Vegetables and Meat
3/31/08 - 2nd Day - After Breakfast. (Make sure to read on past the update and veggies, for the real meat). Last night our neighbor and friend Homer came by to say hi on his John Deere Gator. Danielle and I had gone down to help the Siffords and the Irbys move Josie's new goat. We had walked the goat down to Josie's land and got it chained up next to her goat box, and just as we finished up, Mr. Homer pulled up with the children piled up on his Gator. So we rode around the land a little bit and showed Homer some of the work we have been up to lately, including the plans for my office back by the creek.
The gardens are doing well. This past week I got a few more things planted:
I finished and planted the third raised double-dug bed in green beans
I finished and planted the second small raised double-dug bed in pickling cucumbers
I planted a row of black bush beans, and a row consisting of more green beans and some lima beans.
I planted a few more tomatoes and about 6 basil plants (so far) I plan on planting a lot of basil this year so I can stock up on our favorite and most used herb. I also have sage, cilantro, and peppermint planted.
I planted a short double row of some heirloom corn we received last year from Judy (Tabletop Homestead - Thanks Judy!).
My carrots and my turnips are coming up well, and some of the leaf lettuce we planted as seed is coming up really well. The prognosticators are calling for rain this morning, but it hasn't showed up yet.
We were invited to go eat at the home of a preacher friend who lives over in Coleman. We got talking about our group and how our interpretations of things differ so much from those of modern, mainstream Christianity. My answers to him kind of coalesced some thoughts I have been speaking about recently, so I thought I would share some of those thoughts. You know, we are pretty simple people. When we determine that the Bible says plainly (and in the plain text) that you should do something, then we determine that (with God's help) we will do that. If we read that the Bible says not to do something, then we pray and determine not to do that thing. We try to take the whole Word in context, and to eliminate any apparent contradictions, and to have a complete view of whatever the topic is, but when we read:
"Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 21:8), and, "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 21:10)
Then we determine that we ought to keep the Sabbath, and that it is on the seventh day. Now we read the rest of the Bible to see if there is anyplace else where God changed his mind, or told us not to keep the sabbath, or that it was changed to Sunday, and since we don't find that anywhere, and since the Bible says that the "Sabbath was made for man", and that it is good for us, we just decide to simply do what God said (and we are definitely NOT Seventh Day Adventists!). We read in the New Testament that the early church had corporate or community fellowship on the Lord's Day, which is not "man's day" or a day of rest but is a day to get together and worship the Lord corporately, and when we read that that day is the first day of the week, well, we think that makes perfect sense, so we do what the Bible says and we have our community fellowship day on the Lord's Day which is the first day of the week. So we see the sabbath (Saturday) called man's day, and it is a time of rest and quiet and of separation from work, and we see The Lord's Day (Sunday) set apart for community fellowship and worship, and we simply do what we believe the Bible says to do. Now, I understand this might cause consternation among those who have imbibed traditions and teachings contrary to what the Bible teaches in the plain text, but, like I said, we are simple people and we do what we can to obey the Word in a simple way.
When we read in 1st Corinthians 11 verse 10 that a woman ought to have a veil or cover on her head because of the angels, AND we learn from history that it was the practice of every Biblical culture in history, and that only very recently has the "church" calling itself "christian" abandoned the headcovering for the woman, then we very simply determine that what the Bible says is true, and that we ought to obey God rather than man, and we do what the Bible says.
These are just examples.
Now, here is what I have learned from false teachers and New Gnostics I have been talking about lately - like Bryan Lewis, Rod Jordan, and many others - in fact, almost all of modernist professing "christianity". I have noticed that these people have developed a system that is very interesting. What the Bible plainly says to do, they do not do. But what the Bible says to NOT do, they do. For example, they teach against the Sabbath (they say, Jesus is my Sabbath!) and against the headcovering (headcoverings were just for the Corinthians!). I suppose they believe that Paul's teachings against homosexuality was just for the Romans, but I don't know. They teach against separation (2 Cor. 6:17) because, they say, separation is invisible and in the heart. So, I guess I take that back, it is not that they teach AGAINST what the Bible says to do, they just teach that all the things you should do are INVISIBLE and SPIRITUAL, while the things the Bible says you should NOT do, are either not culturally applicable, or do not apply for some reason. The next thing, is that they teach things that the Bible says absolutely nothing about (in the plain text, I recognize that the Bible teaches on everything, but I am making a point). For example, the Bible makes very clear that meats are not to be forbidden (1 Tim. 4:3), and that God himself had overturned and had cleansed foods that had formerly been considered unclean (Acts 10:15). But some of these guys forbid the eating of some meats, despite what the scriptures say. Bryan Lewis and his ilk forbid baptism, saying that water baptism is insulting to God, even though the scripture commands water baptism as a sign of obedience. Once again, what the Bible commands, they ignore or spiritualize, but what the Bible allows, they forbid. I have had people condemn us for drinking alcohol in moderation (even though we preach consistently against drunkenness), listening to certain music, or using tobacco, etc. when they themselves completely ignore or purposely disobey the plain commands and commandments of God. Strange. Now, I was telling this preacher friend that I understand all the arguments these folks make. Believe me, I have read and studied them all. I know perfectly well what the Romanist arguments are for infant baptism and baptism by sprinkling. I even understand the arguments. They're just not in the Bible. Not in one single place. I understand the arguments against what the Bible plainly teaches about the Sabbath. I know why the modern "church" calls Sunday the "sabbath", and I understand why they teach that the Sabbath (as an ordinance containing the prohibition of work) is done away with. The problem is that their argument, though it is a perfectly good one, isn't in the Bible and therefore isn't Biblical. I understand thoroughly the arguments against Pork, and against beer, and against tobacco, and against Agrarianism, and against Separatism. I understand that it is easier to forbid some stuff that you think is bad, then to actually follow the plain teachings and text of the scripture and do what God said to do. I understand all of that. I understand that Rod Jordan, Bryan Lewis and their Antinomian brethren do not like the concept of an actual, physical Sabbath, and I understand that the women (and emasculated men) who they cater to do not like the thought of a woman wearing a headcovering. I sure understand that. I understand why people want to tell women it is alright for them to preach and teach and to have authority over a man, and I understand why some people might not want to exclude Arminians, Romanists and other Antichrists from your friendships and fellowships. I have read and do understand all the very complicated and serpentine reasoning, historical extrapolation, and Greek parsing that causes a man to bring forth a "christianity" that is very culturally relevant and morally ambiguous and not discernibly different from the world. I understand why a man might not want to grow a beard (Lev. 19:27), and might not like the Bible and history saying that he should, and why he might not want to know that a clean shaven face was created by the Romans to help homosexuals attract men. I understand the desire to look like the world, and fit in, and yet have some minor pet issues that you believe sets you apart.
So, you see - I have been paying attention. I think I have put a finger on why we are a bit different from the world's system. Maybe we are too simple. Maybe we take the Word of God too simply, or too literally, or too seriously. I told this preacher friend, "Maybe we are wrong about some stuff, but if we are, it is because we are going by what the plain text says, and we hope God will know that our ignorance and error came about because of our intention to simply obey and follow God". I mean, who knows, maybe Bryan Lewis and Benny Hinn and Rod Jordan and Billy Graham and Joel Osteen are right. Maybe our best life IS now, and not in the life after this one when those who belong to Christ, who have forsaken this world, will be with Him in His Kingdom.
Nope. I'm not even going there.
I think I shouldn't be surprised that when a man gets his sustenance and food from the world, his water from the world, his income from the world, and his rules and style from the world, that he has also gotten his theology from the world.
I'll take the Kingdom, Lord, and we'll let those worldlings have their best life now.
Michael
The gardens are doing well. This past week I got a few more things planted:
I finished and planted the third raised double-dug bed in green beans
I finished and planted the second small raised double-dug bed in pickling cucumbers
I planted a row of black bush beans, and a row consisting of more green beans and some lima beans.
I planted a few more tomatoes and about 6 basil plants (so far) I plan on planting a lot of basil this year so I can stock up on our favorite and most used herb. I also have sage, cilantro, and peppermint planted.
I planted a short double row of some heirloom corn we received last year from Judy (Tabletop Homestead - Thanks Judy!).
My carrots and my turnips are coming up well, and some of the leaf lettuce we planted as seed is coming up really well. The prognosticators are calling for rain this morning, but it hasn't showed up yet.
We were invited to go eat at the home of a preacher friend who lives over in Coleman. We got talking about our group and how our interpretations of things differ so much from those of modern, mainstream Christianity. My answers to him kind of coalesced some thoughts I have been speaking about recently, so I thought I would share some of those thoughts. You know, we are pretty simple people. When we determine that the Bible says plainly (and in the plain text) that you should do something, then we determine that (with God's help) we will do that. If we read that the Bible says not to do something, then we pray and determine not to do that thing. We try to take the whole Word in context, and to eliminate any apparent contradictions, and to have a complete view of whatever the topic is, but when we read:
"Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 21:8), and, "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 21:10)
Then we determine that we ought to keep the Sabbath, and that it is on the seventh day. Now we read the rest of the Bible to see if there is anyplace else where God changed his mind, or told us not to keep the sabbath, or that it was changed to Sunday, and since we don't find that anywhere, and since the Bible says that the "Sabbath was made for man", and that it is good for us, we just decide to simply do what God said (and we are definitely NOT Seventh Day Adventists!). We read in the New Testament that the early church had corporate or community fellowship on the Lord's Day, which is not "man's day" or a day of rest but is a day to get together and worship the Lord corporately, and when we read that that day is the first day of the week, well, we think that makes perfect sense, so we do what the Bible says and we have our community fellowship day on the Lord's Day which is the first day of the week. So we see the sabbath (Saturday) called man's day, and it is a time of rest and quiet and of separation from work, and we see The Lord's Day (Sunday) set apart for community fellowship and worship, and we simply do what we believe the Bible says to do. Now, I understand this might cause consternation among those who have imbibed traditions and teachings contrary to what the Bible teaches in the plain text, but, like I said, we are simple people and we do what we can to obey the Word in a simple way.
When we read in 1st Corinthians 11 verse 10 that a woman ought to have a veil or cover on her head because of the angels, AND we learn from history that it was the practice of every Biblical culture in history, and that only very recently has the "church" calling itself "christian" abandoned the headcovering for the woman, then we very simply determine that what the Bible says is true, and that we ought to obey God rather than man, and we do what the Bible says.
These are just examples.
Now, here is what I have learned from false teachers and New Gnostics I have been talking about lately - like Bryan Lewis, Rod Jordan, and many others - in fact, almost all of modernist professing "christianity". I have noticed that these people have developed a system that is very interesting. What the Bible plainly says to do, they do not do. But what the Bible says to NOT do, they do. For example, they teach against the Sabbath (they say, Jesus is my Sabbath!) and against the headcovering (headcoverings were just for the Corinthians!). I suppose they believe that Paul's teachings against homosexuality was just for the Romans, but I don't know. They teach against separation (2 Cor. 6:17) because, they say, separation is invisible and in the heart. So, I guess I take that back, it is not that they teach AGAINST what the Bible says to do, they just teach that all the things you should do are INVISIBLE and SPIRITUAL, while the things the Bible says you should NOT do, are either not culturally applicable, or do not apply for some reason. The next thing, is that they teach things that the Bible says absolutely nothing about (in the plain text, I recognize that the Bible teaches on everything, but I am making a point). For example, the Bible makes very clear that meats are not to be forbidden (1 Tim. 4:3), and that God himself had overturned and had cleansed foods that had formerly been considered unclean (Acts 10:15). But some of these guys forbid the eating of some meats, despite what the scriptures say. Bryan Lewis and his ilk forbid baptism, saying that water baptism is insulting to God, even though the scripture commands water baptism as a sign of obedience. Once again, what the Bible commands, they ignore or spiritualize, but what the Bible allows, they forbid. I have had people condemn us for drinking alcohol in moderation (even though we preach consistently against drunkenness), listening to certain music, or using tobacco, etc. when they themselves completely ignore or purposely disobey the plain commands and commandments of God. Strange. Now, I was telling this preacher friend that I understand all the arguments these folks make. Believe me, I have read and studied them all. I know perfectly well what the Romanist arguments are for infant baptism and baptism by sprinkling. I even understand the arguments. They're just not in the Bible. Not in one single place. I understand the arguments against what the Bible plainly teaches about the Sabbath. I know why the modern "church" calls Sunday the "sabbath", and I understand why they teach that the Sabbath (as an ordinance containing the prohibition of work) is done away with. The problem is that their argument, though it is a perfectly good one, isn't in the Bible and therefore isn't Biblical. I understand thoroughly the arguments against Pork, and against beer, and against tobacco, and against Agrarianism, and against Separatism. I understand that it is easier to forbid some stuff that you think is bad, then to actually follow the plain teachings and text of the scripture and do what God said to do. I understand all of that. I understand that Rod Jordan, Bryan Lewis and their Antinomian brethren do not like the concept of an actual, physical Sabbath, and I understand that the women (and emasculated men) who they cater to do not like the thought of a woman wearing a headcovering. I sure understand that. I understand why people want to tell women it is alright for them to preach and teach and to have authority over a man, and I understand why some people might not want to exclude Arminians, Romanists and other Antichrists from your friendships and fellowships. I have read and do understand all the very complicated and serpentine reasoning, historical extrapolation, and Greek parsing that causes a man to bring forth a "christianity" that is very culturally relevant and morally ambiguous and not discernibly different from the world. I understand why a man might not want to grow a beard (Lev. 19:27), and might not like the Bible and history saying that he should, and why he might not want to know that a clean shaven face was created by the Romans to help homosexuals attract men. I understand the desire to look like the world, and fit in, and yet have some minor pet issues that you believe sets you apart.
So, you see - I have been paying attention. I think I have put a finger on why we are a bit different from the world's system. Maybe we are too simple. Maybe we take the Word of God too simply, or too literally, or too seriously. I told this preacher friend, "Maybe we are wrong about some stuff, but if we are, it is because we are going by what the plain text says, and we hope God will know that our ignorance and error came about because of our intention to simply obey and follow God". I mean, who knows, maybe Bryan Lewis and Benny Hinn and Rod Jordan and Billy Graham and Joel Osteen are right. Maybe our best life IS now, and not in the life after this one when those who belong to Christ, who have forsaken this world, will be with Him in His Kingdom.
Nope. I'm not even going there.
I think I shouldn't be surprised that when a man gets his sustenance and food from the world, his water from the world, his income from the world, and his rules and style from the world, that he has also gotten his theology from the world.
I'll take the Kingdom, Lord, and we'll let those worldlings have their best life now.
Michael
Labels: law, sabbath, worldliness
posted by Michael Bunker at 3/31/2008 05:52:00 AM
3 comments
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