MAKING SAUSAGE

February 16, 2012, University of Arizona

      Tucson is one of my favorite cities and UA is among my favorite campuses.  Sister Pat warmed up about 20 students, who were already sitting on the hill.  As I waited to take center stage, several students expressed to me their happiness that I was back.

      When I took my first turn, I mocked their lifestyles and party life mentality and their confusion over their sexual identity.

      Mike Orr was a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois when he first heard me in the mid-seventies.  He is now a retired teacher.  In recent years he has joined me on campus whenever I am in Tucson.  He explained to some students, "Brother Jed's campus ministry is like making sausage.  It is repulsive in the making but the end result tastes good."

Students listen as Bro. Jed makes sausage.

      My second session went for about two hours with mostly men.  I taught on the rules of literary interpretation, including Biblical interpretation.  Of course few students have passed the first rule in that they have not read enough of the Bible to begin to interpret the meaning of the Book.  I spent a considerable amount of time explaining how to know whether a passage is to be understood literally or figuratively.  I illustrated with the story of Cain and Abel.  When a student asks me where Cain got his wife, it is an indication that he is reading the story much too literally.  The big question one should ask is why Abel's sacrifice was acceptable unto God, but Cain's was not.  Abel, the shepherd, offered the best lamb of his flock; Cain was a dirt farmer, who offered his best crops.  They both apparently offered up their best; but our best is not good enough for God, because our best works, prior to our salvation, are tainted with sin.  Abel's sacrifice represents God's best, God's son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

This guy was very odd but a good listener.

      I taught on the symbolism of the Jewish Passover, the night when God killed the first born of Egypt, both man and beast.  If the Jews would understand the symbolism of this great event in their history, then they would recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  The Christ is represented by the blood of the lamb placed on the doorpost of each Jewish household (the cross), Pharaoh is a figure for Satan, Egypt represents the world, Canaan symbolizes the Kingdom of God, etc. 

     A controversy arose over the alleged contradiction between Matthew's account of Judas' death and Luke's version in Acts.  These two accounts can be reconciled but it is not really necessary to reconcile them.  What is the point to be learned in the accounts leading up to his death?  The lesson is the difference between true repentance unto salvation and mere remorse over one's sins, which results in one's own demise. 

       There is an old saying that the devil is in the details.  There are some details in the Bible that seem contradictory but we do not want to miss the forest through the trees or for that matter miss the trees through the forest.  Too often Christians argue whether expressions for Hell, like the Lake of Fire, should be taken literally or figuratively.  Either way obviously Jesus is attempting to describe a horrible state for sinners in the next life.  Was the flood worldwide or limited only to the known world?  While this may be an interesting question for geologists, it is not really relevant to the main point of the story:  God will severely judge sin; nevertheless, he offers a way to escape through the ark, which represents the Church or the Kingdom of God.

This hill makes for a perfect audience as Sis. Pat preaches at the University of Arizona.

     An atheist questioned some of the historical facts of the Bible and even challenged its general historical accuracy.  I answered even if we assume that much of the Bible is mythical, myths still can convey great ontological truths.  Even if one can not accept the historical reliability of the Bible, there is great wisdom to be gained from it for those who will study and for those who are teachable.  The Bible is not primarily a geology book; it is, above all, a book of theology and secondly an anthropology book.  I am not denying the historical or geological accuracy of the Bible.  However, my main interest is for the students to grasp its great metaphysical truths on subjects like the origin of life, the meaning of life, the origin of moral obligation, the destiny of man.  I want the students to learn the meaning of outstanding themes of the Bible such as justice and mercy, law and grace, the significance of sacrifice, the meaning of truth.  I want them to understand the nature and character of God as he is revealed in the book.  I do not care to argue whether the days of creation were six literal days or a period of time.  Of course, the Bible does make statements on science, which is the study of the physical world.  But it is primarily concerned with the metaphysical, which is reality beyond the physical realm.  I will leave it to others more qualified to defend a young earth or an old earth.  I am interested in getting across that the order we see in creation requires an orderer, who is God. 

HAST THOU CONSIDERED JOB?

February 17, 2012, University of Arizona

      In my first session I spent a considerable amount of time teaching on Job.  Many students are somewhat familiar with the story.  However, I have never met one who demonstrated that he had a basic understanding of the book.  They usually have a view that Job was merely a victim of a wager between God and the devil.  Job is one Bible book which is likely to be taught in literature classes.  Either the English professors are poor instructors or the students are poor learners, maybe a combination of both.

     In the beginning of the narrative God boasts to Satan on the character of Job that he is an upright man, who fears God and hates evil.   On the other hand, Satan is the ultimate cynic.  He is sure that Job only serves God for the blessings he receives from him.  Satan does not believe there is such a thing as an honest and sincere man.  God has faith that Job is a man of character who serves him out of love.  Satan is convinced that Job, like all men, has his price, that if he loses everything he will curse God.  First, Job loses his possessions and children but still he remains steadfast, next he loses his health and consequently even his wife urges him to curse God and die.  Next his friends accuse him of receiving ill at the hand of God because of his sins.  Yet Job through all his trials maintains his integrity.  He does question God as to why such terrible things are happening to him but he never curses God.  He passes every test.  Thus God demonstrates to Satan, Job's contemporaries, and to men down through the ages that the cynics are wrong.  There are men of integrity.  There are honest men.  Everyman does not have his price.  This is a vital lesson that everyman needs to learn if he is to have a happy and fulfilled life.  Cynicism robs men of their joy and destroys their soul. 

     One student argued that since God has absolute knowledge of the future that he was playing with Job's mind and body through all of his tribulations.  Evidently, Satan was unaware of the commonly held view that God has absolute knowledge of the future, or he never would have challenged God's confidence in Job passing every ordeal.  The Book of Job is not just a test of Job's faith, but it is also a test of God's faith in Job.  Who is right about Job, God or Satan?  Did God have good reason for trusting in Job to endure or not?  The end of the story proves God to be right in his belief concerning Job being a perfect and upright man. 

     Few men of our day, whether they are skeptics or those claiming to be people of faith, believe a mortal man can be perfect.  The Bible reveals that there are morally pure men and Job is the prime example.  Most men have the cynical satanic view that there is no one who has a perfect love (pure heart) for God.   Few men think that it is possible for a Christian to be completely holy in his relationship with Christ and others.   They erroneously believe that all Christians are doomed to sooner or later succumb to temptation.  Job was not perfect in his understanding of God and his ways.  He had some things he needed to learn the hard way.  Even though he questioned God's justice, he ultimately demonstrated himself to be a man of great faith and endurance.

    Cynics and skeptics use Job' trials to accuse God of injustice in his treatment of the Job and everyman.  Men have the audacity to question God's love.   They typically believe that God is as self-centered as they are or even more so.   By overcoming the severest of tests and trials, Job becomes an even stronger man then he was in the beginning.  In the end God returns to him double everything he lost at Satan's hand.  A good God will test his people so that they will have an opportunity to grow in grace and understanding of God's goodness and love.  God's purpose for his people is to mold their character so that they will be conformed to the very image of Christ himself of whom Job is a type. 

Bro. Jed entertains the students before he swiftly thrusts the sword of the Spirit into their consciences.

    One thing that encourages me is when I meet a student who seems to understand my methods.  After one of my preaching sessions a man, who identified himself as a Calvinist, commended me for my approach.  He says other preachers come to campus and directly condemn homosexuals and unbelievers to Hell.  But he complimented me for my "implicity."  I was intrigued because I have never had anyone use that word to describe my approach.  He liked my subtlety and the way I entertained the students, and then suddenly and seriously thrust in the sword of truth into their consciences when they are least expecting the hit.

Sis. Pat gave a lot of attention to the Muslim in the white shirt.

      The Calvinist also confessed to his temptations with lust and asked for advice on how to overcome.  Most Christians will argue that they cannot help but sin, especially in the area of the lust of the flesh.  He received my counsel and thanked me profusely.    

     Sister Pat rejoiced because at the end of the day she prayed with a boy, who had been arguing with us and even asking trick questions, to receive the Holy Spirit.  She immediately noticed a profound change in his countenance after her prayer.  We left campus at 5 PM happy that despite a cold and cloudy day for Tucson, we had an attentive crowd.  Both Sister Pat and I spent a significant amount of time ministering to a group of lesbians, who clung to us all afternoon. 

Sis. Pat teaching the youth to fear the Lord!