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WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU-Living Life In A Material World (PT1)
By Steven Garofalo, May 27, 2024 (Copyright 2024)
May 27, 2024

“WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?-Living Your Life In A Material World”

All Christians share one thing in common. We are all one way when we get saved and change over time as we strive to live out our Christian faith. I along with most every other Christian have read the “Parable Of The Seed” in the Books of Matthew and in Luke 8. This parable, in its correct exegetical interpretation speaks to one how one receives the truth of Jesus Christ through the Word of God. 

And Today, I want to look at that truth and then in application, look at how we can vacillate between the different types of seed throughout our life as we work out our salvation in a fallen world. Let’s get started. Let’s jump right in.

I first started studying “THE PARABLE OF THE SEED” found in Books of Matthew and Luke as a teenager, and I have always tried to humbly imagine myself as the good soil that received the seed, yielding a hundredfold. I can tell you straight up that I received the seed/Word of God decades ago and never looked back-but I like all human beings, I have gone through different seasons of life in terms of income levels and other scenarios that have ebbed and flowed my walk with Christ to one degree or another. 

Are you currently, or have you ever made a lot more money then when you first trusted in the Lord as Lord and Savior-as the seed that bared 100-fold? Have you ever allowed the “Cares and riches and pleasures of life stifle or “choke out” your spiritual fruit from maturing further in your faith? There are four kinds of seed, but for American’s especially, (vs. 14) this is an interesting seed category to look at for the authentic believer who, as a saved believer, has now made quite a bit more money, experienced a great more deal more pleasure, and who have been blessed by God materially. How has that effective your life as such?

INITIAL RECEIVING GOD’S WORD 

In Luke 8:4-18 illustrates with great detail exactly how people receive the true Word of God through Jesus Christ. Jesus himself breaks this down into four kinds of people and how they respond to receiving or rejecting God’s Word in great detail. While this may seem like a rehashing of an old parable that we have heard over and over through the decades, I want to challenge us to rehash it afresh, once again from a new perspective perhaps here in May of 2024. 

THE THORNS THAT RUINED AMERICA

As the world’s superpower, the United States of America is in a rapid state of decline due to our spiritual roots shifting from the “good soil” to the “thorns”. American leadership and citizens alike have taken God’s great blessings, provision and protection for granted, and even abused His provision for personal gain over proper stewardship for the Kingdom of God.

As a result, much of our “actual” wealth is dissipating. With our nation debt at levels impossible to pay back and the interest rates on that debt and social obligations in the “trillions”, we have violated God’s principles and commands regarding taking on debt we cannot repay. More than that, the debt we have amassed has been spent on immoral, unbiblical things such as corrupt contrast, unjust wars, unbiblical welfare, and the list goes on. While this may sound hopeless, it’s not. WHY? Because it’s not about “America” but about God and God’s people. Let’s take ourselves out of current thought process of our own wealth levels and patriotic mold and place our personal minds, lives and families as well as mission within the pages of the biblical Scriptures. Once we do that, we will see that nations rise and they fall, but God is ALWAYS on the throne. He always has been, is, and will be on the throne. That should be comforting for you and I. Furthermore, it should instruct each of us NOT to get caught up in the temporal above eternal. That being said, let’s move in to God’s word and see what He has to say about how we are to look at living out an authentic Christian life in an affluent and material-driven world.

IT’S TIME TO LOOK

It’s a good time for all of us to take a fresh look at the “Parable of the Seeds” in light of what kind of ground you might be standing on in the current moment. I’m not speaking about one’s salvation which cannot be lost by the way-but more so regarding the seed that fell “among the thorns”. Most American’s have amassed a great deal of wealth in light of the average person around the globe. But as America fails and is falling more and more into socialism, each of us is threatened by “LOSS”. Loss of freedom, freedom of speech, wealth, and the like. If not careful, in application, we will shift from living our life as a person saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, but shifting from living a life in the good soil to the thorns as the pressures of this world, including our wealth strangle us.

SHIFTING SOIL

It has been abundantly easy for most of us to consider ourselves to be the good soil over the past 30 years. Over the past decade or two, things in America have been changing. America is now a country which lacks patriotism, our outlook on America and the Christian ethos of America has changed forever. If not careful, those riches or better yet are interfering with how we are living out our faith in this fallen world. Let’s read the parable below and break the parable down using the words of Jesus Himself in order to figure out which soil you are at in the present. 

As a disclaimer, once one is saved, they cannot lose their salvation/eternal life in Jesus Christ. That being said, for many, while they are saved, they might be living out their faith and life in a category of seed they didn’t start with when they were first saved. 

THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELFThe following are the words of Jesus Himself (red letter) as found in Luke 8:5-8).

5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 8:5-8 ESV).

WHAT IS JESUS SAYING?

Jesus is explaining in private to His disciples what each of these categories mean. Jesus explained in verse 10 that this parable is a secret to the masses and that He is sharing with them (His disciples) and of course, all of who read this parable through the Scriptures in years to come. 

WHAT ARE PARABLES? It’s always good to explain your terms. As such, a parable is a figure of speech in which a moral or spiritual truth is illustrated by an analogy drew a from everyday experiences. These parables present truth about the kingdom in this present day. These truths are called “SECRETS” (Matthew 13:11) because they were never revealed in the Old Testament, and they are revealed here by Christ only to those who are properly related to Him (vss. Matthew 13:11-13) and Mark 4:11-12).

In Mark 8, verse 10, Jesus uses the word “SECRETS” to describe what He is about to tell them in terms of the meaning of this parable. By “SECRETS”, He is speaking of Truths not revealed in the Old Testament (in this case the characteristics of the time erwiesen the first and second comings of Christ, the church age), but revealed to those rightly related to Him. Others would not understand. So, WHAT exactly did Jesus tell His disciples about the seeds and what did the mean?

While this concludes today's epsiode, we will will pick up answering that question in PART 2. To RECAP, all Christians share one thing in common in that we are all one way when we get saved and change over time as we strive to live out our Christian faith. Today, we looked at the true meaning of what Jesus was saying trough correct interpretation and looked at how we can vacillate between the different types of seed throughout our life as we work out our salvation in a fallen world in application. In PART 2, we will look more deeply through interpretation but also illustrate that out of all the seeds, the third seed that fell upon the “THORNS” can be a shorn that takes an authentic Christian off-center from their faith walk, mission, and plan God has for their life.

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When I was in seminary, the question was raised as to if pets or animals in general go to heaven. Our professor, Dr. Norman Geisler said this: “Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the Cross for the human race, not animals.” I was working out at the gym one day when one of the regulars, who had just moved to Charlotte, NC from California told me that one of her beloved dogs died; and would that dog go to heaven. I have her the same answer. But, was that the whole story? That’s what we are going to look at today.

In a peace by Michael Housman, Founder of GotQuestions.Org, Housman wrote that “The BIble does not give any explicit teaching on whether pets or animals in general have souls, or spirits, or whether pets and other animals will be in heaven.

His answer was short but the animals not having souls maybe up for debate.

We can use general biblical principles to develop some clarity on the subject though Housman wrote. The Bible states that both man (Genesis 2:7) and animals (Genesis 1:30; 6:17; 7:15 and 22) have the “BREATH OF LIFE” that is, both man and animals are living beings. Furthermore, the primary difference between human beings and animals is that humanity is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), while animals are not.

Being made in the image and likeness of God means that human beings are like God in some ways; they are capable of spirituality; they have a mind, emotion, and “will”; and part of their “being” continues after death.

If pets and other animals do have a “soul” (or spirit or immaterial aspect), it must therefore be of a different and lesser “quality”. This difference possibly means that pets and other animal “souls”  do not continue in existence after death.

Another factor to consider regarding whether pets will be in heaven is that animals are a port of God’s creative process in Genesis. God created the animals and said they were good (Genesis 1:25). Therefore, there is no reason why there could not be pets and animals on the NEW EARTH as described in (Revelation 21:1). 

In the end, there will most definitely be animals during the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25). It is impossible to say definitely whether some animals of these animals might be the pets we had here on earth. We do know that God is just and that when we get to heaven, we will find ourselves in complete agreement with His decision on this issue, whatever that turns out to be.

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Until next time, I’m your host Steven Garofalo, and this is your reason for truth for today.

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AN ETHICAL ECONOMY IS GOOD FOR ALL
By Steven Garofalo, May 2, 2025

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ECONOMY

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Today, I am going to show you through Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 that vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, will devour one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Let’s get started.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor is an interesting subject in light of wealth, corruption, and the human heart. This subject effects many things, including what makes a good economy. 

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 5, verses eight to nine, Solomon says the following:

Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
“8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

COMMENTARY: There are two things king Solomon is saying here within the theme of the vanity of WEALTH and HONOR. Wealth and honor are two different things, as one can have wealth with or without honor or honor with or without wealth. That being said, let’s look at verses 8 and 9 independently to see the simple message God provides us today through Solomon.

BREAK DOWN
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9

THE ABUSE OF AUTHORITY & WEALTH
 “8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them." 

COMMENTARY: Verse 8 clearly illustrates that there is a corruption at every level of government, with higher level oppressors plundering the equally oppressive lower-level magistrates. This perhaps explains the st state of America and the world. With blackmail running. Rampant and the public sector unchecked, they have been robbing the everyday citizen of their hard earned money. As a result, the system became insulated and division between the haves and have nots became more defined. When the high level government officials rob and abuse those below them, someone above that person robs and abuses the higher level person himself.

In America, where we print money out of thin air for the world, in this short period of history, there is little need to plunder those under one authority because there is so much to steal that those in authority can simply pay them off or blackmail them; whichever is most convenient. Either way, Solomon makes abundantly clear that when there is nobody minding the ship, evil perpetuates to the point of overtaking the government in whole. As a result, we end up with a 2024 government, riddles with corruption, immorality, blackmail, lawlessness, and all other things evil due to the lack of God-ness which equates to “goodness”. 

Economically speaking, when this happens to a country, its own economy begins to decline into debt due to their insatiable desire and emotional need for more money and resources. When resources are stripped and money is squandered, the elite few are smart enough to collect those resources and money and we end up with a U.S. Stock Market where only 5% holds up to 80%  of the entire market wealth. 

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
The answer and solution is to keep to return to the system we created in the first place which is free market capitalism that allows those who desire to work hard, to have a fair chance at success, making money and turning a fair profit. This is called “honor for everyone”.

HONOR FOR EVERYONE
"9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

CONCLUSION:

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, devours one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Solomon (Qohelet) considered goverment to be frustrating becuase it was a necessary evil, something deply flawed but indespsnsible. On the one hand people sould "not be shocked" when they see OPPRESSION and injustice in a governmental province (v.8). After all, bloated government bureaucracy tends to frustrate justice (v.8b). On the other hand, government has it advantages (v.9). Many hold to the belief that this verse continues the negeative assessment of government. Others see this passage better understood more positively since it fits with Qohelet's normal pattern of "on the one hand, on the other.." way of teaching. 

Even a corrupt government is better than anarchy, which devastates a country, it's culture and in Solomon's time, an agrarian economy that would lead to starvation. Keeping to God's ways is the only solution to man's sinful nature; especially in governmental rule. In the end, a king who devotes himself to developing the resources of the land ushers in a systems that brings the opportunity for profit to all, not just the corrupt few.

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SOLA SCRIPTURA
A Protestant & Catholic View Comparison

I grew up Catholic and now go to a Protestant or non-Catholic church in Charlotte, NC. Michael Houdmann, Founder and CEO of GotQuestions.Org writes that a major difference between the two boils down to believing in the Bible alone as God's word verses believing that God's word plus man's input as the divine inspired word of God.

WHAT DO PROTESTANTS BELIEVE?

A major difference is the issue of sufficiency and authority of Scripture. While Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the source of God's special revelation to mankind, it also speaks to everything we need to understand as necessary for our salvation from sin.

Protestants view the Bible as the STANDARD for Christian morality and ethics which governs our behavior. This is called sola scripture and is one of the five Solas in Christianity. (Solas meaning "alone" in Latin. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes clear that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV).

WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?

Catholics do not believe in sola scriptura hence do not believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. They see both the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic tradition as equally authoritative and binding on the Christian. While not all Catholics hold to doctrines such as purgatory, praying to the saints, worship or veneration of Mary, etc., the Catholic doctrine hold to them even though they have little or no mention or basis in the Bible. In truth, these doctrines are based on Roman Catholic traditions based on the Catholic Church's insistence that the Bible and tradition are equal in authority. The problem with this is that it undermines the sufficiency, authority, and completeness of the Bible. The view of Scripture is at the root of many, if not all, of the differences between Catholics and Protestants.

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