Bible Trekking – Page 3 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Get behind me, Satan

October 30, 2023

Do you recognize this quotation from Jesus? Matthew and Mark, both tell us this story. Matthew 16:23 tells the same story Mark gives us in chapter 8 and verse 33.

The story begins with the Pharisees asking for a sign. They have seen Jesus heal hundreds of people. He has cast demons out of others. The demons have tried to announce to bystanders that Jesus is the Son of God. Others recognize that He is the Messiah or Christ. The anointed one is another prophetic name that is used for Him.

Jesus later asks the disciples who the people think He is. They list names I have stated and others. He then asks who they say that He is. Simon calls Him the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Can you get more specific than that?

This is when Jesus starts to tell them that He will be persecuted and crucified and will arise on the third day. He does not stop reminding them of this coming event. He wants them to understand that it is necessary for Him to die and be raised from the dead.

This first time Peter objects. The Apostles will not allow Jesus to die. They will give their lives for Him. That is when the Lord states, “Get behind me, Satan.” Jesus recognizes that Simon Peter does not want to lose His friend and teacher. Satan wants to convince the Savior to become a king like David.

Peter was chastised for this statement. I make comments to others that should never have left my mouth. I criticize, contradict, and constrain the faith and lives of those around me. I may give them the idea that they must agree with me or that I think less of them. It is difficult to keep these thoughts from becoming words.

How do we stop the concepts and ideas in our minds from emanating through our voices? Can we prevent the thoughts in the first place? It is difficult. It can be done. Reject these concepts as soon as they inhabit your mind. That is what Jesus did. Peter voiced Satan’s desire and he was called out on what he was really saying.

He did not wish to stop Jesus from doing what the Father had sent Him to accomplish. The disciples expected a kingdom to be established in Jerusalem. They did not realize that first, salvation for the world needed to be purchased. The death and resurrection of a sinless human was required. No one could do this but Jehovah.

We know Him as God’s son. Jesus Christ is another name and title He is known by. He is also the I Am. It is difficult for us to recognize Jesus as Yahweh. It is easier to think of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost. He is a triune being like us. We were made in His image.

Simon Peter knew the man Jesus was the foretold Messiah. The Jews had been waiting for Him to defeat the Romans and take the throne of Israel. All twelve, as well as hundreds of others, could be mobilized to fight for Israel and their King. That was not his mission. But after He arose from the grave, He told them He would return to be their King. I’m still waiting. Are you?

Good Friday?

April 8, 2023

We are celebrating the day that Jesus who is the Messiah of the Jews died over two thousand years ago. The question is why is it considered a good day? Three men were executed by the most gruesome method known to modern man. This is a day that should be considered evil.

Thursday night ended with a moving Passover meal for Christ and his twelve closest followers. Their mentor showed them how to be servants to each other. All the current traditions were observed. The wine was shared as was the bread. Prayers were given. Music was shared. It was both fellowship and worship.

Friday morning begins with a series of trials. The Sanhedrin retried our Lord until He made a statement that is considered blasphemy and the court determines that His sentence should be death by crucifixion. These educated lawmen do not realize that they have sentenced Jesus to a death that matches what the prophets recorded hundreds of years ago.

The trials continue before Pilot and Herod. The sentence is ordered to be carried out. Pilot washes his hands. Three men march out to be hung on crosses until they are dead. It will be a slow terrible death. They will tire from the efforts to pull themselves up to breathe until they suffocate.

Over the next several hours’ Christ’s companions argue with each other to decide why they will die with a man they never knew until this day. The man they called Bar Abbas has been released. The Son of the Father will live to fight another day. They will not.

One accepts the offer of the savior. The other does not. They both die agonizing deaths. They are preceded in death by my Lord and Savior. He spoke little during the trials and the crucifixion. His last words were, “It is finished.”

It is the plan of the Father to save humanity from its own sinfulness. It started with Adam and ended with Jesus. Paul calls him the second Adam.

We refer to the Friday before Resurrection Sunday as Good Friday because of the result of the weekend. The tragic incidents of passion week were worth the lamb that was slain for the sin of the world. His life for those of an entire race of people. Science Fiction is not the only book where the Earth is saved. Happy Resurrection Sunday.

COSMIC FLATULENCE

January 4, 2023

The seventh and eighth-grade boys sat in the room at the church in Springfield, Missouri. They listened as well as they could as the teacher tried to expound the love of Christ to them. From out of nowhere it appeared. No, you could not see it and this time it was not heard. It was there and you knew it because of the odor that spread through the entire room. The windows had to be opened. Even then it took interminable minutes to dissipate.

That was the moment when this theory of the origin of the Universe was born. It sounds odd. Sometimes flashes of inspiration appear just like that strange smell. Which of the times this happened was the actual trigger is not known. The beginning of time became clear one day in this green fog.

When I was beginning college, I had doubts that the story of Jehovah creating the universe was a myth. I asked God to show himself to me. I wanted to believe. I began to see the hand of a creator in the sunset, the sunrise, the rain, the stars, and a thousand other parts of creation itself.

When my children were born, I knew that the process of procreation was named properly. Everything about our world and our universe points directly to a creator. If you can’t see that, I am sorry. I wanted to believe in Yahweh. I know that it is said that we believe what we want to.

Hebrews 11:1 in the New Testament of the Bible says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things that are not seen.” This is one of my favorite scriptures. My belief in a creator allows me to see Him and have proof in my own mind that He does in fact exist.

The main theory that contends with creation is something that is called The Big Bang Theory. This ideology states that when there was nothing it exploded. Can nothing explode? I do not think that is a scientific fact. I do not believe that anyone has been able to record a vacuum doing anything. My Cosmic Flatulence concept is the Big Bang with an explanation of where whatever banged came from.

Can this theory be proven? No, it cannot. It makes sense to me that something must have entered the nothing that was where the universe is now. Going back to that room and that cloud of smelly gas that came from nowhere, I decided that if the Big Bang was correct, God must have passed gas.

If you do not want to accept that the universe was created, then explain to me how nothing exploded or where whatever did explode came from. Just like the boy that created that cloud, you are denying the truth. Something was there. It came from somewhere. Nothing or something blew up either by accident or by some cause.

I have no problem accepting that our Universe started with a cloud of something like gas exploding. I need to know where whatever explosion came from. Do not lie to yourself and everyone else by saying that nothing can explode. If you do not want to acknowledge that something came from somewhere. Acknowledge that everything you believe in is a lie according to science.

I understand that you believe that I am believing a lie and that I am confused and stupid. I will not call you the names that you call those of us who accept a creator God. I wish that something someone says will touch you and you will stop believing the lies that have been told.

Mathew’s Story

December 24, 2022

The difference between Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels is the focus. Matthew gives us the genealogy of Jesus from the family of Joseph who was Mary’s husband. Luke lists the genealogy of Mary’s family. This causes a few differences. Both tracks back to King David.

When Mary told Joseph that she was expecting a baby, he knew that it could not be his child. Men, ask yourself if you would believe her story about the angel and God being the baby’s father. This was unprecedented. Who can blame him for being skeptical?

We read that he is contemplating backing out of the marriage. It takes a messenger visiting him to inform him that the child Mary is carrying is the son of Jehovah. After receiving this information, he decides to continue the betrothal and the marriage.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5hINfyhuTt0

The trip to Bethlehem is not discussed as thoroughly as Luke does. The birth of the child is mentioned as taking place in Bethlehem. A star appeared to Chaldean astrologers that indicated to them that a new ruler was born in Israel. While they travel the star disappears. They go to the capital city.

In Jerusalem, King Herod had no knowledge of the birth. He has murdered children and grandchildren to protect his throne. He enquires as to the prophecy of the Messiah and where he would be born. The answer is Bethlehem. Herod’s request to be updated on this situation would have been reasonable if not for the King’s bloodthirsty reputation.

We are not told how many came from the east to search for this promised child. They do not appear at the manger in the stable. They go to the house where Mary and Joseph are staying. They present three gifts to the child and His mother and father. Therefore, we refer to three kings. Tradition even gives them names.

In a dream, they are told not to return to Jerusalem. Joseph is also told to leave the village to protect his family. They go to Egypt to escape Herod. We believe that Jesus was one to two years old currently. The travelers had confirmed the time that they had originally seen the star. That is why Herod murdered the boys two and under.

The return from Egypt fulfills the prophecy from Jeremiah. The question is, were the prophecies written about things that God knew would happen, or did God make these events occur because prophecy needs to come true? Yahweh does not force His will on us. His desire is for us to be who He wants us to be without Him requiring it. His hope is that we will be the best that we can be.

The return to Nazareth was another prophecy that was to be met. This was a strange saying to have acknowledged. Nothing good could come from that Galilean village. It did and He was the savior of this world and our Lord.

The Story of the Shepherds

December 22, 2022

Christmas is upon us, and we have been inundated with Santa Claus and Elves on Shelves, in toilets, in the fireplace, and even making flour angels. Why do we even celebrate Christ mass? That is what the word means. The Roman Christian Church was fighting the old Roman celebrations. Something was needed for those who were joining Constantine and following the Jewish Messiah.

The winter solstice was a time for celebration in the Roman world. Becoming a Christian should not mean the loss of a holiday. The early Church began many traditions that are remembered by Catholics. We protestants are not that up on a lot of the feasts and fasts around Christmas or Easter.

The reason for the season is the savior. Let’s begin with the story of his birth. The gospel of Luke tells us that Mary was pregnant. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth. The Roman government declared that everyone should pay a tax. Registration of all citizens was needed.

Every ten years the United States does a national census. There are many reasons for this. It is mostly to remark the lines for our congressional representatives. Missouri had a problem doing this before the elections this year. That’s another column and has nothing to do with Christmas.

There were no computers in the first century and everyone that lived in the Roman Empire was requested to return to their ancestral city. Joseph left Nazareth and took his fiancé, Mary, with him. She was expecting her first child. Joseph was not the father. He had the opportunity to break the engagement when he learned about the pregnancy. We’ll share more on this when we discuss Matthew’s story of the birth of her child.

We do not know why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem. It may have been that he was attempting to continue the impression that he had impregnated her. He may have been a man who felt the need to be with her when she delivered her baby. Remember that he knew he was not the biological father of this child. He loved her and wanted to protect her.

When they arrived in Bethlehem there was no place to stay. When we read that there was no room in the inn, we may believe that all the hotels and motels were filled. This village probably had one or two of what the British call public houses. Places where a traveler can be fed and sleep for a night or two. We hear that they went to a stable and think it is an awful thing. This would have been common in this era.

The most interesting part of this story is the angels appearing to the shepherds. They announced the birth of the savior of all mankind. This was not the messiah that was expected by the majority of the Jews. They wanted a king that would rescue them from the rule of the Romans.

I hope you are not asking where the three wise men are. We’ll talk about that in a future piece. Our discussion of Matthew’s story will be the same as it was for Luke. We will read the scripture and answer questions that you may have about it. In the meantime, reread Luke’s account and comment below, if you have any questions.

Good, Good, Father

August 29, 2022

My Father is very important to me. The way he loved me in his way. The way he provided for me, my mother, and my three siblings. He was not perfect. He became agree at times. He did not curse but I have heard him cry out in pain when he skinned his knuckles, or the hammer hit his thumb. Usually, there were no recognizable words. I may have heard a dam or two in all my years with him.

Growing up with both my mother and father for over thirty years was a fortunate circumstance for us that you may not have enjoyed. So that you know that our lives were not “Leave it to Beaver” or “Father Knows Best” I will tell you some things that may have occurred in your life.

Dad suffered from mental illness. Mom became so angry with him over what she thought were things he could control that she yelled and threw dishes at him once. Don’t think that the kids were unaware of this problem. He was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was in college. We were not told what had caused it until years later.

With that introduction, I wish to tell you about a perfect Father. Pat Barrett and Anthony Brown wrote the song “Good, Good Father” and Chris Tomlin released it in 2016. He is not the only Christian artist to record it. He was the first to make it a number one hit.

The song begins by talking about the stories that are told about God the Father. Our songwriter speaks of hearing Him speak in the dark of night. The words are encouraging. We are reminded that He has promised we would never be alone.

The second verse talks of those looking for answers in a way that relates to “Desperately Seeking Susan” or “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” Jehovah is the only one who has all the answers for us. He is not surprised at what we need even though we may be.

Our Father’s love is undeniable, unexplainable, and deep. We are not perfect. He is. Jehovah means I am that I am. We call Him the great I am. Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life.” He also said. “I am the good shepherd” and I am “The door.”

We are loved by him. The love that He has for us is greater than we expect from ourselves or each other. He is who He is. We are who we are. There is no way for us to be other than us. He always is love. He is always our good, good father. It is who He is.

Dance party round two

July 23, 2022

I began this column many years ago. The events are older than their brother and youngest sister. I hope you think it was worth me finishing it.

Yes, that is correct. The old Baptist has fallen from grace and gone dancing again. This time with a different girlfriend. My granddaughter, Mia, was this year’s date to the Father-Daughter Dance at her school. This time sister Maddie was escorted by Dad. They traded places from last year.

Is dancing a sin? What is that old joke? Why do married Baptist couples never have sex standing up? They are afraid someone will think they are dancing. Another reason is that they don’t want to fall and break a hip.

Dancing is not condemned in the Bible. When you find the verse where it is, let me know. David danced in the street to the Lord, when the Ark of the Covenant was being moved to Jerusalem, finally. His wife became angry and condemned him, but Jehovah did not. He likes to see us make fools of ourselves when we praise Him.

Psalms 149:3 tells us to “Let them praise his name in the dance.” This Psalm is not specifically identified as being written by David. There are no notes telling who wrote it like some of the others. Psalms 30:11 and 150:4 also tell us to praise the Lord with dancing.

We saw the dancing also in 1 Samuel 18:6 when the people came out to celebrate the defeat of Goliath and the Philistines.

Let’s get back to my dancing experiences. I am no Elaine when I dance. I limit myself to minimal movement as much as I can. I prefer a standard box step for slow dances, and I don’t do the Floss.

I do not appreciate people who have their own views of what the Bible says. We should do what Jesus told the Pharisees to stop doing. He criticized them for adding to God’s law and ignoring some of the commandments.

Failure to love your neighbor even if he or she is different from yourself is one of the worst things you can do. This was the second most important commandment according to Jesus. What do you consider a sin that isn’t listed in scripture? Drinking, playing cards, and other types of gambling are some other vices that do not appear in the Word.

Another problem that many of us have is ignoring the commands that are listed in the law. It may be as simple as not tithing, bearing false witness, coveting, or as bad as murder, adultery, or not honoring your parents. When we read the Bible, do we look for a way around the sins that are common for us? We should be focusing on overcoming what we know is against Jehovah’s law.

Do you know what a Pharisee is? They are the ones that had Jesus executed when He challenged their system which was based on men’s teaching, and they ignored the laws that Moses handed down. They deceived themselves into believing they were doing what was right. We need to ask ourselves if we have a pharisee hiding in us.

Jesus loves me

July 20, 2022

There is a song with this title. I learned it when I was a kid. I’d like to talk to you about the words of this song. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This is the first phrase.

The bible does tell us that we are loved by a man named Jesus. About two thousand years ago He was born into this world just as we all are. No difference other than that his mother was a virgin and ours were not. Now that we know who Jesus is let’s look at the world loves.

Love is the verb in this phrase. It is the action word. The apostle Paul tells us that love is patient and kind. This is enough of a definition to show how His love is different from what most of us experience from those that claim they love us. Most of us are not very patient and would have a definition of kindness that probably varies greatly.

Do you know that He loves you? The Bible tells us in many places that we are loved by God and this includes His Son, Jesus. The Messiah told us many stories to explain how much His Father loves us. One of these is that of a shepherd who left 99 sheep that were safe to find the one that had gotten lost. Are you that lost one?

The next stanza tells us that we belong to him. We are told that His strength will make up for our weakness. The dependability of God and our fallibility are written all through His word. The Psalms have many verses of poetry that tell us how we can follow Him and have Him protect us.

In the second stanza, we are told that Jesus’ love is as strong as it always was. He places children on His knee and tells them to come to Him as He always has. Our Lord told us that to reach Heaven we must become like children and trust Him as they do.

He is still with us on our way is what verse three tells us. He walks with us today as He has always said He would, giving us light and love as a friend. He told us that we would be His friends forever.

Our Savior died for us to open a way to eternal life. That was His purpose for becoming human. The fourth verse tells us this and that His sacrifice was for the payment of our sins.

The fifth and final verse tells us that He will stay close with us on our way, and we promise that we will live for Him as He died for us. This song is considered a children’s ditty. By looking at the words I want you to see that it is a confirmation of what Christians believe about the creator of the universe and His plan for our redemption.

He did what was necessary to bring us back to fellowship with Yahweh. This was done to show that He loves us and always will. From the mid 1800’s this poem has been around to remind us of what was done for us and why.

Crippled made straight

July 19, 2022

Luke 13:10-17 tells the story of a crippled woman who was healed by Jesus. There are many points of interest in this portion of scripture that bear looking at. The first is that it happened on Saturday. This was the Jewish Sabbath day. All you were supposed to do was go to church and hang close to your home.

The original Levitical reference says to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Holy means separate. You have six days to work. The seventh is a day of rest and renewal. Jesus was in the synagogue teaching when he saw a woman that was crippled so badly, that she could not stand up straight. She had been this way for eighteen years.

He calls her to come to Him. He simply touches her and says that she is cured of her illness. She stands up straight and walks home as any normal person would. No sit-ups, pushups, or ropes were not used, and no elaborate ceremony. She was bent over, and she straightened up. Nothing wrong with that.

The leader of the synagogue did not agree. He vocalized his distress at these proceedings. My guess is Jesus would not be invited back next Saturday. His words were to come Sunday to Friday to be healed. Who would spend their time healing folks on the day of worship?

Have you seen a preacher get upset because someone came into their church and did something good? I hope you have not. I witnessed a local minister berating a waitress on a Sunday because she was working. The work she was doing was serving his family. I was the dishwasher and busboy. I was also beginning ministerial school in a couple of months.

When I returned to my station behind the kitchen, she was there and very upset. I told her that I knew the man and did not think much of him as a preacher or a man. She recovered herself and returned to the floor to continue taking care of the customers.

A few months later I received an invitation to speak at this Pastor’s church. I preached on this passage of scripture. I emphasized Jesus’ response to the synagogue leader. Jesus called him a hypocrite. How can a minister that works more on Sunday tell others that their jobs should not be done on that day? I did not mention the scene I had witnessed. The pastor and his family were gone that Sunday. I don’t know if he was told about my message. I was not asked to return for a second time. Probably just a coincidence.

Let’s pursue that word hypocrite a little more. It is a transliteration of a Greek word. The word means an actor. A synonym is thespian. It is also defined as a fraud, fake, or deceiver. The modern definition is someone who does not practice what they preach.

The question should be, “Am I a hypocrite?” Yes, I am. I attend a church that is a hospital for hypocrites. The seats are full of them and so is the pulpit. The difference is that we are trying to be healed of that affliction. Unlike the Synagogue leader in this story who was offended by the words of our Lord. His words should inspire and energize us.

Good versus bad.

August 7, 2021

We continue with the stories told in Luke chapter 6.

43 A good tree does not produce bad fruit; neither does a sick tree have good fruit. 44 Every tree is known by its fruit. Men do not gather figs from thorn bushes,

Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

18A good tree cannot bring bad fruit, neither can a sick tree produce good fruit.

19Every tree that does not give good fruit is cut down and burned.

20By their fruits you will know them.

Luke 6:43 begins with the distinction between good and evil trees and quality and inadequate fruit. Following this introduction, the fact that thistles and thorns do not produce figs or grapes is given. Matthew shared this concept first. We are not talking about fruit. He is speaking of men. They can be evil or righteous. We are to be fruit inspectors to know the difference.

Matthew 6:45 A good man does what is good out of the treasure of his heart; and an evil man acts with evil intent from the evil of his heart: from the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46 Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I ask?

Jesus talks in verse 45 about where our motivations reside. The treasure in our hearts is either good or evil. That inner pressure leads us to be righteous or unrighteous. These different ideas come out of our mouths or are expressed through our hands and feet. Our actions show who we are.

Matthew 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

When you go to the grocery store to buy produce, do you ever contemplate how the things you buy are grown? I like to grow my own food if I can. This year my garden includes onions, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, carrots, and beets. I don’t intentionally grow weeds. Often, they are more prolific than my preferred plants. I know some people in this world that might be considered human weeds. They have no useful purpose in their lives.

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me at the day of judgment, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?

23 And then I will profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23 has the Son of God telling us that He will deny that He knows us, if we are just playing games with God. Do you call Him Lord, or do we truly respect Him as the one that we follow and let Him guide us through everything? Doing the work that we have been given makes us disciples. Trying to do it on our own, makes us hopeless. Our Father gives hope and encouragement when we ask for it.

We are reading the words that were spoken by the Messiah while He was living on this earth. Hearing these sayings are not enough. We must do what we are told to do. Go back to the beginning of this sermon that was given from a mountain top. These are not suggestions. At this point We are likened to one of two types of men depending on whether we obey His commands or ignore them.

Luke 6:47 Whoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you who he is like:

48 He is like a man who builds a house, and digs deep, and lays the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49 But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that builds a house without a foundation on the earth; against which the streams beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and it was completely destroyed.

Are you familiar with the construction process? Every project begins with a foundation. The size of the building is irrelevant in determining how the structure should be supported. If you do not dig down and start building from solid rock, you are foolish. Ask any builder and he will tell you this is true. Today we may need to use concrete below our brick, stone, wood, or metal framework. Christians are often referred to as being stupid enough to believe unfounded claims. Continuing listening to what this Godman says about himself and those that follow Him.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Bible Trekking