Category: theology

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:18-20)

Soon, brethren, we will meet, over yonder, where the glory surrounds God’s throne and Jesus walks with pierced feet.

This Christian mom of two teenagers was in Theater 9 on Friday, July 20, 2012 when James Holmes opened fire on the audience in the United States’ worst mass shooting. She testifies to the goodness of Jesus through the massacre. It is a must read.

So you STILL think God is a merciful God?!
“So, you still believe in a merciful God?” Some of the comments online are genuinely inquisitive, others are contemptuous in nature. Regardless of the motive behind the question, I will respond the same way.

“Yes.”

“Yes, I do indeed.”

“Absolutely, positively, unequivocally.”

Read on to hear why. [Ht Kim at The Mystery of the Ages]

Apostasy happens slowly. That’s how it happens.

Let’s take a look at 1st Timothy:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5 RSV).

The Spirit says, so this is a true saying. He also says it expressly. Other translations use the world clearly or explicitly.The Spirit wished to impart a clear and pointed teaching, not in metaphors or parables or symbols but in clear words, for emphasis. He expressly says some will depart from the faith. Not that they ever were true Christians (though many would have thought they were) but that they would leave the doctrines that undergird our faith and give expression to it. How would they do this? The Spirit continues: they gave heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

They gave heed. This means that they yielded some small part of their mind or their heart to some small portion of untruth, even for a moment. But that is all it takes. Remember the first words of satan in the bible, Genesis 3: “Hath God said?” This is a direct attack on His word, and Eve gave heed to it. You know the rest.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 RSV)

These who fall away from the faith have a form of religion. The outward appearance is one that fools people -for a while- that they are true believers.

Paul wrote about Demas three times. Demas was a co-worker alongside Paul for many years. Demas was with many wonderful men of the faith: Luke, Epahras, others. He had traveled, witnessed, prayed, served for many years.

We see Paul mention him in Colossians-
1. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. (Colossians 4:14)

We see Paul mention him in Philemon: 
2. Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. (Philemon 1:24) 

We see Paul mention him in 2 Timothy:
3. for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. (2 Timothy 4:10)

Worker, worker, gone. That’s it. He’s gone. How? Why? Because Demas loved the world. Obviously the Father had not been in him, because you can’t have the world AND the Father in you. (1 John 2:15). One or the other will win out, and it will be whichever one you give heed to.

So did Demas leave suddenly? Physically, probably yes, his departure was probably abrupt. But how long had the apostasy been in him? All along. You sink slowly. Let’s look at an incident that I believe illustrates this. Peter was not apostate, but the metaphor here is interesting because of the physics of it. Remember when the storm was tossing the boat, and Jesus walked over to the men in the boat on top of the water? Peter asked the Lord, if that is really you, then I will walk on water. And Peter got out of the boat, and for a minute he walked on water too. But when he noticed the stormy circumstances and took his eyes off Jesus, is when he lost it. Most people teach that passage as an illustration of how we have to keep our eyes on Jesus, and it is true, we do. But I’m interested here in the phrase, began to sink:

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30).

Every translation records the same, “began to sink.” Think about it. Peter was a burly guy: using his body and his hands to make a living fishing. He had muscles. He was probably 175-200 pounds. Solid muscle. If you toss a 200 pound boulder in the water, does it begin to sink? Or does it sink? Plunk, gone? The latter, it just goes under. But here the bible records Peter sinking incrementally.

That’s what happens in apostasy, you slowly sink under the waves of sin, until you’re completely covered. Apostasy is an incremental departure. It is like in Hebrews where it says:

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)

The Greek word pararrhyéō (“drift away from”) only occurs in Heb 2:1 where it refers to going spiritually adrift – “sinning by slipping away” (from God’s anchor). 3901 /pararrhyéō (“gradually drift away”) means to “lapse” into spiritual defeat, describing how we slowly move away from our moorings in Christ. (source)

How can you make sure you love Christ and not the world, that apostasy has not crept in, that you are not drifting away? Of course our wonderful bible has the answer:

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor 13:5)

So…how do we examine ourselves? Here is one page using scripture that helps guide us through the common tests:

Are You A Christian?
TEST 1: Gospel Belief and Confession of Faith
2) Born Again / Sonship / Correction;
3) Repentance / Deliverance from Sin;
4) Good Works by Grace, and
5) The Fruit of the Spirit. 

Don’t sink, don’t leave, don’t drift. Examine yourself and stay in the faith!

Yahoo reports, “For a morning, the sky looked like a surfer’s dream: A series of huge breaking waves lined the horizon in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday (Dec. 16), their crests surging forward in slow motion. Amazed Alabamans took photos of the clouds and sent them to their local weather station, wondering, “What are these tsunamis in the sky?” Experts say the clouds were pristine examples of “Kelvin-Helmholtz waves.” Whether seen in the sky or in the ocean, this type of turbulence always forms when a fast-moving layer of fluid slides on top of a slower, thicker layer, dragging its surface.”

NOAA defines the wave-clouds as “Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are a result of wind shear in a stable atmosphere. The wind speed at the top of the cloud layer is faster than that at the bottom, which rolls the cloud into wave shapes. These clouds form in stable layers of the atmosphere, such as near a temperature inversion. While Kelvin-Helmholtz waves are not uncommon in the atmosphere, it is relatively rare to get the “breaking wave” cloud shapes shown here.”

As a personal note, in all the Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds I viewed online, including the particular ones NOAA says are very rare, the photo of the ones in Alabama blows them all away. They are stunning. I believe the perfection of their formation is as rare as the hole punch cloud. Or this hole punch cloud. Or the tubular cloud.

Anyway, signs in the sky…
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Excerpt of Dan Phillips‘  Open Letter to Dr. John MacArthur. I HEARTILY second his sentiments. In a world where the average time a pastor spends “shepherding” his flock has dwindled to (depending on source) 3 to 7 years, Dr. MacArthur’s stay at Grace Community Church for 42 years is extraordinary. Also extraordinary in this tv, short sound byte age, is his biblical preaching verse by verse (expositional) as opposed to topical, or Gospel Lite, or worse, Prosperity/Word-Faith preaching. And most extraordinary of all is that he preached through the entire New Testament, finishing last June. The wealth of sermons, devotionals, and study materials at his website is staggering. I recently listened to a sermon and when it was done I was astounded to see the date was 1969. It had sounded so fresh! So relevant! That is because the bible is fresh. When you preach it and it alone, the Word will always be fresh and relevant. We do not need gimmicks, fads, church growth strategies, or anything else to make it relevant. It already IS.

I’ve also watched Dr. MacArthur on Larry King’s CNN interview show. He is always unequivocal about Jesus, that Jesus is the one true way to heaven, explicit on what happens after we die, and the truth of the bible. I’ve watched Billy Graham and Joel Osteen on the same show when they appeared at different times, and both of those latter men took the opportunity to deny Jesus as the only way. So that speaks volumes. In this increasingly apostate world, we should value, pray for, and support the fewer and fewer true pastors who are unequivocal about doctrine and courageously stand by it. Anyway, here is the Open Letter excerpt from Dan Phillips:
—————-
Dear Dr. MacArthur,

“First, thank you. Thank you for being a model of doctrinal, pastoral, and personal integrity. It means a great deal to me that I can know for certain that if you are given any opportunity anywhere, you will always and only use it as an opening to speak the Word and Gospel of the Lord. That is huge, and I applaud you for that, without reservation. You have set an example of emphatically Biblical preaching and writing to an entire generation. In that vein, you have just concluded preaching through the entire New Testament. God be praised, and thank you.”

Yes, thank you to all good pastors who reliably and loyally feed the sheep the Word, and who love us with a true shepherd’s heart.
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As you prepare to attend worship services Sunday, or not, please take a few moments to view the state of Christianity in Iran and in China. The first video is produced by Farshid Seyed Mehdi, an Christian Iranian national living in Netherlands. He is an activist for Jesus, leading and training men to return to Iran to spread the word of Jesus and His Gospel.

This second video I stumbled across on YouTube. I have no idea if these are legitimate. I searched and found that the producer of the first video of converted Iranians is actually a real activist and seems to adhere to the proper tenets of Christianity. I have not found anything about the second video that would dispute that it is actual smuggled video of secret churches in China.

Ultimately, we know that the truth is behind these videos, Christians are being persecuted in Iran and in China. If you are here in America reading this, pray in shame to the Lord for the state of our churches, and for Him to revive us to the truth of the Gospel. If you are in a good, bible-believing church, thank the Lord. If you have accepted untruth in your church from pastor or leadership to the false tune of unity or tolerance, then think of the brothers who are beaten and the sisters who are raped just for daring to believe in Jesus in a satanic culture.  Stand up for the truth.

On the positive side, let people see Jesus in you! Walk in love and in His light. Living as Jesus would have us live in a perverted culture is a powerful witness to Him. Something very powerful that we can do is pray for our brothers in places where they are hostile to Christians. Pray to give them provision, strength, the food of the Gospel, fellow believers to encourage and be encouraged by, bibles, and more. We owe a great debt to our spiritual forefathers of the first generation church who stood for Jesus and died because of it. We owe a great debt to those at this present time who stand for Jesus in Iran, Indonesia, China, and other places hostile to Jesus and die because of it. We owe a future debt to the Tribulation martyrs (Rev 6:9-11) who will be for “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). For those of us in America or other places where we can worship freely, if we become petty or picky at our worship place or leadership, remember Hebrews 12:4, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

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I don’t even know what to say to this. Thank goodness International Business Times does.

“In a ridiculously repressive and absurd proposal, an Islamic cleric residing in Europe has said in a ruling that women should not touch or be anywhere close to bananas and cucumbers, in order to avoid ‘sexual thoughts’. An unnamed sheikh was quoted in a religious publication, el-Senousa News, as saying that if a woman wished to eat cucumbers or bananas, it should be sliced into pieces, preferably by her husband or father, before she eats them. Egyptian English news site Bikya Masr reported the proposal. According to the report, the sheikh has also added carrots and zucchini to the list of apparently immoral and blasphemous fruits and vegetables.”

The one true God, not the false god of Islam, said, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

I have been posting lately on the spiritual underpinnings of The Daniel Fast, which are a doctrine of demons and a doctrine of men, not of God. The Daniel Fast is an incorrectly spiritualized corporate church activity in which congregants are urged by their pastor or leadership to adhere to a specific list of foods and to avoid other foods, for three weeks. For those who believe I am too picky, if you want to know how far satan can take a false doctrine regarding food, this is it. Once you are off the narrow path, it gets wide very quickly.
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Todd Strandberg and Terry James are the co-editors of the website RaptureReady.com. RR is the longest running end times website on the internet. For twenty years, RR Founder Todd has been bringing to online seekers information from the bible about end times, or eschatology. There is a wealth of stored information about the rapture, the Tribualtion, Jesus, the plan of Salvation and much more. Their goal was to have this archive ready and protected for people who clamor to know from a biblical perspective what is going on in the moments, days, and years after the rapture.

In that sense, Mr Strandberg, along with Hal Lindsey and others, have made eschatology their niche in bible study have a unique perspective because they have the long view.

I read their weekly editorial this morning and I agree with the following statement completely. In writing about the global economy and the looming economic bubble about to burst, Mr Strandberg states:

1)We are amazed that the bubble hasn’t burst; 2)We believe that the longer the crises build, the greater will be the explosion; 3) We maintain that only the staying hand of God has thus far prevented it from bursting; and 4) We are of the opinion that it will likely be the Rapture of the church that will pop that bubble.”

I agree. I look at the economy and with what rudimentary knowledge I have, even I can see that the current situation long passed sustainable, viable, or even feasible in life OR on paper, even. When you have more debt than money, you can’t function. Even I know that much. Yet for three years, especially the last few months, we have functioned. It is only God who can perform the impossible, and today’s economy is impossible.

With that, I’ve long felt also that it would be the rapture itself that would pop the bubble. I wrote in September 2010,

“Then the rapture will come. Suddenly, things will tip even more to the panic side of global turmoil. A terrorized populace will ask, scream, demand to know ‘Where did they go? Why? Who took them?’ The weakened economy perhaps will not be able to stand the vacuum created by millions of vibrant and contributing Christians. The problems will get worse.”

Imagine the sudden removal of a workforce of millions. Imagine the vacuum created by the economic loss of participating contributors to payroll, consumer spending, etc. It would be like the air let out of a balloon and crash the economy will go.

My opinion and the Rapture Ready guys’ opinion, Hal Lindsey mentioned this too, a while back, don’t amount to a hill of beans in the face of biblical truth. However we can connect some dots, make an interpretation based on long years of study (those guys, I’m just a whippersnapper) and we can truthfully say that based on what the Lord shows us in His Word compared to the world situation right now, the rapture seems closer than ever.

For the born again believer, this comes as good news. For the unaware believer, this comes as a kooky opinion. In 2 Peter 3:3, Peter wrote, “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.”

Understand that the mocking and scoffing does not come from just unbelievers, but also from Christians who deny this doctrine and scoff at fundamentalists who proclaim it. Just today I deleted two comments that vehemently denied the rapture in capital letters and a plethora of exclamation marks, but didn’t use a single bible verse to support their opinion. For many, Christians included, the rapture is going to be a huge surprise. I pray that for many of them, it is a happy surprise, and not one for whom will be left pleading with the Lord, saying-

‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'” And they will hear the devastating reply from the One True God,

“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Mt 7:22b)

Not that denying the rapture is a method of detecting salvation, it isn’t, but here is the iron clad promise from the Lord:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Mt 7:21

The supernatural Hand of God seems to be temporarily staying the economic crash and the beginning of wars, among other things. I think it will be the rapture that breaks the dam. The Restrainer will be removed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7), the economy will collapse, at least in some form before returning to capitalism depicted in Revelation 18, and sin will explode. I pray you are among those who are called by the Lord as blessed part of the Bride, and not a mocker or scoffer pleading with the Lord later for permission to enter the Kingdom.
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Prayer is a privilege and a responsibility for every Christian. Why? It is the way Jesus taught us to communicate with Him.

Rather than the wrathful gods of the Aztec era of human sacrifice, or the ancient Middle East where child sacrifice was demanded, or the Muslim god who is demanding but mercurial and untrustworthy, the One True God creates us to have a love relationship with Him. He wants to redeem us from our sinful state to dwell with Him in heaven. His Holy Word tells us who He is and how to love Him back, and His promises never fold.

In His book, He explains how to communicate with Him. Unlike the gods of old, all other gods as a matter of fact, we can speak with Him at any time. He has told us He listens. From Genesis to Isaiah to Philippians, we’re told to pray to God.

“And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 12:8)

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)

So what IS prayer, exactly? Why do we pray? How do we pray?

As Christian Research and Apologetics Ministry (CARM) explains, “Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. It is the place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made. Prayer is the place of admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming dependence upon God. Prayer is the needful practice of the Christian. Prayer is the exercise of faith and hope. Prayer is the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the Son of God, Jesus our Lord.”

Why pray? “For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in the Father’s will, how much more do we need to pray?”

He has made Himself known in three Persons, God, Jesus the son, and Holy Spirit. We can pray to all three or to one or to two. He is all the same. Any or all are appropriate to pray to. However, the Triune God is the ONLY appropriate person to pray to. The first Commandment says that He is the one true God and we shall have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:2-3). We do not pray to angels. (Rev 22:8-9).  We do not pray to saints such as the Catholic Church venerates. (1 Tim 2:5) We do not pray to Mary the mother of Jesus. (Luke 11:27-28). We do not pray to the dead, whose final condition is fixed. (Luke 16:19-31; Hebrews 9:27).

How, then, shall we pray? Jesus answered this exact question in Matthew 6:9-13.

“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]”

It is not to say that unconscious repetition of this exact phraseology is the way to pray. Jesus pray ‘in this way‘. He began with a statement to whom He was addressing. He led with a praise. It is always proper to praise the Lord at any time but especially in prayer because it sets our heart condition rightly and reminds us of our position. His Kingdom and His will are tantamount to any Godly life and in any prayer because when we pray knowing it is His will we are appealing to and reminding ourselves He is sovereign. This reminder helps us when the prayers are answered in a way we do not expect or in a timing we are uncomfortable with.

Give us this day our bread is a statement from Jesus telling us it is all right to ask for things to sustain us while we are living on earth. (Matthew 6:32-33). But you notice the prayer doesn’t say pray in a way where you ask for surplus, He is asking for daily bread. Not weekly bread. The manna that was given to the Hebrews in the desert was given daily. Asking for daily bread helps us not become greedy hoarders, and it also is a way for the Lord to bless us daily!

Asking the Lord to forgive our sins is a way to remind us that before any prayer can be answered we need to ensure we are on the right side of God and not accumulating sins, and also that if we forgive others we are also on the right side of God. (Mt 6:14-15; Mark 11:25). Why should He bless a bitter heart? He will not. (1 John 2:9).

“Lead us not into temptation” must be understood correctly. Barnes Notes: “God tempts no man. See James 1:13. This phrase, then, must be used in the sense of “permitting.” Do not “suffer” us, or “permit” us, to be tempted to sin. In this it is implied that God has such control over the tempter as to save us from his power if we call upon him.”

 So don’t mindlessly repeat Jesus’ prayer exactly but let the power behind the concepts conform your heart to your own words. Know to Whom you are praying. Praise Him. Understand you position before Him as penitent, His kingdom within you and also your external destination someday. Ask for what earthly provision you need in humility, trusting Him to answer in faith.  Ask for unearthly provision such as release from temptation or protection from temptation.

If you are new to prayer, don’t worry about fancy words or proper phrases. That is the utter beauty of our God. He hears the heart cry, understands the motivation behind what we are asking. He listens to all words fancy or not, as long as they are sincere. Don’t worry, just pray! It is a way to talk with Him. He doesn’t change by your prayer, but you are changed by praying. So don’t put it off another minute!
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I ran across two news articles this week that used a new term to me: “urban foraging.” Let’s take a look at what they are talking about.

Steal this Continental breakfast: The Urban Forager’s Guide, Vol. 1

“Times are tough, so many people are searching for hotels with free continental breakfasts.Problem is, some of those eating aren’t guests, says Hampton Inn manager front desk clerk Alfonso Tobenas. That’s right. Folks walk into tourist hotels and pose as guests to gain access to morning chow. Who would do such a thing? Lots of people, according to local hotel insiders. “It is what it is, bro, times are tough and they’re hungry,” Tobenas says. “They’re just trying to beat the system and save a buck. The first time you’re going to get away with it, the second and third time I’m going to ask you to leave. Tobenas says some people even regularly rotate hotels for their free breakfasts, but he recognizes their faces after a while. When he spots them, he lets them eat free-of-charge so they let their guard down. Then he confronts them and asks for their room number. At that moment, they realize they’ve been found out and generally leave without incident.”

Hey! Urban Foraging is like, so five minutes ago. Now it’s CREATIVE Urban Foraging

Woman Uses Dating Site to Get Free Meals
“A New York woman is being scrutinized and praised after people learned that she used a dating website to procure $1,200 a month in free meals. According to Business Insider, 23-year-old Jessica Sporty was deep in debt. Sporty found it difficult to live on her $45,000 annual salary after spending nearly $1,500 a month in rent, paying her credit card bill, and buying food. So she signed up for Match.com and was quickly going on five dates a week. Sporty even created a spreadsheet with detailed information on each of her dates, limiting each guy to a maximum of five. Sporty was taken to high-end New York restaurants, and one of her dates even bought her a $200 bottle of champagne.”

The dishonest woman was praised? In the first article, it went on to give tips for how to better scavenge for food at some of the smaller hotels, actually giving tips on how to steal the breakfast more efficiently. In the title to the essay I put ‘survival’ in quotes because the woman had an income of $45,000/year, a roof over her head and clothes to wear. Therefore her stealing isn’t a means survival but simply a sinful way to satisfy her own desires for fancy food.

Back in the 80s it was called dumpster diving but Urban Foraging has a gentrified ring to it and that is the term being used now. But there is a difference between the 80s and 90s dumpster diving and today’s urban foraging. Back in the day, dumpster divers did so usually because they were making a behavioral statement that our consumer culture threw out too many goods that were usable, even food. They “dove” to retrieve what was good but destined for the landfill and considered themselves part of a Green Movement. Even the impoverished who dove to either supplement their home or to survive, stayed within ethical boundaries.

In that time, dumpster divers used to scavenge for what was obviously thrown out. Today’s urban foragers steal. However, the shocking thing about both those articles is the response: praise and kudos for the thieves.

Isaiah 5:20 says “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” As the Geneva Bible Study guide succinctly puts it, Woe to those “Who are not ashamed of sin, nor care for honesty but are grown to a desperate impiety.” They prefer their own reasons to Godly commands. For those who are lost to God by reason of their rebellion and rejection of Jesus, this behavior is to be expected, sadly. Paul wrote;

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

But hopefully the people acting this way are not Christians, because we are called to be holy and act righteously. Peter wrote,

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)
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