This is in the context of a man and a woman in a monogamous marital relationship. That is not what is going on in most of these cultures here and abroad.

Agree 100% Yes Sir.

1st part no, that's not correct interpretation and I hope I didn't type that. The Bible is NOT a rule Book. It's a narrative of God's Story. Main character = God. Plot = God's. Antagonist = Satan. Denouement (ending) = New Heaven and New Earth with every human every created resurrected and sent either to be with God forever OR sent to be apart from God forever.

The "Gospel"... the Person and Work of Jesus in His 1st and 2nd Coming is "foolishness" to those who are perishing (unsaved) (1 Cor 1:18) but God's Word is God's Word regardless of who reads it.
Now, that said, Walking in Unity of the Spirit is ALL OVER the NT writings and the Spirit helps in the illumination of our faith, which includes reading God's Word. The Apostle Paul routinely lays out the doctrine of the Gospel including the flesh (our sin = lust/coveting) hates God and hates the Gospel.

The go forth and multiply commentaries sometimes say that it's only for the Israelites and there's solid footing for that view, but I don't interpret the text that way (I may be wrong).

The 2 Thess 3:10 text about "no work, no eat" has been one of those flash verses we call them... you like 'em, you flash 'em... but the proper context is that Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy are writing to believers in Thessalonica (mostly Gentiles) who are suffering because they are being opposed by false teachers, and those believers who are not acting properly. The text about no work, no eat is a church discipline text not a societal rule book text.

Are the people who you would say shouldn't eat if they don't work in your church? If not, not correct interpretation and if they are in our churches than the letter to the Corinthians goes even deeper into church discipline.

Hope this helps. Bottom line, the Bible isn't a rule book!

Blessings,
Mark

Yes sir -- you are spot on. I never had much growing up and when the kids were young I really didn't have much -- They are grown now. There are now a few dollars left at the end of the month (not many but some). I am not going to donate those few to people who are not willing to try to improve their standard of living -- mostly that means working for it.

I minister everyday to 10-15 new people whom I've never met and your view isn't far off base.
Sadly, too many do try to scam rather than truly and humbly require help. We have a shorter fuse here for scammers because there is such great need and so little resource.
I lay it on the line daily for people who should know better.... and ask them to leave and there's the door.

Blessings,
Mark

Mark I struggle about how you say the Bible isn't a rule book when you are using its Scriptures to point how one should live.

That'd be another area in which people have walked their own path rather than the one laid out by God.

Its so easy to find those who truly need help. Every time I go to the grocery store, I pay attention to the little old man or woman, or individual in front of me trying to pay and how they are paying. I try to use discernment to see their circumstances and make a judgement call. There are a lot of good people out there that are struggling horribly, but are too humble to ask for help. I have family members this way. Its not pride, but rather you fend for yourself or do without. It was the way we were raised.

May your tribe increase brother Chancey.
Say, is it hot down south? I finish up here in Dallas second week of May and off to Cotulla we go to trap for 2+ weeks.

Blessings,
Mark

Thank you Mark.

I just got back from the Tilden/Freer area and it looks like the moon down there. Bad dry, and yes very HOT!. They've had less than 4 inches of rain since last July.
Dusty as all get out. So dry and all the wind, gonna be hard to see tracks from day to day with all this crazy wind! At least in McMullen county. Hopefully ya'll had some more moisture over in LaSalle.

I don't think it's been better in LaSalle. It usually starts to raining about the time I show up in May.

Good question Yes sir.
We should ask ourselves, are we Walking by Unity? Ephesians chapter 4. Same question the Apostle Paul (the guy who is the reason we're chatting about this) is writing to the Ephesian believers to remind them and really rebuke them on the fact that they are saying they are Christians.... but they are acting like Jews under the Law still.... or Gentiles who are lawless ones. Not enough of them acting out the faith and since the mouth is the overflow of the heart.... Paul is writing to yet another group of early Christians to help explain how it all should be playing out once you claim to be Christian. Do you act like it Paul asks?

Paul, and so much of the New Testament point us how to live a holy life - which is Love God and Love Others because our hearts are convicted to do so by the power of the Spirit within us and because we "see" -which is faith -
not because we crack open a Book and it says to.
No, it's rather be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48) imagery which is if you say that you are faithful.... act like it. So that the world can testify through you that you are in love with God.
And so the world won't witness us as....
A. Acting like everyone else and not in Love with God and Not Loving others (That's the flesh, the world, and Satan's position) or by
B. Acting out our faith by grumbling because we think God says do this and don't do that.

It's the "works" part of Scripture that Christians confuse as being what we "have" to do.
No, it's what we "want" to do.

Here's an analogy. You love your wife, right. I didn't put a question mark on the end of this sentence. I assume you do.
And if you love her, then you "do" certain things and no one has to "tell" you to do them or you don't have to "read" what to do, right? You just.... want to. Because of your love for her.
That is a "glimpse, a small glimpse of the love humans are capable of and which GOD has is immeasurable amounts and when we are reborn, crucified with Christ (good Paul writings there), and united by the Spirit and with the Spirit.... do we "walk" in that Unity? (Ephesians 4 and a bunch of Romans). Are we led by the Spirit?
Do you treat your wife a certain way because you want to, because you're in love, or did you read it in a book which told you to do this or that?

The Bible is the story of God and when we read it, hopefully we fall deeper in love with the author and main character of the whole story. We're in the book. But the Book isn't about us. It's about God.

Paul reminds us to always ask ourselves, "Are we humbled and in awe of our "gift" of salvation" (most people love a gift), and if we say we are then as Ephesians 4:32 reads, "Be kind, be tenderhearted, and forgiving of one another.... as God in Christ Jesus did for us?" Or are we just as the Pharisees who memorized Scripture but were hard hearted. Or the Sadducees who were civic leaders who enjoyed the status of "name it - claim it?" Or the Scribes, the attorneys, who fought over every thing but declared they were "faithful?"

It's not easy to chat person to person on an online forum and because Christianity is a relational religion, these things are best done in groups with those who are gifted as pastors, teachers and all else NT says God equips people as.

The Bible is the most amazing Book to ever be but it won't make us faithful. God does that.

Hope this helps in a small way.
Blessings on this wondrous Resurrection Week.
Mark

Mark, where/ or does discernment fit with compassion? If slothfulness of a capable adult led to poverty, is it compassion to continuously support or is it compassion to allow them to "sleep in the bed they made"? Is compassion blind? Should it be?

Good question JS. I'm not inspired. God is the answer. Not me.
But as one who has taken the personal time, financial commitment, and made the sincere effort to be educated by knowledgable men and women at one of the most respected non-denominational theology seminaries in the world, and with graduation on the horizon, I have learned some things;

First, chapter 3 comes after 2. And chapter 3 comes before chapter 4.

Second, the Bible is a narrative, a story, and all 66 books are written as a story for a good reason. We enjoy and learn best from a great story.

Third, and most importantly I have learned that it is so easy for me to judge others. My flesh wants to do that all the time. Or to use my legalistic measuring stick to see how everything and everyone else measures up to my tape.
But it's not my tape and it's not my measure.
It's God's. All of it. Me. You. All of it.

I have absolutely learned and will always try to keep learning that,
when you Love God and Love others, with mind, body, soul, and strength >>>>

Keep my gaze on God. Read His Word for nourishment.
Keep my feet in motion by sharing the Gospel and ministry of the Kingdom to others who seek Truth.
Keep my hands open, not clenched, to all God blesses us with.

Bottom line, I have learned, solid theology points me to to reflecting on me, rather than judging all them.

Blessings on this wondrous week!
Mark

I realize this thread is about Ethiopians but if I may...

I am flying out of the Philippines in a couple of hours. We were here on vacation but also had the opportunity to visit for a weekend with a young woman who we supported through Compassion International for 15 years. (She's 25 and we supported her from age 5-20).

The Compassion center could only take one child per family. We heard stories of how food given at the center would be taken home and shared with the other three sisters... The $100 graduation gift we sent was used to purchase a cookstove for the family, not much better than the one we camp with and pull out once a year.

She and 2 of her sisters that have graduated from college support their father(unwell) and sister who is still in high school. Their mother has passed away. They have recently qualified for a mortgage and we were able to see their mostly finished house being built. They are an absolute success story.

I would like to think that my wife and I helped with our $30 something a month. I think they may have gotten where they are today without our help. But I didn't know until this weekend how much that help was appreciated.

If we are so quick to make assumptions about the people who could receive our help that we don't give we miss out on being the hands of God.

People say hand up vs hand out... but how do you give a 5 year old a hand up? Sometimes you just need to give.

If we believe that all we own is God's, given to us to manage, and we don't give because we are afraid of inefficient or ineffective giving but don't acknowledge the waste in our own personal spending we become hypocrites. What I am trying to say is this- I think we could all admit that we all waste money on stuff we don't need in our personal lives but all of a sudden when it comes to giving we become these ultra conservative bean counters requiring an accounting for every penny.

Instead we should give, as if we are giving to the Lord... He is responsible for the results. We just need to worry about our hearts posture. Some of it will be wasted, some of it will get where it makes a 100x return, and that's ok.

Excellent post Mr. Jansma!

Sure makes me think about how fortunate I am and all the wasteful spending I do. I am guilty of the bean counting.

Thank you for posting, and safe travels home brother. God bless you and your family.

Wonderful testimony brother Bob, as to Love of God and Love of Others!
I can imagine how special all of it was.

Blessings,
Mark