Hi all,
Have you ever heard about something or someone and wondered, "Where is the fear of God?" Me too.
 
Peel back the layers
I have to peel back the layers to get to root causes and foundations before I feel I understand something to any degree, so I've worked backwards peeling away historical and cultural layers until I arrived at how the Jews were regarded by gentiles in ancient times.
 
History reveals that Jews were respected among the Greeks and Romans in many ways, and almost any level of gentile society could admire one or more characteristics of Jewish culture. Among the religious, the Jews were respected because they had real faith and only 1 god (God) with well defined rules for serving Him, unlike the gentiles whose various gods and goddess had ever changing rules and regulations.
 
Jews were true believers, while gentiles were all about the show of religious exercise. This is one reason scriptures mention so many Roman and Greek converts to Judaism who were just part of Jewish culture in the gospels and Acts - many gentiles admired the Jews so much they converted to Judaism.
 
Among the intellectuals the Jews had sacred texts revered to such an extent they would not even use vowels concerning the writing of the name of  G-d, which is where we get YHWH for instance, with scholars guessing it may have been Yahweh/Jehovah (Hebrew/Greek), but no one really knows for sure because they never used vowels in His name for fear of violating the 'no vain use of my name' law!
 
Their sacred writings gave them morals, a world view that made sense to gentiles, and a whole day every week set aside for worship, family, and personal reflection, which gentile gods did not offer nor require.
 
In day to day living
They were also faithful husbands and wives with strong families and family connections even when those children became adults, whereas the gentile familes were often what we might call today, dysfunctional, and included sex (often bi-sexual) with temple/cult prostitutes during each offering, with mistresses and affairs just part of life. 
 
Jews were also known as honest businessmen and women, people of their word and to be trusted with money, who would never lie, steal, or cheat anyone lest they break one of their commandments. In part, that is how so many became bankers in the ancient world - they were the only ones gentiles could trust with their money.
 
And because living generously was woven throughout their law, unlike the gentiles who were focused on self and personal freedoms with no social obligation taught by their gods and goddesses, the Jews were family and community oriented and opened centers giving aid to the poor, the sick, widows and orphans, bettering any neighborhood, community, and city in which they dwelled - thus they were widely admired.
 
Here is where it was lost
After Acts 11:26 when gentile believers started being recognized as separate from the Jewish religion and called Christians, the letters (especially) of Paul, Peter, and James included teachings and exhortations for these gentiles to forsake former pagan ways and rise up to the morality, integrity, and lifestyle the Jewish population had largely walked in for centuries - with varying degrees of success. 
 
If you look for these things as you read letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, and from James and Peter, as well as the 7 messages to the churches in The Revelation, you'll find many exhortations not to live in the flesh as in their former lives, but in honesty, morality, and integrity with a sense of community and family. The Jews came by these positive traits as a matter of the Law of Moses in their culture, but many gentiles had to learn about morals, integrity, and ethics for the first time when they came to Christ.
 
Sacred defined: Connected to and related to God and dedicated for His purpose
The summary of what I'm talking about can be found in one word: Sacred. The gentiles had to have the word sacred defined for them, and then be shown how to live sacred lives, and those teachings are woven throughout the letters of the New Testament.
 
In the temples of gods and goddesses, the sacred was related only to things directly involved with a sacrifice or temple. With the God of Israel the sacred was well defined, starting with all human life, then extending outward to the natural world, all of which they recognized as God's and therefore humans are merely stewards of God's creation.
 
Paul had to teach formerly pagan Romans in chapter 1 and 8:19-23 God created all of nature and will deliver even nature from the curse of sin. No pagan religion taught that. He told the Corinthians in his first letter, 6:15-20 that being joined to a (temple) prostitute made them one with that prostitute, but in fact we are one spirit/Spirit with God in Christ, making us one with Him. No pagan god or goddess taught that. Think about that - a whole people who had no knowledge of that in Christ they were set aside for God - sacred.
 
To the Galatians he defined in 5:16-25 very clearly the actions of the flesh and the fruit of the (born again) spirit. He told them to walk in the spirit/Spirit so as not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. That was all new to them, the idea they were set aside for God's use - they were sacred beings. No god or goddess had ever elevated them to such a degree as God had through His Son Jesus, making them His very own children.
 
The Ephesians in 4:17-32 had to be taught not to sleep around as they had in the past, and not to lie, steal, and curse. They had to be told to get a job instead of stealing so they would have money to give to those in need. No god or goddess had ever taught that, and it was all based on the understanding human life is sacred therefore walking in love and caring is required, and there will be a final accounting 1 to 1 before God.
 
They had to be told they are holy and must apply themselves to growing in Christ, for he said in Ephesians
2:12-22 they are now joined to God along with believing Jews through faith in Christ, and are being built up together as living temples individually, and in a larger sense as a whole body, a single temple God fills.
 
No one had ever told them they were sacred. No god or pagan religion would ever suggest mankind was anything more than a plaything for sadistic gods to toy with as a cat might toy with a mouse.
 
The ancient Jews had a deep sense of the sacred, which made them distinct among the gentiles. 
 
When a gentile person comes to Christ today
Human nature hasn't changed, and gentiles (non-Jews) who come to the Lord who weren't raised with a sense of the sacred and respect for God, have to learn it - with varying degrees of success.
 
Today, instead of being like the ancient Jews among gentiles who were known for their integrity, moral uprightness, strong families and honest business dealings, Christians are viewed as irrelevant objects of laughter and derision, and dishonest in business, no different than any other unbeliever. Why is that?
 
To have the fear of God you have to first have an understanding of the sacred, and to have an understanding of the sacred you must first have something else...
 
And that leads me to next week: The foundation required for a person to have a true and accurate understanding of the concept of 'sacred', which has been largely lost in the body of Christ.
 
Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
 

Hi all,
My grandfather on my dad's side was about 6' 3" (1.9m) - which is where I get my height. He was a State Representative, business owner, and while most people knew him as one or both of those, I only knew him as my grandfather who had amazing woodworking talents.
 
When I was a teenager I was at a store, and the clerk at the register, an older woman, recognized my family name. She said she knew my grandfather and she told me about him as a State Representative; "When a person saw your grandfather walking down the street, he had such a look about him you knew you could trust him and whatever he was working on in the Legislature would be good for us and our community."
 
Why she felt that way I don't know, but her statement was a window into another part of him I hadn't known. I remember a toy chest he made for me, of wood and painted metal, made to look like a pirate's treasure chest with a painting of pirate Long John Silver on the top - my name being John. It was amazing, and I wish I had valued it enough to have that chest today. My grandfather died unexpectedly when I was 7 1/2, and though he lived about 60 years, I only have memories of him during maybe 2 years of my young life. 
 
What God told Isaac
We know Abraham because of several chapters in Genesis and references to him in the New Testament. Abraham lived 175 years, but most of what we know are brief events that happened to him between age 75 and 100. We think we know him based on those slivers of information, but Abraham holds another distinction that gives us insight into how the Lord viewed him that hints at a far greater relationship with God:
 
He is the only person of the Old Testament called 'the friend of God'. (Isaiah 41:8, where God directly calls him 'my friend', and James 2:23 where he quotes Isaiah) Let that sink in for a moment. Neither Adam, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Elijah or any other are called God's friend. Only Abraham. They had something special and the brief view in Genesis of their relationship doesn't tell the whole story. 
 
We get a deeper glimpse about their friendship because the Lord does something He doesn't do with anyone else in the Old Testament - He tells Abraham's son about the traits of his father that He liked about him.
 
Even when the Lord appears to Solomon twice, in I Kings 3:3-15 and 9:1-9, He only mentions Solomon's father David in 9:4, stating he walked in uprightness and integrity of heart. For no other man nor woman did the Lord talk to their child about what a great person their dad was - only to Isaac about Abraham.
 
Genesis 26:5 (to Isaac)
"Because Abraham obeyed my voice, kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."
 
A definition of 'friend' is: Mutual affection between 2 people, a person one knows, likes, and trusts.  Friendship is heart to heart, not performance based. Abraham was God's friend. Wow.
 
Most Christians know God based on 2 of the 5 words I've underlined above: The first mentioned is voice, the word used here means 'to call aloud', and the last mentioned is 'laws', which is torah, or 'the word'.
 
Upon these 2 things most Christian's lives depend - they want to hear God's voice and know His word. But there are 3 other things the Lord mentions which are the qualities of friendship. If all you know of God is the voice and word, you are like me knowing only a small part of my grandfather and his life. But Abraham knew God beyond just voice and word - they were friends.
 
In the middle of this sandwich where the Lord starts with voice and ends with His word, we have the meat of the relationship: Charge, commandments, and statutes.
 
Charge - mishmereth - to watch, stand as a sentry, observe. To watch out for each other.
Commandments - mitsvah - command. The root word is personal; to appoint, to join. Purposefully joined.
Statutes - chuqqah - keep an appointment, to know one's mannerisms.
 
Look at these 5 elements of a friendship in the order the Lord listed them to Isaac: Abraham obeyed when I called him, he acted as a sentry for things that pertain to Me, he received my appointments by joining Me, he kept our appointments and knew my manners, and obeyed my word to him.
 
That sounds like a friendship - friends know each other's voice, they make appointments with one another, they protect and watch out for each other, each knows the mannerisms of the other, and they keep their word with one another.
 
Jesus is looking for friends
Knowing that first century Jews knew full and well that God called Abraham His friend in Isaiah 41:8, and with the disciples certainly knowing Jesus was God's Son whom they had lived with for over 3 years, when Jesus said during the Last Supper in John 15:15: "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what the Master is doing. But I call you friends, because everything I've heard from my Father, I've made known to you."
 
When I read that verse I see the same qualities of a group of men hanging out with God in the flesh for years, who became friends with the Lord, as I do in Abraham and the Lord's friendship.
 
If you asked Average Christian what would make a person a friend of God, they would probably say go to church a lot, or pray a lot - performance based - doing something they think God wants and is pleased with.
 
But Jesus, having lived with these men for over 3 years, men who obeyed His voice, who learned and hung on His every word, lived those middle 3 things that God had with Abraham - they joined themselves to the life of Jesus, stood sentry and observed Him in all things, knew His mannerisms, voice, and word.
 
Children and friends
As Jesus called the disciples His friends before the cross in John 15:15, after the cross the New Testament also calls us the children of God. No longer servants, we are children of God, and can enter into an adult relationship with God as friends.
 
We can be God's friend, but it is more than merely hearing His voice and keeping His word. It involves those middle 3 parts of the sandwich; Think of the Father as a friend and treat Him like one, and He will respond.
 
Just talk to Him, invite Him to be involved in your routine - look for things to be thankful for - something in nature a few times a day, good timing during your day, and the opportunity to grow when difficulties arise. Always make everything an opportunity to turn your thoughts to Him and ask His opinion, ask His thoughts on a matter, or a quick word of thanks when you see grace in your life. Being a friend of God; there is nothing like it in this world!
 
Just some random thoughts...being a friend of God.
Until next week,
Blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
The argument world-wide for abortion is 'a woman's right to choose', and the argument against it is 'It's a life'. Both sides are right - a woman has a right to choose what to do with her own body, and it is a human being growing in her womb. But neither of these arguments go to a deeper wisdom which all nations and people recognize as true, making the above arguments lesser truths, and not the real issue. Let us look beyond these peripheral arguments to the deeper wisdom...
 
Let's start here...animals and humans
A man in Texas shot and killed a deer out of season, in English, poaching, which carries a heavy fine and possible prison term. Initially he was charged with a single count of poaching, but when the dead doe was examined it was discovered she carried twins, so the charge was changed to 3 counts of poaching.
 
A woman's home in Fort Myers, Florida was raided by officers and animal control because she had nearly 100 cats in the home and the smell had reached the neighbors. Some cats were unhealthy, malnourished, and in an unsanitary environment not fit for the woman, her teenage daughter, nor the cats. The woman was charged with animal cruelty, abuse, neglect, and was handed over to mental health professionals for evaluation and counseling.
 
A man in Colorado regularly beat his chained up dog with a stick in the evening after he got home from work, taking out frustrations with a job he hated it was later revealed, on his dog. The neighbors could hear him yelling and could hear the dog's cries with each thud of the stick. He was charged with cruelty to animals and other charges.
 
A babysitter of a toddler had several charges filed against her after she decided to invite friends over to the house and party rather than watch the child, who wandered out the front door, into nearby woods, and was eventually found dead from exposure to the elements a couple of days later.
 
A school teacher entered into a sexual relationship with 1 of her male students, and was fired from her job and charged with various charges, convicted, and sent to prison for at least 10 years.
 
The topic of abortion
All these cases ripped from America's headlines have a common thread that runs through them: Adult human beings are expected to have a sense of responsibility and live with the responsibility to care for, protect, and nurture lesser animals, and care for younger human beings in their charge. In other words, stewardship, which can be defined as: "The careful and responsible management of something or someone entrusted to one's care." Each person above had a free will to do what they did, but in doing so violated a deeper law which is stewardship.
 
This is the deeper wisdom - being a human being, the highest form of life on the planet, carries with it a responsibility to properly manage animals and human beings with lesser maturity or ability as compared to a healthy adult in their care - whether that be and animal, a child, handicapped person, or the sick and injured.
 
Whether unbelievers acknowledge scripture or not, the first instruction given by the Lord to Adam had to do with being a steward over the whole planet, plants and animals included. Once that Prime Directive was given, all the animals and birds were brought by Adam to see what he would name them. Jewish writings and tradition state that Adam had all knowledge of the natural world and passed that on to Seth and Enoch. (Genesis 1:26-31, 2: 19-20, Josephus, etc)
 
This inborn sense of stewardship is recognized across nations, across cultures. But God took a risk when He delegated the care of the planet to man - a steward has the freedom to abuse the responsibility given.
 
The difference between a right and ability
A father loans his car to his teenage son, and the son burns thousands of miles/kilometers of rubber off the tires showing off for his friends, who spill food and drink inside the car - that is abuse of stewardship.
 
A man loans his lawn mower to a friend, and the friend returns a beaten up, dirty mower that needs repair - that is abuse of stewardship.
 
A man poaches a pregnant deer - abuse of stewardship.
A woman gathers cats beyond her ability to care for them - abuse of stewardship.
A man beats his dog due to frustrations at his work - abuse of stewardship.
A babysitter distracted with a party causing a child's death - abuse of stewardship.
A teacher entering into a sexual relationship with a student - abuse of stewardship.
 
Each person has the free-will ability to abuse their stewardship, but they do not have the right to do so. That is because stewardship is recognized as a deeper truth than a person's right to abuse that stewardship. To say it another way, the deeper truth of stewardship takes away one's right to act independently of that responsibility.
 
For instance - a Trustee watching over an old man's estate as the man declines in the ability to handle his own finances, has the responsibility to be a good steward and with that responsibility of stewardship comes the understanding he has no right to use that money for himself. Stewardship takes away one's right to act on one's own. But it doesn't change the free will ability of the person to abuse their stewardship.
 
How does God view an unborn baby?
Let me set the stage: In Exodus 21:22-25 God is explaining His laws, so He is giving a hypothetical situation about 2 men fighting, and a pregnant woman witnessing the fight becomes injured as a by-stander:
 
"If men fight and hurt a woman with child to the extent she has a miscarriage, and yet there was no attempted rape or assault, he will certainly be punished according to what charges the woman's husband wants to press and what the judges shall determine. However, if it was an attempted rape or assault then he will give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth..."
 
In our terms this is the difference between an accident that results in a death, accidental manslaughter, which in this case carries a fine and/or other punishment, and the murder of the unborn child if that mother miscarried as a result of being physically and sexually attacked.
 
Free will is a two-edge sword
Free will always have consequences, some intended, some unintended. Thus free will was designed to function with constraints - a hunter has the free will to hunt, but with constraints outlined by a hunting season. To elevate one's free will above the responsibilities of stewardship can land the hunter in prison.
 
A woman has the free will to do what she wishes with her body, including at least in much of the west, to forfeit rightful stewardship of the amazing gift of a child growing within her, but there are consequences.
 
It does no good to tell an unbeliever this scripture for they don't recognize God's authority, so the arguments swirl around lesser truths - a woman's right to determine what she does with her body, and it is a baby in her womb - but neither of these are deep arguments. Neither addresses the deeper truth that we are stewards of the planet, stewards of lesser forms of life, stewards of our own bodies. A person has the ability to be a good steward, or abuse that stewardship of that which is in their charge.
 
When a society and culture reject their responsibility of personal stewardship we end up with laws that protect unborn deer yet legalize the murder of unborn children.
 
New subject next week, as I said, random thoughts submitted for your consideration...until then, blessings!
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
 
 

Hi all,
Last week I shared (just) the financial elements of the Parable of the Talents, which Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like."
 
He outlined a boss having a multi-faceted business with employees of varying degrees of ability, expecting them to show up for work and work according to their potential: Take risk for the chance of greater reward, work hard with integrity and accountability, or get fired. The 1 wicked and lazy employee suffered the consequences of his attitude that thought evil of his boss, and ended up in poverty and anguish. For whatever evil he thought of his boss, it clearly wasn't the truth as seen in the fair and honorable way the boss treated the other 2 - showing how some always blame others, and attitude determines altitude.
 
The Parable of the Talents, at least the money part, is capitalist - a privately held business in business for the purpose of making money that stayed in private control, with the rewards going to the most industrious risk takers. That it made sense to the original first century Jewish audience confirms Jewish culture as given by God and shared last week, was largely capitalist - which gives us a view into the Millennial age and how the earth will be governed. But then again...
 
Capitalism with limits - national debt cancellation
"At the end of every 7 years you must cancel all debts. This is how it is done: Every creditor that has loaned money to any Israelite shall cancel the debt. Of a foreigner you may continue to collect, but not of an Israelite for it is the Lord's release." Deuteronomy 15:1-3
 
Accordingly, properties which had a mortgage were valued at a prorated amount according to the time left to the 7th year: "When the years are many until the year of release, you increase the price. When the years are few, you decrease the price because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of one another, but fear your God."  Leviticus 25:15-17
 
And when it came to the Year of Jubilee, which came every 50 years, all property returned to its original family: "Count off 7 years of Years of Release (49 years), and on every 50th year you will return property to each original family...." Leviticus 25: 7-17.
 
Here we see capitalism with limits
By canceling debts every 7 years and in the 50th year also requiring giving back real estate to the original families that owned it before, God put limits on how much wealth 1 person and 1 family could accumulate.
 
There would be those more skilled in business and would gain wealth in each 7 year cycle, and those with less skill who wouldn't increase as much, as seen in the Parable of the Talents. There would have been those who had saved cash during those 7 and 50 year cycles and could pass that down, and there would be those who never saved cash. As Jesus observed, there were still poor people. (Matthew 26:11)
 
His ingenuous system of putting limits to capitalism caused the standard of living for every Israelite to increase in comparison to the surrounding nations - they could still charge interest on long term loans to Gentiles, thus wealth was transferred into Israel from those not in covenant with God to those in covenant with God. The wealth of the wicked was transferred through business transactions and interest paid.
 
(This is why it can sometimes be God's will for a person to file for bankruptcy under one or more of the provisions in the laws for such cases. God invented the idea and wrote it into Israeli federal law.)
 
Think of the world's richest people and every bank. What if nation-wide, all debts were canceled? Every home mortgage, every car loan, every credit card? Further, what if the home you grew up in but was sold nearly 50 years ago, would come back into your family in another 10 years? You would have the option of selling it (again) to who lives there now, or you could receive it back. What an amazing system for limiting personal wealth, and building into a nation automatic buying and selling and the giving and receiving of loans, always generating new deals, new fees, new mortgages every 7 and 50 years. Capitalism with limits.
 
What about the New Testament and their giving to one another?
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. No one claimed any of their possessions was their own, but they shared all they had...Neither was there any among them that suffered lack, for from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, and brought the money from the sales to the apostles for distribution to those in need." Acts 4:32, 34
 
Lest we incorrectly interpret that as if they lived in a giant commune, we understand the individual freedom in their giving, for Peter said to Ananias: "...While you owned the land didn't it belong to you to do with as you pleased? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal to do with as you pleased?" Acts 5:4
 
And Acts 2:46: "...they went from house to house breaking bread in gladness and with singleness of heart." This shows they kept their own homes, though some sold extra properties as seen above.
 
Acts says 'no one claimed any of their possessions was their own', meaning they were such huge givers they were all willing to give anything they had to a neighbor in need - it didn't say their possessions weren't their own, it says they didn't claim anything as their own. Big difference. I can think of many people today who have that same generosity in their heart as proven by their generosity as a way of life.
 
That rules out communism in the early church - communism is when the state owns everything and distributes to all as needed. It is capitalism with all the Jewish context seen above and last week, but glued together by a lifestyle of love that prompted a lifestyle of giving. The body cared for the body.
 
This is why Paul wrote: "Work that you may have something to give to others."and "Let those rich in this world be givers, and always ready to give to those in need." Ephesians 4:28 & I Timothy 6:17-19
 
Furthermore, the priority was to make sure all needs are met in the body of Christ first, and then after believers have their needs met, outward to the unsaved: "As we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, but especially to the household of God."  Galatians 6:10
 
Our responsibility to care for one another, not government
Money is here on the earth and the responsibility for how we use it is ours alone, as seen in the 10 Commandments and the Parable of the Talents. God isn't your business partner, and any leading or direction He gives will follow these outlined principles of risk/reward, integrity and accountability.
 
Therefore it is the same for having a giving heart - Christ is in you so it is up to you and Him to decide: "Let each person lay aside something for giving according to how God blessed him that week." Christ is in you, get with Him and figure it out. I Corinthians 16:2 
 
And note that giving to those in need was selective, based on the character of the person receiving, demonstrated by a lifestyle of active Christian faith: "When considering widows (those with no family to support them), don't give to them unless they are busy working in ministry serving others." I Timothy 5:9-11
 
(Which gives us understanding of the Acts 6 policy of providing support to the widows - it wasn't a free handout, they were expected to have been and continue to be busy serving others)
 
It is clear from these passages the responsibility of caring for believers in need fell to the body of Christ, not to government, not to organized charities - but the body takes care of the body.
 
As I said at the start, this series is a collection of a few random thoughts - these first 2 about God's kingdom and the extent of a government's role in the care and feeding of a nation's citizens. I've shared enough to see the kingdom as outlined in the Parable of the Talents is capitalist with a cap on the capital, and that caring for those in need falls first not upon governmental, not to a social agency, but first to believers caring for believers.
 
I'll leave it at that - My intent was to define where God stands on Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism as governments all over the world grapple with how much government should extend itself.
 
Next week, random thoughts about...abortion. Until then, blessings,
 
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
It was in 2004, during the Bush-Kerry Presidential race that I discerned a difference in the spiritual realm in the US, and about that race for the White House in particular. I asked the Father what it was and He said this: "It is the spirit of socialism. It can be delayed, but it won't be stopped." I asked where it came from and He replied. "Europe", to which I asked why: "There are some in this nation who think the US should be like Europe, but that's not what I called this nation to be."
 
His reply caused me to wonder, "Is God, and the kingdom of heaven's laws in particular, set up as capitalist, socialist, communist, or something in between?"
 
Here are definitions of Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism:
 
Capitalism: An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry is controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. Antonym (opposite): Communism
 
Socialism: An economic and political system that advocates production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services should be owned or regulated by the government.
 
Communism: A system where all property is public and all people work and are given things by the government based on their needs.
 
Is God a capitalist? The 10 Commandments
It is widely understood from ancient times the 613 laws of Moses are summarized by 10 Commandments, and those 10 are divided into 2 categories; God and man.
 
The first 4 deal with God: Have no other God but me, you will make no idols, you will not make a vain use of the Lord's name, you will not work on the Sabbath.
 
The last 6 are centered around the family: You will honor your father and mother, you will not murder, you will not steal, you will not commit adultery, you will not lie, you will not covet/lust after your neighbor's possessions. (Exodus 20:3-17)
 
Look behind those 10 Commandments. They are built upon the foundation of a family that loves God.
Go deeper still and you see that at least 2 deal directly with personal ownership of property and possessions: You will not steal, you will not lust for/covet your neighbor's possessions. But even that is deeper, for this is the complete verse 17 which outlines what 'lust for/covet' means:
 
"You will not lust after your neighbor's house, you will not lust after your neighbor's wife, nor his male nor female employees, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
 
These reveal personal and individual ownership and management. The neighbor owns and/or manages his own home, family, employees, livestock and (therefore) land. At least half of the 6 commands that deal with how man treats man are capitalist, meaning individual ownership and responsibility for what they own, and the command to not interfere with how your neighbor manages what he owns and operates.
 
The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-30
When Jesus says "The kingdom of heaven is like", He is talking about laws of the 'nation' of heaven and laws that are unique to the Kingdom of heaven, set up by the King.
 
Each kingdom has its own set of laws. For instance, in Matthew 12:26 Jesus said Satan has a kingdom, what we call 'hell', a place ruled by laws that are the perversion of all that is God, and is therefore a place of torment rather than peace, love, and security. But the laws of the kingdom of Satan are unique to his kingdom - he set it up that way, he is the king so that is his responsibilty.
 
Therefore, when Jesus starts a parable saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like", we know He is talking about the laws of the Kingdom of heaven that govern that Kingdom.
 
We've seen the 10 Commandments are structured around the home, family, personal ownership and the responsibility to manage properly, coupled with the command not to interfere with a neighbor's ownership and management of his own. Let's go deeper by looking at a revelation of God's kingdom's economic laws:
 
The parable of the bags of money (Talents, a unit of money back then)
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey who called his employees and entrusted his money to them. To one he gave 5 bags of gold, to another 2 bags, and to another 1 bag, each according to his ability. Then he left on his journey. The man who had received 5 bags of gold went immediately and bought and sold with his money, and increased it to 5 bags more. The man with 2 bags did the same, gaining 2 more. But the man who had received 1 bag went and dug a hole and hid his boss's money there.
 
After a long time the boss returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received 5 bags brought that and the 5 more saying, 'Boss, you entrusted me with 5 bags and see, I have gained 5 more.' The boss replied, 'Well done, you've been good and faithful! Come and share in my rewards.'
 
The man with 2 bags of gold also came and replied, 'I have taken your 2 bags and made 2 more', to which the boss replied, 'Well done, you've been good and faithful! Come and share in my rewards.'
 
Then the man who had received 1 bag of gold came and said, 'Boss, I know you are a hard man, harvesting where you haven't planted and gathering where you haven't scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and buried your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
His boss replied, 'You wicked and lazy man! You say I harvest where I haven't sown and gather where I haven't scattered seed? Well then, you should have at least put my money in the bank to gain interest! Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has 10 bags. For whoever has, will be given more, in abundance. Whoever doesn't have, that which he has will be taken away. Throw this worthless employee outside into the darkness, where there is crying and suffering.;"
This parable is all about capitalism, and Jesus said from that start, 'The kingdom of heaven is like this'. Consider the economic structure of the kingdom:
There is a boss, meaning he owns a company, who has employees of various abilities. He rewards each employee according to his ability, entrusting them with stewardship of some part of the business. 2 of the 3 men work hard buying and selling in the marketplace to double their money, and are rewarded and promoted for their hard work.
The wicked and lazy man, who spoke wrongly of the boss (claimed he was dishonest by stealing other people's harvests), was fired after a reasonable time, having failed to fulfill the company requirements for his position. The boss would have kept him on if he had done even the minimum of putting the money in the bank to gather interest. But because he didn't show up for work but was off doing other things, he was fired and suffered the crying and anguish that goes with poverty and laziness - all of his own doing.
The laws of the kingdom of heaven Jesus teaches, include personal ownership, management, being given responsibility based on ability, being rewarded by promotion for integrity and good and hard work, and the suffering of consequences for the mismanagement of money, time, and responsibility. This parable is consistent with the foundation of the 10 Commandments. (For more on this parable and other Biblical economic teachings see my 'Balanced Biblical Prosperity' series)
The reason this subject is important, both in the US and much of the world, is that a battle is going on about the degree to which government should be involved in money and property, and the world is about to change significantly in the next couple years, which is why I'm sharing this now, so people can be discerning and wise about the spiritual principles and battle that is raging.
But what about how the early church sharing all things common? What about ancient Israel's national bankruptcy that happened every 7 and 50 years? Is the kingdom 100% capitalist, or is there more to the ways of God in these things...stay tuned, next week. Blessings,
John Fenn www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com