The Carpenter's Journal

Posted: May 2, 2022 by cjournalme 1 Comment

Get In the Right Game

The world understands choices from a perspective of being either right or wrong.

So, any of them which are questionable eventually end up somewhere inside the realm of acceptability. It’s a convenient system. When any given part of “wrong” becomes too problematic, it’s simply transferred into the darkest gray area of the “right” category.

As a result, that domain is expanding rapidly, blurring the lines which define sound judgment.

But it’s nothing new under the Sun. Our Creator has always perceived sound judgement as choosing life instead of death rather than right over wrong. The first choice brought death to the choosers. [see: Gen. 3] And ever since then, His offer has remained unchanged. After leading His people out of Egypt, He set life and death before them and let them decide which they wanted:

“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, SO THAT you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you…” [Deut, 30:15] [my emphasis]

Note also that the reasons for choosing life have always been good ones. In the same way today, the Son of Man has set the same offer before His disciples:

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” [the gospel account of Matt. 7:13-14, Jesus’ words to His disciples.]

[What is Life? see: The Precious Pearl of Life. see also:LIFE IN THE BALANCE: Hearing Its Source]

The Lord Jesus Christ’s crown of life is the prize sought by His faithful disciple. [see: Ja. 1:12, Rev. 2:10b] But this type of life will never be achieved when sought by what this world defines as either right or wrong.

The goalposts keep moving all around.

Last Updated: June 21, 2024 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

Taming the Rapture Frenzy

Life’s a lot easier if you plow around the stumps.

But sometimes you gotta get ’em out of the way or nothing else fits together. So, I think it’s time to expose a distortion of Scripture that’s been taught in many of our congregations for well over a century.

The term “rapture” was inserted into Biblical doctrine during the 19th Century to help validate a subversive form of Christian theology known as Dispensationalism. The concept is built around a passage in 1Th. 4:17:

“…we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” [my emphasis] [ἁρπάζω: (har-pâ-zō) take by force, take away, carry off, catch up]

This event, which the apostle Paul recorded to bring hope and comfort to the saints in Thessalonica, describes the second arrival of Jesus Christ and the future resurrection of the righteous dead He often spoke about. It is, however, unfortunate that most traditional interpretations of this passage are wholly inconsistent with what the text of the Bible actually says–-and on more than one level.

[Read why at: Dead or Alive?…Safe in Christ!]

But perhaps the most important lie to refute about “the rapture” is that Jesus Christ’s disciples will not have to endure the tribulation—something that He assured them they would indeed need to prepare themselves for! [see: Matt. 24:4-51]

Why such a big deal?

That it contradicts the Written Word of God should be enough. Who’s to say why John Darby and his colleagues picked up on this preposterous suggestion that the Lord’s grace is cheap and ran so successfully with it over a hundred years ago? Nevertheless, the costs associated with the good news that the Man Jesus Christ and His disciples gave up their lives for have been continually diluted over the centuries.

[How costly is God’s grace? see: High Rollers in His Grace]

If I choose to believe that, as a disciple of Christ, I have nothing to do but wait for the day Jesus is gonna zap me up onto a cloud, I really don’t know His character nor am I willing to read what the Bible actually says for myself.

Human free will is the facilitator of truth.

Make it work for you!

Last Updated: July 25, 2024 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

Let Your Violence Be Holy

Believe it or not, men were created to be forceful.

Not at birthday parties or dance recitals. But everywhere else. If you don’t agree, you might be part of the problem—that is, by the design of soft men who’ve been placed in positions of authority, we’ve created a couple of generations of males who are largely passive in nature.

A passive man isn’t necessarily effeminate. But he is one who’s too afraid to be forceful or violent when it becomes necessary. Yet, through his idleness, he demonstrates why God regards effeminacy every bit as abhorrent as other forms of sexual immorality. [see: 1Cor. 6:9-11] The result is that a community which tolerates this type of behavior only helps to advance the progression of a corresponding passive attitude among its fathers and leaders.

And that’s A Recipe for Confusion.

In the gospel account of Matthew, Jesus suggested that his cousin John [the baptist] was a rugged man, both physically and mentally:

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? …A man dressed in soft clothing? [Matt. 11:7b-8a]

Of course they didn’t.

Because John was the embodiment of male ferocity and tenacity, and Jesus was illustrating that John’s character was a pattern for others who desired to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. It wasn’t a cakewalk. Those who were really serious about doing it often had to fight for it:

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is forcibly entered, and violent men seize it for themselves.” [Matt. 11:12] [βιαστής: (be-ôs-tāys) violent or eager person, forceful one] [my emphasis]

Soft men have always understood that emasculating a civilization gradually is highly preferable to engaging it with violence. It is, in fact, their only option for ruling over it.

But the Biblically “violent” man will never be misled by the distortions and lies proliferated in our feminized culture. He will boldly reject what is detestable in the eyes of his Master at the risk of being offensive to an ignorant heart.

He’ll seize that only opportunity to enter into what Jesus described as the kingdom of the heavens. [see: Matt. 13:1-52]

Will you?

Posted: March 4, 2022 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

Priceless $50 Words

Some unusual words are fascinating.

And, occasionally, I’m inclined to dig for a better understanding of one. Seeing photographs or images in real time usually get me going in that direction.

Here’s my latest one: Inosculation. From a botanical perspective, this is a natural occurring phenomenon by which tree roots, trunks or branches become intertwined and actually grow together like in the photo above.

But there’s more to appreciate about inosculation besides being something cool to look at. It’s a process that ultimately produces an unusually strong bond between two living things. That makes it incredibly similar to the way a living man becomes connected to his Living God!

Think about it.

This fusion process originates through occasional contact, and that contact progresses with growth. Botanists tell us that, eventually, the bark from each branch becomes worn away at the points of contact, exposing the cambium below.

The cambium is the sensitive part of woody plants—the only part able to successfully initiate and sustain any kind of modification to the growth or shape of that particular species of plant. It’s interesting also that this marvel of the natural world happens at a rate directly proportional to the amount of time these two exposed surfaces remain in contact with one another.

All this suggests to me that proximity is crucial to any kind of change that could be effective in the created order. But it also demonstrates that the consequences of close association are inevitable. In other words, through repeated contact, I can unwittingly become bound to people or situations which are irrelevant or hostile to my growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Just like us, trees need room to grow, and sometimes that requires creating a strong bond to facilitate that growth. But it rarely happens without some form of disruption or distress.

Trees don’t have emotions, of course, but their insides are just as fragile as ours are. On the other hand, they inherently grow toward the light.

Do you?

“For if we have come to be grown together in the likeness of his death, certainly, in that of his resurrection also, shall we be.” [Rom. 6:5] from the J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible [my emphasis] [σύμφυτος (sūm-foot-âs) adj., sharing in, united with, at one with]

Posted: February 16, 2022 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

An Appeal to Moral Constancy

Some of us have seen enough.

There are way too many celebrities and role models today trying to convince us that their Christian faith is worthy of our consideration. That’s not to say many aren’t sincere about what they publicly profess. If someone claims to follow Jesus Christ, I have to take him at his word. Perhaps he does.

But I might need to question the consistency of his conduct.

Because if he announces that, through his role or occupation, he wants to bring glory to God, I can’t ignore his behavior outside of those parameters. After all, this is a statement that could hardly be taken out of context. It’d be disingenous to say that I give glory to God only at certain times or in specific situations.

I either do or I don’t.

For example, if I declare my lifestyle to be one which brings honor to the Lord, yet remain unmarried while continuing to shack up with my girlfriend, I might run into some credibility issues with those who are aware that the practice of fornication is still regarded as abhorrent behavior in the eyes of their Creator.

If my claim to faith in Christ is real, then I’m not my own anymore. I was bought at a price. I should glorify God with my body. [1Cor. 6:19-20] I might even fail to do that on occasion, but I’d never risk the Lord’s gift of life in the next age because of some bad habits I can’t seem to break in this one.

Now I’d rarely take exception to what another man believes. If he wants to worship the moon because he’s convinced it’s made of green cheese, that’s his choice. But if he says He belongs to Christ, his behavior should steadily reflect what both Jesus and the apostolic authors taught in the Bible.

And we who make the same claim in Christ’s service must be willing to refute error, especially to one another. [see: Eph. 5:11; Ja. 5:19-20; Titus 1:7-9; 2Tim. 3:16-4:2; Gal. 6:1]

So, who am I to judge another?

I’m the one who sees the Word of God being dragged through the mud because His soldiers are either too afraid or too lazy to stand up against the world’s new standards of moral conduct. And I’m the one who notices what my children and grandchildren are doing and not doing because of what they’re noticing and what they’re not noticing.

[Is it wrong to “judge?” see: The Second Biggest Lie.]

But, as an ambassador for Jesus Christ too, I’m also one who welcomes a brother to examine my behavior on a regular basis as well. If I’m offending my Master in any way, I need to know about it.

If my life is about bringing glory to God, I’ve got to be consistent doing it.

“Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful [of sinning].” [1Tim. 5:20]

Last Updated: October 16, 2023 by cjournalme 2 Comments

Why Not Free All of Me?

I think we need to wake up and start reading the Bible.

Because, over the centuries, both ecclesiastical and pagan traditions have somehow re-built the created man into a loosely connected conglomeration of flesh and imperishable conscious thought.

That’s not to say that we don’t exist both physically and nonphysically. That’d be absurd, because either of these conditions are necessarily dependent upon the other to sustain human life. But, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re only deceiving ourselves if we choose to categorize the human makeup into distinct, autonomous entities.

Why?

Because the Biblical authors clearly illustrated the inseparable composition of humanity. For example, note that the apostle Paul, in his letter to all who [were] beloved of God in Rome, called as saints, he recorded the word “he” as a Greek Masculine Pronoun in this well-known revealing passage:

“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin.” [Rom. 6:5-7] [my emphasis]

Notice also that the apostle Peter viewed human souls in the same light, recording a parallel passage using the same Masculine Gender:

“Therefore, since Christ has suffered In the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” [1Pet. 4:1-2] [my emphasis]

Did you notice that there’s nothing in these texts copied above to suggest that only a “sinful part” of the regenerate man has died to sin? If either Paul or Peter were referring to some part of a man, they would’ve used a Neuter Pronoun to modify a thing rather than a person.

But they didn’t.

Human life was perceived and defined by the Biblical authors as an embodiment of the whole person. So, if I understand myself to be a divisible combination of “body” and “soul,” I have a theological dilemma.

Because if I indeed possess something immaterial which I choose to call a “soul” that cannot die [either figuratively or literally], then I have something inside of me that doesn’t need to be freed from sin according to Paul. As a consequence, then, I’d have to conclude that this immaterial, immortal “soul” within me [which would include my thoughts and emotions] is therefore sinless and must remain that way because it cannot die.

After all, what would it need to be freed from?

[So, do I actually “possess” a soul? see: Everybody’s got one?]

But the conundrum wouldn’t stop there.

I’d also have to conclude that the death of my Lord Jesus was merely for the sins in my body and not for my whole self, since my body is the only part of me in which sin is demonstrated.

But perhaps the most obvious question would be the most unsettling:

Why would my resurrection even be necessary if the immortal part of me doesn’t need Jesus Christ’s death to save me since it will never die?

No part of me is off limits to God’s perpetual saving grace through Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, because nothing in the texts of the Bible suggests that sin does not invade everything that I am.

I exist only as the sum of my parts, and He died for all of me.

Posted: December 18, 2021 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

The Breadth of Purity

Faithfulness is an obvious requirement for the married man.

And in Matthew’s gospel account, Jesus Christ made it clear to His disciples that adultery not only violated God’s conjugal boundaries, but He also diminished the depth of the playing field:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” [my emphasis] [Matt. 5:27-28] [μοιχεύω: to commit adultery]

So then, from a married man’s perspective, I’m forced to rethink the popular expression:

“Doesn’t hurt ta’ look, duzzit?”

However, I know for a fact that not all of Jesus’ disciples were married men. So how is it possible for an unmarried man to commit adultery?

Jesus illustrated how that happens by challenging the way a man qualifies himself in the eyes of the One he claims to love. He wasn’t just defining faithfulness by clarifying what a breach of the marriage covenant actually was, He was also using marriage to reinforce the concept of relational fidelity.

In other words, true faithfulness first conceived in a clean heart is then demonstrated by a physical gesture. But, more importantly, the moral precedent that a man can render himself impure by his thoughts had been established.

[Is pornography only harmful for married men? see: Common Sense and the Slipperiest of Slopes]

In God’s eyes, marital infidelity is but a symptom of a much larger problem. If a man can’t be faithful to his wife, he can’t begin to be faithful to his Lord. And while there might be a few wives willing to tolerate their husband’s immoral behavior, God cannot.

A Perfect Spirit can never be bound up together with one that’s impure.

The disciple’s body is the Lord’s dwelling place,–whether he’s married or not.

Posted: December 2, 2021 by cjournalme 1 Comment

Miracles of My Faith

I don’t believe it’s common for God to directly intervene in the lives of those He created.

For that reason, I can confidently suggest that much of the protection I enjoy in this life is a consequence of prudent, free will decisions. That’s because I’ve come to understand that God’s commands were given to us as safeguards—among other things. As a result, then, that knowledge acted out in faith protects me.

Of course, some decisions I’ve made weren’t good ones, but that also makes my case.

One of the best examples of how faith protects can be observed in the created institution of marriage. The very nature of this pledge demands an irrevocable commitment of permanency from both the man and the woman. But these vows were always intended to be legally binding as well.

There’s a good reason for that. The consequences for breaking the covenant are severe and long lasting. They’re generationally devastating, eventually eroding the moral fabric which binds a community together through lawful behavior and decency.

Regardless of what the world teaches, marriage is God’s mechanism of protection by design. It’s not just a popular tradition. It’s a vital institution upon which families, governments and other important elements of social order are built and maintained.

[Read why the marriage covenant is so important: Married Lives Matter]

The saying is that if it don’t kill ya,’ it’ll make ya’ stronger. No one can argue with that. But it’s a foolish principle to plan my life around. And since faith endures in multiple dimensions, I’m convinced that I should learn how to recognize every one of them.

Faith can define anything from a strong conviction to a notion of logical probability. It’s what triggers miracles every day of my life. It astonishes me, enlightens me and sustains me.

But most of all, it’s the basis on which I was saved from the power of the Ruler of this wicked age.

God created everything for a specific purpose. Any modifications men make to those institutions, laws, bodies, etc., perverts His original flawless intention.

Marriage, government and faith are inseparable entities existing in the Created Order. They’re an inextricable compound—a catalyst of God’s plan for the ages.

We need ’em for more reasons than we’ll ever realize.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy, has given us new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we might secure an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” [1Pet. 1:3-5] [my emphasis]

Posted: November 17, 2021 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

Let’s Engage the Coming Age!

Forever’s a long time, but it’s not a catch-all phrase.

Modern English dictionaries define this word as an adverb used to describe time in perpetuity, or something that will never end. So, whenever we see it in our English translations of the Greek New Testament, we naturally apply that meaning to the context.

But the Biblical authors didn’t expect much of anything to last forever, except for their Creator.

That’s why they envisioned the distant future as something being in the next age rather than a continuation of this one. Hence, the phrase εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, meaning “in,” or “into the age,” was an effective way of communicating what was yet to come. There are at least 38 uses of this expression present in the texts of the over 5600 Greek manuscripts existing today:

Rev. 20:10; Rev. 22:5; Rev. 4:10; Rev. 10:6; Rev. 14:11; Rev. 15:7; Rev. 19:3; Rev. 4:9; Rev. 1:6; Jude 1:25; Jude 1:13; 2Jn. 1:2; 1Jn. 2:17; 1Pet. 5:11; 1Pet. 1:25; Heb. 7:21; Heb. 7:17; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 5:6; Heb. 1:8; 2Tim. 4:18; 1Tim 1:17; Phil. 4:20; Eph. 3:21; 2Cor. 11:31; 2Cor. 9:8; Rom. 16:27; Rom. 11:36; Rom. 9:5; Rom. 1:25; Jn. 14:16; Jn.12:34; Jn. 8:35; Jn. 11:26; Jn. 6:58; Jn. 6:51; Lk. 1:55; Lk. 1:33

So what’s the point?

In some of the passages noted above, the intended meaning of being given life [or living] again in the next age has been misconstrued to imply that even those who are faithful to Christ’s commands have no reason to experience a future resurrection but rather should expect to live forever!

In other words, the phrase which meant “in/into the age,” has been translated as “forever” in most cases. But, in doing so, Bible translators have corrupted the meaning of a concept that’s crucial for me to understand if I hope to live and reign with Jesus Christ in the next age.

Because I have to be raised back from the dead for that to happen.

At least that’s what Jesus said anyway. [see: Jn. 6:39-40]

I often use Jn. 11:23-26 as an example. When Jesus told Martha that her brother Lazarus would rise again, she confirmed a well-understood principle that she had no doubt been taught regarding the Jewish Scriptures—that is, that he would indeed be raised back to life “on the last day.”

Speaking about the “last day” was another way of talking about the first day in the next age. [see: Dan. 12:2; Ezek. 37:1-23]

Jesus was surely demonstrating His authority to raise the dead in the future by bringing Lazarus back to life at that particular time. However, by doing that, He also reaffirmed that no human life shall exist in perpetuity, but that it must be given back by the Only One who could give it in the first place.

That’s right. The hope of the Christian life is a resurrection, not a disembodied bliss in the clouds with Jesus.

[So where did this lie come from? see: Lyin’ ’bout dyin’]

Compare your translation of how Jesus responded to Martha with how the Greek New Testament actually reads:

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who is believing in Me shall live even though he [eventually] dies. And every [one] who is living and believing in Me shall never, ever die in the age. Do you believe this?” [vss. 25-26] [my emphasis]

In this particular example taken from the 38 given above, the words “in/into the age” are merely omitted from the text in most translations. But, by doing so, this passage is made inconsistent with the doctrine of a future resurrection.

Not only that, it simply doesn’t make sense.

See for yourself. Does Jesus actually contradict Himself in your translated version? Does He really tell Martha that death is inevitable, but then, in the next sentence, say that it isn’t?

I’m not suggesting that Biblical translating teams are deceitful by any means. I do, however, believe that deeply engrained religious convictions appear to sometimes influence the process of conveying the Word of God accurately.

The solution?

Learn Biblical Greek, or get to know someone who has.

Perhaps purchasing the NASB with Strong’s Bible Text translation [Lockman Edition] which is available with the free Olive Tree App would be the next best thing.

Last Updated: February 19, 2024 by cjournalme Leave a Comment

Acting Out is Believing

Jesus said I can put my boots in the oven but that don’t make ’em biscuits.

That’s right.

When He told His disciples that He would deny knowing certain people who claim to belong to Him on the day He returns, He was really saying that their good works would not be visible to Him:

“Not everyone who is saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens. But the one who is doing the will of My Father who is in the heavens [shall enter]. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me—all of you who are practicing lawlessness!’” [Matt. 7:21-23] [my emphasis]

[γινώσκω: (gînōskō) to know, come to know, recognize, understand]

He wasn’t referring to any negligence in seeking to know more about Him, nor was He suggesting that their words would be false. He was simply pointing out that the fruit which they might be claiming to have produced wouldn’t even actually exist—regardless of what they were saying or doing.

In other words, the proof of discipleship is in the produce, not the pudding.

The sentences prior to these verses reveal the perilous fate of a tree that does not produce fruit—something that is recognizable. If it doesn’t produce, it’s of no use to the owner. [see: Matt. 7:15-20] As a disciple of Christ, I’m a tree that must yield good fruit or I’m headed for the burn pile. [see: 1Cor. 3:11-15]

I also think it’s important to understand that my redemption [or the fact that I’m “saved”] does not exclude me from being paid back for my works on the basis of the quality of fruit they produce. [see: 2Cor. 5:10]

[What does it mean to be “saved?” see: Different Fruit…Same Good News]

A common understanding of some who claim to belong to Christ is that, if they are indeed saved, they would instinctively be doing the will of the Father who is in the heavens and therefore be assured of entering into the kingdom of the heavens on the day of His return.

I’d certainly hope so, but Jesus suggested that they need to actually act upon what they claim to believe—that is, if they want to be able to sustain that belief:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” [Matt. 7:24] [my emphasis]

If I choose not to act on my faith, my faith has no foundation. I’m practicing lawlessness.

Guess what I’m not gonna’ enter into?