While out running errands one gloomy winter afternoon, my wife and I pulled into the drive through and spotted a hummingbird sipping nectar from a feeder hung above the porch. Surprised by the sight, I asked the barista about it and was told the Anna’s hummingbird winters over here on the Olympic peninsula. Once home we found an old feeder mom had and made a batch of nectar to hang in front of the picture window. For several months, there was one hummingbird who visited throughout the day and a single batch of nectar seemed to last indefinitely; that is, until the local hummingbird experts scolded us for not cleaning the feeder and changing nectar regularly.

Hoping to attract more hummingbirds in late spring, we added 2 more feeders and within days, our little outdoor bistro was “discovered”. Turns out that there are two types of hummingbirds here, iridescent green and red Anna’s, which winter over, and the smaller orange and brown Rufous, which migrate. Daily my wife, our cat Tigger and I, are dazzled by their amazing displays of aerial acrobatics the likes of which any “Top Gun” can only dream.

When I was young in the faith; and by that I mean stupidly immature, my approach to God’s Word was like that of an attorney who pours over the fine print of a contract to identify beneficial provisions and hold God’s feet to the fire to fulfill every last one of them for me. In so doing, I was trying to use God in a selfish and manipulative way to do what I wanted. Never did I pause to think about the inference of what I was doing, using scripture to back God into a corner so He had to do what He said He would do, as if God were a liar or swindler. Yeesh!

And yet, I’ve seen churches and individuals do that very thing, forever. For example, Matthew 18:20 in the Contemporary English Version says:

Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.

That wording seems to beg the question can any 2 believers decide to get together, invoke “Jesus name” and thereby compel Him to join them?

It was a real blessing to take part in a traditional Jewish Seder meal and listen to the Messianic Jewish host explain the meaning and significance of each element of the meal. When we were finished, the host encouraged all the Christian participants to observe the traditional Jewish Sabbath. It was a moving experience and launched me into prayerful study to determine how my wife and I should approach the Sabbath. In the end, neither my wife nor I felt led to observe it on a weekly basis as do the Jews. Speaking for myself, I felt that way long before ever attending the Seder meal. What the study did do for me was to show me why I feel the way I do about traditional Sabbath observance. Such is not unusual, for simple discernment often precedes deeper understanding.

Controversial as the subject is and having had my fill of so many self-appointed defenders of man’s religious kingdom who are threatened by the many tithe articles the Father led me to write, I never figured to write anything about the Sabbath. That is until recently when I heard a man argue for keeping the 4th commandment with the following twisted logic: “I recently informed my wife that I will begin sleeping with other women because of this new found freedom (that) I have in Christ to disregard the 7th commandment which says ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’.” The man’s inference being IF in Christ the 4th commandment concerning the Sabbath no longer applies, then neither does the 7th commandment concerning Adultery. I hope dear friends, that you find the man’s crass and manipulative analogy as nauseating as I do.

Reading from Matthew 25:31-40 it says: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. (32) Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33) And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. (34) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (35) For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, (36) I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ (37) Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? (38) And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? (39) And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ (40) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Did you notice that there are 3 groups of people in that story: “sheep”, “goats”, and “my brothers.” All too often when people read that passage, they see only 2 of the 3 groups, “sheep” and “goats”. When interpreting it, readers tend to assume that the “sheep” and “my brothers” are one in the same. If that’s correct, then for all practical purposes Jesus is commending the “sheep” for serving themselves, feeding themselves, clothing themselves, visiting themselves, etc. In what seems to me like a serious contradiction, Jesus condemns the “goats” for serving themselves. Thus the only difference between the sheep and goats is that the sheep served themselves in community, whereas the goats served themselves selfishly. For that reason, together with a closer look at the original Greek language, I reject the 2 group view of the sheep and goats story.

1988 was the first time I lost 100 pounds. I’d dieted before and lost as much as 40 pounds but this was the big one; the diet to end all diets. Reaching my ideal goal weight according to a medically accepted height to weight table, took 10 months on a pre-packaged meal plan with rigorous daily exercise. Naturally, when I reached my goal weight, friends and family were thrilled and wanted to celebrate my success with a festive meal. Here and there I slipped a bit, all the while reassuring myself I could balance out the pounds gained by cutting back “next week”. But next week never came.

A year later, I had regained all the weight and then some. Compliments ceased and my self-esteem nose-dived. When finally I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I hoped it would be the solution to my obesity. Sadly, the pounds so easily gained with a slow metabolism, didn’t come off when I began taking Synthroid. At least I had more energy and my frequent bouts with lightheadedness subsided, caused by very low blood pressure and a slow heart rate. Still it saddens me that 5 or 6 doctors over as many years didn’t suspect thyroid problems in a chronically dizzy and exhausted fat man with the resting heart rate of a marathon runner.

There is a notion among many believers that we must all walk arm-in-arm, agreeing on all things together, while making our way to the kingdom. Church sign boards and Sunday morning bulletins often boast slogans such as “come, let us grow together” or “come let us worship together”. Proponents of line-dancing our way into the kingdom often cite a scripture in support of that notion:

Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3 MKJV)

The way I’ve come to see it, two people walking together really only need to agree on which path to take, how fast to walk, when and how long to stop and rest. There is no need to agree with everything another person believes in order to walk together for a time. There can be agreement in simply taking time to marvel at the beauty of God’s creation while walking and talking together.

There’s a joke about an elderly woman who when her young doctor suggested she get hearing aids replied “thanks sonny, but I’ve heard enough”. How true is that today? Hearing enough, I mean? While I’m not yet deaf, I have a similar reaction to the cacophony of self-appointed prophets whose many contradictory dreams and visions have led to much confusion and division among believers. Why it’s enough to make me thankful for tinnitus and the need for peace and quiet to manage my condition.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the clamor of so-called prophetic warnings; young and old sharing dreams and visions within hours of having them. Never questioning whether they’re intended only as a personal teaching dream. That Jesus who taught by parable might continue teaching us through symbolic dreams and visions intended only for the person He gave it to? Nah! Dreams and visions are to be shouted from the rooftop for everyone to hear and apply, for the church and the whole world. Fledgling prophets and prophetic ministries springing up over night complete with web pages, Spew Tube channels and even donation portals to support their groaning (er, I mean growing) prophetic ministry! It’s a chaotic whirlwind of disparate dreams and visions out there. So what’s a believer to make of it all?

It was deeply unsettling when I first began to hear the Father’s call to come out of man’s religious system – a system I was deeply devoted to – a system I’d ministered within for many years as a performing songwriter. That same year I first heard Him call me, Warner Brothers released “The Matrix” which inspired a lot of discussion on a forum I frequented called “New Wineskins”. Thereafter members often talked about being “red-pilled” by the Holy Spirit concerning the churches they attended and how having their eyes opened, couldn’t remain and left to join Jesus “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:13).

My own experience I likened to Jesus healing the blind man by rubbing mud in his eyes and instructing him to wash. Metaphorically, it’s like forcing someone to look at the filth of this world together with the word of God. Death and life – filth and truth – side by side – mixture – until finally comes the day we see the difference and cry out “Give me Jesus! Give me Truth!”