Sermon Video: Beyond Our Imagination - Ephesians 3:20-21

What is God able to do?  More than we can ask or imagine.

What does that mean?  Set aside whatever ideas pop into your head about personal enrichment, God isn't in the business of giving you wealth, power, or fame because those ideas as much too SMALL.  God's plans and purposes exceed or imagination, they don't fulfill it.  

What God will actually do is utilize the Holy Spirit that resides within God's people to continue their process of transformation into Christ-likeness.  Remember, when Jesus performed miracles it wasn't the healing that caused the furor from his critics, it was when Jesus forgave their sins.  Spiritual miracles are far more impressive than physical ones, and God has committed to this transformation of each and every person that has been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.

Professor Solberg and The Bible Roots Ministries joins the dialogue about the dangers of the First Fruits of Zion

 I'll be honest, it hasn't been easy to be the primary online voice discussing the First Fruits of Zion these past almost three years.  I've put a lot more effort and passion into the effort to warn the Church about FFOZ than I ever imagined I would when I first heard about Torah Clubs in the Fall of 2022.  From the beginning the entire Franklin Christian Ministerium has supported me, that has been invaluable.  My whole church, including my board, have supported me, that has been crucial.  But until now, I had only been able to have private conversations with people in leadership at various groups affected by this movement, the public element was missing.  Today that changed.  The reach of Professor Solberg's platform is roughly 1,000 times that of my own, this dialogue about FFOZ has needed to be moved into the mainstream conversation within the Church, that reality moved much closer with the release of this interview.

If you're new to my blog, or my YouTube channel, note that all of my research has been primary source.  I don't write about what people say about what FFOZ says, I write about what FFOZ teaches in their own publications, the things they choose to publish and profit from.  You may not agree with all of my conclusions, that's ok, they come from an Evangelical Baptist perspective, I wouldn't expect them to be universally understood and embraced.  If my thoughts get in the way, look at the direct quotes, I flood my posts and videos with them.  I  believe in the priesthood of all believers, and I believe that the Holy Spirit is more than capable of guiding each follower of Jesus Christ into Truth.  Weigh what FFOZ is saying against the Word of God for that is the ultimate judge, not me.  I am doing my best to apply God's Word to these weighty matters, if I fall short God's Word will not.

Sermon Video: How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ - Ephesians 3:14-19

The Apostle Paul relates to the church at Ephesus his prayer for them: that they might be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to enable Christ to dwell in their hearts.  Paul also prays that they might be fully "rooted and established in love," a necessary step to grasping the full extent of the love of Christ, which is our path to being truly filled with "the fullness of God."

HaYesod's 2023 edition (First Fruits of Zion, Torah Club) heretically redefines grace: "grace is earned" and claims humans can atone for sins by suffering

 

HaYesod is the primary disciple-training material for the Hebrew Roots Movement aligned organization: The First Fruits of Zion

This analysis is from the 2023 edition.  My initial seminar warning of the dangers of FFOZ utilized the 2017 edition.  As will be shown here, the amount of unorthodox and heretical material has significantly increased from that edition to this.

The following analysis is not based upon this one lesson alone.  These same false teachings have appeared in dozens of other Torah Club and FFOZ published materials.

What this lesson reveals is that Torah Club leaders are being taught to embrace these teachings, not gloss over them.  The “correct” answers provided are truly damning.

FFOZ has a fascination with, and an allegiance to, the 2nd Temple Judaism of the 1st century.  As such, they work to integrate beliefs from that era of Judaism into the theology they’re attempting to bring into churches.

Theodicy is the study of the “problem of evil.”  It is a rich field that includes the wisdom of books like Job.  However, to say that when godly people suffer it must be because of the sins of other people is a human-centered view that was rejected by Job’s insistence that his suffering was not the result of his sin (or any sin), and by the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John 9:1-3 (NIV) As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Because suffering and sin are not directly corelated, the entire premise of the so-called “Law of Atonement” is false.  Even if the righteous suffered for the sins of others, there is zero biblical evidence that such suffering is connected to, let alone effective at, sin atonement.  On what basis is this claim made??  The suffering and death of human beings never atones for sin.  It cannot, at all.  We are not a spotless sacrifice.

1 Peter 2:20 (New American Standard Bible) For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.*

[* “finds favor” is not a universal translation, it was chosen to connect to the story of Moses that is coming.  Beware of theology built on cherry-picked translations.]

The use of 1 Peter 2:20 is an out-of-context abuse of Peter’s original intent.  There is zero reason to assert that Peter believed that the suffering of Jesus’ followers could atone for their own sins, let alone those of anyone else.  This whole concept is antithetical to the Gospel message: Only the Son of God is worthy.

“An innocent person who suffers and dies accrues extra merit and favor with God.  This merit can be credited to someone else’s account.”  This is blasphemous and deeply heretical.  No human being has ever had enough merit to earn God’s favor, let alone extra.  There is ZERO hint in God’s Word that a human being could apply merit, even if he/she had extra, to anyone else.  Note that FFOZ simply makes this massive claim with zero attempt to support it from a single scriptural source, or even from their usual trope “the sages.”

FFOZ’s hermeneutical methodology is deeply flawed.  Word usage determines word meaning, claiming that two words in different languages simply mean the same thing is overly simplistic and misleading.

ḥên occurs 66 times in the OT, where in the NASB it is translated into English as: adornment (1), charm (1), charming (1), favor (51), grace (8), graceful (2), gracious (3), pleases (1).

χάρις (charis) occurs 157 times in the NT, where in the NASB it is translated into English as: blessing (1), concession (1), credit (3), favor (11), gift (1), grace (122), gracious (2), gracious work (3), gratitude (1), thank (3), thankfulness (2), thanks (6).

Too simply say that both of these words mean favor (and only favor), and both are equal to each other, is simplistic at best, misleading at worst.  FFOZ uses this technique to mislead…To what end?

To a disastrous redefinition of grace: “The merit and favor a person acquires in the eyes of another.” 

The long-standing Christian interpretation of grace as “unmerited favor” is purposefully thrown out, earning God’ favor (that is, earning grace) is in.

Where could FFOZ possibly turn to find an example of a human being earning God’s grace?  To Moses.

Note: This house of cards depends upon equating favor in the OT with grace in the NT.  The example of Moses earning favor, even if it were valid, leads to a false conclusion because Moses and the Apostle Paul do not mean the same thing when using hen and charis.

Is God saying in Exodus 33 that Moses’ obedience has earned God’s favor?  Yes.  

Is that favor equal to atonement? No  

Is it equal to redemption? No  

Is it equal to righteousness? No  

Is it equal to salvation? No

None of these ideas that are part of our understanding of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God are in any way connected to Moses.  In fact, these concepts as they are understood in the NT are not in the OT (See my Torah in its Ancient Israelite Context series on the YouTube channel)

“The LORD agreed to extend His favor for Moses to the entire nation:”

Did God bless others because of the favor in which he held Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, David, etc?  Yes. 

Is that blessing in any way connected to the righteousness that is ours because of the atoning power of the Blood of Christ?  1,000 times No.

“The story also demonstrates that grace is not ‘an unmerited gift.’ Moses did merit God’s favor when he interceded with God on behalf of a guilty nation.” – This so-called interpretation of scripture is an abomination.

On the basis of a false equivalence of favor in the OT with grace in the NT, by which FFOZ declares that grace is not “unmerited favor” but instead acquired/earned favor, it has set up a false equivalence between Moses and Jesus, all to pave the way for the coming insistence that Paul’s objection to the “works of the law” is not about legalism at all.  This is the goal to which this lesson is striving, to remove the stigma associated with keeping Torah as works-righteousness.

“Remember what happens when a godly and righteous person suffers and dies undeservedly…Through His righteous life and His undeserved suffering, Yeshua merited even more favor in God’s eyes, so much favor that He has an abundance to share.”

{Why is “only begotten son” in quotation marks?  Why not simply say, “As the Son of God,”?  Given their track record of denying the Trinity, such things make my Spidey-sense tingle}

Jesus is the only person to ever earn the righteousness that atones for sin, full stop.  No solely human being could earn atonement, it is impossible.  When you put atonement, favor, and grace in a mixer as FFOZ has done here, the result is grotesque. 

In this section, FFOZ argues that Paul’s only issue is with full-on adoption of Jewish identity through the conversion process.

“It’s not a question of working to earn eternal life by keeping the Law.  It’s a question of whether someone needs to become Jewish to be eligible for eternal life.”

They make this specious case by saying that when Paul writes about the, “works of the law” it always means only Jewish identity (i.e. circumcision, full conversion) never Torah keeping (Sabbath, kosher, festivals).

In order for this line of reasoning to hold water, every usage of “works” and “works of the law” by Paul would need to be about full-conversion only, never about legalistic attempts to keep Torah to earn righteousness.

That, of course, is not a tenable position, but when FFOZ interprets Galatians, for example, it does so assuming Paul only cares about full-conversion, they claim he was 100% in favor of Torah keeping for Jew and Gentile as long as it didn’t lead to conversion for Gentiles.

Faith does not equal belief?

True, faith does not ONLY equal belief, it is more than just belief as James rightly clarifies, but given FFOZ’s stated hostility toward the Early Church credal statements…

Where is this going?  To a butchered paraphrase of Ephesians 2:8-9…

“By God’s favor, you have been saved for eternal life though your allegiance to Yeshua as the Messiah, but that favor is not something you earned.  It is the gift of God, not as a result of the works of conversion.  So no one, neither Jews nor Gentiles, have anything to boast about.”

“Paul sometimes used the term ‘works’ as shorthand to argue against Gentiles becoming Jewish.” – p. 2.8

Once again, we see the effort to drive a wedge between full conversion (including circumcision) and Torah keeping with respect to “works.”  In FFOZ’s warped view, human being can earn God’s favor (which they say equals grace), and relying on works is ok provided that they are the Torah-proscribed ones.  Do you see why they want to downplay Paul’s concerns about legalism?

And what are the “good works” of Ephesians 2:10?  What has God prepared in advance for the followers of Jesus?

“These ‘good works’ are the good deeds and acts of obedience described by the Torah’s commandments.” – p. 2.10

Once you divorce “works of the Law” from Torah keeping, the next goal is to transform it into a substitute for the Fruit of the Spirit.  Once legalism has been downplayed, Torah keeping can become the new test of true discipleship.

“When a righteous person dies unjustly, they accrue favor with God.”

“This favor can be bestowed on someone else.”

So absurd that followers of Jesus ought to run screaming from this madness.

“Paul refers to the process of becoming Jewish as the ‘works of the law.’”

‘‘’We are not saved by works’ means that we are not saved by becoming Jewish.”

To reject Paul outright is too obvious, redefining him into a pro-Torah keeping champion is a much more dangerous approach.

“Is grace unmerited favor?  If not, how does one acquire it?”

“No; grace is earned. One acquires it by doing good and living a difficult life or having it bestowed on them by someone else who earned it.”

Is the utter rejection of the Gospel by FFOZ not fully evident yet?  What further evidence is needed?

Conclusion: FFOZ ought to be labeled a dangerous cult for their views of the Trinity alone…

The HaYesod discipleship manual proves once again that they teach equally dangerous and heretical falsehoods about grace, atonement, faith, works, and the Law of Moses.

To watch this material in my YouTube version:

Sermon Video: The Mystery of Christ - Ephesians 3:1-13

Paul interrupts his own thought about being a prisoner of Christ Jesus to reflect upon the journey that brought him to the place of being the Apostle to the Gentiles.  That act of God's grace was part of the revelation of the mystery of Christ: God's plan to include the Gentiles in his covenant people by calling all men equally to repent and  believe in Jesus.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #35 Romans 8:20-23

 

Romans 8:20-23  New International Version

20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

One of the reasons why the aims and hopes of 'Christian' Nationalism will always disappoint is because any success that may be achieved in this world with respect to the Kingdoms of This World will always turn out to be Fool's Gold.  The true gold of a pure and righteous kingdom is impossible in this age.  The entirety of Creation, Paul tells us in Romans has been "subjected to frustration," a status that it will continue to suffer under until that day when Christ returns and establishes his kingdom, the Kingdom of God.  

Because of this foundational truth, power in this world will always be tainted, it will always come with warning signs and caveats.  Don't get me wrong, this world needs righteous people in its leadership, we have had more than enough of evil men wielding power, but ultimately all such efforts at human self-improvement will come to naught.  There is value in nonetheless striving to build and maintain more ethical governments, but such efforts need to be recognized as at most a stewardship until the final triumph of Jesus Christ.

'Christian' Nationalism unfortunately, and dangerously, sells its followers on the idea that if "we" were to wield power things would be different.  The false hope is that a panacea on earth is right around the corner, if only "we" had more power.  "They" are not to be trusted with it, but "we" could be.  In reality, disciples of Jesus Christ ought to know better.  We are sojourners in this world, our citizenship is in heaven, and our service is that of self-sacrifice on behalf of the Kingdom of God that is coming.  

Sermon Video: We are God's Dwelling Place - Ephesians 2:19-22

Leave it to God's grace to go far beyond our expectations.  The Apostle Paul begins by telling the Gentile followers of Jesus at Ephesus that because of Jesus they are no longer foreigners and strangers, but instead citizens of God's kingdom, AND members of God's own household.  This would seem blessing enough, it is a tremendous boon to all who come to Jesus by faith.  And yet, Paul goes further, telling us that not only has God made us citizens of his kingdom, and members of his household, God has gone much further by choosing to dwell within us.  

In the Ancient World, having God dwell among us would be a big deal.  The tabernacle and Temple reflected this blessing.  Having God literally take upon himself humanity, in the Incarnation, was an shocking step forward.  This is more.  God isn't just WITH us (amazing as that is), God is WITHIN us.  The implications are many and varied, all wondrous to consider.

Sermon Video: One Humanity United in Christ - Ephesians 2:15-18

Having made peace with God through his own sacrifice, how does Jesus envision his followers moving forward?  Jesus sees us as one humanity.  All divisions, distinctions, barriers, and whatever else the human heart may attempt, are made null and void.  In Christ we are one.

In Paul's day the focus was upon unity between his Jewish brethren and the gentile believers who had come to God through Jesus.  The Covenant of Moses at Sinai stood between the two groups, which is why God as its original author chose to set it aside in the New Covenant.

Beginning of Wisdom (Torah Club) lesson #37: More Gnostic Dualism, pre-existence of the soul, and extra-biblical reliance

 

“The sages said that the Messianic Era might have commenced at that point, but the children of Israel lost the opportunity.  Likewise, in the days of the apostles, the kingdom was again at hand.  If the generation had heeded the message of Yeshua and the twelve disciples, they could have entered the Messianic Era.  They failed to do so.  They lost the opportunity.” – p. 4

So, unnamed “sages” think that had Israel while journeying out of Egypt been more obedient God would have sent the Messiah right then and there.  That’s a bold theory, it certainly isn’t derived from Scripture.  Likewise, FFOZ is teaching that the Jewish community to whom Jesus came had the power to usher in the Messianic Era immediately after the death of Jesus?  How is this supposed to work?  If they had accepted him fully, the Kingdom would have been founded without his death?  But if he was rejected, as the prophets foretold, how exactly was there ever a chance of the Kingdom being founded right away?  I have no idea why they want to teach this, but they’re not getting it from the Word of God.  

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” – Acts 1:6

“The soul descends into this world on a mission.  Why does it leave a place of comfort and repose to enter a world of hardship and struggle?  Only to take advantage of this world’s opportunities to serve God, seek His presence, and love others…the soul knows there are no guarantees of success.  The soul enters the world at great personal risk.” – p. 5

Once again, we have theology being built upon the heretical teaching of the pre-existence of the human soul.  For whatever reason, FFOZ/Lancaster believe so much in this idea that it comes up over and over again in lesson after lesson.  The whole idea doesn’t make any sense.  God and our souls were dwelling together “in comfort and repose” but decided to risk eternal separation from God by becoming ignorant of that past and living here on the chance that they would find their way back to God??  Do the people who were raised in the Church and now sit in Torah Club meetings really buy this nonsense?

“How many opportunities to experience the Messiah and contribute to the redemption do we forfeit every day?  He stands at the door and knocks, but the slumbering soul, comfortably tucked inside the physical body, does not want to get out of bed.” – p. 7

You are a whole person: body, soul, and spirit.  You do NOT have a spirit “tucked inside” your body.  You are every part of you, indivisible.  The irony of these ideas borrowed from medieval Jewish mysticism is that they have far more in common with Greek Gnostic Dualism than with 1st Century Judaism.  Also, we say “no” to Jesus because our soul is too lazy and comfortable??  That’s no version of the sin nature that I’ve ever read in scripture.  Hold that thought…

“Whenever you have a difficult choice to make, choose the harder thing.  The harder thing usually turns out to be the better choice.  The more lenient path should always be viewed with suspicion.” – p. 11

This fits right in with someone trying to replace Grace with Law, Faith with Works.  You need to work harder to please God is what they're selling to you.  Don’t get me wrong, Christian discipleship is very hard work, but that’s because we’re trying to purge our hearts and minds of the sinful nature we were born with, not because we’re supposed to default to the “harder thing.”  FYI, this is not how a moral compass works.  We are supposed to do the right thing, the righteous thing, whether or not it is easy or hard.

“For example, suppose you were thinking about hosting Sabbath guests on a Friday night…This isn’t a good week for that?  I have a busy schedule this week, and the house is a mess.  I would have to spend extra on groceries.  And who knows what their dietary standard might be?  My kitchen’s surely not kosher enough for them.  It’s exhausting to even thing about cooking in this heat, Shabbat starts so late at this time of year…” – p. 12

And here we have a casually inserted example of the thing that so many Torah Club members insist FFOZ isn’t doing: Convincing Gentiles to live like Jews.   Why this particular example of something that is hard that we may be too lazy to do?  Why is the context kosher eating and Sabbath keeping?  If you are lazy, that is, a bad disciple, you won’t put in the effort to obey the Law of Moses, but if you’re really dedicated like Boaz, Daniel, Aaron, Jacob and the rest, you will gladly take upon yourself the yolk of the Law.  The proof of their goal is right on the page!

“If his bodily movements are sluggish, the movements of his spirit also become dull and lifeless.  This is verified by experience.” – Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzatto, The Path of the Upright  “The sages teach, ‘One sin leads to another sin’…The sages teach, ‘One mitzvah leads to another mitzvah.’ Soon both the spirit and the flesh are strong.” – p. 14

In an effort to equate physical activity with spiritual health, this lesson goes so far as to quote Benjamin Franklin.  But that’s not the reason to note this section.  This may sound like a broken record, but once again we have a Torah Club lesson that quotes “the sages” without ever saying which one, when, or where.  That’s just sloppy scholarship and the kind of thing one can’t ask in follow-up, “Do they really teach that?”  It is also another lesson where not a single Christian theologian of any century is quoted, rather Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzatto’s book is quoted twice at length.  Was this Rabbi a follower of Jesus?  Actually, he was an 18th century mystic who claimed to have received direct divine revelation.  Is this someone whose ideas the followers of Jesus ought to study uncritically?  Should we be taking advice on Christian discipleship from this source?  Significant danger signs that FFOZ doesn't even acknowledge.

“Group Discussion: Read Romans 8:5-14 out loud and discuss.  Keep in mind that the term ‘flesh’ is short for the Hebrew idiom ‘flesh and blood,’ an idiom that refers to the physical human body.” – p. 15

{For comparison, what Romans 8:5-14 actually says is below}

Romans 8:5-14  New International Version   Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.  9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.  14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

No, no, no, a thousand times no.  The Apostle Paul is NOT warning the church at Rome about the physical human body.  This is a bastardized interpretation of Paul that has no basis in the context of Romans nor the argumentation of Paul in any of his writings.  You are a whole human being, not a spirit at war with your physical body.  These are heresies that the Early Church soundly rejected when they took the form of Gnosticism.  FFOZ is repackaging that ancient heresy, evidently assuming its followers will be unaware that the Church long ago rejected a spiritual vs. physical dualism, or that they won’t care.  Either way, this is NOT what Paul is teaching.

“The physical body, which seeks comfort in this world, does not understand the gravity of the loss, but the soul will later lament every lost opportunity…When the soul leaves the body and returns to the place from whence it came…During that accounting, the soul grieves more over the many lost opportunities to do good and carry out its mission on earth than it does over the transgressions and sins it committed.” – P. 20

Where to begin.  We have in full force the Gnostic dualism and pre-existence of the human soul that the Early Church rejected as heresy.  Here in FFOZ’s Torah Club materials they are taught as facts without any biblical support, one should instead simply trust the extra-biblical sources from which this ideas were taken.   Lastly, will we (not just our souls apart from our body as depicted here) regret more the things we failed to do than the sins we committed?  That probably depends a lot upon the life a person lived, what they did and did not do.  If you’re wondering if this assertion is supported by a text of scripture properly quoted in context, you haven’t gotten the hang of how these Torah Club lessons work yet.

* This material originally appeared as a YouTube video on 1/22/25: The Beginning of Wisdom, lesson #:37 Cataloging the unorthodox teachings of the Torah Club materials

Beginning of Wisdom (Torah Club) lesson #36 - Subjective Reality & Diminishing all revelation except what was given to Moses

“The mirror analogy describes our experience of life, the universe, and everything.  We think of ourselves as seeing the real world, but what are we experiencing?  Only electrical sensory inputs channeled through a bio-chemical nervous system connected to a central processing unit of tangled neurons struggling to render some sort of interpretation of those signals.  Our brains work like computers to simulate the environment around us.  No one sees reality; we see our brain’s best attempt to process sensory input.”- p. 12

“That’s part of what Paul was getting at when he said, ‘For now, we see in a mirror dimly’ (1 Corinthians 13:12).  It’s not a polished mirror.  We aren’t getting the whole picture.  We can see only in part.  The world we think of as reality exists only inside our head.  Every person creates his or her own personal reality.” – p. 12

“To be in close conversation with Absolute Reality is prophecy at the highest level: the level of Moses.  As explained above, the Hebrew world for vision also means mirror.  Numbers 12:6 could be translated to say, ‘If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a mirror.’  But it’s not a polished mirror.  For most prophets, it’s merely a dim reflection – not the personal experience of God that Moses knew.  It’s only an imperfect reflection, many times removed.” – p. 18

“Playing on the double meaning of the word – vision and mirror – the Midrash Rabbah contrasts Moses’ exalted level of prophecy against that of the other prophets.  All other prophets saw their prophetic visions dimly through nine mirrors.” – p. 18{quoting Leviticus Rabbah 1:14}

Why do I have the feeling that Daniel Lancaster wants me to take the Red Pill?  If that Matrix reference didn’t connect with you, in that 1999 movie Keanu Reeve’s character Neo is told by a guide named Morpheus that the reality he thinks that he is living in isn’t real.  Not really real anyway, it is just a computer simulation.

It may seem like a post-modern idea to doubt that reality exists beyond our own perception of it, but in reality, apologies for that double-usage, the idea had its heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Empiricist philosophers John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.  Long before computer special effects, there were philosophers who doubted that we could have any genuine knowledge of what is real beyond our own perception of it.

The great debate between the Rationalists and the Empiricists that set the stage for modern Western thought is too big a topic for this venue, but one effect of the Empiricist’s rejection of the tenants of Rationalism speaks to the danger of what the First Fruits of Zion are teaching here: Individual realities.  If reality is an individual construction, not a thing with its own true nature and existence, notions such as Fact and Truth invariably become fuzzy, antiquated, even ridiculed.  There is no longer any Truth, just “my truth” and “your truth”.

This example reminds us of some of the deep contradictions and dissonance within the belief system that FFOZ’s leaders have constructed: On the one hand, they claim to represent 1st century Jewish Christian thought and practice, on the other hand, they embrace the individualistic mystical experience of medieval Kabbalah, which of course is full of concepts that were entirely foreign to the cultural stream of 1st century Judaism and/or Christianity.  Why is FFOZ teaching extreme individual relativism?  Where is this headed?  

The second topic in this lesson that jumps out as deeply dangerous is the insistence drawn from the Leviticus Rabbah (Midrash), that ONLY Moses had full and clear revelation from God.  The prophets Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist?  They only saw a dim mirror, 9 reflections of reality, not “Absolute Reality” itself.  The practical, and intended by FFOZ, effect of this foolishness is to elevate the Torah and diminish all other scriptures to a secondary status.

Why?  Because to them Torah is eternal.  Torah is the essence of God’s nature.  Torah surpasses all.  Wait a minute, what about the Word of God?  What about Jesus Christ, God of God, God dwelling among us?  Surely the Gospels have at least an equal level of clarity and wisdom as that given to Moses?  Nope, the Torah Club lesson doesn’t say that, “Our highest level of the revelation of God in this current world does not attain the level of Moses.” (p. 19)

The thing is, the Gospels don’t say any of this, FFOZ is saying it.  This is what Jesus says about what he is revealing to his followers:

John 14:6-7,9  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

In addition to diminishing the portions of scripture not given to Moses directly at Sinai, this bizarre “mirror theory” of FFOZ also treats the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age as an inferior revelation.  How can we know Truth and Reality beyond the Torah?  Lancaster tweaks Luke 7:28 on p. 19 to emphasize our limitation in this era, the brackets are his: “Among those born of women, there is no [prophet] greater than John, yet [the prophet] who is least [in the Messianic Era will be] greater than he.”  Yes, this is more of Lancaster changing scripture through his own translations to make it fit what FFOZ is teaching, he follows it up with this conclusion: “In the Messianic Era, we will attain the level of Moses – the level of face-to-face.” (p. 19)

Lesson 36 of The Beginning of Wisdom leans heavily on extra-biblical sources {Wisdom of Solomon, Ascension of Isaiah, Talmud, Midrash, and even Irenaeus’ The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching} to sow the seeds of doubt about reality being anything greater than our own perception, and doubts about any/all revelation given by God to anyone other than Moses.   In the end, this journey of doubt will leave only one source of Truth standing, by design: the Torah of Moses.

* Note, this analysis first appeared as a YouTube video on my channel on 11/20/24: The Beginning of Wisdom, lesson #:36 Cataloging the unorthodox teachings of the Torah Club materials

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #34 Acts 17:24-28

Acts 17:24-28  New International Version

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

The commercialism of selling toys aside, it is endearing when a child chooses to imitate a parent by pretending to do grown-up tasks with various tools.  One aspect of such scenarios to consider is that some children will indeed grow up to do what their parent did, in much the same way.  A boy who pretends to build things with his plastic tool set me actually become a contractor just like his dad.  

Where 'Christian' Nationalism goes horribly wrong is when those who follow it seek to apply this idea to imitating God.  Are we to imitate God's morality?  Absolutely, we are commanded to be like-Christ in our usage of the Fruit of the Spirit.  It actually isn't optional, we must be like Jesus if we are to truly be his disciples.  But that's where our imitation ends.  We are NOT called to imitate God by judging others, nor are we called to imitate God's authority or dominion over others.  God is God, we are not.  We will never be a god in any way, shape, or form.

God, and God alone, exercises divine authority as both our Creator and the Judge of the living and the dead.  These qualities belong to God, not us.  In reality, God doesn't need our help in these matters, at all.  God has called us to be servants, not rulers, to offer our own lives as living sacrifices.  In this we imitate the self-sacrificial example of Jesus Christ.  The problem is, some folks would much rather imitate God upon-his-throne than Jesus stooping to wash his disciples' feet.  So rather than serving, they seek to accumulate power.  Contrary to the flattery we feel when our kids want to pretend to do our job, God doesn't find this amusing.

Let's let God be God and focus our passion on the servant's role that has been placed before us.

Sermon Video: Brought Near to God by the Blood of Christ - Ephesians 2:11-14

The amazing salvation provided by Jesus Christ has implications that ripple across every area we might consider.  In this case, the Apostle Paul focuses on how the Blood of Christ has brought us near to God.  Previous barriers have been eliminated.  Previous assistance (Temple, Priest, animal sacrifice) has ceased to be needed.  Now, because of Jesus, was can commune directly with God.

To illustrate this wondrous development.  Paul tells us that Jesus has destroyed the dividing wall that separated into groups (Gentiles, Jewish women, Jewish men, Jewish priests) those who sought God's presence at the Temple.

Sermon Video: God has a plan for each one of us - Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:8-9 is an amazing ode to God's plan to save those who trust in Christ by grace.  However, God's plan for his people doesn't stop with saving their souls, God has a plan for each one of us here in this life.  What is it?

To do good works.  In a mind-blowing revelation, Paul reveals that God has prepared opportunities ahead-of-time which those whom he has renewed through the Holy Spirit are equipped to accomplish.  When a potential good deed is in our path, it isn't a random moment, rather it is our Heavenly Father's desire to partner with us in fulfilling his will.

Sermon Video: Saved by Grace - Ephesians 2:8-9

The essence of the Gospel is our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  This is a simple message, but also the most powerful one that ever has been.  It challenges human pride and it rests upon the love of God.  Attempts have been made to supplement God's grace with human effort, these have all ended in the failure that such folly deserves.  In the end we are left with this joyous message: By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Sermon Video: Seated at the Table with Jesus - Ephesians 2:6-7

We don't deserve to be there, but that's not something that God worries about.  Instead, God chose to bless us, all of us who believe in Jesus, by offering us a place at the heavenly banquet alongside our Lord and Savior.  The kindness of God never ends.

A reflection on the life of Pope Francis

 

{Disclaimer: While I am a lifelong Baptist, and an ordained minister of that denomination, my wife of nearly 24 years, Nicole, is a practicing Roman Catholic, I have attended Saturday afternoon Mass with her about a thousand times by now.  This offers me an outsiders insight into that tradition.}

History judges some people more leniently than their contemporaries and others more harshly, in time we have perspective on their contributions and their failings.  That being the case, it is far too early to understand what the impact will be upon future generations of Catholics, or upon the worldwide Church, of the life and pontificate of Francis.  The question for today is much simpler: What impression did his choices and priorities make upon me?  Undoubtedly others will have a different view, this is simply mine.

I won't spend any time on our theological differences, as a Baptist minister I will have them with any Catholic priest, let alone a pope, those are obvious enough to anyone familiar with the Reformation.  Instead, let me offer this as a measuring stick: How did Pope Francis reflect the heart of the Gospel?

If you're like me, your initial thought when hearing, "The heart of the Gospel," is to jump right to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  When we think of the "heart" as the center or essence of something, that's a definition straight from the hand of the Apostle Paul, one that would be recognized and approved of in any generation of the Church.  Among many other places, this essence of the Gospel is professed in Ephesians 2:8-9.

There is an additional aspect to the "heart" of the Gospel that interests me in connection with Pope Francis, and that is its emotional quality.  How should the message of the Gospel make us feel, and how should the commandment that Jesus has given his followers to share that message to all direct our lives?  It is absolutely necessary that we retain and proclaim the apostolic understanding of salvation in/through Jesus Christ, but we also need to be a people whose attitudes, words, and deeds reflect that we were all once lost sinners saved by God's grace.

This is where the life of Pope Francis speaks to me the most.  Throughout his life as a priest, bishop, and eventually his elevation to being pope, it was evident to those who knew him that Jorge Mario Bergoglio cared deeply for the poor, the disenfranchised, the downtrodden, and forgotten.  He had a heart for those who needed help the most.  Whatever else he managed to accomplish in life, this passion reflected one of the qualities of Christ-likeness.  As we all know, Jesus famously embraced the prostitutes, tax collectors, and "sinners" of his day, much to the chagrin of his critics who despised them.  Jesus made this outreach to the downtrodden a centerpiece of his proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  In the community that Jesus was establishing, all would be welcome who came to him in faith, even lepers, Samaritans, and a woman caught in adultery.  

If your life is remembered for nothing else, would it not be a life worth celebrating if we could say that you were inspired by Jesus to love the unloved?

History will in time put Pope Francis' life in perspective, in this moment at least, it seems clear enough to me what was important about it.  Everyone who chooses the servant's path of imitating Jesus' love for those in need deserves to be honored, and so I offer up my own appreciation for how committed Pope Francis was to seeing the value in each person.

Because of His Great Love for Us - Ephesians 2:4-5, Sermon Video

The Apostle Paul offers us hope with a well placed "But."  Immediately after proclaiming that humanity is spiritually "dead" Paul continues by telling us that God didn't leave us in that woeful state, but did something about it "because of his great love for us."  Love was the answer to humanity's turmoil, God's love.  God worked with mercy to provide salvation through Jesus Christ.

The (Spiritually) Living Dead - Ephesians 2:1-3, sermon video

The diagnosis is terminal.  The patient will not survive.  That's what the Apostle Paul wants us to understand in the verses prior to his great ode to salvation by grace through faith in Ephesians 2:8-9.  He demonstrates the seriousness of humanity's plight by calling those who are Lost apart from God "dead."  They are physically alive, but spiritually dead.  The grip of sin is tight upon them.

This is the state of humanity, individually and collectively, apart from our Creator.  For this reason we need to be saved, we cannot save ourselves.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #33 Acts 5:29

Acts 5:27-29     New International Version

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

One of the things that has fascinated me as a parent is how silly words, phrases, even jokes, get passed down from one generation to the next.  My daughter Clara has come home from school with all sorts of things that I recall from my own childhood, it just goes to show that time-honored concepts like the cooties will never really die.

A phrase we haven't heard yet from our daughter, and don't care to, but one that teens have been using for quite some time is, "You're not the boss of me."  In the sitcom that ran from 1984-1992, we learned that Tony Danza's character Tony Micelli was the boss, sort of.  At the same time (1984-1990), another sitcom starring Scott Baio was telling us that Charles was in charge.  This is a fundamental staple of sitcoms, much of the humor of I Love Lucy, All in the Family, or Everybody Loves Raymond is the never ending struggle for the upper hand. 

In the real world, the struggle for power often takes on a deadly earnestness.  It is well understood that many people throughout history have been willing to kill to obtain or maintain power over others, but it has also been demonstrated over and over that other people are willing to die rather than live under tyranny.  World History is many things, among them it is a story of would-be dictators/tyrants and the revolutionaries and martyrs who opposed them.

When it comes to ultimate authority, the kind with real legitimacy that doesn't depend upon the threat of violence, the most common struggle in human history has been between material and spiritual lordships.  For much of history kings and priests have take up common cause, propping up the same dynasty that benefits them both.  It doesn't hurt that these two classes often came from the same aristocratic families, making cooperation between them more likely.

But when the vision of secular and religious power do come into conflict, who has the true claim on being the final authority?  There is no doubt, no doubt at all, that the Word of God proclaims that final authority rests in the spiritual realm with God himself.  We see this play out in God's liberation of the Israelites from Egypt as Moses asserts his authority over that of Pharaoh.  It is central to the story of the first king of Israel, Saul, whose power was dwarfed by that of the prophet Samuel.  And prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel again and again proclaim that God's will is above that of kings and even empires.  In fact, the prophets make it very clear that it is God himself who reserves the right to raise up, and tear down, kings and kingdoms to suit his purposes.

Which brings us to yet another reason why 'Christian' Nationalism is doomed to fail: It overvalues secular power.  Power in this world is fool's gold, it won't last and it can never be the ultimate authority.  The people of God are called, instead, to imitate the Apostles by defying the powers that be when they go against the revealed will of God.  Rather than bow before them willingly, or bend before them under duress, we must follow the example of the heroes of our faith who stood for righteousness and against evil in whatever form it took, including their own government.

Who is the boss?  Who is in charge?  God.  God alone.

Sermon Video: Jesus: The Name Above All Names - Ephesians 1:19b-23

In one of the Apostle Paul's beautiful rabbit trails in his letters, he muses on the power of God that both works in/through his people and raised Jesus from the dead.  This thought leads Paul to contemplate the glory and authority that belongs to Jesus, as the risen Lord, declaring it to be above all others that every will be.

The Church in Franklin (Venango County) PA: How are we doing? - What serving here more than a decade has shown me.

 

My wife Nicole and I moved to Franklin, PA in January of 2012.  I'm not a native Pennsylvanian, but we've invested our lives in this town for more than a decade, and raised our daughter here.  We hear a lot about trends, good and bad, with respect to the Church in America, in various other parts of the world, and globally.  But what about the Church, the collective Body of Christ, here in Franklin (with some thought spilling over, by necessity to the larger Venango County)?  How is it doing?  Is it healthy?  Growing or shrinking?  United or divided?  On mission or distracted?  I'd like to try to answer those questions from my own, admittedly limited and potentially biased, point-of-view.  My answers are drawn from my own interactions with pastors, church members, and non-Christians in this community.  I've also been instrumental in organizing and leading ecumenical ministries and worship for most of my time here, so my chances of knowing what is going on are better than most.

Let's leave the question of whether or not the Church here is healthy to the end, that's a fitting conclusion.

1. The Church in Franklin has neither significantly grown nor significantly shrunk in the last decade.

Since we arrived in 2012, our area has seen several elementary school closures, and the loss of most of the workforce at Joy.  Those losses fit with the trend of the population in this town and this county slowly declining for the past several decades.  At some point, unless the percentage of people choosing to be a part of the Church rises significantly, we would expect to see church closures as well.  For the most part, that hasn't happened yet.  On the contrary, we actually added a couple of growing congregations in the area, including Oil City Vineyard (Pastor Charlie Cotterman) and Redeemer Anglican (Pastor Eric Phillips, they worship here in 1st Baptist's building down the hall from us).  Over the past decade plus, some of the local congregations have grown and some have shrunk.  Here at 1st Baptist we've experienced both trends in that time period.  Overall the congregations of the churches have grown older, along with, on average, the residents of the county.  Unless my sense of things is mistaken, we have neither seen great revival, nor significant loss in recent years.  We have challenges on this front to be sure, but certainly no reason to panic.

2. The ecumenical spirit of cooperation and corporate worship remains strong.

As with many things, the Covid stoppage sapped the momentum of our two primary county-wide worship opportunities (Thanksgiving and Palm Sunday)  Prior to 2020 they had grown to 150 or more including upwards of a dozen pastors.  Since they restarted, we've only been in the 40-50 range with 5-6 pastors on average.  The numbers are disappointing, but the spirit of joyful fellowship and worship remains strong with those who continue to participate. 

As a contrary bit of evidence, the Franklin Good Friday crosswalk has not suffered a loss in participation after Covid, we're still in the 125+ range (weather dependent).  

I would be happy to see more opportunities for ecumenical worship, and more people enjoying that Spirit honoring worship, time will tell if we can better recapture what had been one of this community's best features.

3. Distractions are tempting, but Gospel-inspired ministry in the community continues to be central to our daily mission.

We have had a few flare-ups of things that don't truly impact our calling to Gospel mission, but by and large the cooperative church ministries and para-church ministries have grown and continued to impact the lives of those in need in our area.  I'm thinking of our multiple food pantries (shout-out to the hosts St. Patrick's and St. John's) as well as ABC Life Center, Mustard Seed Missions, and Emmaus Haven.  Along with other partners like Salvation Army, Community Services, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Youth for Christ, Meals on Wheels, and on and on.

I grew up in a small town with a minimal amount of this kind of para-church ministry happening, particularly missing were intra-church cooperative efforts.  Some of you reading this may not understand how good we have it here in Franklin because you haven't known what it is like to be in a community without these blessings.  As a pastor it is deeply refreshing and encouraging to see so many lay leaders and lay volunteers doing their part to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Don't take this blessing for granted, be a part of it moving forward.

4.  The health of the Church here is strong and vibrant, but with significant challenges.

In the end, irrespective of how our community might compare to generations past here, or how it might compare to the Church in other portions of rural America, we still will answer to God for what we have done with the opportunities and resources that were available to us in this time and place.  I, for one, think that we've done well.  Without minimizing the failures that have occurred, we have much to be proud of with respect to working together to make a difference, worshiping together, and being a representation of the "salt and light" that Jesus has commanded us to be in the world.  We could always be doing better, Christ-likeness is after all our sky-high standard, but in this case the perfect is not the enemy of the good, Christ is our inspiration and we've made progress in that direction.

For more specific thoughts on the health of the local Church, see the 4 further points below:

4a. Historic / orthodox Christianity is being taught consistently, but it is also being attacked by a Hebrew Roots inspired cult.

In the fall of 2022 I first became aware of an organization that was now operating in our community: First Fruits of Zion.  They had started what they call Torah Clubs and were teaching something I hadn't seen before.  After some research, I spoke with the men and women who serve the church alongside me at a Franklin Christian Ministerium meeting.  The response was both a deep testament to the shared commitment to orthodoxy that connects our various churches, and what a community needs from its pastoral leaders when facing a difficult challenge: They unanimously supported a public statement affirming orthodoxy and warning people not to participate in this group.

Long story short, and those of you who follow my blog and/or YouTube channel know it is a long story, the ministerium stood firm on the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith, the historic and apostolic Gospel, and everything else associated with this controversy.  I was, and am, proud of them.  {For more on this matter: The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs}

4b. Nationalism has divided the devotion to the Gospel of some, but it is not at an endemic level.

The response to Nationalism has been more difficult to gauge given that it is a much more subtle danger to the hearts and minds of those in our congregation than it would be if it was a defined cult like FFOZ.  I certainly have been troubled by some of the local social media posts, including a upsetting furor aimed at local business people about a rumored (but untrue) arrival of immigrants {Venango County businesses were harassed on social media, again, based on rumors. We need to be better than this.}  We have also seen a local couple attempt to turn property in the area into a haven for Nationalism, but so far this seems to have failed to gain the traction that they hoped for. {Why plans to build a "Christian" Nationalist Retreat Center in Franklin, PA is not a good idea for the local churches or our town.}

Would I like to see a healthier understanding on the part of the Christian community that our kingdom is not of this world and our citizenship is in heaven?  Certainly.  Would I like to see less politics and more theology in our discussions and fellowship?  Absolutely.  That being said, there have been much more dangerous reports of churches around the country going all-in on a political / culture war version of the Gospel, we have largely avoided that trap here locally; thanks be to God.

4c. Finding new pastors is becoming an increasing challenge, but the men and women who serve here now are Christ-honoring leaders.  This area is blessed to have them.

One of my responsibilities for the NW area of the American Baptist Church of PA & DE is to help congregations in the pastoral search process (Baptists don't assign pastors, we're all independently employed).  In that capacity I've come face-to-face with the demographic realities confronting every church in America that show we have a significant pastoral leadership shortage, something that will only get worse in time.  I can't speak to who might serve in these roles in the future when finding new pastors becomes more difficult, but I can absolutely endorse the men and women who have served alongside me in the spiritual trenches.  We are truly, and powerfully, blessed by God with honorable servant-leaders.  Some of these have moved on to other places since I got here, I deeply miss Bill Hastings, Mother Holly, Scott Woodlee, David Janz, and my dear friend Jeff Little, and a few of them have gone on to their reward, the losses of Tim Tygert and Steve Henry were felt far and wide.  Yet we have retained some amazing men and women, and gained some new leaders who have risen to the occasion.  I won't name names lest I leave out someone who deserves the praise, but I would gladly recommend a couple dozen pastors in our area whom I know to be honorable servants of Jesus Christ.  We are truly blessed here.

4d. Reasons for pessimism can be found, but most of those regularly connected to an area church maintain hope for our future.

A last thought: We could find reasons to be pessimistic about the Church in the Franklin area today, and/or about its future.  There are problems and challenges, some of which we will overcome, some perhaps not so much.  I'm not in that camp.  I've served here since 2012, which makes me, somehow, one of the longest tenured pastors in the county, and I can say that I remain strongly positive about our present, and deeply optimistic about our future based on the countless conversations, interactions, and joyous moments I have witnessed.

How are we doing?  We are doing well.  We are doing well together: One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Optimism?  Yes, I have it, and you should too.

Sermon Video: Thanking God for you - Ephesians 1:15-19a

After reminding the church at Ephesus about God's wondrous blessings given to them in Christ, the Apostle Paul continues by sharing that he personally thanks God for them.  Not only is Paul thankful to God for saving them, Paul also prays for them that they might grow in their faith and know God more.

Sermon Video: The Holy Spirit is our guarantee - Ephesians 1:11-14

Already in Ephesians Paul has shared with us the awesome benefits of being "in him," that is, in Jesus Christ: (1) We have become the adopted sons and daughters of God, (2) and we will be a part of the unification of all things with God at the final fulfillment of God's will.  Here he offers yet another blessing: We have a guarantee that the first two things will certainly come to pass.  That guarantee is none other than the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God himself now dwells not simply among us, but within us.

Sermon Video: The Endgame of God's Grace - Ephesians 1:7-10

What is the ultimate goal and purpose of God's grace?  There are many amazing purposes that lead to this conclusion, among them the adoption into the family of God of the redeemed, but the endgame of God's grace is unity.  Unity of everything under Christ to God.  At present, everything suffers from disunity, even the world itself.  The final triumph of God's grace will be the full reunion that restores the original created order and purpose of God.

Sermon Video: An Introduction to God's Grace - Ephesians 1:1-6

The first half of Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus is an ode to the wonders and majesty of the grace of God.  Fittingly, Paul delves into that very subject as soon as the customary introduction is completed.

As Philip Yancy's book asked, "What's so amazing about grace?"  Paul has the answer for you.

Sermon Video: A Grieving Abraham is Swindled - Genesis 22:20-23:20

Following the death of his beloved wife Sarah, Abraham seeks to buy a plot of land from his neighbors for her tomb.  For both religious and cultural reasons, Abraham rebuffs their offer to let him "borrow" space, and the offer to take the tomb for free.  After Abraham's need is well known, Ephron offers to sell him the cave, with its adjoining field for an exorbitant price.  In other words, he takes advantage of Abraham's desperation.

The parallels to our modern legal and economic systems are legion.  Payday advance schemes, legalized gambling corporations beyond count, cryptocurrencies, medical scams, religious and political fundraising designed to line the pockets of those on the receiving end, Wall street get rich quick schemes, fraud in government programs, unscrupulous landlords and tenants, and last but not least, the straight-up scammers who lie to steal from the most vulnerable.  We are awash in people trying to take advantage of the vulnerable.

What do we as followers of Jesus do about it?  We refuse to participate in such things, even when legal, we warn others about them, and we stand with the vulnerable to protect them.

Sermon Video: Abraham: A foreigner in a foreign land, Genesis 21:22-34

The interactions between Abimelek and Abraham serve as a template for God's teaching on the respect and kindness God expects from his followers with respect to those on the outside-looking-in.  Whether those in need are foreigners or outcasts in our own society, the followers of Jesus are called to imitate his compassionate outreach.  For Abraham, this meant promising Abimelek that in the future when his descendants had the power to do so, they would treat Abimelek's descendants with kindness.

The modern Church has struggled, especially in the West, to fulfill this calling, we need to set aside our own political or cultural notions and instead truly embody the Fruit of the Spirit.