in 5 B.C., or even as early as 4 B.C. Herod knew that Rome did not trust his sons before he died, so he split up his kingdom in 3 parts to give each son a piece of his kingdom. Herod Antipas, whom we hear about later in the book of Matthew, was given rule over Galilee and Judea; Herod Philip II received Traconitis; Archelaus received Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. And there was reason for Joseph to be afraid of Herod's Son Archelaus, he was just as ruthless as his father, which was why Mary, Jesus and Joseph ended up in Galilee and the small town of Nazareth.

Have you ever been blessed by someone, to then be able to use that blessing when something came up in life that you didn't expect? The wise men giving Jesus and his family those gifts were needed in their journey to and from Egypt.

It reminds me of a time something happened to me and it came in handy. It was early February 2017, and in my hometown there is an Indian casino. Every once in awhile, my family would go out to eat there and play a little slots. This particular day, my mom and I went out for an early breakfast. While we were playing penny slot machines, she had won a jackpot of over $600. And not even five minutes later, sitting next to her, I won a jackpot of $200. The next day, while we were at the movies, we received a phone call from a family member in Idaho, that my grandma was really sick, and in the hospital and they didn't think she was going to make it. Last minute flights anywhere, but at the time in Idaho, were really, really expensive. But, because of the money we had won at the casino, we were able to not only fly there but to stay in a hotel for a few days while we said goodbye and took care of grandma's final wishes. We would not have been able to do that without that $800 between myself and my mom.

Some Christians who I have told this story saw this as sinful, because the money came from a casino, and in order to win money, I also would have had to bet money.

I have always seen this as a blessing.

It would have been absolutely devastating for my mom if she couldn't have said goodbye to her mother.

When I read the stories in Matthew chapter 2, I am reminded of how how much faith it must have taken Joseph to follow God's instructions through the Angel. Joseph was a very religious man, but had a hard time at first with the miraculous pregnancy of Mary. For him to listen to God, not only to continue in his marriage to Mary, but to also defend her as well as Jesus, know that Jesus wasn't biologically his child would not have been an easy thing to do. But God saw fit in Joseph to make him Jesus' earthly father anyway. Joseph's faith led him and his family into places and situations that were difficult. And sometimes making those decisions at a moment's notice. They escaped Herod by night. I imagine this is how this went:

After a long day of work, while Mary was home taking care of baby Jesus, all he wanted was something to eat and to go to sleep in his bed. And once fed, and in bed and asleep, was when this vision of the Lord came. If that were me, I might have waited until the morning to inform Mary and then leave toward Egypt, or I might have even ignored the entire situation, who knows.

But not Joseph. He had enough faith to get up and leave, right then and there, in the middle of the night, to ensure the safety of Jesus, as well as Mary and himself. Maybe the gifts made it easier for him, we don't know, but I would have a hard time just uprooting my family over a dream.

It actually was not uncommon for Jews and those with Jewish ancestry to travel to Egypt, because there were groups of Jews living in different cities all across that country. However, I am sure the big question in his mind was, "How long do we have to be here for?" He knew until Herod's death, but how long was that going to take?

Sometimes I wish I had Joseph's faith. To follow God, no questions asked. Some people would call that blind faith. But I find that an oxymoron. To have faith, you have to be blind. Knowledge is the opposite of faith.

As we begin 2025, I have thought about a lot of things that I would like to accomplish, as well as sticking to my resolutions. But something that I would like to grow in, is my faith. I feel like over the years, I have lost that childlike faith that we are called to have, and I want to get back to that. I want to be in a place what if or when God says, "Go." I'll say, "Yup!" And pack my bags and go.

While I have been focusing on Joseph, the wisemen had to have had faith of some kind too. We don't know much about them, or even what country they are from, but they knew enough based upon Astrology that the prophesized Messiah had come. Humanity had waited over 700 years from when Jesus was predicted to when he was born. 700 years was a long time. 700 years ago was 1325. That is a long time to wait for the Messiah.

As we enter a new year on the Gregorian calendar, let us have faith like Joseph. Let us have the faith and boldness of the wise men who didn't fall for King Herod. Let us have the faith and trust of Mary and Jesus, as they followed Joseph's lead from his vision from God.

As we get going in this new year, let us be more bold, more open to what it is that God has for us and how we can shape and form our lives in a way that is honoring God, and to be a blessing to God's creation.

Peace, Love and Blessings,

In the Episcopal Church, we use a lectionary. Essentially, it is a Bible reading plan than covers the span of 3 years. We read 4 passages of Scripture every Sunday: Old Testament, a Psalm, a New Testament and a Gospel Passage. (I should mention that this does not quite cover the entire Bible, but covers most of the Bible if you participate weekly in church services over the course of 3 years. It even includes a bit of the Apocrypha.)

Beginning this Sunday, December 1st 2024, we start a new Church year. For our lectionary, we are beginning Year 3 (Also known as Year C) in our Lectionary plan.

While I still have a long way to go to become an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church, my previous experience within the Church of the Nazarene has helped lay a foundation for writing sermons. And while there are some differences between the Church of the Nazarene and the Episcopal Church in their styles and lengths of their messages, (and their theology) this is my first real 'crack' at writing an Episcopal Homily (the proper Episcopalian term for sermon).

I thought as a new church year starts, I will try to get back into regular writing and sermon preparation that I used to do (mostly before COVID) to get back into the habit and continuing to build my skills so that when I do attend Seminary, I will feel more confident.

To make this a little bit more appropriate, I will start by listing all 4 Lectionary passages from Avent 1 Year C (and the prayer) for those who are not familiar with them. My message is based upon the Gospel passage.

The Collect (pronounced call-ecked)

AKA the Morning Prayer

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(All Scriptures passages are from the NRSV: The New Revised Standard Version)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 33:14-16:

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

The Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9

[When reading the Psalm in the Church, a person starts, then the congregation joins in after the asterisk *]

Ad te, Domine, levavi

1: To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you;*

let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2: Let none who look to you be put to shame;*

let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3: Show me your ways, O LORD, *

and teach me your paths.

4: Lead me in your truth and teach me,*

for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.

5: Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love,*

for they are from everlasting.

6: Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;*

remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.

7: Gracious and upright is the LORD;*

therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8: He guides the humble in doing right*

and teaches his way to the lowly.

9: All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness*

to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

The New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

The Gospel: Luke 21:25-36:

25: Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth: distress among the nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

26: People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27: Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.

28: Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

29: Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees, 30: as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31: So also, when you see these things take place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32: Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34: Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35: like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36: Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Homily:

Happy Advent! Happy New Year!!

I realize we are only on December 1st, but in the Christian calendar, it is the beginning of a new year!

Advent is the preparation season for Christmas and Christ's coming to Earth. It begins the Sunday closest to November 30th, and lasts through Christmas Eve on December 24th.

Each week we light a candle on the Advent wreath, and each candle represents something. On Advent 1, which is today, it symbolizes hope.

Advent 2, next week, symbolizes love.

Advent 3 symbolizes joy and Advent 4 symbolizes peace.

Our Gospel message, Luke 21: 25-36, on the surface seems to be a weirdly uncomfortable and unrelated message to Advent: 'fear and foreboding'; 'the powers of heaven will be shaken'; 'heaven and earth passing away'; and 'pray that you may have the strength to escape all the things that will take place.'

I mean, it sounds like doom and gloom to me!

Taking the context of this passage, along with the message of the rest of the Bible, we see from the very beginning that God had a glorious and wonderful vision of humanity in the Garden of Eden. No sin, no shame, walking, physically, with God. When sin entered the world, God could no longer be with us, as our perfect and sinless God, could not be near sin. At the end of the Bible, we see the restoration of humanity, earth and God, being reconciled and united again, restoring that perfect life from the Garden.

And right now, we are stuck somewhere in the middle. And while it will be absolutely devastating on humanity's part, there will be a time when everything will be restored back to God's original plan.

And herein lies the hope.

Not only to hope in this year's season of Advent as we await Christmas Day, but also our hope in waiting for Christ's second coming.

Many people believe we are in the End Times right now. Global warming, the Israeli conflict, the war in Ukraine, the droughts, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.

Just in my lifetime (I was born in 1988), I have lived through several events that people claimed would be the end of the world: Y2K (For those who don't know, it was believed computers would not be able to process the century change and that we would experience a global collapse because technology would stop working. Best Buy ran an ad that advised everyone to turn off all electrical devices before 11:59pm on December 31st 1999 to prevent that. Funnily enough, on January 1st 2000, we turned on our family computer, and it read January 1st 1900. And the world did not collapse.

Next, we had 12/12/12. At this point I was in college. The fear was that after 12/12/12, the Mayan calendar expired and thus, it was believed that was when the Mayan's predicted the end of the world. It ended up just being a normal Wednesday.

After that, we had 09/23/2017, when a televangelist convinced many people around the world that he cracked the code in the 12th Chapter of Revelation and that the world was going to end. While that turned out to be false, there did happen to be a devastating earthquake in Mexico that day, killing over 300 people. It also was the day when the Antilles Islands were devastated by Hurricane Maria, a category 5 hurricane that killed 37.

And of course, we had the worldwide shut down due to the COVID-SARS virus beginning March 15th 2020. It lasted for 10 months, ending on January 25th 2021. I heard many conservative Christians say that the COVID virus was because of humanity's sin and that God was "thinning out humanity." To date, over 7 million people died around the world from the virus and over 704 million people have been confirmed to have had the virus. I personally know this number to be higher as I never recorded my covid case in February 2022, I self-diagnosed and self-treated at home.

Since Jesus' ministry on earth, 2,000 years ago, people have been saying that the earth is ending. And most likely, we will continue to be saying so in the future.

Our Gospel message gives us instructions for what we are to do when the end of the world does come. I believe we should be focusing on these instructions, NOT on the signs. For it is in these instructions that we find hope. As humans, we tend to focus on everything that goes wrong--I encourage us, myself included, that we need to look for the hope, the healing, the restoration, the reunion that we are going to have with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I believe verse 34, from our Gospel passage, is extremely important: "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly."

There are so many worries and stresses of this life, and when we begin to focus on the past and/or the future, that just increases our worries, and raises our blood pressure. Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 6: "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Instead of looking toward the future in dissipation, let us look with hope and anticipation. Let us continue in learning and growing in our relationship with Jesus. Let us become more open and loving toward our neighbors, being Jesus' hands and feet on earth.

The world is presently suffering, and it is easy for us, who have the eternal hope of Christ to join them. Instead of us joining them in their grief and trouble, let us share the hope they so desperately need.

As we begin a new Church year, I encourage all of us to help bring hope, love, joy and peace to our neighbors who so desperately need it. We cannot change the world, but we can change a person's perspective to it.

There is an inspirational story I want to share with you. You probably have heard it before, but I think it bears repeating:

Once upon a time, there was an elderly man who used to go to the ocean. He had a habit of walking along the beach every morning.

One morning, after a large storm had passed, he saw that the beach was littered with starfish--as far as the eye could see.

Off in the distance, the man noticed a young boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that the boy was throwing objects into the sea.

The man called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is you are doing?" The boy paused, looked up and said, "Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them ashore. They cannot return to the sea by themselves. When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water."

The man replied, "But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I'm afraid you won't be able to make much of a difference."

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it as far as he could into the sea. He turned to the man and smiled, and replied, "It made a difference for that one!"

Maybe we cannot go to a homeless shelter and feed the 100 people there, but we can feed 1 person. Let us feed that 1 person.

Maybe we cannot foster 50 children who need homes, but we can for 1. Let us foster that 1 child.

Maybe we cannot pay school lunch debts of 25 children, but we can for 2 or 3. Let us pay the debts of the 2 or 3.

Maybe we cannot open our homes to the 10 who are fighting to stay sober from drugs and alcohol, but we can for 1. Let us come alongside that 1 for love and encouragement.

Or, what about the single mother at the grocery store who doesn't have enough to pay for all her items?

What about the teenager who was kicked out of their home for coming out as gay?

What about the homeless family living in a tent and they don't have enough blankets to keep warm?

Or what about befriending and checking in on an elderly neighbor?

What about the tiny, wet and hungry stray kitten you found on your porch?

What is something tangible that you can do to make a world of difference for someone who doesn't see the point and has no hope?

This Advent season, let us aid in whatever ways we can to show someone God's great mercy.

For people who know me, they know my life is an open book. I will freely talk or discuss anything--except politics, unless someone asks me a direct question.

Over the years my politics have changed, as I have learned and grown, not just as a person, but as a Christian.

Yesterday's presidential campaign, no matter who you voted for, was shocking to say the least.

I purposefully have kept Facebook to a minimum today because I don't want to continue the hatred and riff among my friends. They have strong opinions, and I do as well. However, it seems that my Christian friends are the loudest--and maybe not for the best.

In a post-COVID world, patience has been lost; civility has died, and everyone seems to believe in an "us vs. them" mentality, forgetting that we are all human.

We, at least in the United States, don't see people as people. If they don't act like us, if they don't vote like us, if they don't have our religion or if they have a difference in theology or in the Bible, they are less-than.

This mentality breaks my heart.

As a Christian, I try very hard, and pray for God to reveal to me how He sees humanity.

And what has God shown me?

Love.

And what is love?

The Bible speaks much on love, but Jesus summed it up in this way:

This is from Matthew 22 (NRSV)

34: When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35: and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36: "Teacher, which commandments in the law is the greatest?"

37: He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38: This is the greatest and first commandment. 39: And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

In everything we do as Christians, we must be others-minded, not self-minded. And this includes our politics and to whom we vote for.

For a lot of people, these next four years are going to be scary and anxiety-filled. It will be a time of uncertainty. And there are already people laughing at those whose lives are now at risk. This is a legitimate fear and concern.

As a former Nazarene pastor, and a hopeful Episcopalian Deacon, I am going to continue to pursue love and do my best to pursue love in everything that I do. And to see people as people, regardless of anything that makes us different.

To the Christians who voted for Harris, I am heartbroken with you and I am praying with you. Keep looking toward the Lord. Have faith. Continue in love and equality for all. Continue in kindness. God has not failed you.

To the Christians who voted for Trump, I also pray with you and for you. Remember the marginalized, the orphan, the widow, the disabled, the immigrant, the Queer Community, and the poor, they are people too, who deserve the same rights and privileges you now possess as January comes and the Government turns Republican. Remember God has not exalted Trump, the American voters did. Don't turn Trump into an idol.

Also, to the Trump supporters, remember Micah 6:8 (NRSV) : He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

Peace, Love and Blessings,

I am very proud to let you all know that I am starting the process to become a Priest in the Episcopal Church. In November I completed the required Day of Discernment. This meeting introduced me and other candidates to the Episcopal Church, our Diocese Bishop, and introduced us to our mentors.

Our Diocese Bishop will be at my church on Easter. And as a result, I will also be confirmed in the Episcopal Church on Easter. I am very excited about this.

I also have been able to work on some healing from the trauma I experienced with the Church of the Nazarene. The Episcopal Church has been night and day with not only how they live out the Gospel message of "Love thy neighbor" but they also do what they can to be open, welcoming and supportive.

In less than 1 year I am not only a lay music minister, but I am now a part of the Mission Committee (Church Board) and my role within the committee is the clerk (secretary). I cannot wait to see how this blossoms. Currently, along with my twin sister, we are taking a confirmation class to get ready for Easter and we cannot be more excited to be a part of such a wonderful church and community.

As I continue in learning more about the Episcopal Church, my goal with this blog this year is to share some of these revelations with you and share some of the cool things I am learning and to introduce you all to a wonderful book: The Book of Common Prayer.

Peace, Blessings and Love to you all,

How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault. It is available on Amazon as an e-book for $9.99. Paperback is coming soon.

This week I had such an encounter.

I wear glasses. Anyone who knows me, knows I wear black or very dark frames and avoid metal ones.

I noticed that my prescription was changing as my current glasses weren't working as well as they used to. I'm currently in limbo between short term and long term disability because of a bad hip. But glasses are an absolute necessity.

I went to my local Eyeglass World after praying, asking God to help me find a good deal on glasses. They usually have a pretty good prices.

After my eye exam, I went looking for clearance glasses. I have no money coming in, what I have is from very generous friends. ❤

After looking for glasses for quite some time, I decided I was going to have to go back to metal frames just so I could afford something. I was so bummed. The optometrist assisting me noticed my frustration and asked if I was OK.

I explained my dilemma, almost crying. She said, "I understand completely. I just got back on my feet after 7 years. Let me see if there is anything I can do for you." She found a deal for 30% off 1 pair of glasses. Normally they have a buy 1 get 1 sale, but utilizing that in the past, I always only wore one pair.

As she got everything going on the computer, it was recommended I get the lighter lenses because my prescription is so high. Even with the discount it was going to cost over $260! I started crying. There was no way I was going to be able to afford that. I asked her what it would cost to get the thick lenses and the price dropped $120. Although more manageable, the cost was going to severely impact me. $140 for glasses and an eye exam is a great deal, but even then I wasn't sure about it. I did have enough to cover it, but I have more bills and things to pay for.

A gentleman, around my parents' age, had overheard my conversation. And the story of me trying to get my book published. And what my book is about. He handed the woman assisting me $100 to help with the cost.

I couldn't believe it.

I stood up, burst into tears, trying to thank him through them. He said, "I couldn't help but overhear and I, uh, we, wanted to help you." He pointed at his wife or girlfriend. I asked him if I could give him a hug and he agreed. After the hug she said, "We don't believe in Jesus, but we wanted to still help you."

They overheard me talking about my finished book, "The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault."

After deciding to go with the thick lenses, it came to $138.60. Minus the $100 and I got my new glasses for under $40!! 🤓

After I paid, the man and his S.O. were still in the store. I asked him if I could give him another hug and he said yes. He introduced himself as: "Stephen. My first name is actually Michael, but I go by my middle name Stephen."

Thank you Stephen. I will think of you every time I put on my glasses.

Pic below are my new glasses.

God is good and God uses any and all of His Creation when they are open to it.

Peace, Blessings and Love

Cody Marie

James 1:2-5, New Living Translation

2: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3: For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4: So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect, and complete, needing nothing.

5: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 

Galatians 5:22-23, New Living Translation

22: But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23: gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Hebrews 12:1-2, New Living Translation

1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2: We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now  he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

I have gone through a considerable amount of crap since Thanksgiving day. And I’m going to admit, my patience and endurance is wearing quite thin. I broke down and cried today and I may do it again later.

Here is a quick list of everything that I have been going through:

- Thanksgiving night received a call that my great aunt Bev was terminally ill (today is actually her birthday)

- Sunday after Thanksgiving Auntie Bev passed away

- Mid December received a call that my mom’s sister, Rose was terminally ill. The next day she passed away. Found out later she had been in the hospital since Thanksgiving and never knew. 

- Early January found out that my dad’s uncle, great-uncle Wade had passed away from severe health complications. 

-Because of severe weather, we were not able to attend Uncle Wade’s funeral, and ended up being pretty much the only family not there. (I am glad everyone had made it safe)

- In February, I was able to see a hip specialist for a hip condition. I waited 1 year to see this hip doctor. During his examination, I became injured and he believed I had a tear in my hip, but was told I could work on it.

-I worked on my hip for about 6 weeks, with debilitating pain. I had xrays and MRIs and then he immediately placed me on 12 week disability with my job because my hip was in much worse shape than he originally believed it to be. 

-I requested to have a second opinion by a surgeon, because the hip doctor wanted to “band aid” the situation, I wanted a reasonable solution. Physical therapy and pain injections would not fix my problem. 

-First hip surgeon called me 2 days before my appointment at the end of April and said my case was too complicated for him and he would not see me as a patient. 

-Because of the second opinion, the first doctor dropped me as a patient, before filling out the disability paperwork I needed for my job and for the state so I could get money while I was out of work. 

-I was removed from my two ministries because of a difference in theology with the Church of the Nazarene. 

-I left my church and I left the Church of the Nazarene. 

-Had to make an  appointment with my doctor to get disability paperwork and new referral. My doctor filled out paperwork for disability for my job and the state.

-Third referral for my hip was denied in mid May. I cannot even remember the reason.

-I found a new church and a new church denomination to worship in. 

-Fourth referral for my hip was denied in the beginning of June because they were full, they could not accept new patients. They didn’t have many doctors who could even see me because of my unique case. 

-Got off the phone today with the new referral. Turns out they will not see me because of the type of insurance I have. 

-I have an appointment on Monday with my doctor to do a new referral (again) and to hopefully extend my disability. My work will not allow me to return until I am cleared to work because of the possibility of injuring myself while on the job. 

Right now, I am holding onto hope. I know that all this crap is temporary. And I have felt God in every step of the way, but I am also tired. I am tired of fighting to get the aid that I need to get better. I am currently using a cane to help me walk. I cannot walk far and I cannot do what I used to be able to do at the beginning of the year. 

Until today, there was something I had read a lot in the Bible, but I didn’t fully understand, but now I do because I am in the middle of many, many trials. (Especially Verse 4, I am seeing in a new light)

Romans 5:1-5, New Living Translation

1: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2: Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

3: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4: And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5: And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

If you are struggling, like I am, with everything seemingly going wrong, hold on to hope. God is with us every step of the way. This is something that I am absolutely sure of. And this struggling, this pain, these problems are temporary. They will end. 

Peace, Love and Blessings

Over the years I have tried writing many books, almost all of them have been fiction. One has even made it to “novel” status. And maybe someday I will finish that one, so that everyone can get to know my character: Ryann Black, a detective in the NYPD. 

Because of what happened to me with my church, and because I am out of work on disability, I don’t have much to do, so I am writing a book. I’m calling it: 

“The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault.” 

I am dedicating this book to the Victims of the Christian Church. Oh how I wish the Church was as welcoming as they claim it to be. 

I am starting it off with my testimony. 

Then I answer the question: “Why Should This Topic Even Be Considered?” because there are a lot of Christians who need to understand the consequences of their actions. I am not without fault, but I hope to learn from my mistakes and to teach others what the Bible is actually talking about. And it’s not actually homosexuality, it’s pedophilia. And because of an unfortunate misinterpretation of this, we have caused generations of hurt and  marginalization, where we should have been welcoming and loving. 

While I am using a lot of Scripture from both the Old and New Testaments, I focus primarily on the passages that people use to support their homophobia: Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:22-24; Genesis 18:20; Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11. 

I also discuss shocking and maddening statistics about how the church has hurt individuals within the LGBTQ+ community as well as those who are victims of church pedophilia and sexual assault. Here are a few of the most shocking ones I discovered:

- 93% of all LGBT Adults see at least one religious institution as “unfriendly”

                +Proverbs 18:1-2: Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. 2: Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. 

-76% of religious adults believe homosexuality should be discouraged, by frequency of attendance at religious services

               +James 2:8-9: NLT: 8: Yes, indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself (quoting Leviticus 19:18). 9: But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 

-Average length of abuse: 4 years

-Average age of abusers: 45 years old

-Only 4% of abusers were prosecuted

-88% of abusers were married at the time they abused their victims

            +Proverbs 6:32: NABRE: But those who commit adultery have no sense; those who do it destroy themselves. 

-8% of victims agreed or strongly agreed that their church supported them after the abused occurred

-The Abel Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study found that:

            +Pedophilia molesters averaged 12 victims each and 71 acts of molestation

             +Out of 561 sexual offenders, there were over 291,000 incidents, totaling over 195,000 victims

Because of the misinterpretation of Scripture, homophobia has been allowed to flourish and the Church has turned a blind eye to the victims of sexual abuse and pedophilia. Woe to the Church.

May we repent before the Judgment of the Lord comes.

May my Generation fight to fix what is broken in the church. (This is the line that got me in trouble with my church, so now it’s my anthem)

Peace, Blessings and Much Love

All passages come from the NLT, unless otherwise noted

 A very unfortunate thing has happened to me in my ministry career this week.

I was asked* to step down from my ministry roles, effective immediately.

(*Of course, I don’t have a choice in the matter, my pastor is telling me to step down.)

I have been in lay ministry with the Church of the Nazarene for 13+ years, with one year of formal, licensed ministry with the denomination. And this week, it all came crashing down. I have been calling myself Nazarene for 17 years.

I could understand if I did something wrong. If I preached something, inside the church walls, that went against the Bible, Jesus or the doctrines that the Church of the Nazarene has put into place.

         For those who have ever read my blog: “Discovering the Bible”, you’ll know my mission is pretty straightforward: “This blog is an attempt to get back to the fundamentals of the Bible and to discover (or Rediscover) what the Bible actually says about all sorts of issues we face every day.”

         Over the past few years, I have been interested in specifically what the Bible says about Homosexuality. Through careful study of the original Biblical texts (i.e. Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek); commentaries; documentaries; blogs; vlogs; books and journals, I have come to the realization that “homosexuality” should have never been interpreted into the Bible in the first place. It should still be “pedophilia” as it used to be.  

         The first time “homosexual/homosexuality” appeared in any language Bible was in the German Bible in the late 1890’s. Before that, the particular words were translated as pedophile/pedophilia. In the English translations this word did not even appear until 1946. (Yet, the Church acts like it has been there for the last 2,000 years.)

`The current English language Bibles (does not matter on the translation or version) is a translation, of a translation, of a translation, of a translation. Now a days, more people are going back to the original languages to understand what the Biblical writers were trying to convey. Regardless, of how a person studies the Bible, one thing is clear: we must try to understand the original languages to understand how the Bible is relevant for us. I’m not suggesting to go out and learn two very difficult languages (I tried Biblical Hebrew and it did not go so well), but there are dictionaries made specifically to guide a person through the English language and to the original Biblical languages.

         I have discovered that the 7 places in the Bible where homosexuality currently appears, is misinterpreted. There is a lot of theological debate about the “inerrancy” of Scripture and whether or not the Bible contains any errors. I have the personal belief that the original manuscripts of the Bible, those written directly from the Bible writers were just as they were intended for: to proclaim the Good News and Salvation of Jesus Christ. However, through language translations, copying capabilities and other instances, that the Bible as we know it today, especially in that of the English and German translations (I am unfamiliar with any other language Bibles) has some errors. But I do believe that the Bible still proclaims what the original writers wanted it to: to proclaim the Good News and the Salvation found in Jesus Christ.

         I could write a lengthy blog on all of the things that have transpired over the last month between my pastor, myself and the Church of the Nazarene, but I’ll just sum it up:

         I am being asked to step down from my ministries because of my belief that people who identify in the LGBTQ+ community have a rightful place in the Church. That homosexuality is not a sin and that it’s not homosexuals that God has condemned: it’s the pedophiles. (Did you know Christian Churches have insurance they pay into to cover them when they get sued for hiring a pedophile? I sure as heck didn’t.)

         A book was just published, toward the end of April 2023 titled, “Why the Church of the Nazarene Should Be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming.” It is a collection of 90+ essays. Oh, how I wish I knew of this book well in advanced to have participated in/contributed to it.

         I made a Facebook post about this book. I was so excited when one of the editors shared it with me and as soon as it was made available for purchase, I bought a copy. While I am a slow reader (ADHD, and dyslexia) I have found what I have read so far to be insightful, and gut-wrenching. And it has led me to continue to do more research and I am in the beginning stages of writing my own book on the subject.

         What appalls me the most about what has transpired is the lack of love, compassion, justice and mercy that has been shown to me (and countless others in the Christian religion as a whole, but also to what is happening within the Church of the Nazarene itself.) The Church of the Nazarene boasts that they are loving, compassionate and “meet people where they are at.” (This is quoted from the Pastor’s email who told me to step down) BUT

         And here is where I am appalled. The God they serve is a loving God, a God who gives UNCONDITIONAL love. And the Church of the Nazarene is very CONDITIONAL in the type of love they give. (Sure, there are individuals within the Nazarene denomination who do show unconditional love, compassion, mercy and have a heart for justice, but the denomination has fallen incredibly short.)

           And it’s time that it should be exposed.

Out of the respect for the Pastor, who I am sure, believes what he has done is the right thing, I will not be mentioning his name, and I ask, respectfully, that anyone who reads this blog, who knows me, my situation and who knows his name, to please, respectfully DO NOT retaliate.

 Romans 12:19: Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. (Quoted Deuteronomy 32:35)

 What is happening in the Church of the Nazarene is the same thing that was happening in the days of Jesus: the religious leaders turning everything legalistic and misinterpreting the laws. Those who were appointed in the First Century had grossly misinterpreted God’s laws. Unfortunately, it has happened a few different times in history. After them, it was the Catholic church who was doing it and Martin Luther called them out on it. I am not the only one who is calling about the Church and her current behavior. The Church is hiding behind injustice and claiming it is “loving”, “compassionate”, “caring” and “godly”.

The warning that Jesus gives to the Pharisees (one of the groups of religious leaders of first century Judaism) is relevant for ANY religious leaders, religious organizations, or Christians who have turned everything legalistic.

 May this warning fall on me if I ever do this.

 Matthew 23: Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders

1: Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2: “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.

3: So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they preach. 4: They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5: “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.

6: And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7: They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called, ‘Rabbi.’

8: “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9: And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10: And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11: The greatest among you must be a servant. 12: But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. [14: What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, you will be severely punished.]

15: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!  

16: “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17: Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18: And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19: How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20: When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21: And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it.

22: And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24: Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

25: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence. 26: You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

27: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28: Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30: Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

31: “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32: Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33: Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34: “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35: As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36: I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

 It is not too often that I have read this passage in Scripture, and I don’t think I have ever heard Matthew 23 preached from the pulpit. On the surface, this is a troubling chapter, because here we see a different side of Jesus. We see His anger. Now, to clarify, this anger Jesus has is not the anger that leads to sin that we humans have come to know. This is called “righteous anger” and the Bible distinguishes between the two. I could summarize, paraphrase or repeat what the Bible says, but I find it helpful, to just continue quoting Scripture with more Scripture.

 James 1:20-22: 20: Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21: So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22: But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Ephesians 4:31-32: 31: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32: Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Proverbs 14:29: People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

Ecclesiastes 7:9: Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

Colossians 3:8-10: 8: But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9: Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10: Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Ephesians 4:26-27: 26: And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” (Psalm 4:4) 27: Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Proverbs 29:22: An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

 Jesus’ anger is well placed because Jesus understood and was there with God since the beginning of the Creation of the World. He was there before humanity took its first breath, He was there when humanity sinned for the first time, and he even came down and lived among us, in human form to try to reconcile humanity back with God (See Genesis 1:26; and John 1).

 Below is part of the commentary section from Matthew 23 in the Life Application Study Bible: New Living Translation.

 “23:2,3: The Pharisees’ traditions and their interpretations and applications of the laws had become as important to them as God’s law itself. Their laws were not all bad—some were beneficial. Problems arose when the religious leaders 1) held that man-made rules were equal to God’s laws, 2) told the people to obey these rules but did not do so themselves, or 3) obeyed the rules, not to honor God, but to make themselves look good. Usually Jesus did not condemn what the Pharisees taught but what they were—hypocrites.” Pg. 1591

“23:5-7: Jesus again exposed the hypocritical attitudes of the religious leaders. They know the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn’t care about being holy—just looking holy in order to receive people’s admiration and praise. Today, like the Pharisees, many people say they know the Bible but do not let it change their lives. They say they follow Jesus, but they don’t live by his standards of love. We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs.” Pg. 1591

“23:15: The Pharisees’ converts were attracted to religion, not to God. By getting caught up in the details of their additional laws and regulations, they completely missed God, to whom the laws pointed. A religion of works puts pressure on people to surpass others in what they know and do. Thus, a hypocritical teacher was likely to have students who were even more hypocritical. We must make sure we are not creating Pharisees by emphasizing outward obedience at the expense of inner renewal.” Pg. 1592

“23:23,24: It’s possible to obey the details of the laws but still be disobedient in our general behavior. For example, we could be very precise and faithful about giving 10 percent of our money to God but refuse to give one minute of our time in helping others. Tithing is important, but giving a tithe does not exempt us from fulfilling God’s other directives.” Pg. 1592.

 And what is Jesus calling us to?

Love.

 And Jesus had literally just mentioned this.

 Jesus, in Matthew 22, had just criticized the Sadducees and now, in Matthew 23, he was addressing the Pharisees. The Pharisees heard exactly what Jesus had said to the Sadducees. This message at the end of Matthew was for ALL.

Matthew 22:34:40 NLT: 34: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.

35: One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:

36: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37: Jesus replied, “’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’. (Deuteronomy 6:5) 38: This is the first and greatest commandment. 39: A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18). 40: The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  

 In all that I do, in all who I am and in all who God has created me to be, the best thing I can, or any one of us who proclaims to be followers of Jesus to be is loving.

The best thing that I can do is love.

Peace and Grace,