Bible Trekking – Page 4 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

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.

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.

The Parables begin.

August 6, 2021

We begin in Luke chapter six with stories that Jesus told during His ministry

Luke 6:39 He spoke a parable to them, “can the blind lead the blind? Will they not fall into a ditch together?”

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Can the blind lead the blind is the question? What does He mean by this? If you do not see how to follow your own path, you cannot direct someone else in how to live their lives. Without Christ we cannot see our own purpose. Trying to guide others will cause everyone to fail. Matthew 15:14 expresses it a little differently. It is still true.

Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his master. Everyone that is perfect shall be his own master.

Matthew 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Masters and disciples are contrasted and compared. Followers learn from those that lead them. Your purpose is to become like the one that leads. Leadership is the goal of every follower of the Lord. As you mature others will look to you for directions in discipleship. Look at the way Matthew recorded this statement. He adds servants and Lords to the mix which is appropriate because we are to be servants and Jesus is to be our Lord.

Luke 6:41 Why do you see a speck that is in your brother’s eye, but miss the log that is in your eye?

42 How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in your eye, when you do not see the log that is in your eye? You hypocrite, get rid of the log in your eye, and then you will see clearly to pull the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:3 Why do you see a speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not observe the log that is in your eye?

4How can you say to your brother, “Let me pull out the speck from your eye”; and look, a log is in your eye?

5 You hypocrite, first get rid of the log in your eye; and then you will see clearly to clean out the speck from your brother’s eye.

You can’t lead when you are blind. Blindness may have many causes. An obstruction is the suggested cause in Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42. A speck in the eye is compared to a log or beam in your own eye. This is a direct exaggeration to emphasize the absurdity in what we do. Have you heard of the humor of Jesus? This is a perfect example.

Our Lord asks us to mind our own business and not try to fix others before we have corrected all our faults. Our sins are as bad as those of our brothers and sisters in Jesus’ eyes. The term hypocrite is an interesting one. In Greek, a hypocrite was an actor or thespian. It was someone who concealed their identity and attempted to fool others into believing they were someone they were not. That fits with what Christ is telling us here. We should see ourselves as we are and not belittle others because they are different.

Written in Red introduction.

August 1, 2021

I was drug through the Bible as a young child beginning shortly after my birth. I may have been a week old when I went to church for the first time. I do not believe that first church had a nursery, so I was in the service with everyone else. I was colicky and my mother had to be walking me outside to allow the pastor to be heard.

My first recollection of studying the word of the Lord was in the children’s department of Immanuel Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. It was a few blocks down the street from our home. It was still more of a pushing operation. My parents and the teachers stayed behind me directing me to drink. I wasn’t very thirsty. At age eleven I came to know the Lord as my personal savior.

These studies are called Bible Trekking because my voyage through it on my own began while I was in college. I was still attending Immanuel and was attempting to find God’s direction for my life. My travels began in earnest in 1974 when I accepted my savior’s call to the ministry of the gospel.

My entry into journalism school was scrapped and I transferred to Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri to study the Bible on a serious level. My professors reminded me of what I had heard for years as a child. They also opened my eyes to who they thought Jesus and God were. That was where the trek began.

The term Christian or Christianity has thousands of definitions that are held by those who claim to be followers of Christ and those who reject Him. Just who was He and who can we believe?

How can we learn what Christianity is about? Have you tried just reading the words that Jesus spoke? I began this study a few years ago and have decided to finish it while sharing it with you. I began by using a harmony of the gospels to flow through all four stories of the Lord in chronological order. I have decided that it would be more productive to follow His words through categories.

The time we must cover is just thirty-five years or so. We will look at the stories He told, the miracles that were performed, who Jehovah is, who Jesus claimed to be, the new covenant that God was giving to the world, and the new teachings that seemed completely foreign from Judaism.

As we read these words, what version of the Bible should we use. It doesn’t matter. I will be using both the King James Version and Young’s Literal Translation. At times the Quotations will not show either KJV or YLT. The notation will be BTV which stands for the Bible Trekking Version. This is not an official translation. It simply means that I want to use the words that I think explain it to us.

Let’s begin with the stories that are called parables. A parable usually has only one aspect that relates to the teaching Jesus wants us to learn. Some of these teachings are in more than one of the four gospels. We will discuss the different words each witness recalls Him using and if the different witnesses cause any problems with interpretation.

Wisdom from Lemuel.

July 31, 2021

In Proverbs 31 we have another writer that we know little about. There are no Israelite kings named Lemuel. These are instructions from his mother. She warns him against women, alcohol, and encouraging him to speak up for the poor and needy. Beer and wine should be reserved for those who are trying to forget a tragedy. Sounds like a country music song, doesn’t it?

I have heard verse eight used by those who believe in the right to life. I would count unborn babies, the handicapped, the ill, and the elderly as being destitute. These cannot speak for themselves. Those of us who value every life have a duty to use our wisdom that God has given us to defend them.

The last twenty-two verses are some of the most often read in Proverbs. These do not appear to be from Lemuel and his mother. They are especially used on Mother’s Day. Women are encouraged to follow this Lady. Her husband is confident in her because she is good, wise in business, hard-working, and respected in the community. Even though nothing is said about her looks, she is beautiful on the inside.

Let’s take a closer look at her attributes. She is worth more than any jewels she might wear. Her husband has every confidence in her. This is both for hard work in the home as well as outside of it. She is good to him throughout their lives together.

She works hard and is productive. Traveling distances to feed her family is not foreign to her. She rises early, feeds the family and the household staff before she begins her day. She excels at business and her husband knows he can trust her judgment. This woman also spends time working with her hands.

She is a philanthropist. Her husband is a respected community leader. He and the entire family are grateful for the hours spent to provide for their food and clothing.

She teaches her children and the other women the wisdom given to her by Jehovah. She would share this with men other than her husband if they would listen. The praise from her kids is, “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Her greatest gift is the respect for and knowledge of her Lord. She deserves honor and praise for everything she has accomplished.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Bible Trekking