Scripture

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

~Matthew 6:34, KJ21

Quote

Fix your focus on Jesus–His character, ability and love–rather than on your circumstances.

~Charles Stanley

Matthew chapter six came up in two of my devotions and so I read the entire chapter in the Weymouth translation {1902}. One thing lead to another and I found myself studying the chapter. Interestingly, the KJV is the only translation I could find that translates the Greek word kakia as evil. Practically all translation use the word trouble. I am not a scholar so I do not know why modern translations use the word trouble because kakia can mean: malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure, evil or trouble. The Greek word most often used of evil is ponēros which means hurtful, malicious, harmful, degenerate or wicked. So upon my first reading of Oswald Chambers commentary on Matthew 6:34, I thought he had taken the scripture out of its context but now I am not so sure. One way or the other, the truth that is implied is clear. Evil is a painful annoyance that can cause us constant stress. It takes absolutely no faith to see that evil has a huge influence on the world we live in, but both Chambers and Stanley make the same point–We cannot and must not focus on evil. To solve a problem, you don’t focus on the problem–you focus on the solution.

Some one asks me a couple of weeks ago why I write blogs. I have only 30–60 readers so why spend all this time composing a blog? First, it is a personal discipline that enables me share the gospel daily. Secondly, I love the few folks that read it and I would write it if it encouraged only one of my friends. Third: I am writing to myself; just like I preach to myself. You may not be tempted to focus on evil but I am. I have a new sign in front of my office and it covers the old sign {Trump}. The new sign is a pastoral picture of a sunrise with the letters–JESUS IS…across the picture.

Let me illustrate my point: The Jews considered the Romans evil. The Romans under Titus destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. They supposedly put an end to the Jewish nation. To commemorate the destruction of the despised Jewish nation, the Romans erected a huge arch called the arch of Titus. The art work engraved on the underside of the arch depicts the Romans carrying off the furnishings of the temple including the Menorah {golden candlestick}. So for 400 years the Romans reveled in the fact that they had destroyed forever the despicable Jewish nation. Well you know history as well as I do, the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. Some 1,472 years later, the Jewish nation was miraculously revived. The moral of the story: God not only causes His purposes to come to pass, but He will even use that which is against His purposes to accomplish His purposes. He not only overcomes evil; He overcomes evil by using evil. He had he marvelous ability to bring good out of evil. It is the Ro-828 principle. He can make all things work together to accomplish good.

This does not mean that we are to be indifferent toward evil like the Calvinist who mock us for our righteous indignation and concern about politics. It simply means we are not to focus on evil. The Jewish nation, due to their rebellion and sin, was dormant for 1,878 years. This is 94 generations and we seldom see more than five generation at one time. Do I know that things will work out eventually? Yes, in the end–Jesus wins! But am concerned about the next three or four generations: my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren? To quote Luther Roberts, “You better believe it.” How can I not be concerned about the world that Jackson and John Titon will grow up in? This is why these passive Calvinist make me want to crochet barbed wire. There is such a thing as repentance, prayer and revival. Read the book of Jonah. The revival in Nineveh saved five generations. I’d take one of those revivals, wouldn’t you.

Extra

Sorry, this blog is a little long and I still have more to say on the subject. One of the characteristics of evil is that it is hurtful and harmful. This means that we can be involved in evil when we hurt and harm another person. It is something to think about.

I tried to run the pics of Winston: Dewayne and Carol’s Poodle but my computer went haywire. I got it all set up but it would not post. I went to this blog and I don’t know if it work either but here goes..let try the second picture…Daddy is Home…